Chapter Text
There are days when Inuyasha genuinely wonders if some deity up there hates him.
Not a little. Not in moderation.
Enough to look him dead in the eyes and decide, with absolute malice: "Being a hanyō wasn't a humiliating enough disgrace for you."
Because, honestly, he couldn't find any other logical explanation.
It wasn't like he wasn't used to the stares. To the barely-disguised whispers whenever he walked by. To the way some humans tensed their shoulders the moment they noticed his ears above the silver hair, or how certain demons smiled with that infuriating sense of superiority that seemed to say: "You don't really belong to our species either."
He'd grown up with it.
In theory, the world had changed centuries ago. Humans and yōkais had coexisted since the Union Treaty that ended the wars and established peace between both species over five hundred years ago. Half a millennium of coexistence. Half a millennium of political speeches, social campaigns, cultural integration, and propaganda about harmony.
And yet, all it took was a hanyō crossing the street for some people to still look at him like he was an uncomfortable crack in all that supposed balance.
It was almost funny.
Because, ironically, the rejection of hanyō's seemed to be the one thing capable of uniting humans and yōkais without any argument whatsoever.
Sure, it wasn't as brutal as in ancient times. His history classes were full of far worse records: persecutions, segregation, even absurd laws that prohibited interspecies marriage in certain regions. Compared to that, the present day was practically paradise.
A paradise where people still looked at him like he was contaminating the air.
What inspiring progress.
Though, to be fair, the problem had never fully disappeared. The existence of a hanyō was a living reminder of something many people preferred to pretend didn't happen: humans and yōkais didn't just coexist. They fell in love. They mixed. They built families.
And for certain more conservative sectors— especially traditional spiritualists or yōkais clans obsessed with blood purity— that was still little less than an elegant aberration disguised as social progress.
Inuyasha had learned long ago that arguing with that kind of person was pointless.
If someone decided to hate him the moment they saw him, then that was their problem.
...Well. Usually.
Because there were days when even he ended up exhausted.
Days when the stares weighed heavier than usual. When the murmurs managed to seep under his skin even as he pretended not to hear them. When he wished, even just for five damn minutes, to walk into a place without feeling like everyone needed to categorize him before they'd even speak to him.
Fortunately —or perhaps through some strange kind of cosmic joke— his inner circle was anything but normal.
A houshi.
A taijiya.
What a combination.
Sometimes he thought fate had a terrible sense of humor.
Because Miroku, descendant of a very long line of spiritualist monks, should have been exactly the type of person who kept their distance from him. And yet, the idiot was probably one of his best friends. An insufferable disaster, a womanizer and a con artist —though he denied that last part— yes, but also the first one to throw himself into a fight if someone said anything out of line about Inuyasha.
And then there was Sango.
Sango, who came from a clan of demon slayers with entire generations dedicated to hunting dangerous yōkai.
Sango, who had broken a chair over a demon's back because he'd hit Inuyasha for being a hanyō —he hadn't needed the gesture, but it had been satisfying to watch— that was during their first year of university.
Sango, who now sent him threatening texts if he missed group meetups.
Yeah. The universe definitely had issues with him.
Or maybe it just enjoyed confusing everyone involved.
***
"Inuyasha!" A pause. "Did Kagome say anything to you?"
Ah.
There it was. The reason Inuyasha was questioning the existence of cruel deities with too much free time.
Because apparently Sango was physically incapable of staying quiet when something excited her.
And Kagome's return clearly fell into the category of things that annihilated any form of self-control.
Not that he blamed her for being so insistent about it.
Kagome had been one of Sango's closest friends —and his— since elementary school. She was part of their group. And now, after three years abroad, she was coming back to Japan and transferring to the exact same university where they were all studying.
Sure, as if that weren't already an absurd enough coincidence, Kagome was also a miko.
Yeah.
Their friend group definitely had a strange fixation with spiritual vocations.
Inuyasha chewed slowly at his food while pretending not to notice Sango's pointed stare boring into the side of his face.
"Uhmm.."
Brilliant response. Truly eloquent.
"Come now, dear Sango, don't pressure him too much," Miroku cut in with suspiciously amused calm. "I'm sure Inuyasha will fill us in on the details later."
There were specific moments when Inuyasha remembered exactly why he was still friends with Miroku despite everything.
This was probably one of them.
Because anything was better than answering questions about Kagome.
"Yeah, yeah, we can talk about that later," Inuyasha muttered, grabbing another french fry. "I'd like to eat in peace. Besides you're the one who changed the subject in the first place."
Sango arched an eyebrow.
"You mean how I still think it's a terrible idea for Miroku to throw a party right after midterms when we'll literally have final projects due just days later?"
"Exactly."
"I still think it's an excellent idea," said Miroku without a shred of shame. "We're months away from finishing our second-to-last semester. Next year will be our last in this university. We deserve to celebrate that."
"You'll say the exact same thing next year."
"Sango, my sweet Sango and future wife, light of my life, person I am clearly attempting to propose to in a subtle man—"
"No."
The response was so immediate and dry that Inuyasha let out a laugh before he could stop himself.
Miroku pressed a hand to his chest as if someone had just shattered his heart.
"How cruel you are to me."
"And yet you're still alive. Be grateful for that."
"Your love hurts."
"So does my patience."
Inuyasha shook his head and took another bite of his burger, unable to suppress the small smile that escaped him.
It was.. nice.
Familiar.
The ridiculous arguments between those two had become a natural part of his university routine. Honestly, sometimes he thought that if they stopped arguing and actually talked about their feelings, they could probably already be a couple. He knew Miroku was in love with Sango—he just wasn't exactly consistent about it when he kept flirting with every other woman on campus. Though, if Sango ever gave him a real chance, his friend would probably stop chasing everyone else and focus only on her.
Whatever was happening between them was obvious to anyone who'd spent three years watching it unfold. Even Kagome had once said she saw it coming.
At least this served as a distraction from what actually mattered.
It did exactly what he needed.
Deflected the conversation.
Because the moment the topic drifted away from Kagome, the strange pressure that had been sitting in his chest for a week eased up slightly.
Just slightly.
While Miroku continued dramatically mourning his suffering and Sango threatened to hit him with her lunch tray, Inuyasha let his attention drift partially into his own thoughts.
Or more specifically, into one person.
Kagome Higurashi.
Even the simple thought of her name was enough to stir something uncomfortable inside him.
Three years.
Three whole damn years since he'd last seen her in person.
It wasn't like they'd completely lost contact. They talked sometimes. Sporadic messages. Occasional calls when Sango practically forced the whole group to join in. Photos sent to the group chat. Normal things.
Superficial things.
Because at some point, the distance had made everything...strange.
Not exactly awkward.
Just different.
Kagome was still Kagome. She still laughed too loudly when something genuinely cracked her up. She still sent those long voice messages whenever she got excited about something. She still used way too many emojis when she talked to Sango.
And yet...
It wasn't the same.
Maybe because growing up apart did that to people. Maybe because three years was too much time.
Or maybe because Inuyasha was a coward who couldn't bring himself to admit that he missed her more than he should.
Because he had. He'd missed her.
A lot.
More than he even admitted to himself.
He missed her constant presence. Her voice. The way she filled silences without making them awkward. He missed how easy it was to be around her before adolescence and distance complicated absolutely everything.
And now he was going to see her again.
Not through a screen.
Not through calls broken up by time zone differences.
In person.
At the same university.
Every single day.
The idea should have felt normal. Exciting, even. After all, Kagome was his childhood friend.
So why the hell did he feel that strange knot in his stomach every time he thought about it?
Inuyasha frowned and took another bite of his half-crushed burger.
What a pain.
***
Kagome had been the longest friendship Inuyasha had. Even older than Miroku.
He'd known her practically since they were kids, and honestly, it didn't help that their families had become absurdly close over the years. What started as an occasional visit turned into shared dinners, holidays together, unexpected phone calls, and the kind of familiarity that meant Kagome simply showed up at his house without warning.
Or worse.
That his mother let her in as if she were her daughter too.
How they'd met still struck him as ridiculously funny, even now.
Because, honestly, his first impression of the Higurashi Shrine had been terrible.
He remembered that day perfectly.
His parents had decided to take him for a visit when he was seven years old, and from the very beginning, he'd been in a foul mood. Partly because he was a kid. And partly because he was a hanyō walking "voluntarily" into a place where he probably wouldn't be welcomed.
Not exactly the most comfortable atmosphere in the world.
He still remembered the uneasy feeling churning in his stomach as they walked the stone path toward the shrine. The air was heavy with reiki. Not aggressive, but present. Like a soft pressure grazing his skin and ears.
Too much spiritual energy.
Too many people connected to old, prejudiced traditions about people like him.
Too many possibilities that someone would look at him funny.
He knew his parents would never have brought him there if there were any real danger. His mother would have been the first to firmly refuse putting him in an uncomfortable situation. His father, too.
But that didn't stop seven-year-old Inuyasha from being absolutely convinced it was a terrible idea.
Izayoi had patiently explained that she was visiting an old childhood friend. That the shrine was more of a historical landmark than anything else. That only the family lived there.
It didn't work.
Because Inuyasha, at seven years old, had exactly the patience and emotional maturity you'd expect from a grumpy kid.
Which is to say: none.
He'd spent most of the trip with his arms crossed, grumbling, refusing to respond to his parents. He even remembered kicking small pebbles along the path just because he could.
He was a little embarrassed about that now.
Sort of.
The point was that the moment they arrived, he decided he wasn't going to participate in anything involving "family activities" or whatever the adults had planned.
So he slipped away.
And ended up finding that enormous tree.
The Goshinboku was gigantic. Far more than a child could really comprehend. Its roots jutted out of the earth like ancient serpents, and its branches seemed to stretch all the way up to the sky.
Inuyasha had been immediately fascinated.
Climbing it was practically automatic.
And from one of the high branches, hidden among the leaves and breathing in the fresh air far from all the spiritual energy of the shrine, he finally thought:
Maybe this place isn't so terrible.
Of course, that thought lasted exactly until he sensed another presence approaching.
First came the scent.
Vanilla.
Cherry blossoms.
Lavender.
His pupils dilated slightly with pure surprise.
Even now he could remember it clearly.
Because inu-yōkai had good memories for certain things. Especially scents.
His ears moved slightly at the sound of footsteps approaching beneath the tree, followed by quick breathing and a curious voice.
"Hey! What are you doing in the Goshinboku?"
Inuyasha looked down immediately.
And there she was.
A girl with dark hair, enormous sapphire-blue eyes, and a completely fascinated expression as she looked up at him from below.
"Wow..." she continued without waiting for an answer. "Did you climb all the way up there by yourself? That's so cool!"
Inuyasha frowned automatically.
"Goshin...what?"
"Hm?" The girl blinked, then pointed at the tree with excitement. "Goshinboku! That's what this tree is called."
"That big tree has a name?"
"Yeah! My grandpa says it has special powers because it's very old and spiritual and I don't know what else.." She shrugged carelessly. "But I like it because you can relax here and feel peaceful."
Inuyasha remembered thinking that girl talked way too much.
"Are you Inuyasha?"
That made him tense immediately.
"How do you know my name?!" he snapped, his ears bristling slightly. "I don't even know you!"
Far from being intimidated, she smiled even wider.
"Lady Izayoi mentioned you when she was talking to my mom. She said if I saw you I should bring you back to them."
Then she tilted her head slightly and gave a small, formal bow.
"I'm Kagome. Nice to meet you!."
Inuyasha, naturally, responded in the most polite way possible for a seven-year-old with a bad attitude.
"I don't care. I'm not coming down, so you can leave."
Kagome puffed out her cheeks.
"That's rude!"
"Keh."
"Besides, you should come down. Mom's serving food and you're probably hungry considering the time."
"I'm not—"
His stomach chose exactly that moment to let out an outrageously loud growl.
The silence that followed was brutal.
Kagome stared at him for two full seconds.
And then she burst out laughing.
Inuyasha felt his face burn with embarrassment immediately.
"Shut up!"
"But your stomach just spoke for you!"
"It did not!"
"Yes it did!"
"No it didn't!"
Kagome was still laughing when he dropped from the branch in a swift jump and landed right in front of her. She let out a small, startled gasp—clearly impressed by how easily he'd come down.
And for the first time, Inuyasha remembered not seeing fear in her expression.
No discomfort.
No that unpleasant kind of curiosity many people had when they noticed his ears.
Just genuine fascination.
"Keh," he muttered, looking away, still embarrassed. "Whatever. Let's go."
***
Now, years later, Inuyasha couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at the memory.
That had been the beginning of everything.
Somehow, Kagome had simply...stayed.
Their friendship grew so naturally that he'd never really had to question it. First it was afternoons playing together. Then constant visits between families. Then messages, outings, shared secrets, and entire years in which Kagome was so woven into his life that imagining it without her was impossible.
Until one day, she was outside of it.
Inuyasha let out a slow breath as he absently stirred the ice in his soda. Almost completely melted by now—evidence enough of how long he'd been lost in his thoughts.
He couldn't pinpoint exactly when his friendship with Kagome had become so complicated.
Or when it had started feeling so distant.
Because yes, he understood that friendships changed over time. People grew up. Took different paths. Drifted apart.
But that had never applied to them.
At least not before.
At first it had just been him and Kagome.
Then Miroku appeared.
And years later, in elementary school, Sango had ended up joining the group.
And they'd kept going like that for years.
Like they were permanent.
Like they were actually going to stay together no matter what.
Until, abruptly, everything changed when middle school ended.
Because Kagome simply decided to leave the country to study abroad.
And even though Inuyasha would never admit it out loud..
He remembered perfectly how he felt something go strangely hollow in his life after that.
He understood why Kagome had wanted to go.
He really did.
He understood that thing about wanting to open new horizons. To see somewhere else. To experience different things before getting trapped in the adult routine that inevitably caught up with everyone.
He'd understood that at the time.
...Well. Eventually.
Because actually accepting it had cost him far more than he'd ever admit.
The initial shock, for instance, had been brutal.
Originally, they'd all applied to the same university together. They'd spent months talking about it during their last year of middle school: what classes they'd take, what the clubs would be like, who'd fail advanced math first —Miroku was still the top candidate— and even which campus cafeteria would eventually become "their place."
Everything was decided.
Everything was planned.
That's why Kagome's announcement hit like a bucket of cold water.
Because one day, without any warning, she simply said she wasn't going to study there anymore.
That she'd applied to a different university.
In a different country.
And the worst part was that she hadn't mentioned it before. Not once.
Inuyasha still remembered the exact moment he found out. The awkward silence that followed. Sango's confused expression. Miroku trying to process it without looking too surprised.
And him..
Well.
He'd felt something unpleasant clench in his chest.
Because he hadn't even known Kagome had been applying abroad.
He didn't know she was considering leaving.
He didn't know anything.
And that bothered him far more than it should have.
Though in the end, he'd accepted it.
Reluctantly. Annoyed. Put out. But he'd accepted it.
Because it was Kagome.
And because he'd never be the kind of person who tried to hold her back from something she genuinely wanted.
Besides, he'd kept telling himself back then that nothing would change.
They were still friends.
Distance couldn't undo that many years together.
They weren't kids.
They could handle it perfectly.
Except it did change things.
A lot of them.
The time difference was a nightmare from the start. The group video calls Sango organized turned into disasters of impossible schedules, accumulated exhaustion, and unstable connections.
Miroku always showed up half asleep.
Sango ended up yelling because no one could coordinate properly.
And Kagome...
Kagome always seemed tired.
Inuyasha had also tried to keep in touch with her outside of the group. At first it was easy. They sent each other photos. Complained about classes. Shared ridiculous memes in the middle of the night.
Normal.
Natural.
The way it had always been between them.
Until slowly, it stopped feeling that way.
And honestly, he didn't know exactly when that had happened.
He just knew that one day he realized their conversations no longer lasted for hours.
Messages started coming further and further apart.
Replies got shorter.
Simpler.
More..hollow.
Kagome still replied occasionally in the group chat, so technically nothing was wrong. She still laughed along with Sango. Still teased Miroku. Still asked how everyone was doing.
It looked normal.
But their private chat didn't feel it.
Not at all.
Which was probably why Sango's question during lunch had caught him so off guard.
Because he genuinely had nothing to report.
He knew nothing.
He'd found out about Kagome's return only a week ago.
And not even from her.
It had been his mother who mentioned it casually over dinner—that Kagome was coming back to Japan and that she'd also be transferring to his university.
Inuyasha still remembered the exact instant he dropped his chopsticks from the shock.
He'd texted her immediately after that to confirm.
And Kagome's reply had come several minutes later.
"Yeah :)"
A ridiculously cute sticker.
And nothing else.
That was all.
No explanation. No excitement. Not even a "see you soon."
Just that.
Inuyasha frowned slightly as he stirred the melted ice in his glass.
When the hell had their conversations gotten like this?
Because talking to Kagome used to be easy. Both in person and over messages.
Ridiculously easy.
They could spend hours arguing over nothing. Sharing absurd thoughts. Fighting over insignificant things. Kagome always had something to say to him, and he always ended up responding even when he pretended to be annoyed.
Now, though..
Everything felt clipped.
Careful.
Like there was an invisible distance between them that neither of them knew how to cross.
And that was what frustrated him the most.
Because Inuyasha could handle a lot of things. Other people's stares. Uncomfortable comments. Even the constant social pressure of existing as a hanyō
But this...?
This strange feeling of slowly losing Kagome without understanding why.
That bothered him.
Far more than he wanted to admit.
His fingers tightened slightly around the glass.
Because the worst part was that he didn't know when Kagome had put that wall up between them.
Or why.
And yet, the moment she came back..
He wanted to tear it down.
With everything he had.
Because he refused to accept that so many years together could just disappear like that.
They could fix this.
They had to.
After all, they'd be at the same university now. They'd probably end up in some of the same classes —or he desperately hoped so— and he could help her readjust to campus.
Show her around.
Introduce her to professors.
Complain about homework together.
Normal things.
Sure, Miroku and Sango would be there too.
But..
Well.
The point was that he'd have another chance.
And maybe it was stupid to hold onto that so tightly.
Maybe people really did just grow and change.
Maybe Kagome didn't need him the same way she used to.
But Inuyasha couldn't help clinging to the small, irrational hope that once he had her in front of him again..
Everything would feel normal again.
---
"Inuyasha..."
The hanyō blinked slowly, snapping out of his thoughts, and turned his head slightly toward Miroku.
His friend was leaning slightly across the table toward him, speaking in a low voice, wearing that uncomfortable expression that already told Inuyasha he wasn't going to like whatever came next.
"Kikyo's here."
...
Seriously.
Inuyasha needed to figure out exactly which deity had decided to turn his life into a bad comedy.
Because this was getting absurd.
He let out a heavy sigh and slouched further into the cafeteria seat.
Across from him, Sango gave him a sympathetic look before quietly switching seats with Miroku, partially blocking his line of sight.
The gesture was considerate.
Useless, but considerate.
Because, honestly, it didn't really matter how much they tried to cover for him—his ears and silver hair still stood out, and any demon or person with decent senses could pick him out easily from the other side of the room.
He mentally cursed his stomach for craving burgers today specifically.
Out of every restaurant around campus, it had to be this one.
What incredible luck.
***
Kikyo and he had broken up roughly a year ago.
Or maybe even before that, if he was being completely honest with himself.
They'd started dating in high school, after almost two years of getting to know each other. At the time it had seemed logical. Kikyo was intelligent, attractive, mature, and pretty well-regarded by most people.
She also seemed to understand certain things about him better than others did.
Or so he'd believed at the time.
Their relationship had continued into the first years of university, though "continued" was probably too generous a word for what it actually was.
Because eventually everything started feeling..
Monotonous.
Predictable.
Exhausting.
And honestly, maybe it had always been like that.
Kikyo had a reserved, composed personality—something Inuyasha had initially found interesting because it balanced his own temperament pretty well. But over time, that same calm started feeling like distance.
Cold.
Like there was always something she never quite said to him.
It didn't help that they spent more time arguing than actually enjoying being together.
They'd break up.
Get back together.
Fight again.
Ignore each other for days.
Come back.
An exhausting relationship disguised as stability.
And then there was..
Well
The other thing.
Inuyasha tensed his jaw slightly at the memory.
Kikyo had never directly said she preferred his human form.
Never.
But he wasn't an idiot either.
He noticed the difference in how she looked at him on new moon nights. The way she seemed more comfortable when his demonic features disappeared temporarily. How her touch was gentler then.
More natural.
As if the fully human Inuyasha was easier to love.
What a joke.
And to top off that wonderful situation…
Right.
Kikyo was also a miko.
Inuyasha was convinced the universe had a personal grudge against him..
At this point he probably needed to make a serious list of how many people in his life had spiritual powers or came from traditional families of slayers and monks.
Because it was starting to look like a punchline.
In any case, the relationship had finally ended a year ago.
Or more specifically:
Kikyo had cheated on him.
Inuyasha made a small involuntary grimace and ate a fry that had gone cold.
Suikotsu.
That was the guy's name.
Medical student, same as Kikyo.
He remembered perfectly when the name started coming up constantly in conversation.
"I'm working on a project with Suikotsu."
"Suikotsu knows quite a bit about this."
"I'll be home late—lab work with Suikotsu."
In hindsight, the signs had probably been pretty obvious.
But Inuyasha hadn't wanted to think too hard about it.
Until that afternoon.
Kikyo had mentioned she'd be studying late in one of the med school buildings, and for some reason he'd decided to play the "good boyfriend" role.
Grave mistake.
Because he showed up with food, thinking she'd probably gone hours without eating.
And found them kissing inside one of the empty classrooms.
They weren't even studying.
The memory still turned his stomach slightly.
Not exactly from pain.
More from the humiliation.
Because honestly, by that point the relationship had been dying for a long time. The cheating was just the final blow.
A definitive one.
One impossible to ignore.
So yeah.
He'd definitely rather not interact with her today.
Not at all. Especially not in a cafeteria full of students.
Inuyasha kept his gaze fixed on his food and pretended not to notice the familiar reiki presence on the other side of the room.
That worked for approximately thirty seconds.
Until he clearly felt someone's eyes on him.
Damn.
Very slowly, he looked up.
Kikyo was watching him from several tables away.
Her expression was as serene as ever, though something uncomfortable moved through his chest when he caught the small, visibly strained smile she offered him, accompanied by a slight nod.
Inuyasha automatically gave a short nod back before immediately dropping his gaze to his burger, as if the bread suddenly held the secret of the universe.
Far more interesting.
Definitely.
His phone buzzed on the table just then.
Perfect.
A real distraction.
Without overthinking it, he reached for it—
And the world literally stopped existing for a few seconds.
Because the name on the screen read:
Kagome.
Inuyasha sat up so fast he nearly knocked over his drink.
Sango and Miroku blinked at him, confused by the sudden intensity in his eyes.
He was normally the one who initiated the few private conversations they still had.
And "few" was probably putting it generously.
Over the past three years, most of their interactions had been reduced to sporadic messages or quick replies. So seeing her text first made something ridiculously warm light up inside his chest.
The message was short.
Simple.
But enough to completely shift his entire mood.
> Kagome:
> Are you free tomorrow? :)
Inuyasha felt his ears move slightly on top of his head before he caught himself.
Calm down.
It's just Kagome.
His fingers moved quickly across the screen.
> Inuyasha:
> Depends.
Only a few seconds passed before the 'typing..' indicator appeared.
And damn.
He'd forgotten how much he liked that.
> Kagome:
> Depends on what?
> Inuyasha:
> On whether you're planning to kidnap me or kill me.
> Kagome:
> Hmm.. still deciding tbh.
Inuyasha let out a soft, genuine laugh.
Across the table, Sango and Miroku immediately exchanged a look at the sudden shift in his expression.
> Inuyasha:
> Keh. Then maybe I SHOULD be worried.
> Kagome:
> Probably..
> Though first I'd need to convince you to get in a car voluntarily.
> Inuyasha:
> That sounded very, very suspicious Ka-go-me ;)
> Kagome:
> You can't prove anything, dog boy.
There it was.
That ease.
That natural rhythm he'd missed so much.
The tension that had been sitting in him all afternoon started to slowly unravel as he kept reading her messages.
Like, just for a few minutes, things were starting to feel normal again.
> Kagome:
> In all seriousness though.
> Are you actually free tomorrow?
Inuyasha settled a little more comfortably into his seat before replying.
> Inuyasha:
> Yeah. Surprisingly nothing going on—no classes, no pending projects.
> Why?
This time Kagome took a little longer to answer.
And for some reason, he found himself staring at the screen while he waited.
Ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous.
Then the next message came.
> Kagome:
> Could you pick me up from the airport tomorrow? 🙏
Inuyasha blinked.
> Kagome:
> Mom's gonna be busy and I want to surprise Jii-chan and Souta.
> So..I figured I'd ask you first.
Something warm detonated directly in the center of Inuyasha's chest.
Ask you first.
His ears moved again with an enthusiasm that was completely impossible to contain this time.
And it was apparently obvious enough that Sango stopped pretending to be disinterested entirely.
> Inuyasha:
> Keh. Of course I can, Kags!
> Send me your flight info and I'll be there.
Kagome's reply came almost instantly.
> Kagome:
> Thank you, Inu ❤
> I'll send you the flight details in a bit :)
'Inu.'
Inuyasha felt his heart do a small, embarrassingly dramatic flip at the nickname.
It had been so long since she'd called him that in a message.
Maybe that was why the small smile that spread across his face was completely beyond his control.
Because suddenly, tomorrow didn't feel so far away.
Tomorrow Kagome would be here.
Actually here.
Tomorrow he'd finally be able to answer the question Sango had asked at the beginning of lunch. Or maybe he'd just show up with Kagome as a surprise and let her fill everyone in herself.
Honestly, he still hadn't decided which option he liked better.
He'd figure it out.
For now, the only thing that really mattered was something else entirely.
Kagome was coming back.
The thought still felt strange inside his head. Almost unreal. Like he still hadn't quite processed that after three years he'd finally get to see her face to face and not through a screen.
And for the first time in a long, long time, Inuyasha felt a genuine sense of relief settle slowly in his chest.
Because with Kagome back...
They could fix things.
They could get rid of that stupid, uncomfortable distance that had appeared between them without him even noticing when it started. That frustrating feeling of talking to someone who was still Kagome and yet somehow felt faintly different.
He still didn't understand why everything had gotten so complicated between them.
He didn't know when easy conversations had turned into awkward silences.
Or when it had started to feel like walking around an invisible wall that Kagome had slowly built between them.
But she'd be here now.
And maybe that was enough.
Because Inuyasha could handle a lot of things but he'd never been good at resigning himself when it came to the people who mattered to him.
Especially not when it came to Kagome.
His fingers closed gently around his phone as the small smile stayed on his face without him even noticing.
Tomorrow he'd go get her.
And somehow, he had the absurd, stubborn hope that this was the beginning of finding their way back to each other.