Acceptance
She was a strange creature.
It should go without saying that a girl who falls through a well from the future would be odd, but Kagome seemed to take it to the next level. Her clothes were one thing- a skirt far too short, covering almost nothing, exposing her legs to wandering eyes and offering no protection, her tops buttoned high, the material not flexible in the least. And while Inuyasha could handle the bizarre things she wore, her peculiar mannerisms and almost constant chatter, what struck him most was her attitude.
She was so damn nice.
Even when he had threatened to drop her to the ground, she just laughed it off, not even bothering to grab his fire rat tighter, like she knew he wouldn't hurt her. Didn't she know he was a hanyou, a demon? How could she feel so relaxed to be around him?
And at night, she slept so soundly, like she trusted him. Like it was natural for him to get along with anyone, let alone a human girl. She had to be plotting something, had to have something up her sleeve. Inuyasha was sure that the minute he let his guard down, she would reveal her true colors. All humans were selfish, rude assholes. Why would she be any different?
But then she smiled at him. Waiting for him to answer her questions. Gave him space when he felt so unsettled by her. Laughed at jokes he didn't mean to make, and ones he didn't find funny at all. Chastised him for being rude to others, rude to her. At dinner, when he would leave and hunt for game, she trusted that he would come back, tending the fire he started and smiling with excitement for their meal.
Like it was the most natural thing in the world to be with a filthy dog demon like him.
What was her angle? He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew there had to be some plot. He wanted so badly to catch her in the act, to prove himself right that yes, Kagome was just like everyone else, and he was a fool for starting to believe differently.
She was gone now, should be back any minute. She frequently left, going back to her side of the world, where there were no demons, shards or danger. He wondered why she stuck around, tried to help someone like him.
He could sense her before he heard her soft pants, throwing her large yellow bag over the rim of the well, her dainty hands gripping the wood as she pulled herself out. Maybe he should have helped her, eased the transition, but why should he? Who was she to him, but a shard detector, a nuisance, a person he was spending a brief time with who would have no bearing on him in the future. What would be the point of getting chummy, being kind, when she was just going to betray him anyway?
She was babbling, talking about things that made little sense, specific only to her world and her life. Inuyasha wondered why she bothered; its not like he gave a damn about any of it. That was something friends did, and they most certainly, were not friends, although Kagome claimed differently. Accepting that Kagome, or any human could be anything but vile, lying, self serving parasites was something he couldn't wrap his mind around.
"Oh, here-" She said, rummaging through her overside bag, pulling out a small carton, thrusting it towards his chest. "I thought you might like this, its called ramen. Its very popular back home." She smiled at him, the odd creature.
He eyed it suspiciously, letting her gesture hang in the air. "Is it poison?" He asked, quirking a brow.
"Of course not." She huffed, apparently insulted by his question. "Its ninja food."
Looking her over once more, he took the white bowl from her, giving it a sniff. It didn't look like food, but it had a faintly pleasing smell. Inuyasha ran his thumbs over it carefully, a million things running through his mind.
"Why'd you give this to me?" He asked, tone grumpier than he expected, but there was no turning back. Kagome shrugged, like this was no big deal. Like she gave presents all the time.
"You're always feeding me. I thought you'd like to try some stuff from my time. If you like it, well get more. If you don't well keep trying different things. Oh, and Mama wanted to invite you over for dinner next week. She said she would cook-"
Her words trailed off, a blur of things that did not seem to make sense. He was still staring at the bowl in his hand, trying to piece together this gesture that seeed to mean so little to her, but held such weight for him.
No one had ever given him a gift before, much less offered him food from their table. No one sought out his company, choosing to run in the opposite direction than be seen with a half demon like him. She had so many chances to stay home, to stay in her time and forget about a dog demon trying to piece a broken jewel back together. Yet she came back, and came back kind.
She was a strange creature.
Uncaring about the social status of others, quick to smile and easy to talk to. Giving by nature, hot headed when she felt wronged, maddeningly slow on her feet.
And above all kind and consistent.
Inuyasha swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared at her. Maybe not every human was bad.