Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kagome's eyes were focused on the horrible design of the party invitation in her hand, clearly created in a word document with clip art that definitely should have been forgone as she and her best friend made their way down the busy school corridor. She honestly couldn't tell if the ugly layout was intentional for the humor of it, or if they actually thought it was clever and unique. The host was that kind of guy; hard to read and artistic in his own particular sort of flare. She trusted Sango to guide her toward their usual spot for lunch, folding the invitation evenly to stick into her bag when she bumped into the shoulder of someone going in the opposite direction.

He'd stopped momentarily as she reactively gave a gasp, looking up to see bright, golden irises staring down at her.

"Sorry." Kagome breathed.

"Watch where you're going." The boy grunted, giving a lazy roll of his eyes as he stepped away, his arm better-angled so it merely rubbed against her sleeve so as not to offend her shoulder again.

"You should have been the one to apologize, stupid mutt." Koga had pushed off from the wall he'd been propped against, his tone low but challenging, bringing out a subtle eye roll from Kagome. The matter was hardly a bid deal to her, as surprised as she was to have received any ounce of attitude. For some reason, her friend was always one for dramatic attempts at heroism for any female that seemed disrespected. Unfortunately, his version of saving the day involved offensive name-calling, one-upping, pride-dwindling, and indirect threats. The cockshow was unnecessary, and she'd politely told him before she didn't need any protecting from him.

Steadily, without missing a beat, the silver-haired boy did a one-eighty on his heel, his expression flat aside from an arched eyebrow. Both of his fists were held up at about waist level as he extended the middle fingers on each in Koga's direction. With his next step, he spun right back around, continuing on his path like he hadn't responded at all.

"Hard to take you seriously with ears like a -"

"Give and receive, Koga." Sango snickered, cutting him off before he could potentially make anything worse with his competitive nature. "You can't punk someone and not expect to get the same in return."

"You're seriously sticking up for that guy when he walked right into Kagome?" The wolf demon asked, crossing the hallway over to them.

"Technically, I walked right into him." Kagome corrected with a whimsical shrug. "You should really be yelling at me. Go on, let me have it. I can take it."

Koga rolled his blue eyes, the hint of aggravation still curving his brow. "He's a dick, anyway. Deserves it."

"Funny. I didn't hear him call you a mutt." Sango replied, cocking her head to the side.

"Why - are you - sticking up - for him?" Koga inquired once more, the perplexity growing more and more evident in his expression.

"Because - we know - how you are." Sango echoed his tone, not even bothering to hide her amusement, especially as Kagome giggled at her side.

"Alright, whatever, Sesame Street gang. Go promote proper manners somewhere else. See if I ever say anything for you again." He huffed, shaking his head and turning to walk back to his two friends stationed where he was parked when this all began. After two steps, he spun around, walking backwards as the rest of the hall parted and moved around him like he was king of the school. "But, you're okay right, Kagome?"

"Never better." She laughed, heading off with Sango. Before they turned the corner, Kagome's brown eyes glanced down the hall, following the direction of the boy she'd bumped into. He'd already disappeared, heading off to wherever his destination may have been.

For the remainder of the day, his glowing eyes had been etched into her memory, seemingly trying to stay forever by creating a permanent indentation. They were passionate on their own, and she could only imagine how ferocious they would appear had he backed up his stare with any expression. She'd noticed him several times around the courtyard since he'd shown up at their school, unthinkably attracted to him. It was, of course, a tenuous attraction. He was cute. His hair was long and a gorgeous, light shade, tied at the crown of his head - sometimes sloppily and sometimes with a little more effort. Either way, the look suited him well. He let his tie hang a little looser than was average, and the top couple of buttons at the collar always stayed open. He rarely left his sleeves down, rolling them up to his elbows to expose his forearms, and that was probably what she'd appreciated most. Until now. From afar, she'd never really caught the tint of his eyes, nor had she paid close attention. If he were to have caught her staring, Kagome would have been mortified. So, she kept her glances brief and nonchalant, only gathering the obvious and superficial aspects to admire.

She didn't even know his name, so she really didn't like to classify whatever she felt as a crush. They'd never had an actual conversation, meaning she didn't know a single detail of his personality, so how could it be reasonable to classify the baby flutter in her belly as feelings of any degree? But hours passed and all she could think of were his amber eyes. They held depth. They held an untamed fire. And she could already tell, she was in for it.

Kagome grabbed her belongings from her locker, pulling her long, black hair free from the strap of her book bag that hung over her shoulder. She still had to go pick up her younger brother from his soccer practice before she could head home, and his practice had a tendency to run late when they were nearing a game. With a dragged sigh, she headed toward the exit, her sights focused on the rays of sunshine on the cement outside that were being pushed away, hidden behind patches of clouds that clearly had an agenda of their own. Rain wasn't supposed to hit until later that night, and she could only hope the forecast held true.

She jerked to a quick stop at the edge of the wall of lockers when she detected a body just an inch or so to the side of her, the guy, himself, stopping abruptly to avoid the collision. Kagome looked up, spotting the boy from earlier, his expression pressed into one of annoyance as he peered down at her.

"Try looking up for once, airhead." He remarked, his voice pleasantly husky.

"Ah, sorry." Kagome grimaced, shifting into an awkward smile. "At least I caught myself that time."

He said nothing in reply, only gesturing for her to continue on out before him with a notch of his head and a quick flick of his eyes. She took a few steps, but they were mindful, not separating too far from him as he followed behind.

"Hey, uh, sorry about earlier. When I walked into you."

"It's fine." He said, hardly sparing her a glance.

"I just kind of feel bad about it."

That time, he looked, furrowing his brow quizzically. He slowed to a stop just outside the building, bringing her to do the same as she turned to fully face him. "It was the most minor of minor offenses, and you feel bad?"

"You'd be surprised how heavily my conscience weighs on me." Kagome said playfully, shrugging. "Not to mention, my clumsiness led to Koga's input. So, yeah. Sorry about that, too."

"Why are you apologizing for him?"

"Because I think it's fair to say you and I both know he won't do it himself. And, like I said, it was kind of my fault."

"The shit your boyfriend says doesn't bother me any."

"Boyfriend?" Kagome recoiled slightly, the grimace hard to keep from her face. "Oh, no. No, no. No, he's not my boyfriend."

He didn't say anything, merely giving a slow and steady nod as he pinched his lips into a straight line. "Okay."

"Anyway, I'm Kagome." She watched him raise his brows, giving another deliberately slow nod, making no motion to verbally respond. That wasn't going to dissuade her from persisting just a little further, though. "And, I'd really like for you to tell me your name, because the one I've got is the one Koga used, and I just don't think it suits you."

"Well, jokes on you, because my name really is Stupid Mutt." He smirked, cocking his head minutely. Long, silver strands leaned with his angle from behind his head, and though her eyes were pulled in their direction, they quickly flickered back up to meet his golden stare.

"Wow. Your parents really didn't give you a fighting chance, did they?"

He chuckled, and god, it was hard not to smile widely just from the sound, nor the way he shook his head and glanced to the ground for the briefest of moments before looking back at her. "Nothing shakes you, does it?"

Kagome feigned a grimace as she shook her head to say "no," her grin taking over at the tail end.

"Fine. It's Inuyasha."

"See, that's much better." She stepped back, noticing Sango approaching from the side, her smile never fading as she softly dragged her teeth over the plush of her bottom lip. "See you around, Inuyasha."

Kagome appreciated the way her best friend kept her mouth shut, merely giving a friendly smile toward Inuyasha when they passed and continued together toward the school's exit. Once they were out of view, that was when Sango quirked her way. It was eventually expected. She'd kept her cool longer than usual.

"Mind if I ask what the heck that was all about?" Sango's tone was playful, but still presented a hint of seriousness; meaning, Kagome better cough up some juicy details of their conversation.

"I was just apologizing for what had happened in the hall today." She replied, poorly holding back her laugh.

"Uh, bull. I know the signs of flirty Kagome. She doesn't come out to play very often, but when she does -"

"Excuse me, I was not flirting!"

"Then, what was that!?" Sango pressed, jaw hanging agape as she gestured back towards the school.

"That was a conversation."

"Well, if that's the case, we're conversing. You should be biting your lip and making baby doll eyes at me, too."

"I would, but then you'd fall in love with me." Kagome shrugged jokingly.

"That's a horrible defense, Kay."

"Yeah, okay, whatever, I was flirting. But, it was justified! It wasn't flirting to flirt, it was more like I was just trying to soften him up around the edges. The guy's pretty standoffish."

"And cute." Sango added. "And he's got the attitude of a bad boy. Is this it? Is this what you're into? Ladies and gentleman, I think we've finally found her weakness!" She raised her hands triumphantly, as if surrounded by a crowd of cheerers.

"Weakness!? Hardly!"

"Oh, please! We've got Hojo, a major goodie two shoes, and we've got Koga, the jock. Neither of which have ever blown your skirt up - metaphorically speaking, of course."

"Find a new metaphor, please."

"All I'm saying is, everyone's got a cup of tea, and yours is laced with dismissive grunts and hanyou blood. Nothing wrong with that!"

Kagome sighed out exasperatedly, aiming it upward so the puff of air would ruffle her fringe.

"Alright, I'll stop." Sango drawled, smiling happily since Kagome hadn't denied the attraction. "So, what's his name?"

"Inuyasha." Kagome had to actively fight off the mild flutter in her abdomen, keeping her expression as straight as possible, sans the very small upward curve of her lips.

"And, is he as grumpy as he seems?"

"Kind of, but we didn't really talk all that much. I don't feel like he's all that bad, though."

"Maybe he's not." Sango shrugged. "Maybe he just keeps to himself at first, but then grows more comfortable the better he knows someone. Gotta start chipping away somehow, right?"

Kagome bobbed her head back and forth, understanding the point of view. "I'm more surprised that you have nothing against me liking him."

"Nothing's even happened for me to disapprove of. Give me a week, I'm sure I'll find something." She laughed, giving a half spin as she headed down her side of the fork in the road, walking backward as she wrapped up their conversation. "See you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Bye." Kagome shook her head, her laugh silent but the evidence there as she continued along to her younger brother's practice.

—

She resented every single meteorologist in existence for their fifty-fifty forecast predicting skills, even more so now than ever because they said the storm would last three days, three days, and then they were in the clear for the remainder of the week. The blanket of dark clouds had parted, the puddles had mostly evaporated away, and the sun was shining nice and bright this afternoon. Kagome even noticed the twinkle of the stars above as she and Sango arrived at their friend's party. After leaving, calling it a night and parting ways, the stars were sheathed and she heard the distant rumble of thunder growing ominously close. She was nearly halfway home when it boomed over head, scaring the wits out of her before the clouds dumped a downpour on her naively-unsuspecting head.

She ran for it, her shoes clapping along the soaked cement, her exposed legs chilled and wet, her only haven being the nearby building with enough roof overhang to keep her dry until the worst of the storm passed. As soon as she was covered, Kagome pushed her damp hair from her face, raking the frizzy strands to hold behind her ears while she accepted there was nothing at all that could be done for her bangs that she could already feel curling. Her chest heaved up and down from how fast she'd sprinted from her starting point to here, watching how heavily drops fell from the sky in the gleam from a lamppost a yard or so away.

Heaving a sigh, Kagome fought the shiver from the moisture seeping through her sleeves, instead deciding to move about so she didn't turn into a ball of cold in the meantime. She wasn't surprised to see no one around with the hour and weather being what they were, the night calm and peaceful. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the smell of rain was always one of her favorites, and she took in a deep inhale as she walked the length of the sheathing she protected herself under. Her purse, strapped across her shoulder, bounced against her side on beat with her stride, and she debated reaching in for her cell and calling her mom to come get her. She knew her mom wouldn't mind. She knew her mom would probably prefer to come pick her up than have her waiting a storm out alone. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. Her mom often worked late, and though she had the night off, she didn't want to chance waking her up just to come get her because she didn't want to walk a few blocks in the rain.

In fact, the thought of potentially waking her up if she was actually in bed was enough to make her realize that her position wasn't so bad. She would manage just fine, even if she arrived home soaking wet.

Kagome continued to follow the length of the building until she reached a corner, mindlessly curving when she felt like she'd walked into a moving wall. Hands quickly snatched her arms to steady her as she stumbled to the side. She looked up, slightly shocked, to see a scowl of irritation swiftly deadpan.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Inuyasha asked, dropping his hold on her. He watched her smile grow, almost bashfully at first, cheeks holding a slight sheen from the dampness of the rain. She slowly opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to the chase. "Yeah, yeah, you're sorry, I know. What are you doing out so late?"

"I could ask the same for you." Kagome replied, cocking a brow.

"I was out for a walk when it started raining." He answered, eyes observing her attire. She wore a floral dress topped with a thin, black cardigan; more casual-looking than fancy. "Were you at a party?"

"Yeah. It got a bit too rowdy for my liking, though, so I left."

"Where's that friend you're always with?"

"Sango? She went home, too."

"Did you guys not leave together?" His tone held the hint of skepticism.

"Well, we did but we live in different directions."

"Why didn't you just go home with her?" Inuyasha had furrowed his brows, and Kagome couldn't tell if he was confused, concerned, or just nosy. She felt asking him why would only disperse the expression entirely, putting him on the defense for reacting any certain way. That wasn't necessary. Quite frankly, she found the look endearing on him. He didn't seem as infamously grouchy as his reputation perceived.

"Whenever I stay out late, my mom likes to physically see I'm home when she gets up in the morning. She doesn't check my room or anything to see that I'm there, but there are signs I know she looks for. Like, my keys hanging on the wall or my shoes in the entry. She checks those before she checks her phone for messages, and the last thing I'd want to do is give her a heart attack." She responded, leaning back against the wall. It took viable effort not to tense and arch away from the cold, damp cloth of her cardigan being pressed into the skin of her upper back, and she could only wish for the round of applause she deserved for successfully playing it off.

"You were better off going with your friend." The half demon gave a small, disapproving shake of his head, crossing his arms over his chest. She cocked her head to the side, face twisting expectantly as she awaited his explanation. "You reek of alcohol. I don't know your mom, but I'm pretty sure she'd be upset if you came home drunk."

"But, I'm not - I had like a sip of Sango's - Oh!" As soon as the realization hit her, Kagome did such a dramatic eye roll that her head lolled along with it. She grabbed the bottom hem of her dress with one hand, her icy fingers stinging the side of her thigh as she looked at the fortunately stain-free cloth. "This Miroku guy was trying way too hard to impress Sango, and he spilled his drink down my leg."

Inuyasha rolled his own eyes, more in exasperation than anything, leaning his shoulder against the wall next to her. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"You know him?"

"Unfortunately. Before you ask, yes, he's naturally a mess."

Kagome laughed, stepping forward to stick her hands out into the pouring rain, collecting droplets in her palms and rubbing them together to rinse her hands of the offending smell Miroku's choice of hard liquor might possibly leave behind. Wiping her hands off on the front of her dress, she turned back to Inuyasha, noticing the dark hues developing just below his right eye. She couldn't help the way her concern suddenly began to bubble, bringing her toward him as she studied the mark, now finally seeing the thin scabbing adorning the side of his cheekbone, too. He didn't seem comfortable with her close proximity. No, he definitely wasn't. Though his stance hadn't moved from one shoulder being propped against the wall, he almost seemed to tense, broadening slightly, and if he had to, he would have shifted away. She stopped, leaving space between them, wanting to reach up and touch the scratch to see if it was still bleeding, the heavy shadows of where they stood making it hard for her to tell, but she refrained. It was like she had to remind herself that they hardly knew each other.

"What happened?" Her voice was small, soft, inviting.

"Nothing." Inuyasha gave a dismissive, hardly-there shrug.

"But, your eye. I'm sure you didn't do that to yourself."

"It's always like that." He dismissed again.

It was easy to determine he didn't want to talk about it, but the darkening black eye was unsettling to her in more ways than one. She didn't want to push him. It wasn't her place. But, she was worried. Kagome parted her mouth to ask a question, swallowed it, pursed her lips only to try and ask again, the words hitching on her tongue because she didn't know how to properly phrase it. Inuyasha shifted his attention to the side, turning to lean his back against the wall, arms still crossed and the look of sheer disinterest in his eyes.

"Can you just answer me this: Did that happen at home or -"

"Oh my god, Kagome. No." Inuyasha interjected sternly, his tone almost surprising her. "I got into a fight."

"A fight? Why? What happened?" Her distress for his situation was vivid, her dark eyes growing wider, and the half demon was becoming more and more agitated. His adrenaline had already been soaring before he'd ran into her, still seething from the very recent incident, and it was more willpower than he'd ever wanted to put forth in the moment to swallow his anger to appear normal and composed in front of the girl. Now, she was sticking her nose where it didn't belong and he only had so many buttons left to push.

"Hey, do me a favor, sense the tone." He warned, still exhibiting control. Her face dropped slightly, plush lips sitting apart, but he could tell the subject wasn't entirely dropped for her. "Jesus, mind your business."

She bit her lip, physically restraining from prodding for more information. She felt like she'd already crossed the line, though her questions were all in good conduct. At least in her eyes. Her intention hadn't been to pry, Kagome was just a naturally compassionate person. Sometimes, abundantly so. The air surrounding them was stiff and uncomfortable, which was the exact opposite of what she'd meant for, and once again she had to remind herself that they hardly knew a thing about each other. This was personal for him. He didn't have to share a single thing with her, no matter how much she didn't like it, and she didn't have the right to be offended.

It was weird to notice that he didn't particularly enjoy the natural pout that formed on her face, her eyes shying to the ground and away as she fiddled with her fingernails. He guessed she was nervous or uncomfortable. Typically, he didn't give a shit if he'd made someone feel that way, so what was so different here? Kagome was just another bothersome person, meddling, too friendly, and probably used to getting her way. His assumption wasn't gut-rooted, though. And, her discomfort increased his own. And, while he'd generally take himself out of a situation like this by literally walking away, a betraying twinge in his abdomen told him to fix it.

But, he walked away anyway, tucking his fists into his sweater pockets with a heavy huff. It felt wrong. It felt so wrong. And, it bothered him that it felt wrong, because it should have been wrong that it felt wrong.

Abruptly, Inuyasha stopped walking, spinning around on his heel to see her tucking herself into her stupid, tiny sweater that was more for design than warmth. She didn't look so pouty anymore. More like a dash of irritation had thrown her chemistry off. He wanted to ask what her problem was, but the sudden thought of offense on her face halted his tongue. What the fuck was his deal?

"Come on." He groaned begrudgingly, swallowing his pride, impressing even himself in the moment. "Which way do you live? I'll walk you home."

Kagome's expression softened a bit when she saw he hadn't gotten very far. "You don't have to do that. I can handle my own."

"I didn't ask if I could, I asked which direction you lived in. I'm not gonna leave you here."

"But, it's not that far."

"Then, it'll be a quick walk."

"And, it's still raining."

"I don't think that's stopping anytime soon."

"Inuyasha."

"Kagome."

He'd mocked her tone, and she pinched her lips into a line as she fought off the small grin that threatened to throw off her disposition. One of the pointed ears atop his head, the dead giveaway of who he was whenever her eyes wandered about the school grounds for him, the signature of his half demon status, had given a minuscule twitch as she'd said his name. What it meant, she had no clue. But, she liked it. And, if he knew she did, it was almost safe to assume he'd probably huff and puff and stomp his way home.

She could tell by the way he stood there and raised his brows expectantly that he wasn't budging. He wasn't just offering for the sole purpose of being nice - if that was his intention at all. He seemed resolute on his decision, no matter the motive. It was hard to get a proper read on the guy. One second, he was distant, the next he's semi-talkative, then he's mad, then he's decently kind.

Reluctantly, Kagome pushed all thoughts to the back of her mind for the moment, giving in with a sighed "okay." Pointing in the direction behind him, she sauntered over and passed by to lead the way.

"And, what's with the toddler's sweater!?" Inuyasha suddenly barked. Kagome turned around, almost getting whiplash by his igniting temper, completely perplexed, following the point of his finger down to her cardigan. "It doesn't even cover your entire arms!"

"It's cute!"

"It's impractical!" His attitude was irrational and he knew, inadvertently bringing him to vehemently unzip his own sweater and shrug it off his shoulders. "Girls shouldn't be allowed to dress themselves! Guys always have to give up their clothes because your lot cant be bothered to wear a fucking jacket!"

"I don't want your sweater!" She argued, just as he balled up the fabric and deposited it into her hold with way more force than what was necessary. "Hey, I don't want it! Take your stupid sweater back!"

"Just shut up and put it on! You're gonna get sick!"

"A little rain never hurt anybody!"

"Oh yeah?" Inuyasha challenged, a mocking smirk on his face. "Then why are you hiding from it?"

Kagome's lips sealed, cheeks puffing out when her inability to come up with a response peeved her pride. With an annoyed huff, she unfurled his sweater, spitefully shoving her arms through the large, baggy sleeves. "In my defense, I had no idea it was going to rain."

"How? I bet with the hair you've got, all you gotta do is stick your head out the window for about thirty seconds to get the forecast. If you come back in with a lion's mane, you can expect rain at some point."

Her jaw dropped at the jab, her hands flying up to smooth down her frizzy hair. "It was a clear sky earlier, you jerk! At least my hair isn't grey like an eighty year-old!"

"This is the color I was born with!"

"Okay, Benjamin Button!"

"Zip up the jacket and let's go!"

Kagome grumbled, keeping her sassy remarks beneath her breath as she reached down toward her mid thighs to connect the zipper and drag it all the way up. "Happy? But don't you blame me if you get sick."

"I'm a demon, I don't get sick." He rolled his amber eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, his white shirt dirty from the scuffle he'd gotten into. If she'd noticed, which it was hard not to and was the main reason he wore the sweater in the first place, she didn't say anything.

She scoffed, dramatically so, walking ahead and into the rain. "Oh, please. Demons always say that to seem superior to the common cold, but all you guys are is less susceptible to catching it. You know what else you are?"

"Stupid for doing anything nice for you?"

"Yes, but also," Kagome turned around, smiling as if she had the upper hand. "You're half demon. Which makes your chances of getting sick only slightly less likely than your average human."

Inuyasha ground his teeth, clenching his sigh in his throat. She was cheeky and irritating, and she was only sweet on the surface. Once you scrape off that thin, flavorless topping, you get this mouthy girl who didn't know when to back down. So, why did his temper quell so easily? And, why did he have to pinch back his grin? Why was he beginning to feel comfortable and why did he not want to question anything more? It was more natural for him to play the skeptic, doubt everyone and everything, yet seeing her in his sweater, the way it didn't fit her but somewhat protected her from the elements, the way the night lit up with lightning and her face beamed from excitement, the way her dark hair curled with the falling water, and the way her smile did something for him completely dismissed everything that should have been, the only cohesive and formulated thought left over being, fuck.

The hanyou moved his feet, grabbing the bunched fabric of the hood at the back of her neck and dragging it over her head as he kept walking in the direction she pointed, and she giggled, stumbling forward from his yank to keep pace with him.

"Okay, it's this one." Kagome said almost breathlessly, shoving them both beneath the very small sheathing her roof provided at the doorstep. The rain had begun to pour harder a little ways back and she and Inuyasha had been forced to pick up their speed. Her escort was soaked to the bone, his white shirt now mostly sheer on his skin, loose strands of hair from his ponytail clinging to his neck. Surprisingly, he didn't seem bothered in the least. "Did you want to come in? I can make you tea, and bury you in towels while you wait out the storm."

"It's fine." He insisted, shaking his head. It was genuine.

"Do you live far?"

"Not really."

"Are you sure you don't want to come in? We've got a cat! He's fat and warm! And, I can throw your clothes in the dryer!"

Kagome's breath hitched as he grinned at her, seeing something in his eyes. Something she knew was going to really solidify the hues burning into her mind. Like the radiant, golden innards of an ember played the role of charring everything else she could possible think about to make it so she could only see what was looking back at her now. He seemed soft in that moment. He wasn't just the rough exterior he presented to the world. Beneath the layers, there was more.

"Tell you what, you can do something nice for me later."

Accepting his compromise, she unzipped his sweater, peeling it off to hand over. The half demon didn't bother attempting to put the drenched item on; he merely threw it over his shoulder and waltzed back into the rain. "I owe you one. I'll make sure I have tissues on Monday in case you come to school sick."

"You've always got something the say." Inuyasha drawled, not even bothering to look back at her as he mindlessly waved her away with a flick of his hand.

Chapter Text

"It's not that bad!" Sango assured, trying to pry the paper away from Kagome's face. Her best friend stared at it, the look of anguish plastered on her expression, and her fingers gripping the exam tight enough to crinkle the edges. "Let it go, Kay!"

"It's bad. It's so bad."

"No, it's not."

"This is the first test of the term!"

"But you didn't fail. Give it to me."

"How did I get that question wrong?" Kagome pressed, shoving her face a little closer to the exam paper as if it would make more sense an inch away.

"Ah, okay! I'm going!" The tone was defensive and forced, serving as enough incentive to gather Kagome's attention. Inuyasha pushed a guy their way down the corridor, continuing to give little shoves at his back each time he slowed down.

"Oh no." Sango grumbled, her lips curving in distaste as she gave a small duck of her head.

The two stopped just a few feet before them, Inuyasha holding his hand out in gesture to Kagome as he glared at his friend. The guy's cheeks were pink, and his dark blue eyes shifted between she and Sango uneasily, his shoulders stiff and raised.

"Get it over with, Miroku." Inuyasha pressed, his tone stern, almost disciplinary.

"When did we swap roles? I'm usually the one making you -"

"Just say it."

"Sorry." He sighed feebly, eyes drooping shamefully. "For, uh, spilling my drink all over you."

"It's okay." Kagome said, trying not to laugh. "Wasn't a big deal."

"You didn't get in trouble with your parents or anything, did you?"

"I threw the dress away, actually. Didn't want to chance it."

"Awe man, you threw it away!?" Miroku groaned, dropping his head back. "I'm so sorry! I'll replace it!"

"It's really not a big deal. The thing was old, anyway." She insisted, finally giving into her laugh. It was hard not to notice how is indigo eyes fluttered to and from Sango, and though she was curious how her best friend was fairing from the attention, Kagome didn't want to make it obvious by looking over. Instead, she flashed a humorous glance at Inuyasha, who stood there with little-to-no expression, arms crossed in what she would deem as typical Inuyasha fashion.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"So, uh, what are you guys looking at?" Miroku cleared his throat, all former remorse gradually fading while he stepped to Kagome's free side to observe the paper in her hands. The damage was done before she could conceal it, his eyes growing large and brows raising high in total shock. "Woah, you got a 'D'? Yikes."

"Please, say it louder for the rest of the school to hear." Sango remarked sarcastically, a light scowl forming when she noticed Kagome try to hide her humiliated pout.

"Oh, sorry." He grimaced. "Was this your guys' first test of the year?"

"Miroku." Inuyasha, himself, seemed a little shocked at his friends lack of tact, golden eyes staring on in bewilderment as he tried to ignore the sinking expression on Kagome's face.

"No, no, this isn't bad at all!" Miroku said confidently, shaking his head incessantly. "First test is just the practice run! You can totally recover!"

Sango gave a reaffirming nudge against Kagome's shoulder, hoping she'd absorb the same amount of self-assurance that Inuyasha's friend currently harbored.

"Oh, I've got an idea! I've got a super idea! When you get a bad grade, what do you do?" He waited for an answer, eyes bouncing from one person to the next. They all looked unsure, distrusting even, and he knew it was all for good reason. Miroku was quickly losing all control over his better judgement, his nerves becoming jittery, his brain going completely haywire, and there was hardly any way to get ahold of himself now. He felt intoxicated, and knew he should stop while he was still ahead, but it was like whatever was left of his filter just flew out of the nearby window. The silence was tense, and his cheeks were hurting from the forced smile he maintained. When he realized he wasn't going to get an actual response from any of them, though, he unwittingly trudged forward. "You study. And you know who's not dumb?"

Kagome steadily folded up her test, over-creasing the lines with determined fingers. Was she being roasted by this guy? Was he legitimately calling her dumb, or was he just completely thoughtless? Her expression deadpanned, from her peripherals she saw Inuyasha drop his head to the side, and she could physically feel Sango's done energy. Miroku looked anxious, tense, but the smile kept on his face, even as he clearly realized his mistake.

"Not you." He said stiffly, as if to recover. "Because you didn't fail. I don't see an 'F' on that paper. Nope, I see a 'D,' and what does 'D' stand for?" More discomfort. More clenched sighs.
"Definitely not an 'F'! Wow, that was intense. Anyway, know what guy's worst grade ever was probably a 'B'?"

"Please stop." Inuyasha groaned, almost pleading.

"This guy right here." Miroku gestured to his friend with a point of his thumb, whose amber eyes were squinting, chagrined. "You should ask him to tutor - what? No? Should I leave?"

"You really should." The half demon nodded.

"You know, I sensed that, because I feel like I'm holding a shovel and digging a very deep grave for myself. You - you look very mad at me." He mentioned to Sango, his smile finally disappearing. "It's, uh, it's pretty terrifying. Wow. You could probably break me in half. I'm gonna - yeah, I'm gonna go."

Kagome watched the boy stumble away in amazement, walking as if the soul had up and left his body and the words he'd just sputtered out were barely processing. When enough distance was put between them, she twisted back to Inuyasha.

"He's naturally like that!?" She asked, in reference to the hanyou's claim while they were hiding from the rain.

"No." He gently shook his head, still shaken by the experience. "It's never been that bad before."

"That was..." Kagome trailed off, trying to find the proper word for what had just occurred. "Surreal."

"Alright, let's just move passed it." Sango waved her hand, as if dismissing the entire ordeal, shifting her entire attitude to act like it had never happened at all. "So, you're smart?"

"Well, I've never been tested or anything, but I stay afloat." He shrugged.

"Good enough for me. Pressure from your weird friend aside, how would you feel about helping Kagome out?"

"Sango!"

"I mean, I would do it, but I'm a C-average girl, myself. I kind of think she needs a bit of an aggressive push, if you catch my drift. Like, really drill it into her head."

Kagome shoved her elbow into her best friend's side, swiftly shutting her up before giving Inuyasha an apologetic look. "You really don't have to do anything. I'll be totally fine. In fact, if you could completely forget about the grade I got, that'd be great."

"So, you got a 'D.' Big deal." His shrug was more careless this time. Though his expression wasn't necessarily one of compassion, nor one she suspected was intended to make her feel any better, it was the lack thereof that ironically seemed to settle her nerves. "It's not gonna set you back so long as you pick up from there. Let me see it."

With minor hesitation, Kagome passed her folded up exam into Inuyasha's awaiting hand, watching him unfold it and take in the mistakes. His brow didn't crinkle and his lips didn't twitch to laugh at her. His face was straight, golden eyes sweeping over the test nonchalantly.

"These are all little mistakes. If it was really bad, you would have failed. I mean, you still suck, but it's not horrible." He said, refolding the paper and giving it back.

"Gee, thanks." She snagged it, folding it a few extra times for good measure.

"But, we don't want you to become a lost cause or anything, so I guess I can help."

"Don't do me any favors because you feel obligated."

"I'm not. I'm doing you a favor because you looked about ready to cry earlier, and it was pretty pathetic."

"You know, you really have a way with words." Kagome remarked, cocking her head to the side. Inuyasha gave a small upturn of his lips, the hint of smugness rolling from it, giving a small wag of his fingers in gesture for her hand. Confused, she apprehensively put it out for him, surprised when he grabbed her fingers to turn it so her palm would face him. He pulled a pen out of his pocket, clicking the ballpoint out before connecting it with her skin. His hand was hot against the back of hers; large in comparison. He had a firm hold, but never hurt her, not even when he tightened his grip as she gave a tiny twitch because the pen had tickled the middle of her palm. Molten eyes flickered up to her, and an unnatural heat spread over her cheeks, one she hoped wasn't as evident as it felt. With another click, Inuyasha's pen was shoved back into his pants pocket, his fingers releasing her hand so she could see what he'd written.

"I'm sure you can figure out what to do with that." The half demon stated, shoving both hands in his pockets as he sauntered around them in the direction his friend had gone.

"How much longer do I have to keep my cool for?" Sango asked, her voice barely over a whisper as they both watched Inuyasha disappear behind the corner. She noted the redness of Kagome's cheeks, the way she kept her hand open so the ink wouldn't smudge or rub away, and then the way her expression easily shifted into a dirty look.

"You're on a friendship timeout." Kagome brushed passed her, heading back inside their classroom and toward her desk to fish her phone out of her bag.

"What!? I totally did you a favor!" Sango whined, following close behind.

"You did not!"

"Yes, I did! You got his number out of this!" She made sure to hush her tone, crouching next to her best friend's desk so no one else would hear their conversation.

"First of all, it's strictly business. Second, you put us both on the spot. Timeout."

"Strictly," Sango scoffed. "No one said you had to exchange phone numbers to study. He could have always said to meet him in the library after school. You - are - welcome."

Kagome pursed her lips, cocking a brow expectantly, waiting for her friend to catch the hint.

"Fine. How long?" She huffed, dropping her butt into the seat in front of Kagome's.

"Three minutes."

Unlocking her phone and appreciating the momentary lack of harassment, Kagome input Inuyasha's phone number as a new contact, her teeth softly raking against her bottom lip as she hit save. If it was strictly business, why was she excited to have received his number? On top of that, she was nervous and she swore she could feel her heart thumping behind her ribcage. She pinched her lips together, but there was no fighting the smile that began to grow on her face. The guy was intriguing to her; hot and cold, seemingly sheathing a soft side, caring while possibly covering it with brash words - all of which yet to be one-hundred percent determined. But, that was what Kagome really wanted to take the time to discover.

As she looked up from her screen, she noticed Sango grinning at her, shrugging her brows knowingly.

"Shut up." Kagome murmured.

Hastily, she typed in her message, hitting send before she could talk herself into waiting a while per teenage social conduct regulations.

Here's my number, too.

It wasn't until after school that she felt her phone buzz with anything, her eyes doing their usual, nonchalant sweep of the courtyard as she and Sango made their way out before drifting down to the screen she held.

Who's this?

She had to physically hold back her huff of vexation, not wanting to attract her best friend's attention to glance over her shoulder. Was this also typical Inuyasha fashion, or did he honestly not know? A subtle, paranoid part of her almost feared he'd given her a random number. But, he wouldn't do that. Would he? Or did he just give his number out to multiple girls and, depending on how quickly they chose to get back to him, it was hard to keep track of who was who? Oh god, did she even stand a chance? He was handsome as all hell, so who was she kidding? The guy probably had a leather jacket with HEARTBREAKER stitched on the back.

Strictly business. Studying. Not even a study date. Just pure, innocent, harmless studying. If she forced herself to keep up that mentality, there was no way she'd be bothered by any external forces threatening to send her overthinking abilities into hyperdrive. Who cares if she had a teeny, tiny crush on him? It was irrelevant to the cause; the cause being her grades. If she had to, she'd convince herself - someway, somehow - that she wasn't even attracted to him to begin with. She would travel far to meet a Jedi Master so that they could perform that mind trick hocus-pocus on her to make her believe that the person she would be working with wasn't anything special in the least.

Jerk.

Oh, Kagome. Got it.

Neither the quick response, nor the fact that he was probably playing with her made her smile at all. Not at all.

"I'm gonna do it." Miroku pumped himself up, bouncing on his feet.

"I wouldn't." Inuyasha said, his tone dull, eyes glued to his phone as he leaned against the tree.

"I'm gonna do it!" He repeated more persistently.

"I'm not saving you."

"I'm doing it!" His determination was admirable, even for him, fingers tingling with adrenaline, the flurry in his abdomen going into a wild frenzy as he power-walked his way toward the two unsuspecting girls across the street. Steady exhales left his lips, like an athlete exercising their breathing, totally prepared to work his magic like another ordinary day with the female specimen until the woman he particularly favored looked his way.

Miroku's mind blanked, his chest hitching painfully as his legs seemed to wobble pitifully, barely bringing him to his destination in front of the girls. She stared, blankly at first, her hand gently grabbing her companion's elbow to stop her trek, her attention, once fully devoted to her phone, flickering up to her friend then over to him. Their expressions mirrored one another's; mouths straight, eyes curious, brows cautious.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Sango." He managed to say. It sounded almost confident, only a small waver noticeable.

The girl stiffened slightly, clearly waiting for him to continue. His mouth had shut, though. His smile fit uncomfortably on his face; small, strained, like a child obligated to sit there and hold a posed grin for four minutes straight until the photographer finally got their school picture taken.

"What?" She asked, tensely.

If anyone had a portal into his mind, they'd see a tumbleweed passing through a desolate field of crusted land. "That's - that's all." Miroku said, trying to play it off though he was sure his mortification shined bright. Turning away, he sauntered back in the direction he'd come from.

Both Kagome and Sango watched him waddle across the street. Kagome, specifically, had to clench her throat shut to resist the fit of laughter that threatened to burst free, bringing a hand to cover the crinkled grin growing on her face. She didn't want to embarrass the poor guy more than he'd already done, himself, and she had a feeling Sango wouldn't appreciate it just yet. Not while they were still in the vicinity of the guy.

Inuyasha held a steady expression of total bewilderment having heard the whole thing, sparing a small glance the girls' way just as they started walking again, briefly locking eyes with Kagome, whose amusement never faltered, and then shot his gaze right back to what was left of the pride of his friend. "Dude..."

"What's wrong with me, Inuyasha? I've never done that in front of a girl, not even during my prepubescent days!" Miroku was shaken, blue eyes staring through the bark of the tree in total defeat.

"I told you not to."

"You don't understand, I can't function properly around her. I thought it was a temporary side effect of, I don't know, oxygen or something, but no! It's her! What sort of witchcraft has she conducted upon me!?"

"I don't know, but it's getting embarrassing to be associated with you."

"It's getting embarrassing to be me! I'm not like this! I'm not like you! I'm good with girls! I'm smooth as silk! Fine like wine!"

Inuyasha's grimace deepened.

"Once upon a time, I could sweep a girl off her feet with just a wink! Where has that side of me gone!? I mean, just two weeks ago I was fine! Enter Sango, Sango, and I'm pining like a little bitch boy!" Miroku's eyes were wide, riddled with absolute turmoil, fingers sweeping into his hair. "I'm - I'm like Hojo. Hojo. Good god, I'm a Hojo."

"And, on that note..." Inuyasha dropped his phone into his pocket, peeling himself off the tree to walk away and head home.

"Wait, you're just gonna leave?" Miroku asked, following. "In my time of desperate need?"

"What you need is to get a grip."

"Tell me how! What's a guy like me gotta do to get a girl like her?"

"Cutting off the rattail would be step number one."

Miroku gasped, horrified, clutching onto the tiny bundle of hair at the nape of his neck protectively. "Never! I will have you know that one day it's going to be as thick, long, and luscious as your own ponytail."

"Dude, it's like a fucking mustache. Just because you can grow facial hair, doesn't mean you should. It doesn't work for everybody." Inuyasha firmly stated.

"But -"

"Trust me, Miroku. You look like a classic nineties douche."

"Has anyone ever told you, you have a way with words?" He smiled crookedly, not offended by his friend's criticism in the least. Over the last year and a half or so, he'd learned the ins and outs of what the bastard truly meant to say. A good amount of his insults were heartfelt and intentional, but if you listened closely, you could hear the chime of his good-natured advice and shadowed compliments.

"Yes, actually." Inuyasha bobbed his head back and forth, as if proud of himself. "Kagome said the same thing earlier today."

"Oh-ho-hoooo, let's talk about that!" Miroku beamed, turning to walk backward just a few paces ahead of the hanyou so that he could focus on the expressions that were sure to wash over his face. It was one of the best ways to read the guy.

"What?"

"Did you think we were just gonna blow over this without revisiting? How you made me apologize to someone? How you made me apologize to someone? That someone being a girl. You made me apologize to a girl! What's the deal, dog boy?"

"Oh god, don't start!" Inuyasha groaned, rolling his eyes. "The one time I'm not at a party with you, and you fucking dump your drink on someone. It has nothing to do with her, and everything to do with you making an ass out of yourself."

"Not once have you ever -"

"Call me out already so I can deny the accusation." He rolled his wrist to gesture for his friend to pick up the pace.

"You like her!"

"No."

"You totally do!"

"No."

"You looked to the side when you said that." Miroku pointed, the cocky grin on his face growing.

"Stop staring at me, you creep. I hate it when you do that shit." The half demon frowned.

"What?" He shrugged. "She's pretty, she's sweet, and she's short - which is right up your alley since I know you love short girls. What are you, five-ten? Eleven?"

"Six."

"An even six. And I'd peg her at five-two, five-three."

"Who cares? She's got an attitude that could give even me a run for my money. No thanks." Inuyasha's tone was level, controlled. Very controlled.

"Sassy. She can handle her own. That's not such a bad quality if you think about it. No one likes a pushover."

"Knock it off." The hanyou ground. "There's nothing special about her."

"Oh man, you're just hand-feeding me material to go on and on about -" Miroku's hands rose defensively as his friend shot him a glare of warning. "- but I won't! Can I just say one last thing? There's nothing wrong with liking someone. It doesn't make you as vulnerable as you may think. I'm not trying to go all Doctor Phil on you or anything; I just think it'd be a good idea for you to let someone in. And, I know you're probably gonna say it isn't like that, but it can be if you just let it. Kagome seems pretty receptive to you."

"She's receptive to everyone. She's social."

"Not that social. I remember Koga tried to walk her home from a kickback last year and she did everything in her power to avoid it without having to slaughter his pride."

"Don't blame her. The wolf's disgusting. She should have wrecked him, truthfully."

"Oh, and just in case you didn't know, I'm not blind. I saw that little interaction you two had last week after school. The one where she was, 'being annoying.'" Miroku said, drawing air quotes with his fingers. "Except you were laughing, and she was flirting. It took me, your best friend, months to make you laugh for the first time!"

"Wear a skirt." Inuyasha joked, giving a one-shouldered shrug.

"Nice defense." Miroku smiled with smug implication.

"Don't you live that way?" The half demon asked, the hint of finality in his tone, pointing down the crossroad.

"Oh, look at that! Time to go!" He laughed, crossing the street, continuing in his backward motion as he had been. In all honesty, Inuyasha found him to be the luckiest bastard alive that not a single car was coming considering he hadn't even checked first. "I'm just saying, man, would it be so bad if she did like you?"

Without control, Inuyasha's lips curved into a soft smile. The thought of Kagome's small hand in his causing a swirl of warm delight to knock his normal defenses off-kilter. And, he knew his friend was going to cling to that for as long as he could. With a tense sigh, he rolled his eyes in smooth recovery and headed down his own route home, not wanting to give Miroku any more material to hold over his head. The guy wasn't much of a gloater, but Inuyasha never much liked his business out there for anyone to know in the first place.

His phone had vibrated a little ways back, but considering his friend's wild tangent, he never had a clear opportunity to pull it out and check the text. He had old messages from his uncle and another friend that had been sitting untouched for hours now. Still feeling no sense of urgency to even read them, his thumb fell on the recent text from Kagome.

So, what's the plan, oh wise one?

His fingers worked on their own, typing out the reply and hitting send.

Sunday around noon?

The screen hadn't even dimmed before the little, gray typing bubble popped up.

I'm free. Where?

Your place cool?

My place is cool. See you then!

Are you not coming to school for the rest of the week?

What? Of course, I am.

Then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Dummy.

Kagome felt a heat rush to her cheeks. What was worse was she couldn't even tell if she was embarrassed for the rookie mistake she'd just pulled, or if she suddenly found being called a dummy endearing. Was this the tragic path she was destined to go down now? One with half parts constant humiliation for stupid things she may accidentally say, and half parts smitten with little names that weren't quite insults but weren't quite sweet nothings either? Setting her phone to sit flat on her desk, Kagome huffed out slowly, allowing her book bag to sag to the floor while she settled into her seat as she'd just gotten home. Propping her temple up with her fist, she typed a mindless response with a single finger on her free hand.

Yeah, that too.

—

Inuyasha stood before the door, honing in on what he could hear on the other side of it while waiting to be let in. Stumbling feet bounded down what he guessed were a set of stairs, the soft hum of music came from somewhere on the second floor, and the gentle tick of a clock on the wall counted away the seconds. Surprisingly, that was it. Even from outside, he could pick up the scents of two other people, but from how quiet the house currently sat, he figured they weren't home.

The lock clicked and the door opened, bringing his gaze downward to land on the welcoming smile Kagome greeted him with. "You're early."

"Did you expect me to be late?" He retorted, walking through the threshold.

"Kind of. I always am." She said, shutting the door. Her feet shuffled along the wooden floor in their socks, like taking actual footsteps was abnormal in a place as comfortable as her own home. With a small wave of her hand, she ushered him to follow as she scuffled into the kitchen to their right, the sloppy bun on her head bouncing with her movements. Typically, it took a while for Inuyasha, or anyone for that matter, to feel relaxed in a place they'd never been, especially something as sensitive as another person's residence, yet watching her glide her feet along the floor like a weirdo provided a sense of easement.

While her back was turned to him, he allowed his eyes to wander over her, oddly lingering at the nape of her neck. Short, loose strands of hair fell from the knot at her crown, curling and waving free to decorate her fair skin nicely, and though he was willing to bet it was the natural splay of her baby hairs, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel the messiness suited her so well that it was modeled to look that way. The long-sleeve shirt hung loosely on her, the texture appearing extremely comfortable, and the color a pastel pink, while her leggings were straight black and hugged her body nicely. Very nicely.

Kagome grabbed an unopened bag out of the cupboards, the crinkling sound loud as she spun around to him.

"Sweet or salty?"

"Salty." He replied.

"Thought so. And cookies for me." She said, reaching toward the higher cabinet, her shirt rising to expose an inch of her midriff. Inuyasha looked off to the side, concentrating on the hanging aprons on the opposite wall. It was more out of habit than anything. He didn't enjoy taking the risk of making any girl feel vulnerable, and more than ever, he felt compelled to be mindful.

She'd shoved the snacks in the crook of her left arm, shuffling over to the fridge and pulling out two bottles of water, which she then skillfully carried in the crook of the opposite arm, gliding back his way, passed him, and toward the stairs.

"Let me carry something." He couldn't help but chuckle. She was fucking cute.

"No, no. Come, come."

"Give me the waters." Their height difference made it easy to reach over her shoulders to snag the tops to the bottles, robbing them from her grip just before she began her trek up the stairs.

Framed photographs scaled the wall the entire way up, giving the hanyou a brief glimpse into this family's past. Kagome as a little girl, a shapely, little boy, a woman propping a baby on her hip while a man supported a small girl on his shoulders, a hunched and elderly man with the proudest smile. It wasn't hard to figure out why he only smelled three different people and not five. She'd experienced loss. Just as he had.

She smiled more than him, though. She seemed to communicate better, as well. Was she good at covering things up? Had she healed? Or were her scars not as deep?

"Where's your family?" Inuyasha asked, coming off casual so it didn't seem obvious that he was prying.

Kagome led him into her bedroom, the music playing through her laptop speakers on her desk light and folksy. "Mom's at work, and she dropped my brother off somewhere, so no clue where he is. Make yourself comfortable."

The two men in her life were gone.

Her walls weren't very cluttered, just a few things hanging here and there. A cliche galaxy poster hung over her bed near the door, a cork board with polaroids and photo booth pictures, and interestingly enough, a knotted, red string of all things. She turned off the music and shut her laptop, bringing his attention to swing her way and observe the clutter on her desk. On top of an open notebook, decorated with little scribbles and doodles, sat a pair of reading glasses. His first thought was to dismiss them as a hipster accessory, considering the fad for glasses was pretty large with girls and he'd never once seen Kagome wearing them around school, but when he saw the very minor magnification through the lenses, he realized he was wrong. Kagome wears glasses. And, then he thought of Kagome in glasses.

A curious grin grew on his face as he sauntered over and set the waters on the desk's surface, switching out for the pair of spectacles. "Four eyes, huh?"

Her cheeks seemed to ripen in tint, just by half a shade, when he held them in front of her face. The frames were thick, slightly curved on top while round on the bottom, maybe even a size too large for her, and in that brown, tortoise shell design.

"Uh, yeah." She meagerly admitted, actively trying not to duck her head. "I just got them not too long ago. I only have to wear them when I'm on my computer."

"If that's the case, you're probably supposed to wear them while you're watching TV and reading, right?"

"I may have heard something like that."

"And, what are we about to do?"

"Oh, no."

"Come on." Inuyasha ushered, handing the glasses over. He really couldn't help how badly he wanted to see them on her. "You don't want to make your eyes worse."

"You know, I get the sense that you're just looking for ammunition to make fun of me." Kagome grimaced, apprehensively taking them by the temple of the frame.

"Me?" He shook his head. "Never."

"Yeah, no, it's not worth it." She decided, putting the glasses down on top of her laptop, intending to reach across for her notebook.

"They're just glasses! What's the worst I could say?" He chuckled, his question stopping her mid-stretch.

"Knowing you, you'll come up with something."

"Try me."

Reluctantly, Kagome gave in with a disgruntled sigh, picking the glasses back up and sliding them over her ears. As she looked back at him, her brown eyes fully meeting his amber, it seemed as if he was painfully resisting to laugh. "Say it."

"What?" The word was tightly clenching in his throat.

"Just get it over with." She pouted.

"All you need is bifocals and you'll really be working those old man frames."

"They're not - they're cute!"

They really were. And, he really liked them on her. But, was he going to say that? Hell no. When she ripped them off and dropped them where they once laid, he swallowed his disappointment, chuckling as the sulk grew even more vividly on her face. She took her notebook and a nearby pencil, crossing the room to get comfortable on her bed where she'd dumped the bags of chips and cookies.

"Alright, what subject are you worst at?"

"I think it's easier to ask what subject I'm actually good at." She replied, almost too confidently for someone admitting they were a mess. The half demon cocked a brow inquisitively. "It's history."

"Jesus, what did I sign up for?"

"It's not too late for you to back out." Kagome smiled, shrugging. "We can always just eat the munchies, watch TV, and pretend nothing ever happened."

"Fat chance," Inuyasha dropped onto the end of the mattress. "I got nothing better to do, anyway. Math. We'll start there."

He could literally see the distaste on her face. It was like an an insult she was waiting for him to take back, and when she realized he wasn't going to, she reached for her bag on the floor next to her bed and pulled out the necessary book and homework packet.

—

"Wrong."

"How?"

"It's wrong."

"I haven't even finished the problem yet."

"Yeah, stop while you're still ahead, dummy. Did you even look at the way I solved this one?" Inuyasha pointed to the similar problem he'd made on her notebook, the long equation written out for her to examine as she took to her sheet of homework.

The irritated, reddened skin of his knuckles came into full view, and having resisted the temptation for long enough - considering she'd noticed the scabbed skin an hour or so ago - and having to have endured his abrasive ways of tutoring, Kagome went ahead and flicked the end of her pencil against the marred area with no remorse. The hanyou jerked his hand away, glowering spitefully.

"You got into another fight, didn't you?" She questioned. Her tone was more snarky than anything, like it was a normal question and it was absolutely her place to inquire.

"Remember what I said the last time you asked?" He sneered.

"Let's see, I saw you last Friday night and you had a black eye and a scrape on your face." She was talking with her pencil instead of her hands, bobbing it around as she continued on, completely ignoring him. "By Monday afternoon, there was no evidence of the fight, whatsoever. Obviously, that's because your demon blood gives you supernatural healing powers. Now, considering these marks weren't around this Friday during school, and they're still pretty bad at the moment, my guess is they happened between that night and yesterday."

"Good deduction, Watson." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Just one question: When did we see each other on Friday?"

Kagome adjusted her position slightly to hide the way she'd almost tensed, playing things off as smoothly as possible. "We go to the same school, Inuyasha. If you'd pay attention to your surroundings for once, you'd probably see me, too."

"Right." He said, dragging out the word while maintaining a straight expression. "Funny how you see me from a distance, and you pay attention to my hands of all things."

"S-stop dodging the question." She stammered, her confidence steadily dwindling away.

"How wildly observant of you. What else do you stare at?"

"Woah, I don't stare."

"I mean, it's okay if you do. A little weird, but I'm still flattered." He shrugged, an arrogant grin on his face.

She groaned loudly, clenching her jaw as she refocused on the math equation she was working on. "Never mind. Just stop fighting already."

"And, I think you'll know what my response to that will be." It took viable effort to remain patient, despite his sarcastic jokes. Patience was not his forte. He was hotheaded, and liked being hotheaded. It made people back the fuck off, but a twinge in his gut held him at bay.

"Yeah, yeah. Mind my business."

"Good. Now, erase that shit and start -"

"But, you could seriously get hurt!"

Inuyasha was the one to groan this time, lolling his head back before snapping back up to glare at her with slight indignation. "Oh my god. Knock it off, Kagome."

"What's the point of it? What does it even prove? That you're a big, macho, tough guy? You could really get hurt, or even hurt someone else! Why would you want to do that?"

The grimace on his face was strong, genuine surprise from her remarks overcoming his irritation. "Geez, you really are something straight out of Sesame Street."

"Wait, how did you - you heard that?" He pointed to the ears on top of his head in a duh manner. It was a paradigm to how much he actually did pay attention, no matter the disinterest he almost always had etched on his face. "Oh. Well, behave and I wouldn't have anything to lecture you about."

"Why do you assume the fights are my fault?"

"No, that's not what I'm trying to say. I would prefer to think they weren't your doing, but to be fair, you haven't given me any clarification to work with. I'm just trying to cover all bases. Behave could mean don't start fights or participate if someone tries to start one."

"So, don't fight back?"

"Right."

"Just let them hit me?"

"What? No."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" Inuyasha's tone was on the harsher side, agitated, his brow twitching inward in speculation.

"Walk away. Are you saying people come and start fights with you?"

"Drop it." He grunted.

"But, why?"

"I used to roll with a bad crowd, okay?" He fumed, fed up with her persistency. "Unfortunately, I've got some attributes that don't really allow me to go under the radar. Now shut up and get back to work!"

Kagome heeded his tone, sealing her lips, the space surrounding the two of them tense and awkward. She was sort of proud of herself for getting the truth out of him, or some of it at least, but she didn't like that he'd gotten so upset. He had a temper for sure. One that was maybe even worse than her own. Yeah, she was pressing for information that had nothing to do with her, and she could understand how that would tick him off, but the budding concern she had for him wasn't something she necessarily wanted to subdue. She wanted to know he was okay. To her, that wasn't such a bad thing. Depending on the scenario, Kagome would intrude on any one of her friends to make sure they were alright.

"Can I ask one more question, please?" She approached, her voice small and timid. She'd erased the entire math problem on her paper, the notebook propped on her knee, and her brown eyes were peaking up at him cautiously through her dark fringe. His scowl still lingered, mouth curved downward in clear disapproval, but he made no verbal attempt to stop her. "If you used to be such a bad boy, how come you excel so well in school? Not to sound totally judgmental, but stereotypically speaking, it's kind of contradictory if you think about it."

Ember irises fell down to focus on the scratch paper on her leg, his lips relaxing. "If you're such a goody goody, why do you suck so much in school?"

The rebuttal was fair. She couldn't even get upset about it, and there was no hesitation to her response. "For one, I'm not a goody goody. Two, I really don't have an answer to that, because I often wonder the same thing."

He chuckled lightly. "Then what would you say you are?"

"Average, probably." She shrugged.

"Is that what they're calling it now?"

"Hush. What's your excuse?"

"I'm smart. I don't have a problem focusing, which apparently you fucking do." He, once again, tapped his finger against her notebook, a little more aggression that time. Kagome laughed, going back to scribbling down the problem, and it irked him that the gratifying sound calmed his blood. He'd never once felt soothed by a noise, or comfortable with a person right off the bat, or compelled to hang around despite being aggravated. In the moment, it was enjoyable. Nice.

But, there was no way he'd allow an attachment to form.

It was a conscientious decision. One he didn't really have to remind himself of anymore. By now, it was habit to shut things down before bonds formed. He wasn't worried about things going too far with Kagome. It was a little disconcerting to recognize how quickly he, himself, seemed to unfurl to her, but he was sure that there was no possibility of either of them intending on making anything out of it. She was friendly, she was nosy as all hell, but that was about the extent of it all. He understood that she meant no harm.

What was interesting to him was how easy it seemed to be around her, to talk to her. Even after he admitted he'd made mistakes that have followed him to this day, she didn't seem to pull away or scorn him. Instead, she judged him for his good academic record, which was the exact opposite of what anyone would ever expect. Without overthinking, and without the effervescent pressing need to withhold himself, he decided indulging her with basic responses couldn't hurt.

"I made a promise to someone to get through school. That's all you're getting."

Kagome smiled. She had no intention on prodding for more. By him saying "someone," she could tell that he'd purposefully not given specifics, and she respected that. Additionally, this gave her a glimpse at his honest and loyal side. It was admirable.

And, the softness that took over his features when he said it was enough to warm her to the core.

Chapter Text

Inuyasha was unsuspecting of his own actions as time steadily progressed. Without realizing, he'd begun to scan the school grounds for Kagome, feeling a little less edgy when he'd spot her walking along or standing by, listening to her friend rant about something. Instead of appearing unaware and self-involved in the corridor, if he caught her scent or her voice, he'd glance over at her. She was almost always looking back. The real kicker that knocked the air from him was his unconscious reaction to her greeting. When did he go from brooding grunts to smiling hello's? Where was the shift? How was it suddenly so natural to respond to the upturn of her lips when she traveled over to him with a grin of his own.

He was beginning to panic.

Clearly, she was a dangerous creator of emotional turmoil. The same witchcraft Sango casted on the flirtatiously-smooth Miroku must have been casted on Inuyasha. And she was cruel enough to do that idiotically cute cock of her head when she greeted him after her seance had been completed. The audacity of this woman. There was no evidence of ritualistic activities in her room, though, sans for a scented candle on her nightstand which could potentially pass for something, but with how often his dumbass of a friend went on about that being the only feasible reason to his own problem, it had somehow weaseled its way into Inuyasha's head that it was a tangible possibility for his, too. What else would explain the half demon suddenly growing mushy and nice after claiming from the get-go that he wasn't worried about developing any sort of connection with her? So, he made it a point to check for clues when he visited for their study sessions. Nothing. Not a gothic, ceremonial, sacrificial, or satanic thing in sight. She was the epitome of bubbles and flowers - until she was mad. It was bullshit. Because all that meant was he was becoming just as fucked in the head as Miroku.

He'd told himself, just stop reacting. Mind your business. Keep your head down and go back to grunting, and the sensations will eventually go away for good. This isn't anything to worry about. But, then his eyes landed on her right after school one day. Koga stood a little too close for his liking, and she was giving the wolf that same smile that made his brain a little foggy. He didn't like it. It was a stiff awareness that crawled up his esophagus, that heated him unpleasantly, that tensed his jaw and sharpened his sight. He was jealous, and unwillingly so. He was wrong to think opening up even the slightest was harmless with Kagome. It was always the other person he had to push away; it was never - not once - himself that he had to hold back.

Every day since, he had to swallow his growl when he saw the jock joke around with Kagome, give playful touches to Kagome, ask Kagome if she wanted to go somewhere with him. Especially when the stupid wolf grasped for any excuse to talk to her while she was hanging beside Inuyasha. He had to remind himself, and he hated that he actually needed the reminder, that if he didn't want anything from her, he was in no position to give anyone else shit. Nor did he plan on giving anyone any insight on the feelings he was currently attempting to subside. It was irrational. He felt utterly foolish.

That was as far as he'd allow things to go.

Hey, gotta cancel tomorrow's study session. I'll let you know the next time I'm available.

Kagome grew increasingly disappointed the longer she stared at the text message. He'd been coming over every week for the past three months, multiple times a week more often than not. It was easy to grow accustomed to, and if anyone asked her, she'd be willing to admit she enjoyed the time they spent together. She'd learned how to bounce off of his attitude with her own, how to get him to admit little things he was reluctant to at first, how to read his sloppy handwriting - which was a feat on its own. She liked his presence most of all, because he wasn't as hostile or grumpy as looks would deem, but she also liked when he came over during the weekend and he wore one of those casual, v-neck shirts that didn't sink too low but showed the edge of his clavicles. She liked the way cotton sweaters hugged him, and how, no matter the weather, he still rolled up the sleeves of the shirt of his school uniform. She liked the way he leaned a little closer when she had questions about a problem, and how she could catch his pleasant and unnerving scent. She only had to deal with the rampant fluttering in her belly during the first two minutes of being with him - yes, she'd timed it - and then things would calm and everything flowed rhythmically from then on.

He was busy, he had a life, she totally got that. She was just bummed that she didn't get to see him this weekend when it had been something she'd been able to look forward to for a while now. Even when she caught the drift of her studies and he didn't necessarily have to help her with anything, they'd sit and do homework together, and sometimes watch a movie in her room if they finished before he had to get home.

No worries! Have fun doing whatever!

She meant it. She really did. No one had to know she was ready to turn on anything emo by Avril Lavigne to drown out her exaggerated letdown. She wasn't so selfish that she'd act like he owed her his time or anything. Just dramatic enough to wallow in self-pity with her bedroom door closed while absolutely ignoring every freaking thought that told her he might, might, be out with another girl.

Kagome wasn't oblivious to the exact moment she'd sunk so low that she couldn't convince herself into thinking she didn't care for him passed study buddy material anymore. It happened rapidly; like the Twilight Zone's Tower of Terror dropping six stories kind of rapid. He'd come over after school for not the first time, he'd greeted her mom and brother for not the first time, he'd carried the waters up for the umpteenth time, but then once the door was shut and the books were out, he brought up a picture on her bookshelf in the far corner of her room. It couldn't have been the first time he'd seen it, but he acted like it was. He asked who was hugging her, and she told him that it was her dad. She could see the question on his face, how he hesitated to ask, how if she didn't proceed on her own accord or changed the subject, he probably wouldn't have fought her on it. Kagome didn't have a problem talking about it, though. She'd come to terms with what had happened, and she trusted him more than enough to tell him the truth. About how her dad had gone missing when she was seven and found dead a week and a half later. Truthfully, she didn't know the nitty gritty details of the incident, nor did she want to. She preferred that the last image she had of him in her head was the framed photo there on the shelf. Furthermore, she'd explained that that was why and how she'd learned her mom's little habits of making sure she was home by checking for her shoes or her keys or little displacements of items in the kitchen or bathroom. And, it served as incentive for her to be a little less discreet about those indicators, while also not being obvious that she knew her mother's secret, overprotective habits. It helped soothe her worries. This was also why she'd often walk her brother home from practice after school, or why she'd head to wherever necessary if her mom was working late to pick her brother up from his friends. Sota was only eleven, and the boy couldn't hurt a fly if he tried. To spare her mom the ulcer, she played backup guardian to the twerp with minimal complaint.

When you tell someone a story like that, it's reasonable to expect a bit of awkwardness to linger. Kagome was fully prepared to wave off the subject and give him the perfect setup to return to normal and call her dumb for not understanding the chemistry assignment she'd been given. It's perfectly understandable for a person to not know how to respond to the subject, but Inuyasha was different. He was watching her almost the entire time she spoke; his eyes not drifting down or to the side in the air of discomfort. He was tense, but in a sympathetic way. And, when she shrugged and smiled at the end, concluding her explanation, Inuyasha shook his head and stroked her hair, apologizing for bringing it up in the first place.

Of course, she'd dismissed his apology. There was nothing to be sorry for. His hand had landed on her shoulder, his fingers threaded through her hair, and that was it. She remembered feeling hot in that moment, short of breath, lost and found in succession. That was the first time he'd touched her, and it was unbelievably tender.

Did he feel the same way towards her? Yeah, right. Kagome was on a one-way train to Painsville no matter what, and this was just the beginning if she didn't get a grip. Sango liked to feed her hope, and Kagome would be lying if she said she didn't appreciate it. That didn't give her any reason to be obvious with her stupid, crippling crush, though. Anytime she wanted to get close to him, maybe graze his hand in a way she could pull off as casual, or even flirt like she had on that very first day, Kagome froze. Having feelings for someone was terrifying. You're vulnerable and susceptible to unbelievable amounts of humiliation, and while Kagome was bold with her words, she wasn't quite the same with her actions. At least, not in regards to this field.

Guys were supposed to make the first move, anyway. Not girls. Not her. And until then, until Inuyasha miraculously sprung some feelings for her too, she would be moping face-down on her bed.

Inuyasha only made it to her house once in a two week span. He hated admitting it, but it was hard to stay away. Kagome didn't ask when he'd be able to again, and a small part of him wished she would. It was this nagging twinge in his heart wanting to know if she'd even cared or wanted him there, but no. He didn't bring it up and neither did she. Of all the times for her to mind her business, this was when she chose to. So, he caved. He asked if she still sucked and needed help, and it seemed like her face lit up, his nerves grasping at any little cue that could spark needless anticipation. As if he wanted anything more to fuck him over. The original objective was to spend less time with her, and cut the chord he's disturbingly developed. The former he was succeeding with; the latter was a different story, which became evident to him when she didn't show up to school one day.

Kagome never missed class.

He told himself she'd probably caught a cold, but it didn't help any. Answers were easily attainable, but seeking them out was too conspicuous; Sango was too clever not to immediately figure out his motive, and he could see her having too much fun taunting him before giving up an answer. Getting Miroku to ask Sango would send Miroku spiraling into a wild panic attack on the floor. Texting Kagome and asking, himself, was just purely out of the fucking question for no good reason other than preserving what was left of his sanity.

Throughout the day, his worry increased. Fuck if he knew why. He figured if Sango was fairing fine without her, he should be too. Right? But, her best friend most likely knew the reason she was out. He didn't. He didn't like that he didn't know, either. Inuyasha liked knowing things. Kagome was fairly open with him. He should have just texted her. Chances were probable that she would have answered without skepticism. If he had just sent the damn message, he wouldn't have felt so stressed right now. Yet, here he was, tapping his nail against the surface of the desk in his bedroom, knee bobbing erratically, completely frustrated - with his irrational mood more than anything.

"I'm going out real quick. Be back in twenty." Inuyasha announced, throwing his jacket over his shoulders at the door. His uncle gave him a small acknowledgment from the living room, the words as horse and wheezy-sounding as usual, and the half demon slipped out the door without another word.

Kagome bounced around the center of her bedroom, light on her toes, swaying to the intro music of her favorite show on TV while she scooped small spoonfuls of ice cream from the pint in her hand. A couple soft knocks had her stop, the taps sounding like they'd come from glass but her common sense saying that wasn't possible. She waited to see if she'd hear it again, willing to dismiss the noise as a creak in her floor, but when it did happen, she turned toward her window, a chill shooting up her spine as she saw Inuyasha staring through. Her gasp was loud and high-pitched, but the swear she let out was murmured between other swears beneath her breath.

The hanyou gestured for her to open the window, perched on the small roofing available from the first story.

"What are you doing?" Kagome hissed after dropping her pint on her desk, opening the frame for him to come through.

"I forgot something here. I wanted it back." Inuyasha stated, keeping his tone casual.

"You forgot something here? Four days ago? And, you decided now is a good time to come get it?" She crossed her arms over her chest, watching as he twirled around the room to look for his object.

"Yup."

"It's eleven o'clock."

"Yup."

"What did you even forget?"

"My," He delayed for a second, thinking. He'd rehearsed this the entire way here, yet he still blanked on his excuse. "Pin. Must have fallen out of my pocket."

"Really? I haven't seen any pins." She mentioned, doubtfully.

"Oh, there it is." He pointed to the small, golden crown pin stuck in her cork board. "You even made a home for it, liar."

"That's because it's mine." There was something off about him. Nothing that tipped her concern, but strange was strange nonetheless. She cocked a brow, and her lips inadvertently curved upward in response to it all. Even as he leaned over her mattress and stole the pin right out of the cork board.

"Oh. Well, does it have any sentimental value to you?"

"Not really."

"I'll just keep it to replace my own then." He twiddled it in his fingers, shrugging resolutely.

"You're being weird." She pointed, entertained. "What's wrong?"

"I told you, I forgot something."

"Except you didn't."

"Except I did, and you weren't at school for me to ask for it back. So, I took it upon myself to come get it." His tone was slightly rougher than usual, gruff, and not cooperating to conceal his main purpose in the least. Was he worried about her, or just courageous enough to sneak over in the dead of night? "Speaking of which, you don't look sick."

"I'm not." She disputed, a little surprised. "Sota tripped during soccer practice last night and broke his ankle. I stayed home to watch him so mom didn't have to take off work."

"Oh, shit." Inuyasha's brows pinched together. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine for the most part. Until he learns to crutch his way upstairs, the living room is his new bedroom for the time being."

"Need any help taking heavy things down for him?"

"Nah, we got the important things down there so he's comfortable. Besides, mom may not appreciate us making a ton of noise with that right now. But, thank you." Kagome softly raked her teeth over her bottom lip.

He gave a slow nod, feeling a little stupid, wishing he'd just had the guts to text her. Seeing her, though, was so much more satisfying. His eyes travelled over her, taking in her camisole and flannel pajama bottoms, her bare feet, her messy waves, her makeup-less skin, and the glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose. How did she still look beautiful? It was time for him to go.

"Alright, gramps, go to sleep. It's passed your bedtime." Inuyasha said huskily, brushing her shoulder on his way back to the window.

"Oh, wait." Kagome went over to her nightstand, pulling the only drawer open and rustling through the miscellaneous belongings until her fingers pinched a small, rubber top. Turning back to him, she took the crown pin from his hand, pushing the sharp end through the top of the chest pocket of his jacket and fastening it there with the rubber. "There. So you won't lose it again."

"I'm not keeping it there." Inuyasha shook his head, unamused. Still, she giggled, perfectly happy with her little stunt, giving it a pat for good measure.

"By the way, I won't be at school tomorrow, either. Just in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't." He lied, slipping through the window frame.

"Just in case."

"And, even if I was to begin with, is there any problem with me coming over to find out!?" There was the lick of defensiveness in his tone.

"Not really. Feel free to use the front door next time." Kagome smiled.

"Yeah, because your mom would be so cool with me showing up this late at night."

"Window's fine, too." She said, bobbing her head back and forth to agree with his point.

"Lock the hatch. And, get some better dance moves." He said, though his small grin robbed his joke of all harshness. The half demon was light on his feet, easily scaling a nearby tree to reach the ground silently, walking through her front yard and disappearing passed the neighbor's house.

It was comforting to know he cared. It was warming to think that he'd worried about her to the extent that he had to come see her. The joyful smile on Kagome's face cramped her cheeks, her face hot and blustery as she shut the window.

—

He smelled the wretch before he'd even walked through the front gate, his chest clenching and abdomen going uncomfortably rigid. It was like anxiety instantaneously washed over him, making him angry, his fingers furling into fists, and his upper lip curling in a snarl. He was so fucking tempted to slam the gate shut and turn around to leave right then and there, but the scent of someone else along with their uninvited guest had his curiosity rising. To top it off, after all these years, Inuyasha wanted to know what the fuck this bastard could possibly want.

Upon entry, his stomach was almost in complete shambles. It was like he could physically feel his blood coursing rapidly through his veins, boiling, hot.

"Inuyasha, that you?" His adoptive uncle called, his elderly voice ringing from the living room. He didn't answer. It was too fucking difficult to open his mouth without the threat of a fearsome growl coming out instead. "Come in here. I'm sure you're aware that we have some visitors."

The hanyou dropped his book bag in the entry hall, taking a deep breath that filled his tight chest as he moved his feet forward. Turning the corner, amber eyes immediately collided with matching amber before the opposing shifted away, utter disinterest marring his straight expression. His hair was nearly matching Inuyasha's style, long and worn high, silver, straight, and making Inuyasha want to cut his length off entirely. Looking at him sitting there at the small table, the shape of his shoulders, his matured facial features, their numerous similarities, he realized how unforgivingly powerful their father's genes were. He was glad, among all else, the big differentiation between the two of them were the ugly fucking facial birthmarks Inuyasha was spared.

"You've grown up, little brother." Sesshomaru claimed in his monotonous voice. It was insane to notice that despite their separation, the asshole still hardly seemed to have changed.

"Yeah, that happens when you haven't seen a person in eight years." Came Inuyasha's venom-laced reply. "What do you want?"

"Now, now, Inuyasha. Civility." The old man said from the nearest end of the table.

"I come with news. I've already told Totosai, but he insisted I stay for dinner and tell you, as well." Sesshomaru still wasn't looking at him. It didn't even seem like he was looking at his uncle. The arrogant bastard was looking through the old man; like they were beneath him.

Before Inuyasha's relative further explained, small footsteps padded down the opposite end of the hall Inuyasha had just come from, walking toward them, humming softly and attracting one of his ears to twitch in their direction. He turned, seeing a small girl no more than five enter the room, large eyes looking up at him with curiosity and ample amounts of excited wonder. Her hair was messy, wavy, and a deep brown, long but half tied back to keep loose strands out of her face and at bay.

"Rin." Inuyasha's brother beckoned, and the little girl didn't hesitate to follow the call, crossing the room to sit next to him. "I am getting married. This is my fiancé's daughter, which I treat as my own. Though, I couldn't care one way or the other, Kagura, my soon-to-be wife, finds it important I indulge you two in our happenings and introduce you to your niece."

"Isn't that nice, Inuyasha?" His uncle asked, his tone one that pushed for pleasantries from the hanyou.

"Yeah, sure. It's nice that you've found someone to whip your ass into a family you won't desert."

"It's hardly desertion if I had no responsibility to you." Sesshomaru coldly replied, now looking through Inuyasha.

The little girl's smile had faded, obviously picking up on the animosity in the room. He whole-heartedly pitied her for the guardian she'd been bequeathed. Sesshomaru was flaky and more emotionally constipated than Inuyasha could ever be accused of. Children deserved love and attention, and from his own experience, he just couldn't see the plausibility that his brother could ever be capable of giving that to anyone. Then, as he focused on the innocent more intently, details became a little more clear.

"She's," He paused, a heavy disappointment sinking into his stomach. Betrayal began to crawl its way up his spine, through his muscles, into his throat to create weight in his words. His eyes flickered back to Sesshomaru's. "She's human?"

"Mostly." He responded with a single nod, not a shred of guilt in his tone. His hand rose to land on the top of Rin's head, softly stroking her hair. "Her biological father was such and she did not inherit much of her mother's demonic traits. But, that is unimportant."

"Unim- Like hell!" Inuyasha barked.

"Don't be so dramatic, Inuyasha."

That was all he had to say? For all the years of shit he'd put him through for the blood coursing through his veins that he had no control over, that was all he fucking had to say? Like, it was no sweat off his back. When he said it was unimportant, what he actually meant was "unimportant" had two different definitions here. In terms to Rin, it didn't matter that she had human blood. In terms to Inuyasha, he didn't matter.

"Go fuck yourself." Inuyasha growled. Without missing another beat, he left the room, heading out the front door and slamming it shut on the way. Knowing the bastard, he had no intention to stay overnight, so he'd wait him out for as long as it took. Totosai would text him when the coast was clear, so until then, he'd walk it off. He'd get as far away as necessary until he didn't smell either of the intruders anymore, until his justified anger was calmed, until Sesshomaru was long gone with his happy fucking family.

The sun had set, his feet carrying him to a part of town he often hung out in. One mostly populated with college students that drank coffee late at night for fun while hanging in The Square below strung lights. Hardly anyone was out at the moment. Anyone he knew, at least. He was thankful for that; the last thing he wanted was to socialize. It was unintentional that he'd come this way to begin with, he just needed ample amounts of air that still weren't helping to quell his surging frustration. He was safe to go home; he'd received the green light already, but the fact that his breathing was still ragged, and his chest still felt heavy, and his nose crinkled with disgust every time he thought back to that brief conversation told him he was better off staying out.

With a dragged inhale, Inuyasha took in a lungful of Kagome's scent, feeling a minute percentage of his stiffness falter. He thought he'd imagined it, but the further he walked, the more powerful she became. He looked over the surrounding area, trying to pinpoint her when she appeared from an upcoming corner, aggressively locking her phone and shoving it in the front pocket of her pullover hoody. As if she'd sensed someone coming - or heard his footsteps approaching, which was the more feasible option here - she glanced his way, her lips parting slightly as she focused on him.

"Oh, hey." She smiled softly. "Fancy seeing you here."

He couldn't even bring himself to return anything half as welcoming as she'd mustered, his nerves still on edge and his agitation still roaring. "What are you doing out here?"

Kagome sensed his rigidness and noticed the way his ember eyes swept left and right over her head, landing on her momentarily only to do the same sweeping motion. His hands were tucked in his charcoal pant pockets, and he still donned his school uniform telling her that he hadn't even been home. He seemed upset, but thankfully there wasn't any visible evidence of fighting to serve as the purpose. For the moment, she brushed it off. She could be wrong, and if she jumped the gun and started prying too soon, she'd only make him mad. "Well, my friend, Ayumi, is going out with this guy for the first time. She wanted me to hang back and spy to make sure everything went smoothly, and if she gave me signals, I'd move in and give some lame excuse to end the date. But, she gave me the wrong address for their meetup spot, which is nowhere near here, so she's on her own now."

"This isn't a safe part of town for girls to be alone. Go home." Inuyasha ordered. She was sure he didn't mean for the ice in his tone, but it was there. It was disconcerting.

"I - I was heading home."

"Good. Head down the block and make a right at the crosswalk, and you'll be on a straight path to - no, fuck it, I'll just walk you." He stepped to the side so their shoulders wouldn't brush as he passed her, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

"Wait, are you okay?" The question was properly warranted now. It was clear that he wasn't. Far from it, she presumed.

"Fine."

"No, you're not. Stop for a second." Kagome sped to catch up to him, walking at his side with bared hands. He did as she said, irritation evident in his eyes as he looked down at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." It wasn't believable in the least. There was no conviction in his voice, the word coming out forced and gruff. "Can we go?"

"No. Talk to me."

"I don't want to talk to you, Kagome. I want to fucking get you home."

She wrapped her fingers around his exposed forearm just as he began to continue walking, halting him mid-stride, his skin heated. If he didn't want to talk, fine, but she didn't feel comfortable with the thought of him being alone after dropping her at her doorstep. Most importantly, she could tell by his heightening levels of aggravation that being in the public's eye wasn't the best option for him. She knew if she were emotional, on the brink of losing her temper, and under the pressure of onlookers, her anxiety would spike and she'd end up in a preventably-critical state. So, she gave him a tug in the direction of the park.

"What are you -"

"Just come on. Trust me."

Surprisingly, he hardly resisted. Surprisingly, he didn't pull his arm from her hold, allowing her to guide him through the trees and along the cemented path, around the empty play area for kids and toward the large pond. Not a person was in sight to disturb their time. As far as she was concerned, Inuyasha was free to let it out. They stopped at the edge of the water's barrier where she finally released him, the fingers of her right hand dragging down his skin to drop at the hem of his pocket.

"Something's clearly wrong, so don't lie to me about that. You don't have to tell me what happened, but the option's there. I'll listen. If you'd prefer, I won't even say a word while you tell me; I'll stay completely quiet. But, if you're not comfortable talking about it, I'll just stay with you until you feel better."

"I don't need you to babysit me." Inuyasha sneered, rolling his eyes.

"It's not babysitting. It's company. There's nothing wrong with it."

He knew she wasn't going to give in. The girl was fucking stubborn and relentless. The trouble was, he didn't have a good enough excuse to not open up at the moment. Her presence was already helping his tension levels decrease, and his brain was muddled enough not to fight anything more than he already had to.

"Don't talk." He grumbled, giving in. Kagome gave a nod of understanding, watching him walk passed her to pick some twigs off the ground, breaking them apart and tossing small pieces into the pond. "My half brother decided to pay me a visit. We've got a shit relationship. Always have. We've got the same dad, but different moms, and his is demon so that makes him full-blooded and better than me by default. When our dad died, our moms still attempted to help us establish this brotherly bond, but there's a considerable age gap between the two of us so it was a struggle. Man, I still remember the first fucking time he said he never considered me his brother." Inuyasha chuckled cynically. "I was, like, seven or something. He calls me 'half demon' like it's disgusting. He looks down on me. I'm pretty sure he blamed my mom and I for dad's death at one point. And then when he hit eighteen, the fucker was gone. Mom got sick and died when I was thirteen, and the only blood relative I had left was him, but where the fuck was he? I was in the system for half a year before my dad's old friend showed up and took me in. Haven't seen my brother in almost a decade, and he just waltzes in today like it's an ordinary Friday playdate. Tells me he's getting married to a woman with a daughter whom he considers his own now. And the kicker is, she's mostly human. The kid's mostly human!" The laugh that time was laced with his concealed pain, and Kagome's heart was dropping, sinking, weighted with the grief he tried to swallow. "What's even better is he hasn't changed or anything. He didn't come around to make amends, he doesn't look at me any differently. Fuck, he doesn't even look at me! I'm still this low-life half demon to him, and he's still a piece of shit. The kid - it's not her fault. I know that. But, for some reason, I can't help but hate her, too."

Because she's getting everything he was robbed of. Inuyasha was an orphan. He's had it so hard. Where he should have had familial ties and support, he had prejudice and heartbreak and scar tissue. He was left alone only to have it rubbed in his face.

Even if she was allowed to talk right now, what could Kagome possibly say to make him feel better? She didn't understand the half of what he felt, and pretending like she did could potentially only serve as salt in the wound. He didn't deserve that. She'd promised she wouldn't speak, but allowing him to roost in the pain he felt, undisturbed, wasn't okay with her. She wanted, among all things, to comfort Inuyasha. As he swung his last stick into the pond, Kagome stepped forward, gently grabbing his arm so he'd turn her way.

Years. It had been so many fucking years since anyone had hugged him. Kagome walked into him slowly, almost cautiously, her hands sliding from his waist to his back, holding him so securely as she tucked her face into his chest and pressed her body firmly against him. It was almost like he didn't know how to respond to the gesture anymore, his muscles stiffening, his arms hanging at his sides. He felt her fingers clutch the back of his shirt, bunching the cloth, her breaths so deep and calming that they inadvertently began to guide his own. Three years since anyone had touched him so affectionately. He'd had his rendezvous, he'd kissed, he'd lost his virginity, but none of it meant anything. It was empty. To him, and even the girls on the other end of it, it was a way to kill time, none of them knowing how to fill the void inside. There was no touching outside of hookups. There was no security. There was no emotion.

Yet, with a single hug, something he hadn't experienced in so damn long, Kagome had successfully breached every one of his defenses in the most peaceful of manners.

Inuyasha's shoulders gradually lowered, his chest aching, his fear rising, his arms wrapping around her body - not quite holding but not quite hovering. He suddenly realized how much he trusted her, and he detested it. Trust could be broken. Bonds were indefinite. People leave on a whim. They could get into accidents and leave their families behind, they could be careless and get themselves murdered, they could get sick and die, or they could just decide they'd had enough of you and disappear. Relationships, in any variation, would always be seen as fragile and pitiful and pending for disaster to him. There was no stability. The farther he kept himself from all of which, the less disappointment the future carried.

He felt a numbness expand over him, dulling all sensations as his decision solidified. Kagome couldn't matter to him anymore. Sesshomaru's little visit helped magnify Inuyasha's reasonings for always keeping people at a distance. He wasn't going to go through it again. He was stupid for allowing it to have gone as far as it had.

"You should get home." He said, gently pushing her away from him. "It's getting late."

Chapter Text

"And who might you be looking for?" Sango questioned suggestively, the smirk on her face implying she'd noticed the several glances Kagome had spared up and down the halls. She'd thought she'd been nonchalant about it, but apparently not.

The question was, of course, rhetorical. Even if it wasn't, she treated it as such. Her best friend would know better than anyone who her eyes constantly searched for considering how habitual it had become. This time, it was a conscious search. She hadn't seen or heard from Inuyasha since Friday night, and her worry was nagging at her. All she wanted was to see that he'd recovered, to see that little smile he'd usually give in passing, and the stress would be satiated. Until then, she played it all off with a spirited shake of her head as she normally would. The last thing she wanted was for her concern to be notable. Out of respect for Inuyasha, Sango was completely unaware of what had occurred that night.

"So, what are you gonna do when you see him?" Her friend asked, walking along at her side.

"Do?"

"Yes, do. You guys have something going here, and it's cute, but you gotta amp it up a little. If not for your sake, then mine. I am living vicariously through you, Kagome! The well is dry!" Sango exclaimed, gesturing to herself overzealously as they stopped several feet before their classroom. "He made a big move last week by scaling your house like freaking Spiderman just to get to your window! People don't do that for fun, alright? This isn't parkour. And, I can assure you he didn't do that for a pin. Ball's in your court, my main gal, and you gotta reciprocate to let him know you're interested."

Kagome was a little taken aback by Sango's passion, the fervor in her brown eyes alight. "Did you have coffee this morning?"

"Yes, what's your point?"

"I can see why your dad doesn't like you drinking it."

"Focus." She grabbed the sides of Kagome's arms to make sure the emphasis was as dramatic as necessary to get her attention, and it took all of Kagome's effort not to sputter out a laugh. "Do you like him?"

"You already know the answer to that!"

"Then do something about it."

"What, exactly, am I supposed to do? Swoon before him so he'll catch me before I hit the ground? He'll just call me an idiot and tell me to get my shit together." As much as she knew that was true, she still found the whole situation humorous, especially the thought of the hypothetical scenario.

"Okay, so you'll just have to make it impossible for him to stop thinking about you. Oh, yes, I've got it!" Sango said, her face beaming as the epiphany hit. She dropped her hold on Kagome, rubbing her hands together in preparation of a scheme. "You know that flirty look you do? Where you have those sultry eyes, and you do that little, crooked grin, and then you look them up and down real quick? Do that! You'll mess him up for the rest of the day!"

"Excuse me, what look!?" Kagome felt the heat rush to her cheeks, her mouth hanging agape.

"Oh, don't play dumb. I've seen you stunt guys. One time, you did it so well, even I felt weak in the knees. I've got no taco cravings, girl, but you fucked me up."

"Sango!"

"Hear me out! The objective, from a woman's standpoint, is to wreck the guy they favor until he just can't take it anymore. I promise you, you do the look and he won't be able to forget it, and then he'll be knocking on your window again in no time. Wreck hi - oh, wreck him." She slyly gestured to Kagome's left, fading her motivational speech off in a low murmur to seem casual.

Subconsciously following Sango's nod, Kagome turned, her dark eyes landing on the half demon as he made his way through the hall in the direction of his own class two doors down. His golden stare met her own, but there was no luminescence behind it. It was dull and lackluster, like he didn't actually see her; she was just part of the crowd. In an attempt to attain his normal reaction toward her, she smiled warmly, never breaking the contact their eyes held. But, he did. He regarded her with such obvious disdain that it jostled her to the core, her grin immediately falling.

As Inuyasha made his way passed and beyond, Kagome's head shifted to follow him, waiting for any sign that he didn't mean it. She was sure it had to have been unintentional. There was no logical explanation for it. Inuyasha was snarky, temperamental, but to her, he wasn't cold. Not even when she frustrated him. He just wasn't. Inuyasha never turned around, though. He said hello to a person in passing and then disappeared into his class.

"What was that all about?" Sango gently inquired. Kagome could only shake her head in answer, signifying that she didn't know. She was racking her brain, trying to figure out what she could have possibly done to deserve it. Maybe he felt embarrassed for oversharing and wanted space. It was easy to understand, especially considering he wasn't much one for opening up. He might have regretted doing so. Humility makes people respond poorly; it was common.

Seeding deeply, Kagome felt a dark shadow of doubt crawl over. That look, the carelessness in his gaze, sent her a message. One she couldn't decode on the spot. One that brought her to second-guess her initial suspicion. Maybe, for the moment, in the moment, the answer to this wasn't what was important. She'd respect his chosen time to himself. He'd eventually come around. This was Inuyasha.

By the third day, her stomach was physically aching. It was like he adamantly refused to look at her, and if he did, she was just like any other irrelevant person. She'd given into the temptation and texted him the night before to see if he was alright. That was it. She didn't pry, she didn't bring up Friday or anything he'd told her, or even the way he'd been treating her. Just a simple text saying, "Is everything okay?" It went ignored. The guy even turned his read receipts on to let her know he'd seen it about an hour later. They weren't on before. It was deliberate. She could read the petty memo he was sending perfectly clear.

It hurt. Kagome didn't understand, and her mind was already exhausted from the amount of overthinking that wrung and twisted and carved uncertainty into every corner. What had she done wrong? She had to have done something. That was the only plausible explanation. Even so, how could she apologize? It would be meaningless if she didn't know the causation behind it, and even more so since he refused to talk to her. If she sought him out, it would ring of desperation, and as the glances still held cold or disinterested, the sensations he sent her stabbing and crippling, the rejection was too dense and painful to allow herself anywhere near him. If she did, she would only be willingly subjecting herself to more.

She felt stupid. So, so stupid. There was a part of her that had actually begun to believe he liked her. Even just a little. Yet, here she was feeling disposable; like she hadn't left even an inkling of an indentation on him. Typically, so it goes, if a guy treats you this way it was best to say, "Fuck him," and blow him off just the same. Take a day to handle your feelings, pick yourself up, and move on like a big girl. So, why was her chest feeling so stiflingly congested? Why did it sting so much for him to treat her like nothing when no relationship had ever developed between the two of them? It wasn't just hope that ruined her lucidity, that was a fact she didn't have to convince herself of. Kagome, though a daydreamer, knew the hanyou was distant from the beginning. Despite it all, she thought there was progress. She thought he was growing more comfortable with her. She thought he was learning to trust her. And, the salt in the wound was she didn't even know where she'd gone wrong to mess it all up.

Whenever they'd pass each other, Sango made it a point to distract her. She would either hook her arm in the crook of Kagome's and guide her in a different direction, or abruptly start talking a little louder to effectively regain Kagome's attention. There were very few times she brought up Inuyasha's sudden Jack Frost attitude. It was killing her that her best friend looked so sad all the time and she didn't know what to say or do to help. She feared bringing him up, in general, would only make Kagome's eyes fall to the ground in visible disappointment as she attempted to smile through it. Because, this was Kagome, after all. As hurt as she was, she never tried to show it. By the end of the week, though, Sango was reaching her limit. Something more had to have happened; it didn't make sense that the guy would change his mind out of nowhere. As a spectator to it all, she felt Inuyasha was pretty obvious as his feelings developed for Kagome. The infamous grump of the campus was progressively becoming a big softy for one single person. She wasn't the only one who'd noticed. It wasn't the major gossip filling the halls by any means, but it was pretty clear to those paying attention. How does someone just turn all that off like a light switch? She could be wrong, but she didn't necessarily get player vibes from him either. Something just wasn't clicking here, and a badgering prickle in the pit of her abdomen continued to annoy Sango to no ends.

Just after school, as they were making their way out, Sango gave Kagome a small tug to the side so that they were out of the way of everyone in the corridor. "Spill. It's been long enough and everything seems to be worse. Am I missing something here?"

"Just about as much as I am." Kagome shrugged. No name needed to be said for her to understand who and what Sango was referencing. They had a pre-spoken agreement that, even prior to all of this, they kept it all hush hush since his hearing was sensitive. The last thing she ever wanted was for him to be tipped off by catching his name from wherever he stood. Especially now. On top of that, no one else needed to know what was going on. "I honestly don't know what changed."

"So, that's it? He literally went from sneaking in through your window in the middle of the night to this? Did something else happen in between? Like, did he make an actual move on you; get a little handsy and take the rejection hard?"

"No. No." Kagome shook her head fervently in reassurance. "He came, he took the pin, he left. He wasn't even there for a full five minutes."

Sango released an airy scoff, completely dumbfounded. "Are you kidding me? That's really it? What a prick."

"Well," Kagome hesitated, sighing deeply. Despite the circumstances, she was still reluctant to share Inuyasha's personal information. It played a key role in the scenario, though. It had to. Because, Sango was right, no matter how much it didn't make sense now, it was even more illogical to think he'd go from minor flirting - if that's what they could call it - straight to the cold shoulder. "Okay look, I didn't tell you this because it was kind of a sensitive topic, but I guess it doesn't really matter now. That next night, after Ayumi's thing went down the drain, I ran into him. He was really upset about something, so I made him walk with me a little to calm down and he opened up. That was our actual last encounter."

"You're gonna have to give me a little bit more to work with. What was wrong? Like, something between you two?"

"No, it was more about some family issues." Kagome answered, keeping it bland.

"Okay," Sango nodded, picking up on the hint. "He vented, and then what?"

"I hugged him. Then, I went home."

"Did you maybe say anything that could have possibly insulted him, or made him feel uncomfortable for talking about it all? I mean, from what you've told me, he comes off as fairly guarded. I feel like it'd be easy to tip the scale."

"I didn't say a word." Kagome admitted. "He asked me not to before he even started. He told me everything, and I just - I hugged him. Do you think that was what did it? Maybe the hug made him feel patronized?" The question came out as uncertain as she felt about the idea.

Sango's face twisted slightly. "What? No. How? Did he, like, push you away?"

"Not immediately. He hugged me back first. And, even as he pushed me, it was really gentle; not in a back off sort of way, but more of a nudge. He told me I should get home since it was late, and it just felt like he was saying he'd calmed down and wanted some space."

"Wow. Yeah, that's gotta be it. I can't believe you tried to comfort him. What a bitch." Sango said with a straight expression, completely sarcastic in her statement.

"If that's not the reason, then I don't know what is." Kagome said, exasperation showing in her tone and flinging hands. "I've gone over it all so many times in my head -"

From down the hall, Sango noticed the familiar smile of Inuyasha's friend, her eyes instinctively traveling to the silver-haired boy walking next to him. Reacting swiftly, she cut off Kagome as smoothly as possible, her tone as friendly as any other conversation they'd had. "You're brother's clumsy, but he's not dumb. I'm sure he won't try to go up the stairs while he's home alone."

Though there was initial confusion, Kagome clued in at the suggestive shrug of Sango's brows, only faltering to pick up the new topic for a moment. "Y-yeah. I - I know, you're right. He's just been erring on the bad side of natural selection recently."

"You worry too much." Sango giggled.

Kagome watched Sango's neck stiffen slightly, her eyes flickering over Kagome's shoulder then towards the closest wall in disregard of the boy about the pass them. There was a slight brush as Inuyasha maneuvered through, his white shirt skimming the sleeve of Kagome's black cardigan. He'd glanced at Sango but not at her, continuing down the hall.

"Now, that was just mean." Kagome mumbled. "He did that on purpose."

"Hey." Miroku greeted, undetected as he'd stayed behind. His tone was careful as he approached, sympathy etched on his brow. "Sorry about him. He's been acting pretty strange lately."

"I don't know if you two follow any sort of bro code, but can you tell me what I did to make him so mad?"

"I would if I knew. I will tell you something else though, and I'm pretty sure he'd sell my body parts to a meat market if he knew what I was about to say, but what the hell. Life's about taking risks, right?" He shrugged, his forehead crinkling with how dramatically he'd risen his eyebrows. It was like he was trying to joke, but his apprehension held back the punchline. "Every so often, Inuyasha does this thing where he cuts people out. I really don't know what happened between the two of you, but I'm pretty sure that's what he's doing here."

"What do you mean?"

"Just as it sounds. He just drops everything and pretends he never knew you. I don't know why. If it makes you feel any better, I'll admit this time it seems a little different. He's been more irritable in the last week than I've ever witnessed before, and that's saying something. The guy is your typical Shoujo manga tsundere boy through and through, so attitude from him is like milk in your cereal; it's a given. But, now he's so crabby, it's difficult to even get a basic response to a question from him. I can't think of anything you could have possibly done to provoke this, Kagome. I've known him long enough to know this is internal. If I'm right, which I'm almost sure I am, he doesn't like letting people get close to him, so I've seen this a couple times already. It's like this routine of self-sabotage, but I'll be damned if he ever listens to me."

"If that's the case, then why hasn't he cut you out? What makes you so special?" Sango inquired, crossing her arms over her chest in defense. Miroku visibly tensed, a thick swallow bobbing his Adam's apple. His Indigo eyes seemed to gloss over as he turned to look down the hall, suddenly seeming like an empty shell.

"Could you please not look at me directly?" He awkwardly spoke, voice wavering. "I might have a mental breakdown, and I feel I've been doing a really good job at holding an adult conversation."

The girls eyed each other peculiarly before Sango turned away from him enough that he'd relax. "... Then why hasn't he cut you out? What makes you so special?" She asked again, more monotonously this time.

"Honestly, beats me. The only thing I can think of is he got used to me being around. I'm harmless. But, let's face it, you're not." Miroku suggested, aiming the comment at Kagome. She frowned, brows furrowing in response.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it hasn't been confirmed or anything, but it hasn't been directly denied in a while, either. Whenever I asked, he would just change the subject. Which, to me, translates that the guy was head over heels."

"Wait, wait, wait." Sango interjected, making the mistake of turning to the hanyou's friend. Noticing his immediate discomfort, she then swiveled on her heel to talk to Kagome while her hands spoke in Miroku's direction. "You're telling us that his legitimate response to having feelings for someone is to stop interacting with them!? Isn't that a bit, I don't know, counter productive?"

"Depends on the area he's trying to be productive in, if you think about it. He doesn't like letting people in. Feelings equals closeness."

Sango groaned, "You're contradicting yourself. He has no problem letting you in, yet he cuts everyone else out?"

"He doesn't let me in." Miroku countered smoothly. "I just figured him out. Keep in mind what I said; this time it's different. This time, even he's effected by the distancing."

Kagome ground her jaw, the pout on her face more of aggravation than anything. Things were making more sense, and she was appreciative of the insight, but that didn't mean she saw Inuyasha in any better lighting. In fact, everything was made worse. What a dick move. Just like that, he was done. Because of what? Fear? She could understand the theory, really she could, but it didn't make it right. She hadn't actually done anything to deserve this. No one did, and he's done this to numerous people. His irritability per their separation didn't make her feel any better, either. Miroku was right. While thinking only of himself, Inuyasha was simultaneously voyaging down a self-destructive path.

Truthfully, she didn't know how to feel. She was still sad, but it was transitioning into something else now. She pitied him, what he'd been through, his turbulent mindset that had him scared to let anyone near. Above all else, for her own sake, she felt angry. Angry that she wasn't even given a chance. Angry that she was treated like she was expendable by the person she'd come to value so much.

Fine. If that was his choice, then fine. There was no point in trying to change his mind, and quite frankly, he didn't deserve her persistency at this point. It would be a nuisance to the both of them.

Miroku gave a careful shrug, a minor cock of his head apologizing as much as words would, backing away and turning around to head out of the emptying hall.

Finally, Sango was able to turn and fully look at him. This wasn't the first time she'd noticed just how broad his shoulders were, how toned his physique seemed, and how nicely his school uniform hugged him. She really enjoyed his smile most of all, and she'd enjoy it a little more if he didn't have a tendency to get super awkward around her - and only her. She tried to take it as flattery, but sometimes it made her overthink that something was wrong with her. They couldn't even have a proper conversation. Other times, it was pretty amusing to watch him instantaneously grow flustered. With the perspective he'd just handed them, though, Sango felt a sense of respect forming for him. He wasn't just a cute, fumbling weirdo. He was kind. It was like he wasn't afraid to step up when it mattered. He didn't owe Kagome any sort of explanation, yet he willingly gave one without prompt.

"Hey, Miroku?" Sango called. He glanced over his shoulder, blue eyes landing on her. "Thank you. I like your new haircut, by the way. Looks good on you."

His face flashed pink, lips parting slightly as if he were about to respond, but instead of words, the only thing he formulated was an inarticulate groan of some kind.

"You're gonna break him." Kagome stated.

"I know." Sango smiled proudly, the curve on her lips quickly falling away. She could sense that while Kagome feigned amused, the shift in her mood and in her lackluster expression was evident. She was justifiably upset and pulling a typical Kagome by trying to cover it up. Now that they knew the gist of what they were dealing with, Sango felt better equipped to help her handle it all. "So, do you want the straight-forward truth or gentle approach?"

"Both." Kagome sighed.

"You have every right to be upset right now. He hurt you. He's a jerk. But, if that's the way he wants to play, then he can do it alone - just like he wants. He'll realize his mistakes when he's miserable. You gotta let it go, Kay. He's not worth this." Sango cocked her head sympathetically, rubbing the side of Kagome's arm. "So, you're gonna do what everyone does when they get their heart broken: You're gonna mope, you're gonna eat your weight in ice cream, and then you're gonna take the longest bubble bath of your life and wash him off of you."

"My heart's not broken." Kagome meagerly dismissed, a crooked smile on her face.

"Then why do you look like you're about to cry?"

"Because, we're talking about it." She shook her head, looking at the floor and smiling, as if it would shadow the emotion in her eyes. "It's like asking someone, 'What's wrong?' Even when they're completely fine, they'll still cry."

"Okay, here, I've got a plan! Yuka's birthday shindig is tomorrow." Sango wiggled her shoulders, a positive grin lighting her face. It hurt to see Kagome distraught, to hear the weakness in her voice as she fought back tears. A distraction was obviously necessary right now. "She's having it at that karaoke place on Tustin. I know you hate singing, but you can come and listen to me sing, which you know will be a good time. We'll get all nice and dolled up, look hot, feel good, laugh a little, it'll be fun. Plus, I think Hojo will be there."

"So?" Kagome chuckled, catching her insinuating tone.

"First of all, the guy goes to an all-boy school now so let's show him some compassion, alright? I'm pretty sure he's jonesing hard for the female specimen since the last time we saw him was months ago. He'll see you, he'll go all goo goo eyed like back in junior high, fall at your feet a little - I mean, if that's not great for the self esteem, I don't know what is." She shrugged. "I think it'll be good for you. Please say you'll go."

Kagome gestured for them to start walking out, her easy expression showing her lack of resolve. "Can I wallow on Sunday?"

"You may. I'll even join you, if you'd like. I could use some wallow time, myself." Sango replied, hooking her arm in Kagome's as she walked at her side.

"Why? What happened to you?"

"Miroku. Miroku happened to me."

—

Kagome and Sango giggled loudly as they made their way down the block, the street lights and storefronts lighting up the semi-populated area in the night. They'd gone to Yuka's birthday party, and she'd invited more people than anticipated, all of them squeezing into the karaoke room - some either having to stand or sit on laps. Sango, of course, sat on Kagome's. It was easy to tell that the blushing boy next to them really wanted to offer a seat, but the only way he could build up enough courage to do anything of the sort was by literally offering his seat over. He was so close at one point to patting on his lap in proposal to Kagome as she came back from the bathroom, Sango could see it written all over Hojo's face. It was amazing to see that even though they went to different schools, and he'd dated around, and Kagome clearly had no interest in him, the boy was still adorably smitten whenever they were around one another. He was more the gentleman type; not very bold, at all. So, watching him try to buck up the confidence necessary to blatantly hit on Kagome in front of everyone was interesting on its own, but Sango just couldn't let it get that far. She lurched forward and grabbed Kagome's hand, dragging her away and into her own lap before Hojo could mutter out a word.

"Be nice!" Kagome gently shoved her friend's arm, trying to swallow her laugh. "He's innocent!"

"I just don't get it! How does he still have it this bad for you? Do you think he's never gotten over the fact that you gave him his first kiss? That's gotta be it!"

"He was mine too, and I've gotten over it!"

"You were never under it. It was a dare."

"Exactly. He probably doesn't actually have a crush on me, at all! I mean, think about it! It's most likely just harmless flirting."

"Kagome, have you not realized his name is an action among all the people that have ever gone to school with him? Have you never heard that!? Like, when someone is crazy about another but can't articulate that properly, they just fumble over themselves and try to tell them through hints or any other possible way besides outright saying it - like gifting bunion slippers - they're pulling a Hojo. He's got a reputation for a reason." Sango explained.

"Ah, so Miroku's a Hojo around you."

"You take that back!"

"You've got your very own Hojo." Kagome teased.

"Friendship timeout! Thirty seconds!" Sango laughed.

"You've got a Hojo!"

"Oh, are we near The Square?" Sango asked, taking in their surroundings. Up ahead, the opening to the area was bright and bustling, orange lights strung from across store tops and posts decorating the environment and building the comfortable ambience for socializing. "I heard they have this really good coffee place! Let's get some!"

"Sango, it's past ten!" Kagome mentioned. "You're dad's gonna kill you if you come home wired."

"He won't be able to tell the difference between a caffeine buzz and the comedown from an outing." She dragged Kagome forward, attempting to scout out the place with her nose. Coffee beans guided her like the force, pulling her through the crowd and straight to the line that connected to the window for blessed java. "Want something?"

"No, thanks." She giggled, amused by Sango's addiction to the one thing her family forbid her to have.

"You're gonna leech off of mine, aren't you?"

"Just a sip." Kagome waited patiently next to her, her eyes drifting over the people hanging out and talking, eating food, drinking coffee, and generally seeming to be having a good time. It was a nice atmosphere, and ages seemed to vary from people her age to maybe early twenties. Feeling watched, she followed the sensation, spotting Inuyasha in a small group he was mingling with, golden eyes glued to her.

Even from the distance, she could determine his furrowed brows and straight-set lips showed he was unhappy, maybe even a little surprised to see her. The feeling was mutual, quite frankly. It's like there were no safe zones. So, she returned the scowl, giving an exasperated roll of her eyes as she deliberately turned her back to him.

He'd caught her scent in the large-spread crowd, finding that lately he felt he'd be able to pinpoint it anywhere. He tried to ignore it, dismiss it as someone's annoyingly-similar perfume. It was no use. The aroma pulled his focus, bringing his attention to immediately land on the joyful girl. His stomach knotted uncomfortably, hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, noticing how the lights from up above bounced off her skin to glow beautifully. Her hair was in successive waves, not how they usually fell; like, her black locks had been curled only for the strength of the spirals to fall away. Her makeup was nice, intended for a night out, eyes shadowed in blended browns that made the depth of her irises pop dangerously. Her getup was upsettingly appealing, a grey tank top loose on her torso while a tight, black skirt hugged the curves of her hips, topped off with flats and a red, plaid, unbuttoned long sleeve. What a cruel happenstance, salt sprinkling into the wound he'd carved on his own.

Of all places to come dressed like that. He'd told her it wasn't safe just a week ago, yet here she comes waltzing around like a human magnet for unwanted, male attention. Her stare was more brutal than her attire, coldly sneering at him like he'd done to her before. He didn't like it. It tasted acidic, her spite. His fingers began to flex at his side, even as he turned away to refocus on the conversation between Miroku and the other guy they stood with, agitation pressing him with her so near. He'd already noticed a couple of men check her out just as she and Sango appeared, topping the list of shit he wasn't liking at the moment. It was hard not to pay attention to it. It was hard to even pretend not to pay attention to it. The half demon peeked over, his jaw set and blood growing increasingly hotter, chest contracting on his inhale when he witnessed two guys talking to the two girls. Already. Jesus fucking christ, already!

The guys were definitely older, and from their tones that he could just barely pick up over the multitude of conversations happening around, it wasn't a chat they were intending on keeping casual forever. One stepped a little closer, and just like that, Inuyasha was done.

Sango stirred her straw through her blended coffee while the guy closest to Kagome asked if the two of them would like to hang out with their group of friends. "We were just passing through, actually. Thanks, anyway."

Kagome received the subtle head nod from Sango signifying it was time to go, the two of them flashing friendly smiles to the guys. Before they could make any further move, though, a hot-approaching person caught Kagome's eye and she turned in time to see Inuyasha marching over, haughtily shoving himself between them and the two boys.

"Let's go." He all but growled, amber eyes burning through her.

"What?" The question was sharp on her tongue.

"Come on." His voice was rough, deep, causing hesitance in her reaction, making Kagome have to force a response while she intentionally twisted her expression in defiance.

"No."

"Now, Kagome."

"Look, man, she doesn't want to go with you." One of the guys objected.

Inuyasha steadily turned around to face the fucker, the hanyou standing a couple inches higher than him. The idiot was scrawny and human, easily no match for Inuyasha, his short-lived bravery fading away as the half demon stepped closer in a manner to size him up.

"Back the fuck off." Inuyasha warned.

"We don't want any trouble. You know her or something?"

Kagome held her breath, never once having seen this side of Inuyasha. He seemed menacing and large, and she swore she heard a threatening growl begin to rumble through his chest.

"Yeah. You?"

"We were kind of in the middle of getting to know them, so -"

"Well, that's over." He smiled condescendingly, spinning back to face Kagome. Without a second thought, Inuyasha crouched down, picking Kagome up and tossing her over his shoulder, carrying her off toward the back path they'd found each other on the week prior.

She hadn't expected it in the least. One minute, Inuyasha was squared up with someone, the next she was being carried off in the world's most awkward position, a yelp leaving her mouth as her feet left the ground. Kagome's hands were braced on his mid back, trying to prop herself up so there wasn't too much weight applied to her stomach against the bony part of his shoulder. His gait provided a little bounce that she swore was never there before, serving to jostle her slightly every few steps or so. Her hair had flung over her head, and with how she was positioned, it was difficult to push it all out of her sight, making it impossible to see the entirety of The Square's reaction to the scene Inuyasha had just procured - which was probably for the best. No matter how much she told the half demon to put her down, or wriggled in his hold, he never did. Of course, her demands were cut off by multiple, frantic oh my god's, and her movements were nothing more than baby kicks because she was terrified of being dropped. The guy probably didn't even take her seriously.

Sango, in wild shock at Inuyasha's barbaric attitude, hastily went to follow after her helpless friend, strong arms wrapping around her core to stop her mid stride.

"Wait, wait, give him a chance."

"Give him a - he literally stole Kagome!" She argued, pushing the arms away as she faced Miroku.

"I know, he comes off horribly but I promise he means well!" He defended, the grimace deep on his face. "Just give them a few minutes to try and talk things through."

"He means well…" Sango scorned, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Funny you say that, considering you literally told us yesterday that he ghosts people on the norm."

"Valid point." It was hard to argue against that. "You got me there. But, if he really wanted to ditch her, he would have never pulled a stunt like this. No matter the situation."

"That doesn't make it okay!"

"You're right! You're absolutely right! All I'm asking for is a few minutes. His communication skills are questionable, but he might be coming around. Let's not interrupt the possibility."

Reluctantly, Sango huffed, giving in without another word. Miroku knew the guy better than anyone, and his conviction was heartfelt. It was almost impossible to believe that anything bad would happen with how he spoke. It was comforting. So, she'd trust him.

He watched her relax before him, though her arms stayed crossed, her brown eyes washing over him and around the area as she made no further move to follow their friends. All at once, it seemed as if a force had body slammed him, giving him no opportunity to inhale a breath as he took Sango in, his nerves going haywire like every fucking time before. She was gorgeous, mesmerizing, like no other woman he'd ever seen - in person. It was like he physically felt his expression fall into one of peril, his eyes wide as he tried to gather his bearings. She wore a dress, a wonderful, wonderful dress, that hugged her curves like he wanted to. The baby blue complimented her skin tone, her chocolate brown hair straight, and long, and flowing over her shoulders and the front of her body. He stared too long, uncontrollably so, and of course, she noticed, a frown marring her plush lips.

"What's wrong?"

Oh god, how did he look right now? It took all the effort he had to aim for recovery, focusing on a single objective. It was like he was a young boy learning to flirt all over again, hopeless and awkward and desperate for love. A compliment. He had to compliment her. He had to compliment her.

"Y-you look - wow - um, that's a - a dress that - no - you're - you have pretty…" His stammering was worse than ever, tense and forced, his voice monotonous and robotic. He focused on her hair, her eyes, her mouth, her arms, her waist, her hips. "Thighs."

Sango blinked, lips curling in distaste and confusion, completely taken aback. Was she supposed to thank him? The redness blistering the entirety of his face spoke volumes of how much he hated himself in that moment, his chest so still she wasn't even sure he was breathing. Thighs. Of all things, he said her thighs were pretty. What was wrong with this guy?

"I could crush you." She simply stated.

"Yeah. That's hot."

And with that, she took her leave, walking the path Inuyasha had carried Kagome away in.

Miroku was ready to cry. He was so close, so close, to an appropriate compliment and he blew it. The worst thing was, he still meant what he'd said. His body washed cold, and he felt empty, light, like he could drift away with the next breeze.

"Dude…" The two guys from before had remained, overhearing it all, equally mortified for him.

"I don't know why!" Miroku wailed, begrudgingly following after Sango despite his humiliation. At this point, he was more inclined than ever to keep his distance from her.

Inuyasha placed Kagome on her feet, the girl grunting and stumbling backward from his unforgiving lack of gentleness. He caught her arms, stilling her, her hands quickly smacking him away and swinging around to pull her clothes down, desperately trying to ignore the underwear that had ridden up. "Jesus, Inuyasha, you had your hand on my ass that entire time!"

"Yeah, well if you weren't wearing the world's shortest skirt, I wouldn't have had to pin it down to keep it from rising any higher!" The hanyou rebutted.

"You wouldn't have had to keep it from rising if you didn't go all ape man and chuck me over your shoulder!"

"If you didn't say, 'no,' I wouldn't have had to!"

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to not want to talk, but it's perfectly fine the other way around!? You've been ignoring me for a week, Inuyasha, so why the sudden urgency!?"

He shook his head, a crooked grin pushing his cheeks, chuckling to taunt her. Nothing was humorous, he was just being a jerk. And, he was successfully infuriating her.

"No, in order to ignore you that would mean I'd have to care to a certain degree. I don't. I see you around, I don't care. I get a text from you, I just don't care."

Kagome rolled her eyes, slowly, antagonizingly. Yeah, sure. "Then, what's so important? I mean, it must be important if you're willing to break your silence."

"Fuck it. If I say anything, you'll just end up moping around for another week like you already have been." He said, pulling the excuse right out of his ass. He had no good reason for snagging her. He had no good reason for anything. He just couldn't stand the fucking sight of chummy pricks hitting on Kagome. He acted impulsively. Now, he was going to have to lie impulsively and end this so he could get a fucking grip over himself again. "Go home."

"No! No! You don't get to do that!" Kagome yelled, adrenaline heating her entire body and fueling her temper. "Why have you been such a dick to me lately!? Everything seemed fine before!"

"I don't owe you an explanation!"

"The hell, you don't! I'm on the receiving end of your crap! I have the right to know why!"

"God, you're too much! Don't you get it!? You're too fucking much!" Inuyasha exclaimed, flailing his hands in exasperation. "I don't even know how Sango deals with you all the time! You're ridiculous! You're so self-righteous, and you're pushy as fuck! Once I realized you were getting a bit too close to me, I bowed out!"

"What do you mean, too close!?" It was hard to ignore the sting that was making home in her chest, carrying on further because it was too late to stop herself.

"What the hell does it sound like to you!? Think about it, Kagome! I swear, no one could possibly be that bad in school! It's almost like you were purposely failing tests just to get me to come over!" His first mistake: eye contact while she took the hit. It was like some light faded from her rich irises. Still, like a train out of control, Inuyasha continued. "You give me your two cents as if your opinions are supposed to matter! You touch me, hug me! Geez, you like me and it's so fucking obvious!"

Hurt her pride, and she'll leave. That was the plan. Whenever you throw out sensitive accusations like this, true or false as they may be, the natural reaction to the humility was to object, redirect the shame, and then walk away. He'd seen it so many fucking times, it was like clockwork.

The saliva she swallowed tasted bitter, a gelatinous denseness overfilling her stomach. He'd looked away, radiant eyes gazing at whatever he could except her. She hadn't fully thought out a response. At this point, it was hard to form rational thoughts anymore, her voice coming from her lips of its own accord. Because, silence would only make him think he'd won. "I-I fail to see what's wrong with that!"

Kagome had always compared the golden hues to that of embers, but as his eyes snapped back to her, the befuddlement, the surprise at her statement shifted the color to deepen, resembling the heat of an actual fire. Anger didn't back up the change, as one would expect. In fact, she could physically feel his rage temporarily subside in the wake of this.

"I mean, really! What's wrong with that!? So I liked you, big deal! Sorry it was inconvenient, but I never once tried for anything more, or ever expected you to reciprocate, so don't act like I was next-level clingy and desperate for your attention! Because, I wasn't and you know it! Why do you look so surprised right now, Inuyasha? Where's your vicious reply? I mean, with the look you're giving me, it's almost like you had no idea I really did have feelings for you, which would only discredit your argument and -" Her jaw dropped a little at her own realization. "You didn't, did you? What, were you just throwing out bullshit to try and make me look bad? To embarrass me!? What - what is that, a defense mechanism of yours?"

"Oh, fuck this." Inuyasha blurted, the words tight in his throat. He turned around, beginning to walk away, the lining of his stomach burning while his chest twinged painfully. His fingers trembled, and he clenched them into fists, his breathing erratic. Mistake number two: allowing his nerves to get the better of him at her admittance. He didn't know. She called him on everything, but he was so thrown by the reality that she really did care for him. "You've got it all wrong, but think whatever you want."

"I don't think I do! You're not this mysterious book no one's ever been able to open, you know!? I'm sure you wish you were, but you're a bit too expressive for your own good! What's this really about, Inuyasha!?"

"Shut up!" He barked, aiming it over his shoulder.

"Are you afraid of something!?"

He kept walking, the sigh he let out rigid and flaming, especially as he noticed Sango and Miroku watching from afar. He heard Kagome's vexing laugh from behind, and it was like he'd walked full force into a wall, enclosed in a space with the bitch and having no other choice but to turn around and accept her challenge.

"That's it. I can't believe I didn't figure this out sooner." Kagome said, astounded.

"What the fuck are you going on about!?" His face was red, furious, marching back over to her to continue on like he'd never tried to leave.

"It wasn't just that I was getting close to you! You were getting close to me too, and it freaked you out!"

"Nothing scares me!"

"Bullshit! I scare you! You're just not willing to admit it! It's easier for you to blame me and play the big shot! You felt something for me, and that something wasn't going away, and it terrified you! Because opening yourself up to someone means opening yourself up to someone potentially leaving! Right? But you, being who you are, always walk around with a pack of matches in one hand and a container of gasoline in the other just so you can burn your side of the bridge before the other person has the chance to burn theirs!"

"God, Kagome, shut up! You don't know what the fuck you're talking about!"

"Considering how upset you are, I think I'm pretty freaking close!"

"Why can't you just let it go!?"

"I will when you own up! I'm right, aren't I!? You're the only one hurting you, Inuyasha!"

"If that's the case, then why the fuck do you care so much!?"

"Why would you question that!?" Kagome flailed her arms, dumbstruck, her voice breaking from the unbridled emotion burning her throat. "If someone is willing to care, even after all of this, shouldn't that be something you're grateful for!? God, you think the entire world is out to get you, you're willing to hand out blame like lottery tickets! Believe it or not, not everything will turn out as bad as you think it will! You just refuse to give anything or anyone a fucking chance! You're so busy preventing anything from happening that you literally prevent anything from happening!"

They stood just inches apart, staring at each other with fury and outright condemnation. Their chests rose and fell heavily, hot breath filling the small space between them. His scowl uncreased, his features softening as it seemed he steadily regained control of himself. Inuyasha leaned closer, his eyes glossed over, causing Kagome's breathing to sputter and hitch in her chest. His voice was low, gruff. Venomous.

"You're a waste of time."

Everything inside her went cold. She wasn't angry anymore, a dull blade silencing her temper. It was like she suddenly felt unsteady, the sensation starting calm and growing to a wobble, making Kagome feel as if she were swaying no matter how still her feet actually were. The argument wasn't the waste of time, it was her. She was the waste of time. And, he wanted her to taste the poison in his sentiment. The only thing he could have said that would have been more painful than this was that he hated her. She could only guess that was next on his tongue. Brown eyes drifted to his chest and the black shirt that covered it, down to his stomach that seemed to blur with the sting of tears she was trying to fight off, down to his dark jeans as her face contorted slightly before she resumed control, then to the tiny spaces of the cement that separated their shoes.

Mistake number three: hurting her so badly, he'd hurt himself.

He lost control. He lost sight of the purpose of everything. The words just came out of his mouth, he didn't mean them. Everything he'd said to her up until this point was mean and distasteful, but this was unmatched. He crossed a line; immediately, he knew it. Kagome didn't deserve this. She was good. Kagome was good. And, she was right about everything. Inuyasha could hear his blood pumping in his ears, feel his heart thumping aggressively. The quiver in her chin halted his breathing, and the salt he suddenly smelled tasted like his acrid punishment. Frozen, he just listened to her unsteady breathing as her composure visibly wavered, dragging him lower and lower. He shouldn't have said it, but it was too late. There was nothing he could do now.

"Okay. I'm sorry." Kagome whispered, her voice not cooperating. There was nothing in her that could convincer her to look directly at him. If she did, she'd fold. She began to back away, creating distance, her body shaky and light. The damage was done. She wished she'd never pushed him for answers. Sometimes it was better to be ignorant. It was hard to swallow that someone, Inuyasha, thought so little of her. All she wanted now was to go home. She just wanted to go home, get away from him, stay away from him for good.

Chapter Text

Miroku gripped Sango's arm and shoulder, having to have physically braced her against him when she'd sprung to stop the fight. It looked as if it was ending when Inuyasha walked away, but the moment he turned around, his cheeks a blustering shade, she lurched forward to run interference. Typically, with anyone else, he wouldn't have prevented it, especially when things seemed as out of control as they were. In this case, Miroku knew it was already too late. Sango would only literally end up stuck in the middle.

The two of them watched as they screamed back and forth, Sango's hand flying to hold the tops of Miroku's fingers that gripped along her arm, much like a reflex to seek support while all they could do was stand by and watch. And, then it got quiet. Inuyasha and Kagome stood so close and Sango's stomach twisted with prickles of unnerving anxiety, seeing Inuyasha's mouth move but not able to hear the words he spoke. She saw Kagome's reaction, though. She witnessed the wound form and spread over her like paint irresponsibly dropped on a canvas.

"What - what did he say?" She asked, still staring helplessly.

"I don't know." Miroku breathed.

As Kagome turned and walked away, her pace quickly hastening, Miroku released his hold on Sango. She spared him a brief glance before running to catch up with her friend, and he didn't linger in place, following suit to get to Inuyasha.

"Finally, something shut her -"

"You've said enough!" Miroku pushed him, sending the half demon stumbling to the side. Inuyasha's mouth hung open, brows furrowed but his expression one of shock. "What the hell's wrong with you!?"

He'd been prepared for Inuyasha to swing or retaliate, but the hanyou's lips merely sealed and his body straightened. It was like he was damaged. He looked away, and his jaw clenched, the muscles in the sides of his face flexing harshly. His swallow was thick, visible, and his chest rose and fell heavily. He was still on the defense, but Miroku could tell the speed of his thoughts had to be slowing.

"How bad was that?" The question was barely spoken, his tone so dispirited, carrying the weight of his regret. He couldn't help it. Everything she'd said had been so powerfully sworn, each word like a tick that burrowed deep into his skin. It was impossible to ignore. Even worse was the look on her face as he'd crushed her. So quickly, it had burned into his mind, framed in the forefront, heartbreaking, and the evidence of how despicable he could truly be. He couldn't not see it. He couldn't fight through it. It brought his natural guarding to shut down.

"Bad." Miroku stated.

"Did you hear everything?" Still, the words were hardly audible, hushed with shame.

"Everything up until the end."

"I called her a waste of time." He said clearly, leveling his gaze to meet Miroku's. "That outta do it, right?"

There was a falter in Inuyasha, an evident one. Anyone would have picked up on it; no one needed the skill to read people. He felt contrite. He didn't mean that. He probably didn't mean anything he'd said, but he knew the consequences of his mistakes.

"You can apologize." Miroku suggested, the tension in his shoulders dropping. "Take it back. Tell her you said all of it in the heat of the moment and -"

"No."

"- You never meant to hurt her."

"I can't." Inuyasha was resolute, a little panicked, muscles showing jittery agitation. "I fucked up. That's it."

"That doesn't have to be it! If you don't like the turn of events, do something about it!"

"How do I just take something like that back, Miroku!? I threw everything in her face! I made her feel worthless! I know too goddamn well that you can't just say sorry for something that low and expect everything to be fine!" He yelled, irate. He'd turned into the person he shouldn't have. Like all the people that belittled him for being what he was. Like his brother. He tore down a person who cared about him because he was more afraid that she wouldn't, and in preventing his own future pain, he only broke himself sooner.

"Well," Miroku began. "If that's the case, if someone were to apologize to you then how would you like them to do it?"

Inuyasha didn't reply, his head only shaking in disbelief. How could he have let himself do that? Who was he becoming? There were people in life that pre-evaluated their future, that swore they'd never become like the ones who did them harm. Inuyasha never had. He never worried about it. His solution was to dismiss it all, act like it never happened, isolate himself, fight back. This time, he realized, he fended off the wrong person.

He muttered a curse under his breath, feeling so heavy he could have sunken into the earth. Swaying on his heel, Inuyasha veered right, ducking down an alley to head home.

—

Kagome sluggishly rolled out of bed, her head pounding. It had been hard to stop crying, and once she did, it was even harder not to start up again. She was exhausted but couldn't sleep, and the tea her mom had brought up mid breakdown was now bitter and cold. The silence was annoying and only contributing to the pungent thoughts that kept her emotions active. She wanted to stop feeling angry, and sad, and hurt, and defensive, and anxious, or anything else her mood shifted to depending on what way she was going to overthink the scenario that time, and just mute everything for a while. Since sleep wasn't an option at the moment, she decided she'd use the TV as a distraction.

After grabbing the remote and hitting the power button, she turned off the overhead light, showing an ounce of pity for her throbbing head. It was past midnight, so she kept the volume low, sitting on the foot of her mattress as she flipped it over to Netflix and resumed her show. Two solid taps on her window caught her attention, and Kagome looked over her shoulder, silver hair catching the glimmer of light from the illuminated screen. An unsettling chill sank down into her abdomen, like the feeling of fingers steadily teasing their grip over her organs, and her breath trembled, heat flushing her face.

Inuyasha crouched outside her windowpane, his expression relaxed but his gaze overtly cautious. He had a lot of guts showing up, time hardly a cushion to the blows she'd taken. But, on the other hand, he had to have come for a reason, right?

No, that didn't matter. It shouldn't matter. Kagome needed to draw the line, she needed to respect herself. As difficult as it was, and it was very difficult for her, she walked over to the window, avoiding his stare while she yanked the curtains shut.

The hanyou sighed defeatedly. He deserved it, he knew, but that didn't make it any easier to handle. He smelled her tears before approaching her window, he knew she had to still be hurting. Of course, she was. There was no way a person would recover from what he'd said in the span of a few hours; he, of all people, understood. He didn't come here on a whim, though; he came here to talk. It took a lot of effort, too much even, to swallow his pride and mentally rehearse what he had to say on his walk over. Kagome deserved an explanation for everything. She deserved insight, answers, his own, personal vulnerability, and above all else, she deserved to know just how fucking sorry he was.

"Kagome," Inuyasha kept his tone softer than usual, though the gruffness was inevitable. "Open the window. Please. If you don't, I'll just go to your front door."

She froze, huffing at the unfair ultimatum. Begrudgingly but swiftly giving in, she pushed the curtains aside, sliding the window open but propping herself before him to block his entrance. "If you're here for round two, now's not really a good time."

Her voice was low but dangerous. Inuyasha kept steady, his expression hardly wavering, amber eyes unable to hold on her and drifting low as he gave a gentle nod to ask if he could come in. There was a moment of tension, the silence only filled with the mumbling from the show she'd put on, her sigh signifying her reluctancy even though she moved and allowed him entry.

Carefully, Inuyasha climbed through, resting his low back against the frame of the window. Kagome stood in front of her bed, fiddling with the sleeves of her shirt as she pulled them to cover her hands. It seemed like a nervous tick; just trying to keep her fingers busy while she stretched and dropped and bunched the cotton over and over. Her eyes were red and puffy, the makeup she'd worn earlier cleaned off, though a thin smudge decorated the lines of her lids. She was dressed down in pajama bottoms, the shirt she wore not long enough to hide her midriff, and her hair was still just as beautiful as before.

Reaching over, he quietly glided the window shut behind him, not wanted the chill of the night to bother her.

"What do you want?"

He hated how sad she sounded, how lifeless her voice was.

"I didn't mean it." Inuyasha finally admitted, hesitation on his tongue. Still, he found it hard to make eye contact with Kagome.

"What part?" She asked, crossing her arms, fingers remaining covered. The inquiry was justified; he'd said a lot. The clarification was necessary at this point.

"Any of it. I didn't mean anything I said." He heard her exhale. It was rocky and short, troubled, exactly as he would expect. Then why the fuck would he say it in the first place, right? He pushed himself to meet her eyes pleadingly, calm. "Five minutes. Give me five uninterrupted minutes to explain."

Kagome could feel his sincerity, the light from her show flickering on his skin as scenes played through. The emotions swirling in her head were conflicting; fifty percent wanting to hear what he had to say and the other fifty wondering if he even deserved the chance. It wasn't difficult to know which way she'd lean, though. Even for herself. Everyone should have an opportunity to open up about how they felt and why they'd acted the way they did. Especially given how guilty he looked at this point in time. Reaching to the side, Kagome grabbed her remote off the top of her comforter, muting her show and trusting him to keep a level tone so her family wouldn't be woken up. Tossing the controller back down, she gave Inuyasha her undivided attention.

The half demon nodded in appreciation, breathing out unsteadily as he ducked his head and crossed his arms over his front. He was naturally inclined to stay quiet, the apprehension and tension of the entire predicament overwhelming, but he couldn't allow himself to shut down, to expect this all to blow over on its own just because he'd presented an apologetic version of his being. He gave himself a mental shove, as hard as it was, urging himself to open up for once in his goddamn life. It was warranted. He had to. Even if, in the end, he wasn't offered redemption for his mistakes, which was a sour thought and pained him enough to swell his throat, Kagome would still have the knowledge of the exhausted beliefs that made him travel the route of countless burned bridges.

"You know about my parents." He started, eyes on the carpet beneath his shoes. He ignored every pressing shockwave that conveyed for him to keep to himself, to lockdown all his personal information, opening a door that hadn't been opened in years. It didn't matter anymore. Not when he'd seen how he'd made her cry. "How they died. I don't remember my dad all that much, but my mom's passing took a huge toll on me. I was very close with her. She was human, and she still managed to protect me as if she had the strength of a demon. From other demons. From internal demons. When she was gone, I didn't have that shelter anymore. Having someone that's pushed on you to be considered family, someone who's supposed to be there for you but then turns around and makes you feel like shit for something you can't control takes a toll, too. It wasn't just Sesshomaru, though - my brother. There were plenty of people I've met that shun me, talk shit, think I'm unnatural. After experiencing it enough, you learn to expect the worst of everyone. Not gonna lie, Sesshomaru's voice is what I hear every time. So, instead of waiting for backs to turn, I just turn mine. It stopped bothering me after a while. I wasn't even numb anymore, it just didn't matter." Inuyasha was concerned the thunderous beating of his heart would be detected by Kagome. It was difficult not to show how his breathing increased in pace, the topic one he'd never spoken about to any other living soul. In his mind, he kept repeating the importance of all of this. Over and over, he told himself to keep going, to tell her everything, actively refusing to let himself stop. "No one knows this, Kagome. I figured the more I keep locked up, the less vulnerable I am. Then, you walked in. You're right. You scared me. I unintentionally gave you too much of my background when I initially intended to give you a bland explanation that night that I was upset. Safety isn't something I've been fortunate enough to experience in a few years, and I think that's what I began to feel with you. Like before, though, safety can be taken away very quickly, and I - I didn't want to go through it again. You aren't the first I've dropped like that. You're the first to fight back, though. You were the first to ever show that it made you sad. I mean, yeah, people would get offended, but then they'd turn around and drop me and pretend it was their idea all along. I expected the same from you," Finally, finally, he glanced her way. "and it hurt when I didn't get it."

Her dark eyes were large, the lighting showing the sadness in the glimmering tears building on her bottom lids. Her lips were pouting, parted slightly, her chin giving a quiver that made him feel unstable, as her brows pressed together in concern. Was she compassionate for his history, or was this the affliction he'd done? Maybe both? He didn't deserve the former, but given what he'd learned about Kagome over the months, he wouldn't doubt her empathy.

"I didn't want to lose you, but it was too late by the time I acknowledged it. Everything about you was a warning to me of the damage you could potentially do. I was too susceptible, so I took myself out of the picture. I'm being honest when I say I didn't know I was hurting you. It was confusing. I was used to apathy, and you don't have an apathetic bone in your body. Even now, I don't know what to do or where to go from here. If you're done, I get it. I don't fucking blame you. Tell me to go and I'll go. But, before you do, let me just say that I don't think you're stupid, or self-righteous, or anything else I said. I don't. I was throwing out whatever came to mind to try and push you away."

Kagome was quiet, holding her breath as her chest constricted. Beneath the treatment he'd handed her, she completely understood his reasoning. It didn't make it right, and in her gut she could tell he knew that. That wasn't his purpose. It gave her perception, though, and that accounted for something. In the silence, she'd noticed his breathing ceased too, and his eyes had fallen back down to the floor. His chest was still, and he was just as nervous as he was when he'd first entered, if not more. It was her turn to speak. And she was so scared of saying the wrong thing. She was fearful of having it used against her like before. In her heart, Kagome wanted to give him another chance. She deeply wanted to trust him like she had, maybe even better now that he'd opened up a part of himself that had never been accessible to anyone before.

"Tell me the truth, Inuyasha. What do you want?"

He looked over, apprehensively. Cautiously.

How was it he was so fearless in the face of aggressive and violent confrontation, but so terrified of this one girl? She had more strength in her compassion than fists would ever have against him. A tear fell from her eye, gliding over the curve of her cheek, acting as the sledgehammer that slammed down against his cinderblock walls, each teardrop serving as each strike. The half demon swallowed thickly, feeling a profound softness for Kagome strengthen with each uneven inhale of her comforting scent, laced with sadness that he wanted to dissipate. That's what he wanted. He wanted to fix everything. He wanted to see her smile again, hear her laugh, make her laugh, help her study because he was the one that needed the excuse to see her. He wanted to make sure he kept the bridge between them sturdy and unbreakable. Because of her, for her, he wanted to be better. What he'd done to her, said to her, he'd never do it again. Inuyasha wanted Kagome.

On any level he could attain, Inuyasha wanted Kagome.

Words wouldn't work for him in that moment. He couldn't speak. His abdomen was tighter than ever, a lump solidifying in his throat, his jaw clenching as he experienced the debilitating anxiety involved in the realization that he had been falling in love all along. That's why it crushed him when she cried, he was happy when she expressed joy, he trusted her with the parts of him he'd never talked about before. It hurt when she didn't react the way he'd grown to expect, because it complicated everything so much more. Because he didn't like losing her, and the thought that she didn't want to lose him either made everything so much fucking harder to process.

Inuyasha was still scared. He couldn't shake it. His own muscles inadvertently tensed through the emotional stress he was under, the weight of his feelings intensifying. What could he do if he couldn't speak? He had to tell Kagome he wanted to stay by her side in some other manner. He couldn't lose the opportunity, or let the silence build and settle in the shadows of her mind; he couldn't risk any negative thoughts intruding on her any further, or making her feel insecure for opening up the floor to him. He'd put her through enough. And he knew what he wanted.

Slowly, the hanyou reached over to her, his fingers gently grazing the soft sleeve of her shirt, pinching the loose fabric to give the tenderest of tugs his way. He was afraid she'd resist or shrug him off, but she didn't. Kagome's face crinkled slightly as she stepped his way, easily following his guidance as she opened herself up to him. There was no way he would permit himself to freeze or hesitate at this point, so he pulled her into his chest where she glided her arms over his front and around his shoulders. She clutched onto him, her face nuzzling into the crook of his neck where her hot breath almost brought him to falter, small hiccups from her silent cries rocking against his torso. Steadily, Inuyasha wrapped her into him, his hands large against the small of her back, one slipping beneath her shirt to lay flat against her hot skin and the other firmly gripping the cotton to keep her there. He felt her ease, and it didn't take long, following the natural curve of his body as he effortlessly supported her weight. In that moment, to add to it all, he felt the growing and undying hunger to protect her from anything or anyone that could devastate her this way again. He didn't care what he had to do, who he'd have to fight, or even if it was swallowing his own pride to make sure he never overstepped a boundary. Inuyasha would keep Kagome safe. One step at a time, he planned to make sure she understood he was reliable.

"I'm sorry." Inuyasha breathed, holding her tighter. She nodded against him, her body seeming to have calmed considerably. Her arms relaxed, and though he wasn't ready to let her go, he released his hold, allowing her to back away. Kagome didn't look at him, not directly, her dull stare landing on his stomach. He was almost desperate for her smile to return. He missed it horribly, feeling it would be the only thing to give him relief from his own turmoil. Like something else had control over him, his hand reached up, barely stroking her jaw with his thumb. "Are we - are we okay?"

"Mhm," Kagome hummed, leaning into his whisper of a touch.

"You're not okay." He whispered, dropping his hand. Things didn't just disappear with an apology, he got that. As much as he didn't like it, the bitterness building on the back of his tongue, Inuyasha knew it'd take time to get over their fight and the ruthlessness of his insults. I'm sorry merely served as the bandaid. Actions in show of his regret was the ointment that sealed the wound. All too well, he knew how it went. He wouldn't push her to pretend she was fine when she was still fighting off tears. No matter how relieved her sighs against his chest seemed, that was just the surface layer of a wound scabbing over. "I'll go. If you need me, I'm available. I won't disappear again."

As he opened the window to climb out, a wild fluttering built in Kagome's diaphragm, bringing her to bite her bottom lip hard as her nerves prickled and stung. "Can you - um," She trembled, scared to see how he'd react to her upcoming question. There was no fending it off, though. She had to hear the opposite of what had sunken into her heart, the density of the statement holding her hostage. Inuyasha turned around, ember eyes watching her, observing her. With a mental push, her fingers hidden beneath her sleeves as she bunched and clenched the cloth within her fists, she forced the remainder of the question out, disregarding the fear evident behind her breath. "Can you tell me that I'm not a waste of time? Please?"

Inuyasha thought he'd known the repercussions of that volatile sentiment, but as he watched her crumble all over again, her frown deepening heartbreakingly and tears staining her cheeks once more, it was only then that he realized just how awful the blow was that he'd spoken so unthinkingly. He wished he had less walls to break down. He wished he wasn't already at his limit, having pushed himself so far passed the boundary that had solidified overtime. He wished the work he knew he'd have to conduct on himself to be what she deserved could be done instantaneously, so that he could bring himself to touch her again, but he couldn't. Inuyasha's arms were stuck at his side, muscles tense and difficult to move. God, he wanted to be capable of fucking grabbing her and holding her without so much as having to think it through; like a normal fucking person. Words couldn't describe the desperation behind the helplessness he felt that he physically couldn't handle it right now, his fear, his anxiety, his thoughts rushing so fast that his blood coursed through his veins at the same damn cursing speed. Even when he tried, his hands only reached up so far, seeming more like they were braced before him heedfully; like he was worried about breeching her own boundaries. Which he was. He didn't know what to do. When his actions failed him, how could he be believed? With a heavy sigh, the half demon stepped forward, as close as they'd been before when he'd first spoken those destructive words. He felt broken knowing what he'd done to her, and if the frown on his face was the proof of this feeling, the last thing he would do was hide it. If this was what he could give her at this point in time, he'd happily hand her his remorse on a silver platter. She was crying, her entire body shaking just inches before him, and he hated that he couldn't physically take that pain away from her. If what she wanted was to hear the contradiction of his earlier statement, though, he could manage that much. He didn't care if it was hard, he'd give her anything he fucking could right now.

"You're not a waste of time, Kagome." Inuyasha spoke, genuinely, his voice husky. "I lied. I would have never come back if I actually thought that."

She smiled. Despite it all, she smiled. If he could touch her, he would have cradled her face and wiped away the tears that fell until there were no more to clean, but it felt like there was a bulletproof glass separating them; like Inuyasha was locked away in prison, speaking to Kagome during a moment of visitation, desperately wishing he was free from his mistakes and the confinements that restrained him. Soon. This was his wakeup call. He wanted to be the one that was there for her, that reassured her everything would be okay, that held her, that made her feel so comfortable she could fall asleep on his chest. What more verification would you need of a person trusting you other than them sleeping in your arms? He'd never experienced that before, but he'd be a goddamn liar if he said he hadn't once dreamt of someone sleeping by his side, or drifting off while watching tv. When he'd woken up from those types of dreams, he felt hollow. He was convinced it'd never happen. He knew now that in order for anything to happen, anything at all, he'd have to rebuild his mindset to be more open. It was no secret by now that he had been sealed shut, but now that the door was pried open, he could see the possibility of warmth entering through. There was always a chance of being hurt, and the scars ran deep, but there were risks that were worth taking. She was worth it. No matter how nauseous he felt right now.

"Thank you." She sighed.

"Go to bed." He said, turning back around and soundlessly crawling out the window. "I'll see you later."

Kagome gave a tired nod, sauntering over to the window behind him. Her crying had just about stopped, the remnants of it all wiped away on her sleeves.

He gave a soft grin, his stomach half in shambles. "Goodnight, Kagome."

She smiled, watching him venture over the small area of roofing before grabbing onto the overhanging branch of a tree. "Night." She said as he spared her one last glance, sliding the window shut when he climbed down.

—

As soon as he walked through the school gates, Inuyasha felt a sickening twinge ignite in his entire torso. He'd thought realizations of your own feelings were supposed to lessen the burdens, but all he'd felt since that night was horrible nervousness. Now more than ever. They hadn't spoken since. She needed space, and he respected it. Even though they'd left on a relatively good note, he felt pressured as he walked through the campus, making his way to his locker. Was she going to be in school? How would she react if he said hello? How would he react if she said hello? Was it allowed? Were they on speaking terms? What about their study dates? Did they still exist or was he supposed to go through the humiliating process of reinstating them? Did she even want them anymore? If things were awkward, how did he proceed from there to properly reconcile? How could he make things normal again? Fuck, he would have stayed home if he knew he was going to end up this much of a basket case.

"What's up?" Miroku said, approaching from the side and effectively startling the hanyou. His friend flinched at the notable tension that crawled up Inuyasha's spine, his reaction out of the ordinary. "You good?"

"Yeah." He grunted in an attempt at recovery. "I was just spacing out."

"You? Spacing out? Man, that argument really did do a number on you." Miroku mentioned, leaning against the neighboring locker. "I probably know the answer to this already, but have you talked to her?"

Inuyasha didn't respond, shutting the small, metal door and shrugging his arm to adjust the strap of his book bag to sit properly over his shoulder. He felt the length of his ponytail wag to the side with his motions as he sluggishly began to lead their way down the hall.

"Thought so. So, what now?" His friend asked.

In his peripherals, he could see the guy comb his fingers through his hair, shaking his head in a defeated motion. He couldn't blame Miroku for expecting this from him, but he was a dick for doing so anyway. "What do you mean, what now?"

"I mean, what now? You burned her, you regretted it, and then you just left. I want to know what you plan to do, or if you're just gonna blow it off like usual."

"What if I say, nothing?"

"I might call you an asshole. Pretty sure Sango may have some colorful, choice words for you too, so watch out for that. I'll secretly wish for better for my best friend in the entire world, I'll be a little salty because you ruined the one chance at happiness you'll ever have, I'll watch a RomCom and cry over a box of chocolates in your stead, then we'll all move on and get over it by next week."

"Why are you so dramatic?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Oh man, the amount of questions I could counter that with is endless, my dude."

There she was. Everything inside Inuyasha jolted to a stop, his legs halting as the breath left his lungs. There was no sense of relief whatsoever in discovering you were falling for someone. If his mild episode of panic at his locker wasn't evidence enough of that, the sensation that his stomach had dropped into his pelvis, carried itself back up to its original spot, then plummeted again as she smiled to her friend definitely was. He now understood why Miroku was such a goddamn mess in front of Sango. All Inuyasha wanted to do was vomit at the mere thought of Kagome looking over at him; mostly because he had no idea where they stood with one another.

She clutched an old, small book to her chest, one that apparently had been read many times by the stress on the spine, cocking her head to the side as the opposite person thanked her for letting them borrow it. As they walked away, Kagome's brown eyes flowed right over his way, her smile only wavering minutely before coming back to greet him. Her shoulders noticeably relaxed, her gaze shied downward, and her own ponytail flicked to the side as she turned and followed Sango into her class. She was okay. He didn't sense any ounce of animosity roiling off of her. Finally, he breathed out his first, full exhale since before their fight.

"Question," Miroku trepidatiously spoke, interrupting the pleasant thoughts going through his head. "Is Kagome secretly insanely evil? Because, given the circumstances, what the fuck was that smile for? Maybe it's not Sango you actually need to worry about, because Kagome is going to sit you like a dog."

Inuyasha's features twisted into a grimace, slowly swiveling to fully face Miroku. The deeply concerned expression on his friend's face was enough to crumble his natural facade. "Joke's on you, I talked to her already."

"You what!? How long were you just gonna let me talk shit for?"

"Until you felt like an ass and I could rub it in your face." The hanyou shrugged, continuing on until they met the doorway of their classroom. "I went over that same night. We talked it out."

"Just like that? You talked it out?" Miroku pressed, following closely behind. He pursued Inuyasha straight to his seat, knowing he had several minutes until the bell rang, and therefore, plenty of time until he had to drop the subject and head to his desk across the room. If they had to bounce dialogue off of each other as quickly as the Gilmore Girls did just to get his answers, he'd keep the ball rolling smoothly. "Well, that doesn't sound anything like you."

"Thanks. Nice talking to you." Inuyasha remarked, sarcastically.

"No, seriously. In all the time that I've known you, you've never done anything like this. How'd you - I mean, what'd you tell her?"

"Everything."

"You gotta give me a little bit more than that, bro."

"I told her everything. Things you don't know, things I don't plan on telling you, and other things you've probably figured out on your own but don't know the history behind. I told her I didn't mean what I said, I apologized, and she forgave me."

"Nope. Too bland. Inuyasha, I'm getting a little stir crazy here."

"I honestly don't plan on telling you, so let it go."

"Okay, no, I get it. Fair enough. You're a private person. Honestly, I'm glad you've found someone you're comfortable opening up to, especially in the face of losing them. Really."

"Ulterior motive of that comment?" Inuyasha dryly asked.

"You were scared of losing her, right?"

"Miroku."

"Why won't you tell me? What's so wrong with admitting the truth to me, of all people? I'm not asking for your depressing background story, I'm asking for current events here. Were you afraid to lose her?" Miroku asked, his tone a bit firmer than before, though still on the hushed side. Intentionally, he avoided using names. Their classmates were steadily filing in, and he wasn't in the business of throwing someones personal affairs out into the open.

Inuyasha tensed. Openness. He wanted to be more open. For Kagome. If he practiced with Miroku, maybe it'd be simpler in the long run. The idea didn't make the notion any easier, though. He felt like all he'd end up doing would be giving Miroku what he wanted, and though he wasn't a gloater, the possibility was still there and made Inuyasha want to clam up all over again. In order to comply, he had to look away. It was too difficult to discuss private matters with direct eye contact to further enhance his discomfort. Inuyasha's amber irises went left and right, his head swiveling along with them, giving a simple nod in the mix to say yes. If Miroku caught it, great. If he didn't there was no way he'd repeat the motion.

"Alright." Miroku grinned, the hint of positive affirmation on his tone. He'd caught it. "Do you like her?"

Again, Inuyasha indirectly nodded, shifting his head from side to side in a casual manner to hide his confirmation.

"Do you want this to go somewhere?"

"Define, somewhere." Inuyasha spoke, unsure of the broad aspect that question provided. It really wasn't all that broad, but he was embarrassed enough not to know how to properly answer him without specification narrowing the field.

"Passed friendship. More than friends. A relationship of sorts. You know, hand-holding, kissing, cuddling, sweet nothings, nookie."

"Nookie!?" Inuyasha hissed a little too loud, attracting the unwanted and skeptical attention of a nearby classmate. Miroku played it off, giving the guy an expecting smile that read for him to mind his business before turning back to the hanyou. "No one calls it that anymore, and no, that wasn't on my mind."

"Not now, anyway. Boners are natural." Again, noticing the guy had overheard what he'd said and turned their way with a curious expression, Miroku looked at him, this time leveling the nosy prick with a straight face. When he twisted forward, Miroku turned back to Inuyasha. "But you know what, I like that. If woohoo isn't the first thing on your mind, that must mean you're really in deep here. Like, on what level are we talking?"

Inuyasha massaged his temples with his thumbs, blocking his line of sight with the rest of his hands propped on his forehead, begrudgingly bringing himself to answer. "A, uh, romantic level?"

"Yeah, kind of figured that one already. Do you want to take her on a date and see how things go, or do you want to take her on many dates and never let go? Very different; the latter being more expensive."

"Well, where would you rate your feelings for Sango?" Inuyasha nervously asked, feeling heat begin to pool in his cheeks.

"On a terribly inconvenient, I-want-to-die-because-I-can-never-stop-thinking-about-her-and-I-don't-think-I've-gotten-a-full-night's-sleep-in-weeks level." He answered with a distasteful grimace, his expression blanking as he watched Inuyasha slowly nod, the color in his face paling. "O-oh. You feel sick?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"Gonna puke?"

"Might."

"That's rough, buddy." He sympathized, patting the half demon on the back as the bell chimed. "Welcome to my hell. Nice to know you've got a heart, though."

And, it really was hell. Inuyasha, of all people, didn't know the first thing about what to do with the overwhelming emotions that cluttered his mind, his throat, his chest, his stomach, fuck - every inch of him. He knew he had to take action if he wanted anything to come from this, or so it goes, but the thought of asking Kagome on a date was so nerve-wracking that he'd shut down and talk himself out of it every time the thought occurred. It was difficult enough picking up where they'd left off since he'd pulled his douche move. He practically had to break the ice all over again just to make typical hello's and goodbye's feel natural like before. That was his responsibility, and he understood that; the pressure shouldn't be on Kagome for making conversations flow naturally again. Though, she was perfectly compliant and made it seem so easy. She was obviously better in the socializing department, and her smile worked to soothe his rigidness.

In all honesty, Inuyasha had never been so exhausted in his life. It was the end of the week, and he felt like he'd ran a marathon everyday since Monday. How do people willingly put themselves through this? Clearly, feelings weren't something a person could control, but he knew of people that actually enjoyed the pursuit of romance, even going so far as to call the endeavor, "exciting." It wasn't exciting, and he was insulted that they thought so. It was stressful. So fucking stressful.

Miroku had given some unsolicited advice, and considering his recent luck in the dating department, the hanyou wasn't very inclined to take any of it to heart. Beyond his measure, some of what his friend had said rooted into his mind. Inuyasha shouldn't be aiming to go back to the way they were when he had an opportunity to build something better. He has feelings for Kagome. Kagome has feelings for him. Why would he try to go back to a stifled friendship where all he did was pine - resentfully so, since he was attempting to fight off any affection he had for her - and build from there when he now had leverage to progressively work for something better? It made sense. He hated that it made sense, but it made sense. Miroku also suggested the half demon be upfront with his feelings, but he was going to have to pass on that one. He felt, for his own sanity, he had to take things slow. Inuyasha liked the idea of the steady construction of something significant and solid.

If Kagome would ever have him, he wanted to be worthy of her.

But then the whole deserving aspect went out the window when he walked out of the school building to see that stupid ass wolf flirting with Kagome. Again. An undeniable urge to separate them in whatever manner he had to flooded through his veins. Who had the fucking time to wait on personal growth when the persistent fucker was constantly interrupting and getting in his way? Inuyasha gritted his teeth, annoyed as all hell at the relaxed way Koga leaned against a wall, his eyes promiscuously looking over Kagome whenever she wasn't paying attention.

"Do it, do it, do it, do it." Miroku mildly chanted from next to him, egging the half demon forward.

Inuyasha had barely picked up Sango's approaching scent, his attention flickering to her just before she stopped at his opposite side. She didn't pay him much regard at first, observing the scene ahead of them. Then, her stare bounced to him, a slight slant in her eyes. It was almost like she was testing to see if he'd flinch, her gaze boring into him, through him, her lips giving the smallest downward curve in disapproval.

"We have a math test on Tuesday." She finally spoke, a smirk growing.

Inuyasha readily took the hint, trudging through the courtyard to make his move.

"Wow. I'm surprised." Miroku cocked a brow. "You condone him going after Kagome?"

"Kagome can hold her own better than I can, believe it or not. Besides, I'm sick of that longing look he's had going all week. I wanted to see if he'd do something about it if the opportunity presented itself."

"Sango, my dear, I couldn't appreciate you more."

The half demon refused to lose his momentum. The closer he got to the two, the more empowered he felt to do something to work in his favor. Kagome glanced over at him curiously as he neared, and he intentionally kept his eyes glued to her, blowing the wolf off entirely.

"Hey, what's up?" She coolly greeted. He loved the pink that faintly brushed over her cheeks just by him coming over, painting her shy and him a likable person. God, above all, he loved the advantage he had over stupid ass Koga.

"You busy tomorrow or Sunday?" He asked, rolling with his sudden bout of confidence.

"Um, no. Neither. Why?"

"Study date." The word date was intentional, mostly to sit sourly in Koga's stomach. "Heard you've got a test coming up."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." Kagome politely assured, feeling a little timid. "I-I don't want to take up your day. And, I still have your notes from last time."

Check and mate.

"You absorb the information better when I'm there with you. Let me help." Inuyasha grinned crookedly. "I want to."

"Okay." She breathed, her smile steadily growing. "When?"

"I'll text you tonight. We'll figure it out then." He responded. As he went to turn away, he spared a look towards Koga, smiling arrogantly as the fucker glared with his light, blue eyes. Inuyasha gave a challenging cock of his brow, sauntering off in Miroku's direction.

Chapter Text

It was like Kagome had completely lost the ability to read Inuyasha - if that was something she was ever able to claim at all. She'd noticed a difference in him over the weeks. He seemed a little more calm, a little more forthcoming, a little more receptive, a little more welcoming. She'd seen his smile so many times before, but there was something about the looks he'd give her on occasions few and far between, only in passing, robbing her heart of a beat as he bequeathed this warm and tender grin. What did it mean?

Initially, she'd thought the effort he was putting forth was to overcompensate for the argument they'd gotten into, but as time kept ticking, the facade didn't appear to be so much of a facade anymore. She could see herself getting used to his new demeanor around her. It wasn't a change that was so substantial that she felt something was wrong. She actually felt like Inuyasha was just more comfortable. With her, in particular. Everything else seemed almost normal.

Maybe she was looking too far into it; seeing things that weren't actually there. Maybe she'd inadvertently received an extra dash of hope one day and clung to it like static on clothing. She'd tried shaking it off, rationalizing, but she couldn't get it out of her mind. Suddenly, she desperately wanted her plaguing thoughts to be true. She wanted him to like her.

It couldn't be possible, though. Could it? No. Yes? Maybe? It wasn't healthy to go back and forth with herself so often, wondering how another person felt. But, she couldn't help it. He'd come over to study, and when he was trying to explain something to her in more depth, he'd scoot closer. Not like before. He wouldn't just lean in a little. Inuyasha would move his entire body toward her. She'd physically feel his body heat, smell his intoxicating and subtle scent, and god, was it difficult to focus through that. So, therein of itself, it had to all just be her imagination at play. If their knees grazed, he'd usually move away. If he got a little too close by accident, he'd scoot himself back an inch or two. Then, there were times where it seemed he wanted to touch her but wouldn't; another scenario she could blame on her overactive imagination. Inuyasha was just being nice, and her stupid emotions were clearly getting the better of her.

Truth be told, she was impeccably embarrassed for having her feelings exposed to him. She felt even more vulnerable than before. They hadn't been acknowledged since or formally rejected, so her admittance did nothing more than hang in the air between them. The lack thereof was as much a rejection as anything, though, and she told herself that. It didn't matter that they texted more often, it didn't matter that he looked at her a little lighter, it didn't matter that she, herself, felt considerably more drawn to him. None of it meant a thing. Did it?

What was the worse option here? To hope or to not get her hopes up?

Unfortunately, as easy as it was to try and logically think things through in her alone time, when she was around him that was all shot to hell. For some reason, he seemed even more attractive lately than ever. She liked the way his brows relaxed when he looked at her - consciously or subconsciously, she couldn't tell. When he had his nose in his own homework, Kagome couldn't help but stare. Just a little. He had a wonderfully calm expression to him when he wrote out answers on the sheet, his long hair swooping over his shoulder from the tie at the crown of his head. Not a single part of his features crinkled when he concentrated, unlike hers. The sound of his voice was soothing. When he spoke, the pace of her heart would increase for a few seconds, and then slow to a peaceful rhythm. She liked that. She enjoyed the way he made her feel just by being near.

At the same time, she couldn't even tell if she was miserable or not. It was so difficult to love someone while trying to convince yourself it would never happen. Love. Was she even old enough to experience that emotion? Did it have an age cap? Was it an eighteen-or-older sort of thing, or was it legitimate at whatever stage you were in life? It had to be legitimate; there was no other excuse for the throbbing intensity that overwhelmed her chest, or the loneliness she felt whenever he left her side.

She was scared. Scared she was right and he didn't feel the same, scared he'd ghost her again no matter the reassurance he'd given, scared she'd be this hopeless forever. Sometimes, Kagome felt life would be a bit more manageable if Inuyasha would just be straightforward and turn her down already. Then she'd at least have a direct answer to go off of. Then she could move on.

"Kagome?" Her mom's voice was soft as she approached her bedroom, poking her head through the cracked door that creaked as the angle widened. Kagome had responded with an audible yeah, but she'd tossed herself facedown on her mattress the moment she got home from school and had been laying that way ever since, so the word came out muffled and groan-like. "Well, you look like you're hanging in there." She remarked, the playful hint of sarcasm ringing through.

This time, Kagome intended for the broken groan she'd replied with, dragging it out as she felt the vibration of her voice on her pillow.

"I totally understand. I feel the same way." Her mom giggled.

She shot up to sit on her knees, twisting around to face her mother leaning against the doorframe. "I hate feelings!"

"Oh?"

"Who needs them, anyway!? Are they gonna get me into college!? Get me a good job!? Nope! I shouldn't even be focusing on them! I'm seventeen, I'm too young for this! Right?"

"I met your dad at fifteen." She smiled warmly. Just like that, Kagome huffed out some of her frustration, furrowing her brows as her lips sealed. "I knew I loved him from the start. He was a little older, a little rough around the edges, and it took him forever to outright tell me he loved me."

"But, you knew." Kagome drawled. She'd heard the story before, multiple times. It just hit different now that there were similarities to what she was currently going through.

"It's all about taking the hints. People have different love languages. Learning their fluency is difficult but rewarding."

"What if there's a misunderstanding or miscommunication, though?" She asked, a little on the gentler side. "What if you misinterpret what they're trying to tell you, entirely?"

Her mom gave a one-sided shrug, the smile never leaving her face. "Then you ask for clarification." She noticed the uncertainty on her daughter's face, the way her big, brown eyes seemed wary as they flickered away. "And, you keep the negative thoughts at bay until then. No use jumping to conclusions, good or bad."

Kagome, defeated as she was, thanked her mom with a lazy smile. "You going into work?"

"Yup. Nightshift again. Sota's at Shippo's, would you mind getting him around eight-thirty?"

"Sure." Kagome agreed, looking at the clock to see how much time she had. Two hours. She crawled off her mattress, heading to her dresser to get out different clothes to wear.

"Oh and," She waited for her daughter to turn her way, making sure she had her attention as she gripped the door to close on her way out. "Love may not get you anywhere, but it can get you through everything. You'll come to appreciate it. Believe me."

"Yeah, well it sucks so far." Kagome chuckled.

"I'll bring home ice cream." She droned, shutting the door as she left.

Kagome shoved her hands in her hoodie pockets, tucking herself inward as she approached the train station. Of course her brother, no longer in a cast and crutches but still hobbling around on a weak ankle, would want to hang out with the friend that lives furthest. Their mom pitied him since he'd been cooped up day and night ever since he'd gotten hurt, so she allowed him to get out now that the cast was finally off, but could he have gone to see someone down the street? Nope. Of course, not.

She pulled a hand free, reaching into the back pocket of her jeans to pull out her station pass to enter through the gate. The seasons were changing, the nights growing colder to really communicate the shift, making her wish she'd thought of bringing her muffler out of the entry closet ahead of time to freshen up. For now, it wasn't too bad. The air was just a little nippy, but as she made her way further into the station to wait for her train, she adjusted to the comfortable temperature inside.

A rail line pulled up to empty, the car doors opening as several people filed out and Kagome moved out of their way. According to the schedule, hers should be there in the next ten minutes. From the side, silver caught her eye, bringing her attention to immediately shoot toward it. That's how it'd been lately. Anything, anything at all, that could potentially remind her of Inuyasha was impossible to ignore, a shutter of excitement ricocheting along her ribcage. Whenever it turned out to be nothing, she felt disappointed and embarrassed, and ultimately glad no one had a pathway to read her mind and see the pathetic basket case she'd become. Not even Sango knew the degree of her state, and if Kagome had her way, it'd stay like that. More often than not, all she wanted to do was crawl under a rock and wait everything out until her feelings subsided and she could coexist with Inuyasha like a normal person with rational thinking abilities. But, as her brown eyes flashed over and she actually spotted the half demon trudging through the small crowd, an inexplicable mixture of happiness and trepidation crawled over her skin. His head was slightly hung while he dabbed the back of the sleeve of his pullover sweater to his mouth, pulling it away to look at it, then dabbing it again. Her mouth had opened, her breath hitching as she almost called his name, but he'd already looked up, golden eyes landing on her instantly.

Inuyasha didn't seem all that happy. In fact, it looked as if he'd ducked his head an inch or two, keeping the back of his fist raised to his mouth. He'd stopped walking, the station emptying and leaving the two of them alone where they stood. Without thought, Kagome walked over, noticing the way he notched his face away when she approached. It didn't take a genius to know something was wrong. Disconcertment began to bubble in her abdomen, and she briefly wondered why he wouldn't look at her or greet her with the smile she'd grown accustomed to.

"Hey," She spoke softly. The side of his lips that she could see were curved in a frown, one that pinched together in unsettlement while she waited for any sort of response from him. She could hear the clenched breath in his throat as he sighed out heatedly, practically feeling his frustration and discomfiture. It wasn't difficult to understand now why he was hiding his face. In fact, his adamant reluctance to show her was all she needed in order to know. "What happened?" Kagome's voice echoed her concern.

"Don't want to talk about it." Inuyasha brusquely replied, resisting the temptation to meet her gaze. He didn't expect to feel so ashamed just by seeing her at the worst possible moment, but the murky sensation swam through each vein in his body, one at a time. "I've gotta go."

"Don't do that." She shook her head. He hadn't tried to step around her at all, but she moved closer anyway, cocking her head in an attempt to get him to look at her. "Don't shut me out. You don't have to, you know this."

She was comforting him, yet his shame increased, making him want to duck his face further. It was two against one, and they'd gotten him good this time around. The last thing he wanted was for her to see the evidence of the incident. He didn't want anything to mar her picture of him.

Her hands reached up, and his abdominals tensed rigidly, but not a single bone in his body pulled away from her touch, gentle, cold hands wrapping around his wrist to pull it away from his mouth. There was little hesitance from him. It wasn't entirely passive, though. Inuyasha still needed to assure himself that she, Kagome, wasn't the enemy. She'd never be his enemy. She wouldn't hurt him. He trusted her, and with firm reminders, he was progressively believing that she was a safe zone.

Kagome observed the way his lids closed as she guided his hand away from his mouth, his head turning to her so that she could see. There was a fierce cut on his bottom lip, the area angry, red, with a hint of purple developing over the soft flesh. Crimson was smeared along his chin, cleaned with his sleeve but the tinted smudge still remained. His cheek was bruised and scraped, the dark hues already settling in. Inuyasha opened his eyes, leveling with her own, his tongue slowly licking away fresh blood that seeped from his mouth.

"One of the bastards was wearing a ring." He huskily mentioned.

She couldn't withhold the exasperated grunt she'd released at his state, gripping his wrist a little tighter as she about-faced and led him to a nearby bench. Pulling him in front of her, she pushed down on his wrist to gesture for him to sit, releasing him as he followed suit with zero argument. His gaze sat along the far wall away from her as she gently held his jaw, looking him over to see the damage.

"Are you okay?" Kagome was heavily distraught, her fingers barely skimming the soft skin as she worried more of aggravating bruises that may not have developed yet. When she saw no markings beneath her fingertips, she'd set them down, running over the line of his jaw before reaching for each hand, one at a time, looking over his knuckles to see if harm had been done to his fists. He took his right hand back just as she ran her icy thumb over his scabbing middle knuckle, using the back of his sleeve to dab at his lip before setting his arm back in his lap.

"Fine."

"There was more than one guy?"

"Two." Inuyasha plainly stated.

"And, they just - they just attacked you?"

"No. Not quite." He sighed. "It's complicated."

"How is it complicated? I don't understand."

"No, Kagome, don't start. I don't want you getting involved." The hanyou stood, and Kagome instinctively gave him space as he stepped around her, heading to the vending machine.

"I'd hardly consider it getting involved if all you're doing is explaining the situation."

He slipped a dollar in, hitting the first cold drink in the machine and watching it clank to the bottom before reaching in for it, immediately pressing the beverage to his offended, bottom lip. He glanced back over, noting the concern in her eyes and the way her mouth pouted with the pressing emotion. Wow. How unpredictable that he'd grow so remarkably weak in the wake of her regard. "I told you, I used to associate with a shit crowd."

"Yeah. Used to. Why are they still coming after you?"

"They didn't think it was very respectful of me to just up and disappear on them when I wanted out. Then, I told them all to fuck off, which is always received well." He sarcastically chuckled, sauntering back her way. "Their little leader, Bankotsu, wants to have a word with me, which typically means he wants to beat me senseless, but it's more fun avoiding that and pissing him off than anything. Whenever I've bumped into any of his lackeys since then, they tell me to come with them and I always say if they can manage to kick my ass, I'll go."

"So, you challenge them."

"Yeah. Pretty much. I'm not just gonna roll over."

"But, why'd you get involved with them in the first place?" Her brow furrowed, dismay etched imperfectly in the way the skin between bunched.

The hanyou sighed, his chest deflating entirely, lowering the drink from his lip and letting it hang in his hand. "I was always angry, I was lashing out, so I went and got myself inducted into this team of misfit toys that I thought were relatable. It was fucking stupid, I know, and they treated me like trash from the get-go. I realized half demons always got the short end of the stick, but damn, even the lowlives of the alley made me feel like I didn't belong anywhere."

Kagome could hear the lick of resentment in his tone. Truthfully, she felt resentment for him.

"They actually had me wishing for a way to become a full demon for a while. Can you imagine how much easier my life would have been if I was a full fucking demon?" His aggravation was expanding, boiling in his gut, hot and bitter and vicious as the hard feelings of everything had never completely been dealt with. "I still think things would be better if I could just change. One or the other. Demon or human. No in between so there's no bullshit to deal with."

"Don't you think that's bullshit in itself?" Kagome boldly asked. "What good would that do? You'd only end up miserable."

He'd reacted habitually, his defense shooting up as his scowl formed. "Oh, because I'm so much better off as it is? You don't know what you're talking about."

She froze for a second, unsuspecting of his tone. Sheepishly, she ducked her head, swallowing and taking a small step back. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. Maybe it wasn't her place. Maybe it didn't matter what she thought, and her opinion was only received as an insult. Maybe that's why he didn't want her getting involved; because she always gave her two cents, like he'd said before. "Right. You're right. That came out wrong. I'd only meant that you shouldn't have to change who you are to be happy."

Fuck. His temper was going to be his downfall. He could feel her guard going up, figuring he'd made her feel shut down. It was obvious she meant well, so why the fuck would he react like that? "Kagome -"

"No, you're right. I don't know what I'm talking about. I don't know what you've been through. I just - I can't imagine you as anything but a half demon."

"I didn't mean to offend you." Inuyasha breathed.

"You didn't. I get it; where you're coming from, that is." She assured, shaking her head. He didn't firmly believe her. Her eye contact wasn't holding. Inuyasha stepped inward to close the minute gap she'd created with the insecurity that had risen, appearing as invested in what she had to say as possible. He honestly wanted to know where she was going with her statement, his wary tendencies shadowing his surprise that she'd even have a rebuttal to his diffidence.

He wanted more from her, she could tell. He hadn't meant to react so rashly, she could understand that, too. It took a moment to regain her bearings, her fingers balling in her sweater pockets, letting her confidence and comfort build while pushing the negative thoughts away as she leaned her head back to look up at him.

"Everyone who thinks little of you is shit." Inuyasha watched her lips as she spoke, the words acting as fingers that steadily held onto his heart. There was no grip yet, but he was positive one would develop. It would wring him dry. It would bring him to his knees, he just fucking knew it. One statement. One statement in and he was already terrified of the beautiful damage she was about to inflict on him. Terrified and, oddly enough, thrilled. "I don't care how many people that turns out to be, they're all shit. This is you, and you are not bad or worthless or unnatural or whatever else they may have told you. If you could see you the way I do maybe you'd understand what I'm getting at, but I don't think there's any possible way you could be you in a different form. And,"

Kagome paused, her nerves clenching her stomach.

Inuyasha was breaking as everything he'd ever needed to hear was so easily spread out between them.

"I'd be -"

His eyes stared at her with astonishment, glowing through the shadow of his brow. She wanted to touch him, wanted to help him feel the adoration behind her sentiment, but she trembled so badly that she worried he'd confuse that with literally anything other than what she wanted to convey. The rest of her sentence was knotted in her throat, she almost had to coax it free. Her face grew hot, and she swore he'd inched down her way.

"I'd be devastated if a part of you were permanently thrown away. I like you the way you are." She'd whispered.

Inuyasha felt himself moving without his command, drawn to her like she was the missing piece of a puzzle he'd been working on for so long now. He was slow in his action, achingly so, but he never once tried to regain control. Nor, did Kagome pull away. She was allowing his hands to cradle her jaw, to bring the two of them closer to one another, to breathe her in one inch at a time. He loved her. Fate was finally kind to him. He was intentionally tender, the tips of their noses grazing incredibly softly, her inhale short and broken and hitching in her chest, their lips just barely brushing together when the train's horn alerted them as it came into the station.

Inuyasha tensed, pulling back and releasing her. Any conviction inside of him dwindled away with the startle, his nervousness intensifying to take hold of what was.

"I'm sorry." He blurted, eyes bouncing back and forth from the stopping train to the blushing girl before him.

"It's okay." Kagome quickly assured.

"H-heat of the moment." The excuse left his mouth before he had the chance to stop it. His mind was always looking for a scapegoat, for a way out of any situation, willing to toss out anything, and no matter how innocent this may have seemed in the split second it had flashed through his mind, it was also the most insensitive thing he could have said. He looked at her, his lungs no longer cooperating as they clasped his breath hostage, taking in the series of expressions that formed on her face. Mild shock, brown eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Then her lips sealed and she gazed away, her cheeks still as red as before but her disappointment was so vivid. Then, when she smiled, as if she was trying to hide what he'd already witnessed, her eyes blinked quickly and he caught the faint scent of tears. He could have kicked himself. "Fuck, no, Kagome I -"

"That's my train." She mentioned, pointing, regarding him slightly, then walking away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Inuyasha followed, panic striking him. Hardly anyone had left the train, the cars mostly empty to begin with.

"I have to get my brother." Kagome didn't know which emotion predominated the other; humiliation or dejection. Her heart had dropped when he leaned in to kiss her, warmth flooding over her so wonderfully, only to have it all plummet to the floor when he'd said he hadn't meant to. How much more vulnerable could she get without the promise of someone catching her as she fell? At this rate, she was bound to hit the ground. Hard. She was ready to cry, her chest was tight, and the absolute last thing she wanted was for Inuyasha to see her that way. She took deep breaths, as deep as her lungs would permit, gathering herself hastily.

The half demon lunged forward, snagging her arm and stopping her before she stepped through the open door of the train, her attention reactively flying right back to him. "I'm sorry, I said the wrong thing. I didn't mean that."

The warning announcement went off for all passengers to be on the train. Kagome looked back at the open car, stepping in, Inuyasha's hand gliding from her upper arm, down to her elbow, her forearm, her wrist, and then her hand, gripping her there. His palm was hot and large around hers, and she couldn't help but hold his hand in return, adding to the weight on her shoulders. She gave him a smile, trying to relax the distress on his brow. It didn't work.

"It's okay, it was an accident. You don't have to worry about it." She politely dismissed. He gripped her hand a little tighter, his jaw clenching. "It would have probably hurt your lip, anyway."

"No, shit, I don't care about that!" Another warning chime interrupting, rushing him. He wanted to tell her that if he had the guts, he would have never pulled away or moved so slowly that he'd lost his chance to begin with. He wanted to tell her that if he could, he would kiss her over and over and over and over, whenever he got the chance. It's just not easy for him. None of this is easy for him. If he could communicate that with words, he would have, but they failed him just like so many times before. And, he wished the way he held her hand was enough, but it wasn't. Who would understand what he was trying to say through the simplest of gestures, right? "It - it wasn't - it wasn't an accident. Believe me."

Whatever was left of Kagome's smile had faded.

Oh. Oh.

He'd wanted to kiss her?

Is that what he was telling her, that he'd wanted to kiss her? Because, it sure felt like it, and the intensity of his stare pierced her in such a different way than ever before. Kagome inadvertently clutched his hand tightly, topping the fervor of his hold. How did he feel right now, in this moment? It wasn't right to guess. Assuming would only make matters worse for her at this point.

"Let me know when you get home safe, okay?"

She nodded, her fingers finally sliding out of his palm. As the door closed, Kagome ducked her head, fighting the thickness of her confliction.

—

"Woah, woah, wooooooah! Back up!" Sango sat on the edge of her bed as Kagome paced the floor of her bedroom, her friend unable to stop her finger-fidgeting in her current state. She'd come over to talk as the evening was setting in on their Saturday, claiming to need a distraction, and no wonder. The girl was loaded with clashing thoughts. "Is this why you've been acting so weird the past couple of days?"

"Yes." Kagome replied unthinkingly, worrying her lip as she finally stopped in front of Sango.

"Not gonna lie, this was definitely a twist I wasn't expecting. He kissed you?" She leaned forward in her spot, her fingers gripping the very edge of her mattress to hold steady.

"No. Almost." Kagome corrected.

"But he leaned in?"

"Yes."

"And then said it was a mistake?"

"Yes."

"And then said that was a mistake?"

"Yes."

"Wow. Okay. That's not confusing at all. Repeat the rest of what you said, I got stuck on that part."

"I don't know what to think, Sango." Kagome stated powerfully, the frown on her lips deepening. "Does he like me? Does he not like me? Did he really want to kiss me? Does it mean anything? Oh, what if he didn't mean to almost kiss me but also didn't mean to say what he said, so all he was trying to do was retract that? He wanted me to text him when I got home; isn't that something someone only says when they really care about you? Am I reading too much into everything, or -" She trailed off in a loud groan, flailing her hands out at her sides, resuming her pacing briefly and then abruptly stopping in front of Sango once more.

"First of all, breathe." Sango said cautiously, watching her best friend with wide eyes. Never, in all the years they'd known each other, had she ever seen Kagome like this. It was worrisome. Kagome didn't do as instructed, instead huffing to express a little more of her vexation. "Second, I don't get it. I knew something was up with you, but this was far from what I imagined. You guys have been talking in school, standing all close to each other, texting… you seemed totally fine around him."

"Yeah, because he can't know what's going through my head!"

"Shouldn't he?" Sango almost flinched at the incredulous stare Kagome shot her way. "Look, I've told you a million times that I think he likes you, but it's not good enough - which I totally get. The best thing is to hear it from Inuyasha, and the only way to get that right now is to ask him, yourself. Tell him that you're losing your freaking mind playing this guessing game, and he needs to give you a straight yes or no."

Kagome's face fell, dark brown eyes falling to the floor. For the first time that night, she seemed a little more stable, maybe taking in Sango's advice. Sauntering over, she sat next to Sango on the bed, her raven hair gliding over her shoulders as she sagged forward slightly.

"What if he says no?"

"Hey," Sango cooed, twisting to face Kagome's riddled form. She dragged the hair away from hiding Kagome's face, pushing it behind her ear before rubbing her hand up and down her back as soothingly as possible. "I really don't think he'll say no. To me, all the signs are there. Maybe feelings just kind of freak him out and that leads him to literally say all the wrong things. All the time. He's not Captain Charisma, babe. I mean, I could give you my theories all night long, from most likely to least likely, and in alphabetical order, but you and I both know it won't be nearly as comforting as hearing it from the source. You just have to ask."

"How do you ask someone how they feel about you? I'd be putting him on the spot."

"Yeah, and in my unpopular opinion, that's exactly what he needs!"

"He'd freeze and say something stupid. I know him."

"Mm." Sango hummed, pursing her lips. "You got me there. But, he'd only say something stupid if there's something to hide."

"You think?" Kagome inquired, her pout deeming innocence.

"Yeah." She giggled. "That's usually how it goes. You said it yourself, Inuyasha isn't this big mystery. He's expressive. You're in your own head. What's really got you so wrapped up here? You're not usually like this."

Kagome gave a small shrug, shying her eyes away before she could muster up an answer. "I think I might be falling in love with him." She admitted, her voice small and timid, sinking to lay her head in Sango's lap. "It's very stressful."

Sango laughed, stroking the black hair out of Kagome's face to comfort her. "And not knowing how he feels is scary, right?"

Kagome nodded.

"Would it make you feel any better if I told you he has feelings for you, again?"

Kagome shook her head, her chin giving a little quiver.

"Oh no. Kay, it's gonna be fine. Okay, here, stay the night and we'll watch movies, and my dad got that jumbo bag of pizza rolls so we can go to town with those. I have The Wedding Singer, and Adam Sandler literally sings a song about how much love stings, yeah yeah?"

Kagome feigned a smile, sitting up and shaking her head. "I can't tonight. Gotta get Sota." She was lying. She really was her own worst enemy right now, but she couldn't get her mind to calm down. It would be too difficult to enjoy the time with her best friend with how distracted she was. As much as she'd already sat alone in her bedroom and tried to sort out her thoughts, maybe now she'd stand a better chance since she'd vented and gotten her main frustrations out in the open.

"Rain check?" Sango asked, cocking her head to the side sympathetically.

"Yeah. Thanks. I should get going."

The night air was brisk, the skin of her arms covered in goosebumps, and she cursed herself for not bringing a sweater to Sango's in the first place. Kagome didn't want to go home, though. She felt so restless, so ridiculous, so antsy and weighted with how she was too nervous to convince herself Inuyasha had feelings for her, because the letdown of potential rejection was too harsh. If she was wrong, it would hurt so much worse if she'd allowed herself to believe otherwise without his affirmation. Just thinking of it was mortifying.

Sango was right, this was unlike her. Sure, she was human, and sometimes she got as insecure as anyone else, but she never usually stayed down due to the density of her constant, nagging second-guessing. Even if she wasn't sure about something, Kagome was the kind of person that gave it time for the air to clear so that she could see the situation a little better. Or, just took it all head-on. So, what was going on with her now?

Everyone was right, if she was this riddled, she needed to just get it over with and ask, but she was so timorous about the ordeal. If she were on the other end of this, it would be incredibly awkward to answer. No matter the outcome, it would be uncomfortable. If it were a yes, you're put in a position where you have to confirm before you're ready to do so on your own. If it were a no, you're put in a position where you have to turn someone down and then your friendship is on the line.

And then your friendship is on the line.

No. She didn't want that. She didn't want to lose him.

Above all else, she just couldn't bring herself to be selfish enough to ask for an answer. She could handle this on her own. She'd get over it. It didn't matter that she was feeling down right now, because one of these days she was going to wake up and feel a percentage of the pressure had lifted from her chest.

Was the pressure even normal? Was anything that she was feeling normal?

Kagome pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans, dropping her butt onto a nearby bench as she let out a deep, guttural sigh. She'd texted her mom a little while ago saying she was staying a little later at Sango's than anticipated so she wouldn't worry, and she'd been wandering about ever since. Some fresh air was supposed to do her good.

Truthfully, the one thing she wanted, the one thing she truly felt would actually do her any good, was to talk to Inuyasha. Not to bring up her feelings, or his, or the now-infamous almost kiss, or anything pertaining to them at all. She just wanted to talk to him. To hear his voice. To listen to that low rumble as he spoke. It was always so comforting to her, now more so than ever. She wanted him to say her name in his calm tone, hell even his grumpy one would help her feel stable right about now. Anything. Anything from him, she would happily accept.

It was kind of late; almost nine. Would he lecture her for calling at this hour? Would he ignore her altogether? Either way, she'd take the risk. This was the least she could do for herself. She clicked on his text from a few hours ago, hitting his picture-less icon, then the phone call button that appeared beneath.

Inuyasha laid on his bed, flipping through the channels on the tv in his room, donned in his joggers and nothing else. His ear flicked as his phone gave a long vibrate on the surface of his nightstand. He was half-tempted to ignore the damn thing, figuring it was Miroku trying to coerce him out of the house to hang out, and he was too damn comfortable to even entertain the idea. Just to be sure, he reached over, tilting the device his way to see who was calling.

A grin grew on his face when he noticed her name was the one illuminating his screen. She'd never called before. Whatever her reason, he didn't care. Inuyasha immediately swiped to answer, putting her on speaker as he muted the television.

"Hey." He spoke, his voice on the lazy side.

"Hi." Kagome said weakly, unable to swallow the sadness that had balled in her throat. She hoped it wasn't evident. "Were you asleep?"

"It's nine, of course I wasn't." He replied. He couldn't tell if this was just how she sounded over the phone, or if something was wrong, but he was leaning more towards the latter. Her voice sounded off, small, and it immediately piqued his concern. "Are you okay?"

She went to say she was fine, but her stomach was sinking and it was almost like she couldn't think straight. She went to say it again, but instead she inhaled shakily to gain her bearings.

"Kagome?"

"I'm okay." She finally said.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha sat up. He didn't believe her. Of course, he didn't believe her. That was the worst lie she'd ever said if she'd spoken one. Something was up.

"Nothing. I just - I, um -"

"Did something happen?" The half demon asked, his tone approaching more on the severe side. Kagome wasn't replying, but he could hear her slow and trembling breathing, a sniffle breaking through, and he even heard her whispered curse toward herself. It was away from the speaker, but he'd caught it all the same. "Kagome…"

"I'm fine." She said with a little more conviction. "I'm sorry, I -"

"Where are you?"

"What?"

"Are you at home?" Kagome could hear it. She could hear his worry. It was in the direct way he spoke, the tone that demanded an answer without so much as raising his voice.

"No." She responded just as meekly as her hello.

"Where are you?" There it was again. Stronger. There was a bit of rustling, too, like he was moving around. "Kagome, where are you?"

"You know the park with that statue of the famous archer?"

"Yeah."

"I'm there. I don't know the nearest street name."

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'm coming. Where in the park are you?" Inuyasha set the phone back on his nightstand, grabbing his discarded jeans from the floor to change into them, his jaw clenching as his gut wrung with a budding panic.

"No, you don't - that's not why I called. It's okay! I'm fine! Really!" She tried to reassure him, her heart giving an uneven thud behind her ribcage.

"No, you're not! Don't lie to me! I'm coming, so I can either track your scent or you can make the process faster by telling me where you are!"

Kagome swallowed thickly, her chest heavy as she breathed. "I'm on a bench along the walking path." She looked around for a notable landmark to guide him. "I think I'm in the thicker tree area."

"I'll find you." He promised, slipping a tee shirt over his head. "Don't move."

"Inuyasha…"

"I don't want to hear it. Don't move, Kagome. I'll be right there." The line ended, beeping three times to signify he'd hung up.

She felt defeated and slightly embarrassed by the whole thing. She couldn't even pull herself together to talk to him for five minutes like she'd wanted. The effects of his voice were, ironically, too soothing. Where she'd expected the gruff reverberation would calm her mind enough to stabilize, it in fact calmed her so much she almost crumbled instantaneously. It was like she suddenly felt safe enough to fall before him and know he'd help with whatever, and that wasn't what she was aiming for.

Kagome waited as instructed, setting her phone in her lap so she could hug her exposed arms to her chest to defend against the bite of the air. The night was still, quiet, cars driving in the far distance where the hum of the wheels on pavement barely met her ears. Shoes clapping against the cement path grew closer and closer at a quick pace, bringing her attention to the side as she noticed Inuyasha curve the bend. Even as she stood, catching her phone before it slipped off her leg and to the floor, stepping into plain view, he didn't stop.

He didn't stop.

Not until he was within reach did he abruptly slow, grabbing onto her arms, his momentum still forceful enough to have them stumble back a few steps, but his strength enough to compensate and not allow her to trip.

Inuyasha had been worried fucking sick, his mind running wild with each passing moment he hadn't gotten to her. Something happened but he didn't know what, which meant anything could have happened to her, and he wasn't okay with a single thought that crossed his mind to serve as the purpose of her distress. His first instinct was to look her over, his hands traveling to her forearms to bring them before him so he could check her flesh for markings of an assault.

"What happened, are you hurt!?"

"No." Kagome answered promptly, wide-eyed, surprised by the way his hot hands moved over her. He took her jaw in his hold next, his fingers threading through her messy hair as he stepped in and analyzed her face.

"You sure?"

He was so gentle, his thumbs caressing her cheek, amber eyes radiating such consternation as he stared into her own.

Oh.

She'd been so blind. So foolish. Right then and there, with his current silence and his tender care, with the way he'd dropped whatever he was doing at the sound of her discernible sadness, ran straight to her, his chest now heaving up and down as his lungs demanded air but his question demanded an answer that he clearly needed to hear exponentially more than his body needed oxygen - that was his love language. He was saying so much more, and truth be told, probably had been for the entire time she'd been doubting it all. She shadowed herself, more capable of believing what her fear told her instead of him.

With her stomach still in knots and shambles, she laughed, more of disbelief than anything, as her eyes prickled and her body grew hot. She was so stupid. Tucking her head, Kagome pulled herself into his chest, his hands curving from where they'd sat at her jaw to the nape of her neck. They were light on her, no real firmness to them anymore, but she didn't care. When they finally settled on her, bringing her against him securely, she felt herself falter, her emotions winning over as tears spilled out.

Carefully, Inuyasha smoothed his hands over Kagome's soft waves, every barrier of his virtually nonexistent when it came to her now. It was hardly evident, but he could still feel her unsteadiness in the way she leaned her weight against him, ripping his soul apart, breaking his heart with the little quakes of her inhales. His grip around her tightened, and he curled his back to really support her, his cheek propped against the top of her head, pillowing into her thick hair.

"What happened?" He whispered. She gave a small chuckle through her crying, the noise wet but still pleasant. Against the center of his chest, she shook her head, her fingers clutching onto the back of his sweater a little stronger. "Tell me what's wrong. Please."

Kagome backed away, hiding her face as she wiped her cheeks with the heels of her hands, sniffling but regaining composure without having to hide anything anymore. She was smiling, little giggles slipping out, humiliated but the unhappiness fading away. "I've just been having a rough night. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to worry you like this. That wasn't why I called."

"I'm glad you called." Inuyasha immediately stated. She looked up at him, dazed, her cheeks red from her consistent wiping and the blood pooling beneath her skin, evident under the lamppost they stood beneath. "If something's wrong, I want you to be able to turn to me. Unapologetically. What's going on?"

He pulled off his sweater, twirling it over her shoulders and holding it steady so she could slip her arms through. His body heat was still soaked into the cloth, warming her arms, smelling so much like him the trembling in her muscles almost instantly stopped from the way it quelled her nerves. If she had just been paying attention all along, if she had just taken a step out of her confined box, she could have probably avoided all of this. Inuyasha had been trying to be more open toward her. For her. Now, here he was, unabashedly tending to her in the midsts of her breakdown because she'd gotten so deep into her own head that she just couldn't handle it anymore. She was the cause of her own misery while Inuyasha had been right there all along. How stupid. Again, she laughed at herself. All she had to do was listen, and she would have understood the way he communicated. Just like her mom said.

"It was just one of those nights." Kagome said, not wanting him to know the true reason behind it all. It was unnecessary at this point. She wanted to let it go. She wanted to let everything go and just feel the way she wanted without holding herself back anymore. "Everything was going wrong, but it was my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"I-I was thinking so negatively and I just couldn't stop. I felt really insecure, so I went for a walk but it wasn't helping. And, that's why I called you. I wanted to hear your voice so I could calm down."

There was a hitch in his chest. Was it his heart or his lungs? His face grew hot, and mild embarrassment washed over him faster than he could process the words she'd spoken. She likes his voice. It's soothing to her. A part of him wanted to retreat behind a cool demeanor and brush off what she'd said, but a larger, more dominating part of him refused to. What she said held meaning. Meaning he understood loud and clear. This was what he'd wanted from the moment he'd realized he'd fallen for her. This right here, being in her comfort zone, being the one who runs to her just to make sure she's okay, responsible for holding her when she wasn't, and adhering to her smile. The dull ache in his torso when she spoke in such a low voice was significant, and if she was going to so honestly rock his core with a single statement of her vulnerability, he wasn't about to turn away from it.

"I was gonna come up with some stupid homework question to get you talking," Kagome continued. "But, I blanked. I'm so sorry."

Inuyasha reached over, gently petting her hair, flowing along her black waves to lay his hand on her shoulder. "What can I do for you right now? How can I help?"

"You already have." She smiled.

His fingers curved around the back of her neck, pulling her back into his body to tuck her safely into his arms. She relaxed against him, hugging his waist, and god dammit, he shouldn't have been so happy just by the way her chest gave a minor hitch to adjust and follow his own breathing. In a moment of boldness, he rested his mouth against the top of her head, muffling the small kiss he gave.

"Thank you." Kagome shyly said as they just about reached the front of her house. Inuyasha had been adamant on walking her home. He didn't even have to argue with her on how she was stupid for saying he didn't need to; all he did was give her a stern stare that effectively shut her mouth and shut her up. The entire walk home, he kept close, their arms occasionally brushing. A few times, if their paces ever accidentally differed, he'd pinch the baggy sleeves of the sweater he'd lent her, pulling her back to his side.

That was never there before. She could only be grateful for the new development.

"Don't worry about it. Are you okay now?" Inuyasha asked, giving a small cock of his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Hey, look at me. Are you okay now?" He repeated, wanting to see it in her eyes when she spoke.

She smiled, nodding. "I'm really okay. Embarrassed, but okay. I promise."

"You'll let me know if you need me, right?"

"Yeah."

"You promise that, too?"

She let that one sink in for a moment, taking in the sweetness of his gaze. He wasn't joking, or teasing her. He wanted assurance that she'd trust him. "I promise."

"Good. Get inside." He said. Kagome wiggled her shoulders to remove his sweater, but he swiftly stopped her by reaching behind and pulling the hood over her head. "Keep it. It looks good on you."

"Won't you get cold?" She blushed, pushing the hood back and biting her lip.

He gifted her a crooked grin, taking a few steps backwards. "Half demon, remember?"

"Right. Impervious to the elements."

"Warmer blood, dummy." He chuckled. "Go."

"Will you, um, will you text me when you get home?"

"Sure. Whatever you want."

Kagome bundled herself further into his sweater, enjoying the way his scent still engulfed her. "Good night." She smiled, heading inside.

Chapter Text

Inuyasha sighed out, a barely-visible puff of air appearing before his face as he walked along the length of the gate outside of the schoolyard. He felt abnormally exhausted this morning, and like anyone, he blamed it on the fact that it was Monday, the clouds were dreary, and he may have been up late playing video games. He had a chemistry test this afternoon, and he could only hope to wake up a little more by then to properly focus.

He'd caught her scent just before entering the building, his attention blindly following his nose as his eyes scoured the grounds for her. She wasn't that far off, standing in a misshapen circle with Sango and three other girls, one of them enthusiastically telling a story that had the lot of them giggling. That smile, the rosy color of her cheeks, the way the tip of her nose was a light shade of pink from the chill of their morning, it was all like a buzz of caffeine for him. The more he watched, the more he listened to the melody of her laugh, the lighter he began to gradually feel.

Kagome was wearing black tights beneath her charcoal uniform skirt this morning as opposed to the knee-high socks she usually opted for, sparing her legs from the small nip in the air. Over her white button up, she donned a dark, knitted sweater, the baggy sleeves shielding her fingers. But, her neck wasn't covered. Sure, her hair was worn down, waving over her shoulders in their natural order, but what good was that compared to something literally manufactured to keep heat in? The dummy was just asking for a cold. Whatever combatant thought that formulated in his head deliberately went ignored as he turned away from the building to walk toward her, a horrible fluttering expanding throughout his abdomen. Sango's gaze met him first as he approached, then Kagome's as the group of girls' chatter died off into a curious and muddled silence. God, he didn't think there was anything capable of rivaling the annoying sensation in his stomach at the moment, but when she smiled wider at him as he stopped just a foot or two before her, his heart gave a thunderous pound that he worried would wound his ribcage. His cheeks went hot, then his nose, then the remainder of his face, and the thought of his evident blush only made him heat up furthermore. Her greeting was soft and happy, bringing him to huff out, his jaw clenching, and his amber eyes drifting off to the side. As planned, Inuyasha removed the muffler from his neck, untwisting it so he could hand it over. From his peripherals, he gathered that she was confused, not immediately taking it from him, so he decidedly did the damn job himself before he ended up spontaneously combusting from flames of embarrassment. Carefully, the hanyou looped it behind her neck, twisted, then looped it again so it bunched properly to keep her warm, her raven hair billowed beneath.

She was staring up at him with large eyes, her pink lips pinching together then growing into a shy and appreciative smile. Son of a bitch, she was fucking cute.

He walked away, heading toward the entrance of the building without a single word, and Kagome's blush maddened as her friends made hushed and cheery noises at what had just happened.

"So, what? Are you guys together now?"

"When did you two even become a thing?"

"Wasn't that Inuyasha? I've never seen him not mad."

"Nah, he still looked mad. Just a flustered sort of mad."

"And to think just a couple days ago you were worried." Sango teased.

"Yeah, but y-you know happened." Kagome said, feeling like she was standing under an intense spotlight.

"Uh, we don't!" Eri stated, bringing the attention back to them. "Hello, hi. Details, please."

"Oh, look at the time." Kagome pulled back the sleeve of her left hand to look at the invisible watch along her wrist, beginning to walk backward toward their school building. "I need to - I've gotta - I mean, class is starting soon, so yeah. Bye."

Sango laughed, waving and knowing full and well that her friend was heading to catch up with her favored half demon.

"I don't suppose you'll tell us?"

"Sorry, guys." She shrugged, smiling. "The best friend privilege is knowing, and the code is not spilling business that isn't mine to spill."

Kagome wandered over to his locker in the third row, spotting him just as he closed the small, metal door. He glanced over, his eyes never leaving her as she sauntered his way, and though his cheeks continued to reveal some of his timidness, a soft smile on his lips further ignited the spark between them.

"I don't need it back if that's what you're about to ask."

"Not yet, anyway."

"After school. Keep it until then."

"I actually came to walk with you. If that's okay?"

"You don't need to ask, dummy." Inuyasha replied, though there was the hint of tension in his tone. He gave a notch of his head to lead the way, shoving his hands into his pant pockets to appear as casual as possible. She walked at his side, just as close as they'd walked on Saturday night, and he found it to be a source of comfort. Progressively, his preservation melted away with her warmth, wanting less to hide his affection behind a barricade and wanting more to give it to her so she'd always smile like she had before.

"So, uh, how'd you do on your last math test?" He asked as they began their ascent up the stairs and to the second floor where their classes were.

"Oh, I totally forgot! I meant to show you!" Kagome opened her book bag at her side, pulling out the quiz after wiggling it free from between two notebooks. She held it out, positively beaming and excited for him to see her accomplishment.

Inuyasha took in the "B" next to her name before taking the paper into his grip, a smile of his own forming as his pride for her swelled. "This is the best one yet! Soon you're not even gonna need my help."

"I don't know about that." She quickly countered, a little nervous at the sound of losing any easy opportunity to see him outside of school. "I still struggle a bit. And, I mean, you do call me a dummy."

"Not as an insult." He chuckled, handing the test back to her so she could shove it back into her bag.

"It originated for a reason, and then just became an endearment of sorts."

"I don't think you're dumb." Inuyasha said, still smiling. He glanced at her, noticing the uncertainty in her eyes, shielded behind a small grin. Was she looking for validation? He felt something click in him, like he didn't actually need to question what she wanted. The quick rebut she'd served just a moment ago to his comment, the look she was giving, the warm sensation building in his chest - it made it easy not to second guess his intuition. This was an understanding he'd been privileged to receive from being with her so often, from falling in love. Not a part of him desired to resist what surprisingly and so simply came to him right now, the back of his hand grazing her knuckles until he hooked one of her fingers with his own. They both stopped walking, and he pulled her closer by another inch. "Relax. I'm not going anywhere; we'll still study together. Maybe you'll even end up tutoring me."

"Doubtful." Kagome muttered with a shy smile, her finger gently clutching his in return.

"Which part?"

"Me tutoring you."

"Yeah, you're right." He chuckled, her responding giggle like a gift. The bell rang and he knew the halls were about to get busy as everyone filtered through to class. He took the opportunity he had, never letting go of her finger. "Tomorrow? I'll walk you home and we can study."

"Okay." She nodded, smiling.

Using his free hand, Inuyasha twirled some strands of her hair around his finger, ones that were short, and framed her jaw, and weren't held captive by the muffler like the rest of it all still was. "Come on, dummy." He grinned, leading her to her class with a yank on her finger.

—

Sango puffed out her cheeks in a mock pout, standing by a tree with her arms crossed over her chest after school. "Call me repetitive, but I still cannot believe you're ditching me for a boy today."

"You're repetitive."

"Thank you."

"I'm not even ditching you," Kagome laughed. "I said he'd be walking with us. You're the one who chose to walk home alone."

"Excuse me, look me in the eyes and tell me I'm third wheel material. I dare you."

She laughed a little harder from her best friend's dramatic exasperation. "He's walked with us before, Sango! It's just like every other time."

"Bull and baloney! The last time he walked with us was before you guys got over the majority of your romantic constipation." Sango ignored the weird look that took over Kagome's expression, proceeding on with her argument without hesitance. "Things are better now, you've both gotten a clue - thank god - and moves are being made. When he said he wanted to walk you home, he meant he wanted to walk you home. Therefore, if I tag along until we hit my route, he's gonna be uncomfortable up until then and I'm gonna be the cockblock."

"What? Not even!"

"Oh, yeah."

"So, you're just gonna avoid us forever now? This is it? Whenever Inuyasha wants to come with, you're out?" Kagome grinned, leaning her head to the side in a playful challenge.

"No, of course not. Not forever. When you guys are in an established relationship - and by established, I mean passed the mushy crap - then I'll make my return. Maybe even sooner if I land myself a stud, because then I wouldn't be a third wheel." Sango shrugged.

"You've got one guy in mind that can't even talk to you passed 'hello,' so that could take a while."

"See you on the flip side, my main gal."

"You realize then that this isn't me choosing a guy over you, but you choosing your pride over everything?"

"You bet, but I'm still blaming you."

"You know what? I'm gonna do you a favor." Kagome cocked a brow, her smile shifting into one of deviousness.

"What? No, wait. No. I know that look, and I hate it. What are you gonna do?" Sango's face twisted in suspicion, her brows furrowing deeply as Kagome turned about, seemingly searching the school grounds. She had a sinking feeling in her chest as a scheme had obviously just popped into Kagome's head, and who had she just mentioned? Bad, not good, very bad. "Kay, I swear to Zeus if you -"

"Oh, there they are!" Kagome beamed, practically skipping her way over to the pair of far-off boys.

"I have no best friend!" Sango hissed, quickly ducking herself to hide behind the tree.

Inuyasha's golden stare transferred from his friend to her as she approached, the plain expression he held while Miroku talked changing to a gentle grin. He notched his head in a silent greeting while his friend finished his sentence.

"Hi. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." She apologized, stopping before them, a little closer to Inuyasha than in the center.

"Nothing to worry about." Miroku kindly dismissed. "Since you're here, let me ask you something: Do you prefer me with or without the rattail? I need a lady's perspective."

"Oh, god no, definitely without." Kagome answered a little too quickly, giving a small grimace when she realize how rude it could have come off, especially as Inuyasha stifled his snorted laugh. "I mean, it's your choice, of course! I just think the style is a bit outdated. And, this shorter cut suits you much better. Were you thinking of growing it back?"

"Wow. Not anymore." Miroku blinked, pinching his lips into a tight line.

"Thank you." Inuyasha boasted, like he'd finally gotten his way. He gave another small nod to Kagome, gesturing in the direction of the gate. "Come on, let's go."

"Hang on, I have a question." She said, stopping Inuyasha before he could lead her off. She looked over at his friend, watching him go from feigned defeat to slightly curious when he realized it was for him. "I'm sorry if this is none of my business, but do you mind if I be a little upfront for a moment and ask how you feel about Sango?"

"Oh god, you're gonna break him." Inuyasha murmured beside her.

"No, I promise I won't tell her anything. I'm just wondering." Kagome assured.

"You mean, I haven't made it painstakingly obvious?" Miroku asked monotonously, his grin devoid of any real emotion.

"So, you like her?"

"Something like that."

"Why haven't you asked her out?"

"Remember that time, a few months ago, when I stopped you guys on your way home from school?"

"Yeah."

"I was going to try and get her number then. I had a classic pickup line planned and everything, and yet the only thing that came out of my mouth was her name. I can't function around her. I panic around her. I freeze, I sputter, and I shave a few years off my life every time I'm around her. You see my problem?"

"Okay, you're not good with girls. It's fine, you've gotta start some-"

"I'm fantastic with girls, you take that back!" Miroku retorted defensively.

"Really? You can actually claim that right now?" Kagome earnestly asked.

"You really think you have the room to talk when you two still aren't even dating?" Miroku chided, pointing to both Inuyasha and Kagome. He didn't even have time to flinch before Inuyasha slugged him in the arm, his pained groan gurgled and deep. "Okay, withdrawn!" He clutched the offended spot, respectfully ignoring Kagome's embarrassment as he continued speaking to buffer the awkwardness. "Look, there's just something about her that fucks me up. Little-by-little, I'm talking! I'm getting better! I'm growing! I'm not always melting down like I used to! I'll get there eventually!"

"What if I make it a little easier on you?" She offered with a simple shrug.

"How?"

"Give me your number and I'll give it to her. That way, you don't have to stress yourself out by asking for hers, and that's one objective down."

"Wait," Miroku tilted his head skeptically. "Are you - are you saying she's interested?"

Kagome feigned a believable frown. "Actually, I don't know." She lied. "Sango's a pretty private person. She doesn't often talk about her feelings, even to me. I'm just doing this to help you out. You're a nice guy, and I'm her best friend. Easy in-between."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch."

"No catch?"

"She said no catch. Just do it." Inuyasha griped. "You've been going on and on about this since last year, and now you're gonna question the opportunity?"

"Because, there's gotta be a catch! She owes me nothing - you owe me nothing. So, why do me a favor?"

"No catch." Kagome repeated, shaking her head. "Honestly, I'm just a nice person. If you want to do it yourself, by all means. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or push you to do something you don't want to do. But, if I do it, we eliminate the potential to wreck yourself even more in front of her, and then the ball's in her court. If she's interested, she'll text or call, if not, then nothing happens and you have your answer. Besides, I think she's already headed home, so I can talk you up a little and say you wanted to give it to her today but she'd already left so you gave it to me to pass on."

"No catch?"

"No catch."

"No one's that nice."

"I am. Oh, and just think. It's always easier to talk through text because you have time to think through what you want to say before you say it."

"He'll still mess it up." Inuyasha quietly mentioned.

"Nah, I don't think he will." She said, smiling, redirecting the conversation back to Miroku. "Then, you'll adjust, realize Sango's super easy to talk to and there's nothing to be nervous about, and talking to her in person will be as normal as talking to anyone else."

"Oh, fuck, yeah okay. You drive a hard bargain, Higurashi." Miroku eagerly opened his bag, bringing out his notebook and opening it to the first empty page. "Inuyasha, your pen." He requested, holding his hand out as the half demon pulled his pen from his front, pant pocket. Taking the writing utensil and clicking the ballpoint end out, he began scribbling along the upper-right corner.

Kagome could tell it wasn't just his number he was jotting down, but she didn't try to peek, instead giving a quick side-glance to Inuyasha and winking so he knew she had this planned. Miroku tore the edge of the paper, folding up his little note and handing it over to Kagome which she happily took and slipped into the small pocket at the front of her book bag.

"Say something nice about me when you see her."

"Don't worry."

"Now, can we go?" Inuyasha spoke, taking back his pen and sliding it into his front pocket once more. Kagome smiled, giving a nod and waving goodbye to his best friend before walking off with him toward the exit. As soon as they were out of the gate, and effectively out of earshot of Miroku - who had to stay behind for his stupid student council committee - he shot her a sly look. "What was that all about?"

"Just helping things along." She replied, giving a measly shrug.

"Ka-go-me!" The shout was menacing and chilling, over-enunciated for full, grounding effect, and bringing Kagome to look wearily toward a fuming Sango who was running right toward her. Hastily, she dodged around the half demon, using him as a shield to protect herself from the temperament of her best friend.

Inuyasha stood stiffly between the two, thoroughly confused and unsure whether this was actually something he should literally be in the middle of.

"No! Wait! Don't be mad, I didn't do anything wrong!" Kagome proclaimed.

"What did you say!?" Sango asked, brows pinching together but no real malice to her tone. She was frantic for an answer, and naturally defensive, but Kagome should have known better than to pull one of Sango's own stunts on her.

"Nothing about you!"

"Freaking liar!"

"No, I swear! I didn't! In fact, the one question he asked about you, I lied about and turned the subject back on him!"

"And, what was the subject, Kagome!?"

"About whether he liked you or not!"

"Oh my god! You can't just ask someone that!" Sango cried, shoving her face into her palms.

"What!? On Saturday, you said -"

Sango shushed her, the noise high pitched and tense. "I know what I said, but that advice wasn't for me!"

"If it's any consolation, he said yes!"

"He did!?"

"You said you wouldn't tell her." Inuyasha mentioned, turning his head to peculiarly glance at her from the side.

"Oh, because it wouldn't be obvious when I gave her his number?" Kagome retorted, not yet coming out from the shelter his body provided.

"What?" Sango asked, slightly shocked.

"Yeah, see," Kagome fished the folded up paper out of the pocket of her bag, sliding her arm around Inuyasha's waist to hand it over. Her friend snatched the note like a monkey snagging a banana from its handler, unfolding it to read its contents. "I didn't read it, I promise. He really wanted me to give that to you."

Sango studied what was written, her cheeks becoming a bright shade of pink before lowering the small shred of paper to peer at Kagome, her eyes large and pleading. "Did you seriously ask him for his number for me? He's gonna think I'm desperate!"

"No! I offered to give you his number for him! I told him I didn't know if you liked him, but I just wanted to do him a favor."

"And, he fell for that?"

"Yup. Whatever else that says is all him. I didn't suggest a note, just the number."

Sango quickly handed the note to Kagome, making sure Inuyasha didn't glance to read it, her hand held open for Kagome to return it when she was done.

I'm sorry I'm weird around you. I literally get dumbstruck by your beauty. I don't want to mess up anymore, so here's my number. Give me a chance. - Miroku.

Kagome beamed, slipping the small piece of paper back into Sango's palm. "So, what do you think?"

"I don't know. He really has no idea how I feel?"

"Look, I can honestly tell you he didn't suspect a thing. You can go into this whatever way you want, and the guy wouldn't know the difference." Inuyasha testified, leaning his head to the side in a careless manner.

"You," Sango pointed up at the hanyou's face, a scowl forming on her own, successfully intimidating him as he flinched back an inch. "Will keep this conversation to yourself, got it? I mean it. Don't tell him anything that happened here."

"How are you so scary for a small chick?" He held his hands out defensively in front of him.

"My dad's a cop."

"Ah."

"Believe me, he won't say anything." Kagome assured, finally coming out of hiding. "So, are you gonna text him?"

"You'll find out when your friendship timeout is up." Sango sneered, pursing her lips and crossing her arms.

"How long!?" Kagome pouted.

"To be determined." She shrugged, walking off to take a different route home.

"Determine!"

"Two hours."

"Hours?"

"You'll be busy anyway, so you won't even notice."

"Sango!"

"Bye!" She waved from behind, crossing the street.

"You guys are weird." Inuyasha remarked, walking on ahead.

"You really won't tell, right?" Kagome asked, upping her speed to reach his side again.

"What? That Sango likes Miroku? Nah." He confirmed, his tone level as he gave a small shake of his head. "I kind of figured you wouldn't just do Miroku a favor out of the blue like that. Even before you winked."

"So, you blindly backed me up?"

"Yup. Stupid, huh?"

She smiled, turning her head so he wouldn't see how happy it had made her. The muffled chime of Inuyasha's phone went off in his pocket, bringing her attention back his way as he pulled it out, his brows giving a small twitch together as he whispered an apology to her and answered.

"What's up?" She couldn't hear who was talking on the other end, but she continued walking at his side, minding her business to the best of her abilities, even when Inuyasha grumbled. He stopped walking, pinching the back of her sweater with his free hand to make her stay with him, his head lolling back in exasperation. "Yeah, fine, I'll go check. I swear, you're getting too old to leave the house."

He hung up, grimacing deeply. "My uncle thinks he left the stove on and he won't be back until late. I can run home real quick and I'll meet you at your place. That okay?"

"Oh, yeah." Kagome nodded understandingly. He flashed a small grin, his pace hastening slightly as he walked ahead to the corner, about to cross to the right where she'd just go straight. She watched him stop even though it was perfectly safe for him to go, an unsure expression on his lips as he pressed them together, eventually turning back to her as she finally reached the corner, herself.

"Unless, um, unless you just want to come with me? It'll be a quick stop."

Her smile grew brightly, her nod coming before her brain could actually initiate the response. When he smiled back and notched his head for her to follow, she couldn't help the wild flutter that made home in her belly. She'd never been to his place before. She was excited.

As if things couldn't get any better, he'd grabbed her sleeve, pulling her closer to walk at his side again. In all honesty, she'd expected him to let go once he'd gotten his way, but he didn't. He held onto her sleeve, keeping her with him as they walked, the silence undeniably comfortable. Kagome wondered if it would be okay to actually hold his hand. Would it make him shy away? They practically held hands yesterday, so they may as well, right? Was this the way he preferred it, or should she make the move? Maybe she'd try it slowly to properly read the situation. Because, she really, really, wanted to hold his hand.

Carefully, she angled her hand upward, her forearm following through as necessary, so she could brush the side of his fingers with her own. He didn't look at her, nor did she look up at him, their eyes straight ahead or on their surroundings. His hand didn't inch away, and his grip on her knitted sweater slackened, even more so as she brushed his fingers again. That second time, though, she slipped one of her fingers in the curve of his hand, then another when he welcomed her in, helping to build her courage. Inuyasha dropped his hold on her sleeve entirely, taking her hand in his, accepting the way she entwined their fingers and steadily following suit with his own grip.

Maybe it was due to her infatuation with the boy, but she sincerely felt safe with her hand in his; protected from everything uninviting the world may put before her. After a moment, her embarrassment even faded away, far quicker than she'd ever expected it to. His hand was large and hot, engulfing and wonderfully gentle, his nails never a threat to her, but his unexpected tenderness was, his thumb smoothly rubbing back and forth over the back of her palm, threatening to provoke an eruption of butterflies in her abdomen.

"It's this one." Inuyasha said, guiding her through the small, front gate and pulling his small set of keys out of the pocket of his bag. Begrudgingly, he pulled his hand free from hers to open the door, letting her walk through first before following in and shutting it behind him. "Come on." He walked up the hall a bit, her small, padded footsteps close behind him as he took a left into the kitchen, seeing the stove was off all along.

"False alarm?" Kagome giggled.

"Better safe than sorry with that guy." He groaned.

"Your home is nice." She smiled, turning about to look at the small amount of decoration in the kitchen. It was a man's home, that was for sure; it didn't have a typical woman's touch to it. Nonetheless, it was comfortable, kempt, and rustic.

"Well, it's his. Totosai's." Inuyasha corrected with a dismissive shrug, sauntering back into the hall and toward the living room, making sure she followed.

"You live here, don't you? And, he adopted you, so I'm sure you're more than welcome to call this place yours."

"I don't know, sometimes I feel out of place."

"You'll only make yourself feel more out of place the more you say things like that."

The half demon turned to her, brows furrowing speculatively. There was no animosity behind it; in fact, his smirk prodded her to elaborate.

"Like, okay say I'm feeling insecure about my looks. I don't feel very pretty or attractive, and it's weighing on me. I look at myself in the mirror and then I tell myself I'm ugly. Not just once, but I end up telling myself that on a regular basis. The insecurity will definitely sink through a lot faster than it would if I maybe told myself the opposite. I'd believe it wholeheartedly then. And after that, I'd never feel comfortable in my skin, or my dresses, or skirts, or jeans, or maybe even my frumpy clothes. No amount of makeup would do the trick, either, because what I did was empower my self-consciousness. I didn't do myself any favors by allowing myself to think my negative thoughts were true. I, instead, made my own situation worse. Why do that? Insecurities, on any level, are natural, and sometimes it's hard to convince yourself of the opposite, but it's so much more worth it to try. And, you'd be happier when you come out." She took a step closer to him, smiling. Inuyasha merely gazed down at her, no air of discomfort about; he simply listened. "Your situation - it's understandable. I'd even be so bold to say it's natural to feel out of sorts sometimes. This wasn't the home you pictured living in as a child, and those feelings don't need to go neglected. But, this is a home you've been welcomed into. Your uncle signed the papers and brought you here. I'm gonna assume you have your own bedroom, and furniture, and your clothes fit you properly so he's definitely providing for you. You've got a key, and look -" Her grin grew larger, her enthusiasm a little too pronounced as she turned to the mantle and spotted a candid picture of Inuyasha as a pre-teen, sitting on a park bench with much shorter hair. "He's even proud to have photos of you on display. This is definitely your home."

Quickly, flustered Inuyasha walked the few paces over to the picture and slammed it down. "Alright, alright. You made your point." He drawled, looking back at her. "You've got a motivational speech for everything, don't you?"

"Pretty much." She giggled.

"Mind if I go change out of my uniform real quick?"

"Go for it."

Inuyasha walked out to the hall, leaving Kagome in the living room, his stomach feeling heavy while his chest fluttered with something uncertain. He'd stopped at the frame of the entry, his hand braced on the polished wood as he looked back at her over his shoulder, watching how she didn't even seem to notice he was still there. She was carefully resetting the picture of him that he'd planted facedown, the pads of her fingers smoothing over the edge of the cheap frame.

"Is that what you were feeling?" The half demon asked, his tone husky. Kagome turned to him, slightly surprised, but the notch her head gave told him she didn't immediately grasp what he was referring to. "Saturday. When you were sad. You mentioned insecurity. Was it because you didn't feel beautiful?"

Kagome's nerves flared dully, a small lump beginning to form in her throat. His amber eyes appeared gentle, and she couldn't help but wonder how many times he'd thought of that night since. The shake of her head came slow at first, hardly there, but then grew into something more steady and honest.

"Will you tell me?"

She swallowed, her lips parting slightly. She still wasn't fully comfortable talking about it, the humiliation remaining fresh, but he wanted to know and her reservation was superficial. He'd been opening up to her, trusting her, and she should do the same. He'd dropped whatever he was doing and ran to her that night. Literally ran. He calmed her down, he walked her home, he held her. Just him asking, revisiting the topic, had her feeling warmly invited to rely on him with her emotions, despite the minor apprehension holding her tongue. And, if the logic of the situation wasn't enough, the patience he was exuding as he stood in place and waited for her to speak was. There was no caution in his expression, because there was no caution necessary between the two of them at the moment. The feeling she was receiving from him was almost the same as what she'd tried to procure during her little speech just moments ago. Safety and comfort. And, though Kagome wasn't suddenly confident in spilling her vulnerability - as anyone would naturally feel - it wasn't hard to let him in.

"I -" The hesitance wasn't planned, but she breathed to push passed it, her eyes inadvertently shying to the ground. "I wasn't quite sure how you felt about me. I was constantly going back and forth with myself. After a while, it became too much and, um, yeah. That's what Saturday was all about."

Inuyasha tensed slightly, entirely unsuspecting of what she'd just stated. He'd racked his brain numerous times since Saturday night, since seeing her cry and feeling the way she clutched onto him for support, pretending he knew the deep ins and outs of Kagome's mind so he could try and figure out what, exactly, she'd been feeling so he was better prepared to help her out of it should the situation occur again. The typical scenario that pops into a person's head when told another is feeling insecure is looks, and he felt rotten just thinking a girl as gorgeous as she didn't feel comfortable in her own body. He'd almost taken it as absolute confirmation when she'd brought up the hypothetical scenario just now. Another idea was her grades, or her future - because she's in her final year of high school, and what senior isn't panicking about their future at the moment - or maybe even something pertaining to her family. More specifically, playing backup guardian to her younger brother to help her hardworking mother out. That could easily weigh on a person, and he wouldn't blame her for crumbling out of sight from the pressure. Inuyasha was almost prepared to make a list of the many positive attributes this one girl holds so he could help her see what he sees; so he could hopefully prevent another breakdown in the future. For some reason, he never thought it was about him. Not with how she was the first to walk into his arms, or with how she called him when she was fighting off tears. After that night, she must have understood how he felt about her, but that's only three days of security. It made sense now that he thought about it; the half demon wasn't known for his open displays of affection. There had never necessarily been a person he wanted to be openly affectionate with until now. As he had been coming to terms with his own emotions, gradually forcing himself out of his damaging and abrasive habits, somewhere along the lines he'd just assumed she knew. And, only ended up confusing her. That's a good chunk of time that they weren't on the same page, and he had no fucking idea. If she needed more obvious gestures, he could provide that. It was nerve-racking, but he would do it for her.

"Well, I hope you feel better now, because that's a stupid thing to get upset about." He watched as she seemingly took in his response, a small smile curving her lips, comprehending his language. "Wait for me, I'll be right back."

He came down the stairs, adjusting his hoodie as he went, spotting Kagome at a bookshelf at the far end of the living room as he came back through. Her brown eyes were glued on a photograph, never peering away to look at him as he approached.

"My dad." He spoke, stopping just inches behind her.

"You look so much like him." Kagome seemed almost astonished by the resemblance.

"Just the hair. I think I look more like my mom."

"And the jawline."

"And the jawline." Inuyasha chuckled, nodding as he agreed.

"Is that your uncle with him?"

"Yeah, that's the geezer. Come on, let's go."

She smiled up at him happily, following him out the door, waiting for him on the sidewalk outside the gate while he locked up. As he strode back over to her, he gave the shoulder of her sweater a small yank to lead her down the path he took to her place, his fingers casually sliding down the front of her arm until he reached her hand, tangling their fingers as they'd been before.

Their notes and homework assignments were sprawled on the floor of her bedroom between them, mostly used for reference when necessary as he quizzed her with random questions, a movie playing on the tv for soft background noise and their backs resting against the side of her bed.

"Wait, you already asked me that one!" Kagome complained, scrounging through the papers before her for the answer.

"Yeah, you got it wrong the first time, and you still can't remember the answer I gave you." He responded, his tone brassy but amused, breathily chuckling as he watched her go from one sheet of scribbled notes to another.

"It's here somewhere."

"You never wrote it down."

"Dang it, Inuyasha!"

"Not my problem!"

"You probably distracted me."

"It isn't hard to do."

Quickly, he protected his face with his hands, laughing as Kagome chucked a small, decorative pillow at him.

"So funny." She mocked, reaching over and grabbing his notes from beside his knee. "Oh."

"Hm?" His ear closest to her flicked, waiting expectantly for her to give him the answer.

"Oda Nobunaga."

"So much for being a history buff, huh?" He remarked.

"You're so sassy tonight." Kagome laughed, putting his notes back where they once were.

"Okay, chemistry question: What's the formula for hydrochloric acid?"

"Do you even know that off the top of your head?" She countered, grimacing.

"Wouldn't ask if I didn't."

"What a nerd." Kagome murmured, once more shifting through her study material. She sighed out slowly as she searched, her face scrunching like usual, and bringing the paper closer to her face, neglecting the glasses on her nightstand. "H-C-I."

"Good. Since you're looking at it, phosphoric acid?"

"H-3-P-O-4."

"Mhm. Now put the notes down. The next question I ask, you should know by now."

"Oh no." She grumbled, complying.

"It's easy. Say you borrow ten-thousand dollars from the bank. By the time you pay it off, you've paid a total amount of ten-thousand, four-hundred. What's the additional four-hundred represent?"

"Oh, interest!"

"Good. See?" He smiled. "One last question and then I've gotta go. You ready?"

She hummed an affirmation, nodding as she turned to fully face him.

"It's gonna be the toughest one. You get it right and I'll take you out for ice cream."

Kagome smiled eagerly, whispering an okay as she waited.

"Alright, you sure?"

"Come on." She half-whined, the anticipation spiking. She wondered just how hard the question was going to be considering he used a reward as incentive.

"Okay, what's sixteen divided by two?"

"What? It's eight." Kagome laughed lightly, brows furrowing in query.

"Yup." He feigned a defeated sigh, shrugging and gathering his notes together. "Fair is fair. You busy Saturday?"

"No, I'm free." She smiled, thrown off since she was sincerely expecting a tricky question.

"Great, I'll take you out on our date then."

She perked, her expression faltering minutely out of surprise but then growing into one of subtle elation. "Date?"

Inuyasha picked himself up off the floor, bringing the strap of his bag to rest over his shoulder. He glanced down at her as she followed suit and stood, shrugging his brows and smiling slightly in a meager response to her question. "See you tomorrow."

"Wait, I'll walk you out."

"Nah, don't worry about it." He said, opening the door to her bedroom and giving her head a gentle shove backward. "I'll text you when I get home.

—

He crossed the street, seeing the designated meet-up spot in the short distance, the sun still barely keeping the sky illuminated. Hues of fading orange and pink danced on patches of clouds overhead, a deep indigo overriding the majority of the sky. He didn't see her at the statue, and he was glad he'd beat her; he didn't like the idea of her sitting alone waiting for him. As he approached, he pulled his phone out of the front pocket of his black jeans, making sure she hadn't texted.

His stomach was in absolute shambles, his nerves riddled and wired. Their first date. It was about time, yeah, but that didn't make the ordeal any less unsettling. He'd never technically done this before, so his worst fear was fucking it up. He tried pretending it was just another ordinary hang out so he'd calm down a bit, but he knew that wasn't true. This was a date. He was finally taking Kagome out on a date. He figured when they got the ball rolling, it would be a lot smoother since being around each other was easier than he'd ever imagined it would be, but up until then he felt just about ready to puke.

To busy himself as he waited, Inuyasha adjusted his grey t-shirt beneath his jacket, making sure it didn't look too wrinkled or disheveled. He knew people were technically supposed to dress up for occasions such as these, but outside of his school uniform, he refused to wear another button up unless absolutely necessary. It wasn't his style. He still looked appropriate, and he vaguely remembered the way her eyes lingered on him the last time he wore this shirt around her.

"Well, well, well." Inuyasha's gaze, heating instantly, shot to the side, landing on the tall, slender delinquent that ambled over. He'd been so distracted waiting for Kagome that he hadn't even fucking noticed the scent of the motherfucker. "Look who it is."

"Fuck." Inuyasha breathed, the word dragging out hoarsely. "I'll give you twenty bucks to leave me alone tonight."

"Who do I look like, Jakotsu? Gonna take a lot more than that to buy me off."

"Not tonight." Inuyasha's tone was clenched and assertive, staring straight into the dark eyes of the man that continued to approach.

"Why? What's on the agenda?" He asked, carelessly. An arrogant smile expanded on his face.

"I'm serious, Ren."

"Yeah, see, the last time we saw each other, you shoved my face into a brick wall. I'm not feeling very understanding at the moment." He sneered.

"You came at me first."

"And, it wouldn't keep happening if you'd just fix the mistake you made."

"It's on my to-do list. Right there next to making you kiss my ass."

"You son of a bitch." He swung his fist, but Inuyasha dodged in time, swerving around to the backside of his opponent and giving the quickest look around the surrounding area to make sure Kagome wasn't in the vicinity. Multiple times he'd gotten out of these fights unscathed, and he hoped, fucking hoped, he could do the same right now.

"I gotta say, not a really good way to convince me to leave you alone."

"Figured you wouldn't, anyway." Inuyasha's shrug was barely visible, waiting for Renkotsu's next move. He wasn't the strongest fighter, but he was a tactical one. He liked to bait Inuyasha along, or whomever he was up against really, getting their tempers to flare so their fighting strategy was sloppy. In addition, he was, unfortunately, fast and nimble on his feet, and even though Inuyasha was good at swooping himself out of the way, Renkotsu was better at getting back in his.

The hanyou was pushed back, but the stumble was short-lived as he grasped his bearings and threw his fist into the punk's face, feeling the sting of his knuckle colliding with Renkotsu's tooth. His lip must have pinched between, because blood was quick to trickle free, painting his mouth crimson as he smiled and laughed.

"You've gotten soft, dog boy." He remarked, his hand hovering beneath his chin but not really even trying to stop the bleeding.

"Shut up."

"Since when do you hold back?"

Since he was steadfast determined not to come out of this with a single indicator that would tip Kagome off or ruin her night.

"Come on, what's changed? You been whipped or something?" He lunged, faking right but snagging Inuyasha on the left, clutching the front of his jacket and tossing him headfirst into the statue.

The pain just above his temple was sharp, instantaneously growing unbearably hot as he picked himself up to a proper standing and felt the light leakage of liquid sliding down the side of his face, the sensation dulling and becoming hardly noticeable over the headache pressing him. There was a physical spike to his temper, his blood beginning to boil as a growl bubbled in his abdomen. Of all the members of that dumb squad, Renkotsu was the most annoying.

Something in Kagome snapped, having watched the guy attack Inuyasha. She knew this sort of stuff was happening, but it was indescribably different when she witnessed it first hand. Shock transitioned to anger. Anger transitioned to infuriation. Infuriation transitioned to irrefutable outrage, and that was that. Her next move wasn't subconscious; she knew exactly what she was doing. Kagome ran at them, speeding up, sprinting as quickly as her legs would go and shoved the bastard as hard as she possibly could. He was sturdier than his lanky body suggested, only stumbling back several feet before his glare met her challenging scowl. Arms braced around her waist before she could lunge again, a husky voice she knew was Inuyasha's telling her to "fucking stop," as he pivoted on his heel and tucked her behind him. That didn't halt her, though. Demands for him to move were grunted from her mouth as she pushed his arms away, trying to climb her way around his protective stature.

"What the fuck is that, your pet pomeranian!?" Renkotsu jibed, finally taking a moment to wipe the mixture of saliva and blood that dribbled down his chin, and spitting off to the side.

"Funny coming from a guy with premature balding!" Kagome barked, finally getting Inuyasha to let her go. He stood close, though, and she knew he was prepared to snag her out of harms way if anything happened. "Who the hell are you!?"

"Who's asking?" He smirked.

"His pet pomeranian." She cocked a brow tauntingly.

"You're feisty. I like that." He chuckled. "Name's Renkotsu. And, you're interrupting a private conversation between the actual dog and I."

"And, what problem could you possibly have with him!?" Kagome fumed.

"Many." Came his brusque reply.

"Kagome, look -" Inuyasha spoke low, only to her, amber eyes shifting from their offender to make sure he didn't move any closer, to the side of her face - because her sight was glued straight ahead. "Just wait for me in the park. I'll be right there."

"What's he saying? Trying to act like the hero and send you off?" Renkotsu teased. "He deserves everything that's coming for him. You know what he's done?"

"Yeah, pissed you off." Kagome said, her tone dismissive. "I'm gonna tell you upfront that nothing you say about him is going to change my mind from thinking you're the little bitch here."

"If I were you, I'd reel that attitude in, little girl. You don't know what you're getting into." Renkotsu warned, his amusement dwindling away. It wasn't difficult to determine he was a hothead, easily set off by name-calling and back talk, and he didn't take kindly to challenges against his pride.

"Am I supposed to be scared?"

"You will be if you don't back the fuck off. I'll give you thirty seconds to leave."

"And, if I don't?"

"You'll have to watch me kick your boyfriend's ass. Then, maybe, I'll take you and -"

"Finish that sentence, Renkotsu! I fucking dare you!" Inuyasha growled dangerously.

"Get her to leave, Inuyasha!" Renkotsu ordered, his voice on the edge of getting even louder.

"We're both leaving." Kagome said with the tone of finality, grabbing onto Inuyasha's wrist.

"The hell he is!"

"You're from that group of assholes, right? The one Inuyasha left? Which means you're just carrying out orders from the top. Well, tell what's-his-face to suck a dick and to handle his dirty work, himself."

Inuyasha shot a look of surprise at her, a smile spreading over his lips, and turning back to look at the bald delinquent, he notched his head in appreciation of Kagome's profanity.

"You gonna let your bitch fight your battles, mutt?"

He shrugged, still thriving off her recent jab. "She's doing a pretty good job. How could I not?"

"You know damn well if I take this back to Bankotsu, he'll have us out for her, too. Shut her up."

"Bankotsu?" Kagome grimaced, blinking bemusedly. "Are you guys siblings or something?"

"No?" Renkotsu asked more than stated, his brows furrowing deeply.

"What's with the similar names, then? That can't just be a coincidence; it sounds so fake. Is that your actual name?"

"They don't go by their actual names." Inuyasha mentioned. "It's one of the common measures they take to help protect their real identities. All of them have a code name ending in, '-kotsu'."

"Seriously? Are you kidding me?" Kagome laughed audaciously, looking Renkotsu straight in his dark, narrowed eyes. "Hate to break it to you, buddy, but twinsy names aren't intimidating."

"It's not what's in a name," He began, walking inward, his jaw clenching and unclenching repeatedly, evident from the muscles flexing at the crook of his mandible. "It's how you present yourself. I've never been one for hitting chicks, but a motherfucker just might now."

Inuyasha swapped their grips, now the one clutching to her wrist and directing her to angle behind him with a firm tug.

"I gave you the opportunity to leave, but you wanted to push your luck. I don't like women getting involved, but oh well. Fuck me, right?"

"Yeah. Fuck you." Inuyasha seethed, the scowl returning to set on his features. "If you think you're ever going to touch her -"

"And, what are you gonna do?" Stopping with a foot's distance between them, staring into the golden eyes of his original target. "Because you've been so successful in warding the rest of us off? You, of all people - if we can even call you that - should know by now that we don't give up so easily. Now, she's in the mix. Should have made her leave when you had the chance."

"Are we done here?" Kagome questioned, her tone sharp. His eyes flickered down to her, a single, thin brow shrugging in insolence.

"Sure. I like that dress, by the way." He grinned briefly before pursing his lips and spitting on her, his saliva still holding a tint of red and landing in the center of her breasts to stain the pastel pink she donned.

Kagome, though repulsed and disturbed, immediately grasped Inuyasha's arm, pinching her nails into the sleeve of his jacket so he wouldn't retaliate. His muscles were flexed and he'd been ready to swing in her defense, and even though he could easily overpower her, he didn't fight against her. His indignation remained rigid, though, especially with the creep standing so close to them, and she knew, by the way he glared at Renkotsu, by the furious air wafting about him, by the way his shoulders were squared and his fists were tightly clenched, that he wouldn't hesitate to attack if Renkotsu made another move.

"See you around. Both of you." He smiled tauntingly, turning on his heel and walking away.

It wasn't until he disappeared around the corner that Inuyasha's shoulders deflated, a heated sigh leaving his nose as he slowly, but gently, pulled his forearm out of Kagome's grasp. She was still angry, but with each breath she took, progressively getting steadier and deeper, her temper was fading away. Finally, Inuyasha turned around, facing her, a frown of disapproval marring his handsome face.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Done what?" She inquired, her attitude still prominent.

"Jumped in like you did! You could have gotten hurt!"

"And, you're mad at the thought of that, right?"

"You're damn right I am!"

"Well, I got mad seeing it happen to you! So, I did something about it! It's the same thing!"

"No, Kagome -"

"Yes!"

"No! It's not supposed to work this way!" Inuyasha stepped in, leaving mere inches between them as they argued.

"I don't care how it's supposed to work! What does that even mean!?"

"That I don't ever want you pulling a stunt like that again, got it!?"

"Excuse me!?"

"He might have hit you, stupid! You can't take punches like I can!"

"So, that makes it okay to just sit back and watch the show!? Like you're some kind of punching bag!?"

"I would have handled it!"

"Then you should have!" Kagome yelled. "I heard him; he said you were holding back! Why were you holding back!?"

"Because you don't like when I get into fights, Kagome! I didn't want you to know this was happening! He came out of fucking nowhere, and I was trying to fend him off before you showed up!"

The tension in her brow decreased exponentially, his words ringing in her ears. She felt like an ass for doubting him that way, but still, no matter, she wasn't sorry for pushing the jerk away from him. She would never be sorry. "It's not that I didn't think you could handle it. I knew you could have. I just got so angry and wanted to help." Kagome calmly admitted.

"Well don't." Inuyasha said, authoritatively. "I don't need your help."

"Quite frankly, I don't care what you think you need or don't need right now. It's irrelevant." He flinched to counter but she beat him to the punch, holding her hand up to silence him. "You're saying it because you don't want me in the middle or getting hurt, I get that. But, it's the exact same way I feel about you, so you and I are only going to end up going in circles about this. You can't tell me what to do, and you can't force me to just watch your head get thrown into cement without reacting."

In all honesty, he'd forgotten he'd been hurt in the heat of it all, more concerned about protecting Kagome than anything. He hadn't expected her to come flying in like a bat out of hell, fully prepared to square off with one of the lowlives of the city. Especially, for his sake. Once he saw her, he just reacted. Probably the same way she had. "Now you're involved, though. That's exactly what I didn't want."

"We'll handle it." Kagome said, unconcerned. To get a better angle on his cut, she leaned her head to the side, reaching up to gently hold his jaw and bring him down near her height. He showed no resistance, his long lashes fluttering softly as he closed his eyes.

"It'll be fine."

It really wasn't all that bad. It looked like the bleeding had about stopped, but it should still be cleaned and bandaged. Releasing his face, she reached for his hand, pulling him in the direction she'd come from.

His grip on her palm tightened as they approached her home, noticing her mom's car out front, and the living room and kitchen lights on. If she saw them, him specifically, with dried blood on his head, she'd know the night was disastrous and he'd put her daughter in a dangerous situation. He couldn't have that. He'd already felt like a failure, but to have someone else think that, too - Kagome's mother, no less - would be mortifying. Kagome's attention drifted up to him at his notable discomfort, stopping with his cue.

"Your mom…"

"She's a nurse, don't worry."

"No, I - I don't want her to see this. I don't want her to know what happened."

The realization was evident on her face, but she didn't look disappointed, her head turning to glance at her house before turning back to him.

"Climb up to my window. I'll let you in." She smiled.

"You sure?" He asked, and she nodded immediately, letting go of his hand. Before she could move further, he stopped her, pulling off his coat and handing it over. It made the idea of their date more believable if she came back with his jacket, plus it'd help hide the detestable stain. As she situated it over her arms, he reached down to grab the bottom of the zippers on both ends that landed at her thighs, lining them up together and zipping it for her. Kagome smiled appreciatively, turning around and heading inside.

Inuyasha snuck around the front toward the far left end as soon as she shut the door, grateful the curtains were pulled shut. As soon as he reached the tree he used for footing, he leveraged himself up, climbing until he could silently step onto the small roofing of the second story. Her room was still dark as he waited for her at the window, and though everything was muffled, he could vaguely hear her and her mom talking from downstairs. The specifics of their conversation were hard to distinguish, but he knew Kagome's cheery tone from her upset one, and to him, she sounded happy. Probably fooling her mom into thinking everything was perfectly fine, despite the fact that she was home so soon after leaving.

Her footsteps grew closer, shuffling along as soon as she reached the top landing of the stairs, and even as she entered her room, she didn't turn on the light until the door was closed. Her greeting smile was natural, and he couldn't help but wonder how the hell she managed it. Kagome had every reason in the world to be upset right now, but she truly didn't seem like she was. And, as she hurried over and unlocked the latch for him, sliding the window open, he was engulfed by the powerfully sweet scent of her that stayed locked up in her bedroom, thoroughly muddling any residual, negative thoughts from the evening.

He shut the window on his own, nodding when she mentioned she'd be right back and taking a seat on the floor with his back resting against the bed. Kagome was true to her word, returning less than sixty seconds later with a small first aid kit in hand.

"No, I told you it'd be fine." Inuyasha chuckled quietly, taking the initiative to turn on the tv to drown out their voices.

"Cut's need bandages." Was her simple reply, not even sparing him a glance as she shuffled through her dresser drawers, pulling out a pair of leggings and a fresh shirt.

"The cut's already healing. It'll most likely be gone tomorrow."

"Humor me." Kagome rolled her eyes, pursing her lips as she tossed her clothes on the bottom edge of her mattress. "Close your eyes, please."

Without hesitation, he complied, turning away for added effect. The ruffling of his jacket sounded heavy as she removed it, the material of her dress considerably lighter in comparison. It wasn't the coldest night they'd had recently, but he still found Kagome brave for wearing it - long sleeved garment be damned. Then, an ache twinged in his chest. She'd worn that for him. And, the gesture hadn't only gone to waste, but the dress was probably ruined now and he'd never be able to appreciate her in it.

At her signal, he opened his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to fully look at her, regret taking its hold on him. It wasn't his fault, he knew, but that didn't help any. How could he make up for this mess? How could he make her happy like he'd intended to tonight?

Kagome sauntered over, crossing to his right and then sitting at his side, thigh-to-thigh, facing him. The first aid kit was in hand, and she set it on the floor beside her, opening it and taking out some cotton balls in a sandwich baggy before turning to him. She seemed so gentle, her hands light when she pulled his bangs out of the way to asses the cut before doing anything else. As if feeling his unsubtle stare, her brown eyes drifted over to his, curious and large, then shied downward as the smallest of frowns tugged on her lips. Kagome dropped his hair, her hands falling to her lap before she bowed her head slightly, hovering over his shoulder.

Sometimes, you could say those three words to let a person know how deeply you feel for them. Sometimes, you could speak your profound emotions with more, or less, verbally, or physically. And, so badly did Kagome want to figure out how to properly express it all to him. To know Inuyasha, to have him sit with her, hold her hand, tell her things no matter the context, was a privilege she was scared for a while she'd never get to experience. Inuyasha, in his own essence, was such a wonderful gift. To have him care for her, and convey how much he cared through tumultuous anger weighted her heart. Maybe not in the moment could she appreciate the gesture, or clearly see his reasonings, but now that things were calmed and they sat so close, touching, trusting, she understood. How lucky she was. On the surface, Inuyasha was brash and hard-headed, he presented himself in a carefree manner, but truthfully, he was the most beautifully delicate person she'd ever met.

Finally resting her head against his shoulder, Kagome breathed out slowly, taking in the faint and generic spice of a man's body wash on her inhale. Funny enough, of all the guys she'd noticed it on, it smelled best on him. What had come over her was the sudden and dire need to tell him everything she felt for him. It had hit her like a freight train; intense and insatiable. Something, she needed to say something to subdue the fire igniting her nerve endings, but as she opened her mouth to speak, all that came out was a whispered, "I really like this shirt."

Of course, then, she laughed at herself. Typical of her to chicken out.

Kagome could feel his head come a little closer to hers, his cheek gently brushing against her hair as he said in return, "I know. I wore it for you."

She smiled. He couldn't see it, but she smiled.

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked, and she quickly sat up straight, forcing herself to appear fully recovered, as if nothing had ever fazed her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kagome replied, moving back to her prior task without delay. After opening a small bottle of peroxide, she doused a cotton ball with the liquid. "Could you hold your hair out of the way?"

His expression spoke volumes on how useless he found the gesture to be, but still, he did as she asked, eye roll and all. She gently rubbed the cotton ball over the small wound to clean it, then around the surrounding area to wipe the dried blood away. His attention was roaming over her, and she tried not to pay attention to the way it alarmed the butterflies in her stomach, focusing on her task. It was like his ember irises were actual, flickering chars, and wherever his eyes landed, she felt a pleasant, burning sensation. Her cheek, her lips, her chin, her neck, her collar bone, her lips, her neck, her shoulder, her lips. All alight.

"Some first date, huh?" Inuyasha remarked, his tone dull.

Kagome's soft smile in response was unintentional but genuine, dropping the dirtied cotton ball on top of the bag it came out of, and as she chose an appropriate bandage, she shrugged. "That doesn't matter to me. I mean, we could have chilled and watched tv and slapped the first date title on that, and I would have been perfectly happy."

"But, instead you got to see me in a fight. Kagome, I'm really sorry."

"For what?" She asked, opening the bandaid packaging and carefully holding the very edges of the adhesive strips. She angled it properly over the cut, gently sticking it down and smoothing it out. "You didn't do anything wrong. Besides, the way I see it, I got to yell at one of the jerks that's been terrorizing you. Trust me, it was a good time."

Inuyasha laughed, flinching as she rubbed her fingers over the entire bandage. "Ow." He said playfully, instinctively grabbing her hand and pulling it away. She giggled and mumbled an apology, using her free hand to smooth down his ruffled bangs as he let them go. "By the way, we need to talk about your profanity. I don't think I've ever heard you talk like that. 'Suck a dick'? Is that peak Kagome temper right there?"

"I tend to lose my filter when I'm mad." She exclaimed.

"You've got quite a vocabulary on you. It's impressive. Remind me not to get on your bad side." He mildly joked.

He was still holding her hand, his grip adjusted to rest it against his chest, his thumb tenderly caressing over her skin.

"So, you're not mad at me anymore?" Kagome asked, her voice softening to take on the hint of bashfulness.

"Do I look like I'm mad at you?" Inuyasha responded soothingly. He leaned a little closer to her body, relaxed, warm. "I just - I really didn't want you getting involved, Kagome."

"It was kind of impossible not to."

"I know. I get that. Now, I'm just gonna worry about you whenever we're apart."

"They're not like an actual gang, are they?"

"No, they're just like you said; a group of assholes. They tend to take their crap out on others and act like they're tough. Some of them, though, are something to be concerned about. Statistically speaking, they're not all gonna grow out of this phase. They're on a gateway path, and I wouldn't doubt if Bankotsu already had dirty affiliations." Inuyasha said, letting go of her palm as he leaned even more towards her center, his right hand now braced on the floor by her legs in a casual manner. The closer he got to her, the more comfortable he found he felt. So comfortable, in fact, that he thought nothing of the way her fingers busied themselves in the loose tendrils of his hair along the sides of his face.

"How long were you with them?" Kagome asked.

"Not long enough to actually do anything I'd regret, aside from the obvious."

"So, you were never actually one of them." She stated. It felt like reassurance to the stress he already carried about having made the mistake of walking with them in the first place.

He opened his mouth to say something, but his mind blanked. Not in a hopeless way, but in the sense that there was nothing that needed to be said. As he basked in her confidence in him, calmed by the tips of her fingers continuously running through his bangs and loose strands from his ponytail, he realized that neither of them were going anywhere. What the hell was he waiting for?

There was no apprehension in his lean, the fingers of his free hand curving around the side of her neck and beneath her hair, intentionally holding just before meeting her lips. Kagome leaned in the rest of the way, her mouth soft and molding against his perfectly. And, she smiled into his kiss, giggling breathily, happily as they broke.

"I want to be with you, Kagome." He spoke, tone husky, just as content. "You and I."

She nodded, feeling so full and light at the same time it was difficult not to be consumed by her elation.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha smiled, almost teasing because he could tell how shy she was getting from the fresh and deep shade of her cheeks. Again, she nodded, her head ducking slightly. "Is that a yeah?"

"Shut up." Kagome laughed, taking the initiative to kiss him again, his sigh hot against the side of her cheek while he firmly clutched her to him.

Chapter Text

"Stay still." Kagome said, carefully drawing back the eyeshadow brush in time as Sango nervously bounced around in the desk chair. Her friend huffed out dramatically, stilling as best as possible so Kagome could carry on with her blending.

"Is it even?" Sango asked, lids opening slightly when Kagome went to dab more eyeshadow from the palette.

"I'm not done."

"But, is it even?"

"No. Because, I'm not done." Kagome chuckled, her tone on the sarcastic side.

"Okay, well just make sure it's even."

"Sit still and maybe I'll have a shot."

"Work through it, Kay, because if I sit still, I'll get the nervous sweats." Sango reasoned, sighing deeply as she bobbed a knee up and down and shut her eyes so Kagome could continue.

"It's gonna be fine!" She confidently stated, blending the brown eyeshadow as steadily as possible. "You're gonna have a good time, and you'll see there was nothing to be so worried about."

"Hey, you had a nervous breakdown in my room, and I'm entitled to have one in yours." Sango blindly pointed, defending herself.

"It'd be wise of you not to bring that up. I have blue eyeshadow at my disposal, and you wouldn't know I applied it until it was too late to fix."

"Wow, Inuyasha's rubbing off on you."

"That's a Sango move, actually."

"Shit, you right." Her best friend smirked proudly, the expression falling as quickly as it had appeared as she went back to her unsettling bouncing. "But, what if we don't connect? What if he's only capable of talking to me through text and it all falls apart in person!?"

"He managed to ask you out in person, Sango."

"But -"

"You're fishing. Stop fishing. You were looking forward to this yesterday, and now you're panicking. Miroku's been much better about talking to you. I mean, he's even kind of charming!"

"If it's bad, will you ditch Inuyasha and come save me?" Sango opened her eyes, pouting out her bottom lip pleadingly.

"You know I wouldn't hesitate." Kagome smiled, dabbing the brush in the palette again. Sango settled slightly, slouching in her seat.

The doorbell chimed through the house, and Kagome hardly reacted, tapping the blending brush on the side of the palette casing to free the excess powder.

"Sota!" She called, waiting to see if she could hear the sound of his footsteps leaving his room from down the hall. When she didn't, she called his name again, a little louder that time. As she, once more, didn't hear him coming, she yelled for him, dragging the end of his name out to make sure she was heard.

"God, what!?" Her little brother wailed, stomping all the way over to the open entry of her bedroom. His gaming headset was still worn, just dropped to rest behind his head, his controller held tightly in the grip of one hand.

"Can you get the door? I'm a little preoccupied."

"You made me get killed, Kagome!"

"It's a game." Kagome drawled dismissively. "By default, what I'm doing is more important."

"Mom said we're not supposed to answer the door for anybody, anyway. What if it's a burglar?" Sota asked, returning her sass with a mocking, downward twinge of his mouth.

"Pretty sure a burglar wouldn't be ringing the doorbell, but if it is one, I'd rather sacrifice you before I sacrifice myself."

Her brother stood in the doorway, his eyes slanting in the smallest glare, staring blankly at her for a solid moment. Kagome stared back a little awkwardly, about to tell him Inuyasha was the one waiting to be let in when Sota quickly flicked off the light and darted down the stairs, leaving both of the girls shouting for him in the dark.

"Why is the light off?" Inuyasha asked as he rounded the corner to her room half a minute later, switching it back on to see the two girls sitting perfectly still in front of one another. "Hey, Sango." He casually greeted with a notch of his head.

"Oh, you know, makeup in the dark's a new sport." Kagome sarcastically replied.

"Sota?"

"Yeah."

"No wonder he ran into the kitchen instead of coming back upstairs." Inuyasha welcomed himself into her bedroom, setting down the bag of food he'd brought beside him as he sat on Kagome's bed behind her. She rested on a stool borrowed from downstairs, leaning forward to resume what she'd been doing.

"So, what are you guys doing tonight?" Sango grinned, her tone holding a flirtatious insinuation.

"Watching The Conjuring." Inuyasha responded, taking the Styrofoam containers out to set up their food.

Kagome jerked around, eyes large, her lips curved in disconcertment. "We are?"

"That was the deal, babe. I told you for each Harry Potter movie you make me watch, you're watching a horror one." He shrugged carelessly.

"But, there's eight! And, you can't just watch one without all the others! That's barbaric!"

Inuyasha grinned, grabbing a taquito from the plate and taking a bite with no remorse. With a huff of momentary defeat, she twisted back to face Sango, swapping her brush out for the mascara.

"Wow. You guys are a thrilling couple." Sango dully sneered. "You skipped right passed the awkward stages and went straight for boring. It's only been, like, a month."

"No, that's not true. The other day, he -"

"Hey! No! Don't you fucking dare!" He interjected, mouth half-full.

The two girls stared at each other humorously, trying not to laugh as Kagome tightly sealed her mouth.

"What did he do?" Sango silently mouthed.

"I'll tell you later." Kagome mouthed in return. She played it off, handing the mascara over for Sango to apply, herself.

"Anyway, aren't you guys still technically in the honeymoon stage? Where's all the gross, overly-affectionate gestures that you guys are supposed to be doing to make sure the other still likes you?" Sango questioned semi-jokingly.

Curious, Kagome spun back around to face Inuyasha, waiting to see what he'd say. He glanced back at her with genuine innocence, his second taquito in hand.

"Do you still like me?" The hanyou asked.

"Yeah, you're alright." Kagome absentmindedly shrugged, turning back to Sango, grabbing the highlighter and appropriate brush.

"Never mind, you guys are kind of cute." Sango remarked, laughing and allowing her best friend to dust the final touches onto her skin.

Truth was, neither of the two were very into public displays of affection, Inuyasha even more so than Kagome. They held hands and hugged, giving each other little gestures here and there while in school, but nothing much more than that. It wasn't Inuyasha's style, and Kagome more than understood that boundary, which equally worked in her favor because she liked to keep him and the sweet things he did for her all to herself.

"Okay, all set." She beamed, placing all of her makeup back into the designated drawer.

"Miroku picking you up from here?" The hanyou inquired as Sango stood and adjusted her outfit in the lengthy mirror near the closet.

"No, I'm meeting him at the restaurant. I didn't want my dad to know. As far as he's concerned, I'm spending the night here and that's it."

"Not allowed to date yet?"

"It's not that. My dad's just one of those typical guys that meets your date at the door with a shotgun. And, I mean, he's a cop - and not a scrawny one, either. I did not want to put Miroku under that kind of pressure."

"Hey, can I be there when you do introduce them?" Inuyasha seemed a little too pleased with the idea.

"Sure," She shrugged. "If you tell me the cringey thing you did the other day."

"Aren't you running late?" Inuyasha stiffly rebutted, changing the subject swiftly.

Sango laughed, flicking a finger gun his way before proudly presenting her final look to her best friend.

Kagome stood up, pulling the length of Sango's chocolate brown hair to the front of her shoulders. "Text me so I know you got there safely."

"I will."

"And, when you're on your way back."

"Yes, mom."

"I'll obviously be waiting up for you."

"I appreciate it." Sango bobbed her head along, like these questions were per regime. "Oh, wait, what do I do if he starts going all spastic again?"

"Change the subject." Inuyasha casually mentioned, his eyes on his phone like he wasn't even paying attention. "If he gets weird, keep talking like normal and he'll calm down."

"Oh." It was that easy? "Thanks, dog boy."

"Mhm."

Kagome walked her out, repeating that she wanted to know when she arrived safely before walking back inside and locking the door behind her, heading right back up the stairs to her bedroom. Her pace increased halfway up, eager to get back, and as she shut her door on her way, she noticed the food was cleared from the bed and on the floor, signifying it was safe to proceed with her usual routine. His eyes were still on his phone as he replied to a text, but his grin wasn't all that subtle. He knew exactly what she was about to do. Kagome pounced on the bed, his arms instinctively snagging around her to catch, the both of them flying back against her mattress from the force. Kagome wasted no time adjusting their positions, her legs straddling his waist as he laid flat on his back, folding over onto his chest and resting her face in the crook of his neck. Inuyasha chuckled, knowing what she wanted and complying immediately, soothingly rubbing his hands up and down her back.

"Do we really have to watch The Conjuring?" She mumbled.

"Yup. But, I brought you a burrito if that makes you feel any better." She could hear the smile in his tone.

"What kind of burrito?" Kagome's voice was playful, snuggling a little closer to her boyfriend, his hands never ceasing their roaming along her back.

"Bean, rice, and cheese."

"Mmm, you're my favorite."

"I've noticed you only say that when I bring you food." He laughed. She hummed an affirmation, rising to her hands and hovering over him. Inuyasha took the opportunity to reach up for a small kiss, finally greeting her like he'd wanted to all along.

She gently rolled off of him, grabbing the remotes from the bedside table and turning on the tv as he grabbed the food from the floor, setting her Styrofoam plate before her before taking the remote she offered so he could choose which streaming app his movie was located on.

As Inuyasha began to get comfortable by resting his back against the wall right beside her after pressing play, Kagome looked at him absurdly - almost like he'd just committed a felony. He tried not to laugh, waiting for her to say something, growing even further confused when all she did was pull at the sleeve of his hoody and then point to the spot in front of her.

"What?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Kagome questioned, as if the answer was plain and obvious. "You have to protect me."

"It's barely started." He chuckled.

"I don't care, sit in front of me."

"In front?"

"Yeah, come on." She pulled on his sleeve harder to direct him, maneuvering one of her legs behind his back so she was semi covered by his torso. This way, she could easily duck behind him when things got too spooky.

"Man, you really don't like scary movies, do you?" Inuyasha laughed, shaking his head.

"I warned you ages ago." Kagome stated, finally taking a bite out of her burrito and shifting an inch or two closer to her newfound shelter.

"This wasn't exactly the idea I had in mind when thinking of how close you'd be while watching something like this."

"What a cliche move." She teased.

"You're so weird." He was smiling, his hand coming up to gently caress her cheek as he pulled her in to give a small kiss on her head.

Inuyasha hardly paid attention to the movie, obligated to provide little sources of comfort to his sissy of a girlfriend. Not by her, but by himself. It was enjoyable, as wrong as it seemed, to feel her clutch onto the sweater at the sides of his ribcage, burying her head behind his shoulder. A couple of times, even, she jumped in her skin, her fingers actually gripping his sides and squeezing right into his tickle spots, making him flinch and grunt in response. All she could do was laugh and apologize while she hid her face from the movie, but he didn't mind. Not one fucking bit. Honestly, he hoped she forced him to watch the other seven Harry Potter movies, just so he could put on his own selection and reap the benefits. In an attempt to soothe her just a smidge, he held onto her thigh she had nearest his side, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the cotton of her leggings.

As it ended, Kagome slouched against him, a small whine leaving her mouth before she threw herself along her mattress dramatically. "Thank god it's over."

"And, you survived. I'm proud of you." He rolled his eyes, humored by her antics.

"Don't patronize me. It's been years since I've watched anything like that!"

"Well, then I guess you'll just need to watch some more to get used to them, huh?" Inuyasha grinned, a little devilishly, as he twisted and crawled over her.

"Fair is fair." Kagome said, her whisper, though flirtatious, taking on a shy hint. Her brown eyes flickered down to his lips, impatiently waiting for him to lower himself and kiss her.

He loved the way she raked her teeth along her bottom lip, her lids fluttering mostly closed as she watched him slowly crouch to kiss her. It would be a lie if he said discovering the ins and outs of their own relationship wasn't as tedious as his lean toward her, or his deliberate hover just above her expecting lips, and there was still much to learn, but he found himself eager while more than willing to take his time. It would be an even bigger lie to say he hadn't been frightened as they first got into the groove of transitioning from friend's to couple; of the obnoxious and rampant feelings demanding to be explored, of hurting her, of crossing a line. But, as one day turned into one week, and one week turned into two, and three into four, his nerves warmed and quieted, and the gentle touch of her fingertips to his skin reinforced the safety that they'd worked to build within each other since the day they'd met.

Intentionally, Inuyasha refrained from pressing his body between her legs as he softly dragged his lips against hers, enjoying the heat of her shallow breath along his mouth before molding into a perfect kiss. She was such a sweet kisser, holding the tendency to follow his lead for the most part, but his favorite thing she did was that tender suck she'd give to his bottom lip, baiting him just a little further every fucking time. She tasted delightful, she smelled heavenly, she felt wonderful against him in the tiny ways he'd allot - like her hands along his sides or beneath the hemline of his sweater, or their chests rising and falling in steady synchronicity. He'd learned the deep sighs she'd gift when she was content with his actions, and how they differed when she wanted a bit more. The latter held the inkling of a whimper, and it'd be another lie to say he wasn't weak for it.

That was the sound he detected just now, her warm fingers gripping into the flesh of his hips, just beneath his hoodie and shirt, and Inuyasha smiled against her mouth, adjusting one of his knees on the outside of her leg so he could safely move a little closer to her without surpassing a boundary he hadn't yet already. The kiss grew a little more intense, almost following the beat of the dramatic score music playing as the credits of the movie continued to scroll.

The loud, annoying chime of Inuyasha's cell phone alarm going off rudely interrupted, dragging a husky groan out of the half demon as he broke apart from Kagome, reaching toward the edge of the mattress near her nightstand to silence the damn thing.

"Curfew?" She quietly asked. He nodded, giving a raspy sigh and softly kissing her cheek before sitting up. Her own phone dinged just then, and she grabbed it, opening the text from Sango.

Sorry! Forgot to give a heads up! Miroku's walking me back and I should be there in a few.

"Oh, Sango's almost here, anyway." Kagome said, sitting up next to him.

"How far out is she?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "She said a few minutes."

"Plenty of time." He grinned, pushing his girlfriend back down to the bed and kissing her.

"Your curfew!" She giggled, growing even louder as he playfully littered her face in small, delicate pecks.

"It's only a few minutes."

"You timed it perfectly! You'll be late!"

"I'll run."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome laughed, almost shrieking as he pinched her tickle spots at her waist. "Okay, go! I'm gonna accidentally kick you!"

"Alright, alright." He jokingly droned, pushing himself off of her and getting his small amount of things together. Kagome gathered their trash in the plastic bag he'd brought their food in so she could throw it away in the bin in the kitchen, following him downstairs.

As Inuyasha approached the door, his ear gave a little flick, catching two familiar voices talking outside. Pulling the curtain aside an inch, he peeked to see who it was. "Sango and Miroku are back."

The quick shuffle of feet surprised him as Kagome ran from the kitchen to his side, snagging his arm from the door and pulling him away. "You can't go out there!"

"Why not!?"

"Because, they're not done yet! You can't just interrupt!"

"But, I've gotta go!"

"Tough. You can run." She dismissed, dropping to her knees and pulling her boyfriend down with her so they could safely watch without the peel of the curtain being too noticeable.

On the sidewalk before the entry path, Miroku and Sango stood inches away from one another, talking so softly she figured even Inuyasha wouldn't be able to understand what they were saying. Sango's hands were held in Miroku's, his indigo gaze on her soft and almost blissful while Sango seemed to be looking back at him hopefully, sucking in her bottom lip.

"Is it okay for us to be watching this?" Inuyasha inquired, slightly uncomfortable.

"She's gonna tell me what happened, anyway." Kagome carelessly shrugged, her brown eyes never leaving the two outside.

"Isn't this, I don't know, private? Why would she tell you?"

"We tell each other everything." She said matter-of-factly.

"Everything?" Inuyasha echoed, shock resounding in his tone. Kagome glanced over at him then, perplexed at first, then clearly attempting to play it off with a subtle scoff.

"But, I haven't told her anything about you. Oh, look, I think he's gonna kiss her!" She grabbed his sleeve in excited anticipation, watching as Inuyasha's best friend leaned down to kiss Sango goodnight. It was difficult to hold back her squeal, and even more difficult not to shake Inuyasha's arm back and forth when she witnessed the pure romance unfolding right before them. As her best friend turned to walk toward the house, the cherry color of her face was more than evident in the porch light, and Kagome finally dropped the curtain, standing and bouncing around Inuyasha to open the door right when her best friend knocked.

They, obviously, played it cool while Miroku watched from the sidewalk to make sure Sango got inside safely, Kagome giving a little twiddle of her fingers to say hi to him. While the door was still open, Inuyasha took the opportunity to pass through, giving his girlfriend a small ruffle of her hair on the crown of her head as he said goodbye.

She shut the door when she saw the two opposite best friends meet and walk in the direction of the hanyou's house, the two girls now safe to get giddy and screech about Sango's night, but as they went to run up the stairs, there was a heavy knock on the front door, halting them. Inuyasha stood just outside, a slightly irritated expression cocking his brow. Kagome dropped her head to the side, curious, but before she could ask what was wrong or what he'd forgotten, he signaled to Sango to turn around with a twirl of his finger. She rolled her brown eyes but complied, spinning around so her back was to them, and Inuyasha gently curved his palms around the soft line of Kagome's jaw, bringing her in for her own goodnight kiss.

"You're gonna be super late now." She whispered, bashfully biting her lip.

He gave a breathy chuckle, stepping back and running off toward his house.

"He was actually really nice the entire night! A total gentleman! There was a little bit of panic here and there, but I kept the conversation going like Inuyasha said, and it went really smoothly!" Sango gushed, plopping down on the bed next to Kagome after changing into her pajamas. "He opened doors for me, he held my hand while we walked for a while after dinner, and he insisted on bringing me back here, Kay!"

"And then you kissed!"

"And then we kissed!" Sango squeaked, grabbing a pillow and hugging it closely in an attempt to contain herself.

"So, how was it? Is he a good kisser?" Kagome asked, bouncing on her bottom from her joyful curiosity.

"Oh my god," Sango practically swooned. "So good. It started off careful and soft and then, wow, does that boy know how to kiss. Girl, I didn't know getting weak in the knees was an actual thing, but I felt like I was wobbling up to the door like an old lady without a cane."

Kagome laughed, not even slightly fazed by her best friend's dramatic explanations. "I take it you guys are going out again?"

"Hopefully. I mean, he didn't ask, but if he did I'd say yes in a heartbeat."

"And, what if he asked you to be his girlfriend?"

"I'd pause to make him think I was contemplating on it and wasn't totally desperate, and then eventually say yes, of course."

"Of course." Kagome repeated, giggling and snatching the cell out of Sango's hand as she illuminated the screen to check her notifications for the umpteenth time in five minutes. "Quit checking your phone! He'll text you when he texts you!"

"Yeah, but what if my phone glitches and the text doesn't go to my lock screen! I need to check my messages."

"Sango -"

"Is my phone on silent?"

"No!" Kagome laughed, holding the phone away from her as she reached for it.

"I should probably check it."

"Sango!"

"Give it back, heathen!"

"You have to be patient!"

"Oh, like you were with Inuyasha!?" Sango was now on top of her desperately trying to reach for her phone as Kagome kept fighting to hold it away from her.

"You're just gonna keep throwing that in my face, aren't you?"

"Give. It. To. Me."

The ding of her text messages went off, a short vibration tickling Kagome's palm, and she looked up to see Miroku's name lighting up the screen with a few pink hearts trailing behind.

"Oh, it's him." Kagome nonchalantly said, passing the phone back to her friend with an innocent smile. Sango enthusiastically took it back, opening up the message and typing something in return.

"What does it say?" Kagome eagerly inquired.

Sango blushed deeply, rolling into a happy little ball on her side and holding the phone close with a content grin. "He said goodnight. I love goodnight texts."

She was right. They were the best. Such a simple and tiny gesture, which was equally sentimental and wonderful. Someone took a small moment out of their lives before going to sleep just to send you something sweet, letting you know they were thinking of you. Kagome was so happy that Sango was finally getting what she wanted.

—

Inuyasha was acting weird. Kagome couldn't place her finger on why. Nothing between them had happened, and as far as she knew, nothing else was wrong. But, that couldn't be the case because something had to be wrong. He wasn't being mean, he was just being short. Maybe she could even classify his current characteristics as skittish.

The other day, he'd been helping her with her homework - nothing new there. But, when she brought up their plans for that Friday, he got visibly tense. It was her younger brother's birthday, and they were making dinner and cake. A few of Sota's friends were sleeping over that night, and Inuyasha had said a couple weeks prior that he would show up for the main event of it, and let them borrow some of the milder horror films he had in his arsenal. Her brother really seemed to like her boyfriend, and as much as she picked on the twerp for anything and everything, she found it kind of endearing that he looked up to the hanyou. Inuyasha was supportive in his own little way to Sota; not actively pursuing to be his friend or anything, but never once shutting the younger boy down or pushing him away when he had a weird question. And, it was Sota. He had nothing but weird questions, irrelevant to literally anything pertaining to what they were talking about in the moment.

She'd asked if he was coming, and Inuyasha didn't seem to remember the plans they'd made, his discomfort gradually elevating. So, she reminded him that it was Sota's birthday, and though he looked like he recalled the conversation where he'd agreed to come, a guilty expression scrunched at his nose.

"I, uh, I can't."

"Did you forget and make other plans?" Kagome genuinely asked, not at all upset, but more piqued by his suddenly rocky demeanor.

"Actually, I forgot about my other plans first and made these ones with you. I've gotta help my uncle with something." He replied, his eyes only meeting the paper before him as he busied his fingers with his pen.

"Oh, with what?"

"Something."

"O-okay." She pinched her lips together, feeling a little shut out. It wasn't often he did that anymore, so it wasn't something she was altogether used to nowadays. It was strange, and he seemed to notice her own disconcertment rising.

"It's, uh, he's just too old to be lifting some things so, yeah, that's where I come in. I've gotta help. Sorry." He vaguely explained. Kagome nodded, accepting what he'd given her, actively trying not to pry for more information. "I'll probably be leaving school early, too. So, I'll only see you in the morning that day."

His tone was pretty direct, to the point, and even after letting that go, he still appeared a little off - probably because she was paying attention now. Especially that Friday morning. The half demon just seemed so drained and listless. She'd ask if he was alright, and he'd just given a plain, "yeah," in response. He didn't say goodbye before leaving school at lunch, and throughout the remainder of the day, his texts were few and far between. Truthfully, she really did believe he was busy.

That didn't quiet her suspicions that there was something else beneath the surface, though.

The next day, they were texting like normal, talking like normal, absolutely nothing out of the usual - which served to further unsettle her. She wanted to ask him about it, but she would have preferred to see him and personally make sure he was alright. At the same time, it was a little unnerving to ask if they could meet up or if she could go see him. She didn't want him catching on that she'd been concerned, and having him react in typical Inuyasha fashion by dispersing her thoughts and changing the subject away from him.

The thought came to her like a light clicking on overhead: What would Inuyasha do if the roles were reversed? The first time he was visibly concerned about her, he snuck over at eleven in the evening and made up some silly excuse about forgetting his pin that never existed just to see if she was sick. Maybe the same scenario could work out fairly for her, as well.

Had she ever snuck out before? Absolutely not. Was she terrified she'd get caught? More than words could tell. Was she gonna do it anyway? It's what Inuyasha would do! Kagome waited until around ten that night, knowing her mom was in bed and Sota was playing one of the new video games he'd been gifted the night before. Everyone was usually left alone to do their own thing late in the evening, so she was mostly confident she'd get away with it. There was always the chance her brother would barge in to do something stupid, or her mom would get up for a late cup of tea and would come in to offer her one, but that didn't happen all that often. For good measure, she turned on her tv for background noise and locked her bedroom door.

Silently, Kagome slid her window open, carefully stepping out onto the roofing just outside, and when she slid it shut, she left it cracked so she could easily get back in. She'd decidedly donned black jeans and a black hoodie - for stealth purposes, of course. That's what people did in the movies. She couldn't necessarily say it's what Inuyasha would do in this case, because it's what Inuyasha would do on almost any average day. The guy wore a lot of dark colors.

Getting from the roof to the tree branch was a lot more tricky than it seemed; her boyfriend made it look so easy. The last time she'd climbed a tree, she was stuck in it for hours until her dad had realized, come outside to look for her, and gotten her down. Of course, she was six or seven, and the size of an even younger child - height has never been on her side. Hopefully, that'd work out to her advantage tonight. Inuyasha was six feet tall, toned, and rightfully heavier than she. If the branch could keep from breaking on him, it would definitely hold her. She trusted that much. What she didn't trust was her own capability to maneuver from the branch to the trunk to the floor.

She'd crouched low, slowly inching herself over to the nearest branch from the roof, resembling more of a nervous sloth than an Inuyasha. As soon as she felt relatively confident, Kagome finally climbed all the way onto the ligament of the tree and away from the safety of her roof. It wasn't so bad once she was over that terrifying part. All she had to do was watch the steadiness of her feet as she stepped little-by-little over to the trunk like she'd seen Inuyasha do. Then, she'd have to step down to a different branch, then another, then the floor. Not horrible in retrospect, but she knew when it all came down to the moment, she'd hesitate and overthink her next movement.

Once her feet were on the ground, though, it took a little too much effort not to jump and cheer for herself, having to have slapped her hands over her own mouth as she'd accidentally let out a squeak of joy. What made it worse was no one had been around to see her achievement - which, yes, was the intention, but still. In her excitement, she ran straight to the curb, speeding onto the path toward Inuyasha's house.

Kagome knew his bedroom was on the second floor since the one time she'd been over she'd watched him head up the stairs, but she'd never actually been up there herself, and therefore didn't know which window to target as her destination. Her one fear was climbing up and knocking on his uncle's window. The mortification she'd feel at locking eyes with the older man was almost enough to convince her to opt for throwing pebbles at the windows from behind bushes until the hanyou she favored peeked out of one.

No. That wouldn't do. She had so much adrenaline soaring through her right now, so much pride at her tree-scaling abilities, that she simply had no choice but to climb the tree on the side of Inuyasha's home and seek out his window like the champ she was.

Silently, Kagome opened and closed the front gate, noticing no lights in the front were on before sneaking around to the right side of the house. Downfall: There was a cement wall that separated the front from the backyard. Without apprehension, wanting to get out of the main line of sight for anyone glancing out of windows or passing by, she hopped, latching her hands onto the top. She tried pulling herself straight up, but lacked the necessary upper body strength to do so, only succeeding in losing her grip and falling back down to the grass to land on her feet. Her palms had scraped along the edge of the cement, her skin growing hot with irritation, but not hurting, so she jumped up once more, this time after scooting a little closer to the side of the house so she could use it to brace her feet on and kick up a bit. There was still a struggle to raise herself up enough, but after a third try, she was able to hook her elbow over the top and leverage herself up the rest of the way until she was awkwardly braced on her hands and knees and squirming to sit on her butt where she'd be able to scoot her way off the wall and into the backyard.

Of course, so it goes, one of the simplest tasks of the night just so happened to be the most threatening to Kagome. Her hands were raw from climbing down her own tree, and the cement definitely did its part to irritate and scratch up her palms. She'd been trying to carefully shift her butt over the edge enough to safely hop down from the wall - because, honestly, the drop was the scariest part of it all - but when she griped the rough texture, trying to turn her body to lower herself down, she grated the already-tender areas and dropped herself straight to the floor where she tore her jeans over her knee, the skin beneath scraped and angry.

Inuyasha wouldn't think twice about a minor injury like this, and she repeated that to herself over and over while she looked at her knee with horrified distraught, resisting the natural temptation to clutch her stinging wound and hiss at the pain like it made anything better. Her eyes definitely didn't prickle, because she was tough and strong, and things like this definitely didn't bother her at all.

Picking herself up to her feet and wiping the pout off her face, Kagome quietly ventured forward the few feet necessary to get to the trunk of the tree, circling it to find the best spot to get her footing on. This was also serving as her wakeup call to work out a little more than the ten sit-ups she did every few weeks. Or months. Her arms were struggling massively to pull her up onto the first branch, and she was now glad that no one was there to see her pathetic lack of muscle. She was, though, the type to work smarter, not harder, so she dropped her hold to grasp the belt loops in her pants, shimmying them up a little higher - because who doesn't know the struggle with pants slipping down while you're trying to work? - before reclaiming her grip and really pressing her foot into the notch on the trunk, grateful the rough bark helped the soles of her shoes stick instead of slide. With the little leverage she gained, Kagome replaced one foot with the other, now able to climb up into a little nook in the tree where branches were thick and veered right from the trunk. From then on, it wasn't too difficult, and Inuyasha's tree was even more forgiving than her own, actually reaching over the roof so she wouldn't have to test the stability of ligaments before scampering over to solid safety.

Kagome kept herself low and close to the wall as she crawled her way toward the back of the house, grateful the window she approached was shut by blinds. There was one window in the back toward the further side of the house with a light on, yellow hues guiding her path. She could only hope it was the one she was looking for.

Carefully, on her way, she neared a darkened window first, making sure the coast was clear before she ventured on. The blinds were down, but they were twisted open, and from her angle, she couldn't really see in. It was dark, and she could hardly make out what was inside, but the one thing she did notice was the window, itself, was shut. If anyone was actually in there - conscious or not - her shuffling would be muffled and hopefully dismissed as a curious raccoon. A very large and curious raccoon, but a raccoon nonetheless.

Still, she proceeded cautiously, trying to duck as low as she could below the windowsill to remain undetected before crawling forward to the illuminated one. Again, she played it safe, peeking in from the side to try and gauge whose room it was. The bed was to the right of the window, unmade and messy, a nightstand right beside it - below the glass she observed through - with a cellphone, remote, and alarm clock on top.

Easy solution.

Kagome pulled her phone out of her pocket, opening the recent and unread text from her boyfriend. She'd reply and see if an alert went off, and then there'd be no need to wander further to the other side of the house to see if there was another room to peep through.

After hitting send, she watched the opposite cellphone intently, perking when it lit up with her text and finally coming into full view of the window to peer through. Inuyasha wasn't inside, the door at the far end of the left wall wide open, so she waited impatiently, her thrill to see him in this manner overriding her earlier concern.

The hanyou was donned in sweats and nothing else, his chest left bare, and his silver hair thrown into a messy bun, re-entering his room while brushing his teeth. He didn't notice her immediately, which worked in her favor. She'd never seen him so dressed down, so comfortable, so shirtless, and her brows raised in impure admiration. But, when he finally caught her sitting there, he froze, and she easily played off her stare with a gleeful, little wave.

Inuyasha had deadpanned, his hand halting the toothbrush in his mouth, his chest noticeably rising and falling with a heavy breath as he about-faced and left the room, holding up a finger indicating for her to wait when she gave a surprised squeak at his leaving. Kagome couldn't help but giggle, loving when he was so shocked by something that he literally had no fathomable reaction. It wasn't often that that happened, and his blank face was just so stinking cute.

The toned abs were a plus.

When he came back in, shutting the door on his way, his toothbrush gone and mouth rinsed of toothpaste, Kagome beamed happily, observing his steady approach to the window. Yes, she definitely noticed the way his muscles flexed as he lifted the glass, and her bright smile never faded as he bent down, propping his forearms on the frame with a studious expression on his face.

"Hey, I've got a question for you." Inuyasha said huskily.

"Mhm?"

"What the fuck are you doing?" There was no malice to his tone, or in the way he'd cocked an eyebrow peculiarly. In fact, he was so level with Kagome that her smile only grew wider as she fell into a fit of soft giggles.

"I came over to see you."

"Why?" His tone still held evenly.

"I wanted to." She said playfully.

"Why?" A little more pressed that time, though a grin began to appear, trying to get a real answer from her.

"Because, I missed you."

"Why?"

"Do I really need an excuse to see the most handsome half demon in existence?"

"You better give me one before I push you off this roof."

"I - I wanted to make sure you were okay." Kagome admitted, her playfulness dwindling slightly as she gave into the truth, though she met him with cute, pouty eyes, knowing he'd be soft for her intentions. Her smile pushed through, though appearing a little more sheepish than before. His brows pinched together, and she knew he was wondering what she was alluding to. "You were acting kind of weird yesterday. I was worried."

Inuyasha sighed out, turning a hand over in offer to her, and when she took it, he gave a gentle pull to guide her inside, assisting her along the way by bracing his opposite hand over her head to protect her from accidentally hitting it against the border of the opened window. He supported her weight as she carefully climbed over his nightstand, and when her feet were safely on the floor of his bedroom, he closed the window to keep the chill out.

"Why do I smell blood?" He questioned, turning back to her speculatively.

"Oh, I skinned my knee." Kagome replied, lifting her leg to a ninety-degree angle so he could see the tear in her pants before putting her foot back down.

"Klutz." Her murmured with a small roll of his eyes, heading over to his dresser and pulling out the first shirt he saw, wasting no time in putting it on. His torso was now hidden beneath a grey tee, speckled with lighter grey flecks, and Kagome was a bit disappointed to have the nice sight stolen from her, though she, of course, didn't show it. "Why didn't you just ask me, babe? I would have told you I was fine." He mentioned kindly, waltzing over to sit on his bed in front of her.

"Because, I knew that's what you would have said. And then, you would have changed the subject. I wanted to see for myself, and so I did what you would have done."

"What I would have done?"

"You snuck over once just to see if I was sick that one time I missed school because of Sota." She smiled, biting her lip. "I wanted to be bold like you. And, get answers like you. Was that… wrong?"

The look she was giving him was shaking his stability. Kagome probably didn't understand the significance of the glimmer in her eye, or how the way she currently dragged her teeth over her plush, bottom lip made him glance away for the sake of his own sanity. She seemed so innocent, her actions compassionate and brave, but god, his core had never been heated like this before.

"So, you snuck out of your house?" Inuyasha asked, amused, gliding his tongue over his canine.

"Yup."

"Looks like I'm a bad influence on you." He chuckled, wagging his finger for her to come closer. She happily obliged, stopping between his legs and sliding her hands over the tops of his shoulders as his own gently slid around the backs of her thighs.

"The worst." Kagome teased, lightheartedly. She pecked the smallest kiss to the tip of the white appendage atop his head. There was a part of her that wished she wasn't wearing her sweater, and only a thin shirt, so that she had a chance at feeling the heat from his breath as he exhaled deeply at the same moment. Just to satiate the expanding flurry in her belly, she curved downward, softly kissing his lips, lingering, sighing herself, as the air was stolen from her lungs from just how tender he returned her affection. Parting was slow, and deliberate, and comfortable, as was the way she brushed her lips over his in a ghost of a touch to glide over to his cheek to kiss him there, too. "So, you're okay, right? Nothing's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Kagome. I promise." He whispered, smiling gently. "You really came over just to check on me?"

"Of course, I did." She giggled, stepping back and out of his hold to allow her eyes to explore his bedroom for the first time. "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"No reason." He shook his head, watching as she wandered about to look at the few things he had up around his desk and bookshelf. She picked up the little crown he'd stolen from her that was nicely placed along the face of his study area, twiddling it in her fingers back at him. "Sorry I came off so weird yesterday. I had to deal with something."

She'd come over in the dead of night, climbed some trees, scabbed her knee, she was expressing her feelings for him, her smile was grounding him, and suddenly, he didn't much care for his stupid secret anymore.

"Yeah, you said you were helping your uncle?" Kagome inquired, continuing to play with the golden pin as she leaned back against his desk.

Inuyasha scrunched his nose at his lie, standing from his mattress and humbly looking to the side. "Uh, yeah, but no."

"No?"

"I was actually doing something else." The hanyou admitted, golden eyes landing back on her curious expression. Her dark hair splayed over her shoulder nicely as she leaned her head to the side, almost blending with the shade of her hoodie. "I was home. I was here."

"Oh. Were you not feeling well?"

"Something like that."

"You seem uncomfortable." Kagome noted, her expression slackening. She placed the crown back where it was, dropping her shoulders in a relaxed manner as she braced her hands on the desk behind her to support her upper body where she leaned. He was on the private side, that was no secret, so the last thing she wanted to do here was push him. There was plenty of sincerity behind him saying he was okay just moments ago; she could take his word for it. The caution he was exuding, though, was kind of presenting a different sort of concern for her now. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Is this, like, something I should be worried about, though?"

"No. No, not at all." He relaxed, himself. Not as much as she, especially when he dismissed her concerns, but enough to make sure she believed him. "I've just never talked about this with anyone before, so it's kind of awkward."

"That's okay if -"

"I was napping."

Kagome blinked in surprise.

"On and off. Here and there."

"So," She spoke, her voice wavering as she tried to fight back some giggles. "You were sleepy? That's what was wrong?"

"Well, yes. In essence." He nodded, pinching his lips together as he realized how ridiculous he was coming off. "Look, you don't understand. I'm hardly ever tired, you know that."

"Right, and it's bound to catch up with you at some point." Kagome grinned, humored by his embarrassment but trying not to appear so.

"Yes. When I'm human." Inuyasha bravely said, like ripping off a bandaid. His girlfriend perked forward a bit, thrown by his confession, the bemusement vivid. His chuckle was sputtered, half caused by his nerves and half because of her reaction. "I'm half demon, Kagome. Which means I'm half human."

"Yeah, no, I understand the biology behind it."

"Not quite. There's more to it. Every half demon's got a weakness. Mine's on the night of the new moon. When it comes around, I turn into a human."

"A human?"

"Yeah, you know, like you."

Kagome began to laugh, her cheeks growing rosy with delight. "That's it?"

It was his turn to be confused. He didn't quite know what to expect from it all, but one of the last things was her chill demeanor.

"Um," He paused, cooled, breathing out fully as any discomfort he held left his body. "Yeah. Pretty much. I get really fucking tired and grumpy. And hungry. Even the hours leading up to it, my body just starts to feel off. That's why I left early, and knew I'd want to. I usually stick out the day so ditching doesn't become a regular, monthly thing, but I was drained just thinking about it the week leading up to it."

"I get why you kept it to yourself. It's personal. I promise, I won't tell anybody." Kagome said.

"I know. I trust you."

"I feel a hell of a lot better now that I know, though."

"That so?"

"Duh." She giggled, sauntering over to him. His arms instinctively wrapped around her waist when she got close, knowing what she was coming to him for, her hands gliding up the soft flesh of his arms. "I couldn't stop thinking that something was bothering you."

"Well, it's not exactly fun being human."

"Oh man, tell me about it." She teased, rolling her brown eyes.

"Shut up." He chuckled, pulling her flush against him and resting his forehead against hers. His voice softened, becoming a whisper as some of his confidence hid beneath the surface. His heart was thundering behind his ribcage and he simultaneously wanted and didn't want her to feel it. On a whim, he opened his mouth, allowing the words he wanted to say to spill out before his nerves got the better of him. "You drive me crazy, you know that? In more ways than one. What am I supposed to do with you?"

Inuyasha claimed her smile with his mouth, his kiss heating as she pressed to her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. It wasn't long before he heard that breathy, little whimper she'd make, and the guy was done for. Putty. His hands grew adventurous as they traveled down her lower back and over the curve of her ass. She made a tiny noise of surprise, but nothing out of protest, and even as their lips continued their tasteful dance, she only seemed to arch her back. Like, she'd wanted his hands there all along. Like, she wanted to further prove she could drive him crazy. The hanyou breathed her in, pulled her closer by his grip on her ass, his fingers traveling over her curves and sliding to sit within her back pockets.

It was as if his honesty had only provided fuel to the fire inside of her he hadn't noticed sparked. He confessed to being fully human the night before, and she moved to him, running her hands over his arms, and he swore she was paying special attention to the defined area between his biceps and triceps. He told her how crazy she made him, and the girl became a vixen with her mouth and tongue, stealing his breath away, his mind muddled and fogged and whirling with insanity. How would she react when he told her he was in love with her? The thought of the passion she would present him with clenched at his chest, the muscles over his torso prickling with anticipation at the exhilarating thought of her blush and her smile and the shy kiss she'd give him that would only grow wonderful and hot.

Fuck.

He broke their kiss, breathless, knowing he was only doing himself in with his own imagination. The truth was, his weakness wasn't the new moon. His weakness was Kagome. She wasn't making him want for more, she was making his knees buckle with what he already had. He was thoroughly incapacitated by the intense feelings he had for a single person. In all his life, he never thought the idea was possible. Inuyasha pictured himself strong enough to handle anything. Then, in walked Kagome, with her flirtatious smile and her need to know his name, with her curiosity and stubborn nature, with her laughter, with her voice, with her gentle touch and hypnotizing scent. He should have known he was fucked from the start. He should have known he'd enjoy every second of it, too.

Kagome kissed his jaw, backing away a few inches to see his reaction. Her eyes were doe-like, large and innocent with the hint of wonder, and when he shrugged his brows at her in validation, she pecked another small kiss to the same area. She didn't pull back to look at him after. Instead, she moved further on her own vindication, kissing his neck three times, languidly, and then pulling back to place the scantest of kisses to his lips.

"I have to go now." She said, smugly backing out of his hold and heading toward the window.

"Hey, excuse you." Inuyasha laughed, snatching her hand and pulling her back for one last, real kiss.

"I'm gonna get caught. I have to go." She quietly whined, her tone playful.

"Not through the window, you don't." He said, letting her go after he'd gotten what he wanted.

"How else do you expect me to leave?"

"Door."

"Inuyasha, baby, you're growing rusty. I can't just waltz out there as if I didn't sneak over in the dead of night." Kagome teased.

Inuyasha, unfazed, smirked. "Totosai's not home, dummy. You can leave through the front like a normal person."

"Oh." She blanked.

"Give me a second to change my pants and I'll walk you home."

"What? No. You can't."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because, that's not what Inuyasha would do."

"But, I'm Inuyasha." He grimaced, perplexed.

"And, I'm acting like you, remember? You're the Kagome in this situation."

"I don't like this game."

"I don't care."

"Ah, you're already good at it." Inuyasha remarked, amused.

"Besides, I didn't come over here just to get you to walk me back. I came to check on you. I came, I checked, I leave."

"How are you getting back inside your place?"

"I climb." She grinned, giggling.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, gesturing for her to walk out of his room as he followed close behind, taking the lead to guide her through the house and to the front. Abruptly, his girlfriend stopped and he turned to see what had her attention, noticing her hands were covering her mouth and her eyes had grown wide with astonishment, her squeal muffled while she stared at a picture to her right. His stomach sank, and he cringed as she waddled closer to the portrait. No. God, no. Fuck.

"Kagome, let's go."

"Oh my god!"

"I swear, if you say anything -"

"Is this you!?"

"Yes. Now, let's go!" The hanyou marched back, snagged her hand to pull her, but it was like she was suddenly made of lead, planted firmly before the family picture.

A beautiful woman with long, dark brown hair supported a chunky toddler on her hip, pointing happily toward the camera to get the lopsided-puppy-eared boy to look into it. A tall man, hair long and silver, blue demon markings adorning his cheek bones, smile gleaming and bright, stood behind the two of them with a hand holding the woman's waist, the other on the little boy's back. This was Inuyasha with his birth family. He was right. He really did look more like his mom. She could see it in her smile, the shape of her eyes, and even her nose.

"You were so cute!"

"Stop it."

"You're so round!"

"Stop it."

"How'd you lose all that baby fat?"

"Stop it."

"Look at you!"

"Alright, you asked for it." Inuyasha bent down, hoisting Kagome over his shoulder and carrying the laughing girl off and down the stairs.

"Why are you so embarrassed?" Her voice was wheezy from her powerful laughter and the pressure on her abdomen against his shoulder, but he made sure his steps were as light and smooth as possible so as not to jostle her further. "You've seen my baby pictures in the hallway!"

"You weren't supposed to see mine."

"It should be considered a crime that you tried to keep that from me!"

"Sue me." He chuckled, gently setting her down by the front door. Still, the clumsy girl stumbled backward slightly, and he reached to stabilize her, grasping behind her neck and pulling her in for a quick goodbye kiss. "You better fucking let me know when you're back inside your room."

"Bossy." Kagome sneered, opening the door and heading out with a smile.

—

"I forgot to ask earlier, how's your knee?" Inuyasha inquired, holding Kagome's book bag for her as she situated her stuff in her locker. She laughed - more at herself, he could tell - and brought her knee up as high as she could without risking her skirt's boundaries. She stretched her black tights over the area so the material thinned, revealing the bandage beneath.

"Being you is dangerous."

"No, being you is dangerous." Inuyasha chuckled, shaking his head humorously. "You okay?"

"Oh, now you ask."

"I'll take that as a yes." He dismissed, rolling his eyes.

Kagome nodded, shutting her locker and taking back her bag as they headed out to the courtyard, shadowed by their gloomy weather. "You can go. You don't have to wait with me." She said, just as he took her hand.

"Nah, you know I don't mind. And, you know Miroku will pitch a fit if I walk home without him." The hanyou shrugged, leaning against the designated tree the girls usually waited for each other at. She smiled in reply, playing with his fingers in her grasp, comfortable in the silence between each other.

It wasn't long before their best friends appeared, Miroku's hair slightly disheveled and Sango's lipgloss smudged. Inuyasha groaned in revolt, but Kagome merely made eye contact with her counterpart, wiping an area of her own lip in a subtle gesture for Sango to clean up. She hastily took the hint, using her sleeve to wipe away the evidence of their little make out session.

"Ready?" Sango asked, her cheeks flushed.

"Yeah." Kagome giggled, giving a little squeeze to Inuyasha's hand before letting it go and waving goodbye.

"Call me tonight?" Sango asked coyly to Miroku, biting her bottom lip and walking backward next to her friend.

Her new boyfriend opened his mouth to respond, but the only noise he made was inarticulate and deep.

"Ew." Inuyasha grimaced, making Kagome laugh as she grabbed Sango's arm and pulled her away, the two girls heading down the cement path and out the school gates.

"How do you get away with that at school?" Kagome asked when they were in the clear.

"Oh, easy. There are so many uninhabited spots, you have no idea." Sango replied. "You know the volleyball courts?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, instead of going straight there from the locker rooms, you can veer left, head through the little bushy area along the wall, and then there's a little nook literally nobody goes by. That's our usual spot."

"It's only been, like, a week! You have more than one?" Kagome laughed.

"Of course! Gotta have a backup! We've also claimed the big tree near the lunch area."

"Well, well." A deep voice greeted, catching Kagome's startled attention to her left just as they turned a corner. "Found you."

Kagome froze, locking eyes with a smirking Renkotsu.

Chapter Text

"Well, well. Found you."

An uncomfortable thud knocked inside of Kagome's chest at the potential threat presented before her. Sango had stopped alongside Kagome, gazing toward the man she must only see as a mystery. Kagome had never told her what had happened.

"Been a while." Renkotsu cocked a thin brow, notching his chin up in a feeble and arrogant greeting.

"Not long enough." Kagome said, adjusting her book bag casually, preparing her excuse to slip through. "And, we're running late, so gotta go."

"For what? Gotta pick up your kid brother from school? Or, maybe his friend's house this time?" He asked, his smile growing a little wider.

"Excuse me?" Her tone piqued, approaching incredulous. How would he know she even had a little brother?

"He's a cute kid. I'd say, in a few years, he'll probably be taller than you."

"What are you, a stalker?" Sango asked, immediately defensive. A scowl pinched at her face immediately, staring the guy down with plenty of indignation.

"Stalker's a bit of a stretch." He shrugged, appearing amused. "We're old friends."

"No. We're not. Did you actually follow me home!?" Kagome pressed angrily.

"No, no, no. Nothing like that. What do I look like, a felon?" He chuckled. "I noticed you walking with the kid one day, and saw your school uniform. Isn't that difficult to narrow down the field, especially when you innocently plant yourself on the path multiple times to confirm you've got the right institution. The rest is history."

"Sounds like stalking to me."

"Well, how about you go get your boyfriend, and he and I will sort this out." He suggested, crossing his arms over his chest. "I did warn you two."

"Kagome…" Sango gave a gentle yank to her sleeve, pulling her attention so she'd notice the direction Sango was looking in. A man was crossing the street, eyes on them and grin minacious. His hair was black, long, tied back in a braid, his hands tucked in the front pockets of his jeans, and shoulders relaxed like he owned the scene.

"What is this?" Kagome asked, turning back to Renkotsu.

"I was told to handle my dirty work, myself, so here I am." The unwelcome man said, his voice smooth and mature, sauntering passed the two girls to stand beside Renkotsu. "How's it going?"

"What's going on?" Sango demanded, stepping closer to her friend so they were shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Which one's which?" The new guy asked, pointing between the girls, his wrist loose to express his ease in their tension.

Renkotsu pointed to Kagome. "That's his girl." Then pointed to Sango. "Don't know who she is."

"Oh." The guy smiled. "You can go, then."

"We'll be going. My dad's expecting us both in ten minutes." Sango fibbed.

"Then, I suggest you leave and make up an excuse for your friend here. Because, she's not going with you."

"Who the hell are you guys!?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but my name's Bankotsu. And, I'm sure you're gonna ask what we want next, so to get it out of the way, she - what's your name, doll?" He asked, directing the question to Kagome.

Her lip curled in distaste, hating the nickname, and with a heavy roll of her eyes, she said, "Kagome."

"Kagome's gotten herself into a bit of trouble."

"What, because I pushed him and called him a couple of mean names?" Kagome asked Bankotsu, though she stared Renkotsu down, watching his jaw clench. "Did I hurt your feelings?"

"You want to act tough, but you don't want to reap what you sow? Huh? Is that what I'm hearing? I warned you. If you had just left it alone when I told you to, you wouldn't be involved in Inuyasha's mess. Sure, degrade me all you want, but this is your problem now, bitch."

"Hey! Back off!" Sango yelled, her shoulders squaring as Renkotsu marched forward a few paces. "I'm gonna call the cops if you don't let us through right now!"

Bankotsu sighed impatiently, his easy expression fading as he lolled his head to the side and gently knocked on Renkotsu's shoulder to signal for him to step away from the girls. "There's no need for that." He gave a brief massage to his temples to rub away some aggravation, his chest rising and falling with a thick breath. "The thing is, I've been trying to talk with Inuyasha for a while now. That's it. Just talk. I've had some buddies of mine attempt to pass that message onto him, but they always end up bumping heads. The guy's pretty disagreeable. I don't want anything to escalate here. Honest. You guys can go on your merry way. Just do me a favor first and go get Inuyasha, would you? Then you can consider yourself problem-free."

"Sorry, can't help you." Kagome shrugged, her expression flat. "We don't go to school together."

Inuyasha rolled his amber eyes, tapping his finger along his crossed forearm as he waiting for Miroku to wrap up something student council related. They'd only come back inside so he could grab some paperwork that could be finished at home, but some chick was in the committee room and started droning on and on about something Inuyasha immediately tuned out, because, quite frankly, he hadn't signed up for that. He could tell his friend was trying to cut the conversation off, but the guy was pretty polite in comparison to the half demon. He was finally able to wrap it up by pointing out the impending bad weather outside, mentioning that they wanted to try to make it home before it rained.

As they left the schoolyard, crossing the street at the corner, a breeze carried over a familiar scent that couldn't have been too far off, halting Inuyasha in his tracks. Miroku noticed, stopping but not altogether paying attention as he neatly adjusted the items in his bag.

"What's up? Rain coming, Lassie?" He absentmindedly questioned.

"Which way did Sango and Kagome go?"

"Uh, I think they were heading to Sango's house. Why?"

"They didn't head down this street?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I think they sometimes go straight a little and then turn left on some corner or other to cut through. I don't know the way, though, I've yet to go over."

"Fuck."

"What's going on?" Miroku asked, his attention now fully on his friend. Inuyasha's shoulders were tense, raised slightly, his sights on the distance and his brows pinched tightly together.

"I can smell Renkotsu nearby."

"Is that one of those guys you used to roll with?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, so let's head home." Miroku persuaded. "The chances of him knowing that either of the girls are affiliated with you is minimal, and the last thing you need right now is to get caught up in that. Things have been really good for you lately, Inuyasha. They're probably fine, so you've got nothing to worry about."

"Renkotsu knows Kagome." He said, stabbing his best friend with his blazing stare. "He saw us together before."

There was a slight shake to Miroku's nerves, but he remained as rational as possible, trying to ease his friend back to a stable place. "Here, let me call Sango." He offered, pulling his phone out. "They may already be at her place. If they are, we're going to mine and laying low."

He was honestly surprised the hanyou didn't completely ignore him and storm off to find Kagome. He could visibly see the restraint he was exercising, but his eyes were searching the suburban horizon, and he knew he had to be using his nose to try and hone in on what direction Renkotsu's scent was coming from. Maybe even searching out Kagome's while he was at it. The line rang in his ear; one ring turning to two, then three, then the fourth cutting out before it went to Sango's voicemail. Inconspicuously, he pressed her number to try again. One ring. Two. Three. Voicemail.

Miroku could admit now that he was worried, himself, his stomach beginning to churn within his abdomen. Steadily, he locked his phone, lowering it and leveling a gaze with Inuyasha. "So…"

"This way." Inuyasha instructed, running back the way they came and leading Miroku in the direction their partners had gone.

Their scents were heavy in the air, four of them, one guy he couldn't quite determine, and so was the storm that'd been threatening them all day. When it rained, he couldn't smell shit, the only aroma he could detect being that of the water pouring from the sky. Even right before and after, the atmosphere was thick with the smell of rain, distracting his senses from anything else. Thankfully, they weren't that far. Thankfully, he heard yelling to carry his feet the rest of the way. Thankfully, the wind had been on his side to tip him off in the first place.

"Don't lie!" Renkotsu barked.

"I'm not! He and I don't go to school together!" Kagome argued.

"So, call him up!"

"No!"

"Call him! Now!"

"I'm not doing shit for you!"

"Oh, see, you should! You're in the heap of it, baby, and I've got nothing against showing you who's boss now." His grin was threatening, too joyful to be sane.

"I swear to god, if you don't back up -" Sango warned, interrupted by Renkotsu's transferring glare.

"You'll what, little girl? You actually think you can do any damage here? Since you want to be so involved, we'll go ahead and keep your mouthy friend with us and you can go get Inuyasha."

"Go fuck yourself." She seethed.

"Wrong answer." Renkotsu stepped toward her menacingly.

"Renkotsu…" Bankotsu cautioned, though his tone spoke a different message. "Before we go down that route, go ahead and hand over your phones. Unlocked."

"Fat chance!" Sango scorned.

"Give them or we'll take them. Final warning."

"How about we just give you our lunch money and we'll call it a day, since you sound like a couple of middle school douchebags."

The two guys expressed utter annoyance, their sighs clenched and dragged, their eyes rolled, a smile on their lips showing conceit.

"Just tell me what you want to say to him, and I'll make sure to pass the message along." Kagome offered cheaply, looking daringly into Bankotsu's eyes.

He stepped closer, meeting her stare, his cool demeanor dropping entirely as he encroached on Kagome, but she didn't back away. Sango seemed almost prepared at her side, but she couldn't tell if it was to join the fight if anything happened, pull her away, or shove Bankotsu off. If things actually came down to it, would these guys actually hurt them, or were they all talk? Was this a chance she was willing to take? Didn't much matter now; she was in knee deep. Kagome had never actually been in a fight, and the guys weren't necessarily small in comparison to them. The biggest issue was, if anything happened, would she and Sango even be able to fend them off, or would they easily be overpowered?

She heard a simple hum from Renkotsu but didn't take her eyes off of the man hovering just inches away from her, nor did he remove his from her. She felt hot and angry and nervous, but despite that, she was more than willing to argue herself into an even deeper hole if it meant standing her ground.

"Is he really worth all this?" Bankotsu questioned.

"Yes."

A powerful hand snatched her left forearm, pulling her back and away, her feet slightly tripping over one another but so solidly held that she stayed standing by the support. It was like she'd blinked and suddenly she was shielded by the broad back of the half demon, the heat of his grip searing through her clothes, keeping her close. Even from behind, she could see, feel, how heavily his lungs pumped air in and out, hear it leaving his nostrils, but he held firmly between she and trouble.

He'd immediately pushed Bankotsu back to create the space, livid that he'd gotten so intimidatingly close to Kagome to begin with. How fucking dare he? How fucking dare he threaten her? Involve her? He was seconds away from fucking this bastard up just for that. Bankotsu's laugh taunted him further, baiting him, and he'd be damned if he didn't consider just throwing his fist without bothering to get the small talk out of the way first.

"It's been a while, buddy! Your hair's longer! Damn, and you don't look as scrawny as before, either! I'm impressed a hopeless half breed like you could look remotely like they have their shit together!" Bankotsu boasted.

Kagome huffed, ready to throw a rebuttal at him in Inuyasha's defense, but Inuyasha was quick to apply pressure to her arm, keeping her silent.

"Congratulations. You've finally come out of your cave to find me, yourself." He remarked. It'd been a year and a half since he'd last seen the leader of this group. No wonder he couldn't pinpoint the fourth person's scent; he didn't remember it at all. "What's the outside world feel like, Bankotsu?"

"You got jokes. You know what the real joke is, though?" Bankotsu questioned, chuckling, gliding his tongue over the front of his teeth. "I hear you have your girlfriend fighting your battles now. I figure, since she's the one that wears the pants in the relationship, and she's the one telling me to come out and play, I should take it up with her. She's really mouthy, Inuyasha. You should teach her when to shut up."

It was difficult - so fucking difficult - not to react to his jab toward her. All he fucking wanted to do was defend, protect, from anything and everything, but he knew Bankotsu was looking for a reaction, and the last thing he was about to do was give him what he wanted.

"Or, I can teach her for you."

Inuyasha shrugged his brows, laughing lightly. "She can take you."

"Should we test that theory?"

"No need. Renkotsu can tell you all about it."

"Keep digging your grave, mutt." Renkotsu dared.

Inuyasha merely cocked a brow at Bankotsu, stating his point was already proven. "You're not here for her, though, so drop the act. You're here for me. What the fuck do you want?"

"You did a stupid thing, Inuyasha." Bankotsu chided, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back with an alpha complex.

"Yeah, over a year ago."

"I might have dropped it if you didn't treat this as a game."

"Was it not? You weren't actively seeking me out, you were just trying to get your cock suckers to bring me to you if we ran into each other. Clearly, it wasn't that serious to you if you weren't willing to do a little something, yourself. You wanted to attempt to make my life a living hell, so I was sending your goons back with black eyes and bloody lips to give you my own message: You lose. As a bonus, they couldn't open their mouths wide enough to deep throat your frustrations away."

Bankotsu heaved a tedious and hot sigh, exerting control and smiling through it. "Well, I'm here now. Taking me seriously yet?"

"Not really."

"Oh? Even after I had your bitch cornered?"

Inuyasha shook his head.

"I see. Hear that, Kagome? He doesn't really care about you."

Inuyasha gave another squeeze to her forearm, making sure she kept her mouth shut. Thankfully, she heeded his warning, feeling her physical response as she leaned closer to his back. She could sense something was coming, and he could sense her apprehension from it. He didn't bother to soothe her, though. He couldn't. He had to stay level with the fuckers before him; softness wasn't an option, and so neither was reassurance.

"Look, I'm done with the casualties." Bankotsu's smile fell, dark blue eyes hosting vexation. "You can come with us so we can square this away once and for all, or I'll actually make your life a living hell until you do. We know where your new school is now, and I'm fully prepared to repay the favor you did for me so long ago. Ginkotsu's just itching to break some shit, and I'll personally make sure your name is all over the damage."

"Wait," Miroku spoke, his tone the most serious Kagome had ever heard it before. It was thicker, deeper, even a little authoritative. He'd braced himself in front of Sango just as Inuyasha had done with her, only he'd pulled her back further so if anything did happen, they were out of immediate reach. "This doesn't have to come down to any of that. Maybe we can reach a common ground."

"I'm not really one for 'talking out my problems.'" Bankotsu stated simply, using his fingers to create air quotes. "These are the options."

"It's fine." Inuyasha said, loud enough to dissuade Miroku from speaking up again. "I'll go."

"Inuyasha -"

"After that, we're done, right?"

"Yup." Bankotsu smirked.

"You guys will finally leave me the fuck alone?"

"That's the deal."

"And, you wont go near Kagome again?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"I'm fucking serious, Bankotsu."

"I am, too!" He held up his hands defensively, thoroughly entertained by the abrasive temper of the hanyou. "Do your part, come with us, we'll settle this, and we'll never talk to your girlfriend ever again."

Inuyasha swallowed thickly, nodding once in comprehension. "I'll be right there." He waited until the two guys created their distance, standing at the corner with their smug expressions, before he turned back to Kagome, finally releasing her arm. He opened his mouth to speak, his tongue barely clicking, before she beat him to the punch.

"You can't be serious." Her tone was direct and thick, brown eyes piercing him.

"Go home." He ordered, not bothering to try and relieve her obvious concern.

"No. I'm going with you."

"Fuck no, you're not!" He all but growled. "Go home! Now!"

"No, I-"

"Kagome, do you actually fucking think if you keep insisting I'm going to cave and let you come!? You know we're not gonna go sip some tea and make nice, right!? Do you fucking get that!?"

"All the more reason for me to come!" She argued, her voice growing sharper, louder.

"No, shut up! We're not doing this! I'm not going to fight with you until you understand! You're going to drop it and go home, and I will call you tonight! Got it!?" The hanyou seethed, ignoring the glower that pressed her reddened face. He turned to Miroku, his own concern at the situation showing through his furrowed brows. "Make sure she gets home. Walk her there. Or to Sango's. I don't fucking care, just get her out of here."

"Inuyasha -" Miroku tried again as he began to walk toward the two awaiting delinquents.

"Don't. Just do me this fucking favor and keep her safe." He said lowly, radiant eyes flickering back and forth from Miroku to Sango so they knew the message was for the both of them. "I'll be fine. You and I both knew I was going to have to deal with this sooner or later."

They watched him meet up with Bankotsu and Renkotsu, the half demon trailing just behind them as they led him off and out of sight.

Kagome was furious, her chest heaving, fingers furling into fists so tight that her nails pinched into her flesh. Then, before she could notice the transition, her anger shifted into heavy anxiety, her lungs trying to catch oxygen, as she began to panic at the thought of what may happen to Inuyasha in a matter of moments. She was trying to keep it together, removing her sight off of the empty space she'd just seen Inuyasha in and focusing on Miroku and Sango, waiting for somebody to say something. Sango stood there, baffled, shocked, her mouth hanging agape as she looked back at Kagome, and Miroku looked angry and defeated, but was clearly much better at appearing calm than the rest of them.

"What the fuck is going on?" Sango asked, the question open for anyone to answer, crossing the small distance to Kagome to rub her hand up and down her arm comfortingly.

"Inuyasha went through a dark period." Miroku explained, following closely behind his girlfriend but leaving some space so Kagome wouldn't feel crowded. "He got involved with a bad group for a while, and went about it all wrong when he wanted out."

"What did he do?"

"He tried just leaving, but they wanted to give him shit for it. So, he wrecked their space when they weren't there as a big fuck you." Even Kagome shot him a look, expressing that she didn't know that bit of information. "Come on, trust me, Kagome, he can handle this. To be instated into a group like that, you have to go through a beating. Getting out is all the same. He's stronger now, more resilient, he'll be fine."

"Could you maybe explain that with a little more tact next time." Sango fired.

"I'm being honest." He said, his voice unwavering. "Kagome deserves the truth. This isn't going to be a walk in the park, but this is something he can deal with. Alone. He has to."

"Wait, so just how bad is this, though?" Kagome asked, a slight shake determinable in her tone. "Is it a huge gang? Or, are we talking three or four people? Are they humans? Demons? Do they have weapons? What's going to happen?"

"Human, but I don't know the specifics other than that. I doubt there's more than ten of them, and the chances of them having lethal weapons are highly unlikely, but don't quote me."

"Ten?"

Miroku exhaled shallowly. "I don't know."

"They're only getting further." Sango mentioned to Kagome, letting go of her arm. Kagome nodded, the two of them, like always, clearly on the same wavelength. "I'll call my dad."

"What are you doing?" Miroku asked skeptically, stepping in their path.

"Going after them, obviously." Sango replied, pulling out her phone to find her dad's contact.

"No. No! Absolutely not! This isn't something we should get involved in!"

"Inuyasha's your friend, right!?" Kagome challenged.

"Yes, and if you two weren't here, I guarantee I'd be with him right now, but that's not the case! No wonder he told me to walk you home; you're reckless!"

"You don't know the half of it." She affirmed. "You can back off and stay behind or you can come with and help, but if you try to stop me, I will personally show you how reckless I can be!"

He stood there, shocked, witnessing the burning fire in her irises grow larger, hotter, more threatening. There was no fighting her, that was for sure. He didn't know what help they'd all be, but she was no sissy, so if she felt this was the right thing to do, he should stick by her. Letting her go off alone didn't seem like the wisest choice on anyone's behalf. If anything, he'd escort her to the setting of the incident, but he'd do his part and prevent her from getting in harm's way.

Miroku gave in, his chest deflating as he cleared the way for Kagome to take the lead, the girl quick to start running in the same direction the other three had headed off in. Sango held her phone to her ear, running at Miroku's side and keeping up, and when her dad answered, her heaving breath really helped the concerned hitch in her tone carry through. Any good father would react instantly to a panicked call from their child.

The drizzle began, light and cold, but Kagome was unbothered, her mind all over the place as she wondered which way they could have gone. Each alley they passed was looked down, each side street was checked, and she felt like they'd all lost their way until they happened upon two women running with their bags held over their heads, protecting themselves from the sudden strengthening of the rain.

"Excuse me!" Kagome called, stopping them in their path. "Have you seen a guy with dog ears pass by?"

"Hard to miss." One replied. "Turned right just a little ways down."

"How far?" Miroku asked, keeping his tone as mellow as possible.

"Two blocks maybe?"

Without thanks, the three continued on, turning on the designated street and slowing as they saw no one. The street was narrow, almost resembling an alley but still inhabited by smaller homes. In her gut, Kagome felt like they may be close, but she couldn't pinpoint how much further they'd have to go. She didn't even know what they'd do to stop the fight, she just knew she had to do something. She couldn't sit back and pretend everything was fine while Inuyasha was in a dangerous situation. That wasn't possible.

Sango was trying to hush her argument with her father, insisting she was fine when he demanded she stay back and let him handle things, but they wouldn't know where to go if she didn't stay with Kagome. She was positive he'd get his squad to track her cellphone signal. If she led them to the spot, they'd be able to hurry there and hopefully prevent anything from getting serious. On a whim, she stopped talking altogether. He'd get the hint if she stayed on the line and didn't speak. He'd understand she wasn't going to give in, and he'd have to do his part without further argument. Aside from that, a rooting sensation told her it was time to quiet down. The street was ominous; maybe because of the current predicament, maybe because of the onslaught of rain and darkened skies. Either way, if they were close, she wasn't going to tip anyone off that they were following. They were already at a disadvantage. Two small girls, one human boy, and one half demon boy against about maybe ten guys? Yeah, the odds were not in their favor, and she could only hope her dad was quick to arrive before anything escalated to that point.

"This way." Miroku whispered, carrying ahead of the two of them with a light jog.

"Oh! It's Inuyasha!"

The hanyou grieved a sigh, rolling his eyes at the flamboyant guy that welcomed him as they approached the shaded area at the back of the old, battered, abandoned shop. The whole lot was there. All seven of them, six of them looking at him like he'd be fun to rip to pieces and the last looking at him like he was the most thrilling amusement ride. He wasn't sure which he preferred.

"Well, you guys haven't changed." He muttered.

"Not a really good time to talk shit, gotta tell you." Suikotsu advised, grinning. His hair was dark brown, spiked and styled, his eyes slanted and daring, though his posture was lax, leaning back against the wall.

"It's about time you manned up, half breed." Mukotsu added. He was the shorter, uglier one of the bunch, looking about forty with his disadvantages but truthfully only sat at eighteen. Maybe nineteen - Inuyasha didn't remember; he just knew they were all around the same age. Mukotsu's biggest threat was his capability to give women the creeps when he stared as they passed by. Otherwise, he was one of the few Inuyasha hadn't seen since he left, and if he had, he'd easily pummel to a pulp.

Still, even Inuyasha could admit, when it was seven against one, Mukotsu was someone he'd favor going head-to-head with. Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu were the tanks of the group. They were slow and dimwitted, but they were ungodly strong. Even against demons. Jakotsu was nimble and packed a punch, but the worst thing about him was the fact that he'd laugh when striking someone. It was slightly terrifying. For a person who claimed to always have a thing for Inuyasha, he sure enjoyed squaring up with him, too. Not quite the type of romance Inuyasha was into. Ever since the beginning, he always felt bad for potential boyfriends Jakotsu would have in the future; for obvious reasons. Suikotsu was, as everyone deemed him, the cool one. He wasn't hot-headed, he wasn't swayed by insults, he didn't have a tendency to get too worked up. He was built, he knew how to clap back in more ways than one, but when the going got real, he got vicious. It was like a darker personality was rooted deep beneath the surface and it took ripe instigation to set it free, but god, if you did, good fucking luck. Bankotsu, the leader, liked to sit back and watch his men do his fighting for him. He was prideful. Every time Inuyasha saw him grin, it reeked of vanity and made him want to forcefully remove the smug look from his face. He was insanely intelligent, though. Maybe not as smart as Renkotsu, but he was right behind him. Inuyasha had personally witnessed Bankotsu bring Kyokotsu to his knees once, and he's the largest and strongest. It's all about strategy, figuring out weaknesses, utilizing them correctly, and it helped that he wasn't anyone who could be considered weak, either. As sour as it was to confess, Bankotsu had earned his spot at the top.

"Let's get this over with." Inuyasha grumbled, making it sound like this was a waste of his time.

"You shouldn't be in such a hurry to get your ass kicked." Kyokotsu chuckled.

"For all the trouble he's put us through, I say we tie him down first." Jakotsu suggested, waggling his brows.

Inuyasha cringed, the actual threat behind it not capable of sinking in when Jakotsu was the one talking. But, when Ginkotsu and Renkotsu - who sauntered over to join the lot of them - chimed in to agree, the hanyou felt the weight of it. That'd leave him helpless to their ruthless beating, potentially too damaged to even get himself home on his own. They weren't killers; he was confident Bankotsu would stop them when enough was enough and felt satisfied with the amount of blood Inuyasha spit to the ground, but seven against one was already a handicap. It would be merciless to tie his hands behind his back and expect him to lie there and take it.

"That doesn't sound like your style." Inuyasha countered quickly, aiming to subtly challenge Bankotsu's pride. "Do you guys see me as that much of a threat that you have to prevent me from fighting back?"

Six of them laughed, impudence laced with incredulity. Good.

"You don't stand a chance against all of us!" Ginkotsu declared.

"Then why tie me down?"

"Why should you get the chance to defend yourself?" Renkotsu opposed.

"I thought this was all about how you were better than me. How can you prove you're superior to anyone if you had to tie your opponents hands behind their back to win?" Inuyasha coolly bargained.

"No, he's right." Bankotsu agreed, his tone even, a charming grin on his lips. "He wants to fight back, he can fight back. There's no way he'll win, and he knows it. No pinning, no holding, and nothing below the belt. Good?"

Inuyasha particularly favored the last motion, knowing it was directed at Ginkotsu. Not that it was necessary, but that fucker always fought dirty.

The rain was really coming down now, droplets bouncing off of the asphalt as they fell from the sky with force, the sound of them clapping down filling the silence among the men. Just about all of them were smiling with odd delight, some moving forward from under the shelter provided by the eaves of the shop, some of them staying put to wait their turns. Inuyasha allowed his book bag to fall from his shoulder, grabbing the strap before it hit the floor and tossing it off to the side, out of the way, and then pulled his already-rolled sleeves further up passed his elbows.

His breathing was tight, intentional, heating his body from within while he waited, observing the way the vultures began to surround. He couldn't help but wonder who was going to instigate by throwing the first punch. On top of that, he couldn't help but wonder how long this would last or how far this would go. When he was first circled by this crowd a little over two years ago, asking for entrance, willing to pay whatever price to fit in somewhere, it was rough. They challenged him one at a time, and each handed his ass to him like it was nothing. He wasn't well-versed in fighting then. His swings were limp and sloppy, and his kicks were more like flailed legs. Given the experience he'd received since then, he was a lot more structured and advanced now. That was the only reason he'd been able to hold the upper hand against them when they came at him individually during run-ins. Even the few times it was two against one, he still held his own. Seven against one, god he could laugh for the mess he'd gotten himself into. He knew it was only a matter of minutes before he was overwhelmed by the attack, but he'd be damned if he'd give in without one hell of a fight. He'd stand for as long as he could.

Amber eyes landed on Kyokotsu as he happily approached, bracing, but after Inuyasha was punched in the jaw from the right, he realized the troll was the distraction so Bankotsu could unsuspectingly get the first hit and throw him off kilter. The hanyou reacted, briefly rubbing out his face as he turned back to meet Bankotsu's bitter smile.

"You've held yourself pretty well against everyone here before, so let's see how you fair against me first."

"My pleasure." Inuyasha said a little too gladly. If there was anyone he'd love to fuck up, aside from Renkotsu's bitch ass, it was Bankotsu. It probably would have pleased the bastard to know he'd successfully gotten beneath Inuyasha's skin, but who the fuck cared at this point? There's no better face to make his knuckles bleed from hitting so hard.

Bankotsu, with a dangerous glint in his eye, came forward, dodged Inuyasha's defensive swing just to show off how quick he was and then went at him again, veering enough for Inuyasha to barely graze him, ducking, and then elbowing him in the side of his ribcage. The half demon had tensed in time to avoid having the wind completely knocked out of him, and in a growl of agitation, he reached for the cocky fucker, spun him to fully face him, and decked him square in the nose. It was like the fun was wiped clean off of the other six, and they began closing in for their turns, but Bankotsu held up his hands to stop them, inadvertently giving them all a glimpse at the blood seeping from his nostrils. When they heeded his silent order, Bankotsu chuckled, running the back of his thumb beneath his nose to see the crimson damage for himself.

"Let's have some fun." The leader smiled.

Her heart was racing a mile a minute, thundering in her chest, and as the three of them stopped jogging the little ways they'd gone, trying to figure out where the hell to go next, she ran her shaking fingers through her thick, wet hair to keep it from sticking to her face any longer. Sango and Miroku stood ahead of her, and they began walking again, but as her feet moved to follow she caught the very faint sound of grunts and shouts coming from her right. Kagome didn't even bother alerting her friends, she just took off in that direction, following the pull in her gut, her shoes slapping against the wet pavement as she ran down a dim alley.

Miroku, having heard the slight scuffle of feet from behind, turned around, noticing Kagome was gone. He hissed a curse, grabbing Sango's shoulder to direct her, her perception of hearing probably thrown from her father talking in her ear. Another curse, this time louder when he grew aggravated at just how similar Kagome seemed to his best friend; a little brash, a little impetuous, a little irrational, and a little stupid.

"Dad, I'll call you back." Sango said, hanging up before he had an opportunity to protest, something she felt she should have done from the start; she wanted to alert him and have them lock onto her signal, and she knew that only took a matter of minutes once they got the ball rolling, and she'd only stayed for his sense of comfort from that point on. "Where did she go?" Her voice was higher, on the frantic side as she ran over to the nearest alley, figuring it was the only possible route.

Sango didn't even bother thinking it through, running down the pathway with Miroku sticking close behind. On the other side of it, there was a broken, brick wall, the lowest parts of the unstable structure sitting at about shoulder height for her with an opening a little further to their right. Immediately peering over the shabby pieces, they noticed the group taking their hits on Inuyasha across the street, and Sango's jaw dropped at the sight.

Miroku squeezed from behind her, acting quickly, running towards the opening as fast as he could and snagging Kagome by wrapping an arm around her lower abdomen, picking her up, and spinning her around. As gently as he could in his hasty reaction, Miroku set her down, pushing her back a few feet to be shielded behind taller-standing bricks.

"Are you crazy? Have you assessed the situation at all, Kagome?" He kept his voice low so as to not attract attention. Her cheeks were brightly flushed, her brows furrowed deeply and chest heaving air into her lungs.

"We don't have time for that!"

"What's your plan?" He challenged. "What could you possibly do to break that up? Run into the middle and use your girlish charm to stop everyone mid-swing? No! This shit doesn't work like that! It's not even one-on-one, they're jumping him!" Kagome's chin quivered at that, but Miroku continued. "Did you ever stop to think of the repercussions of interrupting? You could -"

"Why did you come then, Miroku?"

"To see if there was anything we could do! It doesn't take a genius to know that there isn't at a glance." Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but he silenced her by planting his palm over it. "You could make this so much worse for him. Think about it. If you run out there, he's going to be so focused on protecting you, he won't even stand a chance in defending himself. They could grow angrier because of your boldness and take it out on him. Do you want that?"

It took a moment. A tense moment where her cheeks had puffed beneath his hand and her eyes squinted from the anxiety, imagining the scenario, allowing it to sink in, her lids blinking rapidly from the raindrops that curved along her face. Then, she shook her head to answer his question, giving in when she realized he was right. Miroku released her, breathing out, his eyes apologetic at how rough he'd had to get, but she understood. She looked over at Sango who was watching over the wall, her phone to her ear and her voice soft as she spoke.

"Daddy," She whispered unsteadily when her father answered the phone. "Seven. There's seven of them."

Seven.

Against one.

Kagome sucked in a ragged breath, holding it in her chest as she turned to look at the scene, her heart plummeting to the floor as she watched Inuyasha cough out and double over. It's not like she knew better from worse, but it seemed they were going at him rougher than what was deemed necessary. Another hit from a huge guy and he was on the ground. She winced alongside Miroku, ignoring the gentle hand on her arm that tried to tug her away. The second attempt was stronger, successful, and Sango pulled her into a tight hug. She could even hear her dad talking through the phone, and as soon as they confirmed they had the location, Sango hung up and dropped her cell in the pocket of her bag.

"Dad's on his way. It's gonna be fine." She reassured her, but Kagome pushed out of the hug, giving a cheap smile in appreciation. This wasn't about her. No matter how helpless she felt, which was exponentially so, she didn't want this sort of attention. It only amplified how she could do nothing to stop what was happening.

With a shaky sigh, Kagome leaned her back against the wall, attempting to tune out the horrific sounds of Inuyasha's grunting, the growling, the coughs and wheezes, the noises of the impacts of fists and kicks meeting his body, the curses from the culprits' mouths, the goading and coaxing to get him back up so they could continue. And then, a pulsation rippled the atmosphere, instantaneously making Kagome feel sick to her stomach.

She could hear him telling them to stop, urgently repeating the word. Demanding they hold back for a moment.

Another ripple, and a lump formed in Kagome's throat, threatening to make her puke. She looked over at Sango, and it seemed like she noticed it, too. Then, she looked over at Miroku whose eyes were wide as he was the only one who was witnessing the events.

The fighting sounded like it was ceasing, and Inuyasha made a noise like he was in pain. But, his voice was heavy, gruffer than ever before, a deadly growl warning everyone to step back.

Another pulse, and Kagome knew something was horribly wrong. Defying the disgusting sensations pitting in her abdomen, she looked out, noticing the half demon against the floor, bracing himself, breathing thickly.

"I think," Miroku spoke. "I think his demon blood is taking over."

"What does that mean?" Kagome quickly questioned, looking back and forth from Inuyasha to Miroku.

"It's like fight or flight, but flight is no longer an option."

"He's one-hundred percent fight." Sango added, watching beside them.

"And, when you're one-hundred percent anything, you're blinded to rationality. I heard this can happen when the body is convinced they're in mortal danger. Like, a trigger of some sort." Miroku said.

They watched an aggressive shudder vividly crawl over Inuyasha's back, his claws swinging when one of the attacking men tried to get close to him as he remained in his folded position.

"We need to stop the fight. We need to calm him down." Kagome launched to run, surprised neither of them tried to stop her. The fight was just about over, anyway. The seven men had backed up, watching what seemed like a transformation come alive, some skeptical, some shocked, and some entertained.

Sango followed Kagome, grabbing two broken bricks from the ground in preparation, and when they cleared the opening of the wall and sprinted across the street, Kagome screaming for them to stop, Sango threw a brick right at the back of the widest guy, stealing his attention. Miroku was right next to her within another passing second, his own bricks in hand.

"I'm a good fucking shot, Shrek! You don't want me to throw one of these at your face!" Sango yelled as he turned around and scowled. "Back off!"

"I suggest you guys get away from him!" Miroku insisted. "That's his demon side coming through, and it only gets more dangerous from here on out!"

Seeing an opening, Kagome ran straight through, slowing the moment she was within the barrier. She dropped her bag where she stood, watching his breathing slow, steady, even out. He was unfurled, supported on his hands and knees, but his sight was glued to the asphalt beneath him. His silver hair was hued darker, soaked with rain, the ends of his bangs waving and dripping with water. From the side she approached, she could see his face, his ponytail curving around his opposite shoulder. She could see the blood that dropped from his mouth and the scrapes on his temple. More so, she could see the purple markings that faded in on his cheekbone, progressively darkening as if they'd always belonged.

She knew some demons had marks from birth. It had something to do with their lineage or heritage; she wasn't very educated on it. Inuyasha had none, though. Was his demon blood so potent when provoked?

Still, she needed him to know she was there. That there was no reason to be worked up anymore. The cops were coming, and he didn't have to worry.

Kagome knelt beside him, waiting a small moment for him to notice her. Nothing. No reaction. So, ever so gently, she placed her hand on his shoulder, the white cloth of his shirt sopping, translucent, the tint of his skin showing from beneath.

"Hey," She breathed, allowing the weight of her hand to increasingly settle. "Don't be mad, okay? I followed, but -"

Her sentence was cut off by her own sharp gasp as Inuyasha clutched the front of her top. His reflexes were insanely fast; she hadn't even seen him move, nor did she have the time for much else before he yanked her an ounce closer and then forcefully shoved her away. Their position didn't allot for her to be thrown very far, but he had still proved his unforgiving strength, having created some sort of distance and having caused a minor road rash along the back of her thigh that she'd never expected to receive from something like this.

Kagome was quick to throw her hand up when Miroku and Sango shouted her name, silently trying to tell them she was fine and not to come closer. This wasn't Inuyasha. Inuyasha would never hurt her. Inuyasha would never hurt anyone he cared about. The offending group had spread out further, but their chuckles were almost as loud as boisterous laughter and she wanted to scream at them to shut up. This was their fault.

She'd been propped on her elbow, in shock at what had just happened, brown eyes glued to the half demon, no, full demon just feet away from her, tediously beginning to pick himself up to a standing. She'd managed to bring herself to a full sitting position, the hypnotizing sight before her making it easy to ignore the slight burning on the back of her leg from skimming the ground. As they appeared, Kagome noted each and every difference about him in this state. His smile was deadly, defiant, crooked, and confident. The purple markings on his cheeks were vibrant now, having made home. His claws were longer, more threatening. His shoulders were broad, full, carrying no trace of burdens or insecurity. And, his eyes. Kagome inhaled tremblingly, her chest hitching and throat tightening. She'd never seen eyes like this before. The sclera was a terrifying shade of red - not even closely resembling bloodshot eyes. They were just red. And, his irises were bright blue. Like, vigorous electricity struck through them.

Inuyasha stood tall, looking down on her, blood lightly trickling from his lips, to his chin, spotting the front of his soaked shirt. He gave her a shrug of his brows as he licked the corner of his mouth, shifting his attention to the men scattered around. His feet glided along the rough floor as he slowly turned about, taking in the features of each individual, his smile showing amusement.

"What's wrong?" His voice was so low, so husky, it almost rang seductively, but she realized that the sensation she felt crawl up her spine was fear. He created that with two, simple words. "Why do you guys look so afraid? Realized you went a little too far and can't handle the consequences?"

"Inuyasha?" She softly spoke, pushing her legs beneath her so she could stand. He didn't regard her in the least.

It was hard not to be overcome by her dominating emotions. She was angry, and scared, and anxious, and overall just didn't know what to do to help. Where was Inuyasha? How was she supposed to reach him?

The only logical - if logic was applicable here - idea that popped into her head was to get him to focus on her. He was in there. If she could catch his attention, someway, somehow, maybe he'd come back. Unfortunately, her apprehension was prevalent. She felt nauseous, not only from his energy but from the trepidation that maybe she wasn't powerful or significant enough to succeed.

Thickly, Kagome swallowed, pretending her saliva was built of anything holding her back, and on her next inhale, she pushed through it all.

"Inuyasha, it's me." Carefully, she began to approach, watching every little move he made intently. He chuckled sinisterly, lolling his head back as he swiveled on his heel to face her.

"And, who the fuck are you?" He asked slowly, grinning still, his tone carefree but remaining low. Like, a different person was talking through a vessel.

It stung. Ice crept through the cavity of her chest to hear those words from Inuyasha's lips.

"Kagome. I'm Kagome." She leveled.

She observed the way his features gave way slightly, igniting hope. His brows had pinched together minutely, and the corners of his lips faltered, curving downward for a moment before he fixed them to sit straight.

"Doesn't ring a bell." He stated, turning to face Bankotsu who stared back with distaste. "You, on the other hand… you don't look so tough now, do you, hot shot?"

"Hey, it's - it's over. No one's fighting anymore." The rain was stopping, diminishing to a light sprinkle. Kagome walked forward, inching again to close the space between them. "So, let's - let's go. Can we go now, please?"

Inuyasha snarled, stabbing her with a dangerous warning of a glare, causing her to involuntarily flinch and still. "Back. Off."

"You may not remember me right now, and that's okay, but I know who you are. You mean so much -"

"Get away!"

Another flinch, but Kagome was deliberately relentless.

"Just the fact that you're not attacking me -"

"Did you want me to!?" Inuyasha's voice was loud and thunderous, and as she trembled again, he sidestepped away from her. "Because, I will if you don't want to tread carefully!"

"Inuyasha, it's done!" Her voice was raspy with her desperation. "Calm down! There's no reason to keep fighting anymore!"

He gave an exaggerated scoff, dragging out the sound as he rolled his eyes vehemently. "See these guys? That's seven reasons."

"Fuck it, I'm tired of the dramatics!" One of them announced, his face marred with evidence of a few solid hits to the same spot. His tone held rage, his body language screamed that he was annoyed, and the way his jaw was set told her his adrenaline was still spiked. He wasn't one of the obnoxiously large guys; he had an average build with a stare that could kill. "If he still wants to fight, I'm willing to knock him back down!"

"That's what I fucking thought." Inuyasha smiled, his entire body turning around to greet the approaching aggressor.

"No!" Before Kagome could even run forward, Miroku was on the man, pushing him back and slugging him in the cheek. He was shouting, telling him to stop being an idiot, taking a couple hits of his own, but Kagome's eyes shifted back to the demon in the center. He was growling, the sound a threat on its own, dangerous eyes on Miroku, then traveling about the six others.

"Who's next, then?"

"Stop!" Kagome implored. The plan to ease his way was thrown, and she lunged forward, grabbing his forearm to steal his attention, force it on her, even going so far as to give him a pull back in her direction, his body sturdier than she'd ever remembered it being before.

He reacted swiftly, turning back to her, ripping out of her hold and then grasping her upper arms with bruising force. She gasped shakily, wincing, and his grip on her seemed to decrease a fraction.

"What did I fucking tell you!?" Inuyasha yelled in her face, and she whimpered at his ferocious demeanor, succumbing to the weight of the stress of it all. Her eyes burned with quick-brimming tears and she couldn't prevent her face from crinkling, or her chin from quivering, or the way her body had tensed substantially.

"Inuyasha, please. I don't know how to help, but I want to. Are you afraid?" It was difficult to look up at him with how she just wanted to shrink down, his body curled over her, hair no longer dripping as the rain had completely ceased. She did, though. She leaned her head back, crying just a little harder when she noticed he wasn't breathing. His throat was visibly tight, but his eyes were boring into her, signifying that he was still present. "I am. I'm really scared right now. I just want you back. The real you."

She heard the grunt release from his lips, his eyes closing, shutting tight as he seemed to struggle with himself a little, but as he grunted again, his hands inadvertently clenched against her arms, a sharp pain stabbing the back of her left arm where his fingers pinched in. Kagome tensed her abdomen, her chest, her throat, trying to bite back the whine that threatened to spill, ducking her head to hide her twisted expression.

Inuyasha brought her closer, her face mere inches from his chest. His breathing was ragged. Rough. His growl was nonexistent. His body radiated heat like a furnace cranked up to its highest setting.

Kagome watched the way his chest moved, pumping air in and out of his lungs, progressively evening out, and the deeper and more serene his breaths got, the less pressure he applied to her arms, his hands slightly trembling as he let her go little-by-little.

Inuyasha took a single, staggering step back, and Kagome chanced a look at him, his golden eyes staring at his right fingers, then fluttering back down to her. His irises were dull, lackluster, his lips slightly parted in confusion.

"Are you… are you okay now?"

The nod he gave was so subtle it was hardly detectable, but she watched his jaw move as he mouthed the softest "yeah," his lips sealing immediately after.

With a heavy sigh of relief, Kagome pulled herself into his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist, fingers gripping the back of his shirt as her inhale brought her chest to tremble against him.

Chapter Text

It was like waking up from a restless night, coming to in a place you don't remember being before you slipped from consciousness. His body felt utterly exhausted, his head was pounding, and he could smell blood prevailing over the washing scent of rain. Inuyasha opened his eyes to find Kagome in his hold, his grasp, unable to remember when she'd gotten there, and as if his senses were picking back up to normal strength after a manual reboot, the smell of copper demanded his attention. It was on him. It was on her. He lifted his hands away, noticing the nails and pads of two fingers on his right hand were painted in Kagome's blood.

He'd hurt her.

What the fuck had happened?

He'd hardly heard her question when she spoke, but her expression said it all. She was overtly worried, crying, her cheeks a blustering pink from exertion, and when he finally answered, she hugged him tighter than she ever had before, shaking against him.

Instinctively, he held her in return, trying to support her the best way he could while he had no fucking idea what he'd just done to cause this. His left arm swung around her, his right hand still raised before him, the little bit of crimson doing its job to taunt him traumatically. Her blood felt heavy on his fingertips, the texture thick, hot, turning cold. The scent of it traveled back though his nasal passage to serve as acid pooling on his tongue, burning, painful, disgusting, making him clench his throat so it wouldn't sink down and threaten to make him heave.

Inuyasha thought to speak, to ask Kagome what was going on, but he recalled what he last saw before blacking out, his head quickly shooting to the side to find mistrusting eyes watching him all around. His focus was stolen, hearing Sango shout for someone to stop, to get off, and he looked over, feeling Kagome flinch away to look in the same direction as he. Suikotsu had Miroku pinned against the wall of the abandoned building, both of their faces red and furious and a little battered. Sango was running over, a brick in her hand, but Jakotsu quickly jerked her to a stop by crossing an arm around her waist, and her source of defense was dropped to the wet ground.

It was overwhelming, thinking hastily to figure out what to do first. Kagome had dropped her hold of Inuyasha, running toward Sango to help, and he almost snagged her to halt because that was a fucking stupid idea, but if he didn't break up the fight between Suikotsu and Miroku immediately, he knew with Suikotsu having the advantage that he did, he was going to start swinging until someone physically stopped him. So, he let Kagome go. He had to.

He raced to Miroku, yanking Suikotsu away with a piercing grip on his shoulder, making sure his claws dug in for added effect, and when enough space was created, he punched the guy in his diaphragm, supporting his weight for a small moment as he doubled over from the wind being sucked out of him, and then dropped him to the ground. As if both he and Miroku were on the same track, they both turned their attention to the girls, ready to get them out of harm's way but noticed both of them already speeding over, leaving Jakotsu on the floor, clutching his crotch in wheezing pain.

"Alright!" Bankotsu bellowed, his tone authoritative and working to end any further moves his men may have been contemplating. Knowing he was taken seriously, his eyes landed on Inuyasha, a smile forming on his lips. "Well, that's a fancy trick you've got up your sleeves. Where'd you learn that one?"

He had no idea what Bankotsu was referring to, but the last thing he wanted was for him to know. It made him appear weaker to pull some sort of stunt without knowledge of it, as opposed to keeping him thinking that whatever he'd done was skillfully planned. Instead of saying anything in response, he kept his glare solid on the leader. Silence was just as good an answer in this case. Bankotsu approached, slightly disheveled but looking better than every other lackey at his disposal, and Inuyasha took the opportunity to tuck Kagome behind him.

His hands, his push, his protection was tremendously gentle, softly grabbing her wrist and slowly guiding her behind him. Kagome didn't resist. Even when she was already safely hidden behind his back and he readjusted his hand, giving her hip another sensitive push away from him, she kept going. She knew what he wanted. She understood the message he was sending. Kagome continued to back away until his hands couldn't touch her anymore, and Sango tugged her sweater, urging her to stand with she and Miroku.

Bankotsu opened his mouth to speak, the click of his tongue and the sourness of his potential provocation ringing almost as clearly as if he'd actually had the opportunity to say what he'd wanted before the timely screeches of tires stopped in the street behind him. Red and blue lights flashed bright on the tops of several cars, bouncing off of building walls and shining on glistening skin, the labeled vehicles devoid of sirens but still serving their purpose all the same. Officers jumped out of their car doors, hands prepped on their holstered-pistols, approaching and ordering for everyone to remain frozen.

"Sango!?"

"Daddy!" Sango called, alerting him to her location. She saw him squeeze through the small crowd made up of police and teenagers, and she ran to him to let her worried father know she was perfectly fine.

The seven members were being attained, each of them getting cuffed, and as Bankotsu was pulled away from him, Inuyasha finally felt he could breathe. He turned back to Kagome, a beautiful smile of relief adorning her face, but he felt minimal. His feet were heavy, slapping in the small puddles as he crossed the distance to her, immediately grabbing the crook of her elbow and twisting her arm up to see the wound he'd inflicted, extremely careful not to hurt her further. The small sound that escaped her mouth made his heart thud painfully, and from the side he noticed her pinch her lips together, like she hadn't meant to make any sort of noise at all.

"What?" She asked.

"What did I do?" It was surprising to see him so startled, so shaken, staring at the back of her arm with wide eyes that the luminosity was finally returning to. It wasn't the normal vibrancy she liked, though. It was anxious, scared, unsettled and disturbed.

Still, it didn't immediately click for her, and from her own angle, she couldn't see what, exactly, he was looking at. All she saw was the wet, black sleeve of her sweater, and she couldn't maneuver to see better in his hold.

Inuyasha was tender, so tender, as he tried to pull the sleeve out of his way, but it was serving too difficult to see the extent of the damage he'd caused, and as much as he wanted to just rip the fucking thing open to end his madness, he was too fretful with the mere thought of using his claws so close to her skin.

Sango returned to their little group as her father went about getting things in order, picking up on exactly what was happening. She'd witnessed it. It was hard to miss. It was terrifying to watch. She could tell Miroku didn't much know how to help the situation with how concerned and agitated Inuyasha seemed, so Sango wedged herself in between it all, quickly offering her solution. "Here, let's take off her sweater."

Kagome cooperated, pulling her arm free while Sango gently yanked the black sleeve from the end of the cuff in the opposite direction, feeling the slight sting as the fabric of her clothes rubbed against the back of her arm. She realized, cluelessly late, what Inuyasha seemed so upset about now. Since he'd let go after coming to, not once had she thought about the painful grip he'd had on her. Not once had she felt the soreness since. It was lost in the back of her mind, washed away by adrenaline, and she wished it had stayed there. She wished she could have held the knowledge captive, starved it, let it die so Inuyasha never had to know. Because she knew, just from the self-detesting look on his face as he watched Sango help free her arm from the sweater, he was going to retreat behind a wall. A wall he'd worked so hard to come around.

The long sleeve of her white, button up school shirt was wrinkled from the dampness and having sat beneath her sweater sleeve for so long, and as Sango moved aside for him, Inuyasha once more pulled Kagome's arm up by her elbow, eyes colliding with the decently-sized blood stain on the back. He felt like he'd swallowed lead. His stomach was steadily sinking lower into his abdomen. He didn't want to pay attention to her pleading eyes boring into him. He didn't want to hear her say this wasn't his fault. The blood on his fingers may have been mostly wiped away when he grabbed Suikotsu's shoulder, but he had already seen it, the image burned vividly into his memory. What he wanted was an explanation. Inuyasha, still holding Kagome but lowering her arm slightly, turned his attention to Miroku, trusting he'd pick right up on the question in his furrowed brows.

"Your demon blood took over."

Inuyasha's brows pinched together even tighter, fully letting go of Kagome now. "What?"

"Full demon, buddy. You were a full demon. Do you remember anything?" Miroku asked, using the back of his thumb to check that he wasn't still bleeding from his nose. It had only been a small amount to begin with, but his skin was still hot from the hits he'd taken so he habitually kept checking just in case.

Feeling sicker than before, he shook his head unsurely in response.

"Has that ever happened before?"

"No." Again, Inuyasha shook his head. "You're sure?"

"I mean, no." Miroku shrugged, uncertainty holding in his expression. "I'm not a demon, I don't know what it's like, and I've never seen it before. But, you weren't yourself. You hardly even looked like yourself."

"Looked?" He inquired skeptically.

"To put it blunt, you scared the shit out of me." Miroku answered, straight faced, knowing his friend needed the truth. "It's a good thing we followed. God knows what could have happened."

"No…" Inuyasha tone was hoarse, eyes flickering away from Miroku to sit on the asphalt for a moment while he digested the information of his transformation. As ice crept through his veins like a slithering creature dragging its body through dark tunnels, forming nightmares and fear, the hanyou's sight transferred to Kagome, her eyes still large, forgiving, imploring. "Wh- why would - what made you think -"

"Hey! Kids!" Sango's father's voice was deep but calm, jerking all of their attentions his way. Three other officers approached behind him as he waved his hands to beckon them his way. "We need your individual statements. Sango, you're with me."

Kagome sat on the edge of a curb, her sweater beneath her butt to protect her from getting wet, her feet planted on the ground and knees clutched close to her chest. She hadn't looked at her thigh yet, but she'd felt the back of her tights, and she was surprised they were only a little ripped; telling her that her skin was merely sensitive, probably a little scraped, but she'd ultimately be fine with nothing more than irritated redness for a day or two. Sango had finished giving her statement first since she had the least amount of information to give on the entire ordeal, but the disgruntled look on her face told Kagome she'd only gotten part of the lecture of a lifetime from her dad with more to come when they were home. Miroku joined Sango next, having finished pretty quickly, and then Kagome went and sat with them as soon as she'd completed giving her side of the story, leaning her shoulder against Sango's as she watched Inuyasha give his statement in the far distance. His silver ponytail swayed with the nods and shakes he'd give with his head, and his hands hung listlessly by his side, communicating how calm and unanimated he was. She'd claim she was surprised, but with the events they'd all just experienced, she was passed that emotion today. It was like she was zoning, hyper-focused on Inuyasha, steadily becoming convinced that her tension would only decrease when he rejoined the group and sat next to her.

"How are you feeling? Your cheek's starting to ripen up." Sango softly spoke, intentionally keeping still so she wouldn't jostle the support she provided for Kagome while notching her head a bit to look at Miroku's bruise.

"It's fine. I'll slap a raw steak on it tonight and pretend I'm a badass when I have to walk around with a shiner in school tomorrow." He grinned, turning his palm upward so she could slip hers in his grip. "You okay? You weren't hurt were you?"

Sango shook her head, humming a no in reply. "This was kind of cool, though."

"You would think so." He chuckled, holding her hand a little tighter.

Kagome perked as Inuyasha slowly turned away from the cop he'd been speaking to, walking back to regroup but his hesitance was pronounced. Sango's dad, having stepped before the three on the curb then, waved his hand to usher the hanyou in just a little faster. Some of the squad cars had pulled away, transporting the cuffed assailants with them, the street emptying to just a couple remaining, flashing vehicles, their lights now brighter as the sun was setting behind the thick clouds, enhancing the darkness in the sky.

"Called your mom, and she's on her way." He said to Kagome, and she stiffened at the thought of how panicked her mother must be right now. It made sense that he'd taken the liberty to inform her mom of what had happened; he had her number stored in his phone having known Kagome since she was a little girl. He wasn't just her best friend's dad giving her mom a courtesy call, though. In that moment, he was an officer telling her mother something bad had happened. And, she knew her mom. She knew that even though Sango's dad most likely told her Kagome was fine, given her family's history, she wasn't going to take a full breath of air until she saw it, herself.

"Who can I call for you?" Sango's father asked Miroku, and Miroku was polite and punctual in handing over his own dad's phone number. Sango's dad turned to Inuyasha then, "And, you?"

"Oh, my uncle is too old for something like this. I can get myself home, it's not too far." He answered.

"We can -" Kagome spoke, about to offer him a ride, but Inuyasha interjected, his tone holding low and resolute.

"I can get myself home." He couldn't do it. He couldn't face her. He couldn't face her mom. He needed time to come to terms with everything, to accept what had happen, what could have happened, to think. He needed time to curse himself for hurting Kagome, to curse Kagome for not listening to him. He needed time to wash his fucking hands in scalding hot water to rinse the lingering scent of her blood away. He didn't care that it was a small amount; any amount was too much.

"Well, go now, then. Don't stop anywhere; go straight home." The officer instructed, walking away to call Miroku's parents.

Kagome stood, leaving her sweater on the ground. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"

"Fine." He answered. It was straight forward, brusque. Closed off.

A dull ache was forming in the center of Kagome's chest. He was looking at her when he said it. This wasn't subconscious, he was actively shutting her out.

"I've gotta go."

"But -"

"Stop." Inuyasha said, direct. "Not right now. I need to go."

Kagome's lips sealed, his words increasing the ache, more so because she'd caught the slight waver in his tone at the end. He turned, walking over to where the fight had begun, and she watched him all the while as he grabbed his book bag, hoisted it over his shoulder, winced slightly, the pain evident in the way his eyes shut and lips curved downward, recovering like nothing fazed him and grabbing her own bag for her on his way back over. He set it down beside her sweater, avoiding her gaze as he walked away.

Soft, cold fingers grabbed at her pinky, pulling Kagome's attention back to Sango. Her best friend made a grabby-hand motion, ushering Kagome to sit back down next to her, and when she did, Sango firmly wrapped her arms around Kagome's shoulders, pulling her head to comfortably lay against her chest.

"Give him space." She whispered. "I think that's what he needs most right now. He'll come around, babe."

—

Inuyasha shut the door noisily as he entered his home, dropping his bag in the entry and immediately undoing the buttons of his shirt. He tried using the glass of a framed picture to see the damage he so clearly felt, but the reflection wasn't bright enough. Though, looking down at his body, he could see a solid, speckled bruise on the side of his ribcage that wrapped towards the front, already darkening in the center, but also outlined in dim, yellows and greens.

"I've been calling you." Totosai mentioned sternly, jerking Inuyasha's attention toward the doorway of the living room. "Oh, that explains it. Big one this time?" His tone had softened, erring on the side of concerned but appearing mostly neutral.

Though Inuyasha was apprehensive to answer, not exactly enthusiastic about the entire incident, nor proud of how it ended up playing out, he spoke truthfully. "All of them."

"At once?"

"Yeah."

"Come on." His uncle waved him forward, heading back into the living room where the tv hummed with dialogue. Inuyasha followed, removing his ruined shirt entirely and dropping it to the side of the little table his uncle slowly lowered himself down to sit at. "You smell weird."

"Thanks." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, waiting to make sure Totosai didn't need help before he sat down in front of him, his knee immediately beginning to bop agitatedly.

"I mean, you don't smell like you. Stop that, it's annoying."

Huffing, Inuyasha readjusted his sitting position, taking the opportunity to grab his cellphone out of his pocket. The screen was slightly cracked, his frustration building further, and he dropped the damn thing on the table with a disgruntled huff.

"Could it be because I have seven other guys' scents all over me?" He retorted roughly.

"Smells like a demon."

Amber eyes curiously and heatedly met the buggy ones of his uncle, the level expression on his face waiting for information on what, exactly, had taken place. Though he was old, Totosai's demonic senses were as sharp as ever. Nonetheless, how could he possibly have picked up on something like that?

"Miroku said I transformed in the middle of the fight. Said my demon blood took over. Can that really happen?" Inuyasha asked, brows furrowing inquisitively.

"To half demons, yes. I'm surprised you're questioning it since you lived out the ordeal." His uncle said.

"That's the thing; I blacked out. I don't remember shit. One second I was on the floor getting the crap beat out of me, the next I'm standing and -" His body tensed, his muscles aching with soreness, his head giving a throb, his heart sinking a couple inches as he recalled the image of blood on his hand. Inuyasha sighed thickly, bracing his elbow on the table as he ducked his face, resting his forehead within his palm. "I was holding Kagome. She was hurt, and it was my fault."

There was a bout of silence, the air heavy in the room. He heard, felt, Totosai scoot a couple inches closer, his naturally-trembling hands gently inspecting a scrape on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, but -"

"But, she's okay."

Inuyasha untucked his head, looking at his uncle who merely spared him a glance before going back to the wound. "Yeah. She's okay."

"Then, focus on that. And, be grateful."

"Be grateful? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Without missing a beat, Totosai flicked his nephew in the nose, ignoring the audacious glare that held no hostility toward him, personally. "Knock it off. We've talked about your self-destructive habits and how you need to move on from them. You've not only admitted that you, yourself, weren't conscious of what was happening, but also that you had no control over the turn of events. So, it's not your fault. What more do you need? Let it go. Something bad happened, yes. The whole situation was bad, if you ask me. But, Kagome is fine, you're fine, and truthfully, you weren't a demon long enough to have actually pulled any stunts you should really regret. So, yes, be grateful."

"How the hell could you possibly know how long I was transformed?"

Totosai gave a little smack to the large, developing bruise on his side, bringing a deep grunt from Inuyasha's throat as he flinched away. "That's how. You think you have rapid healing abilities now, but as a full demon you'd heal significantly faster. You're gonna be feeling this for a couple of days."

Surprisingly, his adoptive uncle's abstract way of telling him everything was alright actually started to make him feel like it was. Inuyasha relaxed a bit, running his fingers through his dirty bangs. "Why did it happen in the first place?"

"You were in danger. Chances are, your instincts kicked in and took over to get you out." He replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired as hell. Sore. Kind of relieved, though. Cops showed up and all of them were arrested."

"Good. That's finally done with. You need to eat before you go to bed. I made a stew." Totosai said, gesturing to the kitchen across the hall. "And, grab a bag of frozen peas on your way back. The mark on your temple is hurting me just from looking at it."

The hanyou gave a lazy chuckle, carefully picking himself up from the floor to serve himself a bowl. He brought Totosai a serving, as well, knowing his uncle had most likely been waiting for him to eat. For the first time that night, Inuyasha checked his phone notifications, noticing the four missed calls from Totosai. He also noticed he had nothing from Kagome.

He felt like a dick for leaving her there the way he had. He was worried; he hadn't even asked if she was okay before coming home. He was stuck in his own head. He could even admit, by the end of it all, that he was scared to actually touch her in case he'd hurt her again. And, all she most likely wanted as a source of comfort was just that, his touch. It wasn't wrong to take time to process things, Inuyasha understood that, but he shut her out along the way when all she was trying to do was help, easily falling back into his old, secluded routine. Months ago, he may not have even noticed this mistake, nor cared if he had, but he'd made progress. He didn't want to be like that anymore. He didn't want to push Kagome away.

He checked the time, noticing it was just a few minutes passed seven-thirty. "Hey, is it alright if I go check on Kagome tonight?"

Totosai blinked up from his spoonful of stew, not used to his nephew asking permission. "Finish your dinner, first. And, curfew still stands. Ten o'clock, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha acknowledged that with a simple nod. He basically scarfed down his food thereafter, never realizing how hungry he actually was. He could have easily gone back for seconds with room to spare, but he forewent it, washing is bowl and heading upstairs for a quick shower; one he had to repeatedly adjust the temperature on. His muscles were aching, begging for hot water to soften them up, but the sting was almost too much on some areas of his body.

Finally, he got a good look at himself in the mirror, running his towel over the reflective glass to clear the steam his shower had caused. They'd done a decent number on him, but not as bad as he'd expected. Still, it was decent enough that he laughed, wincing immediately from the way his muscles flexed around the bruised area of his ribs, almost making him laugh even harder. Surprisingly, he felt worse than he looked, which he was thankful for. His face wasn't too bad; some scabbing on his left temple and a nice bruise coming in on his cheek, just beneath his right eye. The speckled contusion on his side, deepening in shade by the minute, was honestly the worst of it all. Other than that, he had a nice scrape on his shoulder that extended upward a little, and smaller, red marks littering his skin here and there that would most definitely fade by morning.

He'd considered climbing the tree at the side of her house to knock on her window, but he'd opted against it, standing awkwardly in front of the door. The lights were on in the kitchen and living room, and he could pick up the scent of her mom inside. She had to be upset, he fully expected it. Who wouldn't be in this situation? This was his fault. And, he knew he needed to face the music.

Stiffly, he knocked on the surface of the door, his stomach churning as he waited, focusing on the steady approach of footsteps from within. Kagome's mom opened it up, her welcoming expression shifting into slight consternation, her lips parting and brown eyes dragging over his face; the only afflictions she could see as they weren't covered by clothing.

"Oh, no. I didn't think it'd be this bad." She spoke softly, opening the door wider to allow him in, shutting it behind him.

"It's actually not that bad." He respectfully brushed off.

"Mind if I take a look?" She asked, notching her head toward the kitchen so he'd follow.

It was an offer he'd usually decline from anyone, considering he'd be fine in a few day's time, but he felt inclined to allow her anything she wanted at the moment. It was a simple request, one that wouldn't bother him any, so he didn't attempt to resist, walking into the kitchen behind her and taking a seat in the chair she pulled out for him. Her hands were cold but gentle, pushing his bangs out of the way to get a good look at his temple. Honestly, the lack of heat to her touch was soothing since the area was sort of tender and burning.

"Your head has to be killing you." She said.

"I'm fine. Really." Inuyasha insisted.

"I work in an emergency room, Inuyasha. You can't fool me." She smirked. "A pain killer will help, let me give you one. Have you eaten? I can make you something; you shouldn't take this on an empty stomach." Kagome's mother had walked away, a bottle of pain killers already on the counter, and she unscrewed the top, taking two and setting them out before she went on to her next task.

The half demon stood quickly, anxiety creeping over as he suddenly felt obligated to stop her before she got too far, and as her attention turned back to him, he bowed his head slightly, feeling the way his own lips curved downward in the disappointment he felt toward himself. He couldn't accept her kindness. Not now. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He could hear the surprise in her tone.

"I put Kagome in a dangerous situation, and I promise it'll never happen again."

"No, you didn't." Her smile steadily reappeared, leaning her back against the counter as she turned to fully face him. "Believe me, I know my daughter. That girl has a will of her own. She's so much like her father, it's scary sometimes. Stubborn, tough as nails, and any good advice you give her is in one ear and out the other until she realizes the mistakes she's made on her own. She got the crying from me, though."

He tried not to chuckle, but couldn't help it with the lighthearted energy her mother presented. It faded quickly, though. He still felt responsible. "She told you everything?"

"She told me everything. Inuyasha, it's okay to feel bad and worry, but given what you've already been through, why do you want to punish yourself more? It's alright. It wasn't your fault. Things happen." She walked over to the fridge with the two pills in hand, pulling out a bottle of water and handing both over to the half demon. "I'm just glad you're okay."

He took the medicine, thanking Kagome's mom with a small smile of appreciation.

"Mind taking this up to Kagome?" She turned back to the bottle of pain killers, shaking out a single pill before going to the fridge again to grab a bottle of juice to pour into a cup. His smile grew a little wider then, always having teased Kagome for never being able to take medicine with water or else she'd choke. "She's got a little headache, too."

His steps were soft as he headed up the staircase, but he noticed that the closer he got to her room, the stronger her scent became, the better his entire body began to feel, ailments washed away with her beautiful, sweet energy. Knocking gingerly, he waited for her little hum inside to enter, carefully twisting the knob and opening her door.

Kagome's head rested at the foot of her bed, her tv on and playing reruns of her favorite show while she stared at her notification-less phone that she held above her face. Her eyes flickered upward toward her door, expecting to see an upside down version of her mom, but instead was greeted with the unsuspected sight of her boyfriend coming in. Immediately, she dropped her phone beside her, twirling over to her stomach to lift herself to sit on her knees, watching him gently kick the door closed behind him.

"Head hurt?" He asked, his tone husky, and she nodded in response. Inuyasha rounded the corner of her bed, stopping in front of her as she twisted to face him at the same time. First, he handed her the pill, watching her pop it into her mouth. Then, he gave her the small glass of juice, keeping his hand out to take it back from her when she'd finished, walking the few extra steps necessary to place the glass on her nightstand.

Slowly, wobbling slightly, Kagome rose to stand on her mattress, and having caught her unsteadiness, Inuyasha held his hand out for her to take, to stabilize her, curious to what she was even doing. Her eyes were large, almost pleading, but in a different manner than before. Her cheeks were rosy, just the way he liked them. Her hair was dry, beautifully wavy, like she'd blowdried it after her shower which he knew wasn't that long ago with how fresh her shampoo lingered. And, she was comfortably dressed down, little pajama shorts donning her legs, a band tee, and for the first time since entering, he realized the sweater he'd given her a while back covered her arms.

Kagome gave his hand a little yank, pulling him to stand directly in front of her again, and it seemed like the closer he got, the bigger her pout became. She stood taller than him, snaking her arms around his shoulders and tucking her face in his neck, sighing out shakily. It didn't even hurt when she touched him. Even if it did, he'd take the soreness with a smile. Inuyasha pushed his hands inside the sweater, wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer into a firm, adoring hug.

"I'm sorry." He shuddered, breathing her in. She shook her head, squeezing him tighter for a small moment before peeling away and inspecting the immediate injuries on his face. "I'm fine, stop. Let me look at you."

"Why? I'm totally fine. You were the one in a fight. I've been so worried."

"I promise, I'm okay." Inuyasha's hands had drifted down to her bare thighs, tenderly grazing his thumbs over the silky flesh. "Come here. Please."

Kagome lowered herself to sit on the edge of her bed, accepting the balance he offered her along the way. He remained standing before her, his fingers stroking through her hair, starting just above her ears and traveling down to her shoulders where he guided the length to sit behind her back. "Can I see it?"

"It's not bad. It really isn't." Kagome attempted to assure him, but his gaze held steady, unyielding.

"I need to see it."

She eventually nodded, shrugging her sweater off at the same time that he'd glided his hands over her shoulders, pushing the clothing down her arms. Inuyasha took a seat next to her, rolling the small sleeve of her tee shirt up over her shoulder to take in the large bandage her mom had no doubt covered the injury with.

"We have more, don't worry. You can take it off." Kagome said, watching him. But, once he started to peel it away, she turned her head to the other side, hiding the minor wince she gave from the adhesive pulling against the tender skin at the back of her arm.

The two cuts were generally small, scabbing a bit but the ointment that was smothered over them made them look wet and greasy. The flesh around them was slightly swollen, red, but what really got him was if you looked closely, which he was, you could see the markings of his fingers circling around her arm. He'd stopped breathing, staring at what he'd done, loathing what had come over him, what had made him turn on the girl he cherished more than any living person in the world.

Inuyasha forced himself to look away, pushing his chest to sigh out. "Where are the bandages?"

"There's a couple on my desk."

He stood, crossing the room and throwing the old one in the small waste bin next to her book bag, grabbing a fresh bandage and opening the packaging on his way back to her. As gently as he possibly could, Inuyasha placed it over her wound, smoothing the adhesive edgings out before taking his fingers away. Kagome was quick to unfold her shirt sleeve and readjust her sweater to cover her arms again, turning her entire body to face him.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop. It wasn't your fault, it was mine. You kept telling me to get away from you, but I wouldn't."

"Kagome -"

"No, you don't know what happened, so let me tell you." She persisted, meeting his eyes with adamancy. "We followed you, and it was my idea so don't get mad at Miroku. By the time we caught up, things were already going downhill. They were all hitting you. Sango had been on the phone with her dad the whole time so they could get a tracking on her phone location and meet us there, and we were just trying to wait it out." There was a slight tremble in her tone, in her bottom lip, reliving how difficult it was to see Inuyasha on the ground, to stand there helplessly for agonizing second after agonizing second. "But, then there was this horrible feeling in the air, and you were telling them to stop, and you were having trouble breathing, and Miroku said it must have been your demon blood taking over, so we all ran in to try and help. But - but, you'd already transformed. And, you didn't know who I was. You only seemed to know who Bankotsu and his friends were. The fight had stopped, though, and I just wanted to calm you down but I didn't know what to do. You had warned me multiple times to back off and get away. I didn't listen. I grabbed you, and that's when you grabbed me back. Next thing I know, you came to. So, if you think that you attacked me, you're wrong. That wasn't the case at all."

"Why?" Inuyasha pressed, his tone taking on severity. "I told you to go home, why didn't you listen to me?"

"Imagine what could have happened if I did go home."

"Yeah, you'd be fine."

"I am fine."

"No, you're not. You got hurt. Miroku got hurt. Sango almost got hurt. Why couldn't you just do what I said? It could have been so much worse."

"But, it wasn't." Kagome returned the sharpness in his tone. "If we weren't there to make sure the fight didn't continue further, demon you would have been provoked. And believe you me, you were a lot stronger than usual."

Inuyasha's face twisted, a clenched groan stumbling from his throat. "Oh my god, you're not making me feel any better."

"Listen, as much as I want to make you feel better right now, it's more important that I'm honest. The fact of the matter is, no one knows how far you would have gone in a situation like that. Not even you. You don't even remember it. And, I know that's what's freaking you out right now because when you came back your hands were on me, but if the fight kept going, we were more worried your demon side wouldn't have known when to stop."

"Then, how come I showed restraint with you? You said I didn't know who you were."

Kagome sighed, taking a moment to allow the question to hang in the air. "I don't know. I like to think it's because of the obvious. That you, the real you, were in there. If I got close, you stepped away. If I pushed forward, you yelled at me to keep my distance. And, when I told you I was scared, you came back. But, like I said, I don't really know, nor do I feel it's right to romanticize the situation."

Inuyasha swallowed thickly, feeling weighted with disappointment. "You were scared?"

"Of course, I was." She admitted.

"Then, why…"

"Because, I love you. So, it didn't matter." It was almost said matter-of-factly, but the hint of her faltering voice, the sweet melody hitching slightly, softened the touch. It felt like his heart rose back to its normal spot, his stomach fluttering lightly, a warm sensation tingling over his skin. He still didn't like what he'd done, he still hated that she'd gotten involved, that she didn't listen to him, that it had been such a shit day, and there was no washing that away. But, there was muting it. All of that was momentarily pushed aside for the feelings she'd so confidently stated.

"Fuck. Damn it." Inuyasha whispered, notching his head away slightly as he gave a small, breathy chuckle.

Kagome blinked, realizing what she'd said. She'd been wanting to say it for a while now but had been holding back since they, technically, hadn't been in a relationship for a significant amount of time. At all. There wasn't a single part of her that was sure it was an appropriate moment to have confessed her deep feelings. Maybe it was the most inappropriate moment of all. Or, maybe it was too soon. Nonetheless, his reaction wasn't what she'd expected - which was, honestly, fair. Shyly, feeling her face heat tremendously, she ducked her head out of plain view, not bothering to try and dispute it, take it back, or even simplify it all. That would only make matters worse.

"Saying something like that right now isn't fair." Inuyasha said. He felt his blush, hot, maddening, his stomach crumbling into shambles as he glanced over at how she tried to hide herself. Her raven hair fell around her face, shadowing the majority of it, but he could physically feel how nervous she was. The hanyou reached over, giving her chin a little flick upward with the side of his curled finger to make her look at him. And, she did, her round eyes large, wary. "I love you, too. I'm still mad, but I love you, too. Have for a while."

Kagome's chest deflated as she giggled, ducking her head again, but he swiftly leaned in to prevent her from getting far. Inuyasha stole her lips, kissing her, his hands cradling the crook of her jaw. God, it was one of the most beautiful kisses he'd ever received from her; delicate, grounding, like she was melting into him with the utmost amount of trust he hadn't realized he'd earned. Even after everything that had happened, she held onto him as if he was the only thing that mattered, and he could feel it, taste it, drown in it, and honestly believe it was true. And, that sort of sincerity was what finally helped him understand that there was nothing to be afraid of anymore. Not of himself. Not of her. Not of the world. Not even of what he couldn't control. How had he come so far in such a small amount of time? The changes within were so monumental, even he was blown away. But, thankful. She'd taught him so much just with her smile, her forgiving nature, her acceptance, her stubbornness, her touch, her laugh, her tears, the support she provided. And, fuck, he wanted to say it again. He wanted to tell her he loved her over and over, a sense of liberation vibrating through his entire body. He was uplifted. He was happy.

Kagome had been clutching the front of his shirt, almost clinging to him in case she fell apart from her instability. She'd never imagined the release of such heartfelt emotions could be so terrifying and incredible at the same time. It was almost as if she couldn't breathe, her lungs refusing air and only aiming to take him in. Only him. Only Inuyasha. He made a small noise in his shuddering exhale, his kiss deepening, moving closer to her, and she moved her hands to hold the sides of his waist. The half demon hissed, grunted as he inadvertently flinched and pulled away slightly.

Kagome's gasp in response was breathy, her hands flying away from him and held up defensively, and she could tell just by the look on his face, and the way he tried to conceal it, that she'd hurt him.

"It's fine, don't worry." He grumbled as she yanked up his shirt to look. Despite his feeble argument, he straightened his spine, allowing her to look at the colorful bruise decorating his ribcage. Her eyes widened, a frown marring her lovely, swollen, pink lips, and he raked his fingers through her hair, gently massaging her temple as she teared up just the tiniest bit. "Hey, it's okay." Inuyasha soothed. "I'm okay. It's over now, so it was worth it."

"No, it wasn't."

"Yes, it was." He smiled. "You can't convince me otherwise. Stop looking at it."

Complying, she dropped his shirt and he leaned forward, placing a lingering kiss to her forehead before checking the time by pulling his phone out of the front of his jeans pocket. He had a good forty-five minutes before the alarm he'd set told him to head home, and he planned on spending that in the most serene way possible.

Inuyasha pat his hand on the mattress closer to the wall to tell her to move out of the way, and when she scooted over, he curled around her, laying along the length of the bed so his head could rest against the pillows, pulling her down with him. She was extremely cautious about laying too close to his side, minding her distance, but Inuyasha ushered her closer, his voice a smooth rumble as he said, "Come here."

"I don't want to hurt you." She whispered anxiously.

"You won't. Just move slowly."

Kagome tediously, tenderly cuddled up to his side, resting her head against the front of his shoulder, tensing when he tensed, and then softening as he relaxed. He was glad his long sleeved shirt covered his other markings or he was sure Kagome would absolutely refuse to come near him. His arm wrapped around her, leisurely rubbing up and down the curves of her side as they sank even more into the cushion, content, comfortable, watching the reruns that flickered on the screen of her tv.

It wasn't long before she was drifting off. Her breathing deepened, her body molding perfectly against him, and if his stupid phone wasn't about to go off, he'd have never chosen to disturb her peace. He'd silenced his phone when he realized she was dozing and was unfortunately waiting for the vibration to alert him, appreciating every single second that her weight was comfortably braced against him. He was quick to turn off the alarm the moment it signaled he needed to leave, rousing his favorite person by shifting his hand into her hair, giving a little massage until she stirred.

"Hey," He whispered, gifting a tiny kiss to her head. "I've gotta go, baby."

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him, adorably confused before coming to. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay, don't move. I'll walk myself out. Go back to sleep." Inuyasha slid his arm from beneath her, but she sat up anyway, blinking a few times to wake up further. She was groggy, justifiably exhausted from the day, and it was cute.

"I want to walk you out." She half-whined, and he was sure that was just her sleepy voice. He chuckled, holding her hand for support as she stood and followed him down the stairs. The kiss goodbye was small and sweet, and he promised to text her when he got home even though he knew she was going right back to bed when she got to her room.

—

"Alright, is anyone else here grounded?" Sango griped, crossing her arms vexingly. The four teens stood in a misshapen circle in the hallway, waiting for the bell to chime and tell them class was about to begin. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Miroku all grimaced, saying nothing in response. "Seriously!? It's just me!?"

"Sorry, babe." Kagome's amused frown deepened, trying not to laugh at how dramatic Sango came off. "How long's the sentence?"

"Two weeks! He took my cell phone and laptop! He's picking me up from school everyday in his squad car, and said if he's busy, he's making someone else from the precinct come get me and take me home!"

"Yikes. Harsh." Inuyasha remarked, the fully formed bruise on his cheek crunching slightly beneath his eye as he wrinkled his nose.

"Oh, come on! Where is the justice? I did this to save your ass, Inuyasha, and you're not even a little in trouble?"

He shook his head, laughing. "Don't you think what I got was punishment enough?"

"No." She stated simply.

"I get to walk around with this shit on my face." He pointed, still humored.

"I don't know, I think I look pretty cool." Miroku said, adding to the conversation with a charming smile.

"For someone with a black eye, you're enjoying yourself a little too much." Kagome giggled.

"For the first time in my life, I feel tough. Let me live in my moment, Kagome."

She stifled her giggle, turning and carefully tucking her face into Inuyasha's chest as he'd been more publicly affectionate that morning more than ever. The hanyou welcomed her in, laughing as he rubbed her back.

"Besides, the ladies like what they see." He boasted, pretending to flip the nonexistent length of his hair.

"What ladies?" Sango notched her head at him, her lips pursing with attitude and brown eyes staring at him speculatively.

Miroku froze, an awkward, thin-lipped smile curving his lips as he glanced at her. "You. You're the only lady in the whole world."

The bell rang, but she kept her stare solid on her boyfriend.

"Wow, you're so pretty." He grinned wider, poking the tip of her nose before flinching away, as if she'd bite. "I'm gonna go now."

"Mhm, yeah." She agreed, stealing Kagome back from Inuyasha as even the half demon looked weary of her.

Epilogue

Kagome had been studying tirelessly, her nose crammed in textbook after textbook, forcing herself to absorb as much information as she possibly could before year's end. Final examinations were her nightmare. The bane of her high school existence. Since Inuyasha had started tutoring her at the beginning of the year, her grades had increased and she'd even actually felt less stressed when it came to tests in general. Final exams, though - they were a different story altogether. She was determined to get a high score, to pass with flying colors. The only downfall was, it seemed like everything she'd learned over the past months had completely slipped from her memory with the anxiety and pressure that came with the end of the school year.

Inuyasha offered to help on multiple occasions, but he had his own studying to worry about, and Kagome refused to hold him back just so he could focus on her. She was also petrified of him finding out that all of his work had gone to waste since she couldn't seem to remember any of it. At all. The worded text in her books was like a different language. She was hopeless. She was done for.

Around this time of year, the school's library stayed open on the weekends so student's could cram whatever information they could handle before their tests arrived, and Kagome stuck herself in the library during almost every free moment she had. It was generously quiet, despite the number of people there, and she had all the information she could need at her disposal. With her laptop in front of her and her glasses on her nose, she was knee deep in topics she should have already known.

Truth be told, she was hell-bent on proving she could get herself the scores she needed to, and her subconscience was just seemingly playing along. Inuyasha and Kagome were accepted into different colleges - him, of course, heading to an Ive League; not all that far from each other, but distance was distance. She was confident things would work out fine, but she realized quickly that she wouldn't have his stupidly-unfair, photographic-memory-inhabiting, genius brain to rely on anymore. So, as if backing up her determination, the slate of her memory was wiped clean and she started from nearly scratch. And, with how much effort she'd been putting forth lately, if she didn't get at least a "B" in every subject, she was going to personally destroy the grading system.

Noticing movement at her side, Kagome glanced up from her laptop screen, a bottle of water and a bag of food being slipped next to her on the table. Her brown eyes followed the toned arms upward, meeting the pleasant stare of her hanyou.

"You need to eat." He whispered, minding the silent environment of the room. He'd done this multiple times over the days, during lunches, after school, on the weekends, slipping in to bring her water or a snack and then leaving her alone. She missed him, and she expressed that as best as possible with her grateful pout. They wanted to spend as much time as they could with each other until they had to pack up and leave for college, but this came first. When she allotted herself a break, it was also Inuyasha time, and they took advantage of every free second they had. To squeeze in extra moments, sometimes he'd come over to her house and just hang with her while she worked. She felt so bad that she couldn't give him more attention, but he didn't complain. Often. And, they knew they still had another month and a half after high school ended before he had to report for his college orientation.

Kagome was jittery the entire way to school that morning. Tests were done. Things were calming down. Scores were being posted. There were two determinable moods between the seniors that day as she entered the gates: lax and high-strung. It wasn't difficult to figure out which category Kagome landed in.

"There you are!" Sango greeted, running to her as she entered the locker area. "Okay, before we look, we have to run through the guidelines. If we didn't score well, what do we do?" The question was asked expectingly. They'd gone through this before. Sango had been doing her best to provide support while Kagome continued to increase the weight on her own shoulders. She'd already been accepted into a pretty good college; there was no reason to be so stressed over the final exams, and Sango had insisted so on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, Kagome's brain only had the capacity for academic information up until the aforementioned doomsday, so the helpful advice Sango had given her was in one ear and out the other, and there was no retrieving it now.

"Burn the school dow-"

"No."

"Cry?"

"No!"

"Look, you're not gonna like any of my answers then, because they all have to do with crying and arson."

"Oh, god." Sango murmured hopelessly, hooking her arm through her best friend's and guiding her through the busy halls.

"Where's Miroku and Inuyasha?"

"Miroku's already checking, but I haven't seen your lover boy, yet."

"He's not here?"

"Don't think so. He'll show up soon, though. You think he'd miss an opportunity to see that he ranked in the top five, as per usual?" Sango lightheartedly joked.

Kagome sighed heavily, her stomach churning, palms sweaty, unbelievably nervous to see what her grades were. Everything intensified as their classroom came into view. There was a large board in the hall posted that showed the highest ranks, but that wasn't what she was interested in. She wanted the paper that broke it all down for her, telling her how she scored in each, individual category, and she knew that was sitting on her desk in a little envelope.

"Okay, ready?" Sango asked, picking it up from the surface of Kagome's table. Kagome took in a deep breath, nodding. "Want me to open it first?"

Another nod from Kagome, a little squeak leaving her throat as she pinched her lips together in agitation. Sango readily opened the tab of the envelope, unfolding the paper and reading it through, a smile growing on her face before she wordlessly handed it over to Kagome. Confused, expecting a little more preparation, Kagome took the paper, observing the beautiful scores she'd succeeded in attaining. Mostly "B's" and two "A's" decorated the official paper, and Kagome had to swallow the happy dance she wanted to do that would have no doubt caused her skirt to fly up, her bouncing bound to be too enthusiastic.

"You did it!" Sango cheered elatedly, bouncing for her friend and giving her the biggest hug. "No one has to die now! What a good day!"

"Shut up! What did you get?" Kagome laughed, following the creases to fold her paper as it was.

Sango crossed to her desk, opening her own envelope as she mumbled her prayers for "C's". "Hey! I got a "B" in history! What a happy, little surprise!" She giggled, showing her best friend her passing scores. "Well, that's that for high school. It's been real, yo." She said, patting her hand on her desk.

"We still have another week."

"Yeah, and we're gonna learn so much." Sango sneered jokingly, leading the way back out to the hall.

Kagome looked around for the silver hair and pointed ears, the corridor filled with all the senior students who had no obligation to be in their classrooms at the moment. At the far end, at the scoreboard, she finally spotted her favored half demon, making a gloating face toward his own best friend. She took off in his direction, excited, happy to see him and to breathe and to show him how well she'd done.

He was surprised to see her running to him, but braced for impact immediately, smiling as he caught her in a firm hug. "Did you pass?"

"Flying colors!"

"I fucking told you, you would! I'm so proud of you!"