Day 3 of the 12 Days of Witchyness. For those of you who aren't aware, the 12 Days of Witchyness is when I post something (an updated chapter, a new story, a one-shot, etc.) every day for 12 days. It's murder, but it's rewarding murder :)
Dedicated to BlackLotus57: HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY DARLING! Sorry I couldn't post on the actual day but I hope you enjoy this chapter all the same.
I did not edit this because I am in a mad rush so please forgive my errors! I also still need to reply to all of your reviews on the last chapter so forgive that too. Just...generally forgive me.
That Flesh of Mine
Chapter Fourteen
Yeah I'd rather be a lover than a fighter 'cause all my life I've been fighting. Never felt a feeling of comfort; all this time I've been hiding. And I never had someone to call my own, oh nah, I'm so used to sharing. Love only left me alone but I'm at one with the silence.
(Silence, Marshmello ft. Khalid)
He tried to ignore it.
At first, there was nothing. Inuyasha sat in the kitchen, distracting himself by making tea. It was useless, of course – he hated tea – but it was the only thing his hands would do automatically that wasn't digging his claws into the flesh of his palms. He didn't like the old woman, hated that she was even in their home. All Inuyasha could think about was what she had said last time they spoke, how Kagome would inevitably give up her soul to him.
Growling, Inuyasha glared into the mug of hot water, discoloured from the tea. He didn't want to believe it before but the more time he spent with the black-haired girl, the more he knew. Deep down, he couldn't lie to himself.
And that was when the first trickle of unease slithered into the room, taking up his senses. It caused every muscle in his body to tense up. He had to close his eyes and breathe through his mouth. Unease could mean anything, and despite the fact that he hated Kaede, she wouldn't hurt Kagome. She was fine. Everything was fine.
In a moment of weakness, he took a sip of the tea and let the boiling water burn his tongue. "Damn it," he muttered, wincing. The taste sure as hell wasn't worth it. "How do people—"
Fear. Cloying, sickening, desperate fear. Like a tidal wave crashing the scent smashed into him, white noise not unlike the sound of rushing water clogging his ears. The potency was enough to make him stumble, his grip loosening on the mug until it was tipping, falling, falling—
Kagome was screaming.
There was the— Hallway.
Then— How— Entryway.
Kagome— Stairs.
Inuyasha was suddenly in the basement, dropping to his knees in front of her. It took only a second to see, but so much longer to process. Kagome was shrieking, fear oozing out of her pores, with her hands clutching the dark tendrils of her hair desperately. Her eyes were shut, lips bloodless, body curling in on itself like she could block the pain if only she was smaller.
Behind him, the old woman kept repeating Kagome's name.
"What the fuck happened?" Inuyasha snapped, twisting to growl at her.
Kaede, for her part, did not cower. The woman shook her head once sharply, pale as a ghost. "We were seeking the Jewel but her mind has wandered elsewhere. She isn't responding to me."
"What do we do?" he pressed, hand about to touch her before aborting, clenching into a fist.
"She needs a tether to come back and I am not a strong enough connection."
Useless. Inuyasha growled deeply, crouching closer to the shrieking woman. "Kagome," he tried, and even the half-demon could hear the desperation in his voice. "Kagome!"
Nothing but screaming sobs, her throat cracking. Upstairs, Inuyasha heard Sango's and Miroku's footsteps skidding around the corner. There was only a second of silence as Kagome choked, breathless, and then a plea: "Help me."
Unable to stop himself, Inuyasha grabbed her wrists and tugged, pulling Kagome tightly against him. The new shriek was pressed into his sweater and the half-demon did the only thing he could do. "Kagome, listen to me, Kagome!" One of his hands touched her cheek, burning hot skin a harsh contrast against his cool hands. He tilted her back, shocked to see those brown eyes staring at him but not seeing.
"Come back," Inuyasha snapped, and there. Focus, a split second of those chocolate orbs on his. "Kagome! Come back right now."
Miroku was talking about calling an ambulance in the background. Sango hovered over his shoulder, but the half-demon couldn't care less. All of his attention was on the woman in his arms, who was panting like she'd run miles at full tint, no longer screaming. A sob escaped her and Inuyasha swore.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered.
"Come back," he growled out, shaking her a little. His whole body felt like it was on a wire, tense and ready to fall. He stared at Kagome, watched as she blinked through the tears. Mere seconds felt like an eternity but slowly her gaze lost the haze of pain, of elsewhere. She blinked up at him, though they were slow and lethargic. Her tense body sank into him, as if a switch had been flipped and everything had drained out of her. Inuyasha held her tighter, pulled her that inch closer and Kagome sighed.
"Back," she whispered, but it was nothing more than a slur. Within a second, the black-haired girl was passed out in his arms.
"Do I need to call an ambulance?" Miroku yelled, sounding for all the world like he had asked the question a hundred times. Maybe he had. Inuyasha didn't know.
"They would do nothing," Kaede stated quietly, from somewhere behind him. "This was an attack on her mind."
An attack.
"Inuyasha?" Sango's voice was tentative and it was only then that he realized he was growling still, low and furious. He was shaking with it.
"She needs a bed," he bit out, adjusting his arms so that he could lift her. She weighed nothing to him, even dead to the world like she was. And that thought— Hell, what a choice of words. Inuyasha shut his eyes so hard he saw black dots when he reopened them. He brushed by Sango and leapt up the stairs. It wasn't even a conscious decision, not really. Sango was calling out behind him, Miroku rushing up the stairs to follow. It didn't matter.
Inuyasha was putting Kagome down on his bed before he could think to do otherwise. She looked unnervingly young, passed out with her hair a mess. Pale. But Inuyasha could hear her heartbeat, steady and strong now unlike the rampaging stutters of earlier.
"Inuyasha, what the hell happened?" Miroku asked, stepping into his room. Inuyasha didn't flinch, but it was a near thing.
"Ask the witch downstairs," Inuyasha spat, vicious and reveling in it. His hands flexed and never before had he wanted to hurt something so badly.
"That's what Sango is doing. I wanted to ask you though."
"I don't fucking know, Miroku," Inuyasha exclaimed, spinning around. "One second everything is fine and the next I hear her heartbeat and the stench of her fear and—" Cutting himself off was the only option. Anything he was planning on saying would be too much, too raw. Too honest. And Miroku knew more than anyone else, but he didn't want to let his best friend know about this. Not yet.
One more look at Kagome and those damned words flitted through his mind. She dies for you, Inuyasha.
"When I get back, make sure that witch is long gone or I'm going to rip her throat out," Inuyasha promised darkly, pushing his way past Miroku and into the hall.
Miroku staggered back, confused. "Where are you going?"
But Inuyasha didn't answer. He was afraid of what would come out of his mouth if he did.
The burnt-out shell looked worse than it ever had before.
Inuyasha collapsed into the cold ground, purposefully ignoring the shiver that threatened to spread across his body. He hadn't grabbed a better coat and it was cold outside, but the half-demon didn't care. Right now, he wanted to be numb.
He was anything but.
A large part of him wanted to scream. Another wanted to claw at the trees and rip them from the ground. He wanted destruction, a physical manifestation of the swirling horror that was inside of him.
Something had attacked Kagome's mind and there hadn't been a single thing he could do about it.
Fitting, that he came here. Inuyasha stared dully at the shell, at the gaping holes in what was once a place of comfort. The very first time he had failed to protect one of the most important people in his life— No.
The most important, at the time.
Now… Now he had so much more to lose.
He couldn't stand to look at it anymore. Inuyasha scowled and pushed down the bile that tried to claw up his throat. He forced away the images of the pink mailbox and beautiful gardens. He looked up to the sky and did a fool's errand. He wished.
It took a long time, but eventually the cold became too much. Inuyasha forced himself up and ran back to the house. He only paused for a moment before going inside, ensuring that the old woman wasn't there so that there wouldn't be actual bloodshed. There was no car in the driveway though and as Inuyasha opened the garage door, he didn't hear any unfamiliar voices.
Sango, Miroku and Mushin all sat in the living room, watching a television show with the volume turned down. They watched him warily as he entered but Sango was the first to speak, to break the uneasy silence. "She's gone."
Inuyasha grunted. He had figured that much out himself.
"She will be back though, just not today. She wants to make sure Kagome is okay," Sango said gently.
He left the living room and headed into the kitchen. He saw that his broken mug had been swept up, the contents likely in the bin. For some reason, it made him angry and Inuyasha had to dig his claws into his palms to stop himself from snapping at nothing.
The sound of Sango and Miroku following him didn't help any.
"Inuyasha, there was nothing Kaede could have done," Miroku started, his voice at least firm. It wasn't the softer tone Sango had tried on, that grated on him worse than anything else. "It had been a simple meditation. Kagome shouldn't have been in danger."
"Then what happened?" he asked, gritting his teeth.
"What—?"
"What happened?" Inuyasha demanded, whirling on them. "If she shouldn't have been in danger, then why was she screaming like her insides were being ripped out of her body?"
"Kaede doesn't know," Sango replied. "And until Kagome wakes up, we won't know."
"She thought…" Miroku winced, but Inuyasha glared at his friend, daring him to stop and keep whatever details he had away from him. "They had been opening Kagome's mind to the Jewel. Kaede said she'd been struggling, at first, but then she thought it had been working. For a bit, anyways… If Kagome had been reaching out with her powers, Kaede thinks something could have noticed it."
The thought made Inuyasha's blood go cold. "Someone," he corrected. He didn't want to jump to any sort of conclusions but he would have been an idiot if he hadn't. All of the demons flooding in to Sakura, and all of them trying to track down Kagome. A leader amongst them, wrangling them all.
Could it have been?
Sango opened her mouth to say something, but a gasping breath in the other room had Inuyasha spinning, head focused in the direction of the bedrooms like he could see through the walls. Mushin was in the living room, which meant Kagome was awake.
He said something, but Inuyasha was honestly unsure as to what. He stormed towards his bedroom, his friends close behind. He could smell their fear and it only added to what he was trying to ignore himself. But it all went mysteriously quiet the moment he stepped into his bedroom, spotting Kagome sitting on his bed. She looked a bit dazed, hands clutched into the duvet like she was trying to ground herself.
"You're awake!" Sango greeted, squeezing by Inuyasha's frozen body to get on his bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," Kagome answered, the honesty clear in the raggedness of her voice. "What… What happened?"
"We were hoping you could tell us," Miroku said, blue eyes worried. "Do you remember anything?"
For a moment, Kagome did nothing but grimace. She pushed aside her bangs, rubbing her face like the skin didn't fit over her bones. "I remember trying to meditate. We were trying to feel for the Jewel of Four Souls. I couldn't find it."
Sango rubbed at her arm and Inuyasha watched the motion, a slow up and down that had him itching to move. But Inuyasha stayed silent because the words that were threatening to spill out were all wrong. "And then?" she prompted.
The black-haired girl winced again and shrugged. "I don't know." She sighed, and continued. "What time is it?"
"Almost four." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. It only got worse. "You should go home before your mom worries."
Blinking, like she had to remember why her mother would worry, Kagome's expression faltered. Slowly she pulled away from Sango, though she spared the girl a smile. "Yeah, I probably should. I need to help with dinner anyways. Last time Sota forgot, Mom lost it on him."
Miroku spared her another worried look, but it was almost worse when Mushin checked in on them. Inuyasha had to twist his body around to escape further down the hallway, away from the questions and the confusion. He shoved on his runners and grabbed a second, looser sweater to throw on over his other one. It felt like he hadn't regained warmth since that last outing.
Kagome clutched onto him as she always did, arms encircling his neck as she buried her face in his hair. Inuyasha held on tight and bit his lip to stave off whatever he wanted to say. Having her so close… The half-demon frowned and took off into the forest, grateful for the rush of air that was drowning out her scent.
They didn't talk but Inuyasha took her all the way to the door anyways, staying close to the wall and avoiding any windows. He crouched down, just enough for Kagome to slowly slide off of him. She tugged her jacket closer to her body, a flush on her cheeks but dark gaze averted. The half-demon had seen her in a lot of situations, but this was unchartered territory. Even when Kagome had been nearly killed by the thunder demons, she hadn't been like this. That had been all strong feelings and crying and adrenaline crashes. This was… Wrong.
"Are you…" He bit off the rest of his words. Obviously she wasn't okay. What a stupid question.
But Kagome didn't shoot him a condescending look. She was too kind for that. Instead, she huddled deeper into her coat and shrugged. "I think I just need a nap."
She had kind of already had one, but Inuyasha didn't want to mention it. She seemed a hairbreadth away from crumbling.
"If you need me—"
"I'm going to just—"
Both of them stopped and Inuyasha swallowed down a growl. This was impossible. "You go," he muttered, crossing his arms.
Shaking her head, Kagome grimaced. "No, you. 'If I need…'?"
Of course she had heard him. Fine. Inuyasha steeled himself, and tugged his arms closer. "I was just going to say to text me, if you needed me." It sounded stupid because what the hell could he even help with? Another mental attack he knew nothing about?
A tiny smile appeared on her face though, the presence of it soothing the riled edges on him without his consent. Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I will. And— I remembered some of what happened, on the way here." She shrugged. "Thank you for pulling me back."
He wanted to ask where he was pulling her back from. What had taken her so far away. What had caused her to scream. But none of it seemed relevant, if only because the black-haired girl seemed so broken already. "It was nothing," he said, and then rolled his eyes when all she did was glare at him. "Fine, you would have done it for me. You… You have done it for me."
There. An admission he hadn't wanted to make. There were those too raw sentences again, the thoughts that wouldn't stay down no matter how hard he tried to bury them.
Yet, he couldn't get angry at himself because one second Kagome was staring at him and the next, she was stepping into his space and throwing her arms around his middle. He could feel the heat of her breath against his chest, even through the sweaters. The hug was tight, a squeezing pressure that shocked him. Inuyasha had to steady himself for a second to process, and then, when it appeared she wasn't going anywhere, he slowly wrapped his arms around her. She squeezed again, tighter, and Inuyasha remembered the horrible way her body had gone limp in his arms only two hours ago. It made bile threaten to rise up his throat so Inuyasha ducked his head down, nose pressing against the long black strands of her hair. The cold breeze meant nothing anymore, did nothing to eradicate the scent that was all her.
Inuyasha took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He was fucked.
It was with that thought that he slowly unravelled his arms, Kagome stepping away from him. She swallowed hard, looked him in the eye, and then shrugged awkwardly. Inuyasha felt the overwhelming desire to haul her back in and keep her.
"I'll text you," she said then, quiet.
Inuyasha only nodded, not trusting himself to speak. When she disappeared inside of the house, the half-demon counted to ten before taking off. He didn't head straight home, despite the fact that without Kagome pressed along either his front or back, he was cold.
No, he ran the perimeter and shoved every thought and fear deeper and deeper down.
Something was coming, he knew. Inuyasha just had to be strong enough to protect his family. Mushin, Sango, Miroku…
And Kagome.
Obviously, Kagome.
That night, curled in his bed, Inuyasha buried his face in his pillow.
The scent of Kagome was everywhere, but there… Stronger. He hated himself for how much it soothed him.
When he finally did fall asleep, it was dreamless.
He wasn't surprised when Kagome texted him the next morning, asking for a rain check on their run. He wasn't even surprised when the school day passed and Miroku and Sango were chatting aimlessly about their classes, about everything but what had happened on Sunday. He knew them both; if they had found anything out, they would have told him. Instead, Miroku joked about something that happened in his math class, and the truck ride home was simple until he added the name Koharu. Then Sango went silent and Inuyasha tried very hard not to bang his head against the steering wheel.
He was a tiny bit surprised, however, when he received no such text on Tuesday morning, which meant that they were still to meet. Standing by the same tree he always did, the half-demon waited, ears twitching at the sound of the kitchen door opening.
When Kagome did appear, she looked far better than the last time he had seen her. There was colour in her face and her gaze was straight head. She wasn't looking at him, but then again, she never was when she first arrived.
Her light jog continued as she drew closer and then like always, she passed him, giving Inuyasha only seconds to catch up. For a long, long time, there was nothing but the sound of their footsteps, the huff of their breaths. The half-demon let her set the pace but surprisingly it wasn't all that easy, still the grueling beat he'd forced on her last week.
So, back to normal then. Easy. Inuyasha could do that.
Even with the forest before him, it all fell away. The path was too familiar, the rhythm too simple. All he saw before him where dark brown eyes and a pale, terrified face. That split second of focus, when the haze parted as he begged her, come back.
Well. Maybe not so easy after all.
This wasn't like him. Inuyasha scowled to himself, even as he kept up the pace. Yet he couldn't help it. Making a split-second decision, the half-demon stopped dead on the trail and let out a growl.
Stupid, stupid.
It was only a moment before Kagome caught on, slowing herself until she stood a few feet away from him, head down. Like she knew this was coming and wanted a moment to wait.
He'd give her that, at least.
"I was going to say something at the end, you know," Kagome said eventually, tone just on the wrong side of joking.
It left him off-balance. "We can keep running."
"No." She shook her head and stalked back towards him, hands on her hips. "No, I was being scared for no reason. This is probably a longer conversation, considering…"
"Considering what?"
Kagome winced. "How much you seem to hate Kaede?"
He couldn't have stopped the frown even if he wanted to. "What did she do?"
Laughing, Kagome actually tilted her head back with it, arms wrapping around her stomach like she was trying to keep herself together. It was a wild thing and despite the anxiety that was lodged in his stomach, Inuyasha's lips curled upwards. He was worse off than he thought.
"She didn't do anything," Kagome finally stated. "But I do remember what happened. It wasn't her fault."
"Like hell—"
"Inuyasha," Kagome pleaded, eyes big and staring at him earnestly. "I— I remember what happened, okay? We were supposed to be seeking the Jewel. I was supposed to be calling to it, like for like. But I wasn't getting it, I couldn't feel anything. And then… And then I felt a lot of things."
"The attack."
"No. At least, not right away."
Inuyasha was confused. "Then what the hell did you feel?"
"Demons."
For a long moment, they were silent. Only the trees made noise, their dancing branches creaking in the wind. Inuyasha tried to process what she'd said. "You felt demons?"
"Demonic energy, or auras, according to Kaede. I called her last night, once I was sure I remembered it all properly," Kagome confirmed, nodding. "I went out seeking things in my mind and my powers – unable to find the Jewel – sought out other signatures that it could recognize. I felt you, in the kitchen. Other demons, in Sakura, but it was… Weird. I could feel them, their intentions almost." Laughing again, she shook her head. "It sounds crazy."
"No shit," Inuyasha replied, though the words were faint. "You have demonic radar?"
"If I hone it properly and learn to protect myself, yeah." Kagome shrugged. "We're going to talk on the phone for the next few nights, to help me work on my shielding."
But she still hadn't said what really happened. "How were you attacked then? How could a demon have done that?"
"Kaede thinks that when I went out seeking, I did so recklessly." Kagome shrugged. "Kind of like knocking on the door of every demonic house I passed. One of the demons apparently had the ability to knock back. A strong demon."
The one hiding in the shadows, organizing this all. Inuyasha scowled. "Is she sure?"
"Hard to say unless I do it again, and she doesn't want me to until my shields are strong." Kagome sighed. "But it's…weird."
Though it wasn't the first time Kagome had ever hesitated before speaking, it was the first time the inflection had held so much weight. Inuyasha frowned, instinctively taking a step closer. There was a look in her eyes that he couldn't decipher but her scent, faint on the breeze as it was, screamed of turmoil. "What?" he asked flatly.
"It's fine, I'm fine." Kagome waved a hand at him, as if the motion would somehow distract him. "I'm just being weird."
"You keep saying 'weird,'" Inuyasha pointed out. "What the hell, Kagome?"
At her name, the black-haired beauty twitched. A tiny smile flitted on her face before she grew serious again. "It sounds crazy, okay? And I don't want you to freak out." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, hard enough that Kagome continued with a groan. "I just… Whatever I did? With Kaede? Reaching out like that felt good. Like I had found something I'd been lacking all this time. Even with what happened I want to try again."
"No." Immediate, and just as instinctual as the additional step forward. He had to look down to meet her eyes. "Are you stupid?"
"I'm not going to," Kagome snapped back, more defensive than angry. "But it doesn't mean I don't want to, and that's why it's weird."
Inuyasha clenched his hands, thinking about it. While every nerve in his body was screaming to shake her, to make her swear she would never— What did Inuyasha know? In fact, the pinprick of pain from his claws digging into the flesh of his palms was a startling reminder. Were Kagome's powers anything like his own?
Inuyasha was uncomfortably aware of what day it was, the ticking clock that kept looming closer and closer. He hated being human. He hated the loss of control, the impairment on all of his senses, the raw emotion that feel like a hurricane inside of him. The new moon wreaked havoc on him. He always needed a solid day afterwards simply to feel better.
With Kagome only now experiencing what she could do with her powers…
"Inuyasha?" Her name on his lips shook him from his stupor. Inuyasha scowled but said nothing, turning away to look beyond the trees, towards the girl's house.
"Did you want me to drop you off?" he asked only, still not looking at her.
"What, no threats? No name calling?"
"Would it make you feel better?"
Kagome smiled at him, fleeting. "It might."
"Dumbest thing I've heard all morning," he replied easily, crouching down so she could climb on his back.
He couldn't stop thinking about what Kagome had said.
It nagged at his mind while he made scrambled eggs. He didn't like it; didn't like the way she had seemed to brush it off as nothing. What the hell had the old woman done? First, it was the damn premonition of hers and now…
Inuyasha just didn't like it. It was one thing to deal with the dead body on their porch, clearly someone on the outside targeting him. It was another when the problems were within their own group. He couldn't protect them if they were fighting on both ends.
But what the hell was he going to do about it?
Miroku interrupted the dark turn of his thoughts with a careless yawn as he shuffled through the doorway, sweatpants hanging off of his frame. His hair was loose and in his face, covering his friend's expression as he sat down at the table.
"How was your run?"
Inuyasha tried not to roll his eyes. Ever since Miroku and Sango had found out about the purpose of his morning runs, they relentless asked about them. Unnecessarily. A part of him wished they still didn't know. "Fine. Quiet." A lie, but he really didn't want to get into it again. It was bad enough he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since they'd spoken. "Where's Sango?"
"Bathroom still, I think." Miroku eyed the plate of eggs that Inuyasha scraped onto his plate. He took the offering gratefully, digging in the second the dish touched the table.
Trying not to roll his eyes again, he set out Sango's and then sat down with his own. Without his consent, his eyes trailed over to the seat that Kagome usually sat down in when she was over, and it made him think yet again about what she said. About the desire to feel that kind of power.
He got it. He really did. Maybe now more than ever, considering just how soon the new moon was returning.
"Morning," Sango greeted as she came in, hair still damp as she sat down. "How was your run?"
Inuyasha groaned.
"Fine, apparently," Miroku answered, mumbling around his mouthful. "He's not really descriptive."
"I don't honestly know what more I could say," Inuyasha groused, glaring at his plate of eggs. "We run. It's quiet. The forest is the same. It's cold as hell out."
"And yet you still run," Sango pointed out.
"I do that anyways," Inuyasha countered, not rising to the bait. "Now stop talking and eat before your food gets cold."
Snorting, Sango raised a brow at him but did what she was told. For a few minutes, there was nothing more than a blissful silence in the kitchen. Even Mushin, sitting in the living room with his tea, was almost delicately switching the pages of the newspaper, rather than the normal aggressive folding it to his will.
And then – because of course it couldn't last – Sango spoke. "Oh, and I'll be out on Thursday so we can't do our usual movie marathon. Sorry."
Inuyasha's brow furrowed, trying to place the date. Thursday was… Something. He glanced over at Miroku, who's expression was confused but more in an incredulous way. Not confused, but surprised.
Oh.
"Right, the dance," Inuyasha stated, nodding. Normally Sango and Miroku didn't go, although every once and a while Miroku would cave to hang out with some classmates. But never Sango. This was unprecedented. "What are you doing?"
Sango smirked a little. "You just said it. I'm going to the dance."
"The dance." Miroku blinked at her, blue eyes wide. "You're going?"
"Yup." Sango shovelled a bunch of eggs in her mouth, not looking at either of them.
"You," Miroku pressed.
"Not sure what part of 'yes' you failed to understand."
Inuyasha could literally feel the tension creep back into the room and he tried not to groan. The two of them could be the worst sometimes. "Do you need a ride home?" he asked, trying to distract what was Miroku's clear confusion.
Sango hummed and shrugged. "Maybe, I'll let you know. Yuka invited us to stay over at her house since it'll be late."
"Yu—"
"Just let me know," Inuyasha said, a little harder than necessary as he shot a disbelieving look towards his other friend. It was like he knew how pissed off he could make Sango. It seemed more and more lately that he just didn't get what was going on with them.
Sango shrugged again, but her magenta eyes only glimpsed at Miroku before returning to her food.
Tomorrow was going to suck.
It did suck.
It was worse than Inuyasha had thought it was going to be. Maybe it had been better when they weren't speaking at all.
"I don't know why you're so astounded by this!" Sango yelled, angrily shoving clothes into a bag. Miroku was sitting on her bed, eyeing her while Inuyasha watched from the doorway. Someone had to keep an eye on them. Mushin just grumbled whenever the two of them were together anymore. "I do have friends outside of you and Inuyasha."
"I'm not saying—"
"But you are."
Miroku rolled his eyes. "You just don't like going to dances. That's why you've never gone before."
Zipping up her bag, she threw it over her shoulder and grabbed what could only be her dress, hidden under a layer of fabric. "I can change my mind."
"But—"
"I don't get why this is a big deal," Sango said, and the creeping edge of a whine was almost noticeable in her voice. "You're going with what's-her-name!"
Inuyasha gave up then; they weren't going to actually fight, just bitch at each other. Well, if that was all it was going to be then he was out.
Of course, with his hearing, he was never really out.
"You know it's Koharu," Miroku pointed out. "And we're only going as friends."
"That's great." It didn't sound great. "You can have fun. I can have fun. It's all fun. Look, Kagome's mom is going to be here any second so I'll see you later, okay?"
Inuyasha dived onto his bed face first. His bedroom door was open a crack, and silent he listened while Sango stormed out of the house. He counted to twenty-three before he heard the tell-tale signs of Miroku moving, footsteps unerringly seeking out him.
He tried not to sigh.
"You think it's weird too, don't you?" his friend greeted with, flopping down on the bed beside him. An arm actually hit his back, but Inuyasha only growled a bit in return, irritated that this was happening at all. "Sango never goes to dances."
"She's going to this one," Inuyasha replied. "Why are you so weird about it?"
Huffing, Miroku stayed silent. It was for long enough that Inuyasha wondered if he'd be able to avoid this conversation after all. A part of him knew that he shouldn't; the last time he stayed out of it shit hit the fan so hard they almost didn't recover. But right now, considering what day it fucking was, Inuyasha didn't have the patience.
"I don't get it," Miroku sighed finally. "I literally don't understand. She knows…"
Inuyasha sighed and rolled over, staring directly at his friend's scrunched face. This was almost a familiar conversation – had about once every two years – so he knew the steps. The half-demon poked him. "It's been a long time," he said eventually. "And you do mention Koharu a hell of a lot."
"She's a friend."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, disdain clear. "You're lying."
"Well, she's just a friend to me."
"Which means she likes you and you're fine with that because it's pissing Sango off."
Miroku shrugged. "She knows."
"Maybe she doesn't."
Blue eyes glared at him. "I've told her tons of times, Inuyasha. Do you know how shitty it feels to tell someone you love them and they don't feel the same? I'm not doing that again. The ball is in her court."
Inuyasha groaned and rolled onto his back, glaring at the ceiling. "You're both the worst."
Miroku actually snorted at that. "And you're chattier than normal."
"Leave me alone."
It took a few seconds, but then Miroku sat up, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Wait, is it? I totally lost count after…everything."
Grunting, Inuyasha continued to glare at the ceiling. He didn't want to talk about it.
"Well that answers that." Miroku laughed and patted him on the stomach. "At least you'll have a quiet night to yourself. I'm meeting with some friends in an hour."
"Great."
"Now you talk."
Inuyasha glared at his friend. "You are the worst."
His skin practically itched. Relentless, toying, making Inuyasha want to claw at his flesh until he couldn't any more. Sango and Miroku had never really understood why he wanted to be left alone on the day before the new moon, and that was fine. Inuyasha had never really explained it because he didn't think he could if he tried.
It was just…wrong. It felt wrong. His body felt slow and weak, his senses dimming. Asato had told him, years ago as a child, that it wasn't true. A half-demon's transformation – from the legends Sango's father could find – only depicted an actual change the moment their time came. But Inuyasha knew his body, and this wasn't it.
He hated it.
Being alone wasn't helping. Miroku had disappeared with only a muted smile, clearly still stuck on Sango going to the dance. Mushin was as silent as ever, puttering around the kitchen for yet another mug of tea.
Usually, he would run. As far and as fast as his legs could take him, Inuyasha would disappear into the forest until the threat of night forced him to travel home. The thought was there, lingering. He could vanish easily, lose himself in the trees and the cold wind until he couldn't any more.
But then, like a flash, he remembered the burnt-out shell of a home he had sat at only days ago. How alone he had been, cold and angry.
Growling, Inuyasha zipped up his sweater and headed outside. Just because Miroku and Sango were gone, did not mean he was alone.
The run was familiar, a new extension of a route he'd been running for years. The motel was ugly and a bit rundown, though a few cars sat in the parking lot. When he stepped out from the treeline, he beelined for the room on the very edge, closest to the forest.
Natsuko opened the door only a few seconds after he started knocking. She did not look well-rested. "Inuyasha," she breathed, eyes raking over him from top to bottom. For a moment, she looked confused. "I would have thought you'd be the same."
Inuyasha frowned, trying to parse that out while also realizing the mother wasn't letting him see into the motel room, blocking his entrance. "What's going on?" he asked, taking a subtle sniff. He only smelled what would be expected. No danger. No fear.
"Jinenji isn't at his best right now," Natsuko said quietly, gaze imploring. Finally – finally – Inuyasha understood, and he was horrified at how long it had taken.
Then again, Inuyasha had never known another half-demon before.
Apparently they weren't on the same schedule.
"Oh," Inuyasha bit out, taken aback when Natsuko slowly opened the door and stepped aside, allowing him entrance. The room was tiny: a single queen bed, a worn dresser and a small adjacent room that led to the bathroom. None of that really drew his attention, however; he'd seen it before when making sure the pair were settled.
But the lone figure curled up tight on the bed, lanky and small, did.
This was Jinenji. Human.
"Jinenji?" Natsuko said calmly, heading towards the bed and sitting on its edge. "Inuyasha is here to see you."
There wasn't a response, but Inuyasha didn't expect one. He knew this. He understood this. This was, in many ways, his childhood after— Well, after. And before Sango, truly, had barrelled into his life and drew him out of the hiding place her parents had given him. This was how he had spent his nights, terrified to fall asleep and unwilling to unravel from the corner, protected on all sides except for his front. He would not shut his eyes. He would not let down his guard, even if the humans upstairs hadn't seemed in any way cruel.
So wrapped up in his memories, Inuyasha was actually surprised when Natsuko was suddenly at his side again, gesturing with her head to go outside. He eyed the fragile human tucked on the bed for a moment longer before following her. He hadn't known.
"This isn't the best time," Natsuko said, echoing her earlier words.
"Why… Why don't you go out? He's human." Inuyasha didn't know why he was even saying the words. The moment they were out, he wanted to snatch them back in. How many times had he wanted nothing more than to stay in the safety of his home on the night of the new moon? It had always been Sango and Miroku dragging him out, so happy to do something in public with him. He had never wanted to. Why would Jinenji be any different?
Natsuko sighed anyways, eyes fixed on the closed door. "He's scared," she answered simply. "And I've never been strong enough to make him. Not with how hard the rest of his life is."
It was only then that a thought came into his mind, blaring like an oncoming train. The pieces fit together seamlessly, enough so that Inuyasha nodded and took a step back, towards the forest. "I'll be back," he stated simply. "Soon. Tell him I'm coming back."
The woman was clearly confused, but Inuyasha didn't have that much time. The daylight was dwindling; the seconds were bleeding away with each step that he took, the trees blurring by him as he returned to home. The half-demon didn't waste any time. Once there, he put on his baseball cap, slid on some shoes and took the keys to the pickup truck. One foot out of the door, he hesitated before going into his room and getting another outfit – a baggy sweater and oversized sweat pants. Another pair of shoes.
Then he left.
He didn't question himself as he drove. He didn't really think at all. Inuyasha only had one thing playing in his mind: the first time Sango and Miroku had ever gone out with him on the new moon. Inuyasha had been so terrified, he didn't even look outside the car window as Sango's mother drove them to a movie theatre. He can't even remember what had played; his eyes had been racing around the room, the sound system destroying what precious left he had of his hearing. His vision had been lesser. There were so many people. But afterwards, they had gone to McDonald's and gotten milkshakes. Sango complained about how her vanilla shake tasted like strawberry and Miroku had stolen her to taste test. It had only devolved from there, giggles and slaps and gasps of indignation. But an hour later, Inuyasha had realized with a start that he'd been fine. Nothing had happened.
He had had fun.
It never took away the fear, every single month when the night returned. But Inuyasha always pushed through and never regretted it.
Parking the car in the motel's lot, he tucked the bundle of clothes into the crook of his arm and knocked on the door.
Natsuko frowned when she saw him. "Inuyasha, what—?"
"We're going out," Inuyasha said firmly, pushing his way inside. He didn't stop until he was at Jinenji's bedside, able to see a tuft of black hair peeking from the duvet. "Come on, it's tradition."
"Tradition?" Natsuko rounded on him, looking torn between impressed and unhappy at his bluntness. "What are you talking about?"
Inuyasha spared her only a glance. His focus what meant for the other half-demon, the one currently bunkered down in human form. "I do the whole human thing at night, with the new moon. And every month, I go out with my friends. But they're at some school thing and now I have no one to get milkshakes with. I always get a milkshake; it's tradition. So Jinenji is going to come with me."
It took a long, long moment before slowly the duvet lowered. It didn't lower much – just enough to see two large, dark blue eyes staring at him in confusion. Inuyasha had a brief moment of wondering just what the hell he was doing. Jinenji's human form looked very, very little like his half-demon self. This was practically a stranger gazing at him.
"No," Jinenji said, slowly, the deep baritone of his voice startling. He, too, seemed almost shocked by it. Didn't he talk or do anything at all when he was human?
Inuyasha scowled and tossed his clothes onto the bed. Whatever the answer was to that question, he didn't care. "Not up for debate. We're getting milkshakes. Hurry up." With that, he marched across the room and stood at the door, waiting.
Another long, long moment passed. Inuyasha was about to roll his eyes and snap again when he heard the rustle of the bed cover and the dip of the mattress. He checked, seeing Jinenji slowly rising from the bed in shorts and a t-shirt. It was a good thing Inuyasha had come prepared.
"Thank you," Natsuko whispered.
Inuyasha was horrified to see what looked like tears in her eyes. The half-demon quickly averted his eyes, staring at the old door instead. This was far beyond his depth.
"How…" At the first word, Inuyasha spun back around to see Jinenji had dressed in his clothes. The sweater was baggy around his lanky frame, but fit his broad shoulders and long arms well. The sweatpants were a bit short, but there was nothing that could be done about it. At least they were winter wearable clothes; the car was still relatively warm and they'd be fine in it. "How are we getting there?" Jinenji finally finished, looking awkward.
"I drove," Inuyasha answered. He dangled the keys a little. "Come on, we only have a couple hours left and we have to go all the way to Wells."
"Oh." Jinenji seemed to process that but he didn't say anything more. He simply followed Inuyasha out, waving to his mother after she kissed his cheek.
Everything was fine until they were on the road. Inuyasha looked over and realized, with a start, that Jinenji was looking at everything. Outside the window, inside the car – the glove compartment, the seat, the controls on the console. It hit him then, like a ton of bricks, that Jinenji had probably never been in a truck before.
Clenching his hands on the steering wheel, Inuyasha stopped himself from saying the first few things that entered his head. The mindfulness was something Miroku would have fainted over but this was—
This was different.
Inuyasha stole another glance at the guy beside him. Jinenji as a human was just as striking as he was as a half-demon, just in a different way. His skin was tanned, eyes still blue but a darker shade. His black hair was an unruly mop on his head, and it probably should have been tied back because it kept falling into his face. His features were prominent: a sharp jaw, high cheekbones and roman nose. But despite it all, he looked awkward and unsure, like his limbs were alien to him. The transformation was so much more for Jinenji than Inuyasha; his body didn't change though his senses and strength dimmed significantly.
No wonder Jinenji never moved.
"What do you think?" he asked eventually, turning his golden eyes back to the road.
Jinenji seemed surprised he was even being talked to, if the hesitation said anything. Slowly, he stumbled out, "About what?"
"I don't know, being in a truck?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his own words. "Have you ever gone out as a human before?"
Jinenji huffed a little, his long arms crossing defensively in front of him. "No. I never— I never wanted to."
"I never wanted to either but Sango and Miroku made me."
The human twisted in the seat, the better to watch him. "Not Kagome?"
Inuyasha didn't miss the way Jinenji said her name, like it was something to be cherished. It made his gut churn but he shoved it down, forced it away. "No. I've only known her for a few months, but I grew up with Sango and Miroku."
"Are they…family?"
Shaking his head, Inuyasha braked a red light and eyed the guy beside him. "No. When my mom died, Sango's parents took me in. They're slayers but I was only nine. I guess they recognized that I couldn't hurt anything all that badly. Asato – Sango's dad – kind of seemed to take in strays. Miroku joined the family a bit later."
"They don't seem so bad, for slayers," Jinenji said, his deep baritone sounding tentative. It was almost like he was afraid to speak.
"They're…" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "They're good people. They screw up a lot and recently it's been harder than usual. But they trust me and I'm a half-demon. Just because you have demon blood in you, it doesn't mean you're evil."
The car fell silent but Inuyasha didn't mind. The McDonald's came into view and it gave him something else to talk about – something a hell of a lot easier. "What kind of milkshake do you want?"
"What kinds are there?" he asked in return, looking curious.
"Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. I get chocolate." Inuyasha pulled into the drive-thru and when Jinenji seemed torn, he just decided to order a medium chocolate shake for himself, and three small ones of each flavour for his companion. The girl taking payment and handing over their food didn't even give them a second glance and Inuyasha was weirdly grateful, given how tense Jinenji was. He was sitting so still, it looked like he wasn't even breathing.
"You can relax," Inuyasha pointed out. "Between the two of us, I look weird."
"It's…" Jinenji shrugged, big shoulders looking uncomfortable in the space. "It's weird to be near so many humans. There are two just…walking right there." He pointed out the window at some mom who was leading her child to their car, a plastic toy clutched in the kid's gloved fingers. "Is this why you do it?"
Inuyasha didn't understand. "Do what?"
"Go out," Jinenji explained, gesturing at the parking lot. "Do you go just to see other people?"
"Not really," Inuyasha answered honestly. He pulled into a parking space on the edge of the lot, somewhere they could watch everything but be too far away for his hair to be extra noticeable. He grabbed his shake and took a long drink of it.
Chocolate was the best.
He watched as Jinenji tentatively took a sip of his first one: strawberry. Bold choice. Jinenji made a horrified face seconds later and Inuyasha snorted so hard his head hurt, unable to contain his mirth.
"That's awful," the black-haired teen grumbled, immediately switching to another one. It looked like vanilla.
"Yeah, not my first choice either. Miroku made me have one, on my first new moon outing. I probably made the same face. I was so mad at him, too. I really didn't want to go out but he and Sango insisted. They were annoying as hell."
Another silence, but it was comfortable. Inuyasha wasn't keen on breaking it, not again. Jinenji just seemed to be content watching the people in the parking lot, driving by or walking from one place to another. It was so basic, but so new.
Finally, Jinenji cleared his throat. "Kagome doesn't seem that annoying."
"She can be," Inuyasha replied, watching as his companion's face turned from shock to indignation moments later. "She's stubborn and reckless. Runs into danger like an idiot. It drives me crazy." He paused, words on the tip of his tongue but he was unsure if he should say it. Looking over at Jinenji, Inuyasha figured if there was ever a time to say something like this, it would be now. "And her scent is…impossible." There was no other word for it, but that wasn't what Inuyasha was focused on. He watched the black-haired teen's face, though it remained passive. He just nodded, agreeing. "Is it wildly strong for you, too?"
Jinenji frowned for a moment before shrugging. "Yeah. I guess. Compared to other humans. Compared to you."
Inuyasha had thought that her scent was what was drawing the demons closer. Maybe this was the confirmation he needed.
"She's really nice," Jinenji said suddenly, looking awkward. "She's the first human that's ever looked at me and not—" He cut himself off, lips pursing and face draining of colour. It was easy to fill in the blanks.
"She is. It's also annoying." Inuyasha felt the stirring in his chest, the uncomfortable feeling he had the first time Jinenji brought her up. But…
But he understood.
Because, yeah. Inuyasha had been a full-demon, out of his mind, and Kagome had come over to him to try and stop his bleeding. Every horrible, bloody thought he had had about her had disappeared the second her palm touched his skin. She had talked to him. She'd been so, so afraid, but Kagome hadn't let it stop her.
And then he'd turned back to his half-demon self. Just like that.
It was a secret he'd take to his damn grave.
They chatted a bit more, more about people and places and things Jinenji had never done before. The car slowly started to pick up the chill that was outside so Inuyasha turned it back on and headed towards the motel. The sun was setting anyways and it would be much safer to get back.
"Chocolate," Jinenji murmured suddenly, startling the half-demon.
"What?"
"The best flavour. It's chocolate."
Inuyasha smirked.
When they got back to the motel, neither of them headed towards the room. They didn't talk about it and Inuyasha didn't question it. Instead, they wandered into the woods. Jinenji slowed picked his way across fallen branches and piles of rot, clearly unused to the body he was in. It didn't stop him from looking around though, taking in the forest with a new set of eyes and a much smaller frame. After a while, Inuyasha could hear Jinenji's breaths grow a bit more laboured so he sat on a large tree trunk that lay flat on the ground.
Jinenji sat down beside him and looked up. "Everything is so much blurrier," he said quietly, eyes fixated above. "And darker."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," Inuyasha mumbled sarcastically, sighing. "It's what I hate most."
His companion nodded and a flop of thick black hair fell into his eyes. He brushed it back, face scrunched. "Why do you think we turn?" he asked. "Why human and not demon?"
"Hell if I know." Inuyasha toed at the dirt on the ground, thinking about it. "I guess because we can become demon as a survival instinct, but we can't become human by being…" What, emotional? That wasn't what he wanted to say at all. It didn't even make sense.
Jinenji was frowning at him though, no longer looking at the sky. "We can turn demon?"
"You haven't?"
The black-haired teen shook his head.
It was Inuyasha's turn to look away. "Yeah, well, we can. It's only happened to me twice. Once when I was really young and another time when I almost died. It's like a survival instinct, where your demonic blood takes over. That's what Asato told me anyways. We could only guess. Before you, we thought I was the only one."
Jinenji hummed and the sky fell dark. "We've always tried to run and hide, not fight. I've only had to if Ma couldn't get away." He took a long, deep breath and closed his eyes. "I can feel it."
Inuyasha had been strictly ignoring his own body, the way it thrummed and tensed and churned. "Yeah."
"I'll be back." Jinenji slid off of the log and gestured awkwardly towards the motel. "Clothes and stuff."
Inuyasha nodded and when the human was gone, he laid down on the fallen tree, trying to keep his breathing even. This was what he hated most of all.
It was like a slow fire, burning throughout his body. It didn't hurt, wasn't painful, but it felt wrong. The tips of his fingers tingled, and his canines throbbed. Every strand of hair seemed to be electrified.
When he opened his eyes, the sky was far darker than before and he was alone.
Inuyasha kept his breathing slow and steady, ignoring the way his brain screamed at the loss of scents – the smell of the leaves and winter and decay. It was fine. It was going to be fine.
"You don't look much different."
Inuyasha tensed, body coiling in tight. He hadn't heard Jinenji approach which was horrifying all by itself. How the hell hadn't he heard a giant striding through the woods? Trying to keep the calm façade in place, he slowly turned his head to see the half-demon coming across the clearing. His eyes were once again that vibrant ice blue he remembered vividly. "Look? No," he answered honestly. "But feel?"
Jinenji slowly sat down on the ground, legs folding beneath him was a grace he hadn't had while human. Bigger worked so much better for him. Like this, the half-demon could duck his head and come eye-to-eye with Inuyasha. "Your turn," he murmured.
"Yeah," Inuyasha breathed out, closing his eyes. It felt so much colder than before but he didn't want to go anywhere. "Don't let me freeze to death."
Jinenji huffed out what might have been a laugh.
It could have been an hour or far, far longer. Inuyasha didn't know. The night continued on as it always did, interrupted only with bits and pieces of conversation. Jinenji was quiet but his presence was firm, solidifying in a way that Inuyasha couldn't explain. Wholly different than his new moons spent with Miroku and Sango.
For one, he wasn't usually so cold. Jinenji had given him back his sweater, so he used it like a blanket on top of his own layered clothes. His half-demon companion had asked if he wanted him to get a real blanket, but Inuyasha refused. Jinenji was smart enough not to ask or suggest that they go anywhere else.
"What's it like turning full-demon?"
The question seemed to come out of nowhere, but Inuyasha wasn't all that surprised. He gave Jinenji a lazy look, his dark brown eyes barely making him out in the darkness of night. The half-demon's blue ones seemed to almost glow back, ethereal. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes," but the answer sounded hesitant.
Inuyasha thought about it for a second, fighting down a shiver. "It's…power," he answered. "Like you couldn't imagine. You think you're strong now?" Inuyasha laughed, but it was bitter. "It's nothing compared to when you transform. But you're not the same person. It's like an out-of-body experience."
"I never knew my Pa," Jinenji stated. "I didn't know it was so different."
Grunting, Inuyasha shrugged. There wasn't anything to say to that. He never knew his father either.
Before the silence could take over once more, he felt his pocket start to vibrate incessantly. It took him a moment of struggling, but he frowned when he saw Miroku's phone number on the screen. He answered without hesitation, though it took a moment for him to remember to actually put it towards his human ear. The moment he did though, he knew something was wrong. "What's going on?"
"Inuyasha, you need to get here now," Miroku bit out, the tension thick in his voice. It forced Inuyasha to sit up, the sweater blanket falling off of him. "Kagome swears there's a group of demons coming and coming fast. She's nearly incoherent."
"What?" Not tonight, not tonight, was all he could think. What the hell was he going to do in his human form?
"I don't know." Miroku sounded helpless. "She's in that weird state again, like before in our basement. Sango's trying to talk to her but you need to get here."
"Fuck," Inuyasha spat. "I'll be there soon. Hide, damn it but don't you dare leave that building. Where is it again?"
"The Ballroom," Miroku answered. "Sixth Line, by the—"
"I know, now hide. I'll call when I get there. If anything—"
"Got it." His best friend hung up then and Inuyasha couldn't help the growl that rippled up his throat.
He could hear Jinenji standing up behind him, more than see it. Inuyasha swore again. "Kagome's in danger?" the half-demon asked, the usual quietness of his tone wrecked.
"I need to get to my truck," Inuyasha said, realizing only then just how far away they were from the motel. And he was still human. Speed wasn't—
"Get on my back," Jinenji offered and before Inuyasha could even use his phone to light the way, the half-demon had him in hand and was forcibly putting him on his shoulder. Inuyasha only had one delirious second to wonder if his was what Kagome felt when the giant half-demon took off in a run, bounding through the forest. It would have seemed impossible; someone as large as Jinenji able to flit through the forest and between the trees with absolute ease. But the half-demon had spent time in these woods for the last week and he'd clearly learned the best path.
Inuyasha swore, then and there, that he would take Jinenji on his route runs to check on the border. As long as he got him to his goddamn truck.
It felt like an eternity.
It wasn't, but Inuyasha knew his pulse hadn't stopped racing since the moment he heard the worry in Miroku's voice. There was only so much time they had, only so much time Inuyasha could use to speed there and help. And would he be able to? Help? As a human?
Jinenji all but flung him off of his perch, crouched in the spot between his neck and shoulder. Inuyasha stumbled but ran, yelling some sort of thanks that probably barely made sense. He had to go.
The truck rattled and sputtered, but Inuyasha pushed his foot to the floor and gunned it. His only blessing was the late hour – after rush hour, just after dinnertime. The streets weren't empty but they were barren enough for him to pass dangerously across the lines, maintaining speed.
How much time did he have? Were they already being attacked? Miroku had said that Kagome mentioned a group of demons. A group? He'd never seen more than two or three together at a time. What the hell would they be up against?
Pulling into the parking lot was almost anti-climactic. There was nothing going on. A scattering of students all dressed up stood just outside the door, and some others were getting in their cars. There wasn't any screaming or fear. It didn't mean there wasn't any danger however so Inuyasha left the truck right by the front entrance, ignoring the looks and no parking signs. It wouldn't be there long anyways. Dialling Miroku cell number, Inuyasha hopped out and strode through the main door. If he thought the strange looks he received before were notable, then he was very, very wrong. It was obvious just how out of place he was, and for a moment, Inuyasha wondered if something had happened to turn him half-demon again. But his hands held no claws and his hair was clearly black.
Miroku wasn't answering.
"Inuyasha!" Sango's voice floated over to him but it was so much harder to pick out exactly where she was. So many bodies filled the lobby of the room, their chatter providing too much noise. It took Sango's aggressive waving to catch his eye.
"Why aren't you hiding with them?" he snapped, running over to her. He must have looked deranged or pissed off or all of the above because other students practically ran to get out of his way.
Sango shook her head. "Our phone reception is shit inside of here. Miroku had called you from outside. Come on!" She grabbed his arm and started to tug. "We need to get Kagome out of here."
"What the hell happened?" Inuyasha hissed, pulling his arm back but keeping pace with her.
"Everything was fine. We were having a good time but I lost track of her for ten minutes—"
"You lost track?"
"We weren't in any danger at a high school gala, Inuyasha," Sango snapped, magenta eyes piercing. "The worst thing that was going on was Miroku being a complete dick to me in front of my friends. Hence why I lost sight of her. It was ten minutes at most and then she practically barrelled into me, stammering and freaking out."
"Like what happened in our basement?"
Sango scrunched up her nose, considering. "Similar, but not the same. She was babbling and incoherent but she wasn't screaming. No crying. We got her out of the room and that's when she told us that she did the thing again. The radar thing. Kagome said she didn't mean to but then she felt this pack of demons coming. They're in Sakura, Inuyasha. They're coming for her."
"Demons don't seem to want to do much else," he muttered, jerking to a stop when Sango switched directions and led them to a stairway. The 'Employees Only' sign hung battered on the door but Sango blew right by it.
"It's me," she called out, and then launched down the stairs.
Inuyasha's first reaction was to leap down but he gritted his teeth and bounded down the stairs instead. It was only a flight of them until Miroku and Kagome came into view.
It hit him like a punch to the stomach.
Kagome looked exhausted and her hair was a mess. The rest of her remained perfectly put-together, green fitted dress and all. She seemed mostly fine.
But Inuyasha didn't know for sure because he couldn't scent her. It sent red flags up to his brain faster than he could compute why that was, his mind continually forgetting that he was no longer a half-demon so obviously his sense of smell was depleted. But it didn't mean anything, not when confronted with it, not when Kagome seemed no different than their more tiring morning runs.
And so, Inuyasha pushed past Miroku until he was up in Kagome's space, hands lifted to— To—
Kagome sighed and practically fell into him, her forehead hitting his collarbone. Inuyasha froze – because what was he doing – but before he could respond in any way, the black-haired girl straightened up. "Four demons, in Sakura. They're looking for me."
"How the hell do you know that?" Inuyasha asked, ignoring how rough his voice sounded. This was not the time.
"I can feel…intentions," Kagome answered, grimacing. "Unless they hide them from me. But I could feel it strongly this time. They're looking for me."
"We need to get her out and back to the house," Sango stated, calm as ever. "We need our weapons. Do you have any?"
"Just the backups in the truck," Inuyasha growled out. "I was out and there was no time to get back."
"Not ideal, but we've dealt with worse," Miroku replied. "Where's the truck?"
"Front entrance." Inuyasha unzipped his sweater and wrapped it around Kagome, making sure to raise the hood over her hair. "Keep that on and stick close. When we go outside, even though it's a short distance, we run. I can't protect us."
"And the sweater…?"
Inuyasha glared at Sango, who raised a brow in response. Obviously Miroku had talked to her about this behind his back, like usual. Just another layered added to the Miroku-and-Sango storm. "Because the demons are finding her from her scent. It's stronger than it should be. My sweater will help with that, but not for long. The few seconds we'll be unprotected outside should be fine though." Without waiting for yet another comment, Inuyasha pushed Kagome gently forwards towards the stairs and had them move. "Let's go."
"Sango and Kagome should sit in the back," Miroku stated as they jogged up the stairs. "That's where the guns are and Sango's a better shot."
"Now you compliment me."
"Not the time!" Inuyasha barked. "But he's right. It'll be safer back there."
The front lobby was packed with dressed up teenagers. It was clearly near the end of the night when everyone was starting to file out. It would help in some ways but Inuyasha had to grit his teeth, hoping the crowd wouldn't separate them. He felt a tug on the back of his t-shirt then and glanced over his shoulder to see Kagome, practically hiding behind him.
"I'm holding on. I'll be right behind you."
It felt too damn fragile. Inuyasha reached back and held her wrist, keeping her close as they pushed their way towards the doors. It wouldn't be a clean getaway – too many people, not enough room – so they would just have to run for it. With a nod at Miroku and Sango, he collided into the doors and forced them open, hitting a few unsuspecting teens that were standing in the way. Shoving his way through, he grabbed the keys and unlocked the doors. "Now!"
Kagome broke into a run, as did the rest of them. Inuyasha didn't want to take his eyes off of her – not for a second, not even the smallest of moments – but he had to get around into the driver's seat. His heart was racing, adrenaline surging through his system as he jumped into the vehicle and turned it on. The minute he heard all of the doors slam shut, he raced out of the parking lot, getting onto the street and trying to remember the fastest way home.
"Do you see anything?" he asked and god, he sounded terrified. Being human was a fucking disaster.
"No!" Sango called out. "Nothing's following us."
"And I didn't see anything weird in the lot," Miroku added, peering out the window. "Kagome, how close were they?"
"Close," she whispered. "I can't— I can't tell now though, since I'm not doing it. I can—"
"Don't you dare," Inuyasha interrupted. "What if they can tell?"
"They're not like that," Kagome protested, shaking her head. "Not like that other demon. They're just…blips. Four blips, all together. And fast."
"How fast?" Sango asked.
"Faster than Inuyasha."
"That's not exactly a standard," he gritted out, but the impression remained regardless. Inuyasha had speed that not every demon had. Yet, when he was trapped as a damn human, he was useless. No speed, no strength, no enhanced senses.
What the hell were they going to do?
"Just let me—"
But Kagome never finished her sentence because then, out of the darkness, an aching howl echoed in the air. It was loud enough to be heard through their rattling truck. Loud enough that it could never, ever have been a real wolf.
Or a real wolf pack.
A demonic one, on the other hand.
"Shit," Sango whispered.
Inuyasha floored the gas pedal and pulled onto the forested roads leading home.
TBC
Responses to Anon Reviews:
Stella: AW! That's so sweet of you to say. So glad this story could bring a little joy to your day. I hope you liked it :)
MarySlvoka: I try to kill all my readers with every ending. Cliffhangers are my jam :) But I really hope you liked this chapter and all the inukag bits in it! Thanks dear!
Cammicupcake: GAH oh my goodness what a compliment. Thank you so much! I'm so happy. I do love this little world. I hope this update didn't disappoint. Thank you love.
Lola1991: Whew! I always enjoy not disappointing because I finally put up an update :) And I know everyone's been dying for one. Hope this was up to snuff and worth the wait! Thank you hun.
Ranimosity: I hope you liked the InuKag in this! So happy that the romance train is finally within vision. It's so nice to write. Thank you darling!
Mal: This comment made my day! Hehehe yes, yes. I love when you guys are on to my foreshadowing. It's always the best. I really hope you liked this chapter :) You're the best.
Karley Kha0s: YES YOU ARE. YES YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET WOLF DEMONS. And alllll the jealous, possessive Inuyasha we can HANDLE :D GAH. What a compliment. What kind words! Thank you so much darling, means a lot to me.
Guest: Hope this chapter was worth the wait! Thank you so much my dear!
Anna Offline: Ha! So glad you liked it hun. Thank you so much for reading!
Aniar000: Thanks darling! So glad you like it, and hope this chapter made you happy :)
Guest: Wow, thank you love! And yes, totally have thought about posting on Ao3 but am currently very lazy. I probably will eventually though :)
SamyG: THANK YOU! So glad you think so!
Feedback is love.