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) Death Is the Road To Awe (feat. Kronos Quartet) – Clint Mansell
Today was going to be difficult.
Family and friends were already gathering outside, from what Kagome could see through her old bedroom window — a small sea of figures, dressed in all black attire. The sky was appropriately grey and overcast, though luckily no rain had broken through as of yet.
She really didn't want to have to go out there. She just wanted to lay on her bed and cry, curled in on herself like she had been for the last few days. Kagome knew her mom was worried about her. She hadn't come out of her room since they'd gotten home from the hospital, and Kagome only barely managed to take a bath this morning before the guests started arriving. The only reason her mother left her alone was because, at the very least, she would bring Kagome a meal or two, and managed to eat some of it.
Mama Higurashi knew her daughter was in pain, as were they all, but Kagome took her father's death harder than most others. When someone so close to you passes away, you feel like you lose all sense of direction. Mama was lucky; she had her children. They gave her a path to continue down. But Kagome and Souta, they were both still young and finding themselves in the chaos of the world. They'd never known life without their father, and while it would be hard, she prayed they would be able to find a new path where their father's presence was gone, but never forgotten.
She quietly entered her daughter's room with a soft tap to her door to make her entrance known. Kagome was standing by the window, her towel from her bath still wrapped securely around her frame, looking like she hadn't even dried her hair yet. Mama couldn't blame her. Even she had a hard time working up the energy this morning. But she had to be the brave face of the family.
"Kagome?" she asked softly, "We're just about ready. Won't you come downstairs?"
There was barely a response from Kagome, before she turned to nod to her mom.
Mama asked, "Would you like some help getting dressed?"
Kagome again nodded, realizing her dress needed someone to help with the zipper. Mama came in, closing the door behind her. Kagome slowly removed her towel, not bothering to feel embarrassed right now. She slid on her underwear with practiced ease before her mom handed her the dress in question to step into. Kagome turned and lifted her hair to the side to give her mom easy access to the zipper on the back, which she slid up in one smooth stroke.
"There, it's all good," Mama said reassuringly. Kagome lowered her damp hair back down, and Mama asked, "Would you like me to brush your hair, dear? It'll get knotted like that."
It was quiet for a moment before Kagome responded, "Sure."
She sat solemnly in her old desk chair while Mama quietly brushed her daughter's hair, just as she did when she was a child, carefully working the knots out and smoothing each strand into place. When she finished, she gently smoothed her hand over Kagome's hair, placing a delicate kiss on the crown of her head, saying, "I know today is going to be difficult, Kagome. But we still have each other, and our friends and extended family. As hard and as painful as it feels right now, we will find a way to move on from this together."
Kagome's lips pursed together trying desperately to not let herself breakdown for the umpteenth time in the last 72 hours. She could only turn around and hug her mom around her waist, her mother quickly embracing her around her shoulders in comfort, "It'll all be alright, dear."
It was chilly for a mid-Summer day.
The group of them made their way up the shrine stairs, with Inuyasha following Sango's lead. She'd been here many times before, when Kagome and her first started hanging out together.
Needless to say, being on sacred grounds always made Inuyasha feel nervous, and he could feel that same nervousness coming from Shippo right now.
Miroku gently took Sango's hand in support and security, knowing she was more upset at how Kagome must have been feeling than anything else, and how she shouldn't have to go through the same pain they all had with losing a parent.
As they hit the landing, Inuyasha looked around at all the humans, dressing in repeating patterns of black suits and dresses, and all with dark hair. He knew immediately he and Shippo would stick out compared to all of them, and instinctively wanted to hang back, even as Sango and Miroku progressed forward without a second thought. Shippo and him stayed closer to the edges of the grounds, already feeling some of other guests eyes on them, even at a distance.
"I don't like this," Shippo said under his breath.
"Me neither, but we're not here for them. We're here for Kagome, "Inuyasha reassured the younger demon.
Shippo nodded, reminded of why they were there, and before they could think on it much longer, the Higurashi's emerged from the main house just a little way over from the tree everyone else was gathered in front of and where the funeral arrangements seemed to placed.
Inuyasha spotted Kagome with her mother, watching as they were received by their guests. Condolences and apologies for their loss were exchanged in murmurs Inuyasha could barely hear at a distance.
Kagome looked exhausted and spent. She had some darker circles under her eyes than he was used to seeing her with, and it looked like she hadn't been eating properly either. The dress she wore didn't hug her like her usual wardrobe did, and her legs looked almost shaky in the heels she was wearing.
Before long, Kagome was approached by Sango and Miroku, as they too gave Kagome hugs and words of support. He could see her looking around for a moment, seeming to ask the couple something before her eyes landed on him and Shippo at the fence on the opposite side of the grounds. The pair of demons slowly raised their hands as a conciliatory wave before Kagome started to make her way over to them, Sango and Miroku following shortly behind her.
"Hey Kagome," Shippo started in an apologetic tone, "I'm so sorry. My condolences to you and your family."
Kagome nodded, a feeble smile on her lips, "Thank you, Shippo. I appreciate that."
Inuyasha wanted to say something. He hadn't seen her since he left the hospital that night, and he wanted to apologize to her.
Kagome quickly gave him a glance before saying almost robotically, "Thank you both for coming. I know my father would've appreciated your being here today."
It was rehearsed. Scripted. Of course it was. Any other conversation might have sent her into a spiral and she didn't want to be the reason to cause a scene at her father's funeral. But the one consolation she genuinely appreciated was seeing Inuyasha there.
"I think the funeral rites will be starting soon. Please come have a seat," Kagome instructed, leading them all back to the chairs by the tree. Inuyasha hesitated, but seeing Shippo walk being them made him feel a little more confident in joining the group. They took up some chairs in the back row, largely for Shippo and Inuyasha's comfort, though it didn't stop other guests from turning to try and sneak a peek at who's guests the demons were, and seeing the daughter of Mr. Higurashi ushering them in.
Kagome excused herself politely from her friends as she made her way up to the front to sit with her family, who were already preparing the rites.
A photo of her father was placed on an alter just in front of the sacred tree, incense already burning near the frame. Kagome's grandfather began performing the ceremonial rites while everyone in the crowd sat quietly, or at most, muffled cries or sniffs.
When the rites were finished, Kagome's mother was given room to say a few words for her late husband, with Kagome and Souta standing beside her as she delivered her eulogy.
"I want to thank you all for being with us today. Our family has been through a lot of these last few years and we could not have gotten through this without all of your love and support, both for my husband, our children, and myself.
"He was my one true love. He was the only man I ever loved, and I knew that we were destined to spend the rest of our lives together. I remember when we were younger, we had a silly fight, and I honestly wasn't sure if we would ever be able to come back from it. I don't even remember now what we fought about. It seems so silly now, in hindsight," Mama paused for a moment, feeling her own tears coming on, and dabbing them away with a tissue Kagome handed to her, "However, it was under this very tree that when we walked under it, our minds cleared, and we realized how we never would have been able to continue on with our lives if we didn't have each other. That same day, he asked me to marry him under this tree, and since then, I have never once regretted that decision.
"He gave me my happiest memories; our wedding day, the births of our two beautiful children, and waking up to him every morning, knowing how lucky I was to have such a remarkable man in my life.
"To this day, I don't regret marrying him. Even after all the doctor's visits, and the scares, and hardship that his condition brought, I would never take back a single day of it. Every day was one more day I could spend at his side and I wouldn't have given that up for the world.
"I have lost my best friend today. My children have lost their father. His father has lost a son. But we wish that just for today, we can all remember the light he brought into each of our lives, no matter how short it may have lasted."
She closed the piece of paper she had in front of her, and moved back to her seat with Kagome and Souta.
Sango was leaning against Miroku, who was doing his best to reassure her. Shippo had a hard time not letting his own empathy for Kagome spill out, trying anxiously to keep it in. Inuyasha, unlike the rest of them, had managed to steel his own emotions, mainly from years of practice.
After his mother died, her funeral was pretty barren. Even their extended family refused to come and pay their respects to her, and those who did were people like Totosai, who were loyal friends to his father. His mother died nearly forgotten by the world, and only lived on in Inuyasha's memories of her.
Looking around at the crowd, Kagome's father seemed to be loved and respected by so many people. He seemed like a good man, and he raised good kids… great kids.
Kagome's grandfather returned to the base of the tree, and took the vase that held her father's ashes, placing it in the ground while saying a final prayer for him. He scanned back up the sea of black, and kept his eye on Kagome, seeing her shudder every few moments and her mother leaning into her for a hug. But after a few moments, Kagome seemed to not be able to stand it any longer before she stood from her chair and quickly made her way back towards the house, at least as fast she could while in heels. There were a few gasps from the other guests; nothing that was outrageous, but more sympathetic to the young woman's grief.
Sango saw as well, and made to chase after her. Inuyasha felt himself wanting to move and follow them, but the inner part of himself told him to just let her be. Kagome still needed time.
It was only a few minutes later when Sango returned to sit next to Miroku again, and he asked, "Is everything alright?"
Sango, seemingly not knowing how to respond, said, "I tried to talk to her, but she just wants to be alone right now."
The three men all solemnly nodding or lowering their heads in understanding.
The funeral soon ended, with family and friends giving their regards and goodbyes. Sango wanted to wait to talk to Mama Higurashi, so they could make Kagome was doing alright.
"I'll be sure to let you know if anything worrisome happens," Mama explained to them, knowing that Sango was always willing to help if needed.
Her mother then turned and spotted Inuyasha behind them, saying in a brighter tone, "Oh, I'm so glad you made it!"
Inuyasha was a little shocked to say the least, but he nodded and said genuinely, "Yeah, I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs. Higurashi."
"Thank you," she said back gratefully, "I was actually hoping you would make it today so I could thank you properly for what you did for Kagome the other night."
The others turned to look at Inuyasha inquisitively, not sure what Mama was talking about.
"Uh… I mean, it was nothing," Inuyasha tried to explain casually.
Mama shook her head, "Nonsense. I know my daughter, and I can say confidently that she really appreciated what you did for her, not only getting her to hospital, but for going and getting her personal things as well. They never told us who it was that left them for her, but we assumed it must have been you. So… I wanted to say my thanks for being so considerate of my daughter's needs."
Inuyasha was uncomfortable, not used to being thanked or held in a high regard. After a moment of no response from him, thinking he was being rude, Sango gave a swift elbow to his rib, letting a gust of a breath left Inuyasha's lungs as Sango said in lightly chiding tone, "Inuyasha, don't be rude. When someone thanks you, you say 'you're welcome'."
Inuyasha rubbed the sore rib, remembering why he always avoided getting on Sango's bad side, and tried to politely say, "Uh, you're welcome, Mrs. Higurashi. But really, it wasn't a big deal."
Mama gave him a optimistic smile, reminding him so much of Kagome's, before she continued, "I need to excuse myself. We have some other things to finish for today, but thank you all so much for coming. I know Kagome would say so herself if she were here."
They each nodded and gave their goodbyes as they slowly left the grounds. The silence between the bandmates didn't last long before Shippo chimed in, "Soo… you were with Kagome when she got the call about her father?"
Inuyasha shrugged it off, trying to explain it away, "We were working on a music-related project together. It's not what you think."
"Ooooh?" Miroku sounded off, in a slightly sarcastic tone, "So you have a working relationship then? I didn't realize you two were hitting it off so well outside our jam sessions."
Inuyasha was trying not to lose his temper on them, but they were making it difficult, "Shut up… It's not like that."
Sango asked, "Is it in relation to the contract Kouga was offering her to sign on with the studio?"
Inuyasha nodded and explained casually, "Yeah, she just wanted some help with the song-writing."
"I'm sure that's all it is," Shippo teased lightly.
"Shut the fuck up, or I'll shut you up myself, "Inuyasha threatened under a snarl.
The others could only laugh at Inuyasha's discomfort. Sango broke through the laughter, saying, "Well, I'm glad you've opened up to her. Kagome's a sweet woman, and if there was anyone who could break down that hard exterior you have, it'd be her."
"Keh, whatever," Inuyasha mumbled before getting into his truck, the others finding their own rides.
Inuyasha stayed there for a moment, moving to put the key in the ignition, but paused to look back up the steep hillside stairs that lead back up to the shrine. Something wasn't right about leaving like this… without seeing Kagome… making sure she was okay. But he regressed to his earlier thoughts, that it was just better to let her take her time.
He figured it was best to give her the week. Let her be with her family and mourn before checking in again.
He pushed into his ignition and drove home, proceeding to stay unproductive for the remainder of his day, worrying only about Kagome's well-being.
The guys were set to meet up the following Friday, a little over a week from the funeral, for a jam session. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, other than the more unusual thunderstorm that had been going on for a few days now, as they resumed their regular schedules. Sango even said Kagome had agreed to come out tonight, hoping to get back to her normal self as well. Sango said she sounded like she was doing well, and it excited Inuyasha a little, hoping he'd get a chance to talk to her a bit and see how she was doing himself. After all, they'd grown closer the last few months, and he knew if he were in this position right now, Kagome would be just as concerned for him.
But as time passed, the first hour ticked by, there was no word from Kagome — not even a text as to whether or not she was on her way. They started to get anxious.
"Maybe… she got caught in the underground subway?" Shippo tried to reason.
"I knew we should have picked her up," Sango said, her voice full of worry. She took out her phone, and tried calling Kagome's number, since texts weren't seeming to get through.
The voicemail came up right away, "Hi, you've reached Kagome Higu…"
"It went straight to voicemail, "Sango explained in a curious tone.
The air started to feel tense, but they were all startled when Sango's phone started going off, hoping it was Kagome returning the missed call. Sango quickly answered, not even bothering to look at the Caller ID first, "Kagome?!"
"Sango? Thank goodness I've got a hold of you. Have you talked to Kagome recently?" It was Mama Higurashi on the other end.
"Oh, Mrs. Higurashi! Um, not really. She was supposed to meet up with us today, but that was over an hour ago. We haven't been able to reach her," Sango explained to the older woman, who sounded a little panicked.
"I haven't been able to reach her either. She went back to her apartment a few days ago, and I've tried calling and texting her, but she hasn't gotten back to me."
"Has anyone gone to her apartment to see if she's there?" Sango asked, trying to figure out the logical next steps.
"We tried buzzing to her unit, but no answer. We assumed maybe she was out," her mom theorized.
"Right. Okay, don't worry, we'll start looking around and see if we can find her anywhere, and we'll try her apartment again," Sango told her, "Don't worry, we'll find her, okay?"
"Thank you, Sango. Please keep me informed. I'm worried. She seemed to be alright before she left. But I worry that she's withdrawing into herself again, like she did when her father was first given his prognosis," Mama explained.
Sango nodded, "We won't let anything happen to her, okay? We'll find her."
"Thank you, "she said before they ended the call.
Miroku asked, "What's up?"
"Kagome's not answering her phone or her buzzer at home. Her mom thought she might've been out, but it's been a while and no answer. She's worried Kagome's regressed to where she was a few years ago. If that's the case, we've gotta find her as soon as possible."
They all nodded, understanding what needed to be done.
Sango started immediately handing out instructions, "Miroku, you head down to the subway station and keep an eye out for Kagome, in case she comes through. Shippo, can you use your shapeshifting to fly around the city, see if you can spot any sign of her?"
Shippo nodded, "Of course, just say the word."
Sango then turned, "Inuyasha, can you go to Kagome's apartment, and see if she's actually there? Maybe her phone's turned off or she's hurt, but you should be able to get inside without a problem."
Inuyasha nodded firmly, "Yeah, sure thing."
"I'll head back to the Hisurashi's shrine and see if there's anything Kagome left behind that may tell us where she is. If any of you find something, let me know and I'll tell her mom. Sound good?"
They all nodded in agreement before heading out on their given tasks.
Inuyasha speedily made his way to her apartment, even in the heavy rain, knowing its location like the back of his hand at this point. His heart sped at a rate he wasn't really familiar with. It wasn't from the physical exertion, as that would barely ever make his heart rate increase. It was the panic he was experiencing. He just needed to get there, and fast.
He arrived within ten minutes of his departure from the studio, and first tried the buzzer to her unit. No answer, just like her mother had said.
Next, he made his way around the side of the building, leaping up the wall and landing on the ledge of the window sill just outside her bedroom, holding on tightly to the wall since the rain had made it more slippery. Her room looked a little messy, but nothing extreme that would cause any extreme worry. Just an unmade bed, and some empty glasses or noodle cups littered on the night stand. He peered around, trying to see if he could get a good angle into the bathroom or living room from his vantage point, but couldn't get much visibility.
It wasn't til he almost had his ears pressed up against the glass that he could hear something (1), 'Music?', he wondered. It had been difficult to make out initially, since the rain was hitting the pane of glass so hard.
It was orchestral music, similar to the stuff Kagome said her father listened to, and it was playing loudly, like too loud to be reasonable, especially for his heightened hearing. He tried tapping on the glass to see if maybe there was someone inside who's attention he could get. But no one appeared. He then remembered that there was a window in the living room area, and Kagome's music set up was right underneath it.
Expertly maneuvering his away around the corner walls, Inuyasha landed on the sill, and looked inside. The music was definitely louder over by this window, as he could see a record being played just below him. He scanned the room inside and just on the left side, where Kagome's couch was, he could see various more glasses, the odd food container, and at least a few bottles of wine that were either empty or open. But the water over the glass of the window made it difficult to see through clearly. He wiped some of the water away, trying to get a better look.
Over the back of the couch, he was sure he saw something moving up and down ever so lightly behind it.
'Kagome?' he was almost positive it had to be her.
He quickly assessed the window to see if he would be able to get it open without having to break it. Luckily, it was an older building, and there was only a latch at the bottom of the window pane that kept it securely locked. He lifted the pane just enough to get one of his claw under the opening, knocking the latch out of the way, letting him push the window open fully.
The music was definitely louder than expected. Before he even stepped a foot inside, careful to not get water all over her expensive sound system, he slowly turned down the volume on the record player before lifting the needle and stopping the machine altogether, leaving the apartment in an eerie silence, outside the pattering of the rain behind him.
He leapt over the shelving, landing smoothly on his feet with barely a sound. He moved to close the window again to stop any more rain from coming inside before turned back and assessing the room. He couldn't smell anyone else's scent than Kagome's — just the waft of alcohol and stale food in the air. At least he didn't have to worry about intruders.
He moved around the couch and knowing his instincts were right, there was Kagome, out cold on her couch in three day old sweats and a loose t-shirt. Her hair was a matted and knotted mess, spread out behind her head on the armrest. Most importantly, the dark circles under her eyes hadn't seemed to have faded from when he last saw her about a week ago. If anything, they looked even more prominent.
Taking a quick look around, he spotted her phone lying face down on the coffee table. He picked it up, trying to get to home screen, but it was dead; likely not having its battery charged in a while.
Inuyasha sighed before kneeling down next to her face, making sure she was still breathing. When he could tell she was just asleep — or passed out — he pulled out his phone and called Sango, standing back a few paces so his voice wouldn't immediately wake up Kagome.
Sango was quick to pick up the call, "Inuyasha? Did you find anything?"
"Yeah, I'm at her place now. She passed out on her couch. Looks like her phone is dead and she had music up so loud, I doubt she could've heard the buzzer," Inuyasha explained smoothly.
Sango sighed, both in frustration and relief, "Okay, at least she's safe. I'm almost at the shrine, so I'll let her mom know what's going on. Should we come over, or does she need some time?"
Inuyasha turned at looked back at the petite woman on the couch, giving her an empathetic look, "I think she'll need some time to get herself together. I'll stay with her, make sure she's alright, and I'll tell her to call you and her mom tomorrow morning."
"Thanks Inuyasha. Let me know if anything comes up," Sango reiterated, before hanging up the phone.
Inuyasha pocketed his phone back into his jeans before approaching Kagome's limp form again. He gently reached out and tapped on her cheeks with the full pads of his fingers, still dampened from the rain, "Kagome?"
Thankfully, he heard a grumble come from deep within her throat that sounded strained. Her brows furrowed together before relaxing again. He tried a second time, needing to know she was able to be conscious at least, "Kagome, wake up."
This time, he got a stronger response, though still a groan. She buried her face deeper into the pillow under her, brushing the hand on her cheek away aggressively and slurring out, "Lea me alon…"
Inuyasha let up for only a second before trying a third time, "Come on, Kagome."
This time, her eyes slowly drew open, peeking over the pillow her face was smothered in, and blinking repeatedly. Her vision was blurry, she couldn't make anything out, and her head was spinning, "Mmmm…?"
As she started to see thinks a little more clearly, she spotted the vividly silver hair pulled up in ponytail, and those burning golden eyes she was so familiar with, "Inu…. yash…?"
He was thankful she at least acknowledged his presence, "Hey. You feelin' okay?"
"Mmmm..." she groaned again, tightly shutting her eyes, "Head… hurts… spinning…"
As if on cue, lightning struck outside, causing a huge crash of thunder not long after, causing Kagome to cower further into the pillow, her legs tucking in tighter into her body to form in a fetal position.
Inuyasha saw her flinch at the sound and asked, "Are you afraid of thunderstorms?"
He never got a response, only seeing Kagome visibly shiver. These last few days were the first thunderstorms of the year. Maybe, something about thunderstorms, combined with the current grief she was feeling just set her off? It would make sense why the music was so loud. It was possible that maybe she set it that way so it would drown out the thunder. But the alcohol she'd clearly been imbibing in probably didn't leave her feeling like the loud music was a good choice right now.
He asked quietly, "Whatdya need, Kagome?"
"Mmm just… stay," she muttered.
"I'm not goin' anywhere, "he reassured her, "But I will be right back."
Kagome must've missed what he said as she seemed to pass out again. Inuyasha moved quickly, finding his way into her bathroom, grabbing a nearby towel to dry himself off from the rain, but also to find some painkillers for her. She was gonna wind up with a hangover from hell, and the least he could do was try to help her mitigate it. There was a bottle of Tylenol in her cabinet, and he grabbed a glass of water too before he came back to the couch. He managed to coax her awake again, long enough to give her the medication and a decent sip of water to wash it down, and hopefully prevent the oncoming migraine and cotton mouth.
She sat up right, leaning back heavily against the back of the couch once she finished the water, her eyes pinched shut and her head lazily moving side to side, trying to find a position that didn't hurt so much before groaning in what sounded like misery, "Why does anyone drink that much?"
"Hm?" he asked, not sure what she was talking about; the water or the alcohol.
She moaned, "I feel awful. The room… won't stop spinning."
Inuyasha couldn't help but lightly chuckle, "It's your first time getting this drunk, huh?"
Kagome couldn't nod her head, it hurt too much to do so, but she let out a soft sound of agreement.
"I've nursed Miroku through some bad ones. Most people do it without realizing how much they've had until it all catches up to them later," he explained, moving to grab her phone and start charging it with a nearby cable he found adjacent to the couch before settling down on the opposite side from her, just watching her steady herself. He started wiping himself off with the towel he had grabbed from the bathroom, "I see you chose that wine I gave you as your poison. While it tastes great going down, it's notorious for causing the worst kinda hangover, so be sure to take it easy next time."
Kagome timidly turned her head to try and look at him, seeing him drying his damp hair and ears with the towel. A wave of guilt rushed over her and she mumbled, "I'm sorry… if I made you and the others worry… I was supposed to come today…"
Inuyasha let her down easy, wrapping the towel around the back of his neck, "It's okay. We just wanted to make sure you were alright. Your mom called us and she was worried about you."
Kagome slowly nodded and slurred again, "She gess worried easily…"
He could only let out a low scoff, "It's nice to have someone who worries abou'cya."
Kagome was about to reply, but another strike of lightning appeared, and she immediately shut her eyes and whimpered, folding her knees up into her chest and hiding her face between them. Her hands clamped down over her ears to cut out the offensive sound, though it wasn't entirely successful.
Inuyasha was quick to respond, moving closer to her on the couch, whispering calmly, "Hey, it's okay. It's just the storm. It should go away soon."
He could smell her tears rush over his senses, hearing her sniffle as she cried quietly, muttering to herself, "I miss my Dad."
And suddenly, it all finally clicked; Inuyasha moved to sit beside her, gently coaxing her into his arms, and she took what he offered. She wrapped her arms slowly around his torso, and cried into his chest while Inuyasha just wrapped his own arms over her shoulders, holding her close, "It's okay. Just breathe. Keep breathin'."
He felt her try to take some shaky breaths against him, calmly her slightly, but her body continued to shudder with each remaining sob she let out.
He asked curiously, "I guessin' your Dad would stay with you during storms like this?"
She continued to sob, only barely able to nod against him as a response.
"I'm so sorry, Kagome," he offered his condolences, timidly rocking her back and forth. His heart ached for her, every sob feeling like a stab to the chest, because he knew, ultimately, that there was little he could do to stop her pain. He could help nurse her hangover, and protect her from being physically hurt, but he couldn't protect her from this kind of pain.
"I wish I could protect you from this," he admitted quietly to her.
He felt her grip on his waist tighten that little bit more, and he tried his best to give her whatever she needed, which, at the moment, seemed to be a shoulder and understanding. He weaved his clawed fingers into her matted hair and slowly massaged her scalp, combing his finger through her tresses. Eventually her felt her start to relax a little more, as the rain started to get lighter, and the thunder started to fade further and further away.
Inuyasha eventually pushed his back against the arm rest on the opposite side of the couch, sitting upright enough to be comfy, but low enough to let Kagome lay against his chest. He thought she must've cried herself to sleep. He couldn't blame her. She must've been so emotionally exhausted.
Luckily, it wasn't too long though before Kagome roused from her nap on top of him. The sun seemed to have set, since it was much darker in the apartment, but she felt warm arms wrapped around her and a heat coming from beneath her. She drew her head up to look at what she was laying on, and even in the darkness, she could see Inuyasha's glowing amber eyes staring back at her. He was holding her; consoling her.
Kagome was sure she must've been dreaming, "Inu…yasha?"
"What's up?" he asked, thinking she needed something.
"Mmm, you… don' have t' stay," she mumbled, leaning her head back against his chest, the weight of it feeling too heavy to hold up properly, but trying her hardest to not let her eyes slide closed again and to enjoy this moment.
Inuyasha just chuckled to himself, "Couldn't get me to leave if you tried. I'm not goin' anywhere, so get used ta it."
He felt her snuggle in closer before saying, "Than' you…"
"Hm? What for?" he asked.
"For staying… for taking care'a me… for everythin'," she slowly tried to lift her head again, and Inuyasha's heart undeniably melted for her. For someone who was hungover and an absolute mess, in that single moment, with her ocean deep eyes and the soft flush across her face, he wasn't sure he'd ever looked at someone with as pure and beautiful a soul as hers.
Laying her head upwards so she could keep her eyes on his, she drawled, "Don't look at me like that; I'm hideous," raising her hands a little from his chest, she tried in a vain attempt to hide her face from him, thinking she was just embarrassing herself further in front of him.
He smirked a little at that, "Stupid. That couldn't be further from the truth. Besides," he started, letting Kagome's attention refocus on him for a second before saying softly, "I've always had a thing for hideous."
Kagome lowered her hands at his declaration. Though she was barely conscious, and legit thought she was dreaming, she wished with every bit of her being that what he just said was real. After everything that happened that past week, Kagome wasn't sure she could handle it if it wasn't real.
Her fist tightened in his shirt collar, and her hooded eyes flickered back and forth between his eyes and his lips. That same feeling she had last week overcame her — when she almost kissed him —but she wasn't sure she would've been able to stop herself this time.
Luckily, she didn't have to think on it much longer before she felt a pressing warmth against her own lips and a hand lightly holding the back of her head. His lips angled over hers sensually, and Kagome got lost in the sensation. It wasn't hard or demanding like she thought kissing him might be. Instead, it was gentle and wary, like he was carefully testing the waters. Kagome pushed a bit harder against him, unable to get enough of his deep taste or the light tease of his lips. It washed over her like a clear ocean wave, ready to take her out to sea.
Kissing her had been so much more than he'd ever thought it would be. She was soft, her lips moving perfectly against his, and even with the wine still vividly present on her lips, it made her lips the sweetest taste he'd ever experienced. He felt her press closer to him, and suddenly, he could smell that scent again — that scent from weeks ago — of cinnamon and ginger.
As much as he didn't want this moment to end, he knew where his limits were, and he wasn't ever going to take advantage of a situation just for his own gratification, though it certainly made him feel confident.
Inuyasha made the decision to pull away slowly, though Kagome whined a little at the loss of pressure. When their eyes connected once more, Inuyasha was unsure how he was ever going to be able to control himself around her ever again. He gave her a sympathetic smirk, only to be returned with an intoxicatingly demure smile of her own. But it wasn't long after that her eyes started to blearily blink closed again, and her head once again found its place on his chest.
'She needs to rest,' Inuyasha rationalized, and he knew she wasn't going to get it sleeping on top of him on her couch.
He strategically positioned her body to get a decent handle on her before standing smoothly with her cradled carefully in his arms and her head nestled in the crook of his neck. In just a few paces, he was placing her daintily onto her bed, lifting her comforter over her and getting her settled. Somehow, she didn't wake in the move. He took just a second to watch her sleeping, moving some of the strands of hair from her face before retreating back to the living room.
He went around the apartment, shutting off a few of the lights, then settling himself on her couch, keeping his word to stay with her until morning. And his dreams, for the first time in months, were blissful and serene.
I have been wanting to get to this part for so long! I'm glad it's now written and out there, so I hope you guys enjoy!
There's still many chapters of story to go though, so stay tuned. ;)
If you're enjoying this fic, please be sure to fave/follow/bookmark/subscribe to it for future updates.
I was on a bit of a tear when I wrote this chapter, so hopefully I can get another one out soon.
Until Next Time…