Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this dash of aftermath... especially for the lovestruck one. A nod of recognition is bent toward Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

Lovelorn

Mid-February...

When Kagome pulled into the school parking lot the following day, nervous excitement coursed through her at the thought of seeing Inuyasha again. Will he be the same? Love could change a person, but she wasn't sure she wanted anything to change.

Not that the trade-off was bad.

Banging her head lightly against the steering wheel, she asked, "Why is this so confusing?"

Finally, she gathered her things and headed for the entrance. Lovestruck or not, she had work to do.

Coffee time rolled around, and Kagome could barely keep up with her racing heart as she made her way to the kitchen. Will he be different? She was comfortable with what they'd shared up until now, and she really didn't want to let that go. Inuyasha and Shippo were already there, so she slipped into her seat and did her best to act naturally.

It didn't take long to realize that she wasn't the only bad actor in the room. Gert was exercising her gift for gab, but at the same time, she was very carefully not-saying-anything, and Kagome was quite certain that Shippo was kicking Inuyasha under the table.

She risked a quick peek, only to meet a simultaneous glance in her direction.

His eyes held a cautious greeting, and she offered a small smile that didn't even begin to tell of the giddiness in her heart. Some of her joy must have spilled over, though, because Inuyasha's shoulder's relaxed, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Apparently, that was all the reassurance he needed because for the rest of that day and on into the next, Inuyasha weathered the rumors and teasing without a flinch.

It was exactly as she'd hoped. Inuyasha hadn't changed a bit.

And it was awful.

Kagome wished he was half as flustered as she felt, but he managed to carry on as if nothing had happened.

Late on Tuesday afternoon, Kagome sat at her desk, idly twirling her pen as she wallowed in self-pity. One part of her understood that Inuyasha wasn't going to run around and do crazy, romantic things.

This was work.

She was busy.

He was busy.

Someone else was always around. There's such a thing as a time and a place, and it's not as if he's ignoring me. His watchfulness was sweet, but frustratingly silent. Maybe if she made a mess or broke something, she could call him into her office. Lamest plan ever, she admitted with a gusty sigh.

She quickly straightened out of her emo slump when someone rapped lightly on her door. At her call, it swung wide and Inuyasha maneuvered his way through the door with a step ladder under one arm, a replacement bulb for the florescent fixture under the other.

"Hey," he greeted casually. Then, he glanced upwards, and his brows drew together. "That's not burnt out."

"Nooo."

"Is it flickering?"

"No."

His fixed her with a steady gaze. "Did you need me for something?"

"I didn't invent an excuse to get you here, if that's what you mean," she replied stiffly, though her face flushed.

"Guess that means Shippo's being cute," Inuyasha replied. He propped the light against the door frame and set down the ladder. "He likes to poke his nose into stuff. Especially my stuff."

"Erm... that's what friends are for?"

"I shoulda been more suspicious since I just swapped this one out in the fall." Folding his arms over his chest, he said, "Let's make the most of his meddling. I wanted to talk to you anyhow."

Keeping a firm hold on her jangling nerves, Kagome stood and circled the desk. "About what?" she inquired, placing the ball in his court.

"Why are you uneasy?"

"What makes you think...?"

"Call it a hunch," he interrupted, edging closer and lowering his voice. "Did I screw something up?"

"What? No!"

Inuyasha pushed his hand through his hair with an odd little grumble, and his expression turned awkward and pleading. "Look... I can't pretend to know what I'm doing, so you're going to have to help me out. Tell me what you need, and if there's any way to give it to you, I will."

It was a strange request, and an even stranger offer; however, the janitor was dead serious.

"You've never dated?" Kagome asked cautiously.

"I've spent most of my life avoiding people."

The admission was as blunt as his first declaration of love, and she couldn't see any reason not to take it at face value.

What do I need? Kagome sifted through her thoughts and feelings. What can I tell him?

When the first glimmer of an idea sparked, Inuyasha seemed to sense the inspiration. "What is it?" he gruffly prompted.

"Reminders."

Inuyasha blinked. "Of what?"

"Of how you feel," she replied. In an effort to spell it out clearly, she added, "About me."

His expressive brows drew together, and there was a trace of defensiveness in his tone when he said, "I already told you how I feel. I'm not likely to change my mind."

"I don't doubt that. But without a little reinforcement, I might start to think I dreamed up all the wonderful things that have happened so far."

Nodding slowly, Inuyasha said, "Sure, Kagome. I can do that." With an assessing glance toward the open office door, he swiftly bent to brush a kiss against her cheek. "I'll make sure you never forget."

Kagome wasn't sure what to expect, but when she arrived at school the following morning, she found a note pinned to her message board. It wasn't much different than any other note she'd received from Inuyasha. The messy scrawl was short and straight to the point—I meant it.

End Note: Posted on February 2, 2011. 955 words.