Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Blood Contract	By : ShadesofNight Category: InuYasha > General Views: 2544 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter 1: Stirrings
�Higurashi-sempai! You have a phone call!�

Kagome jumped, looked up from scratching notes to spot the curly-haired girl wandering (only slightly aimlessly this time) in between the bookshelves, and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She stood, pushing her chair back from the table.

In the corner of her vision field, she caught movement as the shadow of Satoru�s dark head craned over the space between their chairs. He was trying to take advantage of her distraction to steal a peak at the open history book in front of her. A hard flick to the forehead with her mechanical pencil, and the teenager jerked back into his seat with a wince. Her gray eyes narrowed into chastising glare, and he gave her a self-conscious shrug in return. She heaved a sigh, and turned her attention back to the young woman . The exasperated rush of breath pushed a few feathery strands of black hair out of her face, and she wished she�d taken the time to secure her hair in a bun instead of the flimsy plastic clip that kept letting it slip loose, no matter how many times she�d redone it throughout the day.

�Ayumi.� She kept her voice down, quiet, hoping to catch her co-worker�s attention before she shouted again. �You don�t have to yell, you know. I told you where we were going to be today.�

It worked. Four rows down, Ayumi leaned back to peer around the end of one polished wooden shelf. She smiled and hurried towards the back wall, where Kagome stood among her chosen group of tables, arms crossed and foot tapping. Satoru watched Ayumi walk with undisguised appreciation.

�You told me you�d be on the second floor today. You didn�t tell me you�d be sitting at a table instead of in one of the private rooms.� Ayumi�s volume only came down about one decibel, and she bumped into a chair that sat at a haphazard angle on the other side of the table. �And I didn�t want to go barging into one if you weren�t in it. I thought if I was loud enough, you�d hear me and come out on your own.�

Kagome winced. �This is a library, Ayumi. If the librarians don�t follow the rules, how can we expect anyone else to?� She tossed a meaningful look at the teenager sitting next to her, who looked torn between trying to get a peek at the answers and watching the sway of Ayumi�s hips in her ridiculously short (and tight) skirt.

Ayumi�s pretty dark eyes drifted over the curious boy, then back to Kagome, wide and faintly dewy. �I�m sorry. I guess I still have a lot to learn, don�t I?�

Kagome barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes again, and only managed it by giving in to the urge to grin. Ayumi, fresh out of college, was the newest staff addition at Sugawara Memorial Library. At the end of her first week, she�d managed to crash a computer, mis-shelve a bunch of craft books in the erotica section, and didn�t yet seem to understand the meaning of the word �whisper�. As much of a klutz as she was, though, Kagome figured she made up for it well enough: Ayumi had a brilliant way with children and an uncanny ability to find exactly the right book or information at exactly the right time.

And boredom probably won�t be a problem, either.

Kagome shook her head and gathered up her notes and the history book. �Never mind. Satoru and I were almost done for the day anyway.� The library offered free tutoring courses for young children whose parents couldn�t afford cram school. Kagome had volunteered to be one of the tutors through the spring. She grinned at the her current student, who now seemed unable to tear his eyes away from the perky bountifulness that was Ayumi�s chest. �Satoru needs to study the creation of the Barrier a little more thoroughly before his next test.�

Ayumi seemed to perk up even more. �Oh! You�re studying Barrier history? Have you gotten to the part where Midoriko-sama falls in love with the enemy youkai?� Her expression grew dreamy and unfocused. �They were willing to start a war for their forbidden love. And when it took their lives, they put up the Barrier to prevent it from ever taking another.�

That time, Kagome couldn�t prevent her second eye-roll of the day (or an internal giggle that they were both inspired by Ayumi) before she glanced at Satoru. The poor boy looked confused, and maybe a little to engrossed in staring at their newest librarian. She tapped his forehead again, startling him into shamed blush. �Don�t listen to her,� she said, exasperated laughter in her voice. �The �enemy youkai� was actually a large group who took advantage of a human who loved Midoriko, and used him to attack her. The wars had been going on for generations before that, and many people from both races had already died. Right?�

Satoru�s brow furrowed and he tore his eyes away from Ayumi and referenced the notebook in front of him. �Uh�right?� The frown intensified as he checked his notes. �The man became a monster, corrupted by the hate of the youkai horde inside him, and the monster and Midoriko fought for seven days and nights without stopping. Then, in her last act, Midoriko harnessed the combined power of human and youkai souls to form the Barrier. Youkai and humans have lived on opposite sides ever since, and contact between the two territories was limited to almost nothing until new trade policies were established about,� he flipped a page, �a hundred years ago?�

Kagome let a pleased smile tweak the corners of her mouth. She reached over and flipped the notebook closed. �And, without looking at your notes, why did the Barrier work to stop the wars?�

Satoru hesitated, glancing at Ayumi and blushing again. His fingers fidgeted with his pencil. �Well�. The wars were over two things: land rights across Japan, and the humans� growing ability to defend against and even attack youkai thanks to a greater number of high-class spirituals like Midoriko being born.� Another glance at Ayumi, then a pleading look at Kagome. �The Barrier, by forcibly dividing the land, settled the land dispute. It also served as a buffer between the most volatile of the youkai and human races. So the Barrier, in effect, protects the races from each other?� He frowned. �Or maybe it does even more than that, considering the progress that�s been made since the trade routes. Maybe, instead of just protecting us, it lets us deal with each other without destroying each other?�

Kagome straightened abruptly, the pleased twitch of her mouth blooming into a delighted smile. �Very good, Satoru. A lot of humans just blame the youkai for the wars, but the humans were just as greedy and violent as the youkai. You�ll have to elaborate more on the test, but that�s a wonderful answer. It sounds like we made real progress today.�

Satoru beamed, and started gathering his papers and books -- clumsily, but only because he kept looking at Ayumi rather than at what his hands were doing.

Kagome sighed and cast a wistful glance out a nearby window, at the pink and yellow glow of the Barrier where it skimmed the outskirts of Tokyo; the towering expanse of opaque power had run shore-to-shore across the center of Japan for five hundred years. Five hundred years of nothing--not planes, not cell phones, not the Internet--being able to penetrate it. Five hundred years of keeping youkai and humans from any form of regular contact. Five hundred years of only the most guarded, strained kinds of communication. �It�s too bad. There�s an entire half of our country that most people will never see.�

And an entire half of our people and traditions that most of us will never know.

Ayumi murmured in agreement and half-sat on the table. �I�ve always wanted to visit Hokkaido, but getting a travel pass is almost impossible unless you�re from one of the mediating families. And even then, they say that traveling in youkai territory as a normal human is dangerous.� Her skirt rode even higher up her thigh, and Satoru dropped his pencil. He bent over to pick it up and banged his head on the table.

The sudden threat of a giggle dispersed her melancholy, and Kagome had to swallow the sound before she scarred the poor boy trying to pretend that he hadn�t just bashed his forehead in. She made a mental note to talk to Ayumi about her skirts. And then another one, to maim old man Kotatsu for leaving her with the responsibilities of training the new staff. He had no excuse for taking a vacation now--especially when the woman he left in charge had only been working for a few years herself. �Ayumi? Who�s on the phone?�

�Phone? What phone? Oh!� Ayumi hopped off the table as quickly as she�d sat. �It�s Houjou-san.�

�Houjou?� Something faint and uneasy curled through her gut. Kagome paused; her eyes drifted out towards the Barrier once more and a faint frown puckered her brow. Houjou Eiji. Her boyfriend of over a year now. A smart, handsome, dependable guy. One of her best friends. And every time she thought of him, she was attacked by the oddest, most confusing bouts of anxiety. It had been going on for weeks now.

Ever since he�d said the words �move in together�. Ever since she�d said the word �yes�. She chewed on her bottom lip, wondering what it meant. Discomfort wasn�t what one was supposed to feel at the thought of growing closer to one�s boyfriend.

She drew a deep breath and managed a smile. �He probably just has another apartment he wants me to look at. It�s the front desk phone, right?� She didn�t bother to wait for Ayumi�s nod before she gathered up her notes and the history book they�d been studying. �Satoru, make sure to go over the evolution of trade and the water routes around the Barrier, because we�re going to be studying it next week. Be careful going home, okay?�

%%%%%%%%

She was half expecting him to have hung up by the time she�d reached the library�s front desk, a massive polished-fake-wood structure that curved half the length of the lobby.

�Kagome. I was beginning to think you were too busy to talk.�

Houjou�s warm voice filled the line, and a genuine smile flitted over her lips. She set her book and papers down on the counter in front of her and tucked a few more free-flying wisps of black behind her ears. �No, I was just with one of the tutoring students. I�m not the busy one in this relationship, remember?�

Houjou laughed, and something loosened inside her stomach. He had such an easy, inviting laugh. It was one of the first things that had attracted her to him. This time is was vaguely self-deprecating. �Yeah, I�m sorry about that. There�s a lot of work the partners can�t be bothered with around here. If it makes you feel any better, I�ve been swimming in unfinished legal briefs and contentions all day. Lots of writing.�

Kagome�s smile became a full-grown grin. She spotted Satoru�s black head come bobbing down the stairs, his book bag hanging precariously off one shoulder. �I�ll take tutoring students and cataloguing books over writing legal briefs any day, thank you.� The teenager gave her a grin and a wave as he passed by the front desk on his way out into the early afternoon sunshine.

�Well, I�m actually free for a couple of hours, so I thought I�d call and ask my pretty girlfriend if she felt like having a late-lunch-slash-early-dinner at a restaurant of her choice?� Kagome could hear Houjou�s smile in his voice, could see the warm crinkle around his gentle brown eyes, and she felt a surge of affection. �We could look at some apartment listings I picked up this morning, maybe talk about furniture?�

Her smile faltered as her abdomen tensed, almost as if bracing for a blow. Her fingers rubbed absently at her throat, trying to disperse the guilty ache that threatened to make her voice thin. �Oh, Eiji. As wonderful as that sounds, I already have late lunch plans with Sango and Rin. They�ll be here any minute to pick me up, and then I�ll be here after we close going over some of the new arrivals.�

�Ah. Sounds like we both have late evenings ahead of us. No help for it, then.� He sounded disappointed, but not too disappointed. A pause. �Did you get a chance to look at that place I sent you?�

Kagome sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Yes, she�d gotten his e-mail a few days ago; the information about the apartment complex looked ideal. It was located halfway between both their jobs, and still affordable. �Not yet. I�m sorry. I just haven�t--�

�No, it�s okay. I haven�t been around much for the past couple of weeks. It�s been nothing but late nights recently.� Houjou sighed, and this time she could pick out regret in his tone. �I�m sorry. I know it�s been bothering you, and you�re right. It�s not fair of me to ask you to do this all by yourself. We should be doing it together.�

It wasn�t that. It really wasn�t. She drew a deep breath, suddenly feeling the urge to try and explain, to hash out what she�d been feeling recently. Maybe if they talked about it, she could get over it and get as fully involved in this life event as she should be.

He cut her off before she could even start. �Listen, Kagome. Why don�t you go enjoy lunch with the girls and I�ll see you later tonight. We can talk more about fixing things then, okay?�

A strange note had entered his voice. It gave Kagome pause to hear him so restrained and serious. Her brow wrinkled. �What do you mean, fixing things?�

�I just think maybe we�re doing things backwards. That�s all.�

Her eyes widened. �Backwards? What are you--�

A large, floppy leather purse plopped down hard onto the table in front of her. The hollow crack of the keys, phone, and other hard objects in the purse hitting fake wood startled Kagome, and she broke off with a gasp.

�Kagome? What�s wrong?�

The hand that had slammed the bag down had lovely nails, short and well-kept despite the speckles of blue and white paint dotting its skin and cuticles, and a slim wrist covered in a variety of leather and metal bangles. Her eyes darted up, past the baggy beige button-up, to catch the mischievous grin of a petite, dark-eyed young woman on the patron side of the desk. Rin.

Leaning next to Rin, a casual hip against the counter and her hair swept up in its usual ponytail, was Sango. She wore her standard dress-suit, but it was in a surprising state of disarray: her navy jacket was flung over one arm, the long sleeves of the shirt underneath folded halfway up her arms, and a few undone buttons showed a glimpse of her impressive cleavage. Her detective shield hung conspicuously from her slim belt, though her weapon was nowhere in sight. The smile gracing her lips was more reserved than Rin�s, but no less warm or welcoming.

Kagome couldn�t help the grin that lit up her face. �Nothing�s wrong. Rin and Sango are here.�

Rin gave a happy wave and mouthed a curious who?

Kagome mouthed back Houjou, and Rin and Sango exchanged a knowing glance. She frowned at them.

Houjou�s warm chuckle drifted into her head. �Well then, I guess I should let you go before Sango tries to arrest me for obstruction. Go have fun and we�ll talk later, okay?�

�But--� The click in her ear told her he couldn�t hear her anymore. Pursing her lips, she placed the cradle back in its receiver.

�You know, you really shouldn�t frown like that,� Rin draped her forearms on the counter and leaned forward. The brilliant aquamarine beads dripping from her neck clacked pleasantly as they hit the surface. �It�s bad for your skin.�

�And her disposition.� Sango laughed and put a hand on her hip. �We all know how she gets when she�s cranky. Houjou has a lot to answer for if he�s giving you to us cranky.�

�Haha, you two. I�m fine.� Kagome�s grin returned full force as she turned ran her eyes up and down the shorter of the two women. �Welcome back, Rin. You look great.�

Rin flipped her wealth of black hair over one shoulder, and did a slow turn, gesturing at the wide leather belt and short, dark brown skirt that completed her outfit for the day. �Don�t I? One of the students custom made this belt for me, and this skirt makes my legs look killer.�

Kagome sent Sango a questioning look. Sango shrugged. �A week and a half in another country, and she�s most excited about the new clothes she bought.�

Rin stopped posing and looked offended. �I am not. You should see the sketches I got out of the experience. I�m already working on my next piece!�

Kagome leaned onto the desk, amused. �I take it the art seminar was a success?�

Rin stepped forward so that she was leaning against the desk again. Her dark eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and her eyeliner made them seem especially large and exotic. �Oh, Austria is beautiful. And you should have met some of the kids at the college--they were brilliant, Kagome. Creative, sharp, sweet.� A frown flickered in her eyes, and her delicate mouth twisted with distaste. �I could have done without some of the art teachers, though. For such a prestigious university, some of their teachers were so rigid and oppressive. Boring.�

�Then, I guess those students were lucky to have the great Rin Kowizawa to show them how to break the rigidly imposed rules of convention,� Kagome teased, prompting a snicker from Sango.

�All I know is, the next time I have to go international, you two are coming with me, whether you want to or not. It�s not nearly as much fun to go shopping in a foreign country when you�re alone.�

Another look, this one wry, passed from the Librarian to the Detective.

�Yes, because I have such an excess of free time that it would be easy for me to pick up and leave like you did,� Sango said, rolling her eyes.

�And I�m made of money, too,� Kagome added, stifling a laugh.

�Hey, I wasn�t always rich, you know.�

�No,� Sango agreed. �You just had a rich benefactor who picked you up off the streets, paid for someone to take care of you, and made sure your paintings got shown to the right people, little miss prodigy.�

Rin sniffed. �At least I have the ability to appreciate having money, having once had nothing. Some people I know like to pretend that they don�t have any because they want to stick it to their fathers.�

Sango�s back visibly stiffened, and Kagome nearly groaned.

Here we go again.

�I�m not trying to �stick it� to my father. I�m just trying to prove that I�m a capable detective apart from the Hoshinuma name. How can I say I�m a success if everyone thinks my father did everything for me?�

�And what�s wrong with taking advantage of every opportunity that life gives you? You know you�re a good detective--who cares if everyone else thinks you got it because of your father?� Now Rin sounded defensive, and Kagome did groan, softly. They ignored her. �Life�s hard enough, isn�t it? Why spit in the face of the little bit of luck that comes your way?�

�Little? You call what happened to you a �little bit� of luck?� Sango�s soft brown gaze flashed in challenge. �Besides, I believe in making my own luck.�

�Sometimes life doesn�t let you make your own luck, Sango.�

The hollowness in Rin�s voice brought Sango to a screeching halt, and for a moment, silence reigned over the library reception desk.

Sango blinked. The stiffness leeched from her back and the fire abruptly died from her eyes. She sighed. �Oh, Rin, I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to bring up ugly memories. That�s a terrible way for me to welcome you home.� She flipped her bangs away from her forehead, the gesture a tell-tale sign of repentance. �It�s been�a long day. I shouldn�t have let it bleed all over you.�

Rin�s smile was soft. �For me too. I didn�t mean to attack. You know how much I respect you.� A wispy sigh drifted past her lips before they twisted into a sheepish grin. �And anyway, our issues were just tailor-made to clash, weren�t they?�

�Only on the bad days.� Sango offered her own grin in return.

With a sigh of relief, Kagome glanced askance at the ceiling and pulled the clip from her hair. �I have an idea.� The black waves fell free around her shoulders, and she massaged at her scalp with her fingertips. �Why don�t we shelve your respective issues and take advantage of lunch instead? I put off my break for two and a half hours waiting for you to get here, and I�m starving.�

Sango shifted, straightening away from the desk. �Great idea. I�d rather talk about your issues anyway. What was that about going backwards?�

�She�s right. I have a car waiting for us outside. And reservations at Angelus, as promised.� Rin slung her floppy leather bag over her shoulder, and lifted a slim brow. �I had to bribe a few people to make sure they�d have our favorite table ready for us, so let�s not keep them waiting.�

Kagome took a deep breath and let some of her tension seep out of her. She turned and flagged down the attention of a co-worker who�d stepped out from the back to collect the latest pile of returns. �I�m taking my lunch break now. I�ll be back to help with the cataloguing in a few hours, all right? You�re in charge of Ayumi until then.�

Then, with a cheerful wave to the dismayed older woman, Kagome grabbed her purse and disappeared out the doors with her friends.

%%%%%%%%

The Painter, The Detective, and The Librarian. During college, it had become a great joke between them to make up elaborate stories about how three women with such different backgrounds, plans, and dreams had come to be such close friends. In reality, it had been very simple: Rin had wanted roommates while she pursued a liberal arts degree, and because of how well her paintings were selling even back then, she hadn�t needed money. A lucky coincidence had seen them all in the same hallway looking for the same thing at the same time, and Kagome and Sango had joined her, cheap, in a house that was barely ten minutes away from the college they�d all attended.

In spite of, or maybe even because of, their differences, they�d grown very close in the years they�d spent living together. So close that they�d kept in touch even after graduation had them going off in separate directions--Sango into the police force, Rin to fully immerse herself into the world of galleries and art shows, and Kagome to Sugawara Memorial.

Angelus had been their favorite place to eat together for six years. They�d stumbled onto it while looking to celebrate passing a round of particularly difficult tests in their respective fields. It was a seafood restaurant that sat right on top of the coast, and featured seafood dishes prepared in styles from around the world. It also boasted an entire wall of glass, so that no matter where the patrons sat, they had a clear, magnificent view of the waves. The girls� favorite table sat right in the most secluded corner: thick, impenetrable wall on one side, potted plants blocking out the rest of the restaurant on another, and the most beautiful scenery of coastal wildlife right in front of them.

Thanks to the mid-afternoon lull, they had Angelus mostly to themselves.

�He wants to fix things?� Sango rested her chin in her hands and stared out at the water lapping against the rocks. �You�re moving in together, aren�t you? What�s there to fix?�

Rin sipped from her water glass. �Sounds to me as if he�s picked up on your cold feet.�

Kagome lowered her eyes to her plate and picked at her half-eaten salmon. �I don�t have cold feet, exactly. We�ve been dating for over a year now, so moving in together is only natural.�

Rin raised her eyebrows. �And that has what to do with anything? Kagome, it�s been three weeks now. You haven�t told your mother. You haven�t started packing or making any plans. You haven�t even looked at apartments yet.� She leaned forward and lowered her voice, her brow puckering with concern. �Kagome, you�ve told us how you�ve been feeling, remember?�

�I�.� She bit her lip, uncertain how to respond.

�We�re just worried that you�re going to force yourself to do something you�re not ready for, that�s all,� Sango said, running an absent finger along the rim of her wine glass. �Shouldn�t you be excited, not afraid?�

�I wouldn�t call it afraid. More like--� Kagome closed her eyes and slumped back into her chair. �I don�t understand it, either. I shouldn�t be having a problem with this. For all of the last year, I�ve been perfectly content with Houjou. This is the first time I�ve ever felt like this.�

�That�s because this is the first time it�s ever been serious. With anyone, if you�ll recall.� Sango looked solemn. �Kagome, you realize that moving in with him will basically be the same as agreeing to marry him in the eyes of the community, don�t you? As much as you might like to pretend it doesn�t matter, you are a high-class spiritual, and your family has run the Higurashi shrine for generations. It�ll just be expected by everyone who knows you.� Her tone shifted subtly, went a shade dry. �In fact, if you�re not careful, your mother and grandfather might even start planning your wedding without you.�

�I�I know.� The word marriage formed a knot of something harsh and adrenaline-laced in her throat, but she ignored it with a faint sense of shame. It couldn�t just be that she was avoiding commitment. She knew herself better than that; she wasn�t that fickle. Something else had to be going on, something that she hadn�t been able to identify yet. It had to.

Her fingers twisted together in her lap, her grip so tight that her nails went white around the edges. �But that�s what I don�t understand. The thought of being married to him shouldn�t bother me at all. I�m twenty-five. It�s time I started thinking about it, anyway, and I like being with Houjou. He�s sweet and gentle, and understanding--�

�And perfect. Yes, we know. Boring.� Rin licked some buttery sauce off the tines of her fork. She hesitated a moment, dark eyes flitting towardss Kagome from the corners of her eyes. �Something�s been bothering me for a while now. If you two are so close, why do you still call him Houjou? That�s his family name.�

Kagome frowned. �I call him Eiji.�

Rin stuck a fork-full of crab cake into her mouth and tilted her head at her friend. �To his face, yes. But to everyone else--including yourself--you still call him Houjou. Doesn�t that tell you something?�

�I don�t know.� Kagome felt that curl of unease tighten her stomach again, and she plucked up a soft roll, hoping to calm the feeling. �It�s like a little game with us. Sometimes I�ll slip and call him Houjou, and he�ll laugh and call me Higurashi.�

�Sometimes you slip?� Rin rolled her eyes, and her obvious concern fell away for a moment of pure exasperation. �Jeez. Do you two even have sex anymore?�

Kagome choked on her bread. �Rin!�

Sango hid a smile behind her wine glass, and Rin completely ignored her appalled reaction. �It is kind of surprising that you�re moving in together, though. Houjou�s so proper and respectable that I�m a little surprised he didn�t just--� Her eyes widened and her lips parted into a stunned little �oh�. She put her fork down and let her gaze drift from Kagome, to Sango, and back again.

Sango frowned. �What�s wrong?�

�I think I just figured out what he thinks is going backwards.�

They stared across the pristine white of the tablecloth for a long, silent moment. Sango understood first, and her brown eyes rounded. �You think he�s going to ask her to marry him?�

�Makes sense doesn�t it? That would certainly fix things, especially considering Kagome�s official status. It�d be the same for you, Sango. Wouldn�t it be some huge dishonor if the only daughter of the Hoshinuma family tried to live with some guy before you married him?�

A tiny wrinkle developed in the skin between Sango�s dark eyebrows. �I�really don�t think that�s going to be a problem.�

�Not until you get over your fear of men, anyway,� Rin agreed, a tiny smile playing on her lips to take the sting from her words.

�I�m not afraid of men. I�m just not very impressed by them.�

Kagome just sat in her chair, stunned, and let the moment of comfortable back-and-forth teasing flow over her. Her mind buzzed with some kind of urgent energy, going over the phone conversation earlier. Could Houjou really be planning on proposing? Why, when he�d just asked her to live with him? Just because she was a miko? But he�d known that for years, even before they�d become a couple.

Thanks to the Barrier and the history that had produced it, the Japanese government had long ago started a special program to locate and instruct any humans born with spiritual talent. It was necessary, they felt, to have a comprehensive list of those humans who could defend them should the youkai government ever become a threat again. Even after the water trade routes had opened up more interaction between the two species, the testing, schooling, and tracking had continued.

Kagome had been tested for spiritual talent just like every other child in kindergarten. Most of her friends had been labeled non-spirituals, a few had been labeled low-class, and one or two had been labeled mid-class; but the monk who had tested her had taken one very long, puzzled look at her and declared her a high-class. She�d been immediately enrolled in the special schooling track required for everyone of her rare designation, and Jii-chan had literally thrown a community party at the shrine to celebrate. And, even though Kagome�s power had never really manifested as forcefully as her classification would suggest, Jii-chan still told everyone who would listen about the strong spiritual heritage of the Higurashi family. Including any potential boyfriends.

So, Houjou knew all about her high spiritual status. He understood that, even though her powers weren�t that impressive, it was still something that would follow her for her entire life, and he�d never seemed bothered by the fact. She�d told him more than once how glad she was that she�d never manifested, and thus hadn�t been trapped into a government position where her powers would be used for someone else�s political gain, as the high-class often were. Houjou knew she was content in performing her intermittent shrine duties, and happy that no one had paid very much attention to her, status or no.

Why would that change anything at all between them?

�So, what will you do, Kagome?�

Kagome startled and looked up from her half-empty plate. Rin and Sango stared at her over their own mostly-finished dishes. She blinked at them. �What?�

Sango set her fork down with a pleasant clink. �What will you do if he asks you to marry him tonight?�

Rin shifted in her seat, crossing her legs and her arms, her features clouded with concern. �I don�t think it would be smart to rush into anything, especially considering how conflicted she�s been over just moving into the same house as him. I�m just not sure Houjou�s the right choice.�

�But she�s already been with him for over a year. And by her own admission, he�s a good man, from a good family. He�d probably make a good husband and a wonderful father. If she really wants to get married and have children like she�s always said, wouldn�t he be a good choice?�

Yes. Of course he would. And she loved him. She did.

So why did everything inside her feel so reluctant?

%%%%%%%%

They finished up and headed out to the parking lot, where Rin�s car had been parked and waiting for them since they�d arrived, quietly chatting about harmless and mundane things.

�Well, if it isn�t three lovely sirens, coming in from the sea. If you ladies were singing, I think I�d be in trouble.�

All three women jumped at the smooth, pleasant voice that called out to them, but it was Sango who groaned before she turned to face the man on the sidewalk behind them. �Sakurai. What are you doing here?�

Kagome frowned as something niggled at her brain. Sakurai? Where have I heard that name before?

�Sango, Sango, Sango. How many times must I bid you call me Miroku?�

�Probably as many times as I must bid you to call me Hoshinuma?�

Standing slightly behind Sango, seeing her stiff back and the proud set of her shoulders, Kagome sent a questioning glance to Rin, who shrugged. The man in front of Sango held himself in an easy, casual stance, body relaxed and hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks. His dark suit jacket was off, slung over one arm in deference to the heat of the day, and the crisp cotton of his dress shirt had a few buttons open at the throat. His hair--thick and black and slightly long--was gathered into a small tail at the nape of his neck.

Sakurai seemed pleased with Sango�s answer, because a faint smile pulled at his mouth. �Is that any way to talk to your government liaison, Detective Sango?�

Kagome and Rin shared another glance, this one speaking. They�d only heard about one government liaison in Sango�s life recently, and none of it had been anything good.

�Sure it is, when he�s being a pig.� Sango shifted and sighed, one hand going to her hip, irritation dripping from her voice. �I repeat, Sakurai, what are you doing here?�

His eyebrows lifted slightly, but his gaze went and stayed glued to the hip Sango had so thoughtfully put on display for him. �Having lunch of course. What else does one do at a restaurant?� He paused and glanced down at the very expensive-looking watch on his wrist. The small silver hoops in his ears, one his left lobe, two in his right, glinted in the sunlight. His expression grew rueful. �Or maybe we should call it an early dinner.�

�Alone? I�m shocked.�

This time, Kagome�s jaw dropped and Rin�s eyes got so big they should have popped right out of her head. Sango hadn�t just sounded sarcastic and derisive. She�d sounded jealous. Sango didn�t get jealous. Ever. Especially not when it came to men. She�d been immune to masculine seduction--and many, many men had tried--since they�d met her. The tension crackling in the air between the two was not only palpable, it was unprecedented.

Sango noticed them staring at her, and a shade of embarrassment flickered across her face. She shifted again, dropped the defensiveness of her stance.

Sakurai had obviously picked up on the jealousy, too, because his grin widened. �I don�t have to be. Care to join me, lovely Sango?�

Sango�s eyes narrowed. �I�m not in the habit of spending my afternoons with perverts. Besides, I�ve just eaten, in case you hadn�t noticed me leaving.�

�No one said you have to eat.� For a moment, he looked serious and sounded utterly reasonable. �All you�d have to do is sit there and let me enjoy the beauty of your company. We could talk about something other than which youkai lord is visiting the capital next week.�

For a moment, Sango actually looked uncertain. �I don�t think�.�

�You would be doing me a favor.� He smiled another calm, harmless smile. �I�m certain my food would taste so much better with a--� his eyes flicked, ever so briefly, over the women standing beside her, �--with three lovely ladies around.�

�I�m not sure that--wait, three lovely ladies?� Sango�s eyes widened, then shut tightly as her fists clenched.

Kagome could swear she saw a vein popping in the side of her head, and was suddenly afraid for the man in front of them. Sango, while she didn�t possess an ounce of spiritual talent, came from a family famed for the success of its combat techniques against both human and youkai enemies. She was well-trained in all of them.

�Listen, you insufferable--� Sango�s lips slammed into a thin line and she opened her eyes to glare at him for a moment. Then she drew a deep, calming breath, but her foot started tapping as she continued in a more controlled tone. �Make a move on my friends, Sakurai, and I�ll throw you in a cell with some life-timers and tell them stories of your amazing sexual prowess. And I�m not talking about women.�

The shockingly casual sandals on his feet stopped edging forward, and he looked vaguely alarmed. One of his hands slipped from his pockets and reached out to her. �Honestly, Sango. I�m a holy man. How can you doubt that my intentions are anything less than pure?�

�Touch me, and I�ll impair your ability to have children.� Unfazed by his innocent look or his hastily retracted hand, she crossed her arms. �And I doubt you�ve had a pure thought since the genetics kicked in at puberty.� She lifted her eyebrows at him. �We grew up in the same circles, remember? I know your family�s reputation.�

Miroku grimaced. �Yes, well, unfortunately, sometimes rumors are--�

Rin cleared her throat. Loudly. Both Sango and Sakurai turned to stare at the petite young woman who�d interrupted them.

Rin gave them zero notice and a polite smile, the near-black of her eyes locked on to Sakurai. �And you would be�?�

Sakurai finally managed to pull his attention away from Sango long enough to smile at the two women standing behind her. He stepped forward and swept a low bow. �I, my dear woman, am Sakurai Miroku, son and heir of the Sakurai family, and currently government liaison for the human mediator families.� He straightened and nodded at Sango. �Detective Sango and I have been working together on certain security issues related to the Prime Minister and his youkai guests. And, if you don�t mind my returning the question, who are you two lovely ladies?�

Rin bowed respectfully. �I am Kowizawa Rin. An old college friend of Sango�s.�

That was enough to give him pause. �Kowizawa?� He blinked, then stepped to the side around Sango, taking a closer, more attentive look at her. Sango eyed him suspiciously, but he kept his hands firmly in his pockets. �Not Kowizawa Rin the artist? Master blender of the romantic, the magical real, and the surreal? The child prodigy whose last painting sold for a tidy six hundred million yen on auction?�

A grin flashed across her face. �Yeah. That was for charity, though. You know something about art, I see, since I�m not really that famous outside of the community.�

�I should,� he said dryly. �It was my mother who paid that six hundred million.� He smiled, but it looked a little pained. �She put my father in the hospital with that one.� He sighed and bowed once again. �It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Kowizawa-sama.�

�Rin, if you please. The sama reminds me of a gallery owner who once tried to flatter me into a seventy-thirty commission.� She made a face. �I�m young, not stupid.�

�A foolish man indeed. I would have gone for no more than sixty-forty.� He nodded at Rin�s amused expression. �And you may call me Miroku.� He glance at Sango. �All of you.� His eyes turned to with intent on Kagome, and she realized with a jolt that his eyes weren�t just dark--they were a very deep, very unique violet. Quite striking, actually. �If you don�t mind.�

She couldn�t help but smile and bowed her head in a polite greeting. �Higurashi Kagome. Close personal friend of the woman you work with. Kagome is fine.�

�Excellent. I don�t suppose you could help me convince your close, personal friend that I�m not nearly as bad as she seems to think I am?� But before Kagome could even think to answer, a strange expression flickered across his face. �Higurashi�. I�ve heard that name before.� He stepped back and gave her the same deep, searching look he�d given Rin. He blinked, then tipped his head. �You�re a high-class.�

And it came to her, where she�d heard the name Sakurai. She snapped her fingers. �Ah! Sakurai as in the monk Miyatsu?�

�My grandfather.� Miroku�s face cleared quite as suddenly as Kagome�s had. �I see. You�re the high-class he could never quite read properly, aren�t you? The one who lived at the shrine?�

She nodded. �It was the monk Miyatsu of the family Sakurai who first tested me as a high-class, back in kindergarten,� she explained to her friends. �You�re a monk as well, then?�

�Yes. High-class spirituals run in our family. It�s one of the things that makes us so good at mediating between the territories. It�s an honor to meet, in person, one of the only women to ever confound my grandfather�s spiritual sense, Kagome. Trust me when I say that it is quite a feat. Tell me, did they ever figure you out?�

Kagome gave him a cheerful, uninhibited grin. �Nope. I graduated just fine, and I can perform all the basic spells and sutras, and even put out a strong barrier, but my skills have remained undirected. Since I never manifested talent in a specialty, they weren�t sure what else to do with me, and I was let loose with all the other medium-classes. I don�t do much more than serve at my family�s shrine these days.�

�I shall be sure to tell my grandfather. He�ll be pleased to hear he wasn�t the only one who had trouble with you.� The violet eyes turned back to Sango, who�d watched him carefully throughout the self-introductions, and his voice chided--gently, affectionately. �My sweet Sango, I never knew you had such fascinating friends.�

To Kagome�s shock and Rin�s obvious delight, a soft, glowing blush spread over Sango�s cheeks. �My friends are none of your business, Miroku.�

Something deep and intense flickered in his eyes when she said his name. He stared at her for a long moment, his gaze tracing over her features, lingering on her pink skin. �No. I suppose they�re not.�

Kagome could have sworn she heard regret in his tone.

Then he took a deep breath and seemed to give himself a mental shake. �It�s been quite the pleasure meeting you ladies, but if you�ll excuse me, I�m actually here for a business meeting, and I do believe I�m late. Detective,� he nodded, briskly. �I�ll see you tomorrow.� He bowed once more, then turned and sauntered towards Angelus�s entrance.

They watched him disappear inside, then, as one, Kagome and Rin rounded on Sango.

Rin put her hands on her hips. �That�s Sakurai? The guy who�s been plaguing you for the past month? That�s the lecherous jerk you have to clobber on a daily basis? That�s the weirdo who grabbed your butt the first time he met you?�

�Yes. What about it?� Sango turned on a heel and marched for the parking lot. Quickly. Her hair bouncing in its ponytail.

�Hey, wait!� Rin scampered after her, her high heels clopping against the asphalt, and Kagome was right behind her. �What was that all about, anyway?�

�Nothing. He just likes to bother me every chance he gets.� Sango didn�t stop, and she didn�t look back.

�Oh, we could tell he bothers you all right.� They reached the car; the driver started to get out to open the door for them, but Rin waved him back. �What�s going on between you two?�

�Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I can�t stand him, remember?�

Kagome lifted her brows. �Sango, he was practically eating you with his eyes. You can�t tell us there was nothing there. We saw it.�

�So what? He does that with every woman he meets.�

�He barely looked at Rin and me.�

�Wait.� Rin threw up her hands, disbelief in her voice. �Are you trying to tell us that he�s not really interested in you? Or are you trying to tell us that you�re not interested in him? Because I have to know which argument I�m shooting down before I start firing.�

Sango finally turned to face them, setting a hip against the sleek black side of the car. �I�m trying to tell you it doesn�t matter, one way or the other. Do you know the Sakurai men are famous for their womanizing? All of them? They say that the current head of the family, that monk Miyatsu you were talking about, has a different girl in his private rooms every night. He�s seventy-nine years old!�

�So his grandfather is a virile old man. So what? I�d consider that a mark in his favor.� Rin shook her head. �Even if he is just a womanizer, he obviously wants to womanize you right now, and you�re more than obviously attracted right back. If he�s not suited for anything more than a fling, then just have a fling.� Her tiny, mischievous grin was back. �Someone with experience doesn�t seem like a bad choice for someone without any. And don�t you think it�s about time?�

Sango�s face went violently red. �Stop it, Rin. Just stop it. It�s not going to happen, okay? I�m not going to be one of that guy�s many.� Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her purse, her grip so tight the leather strained against the cloth of her jacket. �It doesn�t matter anyway.�

Kagome studied her for a moment. She couldn�t get her mind off the way Miroku had looked at Sango when she�d said his name, or the regret in his voice before he�d walked away. �I think it might be more than a simple case of want.�

But her head was already shaking, her mouth a thin, straight line, her brown eyes blank. �I�m telling you it doesn�t matter.� She turned her back again and her hand gripped the door handle. �Not anymore.�

An odd note in her voice got to them, and Kagome glanced at Rin. The smaller woman had lost her impish glee and was eyeing Sango with worry. Kagome bit her lip. �Is�is something wrong?�

Sango sucked in a long, soft breath before she offered them both a weak smile over her shoulder. �It�s just been a�really long day, that�s all. I think it�s starting to get to me.� A soft clack, and the door opened. �Let�s just go, okay?�

She climbed in first and they hesitated only a moment before sliding in after her and settling into the buttery leather seats.

%%%%%%%%

A few cars down, sitting in a vehicle that idled with a sweet, near-silent hum, he waited, occasionally slicking sweat away from his bald head and cursing the need to keep the window open to eavesdrop. And, of course, he watched.

He cursed again when the girls� ride pulled out of its parking spot. After a moment of brief indecision, he put the car into park and pulled out after them into the late afternoon traffic. He made sure to keep far enough away to be inconspicuous, but just close enough to keep it in sight. And he waited for his phone to ring.

Which it did, several moments later. He snatched it up from the seat next to him. �Did you get them?�

�The pictures?� The voice on the other end, younger than his, brash and arrogant, laughed. �Of course I did. Modern technology is a wonder, isn�t it? All you need is a camera phone and a good angle and viola, instant portrait. They are beautiful. All three.�

�Considering the situation, I thought you�d be interested, Aniki.�

�Considering the situation, you did pretty fucking good. They�ll do quite nicely to fill the quota. And here I was starting to worry that we�d fall short. What do you know about them?�

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. �That�s where the problem might be. One of them is a fairly well-known painter. Kowizawa Rin.�

�Hmm. Never heard of her, so she�s not world-famous. She�ll be okay. Everybody knows artists are eccentric, right? What about the others?�

He smiled, and negotiated into the right lane, following the black car ahead of him. �A police detective, from one of the older families in the city. Hoshinuma Sango.�

A hesitation over the line. �The Hoshinuma family? They might be a problem. We don�t want to draw too much attention. Not now.�

�She�s untouched.�

A rush of sucked-in breath over the line. �A virgin? Damn. I didn�t think many of those still existed under the age of eighteen. The price on a prize like that would be worth attracting the eyes of an old family.� Some shuffling over the line, and some muffled shouting. �Okay, I�m having Jak check it out. If there�s any strife between her and her family, we can pull it off. What about the third one?�

�Higurashi Kagome.� He paused, savoring the moment. �She�s a high-class.�

A low whistle filled his ear. Then suspicion. �Renkotsu. Tell me you found a high-class that�s not in a prominent government position. Because a government high-class is going to take more effort than we have time to put in.�

�From what I was able to overhear during their dinner, she�s a librarian and a part-time shrine maiden.�

A hiss, and another low laugh. �What�s her specialty?�

�She hasn�t got one. Her power sounds like it�s high mid-class at the most.�

�A mid-class labeled as a high-class?� He whistled. � An easy handle with a high price. I might be impressed.�

He could almost hear the thoughts turning over each other on the line as the silence stretched. �Bank?�

�Yeah?�

�I�m following them now. What do you want me to do?�

�Keep following them. I�m sending Mukostu and Ginkotsu out now, so call me if they split up. If this pans out, we�ll have to grab them immediately. I�ll call you back in an hour.� Another pause. �Renkotsu. If this is as good as it sounds, Mimisenri will be very happy. And we�ll be very rich. Your cut will be pretty significant for finding them.�

He smiled again, his eyes barely leaving the car in front of him long enough to drive straight. �I know.�

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Blood Contract