#noamsfics

[thenoammonster]

“A Fresh Start” Part I

So I’ve been a long time lurker, very occasional contributor to the Inuyasha fandom for the last zillion years, and due to the whole ‘may never get to leave my apartment again’ thing, I thought it might be fun to try writing again. 

Enter this little fic. It’s a modern AU that’s been rolling around in my head forever. Going to aim for a weekly update, but no promises. Enjoy!

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Part I

‘It’s got to be around here somewhere… Maybe I missed the turn?’ 

Confused grey eyes squinted out the windshield, trying desperately to spot something familiar in the looming twilight. An agitated hand lifted from the battered leather of the steering wheel to drag through messy dark bangs as the young woman grew steadily more frustrated with her situation. Reaching the next narrow intersection, Kagome gave an impatient huff, finally admitting defeat before pulling over to park her small, beat up hatchback on the side of the road. It had been nothing but open countryside and woodland, broken up by the occasional lonely house, for at least 5 or so miles now. She knew she shouldn’t have allowed her mother to talk her into staying for lunch before heading out to her new town two hours out of the city. At this rate she would be moving her things in the late summer heat, getting eaten alive by mosquitos. 

``Hopefully Sango doesn’t mind…”

She sighed, reaching down into the cup holder to her right to grab her phone. She absently turned down the radio as the line began to ring. Halfway through the first ring, her friend’s voice cut through the buzzing. 

“Kagome? Oh I was just about to call you! It’s almost 8 o’clock, where the hell are you? We were supposed to meet at the clinic at 6!”

Sango’s uncanny ability to always know when she needed her pulled a wry smile to Kagome’s lips as she replied. 

“I’m so so sorry Sango. I had a late start driving out and with it starting to get dark I’m having trouble recognizing anything and I… kinda got lost. Data reception sucks out here, by the way.” 

“Yeah, well get used to it girl. You’re not living in the big city any more! Now, where are you? Can you at least describe the area a bit?”

“Uh, sure. I can see…” Kagome trailed off, leaning forward to better take in her surroundings, “... trees?” She heard Sango huff on the line, “ And… a little house with a pick up truck? The last street sign I could read was ‘Oak’ I think. And I passed the main shopping strip like… 10 minutes ago?”

“Hmm, sounds like you might have gone too far before turning. The clinic is supposed to be off Main street and then Maple, not Oak. That being said, I’m still not sure where you are. Can you try sending me a pin?”

“Yeah okay, hold on.” 

Pulling the phone away from her ear, Kagome began fiddling with her texting app, hitting the ‘send your location’ option and staring hopefully at the screen as it tried to send. She was so focused on the sending attempt, the abrupt knock at her window had her jumping a foot into the air, flinging her phone into the passenger seat. 

Whipping around to face the driver side window, Kagome stared wide-eyed at the silhouette that was leaning over to peer in at her. Spooked within an inch of her life, suddenly seeing flashes of the mutilated bodies of every woman from every crime show she’d ever watch in her mind, she reached to roll down the window an inch, just enough to address the shadowed form. There was an awkward silence for a moment while the figure stared in at her, during which Kagome’s panic continued to rise..

“H-Hey, you lost?” a gruff voice finally asked.

“ I-I’m uh…” While her mind whirled with panic, Sango’s screaming into the phone eventually penetrated her daze. Kagome scrambled to pick the phone back up off the seat.

“Kagome? Kagome what happened? Are you there?” 

Leaning away from the imposing figure still waiting by her door, Kagome replied, “Sango, I’m here. Sorry I dropped the phone. There’s someone here, a guy I –”

“Guy? What guy? This town’s small, I know everyone.”

“I-I don’t know. I haven’t really –”

“Put him on the phone.” This had Kagome’s jaw dropping in horror.

“What? But he-he could be a serial killer or a–”

“Kagome, I already told you. I know everyone. Now put the guy on the PHONE.”

Biting her lip in concern, but cowing under her friend’s demands, Kagome rolled the window down a bit more, reaching out to offer her phone to the shadow looming above her car. 

“My friend wants to talk to you,” she admitted bashfully. After a brief hesitation, a large hand reached out to take the phone. Again, that rough voice sounded, this time talking into the receiver. 

“Hello? Sango?” Kagome felt a strong shot of relief to hear the recognition in his voice upon speaking to her friend.  “Yeah, yeah it’s Inuyasha. Yeah. Oh, uhuh. Okay. Yeah I’ll take her. Yeah. Okay. We’ll meet you.” Handing the phone back, he waited for her to finish up the call. Again, she lifted the phone to her ear.

“Sango?”

“Kagome, that’s Inuyasha, he’s a friend of Miroku’s. He’s going to show you how to get to the clinic. You somehow managed to get yourself to the other side of town. I’m going to meet you guys there.”

“Okay, sounds good. See you there,” hanging up, Kagome leaned out of her window a bit to address Inuyasha. “I spoke to Sango. Thanks so much for your help. Do you want to hop in?”

He avoided looking at her as he answered, “Nah, I was gonna head into town anyway. Just lemme get my truck and you can follow me.” With that, he turned back into the now complete dark. Turning slightly in her seat, Kagome was able to make out his form as he moved towards the lonely little house she’d spotted earlier, disappearing inside for a moment before emerging once more. Seconds later headlights bloomed to her right and then his pickup truck pulled in front of her, leading the way back into town.

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Fifteen minutes later Kagome was pulling into the long familiar gravel drive behind the clinic, parking behind the pickup she’d followed there. The site of her quaint new home squelched the last of the unease she’d been feeling since Inuyasha’s shadow first appeared beside her car. The place was perfect, a small, 4 exam room clinic in the storefront of the building at ground level, with two little apartments above. The apartments were accessed via the wraparound back porch, which was currently illuminated by the hanging lights on the eaves of the building. The one to the west side of the building belonged to the head doctor of the practice, Kaede, but the east facing one was all hers. 

As the cars pulled in, the door to Kaede’s place burst open and Sango came rushing down from the porch to meet her friend, her husband and boss following at a more sedate pace. Spotting her, Kagome burst from the car as well, embracing her friend around her slightly rounded midsection. Inuyasha also emerged from his car, leaning against the hood awkwardly while the women became reacquainted, looking anywhere but at the young woman he’d rescued. 

Sango poked her head out from the hug to call over, “Thanks so much for finding her Inuyasah!” Before turning back to her shorter friend, “Trust you to show up almost three hours late to your own move-in party.” 

“Yeah well it was dark. And I’m not used to driving, especially in settings like this.” Kagome argued, smiling goodnaturedly, as they came apart.

“Aaand whose fault is it that you’re getting here after dark anyways?”

“Mama’s! She’s the one who held me up earlier, getting me to stay for lunch, trying to convince me to bring Sota along to help with the heavy lifting.”

While the women chatted, Kaede paused by the stairs, and Miroku wandered over to lean against the pick up next to Inuyasha, slapping his friend on the shoulder in greeting. He received a grunted “Hey,”  in response. 

Kaede smiled gently at all the youthful excitement, sliding her one good eye over to observe Inuyasha’s expression. She had to admit that she pitied the boy a bit, as she herself had been a little startled the first time she had met Kagome, even with fair warning from Sango. The initial resemblance was uncanny. Hopefully the boy wouldn’t be disturbed too much. 

Miroku’s voice as he addressed his wife cut through the old woman’s musings.  “Sango my dearest, while I am happy to be your pack mule, can we get moving? It’s been a long day, you need rest.”

“Not to mention the hour is growing late for these old bones,” Kaede chimed in.

“Right! Oh, Kaede, it’s so good to see you!” The enthusiastic girl bounded over to wrap the older woman in a quick embrace before turning to pop the trunk of her hatchback and get to unloading. She and Sango would have all day tomorrow to catch up. 

“I just wanted to see that you had arrived safely, dear girl. I’m afraid I won’t be much help in the moving.”

“Oh, that’s alright Kaede! Why don’t you go on up and relax! We’ll be fine down here,” Kagome insisted as she rummaged around in her trunk. 

“Yeah, the boys will be more than enough help!” Sango agreed, eyeing the two men evil.

“Why don’t I go up and make some tea for everyone while you work?” Kaede offered, already heading towards the stairs.

“Thank you!” the girls chorused after her. 

Miroku turned to Inuyasha, pausing in his move to help Kagome gather her things . “So, Inuyasha, would you mind helping us out or are you needed elsewhere this evening?”

This had Kagome stopping mid step on her way towards the stairs, carrying a box labelled ‘kitchen’. “Oh I don’t want to put him out, Miroku. I’ve already inconvenienced him enough by having him show me how to get here. Really, Inuyasha, don’t feel like you have to stick around for our sakes. I only brought a few things anyway.” This was true, he was surprised to note that the only boxes she seemed to have with her were in the little car she’d driven.

“Still,” Miroku insisted, “ It might be fun to -”

“I-I can’t stay. Gotta be somewhere; I’m late as it is.” Inuyasha admitted, sticking his hands in his pockets to avoid fidgeting under Miroku and Sango’s inquisitive gaze.

“What? You have – Oh, it’s Friday night, isn’t it?” Miroku replied knowingly. Sango rolled her eyes, muttering to her husband to leave his friend alone.

Inuyasha growled at the smug look Miroku gave him, choosing not to say anything. 

“Oh, see Miroku? He’s busy!” Kagome dropped the box she was carrying on the first step of the porch, dusting her hands on her jeans before sticking it out for him to shake. “Thanks so much for all your help. It was really nice meeting you, Inuyasha.” 

Approaching him finally allowed her to get a decent look at the guy in the dark lighting. He was staring down at her hand like she’d offered him something dead, but after a glance in Miroku’s smug direction, he finally extended his own. When their palms met, Kagome was taken aback by the heat of his skin. She followed the large hand that enveloped her own up a toned arm to broad shoulders, high cheekbones framed by long dark tresses pulled back in a low tail. She couldn’t make out the color of his eyes in the inconsistent light of their combined headlights, but she could tell his jaw was strong and his lips full. Realizing she’d been staring, she swallowed hard, and turned to retrieve her box. “Thanks again! And have a great night!” She managed to squeak out before dashing the rest of the way up the stairs. Inuyasha and Miroku blinked after her, before the former cleared his throat, turned to utter a final goodbye to Miroku and Sango. “Tell the old woman I left,” he muttered, before sliding into his truck and backing out the drive. 

Once he was gone Kagome peaked out the door, before trotting out to grab more boxes, completely ignoring Sango’s comment of “Smooth” as she went about emptying her car with her friends’ help. When they reached the porch, Kaede had emerged with a tray of tea and some sliced melon for the 20-somethings to munch on as they worked.

It didn’t take long to finish unloading the car and start putting the apartment to rights, even with Sango only being able to help with the lighter stuff. By 11 o’clock Kaede had long since left them for bed, and Miroku was just managing to drag Sango over the threshold. The apartment had come fully furnished, but Sango was insisting she help Kagome unpack as well. The latter woman refused, assuring them she just needed to finish up putting everything away, and wait for the few odds and ends she’d ordered to be delivered. 

Sango tried to convince Kagome to come stay with them for the night when she realized the girl still didn’t have a mattress, but Kagome refused. She was excited to spend her first night here, in the place that she was very excited to call home now. 

After finally bidding Sango and Miroku a goodnight and safe drive home with a promise to call the former come morning, Kagome stood in the entry of her little apartment, taking the space in. Her’s was the smaller apartment, not that she minded. It was a little studio, with old miss matched windows and well worn, gleaming hardwood floors. From her spot Kagome could see the bathroom door to her right, all the way to the kitchenette, which occupied the middle of the apartment, and the large bookshelf that blocked the view of the bedframe she hoped would soon be accompanied by a mattress. It wasn’t big or fancy, but it was all hers. After 28 years of living with others; first at home with her family, then with friends throughout medical school and residency, it felt so so good to finally be free and independent. 

Smiling quietly to herself, Kagome pulled out her pocket knife to slice open the box labelled ‘linens’ and dug around for some sheets. She was thankful it was too warm for real blankets, as by this point she was too tired to bother locating one. Forgoing a change into any real sleep attire, she pulled off her jeans, tossed her bra onto a pile of boxes, and curled up on the couch for the night.

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Inuyasha collapsed back against the pillows at his back and threw an arm over his dampened brow to block out the light from Yura’s bedside lamp. The local hairdresser giggled a bit,  stretching from her position straddling his lap. She leaned down to leave yet another lipstick stain on his check, then heaved herself off of him, dragging her long red fingernails through his sidelock as she went. As she sashayed across the dark-stained hardwood, still wearing nothing but that ever-present half smirk, she called over her shoulder, “I’m gonna pop in the shower to clean up.”

At the sound of the black-painted bathroom door shutting behind her, Inuyasha sat up, gingerly pulling the condom off of himself and reaching for the box of tissues on her nightstand to wipe down. He took extra care to avoid sullying her stupid silky sheets, knowing Yura would pitch a fit if he did. Tossing his mess into a nearby waste basket, he tried to decide what to do with himself. Yura would be half expecting him to join her in the shower for round two, but he really wasn’t into it tonight. 

Starting this casual thing with the owner of the only hair salon in town had seemed like an okay idea all those months ago, but Inuyasha was beginning to doubt that choice. Sure, she had a great body, all the attention was a welcome distraction from the montomy of his days, and the whole hair fixation wasn’t that off putting but it didn’t feel right. Inuyasha had never been one for casual relationships, part of why he’d had so few in his life. This one was beginning to take its toll. He and Yura were both adults and neither one of them seemed to have any delusions about what they were to each other. There weren’t all that many people in there little town, and the sex was good. That was all. There was no warmth to their relationship – if you could even call it that – just the heat of the act itself which extinguished into nothing the second it was over. He was starting to miss having more. He shook himself at the thought, wondering what had him feeling so sentimental all of a sudden.

“Aw fuck it,” he muttered to himself, finally rising from the bed to pull on his jeans and boxers from off the floor. He tried to tell himself the ghost he’d met earlier had nothing to do with his weird mood. She was just some friend of Sango’s, no one he need concern himself with. He approached the bathroom door as he ripped his shirt over his head, pulling the door open to tell Yura he was going to be heading home. 

“Oh okay then, Sugar. See you later,” she called back to him over the pounding of water on tile. 

He heaved a big sigh as he shut the door of Yura’s apartment and started down the stairs to get to his truck. Pleasant as their encounters were, he hated Yura’s apartment. All the stark, black, white and red decor made him feel like he couldn’t touch anything, and the dim lighting was a little too theatrical for his taste. The place looked like something out of a fashion district apartment in a big city, not like anything that belonged in a tiny town in upstate nowhere. Leaving there always felt a bit like re-entering reality from someplace surreal and far away. Still, he’d rather have to meet her at her place than let anyone over to his. He didn’t want his meetups with Yura tainting the quiet spaces he’d once shared with her. 

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[thenoammonster]

“A Fresh Start” Part II

BACK WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER! This one has actually been mostly done for a while, but I didn’t want to cut it off at the knees and life got busy before I could finish it. I’m hoping I’ll be able to start updating more regularly now that I have a little more spare time.

Part I

Part II

Kagome awoke to the sunlight streaming in across her face from the living room windows. Groaning, she shifted around a bit, trying to get comfortable again, but it was too bright in the apartment for her to have any hope of getting back to sleep. Finally admitting defeat, she gingerly sat up, realizing how sweaty she had become through the night. Her t-shirt clung to her like a second skin, and a hesitant sniff to her armpit revealed she was in desperate need of a shower. A quick check to her phone revealed that it was still well before 9am. She was appalled to note how hot the apartment had already become this early in the day. 

‘Damn east facing windows,’ she noted, dragged herself off the couch and lumbering over to the pile of boxes she’d left by the bathroom door the night before. She snatched the little toiletry bag she had prepared off the top box before forcing a hand between the taped up flaps of cardboard, trying to pry the box open without having to bother with digging up her pocket knife. After a few minutes of fumbling and wriggling, she successfully yanked her hand free of the box with a fluffy yellow towel gripped in her fist. “Success!” Grinning lightly, she spun into the bathroom, humming to herself as she got into the shower and began getting ready for the day. 

It was Saturday so the clinic wouldn’t be open. She and Sango had a plan to meet downstairs at 10:30 so she could familiarize herself with the space and start learning how it was run. The clinic was already staffed by Sango, Kaede, and two others to run the office who Kagome had yet to meet. 

Sango was a physical therapist and certified nurse. She and Kagome had met when she was in medical school and Sango was doing her nursing training. The two had been very close for years, even through Sango’s meeting and eventual marriage to Miroku, and Kagome’s residency at a big hospital back in the city. 

After Kagome had officially finished her training and received her medical license a month ago, she was thrilled to learn that the little clinic where Sango worked had an opening. Sango had been at the Shikon Clinic since a few months into their marriage, she and her husband decided to move back to his home town a few hours from the city so he could inherit his Uncle Mushin’s old bar. Kagome had instantly fallen in love with the quiet neighborhood and adorable work space when she had first visited Sango after the initial move two years ago. 

When the opening came up she jumped at the chance of getting out of the noisy, crowded city she had inhabited for her entire life in favor of a more peaceful existence. Choosing to become a doctor had always been about helping people for her, but her residency had changed her definition of the job. Working in the city was all short visits with too many patients for too many hours a day. She always felt stressed and exhausted at the end of her days, like she hadn’t had the time necessary with her patients to really make an impact. Working in a small town meant she would get the chance to really know her patients, to make sure she could spend the time necessary to give them the best care she could. It was an ideal setup, since thanks to public transport she was still only a two hour train ride away from her family.

By the time she was ready to meet up with Sango, Kagome was practically buzzing with excitement. She couldn’t wait to start working as part of her very own practice. When her phone vibrated with a message announcing Sango’s arrival, Kagome burst from her front door, nearly bowling over Kaede as she was watering the plants beside her front door. She waved cheerily at the older woman, grinning widely, “Good morning, Kaede!”

“That it is, child. I hope you were comfortable enough in there last night.”

Kagome waved her hand idly to dismiss the other doctor’s concerns, “Oh it was just fine. The rest of my stuff should be delivered sometime today anyway, then I’ll be all set, I think. If not, I’ll just pick up some stuff at one of the great antique shops around here.”

“Oh good, good. Let me know if you do need any furniture, the boy from –” Their conversation was interrupted by a shout from down below.”

“Get a move on Kagome! Your coffee is getting cold!”

With a quick apology goodbye to Kaede, Kagome ambled down the stairs of her porch to meet Sango in the gravel lot behind the clinic. She grinned at the sight of her friend, leaning against the hood of her sedan with two to-go cups and a little brown bag clutched in her hands.

“Hiya girly! How’s your morning going?” Kagome asked, reaching to take the cup Sango offered. “Yes, coffee! Thank you!” Inhaling the warm, bitter scent, Kagome quirked a brow at her friend, “What, no treats for dear Doctor Tenaka?” 

“Kaede hasn’t touched coffee since last century,” Sango replied, waving up at the older woman in question before Kaede disappeared back into her flat.  “You’re chipper this morning. Glad to see sleeping on the couch didn’t stop you from resting up last night!” She pushed the paper bag at Kagome as well, “Here, it’s a muffin from Jinenji’s, you remember the little cafe I took you to last time you visited?”

“Ooh, the one run by the big guy who grows fruit and makes his own jam? Score!” 

As Kagome tore into her breakfast, moaning appreciatively at the still warm and scrumptious snack,  she and Sango proceeded into the clinic from the back entrance. They walked down a narrow hall, one of the two that ran through the building, until it met with the waiting room at the front. Pausing at the door that led to the little atrium and the very front door of the clinic, Sango began her tour, taking Kagome through the building in much greater detail than she had during her friend’s previous visits. She showed her the little office to the right of the front door, where the clinic’s two assistants did their administrative work, the larger exercise room where physical therapy patients did their exercises, and beyond that into the little office that they would be sharing. She demonstrated how to use the practice’s digital filing system, explained the intricacies of their medical supply storage and the quirks of some of the older exam equipment. 

Kagome eagerly took it all in, laughing as Sango explained how to get the older-than-god copier to work and which of their assisting staff made the best cup of coffee. All the while she took diligent notes in a tiny green journal she’d shoved in her pocket before leaving the apartment. She wanted to make sure she knew everything she needed to come Monday, so she wouldn’t have to constantly ask Kaede and Sango for guidance and slow things down. She could hardly wait to start seeing patients. By the time Sango was finished going over the entire practice from top to bottom, golden late afternoon sunlight was filtering through every window in the front of the building. 

“So, do you think you can remember all that?” Sango asked as the two women wandered out of the tiny staff kitchen towards the back exit. “We don’t typically get busy until mid-afternoon. That’s when a lot of patients are able to get off work to come in, so you’ll have most of the morning to get your bearings.”

“Oh sure. I’ve constantly had to change around my focus during residency rotations the last few years, I’m used to having to adjust to new working environments quickly. I think I’ll be alright.” Kagome assured her, preceding her friend out the door so she could lock up. 

“Good, good,” Sango muttered as she secured the door. “Oh, that reminds me. I need to get a set of keys made for you! Meant to do it last week, damn pregnancy brain has me all over the place!”

“Speaking of, I can’t believe you managed to lecture me for almost 4 hours with pausing for a snack break. Want to go grab something to eat at the diner or something?

“Ooh, better idea! Let’s go see if Kaede has any goodies upstairs,” Sango suggested, already heading back towards the stairs to get up to the second level of the building. “I spend most of my lunch breaks with her now, and she always has something special hidden in that kitchen of hers.”

As Sango predicted, Kaede was only too happy to welcome the girls into her cramped, but homey little apartment, ushering them into the kitchen nook to sit at a window seat while she fussed about, making herbal tea, and setting out a little tray of sandwiches she had handy, as if expecting them. 

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It was well past noon when a pair of bleary, deep gray eyes opened to stare accusingly at the loudly beeping device screaming from the nightstand. A big hand darted over to the cellphone to silence the infernal sound, but only managed to knock the stupid thing to the floor. Growling in frustration, Inuyasha flopped his lower half over the side of the bed, patting around in search of the still blaring device. Just as his fingers found its cold surface, the disgruntled mass on the bed lost his battle with gravity, toppling to the ground himself. 

“God fucking dammit,” he roared, then immediately regretted the volume of his outburst when his head pounded violently in protest. Gliding his thumb over the screen to end the racket coming from his phone, Inuyasha pressed it to his ear, snarling into the receiver, “What?”

“Watch that tone with me, young man,” a familiar brittle voice replied, “I’m calling to confirm our plans for tomorrow.”

Inuyasha heaved himself into a sitting position on the floor, leaning heavily against the bed frame at his back while he racked his addled brain to remember what the old bat was talking about. His prolonged silence pulled a sigh from the old woman on the line.

“The painting, Inuyasha. We agreed tomorrow you would come to paint my kitchen. Remember?”

“Right! Right, sorry Kaede. Must have slipped my mind,” a yawn split his mouth as he answered her.

“Boy, I better have not woken you up by calling. It is after 3 in the afternoon!” Her admonishing tone had him rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. He could hear her outrage being echoed in the background. “Inuyasha, you bum! Come on!” he could hear Sango yelling.

“Uh no, no. I was just… napping. Needed a break.” That seemed to appease Kaede, as she wished him a good rest of his day, and they made a plan to meet at her place at 9am sharp tomorrow morning. 

Once they had hung up, Inuyasha heaved a big sigh, taking in the state of his bedroom. The place was a mess, his clothing from last night left forgotten on the floor, his pants caught in the door jam. The usually neat dresser had all of its drawers thrown open, the contents on the floor, and there were a few photo albums tossed here and there, one with a stark white cover laying open amongst his bedding. There were two bottles of whiskey lying forgotten by his bed, one completely drained of the amber liquid, and the other open and half gone. The sight made him wince. It had been almost a year since he last lost it like this. He’d finally broken his good streak. Smacking his lips against the stale flavor left in his mouth from his little bender, Inuyasha rose to his feet, snatching the two liquor bottles up as he went. He froze as they clinked together obnoxiously, frowning, and then proceeded out of his room and down the hall into the kitchen. 

First he carefully set the empty bottle into the recycling, then he stretched up high to place the other above the cabinets and well out of easy reach. Next he pulled open the cabinet by the fridge, rummaging around until he produced a bottle of tylenol and quickly dry swallowed two red pills before filling a glass of water at the sink to wash away the bitter taste. He leaned back against the counter next to the sink, refilling his glass and downing its contents twice more before sagging a bit in relief. That ought to help with the headache at least.

Looking around his little kitchen, Inuyasha was relieved to find that it and the living room beyond, visible through the open space between the island and overhanging cabinets, had been spared his bender. It was still as it had been when he’d first arrived home last night, a few dishes in the sink in need of washing but otherwise fairly clean. One less thing from him to worry about setting to rights. Wiping a hand down his face, he debated between tackling the mess he’d left in his bedroom, or having a shower first. ‘Might as well get the place clean before I clean up myself.’ 

He pushed off the counter, filled his glass one more time and proceeded back into the bedroom to start putting things away. He started by stuffing all the clothing back into his drawers, sniffing them as he went to avoid mixing his dirty laundry with his yet unworn stuff. As he went around the room, heaving furniture upright, replacing items strewn across the floor to their hiding places, he berated himself, so ashamed that he had ended up back here again. Admittedly it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but it had been over three years. What could have caused him to lose it like this after so long? 

Brown eyes in a face so foreign yet familiar flashed before his mind, turning his fingers slack around the book he’d just picked up. Her. Kagome. Sango’s friend who’d just moved in from the city. Could she possibly be the source of his turmoil?

Sure there was a resemblance, one strong enough to momentarily reduce him to a terrified, stuttering moron when he’d first leaned down to knock on her car window when he’d found her last night. But they were still different people. He knew that, even having only spent a few minutes. The similarities were more like seeing two vastly different images superimposed over one another than genuinely mirroring. She was shorter, softer, her hair wavy where another’s had been straight, her eyes light where another’s had been onyx pools. 

He turned over a picture frame resting face down on the floor, the glass long destroyed during one of his past episodes. His thumb came up to caress the sweet face staring out of he photo within, swallowing past the pained lump the image produced in his throat.  ‘I need to get a grip. This can’t keep happening. I-I have to let you go, Kikyo.’ 

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After hanging up the phone, Kaede turned back to the two young women seated in her breakfast nook, merrily munching on the sandwiches she had prepared in anticipation of Sango’s midafternoon cravings. 

“So, Inuyasah is helping you redo the kitchen Kaede?” Sango asked, as she came to sit across from them at the table, picking up her abandoned cup of tea. 

“Just adding a new coat of paint to the walls and cabinets. I think the place could use a little sprucing up, don’t you?” Kaede confirmed, taking a sip of tea and reaching for the bowl of candied orange peels resting beside her well-loved teapot. 

“That’s so nice of him. What colors are you thinking about going with?” Kagome interjected. She was intrigued to learn that the beautiful, taciturn man from yesterday seemed to have a soft spot for the old doctor. 

“Yes, Inuyasha is a sweet boy. Rough around the edges, but sweet. I’m honestly not sure what to do. I painted the cabinets this blue a few years ago on a whim, and as you can see I didn’t do the best job,” Kaede replied, gesturing to a few spots where the paint was too thin and the old wood varnish was visible beneath. “I didn’t even bother to sand them first. Inuyasha was not pleased. He says he’ll have to take all the cabinet faces off to sand them down and paint properly.”

“Wow, that’s a big job for one person! Are you sure you guys won’t need any help?” Kagome asked, “I’m pretty handy and right next door! I really wouldn’t mind helping out tomorrow. I need to be around anyway, for the movers. They’re supposed to be coming between 1 and 5 tomorrow. This will give me something to do besides waiting around!”

“Well, if you’re sure dear…” Kaede was a touch hesitant about the idea. She wasn’t certain Inuyasha would be receptive to Kagome’s involvement in their little project. The eager look on the girl’s face, along with Sango’s expectant expression, made her finally relent. “Alright. Inuyasha and I are leaving for the paint store at –”

“9am sharp! So I heard,” Kagome interjected with a grin.

“Wait, Kagome. I thought your stuff was supposed to be coming today,” Sango asked, swiping another fish salad sandwich off the plate. They’d been her favorite pregnancy snack since she’d first hunted the smell down in Kaede’s office a month ago. The good natured old woman had been making them for her almost daily since.

“Yeah, so did I,” Kagome shrugged. “There was some issue with an earlier delivery. They called like an hour ago and said they had to delay. It’s no biggy.” 

“Flakey moving bastards,” Sango groused, slamming her tea down a little too hard, splashing the table in amber liquid.

“Down girl!” Kagome laughed, sopping up the mess with her napkin. “I don’t mind. Really!”

“Ooh, Sorry Kaede. Same old Kagome. You’re such a softy.” Sango grabbed her phone to wipe it off as well, startled when the screen illuminated to show the time. “Ooh, crap. Kagome! It’s almost 4. I have to get going. I have some errands I still need to run before dinner. Wanna come with?”

“Sure, but I don’t want to stick Kaede with the clean up,” Kagome said, downing the rest of her tea but hesitating to rise from the table as she eyed the mess their lunch had made of Kaede’s little kitchen.

“No trouble, my child. Go with Sango, I can take care of it,” Kaede replied, smiling as Sango struggled to get out of the dining nook with her massive baby belly. 

“Are you sure?” Kagome asked, slowly beginning to stand, her hands hovering around the tabletop covered in plates and tea cups. Kaede waved her off, shooing her towards the door.

“Kaede, would you like to come have dinner with us tonight? We’re meeting Miroku later,” Sango asked, finally pulling free of the cramped sitting area. 

“Thank you dear, but not tonight. I think I’d like to relax here. Read, feed my cats,” Kaede declined, taking the dirty dishes to the sink herself. 

“Alrighty then. Well, I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good evening, Kaede!” Sango said, pulling the door open.

“Bye! And thanks again for lunch!” Kagome called over her shoulder, hurrying to help Sango down the deck stairs. Kaede smiled quietly at the girls’ exuberance, watching their slow descent from the threshold. ‘Maybe spending some time around such a bright soul will be good for Inuyasha.’ Breaking from her musings, she turned back to setting her kitchen to rights, leaving her door open to let in the summer breeze.

As Kagome supported Sango on her way down to the car, since the latter woman couldn’t see much of her feet around her baby bump, she asked, “Wait, Kaede has cats? I didn’t see anyone around the apartment.”

“She feeds the local strays. They come flocking at sunset, especially at this time of year,” Sango puffed. She paused as they reached the bottom of the steps to stretch a little. “So,” she began, sliding a sly look Kagome’s way,  “You jumped at the chance to pal around with Inuyasha tomorrow.”

“What? I did not! I just wanted something to do, since I’ll be bored anyway!” she protested.

“Kagome, you and I both know how much unpacking you still need to do,” this had said girl blushing, “And I saw how you looked at him last night before he left! I get it, he’s cute!”

“Cute doesn’t begin to cover it,” Kagome sighed, “But that is NOT why I volunteered to help. It’s a nice thing he’s doing for Kaede and he really saved me last night. I want to return the favor!”

“And then some,” Sango teased back.

“You’ve been living with Miroku too long,” Kagome deadpanned, “And why haven’t I met Inuyasha before anyway. He clearly knows you, and Miroku AND Kaede! Where have you been hiding this hunk?”

That made Sango wince, because she knew Kagome was kind of right. It was a little ridiculous that even though her old roommate had visited almost a dozen times since she had moved to this town, Sango had never introduced her to Miroku’s best friend. She sighed, waddling over to her car and pulling open her car door, slipping in and waiting for Kagome to do the same. Her sudden shift in attitude had Kagome looking at her in bewilderment.

“The truth is, you’re right. You should have met Inuyasha before.  I’ve known him since the first time Miroku brought me here. He was actually supposed to be the best man in our wedding,” Sango confessed, fiddling with her keys before finally putting them in the ignition. 

This revelation confused Kagome even more, “Wait, he’s the best man that needed to be replaced last minute? Miroku’s childhood best friend?” Sango nodded.

“So what happened? All you ever said was something terrible happened and he needed to pull out. Then you moved and never brought him up again.”

“Yeah,” Sango agreed, “because it wasn’t my business to tell. Inuyasha, he’s been through a lot in the last few years. It’s not really for me to say. He wasn’t the most social person to begin with, but now… He doesn’t really see anyone. Just Miroku and Kaede and me.” Sango shook herself, finally getting the car into gear to head out of the gravel parking lot. Before she started to back up, she turned to back Kagome, a serious look on her face. “ Tomorrow, go easy. He’s not exactly an easy person to get to know.”

“O-Okay. I promise. No attempts to make plans for a slumber party and hair braiding,” Kagome teased, trying to lighten the somber mood. But Sango didn’t laugh, just proceeded to get the car moving. Kagome pulled on her seatbelt with a frown, feeling more puzzled than she had been at the start of this conversation. Sango spoke about Inuyasha like he was delicate, unstable even. But the person she’d met yesterday, though admitted quiet, had seemed normal enough. ‘Guess I’ll just have to see what happens tomorrow.’

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Thanks it for Part II! I hope you guys like it! Feel free to let me know if anyone else would like to be tagged on updates.

@itzatakahashi