A/N: Fans of "The Asylum" need not be worried. This is just something that I came up with to work on when I'm having bits of writers block. It's not going to be as involved or original as Asylum but hey, everyone gets block once in a while. I hope you enjoy it though, I know I'm having fun writing it! Reviews are always appreciated!

Sitting on the couch in her best friend's living room, Kagome Higurashi stared blankly at the TV in front of her. She was fighting the urge to break down and sob hysterically into her pillow. 5 years. 5 years of her life that she could never get back and it was all for nothing. She dedicated herself to him completely and what did he do with it? He chewed it up, spit it out and threw it in her face. His promises of love and devotion that had once soothed her and brought a smile to her face were now met with revulsion and loathing. When she thought of the sweet words whispered during the quiet nights of unbridled passion made her physically sick to her stomach. Just thinking his name brought indescribable pain to her head. Kouga! Kami, she really was a fool. She had succumbed to his charms from the moment she met him so long ago and it didn't take long for her to fall head over heels for the man. He was intelligent, incredibly handsome and he genuinely seemed to care for her. It took less than two months for him to convince her to move in and only another month to get her to drop her pants and give her body to him freely. Kagome had always been very protective of her status as a virgin. Sure, at 23 it wasn't always something that a person would be proud of but she always told herself that when the right person came along she would know and it would be alright. She thought that person was Kouga. She loved him with every part of her soul and she was under the impression that he felt the same.

The first 4 years of their relationship were like a fairy tale. He spoiled her, treated her like a princess and always indulged in her greatest fantasies. Her friends and family all commented on how they were such a wonderful couple and that they were perfect together. Perfect. If they only knew. While on the outside they appeared to be happy and content and the latest rumor was that Kouga would be proposing before the year was over, internally things were not going as well as people believed. Kagome had noticed a drastic change in his personality in the last year and it was something that was hard to ignore. First, there were many late nights at the office. She understood that he was a very busy man and that his job was very important to him but he never failed to be home on time in the past. The first few times it happened Kagome didn't pay much attention. She believed him when he said that an extremely important business deal was in the works and he would be putting in some extra hours. She just smiled at him and wished him all the luck she could in the venture and went about her life like it was nothing.

The next thing she noticed was his rapidly waning interest in actually going out with her. Whenever she suggested that they go out to dinner or see a movie or Kami forbid, visit some of their friends he would claim that he was exhausted and that he just wanted to spend the night at home. While it was odd at first since he was never shy about taking her to some of the best restaurants in town, she pushed it to the back of her mind and gave him the benefit of the doubt.

It wasn't until their already shrinking sex life came to a grinding halt that Kagome began to think that something was seriously wrong with their relationship. He stopped calling her to see how her day was. He didn't seem to care that he was never around and when she called his office to let him know that her grandfather had passed away he told her that he was working late and she would just have to cope on her own. He knew how important her grandfather was to her but none of that seemed to matter. He came home long after she went to bed, if he came home at all, and was always gone before she was awake the following day. He was a stranger to her and she didn't like it.

After 8 months of being ignored, neglected and made to feel like she was nothing to him, Kagome made the choice to confront him.

Kagome sighed when the familiar 30 story office building came into view. The walk from the small bookshop downtown that she worked at wasn't too far and the nighttime spring air was refreshing. She tried to let the calmness of the night fill her but she knew that it wasn't going to happen. She was tired of pretending everything was alright and that she wasn't hurting. Tonight, she would confront Kouga and get the answers she felt she was due.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and made her way down the hall towards the elevator. When she stepped inside, she pressed the button for the top floor and sat back against the wall. Kagome tried to organize her thoughts and map out everything she was going to say to him. She knew that he was probably going to be angry with her for just showing up at his office but he was never home anymore. She couldn't remember the last time she woke up with him next to her. He even made excuses to be gone on the weekends. If he didn't want to be with her anymore then he should just come out and tell her; she was tired of him stringing her along.

More quickly than she realized, the door to the top floor opened and Kagome found that her resolve was faltering. Maybe I shouldn't have come here she thought for a moment. Shaking her head, she decided to press forward. There were lights on at the end of the hall indicating that he was still in his office. Absently, Kagome glanced over to the desk where his secretary Satomi usually sat. Why she decided to look over there she had no idea but she did it anyway. There was a tan, feminine jacket lying atop a dark purse. Kagome felt her heart clench a little at the thought that they were both here late. She refused to believe that Kouga would be so low as to sleep with another woman.

A noise from the end of the hall drew her attention to the door leading to Kouga's office. The blinds were drawn so she couldn't see inside but there were definitely two people in there if the muffled voices she was hearing gave any clue. Her heart began to beat faster as she closed the distance between herself and the door. She placed her hand on the door knob and was about to turn the handle when a loud moan drifted to her ears. She stilled and waited as the voices became clearer.

"Oh, just like that baby!" a woman's voice sounded through the door.

"You like that don't you? You like my cock in you don't you? Tell me how much you like it when I fuck you?" a male voice answered.

"Oh Kami, fuck me Kouga!"

Kagome's eyed widened and she took a few steps back. He wouldn't...he wouldn't be so cruel as to betray her that way. She felt the first few tears slip down her cheeks before she could stop them. Without thinking, Kagome stormed forward and threw the door open.

The scene before her was enough to break her heart and cause her to be furious at the same time. There he was, naked as the day he was born with his equally naked secretary sprawled out on his desk while he fucked her senseless. They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn't even notice she had walked in. Fury like she had never felt before welled up inside her while the tears of her heartbreak poured freely from her eyes.

"You bastard!" she screamed causing both individuals to cease their movements immediately.

"Kag-Kagome? What are you doing here?" Kouga asked breathlessly

"Finding out what has been keeping you at the office apparently." she spit.

"Kagome…I…"

"Shut up! I can't believe you! What have I done to you to deserve this? I gave you everything, Kouga and this is how you repay me? Of all the reasons I came up with for your distance this past year I never once believe you could be capable of something like this."

She turned to walk away but was stopped when Kouga grabbed onto her arm.

"Kagome…wait…let me explain" he pleaded.

Wrenching her arm from his grasp she slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't you EVER touch me again!" she yelled before she tore from the office building and ran.

Kagome was brought out of the unpleasant trip down memory lane when the front door opened. Kagome smiled at Sango and got off the couch to grab a few of the bags that she was balancing precariously in both her arms.

"Thanks!" Sango exhaled once she was through the door.

"Why didn't you call me? I would have come down to help you."

"Eh, I got it. Besides, I thought Miroku would be home in time to help me but he's stuck in traffic."

Once inside, the two friends set about putting away all of the groceries and starting dinner. Sango went to change while Kagome kept herself busy in the kitchen.

"So how was work today?" Sango yelled from the bedroom.

"It was alright. Busy. We got a huge shipment in today so most of my day was spent cataloguing everything and getting it up on the shelves. But, it kept my mind busy so I wasn't thinking about…other things" Kagome replied sadly.

"Don't think about that asshole a minute longer Kagome. He's not worth your tears. If I could get my hands on him I swear he would wish he was never born."

"Sango, if he's not worth my tears he's definitely not worth you going to jail for."

"I know but it would still make me happy to know he got what was coming to him."

Kagome smiled and shook her head. Sango was way too protective of her sometimes but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Sango?" she called out.

"Yeah?"

"I…I'm going to need to get the rest of my stuff soon" she said quietly.

"Well, you know Miroku and I will go with you and we'll find a good storage facility for anything that doesn't fit here." she replied as she stepped out of the bedroom and sat at the kitchen table.

"No…I mean…I need to get my stuff and…find a place of my own."

"Kagome, you know you can stay here as long as you want. We don't mind having you."

"I know Sango, I know but…You and Miroku are newlyweds and as much as you say that it doesn't bother you both that I'm here I know that you guys want your private time. It's not fair to you two and it's time I stood on my own two feet. I've been hiding here for almost 2 months now and I can't keep letting this hold me back."

"Whatever you decide, Miroku and I will support you, you know that. My only question is; how are you going to afford a decent place on your own?"

Kagome shrugged and stared off at the wall.

"I'll take a second job if I have to. Sango I need to do this. Kouga was my security for so long. I didn't have to worry about anything when I was with him. I used to be a very independent person until he came along. He took care of everything for me and I never had to worry. I need to move on with my life."

Sango smiled; there was the friend that she remembered.

"I'll bring a paper home tomorrow so you can start looking"

"Thanks Sango, you're the best."

"Ahh! How hard is it to find an affordable apartment in this damn city?" Kagome yelled as she listened to yet another potential apartment turned her down.

For two weeks she had been trolling the paper and internet in search of a new place to live. The only ones she could afford were in a less desirable part of town and she refused to go down that road. She had hoped that the fact that she did earn a decent wage, the fact that she had excellent credit, and that she lived alone would be enough to convince some of the nicer places to rent to her but they all turned her down. She was beginning to think that she would be living with Sango and Miroku till she was and old woman.

"Well, maybe this is a sign that you should stay a little longer" Miroku told her while they sat on the couch.

"You know I can't Miroku so please don't argue with me on this."

"We're not arguing, Kagome we just want you to be sure you're doing the right thing" Sango interjected.

Kagome said nothing and continued to peruse the paper. Page after page was the same thing; the same places she had already called. She was about to give up and go for a nice long walk when her eyes landed on an ad at the back of the paper that she hadn't seen before.

Room for Rent:

Looking to share a spacious, 3 bedroom apartment. Individual must be neat, employed and submit to a background check. Individual will split the rent and utilities. Must be a non-smoker with no pets, preferably male. Serious inquiries only may contact this number to set up an appointment.

Kagome skimmed to the bottom of the page and found the phone number and address. It was close to her job, the area was nice and it was near her favorite park. Completely ignoring the fact that the ad said they were looking for a male roommate, Kagome pulled the page from the back of the paper, circled the ad and ran off to the door.

"Where are you going?" Sango questioned.

"I found…never mind I'll tell you later. I'm going out!" Kagome yelled over her shoulder before she grabbed her coat and disappeared through the door.

Sango and Miroku looked at each other before shrugging; there was no point in trying to understand Kagome sometimes.

~~~~~~~B~~~~~~~

Standing on the balcony of his apartment, Sesshoumaru Ito gazed at the city below. Honestly, how difficult was it to find a responsible adult to share an apartment with? He really didn't need a roommate and he certainly didn't need the extra income. Having a roommate would simply make his life run more smoothly than it did. With all of the travelling he did for work it was impossible to find someone responsible to look after his home while he was gone. He didn't have pets that needed tending but he liked to know that everything was in order and wouldn't come home to some catastrophe.

At 32, he had made a name for himself in the banking industry. He had a knack for spotting investments that were very profitable and enough sense to avoid the ones that were too risky. In the 5 years since his promotion to branch manager the profit margins and increased tenfold. His job was a rewarding one and he was lucky to have landed it. His father had wanted him to join his company when he graduated college but he was determined to make a name for himself without his father's help. He never needed his assistance in the past, not like it was available. He was too busy with…other things.

Willing the unnecessary thoughts from his mind, he focused his attentions elsewhere. Unfortunately his train of thought strayed on another unpleasant topic; his lying, conniving, cheating bitch of a girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend he told himself. He really should have seen though her from the beginning but she had charmed him and he fell for it. He knew his reputation as a bit of a ladies' man made it difficult for any chance of a serious relationship with anyone but he really was starting to think that Kagura would be different than the rest. No, he wasn't in love with her but after 2 years he definitely felt more than affection for the woman. She was beautiful and they never failed to pleasure one another but apparently it wasn't enough for her.

Stepping off the elevator, Sesshoumaru tried to forget the day that he had. Nothing seemed to go his way and he couldn't wait to get home. He ended up so frustrated that he left work 3 hours early just so he wouldn't have to deal with rush hour traffic. All he wanted to do was change his clothes, eat something and pour himself a drink. For once, he wasn't in the mood to go out and he hoped like hell that Kagura didn't want to go out because it was not happening tonight. Sure, she would probably bitch and moan about it but he would make it up to her. Maybe just once he could convince her to cook for him. He liked her a lot, he really did, but sometimes he wondered if she was only with him because of what his last name was, not who he was. Yes, he was the son of the most prominent business man in Tokyo, but he and his father were two different people with different goals and dreams. He enjoyed the wealth and success his position gave him but he would give it all up in a heartbeat if it was for the right reason.

Sighing, he made the trek down the hallway toward his door. A rare smile touched his lips when he arrived at his destination. He was happy to be home. Pulling his keys from his pocket he slipped the key into the lock and prepared to turn the knob but stopped. The door was already unlocked. He knew Kagura was there; he had seen her car when he pulled in, but that did not explain why the door was open. She knew how paranoid he could be when it came to his home, having been on the receiving end of several lectures when they first started dating. Obviously she needed another reminder.

Once the door was opened he stepped inside and shut it quickly. He turned and gave a quick look at everything to make sure that nothing was wrong and that was when he heard it. The very distinct and undeniably loud feminine moan that emanated from his bedroom. He would have ignored it; she had been known to pleasure herself in the past when he wasn't around, if he didn't hear an equally loud male groan in response.

Blind fury and rage filled him as he slipped off his shoes and silently made his way towards HIS bedroom. He could clearly hear the grunting, panting and slapping of skin as he drew closer. He wanted to burst in there and confront her and her guest but he stilled for a moment. An emotion that he wasn't used to was creeping up into him and he was having trouble dealing with it. He was…saddened. It was understandable that he would be upset but sad? No, it must be something else he was feeling. Obviously he would be angry; she was supposed to be his girlfriend. Had he come to care for her enough that he would be saddened by her betrayal? Pushing the thought away and deciding that he would deal with it later, Sesshoumaru stepped forward and threw the door open.

His eyes immediately landed on the bed where Kagura was propped up on her hands in knees, presenting herself like a bitch in heat to the male whose cock was shoved in her ass. Her eyes widened considerably when she realized who it was that had come through the door.

"S-Sesshou…what…what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Need I remind you that I live here, which is more than I can say for you at this point" he replied venomously.

"Wait, I can explain!"

"You honestly expect me to believe there is a valid reason why you have some other man's cock in your ass in MY bed? How long has it been going on? How long have you been fucking him in our-my home?"

Kagura lowered her head in shame and he was positive she was trying to force some tears to fall. She wasn't sorry, he knew she wasn't.

"Get out."

"W-what? Can't we talk about this Sesshou?" she tried desperately

"Gather your things and leave my home now" he paused to glance at the man who was currently looking at him with disgust "and you, should I ever see your face again know that it will not be a pleasant meeting."

The dark haired male only smirked and began to gather his clothing. Sesshoumaru shot one last disgusted glance at Kagura before he left the room.

He burned the sheets the next day.

Coming out of his thoughts again, Sesshoumaru headed over to the bar to pour himself yet another drink. He had interviewed 8 people as potential roommates and each one had failed his standards miserably. He was very specific in the ad and he was honestly worried about the condition of humanity if they couldn't read a simple thing such as that. 4 of them had been smokers, 2 were former inmates and the last 2 were without jobs. He was starting to think that he should just pull the ad and say 'fuck-it' to finding a roommate. He surmised that he could always ask his brother to look after the place when he went away. That thought gave him a shudder and he quickly dismissed it.

Settling down onto the couch, he prepared himself for another long, lonely evening.

~~~~~~~B~~~~~~~

Kagome was momentarily stunned at the sight of the beautiful building before her. She couldn't believe she was actually considering living here of all places. That thought brought a touch of sadness to her heart; she doubted anyone that lived here would think she was good enough to be a potential roommate. The area was extremely affluent and she doubted that she would even be able to afford half of the rent, let alone the utilities and food. Not willing to be dismayed, Kagome decided that it couldn't hurt to give it a shot.

The elevator ride up to the floor she needed was relatively short and that did nothing to quell her nervousness. She had no idea what to expect from the renter and she prayed that things would go her way. As soon as the door opened her heartbeat began to speed up as she made her way down the hall. Her mind was hazy and when she found herself standing outside the door she paused. Her arm was raised and ready to knock but she just couldn't do it.

Get a grip, Kagome! What's the worst that can happen? They'll say no, you'll leave and keep looking. Sango and Miroku won't mind it if you stay a little longer she told herself before she plucked up her courage and knocked.

She waited with bated breath for what seemed like forever before she heard movement inside the apartment. She could feel the sweat building up on her palms while she waited. Finally, after what felt like an eternity the door opened and Kagome's jaw nearly hit the floor.

Standing before her was quite possibly the most attractive male she had ever seen in her life. His lean frame towered above her head and she found that she had to strain her neck to see his face. Long, silver hair was pulled into a high ponytail still managed to reach the center of his back while piercing golden eyes narrowed at her. She knew it was rude to stare but she couldn't help herself.

"Yes?" the smooth voice sounded and managed to bring her out of her ogling.

"Um…hi…I'm sorry that I didn't call-"she began but she was cut off.

"Is there something that you require or have you simply come to annoy me?"

Kagome was slightly taken back by his rude tone but she refused to let it get to her.

"I'm here about the ad…in the paper. You know, for a roommate?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a fraction before they settled again. Was she serious? Again, another person who clearly could not read. When he heard the knock he was mildly surprised. He knew he wasn't expecting any one else that evening and he found that he was a little annoyed. He had almost ignored it, thinking that it may have been Kagura but changed his mind at the last minute. When he opened the door he was momentarily shocked by the tiny little slip of a girl standing on his door step. She was at least a foot shorter than he was but he didn't fail to notice that her body held enticing curves in all of the right places. Her midnight hair was well kept and her bright blue eyes were dancing with a touch of apprehension. There was no way in hell that he could share his home with this woman.

"The ad clearly states that I am looking for a male roommate. Perhaps you were incapable of understanding that" he told her coldly.

Kagome's eyes widened again at the rudeness of this man before she sighed in defeat. She did remember reading something along those lines but she was hoping that the person would be flexible. She did her best to fight back the tears.

Bowing low she lifted her eyes to stare directly at his face.

"I-I'm sorry. I should have read it more carefully. I apologize for disturbing you. I'll just…go. Thank you and I'm sorry again."

She turned to leave and something inside Sesshoumaru stirred. She looked so unbelievably sad. Really, there was no need for his rudeness; she hadn't done anything wrong. Watching her retreating form he had a debate within himself. What harm would it be to take her information and just…see? She would probably end up like all the other's anyway. Cursing mentally he stepped into the hall fully. This was a very, very bad idea; he was sure of it, he thought before he called out.

"Wait!"