Inuyasha was trying his best to remain calm, but that fluttering feeling in his stomach just wouldn't die down.
He and his roommate Kagome were having their traditional Saturday movie night and he had been minding his own space and keeping to himself. Honestly. But he knew how exhausted she was after a day of trying to virtually wrangle second graders via Zoom and now she had fallen asleep. Only she hadn't gone down the other end of the couch like a normal person would. No, she had slowly sunk down to lean against his side, her head now resting on his shoulder, warming him inside and out. And there was just one issue with this.
Inuyasha was completely, irrevocably in love with her. And she had no clue.
Inuyasha had always been a recluse, hiding himself away in his apartment that he shared with one of his only friends, Miroku. They had been friends back in college where Miroku basically latched onto Inuyasha and refused to let him put up his usual walls or keep his distance. It was annoying actually how often he would force Inuyasha to go out to a bar or at least just come study in the library with him. And eventually Inuyasha relented and accepted him into his life. He had gotten so used to being alone that he realized it wasn't half bad having a real friend.
Because Inuyasha was a hanyou and that meant you were always on your own. Humans were afraid of you. Demons were disgusted by you. He was plagued with long silver hair, amber eyes, claws and fangs, and the worst part, two dog ears perched on the top of his head. Even if he wore a hat, he didn't exactly blend in.
With Inuyasha's parents passing away at an early age, that meant he had to carve out his own place in the world. Sure, the place he lived for most of his childhood was at the Shikon Orphanage run by the old broad, Kaede. And she had put up with him, but the second he turned 18 he was out of there and living alone, the way it was always meant to be. He stayed in his own bubble, the only time he could truly get out and be himself was on his hiking expeditions into mountains or countryside. Any place he could keep himself isolated.
That was until he met Miroku in his history class and eventually they agreed to move in together to save on rent. The arrangement had worked for years. Though Miroku often invited an endless parade of girls through, they never stayed long enough to know Miroku even had a roommate, let alone a hanyou one. The only downside was Inuyasha had to invest in some demon grade earbuds to drown out the sounds that came from the pervert's bedroom on those nights.
That all changed, though, when Miroku met Sango. The same day he met her, he had burst into Inuyasha's room without any warning while he was working on his computer and swooned onto the hanyou's bed.
"She's the one, my friend," he had said. "I'm going to marry her."
And dammit, he did.
So that left Inuyasha on his own again. And honestly, he had grown used to having someone around. It didn't feel so lonely. He even liked having Sango there, too, despite the constant moans and various sounds of pleasure coming from Miroku's room every night that sometimes not even his earbuds could hide. They were perfect for each other. Even Inuyasha could admit that she was gorgeous and to top it off, could put Miroku in his place like it was the most natural thing in the world. He was happy for them and it felt like he had found himself a little family that he had carved a place into.
But then Miroku proposed and she had said yes. So naturally they were wanting to start their own life together. A life that didn't include a third-wheeling hanyou roommate.
"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Sango told him the day they sat him down and broke the news to him. "We'll find you a new roommate so you don't have to foot the bills alone or get a new place. We promise."
"It's fine," Inuyasha had replied gruffly. He would rather have to pay more than invite some stranger to invade his personal space. But a few days later, Sango had knocked on the door of his bedroom and told him the news.
"I found someone. Someone nice."
"Not interested."
"Please, Inuyasha, I think you'll really like her. She's my best friend from high school and is new in town and needs a place to stay."
"So have her find somewhere else."
"Don't be like that, Inuyasha. I know her and she's a good person. One of the nicest people I know."
"So she won't have any trouble."
"She's really pretty…"
"Good for her."
"Well I already told her she could move in on Friday so you have five days to get ready!"
"WHAT?"
And with that, Sango bolted back into the safety of Miroku's room without another word.
"Dammit, Sango!" he yelled after her and slammed his door. Inuyasha was still pissed at them when they brought the girl over two days later to meet him, unannounced.
He had been eating ramen at the kitchen counter and paused mid-slurp of his noodles when they entered through the front door and he got a whiff of her scent. It smelled...good. Really good. Like the wildflowers his mother would collect when they went on walks together through the countryside back when he was just a runt.
"Inuyasha, we have someone for you to meet!" Miroku called as they entered the kitchen area. And all Inuyasha could do was stare when he saw her.
Her long raven hair was striking against her pale skin and rosy cheeks. Kind, brown eyes twinkled as they held his own and Inuyasha was immediately lost in them, even as they flickered up to his ears then back again. He had to tear his gaze away to pass a glance down at the rest of her, noting how the pink sundress that she wore accentuated every curve of her body.
He realized he still had noodles dangling from his mouth and slurped them in. This only made her smile wider.
"Hi, I'm Kagome. You must be Inuyasha. Sango had told me all about you. I guess we're going to be roommates." And she reached out a hand to shake his. He would normally refuse an offer like this, but something about her presence had him extending his own to take hers and give a small shake. And dammit, were her hands soft. And so tiny.
They mostly chatted in the living room while Inuyasha finished his dinner in the kitchen, always keeping an eye on her. How she sat, all prim and proper. How she reacted with laughter whenever Miroku tried to crack a joke. How she could give a witty response right back without pause. He hated to admit it, but he was impressed. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having her around.
Later after Kagome left to go back to her hotel for the night, Sango cornered him.
"Well?" she asked him, a knowing smile on her face that Inuyasha found incredibly irritating.
"She can stay," was all he could reply with which made Sango scream in delight and throw her arms around him. Inuyasha panicked and immediately stiffened his body. But deep down, it felt kinda...nice. In a platonic way, of course.
And so Kagome had moved in right before the world went to shit. There were whispers of a virus called Corona beginning to spread across the world, and with his luck, the same week Kagome came into his life, so did quarantine. Everything was shut down to the public other than basic necessities like grocery stores and hospitals. People were advised not to leave their homes unless there was a dire emergency.
Not that it affected Inuyasha much. He barely left the house as it was. He already worked from home as a freelance graphic designer, building custom computers on the side for some extra cash. But Kagome...
Kagome had just started a job teaching second grade at a nearby elementary school and she taught her classes online. His days were spent locked in his room as usual and boy was he glad he had already invested in those earbuds so he did not have to hear the sounds of whiny, probably snotty children. Every now and then though...he would take one earbud out to hear the tinkling sound of her voice as she would cheerily read them a story from one of the many picture books she had stored on her massive bookshelf.
He knew just how many she had as he had been the one to help lug in the boxes full of them on her moving day. The smile on her face as she thanked him when he dropped the last one in her room had nearly stopped his heart. It was no big deal, he had said. They weren't as heavy for him as they would be for her with her puny human strength. Her laugh had him bolting out of the room before he could be forced to feel another emotion.
He had decided then that he would keep her at a distance, even though their world had been narrowed to their humble two-bedroom apartment. He was a hanyou, afterall. And though he assumed she was well aware of this fact, she hadn't acted any differently around him because of it. At least not yet. He wasn't going to let her in and wait around for that eventual moment when she got tired of him, too.
Yes, he had tried to push her away. He'd call her names like stupid or dummy, scowl at her, sometimes just straight up leave the room whenever she came in, anything he could to make it perfectly obvious that he didn't want her there. Maybe then, once lockdown was over, she'd hightail it out of there.
But it hadn't affected her. Not at all. She was there calling him stupid right back. She'd start a conversation with him, or at least try to, even knowing he'd just turn around and walk out. She greeted him everytime he came out of his room. Always with a smile. Honestly, did nothing phase this girl?
One night he could hear her video call with Sango through the walls of his bedroom.
"So, how's Inuyasha been treating you? Has he behaved?"
"I'm not sure he likes me very much."
"Oh don't take it personally. That's just how he is. It takes a while to get to know him, but he really is a nice guy at heart."
"I figured. He seems to just be all bark and no bite." Inuyasha growled at the obvious reference to his inu youkai heritage.
"Just give him time."
Sango called him a few minutes after she ended her call with Kagome to chew him out.
"Be nice to her!" she berated him like a mother scolding her child. "You are the only person she's able to see now. How do you think it makes her feel to have her only human interaction be grunts and insults all day?"
Dammit, she had a point. He knew she would sometimes call her family or Sango or those three girl friends she had from before she moved here but she was new in town and didn't have the chance to really meet anyone new. For her, Inuyasha was it. And he felt like an ass. He had grown so used to being alone that it hadn't occurred to him how anyone else might feel if they suddenly had to pause their whole life and isolate themselves the way he had already done.
"Fine," he said and hung up the phone. He stood up from his computer chair and made his way to his locked door. Taking a breath, he opened it.
He knew she was in the living room from inside his own room by that lovely scent. It practically filled the whole apartment. And there she was, curled up on the couch with her feet tucked under her, reading a book in the lamplight. She looked up at him as he entered the room and offered him a smile.
"Hey," was all she said before looking back down at her book, probably having assumed he was just passing through. Instead, he did something he had never done before. He sat down on the couch next to her. Granted, it was the other end of the couch as far away as he could get, but baby steps. She looked back over at him in surprise.
"Did you need something, Inuyasha?" The sound of his name from her lips made his stomach do backflips.
"Can't I sit on my own couch?"
"Of course you can. It's just...you usually don't when I'm here is all."
"Well, I felt like it. You gotta problem with it?"
"Not at all," she said with that cheery smile and went back to reading her book again. A comfortable silence fell over the two of them, her giving him his space to let him speak when he was ready. He just sat there, hands on his knees as his foot bounced anxiously.
"Whatcha...readin'?" he asked her, breaking that silence with an attempt at civil conversation. She gave him her full attention as she looked over at him again.
"Ah, just a cheesy romance novel. I'm just a sucker for them!" He nodded, unable to meet her eyes so he just looked over at the wall.
"Do you…" he asked, feeling incredibly awkward and knowing his cheeks were flushed with color at this point. "Do you want to watch a movie?" Her face lit up.
"Really?"
"Why not..."
"Sure! I don't have school tomorrow so I can stay up late. What did you want to watch?" she asked as she tucked her bookmark into the book and set it down on the table. He just picked some random superhero movie from Netflix and honestly forgot the name of it a quarter of the way through. Though his eyes were trained on the tv screen, his sense of hearing was too focused on Kagome and how she would gasp or how her heartbeat would accelerate through the actiony bits. It was more thrilling to him than any multimillion dollar budgeted action flick could be.
And thus their Saturday movie nights were born. He still made his presence everyday around the apartment less scarce and more friendly, at least as much as he could be. They still kept their respective jobs in the daytime, Inuyasha sometimes working well into the night if he had a deadline to meet, and they gave each other their space to work without distraction.
But once their computers were shut down, they were fair game. Kagome would typically come out of her room and begin to make dinner. Before, she had only made it for herself, but one day she knocked on Inuyasha's door and when he opened it, offered him a plate of his own.
"Sorry to bother you while you're working, but since it's dinnertime...and well, you're always eating ramen so I thought you might want to try something else!" He took the plate of perfectly crafted omurice from her with a mumbled thanks and reluctantly closed the door again. He ate at his desk and damn it was so delicious, he devoured it within minutes. When he finally was able to log off for the night, he found her in the kitchen, kneading some dough on the counter while she watched a video of someone doing the same from her phone propped up against a bag of flour.
"What are you doing?" he asked her.
"What's it look like? I'm making bread!"
"What for?"
"Well, I assumed we would be eating it."
"No, like...do you bake?"
"Not usually, but I figured since we're stuck here for who knows how long, I figured I might as well try it out. Come here, I could use your help."
"I don't know how to bake."
"No, but you're strong and my arms are killing me from all the kneading. I swear this is like a workout and you're definitely a lot more buff than me." He blushed at the compliment she gave him, took up the place she moved from, and followed whatever the person in the video was doing while she stretched out her arms.
"Ah, that's much better! What would I do without you, Inuyasha?" His blush intensified. He really felt like he might die.
"I'm just kneading dough."
"And doing a pretty good job. You sure you aren't a baker?" She narrowed her eyes at him jokingly.
"Why the hell would I lie about that?"
"I'm just kidding. But by the time we're done, you'll officially be able to say that you have indeed baked some bread."
"It was mostly you."
"But you helped!"
"Whatever you say…"
"I hope you get used to saying that," she said with a wink. The corner of his mouth practically came up into a lopsided grin all by itself. She leaned over the counter to look at the dough.
"I think that's good enough. Let's put it in the oven to prove." He had no idea what that meant, but he just let her take over and do what she needed. She plopped the dough into a pan and placed it in the oven, setting the timer for two hours.
"There. And now we wait." She pretended to dust off her hands, grabbed her phone, and went to sit at one of the stools on the other side of the counter from where Inuyasha stood. She looked at the screen and opened her messages to type something out. To who, Inuyasha couldn't see. As if she could read his mind, she told him.
"Sorry, gotta text my mom back or I'll get a call from my grandpa freaking out because he thinks I've died if I wait too long." He just nodded and let her go about her own business as they fell into silence. But after a few moments, Inuyasha found himself wanting to break it.
"That thing you made for dinner tonight...can you uh...make that again?" She looked up at him and the natural smile that always graced her lips broke out into the brightest gleam he had ever seen.
"You liked it?" He looked at the counter, suddenly unable to meet her gaze, and scratched his head.
"Yeah."
"That's a Kagome Higurashi specialty! I still have plenty of ingredients left. Anytime you want it, just ask." She hit send on her text and put her phone down, giving him her full attention to strike up a conversation, elbows on the counter to rest her head in her hands.
"So, what exactly do you do, Inuyasha? Sango said it was graphic design, but I'm still not really sure what you do in there all day long."
"I mean, it's just freelance work. Someone needs a logo or something and I make it for them. Not really much else to it."
"Come on, I'm sure you do a lot more than that."
"The client just tells me their idea. I sketch it and if they like it, then I do it."
"So you draw?"
"I wouldn't make it very far if I couldn't."
"Can I see?" she asked him, batting her lashes with a twinkle in her eyes.
"I guess. One sec." And he went to go grab his iPad. When he returned, Kagome pulled out the stool next to her and patted it, inviting him to sit next to her. He plopped down and flipped through what he had saved in his portfolio. He showed her his illustrations, some simple logo ideas for various businesses, some full page spreads that were used in magazines.
"Wow, Inuyasha. You're so talented! Really. You made all of these?"
"Yeah." He swore the blush he knew was on his cheeks was beginning to become a permanent fixture whenever she was around. "Do you want to see some stuff I just did for fun?"
"Of course I do."
So he showed her his own drawings. Most were of the landscapes of places he visited. Mountains, forests, rivers. But he enjoyed drawing some fantasy too. He was particularly proud of the elegant Inu Youkai towering over a medieval battlefield of samurai. He especially liked how it made Kagome's jaw drop.
"Oh my god, Inuyasha. This is incredible! I can't believe you haven't submitted this to an art museum or anything!"
"Uh, that's not really how it works, Kagome." She jerked her head up to look at him, looking stunned.
"What?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows at her in annoyance.
"That's the first time you've ever said my name. To me at least. It...just makes me happy." A faint blush began to color her own cheeks and one of Inuyasha's eyebrows raised.
"That is what makes you happy?"
"Yeah, I just think you like me more now. Or at least can tolerate me. I honestly wasn't sure you even knew my name for a while there." She gave a nervous laugh. "It's stupid, I know."
"It is stupid, but it's fine." And that made Kagome laugh genuinely. Inuyasha's heart warmed at the sound, especially knowing he was what caused it.
"You know, I never really got to thank you for letting me move in here last minute. I'm sure it wasn't what you wanted but I will forever be grateful. I don't know what I would have done, especially with the whole lockdown happening right then, too. If there's any way I can ever make it up to you, please let me know."
"Don't worry about it. It was nothing."
"It's not nothing and you know it. A stranger practically invaded your personal space and now you're stuck with them for who knows how long. I know how much you value your privacy and I'm really sorry if I made you uncomfortable in any way."
"It's not really that." She didn't say anything else. Just waited for him to continue. He found her incredibly hard to look at in that moment and decided to stare at the floor instead.
"It's...well. Being a hanyou and all...I'm just used to staying away from people. My parents died when I was little and my asshole of a half-brother rejected me so I lived at an orphanage until I could be on my own. I didn't exactly fit in and still don't really belong anywhere and no one really wants anything to do with me so I just try and keep my distance from other one accepted me so I just made a place of my own. It's better that way. To humans, I'm a monster and to demons, I'm just a waste of time. I've been alone almost my whole life. At least until Miroku. That ass could make friends with a brick wall, I swear." He chuckled but stopped when he smelled the salt of tears welling up in Kagome's eyes.
"A-are you crying? From just that?" She wiped at her eyes and shook her head, placing her hand on top of his.
"They're wrong, Inuyasha. You are fine just the way you are and if they don't see the good in you, then it's their loss. I'm very glad to have met you." He didn't know what else to say to this. Other than his mother, no one had ever cried for him. Let alone tell him to his face that being a hanyou was ok. In fact, he had been bullied mercilessly for it.
"Really, thank you for letting me in. You aren't alone anymore. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." She gave a smile then wiped the rest of her tears away. "Ugh, sorry I just get really emotional."
"I see that," he teased, grateful that she had broken the heavy mood. His heart was racing in his chest and it was all he could do to stay on that stool and not run out the door, lockdown be damned. "You definitely are less annoying than Miroku. Trust me, I've heard every single hookup he's brought here, And don't get me started on how often he and Sango got together. Sorry you have to stay in his room. It's probably cursed."
"Ha! Yeah, I don't exactly have a boyfriend to bring over so that is something you definitely won't ever have to worry about."
They continued talking about this and that, sharing stories and telling the other more about themselves. He learned that Kagome had moved here as she was offered this teaching job last minute. Her family ran a shrine where her grandpa, mom, and younger brother still lived. She did archery and tennis back in high school and before the pandemic enjoyed going out to eat with her friends. Pretty basic stuff, as she had called it. He told her about the hikes he used to take and she made him promise to take her sometime. They talked about movies, games, food, anywhere the conversation flowed, Inuyasha went right there with her.
In what felt like no time at all, the timer Kagome had set for the bread went off, signifying that it was ready for baking.
"Oh!" Kagome shouted with glee and hopped up to start baking the bread. While she worked, Inuyasha could only marvel at what he had just accomplished. They talked for two hours straight. He hadn't held a conversation for that long in his life. But with Kagome, it felt as natural as breathing.
When Kagome finished, she came back over to him, one hand leaning on the counter, the other at her hip.
"Well, we've got 50 minutes until it's done. What do you want to do?"
"Think you can last a few rounds in Tekken?"
"Oh, you're so on."
And they played Inuyasha's fighting video game together. Kagome was terrible, but the sounds she made as she was in the middle of combat were adorable and not at all distracting.
"Take that! Hi-YAH. No no no no no no don't do- AH!" She collapsed on the couch in defeat as her character was knocked out.
"I almost had you there!"
"You weren't even close!"
"Depends on who you ask."
"There's no one else here but you and me!"
"Then I guess we'll never know! Play me again!"
"Fine but I ain't taking it easy on you."
"Good. I want to beat you fair and square."
And it took her the full 50 minutes before she did. When she finally took down Inuyasha's fighter and received her own victory screen, she leapt off the couch, arms in the air. You would think she had just achieved some great life milestone the way she jumped around cheering for herself.
"I did it! I did it! Take that, Inuyasha!"
"Good job. Only took you, what, 20-30 tries?"
"36 to be exact!" He leaned one elbow on the side of the couch and rested his head against his fist, not even trying to contain his grin. Watching how happy it made her felt better than any of his own wins. As if on cue, the oven timer sounded and Kagome squealed and rushed to take out their loaf.
"Oh, Inuyasha, come look! I think we did it!" And sure enough, there in the pan was the most perfectly golden crusted loaf of bread. And it smelled heavenly.
"Should we try some?" she asked.
"It just came out of the oven. Let it cool down."
"No, I can't wait." And she took a bread knife out of the knife block.
"Watch it. You'll burn yourself. I'll do it." So she let him take over and got the butter out of the fridge instead. He cut a piece for Kagome and himself and she put on the butter.
"Cheers!" she chimed out and tapped his piece with her own before taking a bite and letting out a proud mmmm! He followed suit and he swore it was the best thing he had ever tasted.
"We make a good team," she said, beaming up at him.
However their next adventure into baking proved to put that to the test. Kagome had the brilliant idea to make a chocolate cake. For what? Inuyasha didn't know. But before long, they were snipping at each other the worse things got.
"Not that hard, Inuyasha. Just take it easy."
"The directions say to whisk. I'm whisking."
"You're getting more of it on the counter than in the bowl."
"Keh, is it even supposed to be this runny? Did you read the directions?"
"Shut up! Of course I did. Why wouldn't I read the directions?"
"Could've fooled me."
"Inuyasha!"
"What?" he growled out, stopping his attempt at whisking to glare at her. But as he turned his head, she stuck her finger into the bowl of batter and swiped his nose with it, leaving a brown dot on the tip. The incredulous look Inuyasha gave her had her cackling as he wiped it off.
"Oh yeah? Think that's funny?" He said as he gritted his fangs. He stuck his whole hand in the bowl and though Kagome tried to run, he easily caught her around the waist and smeared his batter-covered hand across her face. When he was done, her mouth just hung open in shock.
"Oh no you did NOT," she ground out trying to sound angry, but the devilish look in her eyes gave her away. She wriggled out of his hold and made a dash for the counter while he ran toward the fridge. Her hands landed on the open carton of eggs and she began to launch them at him one by one while he used the door of the fridge as a shield.
"Fight. Me. You. Coward!" She yelled as she emphasized each word with an egg. But soon she ran out of ammo and grabbed the next thing she saw: a bag of flour. Not long distance but it would have to do. However, as she began to run back over to him, Inuyasha popped out from behind the door.
"I don't think so!" he yelled and revealed his own weapon, squirting her with a bottle of ketchup.
"Noooooo!" she squealed and grabbed a handful of the flour to smack against the side of Inuyasha's head, causing powder to burst across his face and puff into the air.
"Why you!" He grabbed Kagome's bottle of chocolate syrup from inside the fridge and slammed the door, eyeing her like a predator marking its prey. This made her back up until her back hit the sink.
"Don't you dare, Inuyasha!"
"Don't start something you can't finish, Ka-go-me," he taunted her. He held the bottle out in front of him as he creeped closer, threatening to shoot it if she made any sudden moves. She just turned around with her back to him, head down.
"Just do it already."
He raised the bottle above her head, but before he could squeeze, Kagome grabbed the detachable head of the sink's faucet and cranked up the water, spraying Inuyasha in the face and knocking him to the ground to land on his back as he slipped.
Kagome took the opportunity to steal the chocolate syrup bottle and sat right on top of him, pointing it right in his face as she straddled his waist.
"Gotcha!" she announced triumphantly. He shielded his face with his hands.
"Fine, you win," he said as they both burst out laughing and without even realizing it, he lowered his hands so they rested on Kagome's hips. She tossed aside the bottle and her own hands came to fist in his shirt at his chest. But they were too busy filling the room with the sounds of their joyful cackling to even notice how intimate their position was. At least not until the laughter died down and all that was left was heavy breathing.
Their eyes met and Inuyasha could have sworn lightning was running through his fingers where they touched her. All traces of a smile had fled from her face. Now, it was flushed with color and she was looking at him like she was under some sort of spell. Like she was enchanted with him. He felt her hands fist his shirt tighter.
Inuyasha couldn't handle this.
He bucked his hips and she made a "woop!" sound as he easily tossed her over to the side. They just laid there on the floor of the kitchen together in silence, still catching their breath. Kagome was the first to break it with a chuckle as she rolled onto her side to face him.
"I guess I should take a bath now."
"I don't know, I think that's a good look for you." She gave a slight swat to his arm at that.
"Ouch!" he said, even though it didn't hurt in the slightest, turning his head to face her as well.
"Sorry!"
"I'm kidding. Go clean up. I'll start on the mess here."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it looks like you got shit all over that pretty face of yours." Her face immediately lit up.
"You think I'm pretty?" Dammit. He hadn't meant to say that.
"Did you miss the part about the shit?"
"No, I heard. Let's focus on the pretty thing."
"Shaddup!" he groaned and knew he was blushing so fiercely. She simply giggled and rose to her feet. She then reached out her hands to help him up and he took them even though he didn't need the assistance. He could have sworn her fingers lingered against his longer than he thought they should have.
"I guess the cake was a bust. Maybe we should just stick to bread instead."
"Y-yeah." He couldn't form any more words. Here was this girl that he didn't even know weeks ago and she was touching him without a hint of repulsion, making him laugh, crying for him. She was worming her way into his heart and he was powerless to stop it. But more than that. He didn't want to.
"I'm going to go clean up. Save the dishes for me and I'll do them when I'm done." He nodded without saying anything else, barely registering Kagome moving in closer as she placed a soft kiss to his cheek and tweaked his ear. He couldn't move. Only stared in shock after her as she disappeared back into her own bedroom, the sound of running water following soon after.
He was a goner.
The weeks passed like this. Everyday Inuyasha couldn't wait to log off his work computer for the day and spend the rest of the night doing random activities with Kagome. He had even stopped wearing his earbuds while he was working so he could hear her sweet voice from the other room. Because he couldn't get enough of her. While the world outside was in despair, he had somehow found happiness greater than he ever had in his life and he wanted to hold it close to him for as long as he could.
"So, how are things going with Kagome?" Miroku had asked him one night while they played an online shooting game together.
"She's fine."
"Just fine?" he asked in a knowing way.
"Stop distracting me or I'll off you myself. Yes, she's fine."
"Sure she hasn't melted that cold hanyou heart of yours? She is awfully pretty. If Sango hadn't completely captured my heart forever, I would have tried to snatch her up myself." Inuyasha took the opportunity to aim his gun directly at Miroku's avatar and shot him.
"Hey!" Miroku whined.
"Like hell I would let that happen!"
"Did I strike a nerve, Inuyasha?"
"Shut up…" Miroku just laughed.
"Seems to me like you like her, after all. Sango will be very pleased that she introduced you."
"She's a good roommate. Better than you."
"I take offense, my friend!"
"I meant offense, asshole. Now drop it." So Miroku did. But Inuyasha knew he was not so good at hiding his soft spot for Kagome. That it was painfully obvious she was beginning to mean more to him than just a roommate. She was his friend. And a close one at that.
As more time passed, he realized that he still had a giant secret to share with her. He had been able to get away with keeping the night that he lost his demon powers and turned human hidden from Kagome as he had been cooped up in his room. But now, he didn't think it would be so bad if she knew. And it was a good thing he had been considering telling her because when she saw him with his dark black hair and dog ears, it was a complete accident.
He had thought it was safe to venture out into the kitchen as it was well past midnight. He chickened out of telling her his secret that night and made up an excuse of not feeling well so he could stay in his room, refusing to even open the door when she brought him a late dinner. He was practically kicking himself at what a coward he was. She even had told him she didn't mind and could make him some soup instead if that would help him feel better. But he just told her to drop it and leave him alone, trying to pretend he didn't care when she left with a dejected "Oh, ok."
So since he had denied her dinner, by the time the early morning hours came, he was starving. And what she had cooked had smelled so good, even to his human nose. So he snuck out of his room to go heat up the leftovers, keeping the lights off. He thought he was being quiet enough not to wake Kagome as he opened the fridge to rummage around for food until he heard a tiny "Inuyasha?" from behind him and he whipped around to see her there, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. He hadn't even heard her approach with his dulled senses.
But in her half-awake state, she hadn't recognized him. She just gasped when saw a figure that was not the hanyou she expected, grabbed the frying pan from the stove that she must have left out, and swung her arm back to whack him in the head with it.
"Kagome, wait!" he yelled and managed to grab the wrist she had brought down, ready to strike him with all her might, which thank god was not actually a lot so even without his usual strength he was able to stop her attack.
"Inuyasha? Is that you?" she asked, her eyes trying to focus in on the form in front of her.
"Yeah, just one second." He released her and went to flick the lightswitch on. She flinched at the sudden burst of light and rubbed her eyes so they could adjust to the change. And when they finally landed on Inuyasha in this human form, she blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing correctly.
"Inuyasha, what happened! Your hair...it's black! You didn't dye it, did you? But your ears are gone! And your eyes? What? I must be dreaming..." He thought about letting her keep thinking that at first.
"You aren't dreaming, Kagome. I'm human right now."
"Human? For real?"
"Yeah, every hanyou has a time when they lose their demon power and become human for a while. For me, it's every month on the night of the new moon."
"It's not permanent, right?"
"No, once the sun comes up, my powers will return. I don't ever come out or even fall asleep in case something were to happen before they can come back."
"I see. That's why you've been in your room all night."
"Yeah. Not many people know about this. Just Miroku and Sango. I wanted to tell you, but…" he trailed off and rubbed at the back of his neck, not sure how to admit that he was a coward who tended to admit too many feelings when he was in this emotional state.
"It's ok, Inuyasha. You can only trust a few people in your life and you weren't sure I could be one of them. You would have told me when you were ready. I'm sorry I barged in and you were forced to reveal this to me. I won't tell anyone, I promise."
"No it's not that. I wanted to tell you. It's just...hard to show weakness when you're a hanyou. I can't even think straight when I'm a human." She brought her hand up to squeeze his arm, offering him a sweet smile.
"I understand. Now, you skipped dinner so you must be starving. Why don't I heat those leftovers up for you and we can turn on a movie or something?"
"Don't you have school tomorrow?"
"Yes, but I don't want you to be all alone."
"It's fine. I've been by myself pretty much every time. It's not new."
"But that must be so lonely."
"Not really. Besides, you'll be wiped out tomorrow if you don't get your sleep. I know how you are and I wouldn't wish a sleep deprived Kagome on even the worst stuck-up brat in the class."
"Hey, I can manage!"
"So can I. Now go back to bed."
"At least let me heat this up for you. It's the least I can do since I nearly tried to murder you with a frying pan just now."
"Keh, you weren't even close. We have got to work on that swing of yours."
"Inuyasha!"
"Kagome!" he teased back at her, making her eyes narrow and lips pursed. He wondered for a moment how those lips would feel against his if he were to just lean in now and…
Whoaaaaaaa oh hell no.
Damn these human thoughts. He could keep most of his feelings for Kagome locked up tight when he was a half-demon. But as a human, they would run wild. He had to work harder to not act on them.
"Fine, heat up the food then bed. No more than five minutes."
"Yes, sir," she replied sarcastically, giving a small two-fingered salute and she took the same frying pan she had tried to hit him with and set it back on the stove, pouring the leftovers into it as well. He watched her as she worked, fighting off thoughts of wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and burying his nose into her hair so he could smell that wildflower scent again.
Within three minutes, she set his plate down on the counter in front of him.
"Black bean noodles. Round two. Bon Appetit."
"Thanks," he said, unable to suppress a small grin. "Now go to sleep."
"Nuh-uh. I still have two more minutes. So eat while you have company." He rolled his eyes at her insistence and used his chopsticks to slurp in a huge mouthful of the noodles unashamedly. And it instantly made him feel warm and light, knowing Kagome had made them for him.
"Good?" she asked him.
"Mmmhm." Was all he could manage as his mouth was too full. Still he devoured more and more, hardly even stopping to breathe. She just watched him with a big grin, never interrupting until she looked at the clock and slammed a hand onto the countertop. That caused him to stop.
"Well that's five minutes." She took the chopsticks from him, enlisting a "Hey!" from Inuyasha, and used them to take her own bite, though it was much more dainty when she did it. She gave them back to him before he could complain anymore.
"Between you and me, Inuyasha, you as a human is nice, but I think I prefer you as a hanyou. You're just more...you. If you know what I mean. I'll see you in the morning." And she gave his shoulder a pat and went back into her room.
He knew it was for the best that she get the rest of her sleep, but still he couldn't help but feel a tinge of loneliness now that she was gone. It had been nice afterall to have someone see him at his weakest and still insist on staying. He finished his food, went back into his room, and when the sun came up, he came out again. She was already in the kitchen waiting for him with some fish and rice for breakfast and a warm smile.
"Welcome back," she greeted him. And though he was hanyou again, the feeling of wanting to take her in his arms and kiss her did not go away. It didn't in all the weeks he spent with her, no matter how he tried to distract himself during their adventures in quarantine.
They had successfully tried making bread on several more occasions, though hadn't tried to delve into the dessert realm again. They watched movies or binged tv shows, played video games, talked with Miroku and Sango, Inuyasha even met Kagome's family via video call and as soon as he talked to her mother, he knew exactly where her kind, bubbly personality came from. Her grandpa, not so much. He did not like the idea of Kagome sharing an apartment with a man she wasn't married to and made this very clear, to Inuyasha's embarrassment.
"Oh, don't be so old fashioned, Gramps," Kagome had told him. "Besides, Inuyasha's a stand up guy."
"Are you in a relationship, young man? What are your intentions with Kagome?"
"N-no. And she's just my roommate, I guess."
"You guess?"
"Now, now dad. Why don't we leave them be?" Kagome's mom interrupted to save Inuyasha.
"Are those real dog ears?" Kagome's brother Sota chimed in.
"Yeah…"
"Sota, leave him alone," Kagome scolded him. "We're going to go now. Bye everyone! Take care!" And she hit the end call button, immediately turning to him.
"Sorry, Inuyasha. I know they're a handful, but you did really well. I think they liked you."
"Your grandpa didn't."
"Oh, that's just how he is. He's a grumpy old man and I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to exorcise you when meets you in person."
"He'll what?"
"Nothing!" she dodged the question as she picked up her book from the coffee table and cracked it open.
"Now, where were we?"
Their latest indoor excursion involved Kagome reading Treasure Island out loud to him while he sat back and admired her from the other end of the couch. She managed to find a new voice for every character and truly embodied the text, the words coming alive as they left her lips. She fully captivated his attention and he felt like he was able to journey outside their apartment and live there in the Caribbean among the pirates. He loved the way her eyes lit up with fire when she described the sword fights or sparkled with joy as she animatedly read dialogue.
"And then, all of a sudden, he stopped, and his jaw dropped as though he had remembered something. 'The score!' he burst out. 'Three goes o' rum! Why, shiver my timbers, if I hadn't forgotten my score!' And, falling on a bench, he laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. I could not help joining; and we laughed together, peal after peal until the tavern rang again."
He could have curled up inside her words and made a home there. Could see himself kissing those pink lips so they would dance across his own and caress him with the magic that flowed out of them now. He wanted it. God, he wanted it so bad. But one thing kept him where he was, hands that wanted to feel how soft her hair was tucked away beneath his crossed arms. He knew there would be a day when quarantine ended. When the world outside returned to normal and she would be free to go out and live her life again. And he couldn't go with her. Because he belonged here. Because he was a hanyou and she was a goddess.
So he did nothing. He treasured her as a companion and a friend, but never acted on his desires. He did this for months. Five to be exact. Five months of work by day, Kagome by night. Nights of laughter, both light and deep conversation, watching every move she made, every expression that lit across her face. He knew he was being selfish and eating up all the time he could with her before she left him for something better.
But she seemed as if she enjoyed his company, too. She would usually greet him with a smile, but some days when she was stressed from work or the state of the goddamn world, he would have to coax one out of her. Even if she was crying or had a headache, he was there, rubbing her back or just being a presence that she could vent to. He hardly talked so he was a very good listener, even if he didn't always have the right words that he knew she needed to hear. She didn't seem to mind.
And he loved how she was always finding some way to touch him. She would place a tiny hand on his arm when he made her laugh. She would elbow him when he said something crass. It nearly drove him insane when she would reach up and tweak his ears. She would move his bangs out of the way and place her hand on his forehead, pretending to check for a fever whenever he gave her a compliment. It was always a little touch or a brush, but he noticed every time she would move in closer. He even allowed himself a few touches in return and would catch her when she tripped like the clutz she was, holding onto her a little longer than necessary or pick her up and carry her back to her room when she fell asleep on the couch, brushing the bangs out of her eyes after he set her down.
He was so in love and he could never tell her. Kagome, with her beautiful hair and her cute skirts. The warm smile. She had carved out a place in his heart without even knowing. He wouldn't force his own feelings onto her and ruin what they had. He wouldn't make her settle for anything less than she deserved. That pained him, but it was his curse to bear alone.
And now here she was on their Saturday movie night, closer than she had ever been before, head leaning on his shoulder as her body sunk into him in her sleep. He couldn't move. Didn't dare breathe. Just sat as still as he could while he stared ahead of him at the movie still playing on the tv screen, though he had given up paying attention long ago. He told himself she just viewed him as a friend and that she was comfortable around him. This was an accident and doesn't mean anything. At least not to her. She's friendly. She's nice. She doesn't want you like that.
But he still couldn't help but pretend like they were something more. That she was his girlfriend casually resting her head on her. Later he would pick her up and carry her to his room where he could wrap his arms around her while she slept, completely lost in each other. He imagined this is what it could be like if he was normal and they could be together. He knew he was going to hold this moment close to his heart for the rest of his life. Just a taste of what true happiness felt like.
Eventually, the movie ended, the tv going back to its home screen and still she didn't wake. Not even a rustle. Luckily, he had his iPad in reaching distance on the side table and opened it up to a piece he had been working on the past few weeks whenever he was alone. Smiling to himself, he studied the lines and curves that he had painstakingly drawn and redrawn until they were just right. That the full picture could embody even a fraction of how beautiful she was and the feeling she gave him.
He had started drawing on a whim one night while she was cooking in the kitchen and he was sitting alone on the couch. He hadn't meant for it to be a full piece, but he just couldn't stop. He wasn't sure if he would ever even show it to her.
He added a few more lines, sometimes looking down at her to get the shape of her nose just right, ears on high alert for any shift in her breathing that would signify that she was awake. But she still slept soundly while he worked. And when he was satisfied with a good stopping point, she was still out.
Damn, she must have been really exhausted, he thought, knowing there was no way his shoulder was that comfortable. But he wasn't ready for the moment to end. He wasn't sure if he could bring himself to scoop her up and take her back to her own bed just yet. He wanted to be selfish, just this once. So he set his iPad aside and settled right back into her, leaning his own head atop hers. And it was the most peaceful he had ever felt in his life.
Thoughts faded away as he gave himself over to that feeling, his consciousness drifting away to a place where he was fully enwrapped in her scent, her touch, her smile. In her. He could see her there in front of him, but felt her everywhere. All he could do was try and hold on, squeezing her form tight. In his dreams was the only place he could ever allow himself to touch her this way and he indulged himself.
Which was why he groaned in displeasure when he felt something move against him, stirring him from his fantasy. He didn't want to leave her just yet.
"Inuyasha?" he heard a tiny faraway voice, still thick with sleep and his heart stopped. He jolted awake and snapped his head up and his eyes found the clock. He couldn't have been out for more than an hour but he was such an idiot that he had allowed himself to doze off against her and got caught. Looking down at her, he saw her looking right back, a light blush gracing her cheeks.
"Uh, sorry. I fell asleep," he apologized.
"It's ok. Me, too. I didn't want to wake you, but I thought you might be more comfortable in your own bed." His heart was sinking. He was stupid and selfish and now she was telling him to get away from her.
"Yeah, it's fine. I'll go," he said as he made to stand up. But he was halted by her grabbing the sleeve of his shirt.
"Wait, I don't want you to go. Please don't misunderstand me." He didn't move. Just looked down at where her hand was fisted on his sleeve. "I just don't want you to feel obligated to stay just because I conked out on top of you. Sorry about that. It was just such a long day. First the terrible meeting with the principal, then the kids hardly listened to a thing I said, then I had to write more lesson plans-"
"I didn't," he interrupted.
"Didn't what?"
"Feel obligated. To stay. I didn't mind."
"Oh…" she said as she released her grip on him. "Then you'll stay a while longer?"
"If you want me to."
"But what about what you want?"
"I want to."
"Really?"
"I wouldn't lie to you." She smiled softly at that.
"Thanks." He sat back, noting that she hadn't moved from where she was on her spot in the middle of the couch. He would have expected her to scoot down to the other end.
"Did you want to start the movie back from where you left off?" he asked her.
"No. Just this is good."
"This as in…?"
"Just talking to you."
"It's three in the morning. You sure you don't just want to go to bed?"
"Positive. I'm wide awake now!"
"Your sleep schedule will get thrown off, dummy."
"Eh, it's worth it," she grinned widely at him, her eyes squeezed shut and that made him chuckle. He thought about how easy it would be to just lean in and kiss her. She was practically still leaning on him, her shoulder pressed into his, her face just inches from his own. It was the only thing he could see. His world had narrowed into it.
"Don't blame me when you can't sleep tomorrow night and get all cranky on Monday. You may be the one lacking sleep but I'm the one who suffers for it," he teased her. She curled her hand into a fist and jabbed him in the arm. Only she kept in there when she made contact, taking the sleeve of his shirt in between her thumb and pointer finger. Just holding it. He pretended not to notice or care.
"I won't. I promise."
"Yeah right."
"I'm serious!"
"Last time you got less than five hours of sleep you nearly bit my head off for just being in the kitchen!"
"I was making dinner and you were standing right in the way of what I needed every time!"
"So should I have just left?"
"No…" she pouted, her lips pursed. He couldn't take his eyes off of them.
"There's no winning against you, I swear."
"Nope. You should be used to it by now."
"I don't know if I ever will."
"Does that mean you want to keep me around? Even after everything has gone back to normal?"
"Course I do." He couldn't lie. He would always tell her the truth if she asked. Her blush deepened and she looked down, suddenly not able to meet his eye.
"I want to stay then, too. I really like it here. It feels like home."
"You can stay as long as you want."
"Even forever?"
"As long as you pay your half of the rent on time." She laughed and gave him another jab with the fist she already had against his arm.
"I will, I will!"
"That's fine, but trust me, the second it's safe you won't want to coop yourself up here with me. You should go out and see the city. Meet people. Once you see what's out there, you won't want to waste another second trapped in this apartment."
"What do you mean? No I won't. Won't you come with me?"
"Kagome, I can't."
"But why not?" He could hear in her voice that she was beginning to get upset. Shit, that is the opposite of what he wanted for her. But he had to make it clear so he pointed to his ears.
"Hanyou, remember? No one wants to be seen with me."
"Stop it. I do."
"Other people will look down on you if you're with me. I won't force that kind of life on you."
"I don't care, stupid. I just want to be with you! I'll stay here if you won't go out."
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you did that."
"I wouldn't regret a thing. But listen to me, the world is changing, Inuyasha. I wish you had received the love you deserved your whole life, but people were mean and cruel to you. That breaks my heart because I have seen how kind you are. Stop shaking your head at me. You are a good person. You have so much love in your heart to give. Now here we are, in the middle of a pandemic and the world needs someone like you after all this mess. I found you and I want to share you with them so they can see it too." Tears began to leak out of her eyes as she choked up. He used his thumb to wipe them away as her hands were fisted in her own lap. He stayed quiet as she continued.
"If you don't want to be with me, that's another story. But Inuyasha, I...I want you to know that I am so in love with you. From the moment I saw you, I knew I wanted to know you. Even when you pushed me away, I could tell that you just needed someone, a friend, anyone and I wanted to be that person.
"I liked living with my family, but every single day was something new with you. We didn't need to leave this room to go on an adventure together. You made me laugh when I just wanted to hide away. You grounded me. You became my best friend. You let me touch your ears, for god's sake. And I love your ears. I love your hair. I love the color of your eyes. I love you, Inuyasha. So don't sit there and tell me what is best for me. If you'll have me, I would be honored, honored to stay here with you."
Inuyasha took in her words. He heard them, but they didn't feel real. None of this did. He kept waiting to wake up from a dream. But he didn't. This was real. By some miracle of fate, she said she loved him. Maybe even as much as he loved her.
"You want...to be with me?"
"Was I not clear enough?"
"Even though I'm a-"
"Yes. I like you just the way you are, you big dummy."
"The world won't want us to be together. They may look down at you for it."
"Well, what is it that you want?"
You. You. A thousand times you. But he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Even though she was looking up at him, pleading with those big doll eyes. How could he ever refuse her?
He placed his right hand atop hers, marveling at how even though his was so much bigger, they seemed to be a perfect fit. He took her hand and held it up closer to him, cradling it gently.
"I want you to be happy."
"And if being with you would make me happy?"
"Then be with me."
So he gave up resisting. He leaned in, eliminating any unnecessary space between them.
"Oh thank god," she whispered right before his lips pressed against hers so delicately. Before, his heart had been beating out of his chest, but the moment he made contact, everything calmed. He felt so light, as if he would have drifted off into the air if she wasn't clutching the front of his shirt so fiercely. He brought the hand that wasn't holding hers to cup her jawline, her silky hair streaming through his fingers.
He had kissed a girl before. Someone who had shown him kindness and he had latched onto when he was younger. But they were young and awkward and he hadn't known what to do.
Kissing Kagome, however, felt so natural. Their lips moved together in sync, sliding against each other in their choreographed dance. She tasted so divine, so special. He wasn't sure how he was ever going to bring himself to stop. Their kisses stayed sweet and lingering, never pressed too hard or hurried. They knew they had all the time in the world. Because it was just them and that was all they wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.
Kagome was the first to pull away to Inuyasha's dismay. She unclenched her fists from his shirt and instead used them to cup both sides of his face, as if he was the most fragile thing in the world. He was completely enthralled with her. Enraptured in her eyes. One of her thumbs stroked his cheek, just a whisper of a touch.
"Inuyasha," she sighed out. He wasn't sure if it was for her sake or his. He could only just lean back in to taste how his name sounded after it left her lips. She peppered his face with kisses in return, scattering languid pecks to his nose, his eyes, his brows, his cheeks, his temples, then ended by pulling his head down so she could press a feathersoft kiss to each of his ears.
He growled at that, sounding more annoyed that he was. Really, this was the happiest he had ever been in his life. She only giggled at the sound, able to see right through him.
"So where do we go from here?" she asked him after she tucked herself into his chest and his arms wrapped around her without hesitation.
"We can't go anywhere, stupid. Everything is closed."
"I meant with us, dummy."
"We just take it one day at a time," he replied, resting his chin on the top of her head.
"Together?"
"Together."
And even though the world outside was in disaster, even though they had seen so much tragedy around them, they clung to each other, unafraid. A moment of bliss they had carved out together and would keep for the rest of their lives. He had to remember to call Sango to thank her.
