Mocha Latte

-Kitty

Chapter 15: A Series of Curious Encounters


Communication was not his specialty, and he felt it keenly as he watched her go about her daily morning routine. She bumbled her way to the kitchen, that chaotic din of pots and pans, then she bumbled her way to the bathroom while the coffee brewed, eventually emerging in slightly more formal attire than pajamas. He watched her from the couch, ears alert, eyes awake. He'd been so resolved last night, absolutely sure of this new mission in life. Then now as the time crept closer for him to step up, he found himself waffling, second guessing and growing increasingly agitated as the minutes ticked by.

"Got any plans for the day?"

Her voice startled him, cutting through his tense internal mulling and causing him to nearly choke on his own tongue as he briefly pondered her apparent omniscience.

"Eh… nothing," he managed to stammer.

Kagome gave no outward indication that she was wise to his intentions. Her hurried movements and stumbling steps as she managed to get herself out the door were no more hurried or stumbling than any other day. Eventually, she chirped a bright goodbye and then the door clicked shut.

The usual cutting silence following her departure poured in to fill the vacant space. From the shelf, the snarky gaze of the lucky cat seemed to wink at him in the slanted morning light. He only breathed a single, stunted sigh before his body fell into motion.

She rode a bicycle to work, the rickety thing like every other of her possessions, old, creaky, and clearly on its last legs, but stubborn in its determination to service its bright, upbeat master. Her path was meandering, and after following her for nearly twenty minutes from the rooftops, Inuyasha was beginning to wonder if Kagome had a real job at all.

Her first stop was at a small, quiet alley, packed full of local felines waiting for breakfast. The noisy, squeaky things grated on his sensitive ears and thankfully she fed the strays quickly before moving on.

Her next stop was by a bakery, sweet and buttery scents wafting from its doors. The sunlight glistened on the flaky, crispy croissants and Inuyasha was salivating as he stood sentry on a nearby rooftop.

Then she stopped by a park, casually biking up to an old, raggedy woman surrounded by equally raggedy looking pigeons. She traded a croissant for a bag of seed and he spied on them curiously as the befuddling young woman twirled and giggled with the fluttering of grey wings, her smile wide as she fed the cooing flock. A particularly affectionate bird followed her as she moved on, finally joining ranks with hundreds of other commuters furiously peddling to work and his eyes lost track of her. He followed his nose at a distance, easily hopping from one hidden patch to another, gradually making his way to a plain, unassuming high rise squashed between two taller skyscrapers and he carefully selected a nearby tree to assess the lay of the land.

The building was heavily enchanted, that much he could tell. Fortified like a castle, with all manner of armaments against those with evil intent. He didn't need to spot the wards tucked into the corners and pasted on the walls, he felt the energy vibrating, nearly creating a shimmer in the air just inside the glass doors. But folded into the layers of protective charms was a unique and surprising spell pulsing with the same energy beating within the beads around his neck. An inviting spell, one that promised protection to anyone that entered, human, demon, or otherwise. It was a painful sort of twang that echoed through his heart as he frowned down at the entryway. How differently would his early years alone have gone if he'd stumbled upon a sanctuary like this and what it promised?

He hovered near the entrance for a good several hours, debating his next action. It was clear his presence would be immediately found out if he passed through the doors. He could maintain surveillance just outside of the charms and remain undetected, but what sort of dangerous activities could Kagome be engaged in inside? Was it a portal to an entirely different location? Aside from charming the beads, he'd never seen her exercise her holy powers, could a portal be within her capabilities? He fuffled from his treetop perch with a sense of growing impatience. He couldn't protect her if he wasn't with her, but a self conscious, petty pride inside anchored him, reluctant to take definitive action.

The street was a quiet one, facing a lush green park. Dappled shadows swayed as the thick, dense trees rocked in the breeze. The sunlight was bright and joyful as it fed the grass with its light. Inuyasha eventually came down from the tree to take up a more comfortable position on a shaded park bench. Though passers by hardly gave him a second glance, he still felt exposed and vulnerable to be braving the public daylight, even with the disguise Kagome had fashioned for him. Children laughed and shouted from the nearby playground, answered by the chiding voices of caregivers gently reinforcing the principles of sharing toys and taking turns.

He ignored them for a while, focusing on the doors through which Kagome had disappeared. People of all sorts passed in and out of the entrance, each with a furrowed brow that spoke of troubled, anxious worries as they entered, and each leaving with a look of ease and peace. He observed them curiously, gradually forgetting his original purpose as the humans, ghosts, spirits, and everything in between entered the place where Kagome was. He'd never seen so many colorful characters congregating in the same physical space before.

An elderly man carrying a long, wide box approached the doors and paused. It was possessed, an unsettled, restless aura rising from the box like wispy smoke from a fire pit. Inuyasha watched as the wrinkled hands attempted to shift the oversized burden to one side in order to grasp hold of the doors. The hidden figure frowned as a foreign emotion began to form inside his chest. An impulse he'd thought was beaten out of him long ago. The gears in his heart were rusty and groaned as they tried to move, impeded by a reluctance learned from an early age that unnecessary involvement with others tended to land him in hot water. But he'd been recently touched with kindness, unasking and freely given, and it was like oil to the stiff joints and hinges in his innermost core and it drew him out of the tree and hesitantly up to the doorway beside the aging bent figure.

It was a jarring, quiet, yet incredibly profound strike to his heart in the small, still moment when the old man looked up and made eye contact with him. The initial curious glance transformed as the wrinkled eyes recognized his intent. And then appreciation, with a friendly warmth, narrowed the drooping eyes and the man smiled as Inuyasha stiffly jerked open the doors for the overburdened man.

"Thank you, young man," the old, gruff voice said.

Inuyasha stood just outside, a scowl creeping onto his forehead as a minor turmoil swirled inside his mind. A self satisfied joy had entered his heart to receive acknowledgement and gratitude in the small exchange. And a joy in the connection he shared with the elderly man's gaze. Happiness wasn't an emotion he was used to receiving from an interaction with others and he found himself unsettled by his affinity for it. He wanted more.

Another figure approached the doors, a woman with a furrowed brow and thinly pursed lips. Telltale bags hung droopy and tired below her eyes. Undeterred by her closed expression, Inuyasha tried again, pulling open the doors wide for her to pass through.

Again, the connection of gaze ignited a uniquely powerful spark in his heart, encouraged when the woman's weary eyes lifted for a moment, smiling her thanks as she entered. He surprised himself to feel the corners of his own lips quirk in response.

After she disappeared inside, Inuyasha took a step back. Pleasure in the interaction swelled in his chest. His heart pounded. Feeling overwhelmed, he retreated now, reseating himself on the sheltered park bench. His hands gripped the smooth, worn wooden planks supporting him as he assessed himself with a sort of amazed confusion. Something had been unlocked for him since meeting Kagome. A door to the world opened the moment she placed these warm, pulsing beads around his neck. And that sleeping instinct inside of every conscious mind that craved social connection suddenly found itself thirsty, being watered for the first time in his life. And then he felt a wash of something bittersweet sweeping through his heart. Loneliness wasn't something he consciously acknowledged in his life, he was often too busy with the basic necessities of survival. But suddenly, a sensation almost like heartbreak fluttered through his mind as he finally faced the fact he'd been lonely, not just alone, for so many years. Life on the run without the respite of being able to trust and lean against another. And to feel recognition from a stranger for a small kindness. He scowled at himself, feeling his heart contract in reaction to the painful realization. But it was a positive sort of pain as well, a growing pain. And he surprised himself to find that behind the wave of pain, swelled a wave of hope and it eased him as he sat under the tree, feeling the breeze wash over him as if to blow away his gloomier thoughts and leave him fresh with new eyes.

The birds singing above him suddenly fell quiet and the abrupt loss of their melodic chirping brought him back from his thoughts. Glancing up, he followed their beady gazes across the street toward the building Kagome was in. A small, translucent figure hovered nervously on the street corner. A horrific image, a little girl, a gash ripping savagely into her skull, and even more sickening, a dark, bloody stain pouring down the back of her skirt, evidence of a crime too abhorrent for him to linger on for more than his brief, initial realization. The expression on the young face was one of terror and confusion. Busy people walked by, unaware of the ghost on the street corner. The horror on her face when a rushing body passed straight through her was unmistakable and then he was on his feet and in front of her before he realized it. Wide, frightened eyes stared up at him, surprised by his sudden appearance. His jaw locked tight, trying to remain stoic despite his heart sympathizing with the hapless young ghost. Holding out a hand, ignoring the strange looks from others on the street, he waited patiently until the dawning understanding in her eyes transformed to trust and the small, wispy hand settled in his. It was cold and weightless, like trying to capture a puff of cool air. Then he turned, opened the door, and entered the protective boundary of Kagome's workplace.


A/N: Hoping everyone is staying safe and healthy!

So, oddly, since working from home, work seems to be busier and I'll probably take a writing hiatus until I can find a better rhythm. Don't know how long.. Bear with me :P

Also beginning to reassess this story. Initially only wanted to make it a rambling little collection of dribbles but now it's decided maybe it wants to have a plot… what do you think?