I have created a Spotify Playlist of the songs used, so you don't have to go hunting for them. The Playlist will be updated as the fic is updated, so there'll be no spoilers about what's coming down the road.
Songs used in this chapter:
(1) Ocean Eyes – The Theorist (originally from Billie Eilish)
(2) Ocean Eyes – Billie Eilish (not the version I would've like to have used, but I couldn't find a version with piano and the voice range I wanted, so please use the Piano version as the instrumentation for this)
It had been a couple weeks of the pair of them getting together and song-writing. They'd spent every Wednesday and Saturday together, writing music, sharing meals, having a few drinks after a particularly long session, and talking about whatever came to their minds. Kagome had confided in him a lot about her personal feelings surrounding her family and her work life, Inuyasha in turn doing the same, no longer worrying about talking about those kinds of things openly with her. They'd developed a strong rapport with each other, and every time they met up, it became easier and easier to feel relaxed and comfortable.
Kagome would go to work, come over, and they'd hang out, writing together until their brains were out of creative ammo for the day. In between it all, they still managed to have jam sessions and hang out with the others, and Kagome even managed to see a couple more of their shows.
Over time, those high adrenaline moments Kagome was feeling when she started coming around began to fade, realizing she had no reason to be nervous around him. Inuyasha was thoughtful and considerate as a great collaborator. He'd never made her feel awkward or embarrassed for any of the ideas she'd throw out. Sure, they liked to poke at each other in a teasing way, but it was always playful.
They'd managed to complete three songs so far, with four others in development or on the back burner. Kagome started scheduling recording times with Kouga at the studio for a few weeks from now so they could start getting the demos made. She asked Kouga if Inuyasha and the others would be willing to help with the instrumentations. They all agreed happily, and would be well on their way to getting these songs laid down as demos in the near future.
On one Saturday, they'd hit a creative roadblock with a song they were working on. Nothing seemed to be sounding quite write — neither the music nor the lyrics — and they'd gone in circles trying to figure out what wasn't working.
"Why don't we drop this and get back to it later? No good tryin' ta force something," Inuyasha said, running his hands over his face.
Kagome nodded, putting down her notebook, "Agreed. Maybe we can work on something else?"
Inuyasha came up with an idea, "Well… I do have something…. might be a good side project."
"Hm? What's that?"
Inuyasha opened up the cabinet and pulled out an older notebook, flipping through the pages before finding the one he'd starting writing a few months ago.
"Here," he said offering her the book, holding it open to the page, "I've been tryin' ta work this out for a few weeks, but I'm having a hard time with it too. Could use some fresh perspective from the master."
Kagome gave him a playful smirk before gingerly grabbing the book and reading his writing. She loved the concept, "It's a sweet sentiment."
"Hm? What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
"Nothing! I'm just… so used to your writing being moodier. This seems downright lovesick is all."
Inuyasha sat up with a jolt, his cheeks flushing almost instantly before grumbling under his breath, "Shut up…"
Kagome couldn't help but giggle at his embarrassment, and Inuyasha quickly relinquished.
She looked back at the book and started trying to find a tempo and humming some melodies that came to mind, asking Inuyasha his thoughts, which he almost always though sounded good. When she landed on something she liked, she grabbed a pen and started scribbling some notes on the same page before settling the book on the stand on her keyboard. She lightly played out two bars of the melody she'd worked out (1), and turned to Inuyasha, hoping to hear his thoughts on it.
He sat there for a second — considering it — but when he spoke up, he asked, "Sing a bit of it?"
Kagome had half-expected him to ask her to play it again, but she was sure he would've wanted to try singing it himself. If this was for the band, then wouldn't that have made more sense? She didn't think on it much longer before playing it again, accompanying herself (1/2).
I've been watchin' you for some time
Can't stop starin' at those ocean eyes
Burning cities and napalm skies
Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes
Your ocean eyes
No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you gimme those ocean eyes
I'm scared
I've never fallen from quite this high
Fallin' into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes
Kagome looked back to him, realizing she could feel the burn of his eyes again. It had been a while since she'd felt that burn run through her like a knife through butter. He soon stood and sat beside her on the bench, facing the opposite direction, and continuing to listen to her.
I've been walkin' through a world gone blind
Can't stop thinkin' of your diamond mind
Careful creature made friends with time
He left her lonely with a diamond mind
And those ocean eyes
No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you gimme those ocean eyes
I'm scared
I've never fallen from quite this high
Fallin' into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes
As she finished the second chorus, she lightly lifted her hands from the keys, letting the echo fade. She let her hands rest on her lap, waiting for his feedback. Did he hate it? Maybe he was trying to figure out how to politely tell her it just didn't work for them. It was definitely not the same sound they would normally use, that was for sure.
She kept her eyes gazing down at her hands, before asking, "So… does that work?"
"I think it'd be better if you kept it for yourself," he offered. Kagome could hear the smile in his voice before she even turned to look at him, only to see him looking back at her, "Sounds better suited for you than anything I could do with it."
Her eyes sparkled at that, her smile returning to her face as Inuyasha hoped it would. He meant it; she sounded way better singing that than he could've ever hoped to do himself. And for some reason, when she sang it, it sounded like the truest thing in the world.
A few moments later, Kagome realized they couldn't stop staring at each other. She felt hypnotized by his golden eyes, and that side smirk that she was so entranced by. She carefully blinked, wondering if maybe… she could just…
She couldn't stop herself, despite her logical brain screaming at her to not get involved with someone she was working with professionally, as many times as she knew it was a bad idea, and as much as she knew this could jeopardize their whole friendship; her body acted on its own anyways, saying screw it to everything and to just give in to that burning feeling she always felt around him. Kagome leaned in, her eyes now shifting back and forth between his eyes and his lips. She took a breath, and let her eyes slide closed, no longer in control of her senses; nothing but the overwhelming desire to just feel his lips on hers.
Inuyasha felt it too; that urge to just let caution fly to wind, and give into that feeling that he'd been nagged with for weeks; the same feeling that compelled him to write about her and her fucking gorgeous blue eyes. He knew what this feeling was, because he'd felt it before.
He tempted fate, his movement mirroring Kagome's. But just as she let her eyes slide closed, Inuyasha was hit by a rush of guilt… a reaction he'd never had before.
Before he could stop himself, his hands jutted out, taking hold of Kagome's shoulders just before their lips touched, instantly stilling her. Her eyes flew open at the sudden contact, though not the one she'd been hoping for. Her senses threw her right back to reality; with her trying to kiss Inuyasha, and that feeling of awkwardness and embarrassment and intense warmth she hadn't felt for weeks all came rushing back at once.
"I— I'm so sorry," she stuttered, her tone so apologetic it hurt Inuyasha to the core to hear it.
"No, please… just…" he eyes looked shocked. It looked like he'd just realized where was and what was happening. With his mouth agape, stunned, and unable to articulate what he was trying to say because he knew he'd sound fucking crazy if he tried. There was no good way to say what he wanted to without making himself seem ridiculous to her, and he wasn't sure he could handle that kind of humiliation… not with her.
"Can we just… p-pretend that never happened?" she asked swiftly before he could finish his thought, and not wanting to hear why he'd stopped her. She knew she'd never be able to handle that kind of rejection, not from him. Kagome's cheeks were so warm, she thought she might faint. That was the first time she'd ever even tried to kiss a guy, and she'd been rejected. That in and of itself was already painful enough.
Inuyasha stayed quiet for a few seconds, seeing how uncomfortable she was. Her scent was a dead giveaway, and her body was tense under his hand. He figured it was better to just let it go. She was clearly embarrassed, and he certainly wasn't doing much better.
"Yeah… sure," he answered her solemnly, letting his hand slowly fall away from her shoulder, and seeing her body visibly relax a bit more. While he wanted to explain himself, he figured it was just better for her to let it be forgotten. The moment had passed, and perhaps it was for the best.
"Thanks, "she said timidly before turning away from him and getting up from the bench.
"You alright?" he asked.
She nodded quickly, not daring to look back at him, "I'm fine… just… gonna use the restroom real quick."
He watched as she moved around the corner and heard the soft click of the door closing behind her. He let out a deep sigh, leaning over himself, and rubbing his hands over his face, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes to relieve the tension that was there, 'What the hell was that?'
His mind replayed it over and over again. As soon as he'd let himself be overcome with that need to kiss her, that was when Kikyo flashed in his mind again. That sharp pain of rejection rushed all over him, as if it were the day she'd ended things between them.
"How could you possibly think anyone could love a half-demon like you?!"her voice hit him like a tsunami; unrelenting.
That had been well over eight years ago, but he couldn't let it go. Ever since he'd met Kagome, Kikyo would come back into his mind, even after years of trying to let what happened die out so he could try to salvage some kind of life for himself.
He remembered how much that day hurt him; so why the hell did he feel guilty for wanting to move on? She'd hurt him in ways no one ever could. He'd been berated, beat up, bullied, and ignored his whole life. And yet, it was that one sentence that stuck with him. That one sentence that convinced him he didn't deserve to move on; that he'd only end up being betrayed again. That he'd never be worthy of someone's affection the way he thought she did.
That day shattered that illusion for him.
It wasn't too long before Kagome emerged from the bathroom, having just splashed some water on her face and take some steady breaths while freaking out on the inside. Coming around the corner again, and feeling more steady, she saw Inuyasha look up at her from the bench, asking, "Everything good?"
She gave him a nod and an attempt at a self-assured smile, "Yeah. All good."
He returned her a smirk. In the hopes of smoothing over his stupid reaction, he asked, "Why don't we get some food? We've been going for a while, and I'm sure you could eat something."
Kagome was grateful for that, giving them something else to focus on other than what just happened, "Sure! What'd you have in mind?"
"I'm impartial. Whatever you wanna get," he replied. Kagome gave him an incredulous look, and he asked, "What? What'd I say?"
"Well… It's just…" Kagome wanted to find the right way to say it, "Normally, you always have an opinion about what you want to eat."
Inuyasha quickly stood from the bench and started to move around her towards the living room, trying to hide that he'd wanted to put her wants first, "Well, maybe for once, I don't really care. You ever think about that?"
Kagome giggled, knowing there was one thing she knew he'd never let them order, "Really? So, if I were to suggest curry, your response would be…?"
"Fuuuuuck no!" he said in an exaggerated tone, "Anything but that!"
She couldn't help but laugh at his answer, "Alright. How about pasta then?"
"Now that we can do," he said as he grabbed his phone from the island counter, opening his app to order their food. When he asked, "You want something different this time, or the usual?" Kagome knew he would be able to order what she liked.
"My usual please," she answered sweetly, taking a seat on the couch as he quickly placed the order and pocketed his phone. Kagome started playing with her hair when he asked, "I'm gonna have a beer. You want something?"
"Do you have some of that wine?" she asked, hoping his answer was yes.
"I can check," opening a cabinet and seeing one bottle left, "Heh, you're in luck!"
She got excited, knowing she'd be able to calm herself a little with some alcohol in her system. He soon joined her on the couch, handing her the glass of wine, "Thanks."
They were able to settle back into their usual rhythm of conversation while they waited for their food. Once it arrived, Kagome was getting ready to open it all up on the coffee table when Inuyasha stopped her, "Actually, it's a nice evening. Do you wanna eat it outside?"
"Outside?" she asked, wondering what he meant. He didn't have an outdoor space that he'd shown her.
He pointed up towards the ceiling, drawing Kagome's attention to the skylight, "I have rooftop access."
"You do?"
He nodded, a cute smirk on his face, "You wanna go up?"
"Yes!" she said joyfully. They packed up their food and drinks before Inuyasha grabbed one of the many throw blankets he had on the couch and led her up the fire escape. As he easily hopped over the brick wall that separated the stairs from the rooftop, he set the food down and took the drinks from Kagome so she could climb over. She rested her butt on the wall and swung her legs up and over before taking the drinks back so Inuyasha could grab the food and blanket again.
The roof was large and provided a beautiful view of the city from a distance. The wind was minimal and a mild temperature considering they were now well into Summer. It was a perfect night to eat and enjoy the weather outside.
"It's so nice up here!" she said excitedly, "Why haven't you ever shown me this before?
Inuyasha shrugged, "This was always kinda my secret spot. I come out here to write sometimes."
Kagome watched as he settled the blanket down against the hard concrete and flattening it out, "Well, we should come up here more often. It'd be nice to do some writing here."
They both sat back against the skylight wall, taking a bit longer than usual to casually eat their meals. Kagome wanted to stay up on the roof as long as possible and enjoy this with him, even if she was still a little mortified from earlier.
As the air cooled and the sun started to sunset, Kagome felt her body let out an involuntary shiver. She hoped Inuyasha didn't notice and ask if she wanted to go inside. She was enjoying just hanging out with him on his rooftop, and didn't want it to end.
Kagome felt some cloth brush against her bare arm, and turned to see the garment he was offering her and him now only dressed in a black t-shirt, "What's that for?"
"You're shivering," he said, pointing out the obvious.
"But won't you get cold?" she asked.
He waved the concern off, "I tend to run hot. I'll be fine. Take it."
Kagome timidly took hold of the soft material, and noticed just how warm it still was from being against his body. She blushed a little, trying to cover it by putting on the shirt — his warm, smoky, earthy scent all over it, enveloping her in it, "Thank you."
Kagome wondered if maybe it was his way of saying that everything was okay between them. That she didn't need to feel stupid for what happened. Inuyasha often spoke through his actions or his songwriting, and he wasn't the greatest at having conversations about his thoughts. Kagome seemed to understand that more and more each time they hung out, and decided to take it as a peace offering.
Inuyasha could only nod as a reply, never taking his eyes off the skyline. He wanted her to feel safe around him, like everything was okay. Despite her calm demeanor, he could smell the salt from her sweat earlier. She'd been anxious since she almost kissed him, and he wanted to rectify it. He could smell her scent getting lighter, the salty aroma fading to a more normal and relaxed state — though with his shirt on her small frame now, swallowing her in the fabric and mixing her scent with his, it was definitely having an effect on him. He kind of wished she would always wear his clothes, as dorky as it sounded in his head.
After a little while longer, after they both polished off the remainder of the wine and well after the sun had set, they both agreed they probably weren't going to get much more work done that day, and would probably be better to call it a night.
When they made their way back downstairs, Kagome picked up her phone, not realizing she hadn't brought it up with her and wanting to see if she'd missed any messages. She opened her screen and found six missed calls and four texts, which was never a good sign. She felt her heart start to race a little as she checked who they were from.
Inuyasha finished rinsing the glasses they'd been using, and turned to suddenly notice her petrified expression, before he asked, "Kagome? Everything alright?"
She looked back up at him, her expression screaming of absolute anguish, "It's… it's my dad…"
Inuyasha immediately rushed to her side in an instant as it seemed like her legs gave out from under her, able to catch her just before she hit the floor. He lowered her carefully to let her sit on the floor, her face stuck in a state of utter shock.
"Kagome?! What's wrong?" he asked quietly, not wanting to scare her any more than she already was. He could feel her body starting to vibrate against him; she was shaking. When she didn't respond for a few moments, Inuyasha slowly and deliberately inched his hand to her cheek, trying to get her to look back at him, his eyes searching her face for any clue as to what was going through her mind before he asked again, "What happened?"
Her eyes started to water before she tried to answer, "He's… he's…"
Kagome couldn't vocalize it. Inuyasha instead picked up her phone from the floor, and scanned over the text messages.
"Kagome! Please pick up!"
"It's your father! He's being taken to Mishuku Hospital. Try to meet us there if you can."
"We're at the hospital, and he's in emerg."
"Kagome, please come quickly!"
They'd all been sent from her mother within the last 45 minutes. He looked back and saw Kagome nearly having a full-blown meltdown.
"Come on," he wasn't sure what possessed him to act as quickly as he did, but before he could question it, Inuyasha picked Kagome up into his arms and made a dash for the still open window. He knew the general direction of the hospital and made his way there as fast as his feet could carry them.
Kagome was practically catatonic, her hand only gripping onto his t-shirt with an iron-fist. Inuyasha could feel her clutching him, but he decided to pay it no mind, instead only focusing on landing on each rooftop as softly as possible to not jostle her, all while not losing any speed.
In what felt like the blink of an eye to Kagome, they were running up to hospital emergency entrance. The bright florescent lights shocked her back into reality, her grasp on Inuyasha growing more intense as her fear for her father suddenly hit her all at once.
"Dad…?"
Inuyasha refused to put her down as he made his way into the hospital, bypassing the receptionists who tried to stop him, but realized there was no use as he sped past them. The hospital smelled of cleaning solutions and sickness; sterile and stomach-turning. It reminded him too much of when he was in the hospital for weeks visiting his mother before she passed. But he, again, pushed down his own discomfort, trying to parse out the different smells and trying to find the scents of her family members.
He paused in between two passages before taking a right and pushing through the doors. Behind them was the Waiting Room where Kagome's mom, brother and grandfather were all standing and waiting for Kagome. Her mom looked up from her phone, probably from making another text or call, and seeing Inuyasha and Kagome barging in.
"Oh my goodness!" she cried seeing her daughter in the arms of the young man they'd meet a few months prior, wearing an oversized flannel, and seeing him with no shoes or socks on.
Inuyasha quickly moved to set Kagome down on her feet, holding her around her back in case she collapsed again.
As Kagome found her footing, she looked at her family and realizing what was happening all in a moment, she tearfully rushed to her mom whose arms were wide open and ready to embrace her daughter.
She comforted Kagome for a few seconds, trying soothe her anxiety as Kagome finally let her distressed sobs escape. Souta and their grandfather approached them as well, looking like they'd already been through hell themselves.
Inuyasha watched them from a distance, not knowing what to do with himself as he felt like he was invading on a very private and intimate moment between the family.
Kagome's mother looked up at him. He felt like he was going to be asked to leave; that he had no business staying here. As much as she seemed like a kind woman, he wouldn't have been surprised if she asked to leave them be.
"Did you bring her here?" she asked him, her tone very point blank and neutral.
Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head before timidly nodding, somewhat scared of how she'd react if he even spoke. But instead, he was greeted with a smile just as warm as Kagome's was and her voice almost cracking with emotion as she said breathlessly, "Thank you for getting her here safely."
His ears perked up, his face shocked. He hadn't expected to be thanked.
Kagome slowly lifted her head from her mom's shoulder, the wetness on her cheeks from her tears still fresh as she asked in a panic, "What's going on? Is there any news?"
Her mom quieted her, brushing her daughter's matted hair from her cheeks, trying to not let her voice waiver, "It's okay, sweetheart. The doctors are still assessing him. We're just waiting on them to give us an update. We should know how serious it is soon."
Kagome nodded in understanding, trying to swallow and ease her suddenly dry throat. Her mom instructed her to sit on one of the chairs before turning back to Inuyasha and asking, "Why don't you sit down as well? You look like you got here in a rush."
Inuyasha was surprised at how kind she was being to him. He nodded in thanks, appreciative that they hadn't asked him to leave outright. He wasn't sure he would've been able to leave Kagome on her own right now anyways.
He sat on the closest chair to him, still a little aways from Kagome and the others, and just watched from a distance as Kagome got her bearings and soon had calmed herself down some.
"What happened?" she asked her mom and grandfather.
Her mom answered first, "I went to check on him and bring him some dinner, but he wouldn't wake up. He was still breathing, but I couldn't wake him…" Her voice waivered at the end, as she placed a hand to her mouth, trying desperately to stay strong for her children.
Kagome comforted her mother while her grandfather continued, "We called for an ambulance immediately, and followed behind to the hospital. They took him in right away and we haven't heard anything since. We weren't sure if, maybe… it was time…"
"Which is why," her mother continued, wiping her tears away quickly, "We were trying to get a hold of you. We wanted to you to be here, in case it was. I know it would have been awful for you if you weren't here to say your final goodbyes to your father."
Kagome nodded, understanding what had occurred now. For now, they just had to wait, "Thank you, and I'm sorry I didn't respond. I didn't have my phone on me, and…"
"Shhh, it's okay, Kagome," her mother cooed, sensing Kagome was about to work herself up again, "There's no need to apologize. All that matters is that you're here now."
Kagome took a deep breath, and looked back over her shoulder seeing Inuyasha sitting nearby just watching and waiting patiently, 'It's because of him. He's the one who got me here…'
After a few moments, Souta excused himself to get everyone some coffee, thinking it maybe sometime before they hear anything, and needing something to distract himself if only for a little bit. Kagome's mother went to use the restroom and grab Inuyasha a pair of slippers, and her grandfather took a seat nearby, looking like he was meditating.
Once Kagome was relatively alone, Inuyasha stealthily approached her, and lightly moved his hand to her shoulder, pulling her attention back up towards him. Her expression was one of heartbreak, but with something else behind her eyes.
Inuyasha quietly asked, "You alright, Kagome? You scared me there for a bit."
Hearing his voice, and the concern buried in it, Kagome could only give weak smile and nod, "As good as can be expected, I guess."
He asked, "Is there anything you or your family need?"
Her eyes widened a little, "Oh, you've done so much already! I can't thank you enough for what you did."
She was so distraught; she wasn't even aware of what happened really to even get here. She just remembered a wave of panic taking over her body before she dropped her phone, and she guessed she must've blacked out as a form of self-preservation. If it hadn't been for Inuyasha just acting on his own, she probably would've still been on the floor of his apartment, "I owe you the world for bringing me here."
Inuyasha shook his head, "Forget about that. What do you need right now?"
Kagome's heart grew warm, reaching her hand up to his on her shoulder, "Can you just… stay with me? For now?"
Without hesitation, Inuyasha moved to sit next to her, resting his arm around her shoulders, offering her whatever comfort she needed. He felt her lean into his embrace, her head slowly resting his shoulder. In that precise moment, Inuyasha realized he'd do anything for her. If she needed him, or asked the world of him, he'd drop whatever he was doing if it would only mean a chance that her bright smile would come back.
Next chapter will probably be very emotional, but hopefully I can have it done within a month. I wanna make sure I get it right. Be ready with some tissues.
As always, be sure to comment/review/fave/subscribe, if you're enjoying the fic, and I try to update at least once a month.
Until Next Time…