The scent of freshly brewed coffee lured Kagome out of bed the next morning. It took her a moment to locate the clothes Sesshoumaru had given her the night before, blushing slightly when she found the shirt tangled in the blinds.
Smoothing out as many wrinkles as she could, she quickly made the bed, fluffing each pillow before heading to the bathroom to make herself presentable. Brushed teeth and a washed face did wonders, and she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it into some semblance of a ponytail before entering the kitchen. "I thought we were going out for breakfast?" she asked, accepting a mug.
"I have only made coffee," Sesshoumaru replied, motioning to the milk and sugar on the counter. "It is the only thing I am able to make, according to my partner."
Kagome smiled over the rim of her cup, inhaling the rich aroma before adding a scoop of sugar. "Thank you for going out of your way, then."
"I had to do something to distract myself," he admitted, leaning against the counter. "I would not have left the bed otherwise." She blushed again, but it wasn't as deep as before, their encounter from last night somehow dulling the embarrassment.
They fell into an awkward silence, alternating between sips, and she eventually sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm still nervous about being here."
"As am I." His admission helped ease the tension, letting her know she wasn't the only one dealing with the repercussions of their increased intimacy. He reached out and tucked a loose wave behind her ear. "I like having you here, though."
Kagome nodded but didn't say anything. She agreed with the sentiment and had no regrets about accepting his invitation, but the thought of letting anyone in left her trembling.
Gramps had told her—begged her—on more than one occasion to find people she could rely on. And she had, but while the late-night movie marathons with Bankotsu and afternoons crafting with Jakotsu kept the loneliness from lingering, she would take coming home to an empty apartment over losing anyone else.
Her grandfather had been old, but she couldn't help but wonder how many more years she would've had if he hadn't gotten sick. How different would her life be if her father and grandmother hadn't been stolen from her?
She peeked at Sesshomaru, but he was purposefully washing his mug in the sink, and she was grateful he hadn't pushed. He'd been so easygoing from the start, even after her disaster of a request, but with each flutter of her heart, each time it became easier to smile, her worry only increased.
What if he stopped being so easygoing and wanted more than she could give? Or worse, what if she gave him everything, but it wasn't what he wanted, and he left?
Panic and indecision warred, and she reached for him, wrapping her arms around him from behind and burying her face into the back of his shirt. He jerked but didn't turn around, his hand eventually covering hers.
"If nothing else," he murmured, "I hope you will at least be less lonely with me around." Tears pricked her eyes, her grip tightening around his waist. Had she been that obvious? It had been so long since she'd spent this much time around someone, Bankotsu not included, that she hadn't even thought of trying to hide her emotions.
"I like being here, too," she said, the words muffled against his back. And she did. More than she was willing to admit, even with the shadows clawing at her feet. She liked being important enough to someone that he made her the one thing he was good at—even if there were coffee grinds at the bottom of her cup.
He stroked the back of her hands, eventually intertwining their fingers, swaying to a song she couldn't hear. The movement was comforting, and she pulled back, attempting to duck under his arm. "What do you want for breakfast? We can still go to the café, or I can make you something instead—"
Their plans were interrupted by the soft jingle of her phone, and she paused, tempted to ignore it in favour of continuing their conversation, but she suddenly realized it was the café's ringtone, and she scrambled to answer before the call ended. "Hello?"
"Nintai mentioned you'd lost a set of keys during your last shift," Totosai said, getting straight to the point.
"What? Oh! Yes!" She wasn't sure she'd lost them at work but had scrounged around the breakroom, regardless.
"Two house keys and a lock box?" her boss asked. "Little ofuda on one end?"
Kagome straightened. "You found them?"
"Seems so. They were underneath the condiment station."
"Really? I swear I checked there." She shrugged; the café was big enough that if her keys had fallen out of her purse and rolled under something, she could have missed them. She quickly thanked him, making plans to grab them before the café opened, then hung up the phone. "My boss found my keys!"
"Even after you searched for them?" Sesshoumaru looked skeptical, but she waved it off.
"They must have been stuck under something. People are always dropping napkins and utensils under the condiment station. Bankotsu keeps a chart of what he finds there." She downed the rest of her coffee, then tugged on his sleeve. "Come on. If we hurry, we can still have breakfast before I stop by the café."
Sesshoumaru inclined his head, still looking unconvinced, but an invitation to have dinner at her place to repay him for letting her stay eased most of the lines on his face, the kiss on his cheek as thanks for the coffee erasing the rest.
The sun shone brightly as Kagome climbed the stairs to her grandparents' graves, a bouquet of chrysanthemums in her arms. She'd retrieved her keys from Totosai, relieved that they hadn't been lost for more than a day.
She'd wanted to spend the day cleaning her apartment in preparation for cooking for Sesshoumaru, but he'd called her after lunch to tell her he couldn't make it due to work. He'd apologized profusely but had been placated when she'd told him she hadn't even started on dinner yet.
He promised to keep her apprised of his schedule, and with the rest of the afternoon to herself, Kagome decided to visit her grandparents. Smiling softly as she turned the corner, she knelt in front of the twin graves.
"Hello, you two. I hope you've been doing well. How's the weather been up here?" The wind swirled around her as if to answer, and she placed the flowers on the ground. "That good, huh?" Pulling out a thermos and small packed lunch, a smile touched her lips. "You know, I was always jealous of how much you two loved each other."
Her grandparents had never been shy with their affection, showering each other and their grandchildren in it from as far back as she could remember. It was one of the reasons their deaths had hit her so hard. Gramps had never let on how much it had hurt, always offering up a smile in front of Souta and Mama, but he'd let his guard down with Kagome, both of them mourning the loss together.
They'd worked through the grief, keeping her memory alive through stories and photo albums. She'd just gotten her smile back when they'd received the news of Gramps' diagnosis. Gritting her teeth to keep the tears at bay, she poured herself a cup of tea.
"I know I normally bring coffee, but I've already had enough today, so I figured tea would be better." Her face warmed at the memory from earlier that morning. "Actually, it was the reason I came in the first place. I… I might've met someone." She told them about their first meeting, blushing more when she got to their first dinner together. "He's very sweet. And considerate. You'd like him, I think."
Polishing off her lunch, she mulled over her tea, not wanting to cut her visit short. "You two always knew that you were meant to be together. It was always so wonderful to see how much you loved each other every time you visited." She took another sip, squaring her shoulders as she faced the fading sun. "I was worried at first, but I'll always be glad he was the one to ring my doorbell that night."
Sesshoumaru's work had piled up—the person they'd caught was only responsible for half of the burglaries in the area—so they'd had to postpone their dinner plans until the following weekend.
The days had crawled by, so much so that Kagome was tempted to show up at the station to see him, but she balked at the thought of introducing herself to someone other than him. They'd never talked about labels, so she couldn't even say she was his girlfriend.
She bit her lip. Did she want to be his girlfriend?
Something poked her in the forehead, and she looked up to find Bankostu sporting a lop-sided grin. "Daydreaming on the job? Spill."
Kagome blushed, then nudged him out of the way. "It's nothing."
He stepped in front of her, not letting her leave. "Nuh-uh. Who is he?"
She glared up at him. "What makes you think it has anything to do with anyone?"
Bankotsu leaned in as she crossed her arms, keeping their gazes locked as more colour crept into her face. "Oh damn, it's serious too."
"It is not," she said, the lie tasting bitter on her tongue as she ducked under his arm.
"Oh, come on, Kags! Let a guy live a little!" he whined. "The woman of my dreams hasn't graced me with her presence in over a month!"
She rolled her eyes, then made her rounds, stopping to refill Hojo's coffee. He nodded in thanks, and she frowned, pausing at his table when she noticed his sandwich hadn't been touched. "Are you alright? You look kind of pale."
He blinked in surprise, then offered her a warm but tired smile. "I've been having trouble sleeping lately, but it's nothing serious."
Kagome raised the carafe she was holding. "Do you want me to brew you some decaf?"
Hojo shook his head, motioning to her other tables. "I'm fine, really. You've got other customers who need you."
"If you say so." She turned but then patted his shoulder. "Take it easy today. And wave me down if you need anything."
"I will. Thanks." As she walked away, Hojo put a headphone in, opening his phone to a list of recordings. Scrolling up to one from a few days prior, he clicked on it, watching Kagome as her voice sounded in his ear, the soft humming and clinking from washing dishes easing his fatigue.
Leaning back in his chair, he picked at his sandwich, sighing softly. "Whose fault do you think it is that I haven't been sleeping, Higurashi?"