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mschillinvillin · 4 years

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The Department of Love is overwhelmed with work in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s day. Head Cupid Sesshoumaru is struggling to finish his paperwork, but when his underlings fail to find a match for a difficult client, he is forced to step in and resolve the matter personally. A V-day Oneshot.

(Also available on my Dokuga, Fanfiction(dot)net, and A03 under the name ChillinVillin)

The mountain of paperwork on Sesshoumaru’s desk grew steadily, despite the long hours he’d been putting in at the office. He was a workaholic year-round – love was not just a Valentine’s affair after all – but February was always a veritable shit storm, and this year he hadn’t even had a chance to go home to sleep.

He was bent over a file for a widower when a soft knock sounded at his door and his youngest team member popped her head in.

Rin was still new to the Department and there had been an uproar when he promoted her onto his exclusive team. Her youthful demeanor and easy smile made her a target for those jaded by the industry, but she was an excellent matchmaker. Her unending reserve of energy and positive attitude served her well, and she let any hate directed at her roll off. As she should have. She was superior.

She was humming lightly when she stepped into his office, the fairy wand she used as her matchmaking device scattering love dust on his pristine carpet. It was not uncommon for her to bring him lunch, so he was startled when she plopped herself into the chair across from him and placed a manilla folder on the empty corner of his desk.

He couldn’t see her over his stack of paperwork, but he didn’t have to look up to know she was displeased. She worried at the edge of a manila folder and her humming cut off abruptly.

“What ails you?” He asked without looking up from his work.

“As you know, Valentine’s day is approaching quickly.”

He made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat and gestured to the paper mountain.

“There’s this one woman. Kagome Higurashi. She’s a class A case so she both desires and deserves a proper match,” she flipped the folder open to reveal the fresh face of a smiling young woman. She was pretty enough, he thought, glancing at the photo without looking too closely. She was young enough to be planting the seeds for a future with a first partner, and pretty enough to get one. An easy mark for someone as competent as Rin.

“And there is no one suitable?” he surmised.

“It’s not that! I’ve spent the last week trying to get her together with her childhood friend! He’s already in love with her, so half the equation was solved. He’s kind and attentive and he’s studying medicine, so he’s smart and cares about people. He’s perfect for her, but every time I tried to set them up, she brushed my magic aside like it was nothing and found an excuse to take off!”

“We cannot manufacture attraction,” Sesshoumaru huffed, returning to the file before him. This was basic stuff. “You tried to open her eyes and she declined. Move on to the next best match.” And leave me in peace, he thought, biting his tongue. It wouldn’t do to upset her during their busiest time of the year.

“I did!” She wailed. “I found her someone else. This guy was his opposite. He was fun! Flirty and easy to commit to. He would have given her everything she needed to feel fulfilled as a girlfriend!”

“She ignored him as well?”

“Not only was she not interested; she set him up on a date with her best friend and now they’re going steady!”

He frowned. It was almost unheard of for Rin to strike out twice. He put it down to the overwhelming work of her first season on his team. Perhaps she simply hadn’t learned yet what to do when she hit a snag. He would put someone more seasoned on the case.

“Very well. Move on to your next assignment and send Jaken in.”

He closed the manila folder and returned to his work, not acknowledging the short man who came in for it. He couldn’t see Jaken’s eyes over the top of the desk, but the two heads on his staff, their lips pursed like they waiting for a kiss, danced towards him, and then a small hand felt around on his desk before sliding the file off the edge. Jaken made a lot of noise as he came and went, but Sesshoumaru tuned him out, sighing gratefully when the door clicked closed and he was left in peace.

Considering the problem dealt with, he gave his full attention to the case in front of him.

“I’m so sorry sir! Please forgive me!”

The piercing shriek of his subordinate made his head pound. He hadn’t even gone home to shower, and his stomach cramped from cheap vending machine food. The first thing he noticed when he peeled his eyes away from his work was that the staff of two heads looked… wrong.

The heads had twisted apart, the centre cracked like they’d tried to get away from each other. Their kissing faces had devolved into delirious smiles. Jaken clambered up to stand on the chair across from his, waving a folder around. Sesshoumaru cut off his groveling.

“This is not the time for mistakes, Jaken.”

“Please forgive me! I was only trying to do as I was asked, but the task proved to be impossible!”

Sesshoumaru was certain that he hadn’t given anything beyond his subordinate’s abilities. That was why he spent his days (and this time of year his nights) pouring over paperwork.

“It’s that Higurashi woman to blame!” Jaken griped. “I found her a man who was rugged and handsome. He was completely appropriate while presenting enough of a challenge for her to get a sense of satisfaction out of winning his heart. Just as she started to warm up to him, she found out that she was a dead ringer for his ex and got upset.”

“A rookie mistake.”

“Forgive me, but often the second match is better than the first anyway. They appreciate the next match so much more once they’ve had a taste of disappointment.”

It was an old school thought, reminiscent of Sesshoumaru’s father’s ideology from his days running the department. It never would’ve worked for Rin’s childish, bubbling love type, but Jaken’s staff was uniquely designed for two romances in quick succession. The second and more powerful head could not work until after the first had been activated.

“That was not the case?” Sesshoumaru prompted.

“I found her someone similar, but who would be unwaveringly honest in his high opinion of her and who had no prior serious attachments, but she wound up foisting him off on another girl!”

“And your staff?”

“The staff got confused. Since she wasn’t reactive to the first or second match, both heads tried to blast him and he wound up doubly smitten with the new girl. This is a mess.”

Sesshoumaru grunted. This had never happened in the centuries since Jaken had joined the department.

“You cannot work without it, and I need you on the ground. Leave the case and see if Totosai in tech can fix it for you. If it will take more than a few hours, then request assistance from another department to cover your time off. And send Ah and Un in.”

Jaken ran off, leaving the slightly worn folder behind.

A pair of twins slid in several minutes later. Sesshoumaru gestured to the folder without looking up and they whisked it away, disappearing. Ah and Un were a bit of a mystery, but they always got results.

He cursed when they swooped in the next morning and dropped the folder on his desk. They didn’t say anything, and he dismissed them with a wave. The pile had shrunk, but not enough. Valentine’s was only two days away and he had to finish before then.

“Well, well, well,” the soft purr came from the edge of the room. He shot up and glared at the woman who stood in his doorway. His mother smirked at him in all of her finery. She’d long been trying to convince him to join her as a member of the Winter Solstice Department, and 48 hours out from Valentine’s day, when his patience was thinnest, was a bad time for her to try her usual antics.

“What do you want?” He asked, turning his focus back to his desk.

“Poor dear,” she said. Her voice dripped with false sympathy. “Is your little holiday getting the best of you?”

“You know that this is not a good time.”

“Of course. I’ve only come because a request was put in for assistance and I thought I’d offer mine to you, personally.”

He groaned. Of course she’d snatch up the chance to insert herself into his business. He didn’t have time to put another request in, so he handed her the folder. The edges were bent and there was a coffee ring on it. She poured herself a cup of coffee, emptying the pot of his last dregs of caffeine, and sat across from him.

“Word’s been getting out about the difficulties you’ve been having. Is it true she damaged your righthand man’s Toke of Affection?”

“It is true.”

She flicked through the file, a devious smirk on her face. “Are you certain that she’s interested in men dear? I know that on a long winter night, I often prefer the company of-“

“This is not about your preferences,” he said sharply. Her grin widened. “And it is not about lust. We’re in the business of romance. If you cannot deliver, then leave and send someone who can. Besides, she wouldn’t be in the pile were she not available and desiring a romantic entanglement, and her orientation is clearly marked.”

“Very well. This one shall be kind enough to help you.”

She swept from the room, a cold wind billowing in her wake. He counted the folders piled on his desk. Determination set his jaw. He finished his last coffee and got back to it.

She swung back in in the evening, bristling. “Unbelievable! What a thankless operation this is!” His desk had been completely taken over, so she threw the file on top of the cold coffee pot. “I thought that perhaps she would enjoy a little variety, so I sent her a man known to be a little on the imaginative side. He had a woman with him who was gorgeous and also interested. I thought that the more the merrier was a good call, but she ran off so quickly I didn’t even see her go!”

He grunted, and when she realized that he wasn’t paying attention, she flew from his office, plotting.

Sesshoumaru finished his papers with a full twelve hours to spare and finally stood from his desk. His bones popped as he stretched, and he wondered idly how long he had been in the chair. He flicked the lights off and grabbed his coat, intent on having a nice bath and a glass of wine to celebrate his victory. Another year had gone by without a hitch.

He always put in an appearance to the Department’s party for his employees. They worked for him, so once he was clean and rested, he returned to the lobby. As always, they had gone all out. The room was swathed in pinks and red, glittering hearts twirled high above the floor that had been cloaked in a plush red carpet. A live band sung romantics ballads and a hearty spread of festive foods were laid out on a banquet table.

He greeted each employee cordially while it sunk in that his work was done. He’d even have a long weekend. Rin ran up and twirled around him. Her wand trailed sparkles behind her.

“Another year is done!” She cried. He accepted a mini cupcake from her and a glass of champagne. He’d earned it and she said as much. “I admit, I am curious who Mr. Jaken found for Kagome Higurashi. She was so tough to crack that the not knowing is driving me crazy!”

Frowning, Sesshoumaru excused himself and brushed past her to find his second hand. Jaken was chatting with a tall, busty woman from the Halloween department. They were an incongruent pair, but it was widely speculated that the appropriate members of the Love Department were excellent lovers, and they all needed to let off steam after weeks of hard labour.

“Sir,” Jaken greeted! He was a little tipsy and didn’t notice his date eye Sesshoumaru up and down with a wicked smirk. “Meet Haru!”

“Yura!” The woman corrected. In one hand she held a black skull. The other she reached towards him. His mouth twitched and Jaken rambled on as if the exchange hadn’t happened.

“Well done! But what did you ever do about that woman who wrecked my beloved staff?”

Sesshoumaru spun on his heel, scanning the crown until his eyes fell on Ah and Un. They nodded to him when he approached their corner.

“What happened to the Higurashi case?” He demanded.

They looked at each other and shrugged.

Rin, Jaken, Ah, and Un had all struck out with her, leaving him to fumble for who he’d assigned her to. He tried to recall what he’d done with her case when it hit him.

Mother.

He hadn’t really been paying attention when she came in, but surely she’d failed too. He raced to the elevator, barely restraining himself while it climbed to his office, and flicked the lights on. The return of the cold fluorescence made his head throb, but he paid it no heed as he searched his deck for the file. It was pristine, as he had left it, without the Higurashi file in sight. He got down on his hands and knees and peered under it, but other than some of Rin’s glitter that the custodians had missed and a couple of dust bunnies, it was empty too. Snarling, he got up and looked around, finally noticing that it had slid behind the coffee maker.

A job failed. A heart left to grow cold on his day. He would not accept it.

He pulled his blade down from the display on the wall behind his desk. He hadn’t used it since he trained Rin. It pulsed faintly in his hand, the familiar energy stirring awake. He strapped it on, grabbed the folder, and raced down the back stairwell to grab a taxi.

He would find Kagome Higurashi and ensure that she had a partner by midnight.

Her file was thin. He knew that her family was small, but important to her. She was raised to take over her family’s shrine and that’s what she did. She was a romantic, but she rarely dated. She was outspoken, but kind to a fault. Overall, she was a perfectly good candidate for a love match.

His underlings had left notes, all of them detailing what had worked to catch her attention and what had failed along with a list of the names that hadn’t worked. Someone had written ‘this job sucks!’ across the top of the sheet, which he recognized as his mother’s handwriting. Hn, childish.

The cab pulled to a stop in front of a bar. It was uncharacteristically cold for February, and snow crunched beneath the wheels. There was nothing in the file to help him, so he tucked it away and went in to watch her. He would have to glean the details about her for himself and find her an acceptable partner. All in the next, he checked his watch and hissed, five hours.

It didn’t take him long to find her. She was bouncing around the people on the dance floor, dancing and chatting over the rock band that was playing near the front. She nursed her drink and seemed perfectly in her element, and he found himself relaxing as he watched her from a barstool. He had his own drink, which he’d purchased just to fit in. He could unsheathe his blade and disappear from view, but that was always a poor choice in such crowded venues.

Kagome Higurashi seemed happy and as he watched her, he began to wonder if perhaps his mother had been right. Maybe she really didn’t want anyone. She flitted from person to person, lingering just long enough to have a laugh before scooting along to the next acquaintance. Even from a distance, he could tell that she was charming. She also seemed to interact with anyone and everyone without judgement. Kindness radiated from her. Why had his underlings had a hard time? She was an easy mark.

A couple bounced up to the bar, and he learned quickly that their names were Miroku and Sango, and that Kagome had set them up, and as they chatted he found out that a number of the people his team had tried to set her up with were also there. She was happy for all the couples, gushing over their outfits, valentine’s gifts. It turned out that she had presented chocolate to all of them, so she was receptive to the holiday.

It bothered him that the system could have made a mistake. It had never happened in his time, nor had he heard of such a thing happening in his father’s.

A confident man approached her, his long hair pulled back into a braid, and he offered her his hand to dance. She smiled at him, and the blade thrummed with the potential for a new match, but just as he reached for the hilt, her eyes shot up to his and everything stopped. She blushed at having been caught staring and looked away, and the bubble burst.

Heart pounding, he paid for his drink and went to the dirty bathroom at the end of the long hall.

Perhaps he needed to be more direct, seek her out and ask what she looked for in a partner.

He marched back to the dance floor only to find that she was gone.

Perhaps she was only in the restroom, he reasoned, but as his watch ticked, he stiffened. 3 hours remaining and he’d lost his target.

He burst out the front door into the chilly night and looked around wildly. He froze. There she was, still in her short party dress, leaning against the wall. He expected her to be smoking, but her arms were wrapped around her chest. He noticed that the long sleeves of her red dress were translucent and couldn’t stop himself from addressing her in clipped tones.

“Where is your coat?”

She snorted, an action that startled him. People did not address him so casually. If he was miffed, it passed with her watery smile. She’s been crying.

He slid his coat from his shoulders and held it out to her. “It was too hot in there,” he explained casually. The cold was uncomfortable, but it reminded him of his childhood home.

“It was supposed to be warm today,” she murmured, shaking her head, but a frigid wind blew through the street and she shuddered. Just as it occurred to him that a strange man approaching a lonely woman after dark could be construed as creepy, she reluctantly accepted his coat. Her fingers brushed his and he pulled away at the contact. She tried to push his coat back. “Don’t give it to me if you’re cold.”

“I grew up in much colder climates than this,” he admitted, and slid it over her shoulders, taking care not to touch her. A small smile graced her features and she turned into the collar and sniffed delicately. Warmth bloomed in his chest.

“I always find these gatherings to be oddly stifling,” he volunteered. She relaxed a little further. Perhaps she was the same. They should’ve found her someone more introverted.

“Yeah. I mean, I love my friends and I glad they’re all happy and in love, but it just kind of reminds me that I’m alone, you know? That I’m the exception. I guess I’m oversharing, sorry.”

So her case was not a mistake. Relief flooded him. He couldn’t point out to her that she’d had lots of opportunity over the last few weeks to kindle a romance, so instead he said. “That sounds difficult. Did it not occur to you to find a valentine of your own?”

She crossed her arms and caught his gaze with hers, and he found himself locked in a staring contest with her. “So where’s your Valentine Mr. Love Expert?”

“I do not have time for one.”

She snorted, again. “See! It’s easy to expect people to just find love! It’s not like you can just buy it at the grocery store. You have to find someone you like, who likes you, who you’re attracted to, who will make your life better, and then you have to work and share experiences and find common ground and give it time to grow. And sometimes it doesn’t work out, even after all of that!”

She breathed heavily after her outburst. She was as passionate about love as he was, but she had looked beyond the first flutterings of new love. “Perhaps I could help you find someone.”

She eyed him suspiciously, then broke into a wide grin. “I have a great idea! Come with me!”

She reached out and gripped his hand. He should have recoiled. This was unprofessional. But her skin was cold that he wrapped it in his own and allowed her to tug him along.

They walked in comfortable silence, before he asked.

“Kagome, where are we going?”

She stopped and gazed at him from under her lashes. “How did you know my name?”

“I overheard one of your friends say it.”

She resumed their pace with a triumphant smile. “I knew you were watching me! Why didn’t you say hi?”

He squeezed her hand. “Is this not acceptable contact?” He teased, though he knew the answer was ‘no’. “And my name, though you have not asked for it, is Sesshoumaru.” She repeated his name softly, rolling the syllables around in her mouth like a fine wine.

“Aha!” They stopped at the mouth of a busy night market. It had also been decorated for Valentine’s day. He was well acquainted with this sort of place as a matchmaking specter, but he found himself in new territory as they strolled the market hand in hand, sampling foods and playing games. She covertly pointed at a woman. “What about her?”

“What are we doing here?”

This was the perfect place for matchmaking, but every man who might have looked at her appreciatively noticed him and scurried along.

“I’m going to be your wingman!” She announced boldly. “Don’t look so shocked! I’m great at it! Just ask my friends. I found them all the perfect Valentine’s dates!” She had no way of knowing that his team had done most of the legwork.

The irony dawned on him that by putting himself into her path as a matchmaker, she had taken up the mantle of trying to find a mate for him. The thought made him chuckle, and then he cracked, laughing so hard that his shoulders shook. He used his free hand to cover his mouth while she gazed up at him. She swatted him playfully. “Don’t be a jerk! I’ll find you someone.” She regarded him for a long moment, then cast her eyes around. “What about her?” She leaned into him and spoke under her breath as they approached a young woman, drawing him in so that his lips brushed her hair.

“Why don’t we look for you instead.”

“I’m not going to play if you’re not. Listen! You’ll be head over heels by the end of the night!” She turned her face up to his, so that their lips almost brushed. He pulled back and dropped her hand, letting the cold sink in. There were rules, even if they felt inconsequential right now. He’d come here for a reason, and he would follow through.

“Very well. Why her?”

The woman was perhaps a little older than Kagome. She was bent over a book beneath a bright streetlight. Her short hair had fallen into her face and she brushed it back behind a small ear. He supposed that she was cute.

“You seem like you need someone who can soften you up a bit. She’s bookish, so she’s probably smart and introverted like you seem to be, but she’s still out here participating in the world.”

“She isn’t my type,” he said. “But I’m sure if she’s very good this year then Cupid will bring her a date next year.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works. Besides, I was good, so why isn’t he helping me?”

He barely stifled his groan. He is trying.

He pointed out three men to her. All seemed kind, handsome, and decent. And each time she shot him down and pointed out a woman for him in return. It made him want to rip his hair out. The temperature continued to drop and without meaning to he drew her closer to him until she was fit comfortably against his side. Their wingman game was interrupted when a young man with light hair and puppy-dog eyes called Kagome’s name. He had a girl with him who glared daggers at Kagome.

“Hey Kagome! So you uh- found yourself a Valentine, huh?”

She blushed and broke apart from Sesshoumaru. “Hojo! Sesshoumaru’s just a friend.”

“Uh-huh,” the men eyed each other up, and something sparked in Sesshoumaru’s mind. This was the childhood friend Rin had tried to set her up with. No wonder why it hadn’t worked. He looked as interesting a bowl of fibre-friendly cereal. Sesshoumaru would be having a chat with Rin when work was back in session.

“Are we going?” The other girl pouted at Hojo, so he bid them a good night and followed her away.

Kagome tucked herself back into his side. “I’m glad he found someone.”

“It will not last.”

“Sesshoumaru! You don’t even know him.”

“I know that he was not good enough for you, yet he still longs for what he cannot have.”

“It isn’t like that,” she murmured. “Hojo is wonderful. He just isn’t right for me. I need someone more... exciting.” She laughed. “Though I’ve had some pretty overwhelming men come onto me in the last month and that’s not right either.”

“You require balance.”

“I want things to be natural.”

He nodded and pulled her along. She had chilled again while they were apart, so he led her out of the market and into a 24-hour café that was teeming with couples. He brought her a hot chocolate and joined her at a bistro table tucked away in a quiet corner.

She moaned when she took her first sip of hot chocolate, and the thrill that went through him at the sound was completely unprofessional.

“Kagome?” He recognized the man who greeted her as one from the party.

“Inuyasha, hey! I saw that you got back together with your ex, congrats!”

Another from the file and he liked this one even less than the last. “Thanks. You were right. I was being stupid. Sorry.”

She shook her head and grinned. “Just don’t screw it up this time, OK?”

“Yeah. I’m glad you found a date too.” A woman who looked remarkably like Kagome approached them. Her straight hair was pulled back and she fixed Kagome with a small smile that struck Sesshoumaru as triumphant. Kagome stiffened slightly and he reached under the table to grip her hand. She relaxed and squeezed his hand back.

Inuyasha lingered a moment too long, until his girlfriend laced their fingers together and pulled him away.

Kagome leaned across the table towards him and spoke in a low voice. “Thanks for not telling them you weren’t my date.”

It hadn’t even occurred to him to correct them. “Another ex?” he asked.

She shrugged. “We didn’t go out for very long. Inuyasha is great in a lot of ways, but he has some growing up to do. Besides, it wasn’t me he wanted.”

Perhaps she needed someone who was more mature, he reasoned. Someone who would not get caught up in a schoolboy crush or use her to rebound from a previous failure. Regardless, he’d be talking to Jaken about making such an incongruent pair.

“You deserve someone who sees you.”

Their eyes met and she smiled sweetly at him. “Thanks.”

She took their empty mugs to the counter and chatted with the barista, who laughed uproariously at whatever she said. Sesshoumaru looked above them at a decorative wall clock and cursed. Only an hour left to find this delightful woman her Valentine’s romance, and he’d been enjoying himself instead of working! He wracked his brain for somewhere with intelligent, mature, fun, attractive people, where he could find a single man for her, and his head was spinning when she approached him and tugged on his sleeve.

“Sesshoumaru? What’s wrong?”

“I just realized I didn’t finish something at work, and it was very important.”

“Do you have to go?”

He grasped her hand and pulled her outside. Snow had begun to fall while they were inside, and the crystals floated to the earth, getting caught in her hair like diamonds.

“No, it’s too late to go back to the office.”

“If we can’t do anything about it then we might as well find you someone hot! Maybe the problem is that we’re looking for love when we should just be helping you work off your tension.”

Was she actually insinuating that he needed to get laid? The thought perturbed him so much that his lip curled up into a sneer. “I’m not a dog. I’m not looking for a quick fuck.”

She flushed at his bad language and dropped his hand, which felt empty without hers. “That’s not what I meant! Ok. It is what I meant. I’m sorry to have offended you. I just thought that maybe – you said you’ve been working hard and you’re clearly exhausted- and.”

“Kagome,” he hummed. “I’m not angry with you, but I’m not looking for that, or anything else.”

After tonight he would go home to his apartment, which was blissfully quiet, and enjoy time to himself. He didn’t need or want company. But he found himself wondering, since failure was imminent, why he hadn’t left her to get some much-needed rest.

He meant to calm her and was shocked when she stiffened in his arms. “Oh my God you’re married aren’t you? And this isn’t a date, definitely not, because I’m your wingman, but we’ve been holding hands and hanging out like a couple and you have a wife at home?”

A middle aged man walking by whistled at her loud exclamation and shook his head at Sesshoumaru. He had to bite his tongue.

He waited until she was panting, her breath fogging the air between them, and then stepped back. “Do you think I would behave like this if I had a separate romantic entanglement?”

He added ‘jumps to conclusions’ on his mental list of her traits.

“No wife?”

“None.”

“Girlfriend?”

“Nonexistent.”

“We have been acting like a couple though.”

He considered their night and sighed. Being forced to acknowledge it meant that it had to end.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

She stepped closer to him, so that he could feel the heat radiating off her. Her lips brushing his neck when she whispered. “Why are you sorry?”

“I meant to find love for you, and now it is too late.”

“You can’t just find love silly. Remember what I said?”

Attraction. Comfort. Balance. Shared experiences. Was that not all things that they had? He marked off his mental checklist one by one.

Her hands fisted into the front of his shirt as his found its way to the nape of her neck. His thumb settled on her pulse point and he could feel her heartbeat go wild under his touch. Gently, as if she might break, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, almost toppling over when she launched herself at him. She wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him into her, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss. He complied, running his tongue across the roof of her mouth and feeling her melt into him. When they broke apart, he found her flushed and breathless.

“Does this mean I’ve failed as a wingman or that I’ve excelled at it?”

He thought of his upcoming holiday review and pulled her back to him. “I will let you know.”

The clock struck midnight, and technically Kagome Higurashi had found her Valentine.

#sesskag #sesskagfic #fanfiction

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mythicamagic · 4 years

Note

Spots to kiss + [11] please! ❤️

Prompt: a kiss on the corner of the mouth.

"I got you something."

His eyes immediately brightened in an endearing and almost boyish way. Kagome bit the inside of her cheek at witnessing such a rare expression of anticipation race over his ancient features before it was snuffed out. Sesshoumaru tilted his chin up haughtily.

"Oh?" he hummed, unruffled.

Kagome giggled, shifting her naked body on the furs within the cave and leaning over his muscled thigh to rifle through her bulging yellow back-pack. She could feel the heat of his gaze glide over her arched back- and a hand inevitably met the base of her spine, stroking over the curve of her ass and descending between parted thighs, seeking-

"Hey! No!" Kagome squeaked, covering herself and growling. "No gift-giving if you keep messing around."

"This one would like to point out that there is a 'gift' readily available to me between your legs," he purred, unabashed.

A lazy, dishevelled, perverted Sesshoumaru was an increasingly less rare sight these days, Kagome dryly mused. She secretly adored his bedhead. Silver strands looked like rumpled ribbons instead of sleek strands running down broad shoulders. Pride and possessiveness coiled in Kagome's chest at the sight of hickeys and love bites littering his body, mirroring her own.

"Yeah well you already indulged in that today," she huffed, squeezing slick thighs together and feeling her skin heat. "Behave yourself."

It was indicative of how stepped in afterglow Sesshoumaru truly was that he didn't growl or glare at the command. He merely grunted with a playful smirk, midsummer night eyes darkening.

Kagome turned back to her pack, fishing out a small grey box and brandishing with a flourish. "Aha!"

Arching a brow, Sesshoumaru rested a casual hand on her thigh as she straightened and turned back to him.

"Remember when you- when you um...first propositioned me?" she murmured softly.

"Indeed. It was after I'd attended the Southern Lord's gathering at his plateau," he hummed, gaze turning thoughtful. He'd been finely dressed, much like Mother. He still wasn't sure what had possed him to fly over Edo after the party. "Why ask?"

"Well it's just...I wanted to thank you for that night," Kagome mumbled, thrusting the box into his hands. "Just take it!"

Sesshoumaru regarded her quietly, directing his gaze to the humble box sitting within his large palm. Opening the lid revealed a pair of delicately crafted earrings.

To anyone else, it would be an incredibly random gift. They'd perhaps see it as an insult directed at a warlord, especially one as androgynous as he. Yet Sesshoumaru didn't possess one self-conscious bone in his body, Kagome knew that. He'd looked otherworldly that night, draped in more lavish layers than usual with the smoke of pipe curling around him.

The image of the Daiyoukai offering shelter from the rain on a mere whim lay seared into her mind- every detail, including the earrings he'd worn.

Thin lips curved, and clawed fingers twitched, giving into impulse and lifting one out. It was designed to curve over his pointed tip, shining faintly silver and sprawling down the length of the shell of his ear with an intricate design, a crescent moon held between the metalwork.

Looking up, he found Kagome biting on her bottom lip subconsciously, her face reluctantly giving way to a smile. "To make up for the one you lost," she murmured. "Yours are finer, I'm sure, but I hope these are okay."

Jewellery wasn't exactly something women tended to gift men often, but then again they were hardly conventional themselves.

"How did you come to possess these? Human ears aren't shaped this way," he hummed.

"Ah, d-don't sweat the small details," Kagome nervously laughed and waved it off, not wanting to provoke his ire by going into detail about people who cosplayed as elves. And took it very seriously, judging by how pricey they'd been. "S-so...do you like them?"

"Hn," he gazed at them without emotion.

She leaned against the warmth of his side, now knowing that was just how Sesshoumaru looked when deep in thought. She didn't exactly need thanks. Long legs shifted and mokomoko curled around her waist, the furs brushing the underside of her breast and eliciting a shiver. Kagome inwardly mewled when the Daiyoukai lifted her onto his lap.

"It has been a month since that night."

Her heart skidded, tripped up, and then thundered into overdrive, hands drawing back to her chest to try and stifle the pounding noise he could no doubt hear from within. He remembered...

"Yes," she said softly.

It wasn't like they could meet all the time, but they'd had their trysts at least 4 times a week and that wasn't counting how long they spent locked together or how many times he'd take her. Kagome couldn't stop blushing. Maybe he was more smooth, romantic and thoughtful than she'd given him credit for in the past.

Sesshoumaru nonchalantly reached to his mouth and plucked a canine loose.

Letting out a scream, Kagome hurriedly pressed her hands to his lips to try and stop the bleeding. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Don't go randomly taking out your teeth!"

He huffed and pushed her hand aside. "I did not bring a gift, but this is priceless-" he seized her arm and forced her to take it. "You are aware of what a fang from a Daiyoukai can do. Currently you do not have a weapon suited for close-range combat. Take this and it will be of use."

"But I'm not a demon," Kagome squeaked, thoroughly grossed out by the blood on her palm. The tooth is still warm.

Sesshoumaru tossed his head, eyeing her flatly. "The will of the fang is the will of the original bearer. It will work as I want it to."

"T-thanks," she said, pushing aside her squeamishness and looking at the facts. It would definitely turn into a strong weapon if she asked Totosai nicely to forge it for her. In his own way, Sesshoumaru was just giving her what he assumed all beings wanted; power.

Gentling, Kagome sat up on her knees, using his shoulder as leverage- and pressed a kiss to the corner of his bloodied mouth. It tasted like iron. Her tongue flicked out instinctively to lick it away, before stiffening and realising what she'd done.

I really have become weird since hanging out with demons so much.

Sesshoumaru didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, his eyes were darker than ever. With a shove, she fell back onto the furs, his body leaning over hers and hand straying south, seeking the 'gift' between her legs once more.

#sesskag #Sesshoumaru x Kagome #for anyone still waiting for theirs plz be patient you guys sent a lot XD #I've turned these prompts into a fic btw

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lordymaru · 4 years

Text

I NEED TO RANT

Let me start by saying this is all my personal opinion and inner monologue being poured into this text. The point of this “little” essay of sorts is to voice out my thoughts on why I think Sesshomaru’s character is being portrayed into something that was never meant to be. Sorry if I make typos and ortography makes your eyes bleed.

Little disclaimer: I don’t remember much about the manga so I will stick to the anime and bring out something from the third movie.

Sesshomaru is first introduced to us as this beautiful Daiyokai with an air of superiority, he is sardonic, he’s in every sense of the word the biggest asshole of a Lord who thinks everyone on their mother is beneath him. He hates his half brother (Inuyasha) because their father died protecting him and his human wife (Izayoi) and to add salt to the wound, the old man also inherited Inuyasha with Tessaiga.

Now, he had it in his head that just because he’s the eldest he should have gotten the better sword but Toga decided Tenseiga would be the one for Sesshomaru while the youngest would get Tessaiga. You can say, nah it’s because he hates Inuyasha for being a hanyo but, honestly, he was entitled to believe he deserved the best of the best just because he was a brat. That’s the truth. In the end, Sesshomaru ends up losing his arm because he was such a spoiled little shit with no respect for anyone. If that isn’t enough, his dumb ass kept trying to steal a sword that didn’t belong to him by attaching arm after arm and still, he wouldn’t get the sword. Why? Because it was not meant to be his!

During one final attempt to steal the sword Inuyasha sends his ass flying across the sky and he would have died if Tenseiga hadn’t bothered to protect him from the blow. You know what happens next, don’t you? Yes, he meets our baby girl Rin.

This sweet child who felt curiosity and empathy towards this wounded demon. As little as she was, she tried her best to tend to him, to keep him comfortable even though Sesshomaru would reject her constant efforts. The thing is he hated humans, he thought of them as roaches, dirt beneath his shoes and yet he wouldn’t even try to hurt this tiny human because she posed no threat to him. Rin had it bad before meeting him, she lost her family, she was traumatized by the whole experience and that trauma resulted in her loosing her ability to speak. The people from the village treated her like scum and this demon, this spoiled Daiyokai felt curiosity for her- going as far as to ask her what had happened to her after noticing the bruises on her face. The guy tried to drown Jaken at the beginning of the series, this was a huge thing for him. Feeling interest and empathy for another creature- for a human.

Once he’s feeling strong enough to get up and leave, he picks up the scent of Rin’s blood, he goes, sees she’s dead and the first thing that comes to his mind is her smiling face. I don’t know if her smile moved him somehow or he just wanted to test the sword or if he was grateful or feeling merciful to bring her back to life with Tenseiga, the point is he does and she tags along. Sesshomaru shows little to no interest to her being there at first and Jaken ends up turning into her nanny while A-Un becomes her main method of transportation. Naraku eventually kidnaps her, uses her as a way to force his hand and so on, I won’t get into much detail about that part. After the incident, Sesshomaru starts hunting Naraku and occasionally would stumble upon Inugang. Sesshomaru’s sidequests often include helping them and keeping Rin out of harm’s way because she is his one and only weakness and everyone in the darn series knows it. He is careful with how he speaks around her, he avoids fights that may endanger his little travel companion and most importantly he does not kill around her unless there’s no other option. I’ve mentioned before how most of his side quests come from having to save her.

As the series progresses, we notice a huge change in him, we see he no longer picks up fights just for the kicks and overall he does his own thing but it isn’t until he breaks Tokijin we see the biggest change in his heart. Yes, I am talking about Kagura’s death. There’s a huge difference between the manga and anime in this part, if I remember correctly, in the manga he picks up her scent when his flying around (if not by all means, let me know) and goes to see her. In the anime, he is fighting Moryomaru, who has the nerve to insult her which enrages Sesshomaru and results in Tokijin being broken. In the manga Moryomaru insults her memory, she’s already gone by now. In the anime she’s near death, which is why he rushes to see her. Say what you will but he rushed to see her and you can’t change my mind, he was in a freaking hurry to find her because he smelled her blood and Naraku’s miasma mixed together. When he arrived to meet her his expression was so sad, it was one of those moments that really made me actually feel for him. The fact that he wanted to save her without anyone begging him to do so, the fact that he had no excuse for her and simply say “I knew it was you” was a huge thing for him.

And he says, you know what? I will be the one to decide if she died in vain or not. That was such a breath stopper, if you ask me. After that Totosai tells him Tenseiga has picked up on the rage he was feeling, therefore it was time for it to become a real weapon. In my opinion, Sesshomaru wasn’t just angry- he was feeling impotence at not being able to save Kagura, his sword had failed him and so he had failed to carry on his own wishes. He wanted to help, he wanted to save her, he wanted to do something for someone else outside of his little bubble.

The second time we see him angry is when Rin dies (again). His little travel companion, who had served as a compass on this journey to find himself had died because he was after a power even greater than him. His sword had failed him once more and the grief he was feeling was so strong he admitted to himself such a sacrifice wasn’t worth it.

Possessing a greater power doesn’t justify putting those he loves at risk, nothing is worth the lives of those he cares about the most. He had to “lose her” in order to learn compassion. His sword was more powerful now but, at what cost? When he learned he couldn’t revive her a second time, he was shocked and I even dare to say he was scared. If it hadn’t been because his mommy had the stone to revive Rin, I believe Sesshomaru would have gone berserk.

Now... this is where I wil really start going off:

You mean to tell me, this God Tier anti-hero with such a fantastic character development fathered two kids and Sunrise is portraying him as a lolicon? You mean to tell me, he is being paired with the little girl he saved over and over? You REALLY mean to tell me there’s people out there who think he would actually make Rin his wife and Sunrise is using that to get the money bag?

I can’t stress enough how ridiculous this whole sequel is for depicting him in such a way. The fact that they would even DARE to spit on his character in such a way angers me to the core. Look at how far he’s come! By portraying him into a darn lolicon they’re making him hit rock bottom, character development completely trashed, they’ve poured gasoline on him and let him burn in the corner. I know nothing is confirmed and is probably just a strategy to make people watch it, but this- this thing they’re doing is just messed up. In my opinion, he wasn’t meant to be a father. I find it incredibly weird for him to be a father. In no way did his character was headed into that direction, not at all. The only romantic interest that would have been fit to father his children in the future and in a far superior sequel would have been Kagura.

All I can say now is, I am hoping the theories come in clutch and drag Sesshomaru out of this grave Sunrise has thrown him in.

#sesshomaru #inuyasha #inuyasha fandom #iy #sesskagu #anti sessrin #antisessrin #sorry not sorry #yashahime sucks #sunrise sucks #kagura of the wind #sesshomaru x kagura

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chaos-in-the-making · 3 years

Note

I wonder what people’s reaction was to Sesshomaru giving up his title? Specifically like Inuyasha, Totosai, Myoga and his mother.

Inuyasha because he’s likely the one that would find it hardest to believe Sesshomaru has changed, especially for a human woman.

Totosai and Myoga because they knew Sesshomaru when he was younger and didn’t have the world’s greatest opinion of him. Plus, they were close to Toga and would be able to give insight to how Toga would’ve felt about Sesshomaru giving up his title.

Sesshomaru’s mother would be another interesting one because she’s known her son from birth to present. I’m sure she had quite an opinion to her son marrying a human, and not even a negative opinion because she didn’t seem to dislike Rin.

What’s your opinion if you don’t mind me asking? I love your inputs.

AND I APPRECIATE YOU

Well the biggest, most obvious reaction is shock. EVERYONE in the demon world was watching Sesshoumaru to inherit his father's power. It was so much pressure, I'm sure. And with demon gossip what it is, I'm sure the entire Naraku saga was also closely watched, with Inuyasha and Kagome being of interest. After Naraku was defeated, the lesser demons must have decided that messing with the skilled priestess was just not worth their time.

But as for their inner circle, they probably saw it coming. Let's face it, Sesshoumaru had changed so much that he just wasn't the same guy anymore. Sure, he was still a stone cold asshole, but little by little, as they watched him return to Rin again and again, they could see how he melted around her. Then he is bringing gifts?? Then actually visiting a human village?

Totosai and Myoga have seen this before. They watched it with Toga. They might even have felt apprehension, with the history of how Toga died protecting his human wife. As far as I can tell, only Myoga serves Inuyasha, but he is invested in Sesshoumaru as well, being of Toga's bloodline. From the first season of Yashahime, we get this thread of Doom every time a demon falls in love with a human. For Sesshoumaru to give up his title for Rin, there was probably a lot of head shaking, and a lot of head nodding. "Ah yes, he is truly his father's son."

SESSHOUMARU'S MOTHER ON THE OTHER HAND. She is SOOOO interesting! She is just SO far detached, that she appeared to not have any emotional attachments at ALL. She finds Sesshoumaru's attachment to Rin as CURIOUS. Like, aww what a cute little pet my son has. Just like his father. Does she even feel love for Sesshoumaru? I CAN'T TELL. She is very good at keeping her true feelings to herself, even better than Sesshoumaru. To hear that Sesshoumaru gave up the title, I imagine she shrugged her shoulders and thought about how it would affect the demon world. "I won't get involved" She would say. But she seems to have her mind and her sights on the eternal, and not on the the temporary. She is a demon, and she watches as the world changes. Sesshoumaru giving up the title might just be another sign that the age of demons is beginning to end.

Who knows? But it's so interesting to think about! I love stories that make me THINK and not just hand everything to me. What even is the impact to the power balance? Sesshoumaru being the Lord of the West, and Kirinmaru being the Lord of the East, the balance each other. Sesshoumaru leaving a void means a power struggle for the lesser demons, and that makes him a target as well, for the demons to prove themselves.

AND HE DID IT ANYWAY.

GOD I LOVE THAT MAN

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akitokihojo · 3 years

Text

Monster - Chapter 10

chapter index

Hello I have returned. Have the next chapter.

CW: grooming

Also, please note that I have officially changed the rating of the story on AO3 and FF.net regarding *future* chapter(s). And don't act like y'all don't even know why. :)

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“I can’t believe that actually worked.” Kagome mentioned amusedly, walking a few feet behind her half demon companion.

“I told you it would. I can’t believe you tested out the sharpness on your thumb.” Inuyasha sarcastically sneered with an irritated roll of his eyes, his head slightly bobbing to the side.

“I didn’t test it out, and you know it.” Kagome half laughed - half sighed. “I just wanted to see the job Totosai did. It was super sharp!”

“Yeah, no fucking kidding, huh? I’m not sure if you know this, though, but you see things with your eyes.”

“It was an accident, you butt.”

“Will you hurry up and fix your tits so I can take a look at your cut already?” He pressed heatedly, intentionally keeping ahead of her.

Kagome had been wrestling with the lacing of her bodice for a few minutes now; ever since they left the inn. They were finally outside of the village and wandering through the forest, but it was a little tricky to get her breasts in order while keeping a steady pace behind Inuyasha. That, and finagling the strings with one less thumb so she wouldn’t get blood on her clothing.

“You know, now that you mention it, you haven’t looked at me since I tightened my bodice up. What’s up with that?” Kagome questioned, holding the loosened garment an inch away from her chest to try and shake her breasts down a little. No good. Not loose enough yet. She really went to town this time.

“You want me to?” He countered with a brazened tone.

“I mean, it’s not that I want you to. I don’t necessarily care one way or the other.”

“I’m trying to be respectful.”

“It was your idea for me to objectify myself, Inuyasha.”

“So? That’s different. It was Totosai objectifying you, and it served a purpose. You got your shit for free. It worked. Now put them away.”

“I’m trying! They wont work with me.” She laughed. It was honestly funny that he was so stiff ahead of her, so insistent to avoid looking at her.

“How bad is your thumb?”

“Eh, not too bad. It’s dripping down my hand, though.”

“Goddamn it, Kagome!” He ground out exasperatedly.

“Just turn around, oh my god.” Kagome laughed again, shaking her head.

“No.”

“You act like you won’t have anything else to look at if you do. Like, I don’t know, my eyes? Or, maybe even my thumb?”

“Fix your tits.”

“My nipples aren’t showing. It’s just a bit of cleavage.”

“I’m serious.”

“So, am I. My nipples really aren’t showing.”

“Oh my fucking god.”

“Ah! Inuyasha, it’s going down my forearm!” Kagome commented in a panicked tone, readjusting the way she held her arm as she quickly yanked her sleeve back so her blood wouldn’t stain.

Quickly, Inuyasha spun around, but he abruptly stopped before he could even reach for her hand, amber eyes landing on her chest and then hastily shooting up to her face. She watched his cheeks change colors, three shades of red appearing just beneath his eyes before he glared and turned back around to keep walking.

“Hey!”

“Fix ‘em.”

“Are you afraid of boobs, Inuyasha?” God, she was trying so hard not to laugh right now. She’d never seen anyone as flustered as he was now, and it was extremely difficult not to poke fun at him. “Is that what’s happening? Do my breasts intimidate you?”

“Kagome, don’t think I’m opposed to leaving you here alone until you fix your wardrobe malfunction.”

“You wouldn’t.” She stated plainly with a shrug he didn’t see.

“Oh, fuck you. Yes, I would.”

“And, leave me defenseless with a bleeding thumb and my tits out for all to take advantage of?” Obviously, that was a joke, but despite the lighthearted tone, she knew it would grind Inuyasha’s gears. He stopped walking and she heard the deep, hot inhale through his nose, literally watching his fingers furl into fists. It didn’t take a genius to know that he desperately wanted to leave her just to prove a point, but he couldn’t because there really was the possibility that she’d be an easy target.

“Go ahead,” Kagome laughed defeatedly, stopping behind him. “Say it.”

“Fuck you.” He huffed out through clenched teeth. “You’re manipulative.”

“Is there anyway I can kindly manipulate you into maybe helping me?” She almost mumbled, staring down at her chest while she struggled with one hand now.

“Kagome, what!?” Inuyasha lolled his head dramatically.

“I never realized how much I needed my thumbs for this. It was a struggle at first, but since I’m dripping now, I’m down to one hand entirely. I need help.”

“My help!?”

“Do you speak squirrel? Maybe you can get one of those guys to do it - yes, you’re help!” Kagome fired. “Stop being a sissy and just turn around. I promise my breasts wont bite you.”

“I hate you. I hate you so much right now.” He murmured, sliding his heel around in the dirt to face her. His golden eyes drifted around, never landing on her at all. They went from the right, above her, back to the right, then all the way over her and to the left.

“God, Inuyasha, I’m not asking you to grope me! Start from the bottom and pull this string.” Kagome waited a moment, observing Inuyasha’s discomfort, his blush, his tense stance. With a groan beneath her breath, she rolled her eyes again. “Would you feel better if I covered my cleavage?”

“I’m not sure.” He admitted.

“Fine, I’ll just do it, myself. But, stop for a minute. It’s even harder to do while walking.” Kagome conceded with a sigh. She turned around so Inuyasha would hopefully be more comfortable, pulling her sleeve as far back over her elbow as it would go to struggle with her lacing again with a little less risk of a mess. She continued on grumbling, “I don’t know what you’re problem is, though. I know damn well you’ve seen boobs before. Don’t act like mine aren’t nice. Mine are perfectly nice.”

With a feisty huff, Inuyasha gave in, giving her what she wanted with a little taste of her own medicine.

“Fine,” He grunted, grabbing her shoulder and yanking her around. Kagome unsuspectingly stood there, shocked, eyes wide as he flicked her hands away from her bodice. Inuyasha worked from the bottom up, yanking the strings loose as her body jostled slightly from the force of his movements. “Yes, your tits are nice. Is that what you want to hear? That’s not the problem though. You’re not someone I’m trying to hit and quit. You’re Kagome. I was being respectful. I refuse to make you feel objectified or uncomfortable.“ Finally loose enough, Inuyasha grabbed it from the top and wiggled her chest back and forth so her breasts would fall back into their proper place. Then, he went right back to tightening it up properly, going by how they usually looked as he pulled the strings taut, again her body jostling back and forth with his motions. “But, you just think it’s so funny, don’t you? You’re such a fucking brat sometimes, I swear. Well, fine. You want my help? You got it.” Inuyasha declared, quickly tying off the ends of the strings, and giving the top plush of her tits a finishing pat.

Kagome stared at him, stunned. There was a partial smile on her mouth, but it hung open, the heat of her face bubbling and bright. Inuyasha took in her blush, how it was taking forever to process what the fuck had just happened, and he cocked an arrogant smirk at the embarrassment he’d caused her to swim in.

“How’s it feel?” He asked smugly.

“I deserved that.” She remarked, trying to pinch her lips into a straight set line so she wouldn’t laugh. She hadn’t seen that coming. Not at all. “The - uh - the boob tap was a nice touch. No pun intended.”

There was a moment where he inhaled slowly, eyes blinking closed as his brows furrowed and creased deeply, but he couldn’t hold it. The both of them started laughing hysterically, his own coming out as a sort of snort from how hard he’d tried to bite the reaction back.

“Fuck, I can’t stand you!” He laughed, planting the palm of his hand on his forehead before sloppily dragging his silver bangs away.

“I’m sorry! I just didn’t expect to be manhandled by you!” Kagome had slightly doubled over from how funny it was. Anyone else, and she would have punched their lights out. But, this was Inuyasha. And, he went from zero to a hundred real freaking quick. It was both surprising and hilarious at the same time.

“How fucking old is that bodice? Why did I have to put so much effort into such a small thing?” Inuyasha stressed.

“Pretty old.” She giggled, testing the flexibility of his job. Honestly, it was nearly perfect. A smidgen tighter than she liked it, but not at all something she couldn’t live with. “I wear it all the time so it fits better to my body, but I’ve had to replace the lacing a few times already. I might be due for new strings. These ones like to stick in the holes and it makes it harder to pull loose - I know.”

“You’d better hope that thing doesn’t rip right off of you in the heat of battle.” He chuckled.

“Shh, don’t say that.” Kagome hushed. “You’ll jinx me.”

“Let me see your cut, you fucking idiot.” Inuyasha wagged his fingers to usher her hand over, taking it to inspect the small nick closely. It really was fucking tiny. How the fuck was it bleeding so much? “Turn around.”

Kagome pursed her lips and did as instructed, letting Inuyasha pull the drawstring of her bag loose and wriggle something free. With his clutch on the sack, her twisted her back to face him, opening up the canteen of water and slowly pouring some on the little laceration.

“Seriously, how did you even do this?”

“I don’t even know. I think my grip on the arrowhead just kind of slipped and I accidentally cut myself.”

“I can’t take you anywhere. You’re so fucking clumsy, it’s annoying.”

“Catch me, I’m swooning.” Kagome sarcastically remarked at his abrasive words with a playful roll of her eyes.

The corners of Inuyasha’s lips inched upward as he handed her the canteen to hold in her free hand, reaching into his pocket. The hanyou pulled out an off-white handkerchief, unfolding it before her with a little flick.

“Is that a flower on the corner? Inuyasha, I didn’t take you as a floral kind of guy.” Kagome giggled teasingly.

“Ha-ha.” He sneered. “A harlot gave it to me.”

“When?” Kagome hadn’t had the opportunity to hold back the rise in her tone before the word slipped off her tongue. It was shocked, and defensive, and almost territorial. Immediately, as she realized how she’d sounded, she fixed her expression and shut her mouth.

Inuyasha arched a brow, resisting the reflex to smirk. He didn’t take Kagome as the jealous type, but he’d caught it. No matter how quickly she’d adjusted herself and shifted her eyes away. Not to mention, there was a slightly embarrassed flush on her cheeks.

“Before I met you.” He said, finally letting himself smile, though it was smug as all hell. He could feel it. “We didn’t fuck.”

“Oh, that’s not it.” Kagome hastily reassured, giving a dramatic, one-shouldered shrug. “I was just a little surprised because I didn’t see you talk to anybody, so I was like ‘wow, when did another woman approach’, right? Because, like, I was right next to you most of the time, except for, like, when I went downstairs to the tavern to eat, but I highly doubt you would have snuck someone in then. Of course, even if you did, that’s none of my business. But, it was just, when we were shopping in the market avenue, we were right next to each other the whole time, so, like, I was just shocked because, wow, I didn’t see anything, so if it happened, it had to be super stealthy. I was just surprised, is all, but if it happened before we even met, then that makes a lot more sense. It’s actually a really pretty handkerchief.”

Good lord, she rambled when she was flustered. Inuyasha shrugged his brows, sighing deeply as he ignored her, taking the corner of the cloth between his teeth and ripping a long portion off.

“And, now it’s not.” Kagome deadpanned.

“Will you shut up already?” Inuyasha grumbled, wrapping the torn away length of cloth around her thumb to tie securely. “There. You’re gonna make it.”

“Thanks, doc.” She said with a cute pout.

Inuyasha’s ear flicked as he took the canteen to shove back in her bag, stopping for a moment to analyze the noise he’d caught. Light footsteps, small gait, single person, careful treading. Not in a stalking manner, though. It was nearby, but it didn’t seem like they were attempting to creep up in any way. With an attentive sniff, Inuyasha caught the scent of a human. One who made home more often in a forest than anywhere else. They had a woodsy scent, a fresh campfire lingering on their clothing. With how light they seemed, Inuyasha was willing to guess they were female. Though, he has been wrong before. It could also be a child. They had the tendency of ambling similarly, albeit with more frequent stumbling. Nevertheless, they were fine so long as both parties minded their own.

“You done rambling?” He asked as he came around the side of her, notching his head to signal for them to continue on.

“I wasn’t rambling.” She weakly defended with a barely audible huff from her nostrils.

“Okay,” He chuckled. “Well, if that’s the case, then keep your voice down. There’s someone nearby.”

“Who?”

“No one we need to worry about. Human. I just don’t want to attract attention our way.”

“Roger that.” Kagome nodded, sealing her lips and walking by his side.

Silence, talking, bantering, it was all comfortable with Inuyasha at this point. There was something that had shifted between them over the past couple of days. After he’d gone to sleep on his human night, Kagome laid there awake, listening to the peacefulness of his deep breathing. It wasn’t often that he slept, but he seemed to fall asleep pretty quickly that night. All she could hope was that he was okay and comfortable, and that he woke up well-rested.

But, she worried that maybe she’d pushed the boundaries with all the touching she’d done on him that night. She was a little more handsy than normal. Granted, it was only his hair, arm, and legs, and they’d held hands for about thirty seconds, but it was still abnormal and slightly unwarranted. Kagome got a bit in her head by overthinking the situation. She was slightly overly affectionate, which was weird on its own because this was a different sort of affection she hadn’t really understood or explored before. And, while she wanted to blame the one beer she’d consumed and Koga’s insinuation of her feelings for Inuyasha, by the next morning, she knew she couldn’t. She knew it made sense for a reason. How could she deny that she had an attraction toward him?

Thing was, Kagome was worried she’d made it too apparent. He was so close to her, they were touching like it was second nature, and she hadn’t even considered that she may have been overstepping a boundary. She’d hoped, sincerely hoped, that things wouldn’t be awkward in the morning.

Luckily and surprisingly, they weren’t. Though, things weren’t quite the same either. Inuyasha walked a few inches closer to her. They’d decided to stay in town for another day for a little rest - which she knew was because he was aware of how exhausted she was from all the extra effort she’d been putting into her training and growth. That, he wouldn’t openly admit, though. Nor, would she expect him to. It was good enough for her to be able to read him, and that was all Kagome needed to appreciate. They ate breakfast in Kaede’s tavern, and he kicked the toes of her boots a few times. It was a casual thing as they waited and conversed, but it was new. She wouldn’t necessarily call it footsies though. That was a little too cutesy of a stunt for Inuyasha to ever pull. Then, he took her around the town, discretely showing her some of the deterrents Kaede had previously mentioned. He stayed close. Always close. Especially, when he took her to the market avenue.

There was a bit of a crowd even Inuyasha seemed surprised about. Kagome could tell he wasn’t a fan of them right away. His ears swiveled unpleasantly, almost pinning down for a brief moment, and he seemed to stiffen minutely. Nothing too obvious, but she’d caught the difference. She was quick to suggest they come back later, but the hanyou shook his head, clearing his dissatisfaction.

“Stay close.” He’d instructed as he guided her through. “Don’t want to lose you.”

It might have meant nothing but basic kindness to him, but it caused a tiny flurry in her abdomen. That sensation spread out whenever people got a little too close to her and Inuyasha’s hand would unconsciously find the small of her back. Was it protective, or was it just to make sure they didn’t get separated? Or both? Kagome didn’t allow herself to read too far into it. She just decided to go along with it, enjoying the warmth and safety of his presence.

They ate dinner in the tavern, joked with Kaede in her downtime, played rock-paper-scissors - which was shockingly exciting for such a simple game, enjoyed one last, hot bath, and then went to bed. Of course, ending with Inuyasha wrestling with her and dumping her on the mattress like before. At some point in the day, Kagome had stopped thinking about the potential for awkward tension between them, she stopped thinking about accidentally overstepping boundaries the night before, she stopped thinking about incidentally making Inuyasha uncomfortable with her affection, because it felt like he was partaking in growing closer to her, as well. It felt natural. It felt like no thought needed to be applied, and whatever was happening was organic.

Whether it was in the same nature as her or not, she wasn’t sure. And, she tried to believe it didn’t matter.

So quickly, yet still not terrifying. Not to her. Kagome had thoroughly come to enjoy his company.

“So,” She spoke, keeping her voice low so it was conversational but between them. “What did you mean by, ‘you’re Kagome’?”

“You’re Kagome.” Inuyasha repeated matter-of-factly.

“And?”

“You’re annoying.”

“And?” She giggled.

“You’re fishing for something I’m not going to give you.” He stated gruffly.

“Allow me to fill in the blanks.”

“Here we go.” Inuyasha muttered.

“‘You’re Kagome’, when looked up in a modern dictionary, can mean one of three things: Number one, I respect you so stinking much that I could never find it in myself to sexualize you non-consensually. Number two, I’m not attracted to you and it makes me feel uncomfortable that you have such nice breasts because I would rather not view you as a sexually appeasing woman. Number three, you’re one of the bro’s.”

“Number four, you’re an idiot I can never get to shut up, so it’s physically impossible to be attracted to someone like you.” He added.

“Hah! Says the guy who got shy at the sight of a little cleavage.” Kagome playfully teased.

“Why are you not offended when I call you ugly?” Inuyasha chuckled, his expression twisting bemusedly.

Kagome stopped, an obvious pout replacing her grin. “You think I’m ugly?”

Inuyasha turned to look at her, his face shifting seriously as he panicked at her sudden hurt. “No. No, Kagome I don’t think you’re…” He paused as he watched her lips slowly curve upward, brown eyes twinkling devilishly. “I hate you.”

She laughed, “That’s why.”

“You fucking tricked me.”

“It’s one thing to not be attracted to me, Inuyasha. Of course, my feelings wouldn’t be hurt by that. But, calling me ugly would actually hurt me, and you know it, and I’ve noticed that’s something you try to avoid.”

“Hurting your feelings? I literally call you an idiot all the time.”

“Yes, but you know that doesn’t bother me.” She smiled, shrugging as she continued walking. She heard his footsteps follow behind her, crunching leaves and the thick clumps of dirt on their path.

“What makes you think I care about hurting your feelings? It’s not something I actively try to avoid, kid. You’ve probably just got a thicker layer of skin since you grew up with two boys.” Inuyasha was pulling shit out of his ass. Kagome had sort of scattered his brain for a moment. She was reading him well. Was he obvious in his attempts at taking better care of her sensitive nature?

“Nah,” She turned around to look at him, and he froze from how happy she seemed. He knew she was joking, playing around, and there was only one thing she’d said that had bothered him. That he wasn’t attracted to her. While he would rather keep it to himself, while he would rather that not be obvious information, it was still incorrect. Because, when she smiled the way she was right now, when her cheeks tinted naturally, and when the sun touched her through the tops of the trees, his heart had a tendency to clench. It wasn’t painful, it wasn’t jolting, but it was there. Of course, he found her appealing to look at. There were so many sides to her that he’d been able to witness over the weeks, and he genuinely only disliked one. Her sadness. Her tears. It wasn’t that they were ugly. He just hated it. It had no business clouding the joyful features that he observed now. Despite all that, he genuinely wanted to see more. He wanted to see it all. He wanted to see her fierce side, her determined side, he wanted to see her scowl - pointed at others, of course - and her attitude, he wanted to see what she looked like when she danced, when she was compassionate, and at the end of the day, he wanted to see her win. Inuyasha was truly attracted to Kagome, and even though that was his business, it still didn’t sit quite well that she considered otherwise. “You’re just a big softie.”

Inuyasha deadpanned. That was the second time she’d called him that, and he was beginning to think she really believed it. “And, you’re stupid.”

“You didn’t deny it!”

“Neither did you.” The hanyou stated smugly, catching up to her side. He watched her expression flatten, and she grumpily kicked a rock out of her path. Got her.

Interestingly, the human was still nearby. He’d thought, after a while, they would have gone in some other direction, but it was almost like they were keeping up with he and Kagome. Additionally, they seemed to be walking just a bit closer. More than that. They were walking toward them now. It seemed like in a matter of minutes, they were bound to cross paths.

No. Something wasn’t right.

Inuyasha stopped, swiping his arm out in front of Kagome’s stomach to halt her as well. The girl jumped slightly at the sudden change, but she settled into place as her hands gently grabbed his forearm, attention on his hardened jaw but eventually following his gaze ahead of them.

A woman stepped out from behind a thick-trunked tree, an emotionless expression on her pale face as she gazed at the two of them with caramel eyes. Beneath, the skin was thin and dark, telling stories of her fatigue, though her shoulders were broadened energetically. She was thin, mid-height, wore fitted pants, but the beige blouse she donned seemed two sizes too large, tucked into her bottoms to keep the tail out of the way. On her right shoulder, she wore a quiver of arrows and a long bow, colored red and cracked from years of usage. It came from above, but a white, ghostly serpent slithered down and around the woman’s shoulders and chest, dropping a glowing light through her heart before circling her body to perch on her free shoulder with its insectile legs.

“Kikyo.” Kagome breathed, but when Inuyasha looked down at his companion, he noticed she didn’t appear as pleased or welcoming as he would have expected her to be. So, this was the great Kikyo, huh? He lowered his arm.

Kagome skeptically glanced at Inuyasha, and even though she was just touching him, she reached for him once more to feel his shoulder.

“This is real.” Kikyo spoke. “I’m not in your head. I’m here. And, before you react to anything dramatically, no, this is not the endgame we were intended to meet at.”

Inuyasha’s brows pinched together slightly, and he felt a tug pull down at the corners of his lips. Already, he wasn’t a huge fan of the way she spoke to Kagome.

It was a moment before Kagome could speak. All she could do was stare at the woman in front of her. Over the past year, she’d always imagined she would be some form of excited when meeting Kikyo in person, but Kagome currently felt no emotion in similarity. She was unhappy. She was growing increasingly more upset, a grudge she’d been holding against the woman rising to the surface now.

“Been a while.” She finally said, her tone level.

“Yes. It has been.” Kikyo walked closer, leaving just a few feet’s worth of a gap separating she and the opposite conjurer. “I’ll admit, I haven’t much felt like talking to you. I had nothing to say.”

“Oh, you haven’t?” Kagome shrugged her brows in minor challenge. “Well, ditto.”

“Ditto?”

“Means, the feeling’s mutual. I didn’t want to talk to you, either.”

“Are you claiming to be upset with me?”

“I am.” Kagome stated plainly.

“On what grounds?” Kikyo asked, a modest scowl appearing on her features.

“You first.”

Inuyasha swiftly grew uncomfortable as both women faced each other. At the reveal of who the person was, he hadn’t suspected Kagome to be any degree of unhappy, yet she faced the supposedly powerful conjurer with squared shoulders and a vexed look on her face. Now that he thought about it, she hadn’t mentioned Kikyo since that night they played the question game. He figured if they were in consistent, subconscious communication, as it previously seemed, she’d share any news. It made sense now. They hadn’t spoken. Still, no matter how badly he wanted to take a large step to the side, he resigned to remain at Kagome’s for the moment. He really hadn’t seen her in a confrontational state such as this, so he had no idea what to expect right now.

“You know what you did.” Kikyo replied.

“You mean, what I didn’t do?” Kagome cocked her head to the side. Again, the challenge was present.

“Yes.” Kikyo huffed.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“You don’t - excuse me?” For the first time, Kagome heard a heightened inflection in Kikyo’s tone. Even when she lectured her that last time, she didn’t seem this exasperated. And, so quickly too. Kagome was sort of proud of herself. Kikyo always appeared so grounded. “This has everything to do with me, Kagome.”

“No, you think it has everything to do with you, but it really doesn’t. You voiced your opinion, I took it into account, but then I made my own decision. You and I can’t travel together, and you basically told me I’m on my own, so that means I get to call my own shots. Right? Right.”

“You’re a fool.”

“Oh my god.” Kagome’s head lolled back dramatically before finding its way to sit upright. “That again? I’m the fool, but you wanted to punish me by giving me the silent treatment for traveling with Inuyasha? Fine, I’ll take it. But, you’re immature.”

“What do you have against me?” Inuyasha inquired with a small shrug, confused. He was sidelined one moment, and then before he knew it, part of the problem.

Kikyo hissed an abrupt hushing sound at the half demon, barely looking at him before she went back to glaring at Kagome. “Tell me why you have the audacity to be mad.”

“The audacity?” Kagome guffawed, so blown away by Kikyo’s ego that she couldn’t help but back step with her jaw hanging agape. “Okay! Sure! Were you ever gonna mention that you were hanging around my village for god knows how long? That you were spotted and that was the reason Naraku’s henchmen had been visiting so frequently? Hm? Ever plan on bringing that information up, or were you just gonna sweep it under the rug?”

“Are you blaming me for -“

“No. I’m not. The girl’s death is on them. I’m blaming you for being partially responsible for making the last few months of my life hell, though! Did you watch when my mother was slapped across the face two months ago? She was hit so hard, her cheek was bruised and she spit blood. Did you sit back and relax when an old lady had her face shoved in horse shit? Her heart gave out a week later, and the doctor thinks it was from the stress. We all called her Grandma Hojo. She raised one of my friends. She was all he had left. How about the time they defiled our graveyard? Did you like that little show they put on? How I had to scoop up and bury my father’s ashes for the second time!? You really want to say that I have the ‘audacity’ to be mad at you!? Kikyo, you were right fucking there! Why did you -“

“Hey,” His voice was soothing as Inuyasha swiftly reached for her jaw with one hand, her nearest shoulder with the other, turning Kagome to face him. He bowed his head slightly, speaking only to her as he forced her eye contact. “Hey, it’s okay. Calm down, alright? Don’t visit that pain again. I don’t want you going back to that.”

The hanyou gave her a moment, and luckily Kikyo stayed stiff with silence. He didn’t let Kagome go. Truthfully, he was willing to guess even she hadn’t realized how emotional she was becoming or how the post-traumatic stress was being triggered. But, he’d seen it. He heard things he couldn’t imagine a single person having to live through, let alone this girl. This girl whose eyes brought him solace without any effort, this girl whose laughter was bubbly and sweet, this girl he was biased enough to believe deserved it all the least. Even he was slammed with the weight of the experiences she’s lived through, and these occurrences were only separated by mere weeks. But, it was at the mention of her father’s remains being disrespected that his heart wrenched painfully. If he was hurt by the thought, he knew Kagome was engulfed in that pain and anger, and that was where Inuyasha needed to reach in and yank her out. It was so easy to drown in trauma you hadn’t been able to sort through yet, and he couldn’t let it take her. She could continue arguing all she wanted. Truthfully, he loved her feisty side. This seemed like something that was waiting to come, anyway. But, she was going to stay balanced while she did it. He was there to make sure she didn’t get too overwhelmed.

Kagome took a deep breath, slightly embarrassed but thankful for her companion reeling her back to reality. She had been quickly growing so furiously heated that she wasn’t even thinking straight and her fingers had begun trembling, but his touch pulled her back to the present. She hated that she was so emotion driven, she hated that she got so passionately flustered when reliving past incidents, but none of that was important right now. Kagome nodded as she felt steadier, more level-headed, and then turned out of his grasp, looking back at Kikyo. She could feel the slant of her own eyes, though. Her glare held no forgiveness yet. She wanted to hear Kikyo’s explanation, and quite frankly, deserved it.

“You do blame me.” Kikyo stated more than questioned, a slight frown tugging at her lips.

“I blame you for what you’re responsible for, yes.” Kagome replied. “I blame you for just standing by and watching. I blame you for knowing the havoc you’d caused, but never giving any sort of warning. You had plenty of opportunities. You communicated to me in my dreams, but all you ever said was, ‘the responsibility is ours.’ Not once did you slip in a, ‘hey, I fucked up. Look out.’”

Kikyo’s caramel eyes fell to the forest floor, the muscles at the joint of her jaw flexing and nostrils flaring. There was the smallest quiver in her chin, but she tucked it in the hopes that it wouldn’t be noticed. A heat was rising through her chest, her neck, her face, and all too soon, her nervous ticks began to kick. Her hips swayed side-to-side, her fingers clenched and unclenched repeatedly, she gnawed on her thin, bottom lip, and she blinked profusely because she’d be damned if anyone saw a single tear from her.

“I - I didn’t know what to do.” Kikyo hesitantly admitted.

Kagome didn’t speak. In fact, she sealed her lips. The floor belonged to Kikyo.

“It took forever to find you, and when I had, I didn’t want to forget your face or your village. It was difficult to locate to begin with. I did - um - I did make a mistake, Kagome. I wasn’t paying as close attention to my surroundings as I should have been. I got too relaxed, and hadn’t realized I’d been seen at first. When it became apparent, it was too late. I tried wandering away, even going so far as to intentionally be seen elsewhere to try and drag the attention away from you and yours, but I was unsuccessful. Thing was, so long as I remained evasive, things weren’t going to be as bad as they could have been. Things were terrible, I know, but if they had caught me, that is when Naraku would have shown up. Or, could have. I don’t know how that would work or how they would gather his attention, but it wasn’t a chance I was willing to take. They could not involve him if they did not have me.”

“But, why didn’t you say anything to me?”

“I did not want you to go looking for me. Knowing I was right there, you would have come searching.”

“You could have at least warned me to expect the worst. You could have said something.” “Kagome, I am a conjurer. I am not clairvoyant. I had no idea what was coming for you once I had been seen.”

“Okay, fair.” She huffed agitatedly. “But, you never said anything to me afterward, either.”

“It was in the past.”

“Oh, screw you!” She snapped, stepping back again.

“It wasn’t something you needed to focus on, anymore!”

“I really can’t get a read on you! Are you that cold!? Are you that insensitive!?”

“No!” Kikyo was beginning to crack. She didn’t know how to properly explain herself, how to make Kagome understand that her intentions were pure and not cruel. Naturally, Kikyo had a difficult time emotionally connecting with others. Ever since she’d met Naraku, ever since her life and heart had taken a nosedive into turbulent waters, connecting grew exponentially more difficult. Throw that in with the fact that human interaction was few and far between, she was in a disposition where she legitimately felt blocked. How did she make Kagome understand? Did she overshare? It was uncomfortable to consider, but even now, where she stood, she was uncomfortable already.

“You didn’t even help! You just watched! You watched peoples’ homes get torn apart, you watched my family suffer, you watched women get thrown around and harassed, one was almost raped last month, Kikyo!”

“Kagome, I didn’t mean -“

“No! Stop it! I looked up to you! You made me look up to you! I thought you were my hope, I thought you were everyone’s hope! Lo and behold, you were five feet away the whole time, and you just watched!” Kagome’s voice cracked from her zeal, her fury. “And, you want to tell me it’s a thing of the past!? Tell that to Hojo! Tell that to my mother! No, you know what? Go ahead and tell that to any male in my village. They’ll still take it as personally as any woman who’s been at the wrath of the henchmen’s hands. Go ahead, Kikyo. Tell that to my cousin and little brother. See how they’d respond.”

“I just - I didn’t -“ Kikyo’s breathing had increased. Her pale cheeks were now painted red, her eyes were bloodshot, her lips were bitten, pressed, and sucked so hard that they finally hued pink. Her chest rose and fell heavily from the way her lungs pumped air in and out, that her breasts actually pressed against the cloth of her baggy shirt. “If I did something, there was - there was the chance that I wouldn’t get them all. They were working off of inconclusive evidence of my presence since they had nothing tangible, so if I basically confirmed I was there and failed to kill every last one of them, Naraku would come. Kagome, Naraku wouldn’t hesitate to kill you all just to find me. He would have you killed. I couldn’t - no. I didn’t know what to do.”

Kagome took the sight of the breaking conjurer in. Finally, she was expressing emotion. Finally, she was showing something relatable, she was conveying tension, and anxiety, and fear, and remorse. Finally. “Were you scared?”

“No!” Kikyo hardened hastily.

“You’d only be doing yourself a favor by admitting it.” Inuyasha spoke, his tone gruff. “You’re not fooling either of us.”

A tear fell from Kikyo’s eye, but her hand swiped across her cheek to clear it so quickly. That tear served as her breaking point, though. It was like a wall she’d forged in unbreakable steel was cracking down the middle, and the weight Kikyo carried on her shoulders was bringing it to crumble. She gasped as the emotions overpowered her, as the guilt overwhelmed her, and this sensation, the denseness in her chest, the disturbing warmth that tingled over her skin, was all so foreign now that she didn’t know how to process it all at once.

She was only human. This was a bold reminder of which. Kagome’s anger began to dissipate, the flush in her body was cooling down. Her own heart clenched at the visible pain the opposite woman was in, but she didn’t know what to do to help.

“I was. I was scared.” Kikyo cried, relentlessly wiping her face of her tears. Her head was bowed so her twisted, sorrowful expression wasn’t observable, but she spoke up, despite her broken voice, to make sure the confessions she’d kept under lock and key were heard as clearly as possible. “I didn’t mean to cause so much damage, and I didn’t know what to do to correct it. There was always the risk that there were lingering demons. They didn’t always bring everyone in their pack. Their leader was smart, and the risks hanging over your head scared the hell out of me. For a while, I thought I was helping by staying out of it.”

“Well,” Kagome sighed, trying to push the remaining resentment from her veins. “You’re definitely right about something there. Their leader was smart. He rarely brought his whole squad, and when he did, it meant they were bored and all hell was about to break loose.”

“I didn’t know that them spotting me would make things harder on you. Was everything they did from that point on abnormal?” Kikyo asked, sniffling but desperately trying to pull herself together. The skin beneath her eyes was scarlet and puffy, and the tip of her nose was bright. She blinked quickly to fight off anymore tears from falling, and any that did escape was swiftly cleared away with the wet sleeve of her shirt.

“I don’t know when, exactly, they noticed you since they never said anything, but they increased their visits. Which makes sense now since it turns out they were trying to weed you out.”

“Weed me out?”

“Yeah, they thought you might have had family in my town. And, even if you didn’t, overall, they were just trying to get you to react.”

“Wait,” Kikyo shook her head slightly, perplexed. “How do you know this? I don’t understand.”

“I had a little run-in with their leader almost three weeks ago. He spilled the beans.” Kagome grumbled, recollecting on that incident.

“Oh,” The shake of her head deepened, eyes falling for a moment as she exhaled heatedly. “I - I wasn’t aware of that.”

“It’s alright. He’s dead now. All of his lugs are. Hopefully, my home is at least a little more peaceful and they’re in recovery.”

“I want you to know, I also wasn’t aware of the grave defilement. That may have happened when I was away and trying to pull the attention off of your village. I did not know you had to… your father. Kagome, I didn’t even know your father was deceased.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kagome resigned, pushing the memory away.

“Look, this - uh - this isn’t why I came here today. I need to speak with you.” Kikyo admitted, centering herself as she raised her chin as she normally would.

“About what?”

Kikyo regarded Inuyasha was a slight shift of her eyes before glancing back over to Kagome. “In private.”

“No.” Kagome said. It was straight, like there was no room for compromise.

“Yes.”

“She said no.” Inuyasha said.

“You are not involved.”

“I am now.”

“Kagome -“

“Kikyo, whatever you tell me is most likely going to be relayed back to Inuyasha, anyway. He’s with me. We’re doing this together. So, you can talk to me with him around.” Kagome attested. “He’s trustworthy, I promise.”

“I do not deem him so.”

“Alright, that’s it. What’s your problem?” Inuyasha questioned, his attitude flaring. He cocked his head to the side, panning the woman with an indifferent stare.

“You have no business here.” Kikyo responded. “I tried to caution Kagome against traveling with you, but she’s as stubborn as a mule. Be that as it may, just because she finds you trustworthy, does not mean I have to agree.”

“You’re right, you don’t.” He shrugged, a hint of venom on his tongue. “But, that doesn’t change a damn thing, sweet cheeks. Kagome and I still come in a pair, and because she’s already declined to leave me out of it, it looks like you better get used to me being included. She’s already told you she’d only end up telling me everything, anyway. So, you might as well get talking.”

“You are highly infuriating.”

“Likewise. You’ve sparked a fight with both Kagome and I in the span of minutes. That takes skill.”

“I don’t much care about offending you.”

“Right back at ya.”

“You have no business here.” Kikyo repeated, more vexed that time.

The hanyou gestured to the girl at his side. “All the business I need.”

“Kikyo, stop.” Kagome tried. “Just tell me what you came here to tell me.”

“No.” She held up a hand at Kagome, her glare aimed at the half demon at her side. Kikyo squared her shoulders mightier, and he only stood a couple inches taller than she, so she barely had to look up at him to meet his amber eyes. “Why should I trust you? Why should I believe you’re a good asset to Kagome?”

“What is this, an interview? You think you call the shots or something?” Inuyasha challenged.

“I am more experienced than she is, so I know what your kind is like. It’s normal to have lapses in judgement when you’re fresh to the world outside of your home, and it’d be way too lucky to stumble upon someone valuable immediately. So, tell me, hanyou. Tell me why I should trust you.”

“Kikyo, stop.” Kagome ordered, going ignored.

“You’re missing the point. I don’t give a flying fuck if you trust me. Get your head out of your ass and understand that you have no fucking say here. I’m along for the ride whether you like it or not.”

“You shouldn’t be. Just your temper tells me you’re irrational and could get Kagome hurt.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“That Kagome needs to be as level-headed as physically possible with every step she takes, and that she can’t afford to take chances with reckless half demons such as yourself.”

“Are you implying that I would put Kagome in danger!?” Inuyasha seethed, filled with a burning heat that rose over his body.

“I am implying that even if you kept your mouth shut, who you are is a risk on its own.”

“Kikyo!” Kagome shouted.

“Fuck you!” Inuyasha growled. He hadn’t been this angry at an insult toward his hanyou state in so fucking long, this feeling was almost unnatural to him at this point. How dare she? Who the fuck did this bitch think she was? Everything from his tongue thereafter was uncontrollable and hot, it was demanding and sharp as knives. “Says the twat who refused to even help Kagome out from the beginning because you were too scared to be caught by Naraku! Yeah, I’m a fucking half demon, Kikyo! Who gives a rats ass!? Kagome doesn’t seem to mind, but I guess you’re just so fucking entitled that you’re not used to your opinion being irrelevant! Jesus fuck, but for you to think I would ever put Kagome in danger is low! You don’t know me! Don’t pretend to know me because of my genetics!”

“Would you give your life for hers?”

“Without a second thought.” He answered quickly, furiously, his tone lethal and husky. Inuyasha realized then that Kikyo was calm. She’d relented halfway through his rant, the tiniest of smug grins appearing on her lips. What was that about? Was she egging him on? Did she believe him? Or was this what she wanted all along? Either way, he wasn’t finished. He knew what he’d said, but he felt like he needed to make sure he was understood completely with no room for misinterpretation. “I don’t give a fuck who you think you are, I don’t even care what you think of me. What matters here is Kagome, and so long as she trusts me, I’m not going anywhere. She’s safe with me. I would never intentionally put her in danger. Understand?”

“Got it.” She smiled, holding her hands up to submit. “Calling me a ‘twat’ was a bit excessive, but that was all I wanted to know.”

“Were you -“ Kagome gawked incredulously. “Were you testing him?”

“I was. He wouldn’t outwardly tell me why I should trust him in the beginning, so I had to trick him into telling me.”

“Good lord, you really need to work on your social skills.” Kagome groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I know, it’s not the greatest tactic.” Kikyo scrunched her expression remorsefully. “It’s difficult for me to properly navigate conversations; I really don’t talk to a lot of people much anymore. I’m not surprised that I’ve upset you both. I apologize, Inuyasha. I just wanted to - are you okay?”

Inuyasha had crouched down where he stood, his elbows braced on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. “You stress me the fuck out, dude.”

“I just wanted to make sure you had good intentions.” Kikyo assured, looking slightly panicked. “When a person is heated, they say their truths more passionately, and -“

“Yeah. Just talk to Kagome.” He murmured, not yet coming out of his position.

Kagome soothingly rubbed her hand over the top of his back, lightly scratching her fingers at the nape of his neck where his hairline was. “Alright, we’re all done fighting. No more of that, okay? What did you come here for?”

“Are you sure he’s okay?” Kikyo whispered concernedly to the opposite conjurer.

“He will be.” She replied in a hushed tone, as well.

“Alright, well I should - I should apologize to you, too. I should have never -“

“It’s alright, Kikyo. I understand.”

“No, you really don’t.” She confessed. “There’s a lot more that I’ve been hiding from you. I didn’t know the right time to tell you, or even how, but I fear it’s imperative knowledge.”

“What is it?” Kagome asked.

“I don’t even know where to start except to ask:” There was a brief pause as Kikyo inhaled deeply, sighing out just the same, almost in preparation. “How - how is my sister?”

Kagome didn’t take long to process her question. She pursed her lips and nodded instead, taking her hand back as her companion rose back to a standing. “I knew it. Kaede.”

Inuyasha almost instantly regretted unfurling from his ball. This chick was all over the place. One minute she’s starting fights, then she’s testing him, the next she’s admitting to withholding important information, and now she’s Kaede’s long lost sister? Holy fucking shit. This was a joke, right?

“Is she well? Healthy?” Kikyo continued, her tone substantially softer.

“Inuyasha, this is your domain.” Kagome handed over to him.

“Inuyasha?” Kikyo questioned, as if to as why Kagome couldn’t answer, herself.

“He knows her on a more personal level. I only met her because of him.”

“Wait, wait, wait. I’m gonna need a little more information here. Kaede said her sister died. Tragically.” Inuyasha stated.

“You’re her friend?” Kikyo asked hopefully.

“Yes. Focus.”

“It’s - please, just tell me she’s okay first. She has to be, right? Is that her building, or is she just working in it?”

“Kaede’s fine. She’s a fucking firecracker. The building is an inn, and yes, she owns it. Your turn.”

Kikyo cracked a small smile of relief, nodding and bowing her head as the information registered. Her sister was well. Now, came the fun part. She prefaced by taking an inconspicuous step back. With the wild energy of the two before her, and how quick they were to spring into attack mode, the last thing Kikyo wanted was to be within arm’s reach for this.

“I faked my death. It was to protect Kaede.”

Inuyasha grimaced, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned his torso down to the side toward Kagome. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”

“Because, nothing good ever comes from a statement like that.” Kagome returned, giving a slight grimace, herself.

“I’m right here. I can hear you.” Kikyo grumbled.

“Sorry. Continue.” Kagome waved dismissively.

“Look,” Kikyo sighed, her shoulders dropping an inch. “I’ve known Naraku for well over a decade. We loved each other - or, at least I thought. I - I loved him, that was for certain. Now that I’m older, I see how volatile our relationship truly was, but it changes nothing. I was a teenager when we'd met and he was eleven years older, and I was too young and naive to understand the red flags I was shrugging off. Naraku was never on our side. The side of good.”

“Sorry, to interrupt, but I need to know: Did you know Naraku while he was human? Or was he a half demon by the time you two met?” Inuyasha asked, and he observed Kikyo’s expression widen in slight dismay.

“How did you know about that?”

Inuyasha blatantly didn’t answer. His look was hard, straight, his arms still crossed and lips closed. Her inquiry was valid, but he didn’t really like his questions being answered with questions constantly. She’d get her explanation in a moment, but his came first.

“I met him while he was still human.” Kikyo relented, understanding his body language. “I had planned to mention his transformation in sequence, though I will admit, I wasn’t sure how it would have come off.”

“Fair enough.” The hanyou nodded. “I had an unfortunate run-in with his indisposed state. From my angle, it’s not hard to tell what I was looking at.”

“He was -“ Kikyo ground her jaw, eyes falling to the floor as they slanted indignantly. “I wish I had known just how insane he was beneath the surface. It was criminal just how well he hid behind smiles and polite gestures, and he was so gentle with me I would have never guessed he’d one day want to kill me. He talked a little about growing stronger, tired of being human, wanting more control. I was seventeen, I didn’t know that there were people in the world that struggled with mental sickness. That they could walk into your life with a sweet smile and leave with a wicked one. I didn’t know what he’d do for this control he spoke of, and I had no idea that once he got an actual taste of it, he’d go mad for more. I’ve never been the type to wear my heart on my sleeve, so I thank myself for being guarded in the first few years of our friendship. As we fell in love, that was when I opened up about being a conjurer. A creator of light and purity. But, as he allowed demons to consume him, trading his soul for the power they offered, gradually losing whatever humanity he had left in him, Naraku became the exact opposite. Do you understand, Kagome? Do you understand why it has to be us?”

Her mouth parted as she processed the information, her voice coming out small as the revelation became clear. “Naraku is literally darkness, and we are literally light.”

“Precisely.”

“No.” Inuyasha spoke, holding the hint of defense. “I understand why it has to be a conjurer, but why Kagome, specifically? She’s never met Naraku, never seen his face, she didn’t fuck him, wasn’t there for his transformation, so why did you bring her into this?”

Kikyo took another step back, slightly uncomfortable. “I’ll get to that. As Naraku and I grew closer, developed a relationship, and I had learned to trust him, I began to open up about things that weren’t superficial. I told him I had a sister, but they never met. I practically raised Kaede, so she was the only one I held unconditionally dear. No one I mingled with would know her on a personal level until I was certain it was a lifelong commitment and they would never bring her harm. While I had developed irrevocable feelings for Naraku, I felt something was off with him, and my intuition always stung when I considered introducing them to one another. He never seemed interested either. Actually, he hates children. So, him not asking or prying helped in the sense where I never felt guilty or obligated.

“Behind my back, he began his affairs with demons, selling his soul piece-by-piece as they joined his body. He killed like it was easy. He murdered for fun. He laughed when he felt the liberation of his newfound, despicable abilities. And, he'd told me as much as soon as he saw my own at play. I was distracted by him at one point; he was playfully encouraging me, acting the part of my kindhearted partner, and my arrow hit a demon but didn’t hold enough power to kill it. Naraku walked up to it, spoke something incomprehensible, and then absorbed the demon right into his body.

“That was the moment everything slowly began to unravel. He expressed desires I didn’t share, how we would be the definition of a power couple. A demon and a conjurer taking over the world. Nothing could stop us. If I shifted my focus to darker magic, he claimed nothing ever would. We’d be untouchable. I wanted no part in that. Power was never what I craved. After the childhood I’d endured, watching my parents ripped away from us by evil, I just wanted to craft my powers well enough to ensure a peaceful life for myself and my younger sister. So, I tried. I desperately tried to save Naraku. I reasoned with him, pleaded for him to come to his senses, even used our relationship as bait. He laughed in my face. Like, I meant nothing to him.

“It felt irresponsible of me to merely leave him. What good would that do? I break up with him and leave him as a menace for the rest of the world to deal with? Like, it wasn’t my problem anymore? He’d already confessed to joyful murder, and he was only growing stronger. I was -“ Kikyo paused, sucking in a grounding breath. Expressing emotions wasn’t her forte, especially now, but honesty was what Kagome deserved. And, she knew very well by now that if she didn’t, either she or Inuyasha would call her out on it. “I was scared. No, terrified. What was I supposed to do? Even if I did take the cowardice way out, Naraku would never let go of me that easily. I was trapped. Progressively, he grew violent toward me, making horrible threats if I didn’t abide by his wishes. He made me study with a woman named Tsubaki; a dark conjurer. A year later, I had no choice but to kill her. She was tainted, deplorable, and she would rip the heart from a person’s chest without so much as an ounce of remorse.

“That was also when I knew what I had to do. I had to stop Naraku. We were polar opposites, and it came to a point where there was no denying I was the only one capable of bringing him down. Unfortunately, he was three steps ahead of me. He knew as soon as I had killed Tsubaki that it was a statement as to what side I was on. All that mattered, all that he saw, was that I was against him. So quickly, everything crumbled.

“He planned to kill everyone I cared for. Naraku set attack to my village. Everything was on fire. People were screaming, pleading for help. I made a split-second decision then. I was going to let Naraku believe he killed my sister, and I was going to let her believe he’d killed me. It was the only way to make sure either stayed away from the other. I couldn’t take the chance that he would potentially come back for her, seek her out, so I used the dark magic Tsubaki taught me.”

Kagome could see the shame visible on Kikyo’s face. It was in the way her lips and chin crinkled, in the way her brow tensed, in the way her brown eyes shifted to the side as if there were a mirror before her and she couldn’t look straight at herself. Her pale fists clenched tight, and though she lacked color, Kagome could still notice the difference in white around her knuckles. If this was a lot for Kagome to hear, to digest, it had to be overwhelming for Kikyo to confess. Had she ever faced the full brunt of everything she’d been through and everything she’d done? Was her admittance to Kagome and Inuyasha the first time she’d laid it all out on the table? It seemed to be. Pink had returned to Kikyo’s cheeks, and her sclera were bloodshot. No tears had to be fought off, though. Alternatively, Kagome observed that the minimal light remaining in the opposite woman’s irises was fading.

“I hurt Kaede. I made it seem like it was one of the demons attacking. I took her eye. Held it in my own hands. Then, created something that looked like a demon to eat me - which actually carried me away from the village. I cut my arm deep, intentionally left behind a pool of blood for Kaede to see, and I’m sure she watched the whole, conjured thing. I remember our final glances, the way she clutched her right eye socket, the incredible amount of blood all over her sweet face. She watched me die, and when I was far enough away, I screamed for Naraku. I screamed, and I screamed, because I knew that bastard was listening. When he appeared, I presented my sister’s eye while I cried. I vowed to kill him, and he laughed before disappearing.”

Inuyasha was rigid, nearly shaking. He felt horribly hot all over, his nails biting into the flesh of his palms. For the sake of his willpower, he’d turned his attention away from Kikyo, clenching and unclenching his jaw, inhaling and exhaling searing breaths from his nostrils. Kaede had no idea the truth behind her own assault. She didn’t know it had anything to do with her own sister, Naraku, that her eye was taken as a result of which, that she was harmed as a result of which, and that Kikyo was still very much alive. Without a doubt, Inuyasha knew Kaede would forgive Kikyo, but Inuyasha found himself angry on her behalf. When she’d recounted the incident to him, he could see just how heartbroken Kaede still was over it all. The ferocious woman was reduced to false smiles, a belly full of liquor, and an eye that wouldn’t meet his anymore. She was no older than fifteen at the time.

He recognized that a lot of things were out of Kikyo’s control. He understood that Naraku was the true cause of everything that had occurred, that Kikyo acted on a whim with good intentions, and that she was doing what she felt she needed to do so they both survived. None of that took away from his unmitigated resentment, though. That was his friend. That was one of his first friends, in fact. That was someone who stuck her neck out for people without needing convincing. Inuyasha couldn’t help that he was furious for her, couldn’t help that he wanted to yell at Kikyo for hurting her own sister despite the fact that she did it to save her life, and couldn’t help his natural instinct to want to protect and defend. Kaede was a good fucking person, and it wasn’t right that he now knew more about the most traumatic event she’d ever endured than she did. And, he was willing to bet Kikyo was going to insist they kept their mouths shut.

Everything he felt was vile and conflicting, and while he knew the rationality behind it all, it was extremely difficult to remain rational on his part. He knew it would be wrong to act, but it was so hard not to. Kagome must have sensed it. Kagome always seemed to pick up on his shifts lately. She’d leaned a little closer to his side; it was so inconspicuous, even he hadn’t caught her adjustment. The back of her hand lightly grazed his thigh, as if they were walking so close they’d accidentally brushed, and she kept it there. Ever so slightly, she moved it back and forth in a tender, rubbing motion, bringing him back to her in such a subtle manner that wouldn’t put any obvious attention on him. Even as she picked up the conversation and spoke to Kikyo, she kept the light touch going, gradually grounding Inuyasha until he gathered his control again.

“Okay, that explains that.” Kagome said, breathing as evenly as possible. “So -“

“So,” Kikyo resumed, pinching her lips together and finally meeting the opposite conjurer’s gaze again. “I’ve spent the last nine years or so trying to stop Naraku. I have trained tirelessly, studied ancient texts I struggle to understand, stared at pages in foreign and dead languages hoping the context of conjurers, priestesses, witches, mages, and whatever the hell else we’ve been referred to as over the centuries would suddenly make sense and help me master my skills, but I’m still not strong enough to do it. I cannot kill Naraku. I had the opportunity multiple times before he became who he is today, and I couldn’t release my arrow.”

“You still love him.” Kagome commented quietly.

“No. I hate him.”

“But, you used to.” Inuyasha joined, his tone almost lethal. He was outraged now. Was she implying that she couldn’t kill Naraku because she used to have that connection with him, so that was why she’d recruited Kagome? To do her dirty work for her? He’d better be wrong. Kikyo had better tell him otherwise and she’d better do it fast or else he was about to lose his goddamn shit.

“Yes, I used to. And, it does hold me back. I can’t do it.” Kikyo admitted. “As well as I know how evil Naraku is, I still remember the kind person he’d fooled me into thinking he was. It’s like a blockade. It won’t budge. My heart wont let me. It’s useless and it was going to lead to the destruction of so many if I didn’t find a solution. I can see the wrath in your eyes, Inuyasha. I did not choose Kagome haphazardly.”

“Then, why?” He pressed, not easing his glare.

“Do you truly think I would spin a wheel and thrust my fate onto the random name my dart landed on, Inuyasha?”

“I don’t know you. I don’t know what to think. That’s why I’m giving you the chance to explain. Take it. Quickly.”

“Inuyasha.” Kagome whispered, but he reached down, grabbing her hand from his thigh and giving her a small tug to slightly shield her behind his frame. He couldn’t prevent it. He couldn’t silence his need to protect her right now.

“Think about it.” Kikyo argued. “It’s not like there’s documentation on every conjurer in existence. I didn’t raid confidential records and select Kagome arbitrarily. There’s no such thing. Otherwise, do you really think Naraku would bother having those mindless demons searching towns and interrogating innocent families looking for any conjurers, young or old? That would be absolutely pointless, and Naraku is not an idiot. He’s maniacal, but he is the furthest thing from an imbecile. I didn’t just happen upon Kagome, I was told about her. A long time ago, there was a conjurer - no,” She shook her head in swift correction. “A priestess. She was a priestess. Midoriko. She was formidable, and a master of her skill.”

“I’ve heard of her.” Kagome clutched Inuyasha’s hand in minor excitement. She hadn’t expected things to come around this way, but finally she didn’t feel completely clueless. “Papa mentioned her. He was a well-traveled man, and I don’t exactly know how he’d gotten his information, but after he’d first brought her up, Miroku - my cousin - and I snuck into a library and found a few things on her. She was extremely powerful, but died at the hands of demons, right?”

“Right.” Kikyo nodded. “Kagome, do you believe in reincarnation?”

“Uh oh.” She murmured, expression faltering. She hadn’t meant to react as such, but Kagome had a huge feeling she was about to have a heavy reality suggested upon her. “I’ll be honest, I haven’t put much thought into it.”

“Well, I believe we are her reincarnated soul.”

“What!? Are you shitting me!?” Inuyasha barked incredulously, only grasping Kagome tighter in result.

Kikyo released a frustrated groan, pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment before continuing. “I know it sounds unfathomable, but so is a human-turned-demon, okay?”

“Half demon.” Inuyasha corrected bluntly, feeling disgusted by the thought of that lunatic receiving credit as a pure breed. Even if it was seen as a jab toward his being, at least he knew he, himself, was organic.

“Not the point.” Kikyo stated. “Much like I began communicating with Kagome in her dream state, I too was contacted. By Midoriko.”

“But, she’s dead.” Kagome said, confused. “And, you said you couldn’t be contacted that way. I specifically asked you.”

“You asked me -“

“If I could do it to you, yes. But, you responded by saying you were too guarded so it wouldn’t work.”

“I just didn’t want you to try, Kagome. For the deceased, it’s nothing but a visit. For the living, it’s dark magic. You’re playing with fire.”

“You’re a fucking conjurer! What are you talking about!?” Inuyasha asked. Already on edge, at this point it was like he was just being prodded to react.

“Trained by Tsubaki! Have you not been listening!?” Kikyo fired. “I have a history with dark conjurings. It was brief, but it was shoved down my throat. I utilized them to fool my sister and Naraku, and now I’m utilizing them for the best possible reason I can think of. Midoriko told me to find you, Kagome. She specifically told me you were vital to the success of bringing the end of Naraku. She told me your name, she told me I already knew how to find you, she told me you and I are connected, and I haven’t seen her since. The dream was too particular to believe it was nothing more than a fabrication of my brain. She gave me your name. She spoke directly to me. At that point in time, I was at wits’ end. I was willing to try anything. So, I did. And, it wasn’t easy. Subconscious communication was never taught to me, but I had remembered reading about it in one of Tsubaki’s texts. It took months to get down since I had to go by nothing but trial and error, and even longer to find you. You do not know how difficult it is to mentally link with someone you have never met in person and have only heard of on one circumstance. I had to write your name down and carry it with me so I wouldn’t chance forgetting it.

“Midoriko did not state that we were her reincarnations, but in order to locate you and communicate, I had to first figure out how we were connected. I’d initially assumed it was by distant relation, but it wasn’t until I searched deeper that I finally got somewhere. We’re tethered at the soul. To me, it would only make sense that we must share one. That was why Midoriko came to me. She appeared because I was in need, and I was desperately trying to win a battle against evil - much like she was in her time. My soul called out to her. And, once I discovered it was your soul I was touching, it all made sense. Doesn’t it to you?”

“Not at all.” Kagome slowly shook her head. “I’ve gotta admit, this is a lot to chew. I’m a bit winded right now, Kikyo.”

“Try to keep up.”

“Believe me, I am. You’re kind of info-dumping on me, though.”

“Look, I’d considered giving you everything little-by-little, but I don’t think we have that sort of time on our side. Naraku’s only getting stronger, and sooner or later, he’s going to know about you. So long as I’m alive, his focus is on me. He has a nasty tendency to obsess, and I currently have his undivided attention. I want it to stay that way. But, you’re getting stronger, too. You’re improving at a rate I had never expected, so I can hear the clock ticking.”

“Is that bad?”

“Yes and no. You’re doing better than I had thought you would. You’re doing exactly as I asked of you. It’s attention-grabbing, though. That’s sort of inevitable; don’t think you’re doing wrong. I’m just concerned, so I decided it would be best to tell you everything at once. You deserve to understand it all; and I recognize I should have tried to trickle all this information in with each telepathic visit I made to you. It was just - it was hard. When I first connected, I didn’t understand that I had. It was sort of like an ember struggling to catch flame. You know how it’ll flicker in and out? That was my connection with you at first. Finally, when I managed to step through, I barely had enough time to say, ‘The responsibility is ours.’ For the longest time, that’s all I was ever able to get out to you. It was frustrating.”

“You mean, that wasn’t intentional?” Kagome arched a brow, frowning.

“No, of course not.”

“Why is that the first thing you’d say to her, anyway?” Inuyasha asked quizzically, unintentionally and unknowingly matching Kagome’s expression. “Have you ever tried, ‘hello’?”

“I was invading her mind, Inuyasha. If the only thing I was able to say was, ‘hello’, even I would feel creeped out.” Kikyo replied.

“Alright, but alternatively speaking, if you had enough time to say, ‘the responsibility is ours’, then you had enough time to say, ‘hey, my name’s Kikyo.’”

“Pleasantries aren’t my strong suit. I prefer to get straight to the point.”

Both Inuyasha and Kagome went silent, pursing their lips, still unconsciously wearing matching expressions.

Kikyo grimaced, reading the signal on their faces. “I am aware that I didn’t. It wasn’t exactly my fault, though.”

“No, you’re right. It makes better sense now.”

“I soon realized it was our physical distance that was making communication troubling. While I had discovered the method to slip into your mind, it wasn’t something I could become proficient at so quickly. I had to use the strength of our connection as a guide, and the closer I got to you, the stronger it all became.”

“Right. You began giving me bits and pieces of Naraku. Everything was mysteriously vague, but I understand why now.”

“I just didn’t know how much was too much. I was being overly cautious for the both of us.”

There was a reprieve of silence between the three of them for a moment. It was noticeably thick, uncomfortable. Kagome was missing a huge chunk of information that was going to nag at her brain unless she received something to go off of. “So,” She began. “Midoriko… What makes you so sure?”

“Nothing. I’m not one-hundred percent positive we are actually her reincarnated soul. I can see how it’d be farfetched, and Inuyasha’s expression is practically screaming so.” Kikyo responded.

“Well, I’ve heard of reincarnation, but I’ve never heard of a split soul.” He said, shrugging carelessly as if he didn’t care how offensive his scowl appeared.

“I have. It’s rare, but it can happen. Particularly to a wise or powerful soul. One who’s traveled through a number of vessels and is too strong to be properly contained in a single one anymore.” Kikyo stated. “Midoriko had a defined strength that wasn’t all self-taught. She was a priestess born with experience. Her soul was intended to be a savior, because it was derived from countless, brave spirits before her.”

“And, she told you this?” Inuyasha asked, cocking a brow in skepticism.

“Of course, not.” Kikyo had almost rolled her eyes. “I wish she had so that I had definitive reason, but instead I have to go off of intuition. If it is true, if my soul came from Midoriko, then this unwavering belief isn’t incorrect. This connection I feel to her makes sense. Kagome, do you feel it too?”

“Well, I’m not sure.” She half frowned. “When papa mentioned Midoriko, I felt an undeniable interest toward her, that’s for sure. I just figured it was because she was a lot like me, and I’d never met another conjurer. At the time, I was probably ten or eleven, so I couldn’t help but want to know more about her. You know, curiosity of a kid and all. It was probably the only reason Miroku entertained the idea to seek out more information, and we snuck out of our house, borrowed my friend’s demon cat to take us, and broke into a library in another town. We really didn’t find too much on her, either. It was pretty anticlimactic, to be honest. I remember being extremely disappointed that I didn’t find a well-written biography on her like you would basic philosophers, but knowing the stigma on our kind in modern days, it sort of made sense. But, ever since, Midoriko has rarely crossed my mind.”

“Kagome, I’m the same. The difference is, when I discovered I was a conjurer, it wasn’t so detrimental to keep to ourselves. I did as much research as I could, while I could, and found little mentions of her, along with a few other names I can’t remember to this day. Midoriko stood out to me just the same, but I thought of her few times between then and the time she’d come to me. It was in that moment that I felt a deep connection to her. Maybe -“ Kikyo’s brows furrowed as an idea crossed her mind. “Maybe it was because she’d touched me, in a sense. I felt engulfed by her warm spirit. Please, may I try something?”

Kagome watched Kikyo take a few steps forward. She felt no reason to deny her request so she slipped her hand from Inuyasha’s feeble grip, slowly freeing one finger at a time as she walked forward. Kikyo raised her hand before her and Kagome apprehensively pressed her palm flat against hers. Awkward, quiet moments passed, and it was nothing short of uneventful. While Kagome was initially nervous to see what would happen, everything just sort of fell short. She had even noticed Kikyo’s nose sort of wrinkle disappointedly.

“I’ve got nothing.” Kagome mentioned, pursing her lips.

“Me too. I wonder why she told me to find you, then. What could possibly be the reason for our connection?” Kikyo said, almost troubled. It was perplexing, and she absolutely hated unsolved mysteries. “Unless, it isn’t as simple as merely touching to confirm or deny.”

“I’m not sure. Maybe we aren’t meant to know.”

“That is what I fear.” The older conjurer sighed, adjusting her palm to face upward and hold Kagome’s in a minor gesture of appreciation. While she was avidly discomfited by her inconclusive hypothesis, she’d still managed to explain every crucial detail she’d been withholding from Kagome. Their meeting was coming to an end. There was nothing more to say but goodbye. Respectfully, Kikyo placed her other hand over the top of Kagome’s, enclosing it in her warmth.

Kagome smiled. She was afraid with how pale Kikyo appeared that her blood ran cold and tired. It was pleasant and reassuring to know she was wrong. Returning the kindness, she gently placed her palm on top of Kikyo’s, both of their hands now touching.

Kagome’s heart jolted. Her abdomen tensed. All external sounds were muted. And, the world immediately went dark.

Kikyo was holding her hands tighter than even she was, nearly trembling as at least a dozen women, mass amounts of demons, blazing fire, and a powerful, swirling aura of lavender appeared around them while they stood in the middle of a pitch black orb. It was like an overwhelming sequence of events were playing without pause, thrusting into their minds so quickly that if you blinked, you’d risk missing something important. It was hard to determine relevance, though. Who were these women? Kagome had never seen a single one in her life. They all fought valiantly, each of them with their own unique weapon to fend off their enemies. So desperately, Kagome wanted to ask Kikyo if she was okay, ask her if she knew what was going on, but the two of them were struck stiff, mouths hanging agape.

The demons were wild, frenzied, and furious, slithering in the dark sky, some even flying through Kagome and Kikyo as if they were transparent. The lavender aura forcefully collided with the bleak grounds like storming tidal waves, crashing, receding, rising, and flooding. Sequentially, the women fought from left to right. Each one killed their significant foe, but was brought down by them, as well. Their final move was to look to the next woman, as if passing their duties along. Always, the next woman seemed more determined, more powerful, but no matter the strength in their resolve, their enemies always succeeded in dragging them down with them.

It was by the third that Kagome realized they were conjurers. The purple cascading around she and Kikyo was the same energy she could see when she saturated her arrows with her power. This was a history of legends they were witnessing, each one stronger than the last but still brought to their knees in a puddle of blood. By the last, she faced an enemy with no fear written in her eyes. She wore a stoic expression, armor decorating her torso, a sword on her hip, a bow and arrow in her hands, redefining the meaning of what it was to be a female warrior. Her battle was gruesome, hard to watch but harder to look away from. In the end, she killed her enemy, but bled from a deep wound in her chest.

Her dark eyes turned to she and Kikyo, and in a way to communicate, Kikyo squeezed Kagome’s hands twice, her gaze widening. It was as if she knew who that was. She seemed simultaneously in awe and stunned, and the gasp she’d inadvertently reacted with was clutched captive in her inflated chest. Kagome watched the woman, the final conjurer, limp toward them, blood oozing from her rustic armor, dripping down her leather pants and along the floor. She raised her trembling hands, curling her fingers in a motion that would typically usher them forward, but instead of the two girls moving, their naked spirits stepped from their bodies.

No longer could Kagome breathe. She wasn’t even sure if she was blinking anymore. Before her, she was looking at her raw self. It was a vaporous version, glowing vibrantly white with wispy hues of red swirling about. Her spirit looked back at her with a bright, confident smile, then spun back around to the legendary woman. Kikyo’s spirit was different. It stood tall and bold, much like her current demeanor, but a kind, small smile pushed at her lips when she regarded her own vessel for a moment longer. Kagome could see the tears brimming in the real Kikyo’s eyes, she could physically feel that though the gesture so small, it was revealing a true sweetness Kikyo hadn’t felt within herself in far too long, repressed beneath rubble of heartache and resentment. It was radiant white with smokey clouds of blue tufting about, her long, translucent hair billowing around her like their spirts were held under a body of water.

The dying conjurer, shaking horribly, smiled so sincerely as her last, living act, and as her body fell backwards to the ground, her own spirit stepped out. It was pure white, so saturated it was nearly solid, with flecks of every aura color swiftly whirling around her untouchable body. She extended both hands out to each woman, patient, compassionate, and understanding of the hesitation even their spirits harbored. At the same time, Kagome’s and Kikyo’s vaporous selves reached forward and took the woman’s hands, and in the next second, she split into uneven portions and merged with their bodies, shooting their spirits back within their vessels to return to consciousness.

Kagome blinked her dry eyes, refocusing them as she tried to regain her bearings. Her sights were on their still-grasped hands, and beneath that was the forest floor, twigs and pinecones, dirt and weeds, their legs, their boots. She could hear the breeze, the rustling leaves of the treetops above them, an urgent Inuyasha calling her name. With an exhale, she looked up into Kikyo’s eyes, the both of them holding the same, baffled expression.

As soon as they’d fully registered what they’d just experienced, both women yanked their hands away from each other, hurriedly stumbling back and away from the other to prevent another potential, terrifying vision. Kagome collided with Inuyasha’s chest and his arms instantly grabbed her waist, steadying her as he spoke anxiously.

“Are you okay? What happened, kid?”

She couldn’t answer immediately. Not even Kikyo tried to speak. The both of them looked insanely bewildered, eyes directed right at each other. Inuyasha had tried to pull Kagome away, had tried to reach her, but the opposite conjurer’s creepy, flying snake got in the way and refused to let him near. As much as he wanted to kill the damn thing for stopping him from getting close to Kagome, he figured so long as she was standing, breathing, and generally okay, he’d wait out whatever the fuck was happening.

“Hey - uh - Kikyo?” Kagome finally spoke, albeit waveringly.

“Yeah?” Her tone nearly matched.

“What the fuck was that?”

“I don’t know. I hadn’t anticipated it.”

“Was that -“

“Yeah. That was Midoriko.”

Her jaw dropped just a little further, her brow crinkling, perplexed. “Oh. Okay. Alright.” She replied shakily.

“That wasn’t…” Things were progressively processing for Kikyo, her eyebrows pinching together to create lines in between. Caramel eyes shifted to the side, her teeth gnawing at her bottom lip momentarily. “That wasn’t an even division.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Kagome commented lightly.

“No wonder…” Kikyo breathed. “No wonder. It makes so much sense now. I don’t just lack the heart, but I’ve always lacked the true power. I’ve been giving it my all for so long, and while I’ve made a dent, that’s all I’ve managed. I get it now. I’m truly not strong enough in more ways than one.”

“Wait, I’m confused.” Kagome said.

“So am I.” Inuyasha joined, still holding his companion’s sides while finding it necessary to remind them that he was there. He still had no idea what had just occurred and no one had given a single context clue to inform him of a goddamn thing yet. Kagome turned her head to regard him slightly, but he could tell by her unsteady glance that she couldn’t give him an immediate recap. Not yet.

“You mean to tell me, you didn’t know?”

“Know what? That it wasn’t a fifty-fifty division?”

“Yeah.”

“No. I had no way to confirm that up until now.”

“But, you’d said you were the distraction while I was the weapon. You’d said I was meant to be stronger than you. With what we just saw, I’d assumed that’s what you were referring to.”

“Kagome, I said that simply because I could not do it. To me, that’s what it felt like. I do not have it in me to kill Naraku, and Midoriko told me you were vital to the mission. My assumption was what I’d told you. I keep his attention until you’re ready, I do everything I can to weaken him, and then you’ll complete the task.”

“I’m going to assume you guys got some sort of answer pertaining to being Midoriko’s reincarnations. So, if Kikyo was right and it’s the both of you, what the hell do you mean it isn’t fifty-fifty?” Inuyasha asked, stepping to stand at Kagome’s side as soon as she seemed stable.

“It’s more like seventy-thirty.” Kikyo stated.

“And, who got what?”

“I think you already know the answer to that.” She replied.

“But, what do you mean it makes sense to you? I don’t understand. Aren’t you extremely powerful? You’re able to pull off dark conjurings without your heart being tainted; I don’t feel any darkness coming from you.” Kagome said, sounding sort of flustered and rushed to comprehend Kikyo’s position. “You’ve gotta be stronger than you’re giving yourself credit for. Just because you lack the moral justifications to kill your ex-lover doesn’t make you weak! It makes you passionate!”

“No, Kagome. What I’m saying is, I’m not as strong as I thought I was supposed to be. I kept pushing myself to my limits time and time again but all it felt like I was doing was hurting myself. I thought if I had at least fifty percent of Midoriko’s soul in me on top of my own, then that was more than enough to take down Naraku, but my heart was never there. So, then I considered that maybe it was because I didn’t receive Midoriko’s resoluteness. Maybe it was because I was her brain and you were her heart, so together we would be unstoppable.

“It’s been so long, Kagome. I’ve been giving more of me to this mission than my body can handle. I’ve been sick for years. My shinidamachu keeps me alive with the souls of deceased women, but I can feel the thread I’m hanging on by. I am convinced that if I had not figured out how to call this spirit of the underworld to me, I would have died long ago. I am not using dark magic correctly, and it’s further taking from my light. You may not feel the darkness coming from me, and I believe that’s because that part of Midoriko mutes it, but I certainly do. It’s minimal, but with what’s left of me, it’s substantial. It’s like a congested battle raging within my chest. Do you understand now? Do you get it?” Kikyo, though tearing up sorrowfully, smiled in such a manner of relief. How long had she spent admonishing herself? How long had she cursed herself for thinking she had more in her than she could spare? How many times had she vomited the contents of her stomach out, been reduced to fevers, aches, and profuse sweating? Her expectations on herself weren’t just high because she felt that piece of Midoriko inside of her, but also because she felt the crushing weight of guilt for being partially responsible for Naraku. And, by using dark magic to call to Kagome, to save the life of her sister, to try and stay alive herself, she was unconsciously hastening the pace of her own demise.

Everything clicked. Everything was lining up now. Kagome was key because Kagome not only had the majority of Midoriko’s power, but her own soul, her compassion, her heart was not impaled by darkness. Even with the pain she’s experienced, the trauma that still eats away at her, that reappears whenever a trigger she can rarely identify beforehand causes her to quake, even with the loss, the apathy, the cold moments at night when she questioned if she even believed in a higher power anymore, Kagome avidly held tight to who she truly was. At the end of the day, there was no sense in trying to control what had happened, there was no use in attempting to reverse what had already come to fruition. While it has, in fact, fazed her, it hasn’t changed her negatively. It’s taken so much effort, so much resilience to resist the pull to let it take her, and sometimes smiling took more endeavor than she felt flowing through her veins, but she still stood up. It didn’t matter if Kagome was sobbing, was crashing and burning, was quivering and exhausted. She would cry while she maneuvered her legs beneath her body and pushed herself to stand. The darkness has touched her heart, yes. Whose heart hasn’t it touched in this day and age? What was important was that she fought it back. She physically pushed the darkness away like it was men impeding on her territory. She cried to release that anger and resentment, she yelled to release that heat and vexation, and she never gave up. Never did she leave the battlefield unscathed, but the scar tissue that had formed was what helped her become who she is right here and now. Because, her hardened heart was like a shell that protected the light within.

How could Kikyo not crumble under the pressure she’d been under? How could her eyes ever glimmer with hope when she’d had to willingly forfeit the one person she loved unconditionally all due to a person she’d mistakenly given too much of her heart to? He’d tricked her into trusting him, into caring for him, and repaid her with violence, grief, and taunting laughter. As if inflicting pain on her was an easy task. Even Kagome would be broken if someone she trusted her heart with treated it as an invaluable object, dropping it to the floor and stepping all over it with heavy boots. It was betrayal at its finest.

She was seventeen when they’d met. He’d groomed her. He’d gotten lucky with his pick of young, vulnerable women and groomed her to his liking, but when she finally resisted, he turned on her like she meant nothing. Kagome couldn’t blame Kikyo, and although she persisted, although she squared her shoulders and fought tooth and nail, Kagome understood why her brown eyes were dull and lifeless, and her skin was ghostly white.

Feeling like she was supposed to be capable of so much more, Kikyo had learned to feel unwell about herself. If Kagome were in her position, she couldn’t imagine being comfortable in her own skin. Just recently, she’d struggled with that exact thing, but it wasn’t nearly on the same level as Kikyo’s anguish. It was horrible imagining the burdens sitting on her shoulders, like cinderblocks pulling them down while she pleaded with herself to shrug it off and stand up straight. Kagome wondered if even she’d be able to overcome all that Kikyo had been through.

Everyone’s story was different. Everyone’s strengths and weaknesses were unique. It didn’t make you bigger or smaller than the person to your left. Everyone handled things their own way, and everyone had their breaking point. But, Kikyo’s smile right now was both the saddest and most joyful thing Kagome had ever witnessed from her. It was like some of that weight was finally lifting, some of those insults she’d thrown at herself were finally dissipating, some of the pressure was releasing and all it took was a little bit of clarity.

“It’s conflicting, you know?” Kikyo breathed. “I still have a long way to go. I still have to fight, and I still have to face Naraku. But, it’s liberating to see that my limitations cannot exceed what they are. I don’t have to push myself for the impossible anymore. I cannot rest, but at the same time, it feels like I already am.”

She wouldn’t have to be so forceful on herself from this point forward. Kikyo was giving this fight her all, and she could be at peace with what she had to give now. It was enough. It was more than enough.

“Naraku…” Kagome started. “When was the last time you saw him, Kikyo?”

The conjurer inhaled and exhaled slowly, sucking in her bottom lip as she pondered. “Maybe a couple of years ago. I’ve face his puppets, and some of his personal creations, but him in the flesh? It’s been a while.”

“You haven’t seen him?”

“He wont face me, himself.”

“Maybe because he can’t.” Inuyasha said. “I’m not trying to level with him, and I want to preface this with the fact that I still think he’s a fucking creep, but maybe this is a sign that, much like you, it’s difficult to be the hand that strikes.”

“That is not comforting.” Kikyo admitted, caramel eyes shying downward. “I do not want to think about him loving me. It’s disgusting.”

“That’s fine. Don’t. That doesn’t change the reality of it all. This tells me that you might be his weakness.”

“I am only his weakness because I am a conjurer.”

It wasn’t right to argue with Kikyo right now. It was clearly distressing for her to consider the plausibility of the situation, so Inuyasha shut his mouth, glancing down at Kagome as she regarded him just the same. He could see it in her eyes, too. She felt similarly. Even without knowing Naraku’s recent side of things, she was contemplating the potentiality of what Inuyasha had claimed.

“If you don’t mind, would you keep Kaede out of this?” Kikyo asked, and although she hadn’t looked up, it was clear that she was more talking to Inuyasha.

“Kikyo, I don’t know if I can make that promise.” He stated honestly. He wasn’t harsh, he wasn’t defensive, he was simply replying with honorable intentions.

“Please?” She nearly faltered, clutching her fists at her side as she bowed her head from view.

“I understand why you did it initially, but Kaede isn’t a child anymore. She should have the right to her own freewill, and that includes choosing to know the truth of what happened. I don’t believe she needs sheltering, and she’ll be the first to tell you that.”

“I don’t want her involved.”

“She already is. She was the moment your home was attacked, and the moment you took her eye.”

“But -“

“I get it, Kikyo. I do. I’m not trying to be thoughtless. But, one thing I need you to remember is I’m not on your side. We have nothing more than a mutual understanding and a mutual interest, but you and I are indifferent toward each other. Am I wrong?”

“No, but that’s my sister. That’s my baby sister, Inuyasha.” She declared powerfully, shooting her bleary gaze up at him. “I reserve the right to decide what’s best for her, because no one would know better than I.”

Inuyasha gave a simple shake of his head, and still his expression held no malice. “You gave up that right. You gave up that right the moment you faked your death and left her alone. I know that stings, and I’m really not intending to come off carelessly, but that’s the truth. The version of Kaede in your mind is still that fifteen year old girl, isn’t it? The young teenager she was just before Naraku attacked, right? Well, she’s actually in her mid twenties now. Kaede is an adult, so even if you hadn’t left, that right would still belong solely to her. I’m going to bring it up, Kikyo. I’m going to give Kaede the choice of knowing what actually happened so long ago.”

“Kagome.” She urgently tried, reaching for the opposite conjurer to convince the hanyou otherwise. Kagome’s sights had shied to the ground, hugging her arm inward as she allowed them to talk one-to-one, but she glanced upward now, a small frown marring her features. Kikyo could see it immediately. She could read the look as well as if the expression were written in text, and her chin quivered in response. “Kagome, please.”

“I’m sorry.” Kagome spoke softly, kindly. “Even if I did agree with you, Inuyasha’s right. Kaede deserves to know. She doesn’t need protection, she would be upset if we treated her that way, and truthfully, it would be inappropriate to sit on information like this. The way I see it is, out of the three of us, Inuyasha’s the closest to her -”

“That’s not true.” Kikyo interjected.

“She doesn’t know you’re alive, Kikyo. She will always love you, and you will always love her, but it is true. At this point, you have no connection to her outside of your bloodline. Inuyasha is her friend, and they trust each other. He isn’t bringing it up to disrespect you. He’s bringing it up out of respect for her.”

“You really wont budge?” Kikyo asked, and it was inconclusive as to who that question was directed to. Just in case, both Kagome and Inuyasha shook their heads in reply. “Then, will you please pass along a message? Tell her I don’t want her looking for me. Tell her I will come to her when all is done. Tell her I’m sorry.”

“I can do that.” Inuyasha agreed.

Kikyo could only manage to regard them both with small glances after that. Justifiably, she was upset, but she appeared too physically drained to outwardly react as such.

“Take care of yourself.” She quietly said to Kagome before turning around on her heel and heading off through the trees, her soul collector swirling in the air just behind her.

“You too.” Kagome whispered.

The breeze was the only sound passing around them now, filling the silence as Inuyasha and Kagome were once more alone with one another. It had been moments since Kikyo walked away, and it was sort of like they couldn’t just go back to the way things were before she’d appeared. There was too much to sort through, too many emotions had emerged in that time, and now they were left standing in dense waters.

With a synchronous and guttural sigh from the both of them, Kagome and Inuyasha made their ways down to their butts. They didn’t bother with finding a rock or log to sit on, didn’t bother finding a different location, because moving further right now was simply impossible. So, they made themselves comfortable and promptly sat where they once stood, closing their eyes in defeat as they mulled over the series of events.

“That was exhausting.” Kagome half-whined, crossing her legs and burying her face in her hands.

“Oh, she’s -“ Inuyasha rubbed his forehead, pushing the hair from his face briefly. “She’s a piece of work.”

The two looked at each other. Their tired, concerned expressions shifting to defeated smiles as they sort of just started laughing.

“So, what do you want to do?” She asked, leaning back on her hands. “You want to head back to Kaede’s? We’re not all that far.”

“I’m not sure yet. I can’t make that split-second decision considering the circumstances. Let me think on it for a moment.” He wagered. “In the meantime…”

Though there was no end to that sentence, Kagome could easily grasp what he was looking for. He wanted an explanation. She had to commend him for his patience. On his end, how did everything look? Did she just stand there motionless, or did it seem like something was wrong? If she were in his position, it would have driven her insane not knowing what was going on and then, thereafter, having to wait for any sort of detail to piece it all together.

“I saw Midoriko.” She started. “Actually, I saw all the successors before her, too. At least, that’s what I’m guessing. None of them spoke directly to us. It was more like we were watching the endings of each of their lives, how they fought, how they died, who was responsible, and then their spirit joined with the next person. There was about twelve, and they all died in battle. By the time Midoriko died, her soul was nearly solid. I saw my soul, too. It was - it was weird.”

“I can imagine.” His brows had furrowed, turning his body to fully face hers now. “You guys came out of that looking like you’d seen a ghost, so I guess that makes sense.”

“It was crazy, Inuyasha.” She exclaimed. “Demons were everywhere, it was so dark, and it was like an all out war that we were standing in the middle of. Midoriko pulled our souls from our bodies and joined them, and that’s when we came back.”

“So, seventy-thirty?”

“Yeah.” Her voice dropped. “Something like that.”

“Still shocked you can blow an entire field away now?”

“Honestly, yeah. Everything’s just so surreal right now, it’s hard to think this isn’t made up.” Kagome’s eyes fell to his legs, following the sewn pattern on the hem of his pants to distract herself. “I’m the reincarnation of someone. It doesn’t feel right to say that. Suddenly, it’s like it’s not just me in here. I watched her merge a huge portion of her soul with mine, so that tells me she’s just part of me, but thinking about it feels weird. It’s hard to explain. I just don’t know what to think or how to feel right now.”

“What, are you having an identity crisis? Kid, it doesn’t matter if you’re the reincarnation of someone. You didn’t inherit their personality traits or their thinking patterns. I’m willing to bet you didn’t even inherit their looks, because if that were true, you and Kikyo would look more similar. As far as I saw, the only thing you two had in common was hair color, and even that wasn’t an exact match. What you inherited was strength, and it’s not even a birth right. It’s more like grand potential. You still have to work your ass off to get it, but the chance is there. Your decisions, your actions, your morals, that’s all you. Your tastes, your style, your brain, your heart, that’s you too. Overall, you’re Kagome. You’ve always been Kagome, and you always will be. Now, you just have a bit more to back up your resolve. You know that your individual strength will be supported by a… generator of sorts.” Inuyasha chuckled.

He’d managed to get her to crack a smile. Kagome couldn’t tell if he was bullshitting her to make her feel better, or if he truly believed what he said. He was incredibly honest, though, so she couldn’t help but want to take his word for it and find comfort in it all. Either way, she appreciated his quick wit.

There was still something pulling on her heart. It wasn’t about Midoriko, it wasn’t the fact that she’d just witnessed the reenactment of twelve gory deaths, it was about Kikyo. She was pale with such deep under eye circles because she’d been killing herself. She’d believed for so long that she was supposed to be stronger, and for years she stretched her boundaries thin and her resources dry. All to the point where she had to rely on lost souls of dead women to keep some sort of force in her body. And, still, her battle raged on. Everything she’d said after the revelation was so depressing but seeped from her mouth as if it were relieving, and Kagome had a hard time understanding the solace behind it all.

“Kikyo,” She whispered. “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”

“I’m not worried about her.” He replied, his voice low and soothing.

“But, you heard her. She was sick.”

“Because she didn’t know her limits. Now she does.” Inuyasha leaned forward a bit. He didn’t like the sadness on Kagome’s face, and while he praised her empathy, he wanted to fight it off at the same time. It wasn’t allowed to make her head hang low, it wasn’t allowed to drain her as if the other conjurer’s ailments were her own. “Just like you have to learn your restrictions and understand how to properly use your powers, so does she. Now, she has insight she didn’t have before. Now, she knows that if she doesn’t back off, she’ll get too sick to keep going. Kikyo was under the impression that she needed to work harder to reach her maximum potential, but it was counterintuitive because she was depleting her life source. Now, if she respects her body and her abilities properly, she’ll be able to get healthy again. Then, she’ll be the force to be reckoned with that she was reaching for.”

“The dark magic she’s been using… the effects of it wont go away just like that, though.”

“That’s something she’s going to have to deal with, kid. You win some, you lose some, but she knew what she was doing when she made that choice. She didn’t look like she was having a pity party, so don’t feel like you need to feel bad for her.”

“But, I do. All of this is - it’s becoming so much more real than it was before. I didn’t know it could, but it has. It’s scary.” She locked eyes with the hanyou. “I’m scared.”

Inuyasha couldn’t stop himself. Kagome didn’t look sad or hurt, she didn’t look small or timid, she didn’t even look defeated. She neither trembled nor cried. She just spoke her truth. She told him how she felt, and fear was always a deeper emotion that was hard for anyone to come forward with. Unless it was an involuntary scream given in reaction to a jump scare or a fall, fear was something so often pushed back and hidden behind scowls and broadened shoulders. And, he appreciated being trusted with it. So, he couldn’t stop himself from reaching forward. His fingers tenderly pushed longer strands of her dark hair behind her ear, repeating the motion soothingly while he slipped in soft touches to caress her cheek before gently, so gently, cradling her jaw.

“I know you are. But, you’re safe.” He said, his tone husky.

Kagome leaned into his touch, nodding and sighing out. Her shoulders relaxed some and her brown eyes closed momentarily while she relished in the peace he provided.

“You still know I don’t expect you to protect me, right?” She mentioned quietly, glancing up at his amber eyes. He hadn’t wavered. Inuyasha didn’t pull away, didn’t look away, his expression remaining soft but noble. His fingers curled around the back of her neck and he pulled her closer an inch, his soothing scent washing over her.

“Who said anything about feeling obligated?”

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missmarquin · 6 years

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Found(ry) It wasn’t the first time that humans had left things for him. Totosai had lived on this volcano within the Western Lands, since before humans had ever settled there. And when they had, they had thought him some sort of God. They weren’t so stupid now-- they had grown and learned-- but they still feared whatever wrath that he might bring down upon him. It wasn’t so much that he could control the volcano, but they didn’t know that. They thought that the Volcano was alive, and paid fealty to it as such. And so, years melted into decades, and then centuries, and they still left him gifts, like it would stop the volatile nature of the land around them. And usually they were baskets full of the things that he liked. Sweet breads and candies. Lengths of beautiful silk and large rugs that he liked to decorate his hut with. Cast iron skillets that he didn’t need, but used nonetheless. What good was it to waste such charity? But this year had been different. It had been scorching and so dry, that the crops dried up with whatever moisture had left the earth. Nothing that they tilled took, and days only breathed hotter and hotter as the season wore along. And the volcano rumbled. It always rumbled, with a slow and steady growl, but this was more pronounced. You could feel it shake the ground sometimes, if you were still enough. Totosai had been there long enough to know that there wasn’t a fear of eruption yet-- he’d give it another half-century or so. But the humans were new to this land in the grand scheme of things, and they did what they always did when things didn’t go right. They blamed the Gods and then tried to fix it. And so when he pulled off the cloth covering from the basket, he was surprised to find a baby, no more than a few months old. Fat and reddened cheeks, with a cloth diaper wrapped around its behind. His mouth went dry. This was new, this was something that he had no knowledge of. Sure, he knew that humans elsewhere sacrificed their young, but to him? What had he ever done to incite such fear into the villagers down below? There was a momentary pang that blew through him; he’d meant to do no such thing. He kept to himself, tinkering away in his forge and he forged weapons for the youkai of old. And then he thought rationally, remembering that even though they weren’t stupid anymore, humans held the base instinct on blaming nature upon creatures such as himself. He didn’t know what he was more sorry for-- that they had fallen into times so bad that they felt the need to sacrifice their children, or that he couldn’t do anything to fix it. The child was awake, watching him curiously. It was quiet, too quiet. Weren’t babies supposed to cry? He distinctly remembered a certain Western Lord, and his pup of a child, hollering horrifically as his father held onto him while he tried to place an order. He held his finger towards the child and it reached out, catching it in a small fist. And then it hiccuped and cooed and smiled at him, and Totosai’s heart melted. He was in trouble, so much trouble. Carefully he lifted the child, trying to support its head. Trying to remember what Touga-san had taught him, right after Sesshoumaru-sama was born. Many youkai were rough with their kin, but you couldn’t be with humans. One squeeze too hard, and the child could be snapped into two, effortlessly. But the baby didn’t wail, which Totosai took as a victory. He stuck a finger into the diaper to pull it away, chancing a look. A girl, a little girl. Some poor, poor family had given up their child, for a better harvest. Weather. Life. A lesser youkai would eat it. Totosai would do no such thing. He shifted the child to lay against his shoulder, before kneeling to pick up the basket. He would come gather the rest of these gifts later. For now, the little girl was his sole focus. And so, he turned on the trail to head back up the mountain. The little girl didn’t cry once. ...... Rin, the parents had named her. You weren’t supposed to name a child until they were a year old, but this family had broken tradition. He was also fairly certain that you weren’t supposed to write a letter to whom you sacrificed your child to. His fingers smoothed over the thin vellum, tracing the carefully inked letters. He found himself surprised that they could write, since many humans couldn’t. There were splotches where water had dripped onto it, smearing the words slightly. Tears, he realized. Volcano-san, We find ourselves without option. Breads and sweets, and our works have not appeased you. The days grow longer and hotter, and the soil dry and parched. Perhaps our life’s greatest work will finally appease you. Her name is Rin. It wasn’t signed. And Totosai was glad that it wasn’t. He didn’t want to know their names, he didn’t want to place their faces. He glanced at the little girl, who lay quietly in her basket. He had rolled up a small cloth, tying it off in the rough shape of a doll. Enough to keep the child occupied. She snuggled into it, dozing quietly. They expected him to eat her. He couldn’t, not that it would have made a difference if he had. He can do a lot of things, but control a volcano and nature itself, wasn’t upon that list. A day had passed, and he needed advice. Totosai packed the little girl up and took her to an old friend. .... “Keep her,” Bokusenou-san said to him simply. Totosai wasn’t sure why the thought had crossed his mind before that moment, but it seemed to be a logical thing. But… still… “A forge isn’t a place for a young child,” he replied with a sigh. “Her parents didn’t want her, correct?” Totosai wasn’t so sure about that-- he was still convinced that they had been forced into sacrificing her, but he said no such thing. “It would be cruel to throw the child away,” the tree continued with. “What would Touga-san have done?” “That old dog has nothing to do with this,” Totosai groused. “Of course not, but what would he had done? That old dog is a stellar example of how youkai should act. Humans don’t understand it, but we were created by the Gods to protect them.” “And so the Gods threw a child at me,” Totosai huffed. He could barely protect himself. There was a reason that retreating was one of his best talents. If Bokusenou-san could have shrugged, he would have. Instead there was only the slight rustling of the leaves above them. “I don’t pretend to know what they are thinking, Totosai-san. No one truly knows their nature.” “Hmm,” Totosai hummed, tapping his knee thoughtfully. Rin was nestled gently into the basket within his lap, and he looked at her. She still didn’t cry, only cooed with a toothless smile, as she wriggled slightly in her blankets. He reached out his finger to her, and she latched onto it without trouble. “I suppose that it has been lonely in the forge.” Not to mention his little hut, at the top of the mountain. Mo-Mo, his faithful ox, had been his only family for centuries. “Then there, perhaps, is your reason.” The tree sounded almost bored. “There is a complication though,” the old smith muttered, as he played with Rin. “I know nothing about caring for human children.” At that, Bokusenou-san’s lips twisted into a wide smile. “Luckily for you, there is something that would be more than pleased to help you.” Totosai cocked his head to the side as he thought, and when he realized, he stood up abruptly, holding the basket tightly to his chest. “Absolutely not!” he snapped. “I refuse to ask her!” But the tree just laughed at him, and he kept laughing even after the smith left his clearing. .... Despite his vehement vow to never contact her, he ended up writing to the Lady Izayoi anyhow. It wasn’t that he disliked the woman. No, he adored her. She had wit and creativity, and the sun shone wherever she went. The moment that Touga-san had introduced her to him all those years ago, he had instantly known what drew the old dog to her. She was also the reason that his old friend was dead. Touga-san had made him promise that he would protect her in his absence, and the best way to do that was to never contact her. It was one-half responsibility, one-half hatred-- even if he could never fully hate her. But after three days of barely getting the child to eat something and rather unsuccessful diaper changes, he had given up hope. He had penned a short letter and delivered it by a raven youkai, fully expecting her to not answer at all. He couldn’t remember her exact age, but she wasn’t a young girl anymore, and humans only became frail as they got older. They gave me a child, he had written to her. And I have no idea how to care for her. And so he waited. She ate what he gave her, but unhappily. He managed to change her diapers, but made a mess of it. And he still had no clothes for her. And despite it all, the baby hadn’t cried once. And to his surprise, the raven returned to him the next day, with a short reply. I’m on my way. ..... The Lady Izayoi wasn’t dressed in the finery that he used to see her in. She had shed her intricate junihitoe for an informal haori and hakama set. “Easier to travel this way,” she told him, climbing down the side of Ah-Un. Touga-san had left her the dragon upon his death, and despite her attempts to set him free, the youkai was as loyal as ever. Her hair was pulled into a simple bun, and gray streaked through the black strands. Her face was youthful, but carried the lines of her age. Totosai was struck by how time passed differently for her, than him. She had been so young what seemed like only yesterday. It had been almost three decades since they had last met face-to-face, and the change to her was astounding. She swept her gaze around the mountain, her eyes passing from his little hut, towards the cave where his forge was built. “This place hasn’t changed a bit,” she said with amusement. “Neither have you, Totosai-san.” “You’re as lovely, as the last time that I saw you,” he said, bowing slightly. She tutted slightly, waving the thought away. “Nonsense. I know that I look ancient to you. Now then--” She paused, a conspiratorial smile spreading across her face. “Where is the girl?” So much like Touga-san, even now. He waved towards his hut and led her there. .... The knowledge that Izayoi imparted to him was invaluable. She couldn’t teach him everything in the day that she spent there, but she had told him the basics, and suddenly he didn’t feel like a bumbling fool when it came to things. The most valuable wisdom that she gave him was when she left. She had swung her leg over Ah-Un, settling across his back comfortably. “Before I leave, Totosai-san, I will say this-- there is no right or wrong, when it comes to raising a child. You will learn as much, as you teach them. Never forget that.” And as he watched Rin grow, he came to realize that she was right. With every year, new challenges were added, as old lines were crossed. Parenthood was a constant learning experience, and Rin taught him something knew with every day. By the time that Rin was four, he loved her with every fiber of his being. ..... Rin was six, the next time the Lady Izayoi came to visit. This time her hair had transformed from black into a beautiful silver sheen, sparkling under the sunlight. Rin was tall for a girl, already past Totosai’s hip, and she regarded the woman carefully. Warily, even. “Rin-chan, you know how you have clothes sent once a year?” he said, patting her head gently. Rin’s face scrunched up slightly as she thought. “Izayoi-san,” she said. He had been teaching her how to read, and he had started with the letters that the Lady sent with her yearly packages. “This is her, Rin-chan,” he said to her. The girl’s gaze swept from him, to the Lady, her expression morphing as she realized that she was a friend, not a foe. She ran to her, stopping right before Ah-Un. Lady Izayoi scrambled down his back with grace, but there was a stiffness about her now that Totosai couldn’t ignore. He frowned slightly. “Hello Rin-chan,” she said with mirth. “This isn’t the first time that we have met, but it’s the first time that you’ll remember for sure. The last time that I was here, you were only a baby.” Rin thought about her reply carefully, and then she said, “Thank you for the clothes. And the books,” she added as an afterthought. Then the girl paused. “May I hug you?” Lady Izayoi laughed and knelt to the ground, holding out her arms. “Of course, Little One.” And Rin hugged her, and the Lady hugged her back. Totosai knew that Izayoi was thrilled, because the girl gave the best hugs out of anyone in the world. ...... In the blink of an eye, Rin turned thirteen. Totosai hated it. He hated how they lived on different life lines, how all he had to do was close his eyes for a moment, and the years have passed for her. He hated that he would outlive her, and then what? He’d be alone again, and it wasn’t like he could just find someone else. Rin could never be replaced. “Totosai-san, what is wrong?” she asked him, having caught him staring. They sat at the simple table in the kitchen, eating a simple stew. His hand was clasped gently around the bowl, frozen while he was lost in thought. “Nothing, Rin-chan,” he said, pulling the bowl to his mouth for a sip. “Only of how much you’ve grown.” At that, Rin made a face and he laughed. “Rin, we never did celebrate your birthday.” It wasn’t so much the day of the birth that they celebrated, but rather the day that she was gifted to him. He had long since stopped seeing it as a sacrifice. He didn’t care for the day in truth, but Rin did, and so, he counted the days until the next year so she would be happy. “What is it that you want? I could send for the Lady Izayoi, if you would like to spend some time with her.” The woman was into her sixties now, but fit enough to handle the girl, if Rin wanted it. Rin thought, twisting her lip slightly as she did so. It was a little tell of hers, and Totosai thought it adorable. “Can you teach me to smith?” she finally asked. At that, he almost dropped his bowl. “I… er…. What?” “I want to learn,” she said simply. Then her brow furrowed, like she was afraid that she had said something wrong. “Is that… is that alright?” Of course it was, he just never thought that she would have been interested. She spent hours at a time with him in the forge, just watching, but he had always assumed that it was because she was bored. There wasn’t much to do on the mountain top, and she had read every book that Izayoi had sent her, ten times over. “Of course it is, Rin-chan.” At that, her smile widened and she said, “I love the colors of the fire, and it’s warmth. Spending a day in the forge, is like going home.” At that, Totosai grinned. He hadn’t even taught her anything yet, and she was already a head above any other apprentice he had ever taken. ..... They started with basic shapes. Then Rin learned how to make knives. And then horseshoes, which they delivered to the village down below. They never did so personally-- the stabler ventured up the mountain once a month to pick up an order. She was sixteen now, and a young woman, and men were now interested. And they were curious about the woman in the mountains, who lived by herself. They had never seen him, and such assumed as such. Totosai had told her to never say her name, and so she never did. Eventually, she made a sword, and it was beautiful. Perfect in its balance, the steel hardened to perfection. Totosai took his hammer and tapped along it, listening to the ping of metal carefully. He wasn’t sure that he could have forged anything better. Rin wasn’t an apprentice anymore, it seemed. And when he told her as such, she only grinned back, forcing a tight hug on him. He hugged her right back. ..... She was one year shy of twenty, when she finally asked him the dreaded question. “Totosai-san, where exactly did I come from?” He had never lied to her. She knew that he was a youkai, and that she was a human. But despite all of her curiosity, she had never asked. He vowed to tell her the truth if she ever did, but the question had never come. That night, they were in the forge. Rin hammered away at a red-hot billet, filling an order for a simple kitchen knife. And Totosai sat on a rock to the side, puffing at his beloved pipe. Rin didn’t smoke one, but she loved the smell of the tobacco. He thought about his words carefully, listening to the rhythmic thump of her hammering. “What brought this question?” he finally asked. Not in anger, but curiosity. “Keneda-san said something peculiar, when he picked up the order for this month,” she replied. Keneda-san, the stabler. Totosai had never quite liked the man. Rin paused in her work, reaching into her pocket for a handkerchief. She wiped at her forehead, smearing soot and sweat. “He always asks for my name, and I always tell him that it doesn’t matter,” she continued with, “To which he said, ‘But if I don’t know your name, how will I court you?’” Rin made a disgusted sound. “Could you imagine? He’s old enough to be my father.” Totosai wasn’t surprised. Despite the lean muscle that Rin carried, she was pretty enough under all the soot and ash that constantly covered her. “And what you say?” “That I wanted no husband,” she huffed. She turned and leaned against the anvil, looking at Totosai seriously. “He went on about how it was improper to live up here by myself. Improper! Ha! What about the impoliteness of wanting to court a woman that you barely know?” And then her face fell sightly, the her edges softened by a meek sadness. “But then it got me thinking, how it was that I ended up with you. It’s never mattered, honestly but--” “There’s no harm in wanting to know,” Totosai said to her. “I’ve never hidden it from you, nor do I ever want to.” He puffed at his pipe for a long drag. “You came from the village, though I doubt that’s a surprise. For centuries they’ve left offerings, and I’ve always taken them. I suppose that’s why they know me as Volcano-san, even if we’ve never met. There was a bad year though. The weather was harsh and they felt the volcano responsible, because humans always have to blame something.” Rin watched him carefully, and he could tell that she didn’t like where this was going. “They felt that their offerings were insufficient, so they sacrificed you.” The girl chewed on her lip for a moment. “What on earth did they think you would do with me?” “Eat you? Throw you in the fires? I have no idea, just like I had no idea what to do with you. Bokusenou-san told me that I should keep you.” “The Old Tree?” she laughed incredulously. She held a fantastic relationship with the tree, often harvesting his branches or bark for specialty projects. A fair trade for conversation, the tree would tell her. “I was out of my depth, and so I called upon Izayoi-san. She taught me some valuable things.” “I miss her.” The last time that she had seen the woman was almost three years past. The Lady was into her late seventies now, and it was near impossible for her to travel. Rin had to go to her, which was easier said than done. “That is how we ended up here though,” he said, taking another drag from his pipe. “I wonder what they were like,” she said. “The ones who threw me away.” Threw her away. At that, Totosai moved from his seat and set his pipe down upon the ashtray. He told her that he would be right back, and went to the hut. Under his bed, there was a box full of trinkets. One of them a small square of folded up vellum. When he returned to Rin, he handed it to her. “They didn’t throw you away.” He watched as her eyes scanned the parchment. “Her name is Rin,” she said quietly. “They named me.” “They loved you.” “You love me too.” “Of course, but they loved you first, and that’s why I kept you. You were a gift.” She ran her fingers over the words, careful not to smear them with soot. “This is why you told me to never tell them my name.” No doubt the village would know of the girl named Rin, sacrificed to Volcano-san. “It was a selfish request.” Because he feared them taking her from him. “I want nothing to do with them,” she told him. Her expression made it clear that she was very firm in that thought. “This old man knows,” he said, leaning against the anvil next to her. “But this man also knows that humans are unpredictable.” Rin reached out, pulling Totosai into a tight hug. He fell into it, hugging her back. She always gave the best ones. “Thank you, Totosai-san,” she said. “Thank you, and I love you.” “I know, Rin-chan,” he said, pressing his hand against the back of her head. “You love me more than they did.” “It isn’t a contest.” And it wasn’t. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that they still loved her just as much. Rin was young and didn’t understand. Maybe she never would. Rin didn’t cry though, she never cried. Not once, had she ever shed a tear. She just held onto him tightly and thanked him over and over, for everything. And he just hugged her back. ..... Rin was almost twenty-three when his back started to hurt. Totosai was old, and while he didn’t like to think about it, it was getting harder for him to forge. As of late, Rin was taking on more and more of his projects. His youkai clients didn’t know such a thing, for they would never come back. Humans had always assumed it was her work to begin with, so it didn’t matter to them. But it mattered to Totosai. He leaned on his rock, puffing at his pipe, watching as Rin worked. The lean muscles of her shoulders rippled, as she struck the molten steel with the hammer. This wasn’t a woman that men wanted to marry, he thought. She lacked that soft curves and roundness that they liked. A human her age would already had several children. She was a spinster. Once, he asked her about it. She just laughed and said, “Do I look like a woman who wants to be married?” No, she didn’t, and that was okay. “That is the sword for Ryukotsusei-sama, yes?” “Yeah,” Rin grunted, sticking the metal back into the forge. “Is it nearly done?” “Not one bit. His list of requirements is quite extensive.” At that, Totosai smiled. “I would love to see what you would have said about Touga-san’s list of requirements.” The Old Dog used to put his skills through the wringer, requesting the most and ridiculous things. He had never once failed to deliver them though. “The Lord of the West?” she asked, wiping at the sweat on her brow. “Izayoi-san’s husband?” She took the tongs and pulled the metal out again, setting it against the anvil. “He was a man of unique taste, I promise you.” Rin only hummed in response, setting back to work with her hammer. The next day, she met Keneda-san at the fork in the path, halfway down the mountain. Totosai hid himself, always watching from the side. It wasn’t so much that Rin couldn't protect herself, but he couldn’t ignore the protective instinct that flooded through him. He had complained about it to Izayoi-san once, and the woman had laughed at him. That’s what being a father is like, you stupid old ox. Mo-Mo was the ox, not him, but that wasn’t the point. “Keneda-san,” Rin said amicably, reaching out to shake his hand. The stabler took it, and after shaking it, flipped it over to survey the skin. “Truly my lady, you shouldn’t have such callouses.” His tone was almost mocking. Rin frowned at him. “It’s never stopped you from reaping the benefits of such callouses.” “Ah but--” “You are married now, Keneda-san,” she said to him. “How is Emiko-san?” His wife had journeyed with him last month, to see the eccentric Rin who lived on the mountain by herself. She didn’t delight in being a sideshow act, but she had said nothing, receiving the woman with friendship. And really, Emiko-san wasn’t half-bad. “Worried about you, you know. You shouldn’t live up here alone,” he said. And to his credit, he sounded genuinely concerned. “I’m perfectly fine up here,” Rin said, beginning to load his orders into the cart. “She has this friend,” he started with. “A very nice man--” “Keneda-san, as always, I’m not interested. Not to mention I’m too old.” “He’s your age and interested,” Keneda-san said. “If you would just tell me your name, I could--” “My name doesn’t matter. I’m perfectly fine,” she told him, “Volcano-san is the perfect companion. He provides for me and never asks nosy questions. He never tells a woman that she would be more, with a man by her side.” Totosai smiled at her words. “I wasn’t implying such a thing,” Keneda-san said, but his genial tone seemed forced. Rin hefted the last bag of his order onto his cart, patting it slightly. “Keneda-san, that’s the last of it. I’ll see you next month.” “But--” “Next month,” she repeated. At that, Keneda-san snapped his mouth shut. “Of course, Ladysmith. Next month, then.” He climbed into the driver’s bench and hoisted the reins. “Know that you are always welcome in the village though, even for a day.” Rin shot him an incredibly rude gesture, and the man scrunched his lips into a disapproving frown. A moment later, he had spurred his horses into action, and was heading back down the trail. Once out of sight, Totosai left his hiding spot. “Ladysmith, huh? That’s a new one.” “I suppose I’m not dainty enough for ‘ma’am’ or ‘my lady’ anymore.” Rin waved the thought away. “Trying to pawn me off onto another man, the nerve!” “Ah well, perhaps he means well.” Rin grunted at that. “He would do well to leave me the hell alone.” At that, Totosai laughed. “Come Rin-chan, let’s go make dinner.” He slipped his arm around her shoulder and they began to walk the path back up to the mountain. He was lucky, he realized. For over twenty years, he had not eaten alone. This little girl, now woman grown, had been thrown into his life, and against all odds, they had made it work. No one knows their nature, Bokusenou-san had told him once, when talking about the Gods. The forge is lonely. Then perhaps, there is your reason. His forge wasn’t lonely anymore. Perhaps our life’s greatest work, will finally appease you, the letter had said to him. She had. Totosai thanked the Gods for Rin that day, which was quite unlike him.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15902277

Here we have the prologue for my new story, The Ladysmith! Hop on over the AO3 to check it out? :D

#inuyasha #inuyasha fanfiction #rin #sesshoumaru #rin/sesshoumaru #rin and sesshoumaru #sesshomaru #Sesshomaru and Rin

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xoxopandapanda · 7 years

Text

A Functionally Dysfunctional Valentine’s Day

Set in the Functionally Dysfunctional AU

@inuyasha-valentines

Contrary to popular belief, out of the two of them, Inuyasha was the romantic. While Kagome did love a good romance movie and a date night with her husband, it was Inuyasha who loved to plan and perfect their outings. Kagome had been the one to introduce him to the world of wooing, but once Inuyasha got a taste of it, he was addicted.

Kagome’s work at the clinic had been busier than usual, due much in part to the recent cold snap, and she had all but forgotten Inuyasha’s favorite holiday was coming up. But he hadn’t, and was busily using the extra time that his wife was at the clinic to prepare his ultimate plan. ‘When you getting home?’ He texted his wife because he knew a call would prove to be fruitless. He also knew that expecting a response right away was stupid, so he tucked his phone into his pocket, and set to rotating the tires on the car that had been dropped off that morning. Once he was done, he set to changing the oil, mentally preparing a list of things he needed for his special day with Kagome. ‘I have the roses and chocolate…maybe wine? Oh I should stop by the card section and see if there is a good one. I think we need more dashi stock…’ The good thing about being excellent at his job was his mind could be elsewhere while he was working. It was well over three hours later that Kagome responded. ‘It’s slower today, so I can be home for 4!! :D’ Inuyasha snorted at the emoji attempt, knowing that Kagome had expected it to auto fill but it hadn’t. But nonetheless, 4 pm was good. It meant they had a long evening to themselves. ‘Maybe I should pick up bubble bath stuff too…but she probably has quite a bit of that...’ Inuyasha shot back an actual emoji, just to mess with her a little bit, before looking at the time. ‘Almost one…’

He turned back to the cars he had to work on, and decided that if he worked efficiently enough, he could close up by three, giving him enough time to get to the store. When it came to Valentine’s Day, Inuyasha was always the first person to have in his order for flowers at the local flower shop. He also preordered all the chocolates from the fancy Swiss store on the other side of town, so he knew he was safe in that regard. He had picked them up that morning, and keen to get them home. It was sometimes a toss-up if there were any good cards left, but Kagome loved either cheesy or mildly offensive cards, so he figured he could find one that fit either category. After all, most wives wanted to be wooed on Valentine’s Day, but Kagome just wanted to spend time with him. Locking everything up for the day finally, after calling his regulars to let them know he was closing a little bit earlier than normal, and starving off the jabs from Totosai to ‘Go and love her right up’, he texted Kagome to tell her he was heading to the store, and to let him know if she needed anything. He arrived just after 3 pm at the mom and pop grocery store that Kagome loved, but he wasn’t the only person standing in the card isle. There were dozens of men, trying to find a nice card for their special someone, some toting kids along, some toting carts full of stuffed animals and chocolate. Inuyasha silently judged all of them for their lack of organization, while mentally praising himself for being such a thoughtful spouse. The only reason he waited until the last minute to pick out the card was because the more picked over the isle was, the more visible the most ridiculous cards were, which saved him time in finding one. Scanning quickly over the options in the Funny-For Her section, Inuyasha picked up the first one that caught his eye. It had a dog squatting on it, with ‘HEY HOT STUFF!’ written across the top at an angle in a font suspiciously similar to the word affects in Microsoft Word that every middle schooler loves. Opening it to read the inside, Inuyasha barked out a loud laugh before closing it, grabbing the envelope, and walking away, heedless of the stares the other people in the isle were giving him. He checked his phone, but Kagome hadn’t texted back yet, so he chanced a phone call to her. “Hi handsome!” She answered the phone. He smiled, always happy to hear her voice, “Hey beautiful. I’m at the store, what do you want for dinner?” “Oh! You’re there right now? I need some soy sauce, dashi, and veggies? I think I still have some tofu in the fridge. What are you thinking for dinner?” “Oden or something, should I grab some meat?” “Okay!” Inuyasha heard, her excitement at the thought of having her favorite meal for dinner shining through. “If you pick up a cake mix, we can have that tonight too! Weight need eggs though...” “Got it. I’ll pick up the mix and the ingredients for the cake to be sure.” “Good idea. Also grab whatever snacks you want. I’m certain we are out of those.” Inuyasha swung down the baking isle, grabbing a vanilla cake mix, vegetable oil, and pink canned frosting. “On it. Anything else?” He asked as he made his way to the refrigerator area. Kagome sighed loudly on the other end of the line. “No, I’m just really excited to come home at a reasonable time. I can’t wait to pet my cat while it’s still light out.” Inuyasha snorted while inspected the eggs in the carton he had picked up. “Your cat is more important than your husband? I’m mortally injured, wench.” “Oh you’ll get your attention. But you know how Buyo gets when you get kisses before him.” Inuyasha places the eggs carefully in the basket he had in his arms, and wondered if he should go back and get a cart. “Maybe I should start being fussier than him. I wonder if that would get me the attention I desire.” “… don’t you dare…” Kagome’s voice held no malice, and Inuyasha knew that she was just as amused as him. Deciding a cart was too much of a hassle, Inuyasha meandered towards the snack section, inspected sales as he walked by. “Tempting idea though.” “You’re being a brat. But I do have to go if I’m going to get out of here on time. I love you.” “Hmm, love you. See you at home.” “Bye!” Kagome hung up quickly. Inuyasha rucked his phone back into his pants pocket, and picked out his choice snacks for home. He had to back track to pick up the meat, but it was fate in a way. Kaede was standing next to the fish, inspecting the choices available. She mustn’t have noticed him, but, to her credit, she didn’t jump when he approached. “What are you going for Valentine’s Day, Inuyasha?” Inuyasha selected some thinly sliced beef, wrapped it in a bag, before placing it in his now-teetering-fully basket. He then reached over and took Kaede’s nearly empty basket. “Spending it with the wife at home. What else should I do?” “You’re not taking her out to dinner?” Kaede selected a nice and plump, but small, white fish, and placed it in her basket that Inuyasha was holding. “She’s not to into going out. You have plans?” “Oh yes. To come here tomorrow, once the sweets are on sale, and have my fill.” Kaede grinned up at his with a full smile and a sparking eye. Inuyasha smiled back, responding, “Now there’s an idea.” Kaede turned on her heel, making her way to the front to check out. “Well I have all I need. What about you, young man?” Inuyasha closely followed. “Yeah, I’m done.” He placed the two baskets at the register of a young teenager, who looked completely unenthusiastic. The boy started to mindlessly ring the items up, not even greeting either of the customers, not that either minded.

The two mildly chatted over the different Valentines Day sweets that they liked the most. As the boy finished scanning and bagging Inuyasha’s grocery items, Inuyasha finally spoke to the cashier. “Her items too, please.” The teenager grunted and began to empty the second basket.

“Inuyasha, please. I can pay for my own groceries.” Kaede chided, but made no indication that she wanted to stop him from doing so.

Inuyasha grinned over at her, pulling out the enough cash to cover the transaction. “I can’t ask you to be my Valentine, but I can pay for your groceries.”

Kaede laughed, and Inuyasha picked up the multiple bags, although only one was the older woman’s. Kaede continued her comments regarding the Valentine sweets she remembered from childhood, and how few of them were still around, while the two of them walked to Inuyasha’s car.

Once they were settled in, and Inuyasha was beginning the brief journey home, Kaede took a peek at the card Inuyasha had purchased for his wife. She read it out loud, pausing at the end to chuckled good naturedly.

“If I didn’t know you two,” she croaked out, her voice caught up from her deep laugh, “I would think this was man trying to get a divorce.”

Inuyasha laughed too. “That’s why Kagome’s the best wife. She thinks these things are funny!”

Kaede placed the card back into the envelope, and leaned back for the last block home. “You two are a match made in heaven.”

Inuyasha smiled, but said nothing further to her comments, knowing that she spoke the truth. Pulling into the driveway of their small but present home, Inuyasha turned the engine off, and grabbed Kaede’s grocery bag. He walked her over to her house in a comfortable silence, and was patted on the cheek for his efforts. After making sure she secured her door, he went back to the car to bring in the rest of the bags of groceries. He had enough time to start chopping the vegetables for the oden before Kagome came back and took over.

He figured his car, although it was his baby, could spend one night outside, especially since it was predicted to be a mild night.

Kagome came home just as Inuyasha was putting the broth in the serving bowl to heat it up and boil the vegetables, left over tofu from the fridge, and meat. Kagome greeted him with a warm kiss, and a soft “Happy Valentine’s Day” before jogging to the bedroom to put her pajamas on, with Buyo hot on her heels, true to his nature and displeased that Inuyasha had received any sort of affection prior to him.

Inuyasha took the brief repose from his wife to quickly sign the card, and put it on the table for her, next to the vase of roses and fancily packaged chocolates.

Kagome entered the room, wearing her soft fleece pajama pants with hearts all of over it and one of his old t-shirts he wasn’t allowed to wear in public anymore. Her hair was haphazardly tossed up into a messy bun, and she carried the vocally displeased calico cat in her arms. She saw the card, and tossed a sheepish look at Inuyasha.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?” She asked, remorse already filling her eyes and body.

Inuyasha placed the oden ingredients into the broth, and grunted. He rinsed his hands, and walked over to her. “Don’t stress, woman! Christmas is your thing, Valentine’s is mine. After all, I tried to stay open on Christmas this year.”

Kagome laughed, her tense shoulders easing, letting Buyo slip a little bit. Buyo quickly informed both of them exactly what his opinion of that was, but they ignored him.

“Tried being the key word. No one was willing to come themselves!” She leaned into his embrace.

“Ah, what diligent customers I have, thinking of my wife just as much as I do!” He planted a kiss on her head, before picking up the still yowling cat from her arms and placing him on his shoulder. “One day, someone is going to call the cops on us for animal abuse with the way he carries on.”

Kagome patted the larger brown spot on Buyo, snorting, “If anyone tries to take him away, I’m sure they’ll bring him back in the hour.” She reached down and opened the envelope to reveal the card front. She tossed him a deadpan look. “I think I made something similar to this in middle school.”

Inuyasha grinned. “Isn’t it great! Just wait, it gets better!”

Kagome narrowed her eyes, and read the card. “Hey hot stuff…” she opened the card to reveal the image of the dog defecating with a grimace on its face, “You’re the shit.” There was cartoon steam coming off of the pile of excrement, and the color of the words was a deep brownish yellow, also appearing to be a special word affect, done with bad taste.

Inuyasha looked back and forth from the card to his wife’s face once, and then twice, before Kagome let out a howl of a laugh, which proved to be too much for Buyo who demanded to be place on the ground instantly. Inuyasha complied, knowing that something was probably going to get destroyed by the cat, but not really caring.

Kagome’s laugh was infectious, and Inuyasha started to laugh along with her. “Inuyasha!” she exclaimed, “You’ve out done yourself!”

“I knew you’d love it!” He accepted her arms as the flung around his neck so she could pull him in for a kiss. Pulling back from her affection, he added his last thought for a while, “The only issue is, it’s not really work appropriate, so you can’t show it off.”

“Oh well, it’s the thought that counts,” Kagome retorted before kissing him again.

He was only released when the boiling of the soup pot became loud, and Kagome took a moment to smell the flowers and appreciate the chocolates. They ate their dinner in comfortable quiet, only interrupted by the whizzing of cars outside, and the groans of a grumpy cat in the back ground. They held hands under the table, like bashful lovers, even though they were in their own home with no one looking. Together, they cleaned up the kitchen, and made the cake mix kinda-sorta to package directions, but not too terribly worried if it turned out.

Once it was in the oven and the 58 minutes on the clock, Inuyasha moved into the living room to put on a movie. While Kagome did love a good romcom upon an occasion, Inuyasha couldn’t be bothered to sit through even an hour of it, so he put on a good action movie that he knew Kagome would love.

She sauntered into the room holding glasses of wine. “Look what I found under the sink!” she called to him before noticing his movie choice. “Rush Hour? Heck yeah!”

Inuyasha accepted the glass from her. “Only the best for my better half.”

Kagome blushed mildly, pleased by his comments, but more interested in the movie than further the conversation. Together they snuggled, drinking wine, until the timer went off, and Kagome left to take the cake out of the oven. She came back with one of her abnormally fluffy and large blankets, and dropped her head on his lap for the rest of the film.

Inuyasha absent mindedly twirled her hair in his fingers, and appreciated the warmth of their love and home.

Once the movie was done, Kagome was lightly dozing off on his lap, her breathing deep and regular. Inuyasha made no move to wake her up, but as soon as the noise from the television stopped, she opened her eyes. Her body tensed for a moment, before she released a loud sigh and stretched long.

She rolled over to meet his eyes. “Wanna bath?” he asked her.

“Everyday.” She sat up, and lifted her hands above her head. “Whatcha thinking of?”

“You, in a bubble bath, me, on the floor reading you some stupid tweets.” Inuyasha rose himself, placed his hands on his lower back, leaning back to stretch. He then stepped just in front of her to lift her into his arms, carrying her bridal style.

Kagome laughed gleefully, “Ooohhh, Mr. Romantic! You know the way to a woman’s heart!” Inuyasha carried her up to their bathroom, before turning on the faucet for her bath. Kagome stripped down, wrapped herself in a towel, before reaching to grab some bath salts and a bubble bath gel. She handed them to Inuyasha who put some under the running water. Soon the bath was heavily scented and frothy – just the way Kagome liked.

Kagome crawled into the warm water, sighing in appreciation, and Inuyasha sat on the floor next to the tub. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, where it had yet to leave from his trip to the store, and pulled up his Twitter app. It was virtually the only social media that Inuyasha consumed, but he was never active on it. He just enjoyed the different tweets from comedians that he followed.

He read all of his feed, filtering none of it, and he and Kagome rated whether they thought they were funny or not. If there was a picture included, Inuyasha would show it to Kagome, and some of the bootlegged items that were begin inspected caused quite the uproar between the two of them.

“Oh yes,” Kagome exclaimed between her giggles, “the collaboration between Nike and Winne the Pooh was my favorite one.”

Inuyasha gasped out his laughter, nodding his agreement.

Once the wine and hot water got to Kagome, she beached her way out of the tub, completely unconcerned that she was the opposite of graceful, knowing Inuyasha had seen much worse from her. He handed her a towel after tucking away his phone again. Kagome stumbled, still chuckling to herself to the bedroom. She called over her shoulder, “Bring the car to the garage. Then come back to bed.”

Inuyasha knew he shouldn’t have been surprised that she remembered his car better than he did, but if it was important to him, it was important to her, and he was pleased to hear her remind him to take it in. Although he hadn’t intended to do so, he went to pull his favorite car into the garage. As he grabbed his keys, he saw the destruction Buyo had chosen to wreak. Looking at the little pieces of paper that was strewn all of the entry way to their home, Inuyasha halfway hoped the paper wasn’t important, but chose to do nothing at the moment, because, hell, it was already done.

Inuyasha stepped outside and brought his car into the garage, and was back in the house before Kagome could get her inebriated and happy self into bed. She had managed to get her pajamas back on, but was fighting a losing battle with the duvet. Inuyasha watched for a little while, Kagome’s giggling preventing her from being able to easily pull back the cover, and her wobbly legs making her teeter her and there. Eventually, after he got his fill of amusement, Inuyasha helped her into bed, before changing into his pajamas of light sleeping pants, and no shirt. He went downstairs to frost and bring up the cake that had been momentarily forgotten. He hadn’t realized at the store that the frosting container came with some gaudy hearts and kisses sprinkles, but he poured them on top of the frosting anyways. Although Kagome was a much better cake decorator than him, he knew she would love it regardless. He climbed back up the stairs with two larger slices of the cake, and found Kagome had snagged his phone out of his pants, her mostly likely downstairs in her purse still. She was playing Whitney Huston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ at full volume. When she saw him enter the doorframe, she sang with it. Normally, Kagome had a lovely voice, that reigned in its listener, but slightly drunk Kagome was singing for the gods. And not in a good way. Inuyasha’s ears immediately pinned against his head, and he looked at her in horror. Kagome only lasted about 10 seconds before she started to cough from the effort, and began to laugh instead. “Let’s not do that again, wench.” Inuyasha approached the bed and put the cake slices on the side table on his side. Kagome rasped out, “You got it, dog boy.” Inuyasha took then phone and turned off the song. He set his alarm, a little later than normal for Kagome’s sake, and put the phone on the nightstand. Kagome was still laying down, looking up at him with eyes that shone so much love that Inuyasha had to take a second and kiss her. She tried to wrap her hands up into his hair and pull him closer, but he moved away from her to grab the cake slices. Kagome was easily persuaded to change her course of action, and accepted the plate with a wholehearted, “oh my, my, my! Thank you!” Inuyasha settled in next to her, still on top of the duvet, but in close proximity. They took turns feeding each other bites of their respective slices of cake, interrupted by kisses here and there. The cake was sweet, but not as sweet as the loved shared between the two lovers. Once the cake was finished, even the crumbs gone, Inuyasha picked up the plates, and walked them down to the dishwasher. He came back with a glass of water for both of them, but Kagome appeared to have already fallen asleep. She was curled up toward his side of the bed, her arm reaching out for him already. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, Inuyasha reached over her to place her water down on her nightstand. Placing his glass on his side, Inuyasha laid down carefully, waiting for Kagome to move her arm before placing his whole weight on the mattress. She pulled her arm back from instinct, and waited for him to settle on his back before reaching her arm across his torso and scooting closer. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, whispering, “You’re such a damn lightweight.” Kagome mumbled back to him, “But I’m your lightweight.” Inuyasha snorted lightly, “Yeah, you are,” before closing his eyes and chasing sleep himself. Except, Kagome’s giggles returned with a vengeance, and soon her entire body was shaking uncontrollably, and she looked up into his one opened eye and said, “You’re the shit…” Inuyasha screwed his eyes tight, trying to not laugh, but failing miserably. He too began to shake, and the two of them fell into hysteria together. Kagome reached up to pull him into a wet kiss, pulling away to say, “Happy Valentine’s Day to the best husband in the whole wide world. I love you more than you can ever imagine.” Inuyasha placed his hand on the back of her neck, and puller closer to him, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. “I love you too. You’ll never know how much.” Kagome sighed, and closed her eyes, finally succumbing to the call of sleep, with Inuyasha not far behind. The next morning, they’d go downstairs to find out Buyo had destroyed the water bill, and that they would have to call up the company for the amount they owed, would eat cake for breakfast, and would continue their week the best way they knew how: functionally dysfunctional. But for the moment, they were just in love, and happy to be that way.

#Functionally Dysfunctional #panda writes #inukag #inuyasha x kagome #inuyashaxkagome #kagome #inuyasha fanfiction #inuyasha ficlet #inukag valentine's day #valentine's day story #inuyasha fandom valentine's day 2018

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akitokihojo · 3 years

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Monster - Chapter 7

chapter index

It was unsurprising that Inuyasha had dozed off after Kagome and had awoken before her. It seemed she’d barely moved in the night aside from freeing her arms from the confinements of the quilts she rested beneath and turning to lay on her side facing the edge of the mattress. Her dark hair splayed behind her, but little, rogue strands clung to her sweat-soaked cheeks, forehead, and neck, her skin glimmering with the layer of dew that signified her breaking fever. A little color had returned to her face, an unfriendly flush painting her cheekbones, and Inuyasha could only figure how uncomfortable she would be if she were conscious.

Again, that twinge of sympathy twisted at his abdomen. He felt the pull to help, to make her just a bit more comfortable, and did the first thing that came to mind by heading to the bathroom, grabbing a washcloth from the shelf, and soaking it in some water. He rung it of extra moisture, folding it up and walking back over to the sleeping girl.

While she was unaware, this sort of act was fine. If she were awake, it’d be an entirely different story, but since she was asleep, Inuyasha allowed himself the leeway to sit beside her and gently pat the wet rag over her cheeks, adjusting those soddened strands of hair away from her body. He carefully pushed her bangs from her head, dabbing the sweat clean, and softly trailed over her temple, the sides of her face, her jaw, and over her neck.

It was too quick how he’d lost the ability to pay attention, how he’d carelessly gotten swept away in his task, and after moments of cooling her skin, pressing the rag against her so mildly, he noticed her brown eyes had already blinked open, gazing at him drowsily.

How long? How long ago had she woken up without him realizing? He instantly felt awkward and tense, his motions halting altogether as an uncontrollable heat rushed to his cheeks. He wanted to remove himself from the situation immediately, never one to let others see him visibly uncomfortable, so as a swift attempt at recovery, Inuyasha dropped the wet washcloth on Kagome’s face as he picked himself up and crossed the room to the window, ignoring her tiny and shocked yelp.

“What was that for?” She whined.

“You’re awake. You can do it yourself now.” He replied abrasively.

“What were you even doing?” Kagome asked, steadily pushing herself up to a sitting position, a hand braced behind her for stability.

“Nothing.”

“But -“

The hanyou hushed her, notching his chin toward the door. “Kaede’s coming.”

And, just seconds later, a knock greeted them. Inuyasha crossed the room to unlock the bolt, opening it up so his friend could enter.

“Ah, you’re awake.” She smiled brightly, shoving a folded up, black garment into Inuyasha’s waist and completely neglecting to acknowledge him as she welcomed herself in and crossed the floor to Kagome.

“Wow,” Inuyasha drawled, deadpanning. “Good morning to you, too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Hi, Inuyasha.” Kaede absently waved. “Get dressed, I’m tired of seeing your tits.”

“Why? Because they’re bigger than yours?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.” She huffed, still not looking at him as she checked Kagome’s temperature. “I have to tighten my bodice to no ends just to get an ounce of cleavage. Yours just exists, and it’s not fair.”

“Stop sexualizing me, you creep.” Inuyasha joked, unfolding the shirt and throwing it over his head. “It’s not my fault I’m well-endowed.”

“How are you feeling? Nauseous?” Kaede asked Kagome, ignoring Inuyasha’s sarcasm.

The conjurer shook her head, grateful that the medicine Kaede had given her seemed to have worked.

“You’re still a bit warm, but your fever’s breaking so that’s a good sign. I’ll go get some rice for you to eat and then give you one more dose.”

“Won’t it put me to sleep?” Kagome asked.

“Yes, but you need the rest, sweetheart.”

“It’s not clear to leave yet, anyway, so you may as well sleep. You’ll have nothing better to do.” Inuyasha added, tucking the ends of his shirt into his pants before buttoning them up. He worked on rolling the sleeves up his forearms next, making things a little more comfortable.

Kagome begrudgingly agreed, despite her desperate desire to stretch and walk around and be normal again. Kaede was quick to return with a healthy serving of rice and a large glass of water, making light conversation as she watched to make sure Kagome ate. A part of her wanted to ask if she had any children. She was very motherly and kind, and while Kaede was maybe just a year or two older than she was with the spunky sense of humor to match, she found a small resemblance between she and her own mother.

After giving her the dreadful fever medicine, Kaede left with both the rice bowl and the soup bowl from the night before, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone in the room once more.

Kagome laid herself down, knowing good and well how quickly the dose she’d just consumed was going to kick in, and within moments, her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted back to sleep.

Inuyasha watched her for a small while, alternating his attention from the unconscious girl to the town outside their window. He didn’t know what had possessed him to stay with her. Usually, he was one to sit in Kaede’s tavern area, or visit the shops, or have Totosai sharpen Tessaiga. Totosai worked with Kaede, helped her manage the floor and kitchen, but first and foremost, he was a bladesmith, and Inuyasha was happy to take full advantage of that. Yet, here he was. It was like he personally wanted to watch her improve. It was like Inuyasha wanted to make sure nothing stood in the way of her rest, and if she woke up or needed anything in the meantime, he was within earshot. What could she possibly need or want if she was asleep, though? What could he possibly do to help her while she wasn’t even conscious?

What was it about her that progressively demanded his attention?

After a couple of hours, Inuyasha forced himself to leave the room. Whatever he was feeling, it was freaking him out worse than the fear he felt just the night before. So, he went downstairs and paid off the tab so he wouldn’t have to worry about it later, giving Kaede a bit extra for tending to Kagome, which she nearly rejected but he walked away before she could force him to take it back. He ate something, he went outside to scope the area, making sure no familiar and unwelcome scents lingered around the grounds, went back to the inn and checked on Kagome, left when he saw she was still asleep, walked around some more, handed Tessaiga over to Totosai, checked on Kagome again, and then left the town entirely to rest in a tree in the forest so he wouldn’t be tempted to give up and hang out in the room.

“Oh, hey. She’s awake now and looks ten times better. You’re welcome. I know, I know, I’m the best.” Kaede grinned smugly, crinkling her nose adorably once Inuyasha walked back in. The sun was now setting, and he’d literally forced himself to stay out for hours to shake whatever was pulling him in like a magnet.

“You’ve checked on her?” He questioned, arching a brow.

“Of course, I did. Several times.” She shrugged. “Poor girl wanted nothing more than to bathe, so I set her up with a fresh gown and helped her out. She’s much more lively now, the cutie. How’d you even meet her? Is she a longtime friend of yours or something?”

Inuyasha deliberated his answer for a moment before taking a large step back and out of Kaede’s reach, grateful the counter she stood behind acted as a barrier to slow her down.

She read his expression immediately, and her brows pinched together in disapproval. “Inuyasha, what did you do?”

“First of all, I want to start off with the fact that I saved her life.” He began, defensively. “Just remember that, okay?”

“What did you do?” She repeated with condemnation.

“Nothing wrong, per se!”

“Don’t make me ask her myself.”

“No, don’t! She’ll just exaggerate!”

“Inuyasha!”

“I thought there was a bounty on her head, okay? Are you happy?” The hanyou barked.

“You did not!” Kaede had been friends with Inuyasha long enough to know how roughly he treated others, especially those he could get paid for. She’d even witnessed it a couple of times while Inuyasha brought them to the bar, eating and drinking in front of them, taunting them, making them wait out their sentencing for a bit longer. Personally, she thought it was sort of amusing since the majority of his victims had it coming. Not in this case, though.

“Well, you saw how messed up she looked! It was worse a couple days ago, so could you even blame me!?”

“Yes!”

“And, she had a horrible attitude for someone who’d just had their ass saved.” He growled, remembering her sassy remarks that got her into trouble with him. “The girl’s fucking ridiculous.”

“Oh, I’m gonna kick your sorry ass!” Kaede threatened, preparing to hop over the counter, not even bothering to head to the side and exit the counter door.

“I let her go!” Inuyasha argued, holding up his hands before him to protect himself.

“Let her…” Kaede stopped with one foot pressed on the countertop, uncaring that her skirt was hiked with gravity and that she was exposed. She let his words process for a moment, steadily bringing her foot back to the ground. He let her go. He legitimately had her in captivity. No longer was she interested in getting the full story from this scummy ass half demon. She wanted to know exactly what he did, and she was going to get it from the honest source.

Calmly, she turned and opened the counter door, shutting it behind her with pursed lips, and she watched the realization dawn on Inuyasha’s face. Before he could stop her, though, she booked it, running down the hall and up the stairs, shoving the hanyou’s hands off of her whenever he tried to grab and stop her.

She threw the door open, spotting Kagome across the bedroom with large eyes and a startled frown. She was tense where she stood, her black hair tied back in a messy bun, a rosiness flooding in her cheeks as she relaxed at seeing it was only them.

“Kagome - don’t touch me, Inuyasha - Kagome, did this mother fucker -“

“Don’t tell her anything! She’s gonna kill me!”

“Shut up! Did this mother fucker abduct you? Did he threaten to -“

“Kagome, no!”

“- Sell you?”

There was a thick moment of silence. Kagome stared at the two in the entry, stunned, perplexed, wondering what she was now caught in the middle of. She watched Inuyasha’s heated expression crumble as he started laughing, hiding his amusement behind his hand as he folded over and braced himself on his thighs. Kaede, though, held onto her wrathful look, her brown eyes squinted with how deep set her brows sat.

“Yes.” She finally answered, nodding. “Yes, he did.”

“I saved her life first! I saved her life!” Inuyasha jumped up, backing away from Kaede as she raised her fist and threatened to hit him.

“Is that true, Kagome?” She asked.

“Mhm. Sort of.”

“But, then he thought there was a bounty on your head? Why?”

“He assumed I was on the run from someone because of my bruises. Didn’t believe me when I said I’d gotten myself into a different type of trouble, then chased me down, tied me up, and dragged me around for miles.”

“Dragged!? Don’t say dragged!” Inuyasha shouted, suddenly more concerned for his well-being than he was before. He flinched, holding his hands up when Kaede pulled her fist back again in a threatening motion. “She walked! I made her walk for a few miles!”

“No, no, that’s true!” Kagome quickly said, correcting her choice of vocabulary. “I wasn’t literally dragged, I promise!”

“What else?” Kaede demanded.

“Kaede, stop!” Inuyasha laughed. “She’s fine, just look at her.”

“I’m not talking to you, shit-for-brains!”

“He tied me to a couple trees, and called me a crybaby when we accidentally bonked heads.” Kagome added.

“‘Bonked’? Who the fuck says ‘bonked’?” Inuyasha ridiculed.

“Would you like me to use a worse term?” She shot back.

“No, no, ‘bonked’ is fine.” He chuckled, wincing when Kaede lurched at him again. God, he should have known that Kaede would take another female’s side over his own any day.

“And, then what?”

“That’s about it. He untied me after a while. Oh, but he did try to attack me with his sword, and I thought that was overkill.”

Inuyasha froze, his face paling as he watched Kaede’s attention slowly drift back to him, a furious fire igniting behind her eyes. She went to actually throw her fist at him, but he dodged, swerving around her, jumping on top of the bed to bounce to the opposite side, and ducking to hide behind Kagome where he knew he’d be safest. There was no fucking way Kaede would compromise Kagome’s security.

“It’s a misunderstanding!”

“How the fuck is that a misunderstanding!?”

Kagome stood there unfazed, wobbling forward and back as Inuyasha protected himself behind her, his hands on her shoulders to keep her in place as Kaede approached with heavy stomps.

“The first time, I was just trying -“

“First time!?”

“Let me explain! I was just trying to scare the attitude out of her!”

“Kind of worked.” Kagome muttered, knowing she was probably unheard over Inuyasha’s nervous yelling. Ironically, she felt completely disregarded despite literally behind held in the middle of their fight.

“Tessaiga didn’t transform, though! So, the second time I pulled it, I was just trying to see why!”

“It has a name?” Kagome grimaced, again going ignored.

“You should have never pulled it in the first place, you big-tittied man!”

“At no point did I actually plan on harming her with it!”

“I don’t care! Was Kagome even brandishing a weapon at you!?”

“She was acting high and mighty! I needed to put her in her place!”

Kagome grimaced again at his poor choice of words. He had quite the nerve to use her as a shield while being rude.

“Inuyasha, you son of a bitch!”

“I’m sorry! Look, she’s fine! She’s totally fine! I didn’t hurt her, I promise! Tell her I didn’t hurt you, kid!”

Oh, now she’s being acknowledged. Kagome rolled her eyes, sighing out before dully saying, “He didn’t hurt me. He let me go that night, gave me some food, let me sleep, and even covered me with something so I’d be warm.”

For the second time that day, an irrational heat rushed to Inuyasha’s face. At no point had he considered she’d wake up and notice he’d done that, and instantly he was embarrassed. “No, I didn’t.” He retorted out of pure reaction when Kaede perked with a curious expression.

“Yeah, you did.” Kagome countered, peeking over her shoulder at him. “I saw it.”

“You must have been dreaming.” Inuyasha said, letting her go.

“It’s the whole reason I knew you were being attacked. I had your scent all over me, which attracted a couple of those demons my way.”

Kaede sniggered, pinching her lips together while she observed Inuyasha’s humiliation. Public affection in any way, shape, or form had never been his thing. It was why she was so shocked he’d walked in with a woman hanging on his arm in the first place, which she easily dismissed when she realized Kagome was severely ill. But, to know he’d taken it upon himself to make sure the girl kept warm in the middle of the night was something entirely new.

“Kagome, do you remember what it was?” She reached, never really pinging Inuyasha the type to carry a blanket around.

“Kind of. It was red. A jacket, maybe? Is it the thing you put in my bag?”

Kaede slapped her hand over her mouth, stifling her laughter behind her tightly-pressed palm when Inuyasha’s face burned even brighter. There was literally no disputing Kagome in the first place since she had traceable evidence, but Kaede knew exactly which garment Kagome was referring to. Inuyasha had been wearing the damned thing when they first met years ago. His father’s robe of the fire rat. Nowadays, he merely used it when the weather got a bit nippy since it was surprisingly cozy, but she knew it was a cherished item of his. The half demon’s face burned brighter, his lips pursing as he glanced over at Kaede when he fully came out from behind Kagome.

“If you’re going to hit me, just do it. Otherwise, go away.”

“I don’t really want to after that.”

“Go away then.”

“I feel like all is right in the world now.” Kaede teased, acting as if a weight had lifted from her chest by breathing deeply.

“You’re an asshole.”

“I sure am.” She grinned, shutting the door behind her on her way out.

“So,”

“No. Don’t start.” Inuyasha cut Kagome off, not even looking at her. “I’ll kick you out, too.”

Kagome swallowed her laughter, doing Inuyasha the favor of pretending she hadn’t seen his maddening blush. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Drop it.” He said, making himself comfortable on the side of the bed. It was nicely made and he laid back against the pillows, slightly propped up while his gaze rested on the ceiling.

At least he had part of the answer he was looking for the night before. About how Kagome had found him, or even knew he was under attack. He’d considered that maybe she’d turned around and headed in his direction instead of the one she’d left in, making it nothing more than a coincidence. Or, maybe she was being shady and followed him while he was too distracted by the other fuckers he was being stalked by. Apparently, someone had literally told her about it.

And, she came running.

Kagome pushed the curtains to stay open, sitting on the cushioned chair in the corner so that she could watch the sun set on the town outside. It was beautiful, the world painted in warm oranges that she appreciated to no ends. She didn’t care how common or cliche it was considered to adore sunsets. They brought her joy, and in this chaotic time they lived in, everyone should relish in those little, beautiful details the universe had to offer.

“My scent,” Inuyasha spoke from across the room, catching Kagome’s attention. He wasn’t looking at her, his silver lashes fluttering with each blink as he stared upward, his forearm resting just above his head on the pillow. “Did someone think you were me?”

“No, that’s not it.” She refuted with a soft sway of her head, eyes wandering back outside. She pulled her knees into her chest, adjusting the nightgown Kaede lent her to drape over her legs. “There were two of them, and they thought we were a bit closer than what we are and wanted to try and use me against you. They told me all about their attack, so I headed over to make sure you were alright. I’m really glad that I did.”

Inuyasha had to remind himself to neglect her last comment or else it would just be another thing that flustered him. Twice in one day was two times too many, so the last thing he was going to do was walk into another. Because, the first thought that came to mind was to ask, even now? Even after she’d been so cripplingly sick, even after she was debilitated and weak, even after she feared for her life and cried in secrecy? Even now, you’re still glad? And, he was positive she’d say yes. Even now. So, he avoided it altogether.

“Look, I just want you to know that I only put the damn robe on you in the first place because you were shivering like a fucking baby.”

“Okay,” Kagome said lightly, sucking on her bottom lip so she wouldn’t smile. Due to his deflecting demeanor, she was ninety-nine percent certain she was not and he was just trying to cover for himself. She didn’t fully understand why. She thought it was sweet of him. God forbid he do something genuinely compassionate without taking it back. Nevertheless, he seemed uncomfortable expressing such acts, and it wasn’t something she was going to force him to own up to. “I appreciate it either way.”

“Whatever.” He grumbled. “What did you mean, they wanted to use you against me?”

“Well, they said they’d win no matter what, but your sword was a nuisance, so they’d use me as a hostage so you’d give up. I kindly told them that wouldn’t work.”

He chuckled, pinching his brows as he imagined the ridiculous thought. “So, what happened after that?”

“I - uh - took care of them.” Kagome sheepishly admitted.

“You mean, you killed them?”

“Yeah.” She tried not to laugh. It felt apathetic to laugh, but it wasn’t their death she found humorous. It was more the way she was awkwardly dancing around the subject.

“So, that’s two. Who was the third?”

“Third?”

“You said you killed three men before saving my ass. Who was the third?” Inuyasha repeated, now looking at her. While the sun that set behind the hills wasn’t facing her, the rays of warm colors still hit her skin. It was too enrapturing to look away from, no matter how many times he inwardly told himself to do so. The oranges and pinks, the purples and yellows, the glowing highlights and soothing shadows adorned her better than he imagined anything ever could. The color in her cheeks had returned, and now were basked in hues no one would ever get the privilege of seeing on her at all hours of the day. Maybe that’s what made it better.

The eye closest to the lighting, her right eye, shimmered with high definition reds and golds, and the brown resembled the natural beauty of the forest floor. He’d visited the ocean, he’d seen bodies of water, he’d ambled through grass and fields of flowers, he’d seen the world, the pretty and the ugly, he’d walked through fire, traveled hills, climbed mountains, and ran through gardens of the most striking wonders, but nothing could ever take away his love for the woodlands. Nothing ever compared to the minerals that sparkled in the dirt, or the bark that patterned over aged trees. Nothing came close to the scent of burning wood in the middle of the night as he camped out, waiting for sunrise, and nothing could ever relate to the absolute and wonderful calm he experienced when his boots crunched against the fallen leaves, or when he waited out the moon, but especially when he watched the sun make its ascent through the sky. Her eyes took him there. He was laying on a bed in the middle of a room with no clear visual of anything outside, and Kagome’s eyes took him to that calm he desired whenever things got just a little too overwhelming.

With a sharp pinch of his claw against the palm of the same hand, Inuyasha was able to divert his attention back to the ceiling. The sun would completely be gone in a matter of moments, and she’d be safe to look at again without his mind running circles around him.

“Oh, he was watching from the sidelines. I couldn’t sneak past him, so I had to kill him.” Kagome answered.

“Savage.” He remarked.

“You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

It grew quiet for a while. Kagome watched the few people that were out make their way back home. She watched the mountain in the distance, the one the sun hid behind, shadow the grounds and darken their world. She tried to spot the moon in the sky but had no vantage point for that, but the way it glowed against the earth was still soothing and radiant.

She could tell Inuyasha wasn’t asleep from the way his breathing had never deepened or become rhythmic. His eyes were closed, but he seemed to simply be resting peacefully. While the silence wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, she still didn’t much want to sit in it right now. She’d been asleep for so long, woken up in silence, and truthfully, wanted to drown out any negative thoughts in her head that might potentially creep up. At the moment, she was fine, but she wanted to keep it that way.

“What’s your favorite color?” Kagome asked, making sure to keep her voice smooth so it wasn’t loud or startling.

Inuyasha’s eyes blinked open, brows furrowing perplexedly at her random question. Glancing her way, he noticed her patient grin, but he couldn’t pinpoint why she wanted to know something as inconsequential as that. “What?”

“What’s your favorite color?” She repeated in the same tone.

“Don’t have one.” He said, his frown remaining.

“Everyone has a favorite color.”

“Fine. Black.” He watched her head tilt to the side, her lips parting, but he beat her to the punch with her next statement by mockingly saying, “Black’s a shade, not a color.”

He listened for her giggle to die, rolling his eyes when he finally said, “I don’t know. Maybe blue. But, like, dark blue. Or, dark purple.”

“Oh, those are pretty.” Kagome remarked, setting her chin on the top of her knee. “Mine’s baby pink and lavender. I love Spring-time colors.”

Inuyasha didn’t say anything in response, but he was unfazed when she asked another question a small moment later.

“What’s your favorite food?”

“What is this, the question game?”

“Mhm.”

“Why?”

“Why not?” Kagome countered. “I mean, I figured if all is well tomorrow, we’ll be going our separate ways, right? Why not get to know each other in the meantime? We’re both awake, we’re in the same room, nothing traumatic is happening for once, so why not actually hang out and talk?”

“Sounds stupid.”

“Humor me.”

“Fine. If it’ll shut you up.” He said dully. “Ramen. I like ramen.”

“Ramen’s good. I’ve only had it a couple of times. Mine’s chocolate. Cake. Chocolate cake.” It was actually horrible how much she loved chocolate cake. If it was the only thing she ate for the rest of her life, she’d find the life she lived to be quite fulfilling. “What’s your favorite animal? I know it’s not dogs.”

“Oh, ha-ha.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes again. “I really don’t have one of those, but because I know you’re gonna make me choose something, I’d have to say cats.”

“How ironic.”

Inuyasha grabbed the pillow next to him and chucked it at the girl in the corner, her laughter filling his ears as she protected herself in the nick of time. “Shut up and tell me yours.”

“Pandas.”

“Pandas? Fucking bears?”

“Yes, but they’re so cute and funny! More particularly, red pandas!”

“What the fuck is a red panda?”

“They’re smaller, and cuter, and well, red. And, they do this thing with their arms when they get scared where -“ She found herself mimicking the motions a red panda would make, noticing the odd way Inuyasha arched his brow at her, and her cheeks flushed embarrassingly. Even more so when he chuckled, but she laughed at herself, putting her arms down. “Never mind, forget that. What’s your favorite season?”

“Summer.”

“Autumn.”

“I thought you’d say Spring.” Inuyasha said, remembering her recent mention of Spring-time colors.

“I mean, Spring is pretty, but Autumn is prettier. When all the leaves change colors and begin to fall, and there’s that relieving nip in the air Summer was never kind enough to provide.”

“Alright, how many siblings do you have? I remember you bringing up your brother once.” He asked, participating in her little game, and Kagome grew visibly happier.

“Just one. My younger brother, Sota. But, my cousin, Miroku, and I are super close, so he’s practically my older brother. We were raised together, and after his dad died, my mom didn’t hesitate to take him in. What about you? Got any siblings?”

“Eh.” Inuyasha gave a small, distasteful grimace. “I mean, technically I’ve got a half brother, but he’s a bitch so not really.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You two don’t get along?”

“You could say that, but that would be putting it nicely. The douche has hated me since birth and doesn’t consider me family, so he can suck a dick and choke on it. He’s got a massive superiority complex and no actual personality to contribute, so I don’t even fucking care.”

“Well, good riddance.” Kagome huffed in agreement.

“Your turn.”

“Okay, how old are you?”

“Twenty. You’re eighteen, right?”

“Yeah. Nineteen, pretty soon. Speaking of ages, how old is Kaede?”

“Twenty-five or twenty-six, I think.”

“Oh, no way. I thought she was closer to our age.”

“Nah, she’s got a few years on us. She’ll be sprouting wrinkles in no time.”

“Twenty-six isn’t old.” Kagome giggled. “And, even if she does get a few, I’m willing to bet you’re the one that causes them.”

“Hey, I’ll gladly take credit for that.” He laughed.

“You’re so mean. How long have you two known each other?”

“Give or take five years or so.” Inuyasha answered.

“You guys are really close, it seems. Are you…”

“Ew, no.” He cringed, feigning a gag and making Kagome laugh. “I knew that was the next question you were gonna ask. We’re not each other’s type. Frankly, I’m convinced she likes women, but she has neither confirmed nor denied, and it’s none of my damn business.”

“Okay, okay, fair enough.” Kagome conceded, bracing her hands before her to relent. “Sorry I asked.”

“You should be. What about you? You got anyone waiting for you at home?”

“Given the context, I’m assuming you mean a significant other?” Kagome asked.

He grunted to confirm.

“No,” She shook her head, smiling. “No one like that. Just family waiting for me.”

“Which is your mom, cousin, and brother, right?”

“Right.”

“And, your dad passed?”

“Right.”

“How?”

“There was a huge, wild demon attack on my village when I was around twelve. We have a handful of demon slayers now, but several years ago we had less, so in order to defend our village, all capable parties had to fight back. We lost a good number of people that night, both my dad and my uncle included.” Kagome explained. She’d come to terms with the incident, and while she missed her papa so incredibly much, it wasn’t very difficult to talk about anymore.

“Wait, you and your cousin lost your fathers in the same night?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck.” She could practically hear the apology in his tone. “What about his mom?”

“Died in child birth. He never knew her.” She said. “He’s always had my mom as a maternal figure, and believe you me, she’s got plenty of motherly affection to spare. She’d take in a gnome and give it a home if she could.” Kagome joked.

“That’s an exaggeration, right?”

“Not in the least.” She stated frankly, shaking her head.

“A garden gnome? A clay figurine?”

“I said what I said, Inuyasha. If she could, she would.”

“So, she’s more the sweet and doting parent, huh?”

“No, my dad was.” Kagome laughed. “He hated disciplining us. I swear, sometimes it hurt his feelings to tell us we were in the wrong more than it hurt even us. My mom is sweet, yes, but that also made her more terrifying when she had to get stern.”

“Were you the problem child?” Inuyasha grinned crookedly.

“Nope, that trophy goes to Miroku. He’s a turd. Don’t get me wrong, I got into plenty of trouble, but rarely was I alone in my troublemaking.”

“There’s always a ring leader.” He chuckled.

“What about your parents?”

“Both dead.” Inuyasha said with a meager, one-shouldered shrug. “Old man died before I was even ten, and mom died when I was about fourteen.”

Kagome could tell by the way his amber eyes drifted an inch to the side for a moment, by the way his expression faltered minutely, by the way he didn’t delve further into the subject that it wasn’t a topic he liked to visit. She respected that, and she never wanted to see that pain etched across his face. Just because it was easy to talk about her own father’s death, didn’t mean it was the same for another. And, he’d lost them both. At so young an age, he was completely alone. She hoped she was wrong. She hoped she was being presumptuous. She hoped he had someone to lean on in his time of need.

“Day or night?” Kagome asked, changing their course.

“Day.” Inuyasha answered, once more looking at her.

“Same.”

“Alright, I’ve got one for you.” He said, sitting up a little more with a cunning expression. “Who are you looking for?”

Slowly, Kagome’s face shifted from content, to curious, to surprised, and he could barely bite back his amusement. Her brown eyes were wide but she had yet to say anything or swerve him away from the topic like she had the other night, instead mouth hanging agape, telling him his suspicions were correct.

“I’m assuming you couldn’t tell me before because you’re a conjurer and it’s conjurer-related, right?”

“Inuyasha -“

“Well, if that’s the case, I know you’re a conjurer now. Cat’s out of the bag, kid, so you may as well tell me who you’re after.”

“Why do you want to know so bad?” Kagome nearly laughed. If persistent were a person, she would be looking right at him.

“Your refusal to tell me has made me extraordinarily interested. You did this to yourself.” Inuyasha shrugged carelessly. The way he stared aided in the pressure he added to receive an answer; expectant and pleased.

“You’re so nosy.”

“What’s it gonna hurt?”

“Me, honestly. You’ll most likely think I’m insane, say something rude, then hurt my feelings.” She stated lightly, slightly joking but also serious. In all consideration, this was Inuyasha.

“For you to be insecure about it before even mentioning the details tells me that you, too, think it’s pretty insane. So, since we’re on the same page, just tell me.”

“Yes, but I’m allowed to think that. It’s my business.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll keep my opinions to myself for now.” He compromised.

“For now?”

“Well, I can’t promise forever. Let’s be real, it’s not right to make promises I can’t keep. So, for now is the best I can give you, and I think it’s very generous.”

“Inuyasha, you’re seriously going to think I’m insane.” Kagome grumbled, slightly exasperated as she ducked her head against her knees, pulling her legs in just a smidge closer.

“In all honesty, I kind of already do, so might as well keep the trend going.”

“Yeah, that’ll convince me to tell you.” She murmured sardonically, and he chuckled, still hearing her clearly.

“Come on, Kagome. Who are you after?”

“Kikyo.” Kagome admitted, her tone soft.

“Who?”

She sighed deeply, sitting up and looking at him to speak a little clearer. “I was looking for a woman named Kikyo. Look, it’s complicated and a bit messy, so take that to heart as I elaborate, okay?”

“Alright.” He agreed, giving his undivided attention.

“The other day when I told you I was looking for someone, I was looking for Kikyo. She’s a conjurer. A really strong conjurer.”

“But, that’s changed?”

“What?”

“Well, you keep saying ‘was.’ Have your plans changed?”

“Yes, but only because she told me to stop looking for her and figure things out on my own.” Kagome huffed, frustration budding as she thought back to their conversation in the burning woods.

“When?” His brows furrowed speculatively. “You’ve been with me. Did you bump into her in the few hours we were apart?”

She grimaced prematurely, realizing just how crazy things were about to sound to someone who hadn’t been in her circle since the day things started. “Not quite. See, this is where things get a little weird. Kikyo likes to communicate with me in my… dreams? Subconscience?” Her tone had curved upward to speak of her uncertainty of how to phrase things.

At first, Inuyasha’s right brow arched, and she could see the information she’d just given him seeping in. Then, he blinked a few times, an inquisitive expression taking over before he pinched his lips into a tight line that she could only guess was to prevent him from saying anything judgmental.

“Hm.” He remarked intriguingly.

“Oh my god.” Kagome groaned, rolled her eyes and dropping her head back before pinning him with a warning glare.

“Please, go on.” He insisted, going right back to pressing his lips together, fighting the crinkle at the corners.

Despite how badly she wanted to chuck something at him, he technically wasn’t saying anything rude, so she begrudgingly obliged. “It started about a year ago where she would appear while I was sleeping and tell me, ‘the responsibility is ours.’ Nothing more, nothing less. Just that. At first, her visits were few and far between, but then they came more frequently after about half a year or so, and that’s when she finally took the opportunity to introduce herself. ‘The responsibility is ours.’ ‘Only we can end Naraku.’ ‘Prepare yourself.’ ‘The responsibility is ours.’ ‘The responsibility is ours.’” Kagome quoted, sneering in disbelief as she chuckled at herself. “You know, she’s really awful at explaining things. When you think about it, it’s actually kind of refreshing to see some human quirks in her, because the image I had of her was this perfect, flawless, powerful, unstoppable conjurer who was leading the war against evil. Turns out, she’s got faults too, and one of those happens to be details. Or, the lack thereof.”

“What makes you say that?” Inuyasha’s tone had surprisingly taken on a more serious note, rumbling huskily as he spoke, but he gazed at her patiently while she explained.

“Her repetition, her generalized statements, I thought they were going to all of us. Conjurers, I mean. She said ‘ours’ so many freaking times, and she never once addressed me by name to suggest her message was individualized.”

“But, it was?”

“Apparently.” Kagome scorned. “It wasn’t until the night I left home that she came and actually spoke to me. Every other message was very impersonal, but this time, she said my name. She told me it was time to go, reaffirming my decision to head out. See, I always thought that I’d get a heads up from her that the time was nearing, but after watching the little conjurer get killed, I made the decision on my own. I was so tired. I’m sure you understand what it’s like to be on a hit list and having to hide who you are. Or, hide in general. It’s hard watching how difficult this can be on others, how life has changed over the course of five years, the destruction, the mayhem, the anger, and pain, and hopelessness, and fear. The little girl was the last straw. I should have never allowed it to go that far.”

“Stop. You’re going down a dangerous route. Pull back.” Inuyasha reminded firmly. He could see the emotions written on her face, in the way her eyes had drifted to the floor. It’s easy to believe mistakes are your own fault, especially detrimental ones. When you’re involved, it’s exceedingly more difficult to remember the blame belongs solely to the perpetrators.

“It’s true, though.” She whispered.

“So, it fueled you to take a step forward?”

“Yeah.” Still, her voice was barely evident, but as she glanced up at the hanyou, she noticed his stare, his vivid and glowing eyes were trying to guide her away from the harmful aspects of the subject. And, she took his hand, following his lead as she swallowed thickly to figuratively push negative thoughts away and continue on with her story, her voice returning to normal. “Yes. Even though the plan wouldn’t be carried out as it had originally been constructed, I felt like I had to do something immediately. I dozed off waiting for the right time to slip out, meaning everyone would be asleep, and there she was. Kikyo was right outside my house in my dream, telling me to get up and go. She even said my name, which, until that point, I didn’t know she knew. Next time I saw her was two nights ago while I was with you. She yelled at me.”

Inuyasha chuckled lightly at the casual way Kagome slipped that in. “For what?”

“Getting myself into trouble with you.” She laughed, bowing her head in shame. “She didn’t like that too much.”

“How’d she even know?”

“She’s got a pet snake. Let’s just leave it at that. That’s a whole other story for a different day.” Kagome dismissed with a wave of her hand, grimacing. “That was when she told me to stop looking for her, though. She let me know it was just she and I against Naraku.” Kagome paused, letting her own words sink in with herself. Suddenly, a wave of turbulence jostled her mind, releasing a belated reaction to the reality of her situation. “It’s absurd. Oh my god, it’s - it’s absurd. All this time, I thought she was building an army, and it’s just she and I! And, we can’t be near each other, otherwise Naraku will find out and we’ll be, as she claimed, ‘sitting ducks.’ What’s even crazier is she said she’s the distraction and I’m the weapon. What does that even mean!? A weapon!? I get my ass beat three days in a row, but yeah, sure, I’m the secret weapon that’s going to take down this supreme madman. Logic - out the window! Stop looking at me like that!”

“You’re going a little nuts over there; you can hardly blame me.”

“Can you blame me?”

“I feel like you’ve been sitting on this information for a couple days and it’s just now hitting you.” Inuyasha stated warily.

“That’s because it is!” Kagome declared, flustered.

“You told me I would think you’re insane. I was prepared for insane, so why weren’t you?”

“Because, I was focused on the fact that it’s weird to have someone casually strolling in and out of your subconscience. I hadn’t thought about how crazy it would sound that I’m a weapon in a party of two destined to fight Naraku. And, what about this responsibility thing? How is this my responsibility? Is it because I’m a conjurer? I mean, I’m here. I’m going to fight. I volunteered either way. I just want to know when and how this became obligatory! Make it make sense, Kikyo!”

“You’re…” Inuyasha paused, gathering Kagome’s reaction in, her irate demeanor, her body language and the way she expressed herself with flinging arms. “Whining.”

“I’m upset!”

“Alright, alright! Never thought I’d say this, but I miss your broken voice. You get all high-pitched when you’re freaking out. It’s like listening to a whistle.”

“I can get louder!” She threatened.

“Please do not.” He flinched at the thought, ears pressing back against his head. “Look, if it’s any consolation, I don’t think you’re insane for any of the listed reasons you gave.”

Though she still appeared aggravated and conflicted, Kagome steadily began to settle. She appreciated the way Inuyasha wasn’t judging her for the things that now had her feeling like she was teetering on the edge of a cliff. She appreciated the way his gaze held stable on her, and how it inadvertently seemed to stabilize her own emotions. “You don’t?”

“Not really. I think you’re a little insane for not processing everything sooner and then having a moment right now, but honestly that’s not all that surprising to me anymore.”

Kagome took the pillow he’d thrown at her earlier and tossed it right back at him with as much fervor as she could muster. The half demon grabbed the pillow in time, easily defending himself and laughing.

“Tell me when I would have had the time, Inuyasha.”

“Uh, in the time we were apart.” He suggested mockingly.

“I had thought about it, yes, but it was more about my next move. I’d always thought my goal would be to find Kikyo. Find Kikyo, and the rest of the path is laid out before you. Then, just like that, everything had changed, and I had to determine where I was going next. I mean, I thought I had processed everything then and I was just taking it super well.”

“That doesn’t sound like you.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t seem to be the extremely rational or logical type who understands the situation immediately. You’re more emotion-driven, so of course it’s not going to sink in until you really get the opportunity to feel the issue out.”

He was right. Kagome hated that he was right, but he was right. Even more so, she hated that he’d figured her out in just two day’s time and she couldn’t bounce a you don’t know me off of him. Her cheeks flushed furiously, heat flooding over, and she couldn’t determine if it was because she was frustrated or flabbergasted.

“Yeah? Well, you’re immature and just as emotional as I am. You react irrationally, and you probably act before you think.” Kagome countered.

“All true, but this isn’t about me.” He smirked.

It was the way her comment just rolled right off of him, the way he agreed, the way he grinned, the way he teased her that interestingly had her attitude crumbling away, bringing her to laugh no matter how badly she’d attempted to fight it off. Kagome had told herself nothing was funny, pressed her mouth shut, and tried to force herself to stay mad, but it didn’t matter. It all melted away, and she laughed. Truth was, it was funny. It was so chaotic, it was humorous. Kagome had just absolutely freaked out while telling her own story, and the half demon opposite her could only stare at her awkwardly and essentially tell her to chill the fuck out. She was the one that was supposed to be telling him that. He was supposed to be calling her crazy for thinking some ethereal woman was visiting her to give her some “chosen one” arc, and he merely thought she was crazy because she was just now realizing what this all meant. When and how did things get so turned around?

Honestly, Kagome felt she should stop asking questions like that. At this point in time, there was no making sense of things. There was simply going with the flow and taking it all with a grain of salt, because she had a huge feeling things wouldn’t be lining up for a while.

“So, this Kikyo. Is this the Kikyo?” Inuyasha asked, and Kagome’s expression sort of lit up.

“You’ve heard of her, too?”

“Vaguely. I don’t know much about her, but I know she’s widely hated in the demon community. The demon’s for Naraku, that is. Makes sense that she’s a conjurer, I guess.”

“Yeah, that’s sort of what got me into massive trouble with Naraku’s henchmen.” Kagome watched Inuyasha’s brows furrow in question, so she took the opportunity to give him more context. “The little girl, she was so scared. I just wanted to give her some hope, so I told her Kikyo was going to kill Naraku and the conjurers would win. Turns out, I’d said it a little too loud. There was so much commotion, and I didn’t realize I was within earshot of one of the demons, and that’s when he manhandled me.” She said, exhibiting her fading neck bruise with a glide of her hand. “This was when I thought she was communicating with all conjurers, though. Neither the girl nor her mother knew what I was talking about, so I had to lie my way out of it.”

“You had good intentions. I’d say it was worth it.”

“Yeah. I don’t regret it.” Kagome gave a small smile.

“You said Kikyo was strong?”

“I mean, she has to be. Don’t you think? With the way she can talk to me, with how she’s been surviving all this time, and she’s even got a reputation with Naraku. To me, that says she’s extremely powerful.”

“But yet, she’s the distraction and you’re the weapon.” Inuyasha stated more than asked.

“Yeah, I don’t get it either.”

“Did you bother asking for clarification?”

“I did. She said I’m supposed to be stronger than her. According to her, I just need to stop holding back and apply myself.”

“Bullshit.” He shot, feeling defensive over Kagome. “That’ll get you killed. You didn’t hold back yesterday, and look what happened to you. There’s so much fucking more that goes into learning how to control your power; it isn’t just about not holding back.”

“Well, I think she meant it more along the lines of holding myself back. Maybe that’s what she said - I don’t know, it’s hard to remember our conversation clearly. When I was training with Miroku and Sango, I would have to really control how much power I released to make sure nothing stood out among the villagers. Like, we couldn’t be completely demon-attack-free, because that would be conspicuous. Because of that, I never really got a good feel of what I could do besides fend off one or two demons at a time.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s in the same realm, Kagome. Apply yourself, sure. But, you and I have both seen what not holding yourself back can and will do to you. No, you didn’t know what would happen, but now that you do and you’re aware of what you’re capable of, you need to make sure your body can handle that. I don’t know what sort of training course she endured to get herself where she is, and I sure as hell don’t fucking know her strength firsthand, but I know yours. She wants you to catch up to her, and I get that the pressure is on, but the expectations aren’t fucking fair. Did she even tell you how to handle your power?”

“No. I asked her to train me and she said she couldn’t because of the whole sitting duck thing.”

“So, it’s up to you to figure it out on your own?”

“Basically. And, it’d be damn near impossible to find another conjurer to help.”

“Right. Her standards are fucking unrealistic as shit.”

“Inuyasha, why are you so upset?” Kagome asked, slightly taken aback. His jaw had flexed and he seemed irrationally peeved for her situation.

“I’m not.” He declared unconvincingly.

“You’re mad.”

“She’s going to get you killed, Kagome. And, for what? You don’t even fucking know why you’re involved.”

“Because, I’m a conjurer.”

“And?”

“I know, Inuyasha. This is confusing for me, too. Now, you can understand why I wasn’t handing things too well a moment ago.” She said, her temperament spiking once more. She wasn’t nearly at the level she sat at before, nor was she matching Inuyasha’s attitude, but she still huffed in agreement. It was trivial and terrifying, and if she just knew more about the situation, maybe she’d feel a little better about things, but she had so little to go off of while monumental events stood before her. The expectations were drastic while her experience was limited, and again, nothing was matching up.

“Why were you so concerned about me thinking you were insane when Kikyo’s right fucking there? She should at least be required to give you a reason as to why she’s filling out your will for you.”

“I told you she’s not great with detail. She even admitted she’s been told she could be more direct.”

“This isn’t the fucking time to play guessing games. If there’s a question she knows the answer to, she should just fucking answer it.”

“But, we’re two different people and maybe spiritual powers aren’t the same for each individual. Playing devil’s advocate, maybe there isn’t one specific path we can all follow in learning how to control our powers because it’s different for everyone.”

“Did she tell you that, herself?”

“Well, no -“

“Exactly.”

“Inuyasha, what I’m saying is, she can’t know everything. Like I said before, it was refreshing to see some human characteristics from her, because she came off so flawless and omniscient. Maybe, she couldn't give me more than what she had because she doesn’t know what I need to do in order to catch up.”

“Have you seen her powers at work?”

“No, I haven’t. But, take her reputation into consideration.”

“Oh, I am. Believe me, I am. You don’t make an enemy like that without some sort of immeasurability.”

“Right. I really don’t know where I come into the picture, but I have to trust Kikyo in this. She’s an enemy of the enemy, we share the same fate, so if we’re the only ones who can face Naraku, then I’ll do it.”

“That’s the thing, though. You’re wrong. You’re both wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“You aren’t the only ones who can fight him. Not even close. Naraku’s strong, yes, but he’s no god. No matter how delusional he is in thinking so, he’s not immortal. Naraku’s nothing but a self-created half demon.” Inuyasha stated, watching Kagome’s expression widen. “There are plenty of others who plan on fighting against him. It’s all about finding the motherfucker first. If there’s anything he’s good at, it’s hiding.”

It took a moment for Kagome to really process what he’d just said. Naraku wasn’t a full-blooded demon? He was a half demon? There were others, just like she’d initially suspected. In the span of thirty seconds, Kagome had received enough information to stun her.

“First - first of all, how did you know that?” She asked, completely dumbfounded.

“Infiltration. I passed him once. Won’t work again. It was towards the very beginning of his rise, and skipping over the minor details, I got a glimpse of him at his most vulnerable.”

“Wait, no, don’t skip over any details! Please!”

“Kagome, it doesn’t fucking matter. I’m telling you what does. He was causing hell, I snuck in, I found out that he’s a half demon.”

“Does he know you know?”

“I’d be dead if he did. No, he doesn’t know I know. Every half demon’s got a monthly moment of weakness where their human state takes over, and his was disgusting and inhuman. I don’t know what the fuck he did to become the creature he is, but because he was incapacitated, he didn’t even realize I was there. I was young, and I had my mother -“ He halted, redirecting his sentence. “I had other things to take into consideration. So, I didn’t do anything. Couldn’t. It was risky enough sneaking in; I couldn’t take any chances. For the first time in my life, I was too rational for my own good. I had the opportunity and backed out. And, it’s my one regret in life.”

“What? Why?”

“Look at all the hell he’s brought since then, Kagome.”

“That’s not your fault.”

“I could have prevented all of this if I had just killed him then.”

“Inuyasha, you were a kid.”

“It doesn’t fucking matter.”

“Of course, it does. Not to mention, a guy like him would never fully let his guard down. There may always be someone at his side watching, and you could have died. Your younger self considered that then and turned around. No one would blame you for that. I certainly don’t. If you had someone or something important to think about, then you did the right thing by leaving Naraku alone.” Kagome attested.

“Whatever. Forget it.” He sighed heatedly. “The point is, I’m after Naraku, too. I know an entire tribe who wants his head. I know humans who would pay to have him killed. This is Naraku we’re talking about, he’s made nothing but enemies. So, Kikyo needs to chill out with this whole the responsibility is ours shit.”

Kagome sat on all of that for a moment, taking in Inuyasha’s steadfast glare and hardened brow, his set jaw and hardly-noticeable frown, the same determination she’d like to claim she, herself, radiated. He was after Naraku. Inuyasha, the first person she’d met on her journey, was also after Naraku. Maybe that’s why she was so interested in him when they’d first met, maybe that was why she wasn’t as afraid of him as she knew she should have been. Maybe her intuition was telling her he was more than trustworthy, and more than just an ally. Maybe it was fated for them to meet.

It wasn’t something she felt bold enough to mention aloud, though. Fate was a controversial topic, and at this point, it was nothing more than a fleeting contemplation. Throwing the thought out there would surely get her weirder looks than she’d already received, and with how tense things were in the room, Kagome didn’t know if it was the right thing to talk about at the moment. She needed to deliberate on it. She needed to see how it settled in her gut before bringing anything to Inuyasha’s attention.

“The - uh - the second thing I’d wanted to ask was sort of answered already, but I just want to make sure I’ve got it all.” Kagome prefaced. “You said you saw Naraku in a debilitated state, right? That he was in his weakened, human form, but was also… inhuman?”

“I don’t know how to describe it, if that’s what you’re looking for. It was sort of like his head was basking in a jumbled mess of demon intestines.”

She wavered in a disgusted manner.

“Yeah, I know.” He remarked.

“So, that made you think he’s a half demon?”

“No, that let me know he was a half demon. An unnatural one.” Inuyasha stated pridefully. “Trust me, Kagome, if anyone’s able to tell, it’s me.”

“That’s fair. So, are you part of a group prepared to take him on?”

The hanyou scoffed, shaking his head as a small smirk appeared across his face, golden eyes blinking to the side. “No fucking way. Do I look like a groupie to you? I do things on my own, in my own way, and in the end it’s going to be half breed against half breed.”

“Wait, you’re committed to a solo mission, but you’re against mine and Kikyo’s?”

“Yes and no. I’m against yours because you don’t know what you’re doing at no fault of your own. I’m against yours because you’re being told to leap when you haven’t even learned how to jump, and you’re prepared to do so because you’re naive enough to think someone knows what’s best for you just because they’re another conjurer. I don’t care if you, or Kikyo, or anyone else makes it to the battle field. In fact, if you do, even better. It can be an all out war for all I care. What I’m saying is, it’s going to be me that brings Naraku’s era to an end.”

Kagome had to respect his pugnacity. If he did get the final blow, he’d definitely deserve that victory. No matter what, it would be a win for everyone.

He was right, she didn’t know what she was doing. Yet. Kikyo was holding things off until Kagome was ready, and she was more than willing to give the stronger conjurer the benefit of the doubt. She said she had potential, but Kagome was willing to bet that not even Kikyo knew she had the power she’d exhibited yesterday under her belt. Kagome had to focus on learning how to handle it, and she would. She’d go from where she was comfortable and begin pushing forward. She’d take the power she regularly used in her routine training with Miroku and Sango and present more until she found her natural limit. That was where she’d exercise it until her body was adjusted. Until that boundary became comfortable so that she could then push that. It was all a matter of time, and Kagome would be sure to catch up. It wasn’t Kikyo’s will anymore. It was her own.

“Look,” Inuyasha spoke lowly. “I gave you information I’ve never given to anyone else before. Don’t go telling anyone Naraku’s a half demon, I’m serious. Tell that to the wrong person and it’ll get you killed faster than you can imagine. I want to believe you’ll go far, but you’ve gotta be smart about shit.”

Kagome nodded, “I understand. I won’t tell anyone other than Kikyo.”

“Good. You should go to sleep.”

“No, I’m okay.” She shook her head. She felt wide awake, and there was no way she’d be able to sleep after receiving all of that information. She needed to sort it all out and file it away categorically. She needed to make sure she remembered every minor detail Inuyasha had kindly given her. She needed to remember his defensiveness over her own conflicting situation. It was one thing for him to call her names, which she half expected at this point, but she never pictured him expressing passion over an issue that didn’t belong to him. Inuyasha, though rough around the edges, was truly a good person. And, it helped aid in her drive. “I basically slept from last night until this evening. I’m tired of being in bed.”

“I don’t care. You may feel better, but you still look exhausted. If I were you, I’d take advantage that you have the option. At least lay down.”

Again, he was right. Kagome unfurled from her spot on the chair, looking at the futon on the floor as she leaned to head in that direction.

“No.” He stopped her, his tone more demanding than necessary. “Take the bed.” Inuyasha stood, pointing to the mattress.

“I don’t mind the futon.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“You should take the bed tonight.”

“I’m most likely not going to sleep.”

“If I were you, I’d take advantage that you have the option.” Kagome echoed, deepening her voice almost derisively.

“I wasn’t the one puking my brains out last night.” Inuyasha growled. “Get your dumbass in the bed.”

“It’s not that I don’t want the bed, I just think that it would be more fair if I took the futon.”

“Are you really arguing about being fair right now?”

“You slept on it last night, so tonight you deserve the bed.”

“I don’t want the bed.”

“Well, I want the futon.” Kagome laughed, dropping to her knees on the cushion and crawling over it.

“I said, take the bed.” Inuyasha growled deeper, stomping over to the infuriating woman.

“No!”

“Yes!”

“Stop! Don’t touch me!”

“Last chance!” He warned, but she gave no signs that she’d scamper away, so the hanyou grabbed Kagome around her waist, pulled her up like a sack of rice, and tossed her over his shoulder, all the while she was laughing and yelping.

“Put me - ouch! Put me down!”

“Alright.” He muttered as he dropped her on the mattress.

Kagome was quick to grab the end of her gown, making sure it didn’t expose too much of her legs as she was bounced on the bed. “God, your shoulder is freaking bony.” She groaned.

Inuyasha fought back his grin, instead shooting up both middle fingers at her. Kagome grimaced mockingly in retort, adjusting herself to sit up.

“Why are you so aggressive? Wait, no! How’s your shoulder? You didn’t open the wound doing that, did you?” She asked, her attitude quickly shifting from teasing to concerned.

“It’s fine.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes, strolling back over to the futon. “I told you it’d be fine. I checked it a little while ago. There’s no chance of it opening again.”

“Is it still bandaged?”

“Shut up.”

“Is it still bandaged?” She repeated, a little more pressingly.

“Yes, Kagome. It’s bandaged. I changed them and everything.” He replied, kicking off his boots and laying down. “This may come as a surprise to you, but I do know how to take care of myself.”

“God forbid someone shows that they care about you.” Kagome grumbled, rolling her eyes just as he would. She turned around, pulling down the blankets so she could crawl beneath and get comfortable.

“I don’t need you to care about me.”

“Well, too bad, buddy. You got it.”

“Go to sleep.”

“Is it really so bad to have someone care about you? Are you scared or something?” Kagome jokingly taunted.

Yes, he was. He was terrified of her. And, she needed to shut the fuck up while she was still ahead, because she’ll never know a damn thing about it.

“I’m glad your shoulder is better.” She mentioned after a small moment, dropping all edge to her tone. “And, I’m sorry I noticed it so late.”

Kagome didn’t mind the silence. She didn’t mind his gruffness. Well, she did, but in this circumstance, she really didn’t find it offensive. He had his own unconventional way of showing he cared, and she had a more surface-level way of expressing it. Inuyasha was a good person. He really was. She liked to imagine he forced her to take the bed because it was more comfortable, and that simple act alone showed just how kind he was beneath the surface.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome spoke softly, cuddling into her pillows after freeing her hair from the messy knot it was in.

“Hm?” He grunted.

“You mentioned your mother when you said you saw Naraku in his vulnerable form.”

“No, I didn’t.” Inuyasha stated, very direct in his way of maneuvering the topic away from that. He rested on the futon, his shirt now untucked for a little more comfort, uncovered, and an arm resting behind his head. His amber eyes stared at the ceiling, a bristling sensation running over his skin at the mention of his mother.

“No, no, I’m not going to ask anything personal. I promise.” Kagome swore, worrying her bottom lip as she sensed Inuyasha’s discontent. She’d observed the way he’d corrected himself when initially mentioning his mom, and it was easy to understand that it wasn’t something he was willing to casually discuss. Nor would she think it was her place to make him. “It just had me thinking of the timeframe of things.”

“What?”

“Well, Naraku became known about five years ago, right? Four and a half, maybe? But, your mother died when you were fourteen, which was -“

“Six years ago, yes.” He said. “What, did you think Naraku just rose from the earth and started wreaking havoc? Everyone’s got a beginning, a middle, and an end, Kagome. Even he had to start somewhere.”

She felt stupid for not considering that. Kagome should have pieced together that Naraku wouldn’t just wake up one morning and decide to become a serial killer or commit genocide. He had a beginning. Before the rise she knew from him, he was still around, still perpetrating evil acts, they just went unknown to those outside of the circle it happened within.

“Can I ask one more question?”

“Something tells me you’re going to no matter what, so go for it.” Inuyasha responded.

She stifled her giggle. “How much is the room?”

“Hm?”

“How much is Kaede going to charge you for the room?”

“What does it matter?”

“I’d like to contribute.” Kagome stated matter-of-factly. “I have some money, and it’s not right to expect you to pay for it all.”

“It’s fine.” He said, closing his eyes. “I don’t care about that.”

“Inuyasha -“

“Seriously. It’s not a big deal. I already paid the wage, so don’t worry about it.”

“That was - that was really nice of you. You didn’t have to do that. Thank you so much.” Kagome smiled.

“I have my moments. Will you go to sleep now?” It came as more of an instruction than a legitimate question that needed answering, so Kagome sighed out and closed her eyes, snuggling into her quilt as she pulled it closer to her face.

It was surprising what a little comfort could do for her right now. In the span of mere minutes, she went from wide awake to significantly drowsy. Kagome had thought she’d be laying there for hours, but just like that, in the warmth of the bed, in the softness of the blankets, of the fresh nightgown she wore, in the safety and security beneath both Inuyasha’s and Kaede’s protection, Kagome grew heavy in her spot before drifting into slumber.

—

The conjurer gazed at herself in the mirror in the bathroom. The mark around her neck was a soft hint of yellow, and while she felt it was gross the more she stared at it, it was also hardly noticeable anymore. Distracting herself, Kagome brushed her hair, then finished tightening and tying off her bodice, her shirt beneath slightly bunching, which she straightened out the best she could.

There was a violent flurry of butterflies in her abdomen, and nothing she’d done had yet to quell them. After letting the notion from last night really settle and sink in, Kagome honestly felt like it was true. This was fated to happen. Coincidence wasn’t this particular. He’d saved her, kept her with him - forcefully, of course, let her go, only for something to happen that made them rejoin. Lo and behold, she finds out they’re literally on the same course. So, why not do it together? It made sense to her, and it was the first thing in a long time that made sense. Now, she just needed to make it make sense to Inuyasha.

With one final, deep breath, Kagome opened the door to exit the bathroom, finding Inuyasha facing out the window. He was dressed, his sword attached to his hip, and his light hair pulled back into a ponytail that hung long. He’d said they’d get ready, have breakfast, then head out on their own, so she figured he was waiting for her.

“Hey,” Kagome started, trying not to bob from foot-to-foot nervously. She didn’t understand why, exactly, she was so uneasy about asking this. It was a simple yes or no question, if you thought about it. The worst he could say was no, and then she’d move on with her life. “I’ve been thinking…”

“Uh-oh. That’s never good.” He teased, looking over his shoulder.

“Ha-ha.” Kagome rolled her eyes. “Look, we’re both after the same thing, right? We both want to take down Naraku. Well, don’t you think it’d be more efficient if we did it together?”

There was a minor twitch in his brows, the corners of his lips arching downward before he spoke, turning around to fully face her. “What makes you think that?”

“I’ve never thought it would be wise for anyone to face this lunatic on their own. Personally, that was never actually in my plan. I don’t care what Kikyo says; the more we have on our side, the better. I don’t picture Naraku as invincible, but I also don’t want to underestimate him, either. He’s got this reputation for a reason. He’s capable of killing off so many for a reason. To think that a single person could potentially be responsible for his demise is a stretch. So, if we have the same goal in mind, why don’t we do this together? Instead of going out on our own after breakfast, I think we should team up. What do you say?”

Inuyasha stared at her for a second, his lips sealed shut as he hardened himself. Travel with Kagome? Keep things going as they are? No, in fact, it’d end up being more personal. She’d be by his side, she’d fight by his side, they’d go into battle together, be a team. He couldn’t have that.

It wasn’t about how much he hated the idea of banding together with someone to complete an objective. It wasn’t even about how much he’d never enjoyed the concept of relying on someone else. It was about how uncomfortable he'd started feeling around her. How unsettled he got whenever she smiled at him, how warm or welcoming her energy felt, and how off-putting that was to him. It was about the fact that Inuyasha felt it growing easier and easier to joke around and view her as an actual person as opposed to just some measly girl he met wandering in the woods at the most inopportune time.

Kagome was sensible, he’d give her that. But, it was better for him to remain alone. For his own sake. He had a feeling Kagome would grow argumentative if he said a simple decline, though, so he planned to make the notion completely undesirable for her.

“Not interested.” Inuyasha stated with a curl of his upper lip. “Do I look like a bodyguard to you?”

“What? No, that’s not -“

“I know that’s not what you meant, but that’s what would end up happening. We met how long ago? And, how many times have I saved your ass? Don’t think I see that as mere happenstance; I can tell that it’s a trend with you. You’ve always gotta have someone there to cover for you when you get in over your head, which is most likely way more often than you’re willing to admit. Probably why you originally had your cousin and friend enlisted to come with you. Speaking of which, you said your cousin’s got a broken rib, right? Got it from trying to protect you from Naraku’s demons? See where I’m going with this? No way am I signing myself up for that bullshit.”

An icy sensation began creeping over Kagome as each word he spoke struck her in her most sensitive insecurities. Was this really what he thought of her? One second, he admired her strength, but now all of a sudden, she was too weak to even take care of herself?

“I - I saved you, too.” Was all she could say in that moment. She deserved her fair share of credit. Inuyasha didn’t get the right to be impressed only to malign her out of nowhere.

“Sure,” He shrugged his brows, unaffected. There was a small sneer within his tone, and she caught it loud and clear. “And, I had to turn around and pull you out of there before you got yourself caught and killed. In my opinion, that negates your effort.”

“Hey!”

“No, Kagome. You’d only end up slowing me down and holding me back. Worse, you might even get me killed. You’re hopeless. You don’t know what you’re doing. Why would I want to keep that around?”

Kagome could only flinch at his harsh statements, each sentence punching her, burning her, creating a heavy weight within her stomach that brought it to sink lower and lower.

“I’m not going to squander all of my crusades to protect you. I’m not going to waste my fucking time keeping you alive when you’re nothing but a magnet for trouble.” He didn’t believe a word he said. In fact, he’d never meant to go quite this far. All of it just tumbled from his mouth, meaningless, but he could see that it held plenty of meaning for the woman opposite him. No matter. He was in too deep, and there was no way she’d want to team up with him now. “Kagome, you left home how many days ago? Four? Five? It’s been less than a fucking week, and look where the fuck you are. I said I wouldn’t say anything rude last night, and I kept my promise, but it’s a new day. Want to know what I really think? You’re a fucking idiot. You can’t do anything right. Not on your own. You cant even protect yourself, so it’s not right of you to expect me to do it for you. If Kikyo won’t even take you, what makes you think I will?”

Just like that, he regretted everything. He’d gone too far with that one. He’d said way more than necessary. He should have stopped when he realized he was pushing it. He should have stopped prior to that. Kagome was crushed, he could see the pain in her eyes. There was no taking back something like that, though, and he couldn’t stand to look at her right now. So, Inuyasha spun around on his heel, once again looking out the window.

He’d just reaffirmed every negative thing she’d been thinking about herself. She thought she was a failure, and so did he. She thought she was helpless, and so did he. She thought she was ridiculous for thinking she could take on this large of a mission, and so did he. So did he. She thought they were friends, she thought they had a mutual respect for each other, but apparently he thought even less of her than she even did.

It was so incredibly hard to pick her head up in that moment. It was so difficult to tell herself that she could do what she’d come to do, that everything that had occurred was a series of unfortunate events that no one could have ever predicted, that she’ll get better with time and experience and practice, and when it came down to it, she’d be as fearsome as she once believed she was meant to be. She couldn’t do it. Not right now. Not when his words still swam in her mind, repeating themselves, solidifying her weaknesses and insecurities. Kagome felt worthless. She felt vile. She felt horrible and admonished.

The pain was thick, but the last thing she would ever do was allow Inuyasha the satisfaction of thinking he was right. Kagome wouldn’t let him to see her cry. Just beneath that sadness, that hurt, sat a bubbling layer of anger. How dare he? Who the hell did this guy think he was? No one gets to speak to her that way. It didn’t matter if they were right, it didn’t matter if they’d saved her life more than once, none of that was relevant. That did not give them the justification to speak down to her like she was nothing.

If he didn’t want to be partners, fine. A simple no would have sufficed, but fine. If he didn’t want to be friends, then good. Neither did she. Good riddance. If he didn’t like her, then that was his prerogative. She was still a person with feelings, a person with a good heart, a person who deserved at least an ounce of respect, so she’d do the right thing and be the one to respect herself. It was more beneficial than expecting the bare minimum from a guy as disagreeable as Inuyasha.

Kagome notched her chin upward, sucking in a heated breath as she turned around. There was no way in hell she was sitting through breakfast with Inuyasha, or even spending one more worthless moment in his presence. Her time would be better spent getting as far away from him as physically possible. The other side of the planet would do.

She found her bag and weapons in the corner, crouching before it all and reaching into the pouch. Her medical supplies were already stored away, everything was arranged, but she reached in and yanked out Inuyasha’s stupid, red robe, dropping it on the futon. Then she grabbed her little sack of money, pulling out a few coins that she felt was more than enough to cover her share. Kagome pulled the drawstring tight, strapped her bag over her shoulders, then her quiver of arrows, followed by her bow.

The remorse sat heavily on Inuyasha’s shoulders, within his abdomen. He hated everything he’d said, hated more so that he’d hurt her so easily. So quickly. She was feisty and quick to argue, so it shocked him when she could barely say anything in return. Kagome hardly attempted to contradict his false statements. Was there a chance she thought the same of herself? Was there a chance she was fighting herself over what she’d been through? No, it didn’t make sense. There was no way that was the case, because even he couldn’t convince himself that anything he’d claimed was true. She knew herself better than he did, so there was no way she’d succumb to believe a damn thing he’d just said. He’d probably just scraped her feelings a bit. Kagome seemed to be on the sensitive side.

It was wrong of him to jump to his decision so quickly, he knew that. Even worse was going down the irrational route he had out of anxiety. Truth was, mere seconds after saying all he had, he couldn’t find any actual harm in traveling together. If it was just because he wasn’t mentally prepared to rely on another, to think well of another, to potentially be any amount of vulnerable around another, then it really had nothing to do with her. Inuyasha should sit on it, think it through. He should consider the pros and cons and determine the right road to head down. Maybe even take things by trial. If they mesh well, if they can keep up with one another, then maybe it wouldn’t be so horrible.

He could hear her grabbing her things. Who would want to stick around after something like that? He could hardly blame her. No matter how much he wanted to stop her and tell her to calm down, he was in no position to do so. They needed space. He’d gone way over the line from the moment he’d opened his fucking mouth. Chances are, she wouldn’t get far. He could sniff her out easily; he’d gotten plenty used to her scent by now. She could go storm off all she wanted, get some fresh air, be as mad as she needed to be, and he’d catch up later to set things straight.

At the bang of her hand against the tabletop next to the bed, Inuyasha whipped his head around to look over his shoulder. Kagome pierced him with a dangerous glare, her fist atop the wood clenched tight until it opened to release a decent amount of money, the coins clinking as they hit one another. Her plush lips were pressed into a deadly frown, and her brows were deeply furrowed. Everything about her radiated a loathing rage, the hurt he’d gifted fuming passionately within her.

Before he could speak, even say her name, she beat him to the punch. Kagome was ready to leave, her cheeks a furious shade.

“Go fuck yourself.” She seethed, turning around and slamming the door on her way out.

Kagome wanted to be hasty in leaving Inuyasha’s energy behind, but she still needed to appear as composed as remotely possible for the time being. There were no doubt people in the pub below, Kaede included, and the last thing she wanted was to announce her upset for all to see. She didn’t like being an open book for just anybody to read, and it was no one else’s business. As much as she wanted to simply walk out and never look back, Kaede didn’t deserve that unwarranted treatment. Just before the sole of her boots hit the floor of the bottom step, Kagome took a deep breath, and with her slow, meditative exhale, she planted a smile on her face.

It was a good thing, too. As she stepped out of the hall into the entrance area, just beside the long counter that led to the barstools and dining room, she spotted Kaede scribbling notes into her guestbook. Kaede lifted her head, and as her good eye landed on Kagome, she greeted her with a smile, closing the book and setting down her pen to give her proper attention.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” The inn keeper asked.

“Never better. You’re amazing.” Kagome complimented, her grin widening as she approached the counter. “Next time I visit, I want to hear more about what you can do.”

“Oh, don’t say that. You’ll boost my ego too much, and then my head will be too big to fit through any doors.” Kaede laughed, waving her hand gingerly.

“It’s well-deserved, Kaede. Thank you so much.”

“Please don’t thank me anymore. You said enough thank you’s yesterday to last a lifetime, sweetie.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop.” Kagome giggled.

“So, what’ll you have for breakfast?” Kaede inquired, raising her brows.

“Oh, nothing. I’m actually heading out. I just wanted to say goodbye.”

“You’re leaving?” The inn keeper questioned, her expression falling slightly. In the momentary silence where Kagome only answered with a small nod of her head, Kaede looked back over toward the empty doorway that led to the inn portion of her building. “Where’s Inuyasha?”

“Still upstairs.” Kagome said. “He should be down soon, but either way, we’re parting. I already said my thanks, and he was a bit busy, so I figured I’d just get a head start instead of awkwardly waiting around.” She tried to keep her tone as casual as possible, giving herself mental reminders along the way to keep the pleasant smile on her face.

“Busy doing what?”

“I’m not sure. I didn’t want to intrude. Seemed like he was studying his sword or something; I forgot its name. Anyway, I’ll be off.”

“And, you’ll be careful?”

“Of course. I’m heading home now.”

“Home?”

“Yeah.” She didn’t know why she’d said that. The lie came out of nowhere, but it was getting harder to remain nonchalant. Her heart was still throbbing, and she felt like Kaede had grown suspicious of something just because Inuyasha wasn’t by her side. There was no reason for that, but Kagome could feel the spike in disturbance. She needed to keep Kaede from asking if everything was alright, which she could tell was probably on the tip of her tongue, so Kagome hoped that her cheap excuse of going home would be enough to make Kaede think that Inuyasha didn’t need to be a part of this since they had no reason to be associated with one another from this point forward. “If I get going now, I should be back in my village by this evening.”

“That’s a pretty long journey for one day.”

“Eh, it’s not so bad.” Kagome shrugged.

“And, you’re sure you’re feeling alright? I can give you some medicine for the road; I’ve got plenty extra.” Kaede offered.

“Oh, no thank you. Believe me, I wouldn’t lie to you about this. I’m perfectly fine now.”

“Alright, I’m just a little worried about you pushing yourself right now.” She tilted her head, analyzing the girl before her. Something wasn’t lining up. Something was off, but it felt wrong to speak up about it. Maybe it was just her concern getting the better of her.

“You have nothing to worry about, Kaede. It’s nothing but a long walk. I’ll take breaks, I’ll stay hydrated, and I’ll get a long night’s rest the moment I get home. If it comes down to it, I’ll break it up into two days and camp out if I feel over exerted, but I don’t think that’ll be entirely necessary.”

“Alright, I trust you. Will you at least take some food for the road?”

“I’m not very hungry.”

“I know I phrased that as a question, but I really wasn’t asking.” The inn keeper smirked, tapping her fingernails on the countertop impatiently. “You’re taking some food with you. I’ll be right back.”

Without another word, Kaede headed around the bend into the kitchen. It was only a small moment later when she reappeared, and in her hands, she held two large, wrapped pastries with some sort of frosted coating on top.

“Cinnamon rolls for the cinnamon roll.” Kaede giggled. “That should be enough to snack on.”

“Thank you so much.” Kagome smiled.

“Turn around, I’ll put these in your bag for you.” She said, coming from behind the counter. She opened the pouch and dropped them on top of her things, pulling the bag shut and securing it tightly. “You be safe, Kagome. And, come back whenever you want. You’re always welcome here.”

“I will. I’ll definitely visit again. Next time, under better circumstances.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Kaede smiled, tapping the tip of her finger against Kagome’s nose. “Go on, get going. Be safe, sweetie.”

“Bye.” That time, it was a genuine grin, returning the friendliness that was kindly offered to her.

The outside air didn’t feel any better than the inside stuffiness. Kagome was hoping to be able to take an uplifting breath, but as soon as she didn’t have to upkeep a facade any longer, the crushing disappointment returned. Again, she felt the urgency to get as far away from Inuyasha as she possibly could, so she headed in the direction they’d initially entered the village in, her legs pumping at a very quick pace.

The forest was loud, lively, her thoughts even greater. Her mind was clouded with anger, noisy with resentment, her chest filled with a dense sludge and her abdomen tense as she stomped her way along the undesignated path. Even this far into the woods, this far away from the town, a couple of hours having passed, she was still weighted with everything Inuyasha had had the audacity to proclaim. The gall of that jerk.

All he had to say was, “no, thanks.” He could have even stuck with the, “Not interested” he began with, but no. The bastard had to keep going, and going, and going, and going. Kagome outwardly groaned, her cheeks growing hotter as her temper never calmed. Sure, she would have asked why. Who wouldn’t want to know why their business proposal was being rejected? That being said, she wouldn’t have guilted him, she wouldn’t have begged him, and she wouldn’t have obligated him in any manner to take her up on it. There was no reason, absolutely no reason, for Inuyasha to go off like that.

If that’s how he really felt, why did he waste so much energy being even obscurely kind to her? Kagome couldn’t even believe she’d thought so well of him. So highly. He didn’t deserve those nice thoughts she’d silently regarded him with last night, or the night before, or the night before that, and she wanted them all back. As if they were written on a board of some sort, Kagome wanted to vehemently erase all of her gracious opinions of him and write in big, bold letters over it all: I hate Inuyasha!

“You’re a long way from home, dearie.”

Kagome stopped abruptly, ice replacing the warmth she’d just recently been shrouded in. A demon stepped out in front of her, tan skin and scarred features immediately causing fear to passionately drive through each vein in her body. Even her breath halted in her throat, her lungs forgetting how to work in that moment as she stared into this man’s red eyes.

She hadn’t sensed him. Hadn’t felt any of the demons that now appeared around her, stepping out from behind trees with crooked smiles and pointed teeth. Now that she looked at them, their putrid auras tainted the atmosphere, and she realized she’d made the biggest mistake imaginable.

Kagome had allowed her emotions to overrule all other senses. She was distracted, painfully so, and she stumbled into a territory she should have known to avoid. She should have felt them coming, should have known they were around. She should have noticed their presence looming, she should have felt the danger around her, and she should have recognized exactly who they were before they appeared.

“What was your name again?” The demon asked.

She couldn’t speak. She didn’t know what to think, surprised and uneasy and unbelievably stiff. The demon stepped forward, his lips parting while he arched a brow in curiosity. Kagome shuddered, gasping, as she paced backward to create space, unable to look away from the leader of the henchmen who’d killed the young conjurer of her village.

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#inuyasha #kagome #kagome higurashi #inukag #Inuyasha fanfiction #inuyasha fanfic #Inuyasha fic #Inukag fanfiction #Inukag fanfic #Inukag fic #monster #heh.... sorry guys lol #akitokihojo

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mythicamagic · 4 years

Note

Yo! If you're still doing the sesskag kiss prompts, can I ask for 17 or 23? Thanks! 😊

17: a kiss on the underside of the jaw.

----

He was a fool.

Sesshoumaru readily admitted this to himself at the cost of his pride. He truly was a fool.

Insidiously, the miko had wormed her way into every orifice of his mind despite every line of steel defence. There was no place where he was safe from her now.

Therefore, when she was away from him for a week- a cold, quiet week at that- but then proceeded to extend her absence longer, Sesshoumaru found himself stoically grim-faced and silent. Troublesome thoughts niggled consistently, worsening the longer her return delayed. But he was not sulking. Absolutely not. Nor brooding.

"Mi lord! Gah! I have found you at last!"

Well if she thought he was going to travel all the way to her, Kagome had another thing coming. He was not her faithful lapdog.

"Lord Sesshooooumaruuu?"

Yes, he was going to wait right there, sitting at the base of a tree. And he'd stew. Unless of course this mildly irritating green blob kept annoyingly darting up and down in front of his relaxed vision. Sesshoumaru lunged for it.

"Ach! Amn… Goof mornith' milord!" Jakem choked.

Sesshoumaru blinked and released him. "So it was you. Why have you come, Jaken?"

"There was no pressing matter exactly, sire. It's just that your mother...well she made some very rude remarks at your expense. I thought I should come here and get the story from you concerning why you haven't been at the Western Stronghold too much lately. Then I can set her straight!"

Golden eyes narrowed. "You presume to interrogate me?"

"NEVER MI LORD!"

"Inside voices, Jaken," he muttered flatly.

"Oh, forgive me," the kappa bowed. "Naturally you don't have to explain yourself, but what should I tell her in your absence?"

Sesshoumaru trailed his attention back to the cave he was sitting not too far away from. He refused to sit within it and pine. He'd been rather busy patrolling all week. He couldn't help it if his feet led him back to their spot at the end of the day, resulting in a haphazard attempt at watching over his territory.

"Tell her that what she suspects about my involvement with the woman is true," Sesshoumaru said calmly. Jaken started choking without any help from him now. "However, none may speak ill of the miko. That includes Mother."

"S-sire… I didn't want to believe it from the gossiping kappa demons, but did you really…"

Golden eyes slid shut.

"R-right, I'll keep my mouth shut. Well then, I shall relay your message at once!"

Watching him faithfully waddle away, something compelled Sesshoumaru to speak up. "Jaken."

"Yes sir?" he stopped.

"... This current arrangement will likely not last much longer," he uttered softly. "You may relay that too."

Jaken's cheeks glowed as he seemed pleased- so Sesshoumaru pelted him with a rock.

How irritating that the concept should bother him. However, he had the sinking feeling that Kagome would outgrow the need for him soon. Directing ageless attention to high branches where sunlight filtered through, Sesshoumaru took in a long breath. Sharp claws twitched.

He wondered what he'd do when she inevitably called for their little arrangement to end. Would he accept it with grace and dignity? Or would he lapse into old habits and become something jealous, dark and obsessive? Would he covet her- steal the miko away for himself despite her protests?

She likely thought that little encounter in the carriage had been a passing fancy on his end. Better she think that- than know he'd been watching her for some time. Sesshoumaru couldn't say when it had started- he'd merely been taking more notice of her.

And then he'd been trapped within Kagome's barrier.

It had happened about a month after her return to the past. Sesshoumaru had been minding his own business, walking through the forest with the intent to visit Rin, when he'd sensed a barrier be erected. It spread over a large distance in a dome shape, glowing bright pink.

Sesshoumaru had reached out to touch it- only to hiss and feel his own power stir, recognising how it potentially matched his own in strength. Then he'd heard a shout, and noticed the miko.

Kagome was fighting- alone no less. She launched arrows into lunging youkai and raced through the trees, not even noticing him. Something had piqued his interest, and he'd observed her the remainder of the fight as a hoard of demons kept coming.

When it was down to the last two oni demons- Kagome, bloodied and panting- had snapped and ordered them to 'wise up!' and 'get with the program!' He wasn't sure they really understood. However, she gestured around her to the carnage, telling them to back down unless they wanted to end up like their brethren.

And, miraculously- it had worked. They shifted and lowered their weapons, before reluctantly turning around and leaving. Kagome smiled and chose that moment to drop the barrier. It was then that Inuyasha's distant shouts could be heard.

Sesshoumaru's eyes had remained wide. Because he noticed- he noticed the split second of something unnamed on Kagome's face after hearing his half brothers swift arrival.

"I know you were just tryin' to protect the villagers but your damn barrier kept me from coming in, idiot! Look at you, you're a mess! You coulda died!"

"Oops," Kagome had giggled, waving it off.

She'd done it on purpose.

The miko had recklessly and selfishly created the dome with the express purpose of keeping everyone out. She had desired to kill the attacking demons on her own, without aid or interference.

And she'd taken charge so fast of two beings who were easily twice her size and potentially deadly in a fight.

Sesshoumaru's eyes had darkened and plumed red. Instincts clamoured in a rare moment of intrigue and desire. Fuck's sake, she was so fucking gorgeous.

Pale lips twitched and curved up at the sides. Yes, he truly was a fool for involving himself with her. But she'd been exquisite and wonderful in his hands, perfect in her capacity for cruel teasing and soft glides of her fingers. Kagome could also engage his mind and wits, challenging him and inviting the Daiyoukai to play and have fun with her. How silly. How...refreshing she'd been.

Were they all like that? Humans? He'd never made love to a mortal before- and wagered he never would again.

Hearing a foot drag over the earth, Sesshoumaru stiffened against the bark of the tree. Standing, he inhaled a lungful of her fragrance, before sliding his hungry gaze to hers.

Kagome looked changed after two weeks.

She wore what he understood to be 'red skinny jeans' along with a white shirt tucked in- giving her an appearance reminiscent of a priestess and yet not. A small sword had been tied to her hip, and a quiver of arrows slung over one shoulder. Her hair had been partially tied back in a half ponytail.

Sesshoumaru slid his gaze down to the sword, recognising Totosai's work. The miko approached him radiating confidence, and he walked with slower steps.

Ah, it had happened sooner than expected. A shrivelling, sinking sensation shamefully welled up inside his chest. Instincts resisted the thought, chanting; 'mine, mine, mine!'

But the truth of it was there in her kind, guarded eyes. When they stopped before one another, she reached up on tiptoe and brushed an achingly gentle caress of lips against the underside of his jaw in a youkai expression he'd taught her- Sesshoumaru bit the inside of his cheek.

What are you apologising for?

His claws automatically slid around her wrist, expression flickering.

Kagome gave a wan smile. "...We need to talk."

#sesskag #all-my-cuffs-have-buttons #Sesshoumaru x Kagome #prompts

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akitokihojo · 5 years

Text

In Between: Chapter 3

Hello! Life’s still a mess, but thankfully I’m still on track!

-----------------------

SVU Precinct

"What the hell do you mean I'm off the case?" Inuyasha barked, slamming his fist on the captain's desk, the nearby container of pens, markers, and highlighters spilling over onto the paper-littered, mahogany surface.

"Just what it sounds like, Inuyasha." Their assistant district attorney stated, arms crossed over her chest in a demeanor that said she wouldn't be budging from their decision.

"You can't be assigned a case that you're involved in. Things don't work that way, detective." Totosai added, hardly phased by the temper of the half demon.

"That's exactly why I should be working it! I've obviously met this guy, so don't you think I'd be the best one to track his ass down?"

"What if you're wrong? What if this is your Average Joe stalker?"

"Look at the damn evidence, Kagura!"

"Believe me, I have. There's hardly enough to prove that you've met this perp."

"Good thing you're not a detective." He sneered.

"All I see is a case that doesn't even belong to this department." She trudged on, gritting her teeth and rubbing her temples toward the end of her sentence.

"A case I'm fighting like hell to keep because you're involved, Inuyasha. It's a huge conflict of interest and if you get in the way, we could lose it." Inuyasha flinched, clenching his jaw. If SVU lost the case, the only way it'd fall back into their hands- if the Internal Affairs Board wasn't already involved- was if a sexual crime of any nature occurred. That was the downfall of the Special Victim's Unit; they worked with the extremes: sexual assault, rape, and child abuse of all forms. "It belongs to Sango and Hojo now. I expect you to stay out of it, and when necessary, your full cooperation. For instance, right now. Miroku's been called in. Go help them evaluate the situation and then butt out when they're done. And before you ask, yes I'm serious. I.A.B. catches wind, you can kiss whatever chances we have goodbye."

"This is fucking bullshit." He huffed as he headed out, the silver hair tied at the crown of his head whipping around with the velocity of his turn, slamming the door shut behind him. Sango and Hojo were staring at a large whiteboard they'd wheeled over to their area, pictures taped up and notes scrawled in chunks, not even filling half of the surface. The detectives casually leaned against a desk as they quietly spoke with the on-call team psychiatrist, appearing more interested than the half demon felt they should. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, not looking forward to the prodding the psych was no doubt about to do. As much as he should be willing to answer all of his questions, he also wanted a new case to suddenly pull him away, making it impossible for Miroku to intrude on his personal life. He was annoying as all hell. You'd give the guy a little, and he'd be able to see the exact traumas that fucked you up when you were thirteen. It was freaky, and no human should hold that sort of power.

Inuyasha approached slowly, sighing defeatedly when their eyes fell on him, Hojo's annoying smile causing the half demon to fight back a cringe.

"It's kind of hard to get into a stalker's mind when you don't even know who the guy is, don't you think?" Inuyasha asked, fully implying that the psychiatrist was brought in prematurely.

"Not at all," Miroku began, raising his eyebrows at the question. "You don't have to have the person present to gather their motif. Maybe finding the pattern beneath all of this will help us track him down."

"What pattern? He's hit her house twice."

"I think he's been to her house more than that, actually." He stated, pointing to the printed pictures of Kagome's bedroom taped to the board. Inuyasha stiffened at the thought, his eyes shooting to the perfectly made mattress that Miroku referenced. "Everything but the bed was destroyed. In fact, he made sure to put the bed together. It all seems very detail oriented. That, alone, tells us he's got an M.O.. One that involves watching and observing from the sidelines."

"Watching and observ- are you kidding me? Miroku, he's a stalker!"

"Oh contraire, my friend. He knew what he was doing. This guy is patient. He's been taking photos for months now out of view, and he wasn't just doing that as a hobby. He was gathering the information he needed."

"Where, exactly, are you going with this?" Sango questioned.

"From what we can see of the state of Kagome's apartment, he wasn't exploring like someone who was purely interested in only her and her lifestyle; he wasn't trying to slowly crawl his way under her skin to quote-unquote connect with her. This was someone who was trying to make a statement. Yes, stalking is a major factor in all of this, but it's too superficial. This guy isn't a stalker at all. He's a master manipulator who likes the hunt."

The team was quiet, their mouths sealed shut as all of them stared back at Miroku with different levels of bemusement. It was a sign, albeit not a clear one but one he's learned to recognize, that they were just about on board with him. They just needed an extra push.

"Inuyasha, how many times has he been to your apartment?" Miroku continued, feeling confident in his theory.

"He hasn't. There's no way I could have missed a stench like his."

"Exactly. He knows you can smell him out. He knows you're a half demon and the more time he spends around you, the closer you'll come to finding him, so the drive isn't there. Yet. For the meantime, he can get away with targeting someone you care about. You'll catch his faint trail, but it won't lead you far because you'll be too busy taking care of Kagome. My guess is, this is bringing him a level of satisfaction no one can even begin to describe. I think he's been getting dangerously closer and closer to Kagome for a while now, and he's only allowing you to know now that he's got his method down and he's about to strike. He's ready to play this game because he recognizes that there's a very slim chance you'll be able to stop him in time."

"I hate to say it, but that makes a lot of sense." Sango looked from side-to-side at the two male detectives, exploring their expressions. Hojo was pondering, his blue eyes aimed at the floor while he tapped his knuckle to his lips. She knew her partner, and she knew her partner well. He wasn't convinced. Inuyasha didn't look the least bit pleased, as per usual. She couldn't tell if he agreed with Miroku's theory, or if he was just plain pissed that this was all happening in the first place. Most likely the latter.

"What about the bed? Something about it was a little too disconcerting, don't you think? What was the point of it?" Hojo asked.

"It's hard to say." Miroku's air of confidence slightly wilted away as his gaze drifted back to the board of pictures. "It most likely falls back within the lines of manipulation. When you see your house completely destroyed, what are the first feelings you get?"

"Fear, discomfort, unfamiliarity, anxiety, maybe anger." Sango listed, scooting her bottom over the ledge of her desk to sit, crossing her legs and bracing her hands on the edge of the wood.

"Lets go with the most common; fear and anxiety. He may be the kind of guy that enjoys inflating these emotions in his victims. By creating this scene, he's intensifying all of that. It's a bed she'll no longer feel comfortable sleeping in. He's touched it- tainted it, so to say. Made it appear welcoming while destroying every other aspect of her home. I think it'd be obvious that she'd rather lay in the mess than come close to her bed."

"All-in-all, discomfort, which is a simplified word for what she's feeling, is at an all time high." Hojo added as he caught on, rubbing the curve of his chin with his forefinger and thumb.

"Yes, exactly. He's violated every inch of her apartment, and he's essentially rubbing her nose in it. Not even her blankets can provide a sense of solace. If you think about it, this could be his way to get at Inuyasha, as well."

"How so?" Koga asked, walking up behind Inuyasha. He gave the half demon's shoulder a heavy pat, taking up his post beside him as if he'd been a part of the discussion the entire time.

"No one feels a bigger sense of helplessness than him." Miroku answered carefully, glancing at the hanyou. The muscles in his jaw were adamant, flaring his temples as he cocked and bit his jaw down. He seemed to be holding himself in place, his entire body rigid, ember eyes flickering around in annoyance, heavily avoiding all eye contact. It was difficult to determine if he had checked out, or if everything had processed perfectly clear. Still, he'd fully expected the half demon to blow up by now with loud proclamations of how nothing would ever happen to his friend with him around and how he'll catch whomever this is before he can get to her. The heated expression he was wearing was something Miroku had come to know very well from his years of helping the team solve detailed and riveting crimes, but everything else was slightly out of character for Inuyasha. Even if he was just holding himself together to follow orders, he couldn't help but be at least a little surprised the Inuyasha hadn't stormed away from his recent comment.

"So the creep knows how to fuck with their victims' head." Koga nodded, successfully increasing the undeniable tension swelling around the group.

"I'm not a victim." Inuyasha stated through gritted teeth.

"Now's not the time to be prideful." Hojo chided.

"I may be getting ahead of myself," Miroku spoke, redirecting the conversation back to where it belonged. "But given the circumstances, I highly believe, and agree, you've come face-to-face with our perp before. We can look back into old cases similar to this to discover his underlying M.O.. If we find him quick enough, we may be able to figure out his next move."

"What if he's not in the system?" Sango asked skeptically.

"Then we may be wasting time, but we have to start somewhere."

"According to you, we don't have time to waste!" Inuyasha shot, glaring incredulously at the know-it-all in front of them, his temper teetering dangerously on the edge. "He's getting closer and closer, and we're running on guesses!"

"You, yourself, suggested he knows you. We have nowhere else to begin, Inuyasha, so why don't we go with our gut?" Miroku responded sternly. The half demon preferred to be in charge and, at this point, just about everything was out of his hands. The more time they spent talking, the more frustrated and antsy he was bound to get. It didn't take a psychiatrist to figure that much out. Inuyasha wasn't the stoic, mysterious person that he tried so hard to be. He was as easy to read as a children's book. He was a hot-tempered, fast-paced, stubborn guy that too often bit off more than he could chew.

"Anything ringing a bell that can give us an idea where to dive in?" Hojo asked from his corner of the group. Inuyasha shook his head, inhaling deeply to quell the building flames in his abdomen.

"Nothing recent, that's for sure."

"Alright, well we'll get to it. Try to keep yourself busy in the mean time." Sango hopped down from the desk, leading her partner down the hall to Totosai's office to discuss their current plan of action.

It was hard to tear his eyes away from the photos taped to the whiteboard, and even harder not to rip them down. It pissed him off that someone brought Kagome into the mix just to get to him. There were too many pre-existing, conflicting emotions involving her in the first place, and the fact that this bastard decided to reopen that door just to antagonize him had him rightfully furious. Looking at the evidence, feeling powerless when it came to her wellbeing, and annoyingly dumbstruck as to who could possibly be behind all of this made the anger so much fucking worse.

Just who the hell had he managed to tick off this time around?

"Have you considered taking some time off?" Miroku asked, stepping in Inuyasha's line of sight, intentionally blocking him from the snapshots. Koga moved closer, as if silently suggesting he supported the thought.

"No. What the hell would that solve?" He crossed his arms to harden his stature, regretting the motion. Surely, the doc would read that as him guarding himself or some other equally pathetic evaluation.

"Maybe there's something you'd be better off doing at home as opposed to sitting here growing frustrated with a case you can't touch."

"I'm better off here." Inuyasha said resolutely, giving a final, deadpan stare and walking away, semi-effectively ending the conversation. Miroku, being smart with his fancy, expensive degree, got the hint. He'd caught the slight shrug from Miroku's shoulders in his peripheral vision before he headed to Totosai's office, joining Sango and Hojo. Unfortunately, it took stronger hints to get through to Koga, the wolf demon following close behind Inuyasha on his way to his station.

"Yeah? On desk duty?"

"I need to be here in case anything happens. Psych boy can't probe my brain if I'm sitting on my ass at home. The more accessible I am, the higher chances we have at getting this shit handled as quick as possible."

"Alright, I can get that. That's actually pretty smart of you, but I know that's not the real reason behind it."

"Oh, yeah? You gain some mind reading powers recently?"

"Please," Koga grunted, rolling his blue eyes over dramatically. "I've been your partner for too long not to know the basics about you. If you were at home, there'd be nothing to keep you busy and you'd end up obsessing over the case. You'd grow restless and then begin to conduct your own investigation, which would not fly under the radar because you don't know the definition of subtlety. Thankfully, and surprisingly, you're intelligent enough not to risk the consequences given the circumstances of involvement."

"Hey, you'd be in the same fucking position if Ayame was in danger!" Inuyasha growled, infuriated by Koga's nonchalance.

"You're not wrong. I'd want answers just as much as you do and it would piss me off when I couldn't play a hand in getting them, but I'm at least bright enough to see the blessing in disguise here."

Inuyasha groaned, pushing papers and files around his desk to make it look like he was suddenly busy, hoping it would be enough incentive to send is partner away. "Not everyone can be as infuriatingly optimistic as you, wolf."

"Jesus Chris, has anyone told you how stupid you are, dog breath?"

"What-"

"You can actually protect Kagome now! If this were your assignment, you'd constantly be up shit creek for ignoring protocol and personally seeing to Kagome's safety! Kagura and Totosai are trying to prevent Internal Affairs from getting involved, which is a pretty big fucking deal!" His partner slammed the drawer shut, nearly catching Inuyasha's fingers and grabbing the attention of the entire office. "At the same time, they're doing you a favor. Now you can legally step in; you don't need backup with you twenty four-seven to cock block. You can do whatever the fuck you want that doesn't involve touching your case. It's obvious you'll be kept up to speed on it. You'll know one way or the other what's going on at all times. No one here is against you! Why the hell is this so hard for you to understand?"

"Shut up! You don't see the bind I'm in right now! I can't help my own investigation unless called on, and I can't play bodyguard to someone who doesn't want anything to do with me. It's a fucking lose-lose. Don't act like you haven't noticed." Inuyasha seethed, reeling his voice in but keeping the growl evident.

"Oh, I've noticed." Koga's voice came off rough, deep, hardly hiding the hint of amusement behind it. "How about you use this new-found free time to handle your shit?"

"How about you learn how to mind your fucking business? She told me the other night she doesn't want my help!"

"First of all, when has that ever stopped you? You're the most persistent guy I know. Second, here's an idea, and it's wild so bear with me: fix it!"

Inuyasha groaned, rolling his eyes. He makes it sound so fucking easy.

"Say you're sorry."

"Butt out. Don't act like you know what happened."

"Alright, so tell me."

"No."

"Seriously, own up. What did you do?"

"Back off!"

"What'd you do, mutt face?"

"What the fuck is your-"

"What'd you..." Koga paused, his mouth still agape, his eyes slowly widening as some sort of belated epiphany hit him. Finally, an exasperated laugh left his lips, making him come off more crazy than annoying for once. "Wait, woah, wait. I knew I remembered her name from somewhere. A few months ago you were stressed and angry and all kinds of mopey. You kept checking your phone, and I remember seeing her name one time when I peeked over. I can't believe I'm just piecing this together now!"

"Koga!" Inuyasha growled dangerously.

"Man, I remember that like it was yesterday! I've never seen you come so close to puppy eyes in my damn life! You were the epitome of pathetic! There's no way you were only friends with benefits!"

Inuyasha stood up straight, facing Koga and stepping in to size up, his shoulders squaring as he hardened his stance while the wolf demon made no moves away, their height only separated by an inch, though Koga's demeanor made him seem a whole foot taller. The cocky fucker even wore a sly grin on his face.

Then the curve of his lips faded away, landing in a placid, flat line, all traces of amusement vanishing just as quickly as they'd arisen. Koga mirrored the half demon's determined glare, speaking in a low, gruff tone that would only bite at Inuyasha's sensitive ears. "You want to protect her, then do it. You want to be with her, then fix it. You want to get this guy, cooperate. Don't act like the sky is falling and you're the only one the pieces are landing on. You're a fucking detective. You solve problems for a living. If you're going to be high-strung in the office, expect everyone to give you a hard time. All it's telling us is you can't handle the stress, and you've got no business here. If you don't want to be with Kagome, hey, that's cool too. There's one less thing you've gotta do. You've got options. You've got a brain. Utilize it and trust us for once."

The Coffee Shop

Kagome stared down at the letter envelope placed nicely before her on the small, square table, following the path of the pale, calloused fingers that pushed it her way, over the thin-skinned, veiny hand hovering just above it, up the sleeved arm and over the broad shoulder, her perturbed gaze connecting with the slanted, violet eyes of a man. He smiled as if they were old friends meeting up in the cafe after arranging the plans weeks in advanced. As Kagome opened her mouth to say something, he raised his brows and cocked his head, cutting her off before her voice could slip.

"Let's not cause a scene." The man pulled out the chair opposite Kagome, sitting down and scooting forward, propping his chin up as he slid the envelope closer with his free hand. "That's for you. I suggest a smile. Don't want to tip anyone off, do we?"

Kagome had stiffened, justifiably both confused and uncomfortable, her brown eyes shifting to the side to see if anyone was looking. Not a single soul in the cafe was paying them any mind, bodies bustling around in the busy rush of the morning. Still, Kagome complied, giving a wane smile as she revisited the man's fierce stare.

"Do I know you?" She asked, taking the envelope from his fingers and picking it up, palpating the paper to feel the contents within. It was hard to determine exactly what she held, but it definitely wasn't a love letter.

"No, but I know you." His smile never faltered, his pale cheeks turning a dull shade of pink from his pinching smile, amusement shining through.

"I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and guess that you're not about to tell me who you are." Kagome grimaced, unable to keep up the facade. Her heart was pounding with the amount of nerves building up in her chest at an alarming rate. Obviously he was a threat with the way he told her not to "tip" anyone off by looking anything other than pleased, which was enough to instantaneously spike her fight or flight, the latter looking to be more satisfying. Kagome willed herself to calm as much as possible, telling herself that reacting negatively would only make matters worse. This had something to do with her stalker case, she was positive about that much. What she wasn't sure about was whether she was sitting a mere foot away from the culprit, himself, or if this was his errand boy.

"You're good at this." He chuckled. "He didn't tell me you were so smart."

Errand boy.

"That's probably because he doesn't know anything about me other than what he's seen in the pictures he takes. And these are..." Kagome waved the envelope around by the side, the weight of its contents bending the paper back and forth.

"Your guess is as good as mine." He shrugged, seemingly even more amused than before. He leaned back a bit, too comfortable for her liking, his stark black ponytail resting over his shoulder before he flicked it behind. "I also wouldn't get too confident with that theory. From what I've heard, he knows you pretty well, and your friend even better."

Kagome swallowed hard, looking from the envelope to the man before her and back down to the envelope, decidedly sliding it back his way along the table. "I don't want it."

"Not my problem." He said, sliding them back to her. "I did my job."

"You know, you're pretty ballsy to approach me this way in public."

"Yeah, yeah." His lips actually twitched downward for the first time since he'd invited himself over, rolling his violet eyes as he leaned forward and propped his forearms on the table, his shoulders sinking minutely. "You gotta do what you gotta do. I don't think you're dumb enough to make a scene right now, because who knows what'll happen if you do, and by the time you tell the police I'll be long gone. What harm will some over-pixelated security camera footage do compared to the lunatic watching my every move?"

"You don't have to do his bidding. You could turn him into the police right now and-"

"What? Your little detective friend will keep me safe?" The smile returned. "Because you're so safe right now?" The man laughed, intensifying the sickening feeling in the pit of Kagome's abdomen.

"I'm not afraid of him, Kagome. I'm not the one that needs saving." He continued, cocking a brow at her as he studied her pinning expression, leaning further over the small table. She was trying to make it illegible, stone cold, hoping her eyes would somehow fog over so he couldn't get anything off of her, but by the taunting grin he wore, she could tell it wasn't holding up. "You're afraid, though. Aren't you? The dark circles beneath your eyes tell me you haven't been sleeping very well. I don't think it's all that fair that you're suffering alone like this. You know who I think should be even more afraid than you are?"

The man rose from his seat, readjusting the hoody over his shoulders just as a barista called Kagome's name to let her know her coffee was finally ready. He looked to the counter where the sleeved, to-go cup waited, then back to her, flashing one last unwelcome, thin-lipped smile. "Inuyasha."

Before she could gather her wits, before she could find her voice and ask what he meant, the man walked away, the slightest hint of flamboyancy in his step. The notion yanked at Kagome's insides, twisting and pulling, a clammy sweat dotting her hairline as she processed everything. While it was recently discovered that he was more involved than she'd initially presumed, she still didn't know to what degree. Was it a game, or was this guy solely out to destroy Inuyasha's life?

And here she was making matters worse by acting out, being selfish, only concerned about herself and what she was going through, making sure to push the ill feelings toward the photos of Inuyasha to the back of her mind while she tried over and over to justify the way she reacted the last time she saw him- no matter how awful she felt for it. How could she claim she hated seeing him on the receiving end of this and then actively shut him out? Where had her compassion gone? No matter what took place between she and Inuyasha in the past, it didn't change the fact that they were being hunted down by someone. The both of them. Together. Yet, when it came down to it, when the opportunity was presented for them to help each other, she turned him away without a second thought. She wanted nothing to do with him when all he wanted to do was ensure her wellbeing.

Inuyasha wasn't just the victim of this ongoing, slow burn attack. He was the victim of her stupid, wounded pride and the onslaught of malicious feelings she refused to control.

Even after the events that ended whatever unspoken relationship they had, Kagome could admit Inuyasha deserved better.

She sat and waited, watching the man make his way through the unknowing crowd and exit the double glass doors without looking back at her, taking most of the dense air he'd suffocated her with along with him. Then she forced herself to move, her muscles feeling as unsteady as they would after a rigorous workout. She stood from the wooden chair, hesitantly taking the envelope with her, gently pushing through the crowd around the pickup counter and snagging the large cup with her name on it. To be honest, she didn't even want it anymore, but she knew that if this was the way her day was starting off, it was best to get as much caffeine in her system as soon as possible.

Even though she'd shoved the envelope deep into the confinements of her purse, she could practically feel it burning a hole through the cheap material, heat seeping through her jeans and irritating the skin beneath. Her fingers itched to get it opened and over with, to see what sort of snapshots she'd been rewarded this time around, but there hadn't been a good opportunity just yet. Kagome was standing at the entry of her classroom, holding the door open as her students filed in, having barely made it to work on time. Her purse still dangled over her shoulder, coffee in one hand while the other hand was held out to give high-fives to the children on their way inside.

"Hey, are you okay? You seem a little out of it." Her teaching assistant asked as Kagome shut the door.

"Yeah." She quickly dismissed, waving to push the notion aside. "I've just had a hectic morning. Would you mind leading their warmups while I get a few things situated?"

Ayumi agreed with a happy nod, pulling the talkative kids' attention her way to gather around the circular area rug as they finished shoving their belongings into their respective cubbies at the back of the room. Kagome left her to it, parking in the seat behind her desk and fishing the envelope out of her purse, using her nail to peel up the corner of the glued flap before shoving her finger through to rip the top open. She was eager to get this done, eager to see how much messier things were about to get, and then baffled when she saw the contents weren't even remotely close to what she was expecting. She flicked through the multi-colored polaroids without fully taking them out of the envelope. None of the pictured women and children looked familiar in the least. The photos seemed aged, naturally discolored, and the people in the images dressed in out-dated fashions. Every single one of them were candid and taken from a close distance, an occasional shoulder getting in the path of a clear shot. She guessed these were from the late eighties to mid nineties by the way the women presented feathered or crimped their hair, flared out the ends of their bob cuts, or purposely kept thin strands free to frame the sides of their face from the tiny butterfly clips decorating the tops of their head.

But why did she receive these? Was it a coded message of some sort? She flipped through the photos again, checking the backs of each one to see if anything was written. Nothing.

Great.

It had to be a clue. A clue meant for the police, because obviously she was going to hand it over. This guy was having so much fun playing his sick, maniacal game that he was even willingly giving information to S.V.U. to help them out, using as many messengers as necessary in between. It seemed Kagome was officially a messenger.

Although it was only a theory, it was the only thing that made sense. Why else would she be handed pictures of total strangers from over a decade ago? It could be a sign that they'd gone through the same thing she and Inuyasha are currently dealing with. Maybe even worse considering children were involved. Or, it could be something to completely derail them. Either way, she needed to show these to Inuyasha and the others. She needed to tell them she was approached by a lackey and give them the description she'd been repeating in her head to make sure no details were forgotten. She needed to get through the day with the best smile she could conjure up, get her work done, then make her way down to the police department, animosity with the half demon be damned.

No one would be able to tell where her head was if she had it her way. She could handle this. This was the hand she'd been dealt, so she had no other choice. Her life may have been turned upside down, but Kagome wasn't about to allow it to fall apart.

She waved to the few students that shouted goodbye as the last of the parents showed up to retrieve their children, traveling out of the open gate after locking up her classroom, and heading the exact opposite direction from where she lived. She kept her head down, hoping her thick, wavy hair was enough to hide her face from any curious photographers, camera clicks practically echoing in her ears. Kagome had to remind herself it was all in her head. She was being paranoid. She was under a ton of stress, so feeling this way was to be expected. She'd seen enough Law & Order to learn a thing or two, and no matter what kind of level head she attempted to maintain, she was no exception to the side affects of victimization.

The front of the building was busy as she walked up the front steps, slowly hopping up a few before standing aside and waiting for a policeman escorting a handcuffed, half-dressed woman by the arm to pass through the doors before following through, herself, quickly scouting out the directory to find which floor the Special Victim's Unit was on.

Third.

She jumped in an elevator, squeezing in with four more people and pressing the button to her destination, politely ducking out as the ding indicated they'd arrived. She wasn't nervous about reporting what had happened; she was eager to do anything that could help end the madness sooner rather than later. Yet, being in the hallway just outside their propped, double doors, getting closer and closer to entering with each step made her feel unbelievably anxious. Suddenly she wasn't so sure she could go inside or not. It was only a few days ago that she'd told Inuyasha to leave; that she didn't want, nor need, any help from him. Now, here she was, dragging her cheap boots through the halls of his domain, semi-ready to give a brief, in-person statement so that he would help her. It was that annoying pull talking again, the one that always wanted to see Inuyasha, creating an arena for her conflicting emotions to battle it out in.

The worst part of it all was she didn't know what to expect once she made it through the doorway. Was he going to blow her off? Jump up to see if she was okay? Light up like he always used to? Touch her like she found herself craving so badly in the middle of her sleepless nights? Good lord, she was being ridiculous. Eye-roll worthy, even for herself. What right did she have to feel this way? What right did she have to hold a grudge on him in the first place, and then throw it all in his face when he was trying to help? This wasn't her. She had the prerogative to be upset about everything taking place, even what he'd done to her all those months ago, but she was usually capable of handling things in a more mature manner; "usually" being the keyword.

To say she was a mess was an understatement. Kagome was a walking drawing done by a toddler, lines and scribbles decorating a page, dancing all over the place but the ends never meet to join.

This wasn't the ideal predicament to reconnect with someone, anyone would agree. Nor did she particularly want to reconnect. At first. The more she regretted her blow out, which increased by the hour since that night, the more she found herself wanting to work on things. Maybe it was just the sense of vulnerability that was getting to her. Maybe she felt isolated, and it was wilting her defenses. Or maybe she'd just come to her senses and understood that they didn't have to be friends, but they could reasonably work with one another until they got this pervert off the streets and behind bars. Whatever the case, she acted like an ass and she'd have to make it right. Or as right as possible at this point in time.

Her chocolate eyes wandered over the large, busy room, searching for the familiar head of silver hair that always gave him away, disappointed when he wasn't in plain sight. Her stomach was doing baby flips inside of her abdomen, light but still enough to make her feel unsettled. She thought maybe if she saw his reaction to her showing up, any reaction at all, she'd be able to gauge the damage she'd done.

She'd been having a long, dramatic, troubling battle with herself over the past few days about whether he actually deserved an apology or not. She was stressed beyond belief, but she never found that to be a good excuse to treat someone poorly. He'd hurt her, yes, but that still doesn't make it acceptable to react the way she had been. They were best friends before she'd kissed him. They were inseparable before Kagome fell hopelessly in love. Then things went to hell and it was over. Even though she'd cut off contact with him, he never used it against her or budged from her case. He did more than he was required to do; checking in one time with a coffee, rushing over when she called in the middle of the night, offering to help her get her home back together or even guard her as she slept. As unnecessary as it all was, it was still nice and mildly comforting.

He deserved it. He deserved better. She was being a brat.

"Hi, excuse me." Kagome stopped a young man in uniform, holding her hand out to gently touch his upper arm and grab his attention, but changed her mind last minute and flinched her fingers back just as he faced her. He gave a small smile, the dimples in his cheeks sinking inward. "I'm looking for Inuyasha. He's a detective here, I think."

"He's out at the moment. Is there something I can help you with, ma'am?"

"Oh. I just needed to talk to-"

"Miss Higurashi? Is something the matter?" Kagome couldn't help the slight jump her muscles gave, turning to see Hojo walking over to join at the officer's side. He wore a kind smile, almost charming enough to be reassuring, his blue eyes dulled by shadow and coming off as a calming grey.

"Not really. Well yes, but it's not all that urgent."

"What happened?" Hojo reached out, giving a firm squeeze to the edge of her shoulder. The entire time she'd had it in her head that Inuyasha would be the one handling whatever information she had, given the circumstances and their connection. As pathetic as it felt, she wasn't mentally prepared to speak to anyone else. If he wasn't even in the building, though, it wouldn't be practical to sit on it. She had pictures in her bag, a possible piece to the puzzle if she were thinking positively, and just a small moment ago she thought she was perfectly fine speaking about it. Of course, that was under the pretense that she knew who she was speaking to. Now all she felt was hot and nauseous and discombobulated.

"I, uh..." Kagome paused, willing the words to the surface of her tongue. "I met someone working for my stalker this morning. Our stalker. When do you think Inuyasha will be back?"

Hojo's eyes grew a little darker with the slight shift his head gave, his lips sinking downward into a serious mode she didn't imagine he had.

"I'm not sure. Come on over to my desk, Miss Higurashi. Let's talk."

"B-but shouldn't we wait for him? He needs to know this too, doesn't he?" She was nervous. More than nervous, but she didn't quite know what the emotion was called. Her palms were beginning to sweat, and she was trying to distract herself from the uprising, tingling agitation in her chest by chewing on her bottom lip. She thought she'd be in her comfort zone with someone she knew. Now she was about to give this information to someone she'd only spoken to on one occasion, and this entire situation was too foreign to make sense anymore. She just wanted one source of familiarity so that she could gather herself. Even if he was mad at her, it didn't matter. She just needed Inuyasha in the room. He could sit on the far side and mope for all she cared. So long as he was there, she'd be okay.

"I'm sorry, I thought he would have told you... he's not on the case anymore."

"Oh." Kagome hoped the surprise wasn't evident on her face. "Why not?"

Hojo hesitated, his mouth opening to respond, the corners twitching upward as he thought of something to say. "I probably shouldn't be the one to say. What I can tell you, though, is it's been reassigned to Detective Sango and I. We'll take care of you, Kagome. I promise."

He left the case. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her, shocking her heated nervous system. Inuyasha up and left her case. Apparently, when she said she didn't want his help he took it to heart. He'd taken himself out of the equation entirely, leaving her, their, situation to his coworkers. Maybe this was what she deserved, but she couldn't stifle how abandoned she was left feeling.

"Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Hot cocoa? Water?" Hojo led her to his desk at the far end of the large office, rolling a free chair over for her to sit in at the side.

"N-no thanks." Kagome shook her head, slowly squatting into the padded seat he offered, trying to fend off the emotions that, as of right now, were completely irrelevant.

"Miss Higurashi, I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me. I'm here to help just as much as Inuyasha would be. Even more so, considering the circumstances." He said, taking his own seat and scooting an inch closer, pen and notepad already at his fingertips. He may have been trying to make her feel better, but wow, salt in the wound. Kagome ignored the jab, knowing that the detective meant well, and willed herself to work with Hojo just as she'd decided to do with Inuyasha. "So you think you met someone in acquaintance with your stalker? What do you mean by that?"

"Someone approached me while I was waiting for my coffee this morning. The way he talked made it pretty clear he was an employee."

"How so?" He asked, looking over as Sango silently joined them. She smiled at Kagome, gesturing for her to go on as she leaned against the desk on the other side of Hojo.

"He kept referring to another man, saying things like, "He never told me you were so smart." and, "...He knows you pretty well, and your friend even better." He said his job was to deliver an envelope, and that was it."

"Okay," Hojo scribbled some words on the small paper of his notepad. "Start from the beginning. What happened?"

"I was sitting off to the side while I waited for my coffee, and he comes over, slides me an envelope, and tells me to smile so no one would grow suspicious."

"Where do you get your coffee from?"

"A place called The Coffee Shop. Unoriginal but close to home."

"I've heard of it. He never gave you a name?"

"No. Nothing. Not his name or his boss's."

"What was in the envelope?"

"Oh!" Kagome reached for the small pouch still slung over her shoulder, shifting it to sit on her thighs as she opened the zipper and pulled out the creased paper, handing it to the detectives before her. "Here. There's pictures inside. At this point, I really didn't expect anything different."

Hojo opened the top of the torn flap, pulling out the small polaroids and sifting through, his brows twitching together, but not deep enough to create any wrinkles. Sango leaned in, taking the pictures Hojo was finished with and looking them over, her brown eyes scouting over the photos in the same manner Kagome imagined she looked when she'd received them.

"Do you know these people?" Sango asked, struggling to peel her sight away from the photographs.

Kagome shook her head in response, her shoulders raising in a small shrug but never lowering as the tension held her still. "My only hope is it's a hint of some sort?" The unsurety of her words rang through.

"You let us worry about that." Hojo said reassuringly, handing the remainder of the pictures over to his partner and grabbing his pen once more. "Would you mind telling me what he looked like?"

"He was... pale." She breathed, willing her body to relax a little. This was what she'd rehearsed all morning and afternoon. "Violet eyes. Pointed ears. Long, black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He smiled a lot, like he thought the whole thing was funny."

"What was he wearing?"

"Jeans. Black jeans, I think. He had on a plain, grey shirt with a navy hoodie over it."

"And have you ever seen this man before?" Sango asked, cocking her head to the side, the bangs that framed her temples shifting off her skin but keeping their blowdried curve.

"No. At least, I didn't recognize him."

"Did anything he say stand out?"

"It all stood out to me." Kagome admitted. "I remember our entire conversation. He called whoever he's working for a lunatic, taunted me a little, and said Inuyasha should be even more afraid than I am."

Both of the detectives' faces contorted in dismay, but before they could say anything, Kagome continued. She could feel herself slowly beginning to crumble under the weight that had been piling on over the weeks, her chin quivering from trying to keep the evident frown on her face under control. "I don't know what he meant, and he left before I could ask. You know, things were bad enough when there was one guy following us around, but now he's got people running his errands for him. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, but for who? I know this guy's face, but he could always employ someone completely different next time around. Or maybe even do some of the work, himself, and I wouldn't even know." She paused, trying to gather herself, looking back and forth between Sango and Hojo, trying to find an ounce of the strength she would have seen had she been looking in the hanyou's ember eyes. When she couldn't, when she realized she was reaching for something unfeasible to attain, she felt her aggravation flair. "I don't understand what's going on, and I'm sick of not knowing! Do you have anything new to tell me? Anything at all? Have I done something to attract someone's attention? Is Inuyasha involved because of me? What reason does he have to be more afraid? What did I do!?" There it was. Her breaking point was in her line of vision, not too much further ahead. For so long she'd been trying to rationalize with herself, and she finally realized that was impossible to do when nothing made sense; when the puzzle had too many pieces and everything was quickly becoming more and more complex.

"No, Kagome," Sango was quick to cross from the other side of Hojo, kneeling in front of her as if to meet her at eye-level, her warm hands firmly grasping her arms just above the elbows. "Listen, it is normal for victims to blame themselves, but the reality of it is this is no one's fault but the perp's. He's targeting you and Inuyasha for reasons that are his own and his own alone. While we don't have answers yet, we're gonna figure this out? The both of you will be just fine."

Reluctantly, Kagome nodded in acknowledgment, not fully convinced but still unexpectedly comforted by how much Sango seemed to believe her own words.

"You think Inuyasha would allow anyone to come at him without giving it back ten fold?" Hojo half-joked, leaning against his desk, one shoulder raising higher than the other with his posture. He had a point. She shook her head in response.

"Is there anything else we should know?"

"No." Kagome said, grabbing her bag and gently letting it hang as she rose to a stand so that the weight of it wouldn't jerk down on her shoulder. Sango followed her lead, releasing her hold as they grew taller. "Thank you, guys. Sorry about- uh... that."

"Don't worry about it." Sango disregarded with a wave. "We've seen worse. Can we give you a ride home?"

"Oh, no thanks." She declined, reeling herself back in and smiling delicately. "I don't live too far."

#inuyasha #kagome #Kagome Higurashi #inukag #Inuyasha fanfiction #Inuyasha fic #inukag fanfiction #inukag fic #in between #akitokihojo #my writing #chapter 3

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