With her head resting on his shoulder, she could feel his hand idly playing with strands of her raven hair absentmindedly. Every part of her body felt heavy and limp in the best possible way, making it so she was practically dead weight against him. With an arm draped over his waist, her leg hitched up and resting against his hip, she was prepared to fall asleep. The only thing that kept her from doing so was a gnawing pit in her stomach; what had gotten him so upset? The way he'd looked at her with such a chilling expression, as if warning her not to press any further than she already was. There was no way to stop her curiosity from reeling through her mind. She didn't know much about Inuyasha's family life or childhood - she knew what his favourite colour was, his favourite food, but she had no idea just where he grew up and where his parents were.
"Hey Yash..." she began, hearing a low, sleepy hum of acknowledgement come from him in return, vibrating against her cheek as it came from his chest, "Do you have any siblings?" Kagome suddenly asked, causing Inuyasha's brows to furrow and his hand to rest on her shoulder. The silence that fell between them was almost deafening. Was his family really that detached from him?
"Why d'you wanna know?" he finally replied after another few moments of silence, the tone of his voice low and hesitant.
"Because," she would have propped herself up on her elbow if she didn't feel like her entire body would shake if she did so. They'd gone into the late hours of the night, Inuyasha bringing her to the peak of euphoria over and over again until she practically had to beg him to stop. Instead, she simply nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck, nose brushing against his neck, "I don't know anything about your family."
If he had his way, he would keep it at that; make sure that she never found out who his father or brother were. Maybe he'd tell her about his mom, but that would give away the one secret he'd kept from her. The tension in Inuyasha's body started in his shoulders, weighing the options of whether or not he should tell her anything. Kagome had been nothing but supportive of him, encouraging him to be more open with her.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome interrupted, going against her body's protest to prop herself up on her elbow and peer down at him. what she saw was his face turned away, looking at the wall rather intensely, "Is it...a sore spot?" She finally asked, watching as Inuyasha closed his eyes with a furrowed brow, as if he was pained by that question.
"Yeah," he stated honestly, surprised by the way he'd said it; so earnest and genuine. Reaching out her arm, which felt as though she had a five-pound weight wrapped around her wrist, she gently cupped his chin and coaxed his head to look up at her. Opening his eyes, he could just make out her face in the darkness of his room and a part of him became determined to memorize it enough that he didn't need any light at all to know exactly what she looked like.
"You can be open with me, y'know. It's the least I can do for making you listen to me cry over the phone before you were supposed to come over for a date," she teased, offering a warm smile that he could feel without seeing it. Inuyasha couldn't help but let a ghost of a smile form on his face at that; she always seemed to know how to lighten the mood.
"It was supposed to be my redemption, not a date," he joked back, hearing a breathy giggle leave the woman hovering over him.
"I think you've done more than redeem yourself, Yash. I can barely feel anything between my legs and it's a struggle to hold myself up," she added, completely authentic in her answer. Inuyasha couldn't help but release a smug scoff at that, knowing full well that she wasn't lying - he made sure of that, "I won't push you into telling me anything, just know I won't ever judge you. Families are...a tough spot for a lot of people, so you aren't alone in that."
Oh, if only she knew. His family took the cake when it came to complications. A stepmother and half brother who, at one point, literally wanted to have him killed, a distant father and a dead mother. It was family drama if Inuyasha had ever seen it.
"I have a half brother," he finally stated, figuring giving her that type of information couldn't hurt her knowing, right? Inuyasha ran his fingers gently over her spine, playing with the ends of her hair when they slid through his fingertips, "He's older than me by quite a bit," he explained, only to have Kagome think of something.
"How old are you, Inuyasha?" she suddenly asked, head tilted slightly as she basked in his gentle, loving touches that only had her craving more of him at all times, "I know demons live for longer, but you don't look much older than me."
"I'm seventy-four," he stated simply, keeping his gaze towards her as he felt her cup his cheek. Kagome's brows lifted in surprise, though she knew she shouldn't have been - or maybe it was because she thought he'd be older than that. Lifting his own hand, he took hers within it to press a kiss to her palm in an affectionate manner, causing Kagome's heart to melt even more. She'd seen Inuyasha in most public settings, rough and intimidating with a chip on his shoulder to anyone he wasn't close to. To know that he was capable of being so sweet and cuddly and that she was the only person to see it, it made her heart swell.
Slowly, she lay back down against him, letting him keep hold of her hand as he rested it against his sternum, "You're more than fifty years older than me," Kagome mused, feeling his chest jolt with a scoff, "You're older than my grandpa," she added, obviously teasing. It was common knowledge that demons lived far longer than humans ever did, sometimes thousands of years if something didn't kill them before then.
Rolling his eyes, he squeezed her against him, "Don't make it weird, Kagome," he murmured, only to hear a giggle vibrate against his neck.
"If you're that old, how old is your brother?"
A grumble left Inuyasha, wanting to avoid the topic of Sesshomaru while laying next to his naked...lover? Girlfriend?
"Three hundred and somethin'. I dunno, demons don't really celebrate birthdays. I'm sure the bastard's forgotten when he was born." The way he spoke told Kagome that she needed to drop it soon and that she did. She'd gotten something out of him, and she planned on getting more snippets little by little, regardless of how long it took, she was willing to be patient. A low hum of contentment left her, as if thanking him for opening up to her, even just a little bit.
Settling in, she felt his grip tighten on her to bring her closer, taking in the scent of both of them mixed together in pleasure. Knowing that it wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon made him pleased, even more so due to the fact that it wasn't just confined to his bedroom, "You gunna be here when I wake up in the morning?" Inuyasha asked, only to feel Kagome nod against his chest with a hum of acknowledgment. A wide smile pulled at the silver-haired man's lips before pressing them to the crown of her head.
"Good."
Stepping out of the limo, Kagome straightened out her emerald green cocktail dress before turning and helping Sango out as well. The typically more casual wearing Sango felt a little exposed in her pink mini dress, spaghetti straps hidden by the denim jacket she wore over top of it. Miroku had been very fond of the get-up and had almost made her late for the limo if Kagome hadn't called her three times in a row to snap her out of it. Kagome had no such distraction, opting to send her boyfriend a picture of herself instead of running the risk of him coming over beforehand.
Their attire was not meant for the current fall weather, with the crisp air making their bare legs rise with goosebumps, but both of them knew they'd be inside the whole night. Adjusting her own faux leather moto jacket, Kagome linked arms with Sango to head into the event.
Hosted by one of the brands that Kagome worked with often, it was no surprise that she'd been invited to the launch party for their new eyeshadow palette. They'd offered her to bring a plus one, and since Sango had been trying to build her brand, it was the perfect opportunity to bring her best friend along. The question of why she wouldn't just bring Inuyasha had come up and Kagome had a rather simple answer.
"We're not there, yet. I need a bit more time."
"It's been two months, Kagome. Do you think maybe you can start being more public?" Sango had asked over a glass of wine as they sat on Kagome's couch while Miroku and Inuyasha had run out to grab the food they'd ordered. The two pairs had done plenty of double dates over the last two months, which Kagome had called a blessing. It was nice to be able to be with Inuyasha openly around other people - a taste of what it would be, once she made up her mind.
"Soon, I'm sure," Kagome assured. In all honesty, she'd been ready a week before the question was asked, but a comment on one of her Instagram posts made her hesitate. Under one of her most recent YouTube videos, she saw from one of her fans the words 'that shirt looks like a boyfriend shirt. i bet she'd already moved on and just isn't telling us '. It threw Kagome off, seeing as she didn't really understand what that comment even meant, until she remembered how the video started.
"Good morning, everyone! Well, look, it's morning for me okay? As if you couldn't tell," she laughed before gesturing to her hair, "My hair's still a mess, I'm wearing this oversized shirt," pulling at the fabric at her chest, she lifted it up slightly to help people see, "And I got my cold brew on the way. So, it's early."
She'd realized it was Inuyasha's shirt that she was wearing, one that she'd asked him to leave behind so she could smell him during their time apart. He'd thought it too cheesy at first, but had conceded and let heR keep it. That comment had spooked her, having acted weird for the rest of the day until Inuyasha had pried it from her. She'd seen the hurt in his eyes when she'd told him, but something told her that he now understood a bit more as to why she kept it under wraps.
Of course, beneath that comment were ones that held nothing but support, ranging from 'u know girls wear oversized sleeping shirts right?' to 'so what if she has? just let her be happy. damn'. It was comments like that that allowed her to feel a bit more confident in the idea of revealing who Inuyasha was sooner rather than later.
"Soon when?" Sango had asked, taking a sip of her wine as Kagome shrugged with uncertainty.
"I dunno - soon, okay? Besides," Kagome continued, giving Sango a rather knowing look, brows lowered, "Do you really think Inuyasha would be caught dead at one of those events in the first place?"
Sango couldn't have helped but give a soft chuckle with a nod, "Alright, fair."
Now, the two girls were at the event, having their wristbands scanned before being lead into the convention center. Dropping their coats off at the check, they held onto their clutches as they made it into the main party area. It was a huge, open hall with a dance floor, a buffet, and bars on every wall. Holding onto Sango's hand, Kagome lead them towards one of the bars, prepared to make a whole night of it.
"How are you doing Kagome? It's been so long!"
A small group of them were standing in a circle, Sango having been introduced to the other influencers that Kagome had become friends with over the years. Kagome had always gotten along with a lot of people, managing to make friends easily, but she really only gave her all into friendships she knew were worth it. The girl and one guy who surrounded her were the real ones.
"I know! I just needed a bit of a breather, y'know?" she stated, still keeping that bubbly smile she managed to hold most of the time. Drinks had been shared, Kagome feeling a little tipsy with Sango catching up.
"That's totally fair, girl. I don't blame you. That break up must have been rough," Jakotsu stated with an empathetic tone. Jakotsu was one of the top male beauty influencers in the game, surpassing Kagome's numbers but a bit but never really let it get to his head much. He'd been one of the first friends Kagome had made in the industry, it was something that Kagome had appreciated greatly and still did to this day.
"You doing better?" Shiori asked with a small smile, looking to her friend with a gentleness that she'd always held. It was the main charm of her channel, someone who was so calm and sweet but critical if she needed to be. All of her comments made some sort of reference to her channel being like ASMR to them.
"She's doing better alright," Sango muttered, only to feel Kagome's elbow jab into her side with a grunt. The rest of the group looked towards Kagome with confusion on their features, waiting for her to explain why she'd reacted that way.
Seeing their faces, Kagome laughed nervously before scratching the back of her head, "She just means I've been really focusing on myself, ya know? Meditation and all that stuff," it was a pathetic cover-up, with Jak immediately catching it.
"And by meditation, you mean getting dicked down?"
Shiori gasped at the sudden bluntness as well as the realization that he as probably right, "Do you have a boyfriend, Kagome?"
There was no way to hide the blush that came over her face, side-eyeing Sango with a death glare that she didn't particularly seem bothered by. In fact, Kagome could a self-satisfied smirk pull at her lips over the rip of her wine glass.
Kagome went silent for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain without giving too much away, before she caught a very familiar figure over Jak's shoulder. Her whole body froze, realizing just who it was. It felt as if a boulder had dropped into her stomach, chest tightening and her fingers had threatened to let her glass drop and shatter to the floor but stayed true despite herself. Sango noticed the sudden change in demeanor, following Kagome's line of sight before landing on who it was aimed at.
"Oh shit," Sango murmured, seeing Jak and Shiori both look over their shoulders with extreme confusion until they realized just who caused the sudden dip in energy.
Kouga. Not just Kouga, either. Kouga with a date.
"Kagome," she heard her name in Jak's familiar tone of voice, followed by the feel of Sango's hand on her shoulder. Her entire world narrowed, causing her hearing to become muffled and her body to feel numb.
Sango's voice broke through, the grip on her shoulder tightening before she was pulled away to one of the side rooms. Shaking her head, she drew in a shaky breath as she took a seat in one of the armchairs that were vacant. Sango sat on the arm of the chair beside her, with Shiori standing in front of her and Jak crouching in from of her, "I'm okay. It's okay," she stated, voice slightly choked before she cleared her throat and forced a smile, "Really, guys. I was just a little startled, that's all."
"Is that the first time you've seen him since?" Shiori asked, receiving a nod from Kagome in response. She could feel Sango's run over her back in comfort, her knowing more than most just how broken Kagome had been at the start of it all. There was the temptation to tell Kagome they could leave, but she knew that would be met with refusal; Kagome could be extremely stubborn if she wanted to be.
"Who is he even with?" Jak hissed, looking at the floor in thought before Shiori offered a suggestion.
"Seemed like Ayame."
A full wolf demon who was also in the same industry as Kagome - how convenient. Kagome had never gotten close to the girl, even though they'd been on a brand trip all together once. Looking down at her best friend, Sango finally asked what she'd wanted to, "Do you wanna go home?"
Just as she expected, Kagome shook her head and forced a smile, "I'm fine, Sango. Really." She assured, even though Sango knew better and could tell that her sister was hurting. Climbing to her feet, Sango did the same but kept an eye on Kagome, gaze filled with skepticism, "I think I need to go to the bathroom," she stated, only to have all the other three friends agree and follow her. Sango made sure they purposefully avoided Kouga's line of sight, seeing him in the same spot with his arm wrapped around the redhead he was therewith.
Upon reaching the bathroom, there was (miraculously) no lineup and barely anyone inside. Kagome walked up to the powder area and looked at herself in the mirror, opening her clutch, she saw that she'd received a new message. Opening it up, she couldn't help but let a small smile pull at one corner of her mouth.
[SMS received from: MechDaddy 🚗] - how's your night going, baby? (seen ✔️)
Feeling Jak over her shoulder, he pointed to the name at the top of the chatbox, "Who's that?" he sang, causing Kagome to blush some before Sango simply rolled her eyes.
"It's her boyfriend, Jak. Her boyfriend."
"Sango!" Kagome scolded, irritated that she'd gone right out and just confirmed what she'd been trying to keep under wraps for the last few months.
"Come off it, Kagome! Kouga's obviously moving on, so it's totally fair for you to do the same!" Sango scolded, finding it irritating that Kagome was still playing with the idea of keeping her and Inuyasha's relationship a secret. Kagome looked st Sango with wide eyes, knowing full well that every word was spoken out of care, as brash as the delivery was.
Jak and Shiori looked at one another, confused but also highly intrigued. Kagome released a heavy sigh of defeat, looking back at the text in fondness, knowing that Sango was right.
"So," she heard Jak begin, "What's this new boy look like?"
"Oh, I have a good picture of him with Miroku on my phone!" Sango chimed in, ignoring the glare that was shot her way by Kagome, "They're best friends so it's been a benefit for me, that's for sure," she teased, Jak and Shiori laughing as Sango scrolled through her phone to find the picture.
"What's his name?" Shiori asked, Kagome finally just giving in to the fact that the whole operation was blown.
"His name's Inuyasha," Kagome answered, allowing herself to smile a bit at the thought of him. The memory of him giving her a kiss goodbye as she'd left his house that morning bringing warmth to her chest.
"The one on the left!" Sango exclaimed, turning the phone towards Shiori and Jak. The picture was Miroku and Inuyasha standing beside one another with their arms over each other's shoulders and flexing their other arm. Both boys looked smug and prideful like they'd accomplished something they'd been working towards when in reality they'd just posed as Sango commanded. Inuyasha was in his typical bad-boy get up, topped with a beanie, his sleeved arm flexed and showed through the rolled-up sleeves of the plaid he wore.
Jak zoomed in with his index finger and thumb while Sango still held the phone out, "Ka-gome!" he exclaimed as he glanced towards her, "He's cute!" he added, Shiori nodding in agreement as Kagome felt that familiar blush warm on her cheek, "And by cute I mean sexy as hell. Is that a sleeve?"
Shiori leaned in close beside Jak, trying to get a better look at what his face looked like, and noticed the fangs, "He's a demon?" she asked giddily, Kagome nodding response.
"Got a thing for canines huh, Kagome?" Sango teased, receiving a playful smack to the arm from the woman in question. All the older woman could do was laugh in amusement before pulling the phone away and tucking it back in her clutch.
"Another wolf demon?" Jak asked in disbelief, looking at Kagome slightly wide-eyed as Kagome shook her head to debunk that assumption.
"Dog," she stated, only to have a figurative light bulb go off in his head, jaw hanging open in an 'oh' shape.
"It's even in his name," he stated before Kagome let out a small laugh, "His parents must have been real creative," he added with a grin before leaning on the counter with an elbow before resting his chin in his palm, "So, tell me more. How'd you meet?"
Sango couldn't contain herself, letting a bubble of laugher leave her as Kagome joined in a moment later. Thinking back, it was kind of funny how much of a one-eighty it had been since she'd first met her boyfriend. It was a miracle that they were in the same room together if first impressions dictated the rest of their relationship. Jak and Shiori stood in confusion, not really sure how to take the reaction.
When Kagome finally calmed down, she apologized before explaining, "Our meeting wasn't the most...conventional," she explained, Sango nodding with a simple 'you could say that'.
The story hadn't lasted long, but they'd left the bathroom while Kagome explained it, always with added commentary from Sango that had all four of them laughing.
Ending up at the bar didn't take long, the four of them waiting in line as Kagome pulled out her phone and sent Inuyasha a reply, realizing it'd probably been a while since he'd sent it. The last thing she wanted was for him to worry.
[SMS sending to: MechDaddy 🚗] - had a little hiccup but back to having a lot of fun! how's your night going, babe? (seen ✔️)
Pressing send, she lifted her head to see they were at the front of the line and placed her phone back into her clutch. With drinks in hand, a certain song came on that made all four friends scream with giddiness as they pulled one another towards the dancefloor.
The night started to become a blur, drink after drink in hand as she indulged in letting go of her inhibitions. An effective way of not caring that Kouga was there and focusing on the fact that she was able to dance the night away. At some point, she felt light-headed, telling Sango that she was going to go to the lobby for a breather. The perfect friend she was, Sango asked if she needed to go along with her, to which Kagome simply told her she'd be five minutes.
Pushing her way off the dance floor, she stumbled out before grunting, reaching down to pull off her shoes rather clumsily as she attempted to still keep a forward motion. Alcohol, plus her natural clumsiness and high heels caused her to nearly fall over, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms, "Easy there," the voice grunted before helping her back to her feet.
"Sorry! I didn't-" she was about to ask if she'd spilled anything over her savior when she looked up and saw a very familiar (three years familiar) face peering down at her. Her heart stopped, seeing that he had a similar expression on his face as he kept his grip on her arms. When was the last time he'd touched her? Almost half a year ago but it'd felt like a lifetime. It was still as she remembered, steady and firm, also so sure in its actions.
"Kagome?" Kouga finally asked, before letting his lips pull into a smile, "Hey."
Taking a step back, she released herself from his grip and let one of her hand grip the fabric of her dress on the side by her hip while the other wrapped around her self to grip the opposite bicep, "Kouga. Hey," she said sheepishly, trying to keep herself from just bolting out of the building completely, "Long time no see," she stated, trying to keep a level head. Kouga scratched the back of his head out of his own nervousness, though still kept a somewhat smile on his face.
"Yeah. How've you been?"
"Uh-" Kagome wanted to scream at him, to tell him that he'd broken her heart and that she would have stayed that way for a while if-
"Inuyasha."
"I'm good," she stated with a genuine smile, the thought of her silver-haired boyfriend entering her mind and easing the pain over her heart, "You?" Her words were slightly slurred from the alcohol, knowing that one more would have pushed her over the edge to blackout.
Kouga could feel how her aura flared before receding, having prepared himself to receive a barrage of insults and harmful words. He wasn't an idiot, he knew he'd hurt Kagome greatly, even if she'd accepted it and conceded to his wish to break up. But he also knew her, he knew that sometimes her emotions got the better of her and she could be one hell of a spitfire if she wanted to. Yet, something had helped her calm down, whether it was the booze or something else, he could tell her demeanor was genuine.
"I'm good," he replied before hearing the voice of Ayame behind him.
"Babe! I got your drink - oh!"
Taking the bottle from her hand, he thanked her before looking back towards Kagome, "Kagome, this is Ayame. Ayame, this is Kagome." Ayame gave a bright smile, waving her hand in a flippant manner.
"I know who she is, silly!" Ayame smiled towards Kagome with that same smile, "Nice to see you again, Kagome."
"Nice to see you too, Ayame," Kagome was starting to feel overwhelmed. Seeing Kouga for the first time in six months and immediately being introduced to his (she could only assume) new girlfriend, it had her chest tighten and her stomach sink. Even the thought of Inuyasha wasn't enough to quell her desire get away from the situation. Swallowing slightly, she gave a small nod of her head, before speaking somewhat frantically, "Well, great catching up. Gotta go!" Walking past the two, she finally managed to make it out to the lobby with a deep gasp of air. Both shoes in hand, she walked off to the lounge area and took a seat on a vacant couch, releasing a whimper as she leaned forward. Resting her elbows on her knees, she put her head in her hands and felt her world spin - damn, maybe she was drunker than she thought.
Grabbing her clutch, she pulled out her phone and saw the missed text that she must have received from Inuyasha earlier in the night, as well as a follow-up one about an hour later.
[SMS received from: MechDaddy 🚗] - my night's been fine, gunna turn in early i think. a hiccup? what happened? (seen ✔️)
[SMS received from: MechDaddy 🚗] - tell me about it tomorrow, babe. (seen ✔️)
Ignoring the fact that he'd said he was turning it in early for the night, she clicked the phone icon and pressed her phone to her ears, hearing the rings on the other end of the receiver. After the fourth one, she heard her boyfriend's familiar, yet very sleep laced voice answer.
"Hello?" he croaked, propped up on his elbow as squeezed his eyes tightly only to open them wide.
"Hi," she winced a bit at the fact that she could tell he'd been asleep - and deeply by the sound of it.
Looking at the clock, he furrowed his brow and let out a low groan, "Kagome? It's one-thirty in the morning." Laying back on the bed, he rolled onto his back and rubbed his eye with his free hand.
"I know," she stated, swallowing the threat of tears caught in her throat. The alcohol didn't help keep her emotions in check in the slightest, and having seen Kouga for the first time (regardless of the fact that she'd found happiness in another) still stung. She needed some sort of comfort and, in that moment, all she could think about was Inuyasha, "Can you...can you come pick me up?"
He could hear the slur of her words now, "What? Where's Sango? Aren't you two supposed to be getting a limo back in a half-hour anyways?" There was a hint of annoyance in his voice that shot through Kagome's already sinking stomach. She'd bothered him and that brought about a whole bout of insecurities that seemed to bubble up in her heart. She didn't know why she'd expected him to drop everything to come to pick her up; he'd told her he had work in the morning. They'd even planned to meet up after he was done his shift - a 6 am shift, if she recalled correctly.
"Sango's back inside...You're right. Sorry. I'm sorry," there was a real threat of tears in her tone now, sniffling in an attempt to keep those tears at bay, "I just-"
"Kagome? Is everything okay?" he didn't like hearing her so upset, especially when it was so late and she was alone. Despite his annoyance, the last thing he wanted was for anything to happen to her, "Wait, are you outside alone?" he sounded more awake at that moment, a somewhat scolding tone laced in his words.
A whimper left her, drawing in a deep breath as she shook her head, "No, 'm inside still jus' not in the main hall...I needed-"
Inuyasha was up then, sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hand, using the heel of his palm against his eye to rub it again, "Do you know where Sango is?" he asked, drawing a deep, sleepy breath through his nose.
"She's still 'nside dancin'," she murmured, drawing in a shaky breath before releasing it with a whimper that had unintentionally left her.
The pain he felt in his chest at that sound, he couldn't be annoyed anymore, "Kagome," he started, trying to get her attention but receiving silence on the other line instead, "Baby?"
"'m here. Sorry...I'll hang up," she felt stupid for even calling him - it wasn't his problem to deal with. It was her own and it wasn't fair for him to be dealing with the repercussion of her old relationship, "'m sorry, Yash. I-"
"Don't hang up," he stated authoritatively before he could let her, "Kagome, I'll come get you. Where are you? I'll drive Sango home, too."
She felt immense guilt for waking him up, for getting him involved; he didn't deserve that. As badly as she wanted to convince him not to, she knew that he'd set his mind on picking her up and would have been next to impossible to get him to change it, "'m sorry, Yash." she apologized with another sniffle.
"It's fine, baby. Go find Sango and text me the address, okay?" his tone was much more gentle and reassuring. If she was in the state she was, he would have much rather known she was getting home safe, rather than chance anything else. He got a whimper from Kagome on the other end with a simple 'okay, thank you', "I'll be there in twenty minutes." She didn't know it, but the next morning he'd be asking some questions.
Kagome nodded again, "Okay. I'm sorry, Yash," she murmured, only to hear a bark from him.
"Quit apologizing," he was too tired for this shit. Running a hand over his face, he reeled himself in, "Just get ready and wait outside with Sango for me." A sniffle was what he received on the other end, as well as a small 'mhm' that told she heard and understood, "I'll see you soon."
"See you soon," she heard him hang up then, looking down at her phone with that same guilt pooling in her heart. Just as she was about to get up and find Sango, she saw her three friends walking over to her, smiling and laughing, obviously just as drunk as she was.
That laughter stopped when they saw their fourth sitting on a couch with the threat of tears in her eyes and her phone held against her lap, "Kagome? 's everything alright?" Sango asked, taking a seat beside her on the couch, "Why're you cryin', hm?"
"I ran into Kouga...then called Inuyasha t'come get me," she sniffled, wiping her eye and thanking the gods above that she'd worn waterproof mascara that night. Sango's brows furrowed as she ran a hand over her friend's back with a confused expression on her face.
Jak and Shiori sat on the opposite side of the couch, looking to their friend with the same confusion and concern that Sango did, "I got upset so I called Inuyasha, thinking he'd just come get me. I forgot that he had to work early and sounded really mad," she sniffled, "I feel stupid for calling him."
"Is he coming to get you?" Sango asked, seeing Kagome nodding before looking towards Sango fully.
"He said he'd drive you home, too."
"Okay, but what about the limo?" Sango asked, only to hear a whimper leave Kagome, resting her head in her hands. With a heavy sigh, she turned back towards Jak, "Do you guys have a ride home? If not, you should take our limo. Should be here in a half-hour."
The sound of a ding had all of them stop, realizing it was from Kagome's phone.
[SMS received from: MechDaddy 🚗] - i need the address (seen ✔️)
No pet name. Kagome could feel herself on brink of tears again, the alcohol making it difficult to not read into every little thing that could be a sign of negative emotion towards her. Texting him the address, she put her phone in her clutch and looked at Sango with a sorry look on her face, "Let's go to coat check, okay?" Sango cooed, climbing to her feet before helping Kagome to her own. Shiori and Jak remained seated, sad to see that their old friend's night had turned so sour.
"Feel better Kagome, and don't forget to keep in touch, okay? You lil hermit," Jak teased, being rewarded with a small smile on Kagome's face and a nod.
It wasn't until Sango had forced Kagome to have one more shot before leaving that they were walking outside. Looking up and down the street, neither of them saw that Inuyasha had arrived yet, "You okay, Kagome?" Sango asked, gripping her shoulders and rubbing them out of comfort. Kagome shook her head, drawing in a shaky breath as she tried to reel in her emotions for when Inuyasha arrived. That final shot had pushed her over the edge, finding Kagome's face numb and her thoughts all over the place. Brows furrowed as she tried to stand up straight, eventually needing to lean against the wall.
"I shouldn't've done that shot..." she slurred, Sango helping her keep to her feet; out of the two of them, Sango had always been the heavy-weight with Kagome being affected by one tequila shot, "I feel sick..."
"No, no, no, Kagome. You do not puke on the sidewalk," Sango scolded, barely hearing the door open as two people walked out.
"Woah, is she okay?" Sango remembered that voice, head turning to see Kouga and Ayame standing in the doorway. There was genuine concern on Kouga's face at the sign of Kagome struggling to stand and on the verge of puking.
A part of sango wanted to throttle the wolf demon for putting her friend through so much, but the sound of Kagome puking onto the pavement jostled her back into the present, "I'll take that as a no..." Kouga muttered to himself.
"She'll be fine, her boyfriend's coming to get her," Sango stated, emphasizing that one word to let Kouga know that his presence wasn't necessarily wanted or needed.
Kouga went silent after that, but didn't move from his spot, partially because he could tell that Ayame held some concern when it came to leaving the poor girl with her friend like that. Another part of him wanted to see if Sango was telling the truth, or was just trying to get him to leave, "Is he gunna be here soon?"
Just as that question left his lips, the loud sound of an engine revved up the street and Inuyasha's familiar car came into view. All heads, except for Kagome's, turned towards the noise as Inuyasha parked. He'd every intention of just staying in the car and have Kagome and Sango simply slide in, but when he saw Kagome limp against the wall and smelled vomit, he knew he had to get out. Opening the door, he stepped out and looked over the top of the car towards the four people standing (two of whom he didn't know but could tell they were demons).
"What the fuck happened?" He asked as he walked around the car towards his girlfriend and her friend, "Is she okay?"
Sango felt Kagome go completely limp then, sliding down the wall to a seated position, "It's my fault. I made her take another shot before you came. I thought it'd make her feel better," Sango tried to defend as Inuyasha jogged over the second he saw her start to slide down the wall.
Crouching in front of Kagome, he cupped her cheek before tapping it gently to try and get her attention, "Kagome?" he called, hearing her groan as her eyes opened slightly but were obviously rolled back in the attempt to find more sleep.
"Is that him?" Kouga asked, watching as Inuyasha picked Kagome up with one hand under her knees and the other cradling her back to press her against him.
"I have a name, wolf," Inuyasha snapped, already irritated that he needed to bring his drunk girlfriend back to his place (because there was no way in hell he'd leave her alone at home in such a state). Sango rolled her eyes, just wanting the night to be over but realizing that she would need to sit through some sort of argument.
Kouga narrowed his gaze towards the new man who joined them, smelling his blood and knowing just what he was, "You gunna tell me what it is, mutt?" That drew a snarl from Inuyasha, pressing Kagome harder against his chest out of frustration.
"Not until you tell me yours," Inuyasha growled, keeping an offensive stance, lip curled with the desire to assert some sort of dominance. Sango stood between them then, realizing that she needed to intervene before things got out of hand.
"Kouga, this is Inuyasha. Inuyasha, Kouga. Now can we go?!"
The name had Inuyasha's brows furrowing before he realized just who was standing in front of him, "You're Kagome's ex," he growled, finding himself possessive of the woman in his arms. Kouga stood more confident then, arms folded across his chest in a defensive stance as he eyed Inuyasha up and down out of pure judgment.
With a scoff, Kouga turned his chin up at the hanyou in front of him, "I see she's downgraded. Didn't think she'd stoop down to dating a half-breed," he chided, causing Sango to show confusion on her face, and absolute rage on Inuyasha's.
"Inuyasha," Sango placed a firm grip on the hanyou's arm, his name spoken through gritted teeth, "Let's go."
Keeping his gaze on Kouga, he turned towards the car, only letting his gaze leave the wolf demon when it wasn't comfortable anymore. With Sango opening the door, he slid Kagome into the backseat, Sango sitting beside the passed out girl and putting her head in her lap. Climbing into the driver's seat, Inuyasha gripped the wheel with white knuckles and jaw clenched in pure anger. Regret had poured into him, knowing he should have just let Kagome get picked up by the limo instead; he could have just told her to tell the limo to head to his place. But no, he'd offered to get her and now there was a possibility that she'd found out what he was, and by her ex-boyfriend no less.
That must have been why she was so upset, having seen her ex and felt the need to call him - he didn't know how to feel about that.
Putting the car in drive, he began driving towards Sango and Miroku's apartment, keeping the radio on low in case he heard anything funny happening in the back seat. After a few moments of silence, he heard Sango's voice, "What did Kouga mean my half-breed?"
The question had his jaw clench, gaze still ahead as he tried to weigh his options; Miroku knew about Inuyasha's blood, how it held both demon and human kind within it. But he'd sworn the man to secrecy and it seemed he'd kept his word if Sango didn't know. Yet, Sango was persistent and, if he didn't tell her himself, she'd manage to break Miroku down regardless, "Means I'm hanyou," he murmured, hearing the steady breathing of Kagome in the back, telling him she was well passed out.
"Hanyou?" Sango repeated before it hit her, "Oh, so you're half demon and half...human? Really?" She could see Inuyasha looking in the rearview mirror towards her with a nod, "Oh. Miroku never told me."
"Because I told him not to tell anyone - and that includes Kagome. You don't say a word to her about it," he scolded, seeing the confusion on Sango's features at the command. It seemed Inuyasha didn't know Kagome at all, a blood had never mattered to her.
"She wouldn't care," Sango stated firmly, "You should know that."
"Don't. Tell her." He growled, keeping his attention on the only conscious woman in the back seat. Sango backed off then, tensing at the aggression before releasing a heavy sigh out of defeat.
"Fine, I won't openly tell her but if she asks, I'm not lying to her."
That was as good as Inuyasha was going to get and he wasn't about to push for more, "Fine."
Carrying Kagome into his house, he kicked off his shoes and immediately made his way to his bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, he pulled off her shoes and peeled her coat off of her, tossing both items onto the floor carelessly. She was completely passed out, boneless and easy to maneuver in whatever way he needed. Yet, when it came to taking off her dress and underwear to replace them with one of his shirts, she'd come to. A low whine left as he'd sat her up, legs over the bed as he held her close to unzip the back of her dress, "Inuyasha?" she groaned, her head leaning forward to rest on his shoulder.
"I'm here, Kagome. Keep sleepin'," he replied, tone gentle despite how annoyed he was.
The whimper that came after had him pulling away enough to look down at her, tears brimming her eyes, "I'm sorry. I really messed up," she mewled, only to feel hands on both of her cheeks to keep her neck straight. Blurry gaze found his face, seeing him looking right at her with those honeyed eyes she'd started to fall in love with.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow, alright? Right now, you and I both need sleep," he watched as a stray tear fell from her eye, easily wiped away by his thumb.
She'd managed to stay conscious enough for him to undress her completely, telling her to lift her arms so he could slide one of his shirts over her head before telling her lay back down for the time being. If he knew anything about hangovers, water was the best way to keep one at bay, or at least lessen the intensity of one. Grabbing a large glass of water, he walked back into the bedroom, placing it on the nightstand before sitting her back up, "Kagome, you gotta have some water," he stated, seeing the petite woman open her eyes before scrunching her nose and shaking her head.
"I'll puke..." she whined, causing Inuyasha to roll his eyes.
"You won't puke, just drink it," grabbing the glass, he held it to her lips, only to have her turn her head away. Ah, yes. The part where drunk adults turned into toddlers, "Kagome," his voice stern and having enough of an effect to have Kagome listen, "Drink."
Tipping the glass to her lips, she gulped down almost the full glass before lifting her hands to push his away, breathing heavily with a sigh, "Enough."
Putting the glass down, he helped Kagome get tucked into bed, turning her on her side towards the wall before he quickly changed out of everything except his boxers and slid into bed next to her. By the time he'd done that, she was passed out, with Inuyasha not taking long to follow suit.
With a low groan, her eyes opened to the sound of thunder and rain hitting against the window. Drawing in a deep breath, she felt a churning in her gut and a pounding in her head and released that breath with another groan, "What-" mahogany eyes blinked open to see a tall glass of water and a bottle of Advil on the nightstand. Behind those items was the clock, reading that it was almost one in the afternoon. A sharp inhale was taken through her nose as she frantically propped herself up on her elbows, scanning the room when she realized it wasn't her own. That panic subsided when she realized she was in Inuyasha's room.
"Wait."
That hadn't been the end goal of the night when she and Sango had discussed it, especially since she knew Inuyasha had needed to work early the next day. The question of how she ended up at his house crossed her mind before a few memories began to flood in.
Dancing.
Kouga.
Calling Inuyasha.
Then nothing.
Right. She'd woken him up after she'd called and asked him to pick her up because she'd run into Kouga and his new girlfriend.
A pang of guilt and regret tied a knot into her stomach as she dug her head into the pillow beneath her with the third groan of the morning. A very real part of her wanted to start sobbing, feeling like a fool for putting Inuyasha through her own emotional roller coaster. Maybe getting into a relationship with him had been too soon.
Now that thought made her want to start sobbing.
"I'm such an idiot..." she choked into the pillow, gripping it tightly as she pushed back the threat of tears. Instead, she opted for screaming into the pillow, hearing it muffled easily as catharsis set in.
After laying there for another minute or two, she managed to convince herself to get up. Sitting up, she took two pills and chugged back the water before climbing to her feet and grabbing her purse from the floor. Pulling out her phone, she saw several missed texts and a couple of missed called from Sango.
Clicking the text notifications, she saw some of them were from Inuyasha when he was at work. In a way, she was afraid to read them but knew that avoiding it wouldn't do any good.
[SMS received from: MechDaddy 🚗] - i'll be home around 2 (seen ✔️)
[SMS received from: MechDaddy 🚗] - you can use my uber account to get yourself something to eat (seen ✔️)
"He's not mad?" she thought to herself, but something told her she knew better than to think that.
[SMS sending to: MechDaddy 🚗] - thank you. i just woke up but i'll make sure i'm gone by the time you get home. (seen ✔️)
Perhaps it was best that she went home and gave him some space, seeing as she'd caused him so much trouble.
[SMS received from: MechDaddy 🚗] - no you wont. you're stayin put. (seen ✔️)
[SMS received from: MechDaddy 🚗] - we need to talk (seen ✔️)
The dreaded phrase that had Kagome's blood run cold. Everyone knew what that phrase meant. Was he planning to break up with her? The way her heart sank had her simply staring at that text for a good few minutes before she finally gathered enough cognitive thought to reply.
[SMS sending to: MechDaddy 🚗] - ok (seen ✔️)
Work had been longer than normal; Inuyasha didn't typically need that much sleep, but when he did manage to fall into a deep sleep, being woken up in the middle of it messed with his whole schedule. Add the fact that his girlfriends had been a druken, emotional mess and Inuyasha's patience was much thinner than usual (if that was even possible). Thankfully, it was just himself alone for the first half of the shift, only having everyone start rolling int at around ten o'clock to start with their own day. It wasn't hard for them to realize that staying away from him was the best option for them that day. They could hear him muttering under his breath, growling low in his chest and doing things more aggressively than normal.
When two o'clock rolled around, he wasted no time in packing up his things and leaving, receiving 'good byes' from his employees in a rather nervous tone. Maybe he drove a little too fast home, but the combination of irritation and exhaustion made him yearning for his own home, regardless of the fact that he knew he'd be having a rather difficult conversation with his girlfriend when he got there.
Unlocking the door, he stepped inside, kicking off his shoes and immediately heading upstairs to have a shower. No greeting, no calling out to her, nothing.
Sitting in the kitchen, still dressed in his shirt with her legs crossed on the chair she sat on, Kagome felt another pang of guilt shoot through her system. Lifting her hand to her mouth, she closed her eyes tightly and tried to keep herself from jumping to conclusions. This hurt. The thought of losing him - of him leaving her over her own stupidity - Kagome wanted to call a cab and run home. After everything she'd put him through, she knew she owed him the decency of staying to hear him out.
Finishing his shower, he dressed in something comfortable before putting his hair up in a high ponytail while he walked down the stairs. He needn't call out to her, he could smell where she was when he walked in and knew she was still there, waiting for him.
Walking into the livingroom, he let his gaze fall to her sitting at the table, phone flat on it with her finger aimlessy scrolling while she rested a cheek in her free palm. He couldn't smell alcohol on her anymore, telling him she'd showered, and it was replaced by the smell of salt - tears that had yet to fall.
Seeing a cup of coffee and a bag on the counter, he heard her voice, so meek and timid, "I got you something, in case you were hungry..."
"Thanks," he stated simply, only reaching for the coffee before grabbing a chair and pulling closer to hers before taking a seat. Resting his elbows on the table, he held the cup in both hands, glancing at her sideways. The tension was unbearable; Inuyasha had never been good with situations like this. Turning off her phone, Kagome lifting her head and let her attention fall on his face. Releasing a deep breath, Inuyasha closed his eyes to try and gather his thoughts, "How much do you remember about last night?"
Kagome shrugged before recounting as much as she could, "I remember calling you. I remember our conversation," shaking her head, she averted her gaze from him, "Then nothing."
Silence fell between them once again, Kagome's heart pounding in her chest at the waited for him to tell her about all of the stupid shit she'd done while she was drunk, "Inuyasha-" she started, an obvious lump in her throat keeping her from going any farther.
"You ran into Kouga last night, then decided to call me. Why?"
Kagome was taken aback by the question, brows furrowing as her mouth opened and closed once, then twice, trying to gather the right words to explain herself, "Because-" Why had she called him? It was just instinct really. He'd always been the first person on her mind when she had something important to tell him. But perhaps calling him and asking him to come get her had crossed a boundary. Telling him she as drunk was out of the question, as that wasn't really the reason as to why she'd called him - perhaps it was a catalyst, but deep down she knew she'd have called him regardless of being drunk. Perhaps not in that moment, but she would have. He'd become more than a boyfriend, he'd become one of her best friends; she trusted him more than she ever had trusted Kouga (and that was saying a lot).
"Because you make me feel better," she stated with an uncomfortable shrug, not knowing if that was the right answer to give but it was the one she felt deep in her heart. Looking over her face, he could sense fear and nervousness, which confused and, frankly, hurt him. What did she expect him to do? Harm her?
"And..." she continued, biting down on her lower lip as she looked down at her phone, even though all that showed was a black screen, "Seeing Kouga made me want to be around you."
"Because I'm what you can get your hands on?" It was spoken somewhat bitterly, unable to keep it at bay. He did fear that he'd been a replacement, even though Kagome had showed almost no sign of that. In fact, she'd been the one to hold off their relationship because she felt she wasn't ready for one. It was that reasoning that had Kagome turned her head towards him with a glare that held nothing but offense within it.
"What?" Pulling her head back in shock, she scanned his features, seeing that he was at least a little serious, "How...dare you." Her voice cracked from pain and anguish, "It's not like I would go running back to him if he asked me to!" she snapped, needing to take in a ragged breath, filled with the threat of sobs, "I just hadn't seen him since we broke up! And when I did, he was with someone else! So yeah, I was hurt!" Kagome sniffled as she kept her gaze on Inuyasha, lip quivering as she tried desperately to not break down into unrelenting tears, "But that doesn't mean that you're some sort of replacement!"
Inuyasha ran a hand over his face as he listened to her fight through tears to yell at him, "Well what did you expect me to think!?" he snapped back, leaning toward her with his teeth bared, "You keep me a secret, not tellin' anyone about us and then suddenly want me actin' like your fuckin' knight in shining armour after seeing your ex?!"
Kagome froze at his words, heart shattering at the way his gaze burned into her with a real sense of distress, "You know why I-" she whimpered, "I told you why I wanted to keep it between us!" her voice was more confident then, leaning towards him in a similar fashion, "And I was going to tell you that I didn't want to keep it a secret anymore when you got home!"
Confusion spread across the demon's face at her next statement, "Not a secret?" he repeated, looking over her features to see if she was just saying that to make him feel better. He knew better than to think he even needed to, Kagome never would say something just to make him feel better, not in this context.
"Yeah! But since you think you're just a replacement-" she stated, jaw clenched now as tears fell freely down her cheeks, "I know I shouldn't have called you, okay? I know I should have waited until the next day, but I was so..." she could see his expression softening, "Overwhelmed."
Pushing his tongue to his cheek, he swallowed and averted his gaze from hers, holding the cup in one hand as his free hand rubbed the back of his neck, "Overwhelmed, huh? By what?" There was still an edge to his tone, he couldn't change it.
"Seeing Kouga. Seeing he was with someone. All after telling friends I had a new boyfriend. It was a lot. But I couldn't think of anything else but wanting to see you. I mean it, Inuyasha. You make me feel better, even if you piss me off so much I can see straight, sometimes," she could see him side glancing her, a look of apology on his features, "Why would you ever think you were just a replacement?" she asked, feeling hurt more so by the fact that he thought her that shallow.
No response could come to mind, no logical reasoning that didn't stem from a very deep-rooted pain that stemmed from childhood and into the only other real relationship he'd ever had. A secret pushed to the side and attempted to be forgotten, "It's not feeling I'm a replacement, really," he started, shaking his head, "It's the secrecy. I hate it. I've-"
Kagome could tell that he was telling truth, brows furrowing as she tilted her head in expectancy, wanting him to continue, "I've always been someone's secret," he finally stated, seeing his fist clenched and unclench in an attempt to soothe himself. The young woman reached for that hand, gripping it in an attempt to stop him from continuing.
"You never told me. In fact, you don't tell me anything," she explained, keeping her voice even, even though it held a slight chill, "You haven't told me anything about your previous relationship, your family...childhood. Every time I try to get you to tell me something, you shut down completely. It's not fair to me! I've told you so much about myself. I'm not asking you to tell me everything, not at all at once; just...something."
Slowly, Inuyasha moved his hand to grip her hand, lacing their fingers together as silence fell between them. Letting his eyes fall to their hands, "I need that if we plan to make our relationship public," she continued, suddenly seeing Inuyasha's head snap up, their eyes meeting, "If you want to make our relationship public..." she repeated more timidly.
"I-" he started, looking over her features as his heart pound in his chest. He could hear that hers was doing the same, "My life is a disaster, Kagome."
"I don't give a shit," she stated, mimicking what he'd said to her when they'd first agreed to be together,. It startled Inuyasha for a moment, tensing before he registered just what she was doing and relaxed, "I just need you to trust me, just a little."
Tentatively, he eyed her, brows furrowing before he reluctantly agreed, "Fine," he huffed, seeing Kagome's lips pull into a smile as she rolled her eyes.
"Don't act like it's a death sentence," she teased, only to feel him pull her from her chair to straddle his hips. Loosely, she wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt his own wrap around her waist. Leaning down, pressed a kiss to his lips, only to have him pull away with his nose scrunched.
"You still taste like puke," he groaned, turning his head away with a grimace. Kagome blushed some, not remembering that she'd puked the night before, as she covered her mouth to speak.
"Comes with the territory, sweetie," she teased before climbing off him and heading towards the upstairs bathroom, where she'd left a toothbrush for herself.
When she came back downstairs, Inuyasha had moved to the couch, coffee in hand as he turned over his shoulder to watch her come close. Sitting beside him, she offered a sweet smile, "So," she started, tilting her head before biting on her lower lip in that adorable Inuyasha had grown to adore.
"So?" he repeated, brows cocking upward as he waited for her to continue.
"Wanna go to the movies tonight? Y'know, like a real date?"
Unable to contain the smirk that crossed his face, he put his cup down and turned towards her, "We gunna make out in the back of the movie theatre?" he asked, pushing her onto her back as he crawled over her, peering down at her with pure mischief in his eyes, causing Kagome to giggle while she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"We could just do that here," she teased, pressing her lips against his as he gave her a quick kiss.
"Mmm, but it's fun knowing people could see us..."
She had no argument there.