Title: The Basics of Texting

Universe: AU

Relationship: Inu/Kag allusions to Inu/Kik and Kouga/Kag

Summary: Exchanging text messages is one thing, meeting is another thing entirely, and Kagome isn't sure she is prepared. Plus she's been feeling a little out of sorts ever since she met him, and she's not sure she can explain it.

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A chimed vibration rattled against the top of Kagome's bedside table, pulling her out of an unconscious stupor. Sloth-like fingers closed over the device, bringing it beneath the blankets with no hurry at all. It took a moment before she could pop her eyes open. The thought of completely waking up didn't sound all that appealing.

Yet the moment she saw the name displayed across the screen of her cell, she felt as though she'd been awake for hours. It was amazing how revitalizing one text message could be, especially when it came from the right person. Better than caffeine.

Hastily, Kagome unlocked her phone to read the message contained within:

Good morning beautiful.

A blush stole across her features as she gazed at the words. They were so simple and similar to all the other ones she had received over the past few weeks, but they made her feel giddy all the same.

Sitting up in an abrupt motion that caused her blankets to fly to the foot of the bed, Kagome tucked a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The elation she felt made her nervous in a way, and each time she responded to a text from the cause of said elation, she felt as if she had to look her best. It was a strange sense of anxiety, since she logically knew that he would not be able to see her.

Slowly, her fingers worked across the screen as she composed her own message. It took her longer than it would with anyone else, but carefully creating her reply seemed to be in her best interest. It also helped to make her look less eager.

Good morning, handsome. How'd you sleep?

Using the time in between responses to get things done, Kagome began to mill around her room. She grabbed some clothes out of her closet, and tossed them into the bathroom.

There was a full day ahead of her, filled with classes and work. It wasn't something she was looking forward to, even if it was a Friday. Her phone sounded, and it made her realize just how much better her days had been since she met her new text-mate.

I dreamt of you, so I'd have to say pretty damn good. How about you?

Blushing again, Kagome typed out a quick reply detailing about how she had fallen asleep with thoughts of him and then asked what his plans were for the evening. It might have felt a little too flirtatious for the amount of time she had known the man, but that had been the nature of their relationship since they met. All winking emoji's, and slightly suggestive phrases.

It had all started a month prior. Kagome had been out for drinks with a handful of friends to celebrate a birthday party. Being that she didn't feel like drinking on that particular night because she had to save up money for rent at the end of the month, Kagome offered to be the designated driver. That usually consisted of her playing babysitter to her drunken friends, but she didn't mind. Their antics more than made up for the hassle they caused. Plus she got a sick sort of pleasure at being the one to fill in the blanks of their memories.

By the time the night hand wound down, Kagome was more than ready to go home. Their group had been hit on by enough guys for her to know that she would not be making an appearance at that particular bar in a long time.

As she herded her drunk friends out of the building, she was forced to come to an abrupt stop due to the birthday girl deciding she needed to converse with the group of guys that had exited shortly before them. By the way she was talking to them, Kagome would have guessed that Kikyou knew them. Which was probably true. Somehow Kikyou knew everybody.

Kagome leaned against the wall, deciding it was best if she observed the conversation rather than engage in it. That way, if a quick exit needed to be made, Kagome would be in top form to instigate it.

The only thing that Kagome hadn't anticipated was being singled out by a member of the other group.

One second she was leaning against the wall on her own, and the next there was a presence right next to her that demanded her attention without so much as a word being spoken. She was helpless to do anything but comply. It was a feeling Kagome wasn't used to.

Casting a hurried glance towards the man leaning next to her, Kagome drank in his appearance. Silvery hair cascaded down the middle of his back, highlighted by the high moon in the sky. Triangular ears flicked atop his head, and Kagome's fingers itched to caress every millimeter of them. He was cute – hot really – and Kagome felt her mouth water a bit as she took in the defined lines of muscles that poked out beneath his tight clothing. She was amazed that he was talking to her, when there was a group of beautifully flirtatious women right in front of her. Yet another thing she was unaccustomed to.

"Nice dress," he had said in lieu of a greeting.

"Thank you," Kagome replied. Having been subjected to similar phrases all night, she didn't feel it necessary to be overly enthusiastic. So far his comment had been pretty neutral, but she had learned that even the most basic of comments could turn into a question of whether or not she had any final plans for the evening. There would be no way that her guard would drop just because a handsome face accompanied the nice sounding words.

A thin beat of silence trailed between the two of them, surprisingly comfortable with its appearance. The next time he spoke, Kagome was not ready for it. "What does it mean?"

There was a moment when she floundered for words, trying to decipher the meaning behind his question. She drew a blank, and she decided to call him on his inspired confusion.

"Your dress," he amended. "What's the meaning behind it?"

Carefully unfolding her crossed arms, Kagome took a peek at her dress. The Aztec symbols crisscrossed around the body of her dress in blocks of black and white, and she looked it over with a critical eye.

"It's some sort of tribal art." She didn't sound so sure

He nodded. "I can see that, but does it mean something?"

"I'm not really sure what you're asking." Her attention was torn away from her group of friends in order to focus entirely on the man next to her. He was smirking. It didn't make her nearly as mad as she would have thought.

"I'm just wondering what inspired your choice of dress."

Never before had a man asked her about the art of her clothing; the overall meaning behind it. It was odd, and it made her laugh. She spoke her thoughts to him aloud, and he ruefully chuckled in response.

"I don't mean to offend you," he stated, holding up his hands in surrender. "I was just curious."

"I'm not offended, it's actually been a little enlightening." She tucked the fluff of her bangs back behind her ear as it brushed against her lashes. "As for the dress, I'm not sure of its meaning. I merely thought it was cute and I liked the way the fabric felt, so I bought it and wore it out tonight."

He smirked again. A quick tilt to the corner of his lips that emphasized the sharp glint of his canine. It enthralled her, and her heart pounded out a song. "Don't get me wrong," he said. "It's an amazing dress. I mean you look amazing. I've seen similar pictures in a history book a time or two, and just thought maybe you knew the meaning behind it."

She shook her head in mock sadness. "Sorry. Next time I'll be sure to do the proper research before dressing myself."

"I really didn't mean any offense by my question."

It was cute, the way he thought his simple question had been offensive. If more men had asked her that question, the overall consensus of the night might have had a different feel to it. As it was, most guys liked to make other, less favorable quips about her dress.

"I really couldn't be less offended by that comment. Now if you'd said something along the lines of 'your dress would look amazing on my floor'," she adopted a more husky quality to her voice to get her point across, "then it might have been a different story." She smiled over at him. "Though, I probably wouldn't have held it against you. The line does tend to get old after the first ten times, and it starts adopting the same sort of feel as 'how's the weather'."

If she hadn't been paying close attention to him, she probably wouldn't have noticed the way his amber eyes flashed in the night. But she couldn't stop staring at him, so she saw every bit of it. She didn't bother deciphering what it meant, for all she knew he could have been remembering that he left his oven on.

"I like to make my material a little more original when I'm trying to get a pretty girl's name and number."

Shaking her head, Kagome cut her eyes to her friends to make sure that all of them were present and accounted for. All four of them were swayed and laughed at whatever was being said, and Kagome turned back towards the man next to her. "What material would that be," she asked.

His hand was thrust out in front of her as he angled his body towards her own. She only gave his hand a wary glance for a moment, before she placed her palm in his and let him give her wrist a few quick pumps. "Hi." He breathed, eyes light as his fingers tightened around her own. "My name's InuYasha. What's yours?"

That had been the beginning, and Kagome had been quick to give him her name. Moments later when he would ask for her number she would hesitate for only a second before putting her digits in his phone. It was rare that she would give her number to strangers, and as she lead her friends away, bidding her goodbyes to InuYasha and his own group, she hoped that she wouldn't come to regret her choice. He had sent the first text only a couple hours after receiving her number, and she realized that there was no way he could ever be considered a wrong choice.

All forms of communication since that initial meeting had been done through the written word, and as the days ticked by Kagome was finding herself more and more eager to see the beautiful hanyou again. There was no way she would be able to get up enough courage to actually set up a night out together. She lacked any substantial experience in the world of dating, and anytime she even talked to a man she usually ended up feeling awkward and shy. The first meeting with InuYasha, where she was surrounded by the safety of her friend's presence, she had been in her element.

Any instance in which they might come together in the future would more than likely leave her looking like a baboon. There was no way InuYasha would want anything to do with her after that, and she didn't want to risk the beautiful friendship they had been forming through texted conversations.

What she wanted would have to remain just that until she was able to work up enough courage to do something about it.

With as beautiful as InuYasha was inside and out, Kagome knew that their meeting would have to be sooner rather than later; unless she wanted InuYasha to be snatched up like the last chicken wing at a buffet. She only hoped it didn't come down to that.

She was out of her element, and she had already begun to feel more for InuYasha than their one meeting should have allowed.

A series of vibrating beeps alerted Kagome to the arrival of multiple text messages. Deciding her shower could wait a few more minutes, Kagome picked up her phone and read through the messages. The first one read:

I'll be going out for drinks tonight with a friend.

It was the second one that made her breathing stop and her heart pound.

I'd love it if you came ;)

She didn't know what to say. Her fingers moved of their own accord as she read and reread his last message. There was no way that she could go out with him and his friend. She'd make a fool out of herself; his friend, and most probably InuYasha himself, would end up thinking she was an idiotic klutz.

Her decline was imminent, she just wasn't ready to see him. Not yet.

The pulsated alert of a new message shook her foundation, and she peered at the screen in an attempt to decipher what was going on. The message consisted of one word. A word that made her heart pound harder, and the anxious butterflies fluttering within her stomach to begin a carnivorous war against the lining of her stomach.

Great! It had said.

And in the few suspenseful seconds that had followed, Kagome realized that she had sent out an affirmative response to his invitation.

There was no going back after that, because there was no way Kagome could ever allow herself to look like a weakling in front of InuYasha. Not if she had anything to say about it.

##

Dressing for a date was always a stressful process for Kagome, and she found that it was even more stressful when it was a kind-of-sort-of-maybe date; like what InuYasha had invited her on. The fact that he had mentioned his friend would be there was warring with the logic that he had said he'd love it if she came. Nothing was ever black and white, and Kagome found herself wishing that she knew what was going to happen.

In the end, she decided that it would probably be in both her and InuYasha's best interest if she brought her own friend along. That way, if it was more date like, their friends could play the wingman, and if it was a simple, friendly gathering she wouldn't be the odd man out.

She felt like a genius.

A genius who had nothing to wear.

The only saving grace was the fact that her makeup and hair were already immaculately done. Catlike eyeliner and mascara graced her face, while a smidge of blush and bronzer highlighted her features. Her hair was swept up into a dramatic French twist, leaving a few long tendrils to brush the skin of her face and neck.

"That's it," Kagome stated. "I'm not going."

A sigh sounded from her bed, and Kagome tossed a glare over at her friend in response. True to form, Kikyou had been game for a night out drinking. She often didn't care who was present, as long as she was able to get her party on. Kagome thought Kikyou was the best choice for that night because she had been there when InuYasha first came into the picture. It was because of that reason that Kagome often shared the ins and outs of her and InuYasha's texts. Kikyou was practically a third wheel in their relationship already, and the slim brunette didn't seem to mind.

That was why Kagome had picked her. Combined with the fact that Kikyou was her roommate and would stop her from making any potentially stupid decisions. Kagome could only wish Kikyou had stopped her from agreeing to going out.

"Will you just decide already?" Kikyou rolled her head around so she could get a look at the clock. It didn't help Kagome in the slightest, because Kikyou was already dressed for the night out. And of course she looked hot. Kagome was beginning to think that she should find uglier friends.

InuYasha's not even going to want to look at me when Kikyou's looking like that, Kagome thought.

"I have absolutely nothing to wear, so I can't make a choice." Kagome threw up her hands, stomping her foot against the ground as she stood in the middle of her room in her matching bra and panty set. It was black lace with red ribbons running along the edges. At least that part was cute, though Kagome logically knew no one was going to see that. Her reasoning stemmed more along the lines of the age old if she felt hot from her head to her toes then she would look hot.

There were resounding insecurities running through her brain telling her InuYasha probably only found her 'alcohol attractive'. That would be devastating.

A huff startled Kagome from her thoughts, and she watched as Kikyou rolled to her feet before making a beeline for the closet. After rummaging around for a few seconds, Kikyou made a triumphant noise. Turning to look at Kagome with her hands hidden behind her back, Kagome couldn't help but be a bit fearful of the gleam in Kikyou's eyes.

"I know what you're going to wear."

Apprehensive was the only way to describe the feeling that was climbing up her chest. It was probably going to be the same leather bodysuit Kagome had worn the previous Halloween when she dressed up like Catwoman.

Instead of saying anything, Kagome realized it was probably safest to keep quiet. That way Kikyou couldn't trick her into agreeing before she realized what was being hidden.

"Oh, don't look so scared. You're going to love it." Kikyou pulled her charming smile, the one that Kagome had once stated could scare small children. It wasn't winning any favors in that moment. "Just promise me you'll at least try it on and give it a thought."

Reluctantly, Kagome agreed.

"You're going to look fabulous," Kikyou stated as she brought her arms forward. In her hands was a black garment bag and it only took Kagome half a second to remember what it was.

"I can't wear that."

"You promised," Kikyou purred.

"It won't look good on me! I bought it on a whim when I thought I could actually succeed in losing five pounds."

"Don't care," Kikyou smirked. "A promise is a promise."

It took a few minutes for Kagome to work up the nerve to actually climb into the dress. Once it was on and zipped up, it took her even longer to brave a look in the mirror. At least I don't feel atrocious, she reasoned with herself. Surprisingly, her thoughts spurred her into looking in the mirror before Kikyou had to take drastic measures.

The vision she saw was not what she was expecting, and she had to admit that she looked good. Bodycon dresses were not her normal style, they were much too tight and short and generally everything she avoided wearing. The day she had bought that particular dress, she had felt like living on the edge. In that moment, she was glad she had been reckless with her money for once in her life, because even though the dress had been sitting in her closet for more than a year by that point, there was no better time to wear it than on that day.

"You look gorgeous!"

Kagome smiled at the compliment, silently agreeing. The white lace fabric clung to her skin in just the right way, and it left Kagome admiring her curves rather than hating them. A deep V-neck plunged down to the middle of her breasts, leaving a healthy but tasteful heap of cleavage to show in its wake. Turning around and twisting her spine, Kagome was able to see that the back V also showed a good amount of skin; all the while serving as an arrow that pointed to her generous bottom. There was no way that InuYasha would be able to find her anything less than attractive in that dress, at least that's what she told herself as she moved to grab her purse.

"Let's go before I change my mind," Kagome announced.

Together they made the long walk to the bar, and Kagome was pleased that despite the similarities found in their features they didn't look that much alike on that night. Kikyou wore black to Kagome's white, and her hair was down while Kagome's was up. They looked like friends for once, rather than the relatives they were often accused of being.

Kagome could feel it in her bones. It was going to be a good night.

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END PT 1.

AN:/ This was my first attempt at something more than a oneshot. It's rough, and for that I apologize. Hope you enjoy regardless. After this is posted I will be caught up with my old stories, and will only be publishing new ones from here on out.