Quick TW: there is a callout to previously-referenced domestic violence in this chapter; it is not detailed and is roughly one sentence.
Kagome sighed tiredly, taking another sip of coffee from the cracked mug she had brought from the kitchen to her bedroom. It felt like an hour had passed since she opened her closet to pick her outfit for the day, but all she'd accomplished so far was pulling out a plain pair of jeans.
She was antsy. Despite their best efforts, she and Inuyasha hadn't seen each other since Christmas Eve. Sure, there had been text conversations, the occasional FaceTime, and a couple of aborted attempts at mid-day coffee (pre-empted once by a surprise acquisition response meeting on Inuyasha's end and the second time by a rescheduled doctor's appointment for Jii-chan), but the fact remained: it had been weeks.
And now it was mid-January and they'd both returned to school: Inuyasha two weeks ago and Kagome, wanting to maximize her family time, the day before yesterday. Classes started today, which meant the small group meetings with the undergrads would begin again that afternoon. And, while she wasn't nervous about seeing Inuyasha again, she was anxious to settle the question of what, precisely, the nature of this relationship was.
She felt like a lovesick teenager, and the anticipatory anxiety only made it worse. She sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. She opened them again, this time grabbing the first thing she saw hanging before her – her pharmacology department pullover. Figuring it was good enough, she pulled it over her head and tied her hair back. She could pair the outfit with some cute shoes and make it fashionable, after all.
Might as well rip the band-aid off. Get it all over with after lab and today's meeting.
Kagome packed up her laptop and grabbed her coat, ignoring the faint feeling of dread that was threatening to envelop her. She had no time for overactive nerves today, she told herself as she walked out the door to greet the chilly, gray morning.
He wasn't nervous.
"Nervous" would suggest that Inuyasha was unsure about how things would play out moving forward. Based on the way the night had ended the last time they'd been together in person, he was anything but uncertain as to where Kagome stood. It had been weeks since that night in Roppongi, and he felt a jolt of regret every time he thought about what could have been if they hadn't been interrupted by Kagome's brother.
He had been desperate to see Kagome again before leaving Tokyo. "Gutted" may not be the right word to use, but it was pretty damn close to how he felt the day he left. The rational side of his brain tried to remind him that It wasn't as if they couldn't see each other back at school; they weren't fourteen, after all. It wasn't as if twenty-three days without in-person contact (but who was counting?) would doom their blossoming relationship.
He'd ignored that, choosing instead to mope through the entire plane ride back and his first four days home until Miroku and Sango convinced him to go skiing with classmates.
Well, "skiing". He spent the weekend sitting in the lodge, alternating between brooding in his room and sulking in the lounge while his classmates hit the slopes. He couldn't shake the thought that he would have had a nicer time with a rosy-cheeked Kagome curled up against his side, sipping hot chocolate while the snow swirled outside. It had been a nice daydream; enough to get him through the last two weeks of loneliness and now this Bioengineering Applications team meeting that seemed like it would never end.
He watched silently as Kagome finished explaining the competitor drugs on the market, writing out different generic names and manufacturers with a half-dried marker on the study room whiteboard. She finished, turning expectantly toward him to wrap up the meeting; he took a sip of water and cleared his throat.
"Okay, then. Each one of you picks one competitor and does some basic research on what the parent company's marketing strategy might be."
He ignored Shippo's raised hand. "I'm not answering any questions. You shouldn't have any questions."
Shippo put his hand down. Kagome shot Inuyasha an exasperated look, though she seemed to be fighting back a laugh.
"If you have any questions, email or Slack me," she jumped in. "I'll do my best to respond same-day if you contact me before nine p.m."
"You're too nice to them," Inuyasha muttered as Kagome dismissed the team. She patted his shoulder playfully in response.
"So," Kagome sighed heavily as she closed her laptop, leaning back in her heavy wood chair as the undergraduates all but ran from the study room, "What are you up to this afternoon?
Inuyasha smirked, quirking a brow just a bit as he walked toward her side of the table and leaned against the study room wall. "Why? You asking me on a date?"
In the past, he might have been embarrassed by his brazenness, but he didn't really care now.
Impatient! That's the word.
He was impatient, he realized, and it was past time to settle the question of what was happening between them.
"What would you say if I told you I am?" She looked him dead in the eye, and though he wasn't exactly surprised by her response, he couldn't ignore the way his heart skipped a beat.
"I'd say that it sounds like I have plans, then. Where are we going?"
Kagome smiled a sly smile, stopping to brush a stray lock of hair from her face before responding.
"Well," she began, "I have to stop by the lab first, but I was thinking… maybe it could be nice if we gave the Canal Street Diner another shot."
"That's perfect," he responded.
He meant it.
The walk to the lab was cold and wet, though Inuyasha didn't notice. His spirits were buoyed by the new level of intimacy borne from their reconnection: a touch on her elbow as he shouldered Kagome's bag, her hand grabbing his as she briefly slipped on the brick walkway past the humanities quad.
Things were changing for the better. He could say that with certainty, he decided as he watched Kagome enter through the tinted glass door. She told him she'd only be a few minutes, so he settled in to wait, leaning back against the lab building's cement entryway, Kagome's bag still hanging from his left shoulder.
He pulled out his phone intending to catch up on the news for the day, finding himself surprised by a message notification instead. He braced himself before opening it – anything from Sesshomaru couldn't be good news, after all, and he was hardly in the mood to deal with it right now.
We're preparing to make an offer to a candidate.
He let out an exhale – he'd been expecting an update about the merger, not something this inconsequential. Why would Sesshomaru bother him with this?
Unless…
What does that have to do with me?
The response was unnecessarily brusque, but he wasn't going to spend the emotional energy on whatever game Sesshomaru wanted to play.
Don't you want to know who?
There it is.
Nah, I'm good.
Inuyasha knew who, and he wouldn't take the bait.
We're not publicly traded; we're a family business. There's nothing improper about hiring your girlfriend.
Inuyasha grit his teeth, unsure of exactly how to reply. There was always the option of ignoring his brother, but that wouldn't provide the personal satisfaction that telling him off would. Or, he could go with the classic "she's not my girlfriend"; short, to the point, a nice deflection.
On the other hand, not necessarily truthful.
Shut the fuck up.
That would do.
He shoved the phone back into his pocket and slouched back against the damp cement, not quite fuming. He settled for people watching to occupy the rest of his wait, narrowing in on a pair of undergraduates standing across the walkway.
He had just been able to figure out that they were talking about post-graduation plans and possible living arrangements when his attention was drawn back toward the front door. The sea of students and researchers milling about in the lobby parted as Kagome's small frame shoved her way through the crowd, that fucker of a lab manager following close behind.
His heart sank as she pushed the door open, her expression drawn and pale.
There would be no date today, he realized with disappointment. Moping could wait, though: his first priority was getting Kagome away from that creep and whatever stunt he was trying to pull.
Kagome wasn't precisely sure how they'd gotten here. She clearly remembered opening the envelope Eri had passed her from the lab mailbox. She'd probably never forget opening it, but the rest of the past ten minutes or so was a blur. She somewhat recalled Pete rushing to her as she let out a strangled cry and how he followed closely as she descended the stairs almost robotically.
Had he said something about wanting to take me to the university police station?
She didn't know. It didn't matter much, anyway, since Inuyasha had tucked her tightly under his arm almost as soon as she'd left the building and now they were… here. Wherever that was.
Her feet were killing her – pointed-toe flats, though cute, were a terrible choice for today, she realized – and the hard, wet cement floor didn't help one bit.
They were in a landscaping shed, she realized too late, as she leaned back against what she thought was a wall to rest her feet, only to stumble backwards as several mops fell to the floor behind her. She shrieked, startled by the loud clatter.
You've always startled too easily.
And like that, Kagome snapped back to reality. She was doing it again: reacting blindly before thinking rationally – letting her panic take over. She still had that uncomfortable heightened feeling, like no matter what she did she couldn't get enough oxygen and her soul was slowly being pulled from her body, but the blind fear began to subside and she could at least get her thoughts in order.
"What did he do?" Inuyasha's question cut through her thoughts and she winced at the way his voice echoed around the room, too loud for her ears.
Kagome ignored the question, instead focusing on a spot of water damage just past Inuyasha's shoulder, where the wood siding of the shed met the tin roof. She breathed in tempo with the rain dripping down the wall, even though she knew that it probably wouldn't help all that much. Her hands were still clammy, and she was sure her sweat had soaked through the corner of the envelope she still held tightly in her left hand. She didn't care; it wasn't like its contents would be damaged by a little bit of sweat, she reminded herself as her stomach turned slightly at the remembrance of what was inside.
"What did he do?" The question came again as a pair of hands much larger than her own held her by the shoulders.
Inuyasha bent down to meet her gaze. "Please tell me you're okay. Whatever happened back there – you don't have to tell me. Just tell me you're okay."
"I'm okay," Kagome replied without thinking, moving her free hand to rest on his. "He didn't do anything. I think he was trying to help."
Inuyasha nodded, not looking one bit like he believed her. Uneasiness settled in Kagome's stomach as she took in the sight of him – hair slightly frizzed from the humidity, concern flashing in his amber eyes, breathing ragged.
Kagome's stomach did another somersault, though this time for a very different reason. Had anyone, other than Mama, shown her quite this much concern in the past four years?
Had anyone, other than Mama, ever cared about her this much?
Guilt. What you're feeling is guilt.
Kagome gulped, dreading the conversation she knew they had to have. It was past time, really; she should have told him all the way back in November, if she was being honest with herself. Instead, she settled into a nice, comfortable state of denial, telling herself that all would be well once she changed her number. And, to be fair, it had been for a couple of months.
But now?
Kagome's grip tightened on the envelope. "I think we need to talk," she began, holding the envelope out to Inuyasha to take.
She fixed her gaze back on the corner, watching the water continue to leak, not wanting to look back at him. She couldn't.
She did.
"I, uh," she stammered, doing her best to hold back the lump in her throat that was rapidly forming as Inuyasha's expression changed from confusion to horror as he pulled the items from the envelope, "I think I'm being harassed?"
He didn't answer, instead staring wordlessly at what he held in his hand.
It felt like hours had passed in just a few minutes, and Inuyasha stayed frozen, eyes locked on his right hand. The shed was dark, but what light managed to fight its way through the gaps in the shed's siding was just enough to illuminate the amethyst pendant he held.
Kikyo's pendant.
He, and apparently Kagome, knew that Kikyo never went anywhere without that necklace – a souvenir she'd bought herself when she graduated high school and went on her first un-chaperoned trip with a few friends.
A Shikon no Tama souvenir, he remembered, cursing internally at the coincidence.
That was bad enough, and it got worse, he noted dazedly as he tilted his palm ever-so-slightly, letting the light from the pendant shedding an eerie glow on… it.
It might not even be hers, but it didn't matter. The message was clear enough, and it was enough to make his stomach turn.
People just didn't send a lock of human hair, carefully brushed and tied with a ribbon, as a greeting after all.
How could two such small items cause so much devastation? Kagome couldn't help but marvel as Sango and Miroku met them in her building's hallway before ushering them into the apartment. Sango all but shoved Kagome into the shower, commenting that she looked like a drowned rat thanks to the mile-long walk home in the rain, before she headed to her bedroom to join Miroku and Inuyasha.
Kagome finally told him everything: about Kikyo's bruises, their argument during the last week of her life, how Kagome wished she'd done something – anything – differently, and how it seemed now that The Entrepreneur was back to get his revenge.
He'd been so angry, too, she remembered painfully as she washed her hair more aggressively than normal, hot soapy water hitting the shower wall with unusual force. She couldn't blame him; Kagome was angry at herself – angry for not doing more years ago, angry for not telling Inuyasha that cold night in November, just angry.
At least she'd had time to process most of it – he was learning of all of this now because of her stubbornness. She winced as she remembered the way his expression darkened as she talked, how he kicked a stack of paint cans when she mentioned The Entrepreneur and the content of the calls from November.
He told her he wasn't mad at her as they left the shed, but Kagome wasn't sure she believed him. She was going to make it right, though.
She called Kouga as she stood outside of the shed, giving Inuyasha a moment with his thoughts before the silent walk home. She wasn't even sure if Kikyo's case was still open, but Kouga was the only person she knew who could help. Just her luck, he'd been on his way out the door for the day – but he'd promised to meet with her the next morning.
She at least had that.
Kagome sighed, turning off the shower and wringing out her hair. She changed into the set of pajamas that Sango had left by the sink and hung up her towel, tousling her hair a bit in front of the mirror before taking a deep breath and venturing out to face whatever was beyond the bathroom door.
"I made us dinner," Miroku called as she padded toward her bedroom. "Inuyasha and Sango went to night class – I thought you might like some company."
Kagome detoured to the kitchen instead, tempted by the offer.
"Plus, it's 'Bachelor' night," he added, grinning as he held out a bowl of macaroni and cheese. "I figured you'd want to catch up and see where you're ranked in the league."
Kagome couldn't help but crack a smile as she took the food from him. "Sango asked you to babysit me, didn't she?"
An expression of feigned shock fell over her friend's face. "Well, I never," he gasped. "After all the trouble I went through? Cooking you a gourmet meal, building a blanket fort," he pointed toward the living room where the sofa had been pushed back against the wall to make way for an elaborate fort.
"I even perused Sango's candle collection – I curated an aromatherapy experience for you. My research tells me that the ladies love scented candles." Miroku winked and Kagome snorted in a decidedly unladylike fashion.
"Okay, you've convinced me," she replied, heading toward the blanket fort. If she had to be babysat tonight, she might as well make the best of it, she figured as she did her best to banish all thoughts of the afternoon's events from her mind.
"Besides," Miroku called after her from where he remained in the kitchen, serving himself a bowl. "It wasn't Sango who asked me to take care of you tonight."
Kagome paused, letting the words sink in.
"I just thought you might need to hear that," Miroku stated plainly, dropping all pretense as he set the serving spoon down and followed Kagome to the TV.
He fucking hated it here. It was too cold, for one thing, and the chairs were uncomfortable. The university police station looked like it hadn't been renovated since 1955 and the overhead lighting cast an odd light that bounced off the asbestos tile floor, giving everything a sickly green tint.
Inuyasha cast a surreptitious glance to his right. Kagome stared straight ahead, face pale (or was it just the light?), her hands tightly gripping the to-go cup of black coffee that he'd brought to her apartment that morning.
He was pissed off, but like hell he'd let Kagome go through this alone. He didn't know what the hell she'd been thinking, keeping silent for two months, but it didn't matter right now.
Where the hell is that fucking wolf anyway?
He drummed his fingers on his leg, conscious not to make a noise that would startle her. Kouga was running late – they'd been waiting fifteen minutes past the scheduled appointment time at this point.
Who the hell does he think he is, making her wait like this?
This should be his highest priority. Why wouldn't it be? There hadn't been a murder on campus since Kikyo. As far as he could tell, there wasn't much the university police actually did, other than outsource everything to the city cops.
Inuyasha had started to tap his feet out of impatience, he realized too late as Kagome gave a light tap on his shoulder.
"Stop," she muttered tiredly.
He felt like he might explode if he stopped, but he did regardless. He wondered if she'd slept at all last night, noting the dark circles under her eyes.
It's not like you slept much either.
He hated this. All of it. If he was being honest with himself, he was devastated by what Kagome told him the day before.
You should have done something. Anything. Maybe you could have saved Kikyo's life.
He shoved the thought from his mind, knowing it was irrational. He didn't have time for this right now. He needed to focus on ensuring Kagome was safe, even if it meant gritting his teeth through a meeting with that asshole of a cop. He could melt down in the privacy of his own home later, if that's what it was going to come down to.
He turned to look at the clock once more. Twenty goddamn minutes late. Inuyasha was going to deck that motherfucker when he finally showed his face. He didn't give a damn that he was in a police station. He didn't trust the cop – not after the bullshit he pulled at the diner all those months before, intentional or not.
Kouga finally made his grand entrance right as Inuyasha shifted in his seat, ready to start pacing the lobby.
"Sweetheart!" His voice boomed, bouncing off the tile flooring, only slightly dampened by the deteriorated ceiling tiles.
Inuyasha winced at the sound. "Don't fucking call her that," he growled as he stood from his chair, placing himself between Kouga and Kagome.
"Looks like you've got yourself a watchdog," Kouga chuckled, dismissing the poisonous glare Inuyasha shot him as he settled into a smile. "That's a good thing, though. It's good to know you have someone looking out for you."
Kagome returned the smile weakly as Kouga ushered them down the hallway behind the reception desk. Inuyasha's discomfort increased – the hallway was similar to the lobby: same cracked tile, same grungy ceiling, same green-tinged lighting that washed out everything it touched. The hallway was cramped, and Inuyasha felt like the walls might close in on him. He pushed forward, though, determined not to abandon Kagome.
They turned a corner and entered through the first door on their left. Inuyasha groaned internally as he took in the surroundings.
"An interrogation room? Are you fucking kidding me?" He knew the wolf was no good; this cemented it. Here Kagome was, revictimized by this Entrepreneur asshat, and Kouga was forcing her to recount everything in a dark, cold room?
Kouga sighed. "I know, it's not the most ideal setting, but the conference rooms are full," he scratched his head, turning to Kagome. "I can get you a blanket if you'd like?"
She nodded. "I think I'd like that, thank you," she replied as she placed the envelope from the day before on the table.
Why is she being polite to this asshole?
"I'll be right back, then," Kouga said all-too-cheerily as he turned and left the room.
Ten minutes went by before Kouga returned. The time passed in silence, Kagome staring at the wall tiredly and sipping her coffee every so often, as if she was unsure of what else to do. Inuyasha took to pacing the room, deciding that breaking the quiet would be the wrong move.
"Sorry," the wolf demon apologized as he re-entered the room, "Took a while to find a clean one." He tossed the blanket to Kagome, who caught it deftly and immediately wrapped herself in it.
Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. "'Clean one', my ass. When was the last time you washed this? When the university opened?"
Kouga shrugged and opened his mouth to retort just as Kagome cut in.
"Can we not? Can we get this over with so I can go home? Please?" She looked like she was ready to crack at any second, and Inuyasha held back a rude reply. Chastened, both men took their seats.
Kouga cleared his throat, attempting to switch tracks. "So what did you want to talk about? You weren't the most detailed on the phone yesterday."
Kagome took a deep breath, steeling herself before she began. Inuyasha reached his arm under the table, putting a hand on her knee in an attempt to provide some level of comfort. He tried to stamp down the embarrassment he felt at the gesture; soothing others wasn't exactly his strong suit, and he had no idea if it would do any good anyway.
He felt useless here and he hated it.
"I got some calls in November," Kagome started, "I brushed them off as prank calls initially, even though there were so many that I ended up changing my number."
Kouga nodded. "Did the caller say anything to you?"
Kagome nodded. "He talked about how I looked like Kikyo. I thought it was someone playing an awful joke at first, so I ignored it. It wasn't until a few hours later that I remembered something that seemed important."
"What did you remember?" Kouga was trying to keep his voice measured and even, but Inuyasha could tell that the wolf was feeling anything but relaxed about this.
Kagome lowered her gaze to the table. "The things he said were really similar to something someone had said to me in the past… Before Kikyo died. It scared me, so I changed my number and didn't think about it any more after the calls stopped… Pretty stupid of me, huh?"
Inuyasha squeezed her knee lightly.
"Not stupid," Kouga reassured her. "I probably would have done the same thing myself."
Inuyasha didn't believe him but chose not to challenge it.
Kagome smiled a little before continuing on. "Anyway, things were fine until yesterday. I received this at my office."
She slid the envelope across the table. Inuyasha watched Kouga as he pulled the necklace and the braid from within, his eyes widening as he let out a low whistle.
"I think he sent them," she stated simply. "Onigumo, I mean. I think he killed her."
Inuyasha's stomach turned slightly at the mention of his name. It wasn't familiar; he hadn't met The Entrepreneur. Naming him somehow just made it all feel more… real.
"No, I'm certain he did," she corrected herself, running a hand through her hair nervously.
Kouga nodded, his expression turning grim as he examined the envelope and its former contents closely. "I agree that you have reason to be concerned. Very concerned."
He pulled a pair of gloves and a plastic bag from a drawer under the table. He slid the gloves on quickly, letting the ends snap against his wrists.
"Onigumo is the most likely suspect," he continued as he put the envelope into the plastic bag, marking the date and time on the outside with a permanent marker, "but that doesn't answer the question of who's causing you trouble now."
"Why the fuck not? It's open and shut, isn't it?" Inuyasha pulled his hand suddenly from Kagome's knee, clenching his fists so tightly his nails started to dig into his palm.
"No, it's not," Kouga continued, an edge in his voice. "It's not open and shut at all."
"Why not?" Kagome's question came so quietly that Inuyasha wasn't sure it would've been heard at all if she was speaking to humans.
"Because, Kagome," Kouga sighed, getting up from his chair to crouch next to Kagome, a much gentler quality to his tone this time, "Onigumo died four years ago."
Thank you for your patience with this chapter; I hope you enjoy!