I'll Be Your Friend

Chapter Two: Friends at Work

It had been an unusually busy night; given it was the middle of the work week. The music and voices were so loud that Kagome could hardly hear the drink orders being placed. She chatted with the patrons that frequented the place, batted her eyes at new customers. She tossed glass cups to her coworkers, poured multicolored liquids into them like a pro. Her smile was permanently plastered on her face, warm and inviting, lighting up the place.

Inuyasha stole glances at his roommate whenever he could. He loved watching her like this, although he would never admit it out loud. Her demeanor was care-free, easy-going, and one could definitely tell she was well grounded. Customers, women and men alike, gravitated to her like she had her own magnetic pull. She had that vibe, the one that shows the pureness and sincerity in all of her being.

Most of what he loved though was the difference in the smile she gave these strangers, and the smiles she gave him.

Once their manager gave last call, and the people staggered their way out the doors, Inuyasha sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. He relished in the cool air that seemed to settle in the place once all the bodies had moved out of it. Walking over to the bar, he took a seat on the stool and watched as the crew began to clean up.

"Go home, Inuyasha," Ayame, a red-head that worked in the kitchen, had said, "We don't need protecting once the doors are locked."

The dark-haired man scoffed, standing up and walking around to the inside of the bar. He grabbed two shot glasses and tapped his fingers idly, waiting.

Kagome, exiting from the kitchen door, gave her warming smile to him, "What are you drinking tonight?" She grabbed the bottle of vodka he pointed to and nimbly filled the two glasses laid out before her. Before placing the bottle back in its place, she held it up toward the red-head in offering, who was busily wiping the counters next to them.

"Not tonight," Ayame declined, putting a hand up in protest and continued her work.

The duo tossed back the shot, Kagome inhaling and gritting her teeth from the burn in her throat. She looked at Inuyasha, who drank it down like it had been water, "Another?" she asked.

Surprised, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Tough night?" He pushed his empty shot glass toward her as she grabbed a bottle of the cherry flavored vodka. He watched as she poured, trying to read the expression on her face.

Her lips still held a smile, though her eyes told a different story. She raised her glass to his in a toast and again tossed the shot back, the harsh liquid going down more smoothly than the first. "Let's just live a little," she said, prepping for a third ounce.

After the alcohol took its toll and the bar was squeaky clean, the two walked arm in arm down the deserted streets back to their apartment. Kagome stumbled, using the man beside her as support as she giggled giddily, regaining her composure. They laughed about embarrassing moments in the past, reminiscing on their time together.

"How did he grab the spray nozzle from behind the counter anyway?" Inuyasha inquired his gaze forward as he held tightly to the drunken girl's arm, helping her keep her balance.

Kagome laughed through her words, "He just snatched it from Ayame's hand when she threatened to spray him!"

"He didn't have to spray me," Inuyasha scoffed.

"You looked like a wet dog!" she laughed.

"Well, you guys worked the rest of the night in see-through tops."

Stopping in her tracks, the girl's eyes grew wide. "Are you serious?" she asked, putting a hand to her mouth.

Inuyasha smirked and pulled her along, getting her to walk beside him once again. "You think you'd make all those tips on just that face?" he said, tensing for the oncoming blow. When he did not receive the playful punch that he anticipated, he looked down to see her staring at the ground. "Oh c'mon!" he pleaded, "I was just joking."

They had finally approached the apartment complex. Kagome started up the stairs to their third story home, her companion close behind. She continued in silence, rummaging through her purse for the house key. Once she unlocked the door, she sulked inside and threw herself down on their couch.

Cautious of this unknown, emotional territory the girl was in, Inuyasha walked slowly inside and took a seat softly beside her. He studied her, the sad look in her eyes she sometimes had, wishing for the smile reserved only for him. Blushing at his thoughts, he cut himself off. What was only for him? he mused. He had no claim on her; no right to think that there was an intimate place for him in her life – aside from the occasional "best friend" moments as she called them.

"Inuyasha," she spoke, breaking him of his thoughts. She built up a drunken courage, looking at him longingly in those brown-eyes she loved so much. "Do you think I'm attractive?" she asked.

His eyes grew wide and a blush spread across his face, ferociously burning his cheeks. "I guess," he mumbled before he spat defensively, "but I don't think of you like that." It was a lie, and he knew it, but he was too embarrassed to answer honestly. The thought scared him; that of her finding out his far from innocent thoughts of her. What would she think of him if she knew the truth? He dreaded that their friendship, the way it was right then, would become awkward and distant. He could not handle the possibility of change in fear of the worst – losing Kagome, like he had her sister.

Standing tall and straightening the coat he had yet to shed, he spoke over his shoulder, "I'm going to have a smoke," and with that, he stepped out onto the balcony attached to their living room and closed the sliding glass door behind him.

Kagome's heart felt like it flipped upside down, a painful ache forming. Of course he did not think of her like that, she thought. She stood up after Inuyasha had lit his cigarette, walking into the bathroom and looking into the mirror. She was not as graceful or beautiful as her older sister. Her eyes were grey, dull in comparison to Kikyou's vibrant blue eyes. Her hair was often unruly, her skin less lustrous. She lacked the gentle nature that her older sibling had, the patience to absorb what was around her before opening her mouth to speak.

It was an unhealthy obsession. Constantly, she compared herself, finding their differences to be her faults. Before that night when he came knocking on her door just two years prior, she had been more confident and strong-willed. Now it seemed she molded herself around the man she wanted, unable to break free from the emotional tie she knotted by herself. Every ounce of her being wanted him to be hers, but she could not figure out how to make that happen. It didn't seem possible to make him love her – like that.

Exiting the bathroom, her cheeks pink from emotion and alcohol, she made her way into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She fumbled to her bed, flopping down on her stomach and hugged her pillow. She had only lain there a few moments before she heard a tap at her door. "Go away," she groaned, voice muffled by her pillow.

Against the protest, Inuyasha opened the door and made his way into the tidy room. He stared at her; a raised eyebrow adorned his features as he asked, "Spinning?"

Raising her head from the pillow, she turned and looked over her shoulder at him. "I'm fine," she answered sharply, defensive anger in her eyes. As if mocking her, she felt her stomach contract as a familiar wave of nausea hit her. She launched herself from the bed, scurrying into the bathroom that was attached to her room, slamming the door behind her. She knelt before the toilet in the nick of time, her stomach spilling its contents into the bowl.

Slightly humored by the situation, Inuyasha moseyed over to the door and rested his head against the frame, listening to the retching sounds just beyond the wooden barrier. He chuckled, waiting for a break in the noise before speaking, "Can I come in, Kagome?"

"No," she whined, laying her head on the seat of the toilet, her arms hung loosely around her. She felt better instantly, though exhaustion from the exertion had set in. The cool porcelain against her skin felt too good for her to care about the cleanliness of the room.

Again, Inuyasha invited himself in anyway. He walked over to the tub and began running the water, letting it hit his wrist to check the temperature before pushing the plastic plug into the drain to allow the tub to fill. He looked at his roommate, at the way her body slumped over the toilet, and could not help but give a small smile. Without a single protest, he removed her shirt, carefully pulling it over her head and tossed it aside, exposing the pink frilly bra she wore underneath.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome managed to mumble through her achy throat, bringing an arm over the top of her chest in attempt to cover her indecency.

He rolled his eyes, "C'mon Kagome," he said, "You've been more exposed in a swimsuit." He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up before carefully placing her into the half-empty tub, her jean shorts becoming saturated. He allowed her to soak in the lukewarm water for a while, sitting on the floor beside her in silence. He watched her eyes flutter open and closed; her face blotchy from vomiting.

Kagome lost herself to her emotions that the alcohol only seemed to intensify. She did not care that she was half-naked or that her make-up was smeared. What did it matter anyway, if he did not think of her as any more than a friend? Her head lolled back and forth, looking at the man sitting outside the tub, then back at the tiled wall. The courage she had built up was crushed in that instant, and she was left once again to pick up the pieces of herself. She had to, so she could be there for him when his emotions were in the mud again.

Once the water began to cool, Inuyasha picked the girl up into his arms and wrapped a towel around her. He led her back into her bedroom and sat her down on the edge of her bed, bending over to look at her, "You alright to sit?" he asked, starkness in his voice. When he received a nod, he walked out of the room and returned with one of his tee-shirts. He began to remove the towel from around her when she stopped him.

Re-energized from the cold air after being removed from the warmth of the water, she stopped him. She dropped the towel and motioned for him to turn around. He had rolled his eyes at her, but followed the command none the less. Quickly, she removed her wet clothes and slipped the shirt over her before climbing into her bed.

Hearing the bed creak from her weight as she crawled into the covers, Inuyasha turned back around and crawled in beside her. She had her back to him, her legs curled up toward her chest. He slowly scooted closer, laying on his own side and pressing his body into her form. Wrapping an arm around her, he hugged her close and whispered into her ear, "Usually you are the one taking care of me."

This made Kagome smile. The fact of the matter was that it was very true. That is what she did, and had been doing for the last couple years that they had lived together. She stayed by his side as his guiding light, showing him the way to recover his fragile heart. It was those words he spoke that brightened her mood tenfold, though her heart was still laced with sadness. She could not fall apart because of where she stood in his life. It was her position that was the most important. She was his best friend, and she would be by his side as long as he needed her to be there.

Author's Note: I am kind of getting into this story a bit. Finally have some ideas brewing more than just free-writing.
I am debating whether or not to use Sango and Miroku, due to my want of focusing on Inuyasha x Kagome. Whenever they are added into stories I feel that the author pulls away from the main bits and semi-goes into a different half-assed romance between the other couple. It's distracting, boring, and often unoriginal. I don't want to do that. But I just might. Who knows. Still flowing with the punches with this one!