“I don’t know how much longer I can take their shit,” she grumbled, shoving a few strands of her unruly raven hair roughly behind her ear.

 

            “My, my, Kagome… I think you may be spending too much time with Inuyasha. His… colorful… language is beginning to rub off on you.” He smirked at the girl laid across his lap, her back half leaned against his chest and half against the arm of the couch. He was quite comfortable, his right arm around her shoulders and his left resting on her knee, and she appeared to be perfectly content to stay right where she was.

 

            “Fuck you, fucking monk. At least I’m not a pervert!” the inu hanyou snarled at his friend. His head snapped to the other side of the room when he heard a snort of suppressed laughter. “You got somethin’ ta say to me, runt?” It was his turn to be amused as the kitsune growled, trying to sound vicious but only able to pull off something similar to the sound of a puppy playing tug of war with an old gym sock. “Is that supposed to sound threatening?” he asked as he laughed.

 

            “Inuyasha! Leave Shippo alone,” Kagome ordered before lifting one leg and planting her heel into the hanyou’s thigh as hard as she could manage.

 

            He turned his eyes to the little miko lounging across Miroku as he sat at the end of the couch Inuyasha had plopped directly in the middle of, intent on getting the best view of the television, not that anyone was even looking at it at the moment. “Was that supposed to hurt?” he asked with a dangerous look in his amber eyes. Before she could move, knowing exactly what was coming, he’d wrapped a strong hand around her small ankle, holding firmly as she tried to pull it free from his grasp. “You should know better, wench,” he said darkly. His silver puppy ears flattened to his head in anticipation of the noise he knew was to come before reaching out with his other hand and running the tips of his claws along the sole of her bare foot, barely brushing her skin. Shippo winced as Kagome began to squeal and laugh, all the while trying to free her very, very ticklish foot from her friend’s torture.

 

            “Inuyasha! Stop it! Stop! It tickles! Stop!” she managed to get out between laughs and high pitched squeals. Of course, she squealed as loud as she could manage, and in the shrillest tone, knowing he could only stand it for so long and would soon let her go to stop the eardrum shattering sound. She kicked just as his claws had moved in for another pass and squeaked in pain.

 

Immediately, Inuyasha pulled his claws back from her, eyes wide. “Shit,” he muttered as he examined her now injured foot. “Kagome, I didn’t mean to…”

 

“Inuyasha, it’s fine. I’m the one who moved. It’s not your fault.” Really, she expected claw mishaps every now and then. That’s what you get when you play with demons, especially when you play rough, and Inuyasha had never been one for gentle anything.

 

“The hell it isn’t,” Shippo muttered from his seat. “I told him before to watch it, that he was gonna end up cutting you.”

 

“Shippo, it’s not his fault,” Kagome said with finality. She suddenly squealed and squirmed, looking down at her friend in surprise.

 

Inuyasha was dragging his tongue along the small cut, cleaning the blood from her skin while closing the wound with his saliva. He closed his eyes as the flavor of her blood exploded on his tongue. She tasted delicious and the little hint of miko energy only added to it, like the cherry on top of a sundae with the works. ‘Mmmm, sundae,’ he thought for a second before returning his attention to his task, cursing his DADD (Demon Attention Deficit Disorder). Once he was sure there would be no more blood and no scar he looked up at her.

 

Miroku had wrapped his left arm around her waist some time during her flailing, making sure she didn’t end up on the floor. The monk was chuckling quietly behind her and quite enjoying her squirming. Her eyes were filled with shock directed at Inuyasha and he couldn’t help but drag his tongue along the tender skin once again, slower this time, and his eyes danced with mirth as her squealing began again, though this time she didn’t kick, not wanting to hurt him, like she even could. “So, that tickles too, does it wench? Well, I think I might just have to do that more often then,” he said with a smirk.

 

“Eeewww!” she said while making a face. “Why would you want to lick my feet? I walk on those!”

 

“Well, duh,” Shippo contributed.

 

“Oh, shut up, you!” the human miko growled at him.

 

“Are you sure there isn’t a little demon in ya, Kagome?” they heard from the entrance to the living room. All four heads turned to take in the new arrivals.

 

“No, Kouga,” Kagome said with a sigh. “There isn’t any demon in me.”

 

Miroku slapped his hand over his mouth. ‘She is so asking for it.’

 

Kagome watched as Kouga stalked closer, leaning over the back of the couch until his lips nearly touched her ear. “Do you want some?” he asked in his most seductive tone. “Cuz I’d be happy to help.”

 

Kagome’s eyes widened, not believing that she’d actually walked right into that one, while Inuyasha and Shippo both growled at the wolf that really needed to work on his pick-up lines. “How many times do I have to tell ya, flea bag? You’ll keep your filthy hands, lips, and every other part of you off Kagome if you want to keep them attached!” Inuyasha said, his voice now seriously threatening. Knowing what would come next, she moved Miroku’s arm from around her waist.

 

Kouga backed away, hands up, palms out. “Alright, alright! Don’t get your panties in a twist.” Kagome jumped forward just in time to land on Inuyasha, stopping his attempt to leap over the back of the couch and redecorate the living room with wolf intestines.

 

Inuyasha let out an “Oomff,” of surprise as her small body collided with his torso. “Damn it, bitch! What the fuck?” he yelled, his hands moving automatically to rest on her hips to secure her as she sat straddling his stomach, hands flat on his chest.

 

It was Kouga’s turn to growl, not liking the position of Kagome’s body or the position of Inuyasha’s hands on her body. “Get your filthy hanyou mitts of my woman!” Kouga hollered, feeling both his arms being held back as he tried to move towards the half demon to remove the offending appendages from the little miko’s soft curves and quite possibly from his wrists as well.

 

“Calm down, Kouga,” Ginta said, sounding like a mother trying to calm her child during a tantrum, which was quite appropriate considering Kouga’s current behavior.

 

“Yeah, just chill dude,” Hakaku added.

 

“Is there a reason for your visit or did you just come by to harass Kagome again?” Miroku asked, his tone rather condescending.

 

“We were in the neighborhood and I figured she’d be here, not that I can understand why she’d want to waste her time on you guys, so I decided we’d stop and check on my woman.”

 

Kagome let out another slight growl, her fingernails unconsciously digging into Inuyasha’s chest in her frustration. The hanyou fought a grimace, refusing to show that this dainty little female was actually causing him pain. “Damn it! How many times do I have to say I’m not your fucking woman?”

 

“Definitely too much time with Inuyasha,” Miroku murmured from his seat, which was now behind her in her new position, one she’d yet to vacate. The monk didn’t mind a bit. The way she was bent over their friend, he was graced with a fantastic view of the top of her panties, ‘a pink thong today… nice,’ he thought to himself, a lecherous grin spreading across his lips as her low-ride jeans slipped even lower than before.

 

“If you’d let me up wench, I’d be happy to get rid of the fucker. If he stays much longer the stink will get into the carpet and we’ll have to tear it out.” Kagome let out another sigh but refused to move, knowing her friend would never roll her off of him and risk hurting her so as long as she stayed put Inuyasha couldn’t attack Kouga, no matter how tempting it was to let him. Of course that meant she couldn’t stop Shippo, making her wish for a moment that there were two of her.

 

Kouga readied himself for the attack from the much smaller fox demon, shrugging off the hands of his two companions. Just as Shippo was about to reach the wolf and probably get his fluffy little tail ripped off, someone stepped between them, his back to the fox who barely stopped his collision with the ass that had appeared seeming out of nowhere in his path.

 

“Back again? I thought you’d finally learned your lesson. I guess not,” a smug voice mocked. “Perhaps you need us to teach it again?” he asked. He might as well of been offering the wolf a cup of tea, the way he said it, as if politely offering an ass kicking.

 

Kouga rolled his eyes. “Like you fucking scare me? You’re nothing but a worthless human,” he said, sounding like the word left a bad taste in his mouth.

 

“Oh really? Nothing but a worthless human?” he asked. “Kagome, dear? Would you be so kind as to inform the wolf of your species again?”

 

“Certainly, darling,” Kagome played along, her voice taking on an overly sweet tone. “Kouga, I’m a worthless human too. Did you forget?” Kouga’s eyes widened comically as he realized his mistake. “Now, I suggest you get out of here before I decide to make sure you no longer have a ‘little demon’ to give anyone. I’ve been practicing my purification. Wanna see?” She lifted one hand from Inuyasha’s chest, not noticing the slight hiss he released as her nails pulled from his flesh, leaving five little crescent shapes behind. She raised her hand enough that Kouga could see it before staring into the annoying wolf’s eyes as her fingertips began to glow a bright pink. “Ginta, Hakaku, you’re always welcome to stay, but if you do go then I’ll see you Monday in class.”

 

“Alright, Kagome!” Hakaku said with a fang-filled smile.

 

“We’ll see you Monday then!” Ginta added cheerfully while the two dragged a stunned wolf from the house.

 

Bankotsu swung the door closed behind them before approaching the back of the couch. His hands reached out and he lifted Kagome off of Inuyasha and over the couch back towards his body. Her legs wrapped around his waist as his hands slid down her sides to support her. “You guys need to remember to lock the door,” he said, amusement in his voice. “You never know who might show up and try to steal you away from us.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, did ya get it?” Kagome asked, peering over his shoulder towards the kitchen.

 

“Have I ever let you down?”

 

“Well, how about you let me down now so I can go get my food? I’m hungry and you took forever!”

 

He merely laughed before lowering her slowly to the ground as her legs slipped from his hips. “I still don’t understand how you can eat like you do and stay so tiny,” he mused while watching her disappear into the kitchen, returning quickly with arms full of brown paper bags.

 

“I’ve got a high metabolism,” she answered without looking up; too busy spreading the takeout containers around the coffee table. “Am I the only one that’s hungry?” she asked, glancing around at her friends.

 

“We’d better hurry or there won’t be any food left for the rest of us,” Shippo joked.

 

Kagome shot him a half-hearted glare before throwing a pair of chopsticks at him, laughing when they bounced off his forehead. “Aren’t demons supposed to have good reflexes?” she giggled.

 

“Oh just shut up,” he mumbled before grabbing a container and sitting back in his seat. “So what are we gonna watch?” They had a brief discussion over movie choices, all of Kagome’s responses muffled by the food she was literally shoveling into her mouth. “It’s a good thing we love you,” Shippo laughed when she was asked to repeat herself a fourth time because no one could understand her. Movie selected and lights turned down, the demon, hanyou, and three humans settled in to enjoy the film, food, and friends.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Their second movie selection ended and Kagome let out a frustrated sigh… again.

 

            “What’s with the sighs? Your roommates got you down again?” Bankotsu asked the girl lying on her side, stretched out on the couch, or rather stretched across three laps. Her head was resting on his thigh while he ran his fingers through her soft hair, her ass pressed against Miroku’s stomach which made the monk very happy, and her feet bravely lay on Inuyasha’s lap, trusting him not to tickle them again. Shippo sat on the ground between Bankotsu and Miroku’s feet, Kagome’s fingers idly playing with his bright red hair.

 

            “They’re trying to drive me insane, I swear. I keep finding my clothes missing, and they’re wearing them! No asking or anything! And half the time I never see it again. The other half they’ve stained it beyond all repair, and I don’t even wanna think about what the stain is, knowing how they act.”

 

“Hey now! Kikyo’s not that bad,” Inuyasha defended.

 

“That’s only cuz you think she’s hot and wanna get into her panties. Really, Inu, if you knew what else has crawled into those panties and what’s probably still crawling around in them you’d change your tune.”

 

“You’re just exaggerating.”

 

“I wish I was exaggerating! I’ve never ever seen her with the same guy twice. You know her room and mine share a wall! And of course she had to put her bed on that wall. I’m surprised it hasn’t cracked with the way her headboard slams into it all the time. The wall deserves an award for still standing!”

 

Miroku laughed as his right hand came up to rest on her hip, his fingertips lightly brushing the skin of her side that peeked out between her shirt and jeans. “Miroku, you’d better watch your hands. Just cuz I can’t purify you doesn’t mean I can’t find another way to remove ‘little Miroku’.”

 

            Miroku let out a huff before speaking, trying his best to sound injured by her words. “Kagome, you wound me. My hands had no intention of traveling to any inappropriate areas, but since you mentioned it...” He gave her rear a little squeeze, causing her to turn her head and glare at him, before continuing. “And I can assure you that no part of me is ‘little’.”

 

            “Yeah, you keep telling me that. Just saying it a lot doesn’t make it true,” she replied, causing everyone else to laugh. “It’s not just the clothes though, or that it sounds like they’re filming porn in every room of the house at all hours” she started again once the laughter died down. “They eat all my food, they make huge messes and expect me to clean up after them, and they even use the last of the toilet paper and don’t get out a new roll!”

 

Bankotsu let out a mock gasp. “How terrible for you,” he said dramatically.

 

“It is! We keep the extra rolls in the hall closet! Kami, I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the rest of this semester. And when we come back after the holidays I’m finding a new place!”

 

            “Didn’t you say the same thing last quarter?”

 

            “Yeah,” she said with a groan. “It’s almost impossible to find someone looking for a roommate that isn’t creepy.” She shuddered, remembering the places she’d looked at previously. Not a single place that wasn’t a shit hole came without a seriously disturbing or disturbed roomie.

 

            “I’m sure you’ll survive,” Shippo said, tilting his head backwards to see her.

 

            “I’m not,” she sighed.

 

All conversation paused when the front door slammed and a powerful aura hit them like a tidal wave. He was home. They could hear his footsteps on the tile as he walked through the kitchen towards them.

 

            “Here we go,” Shippo grumbled.

 

            “This isn’t gonna be good,” Miroku murmured. “He feels really pissed.”

 

Bankotsu nodded his agreement. “Even his footsteps sound angry.”

 

            The living room was dark, the only light shining from the silent television, but he could see it. The mess was everywhere! Why did he have to live with animals? What had he done to deserve such punishment?

 

            “How many times must this Sesshoumaru tell you fools to clean up after yourselves? There are half eaten containers, empty cans, and chopsticks spread throughout the kitchen and extending all the way to here, where you pathetic lumps are rotting in front of the television, sitting in the same places as you were when I left this morning!” His voice was cold and even, giving away no hint of his emotions.

 

            “Fuck you, Sesshoumaru! You’re not in charge! Didn’t Dad tell you to pull that stick out of your ass? Or did he forget to fax the request in triplicate? We’ll pick up when and if we fucking feel like it,” Inuyasha shouted at his older half brother. In an instant he found himself lifted off the couch and held by this throat against a wall.

 

            “This Sesshoumaru was aware of your idiocy but perhaps it is to a greater extent than I had previously believed. You dare speak to me in such a tone?”

 

            Inuyasha tried to yell back, refusing to give in to his stronger, full demon ass of a half brother, but all that came out was a sickly gurgle. When Inuyasha had been ripped off the couch, Miroku had barely caught Kagome before she rolled to the floor from the sheer speed that her friend was pulled out from under her. Now she struggled to get up. She had to stop this. Miroku held her tight, refusing to allow her to face off with the obviously furious taiyoukai. Shifting her off his lap and fully onto Miroku’s so he could rise, Bankotsu stood, Shippo following his lead, ready to come to their friend’s aid before he blacked out or permanent damage was done.

 

Sesshoumaru turned as he sensed their movement. “You would risk your lives by interfering?” he snarled, his tightly held composure slipping as his anger grew. He’d had a shitty day and got the pleasure of coming home to a mess that looked like a Chinese buffet had thrown up all over the kitchen and living room. That and he couldn’t stand living with his brother and his imbecile friends. Added to his overwhelming frustration and exhaustion, he was quickly losing his proudly kept control.

 

There was only one of the disgrace’s friends that he could stand the presence of, and that one just happened to yell from the couch where Miroku held her tight. “Sesshoumaru! Let him go! It’s my fault! I wanted the food; I’ll clean up the mess. Please?” She sounded desperate and a few seconds after she stopped talking there was a groan of pain before she popped up into his line of sight. She scrambled around the couch in an attempt to get to the now rather blue looking Inuyasha, but Shippo caught her arm. “Let me go, Shippo! Don’t make me kick you where I hit Miroku!”

 

“Listen to her, Shippo. She’s not playing around,” Miroku gasped out, now curled into a ball on the couch, both hands clutching at his painfully throbbing crotch.

 

Shippo was about to scoff when Kagome faked a move to kick him, causing him to immediately let her go to guard the goods from her assault. Bankotsu didn’t bother to try and stop her. He knew if she wanted to get to the brothers she would. A determined Kagome might as well be a bulldozer and it was not wise to stand in her way unless you enjoyed being flattened.

 

She stopped a few feet away and looked up into golden orbs. “Please, he can’t breathe. I’ll clean it up, I promise!”

 

He stared into her eyes for a moment before opening his hand, allowing Inuyasha to drop to the floor, gasping for air. “See that they do not make you do all the work,” was all he said before turning and disappearing up the stairs.

 

“What… the fuck… was that?” the inu hanyou forced out as he tried to remind his lungs how to inflate. Kagome furrowed her brows in confusion and turned to see that Shippo looked just as shocked.

 

Miroku was still whimpering, so it was Bankotsu who answered her questioning look. “He’s been an extra large ass lately, with pepperoni and extra violence on the side. Sesshoumaru doesn’t listen to anyone, especially not humans. But he listened to you.” He paused, thinking. “And he wasn’t rude or cruel to you either. He sounded almost… civil. Come to think of it, he’s never treated you like he treats the rest of us.”

 

“I don’t know why and I don’t care. Inuyasha, are you okay?” She asked, dropping to her knees next to where he sat, leaning against the wall and still trying to catch his breath.

 

He nodded at her, embarrassed that she’d seen him so easily defeated. He didn’t even get a chance to fight back. ‘Fucking Sesshoumaru, making me look bad in front of Kagome.’

 

“Come on guys. Lets clean up before he comes back down here and decides everyone looks better with a blue complexion.” There were grumbles of protest but they helped Kagome anyway, closing up containers and stacking them in the fridge and throwing away all the empty cans and other garbage that they’d accumulated during the afternoon and evening. Once everything looked at least semi-neat they decided that their movie marathon was over, all the enjoyment crushed out of it as if Sesshoumaru had his large hand wrapped tightly around their fun like he had his brother’s throat. Deciding that she had to, whether she wanted to or not, Kagome got ready to return to her house. She was hoping to just sneak in and up to her room without them seeing her and locking her self in for the night.  

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Sesshoumaru was up in his room pacing the floor. ‘Why didn’t I smell her or notice her aura? Why does she always manage to witness nothing but my anger and violence? Why does she come to the half-breed’s defense? Why does she associate with those idiots at all?’ His mind was full of questions but no answers were forthcoming. He allowed a sigh to slip from his lips and his shoulders slumped.

 

He was exhausted and while he didn’t know why he knew that once again it would be nearly impossible for him to sleep. It had gotten worse and worse over the last few months since he’d been forced to share residence with the hanyou and his entourage. The pressure and frustration was killing him but he couldn’t stop it. No matter what he took or how hard he tried, he could not have a single night that he wasn’t awakened by the dreams, dreams that only made it harder.

 

His beast had an explanation and often taunted him with the simple solution to his problem but what his beast didn’t understand was that what he proposed was impossible. It never could and never would happen, no matter how hard he tried. He already knew that so there was no point in adding insult to injury by making a fool of him self.  He’d already resigned himself to the fact that this torment would never cease, would never ease for more than a few sparse moments at a time. If only he knew how to stop it.

 

The overstressed taiyoukai finally sat in the large leather chair at his desk, pushing a button and waiting for his computer to boot up. He was just going to check his email and possibly do a little more research for the paper he had due soon. He certainly wasn’t going to do it. Not again. It didn’t help. Sure, he felt better for a few minutes, but in the long run it only made his pain worse.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            They’d all offered to walk her home since it was well after dark, but Kagome refused. It was only a few blocks anyway. She was a big girl and could certainly walk a couple of blocks by herself. She waved as she walked away from the door where they all watched her with wary eyes. She smiled to herself once she was out of their sight. It was cute really how protective of her they all were. Shippo and Inuyasha considered her pack and felt it was their duty to keep her safe. Miroku and Bankotsu took care of her with just as much devotion and she loved them all for it.  

 

            She found herself wishing that she never had to leave their home. She felt safe and secure and happy there, not like she felt at her house. She refused to think of the place as her home. There was nothing homey about it. How she’d ended up stuck with those three bitches she didn’t know, but she must have done something awful in another life to deserve such torture. She’d never met anyone quite so rude before. No one had ever been so absolutely hateful to her and she was certain she never gave them any reason to treat her like that, at least nothing besides the usual. Hell, she’d rather live with Sesshoumaru, the most arrogant, rude, and violent person she’d ever met, than live with the three witches she was stuck with.

  

 

@@  13 Years Ago  @@  

            “Mommmma!” a five year old Kagome whined. “Why do I have to go to school? I wanna stay home with you and Souta.” The little raven haired girl smiled down at the baby sitting his carseat next to her. “You’d better watch out Souta, or she might ship you off to school too,” she whispered while shaking his ugly green froggy rattle for him, causing him to give her a gummy smile.

 

            Kagome’s mother let out a frustrated sigh. They’d only gone over why she had to go to school a minimum of fifteen times a day since she’d been told about it. “Kagome, I told you before. You have to go to school to learn. You’re going to have lots of fun and you’re going to make new friends.”

 

            “But I don’t wanna make new friends!”

 

            “You will, sweetheart. You will. Please, don’t make this harder than it already is. I’m going to miss you all day, but when I come and pick you up you’ll have all kinds of things to tell me about. And then you can tell Gramps about it too.”

 

            “You mean I can make him listen to my boring stories for a change?”

 

            Her mother shot her a smile in the rearview mirror. “Yes, and he’ll hang on your every word. We’re here.” The car pulled into a parking space and her mother opened her door and climbed out before opening the back door, unclipping the straps of the carseat, and lifted Souta into her arms. Kagome didn’t budge. “Kagome Higurashi, you will get out of this car right now,” she said, using the special tone only mothers have that says ‘You’d better do what I say right now or I’m not going to be happy, and if I’m not happy, you’re not happy.’

 

            Kagome grumbled to herself but unbuckled her seatbelt and slid out of the car. With Souta balanced on one hip, her mother held her hand, walking her to her first ever classroom. She gave her daughter a kiss before nudging her through the open door and into the room.

 

            After just a quick wave Kagome found herself surrounded by strangers. She looked them over one by one, not finding anyone interesting enough to approach. Instead she made her way towards the windows, looking out over the playground. An evil little smirk, well as evil as a five year old could manage at least, spread across her face. ‘Maybe this won’t be so bad. They’ve got swings. Gotta love the swings. I bet Momma forgot to tell them that I’m not allowed on swings anymore.’

 

            As her mind focused on how much fun she could have on the swings and wondering just how long it would be until they could play outside her mouth started moving on its own. Tilting her head from side to side, the little girl sang softly to herself.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            He didn’t want to be here at all. He couldn’t believe his mother was doing this to him. He didn’t like other kids. In all honesty he was sort of afraid of them. The only person around his age that he’d spent any amount of time with was his older brother. Whenever his mother had taken them to the park to play, hoping that he would get over his anxiety no doubt, the other kids would pick on him. It wasn’t his fault he was short! And “it” certainly wasn’t his fault either! Sure, his brother would chase them off, but they always came back and now his brother wasn’t even here. ‘I don’t wanna be here. I wanna go home. I so wanna go home. I don’t believe him. He said that school was fun but I don’t believe him. No one’s gonna like me. They’re all gonna make fun of me like always.’

 

He was moments away from hyperventilating when the sweetest sound caught his attention. He could barely hear it and he knew he had to hear more. Searching the bright colored room filled with toys, books, tables, and chairs; he saw her. He slowly took a few steps closer, not wanting her to notice him but unable to resist the urge to hear her better.

 

            “Hush little Souta, don’t say a word. Sissy’s gonna buy you a mocking bird…”

 

            ‘She sounds like an angel,’ he thought to himself as his body slowly relaxed, not that he noticed. No, he was too enthralled with the girl with long black hair that looked so much like his. Hers was curlier though, rolling down her back in waves while his was straight and pulled tight at the base of his neck like always. ‘I wonder why she’s just standing there singing.’

 

            “…if that looking glass gets broke, Sissy’s gonna buy you a billy-goat…”

 

            He hadn’t even noticed as he crept closer once again. He could hear movement and talking behind him as more and more children were dropped off, but ignored it. If he hadn’t been so focused on her he would have been stressing like crazy about how the day would go, how he would make it until two o’clock when his mother said she’d be back for him. He would have been looking over the other students one by one, trying to guess which would be the first to notice that he was different. He knew that as soon as one saw, everyone would know. It was always like that. But he wasn’t worried about it one bit at that moment in time.

 

            “…a horse and cart, and if that horse and cart falls down, you’ll still be the sweetest little brother in town.”

 

            Both the watcher and the watchee were startled as a woman’s voice rang out over the hum of the children chatting and playing. Immediately he swung around and looked at who had just identified herself as their teacher, hoping that the girl with the sweet voice hadn’t noticed that he’d been watching her when she turned as well. He didn’t know why but he didn’t want her to notice him, didn’t want her to see it. His little heart couldn’t take it if she was like all the others, but somewhere deep down he knew that she would be nothing like anyone he’d ever met before.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            The morning had been alright, she had to admit. They’d read stories, played games, and even got to use finger paints, something her mother didn’t let her play with often, at least not since she’d painted that pretty picture for her. Kagome still didn’t know what she was so upset about. The wall looked better that way in her opinion, covered in bright flowers, puffy clouds, and a shining sun complete with wavy yellow rays. The wall had been so boring, all white. It looked like a blank piece of paper just waiting for someone to come along and make prettier, and she’d been up to the challenge. She’d almost cried when her mother painted over it, making the wall a boring white once again.

 

            Now it was time for something the teacher had called ‘recess’. It was finally time to play outside. As soon as they entered the fenced area that held the playground equipment, Kagome bolted. She had a date with a swing and she wasn’t going to miss it. In under a minute Kagome was sitting on a swing, holding on to the chains but leaning back as far as she could. She loved being upside down and swings were perfect for it. She leaned back a bit more, flipping her legs up over her head, her feet now wrapped in the chains. She hung there, moving back and forth slightly from the motion of her flipping over, and stared at a tree in her line of sight. Finally, when it felt like there was no longer any blood in her toes she allowed herself to flip back down, landing perfectly on her feet. Her mother didn’t call her a monkey for nothing.

 

            Kagome decided that now was the perfect opportunity to repeat the trick she’d been caught doing when her mother banned her from the swings, at least until she ‘learned how to use them right’. She scowled at the memory. It wasn’t that she didn’t know the right way; it was just that the right way was boring. She cast her eyes around as she backed away from the swing set. Once she was at the perfect distance and was sure no one was around to catch her, Kagome took off in a run. At the last second, right when it looked like she was going to run smack into the swing, she leapt into the air. Her hands caught the chains expertly and her feet were securely on the seat. Standing upright on the swing Kagome enjoyed the rocking feeling, the force of her jump giving the swing quite a bit of height.

 

            She closed her eyes, feeling her stomach do flip flops as the swing continued to move. When she closed her eyes it felt like she was flying. The swing slowed down, and just when Kagome was about to jump off to start over again, she heard voices.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            “Just who do you think you are? What gives you the right to bear that mark?”

 

            “Oh look! He’s gonna cry! Come on baby. Cry for me. Cry for me, baby,” an older boy taunted while his friends laughed.

 

            It had happened just like he knew it would. They noticed and wanted an explanation, not that they ever gave him a chance to answer. He found himself on his butt in the dirt, a sharp pain on his arm. Glancing at it while making sure not to take his eyes completely off his tormentors he saw blood. ‘Of course! Of course they would push me down and I would fall on the only rock in the whole playground!’

 

            The taunting continued, drawing quite a crowd. He didn’t dare move, just sat staring at them. He knew not to run because it only encouraged them. Demons loved the chase and he refused to give it to them. Instead he looked from face to face as more and more students came to look down on him. It didn’t matter though, just so long as she didn’t see, everything would be alright. He would heal. He was just about to try to stand up, fairly certain they would only push him down again, when his heart clenched. She was coming to see what the commotion was about. She was coming to see and then she would be one of them.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            As Kagome got closer she realized what was going on. Someone was on the ground and rather than helping the boy up they were all laughing at him, calling him names that she didn’t quite understand. Taking a closer look she realized that the boy on the ground couldn’t have been much older than she was and the kids surrounding him were definitely older… years older. As she approached he looked up and into her eyes. She looked into his as well, seeing the pain there, pain and shame. Without a second thought the girl skidded to a stop between the boy on the ground and the group of bullies.

 

            “Leave him alone you… you… stupid heads!”

 

            He looked up at her back in shock. She was defending him? But she had to have seen it; she’d looked right at him. There was no way she could have missed it. So why was she defending him?

 

            The bullies laughed at the kindergartener. “Why don’t you make us, little girl? Oh, that’s right. You can’t! You’re just a weak, pathetic human like him.”

 

            Kagome’s head tilted towards the ground and her hands balled into fists. Her bangs hid her eyes as she spoke, her voice suddenly different somehow, darker, like she was no longer an innocent little girl but something much more threatening. “I don’t need to be a demon to make you.”

 

            They had heard the change in her voice, but it was the shift in her aura that got their attention. Where there had been nothing but air a moment ago there was something else. All around them they could see sparks popping seemingly out of nowhere, the crackling sound making them cringe. They could feel it burning at their skin and attacking their own auras. This girl was no ordinary human it seemed.

 

            He looked up at the girl standing in front of him, effectively blocking his sight of the bullies and their sight of him. He could feel the shift in the air around her and scrambled backwards a few feet. He leaned to the side, eager to see what would happen next. As the pretty girl with the soothing voice started to glow a bright pink he could see the fear in the older children’s’ eyes. They tried to be brave and stand their ground but her aura was just too powerful for them. The biggest of the demon children that had not only been the one to do most of the taunting but had also been the one to push him down began to quiver. He barely held in his laughter as he saw the rapidly expanding wet spot on the front of his pants. The air pulsed as she looked up at them and in the blink of an eye they were running away.

 

            They’d been frozen in place, the oppressive feeling of the air around them, the crackling and popping and burning on their skin were terrifying. When the girl had begun to glow they knew they were in trouble. When her face tilted back up towards them and they could finally see her eyes again, the terror that had held them in place was replaced by their demon instincts telling them they had to get away. Her eyes were glowing too, her soft gray sparking and flashing bright blue. It looked like lightning tearing across a sky of dark clouds blocking out the sun. They flashed again and the air around them pulsed with the burning energy she’d surrounded herself and them in. Finally their bodies responded to their screaming brains and they ran as fast as they could away from her, none of them daring to look back.

 

He cringed as he felt the wave of energy wash over him but relaxed instantly as he felt no pain. Instead there was a warm fuzzy feeling all over and an odd tingle on his arm. Glancing down he watched in shock as the fairly large cut shrank and then disappeared before his eyes. The air shifted again and then there was nothing. It was like none of it had ever happened. He looked up at her, seeing that she was no longer glowing but instead had turned towards him and was holding out a hand.

 

“Are you alright?” she asked, true compassion in her eyes.

 

He stared into her eyes for a moment. They were the most amazing color he’d ever seen. They were a light gray and there was what looked like lightning bolts of brilliant blue starting at her pupil and shooting outwards. It looked like a thunderstorm. It was beautiful. Finally he realized she was still waiting for an answer. “I… yeah… I… how did you…” he trailed off.

 

“How did I what?” she asked in confusion.

 

“You were glowing. You scared them away.”

 

“Glowing? Really?” That was new. She’d never glowed before, at least as far as she knew.

 

“Definitely glowing.”

 

“Cool! What color was it?”

 

“Umm… pink… why?”

 

“Darn. I was hoping it would be purple.”

 

“Why?”

 

“No reason, really. Are you sure you’re alright?” Since he didn’t seem interested in getting off the ground yet, Kagome plopped herself down in front of him with a smile.

 

He glanced at his arm again just in case he’d imagined it, but his skin was flawless. There was even a little bit of blood on the sleeve of his shirt, proof that he had really been cut by the offending rock that was just sitting there innocently. “Yeah, I’m fine. You… why did you do that? Why did you stick up for me?”

 

“Cuz they were being big jerks! They have no right to pick on you or anyone! Just cuz they’re bigger and stronger doesn’t mean they’re better! What were they bugging you about anyway?” she asked as she curiously examined the mark on his forehead.

 

“You see it. They don’t appreciate a human having a demon marking.”

 

“Is that what that is?” she asked, tilting her head to the right in the most adorable way, making his heart twist in his chest. There was just something about her. She was special that was certain.

 

“Yeah. It’s a long story. I’m… I’m Bankotsu by the way.”

 

Her eyes widened for a second. “Oh! I’m sorry! I’m Kagome. What grade are you in?”

 

“Kindergarten. I’m… in the same class as you.” His voice was a bit sad that she hadn’t noticed him, even though he had been praying all morning that she would never see him.

 

“Really? I didn’t really look at everyone earlier. Hey,” she reached out and gave his long braid that had fallen over his shoulder a gentle tug. “You wanna sit with me when we go back inside?”

 

For the first time that day, for the first time since the first bully had picked on him really, a real smile spread across his face. “Yeah, I would.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            When she’d told her mother what Bankotsu had said about her glowing, her mother had looked at her in surprise for a minute before shaking her head. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. But what were you doing that made it happen?”

 

            “There were these older kids picking on a boy. They’d shoved him and made him fall and were saying all kinds of mean things. I told them to stop and they told me to make them. I’m not sure what happened after that. The next thing I knew they were gone and he was still on the ground. His name’s Bankotsu, Mama, and he’s my new best friend!” Her mother smiled before turning back around to the sink to finish the dishes.

 

The two children had become immediately inseparable. Every day they sat together for story time, played together on the playground, sat beside each other during arts and crafts, shared lunches, and more. Whenever they could they were together. Eventually their mothers devised a system. They would take turns picking the two up from school, taking them to their house to play together. The other would pick up their child around dinner time. It was the only thing that worked, at least if they wanted peace in their homes.

 

This was how Kagome’d finally met Bankotsu’s older brother. He was only a year older so he went to the same school as they did. Some days both boys would come to the shrine to play. She liked him, even if he was a little different. He’d liked to play Barbie’s with her, something that Bankotsu wasn’t interested in, so they would play together while he sat nearby, just watching or coloring and eventually reading. As long as she was happy and having fun he didn’t mind his older brother playing with her, so long as he was nice. If she was happy then everything was right with his world.

 

Sometime during their year in second grade his brother finally made friends of his own in his third grade class. They weren’t as close as Bankotsu and Kagome were, something that he’d found himself jealous about. Kagome accepted him as he was. She never questioned him when he wanted to play with her dolls or even play dress-up. She never judged. She just smiled and accepted you as you were. His new friends had not so kindly informed him that his little brother and Kagome were babies; that he couldn’t play with them anymore. He’d been a bit upset about it but he wanted to keep them as friends so he’d stopped going to the shrine with them, instead hanging out with his new group, leaving the two best friends on their own again.

 

            The bullies had never told anyone what she’d done, but from that first day on they always kept their distance. No demon dared mess with the girl with the lightning in her eyes and they learned quickly that they shouldn’t mess with the boy either. She protected him fiercely. It was actually pretty funny. When they were in the cafeteria at lunch the older demon boys that had been present for her show of power made a point to take the long way rather than pass where she and Bankotsu sat. If she felt a demon approaching all she would do was lift her head. Her brightly flashing eyes did the rest for her.

 

It took him three whole years to admit to her that he’d been listening to her sing that morning, the day that she changed his entire world. During that time he’d come to understand that when she was nervous she’d sing, being completely unaware that she was doing it. It was endearing and not only that, but her singing calmed and soothed him as well. It wasn’t often that one was nervous or uncomfortable and the other wasn’t, so her little quirk benefited him as well. 

 

            The longer they knew each other the closer they became and eventually Bankotsu began to gain the self confidence he had always lacked, which had always made him an easy target. As the years passed, he got a little taller and a lot braver. She’d given that to him, the ability to be strong. He had never been able to be strong for himself, had no idea how, but he became strong for her. Soon she didn’t need to protect him anymore. Instead he had decided that it was his job to take care of her, his best friend in the whole wide world. Any time anyone wanted to play with her, they had to pass his inspection first. If they were found unsuitable to be in her presence, which Kagome always thought was amusing, he would send them away and it would be just the two of them again. She wasn’t really interested in playing with anyone else anyway. She had fun with Bankotsu and she didn’t need anyone else. That was the way it always was and they were happy with it.

 

 

 

            As she neared the house she shared with the three wicked witches, Kagome started to pray that what she was hearing wasn’t coming from their house. Once again though, the Kamis denied her. Standing at the end of the stone path that led from the sidewalk to the house, she looked up, seeing every window brightly lit and people everywhere. There were even some in the front yard, stumbling around like they were drunk or high, and probably were, or making out on the lawn half dressed.

 

            “Just fucking great,” she growled before steeling her nerves and walking towards the front door. When she opened it, the muffled sound of music she’d been able to hear from the sidewalk nearly deafened her. Looking around, she groaned. The house was packed. Every available surface was covered in bottles, cans, and glasses and there were several huge stains on the cream colored carpet as proof that someone had spilled something. Looking at the walls, she noticed that the glass of several pictures was now cracked, and even worse, there were several holes punched right through the drywall. “The landlord is just gonna love this,” she said under her breath.

 

            She decided to forgo a trip to the kitchen; sure she didn’t even want to know. “There is no way in hell I’m cleaning this up,” she said while wondering what the hell was dripping down the wall beside the staircase she was climbing. She had to carefully step over a couple that were nearly humping in the middle of the stairs, so intoxicated and aroused that they didn’t even noticed her. When she made it to the top of the stairs she wasn’t pleased to discover that the destruction had not been contained to the first floor like she’d hoped. A crystal vase that she liked to keep filled with fresh flowers and usually sat on a table in the hall was shattered on the floor in a pool of water with what remained of a beautiful bouquet shredded and spread around like someone had decided to make confetti out of the pink blooms.

 

            She cautiously stepped over the slivers of crystal ground into the carpet and took a few steps towards her door. She could hear moans and screams of pleasure, along with the usual thuds of the headboard hitting the wall with serious force. She continued down the long hall, glancing at the closed doors as she passed. She could hear Kagura screeching. She was always the loudest, definitely a screamer. And the mouth on her could have made a sailor blush. Some of the things Kagome had heard over the last few months wouldn’t leave her memory if she lived for a hundred years.

 

Really, how could someone ever forget hearing your roommate screaming “Fuck me! Yes! Fuck my cunt hard you bastard! Deeper! Smack my ass! Harder! Is that the best you can do? Gimme that big fat demon cock! Pull my fucking hair! Pull it harder you pussy! Fuck me like a whore! Ugh, yes! Shove it in my ass! Oh, yeah! Just like that! I want you to cum all over my face motherfucker!” Of course, it wasn’t exactly like that. There was quite a bit of growling and snarling too, the sound of skin hitting skin hard enough to make her wince, and of course she couldn’t forget about the squeaking. Kagura’s bed didn’t have a headboard. No, instead she had the squeakiest set of box springs in the known world.

 

She was passing the bathroom and glanced to the right, only slightly surprised to see a girl with her shirt shoved up over bare breasts and skirt around her waist with her ass resting on the edge of the sink while a guy with his pants around his ankles pounded into her. She stared for a moment, wondering if the old pedestal-style sink would survive the wild thrusting. The toothpaste, cup, and toothbrush holder were rattling like crazy and she forced herself to turn away when the toothbrushes fell into the sink just inches from a stranger’s bare ass and another’s stiff cock. She could just imagine the disgusting combination of bodily fluids that would find their way down the porcelain slope towards the fallen items. “Yeah,” she said slowly. “So getting a new toothbrush.”

 

            As she passed Kikyo’s room she furrowed her brows in confusion. There was definitely someone in there, but it didn’t sound like Kikyo. Besides the banging of the headboard, the girl in the room was making an almost continual high pitched moaning sound. The two sounds combined into one, giving the impression that she made that earsplitting sound during every forward thrust, which pretty much guaranteed that the guy in the room with her wasn’t a demon. If he was he would have shoved a pillow over her face or something by now. Kikyo didn’t make that kind of sound, probably because she preferred demon dick to human. ‘Oh, that’s just too much. I can tell it’s not Kikyo being fucked in there because I know what she sounds like! What very important knowledge to have. And she just had to tell me that demons were so much bigger than humans, like I wanted to know,’ she thought sarcastically as she continued towards her room.

 

            Tsubaki’s door was open just enough that Kagome could see into the bed. Her eyes widened at what she saw. She didn’t even know you could fit that many dicks in one girl. She had one in her pussy and one in her ass, one in her mouth and one in each hand. There were two more guys that were passing the time until their turn by entertaining themselves with her breasts. The camera set up on a tripod at the foot of the bed only made the whole thing better. It was obvious by the look on her face that Tsubaki was stoned out of her mind. Her pupils were dilated and her movements were sluggish. Kagome found herself wondering if she had any idea what she was doing, let alone that it was being recorded.

 

As much as she wanted to just look away, it was like a train wreck: horrible to watch but unable to turn away from. She tilted her head a little to the side, trying to see the faces of any of the guys. Instead all she saw was six different pill bottles sitting on the table beside the bed. Some had the lids off, and two were tipped over, spilling their contents across the tabletop. There were a couple little baggies with more pills in an even greater variety, a larger bag that contained what was obviously marijuana, and an ashtray with still smoking cigarette butts and joints sitting in it. On the floor beside the bed were open bottles that Kagome could identify as vodka, whiskey, and tequila. There were also a few bottles of beer sitting around, some on their sides, spilling out onto the floor.

 

Kagome heaved a sigh. One of these day’s Tsubaki was either going to get caught with her virtual pharmacy of illegal substances and end up in jail or overdose and end up in the hospital or the morgue, and there was no way to stop her.  Not that anyone but Kagome had tried. Kikyo and Kagura got too much enjoyment out of their roomie’s ‘party favors’ to even think of the possible consequences.

 

            Finally she reached her bedroom, her only place of solace in the crazy house. With a sigh of relief she opened the door, only to freeze at what she saw. The neatly made bed she’d left in the morning was gone. Now the blankets and pillows were everywhere and not one, not two, but three couples were taking advantage of her mattress in various positions and states of undress. One of the girls, the one that was lifting and lowering herself rather violently on her current choice of partner’s cock while leaning over to tweak the nipples of another girl who was getting absolutely plowed with her legs over her male’s shoulders, finally noticed Kagome in the doorway.

 

            “Do you mind?” she said rudely, never slowing her motions. “This room’s taken.”

 

            The male that had been just laying back and enjoying being fucked rather than doing all the work lifted his head and shot Kagome a grin. “Now don’t be hasty, Hiro. Maybe she’d be interested in joining us,” he said while slipping his fingers out of the third girl’s cunt to motion for her to approach, fingers glistening with fluids. A groan of disappointment was heard from said girl and then she tried to say something, though it sounded odd since her mouth was otherwise occupied.

 

            All Kagome could do was stare in shock for a moment before turning and slamming the door behind her. Inside the room, one of the other guys grunted before speaking. “Too bad. She looked like she’d have been a lot of fun.”

 

“Aren’t I enough fun for you, Kichiro?” she asked, this time taking his dick out of her mouth before attempting to speak.

 

“You know what I always say, Michi. The more the merrier.” Both males made noises of agreement before all conversation ceased and their activities resumed in earnest, as if they’d never been interrupted.

 

Kagome made her way quickly down the stairs, stepping on the hair of girl that she’d climbed so carefully over on her ascent, causing the slut to screech for a moment before returning to her current task of seeing just how far she could get the cock presented to her down her throat. Kagome paused, turning to apologize mostly out of habit, but her words caught in her throat when she saw that the girl apparently wasn’t too bothered by it. It took her a moment to notice that the girl was actually Kikyo. ‘Well, that explains why someone else is in her room,’ she thought to herself. Glancing at the guy’s face, which was contorted in pleasure, she took note that once again it was someone she’d never seen before. Deciding she couldn’t take anymore surprises she turned around, continuing her descent and heading straight for the front door. She had to push and shove to make it through the very intoxicated group that was dancing, if you could call it that since it looked more like sex standing up but with clothes on, near the entrance. Finally she made it outside and practically flew down the walk and away from the house.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Okay, so he lied… to himself… again. But he tried! He really tried! Too bad it wasn’t enough since he now found himself looking at a Myspace page, the same one he’d visited almost every single night for months. He growled aloud as he caught sight of her ‘friends’. Of course, right there on the top row, grinning like he’d just won a fucking award was his half-brother. Sesshoumaru allowed himself to take some small amount of solace in the fact that Inuyasha wasn’t the first photo. It didn’t mean much, but it was all he had. No, the first photo was Bankotsu, then Miroku, then Inuyasha, and then Shippo. There was no picture of him, but then why would there be?

 

            He scrolled up again, this time noticing that there was a new post on her blog. Clicking it, Sesshoumaru found himself enthralled with her thoughts, so openly shared with anyone who wished to see. It wasn’t much, just a short complaint about another project being assigned in one of her classes, a retelling of the fight she’d barely stopped between Kouga and who she referred to as ‘my guys’, which had taken place while they were enjoying lunch on campus, and a cute little paragraph where she whined about how ‘over-protective’ ‘her guys’ are and how she was certain she’d never get a date with the way they chased off any admirers. The last made him smile, really smile. So there was an upside to her friendship with the imbeciles. They kept away any and all undeserving males, and judging from her comments, they would find no male worthy of her.

 

            Hitting the back arrow, Sesshoumaru found himself on her main page again before heading for his true destination, her photos. There were several albums to choose from but his favorite was the one titled ‘At the Beach’. He was convinced that Miroku had to have been the one holding the camera during that outing, as there were an enormous amount of pictures of her sexy little ass in her tiny bikini bottoms. Wanting to smack himself for actually being grateful for the pervert, he clicked the first photo in the album.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Kagome was about a block and a half away from her house, which she was sure she never wanted to set foot in again, when several police cars passed her with lights flashing. “Serves ‘em right,” she said smugly. “I hope they search the place and find all the alcohol and drunk underage freshman.” Her smile darkened. “No, I hope they search the place and find all the drugs they’ve got stashed in their rooms. Take ‘em all to jail. That would just make my day.”

 

            She hadn’t decided where she was going, hadn’t even begun to think about it. At the moment she just needed to blow off some steam. No matter what, she wasn’t going back there tonight. She shuddered in disgust remembering not just her poor violated toothbrush but also the sheets, blankets, pillows, and mattress she would have to burn.

 

            “Kami I hope that’s never happened before,” she thought, her stomach churning in disgust at the thought that people may have fucked in her bed before and she didn’t know. The idea of her body touching sheets that were surely covered in bodily fluids, of her face touching pillows that she had just witnessed being used in ways she’d never thought pillows were meant to be, made Kagome want to hurl. “So gonna burn it. Burn it all.”

 

            She walked blindly, not thinking about what direction she was heading or what turns she took, and was surprised to see that her feet had led her back to the house she’d just left not an hour earlier. She glanced up, seeing lights on in a few windows, and decided to give it a shot. “Gotta sleep somewhere,” she mumbled to herself as she stepped up to the door and knocked, hoping and praying that someone was awake and preferably downstairs to let her in. She didn’t really have anywhere else to go.

 

            She waited a few minutes, just in case one of the guys was up in his room getting ready for bed or changing clothes. Working up the nerve she knocked again, louder this time. “Why oh why didn’t I let them give me a key? Stupid, stupid, stupid! If I’d taken it I would be inside by now.” She stopped talking when she heard the faint sound of thumping signaling someone coming rapidly down the stairs. “Thank Kami,” she breathed out in relief as she heard the lock turn. She froze in place though when she heard the very angry sounding voice as the door opened before her.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

In seconds Sesshoumaru was looking at her smiling face, hair blowing in the wind. She was holding a sunhat to her head, preventing the wind from sweeping it away. On anyone else he would think it looked ridiculous, but on her it was perfect, endearing, and even adorable. ‘Oh how the mighty have fallen,’ he thought to himself before clicking ‘next’. The next photo was taken at a greater distance, allowing his searching eyes to trace her every curve.

 

            He was already so hard it hurt but he prolonged his torture a bit longer, clicking ‘next’ once more. Now he saw her from the side. He loved this one. A cold breeze must have snuck up on her because her nipples were obviously hard and pushing against the thin fabric of her red bikini. He wanted to growl again as he remembered that Inuyasha had bought that bikini for her, saying he loved to see her in his color. Red had been his color long before Inuyasha had claimed it, but once the hanyou declared it his own and started wearing it constantly he had been forced to retire a great deal of his wardrobe in exchange for more blues and whites.

 

            Shoving the knowledge of the bikini’s origins aside he went to the next photo. He actually did growl as the image revealed Kagome being carried bridal style by Bankotsu towards the waves. He quickly moved on, skipping past a photo of Kagome on Inuyasha’s back, her legs and arms wrapped firmly around his brother’s body while she laughed, a few pictures that she must have taken as all four males were visible, and one rather cute one where she looked absolutely furious and was pointing at his brother who’s ears were flattened to his skull in response to her anger. Finally he reached the ones he was looking for. There were several pictures of her playing in the waves, the salt water licking up her long legs while she twirled and danced, a smile always on her absolutely edible looking pink lips.

 

            He knew he was going to no matter what he’d told himself, so he figured he might as well get on with it. Leaning back in his chair and lifting his ass from the seat a bit, Sesshoumaru opened the front of his jeans, shoving them and his silk boxers out of the way towards his knees before settling into a more comfortable position. His right hand held the mouse and his left wrapped firmly around his long and painful erection, making him hiss at the contact. He clicked ‘next’ again and slowly began stroking himself while studying the sight of her naked back and barely covered ass as she lay on her stomach sunbathing, having unhooked her top to avoid tan lines. Her skin shimmered with a thin sheen of sweat and he found himself absolutely dying to have a taste. He clicked again, the next picture showing her rolled slightly on her side, smiling at the camera, at him, her hand holding the towel she lay on up over her otherwise bare breasts. His stroking became faster as he stared at the screen. This photo looked like she was staring right into his eyes and was almost his favorite. His favorite was next, and he always saved it for the end.

 

            His eyes snapped away from the screen when he heard a knock on the front door. Deciding it didn’t have anything to do with him since he had no one to visit him in the middle of the night, he returned his attention to her and his stroking hand. As he looked into her eyes once again he allowed himself to imagine it was her hand touching him, sliding up and down rhythmically over his heated flesh. He was close, and it was almost time. The small arrow on his screen hovered over the link to the next photo, his favorite out of all of them. Feeling his release approaching he started to click when he heard the knocking again, louder this time. Sesshoumaru let out a snarl as he shoved the mouse away and stood, yanking his pants up over his even more painful erection, zipping but not bothering with the top button.  He threw his door open, not caring when he heard the sound of the doorknob firmly lodging itself in the wall behind the door, and took the steps three at a time.

 

            “Someone had better be dead or dying or you will soon wish to be,” he growled, unlocking the deadbolt and opening the door. “Who has the nerve or the stupidity to knock on this Sesshoumaru’s door at such an ho…” His threats caught in his throat as he saw who waited on the other side.

 

            They stood staring at each other for a minute until her mind returned from it’s short run while screaming ‘oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit’, and allowed her to think once again. “I’m sorry, Sesshoumaru, I really am. I was hoping one of the guys would still be downstairs.” He stepped back away from the door and she looked at him in confusion until he motioned for her to come in. She entered obediently and began her apologies again. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb yo…”

 

            He cut her off by simply raising a hand. “They have all retired to their rooms for the night.”

 

            “Oh! Well, that’s alright. I’ll just climb in with Bank. He won’t mind,” she said while flashing him a bright smile, one that looked so similar to the one in the photo he’d just been masturbating to.

 

He felt his still hard cock twitch in his jeans, demanding his immediate attention. He glanced down for a second, just now realizing that he had to have a huge tent in his pants, before looking away, hoping he hadn’t just drawn her attention to it. He apparently hadn’t because she was still smiling. “Very well,” he said through clenched teeth, wanting to strangle the human that would have the privilege of sleeping at her side tonight, and watched as she scampered up the stairs. He let out a sigh before turning and closing the front door, once again securing the locks, before making his way slowly up the stairs to his empty room.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            When she’d reached to top of the stairs Kagome walked carefully, making sure not to let her shoes click on the hardwood floor of the hall. She made her way silently to Bankotsu’s door, opening it slowly before slipping in and closing it behind her. She hung her purse over a knob on his dresser before slipping out of her jeans and laying them over the back of his desk chair. Reaching under her shirt, she unclipped her bra and managed to slip it off without removing her shirt, tossing it to sit on top of her jeans. By then her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could see her best friend’s face. He looked so peaceful that she found herself staring for a minute before deciding it was too cold in his room to stand there in just her shirt and panties. Kagome very slowly lifted the edge of the blankets and slipped into the bed, hoping that the slight movement of the mattress didn’t wake him.

 

            Bankotsu had been sure he’d merely imagined the shift in the blankets and bed, but then he heard a small sigh. “Kags?” he asked lightly, sure that only she would sneak into his bed but worried as to why.

 

            “Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

 

            He rolled to his side, just barely opening his eyes to look at her. “Is everything alright?”

 

            She smiled. Of course he would wonder why she was here. She hadn’t slept in his bed, at least not over night and unplanned, since she’d had a huge fight with her roommates almost two months ago when she’d come to him for comfort, unable to make herself stay in her house that night. “Mostly,” she said truthfully. “I’ll need to burn my mattress and bedding tomorrow.”

 

            “Why?” he yawned.

 

            “It’s kind of a long story. I’ll tell you in the morning. Go back to sleep.”

 

            “Mmmm… sounds good to me,” he mumbled before reaching out and pulling her small body against his larger one, her back pressing against his bare chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her.

 

            ‘At least he has boxers on,’ she thought as she relaxed in his hold, feeling completely secure and wonderfully warm. She could feel his soft even breath on her neck and she smiled slightly, knowing he was already asleep. It only took her a few moments to join him.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Sesshoumaru walked back into his room, barely noticing that he had to give the door a good yank to dislodge the knob from the wall so he could close it behind him. Whoever he’d been expecting to be on the other side of the front door, it definitely hadn’t been her. He sat at the end of his bed, resting his elbows on his thighs and his face in the palms of his hands. She was in the house right now, in the very next room. Now he was certain he wouldn’t get any rest, no escape from the dreams of her. All he could see was her wrapped in the human’s arms in his bed. ‘The fool does not deserve to hold her, to touch her, to have her love,’ he thought with a sneer. ‘But then neither does this Sesshoumaru,’ his minded added all on its own.

 

            He glanced at his computer, finding that he must have actually clicked next when he’d risen so angrily, because on his screen was a picture he was sure Miroku had everything to do with. Most likely she’d been either getting up from the sandy ground or reaching for something and he’d called out to her, catching her attention. Kagome was on her hands and knees in the sand looking back over her shoulder with another bright smile, her eyes once again seeming to lock with his own. She looked amazing, like she was presenting herself to him for the taking. His instincts screamed at him every time he saw this photograph. He wanted nothing more than to mount her and ride her until she lost her voice from screaming his name.

 

            He shoved his jeans down once more, the zipper opening on its own from the pressure, and grabbed his aching cock tightly, stroking fast and hard while staring at the picture on his screen, his focus shifting back and forth from her eyes to her barely covered ass and pussy. He allowed himself to imagine kneeling behind her, slowly peeling the thin red barrier from her body and finding her wet and waiting for his touch. He leaned down and kissed her shining folds before slipping his tongue out to taste her. She moaned sweetly for him as he positioned himself at her entrance and he thrust inside her welcoming heat, pulling a scream of pleasure from her lips. As he saw himself pumping into her hard and fast his hips joined the motion of his hand. His entire body tensed as the frustration and strain released along with him. When he could move again he wiped his hand on his jeans before kicking them off the rest of the way and pulling his shirt over his head before allowing himself to collapse backwards on his bed, breathing hard and enjoying the relaxed feeling that spread throughout his body, knowing it would not last long.

 

            He had been right. The pressure, the heat, had returned within ten minutes and he spent the rest of the night lying on his side in his bed, staring at the wall that the object of his every dream and fantasy was sleeping on the other side of in another man’s arms. Every time he drifted off he enjoyed the most wonderfully erotic dreams of her, but like always he woke right before his climax, increasing the frustration that seemed to be the only thing he could really feel anymore. He cursed himself for his lack of control, he cursed his beast for doing this to him, he cursed Bankotsu for being in her favor and the others as well, but he couldn’t bring himself to curse her. No, never her.

 

It wasn’t her fault his beast had chosen one he could never have, one who would never want him. It wasn’t her fault he couldn’t bring himself to keep a girlfriend because none of them were as beautiful and loving as she was. It wasn’t her fault that his body refused to respond to the thought, sight, or even touch of any other female, which had caused more than its fair share of embarrassment before he finally figured it out. It wasn’t her fault that she would forever be the only one he wanted, the only one he truly could never have. It wasn’t her fault she was perfect…

 

@@ 4 Years Ago @@  

            ‘Her lips are so soft,’ he thought as she placed kisses along the curve of the markings on his cheeks and on his forehead before returning to meet his own. His hands wrapped in her hair, holding her close while slipping his tongue out to taste her silky pink lips. She opened for him immediately and he plunged his tongue into her mouth, exploring and caressing every bit he could reach. Her tongue came up slowly to meet his and they battled for dominance until they had to break away, panting to catch their breath. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured into her ear before tracing the rounded shell with the very tip of his tongue. He felt her shiver in his arms and smirked. Apparently he affected her just as strongly as she did him.

 

            Sesshoumaru led her from where they stood in the middle of his room to the edge of his bed, stopping to gently assist her in the removal of her clothes. Her body was perfect, full of soft curves and toned muscles. Her breasts were pale; her nipples peaked in her arousal. Once she was fully bare before him she laid back on his bed, just looking up at him.

 

            “Well? Are you going to join me or am I going to stay here alone all night?” Her words made him realize the he was still just standing there looking at her. He undressed in seconds and was on her, kneeling above her prone form in a position that screamed dominance. Lowering his head, he took first one nipple and then the other into his mouth, teasing each while tasting her flesh. It was just as wonderful as he’d imagined it would be. She moaned for him and he felt his already hard member throb painfully.

 

            He kissed his way down her body, dragging his claws lightly over her skin, making her shiver delightfully. When he reached his destination he looked up into her eyes before snaking out his tongue and running it along her glistening folds. She was already so wet, and it was all for him, only for him. Her back arched as she gasped at the intimate contact. Sesshoumaru licked the length of her folds before slipping between them, savoring the flavor of her arousal. It was too much. He couldn’t wait any longer.

 

            She smiled up at him as he arranged himself over her body once more, this time kneeling between her knees instead of around them. He leaned back, catching an ankle in each hand and running his palms up the satiny skin of her long legs. When he reached her knees he lifted them slowly as she allowed him to move her as he wished. He glanced down and growled softly. He could see his hard cock just brushing her folds, so close to heaven. Pulling her knees up a bit further he positioned himself at her entrance and looked into her eyes. There were so many emotions in those eyes, like he was looking at her very soul on display. “I love you,” he said, his voice barely audible, before thrusting into her willing and waiting body.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Sesshoumaru shot up in his bed panting, his body covered in sweat and his cock throbbing painfully. He glanced at the clock beside his bed, seeing the red numbers glowing 3:46. “Shit,” he growled. “Not again.” This was the third time this week that he’d dreamt of the girl! ‘This cannot continue!’ he thought as he reached down and wrapped his hand around his length just like he had every other time this happened. The dreams started right before the school year started and he didn’t know why. Putting all thoughts except those of her out of his mind he stroked himself. He closed his eyes and could see her again, just like she was in his dream, completely bare and laid out before him like a sacrificial offering. It took less than a minute for him to reach his release, his entire body tensing before every muscle in his body relaxed like he was melting.

 

            He’d been thinking, trying to figure out how to deal with the dreams, trying to understand what they meant. He could see her body. He could see her eyes. But never in all the dreams had he ever seen her face. He was certain that it was the same girl in all the dreams though. He knew her body so well by now that he could never have mistaken it for another. He didn’t know who she was, but she felt so familiar, like he should know her.

 

            His words in the dream disturbed him. ‘I love you’ was not something he could see himself saying, but every single dream without fail he had proclaimed his love for the mystery girl in some way. The dreams weren’t exactly the same. Sometimes the scenery was different. They’d been together on the couch in the living room, on the dining room table, on the kitchen counter, on the washing machine, and just about any other possible surface in his home. Then there were the one’s at school. They were on a desk, in the shower in the locker room, in the cafeteria, in the library, everywhere.

 

            He’d recently begun to consider that perhaps the dreams were a kind of sign, his body telling him he needed release. They wound him up, made him painfully aroused, and even when he masturbated the pressure never fully left him. ‘Perhaps it is time for this Sesshoumaru to find a female worthy of pleasuring me. Perhaps if I were to have sex then the dreams would stop and so would this unbearable frustration.’ He wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep, he knew, so instead he lay there in bed, staring at the ceiling and running through a mental list of the females in his school that were attractive enough to be bearable. None of them were as beautiful as the girl in his dream, but she was just a dream, a figment of his imagination, something his subconscious created, so he would have to settle.

 

            He couldn’t believe how tired he was. It was getting harder and harder to drag himself out of bed in the morning, harder to stay awake all day which had never before been a problem. He’d almost fallen asleep in math class last week because he’d awoke from his dream at one that morning, unable to return to sleep like always. He refused to allow it to happen again. He was a serious student and he would not allow his grades to slip because he was horny. So it was decided. He would pick a girl that was passable, at least moderately attractive, and he would fuck her. Then everything would be fine once again. At least he thought it would…

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Megumi couldn’t believe how lucky she was. The cutest boy in school asked her out! Out of all the girls in the school he picked her and she couldn’t wait. She was the envy of almost every single female in their high school. She’d been nervous all week, wondering what she should wear, where they were going, and what would happen. Would he kiss her? What if she didn’t know what to talk about? What if he thought she was boring? Would he want to do more than kissing? She had no idea, as no one had ever gone on a date with Sesshoumaru Yuzuki before. She was going to be the first!

 

            Finally Friday had rolled around and he was supposed to be picking her up in less than ten minutes. The girl was standing in front of her mirror in her room, tugging at her clothing nervously and constantly rearranging her hair. She had to look perfect for him. This was going to be the best night of her life.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            He was tired and cranky. Yes, the great and powerful Sesshoumaru was cranky. The girl he’d chosen had been hanging all over him all week, asking inane questions about what color clothing she should wear. It didn’t matter to him. He didn’t give a flying fuck what she had on as long as she would take it off. He’d been awoken early this morning by another dream, this time at 2:16, and like always he hadn’t been able to fall back asleep.

 

            When he arrived at her house he hadn’t even made it halfway out of the car before she’d come running out of the house at high speeds, making him wonder how in the hell she could walk, let alone run in the ridiculously high heels she had on. Ever the gentleman, at least when people were around to see, he’d gone around and opened the car door for her. If he wasn’t worried about people seeing him being rude he would have simply honked and waited. When he reentered the car and turned they key, apparently the girl thought that was the signal to go because she’d started talking the instant the engine turned over and barely paused for breath the entire way to the restaurant he’d chosen. It wasn’t too fancy but it certainly wasn’t a burger joint either. He’d held back an arrogant smirk at the way her eyes widened as they were led to their table. Apparently she was impressed.

 

            As soon as they were left alone at the table her babbling resumed and he found himself wishing for a pencil or and ice pick or anything that he could shove into his ears to make himself deaf. He took the time to look over his choice. The female, Megumi, held some similarities to his dream girl. She had black hair, though it paled in comparison to his dream girl. His dream girl’s hair was so impossibly black that it was blue and his date had brown eyes while his dream girl’s were the most amazing gray. She was shapely enough, he supposed, but she was nowhere near as curvy or toned as his raven haired seductress. He fought back a sigh as he found himself wishing that he wasn’t here with Megumi but with the girl of his dreams, if only she existed outside his mind.

 

            Megumi thought that dinner had been wonderful while Sesshoumaru was just grateful to have survived without killing either her or himself to end the torture. He was ready to drop her off at her house and drive off as fast as he could, maybe move to a foreign country to ensure that he never had to hear her voice again, but he stopped himself. He needed this girl because he sure as hell didn’t want to go through another night like this with a different girl who would probably be just as bad as this one. No, he’d suffered through dinner and survived with at least a portion of his sanity. Now it was time for part two of his plan.

 

            He didn’t drive her home, instead headed to a park that he’d overheard other students saying was ‘the place’ to go for privacy away from the prying eyes of parents. He glanced to the side and looked her over once again, seeing her blush as she recognized where they were, but she did not protest. He parked the car and turned the key to the utility position so they could still listen to the radio without the engine running. He wasn’t about to waste more gas on this night.

 

            “Did you enjoy your meal?” he asked while staring out the windshield at the trees further into the park.

 

            “Oh yes! I’ve never been to a place like that before. Thank you for taking me.” The last was not much more than a breathy whisper. He heard the rustle of fabric telling him she was moving and he glanced towards her again, finding that she’d unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted closer to him. Before he knew what was happening she had her lips on his and her hands buried in his hair. He wanted to snarl at her. Not only was she touching his hair, something that no one was ever allowed to do, but she tasted horrible! Really, had the girl never heard of breath mints? He fought the urge to gag as she tried to force her tongue into his mouth but stilled as he felt one hand slip out of his hair and down his chest.

 

            She couldn’t believe she was kissing the Sesshoumaru Yuzuki! His lips looked so soft she couldn’t help herself. Soon her right hand was running across his chest, tracing the amazing muscles she’d known he would have under that shirt. He seemed to relax as she continued, so she took it as encouragement, her hand now slipping down to brush over his lap. She moved her fingers teasingly over the front of his pants, waiting to see if he would stop her. When he gave no resistance she began kissing down his cheek, running her tongue along his stripes and feeling him shudder.

 

            When he felt her tongue on his markings he shuddered, but it was not in pleasure. The oddest burning feeling was spreading through his stripes from her touch, like his body itself was repulsed by her touch. But he was determined. This was the only way he could think of to end the dreams so he could sleep again. He didn’t move as she unzipped his khaki pants, slipping her small hand inside. ‘Soon everything will return to normal,’ he thought. ‘Soon the torture will end and everything will be right again,’ he repeated in his mind over and over like a mantra.

 

            She was in heaven! She couldn’t wait to tell everyone that she got to touch him! She slid her hand into the front of his pants, expecting to find a very large erection, very large because she could imagine no less from such an attractive male. She was rather disappointed to find a, while still quite large, very flaccid penis instead. Determined to do this right she slowly began to stroke it in an attempt to please him. If she did well than he would keep her around and she would become the most popular girl in school overnight.

 

            When she touched him, he actually felt his penis shrivel in retreat at the feeling. Her hand wrapped around him and stroked but nothing was happening. He just wasn’t getting aroused. He looked down at her and saw the question in her eyes. “Put it in your mouth,” he ordered. In seconds her face was in his lap and she pulled him into her mouth, sucking insistently. Still nothing happened.

 

            She was confused. Why wasn’t he getting hard? Was she doing something wrong? Was she not sucking hard enough? Or was she sucking too hard? Was she not pretty enough? She didn’t know what to do, but she kept trying.

 

            Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, blocking out the image of the head in his lap in an attempt to just feel. It felt odd, not at all pleasing, and he still wasn’t responding. After another minute he snarled, grabbing a fistful of her hair and pulling her forcefully off of him. As she slipped back into her seat looking very confused he replaced himself in his pants and zipped them up, trying to straighten them as much as possible.

 

            “Sesshoumaru? What did I do wrong?” she asked in a small voice.

 

            “Apparently everything,” was all he said before starting the car. Nothing else was said by either Megumi, looking near tears, or Sesshoumaru looking incredibly pissed. When he stopped in front of her house he didn’t bother to get out an open her door. “This Sesshoumaru will be kind and tell no one of your rather embarrassing failure,” he snapped at her. She was out of the car and in her house in moments. He shook his head and looked down at his lap for a moment before pulling away from the curb and driving home.

 

            He found himself feeling slightly guilty for upsetting her, but he could not allow her to tell the entire school that he couldn’t get it up. Her believing it was her fault ensured no one would ever know. He didn’t understand what happened. Almost every night he was awakened from the dreams so aroused it hurt and he was forced to take care of it himself, no matter how disgraceful he thought it was. But when he had a real warm flesh and blood girl rather than something he’d imagined he got nothing. Was it even possible for a guy to stay flaccid during a blow job? He didn’t think so but it happened.

 

But there wasn’t anything wrong with him! It got hard just fine during his dreams. What if he was no longer able to get aroused normally? What if he would only ever get a hard-on in his sleep? The idea terrified him and he decided he didn’t want to know. Sesshoumaru decided that night that he wouldn’t be taking any more girls out. It was horribly boring and irritating anyway and if word got out that he couldn’t get a stiffie he would be laughed out of the school. No matter how much people respected and feared him he knew that it would mean nothing in the face of his inability to perform.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Two months had passed since then, the dreams slowing over time. He’d only been awoken once this week, something he could handle. He wasn’t so exhausted anymore and he could focus once again. He’d done his best to block out the memory of that night and the date from hell. He’d told no one and apparently neither had she because he never heard a word about it. She also never looked him in the eye again. Thankfully she was only in one of his classes, but he passed her in the hall every now and then and every time she saw him she looked down and away, as if afraid to see how he might be looking at her.

 

            He wasn’t looking forward to today. It was his worthless half brother’s birthday and of course his father insisted on throwing the pathetic little cretin a party. As if that wasn’t enough, he had been informed that he would attend whether he wanted to or not. So he would be subjected to unending torture all afternoon and evening as the fool and his friends did whatever pathetic beings such as they did to celebrate.

 

            Apparently his brother had made a few new friends when he’d started high school this September. He’d seen them a few times but never paid much attention though he knew there were two males and a female.  How a female could stand his half-brother’s presence he didn’t know and he didn’t really care either. The female was a miko, which was strange on its own as most miko would rather be caught dead than be seen associating with demons. But this miko had welcomed the hanyou into her group which included one monk, which was just as strange as the miko, and a human who bore a demon mark but held no demon energy to explain it.

 

All three were certain to be there, but Inuyasha wasn’t satisfied with a small party with his closest friends. No, Inuyasha liked to spend his daddy’s money. ‘And of course Father lets him,’ Sesshoumaru thought to himself with a sneer pulling at his lips. So not only had the hanyou’s friends been invited but every single person in the ninth grade at their school which was over a hundred, perhaps closer to two hundred, individuals. His father had hired caterers and entertainment; the grounds around their large manor-like home were covered in tents and decorations. Hell, it looked more like they were holding a wedding than a sixteenth birthday party. Either that or a circus. Really, he would be happy just staying in his room but his father had made it more than clear that he would not only be present but be sociable as well, something his father should have known he was incapable of. ‘This Sesshoumaru does not associate with people of such a low caliber. It is disgraceful and offensive that he expects me to behave like the hanyou. I refuse,’ he growled at his thoughts.

 

He cringed as he heard the doorbell ring, which was quickly followed by the sound of the half-breed racing down the steps. He didn’t even need to open his door to know who had arrived. No, his brother’s yell of “Kags!” said it all. The miko was here, and if she was here than the other two were as well as it seemed she went nowhere without them.

 

He could hear laughter and he raised a brow. Perhaps his brother had fallen on his face and embarrassed himself? And he missed it! The thought of having missed such an amusing incident caused him to rise from his chair and head slowly down the stairs. There was still laughter, and rather than the sound grating on his nerves it sounded like music. He found himself feeling almost lighter as he listened to it. He moved a bit faster now. He needed to see the female that could produce such a beautiful melodic sound.

 

He turned the corner and saw his brother spinning in a circle with a female held in his arms bridal style while she laughed and begged him to stop. Apparently she was getting dizzy, though he would have been more surprised if she hadn’t been with the speed the fool of a hanyou was spinning her at. He couldn’t even see her face, they were moving so fast. He glanced to the side, sensing the presence of others watching the spectacle as well. There, leaning against the wall with smiles on their faces were both males that associated with the miko. But that meant that the female Inuyasha was handling so carelessly was the miko. Finally Inuyasha slowed and walked a few steps as if intoxicated before plopping down in a chair, settling the girl in his lap.

 

“Damn it, Inuyasha! The room’s still spinning! I know you’re excited and all but geez! I think you’ve already had more than enough sugar today and you haven’t even gotten into the cake yet!” She paused for a minute before searching the hanyou’s face. “Or did you? If you got into that cake Inuyasha, I swear…” she said threateningly.

 

“Chill out, wench. I didn’t touch your precious fucking cake.”

 

“And if you keep up that attitude you won’t get a piece at all! It took me a whole week to find the perfect cake for your birthday. The least you could do is appreciate it.”

 

Sesshoumaru observed them in silence as no one had noticed his presence. He watched as Inuyasha leaned down and kissed the girl’s forehead. “You know I do, wench.” She blushed brightly and Sesshoumaru felt something. Something shifted inside him, something he’d never experienced before.

 

            Kagome reached up and rubbed a silver puppy ear, the part of him that announced to the world that he was a lowly half-breed. He’d never seen Inuyasha allow anyone to touch them. They were like targets on his head, drawing attention and taunting. He hated them. But there was this girl with amazingly black hair and a brilliant smile sitting in his lap and rubbing an ear like it was an everyday thing. Maybe it was. Sesshoumaru found himself contemplating the few times he’d seen the four together and realized that he’d never paid much attention since he did his best to pretend that his half-brother didn’t exist. Somehow, at some time or another, his brother had gotten over his own self hatred. He looked happier than he’d been his entire life, and Sesshoumaru knew instinctively that it was all thanks to this girl.

 

            He watched as she slid out of his lap to her feet. “Well, where is it? I wanna see!” Inuyasha laughed before standing. He bent down quickly and before she knew it, Kagome was being held over his shoulder, her legs firmly secured by the hanyou’s right arm.

 

            “Come on then. I’ll show ya.” Sesshoumaru watched as Inuyasha turned and tilted his head at the two males. They both moved to follow, the monk more quickly in an attempt to catch up. A smack was heard followed by a squeal as Miroku took advantage of Kagome’s ass in the air. As Inuyasha turned again Sesshoumaru caught sight of that ass and long legs before the group disappeared into the kitchen.

 

Sesshoumaru had to return to his room. He had a bit of a problem. The sight of that girl, with impossibly black hair, bright eyes full of laughter and life, and an amazing looking ass in a pair of very tight jeans caused something to happen that hadn’t before. He found himself with an unbelievably insistent erection that was caused by a real girl while he was awake! He made his way up the stairs quickly; knowing that there was no way this one was going away on its own. Finally, it seemed, his odd issue had been resolved!

 

 

            Kagome groaned, trying to hide her eyes from the sun that was very rudely intruding on her rest. Her half-asleep mind registered quiet laughter before she felt a soft kiss being pressed to her forehead.

 

            “I’ve got to go, Kagome,” Bankotsu said quietly. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

 

            “Mmmm, Bankie, where ya goin’?” she mumbled.

 

            “I could have sworn I made you promise not to call me that anymore,” he said with amusement in his voice.

 

            “Nuh-Unh… Just not in front of people. You’ll always be my Bankie.” Kagome smiled and slowly opened her eyes to see her best friend smiling back.

 

            “And you’ll always be my little miko Kaggie. I’ve got a couple things to do this morning. Gotta get to the bank before they close since its Saturday. I need to grab some groceries and take them to my mother, and then I’m gonna visit Jak for a bit. He’s been complaining that I haven’t come to see his new place.”

 

            “Ooohh, alright. Tell your Mama ‘Hi’ for me,” she paused for a moment. “And tell Jak that I sent kisses.”

 

            “I am so not kissing him for you.”

 

            Kagome giggled for a minute. “No, you don’t have to kiss him. Just tell him I sent kisses. I miss him. He hasn’t invited me to see his new place yet,” she said while sticking out her bottom lip in an adorably pouty fashion.

 

            “I’ll make sure to tell him he’s broken your heart,” Bankotsu replied before bending down and lightly kissing her forehead again. “I’ll see you in a few hours and then you will tell me why your bed needs to be burned.”

 

            “Yeah, yeah. Go on. Get out. I wanna go back to sleep,” she said before rolling over to face the wall.

 

            “And she kicks me out of my own room. Classic Kagome.”

 

            “Ha ha,” the miko grumbled before pulling a pillow over her head. She heard the door click closed and started to drift back into the sweet land of dreams but was unpleasantly ripped back into reality when she found the bed suddenly moving so much she was almost bounced to the floor.

 

            “Cool it, runt!” Inuyasha yelled from the doorway. “Bank would kick your ass if he caught you jumping on his bed. And I think you might have just scared the shit out of Kagome,” he added as he caught her peeking out from beneath a pillow.

 

            “Well, then maybe Kagome shouldn’t sleep all day,” Shippo said teasingly into the pillow that she’d returned to covering her eyes.

 

            “You’re not gonna let me go back to sleep, are you?”

 

            Inuyasha plopped down on the bed next to her, Shippo hopping into the air before landing in a lying position on her other side, his speed causing all three to bounce off the bed an inch or two. “Damn it Shippo! Go jump on your own bed,” Inuyasha snarled before answering Kagome. “Nope. I couldn’t possibly let you sleep when I don’t know why or when you got here.”

 

            Letting out an exasperated sound, Kagome smacked the hanyou in the face with a pillow before sitting up and stretching with a yawn. “Fine, but I get the shower first then.”

 

            “Not a problem. I took a shower hours ago. Come on,” he said before pulling the blankets off her, picking her up bridal style, and leaving the room. He knew Kagome, and Kagome and mornings weren’t friends. If he’d left her to her own devices she’d never have made it to the bathroom at all. A shower would wake her up though and he was too worried and interested to wait for her explanation. Bankotsu had told him very little before leaving to run his errands, just that she’d crawled into bed with him and said something about burning her mattress. Neither had any idea how she got in the house in the first place since she’d refused their offer of her own key.

 

            The silver haired half demon walked into the bathroom, closing the door with his foot and sending it right into Shippo’s nose since he’d been following closely behind his friends. “Bastard,” Shippo murmured before walking away to try to find something to pass the time with. He really wanted to hear why Kagome had spent the night. She hadn’t done so unplanned since the fight she’d had with the whores she lived with, which made the kitsune nervous. If they’d done something to her he would be more than happy to use his fox magic to ‘alter’ their perfect faces. ‘A giant mole here, a crooked nose there, a suddenly sprouting and constantly regrowing moustache, a volcano sized zit… the possibilities are endless,’ he thought to himself with a wicked grin. Of course she would disapprove even if they deserved it, which he was sure they did. Kagome was just too nice for her own good.

 

            Inuyasha had turned the water on for her and when she felt the heat beginning to spread through the room she smiled. She loved their shower. It had triple shower heads. It felt fantastic and she usually had to be dragged out before she turned into a ‘rather shriveled prune-like Kagome creature’. She laughed to herself as she remembered how Shippo had said exactly that to her in an attempt to extract her from the facilities. Inuyasha looked at her funny for a second before shrugging his shoulders and picking up his toothbrush.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Sesshoumaru finally rolled himself out of bed, even more exhausted than when he got in the night before. He hadn’t been able to keep his thoughts, conscious or unconscious, off of the beauty sleeping in the next room in another man’s bed. It was killing him. He had to figure out some way to end this absolutely crushing frustration. He felt like he was being forced to walk a tightrope while balancing a giant boulder on his shoulders. His mind elsewhere, the taiyoukai opened a random drawer and pulled on a pair of pajama pants before glancing in the mirror, seeing that the dark circles under his eyes were going to be impossible to hide. For a moment he mulled over the idea that if he wasn’t such a powerful demon, the overpowering need he had been feeling would surely have killed him by now. Hell, it might still kill him.

 

            He opened his bedroom door, this time with a lot less force as he remembered the hole in his wall that he would have to fix. He certainly couldn’t hire someone else to fix it. No one needed to know that he’d lost control of his temper and imbedded a doorknob rather deeply into an innocent wall. No, he would have to do it himself. Inuyasha would never let him hear the end of it if he found out.

             He made his way towards the bathroom and frowned when he found the door closed. He stood silently for a moment, noticing the shower running before hearing his irritating half-brother talking on the other side. ‘He has finally lost his mind, talking to himself,’ he thought before opening the door and walking in. He refused to wait while his idiot sibling chattered to himself in the shower. He found that his assumption was wrong however when he saw Inuyasha leaned against the wall across from the sink, brushing his teeth while still talking. When he heard her voice, Sesshoumaru froze. ‘Kagome is in the shower? And the hanyou is in the room?’ He wanted to strangle his brother, or maybe snap his neck instead. ‘No,’ he decided. ‘Snapping his neck would be much too quick and nowhere near painful enough.’   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            “Alright, so out with it then. What happened last night to make you come back?” He could hear her sigh over the sound of rushing water.

 

            Feeling much more awake already, Kagome started her tale. “I returned to a giant party. There was garbage covering every surface, alcohol everywhere, huge stains on the carpet and broken glass in the picture frames. There was something splattered all over the wall over the stairs and someone busy with a guy in the middle of the staircase.”

 

“Someone?” he asked, curious.

 

“I didn’t notice who it was on the way up but I stepped on her hair on the way down. It was Kikyo and I have to say, she’s got some talent, being able to shove a dick as far down her throat as she was. I wonder if she has no gag reflex. Is that kinda thing hereditary?” She heard her hanyou friend growl and sighed again. “Inuyasha, I told you before that you don’t want her, at least not unless your goal is to contract as many sexually transmitted diseases as you can in one shot. You might be able to break a world record!” 

 

He snorted in laughter. “Yeah, I know you’re right. There’s just something about her that makes me curious.”

 

“Well I suggest indulging your curiosity from a distance. Now do you wanna hear my story or what?”

 

“Yes, wench, or I wouldn’t have fucking asked!”

 

“Touch-y. Alright, well, when I walked past the bathroom there was a girl getting fucked on the sink right next to my damn toothbrush. Someone else was in Kikyo’s room since she was on the stairs. Kagura was screaming out the most vulgar things she could think of and Tsubaki… You should have seen it. No, scratch that. Miroku should have seen it. I think he might cry when I tell him what he missed, although there was a camera set up on a tripod. He might just be able to find it on the internet,” she said thoughtfully. “She looked stoned out of her mind and she was being fucked by seven guys!”

 

“I don’t think it’s physically possible for seven guys to fuck one girl at the same time,” he mused. “That might be a world record.”

 

“Yeah, well she had a one in each hole and one in each hand.”

 

“That’s only five.”

 

“I wasn’t done yet! The last two were busying themselves with her tits, I guess until it was their turns. It was awful, so gross, and yet I couldn’t look away.”

 

“And the monk thinks I’m rubbing off on you!”

 

“I know. I just stood there for at least two whole minutes. I’d never seen anything like it before.”

 

Inuyasha growled. “I would hope fucking not.”

 

“Get over it, Inuyasha! I’m going to have sex someday!”

 

“Only when you find someone we approve of.”

 

Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes, muttering “I’m gonna be a virgin forever.”

 

“I fail to see the downside,” he said jokingly.

 

“Well I do! Do you have any idea how much batteries cost?” she screeched before clamping a hand over her mouth. She peeked out from behind the shower curtain and saw him smirking at her. “Don’t say a word. You never heard that. I never said it.”

 

“I don’t know. It’s gonna be hard to forget something like that. It’s gonna cost ya.”

 

“Whatever. You promise not to tell?”

 

“You promise to do it for me?”

 

“Fine, fine, I promise. Now you promise,” she said with a growl.

 

“Alright! I promise. Now finish. I still don’t see why you need to burn your mattress.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes before continuing her story. “Where was I? Oh, when I finally got to my room and opened the door there were three, I repeat three, couples in my bed! Then one of the girls had the nerve to tell me to leave and one of the guys tried to get me to join in! I had to get out of there and I’m glad I did. A couple cop cars passed me heading to the house. I hope they all got arrested.”

 

Sometime towards the end of their conversation, after Kagome had peeked out at Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru had entered the room. Inuyasha, who was used to blocking him out and ignoring him completely after years and years of practice, didn’t register his presence, the sound of the water blocking out the opening of the door and the steam filling the room making smelling anything but her shampoo impossible.

 

“Three couples? Like as in six people? No wonder you wanna burn the bed.”

 

“No kidding. One of the girls had my pillows under her ass!”

 

“What were your pillows doing under someone’s ass?” Shippo asked as he walked into the room, completely ignoring the inu still standing completely frozen in place a few steps from the door.

 

“Kagome’s roommates threw a party and she came home to people using her bed,” Inuyasha answered, mumbling slightly with his toothbrush still in his mouth.

 

“Aww, nasty!” Shippo called out while bending over and digging through a drawer in search of something or other.

 

Sesshoumaru’s thoughts were driving him nuts. Part of him wanted to kill Inuyasha and now Shippo as well for even thinking about being in the same room as a naked Kagome while the other half couldn’t help but pray for a peek. Finally, having decided on dragging both offenders forcibly from the room, he took a step forward before freezing again as he heard the sound of the shower stop. Once again the part of him hoping for a chance to catch sight of a naked Kagome took control and he once more could do nothing but stand and stare.

 

Having seen each other naked enough times that they could probably chart freckles with a 98% accuracy, Kagome didn’t worry about either Shippo or Inuyasha seeing her. It was the same with Miroku and Bankotsu too, though Miroku was still a perv about it. There were times in the past when she’d been so sick that Bankotsu had changed her sweat soaked clothes. She wished she could forget the time she decided to find out just how much tequila it would take to make her really drunk. She’d thrown up all over herself and Inuyasha had been there to help her get out of her disgusting clothes and even stood in the shower with her to make sure she didn’t fall when all she wanted to do was pass out. It was like that with all of them, both ways. She’d taken care of them just as much as they did her. All in all, there wasn’t anything that they hadn’t seen so there wasn’t any point in hiding it. Both Shippo and Inuyasha saw her as a pack member anyway, and since Bankotsu had known her since kindergarten he couldn’t see her sexually. Even though Miroku made jokes he saw her as a sister just as she saw him as a brother. They were all family.

 

“Hey, Inuyasha? I forgot to grab a tow…” Kagome pulled back the shower curtain as she spoke, her words stopping and a screech leaving her lips as she spotted Sesshoumaru standing there like a statue, staring at her. She immediately clutched the shower curtain to her body, covering herself from the intruding male. “Inuyasha? Why didn’t you tell me he was in here?” she practically screamed.

 

Immediately the hanyou turned his attention from watching himself in the foggy mirror as he brushed his teeth to the ‘intruder’. Shippo turned around as well and both started to growl threateningly, pissed that he had invaded Kagome’s privacy and that he still stood there like he owned the place. They were also pissed at themselves for not noticing his presence. Apparently they’d perfected the task of ignoring him too well.

 

It was then that Miroku appeared in the doorway, a towel draped over his shoulder. He slowly took in the odd sight in the large bathroom. First his eyes studied Shippo and Inuyasha. Shippo’s tail appeared bristled and Inuyasha looked like he was foaming at the mouth thanks to the toothpaste he’d yet to spit out. His eyes traveled from his growling friends to a stunned looking Sesshoumaru before looking at Kagome, seeing her hiding behind the curtain and looking quite distressed. “Forget your towel again, my love?” he asked playfully. Shippo snatched the towel from the monk’s shoulder and handed it to Kagome before turning around and crossing his arms over his chest, looking like he was guarding her.

 

Inuyasha spit into the sink at his side and tossed his toothbrush on the counter before stalking towards Sesshoumaru who was finally realizing just where he was and what he’d just witnessed, wanting to pinch himself to make sure this wasn’t another dream. His attention was drawn to Inuyasha as the hanyou snarled at him and then spoke. “Did you enjoy the show?” he asked with his voice rough and dangerous. “I hope you got an eyeful because you’ll never see it again. Don’t you have somewhere else to be, you pretentious peeping bastard?”

 

The taiyoukai found himself searching his mind in a desperate attempt to find some excuse, some cover for his behavior. Without even considering it, he said the first thing that popped into his mind, lifting a brow with his statement. “This Sesshoumaru fails to see the reason for her distress, as she obviously has no issue with giving you both a show. Even the pervert is welcome.”

 

As soon as the words passed his lips he regretted them, glancing up and seeing the hurt in her eyes. Immediately he was searching again, this time for some way to take it back so she wouldn’t look at him like that, like he’d just drowned her puppy or punted a bunny the length of a football field, like he was nothing but cruel.

 

He was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice as Shippo moved closer, standing beside Inuyasha directly in front of him. He didn’t even see the fist coming before it collided with his jaw, the force causing something to crack. Just as he’d missed Inuyasha’s fist the demon also missed Shippo’s punch to the gut, which landed hard enough to cause him to double over in pain. Miroku grabbed the taiyoukai’s long silver hair, giving it a hard tug which sent the stunned and off balance Sesshoumaru to his ass in the hallway. The monk quickly slipped into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him.

 

Inuyasha caught Kagome’s eyes as she still stood in the shower, now covered with the towel Miroku had brought and Shippo had given her. “Sorry Kags. I should have noticed him,” the hanyou said, at bit of shame in his eyes and voice, before picking up his toothbrush and returning to his task, making sure his fangs shined a brilliant white.

 

Shippo shot her a grin. “I finally had a legitimate reason to punch Sesshoumaru… and it was fun!”

 

Miroku approached Kagome, holding out a hand which she took before stepping out of the shower to the bathroom floor. She picked up a brush and moved to stand next to Inuyasha in front of the large mirror before running it through her damp locks.

 

“Hey Kagome?” Shippo asked.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Do you know where my extra hair ties are? I snapped the last one and can’t find any more.”

 

Kagome giggled before setting down her brush and opening a different drawer, immediately pulling out an unopened pack of the ouchless ties the kitsune preferred. He took them with a quick ‘thanks’ before picking up the brush she’d set down and started the fight with his fiery hair. The miko leaned back against Miroku who was leaning against the wall and was silent for a moment before speaking once again. “You guys didn’t have to hit him,” she said, feeling a little guilty at her friends’ response to her surprise and shock.

 

Inuyasha spit once more before taking a drink of water, swishing, and spitting again. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he growled deep in his chest. “He dared to look at what’s mine.”

 

Shippo looked over at the hanyou and growled as well. “Ours,” was all the kitsune said and Kagome let her shoulders slump a bit, knowing that she’d never win about something like this. Instinct was too powerful of an opponent.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Sesshoumaru was still sitting on his ass in the middle of the hall, staring at the closed door completely stunned. They’d hit him! Actually hit him and it actually hurt! No one ever got to hit him, no matter how hard they tried because his reflexes were too quick. Apparently they became completely retarded in her presence… him too. He couldn’t believe he just stood there and looked at her. Now on top of her thinking he was cruel and violent she would think he was a pervert too! Sure, she allowed the monk to be a perv but Miroku was her friend. He had no such allowances. He was certain she would hate him even more for his words. He’d basically called her a whore to her face! He couldn’t blame them for punching him. He wanted to punch himself too.

 

            Oh, but she was beautiful. He found himself insanely jealous of the droplets of water sliding across her flawless skin, which he then had to admit was ridiculous. Her breasts were just as perfect as he’d imagined; her nipples a dusky pink that stood out nicely in contrast to the pale flesh that he ached to touch, one of the few areas on her body that was not sun-kissed. And the small triangle of short black curls at the apex of her thighs, he found his hands twitching as he wished he could brush his fingers through it. He wondered if the curls there were as soft and silky as the midnight waves that lay over her shoulders, framing her perfectly symmetrical face. She was a classic beauty, not a stick figure that looked like she would break under a stiff breeze but a woman with curves in all the right places.

 

He growled at himself as his body responded to his traitorous thoughts. Sesshoumaru lifted himself off the floor and locked himself in his room. He had to find some way to fix this. He had to let her know he didn’t mean it, that he wasn’t all bad. Even though he knew she would never want to be with him, the thought of him hurting her feelings, of her hating him, made his chest ache. ‘There has to be some way to stop this! Surely there is some way to force my beast to move on to someone we can actually have! If this continues as it is now, this Sesshoumaru will be dead by the end of the month from sheer exhaustion alone.’

 

‘Or of a broken heart,’ his beast added.

 

‘Or of a broken heart,’ he agreed.

 

 @@  9 Years Ago @@   

            She hadn’t shown up to school for a week and no one would tell him why. He’d called her house at least three times a day but she never answered. She usually was the first one to the phone when it rang, but not this week. Sometimes her mother answered and sometimes her grandfather answered but they always told him that now wasn’t a good time, that Kagome couldn’t come to the phone, but they wouldn’t tell him why. It was the longest time since they met that they hadn’t seen each other or at least spoken, and it was the hardest week of his life to date. He had never been more afraid than he was that Friday afternoon when he finally convinced his mother to call her mother and find out what was going on.

 

            “Hello, Takara? This is Mariko. Bankotsu asked me to call. He’s been very worried about Kagome, and…”

 

He was watching his mother’s face while she spoke with his best friend’s mother, his heart clenching in his chest as her expression shifted. He couldn’t hear what Mrs. Higurashi was saying but he knew it couldn’t be good.

 

            “Oh, Takara! I’m so sorry. We didn’t know. Is there anything I can do for you?”

 

‘What is she apologizing for? What happened? What’s wrong?’ he thought, wanting to scream the questions at her. ‘What happened to Kagome?’ He was ready to rip the phone from her ear to see what it was that Kagome’s mother was saying that made his mother look like she was going to cry.

 

“That’s terrible. I would be worried too. Would you like me to…?”

 

‘What’s terrible? Who’s worried about who? All I care about is Kagome! Is Kagome okay?’ It felt like his heart had stopped completely. ‘Why will no one tell me? What’s the big secret?’

 

“Yes, of course I will. I understand. You’re probably right. I’m sure that it will help.”

 

‘What is she going to do? What will it help?’ Not being able to take the strain anymore he walked out of the kitchen and sat down on the couch in the living room, burying his face in his hands and trying to hear her voice singing softly in his head. He needed to hear it. He couldn’t handle this. He couldn’t survive stress like this without her, and with her as the root of the issue he felt like he was going to explode or fall apart or pass out or maybe just flat out die. Finally he heard the sound of the phone being set in the cradle and his mother approaching.

 

“Get ready to go. Mrs. Higurashi has invited you over. Kagome needs you.”

 

“Needs me? What’s the matter? What happened? Is she alright?”

 

His mother sucked in a deep breath, trying to find a way to tell her son what had happened. “Bankotsu honey, Kagome needs you because her father died last Sunday. Her mother was hoping that she would talk about it with her but she hasn’t spoken a word since she was told. She hasn’t cried, she won’t eat, and they don’t know what to do.”

 

“Why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t Mrs. Higurashi tell me when I called? Why didn’t she ask me to come? Kagome needed me five whole days ago!” He was yelling at his mother but it didn’t matter. He didn’t care. “She won’t talk to anyone about her father. She never has, except to me! She won’t cry in front of anyone except me! She won’t let anyone see her feelings but me and she made her wait five days? Why? Why didn’t she just tell me so I could have been there for her? Why did she make Kagome go through this alone? Why, Mom? Why?”

 

His mother pulled him into her arms, feeling his entire body shaking with anger and frustration. He felt like he’d let her down. Kagome needed him and he wasn’t there. “Sweetheart, Mrs. Higurashi lost her husband. She’s had a hard week too. She has to deal with not only her own grieving but that of both her children too. She wasn’t thinking clearly and she didn’t know how to tell you anyway. She realized when I asked if there was something we could do that you were who Kagome needed right now. I know you’re angry but it wasn’t Takara’s fault. I know you don’t remember when your father died, but I wasn’t able to think clearly for a while either, and you and your brother were both still babies. I can’t imagine how hard it was for her to tell them. You can’t blame her. It’s going to be alright. Kagome is going to be alright. I promise you. Now, you want to leave as soon as possible right?” She felt him nod against her. “Well then you need to get ready so we can go.”

 

In an instant he was out of her arms and in his room, changing his clothes and grabbing his shoes. His mother had never seen him move so fast, and couldn’t help but smile at his devotion to the girl. She knew they would be together for a long time to come. She dropped him off at the bottom of the shrine steps and told him to call when he wanted to be picked up. He almost didn’t hear her because he was already out of the car and on his way up the huge flight of stairs. As soon as he reached the top he saw her. She was standing under the large tree that provided shade for most of the shrine, the one she’d called the god tree. It was where she went whenever she was sad and when he finally saw her eyes he knew that she was more than sad. She was devastated.

 

He’d asked her fairly early on in their friendship about her father since during all his trips to her home he’d never met him. She’d said that he had an important job that meant he had to travel a lot. He’d eventually met the man that she called Daddy, but he’d seen him just a sparse few times in their nearly four year friendship. She’d confessed that while she missed him, she’d actually gotten used to him being gone. She’d felt guilty about it, sure that she was being a bad daughter by not being more upset by his absence. He’d soothed her then and he knew that she needed him to do so again.

 

He walked up to her in silence, simply pulling her into his arms. He was taller now, making her head fit perfectly into the curve of his neck. Kagome buried her face in his shoulder and cried. She sobbed so hard she shook and he found himself lifting her from the ground and sitting with her in his lap, her arms around his neck. At that moment he was actually glad that he was abnormally strong, remembering that she was the only one he’d ever trusted with his secret. And she trusted him as well.

 

He’d been told that she hadn’t spoken a word since she’d been told the news and that she hadn’t cried at all as if she were in shock, but he wasn’t surprised when she cried so easily in his arms. He knew that he was the only one that was allowed to see her weaknesses. He was the only one she allowed to see her cry. Over the years she always kept up a strong front but inside she’d been upset over one thing or another and he was always the one that she talked to, that she shared her feelings with, and that she allowed to see her cry. So he held her tightly, making sure that she felt safe and secure and knew that he was there for her.

 

Eventually she’d finally cried herself out and then she told him what had happened. Her father was away on business again, like always. He was being driven to his hotel from the airport when the roadway was suddenly covered in smoke. A forest fire had started along the side of the highway due to the extremely dry conditions in the area, and the smoke made it impossible to see anything. There’d been a huge accident as car after car realized too late that they needed to stop. Only five people had died in the pileup, but her father had been one of them. He’d left home to go on his business trip like always but this time he wasn’t coming back.

 

He held her for hours and when night fell he stayed with her. He stayed at her house that Friday, and Saturday night as well, not going home until late Sunday. That was the first time either of them stayed the night at the other’s house. It was the first time she’d ever spent the night in his arms, but definitely not the last. She’d gone to school on Monday and as time passed she managed to move on and stop mourning. Eventually things had returned to normal again and Kagome was her happy and rather hyper self once more, their bond strengthened through the shared experience. Bankotsu had been her rock, her strength during the hardest time of her life, and she never forgot it.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            It was in forth grade that their classmates had started to talk. The first time one of the girls asked Kagome about her ‘boyfriend’ she’d laughed in her face, thinking it was a joke. But it was no joke. Everyone believed that because they spent so much time together that they were dating, because surely if everyone else was starting to date then they would be as well. It wasn’t quite the same for them, however. Their time together had given them a great deal of insight into the opposite sex and neither was interested in dating, at least not yet and definitely not each other. Instead they watched the other kids and their relationships. It was nothing but drama; who kissed who, who left who for someone else, who didn’t call even after he’d ‘pinkie promised’. They couldn’t help but laugh at it all.

 

They’d only laughed when the rumors started circling the halls. Why, yes, he did carry her books for her between classes, and yes, they passed notes like crazy, always having something to tell each other. Yes, they hung out together outside of school. They went to the movies together. They hung out at each other’s homes. They always thought of the other first, always knew where the other was. Every project that they had the option to choose who they paired up together with, they chose each other.  And when they weren’t partners they still worked together, their actual partners always ending up feeling out of place, like they were interfering in something private which of course only fueled more rumors. It was obvious they cared about each other, but no, they weren’t dating. No matter how many times they were asked they were still not dating.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

It had gotten a tad more interesting when their first school dance had come around. Since they’d made it as clear as possible to everyone who kept bugging them that they weren’t ‘together’ some of their classmates decided it was the perfect opportunity to ask one or the other out.

 

The first time it happened they were sitting at their usual table during lunch and one of the more popular girls in their class helped her self to one of the empty seats, not bothering to ask if they minded. Bankotsu and Kagome had glanced at her for a moment before continuing their conversation as if she wasn’t even there. Of course, being a popular girl, she did not like being ignored.

 

When there was a pause in their conversation she took it as her chance and spoke. “So, Bankotsu, what did you think about that math test yesterday? I thought it was so hard, like why did she have to make it so hard?”

 

The two friends looked at her again, not sure what the hell was wrong with her to think that she could just butt into their conversation, before once again returning their attention to each other. Kagome was the first to talk. “So mom told Souta that he’s going to be starting kindergarten next year and he…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence however because she was cut off by what had to be the snottiest tone either had ever heard.

 

“Excuse me, but I asked Bankotsu a question. Do you think maybe you could, oh I don’t know, go sit somewhere else so we can talk?”

 

Kagome stared at the girl in shock. ‘Did she just tell me to leave? So she could talk to Bank? What a bitch,’ she thought.

 

Bankotsu however did his thinking out loud. “I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”

 

Thinking she’d won, she answered. “I’m Fumiko,” she said, her voice filled with smugness as she glanced at Kagome as if she was the intruder.

 

“Ok, see, I didn’t even know your name until you just told me, and I’ve been friends with Kagome for four and a half years now, since the very first day of school. What makes you think that you can come and sit here without being invited and then tell her to leave?” Kagome covered her mouth with her hand to stop the laughter.

 

Fumiko didn’t know what to say. She didn’t think she’d done anything wrong. It was Kagome who’d been rude and interrupted her conversation with him. “Well I wanted to talk to you. That’s why I came and sat here. It’s not my fault she didn’t give you a chance to answer my question. It was her who was rude,” she said while glaring openly at Kagome who was still fighting not to laugh. “And I don’t know what you think is so funny.”

 

That did it for Kagome. Her temper was easily triggered and this girl had just done it. Her voice was loud, drawing the attention of everyone in the cafeteria. “I’m being rude? Me? You come and sit at our table without asking. You butt into our conversation. You have the nerve to tell me to leave our table so you can talk to him, and you think he’s going to answer you? God, you’re just dumb. I don’t think I’ve ever met somebody quite so stupid.”

 

“Who do you think you are, calling me stupid? Really, I’m the popular one here. You only have one friend.”

 

“And yet it is my one friend that you think is going to drop me for you? Why, because you’re pretty and popular?”

 

“Um, yeah,” Fumiko said, as if Kagome had just asked her if two plus two equaled four.

 

Bankotsu and Kagome both burst out laughing at the same instant, which only made the girl angrier. As her face turned red he decided they’d had enough and it was time to end it. “I don’t care if you’re pretty or popular. First of all, I think Kagome is much prettier than you are. No, I take that back. She’s not pretty. She’s beautiful and she doesn’t dress like a tramp. And popular means nothing to me. The only person in this entire school that I care about besides my brother is Kagome. Whatever it was that gave you the idea that you could just waltz over here and say and do what you wanted was wrong. So if you don’t mind, do you think maybe you could go sit somewhere else? Because we’re trying to have a conversation.”

 

Everyone who had been watching the interaction in silence, waiting to see what would happen, broke into laughter. They’d never seen Fumiko treated like that and almost everyone, meaning everyone who wasn’t in the small popular group, thought she deserved to be told off. She thought way too highly of herself.

 

The angry and now embarrassed girl stood, her breathing hard and her face so red she looked like steam was about to shoot from her ears. “You’ll regret this, Bankotsu. I was going to let you take me to the dance, but I’ve changed my mind.”

 

Kagome turned and hid her head in her friend’s shoulder as tears streamed down her face from laughing so hard. As his arm wrapped around her waist he looked straight into Fumiko’s eyes. “You were going to let me take you? I wouldn’t want to take you to the dance if you were the only girl in the world. You’re nothing but a spoiled, stuck-up little bitch. Now please, go away so we can get back to what we were doing before you so rudely interrupted.”

 

The laughter echoed in the large room as she turned and started to walk away. She was so angry that she wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking and slipped in a puddle of chocolate milk someone had spilled next to the garbage, falling on her ass quite eloquently in front of everyone. Needless to say, Fumiko never approached Bankotsu again. She was too angry at him, blaming him for the humiliation of her fall, something her classmates would never let her forget, as well as for talking to her in such a way. But she wasn’t the only girl interested in the rather attractive ten year old…

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

It was only two days later while Kagome and Bankotsu were standing outside after school waiting for their ride that it happened again, only this time it was a boy interested in Kagome. They were leaning against the brick wall minding their own business when a boy Bankotsu recognized from gym class walked up and leaned against the wall next to her.

 

“Hey,” was all he said at first.

 

Kagome turned and looked at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Finally she replied simply, “Hey.”

 

Encouraged somehow by her monosyllabic reply he spoke again. “So, I was wondering if you’re going to the… dance… on…” His question started out confident but when he saw Bankotsu glaring at him over Kagome’s shoulder he started to get nervous. The look he was giving him made it feel like he had ice water in his veins, like Bankotsu could make him disappear in an instant and would if he even thought about continuing with his thought. He looked from Kagome to Bankotsu and back several times before making his decision. “Never mind,” he said quickly before turning and walking away.

 

Kagome leaned back against her best friend and sighed. “You know he was going to ask me to the dance.”

 

“Yeah, I know. But he’s not going to now,” he said smugly.

 

“And why is that?”

 

“Because I don’t trust him. I’ve heard him talking in the locker room before and after gym class. He is definitely not the kind of guy you want.”

 

Kagome smiled as his arms came around her waist. “And how are you so sure? What kind of guy do I want then?”

 

“You want a guy that I know will treat you right. Cuz if you pick anyone else and they hurt you in any way I might just have to kill them, and you wouldn’t want me to be sent to jail cuz you picked a jerk, right?” he asked, his voice full of amusement.

 

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” she said before giggling. “You’re never gonna let me have a boyfriend, are you?”

 

“That depends on if we ever meet anyone who’s good enough for you.”

 

“And how are we going to know if they’re good enough if you scare them all away?”

 

“Alright, let’s make a deal. Before a guy can ask you out he has to talk to me. I’ll ask a few questions and then let him know.”

 

“You want to interview potential dates? Oh yeah, that’s gonna go over well.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            The next day they were in the library doing research for a project when a girl approached them. She leaned against the edge of the table at Bankotsu’s side and smiled down at him. “Hi,” she said in as sultry a voice as a ten year old girl could manage. “I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to a movie or something this weekend.” Kagome looked up from her book and locked eyes with her friend before lifting a brow in question.

 

            He looked up at the girl, actually recognizing this one. “Sorry Mari, but I’ve got plans with Kagome this weekend.”

 

            “But wouldn’t you rather go on a date with me than hang out with her? She might as well be another guy.” She batted her eyelashes and tilted herself in an attempt to make her tiny boob-lets look bigger. Kagome wanted to yell as she heard her words, but one look at her odd posture made her hold her tongue. She had to see how this one played out.

 

            “Is there something wrong with your back?”

 

            “No, why?” she asked in a confused tone.

 

            “You’re standing really funny. Are you sure your back is alright?” He hid his smirk as she immediately straightened. “That’s better,” he said with a bright smile.

 

            “Well, do you want to do something? If we can’t get together this weekend you could always take me to the dance.”

 

            He looked like he was thinking about it, which made her smile at him before running her tongue over her lips in what he guessed was supposed to be an attempt at sexy. “You see, the thing is, I wouldn’t be caught dead spending time with anyone who insulted Kagome. She’s nothing like ‘another guy’. And, just in case you were wondering, her boobs are visible without contorting her back like a circus performer, so wouldn’t that make you more like a guy than her?” Kagome giggled softly as Mari whirled and stomped away in a very impressive imitation of a five year old.

 

            “They’re just never gonna learn, are they?” she asked him across the table.

 

            “Doesn’t look like it,” he said while shaking his head before they both returned to their reading, once again like they had never been interrupted.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Several more girls had tried and failed, each making a fatal mistake regarding Kagome. Really, if one had managed to be nice to her and not insult her or their friendship they might have had a chance, but each girl felt threatened by their close relationship, even if they didn’t quite understand it. The boys had been surprised when they approached Kagome. The only thing she would say was “Go talk to Bankotsu. He’ll tell you.” And he had. He asked them each several questions, intent on making sure that their intentions towards his Kagome were 100% pure.  Not a single boy had been approved.

 

Since neither had a date they went together, though each was sure they would have gone together anyways rather than go with others that they hardly knew if at all. They arrived together, sat and talked together, and even danced together. Bankotsu had managed to control himself enough to allow one other guy to dance with her, something that he immediately regretted, especially since the idiot had tried to kiss her. If only he had known that one dance would lead to an obsession that survived over eight years and was still going strong. No matter what he did after that day he just couldn’t shake the wolf. He was like a tick. Once it grabs on it digs itself in and isn’t easy to yank back out. Kouga was a big tick, or maybe a leech. Well, whatever he was, he was holding on tight to his illusions.

 

            After the dance, which had ended poorly when Bankotsu broke the wolf’s jaw for the first time, it was even harder to make their classmates believe that they weren’t together… so they stopped trying. They loved each other in a way that no one else could grasp, but it wasn’t a boyfriend/girlfriend thing. It was unique, the bond that they’d created. And it was just the two of them… at least until the beginning of fifth grade when someone else came waltzing into their lives.

 

 

  

 

            Kagome wanted to laugh at her friend. He’d brushed his teeth the whole time she was in the shower and when she’d finally thought he was done she found out she was wrong. Instead of walking away from the sink to give someone else a chance, he’d whipped out floss and set to work. She’d never seen someone floss so thoroughly, not even in the dental health videos they’d shown in middle school. After nearly five minutes of flossing, Inuyasha brushed his teeth again before rinsing with mouthwash.  He turned around and gave her a fang-filled smirk and she had to agree, he had beautiful teeth. They were pearly white and shiny. Maybe his twenty plus minute morning routine was worth it. But probably not.

 

            While Inuyasha was scrubbing imaginary plaque from his teeth Shippo had been struggling with his bushy red hair. After a few minutes of frustrated little growls and the occasional yip when he caught a snag Kagome took over. She flipped the lid down and sat on the toilet, her smaller friend standing in front of her. She started on the ends first, brushing carefully and painlessly removing the knots that had formed while he slept. When she got closer to the top she stood and a minute later she was securing his ponytail with one of the ouchless bands she had found for him. He turned around and she combed through his bangs with her fingers. “Perfect,” the miko said with a smile.

 

            “Man, I wish you were here every morning. You are the only one who can get the mess of knots out without ripping out half my hair in the process.”

 

            “It just takes patience,” she said, wishing secretly that she could be there every morning.

 

            “No, it takes the special Kagome touch,” Inuyasha said, now finished with his teeth. “My turn, wench.” She only laughed, sat back down, and pointed at the floor. The inu hanyou sat at her feet and purred quietly while his miko brushed out his bright silver mane. While Sesshoumaru’s hair was perfectly straight, Inuyasha’s had a lot more volume which resulted in a mess of knots just like Shippo’s. Kagome was the only one he trusted with a brush anywhere near his head though, having learned the hard way in the past that she was the only one who understood just how sensitive his ears really were. That and when she brushed his hair it felt like a soothing scalp massage and she always rubbed his ears gently, claiming that she was flattening down the fur on and around them but he knew she just liked to touch them. He didn’t mind a bit. It felt wonderful.

 

            “Down or up today?” she asked while rubbing his right ear. Kami, she loved his ears!

 

            The half demon made a sound like he was thinking before answering. “Pulled back but low.”

 

            She gave his ears one last tweak each before gathering his mass of hair and pulling it back to a ponytail at his neck. “Alright, you’re all done. Now do ya think I can go put some clothes on?”

 

            “I don’t know, Kagome. You do look quite beautiful just as you are.” Kagome shot the lecherous monk a glare causing him to lift his hands in defeat. “Okay, okay, if you really want to get dressed then… I guess it’d be alright.”

 

            “Did you bring clothes with you, Kagome?” Shippo asked from where he sat on the bathroom counter next to the sink.

 

            “Nope. I didn’t make it past the doorway of my room. And I am so not telling the story to Miroku. I know all he’d do is interrupt for more details,” she said, purposely talking like he wasn’t in the room with them.

 

            “Really? Is it a good story then?” the monk asked with a lifted brow.

 

            “Only if finding six strangers screwing in your bed is good. For me, not so good.” The miko stood and Miroku moved to unlock and open the door for her. “Always a gentleman, huh? Keep your hands where I can see them,” Kagome said with a glare, knowing from extensive amounts of experience that he only opened the door for girls so he could grab their ass as they walked past him.

 

            “So whose clothes is it gonna be today then?” Miroku asked, trying to distract her from his slowly moving hands.

 

            “I’m just gonna rifle through Bank’s closet. And if you make me say it again I’ll break all your fingers one by one.” Immediately his hands were at his sides, fingers curled up tightly. “Meet me downstairs? I’m hungry.”

 

            Shippo laughed and Inuyasha said, “When aren’t you?” before both followed her out of the bathroom, Miroku at the end, snapping off the light on his way past. Each friend entered a different room to get dressed for the day.

    

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            When Bankotsu had left the house, he made a point to drive past Kagome’s house in an attempt to figure out what had happened the night before. He slowed to a stop at the sight on the front lawn. Not only was there random garbage and bottles spread across the grass like they’d hosted Woodstock last night but there also were piles of furniture. As he sat in his car trying to guess what was going on he saw Kagome’s landlord, a friend of his mother, directing a few burly demons he recognized from campus as they hauled out more furniture. He immediately pulled all the way to the curb and got out, intent on finding out what was going on and why Kagome and her roommate’s furniture was being removed.

 

            As he walked across the lawn, Mr. Yokubari looked up and smiled. “Hello, Bankotsu. It’s nice to see you again. How’s your mother?”

 

            “Nice to see you too. My mom’s fine. I’m actually picking up some groceries for her in a bit. I was just wondering… what’s going on?”

 

            Mr. Yokubari looked confused for a minute before glancing around him. “Oh, this? My tenants are in jail and they’re being evicted.”

 

            “In jail? Evicted? Kagome’s not in jail. She’s at my house.”

 

            “The police hadn’t mentioned her but I didn’t figure she would have been involved. Such a sweet girl. I wish I didn’t have to do this to her but I have to evict all of them or none and those other three aren’t staying another minute in my house.”

 

            “What happened here? Why are the others in jail?”

 

            The landlord let out a sigh and rubbed a hand over his face. “From what the cops told me, they were called out for a noise complaint. They were throwing a huge party and the whole place is trashed. Apparently there was a lot of alcohol visible, as well as several intoxicated minors, which led them to search the rest of the house. I swear, I’m going to have to wash every surface with bleach. Besides finding kids having sex just about everywhere possible they also found quite a stash of drugs in Tsu… Tsu… whatever her name is, in her room.”

 

            “Tsubaki?”

 

            “Yeah, that’s it! I guess they found more in the other two’s rooms as well, not as much but enough. No illegal substances in Kagome’s room but I guess even her bed wasn’t exempt from the orgy.”

 

            “Ahhh, now I see why she said she would need to burn her bedding and mattress.”

 

            “I don’t blame her.”

 

            “But what about their stuff? Their clothes and textbooks and things?”

 

            “I’ve contacted the parents listed on their application for the three in jail to come collect their daughters’ belongings. Didn’t know where to find Kagome but I figured she’d show up sometime today. We haven’t touched her room and we won’t so long as she gets packed up and moved out by next Friday.”

 

            Bankotsu’s eyes widened. “She has to be out in a week? Where is she supposed to go?”

 

            “As bad as I feel for the girl, it really isn’t my problem. Can you tell her for me since she’s at your place?”

 

            Bankotsu wished he could growl like his friends, hell, even like Kagome, at the moment. “Yes, I’ll tell her,” he said through clenched teeth. Before his anger became apparent he turned and walked back towards his car.

 

            “Tell you mother I said hello!” Mr. Yokubari called after him. Without another word the furious friend got in his car and drove off. He had to get to the bank, but once he’d done that he had a phone call to make.

    

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            Sesshoumaru was feeling desperate. He’d yet to figure out any possible way of taking back his cruel words, and thoughts of how she must feel about him were making the pain in his chest to grow in intensity until he began to wonder if demons could have heart attacks. He paused in the middle of wishing that he could kick his own ass when he heard movement in the next room. He knew that Bankotsu hadn’t returned yet so it had to be her. He made his way towards the connecting wall and slowly sat against it, leaning his head back in an attempt to hear her better. Hearing the sound of drawers opening he remembered that she hadn’t brought a bag with her when she showed up on their doorstep in the middle of the night. She must have decided to borrow some of her friend’s clothing. He couldn’t stop the smirk, remembering how she’d looked the last time she wore the much larger male’s clothes. If only she was wearing his clothes…

 

            Kagome was looking for something in particular. All of Bank’s clothes were way too big for her but there were a couple of things that had drawstring waists so she wouldn’t have to worry about holding her pants up all the time. It took her nearly five minutes of digging to find what she wanted, smiling when she finally did. In the bottom drawer of his second dresser were the three pairs of pants she could wear, along with the button down shirt he knew she absolutely adored and a few comfortably worn t-shirts that she loved to sleep in. She’d even gone so far as to sneak a few back to her place. Even after being washed she could still smell him and it really helped her to sleep. It took her a second to notice the items off to the side of the drawer, almost hidden beneath the other things. ‘I was wondering where that bra and panties went! Apparently I left them here. He’s so sweet. I can’t believe he cleared a drawer for just my things, well, his things that I like to wear. I’ll have to remember to thank him when he gets back.’

 

            She pulled out the pair of silky white pajama pants and her absolute favorite red button down shirt, making sure to grab the bra and panties too. Dropping the towel to the floor, Kagome slipped quickly into the clothes. She tightened the drawstrings on the jammie pants before rolling them at the waist several times to shorten the legs enough so that she wouldn’t trip over them. Sure, she had long legs, but not that long. Once she had the shirt arranged the way she wanted she picked up the brush she’d brought from the bathroom and two ties, setting out to put up her hair. A few minutes later she was hopping down the stairs, her pigtails set high on her head and her hair bouncing with every step. Finding her way into the kitchen, she found Shippo, Miroku, and Inuyasha waiting for her, Chinese food already heated up and a pair of chopsticks waiting. “I love you guys,” she said before sitting down and digging in.

 

            “Didn’t I tell ya that’s what she’d wear?” Inuyasha said smugly.

 

            “I don’t believe either of us disagreed with you,” Miroku replied, leaning back in his chair and watching a very happy Kagome. Too bad she wouldn’t be so happy for long. He’d been the one to answer Bankotsu’s call but he hadn’t gotten a chance to tell the others yet. It was their job to take care of her and even if it was self appointed they took it seriously. They would figure out what to do before they told her so she didn’t freak out and get all stressed. An overstressed Kagome wasn’t a pretty picture, nowhere near as pretty as she looked with her bright gray and blue eyes and adorable pigtails. Dressed in the oversized clothing and combined with the hair style she looked like an innocent little girl, even if she did have the top couple of buttons of the shirt open and the ends tied together at her waist, allowing cleavage and her bellybutton to peak out at them. The little pink jewel dangling from the silver ring that punched through her navel was the only thing, besides the breasts of course, that labeled her a grown, albeit young, woman.

 

            He glanced to the side, seeing that Inuyasha and Shippo were both looking at him funny. He knew they could sense his stress and anger about the situation, even if they didn’t yet know about it. “You guys done eating?” he asked. When they nodded he continued. “Think you could help me out for a couple minutes, in the backyard?”

 

            “What the fuc… I mean, yeah, sure. Let’s go.” Inuyasha started to protest before a sharp elbow to the ribs from the kitsune at his side made him realize what Miroku was really saying. He and Shippo both stood, tossing their empty containers in the trash on the way by. “You just make yourself at home Kags. Watch TV or something. We’ll be back in a few.”

 

            “Yeah, sure, whatever,” she mumbled, not at all interested in whatever boring guy chore they had to do. Not when there was leftover Chinese takeout to eat!

    

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            Sesshoumaru had finally worked up the nerve to leave his room. He was hungry, having missed dinner the previous night, and he could smell the reheated takeout all the way upstairs. He decided that even demons had to eat sometimes and maybe if he saw her he could judge just how angry she was, maybe even figure out a way to apologize. His pride was against it, as was his ego, but the very real physical pain in his chest made him override their complaints. He couldn’t let her hate him. If the knowledge of her hatred hurt like this then he would have to find some way to fix it.

 

            He walked slowly down the stairs, his mind trying to come up with any reason to return to the safety and privacy of his room, not wanting his brother and his idiot friends picking up on his pain. He had no way to explain it and he knew they would jump to the strangest conclusions available just to taunt him. How he wished his father would allow him to murder the hanyou. The world would be such a nicer place. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he heard the back door click closed and let out a sigh of relief. If they were outside then he could just grab something and run, his courage and determination melting under the crushing agony and thoughts of how his brother would mock him if he only knew the true cause, or at least what he thought was the cause.

 

            He looked perfectly calm when he walked into the kitchen, though when he saw her, his eyes widened in surprise. ‘They left her alone?’ He knew she’d noticed his entrance as her shoulders were tense, almost like she was preparing for an attack. Maybe she was. Maybe she thought he was going to insult her again or embarrass her some more. She didn’t have any reason not to. She seemed to shrink under his stare and he quickly turned away, opening the refrigerator door to block her from his line of sight.

 

            “There’s some chicken lo mein left over here,” she said softly. “You can have it if you want. It’s already heated up.”

 

            He turned around slowly while his brain turned quickly. Had she just offered to share her food with him after what he’d said this morning? The very thought lessened the pain, as if one of the steel bands contracting around his heart disappeared.

 

            Kagome didn’t know what else to say. She’d offered and now he was just staring at her. “If you’d rather have pork fried rice, there’s some of that too,” she almost whispered.

 

            He realized that he was staring as he caught the scent of her nervousness flooding the air around her. ‘Quick! Think! What do I say? Fuck! Why does my brain have to shut down around this girl? How am I supposed to accomplish anything when I turn into a stammering idiot in her presence?’

 

            Kagome put down the little white takeout box she’d been eating from and picked up the others laid out on the table one by one. She couldn’t stand the silence in the air. It was like she was being slowly smothered by cherry gelatin. Why cherry she had no clue but that’s what it felt like at the moment. She had to break the quiet. “I guess you’d probably want more meat, huh? Shippo always orders the steak and broccoli and the orange chicken. I like the General Tso’s but I guess it’s too spicy for sensitive demon taste buds.”

 

            He couldn’t stop the small smirk at her nervous rambling. It was endearing or at least it would have been if she wasn’t so nervous because she was afraid he’d be nasty to her again. Yeah, that last thought slapped the smirk right off his face. “This Sesshoumaru thanks you for offering to share,” he said slowly, trying not to sound quite so monotone, something else his brother loved to mock him about.

 

            Kagome’s eyes snapped from the food in her hand to the demon who’d actually thanked her, something she didn’t think he was even capable of. The look in his eyes made her look away and blush, though she couldn’t figure out why for the life of her.

 

            He watched as her face flushed red. Something had happened when their eyes met, something powerful, and he wondered if she felt it too. When her eyes locked with his it felt like electricity shot from the back of his neck down his spine and out to his fingertips and toes. His whole body was humming and for a moment the pain in his chest was completely gone. He sat down in the chair directly across from her, hoping she would make eye contact again. He could already feel the steel bands tightening around his heart again, getting tighter and tighter as she refused to look his direction.

 

He realized he’d found a way to stop the pain and even if the relief was for less than a minute it was absolute. Not even a tiny twinge of discomfort had remained. If only he could get her to look into his eyes for longer than a second. Maybe then the pain would be gone longer. He still wasn’t sure of the cause of the pain, just knew that it had to have something to do with her and how it seemed she perceived or felt about him. It didn’t make a lot of sense but it was the only thing he could think of.

 

Deciding she wasn’t going to turn back towards him, he grabbed a set of chopsticks and began looking through the containers like she’d been doing before finding one that looked good. He sat back with the takeout container in one hand and chopsticks in the other, trying to look at her without it looking like he was looking at her. It wasn’t easy but he was a determined taiyoukai and he would figure out a way. After a minute she slowly began to eat again, having turned in her chair so that she could look out the kitchen window. He glanced through the glass and saw his half-brother, the monk, and the kitsune talking. Inuyasha looked pissed, Shippo looked worried, and Miroku looked like he was thinking very hard. ‘I wonder what the problem is now,’ he thought to himself before returning to his much more important task of watching her while he ate.

    

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            When Miroku led them outside, Inuyasha immediately demanded to know what the problem was. The monk slowly relayed what Bankotsu had told him, making sure to keep his voice low. You never knew when Kagome was lurking around a corner, ready to try and startle them. She really seemed to enjoy doing that, taking it as a serious challenge. She hadn’t gotten Inuyasha yet thanks to his demon senses, even if they were only half as strong, but she never stopped trying. Shippo had been surprisingly simple to catch off guard since the kit was easily distracted and hadn’t had an older brother who enjoyed sneaking up on him just to punch or kick him like Inuyasha had growing up. The hanyou had learned at a young age to be aware of his surroundings. He no longer bothered to register Sesshoumaru’s presence, but he always felt the little miko coming.

 

            When Miroku got to the point, that Kagome was being evicted and would have no place to live past next Friday, Inuyasha’s jaw had clenched painfully, his claws lengthening and his eyes flashing red for a moment before he calmed himself. Only when Kagome was concerned did he get angry enough to lose control. Only she mattered enough. Shippo immediately asked where she would go and Miroku explained that his question was the reason they needed to talk.

 

            “We’ll have to find her a new place,” Miroku said calmly, an expert at hiding his anger.

 

            “Yeah, but you remember how hard she looked! I went with her to a couple of those places. Trust me, we wouldn’t have let her live with those creeps. Nothing is available that isn’t disgusting, in a terrible neighborhood, or equipped with at least one guy that made her uncomfortable. Some of them had the nerve to flirt with her right in front of me! She’s not moving in with some guy or guys we don’t know!”

 

            “Perhaps we can find a group of females that need another roommate?”

 

            “If there were any Kagome would have moved already. She reads the classifieds every day and is always checking online listings too. There’s nothing,” Shippo said, knowing for certain there was no place for her to go.

 

            “Well then what the fuck are we gonna do?” Inuyasha almost yelled. “No way in hell is she moving in with some strange guy, you got that right runt! The only guys I trust around her are me, you two,” he looked pointedly at Miroku, “you a little less than Shippo with the wandering hand you’ve got,” he said with a smirk, “and Bank.” He was silent for a minute and if you were quiet enough you could hear the hamster running like crazy in his squeaky wheel in the hanyou’s head while he tried to think of another option. Then it hit him. “Why the hell doesn’t she just move in here? Then we’d know that she’s safe and protected.”

 

            “And happy,” Shippo added. “She’s always saying how happy she is hanging out here with us.”

 

            “I know that I wouldn’t be against it and neither would Bankotsu. You two are obviously for it, but what about Sesshoumaru?” Miroku asked, always looking at things from every possible angle.

 

            “Fuck him! If I wanna move her in here I will.”

 

            “If you mean that then you can be the one to tell him,” Miroku said. Inuyasha growled at the monk. “What? You’re the only one he’s been forbidden to kill after all.”

 

            Shippo laughed. “Looks like it’s on you man.”

 

            “Shut up, runt. Fine. I’ll do it. But where is she gonna stay? There isn’t an open room.”

 

            Miroku appeared to be thinking again and the other two kept silent, knowing he would figure something out. Suddenly his eyes brightened and a smile tugged at his lips. “Come with me,” was all he said before opening the door and leading them back inside.

  

 

  @@ 3 and a half Years ago @@    

 

            It was back, with a vengeance it seemed. The dreams had slowed during the time between the ‘date from hell’ as he so fondly remembered it in August and his half-brother’s 16th birthday party in October. But they’d picked back up again to the point where he was having them at least three nights a week. He had no idea what had caused them to return but they were still the same. In his dreams he saw her hair and her eyes, he could hear her voice and touch her body, but he couldn’t identify her. It was driving him absolutely insane. And to add the star to the top of his tree of tortures, he’d found that the ‘incident’ at the hanyou’s party was nothing but a fluke. Thankfully he hadn’t humiliated himself to figure it out this time.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            It was just two weeks after the party when she’d approached him in the almost empty halls after school. He’d stayed after the final bell rang to speak to his History teacher about the paper that had been recently assigned. After getting his questions answered to his satisfaction, which had taken nearly half an hour, he’d headed to his locker to deposit his things and grab what he needed for the night’s homework. His head was almost completely in his locker as he searched for a packet that was expertly evading its capture when he’d felt someone close by.

 

As he pulled back from his locker he was greeted with a pair of brown eyes so dark they were almost black, brown hair with pink streaks in it, and a fanged grin. Taking a closer look he identified her as a neko demoness and the way she was looking at him made him wonder if she’d never learned that it was dogs who chased cats and not the other way around. Her eyes were half closed as she studied his body. She looked like she was ready to eat him whole. Deciding he was curious to see just what this female’s intentions were he closed his locker and looked at her, waiting for her to say something.

 

She most definitely didn’t let him down. She leaned in close and spoke in a husky, needy voice. “I’ve been trying to find a way to get you alone for weeks.”

 

“And why is that?” he asked in his normal disinterested tone.

 

“Because you look absolutely delicious and I’ve been wondering if you taste as good as you look.” He lifted a brow at her and she smiled. “My name’s Aiko, by the way.” Her eyes dragged over his body once again and he could hear her soft purr of approval as well as the scent of her rapidly growing arousal. “So, do you think maybe we could find someplace where I can find out?”

 

Deciding that since his problem had fixed itself, even though the dreams had returned, this was the perfect opportunity to release some of the pressure and frustration he was almost overflowing with. He simply nodded at her and the next thing he knew he was being pulled along behind her, the girl having taken hold of the bottom of his shirt. She was nearly dragging him, forcing him to increase his pace to a speed he found rather undignified. When they finally stopped he found that they were in what had to be the teachers lounge. How she’d gotten in without breaking the lock was beyond him since the room was always kept locked. He knew for sure that she hadn’t broken it though, because she clicked it behind her, locking them in.

 

“Sit down,” she said in a seductive tone while pointing at a brown leather couch. How the teachers managed to get a leather couch he had no idea, but it made him wonder about just how the school’s budget was spent. Pushing monetary issues from his mind he dropped his backpack and sat as she’d asked. “Why is it that you don’t have a girlfriend?” she asked, making him tense slightly. “It’s just that you’re so incredibly good looking and you could probably have any girl in the school but you’re alone.”

 

“Hn. This Sesshoumaru has no need of a female clinging constantly to my person.”

 

“So would you be interested in maybe… a relationship… without the relationship part?”

 

He furrowed his brows while reflecting over what she said. ‘That sentence made absolutely no sense,’ he thought to himself, not sure anymore why he was there with her.

 

“I mean that… well, I’m already kinda in a relationship but he’s nowhere near as sexy as you and he has no idea what to do with a woman’s body. You however… you could make me cum with a look.”

 

He couldn’t help but smirk at her. “This Sesshoumaru has no time to waste. If you have a proposition I suggest you get to it quickly.”

 

She wanted to growl at him for being so rude but she wanted him way too badly to do that. “I’m proposing that you and I enjoy the benefits of an intimate relationship without the trouble of the actual dating part. So? What do you think?”

 

He was contemplating her offer carefully. He definitely needed the release but that very thought was what had caused the last issue. What if it happened again? What if he couldn’t get it up and she laughed at him? He had no idea whether his body would respond to her or not, but after a moment of silent thought he’d found a solution.

 

“This Sesshoumaru has very specific tastes and very high standards. I am not certain you fit the bill. Allow me to propose a challenge: you can try to seduce me. If you succeed in arousing me then we will continue our ‘activities’, but if you fail then you will not approach this Sesshoumaru again.” He had to admit, it was the perfect plan. Now she would give it her all to prove that she was good enough for him and if his body betrayed him once again then he would simply tell her that she was just not enough, not pretty enough or not talented enough, something… anything would work.

 

This time she did growl at him. This stuck up dog was insinuating that she was not up to his standards! ‘How dare he? Well, I’ll just show him. I’ll arouse him alright. I’ll make him beg me to finish it. He’ll never want another girl again.’ With her determined thoughts she moved to where he sat on the couch and straddled his lap. “I accept your proposition. Just you wait; you’re never going to forget this.”

 

He looked at her, her eyes intent on the challenge. She smiled a sexy little smirk before she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it away. She knelt so that her breasts were perfectly even with his face before reaching around and unclipping the neon pink bra and slipping it off, allowing it to join her shirt on the ground. Aiko gently grasped his hands, bringing the up to touch her breasts. He allowed her to guide him as he touched the soft mounds of flesh for the first time.

 

Sesshoumaru brushed his thumbs over her nipples and her back arched as she moaned. He’d never touched a girl’s breasts before, at least not while awake, and he found himself intrigued. He leaned forward and caught a taut peak between his lips. Just when he was about to flick his tongue over the tip he felt a strange tightening in his chest, causing him to pull back from her.

 

Deciding she needed to kick it up a notch, Aiko slipped out of his lap to kneel on the floor in front of him. He looked down at her in disinterest and no small amount of frustration. He already knew that this wasn’t going to work. If it hadn’t happened yet it wasn’t going to happen. But he had to allow her to try or she might figure out that it had nothing to do with her at all, that the problem was him. He merely watched as her actions were so very similar to the first time this had happened. She unzipped his pants and reached in to touch him. He could tell she was surprised that he was still flaccid.

 

“This Sesshoumaru explained the situation to you. I will not sit here forever, so I suggest you do whatever it is you have planned. At this moment, it is guaranteed that I will forget this entire incident, unless of course it stays with me as a reminder of your failure.”

 

She growled at him before setting to work. She wanted him. She knew he’d be big and he was, even in his unaroused state. She wanted to feel this powerful taiyoukai filling her body, fucking her good and hard, using his demon strength and speed to bring her over the edge over and over again. She needed him to make her cum because as much as she loved her boyfriend, he had no clue and did not have the most impressive package either. She would give this dog demon an erection or she would die trying.

 

It felt just as odd and uncomfortable as the last time, maybe even more so because this demoness was nothing if not determined. But it wasn’t enough. Instead of being pleasurable it was quickly becoming irritating and the tightening in his chest that he’d noticed a bit ago was back and steadily getting worse. He’d never felt anything like it before. Nothing had ever been able to cause him pain and yet here he was fighting back a grimace because his chest was killing him. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore.

 

“Enough,” he said while pulling her hair to force her to release him. She looked like she was going to try and latch back onto him if he let go of her so he tugged harder to make her look at him. “You have failed. This Sesshoumaru warned you that you were not of the caliber necessary to arouse me. I do not respond to those unworthy of my attentions.”

 

She was in shock. ‘How dare he say that I’m not good enough… not a high enough caliber? How dare he say I’m unworthy of his attention?’ He was insulting not only her appearance but also her social standing and she was pissed. She pulled back a hand and moved to slap him but gasped when he caught her wrist and held it tightly in his hand, squeezing hard enough to cause her to whimper in pain.

 

“This Sesshoumaru will be kind even though you are not deserving of such treatment. I will not allow this to become public so you will be spared the humiliation, but only if you leave now and never approach this Sesshoumaru again.” He watched as she nodded before releasing her. She scrambled to her discarded clothes, putting them on so fast her shirt was inside out but he didn’t bother to tell her. She didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered at the moment was figuring out what the hell was wrong with him!

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            It was three weeks until Christmas and Sesshoumaru once again found himself cursing his father for attempting to force him to socialize. Decorating the tree had always been a family event and this time their father had invited the hanyou’s three friends since the four were virtually inseparable. Once again he was going to have to suffer through his half-brother’s idiocy, though he found himself inexplicably almost excited to see the girl, the miko, again. He hadn’t really seen her at all since the hanyou’s birthday party. Every now and then he would catch a glimpse of her somewhere in the house as he passed and he’d noticed her a couple of times in the halls at school, but he never had the time to really examine her. He wanted to understand why he was actually looking forward to her arrival.

 

            This time rather than waiting in his room he’d decided to settle himself in the family room where the giant pine tree was already set up, waiting for them to cover it in lights and ornaments. Inuyasha was pacing the room impatiently. Apparently the miko should have arrived ten minutes ago; at least that was what he was muttering to himself. When the doorbell rang the half-breed almost disappeared he moved so quickly.

 

            “Took you fucking long enough,” he could hear his half-brother shout. Had the fool no knowledge of proper etiquette?

 

            “Inuyasha, we’re sorry. There was an accident on the way and traffic was at a standstill. You’re lucky we’re here at all,” the musical voice of the female floated to him from the entryway.

 

            “Just chill, Inu. You should know by now that she’s always safe when she’s with me,” the human with a demon marking said. “I’ve been taking care of her for nine years longer than you’ve even known her.”

 

            “Maybe, but shit happens. You can’t always protect her from everything and I refuse to live without her.”

 

            “Inuyasha, as sweet as that is, do you think maybe we could come inside? It’s cold!” Kagome said in an annoyed tone. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at the hanyou’s stupidity as the idiot scrambled to apologize.

 

            A minute later the group of four entered the room where he sat. The three guests sat as Inuyasha continued to the door on the other side of the room. Rather than taking a few steps more, he simply stuck his head out and hollered for their father and his mother that his friends had arrived.

 

            Sesshoumaru found him self staring at the girl that had him so confused. He was so enthralled in her beauty that he didn’t notice as his father came into the room and opened his arms for her. She jumped to her feet before allowing herself to be swept into the older inu’s arms. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Kagome.”

 

            “Yes, dear. You really should visit more often,” he heard Izayoi add. When his father finally released the little miko from his hug she moved on to the human woman his father had mated.

 

When she turned to sit back down she found Inuyasha in her seat. Kagome gave him a frustrated look before sitting in Bankotsu’s lap, causing the hanyou to frown. Apparently he’d been hoping she’d sit in his lap. The younger taiyoukai could feel his blood begin to boil as he watched her being held so comfortably by another male. He didn’t know why he was feeling that way, but it was almost overwhelming, the urge to walk over there and snatch her up from where she sat. He wanted to be the one holding her, touching her so familiarly.

 

“Well, let’s get this show on the road,” their father said while pulling the lid off the first box of decorations. Everyone rose to help except for Sesshoumaru. He didn’t feel like participating, so instead he just watched as his father, step-mother, and the four teens appeared to be having the time of their lives while trimming the tree.

 

“Oh, I’ll have to go get a stool so we can put the star on top,” Izayoi said before she started to walk towards the kitchen.

 

“Don’t need it Ma,” Inuyasha said without looking up from where he was digging in a box. “But we could all use some eggnog.”

 

Izayoi looked confused as to how Inuyasha intended to put the star up so high but only smiled and did as she was asked, returning a minute later with seven glasses of eggnog. Sesshoumaru took his with a small nod, knowing better than to be rude to the human woman in front of his father. Everyone else crowded around excitedly to get theirs and sat to take a break while they enjoyed their drinks and talked. This time Inuyasha got his way, pulling Kagome into his lap. She’d made herself more comfortable by putting her feet up on Miroku’s lap and looked completely content.

 

Once again his blood, that had just finally begun to cool, was boiling in his veins at the sight. He clenched his hands so tightly he almost broke the glass he held, catching himself just in time. He drank the contents in one long gulp before setting the empty glass down on the table beside him to ensure he didn’t shatter it.

 

He listened in silence as everyone else in the room talked and laughed, Kagome telling the adults about Christmas traditions at the shrine where she lived. Miroku and Bankotsu shared their family traditions as well but listening to the boys talk wasn’t anywhere near as enjoyable as hearing the voice of an angel.

 

When everyone was finished and ready to continue their task Sesshoumaru looked on as Inuyasha crouched down towards the floor. The next thing he knew Bankotsu had lifted Kagome by her waist to sit on Inuyasha’s shoulders. The hanyou held tightly to her calves as he rose, Miroku handing Kagome the star which she placed carefully at the very top of the tree. Rather than let her down, everyone continued handing her ornaments so that she could decorate the highest part of the tree that they’d all been unable to reach before. She looked perfectly comfortable on his half-brother’s shoulders, like she knew she was safe and secure. The jealousy burning through him made him turn away; as he was certain if he’d continued to watch he would have done something stupid.

 

            Inuyasha had finally put the miko back down and it was time to plug in the lights and see their masterpiece. Kagome volunteered to be the one to crawl under the tree to reach the outlet since she was the smallest of them all. When he watched her drop to her knees he felt it stir to life. When she went down onto her hands as well he felt it stiffen. When she scooted under the giant pine, the top half of her body pressed almost flat to the floor he felt like he might explode right there just from the sight. He was up in an instant, excusing himself as he walked out of the room before speeding up until he was almost running up the stairs. When he got to his room he closed and locked the door before dropping his pants and boxers to the floor, sitting on the edge of the bed and just looking at the massive erection that seemed to be staring back at him.

 

            It was finally beginning to dawn on him. The last time he’d been aroused by a real live female while awake it had been this same girl, the sweet little miko that belonged to his brother. He wanted to bash his head against the wall. How could it be possible that he could only respond to her? It didn’t seem reasonable. It didn’t make any sense. From what he’d heard from other guys, hard-ons popped up all the time uninvited and often uninspired, but it wasn’t like that for him. The only time he could get physically aroused was in his dreams and apparently while in this one female’s presence. Sesshoumaru decided then that this needed further investigation.

    

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            He’d taken the time to really think about it and devised a plan. It was actually a fairly scientific process that he would use to fully understand the oddity that was his libido. He needed to know what could and couldn’t give him an erection before he could draw his conclusions about the situation.

 

            The first day’s test was simple. He lay back on his bed and pictured beautiful naked women doing all sorts of wonderful things to him but he got no response. After fifteen minutes of fruitless fantasizing he moved on to part two of the test. He closed his eyes once again and pictured her. He brought up his memories of her at the hanyou’s party and then the beautiful image she’d made with her ass up in the air and wiggling so seductively while under the Christmas tree. ‘If only I believed in Santa Clause, I’d ask him to leave her under my tree.’ She certainly looked delightful and he wouldn’t have minded unwrapping her either.

 

It had only been two minutes but he knew that it was already working. He reached down, slipping his hand under the waistband of his boxers and wrapping it around his fully aroused cock. Now that he’d done it he had to take care of it. Once he’d finished relieving himself of the pressure and heat that had filled his body at the very thought of her he jotted down a few notes. Testing would continue tomorrow.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Day two’s testing was easy as well. He merely sat himself in front of his computer and browsed through adult photos online. He decided that to get the most thorough results possible he needed to take into account every variable, so he forced himself to not only look at pictures of naked women, but also naked men, men engaging in intimate activities with females, men with other men, and women with women. He even browsed through some fetish galleries but nothing caused even the slightest stir. Nothing he tried did anything more than make him want to throw up at some of the more graphic images. After he decided that he’d definitely seen enough to not only give him accurate results but possibly nightmares as well Sesshoumaru moved on to part two.

 

He closed all but one of the browsers that had popped open during his porn perusal.  That one he redirected to a different site. He frowned as he thought about the fact that he was visiting his brother’s site, but it was the only way he could think of to get the materials he needed to continue his testing. He ignored most of the inane things Inuyasha had littered about his page, instead heading to where he knew what he wanted waited for him. He opened the online album that contained the photos the group of four had taken this past Halloween. She looked beautiful in her traditional miko robes while carrying an antique looking bow and quiver of arrows, the monk wearing his traditional robes as well and carrying a staff. Bankotsu, whose name he’d picked up somewhere or other, was dressed in white silk haori and hakama, gray armor on his wrists and ankles and white with what looked like large purple feathers on his chest, lower body, and on one shoulder. He wore a long flowing red sash and carried an enormous sword. Inuyasha had worn the red fire rat haori and hakama that their father had given him and had a sword strapped to his hip, a family heirloom. Why their father had trusted the hanyou with the ancient and priceless sword he never could figure out.

 

He skipped quickly over the photos that she must have taken of the three males and found the one’s he knew were there. She’d posed for them, first standing under a large tree and smiling, then holding up her bow, and then holding the bow with an arrow notched and ready to shoot. The camera had even managed to pick of the glow of the arrow as her powers were channeled into it. Even without being able to see skin anywhere but her face and hands, just seeing her bright smile, her hair pulled back in the traditional style of a priestess, and her eyes glowing with happiness was enough. Once again he found himself fully aroused by Kagome but not any possible equivalent. A photo of anyone else would do nothing for him but a photo of her covered neck to toe could get his heart pumping, his blood burning through his heated flesh, and give him the biggest erection he’d ever had to date. Once again he took care of his now present arousal before taking down a few more notes. He couldn’t wait until tomorrow. Not only was he finding answers to his question but he was enjoying allowing himself to admire her openly rather than attempting to deny his attraction even to himself.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Day three took it one step further. He selected several clips in a variety of genres to watch first. He made sure to keep the volume low. He didn’t even want to imagine what Inuyasha would say if he caught him watching porn. Sesshoumaru forced himself to sit through the selected videos, seeing some rather interesting positions that he’d never heard of or imagined possible before, but other than that he gained nothing. He certainly didn’t gain an erection, which had been his goal.

 

            The video for part two of day three’s test was a bit harder to come by. He knew Inuyasha had videos on his computer from his birthday, the homecoming dance (that Kagome had attended with three male escorts rather than any of the many boys from school that he knew had asked her), the Halloween party, and several other small outings. The problem was getting them from the hanyou’s computer to his without him finding out. Finally he’d managed to sneak into the half-demon’s room while he was out with his friends, using a jump drive to make the transfer quick and easy. He’d copied several files just in case some didn’t have enough of her in them.

 

He should have known better though, as Kagome’s image dominated the videos, each of the males having turns with the camera but all favoring one subject. He watched her laugh as she danced alone in what appeared to be his kitchen, dressed in her beautiful light blue gown that made her unique eyes really stand out. She twirled and curtsied before noticing the camera and declaring that she was done unless they turned it off. She thought they did, but whoever was manning the video camera kept it on but set it down aimed at her. Once she was sure they weren’t filming her she returned to her little dance, providing her own music by singing softly. He’d turned the video off once one of the males entered the frame and joined her, Kagome apparently teaching them all how to dance properly. Sesshoumaru didn’t want to see her dancing with another male and certainly not three.

 

            Despite the end of the video and his displeasure of seeing her in the arms of the others, he had once again proven that while video of any other did nothing for him, even the most innocent clips of Kagome had him rock hard. It took him almost a week before he could proceed with day four’s testing because it was a bit more complicated.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            He’d finally found a girl that he knew would willingly assist him in his experiment, not that she would know it was an experiment of course. She had been flirting with him since the beginning of the school year and she’d been getting bolder and bolder in her advances until she was nearly throwing herself at him like Aiko had. It didn’t take much convincing to get her to sneak into a supply closet with him during their lunch break. She’d been more than happy to ‘service him’ as she’d put it. Of course she’d blamed herself easily when he failed to react to her touch or anything else she tried. No one would assume that the problem lay with him since he had a reputation of perfection. No, he’d once again convinced a girl that she wasn’t good enough, pretty enough, or talented enough to arouse him when he knew it was not her fault at all.

 

Again, a twinge of guilt pulled at him but he flicked it away. He had part two of day four’s experiment to conduct and he had to do it during lunch. During the previous week while he’d been trying to find a female to assist him with the first stage of day four he’d also taken note of where his half-brother and friends sat during lunch. Thankfully they had a regular table. He just hoped he hadn’t wasted too much time with the other girl. He was nearly praying that she was still there and when he finally got close enough he saw that she was. She was sitting there with a smile while she talked to the three males that surrounded her. Sesshoumaru blocked out the presence of not just them but of everyone else in the cafeteria, focusing only on her.

 

When she’d finished eating Kagome had collected all her garbage on her tray and stood before bending down to pick up her bag. That was all it took, the sight of her ass once again in tight jeans, and he was rock hard and throbbing. He slipped away from his hiding spot and made his way to the closest men’s room. It was decided. Only Kagome could arouse him. An hour or so later, though, his mind found a flaw with his conclusion. What if he was with another girl but thought about Kagome? Or what if he found a girl that looked like Kagome? Apparently he still had a few more tests to do.

           

  

 

Sesshoumaru found himself openly staring at Kagome across the table with a half smile on his face. Kagome didn’t notice, mostly because she was ever so quietly singing to herself. She’d never grown out of it. Still when she got really nervous or stressed she would find her self singing, almost in a whisper. It didn’t matter what she sang as the result was always the same. It was just whatever popped into her head at the time she needed it. The taiyoukai found him self in the odd position of trying to identify the song from the little bits that were loud enough for him to hear.

 

            “…curiosity, kitten, doesn’t have to mean you’re on your own…he doesn’t have to know…”

 

            He glanced back towards the kitchen window for a moment, noticing that the hanyou and his two friends were no longer visible.

 

            “…are you happy where you’re sleeping? Does he keep you safe and warm? ...I’ve been watching you for hours…”

 

            Sesshoumaru had heard the back door open and was debating whether he should leave before they came back into the kitchen or not when he heard the annoying monk say “Do you think your father would mind if we made a couple of… improvements?” Immediately he scowled. Just what were the idiots planning now? Whatever it was he would have to be the one to put a stop to it, again. Deciding it could wait, he focused his attention back on the sweet soft voice floating across the table towards him, a bit louder now.

 

            “…well I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow, casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows. One for sorrow, two for joy, three for girls and four for boys, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told…”

 

             He furrowed his brows as he heard the basement door open, followed by the distinct sound of three sets of feet heading down the stairs.

 

            “…open up your eyes, you can see the flames, flames, flames of a wasted life. You should be ashamed. No, you don’t wanna waste your life baby…no darling, you don’t wanna waste your life”

 

             Once again he turned his attention from their strange behavior to focus on Kagome. He couldn’t help but listen. She had an amazing voice that seemed to caress him, soothe him, and make everything else but her fade away.

 

            “…I am feathered by the moonlight falling down on me. I said I walk along these hillsides in the summer ‘neath the sunshine…Shame, shame, change… Shame, shame, change…Shame shame, change change…”

 

            As her mind registered her own words she realized that she’d done it again. Her eyes shot up and saw the small smile on his face. Assuming he was laughing at her she let out a little huff, stood up, and went to sit in the living room. Unsure as to what had just happened, Sesshoumaru decided he might as well find out just what they were up to downstairs.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            “What kind of improvements?” Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

 

            “Well, I figure she would like some privacy and a good bit of space. A coat of paint and get rid of some of this stuff that we never use anyway and this could make an awesome flat. Kinda like her own little studio apartment. There would be room for more than just a bed. We could fit a couch and TV, a table and chairs… we could even get her a mini fridge.”

 

            “Sounds like a lot of work to me.”

 

            “Kagome’s worth it!” Shippo said, shooting a glare at his lazy hanyou friend.

 

            Inuyasha grumbled but didn’t protest and it was decided that this would become Kagome’s new home. The three separated to begin poking around the odd conglomeration of things that were basically abandoned in the basement.

 

            “So, do you think your father would approve?” Miroku called across the open space, hoping no one came over to this corner of the large room. He’d just happened across a box of old Playboys and he intended to sneak them up into his room later tonight. He smirked mentally. Apparently Inuyasha’s father was a man after his own heart.

 

            “You know that all I have to do is say ‘Kagome needs’ and he’ll be ready to hand over a credit card and hire anyone and everyone needed. Hell, he’d probably buy the wench her own house if she’d let him.”

 

            All conversation stopped as they heard the basement door open above them. They weren’t ready for Kagome to know yet. If she knew about their plans and how much money they were likely to spend she’d make them promise not to. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you look at it, it was not Kagome who descended the staircase but Sesshoumaru.

 

            “What are you fools doing down here?” he asked, his tone demanding an immediate answer.

 

            “Lookin’ around. You got a problem with that?” Inuyasha snapped back at him.

 

            “This Sesshoumaru heard mention of father and ‘improvements’. What ridiculous thing have you decided you need now? All you are, Inuyasha, is a sinkhole that wishes to swallow up every dollar father has.”

 

            “Fuck off! You ain’t in charge around here and you ain’t in charge of me. All I gotta say to Pops is her name and he’ll be over here doing it himself!”

 

            Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow. “Whose name? Do what? This Sesshoumaru will not stand for your circumnavigation. Answer my questions now.”

 

            Miroku decided some small amount of tact was going to be necessary, making Inuyasha incapable of handling the situation. “Kagome’s roommates got arrested and all of them are being evicted. She has already been searching for alternate housing in an attempt to remove herself from the situation she was having with the three girls but nothing acceptable is available. We are hoping to turn this into something similar to a studio apartment so that she can move in here.”

 

            “You wish for the girl to live in the basement?” he sneered. Kagome deserved much better than a dank hole in the ground beneath their house.

 

            “With a little work she’ll love it. And I know just the guy to help us make it perfect,” Shippo chimed in.

 

            Miroku looked at him in question for a minute. “Are you thinking who I’m thinking?”

 

            “He’s talkin’ about the flamer!” Inuyasha said loudly, once again proving his inability to be tactful. “And you don’t have a say. You know as well as I do that Pops would do anything to make her happy. We just have to do it without her knowing or she’ll try to stop us.”

 

            “Why would she protest? Would she not desire to live here? She certainly wastes enough of her time with you fools.”

 

            Miroku raised a hand to stop Inuyasha’s coming rant. “Kagome does not want Inuyasha or any of us to spend our money on her. She never has. Coming from a less than wealthy family, she has always wanted to ensure that we know she is not friends with us for our bank accounts, though we already do.”

 

            “Hn,” was all Sesshoumaru said before turning and heading back up the stairs, hoping to catch her alone once more. Maybe this time he would actually be able to speak to her.

 

            “Don’t say a fucking word to her!” Inuyasha called after him.

 

            “Inuyasha, you should call your father and I will call Bankotsu and tell him our idea. He can bring Jakotsu back with him to see the area.”

 

            “What are we gonna do with Kags? She’s gonna notice if we’re painting and bringing furniture through and stuff.”

 

            “Shippo’s got a point,” Miroku said with a sigh, thinking once more. “I know. We’ll take turns distracting her. Each day one of us will take her somewhere for a few hours. That way anything that needs to be carried through the house and any people she can’t know are here can come in during that time. And there is always the time that she’s in classes too. ”

 

            “Works for me,” Inuyasha said before hopping over the boxes in his way and starting up the stairs. “And I know you’re gonna try to sneak those Playboys to your room. Don’t even think about it. We’ll split them.”

 

Miroku gave a sigh and looked forlornly at the magazines he almost had. “So close,” he whispered to himself before following Inuyasha up the stairs. “Shippo? Can you do something with Kagome now while we make our calls?”

 

“Sure thing!” Shippo said happily. He didn’t often get Kagome to himself, being the last of the four to become her friend and thus the one she’d known for the least amount of time. It would be fun to spend some time with just her.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            Sesshoumaru looked into the living room and had to hold in a laugh. Kagome was on the couch watching TV, but not in any usual way. No, Kagome had her legs over the back of the couch and her head hanging upside down, her hair pooled in two puddles of midnight on the floor on either side of her face. She held the remote out towards the TV, her elbow bending a little more than normal as she changed the channel. She hadn’t noticed him yet, or at least she wasn’t acknowledging his presence.

 

            “Does being upside down make it any more interesting?” he asked, watching her whole body twitch in surprise at his voice.

 

            “Makes it less boring,” she answered in a disinterested tone before changing the channel again. Glancing over and seeing him still standing there she asked, “Is there something you want?”

 

            Taking this as a sign he nodded. “Yes actually. This Sesshoumaru wishes to apologize for my comment this morning. I spoke without thinking and did not mean it.”

 

            “Is that so?”

 

            “Yes, it is.”

 

            “Alright then. Is there anything else?”

 

            Apparently she was still hurt… or angry. Either way her tone made it clear she didn’t wish to speak with him. His ego wanted to force her to at least acknowledge that he apologized and his beast begged for her to accept it but neither was going to happen. This was his chance, he knew. Kagome moving in would give him the opportunity to show her he was more than the cold, heartless bastard he knew she saw him as. That thought caused the pain in his chest to double and he almost grunted at the severity. He had to figure out why this was happening, why he was in such incredible pain and why she was the only one who could ease the torture. He needed to know why hers was the only female form his body would respond to. It seemed Inuyasha was not the only one needing to speak to their father. Giving up for now, Sesshoumaru returned to his room

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            Miroku had slipped quietly past Kagome alone and in her favorite position on the couch, heading up the stairs to call Bankotsu while hoping he hadn’t left Jakotsu’s apartment yet. The phone rang several times and just when Miroku was ready to give up he heard a click.

 

            “Heeelloooo!” a high pitched sing-songy voice said incredibly loudly.

 

            Miroku looked at the phone in his hand like it had just slapped him for a moment before returning it to his ear, a little further away this time just in case. “I see I am not too late. I was hoping Bank hadn’t left you yet.”

 

            “Nope, Bank’s in the bathroom,” the feminine voice whispered like it was a secret and the walls had ears. “And how are you Roki?”

 

            “Jak, how many times do I have to beg you not to call me that?” he said, exasperated already and he’d only said three sentences.

 

            “I’m not quite sure, but I know it’s at least a couple more. He told me about poor Kagome. Have you guys come up with any ideas yet? If not she’s welcome to stay with me for a while. It’s been too long since we’ve had a girl’s night.”

 

            “Jakotsu, to have a girl’s night with Kagome would require you to be a girl as well.”

 

            The voice on the other end huffed before replying. “You, Roki, are just mean. Oh! Bank’s coming. Hang on.”

 

            Miroku silently thanked the Kamis while listening to Jak tell Bankotsu who was on the phone. After the usual complaint that Jak didn’t need to be answering his cell phone, he came on the line. “So? Did you guys think of something yet?”

 

            “Yes, in fact, we did, or I did really. We’ll need Jakotsu’s help though.”

 

            “Oh for the love of Kami why?” he asked while laughing.

 

            “Well, here’s our plan…” Miroku relayed their ideas and Jak’s part in it and Bankotsu agreed that it was an excellent idea. After promises to be home soon with Jak in tow, the two hung up. “This is going to be a very interesting week,” he said to himself before falling back onto his bed and closing his eyes.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            Inuyasha’s call to his father had been even simpler. He had been right when he said all that needed to be said was “Kagome needs…” Immediately his father was one hundred percent focused on his younger son. After a short discussion of their plan and what they would most likely need his father gave him the go ahead and offered to help in any way he could.

 

            “Maybe you could keep her distracted one of the days this week. You know how she is. If she knows what we’re planning she’ll try to stop it.”

 

            “I’d be happy to my boy! It’s been too long since your mother and I have seen her. Perhaps we could invite her for dinner.”

 

            “I’m sure she’d love it. She always loves visiting you guys.”

 

            “Yes, even more than you or your brother do. Explain to me why that is again?”

 

            Inuyasha heaved a sigh before rattling off an excuse and hanging up. They always wanted him to come home and visit but he was enjoying his independence too much. His mom was always trying to straighten his shirt and fix his hair like he was a baby and his father… his father wanted to know why he hadn’t met a nice girl and mated yet. ‘Come on! I’m still a freshman! Like I want to settle down with one girl. Ha! The only girl I can stand for more than a week is Kags and I can’t mate her. I love her too much.’ The hanyou had no idea just how odd that sounded and didn’t care either. He had to prepare for Jakotsu’s arrival. With a grimace he started digging through drawers and searching the floor of his closet. He had to find it. If he didn’t find his bandana Jakotsu would spend the whole time molesting his ears. Inuyasha shuddered at the thought. No one could touch the ears but Kagome.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            Shippo had walked into the living room and evaluated the situation. Decision made, he sat on the back of the couch and flopped backwards until he was positioned just like Kagome, staring at an upside down picture of The Fresh Prince before the channel flicked to something else. “Anything good on at all?”

 

            “Yeah actually. They’re showing a marathon of Ninja Warrior but it’s a commercial. I hate commercials. You guys so need to get a Tivo.”

 

            “I know. I keep telling them that, but then Inuyasha says that Miroku would only fill it up with porn and suddenly no one wants one quite so badly anymore.”

 

            “I can see that.”

 

            “Me too. So, what do you wanna do today?”

 

            “I dunno. Bank should be back soon. I probably should go to my house and see if the party’s over yet. Or at least to put on some of my own clothes.”

 

            “Nah, you look cute in that.”

 

            “Oh, oh! It’s back. This guy, he’s one of my favorites. Gold medal trampolinist and cute as hell too! There’s no way he’s not gonna make it to the second course. Just wait for it… he’s king of the jump hang! See? Did you see?”

 

            Shippo laughed at how excited she was by something so small. “Yes, Kags, I saw. You’ve seen this one before, haven’t you?”?

 

            She turned her head to look at him and smiled. “I’ve seen them all!”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

            Sesshoumaru was holed up in his room, glaring at the ceiling and wanting to know why the Kamis insisted on torturing him. After a while, when he was sure Inuyasha would have already hung up with their father, he picked up his cell phone from his bedside table and flipped it open. He pushed a few buttons before hearing it ring.

 

            “A phone call from both of my sons in one day, no, within ten minutes! I must be dreaming.”

 

            “If only this were merely a dream…” Sesshoumaru said darkly.

 

            “Now, now Sesshoumaru, is Inuyasha bugging you again?” he asked in a sarcastic tone. He already knew the answer. Of course Inuyasha was bugging Sesshoumaru. It was his hobby and the boy certainly took it seriously.

 

            “Yes, of course, but that is not the purpose of this call.”

 

            His father snorted at his eldest son’s serious tone. “Then I’ll just shut up and let you tell me what the purpose of this call is.” There was a soft mumble of something that sounded like ‘ungrateful sons… wish I had daughters’ but Sesshoumaru ignored it, determined to get his questions answered.

 

            He sucked in a breath and decided to just say it. Hopefully it would mean something to the older inu. “There is something happening… to me. I… I am in pain, serious pain. I cannot sleep and when I do the dreams wake me.”

 

            On the other end of the line, Katsuro looked at the phone in shock. There was no way it was happening! Not to Sesshoumaru! Not so soon! It had to be something else. It wasn’t possible that his son was suffering from what he was thinking of. Not a chance. No way in the seven layers of hell. But then maybe… “Tell me, son, where exactly is the pain? Describe it to me.”

 

            “My chest. It is the worst in my chest; like someone has their hand wrapped around my heart and is trying to crush it.”

 

            Katsuro took in a breath. “Are there times when the pain eases?”

 

            “Very few. Only one… only one can ease the pain, but with one look they can make it excruciating. What is happening father?”

 

            “The dreams son, is that person in the dreams?”

 

            “Yes,” Sesshoumaru hissed as his chest started throbbing as soon as he saw her in his mind.

 

            “Unbelievable…” his father muttered.

 

            “Trust me, it is very believable from my point of view,” he snarled. This was getting him nowhere.

 

            “But… it’s just that… I never imagined it would happen to you, let alone so soon.”

 

            “What is it?” Sesshoumaru said in the most threatening voice he could muster at the moment, which wasn’t anywhere near up to his usual standards.

 

            “It’s complicated. You’ll have to come home so I can explain it all to you. We’re going to be inviting Kagome to dinner one day this week. You could come together.”

 

            As he heard his father’s response he wanted to reach through the phone and strangle him, but the last sentence immediately called an image to his mind. The pain increased again and Sesshoumaru’s eyes rolled back in his head as he slumped to the bed, out cold. His last thought? Just how much he would enjoy it if he and Kagome could cum together.

 

            Katsuro called out to his son a few times before deciding that Sesshoumaru must have hung up on him. He shook his head before replacing the phone in its cradle. “Just like Inuyasha. How I wish I had a daughter, a sweet girl like Kagome.”

 

 

  @@  Two Months Ago  @@   

            She was so excited! Finally she was going to be out from under her mother’s watchful eye and she couldn’t thank Bankotsu enough. She hadn’t wanted to stay at home once she started college, but she’d had a hard time finding something she could afford in the right area. He’d come to her rescue when he told her about his mother’s friend. Apparently he had a house he was renting out to college students and while he had three tenants lined up he still needed one more. She’d fallen in love with the house the first time she saw it. What would be her room was large and cozy feeling; the kitchen was great, not a tiny hallway but a real kitchen she could cook in. Added to the fact that it was only a few blocks away from where the guys would be staying, the house was perfect. She’d immediately taken it; not even meeting her roommates before paying her deposit and first month’s rent.

 

            Today was moving day and her guys had all offered to help. She found herself laughing as Shippo was straining to carry as many boxes as Inuyasha, determined to prove that he was just as strong if not stronger than the much larger half-demon. “Shippo, you’re going to hurt yourself,” she said while taking a box off the top so he could at least see.

 

            “Leave him alone, Kags. The more he carries the sooner we’ll be done and you can get us a snack.”

 

            “Inuyasha,” she growled. “I am neither your servant, your chef, nor your waitress. If you’re so hungry why don’t you just order something? I know you know how to use a phone.”

 

            “K’eh. Maybe I will wench, and maybe I won’t get you any.” He smirked at her and she knew he was playing. He’d never order food without including something for her, not with the way she ate. He’d tried it once and with just a flash of her best puppy eyes he found himself without food, having handed it over to her.  

            After a few more trips Bankotsu came back inside, sweeping Kagome off her feet and into his arms. “All done, Kaggie. You want us to help you unpack too?”

 

            The miko smiled at the offer. “You don’t have to, but you’re welcome to stay and hang out for a while. I think Inuyasha’s gonna order takeout.”

 

            The four guys and one girl made their way upstairs to her room. Miroku immediately took up the task of connecting her television, DVD player, and stereo, while Shippo climbed under the desk to hook up her computer and printer.

 

Inuyasha flopped himself in the middle of her bed before pulling out his cell phone. “Alright, wench. What kind of takeout do ya want?”

 

“I don’t care. You’re the one complaining about needing a snack. Pick something.”

 

“Oh,” Shippo yelled out from under the desk. “How about Mexican? We haven’t had Mexican in a while.”

 

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, recognizing the glint in her eyes. “Everyone want the regular then?” After a chorus of positive responses the hanyou was making the call, the number for just about every takeout place in town stored in his cell phone. Bankotsu was standing next to Kagome, handing her books out of the boxes near his feet while she arranged them on her shelves. Each absorbed in their tasks, no one noticed the three girls watching from outside the open door.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

He couldn’t help but thank the kamis that they were gone. Not that he cared or anything, but they were helping Kagome move into her new place. Sesshoumaru almost groaned aloud as he heard her name inside his head. It was so much worse now. Every day they all came home covered in her sweet scent. All the time they were talking about her. ‘Kagome this… Kagome that… Kagome, Kagome, Kagome!’ He couldn’t get her out of his mind no matter how hard he tried.

 

‘Why must this Sesshoumaru be tormented as such? Why did father insist that the fools live here with me? And why must reminders of her be everywhere?’ He looked around, seeing a few framed pictures sitting on the shelves in front of the DVDs and video games. ‘She had to have picked the frames,’ he thought to himself. There was no way his half-brother or any of the other useless idiots would have bought actual frames.

 

He’d seen into the horrifying cavern Inuyasha called his room back at their father’s house and there was just one framed photo, the rest tacked up on the walls, taped to the mirror, or just laying loose amongst the unidentifiable piles of filth that covered every surface. ‘Yes,’ he decided. ‘The frames must be her doing.’

 

He dropped his head to rest on the back of the couch. He could still smell her here. The teasing, tempting fragrance that tortured him. All he wanted to do was crawl in a hole and die at the moment. ‘Why? Why is it that every time I am angry or the hanyou pisses me off she is there to witness it? Never once has this Sesshoumaru made a positive impression on the little miko.’ It was true too. He somehow always failed to notice her presence or she showed up at just the wrong time. And once again she was given another reason to dislike him. She wasn’t rude really. She didn’t make a point to let him know she didn’t like him. It was more like she completely ignored his very existence.

 

He didn’t understand how she wasn’t like every other girl he’d ever come across. Her differences made her stand out, but they also made his life hell. She wasn’t drawn to him. She didn’t openly admire his body. She didn’t flirt shamelessly. She wasn’t completely and utterly in love with him. The only girl he wanted just happened to be the only one immune to his charms, the only one he couldn’t have.

 

His heart twisted in his chest at the thought. The pain, it had been growing increasingly worse since the hanyou and his cronies moved in. He didn’t understand why he was in pain or what it meant. All he knew was that it grew worse with every thought of her. Every time he heard her name, every time he caught her scent, every time he could hear her angelic voice floating on the air the pain grew. Her laughter was the worst because never once had she laughed for him. She’d laughed at him a few times over the years, never in front of him since she was much too polite for that, but she seemed to forget sometimes just how good his hearing was. It killed him that he had never been the one to draw that sweet sound from her. The hanyou could do it, as could the perverted monk and the odd human. Even the kitsune could make her laugh, but he knew he never would.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

 “There ya go babe,” Miroku said before handing her the remote. “All set up for ya.” Kagome turned away from the bookshelves and wrapped her arms around Miroku, ignoring his hands on her ass just this once since he had just done her a huge favor. She hated trying to figure out what wires went where.

 

Inuyasha growled as he hung up the phone. “Ten minutes, and just cuz she ain’t hittin’ ya monk doesn’t mean I won’t!” Kagome laughed as Miroku slid his hands off her ass onto her back.

 

Their audience frowned as they tried to figure out which one of the four absolutely gorgeous guys their new roommate was dating. At first they’d thought it was the one with the long black braid and the mark on his forehead, judging by the way he’d picked her up and carried her to her room. Then they thought it was the guy with the violet eyes, golden earrings, and a small ponytail at his neck when he grabbed her ass so openly. But then the hanyou with the adorable puppy ears seemed upset by it. The only one that hadn’t touched her or talked to her like they were in a relationship was the kitsune still nearly invisible under the desk.

 

Kagome finally pulled away from Miroku to return to unloading her books. “Hey, Miroku? Could you grab that box, the one that says DVDs? I want them on that shelf over there,” she said while pointing to the shelves closer to the television.

 

“Sure thing, love,” the monk said with a smirk. They all continued their tasks for a few minutes, everyone trying to ignore the lazy hanyou who looked awfully comfortable stretched out on Kagome’s bed. 

 

Finally he couldn’t take it anymore. “Inuyasha? Are you just going to lay there?” Bankotsu asked him in a frustrated tone.

 

“Hey! I ordered the food. I’m gonna go down and get it when they get here. I think that’s enough.”

 

Kagome turned and looked at the hanyou on her bed. He didn’t like the look in her eyes and his worry was justified when she leapt at him, pinning him to the bed. “You can be such a jerk sometimes, you know that Inuyasha?” Kagome regretted her decision when she found herself rolled under the inu hanyou. In seconds she was squealing as he tickled her sides mercilessly.

 

The girls in the doorway frowned even more, thoroughly confused and more than a little jealous. How did this girl manage to ensnare these four attractive males? They found themselves wondering if the hotties could be swayed and each decided they would have to find out. Really, she wasn’t anywhere near pretty enough to deserve any of them, let alone all of them!

 

Shippo finally crawled out from under the desk, taking a seat in her chair while waiting for the computer to boot up so he could be sure everything was working properly. “Inuyasha, stop tickling her before I go deaf,” he said over his shoulder.

 

“Yeah…listen to… Shippo! Stop... tickling me!” she gasped out between uncontrollable laughter. Inuyasha stopped, but not because she or Shippo had said to. No, he heard a car pull up out front and knew the food had arrived. He rolled off her and made to walk towards the door but stopped when he saw the three girls watching them from just outside Kagome’s bedroom.

 

“Who are you?” Inuyasha asked. “And what the fuck are you doing spying on us?” He frowned as he smelled the foul stench of jealousy and hatred rolling off the three girls. They hadn’t even met her yet and they were doing it. This needed to be taken care of. It wasn’t Kagome’s fault and she shouldn’t suffer because they all loved her and other girls couldn’t deal with it.

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome growled in warning. “Don’t be so rude!”

 

Inuyasha pulled out his wallet and handed it to Kagome. “Go get the food, wench.” Kagome looked like she was going to protest but as she glanced from face to face she saw that they all agreed with Inuyasha. Letting out a sigh of frustration she left the room and started down the stairs. After he was shot a glare by Inuyasha, Shippo hopped across the bed and followed Kagome, just in case she needed help. They ordered a lot of food like always and she might not be able to carry it all.

 

Upstairs the three girls had slinked their way into Kagome’s room as soon as she was out of sight. “Hi,” the girl with dark hair and red eyes, obviously some kind of demon, said in her most seductive voice. “I am Kagura, this is Tsubaki,” she said while pointing to the girl on her right with long white hair. “And this is Kikyo.” Kagura pointed to the girl on her left. “Are we going to be so lucky as to have you guys visiting often?”

 

Bankotsu rolled his eyes and Inuyasha snorted. “You’re not gonna get any kinda lucky from us,” the half-demon muttered under his breath.

 

“I’m sure that you will be seeing us again. We do spend quite a bit of time with Kagome,” Miroku said politely, all the while trying to ignore the demoness leaning her entire form against his.

 

“It certainly seems so,” Tsubaki nearly purred as she draped herself over Bankotsu, making sure to press her breasts firmly into his muscled chest. “I’m sure she’s a lovely little girl, but wouldn’t you prefer to spend your time with a woman?”

 

Bankotsu looked down at the slut pressing herself against him. “Kagome is not a little girl,” he said darkly, not that Tsubaki noticed anything other than his incredible body.  

 

Kikyo was focusing all her attention on Inuyasha. Sure, he was a hanyou but he was cute enough to let her overlook the flaw. Inuyasha was doing his best to ignore her. She sort of resembled Kagome but in a much naughtier way, and while it intrigued him it also disturbed him. “How is it that she’s managed to capture the attention of someone as delicious looking as you?” Kikyo murmured while tracing invisible patterns on his chest with a long and obviously fake fingernail.

 

Inuyasha pulled himself from his not so pure thoughts to move Kikyo away from him, her hand having traveled unnoticed much lower than his chest as he tried to figure out what it was about her that caught his interest. It couldn’t be the resemblance to Kagome… could it? Either way he needed to get her away from him. The scent of her jealousy was growing stronger with every second and he felt like he might just choke on it.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

Sesshoumaru rose with a sigh. He couldn’t just sit there all day, staring at pictures of her. He had other, more important, things to do with his time. ‘Alright, not more important. More productive maybe, but lately all this Sesshoumaru wishes to do is gaze upon her beauty,’ he admitted silently. He found himself almost praying that she would visit, just so he could smell her pure scent instead of the lingering traces that covered the bodies of the four males he hated more than any other living creature.

 

For them to carry her scent so strongly meant that they’d been touching her, that she was in close contact with their bodies, something that made the pain even worse. None of them deserved to lay a finger on her and yet she was constantly being carried by the half-breed and the human. The monk dared to touch her in inappropriate ways and yet he was still allowed in her presence. It was a sound he’d come to enjoy though, the crack of skin against skin as she slapped the pervert. If he couldn’t behead Miroku for touching her then at least she hit him. And the fox, he’d been snuggling up to the little miko, far too comfortably in his opinion.

 

‘No one should touch her. No one deserves such a pleasure.’ He tried to shove her image from his mind but failed miserably, something he’d been doing a lot lately. Letting out a sigh he dropped back to the couch again. There was no point in trying to do anything. He couldn’t focus. He was finding it increasingly difficult to complete his studies. He was sleeping less and less and every time he managed to drift off he was woken by the more incredibly erotic and unimaginably frustrating dreams of her.

 

He wanted to scream. He really, really did. If it wasn’t for his impressive self control he would have already. How was it possible for a human girl he’d barely ever even spoken to, that didn’t even acknowledge his existence, to so completely take over his life and his mind? She owned his waking hours, creeping into his thoughts no matter where he was or what he was doing. She filled his dreams with breathy moans and whispers of his name. Hell, he even proclaimed his love to her in his dreams.

 

He still couldn’t believe how blind he’d been for so long. It had been her, always her in his dreams. The eyes alone should have made it obvious but he’d been buried so deep in denial of his feelings that he missed what was right in front of him. He knew that he definitely felt something powerful for her, but he still couldn’t bring himself to call it love during his waking hours. His dream self though had no qualms about declaring his undying love and devotion to the goddess he could only touch in his sleep.

 

What he couldn’t figure out was why. Why was she the focus of his dreams? Why was she at the root of what had grown into an obsession? What was it about her that made it like this? What was so special about her? He growled aloud as he answered his own questions. ‘She is perfect; beautiful, intelligent, caring and compassionate.’ He had never laid eyes on a more gorgeous female. None had ever heated his blood like she could. None came anywhere close to being interesting in his mind. No matter how much he wished it was someone, anyone else he could not shift the focus of his attentions.

 

Why did it have to be her? Why did it have to be the girl his half-brother loved and was devoted to? Why did it have to be her, who had only ever seen him at his worst and never once seen him at his best? And why did he always manage to make an ass of himself in her presence? It had become his greatest and most hated talent, always saying or doing the wrong thing in front of her. Perhaps it was better for her to ignore his existence. At least that was better than having her hate him. Anything was better than that.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

None of them had gotten the chance to say what needed to be said, each being basically attacked by their friend’s horny roomies. They had wanted to ensure that the three girls would treat Kagome with respect. She always ended up with every girl she met hating her just as much as they envied her.

 

When everyone heard Kagome’s footsteps approaching, all three girls clung to the male of their choice. If they couldn’t get the guys to pay attention to them then they could at least get them in trouble. Maybe if Kagome dumped them they’d show a little more interest in what they each had to ‘offer’.

 

When she entered her room, Kagome glanced around for a second. She smiled at the sight, knowing that the girls were trying to upset her. It wasn’t the first time girls tried to trick her into getting angry at her friends. They just never got it. If the guys wanted a girl they could have one. She wasn’t their girlfriend or their mother. They could date anyone they wanted. She set the box of food on her bedside table, thankful she hadn’t covered it with things yet. Apparently the Mexican takeout place realized that it was easier to put everything in one box than five bags, something she was thankful for. Shippo set the five two liter bottles of soda that had come with the order down beside the table. Kagome plopped herself on the bed, Shippo dropping down beside her, and they both watched and waited for the show they knew was coming.

 

Kagura had spent the last few minutes asking Miroku if he could help her hook up her electronics too, all the while trying to touch every inch of him. “I’d be very, very grateful,” she said in a seductive tone. Miroku looked her up and down before extracting himself from her hold.

 

“Sorry, but I don’t have time for that, no matter how grateful you’d be.” He wanted to laugh as her face clearly showed her shock.

 

Bankotsu had been putting up with the clingy Tsubaki, even after her little girl comment, but when she tried to get him to ‘drop’ Kagome and join her in her room he almost laughed. “Sorry. You’re just not my type,” he said before forcibly removing her hands from his body.

 

“But… but… but why would you want to waste your time on her when you could be having fun with me?” She was certain he’d just misunderstood her somehow. She had to make it clear that she wanted to fuck his brains out, and would begin doing so the second he entered her room. Hell, if he wanted they could get started right here!

 

“Because I have no interest in venereal diseases and any girl who would offer herself to someone she just met, I’m fairly sure would be absolutely riddled with them.” She gasped in shock and backed away, bumping into Kagura who was staring at Miroku like he’d lost his mind.

 

Kikyo wasn’t having better luck. Actually, it was worse. Inuyasha was still ignoring her. He’d moved her away from him but he’d refused to look at her even then.  Finally she decided that she just needed to be a bit more forward, reaching out to rub a furry white ear. His hand caught her wrist and he glared down at her. “Don’t touch me,” he hissed before letting go and moving from where he stood to poke through the food as if the girls weren’t there at all.

 

All three girls glanced at each other in shock. No one had ever turned them down before but all three of the males seemed to see only their little friend. They turned, looking at Shippo who laughed. “Don’t even think about it. Do you girls have any idea how you smell? You could at least take a shower before trying to pick up another guy.”

 

Kagome clapped her hand over her mouth, turning and burying her face in Shippo’s chest. She didn’t want to make enemies of her roomies but it was already clear that they weren’t going to be friends. Kagome had experienced more than her fair share of jealous girls and knew that they were going to be just like all the others.

 

“Ladies, you must understand that Kagome is all that matters to us. We can feel it, you know. We can feel the malice you’re already harboring for her and she hasn’t even met you yet,” Miroku said with a bit more tact than the kitsune who was still laughing, one hand having come up instinctively to bury itself in Kagome’s hair.

 

Inuyasha grunted from where he stood, not even bothering to turn and look at them. “And the stink of your jealousy is overwhelming. You’re killing my appetite.

 

Bankotsu nodded. “You each can give up any disgusting fantasies you’re busy thinking up because it isn’t going to happen. None of us would ever be interested in any girl who treated Kagome with anything but respect.”

 

“I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with you!” Kagura screeched. “How in the hell does one little bitch sink her nails so deep into all four of you? Is she that good? Does she give that great a blow job? Cuz I can guarantee you that anything she can do I can do ten times better!”

 

Inuyasha snarled, startling all three girls. “First, you,” he said while staring into Kagura’s red eyes. “Don’t you ever fucking call my Kagome a bitch!”

 

“Our Kagome,” Shippo said, mostly out of habit, into Kagome’s hair where he’d buried his nose to avoid the combination of their jealousy, hatred, arousal, and the lingering scent of sweat and sex. Kagome smelled so much better than her room did at the moment.

 

“And don’t ever insult her! Any of us would choose her over any of you in an instant, and she’s our friend, not our personal sex toy. Do you not understand the meaning of the word friend? Or has no one ever wanted more from you that a quick fuck?! Second, you,” he pointed at Tsubaki, “have the scent of at least four different guys all over you. But just because you fuck a lot doesn’t make you better than her or more attractive to us. It makes you a whore.” He turned to Kikyo last. “And if you ever try to touch my ears again you’ll be pulling back a bloody stump. Now, you three are going to be polite and respectful to Kagome. Leave her alone and she’ll leave you alone, because I won’t hesitate to teach you to be civil.”

 

Bankotsu and Miroku nodded their agreement, still watching in amusement as the girls slowly backed their way out of the room. “I’m sorry Kagome,” Bankotsu said when they were gone. She rolled back from her hiding place on Shippo to look at him. “I should have expected something like this. I guess I thought that by now girls would have grown up enough to stop being so petty.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “Bitches like that never stop being petty, jealous, hateful cunts. Now, can we go and eat at our place? There’s no way I’m gonna be able to hold anything down with their stench floating around in here.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Kagome said with a smile. “I haven’t seen the place since you guys got all moved in anyways.”

 

“It’s not like we remodeled, wench. Just put some shit in our rooms and set up the living room. My fucking asshole of a ‘brother’ was such a little bitch about it too!”

 

Kagome looked at him with interest. “And what’s his problem this time?”

 

“The TV’s ‘too large’, there are too many ‘gaming systems’, our dvds ‘clutter the shelves’, and we don’t ‘understand the concept of a coaster’,” he answered, using a very entertaining mocking impression of Sesshoumaru’s usual monotone way of speaking. She laughed as he picked her up off the bed and tossed her over his shoulder. Bankotsu grabbed the box of food and Miroku found his hands sadly too full of bottles to take advantage of Kagome’s perfectly presented ass. Shippo grabbed the last three bottles and closed her door behind them.

 

When they got outside, Bank, Miroku, and Shippo climbed into his car with the food and drinks. Inuyasha simply lowered Kagome to her feet before kneeling down for her to climb on. He loved carrying her. It made him feel like he was taking care of her, something his instincts constantly demanded of him. Ever since that day years ago when she slapped him, she was the center of his beast’s universe… not that he minded or anything. Even with the ‘advantage’ of driving Inuyasha and Kagome reached their house first and the hanyou opened the door and carried her inside.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            When he heard the front door open, Sesshoumaru rose. He had a few things to discuss with the fools. He had once again found a sink full of dishes, an overflowing garbage, and most disgusting, dirty underwear on the bathroom floor. He didn’t bother to look at his brother. He knew it was the hanyou, just by the smell. Again he was almost dripping with her scent, something that only made him angrier.

 

            “This Sesshoumaru has something to say and you, hanyou filth, will shut up and listen. I am not your maid. If you dirty a dish, put it in the dishwasher! It is not a difficult concept. When the garbage is full you do not simply drop whatever does not fit on the floor beside it. You take it out! And this Sesshoumaru does not, in the least, enjoy discovering your soiled underclothes in the bathroom. Did your pathetic excuse for a mother fail to teach you to wipe properly or are you just too lazy to do that as well?” All this was said as he walked slowly through the house towards the front door where his brother had stopped when he began to speak.

 

            As he turned the corner he wanted to slap himself. There, perched comfortably on Inuyasha’s back, her arms around his neck and his hands holding firmly to her thighs, much higher up than necessary in his opinion, was Kagome.

 

Inuyasha growled angrily. “Listen, asshole! I’m getting awfully tired of your high and mighty, Mr. Perfect, my shit don’t fucking stink attitude. Just go to hell, would ya? It’d make everyone else so much happier.” He was going to continue, nowhere near the end of his rant, when Kagome released her hold on his neck, moving both hands to softly rub his ears. He almost purred at the sensation. She knew just how to calm him down.

 

“Inuyasha,” she said softly. “Just ignore him, he isn’t worth it. Show me the living room. I wanna see how you guys set it up.”

 

Without another word Inuyasha turned his back on his brother and walked away, leaving Sesshoumaru standing there near the entrance alone. He sighed softly and dragged a hand down his face. He’d done it again. Somehow he had once again made an ass of himself in front of her. He was almost hit by the front door as it was thrown open. He glared at the three who entered, Miroku kicking the door closed behind him, but he didn’t dare open his mouth. He’d done enough damage for the day. Instead, the taiyoukai slowly made his way up the stairs to take refuge in his room. He’d almost missed it, but right before he closed his door his demon hearing caught her voice.

 

“I don’t know why he has to be such an asshole, Inu. I don’t know how you can live with him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him be anything but mean, rude, and downright cruel.”

 

Closing his door silently, Sesshoumaru found himself with the urge to kick his own ass, something he was getting increasingly familiar with.

      

 

            It had taken him a couple of minutes but finally Shippo had thought of a good excuse to get her out of the house for a while. Thankfully she hadn’t been paying attention to him at all, still completely focused on one of her many obsessions, Ninja Warrior. “Hey, Kagome?”

 

            “Hmm?” she asked without removing her eyes from the screen. “Ouch! That was great! Did you see that, Shippo? He fell right on the edge of the balance bridge. I bet that hurts like a mother fucker!”

 

            Shippo rolled his eyes. “I’m sure it hurt. Kagome? Do you wanna get some fresh air? Maybe go for a walk?”

 

            She turned her head this time and met his eyes. “Why?”

 

            The kitsune tried to hide his nervousness. Kagome could read him like a book and now she wanted to know why he wanted to get her out of the house? He had to come up with a good reason or a great distraction or he was in deep shit. Stalling for time he shrugged his shoulders, though it just wasn’t the same upside down. “I just thought it would be fun, just the two of us. Maybe we could go to the park. We could play on the swings,” he said, his voice making it sound like he was offering her a billion dollars. He knew how she felt about the swings.

 

            It took her less than ten seconds to turn off the television and flip off the couch to her feet. “Alright! Let’s go!”

 

            Shippo laughed at her excitement. “It’s kinda cold outside. Come on. I wanna grab a sweatshirt for you.”

 

            “Yes, Mommy,” she teased. “You know I’m a big girl. I can dress myself now.”

 

            “That may be but I’m not gonna be the one who takes you out in the cold and gets you sick. They’d kick my ass!”

 

            She sighed. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” Kagome hopped up the steps two at a time, her pigtails bouncing like springs. She waited at the top of the flight of stairs for Shippo to catch up and he led her into his room. “Shippo! Your room is a mess!”

 

            “Huh?” he said intelligently as he pulled his head out of his closet, followed by his arm, his hand holding a red hooded sweatshirt. “Here, put it on.”

 

            “Bossy much?”

 

            “Are those pants gonna be warm enough? Maybe you should put your jeans on.”

 

            “You know, this is an awful lot of trouble just to get some fresh air.”

 

            “Did you forget about the swings?” he asked while lifting a brow, his tail twitching in amusement. She had already forgotten, but his reminder had her out of his room and in Bankotsu’s in seconds. When she came out she had yesterday’s jeans on and his hoodie on over her other shirt.

 

            “Okay. I’m ready. We should tell the guys we’re leaving though. Where are they anyway? I didn’t see them come inside.”

 

            “And that’s because you were too busy cheering on your ninjas. I bet they’re in their rooms.”

 

Kagome nodded and made her way to Miroku’s purple door first. “Hey, Miroku? You dead in there?” She laughed when she heard a hollered ‘Yes,’ from inside the room. The miko opened the door and looked at her friend spread out on the bed, all floppy and lifeless. He’d even gone so far as to stick his tongue out and to the side. “And the award for most realistic ‘pretending to be dead’ goes to… drumroll please,” she paused for dramatic effect before finishing. “…not you!” She giggled as she hopped on the bed beside him. She leaned over his face, getting extra close before reaching out and poking his tongue, making him break character and laugh. “See? I knew you weren’t dead!” she teased.

 

“Yes, well you are the expert. Is there something I can do for you my love?”

 

“Just wanted to tell you Shippo and I are going to the park. Didn’t want you to wonder where we disappeared to.”

 

Miroku gave Shippo a thumbs up behind Kagome’s back before nodding at her. “Alright. Are you going to tell Inuyasha too or do you wish for me to relay the message?”

 

Kagome looked like she was thinking about it for a moment before deciding. “I’ll go tell him too. That way he can’t whine about it.” She stood up and started to walk towards the door.

 

“Try not to break your neck, alright?”

 

Kagome twirled around and stuck her tongue out at him before disappearing through the doorway, closing his door behind her. She crossed the hall, Shippo at her side, before knocking on her hanyou’s bright red door. Inuyasha whipped the door open and looked ready to yell until he saw her.

 

“Kagome! Hey, do you know where my bandana is?”

 

She peered past him into his room, laughing as she saw the disarray that his desperate search had left in its wake. She pushed past him and walked to his bed. There, tied around the top right post of his four poster bed, was the ‘missing’ bandana he’d been looking everywhere for, well, obviously not everywhere.

 

“You tied it there the last time you wore it so you wouldn’t lose it. I guess that didn’t work out so great for ya, did it?”

 

“What would I do without you, wench?”

 

“I’d vote you’d look for things a hell of a lot longer before finding them,” she joked. “Anyway, Shippo and I are going to the park. We’ll be back in a while.”

 

Inuyasha turned to Shippo who was leaning in the doorway. “Try to keep her from pulling at least the stupidest of her little ‘tricks’, would ya runt? Last time she sprained her ankle and I had to carry her heavy ass home.” He let out a yip of surprise when Kagome’s hand connected with the back of his head.

 

“I’m not that heavy! If you really thought so you’d stop tossing me over your damn shoulder all the time!” Inuyasha merely smirked at her and she found herself backing away slowly. “Nuh Uh! No, not this time,” she said as she brushed past Shippo and broke into a run. Inuyasha had her in less than a second, using his demon speed as an advantage to catch the attempted escapee. She squealed as she found herself over his shoulder once again. Letting out a sigh she let her body relax. “At least Miroku’s not around to smack my ass. You know, he does that every time!”

 

“It’s not my fault you have a perfectly smackable little tushie,” Miroku said from behind her.

 

“Damn it!” she growled. “Don’t you dare.” She squealed again as Inuyasha tossed her in the air and caught her bridal style, thus protecting her ‘tushie’ from the pervert. “You know, I can walk, Mr. ‘I had to carry her heavy ass home’!”

 

“You ever think that maybe I just like carrying ya?”

 

“Once in a blue moon. No, you do it cuz you love to irritate me.”

 

“I think it’s a little bit of both,” Shippo chimed in. “Come on. We ought to get going.”

 

“Or what? The precious swings will all be spoken for?” Inuyasha said sarcastically.

 

“No,” Miroku said in a warning tone. “But we don’t want her to get there too late. You know she needs to get in a minimum of two hours on the swings before she’ll leave and we don’t want our little girl out too late now do we?”

 

Inuyasha got the hint and took a few more steps down the hall. He tightened his grip slightly and Kagome braced herself, knowing what was coming next. The hanyou hopped down the flight of stairs in one shot, landing as gently as if he’d only stepped off the bottom step. He let go of her legs, letting her body swing to an upright position. Once he was sure she wasn’t going to fall he leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Be careful, wench. No trapeze acts this time.”

 

Kagome let out an exaggerated sigh. “Yes Mother. Damn, you all sound like a bunch of chicks!” With that said Kagome stomped her way to the front door, throwing it open and stomping out.

 

“Good idea runt. This’ll keep her busy for a while. But if it starts getting late or too cold for her bring her back.”

 

“I’m not stupid you know, Inuyasha! I can take care of her too,” Shippo said angrily. They never trusted him with her like they did with each other. Sure, he’d known her for the shortest amount of time but that didn’t mean he loved her any less. The kitsune looked an awful lot like a certain miko as he stomped out the door as well.

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and Miroku closed the front door after giving them a quick wave. “Alright, so while we wait for Bank and Jak we should start sorting through some of that stuff so we can figure out what to do with it all.”

 

“Or we could just carry it all to the attic instead. Cuz what you said sounded an awful lot like cleaning.”

 

Miroku sighed and ran his hand over his face. “How about I sort through and throw out what we don’t want and you can carry the things we want to keep to the attic? Does that sound better?”

 

“You don’t have to talk to me like I’m a fucking kid!” Inuyasha said before turning and heading towards the basement door.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Bankotsu really really wanted to reach over and smack his brother upside the head. He loved Jak of course, but sometimes he was just too much to take for any length of time. He was convinced that Jakotsu made a point to be as flamboyant as possible in his presence. There was no way that he seriously acted like this all the time. It didn’t matter to him that his brother was gay. He’d suspected it years before he’d come out to their family and friends. No, it was the ridiculous behavior and that voice, that ‘let’s see just how unnaturally high I can make my voice sound in an attempt to make your ears bleed’ voice.

 

            “I swear to god, Jak! If you don’t stop singing like that I’m going to pull this car over and make you ride in the trunk!”

 

            “You wouldn’t,” Jakotsu gasped, dramatically clutching his chest like he’d been shot or stabbed or something equally painful. “I can’t believe how mean you can be little brother. How has Kagome survived all these years?”

 

            “Easily,” Bank said while rolling his eyes. “Kagome doesn’t think it’s funny to give me a headache.” Jak made a face at him. “Alright, so maybe she does sometimes but I think you’re just trying to drive me insane.”

 

            “I think you crossed that bridge a long time ago. And I wasn’t the one driving.”

 

            “Kagome doesn’t make me half as crazy as you do. But the two of you together, now that I have to admit is scary.”

 

            “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever thanked her for what she did for me.”

 

            “She knows, Jak. She always knows.”

 

            “The girl is an angel. A little off the wall, but still an angel.”

 

            Bankotsu was laughing so hard he almost had to pull over to make sure they didn’t end up in a ditch. “Did you just say that Kagome’s a little off the wall? Hello? Jak? Have you met yourself?”

 

            “No, I don’t believe I have. No one’s been so kind as to introduce me to that stud, though I’ve heard good things”

 

            Now Bankotsu did actually pull over. He ended up in a coughing fit, almost choking in an attempt to breathe. Finally he calmed enough to suck in gasps of air. “You didn’t… just call yourself… a stud?!”

 

            “Just shut up and drive,” Jak said while pouting, making sure to stick his bottom lip out just like Kagome’d taught him.

The rest of the ride home was silent, but not because either was upset. Jak didn’t want to make them have an accident because he couldn’t control his rapier wit and Bankotsu was just enjoying the quiet. As they drove past the park near their house Bank smiled and pointed, slowing down so his brother could see. There, in what had to be Shippo’s red hoodie, hung Kagome. She’d improved upon her swing tricks over the years and this one was her favorite. She was upside down, the chains wrapped around her legs twice to keep her secure, and her hands hanging over her head, fingertips and the tips of her pigtails brushing the ground. She hung limply, giving the appearance that someone had strung her up that way, and Shippo was giving her a gentle push every now and then to keep the swing moving.

 

“She’s going to fall on her head!” Jak screeched much louder than necessary. Shippo looked up, having recognized the voice he caught with his demon hearing, and waved at the two in the car.

 

“If she was going to fall on her head she’d have done it a long time ago. Hell, we should hang a swing from the ceiling in her new room. She’d absolutely shit if she had a swing in her bedroom.” He pulled away from the park after waving at the kitsune. Thankfully Kagome hadn’t noticed their presence. The longer she was gone the better so they could at least get the planning stage done as soon as possible.

 

He had no idea how he was going to keep her from wanting to go back to her house, even if it was just to grab some things. She couldn’t find out she was being evicted, not until they had her room ready. She was too sweet for her own good and no matter how many times they tried to tell her they liked spending money on her she refused to allow it.

 

She’d even tried to make Inuyasha return the gift he’d given her for Christmas one year because she thought it was too expensive. They’d actually ended up almost screaming at each other before the hanyou could make her promise to keep it. To make sure he knew that she appreciated the gift she wasn’t allowed to return, Kagome wore it constantly. It was a silver charm bracelet, though he’d ordered it long enough for her ankle. When he’d first give it to her it only had a couple of charms on it, but since then Inuyasha bought her another for every holiday and birthday he could manage to make her accept a gift on. Her left ankle jingled slightly as she walked, the sound always making Inuyasha smile.

 

The park had been only three blocks from their house so the last of the trip was quick, Jakotsu spending the time thinking about Bank’s swing idea. He was determined to find a way to do it. Kagome deserved the best and even though he wasn’t in her immediate circle of friends, Jak was determined to make sure she got it. When they pulled into the driveway, Bankotsu had to open the passenger door and poke at his older brother to draw his attention back to the real world.

 

“Come one. Let’s get inside and see what you think. I know you’re the man, though I use the term loosely, for the job.” Jak huffed before getting out of the car, the brothers making their way to the front door. When they stepped inside, the house was silent. Peering into the kitchen and the living room, Bankotsu found himself wondering where in the hell Miroku and Inuyasha were. They’d almost made it to the basement door when Inuyasha came up the last few steps, his arms loaded with boxes so much that it was unclear as to whether he could see anything at all.

 

It was quickly determined that no, he couldn’t see, when Jakotsu spoke. “There you are my adorable inu! Oh how I’ve missed you and your adorable ears! Come to Mama!” he said while opening his arms dramatically.

 

Inuyasha tensed; everything he was carrying flying out of his arms and crashing to the floor. “Fuck! Why do you always have to fuckin’ do that, Jak? You scared the shit out of me! You can just put down the arms, cuz I ain’t huggin’ ya. And the ears are off limits! Ya got that? No touching the ears!”

 

Jak pouted. “But you let Kags touch them!”

 

Inuyasha growled. “Kagome is allowed to touch them because she’s gentle, I trust her not to pinch or pull, and she didn’t say how much she wished she could cut them off and take them home with her the first time she saw them! Who was it that said that? I can’t quite… oh, I remember. It was you!”

 

“It’s not my fault your ears are so adorably edible. You just don’t know how to share, selfish puppy.”

 

Inuyasha turned and looked at Bankotsu who was merely watching and grinning. “Did he/she/it over there honestly just imply that I should share my ears?”

 

Bank started to laugh and Inuyasha punched him in the shoulder. “Alright, alright. Jak, leave Inuyasha’s ears alone. Inuyasha, where were you going with all this?”

 

“Attic,” he grumbled as he gathered everything that had spilled everywhere so he could continue his journey. “The perv’s downstairs. He’s sorting and I’m carryin’.” Without another word, the hanyou was gone, this time carrying half of what he’d had before. He didn’t want to have to pick it all up again if he ended up dropping it.

 

“Come on. Let’s go see the space Miss Decorator.”

 

“That’s Ms. Decorator to you!”

 

Miroku merely smiled as he heard the quarrelling two coming down the stairs.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Kagome had finally flipped right side up and was actually swinging like god, or whoever invented the swing at least, intended. Shippo sat on the one beside her, just listening.

 

            “…I didn’t get to sleep last night ‘til the morning came around… if I get home before daylight, just might get some sleep tonight… but I take my time, a friend of the devil is a friend of mine… Got two reasons why I cry away each lonely night… Set out running but I take my time, a friend of the devil is a friend of mine, if I get home before daylight, I just might get some sleep, tonight…”

 

He knew what the singing meant. She was nervous or upset about something. He let her sing for a while, knowing it made her feel better, before speaking up. “Kagome? Are you alright?”

 

            She let out a sigh before turning to look at him. “I’m fine. It’s just… I need to go back to my house, at least to get some stuff. I don’t think Bank would mind if I stayed over again tonight, especially since I refuse to sleep on that bed or touch any part of the bedding either. But I need my own clothes and I’ve got a couple chapters I need to read for class Monday too. I just really really don’t wanna go back there, like ever if I could manage it.”

 

            Shippo held back his smirk, knowing that she never had to go back there, that she would be with them instead, right where she belonged. “I understand that. The whole place would make my skin crawl just knowing what happened in there. Not enough bleach in the world. Don’t worry about it right now. You just swing and relax. I’m gonna go make a call.”

 

            “And who’re you gonna call?” she asked curiously.

 

            “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

 

            “You suck,” Kagome said in a pouty tone before turning herself around and around, twisting the chains up as far as she could before letting go and letting the swing spin like crazy. Shippo shook his head at her silliness before pulling out his phone and calling Bankotsu. He would know what to do.

 

            Bank looked at his phone for a moment before answering it. “Shippo? Is everything alright?” he asked, his tone worried.

 

            “Everything’s fine. Kagome is fine. It’s just that she wants to go and get some clothes and her books. Well, she really doesn’t want to go, but she said she needs to. I guess she’s got some reading to do for one of her classes. She’s planning on staying the night tonight, said she really doesn’t ever wanna go back but that she’ll have to.”

 

            Bankotsu frowned for a moment before making a decision. “Tell her I’ll go and get her some clothes and all her textbooks. And tell her I want her to stay for at least a week since it’ll take us a while to get her a new bed. Whatever you do, don’t let her go over there or even near it. There’s furniture all over the lawn.”

 

            “I’ll do my best. If I can’t stop her I’ll call you again and you can talk to her.”

 

            “Alright, Shippo. I’m sure you can manage.” Bank flipped his phone closed before turning to his brother and his friends, Inuyasha having returned from his trip to the attic. “I’ve gotta go over and get some clothes and books for Kagome. Jak, can you stay here and see what you can think up? There’s a pad of paper and a pen on the kitchen table.” Jakotsu nodded his agreement before hopping up the stairs, his mind already overflowing with ideas for Kagome’s new room. “Inuyasha, can you keep taking things to the attic since she’s not here?” The hanyou grunted his agreement before grabbing another pile of things that needed to be moved. Once Inuyasha was gone Bank turned to Miroku. “You wanna come with? It’ll go faster if someone helps me.”

 

            “Sure,” Miroku said with a smirk. “I call the panty drawer!”

 

            Bankotsu shook his head and smiled. The two headed upstairs, only to come across Inuyasha and Jakotsu actually talking amicably. It was quite possibly the first time ever!

 

            “Your fruity brother’s got a damn good idea.”

 

            “Oh? Dear ‘fruity’ brother, please grace us with your brilliance, and I don’t mean your clothes. Really, where do you even find that color?”

 

            Jakotsu shot a glare at both of them before speaking. “I think it would be a good idea to put in a bathroom for her. That way she doesn’t have to go up two flights of stairs in the middle of the night. Besides, girls need a lot of room for their stuff, and privacy too.”

 

            “And we know she can’t get that over here,” Inuyasha growled.

 

            “What does he mean?” Bank asked Miroku, knowing Inuyasha wasn’t going to elaborate.

 

            “This morning when Kagome was in the shower, Inuyasha and Shippo were both in the room but neither noticed that Sesshoumaru had walked in too. Not until he saw Kagome naked that is.”

 

            “He what?” Bankotsu asked, this time a halfway decent growl escaping him.

 

            “That’s not the best part. I’ll tell you on the way,” Miroku said while walking towards the front door.

 

            “You mean you’re leaving me alone with him? her? Whatever, you can’t leave me alone with Jak!” His protests were met only with laughter before the front door closed. “Fuck! Keep your hands to yourself. I gotta call my dad again; see if he minds the bathroom and if he knows someone to do it for us.”

 

            “You make your call, sweetheart. I’ll be downstairs figuring out how to make the basement fabulous,” Jakotsu said before twirling on the ball of his foot and heading back downstairs.

 

   @@ 8 Years Ago  @@   

            “But Moooooom!” a ten year old Kagome whined. “Why do I have to take these stupid miko classes? I wanna stay with Bankotsu! Now I’ll only see him for half the day!” The young raven haired girl turned and smiled at the nervous little boy sitting beside her. “You’ll be fine Souta. Kindergarten is fun.” She leaned closer before whispering, “But make sure you don’t let anyone find out you have holy powers or Mom will have you locked up in ‘special’ classes too.”

 

            “I heard that, young lady!” Kagome’s mother let out a frustrated sigh. They’d only gone over why she had to take the special miko courses a minimum of fifteen times a day since she’d been told about it. “Kagome, I told you before. The school said that you have to learn to control your powers. After the last few ‘incidents’ I’m inclined to agree.”

 

            Kagome scoffed at her mother’s mention of the ‘incidents’. “It’s not my fault the demons can’t keep their mouths shut and their youki under control! Why should I have to suffer for what my powers do on their own?”

 

            “That’s exactly why you need to learn to control them! You almost purified the last boy!”

 

            “It wasn’t my fault he startled me!” Kagome cried out in her defense.

 

            “And that girl? You know it took almost six months for her hair to grow back after you pulled it with charged hands. You were lucky the school didn’t suspend or expel you.”

 

“She was asking for it! She was showing off, saying how much prettier her ‘demon’ hair was than my ‘disgustingly plain’ human hair. She didn’t look so pretty bald!” She laughed at the memory. Really, she had done it on purpose but no one needed to know that. Ignorance was the best defense in some cases.

 

“Don’t even think that I don’t know you meant to do it. You’re not fooling me, missy! You need to learn to control your temper too, not just your powers. Besides, I had to take the same classes when I was your age. Just think about how proud Gramps will be when you show him what you learned.”

 

            “Yeah, but then he’s gonna be after me to help out around the shrine all the time. I don’t want to be a miko! I just wanna be normal!”

 

            “No you don’t. You don’t want to be just like everyone else. Your powers keep you safe and you’ve always used them subconsciously to keep the demon bullies away from you and Bankotsu. If you were normal then you would never have made friends with him, remember? It was the first time you ever used them, to protect him from the kids that were picking on him. Would you really give up all the fun the two of you have had all these years to have been born normal? Normal is overrated.”

 

            Kagome groaned but didn’t dispute it. She didn’t really want to be normal; she just didn’t want to be separated from Bankotsu for half the school day every single day. She didn’t have any other friends and she didn’t want to be alone.

 

            Her mother shot her a smile in the rearview mirror. “We’re here.” The car pulled alongside the sidewalk, but Kagome didn’t budge. “Kagome Higurashi, you will get out of this car right now,” she said, using the same special tone only mothers have that says ‘You’d better do what I say right now or I’m not going to be happy, and if I’m not happy, you’re not happy.’ Kagome was very familiar with that tone and she’d tested it enough to know that her mother was serious. That tone never failed Mrs. Higurashi. Never.

 

            Kagome grumbled to herself but unbuckled her seatbelt and slid out of the car. She leaned down and smiled at Souta who was going to be dropped off next. She was in middle school now, so this was her first year in the new building. It was only a few blocks away from her old elementary school where Souta was starting Kindergarten, just like she did five years ago. “You’ll be fine kid. And if anyone gives you trouble, make sure they know whose little brother you are.” She gave him a wink before closing the door and walking slowly towards her fate. She heard her mother call out a ‘Have a good day!’ but she only lifted a hand to show she heard. She was so not looking forward to this.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Bankotsu was standing out in front of the school, leaning against the brick façade as he waited for her. He knew she was nervous, and to tell the truth, so was he. He hadn’t been apart from her since they’d met and now instead of sitting next to each other in every single class he would only see her during lunch and the afternoon. All his morning classes would be spent alone. He didn’t want to make another friend. He didn’t want to sit next to anyone else. And he didn’t want her to make any other friends either. Sure, it was selfish of him but she was his! Kagome was his friend and he didn’t want to share her. But then he didn’t want her to feel alone every morning for the whole school year. He knew that it would be best for her to make at least one friend in her special classes; he just couldn’t stand the idea of competing with someone for his Kagome’s attention.

 

            He was lost in his mind, his selfish feelings warring with his guilt at being so selfish to begin with. He didn’t see her when she got out of her mother’s car and he didn’t see her when she noticed him and smiled. He didn’t see as she made her way towards him. He didn’t know she was there until she poked him right on the tip of his nose. He looked up in surprise before smiling at her. Just the sight of her made him feel better. Before she knew it she’d been pulled into his arms.

 

            “Bank? You’re acting like you haven’t seen me for years!”

 

            He refused to let her go, instead talking into her hair. “I just can’t stand the idea of being without you all morning. Kagome? Promise me you’ll try to make at least one friend in your new classes. I don’t want you to be alone.”

 

            “I don’t want another friend, Bank.”

 

            “Neither do I but you need someone to work with and sit with and talk to. You need someone to watch out for you when I can’t. Promise me you’ll at least try?”

 

            Kagome sighed before reaching around him and wrapping her hand around his long braid, using it to pull his face out of her hair so she could look at him. “Not making any promises. If I make a friend then I make a friend, but I’m not going to go looking for one. I don’t need another friend. Now come on, we don’t wanna be late for our first day.”

 

            He pouted but let her go, knowing she was right. They entered the new, larger school and slowly made their way down the hall. Thankfully they’d gotten a chance to tour the building so they had some idea of where they were going. Kagome hated getting lost. They made it to Bankotsu’s class first and while he wanted to continue on and walk her all the way to hers, a quick glance at the clock made Kagome insist that he stay, that she would be fine on her own. Before she left him he leaned down, having grown another inch or two more than she had over the summer, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

 

She looked up at him with a smile. “You’ve gotta stop growing so I can catch up!”

 

“Nah. I like being taller than you.”

 

“You would,” she said with a laugh before continuing her trek down the long hall towards her fate.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            He really wished his father hadn’t done this to him. He hadn’t wanted to move. He didn’t want to go to a new school. He didn’t want to take special courses for his holy powers. He just wanted to stay home. It had taken forever for the kids in his old school to leave him alone and now he was going to have to start all over again!

 

            Really, it wasn’t his fault that he found the female form so pleasing. He didn’t have much choice in the matter considering what a ladies man his father was. He’d learned at a rather young age that women were beautiful; he just missed the lesson about respecting them. His father wasn’t so good at that one either being slapped by just as many, if not more, women than he was successful with.

 

            He was nervous; every muscle in his body was tense as if he was preparing to flee. He didn’t want to be here at all. Not ready to go inside and face the teacher and other students, Miroku leaned against the wall outside the closed classroom door with his eyes shut tight as he tried to meditate to calm himself.  Of course it wasn’t working. There were too many distractions. He could hear the talking and laughter of students passing him in the hall, the sounds of shuffling feet and shifting backpacks, and he just couldn’t block it all out.

 

At least, he couldn’t until he heard it. Immediately his mind focused on the soft sweet sound, everything else fading away completely. All he could hear now was her. The voice of an angel floating through the air seemed to wrap him in a feeling of comfort and safety. All the nervousness, all the worry was washed away while the sound got louder as its source slowly approached him.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            She knew she was doing it this time but she couldn’t stop herself. She ignored the odd looks that the other students gave her as they passed.

 

            “Sometimes is never quite enough. If you’re flawless, then you’ll earn my love. Don’t forget to win first place. Don’t forget to keep that smile on your face…”

 

She hadn’t had to face anything without Bankotsu, not for five whole years. She didn’t know how she was going to survive this without him.

 

“Be a good boy. Try a little harder. You’ve got to measure up, make me prouder. How long before you screw it up? And how many times do I have to tell you to hurry up?”

 

She didn’t want to do this without him. She couldn’t handle it. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t make her feet turn around. She couldn’t force her body to retreat; it was like she no longer had control. She just kept walking towards her destination, all the while wishing she could turn and run back to his arms where she was safe.

 

“With everything I do for you, the least you could do is keep quiet. Be a good girl. You’ve gotta try a little harder. That simply wasn’t good enough to make us proud…”

 

She was close enough now for him to hear her words. She sounded so sad and he found himself wondering who had upset such a vision so he could go kick their ass. An angel such as she should never be sad.

 

“I’ll live through you; I’ll make you what I never was. If you’re the best then maybe so am I, compared to him, compared to her. I’m doing this for your own damn good. You’ll make up for what I blew. What’s the problem? Why are you crying?”

 

She should never sound so depressed. He had this overwhelming urge to comfort her, but he didn’t even know her. Her couldn’t just walk up to her and ask what was wrong. She’d think he was crazy.      

 

“Be a good boy. Push a little farther now. That wasn’t fast enough to make us happy. We’ll love you just the way you are… if you’re perfect.”

 

            He’d been so deep in his thoughts as he listened to her sing that he almost didn’t notice when she stopped, both singing and walking, having reached both the end of the song and her destination. It finally dawned on him that she was looking at him with her head cocked to the right in curiosity, most likely trying to figure out why he was staring at her. Realizing she must be in the same class as him, the way she glanced from his face to the door and back giving it away, Miroku shook off the trance-like state she’d pulled him into and opened the door for her.

 

            Kagome couldn’t help but smile as the cute dark haired boy dragged himself out of wherever his mind had been lost at and opened the door like a perfect gentleman. She took a moment to look him up and down, taking in the short ponytail at the base of his neck and the two golden hoops in his left ear. He was wearing a dark purple shirt and she found herself wondering why purple? Boys didn’t usually wear purple. But when she came to his eyes she understood. He had the most beautiful violet eyes she’d ever seen and the color of his shirt suited them perfectly.

 

            He smirked as he noticed her slow perusal of his form. ‘So, my angel thinks I’m cute, does she? Maybe this year won’t be so bad after all.’

 

            Deciding she’d stared at him long enough she gave a small nod of appreciation before starting to walk through the door he still held open for her. She’d only taken a few steps when she froze. ‘If Bankotsu was here right now this guy would already be unconscious,’ she thought, right before she whirled around and slapped the pervert as hard as she could.

 

            He couldn’t help himself. He knew he shouldn’t, knew it would only make her angry and would kill any chances of getting to know her, but he just couldn’t stop himself. Her ass was calling for him, begging to be touched, and his hand was all too willing to comply, ignoring his brain’s warnings against it completely. The sting on his cheek surprised him. She hit hard! No one had ever slapped him quite so hard. He was sort of surprised he was still on his feet considering the force behind the hand that made contact with his face.

 

            “Why do the pretty girls have to hit so hard?” he asked himself while rubbing where he knew had to be an angry red handprint. He’d be lucky if it didn’t leave a hand shaped bruise, but then he did deserve it.

 

            Kagome stared at him for a minute, trying to decide whether she wanted to hit him again or start yelling. She decided on a third option though as she burst out laughing. He looked so funny, rubbing his bright red cheek and giving her a sheepish ‘I couldn’t help it’ kind of look.

 

            His eyes widened as he heard the melodic sound of her laughter. It was even more beautiful than her singing. Right that instant he knew that he would do anything it took to hear her laugh for him again. “I’m sorry,” he said with a hopeful smile. “My hand has a mind of its own. I’m Miroku, by the way. I figure you should at least know the name of the idiot who touched you.”

 

            She smiled brightly and he felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders. “I’m Kagome. Are you in these classes too then?” she asked while motioning towards the room she was standing halfway in.

 

            He nodded; pleasantly surprised that she would actually speak to him after he’d groped her. That had only ever happened when the girl wanted to give him a piece of her mind. Never before had a girl talked nicely to him after his hand messed things up. His hand was always screwing him over, and sometimes he was sure it was cursed. Right now though, he wasn’t seeing it as a curse but as a blessing. Who’d have ever thought it would work as an ice-breaker?

 

            He was even more surprised when she took hold of the devious appendage before pulling him into the classroom after her. “So, you wanna sit by me?” she asked with a grin.

 

            “I couldn’t find a better seat if I tried,” he replied. “So, front? Back? Middle?”

 

            Kagome thought about it for a second. “I think I wanna sit in the back. I so don’t wanna be here.”

 

            “So you didn’t want to take these classes either?” he asked, giving her hand a soft squeeze, quite glad she hadn’t let him go yet.

 

            Reaching a pair of open seats in the back row near the windows, Kagome let out a sigh before dropping her backpack on one of the chairs. “This is the first time I’ve ever had a class without my best friend. I’m not sure how I’m gonna make it to lunch.”

 

            “I’d be willing to offer my services, fair maiden,” Miroku said while pulling her hand to his lips and planting a kiss on her knuckles.

 

            “I think I’d like that,” she replied. They both sighed as the warning bell rang. Grudgingly their hands separated and they took their seats side by side. “I guess it wasn’t so hard after all.”

 

            “What wasn’t hard?”

 

            “My friend made me promise to try to make a friend in these classes. I didn’t think I could, but it’s almost like you were waiting for me.”

 

            “Maybe I was…” He waggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled. “I was worried about making friends too. My dad and I just moved here and I’m not so good at meeting new people. You know, with the hand and all.”

 

            “Maybe if you didn’t grab a girl’s ass she might actually want to be your friend.”

 

            “Or maybe I finally groped the right girl,” was the last thing he said before the final bell rang and their teacher walked into the room.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            It hadn’t been as bad as she’d expected, mostly because Miroku seemed to be able to sense when she was bored and had succeeded every single time in making her smile. It was odd, how comfortable she felt with him so quickly. Never since Bankotsu had she ever felt drawn to a person like this.

 

            When it was finally time for lunch, Kagome made her way to her locker, trailed by a flirtatious monk in training. She smiled as she turned her combination, Miroku leaning up against the locker beside hers and grinning at her. He held up her bag as she turned, having refused to allow her to carry it. The teacher had given them quite a few books and apparently she was ‘too delicate a beauty’ to carry them all. She’d snorted at the thought of her being delicate but she let him take it from her anyway, having learned long ago with Bankotsu that if he wanted to carry her bag he was going to and Miroku seemed to be the same way.

 

            He held tight to the bag, forcing her to unzip it where it hung, taking the books out one by one to start filling up her empty locker. She’d just finished and was getting ready to close the door when arms slipped around her waist and a chin rested on her shoulder.

 

            “You have no idea how much I missed you,” Bankotsu whispered into her hair. The morning had been pure hell as he’d been forced to sit next to someone else; a girl he’d never met before claiming what was Kagome’s rightful seat at his side. He’d worried the whole time about her, only interrupted when the girl decided to flirt with him. He’d simply rolled his eyes and looked out the window, wishing he could see her if he looked hard enough. Of course he hadn’t been able to see her, which just made him more frustrated.

 

            When the bell for lunch had finally sounded he’d almost knocked down several classmates as he rushed out of the room. His locker and hers were side by side so he knew where he could find her. He hadn’t noticed a thing besides Kagome. He couldn’t calm down until she was in his arms, and now he was breathing a sigh of relief.

 

            Kagome smiled, not noticing the way Miroku’s eyes darkened and his lips twisted into a frown. “I missed you too Bank,” she said before turning in his arms and squeezing him tightly. “But I made a friend!” she said happily. “Just like you wanted, I made a friend in my classes.”

 

            “Oh yeah?” he asked, suddenly nervous. If Kagome had a new friend would she forget about him? He couldn’t stand it if she did. He had a hard enough time sharing her with Souta! “Where is she?”

 

            Kagome smirked. “I didn’t say it was a she, did I?”

 

            Now it was Bankotsu’s turn to frown. His Kagome made friends with another boy? But he hadn’t even met the guy, let alone approved him to spend time with her!

 

She noticed his unhappy expression. “What’s with the frownie face? You said to make a friend.”

 

“I know I did, Kags. I just… well… where is he then?”

 

She turned around, slipping out of his arms. It felt just like she was slipping right out of his life too, and his chest tightened painfully.

 

By the time she was facing Miroku again he had managed to force away his scowl. When she smiled at him he suddenly wasn’t worried anymore. She wasn’t going to ditch him for this guy who he had deduced was the ‘best friend’ she’d mentioned.

 

“Miroku, I want you to meet my best friend Bankotsu. And Bank, this is Miroku. He just moved here. I asked him to sit with us at lunch. You don’t mind, do you?”

 

The pleading look in her eyes melted away any objections he’d wanted to make. He couldn’t say no to her. “No, Kags, I don’t mind. Hi,” he said as politely as he could manage, his tone still holding some of his displeasure at the situation.

 

“Hello,” Miroku replied just as coldly.

 

Kagome looked from one boy to the other and back a few times, not quite sure where all the tension was coming from. Finally she grabbed her bag from Miroku and started to walk away. She was hungry and she wasn’t going to wait around while they tried to see who could go the longest without blinking. ‘Boys are so stupid,’ she thought to herself as she heard them both suddenly call out to her to wait, each having just realized she was no longer standing between them.

 

She sighed but slowed down a bit. She wanted to sigh again when Bankotsu wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side possessively. Sure, he did it all the time, but somehow this time it felt like he was just doing it to make some kind of point to Miroku. Deciding she wasn’t going to allow it, Kagome held out her free hand and the young monk smiled before taking hold of it. The three ignored the presence of everyone else, not bothering to notice the odd looks they were getting.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Lunch had been a tense affair, Kagome being the only one who really spoke at all. When she’d sat down, both boys had rushed to sit in the chair beside her, Miroku being the one lucky enough to make it there first. Bankotsu almost ended up sitting in his new rival’s lap before he let out a rather pathetic sounding growl and sat in the chair across the table from her. They spent the whole lunch period just glaring at each other. Kagome wanted to tear her hair out. ‘Or theirs. Theirs would be so much more gratifying,’ she decided.

 

            When the bell rang signifying the end of lunch, Miroku had not been the slightest bit happy to discover that she wasn’t in his next class, instead sharing it with Bankotsu, who made sure to give him a victorious look. But he wasn’t giving up so easily. He’d never felt a connection with anyone like he felt with Kagome and he wouldn’t let her best friend keep him away. He just wouldn’t.

 

            Kagome wanted to slap Bankotsu. Really, he’d never behaved like such a jerk before! He was the one that told her to make a friend! It wasn’t her fault he didn’t like her choice. She was going to be friends with Miroku whether Bank liked it or not, and she made sure to tell him so as soon as her new friend was out of earshot.

 

            “I don’t know what your problem is, but you need to stop it. I’m going to be friends with him. You have two choices: be a jerk and force me to divide my time between the two of you or get over it and make friends with him too! It’s up to you, but don’t you think for an instant that I’m going to drop him because you feel threatened. Me being his friend too doesn’t take anything away from you. He’s a nice guy and I think you would like him if you could stop glaring at each other and acting like toddlers fighting over a toy! I Am Not A Toy! I Am Not A Possession!”

 

            Bankotsu was left standing in the middle of the hallway, watching in shock as she stalked off without him. She’d never yelled at him before. They’d never, in all five years, ever had a fight. But this new ‘friend’ was already driving a wedge between them. All he could think of was how to stop it, how to put an end to it before it was too late and he was no longer her best friend at all.

 

            He glanced around and saw everyone staring at him in surprise. No one had ever seen the two not getting along. There were murmurs of ‘It’s about time,’ and ‘Looks like she’s moving on,’ and other similar things that made his blood boil in his veins. She was not moving on! She was not going to stop being his friend! He was not going to lose her!

 

When Kagome made it to her next class she was ready to scream. ‘How dare he? How dare he act like this?’ With a huff she dropped into an empty seat, not bothering to look for two together. At the moment she really didn’t care if Bankotsu sat beside her or not. When he entered the room a few minutes later his eyes searched over all the people in the room, trying to find her. He wanted to cry when he spotted her. His Kagome looked furious, angry and hurt too. He wanted to drop to his knees at her feet and beg her forgiveness, promise he would try… try to get along with Miroku, for her.

 

He moved to where she sat and simply glared at the student in the seat beside her, his seat. It took only a few seconds for the kid to get the message and move, leaving the now empty desk behind. Bankotsu slipped into the seat before scooting the whole desk closer to her. She only turned her head away from him, looking out the window in an attempt to block out the world.

 

“Kagome,” he said softly. She ignored him. “Kagome, please…” She still refused to acknowledge his presence and he decided drastic measures were necessary. He slid out of the seat to the floor between them, kneeling at her side and laying his head in her lap like he did when he was stressed or tired. She would always run her hand softly over his hair, sometimes undoing and then braiding his hair again. Her gentle touch made everything go away, made every flaw in the imperfect world they lived in disappear.

 

            He felt her sigh and was silently praying she would forgive him. When her hand moved to rest gently on his head he smiled softly. She would, she would forgive him. “Kagome, I’m sorry. I just… I wasn’t expecting you to make a new friend so easily and I really wasn’t expecting it to be another guy. I guess I’m just not ready to share you. I’ll try, Kagome. I’ll give him a chance. I’ll be nice. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at me.”

 

            She finally looked down at him, gliding her fingers along his hair, flattening out the little frizzies that had escaped during the morning from his perfect braid. “I’m sorry too. I should have known it would be hard for you. It’s just… I don’t know. We just clicked, like you and I did when we first met, and I know we were meant to be friends. I think you’d like him. I really do.”

 

            “For you, I’ll give it a try.”

 

            “That’s all I ask, Bank. That’s all I want.”

   

Chapter 13 – A Lonely Dog Demon Day  

            In the car Miroku had explained what had happened earlier that morning. When Bankotsu heard what Sesshoumaru had the nerve to say about Kagome at all, let alone right in front of her, he was ready to kill the taiyoukai. Sure, it might be difficult, but he was determined to find a way. Maybe if they all ganged up on him together? He was pulled from his murderous thoughts when he realized he’d almost driven past their destination. Parking alongside the curb, Miroku and Bankotsu made their way up the front walk, finding that Mr. Yokubari had already left. Thankfully Kagome had given him a key. Bankotsu unlocked the door and the two males made their way through the mess of boxes, garbage bags, and furniture to the stairs.

 

            They passed the open doors to the other bedrooms, seeing them each in a state of disarray, whether from the party, the police search, or the landlord’s packing they couldn’t say. They found Kagome’s door closed and went in, Bank immediately heading to the closet and pulling out a couple duffle bags. He tossed one at Miroku before he started pulling clothes off hangers, folding them up, at least a guy’s version of folding, and stuffing them into one of the bags. Bending down, he grabbed a couple different pairs of shoes and her backpack. He opened it and checked the contents, finding the missing books on her desk.

 

            “Miroku, do you think you could at least put them in the bag when you’re done playing with them?” Bank asked in a frustrated tone, seeing that Miroku hadn’t packed a thing, instead holding up Kagome’s panties one by one as if trying to pick his favorite. Miroku complied, and soon they’d stuffed as much as they could into three large duffels and her backpack. They took the time then to look around, seeing what else was going to need packed and what of the furniture was hers that she’d want to keep. They’d have to come back later to pack everything else. They weren’t ready to bring all of her things over just yet.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            “Inuyasha? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you again so soon. Is everything alright?”

 

            “Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” Inuyasha asked, wondering what the hell his father sounded so worried about. “We just thought of something we wanna do and we’re gonna need your help is all.”

 

            “For Kagome’s room? Anything. What do you need, my boy?”

 

            “We wanna put in a bathroom for her downstairs, but we need someone to do it.”

 

            “I can help you there. I’ll call my contractor and we’ll come over tomorrow so he can take measurements and you can tell him exactly what you want. He’s reliable and he can work fast too. You know, he’s the one that installed the Jacuzzi for your mother when I’d forgotten about our anniversary. He got the thing in there and hooked up in a couple hours. Saved my ass.”

 

            “Um… yeah… sure Dad. What time do ya think you’d get here? We gotta find some way to either keep Kagome upstairs or get her out of the house.”

 

            “I’ll have to call him and find out when he’s available. I’ll call you later on tonight. Inuyasha?”

 

            “What, Pops?” the hanyou said impatiently.

 

            “Have you noticed anything… odd… about your brother lately?”

 

            “Depends on what you mean by odd.” Inuyasha thought about the question for a minute. “He’s been an extra large asshole lately and he looks kinda tired. Other than that I wouldn’t know. Why? Is there something wrong with the ice prince?”

 

            “I’m not entirely sure. Do your father a favor? Keep an eye on him. Let me know if you notice anything off.”

 

            Inuyasha would have scoffed at the idea of paying attention to his brother except that his father sounded genuinely concerned. He sighed before agreeing. “Fine. I’ll let you know if I notice anything wrong with the bastard, but I’m not gonna enjoy it!”

 

            Katsuro laughed. “I never said anything about liking it. I’ll call later on tonight with a time frame so you guys can make your plans. And don’t forget about Sesshoumaru.”

 

            Inuyasha grumbled a ‘yeah, yeah’ before saying a quick goodbye and hanging up before his father asked him to take the fucker’s temperature or something.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            When Shippo told Kagome what Bankotsu had said she was thrilled. At least she didn’t have to go over there for a while and he’d said she could stay a whole week! She wanted to do something to say thank you but couldn’t think of anything. Returning to swinging while she thought, finally it hit her. She jumped off her swing while she was high in the air, making Shippo’s heart jump into his throat before she landed safely and gracefully on her feet.

 

            “Come with me, Shippo!”

 

            “Where are we going?” Shippo asked, hurrying to catch up with the girl who was rapidly making her way out of the park.

 

            “We are going to the grocery store. I’m gonna make dinner tonight to say thanks for letting me stay over.”

 

            “Oh! Oh! Are you gonna make your specialty?” Shippo asked in excitement. Kagome was an awesome cook!

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Just as Miroku and Bankotsu were pulling into the driveway, Kagome and Shippo were rounding the corner with several bags in their arms. Right away both males were out of the car and taking the bags from her. “What in the world were you going to the store for? We’ve got food… some food at least.”

 

            Kagome laughed. “I went to the store because I’m cooking dinner and I know better than to expect you to have any normal ingredients.”

 

            “What’cha making?” Miroku asked while opening the front door.

 

            “It’s a surprise,” Kagome said as she took the bags back from her friend and walked into the kitchen. “Where’s Inu…” Her question caught in her throat as she took in the odd sight on the floor in front of them. Inuyasha was face first on the ground, growling like crazy while Jakotsu sat on his back and rubbed the hanyou’s ears, the bandana lying a couple feet away; looking like Jak had ripped it off and tossed it over his shoulder, which was exactly what he’d done. Kagome set the bags on the counter without removing her eyes from the spectacle, her friends following suite. “Jakotsu?” she asked.

 

            In seconds Jakotsu was up and facing her, arms open wide as he cried out “Kagome!” The miko ran across the kitchen and leapt into his waiting arms, Jak then spinning her around a few times before setting her on the counter of the island in the middle of the large kitchen and leaning into her. Inuyasha had scrambled off the floor the first chance he got, grabbing his bandana and tying it tightly over his ears once more.

 

            “I didn’t know you were here! When did you get here? Why didn’t anyone call me?”

 

            “I’ve only been here for a little while. Bank and I got here right before he took Miroku to get some of your things.”

 

            “Speaking of that,” Bankotsu said. “You think you could help us, Inuyasha?”

 

            Kagome looked at them in confusion. “How much stuff did you get that you need help?”

 

            “A couple bags. Didn’t know what you wanted so we grabbed a bit of everything.”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes at them. “It’s not like I’m moving in. You guys are so carrying all of it back too.” She didn’t notice when they smiled before walking out to the car, Shippo coming along to help. “You know Inuyasha hates that Jak. Why do you have to torture him?”

 

“It’s not my fault he’s adorable! I wonder where that brother of his is. Gotta be around here somewhere. Now that is a beautiful man. I could just lick every single inch of…”

 

“Stop! Stop! That’s more than I ever want to hear,” Kagome practically yelled, hoping to block out the sound of anything else Jak might say before stopping. Kagome heard the front door close and then four sets of feet headed up the stairs. “I gotta get down, Jak,” she said. “I’ve got groceries to put away.”

 

“Fine,” Jakotsu said with a pout, moving so the little miko could slip off the counter to her feet. When everyone else entered the kitchen Kagome was halfway through the bags, leaving some things out on the counter and putting everything else away.

 

“You guys need to learn how to go grocery shopping. There is the weirdest combination of things in here and everything’s expired!” she said in disgust while pulling a half-gallon milk, or what claimed to have once been milk, out of the depths of the fridge.

 

Inuyasha noticed it first. “Hey, monk, what’s with the smirk?”

 

Kagome turned around and examined Miroku. It only took her a second to realize what he was smirking about. “Hand them over, Miroku. Don’t make me have to hurt you.” Miroku shot a glare at Inuyasha but pulled a pair of purple lace panties out of his pocket, grudgingly returning them to their rightful owner. “You’ve gotta stop stealing my panties,” she said in a lecturing tone. “Bank, why did you let him in my underwear drawer?”

 

 Bankotsu turned and smacked Miroku. “Don’t you ever learn? And you get me in trouble too!”

 

Kagome sighed again before stuffing the pilfered panties in her own pocket. “Damn I’m hot,” she said before pulling Shippo’s sweatshirt off and tossing it on a chair.

 

“Coulda told you that,” Jak said with a laugh.

 

“So, are you staying for dinner then?” the miko asked her best friend’s brother.

 

“If you want me to, of course I will.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Sesshoumaru let out a groan as he slowly opened his eyes. Looking around he found that his cell phone was open and still in his hand. He closed his eyes again, trying to figure out what happened and how he ended up where he was. Slowly it came back to him and he realized that he must have passed out. That thought made him worried. The pain had gotten bad enough to knock him out cold. Whatever was happening to him was beginning to seem more and more serious. He knew better than to call his father again though. The older inu had made it clear that he would only explain in person. He needed to know now!

 

            He rolled to the side of the bed before standing, immediately regretting it as his head throbbed. Very carefully he walked across the room to his desk, sitting in the large leather chair and moving the mouse to bring the computer out of its sleep mode. Once he could see clearly and everything stopped spinning he opened a web browser and directed it to WebDMD.com. He typed in his symptoms: chest pain, difficulty sleeping, dreams, and erectile dysfunction, which hurt to even type. He was a young demon and shouldn’t be having these kinds of problems! He glanced over the results, finding several interesting conditions but none that fit his situation. His father knew what it was, had recognized it immediately, but it wasn’t listed on the top demon medical reference site on the web? It didn’t make sense.

 

He frowned as he heard someone talking loudly downstairs. He stilled and focused, trying to determine who was being so obnoxiously noisy and why. He wanted to roll his eyes as he recognized the voice. Apparently Jakotsu had come to visit. It took him a minute to remember that they’d intended to ask for his assistance in decorating the miko’s room. He felt his chest tighten as he thought of her. Sesshoumaru decided to head downstairs and see what all the noise was about; silently hoping he would get a chance to see Kagome.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Kagome couldn’t help but laugh. Jakotsu was driving Inuyasha and Bankotsu insane and she knew he was enjoying every second of it. She stood at the counter, slicing tomatoes. Next to her were the onions which were next on the chopping block. Just as she was bringing the knife back down someone bumped into her, causing her to cut her finger. Immediately Bankotsu was apologizing like crazy, having been the one to bump her. He’d been trying to get away from Jakotsu who’d decided that he wanted to give everyone kisses.

 

            “I’m fine, Bank. It’s just a little cut.” Of course it wasn’t so little. In fact it was bleeding quite a bit as she reached for a napkin from the pile that had come with their takeout the night before, leaving drips of brilliant red on the countertop. Bankotsu wanted to get her a band-aid and Miroku was trying to tell her to run it under water to clean it first. Shippo and Jakotsu were looking on with worry in their eyes and Inuyasha decided that enough was enough. Grabbing the shoulders his friends, he pulled them away from her so he could check it out.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Sesshoumaru was making his way slowly down the stairs, ignoring the renewed ruckus, when a scent caught his attention. He could smell blood and upon taking in another sniff for evaluation he realized that it was Kagome’s blood. His slow pace picked up speed and he was almost running when he made it to the kitchen. The taiyoukai slid to a stop, taking in the sight before him.

 

            He could see Shippo and Jakotsu the furthest away from the miko, Miroku and Bankotsu right behind her, and Inuyasha at her side, her finger in his mouth. Everyone turned to look at him, curious as to why he’d come into the room so fast. He immediately looked around, trying to act like he hadn’t just been running and worried out of his mind at the scent of her blood. No one really bought it, though they didn’t draw the proper conclusion. Instead they just turned back to what they’d been doing, Bankotsu heading over to smack his brother, blaming her accidental cut on his shenanigans while Shippo looked on in amusement. Miroku was watching Inuyasha as he sucked on Kagome’s finger, not so pure thoughts dancing in the forefront of his mind, and Sesshoumaru realized that the miko must have cut her self and his brother was attempting to heal the wound.

 

He glanced to the side, taking in the sight of the cutting board, half cut tomatoes, and several large drops of blood. Unable to resist, Sesshoumaru took the few steps to the counter and, while reaching up with one hand and opening a cupboard, he dragged his fingers along the counter, wiping up some of the blood. He grabbed a glass out of the cupboard while bringing his bloody fingertips to his lips, his tongue snaking out to taste the bright red fluid. Immediately he realized that it probably wasn’t the brightest idea, judging by the instant erection the amazing taste of her blood inspired. Figuring the damage had been done, he savored what remained on his fingers before turning towards the fridge. He couldn’t very well grab a glass and then not put anything in it, could he?

 

As he turned, Miroku, who’d been watching the taiyoukai closely since feeling that his aura was off somehow, noticed it first. He nudged Inuyasha and motioned for him to look. The hanyou burst out laughing as he noticed as well. “So, we’ve been right all along, haven’t we, brother?”

 

Sesshoumaru turned his head and looked at the half-breed with narrowed eyes. He’d been trying to stand in such a way that his body’s reaction to the miko wouldn’t be noticed but apparently he’d failed. “This Sesshoumaru has no idea what you are babbling about, brother. Would you care to enlighten me as to what you were right about?”

 

Bankotsu stopped chewing out his brother to watch the newest entertainment. Shippo was trying not to laugh, Jakotsu was looking rather admirably towards the obviously large ‘package’ in the demon’s pants, and Kagome only looked confused, still holding her finger even though it was as good as new.

 

“About why you’ve never dated. About why you’re never seen with girls. About why you’re such a bastard all the time. You know, I’m pretty sure that if you’d only asked him, Jak would be more than happy to help you with your problem. I always knew there was something funny about you. Why didn’t you just admit that you’re gay and hot for Jakotsu?”

 

Sesshoumaru barely held back a snarl. ‘How dare he say such a thing about this Sesshoumaru? And why did he have to say it in front of her?’

 

Jakotsu smiled widely, stepping up to stand next to Inuyasha. “I knew you wanted me! Sweetie, you don’t even have to ask. I’m always available to take care of a sexy thing like you.”

 

Kagome clapped her hand over her mouth in an effort to hold in her laughter and Sesshoumaru scowled darkly. Not only was he being mocked but she found it entertaining. He wanted to rip both his brother and the very effeminate human to shreds. Staring right into Jak’s eyes he said, “While this Sesshoumaru would never hit a woman,” he paused for emphasis. Either that or to try to calm his growing rage. “You, however much you act like it or wish it were so, are not a woman and thus not safe from me by any means.”

 

Bankotsu felt a vein begin to throb on the side of his face, his teeth clenched so tightly that he was on the brink of breaking them and his hands balled into fists. “You may not hit a woman but you obviously have no problem insulting them. I don’t know what your problem is but if I find out that you peeped on her again, I’ll kick your ass.”

 

Kagome turned her back to the two who were now facing off, moving further away. She didn’t like it when people fought, especially not over her.

 

Sesshoumaru wanted to laugh. ‘This human thinks he could possibly injure this Sesshoumaru?’ His voice was filled with malice and a sneer pulled at his lips when he replied. “You are more than welcome to try, human.”

 

“Try me,” Bankotsu yelled. “I’m a hell of a lot stronger than you think!”

 

“Such a lonely day, and it’s mine. The most loneliest day of my life. Such a lonely day should be banned. It’s a day that I can’t stand. The most loneliest day of my life. The most loneliest day of my life…” Kagome was singing softly to herself, now leaning against the wall furthest from the growing confrontation. “…and if you go, I want to go with you, and if you die, I want to die with you, take your hand and walk away…” No one noticed right away, everyone focused on the two tall males facing off against each other.

 

“And you’d better not ever say anything like that again, to or about her! No, I don’t mean that. Don’t ever say anything to or about her at all. Don’t even fucking look at her!”

 

Miroku glanced around, feeling the heavy strain on Kagome’s usually perky aura. He moved to her and pulled her into his arms, not taking his eyes off the fight. No one stepped up to intervene or to stop Bankotsu since they all agreed with him. Kagome was too good for this asshole. He didn’t deserve to see her beautiful face, her smiling lips, and her shining eyes. He didn’t deserve to feel the lift just being in her presence gave your soul.

 

Kagome leaned her head further into Miroku’s chest. “Stop,” she mumbled. “He apologized.” 

 

Inuyasha’s head immediately snapped to look at her. “He what?” the hanyou yelled.

 

Bankotsu turned around when he heard Inuyasha’s words. He could feel the guilt pulling at him as he saw Kagome hiding in Miroku’s arms. He knew she hated conflict, especially if she was the cause. “What did he do, Kaggie,” he asked her softly, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.

 

She turned her head just enough to see Inuyasha and Bankotsu’s waiting faces. “He apologized.”

 

Inuyasha was confused. “When? We didn’t hear. When did the bastard talk to you?”

 

“When you guys were outside, right before Shippo came and sat with me in the living room.”

 

Inuyasha growled dangerously before turning on his heel and leveling a death glare on Sesshoumaru. “I don’t give a fuck if you did apologize. You insulted her honor! And how dare you approach her after that? You can keep your arrogant, condescending ass away from her. Bank’s right. Don’t even talk to her. She’s too good for you. You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as Kags!”

 

Sesshoumaru was just standing there, furious but worried as well. He glanced at Kagome, seeing that she wasn’t going to protest. ‘Does she really wish for this Sesshoumaru to not speak to her?’ He found that he had to know how she felt about it, if it was really what she wanted. “I refuse to allow you to dictate what I will or will not do and say, but if she wishes it, I will not speak to her again.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

Everyone was shocked into silence, amazed that he would offer the choice, that he would submit to her wishes, her, a human miko. Sesshoumaru bowed to no one, but that he would allow Kagome that power over him, even if it was regarding her, was unbelievable.

 

Kagome looked up and their eyes met. Her breath caught in her throat at what she could see in those golden eyes. He looked like he was pleading with her not to agree, begging her not to say that she wished it so. She took a step forward, pulling herself from Miroku’s hold. Bankotsu tried to grab her arm and stop her but she pulled away. The kitchen was completely silent as everyone waited to see what Kagome would do. She stopped right in front of the taiyoukai, still staring into his eyes.

 ‘Why do his eyes look so sad? Why does it feel like he’s begging me? What is he thinking?’ ‘Why is she just staring at me? Would she hurry up and make her decision? Please oh please oh please don’t tell me not to speak to you. I need this chance. I need you to see me as something more than you do now.’ 

Finally she opened her mouth to speak. “I don’t wish it, not at the moment. But if you ever say anything like that to me again I won’t hesitate to change my mind. I don’t care if you do think you’re better than me and the guys. You aren’t. Being a taiyoukai does not make you special. It doesn’t give you special privileges. I feel bad for you. You’re so arrogant and so cold and cruel that you have no friends. I bet you’ve never had any friends. If you don’t realize soon that you’re no better than anyone else, you’re going to lead a very lonely life. It might not bother you now, but someday you’re going to realize that you’re completely alone and completely miserable.”

 

Kagome paused for a moment, expecting him to have some comeback, some reply to her words, but he didn’t. He didn’t say a word and he made no move to walk away either. When she started to speak again her voice was softer. “I can see it in your eyes. You’re already lonely. And you aren’t as mean as you want everyone to believe. Why do you push everyone away?”

 

The room remained absolutely silent, everyone except Kagome shocked at what she’d said. Even Sesshoumaru was surprised that she’d seen something in him that no one else ever did. Everyone wanted to see what he was going to say but he didn’t even know. He looked around the room, pausing on each face until he returned his gaze to hers.

 

Kagome realized then that he wasn’t going to answer, not in front of everyone. “Whenever you’re ready,” she said before walking over and continuing her previous task of cutting tomatoes. He started to walk away and she turned her head to the side. “Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes or so,” she said politely, hoping he would understand what she meant, and he disappeared from sight, making his way back to the safety of his room to contemplate what had just happened.

  

   @@ 8 Years Ago  @@   

            Bankotsu was keeping his promise to her. He was trying, really he was, but he just couldn’t stand Miroku. He’d been less than pleased when he found out that they all shared the final class of the day. Kagome sat happily between them, doing her best to ignore the tension, but he just couldn’t keep from hating the intruder. He’d never imagined he could be so jealous, but then he’d also never imagined having to share her attention. It was awful.

 

            The morning of the second day of school Bankotsu was waiting where he had the day before, but this time when Kagome approached she was walking alongside Miroku, laughing and looking altogether too happy in his presence. When he noticed the monk carrying her bag he almost exploded. That was his job! He carried her bag! He took care of her! He made her laugh! He made her happy! He fought to hide his overwhelming rage, not wanting her to be angry again. He said he would try and he would. It was just a lot harder than he’d imagined.

 

            It didn’t help matters when Miroku smirked at him. The bastard knew it was bugging him and he was rubbing it in! Kagome claimed her spot on the wall beside him, laying her head on his shoulder. The gentle contact and the scent of her hair calmed him but nothing could take it all away. It was just more than he could handle. He slipped his fingers through hers and tried to relax, but just knowing that the intruding male was on the other side of her ruined it.

 

            Kagome glanced at her watch before lifting herself off the wall. “We should get going to class. Don’t wanna be late!” Both males followed her lead and they walked three wide down the hall. Once again there was a lot of staring and whispers. The whole school already knew that Kagome had somehow picked up another cute guy, somehow managed to get another one to follow her around like a lost puppy dog. All the girls were jealous and all the guys were trying to figure out how the new kid got so lucky to catch Kagome’s attention. After all, she’d been ignoring them all for years, always deferring to Bankotsu’s opinion. But everyone had already heard about their fight the day before. Kagome refused to allow Bankotsu to send this guy away. Just what was so special about him?

 

            When they stopped at Bankotsu’s class the last thing he wanted to do was leave Miroku to walk Kagome the rest of the way. It was bad enough he got to spend all morning with her. It just wasn’t fair at all. She was his and yet this other guy was worming his way into her heart and he knew with complete certainty that if Miroku successfully made it in that he would never leave.

 

            “Have a good morning, ‘kay?” she said with a quick hug. He didn’t even get to answer before she was walking away, giving him a quick wave. He was just about to turn and go inside when he saw it. Now it was definite. He really, really, really hated Miroku! The jerk just grabbed her ass! And all she did was laugh and give him a playful shove. Last year she’d stood by and let him break Kouga’s jaw for trying to kiss her but this guy could grab her ass?? She should have been running back to the safety of his arms and begging him to beat up the asshole. But no, she just laughed! He had to force himself to enter the classroom and sit, when all he wanted to do was break the monk’s fingers one by one.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Kagome had decided that her morning miko classes weren’t so bad, at least not with Miroku sitting next to her. He kept everything interesting and she couldn’t help but laugh when he dug himself deeper and deeper into a hole. He was a huge flirt and it was absolutely hilarious to watch him trying to sweet talk the girls. He never said the right thing and his backpedaling sucked. She actually had to stop two different girls in one morning from rearranging his face. By the time lunch rolled around she’d forgotten that she hadn’t wanted to take the class at all.

 

            The new friends made their way to her locker, but when Kagome noticed who was standing next to hers she let out a groan and turned around.

 

            “What’s wrong Kagome?”

 

            “Nothing… just not hungry anymore.”

 

            “What are you talking about? You’ve been whining about being hungry for the last two hours! What’s the problem?” He glanced at her locker and noticed the guy standing there. “Another of your friends?” he asked in a teasing voice.

 

            “He drives me crazy! Ever since I danced with him last year he won’t leave me alone! I can tell you one thing; I’m never dancing with a guy I don’t know again.”

            “I’m surprised Bankotsu let you dance with someone else. He seems kinda possessive.”

 

            “He’s not possessive. He’s protective. It’s not the same thing.”

 

            “I don’t know. He certainly doesn’t like me and I’m not going to hurt you.”

 

            “He’s never had to share me with anyone, that’s all. He feels threatened by you.”

 

            “Well I think there’s enough of you to go around.”

 

            Kagome scowled at him. “Did you just call me fat?”

 

            Immediately Miroku’s hands were up in a placating manner. “No! No, Kagome, that wasn’t what I meant at all! I would never call you…” He stopped talking when Kagome started to laugh.

 

            Of course she wished she hadn’t laughed because the sound attracted the attention of the one she’d been trying to hide from. She had hoped he would give up and move away from her locker because she really was hungry and he was blocking the way to her lunch!

 

            “There she is,” Kouga said as he walked slowly to where she’d arranged herself half-way behind the monk, using his body as a shield. If Kouga couldn’t reach her he couldn’t get all touchy-feely. She just hated when the wolf demon pawed at her. “I heard rumors that you’d found yourself a new boy toy. Where’s the old one? Did you ditch him?” he asked while shaking his head.

 

            “Kouga, Miroku is not my boy toy and neither is Bankotsu, and I would never ditch him.”

 

            “It certainly seems like it, especially with the fight you guys had yesterday.”

 

            “How do you know about…”

 

            Kouga laughed. “Everyone knows. My woman is a popular topic of discussion. So now that you’ve gotten rid of Bankotsu, you ready to come where you belong?”

 

            Miroku looked threateningly at the wolf demon. “And where exactly do you think Kagome belongs?”

 

            “Why, in my arms of course. She is my woman.”

 

            “Kouga, I am not your woman! Really, you just can’t take no for an answer, can you?”

 

            A crowd had begun to gather around the three, everyone expecting something similar to the fight that ended the dance. It had been pretty funny, watching a human lay out the arrogant demon. He deserved it, in everyone’s opinions. He was a huge jerk and he refused to listen!

 

            Bankotsu had stayed behind to talk to his teacher for a moment so he was late in arriving to their lockers. When he got there he noticed the crowd and began pushing his way through to the middle where he found his Kagome clinging to the back of the much hated monk. It took just a second to figure out why.

 

            “And there he is. I feel sorry for ya man, being ditched for the new kid.”

 

            Kagome growled behind Miroku, the sound making him glance back at her in surprise. “Kouga, I swear, if you don’t shut up and leave us alone…”

 

            “What’cha gonna do sweetheart? I think the poor guy deserves the truth. If only you’d dump the new one too everything would be perfect.”

 

            Kagome slipped out from behind Miroku before he could stop her and he and Bankotsu both froze as they watched Kagome slowly approach Kouga. The way she was walking… it looked like she was trying to seduce him and unless the wolf had suddenly materialized a banana in his pocket it was working. “Kouga,” she said in a soft breathy voice. He stood still as a statue as she placed both her hands on his shoulders and leaned in close, her lips just barely brushing his ear as she continued. “I wouldn’t be your woman if you were the last male alive.” The wolf demon crumbled to the floor in the middle of the hall, both hands clutching the family jewels. Kagome had been so kind as to punctuate her declaration with a swift knee to the balls. As she stood above him looking down she smirked. “I’d rather be alone… or a lesbian. Yeah, if my choices were you or a chick, the chick would win no contest.”

 

            Everyone simply stared at the demon on the floor and the miko who’d just taken him down for a few moments before the laughter started. Kouga was still on the floor whimpering in pain while Kagome turned and made her way to her locker like nothing of interest had just occurred. Miroku and Bankotsu both pushed their way through the crowds to reach her.

 

            Bankotsu made it to her first and poked her side with a smirk. “Remind me never to make you really mad, babe. He’s gonna be feelin’ that for a week!”

 

            “He deserved it,” was all she said before pulling her locker open.

 

            “Tough girl, huh? I guess I got off lucky then didn’t I?” Miroku asked from her other side.

 

            “Yes, you certainly did,” she said with a smile before grabbing her lunch, stuffing her books in her locker, and slamming it closed. “Stupid wolf made me miss half of lunch!” When she started to walk towards the cafeteria the crowd parted, clearing a path for her. No one wanted to get in her way at the moment. Miroku and Bankotsu walked on either side of her, both still grinning. When Kagome stepped over Kouga’s limp, whining form like he was just a puddle in her path the laughter that had slowly faded away started up again. The wolf demon wished he could just disappear.

           

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            The lunch period after the Kouga incident had given Kagome hope for the future of her friendships, but apparently she’d been wrong. Things were still just as tense as before and she was getting really tired of it. More and more the two seemed to be butting heads, and over the stupidest things too. Really, why did it matter who carried her book bag? She could carry it herself! Or she would, if they just stopped taking it from her.

 

            The rumors in the halls weren’t helping either. Bankotsu couldn’t miss all the whispers about how Kagome had picked the new guy over him. Miroku couldn’t ignore the comments that she’d ditch him eventually, that Bank would always be her priority. And Kagome wanted to scream at them all. It was no one’s business but hers and the guys. Why did everyone have to stick their nose into her business?

 

            By Thursday Kagome was ready to kick both of their asses and tell them to leave her alone. She couldn’t take much more. That morning Miroku had asked her if she wanted to hang out some time Saturday or Sunday and she’d agreed, looking forward to seeing his house and meeting his father. At lunch Bankotsu asked her if she wanted to catch a movie over the weekend and again she’d said yes. There shouldn’t have been an issue. There were two days in the weekend. There was no reason why she couldn’t do both, but apparently they disagreed.

 

            During the last class of the day they’d been broken into groups for an activity and of course Kagome partnered with Bankotsu and Miroku. It was almost impossible to get them to work together. Every time she asked a question she got nothing but silence from both as they glared at each other. They hadn’t even noticed when she turned her desk back around and finished the worksheet herself. She’d ignored them both after that, not bothering to say goodbye to either when the bell rang. She needed to get out of there. She couldn’t handle it anymore. Was it really too much to ask for her friends to get along?

 

            She’d thought about it all Thursday night. She hadn’t been able to fall asleep, her mind insisting on replaying their little jabs at each other, the thinly veiled insults they tossed back and forth like she wouldn’t notice. By morning she was so pissed that she walked right past them both as she entered the school. When Bankotsu tried to talk to her while she was at her locker she just ignored him. When Miroku tried to get her attention on her walk to their classroom she didn’t spare him a glance.

 

By lunch, when she still wouldn’t acknowledge either of them they each decided that it was the other’s fault. When they sat down at their table she stood up, throwing her entire lunch away before leaving the cafeteria. They hadn’t been able to find her after that, Bankotsu not seeing her again until the final bell rang and she stalked into the classroom and sat down, making it obvious that she didn’t want to even look at him.

 

During their final class, the one they all shared, they had been given the time to work on their assignments but Kagome couldn’t focus. It was rather hard to read her textbook when she had two angry males hissing insults and threats across her desk. “I swear to god, if you don’t stop right now I will never speak to either of you again,” she growled, still not looking at them.

 

“But Kagome, if he wasn’t such a jerk…” Miroku started but was cut off.

 

“Me? I’m being a jerk? You’re the one who grabbed her ass!”

 

“And? If she doesn’t have a problem with it…”

 

“I have a problem with it! What makes you think you can just come in here and…?”

 

“Kagome invited me to sit with her in class. Kagome invited me to sit with her at lunch. It’s not my fault you can’t handle not having her all to yourself!”

 

“I wouldn’t have a problem if I could trust you! But you’re nothing but a pervert!”

 

“And you’re acting like a spoiled child!”

 

“I’m acting like a child?”

 

“Yes, you are! You didn’t even give me a chance before you decided you didn’t like me. It’s your fault she’s angry. She shouldn’t have to choose between us!”

 

“It’s not my fault she’s angry! If it weren’t for you everything would be perfect! Everything was perfect before you came along!”

 

“You’re the one who told her to make a new friend. What right do you have to decide who she can and can’t be friends with?”

 

“I’ve been watching out for her for five years! You’ve known her for five days!”

 

Neither noticed when the bell rang and the classroom emptied. She’d warned them and they ignored her. She told them to stop and they kept fighting. She just couldn’t take it anymore. She refused to be in the middle. It took another few minutes before one of them noticed Kagome’s disappearance.

 

“Where did Kagome go?” Miroku asked, looking around the empty room. “Shit.”

 

“Great! Now she left! Thanks a lot! You’ve been a huge help!”

 

“It’s not my fault she left! If you would stop acting so possessive…”

 

“I’m not being possessive. I’m looking out for her! You can’t be trusted!”

 

“This coming from the guy that let her dance with Kouga? Ha! Great judgment there!” The two boys stuffed their things into their bags and were still yelling back and forth at each other as they left the room, both hoping to find Kagome at her locker.

 

“And I took care of it! Don’t talk about things you don’t understand. You weren’t there!”

 

“I don’t need to have been there to know that you screwed up! Obviously you aren’t smart enough to protect her,” Miroku hissed at him. They both noticed the marked lack of Kagome at her locker and continued on towards the exit.

 

“And you think you are? I could kick your ass in a second!”

 

“I’d like to see you try. I heard about it, how she saved you! You don’t protect her! You hide behind her like a toddler clinging to his mommy’s dress!”

 

“Maybe we should test your theory,” Bankotsu said, his tone screaming his challenge at the monk.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Kagome was leaning against the brick wall at the front of the school, waiting for her mother to arrive and take her home. All she wanted to do was crawl under her covers and cry. She tried to be angry but she just couldn’t anymore. It hurt more than it made her angry that neither of them cared enough to try to get along for her sake. She’d never imagined Bankotsu could be so jealous and selfish. She couldn’t help but feel that it was her fault that they were fighting. Maybe she shouldn’t have tried to make a new friend, but she just clicked with Miroku. She didn’t go looking for it. It just happened.

 

Her attention was pulled from her depressing introspective when she heard a lot of yelling and what sounded like cheering. Furrowing her brows in confusion, she found that her feet had decided for her that she needed to investigate. As she got closer she could finally figure out what everyone was chanting. Besides random ‘Ohh’ or ‘That had to hurt’ and other odd and random comments she could hear the majority of the surrounding students yelling out “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

 

‘I wonder who’s fighting,’ she thought. ‘Not that I care. I’ve had enough fighting for one day with Bank and Miro…’ she paused as she suddenly got the sinking feeling that she hadn’t seen the end of their fighting yet. ‘There’s no way it’s them. They wouldn’t really fight… would they?’ Seconds later she was pushing and shoving her way through the crowd that had formed a tight circle around the fighting pair. When she could finally see the center of attention her heart sunk. They really were fighting over her!

 

Miroku was rather surprised by just how much force Bankotsu could put into a punch. It was almost inhuman, but he wasn’t giving in. He could handle himself in a fight. He’d taken enough hits from girls and from their boyfriends in the past that he was used to it. He could just shake it off and continue on. He was mentally thanking himself for being a pervert since it had given him such a hard head, all the while trying to find a way to get a good shot in on his opponent.

 

Kagome stood there frozen for a minute, just watching as her two friends struggled against each other. Miroku’s lip was swollen and bleeding and around Bankotsu’s right eye was already changing colors, developing into a nice shiner. They both appeared to have hit the ground several times as their clothes were filthy and torn in places, and the way they were fighting the end was nowhere in sight. She let out a sigh before turning and pushing her way back out of the crowd. If they wanted to beat the hell out of each other she wasn’t going to stop them. She probably couldn’t make them stop if she tried because they obviously didn’t care about her feelings or they wouldn’t be fighting to begin with.

 

“You alright, Kagome?”

 

She looked up in surprise. Her eyes widened as she took in who had just spoken to her. Never before had he actually sounded concerned. Hell, he’d never spoken to her without his voice dripping with flirtation, but this time he sounded worried and looked honestly concerned. “I… they’re fighting because of me.”

 

“It’s not your fault, Kagome. They have to work this out on their own. Everything will be fine, and if you don’t want to talk to either of them again you’re always welcome with me.”

 

She didn’t know what to do. Kouga had never been so nice and polite before but she really didn’t want to encourage him. Then again, she really needed someone to talk to, someone to lean on since both her friends were too busy hitting each other to notice she was upset. They probably didn’t have any idea that she’d even seen them. She let out a sigh and started to walk further away from the crowd, the wolf demon walking along beside her. She tensed for a moment when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders but relaxed when she realized that there wasn’t anyone else to lean right then.

 

Kouga smirked as her head tilted to rest on his shoulder. He slowed them to a stop before turning to wrap her fully in his arms. It was like a dream come true, holding his woman tightly to his chest, shielding her from the world. He felt her sigh against him and he leaned down to nuzzle against her hair.

 

Kagome froze as she felt him bury his face in her neck and when she felt his lips pressing against her throat she growled and tried to push him away. “Kouga, let me go,” she said in a low but threatening tone.

 

“What’s that matter, Kagome? I’ll take care of you from now on.”

 Her anger flared and she began to struggle against him. “Let Me Go!”   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@   

In the middle of the throng of students, two males who had seconds before been trying to kill each other froze. Their eyes met and they instantly made a silent agreement. The crowd whined and groaned in disappointment that their entertainment was over but they moved out of the way, curious as to what could possibly have made them stop fighting so quickly. They walked side by side like brothers, and in a sense they were. Finally it was time for them to learn that.

 

When they laid eyes on her, still struggling to get out of Kouga’s arms, they glanced at each other before separating. In seconds Kagome was standing to the side, looking on as Bankotsu wrapped his arm around the wolf’s throat, holding him in place as Miroku buried his fist in the demon’s stomach. When Kouga’s hands came up to claw at the monk Bankotsu pulled him back roughly, the tips of the deadly claws just barely missing Miroku’s face. While he was still disoriented he turned and shoved him against his new fighting partner, Miroku taking hold of Kouga’s wrists while charged with his holy power to prevent escape.

 

They moved together as if they’d been fighting side by side for years. ‘It would be beautiful if it wasn’t so violent,’ Kagome thought to herself. ‘But then again, Kouga does deserve it and it’s kinda nice to see them working together instead of against each other.’ They tag teamed the supposedly powerful demon while Kagome and everyone else looked on. Miroku grabbed a handful of black hair, giving a hard tug before holding his head still, allowing Bankotsu to break Kouga’s jaw again. Leaving the panting, confused, and utterly defeated wolf lying on the ground they both made their way towards Kagome.

 

“You alright, babe?” Miroku asked with an odd looking smirk, one side of his mouth quite a bit larger than the other which gave him a rather humorous appearance.

 

“He didn’t hurt you, did he Kags?” Bankotsu asked resting one hand on the wall beside her while he tried to catch his breath.

 

“I’m okay. You two don’t look too good though.”

 

The two males looked at each other and for a second Kagome thought they were going to start fighting again. She let out a huge sigh of relief when they both started laughing.

 

“Man, you look like hell,” Miroku said between his laughing and gasping for air.

 

“Me? You should see yourself! I guess you’re pretty tough after all,” Bankotsu conceded.

“You’re not too bad either.”

 

Kagome watched as their eyes met and wondered just what they were thinking. Finally Bankotsu held out a hand in offering, Miroku taking hold of it immediately. They shook hands silently deciding that they wouldn’t fight again. They both realized that they both cared about Kagome more than themselves, that they both wanted to protect her and make her happy, and that was all that mattered. Miroku pulled her towards him and she found herself wrapped in two pairs of arms.

 

“Guys? As much as I’m glad you’ve made friends, you’re bleeding on me!”

   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@   

While it had taken a couple of weeks for the bruises to fade, and the blood stains never fully came out of her shirt, their rivalry had dissolved completely, instantly washed away by each seeing the other willing to fight for her. From that day forward they were friends, their love for Kagome bringing them together. Once they actually took the time to get to know each other they discovered that they had a lot in common and if they had only given the other a chance they could have avoided quite a bit of frustration and pain.

 Bankotsu learned that just because she had another friend didn’t mean Kagome loved him any less, and after spending a little time with the two Miroku began to understand why Bank had been so hesitant to share her attentions. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him and Bankotsu agreed wholeheartedly. Kagome was their angel and each felt that their entire world revolved around her, and they wouldn’t want it any other way.        

 

Inuyasha came up behind Kagome slowly, his arms slipping around her waist and his head resting on her right shoulder. “He is just as cruel as he acts, Kagome. There isn’t a nice guy hiding somewhere inside him.”

 

She sighed and leaned back against him. “I was told almost that exact thing about you, but they were wrong about you then and you’re wrong now.”

 

The inu hanyou made a face, looking like he was considering her words. “I really don’t think so. He’s always been an ass. But if there is anyone who can change him, it would be you,” he said before pressing a peck to her cheek and pulling away, moving to sit on the island.

 

Kagome didn’t turn around, keeping her attention focused on her task as she spoke. “There’s something in his eyes. It felt like he was silently begging me not to agree with you guys. There’s pain in them, the same pain that you had, Inuyasha, and Bank too. I don’t know why he acts the way he does but I know there’s more to him.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            By the time he’d made it to his room he’d gone from confused to angry. How dare she? How dare she say she pitied him? How dare she even assume to understand him? How dare she try to embarrass him in front of her friends, try to make him look weak? How dare she to think to tell him how he would feel in the future, how he feels now? ‘She has no idea, no idea how this Sesshoumaru feels. She has no comprehension as to why I behave as I do. She pities me? This Sesshoumaru needs no one’s pity. How can she even begin to know my feelings? She thinks she can understand me through my eyes alone? She pities me?’

 

            That was what was getting to him the most. Her words, ‘I feel sorry for you,’ were echoing in his mind. He didn’t even register the pain or the fact that it had lessened as she spoke with something like compassion in her voice. He didn’t realize that she was giving him a chance to open up to her, a chance to show her more of himself which was what he’d been hoping for. All he could think of was the pity. His ego would not allow him to be pitied by a weak mortal. It was unacceptable. He lay on his back in the middle of his bed absolutely fuming, wishing he’d told her off, told her she was wrong, told her he had no need of her pity.

             ‘This Sesshoumaru is not lonely. The miko has no idea what she’s talking about. I have no friends because I choose to have none. I need no friends. If this Sesshoumaru wished it, people would line up to associate with me, to call me friend.’  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            It hadn’t taken Kagome long to finish her signature dinner, taco salads. She passed out the bowls and everyone found places to sit around the kitchen. The table was small, only four chairs, so Kagome sat on the island, loving how her feet dangled off the side, and Inuyasha leaned against the counter, not far from the last bowl she’d made that no one was eating.

 

            “See, Kags? He won’t even come eat when you invite him. He thinks he’s too good for us, too good to eat with us. Asshole,” Inuyasha said, trying to convince her to give up on Sesshoumaru. It unnerved him that she was showing such compassion to someone who most definitely didn’t deserve it. And he’d been watching Sesshoumaru closely, remembering what his father said. Something was definitely off with the demon. Never before would he have stood there and allowed anyone to talk to him the way he, Bankotsu, and even Kagome had.

 

Add to that the fact that the nearly emotionless taiyoukai had popped a boner in front of everyone when he’d never showed any interest in dating or girls for as long as he could remember. He didn’t really think it was because of Jak. He didn’t think his half-brother was gay, he just enjoyed screwing with him, but if it wasn’t that then what had caused it? The only girl around was Kagome and his brother couldn’t possibly have been turned on by her. Sesshoumaru would never be interested in a human, not with the way he spoke about humans on the whole and how disgusted he was with hanyou. So what the hell had caused his brother to be so obviously aroused?

 

“Maybe he thinks that since you guys made it obvious you don’t want him around that I didn’t mean it or something,” Kagome said, dropping from the counter. She grabbed the bowl she’d made for the missing demon and some chopsticks before disappearing out the door. No one tried to stop her, knowing she was going to do what she wanted either way.

 

Deciding he needed some more cheese, Inuyasha grabbed his bowl and walked around the island to the other side where Kagome’d left the remaining toppings. His brows furrowed as he saw reddish brown dry streaks on the counter. It looked like dried blood, but he didn’t remember anyone wiping it up while he was healing her finger, and if someone had set out to clean up the blood they certainly wouldn’t have left such an obvious streak. After adding cheese he decided since he was already up… Opening the bottle of taco sauce and pouring some on his food he noticed that he dripped and went to wipe it up with his fingers.

 

While his taco sauce seasoned digits were in his mouth his eyes were drawn to the counter as something struck him. Where he’d just wiped up the red sauce with his fingers there was a streak that looked almost identical to the dried blood, but that meant that… Sesshoumaru… had tasted Kagome’s blood. He wanted to growl as he realized that had to be it. The taste of her blood was amazing and he had a hard time not being aroused by it himself, but for Sesshoumaru to react so strongly to it, for him to want to taste it to begin with, meant something that he didn’t want to believe.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            “You, you think you’re such a badass, you think you’re such a roughneck, but I saw you outside eatin’ truffles with your moms on the patio. I think it’s really sad though…” Kagome sang softly on her way up the stairs. “You, you think you’re still a badass, you think you’re still a roughneck, well let’s take this outside…”

 

            Sesshoumaru heard a soft knock on his door and snapped out an angry sounding, “What?”

 

            Kagome opened the door slowly. “Sesshoumaru?” she said as she stepped inside. “You didn’t come downstairs for dinner so I brought you a bowl.”

 

            Sesshoumaru didn’t say anything at first as he heard her set the bowl and chopsticks on his desk. He was still too angry. He hated pity! “This Sesshoumaru does not need your pity or your charity,” he said in a condescending tone.

 

            Kagome looked at him in shock for a moment as his words settled in. She picked up the bowl she’d brought and looked at him. “Fine then,” she snapped at him before slowly turning the bowl upside down, dumping the contents over as much of the floor as she could without moving her feet. When it was empty she tossed it on the foot of the bed carelessly, bouncing it off his foot. “I guess Inuyasha was right. You are just an asshole.” The longer she spoke the louder she got. She couldn’t believe how rude he was being! She brought him fucking dinner and he acted like this?

 

            Sesshoumaru noticed the pain in his chest growing as her anger flared but tried to ignore it.

 

“Offering you dinner is not charity you arrogant fuck! I offered because I cooked it for everyone. It was a thank you for letting me stay here last night and for the next few days. And the pity? I can’t help but pity you. But it’s your own fault you’re alone and lonely, your choice.”

 

“This Sesshoumaru needs no one.”

 

“Sure you don’t. Keep telling yourself that. Oh, and about earlier, I changed my mind. Don’t talk to me. I don’t want your negativity and hate to poison me.” She was yelling now, her face turning red. She wanted to slap him! She couldn’t believe the attitude. And she thought that there was something good in him? Ha!

 

The longer she yelled the more obvious it was that she hated him; that he’d screwed things up so badly there was no chance of repair.

 

“I guess I was wrong. Maybe you are nothing but black inside. Do you even have a heart? Or does a powerful being like you have no need for one?”

 

As he could feel and hear her anger and hatred, the pain grew worse and worse. Soon he was clutching at his chest with his claws, not noticing as he tore through his shirt.

 

“What’s wrong now? Your heart trying to claw its way out before it shrivels and dies in such a hostile environment?”

 

Her tone was dark and her eyes were flashing bright blue like lighting was striking behind them. He’d never seen her look like that before, never seen her look so absolutely frightening. He didn’t even know she could get so angry and never expected her to show it so openly. His eyes grew wide as he realized he couldn’t breathe. He looked at her with shock and pain shown clearly across his face.

 

“Don’t even look at me like that,” she said, not noticing or caring that it was true pain showing in his eyes, pain and panic. “…like I hurt your precious feelings. You don’t have feelings to hurt,” she yelled before walking out and slamming his door behind her.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

Everyone downstairs could hear her yelling, each smiling, enjoying the thought of the stuck up prick incurring her wrath. “Never shoulda pissed her off,” Inuyasha said with a laugh.

 

“I wonder what he said,” Shippo added.

 

When the front door slammed a minute or so after his bedroom door everyone jumped up. It was dark out, and cold, and Kagome couldn’t be out there alone. When they reached the door and Bankotsu opened it everyone let out a sigh of relief. She was sitting on the single step in front of the door. “I got it,” Bank said, everyone else taking the hint and walking back towards the kitchen. Bankotsu stepped outside and closed the door softly behind him. “Kagome? Are you alright?”

 

She laughed. “I should have known better. I’ve never seen him act any other way in over four years. Why did I think he was something more?”

 

He settled next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Because you like to think that there’s good inside everyone. What did he say?”

 

“This Sesshoumaru doesn’t need your pity or charity,” she said while mocking the taiyoukai’s tone. “And that he ‘needs no one’. I hope he has fun cleaning the taco sauce out of his carpet.”

 

Bank snorted and looked at her in shock. “Why is there taco sauce on his carpet?”

 

Kagome smirked evilly. “Cuz I dumped the whole bowl all over his floor. If he didn’t need my charity then he didn’t need my food either.”

 

“That’s my girl,” he said with a smile. “But can we go inside? It’s cold out here.”

 

“Fine, but I’m just gonna go lay down. I feel like crap. You know how I hate having to yell. Being angry makes me feel sick.”

 

“Alright girlie, let’s go then.” He stood, pulling her up after him and they went inside. Once the door was closed behind them Kagome found herself wrapped around Bankotsu as he lifted her from the ground, her arms and legs moving on their own, and started up the stairs. He waited as she took off her jeans and then her top, which was really his to begin with, before he took off his t-shirt and tossed it at her. She smiled as she pulled it over her head before taking her bra off under the giant shirt. She scooted into the bed, pressing herself against the wall and sighing. “Go to sleep. I’ll be up later.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            He’d never felt pain like this before. He’d never had trouble breathing like this. For a few minutes Sesshoumaru was sure he was going to die right then and there. Eventually he was able to draw in full breaths but the pain didn’t fade away. It was like she’d stabbed him in the heart with every single word and he knew it was his fault. She really had been inviting him for dinner and he’d been nothing but rude. He sat up, the bowl next to his foot slipping off the bed but thankfully not shattering because of the high plush carpeting. Glancing at his floor he almost laughed. Well, now he knew not to upset her again, but then she’d told him never to speak to her again so he wouldn’t likely have the chance anyway. With that memory his chest clenched and a searing pain began to burn behind his eyes.

 

            The phone rang then and he snatched it up instantly, wanting only to end the shrill sound. “What?” he snapped into the receiver.

 

            “Sesshoumaru? You know, it’s not nice to hang up on your father.”

 

            He let out a sigh. Maybe now he could get the old fool to tell him what was happening! “This Sesshoumaru did not hang up on you father. I passed out. I didn’t wake up until almost two hours later. The pain has worsened and I was unable to breathe properly for nearly ten minutes. Whatever this is, it will not wait for your explanation. It is going to kill me. What is it?”

 

            Katsuro sighed. “Who is it, Sesshoumaru?”

 

            “Who is what?”

 

            “Who is the girl you’re dreaming about? I am correct in the assumption that it’s a girl, right?”

 

            “Yes, it is a girl, but how does her identity matter? Tell me what you know!” Sesshoumaru snarled into the phone, wishing he could reach through it and shake his father until he finally gave up the answers he needed. This was not the time for games!

 

            “Who is she?”

 

            “You will tell me what is happening and then perhaps I will tell you who.”

 

            “Sesshoumaru now isn’t the time to be making demands. I will be visiting tomorrow with my contractor. They boys want to put a bathroom in for Kagome so she…” Katsuro paused when he heard a groan of pain. “Sesshoumaru? I’ll be there tomorrow and I’ll explain as much as I can. This isn’t common, Sesshoumaru. It’s completely the opposite. It’s so rare that not everyone in the demon medical field even believe that it exists. Our family, however, has a long history of it. I had it too.”

 

            Sesshoumaru allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. So whatever it was, it wasn’t deadly. “When will it end?”

 

            “End? My son, I don’t think you understand. It will continue until it is resolved or until it kills you, whichever comes first.”

 

            Sesshoumaru’s eyes widened. “What do you mean until it kills me? How is it resolved? Tell me and this Sesshoumaru will do so.”

 

            “It’s not that easy, Sesshoumaru. You must reconcile yourself with your beast. You must follow where it leads you. Only she can heal you. Only she can save your life.”

 

            “Only she…?”

 

            “Only the girl from your dreams, the one who can ease the pain or make it unfathomable with nothing but a glance. Tell me, this is very important Sesshoumaru, when did the dreams start? How long has this been happening?”

 

            Sesshoumaru was lost in his thoughts for a moment. ‘Only Kagome can heal me? Only Kagome can save my life?’ He was ripped from his contemplation by his father insisting he tell him how long. “The dreams began shortly after the beginning of my sophomore year.”

 

            “Oh thank Kami. It’s only been a few months. I was afraid it would have been longer than that.”

 

            “Why?” Sesshoumaru asked warily.

 

            “The longer it lasts the worse it will get. No one has ever survived past five years and only the strongest made it that far.”

 

            “Father, I did not mean my sophomore year of college. I meant my sophomore year of high school.” There was nothing but silence on the line. Finally Sesshoumaru couldn’t handle the quiet. “What does it mean? It has been over four years. Do you mean to say that this Sesshoumaru will die within the year?”

 

            His voice was just a whisper when he finally answered. “No one has survived past five years. Why? Why didn’t you ask me sooner? Why did you wait so long? You had to have noticed the other symptoms. This is why you never dated, isn’t it? Why didn’t you tell me the truth when I asked, Sesshoumaru?”

 

            Sesshoumaru didn’t know what to say. He’d been too embarrassed to go to his father about his inability to be aroused by anyone but her. He couldn’t bring himself to talk about the erotic dreams. His pride had kept him quiet until the pain was unbearable and now he was going to die.

 

            “Sesshoumaru, please tell me she is someone you are at least friends with. Please tell me you haven’t treated her like you treat everyone else. Tell me!”

 

            “I cannot. She is not pleased with this Sesshoumaru. I believe she dislikes me a great deal. How is the female significant? I do not understand. Why must you speak in riddles? How must I reconcile myself with my beast? Where is he going to lead? And what does it have to do with her?”

 

            “Sesshoumaru, my son, you have very little time to figure it out. I cannot tell you everything. There are things you must discover on your own. She is the key, the focus. You must become one with your beast. The very fact that you are suffering this indicates that you have attempted to lock him away, deny him his freedom and ignore him. Sesshoumaru, I told you years ago that it was unwise to try to separate yourself from your more animalistic and instinctive side. And now you have it.”

 

            “But what is it?” he snarled in frustration.

 

            “The Syndrome,” his father whispered. “You have the Syndrome.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Inuyasha looked down at the phone in his hand, unsure what he’d just heard. When the phone rang he knew it would be his father calling to tell them what time to expect him and the contractor, but when he picked it up Sesshoumaru was talking. Always too nosey for his own good, Inuyasha had stayed silent, listening with interest to their conversation. So there was something wrong with Sesshoumaru? Something that had to do with his beast and dreams and pain and a girl. And apparently it was a bad thing that the girl didn’t like Sesshoumaru. And it was why he hadn’t dated all this time? None of it made sense. He didn’t like his brother but he didn’t want him to die either. The hanyou found him self wondering if there was some way he could help but he wasn’t supposed to know. Maybe he could ask their father about it.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            “So the first step is to reconcile with my beast. How do I do so?”

 

            “After so long, Sesshoumaru, I’m not sure. But it will be dangerous to her now. He’s waited so long that you may lose all control to him. He could hurt her.”

 

            “Why would he hurt her? I don’t understand! There has to be more information somewhere. There has to be an old book or scroll that explains it. There has to be something!”

 

            “Sesshoumaru, you have to calm yourself and do as I say. Tell your brother that I will arrive around noon tomorrow. Then ask Miroku to place sutras around your windows, on your walls, and over your door, locking you inside. You must do so to protect her because if she is injured or killed you will die. Then I want you to meditate. Do you remember how I taught you to connect with your beast? That is what you must do. You must allow him the chance to communicate with you, to make you aware of what it is he wishes. I cannot tell you what he wants, though I have an idea. You must allow him to tell you and then you must do so, no matter what it takes you must follow where he leads you.”

 

            “Are the sutras really necessary?” Sesshoumaru asked, frustrated. He really didn’t want to go down there and talk to them, let alone ask for help. “This Sesshoumaru has extraordinary control. My beast has never gained complete control.”

 

            “Which is what got you into this mess to begin with! You will do as I say Sesshoumaru, because if you do not you may find that you’ve done something horrible, something that can never be taken back. He has been waiting for over four years for you to listen. He may no longer be satisfied by simply telling you. He may wish to take matters into his own hands. If you refuse to do as I say, I will come over there right now and have it done myself. I will not allow you to put a woman’s life at risk because you are a stubborn, arrogant dog!”

 

            Sesshoumaru didn’t know what to say. His father had never yelled at him, never once in his entire life. Lectured, sure, but never yelled. Apparently this was as serious as he made it sound. And he’d been hoping his father had merely been exaggerating.

 

            “Tell me you are going to do as I say, Sesshoumaru! You’re not too big to put over my knee young man!”

 

            Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and sighed but replied. “I will do as you said, father. I will ask the monk to contain me in my room with sutras and I will meditate and communicate with my beast. When shall I tell them to remove the sutras?”

 

            “You won’t. I will determine whether it is safe to do so when I arrive.”

 

            “Yes father.”

 

            “Now go do it Sesshoumaru. I will see you tomorrow and hopefully by then you will know what you must do.”

 

            With another ‘yes father’ and then some forced promising and word giving they finally hung up, Sesshoumaru just laying there and looking at the ceiling for a while. His stomach rumbled and he found himself regretting rejecting the food Kagome’d brought him. It smelled good and he was hungry.

 

 @@ 4 Years Ago @@  

            In just a week they would be starting high school. Kagome let out a sigh. She was nervous, even with Bankotsu and Miroku sitting on either side of her. She’d never been in a building quite this big before and the whole place was intimidating. Hearing her sigh, Bankotsu’s arm wrapped around her shoulders while Miroku’s fingers laced with hers, both in an attempt to soothe her. They’d been sitting there for at least twenty minutes and the guy with the microphone was still talking! How much could he possibly have to say? They’d heard about school policies; the dress code, the honor code, and more. He’d introduced several of the teachers and administrators and he’d explained the basic layout of their day and the warning and late bells. What else could there possibly be?

 

            She was almost asleep when the auditorium was suddenly filled with noise. Jerking her head up and looking around she heard Bank laugh. “We’re supposed to get in line to get our schedules and locker info. Was it really so boring that you fell asleep?”

 

            She shot him an annoyed look. “I wasn’t asleep… yet. Come on. If we just sit here we’re gonna be at the end of the line and never get out of here!”

 

            “So eager to escape already?” Miroku asked with a laugh.

 

            “It’s just so big,” was all she said before standing and making her way to the end of the line, her two friends hot on her trail.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            He so didn’t want to be here. Why did his parents have to go on vacation this week of all weeks? His father should have known better than to expect his asshole brother to help him out. He was here alright but he was doing everything he could to distance his pretentious ass from him. And so he was alone, surrounded by strangers and wishing he didn’t have such powerful hearing. He didn’t need to know what the other students and their families thought of him. Why were they even paying attention to him? They were supposed to be listening to the principal drone on and on about nothing, not discussing his ears or his dirty blood.

 

            When the talking was finally over he almost dove out of his seat, hoping to get in the front of the line so he could get the hell out of there. He bumped into a dark haired girl and was afraid for a moment that he’d knocked her over but a quick glance let him know that what had to be her boyfriend from the way he held her, caught her before she hit the ground. He didn’t stop to apologize. They wouldn’t listen to him anyway, not once they noticed. He wished that hell would just open up and swallow him whole. It had to be better than this. Anything would be better than this.

 

            He managed to get fairly close to the front of the line because of his haste, but that didn’t mean much with the way it was crawling forward. He’d still be standing there forever. He glanced to his left and noticed the bastard leaning against the wall on the far side of the auditorium. ‘I would’ve been better off coming alone. Lotta good he’s doing me pretending I don’t exist.’

 

            “I can’t believe they let half-breeds go to school here,” he heard whispered somewhere to his right. His ears twitched as he wished he could find some way to drown it all out.

 

            “Disgusting. He should have been killed at birth.”

 

            “You know if his father wasn’t rich he wouldn’t be here.”

 

            “Looks like his father doesn’t give a damn. Didn’t even bother to show up.”

 

            “Look, do you see that? There’s a half-demon over there!”

 

            “Filthy hanyou. He’d better keep his distance from me.”

 

            The whispering continued all around him and his ears plastered to the top of his head. They had to know he could hear them but it was obvious that they simply didn’t care. He was just a dirty blooded half-breed. He didn’t deserve polite consideration.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Bankotsu wanted to teach the idiot who almost plowed Kagome over a lesson in manners but she’d stopped him, not wanting to start off the school year with a fight. She waved once more to her mother who was leaving with Bankotsu’s mother to have some coffee while they explored the school. Miroku’s father was busy, out on a date like usual, so he’d ridden with them as well. They had about an hour and a half to get their schedules, find their lockers, and search out all their classes so they wouldn’t be completely lost on the first day.

 

            She sighed and leaned back against Bank’s chest, bored out of her mind. Deciding that she had to do something to pass the time, Kagome began looking over all the people bustling around the room. Some she recognized from middle school but many were strangers. Three middle schools all funneled into one high school so there would be lots of new faces. As her eyes traveled from face to face her attention was captured.

 

            ‘He’s beautiful,’ she thought to herself as she gave the demon a once over. Leaning against the wall, closer to the front of the lines and the entrance, was the epitome of sexiness in her opinion. He was tall, always a plus, with long straight silver hair. His pale skin had a glow to it and she felt her hands twitch as her eyes followed the markings on his cheeks and forehead. Kagome was a bit surprised by her reaction to the male. She’d never felt anything quite so powerful as the sudden urge to wrap her hands in his hair and trace his markings with her tongue. Her fingers twitched again as she noticed his long fluffy white tail thrown over one shoulder. ‘It looks so… soft.’ He looked absolutely delicious and was definitely the hottest guy she’d seen in a long, long time.

 

He wore a blue t-shirt and dark jeans, his hands in the pockets. He looked absolutely bored, like he wished he was somewhere else. She couldn’t drag her eyes off of him. She could see just the slightest hint of his muscled chest and abdomen where the cotton fabric clung to his skin and she was once again overcome with an urge, this time to peel that shirt off him and kiss every inch of skin she could find. She tried to shake off the feeling but it was hanging on tight and refused to give in. She watched as his eyes slowly opened and she let out a startled gasp. He had the most amazing golden eyes, but that wasn’t what made her gasp. No, it was when his eyes seemed to lock with hers for just an instant it felt like electricity was flowing through her entire body that surprised her. The eye contact didn’t last anywhere near long enough as the next second he appeared to be looking elsewhere, but her body still hummed with whatever had just shot through her, giving every inch of her the tingles.

 

Bankotsu nudged Miroku to draw his attention to their little miko. They’d never seen her quite so enthralled before. Both males followed her line of sight to figure out just who she was staring at, both shaking their heads. They should have expected it. She always had found demons attractive. Her mother thought it was a rebellious thing; that because she was a miko and was supposed to be a demon’s natural enemy she liked demons purely for shock value. But that wasn’t it. They knew she couldn’t care less what people thought of her. She was drawn to demons for some other reason, but they hadn’t figured out why just yet.

 

Bank had to snap his fingers in front of her face a couple of times to get her attention, letting her know that the line was moving. She blushed, knowing they’d noticed her focus, and took a few steps forward before resuming her perusal of the room, trying and failing to keep her eyes from returning to the silver haired demon. It was like he was a magnet and her eyes were unsuspecting paperclips that were caught in its force field.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

He wanted to roll his eyes but he would never allow anyone to see him do anything so common. Why had his father sentenced him to this hell? It was bad enough he was going to have to attend the same school as the half-breed. Why did he have to escort him to freshman orientation? The idiot could have made it on his own. The last thing he wanted was for people to identify the hanyou as his half-brother. It was embarrassing. How his father had fallen so low as to mate a human and sire a half-demon he would never know. He’d spent his whole life trying to figure it out but no answers were forthcoming. His father, a powerful taiyoukai, lowering himself to lay with a human was just incomprehensible.

 

He’d been ordered to bring Inuyasha to the orientation but nothing had been said about sitting with him or associating with him in any way so that was exactly what Sesshoumaru was doing. He intended to stand right where he was until the hanyou had retrieved his information and located his classes and then they would return home and he would do his best to forget the entire torturous experience.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

He’d finally reached the front of the line and now had his schedule and locker information. All Inuyasha wanted to do was get out of there. He couldn’t take it, all the whispered comments and obvious distaste for his very existence. He was entirely alone, just him against the rest of the world and it was more than he could handle at the moment. He made his way to where Sesshoumaru was standing, ready to leave.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Kagome watched as another silver haired boy approached the first and she smiled. They had to be brothers. The similarities were unmistakable. The moving line had brought them much closer to where they were standing and she found that she could now hear them talking. She knew it wasn’t polite to eavesdrop but she was just too curious. She had an incredible desire to hear the sexy demon’s voice.

    

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

“I’ve got it. Let’s go,” was all Inuyasha said when he reached his ass of an older half-brother.

 

Sesshoumaru glared down at the hanyou who dared speak to him in public. “Father wished for you to locate your locker and classes before we depart and you will do so. This Sesshoumaru will not take the blame for your laziness.”

 

“I’m not being lazy you bastard,” the hanyou hissed. “I just wanna get the hell out of here!”

 

“It is not the fault of this Sesshoumaru that you are a filthy half-breed. You have your pathetic human mother to thank for that. You may as well come to terms with your status now. You are and always will be an outsider. No one will ever wish to associate with you. You are nothing but a disgrace and an abomination that should have been exterminated long ago.”

 

“Fuck you, asshole!” Inuyasha almost yelled before stalking out of the auditorium. If he had to find his locker and classes before the jerk would take him home then he would, but he would do it quickly. He didn’t want to be there for a minute longer than he had to.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Kagome was confused. They had to be related, but she’d never seen anyone treat a family member like her cute demon just had. It was unbelievable just how rude and downright cruel he’d been. All the other boy wanted was to leave. Going over their brief conversation, if you could even consider it such, she decided that they must be half-brothers, her guess based mostly on the human mother comment. But she still didn’t understand the obvious disgust the older brother had spoken with.

 

            She turned and looked at Bankotsu. “Bank, what did he mean, filthy half-breed?”

 

            Miroku and Bankotsu looked at each other for a moment. She didn’t know. She’d been sheltered from the prejudice so far in her life but apparently that was about to end. They hadn’t had any half-demons in their school so she’d never heard the horrible names the humans and demons alike would call them.

 

            Looking back down at her he gave her a small smile. “I’ll explain it to you later, Kaggie. Not here, okay?”

 

            She nodded, though she was still confused. Why did he look so sad? And why would one brother call another any of the things that she’d heard? A scowl covered her usually smiling face and she made a decision. No matter how cute the silver haired demon was, he was a huge jerk. Being attractive does not excuse poor manners and right then she vowed that she didn’t care how hot he was, how fast he made her heart beat in her chest or how he literally made her mouth water; she would never give him the time of day. She was a busy girl after all and she didn’t have time for rude, inconsiderate, and condescending assholes.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Finally they had their schedules and Kagome stood in the hall comparing them. “Well, I’ve got one of you in each of my classes except history, both of you in math and science. We’ve got the same lunch period and our lockers are in the same section. Not too bad.”

 

            “Eh, it could be better,” Bankotsu said before taking the papers from her and handing them to Miroku. He lifted her up and onto his shoulders while she giggled.

 

            “I can almost touch the ceiling! Stand on your toes Bankie!”

 

            “Bankie?” Miroku asked, trying not to laugh but failing.

 

            “Well, he called me Kaggie. It’s only fair! On your toes! Come on!”

 

            “You are an odd girl, Kaggie,” Bank said before he humored her and lifted up on his toes. When he heard her cheer, having succeeded in her goal to touch the ceiling, he lowered back down and began to walk forward. “So, navigator? Where to first?” he asked the monk at his side.

 

            “Onward, into the great eggshell yonder,” he said while pointing ahead of them.

 

            “Miroku, have you lost your mind completely?”

 

            “What? Didn’t like it? But… don’t you get it? Off to the great blue yonder? And the walls are all that off white color Jak insists on calling eggshell?”

 

            Kagome and Bankotsu both glanced at their friend before shaking their heads. “Lost his mind,” they said at the same time.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            He was searching out his classes as fast as possible, doing his best to avoid running into anyone. He heard footsteps approaching and was about to turn the corner when he heard the sweetest sound of feminine laughter. He stopped in his tracks as she came into view, a miko sitting on the shoulders of a human male that oddly enough had a demon mark on his forehead. Beside him walked another human male, this one obviously a monk in training. Looking up at the giggling girl he froze. ‘She’s incredible,’ he thought, her gray eyes flashing bright blue like lightning across a cloud covered sky.

 

            When she saw him standing there she wanted to say something, anything, but she didn’t know what. She felt her heart ache at the look in his eyes and turned quickly away, unable to stand the sight of such pain and suffering.

 

            When she turned away he wanted to slap himself. ‘Of course she turned away! You’re a filthy hanyou and she’s a miko! She would never… She’s just like the rest of them, just like everyone else.’ His shoulders slumped in defeat and he walked in the opposite direction even though his next destination was the other way. He couldn’t stand to see her again. Something about her had given him hope, but it was ripped away just as quickly as it had come and he was left once again with nothing.

           

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            That night Bankotsu and Miroku both stayed at the shrine. They’d decided that since there was only a week worth of summer break left they were going to make the most of it, and tonight was the first of their ‘Final Week of Freedom’ as Kagome’d so dubbed it.

 

            Once they were alone Bankotsu decided he might as well get it over with. “Kagome, you still wanna know about half-breeds?”

 

            She nodded but looked at him in concern. “If you don’t wanna talk about it you don’t have to.”

 

            “No, it’s alright. It’s just… you remember what I told you before, about this,” he said while gesturing to his forehead.

 

            “Yeah, that your father was a demon and your Mom’s a miko like me and my mom, so you’re a half demon.”

 

            “Yes, but I never explained it to anyone else because human and demons alike both hate half demons. Jak and I got lucky. All we got were the marks. They can’t sense it, monks, mikos, demons, none of them can detect either our demon or holy energies because they cancel each other out.”

 

            “But why do they hate half demons?”

 

            “Demons see them as weak, as a disgrace, and they don’t approve of humans and demons mating. Human don’t like it either. They all think that demons should be with demons and humans with humans, and any offspring of a human and a demon are basically tormented their entire lives for what they are, not human but not demon either. They’re… we’re not accepted anywhere. We don’t belong with either side, and the middle isn’t a fun place to be. You heard some of the comments, didn’t you?” Kagome nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “If they knew the truth about me and Jak it would be the same way for us. It’s bad enough that every demon wants to know how we ended up with the marks anyway.”

 

            “So you mean he’s probably never had any friends?”

 

            “It’s not likely, Kags,” Miroku said with sadness in his voice. He didn’t see what the big deal was. He had been friends with Bank for two years before he was trusted with the secret, but when he found out it didn’t change anything. He didn’t know why people couldn’t just accept it. If a human and a demon fell in love they should be allowed the same happiness as demon or human couples. And it wasn’t the child’s fault. He couldn’t understand why they tormented the innocent children.

 

            “And the other one, the one who looked like him?”

 

            “He was a full demon, an inu taiyoukai. The hanyou has to be his half-brother,” Bankotsu answered.

 

            “His brother’s an asshole,” she said with great determination, causing both of her friends to smile.

 

            “Yes, he certainly came across that way, didn’t he?” Miroku asked with a smirk.

 

            “Bank, I’m so glad you didn’t have to suffer like that.”

 

            “You know you saved me from it, right babe? They stopped questioning the mark because of you. Your friendship made all the difference in the world.” He watched as the tears finally started to slide down her cheeks. “Hey, no crying now, Kaggie.”

 

            She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “I can’t help it. It’s not right. It’s not fair.”

 

            “Maybe not, but there’s nothing you can do about it. That’s just the way things are,” he said while holding his arms open to her.

 

            Kagome crawled into his lap and tried her best not to think about it. They were right; there wasn’t anything she could do about it. She couldn’t change the opinions of the whole world. But maybe she could make a difference in one more life.

 

            Miroku and Bankotsu did their best to distract her for the rest of the evening as they watched movies and ate popcorn until the dead of night. They would have stayed up longer but Kagome had fallen asleep and neither wanted to wake her so the guys turned in as well.

 

            Even in her sleep the thoughts refused to leave her mind. She had seen the same pain and fear in Bankotsu’s eyes when they first met, like he was afraid she would treat him like the others, afraid she was just another one of them. Was that what he was thinking then? The boy with the adorable silvery white ears, was he afraid she would reject him, that she would see him like everyone else did? Because she wouldn’t… and she didn’t. It didn’t matter to her what he was or wasn’t. Those golden eyes, not the cold ones of the elder but the pained ones of the younger, wouldn’t leave her alone and she found that she didn’t want them to.

    

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            He couldn’t get her out of his mind, the girl with lightning in her eyes. The way she looked at him, it wasn’t the same as everyone else; at least he hadn’t thought so until she looked away. And now he was replaying it over and over in his head. What had he seen in those eyes? What was she thinking when she looked at him? What came to her mind when she saw him? Hanyou, half-breed, half-demon, filth, disgusting, worthless, despicable… the choices were endless but always negative. He knew better than to think that anyone could see past what he was to who he was. It just wasn’t going to happen. His parents had sentenced him to a life full of torment and loneliness with their love. But he couldn’t blame them. They both loved him. It was the rest of the world that was the problem.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Sesshoumaru sat straight up in bed, eyes wide and a gasp on his lips. ‘What in the hell was that?’ He’d never had a dream anywhere near like that before in his entire life. He was much too civilized to have erotic dreams, or so he thought until now. He’d never seen a beauty like that before, and the way her body looked, shimmering with sweat and writhing beneath his attentions, so responsive. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get the image of her out of his head. Her raven black hair, her amazing eyes, her voice… it was like an angel calling out his name in her ecstasy. If only she was real… if she was a living being he would mate her in an instant. She was absolute perfection and he knew somehow that no female would ever quite compare to the one he’d just dreamt of.

 

            Deep in his subconscious, locked away and ignored, his beast purred in pleasure. Yes, she was perfection… and she was the one they wanted, the one that would be their mate. Too bad his civilized side didn’t realize that she wasn’t a figment of his imagination, didn’t know he’d laid eyes on her that very day. He would find out soon enough though. She would catch his attention and he would figure it out. The young taiyoukai would soon know that he had already seen his future mate, and until he did the beast was determined to remind him of their dream girl, their goddess, their love. He would ensure that she would be their mate. There would be no other, could be no other choice.

 

           

           

  

            Inuyasha hung up the phone once both his father and brother had before heading into the living room to relay the strange conversation and warn them about what was to come. Half of him didn’t want Miroku to help Sesshoumaru at all, still angry about how he’d treated Kagome and disturbed about what he’d deduced about the blood in the kitchen. The other half, however, relished in the idea of locking Sesshoumaru in his room for the night. It would be entertaining to see how he acted when he decided he wanted out.

 

            Jakotsu had left shortly after Kagome had retired for the night. Bankotsu had called him a cab since he didn’t want to leave the house when Kagome was still so upset. He wanted to wring the taiyoukai’s neck for making her so angry. He, Miroku, and Shippo had been staring at the television without really paying attention for almost a half hour before Inuyasha returned to the room with an odd smirk on his face.

 

            “What’s got you so happy?” Shippo asked suspiciously.

 

            “There’s something wrong with the bastard and Pop’s just made him promise to come down here and ask Miroku to seal him up with sutras in his room for the night.” Everyone reacted just like the hanyou had hoped, with stunned silence and wide eyes.

 

            “What’s wrong with him?” Shippo asked curiously once he could get his mind past the thought of Sesshoumaru asking for help from anyone.”

 

            “Dunno. Pops called it the Syndrome, but that doesn’t even sound like a real name, just something he made up. It’s got something to do with dreams and pain and his beast and some girl. Sesshoumaru refused to tell Dad who she is, but not for lack of asking. Stubborn bastard. I guess it’s serious though. He said no one has ever survived it for more than five years, and those were the strongest. And Sesshoumaru’s had it for over four I guess. And he never said anything to Dad about it before now, like today.”

 

            “So he’s going to die?” Miroku asked, genuinely concerned. Sure, they all hated the guy but not liking him and wanting to see him dead were two different things. Bankotsu was having a hard time deciding which side he was on though. Several times today he’d wanted to kill the taiyoukai but for him to actually die, not so much fun.

 

            “I guess. He’s gotta do something like make friends with his beast and then find out what it wants, if that makes any sense at all. And he’s gotta be locked in because Sesshoumaru waited so long, to protect the girl. Pops said she might be at risk of his beast gaining full control and hurting her somehow.”

 

            “But what does the girl have to do with it at all?” Shippo asked curiously.

 

            “Dunno. Dad wouldn’t explain and Sesshoumaru didn’t really say anything that would give it away. But I guess the girl is in the dreams and can make the pain better or worse with just a look. Sounds like it sucks, a girl that can hurt you without moving or saying a word when you piss her off? Scary.”

 

            “I wonder who the gi…” Bankotsu’s thought was cut off by a hissed ‘Shhhh,’ as Inuyasha and Shippo heard Sesshoumaru’s bedroom door open.

 

            “Well, here we go,” Inuyasha said with a smirk before settling to stare at the television as if he’d been doing so the whole time instead of listening to their conversation and then telling the guys about it.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Sesshoumaru headed into the kitchen and dumped the mess of food he’d collected off his carpet in the garbage before dropping the bowl in the sink. He wondered for a moment where she was, his girl, the one who could heal him and save his life. He almost laughed at the ridiculous thought, would have if it hadn’t hurt so badly. There was no way she would heal him and save him. She didn’t even want to look at him and he couldn’t blame her.

 

He found himself wondering what the point was in even trying to find out what his beast wanted. Really, it didn’t matter. If it had anything at all to do with Kagome then he knew it wouldn’t happen. He sighed again, something he’d been doing increasingly more often over the last few months. He’d promised his father and he kept his promises, even if they were nothing but a giant waste of time.

 

He steeled his nerves before walking into the living room. “Father wished for me to tell you that he and the contractor will arrive around noon tomorrow.” He paused there, not sure how he was going to manage the second part.

 

Inuyasha looked up. “Yeah, fine. So what’re you still doin’ standin’ there?” The hanyou was sporting a serious grin and Sesshoumaru got the strangest feeling that his brother knew exactly why he was still there.

 

Focusing his vision on the monk, the taiyoukai finally spoke again. “I am in need of your assistance.”

 

Miroku looked up with that same smirk as Inuyasha and once again the suspicious feeling washed over him. “What could you possibly need my help with?”

 

“I require you to seal the windows, walls, and door of my room with sutras, ones strong enough to keep me contained no matter what I do in an attempt to escape.”

 

“Why would you want to be locked in your room?” Inuyasha asked in a taunting voice.

 

“It is none of your concern. It is merely a precaution that I must take. Father directed me to request the monk’s assistance.” He turned his attention away from the smug hanyou to look at the monk once again. “Will you assist me or not?”

 

Miroku looked like he was thinking about it, even went so far as to tap his chin with a finger while appearing to look to the Kamis for guidance. Finally, right when Sesshoumaru was about to kill them all, he answered. “Yes, of course I’ll assist you. It will take me a moment to gather the necessary supplies so if you desire to collect some things for the night now would be the time.”

 

The monk’s idea was a good one and Sesshoumaru found his way back to the kitchen, grabbing several bottles of water and a few remaining containers of Chinese food since apparently what Kagome had dumped on his floor was the last of the dinner she’d prepared. He wondered if she would ever make it again, if she would allow him to try some if she did, and if he would even survive long enough to find out.

 

Miroku was in his room gathering as many sutras as he could find. Sesshoumaru was a powerful taiyoukai and for whatever reason he needed to be contained, the monk didn’t want to find out if he escaped. Once he’d gathered his supplies he walked out into the hall, finding everyone waiting for him, even Sesshoumaru. He entered and motioned for the monk to follow, sitting at his desk and watching with disinterest as Miroku charged and applied sutras all over the walls, windows, even a few on the floor and the ceiling. He left the room for a moment and entered Bankotsu’s room next door, making sure not to wake Kagome. He plastered several sutras on the shared wall that she was sleeping pressed against before repeating the process in Inuyasha’s room.

 

“I’m ready when you are,” Miroku said as he returned to Sesshoumaru’s room. “Do you have everything you need? Are you ready for me to seal you in?” The taiyoukai merely nodded and Miroku reached in, grabbing the handle and closing the door.

 

Sesshoumaru sat in silence, feeling the holy power flaring with each sutra the monk added to the outside of his door. He took a moment to allow his youki to rise, pushing against the walls in search of any weaknesses. Finding none, a rather impressed Sesshoumaru started to eat his dinner.

 

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Everyone was sitting in the hallway just staring at the sutra covered white door, well, everyone but Kagome who was sleeping soundly in Bankotsu’s bed. They didn’t know what they were waiting for but they knew they had to wait. Something interesting was bound to occur. It just had too with all the precautions that were taken. For Inuyasha’s father to be so concerned meant that something was going to happen and they didn’t want to miss a single second.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Sesshoumaru wasn’t looking forward to this. He didn’t like his beast much at all. He just couldn’t stand the idea of surrendering control to something that was nothing more than a wild animal. Really, what could the beast possibly want that was so important? What did it want with Kagome? Was it his beast’s fault that he could respond only to her? Is that what the circular babble his father had tried to pass off as information meant?

 

Why would his beast cause such a thing to happen? What was it about her that his beast was so interested in? He’d barely known her, had only seen her a few times and never up close, when this had all started. Thinking about it for a moment he realized that the dreams had actually started the night he was forced to accompany Inuyasha to his high school orientation. Was it possible that his beast had noticed her then?

 

            Deciding he might as well get it over with, Sesshoumaru relocated to the comfort of his bed, laying back and relaxing as much as possible. Concentrating, Sesshoumaru then delved into his own mind, slowly, carefully letting one barrier down at a time so that the beast could come forward.

 

            Finally he was letting go of some of their control! He was sure they would have died before the incredibly stubborn side of himself would ever allow him out. He didn’t even listen anymore when he spoke! The fool had been trying to block him out completely!

 

            Once they were on even ground the beast spoke. ‘Finally decide to find out what the problem is?’

             ‘Why did you do this to this Sesshoumaru? Why would you endanger my life?’ 

            ‘First, our life, second, I didn’t do this. You did. I only did what I was supposed to. It was your stubbornness that caused this problem!’

             ‘How is this Sesshoumaru responsible? It is you who is at the root of all my difficulties.’ 

            ‘Again with the my! You need to understand that I am half of you. We are one in the same and you’ve only hurt yourself all this time by blocking me out. Our life is in danger. We are in pain. We have to solve this before we die! This is not all about you and you alone. Everything you do I do as well. Everything you dream I dream. Everything you feel I feel.’

             ‘Fine. I do not wish to fight. I am supposed to find out what it is that you want so we can fix this. I do not wish to die and I believe I am correct in the assumption that neither do you.’ 

            ‘I do not wish to die, but I refuse to continue to live as I have been forced to. I refuse to be locked away again. You have denied that which I have tried to make apparent for four years. No longer will you act as if you need no one. We need someone. We need pack. We need companionship. We need comfort and physical contact. I was forced to sit back and watch as you screwed up every chance we had and our last chance as well. I am not even sure that the damage is reversible. And if it isn’t then it will be your fault and yours alone. ‘

             ‘What damage do you speak of?’ 

            ‘Are you really that stupid? I thought you were supposed to be the intelligent, logical side! Let me lay it out for you. We are physically incapable of becoming aroused by anyone or anything other than her. She can take the crushing pain away with a glance or a laugh or make us wish we could simply die to escape the pain with the slightest downward twitch of her deliciously plump, kissable lips. No one else will do and yet you continue to treat her poorly. She tried to let you in! She tried to give you the opportunity to prove you were something more than an asshole and you shoved it back in her face! She went so far as to bring us dinner and you insulted her! You really are a fool.’

             ‘What is it you want with her?’ 

            ‘What do I want with her? Try what do we want with her. You deny it even to yourself! No, you are incapable of fixing this. I refuse to allow the pain to continue. I will fix this.’

 

Sesshoumaru could feel the beast rising up in an attempt to take control and he fought to keep it. He refused to let the beast have free reign. ‘Calm yourself before I am forced to lock you away again,’ he threatened.

 

            The laughter he heard in his mind made his blood run cold. ‘You will do no such thing. I will have control. I will lock you away and we will see just how you like it. I will fix this, solve our problem and end the pain. I will take her.’

             ‘Take her? You will do no such thing! You will not harm her!’ 

            ‘I have no intention of harming her, though it is nice to see that you do care about something more than yourself. If only you could have done so before this became necessary.’

 

            Sesshoumaru began to panic as he felt the world around him get further and further away. No matter how hard he fought, how hard he struggled, he couldn’t regain the ground he’d lost, instead finding himself pushed deeper into his mind. ‘Release me this instant!’ he screamed inside his head. Over and over he screamed. He growled and snarled as he fought, the sound echoing in his mind and in his room. Finally he found himself pushed back as far as he could go and before he could stop it the walls were being erected, locking him in just like he’d locked his beast away.

 

            Finally he calmed as he realized there was nothing he could do. Instead he inspected his surroundings. He’d never been this far inside his own mind before. He realized that he could still see, could still hear and feel, he could experience everything but it was different. It was like he was sitting in a white room watching everything through a television mounted on the wall. He could feel but it was muted somehow. The pain was still painful, still excruciating he realized, but it felt like it wasn’t really him feeling it, like he was dreaming the pain perhaps.

 

            He wondered why the pain was so excruciating then. It wasn’t like before. It wasn’t just his chest or his head. No, this pain covered his entire body. It felt like every single bone in his body was being broken, then healed and broken again. He heard it then, the mournful howl that could only have come from his own body. The pain subsided but the howling did not. The sound was filled with sorrow and more pain than he’d ever experienced. The howl made him ache inside and he wondered why the beast was howling. He couldn’t seem to get its attention and figured it was ignoring him just as he’d done to it. Sesshoumaru quickly found he didn’t like it one bit. He wasn’t used to being ignored.

 

            Deciding that attempting to communicate with his beast was pointless, he focused instead of what was going on around him, what was happening with his body. He looked through his eyes, finding the perspective rather odd and not because he was seeing it second hand. No, it was because it seemed like he was quite close to the ground. It slowly occurred to him what must have happened, though he’d been told that it was no longer possible, and his suspicions were confirmed when his body jumped up and began to scratch furiously at his bedroom door with his claws, claws that extended from his furry white paws.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            The sound had startled them all the first time. Never had any of them ever heard Sesshoumaru sound so vicious and wild. The growling and snarling continued for nearly a half hour and they never heard a word during that whole time. They were all surprised that Kagome hadn’t come out to investigate. How she was still asleep was a mystery to them all. They’d finally thought it was over, whatever ‘it’ was, when the snarls and growls stopped. They were wrong though, because just seconds later the most pitiful sound any of them had ever heard rang through the house.

 

            Kagome awoke with a start, not sure what had ripped her from her dreams so suddenly. She found out a few seconds later when it happened again. Something was howling and it sounded like it was inside the house. Hell, it sounded like it was in the next room! She slipped out of bed and made her way to the door, surprised to find her four friends sitting in the hallway looking at her.

 

            “We were wondering when you were gonna wake up,” Bank said, holding his arms open to the sleepy girl.

 

            Kagome shuffled her way across the hall before settling into warm arms. “What the hell is that sound?” she asked while looked at Sesshoumaru’s door, thoroughly confused. “Is there a wolf or something in Sesshoumaru’s room?”

 

            “Or something,” Inuyasha replied. When she frowned at him he sighed before launching into his explanation, telling her everything he’d heard on the phone and everything that had happened while she slept.

 

            Kagome was almost in tears, but it had nothing to do with Inuyasha’s words. It was the sound. Whatever it was, well, they knew it had to be Sesshoumaru, but also knew it wasn’t the same old Sesshoumaru at all, it sounded so sad. The howls were so lonely sounding and the whimpering was just pitiful. The dog, it had to be a dog, was scratching at the door while sounding like it was trying to beg them to let it out. It would pause in its attack on the door every now and then to howl a few times before resuming to its attempt to escape.

 

            “So it’s Sesshoumaru that’s making that sound?” she asked when the story was finally finished.

 

            “Yeah, I guess. I mean, I’ve heard that demons long ago could transform into their true form but they lost the ability over time as they did so less and less often. I believe it was an attempt to appear less dangerous to the humans who outnumbered them enough that that would have been able to easily eradicate even the most powerful demons. It also is said to have something to do with battles. The strongest demons would fight against one another in their true forms, giants that towered over forests and could flatten mountains. As society developed the need for such battles was replaced by courts and magistrates who would determine who would prevail in whatever disagreement the demons had.”

 

            “So they could turn into giant dogs and cats and dragons and things?” Kagome asked Miroku, fascinated.

 

            “Yes, but as they did so less and less the ability was lost, the technique forgotten or the entire process lost to the gradual changes of evolution.”

 

            “But then that means Sesshoumaru couldn’t have turned into a dog like it sounds like,” Shippo said.

 

            “No, it simply means that some part of him had not lost the ability or the knowledge.”

 

            “Pops was worried that his beast would take control and do whatever it was it had wanted Sesshoumaru to do on its own. Maybe that’s what happened.”

 

Miroku nodded. “Perhaps Sesshoumaru lost control and the creature in there is his beast, the real thing completely unencumbered by Sesshoumaru’s more civilized side. Maybe he transformed into a dog because that is the only way for him to have total control over their body.”

 

            Kagome furrowed her brows. It was getting complicated, talking about two separate Sesshoumaru’s in one. “So you think that if they’re not sharing control, if the Sesshoumaru we know is completely locked away, then the beast could only take control as a beast?”

 

            “That’s the best I can come up with,” Miroku admitted, the others agreeing with him. “Do you think he’ll be alright in there until your father comes or should you call him?”

 

            “Is he gonna be able to get out of there on his own?”

 

            “No. My sutras are holding well. No matter how hard he claws at the door, it will not wear away or weaken so long as the sutras remain.”

 

            “But is he going to make that noise all night?” Kagome asked. The sounds were making her heart ache and the more she thought about it the more she wondered why it was so sad. And was this really a completely separate entity from Sesshoumaru or were they two parts of one whole? She couldn’t help but be curious about it. Was Sesshoumaru that sad too? She had been certain she’d seen pain and sadness in his eyes, and some kind of need as well, but the way he’d acted when she brought him dinner had made her throw any possibility of him not being a giant asshole through and through right out the window.

 

Now, the whimpering, it sounded like it was being directed at her. She didn’t know why but she felt like it was trying to communicate with her. But then why would Sesshoumaru’s beast want anything to do with her? Surely it was crying for a beautiful inu demoness to come and ease the loneliness. The regular old Sesshoumaru hated humans. She could only imagine how much greater the hatred would be in his full demon half.

 

  @@ 4 Years Ago @@ 

           

            It had finally arrived, the first day of their freshman year, and Kagome wished she had a time machine. She wasn’t ready, not yet. She wasn’t ready for high school. She turned around and started to walk the opposite direction, away from the giant building that the very sight of terrified her. She didn’t make it three steps when her elbows were caught by her friends, one on each side.

 

            “Lemme go! I’m not going in there! Maybe tomorrow,” she said while struggling against them.

 

            Bankotsu let out a sigh before tossing his bag to Miroku and taking hold of her with both hands. “Kagome, tomorrow isn’t gonna work. Today. You’re going in there today. Now come on.” When she refused to move on her own he picked her up with absolutely no effort like she was nothing but a child. Her hands came up to rest on his shoulders and her legs wrapped around his hips. “You’re really gonna make me carry you inside, aren’t you?”

 

            She buried her head in his neck and nodded against him. “I can’t look. Tell me when we make it in.”

 

            Miroku laughed at the sight of her wrapped around their friend like a little girl clinging to her daddy. “Kags, the school isn’t gonna bite you.”

 

            She turned and glared at him. “I know that,” she hissed. “I just don’t wanna go!”

 

            “According to your mother you didn’t want to go to Kindergarten or Middle School either, but both of those turned out okay, didn’t they?”

 

            “I don’t know. That’s how I ended up with you guys,” she said sarcastically.

 

            “Oh my sweet Kagome, you wound me,” Miroku said in a pained voice while clutching at his chest.

 

            “Yeah, sure I do.”

 

            Bankotsu smiled and nudged her with his head since his arms were busy holding her up. “We’re inside, Kaggie. And the big bad building didn’t get you.” Her arms tightened around his neck. “Still not ready?”

 

            “Nuh-Uhn. Nope, not in the slightest.”

 

            “You do realize how odd we must look.”

 

            “Since when do you care,” she said while tugging on his trademark braid.

 

            “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t care. But you could at least pick up your head and look around. This day’s only gonna happen once.”

 

            “If only it would happen just once. This morning is going to happen every day for four years!” she said in a frustrated tone, but she still lifted her face from its hiding place and looked around. She grinned when she noticed all the girls glaring at her. “Hey Bankie, I think they might be a little jealous.”

 

            He turned around in place and shot a smile at all the staring girls. “I think you might be right Kaggie.” He glanced at Miroku who looked like a kid in a candy store as he took in the wide variety of asses just begging to be groped. “Keep your hands to yourself, monk. I’m not gonna save ya if you piss them off.”

 

            “At least wait a couple of days before you turn the female population against you, huh Miroku?” Kagome said with a laugh.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            It was just like he’d expected when he went inside. The whispers started almost immediately and some people didn’t even bother to whisper at all. ‘Why? Why can’t I be home schooled? I can’t take this for four more years,’ Inuyasha thought to himself as he walked towards his locker, ears flattened to his skull as if that could block out their horrible words. He was almost there when he heard laughter, the same sweet laughter of an angel. The hanyou stopped in his tracks, his head turned all on its own, and he took in the sight of her again.

 

            She was being carried again by the same human male as before, but this time she was wrapped around his waist. The angle she was being held at drew his attention to the curve of her spine and the snug fit of her faded jeans over her perfect ass. ‘Lucky bastard,’ he thought as he ached to touch her, to hold her close to him. There was just something about her, something that made him sure that just her touch could end his suffering. Too bad she was a miko who would never lower herself to touch a half-demon. Too bad she was obviously involved with the guy blessed by the Kamis with the chance to hold her. Too bad he was nothing and she was everything.

 

            As the small group passed him his gaze followed and soon he found his eyes locked with hers again as she looked over the male’s shoulder at him. A flood of warmth spread rapidly through his entire body but his blood ran cold when she started to laugh. She was laughing at him! He sighed heavily before turning and punching the locker that was unfortunate enough to be the closest, leaving a large fist shaped dent before moving on to his own. He was no longer feeling sorry for himself. Now he was pissed.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            When she saw him, the one with the adorable ears, she couldn’t help but look at him. Again his golden eyes seemed to cry out to her for something and she was more than willing to help. Apparently she wasn’t paying attention because right when she was about to smile at him Miroku started tickling her sides. She couldn’t help but laugh, but the way the half-demon’s face fell she wished she hadn’t. He thought she was laughing at him.

 

            Bankotsu finally made her stand on her own two feet when they reached their lockers. Having already committed the combination to memory, Kagome opened hers and stashed everything she didn’t need for the morning away in the little metal cupboard before closing it and replacing the lock. Both Bankotsu and Miroku were in her first class of the day and once the guys were ready they were all off to face the music.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            His first class had royally sucked. No one wanted to sit next to him and even the teacher treated him like a lower life form. It wasn’t fair! It wasn’t his fault! Why did he have to suffer for it? His already crappy mood was nearing explosive proportions as he entered his second class of the morning. Most of the desks were already taken and he knew that as soon as he picked a seat everyone around him would move. It always happened that way, like he smelled like a skunk or would bite them or something. He was avoided like the plague and no matter how many times it happened it always hurt.

 

            Deciding to just get it over with he plopped into an empty seat and did his best to ignore it when everyone cleared out. He sat and stared at the white board at the front of the room, pretending that there was no one around. His attention was drawn to the door when he heard her again. ‘Great! She’s in this class too. So, any other way to kick me in the teeth today?’ he thought while glaring at the ceiling. ‘You guys just can’t fuckin’ torture me enough can you?’

 

            He was confused when he saw that it wasn’t the guy with the mark that she was talking to but the monk. Inuyasha watched as he leaned down and kissed her forehead while snaking his hand around her back to grab her ass. Something inside him snarled viciously, apparently disliking the view of another male touching her. She laughed and gave him a shove out of the room before she came fully inside and glanced around for an empty seat.

 

When she saw him surrounded by the only available desks she frowned. ‘Nice. These people are assholes!’ she growled mentally. Her anger showed on her face and in her eyes as she stalked over and sat down beside him, tossing her bag to the floor at her feet.

 

It didn’t escape him how disgusted she was to have to sit beside him. He couldn’t blame her. He wouldn’t want to sit next to himself either. ‘Just like everyone else. You have to stop thinking that anyone is ever going to see past the half-breed,’ he chastised himself.

 

Kagome glanced over and saw the angry look on his face and her eyes softened. She couldn’t even begin to imagine just how hard this had to be for him. She quickly looked away when his head turned towards her, not wanting him to catch her staring. Of course he noticed it, but he misinterpreted it again. “Why don’t you take a fucking picture? Then you can show all your friends the circus freak,” he said in the most hateful tone he could muster so she wouldn’t hear the sadness in his voice.

 

Kagome looked at him in shock. “Excuse me?”

 

“You heard me bitch. I’m not here for your goddamned entertainment.”

 

She just looked at him for a minute, blinking in confusion. “I…”

 

Her words were cut off before they even got started when the bell rang and the teacher walked in, closing the door behind her.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Kagome was glad when the class had ended. She didn’t know how to react to his anger. Sure, he was being an asshole but she was almost certain that it was just to hide his pain. He’d snapped at several other students and even swore at the teacher and she couldn’t help but think that he was angry so no one would see the sadness and loneliness. He’d almost knocked over several students on his way out of the room and she wondered if she would see him in any of her other classes.

 

Bankotsu had met her in the hall and they walked together to their next class. All the while Kagome told him about what had happened with the boy with the puppy ears. She had to make him promise not to say or do anything because when he heard how rude the hanyou had been to her he’d wanted to teach him a lesson in manners. “You can’t shield me from everything Bank, and I don’t blame him anyway. He’s just trying to protect himself.”

 

“Yeah well he better not talk to you like that in front of me. I don’t care if his life does suck, no one insults you.”

 

“Mmm-hmm,” she mumbled, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

 

When they entered their third class Kagome spotted him again instantly. This time he was sitting in the back in the farthest corner, trying to isolate himself from everyone else. Bank tried to stop her but she made her way over and sat beside him anyway. He turned and looked at her in confusion and just as he was about to ask her what the hell was the matter with her another voice made itself known.

 

“There’s my woman! I was afraid we wouldn’t have any classes together!” Kouga said loudly. He gave her an appreciative once over before noticing who or rather what she was sitting beside. “What the fuck are you doing sitting next to this filth?” He turned and glared at Bankotsu. “I thought you protected her! Why the hell would you let her sit next to a disgusting half-breed?”

 

Kagome looked up at the wolf demon and he froze. Her eyes were flashing dangerously and he took a few steps backward. “I will sit wherever the hell I want so you can keep your nose out of it! And I am NOT your woman!”

 

Instead of replying to the obviously furious miko, Kouga turned and focused his frustrations on the hanyou beside her. “If you so much as breathe in her direction I’ll kill you,” he snarled threateningly. “She’s mine and she doesn’t need to be tainted by your kind.”

 

Kagome was halfway out of her seat when Bankotsu caught the back of her jeans and pulled her back, standing himself instead. “Do you really enjoy it that much?”

 

“Huh?” Kouga asked; having no idea what the ‘human’ was talking about.

 

“Do you really enjoy me rearranging your face that much that you keep coming back for more?”

 

Inuyasha, who’d been trying to ignore everything happening around him, couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped.

 

“What the fuck are you laughing at, half-breed?” Kouga snarled.

 

“You. I’m laughing at you. A human kicked your ass? You, a big strong full demon?”

 

“I’d watch my mouth if I were you, hanyou,” the wolf said before spitting right in Inuyasha’s face.

 

When Kagome saw that she was up and out of her seat before anyone could stop her. “If you don’t leave us alone right now I’d be more than happy to take you down again myself. And don’t even think I won’t. I rather enjoy seeing you whimpering on the floor. And I know that Bank would be more than happy to break your jaw again. I’m surprised you can still talk after having your jaw shattered so many times. Really, I wish you didn’t have such rapid healing abilities. The world could use a reprieve from your mouth.” Kagome stood there and glared at the wolf demon, her eyes flashing and her entire body starting to shimmer with a pink light.

 

Inuyasha didn’t need a human girl to stand up for him. He could take care of himself and was about to tell her so when the glow started. His eyes widened in fear and he began to scoot backwards while Kouga did the same in the opposite direction. The hanyou didn’t have very far to go though, and when the back of his chair hit the wall he could do nothing but watch as the pink glow approached him. He silently said his good-byes as he waited for the pain of purification but it never came. Instead he found himself suddenly feeling very safe and secure, something he hadn’t ever felt before, not even in his mother’s arms as a child. He shoulders drooped and he sighed in pleasure at the feeling. Whatever it was he hoped that it never ended. Too bad it did, all too soon.

 

When the bell rang Kagome immediately stopped glowing and dropped to her seat, Bankotsu doing the same and before the teacher walked in Inuyasha scooted his desk back to its original position. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her the entire class but she didn’t look at him once. He could still feel her rage boiling just under the surface but he wasn’t sure what she was angry about. Was she pissed about the wolf calling her his woman? Or was she angry about being associated with a hanyou? He had no clue and all he could do was silently beg for her to meet eyes with him so he could figure it out.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

The next few days followed the same pattern. Kagome would see Inuyasha but look away, still unsure of what to say to him. Inuyasha felt his heart being torn in two every time she turned away from him in disgust. The half-demon decided that nothing he’d ever experienced was quite as painful as having her refuse to acknowledge his existence and several times he had snapped at her for some imagined slight against him. Both Bankotsu and Miroku wanted to strangle him but Kagome had made them promise to leave him alone. Kouga had appointed himself as the hanyou’s number one tormentor and more than once the two had to be forcibly dragged off of each other. The wolf’s behavior only made Kagome dislike him more. She couldn’t stand the way people were treating the hanyou.

 

It was during lunch on the fourth day of high school when she finally spoke to Miroku and Bankotsu about the half-demon she’d found out was named Inuyasha. “I know he seems abrasive but I really think he’s just protecting himself. I want to find a way to be his friend.”

 

Both males looked up at her in surprise. They knew she’d been upset over the hanyou’s treatment but neither had expected her to want to befriend someone who was so rude to her so many times. “Are you sure you want to do that, Kags?” Miroku asked slowly, not wanting to anger her but concerned nonetheless.

 

“Why wouldn’t I?”

 

Bankotsu answered. “Because he’s been nothing but rude to you. He’s a jerk, Kagome. You don’t need to go out of your way to try and make friends with him. He doesn’t want friends. He just wants to be left alone.”

 

“How do you know? How can you be so sure?”

 

“If he was anything but an ass he wouldn’t be nasty to you for no reason. All he does is yell, swear, and pick fights,” Miroku said.

 

“There’s more to him. I know there is. I can see it in his eyes. He’s in pain. He’s lonely. The anger, it’s just a defense mechanism.”

 

“I don’t think so Kaggie. I think that what you see is what you get with that one. He’s not gonna change,” Bank replied.

 

“Yeah, Bank’s right. There’s not a nice guy inside trying to get out. He’s an asshole through and through.”

 

Kagome glared at them both. “I can’t believe you would both judge him like that without even getting to know him! You remember what happened the last time you did that?” she asked with a scowl plastered to her face. “You two ended up fighting and you both almost lost me. I’m not going through that again so you’d better get over it now.” Picking up her lunch and her bag, Kagome stood and walked away, not bothering to look back.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            “When I was young I knew everything, She a punk who rarely ever took advice. Now I’m guilt stricken, sobbing with my head on the floor…” Kagome was singing softly to herself as she wandered around the courtyard of the high school. They had the option to eat lunch outside and there were people sitting at picnic tables and under trees everywhere.

 

            He was sitting high in the branches of a tree, trying to be invisible, when he heard her voice. He’d been trying to make himself hate her, just so it would hurt less, but he couldn’t. There was just something about her.

 

            “I can’t be held responsible. She was touching her face. I won’t be held responsible. She fell in love in the first place. For the life of me, I cannot remember…” Kagome wondered where he was. She’d never seen him during lunch, like he disappeared. She let out a sigh before she started singing again. “For the life of me I cannot remember what made us think that we were wise and we’d never compromise. For the life of me I cannot believe we’d ever die for these sins. We were merely freshmen…”

           

            He listened to her sweet voice as it got closer and finally he looked down, seeing her leaning against the trunk of the tree he sat in. She leaned her head back and glanced at the puffy white clouds floating through the brilliant blue sky. She knew she was right. She knew that there was more to him. There just had to be.

 

            Neither of them noticed the approaching demon, at least not until he opened his big mouth. “What did I tell you about her, half-breed?” Kouga yelled up into the branches of the tree while standing a few feet in front of Kagome.

 

            “Kouga, what the hell are you yelling about?” Kagome asked, her tone clearly portraying that she was tired of this.

 

            “The fucking half-breed is up in the tree spying on you! I’m gonna kick his fucking ass until he learns to keep his eyes off my woman!”

 

            Kagome glanced up into the tree in surprise and she watched as the half-demon dressed in a red t-shirt and faded blue jeans dropped to the ground beside her. “I didn’t know you were up there,” she said in surprise.

 

            “Of course you didn’t! He was trying to hide from you. He’s a fucking stalker!”

 

            “Kouga, just stop,” the miko said in frustration. “Just leave me alone. I don’t need you to protect me.”

 

            “Obviously you do since your so called friends are nowhere to be seen. And you, you’d better start running!”

 

            “Fuck you! I’m not gonna run from a pussy like you! If this bitch can kick your ass I think I’ll be just fine,” Inuyasha said in a challenging tone.

 

            Kagome’s right eye twitched and her lips thinned into an angry line. “Did you just call me a bitch?”

 

            “Yeah, what of it?” He was stunned into silence when the palm of her hand connected with his cheek. Kouga started laughing but stopped rather quickly when she slapped him too.

 

            “I am not a bitch. You,” she pointed at Kouga, “are a huge dickhead! And you,” she whirled and pointed at Inuyasha. “You need a serious attitude adjustment!” She glowered at them before stomping away, leaving them both staring after her in surprise.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Something had changed when she slapped him but he had no idea what. It was like she’d been super glued into his mind. No matter what he did to try to shake his thoughts of her he failed. And it just hurt more when she sat beside him but acted like he didn’t exist. Something was going on with her too. He’d noticed that she was barely speaking to either of her guy friends. He still hadn’t figured out which one she was dating, but at the moment it looked like they were both in the doghouse.

 

            He stood in the hall near his locker, not ready to face his first class of the day. Music was pounding loudly in his ears. He’d found that if he was listening to music he didn’t have to listen to the comments.

   8 o'clock, Monday night, and I'm waiting
To finally talk to a girl a little cooler than me
Her name is Nona, she's a rocker with a nose ring
She wears a 2-way but I'm not quite sure what that means

And when she walks
All the wind blows and the angels sing
She doesn't notice me

  His nose twitched as he picked up the sweetest scent to ever grace his powerful sense of smell and his eyes lifted from the floor to watch her pass. She was alone and she still walked with anger in every step. She was beautiful and all he wanted to do was fall to his knees at her feet and worship her.  
It's like a bad movie
She's looking through me
If you were me, then you'd be
Screaming, "Someone shoot me!"
As I fail miserably
Trying to get the girl all the bad guys want
She's the girl all the bad guys want  He’d been dying to feel the tingle that came with making eye contact with her but she wouldn’t look at him. He hated himself even more for being such an idiot. She’d never look at him. Why would she?


 Cause she's watching wrestling
Creaming over tough guys
Listening to rap-metal
Turntables in her eyes

She likes them with a mustache
Racetrack season pass
Driving in a Trans-Am
Does a mullet make a man?


            He growled as she passed, noticing how all the other guys in the hall watched her too. He wanted to claw their eyes out. None of them were worthy. Not a single one was good enough to even look at her, let alone breathe the same sweet hair as she did. Ever since that slap all he wanted to do was protect her, guard her, and be by her side.

It's like a bad movie
She’s looking through me
If you were me, then you'd be
Screaming, "Someone shoot me!"
As I fail miserably
Trying to get the girl all the bad guys want There she goes again
With fishnets on, and dreadlocks in her hair
She broke my heart, I wanna be sedated
All I wanted was to see her naked  When she disappeared around the corner he let his head drop once again to glare at the tiles. He was being stupid. He knew she’d never allow a half-breed by her side. And no one was ever going to let him forget what he was. He missed it when his half-brother walked by. Sesshoumaru noticed that he was in a whole other world and decided that now was a perfect time to remind the half-breed who was who in their household.  Kagome sighed as she turned around and headed back the way she came. She’d been so busy trying to ignore Bank and Miroku that she forgot she needed a book from her locker. She turned the corner just in time to watch Inuyasha crumble to the floor with a look of total surprise in his eyes. When she saw the cause she actually snarled before pushing her way through the quickly gathering crowd. By the time she got there the older inu was gone.  She knelt next to him and rolled him to the side so she could look at him. His eyes were closed tightly like he was waiting for the next blow to fall. Noticing the wires, Kagome carefully removed the ear buds so he could hear her.  “Are you alright?” she asked softly. All around her there were students asking why she was bothering with a half-breed, that he deserved what he got, that he was worthless, that he was nothing, and she decided it needed to stop. Her eyes snapped up and she glared at them all. “Go Away Now!” The lightning flashed in her eyes and the crowd cleared, everyone retreating to their classrooms. “Inuyasha, are you alright?” He opened his eyes slowly. He had to be unconscious or dead because there was no way she was touching him and looking down at him with worried eyes. “How… how do you know my…” “Your name? I’m in three classes with you. I sit next to you in all of them. How could I not know your name?” He frowned. “Why are you helping me? Why are you touching a filthy half breed?” She glared at him before smacking him upside the head. “Don’t ever call yourself that again.” “Why the fuck not? It’s true!” He turned his face away, not wanting to see when she realized that she shouldn’t be anywhere near him.  “No, it’s not. You are not a filthy half-breed. You are Inuyasha. Look at me.” When he didn’t move she grabbed his chin and forced his head to turn back towards her. “Are you alright? Why did he hit you like that?” “Who, Sesshoumaru? It’s his favorite source of entertainment, torture the family disgrace.” “Well he’s an asshole.” “I’m aware,” he said in a snarky tone. “Hey now! Don’t you go and be rude to me! I’m trying to be nice to you!” “Why? You’re just like everyone else. You can’t stand to look at me, are disgusted to sit by me, act like I don’t exist, and laugh at me with your friends.” She looked at him in surprise. “I do none of those things.” “The fuck you don’t! I’m not retarded! I can see and hear just fucking fine!” Her hand came down towards his face and for a second he winced, sure she was going to slap him again. Instead she just gently cupped his cheek, her tender touch sending electricity through his entire body. “It hurts me to look at you because I can see the pain in your eyes. I sit by you by choice. If I seemed angry about it, it was only because I can’t believe how everyone treats you. I try not to look at you because you don’t seem to like it. You always assume I’m thinking something awful but I’m not. And I don’t laugh at you with my friends. On the first day, I laughed because Miroku was tickling me. I’m not speaking to my friends because of you.” He stared at her in shock. “But why…” “They don’t think there’s anything more to you than the jerk you show everyone. I do. Am I right? Is the anger hiding the pain?”  He didn’t know how to answer her. All he could think was how this could go wrong. What if she was pretending to be nice to him just to hurt him later? What if someone put her up to it? He couldn’t show her his weakness. He couldn’t leave himself open like that.  She understood it all as he thought. She could see the confusion and fear and she could see him fighting against himself to keep up the wall between them that protected him. “You’ll believe me eventually. Until then, I understand your hesitance. I want to be your friend. There’s something about you that draws me to you, just like I was drawn to Miroku and Bankotsu. We’re meant to be friends, I just know it.” 

Chapter 19 – Can’t Break Free Until I Let It Go   

            Inuyasha was sitting there just glaring at the door now. His odd suspicions had begun to pile up one on top of the next until he had a tower of ‘evidence’ that was ready to topple over and bury him completely. First, Sesshoumaru was amazingly not horrid to Kagome Friday evening and then he let her in the house without any trouble when she’d returned. There was the odd look on his half-brother’s face when he’d caught sight of Kagome naked. Sure, she was beautiful and any guy would be forced to pause and just look for a minute, but it had been more than that, like he’d been unable to look away even though he knew he should. He’d actually looked a little guilty. The way he’d scrambled for an excuse and then was too deep in his thoughts to prevent himself from getting punched twice, well that just wasn’t Sesshoumaru, at least not the Sesshoumaru he thought he knew.

 

            As he thought, more things popped into his mind. His brother had been one hundred percent against whatever it was they were doing in the basement until Kagome was mentioned and then suddenly he was fine with it. He’d actually apologized for insulting her this morning and he’d allowed her to speak to him like that, scream at him even, and she came back without a scratch. His mind searched further and further back, trying to remember anything that would have hinted to Sesshoumaru’s interest in Kagome.

 

The first thing that came to mind was their first Christmas together, how Sesshoumaru had so suddenly excused himself while Kagome was trying to plug in the tree. He remembered that she’d commented that he didn’t wait to see the tree lit up. Maybe it was because he couldn’t wait? Had he been aroused by the sight of Kagome’s ass in the air? He knew he sure had been, but he’d never even thought it possible for Sesshoumaru.

 

He remembered that whenever Kagome was over, Sesshoumaru seemed to be lurking somewhere close by, especially when they were screwing around in the pool. Inuyasha wanted to slap himself. How had he missed it? How could he have been so blind? It couldn’t have been more obvious when Sesshoumaru had come outside and sat in one of the patio chairs around the pool. When questioned about his presence he’d simply said that he wanted to get some fresh air and sunlight, like his brother had ever had a tan in his life!

 

And Kagome had managed to get him soaking wet. They’d expected to have to protect her then, to ensure Sesshoumaru didn’t drown her or anything. Instead he’d simply walked up to where she stood apologizing and pushed her into the pool. Even though he’d tried to hide it, there was the tiniest bit of a smirk visible on his face. He hadn’t even gone inside to change! No, he’d sat back down and continued to watch as they splashed and played. When he’d lifted Kagome on his shoulders in the water, Inuyasha remembered seeing a scowl flash across the taiyoukai’s face for a moment before disappearing.

 

So he’d liked her all this time? Was Kagome the girl they’d been talking about? But then that meant that Kagome could be in danger from Sesshoumaru’s beast! And there was no way Kagome liked the inu demon, not in that or any other way, so Sesshoumaru was screwed. Finally the hanyou shook the thoughts from his mind, deciding he would just have to talk to his father in the morning.

 

When he looked up he was surprised to see Kagome with her back leaning against the sutra covered door instead of in Bankotsu’s arms. He glanced at his friends in shock for allowing her to go over there but none of them met his eyes. They were all too busy staring at her. Finally it dawned on him. The sounds had stopped. The scratching, the howling, and the whimpering had all stopped completely. Instead there was only the soft voice of Kagome as she sang with her head resting back against the door. He smirked. So, music really did soothe the savage beast after all. Well, if anyone was gonna do it, it would be her.

 

The hanyou relaxed and listened. He’d always loved it when she sang, even if it did mean she was worried or upset or nervous. He couldn’t help but love it. It calmed every inch of his body and soul in a way that nothing else ever had. Apparently it did the same for Sesshoumaru, or at least Sesshoumaru’s beast.

 

“…don’t wanna lock me up inside Lithium, don’t wanna forget how it feels without Lithium, I wanna stay in love with my sorrow, oh, but god, I wanna let it go…”

 

On the other side of the door, a large white dog was laying comfortably, his head resting on his front paws. His burning red eyes were closed and he looked to be absolutely at peace. He knew he wasn’t getting out. They’d made sure that he wouldn’t be able to escape the room if he had succeeded in gaining control as he had. But it didn’t matter so long as he could hear her.

 

“…come to bed, don’t make me sleep alone…couldn’t hide the emptiness you let it show…I can’t hold on to me, wonder what’s wrong with me, Lithium, don’t wanna lock me up inside Lithium, don’t wanna forget how it feels without Lithium, I wanna stay in love with my sorrow…”

 

Sesshoumaru could hear her too from his place locked up inside his own mind. It was fitting, he thought, the song that she sang without really having any idea that she was describing his situation. Her voice made him lose his will to fight. If she could soothe the beast this easily then he very much doubted it would hurt her if given the chance. Having been given some time to think he was starting to understand.

 

“…don’t wanna let it lay me down this time, drown my will to fly, here in the darkness I know myself, can’t break free until I let it go…”

 

He could see it clearly now. His beast had spoken the truth. It wasn’t just what the beast had wanted but what he had wanted as well. He just hadn’t been able to admit it to himself. His pride and arrogance kept him from realizing it. But now he was ready to just let it go. Throwing his pride away, casting his arrogance to the side, he finally allowed the full picture to unfold before him. He could remember it now, the first time he’d laid eyes on the girl. He’d noticed her and their eyes locked. Even then he’d felt it. It was something powerful, something that reached out and grabbed him and tried to drag him straight to her.

 

“…darling I forgive you after all, anything is better than to be alone, and in the end I guess I had to fall, always find my place among the ashes…”

 

He’d fought it, dismissed it as nothing, but it had always been there in the back of his mind, whispering her name to him at night when there was nothing to drown it out. The voices whispered how perfect she was. They whispered everything he tried to deny in the daylight. From the first time he saw her he’d thought of no other female. She was it. He’d forced himself to be alone, to deny it all, and now he had to wait and wonder if she would forgive him, if his beast could truly fix what he had so thoroughly screwed up. He just prayed that he hadn’t burned all his bridges.

 

“…Lithium, don’t wanna lock me up inside Lithium, don’t wanna forget how it feels without Lithium, I wanna stay in love with my sorrow, oh, but god, I’m gonna let it go…”

 

Now was the time to let it all go, all his assumptions and prejudices, all his ridiculous reasons and excuses, everything that he had placed between them in an attempt to deny it all. He realized now that the only thing that had every truly stood in his way was his fear, fear of being rejected, fear of being laughed at, fear of losing the illusion that danced through his mind at night. And he was ready now. He was ready to really let it go.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            She’d fallen asleep eventually, leaned against the door, but when her sweet singing stopped the howls and whines did not recommence. Bankotsu had moved to pick her up and return her to bed, worried that she was going to be sore in the morning if she slept where she was, but was stopped by a vicious growl. He frowned at the door, wondering just how it knew he had intended to move her.

 

            “I knew it. Damn it!” Inuyasha swore after witnessing the demon’s defense of Kagome from inside its cage. “He wants her. It’s Kagome, the girl they were talking about. It’s Kagome! He can’t have her! There is no way in hell that I will allow that bastard to get his claws into her. He doesn’t deserve her! And she doesn’t deserve to be stuck with an asshole like him. Promise me,” he said, suddenly looking at all his friends. “Promise me that no one will tell her that Sesshoumaru will die if the beast doesn’t get what it wants. You know if she knows that she’d sacrifice her happiness to save the bastard’s life. She can’t know. If she wants to decide she likes him on her own, that’s different. It would still piss me off but at least it would be of her own free will. I refuse to allow her to be guilted into what that fucker wants from her!”

 

            Everyone looked at him in surprise before nodding their agreement. Bankotsu finally asked Inuyasha just what the hell he was talking about and the next several hours were spent dissecting every moment that Sesshoumaru had any contact with Kagome over the last four years, trying to determine if they’d missed the obvious. The sun was rising over the horizon by the time they’d finished and everyone agreed. There had been hints, but they’d been so minor they’d missed them all. Now though, now that they were looking for them there were so many they wanted to slap themselves for not noticing sooner. None of them knew what to do but they agreed that if she knew she would do whatever it took to save him. If she knew she was the only one who could help him she wouldn’t see any other choice. Even thought he didn’t deserve it, she would sacrifice her life for his in an instant.

 

            Deciding they couldn’t take it anymore, Bankotsu stood and stretched before heading downstairs to make coffee. They were really gonna need it to get through today. Only Kagome had gotten any sleep at all and even that wasn’t much. He had a feeling he would be making more than one pot of liquid caffeine before the morning was over. Still no one could approach Kagome with the intention of taking her away from the door without dangerous sounding growls aimed in their direction. Finally they’d given up, not wanting to scratching and howling to start again. Miroku brought out a pillow and Shippo grabbed an extra blanket; Bankotsu shifted her to a more comfortable laying position before covering her up. It seemed the beast was very aware of its surroundings as it hadn’t growled at them once while they moved her, like it knew they weren’t going to take her away, just make her more comfortable.

 

            Leaving their angel asleep on the floor the four friends changed their clothes and reconvened in the kitchen, sitting in silence around the table, each staring into their coffee and thinking about Kagome and Sesshoumaru and just how wrong their names sounded together.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            When her eyes opened, Kagome glanced around in confusion for a moment. “What in the hell am I doing sleeping in the hall?” she whispered to herself. Taking in which door she was laying in front of and noticing the sutras still plastered all over it, she began to remember. “Hm,” she gave a short sarcastic laugh. “I can’t believe I slept on the floor outside his door of all doors.” With a grumble about stiff joints and hardwood floors, Kagome pulled herself up and stretched her sore muscles before starting to stumble towards the bathroom.

 

She’d made it only two steps before the whimpering started again. Turning around, she lifted a brow at the door as if it could answer her unspoken inquiry. “Can I not go to the bathroom?” she muttered before turning back and continuing on again. When the whimpers got louder she just waved a hand at the door in a ‘oh whatever’ motion and kept moving.

 

Looking in the mirror, she groaned. ‘Great. Nice dark circles. Oh, fuck! I still need to get a new toothbrush! I wonder if Inuyasha has a spare.’ After splashing cold water on her face and attending to the tedious task of picking the sleep crusties out of the corners of her eyes Kagome made her way back into the hall, noticing that the scratching had resumed and the whining and whimpering was growing more pitiful by the second. Rolling her eyes, she walked right past the door and into Bankotsu’s room where her bags had been deposited the night before.

 

Dragging a duffel up onto the bed and opening it Kagome rolled her eyes again. “Guy folding strikes again,” she muttered while shaking the wrinkles out of a shirt that had been folded in a very interesting manner, somehow accomplishing a perfect isosceles triangle instead of the normal square or rectangle shape something folded should be. Digging around and coming up empty she grabbed the next bag. “And this one has to be Miroku,” she said with a grin as she looked through every single bra and pair of panties she owned, except for the purple pair still in her pocket that she’d been forced to rescue from his pervy clutches. “I don’t even wanna think about what he was gonna do with them.”

 

Kagome looked at the wall above the bed in confusion for a moment before realizing that Sesshoumaru’s beast, or whatever they were going to call it, had given up scratching at the door and was trying to claw its way through the shared wall instead. “Kami, can’t a girl change her clothes?” She heard a long mournful whine before all noise ceased. “Thank… you… I think,” she whispered in surprise.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Downstairs, all four guys looked at the ceiling, noticing that the noise had resumed. “Looks like Kaggie’s finally awake,” Bankotsu said before a giant yawn escaped him.

 

            “And apparently she’s not allowed to leave the doorway,” Shippo added in a frustrated tone. He really didn’t like the idea of Sesshoumaru being after Kagome in that way, or any way really.

 

            “I swear, when he’s back to normal, if he ever gets back to normal, I’m kicking the bastard in his fucking nuts! The fucker can’t have her!”

 

            Miroku looked into his friend’s tormented golden eyes. “I very much doubt that she would allow such a thing, Inuyasha. Have you forgotten the ‘talking to’ she gave him last night? Our Kagome is simply not interested in Sesshoumaru in any way, shape, or form.”

 

            They glanced at the ceiling again, noticing the scratching had stopped again. “I’m gonna go check on Kags and bring her some coffee. She’s gotta be miserable right about now,” Bank said, standing and pouring a cup of coffee that was more creamer and sugar than actual coffee.

 

            “At least the wench got some sleep,” Inuyasha grumbled.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            When Kagome was finally dressed she glanced at the clock. “Fuck!” she practically screamed.

 

            “Is there a problem, dear?” Bankotsu asked with a smirk as he entered his room.

 

            “How the hell is it already eleven thirty? I’ve got three chapters to read today!”

 

            “We let you sleep, though Mr. Growlie over there wouldn’t let us move you without pitching a fit. Inuyasha’s father will be here soon and hopefully we will get some answers as to what will happen now. Here,” he said, handing her the cup he’d brought upstairs. “You have all day to read. Don’t worry so much.”

 

            Kagome smiled at him. “Were you aware that Miroku brought every single item from my underwear drawer?”

 

            He let out a laugh before answering. “Not a bit surprised. More surprised that he only had one pair in his pocket.”

 

            Kagome took a sip of her sugar/creamer coffee like substance and smiled. “You know just how I like it.”

 

            “Yeah, so that it doesn’t taste a thing like coffee. Hungry?” Kagome shot him a look. “Okay, stupid question. Come on then. Let’s feed Kaggie.”

             Kagome set her cup down and pulled her Biology book from her bag before picking up the cup again and following Bankotsu down the stairs. She’d made it down two steps when she nearly jumped out of her skin at the soul shattering howl that shook the house. “God damn it! I’m fucking hungry and I’m going downstairs! I don’t fucking care if you don’t like it! Maybe if you weren’t such an asshole I’d give a shit!” The noise stopped instantly and Kagome made a rather gloating triumphant face at the door she could still see.  

            Bankotsu turned around on the stairs and looked at her in surprise. “Cranky much?”

 

            “I don’t understand why he fucking cares where I am!” When Bankotsu turned away from her she frowned. “Do you know why he cares?” she asked in a suspicious voice.

 

            Bank was saved by the bell, or the father as the case may be, as right as Kagome was opening her mouth to demand he tell her what he was hiding the front door swung open and Katsuro walked in, looking up the stairs at her with a huge smile on his face. “There’s the girl I want to see!”

 

            “Papi!” Kagome squealed, smacking Bankotsu in the chest with her giant text book as she hoped down the stairs, still careful of her pseudo-coffee. She set it on a table near the bottom of the steps before throwing herself into his open arms.

 

            Bank was a bit stunned, having the wind knocked out of him by her twenty ton book. “Damn, Kags! How do you even carry this thing? I think you might’ve cracked a couple ribs,” he said with a grin as he continued down the stairs. “Hey Pop,” Bank said to the man who was the closest thing he’d ever had to a father.

 

            “Good to see you, my boy!” Katsuro said with a firm pat on Bank’s back. “So, anything interesting happen around here last night?”

 

            “Interesting ain’t the fuckin’ word Pops. He’s a fucking dog!” Inuyasha said as he stalked into the entry room.

 

            The elder inu furrowed his brow. “He’s always been a dog, Inuyasha.”

 

            “He means that Sesshoumaru has transformed into an inu in his true form,” Miroku said politely.

 

            “That’s not possible,” the taiyoukai said in shock.

 

            “It certainly seemed fuckin’ possible when he was clawin’ and howling and whining all fuckin’ night!”

 

            “Can you at least let your dad get in the house all the way before you start yelling at him?” Kagome asked Inuyasha with a warning glare.

 

            “Yeah, yeah, wench. Come on then.” Inuyasha grabbed Kagome’s arm and gently pulled her into the kitchen. “You get your breakfast. I gotta talk to Pops for a minute.”

 

            Kagome looked at her friend in confusion but decided she was too hungry to care. Shippo joined her in the kitchen as she poked through the groceries she’d bought the day before in search of something easy and edible.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Meanwhile, Katsuro motioned for the man who’d been waiting outside to come in, Inuyasha, Miroku, Bankotsu, and Katsuro then leading him down into the basement as quietly as possible. Miroku showed the contractor the drawings Jakotsu had left and directed him to the area of the large open room they wanted transformed. While he was taking measurements Inuyasha was busy informing his father of the night’s events.

 

            “So you eavesdropped on my conversation with your brother?” his father asked in a lecturing tone.

 

            “Yeah, and I’m glad I fuckin’ did. I know who it is, who the girl is, and I can tell ya you might as well start planning the bastard’s funeral now cuz he ain’t getting her. I don’t care what it is he wants with her, he ain’t getting her.”

 

            Katsuro looked concerned now. “How do you know who it is? And why are you so certain that he cannot ‘have’ her?”

 

            “Because I said he can’t fuckin’ have her, that’s why!”

 

            “Inuyasha, calm down,” Bank said before launching into their interesting and disturbing discoveries about Sesshoumaru, his beast, and Kagome. When he was finally finished, the elder taiyoukai was pale as a sheet.

 

            “My son is going to die,” he whispered to himself. “My arrogant, stubborn as a mule, too proud for his own good son… is going to die.”

 

            “Got that right. Kagome was ready to purify his ass last night and she’s about ready to strangle his beast now.”

 

            “I heard that, though I didn’t quite understand what she was yelling about then. So you are certain that the female the beast desires is Kagome?”

 

            “The way he was acting, there doesn’t seem to be any other explanation. So do you know what exactly it is that the beast desires of Kagome?” Miroku asked, trying to keep a level head under the pressure.

 

            “The beast has chosen her as their intended. If she is not marked as his mate before it’s too late…”

 

            “No way in fucking hell!” Inuyasha screamed.

 

            Upstairs Kagome tilted her head in confusion before walking towards the basement door that they’d closed behind them. “Kagome! Hey, Kagome, wait up!” Shippo cried out in an attempt to stop her.

 

            She turned around with a sigh. “What Shippo?”

 

            “You wanna make French toast? I’ll help!” He knew he had her when her eyes widened and her lips curled into a smirk.

 

            “Oh yes… French toast it is!” Shippo let out a silent sigh of relief before pulling the carton of eggs she’d bought the day before out of the fridge.

 

            Downstairs Inuyasha was growling against the hands being held against his mouth. “If you yell like that again she’s going to come down here and everything will be ruined!” Bankotsu hissed in his friend’s ear. “Are you going to be quiet?” Inuyasha rolled his eyes but nodded. “Alright then. Inside voices… geez. You’d think she was being sold or something. Calm down. We’ll figure this out.”

 

            “She’s not gonna want him.” Inuyasha glared at his father. “And you will not tell her his life depends on it! You know how she is. I will not let her ruin her life and be miserable with that bastard because she felt obligated to help him.”

 

            “We can’t tell her anyways. He has to do it himself. He has to earn her affections or the mating won’t take. She has to love him like he loves her for the syndrome to end,” Katsuro said, wondering what the hell was the matter with his eldest son. The girl he desired was so close all this time and all he did was push her further and further away.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Upstairs, the beast was trying to determine the best course of action. Being the instinctive and animalistic side he wasn’t the best at strategizing, and apparently the whine and cry ‘til she comes and makes it all better approach wasn’t cutting it, if her rather loud declaration was taken into account.

 

            ‘How do you intend to fix things?’ Sesshoumaru asked, hoping the beast would actually respond. He’d been thinking all night and he had no idea how to make everything up to her. He had no clue as to how to make her see him as anything other than the asshole she knew him as. He wasn’t even sure if there really was anything more to him than that. He’d never been a sociable person. He didn’t have conversational skills because he’d always found himself above conversing with just about everyone. He didn’t know how to talk to her, let alone find some way for her to love him. He’d pretty much resigned himself to his death because he just couldn’t see any other options.

 

            ‘I haven’t figured it out yet. You did a great job making a mess of things!’

             ‘Father has arrived. Perhaps he will have some idea as to how to proceed. He will be coming to release us.’ 

            ‘Do you honestly think he is going to allow us loose in this form? And we have another problem. They figured it out last night.’

             ‘What do you mean ‘figured it out’?’ 

            ‘Our brother and the other males, they have realized that it is Kagome who we desire. They are not pleased.’

             ‘Well that’s just fuckin’ peachy, isn’t it?’ Sesshoumaru said in his best mentally sarcastic tone. ‘Fuck. They’re not going to allow us anywhere near her now.’ 

            ‘If you had not been such a fool we could have had her years ago.’

 

            ‘You must be imagining things. She has never given us the time of day.’

 

            ‘She would have. The first time we saw her, before you made an ass of yourself by insulting Inuyasha, she felt it too. She was drawn to us. Perhaps we can remind her.’

    

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

   @@ 4 Years Ago @@  

            It was slow going, earning Inuyasha’s trust, but she understood. He’d been hurt so many times, and she didn’t doubt for a minute that someone had pretended to be his friend just to laugh at him later. If it hadn’t happened yet it probably would. Of course he would be a little gun-shy. He had absolutely no reason to trust anyone, not when he’d grown up learning that no one liked him and no one ever would, that they all hated him for what he was.

 

            She hadn’t known how to proceed, so mostly they’d gone on like before. She made sure to look at him and smile to let him see that she was sincere. She’d never imagined that not looking at him had been just as bad as if she had been all that time. He automatically assumed the worst about everything and she was constantly making sure that he didn’t take something she said or did the wrong way. Kouga had backed off a little, though he was always somewhere in the crowd watching the miko and hanyou whenever they were together like he was waiting for something.

 

            He’d finally agreed to sit with her during lunch rather than hiding in a tree, but it hadn’t turned out so well, at least in the beginning. Kagome had gotten up to throw away her trash and by the time she turned to return to their table it was too late. Apparently the majority of the students disapproved with her choice of companion and they’d decided once again to make their opinions known.

 

            Inuyasha was backed up to a wall and surrounded by a group of demons, bullies that were taunting him and threatening him, ordering him to stay away from the ‘normal’ people. Kagome slowly approached, waiting to see what would happen before she got involved, knowing he didn’t want her to fight his battles for him. She watched as one of the larger demons punched her new friend in the gut hard enough to make him gasp for breath and was surprised when he didn’t hit back. She immediately began running to interfere but by the time she reached them two more had taken their turns and the hanyou had a bloody lip and what was going to be a nasty black eye.

 

            “Stop it!” she screamed as she shoved her way through the throng of students either watching or participating in the attack on Inuyasha. “What the hell is the matter with you people?”

 

            Inuyasha was surprised to see her, having figured that the whole thing had been planned. He took a chance and opened up a little and then she left him for the wolves, so to speak. He hadn’t expected her to come back, let alone get in the middle of it.

 

            “Why do you care what we do to him?” the biggest and ugliest of the demons asked her when she’d made her way to Inuyasha’s side. “He’s just a fuckin’ half-breed, disgusting filth.”

 

            Kagome gave a thoughtful look before answered. “Oh.” For a moment Inuyasha’s heart clenched. She finally got it and now she would go back to treating him like everyone else. “Manten, right? And you’re a big strong demon?” Her tone was rather seductive and the demon she spoke to smirked.

 

            “That’s right baby. You like big strong demons, don’t you?”

 

            Inuyasha wanted to throw up right then. She was actually flirting with his attacker right in front of him?

 

            “Are you tough and brave?” she asked sweetly.

 

            “Of course.”

 

            “So then it must have been some other demon…” she trailed off, looking down and to the side and drawing circles with her toe of her shoe in the dirt.

 

            “Whattya mean?”

 

            She looked up again and smirked wickedly. “It must have been some other 3 rd grader that pissed his pants when a little five year old human girl stood up to him?” The look on the demon’s face gave it all away and the crowd, including his cronies, burst into laughter at the senior who’d just been taken down a notch by a freshman.

 

            Manten’s eyes darkened as he glared at the girl who’d humiliated him once all those years ago and now again. “I think I know a little girl who needs to be taught how to act around her betters,” he growled. He took two steps toward her before Inuyasha slipped between them. When the demon laughed, thinking that the hanyou had just bought a ticket for a world of hurt, Inuyasha punched him hard enough to send blood spraying from his mouth, covering a few of the watchers on one side. “Defending a human, huh?” he asked while wiping blood from his lips. “Must be that filthy mixed blood of yours.”

 

            “Do you ever shut the fuck up?” Inuyasha growled before throwing another punch. Manten didn’t get a chance to hit back as the hanyou took all the frustration that had built up inside him out on the bully.

 

            It was obvious that the demon was losing, and badly, and when his friends moved to interfere Kagome stepped forward and allowed her powers to rise, keeping the others back. She was watching the fight closely and was beginning to get worried. Every now and then Inuyasha’s eyes flashed red and she could see jagged, nearly invisible markings rising out of the skin on his cheeks. He was losing control… fast. She had to do something to stop him before he killed the obnoxious demon. Yes, he deserved an ass-kicking, but she couldn’t let Inuyasha do something he might regret and definitely not when they were fighting because of her.

 

            “Inuyasha!” she called out to him, but she got no response. After a few more tries she decided she needed to get involved and when the fighting pair got a bit closer and Inuyasha’s back was to her Kagome wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his back. She could feel his muscles tense for a moment before relaxing and the steady growling and snarling he’d been doing slowed to more of a purr. “Get him out of here,” she ordered, still holding tightly to the half-demon while the very well beaten and freshly tenderized demon was carried away by his friends.

 

            When they were all out of sight and she was alone with him once more Kagome allowed her arms to slide from around his waist but he stayed facing away from her. “Inuyasha? Are you alright?”

 

            “You should go too, Kagome,” he said, his voice low and depressed.

 

            “Why would I do that?”

 

            He whirled around and stared at her. “I lost control! I could have hurt you! I’m not good enough to be your friend anyway. If I’m a danger to you too than I can’t allow it, no matter how much I want to spend time with you.”

 

            “Inuyasha, quit it. You weren’t going to hurt me.”

 

            “How could you fuckin’ know that?” he yelled. “I could have killed you! Hell, I probably would have killed him if you hadn’t stopped me.”

 

            “Calm down,” she said softly, reaching out and catching an arm before he could pull away. “I know that because if I was in any danger my miko energy would have protected me from you instead of healing all your wounds.”

 

            “Huh?” was his all-intelligent reply as he inspected himself. He poked at his face, especially his recently split lip, only to find out that she was right. He was as good as new.

 

            “Inuyasha?”

 

            He turned and looked at her, seeing the curiosity in her eyes. “Go on and ask.”

 

            “If you could fight so well why don’t you ever fight back, stand up for yourself? Well, besides Kouga I mean.”

 

            “Because,” he said in a low voice. “Because they’re right. I deserve it for being a hanyou.” He lifted a hand as she began to protest. “But I refuse to let anyone hurt you if I can prevent it. If I ever fail to protect you it would be because I died trying.” His tone was completely serious and he soon found himself wrapped in her arms.

 

            “You don’t deserve any of it, how they treat you. Don’t let them hurt you, please?” she mumbled into his chest. “And you most definitely deserve to be my friend. Don’t you dare think otherwise.” He only nodded as he slowly allowed his arms to come up and wrap around her. It was the first time that he’d ever had a friend, a real friend that he could trust, and the first time he’d ever held someone in his arms that wasn’t his mother. He allowed himself to breathe her in deeply, savoring the moment just in case it never happened again.

 

            Two sets of eyes finally stopped watching the proceedings, pulling back around the tree to look at each other. Miroku smirked at Bankotsu’s surprised look. “I guess he’s not so bad after all…”

 

            “He said he would protect her or die trying, and he barely even knows her.”

 

            “I knew I would lay down my life for her before she ever even looked at me,” Miroku said in his wisest sage-like tone. “Perhaps Kagome was right, that she is meant to be friends with him.”

 

            Bankotsu smiled. “I guess I really should have learned to trust her judgment about people by now, huh?”

 

            “Yeah well you’re not the only one.” The two left their hiding place where they’d been ready to jump in and protect Kagome if needed. Instead they’d caught quite the show and now knew that Inuyasha deserved more than a chance. He deserved their friendship and their respect.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Inuyasha was staring at his ceiling in the middle of the night, just trying to understand what had happened during lunch that day. He’d never lost control like that, ever, and he’d been pushed a lot further and hurt a lot worse. So then what was it? Why had it happened and how had Kagome managed to stop it? Finally he found the difference. He wasn’t fighting for himself, to protect himself. He was fighting to protect her. Just the thought of it made him growl. She’d been threatened. That had to be it because it was the only difference really between the most recent fight and all the others.

 

            He’d decided that he could trust her. She stood beside him, defended him, put herself in danger to protect him, and he would never forget it. The pull that he’d felt towards her before was multiplied by a thousand and he knew he would never be able to let her go. She was his and he would take care of her from that day forward.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            It seemed that the bullies didn’t all get the lesson as the next day a few of Manten’s friends decided it would be fun to get revenge on the hanyou by dumping his lunch all over him. It was rather funny, really. They didn’t expect him to be able to move quite so fast, and they ended up getting food all over each other instead of on their intended dog-eared victim. Too bad he didn’t have a back-up lunch.

 

            By the time Kagome reached him the two had taken off, but the evidence of the incident remained. “That your lunch?”

 

            “Was my lunch,” he grumbled. Inuyasha was surprised when a steaming cup of ramen noodles was set before him. “What’s this?”

 

            “Your new lunch,” she said with a smirk, handing him chopsticks and walking away before he could protest.

 

As soon as she was gone Miroku and Bankotsu slipped into the open seats on the other side of the table. Inuyasha was surprised for a minute and then worried that they were going to tell him to stay away from her, but when they smiled at him he relaxed. “So is she always like this?” he asked while pointing at the food she’d given him.

 

“Ever since I’ve known her,” Bankotsu said in a nostalgic tone.

 

“How long have you known her then?”

 

“We met on the first day of kindergarten.”

 

The hanyou’s eyes widened in surprise. “Shit that’s a long time. What about you?” he asked Miroku.

 

“I met her on the first day of middle school and she drew me right in immediately. Took us a while to get along though,” he said while tipping his head towards Bank. “But we’re not going to have that problem this time.”

 

“Well, what happened? How did you guys become friends?”

 

“It’s a long story,” Bank answered. “In short, Kagome knows when she’s meant to be friends with someone and we should just trust her instincts.”

 

Inuyasha nodded, agreeing that Kagome certainly had a sixth sense about people. She could read him like a large print book with a magnifying glass. “I’m confused about one thing,” he said before slurping some noodles. “Damn this is good!” he exclaimed as his eyes lit up.

 

“Kagome’s got a way with food, even instant,” Miroku said. “What are you confused about?”

 

The hanyou ate another mouthful of noodles before answering. “Which one of you is dating her?”

 

Miroku and Bankotsu both had surprised looks on their faces, not having been expecting that particular question. Inuyasha looked up when he heard his angel laugh and Kagome slipped into the seat beside him, setting a salad on the table in front of her. “I’m not dating either, Inu. And neither of them will let me date anyone else either. They’re a tad overprotective.”

 

He could see the looks he was being sent, something along the lines of ‘don’t even think about it, she’s off limits’, and he nodded his understanding to them. He knew he wasn’t good enough for her and he would never condemn her to the torture she would be sentenced to if she were to date him. No, he would love her secretly, protect her and make sure she was always happy, and that would have to be enough. At least he would be graced with her calming presence. Inuyasha had never felt quite as lucky in all his life as when she smiled at him. He didn’t know what he did to deserve such an angel and he figured that he never would, but he was determined to spend every minute he had with her thanking her in his own way. She was his and he hoped she always would be.

 

            They sat together, chatting casually and enjoying their lunch period for a while until Kouga decided he’d had enough. He stalked up to stand behind the hanyou that was sitting way too close to ‘his woman’. “You just don’t get it, do ya half-breed?” When Inuyasha tensed and looked like he was ready to get up, Kagome laid her hand on his arm, calming him instantly. Kouga’s eyes widened as she made contact with the abomination purposely. Shaking away his shock and the roiling feeling of disgust in his stomach he moved a little closer. Miroku smirked and Bankotsu merely shook his head. No one moved but in a few seconds the wolf demon yelped and jumped back in pain.

 

            Kagome had had enough of Kouga. He was irritating, but that she was used to. It was the bigot in him that really made her wish he lived on the other side of the island, or better yet on the other side of the ocean. Deciding she was just tired of it but not wanting her friends to end up in another fight so soon after the last she took care of it herself. She allowed her miko energy to rise up and surround her, spreading slowly like a bubble that wrapped around their table. She smiled as she saw Bankotsu’s eyes fall slowly shut and a stupid smirk showed up on Miroku’s face. She felt it as Inuyasha began to purr beside her and she allowed the bubble to expand until it came into contact with Kouga. When it reached the wolf however, he didn’t experience the peace and calm that he friends did, instead receiving a painful burn of purification on every inch of his skin, even in the more sensitive places. Needless to say he backed up quickly and made no move to come closer again.

 

            “Damnit Kagome! Why are you protecting him? He’s disgusting!”

 

            Kagome whirled around in her seat and sent him a glare that could freeze flames in place like ice sculptures. “He is not disgusting. Inuyasha is my friend and there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING wrong with him. There is, however, something wrong with YOU! How dare you judge someone for what they are? He didn’t get to pick how he was born any more than anyone else! I’m tired of it. You! You call me your woman. You do realize that if I agreed and we had children they would be hanyou too? I would never even think of being with you, knowing what I know. You want to know what’s disgusting?”

 

Kagome stood up now and took a few steps forward, three males instantly at her back. She looked around the crowded and completely silent cafeteria. “Every single one of you is disgusting. The way you treat another living creature is disgusting! I knew there was a reason I didn’t associate with any of you. You think being a half-demon is reason to torture someone emotionally and physically, that he is somehow less than you. It’s you, all of you that are the lesser beings.”

 

Miroku stepped up and took her right hand, sensing how upset she was. She squeezed his hand in thanks for the support. “To hate someone for no reason other than their heritage? You need to look at yourselves, look closely.”

 

Bankotsu took hold of her right hand and stood proudly beside her. Having her saying all those things, even though it was for Inuyasha, it meant just as much to him. She knew what he was and she loved him all the same and he knew she would defend him just as fiercely if anyone ever found out. The stress was literally pouring out of her in waves that hit the crowd, making them all uncomfortable as their skin tingled with her power.

 

She let go of both their hands for a moment and reached behind her. Inuyasha hadn’t known what to do. He knew she was upset, knew he needed to comfort her, but he didn’t know what her boundaries were. Would she let him touch her? She touched him but he knew it wasn’t the same thing. When her hands appeared behind her back, palms up and waiting he hesitantly laid his clawed hands carefully in hers and she surprised him by pulling his arms around her waist before reaching for Bank and Miroku’s hands again.

 

“Every single one of you is ugly in the only way that counts and the one way you have complete control over. You’re ugly inside and you chose to be that way! Well let’s see how you like it!” By now tears were streaming down her cheeks and her power sparked and flared, causing everyone in the room, human and demon, to feel a kind of pain they’d never experienced before. She’d slipped into Inuyasha’s mind, just a little, when they first touched and she found the pain, what it felt like to have everyone you’ve ever met hate you, to be constantly tormented and insulted, and she made them all feel what they’d done to him. Her miko energy wound slowly through him, healing wounds that no one could see, and his arms tightened around her as he purred in contentment. “How does it feel?” she whispered before going limp in his arms.

 

She’d overextended herself and succeeded in scaring the crap out of her friends when she passed out but when her power dissipated, ever so slowly people began to talk. Sure, not everyone got it. Not everyone realized how wrong they were, but a great deal of them did and Inuyasha found himself on the receiving end of honest and heartfelt apologies for weeks as they worked up the nerve to admit their mistake.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

“Who’s to say what’s impossible? Well they forgot, this world keeps spinning and with each new day I can feel a change in everything. And as the surface breaks reflections fade, but in some ways they remain the same. And as my mind begins to spread its wings, there’s no stopping curiosity.” Kagome was singing again.

 

            She was nervous. When Inuyasha had told her his parents wanted to meet her she had no idea why. When he told her it was because they wanted to meet the girl who changed his life she didn’t know what to say so she only nodded. Now she wished she had been able to speak to say no. What if she didn’t meet their expectations?

 

“I wanna turn the whole thing upside down. I’ll find the things they say just can’t be found. I’ll share this love I’ve found with everyone. We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songs. I don’t want this feeling to go away.”

 

She hadn’t done anything more than any good person would have done in her opinion. She made friends with someone who needed a friend and then she acted like one, that’s all. Sure, he seemed a lot happier, but then who wouldn’t when people had finally stopped hating him?

 “Who’s to say I can’t do everything? Well, I can try. And as I roll along I begin to find things aren’t always just what they seem.” 

She didn’t think she’d changed his life and she certainly didn’t want credit for it! That would be like telling them they were bad parents all that time for her to swoop in and fix everything in a few weeks.

             “I wanna turn the whole thing upside down. I’ll find the things they say just can’t be found. I’ll share this love I’ve found with everyone. We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songs. This world keeps spinning and there’s no time to waste. Well it all keeps spinnin’, spinnin’ round and round and upside down.” 

            He’d tried to get her to relax about it but it was impossible. She wanted to make a good impression and she was afraid they wouldn’t like her, like that was even possible. Inuyasha walked along beside her silently as she sang, just soaking in her soothing voice. Too bad it didn’t seem to be soothing her.

             “Who’s to say what’s impossible and can’t be found? I don’t want this feeling to go away. Please don’t go away. Please don’t go away. Please don’t go away. Is this how it’s supposed to be? Is this how it’s supposed to be?” 

When the song wound down he finally spoke. “Dude, Kagome, chill!” he laughed as they walked up the long driveway to what she was sure was her imminent doom. Mrs. Higurashi had picked them up from school and dropped them outside the large metal gates of the mansion-esque manor home. When her shoulders stayed tense he grabbed her arm and stopped her, turning her to look at him. “Kagome, they already love you. What you did… you really did change the entire world for me. How could they not love the angel that saved their son?”

 

            “But I didn’t really…”

 

            He cut her off with a frustrated growl. “Yes you did, wench. Just accept it cuz it’s not gonna change.” When she just glared at him the hanyou bent quickly and Kagome found herself lying over his shoulder, bumping along while he walked a little faster than they’d been going with her dragging her feet and stalling for time.

 

            “You do realize that I’m a human and not a sack of potatoes, right?”

 

            He snorted out a laugh. “No, I had no idea! Thanks so much for educating me on the difference between a girl and a bag of spuds,” he said sarcastically. “Just be glad the monk ain’t here. What is it with him and grabbing girls’ asses?”

 

            It was Kagome’s turn to laugh. “I have no idea, but it was the first thing he did when we met.”

 

            “And Bank didn’t kill him?”

 

            “Bank wasn’t there the first time; though I know he wanted to punch him quite a lot that week. I think it’s kinda funny, especially when they slap him. I think he might like getting hit.”

 

            “Okay, I so didn’t need that thought in my head!”

 

Kagome laughed and looked around when she heard it echo. They’d made it into the house and were in the giant open entryway. The stairs and the hall of the second floor were visible and the high ceiling held a beautiful crystal chandelier. “Shit,” she whispered. He’d tricked her, keeping her distracted until it was too late to get away.

 

“I must say, the sound of your laughter is something I would like to hear much more often.” A dignified and deep voice floated into the room and bounced off the walls. She looked around and Inuyasha carefully set her on her feet. When Katsuro stepped into view Inuyasha grabbed her hand and she visibly calmed.

 

“Pops, this is Kagome,” Inuyasha said politely. “Where’s Ma?”

 

“It is wonderful to finally meet you, my dear. Inuyasha has told us so much about you.” Kagome blushed and the taiyoukai smiled. “Your mother is in the kitchen,” he said to the hanyou at her side. “Why don’t you go and tell her the guest of honor has arrived?”

 

Kagome just about hyperventilated when her hand was suddenly alone, just like she was with a very powerful and just recently introduced demon. She looked around, trying to find something else to focus on. “Your house is beautiful.”

 

“Why thank you, Kagome, but there is no reason for you to be nervous. You have done something for us that no one has ever been able to do. Do not downplay your role in Inuyasha’s new view on life.”

 

“All I did was make friends with him.”

 

“From what my mate and I have been hearing, you did much more than that.”

 

Kagome was about to protest when Inuyasha came back into the room, his mother in tow. When he reached her he smiled, flashing her his bright white fangs. “Kagome, this is my mother. Ma, this is Kagome.” Kagome smiled sweetly. He looked mostly like his father, but she could see several features that came from his mother who was a stunningly beautiful woman.

 

Izayoi surprised Kagome with a firm hug before she released her to give her a once over. “Hello dear! Oh, it’s wonderful to finally meet you!” They were all swept into the sitting room and Izayoi hurried out to grab her tray of tea and cookies. They sat and chatted for a while and finally Kagome relaxed. They were nice and apparently they were sure that Kagome had saved Inuyasha, no matter how much she protested. They talked about family, skimming gently over the death of her father and side-stepping the topic of Sesshoumaru all together.

 

No one noticed him when the younger taiyoukai peeked into the room, having followed his nose in search of the source of such a delicious scent that was floating on the air. He frowned when he saw Inuyasha, totally missing Kagome’s presence as he turned and went up to his room. Even though the scent was coming from that room, if the hanyou was in there he was no longer interested.

 

By the end of the afternoon Kagome was already calling Katsuro Papi and Izayoi Mom since she called her own mother Mama and she felt awkward saying Ma like Inuyasha did. It was the first of many gatherings and soon Kagome, as well as Bankotsu and Miroku, became a part of the family.

 

The night after he’d introduced Kagome to his parents Inuyasha lay staring at the ceiling. She had no idea, none of them did. She definitely saved his life, and not just figuratively. He had decided during the first hellish week of school that he couldn’t take it anymore. It had finally grown to be more than he could handle. If it wasn’t for her he wouldn’t have been there anymore. He’d already planned to put himself out of his misery.

 No one at school dared insult him again. There were still some who avoided him, but no more comments were made, not just because of Kagome’s outburst in the cafeteria. Her friendship had given him the self-confidence to stand up for himself and he didn’t take anyone’s shit anymore… even Sesshoumaru’s.  

 

            Inuyasha let out a snort. “Love? You think he loves her?”

 

            Katsuro shook his head at his younger son. “Sesshoumaru would not be suffering from the Syndrome if he did not love her. He has merely been denying it to himself all this time.”

 

            “If the bastard loves her then why is he such an asshole to her?”

 

            “I’ve never seen him be anything but cordial to Kagome, cold but still polite.”

 

            “Yeah, well you missed out on yesterday. First he basically called her a whore and then he was a jerk when she tried to offer him dinner. Ended up with a carpet full of taco sauce for his trouble too.”

 

            Katsuro couldn’t help but smile at the last part. “She is a feisty one, isn’t she? But explain to me how he ‘basically’ called her a whore.” Inuyasha launched into his tale of Kagome and the shower, Miroku commenting here and there as well. Their tale was followed by their pre and post dinner entertainment. By the time they were finished the elder inu was sure that Sesshoumaru was truly in love with her. Only love could cause him to freeze like he had, to be so distracted he allowed himself to be struck. Only love would cause his son to allow Kagome to speak to him as she had. Too bad his son’s pride had gotten in the way. They could have been bonding right now if he hadn’t been such an ass about the pity thing. She was right to pity him. He’d screwed his life up royally and now he just might, no, most likely would die because of it.

 

            Finally the contractor caught his attention and conversation was turned to focus on what they wanted done and how fast. They discussed how the workers could only come in and out at certain times and a rough schedule was made. Now they just had to figure out how to get the poor guy out of the basement without Kagome seeing him.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Kagome loved French toast. It was easy, much easier than pancakes. Her pancakes always ended up burned on one side and uncooked in the middle. Pancakes just weren’t her friends, but French toast? She was the queen of French toast. With Shippo’s help she’d made a huge platter stacked high with it, knowing that the guys hadn’t eaten yet. She was just about to call for them when Miroku popped his head into the room.

 

            “Kaggie! There you are my love!” His eyes widened as he sniffed the air. “French toast?” He smiled as she nodded. “Beautiful! Can you come here for a minute?”

 

Kagome gave him an odd look but followed him into the living room. When they got there the monk was looking around frantically, trying and failing to find something to engage her in discussion about for a moment. “Miroku? Is there some reason you needed me to leave my food? I’m hungry you know and…”

 

“I wanted to ask you… I… um… I was wondering…” Finally the perfect thing struck him. “I wanted to know if you’ve given any thought to Inuyasha’s birthday this year. I know you always like to do something but I haven’t heard you mention it yet.”

 

Kagome furrowed her brows. “His birthday isn’t for almost a whole month. What do you really want?”

 

Miroku swallowed nervously but was saved just in time.

 

“Is that French toast I smell my dear?”

 

Kagome turned and smiled brightly. “Yep! And I made a lot so you have to have some. Do you know what you’re going to do about…” she lifted her eyes to the ceiling. Seeing that Kagome was adequately distracted, Miroku took off, not wanting to be there if she remembered her unanswered question.

 

“About my fool of a son, no, I haven’t figured out what to do yet. I suppose it depends on if I can communicate with him or his beast while he is in that form. I can’t put you at… I mean I can’t risk him hurting someone while his beast is in control.” He held his breath, praying she hadn’t caught his little slip-up. He let out a sigh of relief when she smiled.

 

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out. Isn’t there some way to help him regain control so he’ll turn back?”

 

“I just don’t know sweetheart. I haven’t seen or heard of a demon taking his true form for centuries. If his beast truly has complete control I fear the only way Sesshoumaru can regain it would be for the beast to surrender control to him.”

 

“Do you know what his beast wants? Maybe if it gets what it wants it will let go.”

 

“My dear Kagome, I don’t think there is any chance of the beast getting what it wants,” he said in a sad tone. ‘It’s too bad really. If he hadn’t screwed everything up my sweet Kagome would really be a part of the family, a permanent part.’ He growled in frustration as he thought of his son’s foolishness.

 

“But if it doesn’t get what it wants, didn’t you say he would die?” Kagome asked with her voice full of worry and compassion which caught Katsuro’s attention. Maybe things weren’t as bad as Inuyasha and the others made it seem. Maybe she could forgive Sesshoumaru. Maybe she would give him another chance.

 

“Yes my dear, but what the beast wants is not easily attainable. My son has a bad habit of pushing people away and this time is no different.”

 

“It has something to do with a girl though, doesn’t it? Probably a beautiful inu demoness. If that’s what the beast wants, well I can’t really see a girl turning down his advances. They’ve always been chasing after him, for as long as I’ve known your family.” Kagome meant it too. He was gorgeous after all. Every girl in school had wanted him. They talked about him endlessly and didn’t even seem to notice when he ignored or even insulted them. They still wanted him.

 

“But this girl is special. She would not want him for his appearance, his money, or his power. The girl he desires would have to truly love him as he loves her.” A growl from the doorway caught their attention and they both turned and looked at Inuyasha. Katsuro had a rather guilty expression on his face but Kagome didn’t notice it. She was more worried about what had her friend so upset.

 

“Inuyasha? Are you alright?”

 

His voice was stiff and cold as he answered. “Sure wench, I’m fine. Go eat your breakfast before it gets cold. My father and I will be there in a minute.” Kagome looked back and forth between the two before shrugging. She was too hungry to worry about what Inuyasha was being pissy about this time. It was always something.

 

They both watched her leave before Inuyasha growled again. He whispered angrily at his father, “I thought we agreed not to tell her!”

 

“She asked me, Inuyasha. Calm down. It’s not like I told her it was her! I already told you I can’t do that, because it wouldn’t work if she didn’t truly love him. I think you may be wrong about her though. I think there might still be a chance if he can find a way to spend time with her and not fight his feelings. She doesn’t seem completely closed off to him. She even sounded worried.”

 

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed. “You will not take advantage of her caring and trusting personality to push her on that bastard! He doesn’t deserve her.”

 

His father sighed. “There is something you still don’t know, Inuyasha. For Sesshoumaru to have the Syndrome, the female his beast has chosen is his soul mate. She should be drawn to him just as he is drawn to her. No matter how you feel about it, Kagome is meant to be with your brother, just as your mother was meant for me.”

 

“I don’t believe you. There is no way in hell that Kagome is drawn to him! There is no chance that she’s his soul mate! No way!”

 

Bankotsu leaned his head into the room. “Inuyasha!” he hissed. “If you keep yelling it won’t matter if he was telling her or not because you’re going to! Both of you come and eat before she gets suspicious!”

 

Inuyasha growled his displeasure but stalked back to the kitchen anyway, followed by his father who looked to be deep in thought. ‘Sesshoumaru my boy, you might still have a chance.’ He wasn’t sure that his son deserved her, but that didn’t take him out of the running yet. He didn’t think he deserved his beautiful Izayoi but she loved him anyway. Sesshoumaru might get lucky yet.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            The scent of something absolutely delicious had made its way upstairs and to his powerful nose, causing him to whimper softly. He didn’t want to be locked in his room. He wanted to be downstairs where he knew she was. And she was cooking again! Sesshoumaru and his beast were both curious as to why their father hadn’t come to check on them. Sesshoumaru wondered if his father would even be able to understand the beast when he finally did. Their time was spent straining to hear whatever was happening downstairs since there was nothing else to do to pass the time. They’d failed miserably in their attempts to think of some way to remind her of her initial attraction or form a plan to earn her love and affections. Things were beginning to look hopeless.

 

            White ears twitched at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Someone was coming. The beast rose and moved to stand at the door, waiting for someone to speak or for something to happen.

 

            “Well? Now what?” he heard Inuyasha say. The hanyou sounded rather frustrated and they both wondered if it was due to his knowledge of their interest in the miko. A whimper escaped the large white dog at the thought of Kagome as the pain increased.

 

            The boys and Kagome watched in surprise as Katsuro began to whine, growl, and bark at the sutra covered door. None of them except Shippo could understand a thing, not even Inuyasha as being a half-demon had left him without the instinctive ability to speak in inu.

 

            ‘My son, tell me what occurred.’

 

            Sesshoumaru’s beast responded eagerly, thrilled that they would be able to communicate. ‘I have gained full control of our body. My other half has done more than enough damage to our relationship with her.’

 

            ‘Your brother and the others have deduced that it is Kagome that both the beast and the civilized half desire. Is this correct?’

 

            ‘Kagome is meant to be ours and I will not stop until she is where she belongs.’

 

            ‘How do you intend to solve things while in your true form? She will not be able to understand you.’

 

            ‘We have yet to form a plan, though we may have an idea. We were hoping you would have suggestions since you said that you also suffered from the Syndrome and survived.’

 

            ‘If I were to release you, could you assure me of Kagome’s safety? I will not put her at risk.’

 

            There was a low threatening growl before their conversation continued. ‘Neither of us would ever do her harm. We would never hurt our mate.’

 

            ‘I do believe that all hope is not lost, my son. She is worried for you. She still cares so she has not yet closed her heart to the possibility.’

 

            Both Sesshoumaru and the beast let out sighs of relief. ‘At least there is a chance, though the hanyou is sure to get in the way.’

 

            ‘I will ensure that he does not interfere. Tell me of your idea.’

 

            ‘When she first saw us she felt the connection. He was cruel to the hanyou then and she witnessed it, causing her to reject her attraction to us. We were hoping to find a way to remind her of that initial feeling.’

 

            Katsuro smiled. ‘That is an excellent idea. And the Syndrome is not entirely negative. It allows you some options you would not have otherwise.’

 

            Red eyes widened in surprise. ‘What options? Tell us!’

 

            ‘First of all, fate is on your side. For you to have the Syndrome at all proves that Kagome is your soul mate. She really was made just for you. The rest I will explain later. I am sure you would like to leave your room. You are probably hungry. If you have… ‘business’… to do, I suppose you would have to do so outside in your current form. But first I require your word on her safety. It would also probably be best if you avoided direct contact with her until I speak with your brother and the others.’

 

            ‘This Sesshoumaru gives his word that our miko will be completely safe in our presence and you are most likely correct. The hanyou would surely react poorly if we were to approach her now.’

 

            ‘She’s our soul mate? Then she has to accept us and love us!’ Sesshoumaru thought, suddenly filled with hope.

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            No one had any idea what was going on for sure, but each had guessed that Katsuro was somehow communicating with Sesshoumaru’s beast. Inuyasha was still glowering, his eyes burning a hole in the back of his father’s head, so he wasn’t paying much attention. Miroku and Bankotsu found it absolutely fascinating, witnessing the two communicating in their demon tongue. It wasn’t a common sight in the least.

Shippo wasn’t as impressed since he could understand some of it himself. The inu and kitsune languages were very similar in some ways but very different in others so he couldn’t get the whole picture of what was being said, but he was catching enough to understand that Sesshoumaru’s beast was in complete control and definitely desired Kagome. He also understood that it meant her no harm and that she wouldn’t be at risk if he was released.

 

Kagome couldn’t keep the grin off her face. It was just too funny to see Katsuro barking and whining. Growling she was used to. Most demons seemed to be fond of it. But Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru’s father, she’d never imagined she’d see him like this in her entire life. It just wasn’t something the professional and respectable man would do. She wished she could understand them. She was really curious, not only about what the two inu were discussing, but also about what Katsuro had said before Inuyasha interrupted them. It seemed like he had been trying to tell her something without coming right out and saying it. She liked riddles and all, but this was just too confusing.

 

Sesshoumaru’s beast wanted a certain female that would love him not for his appearance, his money, or his power. But how could it be so sure? How could the beast know the true intentions of another? How had it picked the girl to begin with? And why hadn’t he just shown his interest in her? Why did he wait so long to say anything to his father about it? And there was something in the way Katsuro looked at her when she’d mentioned an inu demoness that made her think that it wasn’t an inu demoness after all. But Sesshoumaru hated humans so there was absolutely no way it was a human girl. Maybe it was just a different kind of demoness?

 

She felt bad for the beast. From what she understood, the beast had picked this girl, desired this girl, and Sesshoumaru denied it. She still couldn’t help but wonder why Sesshoumaru was the way he was, why he pushed everyone away, why he was always so cold and why he seemed to prefer a solitary life. He had to be lonely. Every living creature needed contact with others, not just conversation, which she knew he avoided, but actual physical contact. Humans and demons alike needed to be touched, needed the comfort that a simple hug could give. How he managed to live without it all this time amazed her. He had to be lonely.

 

Her mind was drawn to the first time she’d ever seen him. He was so beautiful and when their eyes met she felt like she had just been struck by lightning. She’d felt it then, a tugging feeling, like she was hooked and being reeled in towards him. She probably would have followed it if it hadn’t been for the way he’d treated his brother. She still had no idea why there was such animosity between the two. Inuyasha had explained that Sesshoumaru hated him because he was a half-demon but she felt like there was something more. There had to be something else for one brother to treat another so poorly, half-brother or not.

 

She had tried to push that feeling out of her mind but it never worked. It was always there in the background, whispering to her that it hadn’t been a one time thing. It hadn’t been a fluke. She was still drawn to him. She was still attracted to him, but she refused to even think about being with someone who could be so horrible to their own family. She loved Inuyasha and she couldn’t forget the way Sesshoumaru had hurt him so many times. He hadn’t deserved the cruelty, especially not from his brother, so she locked away her feelings. She could never act on them, not just because of the way he treated his sibling but because she knew he would never want a human anyway. She wasn’t willing to put herself out there and get her heart handed back to her in a million pieces. He’d never feel the same about her, so why bother?

 

She knew there was something hiding in there though, something he was trying to keep from the world. She refused to believe he was truly so cold, that he honestly thought he needed no one, that he really wanted to be alone. No one wanted to be alone, especially not for as long as Sesshoumaru had been. Kagome wished he hadn’t pushed her away. She wanted to help him. She was having the same feeling as she’d had with each of her friends, the pull that told her it was meant to be. She was meant to be Sesshoumaru’s friend, just as she was meant to be Bankotsu, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo’s friend as well. If only he hadn’t been so rude and made her so angry, maybe they could have taken the first steps to becoming friends. Being friends with him was better than nothing.

 

With a nod of her head Kagome decided that she would help him. Even though he’d been rude and just plain mean, he needed help. He would die if he didn’t get the girl and she couldn’t stand the thought of him dying because of unrequited love. She would help him in whatever way she could. She would help him figure out what he wanted to say to her. She would help him catch her attention. She would help Sesshoumaru with anything that he needed, because that’s what friends do. Friends help each other.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Katsuro finally stopped ‘talking’ to Sesshoumaru and turned around to look at Miroku and Kagome. “It is safe to release him from his room. Could you please remove the sutras?”

 

            “No fucking way!” Inuyasha yelled in protest. “No way will that bastard run around here with his beast in control!”

 

            “Inuyasha,” Katsuro said in a very fatherly tone. “You will not interfere. Sesshoumaru will be released and then you, your friends, and I will have a talk.”

 

            The hanyou knew that tone. He frowned and stared at the floor, knowing that his father would do what he wanted and that he’d better behave or he’d be in for a world of hurt. “He’d better stay away from her,” he said in a voice so soft only his father, Shippo, and Sesshoumaru’s beast heard it.

 

The beast wanted to snarl in anger. ‘How dare the hanyou try to keep us from our mate?!’ Sesshoumaru did his best to calm the beast, all the while keeping a tight hold on his own rage. It wouldn’t do for them to maul their half-brother in front of her, knowing how much she cared for the fool. She would never forgive them.

 

Katsuro noticed the smile still gracing Kagome’s lips. “Do you find something entertaining, my dear?” he asked in a teasing tone, smiling as she blushed and looked away.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare or anything. It’s just… I never expected to see you barking!” She started out in a soft voice but was laughing by the end.

 

“We are dog demons, darling. Would you do the honors since it appears your friends have all turned to stone?”

 

She looked at him, confused for a moment, before she realized what he meant. “Yeah, sure,” she said, walking up to the door. Inuyasha took a step to stop her but one glare from his father stopped him. They all watched as she reached up and peeled sutras from the door one by one until they were all gone. It seemed like everyone but Katsuro was holding their breath, each expecting him to come crashing through the door as soon as the barrier was weakened enough. It was rather anticlimactic when nothing happened at all. Kagome looked at the door, her head tilting to the side in thought, and couldn’t stop the smile the crossed her face when she heard a small whimper. In her mind it was like she could hear him saying ‘Could you please get the door? I don’t have hands.’

 

Sesshoumaru and the beast had felt the barrier weakening as she pulled one sutra after another away. They could feel the hum of her miko energy that rose to release each paper spell and it was absolutely exhilarating.  He would have to remember to thank his father for having her be the one to release him. It felt like she was welcoming him, freeing him.

When all four guys moved to pull her away from the door Katsuro let out a warning growl. He was going to have to have a serious talk with all of them. He refused to allow them to get in the way. His eldest son’s life depended on him getting one more chance with her and they would not prevent it from happening. It would be Kagome’s choice in the end whether she allowed Sesshoumaru to be anywhere near her, let alone gave him the chance to make a more positive impression. He watched with a smile as she slowly opened the door.

 

As it swung inwards everyone got their first look at Sesshoumaru. He was the size of a Saint Bernard and his fur shone silver just as beautifully as his hair did. His crimson eyes looked up at her from where he was sitting patiently. When she smiled he felt his heart clench and a small whimper of pain escaped the beast. When she heard the pitiful sound her head tilted to the side in question, causing both taiyoukai to wonder if she didn’t have some inu in her after all. She had all the mannerisms of a dog demon.

 

“He’s beautiful,” she whispered, mostly to herself though everyone heard her. Seeing a chance, the beast rose slowly and walked towards her, curious as to how she would react. Would she be afraid of the beast? Was she still angry at him? He moved at almost a crawl, waiting for her to back up or for any hint of worry or fear in her eyes, but she gave no signs at all that she wanted him to stop. He spared a glance at her friends, seeing that each except for Shippo was staring on in almost terror. They should know better. He loved this human girl, this beautiful angel of a miko. He would never cause her harm, either half of him. He knew it was only because of his father that they hadn’t already swept her away to ‘safety’.

 

Kagome merely watched as the giant silvery white dog approached her. She knew she should be afraid but she just couldn’t be. The way he was looking at her… she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. He had that same pleading look as he had the night before, as if he was silently begging her not to send him away. Her body moved without her permission as she dropped to her knees and held out one hand, palm up as a peace offering, not that she needed one.

 

Katsuro felt a great deal of his worries and fears disappear as she held her hand out to the beast that was his son. There was no fear in her scent. She was welcoming the beast, offering her friendship even, with that one small gesture.

 

Sesshoumaru knew that if he was in his human form there would be an unmistakable and unrestrained smile on his face. He was still locked inside, watching and feeling everything second hand, but she was accepting them. He would find a way to make her his. He still had a chance.

 

The beast gently nuzzled his muzzle against the palm of her hand, still half expecting her to pull away. When she didn’t, he pulled back just enough to sniff her soft skin, loving the way his scent was mixed with hers, before his long pink tongue slipped out to drag across her palm. She tasted amazing and she still hadn’t pulled away. Another tongue kiss and then a longer, more affectionate nuzzling was met with a soft giggle. He looked up into her eyes, curious as to why she was laughing, and the happiness in her eyes caused all the pain in his chest to disappear. He lowered his head slightly, nudging at her hand, wanting to feel her touching him, stroking his fur lovingly.

 

Getting the message she moved her hand to gently brush through the fur on his head. He let out a pleased purr that was met with another giggle. His eyes closed in pure ecstasy as her fingertips traced first the blue crescent moon over his brow and then the magenta lines on the sides of his muzzle. It could only have felt better if she was touching his face, his skin. He’d always ached to feel her touch him and even in this form he was not disappointed. “Well look at that,” she whispered. “Not such a big meanie like this, are you?”

 

‘Not to you my Kagome. Never to you,’ the beast thought and somewhere inside Sesshoumaru agreed. His eyes opened and met with hers again and he wished she could understand him, wished he could talk to her, tell her all the things he’d always been to afraid to say. The beast whimpered aloud, agreeing with Sesshoumaru. She needed to understand them or no real progress could be made. ‘Kagome, if only you could understand me,’ he said in whines and soft woofs. He almost whimpered when she turned away until he realized what she was doing.

 

“Papi, what did he say?”

 

The older inu smiled down at the sweet girl he loved as a daughter. “He said that he wishes you could understand him.”

 

Her eyes softened and she turned back to the large inu before her. “I’m sorry I can’t understand you. But your demoness, she should be able to, right?”

 

The dog’s head turned sharply to look at his father. ‘What demoness does she speak of? What has she been told?’

 

“I’m guessing that was to you?” she said with a smile to Katsuro.

 

He nodded before answering his son’s beast. ‘She knows of the Syndrome and that it somehow involves a female. The others told her before they realized it was her. She simply assumed that you would desire an inu demoness and I could not tell her otherwise. She cannot know that she is who your beast desires until she already cares for you. If she were to mate with you simply to save you the mating wouldn’t take and you would die.’

 

‘So I am supposed to allow her to continue to believe this nonsense? You will tell her that I have no interest in any demoness.’

 

‘But then she will want to know who it is.’

 

‘And you will tell her that you cannot say, but she cannot continue to think that we desire a demoness. It is bad enough that she believes we hate all humans. We cannot make progress with the deck stacked against us!’

 

Kagome was watching in confusion. The beast sounded angry with his father, while Katsuro sounded almost pleading.

 

‘There are a few benefits I have yet to tell you of. You may be able to tell her that yourself.’

 

‘That is not good enough! Tell her now!’

 

Katsuro let out a sigh before he turned and smiled at Kagome. “He wishes for me to tell you that it is not a demoness he desires.”

 

Kagome furrowed her brows in confusion. “But I thought the beast wanted a girl. He hates humans; he’s always made that very clear. How can it be anything but a demoness?” She watched as Inuyasha snarled threateningly at both his father and his brother and wondered what his problem was. She heard a more feral sounding snarl from her side and turned back to see the beast standing with hackles raised and looking ready to pounce on Inuyasha. “What the hell?” she said loudly.

 

Katsuro looked from one son to the other before returning his attention to Kagome. “Not everything about Sesshoumaru is truly as it seemed. He does not hate all humans and he does not desire a demoness. I cannot tell you more and it would be wise not to ask. There are some things that cannot be shared, and I have a feeling we’ll have a dog fight on our hands if the subject continues.”

 

Kagome frowned, displeased with the less than thorough answer. She growled in frustration and glared at both the beast and Inuyasha. “Knock it off, will ya?!” she yelled before lifting herself from the floor and stomping past everyone to head downstairs.

  

 @@  3 and a quarter Years Ago @@            

It had taken him longer than expected to figure out how to do what he hoped would be his final experiments. Finding just any girl so he could think about Kagome while with her was easy. Finding a girl that looked like Kagome wasn’t easy in the slightest. Finding a girl with hair so black it was blue was hard enough. Finding one with eyes like hers, that was just impossible.

 

The closest resemblance he could find was a girl in her grade named Kikyo. Their facial features were very similar, but Kikyo’s eyes were brown and her hair was straight instead of wavy and full of body like Kagome’s. Their builds were similar from what he could tell. Too bad he absolutely refused to go near her. There was no way he would touch a girl like her, let alone let her touch him. For a high school freshman she got around… a lot. Her scent was always laced with that of sweat, sex, and some random male. No, he couldn’t, wouldn’t risk it, even for the sake of science and to understand his apparently very picky dick. Kami only knew what kind of diseases she carried. No, Kikyo was a no go.

 

There was another girl who looked quite similar to Kagome as well, also in the same grade. He’d watched her for a while, trying to decide if she would do. She had brown eyes too instead of the gray and ever-changing blue of Kagome’s. Her hair wasn’t as wavy, but it wasn’t as straight as Kikyo’s either. She was a shy, sweet little thing and he just couldn’t bring himself to use her like that. It didn’t help the situation that she was friends with Kagome either. If he really could only respond to Kagome then hurting one of her friends, especially in a sexual situation, would not be wise if he ever wanted to get any. It was bad enough that she obviously disliked the way he treated the half-breed, something he just couldn’t change.

 

Eventually he’d figured out a way, though it was incredibly complicated. It was a potion that would temporarily alter one’s appearance. It took him weeks to gather the ingredients and follow the recipe exactly. Now all he could do was pray it worked. He figured it would be easier to try both experiments in one night with one girl, for if he once again failed to respond, the fewer who knew about it the better. He considered himself lucky already that it hadn’t gotten out. Rumors were always floating around the school and every time he heard a new one he mentally cringed until he learned that it wasn’t his secret.

 

He’d picked a human girl in his grade named Sara this time. She had some similar features to Kagome, which would help the potion. The more the actual and intended appearances were alike the better the chance it would work. Needing privacy to be able to slip her the potion when the time came so no one would alert her to the change, he had arranged an evening picnic, giving himself credit for actually trying. He was really hoping this would work. His chances at getting into Kagome’s favor and then her pants were pretty slim.

 

When Sara laid eyes on the spot he’d prepared she’d gone on and on about how romantic he was and how surprised she was that he was so interested in her that he would go to such lengths. Sesshoumaru had to fight to keep from rolling his eyes. If only she knew to just what extent he’d gone to prepare for this moment… Kami he hoped it would work!

 

While the two ate the prepared meal, she chattered endlessly just like Megumi had. Only half listening, the taiyoukai found himself wishing he could find a girl who was born incapable of speech. Things would go so much more smoothly if he didn’t have to listen to the inane stories she insisted on telling him. He really didn’t care in the slightest what she had to say. Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to fall closed and began to think of Kagome. First he tried to see her sitting there beside him. He knew she wouldn’t be anywhere near as annoying as Sara, and he could listen to her voice for hours.

 

He allowed his imagination to lead him, Kagome crawling across the blanket to kneel in front of him, Kagome climbing into his lap, her short skirt riding up as she straddled his legs, pressing her heat against his already growing arousal. Her hands brushed his cheeks before her fingers slid into his hair. She closed the short distance between them and kissed him, softly at first, but then growing more passionate, needier. His arms twitched at his sides. She seemed so real in his mind. He could almost feel her and he was aching to squeeze the ass that dominated his thoughts. Seeing her bent over got him every time, his beast loving how it looked like she was presenting herself to him, inviting him to mount her like a good bitch would.

 

“Sesshoumaru?” a soft feminine voice called. When he didn’t answer she tried again. “Sesshoumaru? Are you feeling alright?”

 

The taiyoukai’s eyes snapped open and he looked at the girl sitting on the other side of the blanket, the girl who was definitely not Kagome. She had a dazed look to her and he followed her eyes, noticing the large tent in the front of his slacks. ‘It worked!’ he mentally rejoiced. His delicate nose caught the scent of the girl’s arousal and he smirked at her. Finally, finally he would rid himself of his pesky virginity and end the constant frustration he suffered. “Come here,” he murmured quietly, almost laughing when she scampered around the food as quickly as she could manage. Apparently she was really interested in what he had in his pants, and to tell the truth, he was too. If that was all it took… if all he had to do was fantasize about Kagome for a few minutes before engaging in activities with another female… he could live with that.

 

Sara knelt before him just like Kagome had in his fantasy moments before. She looked unsure of what to do next, watching his face closely. Finally she worked up the nerve and reached out to touch him. First her hand caressed his leg before moving upwards. He watched as she brushed her hands over his zipper and that was when he noticed it. He was completely soft again, like he hadn’t been aroused at all. He sighed softly and closed his eyes again; allowing Sara to explore his masculine form timidly while he tried to believe that it was Kagome’s hands touching him. Somehow though, it just wasn’t the same as it had been a few minutes ago. The way this girl was touching him, it wasn’t how he’d imagined Kagome would.

 

Finally he shook his head and opened his eyes again, seeing a confused but aroused girl staring at him. “What happened? Are you…”

 

He cut off her question with a question of his own. “Would you care for a drink?” When she nodded he grabbed the bottle he’d mixed the potion with and handed it to her. She sat beside him in silence, sipping her soda and looking up at the night sky. He could smell the worry and nervousness in her scent. She was already self conscious, thinking that she’d somehow turned him off, and really she had. He tried not to stare at her, just sneaking a glance here and there, watching as she changed slowly from Sara to Kagome. He smirked when the transformation was complete. It was perfect. When her eyes met his he found a flaw. Rather than the beautiful gray that was cut through with bright blue bolts of lightning, Sara’s new eyes were now just a flat gray, boring.

 

He could manage without the eyes, he decided, and he reached out to touch her hair, his mind doing it’s best to believe that this girl who now looked just like her was in fact Kagome. He watched her eyes widen in surprise before they fell shut in anticipation of his kiss. With her eyes closed the image was flawless, and he closed the distance, brushing his lips across hers. One hand wrapped in her hair while the other moved to rest on her hip, and he increased the pressure of his kiss, drawing her bottom lip between his to nibble gently like he always dreamed of doing. Kagome was always biting that plump and delicious looking bottom lip of hers, always drawing his attention to it.

 

He felt his chest tighten painfully, just like it had when he was with Aiko, and he pulled back. Her hand had slipped into his pants and she was touching him teasingly, trailing the tips of her fingers along his still flaccid length. She leaned in to kiss him back and when their lips touched a groan escaped him. Sara took it as encouragement, but it was actually a groan of pain. He tried to ignore it, looking at the beautiful copy of Kagome before him, touching him, kissing him, but after a few moments he pulled away and grabbed her wrist to end the contact between her hand and his rebellious dick. Her touch seemed to be causing the pain, as it receded almost immediately. When she reached out to touch him again the pain returned and he growled in frustration, causing her to pull her hand back as if she was bitten.

 

He had his answer. It was Kagome or no one. Deciding he wanted to get out of there, he began to clean up their area quickly and Sara helped, thinking that they were going to find a more private spot to continue. She was rather surprised when he took the long way back to her house, needing to waste time until the potion wore off. She hadn’t expected to be going home for at least a few more hours. She wanted him so much it hurt. When she tried to make him understand that he scoffed. “It is not going to happen,” he growled. “This Sesshoumaru made an error when selecting you.” He allowed all his anger and frustration at his situation taint his tone and Sara sniffled before getting out of the car, slamming the door, and dashing up the walk to her house, never looking back. “This Sesshoumaru will be a virgin forever,” he said to himself before driving away, squealing the tires as he went.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Sesshoumaru, the most attractive and sought after male in the school, was left with no options. He had no choice but to fantasize about the female he could never touch and masturbate. He would never lose his virginity, he was sure of it. And so the confident taiyoukai was reduced to a pitiful existence, no better than a stalker. When Kagome was in the house he would skulk in dark corners or find some excuse or another to share the same room with her for as long as he could. He watched her, her friends, and his brother hanging out on the front lawn, hidden from sight behind his heavy curtains.

 

School wasn’t any better. He took the long way to his classes just to pass her locker in hopes of spotting her. It didn’t take long before he had her schedule memorized. He even changed some of his classes so that he would be in a certain classroom the period after she was. He claimed her desk and every day reveled in her lingering scent. It was the only time he was truly content anymore. He changed where he sat during lunch to be closer to her table, all the while doing his best to make sure neither his brother nor her other bodyguards noticed.

 

He frequented first his brother’s Myspace page, then those of the monk and strange human male, rejoicing when she finally got her own. He spent hours clicking through their photo albums and he almost felt like he was her friend, reading her blog, knowing her thoughts and learning as much as he could about her, memorizing her favorite things and surrounding himself with them when possible. He ached to be close to her but she didn’t seem to even know he existed. He was invisible to the only girl in the world he wanted and it nearly killed him. The annoying pain in his chest seemed to happen more frequently, getting worse when he thought of her, but he couldn’t keep her out of his mind.

 

Holidays and family events were hell. He was forced to sit across the dining room table from his obsession and act like it was nothing. He had to watch her smile at his brother, watch her laugh with Bankotsu, watch her be groped by the monk, watch her be happy without him. It was worse than anything he had ever imagined. All he wanted was for her to flash that smile at him. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh. He wanted to be the one she hugged, the one who carried her around, the one who held her while she slept, the one whose shoulder her head rested on while they watched a movie. He wanted to be one of them. He wanted to be his brother. The very thought disgusted him, but it was a truth he couldn’t avoid. His brother was lucky. She loved him. He’d heard her say it multiple times; each time feeling his heart clench in his chest, each time sure it would shatter the next.

 

The dreams were out of control. He had them every single night now. He was exhausted every single day. Even a demon of his strength needed to sleep sometimes. He finally realized that it was her that he was dreaming about. He’d just about slapped himself when it hit him. How he’d denied it to himself for so long he had no idea. The eyes were a dead giveaway. There were times he was sure he would just drop dead, but then her scent would waft past his nose or her laughter would echo in his ears and he found a reason to live again.

 

‘Just two more years,’ he thought to himself at the end of his sophomore and her freshman year. ‘Just two more years that I will be forced to watch her happiness with them, and then this Sesshoumaru will be in college.’

 

That first summer had been worse than the entire school year put together. Sometimes he didn’t see her for weeks and the only hint he got of her was her lingering scent on Inuyasha when he returned from where ever they’d been together. The hanyou was always happy, always smiling, and always well rested while he barely survived the minutes, hours, days, and weeks until he laid eyes on her again, living sniff to sniff of her scent mixed with his half-brother’s. It was worse than hell. It was unimaginable how excruciating it was, his only way of keeping connected to her being her Myspace page. He knew it was pathetic, that he was pathetic, but knowing it didn’t change a thing.

 

But there were upsides to the summer as well. She and her friends would hang out by the pool every so often and he would get to see her in person wearing just her tiny bikini. Of course that didn’t much help the pressure and frustration, but it helped the pain subside for a short while. He was surprised that they didn’t question his presence more than they did. He was acting completely out of character, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t have the strength to fake it. He needed to be in her presence.

 

He was an addict and she was his drug of choice, his only drug. He lived like an addict, fix to fix, always thinking of the next time, always scheming, trying to think of something to get her closer. He needed her scent, needed to get close to her. He needed to feel her aura and hear her laughter. He needed to listen as she sang and watch as she danced. He needed to touch her, but that was impossible. He needed her and she was always just out of his reach.

   @@  2 Years Ago @@    

He dreaded the start of the new school year just as much as he waited impatiently for it to arrive. At least then he would have more of a chance of seeing her on a regular basis. Not knowing when he would lay eyes on her again was torture. He once again built his schedule around hers, this time being lucky enough to score the class after hers three times. He got to spend almost half the day surrounded by her scent. That was by far the best semester of his high school years, and not just because of the scent thing. No, he got really lucky that year.

 

The school was holding a Halloween dance, something he would have ignored under regular circumstances. His life however was no longer regular in any way. He knew she was going with her band of merry followers, so of course he had to go too, just so he could try and get close to her. He was struck by a moment of genius that panned out perfectly. He would wear a costume as was required, but he would choose one that would mask his identity as well as take advantage of one of the things he’d learned about her while memorizing her blog.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Kagome was grinning like a fool. The guys had all picked their own costumes for the Halloween dance and refused to show her until that night, even going so far as to pick hers too. It was great, really. She’d been given her costume first and once she was in it and had modeled it for them to their satisfaction, she was sent downstairs to wait. 

 

Miroku came down first, wearing a long white robe trimmed in gold with a wide purple sash draped across one shoulder and secured with a golden leaf. He had sandals on his feet, metal arm bands on his wrists, and a circlet of golden leaves that started over one ear, went around the back of his head, and then ended over the other. He smirked at her and held one arm up, posing. “Shall I tell you my lady, or do you wish to guess?” he asked.

 

“Ummm, lemme think… you look like an ancient Roman, and an important one. Julius Caesar?” She laughed when his face fell. “What? You thought I wouldn’t get it?”

 

Bankotsu was next. He was wearing a red tunic covered by a brass looking breastplate. He had matching leg and arm guards and a Spartan style helmet with a large red brush on the top. He was wearing complicated looking leather sandals and held a sword. He stood at attention and puffed out his chest at her and she giggled. “Spartan soldier?”

 

He frowned and looked at Miroku. “I told you she’d get it!”

 

“Where’s Inuyasha?” she asked.

 

“I’m comin’ wench, hold your horses!” he yelled down the stairs. A moment later he appeared in a knee length white tunic covered by long leather straps and a wide band of leather around his waist as well. He had leather arm and shin guards, was barefoot, and was holding a spear. His silvery white ears twitched on his head as he heard her laughing softly. “What? Don’t ya like it?”

 

“Of course I do my big strong gladiator. Went with a theme then, did we?”

 

“It was the monk’s idea,” Inuyasha grumbled.

 

“What? I think it’s cute! No pouting, my gladiator. Gladiators don’t pout. They kill lions.”

 

“Looks like we forgot to get a lion,” Bank said with a laugh. “We better go. Don’t wanna be late, do we my goddess?” Kagome laughed and took the Spartan soldier’s offered hand, allowing him to lead her to his chariot… er… car.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Sesshoumaru swept into the already full room, gasps and murmurs inquiring who the sexy vampire was spreading through the crowd. He smirked and adjusted his sunglasses, hiding his golden eyes. He scanned the crowd until he spotted them standing off to the right side of the decorated gym. His breath caught in his throat. She was a goddess… literally and figuratively. She was wearing the most beautiful cream colored dress that faded into a blue that rivaled the sky on a cloudless summer day. The top accentuated her breasts, golden trim lining the edges and the thin shoulder straps. Shoulder drapes hung over her arms and she had a golden wreath in her hair that was half piled on her head and half hanging in waves down her back.

 

She most definitely looked like a goddess, a Roman one judging by the costumes of her friends. She looked absolutely amazing and he had to keep from licking his lips as he took in the curve of her long bared throat. Oh yes, he would love to sink his fangs into her. He watched from the distance for a while, listening to them talk about inane things until a girl dressed as a medieval princess strode up and walked away with Bankotsu in tow. Kagome smiled as she watched them begin to dance. Miroku was claimed next, by an autumn fairy, leaving just Kagome and Inuyasha.

 

Sesshoumaru leaned down and whispered something into a gothic witch’s ear and watched as she walked towards the hanyou. He moved closer, listening as Inuyasha tried to decline, saying that he didn’t want to leave Kagome alone. That was his cue and he popped up beside her. “I would be more than happy to keep this fine maiden entertained.” He saw Inuyasha frown but Kagome eventually convinced him to go. He left reluctantly, leaving the goddess alone with most beautiful vampire she’d ever seen. He smirked at her, making sure to bare his fangs and he could have died right then a happy demon as the scent of her arousal reached his nose. It was a scent he would never forget.

 

It had been almost a month ago that she’d written it, but he remembered. He remembered everything she wrote. She’d been having dreams about a vampire coming to her while she walked the shrine grounds at night. He’d been delighted to find out that she liked fangs, really liked fangs. She admitted to fantasizing about the feeling of fangs being dragged across her throat, and that she had a thing for demons primarily for the fangs and claws. Apparently she had a thing for the dangerous, darker side of life, definitely an oddity for a miko, but one he was more than grateful for.

 

Kagome looked the god of a vampire in front of her up and down appraisingly. He had very long and very straight brown hair and was wearing black slacks and a red velvet shirt with billowy black sleeves and chain trim. Draped over his shoulders was a velvet cape, red on the inside and black on the outside. His hands and face appeared to have been painted with white makeup, making him deliciously pale, and he wore sunglasses that hid his eyes from her. He looked familiar, felt familiar, but she couldn’t place him.

 

“Do I know you?” she asked in a breathy voice, unaware that she’d begun to pant slightly while she studied him.

 

“That, my goddess, is a secret.” He kept his voice a notch or two lower than usual and allowed actual feeling into it, ensuring she wouldn’t recognize him by his usual cold monotone way of speaking. “Would you honor me with a dance?” She simply nodded and he took her hand, freezing for a moment at the bolt of lightning that shot through him when they touched. He led her towards the area filled with dancing zombies, vampires, witches, fairies, and movie mass murderers. When he stopped he nearly forgot how to breathe when her hands moved to his shoulders, gliding over his arms along the way.

  In the brightest hour
Of my darkest day
I realized
What is wrong with me 

Kagome looked up at the sexiest semi-stranger she’d ever laid eyes on, wondering why he hadn’t moved. “Are you alright?” she asked softly.

 Can't get over you
Can't get through to you
It's been a helter-skelter, romance from the start 

Sesshoumaru was jolted out of his daze by her voice and smirked again before moving his clawed hands to the curve of her waist. “Never been better.”

 Take these memories
That are haunting me
Of a paper man cut into shreds
By his own pair of scissors
He'll never forgive her...
He'll never forgive her... 

If he wasn’t the serious type he would have been doing a happy dance. He was holding her, touching her, and the best part, turning her on. Inside his beast was celebrating for him, purring in pleasure as she shifted closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. He allowed his hands to wrap around her, pulling her even closer. They danced slowly, each just soaking in the other’s presence.

 Because days! Come and go!
But my feelings for you are forever
Because days come and go
But my feelings for you are forever 

Kagome didn’t know why, but she was more comfortable and content than she’d ever been in her life. This guy, whoever he was… he was perfect. She could tell the fangs and claws were real, knew he was a demon, but for some reason her miko senses would tell her no more. She couldn’t figure out what kind of demon he was and it was driving her nuts. She needed to know who this guy was!

 Sitting by a fire
On a lonely night
Hanging over from another good time
With another girl...
Little dirty girl
You should listen to this story of her life 

She sighed and her head tilted to one side. Moments later she found herself in heaven as he leaned down and trailed his tongue across the rapidly pumping pulse point in her throat. She tilted further, silently begging him to do it and when he did she damn near came in her panties right there on the dance floor.

 You're my heroine-
In this moment I'm lonely
fulfilling my darkest dreams
All these drugs, all these women
I'm never forgiving...
this broken heart of mine 

Her skin tasted amazing and he had to fight to keep from pressing his very present arousal against her. He leaned down once more and did what he knew she was waiting for, dragging his fangs the length of her throat. The way her scent spiked made his eyes roll back in his head. The little moan that escaped her was a sound he would cherish forever. She was aroused for him, moaning for him, and he just wished she would do the same if she knew who he was.

 Because days! Come and go!
But my feelings for you are forever
Because days come and go
But my feelings for you are forever 

His perfect moment was ruined by the return of her friends, none of which could stay away long. He silently cursed them as the song ended and she turned towards them. He would have disappeared into the crowd once more if she hadn’t had a tight hold on his hand.

 One last kiss...
Before I go...
Dry your tears...
It is time to let you go... 

He wasn’t sure how long he would be able to keep his identity a secret, especially from Inuyasha. He didn’t care anymore the moment she shifted and leaned her back against his chest, pulling his right arm around her waist. He splayed his fingers across her stomach and she sighed in pleasure.

 One last kiss...
Before I go...
Dry your tears...
It is time to let you go... 

It was then he noticed the three pairs of eyes burning into him. Apparently they didn’t approve of his touching her, but hey, she did it, not him. Doing his best to ignore them, Sesshoumaru dropped his head to burrow his nose into her hair and breathe her in deeply. She giggled as his breath tickled her skin and he purred against her throat. Sadly, her attention was drawn away from him by Inuyasha’s threatening growl, Miroku clearing his throat, and Bankotsu calling her name all at the same time. She sighed and he smirked, still hidden in her hair. She didn’t want them to interrupt. She wanted to stay with him.

 

“Yeah?” she asked in a distracted tone.

 

“Umm, could we talk to you, Kagome?” Bank asked softly.

 

“Sure.”

 

“No, I think he meant without your… new… friend,” Miroku said, not sure quite how to phrase it.

 

“Fine,” she said, annoyed, before she turned in his hold and looked up at him. “No disappearing… at least not until you tell me who you are.” He nodded at her and reluctantly released her waist, watching as she walked away with Bankotsu and Miroku. Noticing that Inuyasha wasn’t following, he looked at the hanyou.

 

“I don’t know who you are, but you’d better beat it,” he snarled.

 

“I don’t believe she would like that,” he said arrogantly. “The beautiful goddess requested that I stay.”

 

“Yeah, well she ain’t gonna feel the same by the time she gets back so fuck off, buddy.”

 

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with, half-breed,” he growled back before disappearing. He couldn’t risk getting angry in front of Inuyasha. He was having a hard enough time keeping his scent and aura hidden while distracted so pleasantly by Kagome. He stopped a few feet away from where Kagome, Bankotsu, and Miroku were talking.

 

“But Kag, you don’t even know who he is.”

 

“It doesn’t matter who he is. I was having a good time. You guys gotta stop trying to protect me from everything. It would be nice to have a boyfriend at some point before we graduate.”

 

‘This Sesshoumaru would be more than willing to volunteer for that position,’ he thought to himself, frowning at the fact that they were trying to turn her against him already.

 

“He’s hiding his aura and his scent. Why would he do that? What is he trying to keep us from figuring out?”

 

“You guys need to chill. He’s being mysterious.” Her eyes glazed over as her mind wandered away. “Mysterious and sexy…” she mumbled, causing a taiyoukai/vampire to smirk smugly where he stood. She was sticking up for him. She liked him enough to fight her friends about it. Too bad he knew she would sing a whole different tune if she knew his true identity.

 Because days! Come and go!
But my feelings for you are forever
Because days come and go
But my feelings for you are forever 

She’d pissed the guys off royally by dancing with her mysterious stranger several more times that night, and when the dance ended and he had to leave her he kissed her softly.

 One last kiss...
Before I go...
Dry your tears...
It is time to let you go...  

“You haven’t told me who you are!”

 

“And I cannot. Just know that I will never forget this night.” His lips brushed hers one last time and he disappeared, using his demon speed to escape before he changed his mind and ruined it all by telling her the truth.

 

That night and every night for months Sesshoumaru replayed that night in his mind before he went to sleep. He could still remember how she tasted, how she smelled, how soft her skin was, how her dainty waist felt in his hands, how she shuddered and moaned every time he dragged his fangs along her throat. He wished he could trace more of her curves with his tongue and teeth. The way she’d looked at him… he knew it would never happen again, but he would cherish it forever. If only he could be someone else forever so she would see him like she did that night every night.

  One last kiss...
Before I go...
Dry your tears...
It is time to let you go...  

Sesshoumaru never knew, but that night Kagome went home and cried. She’d felt an amazing connection with her sexy vampire, something she’d only felt with one other person, one she could never have. Why? Why did he draw her in, make her feel things, and then disappear? Why couldn’t he tell her who he was? Why was she still alone? She would have happily declared the mystery male her boyfriend in an instant. What was wrong with him that he couldn’t tell her his identity? Or was it that something was wrong with her?

 

She’d hidden her sadness from her friends. Her blog post about the dance was simple and short. She mentioned her mystery man, but made no mention of how she dreamed about him that night and every night for weeks. She never said a word about how she ached to feel his hands, his lips, his tongue, and his delicious fangs on her skin again. She never let on how much she thought about him, how often she found herself longing for the familiar stranger.

 

Maybe if she had… but no, he could never have told her the truth. She would have turned her back on him, sent him away. It was better to have that one magical night to remember forever than to have his fears proven right when she looked at him in disgust.

  One last kiss...
Before I go...
Dry your tears...
It is time to let you go...  

And so every night for weeks Sesshoumaru dreamt of Kagome, never knowing that she dreamt of him as well.

            Once Kagome had stomped away Katsuro whirled on the boys and started in on his speech. “I know that none of you like the idea of Kagome being with Sesshoumaru but his life is on the line and he deserves one last chance. It should be up to her, not you, how she feels about him. You will not interfere. Neither he nor I will tell her that she is who he desires. I have already explained that doing so would do more damage than good.

 

“She is his soul mate and if she does not mate with him then she will be just as miserable as he has been all this time and he will be dead. Every soul has only one that it is drawn to and if he dies then she will live the rest of her life in less than perfect relationships with males that she was not meant for. She will never find true happiness with anyone else and I know you would want for her to be happy. You will not sabotage his attempts. You will not come between them. To do so would not only hurt him but her as well. Do you understand me?”

 

None of them were happy about it but they certainly didn’t want to ruin Kagome’s chance at happiness. They knew Katsuro would not lie to them about something so important. He loved Kagome like a daughter. He wouldn’t wish her ill. They didn’t like the idea of Kagome being Sesshoumaru’s soul mate, but if they were meant to be then it was not their place to stand in her way. They each reluctantly nodded their agreement before separating, each male heading to his own room since none of them wanted to face a cranky Kagome. They knew to give her space and time to calm down or they would regret it.

 

The beast had sat patiently as their father spoke, not sure just why Kagome left; though he was sure it had something to do with the hanyou. When they all left he found himself alone with their father and decided that now was the time for him to share. ‘Tell me of the so called ‘benefits’ of the Syndrome. How could it be possible for her to understand us?’

 

Katsuro sighed before walking into his son’s room, making him self comfortable in the leather desk chair. He spoke softly, not wanting the others and especially not Kagome to hear. The elder inu shared his complete knowledge of the Syndrome, both the pros and cons, and by the time he was finished the beast was eager to put some things to the test.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Kagome had plopped her frustrated self on the couch in the living room, determined to distract her self from the annoying riddles and unanswered questions as well as from growling inus. Whatever it was that they were hiding from her was causing some serious tension between the brothers, worse than normal. She opened her Biology textbook and turned to the first of the three chapters she had to have read by class the next morning and tried to bury her self in the words.

 

            It wasn’t long before her tired body and overwhelmed mind turned against her and she was soon fast asleep stretched out with her book resting on her chest. She didn’t hear a thing when Katsuro came down the stairs and looked at her before smiling and leaving the house. She was oblivious to the soft clicking of claws on the hardwood floor of the upstairs hall and the stairs as the beast quietly descended to find his love.

 

Following his nose to the couch he silently rejoiced when he found her fast asleep. He didn’t have to wait until that night to give one of the things his father had told him about a try. If a dog could smirk he definitely would have been as he moved closer to his sleeping angel. Taking advantage of her current state, he leaned in and buried his nose in the curve of her throat in her hair, breathing her scent in deeply. Both Sesshoumaru and the beast concentrated then on their goal and pulled back to watch as her eyes began flitting quickly under closed lids. His sweet miko Kagome was dreaming.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

Looking around, Kagome was confused for a moment. “How did I get here?” she whispered aloud. Standing beside her were Miroku and Bankotsu, though they both seemed distracted as they didn’t answer her softly spoken question. Her eyes scanned the large room seeing people everywhere, but when she saw him suddenly everyone around her seemed to fade away.

 

There, leaning against the wall near the entrance, was Sesshoumaru, and he looked just like he had that day. She felt the same pull as her eyes wandered his form, taking in his masculine perfection. Her hands twitched at her side as she felt the urge to wrap her hands in his hair and trace his demon markings with her tongue. Seeing how his t-shirt clung slightly to the muscles of his chest and abdomen had her aching to peel the blue cotton fabric off him so she could worship every inch of his pale skin that she could find.

 

She watched as his eyes slowly opened and she felt the electricity flowing down her spine to the tips of her fingers and toes, her entire body humming. He was looking right at her, staring into her eyes, and it felt like her very soul was being pulled towards him. Without her permission she found that her feet were carrying her closer to him. Still he stood motionless, only his eyes moving as she did, remaining locked with her own. She didn’t stop until she was standing just a few steps in front of him. Still he stared into her eyes and she let out a gasp as a small smile pulled at his lips. He was beautiful before, but with a smile on his face he was breathtaking.

 

“Hello sweet miko,” he said in a deep, sexy voice that made her entire body go up in flames and it felt like she was steadily melting into a puddle at his feet. She opened her mouth to answer but all that came out was a rather embarrassing croaking sound. “It is rather interesting to relive this moment. Even then I felt it and so did you. I am curious, if this Sesshoumaru was capable of not mistreating the hanyou, would you have come to me as you have now? Would you have been mine?” He smirked as her eyes widened in surprise.

 

Finally she was able to find her voice. “I… I don’t know. Would you have wanted me?” She stayed still as a statue as his hand reached out and caressed her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly across her lips.

 

“If this Sesshoumaru was not a fool, yes, I would have.” His hand slipped into her hair and he leaned towards her, watching as her eyes fluttered closed before he gently pressed his lips to hers. It was soft and tender and Kagome was sure she could feel the world shift around them. When he released her, pulling back to take in her beauty once again, she opened her eyes and found that the world had in fact shifted around them. Now they stood in his bedroom, not the one she’d dumped taco salad in but his room at his father’s home. She’d only ever gotten short glances of the space but now she had the chance to take it all in.

 

She decided rather quickly that she really didn’t care what the room looked like, not when his arms slipped around her waist and he moved in for another kiss. This one was more passionate and she moaned softly as she felt one clawed hand bury itself in her hair while the other slipped under the back of her shirt, the deadly tips brushing teasingly along her sensitive skin and making her shiver against him. She allowed her own hands to wander, one moving to let his perfect silver strands slip between her fingers while the other she placed on his chest, sliding slowly as she traced the firm and well defined muscles.

 

            He broke the kiss, leaving her panting in its wake as his lips swept across her cheek and down her throat. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured into her ear before taking the lobe carefully between his razor sharp teeth and giving a gentle tug. He smirked as she moaned softly for him, only for him. He took a step back from her and his smirk grew at her little whimper of disappointment. His hands found the bottom of her shirt and he lifted it slowly, inch by inch as he took in the sight of more and more of her milky white skin.

 

            She didn’t know what was going on but she didn’t much care either. She knew that she had to be dreaming so she figured she might as well enjoy it. She would never get this lucky while she was awake. She lifted her arms, allowing him to pull her shirt off entirely. She looked off to the side in embarrassment and after what had to be a whole minute of silence her arms moved to cover her chest, fearing that he didn’t find her attractive.

 

            When she moved to cover herself he realized he had been staring. His hands wrapped loosely around her wrists and he used them to pull her body firmly against his own. “Do not hide yourself, Kagome. You are perfect,” Sesshoumaru whispered, leaning down to touch his forehead to hers. “This Sesshoumaru did not mean to stare but I was captivated by your beauty.”

 

            His head snapped back in shock when he heard her snort. “Captivated by my beauty my ass! You think maybe you could stop trying to sound like a sixteenth century poet and fucking kiss me?”

 

            He smirked at her. “Eager are we? Your wish is my command.” He leaned in again and caught her lips in a heated kiss while allowing his hands to roam her body. They ran down along her sides, crossed the soft but flat plains of her stomach, trailed along her spine, and finally cupped her silk covered breasts. She let out a low breathy sound of pleasure, encouraging him to continue.

 

He chuckled at her surprise when her bra slid down her arms, especially since it clasped in the front and he hadn’t gone near the complicated little system of hooks. “This Sesshoumaru is rather eager as well.” He felt her whole body tense, suddenly nervous, and he realized he needed to reassure her. “We will do nothing that you are not ready for.”

 

She could hear the honesty and caring in his voice and found herself confused. “Since when are you concerned about anyone other than yourself?” she asked, not meaning it as an accusation so much as an observation. She knew she’d touched a sensitive spot when his movements ceased. “Did I tell you to stop?” she said playfully. “It’s my dream after all. If I want you to be the perfect gentlemen then I guess you will be.”

 

His only reply was a low “Hn,” but she didn’t have time to be irritated by his monosyllabic answer. She was too busy moaning as she felt his lips wrap around her right nipple while her left was being gently teased by the fingers of his right hand. It was amazing the way the pleasure spread through her entire body as his tongue flicked over the sensitive peak. She wanted it to go on forever. It was something she’d always imagined but never expected to experience and this dream… it had to be the most realistic dream she’d ever had.

 

She whimpered when he pulled away but only moaned for him again as his mouth latched on to the left pink and pebbled peak. “Sesshoumaru,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”

 

He looked up into her eyes, sucking her nipple a little harder before releasing it with a pop. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Inuyasha’s ears twitched on top of his head and he frowned, trying to figure out what the small sound he’d just heard was. It seemed familiar but different all the same. He opened his door and peered out, his eyes meeting with Shippo who was doing the same. Deciding that it warranted investigation, Inuyasha knocked on Miroku’s door while Shippo knocked on Bankotsu’s. When the two opened their doors they we’re signaled to be quiet and follow. All four males crept slowly down the stairs as silently as possible. This time when the sound happened they all heard it and as realization dawned in their minds they began to move faster, intent on finding out why their Kagome was making such a sound.

 

            When they reached the living room they were all confused, not seeing her stretched out on the couch at first. “Sesshoumaru, don’t stop,” she whispered with a whimper of pleasure. All four males almost ran around the couch, skidding to a stop to see Kagome asleep and obviously dreaming while Sesshoumaru’s beast had his snout buried in the curve of her neck and her hair.

 

            If the image and her words weren’t enough, the scent of her arousal hit Inuyasha and Shippo hard. “What the fuck?!” Inuyasha yelled, causing Kagome to wake with a start, sitting straight up and knocking her book to the floor where it landed on the large dog’s paw, causing it to let out a yelp of pain.

 

            Kagome’s hand clutched her chest over her heart as she tried to slow her breathing. “What the fuck was that about? You scared the shit out of me!! And you made me drop my book on Sesshoumaru!” She looked around for a moment before she continued. “Wait… what was he doing right here anyway?”

 

            The beast had a smug look on its face, or at least as smug a look as a dog could manage. He breathed in deeply, both the beast and Sesshoumaru savoring the sweet scent of her arousal. The knowledge that she was aroused for them only made it better.

 

            “That’s what the fuck I wanna know! And why do you smell like that wench?”

 

            “Smell like what?” she asked in confusion.

 

            “You’re aroused! Why the fuck are you aroused? And why did we hear you say his name in your sleep?”

 

            Kagome flushed a brilliant red in an instant as she looked from her friends to Sesshoumaru’s beast and back.

 

            “Kaggie, what were you dreaming?” Bankotsu asked in a worried tone.

 

            “I… I was… it was… do you remember freshman orientation?” Miroku and Bankotsu nodded. “It started like that… only it ended differently.”

 

            Both Inuyasha and Shippo watched as understanding dawned in their two friends. “What happened at freshman orientation?” Shippo asked curiously.

 

            Kagome blushed an even darker red and looked away, her hand moving on its own to rest on the large inu beside her. The beast almost purred as it felt her touch, knowing that even though she hadn’t done it on purpose she unconsciously found comfort in his presence.

 

            Seeing that she wasn’t going to answer Bankotsu did it for her. “When we were in line to get our schedules and stuff… Kagome’s attention was captured by someone. But then he opened his mouth and made himself look like a huge asshole.”

 

            “What do you mean?” Inuyasha asked impatiently.

 

            “What he was trying to say was that Kagome was staring at your brother and she obviously liked what she saw; at least until you walked up to him and he insulted you. That was the first time Kags laid eyes on either of you.”

 

            “You mean you really were drawn to him?” the hanyou asked incredulously.

 

            Kagome refused to look at anyone as her fingers burrowed deeper into the thick silvery white fur. “Yeah, I suppose, but it doesn’t matter. It was stupid. And once I heard him talk to you like that… I decided it didn’t matter how cute he was, that he was a jerk.”

 

            “But you felt drawn to him?” he asked again, praying that she would deny it, that it wasn’t true, that she wasn’t really his brother’s soul mate, that it was all a mistake.

 

            “Yeah, I did. Why?” No one answered and the miko frowned. “Why?” she asked louder.

 

            They all looked at Sesshoumaru’s beast as it whined and woofed. ‘The hanyou wishes that you were not made for this Sesshoumaru. But now both he and we know it is true. You are our soul mate. You are ours.’

 

            Shippo snorted and everyone turned to him in surprise. “Did you understand that?” Kagome asked softly.

 

            “Some of it. Inu and kitsune languages have some similarities.”

 

            “Well? What did he say?” she demanded. She wanted to know what the hell was going on! She’d never had a dream anywhere near as real as the one they’d woken her from, and she found herself wishing it hadn’t been a dream at all, a feeling that frightened her. She couldn’t be attracted to him still! She’d been fighting it for four years, knowing that he’d never want her, that she’d just be making a fool of herself. She had no idea why she had so freely admitted her attraction to her friends, the ones she’d been hiding it from all this time, and in front of him no less! She didn’t know if the real Sesshoumaru could hear her or not but either way she was mortified by the realization that she had just announced that she had been drawn to him while in his presence!

 

Shippo glanced nervously from face to face, not sure if he should tell her or not. “I… well… he… he said that Inuyasha didn’t want for you to be drawn to him.”

 

“Why? There was more, wasn’t there?”

 

“I… I can’t Kags. I’m sorry. I can’t.”

 

She turned in frustration and looked at the beast, just now realizing that she had her hand buried in his fur. “Why do you keep saying things that no one wants me to know? What the fuck is going on around here?” she asked everyone and no one all at once. She stilled and found her anger and frustration dissipating as the large inu growled softly, the sound almost like a purr, and nuzzled against her. Her gray blue eyes met his glowing red ones and for a moment there was no one else in the room with them. “What is going on? What are you trying to tell me?”

 

‘Say it! Say you wish you could understand me! Kagome, please! Say it!’

 

Shippo let out a few growls and whines of his own. ‘If she was meant to understand you she would be inu. Wishing to understand you will change nothing.’

 

‘You speak of things you do not know, kitsune.’

 

“If you guys are going to growl at each other and leave me in the dark then I’m leaving. I need to finish my reading before tomorrow morning anyway.” Kagome huffed before grabbing her book and stomping up the stairs, leaving two demons, two hanyou (if you count Bankotsu, which she did), and one human looking on in surprise.

 

“She’s a bit cranky today, isn’t she,” Miroku asked.

 

“I heard that!” she yelled from the top of the stairs, and everyone turned away quickly, Miroku whistling like she didn’t sound ready to kill him at all.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            They were idiots, he decided. Absolute morons. It was rather funny that she was mad at them because she couldn’t understand him. She wasn’t angry at him, she just seemed concerned, worried even. She cared, that was all that mattered. If only she would say the words, then he wouldn’t separated from her by the language barrier. He would find a way to make her say it. Deciding since they were still just standing around like fools he would go find his sweet Kagome, Sesshoumaru’s beast stood up and began to make his way past the near statues. It was entertaining how they feared her temper. She was definitely feisty.

 

            Inuyasha leapt in between the demon and the stairs. “Oh no you don’t! There’s some things we need to get straight!” Inuyasha was more upset than anyone by the whole Kagome thing. She was the first person to accept him. She was the one that taught him to accept himself. How could she be meant for the one single person, well, demon that made his life a living hell every chance he got? What would happen if she mated Sesshoumaru? Would she be on his side then? Would she dump them all for her new mate? Would things still be the same or would everything that he’d come to rely on crumble around them. He couldn’t take it. It was too much, too scary. He had to find some way to stop it.

 

            “Inuyasha?” Miroku asked softly, worried about his friend who looked more on edge than he ever had, even before they’d become friends.

 

            Inuyasha ignored the gentle inquiry, fully focused on the enemy in this battle for Kagome’s time and attentions. “I don’t care whether she’s your soul mate or not. You have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting Kagome! You’ve been an ass to her for four years. What makes you think she’d ever fall for you?”

 

            “Inuyasha,” Bank said a little louder. If Inuyasha got any louder Kagome would hear him!

 

            “You might as well just lie down and die right now. If you hadn’t been such a prick yesterday you’d have a shot. She thought there was more to you, even wanted to be your friend and you threw it back in her face. If you love her like Pops thinks, then why act like that? I think you’re a fucking idiot!”

 

            The fur was standing up on the beast’s back and his fangs were bared at the hanyou. ‘Will you stand in my way?’ he snarled.

 

            Inuyasha, Miroku, and Bankotsu turned to look at Shippo who sighed. “This is gonna get old fast. He said ‘will you stand in my way?’.

 

            Inuyasha laughed. “I don’t need to. You fucked yourself. I won’t need to lift a finger. You need to just pick someone else.”

 

            ‘This Sesshoumaru desires no other.’ Shippo translated once more.

 

            “Well that’s just too fucking bad. You’ll never have her. You’re not good enough for her.”

 

            Inside, Sesshoumaru and his beast silently agreed with the hanyou. They didn’t deserve her, not even close, but they loved her and hopefully that would be enough.

 

            An odd look came over Inuyasha’s face before he smirked darkly. “So, do you need to go outside, boy?” he asked as if talking to the family pet. “Maybe we should buy you a big bag of kibble.”

 

            “Inuyasha?” Shippo asked this time. “What the hell? You’re pissing him off.”

 

            Inuyasha snorted. “What’s he gonna do? Bite me?” He waved a hand like he was brushing the thought away before turning back to the very angry demon. “If you’re a good boy maybe you can have a biscuit! Oh, when you do go outside, make sure to stay in the yard, at least until we get you a collar and tags. Wouldn’t want you to get lost or caught by animal control now, would we?” He opened his mouth to continue but when the giant dog collided with his chest the wind was knocked out of him.

 

            Sesshoumaru sank his fangs into Inuyasha’s arm and Inuyasha yelled in pain. “Get off me, you fucker!” In seconds, Shippo, Miroku, and Bankotsu were trying to drag the demon off of his brother and trying and failing to pry his jaws open.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Kagome could hear yelling downstairs but ignored it. They were fighting again. She wished they would just knock it off. It was getting really annoying. Her attention was captured, however, when she heard crashing and thumping, as well as all four of her friends yelling, barely audible over the vicious snarls. She jumped off Bankotsu’s bed and ran down the stairs.

 

            She turned the corner just in time to see Bank, Miroku, and Shippo all fall backwards as they finally successfully freed Inuyasha from the demon’s jaws. Inuyasha looked dazed, standing and swaying precariously. Sesshoumaru collided with him again, this time knocking him flat on his back and going for the throat. Inuyasha was fighting to keep the deadly fangs from reaching him and Kagome screamed.

 

            “Sesshoumaru?! What the fuck! Get Off him!” When he didn’t even register her presence she rushed forward and gave him a rough shove with charged hands, causing him to yelp in pain. He was paralyzed for a moment, just enough time for the guys to drag Inuyasha off the floor. Kagome stood between the brothers, looking at the elder demon with something like hatred in her eyes, causing the constant pain in his chest to worsen. “I thought you were more than just a vicious, mindless animal! You were really trying to kill him!”

 

            ‘The hanyou provoked this Sesshoumaru,’ he tried to explain. He looked at Shippo who shook his head before answering in barks and growls of his own.

 

“I’m not going to try and stand in your way, but I’m not going to help you either.” Sesshoumaru snarled at the kitsune before turning back to Kagome, his head down and a pitiful whimper escaping him.

 

Kagome was too busy to notice anything while she inspected Inuyasha’s arm. The punctures were deep and there were long flaps of skin hanging from where the beast’s fangs tore through while they tried to get him to let go. Blood was running freely from both sides of his arm and Kagome was doing her best to slow it with a dish towel Miroku had grabbed from the kitchen.

 

Sesshoumaru lowered his front end and crawled closer to her, whimpering his apologies again. He wasn’t really sorry, just sorry she saw it but not why he’d attacked in the first place. And of course none of them would tell her the truth. Now she hated him even more, all because the hanyou couldn’t accept that she was meant to be his.

 

This time she noticed him and turned to give him a look that made him whimper in pain as his chest tightened. “Just stay away. You’ve done enough damage already.” Her tone was so cold that she sounded like him instead of her usual loving self. He whimpered again in pain and she simply looked away. He continued to look at her and noticed when Inuyasha gave him a rather triumphant smirk over her shoulder. He growled again and she turned to look at him once more. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You always attack him for no real reason. Why should now be any different?”

 

The miko turned back to her patient, gently aligning the hanging skin before healing his wounds. Inuyasha just sat back and reveled in her attention and soothing aura. Sure, it hurt, but it was more than worth it. She would never give Sesshoumaru another chance now, not after witnessing the perfect scene. She’d come down the stairs just in time.

@@ One Year Ago @@  He was little. He was young. He was brilliant but that didn’t matter. It didn’t keep the other students from teasing him. He really hadn’t wanted to go to this school, but he didn’t have a choice. The latest in the long line of foster homes was in this school district. It was bad enough to be starting at a new school as a senior, when all the other seniors’ friendships and bonds had been formed over the last three years. Being three years younger than everyone else, well, that added a whole new level of difficulty. He had a hard time making friends when he was surrounded by kids his own age as it was. He never seemed to fit in anywhere.  There were days he wished he’d died along with his parents all those years ago, but at least this was the last one, his last year of suffering. Once he graduated he would be legally deemed an adult and then he would regain control of his life, as well as his family’s fortune. Then he could decide where to live. He could find a college and find an apartment and he would never have to be yelled at by near strangers again. He would never have to depend on them for his health and well-being. Foster homes sucked, that was something he knew all too well. Sure there were some good ones, but there were more bad ones, ones where the ‘family’ only fostered children for the monthly check and they couldn’t care less if you walked to school in rags with no shoes in the middle of December, let alone care to make sure you have breakfast in your stomach. He knew. He’d done it.  School was the only thing he had, the only thing he could control. He was naturally bright but he also was absolutely devoted to his studies. He didn’t have anything else to do anyway, so burying his mind in books and facts helped him hide from the harsh realities of his life, and he had quite a few. His parents died in a car accident that he somehow escaped from without a scratch when he was just a child, six years old. He’d been bounced from home to home for over eight years. He’d been neglected, half starved, even beaten by the worst of the ‘families’ he was forced to live with. He had millions of dollars to his name but he couldn’t touch it until he graduated high school, something that had been in his parents will, them not expecting to leave him so early in his life or at all. Millions of dollars but he couldn’t buy a burger on the dollar menu when he hadn’t eaten since two days before.  And now he was here, another new school. He should have been a freshman this year, but he’d skipped a grade three different times. He was three years behind his classmates, development wise, plus being a kitsune didn’t help him a bit. And to be honest, he was small even for a fox demon his age. So he did what he always did. He tried to be invisible. Of course his teachers always screwed up his plans, making a big deal about introducing him and telling all his secrets. They never seemed to understand what that made him… a target. He was an incredibly short kitsune with no experience in using his demonic powers, relying only on instincts when necessary. He was an outcast because everyone was intimidated by his intelligence. And big bad demons didn’t like feeling intimidated by tiny helpless ones, choosing instead to intimidate right back, and he was easily intimidated.  It was just another day of trying to make sure he didn’t end up stuffed in a locker or hung from a doorknob by his underwear, all the while struggling to carry a pile of books that weighed at least as much as he did. It was just a week into the school year and he was already hiding. He didn’t know how he was going to survive a whole year of this hell, though he’d lived through worse. Every year it got harder. Every year the loneliness grew. Every year he was alone another part of his little heart died. It was like the deck was stacked against him and he didn’t have a chance.  Every day now he’d run into this jerk, ugly thing he was too. He was big and bulky and had this huge bald head with just a few hairs on top that he was constantly messing with, the shape reminding Shippo of a lizard that mated with Pac-man. It seemed the jerk had a problem with some girl because today when he caught the little kitsune he gave him a choice; see how high the flagpole really was or steal her purse. He didn’t want to do it, but he really didn’t want to be hoisted up the flagpole… again. It was really high!   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  Kagome smiled at her three best friends. She was glad it was their senior year and she was surprised she’d made it this far. At the moment Bank and Miroku were regaling Inuyasha with the tale of her hesitance to enter the ‘big scary high school’ as Bank called it. The hanyou was listening with a smirk on his face, so everyone was confused when he said in a dark voice, “Just what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Kagome furrowed her brows at him. “What? Inuyasha, what are you talking about?” She, as well and Bankotsu and Miroku, looked on in surprise when Inuyasha raised the arm that for some reason had been behind his back. In his hand was the fluffy red tail of a tiny kitsune and in the kitsune’s hands was Kagome’s purse that had been hanging on the back of her chair. “Were you trying to steal my purse?” she asked in shock.  “No wench, he just wanted to see if it went with his outfit,” Inuyasha said sarcastically, earning his arm a smack that might as well have been a soft summer breeze with as much as it hurt.  “Now, what to do with the runt…” Kagome looked into the bright green eyes that held the guiltiest look she’d ever seen. “I didn’t want to,” he said quietly, looking around for his most recent tormentor.  “If you didn’t want to, then why did you?” “Why the fuck do you care why? He was trying to steal from you!” Inuyasha yelled while shaking the small demon boy for emphasis.  “Inuyasha, put him down! I want to know.” Inuyasha heaved a sigh but plopped his captive on the table in front of her, barely missing her lunch. The little guy was quivering, terrified that not only had he failed in his ordered mission but he’d angered a hanyou who appeared to be friends with a human, a monk, and the worst, a miko. He’d tried to steal from a miko! He was sure he was going to be purified right then and there when she lifted a hand. “Hey, why are you so scared?” she asked softly. “No one’s going to hurt you. Just tell me what happened.” Shippo’s eyes were pinched tightly closed and twitched in fear as her hand touched him. It took him a whole thirty seconds to realize that she’d just run her fingers gently through his bangs. When he finally noticed that he was still alive and not a little dust cloud he opened his eyes and looked into hers… and he couldn’t look away. He was entranced by the way her gray eyes glowed with bright bolts of brilliant blue. There was something in the way she was looking at him too. He couldn’t place it and was almost certain he’d never seen a look like it, one with quite so much kindness and compassion, but it had an almost déjà vu quality to it. Right then he knew he couldn’t lie to her. He could never lie to her, but he didn’t need to because she would listen and believe the truth.  “There’s a guy that’s been… well, bullying… me,” he whispered, everyone but Inuyasha leaning in closer. “He said that if I didn’t steal your purse and bring it to him he would send me up the flagpole, and he’ll do it! I know he will!” “Do you know his name? Or why he wanted my purse?” Shippo shook his head. “Is he watching you now?” Again he shook his head, his fiery red hair frizzing up more with the rapid movement of his head.  Kagome was silent for a moment as she thought and a minute later she handed Shippo her mostly empty purse. “Here, take it to him.” She looked at a shocked Inuyasha before turning to Bank and Miroku who nodded. “We’ll follow and see who it is and then I promise he won’t bother you again.” “H...How?” he stuttered nervously. Sure, she was a miko but the demon was big and he didn’t want to be responsible for her getting hurt. That and he had a feeling that her friends, especially the inu hanyou, would make him pay if she did.  “What’s your name?” she asked instead of answering his question.  “Shippo,” he almost whispered.  “What grade are you in?” Bank asked gently.  “I’m in 12 th.” “Bullshit!” Inuyasha almost yelled, causing the kitsune to jump. His nerves were shot.  “How old are you?” Miroku asked this time.  “Fourteen. I’ll be fifteen in January.” This time Kagome asked. “So you skipped grades?” When he nodded she smiled. “That’s gotta be hard, isn’t it? Is this your first year here? I’ve never seen you before.” He nodded again. “Have you made any friends?” When he shook his head and looked down she reached out and lifted his chin. “You have now,” was all she said before motioning for him to go on before the bully got tired of waiting and came to see what the problem was.  She watched as the fox demon named Shippo scurried towards the cafeteria doors while holding her purse. They all grabbed their bags and followed, Miroku shielding their presence as much as possible. When they reached the end of a hallway they could hear a voice around the corner, yelling at Shippo.  “What took you so long? I should run your fluffy little ass up the flag pole anyway!” They all looked at each other, everyone immediately recognizing the voice. “What the hell? Where’s her wallet?” “Why would you want my wallet, Manten?” Kagome asked as she turned the corner, holding out a hand to Shippo who made a mad dash to her side. “And are you really so afraid of me that you have to bully someone else into doing your dirty work?” It was rather funny, watching Manten begin to shake while he fought to maintain his composure. He was trapped by her eyes, not even seeing the three other males around her in addition to the kitsune. Sure, the hanyou had kicked his ass, but from what he was told later, she stopped him. And then there was the incident in the cafeteria not long after. No, he wasn’t scared of her friends. He was petrified of her.  “What’s the matter? Not so big and tough without all your friends around?” she asked in a teasingly innocent sounding voice. He knew though. He knew not to trust her tone. That was what got him in trouble the last time. Kagome took a step forward and Manten took a step back, step after step until he found his back pressed up against a very solid wall. Her eyes flashed and he slid down the wall to crouch in a ball, trying to disappear. It was humiliating, being so frightened by a girl, but she had never been an ordinary girl.  Kagome could hear the guys laughing behind her and glanced over her shoulder at them with a smirk. That was the first time Shippo saw her eyes really flash, and moments later he was about ready to piss his pants when he saw the pink glow begin to form around her.  “Shippo,” she called over her shoulder. “Relax.”  As difficult as the idea of it seemed to be he looked around and noticed that the hanyou wasn’t afraid. Of course then he noticed the necklace he wore and he was ready to freak out again. Miroku leaned down and looked at the quivering fox. “She won’t hurt you,” he whispered. “Trust me. You’ve never felt something so wonderful in all your life.” Shippo’s eyes held disbelief, but somehow he felt that she wouldn’t hurt him, not with the way she’d looked at him earlier, and he calmed slightly.  Kagome’s attention refocused on Manten and she smiled at him. “I’m going to say this once and only once. You will stop. You will not bully Shippo or anyone else every again. If I hear that you have, and you know I would, I will make sure you can never forget what this feels like.” With that she let her power flare and Manten had to fight not to scream. It only lasted a second, but it felt like he’d been struck by the lightning in her eyes and his entire body burned. He heard her step closer, grabbing her purse from the floor where he’d dropped it. He didn’t dare move, didn’t even look up until he was sure she was gone, taking her entourage with her. Apparently she’d accepted a new member. The kitsune was now permanently off limits.  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  The monk had been right. He’d never experienced anything as amazing as when her power reached him. It felt as if every wound he had ever experienced floated away forever so he would never again remember the pain. He felt safe and warm and loved and he never wanted to be away from her again. After the bully learned his lesson, a hard one from the looks of it, they all went outside to sit under a tree for the remainder of lunch. First he got the full back story on Manten and couldn’t help but laugh at the thought that she’d now successfully humiliated him three times.              She introduced her friends, and while Miroku and Bankotsu welcomed him right away, the hanyou didn’t seem at all pleased that he was there. Of course he could understand that. She was amazing. Why would anyone want to share her? Why was she friends with them to begin with? The monk and the human he could understand. The hanyou though, he had no idea. He was surprised that he hadn’t heard any insults from the student body while he walked and sat with them. There had been a hanyou at one of his previous schools, and the torment he went through… he left the school after just a week.  How was it that this guy got so lucky?             Over the next few days Shippo learned all about Kagome and her friends. He knew how she met them all. He knew how she’d rescued Inuyasha from a life of torment. He understood why they all looked at her with such adoration and love, though he could have figured that one out on his own. Once he was spotted with her no one bothered him again. How such a sweet looking girl could inspire such respect from some and fear from the rest he had no idea, but he thanked the gods every day that he’d been forced to try and steal her purse or he would never have met her and not only would he still be alone, but he would be alone and bullied.              Shippo was rather quiet about his own life though, not wanting to talk about his home or his parents. Kagome could see the pain in his eyes and decided not to push the issue. He would tell her when he was ready to and she could wait.  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@              Kagome stuck to her decision not to push him when he came to school in torn jeans and t-shirts so thin they might as well have been made out of tissue paper. She kept her mouth shut when she noticed the holes in his shoes. She bit her tongue when he didn’t have a lunch or lunch money and when she saw how he ate like a stray dog, grabbing what he could and scarfing it down so fast she was sure he would choke. It was the bruises that got her. She couldn’t keep quiet anymore.              She invited him to her house after school one day and he was thrilled. He was confused when the other guys didn’t come along, but he didn’t mind the chance to have her all to himself. He certainly wasn’t going to complain. As they walked side by side his attention was captured by a beautiful almost whispering voice.             “Get away from me. Just get away from me, this isn’t gonna be easy. But I don’t need you. Believe me. Yeah, you got a piece of me, but it’s just a little piece of me and I don’t need anyone. And these days I feel like I’m fading away. Like sometimes when I hear myself on the radio…”             The guys had told him about her singing, but he’d never experienced it before, which made him wonder what she was worried or upset about.  “Have you seen me lately? Have you seen me lately? Have you seen me lately? I was out on the radio starting to change, somewhere out in America, its starting to rain. Could you tell me things you remember about me, and have you seen me lately?” He felt guilty. She shared so much with him, all of them had, but he just hadn’t been able to tell them. He acted like everything was just fine, but he knew she knew he was full of crap. She was letting him get away with it, he understood that, but he also knew it was hurting her, not knowing what was wrong, not being able to make it better.  “I remember me and all the little things that make up a memory, like she said she loved to watch me sleep.  Like she said: It’s the breathing, it’s the breathing in and out and in and...  oh, have you seen me lately? Have you seen me lately? Have you seen me lately?” Maybe he should tell her. Maybe if he finally told someone it would all be okay. He was afraid to say anything to his social worker. If he was moved to a new foster home he might have to go to a different school. He’d just found her and he was afraid to lose her. So he was keeping his mouth shut.  “I was out on the radio starting to change, somewhere out in America it’s starting to rain. Could you tell me things you remember about me, and have you seen me lately?”

He could take it. He’d been through worse. It was worth it to see her smiling face every day, to feel how her aura wrapped him in invisible arms that absolutely oozed love. He hadn’t felt anything like it since his mother died and he could barely remember how her arms felt. While he listened to Kagome sing he tried to remember his mother’s face, but he couldn’t. All his parent’s belongings were in storage for him when he could legally own them, but that left him with nothing. He’d managed to take a picture of them with him, one that had been on the sun visor in the car they died in, but it was gone now, lost to the life of a foster child.  “I guess I thought that someone would notice. I guess I thought somebody would say something if I was missing. Can’t you see me? Come on color me in, Come on color me in, come on, come on, come on. Give me your blue rain. Give me your black sky. Give me your green eyes. Come on give me your white skin. Come on give me your white skin. Come on give me your white skin.” He smiled then as the words she sang sunk in. It was like a part of him was missing and he hadn’t even noticed it until she’d filled the gaping hole in his heart. Soon… soon he would be able to remember what his mother’s face looked like. Soon he would remember what color his father’s eyes were. Soon he would be able to find their lingering scent as he looked through the boxes of memories that someone else packed away for him. Soon he would remember who he really was, not Shippo the foster kid, not Shippo the poor pitiful orphan, not Shippo the punching bag for relieving his latest foster ‘father’s’ stresses, but Shippo Makka, his father’s son, his mother’s little boy, himself. “I was out on the radio starting to change, somewhere out in America, it’s starting to rain. Could you tell me things you remember about me, and have you seen me lately? Have you seen me lately? Have you seen me lately? Have you seen me lately?” Until then though, Kagome was all he had in the world. Sure, the guys were great and Inuyasha seemed to be getting used to his presence, but it was her… she made everything alright with just an upward twitch of her lips. And so he decided that he could tell her. He could tell her about his parents. He could tell her about the accident. He could tell her the things he didn’t even want to remember, the things that would never leave his memory. He could trust her with his pain and he knew that was what she wanted.  She wanted to help him feel better, and he would never feel better if he didn’t get it out. It was like a toxic black cloud that floated around his head, tainting every breath he took, and she was a sweet smelling gentle breeze that would whisk it all away so he could breath deeply again.  When they reached the shrine and the privacy of Kagome’s room he let her ask her questions, knowing that she deserved the answers, and then he gave them to her. Of course he felt guilty when she cried for him, but as her tears flowed down her cheeks he could feel the pain washing away, like her tears were cleansing his very soul. When she hugged him tightly and he closed his eyes he remembered. He could see his mother smiling at him. He could hear his father laugh. Somehow this angel gave him back the memories he thought were gone forever by taking away the ones he never wanted.  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  Of course Kagome couldn’t sit back and do nothing after she heard what Shippo’s latest ‘home’ was like. She wanted to laugh and vomit at the same time. Home; what a disgusting use of a word that was supposed to describe a beautiful place, a place where you felt comfortable, welcome, and safe... none of which applied to her newest friend’s situation.  It didn’t take long until she’d solved his problems, just like she did for each of her friends. Her mother made a few calls and Shippo had a new home. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot better than where he’d been before.  The mother of the family was wonderful, caring and sweet, and she understood demons and their variety of needs that most humans had no idea about. But then she did mate a demon and raise two hanyou sons, and even though they displayed no demon traits besides their markings they still had the same strengths that Inuyasha had, combined with the power of their miko mother, and they knew how to use both. Mariko accepted Shippo into her home with open arms, and Bank and Jak didn’t mind sharing a bit.   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  He’d never been to something like this before, at least not that he could remember. It was possible he’d gone with his parents but if he had the memories were lost to time. He wished he could find some way to pay her back for all she’d done for him. She’d taken away all the bad memories, all the pain. She’d helped him remember what he’d been sure he’d lost forever. She’d found him a wonderful place to stay with a family that treated him like one of their own. And now she was teaching him the meaning of friendship and fun, two things he’d never known.  Shippo looked around in absolute awe of his surroundings. Everything was so bright and colorful and big! Laughter filled the air from every direction as well as a plethora of wonderful smelling foods. The rides… he’d never seen anything like them, let alone ride them!  “Looks like you made the right decision, Kagome,” Miroku said with a laugh, drawing her attention to the kitsune who was nearly dancing in his place in line where they were waiting to pay their admission.  “Yeah, I guess so! Shippo, calm down. There will be time for everything, okay?” She laughed harder when his eyes widened at her words.  “EVERYTHING?” he asked, his excitement level now through the roof.  “Yes, everything you want to do we’ll do.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around him when he nearly threw himself on her. His head came at just about the middle of her chest and she glanced at the ‘You Must Be This Tall’ sign, sighing in relief when she was sure he was tall enough. It would have been awful to bring him here and then tell him he was too short to ride the rides.   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  The things he did to see her, to get close to her. It was beginning to get ridiculous. He snorted at the thought. ‘Beginning to get ridiculous? It was ridiculous at the start!’ If someone had told him a few years ago that he would be willingly paying to get into something like this… he probably would have separated their head from their shoulders, but as it was Sesshoumaru held out his wrist for the all day all ride pass he’d just purchased and the band was snapped into place. As if the injustices to his pride weren’t already enough, the band just had to be hot pink.  He looked around, taking in the sight of where he would be tortured all day just to be near her. The county fair was just too much. The stands and the rides were garishly painted and he wished he’d brought sunglasses just to protect his eyes from such hideous color combinations. It was beyond noisy, the sounds of laughter, the mechanical whirring of the rides, the screaming of the fools riding the rickety looking contraptions; it all combined into a roar that blocked out any chance he would have had to hear her sweet voice. The smell of food was everywhere, as was the stench of the crowd, and for a minute he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to find her and her band of merry followers in the crowd.  Somehow she’d picked up yet another stray a month or so earlier, giving the great Sesshoumaru yet another person to be jealous of, a tiny kitsune. Hell, he was more jealous of the fox than any of the others because when she hugged him his face or cheek was pressed firmly to her beautiful breasts. What he would give to pillow his head with them, to listen to her heart beat while she ran her fingers through his hair. Realizing he’d stopped walking and closed his eyes, Sesshoumaru opened them and scanned his surroundings at just the right moment. For once it looked like the gods were on his side because there she was, just a few yards in front of him at one of the game stands, watching and cheering as the kitsune threw rings at posts for the chance to win a prize. The other three males were just standing around, not looking anywhere as enthused as Kagome and Shippo. Now that he knew where she was he found a spot to look casual while he watched her. If he lost her in this crowd he might never locate her again and then all this torture would be for nothing. Before he’d laid eyes on her, the object of his obsession, he wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this, but for her he would endure anywhere and anything. He would suffer all the layers of hell if it meant he could see her smile or hear her laugh; even if she didn’t know he was there.   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  Shippo was having the time of his life. They’d played every single game and sampled a lot of the carnival food; cotton candy, funnel cakes, and more. Now he was ready for the rides. Sure, some of them looked scary but he intended to get as much out of this day as he could and that included riding all the rides.  Miroku, Bankotsu, and Inuyasha were following a few steps behind Kagome and Shippo, each weighed down by the giant stuffed animals Shippo had insisted on winning for Kagome. “Hey wench,” Inuyasha called, loving how her eyes flared when she turned around to glare at him. “We’re gonna take this shit to the car, ‘kay? Where ya gonna be?” Kagome shook her head. She was more than used to the name, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Looking down at Shippo, she followed his line of sight to the Sea Dragon, a ride that looked like a giant boat with dragon heads on either end. It was basically just a giant swing and Kagome’s eyes glittered with excitement. “We’re gonna be on that!” she pointed before grabbing Shippo’s hand, running away before the guys could take in a breath. “She’d be on that ride all afternoon if it was up to her,” Bank said with a smile before turning around and carrying the hideous pink elephant that he had no idea what Kagome was going to do with to his car. Bank wasn’t sure if they would be able to fit into the car with all the stuff Shippo had won!  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  Sesshoumaru smirked when he saw the others leave her side. It might be his only chance to get closer and he wasn’t going to miss it. He slipped silently into line behind her and made a point to stare into space, knowing that she’d sense him so close and turn around. She turned to look at him and he watched her surprised expression from the corner of his eye. He wanted to laugh as she looked behind him, trying to determine who he was there with. She was blissfully unaware that he was there with her.  Sesshoumaru was more than pleased when the line grew longer behind them. If things went according to plan… Finally it was time to board the ride and he was blessed again by the grace of the gods that the operator directed him to sit beside her since there was room in her row and he was alone. When he gracefully took his seat next to her she looked at him again. This time he allowed himself to look at her, confused by the slight dusting of pink on her cheeks. Was she blushing? Because of him? He gave her a fanged smirk and was happy to discover that her affection for fangs had not abated as her blush darkened and her scent spiked.  Finally the giant boat began to swing like a pendulum, each time going a little higher, and Sesshoumaru’s eyes widened. He hadn’t been paying attention to how high the thing went! It couldn’t be safe! Turning to look at her though, the look of excitement and absolute joy on her face and in her eyes was enough to make it worth it. The higher they went the more she laughed and Sesshoumaru tried to drown his self in the sound. He could actually feel the happiness rolling off of her in waves and he found it increasingly difficult not to smile. The ride was over far too soon and he had to slip away, knowing that her bodyguards had most likely returned.  He followed them closely and listened to Shippo go on and on about how much fun the ride had been and they discussed what to go on next. He should have expected it, but he cringed anyway when the words came from her mouth.  “Inuyasha? Did you know your brother was going to be here?” The hanyou snorted at her. “Sesshoumaru? Here? Ha! He couldn’t be caught dead in a place like this.” “Well, he looked very much alive on the Sea Dragon.” Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed. “You saw him?” “He sat next to me. Kinda hard to miss him.” Sesshoumaru listened as the hanyou let out a low, threatening growl and wanted to laugh. As if the fool had any chance of scaring him off. He dropped back though, allowing more distance between them now since Inuyasha was surely on alert and looking for his presence. The taiyoukai wondered just what his half-brother was thinking, what Inuyasha thought he was doing there.   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  He’d followed the group, watching as they rode ride after ride and looked at every vendor’s stand. He saw her admiring several things but buying nothing and he was inspired. He made his way to the vendor she’d just left and asked what she’d been looking at. A few minutes later he left with something very important held tightly in his hand.  Finally night began to fall and Kagome declared excitedly that she wanted to ride the Ferris wheel when it was all lit up. Sesshoumaru smirked and carefully slipped ahead of her group. He had a ride operator to bribe.   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  It had been driving Inuyasha insane, the knowledge that his brother was around somewhere. He didn’t know why, but the idea of Sesshoumaru sitting next to Kagome ruffled his fur. For some reason he felt like he was missing something, that something was going on that he had no idea about. He was trying his best to shake the feeling but it wasn’t doing a damn bit of good.  They stood in line for the Ferris wheel, the last thing they would be doing before heading home, no one noticing the taiyoukai standing directly in front of them with his hooded jacket hiding his telltale silver hair while he hid his aura. The scents of the fair had covered his own quite effectively so he didn’t even bother hiding his scent as well. Finally they were at the front of the line and he nodded at the operator. Before the guys knew what happened, Kagome had been led to a seat without them. The operator locked the bar down over their legs, securing them for the ride. The guys were split into two more seats behind them and he could hear Inuyasha complaining.  Kagome hadn’t recognized him yet. He waited until the ride started moving before taking off his hood and allowing his hair to fly freely. He smirked when Inuyasha’s complaining turned into a string of profanities when he finally saw who was sitting beside the little miko. When she heard the yelling too, Kagome turned her attention from the amazing view of the fair beneath them to her company, startled when she recognized him. She looked away quickly and Sesshoumaru’s heart clenched. She was uncomfortable in his presence it seemed, as she never once glanced at him again. Of course he knew he shouldn’t be surprised and he wasn’t, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.  When the ride slowed and they were let off one car at a time, Sesshoumaru disappeared while Kagome waited for her friends. Inuyasha caught her in his arms the second the lap bar was released and he was looking her over like he expected her to be bleeding or missing pieces or something.  “Inuyasha? What’s wrong with you?” she asked as he let out a sigh and buried his nose in her hair. She was alright so the ride operator would be allowed to live. She looked at Shippo who only shrugged. He didn’t know what Inuyasha was so worked up about. So she sat next to Inuyasha’s brother. So what? But then he had yet to meet the taiyoukai.  “Nothing, Kags. You ready to go?” Kagome nodded and yawned and Inuyasha crouched down in front of her. From the shadows, hidden amongst the crowd, Sesshoumaru snarled. The hanyou was carrying her, touching her, holding on to her thighs much higher than necessary in his opinion. Seeing that they were leaving he made his way past them, locating Bank’s car and leaving his gift to her where he knew she would find it. All in all it had been a good day. He got to be close to her, heard her laugh. He got to leave her a surprise, something he knew she would like. The fact that he’d pissed his half-brother off, well that was just gravy.  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  When they reached the car, Inuyasha carefully set Kagome on her feet and she went to open the passenger door. When her fingers touched cold metal she looked down and saw it. A beautiful silver bracelet was clipped around the door handle. She unclipped it as her friends watched and when she got a good look at it she gasped. It was the bracelet she’d been looking at and it had been engraved with what she’d only mumbled to herself while looking at it. How anyone could have possibly overhead she had no idea, but it was perfect. She immediately clipped it around her wrist with a huge smile on her face. “Which one of you did it?” she asked. “None of us, Kaggie. We’ve been with you all the time, except for when we brought the prizes out here, but that was before we looked at the vendors,” Miroku said with a grin. “Looks like our Kagome might have a secret admirer.” “He’d better stay a secret too,” Inuyasha growled. He didn’t like it a bit. No one could have her. He couldn’t afford to lose her and he didn’t want to have to share her with anyone else either. The runt was bad enough.  Sesshoumaru smiled from where he sat high in a tree above the car. He couldn’t thank that vendor enough. The gods had been on his side all day long, as the panther demon running the stand had heard what she mumbled perfectly clearly, making his secret gift that much better. It looked beautiful on her. He stayed high up in the tree until they’d all piled into the car and driven away before he dropped to the ground and made his way to his own car to head home. He was sure his dreams would be especially nice tonight. Of course Inuyasha never connected the bracelet to the interesting coincidence of his brother riding two different rides with Kagome. He never gave it a second thought, though every time he saw that bracelet on her, the one engraved with the characters for ‘Butterfly’, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. And he saw it a lot too. She wore that bracelet just as often as she wore the mystery butterfly clips, and while it wasn’t as often as the ankle charm bracelet he gave her that same Christmas, it was still far too often for his comfort. 

 

While standing in the background watching the scene unfold in front of them, Bankotsu caught Miroku’s eyes and after a tilt of his head the two made their way to the kitchen; they had something rather important to discuss.

 

“Did you see what I saw?” Bank asked when they were both in the room.

 

“That he was provoking Sesshoumaru on purpose? Yeah, I saw that. The question is do we tell her? Inuyasha deserved to get bit after the things he said.”

 

“You don’t think that he… did he want Sesshoumaru to attack him so Kagome would see? After what his father said, why would he interfere like that?”

 

Miroku shook his head. “I don’t know, but it really looked like it. He looked rather pleased with himself too. I’m pretty sure he was trying to sabotage any chance Sesshoumaru might have, and he succeeded too.”

 

“I should have seen it coming,” Bank said, feeling guilty. “I should have noticed what he was doing and stopped it. Sesshoumaru deserves one more chance I think. The way she looked at him that day… I know she felt something powerful. He really is her soul mate. I know it.”

 

“Do you think… is it possible that she’s had feelings for him all these years and hid them from us?”

 

Bankotsu nodded. “She probably tried to ignore them, act like they weren’t there because of how he treated Inuyasha. Even then he was coming between them without even trying.”

 

“We need to tell her that it wasn’t Sesshoumaru’s fault and that he had a good reason to attack Inuyasha.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Shippo frowned from where he stood in the living room, both watching as Kagome coddled the hanyou and listening to Bankotsu and Miroku talk. Maybe he should have told Kagome what Sesshoumaru said. He studied the large white inu that was laying a few feet away from Kagome and Inuyasha, looking at her with pitifully sad eyes, and a wave of guilt overtook him.

 

‘Sesshoumaru,’ he woofed softly. ‘I will tell her what you say. He provoked you on purpose.’

 

The beast lifted its head in surprise. The kitsune would now help him? What had changed? He nodded once and then turned to watch as Miroku and Bankotsu came back into the room.

 

“Kagome?” Bank called softly.

 

“Hmm?” she asked, not bothering to turn from her focus on Inuyasha. He was all healed but she was still fawning over the hanyou. She thought it was all her fault and she felt guilty. She’d let the beast out. She thought he was safe. She’d even petted the thing! She shook her head, frustrated and unsure of what to do. What if he attacked Inuyasha again?

 

“Kaggie, can we talk to you?”

 

Inuyasha looked up at them in surprise. From their expressions he knew he was in trouble. They were going to tell her that he’d pushed Sesshoumaru to it and that he was asking for it. He knew he was. He knew he deserved it, but it was more than worth the pain to have her taking care of him so lovingly while completely snubbing his brother. He refused to allow Sesshoumaru to have her. She belonged to him. He loved her. He protected her. He made her happy. He took care of her. She didn’t need Sesshoumaru. She didn’t need a mate. Everything was perfect just the way it was and he didn’t want things to change.

 

“Kagome? Are you sure it’s healed all the way? It still really hurts right here,” he said while pointing to where a huge fang wound had been. He was lying of course. He was as good as new, but he needed to keep her from talking to the others, at least until he could convince them not to tell.

 

She fell for it completely, running her hands gently over his arm, sending tingles throughout his entire body. He loved it when she touched him. It was as close as he would ever get to having her. Nothing had changed since their freshman year. He still loved her with every inch of his being and he still refused to sentence her to the torment of mating a hanyou. He would never let her know how he really felt, but he couldn’t stand by and let her be snatched away from him either. He couldn’t lose her. He loved her and he needed to feel her love for him, to revel in her scent, be soothed by her voice, and be surrounded by her aura. Without her his entire world would fall apart.

 

Bankotsu frowned at Inuyasha. He wasn’t sure what was going on. He thought that they had all understood and agreed not to interfere. If Sesshoumaru was her soul mate then keeping them apart would only hurt her and that was the last thing any of them wanted to do… or at least he thought so. Why would Inuyasha want to stand in the way of her happiness?

 

“Kagome, it’s really important and he’s fine. You healed him. Please?”

 

Kagome sighed but dragged herself to her feet. “Alright, what is it?”

 

“Come with me,” Bank said, holding out his hand to her. She took it and allowed him to lead her up the stairs. Miroku and Shippo followed, as well as the large white inu, leaving Inuyasha sitting on the floor in the living room dreading what he knew they would tell her. No one wanted Kagome to be mad at them. It wasn’t pretty.

 

Bank led them all into Miroku’s room and Kagome sat down on the bed, looking at them expectantly. She was rather surprised to see Sesshoumaru in the room as well and was even more surprised when Miroku placed a few sutras on the door. “What are you doing?”

 

“What we have to say, Inuyasha isn’t going to want you to hear.”

 

“What? Why? What’s going on here?” she asked in frustration. She was tired of secrets, tired of everyone hiding things from her. They were her best friends, so what was with the secrecy and deception?

 

Shippo looked down at the floor, ashamed at how he’d refused to tell her what she deserved to know. “Sesshoumaru didn’t attack Inuyasha for no reason.”

 

“So? He hurt him!”

 

“He was asking for it,” Miroku said matter-of-factly. “He was purposely provoking him.”

 

Bank nodded and continued. “We think he did it so you would see Sesshoumaru attacking him and think he was the bad guy. He wants you to hate Sesshoumaru.”

 

Kagome was confused. “Why would he care if I like or hate Sesshoumaru? Why would he want to be bit like that? Didn’t you see those gashes? It was horrible!” she said angrily, glaring at the large white inu sitting and staring at her. “I don’t care what he said. There was no reason for it! And Sesshoumaru was going for the throat. He was trying to kill him!”

 

No one knew quite what to say to that and after a few moments of silence they all turned to look at the large white inu. ‘This Sesshoumaru had no intention of killing the hanyou, just to teach him to think before he speaks. I know how much you care for him.’

 

Everyone looked at Shippo who sighed before repeating the message.

 

“Okay guys, I’m really getting confused here. What is going on that everyone is hiding things from me and talking in riddles?”

 

“I’m sorry, Kagome. There are some things we can’t tell you right now. You know that we would never hide something from you willingly, but it’s really important that you don’t know. There’s nothing to worry about though. You just need to keep being you, that’s all. Act like nothing’s going on.”

 

Kagome let out a cute little growl. “You guys really suck, you know that?”

 

Miroku chuckled and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “It’s something you need to decide on your own without anyone pushing you in either direction. Once it’s all said and done we’ll tell you everything, but you can’t know before then or it’ll ruin it.”

 

“But what does it have to do with Sesshoumaru?”

 

“Don’t think about it. You’ll understand when it’s time. We just wanted to make sure you knew that it wasn’t his fault. Don’t blame him. Things are hard enough for him at the moment. He really doesn’t need Inuyasha interfering.” Bank smiled at her. “Now, didn’t you have some reading to get done?”

 

‘She is welcome to use this Sesshoumaru’s room.’ Shippo gave the taiyoukai an incredulous look. ‘Tell her. This Sesshoumaru will be in this form for a while. She can make herself comfortable, hang up her clothes, and have a desk to work at. She is also welcome to use this Sesshoumaru’s computer if she needs to since hers is still at her former residence.’

 

“What’d he say, Shippo?” Kagome asked, her voice softer, the anger melting away… at least her anger at Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha on the other hand… she didn’t know what to feel. It didn’t make any sense for him to purposely provoke the demon. Why did it matter to him whether she was friends with Sesshoumaru or not?

 

The kitsune gave a little laugh and shrugged his shoulders. “He wants you to use his room. Said you could hang up your clothes, make yourself comfortable… even said you can use his computer.”

 

Kagome looked down into bright crimson eyes. “You want me to use your room? But… my scent… you don’t want your room covered in my scent.”

 

‘It is much to the contrary,’ he thought. ‘I wish your scent was a permanent part of this Sesshoumaru’s room and bed.’

 

‘Tell her I wish for her comfort and that this Sesshoumaru finds her scent soothing.’

 

Shippo laughed and translated, making Kagome give the inu an odd look again. “You are just too confusing for words,” she said, giggling when he nosed her hand before gently petting his head. “I don’t get it. This beast thing… are you an entirely independent personality from the Sesshoumaru I know… or… can he hear me when I talk to you?” Sesshoumaru nodded and Kagome blushed a bright red. “Just great… now he knows I thought he was cute! Me and my big mouth. I just had to tell you guys about the dream. I just had to admit that I was drawn to him that day at freshman orientation. God, this is just too embarrassing.” He tried to reassure her, licking her hand slowly, savoring the taste of her skin.

 

Miroku removed the sutras from the door and then turned and looked at Kagome again. “So are you going to take him up on his offer, Kaggie? Shall we move your things?”

 

She looked like she was considering it for a bit before nodding. “Might as well. His bed looked awfully comfortable and I’m gonna need to use someone’s computer. I still don’t wanna go back to my place yet. It’s just… creepy.” The guys laughed before leaving the monk’s room for Bank’s. Each grabbed a bag and Kagome giggled as she watched Sesshoumaru drag one into his room with his teeth.

 

Kagome noticed the stain on his carpet immediately and turned towards Sesshoumaru. “I’m sorry I yelled at you… and for the whole…” she pointed at the carpet. “You just… I don’t understand you. You can be so infuriating! Sometimes… it’s just… I wish I could understand you.”

 

Miroku, Bankotsu, and Shippo watched in shock as Kagome started to glow a bright green. That was definitely not her usual color. No, Kagome glowed pink, not green. The light faded as quickly as it appeared and Kagome looked from face to face, confused. “What just happened?”

 

Sesshoumaru mentally smirked. He wasn’t quite ready yet since he hadn’t decided what to say to her, but now when he did he would actually be able to say it and have her understand. Yes, that was definitely an upside to the syndrome. Without it he had no idea how he would have communicated with her, and if he couldn’t talk to her then how could he make her fall in love with him?

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Inuyasha wasn’t having a very good time. He was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the tabletop in an attempt to ignore the questions being asked of him. Bankotsu, Miroku, and Shippo had come downstairs without her. They left her alone with his brother. It seemed that at the moment they trusted Sesshoumaru more than they did Inuyasha.

”We just don’t understand man. Why would you do that?” Bank asked.

 

“Do what?” he growled at them.

 

Miroku shook his head in disappointment. “Why would you interfere? She’s his soul mate, Inu. He is the only person she will ever truly be happy with. Why would you try to ruin that?”

 

Bank nodded his head in agreement. “Don’t you get it? He will make her happy. If she doesn’t give him a chance then he’ll die and she will spend the rest of her life looking for him but it’ll be too late,” he said softly, not wanting her to overhear, though he was pretty sure she was distracted.

 

“He can’t have her,” was Inuyasha’s only response.

 

“Why not?” Bank demanded. “She doesn’t belong to you or any of us. She is our friend, and that means we want her to be happy. We just don’t get it. I know you don’t get along with your brother, but this is something you need to leave alone. You have to just stand back and see how it goes. It should be her choice, and tricking her like that, that takes away her choice.”

 

“He can’t have her.” Inuyasha glared at them all. He didn’t care if they didn’t understand why he did what he did. He had his reasons. He didn’t need to explain himself.

 

“Why not?” Shippo snarled. “I don’t like him either, but damnit, Inuyasha! You can’t do this! All you’re going to do is make her angry because we’re not going to let you get away with something like this again. We aren’t going to let you turn her against him.”

 

“Don’t you guys get it?” Inuyasha hissed, keeping his voice low, a difficult thing considering just how angry he was. “He hates me. He hates all of us. If she mates with him we will never see her again. He’ll whisk her away and she’ll be gone forever. I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t live without her.”

 

Bankotsu shook his head again. “If you love her like you say you do, you would put her happiness above your own. She would never abandon us and you know that! And even if she did, if it made her happy, then that’s what I would want for her.”

 

“Me too,” Miroku and Shippo mumbled together. It was a scary thought and they were all worried about it, but they put her needs above their own. Kagome was all that mattered and worrying about themselves and what would happen to them was selfish. To try to and keep her from her destiny for their self-interest would be wrong.

 

“You need to have faith in her. You know how hard Kagome fought to be your friend and to protect you. Do you really think she’d let someone stop her from seeing you after all that?”

 

Slowly understanding crept into Inuyasha’s eyes. She did. She fought to convince him she was sincere. She stood by his side against the bullies, against the whole school really. He was so stupid! She would never leave him after that. She’d ignored her attraction to Sesshoumaru before because of how he treated him. Why would she allow Sesshoumaru to end the friendships she worked so hard to forge?

 

The hanyou was beginning to feel guilty. When he’d first heard about his brother’s problem, when he listened in on the call between him and their father, he’d felt bad for him. It wasn’t until Kagome was mentioned that he stopped caring. She’d been the first friend he’d ever had. She had changed his entire world. He was terrified of things going back to the way they were before she came into his life. He’d allowed his fear to rule his actions, his fear and his jealousy. He had been ready to condemn his brother to death and Kagome to a life of unhappiness, just to keep her with him.

 

“Did she forgive him?” he whispered.

 

“Yeah, she did,” Bank replied. “She’s confused and all the secrets are driving her crazy, but she’s not angry at him anymore. He offered her his room… even said she could use his computer. Of course that only confused her more, but she accepted.”

 

“The weirdest thing happened,” Miroku added. “She was talking to him when she started to glow green, and for a few seconds she was surrounded by demonic energy.”

 

Inuyasha frowned, having no idea what could have caused such a thing.

 

Shippo cleared his throat. “Um... I think I might have some insight there. He was begging her to say ‘I wish I could understand you,’ earlier, when we found her on the couch. I said that wishing it wouldn’t make any difference, but he said that I didn’t know what I was talking about. I think that maybe her saying those words did something. He certainly looked happy then.”

 

“So you think she can understand him now?” Miroku asked.

 

“Maybe,” Shippo replied before tilting his head to look up at the ceiling. “Maybe.”

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Sesshoumaru was rather enjoying watching Kagome unpack her things. It was fitting, having her move into his room. It was something he’d always imagined, sharing a room, a closet, and most importantly a bed with his angel. He had yet to test the lines of communication, still not sure of the perfect thing to say. Of course, he’d stopped trying to think of anything when she began singing softly.

 

“A winter’s day in a deep and dark December, I am alone gazing from my window to the streets below on a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow. I am a rock, I am an island.”

 

He wondered if she had forgotten his presence or if she felt that comfortable with him, because she’d begun to dance slightly while she sang, twirling her way across the room from bed to closet and closet to bed, hanging her things next to his.

 

“I’ve built walls, a fortress steep and mighty that none may penetrate. I have no need for friendship, friendship causes pain. Its laughter and its loving I distain. I am a rock, I am an island.”

 

His head began to sway, following the sensual rhythm of her hips. How he wished he had hands at the moment! He was dying to place his hands on those hips and pull her body back against his, to feel her amazing ass rubbing against him, turning him on worse than ever before. It was then that he decided what he would remind her of the next time she fell asleep.

 

“Don’t talk of love. Well, I’ve heard the word before. It’s sleeping in my memory. I won’t disturb the slumber of feelings that have died. If I never loved I never would have cried. I am a rock, I am an island.”

 

He was now certain that she’d forgotten all about him. She’d just dumped a duffel bag of nothing but brightly colored panties and bras on his bed and was currently swinging a purple thong on her index finger, her hips still swaying so temptingly while she sang. She looked like she was considering something for a moment before sauntering over to his dresser. She traced one finger along the intricate designs carved into the dark cherry wood before opening the top left drawer. A light blush colored her cheeks before she closed the drawer. He wanted to laugh at her innocence. Apparently just the sight of his boxers was enough to make her blush.

 

“I have my books and poetry to protect me. I am shielded in my armor. Hiding in my room, safe within my womb, I touch no one and no one touches me. I am a rock, I am an island.”

 

She scooted to the right and opened the drawer beside the first. Finding socks in the second drawer, she moved them to one side and began folding up the sexy little scraps of fabric and piling them neatly in the space she’d made. He more than enjoyed the show as he got to see every single undergarment she owned, besides the ones she had on of course, but then he was hoping that might be remedied soon. If she could forget he was there with her now, maybe she would forget that he was there when she changed as well.

 

“And a rock feels no pain. And an island never cries.”

 

As her voice trailed off she looked around, blushing like crazy when she noticed him sitting there watching her. “You just couldn’t bark or something and let me know I was making a fool of myself in front of you, could you?” she asked sarcastically. When he stayed silent and still she sighed and allowed her self to fall back onto his bed. In seconds he was on the bed beside her and she turned her head to look into his glowing red eyes. “You are just a complicated guy, aren’t you?”

 

She stayed perfectly still as he moved his snout closer and closer to her face, her eyes crossing to keep looking at him until he finally touched his nose to hers. “Dude!” she laughed. “Your nose is cold!” He moved back a bit so he could look at her properly and she wiped her now wet nose off with her hand. “And just what was that? I never expected the all powerful Sesshoumaru to be into Eskimo kisses.”

 

The longer she looked at him, at the way he was staring into her eyes, the more she was confused. “Can I ask you something?” He nodded his head and she grinned. “Why… why do you keep yourself locked up behind walls? What happened to you that you won’t let anyone get close?”

 

He dropped his head down so he was staring at the bed. He didn’t have an easy answer for her. He’d learned some things about life early on and he took the lessons to heart to guard against ever experiencing what his mother had suffered.

 

“Yeah, I guess it’s kind of a silly question to ask considering you can’t talk to me.” She turned to stare at the ceiling, the ceiling he’d spent the last year and several months staring at every single night while he thought of her. She didn’t look at him this time when she spoke. “You know how I was singing… I don’t consciously pick the song. It just happens. But I’ve noticed something. The song that pops into my head always applies somehow to the situation.”

 

He thought it over, remembering some of the words she’d sung a few minutes before. To be honest he’d missed most of the song, focusing on the sound of her voice and watching her body move. He woofed at her softly, not saying anything really, and he nudged her arm with his nose.

 

“So then does that song… it does sort of… It fits you.”

 

He woofed again. When she just looked at him he sighed. Well, she was going to have to find out sometime. ‘Sing it for me again, Kagome,’ he said in inu, watching her eyes widen when she understood him.

 

“How? I couldn’t… Why can I…?”

 

‘This Sesshoumaru will explain later. Sing for me again, please.’

 

She gave him an odd look but complied. “A winter’s day in a deep and dark December, I am alone gazing from my window to the streets below on a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow. I am a rock, I am an island.”

 

He listened closely to the words this time as she sang. He remembered standing inside their rented cabin, looking out the window and watching while she and her friends played in the snow, something he’d thought childish until he noticed how she laughed while she played. Then it was beautiful, the way her cheeks got red from the cold but her smile never faltered. He tried to deny how lonely he was then, just like he always did.

 

“I’ve built walls, a fortress steep and mighty that none may penetrate. I have no need for friendship, friendship causes pain. Its laughter and its loving I distain. I am a rock, I am an island.”

 

She paused and looked at him again. “Wow… Sesshoumaru? Is that it? Are you afraid to get hurt? Is that why you push everyone away?”

 

‘This Sesshoumaru has never considered why I have always preferred solitude...’

 

She continued the song. “Don’t talk of love. Well, I’ve heard the word before. It’s sleeping in my memory. I won’t disturb the slumber of feelings that have died. If I never loved I never would have cried. I am a rock, I am an island.”

 

“You know, I love your brother and Miroku and Bankotsu, Shippo too, but I’ve never… They’ve always kept the guys away. Once… just once I felt something for someone that I might have called love. Too bad he didn’t seem to feel it too. It was odd because I saw him a couple times and every time it was the same. I felt this incredible connection that he either didn’t feel or was ignoring, because he left me every time. Even with as short of a time as I had with him… it hurt, really hurt to feel something for someone who didn’t reciprocate. It hurt every time. It was almost like he was playing with me.” Kagome paused for a moment while she tried to push those pesky feelings that were popping up back down where they belonged. “I’m curious…”

 

She rolled to her side to look at him comfortably. “This girl… the beast half wants her, right? What about the other half? Did you not pursue her because the other half didn’t feel the same? Or do you both want her?”

 

He gave her an appraising look. What was she talking about? When had she felt something for someone? His heart twisted in his chest at the thought of his Kagome loving someone else, even if it was for a short time. ‘For some time the civilized side of this Sesshoumaru, the side you know, denied his feelings for the female in question, but they have always been there.’

 

“So why not go after her? Why fight it until it got to this point? I mean, come on, what girl wouldn’t want you? It’s just silly. Every girl in school worshipped you then and they still worship you now. How hard could it be to catch her attention?”

 

He chuckled softly. ‘If only you knew, Kagome, just how hard it has been… if only you knew.’

 

‘She does not see me. This Sesshoumaru is invisible to her.’

 

“I don’t think that’s possible. You don’t really blend into the background, ya know? Are you just afraid of being rejected?”

 

‘This Sesshoumaru does not need to fear her rejection. It is assured.’

 

“Nothing is ever set in stone. Just cuz you think she doesn’t see you doesn’t mean that she’s not sneaking glances at you when you’re looking the other way. You’re gonna have to take a chance… put yourself out there. If you want… I can help you. I can help you come up with what to say, help you catch her attention, whatever I can.”

 

He smirked inside at her offer. That was just like Kagome to offer to help him. Too bad it would be rather difficult to help him catch her own attention. He leaned in and licked her cheek, making her laugh; her laughter easing the pain in his chest. Finally… finally she laughed for him. It felt like his fairy god mother just granted one of his wishes. If only she’d help out with the rest… he would be a happy demon.

 @@ 19 and a half Years Ago @@              He didn’t know what had happened in the beginning. He was just a baby, a few months old, when it actually occurred, when his father threw his mother out on her ass to move in the human woman who was pregnant with what would eventually be Inuyasha. He didn’t know where his mother had gone or who this new female was, and things were fine for a while. When the hanyou was born Sesshoumaru had found the little creature interesting. He’d helped Izayoi take care of him. He rather enjoyed making funny faces at the infant to make him laugh. He even played with him, carefully of course. They were only a year apart in age, so neither had any idea of the drama going on behind the scenes. It wasn’t until Sesshoumaru was five that he found out, that he was introduced to the realities of his life, his home, and the world.  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  @@ 14 Years Ago @@             He was excited. Finally his mother was coming to see him. He’d figured out that Izayoi wasn’t his mother easily. There really wasn’t any way to prevent such a discovery considering that he was a full demon and Izayoi a human, thus making Inuyasha a hanyou. It didn’t matter to him then. He didn’t know that the differences meant anything at all. He just knew they were different. He hadn’t laid eyes on his mother for at least two years, maybe longer, and when she had visited in the past it was always short and she never seemed too interested in spending time with him. No, when his mother came to visit she came to fight with his father and scream obscenities about Izayoi and Inuyasha. Eventually their father had forbidden her to return and she didn’t seem to mind. If she’d really wanted to see him she would have fought for the right, wouldn’t she?  He’d overheard his father and Izayoi discussing his mother a few nights before, and while Katsuro was determined to keep the inu demoness away, it was Izayoi that felt for the other woman. Izayoi loved her son and she loved her step-son as well, and she couldn’t imagine not being able to see them. So she convinced the taiyoukai to allow Sesshoumaru’s mother to visit. Perhaps she shouldn’t have.  When the beautiful inu demoness arrived, she didn’t bother to knock, instead just walking in like she owned the place. Katsuro had been expecting it though, and he led her to his study, fully intending on speaking to her about what was and was not appropriate to talk about and making an ultimatum that she would not disrespect his mate and wife. She’d laughed in his face before telling him that he could have his precious human bitch and hanyou abomination. Before he knew what was happening, Sesshoumaru was in her car and they were speeding down the long driveway. He could hear his father yelling from the doorstep but ignored it. He was too excited to see his mother again. He hadn’t even been able to remember what she looked like, it’d been so long.  Eventually she stopped at a ridiculously fancy restaurant, considering her date was five years old. Once they were seated, she started. She’d been thinking about this conversation for years and she hoped that it would work just like she planned. “Sesshoumaru, my darling, have they been taking care of you?” she asked rather dramatically. He simply nodded and she continued. “It really is terrible how they expect you to endure the presence of a hanyou brat.” “Inuyasha’s not too bad, Mother.” The demoness gasped. “My dear, do you understand the difference between your mother and that human bitch? Do you know how disgusting it is to force you to associate with such filth as a half-breed?” Sesshoumaru shook his head before explaining to her what he thought and what his father had taught him. They were like roses. Some were red, some were white, some were pink, and some were yellow, but they were all roses.   Scoffing at Katsuro’s foolishness, his mother then made sure to make it very clear to her son the distinction. They weren’t all roses. Roses were beautiful and special and high class, and Sesshoumaru and his mother, they were roses. Humans were like daisies, she said; common, plain, weak, and worthless daisies. Hanyou were worse. Hanyou were dandelions, weeds that needed to be eradicated before they took over your lawn and choked out all the beauty with their offensive existence.  “She stole him from me, that dirty human. Your father was to be my mate, but that all changed when he saw her. Suddenly I wasn’t good enough anymore, but because I was already carrying his pup he was forced to ‘endure’ my presence, as he put it. Once you were born he threw me out like week old trash. That should be me in that house, me taking care of you instead of her. You are better than they are; better than your father even, with his taste for human. It’s disgusting.” Sesshoumaru just sat in awe as she went on and on about how he was much too special to play with a half-breed, half-brother or not. He was much too powerful and perfect to be raised by a human. He was told that he should hate them for what they had taken from his mother and his self. He was made to believe that his mother suffered daily because of what his father had done to her. He was told that he could never trust anyone, that they would stab you in the back the first chance they got. He was told that he was much too good to associate with any of such a low class.  And because he was young and had a susceptible mind, it was all too easy for her to convince him? That night when she finally returned him to his home he lay awake all night, just staring at the ceiling and remembering it all. After the initial visit, his mother had come for him almost daily for a month, during which time she showed him the ‘hovel’ she was forced to live in. Too bad he had no idea that it wasn’t her residence at all but the apartment of her maid. No, she had a swanky penthouse, but he would never see it. She wept and cried about how much she still loved his father, how Katsuro had broken her heart, shattered it into so many tiny pieces that it could never be repaired. She told him how she’d never been able to love another, that when he denied her his love he sentenced her to a life of nothing but misery. Sesshoumaru cried with her. He didn’t understand why his father would hurt someone like he had his mother. She taught him to guard his heart and he did, building walls to separate him from those who would hurt him. She continuously told him how much better he was than others, how perfect and powerful he was; how he deserved the utmost respect from everyone, that all should worship his greatness. In his young mind it made sense and his ego grew. She told him that he should never have friends; they would always only be after his beauty, his power, or his money. He was too good to associate with anyone else anyway. He was told how his father preferred the hanyou to him; how Katsuro would have cast him out as well if he could. She taught him to hate. She educated him in bigotry. She lied through her teeth to get her message across, and it worked.  He began to resent Izayoi. He started to be disgusted by Inuyasha. He went so far as to tell his father just how he felt about it. It was then that what she’d warned him would happen did. His mother had warned him that his father would try to stop them from seeing each other because he wanted Sesshoumaru to be easily controlled and obedient. His father intended to give everything he had to Inuyasha and leave Sesshoumaru out in the cold with nothing. His father didn’t love him. His father didn’t even want him, but his instincts forced him to keep his blood close. And when his father began to notice the changes in his son he confronted her. He called her horrible names and then sent her away, telling his eldest son that he would never see her again.  It was too late. The damage was done. Her plan was even more successful than she had hoped. She wanted to make Katsuro miserable because he chose a human over her, humiliating her before the whole world. She wanted to make the bitch and the hanyou miserable because they took what should have been hers. She even wanted to make her son miserable because he was his father’s son. He looked like Katsuro. He sounded like Katsuro, and since she couldn’t hurt Katsuro directly then she would do so through Sesshoumaru.  She was full of nothing but hatred and spite and she’d poured everything she was into the pliable little mind she should have loved and nurtured. She made him a loner. She taught him that friends would always be fake, always be users out to get something from him. She made him arrogant, telling him he was too good for them anyway. She made him rude and obnoxious, the sense of entitlement only growing with age. She made him into the cold, heartless, cruel being that he became, just as she’d intended.              Katsuro did everything he could think of to teach his son that his mother had told him nothing but lies, but she’d warned Sesshoumaru against it, told him they would try to trick him. It broke his father’s heart to see his elder son suddenly be so cruel to his own brother. Izayoi cried for months at the loss of the boy she’d come to love as her own son. Inuyasha didn’t understand why his big brother suddenly refused to play and it only got worse as time went on.              Katsuro had known how the world in general would react to his hanyou son, but he had hoped that with his brother by his side he would make it through life just fine. He’d hoped that Sesshoumaru would help him, stand by him, and defend him against their insults. Instead his brother would be among those that cast the words full of hatred at the hanyou. He didn’t know what to do now, and so he focused his energy on preparing Inuyasha for the cruelty of the world. It wasn’t something he wanted to do. He wanted his son to be treated just like everyone else. He wanted the world to be a place where everyone was equal, but it wasn’t.  The more time Katsuro spent focused on Inuyasha the more Sesshoumaru believed his mother’s words. His father obviously preferred the hanyou. He lavished Inuyasha with attention and gifts, buying everything the disgusting creature wanted, all the while ignoring his first born son. Each year the rift grew wider until there was a giant chasm between father and son, one that seemed impossible to be crossed to bring them back together again.  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@ @@ 12 Years Ago @@              Inuyasha was six when he overheard them. He shouldn’t have been surprised really. He’d started Kindergarten not long ago, and the things the other kids said about him… well, it seemed that they were right after all, even though his father had been trying to tell him differently. He wasn’t meant to be born. His mother and father shouldn’t have been together at all if it weren’t for something he didn’t understand. The little hanyou boy had been on his way to ask for a glass of water when he heard them talking in their room. Curiosity got the best of him and he sat down outside the door, his little silvery white ears twitching on his head.               “I should never have let Sesshoumaru visit with that monster. I had no idea she resented my actions that much, to hurt him too, her own son. I’ve tried everything I can, Izayoi, but he just won’t listen. She poisoned his mind and we’ll never get him back.”             “It’s my fault,” Inuyasha’s mother whispered, her voice cracking as she fought back tears. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. I should have let you do what you thought was best.”             “She’s never understood. She never listened when I tried to explain things. I would never have left her for you if I had a choice. She was already carrying my pup. I would have mated her if I’d had the option, even though I didn’t love her. My honor would not have allowed me to abandon her. I tried to tell her that. I tried to tell her I would do her no good dead, but she… she just couldn’t see past the fact that I was choosing a human over her.”             “I know dear. I wish it had been different, though I am thankful for the syndrome. It brought me not only you but Inuyasha.”             “But he is going to suffer for the rest of his life. If she hadn’t done this to Sesshoumaru, if they still acted like brothers like before, maybe it would have been better. I have sentenced my child to a life of torment.”             “Katsuro, Inuyasha is strong and he will survive. It will be harder without Sesshoumaru on his side, but he will still be alright.”             “I don’t know how she managed to make him believe her lies so strongly and with such blind faith that he thinks I would lie to him for Inuyasha’s sake. I tried to explain the situation, tried to explain the syndrome, but he listens even less than his mother. It would serve him right to end up with the syndrome himself someday. Then perhaps he will understand that what the heart wants it wants, no matter what your mind has to say about it. I’m sorry, my love,” he whispered to her. “He is so disrespectful to you no matter what I do.”             “It’s alright. I understand. I just hope that someday he will see the truth and come back to us. How a woman could hurt her own child… I will never understand it. Does she not realize that she has sentenced him to a life of solitude, a life where he is forever lonely but too stubborn to admit it, let alone do anything about it? The only way he would ever ‘lower himself’ to choose a mate would be if he suffers the syndrome as well.”  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@ @@ 9 Years Ago @@             He was ten when she died. He hadn’t seen her since the day she fought with his father over five years ago, but he had spoken with her over the phone rather often, not that his father was aware of it of course. If Katsuro had known he would have put a stop to Sesshoumaru’s monthly dose of bullshit. She was dramatic ‘til the end, declaring to her son that she was dying from a broken heart, that she couldn’t live without Katsuro anymore. Of course it wasn’t true, but you couldn’t tell Sesshoumaru that. Now he had one more thing to blame on the human bitch and the half-breed, the death of his mother, the only person who ever told him the truth, the only person to treat him as he truly deserved.              Katsuro had taken care of the arrangements, feeling that it was the least he could do for her. No matter how much he loved his mate and wife Izayoi, he would always be filled with guilt. He knew it wasn’t his fault. His father had explained it to him, told him that he had to give in to his beast and his heart and mate with Izayoi or he would die and his expected son would be without a father. His family had taken care of her since then, paying for her luxurious home and her expensive tastes.  She lived her life wild and free. Yes, she resented Katsuro for what he did, but the longer she was without him the more she enjoyed having the financial benefits he provided without the required loyalty and monogamy. She’d only been after him for his money anyway. She didn’t want to raise a child. She didn’t even want to have a child, but getting pupped was the only thing she thought could guarantee her place by his side with her hand in his pocket.  Because of Izayoi and the syndrome she got to live the high life, treating herself to everything and anything she could ever want. She drank and gambled, she slept with whatever male struck her fancy at the moment, and she experimented a bit too much with recreational drugs. She was a demoness convinced of her immortality, so she wasn’t concerned for her health. Katsuro decided not to tell Sesshoumaru her true cause of death. He didn’t need to know that his perfect mother overdosed like a common junkie, and he wouldn’t have believed it even if he was handed the autopsy results. No, Sesshoumaru was so far gone, lost in her web of lies, that he would have accused his father of bribing the medical examiner just to smear her name and image, as if she had a positive one to begin with. She’d lost the respect of the demon community when she began her wild behavior, taking advantage of the kindness of a family that in reality owed her nothing.  Sesshoumaru was disgusted with the arrangements his father had chosen. Had the man not done enough to his poor mother? To have the service performed on a shrine by a human priest was despicable. He sat as far away from the humans who lived on and cared for the shrine as possible. He refused to sit beside his father. The man was responsible for her death. Inuyasha sat between Katsuro and Izayoi, doing his best to be respectful while trying to understand why the hell they were there at all. From what he’d gleaned over the years, this bitch was the reason Sesshoumaru tortured him, the reason why one day his brother came home and declared that he was no brother of his instead of sitting down and playing with him like he had the day before and every day before that.   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@              The funeral services always freaked her out a little and this one was no different. There was a tension in the air that she didn’t understand, so she was more than relieved when Bankotsu finally arrived to distract her. Even then though, Kagome couldn’t stay away from her bedroom window. She could see all those that had come to honor the dead and she was surprised to see that it wasn’t very many people at all. Usually the shrine would be full of people coming to pay their last respects, but apparently this demoness didn’t have a lot of respects coming her way.             Kagome froze when golden eyes locked with her blue ones. “Bank! Bank, come here,” she called to her best friend. When he came to her side she spoke without moving her eyes. “Do you see him? That boy has puppy ears on his head!”             Bank smiled at her. She was just so cute. She had no idea that the boy was a hanyou and would never think for a minute that he was somehow less than she. She wouldn’t understand it when others did either. He could just imagine his sweet little Kagome standing up to the world for him, Jakotsu, or any other hanyou. She would never stand for the discrimination. “I see him,” he replied, trying to keep her from bouncing right out the window.              Kagome’s eyes were suddenly dragged off the adorable puppy ears she was just dying to touch to study another boy with similar silver hair. He wasn’t sitting with the others; instead he was off by himself, isolated by several empty seats around him. He lifted his head and the sun glittered in his golden eyes. “Okay, now that boy is cute.”             Bank frowned beside her. “Which one?” he asked. He always dreaded the thought. He knew that someday she would be interested in boys that way, but he was hoping it would be a long time from now.             “The one off to the side with the long straight hair,” she said without blinking. “I wonder why he’s sitting alone.” “Come on, Kags. We shouldn’t stare. It’s a funeral service after all.” Kagome nodded forlornly and allowed Bank to lead her away from the window. She plopped down on her bed and pouted for a few minutes, having wanted to stare at the boy with silver hair and golden eyes all day long.   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@              Inuyasha was in a daze. When he spotted the girl in the upstairs window looking out his heart skipped a beat. She was beautiful. The rest of the service was spent sitting very still and looking up at the window, hoping to see her again. Neither Izayoi nor Katsuro noticed where his attention was. They were just thankful he’d stopped squirming.              He’d felt eyes on him too and after trying to ignore it for a while Sesshoumaru gave in and glanced upwards. When he saw her standing there looking at him, an unauthorized smirk spread across his lips. When the strangest feeling began to spread through him he tried to look away but failed. She was beautiful. Human, yes, but for some reason that didn’t seem to matter this time. When he noticed the boy standing at her side a low growl rumbled in his chest, drawing the attention of all the demons present. It grew louder when the boy pulled the beauty away from the window and out of his line if sight.  Katsuro had followed Sesshoumaru’s gaze when the growling began and he couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps he would get his wish after all. Perhaps Sesshoumaru would be both blessed and cursed with the syndrome. If he was, he couldn’t help but hope his son fell for a human so he could learn the error of his ways, so he would finally see the truth. Maybe then his sons could be brothers again and they would be a united family instead of a divided household.  That night Sesshoumaru spent hours remembering the girl’s face. There was something about her, something that might as well have grabbed his hair and tied it around her neck, because all he wanted as to look at her, to be closer to her. The young demon scoffed at his foolishness. He needed no one, especially not a human girl.  Inuyasha thought of the pretty black haired girl that night too, her smile dancing through his dreams. He knew better though. When he woke he knew that it was just a dream, that it would always be just a dream. No girl, human, demon, or otherwise, would ever even so much as talk to him. At least he had his dreams though. Life wasn’t so bad in his dreams  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  @@ 8 Years Ago @@             The death of his mother did nothing for Sesshoumaru’s attitude and disrespectful behavior, except to make it worse of course. Katsuro found himself called in for a parent teacher conference, just like he had every year since his son’s mind was poisoned. Every new teacher had to be informed of the situation. It was embarrassing, having to explain to Sesshoumaru’s teacher why his eleven year old son was such a huge dickhead. It made him angry to have to share his family’s private goings on with every teacher Sesshoumaru came into contact with, and this time was no different.              The young human woman greeted him politely before motioning for him to have a seat. He could tell she was nervous in his presence and he had to fight to hold back his smirk. No wonder Sesshoumaru was giving this one trouble. She was rather timid looking and his demon senses only confirmed it. “What is it that my son has done this time, Ms. Kowagari?”             “Well, Mr. Yuzuki, Sesshoumaru simply refuses to listen to anything I say. When it’s time to go to lunch and I direct the students to form a line he just walks out. I’ve tried sending him to the principal, but he won’t go. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. He seems determined to ignore me, my directions, my lessons, anything and everything. He refuses to address me properly, instead calling me ‘human’, and that’s on a good day. He’s called me a ‘filthy human’, a ‘disgusting creature’, and too many others to list.”             Katsuro nodded. “I do sincerely apologize for that. It is a very long and complicated story, but in short… his mother decided to punish my family and myself by filling our son’s head with garbage. She managed to convince him that he is better than everyone else. She turned him against my wife and my other son, his half brother. I will never understand why she did it, but for the last six years we have been trying to reverse the damage, only to be met with failure. Is there something that you would like to recommend?” he questioned politely. Usually the teachers had some plan, and even though the ideas never worked, it did make the teachers feel slightly better, like it gave them back some of the authority Sesshoumaru had so easily stripped them of.  “I don’t know what to do with him, Mr. Yuzuki, but his grades are already beginning to reflect his attitude. Because he refuses to acknowledge my presence he has a zero in class participation. He hasn’t turned in a single homework assignment or completed any of the assigned class work. He has even refused to take the quizzes and exams. I’m not sure if there is even a point in his continued attendance. He currently has a failing grade in every subject. All his presence does is disrupt class, and I simply cannot allow it to continue. He has insulted every single student, human and demon alike. He has made school a hostile environment for everyone around him and the other children should not be forced to suffer because of his behavior.” Katsuro frowned. Never before had Sesshoumaru done something so stupid as to refuse to complete his assigned work and take his exams. Did his son wish to fail? Did he want to be seen as an idiot? It would be fitting and it might just cut his ego down to size, but he couldn’t allow it to happen. He wanted his sons to both have every chance possible in life and if he allowed Sesshoumaru to fail… that could affect his life in a very negative fashion. Being held back would be just as bad as being expelled, perhaps even worse.  The taiyoukai rose and turned to walk away. “I will take care of it, Ms. Kowagari.” The tone of his voice, the rage floating just below the surface was enough to make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and the timid human woman merely nodded her agreement even though she knew perfectly well that he couldn’t see her. She’d rather not be his focus at the moment, and for a second, just a second, she almost felt bad for Sesshoumaru. She had a feeling that what was coming would not be pretty.  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  He’d thought about it all the way home and Katsuro realized that he didn’t have many options. He’d considered his good friend’s offer multiple times but never seriously. He didn’t want to have to do that to his son, but apparently it was necessary. Sesshoumaru needed to be reeducated as to who was in charge, both in their household and in the world. He needed to learn to respect his teachers and do as he was told, be they human, demon, or even hanyou. Sesshoumaru needed to understand that not everything would be handed to him. The boy was spoiled and Katsuro knew it was his own fault. He just wanted his sons to be happy, but his future ranked higher than his happiness at the moment. Flipping open his cell phone, Katsuro made the call that he knew all along he would eventually have to make.  His good friend arrived at their home just an hour later, ready to begin Sesshoumaru’s lessons. He was given full authority over the servants so that he could get everything prepared and a few hours later it was ready. Katsuro called Sesshoumaru downstairs; surprised that his son even responded at all anymore. When the arrogant little taiyoukai arrived he was met with the biggest man he’d ever seen in all his life. He was a demon as well, an inu to be exact, but Sesshoumaru had never seen someone quite so intimidating in all his life. While he fought against his natural instinct to submit to the obviously more powerful male, the boy wondered just what was going on.  Katsuro smirked at the sight of Sesshoumaru finally being faced with someone he would be unable to ignore. This might just work if the slight shaking in his son’s shoulders was any indicator. “Sesshoumaru, I’d like you to meet my good friend Kyojin. It’s been brought to my attention son that you have been being more than disrespectful to your teacher and that you have been neglecting your studies. This is something I should have done years ago. You will learn to treat Izayoi and myself, your teachers, and everyone that is deserving, and not your opinion of who is deserving but mine, with respect. Your behavior since your mother poisoned your mind has been despicable. I am embarrassed to call you my son and it will no longer be allowed to continue. From this moment on you will do anything and everything that Kyojin demands of you. You will learn. The choice is yours. Do you want to do it the easy way or the hard way?” “To the dojo, boy. March!” Kyojin ordered, yelling the last bit and startling his newest student. It was time for boot camp, demon style. Katsuro watched as Sesshoumaru jumped and almost ran towards the dojo. “When you see him again you will once more be proud to call him your son.” “Thank you,” Katsuro said with a small bow of appreciation. As his friend walked along after his son, Katsuro hoped that he was doing the right thing. This was his last option.  @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@  Sesshoumaru had never hated someone so much in all his life as hated this thing his father called ‘friend’. When he arrived in the dojo he was immediately ordered to change out of his designer clothes and into what looked like rags. “You will dress appropriately for your station,” he was told. He was then ordered to do push ups and to run laps around the large room. When he was sure he couldn’t run another step or do another push up, then he was challenged to a sparring match “to see where you stand”. This was repeated over and over again until Sesshoumaru was sure he would drop from exhaustion.  Finally he was allowed to rest, only to discover that his meal for the night was nothing but a slice of bread and a bottle of water, and not even the expensive bottled water he preferred. No, he was given generic brand water. He wanted to refuse it. He wanted to demand real food and his brand of water. He wanted to scream at the servants who dared attempt to serve him something so… so… common.  And yet he didn’t. He kept his thoughts to himself and ate what he was given. He wasn’t stupid. He knew better than to treat such a powerful demon with anything but respect. He liked his limbs where they were, nicely attached to his torso.  Kyojin laughed as he watched the boy stew in his own rage. He would be a challenge, but no demon had ever made it through his version of boot camp without changing their tune. This one would be no different. That night Sesshoumaru tossed and turned on a hard mat on the floor of the dojo while Kyojin slept comfortably on a very soft futon with silk sheets. Sesshoumaru was sure that the blankets he was given were made out of burlap, as nothing so rough and stiff had ever touched his delicate skin before. Dawn arrived much too soon for the exhausted young taiyoukai and his new hell only got worse.  For a week Kyojin wore down Sesshoumaru’s strength and endurance until he was as helpless as a newborn baby. It was then that the real lessons began. By the time the second week ended, Sesshoumaru knew that he would never again disrespect his father. He would never again insult his step-mother or his half-brother, at least not in the presence of his father. He would follow the instructions given by his teachers and he would be polite. He would do anything to make it stop. He was tired and miserable. He was uncomfortable and hungry. He was certain no one had ever spoken to him the way Kyojin did, and the promise, though it sounded more like a threat, that he would return any time Sesshoumaru’s father found it necessary… that was more than enough encouragement.  He didn’t change his beliefs. He still saw himself as better than his classmates, better than his teachers, better than just about everyone. He still despised his human step-mother and his half-breed sibling. He still felt that he was entitled to only the best because he was the best himself. The difference was that he had learned to keep his hateful thoughts to himself. He never wanted to see that slave driver again.  Katsuro couldn’t thank his friend enough when peace finally returned to his home. No longer did he have to break up fights between his sons. Never again did he have to speak to Sesshoumaru about how he treated Izayoi. Never again did he have to meet with teachers that were upset by his son’s behavior. He knew that in reality nothing had changed. His son was still the same cold, cruel, and hateful creature that he had been since his mother got her claws into him, and it killed him inside, but this was better than nothing.   @@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@    Kowagari – timidKyojin - giant

 

            Kagome spent the rest of the afternoon reading her biology textbook, though she found it rather hard to concentrate. Sesshoumaru stayed by her side for a while, but she couldn’t help but wonder where he went when he finally got up and left the room. It was comfortable, having him there beside her. She didn’t understand why, why it felt right with him by her side, why she almost missed him when he was gone, why the feelings she’d tried to lock away, hoping they would just disappear, had returned stronger than ever.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            The downside to his current form had made itself evident. Sesshoumaru had stood in the bathroom, just staring at the toilet for a good ten minutes before letting out a frustrated growl and going downstairs. As embarrassing as it was, he had to ask Shippo to open the back door for him. It was a good thing Inuyasha was pouting in his room, because if he’d said a single word the hanyou would likely have gotten his throat ripped out. Really, he was a dignified demon and being reduced to using the yard as his ‘facilities’ was degrading.

 

            ‘Just how long do you intend to keep us in this form?’ Sesshoumaru questioned the beast.

 

            ‘When I am certain that you can and will cause no more damage to our relationship with her, I will consider surrendering control, and not a second sooner. This Sesshoumaru has made more progress with her in one day than you have made in four years.’

 

            Inside his mind Sesshoumaru sighed. He couldn’t say the beast was wrong. He had done an excellent job of screwing things up while he had control. Maybe staying like this a while longer wouldn’t be so bad. She seemed to be more open towards him, more accepting of his presence, and that was what they needed if they wanted to earn her love. It seemed that the beast found it much easier to show affection and to speak honestly with her. Already she was curious about him. She was even willing to help him gain the girl’s attention. If only she knew that it was her attention he needed.

 

            They had both found that thinking while in her presence was nearly impossible. Her sweet scent was too distracting. The feeling of being wrapped in her aura was so soothing that they’d nearly drifted off to sleep. When she reached over and ran her fingers through his fur he could have died a happy demon… well, maybe not died, but he was as close to happy as he’d ever been, and all because of her touch.

 

            Since it was too hard to think and plan in her presence, he’d stayed downstairs instead of returning to his… no, their… room. He made himself comfortable in the living room and was soon surprised when her friends, minus Inuyasha of course, joined him. He was certain that even though they’d helped him by telling her about Inuyasha’s provocation they were still against him working his way into Kagome’s favor. Apparently he was wrong.

 

            “Your father told us that she is your soul mate and we’ve given it some thought,” Bank said from where he sat at the edge of his seat, looking down at the dog that was meant for his best friend. “We think he’s right, and if he’s right then we will help you. Kagome’s happiness is all that matters to us, and if she’ll be happy with you then that’s what we want for her.”

 

            Miroku nodded, but Shippo still had a reluctant look on his face. “I need to know something first,” the kitsune said softly. “You don’t like us, Inuyasha especially. If she becomes your mate… will you keep her from us?”

 

            “Shippo, we talked about that,” Miroku interjected before Sesshoumaru could respond. “She would never leave us.”

 

            “I know, I know, really I do, but I need to hear it from him. I don’t want her to have to choose. She shouldn’t be forced to choose between her friends and her soul mate. It’s just not fair. I want to make sure that he won’t do that to her before I agree to help him.” Miroku sighed but nodded. He felt the same way, but he really didn’t want to know the answer, afraid it would be what they all dreaded.

 

            Sesshoumaru looked at them one by one. He didn’t know them very well and they’d been friends with his brother and the love of his life for over four years, except for the kitsune of course. What he did know, however, was how strongly she felt about them. He’d witnessed her loyalty time and time again. Her attachment to them was unbreakable. It was one of the things that made her perfect in his eyes, how she stood up against anyone and everyone, even himself at times, to protect her friends. It didn’t matter who stood against her, they didn’t stay standing long. She could bring them all to their knees at her feet with just the strength of her love.

 

He was actually present the day she took on the entire school for the hanyou’s sake, pushing herself past the point of exhaustion to teach them all a lesson. Her miko energy had danced around him slightly different than the rest of the students then. He could feel Inuyasha’s pain but it was nowhere near as excruciating as the others had described, though he never did figure out why. He was one of the hanyou’s worst tormentors, if not the worst, but he was spared most of the pain. Now he wondered if she subconsciously shielded him. Was it possible that the initial attraction she’d admitted to earlier never faded? Could she still have feelings for him lurking somewhere inside her? Just the thought made his heart feel lighter.

 

‘This Sesshoumaru is aware of how Kagome feels about each of you, and I would never force her to choose. We will just have to find a way to get along for her sake.’ Shippo translated and he watched as a look of relief spread across each of their faces. ‘How is it that you intend to assist this Sesshoumaru?’ The kitsune was getting used to it, and now he translated without even thinking.

 

“We think she might actually already have feelings for you,” Bankotsu replied. “Just that she’s been hiding them or fighting them or both. Maybe we can help her realize it.”

 

“And we can tell you things about her that might help,” Shippo added.

 

‘There is very little about Kagome of which this Sesshoumaru is unaware.’

 

Shippo frowned. “And how is that?”

 

The large inu looked unsure for a moment before answering. ‘This Sesshoumaru frequents her Myspace page and reads her blog. She has shared much over the years.’

 

All three males looked at him in surprise. “How long have you been attracted to her?” Miroku asked curiously.

 

‘We dreamt about her for the first time the night of your freshman orientation. She has been in our mind ever since, no matter how he wished to deny the attraction.’

 

Bankotsu’s eyes widened before they narrowed on the inu. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

 

Shippo looked at his friend in confusion. “Was he who?”

 

“The vampire… it was you,” Bank said, his voice full of surprise. “I thought it was odd that a vampire showed up at the dance interested in her not too long after she posted about those weird dreams she was having.” Shippo asked again and Miroku and Bankotsu spent the next few minutes explaining what had happened at the Halloween dance. When they were finished three sets of eyes were trained on Sesshoumaru, waiting for his answer.

 

He mentally rolled his eyes but humored their curiosity. ‘Yes, this Sesshoumaru was the vampire in question.’

 

“Dude, you screwed up big time,” Bank said with a laugh.

 

‘And how is that exactly?’

 

“She acted like it didn’t bug her, but she couldn’t hide it from me. It really bothered her when you disappeared without telling her who you were. You should have. I don’t think she would have reacted badly at all.”

 

‘If she had known it was this Sesshoumaru she would never have given us the time of day, let alone the pleasure to dance with her and kiss her as well.’

 

Bankotsu shook his head. “I don’t think so, man. She really wanted to know who it was. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been so happy to see you again.”

 

“Again?” Shippo asked. They didn’t mention anything about a second time.

 

Miroku nodded. “We’ll tell you about it later.”

 

Sesshoumaru looked thoughtful for a while before his attention returned to them and they continued their conversation, coming up with ideas to help him catch her attention as well as thoughts on how to get her to allow herself the feelings they were sure she had for him. If she was fighting them then she was just as bad as Sesshoumaru had been all this time. She needed to accept it and let it go. Only then could they move forward. Only then could they really start bonding.

 

            Their conversation was cut short when Kagome came hopping down the stairs. She made her way into the living room and gave the group a confused look, wondering just what had caused hell to freeze over that her friends were talking amicably with Sesshoumaru. Shaking it off as just one more oddity of the day she smirked at them.

 

            “This Kagome’s hungry,” she said while fighting to withhold the giggles that were dying to escape.

 

            Miroku smiled at her before he stood up. “And just what would this Kagome desire for dinner?” he asked while slipping his arm around her waist. When the beast growled everyone turned to look at him.

 

            ‘She will always want to hug us, to hold our hands, to touch us in some way. She is affectionate. You will have to get used to it,’ Shippo woofed to him quietly. The inu glowered but fell silent. The kitsune was right of course. She’d always hugged them and sat in their laps and so on. He couldn’t very well expect her to change how she interacted with her friends because he was jealous. Giving it a little thought he decided it would be okay. He would be the only one to touch her the way a man touched a woman. He would be the only one to caress her bare skin and make her moan, the only one to bring her to the highest peak of pleasure over and over again. He could handle her hugging other males because while she may be their friends, she would be his mate.

 

            Kagome looked from the beast to Shippo and back for a moment, curious as to why Sesshoumaru had growled and what Shippo said to stop him. It seemed that she couldn’t understand all inu, just when it was Sesshoumaru speaking. She shrugged her shoulders before returning her attention to Miroku. “Ummm, pizza?”

 

            “Pizza sounds good,” Inuyasha said from behind her, surprising them all with his presence. When no one spoke he looked down at the floor and turned, ready to go back up to his room.

 

            “Inuyasha?” Kagome called softly and he stopped in his tracks. She slipped from Miroku’s hold and walked to her hanyou friend, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the front door. When they were alone she spoke. “Inuyasha, I don’t get it. I don’t understand why you care whether I’m friends with your brother or not. They told me that they can’t explain it, so I’m guessing you can’t either, but… why?”

 

            He looked into the gray/blue windows into her heart and soul and felt like the biggest jerk alive. She had that caring look in her eyes, the one she’d first given him when he was lying on the floor in the school hall in pain thanks to Sesshoumaru. She would never let anyone come between them. Why had he even considered it possible that she would? “I… Kagome, I’m sorry. It’s just… I guess I’m just afraid to lose you.” He looked away and felt her turn his head back to face her by his chin.

 

            “You will never lose me. I never left Bank and I made three new friends since he and I met. Why would one more make any difference?”

 

            “Because he hates me,” the hanyou whispered.

 

            “And he’s wrong to. But how he feels won’t change how I feel. Nothing and no one will ever change how I feel about you and the others. So no more picking fights, okay? I don’t like seeing you hurt.” When he nodded his agreement she rubbed his ears gently and his head came down to rest on her shoulder, soaking in her scent. “So, pizza then?” He smiled as she giggled before he scooped her up in his arms.

 

            “Sure wench, pizza it is.”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            It was a rather interesting dinner. It was obvious there was still serious animosity between the brothers and it seemed like everyone else was miffed with Inuyasha as well. It made for quite a few uncomfortable silences as they sat around the television in the living room, large boxes covering the coffee table. Kagome had taken on the task of making sure Sesshoumaru had enough to eat, something that everyone had found rather sweet, even Inuyasha, though he was loathe to admit it.

 

It had taken the inu a while to figure out how to eat in his current form, finally deciding that it was easiest for Kagome to hold out a slice and let him take a bite. He didn’t want his food touching the floor, even if he was a dog at the moment, and he refused to scarf down an entire slice in one shot. He was still a civilized creature and he wouldn’t be caught dead eating like his hanyou half brother. He had table manners after all.

 

It looked rather like a mother feeding her child. Kagome would take a bite of her slice, put it down, pick up his, and hold it out for him to tear off a chunk before starting the cycle over again. The funny part? She didn’t mind a bit, even though the process was slowing down her usual meal consumption time. For some reason she enjoyed helping him. It was like she was getting a chance to take care of him, something she was pretty sure he would never allow under normal circumstances, and she had a thing for taking care of people, especially those that so obviously needed it. He needed attention. He needed affection. He needed to see that someone caring for him wasn’t a bad thing. It wasn’t a sign of weakness. It was just what friends did for each other.

 

After everyone was finished and the leftovers were stowed away, they agreed that it would be an early night. No one had gotten enough sleep the night before, Kagome being the only one to really get any at all. They said their goodnights and retired to their respective rooms, everyone fully expecting Sesshoumaru to stay with Kagome which, of course, he did.

 

            Kagome yawned and stretched before moving to close the door. She turned and lifted a brow at the inu sitting in the middle of the room when she noticed it. “What’s with the hole?”

 

            ‘It is a long story,’ he answered. There was no way he was telling her he’d embedded the doorknob in the wall because he was angry over being interrupted while masturbating to her Myspace photo album. Nope, not gonna happen.

 

            She just smiled at him and dug around in one of the several drawers she’d claimed in search of her jammies. After she found them and was on the verge of pulling her shirt over her head, she suddenly remembered that the dog in the room was no regular dog. When she turned around she caught his bright red eyes that were locked on her body. “Hey, no peeking,” she laughed. “Like you’d wanna look anyway,” she mumbled under her breath.

 

            Deciding to humor her, even though he very much did want to look, the beast stood, turned around, and sat back down facing the opposite direction. Kagome let out a little sigh, having no idea why she was actually a little disappointed that he didn’t want to see. Okay, so maybe she knew why it bothered her, but she’d been so sure those feelings were gone, or at least locked away for good. She didn’t know why they were floating to the surface now. She turned her back to the inu and pulled her shirt off, tossing it to the floor before removing her bra as well.

 

            Sesshoumaru turned his head to look back over his shoulder just in time to see the full expanse of her bare back. The pictures didn’t do her justice. Her skin looked like silk and he so wanted to run his hands along her body tracing her curves. Hell, he’d be more than happy to be able to trail his tongue over her, to taste her skin since he was without hands at the moment.

 

            She bent to grab the large shirt she’d selected off the bed and he was graced with the profile of one perfect breast. He wanted to growl in frustration when she pulled the shirt over her head, hiding her body from him again. He watched as she fiddled with the waist of her jeans, sliding them down past her hips until they dropped to the floor and she kicked them out of her way. When she began to turn around returned his eyes returned to stare to the wall to make it seem as if he had been doing so the entire time instead of admiring her body.

 

            “Are you sure you want to let me use your bed? I’ll understand if you don’t. I can always go sleep with one of the guys.”

 

            ‘This Sesshoumaru is certain. You are welcome in our bed.’ He watched as her cheeks flushed pink again at his words. More and more he was beginning to believe that it was possible, that she did have feelings for him that she’d been hiding or fighting all this time.

 

            “Alright, if you’re sure. Do you have a side preference then?” When he looked at her in surprise she laughed softly. “What? You expected me to make you sleep on the floor while I slept in your bed? I sleep with the guys all the time. I’m used to it. Actually, I sleep better when I’m not alone. It’s comfortable.”

 

            ‘But this Sesshoumaru is not one of them.’

 

            “They’re my friends, you’re my friend; I don’t see a difference. Besides, you wouldn’t try anything even if you could.”

 

            Inside, the civilized side of Sesshoumaru wanted to kick himself in the head. It was his fault she thought he would never be interested in her. It was his fault that she believed he would only ever want a demoness. It was his fault that she didn’t see a relationship with him as anything but impossible. Of course he couldn’t just come right out and say it either. He couldn’t tell her she was wrong, that he would most definitely try something if he could. No, that would just scare her away so instead he sighed softly and let it go… for now.

 

            ‘This Sesshoumaru has no side preference.’ He watched as she smiled at him and the pain was once again gone for a few precious moments. She turned the lamp on the nightstand on before flipping the switch to turn off the bright overhead light. He studied her every movement as she set the alarm, flipped back the blankets, and slipped into his bed for the first time. She looked beautiful and she definitely looked like she belonged there.

 

            Once she made herself comfortable, sitting upright and leaning against several pillows, she looked at him again. “It’s probably going to be hard for you to sleep at first,” she said thoughtfully. “Do you want me to move the pillows a certain way? Do you know if you’ll want to be under or on top of the covers?”

 

            He jumped up onto his bed and lay down beside her on his stomach, his chin resting on his paws so he could look at her comfortably. ‘This Sesshoumaru is unsure of how we will sleep in this form, but it is unlikely that we will have need of blankets.’

 

            “Yeah, the fur will probably keep you nice and warm.” She yawned and he scooted forward, nosing at her shoulder. “You want something?” she asked quietly.

 

            ‘You are tired. Go to sleep. This Sesshoumaru will be fine.’

 

            “You sure? If you need something, wake me up, alright?”

 

            He gave her a doggy smile before licking her cheek. ‘Sleep. We can manage anything we need.’ His mind blanked as she ran her fingers through his fur.

 

            “You’re so soft,” she whispered before rearranging herself in the bed, tossing a few pillows to the floor and snuggling down under the covers. “Goodnight Sesshoumaru.”

 

            ‘Sleep well, Kagome.’

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Kagome closed her eyes and when she opened them she was once again in a memory. Looking around she took in the decorations that transformed the gym into a Halloween wonderland. Everyone around her was wearing costumes and when she looked down at herself she saw that she was dressed as a Roman goddess. ‘Why am I dreaming about this?’ she thought to herself. ‘I haven’t thought about this dance since…’ she let out a sigh. ‘…since this afternoon. No wonder I’m dreaming about it.’

 

            She stood and waited for what she knew was coming next and she wasn’t disappointed when the sexiest vampire she’d ever seen popped up beside her. She looked him over just like she had that night. He still looked and felt familiar but she just couldn’t place him.

 

“Do I know you?” she asked like always.

 

“That, my goddess, is a secret. Would you honor me with a dance?” She nodded and when he took her hand she felt the same jolt of electricity that always shot through her when they touched.

 

            When they reached the dance floor she allowed him to pull her close and they swayed to the music together. All the while her mind was running at high speed trying to identify him but so far she was failing, just like she had that night and every night after that when she relived these moments in her dreams.

 

            He was waiting for the right moment, when she would tilt her head and he would get his first taste of her skin. This time would be different. This time he would find out what he’d always wondered, how she would react if she knew it was him. “Kagome?” he whispered and watched as she looked up at him. “Do you still wish to know who I am?”

 

            In all the times she’d had this dream, never once had he said that, never once did she get closer to knowing the not so strange-stranger’s identity. For a moment her voice refused to work so she nodded excitedly before she could finally say, “Yes”.

 

            “Are you sure? You may not like it.” He didn’t want to admit it, but he was scared. Even though this was just a dream he knew she would remember in the morning. What would she think when she found out it was him?

 

            Kagome sensed his hesitancy and reached up with one hand and brushed it across cheek. When she did so, her eyes widened slightly in surprise. The white makeup that covered his face seemed to disappear when she touched it and she could just glimpse some kind of marking underneath.  She looked at him for a moment, curious as to whether he would stop her, before moving her hand across his cheek, wiping away all the makeup and finally seeing the two magenta stripes that had been hidden underneath it.

 

            “There’s no way…” she whispered to herself in disbelief before her other hand uncovered the markings on his other cheek. When she found the same markings there she moved on to his forehead, uncovering the blue crescent moon she’d been expecting. Finally she took off the sunglasses that had always hidden his golden eyes from her. “It’s not possible,” she whispered. “It’s just my mind playing tricks on me.”

 

            “Who was it you were hoping for?” he asked quietly, not sure how to take her reaction to his identity.

 

            “I… I don’t know. You were always so familiar, but this isn’t right. It couldn’t have been you.”

 

            “And why not?” he murmured into her ear before trailing his tongue along her throat as he had that night. He smirked slightly when she moaned softly.

 

            “You would never…”

 

            “Kagome,” he cut her off. “You need to forget everything you ever thought about this Sesshoumaru.” He dragged his fangs along the curve of her throat and her knees went weak. His arms that were tightly wrapped around her waist were the only things keeping her upright. “Most of it is wrong.”

 

            When the fog surrounding her brain cleared she looked up at him in shock. “What are you trying to say? That it really was you that night? But why? Why dance with me? Why kiss me? Did you think it was funny to mess with my heart and then disappear?”

 

            It was Sesshoumaru’s turn to be shocked. The anger in her voice and eyes was unexpected, at least for the reason she seemed to be upset about. He’d expected her to be angry because he tricked her into letting him hold her and kiss her, not because… He just didn’t understand why she was angry. “If you had known it was this Sesshoumaru…”

 

            “What? What would I have done? It seems like you think you know everything there is to know about me. You have no idea how I would have reacted because you didn’t give me the chance. I don’t get it. I never did anything to you! Why did you do this to me? What did I do to deserve this?”

 

            She tried to pull out of his arms but he refused to release her. He needed to understand. He needed her to explain it because he couldn’t figure out why she was angry. She struggled against him and finally he pulled her back flush to his chest, his arm around her waist and his head on her shoulder. “Kagome, please calm down. I do not understand why you are angry.”

 

            “Why? You want to know why I’m angry?” Her voice was nothing more than a hiss as she tried to keep from screaming at him. “Because you… you… you were perfect! You were everything I was looking for. I could tell just by how it felt when we touched. I fought with the guys just so I could dance with you. When you refused to tell me who you were… when you just left… I don’t get it. I was good enough to dance with, good enough to kiss, but I wasn’t good enough to know who you were? Did you do it just to hurt me?”

 

            “Never,” he growled in her ear. “I would never intentionally hurt you. This Sesshoumaru wanted the chance to hold you in my arms just once. If you had known my identity you would never have agreed to dance with me.”

 

            “I wouldn’t be so sure,” she whispered, all the fight leaving her as she went limp in his arms. “I dreamt that night over and over again, every morning waking up to wonder why I wasn’t good enough, why you couldn’t tell me who you were.”

 

His hold on her softened since her struggles had ended and Sesshoumaru just stared over her shoulder into the distance for several minutes. It didn’t make sense. He’d hurt her? She thought he didn’t reveal his identity because she wasn’t good enough? “Kagome, this Sesshoumaru apologizes. I never intended to hurt you. I didn’t think you would even consider it if you knew who I was. Please, dance with me again?”

 

Kagome hesitated for a moment before deciding that since he was here with her in her dream she might as well enjoy it. It wasn’t like it would ever happen when she was awake. She smiled softly and turned in his hold, wrapping her arms around his neck before resting her cheek on his chest. Music floated around them as they danced the night away.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

A shrill beeping woke Kagome with a start, causing her to sit up in bed and look around, confused for a moment as to where she was and just what had happened. Finally her still half asleep mind identified the room and she looked over at the large white inu lying beside her, apparently still asleep. She reached over and turned off the alarm clock before her gaze returned to him.

 

As the memory of her dream drifted across her mind she shook her head. ‘It was just a dream,’ she thought to herself. ‘Just a dream. There’s no way it was really him. Just wishful thinking. Damn it Kagome, you’ve gotta stop thinking about him like that. Even if the beast is sweet and friendly, Sesshoumaru isn’t. He would never want you, Kagome!’ Her voice in her head made her close her eyes tightly against the tears that were beginning to rise. “It was just a dream,” she whispered aloud before slipping out of the bed and walking quietly out of the room.

 

When he was sure she was gone, bright crimson eyes opened. So she’d felt something that night? She thought she wasn’t good enough? Sesshoumaru’s beast let out a sigh. He still had a lot of work ahead of him. If only his ‘civilized’ side hadn’t always acted like such a barbarian in her presence… well, it was too late to change the past. He just needed to make sure she knew that it was all an act. But how?

 

 

 @@ One Year and Nine Months Ago @@ 

           

            It was time for another holiday, meaning it was once again time for him to suffer in her presence, time for him to be forced to watch her happiness with her friends and to be reminded that she would never be his. It was both better and worse this time though. Their father had decided that after Christmas they would go on a week long ski trip, and of course the hanyou’s entourage was invited along. Sesshoumaru didn’t know if he could handle it. They were renting a cabin, one with only three bedrooms, and not only would he see her from dawn to dark every day for seven torturous and wonderful days, he would be forced to sleep alone while she slept with his brother, the monk, and the odd human in the next room. It wasn’t fair! How could she love them so much and be almost completely oblivious to his existence?

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Kagome had figured out the perfect holiday schedule. They’d celebrated Christmas Eve together, just the four of them, and Christmas morning was held at the shrine, with Miroku’s father and Bankotsu’s mother and brother joining her family. They were leaving for the cabin early the next morning and they would celebrate and exchange gifts with Inuyasha’s parents there. Like always she’d made them promise not to spend a lot of money on her, something that irritated them all to no end. They had money. Why couldn’t they spend it on her if they wanted to?

 

            She was making herself crazy while she packed. She had no idea what to bring. She’d never been skiing before and she’d also never spent a week away from her mother before either. Sure, she knew she would be fine but it was still nerve-wracking.

 

            “Hey, babe, calm down,” Inuyasha said from where he lay stretched out on her bed.

 

            “I can’t, Inuyasha! I’ve never been on a trip like this! I don’t even know how to ski! I don’t know why you want me to come so badly. I’m just gonna hold you back.”

 

            Inuyasha frowned before rising to his feet. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, stopping her from nervously rearranging her suitcase for what had to be the twelfth time in ten minutes. He purred softly in her ear and smiled as he felt her relax. She wasn’t the only one with a special talent. He’d found that he could calm her just as easily as she could him and he loved that there was finally something he could really do for her.

 

            “It’s going to be fine. We’re all going to have fun and you don’t have to ski if you don’t want to. There’s other stuff to do too. And you know we’ll teach you if you want to try.”

 

            “I’m just going to fall on my ass and embarrass myself,” she muttered.

 

            “I’ll catch you if you start to fall. You won’t get hurt and who exactly are you worried about embarrassing yourself in front of? It’s just us and my parents.”

 

            ‘And Sesshoumaru,’ she thought to herself.

 

             “Your bag is packed. If you forgot anything we can buy it there. You need to get some sleep. We’re leaving early in the morning and you’ve had a busy day. I don’t know why you try so hard. We didn’t need fifteen different kinds of cookies.”

 

            “You didn’t like my cookies?”

 

            Inuyasha rolled his eyes before turning her around. “I loved your cookies, but we would have had just as nice a time with one or two kinds instead. Now, jammies girlie. It’s time to go to bed.” He reluctantly released her and she walked over to her dresser, digging around until she found the pajamas she was looking for. He watched as she disappeared from the room into the bathroom to change and brush her teeth, a smile on his face. Bank had stayed here overnight before. Miroku too. This was the first time he would get the chance. While she was gone he changed quickly into his pajama pants, one’s she’d given him for his birthday, and then zipped her overstuff bag and moved it off the bed to the floor.

 

            When Kagome returned she looked at him and smiled. “You look altogether too happy. What are you up to?”

 

            “Nothin’ wench. Just happy to be here.”

 

            “I’m glad you’re here too. There’s no way I could carry that thing down the stairs,” she said teasingly while pointing at the bag that looked ready to burst at the seams.

 

            “If you don’t go to bed soon I’m going to be carrying you down the stairs in the morning too.”

 

            “And I won’t complain a bit.” He stood there for a moment, not sure what to do and she laughed before walking over to her bed and turning down the covers. “Wall or outside?”

 

            “Outside,” he answered softly.

 

            “Alright then,” she said before hopping into the bed and snuggling down under the covers. “You wanna hit the lights, Inu?” He moved like he was fighting his way through quicksand, suddenly nervous. What if he farted in his sleep? What if he got a boner and she noticed? Maybe this sleeping over thing was a bad idea. “Hey, you were the one rushing me into bed! Now come on! I’m tired.”

 

He moved a little faster, snapping off the light before returning to the bed. He could see her smiling face looking up at him in the darkness and he sucked in a breath before sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

            “I thought you said you were happy to be here, Inu. What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll snore?”

 

            He sighed. “Among other things.”

 

            “Inuyasha, I’ve seen you sleep. There’s nothing you could do that would change anything.”

 

            “You sure?”

 

            “For the love of god, Inu! You know Bank and Miroku have both slept over before! I know all about morning wood. Now can we please go to sleep?”

 

            He couldn’t help but laugh at the exasperation in her voice as well as her choice of words and he slipped into the bed beside her. She turned to lie on her side facing the wall and squirmed around a bit until she was closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. For all the worries he had, he fell asleep almost instantly. It was just too comfortable and relaxing to resist.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

            Sesshoumaru was certain that he would go insane. It wasn’t until moments ago that he learned that the hanyou was staying the night at her house and he was ready to shred his half-brother into a million tiny pieces. It wasn’t fair! She was the only girl he wanted, the only one he could respond to, and his useless lump of a sibling got to sleep in the same bed with her alone? He’d managed to stay calm about the three of them staying in the same room with her at the cabin because there were three of them. He could be sure no one would try anything. Inuyasha however, he didn’t trust the fool half the distance he could throw him.

 

            While the love of his life and his brother slept peacefully Sesshoumaru stared at the ceiling all night. It was pure torture knowing that at that moment she was more likely than not sleeping in the hanyou’s arms. When he finally managed to fall asleep the dream woke him back up, but at least while he was dreaming he wasn’t thinking about her with Inuyasha. By the time his alarm went off he was in a sour mood, worse than usual. He showered and dressed mechanically, ready to go. The sooner they left the sooner he would be in her presence.

 

            Katsuro had given his older son a confused look when he found him ready to go almost a half hour before they’d planned, having expected to have to drag his stubborn son to the car. Sesshoumaru never wanted to go on family vacations. Usually he had to order and threaten before he would comply. While it was an odd occurrence, he merely shrugged his shoulders. It would be easier this way. Who was he to complain?

 

            They’d picked up Miroku and Bankotsu first before heading to the shrine to get Inuyasha and the girl everyone wanted to see. At first they only saw Inuyasha as he made his way down the daunting flight of stairs with an incredibly overstuffed bag, and Bank got out to help him put it in the back before they all watched the hanyou bound back up the steps six at a time, Bank climbing back into his seat. When Inuyasha came into view again a few minutes later everyone laughed… everyone but Sesshoumaru who was fighting back a snarl and digging his claws into his thighs. In Inuyasha’s arms was Kagome, her head on his shoulder and arms around his neck while he supported her back and held her under her knees.

 

            “I told her to stop rearranging the suitcase and go to sleep or she’d be tired in the morning. Did she listen to me?”

 

            “Apparently not,” Sesshoumaru said darkly, causing everyone to turn and look at him in confusion for a moment.

 

            Inuyasha took in the seating arrangement in the family SUV and frowned. Miroku and Bankotsu were in the middle row in the two separate seats while Sesshoumaru sat on the far end of the third row bench seat. He’d done it on purpose of course, hoping that he would get his wish, and he did. When Inuyasha nudged Kagome awake she looked around bleary eyed before climbing past her friends and plopping into the closest empty spot that just happened to be in the middle of the back seat, right next to Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha flexed his claws in frustration before climbing in and reluctantly sitting by the window. It wasn’t like he wanted to sit in the middle, and he certainly didn’t want to sit next to his brother, but he didn’t want Kagome next to him either.

 

            Sesshoumaru had to fight the smirk that tugged at his lips when she sat beside him, still mostly asleep and slumped against his side. He could feel the warmth from her body, could smell her sweet scent, and loved how her aura wrapped around him. Slowly his anger began to fade, but the calm didn’t last because just a few minutes later Inuyasha noticed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to lean on him instead. Again Sesshoumaru had to fight to withhold the snarl that was trying to escape. The hanyou was getting in the way of his time with her and he didn’t get a lot of chances to be close to her to begin with.

 

            “Mmm, don’t,” she moaned and then mumbled in her sleep, causing Inuyasha and Bankotsu to look at her in confusion for a moment, Katsuro even glancing back for a second from the drivers seat. Bank explained to Miroku and then all three guys talked quietly about what they thought she was dreaming about. Sesshoumaru had his own thoughts but of course he didn’t share. He couldn’t really make himself see it as a possibility anyway but it was a nice thought, that she’d liked touching him, that she didn’t want Inuyasha to pull her away.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

    

            The car ride continued in silence for two hours while everyone either dozed or stared out the windows at the winter wonderland they were driving through. The further they got from the city the more beautiful the scenery. Finally they stopped at a gas station for a break, everyone more than up for some coffee. Inuyasha nudged Kagome awake and she looked around in confusion for a moment until she remembered why she was in the car and where she was going. When Bank mentioned the word coffee she was wide awake and ready to race anyone and everyone into the store.

           

Sesshoumaru watched her from the next aisle as she made herself a giant cup of coffee, though in truth there was very little actual coffee in it. He stood as close as possible without being too obvious while they were in line and he walked out with her, heading to the car. It was a good thing he did too, because a few steps from the door she slipped on the icy parking lot. He could hear as Inuyasha cursed, knowing he wouldn’t make it in time to catch her. He heard Izayoi’s gasp and didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or be insulted. Did everyone think so little of him that they expected him to let her fall?

 

It was like everything was moving in slow motion as his arm reached out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her body close to his. He could feel her shaking and looked down at her just as she lifted her eyes to look at him. Neither could speak at that moment as their bodies were too busy humming with the electricity that shot through them both when they touched and their eyes met. Unfortunately, the moment ended too fast when in seconds her friends were around her and he was forced to look away and let go, not noticing how her eyes followed him as he walked away.

 

“Kagome? Kagome?!” Inuyasha called loudly, trying to snap her out of her apparent daze. When her eyes finally focused on his face he continued. “Are you alright?”

 

“Uh huh,” she mumbled. “He caught me.”

 

Inuyasha ignored the irritating fact that his brother saved her from a nasty fall instead of him. She was his to protect, his to keep safe, and he’d failed her. The fact that Sesshoumaru stepped into his place just made it worse. “I’m sorry, Kagome. I should have walked with you,” he started. “Are you sure you’re alright? Nothing hurts?”

 

Kagome shook her head, regaining the use of her brain, and gave Inuyasha an irritated look. “It’s not your fault I didn’t pay enough attention to see the ice! I’m fine! Nothing hurts.” She looked from her hand to her friends and back. “I didn’t even spill my coffee! All is right with the world.” Bank and Miroku, who’d been observing in silence, just looked at each other. Both had noticed that her level of cheeriness was a tad over the top but neither knew why. In those few seconds that they were looking at each other instead of her Kagome had resumed her walk to the car, getting rather annoyed with Inuyasha who insisted on holding her arm so she wouldn’t slip again.

 

When Kagome finally made it to the car and shrugged her way out of Inuyasha’s overbearing but sweet grasp the car was still empty, except for Sesshoumaru. He was sitting where he’d been before, looking out the window and slowly sipping his own coffee, black of course. The taiyoukai was having a hard time not looking at her. He was very curious to see where she would sit now that she was not only awake but had more options as well. He’d overheard the guys offering her their seats in the store, and while he didn’t appreciate it, it did give him the chance for a mini experiment. Why he was putting himself through this, he had no idea. He already knew what she would do and he already knew it would hurt, but he couldn’t stop the small part of him from hoping he was wrong.

 

She looked around for a minute and he could tell she was thinking about something. When she glanced back at Inuyasha he figured she’d decided. When she climbed into the car and sat down beside him, so close that their knees were touching, his heart just about exploded. He fought to keep the impassive look on his face as he saw Inuyasha’s confusion. “Kagome? Don’t you want to sit up here?” the hanyou asked.

 

“Hmm?” Kagome looked around before answering. “No, I’m fine here.” She ignored Inuyasha’s grumbling and turned to look at Sesshoumaru. “I just wanted to thank you. You left so fast I didn’t get the chance.”

 

He was silent for a moment, thinking of some kind of response. “Your gratitude is unnecessary but noted.” When he saw her frown his mind scrambled for a fix. “This Sesshoumaru could not simply watch as you fell and since the half-breed was obviously not fast enough I did what was necessary.” Her frown deepened and he wanted to sigh. He had no idea how to talk to her. It didn’t matter though, because while Inuyasha was outside bitching and moaning to Miroku, Bank slipped into the car and plopped down beside her, causing her attention to shift away from Sesshoumaru.

 

She didn’t move away from him though, leaving him to stare at the place where their knees touched. How he wanted to touch those legs. Her jeans were snug and defined her perfect shape beautifully, and it was killing him not to be able to reach out and rest his hand on her thigh before allowing it to slide slowly over her leg. In his mind he could hear her moan as his hand moved to her inner thigh and then began rising slowly. The slam of a car door ripped him from his mini fantasy and immediately his eyes darted around to see if he’d been caught. When no one seemed to be looking at him he shifted in his seat in an attempt to hide the massive erection that just the simple touch of her knee inspired, with a little help from his incredibly horny imagination.

 

Izayoi smiled from her place in the passenger seat. She’d noticed the moment Sesshoumaru and Kagome shared after his chivalrous rescue. She’d watched him sneak peeks at her while he waited for Kagome to get in the car. She’d seen how his eyes were locked on where their bodies touched. She also hadn’t missed rather obvious physical response to their contact either. No one else had seemed to noticed any of it though, and it was obvious that he was uncomfortable with it so she decided to keep it to herself, at least until she could figure out a way to talk to him without him ignoring her like he usually did. It was well past the time for Sesshoumaru to have had at least some relationship experience.

 

The remainder of the ride was peaceful and quiet. Bankotsu made no effort to pull Kagome away from Sesshoumaru and she ended up leaning on Bank with her head on his shoulder while her left leg still touched Sesshoumaru’s. Finally they pulled up to the manager’s office and Katsuro went in and got the keys before parking in front of their cabin.

 

Kagome laughed when Inuyasha hopped out of the car, snatched the keys from his father’s hand, and made a mad dash for the house, determined to pick the best room for himself and his friends. When she turned to her left, she noticed Sesshoumaru looking at her, causing her to blush and turn quickly away. Once Miroku got out Kagome followed him, Bank too, leaving Sesshoumaru alone in the car. His father and step-mother, though he loathed calling her that, were already opening the back hatch and retrieving their bags. Sesshoumaru simply sat there for a few minutes, not sure he was ready to see just how much fun she would be having with her friends and without him.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

            Their first day was spent with Inuyasha giving them the grand tour. He showed them the various slopes, the ice skating rink, and the main lodge that had pool tables, an arcade, and other forms of indoor entertainment. Kagome was thrilled to see that there was a place to ice skate. That was something she could do. Dinner was filled with excitement as Inuyasha and the guys talked about what they wanted to do first. Kagome ended up sharing a story about how she learned to ice skate since Bank was the only one who’d been around then.

 

Katsuro and Izayoi both smiled as they listened to the teens. They still hadn’t fully gotten over the change in Inuyasha and it had been a year and a half since the miko Kagome came into his life. Every time they did something that they’d done before, but not since he met her, they once again got a clear picture of just how much happier he was. They’d rented a cabin here several times in the previous years and never before did Inuyasha seem so excited. He usually spent most of the time in his room hiding rather than out on the slopes having fun.

 

Sesshoumaru watched it all in silence, doing his best not to stare but constantly sneaking glances at, literally, the girl of his dreams. He found himself very much looking forward to seeing her ice skate. He’d seen her dance and she was graceful, he’d danced with her and it was magical. He could only begin to imagine how she would look out on the ice, cheeks a rosy red from the cold. He was sure that she would float like the angel she was, just like when she danced or even walked. She always had this grace about her. Even when she was clumsy it was beautiful, though he admitted to himself that he would most likely find anything and everything she did beautiful just because it was her.

 

            Once dinner was finished it was time for their gift exchange and everyone piled into the family room of the cabin while Katsuro lit a fire in the large stone fireplace. They’d already deposited their gifts under the tree that was set up for the holidays and Kagome was selected to be the sorter. She sat under the tree and handed out the gifts one by one until they were gone and then they took turns opening them. Katsuro went first, then Izayoi, followed by Inuyasha. Kagome smiled as he opened hers last, loving how his eyes widened.

 

            “Wench, when did you…?” he trailed off. Sesshoumaru bristled at the name. How dare the hanyou call her such a thing? And why did she not put a stop to it?

 

            Kagome got up on her knees and shuffled the few feet to where Inuyasha sat and picked up the necklace that she’d worked for weeks on. He’d mentioned it a few months ago after boredom caused him to flip through her miko textbook. It was supposed to connect the giver and the receiver, something that immediately sparked his interest. If he had one he would always be able to feel her near him, even when she wasn’t. It also would protect him from any other miko or monk as well.

 

He smiled at her before cupping her cheeks and planting a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you,” he whispered before lowering his head so she could put it on him. Immediately he felt it, like she had her arms wrapped around him. It meant a lot to him, and would to anyone, because it was more than a gift. It was a show of faith and trust. Only she would ever be able to stop him if it became necessary since she’d basically rendered him immune to any measures used by monks and miko to capture rogue demons. Doing so showed an enormous amount of trust. Kagome rubbed an ear gently for a minute before squealing when she was dragged into the hanyou’s lap.

 

            Again Sesshoumaru found himself fighting back a vicious snarl. Not only did her gift to his brother mean a lot, all things he wished she felt about him, but it gave them an even stronger connection then they’d already had. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was jealous; jealous of his pathetic idiot of a half-brother. His jealousy only grew when she allowed him to hold her in his lap. She should be in his arms, not the hanyou’s.

 

            Miroku went next and Kagome ended up shooting dirty looks at both Inuyasha and Bankotsu when she saw what they got him. Like he needed any more help being a perv! Inuyasha got him a t-shirt that said F.B.I. in big letters and underneath said Federal Booty Inspector. She couldn’t stop laughing when he put it on right then. To go along with Inuyasha’s gift, Bank gave him a fairly realistic looking badge with the same very mature phrase on it.

 

“You guys are responsible for carrying him back here when he gets his ass knocked out tomorrow,” she said in a mock angry tone. Her gift made him smile for a different reason. She gave him a frame that held multiple photos that had a picture of just Kagome and Miroku together back in middle school, one with Bank too, and then a more recent one with all four of them together.

 

“Thank you, Kagome,” Miroku said softly before opening his arms and she moved from one lap to another.

 

Bank followed Miroku and smiled when he found that she’d made him a necklace as well. Once again she changed laps and carefully slipped it over his head before pulling his long braid out of it. No one noticed the odd look Sesshoumaru was giving them. Why would she give a human a necklace meant to connect a demon to a miko? After a moment’s thought he decided it didn’t matter. Maybe it was different, one he hadn’t read about. Maybe it wasn’t actually charged with her power. Either way, he didn’t care. It was just one more thing to be jealous about.

 

Once they’d finished opening their presents she tossed one more at each of them. “I couldn’t resist,” she said while giggling. They all tore into their last gifts together and soon laughter filled the room as one by one they held up her gag gifts. Inuyasha held up white boxers with bright red fire hydrants on them. Bank’s were blue and had bold lettering saying ‘My sword is bigger than yours’. Miroku’s were by far her favorite. They were covered in trees along with the words ‘Let’s go camping. I’ll pitch the tent,’ and of course, right on the crotch was a tent, the opening being tent’s flaps.

 

“And you said we were bad,” Bankotsu laughed. “You aren’t allowed to go in that store alone anymore.” Kagome just rolled her eyes and laughed harder.

 

The guys tried to get Kagome to go next but she insisted that Sesshoumaru open his first and to everyone’s surprise he complied without a fight. He did his best to be polite, thanking Izayoi for the sweater that he would never wear and his father for the books on demon history. He didn’t get anything from Inuyasha or his friends, but then he wasn’t expecting anything.

 

“There’s one more,” Kagome said quietly. When he looked at her in question she pointed to the one that was nearly buried under the discarded wrapping paper from the others’ gifts. He slowly bent down and picked it up in shock, seeing her name on the tag.

 

She got him something? He wasn’t the only one surprised. Inuyasha was of course rather rude about it, demanding to know why she’d wasted her money on something for ‘the bastard’. Both Kagome and Katsuro scolded him at the same time, making his ears flatten to the top of his head. He hated it when she scolded him. It was scary. No matter how sure he was that she loved him he was always afraid one day she would change her mind.

 

Sesshoumaru very carefully unwrapped the gift from his angel and when he saw what it was he smiled a real smile. It was ridiculous, really, but it was perfect nonetheless. It was a dark blue t-shirt that said ‘People who think they know everything annoy those of us that do.’ Sesshoumaru was dazed. He was so sure that she never noticed him, but then how??? He was so distracted by the fact that she’d picked something that fit him so well that he almost didn’t catch the package that came sailing at him. His right hand snapped up just in time and he quirked a brow at the girl who’d actually thrown a present at him, the girl who got him not one but two gifts. He smirked when he opened it, revealing dark red boxers with cute little white puppy dogs all over them.

 

“Thank you,” he said politely, ignoring the look of outrage on his younger sibling’s face and smirking as her cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of pink. Apparently Inuyasha didn’t approve of her giving him underwear, but he didn’t mind it a bit. He had a feeling they would be well used.

 

It was finally Kagome’s turn and she excitedly thanked Izayoi for her beautifully handmade sweater and Katsuro for the books on Miko Spells. Bankotsu gave her a beautiful photo album with the first few pages filled with photos of them all and Miroku gave her a soothing stone fountain to put in her room. When Kagome opened Inuyasha’s, the look on her face made the hanyou cringe.

 

“Inuyasha! You promised me!”

 

“What wench?”

 

“You know what! You know how I feel about…”

 

“I don’t give a fuck how you feel about it. I bought it. You’re gonna wear it.”

 

“But it had to be expen…”

 

“Don’t care,” he cut her off before standing up. He walked over to where she sat in Bankotsu’s lap and picked the item up out of the box she was still staring at. Before she knew what happened, he’d clipped the charm bracelet around her ankle.

 

“You’re taking it back.”

 

“Like hell I am! Damn it, wench! Why can’t I buy you anything nice? Why does it matter how much it cost?” She opened her mouth to protest but he stopped her. “Please, Kagome, take it. Keep it. Wear it. Please?” Kagome frowned but finally nodded. “Promise me you won’t try to take it back.” When she nodded again he shook his head. “Gotta hear it.”

 

“Okay, fine! I promise I won’t take it back, but you need to stop…”

 

He leaned down to look directly into her eyes and smirked. “Make me,” he teased. When he went to return to his seat his foot hit something and he picked it up, looking at it like it was the strangest thing he’d ever seen. “This one’s for you too but it doesn’t say who it’s from.”

 

Kagome accepted the gift he handed her and she opened it, gasping when she saw the contents. “Who?” she demanded. When no one stepped up she searched their eyes one by one, still coming up empty. Whoever did it apparently wasn’t going to own up to it. Of course she hadn’t even thought to look at the demon who was fighting back a smirk. Again the benefits of her blog showed themselves. He’d bought her a pair of hair clips that she’d been saving up for… well, not exactly. The one’s she’d mentioned were fake, just cheap silver jewelry with fake stones. He’d taken the image to a jeweler and had them custom made. They were white gold and were in the shape of butterflies, their wings decorated with tiny precious stones: rubies, amethysts, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds, all real and of the highest quality. Of course she didn’t need to know that.

 

He wanted to backhand Inuyasha when he nearly ripped the small velvet box from her shaking hands. When the hanyou got a closer look he turned and gave his father a questioning gaze. Katsuro didn’t have any idea and when Inuyasha handed them to him he knew instantly that they were real. Finally, Kagome got her gift back, immediately clipping them in her hair and when no one would admit to being the one to purchase them she just thanked the room in general, a tear slipping down her cheek. There was something about the gift; the way it felt when she held them… she had butterflies in her stomach to match the pair in her hair.

 

            Finally all the gifts were exchanged and they all pitched in to clean up the mountain of wrapping paper, balling it up and throwing it into the fireplace. Katsuro and Izayoi retired to their room and the guys headed back to theirs, taking Kagome with them. Sesshoumaru sat staring at the flames for a while before heading to his room as well.

 

Sesshoumaru walked slowly past the open door, turning his head slightly so he could see into the room, noticing the king sized bed. He frowned as he took in the sight of all three guys sitting on it before she moved into his line of sight. Not wanting to draw attention to his presence, Sesshoumaru went into his room and closed the door. When he looked around he noticed that he had a king sized bed as well and it was placed against the common wall between the rooms, just like theirs was. When he sat near the head of the bed he realized that he could hear them talking perfectly clearly and he smirked. At least he would get to hear her sweet voice, even if it was directed at them instead of him.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

   

Once again Sesshoumaru was ripped from his more than pleasurable dream far too soon and he groaned in frustration. Would he never have just one night of peace so that he could sleep straight through until morning? As he lay there staring at the ceiling he couldn’t help but think of her, right in the next room, just on the other side of the wall, and in bed with at least one if not all three of her male friends. What started as a happy thought that could have matured into a full out fantasy ended on a sour note. He didn’t like the idea of her being in there with them. How he wanted her to be in his bed, in his arms at that very moment. For once he found it unnecessary to masturbate after one of those arousing, teasing dreams. The thought of what should be ‘his’ Kagome surrounded by three males was more than enough to kill his erection.

           

Since he wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep he decided to go out to the living room. He liked watching the flickering flames of the fireplace dancing on the walls in the dark. It was soothing and he could use some soothing right now. The taiyoukai rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of pajama pants before he left his room, walking silently down the hall. His sensitive nose caught a familiar sweet scent and his eyes scanned the room, finally spotting her sitting on the floor leaned comfortably against the front of the couch. Trying not to draw her attention he turned and began the walk back to his room, ready to give her the privacy it looked like she wanted.

 

“You don’t have to leave,” she whispered. “I’ll go if you want.”

 

He turned around again and sat down in one of the large arm chairs in the room. “That will not be necessary.”

 

“Hmm,” she murmured. “The fire’s beautiful, don’t you think? The way the flicker of the flames dance over everything, it’s hypnotizing.” When he didn’t reply Kagome turned to sneak a peek at him, but her peek turned into a stare as she saw his bare chest and abdomen. It looked like his body was carved out of white marble and she ached to touch those perfectly defined muscles.

 

His pajama pants hung low on his hips, revealing that his cheeks and wrists weren’t the only places marked with signs of his heritage, and the urge to trace the newly discovered set of stripes with her tongue was almost overwhelming. Sure, every time she saw him she had to fight the desire but this time was harder than usual. Why his markings affected her so much she had no idea, but it took everything she had to not crawl across the room and kneel at his feet.  

 

When she realized that she was obviously staring a blush stained her cheeks and she locked her eyes on the fire, absolutely mortified at what he might be thinking about her now. ‘Stupid Kagome!’ she mentally scolded herself. Her blush darkened as she realized that there was no way his powerful nose hadn’t detected her arousal. ‘Damn body betraying me again. I’m surprised he’s not laughing at me right now, if he actually laughed at all that is.’ She snuck another peek at him and found his eyes locked on her.

 

The scent of her arousal was delicious and he wanted her so badly it hurt. The usually silent Sesshoumaru just couldn’t resist. “Are you not feeling well? You are rather flushed. Perhaps you are sitting too close to the fire.” There was a tiny hint of playfulness in his voice and she openly stared in surprise. Was he teasing her?

 

A small smile pulled at her lips as she decided to tease right back. She stood up slowly, her oversized t-shirt just barely covering her panties, and she leaned over to put a fresh log on the fire before sitting on the couch at the end closest to him.

 

Sesshoumaru was frozen. He had no idea what she was doing. Did she purposefully give him a peek at what she was hiding under that shirt or did she not realize it? When she sat down and looked at him again he watched her expression, studying how the fire flickered in her eyes. It looked like she was trying to memorize every inch of his body and he had to fight a smirk. He should have thought of it years ago, not wearing a shirt in her presence. She somehow managed to ignore his charms when no other female could, but apparently even she couldn’t keep herself from studying his body. Another wave of her arousal hit him hard and in seconds he was out of the chair and down the hall, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

 

“Wonder what got into him,” she whispered to herself before returning her attention to the fire, slightly hurt by the way he’d left so quickly. Was he that bothered by her presence? Was he disgusted by her obvious approval of his body? ‘You know better than this, Kagome. Sesshoumaru would never be anything but disgusted by me.’ After a few more minutes of silent self scolding, Kagome closed the screen over the fireplace and returned to the room she was sharing with her friends, climbing from the bottom of the bed to her spot in the middle. She let out a sigh and smiled when Bank’s arms wrapped around her. Closing her eyes, Kagome wished that they were someone else’s arms, even though she knew it would never happen.

   

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

He would have sat in the living room with her all night long, drowning in her sweet scent mixed with the oh so tempting scent of her arousal that he knew was caused by her view of his body, but said body decided to betray him and he refused to allow her to see how turned on she made him. That and if he didn’t take care of it right then he probably would have popped off in his pants, which was a hundred times worse than her catching him with a boner. He didn’t need her thinking he was a pervert. He just hoped she didn’t take his rapid departure the wrong way.

 

He sat on the bed, his hand wrapped tightly around his throbbing cock and his eyes closed as he pictured the lovely view of her panty clad ass as she’d bent to add fuel to the fire, doing so in more than one way. How he wanted to bury his face between her legs, to know how wonderful she tasted and make her moan for him until she cried out his name in ecstasy. It was almost impossible to stay silent as his body finally released, leaving him shaking at the intensity of the feeling.

 

God, he needed her. He needed her more than he needed food or water. He needed her more than he needed air and he would suffocate without her. Sesshoumaru flopped back on the bed with a sigh. And suffocate he would, because he knew that she would never be his.

   

 

            Kagome walked quietly to the bathroom, closed the door behind her, and sat down on the lid of the toilet. Her shoulders were shaking slightly as she fought to hold back the tears. Why? Why did her brain have to do that to her? Why did she need to be reminded of that night? Why did she need to be reminded of her feelings for the taiyoukai she could never have? Why couldn’t things be different?

 

            Finally she lost the battle and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stay silent. Just like she’d expected there was a soft knock on the door before Inuyasha opened it and came inside.

 

            “Kagome?” he asked softy. “Kagome, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?” He knelt down in front of her and she threw her arms around his neck before sobbing into his shoulder.

 

            “It was just a dream. It had to be. It couldn’t have been him. He never would have…”

 

            “Hey, shhh,” he whispered, his arms wrapping around her. He hated it when she cried. It physically hurt him to see her so upset. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out, okay?” He just held her in his arms while she cried; thanking every Kami he could think of when her sobs slowed to sniffles. “You wanna talk about it now?”

 

            Kagome nodded slightly and pulled back, wiping at her tear stained cheeks. “The Halloween dance, the one that the mystery vampire was at…”

 

            “Yeah?”

 

            “Well, I dreamt about it last night. I hadn’t dreamt about it for years now, but I was thinking about it yesterday afternoon so I guess… Well, the dream… it was different than the others. He asked me if I still wanted to know who he was. His makeup came off and I took off his sunglasses and… it was your brother.”

 

            Inuyasha stiffened for a moment before forcing himself to relax. He knew it was going to take some time to get used to the idea, but it wasn’t easy just accepting that Kagome was meant for Sesshoumaru. “Why did that make you cry?”

 

            “Because it couldn’t have been him! Sesshoumaru would never want to dance with me or kiss me like the vampire did. He wouldn’t go to all the trouble of hiding his identity, not for a human.”

  

            Once again Inuyasha tensed. She was crying because she wanted it to be his brother but she was certain it wasn’t? That was what it sounded like at least. “Kagome, do you want it to have been him?”

 

            “It doesn’t matter what I want. It couldn’t have been him.”

 

            “Answer the question, wench,” he said with a nudge of his head against her hand, her fingers moving on their own to rub a silvery white puppy ear.

 

            “Yes, okay? Yes, I wish it was really him.”

 

            He was almost afraid to ask his next question but he sucked it up and asked anyway. “Kagome, do you have feelings for Sesshoumaru?” He watched as her eyes widened. “You do, don’t you? Kagome, if you like him it’s alright with me, okay? You don’t need to hide it. We’ll all understand.”

 

            “But he… it doesn’t matter anyway! He would never be interested in me, so why bother?”

 

            “Why do you say that?”

 

            Kagome gave him a ‘what the fuck?’ look. “Why do I say that? What’s wrong with you? Did you hit your head or something? He hates humans. He hates hanyou. Why would he ever be interested in me, a human, who would give him what? Hanyou! Why do I say that? Kami, Inuyasha! Have you lost your mind or have you just completely forgotten who Sesshoumaru is?”

 

            Kagome’s yelling drew a crowd and soon she was surrounded by Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku, and Bankotsu. They were all giving her the oddest look. “What? Why are you all looking at me like that? Has everyone lost their damn minds?”

 

            Bankotsu sighed and ran a hand over his face. He wasn’t even sure how to begin but she needed to hear it, and apparently from them. “Look, Kaggie, not everything you know about him is the truth, okay?”

 

            “Tell him what you said about the dream, Kags,” Inuyasha said.

 

            “Fine, fine, I dreamt about the Halloween dance, only this time the vampire let me see who he was and it was Sesshoumaru. It was just a dream, okay? There’s no way that was really him!”

 

            “Umm, Kagome?” Shippo said hesitantly.

 

            “What?” she growled in frustration. She wasn’t even allowed to feel sorry for herself in peace.

 

            “What would you say if we told you that it really was him?”

 

            “How would you know?” she asked Shippo rather loudly, making the kitsune wish he hadn’t opened his mouth at all. “You weren’t even there!”

 

            “He didn’t need to be there Kagome,” Miroku saved the poor fox by answering for him. “It was him. Sesshoumaru told us yesterday.”

 

            “But… What… How… Why… God Damn It! What the FUCK is going on around here? Why would he ever do that? And why would he tell you if he did?”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

He could hear her yelling in the bathroom but he didn’t know what to do about it. She seemed angry that it was him while at the same time refusing to believe that it was a possibility. How could he let her know that it really was him without incurring her wrath? And how could he tell her without having to explain that he could direct her dreams? That was something he wasn’t ready to share just yet. Add to that the fact that she’d closed the door behind her when she left… well, he didn’t really have a lot of choices at the moment. He simply lay there soaking in her scent and waiting for her to return. She would have to come back eventually to get dressed for her classes anyway.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

“Kagome! Chill, babe!” Inuyasha said loud enough to be heard over her cursing. When she finally stopped he laughed. “You know we can’t explain it, but you need to just forget everything you think you know about Sesshoumaru, okay?”

 

Her eyes widened before narrowing at them in suspicion. “He said that in my dream last night, almost those exact words. What is going on?”

 

“I wanna know what happened to the Kagome who rolled with the punches. Babe, no one’s gonna be able to tell you, so just accept it and let it go. See where it leads you. You have feelings for him, don’t you? Ones that you’ve been hiding and fighting, right? Just let it go. Let yourself feel what you feel.”

 

“Okay, yesterday you were fighting with him, provoking him so I wouldn’t be his friend, and now… now you encourage me to having feelings for him? Why should I? If I let myself have feelings for him I’m just going to get my heart broken like I did that night when the perfect guy just walked out of my life and then again the next year too! No, I refuse to let that happen again, especially when I know better!”

 

“What if we could promise you your heart wouldn’t get broken?” Miroku asked, causing the other guys to glare at him. “What?  It’s just a question.”

 

“You can’t promise that and if you did I’d just think you lost your mind. It’s ridiculous. Now, I need to take a shower and get to class, alright?” When no one moved Kagome stood up and pushed her way past them and out of the overcrowded bathroom. She threw the door to Sesshoumaru’s room open hard enough that the knob became imbedded in the preexisting hole. She stopped in the middle of the room and glared at the large white inu looking at her from his place on the bed. “I want answers and since they won’t give them to me god damn it, then you will!”

 

‘There are some things this Sesshoumaru cannot say at this time, but if I can answer I will.’

 

“Finally, someone with some guts! First, at the dance, was that really you?” He nodded. “And at the party?” He nodded again. “Why did you hide who you were and why did you want to dance with me in the first place?”

 

He thought about it for a few moments before deciding that honesty was the best and probably the only way to go. ‘This Sesshoumaru is attracted to you but I believed that you would not wish to dance with me if you knew who I was.’ That shut Kagome up and left her with her jaw sitting on the ground. ‘Is it really so hard to believe?’

 

“Ummm, yeah,” she said sarcastically. “It is that hard to believe. In fact, I don’t believe it at all.”

 

‘And why is that?’

 

“I could list the reasons all day long,” she said while digging through the closet, finally yanking out what she was looking for. On her way to the door she grabbed a bra and panty set and then she disappeared into the hall, this time leaving the door open so he could get out.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

Sesshoumaru walked slowly out of the room after the bathroom door slammed hard enough to rattle the pictures hanging in the hall. He was met by four expectant faces and once again had the urge to roll his eyes.

 

“Huh,” Inuyasha chuckled. “You come right out and say it and she won’t buy it. How’s that for irony?”

 

“Inuyasha!” Miroku scolded while Bank slapped the back of the hanyou’s skull. They both ignored his muttered complaints, more interested in what Sesshoumaru had to say.

 

‘This Sesshoumaru cannot force her to believe us.’

 

“Told ya, didn’t I? You should have told her who you were that night,” Bank said in an I-told-you-so tone. “Something’s bugging me though. The dreams… what are the chances of her dreaming about two different encounters with you in one day? And not only that, they both seem to be telling her something too. So, you wanna illuminate it for us, buddy?”

 

The white inu looked at them for a minute. He didn’t know if he wanted to tell them about the dream thing.  What if they told her? But then they did seem to be on his side at the moment, willing to help, well, everyone but Inuyasha. The hanyou was still somewhere in the middle. He just couldn’t help but enjoy seeing Sesshoumaru floundering for her attention. Hell, he deserved that much after all the crap his older brother had put him through, didn’t he? Just a couple of laughs, that’s all he wanted.

 

‘Father told this Sesshoumaru of the details of the syndrome. It is not all bad. There are several things that may work to my advantage and assist in my task. Being able to guide her dreams is one of them.’

 

“I thought it was something like that,” Bankotsu replied. “So… what now? How are you going to convince her you’re telling the truth?”

 

‘This Sesshoumaru has no idea.’

 

“I think she just needs a little time to get used to the idea. I mean, she’s been fighting her feelings, hiding them from her best friends for years, and now she’s supposed to just let them out?” Miroku thought aloud. “She’s scared, that’s all. Scared of getting hurt and confused as hell. A little time… she’ll get over it.”

 

‘Too bad time is the only thing I lack.’

 

The sound of Kagome singing in the shower distracted them all for a moment before Bankotsu regained their attention. “We ought to go downstairs and make some coffee, maybe breakfast too. If she stays angry now the rest of her day will be crappy.” Everyone nodded their agreement and after another glance at the door that separated them from an obviously pissed off miko they all headed to the kitchen.

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

Kagome nearly ripped her shirt off as she tugged it over her head. Her panties didn’t fare much better, and soon found themselves hanging from the light fixture, having taken flight when she kicked them off forcefully. She leaned into the shower and turned on the water. ‘Why? Is it really that funny to play with someone’s emotions? I’ve never done anything to him… well, besides dumping food on his floor, but he was asking for that.’ She checked the water temperature before slipping into already steamy space, her lips moving on their own.

 

“Every time we lie awake, after every hit we take, every feeling that I get, but I haven’t missed you yet…”

 

While she stood under the nearly scalding water, Kagome’s thoughts were miles away… years away really. She was thinking about freshman orientation. Had she really felt it that strongly when she looked at him, when their eyes met? How could she even for a moment have feelings for someone so cruel, someone who tormented one of her best friends for the way he was born?

 

“Every roommate kept awake, by every sigh and scream we make, all the feelings that I get, but I still don't miss you yet…”

 

Okay, so she did feel it. She could admit that. There had been this incredible pull, but it didn’t last long. No, she was lying to herself again. The pull was always there, no matter how hard she tried to end the sensation, no matter how deep down she shoved her feelings. For a long time she’d been disgusted with herself for even entertaining the idea once she’d witnessed his actions, his bigotry.

 

“Only when I stop to think about it…”

 

He’d always been a jerk, not just to Inuyasha but to all of them… though the longer she thought about it the more she began to notice that he was almost never purposely cruel to her. Still, even if he did treat her differently, that didn’t make up for how he treated everyone else.

 

“I hate everything about you! Why do I love you? I hate everything about you!
Why do I love you?”

 

Why would they encourage her to feel something for him? Why would her friends want her to get her heart handed back to her, nothing but a pile of dust left over from when the great and terrible taiyoukai crushed it effortlessly with one hand?

 

“Every time we lie awake, after every hit we take, every feeling that I get, but I haven’t missed you yet…”

 

Then there was the dance. He’d been so perfect, gone to such lengths. She didn’t have any idea how he knew about her interest in vampires at the time, but she very much doubted it was just a lucky coincidence. And then the next year too! She’d felt it then, both times, the pull, the draw, the jolt of electricity that hummed through her body all night. But what did it mean?

  

“Only when I stop to think about it…”

 

She couldn’t be meant to have feelings for him! It was just ridiculous! No, it was just her attraction to demons in general that drew her in. It had nothing to do with Sesshoumaru himself. It couldn’t.

 

“I hate everything about you! Why do I love you? I hate everything about you! Why do I love you?”

 

And what about the syndrome? His beast wanted a certain girl while the usual Sesshoumaru denied his feelings. He was certain that the girl he wanted didn’t see him. He said she was guaranteed to reject him. In her dream last night… he said he didn’t tell her who he was because he was sure that if he did she wouldn’t dance with him. So then… did he…

 

“Only when I stop to think about you, I know. Only when you stop to think about me, do you know…”

 

No, there was no way Sesshoumaru really wanted her. There was no way his beast, no matter how sweet it seemed, would choose a human girl, a miko no less. The longer she thought about it though, the more the big picture began to form before her. The secrets hadn’t started right away. When he’d changed that night the guys had explained what they knew to her. She knew then that they hadn’t left anything out. It wasn’t until she woke the next morning that it was different.

 

“I hate everything about you! Why do I love you? You hate everything about me! Why do you love me?”

 

That was when the real tension started. Katsuro knew too, she was sure of it. Somehow they’d either guessed or Sesshoumaru had told them the identity of the girl, if she was guessing right at least, and she was pretty sure she was. She remembered the elder taiyoukai’s words, the ones Inuyasha had gotten so upset about.

 ‘My dear Kagome, I don’t think there is any chance of the beast getting what it wants.’ 

“I hate…”

 ‘Yes my dear, but what the beast wants is not easily attainable. My son has a bad habit of pushing people away and this time is no different.’

“You hate…”

 “But this girl is special. She would not want him for his appearance, his money, or his power. The girl he desires would have to truly love him as he loves her.” 

“I hate…”

 

No wonder Inuyasha had been worried about her ‘friendship’ with Sesshoumaru. It was never intended to be such. The beast wanted her as its mate and it was willing to kill Sesshoumaru to get her. But why didn’t he just tell her? Why not talk to her, tell her he liked her? Why did he have to keep her locked outside in the cold? If he really wanted her… Katsuro dropped more hints too, like he wanted to tell her but couldn’t. Maybe he really couldn’t.

 

“You love me…”

 ‘He wishes for me to tell you that it is not a demoness he desires.’ 

“I hate everything about you…”

 ‘Not everything about Sesshoumaru is truly as it seemed. He does not hate all humans and he does not desire a demoness. I cannot tell you more and it would be wise not to ask.’ 

“Why do I love you?”

 

So what was a girl to do? Sesshoumaru apparently had feelings for her and had for a while. For some reason he couldn’t just talk to her, couldn’t show his interest in any normal way. Of course he would have to make things difficult. If he really cared wouldn’t he try to make some kind of positive impression rather than giving her an almost daily reminder as to why she refused to like him in the first place? How much could he really like her if he could still be such a jerk?

 

Apparently a lot if she was to believe their father, and she knew he would never lie. Katsuro had said that Sesshoumaru loved the mystery girl. It was still nearly impossibly to believe, that the cold, heartless, and cruel taiyoukai could love at all, let alone love her.

 

Finally stepping out of the shower, somewhere between a prune and a lobster, Kagome wiped off the steamy mirror and looked at her distorted image. ‘Fine,’ she thought. ‘Fine, Sesshoumaru is in love with me. Sesshoumaru wants me for his mate. So what? So long as he’s a jerk there is no way I would ever date him, let alone mate him! He’s gonna have some work to do.’

 

Kagome glared at her reflection. No, she wasn’t going to make this easy on him. Just because she had feelings for him didn’t mean she would rush into his arms. Just because she was drawn to him didn’t mean they were meant to be together. She wasn’t ready to entrust her heart to a demon who had never shown anything but hatred, bigotry, and cruelty. He would have to show her a whole other side of him before she would even consider it.

 

‘He needs to man up and tell me how he feels, and not just when I demand answers. How could I be his mate if he treats my friends like dirt? I can’t. How do I even know he would treat me well? It’s his beast that’s being open and sweet, not Sesshoumaru. How can they think I should give my feelings for him a chance? Have they forgotten everything he’s done and said over the years?’

 

She couldn’t help the single tear that rolled down her cheek. She wanted to… she really, really wanted to just tell him she loved him and hope for the best, but that would be stupid, naïve. He was going to have to work for it, for her love, for her trust, everything. He wasn’t in very good standing with her at the moment.

 

“But… but I will give him a chance…” she whispered before looking away from the mirror, toweling off and getting dressed. “One last chance…”

  

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

  

Downstairs in the kitchen Sesshoumaru sat and watched as Bank made coffee and Miroku heated up last night’s pizza. Apparently ‘breakfast’ did not require actual breakfast food in their opinion. This was the second time that he saw them eat leftovers for breakfast. He wanted to shake his head at them. They loved her and claimed to ‘take care of her’ and yet they allowed her to eat garbage. Didn’t they have any concern for her health? Watching as Bank poured a travel cup of coffee, adding more milk and sugar than actual coffee, he could no longer resist the urge to shake his head. Sure, if it made her happy it was worth it, but still… when she was his he would care for her properly.

 

He liked that thought. ‘When’ instead of ‘if’. Even though she was angry at the moment, he now knew for sure that she had feelings for him hiding somewhere inside. He wondered… the person she was talking about the day before, the one she believed she loved that had apparently not reciprocated the feelings… was it possible she was talking about her ‘mystery’ vampire? Maybe Bankotsu was right after all. Maybe he should have taken the chance then and told her who he was. Of course maybes and what-ifs didn’t help him now anyway, but the knowledge that she’d felt something so strongly towards him without knowing it was him… he was going to have to ask her about that. Hopefully his guess was right; because he was sure he couldn’t stand it if she’d ever loved someone else like he wanted - no - needed her love.

 

Shippo had been kind enough to pour him a bowl of dry cereal and a bowl of coffee, black, so he could eat something without too much mess. Drinking coffee like a dog though, it just wasn’t the same. Sesshoumaru was really beginning to hope that the beast would return control sooner rather than later. He could handle it now! He was sure he could manage to talk to her like the beast had been. Not only that. He could do so much more in his usual form. If she was aroused by the dreams, he could only imagine how much more he could excite her in person. It was an experiment he was more than looking forward to.

 

He had been dying to touch her for so long that the frustration was absolutely crushing. What would it be like to be with a female that actually turned him on? What would it be like to touch her body, to feel her touch without the pain that seemed to be meant to remind him of just who was or wasn’t touching him. The scent of her arousal was absolutely delicious and both he and his beast were rather anxious to get a taste. And to lose his virginity? Finally?

 

But it wasn’t all about the physical. He wanted her to laugh for him, not doggy him, but actual him. He wanted to make her smile. He wanted to talk to her, to share things he’d never shared with another living soul. He wanted her as a friend just as much, if not more than as a lover. A mate was so much more than someone to fuck. It was someone to share every aspect of his life with, and though until now he’d lived a primarily solitary existence, he couldn’t deny the need for companionship and affection. He needed her, all of her, and he finally felt like he might just have a chance.

 

All five males looked up at the ceiling for a moment when both the singing and the sound of the shower ended before returning to their conversations and breakfasts. It was a few minutes later that Sesshoumaru experienced the strangest sensation. For no reason he could determine the pain lessened, his heart lightened. Something had somehow changed, but what? Whatever it was, it was definitely a good thing.

 

Another few minutes passed before Kagome came down the stairs. She didn’t look at any of them when she stalked into the kitchen, so Bankotsu called her name softly before handing her the cup of coffee he’d made. She smiled at him, but somehow the smile seemed hollow. Something was bothering her. Of course they already knew that, but for her to not be able to truly smile it had to be bothering her quite a bit.

 

“Kagome?” Miroku asked gently.

 

“Yeah?” Kagome replied with a sigh.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

There was a moment of silence while she contemplated the question and her possible answers. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just needed to think. I’ve made a decision. Now we just wait and see.”

 

They all looked at her in confusion. She’d made a decision? What kind of decision? Sesshoumaru had never felt quite so nervous in all his life. What if she’d decided against him? What if she refused to give him another chance?

 

“Kagome?” Shippo asked this time.

 

“Nope. Don’t bother asking. I refuse to make things easy for him. He had a million and one chances and he didn’t take a single one.” She paused while taking a swig of her coffee. “Thanks Bankie. I needed this.” She grabbed a slice of pizza from the plate Miroku held out to her and thanked him as well. They were all treated to a good-bye kiss on the cheek, well, everyone but the very jealous, confused, and worried dog on the floor. “I’m going to class. I’ll see you guys later.”

 

The guys looked at each other for a moment, confused by the quick shift in her mood, before looking at Sesshoumaru. Or they would have looked at Sesshoumaru if he’d still been there, but he was gone.

 

“Chasin’ the wench, I’ll bet,” Inuyasha laughed. “Kagome had a big ass dog, whose fur was white as snow.”

 

Bank laughed and continued. “Everywhere Kagome went the dog was sure to go.”

 

“He followed her to school one day, which was against the rules,” Miroku sang in a child-like tone.

 

“It made the students laugh and say ‘He barks, he bites, he drools!’” Shippo ended before they all broke down in laughter. It was a good thing Sesshoumaru was gone or they would have all found themselves treated to a few bites of their own.

Chapter 30 – If She Could Remember

 

 

@@ One Year and Nine Months Ago @@

 

           

            Kagome looked around in confusion for a minute when she woke up alone in the king sized bed. Glancing at the clock, she realized that she’d overslept since it was already past ten. With a sigh she rolled to the edge and dragged herself out from under the nice warm covers. As much as she appreciated being able to sleep in, she hated it when they didn’t wake her up. She probably already missed breakfast and she still needed to take a shower!

 

            She searched through the drawers she’d filled with her things the night before until she located her wardrobe choices for the day and then grabbed a towel and her bathing supplies before heading to the bathroom. Kagome peeked around the corner into the kitchen and saw Miroku and Inuyasha talking, Bankotsu nowhere in sight. When she heard the running water on the other side of the bathroom door she smirked, assuming it was Bank in the shower. She checked the knob and found it unlocked so she slipped into the steamy room.

 

            “Leave me some hot water, would ya?” she asked teasingly while slowly stripping out of her pajamas and wrapping her towel around herself.

 

            Sesshoumaru nearly had a heart attack when he heard her sweet voice on the other side of the shower curtain. She had to think he was one of her friends. As silently as possible the taiyoukai peeked around the curtain, and found him self blessed with the sight of a completely naked Kagome. He watched as she wrapped a towel around her perfectly curved body, only then remembering that he needed to breathe to continue to live.

 

When she started to turn back towards him he hid behind the curtain again, not quite sure what to do. Did he tell her that he wasn’t who she thought he was? She was going to figure it out eventually and it was probably better if he told her rather than her finding out the hard way. Of course his body refused to cooperate, responding only to the knowledge that they were both naked in the same room with just a towel and a curtain separating them. God, how he wanted to touch her. He obviously couldn’t announce his presence now, now that he was obviously aroused.

 

“Bank?” she asked, suddenly nervous. She’d finally taken note of the energy in the room and it wasn’t her secretly hanyou best friend. It was her other hanyou friend’s full demon brother. “Shit,” she whispered. “Sesshoumaru?”

 

“If you wished to see more of this Sesshoumaru you need only ask,” was his smug knee-jerk response, a response that made him want to bang his head against the tiled wall. He heard her huff and peeked out again just in time to see her gather her things and slam the door behind her. “Damnit,” he muttered. “Stupid!”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

            Kagome decided to skip the shower after her embarrassing encounter and by the time Sesshoumaru braved the hallway to his room she was long gone with her friends. The taiyoukai soon found that the only other person in the cabin was his step-mother Izayoi, his father having gone on a walk. He sighed nearly silently and sat on one of the stools surrounding the island in the kitchen.

 

            “Rough morning?” the human woman asked him with a small smile, pausing in her task of finishing the breakfast dishes. When he frowned at her she held her hands up in surrender. “Alright! I just thought you might want to know where they were going.”

 

            Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed. “And why would this Sesshoumaru care where the half-breed and his flunkies went?”

 

            “I didn’t say I thought you would care where they went. I think you only care where she went.” When he glared she laughed. “You might be fooling everyone else but I’m not blind. I see the way you look at her. I know you bought her the butterfly clips as well. Why do you not just tell her you’re interested?”

 

            “This Sesshoumaru has no interest in a human, especially not one that associates with the half-breed. I would not sink so low as to purchase secret gifts.”

 

            “If you say so,” was her only reply before she disappeared down the hall to the room she shared with his father.

 

            Sesshoumaru growled at his own foolishness. He should have let her tell him where they went! What difference did it make whether she thought he was interested in Kagome or not? Now he would waste hours trying to find them!

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

            She’d refused to tell them why she was so embarrassed, instead insisting that they get going, that she’d made them late enough already, and no amount of protest to the contrary would change her mind. So here she was at the top of the bunny slopes feeling like an idiot for more than one reason. As if the incident with Sesshoumaru wasn’t enough, all around her, besides her three friends, were children learning how to ski and doing better than she was.

 

            Really, why was she trying to learn to ski in the first place? She was happy with ice skating. ‘Probably because they want me to ski with them,’ Kagome thought to herself. Sometimes she couldn’t fight the urge to make them happy, even if it meant doing something she didn’t really want to.

 

“You don’t have to tell me that I’m stubborn, cuz I’m not, and I know cuz it runs in my family and skips every other generation,” she sang softly, trying and failing to focus on Inuyasha’s instructions.  “You don’t have to save my soul or make me feel like I’m in control. It’s not worth the double scotch whiskey that you’d have to buy me.”

 

            The guys looked at each other over her head, knowing that she was lost to them at the moment. Whatever was bugging her was winning her attention. “Kagome? If you don’t want to ski you don’t have to,” Bank said gently.

 

“You look like you’re surprised, like when will I get wise? But I’ll just drive the same dead ends I’ve tried and I think I know why. There’s no connection between what I want and what is good for me, the truth I tell myself not to believe.”

 

“She ain’t hearin’ ya,” Inuyasha grumbled. He growled when he noticed Sesshoumaru approaching them. “What the fuck does he want?”

 

“Yeah I know I coulda been something, but I’m not, and I know that it’s somebody else’s fault, just like every other thing that’s ever happened to me.”

 

Sesshoumaru had finally located them, and rather quickly once he decided to check all the easy hills first. His delicate hearing had picked up her soft singing and led him right to them. He noticed her distracted appearance and the irritation in Inuyasha’s eyes when the hanyou spotted him. Now that he’d found them, what the hell was he going to say? He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

 

“Yeah, I could’ve been like the king, like someone who could really sing, folks lined up ‘round the corner just so they could come and hear me.”

 

“Your miko does not appear to be enjoying her lessons,” the taiyoukai said in a somewhat condescending tone. “Perhaps she does not wish to ski?”

 

“Why don’t you mind your own fuckin’ business, you bastard?” Inuyasha yelled, drawing the attention of not only Kagome but all the children and their parents who didn’t appreciate his colorful language.

 

“Why are you yelling, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, still not noticing the demon watching her carefully while trying to make it look like his attention was elsewhere.

 

“This bastard! He can’t keep his nose out of our business!” Kagome looked at the subject of Inuyasha’s frustration and blushed before turning and smacking her friend.

 

“Quit swearing! Not around the kids! Geez, Inuyasha!”

 

“Do you not want to learn to ski?” Bank asked her now that they had her attention again.

 

“Not really. I’m just gonna fall and embarrass myself. I’d rather be ice skating.”

 

“You don’t wanna even try?” Inuyasha asked with a pout.

 

“Would you like for this Sesshoumaru to escort you back to the cabin?”

 

Kagome looked up at him in surprise before nodding, completely ignoring the loudly protesting hanyou. She bent and clicked her boots free of her rented skis and was even more surprised when Sesshoumaru picked them up for her. “I’ll see you guys later,” she said in a distracted tone. “You have fun, okay?”

 

Inuyasha tried to protest but was stopped by Bankotsu. “If she wants to go back, let her. He’s not going to hurt her.”

 

“You have no fuckin’ idea what he’s capable of,” Inuyasha snarled before stomping off in the opposite direction than that which his elder half brother had disappeared with his Kagome, heading towards the ski lift that would take him to the more dangerous slopes.

 

Kagome was doing her best not to get caught in her sideways glances at the taiyoukai walking beside her and once more her nervous mind started singing. “Oh, there I go again. 'Them devils love their sin, but they can’t end what I do not begin, so I’m safe where I’m in. And there’s no connection between what I want and what is good for me, the truth I tell myself not to believe.”

 

Sesshoumaru led her towards the shop they’d rented her skis from, just listening to her words. ‘No connection between what I want and what is good for me… fitting,’ he thought to himself. He wanted her so badly even though he knew that the attraction could never end well for him.

 

“There’s no direction between where I am and where I’m supposed to be, the truth I tell myself not to believe.”

 

Kagome stood and sang while she watched him return her skis, aching to tell him how she felt, dying to touch him. A hand came up on its own and felt the butterfly clip hiding in her hair under her hood. Something about the gift made her think of him even though she knew it was impossible for them to have been from the younger taiyoukai. The older maybe, since Katsuro seemed to enjoy spoiling her as if she was his own daughter no matter how many times she tried to tell him not to, but the younger? Why would Sesshoumaru give her something so expensive? How would he even know she’d wanted them? No, it wasn’t possible.

 

“Yeah, don’t think that I’m expecting you to stay, cuz you won’t and I know cuz I’ve seen it a million times.  It’s this charming self-destructive disposition of mine.” He returned to her side and they resumed the silent, besides her singing of course, walk back to the cabin. “Yeah, and all those happy endings are for fools who feel like they will never lose, folks who think there’s a god out there that’s gonna save ‘em.”

 

Sesshoumaru allowed himself a quick glance at her. She looked beautiful all flushed pink from the cold. She would look even more beautiful if that pink flush was the result of their shared passion, and once again the taiyoukai was fighting to hide an erection. She could turn him on so easily!

 

“Get this round my friend and then we can start again, just like we did when we were who we are. Have we come that far?” Kagome sighed. It sucked, having him so close and yet just out of reach. Who was she kidding? He was more than just out of reach. He might as well have been orbiting Saturn; he was so far out of her league. Damned if he wasn’t nice to look at through.

 

Sesshoumaru caught her little sigh and wondered just what she was thinking about. Even though he knew better he couldn’t help but wish that she was thinking about him.

 

“No connection between what I want and what is good for me, the truth I tell myself not to believe. No direction between where I am and where I’m supposed to be, the truth I tell myself not to believe.” Finally, or far too soon depending on how you looked at it, they reached the cabin and Sesshoumaru opened the door for her, making her blush an even more beautiful shade of pink.

 

“Kagome dear! You look absolutely frozen! Let’s get you out of those clothes and you can warm up by the fire. I’ll make you some hot chocolate,” Izayoi declared excitedly as she unzipped Kagome’s jacket and loosened her hood.

 

“I’m alright, Mom, really. It’s just cold out there is all.”

 

“Sesshoumaru, why don’t you help her while I go heat up some water?” she asked with a wink in his direction.

 

Kagome started to protest, not wanting to hear the disgust in his voice when he flat out refused, only to be struck dumb when he started to carefully unwind her scarf. “You… you don’t have to…” The look in his eyes shut her up and she just stood there while he slowly undressed her, both secretly loving every second of it even if he was just shedding the outer layers.

 

Sesshoumaru made a mental note to thank the human woman. Perhaps she wasn’t as bad as he thought after all. He allowed a smirk to slip past his defenses when he saw the clips in her hair. They looked perfect on her and he wished, not for the first time, that he could tell her that they were from him. He knew she thought they were from someone else. She probably hadn’t even considered him a possibility. How was he ever going to weasel his way into her heart if his romantic gestures were attributed to others? The answer stared back at him: he wouldn’t. He would never find a way into her heart no matter what he did.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

            When the guys finally returned Kagome was dozing stretched out on the couch, one foot laying across Sesshoumaru’s lap, the sight of which led to her rude awakening as Inuyasha yelled the customary “What the FUCK!?!” Sesshoumaru wanted to strangle the hanyou then. She’d been sleeping peacefully and he was more than enjoying how comfortable she seemed to be in his presence, not to mention relishing the contact, however small and innocent it was.

 

            Several days had passed since then and the taiyoukai had taken it upon him self to accompany Kagome to the ice skating rink, which of course pissed off his younger half-brother to no end. She had no idea why he wanted to do so, but she wasn’t going to complain. She also had no idea that he stayed and watched her skate. He couldn’t help himself. She floated like an angel on the ice and even if she didn’t he couldn’t drag himself away, his beast insisting that he stay just in case she needed him. The urge to protect her astounded him but he couldn’t fight his instincts.

 

            He absolutely loved the time he shared with her, soaking in her scent and aura as much as possible, knowing he might never get a chance like this again. It appeared that Izayoi had no intention of giving away his secret obsession, something for which he was eternally grateful. If Kagome found out then she would pull away and refuse to even walk beside him and he just couldn’t take that kind of blow. He walked the edge of a knife already, fighting to hide his feelings while secretly indulging them. It was a delicate balancing act and he certainly didn’t need another obstacle, especially one quite that big.

 

            He was rather entertained by Inuyasha’s growing jealousy. Apparently the hanyou was insecure in her friendship, ridiculous considering the necklace she’d given him. Spending time with Kagome was driving Inuyasha absolutely insane and Sesshoumaru, Miroku and Bankotsu, Izayoi and Katsuro, and the hanyou himself knew it was only a matter of time before he exploded. Only Kagome seemed oblivious to the building tension.

 

            The straw that broke the camel’s back, or hanyou’s patience as the case may be was when Kagome and Sesshoumaru were watching the guys ski, Kagome with camera in hand taking pictures. Inuyasha hit a soft patch and ended up tumbling down the hill like a snowball. The hanyou was already embarrassed, but when he heard her laughter his heart almost broke. The sound of his enemy/brother laughing with her was too much and he made his way over to them, face red with rage.

 

            “I wanna see you do better you asshole! You haven’t put on skis once since we’ve been here! I bet you can’t do it at all!”

 

            “Calm down, Inuyasha. He didn’t mean anything by it.” Kagome rolled her eyes when Inuyasha glared at her.

 

Sesshoumaru growled at the challenge. The hanyou thought he was better than him? He dared try to embarrass him in front of Kagome? “Are you sure you wish to challenge this Sesshoumaru? All you will succeed in doing is making a fool of yourself.” Kagome frowned at his condescending attitude but the taiyoukai missed it, too focused on the one stupid enough to challenge him on anything, especially something physical.

 

“The fuck I will! I’ll kick your ass!”

 

“Inuyasha, I wish you wouldn’t do this,” Kagome said in a warning tone, but she was ignored once again. He couldn’t help it. His instincts demanded he prove to her who was stronger, who was better.

 

“Choose the place you will be defeated then, half-breed. This Sesshoumaru will remind you of your place.”

 

Kagome sighed and left the taiyoukai’s side to stand next to Miroku and Bankotsu. She didn’t like what was happening one bit and she refused to be involved in it. She would have returned to the cabin but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she should be there, that she would be needed. All three followed the brothers, stopping only momentarily for Sesshoumaru to grab his things before they made their way to the most difficult and dangerous slope.

 

“Please don’t do this,” Kagome pleaded in an almost whine. “You’re gonna get hurt.”

 

Inuyasha glared at her again. “You really think he’s better than me, don’t you?”

 

“What? No! I didn’t say that! I just don’t want anything to happen to you. You don’t have anything to prove to me or anyone else.”

 

The hanyou scoffed at her. “The hell I don’t!” Kagome, Miroku, and Bankotsu watched with worried eyes while the brothers tossed insults back and forth while outlining the rules of their ‘competition’. Once they finished their verbal sparring the two took off down the hill while Kagome followed their path with her eyes. The hill was steep and littered with trees and rocky outcroppings to maneuver around and she gasped when one of the two colored dots against the sea of white appeared to lose control. She watched as the blue dot collided with the red dot before the red dot, Inuyasha, slammed into a tree trunk at high speed.

 

Miroku and Bankotsu tried and failed to stop her when she took off down the hill. She made her way safely towards her injured friend by sliding on her ass, though her ass would question the ‘safely’ part considering the bruises she would be sporting in the morning. Finally she reached Inuyasha only to find him unconscious with an obviously broken arm and leg. There was a trickle of blood running down his face and when she pulled back his hood Kagome found his silver hair quickly turning red.

 

“Inuyasha! Inuyasha, wake up, please!” she begged while her hand touched his cheek softly. She glanced over her shoulder as Miroku and Bankotsu finally reached her side. Now that she had reinforcements, Kagome allowed her power to rise and she began to heal the worst of his wounds, starting with his cracked skull. She mended both of his broken limbs and Inuyasha woke up just in time to see her pass out on him.

 

“What the fuck?!” the hanyou growled. She was exhausted! Why were they just sitting there looking at him? What in the hell had he missed?

 

“We’ll explain on the way. We need to get her back to the cabin,” Bankotsu said seriously.

 

Inuyasha nodded and started to pull himself to his feet, only then noticing his broken skis and the blood that covered him. “Shit! What the fuck happened to me?” When he looked at the guys the hanyou shut up and stood, noticing that he felt perfectly fine and realizing she must have healed him. He scooped her up into his arms and they all made their way to the ski lift.

 

They found Sesshoumaru standing smugly by the lift, ready to gloat about his victory until he saw the limp miko in his brother’s arms. It took everything he had not to demand what happened to her and rip her from the hanyou’s hold. Instead he kept quiet and followed the group closely, worried for her health and safety. He had no idea why she was unconscious or even how she’d ended up at the bottom of the hill to begin with.

 

Katsuro and Izayoi were instantly up and helping Inuyasha settle Kagome on the couch and while his mother rushed around trying to find something that would help the special girl, Inuyasha listened to Miroku’s account of the incident while he lovingly brushed her hair from her face. Sesshoumaru’s eyes widened as he realized that it was his fault she was so weak. If he hadn’t shoved Inuyasha then the hanyou wouldn’t have gotten hurt and she wouldn’t have been compelled to heal him. Once again he ruined the small amount of progress he’d been making with her all because he wanted to show off for her, to prove himself better than his brother. He’d certainly proven something to her, but it wasn’t anywhere near what he intended.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

The worried group watched over her for hours until one by one they left her side, knowing she would be fine after some rest. Just Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Izayoi remained and after a while the human woman led her protesting son into the kitchen, insisting he eat something since he’d been injured, just in case Kagome missed something.

 

Sesshoumaru was instantly kneeling beside her head, gently touching her hair and tenderly caressing her cheek. He froze when she shifted and let out a little moan and merely watched while her eyes fluttered open. He knew he should be disappearing from her line of sight but he couldn’t make his body obey, instead seeing her slowly focus on his face.

 

“This Sesshoumaru is sorry,” he whispered. “I did not intend for the hanyou to be injured and certainly did not mean for you to be in such a weakened state.” The taiyoukai heard approaching footsteps and in a flash was across the room. He watched her eyes close again and wondered if she would even remember his words. Hopefully not. He should never have done something so risky, should never have allowed her to see the person he kept hidden behind a mask of ice.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

She hadn’t remembered, and while Sesshoumaru was relieved he was also regretful. Maybe if she’d remembered his apology then she wouldn’t have been so obviously angry with him. He lost the privilege of walking her to the rink and watching her skate. He couldn’t meet eyes with hers without his heart clenching in pain at the anger and hate in her gray blue orbs. She’d refused to sit near him at meals or on the ride home and she’d blatantly avoided him at every turn.

 

He knew it was his fault but he couldn’t help but think she was being unfair. He hadn’t meant to hurt Inuyasha. He was just a poor sport, especially when it came to winning her attention. Maybe if he’d been able to tell her that… but he couldn’t. He could never explain his actions. He could never make her understand his perspective. She would always be on the hanyou’s side and he would always be the one left out in the cold. She would never invite him in. She would never keep him warm with her bright smile. She would never accept him as one of her group, but then he knew that already.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Kagome almost couldn’t hide the pain that his actions caused her. He never even apologized! Inuyasha could have been killed and it didn’t seem like the knowledge bothered Sesshoumaru a bit. Yes, Inuyasha was asking for an injury. Yes, he didn’t always play by the rules. Yes, he was the one who initiated the challenge to begin with. None of that mattered though. The knowledge that Sesshoumaru had purposely pushed his brother, and she knew he had, combined with his absolute lack of remorse was too much to overlook. And she’d so been enjoying her time with him.

 

The miko sighed and stared out her bedroom window at the melting snow. The beginning of the trip had shown so much promise, had given her a fool’s false hope, and she wished she could continue on in that blissfully disillusioned state. It was so much easier to think that something was possible than it was to accept the evidence that it could never be.

Chapter 31 – Kagome Had a Big Ass Dog

 

 

 

            It took her just a minute to notice him, the click of claws on pavement giving him away, but she refused to acknowledge his presence. What in the world was he thinking, following her to school? Was he out of his mind? He couldn’t go in the buildings! What was he gonna do? Sit outside and pant? Ogle her through windows? What if they called Animal Control? How was she going to explain to them that he wasn’t a dog but a dog demon, a student even? Not too easily since a demon in its true form was thought impossible anymore.

 

            While Kagome thought of all the things that could happen from his following her, Sesshoumaru could only focus on one thing. She was ignoring him! She was ignoring him and it was killing him! All the relief that he’d experienced before she came downstairs was out the window. What had she meant? She refused to make things easy for him? Since when was this easy? Was she saying he didn’t have a chance? That he’d missed all his chances? Was she denying him then? Rejecting him? He needed to know!

 

            ‘Kagome?’ he woofed at her. When he received no response he barked her name louder. After the third bark that drew the attention of other people approaching campus as well she sighed and turned around.

 

            “What?” she snapped at him. “Why the hell are you following me?”

 

            ‘What did you mean?’

            “What did I mean about what?” she hissed, trying not to look like a nutter who was holding a conversation with a dog and failing miserably. She started walking again, hoping it would help. It didn’t.

 

            ‘What did you mean by ‘I refuse to make things easy for him’? Are you saying this Sesshoumaru has no more chances?’

 

            She looked at him and saw the pleading in his crimson eyes. And she thought Inuyasha’s puppy face was hard to say no to. “No, though you shouldn’t get any more chances, I’m giving you one anyway. Just one.”

 

            The pain receded again and he couldn’t help the smirk, but then it was unidentifiable as a smirk anyway. She was giving him a chance. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to him. Actually, it was a matter of life or death. ‘Does this mean that you now believe this Sesshoumaru?’

 

            She glared at the dog for a minute. “I don’t understand it, but I believe you… I guess.”

 

            ‘This Sesshoumaru would be happy to explain it to you if you would like.’

 

            “Yeah, I’m sure you would. What about the whole ‘can’t tell her’ shit? Suddenly no longer apply?” She’d finally reached campus and checked her watch. Seeing that she was nearly fifteen minutes early she made her way to where she usually met her friends before classes, the oversized white dog on her heels.

 

            ‘You have learned most of the secrets on your own. The rest is up to you. There isn’t much I cannot say now.’

 

            She was the first one to their meeting place, so Kagome sat down at a picnic table and Sesshoumaru sat beside her. A moment later he was nudging her hand and she automatically started petting him. “So then I’m the girl, right?”

 

            ‘Yes, you are who this Sesshoumaru desires.’

 

            “But… is it just the beast half? What are you going to be like when you get back to normal? Are you going to be a huge jerk again?”

 

            Inside Sesshoumaru was filled with regret. Of course she thought he was a jerk. He was. She had no reason to think otherwise. His beast was right to take control. He never would have succeeded on his own. “This Sesshoumaru will not surrender control until I am sure that he will not ruin things. He seems to be certain that he could now be open with you, seeing how you and I interact.’

 

            “Okay, no offense, but this beast/other half thing is confusing as hell. I mean, if we were to start dating… what would you be like? Would you be this sweet guy who talks to me or the cold and cruel one who ignores me?”

 

            ‘The side you know as cold and cruel, it is an act, a defense mechanism. He desires to be near you, to talk with you just as much as I. At the dance that night, that was all him, but he acted differently than usual, did he not? And at the party as well? Being able to hide his identity allowed him to be who he really wants to be with you then.’

 

            “Okay, giving me a headache. Oh, shit, shh. No more talking! Sango’s coming!”

 

            ‘I am not the one talking to a dog,’ he teased and she growled an adorable little growl that sounded like a puppy fighting with an old tennis shoe. They both fell silent then and watched as the girl with long brown hair in a high ponytail approached them.

 

            “Kagome! Where’d you get the dog? He’s beautiful!” Kagome didn’t get a chance to reply before Sango moved to pet Sesshoumaru.

 

The miko caught her friend’s wrist just in time, judging by the vicious snarl they both heard. “I wouldn’t pet him. He’s… he’s got boundary issues.”

 

“What are you doing with a dog like that?”

 

“He seems to have become attached to me somehow,” she said with a half-smirk.

 

‘How could I not be attached to someone as perfect as you?’ he woofed while nudging her hand, demanding her touch once again.

 

“So you can pet him but I can’t?”

 

“Not unless you wanna lose a hand I’m thinkin’. Don’t take it personally, Sango. He’s got a serious attitude problem sometimes.”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

            “Okay, so what does this all mean? Should we call Pop’s contractor and cancel?” Inuyasha asked curiously. “Seems like if he gets his way she won’t need her own room and if he doesn’t… well then she can have his.”

 

            “Gee, morbid much, Inu?” Bank asked with a frown. “He’s gonna get her. I know it. I can see it in her eyes. I think he might already have her and she just isn’t ready to admit it. But I think we should still have the basement remodeled. It would be nice for them to have some privacy, more than they would have in his room with us all around them.”

 

            “You mean you wanna make a nice private place for them to fuck?” Inuyasha summarized perfectly, grinning at the snickering kitsune.

 

            Miroku laughed. “While I wouldn’t have put it quite like that… yes. I’m sure that you don’t wish to hear them through the walls after all.”

 

            Inuyasha threw his hands up in the air. They were right of course. Listening to Kagome with his brother was the last thing he wanted to do. It would be bad enough just knowing they were doing it. He didn’t need to hear it. “Well fine then, but you might wanna have the fruit loop make it a little less girly. Sesshoumaru don’t do pink.”

 

            “As much as I agree, Inu, that the room should be less feminine, I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to say that Sesshoumaru doesn’t do pink. I think pink is just what Sesshoumaru would like to do.” The monk waggled his eyebrows at his friends who all let out a groan at his perverted attempt at a joke. “No? You guys have no sense of humor. I’ve got class this afternoon, so I’m gonna go over to her place and start packing it up so it’ll be ready to go.”

 

            Bank nodded with a smirk. “At least all her underwear is safely here now. I’ve gotta go get Jak. Inu, Shippo, you guys wanna finish cleaning out the basement then? The contractor is supposed to start on the bathroom in a few hours.” The four friends separated; each one ready to take on their assigned tasks. Even if Kagome didn’t ‘need’ the room anymore, they still wanted it to be perfect.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

            Kagome was ready to scream. Apparently a large fluffy white dog was an exceptionally exciting sight considering that she’d spent the last ten minutes trying to keep her friends and even strangers from losing limbs to the dog demon. Sure, he looked really soft but why did every girl on campus have the desire to touch him? “Don’t know why I’m surprised,” she muttered under her breath. “Every girl on campus has always wanted to touch you.”

 

            Sesshoumaru woofed at her in amusement. She sounded jealous and it was nice to realize that he wasn’t the only one feeling territorial. He didn’t want anyone touching him but her and apparently she felt the same way. “They may desire to touch this Sesshoumaru but they are not you. I have always desired only your touch.”

 

            Glancing at her watch, Kagome let out a sigh of relief. Finally it was time for classes to begin. “Come on, guys. We’d better hurry.”

 

            “But what about your dog?” Ayame asked worriedly. The wolf demoness could tell there was more to the massive white canine than met the eye, and her ability to understand inu confirmed her suspicions. He was no ordinary dog, though it never dawned on her that he could be that Sesshoumaru.

 

            “Se… Sh… Shiro can take care of himself. No worries,” Kagome answered with a nervous expression marring her pretty face. “Come on! I don’t need to lose points for being late!” The miko grabbed her bag and walked swiftly towards the classroom, leaving Sesshoumaru behind to fend off the female population on his own.

 

Never before had he had such a strong desire to bite someone and he was relieved when they finally left him alone. Only then did he realize that he had no idea what to do until her class ended. If he sat around campus he would just end up attracting more female attention but he didn’t want to go all the way home and leave her there. After going over his options Sesshoumaru decided to make his self comfortable in the shade of one of the larger trees that just happened to be outside the windows of the classroom occupied by his sweet miko.

 

Kagome’s body was in class, but her brain was absent. She couldn’t make herself focus on the droning voice of the professor. She had too many other things floating around in her head and they were ganging up on her to make her crazy. He said ‘I have always desired only your touch.’ Did that mean he’d never been interested in anyone else? How long had he had feelings for her then? Her dream the previous afternoon of her freshman orientation came to mind again. Did he notice her then? Had he really been hiding his feelings for her for over four years? If he had then she needed to remember to smack him… after she smacked herself. All that time she’d been fighting feelings for him, trying to deny their very existence to protect her self from the pain of rejection, and now she finds out that he wanted her the whole time she wanted him and thought it impossible?

 

She couldn’t stop the smirk as another thought hit her. If he only ever desired her touch, did that make the sex god of an inu taiyoukai, most sought after male in school, a virgin? Kagome had to physically stifle her giggles at the thought of a sexually frustrated Sesshoumaru. Sure, she was a virgin too, but she had her battery powered friends to keep her company. Of course that brought to mind a painfully aroused demon having to ‘handle’ things himself. Her cheeks flushed a bright red at the mental picture, and she wasn’t sure whether she was blushing in embarrassment or excitement.

 

Kagome was completely oblivious to the twitching nose of another demon male of the canine variety sitting a few rows behind her that knew the answer. It was definitely excitement. He found himself wondering what got her all hot and bothered; his arrogance and thick skull allowing him to believe himself the cause. What else could it be?

 

The distracted miko continued her mental inquiry, her eyes catching sight of a large white shape outside under one of the trees, and she smiled softly knowing he hadn’t left. Why didn’t he ever say anything? Why didn’t he act on his feelings? Why had he continued to act like a condescending prick? If he’d really had feelings for her for all that time, surely she would have noticed something, anything, even the slightest of hints… but she hadn’t, not that she could think of.

 

The next hour and a half was spent examining every interaction she had ever had with the taiyoukai, both when she knew it was him and when she didn’t. By the time the class was almost over Kagome had more questions than answers. If he was her mystery vampire, was it possible that he was her secret admirer, responsible for the bracelet at the fair and the butterfly clips? But how would he know that she’d wanted them? Surely Inuyasha wouldn’t have mentioned it to his hated elder brother, so how the hell did he find out?

 

Thinking of the bracelet reminded her of how he just happened to end up on the same ride as her in the same seat twice that day. Was it on purpose? It had to be! Was he skulking around in the shadows all that time, trying to get close to her without getting caught? Was that why he offered to walk with her during the ski trip and why he just happened to be close enough to catch her when she’d slipped in the parking lot? Sesshoumaru had some serious explaining to do and she had a feeling it would be a very enlightening conversation.

 

The thought that he’d been in love with her for years… even the thought of Sesshoumaru and the ‘L’ word gave her goose bumps… and that he’d been doing sweet things for her from the shadows, it made her heart beat faster and it made her wish he had lips at the moment because she was overwhelmed with the desire to kiss him senseless. It was already nearly impossible to stay upset with him and it was getting harder every time she remembered something that could now more than likely be attributed to him.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

            “So then I should make it more romantic, less girly?” Jak asked, standing in the center of the now empty basement with a notepad in hand. “What about the swing…” There was a glint of mischief in his eyes before he smiled. “Keeping the swing. She’ll thank me later.”

 

            “I don’t even want to think about why you said that,” Bank said with a laugh from where he sat on the washing machine watching his older brother look from the notepad to the space and back while scribbling vigorously.

 

            “Poor thing if you don’t know. Swings can be fun brother dear.”

 

            Bankotsu cringed. “I said I didn’t want to think about it!”

 

            Jak laughed. “Sorry. You won’t be able to stop thinking about it now. Anyway, I don’t think this will be a problem. When’s the contractor getting here?”

 

            “About an hour. Not sure what we’re gonna do with Kags yet. She only has the one morning class today.”

 

            “I wanna be here to talk to the guy or I’d offer to take her somewhere.”

 

            “It’s alright. We’ll figure it out. So, tell me your plans.” Bank sat and listened while his brother outlined his new design, smiling wider every minute. It was going to be perfect; romantic, comfortable, private… Sesshoumaru would definitely appreciate their efforts and maybe he would be able to keep her from killing them all when she found out about it. He would never understand… no, he did understand, he just disagreed. There wasn’t a single valid reason that they shouldn’t spend money on her… not one. She could be incredibly frustrating sometimes, but she was worth it.

           

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Finally the professor declared class over and Kagome stood, gathering her things quickly and hoping to get out of there without followers so she could talk to her ‘dog’. She waved a quick goodbye to Sango and Ayame and slipped outside, making a b-line for the canine in question, unaware of the other one on her tail.

 

The beast looked up just in time to snarl at the wolf demon that had just startled the crap out of his miko by grabbing her arm. How dare the fool touch what was his? Inside Sesshoumaru calmed his beast as much as possible, encouraging him to allow Kagome to deal with the situation, or at least wait until she needed or asked for his help. The beast reluctantly agreed, knowing that she wouldn’t be happy if they attacked someone, especially considering how she reacted when he took down the smart mouthed hanyou and how she’d kept him from biting any and everyone who tried to pet him. Really, it was degrading, strangers approaching and attempting to touch him like a common animal. The only touch he wanted was hers. She was so gentle when she ran her fingers through his fur and the contact made his entire body tingle with electricity.

 

“Kouga? What the hell? You scared me!”

 

The wolf demon smirked at her. “So, tell me, what was it that you were thinking about during class?” Sesshoumaru frowned inside. What was the wolf talking about?

 

“Wha… what do you mean?”

 

“I mean you smelled absolutely edible.” Kouga took a blatantly obvious sniff in her direction and Kagome’s eyes drifted below his waist for a moment before locking her focus on a tree in the distance. She didn’t want to know what was going on in his pants, even though her momentary peek was more than enough to figure it out. “Mmm, and you still do. So what was going on in your pretty little head, beautiful?”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes when she heard the rumbling growl of warning coming from just behind her. Now that he mentioned it, Sesshoumaru and the beast both noticed the lingering scent of arousal coming from their miko. Neither liked the thought of Kagome being turned on by anyone but them and they were even more disturbed by the blatantly obvious attempts at seduction happening right in front of them. The wolf demon was just asking for it and the taiyoukai was more than ready to teach him a lesson about who could and could not touch the miko, among other things.

 

“Kouga, I can assure you not only that what I was thinking about is absolutely none of your business, but that it would be wise for you to get your hand off me if you want it to continue functioning properly. And it seems like you’ll need it,” she glanced purposely at the prominent tent in his pants before continuing, “because there is no way in hell that I’m helping you with that.”

 

“Why the attitude, baby? Your friends aren’t around. There’s no reason for you to keep pretending you don’t want me.”

 

The miko’s jaw just about hit the ground at the wolf’s arrogant words, her power rising automatically when his other hand joined the first to rub her arms suggestively. She closed her mouth and smirked at his yelp of pain. “I told you to get your hand off me, not to touch me more,” she told the now glaring demon.

 

“Bitch, I’m getting real fuckin’ tired of your games.”

 

“Games…? Bitch…? Oh Kouga, you just can’t help yourself, can you?” When he furrowed his brows in confusion she took a few steps backwards, feeling as the large white dog took a few steps forward to stop at her side. “Just cuz Bank isn’t here to break your jaw and Inu isn’t here to threaten to disembowel you doesn’t mean you’re free to run your arrogant mouth.”

 

“Whatcha gonna do, bitch? Zap me again? I barely felt it.”

 

“Well, I could kick you square in the nuts again.” She smirked at the unconscious grimace that graced Kouga’s face for a second. Apparently he remembered the last time she’d resorted to kicking him. “That does always seem to be quite effective. This time though, I think there’s someone else who might wanna get in on the action.”

 

Finally Kouga noticed the big ass dog at her feet, snarling and baring its fangs dangerously. “Got a little guard dog, baby? What, your friends too busy to keep an eye on you themselves?”

 

Kagome just laughed, angering the wolf more. “My little guard dog is scarier than you’d think.” She looked down into crimson eyes before nodding. “Wanna see?”

 

Her words were the only warning Kouga got before he was flat on his back trying to wrestle what might as well of been a giant polar bear off of him. “Damn it! Call him off!”

 

“You gonna leave me alone? You gonna listen when I tell you I want nothing to do with you for the millionth time? Because otherwise it just isn’t worth my breath. He’ll let go when he’s good and ready.” When he saw her start to walk away Kouga gave in, begging, pleading, and promising for the return of his arm. “Fine, let him go.”

 

Sesshoumaru released the demon’s heavily bleeding forearm but kept one clawed paw in the middle of his chest. ‘The miko is mine, wolf. Touch her again and die.’ Kagome almost laughed at the shock on Kouga’s face when he understood the dog’s snarls. He nodded so fast he made himself dizzy, well, dizzier than he already was from blood loss and the nice whack the back of his head got when it bounced off the hard ground.

 

“I swear, he never learns,” she said mostly to herself before turning around once again to begin her walk home, the click of claws letting her know she wasn’t alone.

 

‘The wolf has bothered you in the past?’

 

“Huh, thought you would have known that. You seem to know everything else about me. How is that anyway? The butterfly clips, the bracelet, was that you?”

 

‘Yes, both gifts were from this Sesshoumaru.’ He didn’t know if he should tell her how he knew so much about her. How would she react to the knowledge that her blog kept him informed, letting him in on her thoughts, wishes, hopes, and dreams? Would she be upset? What if she thought it was creepy? What if it totally freaked her out? He only had this one last chance and he didn’t want it blown before he even got started.

 

“How’d you know about the clips? And that I was into vampires? You know if I didn’t know better I’d say you’ve been stalking me.”

 

Even if he had known what to say, Sesshoumaru didn’t get a chance to reply as Kagome’s attention was caught by Sango calling her name. The miko stood and waited for her friend to catch up, curious as to what was so important.

 

“I forgot to ask you before class… and you left so fast…” she puffed out, trying to catch her breath, bent over with her hands on her knees.

 

“Ask me what?”

 

“If you found a place to stay. You’re welcome to stay with me and Ayame for a while if you need to.”

 

Sesshoumaru cursed mentally, wishing he had some way to shut up the blabbering female who was ruining the surprise he’d been looking forward to.

 

“A place to stay? Well, I’ve been staying with the guys the last few days, but once I get a new mattress and bedding I’ll be back at my place.”

 

“Your place? What? Kagome, you mean you don’t know?”

 

“Know what?” Kagome asked with a frown.

 

“Your roommates got arrested this weekend and I heard the landlord is evicting all of you.”

 

Kagome’s eyes got wide for a moment before narrowing dangerously. “I was unaware,” she said darkly. “Though I have a feeling I’m the only one that didn’t know. I’m gonna kill them.”

 

“Kill who? Cuz Tsubaki’s gonna be in jail for a while. Kikyo’s parents already bailed her out and Kagura’s put her in rehab. I think Tsubaki’s the one that ought to be in rehab, but I guess they caught her with enough drugs for serious charges.”

 

“Not them. The guys. I’m going to kill the guys. They had to have found out. They went and got some of my things. Why wouldn’t they tell me? Fuck! Why the hell would they keep it a secret? I need to be looking for a new place!”

 

Sango and Kagome both looked down at the big white dog when it began barking. ‘They meant no harm. It has been taken care of, but is supposed to be a surprise.’

 

Sango looked back up at Kagome in surprise when her friend let out a growl of her own. It almost looked like the dog had said something that made her even angrier and that she’d understood it. “Thanks for the offer, Sango, but I think I’ll be fine. I’ll just take over one of their rooms after I strangle them all.”

 

“Al… alright, if you’re sure. I… I didn’t know you didn’t know, Kagome. I’m sorry I…”

 

“It’s fine Sango. Not your fault. I’ll see ya later.”

 

“Sure thing,” the dark haired girl mumbled as she watched her friend walk away, her anger visible in every movement, with the large white dog at her side. The guys were in for a shit storm if ever there was one, that much was certain. It wasn’t going to be pretty.

 

Things were more complicated this year, but he didn’t care. It was a chance to see her again and have her actually know he was there, even if she didn’t know who he really was. She and her group of friends were going to be holding a Halloween party at their home this year. It was the hanyou’s idea and when he’d proposed it to their father all that needed saying was that Kagome loved Halloween and he’d been given the green light and a credit card with no spending limit. Inuyasha had been talking about it for months, determined to make sure everything was perfect, so Sesshoumaru had more than enough time to prepare.

It had taken a while to figure out how he was going to explain his absence because he was obviously not going to be attending the party as himself, but he also couldn’t go with his father and Izayoi to dinner and a show. He had to be at the party as Kagome’s mystery man. He was still surprised that their father was willing to leave the house while it was going to be full of teenagers flying on a sugar high, but it didn’t really matter. It was actually better that way. Sesshoumaru was unsure if he would have been able to hide his identity from his father if he’d been present. There was very little chance that his sire would not recognize his first born son, even with his appearance disguised and scent and aura masked.

Eventually he’d come up with a suitable plan, but it didn’t work out quite the way he wanted. Still, an excuse was an excuse and it was better than nothing.


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


Several weeks before the party Inuyasha had been speaking with his parents about decorations and catering, giving Sesshoumaru the perfect opportunity to put his plan into action. He stalked into the room and made a sound of disgust at the multiple lists the hanyou had spread out over the table. “Do you never tire of wasting Father’s hard earned money? It is despicable that you must ‘buy’ the friendship of your classmates with an extravagant party for a ridiculous holiday.”

Inuyasha turned around and narrowed his eyes at his older brother. “It’s not like you gotta be there, ya prick.”

Katsuro turned to stand behind Inuyasha, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to keep his younger son calm. “Sesshoumaru, there is no need for your attitude. You are more than welcome to accompany Izayoi and myself to pass the evening.”

“This Sesshoumaru does not wish to spend hours with you and your human, Father. I shall stay here to ensure that my room does not end up violated by partygoers. I cannot trust the half-breed to keep things under control. He can barely control himself. Pathetic,” he sneered.

“Fuck you!” Inuyasha yelled, pissed that his brother just couldn’t shut up and keep his nose out of things that had nothing to do with him.

“Inuyasha?” a sweet, musical voice called from the door between the dining room where they stood and the kitchen. “What are you yelling about now?” The hanyou’s ears immediately flattened to his skull at her chastising tone.

Sesshoumaru mentally cursed himself, instantly recognizing the voice of his obsession. He hadn’t known she was there and had once again acted like an ass in front of her.

“Nothing, wench. It’s nothing. So, did ya pick what ya like then?”

Kagome entered the room with a smile on her face and a notepad in her hand. “Yeah. You recommended a great caterer, Papi. Everything was amazing. It was so hard to choose!” While she was speaking she walked towards them, not even looking at Sesshoumaru as she handed Inuyasha her choices.

“Glad you liked them, my dear,” the elder taiyoukai replied with a smile. Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed as he realized that Kagome had his father wrapped around her little finger even more than Inuyasha did. What was it about the girl that made her so easy to adore?

“This place is going to look amazing,” the miko said with a smile. She glanced around, finally acknowledging his presence. “Oh! What costume are you going to wear?” she asked curiously.

Sesshoumaru couldn’t even open his mouth before the hanyou cut in. “The prick would never actually participate in a social event,” Inuyasha said in his best Sesshoumaru impression. “Besides, apparently Halloween is ‘a ridiculous holiday’ He’s gonna hide up in his room like he always does.”

“That’s a pity. I don’t know how anyone can not like Halloween. It’s so much fun, the one day of the year you can pretend to be someone completely different and no one judges you.”

‘More so than you’ll ever know,’ he thought to himself. ‘It is the only day that I can be someone you would gift with your time and attention; the only day I can pretend you feel the same as I do.’ No one noticed the look of longing in his eyes, his emotions slipping past his mental brick walls for just a moment before he reined them in.

“Did you pick your costume yet, Kagome?” Izayoi inquired.

Kagome nodded and her smile widened. “I did. It’s beautiful, but it’s a surprise.”

Sesshoumaru couldn’t wait. He was sure she would be stunning, but then she always was. While his mind pondered the possibilities he found that he needed to leave the room, and quickly. He slipped away without anyone even noting his departure as they continued discussing party plans. It was so hard to be in the same room with her and yet unable to reach out and touch her. She barely even noticed him when it took every ounce of self control he had to keep from drooling at her feet. She was still the only one who could turn him on and she did so without even trying or knowing she did anything at all.

He couldn’t wait for the night of the party to arrive, couldn’t wait to see what beautiful creature she would be this year. Maybe he would get to dance with her again. Maybe he would be blessed with the chance to taste her lips once more. Maybe he would have one more wonderful night to remember during the long cold and lonely ones. He could only hope so.


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


Kagome sighed. She wasn’t having a good time. She’d always loved Halloween, but after the last one… well, some of the magic was missing, along with a tall dark haired vampire. Every time a costume with a cape floated by she looked up with a spark of hope in her eyes only to be disappointed again. It had been a long shot; she knew that. He’d shown up, swept her off her feet, and then dropped her like a hot potato. Why would he come back? No, if he wanted to see her again he would have done so a long time ago. Looking down at her costume, Kagome wished she’d picked something else or at least had something else to change in to. She didn’t need another thing reminding her of him. Everything else already did.

All she really wanted to do was go home, but Inuyasha was hosting the Halloween party that she’d spent months helping him plan and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings by jumping ship. She giggled for a moment at her own thoughts. Her hanyou friend had dressed as a pirate this year and she was thinking about jumping ship. The distraction only lasted a few seconds before the depressing feelings returned. Her friend would have forgiven it if she decided to go but she refused to bail, especially for no real reason, and this was no real reason.

It was one night, just a few short hours a whole year ago. She should be over it. She should have forgotten it completely. She shouldn’t have let it bother her in the first place, but she couldn’t help it. No one had ever made her feel quite like he did. She would never be able to forget how her body tingled with electricity when they touched or how the world had ceased to exist when he kissed her. She wanted to see him again, needed to see him, but it obviously wasn’t going to happen.

Kagome forced a smile as she heard her name called over the loud music. Glancing around she finally spotted who was looking for her and waved to get her attention. A brown haired witch wearing a slinky black costume and carrying a broom squeezed her way through the crowd and sat down on the stairs next to her.

“Why the long face, Kagome? You’re supposed to be having fun!”

The miko sighed. “I know, but Halloween just isn’t the same anymore.”

“Why? Cuz we’re too old to trick-or-treat? There’s giant bowls of candy everywhere!”

“No,” Kagome answered with a wry smile. “Last Halloween was… well, it was special and this one just kinda pales in comparison.”

“What happened last year?”

“I really don’t want to talk about it Sango. Why aren’t you dancing?”

It was Sango’s turn to frown. “Miroku can’t keep his hands to himself. I needed a break from being groped.”

Kagome laughed at her friend’s annoyance. “Miroku has been grabbing my ass since the fifth grade. If I could get used to it I know you can.”

“Either that or I’ll break his fingers,” the witch growled. “Now come on! You can’t just sit here and pout all night. Come dance with me!”

Kagome sighed again but allowed Sango to drag her to her feet and out into the crowd. She tried to enjoy herself, tried to allow the music to distract her, but failed miserably. She just didn’t feel like dancing. Eventually she managed to slip away when Sango was suitably occupied with Miroku once more. She tried to get out of the pulsing group of dancing teens but found it more difficult then it sounded.


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


He’d hidden his vampire costume from the previous year, sealed in plastic bags so that he could still detect the soft scent of Kagome and even a faint but fading scent of her arousal, arousal caused by him. He didn’t want to lose the scent of her if things didn’t go as well this time, so he’d picked a new one. He still had no idea what she was wearing and he was getting rather irritated as he slipped through crowds of teenagers dancing, standing around talking, and making out on every available surface. He frowned as he crossed the dining room, making a mental note to no longer sit on that side of the table.

He knew she was there somewhere, had to be, but he couldn’t find her and without the knowledge of her costume choice the task seemed impossible. With his luck he would never find her and all his planning and preparations would be for nothing. How hard could it be to locate one miko in his house? Apparently it was a lot harder than he’d expected.

He’d passed his brother, who he thought looked absolutely ridiculous in his pirate costume, flirting with what he guessed was a fairy of some sort, though the all black and burgundy short dress and tattered wings gave the impression that she belonged in a graveyard instead of an enchanted forest. He’d spotted the monk who was quite appropriately dressed in a purple crushed velvet leisure suit with leopard print trimming. A huge silver dollar sign hung around his neck and the entire ensemble was pulled together with a matching hat and cane. A smirk crossed Sesshoumaru’s lips as he watched a witch slap Miroku hard enough to knock him flat on his ass. The fool would never learn.

Since Kagome wasn’t with either of them, Sesshoumaru assumed she had to be with Bankotsu. Last year at the dance none of them wanted to leave her alone, so surely she was with the only one of her bodyguards he hadn’t spotted yet. He wondered what the strange human male had chosen. If he knew what he was wearing then maybe locating Kagome by proxy would be easier.

Sesshoumaru snarled when his way was once again blocked by a throng of partiers, making traversing the large open area that had been claimed as the dance floor nearly impossible. Suddenly his nose began to twitch and a smirk pulled at his lips. She was close. His eyes studied everyone surrounding him, searching for the body he could never get out of his mind. He noticed one female that didn’t seem to fit as she was struggling to get out of the crowd instead of dancing like everyone else. A few seconds and a closer look confirmed it. He’d finally found her and he’d been right. She looked stunning.

Kagome was dressed in a black and shimmering royal blue dress that hugged her curves perfectly. The front was styled in a similar fashion to a corset, two columns of ribbon laced from directly beneath her breasts to her hips where the fabric of the dress billowed out, long enough to cover her feet and give her the appearance of floating gracefully a few inches above the ground rather than walking. The bell shaped sleeves hung nearly to her fingertips and the collar of the dress stood up and out, framing the pale column of her incredibly tempting throat beautifully.

Nearly all of her hair was secured in a bun high on her head with just one long section on either side lying over her shoulders. Her eyes were lined in a blue that matched her costume perfectly and her blood red lips stood out on her pale face, just begging to be kissed. He noticed that her fingers were tipped with long nails that matched her lips and when she opened her mouth in discomfort when someone stepped on her toes he saw that her canines were capped with very realistic looking fangs.

It took him a few moments before he put it all together and realized that she was dressed as a vampire. Sesshoumaru couldn’t help but wonder if she’d chosen her costume hoping to see him again. Finally his brain began functioning properly once more and he realized that she was getting further and further away while he wasted time daydreaming. Now was not the time for fantasies, it was the time for making fantasies into reality with his beautiful, regal looking vampire, and he was quickly slipping through the crowd in hot pursuit.


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


Kagome was still fighting her way through the crowd, not making much progress, and she was on the verge of screaming and purifying everyone in the room just to clear up some space. She wasn’t usually claustrophobic, but at the moment all she wanted to do was find a quiet place to sit down and continue her previously interrupted pity party.

Hands settled on her hips from behind and she froze as electricity shot through her. Her eyes widened as the hands slid from her hips to cover her stomach, long elegant fingers splaying in an attempt to touch as much of her as possible. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be him. While her thoughts continued to deny it her heart begged for it to be true. She was afraid to turn around, afraid to be disappointed when it wasn’t her mystery man. Hot breath brushed against her ear and she shuddered, feeling his strong arms pull her back against his muscled chest.

“You were not easy to find,” he murmured in her ear, remembering to keep his voice a few octaves lower while inhaling her heavenly scent like he was suffocating and she was his only source of air.

“I didn’t think you were coming,” she whispered, her entire body beginning to shake slightly. He was there. He’d come to see her again. Why? Why then and not before? She’d been waiting for a year, damn it!

“I could not stay away. So, my queen of the night, would you honor me with a dance?” He loosened his arms around her and she turned to face him.

“How did I know you were going to be a vampire again?” she asked with a smile. He was just as sexy as the year before, if not more so. “Blonde? What happened to brown?”

“Halloween is the one day of the year you can pretend to be someone completely different,” he replied, using her own words and instilling a sense of déjà vu in Kagome’s mind. “This year I wished to be blonde.”

“What color is your hair really?” she asked curiously. She’d just assumed that brown had been his natural hair color, but now she realized that it was just another part of his disguise. “And why are you wearing sunglasses again?”

“Questions I cannot answer,” he said regretfully and Kagome’s face fell slightly. He still had no intention of revealing his identity and by the end of the night she knew he would be gone from her life again, liked he’d never been there at all.

“Why? Why can’t you tell me who you are?”

“Trust me. It is better this way.” He gently grasped her hands and brought them to his shoulders, smiling when she took the next step, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing her body close to his.

“My friends are convinced you have something to hide,” she mumbled absently, no longer sure if he was just being mysterious or if the guys had been right all along.

“They are correct.” She pulled back and looked at him, frustrated that she couldn’t see his eyes, couldn’t read them and learn all his secrets. “This night will end far too soon. Please, let’s not waste it on things I cannot reveal.”

Kagome sighed but nodded her agreement. If she only had him for this one night she wanted to enjoy every minute of it. Sesshoumaru purred as she rested her cheek on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat as they swayed together, completely ignoring the fact that the music currently pumping through the house wasn’t a slow song. Neither could hear it anyway, each completely focused on the other.

“Did I tell you that you look absolutely stunning?”

She blushed and looked away in embarrassment. “Thank you,” Kagome whispered. “I love your costume.”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her pulse before snaking out his tongue to finally taste her skin again. “Just as delicious as last time,” he said softly, leaving a trail of hot, open mouthed kisses up her throat and along her jaw line, finally reaching her blood red lips. She moaned softly and he molded his mouth to hers, accepting the invitation when her tongue came out to meet his.

Sesshoumaru pulled back with a frown as they were jostled repeatedly by other dancers. She noticed his annoyed look and smiled. “You wanna go sit somewhere? It’s too crowded out here.”

“You read my mind,” he said before pressing one last kiss to her cheek. He allowed her to lead him through the mass of bodies, her hand holding tightly to his like she was afraid she would lose him. Kagome turned to the left but then stopped and backed up a few steps, bumping into his solid chest. “Is there a problem?”

“No,” she said quickly. “Just don’t want to go that way.”

A quick glance told him why as he spotted the last of her missing friends dressed as a police officer, his long braid hanging down his back and his hat covering the strange marking on his forehead. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to smile or frown. Was she avoiding walking past Bankotsu so that they wouldn’t be interrupted or was she trying to hide from her friends that she was with him once again? He knew that they would do anything and everything necessary to keep him away from her and he could understand their reasoning. He was hiding his identity, something that they were right to find suspicious. At least he knew that she was safe, that she was well protected, even if it was him they were trying to protect her from.

She led him to the right instead and after a minute or two of pushing past people they were making their way up the stairs to the second floor which the partygoers had yet to invade. Sesshoumaru was careful to allow her to choose which room they would retreat into since he wasn’t supposed to be familiar with the layout of the house. She hesitated as she passed the hanyou’s door and then his own and he noticed that her eyes lingered just a bit too long on the room where he was supposed to be passing the evening. Finally she picked a guest room; one he knew she’d used in the past and would be comfortable in.

She looked nervous as she glanced from him to the bed and back and he couldn’t resist a smirk as he led her to sit on the lilac comforter Izayoi had purchased just for the miko. Kagome took a moment to fully study his costume choice. He wore black slacks and a long black button down coat that hung to his knees. A ruffle of lace peeked out of the top above the buttons and the collar folded back, revealing the red silk lining while white gloves covered his hands. He was once again wearing white face paint, giving him an overly pale complexion. He looked like he belonged in London at the same time as Jack the Ripper and when he smirked at her, revealing his pearly white fangs, she held a hand out to him, encouraging him to sit beside her. After a few awkward seconds she decided she was wasting precious time and grasped the ruffle of his shirt, pulling him down to kiss her passionately.


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


Inuyasha frowned. He hadn’t seen Kagome in quite a while and a quick glance at the clock had him cursing himself for being so easily distracted by Yura. Sure, Kagome had told them all she wanted them to have fun and not worry about her, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to check on her and make sure she was safe and enjoying herself. He gave the girl one last kiss on the cheek before excusing himself, leaving her glaring at his back. She knew exactly where he was going and resented that his friend was more important than her. It was no wonder the hanyou couldn’t keep a girlfriend. If he was so quick to abandon his date for Kagome, she couldn’t imagine any girl who would willingly put up with that for long.

The pirate hanyou searched the room, his nose working at high speed searching for her scent. His ears caught the crack of what sounded like a seriously painful slap and turned in the direction it came from. Maybe Miroku had seen her recently. He shook his head as the monk came into view, appearing to be doing everything but getting on his knees and beg to keep the cute witch from leaving his side.

“Hey, pervert, you seen Kaggie around?”

Miroku turned to him and frowned. “Not for a while. Why?”

Sango looked from one worried face to another rapidly joining the first. “I found her sitting on the stairs a bit ago. She looked so sad. Do you know what happened last Halloween that would keep her from enjoying this one?”

Inuyasha growled under his breath. “It’s a long story. Did you leave her on the steps?”

“No, I brought her out here to dance, but she disappeared on me.”

“Shit. Okay, I gotta go find Bank and see if he knows where she is.”

“Hang on,” Miroku called after the already departing inu hanyou. “I’ll come with you.”

Sango smiled after the two males. She thought it was sweet. Kagome had to be the luckiest girl she’d ever met, though how she’d put up with Miroku for so long she would never know. She knew that she would never be able to handle his wandering hand and eye, and while he didn’t want to let her go she’d ended up telling him that they couldn’t be more than friends. He was a nice guy, but not the one for her. She hoped Kagome was alright but she was also sure that the guys were overreacting. The miko could take care of her self.

Inuyasha was pushing his way through the crowd with Miroku close behind when a high pitched voice called out his name, making him cringe and thank the gods that his costume came with a hat that covered his ears. When the one yelling came into view his jaw dropped and he couldn’t keep from snickering.

“Wow,” Miroku said with a grin. “You certainly went all out, didn’t you Jak?”

“Like that’s not the understatement of the fucking century,” Inuyasha said under his breath.

Jak stood before them in a shiny silver and black dress, complete with something stuffed in the top to fill out the area where, traditionally, real breasts would go. He was wearing incredibly high chunky heels and a black and silver wig with what looked like a beehive hairdo standing tall on the top of his head. He wore fingerless leather biker gloves and silver studded leather bracelets and matching choker, his eyes and lips painted black, standing out against pale skin. His eye makeup made his eyes look sunken into his head and dark lines trailed down his cheeks, covering the fang markings usually visible there with what looked like running mascara.

The flamboyant male dressed in drag posed for them proudly for a moment before making a pouty face. “Inuyasha, it’s a crime to cover your ears!” The hanyou’s hands quickly grabbed both sides of his hat to keep it in place while backing away as Jak reached towards him. “Fine, be that way. You’re no fun.”

“Yeah, yeah, what else is new? You seen Kaggie?” Inuyasha asked, trying to change the subject and focus the puppy-ear obsessed male on something - anything - else.

“You know I think I did, but I’m not sure. It looked like Kagome but she was dancing with this guy I’d never seen before and I didn’t figure it could be her with the way you guys smother her. I couldn’t get her attention either. She was totally focused on the guy.”

The pimp and the pirate shared a look before Miroku spoke. “What was the guy she was with dressed as?”

“Oh, he was delicious, a vampire with the most amazingly straight long blonde hair.”

“Blonde?” Inuyasha asked, relaxing slightly.

“Yeah, but I don’t think it was his natural color. It was the strangest thing. I know he was a demon but I couldn’t tell what kind, like he was hiding it somehow.”

Jak’s revelation made Inuyasha immediately tense once more as he realized that Kagome’s admirer had returned and she was with him somewhere. “Which way were they going?”

“Well they were dancing when I first saw them, but when I turned around again they were going that way,” he pointed towards the staircase, “fighting their way through the crowd. I’m sure she’s fine guys. Kagome’s a big gi…” Jak allowed his words to trail off as he noticed that they were already gone. “Gee, rude much?” He turned quickly, making the bottom of his dress twirl around him, before returning to dancing with the other partygoers.

“He’s back, the bastard,” Inuyasha growled as he pushed his way through his guests.

“Now we don’t know that for sure, Inuyasha. It could simply be a coincidence,” Miroku said in an attempt to calm his friend.

“Like hell. How many vampires do you think are here purposely hiding their identity and hitting on Kagome?”

Miroku sighed and watched as Inuyasha grabbed Bankotsu by his braid as they passed and began dragging him along behind them. Wherever Kagome was, chances were good she was going to be pissed when they came barging in. She’d ignored them last Halloween when they’d warned her against the male who was shielding his scent and aura, obviously in disguise, dancing with him anyway and very much enjoying herself. She’d even kissed the stranger! Inuyasha might be overreacting a bit, but Kagome wasn’t thinking clearly, allowing her to be drawn in by the mystery of the male and ignoring any and all signs that something was up. Who knows what intentions the guy might have for her!?


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


He couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been afraid that with his departure the year before she would be angry at him, worried that she would refuse to see him and send him away, but apparently he’d worried for nothing because she obviously wasn’t angry. Last year she’d been shy and hesitant but now, now Kagome was giving him a run for his money. He hadn’t expected her to be quite so aggressive, but found that he definitely liked it. She’d pulled his face to hers and kissed him like she’d been waiting to do so all year long. When her tongue slipped out it wasn’t hesitant but confident as she encouraged his to join in the fun, and it only got better from there.

Kagome was now kneeling over his lap, her hands wrapped in his hair and his hands on her waist as their passion for one another grew, each feeding off the other. Sesshoumaru was sure he’d eaten something poisonous that killed him instantly because never before in his life had he felt so happy, so comfortable and content, and so loved as he did right then. It took everything he had to not think about it, to not remember that she had no idea who he really was, to let his mind fool him into believing she was really kissing him, that she loved him like he did her, and that they would finally be together like he’d dreamt for so long.

When she pulled away to breathe he was enthralled by the sight of her chest heaving as she panted heavily, so close he could have kissed the creamy white skin pushed into his line of sight by the top of the dress she wore. She looked like a goddess just like she had last year, maybe even more so because he was now sure that she’d selected her costume in anticipation of his presence.

Kagome looked at him, wishing she could see his eyes. It wasn’t fair. She knew that everything she thought and felt showed for the whole world to see on her face and in her eyes, but she had no way of knowing how he felt or what he was thinking because of the sunglasses. She wished she could snatch them off his face and throw over her shoulder so he couldn’t put them back on. She ached to know more about her mystery man. It didn’t make any sense that he could only come to her on Halloween. What was so secret that he couldn’t tell her who he was?!?

His hands slid from her waist up her back, one gently pushing at the back of her neck to bring her lips back to his and the other brushing covered clawed fingertips over her cheek and down her throat, cautiously tracing along the edge of the dress, teasing silky skin and making her shiver and moan against him. He moaned with her as one of her hands left his hair and trailed down the front of his chest, her fingertips tracing his muscles. He wished she could touch more of him, but as much as he wanted to he couldn’t open the top of his costume without risking her figuring out his secret. He also wished he could feel more of her but he couldn’t take the gloves off. He hadn’t thought about how they would inhibit his touch but now he wanted to kick himself for it. He’d only thought that it would be easier than painting his hands and wrists like he’d done the previous year.

“Mmmm, take off the sunglasses,” she asked softly.

“I cannot,” he replied before pulling her closer, allowing her to feel his very aroused state and successfully distracting her from his disguise once more. “You are so beautiful, so perfect.”

“If I’m so perfect then why do you only want to see me one day of the year?”

“That is not the case, I can assure you. I wish I could spend every single day with you, but I simply cannot.”

Her eyes softened and she suddenly looked sad once more. “Why? Why can’t you tell me who you are and spend every day with me? I would… In a second I would, if you could just tell me the truth.”

Sesshoumaru smiled at her and kissed her cheek softly. “That would not be the case if you knew the truth.”

Kagome growled in frustration and frowned at him. “What the hell are you hiding?”

“That’s what we’d like to know,” Inuyasha snarled.


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


They’d been looking everywhere for her but the large crowd and mass of smells made following her specific scent more difficult. Once they’d figured out that she’d gone upstairs they were more worried as they opened door after door, finding all the rooms empty. What the fuck was the matter with her that she’d gone upstairs alone with a guy she knew nothing about? She was just asking for trouble!

Bank had been filled in on their problem once he’d managed to catch up enough so that the hanyou wasn’t dragging him by his hair, and was just as concerned, though he was more worried and less angry. Kagome had tried to hide how upset she was by her mystery man’s disappearance, but he knew different and he had a sinking suspicion that he would disappear once again and leave her heartbroken. She obviously felt some kind of connection with the male or she would never have ignored their worries the first time, let alone gone upstairs with what was basically a stranger without even telling anyone where she was going.

They were really starting to get worried when Inuyasha signaled for silence. He could apparently hear something and when he pointed at another door they all wanted to kick themselves for not thinking of it earlier. Of course she would choose the room that she used as her own when staying the night at Inuyasha’s home. It was where she would be most comfortable and feel the most at home. None of them liked the thought that she was in a bedroom alone with a strange male that went out of his way to keep his identity a secret, and rather than knocking, Inuyasha swung the door open quietly and they all entered, silently listening to their discussion while trying to contain the urge to pull her off the guy’s lap and to safety and then kick his ass and give her a stern talking to.

“That would not be the case if you knew the truth,” the male said softly.

They heard Kagome growl in frustration before asking, “What the hell are you hiding?”

“That’s what we’d like to know,” Inuyasha snarled, causing the two to turn quickly.

Kagome almost leapt out of the vampire’s lap, her cheeks flushing bright red, and Sesshoumaru frowned at the intrusion. He only had so much time with her and they were bound and determined to ruin it.

“That’s what you’d like to know?” she asked incredulously. “That’s what you want to know? I want to know what the hell is wrong with you guys, just bursting in here?! You ever think that maybe I came up here because I wanted a little privacy? I am so tired of you trying to protect me from everything! If I want to talk to him I will! If I want to kiss him I will! I know you guys mean well, but you have to stop!”

“Kagome, there’s something wrong with this whole thing,” Miroku said slowly, hoping that she wouldn’t tear him a new one for it. “Why does he go to such lengths to disguise his identity? Why can’t he tell you who he is or at least why he’s hiding? And why does he only turn up on Halloween? It’s suspicious and I know that you know it too.”

“Besides, Wench, when the fuck did you get so fucking stupid that you go off alone with some guy you don’t even know? God only knows what he could have been planning, what he could have done to you!”

“For the love of God, Inuyasha, he wasn’t going to rape me.”

“How the fuck do you know? Fuck! You’re not this fucking stupid!”

“Just leave me alone,” she snarled before shoving her way past them and stomping out of the room. Miroku turned to follow but Bankotsu stopped him, knowing she needed time.

Sesshoumaru looked at the three males who once again ruined everything. He couldn’t catch a fucking break! He could see that his brother was aching to fight him and he knew he couldn’t let it happen. There was no way he could continue to hide his identity while fighting with the hanyou. As much as he hated running away he didn’t see any other choice and before they knew what happened, he was gone, using his demon speed to slip past them and downstairs where he disappeared into the crowd.


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


Kagome refused to speak to any of them for the rest of the night. Once the party was over and the guest were gone, she made her way back to the room she’d been found in, locking the door and dropping to lay face down on the mattress. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair and it hurt even more this time than it did last year. She simply lay there, running the events and his words through her mind over and over again. She still didn’t understand why he couldn’t tell her who he was. It didn’t matter to her. She wouldn’t turn him away. She’d never experienced a connection as powerful as the one she felt when with her mystery vampire. It was even stronger than the one she’d been trying to fight and hide for years now, though also oddly similar. She almost laughed at the thought. Like her mystery admirer could be Sesshoumaru. It was so impossible it was ridiculous.

The miko sighed into the bedding, refusing to allow the tears to escape her. She wouldn’t cry. He obviously didn’t feel the same as she did, otherwise he could never have walked away. He would have found her, tried to talk to her again, but instead she’d sat all alone glaring at the happy couples dancing and kissing. It was then she decided that if he showed up next year things wouldn’t be the same. She was done being a plaything. She wanted a real relationship, and knowing the name of your boyfriend was generally an important step. She was done thinking about sexy vampires, done wishing things were different, done dreaming up reasons and excuses for his behavior… she was just done.


@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@


Sesshoumaru had slipped out of the house and snuck back into his bedroom through his window just like he’d escaped it earlier that evening. Things hadn’t gone anywhere near like he’d hoped. Not only was their time cut short by interfering bodyguards, but she seemed angry, not at them as much as at him for not telling her who he was; for keeping his secret. He’d enjoyed every second of having her in his arms though, and he would never forget how she tasted, how it felt to have her hands wrapped in his hair and her body over his, how right it felt to wrap his arms around her. He knew it was the last time it would happen. He knew that next Halloween would be different. He could sense her upset from his room and he knew that there would be no more dances, no more kisses, no more anything unless he was willing to reveal his identity to her, something he could never do. It was better just to disappear completely. Sesshoumaru was hanging up his cape, his days as her mystery vampire over for good.

            Kagome had refused to speak to Sesshoumaru for the entire walk home and all the large white dog could do was try to keep up with her furious pace. He could feel the anger radiating off her in waves and couldn’t help but hope and pray it wasn’t directed at him as well as her friends. Yes, he knew about her eviction and their plan but it hadn’t been his idea and he hadn’t been actively lying to her to keep her in the dark. He didn’t need her to be upset with him, not so soon after telling him he only had one last chance. He needed her too much. He couldn’t lose her because of this.

 

            By the time she reached the front door her jaw hurt from clenching it to keep from screaming. She hated it when they kept things from her. She hated it when they snuck around behind her back. She couldn’t stand it when they did something they knew she wouldn’t approve of. Yes, their intentions were most likely good and they were probably just trying to take care of her, but she was a big girl and at the very least deserved to be included in the decision of where she was going to be living from now on.

 

            Bankotsu grimaced when he heard the front door slam. He didn’t know why she was upset or who she was pissed at, but it was obvious that she was both. He closed the basement door softly, leaving Jak to his planning, and made his way to his best friend, hoping he could calm her down and then figure out a way to get her out of the house or up into Sesshoumaru’s room. The contractor would be there soon.

 

            “Bankotsu!” she growled when he turned the corner and entered her line of sight.

 

            “What’s wrong, Kaggie?” he asked as innocently as possible.

 

            “What’s wrong? You’re seriously asking me what’s wrong? How about the fact that I’m being evicted? How about how I have no place to live and you’ve been hiding it from me? How about how I had to find out from Sango?”

 

            Bank sighed. He knew she would find out eventually but he’d been hoping for more time. “Kagome, calm down. Of course you have a place to live. You know we would never hide something from you maliciously. We wanted to do something special for you, that’s all. We wanted to surprise you. You have enough to worry about with classes and, well, we thought it would be nice for you to… you always said how you wished you lived here with us.”

 

            “You should never have kept this from me! And how am I going to live here with you guys? There isn’t room!”

 

            ‘You are always welcome to stay with this Sesshoumaru,’ the beast woofed at her.

 

            “That has absolutely nothing to do with this. When they found out they had no idea that I would be able to stay in your room,” Kagome replied, never taking her eyes off her friend. “Where exactly were you planning on sticking me? The basement?”

 

            Inuyasha turned the corner just in time to hear her angry tone but too late to turn around and run away to safety. She’d already spotted him. Sucking it up, he tried for damage control. “Hey, babe, chill.”

 

            When her glare darkened the hanyou felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. “Don’t you dare tell me to chill. You lied to me. You all lied to me. Where are Miroku and Shippo so I can yell at them too?”

 

            Inuyasha laughed.” Shippo’s upstairs if you want him so bad. Miroku’s not here.” White ears twitched on top of his head as he heard a car door close outside. “Why don’t you go yell at the runt?” he suggested, hoping to get her upstairs before the contractor reached the front door.

 

            Kagome growled. “You guys just don’t get it, do you? It’s my life! The least you could do was clue me in so I didn’t have to find out from Sango that I was being evicted! I trust you guys to help me out but I think I deserve to be included in the decision of where I’m going to be living!” When neither male looked repentant she let out a frustrated sound. “I have homework to do. I’ll be in Sesshoumaru’s room, ya know, so you can continue sneaking around behind my back.” With that said she turned around and stomped up the stairs.

 

            “You couldn’t keep Sango from telling her, could you?” Inuyasha asked his elder brother in frustration. “This certainly isn’t going to be easy now that she knows.”

 

            Sesshoumaru frowned. It wasn’t his fault the girl spilled the secret! Perhaps they should have thought of that. They could have called her friends and let them in on the plan so they knew not to mention it! Deciding that it might be a good idea to let her cool off alone, the large white dog padded into the living room and made himself comfortable on the couch, listening as Bank and Inuyasha let in the contractor. A nap sounded like a rather good idea. Maybe he would be able to sleep without the erotic and frustrating dreams waking him. Last night had been the first time in years that he’d slept through the night, but then he had been guiding her dream and dreaming along with her, so it didn’t really count.

 

            Once Kagome slammed the bedroom door Shippo poked his head out into the hall. He’d been lucky enough to avoid her anger and he hoped that by the time he saw her she would have calmed down. The kitsune scurried silently past the closed door and headed downstairs in case the contractor needed any help. It was safer down there anyway.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

She knew she shouldn’t be angry with them, or at least not quite so angry. They obviously had something planned and she knew they were trying to do something nice for her. Of course the knowledge did little to calm her. The miko plopped down in the desk chair and grabbed the mouse, the motion bringing the computer out of sleep mode. She waited for a moment and was surprised by the image that came up on the screen. It was her.

 

Kagome lifted a brow and clicked the back button, finding another image of her smiling on the screen. What in the world was the taiyoukai doing looking at her online photo albums? When one possibility dawned on her she smirked. Her face flushed pink and a familiar tingle began between her legs. The image of a frustrated, masturbating Sesshoumaru returned to her minds eye, even more plausible than before. She couldn’t help but be turned on by the thought of the sexy demon looking at her picture and pleasuring his self and the knowledge that he wanted only her acted as a powerful aphrodisiac.

 

He could probably have any girl he wanted considering how all the females in school worshipped him, but he wanted her, plain old Kagome. Again she wished that he wasn’t stuck in his doggy form because she was already aching to touch him and to feel his hands on her, primarily untouched by the opposite sex, body. She’d only ever really been touched at the Halloween party and her smirk widened as she remembered that he had been the one to do the touching then.

 

The miko realized that her hands were beginning to move on their own and she shook the naughty thoughts from her mind. She wasn’t going to do that there in his chair, even though the thought thrilled her knowing that he had more than likely done the same right where she sat. She had self control and she exercised it. A few quick moves and clicks of the mouse and she was looking at his internet history. Her eyes widened as she realized that this had to be how he knew so much about her. He was reading her blog! That explained it all: the butterfly clips, the vampire thing, everything. She couldn’t help but be impressed. He was a resourceful admirer.

 

She finally forced the thoughts from her mind and set out to complete the research she needed to do for her class the next afternoon. It went quickly and once the printer spit out a few sheets she stood from the comfortable desk chair, deciding she could use a nap. She shot a quick glance at the closed door before peeling off her clothes and slipping naked between the soft, cool sheets. Kagome flipped over several times as she tried to get comfortable before letting out a frustrated sigh; she couldn’t relax. Obviously she wasn’t going to get any sleep, at least not yet.

 

Giving in to temptation, the miko closed her eyes and pictured the taiyoukai who usually slept in the bed she was currently stretched out nude in. She imagined him coming into his room and shedding his clothes before slipping naked into the bed beside her. Her hands became his as he slowly explored her body, tracing curves and teasing her carefully with deadly claws. A soft mewl of pleasure escaped her lips and hands moved over her breasts, continuing lower to where they caressed her dark patch of curls. Never before had a fantasy felt quite so real and Kagome moaned louder as his fingers found her slick heat and proceeded to circle her clit, avoiding direct contact until she arched and whimpered in frustration. Finally he moved to ease the ache that had become overwhelming and it took him only moments to bring her to the edge and beyond.

 

She laid there completely still just staring at the ceiling in shock, panting from the incredible sensations still echoing through her. She’d never experienced something so powerful. Apparently fantasizing about Sesshoumaru was better than any vibrator. When she finally caught her breath Kagome allowed her eyes to flutter closed. Sleep found her quickly and as the last threads of consciousness slipped away she wished that he was there beside her.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Downstairs Inuyasha and Shippo were standing in the living room looking curiously down at a whimpering Sesshoumaru, his paws twitching in his sleep like he was chasing rabbits. In his dream, however, he most definitely wasn’t chasing rabbits or his tail or anything else even slightly innocent. No, he had Kagome under him as he caressed the curves he’d been dreaming about for years. As his hands traveled over her body she moaned for him and the scent of her arousal wrapped around his head, dragging him down until there was nothing else but the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips and the sound of her pleasure in his ears.

 

“What do you think he’s dreaming about?” Shippo asked curiously.

 

            Inuyasha gave him an incredulous look. “You aren’t seriously asking that, runt.”

 

            Shippo furrowed his brows. “Why not?”

 

            The hanyou laughed. “You’re too innocent for your own good, kid.”

 

            “I’m not a kid! Now tell me what you mean! What’s he dreaming about?”

 

            “He’s dreaming about Kagome, and I don’t mean just sitting and talking to her.”

 

            “Oh!” Shippo said with a blush before giggling. “Think we should wake him up?”

 

            “Only if you want your ass kicked, runt. Never interrupt a man’s dream. Never wake up a dreaming dog unless you wanna get bit. Besides, I gotta have something on him. I can’t think of anything better for blackmail than him having a wet dream about Kaggie in the middle of the living room. What? Don’t look at me like that! He’s a pain in my ass on his best days. The more shit I have to hold over him the better off I am.”

 

Shippo shook his head, looking disturbing like a disapproving Kagome, and Inuyasha huffed before turning around and walking away. “Whatever. I’m not cleaning up the mess. You might wanna wake him up after all,” he yelled over his shoulder to the kitsune. “Either that or grab a sponge!”

 

            Shippo frowned and looked back at the large inu, nearly leaping out of his skin when he noticed the crimson eyes staring at him. “I… I… it was Inuyasha!” the kitsune called back as he left the room at high speed.

 

            ‘Let’s go check on Kagome,’ Sesshoumaru said in his mind. The beast agreed and soon they were outside the closed bedroom door. ‘If you surrender control this Sesshoumaru could open the door,’ he pointed out, hoping that the beast’s desire to see their miko would push it in the right direction.

 

‘Are you certain you will not damage our progress?’

 

‘She understands us more and has not rejected us. There is no longer a reason for this Sesshoumaru to hide our attraction.’ He could tell the beast was still hesitant so he continued. ‘She is confused by the separation between us. She needs to be assured that this Sesshoumaru will not act as I have in the past. She cannot simply be told. She needs to see.’ He smirked as his beast agreed and the taiyoukai clenched his jaw tightly as his body screamed in agony during its transformation.

 

Finally it was over and he took a few deep breaths and tried to forget the pain. It felt great to be back in his humanoid form again and he would enjoy it while he could; there was no telling when his beast would take back control since it hadn’t surrendered it completely, obviously not trusting him entirely. When he was fully composed Sesshoumaru turned the knob, opened the door a crack, and peeked inside. Seeing that she was asleep he entered the room and closed the door behind him, clicking the lock into place.

 

He smirked as he saw the pile of clothing on the floor next to the bed, only then noticing that he was just as naked she seemed to be. The scent of her arousal danced around him and his smirk widened, knowing by the intensity of the delicious aroma that she’d been more than just a little turned on. The thought of Kagome masturbating in his bed was absolutely enthralling and the scent of his arousal joined hers instantly.

 

He lifted the covers and took in the sight of her, having to fight the urge to jump her then and there. Instead he slipped into the bed beside her, not sure what to do now that he was there. She mumbled in her sleep and rolled closer. When her bare skin touched his she moaned and pressed against him more. He allowed his arms to wrap around her, freezing in place when he saw her eyelids flutter.

 

“Mmm, Sesshoumaru?” she murmured.

 

“This Sesshoumaru is here,” he whispered back.

 

Her eyes focused on his face and she smiled. “I was wondering if I would ever see you like this again.”

 

“Were you?” he asked curiously.

 

“Yeah. As cute as you are all furry, you’re really sexy like this. That and I refuse to kiss a dog.” With that said she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, fireworks exploding in both their minds at the amazing contact. Her petal soft lips moved against his seductively and he leaned into her touch.

 

Growing bolder with each passing second the taiyoukai traced the soft, plump, delicious bit of flesh with his tongue and her lips parted for him, her own tongue coming out to meet his. He’d only ever kissed her like this, years ago, and even then it wasn’t long before they were interrupted. What he lacked in experience he made up for with instinct, allowing them to guide him, following where they led.  Their tongues touched teasingly before she allowed him to explore her mouth, reveling in the taste of her. It was just like he remembered but better because this time she knew it was him and still allowed it. Hell, she even initiated!

 

When she pulled away to breathe his lips worshipped the curve of her throat and shoulder, his hands moving slowly over her heated skin, just waiting for her to stop him. He didn’t want to go too far, but he also didn’t want to go not far enough. He didn’t know what she wanted, what she was expecting, but he didn’t want her to be disappointed and he didn’t want this moment to end. Her hands touched his muscled chest, fingertips tracing the dips of definition. It was better than he’d ever dreamed or imagined, her soft hands exploring his naked body. It was taking every ounce of his control and restraint to not cum right there and then. The crushing frustration of more than four years of torment by erotic dreams and longing made it almost more than he could stand.

 

Kagome moaned softly as he kissed his way down her throat. Sure, it was just a dream, but it was a good one. She’d thought that the dream the previous afternoon was realistic but this was ten times beyond it already.  She could feel his hardness pressing against her and she ground her hips against him seductively. “Sesshoumaru? Why can’t it be like this when I’m awake?” she mumbled.

 

The taiyoukai’s eyes widened. She thought this was just another dream? He didn’t know what to do. Did he tell her it wasn’t a dream? Did he encourage her to fall back asleep and then disappear and hope she still thought it was a dream when she woke? His answer became clear when she yawned. He would let her think it was a just something her subconscious created. It was safer than risking a negative reaction when she found out it wasn’t a dream at all. He slowed his attentions and smiled as she snuggled against him sleepily. He cradled her lovingly and listened as her breathing slowed. He’d intended to leave once she was out but the peacefulness and comfort of their embrace and the way her scent soothed him were too much to fight against and soon he joined her in sleep.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

            Jak was finally done talking to the contractor and wanted to see Kagome before he left. He’d heard that she was angry about the whole thing and he thought that maybe he could calm her down a little. He understood their desire to surprise her with something like this and she needed to realize that it wasn’t malevolent in nature. They loved her and wanted to do something special for her. Besides, he didn’t get to see nearly enough of her the last time he’d been over and he missed her.

 

            A lot had changed for her since they’d really talked and he was curious to find out how she felt about the whole Sesshoumaru thing. She’d never had much experience with the opposite sex, her platonic loving guard dogs the only exception. She probably really needed someone to confide in. As much as she loved each of them, there were some things you just couldn’t tell a guy friend. He couldn’t stop his smirk at that thought. He’d never qualified as a ‘guy friend’. She’d always been able to talk to him about girl stuff and hopefully she always would. She didn’t have many girlfriends after all, and the ones she had were more the casual kind.

 

            Bankotsu had told him that she went upstairs to do some homework so he headed up to knock on the taiyoukai’s door. He frowned and knocked again louder before hearing a faint ‘Come in’ from inside. When he tried to enter though he found he couldn’t. “Kaggie, it’s locked.”

 

            On the other side of the door Kagome sat up slowly, confused and half asleep. She was sure she hadn’t locked the door. Her hand met fur and she turned slowly to find that Sesshoumaru, doggy Sesshoumaru, was sleeping beside her, under the covers. She remembered her dream and frowned. “That’s just weird,” she whispered to herself before standing up and calling to Jak that she’d be there in a second. She pulled on her discarded clothes, every now and then glancing at the beast, wondering how in the hell he got in and how the door ended up locked.

 

            Finally the door opened and Jak soon found Kagome’s arms and legs wrapped around him in a crushing hug. She pressed a kiss to each cheek and slid to the floor with a huge grin on her face. “I missed you! God, Jak, you would not believe the shit that’s gone on around here the last few days! It’s crazy! Wait. What are you doing here anyway?”

 

            “You mean a girl can’t visit her girlfriend?” he joked. “I’m helping the guys out with something.”

 

            Kagome pulled back and glared at him. “Something? Like the something they’ve been planning while purposely not telling me I’m being evicted?”

 

            “Kaggie, you have to give it a rest. You know they mean well and I do too. It’s nice to be surprised sometimes and you need to get over the whole money thing. You’ve got five guys willing to spoil you rotten, including me, and you should enjoy it.”

 

            Kagome smirked. “If we’re including you in that count then it should be six. I finally found out who gave me the bracelet and the butterfly clips.”

 

            His eyes widened. “You mean that was Sesshoumaru?” Kagome nodded. “You are the luckiest girl I’ve ever met sweetheart.”

 

            “I’m living with five guys. How lucky can I be?” she asked with a laugh. “Come on. Come inside. Sesshoumaru’s in here, but he’s sleeping. I have no idea how the hell he got in or when but he’s there!” Kagome led Jak inside, letting him sit in the chair while she sat facing him at the end of the bed.

 

            “So, tell me all about the whole…” Jak tilted his head towards the large pile of white fur currently cradled in the blankets.

 

            “It’s damn complicated. Their father explained it as ‘the syndrome’. His beast chose their mate but he tried to deny it or something, wouldn’t admit it or act on it, something like that. Apparently he’s been attracted to me for a long time but was hiding it or fighting it. I guess he thought I would never want him. Of course he didn’t know… hell, only you knew.”

 

            Neither friend noticed as crimson eyes opened and then closed again. Sesshoumaru had no idea how the beast had regained control so easily or how they’d transformed without him even waking up, but what he did know is that they needed to be still and quiet if they wanted to hear. Kagome was talking about him after all, and both the beast and the civilized side wanted to know just what she had to say. Sure, eavesdropping might not be the best idea, but she thought he was still asleep and they were going let her continue to think it.

 

            “I think its wonderful darling! You deserve a prince, and while he’s not necessarily Prince Charming, he’s definitely delicious enough to look at.” Kagome laughed, not noticing the shudder that ran through the dog behind her.

 

            “It’s just ridiculous though. He’s liked me… no, loved me, for probably as long as I’ve… had feelings for him.”

 

            “Feelings, honey? Don’t fool yourself. If you’ve wanted him as bad as you have for all this time, even when he was an absolute douche bag, then you love him too.”

 

            Inside Sesshoumaru didn’t know if he wanted to frown or smile. Kagome had wanted him for a long time, apparently badly, but he didn’t much appreciate the douche bag comment.

 

Kagome blushed. “I know that but… Jak, I’m scared. He’s so… sweet like this, but how do I know he’s not going to change on me? What if he goes back to being Mr. Icicle shoved up his ass? If I admit how I feel… well, I just don’t think I can.”

 

He wished he could tell her he would never act that way towards her again and he would, just as soon as he was done pretending to be sleeping. His beautiful Kagome was afraid he would hurt her and it just about killed him. He’d hurt her already, just by trying to hide his feelings, and he would never, ever do it again!

 

“God, I had the hottest dream a little while ago. I remember he was an awesome kisser as my vampire mystery man, but fuck, Jak, in my dreams he’s even better. I swear I could actually feel his hands on me. I need to figure out the details of the syndrome though. He said he’d answer my questions. I need to know how long I have to decide and what happens if I decide… not to.”

 

Again crimson eyes opened before being forced shut. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if she wouldn’t have him. It would kill him, figuratively and very, very literally.

 

            “Do you really think it’s possible for you to choose not to be his mate? It seems like it’s… like it’s fate, Kaggie. You told me what you felt the first time your eyes met. That means something. I’ve always thought so. For him to have such strong feelings about you that his beast takes over… that has to mean something big. Your beast doesn’t play around, babe. You know that.”

 

            “I do, do I?” Kagome asked with a grin. “You do realize I don’t have one, right?”

 

            Jak shook his head. “I forget sometimes. You play so well with demons, sneaky little miko.”

 

Sesshoumaru was confused. What the hell was the fruitcake talking about? How did he know anything about demons?

 

“Well then you’ll just have to trust me. Even as a half demon my beast is serious. When it wants something I damn well better get it. If his beast wants you honey, then no one else in the world will ever do. He loves you like you’re the only other living creature on the planet. Nothing will come between you. He’ll never even as much as look at another girl. You couldn’t get luckier. There is no greater devotion than a mate chosen by his beast.”

 

He didn’t have a clue how her friend was a half-demon and he didn’t sense it, but it not only explained the necklace she’d given Bankotsu but it seemed to have come in handy. He couldn’t have explained it any better if he tried. There was no one else for him and finally Sesshoumaru felt ready to admit it to her.

 

            “You really think it’ll turn out alright?”

 

            “Of course I do. It might take a while for him to get used to not acting cold and distant, but now you know that it’s always been an act, at least with you. For him to think you would never want him, and for clarification let’s remember that we’re talking about Sesshoumaru, the hottest guy in school, the guy every girl wants, probably the hottest motherfucker on the planet… to think you would never want him means that he’s really down on himself. I mean, sure, he acts arrogant and self confident, but how in the hell does the dream guy of every girl he’s ever met and probably even ones he hasn’t even begin to think that the one girl he wants will never want him back? I think there’s more going on there than anyone sees.”

 

            “I’ve always thought so too, that there’s so much more to him, but I’m afraid he won’t open up, that he won’t tell me why he’s hiding behind a wall of ice that’s six feet thick.”

 

            “He will, Kaggie. A mate is someone you confide in, share everything with, especially in canines. We don’t have it as much, but canines have pack instinct. The second you made Inuyasha your friend you became his pack and you gave him the others as pack as well. You gave him a family when all he ever had were his parents. You gave him his own pack and you hold it together. His beast will love you and protect you forever. I don’t think you’ve ever known how much you really changed his entire world, Shippo just as much, if not more since he’s a full demon and Inu’s a hanyou.  I have no idea how Sesshoumaru has survived so long alone with no physical contact or any emotional connections. A weaker demon would have curled up in a ball and died by now.”

 

            Kagome looked at her friend in wonder. “Really? God, I knew he had to be lonely, but…” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I remember how insecure Inuyasha was. He was always afraid I would change my mind and leave him. He’s never believed he deserves my love and friendship. Sesshoumaru… he’s been alone so long, all the while watching me with them from the shadows, being forced to see what he was missing and thinking he could never have it.” Kagome sniffled and salty trails slowly ran down her cheeks.

 

            “Yeah, he’s gonna need a hug, a really, really big hug.”

 

            Kagome giggled and wiped away her tears. “I can do that. That explains why he wants me to pet him all the time.”

 

            Jak snorted and Kagome looked at him in question. “Sorry honey, but you should know that telling me you’ve been petting Sesshoumaru…” He wiggled his eyebrows in an imitation of Miroku and Kagome lightly smacked his arm.

 

            “I sometimes forgot how big a pervert you are is all. Thanks though Jak, really. I never looked at it like that. I guess I’m just going to have to see how he really acts when he’s back to normal. That and see if he answers me honestly when I ask him questions. You know how I am. I can’t promise to be with someone forever if they’re not going to be open with me. I need him to be my friend first, and mates… that’s a huge step that normally would be taken after a long relationship, but he doesn’t have the luxury of time which means neither do I. Eventually the syndrome is gonna kill him and I can’t just let that happen, not if I can save him… but that’s a commitment I’m not sure I’m ready to make. Hell, even if we’d been dating all this time I still might not be ready.”

 

            “Kagome, you are more than ready to open your arms and heart to him. You have always been ready to love him with everything you have. You were born to be that taiyoukai’s mate. You just have to realize it. Fate brought you into his life and his own stubbornness kept you at arms length. It was him that kept that wall of ice between you rather than risk a little heartache by giving you the opportunity to accept him or turn him down. He should have known you would never send him away. You are the most loving person I have ever met, Kaggie.”

 

            Sesshoumaru made a mental note to thank Jakotsu when he finally got back to himself and stayed that way. Already Kagome looked so much more confident, so much less confused. Even though he’d always been rather creeped out by the guy he really owed him a lot. Jak had given her a huge push in the right direction, towards him of course, and had pretty much told her she was his soul mate, the one thing he couldn’t tell her yet. He was ready to tell her everything else though, anything she wanted to know. He had no idea how it would even feel to confide in someone but it had to feel better than holding it all inside.

 

            His beast was also touched by all he’d heard. Kagome needed reassurance that Sesshoumaru would treat her well, would be open with her, and that he really wanted her as much as Jak had told her he did. She needed to experience it, to spend time with the demon that would be her mate instead of with the beast that lurked inside him. Maybe Sesshoumaru was ready; maybe he could handle it on his own, at least for a little while. He deserved a chance, just like she was willing to give them a chance. They both watched as Kagome followed Jakotsu out of the room. Once they were alone the two sides of the taiyoukai had some things to discuss.

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does.

 

 

@@  About 2 and a half Years Ago/Kagome's Sophomore Year of High School @@

 

 

 

Chapter  34 - Ask Already

 

           

 

Kagome frowned at the sound of the front door slamming and looked at Bankotsu in question.

 

"I don't know, Kaggie. He's been upset about something lately, but he won't talk to me. I don't know what his problem is." Kagome's frown grew and he sighed. "I asked him, I swear. He just blows me off, says nothing's wrong. Mom tried to talk to him too. You're welcome to give it a shot."

 

Kagome sighed and shook her head slowly. "If he won't talk to you or your mother, then he isn't going to talk to me either."

 

"I don't know, Kagome. Jak trusts you. I don't know why he can't talk to me about it, but he needs to talk to someone. I think you should try."

 

"What about his friends?"

 

"Haven't seen much of them recently." Bank smiled softly as he saw determination develop in her eyes. She would find some way to help his brother with whatever was bugging him, he was sure of it. Just like he couldn't help but love her, Jak was also helpless to resist the force that was Kagome. Even if he didn't want to, he would end up telling her what the problem was, and then Kagome could work her magic and fix it. Bankotsu had complete faith in his best friend, and for good reason. When she set her mind to accomplishing something, there was just no stopping her. Jakotsu's problem, whatever it was, didn't stand a chance.

 

Without another word, Kagome got up and left her friend's room, hopping down the flight of stairs and setting out to find Jak. She finally located him in the living room, glaring angrily at the television like it had just given him a swirlie followed by an atomic wedgie and he was hell bent on revenge. After a moment, he noticed her presence and gave her a half-hearted grin.

 

"Bankie send you to talk to me?" he asked semi-sarcastically.

 

"Nope, you did that yourself." When he made a confused face she continued. "What did that poor door ever do to you?" When she moved to sit beside him, Jakotsu surprised her by pulling her to sit across his lap, making her laugh. "He did tell me that you won't talk to him or your mom about whatever's bugging you. So, Jakkie, what's wrong? Why so cranky?"

 

Jakotsu laughed at her playful tone, deciding that if he could talk to anyone about his problem, it would be Kagome. "I don't know, Kaggie. I'm probably just being stupid, upset over nothing."

 

"No, it's not nothing if it's bothering you this much. Now spill, Mister."

 

"It's about the Junior Prom," he said barely audibly, his eyes pinched tightly shut waiting for her to say or do... anything.

 

"And...? Don't tell me you can't get a date."

 

His tense shoulders relaxed as he realized that she wasn't going to judge him, wanting to smack himself for being worried about it for even a second. "Can't isn't the problem. There just isn't anyone I want to ask."

 

Kagome's eyes grew wide. "You're telling me out of all the girls in our entire school... that you don't like any of them?"

 

"Not a one. I don't know what my problem is, Kaggie, but I don't want to just pick some girl and then have her think I like her or that we're dating or something and end up hurting her."

 

Kagome smiled and ran her fingers through his long black hair, sitting in a messy pile around his shoulders. "You're too sensitive for your own good, ya know? So why don't you ask someone as a friend? I know there's at least one girl in your group."

 

"Umm, yeah, well, I just found out that she's had a huge crush on me for years and is hoping I'm going to ask her to the dance. On top of that, it's made it weird with all of them. Apparently everyone has known about it forever but me."

 

"Awkward," she said while making a face, Jak laughing as her eyes crossed.  Focusing, she looked pointedly at him. "You could always go stag. You don't need a date."

 

"Sure, if I want to look like a giant loser that couldn't get a date to save my life I could go alone."

 

Kagome sighed dramatically. "Then there has to be some girl who will understand you only want to go as friends and not take it the wrong way. You just have to ask the right girl the right way, that's all."

 

Suddenly inspiration sparked in Jak's eyes and his voice was full of excitement as he spoke. "There is one, a girl who I know would understand, who would be a great date, a ton of fun, and... Oh, and instead of looking like King Dork without a date taking her would make me look awesome! I'd be a hero. She's drop-dead gorgeous, absolutely stunning, and every guy in school is dying to take her but has zero chance. Yes, she's perfect." He lifted her to her feet with him as he stood and pressed a kiss to her forehead with a loud ‘mwah' before leaving the room with a flourish, poking his head back in for just a second. "Thanks Kags! I couldn't have figured this out without you!"

 

She simply stood there stunned for a moment, trying to figure out just what the hell happened, before giving up and heading back up to Bank's room.

 

When he saw the dazed look on her face, her best friend laughed. "No luck? I don't need to go kick his ass for being a jerk, do I?"

 

Kagome laughed and shook her head. "I don't know how, but apparently I fixed it."

 

"And what was ‘it'?"

 

"A date for the Prom." When Bank made a face at her she laughed harder. "I know!"

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

"Inuyasha, you might as well quit growling already," Kagome said while only half paying attention to the very vicious sounding hanyou. "You know that Bank is gonna tell them all ‘no', so why get all worked up about it?"

 

"Because the bastards shouldn't even be fucking asking, that's why! What the hell makes them think that they're even remotely good enough for you?"

 

Kagome laughed and reached over to rub a soft white ear, flattening the fur that had bristled in his anger and frustration. "You do know I'm just a normal girl, right?"

 

"Like hell!" he almost yelled with a snarl, making the few males closing in to attempt to talk to Kagome think twice and head in a safer direction. Inuyasha turned and looked at her with honest adoration in his eyes. "You are so much more than a normal girl. You're an angel, Kagome, and you'll never convince me otherwise."

 

"And I've learned not to try. You gotta calm down though, Inu. Guys are gonna ask. I'll send them to talk to Bank like always. Bank will tell them to take a long walk off a short cliff, and everything will be exactly the way it was before. You're acting like you're a guard dog or something with all the growling and snarling. I'm kinda surprised you're not foaming at the mouth by now, and I'm really thankful you haven't tried to pee on me to mark me as your territory."

 

"Trust me, babe, if I caught the half-breed even thinking about marking you in any way I'd kill him," an obnoxious, overconfident voice forced its way into their conversation.

 

Kagome sighed heavily, holding tight to the ear between her fingers, knowing Inuyasha was smart enough not to try to pull away when she had him by the short and furries. "Kouga, personally I think you're incapable of killing Inuyasha, and if you even so much as tried you would regret it. Oh, and if anyone had any right to mark me it would be him, not you. I wish you'd just get it through your thick skull that I prefer his company to yours a million times over."

 

"Take that, ya mangy bastard!" Inuyasha shot at the very put off wolf before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. He locked eyes with Kouga and let out a low, dangerous snarl before growling, "Mine," his eyes flashing red for a moment before returning to their normal warm gold.

 

Though he would never admit it, not even to himself, Kouga'd nearly wet himself at the hanyou's aggressive, possessive display and decided now was as good a time as any to make his retreat, before he was further humiliated in front of, and even by, his ‘woman'. "Yeah, yeah. Just you watch, half-breed. One day she's gonna trade up to a real demon and I'll be waitin'!" the wolf called back over his shoulder as he added distance between himself and Inuyasha, all the while telling himself it was for the hanyou's own good. He wasn't scared, not in the least.

 

"Okay tough guy, now can you let me go so I can get back to eating my lunch?!" Kagome asked with a grin, laughing as Inuyasha grudgingly released her.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Sesshoumaru was absolutely seething after witnessing his bastard half-brother claiming possession of the miko, his miko. It had taken every ounce of his self control to keep from going over there and challenging the half-breed for her. It wasn't fair. Why did she associate with the fool to begin with? Why would she, though he was thankful she did, brush off perfectly eligible suitors, preferring instead to stay with her ‘friends'? He just didn't understand it. Why defend the hanyou? Why encourage his behavior by justifying his claim? Why for the love of all the Kamis in the heavens did she allow the filthy creature to touch her?!

 

It didn't help that he was already incredibly irritated before the wolf had even approached her. It was going to be a long couple of weeks, and he was very tempted to just kill all his classmates to save himself the inconvenience they were causing him.

 

It would have been entertaining, if it wasn't so annoying at least, how they still fawned after him even when he gave them no encouragement whatsoever. It certainly didn't help the size of his overgrown ego. They should have known by now that he had no interest in dating any of the females at school, and yet they waited. Any girl that had deluded herself into thinking that she had a chance, and there were a lot of them, was holding out, refusing to accept anyone's request with the hopes that she would be the one that Sesshoumaru would ask to the prom.

 

Like he was going to ask anyone! He wasn't even going to the ridiculous affair. It simply didn't rate his time and effort. No, he had much better things to do, like lusting after Kagome from the shadows. That was a much better use of his precious waking hours, his sleeping hours already completely devoted to nothing but her as well.

 

The situation was of course was driving every other guy crazy, making him both the most popular and most unpopular individual at the school at the moment. He was used to one, but the other was rather new to him, and Sesshoumaru found himself almost enjoying their frustration and jealousy. It wasn't his fault that the female population found him irresistible and preferred him to any other male specimen. Really, the other males should have gotten used to it by now, he would have thought. Still, every time a girl was asked to the prom and her answer was ‘I'll have to think about it,' somewhere in the school his name was cursed.

 

It was only fair, considering how many of them he'd silently cursed recently. He wanted to know just what made them begin to think they were good enough to even be in her presence, let alone escort her to the Junior Prom. The knowledge that he actually agreed with his half-brother about something simply served to irritate him further. Every time one of his classmates approached her a little part of Sesshoumaru died, wondering and yet knowing at the same time just how she'd respond if he did the same. He could never ask her for the time of day, let alone for a date, and it was painful to see over and over again that so many others had the confidence to at least try when he knew he never would.

 

Once again he had to grudgingly admit that he was thankful for her friends, especially Bankotsu, who seemed to be the one who Kagome deferred to as to who she would and would not date. To Sesshoumaru's great pleasure, not one male had been approved yet. Hopefully he would never live to see the day when one was, because he was certain seeing Kagome date someone other than himself would absolutely kill him.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

It was lunch time and once again Bankotsu was fending off suitors, much to his own amusement, this time leaving both Miroku and Inuyasha to keep his little Kagome company while she ate. Really, he would never get tired of telling guys that they just weren't good enough for her. Ever since they'd first made their arrangement, Bank had thoroughly enjoyed his self-assigned duty.

 

Most didn't even bother to approach her first anymore, instead coming straight to him to ask his permission, like he was her father interviewing the young men wishing to ask her hand in marriage. He took his task seriously, but even still, sometimes he stayed up late into the night just thinking of new ways to tell them all ‘no'. The times before dances were becoming his favorite times of the year.

 

Bankotsu looked over at the sound of Kagome's musical laughter and found himself intrigued. What in the world was his brother doing? Had Jakotsu lost his mind?

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Inuyasha was doing his best not to glare at Miroku, the monk having been the one today to score the seat beside Kagome. He was trying not to be bothered by all the guys' interest in his Kagome, really he was, but it was harder than he'd ever imagined possible. All he knew for certain was that they were all lucky he wasn't in charge of dealing with the horny bastards. If it was him, they wouldn't simply be walking away disappointed; they'd be walking away bruised and bloodied too.

 

It irked him at a very primal level to have so many males sniffing around her like she was a bitch in heat. Kouga was bad enough, and Inuyasha didn't know how much longer he could stand it without sinking his claws into at least a few of them. He knew Kagome didn't like it when he fought, but he had some seriously pent up rage just below the surface begging to get out.

 

Miroku barely noticed it at all anymore. Bank had it under control, and before she'd made friends with Inuyasha, he'd always been the one assigned to keep her safe while Bankotsu did the dirty work. He was simply used to it, hanging around trying to keep her from wanting to scream at the guys who kept interrupting her favorite time of the day, mealtime. Inuyasha would get used to it too eventually. It was just something that came with the territory, and being friends with Kagome was more than worth putting up with half the school chasing after her while the other half stewed in their jealousy.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes as she felt someone tap on her shoulder. A quick glance at Inuyasha and she knew he was not too far from jumping over the table to accost the one who dared lay a finger on her, and she turned to get it over with before the hanyou popped a vein trying to keep his anger under control. "What do you... Jak?" Kagome asked in confusion. "What the hell are you doing?"

 

There, kneeling at her feet was a very fancy dressed Jakotsu with a bouquet of yellow roses in one arm, a piece of paper in his other hand, and a huge grin on his face. "Just go with it, Babe," he chuckled before clearing his throat loudly and beginning to read off the paper he held, making sure everyone around could hear his every word, knowing he had their attention already.

 

"What greater beauty could there be but my brother's very best friend smiling back at me." When Miroku turned around and looked at him like he'd lost his mind, Jak fought back laughter to continue. "No other girl could ever do, not once I'd set my sights on you."

 

"What the fuck is this shit!" Inuyasha yelled, starting to stand but stopping like the wind had been stolen from his sails as Kagome waved him down with one hand, not even bothering to turn around to look at him.

 

Jakotsu continued to read his carefully thought out poem, knowing she would get it, even if no one else did, which was all that mattered.

 

"My oldest and my dearest friend,

One I can truly trust until the end,

Who would never misunderstand,

When I want to hold your hand,

 

Whose heart I could not break,

Who could never make this choice a mistake,

In search of she who would be most fun,

I knew that you could be the only one.

 

Would you make this lowly boy's

Hopes and dreams come true,

And say yes to what

I've come to ask of you?"

 

He handed the stunned silent Kagome the bouquet of roses, their color symbolizing true friendship, before taking her other hand in his. "Would you, Kagome, do me the honor of making me the luckiest and most envied and hated guy at the Prom by being my date?" For a moment she didn't react and Jakotsu was horrified that he'd just humiliated himself in front of the whole school, to be turned down flat by the one person he was sure never would, but when he saw the small smile growing on her face he knew he was safe.

 

"I don't have a poem prepared or anything," she said with a laugh, "but if a simple yes is okay with you, I'll give you that." She giggled as he swept her into his arms and twirled around several times until he risked getting dizzy and dropping her. "If I was who you were talking about," remembering his flattering words a few days earlier Kagome blushed a beautiful shade of pink, "then why didn't you just ask me then?"

 

"What, and not give you a moment worth remembering when asking you to your first prom? Never!"

 

Before anyone could get in a word or even a syllable, Jak had whisked her through the shocked crowd and out of the cafeteria, the two having lots of talking to do. The pair left behind a chuckling Miroku, a cursing Inuyasha, a smirking Bankotsu, a confused crowd, and one very upset taiyoukai who'd gotten an extra, albeit unintentional, kick in the teeth on their way by.

 

Jakotsu, with Kagome in his arms, had paused for just a second beside where Sesshoumaru sat and shot him a grin. Apparently the taiyoukai needed a little encouragement and he was going to be the one to give it since he knew no one else would dare. "You really should go ahead and ask whoever you're gonna ask to the prom. Everyone's waiting on you... Well, almost everyone," he added as he smiled at Kagome who smiled back beautifully.

 

He didn't have a moment to react before they were gone and even if he had, Sesshoumaru had no idea what he would have said. Kagome was right there, so he certainly didn't want to be rude and make an extra large ass of himself... again. However, it wasn't like he could just agree either. How could he when the only girl he would ever even consider asking to the prom was apparently the only one who wasn't waiting around for him? If only Jak had known...

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

"No! No fucking way in hell! I thought it was your job to keep them off her! I don't care if he is your brother! No goddamn way in hell am I letting him take her to the fucking prom, not if we can't go too!" Inuyasha was ranting and raving while pacing angrily back and forth across his bedroom floor. "I don't know him. I don't trust him. No! It's just not going to happen. It can't!"

 

"I don't know what your problem is! He's my brother!" Bankotsu was just as pissed. He couldn't believe the way Inuyasha was acting! Kagome would be perfectly safe with Jakotsu. "He's known her for as long as I have, a hell of a lot longer than you, by the way, and he loves her! He's not a threat to her!"

 

"Does he have a fucking dick?" The enraged hanyou paused for a second for emphasis before continuing. "Then he's a fucking threat to her!"

 

"Just what are you trying to say? You think Jakotsu is going to hurt her? He'd never do that! He'd never put the moves on her or do anything else inappropriate. She might as well be his sister!"

 

"If she's his sister, then why the hell is he asking her to the fucking prom?"

 

Deciding the yelling, which had been going on for nearly half an hour and was getting rather cyclical, had gone on long enough; Miroku cleared his throat hesitantly, wincing as two sets of angry eyes suddenly focused on him. "Perhaps the two of you are looking at this situation the wrong way. You both know that Kagome would not approve of your fighting, and it is likely pointless anyway."

 

"And why the fuck is that?" Inuyasha snarled.

 

"Do either of you recall Kagome asking the opinion of any of us before agreeing to Jak's request?" Seeing realization dawn in both his friends' eyes, he sighed, relieved they no longer looked like they wanted to kill him for daring to open his mouth. "Her mind has been made up. We all know that ninety-nine percent of the time Kagome happily defers judgment to one of us. We also know that the one percent she doesn't is absolutely non-negotiable. You could both talk until you are blue in the face and it will make no difference whatsoever. All you are doing is hurting your friendship, and in doing so, hurting both of your relationships with our dear Kagome. Just what would she say if she knew the two of you were acting like this?"

 

"He's right," Bank said, already regretting his anger. He should have understood why Inuyasha was so upset and at least introduced him to Jak before expecting him to accept it.

 

"Why does the monk have to make sense all the damn time?" Inuyasha snarled to himself. "Fine, if she's going no matter what then I'm gonna make sure everything is on the level."

 

Bankotsu had to hold back the desire to once again defend his brother, knowing it wouldn't do any good. "All you're gonna do is get on her nerves," he warned.

 

"Not if she don't know I'm there," the inu hanyou declared obstinately. "Just where did he take the wench today anyway?"

 

Miroku laughed. "They're having lunch to talk about their prom plans."

 

"What the fuck is there to plan?"

 

Bankotsu laughed. "With Jak? A lot."

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Once again Sesshoumaru found himself suffering the indignity of agreeing with his half-brother. He couldn't believe that they were just going to sit by and allow Kagome to go to the prom with anyone! He didn't care that it was Bankotsu's brother. It could have been his damn clone and it wouldn't have been okay in his eyes. Of course, in his eyes, Kagome should only ever date him, which sadly he knew was never going to happen.

 

‘Well, it seems that this Sesshoumaru is going to the prom after all,' he thought to himself, already dreading the hell that night would be.

 

Why did he torture himself? Why make himself watch her on a date with someone else? Why force himself to see her dance with another male when all he wanted was to hold her in his arms? Why? Apparently he was a glutton for punishment, because for the life of him, Sesshoumaru could not think of a single reason not to. He needed to be close to her: to see her, to hear her, to smell her, to absolutely wallow in her presence. Their surroundings while he allowed himself to do so were irrelevant.

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does.

 

 

Chapter  35 – Two Steps Forward

 

‘If I were to allow you control, will you return to ignoring and blocking me out or will you listen when I have a thought or suggestion?’

 

‘This Sesshoumaru has come to understand your value. You have shown me that you are not the wild animal I once believed you to be. You also seem to have a greater understanding of the miko, her thoughts, needs, and desires. It would be foolish not to take advantage of that.’

 

‘Finally, you have learned something. We are two parts of one whole and should be equals. If nothing else, our common goal, our shared need for and love of Kagome should be enough to ensure we work together.’

 

Inside, Sesshoumaru smiled. Already he felt better, accepting his beast as a part of him resolving some of the confusion and tension in his mind. He would no longer spend excessive amounts of time and energy on the efforts to block out the beast’s thoughts and ignore the pull of his instincts. Now if only he could get Kagome to agree to be his mate. Then everything, his whole life, would be perfect.

 

He was very much looking forward to regaining control and staying in his humanoid form. The short amount of time he’d had her in his arms earlier was nowhere near enough. Sesshoumaru wondered how things would change between them when she saw him in his usual form again. Would she still seem as comfortable in his presence as she’d been lately? He hoped she would. It would be wonderful to sit beside her and be surrounded by her calm aura rather than drowning in her nervousness.

 

The only downside he could think of in returning to his humanoid form would be the loss of physical contact, her touch. As he was she seemed to enjoy petting him, but he doubted that she would be willing to do so anymore when he was no longer covered in fur. He mentally smirked at the thought of her stroking his skin. She was more than welcome to touch him all she wanted. Plus, she’d said she was wondering if she would ever see him like that again, that he was sexy, as well as pretty much saying she wanted to kiss him. Would she kiss him then? She’d been pretty forward earlier, but then she had thought it was a dream. He couldn’t wait for their first kiss when she actually knew who she was kissing and knew she was awake.

 

After some consideration of both the pros and cons, as well as of what she and Jak had discussed, finally his beast decided it was time to hand over the reins. Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw to keep from screaming as the pain of the transformation washed over him. When he was himself again he threw on some clothes and headed to his first destination, the bathroom. He had a new appreciation for the wonders of indoor plumbing and he needed a shower too. He refused to see Kagome again for the first time in days while smelling like dog. He needed to make a good impression after all, and dog breath wasn’t it.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Kagome waved before closing the front door and making her way to the kitchen. Bankotsu was driving Jak home and apparently Miroku had spent the morning packing up her room so Bank was headed there afterwards to help transport her things. The miko smiled. There was at least one upside to their sneaking around. She didn’t have to pack. She hated moving, stuffing everything she owned in boxes. It was a pain in the ass and they were doing it for her. She wondered if they planned on unpacking everything too. A girl could hope.

 

Inuyasha and Shippo were sitting at the kitchen table when she entered and both males tensed until they noticed her smile, relieved that she no longer appeared to be on the warpath. As she dug around in the fridge she spoke. “So, you guys wanna tell me where in the hell you’re going to find room for me here?”

 

The kitsune and inu hanyou glanced at each other for a moment before Inuyasha answered. “You’re gonna be in the basement, but we’re making some changes to it first. It’s gonna be nice and comfortable for ya, Babe. You’re not still mad?”

 

Kagome grabbed a little container of yogurt and a spoon before sitting down with her friends. “No, I guess not. I know you’re trying to do something nice for me, but I really wish you would have at least told me.”

 

“You said you wished you could live with us. I don’t understand why you were so upset about it. It’s not like you would have said no if we’d asked you,” Shippo said, the confusion clear in his bright green eyes.

 

“I know, but that’s not the point. Being evicted and having to move are things I should be told about.  That and you know I don’t like it when you guys spend money on me.”

 

Inuyasha grabbed the container she’d been fighting with and sliced through the foil with a claw before handing it back to her. “You gotta get over that, Wench. We like spending money on you. If we want to spoil you then you should just enjoy it! You know Sesshoumaru’s gonna be like that too. Hell, even the shit he got you secretly was expensive. Where the hell is the furry assbag anyways?”

 

“Oh,” the miko mumbled around the spoon in her mouth. Pulling it out and pointing at her hanyou friend with it, she replied. “Stop calling him names. He’s asleep upstairs. Did one of you open the door and let him in there? I know I closed the door when I went in…”

 

“More like slammed it,” Inuyasha muttered.

 

“Whatever. Anyway, it was closed when I went to sleep but when Jak came up it was locked and Sesshoumaru was next to me, under the covers, asleep. Someone had to open the door for him… but even then, how the hell did it get locked?”

 

“I didn’t open it,” the hanyou said with a frown, still very much uncomfortable thinking about his brother in bed with Kagome, dog form or not.

 

“Me either and I know Bank didn’t. The last time I saw him was when he was sleeping on the couch, dreaming. You should have seen it, Kagome. He was whimpering and kicking his feet like he was chasing rabbits or something,” Shippo said excitedly.

 

“I told ya before, Runt. He wasn’t dreaming about chasing rabbits.”

 

Kagome grinned. “And how do you know what he was dreaming about, Inu? It’s so weird! I wonder how the hell he got in there! So, do I get to see the basement?”

 

“Nope, not ‘til it’s done,” Inuyasha said with a smirk.

 

“I don’t get any say in how it’s decorated then?”

 

“Nope, but don’t worry. Jak’s doing the decorating,” Shippo replied. “I really think you’ll like it.”

 

“Yeah, even if you don’t really need it anymore since you’re staying with the… I mean, with Sesshoumaru.”

 

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha’s attempt at good behavior. She knew it was hard for him to accept the possibility that she might be mating his brother and she knew it would be a while before he could totally break the habit of calling Sesshoumaru… well, anything but Sesshoumaru. “Just because I’m giving him a chance doesn’t mean I’m going to move into his room permanently, at least not right away. I’ll still need my own space. When’s the basement supposed to be done, anyway?”

 

“We wanted it to be done by Friday since that’s when you need to be out of your place, but now that you know I guess the deadline isn’t so important,” Shippo said thoughtfully.

 

“That don’t mean shit. We wanted it done Friday and it’s gonna be done Friday.  Dad’s gonna invite you over for dinner sometime this week. Is there a day you wanna do it or should I tell him any day is good?”

 

“Any day,” the miko said with a grin. She loved visiting his parents. His mother was really sweet and his father, he’d pretty much taken up the role of father figure in her life. It dawned on her then that if she did mate Sesshoumaru then Katsuro would really be her father, well, father-in-law. If she had to have in-laws she couldn’t pick a better pair than her friend’s parents. She suddenly remembered that she needed to call her mother. She hadn’t talked to her since the previous week so she had no idea that her only daughter just might be getting mated or that she was moving either. Mrs. Higurashi had some catching up to do.

 

Once she finished her snack, Kagome stood up and dropped her spoon in the sink and container in the trash before tweaking one of Inuyasha’s ears. “I’m gonna go upstairs and see if your brother’s awake yet. He said he would answer my questions and I’ve got a lot of them to ask.”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

The hot water felt wonderful on his skin and Sesshoumaru was once again mentally thanking whoever came up with indoor plumbing. Toothbrushes, too. He’d only been a dog for two days, but two days was more than enough and he was definitely enjoying his usual form. As much as he would have loved to stay in the steamy stall for hours he also wanted to hurry up and get out so he could find his miko. He was excited and nervous at the same time. What would she think? How would she react?

 

Kagome frowned when she reached the top of the stairs. She could hear the shower running, but Shippo and Inuyasha were downstairs, Miroku was at her place packing, and Bankotsu was driving Jak home. Who the hell was in the bathroom then? She walked slowly into the room she’d been using, expecting to find a large white dog still sleeping soundly in the bed or sitting there waiting for her. Instead she found the room empty and slowly the thought snuck into her mind that it had to be Sesshoumaru in the shower. How he’d managed to turn on the water though, since he lacked opposable thumbs at the moment, she had no idea.

 

Curiosity drew her to the bathroom door and she opened it slowly, the wall of steam colliding with her face making her squint momentarily. She failed to see the pile of clothes on the floor, instead completely dazed by the shadowy outline visible from behind the curtain. It was definitely not the shadow of a dog, but of a tall carved Adonis with long hair that had been haunting her dreams as of late. She knew she needed to turn around and leave but she couldn’t make her body obey the orders given by her mind.

 

Sesshoumaru tensed when he heard the door open, frozen further by her surprised little gasp upon realizing he was no longer a dog. This wasn’t quite the impression he was planning, but it worked. Hell, it was rather fitting considering him finding her in the shower two days earlier. He’d been granted a quick peek then. Perhaps she was deserving of the same now. He wondered if she was hoping for one just like he’d been praying for the momentary glance he’d gotten. Deciding he needed to find out, he pulled back the shower curtain just enough to peek out at her, seeing the surprise in her eyes.

 

“Sesshoumaru?” she breathed out in awed confusion. “You’re… how did you… when did you…” Her cheeks flushed a bright red as he smirked at her.

 

“Is everything alright, Kagome? You’re looking rather flushed.”

 

Kagome’s jaw just about hit the floor at his playful tone and when she finally managed to close her mouth a small smile played on her lips. “Well look at you, standing on two legs again. How’d you manage that?”

 

“My beast decided if you were willing to give us a chance that perhaps he needed to give this Sesshoumaru a chance as well.” Her smile widened and Sesshoumaru suddenly realized that she’d once again affected him like only she could. When she took a step towards the shower his eyes widened and he snapped the curtain closed, trying to will away his painfully throbbing erection and failing like always.

 

“I was wondering when I’d get to see you like this again… not that I want to see you naked in the shower… umm, I mean… not that I would mind seeing you naked… uh, wait, no, I mean… oh, fuck, Kagome, just shut up!” She clapped her hands over her eyes as her blush darkened to a nearly impossible degree and he chuckled.

 

“If you want to see this Sesshoumaru naked, you need only ask.”

 

Kagome turned around, her back to the shadow behind the curtain, and laughed. “God, can you say déjà vu? Why do I always seem to walk in on you taking a shower?”

 

“Perhaps you are just that lucky,” he said with a grin, not that she could see it of course.

 

“Yeah, and perhaps pigs could fly to the moon and bring back proof of life. I’m… I’m just gonna go… sit in your room… and try to get the blood to leave my face if at all possible.”

 

Before he could protest or agree or even think of a suitable reply the door swung closed and he let out a sigh. This was going to be harder than he thought. She still had the innate ability to make him into a tongue –tied stammering idiot and apparently he had the same affect on her.  How were they going to figure things out when neither of them could manage to form a coherent thought in the presence of the other?

 

Finally he managed to force himself from the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He glanced down at the clothes he’d thrown on for the walk from his room to the bathroom, finding them unsuitable for her to see him in. Besides, as he studied them with a frown his dripping hair managed to soak them completely. Deciding that there was no way in hell he was putting them on he tried to ready himself for seeing her again before sucking it up and striding across the hall.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Jak hadn’t stopped smirking since he’d gotten in the car and finally Bank couldn’t take it anymore. “What in the hell are you so fucking happy about?” His older brother turned to him, his smirk widening and his eyes absolutely dancing with mirth.

 

“I was wondering if you would ever ask. I had a good talk with Kagome. She’s not really mad at you guys anymore and I think I calmed some of her worries about Sesshoumaru and helped her to understand him better too.”

 

“That’s great, but that isn’t all of it, is it?”

 

“So very observant of you, little brother. She didn’t know it but he was only pretending to be asleep. I think he learned a lot about her and her feelings for him. He heard her worries and insecurities and now he knows what he needs to show her, what he has to prove to her if he wants her. You know, she’s had a crush on him for years and has always felt so guilty about it, like she was betraying Inuyasha by having feelings for his older brother when Sesshoumaru treated him so cruelly.”

 

“You mean she talked to you about it? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Bank asked, surprised and rather frustrated that his Kagome shared something with Jak that she apparently hadn’t felt she could talk to him about. He was her confidant!

 

“It wasn’t my place to. Besides, she didn’t want you guys to know about it. She was trying to ignore it, like it would just go away if she pushed it down far enough. I wish I had known how he felt about her though. Then I would have pushed her to allow herself to feel what she felt instead of trying to change it. I always suspected something would happen to bring them together. The way she described how it felt when their eyes first met, I’ve always thought it sounded like soul mates.”

 

Bank’s frown softened and his grip on the steering wheel loosened. He could understand why she’d trusted Jak with her secret and not him. She was embarrassed, ashamed even, and while she should have known he would never judge her he could see her point of view. “It is… soul mates I mean. Katsuro told us that Sesshoumaru having the syndrome meant that Kagome was Sesshoumaru’s soul mate. I wish he hadn’t tried to hide his attraction so much or that any of us had noticed the little hints. They could have had more than four happy years together instead of four lonely and miserable ones.”

 

“They have all the time in the world, once she mates him that is. She’s worried that it will be too fast, that she won’t be ready in time, but I know she is. She’s ready to be his mate right now, always has been.” Jak smiled. “Finally she can show the love she’s been trying to bury for so long. She’s going to be so happy and she deserves it.”

 

“Yeah, you’ve got that right. If anyone deserves to be happy it’s Kagome. I just hope for his sake she doesn’t find out he was faking it and listening in on your little chat.”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

There she was, sitting at the end of his bed with her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. For a moment he was afraid she was crying but when she looked up and their eyes met a giggle escaped her that quickly turned into a laughing fit. Unsure of what to do and more than a little uncomfortable that she seemed to be laughing at him, Sesshoumaru just stood there watching her.

 

Finally Kagome managed to calm her nervous laughter and she met eyes with the taiyoukai who appeared to be just as nervous. Her eyes were drawn to his chest as rivulets of water dripped from his bangs, making little trails over his pale skin, and Sesshoumaru watched as her tongue slipped out to wet her lips. It took everything he had not to pitch a tent in his towel. When her brain finally agreed to return to work she dragged her eyes off his body, his very, very, very distracting body. “I should probably… go… so you can… get dressed… or something,” she mumbled, sounding very much like her mind was far, far away and less than agreeable to the idea of leaving the room.

 

As she stood and started towards the door he just watched her, but when she purposely brushed against him slightly as she passed Sesshoumaru reached out and grabbed her arm, careful of his claws and his strength. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. He’d made a decision earlier while listening to her talk to Jakotsu and he intended to follow through with it.

 

Kagome gasped as electricity shot through her at his touch. She would never get used to that, the way every nerve in her entire body lit up with heat, a tingling sensation spreading through her like a wildfire in the dry season. Every time it happened it seemed a little more powerful and for a moment she wanted to smack herself. Why had she never realized? She knew from experiences over the years, though few and far between, that Sesshoumaru’s touch, hell, even just a glance was like lighting a match and she would go up like flash paper. Her mystery vampire, his touch had done the same but never once did she make the connection.

 

Sesshoumaru studied her face as she stared at him wide eyed. Her gasp had him worried, afraid that even with the care he took not to injure her that he had anyway. “Are you alright?” he almost whispered.

 

It took her a minute to figure out what he was asking but when she did she nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. You just… startled me I guess.”

 

“Kagome, please do not leave. There is something this Sesshoumaru would like to say to you and the sooner I do so the better.” When she nodded again he reluctantly released her; she backed up a few steps and sat in the comfortable leather chair at his desk.

 

“Alright,” she said nervously. Though he didn’t use the exact words, he might as well have just said ‘We have to talk,’ the death knell to any relationship. They hadn’t really even gotten started. Was it all a lie or a misunderstanding? Did he not want her after all? But he’d said… Kagome tried to shake her worried, cyclical thoughts and looked up at the taiyoukai still standing there with nothing but a towel hiding his incredibly sexy form from her, her eyes asking, begging for him to get on with it.

 

The taiyoukai took a deep breath and forced himself to look at her as he spoke even though he was dying to close his eyes and pretend he was just talking to the air in the room. He wanted to make sure she knew he was serious and if he couldn’t look at her while he said it he would have zero credibility.

 

“Never did this Sesshoumaru intend to bring you pain. I was certain that if you knew my identity you would turn me away, that it was better to have the short period of time together to remember forever than to ruin it by telling you who I was. This Sesshoumaru had no idea that you were hurt by my departure at the dance and at the party it seemed like you were angry, but not upset. I did not know. I should have noticed, should have seen it. I am sorry for hurting you, not only by masking my identity but also by hiding my attraction to you.”

 

Kagome sat perfectly still as he spoke, just taking in his words, determined to hear what he had to say… all of it… before she responded or reacted.

 

Seeing that she was not planning on speaking he continued. “This Sesshoumaru promises that I will never do so again, that I will never again build a wall between us, that I will never go back to the way I once was, not with you. I will not behave coldly and push you away because all I desire in the world is to have you close, to hold you in my arms. The wall of ice I built to protect myself from your rejection, when you admitted to having an attraction to this Sesshoumaru the world got a little warmer. When you said that I still had a chance the sun came out and the ice began to melt. Your smile, your touch…”

 

He paused for a moment, unsure of whether it was wise to say what he intended to. It was only a moment though as he remembered that he intended to be open and honest with her when given the chance. He had the chance now and he wasn’t going to waste it. “…your kiss, it is like you’ve taken a blowtorch to the frigid barrier between us until nothing remains of it but a puddle. Kagome, I promise never to hide from you again. It was foolish to do so and I have caused my own loneliness and misery. Already you have shown me so much, changed my perspective, my life so much.”

 

She didn’t know what to say, had no idea how to respond. He’d just said what had to be the most romantic thing she’d ever heard in her life and having it coming past the lips she was dying to kiss, words that she’d thought impossible spoken by the voice in her dreams was overwhelming. She wanted to laugh or cry or both and since she couldn’t decide she simply continued to look at him, a rather distracted expression on her face as her mind spun in circles trying to figure out what the hell the appropriate response was. Part of her wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms, declare her love, and kiss him senseless but she’d already promised herself that she would not be so easily won over, that he had to prove himself to her.

 

Everything was suddenly different between them again. When he’d been in his doggy form he’d been so much more approachable, so much less intimidating, at least for her. Sure, he was still quite dangerous looking as a big ass white dog with a temper to everyone else, but not to her. She could sit next to him and talk to him easily. She could even pet him! Now though, now he was the tall, incredibly attractive, imposing taiyoukai she’d always secretly lusted after that had never seemed to give her, or anyone for that matter, the time of day, though apparently he’d been doing much more than that secretly. She didn’t know how to talk to him. Flirting with him was suddenly so much more real and the very thought that he loved her and wanted her as his mate, well it was just fucking scary.

 

He could see the fear growing in her eyes and had no idea how to stop it. It was just what he’d worried would happen. Now that he was back in his usual form all the progress his beast had made with her was suddenly gone. He didn’t know how to handle the situation and for a minute he actually considered calling his beast out to take over once again. Finally though he decided to just listen to the creature’s suggestions and try. He had to at least try and make some progress of his own with her because no matter how easily she got along with his beast, she would still need to be comfortable in his presence as well if he had any hopes of making her his mate. He couldn’t spend the rest of his life on all fours using the yard as the bathroom!

 

“Kagome?” When she didn’t answer he slowly took a few steps towards her, seeing her eyes lose focus on his face and take up residence studying his chest instead. When a silly grin appeared on her face he knew she was off in La La Land. “Kagome,” he started with a smirk. “Do you see something you like?”

 

Instantly her attention returned to him as her cheeks flared a bright red and her eyes met his again. “Sorry. I just… I have no idea what to say to you, how to respond. I wanted you back like this but it… it almost feels like the last few days never happened or that I spent them with someone else.”

 

He closed the last of the distance between them and knelt at her feet, not minding the submissive position at all. He didn’t even give it a second thought. It simply felt right to be there, to look up to her with the adoration he felt for the little female. He wished he could lay his head in her lap and feel her fingers in his hair like he’d witnessed her do with each of her four devoted males in the past. Maybe soon she would be comfortable enough to do so with him, but he had to talk to her first. He had to make her comfortable in his presence again, to regain the ground he’d lost when he returned to his humanoid form.

 

“Kagome, I can assure you that everything my beast said, I feel. I agree with all of it. I have never desired anyone but you, beautiful little miko. I have dreamt of you at least twice a week and much more often every single night since I first laid eyes on you at your freshman orientation, though it was some time before I realized that it was you haunting my dreams. It didn’t seem possible at first when I started to figure it out but there is something about you, Kagome, something irresistible. I never desired any female before I saw you, found the thought of dating a waste of time, and once you entered my line of sight every other female in the world disappeared. I found myself unable to even respo…”

 

Sesshoumaru’s eyes widened as he realized what he’d almost said. It was incredible, talking to her, telling her things no one had ever known but him. It was like someone turned the faucet on full blast and then broke off the handle. He wanted to tell her everything and anything. He wanted to share every single thought, every experience; he wanted to share everything with her and it was nearly impossible to stop the flow.

 

Kagome gave him a confused look, wondering why he’d suddenly cut off mid-word and trying to figure out what he could have been saying that he stopped himself. She found that she wanted to hear everything. His voice was so incredibly delicious that it made her quiver slightly, like he was caressing her with just his tone. It was so deep and full of emotion she’d never heard from him before and she knew that he honestly meant every single word.

 

The way he looked into her eyes while he spoke made the whole world fade away around them and she wished he would go on forever. She barely knew him really, no one knew him, and she wanted to. She wanted to learn more about him, wanted to understand him, and she was really enjoying listening to him. The fact that he was basically worshipping her with his words was the icing on the cake, and what a yummy cake it was.

 

When he didn’t continue, just knelt there staring into her eyes, Kagome decided she would have to take charge of the moment. “You found yourself unable to even respo…? Respond? Why’d you stop?”

 

He broke off their eye contact and looked down at the floor between them. “This Sesshoumaru did not intend to tell you what I almost said, at least not yet. It is… it is rather embarrassing.”

 

Kagome’s heart clenched in her chest and she reached out with both hands, cupped his cheeks softly, and turned his face to meet eyes with her once more. “It’s alright. You don’t have to tell me that if you don’t want to. I just want you to keep talking. I want to know more about you, to meet the real Sesshoumaru.”

 

Her touch and gentle understanding words made every bit of the usually constant pain in his chest disappear completely and a small smile broke out on his face. “I do not think even I know the ‘real’ Sesshoumaru. Perhaps we can get to know him together.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” she whispered, watching his eyes for any reaction as she moved her fingertips along the stripes on his cheeks. When his smile widened she giggled. “I always wondered how they felt, your markings I mean. They’re soft, softer than your regular skin which is damn soft already. I’m jealous. I bet you don’t even use any skincare products, do you?” He shook his head and she growled playfully. “Damn demons get all the luck. Incredible hair, perfect skin, amazing eyes; it’s just not fair.”

 

Sesshoumaru brought his right hand up to gently touch the back of her left hand where it still stroked his stripes. “Your skin is flawless and it wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t, your eyes are beautiful and unique, and your hair… all of you is perfect, gorgeous. You are more attractive to this Sesshoumaru than any demoness I have ever laid eyes on.”

 

“You’re lying through your teeth,” she said with a little laugh, her eyes darting to his hand as it slid along her arm, sending a new wave of tingles through her. “But it’s sweet of you anyway.”

 

“This Sesshoumaru would never lie to you.”

 

Kagome smiled at him. “This isn’t so bad, nowhere near as awkward as I thought it would be. It… it feels…” she paused for a moment, studying his face. He wasn’t going to laugh at her or think she was being overly sentimental or mushy. He felt the same way. Her smile widened a bit. “It feels right, talking to you like this, touching you. Maybe Jak was right. Maybe this is fate. Sesshoumaru, why did you think I would never want you?” Suddenly her smile turned to a frown. “And how did you know I was worried about the wall of ice between us? Why did you describe it that way? Were you…? You were awake and listening to everything we said, weren’t you?”

 

There was a tinge of anger in her tone and Sesshoumaru mentally cringed. He’d been praying she wouldn’t notice the similarities between his words and the conversation he’d eavesdropped on between her and Jakotsu or that she would think it was merely a coincidence. Apparently he wasn’t that lucky.

 

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does.

 

Chapter 36 – The Perfect Dress for the Perfect Girl

 

 

“Okay, so I was thinking we could start at the biggies; see what their dresses look like this year, see if anything just calls out to us. If not, then we’ll check the smaller boutiques, which we should probably do before we settle on one for sure anyways, cuz they have more original, well, not really unique, but fewer of the normal boring same old dress your mother wore to her prom kind of thing, you know what I mean?”

 

Kagome shot a tired, pleading look at her friend sitting beside her in the driver’s seat. Jak was sitting in the middle of the backseat with his head right between them talking up a storm, and Bank could only laugh. “Okay, Jak, you’re gonna have to slow down just a bit. Kaggie’s not awake yet and if you keep moving at that pace before she finishes her first cup of morning sugar sludge you’re gonna be dateless awfully quick.”

 

The sleepy girl in question snorted a laugh into her coffee, barely escaping getting it all down the front of her, and shot Bank a glare. “I wouldn’t go that far,” she said before giving his arm a halfhearted smack. “And my coffee is not sludge!”

 

“Sure, Babe. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it the girl who’s supposed to be all excited about going to every single store trying on dresses while the guy drags his feet and complains?”

 

Kagome laughed. “That’s an easy one. Jak is the bitch in our relationship.” Her deadpan delivery had both brothers gasping for breath, everyone in the car lucky they’d been stopped at a red light at the moment.

 

“You know, you’d think I’d have a problem with that,” Jak joked. “Oh, the main entrance.”

 

“I know, I know,” Bankotsu nodded, turning the car towards their intended destination. He pulled up alongside the curb and got out to open Kagome’s door before she could blink. “You do have everything? Didn’t forget your wallet?” he asked as Jak climbed out of the back.

 

“I’ve got it. I am the older brother here. You always seem to forget that,” Jak said, faking annoyance.

 

“And you seem to forget that I’m the responsible brother, and the one usually responsible for the precious package I’m entrusting you with today.”

 

Jak stood at attention and mockingly saluted Bankotsu. “I’ve got it under control, Sir! The package will be returned safely as promised, Sir.”

 

Bank rolled his eyes. “Now are you sure you don’t want me to tag along?”

 

Jakotsu wrapped his arm around Kagome’s waist and pulled her to his side possessively. “No, I think that my date and I will be just fine, thanks big brother,” he teased.

 

Bankotsu gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before grudgingly getting back in the car, having talked them into letting him drive under the guise of saving them from searching for a parking space and lugging bags to the end of the lot when they finished. Jakotsu knew better, but humored his brother anyways. He knew it was difficult for Bank to let Kagome go, even for just a few hours, and Jak more than appreciated how hard he was trying.

 

As they walked towards the mall, Kagome laughed. “You’re enjoying tormenting him with that, aren’t you?”

 

“Hell, yes!” Jak laughed. “It’s not often I can so successfully get under my little brother’s skin and I’m gonna milk it for everything it’s worth.”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Bank was actually a little jealous, not that he wanted to admit it or anything. He was usually the one who tackled all the big firsts with Kagome and he’d fully expected to be the one, granted not the only one, but still the one to be escorting her to her first prom next year. Never in his life had he dreamt that his brother would get the pleasure instead.

 

He watched the pair walk towards the doors for a moment before pulling away from the curb. He turned a corner and once he was certain they couldn’t see him, Bank pulled out his cell phone and dialed. “Okay, I just dropped them at the main entrance, on the North side. You know, if she spots you she’s gonna know exactly what you’re doing and she’s not gonna be happy about it. When she catches you, keep my name out of it, ‘kay, buddy?”

 

Inuyasha scoffed. “The wench ain’t gonna catch me. I see ‘em. Thanks for the heads up.”

 

Closing his phone, Bankotsu frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know why the hell I’m helping you spy on my brother,” he mumbled under his breath before sighing and heading home. It would be hours until they were finished and would call for him to pick them up. It was going to be a very long day.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

“So, did you have anything in mind? A certain style you want to look at or maybe a color preference?” When Kagome lifted a brow in question, Jakotsu elaborated. “A-line, mermaid, empire waist, ballroom, strapless, backless…” After a few minutes, he noticed the detached look in her eyes and sighed. “Kagome?” When she didn’t answer, he tickled her side where his hand rested at the curve of her waist, immediately gaining her attention.

 

“What? What?” Seeing his frustrated glare, Kagome blushed sheepishly.

 

“Where did I lose you?” he asked, already forgiving her inattention.

 

“Ummm, right around when you said mermaid. It made me think of ‘The Little Mermaid’ and then I was gone. I’m sorry, Jak, really I am, but you know I’m not really into all this stuff. How the hell do you even know all that anyways?”

 

“I like fashion,” he stated matter-of-factly.

 

 “I guess so,” Kagome giggled. “Since you know so much and I don’t… Jakkie, it really doesn’t matter to me. I’ll be happy just finding something I look only slightly stupid in, so long as it’s not too expens…”

 

Jak cut her off. “Don’t say it! No, don’t even think it! I’m buying and I don’t want you to worry about price.”

 

Kagome groaned. “You know how I feel about this. I don’t think you need to waste your money on a dress I’m only going to wear once. It’s not a big deal.”

 

“Not a big deal? Kagome, this is your first prom and I’ll be damned if it isn’t a magical and memorable night!” She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her once more. “You and I both know that they’re probably never gonna find a guy good enough for you to date, and while I’m sure you are happy going to dances with all of them, it’s not the same. Your first prom should be special, and even if it isn’t that important to you, it is very important to me that you have the perfect night, and the perfect night includes you in what you think is the perfect dress. You’re wonderful for doing this for me and this is my way of thanking you, so please…”

 

“Jak, you don’t need to thank me. It’s not like I’m giving you a kidney. I’m letting you take me to a dance. You’re my friend. I don’t need anything in return for hanging out with you.”

 

He smiled at her. “Fine, even if you don’t think I need to do anything to thank you, I still do and I won’t be happy unless I do. You want me to be happy, don’t you, Kagome?” he asked teasingly. She let out an exaggerated sigh and nodded. “Good girl. Now, I want you to promise that you won’t worry about prices. Actually, I don’t want you to even look at the tags.”

 

“But…”

 

“No ‘buts’. If you look at the tags then you’ll be comparing by price even if you don’t mean to be. Now promise me.”

 

“Fine, fine, I promise I won’t look at the tags,” Kagome muttered while rolling her eyes. “Guys, I swear…”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Inuyasha was growling softly under his breath. How in the hell had Jakotsu managed to get her to let him pay and not even look at prices without a fight? He couldn’t take her to fucking lunch without Kagome wrestling him for the check, but this guy just tells her how it’ll be and she agrees? It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right, and it made him suspicious, not to mention insecure.

 

It was taking every ounce of the hanyou’s self control to keep from crossing the distance between them and demanding Kagome tell him just what the hell she was thinking before launching into a rather childish game of ‘If you do it for him then you have to do it for me too’. To be honest, that was what was bothering him the most, at least at the moment. Was Jakotsu’s money somehow better than his? Did she like him more because she’d acquiesced so easily? It was making him insane!

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

It was absolute torture, torment the likes of which he’d never before experienced. All the times he’d spent watching her, admiring her from the shadows, he’d always had one positive thought to fall back on, one thing that gave him an ounce of redemption. They weren’t supposed to allow her to date anyone… ever! He’d counted on their overprotective nature; depended on it to protect him from what he feared could truly kill him, seeing her with another.

 

Sure, he was aware that Jakotsu was supposedly taking Kagome as a ‘friend’. How could he not after hearing the half-breed and Bankotsu screaming at each other about it? Still, like Inuyasha, he was suspicious and didn’t buy it for a second. Why would Jak go to all the trouble of his overly romantic gesture of asking her to accompany him to the prom? Why write a poem and buy flowers if she was ‘just a friend’? And why couldn’t the fucker keep his hands off of her?!

 

He’d been watching from the moment they’d climbed out of the car and he was boiling with rage at the fool’s nerve. He held her close to his body, with either a hand resting on the curve of her hip or an arm around her shoulders, at all times. He’d even kissed her cheek! Sesshoumaru didn’t know how much more he could see before his heart leapt out of his chest and threw itself into the gears of the escalator in an attempt to end the pain.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Both inu brothers watched from the shadows as Kagome and Jak went from store to store, digging through racks in search of the perfect prom dress. Every time they found one worth trying on Jakotsu snapped a picture of her in it and Sesshoumaru used his camera phone to do the same, for his own personal stalker collection. He knew it was creepy but he couldn’t help himself. She looked amazing in each and he didn’t know what the pair intended to do with the photos they’d taken but he didn’t want to risk hoping she’d post them on her webpage and being disappointed.

 

After several hours of browsing, the two led their followers to the food court for lunch. Neither was paying much attention to their surroundings, both staring at where Kagome and Jakotsu sat while trying to find the best vantage point, when Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru walked right into one another. The taiyoukai wanted to smack his self for not noticing the hanyou’s presence so close. How could he be so oblivious?

 

Inuyasha’s eyes widened before narrowing and he hissed quietly, “Watch where the fuck you’re going, Asshole.”

 

Sesshoumaru smirked, quickly determining how to handle this situation. “Why, dear brother, are you whispering?” He took a very obvious glance around. “Is it possible that you do not want someone to know that you are here?” He allowed his eyes to stop on Kagome, not surprised in the least that Inuyasha’s suspicious and distrusting nature led him to follow her. “Ah, there is the little miko. But what are you doing over here when she is over there? Do you not normally accompany her?”

 

The scowl on the hanyou’s face was priceless. “It’s none of your damn business,” he growled a little louder than intended.

 

“Careful, Half-breed. You do not wish for her to discover your presence, now, do you? This Sesshoumaru is correct in the assumption that she has no knowledge of the fact that you are supervising her and her,” he glanced at the two again, “date, am I not?”

 

“You know what? Fuck you! We’ll deal with this later, at home,” Inuyasha snarled, careful to keep his voice down.

 

Normally, Sesshoumaru would have reveled in the chance to get the hanyou in trouble, but this time he decided to let it slide. He had his own reasons of course. First, if Kagome were to find out Inuyasha was watching her it would likely end the day and he wasn’t ready to go home alone. Second, as much as he hated it, he didn’t want the miko to be angry with the half-breed. He was dependent on her visiting Inuyasha and if they were not on good terms he would be less likely to see her, less likely to have her scent fill the rooms of their home for him to soak in upon her departure. No, he didn’t want Kagome angry with Inuyasha, no matter how fun it sounded in theory.

 

“This Sesshoumaru will be waiting, Half-breed.” At least now the taiyoukai had something to look forward to when he got home, a chance to kick the hanyou’s ass. He needed an outlet for all the frustration growing inside him watching Kagome with Jakotsu anyway. He stalked away, disappearing into the crowd before finding a new, better camouflaged location to keep an eye on the miko, vowing to pay more attention to his surrounding from that moment on. Inuyasha would get suspicious if he spotted him around Kagome again and he couldn’t risk it.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Kagome lifted her head and looked around in confusion for a minute before returning her focus to Jakotsu’s camera screen as they tried to decide which dress they liked the best.

 

“Kagome?” Jak asked.

 

“It’s nothing. I just… for a second I thought I heard Inuyasha, but I can’t think of any reason for him to be here. I must have imagined it.”

 

Jakotsu smirked, well aware of the presence of the hanyou that had been following them all morning. “Yeah, you must have. So, what’re the favorites?”

 

The miko scrolled through the photos, showing him one every few shots when she found one she especially liked. “There’s one that I think I like the best, but… I mean, did I look alright in it? I don’t want to look stupid in front of everyone.”

 

“I don’t think you looked stupid in any of them.” When she frowned at him he sighed. “Which one?” He looked over the image on the screen carefully, as if evaluating every feature, before letting out an exaggerated purring sound. “You looked incredible in that one. They’ll need mops to keep everyone from slipping on all the drool when they see you in that.”

 

Kagome blushed. “So then… you like it?”

 

“Baby, if you weren’t my brother’s girl…” he trailed off with a wink.

 

The miko smacked his arm playfully. “Yeah, yeah. If I wasn’t Bank’s girl, what? You know you don’t see me that way.”

 

Jakotsu laughed. “Alright, you got me, but if any girl at the prom was gonna turn me on it would be you.” He frowned for a moment as he wondered why he’d said it quite like that before Kagome distracted him from his thoughts. “Then that’s the dress for us, huh? So let’s go buy it before someone else does and start picking out all the accessories.”

 

“Accessories?” Kagome groaned playfully. “Will this hellish day of shopping never end?”

 

“Well, you could go barefoot, and I’m sure I’ll have pockets if you need to take anything with you, and you are beautiful without any fancy jewelry and shit… If you really wanna…”

 

Kagome grabbed his elbow and tugged him to his feet. “Just shut up already. Let’s go buy me pretty things.”

 

“That’s my girl!”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Miroku looked at Bankotsu, where he sat beside him on the couch staring blankly at the television. “You know she’s perfectly safe with Jak, right?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know that. That’s not… I’m just…”

 

“You’re just…” Miroku prodded for a moment. “You’re just jealous, right?”

 

“No! I’m not jeal…” Bank started to protest.

 

“I am too, you know.”

 

“Wait, what? You are?”

 

Miroku smirked. “Of course. He’s got her all to himself and, well, I always thought we’d take her to her first prom. Still, it’s good that Jak’s taking her.”

 

Bankotsu frowned. “And just why is it good?” he asked skeptically.

 

“Because it’s her chance to be even semi-normal for once. I know she’s happy going with all of us, but it’s different, going with a date instead of with an entourage. She’ll have a nice time without all three of us hovering over around trying to keep the big bad world from getting her.”

 

Bankotsu let out a sigh before leaning back into the couch. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. You know, she is absolutely going to skin Inuyasha alive if she catches him following her. I tried to warn him.”

 

“Like he would listen to us,” Miroku said with a laugh. “That guy has to learn everything the hard way.”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

“I don’t know why you think we need to do this. It fits fine just the way it is.”

 

Jakotsu rolled his eyes before turning his attention to the woman standing beside him. “It does fit nicely, but I think it could use a few touches.” He placed his hands gently on the curve of Kagome’s waist, allowing them to slide over the satiny fabric. “Take it in just a tad here.” The woman nodded and wrote quickly on the notepad in her hand.

 

Jak took a step back and looked over his date from head to toe before moving behind her. “The straps are just a little too long.” Kagome laughed as his fingertips walked along her sides to encourage her to raise her arms and the seamstress’s eyebrows lifted in surprise as his hands cupped her breasts, moving them slightly. “I think maybe half an inch? What do you think, Kaggie? Don’t want too much cleavage but too little isn’t any good either.”

 

The miko studied herself in the mirror, rather amused by the expression on the woman’s face as she put her hands over Jakotsu’s, adjusting a bit more until her breasts looked perfectly framed by the fabric. “There I think. I guess you’re right about the straps. It’s not like I can wear a bra with this thing.”

 

“Umm…,” the woman stuttered for a moment. “Let me grab a few pins. Can you… stay like that?” she asked hesitantly.

 

Jak grinned. “I don’t mind if you don’t, Babe.”

 

Kagome giggled as they both watched her rush into the back of her shop. “You know Bank would cut off your hands if he could see you right now.”

 

“Ah, but there is the important distinction. He can’t see me right now, can he?”

 

“And what’s to keep me from telling him?” she teased.

 

“The desire for your prom date to actually be able to dance with you? Or because you think her reaction is more than worth it.”

 

“Hmm,” Kagome hummed. “You’d think she’d never seen a guy grab a girl’s tits before.”

 

“Well, probably not in that context anyway.” The two fell silent as the seamstress bustled back into the room to pin the straps in place, both finding it difficult not to laugh aloud.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Inuyasha was moments from revealing himself and kicking some ass. How dare Jakotsu touch her?! It was bad enough he had his arm around her, kissed her cheek, and held her hand, but this… And why the hell wasn’t she stopping him? Even though she was used to having three guys around all the time to protect her, she could still more than take care of herself and if anyone else had… had… groped her like that, well, she would have knocked them into next week where he’d be waiting to finish the job. Instead she was acting like everything was perfectly fine!

 

Bankotsu would be getting an earful, that’s for sure. There was no way his brother had innocent intentions for Kagome. Going to prom as ‘friends’ certainly didn’t include making it to second base! Something sinister was going on and now he had proof! ‘Wait, proof!’ the hanyou thought to himself, whipping out his cell phone and snapping a picture, for a second considering himself lucky that they’d held the pose for so long until he remembered exactly what pose they were in at least. Let’s see Bank make excuses for this one!

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

The pain in his chest was worse than he’d ever experienced before, seeing her allowing another to touch her so intimately. If it wouldn’t have made her hate him more than she already did, Sesshoumaru would have already killed the offending male. As it was though, he could barely breathe until Jakotsu’s hands left her perfect breasts, and even then his beast was raging in his mind. The taiyoukai was nearly catatonic for the remainder of the fitting, finally snapping out of it in time to follow the couple, who he now did not doubt were indeed a couple, to another store.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Picking out Jak’s prom attire hadn’t taken nearly as long as hers. It hadn’t been easy to get her to accept the fact that he fully intended to purchase the perfect jewelry to compliment the perfect dress, but eventually Kagome caved to Jakotsu’s will. She didn’t bother to protest about the shoes and bag, but she did demand to know just why she needed a salon appointment for the morning of the prom. She could do her own hair! However, once he’d finished his spiel about how she deserved to be pampered she gave in. Who was she to complain? She hated doing her own nails and makeup, so why not let someone else do it for her for a change?

 

It was getting dark by the time they were sitting on a bench outside waiting for Bankotsu, and Kagome leaned her head on Jak’s shoulder with a yawn. “Thanks, Jakkie. I think this is gonna be a lot of fun.”

 

“I think so too. I can’t imagine anyone else I could possibly have a better time with than you. You’re going to be the most beautiful girl in the place.”

 

“Nah, but it’s sweet of you to say so anyway. Jak… so you really don’t like any of the girls at school?”

 

He looked contemplative for a moment before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Kaggie, I don’t think I like girls at all.” Kagome opened her mouth to reply but closed it again as a car pulled up alongside the curb. “Don’t… Don’t say anything to anyone, okay, Babe? Especially Bank.” She nodded and they both rose.

 

Miroku climbed out of the passenger seat and Kagome gave him a quick hug before surprising him by climbing into the back, Jak following behind. She was always given the front seat, but apparently she didn’t want it this time around.

 

Both of her friends began questioning her about the day, but their voices were just background noise as she watched Jakotsu. He looked so nervous and insecure, worried, like he regretted his words and she had to reassure him. Kagome wrapped her arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek before whispering in his ear, “It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. I still love you.” The look of relief in his eyes made her heart ache for him.

 

“Kagome? Kagome, is everything alright?” Bank repeated for the hundredth time, trying to interpret the strange looks he could see in the rearview mirror being shared between his brother and his best friend.

 

Finally she snapped out of it and realized that both Bankotsu and Miroku were now obviously concerned. Needing an excuse, she grinned at them. “Sorry, I was just thinking. I’m hungry. Let’s grab some burgers.”

 

Miroku laughed and Bank shook his head in amusement. “Didn’t you get enough junk food at the mall? No burgers. We need to put some real food in you.”

 

“That works too, so long as we get some food in me soon! I’m surprised Inu isn’t with you two.”

 

The two males in the front seat glanced nervously at each other for a moment before Miroku spoke. “Oh, well, he had… something to do today.” He knew it didn’t sound convincing, but lying to Kagome was not his forte.

 

“Oh well. Too bad for him I don’t feel like waiting for him to meet us.”

 

“When do you ever feel like waiting when food is concerned? He won’t mind. He’s busy anyway. Now, tell us all about it. Did you find a dress?”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Sesshoumaru watched as the love of his life climbed into the backseat of a car with another male, the two sitting far too close together for his comfort. He had gotten used to seeing her touching her other friends, his brother included, but Jakotsu was a different story and he was having a much harder time making the pain in his chest fade away. He had to think of something, of some way to fix this. He wouldn’t survive if she really started dating this guy. No, he had to figure something out.

 

A small smile pulled at his lips. He was sure that Inuyasha had seen everything that he had that day, including the less than friend-appropriate touching. He knew how suspicious he already was as to Jakotsu’s intentions. Maybe the half-breed would solve his problem for him.

 

The taiyoukai let out a miniscule sigh before turning and heading back inside. He had a few things to pick up and he certainly didn’t want to make a second visit if he didn’t have to. Oh, the things he would do for just a glimpse of Kagome. Damn, he hated the mall.

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does. I make no money from these fics.

 

 

Chapter 37 – The Chase is Half the Fun

 

 

Sesshoumaru had no idea what to say. Did he deny it? Did he just come out and admit it? To be honest, listening to her talk to someone else pretty much came naturally to him after his years of lurking in the shadows. He’d perfected the art of getting close to her without her knowledge while seeking out her scent and the sound of her voice, both of which seemed to ease the pain somehow and made his life almost survivable. He hadn’t even considered the consequences of her finding out, never thought about the possibility of her being pissed if she did.

 

Kagome sighed. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I didn’t ask if you were awake, just assumed you were sleeping. You’ve always been resourceful.”

 

He turned nervous golden eyes to study her face. “Resourceful?”

 

She gave him a wicked smirk and reached to the side. He almost whined at the loss of her touch but held it back since her other hand was still pressed to his cheek, though the pleasant stroking had stopped, and he watched as she nudged the mouse just enough to bring the computer out of sleep mode. When the screen lit up there were suddenly two of her looking at him, one with a brilliant smile on her face and the other with what looked like a rather dangerous grin. “Look what I found when I went to do some research for class.” She clicked the taskbar, bringing up his internet history. “Seems like you spend a lot of time on my site, especially the photo albums. Tell me Sesshoumaru, I’m so very curious. What are you doing while browsing through my pictures?”

 

He was frozen; petrified that she was upset about it. He couldn’t determine whether she was kidding or if she was really angry so he had no idea how to proceed. The last thing he wanted to do was respond the wrong way. If she was playing around and he answered seriously he would look like an idiot, but if he tried to play it off as nothing or made a joke about it, which he wasn’t sure he even knew how to do, and she was serious… well then he was fucked, or not fucked really.

 

He felt ready to explode, all the sexual tension building up to a ridiculous extent. He really needed to do just what she was asking about because he hadn’t been able to do so when he was in his canine form and she already had him hot and bothered even though he hadn’t been in his humanoid form for more than half an hour. After the incredibly pleasurable make out session that she thought was just a dream, well, it certainly hadn’t helped things. Now she was basically asking him if he was jacking off to her photos! How the hell do you respond to that? ‘Why yes, Kagome, this Sesshoumaru does quite often pleasure myself while admiring your body in your online photo albums and imagining that it is your hand touching me.’ Like hell! He couldn’t say that!

 

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru panicked silently, enjoying watching him flounder. It was so odd to see actual emotions on his face. Finally she decided he’d suffered enough and let out a little laugh. “You do realize I’m not going to freak out and purify you or anything. Geez, Sesshoumaru. You need to relax a little!”

 

The taiyoukai let out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t angry. The little miko was teasing him! “Kagome, you must understand, the last thing I wish to do is upset you. Perhaps I should not have listened to your conversation, but this Sesshoumaru learned a great deal by doing so. Your worries and confusion were a large part of my beast allowing me to regain control.”

 

“I’m glad he did,” Kagome said softly while her free hand, the one not touching his face, reached out hesitantly before being pulled back.

 

It was Sesshoumaru’s turn to grin. “If you wish to touch this Sesshoumaru, you are more than welcome. I will certainly not protest.”

 

“I don’t imagine you would,” she said with an adorable blush staining her cheeks. “It’s just… I’ve never… just curious… I… Gah, I can’t even talk!”

 

“You are not the only one. This Sesshoumaru finds it very difficult to form coherent thoughts, let alone speak, while in your presence.”

 

“Gee, that’s really helpful, huh?” Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement and Kagome laughed. “Why is this so hard? I mean, I know you like me. You know I like you. What are we so damn nervous about?”

 

“Honestly?”

 

“No, lie to me, Sesshoumaru. Please, lie to me.” She laughed and Sesshoumaru allowed his shoulders to relax just a bit. She was right after all. They didn’t need to be nervous, or at least not as nervous as he was feeling at the moment.

 

When her hand reached forward hesitantly again he caught it before she could pull it back, guiding it towards him, laying her open palm on his chest where her eyes were once again locked. “This Sesshoumaru is nervous because I have no idea how to talk to you and I fear I will say the wrong thing or upset you in some way.”

 

Kagome moved her hand slightly on his chest and smiled. “You don’t have to worry so much. I’m not going to get pissed and never talk to you again. Your one chance has some wiggle room. I don’t expect you to be Prince Charming, Sesshoumaru, and pretending to be isn’t a good idea. I want to get to know the real you, not the you that you think I want. Besides, if I can put up with your brother I’m sure I can put up with you. Hmmm, all of you is soft,” she said thoughtfully as she trailed her fingers over silky smooth skin stretched tight over hard muscles.

 

Sesshoumaru smirked. “That, dear Kagome, is not quite true.”

 

She looked at him in confusion for a minute before blushing bright red again. “You’re a big perv, aren’t you?” she teased. “Who would’ve thought?”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

“Okay, so you’re telling me that Jak knew Kagome had feelings for Sesshoumaru all this time and never said anything to you, and Kagome didn’t either? Why in the hell did she trust him with her secret and not us? I don’t understand.” Miroku sounded rather wounded, and not his playful, fake wounded either. Bankotsu had just finished relaying the conversation he’d had with his brother while the two carried boxes from the house and loaded them into the back of his car.

 

“Jak didn’t say anything because she made him promise not to, and I kind of get it. He said she’s felt guilty about her feelings the whole time, like she was betraying Inuyasha. I’m not surprised she was ashamed to tell us. Jak, well, Jak is the closest thing she’s ever had to a real girlfriend that she could gossip with about boys and crushes and stuff. Her being friends with us made it impossible for her to successfully form strong connections to other girls, ya know. She trusts him, probably just as much as she trusts us.”

 

“This has got to be hard for her then, feeling like she’s stuck between the two of them. The way Sesshoumaru treats Inu… I’ll never understand it, but I don’t know how this is going to work if it continues. Kagome can’t stand it when people hurt Inuyasha, so she won’t be able to just sit and listen to him insult her friend, even if Sesshoumaru is her mate. I don’t see him changing his ways either, though. Yeah, okay, so there are feelings inside that he’s been hiding, but there’s one feeling he’s never hidden and it’s his hatred for his half-brother.”

 

“I don’t think he’s stupid,” Bank said with a grin. “I think he’s realized by now that she will never choose him over any of us, not with the history we have together. Even if he never changes the way he feels, I bet you he changes the way he acts pretty damn quick. Even he doesn’t want, no, he especially doesn’t want her angry with him, not now when his life is at stake. This girl has too much stuff!” he laughed. “I think we’re gonna have to take a couple trips. Not much else is gonna fit this time around.”

 

Miroku sighed and stretched his sore muscles. “Well, it’s fine with me. I’ve got a class to get to anyway. You mind dropping me off? I really don’t want to have to walk right now. Not only does she have a lot of stuff; it’s damn heavy and I’m the only one without superhuman strength on my side.”

 

Bankotsu snorted before jogging to the front door of the quickly emptying house, locking it up tight while Miroku delicately lowered himself into the car like he was eighty. Jak wasn’t the only one with a flair for the dramatic.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Kagome laughed at the strange look on Sesshoumaru’s face. “It’s too late now. Don’t even try and deny it!”

 

Seeing that she apparently didn’t think that him being a ‘big perv’ as she put it was a bad thing he smirked at her, a fang peeking over his bottom lip, before leaning down to trail his tongue along the wrist of the hand still hesitantly caressing his chest. “Perhaps you are correct, Kagome, but only when you are concerned.” She shivered at the contact and his smirk widened. He pressed a gentle kiss to the inside of her other wrist, wishing more than anything that he could kiss her soft sweet lips.

 

It took quite a bit of effort to push away the fog of arousal creeping into her mind, but she managed to shake it enough to look at him seriously. “Sesshoumaru, do you wanna… maybe go for a walk… so we can talk, get to know each other better?”

 

He fought back the frown that wanted to show on his lips. No, he didn’t want to go for a walk. He wanted to toss her on his bed, rip his towel and then her clothes off, and kiss every inch of her body. He knew, however, that she was nowhere near ready for that, that she needed more time to be comfortable in his presence even if she wanted him as badly as he wanted her, and her scent was telling him just that.

 

He nodded, the smile that spread across those tempting lips making all the frustration worth it. He made her smile, he did, not his brother, not the monk, the kitsune, or the human that was apparently only half human after all. Sesshoumaru made her smile, not his beast. Finally he made her smile, made her happy, and doing so made him happy as well.

 

“I’ll let you get dressed then,” Kagome almost whispered before standing and slipping past him. He whimpered when her hands left his cheek and his chest, the sound escaping before he could stop it. Without that contact he suddenly felt so very alone and he whimpered even louder as the pain in his chest began to return. She froze in her walk towards the door and turned around; finding him still on his knees where she’d left him. “Are you alright?”

 

Sesshoumaru wanted to smack himself for letting out such a humiliating sound. Pulling himself to his feet with his back still to her he answered softly. “This Sesshoumaru is fine.”

 

“You know when I told you to lie to me I was kidding. That was not a ‘fine’ sound.” She took the few steps back to where he stood and after hesitating for a moment laid on hand on his bare back gently, her fingers tangling in his wet hair. She could feel as the tight muscles in his back relaxed. “Can I brush your hair?” she almost whispered, sensing that he really didn’t want her to leave his side just yet. “It’s so pretty and there’s so much of it.”

 

“If you wish to.”

 

His voice sounded a bit less tense and she smiled. Jak was right. He seemed to almost ache for her touch. The thought of just how alone he must have felt for so long brought the tears from earlier back to her eyes. “Why don’t you throw some pants on so I can use the towel to dry it? If we’re going for a walk you don’t want to have soaking wet hair. It’s starting to get cold out.” When he nodded she trailed her fingertips down his back softly. “Call me when you’re ready. I’ll be right outside.”

 

She hoped that the knowledge that she was coming back and would soon be touching him again would help and when she walked away this time there was no heart-wrenching sound of misery, something she was thankful for. It had sounded like he was in actual physical pain, just the thought of which made it feel like her heart was being crushed in a vise. It took everything she had to hold in a whimper of her own as she closed the bedroom door quietly, leaning against the wall in the hallway. Kagome closed her eyes tightly and slid down until she was sitting on the floor with her legs folded against her chest, fighting back the tears as best she could.

 

On the other side of the closed door Sesshoumaru was rushing around the room, drying himself as much as possible without touching his hair, wanting to leave it just as it was for her. The wetter it was the longer she would be touching him. He dug around in his underwear drawer for a minute before pulling out a pair of boxers with a smile. He always saved them for special occasions, not wanting them to ever wear out. He pulled on the dark red boxers covered with little white puppies lovingly before regretfully covering them with a pair of jeans. He grabbed a brush and tossed it to land on top of his towel on the bed before heading to the door to get her back. He already missed her and she’d only been on the other side of the door for less than two minutes.

 

When he opened the door Sesshoumaru looked around in confusion, his chest tightening at the thought that she’d left. It tightened further though once he spotted her. She was curled up in a tight little ball, arms wrapped around her legs and her face in her knees, and when he knelt down beside her the scent of her tears assaulted him. “Kagome?” he said softly, having absolutely no idea why she was crying but needing to fix whatever the problem was. She didn’t look at him, didn’t even move or acknowledge his presence in any way, and he watched in silence for a moment as her shoulders shook slightly. “Kagome?”

 

When she still didn’t answer him, the taiyoukai allowed instinct to drive him and scooped the little miko into his arms. Her arms loosened and let go of her legs, allowing him to lift her easily, and he carried her into the bedroom, closing the door with his foot behind them. He sat at the end of his bed with the love of his life limp in his arms, her face tilted purposely away from him as she refused to allow him to see her tears. He carefully arranged her in his lap so that one arm held her securely, leaving the other to turn her face carefully so he could look at her.

 

“Kagome, why are you crying? What did this Sesshoumaru do wrong?”

 

Her tightly closed eyes popped open at his question and finally she looked at him. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” Her eyes widened as his head leaned down, surprised as he licked the trails of tears from her cheeks.

 

“If this Sesshoumaru did not make you cry then why?” he asked softly, his lips brushing against her cheek as he spoke. “Please, your sadness hurts me. Tell me how to fix it.”

 

A small smile pulled at her lips and she let out a little laugh that was cut off by a hiccup. “You can’t fix it. It’s my fault. All this time you were alone. All this time you watched me with them. All this time and I never noticed. How could you stand it?”

 

He pressed a soft kiss to each cheek before pulling back slowly to meet eyes with her. “In my mind I had no other choice. It was better to watch you from the distance than to not see you at all. Please do not cry over the past. It was not your fault. This Sesshoumaru should have trusted in you. I should have known you wouldn’t turn me away or at least have given you the choice. The past is over. All that matters to me is now and the future.”

 

Kagome threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. “I wish you had,” she mumbled, hiccupping from time to time. “I wish you’d told me a long time ago. Sesshoumaru?” His arms wrapped around her back and he held her close as she cried against him. “The syndrome, does it hurt?”

 

He didn’t want to answer her. He didn’t want to tell her that he’d spent the last four years in pain that grew worse over time until it was excruciating. He didn’t want to give her another thing to be upset about, another reason to blame herself. She was crying for him, for his loneliness. She didn’t need to be crying for his pain as well. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to lie to her, not now that they were making some kind of progress. He couldn’t risk her trust so early in their relationship.

 

“Yes, it can be painful.”

 

“What’s it like?” she whispered. “How does it hurt?”

 

“Promise this Sesshoumaru that you will not cry for me.”

 

Kagome sniffled and her arms tightened around him. “I can’t.”

 

“There is nothing that can be done about what has already passed.” When she didn’t make a sound, besides the sniffling and hiccupping that is, he sighed and continued. “It feels as if there are bands of steel tightening around my heart. The thought of you, hearing your name, catching your scent, anything could make it worse, but it could also make it better. Your smile can take it all away but your tears, Kagome; knowing that I am the cause of your tears is killing me. Please do not cry.”

 

She immediately did her best to stop, staring into his eyes as she wiped at her damp cheeks with one arm. “I don’t want you to be in pain anymore, never again. How… tell me how I can make sure it stays away.”

 

He smiled lovingly at her concern for him. Her words alone had dissolved the bands and he could only hope they would stay gone. “If I knew how to guarantee it would not return I would tell you. It seems to be connected to how you feel, how you see me, or at least how I interpret your feelings to be.

 

“When you were angry with me, when I was a fool and threw your offer of friendship back in your face and you stood up to me like no one ever has… I had never experienced such pain before in all my life because I was certain at that moment you hated me and that I had ruined my one and only chance to show you I could be something other than the jerk you knew.

 

“When your eyes lock with mine and you smile, really smile at me, the pain disappears as if it never existed. The thought that there really is a chance, that you do have feelings for me and that I haven’t ruined everything, it lifts a weight off my shoulders I’d forgotten was even there, it’s been there so long. I feel like I can actually stand up and not be dragged back down by the misery of the prospect of a life without you.”

 

Kagome sniffled. “If you want me to stop crying and not start again I would stop being so damned romantic,” she said through soft laughter. “We can’t do this.” When she saw the panic spring to life in his eyes she quickly continued. “I mean we can’t just sit here and talk like this or I won’t be able to not cry and I don’t want to cause you more pain.” Her eyes were drawn to the messy crown of silver surrounding his worried face and she smiled. “Let me down so I can brush your hair, okay?”

 

Sesshoumaru was very reluctant to release her, wanting nothing more than to hold her close to his body forever. He did, however, wonder what it would be like to have her groom him as he’d watched her do for the others with jealousy for years. In the end, curiosity won out and he released her carefully. He studied her with interest as she grabbed the towel and the brush, crawling up on the bed to kneel behind him. She started drying his hair from the bottom, leaning in closer the higher she got until her breasts were pressed into his back and he was fighting to keep from turning around and kissing her senseless.

 

“How do you manage with so much hair all by yourself? Inuyasha and Shippo can’t brush their own hair without ripping half of it out and yours is probably twice as long.”

 

“This Sesshoumaru’s hair is very easy to care for.”

 

“Maybe because it’s so straight. You know, I used to think that even your hair was afraid of you, so it refused to misbehave.”

 

“Afraid of me?” he asked, half amused, half bothered by the thought of her being afraid of him as well.

 

“You are going to have to learn to tell when I’m kidding,” she said with a giggle before tossing the towel to the floor, picking up the brush, and beginning her task. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”

 

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to have you do so.”

 

Kagome laughed. “We’re not the brightest of the bunch, huh? It’s really frustrating. All this time… All this time you and I both spent thinking the other would never… that there was no chance. Sesshoumaru?” she paused. “Promise me that from now on you’ll tell me what you’re thinking?”

 

“So long as you do as well,” he answered, turning to look at her over his shoulder.

 

“Well, right now I’m thinking that I would kill for your hair. Mine is always getting tangled up.”

 

“This Sesshoumaru would be more than happy to assist you with your grooming. I have been dreaming of running my fingers through your hair for years, literally.”

 

“I might just let you,” Kagome said with a grin before returning her attention to his damp silver strands. “If you’re a good boy, that is.”

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Kagome looked around in confusion, wondering just where Inuyasha and Shippo had snuck off to. A quick glance at the demon at her side and she knew. Shaking her head, she walked over and opened the basement door, yelling down to her friends and laughing as she heard Inuyasha’s angry cursing.

 

“Don’t you dare take one step down here, Kags,” the hanyou yelled from where he stood in the middle of a mess, ‘organized chaos’ Jak had called it. She knew better! She wasn’t allowed down there yet!

 

“I’m not, I’m not! I’m not even looking down the stairs. Sheesh, don’t get so worked up. It sounds like you’re having some kind of secret ritualistic orgy down there. You know, Inu, it really isn’t fair to do those kinds of things without Jak.” The sounds of Shippo’s laughter made her smile.

 

“Just shut the hell up, Wench!”

 

Kagome felt as Sesshoumaru bristled beside her and put a hand on his arm, trying to both calm him and let him know everything was fine. “Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to tell you guys that Sesshoumaru and I are going to take a walk.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “Fine, fine, go! Go take your puppy dog for his walkie walkie,” he said teasingly.

 

Kagome grinned darkly, letting Sesshoumaru know she had no intention of letting her rude friend in on the fact that he was no longer a dog at all. He smirked at her, knowing that it ensured their privacy since Inuyasha would certainly object to her being alone for any amount of time with the real Sesshoumaru. He still couldn’t bring himself to trust his older half-brother, especially not with her safety, and would probably follow them out of a misguided need to protect her. No, it was better he didn’t know quite yet.

 

“On my way!” she yelled back before closing the basement door, turning on her heels, and heading towards the front door, Sesshoumaru a few steps behind her.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

They were walking side by side and it was killing him not to be touching her, but he had no idea how to even begin to go about resolving the situation. With a small shrug of his shoulders he started to walk a little closer to her until their arms were brushing against each other.

 

Kagome smiled at the gentle contact, slipping her hand out of her pocket and letting her fingertips just barely touch his palm. When he turned to her in surprise, she looked away, acting as innocent as possible, though her shaking shoulders gave away her silent laughter.

 

Taking it as an invitation, the taiyoukai slipped their hands together, their fingers interlocking automatically. Her hand felt so perfect in his and he wondered briefly if he could find some way to make sure their hands were always clasped together like that. Her soft sigh broke his mental inquiry and he studied the side of her face, admiring her profile while at the same time trying to determine what was wrong.

 

“Kagome?” he finally asked softly.

 

“It’s nothing. I just… I don’t even know where to begin. We’re rather uneven, you know.” When he gave her a confused look she giggled. “You know a lot more about me than I know about you.”

 

“I know a lot more about you than I know about me.”

 

“Well, what do you like to do? How do you pass the time? Do you read? Play computer games? Watch TV?”

 

While Sesshoumaru did his best to tell Kagome about his leisure activities, conveniently glossing over the fact that his most time consuming hobby was her, they walked near-aimlessly. He seemed surprised when they came upon the park a few blocks from the house, but she only smiled at him. Her smile… he couldn’t stand walking beside her anymore and being unable to see her whole beautiful face.

 

Kagome was surprised when he released her hand, then moving so that he was standing in front of her, walking backwards across the grass in the direction she’d been heading. “Have you lost your mind? You’re going to fall and hurt yourself.”

 

He smirked at her, slipping his hands into his pockets in an attempt to look as cool as possible. “This Sesshoumaru is always very aware of my surroundings,” he declared, his chest puffing out a little as he showed off for her.

 

“Yeah, and do you have eyes in the back of your head too?” she asked before rolling her eyes. For a minute they walked in silence, Sesshoumaru simply admiring her, before her eyes grew wide. “Sesshou…” she started, reaching out and grabbing the front of his shirt too late in an attempt to stop him.

 

Before he knew what was happening, the now mortified taiyoukai found himself flat on his back, having fallen over the edge of… and into… the sandbox. A second later, Kagome collided with his chest with an ‘Oomph’ and the two locked eyes.

 

She simply stared at him for nearly a whole minute and all the while Sesshoumaru was mentally calling himself every name he could think of, terrified that he’d managed to get her hurt. Finally, she quirked a small smile before bursting out laughing. “So much for eyes in the back of your head.” After a moment, his laughter joined hers and Kagome froze. She’d never heard such a beautiful sound and the look on his face, the way his eyes lit up, it was amazing. “You should laugh more often.”

 

“Perhaps now this Sesshoumaru will have a reason to laugh,” he replied. “Are you injured?” he asked hesitantly.

 

“No, but your poor clean hair is ruined!” she said dramatically. “I bet you wish you’d listened to me now that you have a head full of sand.”

 

“No, you see, if this Sesshoumaru had not fallen then we would not be in such a delightful position.” He smirked darkly and she squealed as she found herself rolled beneath him. “And besides, this Sesshoumaru is not the only one with sandy hair, now am I?” He leaned down, watching her eyes carefully, until the tip of his nose touched hers. She was so beautiful, laying there beneath him staring up at him, and for a moment his mind totally blanked.

 

Kagome frowned. “Um, Sesshoumaru, do you think you could let me up? There’s something poking me in my back and…” She didn’t bother to finish her sentence as he was already pulling her to her feet and apologizing profusely. She rubbed her back with one hand, still frowning, before shooting him a playful grin and bolting.

 

“Tricked ya!” she called back over her shoulder and in seconds he was chasing her through the park, both of them laughing as she looped around trees in an attempt to slow him down. He was taking it easy on her, both of them knowing he could have caught her before she’d made it three steps if he really wanted too, but the inu was enjoying the chase, the wind whipping through his hair making him feel alive in a way he’d never experienced before.

 

“You can’t catch me!” she sang as she ran, skidding to a stop on one side of a large slide, Sesshoumaru stopping on the other. She smirked, faking to her right before taking off to her left, still laughing. He was gaining on her and at last she felt his arms slip around her waist, lifting her feet from the ground as he turned, spinning her around twice before letting her stand once more, still holding her tightly against his body.

 

“You are a playful one,” he murmured in her ear before placing a soft kiss behind it.

 

Having finally caught her breath, Kagome nearly forgot how to breathe again for a moment. “I can’t believe you really chased me.”

 

He chuckled softly and she let out a little moan. “This Sesshoumaru could not allow you to escape, now could I?”

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does. I make no money from these fics.

 

 

@@  About 2 and a half Years Ago/Kagome’s Sophomore Year of High School @@

 

 

Chapter  38 – Jumping to Conclusions

 

 

He was beginning to get more than just jealous and it was starting to get to him. Ever since they’d gone to the mall together, Kagome had been coming to visit, not him, but his brother! Not only that, but they spent all their time in Jakotsu’s room with the door closed and their voices hushed. Sure, he’d learned how to share her time, but this was different. She hadn’t paid any attention to him, Miroku, or Inuyasha for days! What was so interesting about Jakotsu all of a sudden?

 

Bankotsu hated the suspicions floating around in his mind; hated that he didn’t trust his brother as much as he’d thought he did. Still, something was going on and he wanted to know what! To top it all off, Inuyasha had been hinting, none too subtly, that he’d witnessed something that would put Jakotsu’s intentions in question. Could Jak have lied? Did his brother have feelings for Kagome after all? Bank figured it was possible that a crush was developing because of all the time they were spending together, but refused to believe that Jakotsu had initially asked her to the prom intending something less than innocent. It wasn’t possible.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Inuyasha was going insane trying to keep his anger and indignation inside. He couldn’t just come out and tell Bank and Miroku because then Kagome would find out that he’d followed her. No, he needed to get them alone because once they saw the picture on his phone there was sure to be some serious yelling. The fact that Kagome had been spending more and more time with Jak made it all the more difficult to keep his mouth shut and not call the Kagome-groping, ill-intentioned asshole out on his actions.

 

Finally he’d managed to get both guys to agree to meet him at his house after school, since Kagome once again had plans with her prom date - or the intended victim as Inuyasha liked to think of him. He was going to kill the prick soon. He was just biding his time until then.

 

The hanyou opened the front door and let in his two friends, leading them silently up to his room and closing the door.

 

“Alright, what’s so devastatingly important?” Miroku asked. “I have a research paper I need to be working on.”

 

Inuyasha shot a dark look at Bankotsu. “You still so sure your brother isn’t a threat to Kagome? That he’d never put the moves on her?”

 

“Why? He’s my brother, Inuyasha. I know that doesn’t mean much to you, but I trust him,” Bank answered with forced confidence.

 

“Trust? If you ask me you shouldn’t trust the bastard as far as you can throw him.”

 

Miroku put a hand on Bankotsu’s shoulder to keep him calm. “If you have something to share with us, get on with it.”

 

“Fine then,” Inuyasha snarled. “When your brother took Kagome to the mall… he acted a little more than friendly. They took her dress to be adjusted and while she had it on he fucking groped her!”

 

Bankotsu snorted out a laugh in disbelief. “He groped her? Like how? This is what you’ve been hinting about all this time?”

 

“He grabbed her fucking tits! He grabbed her and she didn’t even try to stop him! Hell, she seemed to think it was funny. That doesn’t seem innocent at all, does it?”

 

Bank glared at Inuyasha. “You’re full of shit. Jak would never, ever do that! She’s like his sister. Besides, if he’d tried something like that Kagome would have kicked his ass. I know you don’t like the idea of him taking her, but this? To invent something to try and get us on your side? It’s pathetic, Inuyasha, fucking pathetic!”

 

“Now let’s stay calm,” Miroku interjected. “Are you sure that you were not simply mistaken? You were watching from a distance, were you not? Perhaps it only looked like he groped her. If he’d done something like that surely she would have told us, and she definitely wouldn’t still be spending time with him in preparation for the prom.”

 

“Ha! He didn’t make a mistake,” Bank shouted. “He made it up entirely! It’s not possible and you know it!”

 

“I thought you’d be that way about it. That’s why I got a picture.” The hanyou flipped open his cell phone and pushed a few buttons before handing it to Miroku.

 

The monk’s eyes widened and his expression darkened as he stared at the image on the small screen. “I don’t believe it,” he muttered before handing the evidence to Bankotsu. “I can’t believe he… he… Damn it!”

 

Bank’s face was void of expression as he viewed a tiny picture of a huge betrayal. How could Jakotsu do it? How could he touch her like that and then act like nothing happened; like everything was perfectly normal. “I’ll kill him,” he said slowly. “I’ll fucking kill him. I’ll strangle him so I can watch his face while he suffocates.”

 

Miroku turned surprised eyes to his friend. “I think you might be overreacting just a tad, Bank.”

 

“Overreacting?” Bankotsu was yelling now, unable to reign in his anger. “No, I’m not overreacting. He’s my brother, my fucking brother, and I trusted him! I trusted him with her safety and he took advantage of it, of me, of her! He had the nerve to grope her?! Well it’s over. There is no way in hell I’m letting him go anywhere alone with her, not after this!”

 

“Kagome will not be pleased if you try to tell her she cannot accompany him to the prom,” Miroku interjected.

 

“She’ll get over it eventually. This… this is unforgivable. I don’t understand why she didn’t tell me!”

 

“She didn’t tell you because you didn’t need to know,” Kagome said in a dangerously angry tone from where she stood in the doorway.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Sesshoumaru was relieved when he sensed that the two males had finally come so that his half-brother could break the news. He’d been waiting for days, praying that the revelation of Jakotsu’s true intentions would bring the planned ‘date’ to a screeching halt. Then, not only would he not have to worry about Kagome having a possible boyfriend, but he would have no reason to go to the prom either! Two birds, one stone. Maybe then the pain in his chest would ease somewhat. He still hadn’t recovered from seeing her touched so intimately by another, and to tell the truth he didn’t know if he ever would. Or if he even could.

 

His mind was elsewhere as he walked to answer the front door. He didn’t usually lower himself to such menial tasks, but at the moment he didn’t want Inuyasha and his friends interrupted if it could be avoided. He had too much riding on their discussion. He froze in place at the sight of her standing there with a beautiful smile on her face. Whoever he’d been expecting to be on the other side of the door, it definitely wasn’t her.

 

“The guys here?” she asked softly.

 

He nodded. “In the half-breed’s room,” Sesshoumaru replied before mentally kicking himself for calling Inuyasha that in front of her. He knew how she felt about that term. He stepped out of the doorway and motioned for her to enter, again surprised when she reached to the side to take someone’s hand. When he saw who stood beside her, he knew that what was coming next would be bad. The taiyoukai watched in silence as the two headed up the stairs towards the hanyou’s door and impending doom.

 

He was almost tempted to warn them of her impending arrival, but then how would he explain that? ‘Kagome’s coming. She’s going to overhear you fighting about what Inuyasha saw Jakotsu do while he was following her at the mall!’ Yeah, that would go over well. No, it was better to just stay out of it. That’s not to say he wouldn’t be listening intently to every single word.  He had a serious interest in the outcome of the confrontation to come.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

“Ka… Kagome, what are you doing here?” Miroku stuttered nervously. They were in trouble now.

 

The miko laughed darkly. “Hmm, that is not important at the moment. What I’d like to know is how in the hell you think you know anything about what happened between Jakotsu and I at the mall!” She pointed angrily at Bankotsu, who still stood clutching the damning piece of evidence against his brother. “He didn’t grope me! He would never do that and you know it!”

 

“Didn’t grope you? You’re saying Jakotsu didn’t grope you during your dress fitting? You’re lying! I can’t believe you’re actually lying for him!”

 

“Have you lost your mind, Bank? What the hell?”

 

He quickly crossed the few feet between them and held the phone in her face, much closer than necessary, to ensure that she would look at it whether she wanted to or not. “I think I’m the one who should be asking what the hell, Kagome! It certainly looks like he’s groping you to me!”

 

Kagome grabbed the phone out of his hand and studied the picture for a moment before examining the phone itself, recognizing it immediately. “Inuyasha,” she hissed dangerously. “Where were you when you took this picture? Were you spying on me? I can’t believe you!”

 

Inuyasha’s ears plastered to his head. Whether he would admit it or not, he was still terrified of her anger, afraid that someday she would change her mind about him and his life would go back to the way it was before the angel that was Kagome saved him. “I… I was just worried about you,” he mumbled.

 

“It’s a damn good thing he was! Were you ever going to tell me that my brother put the moves on you? Did you want him to? Is that why you didn’t say anything?”

 

Her voice was low and dangerous as she spoke, her yelling a thing of the past. Though their ears appreciated it, all three males knew that her tone and volume change meant that she’d reached a whole new level of angry. “Bankotsu, he is your brother. I have known him for just as long as I have known you and he would never do something like you are accusing him of. I can’t believe you right now.”

 

When he started to open his mouth, she lifted a finger to stop him. “No, don’t you dare. You automatically assume the worst? You think you can make decisions about my life without consulting me first? Without even asking me what happened? It doesn’t work that way. I’m going to the prom with Jakotsu whether you like it or not and I wouldn’t blame him if he never forgave you for this… this… bullshit! I know I’m going to have a hard time seeing past this and it’ll be a hundred times worse for him.”

 

She turned to storm away and Bank grabbed her arm to stop her. “No, wait, Kagome. Okay, maybe I overreacted a little but what do you expect? How am I supposed to feel when I see a picture of you with my brother’s hands on your breasts?”

 

“Let me go right now,” she snarled through gritted teeth. “It was nothing. It was a joke and it was nobody’s business but mine and his.”

 

“How can you expect me to believe that?” Bankotsu asked in honest question. The way the two had been acting lately, his own jealousy and insecurities, Inuyasha’s comments… it had all grown out of control in his mind and he just couldn’t take her word for it.

 

“Because I’m gay, that’s why, brother,” Jakotsu almost yelled from where he stood just inside the doorway, no one having noticed his presence where he’d been waiting in the hall. “We were playing around, screwing with the seamstress. I didn’t mean anything by it and she knew that. I’m gay. I’m not after Kagome’s precious virginity. Does that make it all better, Bankotsu? Does that make it alright? Will that make you fucking trust me again?”

 

Jak turned on his heel and walked quickly away. Kagome pulled out of Bank’s grasp and followed behind him. No one moved as they heard the front door slam, followed a minute later by the sound of squealing tires heading down the driveway.

 

“Well, fuck,” Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

 

“You can say that again,” Miroku agreed.

 

Bankotsu could only stare at the empty doorway in shock. He’d had no idea his brother was even there. If he had, he’d never have said the things he did. Now what was he supposed to do?

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Sesshoumaru let out a sigh as the pain and tightness in his chest lessened. Jakotsu was gay? What a relief! Of course the fact that the miko was royally pissed at all three of her friends was a double edged sword. It pleased him on many levels that someone else would suffer missing her presence, but at the same time, if she didn’t visit Inuyasha, she didn’t visit at all. He could only hope things would be set right again as quickly as possible, even if that put Kagome right back in the hanyou’s arms.

 

On top of that, it looked like he was still going to the prom after all. He just couldn’t win.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Since his confession to her, Kagome had been helping Jakotsu try to figure out how to come out to his brother, and the way it had happened, well, it certainly wasn’t according to plans. The brothers hadn’t spoken to each other since the fight at Inuyasha’s over a week ago and all the anger and hurt feelings were really putting a dampener on Jak’s carefully planned perfect prom night. He was trying to make the best of it and not think about all that had happened because of him, but he couldn’t help blaming himself for the problems between Kagome and her friends. He’d never meant to cause trouble for her and his conscience kept whispering to him that it was all his fault, that he should never have asked her in the first place, that he should have just gone alone or not gone at all.

 

Miroku seemed to be the only one of the three Kagome didn’t refuse to even look at, and being at the bottom of the shit list instead of the top meant that he was allowed to assist her in her prom night preparations while her other two friends were still considered exiled to Siberia, or simply out in the cold. She wasn’t happy with him either, mind you, but Inuyasha had practically stalked her because of his distrustful nature and Bank… Bankotsu had broken her heart with his thoughtless and unfounded accusations against his brother. He had some serious groveling to do before she even thought about forgiving him.

 

So Miroku found himself straightening the straps across her back, finding misplaced shoes, clasping her bracelet and her necklace, all the tasks usually assigned to one’s best girl friend. Jak would have been happy to attend to her needs, but he was busy in the other room with Kagome’s mother and grandfather, wrestling with the complicated creature that was a tuxedo.

 

Finally they were dressed and everyone went downstairs to await the official reveal. Usually the boy would have been the one at the bottom of the staircase waiting to see his beautiful date, but nothing about this night was usual, and the pair had decided to descend the stairs together. That way Kagome’s mother could have her mini photo shoot they were both dreading.

 

Jak and Kagome stood alone in her room side by side looking in the mirror. “We clean up pretty nice, don’t we?” Jakotsu asked playfully, making Kagome laugh.

 

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Jak… I… I’m so sorry about everything that happened, how Inuyasha followed us, about the way Bank acted. It’s ridiculous that I can’t even go on a friendly date with someone I’ve known since Kindergarten without everyone freaking out and losing their minds.”

 

Jak chuckled. “You know what’s funny? I was just going to apologize to you for the same thing. This… it wasn’t supposed to end with you fighting with them. It was supposed to be fun for both of us, not a big stressful mess. I’m surprised you still want to go through with it at all.”

 

“What, and have that whole day of torturous mall shopping be for nothing? Never!” Kagome joked. “Of course I’m still going and I don’t care what they think. We’re going to have fun.”

 

“I knew he was following us, Inuyasha I mean.” When Kagome shot him a look he hurried to continue. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d be angry with him and it would ruin the whole day. I tried to ignore it and I guess I forgot all about him by the time it happened. I never should have done that. I was just playing, screwing around to make you laugh since you didn’t seem to want to get the dress altered, to take your mind off it, ya know?”

 

“You don’t need to apologize. If I had a problem with what you did I would have let you know it. They just… they totally blew it out of proportion. That Bank automatically assume the worst, well that just hurts.”

 

“I know what you mean,” Jak replied with a small smile. “We might as well go down and get the pictures over with. We’re lucky my mom isn’t here too.”

 

“But I know for a fact she’s already asked my mom for double prints,” she said while rolling her eyes. “Alright, onward to torture then.”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

“You know she’s going to be pissed that you guys are here,” Miroku said quietly to the two standing on the other side of the front door.

 

“I know, but we have to fix this before they leave or neither of them will have any fun,” Bank replied.

 

“Alright then, but if she blames me for letting you in…”

 

“Just get out of the way already, Monk,” Inuyasha growled. Miroku moved and the two stepped inside, both ready to do whatever it took to gain Kagome’s forgiveness. Bank also had another task, to somehow apologize to his brother while at the same time respond to Jak’s abrupt announcement.

 

They didn’t have much time to prepare before footsteps were heard upstairs. Kagome and Jak were ready to come down. It was time to face the music.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

They were almost to the bottom of the stairs when Kagome noticed them. She stopped mid-step, ready to turn around and go right back up, when Bank spoke and she paused to listen.

 

“Kagome, wait, please,” he pleaded, making his way up the last few steps to stand in front of the couple. “We can’t let you go without apologizing first. I… I was jealous, alright? You were spending all your time with Jak, all that time alone in his room with the door closed, that my mind started going places I knew it shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help it. I should never have jumped to conclusions, even with the picture. I know how you play around. I should have guessed there was an innocent explanation for it. I never should have yelled at you or accused you of lying.”

 

Bank watched her expression closely as he spoke and noticed her eyes flicker to their hanyou friend, as if silently saying that his words didn’t excuse Inuyasha’s actions. “What Inu did, well, that’s my fault too. I didn’t even bother to introduce him to Jak. I just expected him to accept it. Of course he was concerned. You know how much you mean to all of us.” Kagome smiled softly and some of the tightness in Bankotsu’s shoulders relaxed.

 

He turned to look his brother in the eye and smiled. “I have always trusted you. I’m sorry I had a stupid temporary lapse in judgment. It’s just… I feel like I have to protect her from the world, you know, and I had a really hard time letting you take over, even for a little while. About what you said, Jak, it doesn’t matter to me. You’ve always been and always will be my brother.” Bank cracked a grin. “Besides, I should have known. You’ve always been a little off,” he said with a laugh, Jak joining in.

 

Kagome and Jakotsu turned to look at each other, silently conversing through their eyes, before turning back to the waiting group. “Alright, little brother,” Jak started, “I guess we can forgive you.”

 

Kagome smirked. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

 

Bank sighed in relief, and both Miroku and Inuyasha relaxed visibly as well. “Trust me, I will never, ever jump to conclusions when you’re concerned again, Babe. Now, if you’re not in a hurry, I’m going to do what I should have done weeks ago. Inuyasha, this is my brother Jakotsu,” he said while motion from one to the other. “And Jak, this is my newest friend Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha nodded, slightly uncomfortable while Jak appeared to size him up. “Kami, I love the ears,” he almost squealed. “They make me wanna cut them off and take them home with me!” Everyone laughed as Inuyasha’s ears flattened to his head before being covered by his hands for good measure.

 

Apologies given and accepted, problems resolved, and friends reunited, it was decided that Jak and Kagome could finally make their way down the stairs where they were temporarily blinded by Kagome’s mother’s camera flash. The moment was more than adequately immortalized on film before the couple managed to talk their way out the front door. Finally it was time for the much anticipated prom.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Finally it was time for the much dreaded prom. He looked incredible, if he did say so himself. And he did. Still, there was a price to be paid for his impeccable appearance and unparalleled attractiveness. He knew that this was going to be a very, very, very long night and by the end of it he would more likely than not wish he could blind each and every girl there, besides his Kagome of course.

 

There would be no point in blinding Kagome, even if he wasn’t head over heels in love her. She didn’t see him at all, like he wasn’t even there or like he existed in a permanent blind-spot. If he didn’t have to keep up appearances he wouldn’t have bothered with the fancy tuxedo. If it didn’t matter what the rest of the student body thought he would have simply worn an old sweat suit or something equally horrid and common. She wouldn’t have noticed him either way. Still, he had to be there.

 

Sesshoumaru knew his father was suspicious, confused by his son’s strange behavior, but he didn’t care. He neither owed the old dog an explanation nor planned on providing one. He simply stalked out of the front door, prom ticket in hand, climbed into the limousine, and ordered the driver to be off, completely ignoring the two pairs of eyes watching through the front window. His father and his human could speculate all they wanted. They certainly would never correctly deduce his reasoning. They could never have known he was going to the prom simply to be close to the girl of his dreams, even if she didn’t acknowledge his presence.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

As they walked away from the house, their small entourage watching from the front door, Kagome smirked and leaned closer to Jak. “So, did you remember to book the hotel room?”

 

He shot her a playful look before smiling. “Of course, my dear.”

 

“And you didn’t forget the condoms?”

 

“That’s not funny, Kagome!” Inuyasha bellowed from the front door.

 

“Yes it is!” she yelled back through her laughter before climbing into the waiting car. The night was about to truly begin.

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does. I make no money from these fics.

 

 

Chapter 39 – A Distinct Possibility

 

Kagome sighed and snuggled back against Sesshoumaru’s chest. “This is nice,” she whispered. “It’s weird; you’d think I would be, but I’m not a bit nervous right now. I’m perfectly comfortable, more comfortable than I’ve ever been in my life really.”

 

Sesshoumaru smiled a genuine smile. She truly found comfort in his arms. At the moment he couldn’t ask for much more.

 

“I could stay like this forever.”

 

“That can be arranged,” he murmured in her ear before pressing a soft kiss behind it.

 

She could feel herself melting into him, her resolve to make him prove himself fading away, and Kagome sighed again. She placed her arms over his and reluctantly loosened his grip until she could step away. “Not quite yet it can’t,” she said while giving him a small smile, hoping it would wash away some of the sadness in his eyes. It hurt her to walk away from him, probably just as much as it hurt him that she did so. “We have some talking to do first.”

 

Sesshoumaru watched as she settled herself on a swing, his heart catching in his throat as she was suddenly upside down. It happened faster than he even thought it possible for a human to move and she was locked in her new position before he had a chance to react.

 

Kagome laughed, feeling the disturbance in his aura. “I’m fine, Sesshoumaru. I meant to do that. Now, come over here and sit.”

 

The taiyoukai followed her instructions and took the swing beside her, leaning backwards until he could see her face. Again he nearly had a heart attack as she let go to wave at him, leaving only her legs holding the chains keeping her from falling on her face. Much to his relief, she flipped back upright again and he studied her, face a bright pink, hair tousled, with a bright smile. She was gorgeous.

 

“So, more about the syndrome. How long until it… I mean, is it even still going to kill you?” she asked with a confused expression. “If it was because you were fighting or denying your feelings, then now that you’ve stopped that, shouldn’t everything be fine?”

 

Sesshoumaru let out a tiny, almost imperceptible sigh. “I wish that it worked that way, but it does not. The syndrome and its risk to my life will not end until you’ve done something that you have doubts you will be ready for.”

 

A guilty expression danced over Kagome’s features for a moment. She’d forgotten that he’d heard that too. “Well, according to Jak I’m ready now. I guess it all depends on who knows me better, huh?” she joked.

 

“Father informed me that the longest anyone has ever suffered the syndrome was five years, and only the strongest of demons made it that long.”

 

“And exactly how long have you had it?” she asked nervously, fearing the answer.

 

“Four years and several months,” Sesshoumaru replied flatly, staring off into the distance.

 

“But… but you’re strong, the strongest demon I’ve ever met, laid eyes on, or sensed. You… you’ll be alright, right? You still have time.”

 

His heart swelled at her words as she acknowledged his strength, her tone showing great concern for him as well. “I truly hope so. The last thing I desire is for you to mate me because you feel an obligation.”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Shippo whistled to himself as he hopped up the stairs two at a time on his way to the bathroom. He took two steps inside before his happy song ceased and he forgot that he had to go. “Inuyasha!” the kitsune yelled. “Inuyasha! Inuyasha!” he continued to shout as he ran back down the stairs, through the ground floor, and into the basement.

 

“What the fuck?” Inuyasha hollered. “What’s the problem, runt?”

 

“Kagome… and your brother… walk…” he panted. “Clothes… bathroom floor… not dog!”

 

“Oh, shit!”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Sesshoumaru’s full attention was again focused on the little miko on the swing as he heard her sniffle, the scent of salt once again reaching him.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kagome mumbled as she wiped angrily at her eyes. “I can’t help it.”

 

The taiyoukai rose and took a few steps until he was standing in front of her. “Kagome, why do you cry over that which you have no control?” She looked up into his eyes and he cupped her cheek gently.

 

“I… I wouldn’t… I don’t feel obligated. I… I just…” Again the little voice in Kagome’s mind kicked her back to the straight and narrow. It didn’t matter if she loved him right that second. It didn’t matter if she knew Jak was right, that she was ready to be his mate. None of it mattered until Sesshoumaru proved himself to her, proved that he really was and would remain the way he was acting now, that he wouldn’t fall back into the cold, standoffish behavior of the taiyoukai she’d known for four years.

 

She didn’t want to wait. Her heart didn’t care about proof, but her mind told her she needed it and it was right. To throw herself into this heart first could end in disaster and a lifetime of regret, but if she waited too long… if she waited too long she would end up the same way, but alone.

 

He could see the turmoil in her eyes and was filled with guilt. It was his fault she was so confused. It was his fault she had so little time to make such an important decision. It wasn’t fair. She should have all the time in the world to decide if she wanted to take him as her mate. She should be able to think about it until she was one hundred percent certain. He just didn’t have that kind of time. And what would happen if she decided yes, she wanted him, only too late?

 

He needed to know exactly how much time he really had. He needed to know if there was some way to find out, some symptoms that would indicate the end was closing in. He hated himself for doing this to her, she who he loved with all his heart.

 

Sesshoumaru leaned in closer, smirking mentally as her knees spread to make room for him, until the swing was pushed back far enough that they were eye to eye, supported only by his body against hers and the creaking metal chains. “Kagome, no matter what happens, no matter what you decide, this Sesshoumaru will always love you. If you decide against becoming my mate I will not resent it. I will understand it completely. I did this. I waited all this time, until there was no time left. I am well aware that I do not deserve the chance that you have given me.”

 

A small smile pulled at her lips, lips that were still quivering as she fought back another wave of tears. Right at that moment he was perfect and his words touched her heart so strongly that she nearly shoved her brain right out the window to allow her heart full control.

 

They stood in silence, just staring into each other’s eyes, seeing so much; all their worries, fears, and concerns, all their wants, needs and desires… everything. Their faces crept slowly closer, both thinking about nothing but just how wonderful it would be for their lips to finally touch, and they were almost there. Kagome could feel his breath on her cheeks and he could feel hers and the miko was silently praying he would close the distance, that he would finally kiss her like he did in her dreams.

 

Sesshoumaru swallowed the lump in his throat, fought back his nerves, and set out to do just that. His lips just barely brushed hers before they were both jolted back to reality by an angry voice behind them.

 

“What the fuck is this about, Kagome? Why didn’t you tell me he’d changed back?” Inuyasha demanded, outraged by the sight of his hated half-brother in such an intimate position with his Kagome.

 

Neither had sensed Inuyasha and Shippo’s approach, fully focused on each other, and they jumped, startled, when he yelled. Sesshoumaru started to pull away; sure she wouldn’t want to kiss him now with witnesses, only to be surprised when she grabbed his hair and pulled him back across the short distance.

 

“Kiss me,” she whispered, her lips brushing his, and he did, more than happy to obey.

 

The whole world faded away around them. Not even the screaming hanyou could interrupt now. It was soft, slow, gentle, and hesitant, but it was everything she’d ever imagined it would be and more and she reciprocated eagerly, aching to show him what she couldn’t yet say.

 

When they finally pulled apart, Kagome opened her eyes and smiled at her taiyoukai. “I guess I should do something before steam starts coming out of his ears,” she whispered with a giggle and Sesshoumaru backed up, returning the swing to its usual position, and assisted her to her feet.

 

“Inuyasha, stop it. Everything is just fine. I told you I was going for a walk with Sesshoumaru. It’s not my fault you were too busy in the basement to notice he’d changed back.” When the hanyou appeared to be winding up for another rant, she lifted one hand. “Just knock it off. Let’s go home. I’m hungry anyway.”The miko grabbed Inuyasha’s hand and started dragging him out of the park, leaving Shippo and Sesshoumaru to follow along behind.

 

Kagome turned and shot a smile at the demons, followed by a wink, and Shippo laughed. “Sorry, Buddy. I should have known better than to tell him you’d shifted when I saw the clothes in the bathroom. Looks like you were making progress though. Good for you.”

 

Sesshoumaru fought back the desire to strangle both intruders, burying his hands in his pockets as he watched the love of his life walking hand in hand with his brother. He smirked. At least she’d kissed him, even with the hanyou in the middle of a meltdown. The kitsune was right. He was indeed making progress.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Dinner was a rather awkward affair, with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru glaring at each other across the table.  They each averted their eyes any time Kagome appeared to be turning to look their way, and the others rolled their eyes at the childish rivalry and Kagome’s naivety.

 

Things only became more awkward when the topic of sleeping arrangements came up.

 

“There is no way in hell you’re sleeping in his room in his bed now that he’s not a dog!” Inuyasha nearly yelled, unable to keep his discomfort at the show of intimacy he’d witnessed earlier under control.

 

Kagome put her hand on Sesshoumaru’s arm, calming him while also silently communicating that she would deal with the situation, the touch only frustrating Inuyasha more. “Relax, Inu.” A small smile pulled at her lips as an idea hit her. “I was actually planning on sleeping with you tonight.” Sure, it might get under Sesshoumaru’s skin a little, but Inuyasha seriously needed reassurance that she wouldn’t leave him. What better way than let him think he was winning and give him a little individual attention too?

 

The taiyoukai clenched his teeth, ready to throttle his opponent in the battle for her time. He found he suddenly cared very little though as Kagome’s hand slid down his arm to his hand, which she moved under the table to rest on her thigh. All non-naked Kagome related thoughts disappeared instantly and he found it necessary to focus all of his attention on forcing down his now very apparent erection before she noticed.

When everyone had finished eating, they retired to their rooms, Kagome heading directly into Inuyasha’s, much to Sesshoumaru’s disappointment. He really could have used a kiss goodnight.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Kagome was laying in Inuyasha’s bed, flipping idly through a book, in nothing but panties and one of the hanyou’s t-shirts. She was finding concentration impossible. “Inu, would you just chill already? You’re gonna pace a hole right through the floor! Come here.”

 

She opened her arms to him with a smile and Inuyasha obeyed, finally giving up pacing the length of his room and lying down beside her, thrilled when she laid her head on his chest with one arm draped across his abdomen. His mind was a mess, unable to deal with the stress and worries of Kagome with Sesshoumaru, but her touch took it all away.

 

“I know this is hard, Inu, but you had to know this was going to happen eventually. I was going to find a guy. I was going to get married or mated or whatever. That doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon you. You will always be important to me. You’ll always be my friend and I’ll always love you. I’ll always have time for you, even if it is a little less than it is now.”

 

Inuyasha grunted out an irritated “Keh,” and Kagome laughed.

 

“It was bound to happen, just like someday you’ll find a special girl, and when you do you’ll focus a good deal of your time and attention on her. Hell, maybe now that I’ll be mated off you won’t find it necessary to worry so much about me and you’ll be able to keep a girlfriend for any length of time. If you’re not ditching them to spend time with me then they won’t be jealous and insecure.”

 

He didn’t like the way she said that, like she’d already decided to be Sesshoumaru’s mate. What happened to her needing time to figure things out? What happened to all her confusion and frustration? She wasn’t supposed to have figured it all out already. He needed more time! “I’d rather be with you than any other girl and you know that,” the hanyou said with a pouty face that made Kagome tweak his ears playfully.

 

“That may be, but you’ll need a mate someday too. You deserve that happiness and you’ll never find it if I’m always your top priority. Girls don’t share their boyfriend’s attention well.”

 

“You really are gonna go through with this, huh, Wench?” Inuyasha asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

 

“It is a distinct possibility,” she said with a grin. A rumbling sound from the hanyou’s stomach made her laugh as Inuyasha’s eyes lit up.

 

“Hey now. You remember that thing you said that you made me promise to never repeat?” Kagome nodded. “You remember what you promised you’d do for me?”

 

“Oh, Inu! Not now. I just got comfortable and I really don’t feel like doing that right now.”

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

He was eavesdropping again. He couldn’t help it. She was spending the night in the next room in his brother’s bed, in his brother’s arms! How could she do that to him? How could she make him spend the night alone with that knowledge? It was breaking his heart, a whole new kind of pain for the taiyoukai. This wasn’t because of the syndrome but because she chose the hanyou over him!

 

He had happened to hear something he liked though. She was talking like she was going to say yes, like she’d already decided. When she said that their mating was ‘a distinct possibility’ his heart might as well have been filled with helium it floated so high. Things were looking good for him. So long as he didn’t screw up he might just survive this.

 

Whatever it was that the half-breed wanted her to do, it didn’t sound like something she wanted to do. It didn’t sound like something he’d approve of either. Bad thoughts were floating through his mind, little suggestions of just what ‘it’ might be, as well as just what kind of secret the hanyou was supposed to be keeping in exchange.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

“Okay then. I guess that makes our deal null and void. I think I’m gonna go talk to Miroku for a whi…”

 

Inuyasha’s teasing threat was cut off by Kagome clapping her hand over his mouth. “Like hell. You promised you wouldn’t say anything to anyone, and that counts double for Miroku!”

 

He pried her dainty hand off his face and laughed. “You promised you’d do it for me. There was no discussion as to when. I want you to do it now, so get on it Wench.”

 

Kagome growled through gritted teeth. “You really suck sometimes, you know that? Ugh, fine, fine, but just this once. You will not hold this over my head indefinitely.”

 

“Whatever you say, Babe,” Inu laughed as Kagome threw a pillow at his head. He knew she was only pretending to be upset with him. She tried to keep it a secret, but it was obvious that she loved doing it for him, seeing the look in his eyes, the satisfaction. He didn’t need anything on her to get his way.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Sesshoumaru silently opened his bedroom door and crept the short ways down the hall until he was beside the hanyou’s bright red door. He was not going to allow Inuyasha to force his Kagome to do anything, not if he could help it. He was just seconds from busting in when the door opened.

 

Kagome was startled by the presence of the taiyoukai just outside the door and gave him a funny look. “You alright? Whatcha doin’ just standing here?”

 

Now he was really confused. She had agreed to do it for the hanyou, had she not? So what was she doing leaving the room? Was it possible he’d misinterpreted their conversation?

 

“Sesshoumaru?” she asked, trying to gain his attention. She reached up and placed one hand on his cheek and smiled as his eyes met hers. “I’m going down to make Inu some ramen. You wanna keep me company? I’ll make you some too if you want.”

 

He nodded blankly and somewhere inside his mind, the beast let out a sigh of relief. The taiyoukai didn’t need to kill his brother and ruin any and all progress they’d made. It was a good thing he’d keep his anger reined in as long as he had or things could have taken a bad turn.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Sesshoumaru sat at the table, watching as she set noodles on the stove to boil before joining him. “Ramen? Did he not have enough to eat at dinner?”

 

Kagome laughed. “To Inuyasha, ramen is like dessert. He loves it… a little too much sometimes. One of these days we’ll be having an instant noodle intervention, I swear.” She smiled as the taiyoukai released a near silent chuckle. “So, you okay? I know you probably don’t like the idea of me sleeping in his bed, but it was the only way to end the bitching and moaning. He’s… he’s having a really hard time with this and I don’t blame him.”

 

“This Sesshoumaru will survive, though the night would be much more pleasant with you in my arms.”

 

The miko smirked at him. “Patience, patience. As nice as that sounds…” Kagome blushed at the words that had escaped without her permission and determinedly changed the subject. “Sesshoumaru, about Inuyasha… why? Why do you treat him the way you do? Do you really think all hanyou are abominations? Do you still believe that humans and demons shouldn’t mate? I… I don’t understand how you can say the things you have in the past, act the way you have, and now all of a sudden decide you want a human miko as your mate.”

 

He studied her face for a minute before trying his best to answer. “There are many things that I, at some point in the past, truly believed, but time… and you… have changed my views. I was taught some things very early in life and am beginning to question their accuracy.”

 

“Hold that thought,” Kagome said with a compassionate smile, rising and moving the pot from the stove, pouring its contents in a large bowl and adding the seasoning. She then set the bowl on the counter to cool and returned to the table.

 

“But who… who would have taught you to hate? Your father, he would never say such things. He loves Izayoi so much, and Inuyasha too.”

 

“It was not this Sesshoumaru’s sire. It was my mother.”

 

“Your mother? I’ve never even heard her mentioned,” Kagome said in confusion.

 

“She died years ago,” he murmured. Was it possible his mother had filled his head with lies? But why would she do such a thing?

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Sesshoumaru. You... you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I just need to know something.” He nodded for her to continue. “The way you feel about Inuyasha, even if it never changes, you have to keep it to yourself. I don’t want to have to divide my time, but I will not force him to spend time with me and you if you continue to treat him the way you do. He doesn’t deserve it and I won’t let you hurt him anymore. He’s trying not to be rude, trying not to instigate arguments. I need to know that you’ll try too.”

 

Sesshoumaru nodded. “I will treat Inuyasha with respect, I promise you. I wish for nothing but your happiness.”

 

Kagome grinned. “Oh, I think you wish for a few other things too.” She was startled when Inuyasha suddenly popped up in the kitchen doorway.

 

“Oh, now I get it,” he growled in frustration, storming over to the counter where his bowl of ramen sat. “And it’s cold, of course.”

 

“Oh, Inu, I’m sorry! We were talking and time just got away from me. Do you want me to make a new batch? I will!”

 

“No, Wench, don’t bother,” he answered before walking away, bowl in hand.

 

“Crap,” Kagome mumbled. “I can’t believe I forgot his ramen was waiting.” She reached across the tabletop and placed her hand atop one of his. “Have a good night, Sesshoumaru. I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

He wanted to whine aloud when she pulled her hand away to stand, but as she passed, Kagome allowed her fingertips to trail along his arm, up to his shoulder where they lingered for a moment before disappearing. He listened as her footsteps headed up the stairs and sighed as Inuyasha’s door opened and closed.

 

The taiyoukai was confused. His mother’s teachings had made sense when he was young, but now… now that he was head over heels in love with a human miko and could care less about the differences between them, everything she said suddenly seemed wrong. Had the status levels of demons, humans, and hanyou changed or was it just his perspective that did? Was his mother right and he’d just outgrown her teachings or had she lied to him so long ago? Was it possible that she’d filled his head with hate and lies on purpose? It didn’t make sense and there was only one person who could help him understand. He would have to speak with his father.

 

Sesshoumaru was surprised when he looked up, only to see Bankotsu sitting across the table where Kagome had just been. Deciding it was better than giving himself a headache, he decided to switch from one confusing subject to another. Perhaps one could be resolved.

 

“How is it that you are a half demon and yet this Sesshoumaru has never sensed it?” he asked.

 

Bank smiled. “I had a feeling you would ask that. Jak told me you’d been listening and that he’d mentioned it.” Sesshoumaru nodded, simply waiting for an explanation. “My father was a demon and my mother is human.”

 

“If that were so, then your heritage would be obvious, yet all you carry is a demon marking. You have the aura of a normal human.”

 

“That’s because my mother isn’t a normal human. My mother is a miko,” Bank answered with a smile before standing and starting to walk away. “Now you’ve got something else entirely to think about.”

 

That was an interesting revelation. He’d never heard of something like that happening before, but then a demon mating a miko was not a common occurrence. Did that mean that his and Kagome’s pups would also carry no demonic or holy auras? Shaking his head, the taiyoukai rose and pushed in his chair. He had far too much to think about, too many questions and not enough answers. He needed to just go to bed. The sooner he went to sleep the sooner morning would come and he would be near Kagome again.

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

Sesshoumaru was woken out of a sound sleep by the sound of his bedroom door clicking closed. He sat up quickly, scanning the room for an intruder and finding one slowly making her way towards the foot of his bed. She smiled seductively at him and a flash of fire spread through his body. He was frozen, immobilized when she crawled onto the mattress, moving higher until she sat crouched over his upper thighs.

 

Kagome stared into his eyes for a moment before leaning down and kissing him passionately, his hands moving to rest on her hips. “I couldn’t sleep. You don’t mind, do you?”

 

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does. I make no money from these fics.

 

 

@@ About 2 and a half Years Ago/Kagome’s Sophomore Year of High School @@

 

 

Chapter  40 – Prom Night

 

 

“I can’t believe you really rented a limo,” Kagome said in awe as she looked around the interior of the vehicle. “I’ve never been in one before.”

 

“Only the best for you, my dear,” Jak said with a playful grin.

 

The short ride was filled with comfortable conversation that ended when they felt the limousine slow to a stop. A moment later the driver opened the door, letting in the sounds of the waiting crowd.

 

“Why are they just standing out here? Why not go inside?” Kagome asked in confusion.

 

“They want to see who arrives with whom and in what style,” Jak said as he slid out before leaning down to assist her in climbing from the vehicle. As she straightened there were gasps and sounds of obvious admiration, including a few wolf whistles that caused Jakotsu to frown. Sure, they were only going as friends, but he didn’t like the idea of guys whistling at her like barbarians at a construction site.

 

“This is high school, not Hollywood.”

 

“You’d think so,” Jak said with a laugh, brushing off his moment of discomfort, holding out his arm and smiling as she looped hers through it. He led her through the small corridor in the crowd and they were almost inside when the ruckus erupted to a whole new level of loud, causing them both to turn around and look.

 

Sesshoumaru, dressed in a sleek black tuxedo, climbed out of a limo with his trademark blank expression on his face. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting to see what lucky girl he’d chosen, only to be shocked when he walked away and the driver closed the door. The crowd was in a state of confused disbelief. He’d come alone? Sesshoumaru? But why??

 

The taiyoukai scanned the clump of students, finally catching a glimpse of Kagome’s beautiful smiling face just before she turned her back to him and entered the hotel, heading to the grand ballroom rented by the school for their special night. She was incredible, indescribable, and it took him a moment to remember how to breathe and swallow without suffocating, drowning, or choking to death. As soon as he realized he was staring, Sesshoumaru snapped back to attention and made his way inside as well, ignoring the entirety of the student body save her.

 

Kagome leaned in close to Jak’s ear and whispered, “Why would Sesshoumaru bother coming at all if he was coming alone?”

 

Her date shook his head. “Dunno, Babe, but the girls shall be crying into their pillows tonight.”

 

The little miko laughed. “Yeah, sure they will.”

 

-

 

It was hell, watching her dance with another male when all he wanted was to have her in his arms. It was hell and yet he forced himself to watch as he tried to appear invisible to all other prom-goers. Still though, they found him as he tried to admire Kagome in peace.

 

Most girls at least had the decency about them to be coy and try to get him to ask them to dance. There were, of course, others who just walked right up and asked him instead and those were the ones who regretted approaching him the most. His stress level was off the charts at the moment and he simply wasn’t in the mood for their overgrown egos. He certainly didn’t let them down easily. Like he would ever dance with any of them! Ha! No, only one female was good enough, only one would do and yet she was taken.

 

She looked absolutely ethereal in her turquoise satin gown and while he usually enjoyed staring at her front, her back was especially appealing this evening. The dress clung to her waist, cupped her breasts, and the shoulder straps crossed across her back where the silky fabric dipped low, gathering just above her ass and trailing behind her like a waterfall.

 

He was treated to the full expanse of her pale back, going so low that for a moment he allowed himself to wonder just what sort of panties, if any, she had on under there. All in all, she was stunning and it was nearly impossible to keep his eyes off her even for a moment and he didn’t care to try, not the slightest bit worried that someone might notice his staring. He knew he would spend many hours laying in his bed alone, dreaming of trailing his tongue along her spine in that dress, and he wanted to commit the sight to memory for just that purpose.

 

He took only slight consolation in the fact that no matter how many males approached and asked her to dance, she turned them all down. She was loyal to her date even though they were only there as friends, and Sesshoumaru yet again wished that he could at the very least fall into the category of friend in her mind. Anything would be better than what he was to her now. If she were his friend, would she be so beautifully loyal and loving to him as well? Too bad he would never know.

 

His attention was diverted as the principal cleared his throat loudly through the microphone. “Excuse me for a moment, everyone. Please remember to take a second to cast your votes for prom king and queen. Voting will continue for another hour and then we will begin tabulating your winners. Also, the photographer is ready, so if you’d like your night immortalized on film be sure to get in line!”

 

Sesshoumaru mentally scoffed. Voting for prom king and queen seemed ridiculous, but when Kagome and Jak began to head in that direction, the taiyoukai followed as if magnetically attracted to the little female he was obsessed with.

 

He made sure to stay a good distance behind the couple, listening as Kagome teased Jakotsu about being on the nomination ballot before they each cast their votes. Sesshoumaru almost followed them away without voting himself, but a thought struck him, stopping him in his tracks.

 

He accepted the ballot handed to him and scanned over it, frowning as he saw his name at the top of the list of prom king nominees. That was the last thing he wanted to happen tonight. He ticked off Jak’s name without a second thought before reading through the queen nominees, thoroughly unimpressed with the selection. In an almost imperceptible movement he scrawled out ‘Kagome Higurashi’ and deposited his vote safely with the others.

 

As he returned to his task of watching Kagome enjoy her evening with her gay date, Sesshoumaru’s mind wandered. Now, if Kagome won prom queen he wouldn’t mind a bit being named prom king. If he remembered correctly, the king and queen shared a dance. Too bad she was a sophomore and not on the ballot. He doubted very much that anyone else would think to write in the little beauty’s name, let alone enough for her to win. Still, he could dream.

 

-

 

“Jak, don’t you think my mother took enough pictures of us for six proms? Why do you want to do this?” Kagome asked as she walked alongside her date, heading to the end of the line for the photographer.

 

“Prom pictures are a part of the prom experience,” he said as he picked up a brochure before they joined the queue. “So, what package do you think we should get, Love?”

 

Kagome grinned. “Gee, I don’t know, Darling. Why don’t you choose?”

 

-

 

Sesshoumaru fought back the urge to heave a heavy sigh, mentally reminding himself that they were just friends, Jak didn’t even like girls, and that Kagome was still safely relationship free. The little pet names were killing him, but not as much as the indignity of standing in line for the prom photographer all alone. He snagged the spot directly behind the couple in line; breathing her scent in deeply while wishing he could ‘accidently’ brush his hand across the bare skin of her back. It looked so beautifully soft and all he wanted was one little touch!

 

He could hear the others in the line whispering about him, wondering why he needed pictures of just himself. He clenched his jaw tightly to avoid turning around and beating several males within an inch of their lives for their suggested possibilities. No, thank you, he was not quite so arrogant that he enjoyed staring at photographs of himself.

 

Of course, his true reason for being in that line was just as bad and he was glad he didn’t need to explain himself. ‘Oh, yes, I’m in line to get my photograph taken at prom even though I came without at date because the only girl I would ever consider taking to such an event is here with her homosexual friend and she is in line right in front of me. I’m here just so I can wallow in her scent and aura.’ Yes, what an explanation that would be.

 

-

 

Kagome had a smile on her face as she took in the ballroom from her place in line. It was beautifully decorated and Jak was right. This was a night she would never forget. A flash of silver in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned slightly, noticing who was in line behind her. Seeing that he was staring intently at nothing, or perhaps at a spot on the wall on the other side of the room, she allowed herself a moment to study the demon.

 

Sure, he was a huge asshole, but he was an attractive asshole who made her heart beat faster with just a glance. She’d never seen him dressed so formally before and the miko had to fight not to drool. He was delicious in his black tuxedo, complete with white shirt and black bowtie. His brilliant silver hair stood out even more than usual against the dark backdrop of his clothing. His markings seemed brighter on his pale skin in contrast and Kagome licked her lips, the recurring desire to drag her tongue along those magenta stripes returning with surprising power.

 

She had to drag her eyes away, certain he would be very unhappy if he caught her staring. Kagome was completely unaware of the little sigh she let out as she leaned closer to Jakotsu, but her observant date caught it and the cause. He didn’t have much time to consider it though, as just at that moment they were called by the photographer; it was their turn. He would have to be sure to ask her about it later.

 

-

 

It took every ounce of self control Sesshoumaru had to keep from whipping out his cell phone and snapping a few pictures of Kagome along with the photographer. Still, he knew that things weren’t quite the same as they had been at the mall. People would notice. People would talk. He would die of a broken heart when she found out about his obsession with her and told him he didn’t have a chance. No, he couldn’t take pictures in such a crowded setting where everyone was already watching him like a hawk.

 

He considered for a moment the possibility of bribing the photographer so that he could get his hands on a couple of prints of his beauty, but again, the chances were just too great of word getting out. Not only would she deny him but his half-breed half-brother would torment him with the knowledge of Sesshoumaru’s romantic failure forever. No, again it just wasn’t possible.

 

Thankfully she would most likely post the pictures online like she did everything else, unwittingly keeping him clued in on her life, her thoughts and feelings and so on. He silently thanked her almost every single night for supplying him with such perfect masturbatory aids. He almost didn’t need an imagination at all. If, for some reason, she didn’t post the images online he knew that Inuyasha would receive a picture. If worst came to worst, he could always snag and scan it to make his own copy.

 

It wasn’t until the last moment that Sesshoumaru realized he didn’t really have to get his picture taken. When Kagome and Jak were finished it dawned on him and he managed to slip out of line, disappearing into the crowd. He really didn’t want anything to remember this night by, except his memories of her that is.

 

He felt like such a fool, leaning against a wall and watching as she sat at a table with her date, talking, laughing, and drinking punch, repositioning himself as they returned to the dance floor.  She looked so happy that it was hard to keep in mind that she wasn’t really in a relationship with Jakotsu. This obsession of his was going to end up killing him, he was sure of it.

 

-

 

Would this night never end? It felt like he’d been in that crowded room for days. Surely it was almost time for everyone to clear out. He couldn’t leave until she did, his instincts overpowering his free will. He had to make sure she got home safely and though he was absolutely miserable waiting, he was still happy to do so.

 

He would always be her silent guardian, watching her from the shadows. If ever her friends failed to protect her, he would swoop in and save her like her knight in shining armor. Sesshoumaru scoffed at his own foolishness. She would never need him or his help, and even if she did need it she certainly wouldn’t want it.

 

His self-deprecating thoughts were cut off when the principal once again cleared his throat into the microphone. Appreciating the distraction, Sesshoumaru turned to look at the older man, noticing that he seemed much less confident, much more apprehensive, and the taiyoukai wondered what the problem was.

 

“Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. It is now time to name our prom king and queen. I apologize for the delay. We had an interesting result to your voting and it took a moment to determine how it would be handled.”

 

The room was filled with murmuring voices as the principal paused in his announcement, everyone wondering what exactly the problem had been.

 

“This has never happened before, but we had a tie for prom queen. Because of this, and because the voting for prom king was almost perfectly tied as well, we will have two kings and two queens this year.”

 

The murmur of the crowd got louder, so much so that the principal had to clear his throat and then tap on the microphone several times to regain their attention.

 

“So, your prom queens are,” he paused for a drum roll and Sesshoumaru glanced around the room, seeing the nervous excitement visible on many female faces. “Toran Kurohyoo,” there was another pause as the principal’s eyes scanned the crowd in search of the female he’d just named. Once he spotted her and saw that she was on her way toward the stage, he continued, “and Kagome Higurashi.”

 

The room erupted with noise as every girl who thought she should have won started to complain that it wasn’t fair. Kagome wasn’t on the ballot. She wasn’t even a junior! How could she have possibly won?

 

“Now, now, ladies and gentlemen, please calm yourselves,” he said sternly, ignoring the fact that only the females seemed to take issue with the winners. “I know it is unusual for a young lady who was not on the ballot to win, but write in votes are and have always been allowed. Yes, she is a sophomore, but she tied fair and square with Toran and we’ve decided that the tie shall stand. Kagome, dear, would you come up here?”

 

-

 

Kagome wanted to disappear. Like the girls at school didn’t hate her enough already? Now she had to steal prom queen from one of the juniors? How the hell did it even happen? Why would anyone write in her name on the ballot, let alone enough for her to tie?

 

Jak squeezed her hand firmly, showing his support, before he started leading her towards the stage. Sure, the girls seemed ready to riot, but it would only make things worse if Kagome refused to show her face. Besides, she deserved it. She was the most beautiful girl there.

 

Jak got her to the stairs at the side of the stage and gave her a smile, a kiss on the forehead, and a little nudge in the right direction before watching Kagome climb the steps onto the stage.

 

-

 

Sesshoumaru couldn’t believe it, but at the same time he could. He was more surprised that the administrators had allowed a sophomore to be prom queen than that she’d won. She was the star of most of the male students’ wet dreams.

 

Suddenly he no longer was hoping and praying to lose prom king, instead practically begging the gods to allow him to win. Then he would get to dance with her, maybe even have their picture taken together. Maybe, just once, the gods would be on his side.

 

-

 

The principal smiled brightly as he placed pretty silver tiaras on each new prom queen’s head before handing them bouquets of roses. He tried to ignore the death glare Toran was giving Kagome. It was obvious that the panther demoness was less than happy having to share the spotlight.

 

Once he’d finished, he turned his attention back to the crowd of students. “Your prom kings, who were only two votes apart, are Sesshoumaru Yuzuki,” he paused for the uproar he knew was coming, fighting back the desire to roll his eyes at the female students, “and Jakotsu Nanami. If our new kings could please come to the stage...”

 

-

 

It was hard to maintain a dignified pace as he made his way to the stage. Hearing that Jakotsu had also been named king made the taiyoukai frown. Of course he was. Now Kagome and Jakotsu would share the king and queen’s dance and he would be forced to dance with Toran. He should have known better. The gods were never on his side, never.

 

By the time he climbed the stairs to the stage, Jak already stood beside Kagome with an arm around her waist and a crown on his head. Sesshoumaru grudgingly took his place beside Toran. When the demoness tried to hold his hand, however, he yanked his away with a snarl and stepped a little further away. He allowed the principal to crown him, holding back his scowl as much as possible. Would this hellish night never end?

 

-

 

“Now it’s time for your new kings and queens to share their dance,” the principal said excitedly, nodding for the music to resume and watching as the couples left the stage and made their way to the center of the dance floor.

 

“I can’t believe this happened,” Kagome whispered to Jak as he pulled her in close for their slow dance.

 

“I can, you winning at least. I’m sure I only won because of the beauty I managed to snag as my date.”

 

Kagome laughed before looking over Jak’s shoulder, fighting back a sigh of longing. She wouldn’t have minded sharing a dance with Sesshoumaru, but she was certain he would much prefer a demoness to a human. Still, she couldn’t help but imagine what it might have been like.

 

“You look so handsome,” Toran said seductively as she ran her hands up Sesshoumaru’s shoulders, oblivious to his apparent distaste.

 

“Hn,” was all the taiyoukai said, his eyes locked on the other couple. Why couldn’t a different male have tied with him? At least then he would have had a chance of dancing with Kagome.

 

“I knew you would win. I don’t think they should have let a sophomore be queen. She should have been disqualified, don’t you think?” she said nervously, seeing that he seemed to be ignoring her entirely. In her nervousness, she accidently stepped on Sesshoumaru’s foot.

 

He snarled angrily at her before growling a response. “She is far more qualified than you, you uncoordinated cow.”

 

Just as he went to pull away from her, the music stopped and the principal spoke once more. “Now, if our kings and queens would switch partners, we’ll finish the dance.”

 

Toran couldn’t get away from Sesshoumaru fast enough, his rage making her skin crawl and his insult making her fight back tears. She practically knocked Kagome over on her way to Jakotsu, ignoring the little bitch as much as she could manage, not realizing that Jak was Kagome’s actual date and that he might not appreciate her being plowed over.

 

Kagome stood nervously once she’d regained her balance, thanks to a strong hand that caught her wrist before she hit the ground. It took her a moment to notice that the hand that saved her was connected to the demon she was harboring serious, if not ridiculous, feelings for.

 

“I believe we are supposed to dance,” Sesshoumaru said in his usual cold tone.

 

“Ye… yeah, I guess we are,” she mumbled back, not sure how to go about it. She knew he hated humans and very much doubted he would enjoy touching one. She was surprised when he pulled her close and began to lead her in their shared slow dance. “Congratulations,” she almost whispered to him, “on prom king, I mean.”

 

A disinterested sounding “Hn,” was his only reply, his mind fully focused on what was happening at that moment. It was a dream come true, holding her in his arms. He allowed one hand to glide up her bare back, hiding his smirk as she shivered at the contact. Her skin was just as soft as he’d imagined and now his mind was busy creating images of him trailing his tongue along her spine. Before he knew what was happening, he’d popped a boner and knew he had to get out of there before she noticed.

 

Kagome was on cloud nine, basking in his scent, his body heat, and the wonder of his close proximity. When he touched her, though she was certain it was an accident, she had to bite back a moan. Suddenly he tensed and the little miko looked up at his face, wondering what was wrong and praying his powerful nose hadn’t scented arousal on her.

 

His mind was swirling for any excuse, any way to get out of her sight before she realized his predicament. He couldn’t think of anything and let out an obvious sigh of relief when the song ended, disappearing before she even felt him move.

 

Jak was beside her in seconds, as eager to get away from Toran as Sesshoumaru had been. “Kagome?” he asked, seeing the strange look on her face. “Are you alright?”

 

“Yeah,” she said bitterly. “I’m fine.”

 

“No you’re not. What’s wrong? Did he say something to you?”

 

“You mean like goodbye before he ran off like I smell like a sewage treatment plant? No, he didn’t say anything.”

 

-

 

Sesshoumaru regretted leaving her like he did, but he had no other choice. He couldn’t allow her to notice his erection. He couldn’t let her figure out his big secret, that he adored her, obsessed over her, wanted her and no other. He couldn’t let her know. Her rejection would break him. Besides, she looked relieved to be back with Jakotsu anyway. She didn’t miss him.

 

-

 

Kagome’s mood wasn’t quite the same after that, and they didn’t stay much longer. Jakotsu knew something was up and they needed privacy so he could find out what. The limo ride home was perfect for just that, and Jak instructed the driver to park somewhere along their route. Of course the driver assumed that something other than talking would be taking place in the seclusion of the backseat, but a little money made him not care either way.

 

It took a bit of badgering, but finally Kagome admitted why she was upset, confessing her long hidden crush on Sesshoumaru. She swore him to secrecy, made him promise never to mention it to anyone, and he agreed, of course.

 

Jak felt bad for her. She was in a bad situation. It wasn’t her fault she was attracted to the cruel taiyoukai. She couldn’t control who she found attractive, obviously since she’d been trying for more than a year and a half to get rid of her feelings but still failed. He also couldn’t blame her. The inu demon was a sexy beast after all.

 

To be stuck between the guy you like and your friend, his brother, was impossible and she was an angel for fighting her feelings like she did. She loved Inuyasha too much to even consider a relationship with Sesshoumaru. Sure, one seemed impossible with the way the taiyoukai acted, but that didn’t matter. She didn’t deny her feelings because Sesshoumaru would never date a human. She denied her feelings because the taiyoukai was such a huge ass to his own sibling. Inuyasha was a very lucky guy.

 

-

 

Sesshoumaru sighed as he climbed into bed, knowing that once again he would be denied sleep. If only things were different. If only Kagome would want him. If she found him attractive like every other female in the world seemed to, then maybe he could show his interest in her, but she didn’t see him. If it wasn’t for her friendship with Inuyasha, she probably wouldn’t even know he existed. As it was, if she felt anything towards him, it would be dislike, if not hatred.

 

Still, he got to dance with her and touch her bare skin, if only for a moment. All the pain and frustration, all the indignities he’d suffered that night were more than worth it for that reward. He would never forget how she felt in his arms. He would never forget the silkiness of her skin. He would also never forget her hesitance to dance with him, however, and the memory made his heart ache. At least in his dreams she didn’t mind his presence or his touch. In his dreams she loved him back. If only he could live in his dreams and never wake up.