An awkward silence filled the room, the sound of metal utensils clacking against the porcelain dishes interrupting it from time to time. A tension was present, sizzling into the air. They tried not to stare at her too much but they did wonder if she knew the energy she was giving off through her aura. At first, they thought she might be a little distress - Kouga was leaving after all. However, that did not seem to be the source of her concern. She bid him farewell, little edgy, and with a short, tense hug and everything went well. Though Kouga was clearly less than happy to be separated from her. Though they did have to give him some points; he hid it well. That or Kagome was too lost in her own thoughts to even notice.

Even now, as she was supposed to finish enjoying her now cold breakfast, she was playing around with it, splashing a piece of crepe into a pool of maple syrup, never eating it. Her blue eyes were locked onto the white plate, her other hand mindlessly twisting her ebony strands of hair.

Ginta and Hakkaku exchanged glances, a frown wrinkling their noses. Ginta raised a brown eyebrow, questioning obvious in his face but Hakkaku shrugged his shoulders, forcing his back in a slump. Were they supposed to talk? She gave them the impression that she had something on her mind, something to ask but she did not speak. It as not as though they could talk about it - they did not have the first clue what could be weighing on her mind.

Hakkaku taped his fingers in a rhythmic fashion against the cherry wooden table before he felt his patience crack. "You know we can drive your home."

"When you're ready," Ginta finished, tugging his lips into a smile.

Kouga did warn them before leaving; they had to look after sis. Not that he needed to tell them that. She was a pack, obviously they were going to look after her.

The sound of their voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she snapped her head up, her hair fawning around, carelessly falling upon her shoulders. As she glanced at the both of them, a faint hue of pink spread across her cheeks, brightening her pale skin. Right. She had a plan…or she was supposed to have one anyway. It was fine in her head but actually asking about it out loud? It was downright embarrassing. She never thought she would be asking anyone about this. Ever since Kouga left she had been trying to find ways to fix the situation by herself, or find a way to at least be subtle about it but nothing came to mind. If she wanted to know about wolves customs, she would have to ask.

Maybe it would be better if she did not look directly at them. She shifted her gaze away, swallowing hard and forcing her throat to bob. "I - hm, I had a question."

"Ask away."

If only it were that easy. "MMmm, well." Damn it. It should not that difficult and yet she felt the heat rising to her face. She puffed away her bangs, making sure she was peeking right at the table and never into their eyes. Who knew maple syrup could be so damn interesting? "I was wondering about wolves…." She pinched her lips. "flirting," she mumbled under her breathe.

They had good hearing, but they could not make out the last word. The whisper was lost on them. "You're wondering about wolves?"

"Wolves what?"

"Just wolves?"

"Like in general?"

A tremble began in her bottom lip and she tightly clenched her hand around her fork, her fingertips turning white under the pressure. Were they really going to make her say it? She glanced into their eyes, the confusion obvious, and she cringed. "Flirting, okay? Gah! I'm just wondering. How you do it."

And in that moment, it took every ounce of self control they had not to burst out laughing. They knew - everybody knew - that Kagome and Kouga would make a great pair, they even all noticed the little exchanges, the subtle looks and touches but - to have their little sister so ashamed about asking…And really, she had nothing to be humiliated about. She was being considerate, realizing that Kouga was not human. It only made her even more perfect for their leader and friend. Still, it was a little funny; her face was red and her heart was pounding.

"I mean, we got used to being around humans."

That would not even help her much; it was not as though she had a lot of flirting experience under her belt. As a matter of fact, she had none. Yes, she did sometimes, in foolishness, consider Inuyasha a sort of boyfriend. Although, she highly doubted that sitting somewhere through oblivion counted as flirting. Her heart felt heavier in her chest as she thought of him. The pain, the words left unsaid and the choices never made. It made her think about all the reasons why she was hesitant to embark into this path with Kouga. At the same time…he made her happy and it was something she had not experienced in a very long time - even by Inuyasha's side.

Ginta frowned at the shift in her aura but chose not to mention it. Was it her nervousness? Was she disappointed?

"We have more specific things we enjoy." Though…that did not really happen anymore. The females were scarce and it was not as though they were going around, telling every human woman they met that they were youkais. Courting was not really done anymore and it was replace with human flirting. Even then, it was only done for the purpose of relieving some tension. Relationships were just one of those tricky things they never quite learned to get around in this new world. "Nuzzling or hm, touching noses."

"Sleeping together. The closeness. Whining noises."

"Little touches, throughout the day."

"Feeding one and another." Hakkaku almost smirked.

"Grooming."

She stared at the two of them with her eyes wide opened. She had not expected them to shout so many answers. Everything that involved flirting for them included - touching. Physical closeness was basically how they did it. It was not a bad thing but she was not sure she would ever have the guts to initiate any of those. Heck, she did not even know how she would react when Kouga - would he? Would he try to court her like wolves did or would he opt for a more human approach? She did not want him to be something he was not. She knew full well he was a youkai, with instincts and customs. She did not expect him to change or make himself uncomfortable on her account.

"Will Kouga…"

"Well you are human."

To be honest, they did not know what their boss was planning. They did not have a chance to talk it over since he left so quickly after he finally obtained some sort of development with Kagome. Although Hakkaku did not fail to notice the disappointment in her face when he said she was human. Perhaps…it would be something worth mentioning to Kouga. It would have to be added on the list - along with all the teasing they had to do. They were right and he was wrong and now their little sister was asking about wolf customs. It could not be any more perfect than this.

"I guess," she replied as she finally put her fork down. "It - was - I was just wondering, that's all."

"No, we're happy to answer any questions ya got about wolves!"

"Yeah, you're pack. You should know this kind of stuff anyway! Two birds with one stone"

Pack. It was extremely important to them and she was aware it meant a great deal to be pack and to be accepted. Kouga looked after his own - they all looked after one and another. They kept saying she was pack but she did not feel as though she did anything to be pack and to keep this title. Everyone seemed to pitch in but - she came and went, never really contributing her share. It did make her feel bad. She wondered if it was just how you felt when you were in a pack, the feeling that made you want to be there no matter the cost or if it was a trait that came with being a wolf. She would do anything for her friends. If they asked for help, she would come running. Thinking about the little things simply did not cross her mind. Was she a bad person?

It appeared that both boys noticed the change in her expression because a small panic appeared on their faces. "No, no, sis. What's wrong?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's nothing - I just. You guys are pack. You do stuff for each other. I don't really do anything."

Ginta frowned. "That's not true, sis. Back when we first met you, you risked your life to help us."

"Yeah, you defended us without thinking twice."

"You don't need to bring money in, or food or whatever to be pack. We know you'd do anything for us and we'd do the same for ya."

"But - "

"Nope. It doesn't matter."

Her lips broke into a smile and she nodded. Even though she was willing to agree with them, it did not mean she would not be more mindful in the future. Perhaps they were extra little things she could do to help out a bit more. She was limited in her resources, but she would do her best. There was one matter resting on her mind, bothering her. She should not ask and she was almost afraid of the answer. What if Kouga and her tried but it did not work? What if their relationship changed but it was never meant to be? Then, she would lose all of this? The pack, this new home? She knew she refused him in the past but - well she never encouraged him. This would be different.

If it was not meant to be and they chased her out, she would understand. But she did not want that.

Her lips trembled while she wondered if the question would slip her lips. "What - " Kami, why was it so hard to ask? "What would happen if - if we tried. And it didn't work out." Back in the feudal era, she did not see the wolves that often. They were friends but not close friends. She helped them when she could and they rescued her a few times. The relationship in the present was different. She felt like a sinking ship before she found them. Kagome no longer knew how to properly live in this world, she was not meant for a normal human life where she could not be herself, where she had to lie all the time and pretend she did not lose all the things she lost.

They made it possible to breathe without suffocating, they made it easier to smile and live.

She wanted to hold on to that feeling no matter how selfish it seemed.

Suddenly she felt a hand on his. "You're pack and nothing's gonna change that."

They know they were speaking for Kouga as well. Kagome would as well be part of their family no matter what. She was too important to them for that fact to change. And Kouga loved her too much to let anything break the bond of pack. He waited for five hundred years. He never stopped loving her, he simply thought she was gone. If anyone else but Kagome tried to get with Kouga, they would give them a warning. However, they knew Kagome would never intentionally try to break his heart. If she was willing to see if it was possible, if she cared enough to ask questions, then she felt something towards Kouga.

"It'll be fine."

She hoped so.

-U-

The sun remained high in the sky, casting warm colors onto the horizon. The heat was heavy, sticky and there was no breeze to refresh the air and the poor people walking around the town. Kouga ran his fingers through his bangs sticking to his forehead. The heat was even getting to him. Although it was mostly because of the heavy work he had been doing. He liked to get his work done quickly but this time he had an extra incentive; he wanted to get back to Kagome. Plus he was annoyed he had to come back to fix a mistake. The guys and him had been contractors on her house and apparently there were a few flaws that prevented the owners from moving in. He had to fix it. He did not know who made the mistake but he was annoyed; he was not getting paid for this.

If he was lucky, he would be done in a few hours. The timing could not have been worst and he would do his best to return to Kagome as fast as possible.

He tugged on his white shirt, the sweat forcing it glue to his tan skin. He never minded physical work; it was satisfying and it showed his skills. Plus, it was the only kind of work he did not need school and education. They had a few trials and errors in the past before they managed to get it right. Now they knew how to wing it and make it in this world. It was a quiet, hidden human life but it worked for them and for the pack dynamic. Although, he noticed that they did bring some modifications to it ever since Kagome came back. It was not like she forced them to adapt to her presence it was that they wanted to do it. He wanted to be able to spend more time with her and he did not mind staying inside, doing normal activities. Her presence was enough to make it fun.

Kagome was the only one who could make all of that entertaining.

He had a bad habit of getting excited when he should not. Kagome and him did not decide anything. They were going to try, go with the flow. Yet, every time he thought about it, he felt his heart race. He was not the cub he used to be. He would not pursue her, force his attention on her and oh so publicly declare her his woman. Despite the turmoil raging inside of his chest, he would keep calm and follow the pace one step at a time. It went against his driven, intense nature but he refused to make the same mistake twice and he had no desire to force an undesired pressure upon her. This time, he would do it right.

All those thoughts did very little to ease the feeling twisting his guts; what if he screwed up?

-U-

Blue eyes stared ahead at her cellphone, her nose crinkling while she frowned. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Her dark locks were pushed away from her face by a ponytail, her bangs carelessly falling upon her forehead. Her elbow laid upon her wooden white painted desk, her blue sweater protecting her skin from the harshness of the wood. She popped her pink lips before a sigh escaped them. Waiting was torture. No matter how long she stared at her cellphone, it remained shut. Not once did her screen light up despite the two calls she was waiting for. She applied for a job and was expecting one of them to call - hopefully the library. The other sign of life she was expecting was from Kouga. Not that he had to contact her. He had no obligation. But it had been a few days since he left and…

She did not know what she thought.

Should she be the one calling? Should he call her? Was he even back?

He did say a few days but it was nothing precise. Plus, they were keeping things the same but - trying to move forward. He never used to call her everyday and there was no reason why it should change right?

She rolled her eyes at her own foolishness and then, let herself slump into her grey cushioned chair. Her arms flapped at the sides and she let her head fall backwards. There was no reason for her to begin acting pathetic. This was Kouga - someone she had known for a long time. Had she not grown accustomed and at ease with their friendship? There was no reason she should suddenly forget about everything that happened between them. They were friends first. Stressing about something she had no experience in would not be useful. She was not used to relationship and the past proved she lacked experience and good judgement when it came to them. She felt a great deal for Inuyasha but some of the decisions she made in regards to him were not always the best. She did not regret anything that happened but it did mean she would not change a few things if she could.

Kagome rolled her chair around, ready to get up and get on with her day. There was no reason to stare at a phone that would not ring; it would simply drive her insane. The best solution was to keep herself busy. That way, she would chase away all the stupid thoughts she was having and she would quit worrying herself over nothing. She inhaled deeply, as a small way to give herself courage, and stood up.

At that precise moment, life decided to have other plans. A family whistling sound filled her small bedroom and in less than a second, she snapped her head in direction of her phone. Her eyes widened, her lips parting, and she leaned forward to look at the screen. Text message (1) Kouga. She was unable to resist the smile that formed on her face, a hint of teeth showing between her pink lips. It was not too long until her hand reached out for the phone and she wrapped her fingers around it. She clicked the alert, opening the text. Lunch? He was back. And he texted her. Her smile grew in size and she sunk her teeth in her bottom lip. She wasted no time in replying and then put her phone back down on her desk. She thought there was no reason to be nervous and yet, she felt her heart hammer inside of her chest. She took quick small breaths, before glancing down at herself.

Her clothes were fine were they not?

It was not a date, she was simply going over, like she did many times in the past. She tugged on her ponytail, tightening it and glanced around for her purse. Once she found the black leather accessory, she slipped it on her shoulder and shoved her phone inside. She rushed down the stairs only to find her mother stirring a pot of soup. "Up already?" she asked with a smile. Before Kouga's return into her daughter's life, Kagome's morning began rather late. Changes were subtle but she did not miss the transformations her daughter was going through. Some days, she worried - after all, she slept away from home a few times. She was not a little kid and Kouga was a man. Sometimes she reminded herself that Kagome used to sleep away from home all the time when she was traveling through time. But, this felt different. Nonetheless, it was hard to forbid it when she saw all the good it did her. For a while, she thought her daughter would never find pleasure into living in the real world. For the time being, Kouga and her seemed friends…

"Yeah, I was hoping the library would call," she said as she entered the room before leaning against a pole. The scent of vegetables and noodles filled the air and she was forced to inhaled deeply, letting the smell fill her nose.

"Did they?" she asked while she kept stirring.

"Not yet but… Kouga called."

"Oh he's back?"

Kagome did tell her mother about Kouga leaving but she did not share the most recent development. She did not think there was a reason to talk about it since nothing changed as of yet. She was not trying to keep it from her, she simply wanted to avoid complicated things before it was necessary. A lot of things would change if her mother knew Kouga and her were in a relationship and… she did not want things to change. This was the best way to go for the time being.

"Yeah, he invited me over for lunch."

A question lingered in the air, and Kagome shifted her weight from one foot to another waiting to see what her mom would say. She did not expect her to refuse but Kagome thought the less she could do was ask. She might now be an adult but she still lived at home, under her mother's rules.

"You should go," Miyu said as she tucked a short free strand of her brown hair behind her ear. She gave her daughter a smile, her head tilting to the side. She would not say no. Especially when her daughter appeared to be this excited.

Kagome grinned and closed the distance between herself and her mom. She pressed a kiss to her cheek and hopped towards the front door. "I'll be back for dinner." Although it was not a sure thing but Kouga did not talk about dinner and she felt like she at least owed her mom a return time.

"Call if you can't make it." Sometimes she wondered if she knew her daughter better than Kagome knew herself.

Kagome waved before exiting the house and heading outside. As she began heading downstairs, jumping the stairs one at a time, she slowly starting to regret her clothing choice; it was hot. She swallowed before running her tongue over her lips. She unstuck her ponytail from the back of her neck, a layer of sweat quickly forming. She tugged on her blue sweater, hoping to create a breeze around her body. She sighed before she began her way to Kouga's house. For the first time, she regretted not asking for a ride. No, no, it was a beautiful, sunny day and she would enjoy it. Maybe the walk would actually help her calm down. She could already feel her palms turning moist and it had nothing to do with the heavy heat. She rubbed her hands together before rubbing them on her light jeans.

Seconds turned into minutes and after a while, the house finally came in view. She blocked the sun out of her vision using her hand and she smiled. Her pace hurried and she ignored the way her shirt clung to her flesh in an uncomfortable way. She could already feel the sweat dripping from the side of her face and she prevented herself from cringing; she was not going to be a pretty sight. Kami it was unfair; Kouga could run a marathon in the sun and come back without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, she looked like she went through a shower, with the tip of her bangs drenched in sweat. She shook her head, her bangs flying around. Finally, through her frustration, she managed to reach the house. She went up the stairs and lifted her hand, ready to knock. She was not certain why but it was almost strange to knock. She did come in a few times but… with them. She knew they said it was her house but… but…

She shrugged and then knocked regardless.

Kagome waited barely a second before the door opened. She expected to see Kouga on the other side but instead she found Ginta's smiling face. His short grey hair was wet, clinging to the side of his face.

"Hey sis! Come on in." He moved out of the way to let her in. "Why did you knock? You can just come on right in. Didn't we give ya a key?" That was weird. This was her home as well. They would have to fix that; she should not have to knock. They wanted her to feel as welcome as she wanted.

"Oh, I just, I don't know, I didn't want to barge in."

He raised a dark eyebrow. "Didn't Kouga invite you?"

Ginta was fairly certain that the first thing their leader did when he stepped foot in the house was text Kagome. And they did nothing to stop him. His face spoke for him; a huge smile, a hint of fangs poking through and his eyes glistening with a twinkly they had not seen in a long time. Kouga was happy. He found a balance, he found where he wanted to be and what he wanted to do in this new world and it was Kagome.

"He did -"

"Then you're not barging in," he said, cutting her off.

She chuckled and nodded before following him into the kitchen. Again, despite her expectations, Kouga was not there. Instead Hakkaku was there, reading the newspapers. He put it down, allowing her to see his mohawk and he broke into a grin. "Hey sis!" He tried to hide his amusement at the rush both her and Kouga were in to see each other. Yeah okay, they were taking it slow. He did not think that would last very long.

"Hey," she said as she sat down in front of him.

At this point, they both noticed the little question in her face. She was looking for Kouga.

"Kouga's in the shower."

He did not even take the time to shower before he finished his job. Instead, he drove all the way back home once he was done and called Kagome the moment he came home. Apparently he did not want to waste anytime. They snickered but he glared at them so they stopped. But it did not matter because they already knew that they were right. And now seeing Kagome's face only confirmed it. After all this time, it was finally going to happen and for once, Kouga would not get smacked if he ever said Kagome was his woman. What they were intrigued to see was if Kagome would use some of the advices she asked for. Although they kind of doubted she would do it in front of them. Kagome was the shy type.

"Oh it's okay," she said as she leaned back into the black chair.

She quickly glanced around but noticed that no food was being prepared. Did he not invite her for lunch? Or were they not going to eat here? After her little walk in the heat she did not really look presentable. Although she did show up here looking like this. What if she looked a little dishevelled and sweaty? She chased the silly thoughts out of her head and focused her attention back unto the boys in front of her.

"Mm, about the other day."

"Never happened," Ginta answered with a smirk that let her know he found the situation quite amusing.

She did not want to talk too much about it since she did not know how far Kouga was and she knew their hearing was pretty good but she did not know how far the range extended. She did not need him asking her or Ginta and Hakkaku some questions. It was much better if he did not know anything about it, both because she was embarrassed she even asked about it and second because she did not want him to think too much into it.

"Thanks," she said as she looked away, abashed, her face a faint hue of red.

"What did you two idiots do?"

Everyone turned their head in direction of the door way only to spot Kouga coming into the kitchen. He had a frown on his face, his blue eyes glaring at them. His long, wet hair clung to his back, free and loose, a rare sight. His jeans hung loose while his white t-shirt looked like a second skin. Kagome did her best to tear her eyes away but she was forced to stare at him for a few seconds longer than she wanted to, the blush in her cheeks only darkening. She did not mean to stare; how could she not?

Meanwhile, Kouga was focused on Ginta and Hakkaku. He could smell her shame from all the way up the stairs. What in the world did they say to her?

"Nothing," all three of them answered at the same time.

Kagome managed to look away and suddenly found a rather profound interest in Hakkaku's newspapers which he had let carelessly fall upon the kitchen table.

Kouga eyed them all one by one, but nobody seemed to give it away. Apparently he would have to ask the guys later, when Kagome would leave. He did not know why but he had a feeling it was something stupid. Did he not tell them to stay out of this? Perhaps the situation between Kagome and him did change but it did not mean they got a free pass into saying relationship stuff. He would need to talk to them again, clear it out for a second time.

He chose to let it go for the time being and sat down beside Kagome. As he got closer to her, he felt another scent fill the air but he could not quite but his finger on it. It was there, faint, and hiding beneath the shame, the nervousness. He frowned, his eyes narrowing for a brief second. It was not until he turned his head that he saw Kagome looking at him. Well, not exactly at him. Instead, she was staring down at his shirt, her eyes sometimes glancing over to his arms. Was she checking him out? He almost resisted the urge to smirk. He was forced to shift his expression when she finally looked into his eyes. He saw them widened but she then tried to play it off.

"Welcome back."

"Thanks. It was a pain."

"Do you have to go back?"

"Not fucking gonna." Even if there was something wrong again this time he was certain it had nothing to do with his work and they could go fuck themselves. He was not making that trip again for nothing.

"Do you often leave for work?"

"Usually we find some shit around here but - sometimes it's harder." It was a big city but there was not always a lot of work and he always wanted to make sure there was enough. Not only for him but for the guys as well. Some wolves preferred to live on their own but he wanted to make sure they had what they needed. "Ya wanna eat?"

"Mm, sure," she replied almost uncertain as she took another quick glance around.

"What do ya want? Ginta and Hakkaku are gonna go get some stuff."

They both looked at Kouga, slightly confused their eyes saying we are? When he nodded glancing between them and Kagome, they finally seemed to understand.

"Yeah, we are starving. Didn't feel like making anything," Ginta supplied.

"Pizza, how about some pizza?"

"Mm, sure," she said with a smile.

"Great, come on Hakkaku," Ginta said as he hurried from his chair, nearly tugging on Hakkaku's black shirt. "We'll be back."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at their suspicious behaviour but said nothing of it. She was not blind, she could guess what exactly was going through her heads and she simply smile and faintly shook her head; they had not gotten more subtle with the years. Though they never failed to make them laugh.

Although, now she was left alone with Kouga. And she was not sure what to say. They said it would not be awkward and it was not awkward before his departure but now she felt as though she was not sure what she should be telling him.

"I'm glad you're back," she finally said.

Her words warmed his heart. "Yeah, kinda hurried to get back."

"Oh?"

"Didn't really wanna be there." And he wanted to be back. "Much more fun here." As he said that, he turned to look into her eyes and she found herself unable to break the stare. Her heart raced and she felt a jolt travel her body. Kouga was serious, honest and a little bit rough around the edges but he was a good person. It made the idea of falling seem terrifying for a second. She fell once but - she was a young, it was another time, another kind of relationship. She did not see as much pain in this one. It could be liberating.

Ginta and Hakkaku's words filled her head and she was reminded of what they said about touching and shows of affections. She would never have the courage to actually go through with it all. Not yet. She was not comfortable and sure enough but - but … she felt as though she wanted to do something at least. From the corner of her eye she noticed that his hand was also resting on the table. She shyly moved her own until her pinky bumped into his. He stiffened at first, most likely because he was not expecting it but he kept staring at her nonetheless. The smile on his face grew in size.

"Yeah, I think so too."

Her face glowed with a hue of pink and he felt his chest swell. His negative thoughts from earlier flew away from his mind and all he thought about was the little human girl sitting beside him.

"It's nice out. We could eat there instead of inside," she proposed, breaking the gaze for the first time.

"Yeah, good idea." He did not like to be stuff inside.

She jumped to her feet, a grin on her face.

He cocked an eyebrow. "You tryin' to race me?"

"Well you are getting pretty old."

His gaze turned predatory. "That's it," he warned.

A laugh bubbled from her throat and she began running towards the back door. He let her get away and take the lead, his heart leaping as he watched her rush outside, her laughs filling his ears like a melody.

For the first time, it was not a bad thing. For the first time, it might not end in a heartbreak.