"Hey Sis!" Sōta exclaimed, trying to cover his 'surprise' with cheeriness. "Uh. Inuyasha is here, too."
"It—it's okay, I didn't mean to intrude! I—I'll get going…" Inuyasha had halfway backed out the door before Sōta's hand was on his sleeve.
"No Inuyasha, please… stay," Sōta begged, ignoring Inuyasha's tugging to get himself away. "He's—he's here because I asked him."
"I see." Kagome's eyes narrowed so much Inuyasha wanted to hide; she was scrutinizing him, trying to understand why he was on their doorstep with her little brother.
"I asked him to give me a job," Sōta said seriously, finally giving up the false cheeriness. "And… he said yes. But only if you sign the work permit."
"Kid—this was a bad idea." Inuyasha finally freed his sleeve. "I—I'm sorry Kagome, I really didn't mean to—"
"No!" Sōta's voice took on an edge of desperation. "I—I'm sorry I sprung this on you, but everything I said today was true. It doesn't change just because I didn't tell Kagome you were coming."
"Sōta…" Kagome's voice trembled so audibly that Inuyasha wouldn't have needed his half-demon hearing to detect it; why did he want to take her hand and comfort her? "I told you, please stop. I'm fine. And you keeping up your grades is—"
"You're not fine, sis." Sōta's voice trembled now, too. "Every day I watch you come home from those awful people's houses exhausted. I know that they work you to the bone and you just… you're doing it for me. Let me make a decision too." Sōta took a deep breath and continued. "Inuyasha wouldn't let me work more than three hours a day, and I would keep my grades up… At least then you could drop that stupid Mukotsu's house and maybe… over the summer… you could take a class."
"That is not for you to decide!" Kagome shrieked; Inuyasha could smell the waves of panic and exhaustion coming off of her—gods all he wanted to do was run to her and hold her in his arms; he stood stock still instead. "I am your guardian, Sōta. I want you to have the chance to do whatever you want! You need to go to college and stay in school and do the stuff kids do—"
"Like watch you come home each night and toss yourself on the couch?" Sōta countered, his breathing rapid. "Because you're so tired you can barely stand?"
"Yes!" Kagome shouted, and Inuyasha could finally smell the tears that she could no longer suppress. "Because that is what mom and dad would have wanted for you!"
"No!" Sōta bellowed, the salt of his coming tears also now assaulting Inuyasha's nose. "I'm not asking to drop out of school. I'm not even asking to go to public school anymore. I—I'm asking if I can do my part. Because—because I'm old enough now to do my part. And…" Sōta turned and pointed at Inuyasha. "He would hire me and make sure I did my homework and didn't overwork myself."
Inuyasha wanted to sink into a hole from the scathing look Kagome leveled at him. But, he wanted to help more. To care for them more. To protect them… more.
"Is that so?" Kagome's eyes narrowed and the scent of salt began to subside. "You just happened to be hiring when my 14-year old brother walked in for a job?"
Inuyasha was not sure he liked the insinuation he thought Kagome was implying.
"Hey. Your brother came to me because he wants to help you out," Inuyasha growled. "He told me about your parents and talked about your droppin' outta college to take care of him." Kagome flinched at his words, and Inuyasha knew he probably shouldn't have said anything. But it sounded so much like his mother's story, that he didn't shut up. "We lost my dad real young, too. And… I know it's not the same, but I remember how my mom worked herself to the bone to keep afloat. And if there was anything I coulda done to make it easier on her, I would have in a second." Inuyasha sighed. He remembered the nights Izayoi could barely make it to her room before she collapsed. "I'm not gonna let the kid work himself to the bone, and I sure as shit won't let him start slacking off in school or at work. You have my word on that."
Unfortunately, at Inuyasha's words, Kagome… deflated, as if she'd spent every last fume of her reserved energy on the fight with Sōta and Inuyasha. But before her knees hit the ground, Inuyasha was there, holding her up.
Kagome's chocolate and raspberry scent was laced with the bitterness of exhaustion, and up-close, Inuyasha saw the bags under her sparkling chocolate eyes, the way her shiny black hair was frayed from lack of sleep, and the callouses that adorned her hands.
Sōta was not far behind Inuyasha, having launched himself at Kagome and enveloped her in a hug. And for some moments, they all just sat there, Inuyasha holding Kagome's hands to steady her and Sōta wrapping his arms around his sister's neck. Inuyasha could feel Kagome's breathing, and he knew that the dam was close to breaking.
"Sis. I'm old enough to make a decision like this. Because… I want to help," Sōta whispered. "Just… trust me, okay?"
The wave of Kagome's new-found tears hit Inuyasha before he knew what was happening. Exhausted tears surged through Kagome's body and poured out of her, uncontrollable. As if she'd been holding them in for so long that once they escaped, there was no stopping them. On instinct, and against his better judgment, Inuyasha pulled Kagome in tight to his body. It was his fucking fault she's broken down just then, so the least he could do was comfort her as best he could.
Him, a fucking stranger who ran an ice cream shop. Who couldn't guess her favorite flavor and seemingly had injected himself into her kid brother's life. But… he couldn't help it. It was beyond that time that he saw Kaede with a limp and refused to let her carry her groceries herself (she threatened seven canings for that—eight if he pressed his luck any further). It was… it was a plea from his soul to comfort Kagome. And fuck if Kagome didn't also lean into his touch.
"I promise that I am gonna take care of Sōta," Inuyasha whispered, "just like you do. And I am gonna keep on him about his schoolwork, just like you do. And I am gonna be sure the kid has fun and gets to be a kid, just like you do."
Kagome steadied her breathing, slowly regaining her composure. Finally, she looked into Inuyasha's eyes, and even as the desperate helplessness still lingered in her eyes, a spark of something else began to overtake it. As soon as she'd wiped the tears from her eyes and swallowed down the rest of the bile, Kagome gently pushed away from Inuyasha's arms.
"Inuyasha, would you like to stay for dinner?" Kagome asked, her voice only wavering slightly.
Shit. The truth was Inuyasha really did want to stay for dinner, but there was a problem. Now that he understood everything so much better, he knew that if he stayed and ate, there would be less food for Kagome and Sōta. Food, he imagined, they were budgeting.
"I… have leftovers that are gonna go bad at my place if I don't eat 'em," Inuyasha lied. "But… I'd be glad to stay. Especially if you have some tea?"
They would never buy the lie. Never buy that Inuyasha was more interested in tea than in beer or wine or coffee. But tea was cheap, and boiling water was cheap. And he wanted to stay without drawing attention to all of those facts.
"You sure?" Kagome probed him, and he could tell that she'd read his excuse for the lie that it was.
"Trust me," Inuyasha answered, smiling slightly, reassuringly. "Anyway. Half-demon appetites would eat you outta house and home."
That part was not a lie. He was planning on ordering two pizzas for himself that night. Kagome's (albeit amazing-smelling) chicken soup would have been no more than an amuse bouche for him. And for the first time since he'd walked through the door, Inuyasha saw Kagome smile, then chortle. It sounded like the tinkling of little bells. Inuyasha could feel heat come to his ears, his mind wandering toward how to make her produce that little laugh as often as possible.
"Well, I have jasmine and I have some oolong," Kagome answered, as her shoulders relaxed.
"I never say no to jasmine," Inuyasha said, trying to keep a goofy smile from crossing his face (he failed).
"Let me go start the kettle," Kagome said, and she pushed herself up and headed into the kitchen.
Inuyasha rounded on Sōta, who was now standing next to him.
"Why the hell did you pretend to text her?" Inuyasha rasped, but he kept the growl out of his voice.
"Because… if I told her you were coming she would've said no," Sōta whispered back. "And you would have, too."
"So you figured surprisin' us both was the smarter thing to do?" Inuyasha challenged.
"It worked, didn't it?" The shit-eating grin on Sōta's face made it clear that the question was rhetorical.
He'd gotten played by the kid, and so had Kagome.
Inuyasha could do no more than groan. He liked Sōta before, and he liked Sōta even more after that damn stunt. Kid had spunk. Though the thought of letting Sōta and Shippō interact terrified him.
"I'm gonna go help Kagome," Sōta whispered, and loped into the kitchen after his sister.
As Inuyasha stood, he caught little snippets of conversation.
"...Surprised me with this?! Sōta, you could've asked!.."
"...My decision. I wanted to help. And… Inuyasha's not a weirdo…"
"...Why do you need to do this?.."
"..Because I want to help, too. I want to… help."
Kagome then reappeared from the kitchen, holding an oversized mug with a vintage smiley face on it and handed it to Inuyasha. Even though it was nothing more than dried leaves steeped in boiling water, its aroma flirted with his nose and drew him in: jasmine, chocolate and raspberries—as if Kagome had infused her own scent into the tea.
"Tell me about this job," Kagome said, handing Inuyasha the ceramic mug that warmed his hands.
"He'll be on the register mostly; also cleanin' up and helpin' me sort ingredients," Inuyasha shrugged. "I mostly focused on makin' sure it was legal to hire him."
"It is legal!" Sōta whined, holding two oversized mugs full of chicken soup.
"Only with a guardian's permission," Kagome grumbled, taking the mug from Sōta's hand. "And… that permission comes with some assurances."
Sōta's smile was the exact same impish grin he'd previously shared with Inuyasha. And from the frown that appeared on Kagome's face, Inuyasha knew that it was a grin she'd seen before.
"You will keep your grades up. And I get to check them." Kagome tapped her index finger against the lip of her mug. "And I expect you to get enough sleep. And no slacking off at work! Just because Inuyasha is kind enough to give you a job does not mean you get to take further advantage of that kindness!"
"Keh!" Inuyasha interjected, "If Sota works for me, he is gonna work. Kid—you're gonna be cleaning toilets. You okay with that?"
"Hell yes!" Sōta said, his voice muffled from the enormous spoonful of soup he'd just consumed. "Whatever you need. I want to earn my keep."
"Sōta, maybe you should go upstairs and eat. Inuyasha and I need to talk," Kagome said softly.
"K," Sōta answered, the damn grin still on his face, and bounced up the stairs.
The moment that Sōta was out of sight, Kagome slumped down again. Inuyasha made to catch her, but she stopped herself before she slid to the floor, her mug of soup still steady in her hands.
"Why did he have to do this…" Kagome murmured, as much to herself as to Inuyasha.
"Because he doesn't like seein' you like this,'' Inuyasha answered; he understood Sōta perfectly. "Sōta didn't like seeing you give him everything when he didn't think he was doing enough to help." Inuyasha finally stretched his hand out to grab Kagome's, and ushered them both over to the threadbare couch in the corner. "I started working near the moment that I was tall enough to see over the counter. And my ma never said it, but I could tell from her scent that me doin' those extra little bits meant she was less exhausted at the end of the day. It felt so good to see her wake up in the morning looking refreshed instead of drugged, or to watch that contented little smile come to her face at night before she went to sleep."
"So this is charity?" Kagome's eyes narrowed; she was still trying to find his trick.
"Payin' your kid brother to scrub the toilets of an ice cream parlor?" Inuyasha huffed. "That doesn't feel too charitable."
"But… were you even hiring?" Kagome asked, though her face had softened.
"I'm always lookin' for someone with the moxie your kid brother walked into my shop with today.'' Inuyasha couldn't stifle the chuckle that came out of him. "And it'd mean he wouldn't be a pain in the ass to train for the summer season."
Kagome looked down at her cup of soup, a sliver of a smile coming to her face.
"Sōta always was like that. He wants to play soccer? He marches right up the coach to ask. Disagrees with a grade? He will debate the teacher." Kagome sighed. "I'm glad that he didn't lose that when our parents died."
"I'm so fuckin' sorry about that, Kagome," Inuyasha said, and he bumped his shoulder into hers gently. "That is way too young to lose both of 'em."
"When did you lose your parents?" Kagome asked, leaning so she kept in contact with Inuyasha's shoulder (shit, he really liked the way that felt).
"Long time ago," Inuyasha answered. "Dad died before I really could remember him. And mom died of old age at least. About 30 years ago."
"Oh."
Inuyasha knew that 'oh'. It was the 'oh' of someone who'd never really pondered the life-span of a half-demon. Usually that reaction was tied to a quick exit or an awkward silence, a little reminder that people were still not quite comfortable with the integration of demons and humans. His mom dealt with it a lot: the blistering glances down at him at the shop then back up at Izayoi. He hated those glances, and he hated that "oh."
Then Kagome did something entirely unexpected: she threw her free arm around him then leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha." She nuzzled into his shoulder so intently that he knew her scent would linger there overnight. "It must've been so hard to have to watch your mother… well…"
"Y—yeah…" Inuyasha had to actively resist resting his head on Kagome's. "But I got a nice long life with her. And every day in that shop, I see her. In the trick to her salted caramel, or the special way she cut up fruit to go best in the ice cream."
Inuyasha knew that if his dad had lived, he would have had a much longer time with his mother. It was something he sometimes thought about—dreamed about. How different his life would have been with both his mom and dad. Was that why seeing Sōta and Kagome had touched him so deeply? Because he could see the loneliness of someone who lost a parent too early?
No. That wasn't wholly it.
In Sōta, he could see Shippō, who his mom hired 50 years earlier when they found out the fox's parents had been killed, and he could also see himself. And then there was Kagome. Her scent called to him. Her touch set his heart aflame, leaving little scorchmarks that he would never recover from. The whispers of encouragement to her brother, the tired circles under her eyes from making sure she was caring for Sōta as well as she could, everything. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to make her smile. He… he wanted to figure out her flavor and make her the best ice cream she'd ever eaten.
Inuyasha knew what it meant. Knew what his instincts were telling him about Kagome. But… not yet. Not in a moment he barely knew her. Right now, he could get to know her. Right now, he would settle for helping her out by giving her kid brother a job.
Because he wanted to give Sōta a job.
"Does that mean you'll teach Sōta your mom's secret salted caramel recipe?" Kagome had turned her luminous eyes to look into Inuyasha's, wearing the same grin that Sōta had so effectively used.
He couldn't help it, he threw his head back in a laugh so hard that it vibrated his entire body. Fuck, Kagome and Sōta had already burrowed into his heart.
"Well… he needs to get a signature from his guardian first," Inuyasha breathed between chuckles.
"I… suppose I could consider it," Kagome answered, her face finally relaxed and painted with a soft smile. "You—you really will make sure he doesn't overdo it?"
"Yes," Inuyasha promised, "I promise."
"Okay," Kagome said, "I'll sign the work permit."
Inuyasha overheard a little yes! coming from the top of the stairs, and shook his head. He couldn't tell if this was the smartest or dumbest decision he'd made in a while, but… something told him that the course of his life was about to change, all because he offered Sōta Higurashi a job.