NOTE: All sign language dialogue will have [ brackets ] around it.
"We can provide an interpreter, but besides that there isn't much that we can do for Haruna. We can't let her slow down the progress of the rest of the class. Now, now…" The exasperated high-pitched voice on the other end of the line squeaked. "Don't take that wrong. Haruna is a very smart girl and we want her back at school. However, she must have a basic knowledge of sign language first or, in the very least, have the proper equipment for her hearing aid to work in the classroom setting."
There was a slight pause as Kagome sucked in a frustrated breath. "There's nothing I can say to change your mind? Haruna wants to go back to school. It's already been so long. I don't want her getting even further behind." She could hear the lady on the other end of the phone tapping her nails exasperatingly against a table. It was irritating. She just wanted to jump through the phone and wring the administrator's neck.
"I'm sorry. But, until you at least get her the proper equipment we cannot allow her back in the classroom. We will send home her homework, but if she gets too far behind we will have to hold her back."
"Hold her back!" Kagome nearly shouted, her frustration leaking out like poisonous venom.
"Yes, it's for her own benefit. It wouldn't do Haruna any good if she was allowed to move forward when she wasn't ready."
"Fine, goodbye." Kagome huffed and hung up the phone, never waiting for a response.
She was simply furious.
She paced back and forth in her bedroom. Haruna and Inuyasha were in the living room and she couldn't let her little girl see her this angry. How was she supposed to tell her that she couldn't go back to school yet? Haruna loved school. Nearly every night she asked Kagome when she would get to go back. Kagome would shy away from the question, quickly changing the subject, with the help of Inuyasha who always seemed to be able to distract the distraught girl.
Haruna was, of course, having difficulties settling into her new reality.
There were some days where she would refuse to wear the hearing aid at all. Sometimes, at night, she would still have nightmares. She would wake up screaming and crying, her sweat making her hair stick to her forehead. The only one who could calm her down was Inuyasha. He would take her into his arms and hum her a deep lullaby that Kagome had never heard before. It was mystical and made her feel like she was being transported back in time. She would lean against Haruna's doorframe and simply listen to him hum as he stroked her hair until she was back asleep.
It made her heart swell.
But, she steadfastly ignored it. She told herself again and again it was only a longing for what used to be. That the feeling in her chest didn't mean that she was completely in love with him again. No, she was in love with the old him, the Inuyasha that she had known six years ago. This man before her… Well, he was still pretty much a stranger. They had hardly talked about their lives. The conversations almost always focused solely around Haruna. So, she barely knew the man that he had become.
One thing was for sure though, he was an amazing Dad.
As much as she wanted to find fault with him, she simply couldn't. He was there every agonizing step of the way. Somehow, he even connected with Haruna in a way that even she couldn't. It somewhat irked her, but she forced those feelings aside.
Kagome took a deep breath, steadying her nerves, before she left her bedroom to join Inuyasha and Kagome in the living room. Haruna was smiling and giggling as Inuyasha tried, in vain, to do the alphabet in sign language. When he screwed up the 'R' again Kagome had to bite her lip to keep from laughing and he looked over at her accusingly with a wicked grin on his face.
"Like you could do better."
She couldn't stop her full-on giggle now as she knelt down by the two. Haruna was in stitches, clutching her sides as she was wracked with giggling breaths. It only made Kagome's smile more pronounced. It was so good to see Haruna so happy.
"Of course I can." She said as she proudly displayed the correct way to do 'R'.
"Keh" He crossed his arms and looked away, but his grin was still playful.
"Here…" She reached out and grabbed his hand, effectively forcing him to uncross his arms, before she moved his fingers into the correct position. She ignored the way his skin felt against her own, she ignored the slight hitch in his breath that she could have sworn she heard, she ignored the own way her heart had started racing as she moved his fingers into the correct position… Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled them away from his own. "Like that, see?"
"Oh…" He muttered, still half-dazed. He shook himself, his hair flowing down around him, before he regained his composure. "I knew that. I just wanted to see if you knew it."
"Sure, sure…" Kagome smirked.
"Daddy, daddy! Can you sign my name?" Haruna's voice was too loud and Kagome saw his ears flinch ever-so-slightly at the offending noise. Still, he didn't complain, he didn't mention it, he just moved forward like nothing unusual had even happened.
That was exactly it, nothing unusual had happened. This was their new normal.
Inuyasha's face scrunched up in concentration as he began to sign her name. There was a pronounced pause after each letter as he tried to remember each shape. [ A]. Haruna smiled and clapped her hands. "How 'bout you?" Inuyasha nudged her playfully, earning him another giggle from Haruna.
She nodded her head ecstatically and then signed her name much more fluidly, even using the proper grammatical sentence format. [My name is Haruna.]
Kagome clapped and both of the silver-haired partial-demons in the room looked over at her startled, almost as if they had been lost within their own little world. [Good job.] Kagome signed.
They had gone to sign language classes three times that week. It was a routine that Kagome planned to keep up. Haruna was learning the fastest, soaking up the new language like a sponge. Kagome was moving along ok. She had already mastered the alphabet back in college, so now she was just starting to learn basic words and sentences. Inuyasha, on the other hand, with his long claws, was having a hard time getting past the alphabet. Still, he looked more and more determined after each lesson. Kagome was sure that he would get it… Eventually.
Kagome was shaken from her thoughts by a slight tug on her sleeve. She looked over to see a beaming Haruna, a question written on her face. [School?]
Kagome froze. Her eyes widened and Haruna's smile instantly dropped. With a deep breath Kagome began to give Haruna the news. "You need to know basic sign language first. Plus, your Daddy and I have to order a special microphone for the teacher so that you can hear her. Until all that happens, they will send your homework home. We will get you a tutor though, ok?" Kagome spoke loud and slow, ensuring that Haruna would be able to pick up each carefully chosen word. The sadness in her eyes never left, but she did smile slightly.
[Ok.]
Haruna had taken to using sign language more and more often at home. She constantly used the words that she did know in sign language instead of their verbal counterpart. She was more comfortable, Kagome figured, signing instead of using her own voice.
A few silent moments ticked by and Haruna's composure only continued to drop. Kagome flashed a worried look in Inuyasha's direction but he was completely absorbed with trying to do the alphabet again.
[Sleep?] Haruna signed. Kagome looked over at her once again and just now noticed the tiredness that had overcome her little girl. Inuyasha paused and looked up, his ears swiveling around as if he hadn't realized that he had tuned out for a moment.
[Yes.] Kagome bent down and picked her up. With a heave, she lifted Haruna off of the floor. It wouldn't be much longer before she couldn't do this anymore. Her little girl was growing up, she was getting too big to carry. She couldn't help but feel a mixture of happiness and nostalgia at the thought.
She got Haruna ready for bed quickly. Tucking her under the covers with a soft peck to the forehead before turning off the light and letting her go to sleep. Inuyasha watched from the doorway, only coming in to tell Haruna goodnight as well, before he returned to the living room. Kagome stood in the doorway for a moment. Haruna had drifted off to sleep near instantaneously. The sound of her quiet breaths and the sight of her chest rising and falling beneath the blanket soothed the worry that continually laced Kagome's heart. With a slow exhale, Kagome gently shut the door and returned to the living room.
"They won't let her go back to school?" Inuyasha dove right into the matters at hand.
Kagome nodded. "Not until she knows enough sign language for a translator and has a microphone for the teacher to clip to her shirt."
"A microphone?"
"Yea, it's this special device that the teacher wears that will let Haruna be able to hear her when she talks. But, she won't be able to really hear any of the other kids. They will be like background noise. It could take her a while to get used to using it. Even still, she will miss whatever the rest of the class is talking about."
"Oh…" He huffed, flopping down onto the couch and leaning back against the backrest in his usual position. "So, we get her the microphone."
Kagome walked over and sat on the other end of the couch. "Yea, we will get her the microphone. I think we should get her a tutor for sign language too. Classes three times a week plus a tutor another two times a week should really speed up her learning. Maybe we can find someone who could tutor her in sign language and in her school subjects. The school is gonna start sending home lots of her homework and if we don't want her to get held back we are going to need to get some help."
"Held back?" She could sense the way his muscles tightened, even though she was a few feet away.
"Mhm…" It came out deep and sad. "We can't let that happen Inuyasha, it would crush her. We… We can't let her down…" She stuttered, the words coming out in bursts of emotion.
"No, we can't let her down again."
Kagome ignored the word 'again' and moved right onto the next topic. "I didn't want to have to discuss this… I really didn't… But, Inuyasha…" She turned her big eyes onto him, catching his golden orbs. "I have to go back to work. I'm nearly out of money. You've been helping, and that's great, but you are going to run out of money too if you don't start working again."
The air in the room grew tense and his eyes steeled over. "I know your right, but I don't like the idea of not being here…"
"We need the money for her though. We can't pretend that it's not a factor. If we don't have money we can't get her the things she needs. Her hospital bills are starting to arrive and it's going to be a big hit on my savings, it might even eat it all up. Plus, we need to get the microphone and the tutor… We need money Inuyasha." She hated talking about money. She hated having to rely on him for money. But, the simple fact was that she barely had any money left in her bank account. Her entire savings would be drained from the hospital bills and even that wouldn't be enough to cover the costs they had incurred. It was only then, in that very moment, that she realized that she had absolutely no idea what Inuyasha did for a living. She wanted to punch herself for not asking him sooner. "Um, Inuyasha… What do you do, anyways?"
He looked confused for a moment before recognition dawned on his face. "We never talked about our jobs…"
Kagome shook her head. "No… We got so caught up with Haruna it just… We missed having the most basic of conversations."
"We'll have to catch up then, won't we?" He smirked. She, on the other hand, didn't feel quiet so light-hearted about the matter. She was still beating herself up for taking this long to ask him. His smile dipped slightly, but it didn't disappear. "I'm a Kendo Sensei at Sango's dojo. It's just a part-time gig. I usually do three or four classes a week. Once a month or so, I also teach anyone with a demon heritage how to use a weapon. Like my Tessaiga."
"Oh…" Kagome felt her mouth drop slightly before she snapped it closed. That was the perfect job for him. He had always loved practicing Kendo and learning how to use the Tessaiga. Sure, those were not necessary skills in today's modern world, but they were his passion.
"Like I said though, it's only part-time." His brows furrowed in worry. "I'm not sure it's enough…"
Kagome smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it. That's perfect for you. Maybe Haruna can learn Kendo when she is a bit older?"
His smile lit her world on fire.
"I'd like that."
"We will figure out all the rest. Do something you love, don't change just because of the bills… What's important is that we get back to work."
"What do you do, exactly, Kagome?" His curiosity was adorable.
Kagome winced slightly. "I didn't finish college."
Her words hung in the air, piercing the level of acceptance that had grown between them.
"Really?" His voice was so soft that she barely heard it.
She nodded. "I couldn't handle being pregnant and doing classes at the same time. I told myself I would go back after Haruna was born… But, having a newborn around the house was hard. I moved back to the shrine for two years before I set out on my own again. Mom was against it. She wanted me to stay there…" She trailed off for a moment, lost within a memory. "I worked at a bakery for a few months until I found a spiritualist who agreed to take me on as an apprentice to harness my Miko powers. I earned a certificate in herbalism, archery, and spiritual training while I was there. Ever since then, wherever Haruna and I am, I find a somewhere local that offers classes to anyone with spiritual powers. I train students… I think that maybe one day, when I have enough experience, I'll go back to my family's shrine and open my own business training young Mikos there. I only found a job here a few days before Haruna got sick… I hadn't even had my first day yet…" She trailed off, her voice fading into the room as a sever shade of pink lit her cheeks after she realized exactly how long she had been droning on for.
"Wow…" His voice was breathy.
"Sorry." She muttered, hiding her face with her hair.
"No, don't say sorry. That's… That's really amazing of you Kagome."
"Huh?" Her head whipped around to face him, her hair flying out around her in a black swirl.
"You did all that with Haruna… You had the courage to leave home and find something that you really liked even though you were a single parent. You… You are amazing Kagome." There eyes met and Kagome could feel her skin tingling. His words made her heart sputter and her mouth was flapping open and closed. She was completely at a loss for words. Her mind seemed to scramble away, receding into the depths of her skull, giving her little to no help as her heart took control.
"Inuyasha…" The surprise in her voice was evident and his cheeks lit up in response.
"I just mean…" He looked away, his embarrassment obvious as his hand fidgeted through his silver hair. "I…" His eyes met hers and he exhaled deeply, his entire posture relaxing against the couch, as he seemed to reach a decision within himself. "I always knew you were amazing, you just didn't believe me."
Kagome couldn't believe what was happening. Her heart felt like it was about to burst right out of her chest and from the way his cheeks continued to darken she knew that he could hear her body's response to his words. But, it was her mind that was scrambling to catch up to the action. Her heart was left hammering, but her mind was still locked in a cage of confusion and apprehension.
She didn't want to let him in. No. She wasn't ready for that.
"Thanks, Inuyasha." She turned her head away from him to once again let her hair fall between them, blocking both of their views.
It was quiet for a moment before he responded. "Keh."
She stood up, mentally slamming down walls between them. She took a few steps towards her bedroom, her back turned to him, before she spoke again.
"Everything ok for tomorrow night?"
He didn't reply right away. Tension slunk into the air, making her hands wring together uncomfortably. "Yea…" His voice was gruff. She waited a moment more, her back still to him. She wasn't sure if he was going to say something else. It felt like she was on the edge of a cliff and that all she needed was for him to call her back from it. But, he remained silent. With a resigned sigh she walked to her room and closed the door. She flopped down onto the bed and picked up her phone. She snuggled into the blankets, wrapping them up and around herself so that she was tight in a warm cocoon. She stared at her phone screen, analyzing the text messages in front of her as a new nauseous wave rushed up inside herself.
Her date with Daichi was tomorrow.
It was the first time she was going to go out after Haruna's hospitalization. She had talked to Sango exhaustively about it. Debating if it was ok or not to go out for the night… Sango had reassured her time and time again that she had to take care of herself too, not just Haruna. Haruna would be happy with Inuyasha. It had been a while since she was in the hospital and it was time for Kagome to stop making Daichi wait. He had been so understanding and patient so far… It was time to try a real date with him again.
Still, a big part of her couldn't help but worry that something would happen again. She was scared that as soon as she left the house, as soon as she wasn't by Haruna's side, something disastrous would happen. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't stop the feeling.
The next day seemed to whiz by in a blur. They had a sign language class as a family, afterward Kagome talked to the instructor about finding Haruna a private tutor, then they went home and began to dive into the large pile of homework that was sent from the school. Haruna's eyes lit up at the massive pile of work while Kagome couldn't help but groan at the task ahead. Inuyasha took everything in stride. He was still fumbling through his alphabet, his claws continually, and hilariously, getting in the way. Kagome had just finished making them some BBQ chicken with baked potatoes when it was time to leave. Thankfully, she had gotten dressed before her cooking adventure had begun. She was in a tight pair of dark wash jeans with a three-quarter sleeve, loose, light blue shirt. Her hair was tied back into a messy bun with a black ribbon tied into a bow around it. She put some silver studs in her ears and finished off the look with a light smattering of makeup. Her eyes had just a simple beige sheen while her lips were a very soft pink. She felt good about herself.
"You'll let me know if anything happens?" Now, this was about the tenth time that she had asked that question to Inuyasha within the last hour and he was, understandably, getting a little irritated by it.
"For the hundredth time, yes already!" He snapped slightly, rolling his eyes at her.
"Don't have to be rude about it…" She mumbled under her breath.
"What did you say?" She could almost feel the irritation rolling off of him.
She turned around and plastered a pseudo smile onto her face. "Nothing!" She said with a wink.
He growled, low and playful, and it made her blush. Images flashed through her mind of their past… When they would be nearing the edge of a fight and she would say something, much like she just had, before he would growl and chase her down, tickling her into submission. It had always ended in a pit of laughter for the both of them, whatever their mini disagreement had been about long forgotten.
Her fake smile fell and his playful growl ceased, as if they both had just remembered that this was not six years ago. Kagome was about to go out on a date, and not with him.
"Ok then, I'm off. Haruna!" Haruna looked up from her pile of work and smiled at her Mom. "I'll be back in a few hours. Keep your Daddy in line, will ya?"
"Hey!" Inuyasha whined.
"Of course, Mommy." Haruna giggled.
With one last lingering look Kagome left the apartment. Her nervousness settled into her stomach and she didn't think it would go away anytime soon. Her last date with Daichi had been interrupted so early on that she barely had a feeling for the guy. Still, from the multitude of texts they had exchanged since then a small part of her couldn't help but like him. He was nice. He was pretty much perfect.
But, he wasn't Inuyasha.
She shook that thought from her head, forcing herself to ignore the emotions she had swirling around her past and to only focus on the present. She was going on a date, a date with Daichi, not with Inuyasha. There was no use thinking about her confusing feelings for the half-demon when she had someone seemingly perfect waiting for her right now.
She had to take two short subway rides before she reached her destination. This time they were going to do something more low key. They were meeting up for dinner at a cafe near his bookstore and, if she wanted, he would show her his store afterward. When she finally reached the cafe she thought it was adorable. It was just a little hole in the wall place, but upon closer inspection it had twinkling lights hanging in the windows and small potted plants lined the wall outside. She stepped through the door and was greeted with a warm flow of air kissing her skin. The inside of the place was a bit rustic. Dark walls had black and white pictures dotting their surface, several tables for two were set up at strategic positions, and several more leafy potted plants were scattered about the room to give it a homey feel. As soon as she walked in the man by the window stood up from his table and strode over to her.
Daichi.
He was a few inches taller than herself. His black hair was adorably messed in that way that you knew he took time to make it look like that. He had bright green eyes that seemed to pierce her soul. It was almost as if he was all knowing, seeing right through her to the very heart of the matter. He had a warm smile that lit up the space around him and his body was extremely toned, which was shown off by the slightly tight black dress shirt that he wore.
"Kagome, I'm so glad to see you again. How's Haruna?"
Kagome's heart beat erratically at the silky smooth timber of his voice. "She is doing much better. It doesn't seem like her ears are healing at all, but at least she has really taken to sign language."
He nodded, his eyes looking lost in thought as he led her over to the table that he had previously been seated at. "That's really good, I know it can be really hard to adjust to a new reality like that."
Kagome sat down in her chair across from him and rose one eyebrow questioningly.
He laughed slightly, the sound deep and joyous. "I just mean that I saw my cousin go through it with her eyes. She had a bad accident when she was fifteen and lost nearly all of her eyesight. Now, all she can see is a mass of colors. She can't make out distinct shapes or writing. It was really hard on her. We're pretty close, so I saw what she went through. I even learned brail with her so that she wouldn't feel so alone."
"Oh, wow… That was so nice of you. I'm sorry for you cousin though."
Daichi brushed off the compliment, his smile warm and bright. "Don't worry about it, Etsuko is doing great now. You'd like her. You remind me a bit of her, actually."
Kagome blushed slightly, the pink rush blending into the blush she had painted onto her cheeks. To distract herself she glanced around the cafe again, only just now noticing the old koto music lightly playing in the background. "This place is really nice, I haven't heard the koto in a long time."
"Do you play?"
Kagome shook her head. "I always wanted to learn, I just never had the time. I was in the archery club in high school."
"Oh?" His eyebrows rose inquisitively. "I wouldn't have pictured you for an archery girl."
Kagome smirked. "Yep, I am. I use a traditional longbow. It was very useful in my Miko training." They had lightly skirted the topic of her being a Miko during their last date. Still, his face lit up with excitement at the mention of it.
"That still fascinates me. I'd love to learn more about it. Maybe you can do a demonstration for me one day?"
Kagome felt at a loss for words. Instead of speaking, she simply nodded her head. When she had gone out on those few dates, before Inuyasha had come back into her life, the men were never very interested in her spiritual powers. In fact, some looked downright scared of her, or horrified even, after they found out. Daichi… Well, he was a very welcomed contrast.
"Should we order?" He said, handing her a menu.
The rest of their evening went by so fluidly that Kagome hadn't even realized how late it was getting until they were the only two left in the cafe. They had talked about anything and everything. Most of their discussion had revolved around Haruna. Daichi had a whole list of books that he had compiled for Haruna to read. They ranged from picture books to easy readers. Plus, one graphic novel called "El Deafo" by Cece Bell that he claimed was utterly amazing. When the owner of the cafe turned off the soft music they took that as their cue to leave. Stepping back out into the night Kagome felt the prick of the wind on her skin. Winter was starting to arrive and it chilled the night air.
"So, um…" Daichi nervously ran his hand through his hair as his eyes flicked between her and the street in front of them. "Do you wanna see my bookstore quick? I know you have to get home soon to Haruna…"
He trailed off and the way he was acting so nervous made Kagome smile. He was such a good guy. So honest and caring… She could already tell that he was her imagined definition of perfect. Still, something felt off about being this close to him. Something in her heart was screaming for her to leave, to ignore him. But, she didn't listen. She shoved that part of herself aside.
She had to move on. Or, at least, that's what she kept telling herself.
She nodded and he smiled, reaching down to lightly take her hand. It was the first time he had done something like that and Kagome's mind temporarily went blank at the nice sensation that washed through her.
Still, it wasn't like the electrocuting fire that Inuyasha's touch caused.
They walked for about two blocks before they reached the outside of a small bookstore. There were two big windows and Kagome could see the massive piles of books that lay in wait through the door. He let go of her hand to slide a key into the lock before gently pushing the old wooden door open. A small jingle greeted her ears as the door swung wide for them to enter. As soon as she was inside the smell of old books greeted her nose and she couldn't help but smile.
"In the front I keep the new books. Anything popular, especially manga and study guides for the university entrance exams. In the back I keep the used books." He turned and winked at her mischievously. "That's the secret treasure trove." He grabbed her hand again and gently pulled her towards the back of the shop. She barely had time to take in the rows upon rows of carefully selected books that graced the front end of the shop. When they reached the back everything looked a bit more chaotic… Books were stacked in piles as well as haphazardly placed upon shelves. In the far right corner was a fireplace with a large leather couch beside it. "This is the reading area. When it starts to get cold I get a nice fire going. Lots of people like to sit back here and read. In summer time, I move the couch out of the way and we have a story hour for kids."
"Wow, this place is really nice Daichi."
He smiled proudly. "I'm really glad you like it." He glanced around the room, searching for something, until he reached out to a nearby shelf and grabbed a carefully wrapped book. "Here, this is "El Deafo" for Haruna."
Kagome pushed back the tears that wanted to prick her eyes. They had only just started dating, yet he cared about her family already.
Could he be even more perfect?
"Thank you…" She mumbled as she reached out and took the present.
"I hope we can do this again sometime." He said as he walked her to the door.
"Me too…" It was only after she said those words that she realized they were only a half-truth.
"Goodbye, Kagome." He pushed open the door for her, letting her out into the slowly darkening night. She smiled warmly up at him, relieved that he hadn't tried to kiss her. She wasn't ready for that yet.
"Goodbye, Daichi."
With those simple words they waved and she left. She took the two subway rides home and soon she was pushing open the door to her apartment. Relief washed over her as she realized that nothing bad had happened while she was gone. The apartment was quiet, everyone having already gone to sleep. Quietly, she strode into the living room only to be greeted by a half-naked half-demon sleeping soundly on her couch. His ears twitched slightly when she entered and she made sure to move even quieter on her way to the bedroom. She was nearly past him, her eyes still glued to his sleeping form, when he mumbled something in his sleep.
"…Gome…"
Her breath hitched in her throat. Was that supposed to be her name? Was he dreaming about her? Her heart ran away from her… It longed to jump into his arms and never leave again. Her chest swelled up with a mix of love and pain.
She couldn't continue like this. She simply couldn't. She was trying to move on. She had to move on. She couldn't just let Inuyasha back into her heart.
Plus, Daichi was perfect. He was exactly the kind of guy she wanted. Wasn't he?
Still, watching Inuyasha made her pulse quicken in an inexplicable way. With a shaky breath she reached a decision.
Inuyasha had to leave. He had to go home. It had been long enough. He needed to go back to his own apartment. They both had to start working again. Of course, he would be able to see Haruna. They would work something out with that… But, she couldn't have him here making her heart feel like this anymore.
It was time for him to go.
~Author's Note~
Hey, everyone! So, I need to let you know that I have family coming to visit for a week and a half. I currently live abroad so it is a very long journey for them. So, I'm not sure if I will be able to update while they are here. Still, I will try my best to at least get one new chapter out. I'm very sorry for the probable delay. However, as soon as they are gone I will go back to my normal updating schedule.
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!
I hope you like the chapter and I can't wait to read your responses.
~FeudalAi
