AUTHOR'S NOTE: It hasn't been almost two months, what're you talking about?
I'm not gonna lie, my muse and motivation has waned substantially but I've been working on everything when inspiration strikes me, which is far between these days. Regardless, I still love this fic with all of my heart and plan on seeing it through to the end. I have a few more arcs to explore, so don't fret! 3
I hope this chapter was worth the wait; I know it isn't the most eventful but I felt it necessary to progress with the storyline! I'll try to not make you wait that long between chapters for this fic again. Thank you to everyone who still supports me and my writing, even if my activity has been spotty. I appreciate it so much.
If you want more teasers and WIPs, you can follow me on tumblr omgitscharlie!
"Don't look so nervous - it's not like you're gonna be interrogated," Kagome teased as she watched Inuyasha pace back and forth in her living room as she walked out of her bedroom, "If anything, I'll be the one pulled off to the side and asked a billion questions as to why I haven't brought you home for dinner sooner. You know how many times Mama's asked to meet you? Souta's started saying I've been making you up."
Of course he was nervous. There was no way he couldn't be. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd met any girl's parents. He had to make a good impression, that much he knew - but he'd never been good at those.
It was almost comical, the fact that they'd been dating for almost a year and Inuyasha had yet to meet Kagome's family. There hadn't really been opportunities to, as their start as a couple had been kept under wraps during Souta's birthday and Kagome's career had been beyond hectic when it came to finding free time. The only real reason Inuyasha managed to snag some good time with her is because they practically lived with one another. Otherwise, when it came to time with family, Kagome only seemed to barely squeeze in time alone with her mom when she could.
"Yeah, well. I don't do well with meetin' new people," the hanyou countered as he watched her walk towards him.
There was no stopping the soft, warm giggle that left her at that statement, walking up to him and stepping up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck loosely, "Don't I know it," she teased, recalling their first encounter almost a year before.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes at that, "You ever gonna let me live that down?"
"Maybe someday," she added, feeling his hands rest on her waist and run down to her hips, "Stop worrying. Mama's gonna love you," she assured, hands cupping his cheeks then, "I'm sure Souta'll think you're pretty cool, too."
An uncertain grunt left him, gaze averting hers as she fell back onto her heels and her hands ran down the front of his chest. Needing to crane her head back to look up at him, she wrapped her arms around his waist soon after, loose but encouraging. It was adorable seeing him so nervous, telling her that it was obvious he cared to make a good impression; Inuyasha didn't seem to care what anyone thought of him, so to see him in such a state was endearing.
He'd even gone as far as to make sure there was little chance of her mom or grandpa seeing his tattoos, wearing a long-sleeved shirt to hide them. Kagome had insisted it wasn't necessary, especially since it was the middle of summer, but he'd ignored her.
"You sure what I'm wearin' is fine?"
The usual attire donned his frame: skinny jeans, a simple black shirt and converse. It wasn't meant to be a formal dinner so Kagome had told him to dress casually to match her own outfit of a knee-length dress with an off the shoulder bodice and large prints of sunflowers that covered it completely, "You look great."
Loosening her grip on him, he leaned towards the coffee table to grab his baseball cap with the intent to hide his ears when Kagome stopped him, "Actually, there is something we should talk about." That statement had Inuyasha freezing, looking down towards her like a deer in the headlights as Kagome kept her grip on his arm, "Do...do you think you can leave the hat?" It wasn't lost on her, the weight of that question and just how much she was asking of him.
With his jaw clenched, he peered down at her with an extremely pensive expression as one of the ears in question twitched out of anxiousness, "Why'd I know this was comin'?" He murmured before drawing in a deep breath, releasing it as he pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek out of annoyance, "Kagomeー"
"I know it's a lot to ask," she emphasized with the intent to have him see that she understood just what she was asking of him, "But it's my family you're meeting. I don't want you to hide yourself from them," she encouraged, gingerly taking the fabric from between his fingers so she could interlace her own, "I promise they won't judge you."
A bold statement, promising something for other people. Yet, if Kagome was as accepting as she was, it had to have come from somewhere. That thought brought some comfort, though the thought of his ears out in the open still made his stomach churn, "Please? You can wear this on the way there and only need to take it off when we go inside," the attempted offer of compromise put in front of him.
Silence fell between them then, Inuyasha pondering her request and trying hard to get past the knee-jerk reaction of telling her 'no'. If it had been anyone else, that would have been his answer but, since it was Kagome asking, he was considering it. Not only that, but he'd already ripped off the bandaid of sorts, having that event in the restaurant ease him into the idea. Kagome knew to give him space to think, to sit in silence (as impossible as it felt for her to do so) and let him sort his thoughts out.
Pursing his lips, he peered down at her with an unreadable expression before finally conceding, "Fine."
The smile that crossed her face was reward enough, the added giddy-filled kiss was a bonus. Those kisses continued over his chin and across his jawline, a little peck of appreciation, "Thank you," she chirped, wrapping her arms around his neck once more to press a proper kiss to his lips, "You have nothing to be worried about, babe." Another attempt at reassurance.
"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled as he reached behind him to grab the beanie from her hand, "But only 'cause it's your family. Don't go thinkin' this'll be an everyday occurrence," he chided, seeing his girlfriend's head nod in understanding, that same smile pulled at the corners of her lips.
The car ride wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, but there was a sense of awkwardness that lingered between Inuyasha and Kagome as they drove to her family's home. Ever so observant, Kagome turned her attention towards her boyfriend with a cocked brow, feeling the grip on her thigh just a little more tense than usual.
A few more moments passed, watching Inuyasha intently as his jaw locked and his eyes seemed distant, though still observant of the road in front of him. A combination of confusion and frustration bubbled up within her and, try as she might to refrain from making some statement and starting an argument, eventually she couldn't keep herself from saying something.
"Alright!" she started, seeming to jolt Inuyasha out of his trance and glance towards her for a moment out of acknowledgement, "What's with the face?" She pried, leaning back in her seat and folding her arms across her chest with the desire to portray just how irritated she was, "C'mon. Cough it up."
Cursing himself, Inuyasha released a rather sharp, short exhale through his nose while removing his hold of her thigh and placing that hand on the wheel, "S'stupid," he murmured, shaking his head as he rested his elbow on the sill of the window and rested his hand against his temple.
The silence that followed was deafening, but the look on Kagome's face screamed for him to keep going. Etched the determination, Kagome's expression didn't falter, arms still folded over her chest as she (though unmoving) gestured for Inuyasha to continue regardless of him thinking it was stupid. That in and of itself had Inuyasha breaking down his defences, a symptom of the patience and trust Kagome had fostered within him, "Well, s'just, Koga was the last guy you brought home, right?"
Kagome knew full well where the question had been coming from, that insecurity Inuyasha held rearing its ugly head in the form of a simple question. Instead of heightening his anxiety further, Kagome gave off a slight scoff, "Oh yeah. He sure was, alright," she explained before giving Inuyasha the more assuring of smiles, "He'd only met them a few times, gramps didn't like him much," she explained honestly with a shrug, leaning her head against the seat and reaching out to hold his wrist, gesturing him to place his hand back on her thigh, "Said he was too high maintenance."
Doing as she asked, Inuyasha switched hands, allowing himself to rest his hand on her thigh as he had before, "High maintenance?" That statement alone had Inuyasha mildly relaxing as he gave her a small squeeze of appreciation.
"Yeah, he's picky about his food. Besides," Kagome began, expression falling into something a little more somber, "He always seemed to avoid anything to do with my family," she added, watching as Inuyasha's ears twitched in a way that told her he wasn't too pleased with that new discovery.
"I didn't meanda wait this long," Inuyasha defended, more than aware at the fact that he was the main reason as to why they'd waited so long to actually bite the bullet and have him finally meet her family.
"I know," she assured, with a small shrug, "Things happen. Plus, I've met your dad, which is more than I can say for Koga's family," she revealed through a sigh, resting her hand on his and lacing their fingers together. Inuyasha's brows furrowed, as they both knew that her meeting Toga was far from his choice, happily keeping his family a secret from her for her own sake, if he could.
"You never met his family?" Inuyasha asked, having never really dug deep into Kagome's past relationship, as he knew he appreciated solitude and privacy, but also understood that talking was something Kagome appreciated.
"Nope," she said with a forced articulation, as if to make it very clear that her answer was intentional, "He always said he had to reschedule the dinners we'd planned or that they were away," she continued before shaking her head and peering out the front window, "I never really questioned it because he was my first really serious relationship and our lives were so...intertwined, y'know, with our jobs and stuff."
It was Inuyasha's turn to listen, offering nothing but a small nod and a squeeze of her hand. Kagome had always been open with her past, except when it came to Koga; granted, Inuyasha hadn't been too interested in knowing about her ex-boyfriend when they'd first started dating. Competition was something he easily fell into and, though he knew every relationship was different, the last thing he wanted was to compare himself to something that no longer existed.
"Looking back, I realize it's probably because his family wasn't too pleased with him dating a human," she explained honestly, able to see Inuyasha's ears flatten against his head and his jaw clench with perhaps the smallest hint of anger, but more so remorse for hiding Kagome from his own family, "Basically, he was ashamed of dating me, I guess."
"I'm not ashameda datin' you," Inuyasha replied instantly, lifting her hand and pressing a comforting kiss to the back of her hand, "That's not why I kept you from meetin' my dad. Y'know that, right?"
Kagome's face lit up with a bright smile, thankful and gracious in nature as she nodded and ran her thumb over his knuckles, "No, I know. I didn't at the start; and, I guess that's why I was so adamant when you kept avoiding the subject," she explained with a small shrug, "But, Yash...our relationship is entirely different, you know that right?"
Giving her a nod of understanding, he placed their hands back on her thigh, "Just wanna make sure y'know why I didn't introduce you t'my ol' man on purpose and that it wasn't because I was ashameda you."
"How about this," Kagome started, straightening in her seat and placing her other hand over both of theirs, "We get through his dinner tonight, then we can set one up with your family?" She explained, instantly seeing Inuyasha tense at the prospect, images of all three Takahashi men sitting at a table with rage in their eyes as awkward silence ensued.
"Yeah. No. You don't want all three of us in a room together," he replied, hearing Kagome give a soft, lighthearted laugh as she patted their hands soothingly.
"I'm just kidding, Yash," she teased, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek as if to reaffirm her statement, "I know your situation with your family's situation is a little different," she added, leaning back into her seat and letting her head rest against it comfortably.
"Different. Sure. That's one way t'put it…" he murmured, only just able to hear the GPS system tell him that they'd arrived at their destination.
With Kagome steering him towards the parking lot, Inuyasha put the car in park and turned off the ignition. Without the hum of the engine, it became rather quiet, leaving Inuyasha to start stewing in his anxiety of going in without a hat. He wanted to make a good impression, a decent first meeting that would leave them impressed and feeling him worthy of Kagome's affections. His ears had never been something he correlated with such things.
A part of him had been thankful that, when he had been with Kikyo, her only living family had been her younger sister, which had been a much less formal meeting than anything he'd really experienced before. Meeting Kagome's mother and grandfather, it had such higher stakes than anything else he'd ever experienced when it came to 'meeting the family'.
The fact that Kagome meant so much more to him than Kikyo ever did was just another pressure for him to be on his best behaviour.
"You have nothing to be worried about," Kagome assured, reaching a hand out to rest upon his forearm, lips pulled into a gentle, reassuring smile that held nothing but a type of genuineness only she could muster. Inuyasha looked at the cap he left in the back seat in case he changed his mind, tempted to give in and put it on.
A moment passed, then another, until Inuyasha closed his eyes and released a sharp, determined sigh and turned his head towards Kagome. Opening his eyes, his head nodded with the signal that he was ready to take the leap and head to the front door, "Alright, let's go," he affirmed before feeling the warmth of Kagome's hands cupping his cheeks, keeping his head steady as she stole a slow, tender kiss from him.
Who was he to deny her, sinking into the taste and allowing some reprieve the distraction brought.
"You'll do great…" she murmured against his lips, her own still pulled into that same smile as she kept her face close to his.
Stealing one more kiss before she pulled away, Kagome opened her car door and stepped out, Inuyasha following suit.
"That must be them!" Yoko explained rather excitedly, watching as the car pulled into the driveway of their modest four bedroom home. Peering through the blinds, the smaller, elderly man took his place at the younger woman's side.
"Let me see! I need a good look at this boy," Genki stated confidently, gently gesturing for Yoko to move out of the way to get a better look. Tutting, he shook his head at the notion of Kagome climbing out of the car on her own, "You'd think chivalry is dead," he added before continuing, "And just look at that death-trap of a car."
"Come now, dad, let's not be too harsh on the boy before you've even spoken to him!" Yoko encouraged, placing a hand on her shoulder before giving it a soothing pat and making her way towards the front door.
"Woah! Is that Kagome's boyfriend's car?!" A young, teenage voice called from upstairs before making his way down to the living room and heading to the same window that both his mother and grandfather had been spying out of, "Oh man! That's gotta be one of the nicest muscle cars I've ever seen!"
A scoff left the elderly man at the young man's side, arms folded across his chest and eyes closed as he countered, "Sota, he should know better than to drive a lady such as our Kagome around in such a thing. Why not drive something with a bit more bulk to it? I bet that car doesn't even have an airbag system, let alone any other safety precautー"
"I wonder how fast it can go," Sota interrupted, resulting in a choked sound to leave his grandfather, followed by a deep, heavy sigh of defeat.
"Boys and their toys…" Genki whimpered to himself, "Never thinking of the practicality of things…"
The knock on the door had Yoko opening the door soon after, offering a genuinely large smile as her eldest daughter and new boyfriend stood on the other side of the doorway, "Kagome, it's so lovely to have you home," she stated before turning her attention to the much taller, silver-haired man who stood behind her, "And you must be Inuyasha. Come in, make yourself at home," Yoko stated before stepping to the side.
"Hi mama," Kagome replied brightly, taking a step inside and toeing off her shoes before pulling her mother in for a warm embrace, "It's good to see you."
As Kagome greeted her mother, Inuyasha removed his shoes and his jacket, finding a place to hang it while the two women broke away from one another. Before Inuyasha could react, he suddenly felt himself being pulled in for a hug, "Don't be a stranger," Yoko greeted before pulling away and letting her eyes stray to the two rather fuzzy triangles that sat atop her daughter's boyfriend's head.
Inuyasha's ears twitched in response, trying hard not to react in such a way that came across rude or disrespectful, "Nice to meet you," he finally replied, only to freeze in place at the sudden touch of Kagome's mother's hands rubbing against his ears.
"They're so soft! Kagome, you didn't tell me he had such an adorable feature!" Yoko exclaimed, only to hard Kagome reprimand her instead.
"Mom! You can't just touch them!" She stated, as if she hadn't done the exact same thing when she'd first seen them. Kagome's face burned, turning beet red as hers and Inuyasha's gaze met, trying to read his reaction and apologize for the already rather awkward start to the introductions.
Feeling his ears be released, Inuyasha turned his attention towards Kagome's mom, hearing her apologize, "I'm sorry, where are my manners? They were just far too cute to ignore," she explained honestly, cupping her own cheeks with a look of genuine giddiness.
"It's uh—" Inuyasha started, offering a ghost of a smile before pairing it with a small nod, "S'alright. You're daughter did the same thing," Inuyasha assured, glancing towards Kagome with that same smile pulling into a grin, thinking back to when the two of them had revealed their feelings for one another.
Yoko peered over her shoulder towards her daughter then, "Oh, did she?" She pried, seeing Kagome's cheek flush red before she cleared her throat and attempted to change the subject.
"Where're Souta and Grandpa?"
"Right here," Genki replied, walking towards the foyer, "What a privilege to grant us with your presence," he chided sarcastically, hands clasped behind his back as Kagome took a few steps closer and bent down to wrap her arms around him.
"Nice to see you too, Gramps," she stated, placing a gentle kiss to his cheek before straightening and seeing Souta making his way towards the foyer to join the rest of the family, "Hey Souta!"
Inuyasha was already feeling slightly overwhelmed, watching as Yoko made her way out of the foyer and towards the living room, leaving him with the patriarch and his successor. Offering a small smile, he willed himself to introduce himself, making his way towards Genki. Giving a small bow, Inuyasha then held out a hand for Genki to take, "Name's Inuyasha. Nice to meet you."
Genki eyed the half-demon, gaze narrowing before he replied, "You don't plan on driving Kagome home in that thing you call a car, do you?" He scolded, catching Inuyasha off guard and somewhat speechless.
"Grandpa!" Kagome chastised, jaw clenched before Souta cut in.
"Oh yeah! Is that a challenger?!" Souta asked enthusiastically, leaving Inuyasha conflicted, straightening to his full height and dropping his hand to shove it back in his pocket, "I was lookin' at it as you pulled in. Damn, does she ever purr!"
Genki's lips pursed, brows furrowed before he turned over his shoulder and began scolding Souta, "That car is an accident waiting to happen!"
Kagome rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, "The car's fine!" She exclaimed before turning her attention towards Inuyasha, who simply seemed to be standing in place, not necessarily frozen but perhaps a little lost as to how to respond.
"Tea's ready!" Yoko interrupted, causing everyone to go silent and listen, her voice confident but still very sweet.
"So, Kagome tells me you two met at your shop," Yoko stated after the entire household was settled, Inuyasha sitting at Kagome's side with her hand resting on his thigh out of habit (but perhaps even more so out of comfort) and his arm draped behind her, resting on the back of the couch.
Inuyasha tensed, though mildly, at the statement, knowing full well that their first meeting was less than ideal (by his own doing entirely), "Yup," he replied, feeling Kagome's squeeze his thigh with the intent to reassure.
"It wasn't the most graceful meeting, but we figured it out when we saw each other again," Kagome added, turning her attention towards her boyfriend with a warm smile. It wasn't lost on her family, how Kagome seemed much warmer around Inuyasha, less rigid than she had been when she brought Kouga over for the first time. There was a much more authentic aura that surrounded the two of them, Genki taking notice how Inuyasha's attention fell towards Kagome with a softness in his gaze, despite how nervous the boy seemed to be.
"So, you own your own shop," Genki mused, holding his tea in his hands, "That must account for the unnecessary ruckus that comes out of that engine of yours," he stated, causing Souta to roll his eyes.
"Gramps, can you lay off the car? He got her here in one piece, it's fine," Souta challenged before looking back to Inuyasha with a genuine inquiry in his gaze, "Where'd you manage to snag a car like that, anyways?" The young man asked, leaning forward in his seat with intent to offer all of his attention.
Inuyasha shrugged, never really the one to brag or showboat, "I bought it off some guy then rebuilt it," he explained honestly, "Updated the body a little, gave it an airbag, managed to maintain the original leather seating," he shrugged again, "Put in a new engine and she's good to go."
"You think we can take for a spin a little later? I've always wanted to ride in one of those things," Souta explained genuinely, giddiness radiating from his features.
Giving a small nod in Souta's direction, he then gestured to the car outside, "Sure, don't see why not," he replied before turning his attention towards Kagome's grandpa, seeing his features depict something along the lines of disapproval but also defeat. A vast difference in Souta's excited nature, expressing such with a soft cheer.
"How long have you had your shop for?" Yoko asked with authentic interest, letting her attention fall to her daughter's boyfriend and tilting her head as a subliminal act of intent.
That question had Inuyasha pondering, hearing Kagome state that she didn't even know that before he finally replied, "Uhm, I'd say a few years—maybe seven?" He definitely had it before Kikyo, with it just getting off the ground when they'd started dating. Another point of contingency in their relationship, "Was able to get it up 'n runnin' with the inheritance my ma left behind," he stated casually, seeing Yoko's face drop some.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear she passed," she stated, Inuyasha feeling Kagome's hand give another squeeze to his thigh, comforting him despite his flippant dismissal.
"S'alright. Was a long time ago," he replied before taking a sip of his tea and clearing his throat, "But yeah, started it about seven years ago 'n I haven't really looked back. Keeps me comfortable, so…" he trailed off with a small shrug, "Kagome says you're a teacher?" He rebounded the question, taking the attention off himself for the time being.
Yoko nodded, "Oh yes. I teach kindergarten; have been for almost twenty years now!" She explained with a brightness to her tone that told Inuyasha she still enjoyed her job, something he didn't hear often when it came to most people and their professions, "They keep me young." She added with a soft hum of contentment and fondness.
"Kagome used to want to be a teacher," Genki replied, leaning back in his chair and holding his tea with one hand while the bottom rested in the palm of his opposite, "Until that social media phenomenon took over," he continued, taking notice of how Kagome shot him something akin to a glare, "Now we need to book an appointment months in advance to see her, don't we?"
"It's been crazy lately," Kagome defended, turning her attention to her mom and continuing, "I had several bigger brands reach out and I had a hard time saying no," she added before offering a shrug.
"Do you have a channel, Inuyasha?" Souta suddenly chimed in, looking at Inuyasha with genuine curiosity.
That question almost had Inuyasha burst out into laughter, but realized quickly that Souta was completely serious, "Me? Nah," Inuyasha replied with a shake of his head, forgoing his typical vocabulary, finding that saying the words 'fuck no' weren't necessarily the most appropriate, "I don't have anythin' really. I got an instagram but I don't think I ever really post on there."
"Inuyasha isn't the biggest fan of being in the spotlight," Kagome replied, patting his knee as if to emphasize her point, "Keeps me grounded," she added, turning her head to bless Inuyasha with one of her warm, contagious smiles.
The sudden loud beeping sound had Yoko straightening, "Ah, that must be dinner. Kagome, can you come help me get the table sorted?" She asked, climbing to her feet as Kagome did the same. Letting her gaze fall to Inuyasha, Kagome smiled softly before leaning down and pressing a kiss to his cheek. Inuyasha stopped for a moment, able to hear her whisper 'you alright?' low enough just for him to hear before he gave her a small nod in response.
Following her mom into the kitchen, both women began to set the table with small conversation. Regardless, Kagome could tell there was more beneath the surface, a tension between the two of them that held a reminiscent feeling of adolescence. Yoko had never been good at hiding her emotions (well, at least when it came to going without a certain herbal aid and that seemed to have been foregone that night), and Kagome could see clear as day that there were words lingering on the older woman's tongue.
Releasing a small sigh, Kagome leaned against the table with her arms folded across her chest, "Mama—" she began, only to see Yoko give a small shrug.
"Your grandpa's right, you know," Yoko began while placing some plates down on the table, averting her gaze from Kagome as she did so, "We haven't seen much of you this year," she continued, finally allowing her attention to fall on her eldest daughter, "He's getting older and, though he isn't very good at saying it, he misses you."
Defensiveness was inevitable, this conversation not being the first that the two of them shared when it came to Kagome's overbearing schedule, "I told you, I'm busy. I had a lot of opportunities come up and...with Koga—" Kagome stopped herself for a moment, seeing her mother give her a somewhat incredulous expression, "I had to update some things and shift schedules around otherwise I'd lose out," she tried to explain. With a furrowed brow, Kagome lifted her shoulders to her ears, "I thought you were happy for me."
"We are, dear," Yoko quickly replied, "And we're very proud, but—" she paused then, releasing a small sigh, "It just seems like you don't allow much time for much else…" she explained, giving a small shrug in reply before walking to the cupboard and pulling out some glasses.
"I allow myself plenty of time," Kagome explained honestly, or at least by her perspective, "Inuyasha and I spend lots of time together, and Sango and Miroku are getting married, so I've been helping her out with planning," she continued to convince, voice starting to sound slightly distressed, as if that would aid her in her endeavour, "I just haven't had time to visit."
Yoko stopped then, standing in place and remaining quiet as Kagome continued to try and give some form of excuse as to why she couldn't make more time to visit her own family. It was silent, but Kagome could tell by the way that her mother looked at her that she was leaving said wordlessness open because she wasn't convinced. Not only that, but Kagome was hardly convincing herself.
After a few moments, Kagome released something akin to a scoff, gaze falling to the ground as she murmured, "Can we not have this conversation right now?" The last thing she wanted was for there to be unnecessary tension when she knew Inuyasha was already on the verge of being overwhelmed.
A small sigh left Yoko then, defeated in nature as she nodded in response, "We just want to make sure you're taking time for yourself, sweetheart." Walking towards Kagome, she reached a hand out, cupping the back of her daughter's head to place a loving kiss to her forehead, "And it would be nice for you to come by a little more often." Catching each other's gaze, Kagome's defensiveness dissipated some, shoulders going slack as she gave a small nod.
"I'll try," she replied lowly before feeling her mom give her cheek a pat and continue to start setting the table.
As if on queue, Kagome turned her head towards the kitchen entrance to see Inuyasha walk in looking somewhat lost and unsure, causing Kagome to tilt her head quizzically, "You alright?" She asked genuinely, seeing Inuyasha give a small nod.
"Figured I'd ask if you needed help," he replied, though there was an underlying anxiousness that had Kagome mildly concerned, but knew now wasn't the time to pry and, instead, tucked it away to the back of her mind for the ride home.
"Why thank you, dear. We'd love some help," Yoko explained before gesturing to one of the lower cupboards, "Can you grab me a large bowl for the soup?" She stated, Inuyasha nodding before moving to open the cupboard and rummaging around for a moment to find the right size.
Dinner had been somewhat uneventful, Souta talking about what classes he was taking for the semester and adding how university was much more freeing than highschool. How that morphed to Genki asking about Inuyasha's schooling wasn't surprising, with the half-demon explaining he'd finished highschool and went into trades instead. The answer seemed to be received decently, though the way Inuyasha had answered seemed as though he was reluctant to speak at all.
The conversation had moved onto other surface level questions, with Kagome explaining some of her brand deals and Yoko discussing what new things were happening in her classroom as well as her art classes she took every Thursday without fail. The more they spoke, the more relaxed Inuyasha seemed to be, despite the fact he seemed to freeze up with certain questions tossed his way. Kagome continued to check in on him with gentle touches to his thigh or a look of empathy that was often returned with one of assurance.
Finally, with dinner over, Souta couldn't seem to contain himself much longer, "Hey Inuyasha, can we go for that ride around the block?" He asked, causing said half-demon to pause before nodding affirmatively.
"Sure, unless you need help with clean up?" Inuyasha asked, easily waved off by Yoko dismissively before encouraging the boys to head off. Despite this, Inuyasha grabbed everyone's empty plates and cutlery and placed them in the sink.
Kagome watched him intently, offering a warm smile of gratitude as Inuyasha walked back towards her to place a kiss on her cheek. Gesturing for Souta to follow him, the younger man climbed to his feet and followed with great enthusiasm.
The instant the front door could be heard closing, Kagome turned her attention to grandpa, "Alright, what did you talk about while we were in here?" She asked rather bluntly, a disapproving expression passing over her face as she tilted her head.
"What do you mean?" Genki asked, taken aback by his granddaughter's rather accusatory tone, "All I asked was what his father did, just as I have a right to do!" He replied before closing his eyes and folding his arms across his chest, "He told me he was a businessman and then offered to see if you needed help in the kitchen."
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Kagome groaned before letting her attention fall back towards her grandpa, realizing now that she's negated to tell them not to ask about his family for the time being, "Maybe hold off on the family questions…" Kagome murmured before hearing a rather intrigued tone come from her mother's voice.
"Why? What's going on?" Yoko asked with genuine concern, leaning forward in her seat as she did so.
"His family situation is...complicated," Kagome replied, "I don't think it's right for me to really say, but just know it's...it's a touchy subject." The look of concern on her mother's (and now grandfather's) faces didn't dissipate and Kagome simply remained silent, eyes widening as if to warn them to drop it or just say what they wanted to say.
Both elders relaxed then, releasing that expectancy they were holding in their chests before Yoko chimed in, "Does he make you happy?"
The question came as a shock to Kagome, flinching back with offense as her brows furrowed, "Of course he does," she replied easily and without hesitation, "Why?"
"Because I can tell," Yoko explained honestly, giving her daughter a bright, warm smile, "You seem like you're more yourself, wouldn't you agree dad?" Yoko asked, turning her attention towards Genki who seemed hesitant to respond.
"Despite the fact the boy has some faults, he seems like he makes you very happy, yes," Genki replied, causing Kagome's expression to soften into one of thankfulness, pleased to know that her family seemed to approve of him.
"He does. He really does. I—" Kagome gave a wistful sigh, "We had some bumps along the way but he's really made me happy and let's me just...be myself."
"Him not being on social media must help," Yoko added, causing Kagome to give a nod in response, "I remember when Kouga came over and he seemed...distracted the whole time."
"There are a lot of things about Kouga that I'm realizing…" Kagome replied genuinely before toying with a strand of hair, "Yash's different; a really good different."
"Well, we're happy for you, sweetie," Yoko replied with a genuine smile before climbing to her feet and starting to continue the clean up that Inuyasha started, "But if you can help me load the dishwasher, that'd be lovely."
The sound of the car door closing had Inuyasha release a heavy sigh of relief, leaning back against the driver's side as Kagome placed a hand on his thigh out of comfort, "You alright?"She couldn't help but ask, knowing that the night, though not the most eventful, had been overwhelming for her boyfriend. Meeting the family was always nerve wracking, especially since Kagome's grandpa didn't know the meaning of a filter most of the time.
"Yeah," Inuyasha stated honestly, despite the word being spoken through a deep breath, "Yeah, it was good," he added, turning his attention towards her with a small hint of a smile, "I didn't make an idiot outta myself, did I?" He asked, causing Kagome's heart to warm and drop at the same time, pleased to know he cared but somewhat sad to have him doubt how his impression went.
"Not at all," Kagome stated, moving her hand to scratch the nape of his neck instead, "I think they really like you," she added honestly, taking pause for a moment as she bit her lower lip, apology suddenly falling over her expression, "I'm sorry I didn't tell them not to ask about your family," she murmured, immediately feeling Inuyasha's hand on her thigh, squeezing it out of assurance.
"Hey, no. You don't needa apologize for that. I...it just threw me off," he added, "In fact, them wanting to know anythin' about me threw me off," he admitted, releasing his hold on her to turn the ignition, "You sure they like me?" He asked again, glancing in her direction before draping his arm over the back of her seat and craning his neck to look out the back window as he pulled out of the parking space.
Kagome was tempted beyond all measure to roll her eyes, but knew full well that wasn't entirely fair, "Babe," she began, leaning back in her seat completely and turning her head to his direction, "My mom literally asked you to not be a stranger when we left and my grandpa gave you a nickname; he only does that for people he likes."
A scoff left Inuyasha then, pulling out of the residential area and merging onto the main road, "Part-timer," he repeated, as if convincing himself that that nickname was a positive one, "You know how hard it was not to break it to him that I'm older than him?"
How she laughed eased Inuyasha's nerves, the warmth radiating from it soothing his anxiety before she continued, "He seemed very impressed that you knew as much trivia as you did, especially when it came to the history category," she replied, thinking back to the game of trivia pursuit they'd all played, with Inuyasha and Genki being neck and neck the whole time before Inuyasha took the crown, "In fact, I was impressed."
Inuyasha shrugged casually, "I gotta pretty decent memory, contrary to what you may think," he teased, offering a soft grin as Kagome gave another soft chuckle. Turning her head towards the passenger side window, she took in the sight of the ocean sparkling in the light of golden hour. With summer lingering, night came later and later and, though it was well past eight o'clock, the sun was still setting.
"Hey babe," Kagome started, turning her head towards him once again, "Do you wanna go to the beach?" She asked, seeing Inuyasha's brow quirk upwards quizzically.
"Right now?"
"C'mon. It's so nice out and I need some pictures for instagram!" Kagome explained, letting silence fall between them as Inuyasha pondered for a moment, "It'll be cute! We can go for a walk on the beach, get our feet wet…"
"I'm not really dressed for the beach," Inuyasha rebutted before Kagome jutted out her lower lip, "Oh, babe, c'mon. Not with the lip," he groaned, both of them knowing that it was impossible for him to deny her much, "Fine."
Kagome's eyes lit up at his acceptance, smile wide as she giddily cheered, "Yay! It'll be a good time, I promise!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Inuyasha murmured, veering off the highway and down the next exit, knowing it was the way to a nearby beach.
By the time they made it to the parking lot, it was barren, not a car in sight which left them to their own devices. Inuyasha paused for a moment, taking off his long-sleeved shirt to reveal the black tank stop he wore as an undershirt while giving off a sigh of relief, "I was fuckin' dyin' in that," he stated, tossing it in the back before opening the door and climbing out.
Walking to the back door, he opened it and grabbed the hat he'd brought for backup, placing it on his head backward. Locking all of the doors, he met Kagome at the front of his car before reaching a hand out and lacing their fingers together, "I thought you'd forgot you had that," Kagome stated, referring to the hat as they took a few steps down to the beach itself.
"You said just to their place and back," he countered, pausing at the realization that his converse weren't the best for walking on sand. Releasing her hand, he quickly removed them and his socks before rolling up the bottom of his jeans, "Since we're makin' a pit stop, hat goes on."
"I know," Kagome began, watching as he straightened himself while she took off her own shoes in the same fashion, "I just thought maybe you forgot," she repeated, holding her shoes in one hand while Inuyasha took her other in his.
"I—" he began, their pace leisurely as they made their way to the water's edge, "I'm not there yet, alright? Not gunna be for a while but," he paused and released a sigh, "I'm gunna keep tryin'. S'just been a lot today already, okay?"
With a small nod in response, Kagome dropped the subject, instead letting go of his hand and taking a few steps in front of him before turning towards him, "I think this is a good spot," she stated before handing her phone over to him to use, "Think you can get a good picture of my outfit?"
No stranger to the camera, Inuyasha took the phone easily, prepared for the countless pictures he'd be taking for the next few minutes, "You ask that like I haven't spent hours taking pictures for you before," he teased.
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" She challenged, only to see her boyfriend's face remain in something akin to less than convinced. Kagome paused for a moment, rolling her eyes a moment later as she conceded, "Okay fine, I can be a little picky."
"A little?" Inuyasha interjected.
"Y'know, the longer we argue, the longer you'll be taking pictures!" Kagome replied, seeing a smug smirk form on Inuyasha's face as he opened the camera app.
There was little hesitation, Kagome moving to pose in different ways that showcased her outfit, makeup and hair the best, with Inuyasha taking pictures where he felt had the best lighting. As unsavvy as Inuyasha was when it came to social media, the way he took pictures shocked Kagome the first time she saw them — how he found all of her best angles, she didn't know.
After a couple dozen were taken, Inuyasha handed Kagome her phone back, watching as she looked through her camera roll, picking out ones she liked before zooming in on possible imperfections.
"You look great in all of em, baby," Inuyasha assured, watching as Kagome bit her lower lip with uncertainty.
"I don't know how I feel about how I look in this dress," she murmured, leaving Inuyasha perplexed and confused, "It makes my shoulders look really wide, doesn't it?" She asked, only to look up and see Inuyasha peering down at her with a rather incredulous expression.
"I dunno what you're talkin' about. You look like you always do," he stated, draping an arm over her shoulder and bringing her flush against his side to press a kiss to the top of her head, "You look beautiful, Kagome."
Though he tried to reassure her, he noticed how Kagome opened her 'FaceTune' app, inputting one of the pictures before hitting the 'warp' button before she started to try and make her shoulders less wide, "Kagome! Hey, quit it!" He chided, grabbing her phone and holding it over his head out of her reach.
"Yash! I'm just looking to see if it makes a difference!" She exclaimed, jumping up with the hopes of trying to snatch her phone back from within his grasp, "Give it back!"
Inuyasha kept holding the phone up and over his head, peering down at her with a face that showed both concern and seriousness, "That ain't healthy," he explained, "You've been doin' that a lot more lately, what's gotten into you?"
"I have not!" Kagome protested, giving up on trying to get her phone back and instead folded her arms across her chest with a huff, "It's not that deep, Yash. Everyone does it," she tried to justify, again seeing Inuyasha's expression cease to falter.
"And that makes it okay? Kagome, c'mon. What's goin' on?" He asked, placing her phone in his back pocket to keep the distraction out of her periphery.
Kagome paused for a moment, suddenly feeling somewhat uncomfortable in her own skin as well as perhaps a little embarrassed to what she was about to admit, "I—" she swallowed, "I got a couple of comments that told me I had broad shoulders," she revealed, seeing Inuyasha's appearance fall into one of empathy.
"Babe—" He stared, only to be cut off by Kagome.
"I know, I know," she began, releasing a sharp breath as she averted her gaze from him, "They're just stupid comments. They don't mean anything. I just...I dunno. They got to me," she added, suddenly feeling Inuyasha's hand placed on her chin, turning her head back to face him.
"I know how it is," he replied with a nod, moving his hand to cup the side of her neck, "It sucks when people judge you like that, when you got no control over it," he explained with a nod, "But I love your shoulders," he assured, leaning his head down to press a kiss against the cap of one for emphasis, "You know that, right?"
The fact that he was showing an intimate display of affection in public (though they were completely alone) had Kagome sink into it just that much more. Closing her eyes, she felt his lips trail the length of her collar and back to her shoulder before he nipped it lightly, "I love every piece of you," he explained, ghosting his nose over her jawline.
"Yash—" she began, only to feel him nip at her earlobe, stopping her in her tracks.
"My turn to make you feel better," he explained, pulling his face form hers to catch her gaze, "You don't needa change anythin' about you. Got it?"
Kagome's gaze softened then, leaning into his touch as he cupped her cheek, nodding in response before gripping his wrist and brushing her thumb over his pulse point, "Got it," she replied meekly, leaning into the kiss Inuyasha sealed that acceptance with. It lingered for a moment or two before Inuyasha broke away, pulling her phone from his pocket and holding it out for her to take.
"The one you were lookin' at is my favourite," he explained honestly, referring to the picture she was about to edit before he stole her phone from her, "But you can post it when we get home," he added, seeing Kagome nod with understanding as she took it from him and placed it back in her purse.
With her phone put away, she wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to be closer to him after he'd displayed a rather romantic, affectionate gesture, "Thank you," she mused, feeling her boyfriend's arms wrap around her waist and pull her just that much closer.
"Y'know you can tell me stuff like that, right?" He replied, one hand running up the length of her spine and back down again, "You can talk to me," he added, seeing Kagome give him a small nod in response.
"Sometimes I feel like what I'm feeling is trivial in comparison to what…" she shrugged softly, "To what you've experienced. I don't wanna invalidate that."
Inuyasha's face contorted into one of disapproval and slight disgust, "You can't compare that sorta stuff. Everyone's got shit they gotta deal with, you above everyone should know that. You're the one who told me that."
"I'm not too good at following my own advice, huh?" Kagome stated with a soft, nervous giggle as Inuyasha shook his head.
"No one is, babe," he replied as he pulled away to take one of her hands in his, leading her back towards the water's edge to continue on their walk.
A small laugh left Kagome after a moment, "Look at you, using your words," she teased, tugging him closer to wrap her free arm around his bicep as they walk, "Being the voice reason."
"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha replied rather mockingly, pressing a kiss to Kagome's head she she rests her temple against his shoulder, "A real Jackson Pollock," he stated, only to have Kagome freeze, looking up at him with a mildly confused expression, "What?"
Another beat passed before Kagome burst into laughter, "Jackson Pollock!?" She exclaimed, releasing her hold on him, "Jackson Pollock was a painter!"
"I got him and Charles Dickens mixed up!" Inuyasha defended, watching as that statement only seemed to make Kagome laugh even harder.
"How do you get those two mixed up!?" Kagome asked, her voice up a few octaves in tone as she struggled to speak through random eruptions of chuckles and screaming laughter, "Their names aren't even similar! You literally just won a game of Trivial Pursuit!"
Without a word, Inuyasha dropped his shoes off to the side before leaning down and hoisting Kagome up and over his shoulder, draping her over it. The sudden motion had Kagome dropping her purse near Inuyasha's shoes, shrieking in surprise as it all happened so quickly, "Babe!"
"I think you're in hysterics," he replied as he began walking into the water, grabbing his phone from his back pocket and tossing it onto the small pile of their belongings, "Cold water should do you some good," he added, causing Kagome to start squirming while also thanking whatever higher power that her dress was long enough to cover her completely still.
"You wouldn't dare!" She gasped, hearing the sound of splashing as Inuyasha began to walk into the water up to his shins, feeling the bottom of his jeans getting soaked, "Inuyasha!" She scolded, hitting her fists against his back to no avail, "Put me down!"
"Ready for a swim, Kagome?" He asked, smacking her ass playfully before he stopped, keeping her draped over his shoulder.
"I wish I could tell you to 'sit' right now! Put me down!"
"Really? Resorting to dog puns? In your position?" Inuyasha chided before lifting her up high over his head, causing Kagome to give off a very real scream.
"I swear to god, Inuyasha! Put me down, right now!" She begged through a fit of giggles, gripping his arms before she felt his rest her back against his shoulder, "That's not funny!" She added, though it hardly seemed convincing.
Inuyasha moved then, pulling her from his shoulder and placing her down in well over two feet of water. Kagome shrieked at the cold, gripping his arms as she felt the chill hit just over her knees, "I meant on land," she scolded, feeling the bottom of her dress meet the same fate as his jeans.
Chuckling, Inuyasha rested his hands on her waist, allowing Kagome to press herself flush against him to keep herself steady as the waves ebbed and flowed between them, "Technically your feet are on land," he replied, only to suddenly feel a cold splash of water hit his face, "Hey!"
"You were asking for it!" Kagome replied, scooping up some more water and flicking it in his face again, "Smartass," she reprimanded before seeing a rather wily, challenging face form on her boyfriend's face — mischievous in nature, "Oh no. Don't even think about it."
"You're gunna pay for that," Inuyasha replied before he moved to grab her, only for Kagome shriek playfully and just barely dodge out of his grasp, running back towards the shore.
"Get away!" She exclaimed through a fit of giggles, the sound of heavy splashing following her as they both struggled to run through the viscosity of the ocean's water, "I mean it!"
Just as she was about to reach the shoreline, she felt the strong grip of Inuyasha's hand wrap around her wrist, tugging her close with her back against his chest before he lifted her off her feet, leaving her legs to flail and kick wildly, "Gotcha!" Inuyasha exclaimed, moving back towards the deeper part of the water, "You can't get away," he added through his own small fit of laughter, "You were askin' for this."
"Babe! No! Please! I don't wanna get wet!" Kagome shouted through her joyous hysterics.
"I dunno, Kagome. You usually like when I get you wet," he joked, causing Kagome to smack his arm.
"You're such a perv—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a rather large wave crashed against them, causing Kagome to give off a scream while Inuyasha did the same with a yelp. The force of the wave pushed them down beneath the water that, though shallow, was deep enough to submerge both of them easily and drag them out to the depth hitting their shoulders.
Coming to the surface, Kagome pushed her bangs from her face, seeing Inuyasha just a few feet away from her, his hat surprisingly still on his head, "You idiot!" She shouted, splashing him with full force as he began to laugh once again, "I'm soaked!" She added, getting closer to him while still splashing with vigor.
"I didn't think that would happen," he stated honestly, lifting his arms to block her attacks while speaking through his own chuckles, "Babe, stop!" He exclaimed, finally grabbing her once she was close enough and drawing her against him. Kagome immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, feeling his hands grip her ass to keep her up and stable.
"You are so lucky I didn't have my phone on me," she explained, expression showing some frustration but perhaps a little more entertainment than not, "Otherwise you'd be sleeping in the doghouse tonight."
"Again with the puns?" Inuyasha mocked while feeling Kagome lean forward to steal a kiss from him. It lingered for a moment before they both deepened it, their holds becoming together against one another as they basked in the taste of each other.
Kagome moved her hands to cup his neck, thumbs caressing his jawline as she felt Inuyasha pull away, "Still glad we came to the beach?" He asked teasingly, moving to cup the back of her head with the intent to dive back in for another taste.
Running her hand down the front of his chest then, she nodded her head, their noses brushing against one another as she leaned in for another kiss, "I'm just glad I'm anywhere with you…"