Grey puffy clouds loomed into the sky, shielding the sun and preventing it from lighting up the streets of Tokyo. Rain threatened to fall, forcing everyone to carry an umbrella with them. Meanwhile, Kagome was walking down the streets, holding a yellow umbrella in her hands. Her long black locks were wrapped in a ponytail while her bang were swiping to the side. The humidity made her jeans cling to her skin and she was grateful for the yellow short sleeves shirt she chose to wear. Yesterday, she had spent the day with her family. She had spent so much time away from them that she owed it to them. Not only that but she also had to start talking to her mother about Kouga. Obviously she did not mention everything since - well she wanted to keep going over there at any time but… once, or rather if, it became official, she would have to talk about it.

She had not called Kouga prior to coming but he had told her that it was her home as well. It left her slightly nervous, a tingling feeling in the pit of her stomach but she refused to let it fully take over. All the wolves came over all the time. It was everyone's house - it was for the pack. She inhaled deeply as she took another step forward. She brushed past many people, never recognizing anyone, until finally, the house came in view. She smiled, and hurried her steps a bit. Unfortunately for her, she was come to force to a halt when she noticed something unfamiliar. She was present during a party or when a few people came over but this was nothing like she had ever seen before; there were many cars and motorcycles parked in front of the house. What was happening?

Kagome arched an eyebrow while she took careful steps forward. She tried to see if she could not see anyone in the yard but it was completely empty; they were probably all inside. Should she come in? Dang it, she should have known it was a bad idea. She sighed heavily as she finally reached the porch. Should she knock then? Or was it a good time to walk away and pretend she never came?

She did not have the chance to make a decision that the door opened in front of her. On the other side, she found Ginta. She expected to see his smiling face but instead, he looked troubled. His posture was rigid and he seemed unable to remain still. Nonetheless, he greeted her. "Hey sis."

"Is this a bad time?" she asked with a cringe on her face. Should have called. Should have called.

"Hm, no I mean it's okay," he replied while rubbing the back of his neck.

It was not as though she felt completed unwanted but his response was not very welcoming either. She sunk her front teeth in her lip and nodded but she never took a step inside the house. Although, it was not even as if she could since he was sort of blocking the pathway. "I'll come back."

"No, it's fine," Ginta said, putting a smile on his face. He moved out of the way that time and gestured for her to come in.

Her eyes shifted to him and then back to the road. Despite her great mood when she came in, now uncertainty settled in and she could not help fidgeting with her fingers. She clenched her hands before taking her first step inside. As soon as she did, she saw the people gathered in the living room. The couch was filled, packed with people, but she could not really see the rest of the room. She heard Ginta close the door behind her and then come to stand beside her.

"What's going on?"

"We're having a little problem with one of the guys."

"Is it serious?"

He wanted to shake his head but he could not. "Kinda."

She clutched her arm to her chest and curled her shoulders forward. "What did he do?"

This was the part he did not want to tell her. Although, she would find out about it eventually; this was one secret that was going to get out and they would have to talk about it for a long time. "He fucked up, big time."

Kagome could easily notice that he was stalling, not telling her the issue. What could be so wrong that everyone looked as though someone died?

"He slept with a human."

Although a blush formed on her cheeks, she furrowed her eyebrows. "And that's a crime?" It could not be. Kouga - If Kouga was interested in her - well one day they might - and then oh god she did not want to be thinking about that. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire and she was certain Ginta could smell her shame.

"No. But he wasn't careful." He sighed. "She's pregnant."

Kagome's mouth dropped and her eyes widened. Clearly the guy did not mean to have a baby but it could not be such a bad thing could it? "I mean- it's - is it…"

"Dangerous. She's gonna have an hanyou."

Oh right. God she was an idiot. The girl did not know about youkais. Kouga mentioned to her that it was tricky to date humans and it was not as though they could go around telling everyone their secret. If they were found out, it could be extremely dangerous. However, if that girl was going to have the baby, there was no way of hiding it from her. They would have to tell her - and there was not telling what she might do with that information. No wonder everyone was so worried. She had no given it any real thought before. Youkais could easily disguise themselves but could hanyous do the same? And exactly what human could they trust enough to share their secret with?

That was a painfully lonely life. She remembered when they said matings did not happen very often anymore. They had it so hard and it never crossed her mind.

"What are you going to do?"

"We don't know yet but Kouga is pissed."

That was the sizzling feeling that filled the air. He was the alpha, it was his responsibility not only to look after everyone but to protect them and their secret. "Could you tell her?"

"We have no fucking clue who she is."

She flinched at the swear and the rage that followed suit but she did not say anything.

"Like how do we know we can trust her? It's not like it's an easy thing to do. But - if she's gonna have the baby there ain't much we can do."

"What if she doesn't have it?"

Ginta shrugged. "It only happened once before and the girl didn't want the baby so - at least it was fine. But he's saying she wants it."

Kagome took a step in direction of the living room. She did not want to spy but she had to admit, she was intrigued. Every time she saw the pack, it was mostly all fun and family time. This was different; they were going through a rough time, something that could threaten all of them. Once she leaned in a bit more, she was able to catch a glimpse of Kouga. As per usual, his hair was up in a ponytail. Except, he did not look as happy and carefree as always. His mouth was twisted in rage, which made it easy to tell he was grinding his teeth, there was a flare in his nostrils and his eyes were cold and flinty. This was not good.

As per on cue, he turned his head in her direction. The moment theirs eyes met, his glance softened. After a few seconds he tore his eyes away from her and said something to everyone but she was too far to understand what he said. Then, after an instant, he got up and marched in her direction.

"Hey," he said as he leaned forward.

"Sorry, I didn't know."

He shook his head, clearly displeased at her words. "I told ya, this is your home."

"Ginta filled me in," she said while tilting her head towards Ginta.

Kouga ran his clawed fingers through his hair and exhaled deeply, his chest heaving before sinking down. "Yeah, it might take a while to fix this."

"Don't worry about, I'll hang out with her, we should do some catching up to do," Ginta said as he uncrossed his arms from in front of his chest.

Kagome shook his head. "I don't need to be babysitted," she said with a smile. "I'll just come back later, it's fine."

She was about to pull away when suddenly, Kouga grabbed her hand and wrapped his fingers around her. She felt his need pulse through her, his desperation obvious in his eyes. He did not utter a word but he did not have to; she could tell what he wanted just by the look in his eyes. He wanted her to stay - he needed her to stay and she could not disappoint him.

"You know, it's really nice outside," she finally said as she looked at Ginta.

Kouga never asked much of her and she would never refuse him. Since she accepted to stay, she thought he would release her hand but he appeared to be reluctant to do so. Instead, his lips were pressed together in a light grimace. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally resigning. Instead, he let his fingers brush against hers for a few seconds before releasing her. In his eyes, she could see an internal conflict. He wanted something else but she was unable to tell what it was. Too afraid to break the eye contact, she waited for him to do it. When it did happen, Ginta nudged her and she nodded. Kouga walked back to the living room, his back arched as though all the stress of the world was resting upon his shoulders.

Kagome followed Ginta outside as he lead the way. The door nearly slammed behind her while he ahead towards the nearby tree. He sat beneath it, wrapping his arms around his legs and she followed suit.

"Is he gonna be okay?"

Ginta nodded. "It's just really stressing him out. We're really picky about who we tell and we usually never, never tell humans."

Now that she thought about it, she had not really seen any humans around. It did make sense but - well, she knew her kind did not have the best reputation but she refused to believe that every single one of them was bad. Plus, with the lack of youkais… if they did not tell humans…most of them would end up alone. That thought was enough to bring tears to her eyes; nobody should have to be alone.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Ginta said with a smirk when he noticed the salty scent of her tears. "We can still be with someone. Just gotta be careful and if - if it's serious…then we think about it. Nobody's gotten there yet."

It was hard to have a relationship when you had to lie all the time. It was expected but - when you did not share a common past or when you had to be careful not to slip, it created a certain tension and it was never good. Still, Kouga never prevented anyone from going out into the world and trying to get someone. They just had to be careful as fuck and Izu was not. Now, they might all have to pay the price. Hopefully he chose a smart girl or it would all go to hell. Then again, they could always move but - no, they created their roots here and Kagome was here. It was be very difficult for Kouga to leave her behind. He had just found her after all this time and they all doubted she would follow. And honestly, who could blame her?

"I think it's sad."

"That's just the way it is now." They used to eat humans and now… well.

"Kouga was looking at me…"

Ginta chortled; oh he knew exactly what Kouga was seeking from Kagome but he was not sure if he should be telling her. It was personal. Although, if she were a youkai she would have known immediately. "Remember the little crash course?"

She nodded.

"He was stressed out so he was looking -"

"For contact," she said, a hint of redness on her cheeks.

"Yup."

How could she have forgotten about that? She barely made it through the conversation without turning red tomato. Though, all the kinds of contacts they shared with her were fairly intimate. Nuzzling? She was not going to nuzzle him. She was human. Could she nuzzle? The thought sparked something inside of her and it earned her a suspicious look from Ginta. This time, it was his turn to be slightly embarrassed and he immediately glanced away from her. At least Kouga had nothing to worry about… although it was not something he wanted to know. Kagome was family.

"You know, you don't have to hang out with me," she said with a smile.

"Hey," he said, offended. "You're pack. You might be Kouga's wo- I mean, you might - you know, but you're like a sister to us. You never bother us."

"I wish I could help."

"You could help Kouga calm down later before he kills everyone."

Her eyes became round and she pinched her lips together. Her ears turned red and she dipped her chin forward, trying to hide her mortification. Did he really need to make subtle calls like that? Kouga and her had not decided anything. She was having fun with him and everything was easy but - there was too much room for screwing up. Not only that but - he was older. Much older. In the past, it did not show that much because he retained that slightly boyish attitude but he was a different man now. He was older, wiser and more mature. She still felt like a little kid. What if - what if she was a little kid crushing while he was just a man?

She could not do that to him. To anyone but him.

She let the flush that crept across her cheeks died down and leaned back into the tree.

When in the world would she finally be able to figure this out?

-U-

Darkness had swallowed the sky by the time people began leaving the house. Most stayed, crashing into the empty rooms outside, while only a few returned to their own home. Luckly for Kagome and Ginta, it did not rain and they were able to spend most of the day outside, chatting. She had heard a few stories of the past from Kouga but she did not get to really catch up with anyone else. A few times Hakkaku joined them but Kouga never came by. She understood that it was his duty to deal with this and he certainely did not have time to come outside and chat with them when he had more important things to do.

By supper time she had called her mother to inform her she would not be home for dinner. Everyone ordered some pizza and Kagome and Hakkaku ate in the kitchen while Ginta went with the others to catch up for a bit. For the first time, she was uncomfortable, as though she did not belong in the house. Though she understood; it was not her secret that was at risk. She could not really have an input concerning what they were going to do about it. She did feel that she was imposing by staying though. Still, everyone re-assured her that her presence was welcome and that she would never be a bother.

Ginta was actually grateful they managed to convince her to stay. Her presence was probably the only reason why Kouga had not lost his mind. Her aura was soothing him and allowing him to remain in control. They might have the whole acting like humans thing down but they were not humans. They were animals and usually they acted upon instincts. He knew Kagome had seen a lot of bad stuff during her time in the feudal era but he did not want her to see how bad it could get. Though he did not fail to notice all the concern glances she would give in direction of the living room. Every time Kouga's voice rumbled through the house, her concern only increased.

But now, Kouga would have time for her.

Though he had yet to show up in the kitchen.

The first one to join them was Hakkaku.

"How did it go?"

"He's gonna bring the girl tomorrow."

"Is that wise?"

"What else are we gonna do?"

"How does Kouga feel about it?"

"He's fucking pi-"

"He doesn't want to talk about it anymore."

The sound of his voice shook everyone and they all turned their heads to look at him. Kouga stared straight ahead as he pulled a chair and plumped down beside Kagome. He dropped his arm on the table and then rested his head on it. The guys exchanged a look before nodding to each other.

"We're gonna make sure everyone's set for the night."

And without another word, they left Kagome and Kouga alone. Almost subtly.

Kouga sighed. "Sorry. I didn't know it was gonna take so long."

"It's fine, I'm the one who came over u-"

"I swear if you say uninvited one more time," he said before scoffing, hiding a chuckle.

"Well, this is pack business - it has nothing to do with me."

"This doesn't. Everything else does." He would include her in this but there was nothing she could do. Izu fucked up and now all they could do was clean up the mess. All he hoped was that the girl was not a complete idiot and that there would be a way to fix this whole mess before it was too late. Now, however, he did not want to talk about it; he raged about it enough. His muscles were twitchy, his head was pounding and his guts were twisted; he needed a distraction from all the shit happening.

"Stay," he almost whispered. "Stay the night."

She knew he did not mean it in an intimate manner. It was strange since Kouga was always close to her since their meeting but this was different. He needed her and he was not afraid to tell her. Today, with the way he looked at her, she felt like she could take all of his pain away with a single touch. She was almost tempted to try. She was not very at ease with all of this and she had no experience but - she could try? She lifted her hand, the shakiness of it impossible to hide, and approached it to his head. He never moved, he never flinched. Instead, he watched her. She slowly lowered it, her lips dry, forcing her to run her tongue over it. And he watched her tongue.

Then, she tangled her fingers in his hair, messing up his ponytail. "Okay," she murmured back.

He let his eyelids shut, enjoying the feeling of her fingertips caressing his scalp. For a moment, he was not in this house and he certainly was not dealing with all of this stress. It was him and Kagome and he knew he could get used to that. He had been craving for her touch ever since she walked in but he never had the guts to ask. They were not a couple. He was courting her - somewhat. It was not the same thing at all. He did not have the right to ask for her touch but now, she was willingly giving it away and he would be a fool to refuse it. A mere touch from her was enough to soothe away all of his concerns.

Kouga looked so relax that Kagome knew she could not dare to take her hand away. It killed her all day that she could not do anything and finally she could help. It was not much and she would be lying if she said she did not feel the heat spreading in her face but it would not make her stop. In the past, she never touched him - as a matter of fact she shied away most time he came close to her. Now, this closeness felt natural. She was not ashamed of it and it even caused her heart to pound. Her eyes were bright and glossy while she stared at the peacefulness that took over his worried expression. She managed to chase it away.

"Fuck," he said, never opening his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked while moving her fingers closer to his bangs.

"We ain't got no rooms."

Most people who came over did not actually leave anywhere nearby - and they were not going to drive back first thing in the morning. He did have a lot of room but he did not have that many.

"Take my bed," he said, finally revealing his blue orbs.

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"Couch. I'm not gonna sleep anyway."

He had too much to think about and it would prevent him from finding the solace that was rest. He did not like that such an important secret rested upon the fate of a woman he did not know. This is why they had to be careful, this was why so many of them practiced abstinence. Sex was not worth losing everything. Then again, he could understand. The urges, they never truly went away, even when they suppressed them. They always lingered on the surface, ready to come out. Sometimes, this world was too much and they could slip. Izu was not actually a bad guy. He simply made a mistake. Unfortunately for them, a mistake was not something they could afford to do.

"I'm not gonna make you sleep on the couch."

If only she knew all the nights he spent on that couch because her scent lingered on his sheets. "I used to sleep on rocks and cold ground. Couch is fine."

She frowned. "No."

Although if she refused to let him sleep on the couch, it did not leave them with many options. One bed. Two people. It was not the best of ideas. She was not going to share a bed with him. She woke up once by his side because apparently in her sleepy haze she had not allowed him to leave but things were different now. They acknowledged that they had in interest in each other. That would make it almost impossible for her to fall asleep with him by her side. The entire time she would be self conscious and - no, she could not.

"I'll take the couch," she finally announced.

He snorted. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"You're not sleeping on the couch?"

"Why not? I'm not a guest," she teased. "This is my home too."

"Smartass," he said with a smile.

He finally pulled himself away from the table, forcing her hand to leave his hair. He did not want it to stop but if she kept doing that, he might never leave that table. "We'll do something else tomorrow. I promise."

"It's fine, you're busy. I don't mind."

"I need to get out of here before I lose my mind."

Once this was dealt with, he did not want to see that house for a whole goddamn day. He did not care if he had to spend a day surrounded by a thousand of humans; he simply needed a change of scenery. Having Kagome by his side would be a great bonus.

"Alright then," she said with a smile. "I'll be right back. I have to call my mom to let her know I'm sleeping here."

He nodded and watched her walk away in the living room, her phone in her hand. He did not mean to ask her to stay but he could not bear to watch her go. All day he had to feel her aura, her presence without being allowed by her side; it drove him nuts. Plus, he did not even know how to approach her and deal with their current situation. It had been so long since he courted someone. On top of her being human she… it was Kagome and he always messed things up with her. Every time she was involved he turned into an idiot.

"You know, there's an easy fix to this whole sleeping arrangement."

"Yeah, I mean your bed is big enough for two people."

"Oh yeah that's right Ginta, it is. Don't you think Kouga should sleep there with Kagome?"

"Why, that's a great idea."

"You two are morons," he said with a glare.

"Come on, you're so worked up, I'm surprise you haven't punched a wall already."

"We saw you on the table, all relax."

"You two idiots were supposed to be helping everyone."

"Turns out they didn't need help," Ginta said with a smile.

"Quit spying. Go to your own rooms."

Hakkaku sighed but both of them went up the stairs anyway. Those two really needed a bit of help from time to time or they were not going to get anywhere. They were too shy and stupid to act on their feelings. Did they think nobody noticed the shift in aura when Kagome was touching him? When was the last time Kouga was at ease like that? It never happened. Something always worked him up. Kagome was the key, she was good for him. And if there was someone who could make Kagome smile it was him. Even though they talked about their feelings they had yet to figure any of it out. It was almost hopeless.

A little bit after the guys left, Kagome re-entered the kitchen, her cellphone nestled in her palm.

"Your mom okay with it?"

She nodded. "I think she's just glad I'm out of the house."

"That bad?"

"It was," she said with a shrug of the shoulders. "Couldn't really figure out what I wanted to do with my life now that I didn't fit anymore. That and I kinda lost touch with everyone here." She tried to call her friends a few times but she no longer had anything to talk about and they had moved on with their lives. Not everyone struggled with their grades - then again, not everyone traveled through time.

"And now?" He did not like to think about her being dejected. Kagome did not deserve that - she went through enough bullshit as it was. He never wanted to make her sad. It was part of the reason why it bugged him so much that she had to see all of this. He did not want to be this stressed out in front of her; he knew she would worry.

"I'm good." And she meant it. He was a big part of that. The pack helped too, it helped her find a balance between the two worlds, one she had not been able to find on her own. She could be herself and that was the greatest feeling in the world.

"Good." He lifted himself from the chair, his body heavy. "Come on, time for tiny humans to sleep."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Tiny humans?"

"Well, I'm so old and you're so young," he teased.

"That's true, grandpa," she said, teasingly smacking his stomach.

He laughed, showing a hint of fangs and approached her. He only meant to graze her, touch her, and find comfort in her warmth and before he knew it, both of his hands were on her shoulders. His eyes mets hers and she held his gaze. Kouga allowed his hands to slide down to her elbows and then, all the way to her hands. He did not mean to hold them, he did not mean to intertwine their fingers but it happened and neither of them stopped it. His heart ached with a need and he felt as though she heard the cry coming from deep inside of him.

Kouga swallowed hard, his adam apple bobbing. He wanted to lean in, he wanted to feel her. Except, before he could do anything she herself leaned into his chest. He felt the warmth of her cheek spread through him and he bent his head down to rest it on hers, nuzzling his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply. Her scent was tickling and soothing. She smelled like wild flowers and it drove him insane. He could pick it out of a thousand scents; he could always find her. He let his moist lips touch her head but he never pressed a kiss. He was too tense and her arms, her touch was too welcoming. It was a slippery road he should be avoiding.

"I'm sorry all of this is happening," she said, closing her eyes.

She could hear the thumping of his heart and feel the racing of his blood. She had never really been this close to anyone before. She tried to focus on his heartbeat instead of hers. Already her hands were becoming moist and she was certain he could notice. Breathing was a little harder as she let nervousness take control of her.

He wanted to tell her she did not have to stress when she was around him but it was not like he was calm and collected. He spent many years in love with her and he hardly ever let go of that feeling. He changed his ways for her even back when he basically did not know the first thing about her. There was just something about Kagome that made everyone be a better person. He wanted to be the best version of himself for her. He thrived to surpass everything he was. He liked who he was when he was around her. He released her left hand and raised it until he was cupping the back of her head, gently petting her hair.

They remained that way for a few moments, his heart swelling. When she pulled away, he intended on letting her. Except he stopped her. His hand dropped from her head to her shoulder and then, there she was, looking up at him with parted lips. She did not make any more attempts at walking away. No instead she looked at him. The temptation was too great and he gave in. Slowly, he inched himself closer to her. He expected her to jerk her head away but she remained perfectly still. By the time he finally stopped, his lips were almost brushing up against hers. If she had not pulled away… did it mean she want it?

When she slightly arched her back, almost closing the infinitely small distance between them, he took it as a hint to continue - and he did. He crashed his lips against hers, claiming her. This time, there was no shock or effect of surprise and she did not need any time to recover. Instead, she immediately returned the kiss though he could feel her usual shyness. There was a bit of awkwardness but he ignored it as he nipped at her bottom lip, letting her sweet taste fill his mouth. He attacked her lips, licking, grazing his fangs, and taking her mouth as his. And she let him. She was not as experienced of a kisser as he was and she allowed him to lead.

He took charge.

Her hands dropped and she laid them flat against his chest, her fingers clenching around the fabric of his white t-shirt. She bundled the fabric, almost tugging at it, and it only increased his need for her. She was fawning her breath against his lips, making small whimpering sounds as he dared to slip his tongue inside of her mouth. He never meant to push it that far but she let him and he could not bring himself to stop.

That was until her whimpers were accompanied by a spark of spiciness in her scent.

At that moment he knew he had to pull away.

He let his lips dance against hers a brief moment longer before tearing himself away. He looked at her and smirked. Her eyes were still closed and he could see the daze of confusion on her features while her lips remained bruised and plump.

Kouga moved his lips to her ears, his warm breath puffing against it. "I'm definitively taking the couch," he said before tearing himself away.

It was hard to miss the blush on her cheeks while she stared down at the couch. She knew he was going to kiss her, the look he had given her was very obvious. At first, she did not know how she would react but she quickly realized she wanted this. And after the fact, it was only even more confirmed. She could still feel the linger of his lips against hers and the puddle of desire that formed in the pit of her stomach. A buzz of need traveled through her and she was too ashamed to even look him in the eyes.

"Good night, Kagome," he said, finally releasing his hold on her.

She nodded, her blush more than obvious. "Good night."

Timidly, she made her way to the stairs while he headed for the couch. He plopped down on it, putting his arms behind his head.

Yeah, he was not getting any sleep tonight.