InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The City by the Bay ❯ Boy Meets Girl ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and friends were created and lovingly brought to life by Rumiko Takahashi.

Author's Note:

This is it! Sesshoumaru and Kagome meet in this chapter!

Did you know that the amazing fic called "The Bet" by MiniMorr is back? What, you didn't know?!? Both fic and author are back with a BOOM! It's up on MM.org and my site. Please be sure to read the newly revamped Sess/Kag story and review!

Have you read "White Dogs: Perversity" by SilverQuick? You don't know what you are missing! It's an incredible story and I am so honoured to have it on my site. I love SilverQuick's writing style and this Sess/Kag story is just a mind blowing experience. Please be sure to read and leave a review!

Thank you for reading and reviewing my work! I really appreciated each of your reviews. Thank you for helping me become a better writer! ;)

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"San Francisco itself is art, above all literary art.

Every block is a short story, every hill a novel.

Every home a poem, every dweller within immortal."

- William Saroyan

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The City by the Bay

By Ericedwyn

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Chapter Three: Boy Meets Girl

~* Kagome's House, Presidio Heights, late morning *~

'What is wrong with me? Why am I so weak?' Kagome shut her eyes tightly, leaving a deep furrow between her brows.

"None of that, Kagome." Ban murmured as he leaned over her to smooth the groove with his warm lips. He leaned in closer, half lying on top of her, as he balanced himself on two arms on either side of her face. He brought his lips down to trail soft kisses atop the bridge of her nose before speaking again. "Tell me what's wrong, Love."

Kagome opened her eyes to meet his dark-brown ones. "This…" She began to say to be interrupted by the shrill of her house phone. She grabbed the handheld and looked at the contact information on the caller ID screen. 'Jak…'

"Let the machine get it, Kagome…." Ban murmured as he brushed his cheek against hers.

"No, it's Jak. It's probably important." Kagome pressed the "talk" button. "Jak?"

"Hi, Hon. I didn't mean to call, but I have an emergency at work. Can I talk to Ban?" Jak asked on the other end.

"Yes, just a minute." She held out the receiver to Ban. "It's for you. It's Jak."

Ban slid off of Kagome to sit beside her as he took the receiver. "Yes, Jak?"

Kagome sat up and was about to get up from bed when Ban's hand snaked out and coiled around her wrist to keep her close. Kagome sighed but stayed put.

"I'm sorry for bothering you two, but I need the changes you are working on for the Roane case." Kagome heard from the proximity of the receiver.

"I finished it last night and uploaded it to the group drive. The file name is "RoaneRev3" and should be in my subdirectory in the "Roane" subfolder."

Kagome looked up at Ban at his words. 'Last night? Was he home last night? Did he hear Sui and I?' She blushed as she recalled what happened the night before.

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Yes, got it. Thanks, Ban."

"Anything else, Jak?" Ban queried while locking eyes with Kagome.

"Just have loads of fun!" Kagome heard the words loud and clear from the other end and turned beet red.

Ban pressed the "off" button and set the cordless phone on the night table nearby. "Well, you heard what the boss said…" He grinned predatorily at Kagome before pulling her towards him. His teeth captured her lower lip in a soft nibble before closing his lips over it.

Kagome pulled away to sit on her legs. "What time… Did you hear Sui and I last night?"

Ban searched her blue eyes before responding. "Yes," the young man admitted.

"Is that why you…" Kagome paused, trying to phrase her question.

"Yes, yes, yes, Kagome. I would not have moved in on you if you didn't feel the same way." Ban cradled her face with both hands. "Kagome, we are meant for each other. You know I love you, and I know, even though you've never said it back, that you love me too."

"Ban…" Kagome interrupted, but Ban silenced her with a kiss.

After a few seconds, Ban laid his forehead against hers. "You chose your career over me 9 months ago, but things are different now. Can you accept me now, Kagome?" He pulled away slightly to search her dark blue eyes once more. "There is nothing more important to me than for you to become my wife."

"Ban, we went through this before. I can't. I just can't." Kagome turned away with her back to him.

"Kagome, love is about taking risks. You used your career to create a wall between us once. You can't use it now. So why not take the risk with me?" Ban asked while laying his strong hands on her soft shoulders. He gently placed a kiss on the top of her head before laying his chin on top.

"I wish it was that easy, Ban. You are the closest person to me." Kagome began to say. "You have been more than a lover and a friend. I think you know me more than anyone else, and I know I could always go to you about anything."

Ban felt hope rising from the pit of his stomach. "I could never turn you away."

Tears pooled in Kagome's eyes. When the first tear rolled down her cheek, she began to speak again. "I love you, Ban. I do. But I'm not in love with you." Another tear followed. "I never wanted you to hear that, but I think it's time you did. It was the missing piece to the puzzle."

She felt Ban's hands tighten a little on her shoulders. "I tried to fall in love with you with the same intensity you showed me. I thought maybe I could learn to fall in love with you. But it didn't turn out that way. That's why I couldn't accept your proposal then, and why I still can't accept it now. It just wouldn't be fair to you."

Kagome hung her head. "Today was a mistake. You have always been so hard to resist. I think you need to go."

Ban's hands dropped from Kagome's shoulders, to hang by his side. Wordlessly, he climbed off the bed and retrieved his clothing. Neither one looked at each other nor spoke. He turned away from Kagome as he dressed, all the while controlling the grief that has taken a hold of his heart.

When he was fully dressed, Ban kneeled in front of Kagome and wiped the tears from her face, before cradling her face in his hands. "You are my soulmate, Kagome. Soulmates never give up on each other. I won't give up on us." With those words spoken a little brokenly, he took to his feet and left her home.

Silent tears continued to roll down Kagome's cheek with no evidence of ending. She cried for Ban and his pain, not so much for her own. It was the second time she has had to let him go, and the pain was no less easier to bear.

~* San Francisco Environs, around 2:30 p.m. *~

Miroku pulled his BMW to a halt for the third stop sign in 5 seconds. He looked from side to side before moving forward again. He glanced at Sesshoumaru seated to his right, crossing out yet another rental lead. "What's the next one?"

"That was the last one on our list." Sesshoumaru sighed.

"You know… if you lower your standards a little, maybe we'll find something." Miroku grumbled.

"That is not an option." Sesshoumaru responded tersely.

'That is not an option,' Miroku mimicked in his head. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I haven't had my second feeding for the day so I think we better stop somewhere before I become disagreeable." He grumbled more to himself, as he made a turn and parked a little away from a small créperie.

"You are being disagreeable now."

Miroku ignored his boss as he stepped out of his car. "This is as good a place as any, Sess. Let's eat." He waited until Sesshoumaru was out of the car before enabling his alarm. He pulled the door open of the small restaurant and was immediately swept away by the smell of the buttery light batter being fried on heated metal plates. His mouth began to water. "Oh… I'm in heaven!"

Sesshoumaru followed Miroku inside the small créperie and seated himself with his back to the wall at a nearby table. He glanced around the room briefly, taking in an odd impressionist painting or two, before picking up the remaining menu that a waitress laid on their table. Many eyes turned towards him. It was a usual occurrence, and Sesshoumaru gave his usual response. He ignored them.

When the waitress returned, Miroku was eagerly waiting. "So, what would you recommend, Beautiful?" Miroku gave her a crooked grin.

The waitress smiled while Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at his friend's antics. "The Crépe Ficelles Picardes with thinly sliced ham, béchamel sauce, gruyere cheese, and mushrooms is our most popular savory crépe."

"Hmm… savory." Miroku let his eyes trail down to the waitress' bosom. "Yes, I'll have that one with a cappuccino."

The waitress took a small step back as she jotted down Miroku's order. She turned to her other customer. "And for you, sir?" The young lady asked, quietly admiring the silver-haired man with her green eyes.

"I will have the Crépe Martine with Earl Grey tea if you have it." Sesshoumaru handed her the menu.

"Good choice. Yes, we do. I'll be back with your beverages."

"What's in that one, Sess-man?" Miroku asked, clearly in a better mood, while his eyes followed the waitress back to the other end of the room.

"Scallops, shrimp, and mussels in a light fennel sauce."

"That sounds better than mine." Miroku responded as he turned to look at his boss. Something light blue caught his eyes and he stood up from his chair and leaned towards his boss to get a better look.

Sesshoumaru gave him an odd look but did not move. "What are you doing?" He asked when Miroku's belt buckle was mere inches away from his face.

Miroku pointed at the ad on the wall. He pried it from the wall and sat back down. "It's your luck day, Sess-man." Miroku said while reading the rest of the ad. "There's an upstairs unit for rent in a house in Presidio Heights. Nice area. Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and 1240 square feet. Whatcha think?" He asked as he handed the ad to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru scanned the ad and nodded. When he came to the contact information, he wondered briefly at the name "Higurashi." 'Where have I heard that name before? Why does it sound so familiar?'

"Well, Sess-man?" Miroku eyed him impatiently. "Are you going to call?"

"Yes, I'll call after our lunch. This place sounds nice. Hopefully it will look as good as it sounds."

~* Kagome's House, Presidio Heights *~

Kagome finally got out of bed and began to make it. On the way to the bathroom, her cell phone chimed, and she back traced to her dresser to see who it is. She pressed the "on" button. "Hi, Sango."

"Hey there, Kagome. Jak called me to call you. What's wrong, Little Sister?" Kagome heard on the other end. She could hear the "Kya's" of the Karate students in the background.

"Ban." She said sadly.

Jak, who had spoken to Ban earlier, had already warned Sango so she had a pretty good idea of what had happened. "Well… you are probably moping around over there so I've gotten in touch with Nobu and Hojo. Nobu is getting out of work at 4 and will be by there to pick you up. It's Friday so let's go to Cha Cha Cha for some tapas and very potent Sangria."

"Sango, I don't feel…" Kagome began to say.

"We're not taking "no" for an answer, Girlie. He's picking you up dressed or not. Ja!" Click.

Kagome sighed and set her cell phone down on the dresser. "Kami-sama, help me! I love my friends, but they just drive me insane sometimes!"

~*~*~*~

Kagome heard the Harry Potter chime of her cell phone as she was tying on her blue halter top at the back of her neck in two knots. She crossed to the dresser and picked it up. She didn't recognize the number that displayed, but pressed the "on" button none-the-less.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon. My name is Takara, and I am inquiring about the unit for rent. May I come by to see it?" She heard a deep voice on the other end.

Kagome turned her head to look at the time display of her alarm clock. 3:36. "Are you nearby?" Kagome heard a muffled conversation on the other end.

"A few minutes away," came the response.

"Sure. See you then." Kagome pressed the "off" button and tied the sash of the bottom of her halter top at her waist. She picked up her brush ran it through her hair before pulling her dark tresses into a ponytail.

She shook her liquid eyeliner bottle a few times before uncapping it. She drew a line on her eyelid just above her lashes and did the same to its twin. She picked up her burgundy hued lipstick and dabbed her lips. She pressed them together until the lipstick was even throughout. She grabbed hold of her cell phone before making her way to the walk-in closet where she chose a pair of black Capri pants. She slipped them on, pulled the zipper up, and buttoned it at the top. She hooked her cell phone on the top of her pants by her hip. She chose a pair of black sandal slip-ons to go with her outfit before leaving her room for the living room to find her keys and purse.

She heard the doorbell from the main floor, and instead of buzzing her visitors in, she decided to go downstairs and open the door herself. She grabbed her keys and closed the door to her lower unit before jogging down the stairs.

She opened the door to a young man with short hair swept from his face into a teeny ponytail. "Hi. Are you the one who called about the unit?" Kagome asked with a cheerful smile.

Miroku couldn't keep his eyes off of the young woman who opened the door. "Did it hurt?"

Kagome looked at the young man in confusion. "Did what hurt?"

"When you fell down from heaven?"

Kagome suddenly got an instant migraine upon hearing the age old, well used pick-up line. She was about to slam the door on the hentai's face when she heard another voice, this one much deeper.

"Please excuse my friend. I'm the one who called about the unit."

Kagome pulled the door open again and her eyes grew a little wide at the sight of a young man with long silver hair and equally unusual golden-colored eyes. 'Wow… what a beautiful man.' After a moment and with a cautious look at Miroku, she opened the door fully to allow them inside. "Please come in."

"Thank you." Sesshoumaru murmured as he locked his golden eyes with her blues.

The CEO of Sestaka Enterprises had admired the young lady from the car, when he stayed behind to retrieve his briefcase. 'This is the owner of the house? She's so young…' He had taken in her long, raven-black hair, slender yet hour glass figure, and the confidence she bore, even for someone probably just slightly over 5 feet tall. He towered her by at least a foot.

Sesshoumaru pushed the distracted Miroku inside the entryway. "My name is Sesshoumaru Takara and this is my associate, Miroku Kenshou."

Kagome shook hands with both of them. "It is nice to meet you both. My name is Kagome Higurashi. Please follow me." She smiled and swept past them to the stairway.

Swish. Swoosh. Miroku followed the movement of the ends of the sash of Kagome's halter top. He reached out, mesmerized, and was about to capture one of the ends to pull, when he was abruptly pulled out of his lecherous mission when a strong hand grabbed his wrist.

Kagome took another step up when she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She turned around and caught Sesshoumaru grab Miroku's wrist. She narrowed her eyes at Miroku.

"Will you please excuse us a moment, Miss Higurashi?" Sesshoumaru asked politely.

Kagome nodded and then watched them descend the stairs.

"What are you about, Baka?" Sesshoumaru whispered questioningly. From his tone, Miroku heard warning bells shrilling.

"I don't know. All I saw was the sash and a voice in my head that kept saying "pull me, pull me," and I just couldn't help it." Miroku whispered back, a little pink.

"Get out and stay in the car, Miroku." Sesshoumaru commanded, still whispering.

"But Sess…" Miroku whined.

"I will not let you ruin my chances. This might be the place I am looking for." Sesshoumaru interrupted.

"Alright. You'll tell me all about it, right?" Miroku asked, a little downtrodden.

"Hai. I will." Sesshoumaru opened the door and waited for Miroku to exit. Once he did, he went back up the stairway. "Miroku has some business to attend to," Sesshoumaru said when he saw Kagome's questioning look. She turned and he followed her silently to the first landing.

"This is the door to my unit." Kagome explained and then proceeded up the stairs to the second landing. "And this is the door to the upper unit." Kagome fished out her keys and unlocked the door. She walked inside and held the door open for him.

Sesshoumaru was greeted by a sizable living room with what appeared to be antique wooden furniture. He was impressed and that was only one room.

"This is the living room, and to your left is the family and entertainment room." Kagome walked into an even larger room. "It has a marble wood burning fireplace for those cold nights in San Francisco, which we get a lot of. Much of the unit is furnished and mostly with antique furniture. I hope you won't mind if they stay?"

"No, not at all. I was just thinking how very well preserved they were." Sesshoumaru nodded as he ran his fingers over the cold marble of the fireplace.

"The previous owner was very careful with them." Kagome smiled.

"Will the entertainment system be staying as well?" Sesshoumaru looked at the 40" TV, DVD, VCR, and the stereo system the wall unit housed.

"I would prefer it to be so. If not, I can move them into a storage facility."

"I'd prefer if it stays." Sesshoumaru concurred as he looked outside of the bay windows at the neighborhood below. "What's at the end of this floor?"

"The kitchen and the dining room. Please follow me." Kagome led the way, stopping to show the two closets. She stopped when she reached the stairway door. "This door leads to a stairway that links the two units together when the whole house is used. From this floor, it leads to the bedrooms upstairs and downstairs to my unit on the second floor of the house. The door is locked on my floor and you can also lock it from up here." Kagome smiled at Sesshoumaru as she explained. She turned and continued past the living room and opened the door to her right. "This is the half bath with a vanity." She stepped away so that her visitor can look around inside. She watched him look with nary an expression on his face, and when he stepped out, she continued her tour.

She gestured to her right at the immaculate kitchen with cherry colored cabinets and drawers and also equipped with modern appliances. "The kitchen." She stepped to the dining room as Sesshoumaru opened some of the cabinets to look inside. When he walked towards where she stood, she gestured at the circular cherry dining table with six matching chairs. "And of course, the dining room."

"This is very impressive so far." Sesshoumaru walked to the large window to look at the colorful botanical garden below.

"Thank you. Why don't I show you the upstairs?" Kagome's smile reached her eyes.

Sesshoumaru turned as he heard her cheerful yet musical voice and nodded. He followed her up the stairway, glancing admiringly at the nice curve of her exposed back. He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head slightly. 'I've been spending way too much time with Miroku…'

Kagome stepped out of the stairway and veered left. She opened the door that led to the biggest bedroom in the unit. "This is the Master Suite. The bathroom and the walk-in closet are to your left." It was completely devoid of furniture. As she stepped inside, her cell phone chimed at her hip. "Please excuse me," she said to Sesshoumaru as she stepped out of the room, leaving her guest inside to admire its size. "Hi, Nobu-kun."

"Hey, Kagome. I'm running a little late. There's a lot of traffic. I might be there in about 10 minutes."

"No problem, Nobu-kun. I'm almost done showing the unit so that will work. Give me a call back when you're downstairs, okay?"

"Will do. Ja!"

Kagome pressed the 'off' button and slid her phone back at her hip. She turned and took a step forward, and came face to face, rather face to chest, with Sesshoumaru who was about to exit the bedroom. She felt her cheeks burn as she blushed. "Pardon me," she said as she took a few steps backwards. "Were you able to see the bathroom and the closet, Mr. Takara?"

"Yes. I like the suite. It is very spacious." Sesshoumaru murmured softly, much taken with her pink glow.

"There are two other bedrooms in this floor." Kagome led him to both of them before showing the guest bath across the hallway. She showed the huge empty storage space across the last bedroom before opening the door that led to the deck. She took a deep breath of the floral scented air before completely crossing the threshold to let him out.

"The stairway leads to the garden, of course. It's a great place to relax after a long day at work." She raised her eyes towards a few thick, fluffy clouds the marred the sky. "You might consider bringing an umbrella with you if you go out tonight. It's going to rain."

Sesshoumaru eyed her with confusion. Except for a few clouds, it seems like a clear day to him. 'Is she batty?'

Kagome smiled and shrugged before descending the long spiral stairway that led down to the garden. She stopped to admire it before opening the door to her unit's main floor. She waited, holding the door open, until Sesshoumaru was ready to come inside.

"This is not part of the upstairs unit. It's actually mine. I wanted to give you an application." She watched Sesshoumaru look around as he came nearer to the dining table. She handed the forms to him with a pen.

He took the forms but laid it back on the table. He placed his briefcase on the table and snapped it open. He took out a light blue folder and handed it to her. "All the information you need is in that folder. But I will sign the forms for you," and he proceeded to do so.

Kagome opened the folder and shifted through all the paper with contact information, credit information, and job information. 'Sestaka Enterprises… CEO? I knew the name Takara was familiar.'

"Does it contain all the information you need?" Sesshoumaru queried.

"Yes, very much so. You are very thorough." Kagome smiled slightly.

Sesshoumaru gave in to a smirk. "Yes, I have been told that. How much are you asking for the rent?"

Kagome looked him straight in the eyes. "Thirty-five hundred dollars a month which includes cable and all utilities. I will require the first and last month's rent. I need at least a 6-month lease."

Sesshoumaru nodded, calculating the amount in his head. "A fair price. I will need a place for about a year. When will I hear back from you?"

"I will be making my choice this weekend. I will inform all applicants of my decision on Monday. If you will follow me, I will show you the garage and the location of the washer and dryer." She smiled briefly before leading the way passed the kitchen and bathroom to the garage.

Sesshoumaru entered the darkened room and looked around when Kagome flipped the switch. In the garage sat a black Mercedes Benz AMG Roadster with black leather interior. "Nice car." He murmured, clearly able to imagine the young woman beside him at its wheels.

"Thanks. It doesn't get much sun these days… only when I need to impress the clients. I much prefer driving the Beetle around The City. It's more economical." Kagome said matter-of-factly. She walked to the side door that leads to the front entryway. "The washer and dryer are under the stairs." She looked up at him. "You're very tall, but I don't think there will be a problem." She grinned. "At least no head injuries."

"I sure hope not." Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. "Thank you for the tour, Miss Higurashi. It was a pleasure meeting you and seeing your home. I look forward to hearing from you on Monday." He held out his hand.

Kagome placed her hand in his and was about to give it a firm shake when Sesshoumaru brought it to his lips. She felt his warm lips and caught his intense eyes and almost lost her breath. "It was a pleasure, Mr. Takara," she managed to say without revealing how he had unsettled her.

Just as she was closing the entryway door behind him, she saw Nobu pull up on her driveway in his Lexus SUV. She waved. "I'll be right there. I need to get my purse, jacket, and umbrella," she called out.

"Take your time, Kagome." Nobu responded with a smile. He caught the glance he received from the silver-haired young man that exited through the front gate and inclined his head in greeting. He didn't give it much thought and switched the CD he was playing for another one.

A few minutes later, Kagome rushed out of the entry way clutching everything she needed to get in her arms. She climbed inside into the front seat and hooked up her seat belt.

With a smile at Kagome, Nobu pulled away from the driveway.

~*~*~*~

~* Downtown San Francisco, late evening *~

"Man, I'm stuffed!" Miroku patted his stomach as he exited the restaurant. Miroku and his companion heard the rolling thunder which was immediately followed by a deluge of heavy droplets from dark, Miroku-typed stuffed clouds.

Sesshoumaru, having been warned, actually brought an umbrella with him. He was glad that he took the young woman's advice as he opened it. He smiled to himself as his thoughts drifted on Kagome Higurashi. Happily sheltered from the rain, Sesshoumaru made his way towards Miroku's car.

"Hey, wait for me!" Miroku cried as he ran after his umbrella toting boss.

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To be continued

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Yikes! My very last class just started. Of course, I thought to finish this chapter before starting the 250 pages of text I have to read for week 1… Writing fics… reading school materials… writing fics… reading school materials… It wasn't a very hard decision to make. Hope you enjoyed the latest installment! ;D

Ericedwyn's Fan Fiction Updates:

Inuyasha:

A Demon Should Act Like A Demon: Chapter 19 posted yesterday. Chapter 20 will be posted hopefully within a week or two. You just never know, I might rebel and work on this instead of reading my text book. :)

The City by the Bay: Chapter 3 posted. Chapter 4 will be posted hopefully within a week or two.

**The floor plans of Kagome's house are available on my website. Other floor plans will be made available within a week. Please see my profile for the url to my site.

***NEW*** Inuyasha Fics:

Kagome's Second: (My first Bankotsu/Kagome romance and a pre-quel companion piece to The City by the Bay). The prologue will be available soon, within a week.

Inuyasha's Jewel: (My first Inuyasha/Kagome romance). I'm setting this on hold for a short while. I want to concentrate on the first three.

Gundam Wing:

Just For One Night: (Noin and Zechs) Part two and final chapter is a lemon. I need to be in a certain mood. Will try to post by the end of the month.

LAST IMPORTANT NOTE

If you would like to be notified when I update my fan fiction work, please join my notify list at: [http://ericedwyn.notifylist.com/fanficlist.html]

~Ericedwyn