Chapter Twenty-Three

Rain

Inuyasha circled the courtyard, jumping on the largest tree that had already served as his hiding place several times.

Being so leafy, it was practically impossible for a human to spot him.

Both of his ears pointed towards the house, trying to hear Kagome again. Despite the rain, he could detect her heart. It was racing.

And she was alone. There were no other humans nearby.

His brow furrowed as he heard footsteps upstairs. Kagome was coming down the stairs.

Inuyasha held his breath as the door to the house opened. The rain was getting heavier and heavier.

"Inuyasha?"

'Shit.'

He closed his eyes, snorting heavily. Kagome seemed to know exactly where he was, just as she had six days earlier at the edge of the Demon Forest.

It would be best to ignore her and wait for her to close the door again. Then he could leave.

She was fine, though she seemed a little tired and her heartbeat indicated she was nervous. Inuyasha could stop worrying about her and return to the forest.

"I know you're there."

He gritted his teeth, bending over the branch to try to get a better look at her through the leaves. Kagome was still standing in the doorframe with her gaze fixed on the large tree.

"Did you come to talk to me?"

His heart skipped a beat. Was the human willing to talk to him again?

Inuyasha sniffed the air.

She didn't seem frightened, just quite nervous. There was no trace of the fear he had detected in her scent before.

"I'm... I'm not leaving until I see you. I need to know I'm not losing my mind."

Inuyasha frowned as she took a step closer and the rain began to fall on her head.

Stupid wench. Did she want to make herself sick?

He scoffed, standing up and brushing some branches aside with his arm. Inuyasha jumped down and bent his knees as he landed on the stone floor.

He heard Kagome gasp as he pulled back the hood of his red jacket, letting her see his face.

"Inuyasha."

Her bottom lip trembled and Kagome covered it with her hand.

It didn't matter, though. He could smell the sadness emanating from her body and see the glint in her eyes.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, letting out a sigh.

"Kagome."

She blinked at the sound of her name and her lip trembled again. Inuyasha took a step in her direction, but shook his head and stepped back.

He couldn't risk frightening her.

"Why are you here?"

The question startled him. He furrowed his brow, trying to think of an answer that was good enough.

He himself didn't understand why he had run to the shrine that morning. He had simply been driven by the desire to see her again.

He folded his arms, snorting.

"I don't know."

His long hair was completely wet but he didn't care. He always got soaked when he hunted during a storm in the forest.

Inuyasha brushed his bangs away from his forehead with his fingers and watched Kagome scowl.

"Are you lying to me?"

'Fuck.'

"No," he replied, shrugging and averting his gaze. "I just wanted to check something."

Her face changed again. Kagome wrapped her arms around her own body and took a step towards him.

"Check what?"

His lies were what had doomed him, and he didn't want to keep lying. Not to her.

"That you were fine," Inuyasha admitted, pursing his lips.

Having her so close was overwhelming. It was like taking a deep breath after weeks of not being able to do so.

Kagome sighed and her eyes filled with tears.

"I miss you," she confessed in a whisper.

Her words hit him like a punch and Inuyasha felt his heart shrink.

It hurt. It hurt as much as when she screamed that he was a monster and she never wanted to see him again.

He swallowed, looking back into her eyes.

"I miss you too."

Kagome shook her head and several tears escaped her eyes, mixing with the raindrops that fell down her face. Inuyasha blanched as he watched her move towards him.

His life was over. It was the end.

He made fists and closed his eyes, waiting to feel her fiery power reduce him to ashes.

Inuyasha knew he deserved it so he didn't try to pull away. If she wanted revenge, he wasn't going to stop her.

His eyes snapped open when he felt a hand rest on his cheek.

"Did you think I was going to hurt you?" she asked softly, looking into his eyes.

Inuyasha didn't reply. He had spent his entire life surrounded by vengeful beings and it was still hard for him to accept that Kagome was not like that.

She sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. She wrapped her other arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

His breath hitched and his body froze.

Was she really hugging him?

"I miss you too."

Kagome felt her heart break as she heard his choked voice admitting the same thing she felt deep in her bones.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had been through so much and, by the looks of it, Inuyasha was suffering as well.

Kagome shook her head and walked the distance between them.

She was surprised as she saw him held his breath, closing his eyes tightly and clenching his fists. He seemed to be waiting for her to hit him, or something worse.

Kagome remembered what he had told her weeks ago when she had discovered he was a demon.

You have powers, Kagome. And you could kill me if you attack me.

She placed a hand gently on his cheek and he opened his eyes in surprise.

"Did you think I was going to hurt you?"

Inuyasha stared down at her wordlessly, confirming her suspicions.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The half-yōkai could easily finish her off with his sharp claws if he wanted to. And yet, he had no intention of defending himself.

She sighed, wrapping an arm around his body and hiding her face in his chest.

His clothes were wet but they still smelled of him. Kagome took a deep breath, filling her lungs with that scent she missed so much.

The fear she had felt seeing him transformed for the first time was completely gone. It was clear to her now that Inuyasha would never hurt her and it was easier to believe that the bite had been a mistake, though she still couldn't understand why it had happened.

"I still don't know how to control the energy that comes out of my hands sometimes, but I'm not going to use it against you."

Kagome felt him relax and heard his long sigh.

Inuyasha took a step back, scowling at her. He untied the knot that held his red jacket closed, taking it off. She opened her mouth to ask the reason but the words caught in her throat as he draped it over her shoulders, lifting the hood until it covered her head and shielded her from the rain.

"You're going to get sick."

His clothes smelled of him and still held his body heat. Kagome tucked her hands into the sleeves, smiling at how big they were.

The rain continued to fall on them both relentlessly. She met his gaze again and blushed as she saw his golden irises fixed on her.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose.

"I know it's wet, but..."

Kagome stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his and leaving him speechless. Inuyasha gasped, surprised, but it didn't take long for him to react. His arms wrapped around her and he kissed her back with equal intensity, holding her against his chest.

Despite not having his jacket on, his body still was warm. Kagome clutched at the white shirt he was wearing with both hands, tilting her head slightly while still kissing him.

It was so much better than in her memories. His lips seemed to mould to hers and his arms wrapped around her completely, enveloping her with his warmth.

She gasped when he gently nibbled on her lower lip and she felt his fangs. Inuyasha broke the kiss, scanning her face with a concerned look.

"You're shivering, Kagome. You'd better go back inside," he murmured, gesturing to the front of her house with his gaze.

He was still holding her as if the thought of her walking away was really the last thing he wanted.

And Kagome felt exactly the same way. Despite the rain, there was nowhere else she wanted to be but in his arms.

It had been almost six weeks since they had last been this close to each other.

She shook her head, tangling a finger in the damp locks that fell down his shoulders and reached his waist. As soft as ever.

"I'm not cold."

"Kagome..."

She shook her head again and he snorted, taking a step back. Inuyasha clicked his tongue, crossing his arms and looking away from her.

"Keh. You're so stubborn."

Kagome grinned, brushing the back of his right hand with her fingers and watching his face change as soon as she touched him.

She had thought he was so warm from the first day, and he still was. Even the rain didn't affect his body heat.

Did it have something to do with being half-demon?

The small blush she saw on his cheeks made her smile even wider. Inuyasha was still a little tense, though not as much as before, and he was letting her touch him without pulling away.

He trusted her. And something told her that she could trust him too.

"I think we should talk."

His golden eyes returned to her warily.

"I suppose so."

Kagome took a step back, pointing to the front door as she held the hood with her other hand so she could see him through the rain.

"Do you want to come in?"

His eyes widened even more.

"Can I?"

She smiled, holding out a hand. Inuyasha looked down at it for a moment and stepped forward, taking it and entwining her fingers with his.

A shiver ran down her back as his long nails grazed her skin. Kagome walked to the house without letting go of his hand, closing the door behind her as she entered.

"We're both soaking wet."

Inuyasha twisted his lips to the side.

"I'm used to it, but you should change your clothes."

"And so should you," she said, frowning when she saw that he wasn't wearing shoes. "Did you come barefoot?"

He shrugged.

"I can run through the forest better like this."

Kagome tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth, glancing sideways to the stairs. They couldn't stay like that or they'd cover the whole house with water.

"Don't move. I'll be right back," she muttered, running up the stairs.

She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye as she disappeared upstairs. She went into her brother's room, opened his wardrobe and grabbed one of his pyjamas.

Sota had so many he wouldn't notice, or so Kagome hoped.

When she came back downstairs Inuyasha was still exactly where she had left him. He was running a hand through his hair, trying to comb it without much success.

"You're still in the doorway," Kagome commented, coming down the last step.

"You told me not to move."

Another smile. That demon she had feared so much could be very cute.

"Come here, Inuyasha. This is the guest bathroom, you can take a shower and then get dressed in this. You're a little taller than Sota, but I think it'll do," she said, laying the clothes on the sink.

Inuyasha watched the shower faucet with a frown and Kagome blinked. They probably didn't have anything like that in the forest.

"Is this the first time you've seen a shower?"

He averted his gaze again, crossing his arms as he nodded.

Kagome smiled and opened the glass door.

"It's very easy. If you turn this faucet, the water comes out hot, and if you turn this one, it comes out cold. That way you can set it to whatever temperature you want," she explained, showing him how it was done. "The water will come out at the top. Those are the soaps and shampoo, you can use whatever you want."

She stepped back, opening a small cupboard and taking out a towel.

"You can dry off with this when you're done. I'm going to shower upstairs and I'll be waiting for you when you're done. If you give me your clothes, I can put them in the dryer."

Inuyasha continued to stare at the shower curiously.

Suddenly, he took off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. Kagome felt her face burn as he started to pull down his trousers.

"Wait!" she shrieked, running for the door.

Inuyasha jumped, baring his fangs.

"What is it now?"

Kagome got out and closed the door, leaning against it and letting out a shaky breath.

"You can't get naked in front of me!"

She heard a snort coming from inside the bathroom.

"Why not?"

Was he really asking her that?

Kagome shook her head. Maybe the yōkai wore clothes in the forest, or maybe they preferred to run through the trees completely naked.

Just imagining Inuyasha without any clothes on made her breath quicken.

"Because... Because! Men don't undress in front of women."

"Keh, you humans are so weird. I don't know why you're so scared if all bodies are the same. I'm half human, so mine isn't much different from the ones you've seen."

Well, technically he was right, but still...

"We don't let others see our bodies, Inuyasha. Only on very specific occasions, like when we go to the beach or to the doctor or when... when you're with your partner."

His voice repeated that last word.

"Partner?"

Kagome covered her face with her hands, completely embarrassed.

"Yes."

"And you are a doctor, aren't you? I don't understand why you're being like this when you've seen hundreds of naked humans."

'Hundreds?'

Kagome sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm going to take a shower. Then we'll talk more."

She went upstairs without waiting for his answer and hear the sound of running water before she entered her room. She chose a pair of pyjamas and locked herself in the bathroom, letting out a long sigh.

The situation was surreal.

Kagome stepped into the shower thinking about how hard it would be to forget the image of Inuyasha with his shirt off. She had always imagined the muscles he hid under his shirts, but she hadn't expected him to have the body of a professional athlete.

Kagome tried to be as quick as possible.

She sighed in relief once she came downstairs. Inuyasha was still inside the bathroom.

After drying her hair with the towel, she set it near the radiator and put the kettle on the stove. She placed some of the cookies her mother had made on a plate and covered her eyes with a hand when she heard footsteps in the hallway.

"Are you dressed?"

Inuyasha clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Yeah."

Kagome moved her hand away and couldn't help but smile at the sight of him in her little brother's clothes.

Although Sota was five years younger, he was already quite a bit taller than her. But not as tall as Inuyasha.

She took the red trousers and shirt he was holding out to her, putting them in the dryer next to his jacket.

"Is this considered delicate clothing?" she asked, eyeing the red fabric with interest.

"My kimono is made of fire rat fur, a very strong material, and it repairs itself."

That explained why it wasn't damp on the inside even though it was soaked on the outside.

"And the shirt is human-made, right?"

"Yes."

"Then this programme will do," she murmured, setting the dryer and standing up again. "I've made some tea, I suppose you like it."

Inuyasha laid his towel down next to Kagome's, near the radiator, and folded his arms again as he scanned the room.

"The one I tried here last time was good."

Kagome sighed as she remembered how happy she had felt that night dining with him, and how everything had changed when she woke up the next morning.

Thirty-seven days later she had that silver-haired demon back in her house, though everything was so different. She placed the kettle on the small table in front of the sofa, gesturing for Inuyasha to sit next to her.

He obeyed, sitting down beside her and holding one of the cups in his hands. He had tied his hair in a ponytail.

"I want you to know that I believe you, Inuyasha. I know you're not going to hurt me again."

He nodded gravely.

"Thank you."

"But I can't forget everything that's happened."

"I know."

Kagome swallowed.

"Will you explain it to me?"

"I can try," he murmured, shifting uncomfortably. "What do you want to know?"

Kagome picked up one of the cookies and took a bite, thinking carefully about the answer.

"You could tell me your story."

Inuyasha snorted.

"It's long, but I'll sum it up for you. I lived with my brother until I was fifty. By that age, I was feeling strong and decided to leave to fend for myself. The yōkai never accepted me, and I don't like to be where I'm not welcome. I found a meadow with a cave and I've been living there ever since, though when Shippo showed up I went back to Sesshomaru's palace and I've been going to visit him from time to time," he said, making a face. "And I've been living there for a few weeks now, ever since... Since our argument."

Her face had lost all of its colour.

"Inuyasha... How old are you?"

He ran his tongue over his teeth, glancing sideways at the cookies.

"Two hundred and fifty."

Kagome choked on her tea and he looked up at her.

"What?"

"You told me you were twenty-five!"

"And I didn't lie to you," Inuyasha replied, arching an eyebrow. "The yōkai grow up slower than humans, though I age a little faster than them, being only half-demon. My physical and mental age corresponds to twenty-five human years."

Kagome nodded, trying to breathe normally again.

"Don't I look that age?" he asked, devouring a cookie in two bites.

He was right. In his human form, Inuyasha did look like a normal twenty-five-year-old man.

"Actually, yes," she agreed, pursing her lips.

Inuyasha took another cookie.

"Age isn't important to me."

"That's because you can live hundreds of years," Kagome grunted under her breath, narrowing her eyes.

He shrugged, playing it down.

Better to leave the age issue for later.

"So... Your mother was human?"

His face darkened and Kagome feared she had angered him.

"Her name was Izayoi. She and my yōkai father died in the forest when I was very young and I don't remember them. My brother found me and took me to the palace where he lives with his mother."

"What kind of demon was your father?"

"A dog yōkai, just like my brother and his mother."

"You don't like to talk about your parents, do you?"

"No," Inuyasha replied, ducking his ears.

She looked up at them curiously.

"Can I touch them?" she blurted out without thinking.

Time seemed to stop. Inuyasha stared at her for so long that Kagome almost took back her words.

She let out long sigh when she saw him shrug and, after setting her cup down on the table, she moved closer to him and reached up to brush one of his white ears with her fingertips.

She was surprised to find that they were softer than Buyo's and raised her other hand, rubbing both of them at the same time.

"They're very cute."

Inuyasha continued to stare down at her in silence. Suddenly, he shivered and closed his eyes.

"That tickles."

She lowered both hands and rested them in her lap.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's the first time anyone's ever touched my ears."

Kagome smiled at his blush. Her cheeks must have been the same.

She rested her head on his shoulder, nibbling on her lip as she thought about all the questions she'd had for years about the secrets of the Forbidden Forest.

"I have many more questions, Inuyasha. Why is there a barrier between the forest and this city? Who put it there?"

He sighed, drinking the last of his tea in one gulp before glancing sideways at her.

"It's hard to explain... but I can show you if you want."