Chapter 5: Tonight

"Love is not enough. It must be the foundation, the cornerstone-
but not the complete structure. It is much too pliable, too yielding."

-Bette Davis

It was morning, but just barely, the sky only beginning to lighten to a more navy blue than the black it had been before. The clock on the night stand blazed a 5:12am at her, the green letters outshining the remaining stars in the sky. Kagome wasn't sure why she was awake, wasn't sure how long she'd slept, but she found herself oddly alert, staring at the window from the warmth of the bed she laid in.

Her night had gotten better after her short talk with Inuyasha, his strength and understanding easing all the tension between them for the time being. It was nice. He wasn't withholding, wasn't being pushy, wasn't forcing her to look at him and deal with him right then and there. He had let her know he would talk whenever she was ready, had given her control of the situation, and she felt oddly at ease about all of it.

Inuyasha was there. He was alive, in one piece, and he was safely asleep one room over.

He was alive.

The thought had her fighting off tears.

Was it wrong of her to just want to be grateful for that for a little while? Was it wrong that she didn't want to yell at him yet, didn't want to demand him explain himself?

The three of them had spent hours talking the night before, and she was so relieved. He wasn't married, didn't have a serious girlfriend, no ghosts to haunt their exchanges, nothing hanging over them besides their own baggage. Daichi kept making fun of him for it, but it alleviated a good deal of Kagome's stress. There was no one hiding behind him with a sword, waiting to cause her more pain, no one lurking around waiting to pounce as soon as something positive happened in her life. It seemed like they had a good chance of working through this without Kagome having to lose a part of herself.

Inuyasha had claimed her preferred little patio sofa after their snacks were gone and had indicated for her to sit next to him. Like there was any other choice, as Daichi, per usual, was completely draped over the other, and didn't even pretend to be interested in moving for her to sit next to him. So, she had settled in next to Inuyasha, pulling her legs up with her to sit crisscrossed on the little settee. He'd already stretched out, one arm draped around the back of the wicker furniture, legs propped on the table in front of them, crossed at the ankles. She was worried it would be awkward and a little unnerving to be so close to him, his arm touching her back, her body brushing against his as they moved around to grab their drinks or to play their hand of cards, but it wasn't.

It was like laying in a patch of sunny grass after being in a too cold building, or like sitting next to a fire after a long, cold hike. Warm, familiar, and comforting. It was the balm her aching heart needed that night. The comfort of his strength, the knowledge that she was safe because he wouldn't let anything happen to her was enough for her to truly relax. She was happy to ignore the bigger issue in favor of getting to know him as Daichi's uncle. Kagome was hurting, she felt like she was always hurting at least a little, but she was having to deal with new changes and it was so comforting to just sit next to him and laugh.

Sighing, Kagome rolled onto her stomach, burying her head in the pillows.

Kagome felt like she was probably done sleeping, her sober mind forcing her awake to think, to address the Inuyasha issue now, to prepare herself for the conversation. There was nothing stopping her, no pressing issue to deal with this early in the morning, nothing to distract her from where her thoughts were going. She felt like shit, felt like she'd be better off to sleep some more, but instead she forced herself to agree with her internal alarm clock for once. This couldn't be ignored anymore. So, she pushed her body up from the now familiar mattress, leaning over to turn the beside lamp nearest her on.

Light flooded the room then, pushing the darkness into the corners and breathing the rest of the room awake. Carefully swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Kagome paused to stretch out her back before lifting herself from the mattress. Quietly, she made her way out of the room and across the hall to the bathroom, mindful that there were two sleeping demons in the apartment with her. She was grateful that she'd left the door cracked the night before, able to escape the rattling of the door knob that would probably catch Inuyasha's sensitive ears. Carefully, she did the same with the bathroom door, thankful when it rested against the door jamb without automatically wanting to close.

Inuyasha would need to be up soon, she mused. He'd taken the futon in the study with the excuse that he had work to do early that morning, and he would need the room to make a skype conference call. He didn't want to have to wake anyone up to do so, he insisted, even though he apparently owned this building, and had lived in this apartment for nearly a decade. Somehow, she felt like it was disrespectful. She was sure he had said the call was at 6:30 am their time, but things were hazy. Knowing he'd need some time to get ready, Kagome was determined to be showered and out of the bathroom in less than ten minutes, just in case he was up sooner than she anticipated.

As quietly as she could, Kagome pulled back the shower curtain and made quick work of turning the water on, already familiar with the workings from her many weekends here. Once she'd decided it was warm enough, she quickly pulled the oversized shirt she'd stolen from her brother over her head and wiggled out of the boy shorts she wore to bed before she hopped in, going straight to work on shampooing her hair. She'd taken many extremely short showers in the dorms and had gotten pretty good at getting everything completely done within 10 minutes, shaving included. So, putting her body on autopilot, Kagome focused on getting her thoughts in order for the day.

Kagome's life had indelibly changed from her role in the destruction of the scared jewel. There was no denying that, even if she worked every day to make herself as normal as possible, she still did things and thought things that definitively separated her from her cohorts. The biggest changes were most noticeable in the first few years she was sequestered to this side of the well. Kagome's family being privy to her comings and goings in the feudal era had originally served a banal purpose: to cover for her while she was gone. None of them imagined that their knowledge would hold a much more substantial reason when Kagome was home, now for good.

First, it was the nightmares, dreaming she was back in that endless void, alone. Sometimes she could hear screams, voices of people she cared about crying out in pain. Or she'd be back, fighting alongside everyone when the unthinkable happened and they began to lose. One by one, they'd be cut down by Naraku, their blood soaking the ground and their screams echoing inside her mind. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, even Inuyasha and so many more. Young, old, people both in the feudal era and people who she knew from her time, her little brother, or her friends from school. Their bodies would pile up around her as she screamed, Naraku's laugh pervading the space, echoing for what felt like forever. She'd wake up screaming, or crying, her little brother shaking her by her shoulders, having to arouse her to save her from the evil in her head.

Those dreams leeched away all the energy she had left, leaving her a shell of a human, going about each day as if she were sleep walking. She did well in school, did her chores, kept up appearances with her friends as much as she could, but it felt like a monumental task just to smile for a little while.

It wasn't until she opened up to her grandfather about the dreams that she was able to really deal with them. He was crazy, her gramps, but he was still wise. It was his revelation that her dreams were a representation of the reality she was living, being separated from all her friends, having to accept that in this time they were dead. It wasn't an immediate fix, but over the time she spent curating the shrine with him, they would talk through her dreams, through her thoughts and emotions, sparing none of the details. And he would listen, and let her cry when she needed to, let her come to terms with what had taken place. Those conversations healed her spirit, helped her come to accept parts of herself that she couldn't get rid of, scars she carried that couldn't be seen by anyone else.

Those nightmares gave way to her memories soon enough, fear replaced with pain and loss. She'd dream of Inuyasha carrying her on his back, leaping from branch to branch under a moonlight sky. She'd dream of doing chores with Sango, the two of them teasing each other about their boys, laughter echoing around them. She'd dream of Kaede teaching her, the two of them walking through grassy fields together in miko garb, long conversations about herbs and healing interrupted by Shippo jumping up on Kagome's shoulder to show her something he'd made.

Those were somehow worse than the nightmares. She never cried out, never alerted anyone to her distress. She'd wake to tears streaming down her face, alone in a dark room, left to work through the pain on her own. There was no balm to soothe the pain of a broken heart, nothing anyone could say that could make it just a little more bearable.

It was only when those dreams morphed into dreams of a future she'd never have that she'd sought her mother out.

How can you cuddle a child in your dreams, sing them to sleep, feel them hug you, hear their laughter and know you will never have them? How do you live with that? How could you possibly deal with that on your own?

They were real, to her. More like memories than dreams. She'd dream of nursing a dog-eared babe at her breast, a warm, hard body behind her, a familiar chin resting on her shoulder as they watched their child feed together. Kagome was sixteen at the time of that one, and she could still remember the pull on her skin where her little one had latched, the weight of his little body on her chest vividly. She'd dreamt of the same child, but older, running towards his father, strong arms sweeping him up, tossing the little boy in the air as they laughed and laughed.

Sometimes she thinks she feels the familiar tug of her skirt as he begged his mama to please please let him go play with his daddy. She'd be in the grocery store, or doing dishes in the kitchen, once even when she was out on a date, and she would swear her skirt or dress would tug down sharply, like his little hand was there, trying to get her attention. Her head would snap down, expecting to see his sweet gold eyes looking up at her, but would be met with nothing. Her mind had created these illusions for her, had created this torment that she lived in, another way for her to have to live her life under the shadow of something no one else could understand.

Her mother had listened to her describe the child, listened to her describe Inuyasha with him, the way the three of them would sleep tangled together in her dreams, the way her little boy would raise his hackles, so to speak, whenever he sensed a demon even coming close to their little home. Kagome had sobbed that day, when she finally talked to her mother about it, had cried uncontrollably for an hour when she described how he had smelled, like clean linen and dry grass, and how it felt to have him wrap his arms around her neck and whisper a sweet, 'goodnight mama, I love you.'

She never said anything, just held Kagome as she cried over losing a child she had never had and would always be there to comfort her when Kagome was plagued by more dreams of him. Kagome loved her mother endlessly for that, and was so grateful to have her beside her, to have her mama to lean on in that moment.

By the time she started college, she had gotten it to a point that she could manage. Sure, there were some days that she would just lay in bed and pretend to be sick, watching awful romantic comedies just to have an excuse to openly cry. The invisible scars were still there, but they didn't ache in the same way anymore. They didn't scream at her 'don't forget us, never stop thinking of us' all the time, and she didn't feel as guilty for continuing her life. She was able to get through her first semester of college without one breakdown and had gotten through most of the second before the inevitable happened.

Kagome had dated in high school, had flirted enticingly and kissed boys, had kept up appearances of being 'normal,' of wanting to talk to the cute guy at the mall. College was different. There was no one to impress, no one she had to prove anything to, no one watching, judging, finding her lacking. No group of friends that expected her to forever be the same Kagome she was before her 15th birthday.

It was freeing, exhilarating to finally get to be herself, the Kagome that had been born of pain, had seen war and had killed, had sent demons to hell.

This Kagome was strong, this Kagome was brave, and self-assured. She had spent only a year fighting real demons, but she had spent many more fighting the ones in her head. She knew what she wanted and when she wanted it and wasn't afraid to go on a limb to get it. But this Kagome was also wary and carried with her the experience of someone who had been kidnapped and hunted and had watched people she loved in pain, had felt real, visceral fear first hand.

The first party she went to had been a mistake, she knew that now. She hadn't taken the necessary precautions, hadn't shielded herself the way she should have, the way she'd grown accustomed to in the years following. It'd taken her a few more tentative tries to get it right, and eventually she found a system that worked for her, found a way to get what she wanted. But everyone falls down their first time riding a bike, right? She had to go through one really bad experience to gain a skill that really helped her function somewhat normally.

Her first mistake was going.

Okay, yes, if she hadn't gone, she wouldn't have learned the invaluable lessons she learned. But she shouldn't have gone that night, not after the dream she had the night before.

It had been one of the surreal ones, but there was no little boy with sweet gold eyes, no warm hugs and giggles to greet her. Instead she was welcomed by a man, his golden eyes blazing with explicit want, his hands demanding, pushing aside her clothes, hot on her skin.

She'd never had a dream like that before, never had just him waiting for her, never had him look at her like that, kiss her like that, his fangs catching her bottom lip as he pulled away. They'd only kissed a few times in real life, each innocent, just their lips pressing together, really.

But this, this. Kagome had partaken in a quite a few kisses in her life at that point, some good, some just fine, and some bad. But none were like this, his tongue sliding over hers, coaxing her to open to him more, driving her to pull him closer, her hands pushing open his fire rat, running through his hair, pulling and tugging and demanding. His hands were everywhere on her, pulling her closer, removing her clothes with no resistance.

Kagome, at that point in her life, had never had sex, but her brain knew.

Her brain knew too much for having a body that had never been touched like that, had never done that and most certainly had never, in her life, said his name like that.

Breathless, each syllable drawn out like she was sounding his name out for the first time. She didn't recognize her own voice, didn't realize it was hers, until he'd responded with a confident, proud 'Ka-go-me.' He'd kissed her neck between each syllable, fangs scraping in a way that made her body shiver.

She had awoken covered in sweat, body aching with a need she'd never known, her mind having derived a new kind of torture for her, bringing her to the edge of bliss only to rip it away.

It was in those moments, those first few moments, that she could still feel him. His hands running over her body, his lips on her neck, his hair falling onto her shoulder, sweeping against her with his movements. And she had felt there too. Felt...him.

How? How could her mind make her body feel that?

So, she'd gone to that party, the first she'd ever been to. She was drunk when the idea occurred to her, when she decided to see if her mind was right.

Fun fact, it wasn't. It was NOT like her dream, nowhere near the same feeling. So, she'd freaked out, screaming at this guy to stop, to get the hell off her. He did immediately, concerned laced in his blurry expression. His eyes traveled down, trying to see if he'd somehow injured her, before he asked her the question that triggered her breakdown.

"Where'd you get this scar from?" His fingers had traced it, the little crescent moon shaped scar under her breast, innocent, curious. But all she could think of was Inuyasha, only ever Inuyasha.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that her dreams had to be plagued by him, that his imaginary touch outperformed the real man she had in that room with her. It wasn't fair that when she finally decided to surrender fully to this normal-life-lie she was living, finally had control over her emotional scars, that her physical scars had to go and remind her of what she was desperately trying to get beyond. She couldn't help it, she just started sobbing right then and there.

Wasn't her proudest moment.

She'd figured it out, much later, that her mind was mostly right. She'd met a guy who really was gentle and patient when she needed him to be, and when he called to ask her out again, she said yes. It was only later, when she didn't need him to be gentle and patient, when he was hot and heavy and demanding that she figured out how to get what she wanted.

It was never the same, never quite like the dream, never that intense...but how could a real man measure up to a dream perfect scenario her mind created to torture her?

Kagome realized things could have been much worse, she realized that in the years since the well had completely shut her out that she could have been alone. She knew she was depressed, she knew she had struggled greatly to get to the point where she could live with her pain everyday as if it were just another of her many scars. But, she had never tried to kill herself, had never even considered the possibility. With the help of her family, of strangers, of people she didn't even talk to anymore, she was able to shoulder her burden and live life like she really was a 22-year-old in a modern society. She couldn't go into this conversation with Inuyasha thinking he was to blame for anything, because he wasn't. What had he done? What had he, personally, done to her?

Nothing. He was a victim, too. Kagome couldn't imagine what he'd been through, couldn't imagine all he had endured to still be alive and well. What was it like to watch all your friends die from old age, and then their children, and their children's children, only for you to stay young? What had he thought during the bombings of WWII? Had he watched people die that day? Had he been there? Had he fought in modern wars, watched with fear as bullets tore through bodies like marbles in a wet paper bag? Had he clutched the dying body of a friend to him, wishing he would pull through, praying it was him instead?

The only thing he'd done was not seek her out. And what would she have done if he had? At 15, if this fully grown, fully realized Inuyasha had approached her, what would she have done? He looked like he was in his late 20's or early 30's. How would that have worked? Sure, she was undeniably attracted to him now, but at 15 he would have looked like an adult to her. Untouchable, illegal, wrong.

No, Kagome decided, she wasn't mad. She wasn't hurt that he'd avoided her, wasn't afraid to know of the life that he led without her, wasn't jealous of any woman he was with. She was just grateful to have him back in her life, even if he wasn't the entirely the same young half demon that she had known. She still cared about him, still cared about his experiences, still wanted to be around him, wanted to get to know him as this successful person who had lived 500 years of history.

Resolutely, Kagome finished up her shower, making good time of shaving her legs (and other parts) before shutting off the water and quietly drying herself, careful to not leave a mess all over the bathroom floor. After giving her hair a good towel dry, she wrapped her now dry body in the towel for modesty and set about brushing her teeth and cleaning her ears. Deciding she was done in the bathroom, she did a final once over to make sure she'd left it in good working order before scooping her dirty clothes off the floor and heading back towards the spare room, shutting off the bathroom light and leaving the exhaust fan on behind her. Carefully, she once again pulled the door mostly closed, blocking the sound of the fan before turning around to head into the spare room.

Inuyasha's door, like hers, had been left propped open in the night, and she was pleased to see it looked like he wasn't awake yet, the room still dark and a small noise fan still running. Retreating into her usual room, Kagome delicately twisted the door knob as she shut it, willing it to only make a small clicking noise as it finally shut completely, releasing a breath when it did, previously unaware that she'd been holding it. In the clear, she released the door knob and turned around the face the room, relieved to have soundlessly puttered around the apartment.

Only to nearly jump out of her skin a second later when she found Inuyasha perched on the edge of the bed.

"Kami, do you have to sneak up on someone like that?" Kagome was clutching her chest, willing her heart beat to slow down, closing her eyes as she took a deep, steadying breath.

"I didn't sneak, Kagome, you just didn't realize I was here." Inuyasha, to his credit, was right. He had one eyebrow raised, an amused smirk on his face, clearly comfortable on the bed. He was in plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt, his hair still black and down around his shoulders. He looked, well, normal, aside from the fact that his hair was doing that perfect swoop, like he'd just pushed it back from his face, which was distracting, the combination of his messy hair and strong jaw proving a deadly combination. She must have waited too long to answer him, because his expression changed to more of a frown. "You okay?"

Kagome realized she was still clutching her chest, frozen where she had entered the room. Shaking herself out of it, she moved over to where she'd stashed her overnight bag, carefully crouching down to open it, mindful that she was, in fact, still in a towel.

"I'm fine. Did I wake you up?" Kagome was trying to find her hair brush but kept landing on her straightener. Frustrated, she just picked the whole bag up and made her way to the bed, plopping it beside Inuyasha. Dropping the dirty clothes she'd been holding next to her bag, Kagome tightened the towel around her before carefully searching through the gigantic tote once again.

"No, I've been up for a little while." Inuyasha was watching her dig through her bag calmly, one foot propped up on the bed, his arm of the same side resting against his knee. "I remember you saying you were going to head out today, and when I heard you get in the shower I thought I'd miss getting to see you off because of that call."

"Oh," Kagome was surprised. She hadn't expected Inuyasha to say that, to be worried she would leave before he had the chance to say anything to her. "No, I'm not leaving yet-AHA!" Finally finding her hairbrush, Kagome grabbed the handle of the bag and set it on the floor, her butt replacing it on the bed as she set about carefully detangling her hair.

"Mom sent me their itinerary last night, and their flight leaves around noon. So, I was going to head over to Kyo's and get my things before they take off for the airport. Mom's probably already awake, anyway." Inuyasha eyed her movements, watching her pull her now thoroughly brushed, but still damp, hair over her shoulder and drop her hairbrush in the bag at her feet. "I haven't really decided when I'm heading to the shrine, I had all these plans today and now I've got nothing."

"Are you feeling any better about that?" Kagome sighed, pulling her body back towards the head of the bed, reclining against the pillows there.

"Kind of? I get it, the whole meeting someone and being swept into their world thing." Kagome closed her eyes, resting a hand over them as she spoke. "I haven't seen her this happy in a really long time, you know? She loves him, and despite all of the other things, all the little negatives surrounding this, I think love is a pretty huge positive." She felt the bed shift as Inuyasha moved to lay on his side facing her, and she peeked through her hand to see him relaxed and pensive.

"So, where does that leave you? I overheard what you said last night, about moving. Are you going to take Kyo's offer?" Kagome had to admit it was a good offer, to accept Kyo's financial support as a way of saying she approved of them but without having to interact with him. It was also a terrible way of handling her issues. Even Souta was doing his best to really accept their mother's decision, having sent her a text telling her about how Kyo really wasn't the worst after she'd gotten off the phone with her mother.

No, she decided, he wasn't. And it wasn't her mother's responsibility to look after her late husband's family shrine, a fact that was only amplified by her children's decisions to pursue a life outside of the shrine. Who would she be serving if she stayed on there, especially since Hana had two children that were heavily involved in shrines in their area? It was, overall, the best thing for their family to move forward.

"No," Kagome decided then, "I think it's too much. He's got good intentions, but I can manage something on my own. I planned to stay at the shrine this summer anyway, and I'm sure Aunt Hana wouldn't mind the company." Inuyasha's eyes darted to the clock on the table, relived to see it was only 5:52 am.

"You could do that," he began, mulling over what he was about to suggest before deciding it was a good idea. "Or you can stay here. Daichi will be gone most of the summer, so you'd have the place to yourself. I keep this apartment in working order, anyway, so it's not like it's any extra cost to me. I'll even kick Daichi out of the master for you, if you want." Kagome seemed to be thinking that over.

"But what about you?" Kagome carefully brought her knees to her chest, tucking the towel under her bottom and keeping herself covered.

"What about me?" Inuyasha seemed puzzled at that, head tilting for a moment.

"Well," Kagome began, "for starters, what if you need to be here for something? Daichi says you're usually in and out a lot more than you've been recently. I don't want to make you break from your normal routine." Kagome tucked her chin in her hands, partially hiding her face from him.

"Kagome," Inuyasha's eyes softened towards her then, a comforting smile appearing on his face. "What are you really afraid of?" Kagome sighed, realizing this Inuyasha was way more adept at reading conversation than she was used to.

"I don't want you to be offering this because you feel like you owe me, or like you need to provide for me. I don't want this to be about you fulfilling some promise to always protect me or some crap like that."

"If it was just about that," Inuyasha began, "There are plenty of open units in this building. I could easily afford to put you in your own apartment, with your own things, and give you money to live off for the rest of your life." Inuyasha moved then, coming to sit next to her at the head of the bed. "I could," he said softer, more appropriate for the space they were sharing, "but instead I'm offering you my home, a safe place that you've grown comfortable in, and that you probably already have a key to." Kagome blushed, because she did, something she hadn't intended for him to know. "If you feel weird about sharing the space with just me, I'll stay elsewhere, money isn't an issue for me. Kagome," he pulled her face towards him, "if I wanted to only protect you, I would never let you leave my sight."

"I don't want you to have to stay somewhere else, Inuy-" he pushed the thumb from the hand holding her chin gently over her lips, trying to help her break the habit even in private. He knew the pup was still soundly asleep, he could hear his even breathing from where they sat; they were in no danger of spoiling their secret. He was aware he was going to have to talk to Daichi soon, just to right the situation entirely, but he was sure it would be fine. Even so, Kagome would need to adjust to calling him by another name, for when they were in public or when she was discussing him with people that didn't need to know his real identity.

"Yash," Kagome corrected, an apology hidden somewhere in her tone. "This is your apartment. You shouldn't have to give that up because I don't have a permanent solution yet. Besides," she sighed, "what happens when all three of us are here at the same time?"

"Easy fix." Inuyasha dropped her chin then, relaxing on his side next to her. "I planned on redoing the furniture after Daichi left for Beijing. I can just convert the office into another bedroom, no problem."

"What about when you have calls, like the one this morning?" He waved his hand dismissively at her statement.

"I have a laptop, I just forgot it. I could do the call from pretty much anywhere in the apartment, if need be." Kagome was biting her lip then, clearly trying to find a reason to say no. "You don't have to make the decision now, Kagome. And it wouldn't have to be a permanent move for you, just something to help you get things sorted out here."

Kagome nodded then, fully aware that it was already 6:00 am and she needed to be getting ready. Picking up her bag, she moved to stand in front of the dresser, unloading her skin care products and her makeup bag before dropping the bag back on the ground and going to work on getting through the well-established routine she had. Squeezing her toner onto a cotton pad, Kagome began carefully scrubbing her face and neck.

"You should stay with us, you know." Kagome looked back over at Inuyasha, confused by his sudden declaration. "For a few days at least. I fly out next Monday, and I know Daichi leaves for Beijing next Sunday afternoon." Kagome looked down at the dresser, contemplating. "You could come to brunch with the family, for starters. I've heard you like that sort of thing, and Rin's been texting me about you coming for most of the night."

"Who's supposed to be there?" Kagome knew it was an important question, one she needed an answer to before blindly agreeing to being seen out with Inuyasha in any capacity by people who knew. Tossing her cotton pad into a nearby trash can, Kagome waited for her skin to dry before moving to grab her pore refiner, making use of her time by carefully unpacking her makeup bag.

"Well, me, obviously, Daichi, Sess, Rin, Tensho and Kari-you met them yesterday, Daichi's mom and dad." Inuyasha had counted the names off his fingers.

"Is that wise, for me to come to brunch with everyone?" Kagome thought it wasn't, thinking it would only complicate things.

"I hate to admit this, but it's safer than the alternative." Kagome had already put a few products on her skin at point, patiently waiting for her moisturizer to dry before, finally, applying her daily sunscreen, officially done with her skin care. She looked up at the mirror then, locking eyes with Inuyasha.

"Which is...?" She'd squeezed some primer on her hands, aiming to protect her skin from the foundation she was planning on applying for the day, hopeful it would help the makeup last longer. Inuyasha sighed, plopping on his back on the bed.

"Rin isn't as understanding as she should be about this...situation. I'm not sure what she expected from us, but she's always had this really messed up idea of what should happen...and I'm not sure to what lengths she would go to in order to make sure that would take place. You being there will give her the impression that we're at least...friendly? I don't know if that's the word I'm looking for." Kagome had, by the end of his statement, pulled the top part of her hair back in a clip to avoid getting makeup in it, deciding to let it dry naturally to save time. She could curl it at Kyo's, anyway. The curling iron she wanted was in the one suitcase she had there, the rest of her stuff had been stashed in the closet of Daichi's-Inuyasha's, she reminded herself- spare room that Tuesday before she headed home. She just hadn't seen the sense in lugging it all with her if they were going to be right back.

"So... if I don't go, I have to deal with the fear of being made to do what, exactly?" Kagome was applying some liquid foundation, mostly absorbed in getting it dispersed evenly over her skin. Still, she saw Inuyasha sit up and begin watching her apply her makeup, eyes tracking her movements.

"I don't think you want to know, it bridges into...well, it's just something we should talk about later." Kagome raised an eyebrow, willing him to continue. "She's already threatened to have me relocated back here, just to make me talk to you, she sent me the contract last night. And that's because I told her to leave it alone after she kept pressuring Daichi to invite you to brunch today."

"So, instead, you're being made to invite me?"

Inuyasha maneuvered himself off the bed, and came to stand behind her, making eye contact with her through the mirror. "I'm inviting you," Inuyasha began, hands moving to rest on her shoulders, "because I want to. I've thought through the pros and cons, and I think you'll agree that one uncomfortable meal is worth us having the choice to take the next steps on our own." His thumbs started moving in a circular pattern then, rubbing away some of the tension she was carrying. "I want to be in your life, Kagome, but that doesn't make this any less complicated. And unless you don't want me in yours, it's something we're going to have to deal with for a little while. Rin will at least see us talking and leave us to make ammends on our own, if you choose."

"I never said I didn't." Kagome mumbled that one out, a tad distracted by the sensations down her spine. "Fine. I'll stay for a few days, and I'll go to brunch. But, we're going to have really hash this out soon, Yash. There's too much information missing for me to just understand all of this."

Inuyasha seemed to be contemplating something then, before nodding and opening his mouth to speak, reassured Daichi was still sleeping soundly on the other side of the apartment.

"Kari, Daichi's mom, is equally as enamored with playing match maker as Rin is." At Kagome's 'hmm', he continued. "She somehow managed to set up a surprise date with Kira for Daichi tonight, and I think they'll be out for a few hours." Inuyasha stop his ministrations then, causing her to open her eyes, which she hadn't realized she'd shut, to meet his gaze through the mirror once more. "So, if you're ready, we can talk then." Inuyasha smiled reassuringly, running a hand down her arm.

Kagome wrinkled her nose at that, not quite sure Daichi was ready for a date with the girl, aware of the emotional implications such an arrangement would have on him.

"Fine," Kagome sighed, "tonight then?"

"Tonight."

Kagome had texted Daichi around half passed 9, asking about the address for the brunch restaurant they'd be going to. She was sitting on Kyo's back porch with her mother, sharing a cup of tea and talking through her mother's relationship, talking through the Buyo incident, and Kagome's decision to stay in Inuyasha's apartment. Only, he wasn't Inuyasha to her mother, he was Yashiro, Daichi's young uncle. Their conversation had run longer than either of them had intended on it going, her mother happy to finally share the entirety of her relationship with her daughter.

"I don't know sweetie, are you sure that'll be okay, staying with two men?" Kagome took a sip of her tea then, setting it down on the little table between their two rocking chairs. From where they were on the screened in porch off the kitchen, they were greeted with private views of greenery, the home being surrounded on three sides by bamboo to create privacy in the gated community, sounds from neighbor's muted by the foliage. She was contemplating how to reassure her mother it was the safest bet for her, being with those two, without giving away exactly why she felt that way. Letting a sigh slip passed her lips, she turned to look at her mama.

"I don't think you need to worry about it, honestly. Daichi isn't- our relationship is weird, I know that, but it'll never be like that, you know? He's my best friend. I love him like I love Souta." Kagome saw her mother eyeing her speculatively, so Kagome pressed on, trying to alleviate her mother's fears. "He'll be gone most of the summer mom, and you and Souta will be right here if it isn't working."

"And this Yashiro, what about him?" Her mother wasn't buying what she was selling, her eyebrow raised at her questioningly.

"He lives in Berlin most of the time. The last time he was here was in February. I could have things sorted out before he has to use the apartment again." Kagome's eyes were begging her mother to understand, to just let her do this thing.

Her phone started buzzing, an incoming call from Daichi flashing on the screen then. Muttering a quick apology, Kagome picked up her cell after her mom indicated that it was fine, the older of the two turning back to the view and taking a sip of her tea.

"Hey, Daichi, can I call you back in a few minutes?"

"It's Yash, actually, I need to talk to you about brunch...should I call back?" Kagome sat up straight in the chair, planting both feet on the porch's concrete floor, not missing the way her mother peaked over at her with a bit of humor in her eyes at her daughter's flustered reaction.

"Yash, hey, sorry. Uhm..." looking over at her mother, who motioned for her to continue talking, an understanding smile on her face, Kagome stood up and moved towards the furthest away corner of the porch, trying to garner some sort of privacy. "No, it's fine, what's up?"

"You said you needed the address, are you planning on just meeting us there?" Kagome leaned against a post, careful not to lean against the screen and inadvertently damage it.

"Yeah, I didn't plan on being here so long, but I'm not quite ready to leave yet. I don't know if I'll make it back in time to go with you, and I didn't want to not make it at all because of that."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, parking isn't so good around there. You'll probably have to use the garage a few streets over and walk, and I'm not comfortable with you doing that alone."

Kagome facepalmed, clearly frustrated with this, but knowing from what he'd said earlier that it'd better to just listen to him for now. "Fine, get my number out of Daichi's phone and text me. I can pick you up from the restaurant before parking, that way you don't have to worry about me being along. Deal?"

"...Deal. I'll see you soon, Kagome. Drive safe."

"Bye, Yash, see you soon." Kagome hung up the phone and resisted hitting her head against the post she was leaning on, instead calmly walking back towards her mother, carefully settling back into her cushioned chair.

"Kagome," her mother began after a beat of silence passed. "I saw that young man yesterday, you know. Even Souta commented on how much he looks like-"

"Please don't say it, mom." Kagome brought her knees up to her chest then, her heels resting on the edge of the chair, arms looped around her ankles.

"I'm just saying you should be careful. You don't need to get involved with anyone just because they look like someone else that you've cared about. You've been doing so well, I don't want you have to struggle the same way you did before." Mama Higurashi bridged the distance between them then, running her hand through her daughter's hair. "I don't like seeing my baby hurt, Kagome."

Kagome sighed, trying to maintain her resolve to keep his identity secret until they'd decided for themselves where they were going from here. But duty was forcing her to not lie to her mother, pushing her to maintain a truthful standpoint.

"Mom... I know. I know, but I'm not ready to talk about that yet. But, I can promise you this," Kagome turned to lock her hand with her mother's. "If at any point this becomes too much, if at any point I need an out, I will come to you and Kyo first, I won't try to handle this one on my own."

Kagome's mother, realizing her strong-willed daughter had once again decided on her path for herself, settled for hugging Kagome to her, silently letting her know she accepted her decision.

A/N: Both this and chapter six were once just Chapter 6: Tonight, however as I've stated on previous chapters the differences in the lengths of my chapters was bothering me. So, as of 3/4/2018, I have edited this for clarity and grammatical issues.

Formatting issues resolved 3/21/20318