"You're driving with the lights off." He looked to her doubtfully, still not having mastered the elusive seatbelt.

She risked a glance and smiled, reaching over with her right hand to click the buckle in place. "Yeah."

"I can't see."

She didn't bother to look over this time as she answered. "You're not driving."

He shifted uncomfortably in the seat, and peered out the window at the roving shadows which he could only assume to be buildings in the darkness. "But how can—"

"Look, if we got pulled over we'd look pretty suspicious, wouldn't we? You want to tell the police what we're doing out past curfew?"

He sunk lower, gripping the sides of the seat and tried not to see out any of the windows. "Keh."

Kagome gave a sigh of relief when she finally shut the engine off in the driveway. Inuyasha had been on edge of a fatal accident, but she had been far more worried about the possibility of running into the cops or, worse, the Patrol. It was bad enough everything else that had gone wrong recently in her life but now she was harboring a fugitive, too? She let out a groan, rubbing her hands over her face in exasperation and managed to glance over just in time to watch Inuyasha try to crawl out the car door without first unbuckling.

"Jesus. Haven't you ever ridden in a car before?" She laughed despite her efforts to prevent it.

"Get this damn thing off of me."

"Don't break it; hold still." She pushed him back against the seat, pressing a palm against his chest as she leaned over to untangle the belt. He tensed and she looked up, suddenly aware of their proximity. For a moment, neither moved as Kagome stared into his eyes, and then her gaze flickered to his lips, inches away. She held it for a moment before hitting the release on the buckle and sliding out her side of the vehicle.

He watched her unlock the front door and slip inside before exiting the car and slamming the door. He followed her stiffly into the livingroom, taking in the familiar surroundings now foreign from the inside. Somehow he felt clumsy, an unwelcome intruder.

After locking the door, Kagome slipped her tennis shoes off and padded up the stairwell, not bothering to turn on the lights. He watched her ascend the staircase into the darkness silently, torn between his instincts as the distance between them grew. Finally, he forced himself jerkily forward, clenching his fists in determination.

"Kagome."

"Hmm?" She glanced back, showering him with a half-smile but kept walking and let the question hang.

She disappeared down the hallway, and he was left only to follow.

"Kagome." It came out more forcefully this time as he pushed the bedroom door open, catching a glimpse of her bareback as she pulled the silk camisole on over her head, already dressed in matching shorts.

She turned in response, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail as she waited for him to continue.

"I can't stay here."

She let her hands fall to her side, taking in his statement. After a few moments she questioned, "Where are you going to go?"

He shrugged, not wanting to admit to nowhere. "Wherever."

He could see the annoyance in her face, feel the weight of her anger even before she unleashed it. "Oh, you mean back to the slums and trash piles of alley ways? Or do you have somewhere better to be."

He was nearly growling, his face burning at the humiliation.

When he refused to answer, she continued with, "Did you hurt Sango? She told me you were dangerous."

He clenched his jaw and glared out the window behind her, angry at the situation. If he told her. . . "You wouldn't understand."

"Would you hurt me?"

"What? No. I—"

"Inuyasha." He paused at the sound of his name falling from her lips for the second time that night. She had crossed her arms, tightly shutting him out. "Is that even your name?"

He was drowning, but if she wanted to push him away, he wasn't going to stop her. He shrugged again, not bothering to meet her eyes. "Does it even matter?"

She fell silent for a moment before questioning, "How can you expect me to trust you then?"

He could hear the wavering uncertainty in her voice, the higher pitch as she became more hysteric.

"I never asked you to."

"I can't believe I even thought I could."

She was shaking her head, eyes clouded in disbelief and shimmering with the promise of tears. She stepped back, physically increasing the distance between them and brought her hands up to cover her eyes.

He scowled at the sight of her tears but refused to back down. He was finding it hard to keep his own voice steady in his anger. How could he have thought. . . Seething, he lunged forward and grabbed her wrist, forcing her wide eyes to meet his gaze. "Well, ain't that too fucking bad."

She was shocked, blinking at him with those deep blue eyes before the realization hit her. She jerked against his hold, but he had no intention of letting her go.

He leaned in, and she became aware of his body where it now pressed against hers. "There's a million reasons why you shouldn't trust me."

His breath came out hot against her neck; her face flushing in reaction.

"Get out." She was practically screaming at him, and it stung.

He dropped her wrist as if burned and turned toward the bedroom door, snapping back, "Fine. That's what I was trying to do anyway."

She was trying not to sob as he left her, but it still came out that way. "Why?"

He paused in the open doorway but refused to look back. "You won't like what you see in the morning. No reason to stick around till then."

When she didn't answer, he moved to leave but was caught from behind. He gasped from the pain and surprise of her weight against his back, her arms wrapped tight around his waist. "Please."

He stood stiff for a moment, afraid to give in.

When she choked against his back, "Don't leave me," he broke.

"Okay. Okay."

She let out a final sob and pulled away, already smearing the tears from her face. She caught his wince at the action, a look of concern instantly crossing her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She slipped her hand inside his shirt and ran it across his back lightly, ignoring his protest until her fingertips brushed wetness. "God, you're bleeding. Take your shirt off; let me see."

Frustrated, he tried to pull away. "I said, 'it's nothing.'"

But she was already jerking at his clothing, and he found it hard to resist her attention. As soon as he was bare-chested, she spun him around to examine the damage. "These are from when you were shot? But that was a month ago."

He tried to turn around, but she stopped him. "They're mostly healed. It's not a big deal."

"Lie down on the bed; I'm going to get some warm water and towels. I'll see if there are any bandages left in the first aid kit."

She was ignoring him. And then she was gone.

He could hear her rummaging around in the bathroom, banging drawers and cabinets and eyed the bed wearily. He could put his shirt back on and resist, but he didn't really want to make her cry again. Hadn't he done enough damage for one night? And if he just took off it would probably have an even worse effect. She might never forgive him then.

"What are you doing? I told you to lie down."

"Look, wench—"

She set the supplies down on the desk, careful not the spill the water and turned her attention to him fully. He withered slightly under her stare—already so open and trusting, sighed and crawled onto the bed.

He tensed at the initial touch of her fingertips across his skin and then forced himself to relax as she began to dab gently at his shoulder wound. After a few moments, he closed his eyes and didn't even realize he was falling asleep.

He woke at dawn with the start of his transformation, surprised that he had drifted off. He fisted and then relaxed his hand as his claws returned, watching the muscles tense under his skin. It was a relief to have his strength back and yet he was half-expecting Kagome's shrill scream to break out at any moment. He glanced around quickly and found her asleep, propped on her knees, the front of her spilling forward onto the edge of the mattress by his side. He sat up abruptly at the sight, the bandages around his shoulder tightening across his chest and back from the twisting motion. He reached down, brushing his fingers across more bandages around his waist. When had she—?

He lowered his eyes to look at her and reached out to brush the smooth skin of her cheek with his knuckles. She slept with her head resting on her arms, her weight supported by the side of the bed. He slid off the mattress quietly and lifted her gently to lay her on top, tucking her under the covers before leaning his back against the wall at the foot of the bed. He breathed out deeply and closed his eyes trying to convince himself that he was making the right decision by staying.

---

Kagome opened her eyes, slowly taking in the morning light. She felt groggy but warm and instinctively snuggled further under the covers. And then she remembered: there was a half-demon sleeping in her bedroom. She sat up quietly, careful not to wake him and peered down to the foot of her bed where he had propped himself against the wall. Silently, she pushed the covers aside and crawled toward the foot of the bed. His head rested against his chest as he slept, his bangs hanging forward to hide his eyes—ones she knew by now would be breathtakingly golden. She reached one hand out gingerly, wishing to know the texture of his ear against her fingertips, and it was then that he tensed.

"You're awake?"

He looked up at her slowly, warily, but didn't speak. Somehow the expression on his face made her heart ache.

She blushed slightly, suddenly embarrassed at her actions. "May I?"

He eyed her hand for a moment, still outstretched in the air, before flicking his gaze back to her face. "Yeah."

His ear twitched at her initial touch, but she saw his shoulders relax when she began to rub light circles down the back of it. She smiled despite herself, "Soft."

He smiled, almost reluctantly, back at her. "Yeah."

She reached for his hand, pulling him toward her. "Come lay with me. It's still early."

He blinked at her before allowing himself to be pulled up toward the mattress, his heart pounding painfully as he crawled after her. Images of his claws clumsily ensnaring and slicing through the pastel sheets flashed in the back of his mind followed by her horrified scream. Monster.

"Kagome." His hoarse voice broke the silence, as she sat down on top of the comforter facing him.

"Hmm?"

She was still smiling at him, still trusting. He felt his throat close up, the words refusing to spill out. Recognizing his discomfort, she reached out to cup his face.

"Inuyasha—"

"I like it when you call me that. I don't—" He nearly winced at his jumbled confession. "Know my own name. It's all I have. I should have told you instead of . . . "

Who gave you that? He could see the question in her face, but since she didn't voice it, he didn't bother to answer. Instead, she leaned forward to press her lips against his.

He closed his eyes, feeling her mouth work against his and sighed, his chest shuddering from the force. Her hands fisted in his hair as she slid down underneath him, pulling him down on top of her, his weight pressing their bodies together in the process. He broke away to lick and suck at her neck, trailing wet kisses down her collar bone. He savored the sound of her moans and quiet panting, the feel of her squirming beneath him and thought he might burst. He pulled away, breathing heavy, eyes brimming with need.

"Kagome, we don't—"

She reached down and slid her camisole up over her head, dropping it over the side of the bed.

His eyes widened slightly in surprise, fists clenched at her sides where he propped himself over her, arms shaking slightly from the strain. "Kagome . . . "

He felt himself weaken as she brushed her fingertips across her right breasts, caressing it lightly and rubbing circles around her nipple. She reached up to trace those same fingers down his jaw line. "Have you watched me pleasure myself, Inuyasha?"

He looked away, unwilling to answer, face burning, and she knew he had.

"Did you want to participate?"

He felt angry and hurt, unsure how to react. "Why are you doing this?" Had she intended to torment him all along?

"Please, Inuyasha." She bumped her hips up against him slightly, indicating her desire. "I've been waiting for you."

His eyes widened at the thought and her actions. It was true that she hadn't been with any men, but he never thought—

"Kagome." He could hear the whine in his voice, felt himself losing control.

"Please, make me feel good. I want it to be you." She smiled up at him, and he knew somehow she meant it. It was crazy, and he couldn't understand it. He hesitated, and her smile waned. "You want to be with me, don't you?"

Hearing her sad words made him want to cry. He leaned down to kiss her lips once lightly. "I told you I loved you, didn't I?"

"Then you want me to pleasure you first?" Her fingers were already sliding over the fabric of his pants, pulling loose the ties and brushing over the bare skin of his stomach without waiting for an answer. He swallowed hard when her fingertips dipped dangerously lower.

"Wait."

He was straining from the anticipation of her touch, his breathing already heavy, his brain barely able to process thought anymore.

"I can't."

They held gazes for a moment, letting his words sink into the silence before he slid back and she sat up, swinging her legs over the edge. She sat there for a moment, eyes dull as she stared at the carpet and then rose stiffly to walk out the room, disappearing down the hall. He stared at the open doorway for a few minutes before hearing a door slam and then the sound of running water.

Kagome scrubbed at her face furiously in the shower, the hot water tinging her skin pink where it ran over her shoulders. She had left the door purposely unlocked, hoping he would come after her, but somehow she knew he'd be gone by the time she finished.

So she was surprised that he had remained unmoved on her bed when she returned. "Oh, you're still here?"

She pulled the towel tighter around her for protection as she walked to her dresser.

"You want me to leave?"

He was pouting, but for the life of her she couldn't understand why. Wasn't he the one who decided to call it off? She was the one whose pride should be hurting, not his.

She hugged the clothes to her chest and glared at him before dropping the towel. "Don't look."

He cringed at the tone of her voice, but complied. He clenched his hands where they rested on his knees and stared at the comforter in front of him. He had made her angry with him again.

"Two years."

He glanced up at the sound of her voice to see her fully dressed in jeans and a tank-top. Somehow he didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"You've been following me for two years."

"You're the one who asked me to stay. I never said—"

"Two years ago I nearly drowned."

He fell quiet, but she could tell from the clench of his jaw that he knew exactly what she was talking about.

He smiled, and it looked pained. "That was the night I met you. You were walking to your car after work."

Kagome had been half way across the parking lot when she remembered she had left her school books on the secretary's desk before cleaning the fifth floor. "Figures," she griped to herself before jogging back to the front door. She slipped back into the corporate building, not bothering to lock the door behind her. She had spotted Nate, the new security guard, doing some rounds earlier, and it would only take a moment. She was waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive when she heard the front door open and then close.

After a few beats of silence, she called out, "I just left my text books upstairs. I'll be out in a second so you can lock up for the night."

Footsteps headed her way without an answer.

"Nate?"

She could feel her pulse beating in her throat like a trapped thing. If he was playing a joke on her swear to god . . .

The door open and closed a second time, and this time she heard the security guard's familiar voice. "Hey, you can't be in here. We're closed for the night."

There was a commotion, a yelp and a sickening thud. Oh, god. Kagome pressed her hands over her mouth to stifle a sob and flung herself into the stairwell, tears blurring her eyes.

"Shit."

She had enough time to hear his vehement curse before the heavy metal door slammed shut behind her. She was already up three flights of stairs by the time he exploded into the stairwell behind her. She was passing the fifth floor on pure adrenaline alone when he first began to catch up to her. Kagome threw herself into the sixth floor's door and burst sideways into darkness.

She was shaking, crawling her way through exercise equipment and weight machines when she heard the door to the stairwell creak open. If she just hid here . . .

The lights in the hallway flipped on with a fluorescent flicker and hum. Already the footsteps were coming closer. She slid against the wall, fingers trailing up and down as she moved. Somewhere there was a door that connected to the pool room which connected to the back stairwell. She slipped into the next room and took a moment to catch her breath, willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She could make out the edge of the pools, one for laps, the other for diving, and there on the opposite side of the room was a dimly lit exit sign.

She could hear him in the recreation room behind her, already making his way to the door. She was off running once again, heart pounding wildly; this was her last chance. She had made it to the other side of the room when she went down with an "uuh," and the back of her head connected to smooth tile. She gasped, seeing bursts of tiny, colorful stars as she blinked into the darkness, fingers splayed across the cold, wet floor. So close. She rolled onto her side slowly, painfully and tried to push up even as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.

Inuyasha grunted in annoyance as he pushed past the final treadmill and into the next room. He paused and squinted into the darkness just in time to watch Kagome slip over the edge and into the water. Without thinking, he cried out.

"So you admit that it was you."

Inuyasha shrugged, still unmoved from his position on the bed. "I was hard up for cash back then, and you looked like easy prey."

"And now?"

He meet her gaze intensely. "I don't need money anymore, and you still look like easy prey."

She shifted her weight uncomfortably, bothered by his answer but too afraid to pry. "You never took any of my money."

He grinned almost sheepishly at her point. "Yeah, well, I figured you earned it after all that."

She didn't smile back.

His own smile withered away, and he let out a sigh. "I didn't mean for it to get that messy."

"So you've been following me out of guilt then."

"What? No."

She looked to him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"I saw you fall into the pool, and . . . I felt scared."

When Inuyasha didn't elaborate further, Kagome plopped down next to him on the bed and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I don't understand."

He shrugged, not willing to look at her. "I don't try to."