"You're healing pretty fast." Kagome noted as she undid some bandages on the strange dog.
"Wish we could do something more to help that leg. Or that poison which you refused to get treated." He growled at her, which was commonplace. He's gained more strength and travels out a little sometimes. He always came back, though. The only reasoning she could come up with whatever injured him before was still out there. With no where to go, well, it's common sense. Survival instincts. He could go anywhere, but she has medicine. She couldn't ignore the feeling of dread, though, whenever she opened that closet door. Did she want it to be empty or not? She wasn't sure anymore. She liked busying herself and caring for something, even as weird as this was. It was easy to forget how abnormal this all was once a routine was set. Humans learn to cope and deal with situations directly thrown at them.
"What are you doing down here?" she saw the little dog with the slight limp. There's been a couple of close calls with her mother or Souta, but the dog was sly in his actions.
"If my mom sees you, I'm throwing you out." She said half heartedly. She did not really mean that, but it would be a mess. Isn't that the dog you said ran away and was part of a criminal case? No, that was not desirable.
"Do you need something? I'm studying." Her objects were sprawled out against the kitchen table. Textbooks, notes, her laptop. Finals season was coming up. It seemed so arbitrary because most students were already accepted to colleges. This could hardly make a difference. Her mother wanted the best, though, and it was this or cram school. For the first time in a while, he grew to his full form. It made her heart catch in her throat. She hated when he did that. It brought the reality of this situation uncomfortably close. He stood so tall, even in weakness. He was so threatening and cold.
"I don't desire to be here, human." He told her. She capped her blue high lighter.
"Why do you always return, then?" she asked. He didn't answer for a moment and she looked away.
"I'm cursed." He said with no elaboration or emotion. She looked at him again. His cuts had healed pretty well and the poison was leaving his system. So why?
"How does that correlate?" she asked wearily. It was too late to be dealing with a moody man dog.
"It simply means I cannot return to my lands at this moment." He turned away, very done with the conversation. He had said what he'd needed to say. He wasn't staying out of affection or sympathy or any emotion. It was against all will. She had many questions, but knew she could probably only fit one. Who are you? What are you? Lands? Where? There was an ocean of things she didn't know that she should be curious about.
"Cursed?" she asked. He looked back at her with his scrutinizing gaze. She ran her fingers against the grooves of the wooden chair.
"Like, how? Who did it?" she stared at the glossy wooden floor. Another moment of silence.
"Nothing you need to know." He answered coldly and turned away. He was cold. Insensitive. That type of behavior made her mad. He had no right to be acting like that at this point.
"No, I think I have some right to know." She got up and went after him. Her socks slid against the floor a little. He was so graceful, though.
"You are nothing, human." He said with so much hate. So much spite.
"I have a name!" she exclaimed, frustrated.
"I am Higurashi Kagome and without me, you would be dead!" it was a hefty statement. He narrowed his eyes.
"How dare you raise your voice at me. My true form would crush this puny house of yours." He threatened. True form?
What do you mean?" fear laced her voice. She took an involuntary step back.
"I thought you just had those two forms. Why would you have another one?" her voice shook.
"Unless…that's your curse and-" she was musing aloud. She had infuriated him.
"Keep silence on matters you know nothing about." He hissed, eyes aflame. The way his eyebrows arched and creased his skin. His slightly pointed teeth bared. She had invited a monster into her house.
"Get out. I don't care what you are, get out!" she tried to control her volume as best as possible. Her mother and Souta couldn't possibly hear her from their rooms, but it was better to be safe. He glared at her and walked out. For minutes after, she couldn't believe she did that and survived. He could have killed her. God, why did she do that? That was irrational and, god, where would he go? She didn't care.
She didn't care.
She didn't care.
Kagome had trouble falling asleep that night. And the following nights. In theory, she should have been more at peace. No more hiding or worrying. But she wasn't. She'd come home and open the closet. Nothing. She needed something to occupy herself or else she would go crazy. More running. Pushing herself physically to ignore the mental strain. It was still too quiet at night, though. Even through exhaustion, she would lay awake into the early hours.
The bed sheets would get tangled in her legs and trap her in weird positions. There were too many bugs out to keep her window open, but what's the point? She can't even see the stars because of all the pollution. She finally felt herself start to sink into sleep. So close…
Thunk!
She jolted awake and looked to her window. The silver haired man. He was injured. Bleeding. Of course. She quickly slid it open. She stared into his glowing eyes. He stayed silent.
She sighed, common sense telling her to shove him out the window.
"Can you at least say what happened or why you're back?" she asked. He scoffed.
"I do not need a human's aid." He told her. Her eyebrows furrowed.
"Why else would you be here?" The wind blew through the open window and gave her goose bumps. The fury in his eyes and his pursed lips meant she wasn't getting an answer.
"Well, you can't just barge in here whenever you want and boss me around. I have things to do that don't include you." She wanted the courage and strength to fight him off. She wished she wasn't in her pajamas with bed head. She wished she wasn't small and weak.
"I'm involved with you and this!" she gestured her arms up wildly.
"I have a right to know things! I might 'just be a human,' but you are just an injured dog-" she pointed at him, but he quickly grabbed her arm. His grip was tight and unforgiving.
"Humans are disgusting." He seethed at her. She could see it in his eyes. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted to kill her. She wanted to scream, but her voice was just as lost as she was.
"I don't even know why I bothered to help you." She whispered as her body slumped.
"Why did you even come back here?" she looked straight at his face. Straight into his eyes.
"Just go." She continued whispering. Hurt seeped into the creases of her face. The sinking discomfort in her stomach. Of course. She was just a girl trying to help, but what could she do? There's too much trouble in this world. She could try solving a thousand cases a day, but not make a dent by the end of her life. There were too many stray dogs for her to save them all.
And so, he left.
And into her life came a little calico cat. White with brown and black splotches. Crying out on the side of the road. Kagome did her best to content herself with just feeding him. The days passed, though, and the cat became fond of Kagome. She found herself adoring the cat in time. So, one day, she picked him up and brought him home.
"I've named him Buyo." She told her mother.
"Are you going to take him to the shelter?" she asked.
"I was wondering if we could keep him." She smiled her brightest and looked at her mom with pleading eyes.
"You're going to be out of the house soon." Her mother argued.
"I could claim him as emotional support." She half joked.
"We'll see. You're in charge of taking care of him, though." Her mother eyed the feline warily. With a quick check up from a family friend vet, Buyo was now part of the Higurashi household. Temporarily, maybe? Kagome was smiling again.