A/N: Okay, so! Totally overhauling the entire story. I decided I'm not really liking the majority of it in Kagome's first person POV. So I'm converting the first chapter into a prologue, leaving it first person, and changing the rest of the chapters up so they're numbered appropriately, given the new chapter order, and changing them to limited third person. I'm also changing the story as a whole to a Legend, because now that the plot has changed, I'm having more and more ideas that are slowly lengthening the story. It's not going to be crazy long, but it'll be at least thirteen chapters, which is actually much longer than I originally intended.
Okay then! Now that my announcement is out of the way, I will commence with the new Chapter Six! Warning, there is a surprise lime in this one. And by surprise, I mean I didn't expect it to happen, lol.
Also, I have an entire playlist on my Galaxy dedicated to this damn story, lol. The overall idea was inspired by the song "Again" by Lenny Kravitz. The soundtrack for this specific chapter is "A Drop in the Ocean" by Ron Pope, and the lime was fueled by "Civilian" by Wye Oak.
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Blame It on the Changes.
Chapter Six:
The ride to the Yash's home was a long, quiet one. Kagome kept peeking at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering if he could tell that she was doing it. He never looked at her, just kept his own eyes on the road. She'd been surprised when Kouga had led her out onto the street from the meeting room at Taisho and Ookami and opened the passenger side door of a sleek, black sedan before gesturing for her to get in. Giving the wolf demon a curious look, she was about to ask if this was his car when the door to the office slammed shut behind her, making her jump. As she turned, Yash came stalking silently, almost sulkily, around her before heading around to the driver side of the car and climbing in without even sparing her a glance. Her heart had clenched painfully, and she'd settled into the passenger seat, trying her best to ignore the angry glare Kouga was shooting Yash.
Now, they were on their way to... wherever it was Yash lived, and she wasn't sure where things would go from there. What would happen once they got there? Where would Eri go? She couldn't abandon her best friend, the person who had been there for her and Shippo – besides Mama, Souta, and Jii-chan – but she didn't think Kouga and Sesshomaru would be willing to put her up as well. And what about her job? Iyo had said to go back to the club at ten the next morning. What did that mean? Suddenly Kagome was very eager to find out, but she'd have to be patient. It would be difficult, but it was a whole twenty-four hours away.
Besides, she thought, turning her head completely to the left and gazing at Yash thoughtfully. I've got plenty of things to keep me occupied until then.
Finally, he glanced at her, but kept his eyes trained on the road for the most part. "What?" he asked, his voice quiet, not a trace of a growl anywhere. But it still warmed her to hear his voice again.
She smiled, turning in her seat and getting comfy but still keeping her eyes on him. "It's just neat to see you... like this... during the day."
At that, Yash smirked in amusement. "Oh yeah, I only became human at certain times before, didn't I?" The smirk faded a little when she nodded, though her own smile never faltered. "It was always at night?" he asked.
She blinked, her smile fading finally. That's right, she thought. Sesshomaru and Kouga never knew when he became human. They wouldn't have been able to tell him more than the fact that he did sometimes. She licked her lips. "Yeah. It was the night of the new moon every month."
He nodded at that, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. "They didn't know, but you did?"
Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly a little uncomfortable. It wasn't the question itself that did it, but the way he asked it. She had to look away from him, opting to turn her gaze out the window. There was a lot more meaning to that question – and its corresponding answer – and they both knew it. Blushing hotly, Kagome simply nodded before realizing that he couldn't very well see her head moving, so she also squeaked out an awkward "Yes."
She was surprised when Yash chuckled. "You can chill out, you know," he told her as he started to pull the car to the right and slow down. Her head spun a little as she turned it to look at the place they were pulling into. It was a driveway, and after just another moment they were sitting just inside a wrought-iron gate that was closing behind the car. In front of them was another black sedan very similar to, if not exactly the same as, the one they were currently in. In front of that car was a closed garage, connected to a rather large house, with white siding and red shutters on every window. The front door was also painted the same shade of red, and a few feet above it there was another window, hinting at an upstairs space. The yard between the house and the gate was surprisingly large, with a paved walkway that led from the front door to a smaller, swinging gate by the road. A red mailbox stood proudly just outside the smaller gate.
Kagome gasped as Yash leaned in close to her right then, tearing her attention back from the abode to himself with that same amused smirk from earlier. "I don't bite." He winked, and the joke behind his simple words was not lost on Kagome. She shook her head, smiling a little to herself, as he got out of the car and she followed suit.
"Kagome!"
Jumping, startled at the sound of her name, the girl was especially surprised to see Eri come tearing across the yard before throwing herself at the younger girl in a hug. "I thought I was kidnapped! I didn't know where you were or how to reach you or-"
"Whoa, Eri, slow down!" Kagome stopped her friend, pulling away to look her in the face. "You thought you were being kidnapped? Why?" She shot a suddenly angry look at Yash, who took a few steps back and held up his hands in defense. "Whatever it is, I had nothing to do with it," he told the girls before looking over his shoulder at the front door. Standing there, a familiar face waited, sheepishly watching the exchange in the driveway.
Kagome just stood there, incredulous for a second. "Dr. Chase?" she called out, and the sound of his name pulled the Australian away from the door and onto the grass. He smiled, seemingly embarrassed, at Kagome and gave her a small wave. "Hello, Miss Higurashi. It's nice to see you during the daytime."
Her jaw dropped as she regarded Yash once again, who huffed at her stare and started to turn a brilliant shade of red himself. "Let's just- Let's just get everyone inside and I can explain," he shot back at her, pushing away and stomping into the house, Channing hot on his heels.
Eri shot Kagome a questioning look, but Kagome just shrugged as she started to follow the human men into the house. Frustrated, Eri fumed as she stuck close to Kagome, following the three of them through the front door and simple yet elegant entryway, with its white walls, shiny hardwood floors, and grand furnishing. Already Kagome felt out of place. Is this where we're supposed to live from now on? she wondered, continuing through the house.
The rest of the ground floor seemed to be much simpler aesthetically, which Kagome and Eri both found rather pleasing. It was still beautiful, with the white painted walls and shiny hardwood continuing throughout. The entryway expanded into a hallway, which Yash led them down, pointing out rooms as they went. On the right just inside the front door was a formal sitting room, obviously for entertaining any guests they would receive. Directly across from it was the dining area, as elegantly laid out at the entryway. A little further down the hall were two more doors directly across from each other, the one on the right bringing them into a much less formal rec room, with not just living chairs, a sofa, and a coffee table as the sitting room had, but also a large flat screen television mounted against one wall, another coffee table directly below it and two tall dark wooden bookcases on either side of it. Across the hallway from the rec room was the kitchen, very spacious with plenty of cabinets, an island counter long enough to seat six, a small breakfast nook in one corner, and a large, very well-stocked pantry just inside the door. Kagome could see it was outfitted with the finest marble countertops and the most advanced appliances available. She and Eri shared an impressed look.
As they reached the rear of the house where the hallway forked in completely opposite directions, Yash pulled to a stop. "Okay, there are three bedrooms here on this floor," he told the girls, refusing to face them. "The bathroom is there." He pointed to a closed door to their left. "Eri, your room is right down there." He gestured to the closed door at the end of the hallway on the left. "The one down to the right is Kagome's, and the one here in the middle is Shippo's."
Kagome perked right up at the sound of Shippo's name. "Shippo? You already got him?" she asked, her voice breathless with barely repressed excitement.
Yash frowned at her. "No, I'm afraid not," he replied quietly, his eyes meeting hers finally, for the first real time since they'd left the law office. Kagome wilted almost instantly, her gaze crashing to the floor as her head hung.
Suddenly, Yash found himself overcome with a sensation. He couldn't call it alien, because it felt more familiar even than the feel of his own skin. He couldn't even call it strange, because it was as natural as breathing. It was an unpleasant ache in his chest as he regarded Kagome's sad expression, taking in her disappointment and swallowing it as readily as he normally did his own. He blinked when he realized he was on the verge of stepping toward her and... And what? he asked himself. Embracing her? Kissing her? Trying to make everything all right again?Mentally, he berated himself. You'd just come off pushy. Don't be a creep. Give her time. Deeper down, something raged against the idea of turning away from Kagome when she was so obviously upset, but he pushed it away, tearing his gaze from the sad girl in front of him and clenching his jaw. "Channing and I also live here. I'll be upstairs, Channing rooms downstairs. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come find either of us." With his tour finished, Yash pushed away, heading down the right hand corridor to a set of stairs hidden just around the corner. Kagome bit her lip, her head quirking up at the sound of his feet against the solid wood staircase, and Channing and Eri shared perplexed looks. After a moment, Channing just shrugged and started toward the staircase that was hidden down the left hand corridor, the same as Yash's but this one went down instead of up. The girls, left to their own devices at it seemed, just went their separate ways, each checking out their own bedroom and choosing not to look too closely into their new living arrangements.
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It was sometime later that night, after dark, that Kagome couldn't take it anymore. The curiosity was killing her. Channing and Eri had asked her just a couple hours before if she wanted to play video games with them in the rec room, but she'd declined, saying she'd rather just read a little before going to bed.
But she couldn't help the nagging feeling that she should go up and check on Yash. He'd remained upstairs the rest of the day, not even coming down when the other trio of housemates had made lunch and then later dinner. Channing had only shrugged, saying sometimes Yash did this, and it didn't seem to matter how many times the doctor gave the young man his professional opinion about foregoing meals, he'd still do it whenever the mood struck.
This didn't sit well at all with Kagome, and when she'd returned to her room after eating, she'd opened up her book and tried hard to get past it. But now here she was, glancing at the clock – which read 10:32 pm, meaning Yash had gone more than twelve hours without eating! - debating whether or not to disturb the mysterious human who was somehow very different from the hanyou she'd once known.
Finally, her mind was made up. The book made a slapping sound as it shut, and she left it on the queen size bed that had been set up for her on her arrival. Trying to be as cautious and quiet as she could, Kagome popped her bedroom door open and peered out, listening intently to the sounds that wafted from the rec room. Eri and Channing were still playing video games, it sounded like, from the whoops and gunfire emanating from the room. "In your face, Chase!" she heard the other girl cry out, and Kagome snorted quietly, slipping out of her bedroom and tiptoeing across the hall to the stairs where she'd last seen Yash. They curved slightly as they rose into darkness, the walls narrowing, and at the top was a simple closed door.
With her resolve steeled, Kagome formed a small fist and reached up, knocking gently.
There was rustling on the other side, followed quickly by a gruff "Just a sec!" True to his word, barely seconds passed before the door jerked open, revealing a bare chested Yash. Kagome's eyes widened before darting downward, noting the grey sweatpants hanging off his hips before darting right back up, deciding that she was in less danger of spontaneously combusting – or otherwise making a fool of herself – with the firstextremely appealing sight rather than the equally appealing second. Her eyes moved further upward, taking in his small, knowing smile and the violet eyes twinkling at her in the low light emanating from his room. "Can I help you with something, Kagome?"
Her name slid off his tongue smoothly, the feeling of it on his lips was, once again, the most natural thing he'd known in his three years of consciousness. The gasp she emitted at the sound of it, as well as the blush that stained her cheeks and nose, made him feel unexpectedly satisfied. After another moment of silence, Yash took pity on the obviously nervous girl and invited her inside by taking her hand in his and leading her gently through the door. Once she was inside, bathed suddenly in the soft glow of the nearby table lamp on his nightstand, he shut the door, looking her over. When she continued to stare at him without uttering a word, Yash's amusement started to morph into concern. "Hey," he murmured, letting go of her hand to hold onto her shoulder lightly and give her a gentle shake, ducking his head down to look her directly in the eye. "No need to be worried, or nervous, or... Or whatever you are."
At that, Kagome smiled. "I'm sorry," she finally said, and Yash exhaled in relief. "It just suddenly felt so..." She looked puzzled suddenly, and he released her shoulder, stepping back. He couldn't help tilting his head, watching her closely.
His chuckle broke the silence again. "Awkward?" he guessed, and she nodded timidly. He nodded as well, turning and walking to the king size bed at the far side of the very spacious room. Kagome looked around a little, noting the desk against one wall, papers and pens strewn about it haphazardly, the large punching bag hanging from the ceiling not far to the right of the desk, near the window Kagome had seen from the outside earlier. A dresser was up against the wall opposite the bed, a tall full length mirror standing right beside it. Her eyes settled once again on Yash when he sat down on the bed, patting the space beside him and gesturing for her to come closer.
Her eyes still wide, Kagome obeyed, taking the place beside him on the bed and sitting with her long legs crossed, facing him. He smiled at her. "You know what I think would help?" he asked, not surprised at all when she shook her head. "I think - Well, I know it would help me, and I can't help but think it would help you too – if you would tell me about the hanyou Inuyasha, and your adventure in the feudal times."
Her expression was shocked, but within moments she was smiling, her eyes on him. "Sesshomaru and Kouga couldn't tell you that much, could they?"
Yash shook his head. "Nope, they sure couldn't."
She giggled at that. "Well then! I'm more than happy to help."
He returned her smile at that.
They spent the next few hours the way, sitting on his bed talking, Kagome regaling Yash with tales of his former glory as the very macho, sometimes awkward but usually offensive hanyou hero Inuyasha. Their positions changed here and there until finally Yash found himself lying on his back, his feet on the pillows and his head resting in Kagome's lap as she played with his hair and he hung on her every word.
"And then-" she broke off into a quick giggle, "and then you fell over and just passed out! Right there in the dirt!" More giggling from his female companion had Yash chuckling himself at the embarrassing story. "It took all three of us – me, Sango, and Miroku – to get you up onto Kirara just so we could get you down the hall to where we'd be sleeping for the night!" At that, his chuckling became all out laughter, and he had to sit up or choke on his own spit. He shot out of Kagome's lap as the girls giggles subsided and she slapped him gently on the back to help keep him from dying of laughter.
Right then, the clock on desk caught her eye. It was well past midnight. "Oh wow," she said, uncrossing her legs and getting up off the bed. "I didn't mean to stay up so late. Guess I'd better get down to bed." Looking back at Yash, she bit her upper lip, suddenly nervous again, but then she smiled at him nonetheless. "Thank you for talking with me tonight, Yash. You were right; it did help."
He regarded her with a warm look, smiling in return. "I should be the one thanking you, Kagome," he replied. "I now have a- A much better sense of what I was like before waking up."
Her smile brightened even more, and she met his eyes. "You're welcome, Yash."
They stood there, just like that, for a moment longer, simply smiling at the other and knowing they needed to separate, but neither actually wanting to do so. Finally, it was Kagome who broke the stalemate, bowing her head and turning to the door-
Suddenly there were hands clutching her elbows, a dominating warmth pressed against her back as soft, wet lips caught the curve of her neck, causing Kagome to gasp as her body stilled, her head tilting to the left without her permission, unconsciously allowing Yash full access to that part of her body. Her eyes fluttered closed as he pulled her against him, his mouth moving along the soft skin of her throat, first skimming down across her shoulder before moving upward, combining with the feel of teeth and tongue with his lips as he found her jaw.
A small cry worked free of Kagome's chest, and the two abruptly found themselves against the closed door, Kagome's face pressed into the wood as she writhed against Yash, her head tilting back against his shoulder as her arms came up to wrap her small hands around the back of his head, opening her up to him for further exploration. As his mouth continued to kiss and suck and lick and nip along her jaw and throat, his hands slid away from her arms, somehow finding their way under her too big nightshirt, sliding across her stomach before grabbing hold of her breast through her bra. The gesture made Kagome gasp again, which just urged Yash onward, popping the tender mound from its cotton holster and thumbing the nipple, which hardened under his attention.
Against her skin, Yash found himself moaning, unable to think clearly anymore. He was so hard, and she seemed so eager... Especially the way she cried out again, brushing her ass against the throbbing dick in his sweatpants as he tweaked her nipple hard, causing her to hiss and yank on his hair-
Which somehow brought him crashing back down to earth, and he ripped himself away from her, stumbling back and gasping her breath as he tried to calm down, and quickly. For a few painful moments, he could only stare at her back as Kagome, also heaving steadying breaths and trying to return to rational thought, rested against the door, both seeming to be in shock.
Finally, Yash started to snap out of it. "Kagome, I-"
But she wouldn't let him finish. Without turning to look at him, the girl whispered "Gomen," before opening the door, slipping out onto the staircase, and shutting it quickly behind her. Desperate not to ruin what had transpired, Yash threw himself to his feet, dashing to the door and opening it – to find a dark, empty staircase and Kagome's own bedroom door slamming shut.
After a few moments spent staring down her bedroom door, willing it to open, Yash sighed, closing his own door and turning to head toward the bed, rubbing his face despondently. What the hell was that all about? he couldn't help wondering. One moment he'd been about to just let her go back to her own room, content with his plan to wait, to let her come to terms with all that had happened and maybe let a new relationship grow in the old one's place, in case his memories never returned. But before he knew what was happening, he was pressed against her, ready to take her in every way possible for a man to take a woman.
She'd have let me too, he thought, flopping down onto the bed and sighing again, this time much more heavily. Maybe I shouldn't have stopped... But he closed his eyes, shaking his head. No... It's too soon, too fast. We both need time.
It sounded solid. Now if only he could convince his gut that it was the best idea...
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A/N: One more thing I want to say: I know Inuyasha/Yash seems wayyyyyy OOC right now, but bear with me! Right now things are really awkward, and while Yash and Inuyasha are the same person at their core, they're also very different because they've had drastically different experiences. Yash is going to be much more confident in social situations because all the experiences he's had have been as a human in modern Tokyo. He's much more accustomed to social situations and hasn't had to deal with all the half-breed racism bullshit that Inuyasha dealt with growing up. Yash is more polite simply because he lives now in a time where it's required for him to function normally to be polite, and he's never been given any reason not to be polite. As time goes by, their similarities will start to appear.