Chapter 9: Resolve
"You're an ocean I can't help
but find myself caste to
whenever our waves meet.
The cohesion of our
currents boundless."
Things were steady in Berlin, days falling into a hum drum of normal that brought Inuyasha a sense of peace. He was going to be able to leave in December as he'd planned, something he'd begun to fear would be impossible. The revelation was certainly a welcomed one; he missed his home, and he missed his family.
And, of course, there was the matter of Kagome.
Rin had threatened him home before under the pretense that he take some sort of action with Kagome, but in truth she held little power over him. She could have tried to have the contract pushed through, but the harsh reality was he was the only person available to bring stability without significant personal loss. If she had been serious, she would have bypassed him and gone straight to Kagome, stealing the young woman away to, presumably, corrupt her mind against him somehow. At the very least, Rin would be trying to get Kagome to seduce him, which was not something he thought he could face.
Not that her mind was for him, Inuyasha realized Kagome remained neutral on the topic of their involvement with each other. It was entirely possible that in a few years he could find themselves nothing but strangers that were merely drifting in and out of each other's lives as they pleased. At any rate, Rin had honored his silent request for her to keep her mouth shut and allow for himself and Kagome to navigate the coarse waters they somehow found themselves sailing.
Inuyasha didn't have time to ponder it today, however, because he was currently working on his plan of exiting from Berlin in a short month.
He'd been fairly free of work for the duration of the day, and his office had remained quiet. Currently, he was sitting at his desk, a wall of windows to his back in the large room. Yash was languidly drinking a large cup of tea, glancing back over the document he needed to start the separation process when a knock against his door caused his head to jerk up abruptly.
It was his nephew, to his astonishment, with serious gold eyes the match his father's staring at him.
"Tensho, this certainly is a surprise." Inuyasha stood from his desk chair and moved to usher the young half demon in to his office, closing the door gently behind his first nephew as he entered the spacious office.
Tensho had once looked shockingly like Inuyasha, particularly in his younger days, but he'd grown too look exactly like half of Sesshomaru and Rin as he'd matured. He, as expected, carried the same coloring as both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, as well as their generally tall stature and broad shoulders and his father's same regal posture. Even Inuyasha, to his chagrin, had the same trait now, something he came by honest from both his mother and his father. Tensho had inherited his face shape from his mother, and wore her same brown hair with his glamour, something he also carried in his human form. His usual appearance was closer to his fathers, and he didn't have ears like Inuyasha's surprisingly. Instead, his were more like his father's had been, only less pointy with little tufts of fur on the outer shell that he had hidden easily in his hair prior to glamours.
"Hello, uncle. It's good to see you again so soon, though I do wish it were under other circumstances." Tensho settled himself in a cushioned chair directly in front of Inuyasha's desk as Inuyasha reoccupied the seat he'd only just abandoned.
"Oh? What brings you all the way out here?" Inuyasha punctuated his question with a long sip of his tea,
Unfortunately, Tensho had inherited his father's personality and low tolerance level for being annoyed. He was coolly aloof most of the time, choosing to remain quiet on his perceptions but was startlingly direct about things when he felt it necessary. It seemed, to Inuyasha's shock, that now was one of those times.
"It is my understanding that you are somehow involved with Daichi's friend. Kagome, I believe her name was."
It took all of Inuyasha's finesse to keep himself from choking on the lukewarm tea, instead schooling his reaction to be a measured swallow as he made eye contact with his nephew over the brim of the cup. Steely gold met equally unrelenting gold as Inuyasha set the cup down without a rush on his desk, leaning on his elbows and bringing his hands up to rest his chin in.
"Do not presume to lecture me, son. If you want to ask something, I suggest you do so with respect."
"That child is the age of my own, uncle. I do not think I need to hold my tongue."
"And how, pray tell, did you reach this conclusion?"
"Mother mentioned something to Kari about it, and my mate felt it necessary to voice her concerns over the girl's age to me." Tensho said it as if it were trivial in nature, neither here nor there in the scheme of things.
"And exactly how am I supposedly involved with her?" Inuyasha forced himself to maintain his calm resolve, suddenly adamant to get to the bottom of this discussion.
Rin, it seemed, had gotten tired of his inaction towards Kagome, and taken it upon herself to make him react, in the only way that made sense.
Tensho. He was the only one in the family that felt comfortable approaching Inuyasha about such matters, aside from Shippo, and would most likely want to protect Kagome as she was his own child's age. Tensho had once had a relationship with Inuyasha like Daichi did, their time at the borders so many centuries ago creating a bond more like brothers than an uncle and a nephew.
"…I think that is implied." It most certainly was, but the way Tensho said the phrase gave Inuyasha pause.
Rin had not given away how they were involved, instead leaving it up to the listener's perception.
"So, you're telling me that you flew all the way here, barged into my office and forced this conversation upon me when you don't even know what it is you're upset over?" It wasn't unfounded. Tensho had no idea why he was mad, only that his mother had insinuated to his rather impressionable mate that Inuyasha was defiling a much younger woman in his apartment.
"Is she not living in your apartment, then? Like she's your little mistress?" Tensho spat the word, like it was the worst thing he'd ever said.
"Son, calm down. She was staying there long before I knew anything of it." Inuyasha sighed and ran a hand through his unbound hair.
"And yet you allowed it to continue? I am not an idiot. I saw the way you looked at her, old man." Tensho was gripping the arms of his chair fiercely, eyes still sharply latched onto Inuyasha's.
"I don't presume you are an idiot. Why, after all these years, would I do something like you're suggesting?" Yash knew he needed to lead Tensho to the realization on his own, suddenly feeling more and more like a parent.
"Because you've finally lost the last bit of sanity you possessed after the incident with Sophie."
"No, use your intelligence, pup. I don't have all day. You know the answer to this."
They sat in silence for only a few seconds before Tensho's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You would only pursue a woman after Sophie if she was truly your mate. But you do not have a mate, and that girl, the last I heard, is not tied to you."
"And who does your mother presume my mate to have been? You know her name, you know the story."
Yash was again met with silence, as Tensho's eyes finally dropped from his own, golden orbs searching his lap for an answer before widening and snapping back up to his uncles.
"You have found her, then, after all of this time?"
"She found me, I suppose. But, things aren't what you think, Tensho. There is so much that no one knows."
"Then tell me."
Inuyasha hesitated for only a moment, his eyes darting down to check the time on his desk clock before he launched into the story, content he had the time he needed to finally get a second opinion on the situation.
It'd been four months since he decided that he couldn't love Kagome the way she would want him to, couldn't give into the physical desires his own body held. Yash wasn't dumb; he knew things would be vastly different once he was back in Japan, and if what Kagome was hinting was true, she would be around quite frequently with a new work schedule looming on the near horizon. It would be difficult for him to maintain his resolve, but the friendship he'd built with Kagome would help him.
He cherished her. She was the soft voice at the end, beginning, or middle of his day (depending on when they could talk), the light in the darkness that had become Berlin. Talking to Kagome had been hard to navigate at first, neither one quite sure what to say, but wanting to talk regardless, and with each phone call came more ease. They talked about everything, their first few conversations mostly about the mundane that was their day to day lives. It all changed one day when Kagome had been cooking while he'd called, and it'd opened a conversation about food choices that began a long discussion on his travels in Italy and how he'd learned to cook pasta properly.
He'd learned everything he could about Kagome, from her favorite scented candle, to her favorite dishes, to how she liked her tea. They debated everything, the finer points of their preferences, why they were better than the other's. The debating, he supposed, was to be expected. They'd always butted heads a bit, two strong, stubborn personalities meeting in a clash of passion. But, what flowed was a keen desire to know each other as thoroughly as possible, something that he perceived to be mutual for them.
Kagome asked question after question, as if he was the most interesting topic she'd ever studied, unafraid to call him on his hypocrisy or ludicrousness when the moment called for it. Aside from some very personal and perhaps too intimate conversations, Kagome knew everything there was to know about him, and he felt the reverse was also true.
He wouldn't talk to her over the phone about his romantic past, he'd decided, and she'd seemed to have reached the same conclusion. Their conversations revolved purely around everything that made them, well, themselves. And when they ran out of that, when they finally knew just about everything there was to know about each other, their interactions once again morphed on their own accord.
Inuyasha didn't know when it'd started, when he'd finally dropped his barriers and started joking openly with someone that had once just been a treasured memory, but it was his normal now. He'd be remiss if he did not teasingly call her a pet name at least a few times a day, or if he didn't make slightly dirty jokes towards her at times. It wasn't that he wanted her to be uncomfortable, or that he wanted to talk sex with Kagome, it was just…natural, he supposed, to push the envelope just a little.
Kagome, to his shock, fell right in, laughing purely at his jokes and delivering them back with just as much force. She wasn't offended by him, not put off by his natural interactions with her, instead it seemed to be something she was comfortable with as well, and he was forced to remember she'd played many mind games before. She'd played mind games with him back at graduation, and now they played them over the phone at times, but not too often. She could handle the occasional prodding from him, the slightly charged comments he sent her way sometimes.
Today, they mostly kept each other update on their lives, Kagome asking Inuyasha for advice quite frequently, something he was glad to provide for her. Their conversations were littered with teasing and jokes as abundant as casual topics, the two of them having reached this odd state of calm with each other. It was a part of his day, when he could afford it, to call Kagome and chat for a little while, and she called just as frequently as he did.
Inuyasha hashed all of it out to his nephew, right from the beginning, the tales of his travels finally revealed in their entirety, no truth spared. He told Tensho of that night in the well, of his demon's thoughts on Sophie, of his demon's thoughts on Kagome now, of the pair's conversations. He told him his own decision, how he feared explaining everything to Daichi because the boy would be forced to see him in a different light, how he feared his reaction to Kagome in person.
It was only when he was completely done that Tensho moved to speak, having patiently heard his uncle out as he often did.
"First, you are a fool, uncle. We both know you couldn't keep up the pretense of being Daichi's amusing uncle for long, just as you couldn't do that with me. He might not realize you're doing it for his safety, the drinking with him and letting him live with you, but this conversation cannot be avoided, and it will reveal the truth."
"Would you have preferred me let you son go off to college unsupervised to get alcohol poisoning?" Inuyasha leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I am grateful that you have looked out for him, just as you looked after me. However, it is time he realizes you are an adult, and that you outrank everyone but father in the hierarchy of this family. Traipsing around with you like you're two bar buddies is ridiculous and disrespectful."
"Tensho. I will handle that as I want." It was authoritatively stated, resolute that his relationship with Daichi was his own business.
"He will not be happy about Kagome, as I'm sure you are aware."
"That's an understatement." It was a murmur, but Tensho heard it regardless.
"He will be even less understanding about Sophie after he learns of Kagome, and of your…desires."
"…I don't think I'll go into as much detail with him, pup." Inuyasha watched as Tensho shrugged after Yash had said the words, clearly uncaring.
"You should. It will make him realize that opposing your relationship with this girl would be akin to wishing his mother and I would separate."
"She is not my wife, Tensho, nor is she the mother of my children or my life mate." Inuyasha rolled his eyes with his statement.
"That is where you the most foolish, old man." Tensho leaned forward as he said it, intensely staring down the older half demon.
"Excuse me?"
"You are a fool. That woman is your mate. The only thing I've been more certain of is when I met my own mate. She calls to you, does she not? Your demon wants her, accepts her. She is your mate." The statement was matter-of-fact, as if he was telling Inuyasha the color of his shirt.
"I will not subject her to that fate, Tensho. I have already lost enough. Losing Kagome…if I loved Sophie, if that is true, then I do not have words for the way I have cared about Kagome, both before and now. She is so precious to me. If that were to happen to her, I would cease to be." Inuyasha refused to accept Kagome as his mate, even if she were to show up with a neon sign flashing the words above her, he would not risk her life, would not risk her presence in his own. He needed her, he needed her like he needed air and water.
He would not lose her, not to his own selfish desires, not to his weakness.
"That, alone, is proof enough that what I say is true. For too long, you've put this girl on a pedestal. You picture her as this pure, sweet, perfect thing, but she is human. She makes mistakes, just as you do, she breathes, she hurts, she wants the same things you want, does she not?"
"That is neither here nor there."
"Yes it is. She wants you, she is receptive to your advances, she takes your phone calls and flirts with you." That gave Inuyasha pause. They did not flirt. They conversed teasingly.
"It is not flirting." He bit the words out, suddenly regretting filling Tensho in.
"…it is flirting, even if you don't realize it. You should talk to Daichi soon, and you should return to that woman to realize she is your mate." The younger half demon waved his hand dismissively.
"I will not return home for that purpose alone."
"Give yourself a chance, old man. If you are set on not having a sexual relationship with her, then don't. Go, love her, give her that part of yourself. I can assure you, the physical aspect will flow of its own accord." Tensho leaned back more comfortably in his chair then, procuring a water bottle from the bag Inuyasha had not seem him carrying it.
Yash leaned back in his desk chair, swiveling it from side to side unconsciously, debating his options at that point, suddenly over the conversation.
"I am grateful that you took the time to listen to me. You have my permission to fill in your mate and siblings on the situation, but I trust you to use discretion where need be." And he knew Tensho would, the male facing him being the only other person in the family who valued privacy as much as him.
"You have my word. With your permission, I'll also fill in the wolves. If what you say is true, Misana's new pack will need to be included in the discussion. I trust you to update the fox, and I will do my best to curb mother and Kari as much as I can. However, I suggest you wrap up things here and return to Kyoto quickly. Once it is common knowledge, there is no telling who will approach her."
Inuyasha nodded to himself, suddenly wondering if he could leave Berlin sooner than he thought.
He only took him a few moments to formulate a plan, and when he did, he quickly proffered it to Tensho.
It seemed, after so long, he would finally return to Japan, and a littler timelier than he'd imagined.
Daichi did not take the news well.
That was an understatement.
"No." It was almost spat at Yash, the words venomous.
"What do you mean, 'no'?" Inuyasha said it tersely, suddenly aware that this plan wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought.
It was supposed to be seemless. Inuyasha would finally clue Daichi in to the one story he'd wanted to know forever, and then they'd discuss it and Daichi would agree to give him the space he needed to get comfortable with Kagome being more physically involved in his life. No doubt, she'd be invited to all of their family functions on principle alone, her ties to him, Shippo and Rin already enough to warrant her presence. But now with Daichi, and if you counted Kouga's family as well, it was almost expected for her to show up. The point had been made my Tensho when they were in Berlin, something that hadn't occurred to Inuyasha.
Kagome needed time to adjust, time to get used to being with him in person before she was abruptly thrown into the fire pit that was his pack. Inuyasha needed Daichi to give him the space to do just that, but the pup wasn't seeming receptive.
"No, you're wrong. It isn't Kagome, uncle, you're obviously mistaken." Daichi was oddly calm, but the bite was still evident, and it upset Inuyasha.
"What?" It was his turn to tersely spit out one syllable. How could he possibly be mistaken?
"Kagome isn't…she isn't like that. She's not this pure little miko whose only purpose in life is to protect some jewel." Dacihi wasn't wrong. Kagome wasn't, she and Inuyasha had been skirting around particular things that had changed for her, but it would only be time before one of them broke that barrier.
"People change, Daichi." It was the truest statement he could make, one that resonated with the thoughts he was having, one that seemed to alter Daich's own reaction as well.
People did change, and it'd been almost 8 years for her.
"How do I know you're not lying? That this isn't some prank?" Daichi was still steadfast in his disbelief, and it was a reach to even suggest that Inuyasha would be childish enough to prank him this way.
"You can ask Kagome, for starters." Inuyasha nonchalantly motioned towards the phone that rested next to Daichi's plate on the table, but his nephew ignored it.
Instead, Daichi sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. He still exuded a bit of frustration, but he seemed to be breaking a little, letting the idea roll around in his head.
"So, you're telling me that you're in love with my best friend, who traveled back in time to help you destroy a jewel?"
"I'm not in love with her, Daichi. I was 500 years ago, but that was 500 years ago." It was easy to answer because he'd already thought it over, had already talked through it before with Kagome.
"So, what? You're telling me this because you've decided she's actually your mate and now you're going to sweep her away to make her your…play thing?" Daichi looked stern, somehow appearing older than Inuyasha always perceived him as being, fiercely protective of his friend above all else.
"What? No! Daichi, where did that even come from?" Inuyasha had all but slammed his hand down on the table, stopping his fist just before it would collide with enough force to shatter the wood.
"I remember what it was like when Hayate met his mate. They spent two years on a honeymoon. Two. Years. And then when they came back…" Daichi visibly shivered. "You make it sound like you think she's your mate, uncle. You can't blame me for going there."
Hayate was Shippo's son, and he'd met his mate about 10 years ago. Hayate had always been a bit…amorous with women, something that had shocked both Inuyasha and Shippo. They had no clue where he'd learned to be that way, but they'd spent the majority of the last two centuries having to apologize for his blatant flirting everywhere they went. But when Hayate met his mate, it was the most uncomfortable Inuyasha had been in a home in years, and he'd ended up gifting them a cabin he'd built in the mountains decades prior just to get some sleep.
Apparently, the then young Daichi hadn't slept through as much as Yash had hoped.
"Daichi, that's not what-I wouldn't do that. That's not what this is." Yash was vehement in his statement, absolutely sure in what he was saying.
But a still small voice in the back of his head whispered a quick 'don't be so quick to decide.'
"Then what is it? If you're just friends, then why are you so guilty? I don't see why this was important to tell me here, in person." Again, Daichi had a fair point. Why did he feel so guilty suddenly?
He didn't know the answer, so he avoided that question entirely.
"Because…I just…look, we talk a lot, okay? That isn't to say anything is going on, but we have a friendship, and I really value her involvement in my life. If I was going to continue pursuing…this with her, you needed to know." Inuyasha shrugged as he said it, hoping it'd be enough.
"You talk to her?" Daichi's eyes were wide with surprise, his anger momentarily forgotten.
"A couple times a week, maybe." It was an understatement. It was more adequate to say they talked almost every day on the phone, and all the time through text messaging. He wouldn't divulge that he'd spoken to Kagome as recent as the night before, and that as soon as he left he was calling her immediately.
Maybe that's why he felt guilty? He was downplaying his relationship with Kagome, and he shouldn't have to. Did he feel guilty for not adequately representing her role in his life?
Still, the answer evaded him.
"What? Okay, no. This is definitely a joke, Kagome would have let on by now." Daichi seemed more shocked than angry, so Inuyasha pressed on.
"I asked her not to, this has always been my responsibility. But, in all fairness, you haven't exactly been a chatty Cathy with her, have you?" He couldn't help it, Kagome's fear that Daichi would be angry and that she was concerned about how he hadn't been talking to her the past month causing him to snap at his nephew a little. It was in his nature to protect her, always.
"How could you possibly know how often I talk to her?" Daichi, to his benefit, looked thoroughly taken aback.
"Because she tells me, Daichi. You think I call her to talk about the weather?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes and watched as Daichi blinked dumbly a couple of times before narrowing his amber eyes towards his uncle.
"I don't like this." Daichi crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against his chair.
"You don't have to. You just needed to know." Inuyasha moved to stand, collecting his laptop and depositing with the rest of his folders in his bag.
"That's it? You don't care what I think? That's my best friend, uncle, you will not do to her what you did to that poor French girl!" Daichi had stood quickly, hands slamming down on either side of his plate with the end of his statement.
Inuyasha turned back to his nephew with a fierceness Daichi had never seen, his posture suddenly reflecting Daichi's.
"That," Inuyasha bit out the word, his voice more growl than anything else, "is the first woman who ever looked at me and saw me, pup, to have looked at half demon bastard and seen something whole. She carries scars on her body because of me, because she was scared for me, cared for me enough put herself in harm's way for me. She has never just been 'some girl' to me. Kagome…Kagome is everything, Daichi. She makes this world a little brighter just by being in it. This isn't some pissing contest, I'm not here to battle it out for dibs."
Inuyasha forced himself to calm down before straightening back up and gathering his belongings from the little apartment they'd been talking in.
"I'm leaving in the morning. If you want to talk to Kagome, all you have to do is call her. I just ask that you give me the next few days to talk to her about it before you do. If you want to talk about this more with me, I will always take the time to discuss it with you. Just don't be mad at Kagome, whatever you do."
"You sure you're not in love with her? Because 'everything' is a big word to use for someone not in love with someone else." Daichi had brought his arms back across his chest again, eyeing his uncle speculatively.
"I can't be anything but her friend, Daichi." Inuyasha paused at the door, looking back as his nephew.
"…I get it, you know. I met Kagome and I wanted to be in her life right away, I wanted to know the story of the pretty girl with the sad eyes and the bright smile. She's kind, and beautiful, and she's funny, and real. I get why you want to be near her, because I want to, too. But what I can't get is why you think you can walk back into her life and not fall in love with her."
"Because I care too much about her, pup, to let that happen."
"That makes no sense, whatsoever. It's like saying, 'I love her, so I won't love her.'"
Inuyasha opened the door, stepping out in the hallway.
"I would say you'll understand one day, but I honestly hope you don't ever have to face something like this. Later, pup."
He shut the door behind him gently, well aware that if Daichi wanted to continue talking he would search him out.
Instead, he was met with silence as he continued his trek to his hotel, thoughts swimming in his head.
What was he doing? He hadn't made the conscious decision to approach Kagome, fate having forced him to welcome her back in his life, but now that she was here, he didn't want her to leave. That was evident in the way he subconsciously sought her out, in the way his first reaction was to always protect her, even from himself. But what would it cost him to keep her? What would he have to sacrifice, what would she have to sacrifice to even stay as friends?
Not for the first time, a little voice inside Inuyasha was whispering that he should just take her as his mate and be done with it. That would be easy, he supposed, if he was certain that she was his mate. Maybe Kagome was, he thought.
For one moment he let himself see it like that, like Kagome was his mate, and she wanted him and wanted her and all it took was one night and they were bound for life.
Just one night.
They would be so happy, he realized, if that were true. He had no doubt of that. Kagome would love him like no one but her could, would give him children that she'd adore and dote on. She'd forgive him for mistaking Sophie as his true mate so many years ago, instead of being upset. She'd be hurt for him before anything else, concerned about his well-being over all else.
Kagome was rare.
She was stunning, and he was intellectually intrigued by her, and despite what he was saying to everyone, he knew she was special to him. But, he was also special to her. It would be impossible for either of them to walk away from this. Once things began, once they started really spending time together, he doubted they would ever revert to a life without each other, even if it was occasional phone calls or texts that kept them tied together.
Kagome was the same girl who'd sat on tree branch next to him, feet bandaged from the acid burns she'd gotten for him, promising to stay with him forever.
Kagome had always been special, had always loved him more than he deserved.
He could give her love. Inuyasha could give Kagome love by the barrel, by the bushel, by the ton, if he she wanted, because he loved her. He would always love her, in a way, he'd told her as much.
But would that kind of love be enough for her? Could Kagome feel fulfilled by that love?
And could he watch her fall in love with someone else, have someone else's child?
Yes, he decided. If that's what it took for her to be happy, and for him to still have her in his life, he would do it in a heartbeat.
It was early, Kagome bemoaned, way earlier than she should have been awake and functional.
The sun had yet to creep across her edge of the world, the only open coffee house having been a chain store she hated. The coffee was always overpriced, typically a bit burnt, and the prepared drinks were loaded down with too much sugar and flavored syrups for her taste. But to her chagrin, Kagome had a busy day ahead of her and it needed to start with a cup of coffee she didn't have to prepare herself. So, here she was, sitting in this too packed coffee house right beside the door, waiting for her dirty chai tea latte and pouring back over the listings on her laptop.
She was dressed for the cool air that had started rolling into Kyoto that month, a pair of skinny jeans and a flannel her go to look for the weather. Kagome had been looking forward to this day for weeks, the first week day she'd been off since she'd started working at Nikita Co., an amazing opportunity to finally go tour some of the apartments and town homes she'd been looking at from the relative comfort of hotel rooms while she'd been on the road for work.
Kagome wasn't surprised that she was so busy once she'd finally gotten some local conferences and conventions under her belt; the position she'd accepted was a travel job, first in Japan and then on a more international scale if she proved herself capable. For the last four months, she'd done nothing but work, her bank account fat and happy because all her expenses were covered while she was on the road traveling the country she'd called home her entire life.
The travel was great, something she rather enjoyed for the short term. But, her absence had been preventing her from finally getting her own place, and that was starting to wear on her. Inuyasha was, well, Inuyasha. He could try to convince her all he wanted that him offering her the use of his apartment wasn't him being just a tad bit overprotective, but she knew better.
And, to be honest, the new security system he'd had installed had been a bit much, but when he started stocking the apartment for her through concierge, Kagome knew she needed to move. She knew it wasn't meant to be overbearing; she'd arrived later than she'd planned on from Hokkaido one weekend with a bit of a cold and he'd taken it upon himself to make sure she had what she needed to recover. It was sweet, or it would have been, if their interactions were anything different from what they'd become. Instead, it almost felt like a parental move, something Kagome didn't want from her own mother, let alone the man she'd first loved.
Kagome had a good paying job, and she wanted to spend her money on herself. Living under Yash's roof was preventing her from doing just that, even if it was flattering to have someone like him wanting to take care of her. Plus, it was already November, and he was due home in just a few short weeks if everything continued the right path. They'd developed this odd pen pal friendship that Kagome treasured, but if she was being honest to herself, she couldn't fathom sharing the same space as him with the way things were.
To her luck, it looked like she was going to be doing two months in Kyoto at the main training facility and Kagome, if she was being honest, was jumping at the opportunity. It wasn't guaranteed, but if she did well preparing new sales people, she could be offered a permanent position at the facility with the contractual obligation to only travel twice a month for sales conventions. Kagome wanted it, wanted the steady pace it'd bring to her life.
So, here she was, this cold Friday, craving the odd mix of hot tea and espresso that a dirty chai could offer, pouring back over her top choices in places to live.
The unit she was looking at currently was not to far from where Inuyasha's apartment was, which put it close to her work as well. It was nice, really nice if she was being honest, and she was surprised the two-bedroom apartment was in her price range. It had a bonus room that she could use as her office in the form of a loft over the kitchen, lots of windows and a quaint little balcony that she was already decorating in her mind.
She was going to see that one first, she decided then. Kagome had already been in touch with the property manager, and the apartment wasn't currently being leased. Chances were, according to the man she'd spoken to, that if she toured and liked it, she would be able to get in quickly, no longer than it took to get the apartment cleaned. If she signed the lease today, and if they let her get in by tomorrow…maybe she could get some furniture shopping done this afternoon.
Unthinkingly, Kagome shot Yash a text with a link to the apartment she had her eyes on, asking his opinion on the building.
In the four months since he'd made that first call, it was odd if she didn't hear from him every day in some way. Somehow, one of them would have something they wanted to share with the other, or Kagome would need advice on something. Yash, it turned out, knew a lot about, well, a lot.
It should have been weird, really, but it wasn't. It was nice, talking to an old friend and catching up, a warmness at their continued correspondence reminiscent of when Eri had moved to the states for university and called Kagome to chat.
Her favorite phone calls were those when he'd tell her about something he'd done in the 500 years since the well closed, which usually occurred over his weekend (Berlin was 8 hours behind, and from time to time she'd have conventions that spanned a Saturday and Sunday, so his weekends weren't exactly hers). She'd spend hours just listening to him recount some of the people he'd known, the things he'd witnessed, the lessons he had learned.
He hadn't been home since graduation, but then again, neither had Daichi.
Daichi had been offered an extension on his position in Beijing, and he'd jumped at it. Kagome suspected it had something to do with a girl he'd met, Mai, but he denied it.
The fact that his profile picture on social media was a shot of the two begged to differ.
Neither Daichi nor Kagome had begun grad school, but she knew he'd been eying some online programs and she had too. There was just no time to work and gain experience while also gaining the education you needed.
Kagome had already scrolled over to a local furniture store's website, window shopping for her soon to be apartment when her phone started viciously vibrating on the table next to her laptop.
She didn't have to look at the caller ID to know who it was, the vibration pattern a unique one she'd set after a few too many times of mistaking his phone calls for her alarms. Without thinking, she picked the phone up and brought it to her ear, words falling out her mouth without a thought.
"Shouldn't you be in bed by now?"
"Shouldn't you still be asleep?" His baritone voice was colored with humor, the now permanent playfulness she expected from him ringing clear.
"You can't answer my question with a question, Yash."
"I'm an adult, Kagome, I can do whatever I want."
"Like stay up passed your bedtime? The horror, the scandal of it all."
"Correction, I do not have a bedtime. And I don't need to sleep often. I'm surprised I have to remind you of that after all this time."
"What? You're afraid you'll be attacked in the night? Seriously, it's the 21st century. Would it kill you to sleep when you have work at least?"
"That's the thing, I just don't know. What if I sleep too much and start spending all my time sleeping? Then who would you nag about proper eating and sleeping habits all the time?"
"You, clearly. How many meals would you miss if you slept all the time?"
"How would you even wake me up if I were sleeping? I would simply turn my phone off and you'd be no problem at all."
"All the way in Berlin? Simple. I'd hire a singing telegram and pay them to stand outside your door until you answered, belting out the most annoying song at the top of their lungs the entire time."
"Sweetheart," the sickly-sweet tone that came through the speaker had Kagome rolling her eyes, knowing full well the term of endearment was part of a jab at her and not in any way romantic, "you'd pay an exorbitant amount of money to serenade me a good morning? I'm honored, touched, can't believe you'd go to such lengths to show me how much you care."
"It's too early for sarcasm. Another insincere 'sweetheart' and I'm hanging up on you." A waitress showed up with her drink then, and Kagome thanked her softly. Kagome was sitting with her back to the door, the chime of the bells a constant behind her, the tone an unusual bell that would be easily recognizable if you'd been there a few times.
"Are you at Café Express? I thought you hated that place."
"What else is open that serves a halfway decent dirty chai this early in the morning?"
"…you've got a point." Kagome gave into the urge to take a long draw from her drink, the warm sip welcomed. Yash must have been a just a little tired if his voice was any indication. He sounded weary, as if he'd had an extremely long day and was just starting to wind down from it.
"You do sound tired, you know." It slipped out of her, her lack of adequate caffeine and her always abundant concern taking over her mouth.
"I know, it's been a long day."
"Then why aren't you sleeping?"
"I've got a lot on my mind. And if I'm being completely honest, I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm touched."
"Ha-ha, Kagome. So clever."
"What did you want to talk about, Yash?"
"A couple of things, but I'm driving and thought it'd be nice to talk since I haven't been able to for a few days."
"Are you sweet on me, old man?"
"Of course, you're my sugar baby." It was an ongoing joke between the two of them, Yash being her sugar daddy. It was suggested by an uncouth concierge one morning when he'd called to see if she'd been by the apartment after he hadn't heard from her in a few days.
"Hmmm…if that were true you'd be gaining something from this relationship." It was always her argument, and sometimes his.
"Are you kidding? I get the satisfaction of knowing an old man like me is tying such a pretty young thing down."
"Ha-ha, like you're the only thing standing the way of me dating. I'll pass on the awkward small talk over appetizers and then the meaningless conversations over desert, thanks."
"They're only meaningless when they're with someone who isn't for you, Kagome."
"Exactly. I'm not wasting my time on anyone who doesn't deserve it."
"I'm flattered you find me worthy of your time."
"I can hardly dodge your calls while I'm staying in your apartment, you know."
"Oh, about that, I saw the listing you sent me. Is that one you're looking at?"
"Yeah, I think so, the office doesn't open for a few more hours, but I'm really surprised by the price. Isn't that kind of a bad sign? It seems really nice to be that affordable."
And just like that, they launched into a long conversation about real estate in the area, and why Inuyasha thought the apartment was priced so low, which he convinced her wasn't a bad thing. Yash knew the building, apparently, and said Kagome would be fine to rent there for a while. Parking would be a little challenging when she had guests, and she'd have to contract with the building to get security installed in her unit, but it shouldn't be a huge issue.
Kagome wouldn't have any of the conveniences that Inuyasha did, but she so rarely took advantage of the concierge services, and she'd just gotten a gym membership at a large group of locations that she could use when she traveled, too. Really, she'd be getting a good deal, and with just a little convincing from Yash she was set on the place.
It was only after, when she'd asked him how getting out of Berlin by Christmas was looking, that the conversation's mood changed.
Kagome and Inuyasha talked a lot, but they never talked about the things she worried over. There was no conversation on who she'd dated, or on who he'd been with for that matter, what kind of history either of them had romantically, and they hardly ever spoke of family beyond the cursory "so-and-so visited today." Their conversations were full of all sorts of things, the foremost being back and forth teasing, but in truth, they were at a point where if the two old friends were to grow any closer it would need to be in person. Rarely, if ever, did Inuyasha stop his lighthearted teasing to be serious with Kagome, the last time have been a few months back when he'd decided on the new security system.
"I-uh, about that."
"…What about it?" It was almost a whisper, Kagome suddenly anticipating the absolute worst, already prepared to hear something that'd drop her spirits. Behind her, the bell to the café dinged once again, the cool air almost ominous against her back.
"Surprise?" The word came from behind her and through her ear at the same time and Kagome had to catch herself on the table in front of her as she almost cracked her neck with the force her head turned around.
"I-oh." The syllables left her in an exhale, a sigh on her lips as she let herself take in the man in front of her, phone forgotten in her hand.
There he was, in all his exhausted glory, bags under his eyes and a sweat shirt and blue jeans oddly casual on his person. He'd never looked so relaxed, Kagome realized, while simultaneously looking burnt out. Not when she'd briefly seen him so many months before. He'd, clearly, balled his hair into a messy bun on the top of his head, and his sweat shirt was a little rumpled, but she didn't care.
In short, it was clear to her that Inuyasha had just gotten to Kyoto, and a part of her fluttered at that. He'd gone out of his way for her, to find his way to the little coffee place even when he looked one bad piece of news away from losing it all.
Kagome was out of her chair before she'd even processed it, just two steps bridging the gap between them and arms wrapping around his neck without her say so, body acting on its own accord as she pulled herself as close to him as possible, phone still clutched in her hand as it rested against the back of his shoulders, body pulling in flush to his own.
Inuyasha's own arms came around her almost immediately, crossing over her back and crushing her to him even further, his face dropping to rest in the crook of her neck as she raised up onto her tip toes subconsciously, his towering height and her flat canvas shoes not giving her much of a choice.
"Good surprise?" It was a murmuration against her skin, the resonation of his baritone felt in her rib cage as it rested against her own, the warmth of his breath on her ear almost causing her to shiver uncomfortably.
She ignored it and pulled back only enough to steady his face in her free hand and plant a quick kiss to his cheek, instinct and fondness driving her actions.
"The best, Yash." Her words caused his face to crack a blinding smile, and before Kagome had a chance to really take it in, he'd pulled her back in for another bone crushing hug, her feet lifting off the ground with the tight squeeze.
This, Kagome decided, really was the best day off she'd had in a while.
A/n: Hi all, I actually wrote a good portion of this tonight after reconsidering what I'd already written. I'm not going to make excuses, but do know that I'm listening to what you all say and I've decided what I want to write next. Kind of tired of the, literal, 5 chapters I wrote of them fighting time zones. I think bringing him home was a good choice.
He's confused, clearly, which is why it comes off that way. He loves Kagome, has always loved Kagome, but he is not in love with Kagome. I hope I made that clear. You can love someone, but not be in love with them, and it's certainly sad when that happens. BUT good things can come of it too.
Fun fact: I don't like to read this story. I don't. I cringe, and it takes me way too long and overall, I just…hate it. It's like hearing my own voice, something I also hate.
I read it this week, several times in fact, just to make sure I was being true to what I'd planned, and that I wasn't stating completely different ideas on the same topic. I don't feel like I have, and despite my dislike for certain parts of this story, I have only fixed a few grammar mistakes that were sticking out to me and corrected my formatting on a few chapters. Aside from that, I just edited the tree scene to be more realistic and changed my wording in Daichi's thoughts on Yash to say "uncle" less because it bothered me.
I assure you, the entire story is the same, and I didn't change details to make what I'd written make sense, I'm of the mindset that you should stick to what you write, and I am doing that here. On that topic, while something may not make sense now, it will undoubtedly be more understandable later. I am so proud of this piece, and so proud of myself for putting this together. I stand by what I've written, and I can only hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
To my guest reviewers, Anon (x3), Guest (x2), Lyfisbeautiful, ThatGirl. I appreciate your thoughts and am so thankful that you took the time to read this and review. I won't respond to your reviews here because I feel that is an unfair use of my space, and would like to encourage you to create an account to discuss a few of the points posed by several of you.
Until next time,
K. Marjorie