Broken Glass
Chapter Seven
-
Sunday morning rain was falling. The clear skies Kagome had pointed out were gone now and replaced with the soft drizzle that often accompanied dark clouds. Inuyasha sated lazily out his window, his golden eyes dazed and confused. Unfocused amber orbs stared at the trees in his backyard. Dog ears, free from their hat entrapment, twitched at the sound of rain splattering against his windowpane. He sighed quietly and placed his head in his hand. He found it kind of pathetic actually, to be sitting at his window, watching the road for any sign of Kagome. He smiled shyly at the memory of dancing with the girl. He hadn't known what had possessed him to do such a thing with her- he knew how nervous she got- but he couldn't help but be glad he'd done it with her.
Kagome wasn't particularly out of the ordinary. Sadly to say, Kagome could actually be rather dull. He didn't deny that. Inuyasha's fingers traced down the window's foggy glass, creating small designs of curly-cues and circles that created a large spider web of designs.
His eyes darted to the street again before another sigh rippled past his lips.
The muffled sound of his grandmother, Kaede, calling him reached his twitching dog ears and he raised his head a fraction. Sighing, he feebly stood up and scooted from the room, trying his hardest to force a smile onto his face. The guilt that consumed him whenever he thought of his bubbie… it was almost too much. Why had things turned out the way they had? He sighed quietly and pushed open the door to the library on their second floor.
The house that he shared with his grandmother was much too large in his opinion. He remembered when he was younger how he loved the large house because it was the perfect way for him to hide from his Zadie and Bubbie when he was in trouble. But now, the dark, cold house always sent shivers down his spine- especially at night. Spotting his grandmother in the corner as she read a book, he walked over to her, smiling gently, despite the guilt-ridden look in his eyes.
"Yes, Bubbie?" Inuyasha asked quietly. He found it odd how she'd been waking up early over the past few days- usually she didn't awaken until after ten. 'But then again,' Inuyasha thought to himself with a small sigh. 'Bubbie's crazy.'
His grandmother looked at him for a long moment, an unreadable expression in her one eye. Her long, wiry hair hung in a long pony tail down her back and drew attention to her wrinkled, old face. She stared at her grandson for a long moment before sighing, putting a bookmark in her book and patting the chair next to hers. Inuyasha hesitated before sitting down.
"Boy," she addressed her youngest grandson with a critical gaze. The boy met it evenly, emotions swimming in his golden orbs. "I hate to see that look in your eyes," she said gently, seeing the guilt that washed in the amber depths. Inuyasha lowered his gaze and instead focused it on the walls upon walls of books. "Haven't I told you before that-"
"I know, Bubbie." His voice was soft with emotion but he refused to tear his gaze from the spine of their copy of Moby Dick. "But… no matter what you say I can never forget what happened."
Kaede sighed gently, her one eye closing as a hand reached out and gently touched her grandson's arm. It tensed under her touch before relaxing, and yet his beautiful amber eyes did not pull away from the book's spines.
"Inuyasha…" Her voice was haggard and quiet like she hadn't slept in centuries. "The girl you're looking after, Kagome." She paused, contemplating what to say. "You'll have to tell her eventually."
She watched the hands at his sides fist as her grandson stood up slowly. His head bowed, he gently walked towards the exit of the room. "I don't have to tell her anything," he whispered out hotly, trying to suppress the anger swimming in his veins. His angry golden eyes stared at her but looked right through her; the anger he felt within him was not towards his grandmother. Never towards his grandmother. Never again…
The doorbell rang downstairs and he turned his back on his Bubbie. "That's probably Kagome."
"Inuyasha," his bubbie called before he completely left. Inuyasha paused, waiting silently for her to finish. "I'm going to be going out later on; I was invited to a friend's house to play bridge." Her grandson nodded and left the room.
Kaede watched her grandson leave the room briskly, his hands still fisted and his eyes shadowed. She shook her head and looked out the window where rain splattered over the glass surface. "She'll find out sooner or later…"
-
Inuyasha darted down the stairs, trying to erase the thoughts that his grandmother had caused to spring within his mind. Clenching his eyes shut he forced a smile upon his lips and grasped the door handle. "Hello Kag-"
His sentence came to an abrupt halt as he stared at the person before him. Instead of the slouching, skinny figure of Kagome that he'd been expecting, with her beautiful blue eyes and shy smile, a tall, beefy figure stood before him. Sleek black hair was brushed from his cold, brownish-red eyes and a small smirk danced across his lips.
"Naraku?" Inuyasha questioned, golden eyes observing the boy with a confused glance.
Naraku's smile widened. "Inuyasha. Long time no see. I see that you still live here." Despite the way his eyes were attentively on the lanky boy before him, Naraku still managed to sound bored and uninterested.
"What are you doing here?"
"Now then." Naraku only pretended to look miffed and the smirk on his face only contradicted his chastising tone of voice. "Is that any way to greet a friend?"
Inuyasha bowed his head and he took a deep breath. When he looked back up at Naraku, he shrugged his shoulders. "But really, what is it that you want?"
"Come, we have things to discuss," Naraku said coolly, turned on his heel and walking- leaving no room for argument from Inuyasha. Perhaps it was due to the shock of Naraku being on his doorstep, or his earlier agitation towards his grandmother, but whatever the case, Inuyasha left the house, closed the door behind him, and followed Naraku obediently…
…Completely missing Kagome's arrival.
-
She'd woken up extra early that morning. She couldn't convince herself otherwise that the fluttering in her stomach was indeed her excitement. She tried to pass it off as nausea or just a small stomach ache, but there was no doubt about it; Kagome wanted to see Inuyasha. Thinking about it to herself, she found it kind of sad. She'd known him for less than a week, and already she liked the attention he gave her. She'd never been given so much information from a guy before (minus her family, of course. And Miroku and Shippou- but they didn't count). Despite her shortcomings and her nervousness around the silver-haired boy, she found herself looking forward to spending time with him. He was so nice to her and that was more than she could say about anyone else.
She'd gotten up early so that she could prepare his breakfast and lunch. She'd seen his dedication towards his grandmother with the amount of chores he did for her and she wanted to lessen his load by preparing him two meals of the day, complete with snacks in between in case he got hungry. Kagome smiled silently to herself as she tucked some hair behind her ear. Her dreams had been filled with the greatest Saturday of her life.
Inuyasha had been so kind to her, so understanding. He completely contradicted the rumors that surrounded him. 'You should stop thinking about those rumors,' she scolded herself. 'He told you himself that he wasn't like that. That they were rumors. And Inuyasha isn't the type to go back on his word.' She wondered briefly how she knew that.
Packing the food into a plastic bag, she slipped into her shoes and coat before plucking an umbrella off its hook, nestled between several coats. "Mama! Grandpa! Souta! I'm leaving!"
Mrs. Higurashi popped her head out from the bathroom, where she'd been cleaning, and smiled at her daughter. It did her motherly heart good to see her daughter hanging out with a boy. She approved of Inuyasha and was glad that he spent so much time with her daughter. Kagome needed to build more self-confidence, and she couldn't manage that with compliments from her family and friends alone- she needed reassurance of her own beauty from someone like Inuyasha. From a sweet, nice guy.
"Do you need a ride, sweetie? It's raining cats and dogs out there and without your glasses…" Mrs. Higurashi looked mildly worried as she stepped out from the bathroom, wiping her hands on a towel. Warm brown eyes gazed down as her young teenaged child nodded her head.
"Yes, please." She smiled up at her mother and Mrs. Higurashi collected her shoes and coat as well.
"Boys, I'm going with Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi shouted through the apartment.
Two grunts followed this announcement and a muffled 'stop yelling' came from Souta's bedroom.
"Okay then, Kagome; let's go," Kagome's mother bubbled and led the way out of the apartment and towards their car.
With Kagome's softly spoken directions they got to Inuyasha's house rather quickly. The distance between them was short by car and Kagome thanked her mother before stepping out of the vehicle. Gripping her plastic bag of food tightly and opening her umbrella, she waved to her mother as she drove away.
Smiling shyly and blushing silently, Kagome walked slowly up the Inuyasha's house and rung the doorbell.
-
"What do you want?" Inuyasha repeated for the umpteenth time that day as he sat in the Starbucks with Naraku. The dark-haired boy silently sipped his latte and didn't respond to Inuyasha's demand. Inuyasha sighed in response, not appreciating the silent treatment. He had no clue what the dark boy wanted and it plagued his mind.
Naraku set down his over-priced drink and stared at Inuyasha for a long moment. "I'll admit I'm not sure where to begin."
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I'm not really sure what you want so I'm not much help." He offered a small smile, trying to be tolerant around the teenager, despite his dislike for him.
"You're different," Naraku said suddenly and scowled. "You aren't like you used to be."
Inuyasha blinked his golden eyes and he smiled. "I am different. I have changed," he agreed as he traced the circular cup of his tea.
Naraku looked at him darkly and he smirked wickedly. "You hide behind that smile." His words were slick as honey and caused Inuyasha's smile to falter. "Such a fake smile…" Inuyasha's smile dissolved instantly and his lips thinned into a straight line. "But why is it? Why is it that you've changed?"
Inuyasha stared out the window silently.
"Come back to the group, Inuyasha," Naraku insisted. He smirked. "You've been gone for so long, you'll have to work your way to the top again, but the gang's all missed you. We're all still together."
Inuyasha smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, but no." He shook his head. "I have no desire to return to that part of my life…"
Naraku slammed his fists against the table but refused to acknowledge those who turned to look at him. "Those bastards in Montana made a little boy scout out of you, Inuyasha! You're nothing like you used to be."
"I'm not," he agreed softly.
Naraku sneered and unclenched his fists. He crushed his coffee cup and glared angrily at Inuyasha, who refuse to meet his gaze. "You… you! I can't believe that you'd just throw away your way of life just like that."
"I learned things, Naraku," Inuyasha said gently, his ocher eyes staring sadly at the table before him. "Things that you have yet to learn."
"You're just a little wimp now," Naraku snorted. "Walking around with your stupid hair and clothing- you never used to dress like that! Smiling that stupid fake smile like the world is perfect and you're happy! I know you're not happy; you're anything but. When you smile your eyes are blank."
Naraku fumed in his seat and Inuyasha didn't respond. Naraku continued, "And now you're walking around following a girl like a damned house pet! You're acting like you enjoy hanging around that wench."
Inuyasha's hands clenched and it was his turn to slam it against the table. Naraku jumped in surprise, not expecting a reaction out of Inuyasha. The boy glared down at him angrily, his amber eyes blazing with his suppressed fury. "I'll allow you to insult me," Inuyasha hissed out calmly. "But you will not raise your words- or anything else for that matter- towards Kagome, who you are not even worthy enough to mention."
Naraku's eyes narrowed and he smirked. "I see; you're hanging around that girl because you want to atone. How very like you, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut. "I cannot change what I've done, Naraku. But I can pay for my sins by turning over a new leaf."
"You're pathetic, Inuyasha," Naraku said darkly as he too stood. Both boys ignored the silent stares that were cast in their directions. The silver-haired boy gazed unwavering at Naraku and the larger boy returned it evenly, a slow smirk spreading over his lips.
"Maybe," Inuyasha finally broke his gaze and stared sadly out the window, watching the water splatter across the roads outside. "But I'm better than you."
Naraku chuckled darkly. "They whipped your ass good at Spring Creek." Inuyasha cringed at the mention of his old school from before he'd returned here. "Do you really think that stupid girl will like you still if she knew where you've been? What you've done?"
"Shut up, Naraku," he snapped, his angry golden eyes staring ahead, unblinking.
"But it's true, isn't it? She's so damn pathetic she can hardly stand to look at anyone." Inuyasha clenched his fists and Narkau smirked. "Fine, follow her like a lost puppy. Abandon your friends."
"I have no friends," Inuyasha snapped.
"You think you're so much better than us," Naraku snapped back angrily. His fury burned brightly in his dark eyes and his hand clenched and unclenched. Inuyasha met his gaze and it became a battle of who was angrier. Molten golden fires of fury swirling in the amber orbs glared darkly at the red lava that blazed in Naraku's eyes. Both refused to back down from the other and both refused to allow defeat. Naraku sneered at Inuyasha and the said boy continued to glare silently.
"I'm getting there," Inuyasha finally said quietly. Despite his softly spoken words, angry eyes continued to stare over at Naraku.
"You can't change who you are. You may be different on the outside but you will always be the same as you were," Naraku snorted crossly, his almost-red eyes glaring furiously at Inuyasha. The said boy didn't really respond to what Naraku said.
"That's not part of my life I wish to return to," he repeated his earlier comment. They continued to glare at each other but Inuyasha's anger quietly subsided and brewed within him. He'd learned to keep his anger inside… even if it wasn't good to do.
"I can't believe you'd do this, Inuyasha," Naraku said darkly. "We're practically brothers." As if to demonstrate his point he pulled back his sweatshirt's sleeve and revealed his palm, face up. There, near his thumb was a small scar, barely noticeable. "Have you forgotten about that so soon?" Inuyasha regarded the scar that had made him his blood brother.
Inuyasha silently unrolled his hand and stared at the scar on his own hand, proving that they had sealed their blood together long ago. The silver-haired boy frowned and clenched his fist again before dropping it to his side.
"You really would forget all that, huh?" Naraku sneered angrily and pulled his sweatshirt back down to his knuckles. "You'd throw away all the times together like they were nothing!"
"I've burned that bridge long ago," Inuyasha said calmly, his anger completely dissipated.
Naraku silently fumed. His eyes glared at Inuyasha hotly and he let out a loud breath of air. "What did they do to you…?"
He smirked without mirth. "Only what I deserved," Inuyasha said gently and turned his attention towards the windows. He smiled at the Valentine's Day decorations. The holiday was tomorrow…
Suddenly his eyes widened in surprise and he whipped his head around. "Oh no, Kagome!" Before Naraku could blink or say anything, the boy had grabbed his black, zip-up hoodie and was dashing out the door and into the pouring rain. He skidded due to the lack of traction from his green converse before rushing down the street and towards his house.
Naraku watched him go before shaking his head. "You can never change what you are."
-
She'd been thinking about Inuyasha. As she'd stood outside his door, ringing the bell for the third time, she'd been thinking about whether or not he'd like the food she'd made him. She'd worked hard on it because of his reaction when she asked if he would like lunch. He seemed thrilled by the idea and it made Kagome feel important.
Frowning as the third ring ebbed away to memory and no one came to answer the door, Kagome took a step back from the house. Cradling his food in her hand and the umbrella in the other, she tipped her head back to look at the windows. They were all dark and there wasn't a single light on in the house. Kagome frowned.
Walking back to the door, she tried the handle. It was locked.
Kagome bit her lip and tried to calm herself. "It's fine," she murmured to herself, trying to stop the dread that seeped into her. "They just can't hear the doorbell over the rain. He'll come down in a few minutes. He knows I'm coming…"
Kagome licked her dry lips and shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. Her blue eyes stared at the door, willing it to open and see Inuyasha's smiling face.
Minutes passed.
Kagome frowned and shifted uncomfortably once again. She checked her watch and tried ringing the doorbell.
When nothing happened still, Kagome felt her bottom lip quiver. Turning on her heel, she dropped onto the doorstep and sat down feebly. She positioned her umbrella to rest against her shoulder and grasped the holder in between her two knees to keep it from falling over. Her two cold, wet hands grasped the plastic bag that held Inuyasha's food tenderly; she wouldn't allow it to get wet. When he realized she was out here, she wanted him to enjoy a nice meal.
Her head bowed against the rain that pelted against her. She shivered as the wind whipped against her, threatening to take the umbrella from her small, pathetic grasp.
'He couldn't have forgotten…' she thought to herself as more minutes ticked by. It had been half of an hour since she'd first rung his doorbell, and still nothing had happened. She glanced feebly behind her shoulder at the large white house and watched lazily as cars drove by, splashing water in all directions.
'Inuyasha wouldn't have forgotten…' the back of her head chided her and something within her tensed. She felt the familiar pressure behind her eyes and she took deep breaths, trying to stop the shivering that racked her body. 'He… he's not home…'
It seemed stupid now. She'd been waiting outside for half of an hour and she hadn't realized his house was empty. Inuyasha couldn't hear the doorbell because he wasn't home at all. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. 'Where is he…? Is something wrong?' She gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Kagome sat fidgeting on the steps as her clothing stuck uncomfortably to her skin. Her damp hair clung to her forehead in aggravating clumps and she found herself searching out the streets for signs of Inuyasha.
It was only about ten minutes later that Kagome felt tears prickling her eyes. "He… isn't here… he isn't coming back," she whispered to herself and found herself becoming angry. "Idiot!" she whispered harshly to herself.
Ducking her head, she gripped her plastic bag like a lifeline. "Idiot, idiot, idiot!" she repeated in a mantra. He blue eyes misted over and clenched shut as she set her jaw and bit her tongue. "I'm an idiot!" she snapped to herself.
Tears leaked from her eyes and her bottom lip quivered. 'Did he really leave…? Has everything he said a lie…?'
Sitting on Inuyasha's front stoop, alone, afraid and cold, caused Kagome to start to think. She fiddled with the tie on the plastic bag and stared blankly at the ground. 'He is always smiling, isn't he? Who can smile like that all the time and be sincere?'
Her doubts began to cloud her mind as her sorrow led way to anger to return to depression.
'He said that Naraku only thinks they're friends… but they have a history. Could he have been lying?' She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to keep it from quivering. 'Is Inuyasha a liar?'
She looked around the yard, as if expecting Inuyasha and his buddies to be hiding in the bushes laughing at her pain. Angry tears burned her eyes and she felt her cheeks redden. 'He's a big fake… he tricked me. He doesn't care about me at all… he's probably somewhere with Naraku laughing about the stupidity of the stupid, ugly girl.'
She shamefully wept on Inuyasha's doorstep.
'He's a big fake. He played me for a fool,' Kagome thought disdainfully as she snorted angrily. 'I'm such a fool.' She cried more tears and they dripped down her cheeks only to be washed away by the rain.
Her thoughts continued as such until she heard the pounding of footsteps. "Kagome," gasped out a voice and the girl tensed as she cried. She knew who it was.
-
Inuyasha was barely aware of anything as he ran down the streets. He ignored his screaming lungs and he the way the rain splattered against his face like painful bullets. He clenched his eyes shut as he dashed as fast as he could, ignoring the shattering pain in his legs. How could he have been so stupid? He'd left his house with Narkau when Kagome was supposed to come!
He could only pray that she was late or his grandmother had let her in before she left to her friend's house.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!' he repeated in his mind like a mantra as he raced down the streets, darting around stray pedestrians. He practically flew across the crosswalks, almost running in front of a car. He didn't care at the moment to apologize- he had to get to his house.
It didn't take him long to get to his house and, as he turned the corner and dashed into his yard, he saw her. Her head was bowed; her bluish black hair damp and listless as it soaked in water and dripped it onto her soaking clothing. Her umbrella, which rested against her shoulder lifelessly, danced in the wind, failing to shelter Kagome against the onslaught of rain. Her cold, wet hands clutched a plastic bag to her chest.
"Kagome," Inuyasha wheezed out. His quiet plea snapped her out of her gaze because she raised her head a fraction of an inch.
She didn't answer him, just silently stood and marched towards him. It seemed that time had stopped and only he and Kagome were left in the world. The girl moved slowly, staggering. When she was a few feet away from him, she raised her head and blue eyes stared right through him, the blue depths overflowing with tears- barely detectable due to her already rain-stained face. The shaking of her shoulders proved she was sobbing.
She paused for only a moment before she walked up to him and shoved the plastic bag into his hands. With a small 'oof' at the sudden pressure against his gut, his golden eyes widened as Kagome shamefully tried to wipe her eyes, dropped her umbrella and began to leave his front yard.
"Kagome!" he pleaded again, the rain soaking both of them. "Kagome, please!"
Kagome tensed and stopped at his call. She didn't turn around, but just stood there with tensed shoulders with the occasional heave as a sob racked her body.
Suddenly, like she'd just received a burst of energy, the girl began running and he quickly ran after her out of reflex. She heard his pounding footsteps and ran as fast as her small legs could carry her. The taller boy, with much longer legs, sprinted down the sidewalk, trying to catch her. His golden eyes were trained on Kagome and wouldn't lift up. The girl turned a corner and darted away as fast as she could. Her throat went dry as she heaved in air from her mouth.
"Kagome!" he shouted after her, his voice drowned out by the pounding rain. "Kagome! Please stop!"
She didn't answer to his plea as she turned the corner. He heard her wails that she fruitlessly tried to cover with her hands, their small, cold palms clasped over her lips like she'd spoken a taboo. She continued to run away from him, but he was quickly catching up to her. His hand was outstretched in an attempt to grab her and stop her. He could hear her sobs and he felt his heart clench and his lungs scream for air.
Suddenly she darted to the right and ran across the street, taking no mind that a car horn bleared at her and the screeching of tires as a car came to a sudden halt. Kagome bowed her head and closed her eyes, running blindly down the next street. Inuyasha skidded his feet and dashed across the road without any incident with any car. His lungs gasped for air and his legs screamed at him to stop, but he kept going, trying to spot Kagome as she maneuvered in odd directions instead of one straight line.
He spotted her ahead as she made a quick left and out of sight. Pounding his feet into the ground he turned the corner to see Kagome further down. Swallowing hard, he narrowed his golden eyes and stormed after her, his eye focused on her back and praying she wouldn't turn another corner. Luck seemed to be on his side because no sub streets appeared and caused Kagome to run in a straight line down the sidewalk.
"Kagome!" he shouted. He didn't know why she was running, why she was crying. True, he'd stood her up, but was it really worth this reaction? He outstretched his hand, his finger tips just brushing over Kagome's shoulder blade. The girl sobbed.
"Leave me alone!" was the first thing she said to him that day as she tried to outrun him. He quickly beat her to it and was about to grasp her forearm when she slipped.
It was almost like it happened in slow motion. One second they were running at full speed, one trying to get away and the other trying to desperately to catch up. But at that sudden moment, the girl's slippery shoes touched down on a puddle in the sidewalk and she lost all traction. Like a car hydroplaning, the girl slid a few feet before losing balance completely and her legs slipped out from under her. She was faintly aware that she was falling back into something soft. She heard the crash to the ground and barely registered the pain in her legs as she leaned against whatever she landed on.
The heavy panting of Inuyasha roused her from her delusional state of mind and she gazed up at Inuyasha. Tears leaked from her eyes only to be drowned out by the rain as she stared at Inuyasha. He'd hit the ground at a much larger impact and had hit more and it was obviously hurting him. His eyes were clenched shut in pain and he hissed out curses.
"Inuyasha…" she murmured out, crawling up his body so that she was looking down at his contorted face. She whimpered and felt her lip quiver. "I'm so sorry!" she whispered out, but it was lost in his moans of pain and the thundering rain around them. "God, I'm so worthless!"
Inuyasha laid on the ground in his own half-state of mind. He barely registered the fact he was falling and that Kagome was against him. But he did register what Kagome just said.
Bolting upright, he caused a small squeak of surprise to sound from the girl and he looked at her with a hardened gaze. "No, you're not worthless." She cowered under his gaze and ducked her head, unable to look at him. "You're not worthless, Kagome." His expression softened and he reached out a trembling hand, tracing his knuckles along her cheek. "Look at me." She refused to look and he sighed, understanding her insecurity. "Kagome, you're not worthless."
Her shoulders heaved with her silent sobs as tears dripped from her eyes. He'd never seen her so sad and he felt the color drain from his face. "Kagome…" he murmured, his hand reaching out and touching a quivering shoulder. She tensed under his touch but he didn't remove his hand. "How long were you waiting?" he asked in a whisper.
Kagome sniffled and shamefully tried to wipe her nose with the back of her hand. She didn't answer right away and Inuyasha was fine with that.
Kagome barely registered the feel of his arms wrapping around her as he pulled her to his chest. His strong arms cradled her against him as he rested his head on her shoulder. He didn't move from his position until he felt Kagome's sobs stop and her tears wash away with the rain that surrounded them like a pall.
He pulled away gently, so as not to alarm her, and looked at Kagome silently. The girl bowed her head and gripped her hands together. "Kagome," he murmured and watched as her head raised a fraction, signaling that she was listening. "I don't deserve your tears."
That seemed to cause more tears to leak from her eyes because she slouched forward and her hands touched the cold pavement they both sat on. "But I… I made you get hurt, just because I'm," she trailed off, thinking of the right word. "…worthless."
That word again.
It roused unwanted memories within Inuyasha and he shook his head, crawling towards her. His fingers came out and brushed her cheek lightly, the feather light touch sending shivers and tingles through Kagome.
"You, Kagome…" His voice was soft with emotion and his expression was tender. "Are anything but worthless."
Out of all the things to say, that's what caused Kagome to start bawling like a baby without milk. Inuyasha reeled back in slight shock before he collected her into his arms and held her again, his whispered words of comfort lost on the sobbing girl.
"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered out and continued to cry.
-
They entered Inuyasha's house dripping wet. He slipped off his muddy shoes and socks and Kagome followed suit. He sneezed lightly and shook his head, causing droplets of water to fly across the room in a large arch before splattering against the floor.
He ran his fingers through his shaggy silver hair before turning towards Kagome. Peeling off his black hoodie, soaked to the bone, he motioned to the stairs. "Here, I can let you borrow some of my clothes and I can throw your clothes in the dryer."
Kagome nodded meekly and followed after him as they padded up his stairs, leaving wet footprints on the carpet as they ascended to the second story.
Kagome entered Inuyasha's room and looked around it. True, she'd been there yesterday morning, but she hadn't really taken the time to look it over. It was a shocking difference from the rest of the house. Where the home Inuyasha and his bubbie lived in was clean and tidy, Inuyasha's room looked like several tornados had had a run in with his closet. Dirty and clean clothes alike littered the floor and papers were stacked on top of his desk. His bed was unmade and one of his pillows lay sprawled on the floor while the other was in the garbage can.
Inuyasha grinned sheepishly and retreated to his bureau, shuffling around his clothing and kicking it aside, causing articles of clothes to fly through the air and land on his bed, over a chair and on a reading lamp randomly. He dug around his drawers, tossing clothing aside (which explained the clothes on the floor) before pulling out a white button down shirt and a pair of pants. He turned to her and held them out to her with a smile.
"Oh wait, I guess you'll need this," he dug around in another drawer and pulled out an undershirt and a pair of boxers. Kagome stared at the two articles of clothing in horror. Inuyasha noted her expression and smiled sheepishly. "Well, unless you want to wear Bubbie's underwear…" he trailed off and shuddered at the thought. He tossed the two articles of clothing to her and Kagome squeaked as the undershirt landed on her head. "It's just until I get your clothing dried. It's not too bad- wearing boxers, I mean."
Blushing and doing an excellent impression of a tomato, Kagome turned on her heel and retreated to his bathroom, clicking the door shut behind her. At least that answered the immortal question of 'boxers or briefs?' in regard to Inuyasha's undergarments. Kagome's cheeks flamed.
She slipped out of her wet clothes and dried off with a towel hanging on the rack. Slipping on the borrowed garments, she found that she felt uncomfortable wearing his clothing. The pants were baggy and slipped down her hips, sporting the sponge bob square pants boxer shorts he'd handed her. The buttoned shirt fell to the middle of her thighs and the sleeves past her knuckles. She rolled them up and pulled up her pants as best she could. The hems of the flared pants trailed along the ground.
'He wears the same brand of pants as Sango…' Kagome noted with a raised eyebrow. 'I guess it's his style…' She smiled shyly. She couldn't deny he looked cute in girl pants, no matter how odd it was.
A knock on the door startled her and she heard Inuyasha's voice calling through the door. "Kagome, can you grab a Band-Aid and the peroxide in the cabinet? I scraped my hands on the pavement."
Shamefully aware that she was the cause for his injuries, no matter how minor, Kagome replied with a meek 'yes' before turning towards the mirrored cabinet.
Opening it, she searched for the two items in question. Not seeing the peroxide anywhere, she grasped a small tube of Neosporin and managed to knock bottles down to the sink. Frowning, Kagome placed the box of Band-Aids and Neosporin down before scooping up the bottles.
'Advil… Fluoride… mouth wash…' Kagome glanced curiously at what she'd knocked over. 'Toothpaste… we use the same flavor,' she thought with a light smile.
Her eyes caught the last bottle in the sink and she grasped it. It was in the same kind of container as the fluoride with the orange see-through container with the white child-safety top.
'Doxepin…' she read the label. 'What's that…?'
'One pill a day,' she read the other labels. Inuyasha Cohen, his doctor's name, the name of the pill, the daily dosage and side affects…
Her eyes widened as she read the last bit. 'Used to treat depression.'
She gaped at it in silence, her eyes staring unblinking at the bottle of Doxepin pills. "Inuyasha…" she murmured.
"Yeah?" came his voice and Kagome jumped, dropping the bottle. She grasped the two items he'd requested and opened the door. Inuyasha stared at her, dog ears twitching and his golden eyes looking at her. "Everything okay?" he questioned when she shoved the two requested items in his hand. "Thanks," he mumbled and stepped inside the bathroom.
He'd changed too, she noted as she went and sat on his bed. 'Great,' she thought sourly. 'Not only did I doubt him again but now I discover he's on antidepressants.' Her eyes watched Inuyasha, who'd left the door open as he cleaned up the mess she hadn't finished. He was uncharacteristically silent as he worked on putting bandages on his skinned hands and wrists. 'He does care…' she thought as she watched him.
That had been the reason why she'd run. She couldn't stand to look at the boy who'd tricked her over the last six days. But… he'd been true blue, once again, and she'd been ashamed when he'd chased her, only trying to get her to stop so he could talk to her.
He left the bathroom and looked at her. She stared at her feet. "You're depressed?" It was probably one of the boldest things she'd ever asked him and he looked only mildly shocked before answering.
"Yes, though not as much as I once was," he said gently and sat next to her. Kagome continued to stare at her bare feet, peeking out beneath the denim of Inuyasha's jeans. "My doctor's having me cut back… I'll be completely free of it by freshmen year of college, he thinks."
"I'm sorry," Kagome clenched her hands. "I didn't know."
"It doesn't change who I am," Inuyasha said. "I don't really need them that much any more, but it's dangerous to just suddenly stop taking the pill. I have to get off it gradually, stop my dependence on them to keep me from getting depressed."
"Why did you need them?" Kagome was afraid to ask.
Inuyasha smoothed a wrinkle in his bed's comforter. "Let's just say I was a fucked up kid when I was younger…"
Kagome was silent and didn't ask anymore questions, and Inuyasha didn't offer any more answers.
-
Author's notes: (dies) Holy hell… I had to cut this chapter in half because it was getting too long. Okay everyone, I have a question for you all. I simply adore this story, love it to bits. Currently there are a planned sixteen chapters in this story but I could lengthen it if anyone is interested. I don't know how long it would be extended for but I want your opinions first. Tell me in a review, please.
Beta's notes: ANGST. Bwhaa, I love it to bits.
Fanart:
Inuyasha and Kagome:
www(.)deviantart(.)com(/)deviation(/)15103635