Mocha Latte
-Kitty
Chapter 14: Trembling heart
Though her physical body of flesh and blood was small, fragile compared to his superior strength and durability, hers was a strength of a different kind. A giving strength. And as he continued to hold her, clumsy and uncertain in his offering of support and comfort, he found himself receiving far more from her than he could give. As though her subconscious aura sensed his distress and moved to comfort him despite her own private struggle. His arms savored the feel of her slender body while his mind was confused, oddly reminded of the tiny warmth it had been to hold the baby rabbits he'd saved from the storm. Small and tender, every tremor and shake she made immediately transmitted to his heart while he held her to his chest. And his heart soared. The incongruous sensation of simultaneous concern and elation were emotions far too large to fit into his ill-used heart and they swirled inside of him, a bizarre kind of unrest that was both agitated and at peace with itself. Her sobs and quaking shoulders eventually ceased, and then the only sounds were the soft drops of water falling from her soaking clothes. She stayed in his arms for a minute longer before straightening suddenly, with a long, loud sniffle.
"Ha," she said, bringing a soaked sleeve to rub her nose, "You're all wet."
He snorted. "You're more wet," he said lamely.
Kagome laughed, moving to a shelf to pull out a couple towels.
"Here," she said, stuffing one into his arms, "Let me finish up here. I'll be right out."
She placed a gentle hand on his back but he stayed rooted where he was. Truly, he'd been frightened for her, didn't know how to react or what to think of the emotional outburst. Kagome looked up into his face, her eyes searching his before smiling a reassuring smile that only seemed just a little too wide.
"I'll be fine," she said quietly, "I promise."
He huffed a sigh, shifting and picking at his wet shirt to pull the clinging material away from his body. As he moved to exit the bathroom, her voice, soft and warm, made him pause.
"Thank you," she said.
He stopped short, turning startled eyes to meet hers. She had an appreciative smile on her face, eyes narrowed slightly in genuine gratitude. Taken together with her bedraggled appearance, Inuyasha felt a surge of wrongness with the picture and rushed out into the living room, confused by the churning turmoil he suddenly felt.
'Thank you,' she'd said. 'Thank you'. As if he'd done her some great favor. He stared at the glass panes of her windows, glaring at the white haired, dog eared demon that stared back. What was there to thank him for?
The sound of water resumed behind him and found himself listening intently to it. Water droplets striking the tub in rapid succession. The splat of wet clothes being dumped against the tiled floor. The squeak of the shampoo pump, precipitating a waft of floral scent. He heard her sigh, a long, drawn out sigh, and he breathed with her, the even white noise of the shower and the heave and pull of her lungs easing the tightness in his chest. The faucet squeaked as the water was shut off, causing him to turn and glance into the bathroom, the door barely hanging from its hinge.
She emerged in a billowing cloud of steam, heedless of her nudity or the open door. His eyes went wide as he stared at her, suddenly powerless to look away. He gaped at her, but not for the slimness of her waist or the roundness of her breasts. What he saw poured icy cold water over his gut. Her body was littered with bruises, some fresh, others old. A savage scar spanned her abdomen directly over her stomach. Another jagged slash glanced off her collarbone. She'd always faced away from him the scant few times she'd changed in his presence, and he'd always slammed his eyelids closed before he could absorb any details about her curves or skin. Now, he stared hard at her body, feeling short of breath to witness the physical evidence of her daily work.
Kagome, meanwhile, absently wrapped a towel around herself, clearly enjoying the sensation of being clean, luxuriously dragging the fluffy material over her skin. Yet another hugely oversized shirt turned her into a large amorphous blob, hiding the scars and bruises. She eventually felt his gaze and turned to glance at him curiously.
"Hm?" She hummed in question, "Oh, yeah, I must look like a disaster, huh?"
"Who the fuck did that to you?!"
He couldn't recall the last time he'd bellowed so loud, the trinkets and lucky cat on the shelves trembled before the might of his lungs. He panted from the force of his own outburst, golden eyes wild with a desperate need to smite whoever dared harm a hair on her head. Kagome stood still, her eyes round, her expression frozen as she absorbed the demand.
There was peace for only a second before a snort of laughter precipitated a hearty fit of guffaws from this mystery of a woman. He was flabbergasted by her reaction, frustration growing within him as it seemed the eyes on her walls smiling at his useless concern.
"Oi!" He complained, scowling hard where he stood, muscles tense. He suddenly wanted action, needed to act out vengeance on her behalf. But this uncooperative woman continued to stand there laughing at him, giving no hint or clue for him to track down the enemy.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, shaking her head and wiping a tear from her eyes. They sparkled, her eyes, unmarred by shadow or sadness. Despite the beating her body was clearly taking regularly, she moved easily, the same upbeat bounce to her step as when she'd dragged him out to dance in the rain. She moved toward him now, taking both his hands and giving him a squeeze, forcing the tense, ready claws to relax.
"It's my job," she said, "I promise, I'm alright."
She brought up a hand to cup his cheek, startling him as her thumb rubbed gentle circles over his cheekbone.
"Now, c'mon," she said, switching gears and moving toward the kitchen, "I'm hungry!"
…
The late evening light cast cool blues and grays onto her skin and clothing. Dinner turned out to be a outdoor affair, Kagome loading him up with delicate, steaming dish ware and demanding him take her to their roof. Normally inaccessible, it was a tricky venture, balancing the collection of precariously secured bowls and crockery. The addition of an injured, battered young woman clinging to his back turned it into a far more challenging endeavor than it should have been.
Inuyasha breathed a long, deep sigh, reclining back to rest more weight on the palms of his hands. It was a beautiful evening, the distant moon emerging from the horizon, round and heavy, as she tediously began to climb up into the sky. Surrounding them, an orchestra of reedy chirping voices sang their love songs into the night. Beside him, Kagome leaned forward, attempting to snag a dumpling from their picnic spread, her chopsticks clacking as they continually missed in the growing darkness. His control slipped and the corners of his lips twitched as he listened to her grumble in frustration before finally producing a little candle tin out of apparently nowhere, producing a warm, flickering glow.
He glanced toward her then, her slender frame completely consumed by her oversized sweater, making her look like a marshmallow with limbs and a head. The new orange light danced and trembled as the little flame sputtered, slowly melting the wax and drawing it up the wick. Kagome was fully occupied in her task of polishing off the second heaping plate of dumplings, her cheeks bulging as she savored one more. She washed the mouthful down with a hearty sip of sake before turning her attention to the next one, apparently defying the laws of physics as more dumplings seemingly vanished into her tiny body. The atmosphere was quiet and pensive around them, and something trembled inside his chest. Nothing ever seemed to faze this woman, no disgruntled, overly-suspicious half demon with a hole blasted through his middle, no sudden intrusion by a friend randomly slicing through her couch, and even now, despite her moment of vulnerability just a few hours ago, she cheerfully sat back with a long sigh, a hand rubbing slow circles over her very full stomach with a sleepy, satisfied smile. She was baffling, carefree and somehow naively positive.
"Yum!" she said, more to herself than to him, "Ah, that was good."
In contrast to her apparent nonchalant, relaxed attitude, Inuyasha couldn't shake the sense of unrest he'd been feeling ever since she first returned home that evening. It flickered and shook inside his chest like the flame the burned between them, trembling at the slightest breeze. This period of shelter, a warm, safe, enveloping shelter, it couldn't last forever and Inuyasha felt himself pressing against the boundaries this refuge, slowly finding it constraining, his own nature surfacing as a small part of him awoke, as though answering a call to action.
He stayed awake long into the night, listening to her easy, even breathing. Following dinner and an awkward, juggling climb from the roof, peace returned to the apartment. After the lights were switched off, he listened to the whisper soft ticking of her wall clock, face solemn, eyes fierce. His breathing was shallow as he contemplated the sleeping figure on the bed, a frown developing between his brows as he recalled waking that fateful night to find himself here, his chest bandaged by caring, expert hands. Even now, she kept her promise. Not a word of his history or identity was spoken, she didn't seem to care. Kagome had looked directly at him, seen the person he was in front of her, and opened her home to him. And every day, while he enjoyed the security of her safe haven, she'd gone out into the world, open and vulnerable to its savagery. His heart beat quickly as a determination took root inside him. Tomorrow, things will change. He felt his blood hum as he locked down on his resolution. It settled him, quieting the trembling in his chest and his thoughts calmed as his mind came into focus. Purpose. Suddenly, he found a purpose.
Tomorrow. Whatever task or foe Kagome faced, tomorrow he would be her shield.
A/N: Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in the midst of covid-19! Best wishes and luck to those of you especially at risk and my deepest gratitude to all the healthcare workers battling on the front lines. You guys are heros!
