Kagome slowly eased into her family's kitchen where a fully garbed Inuyasha sat sulking and glaring at a breakfast of egg rolls and salmon roe.
Inuyasha puffed an erratic inhale through his nose, and Kagome suppressed a smile. She knew Inuyasha and fish eggs didn't agree. The hanyou was too proud and stubborn to make his opinion known, so he always sulked, hoping Kagome's mother would pick up the clue without him needing to give one.
Mrs. Higurashi was setting a plate of miso soup on the table, but her lips twitched ever so slightly, indicating to her daughter that she was indeed aware of the half-demon's discomfort.
"Thank you, mama." Kagome smiled and peered at her fluffy-eared idiot. Although Inuyasha's toddler tantrums were often endearing, it was high time he learned some proper manners. "I'm going to help him," she found herself uttering out loud.
"Help him?" Mrs. Higurashi inquired with a surprised tone as she cleaned her hands with a kitchen towel, having done with setting the breakfast. "With what?"
"With a little cultural sensitivity," Kagome replied, taking her place across Inuyasha, and pouring herself a glass of milk.
The hanyou sighed and rested his chin on his palm. 'That's it. My last meal. How did I even get here. Damnit, damnit, damnit.'
"Mama," the young woman called, her mother stopping halfway at the doorway. "Could you get him some ramen and pork buns from the convenience store. He likes those."
'Why is she ushering her mother out the house?!' Inuyasha's thoughts were running haywire, and the man could barely sit still.
Mrs. Higurashi said she'd be leaving straight away and staying out for a bit. She had ordered some new insulation film for Kagome's newly renovated window and would be picking them up on the same trip.
Left alone with Kagome, Inuyasha finally found his voice. "Why?" He asked, his golden eyes locking onto hers with a mix of confusion and a hint of optimism.
"Do you remember our conversation the other night?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah," he responded, a bit warily.
"Well, I'm going to hold you accountable. From now on, you will mind your manners. Got it?"
"Fine," he grumbled, disappointed by his imagination that briefly had run wild.
Kagome leaned forward, her eyes dancing with mischief as she delivered her next challenge. "Also, if you want a chance to... advance our relationship, you will learn to eat properly. We'll start with a fork and a knife."
"Hah?" Inuyasha's eyebrows arched, his body tensing as if he'd been asked to kiss his brother on the mouth. He leaned back so abruptly that he nearly toppled over.
"There is no utensil in the future more widely used or culturally ingrained than a pair of fork and knife. For now, you'll practice eating with them. I'll show you," Kagome insisted, her tone as serious as a schoolteacher.
"Keh. No thanks." Inuyasha's response came out as a gruff dismissal, like a kid refusing to eat his vegetables.
"Are you sure? Because you're the one that has the most to lose," Kagome purred and placed her hand somewhere beneath the table.
Inuyasha's eyes followed her arm's movement involuntarily, and he gulped audibly. He tried to keep his gaze steady on her face, but her hand movements were indented to be hard to ignore.
"I-I'm not..." He stopped and watched the mischievous girl bite her lower lip and tilt her head. His body temperature started to rise and his mind felt sluggish. Kagome moved her thighs under the table and made a small whimper of pleasure.
'Ah! She's touching herself.' The thought sent a shockwave through his system.
"Table manners will come in handy later, trust me," Kagome sighed and shifted her position on her seat.
Inuyasha squirmed and dug his claws into the wooden surface of the table.
"I'll learn. Fuck," he declared, his voice a mix of resignation and burgeoning desire.
"You have until tonight to master them." Kagome stood up, and Inuyasha caught a whiff of her scent, as intoxicating as a forbidden fruit.
'Oh, shit. She really was touching herself!' His mind screamed in a chorus of frustration and desire.
"I'll go get a set." She walked past him, and Inuyasha couldn't contain a groan.
"Did you have a complaint, hmm?" She questioned, and the half-demon was sent over the edge. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto the table, tearing open her shirt and fumbling with her bra.
"Inuyashaa," Kagome whined, her voice a blend of surprise and reprimand.
"Fuck the tableware," he growled, his voice rough as gravel.
"Nuh-uh," Kagome retorted. "You promised to behave."
"Who needs a fucking prong to eat, anyway?!"
"You," she countered.
"For fuck's sake." Inuyasha slammed his palms on the table, his head hanging low as he considered his options.
Reluctantly, he pulled away from her, his every muscle tensing like a coiled spring. "Fine," he muttered, begrudgingly submitting to the rules of the game she had so cleverly laid out. Soon a pair of silver utensils and something else appeared before him.
Inuyasha glared at a small plastic packet Kagome casually tossed onto the table. "The fuck is this?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing at the unfamiliar item with the suspicion of a cat eyeing a cucumber.
"Sweet chili sauce. Dip the rolls in the sauce. I'm sure you've had fried eggs before."
"Feh," Inuyasha grunted, his face twisted in dismay. He awkwardly grasped a fork in his hand and did as he was told. The egg roll slipped away from his awkward attempt and landed on the floor.
"This is bullshit!"
"Oh, stop being a baby and try again. They're slippery."
He did, and the result was the same.
"Let's take a break. Here." Kagome said and leaned forward. She swiped her finger across his cheek, collecting a splash of sauce that had landed there during his culinary fumbling. Bringing her finger to his mouth, she instructed, "Say 'aah'."
The tip of her finger touched his lips, and Inuyasha automatically opened his mouth.
"Good boy," Kagome praised and inserted her digit between his lips. "Now, use your tongue, not your teeth," she ordered, her voice commanding and sultry.
"Mmhm," he mumbled in acknowledgment, his eyes following her every move.
"You sucked it very clean, good." Kagome withdrew her finger from his mouth, and Inuyasha couldn't suppress a whine. There was a slight tingle of burn in his mouth. He didn't know if it was because of the sauce or the contact to her skin.
"Don't worry. More's coming," she teased and stood up.
Inuyasha felt like his brain had just gone for a brisk morning jog, his face flushed and his breathing heavy.
"Now try the roll again," Kagome encouraged and returned to a seat next to Inuyasha, her blouse still in disarray, Inuyasha noted. The half-demon scooped up another egg roll from his plate and dunked it into the packet of sweet chili sauce. "What is this even made of?" he groused, inspecting the item with a frown.
"Vinegar, sugar – a lot of things. It's delicious," Kagome assured. "Now dip the roll and lift it to your mouth. Open wide." Kagome demonstrated, her lips slightly parting and her voice dipping to a velvety whisper.
Inuyasha imitated her action, and a drop of the sauce landed on his borrowed shirt. "Fuck," he grumbled and rubbed the stain with his palm.
"Don't rub it in. Lick it." Kagome instructed, her voice sensual and dripping with tease.
"Lick?" Inuyasha looked incredulously between his shirt and Kagome.
"Like this." She dunked her head down and rolled her tongue on his shirt. She was having a field-day with the idiot.
"Mmmm," she moaned softly, her tongue darting to meet the fabric that had absorbed his body heat. Inuyasha felt his dick straining against his borrowed pants. Immediately Kagome stopped.
"Now you lick. Come on." She instructed and straightened back up.
'Is she serious?!' Inuyasha didn't have much time to ponder the point, as Kagome was watching him expectingly.
"Ugh." He leaned down and began to gingerly roll his tongue on his shirt.
"Good," she praised again and planted her hand on his thigh. He hardly noticed the burn on his tongue when her fingers were edging on the bulge in his pants.
"Finally – observe. You dip it like this," she demonstrated, removing her hand from his thigh, picking a roll and dipping it into the sauce.
"See?"
"But—"
"Inu-ya-sha," Kagome sighed, clearly losing her patience.
"Fine, fine. This is bullshit. But I'll learn."
"Good," she said, flashing him a bright smile. "We have an esteemed math tutor as a guest to impress over dinner."
"WHAT?!" Inuyasha choked, his mood plummeting to the depths of hell and the stir in his loins dying down.
"Remember, utensils and good behavior."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, his jaw set.
"Behave, or the deal is off," Kagome warned.
Inuyasha sat rigidly on the living room sofa, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His heart thundered in his chest, each beat echoing his mounting irritation and jealousy. He was positively seething.
It was bad enough that the bastard had the gall to exist in the same timeline as Kagome. It was even worse that the two attended the same school. And it was utterly infuriating that the guy had the audacity to visit her home.
'If the asshole so much as lays a finger on her...' Inuyasha's murderous thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"I'll get it, mama!" Kagome chirped.
'That must be him. Fuck. What do I do?'
'What can you do, idiot?' His inner demon chided.
'Right. Fork. Table manners. Good behavior… But what if he tries to—'
"Hello, Kaito-kun," Kagome greeted, her voice carrying a note of excitement from the front door.
'Gods, her voice is sweeter than a honeycomb dipped in syrup. I'd kill to hear her whisper my name like that. To hear her scream my name like that. Fuck. That's right. Focus, you idiot.'
"Hi, Kagome-chan. Thank you for having me," the male voice answered, his tone polite.
The air in the whole house felt heavier, charged with an invisible tension that clung to Inuyasha's skin like a second layer. He could hear the soft murmur of voices from the hallway – Kagome's melodic tones intermingling with the deeper, unfamiliar ones of her guest.
'What if she wants him, not me?'
He could almost visualize the scene at the door – Kagome greeting her tutor with that bright, welcoming smile that he so adored. A smile he feared might be stolen by another.
'She wouldn't have made all these demands if she didn't. She's fucking playing you like a fiddle.'
'Shut the fuck up. I can't afford to lose her. Not again.'
Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound of their approaching footsteps, his body tensing as if preparing for battle. The familiar creak of the wooden floor underfoot announced their entry into the living room.
"I like what you've done with your hair," the young man said, his voice sounding closer until he appeared from behind the corner.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of the young man – Kaito. Dressed sharply, exuding a mature confidence that made Inuyasha's hackles rise. The tutor held a bouquet of flowers, a gesture that felt like a direct challenge in Inuyasha's mind.
'Shit. He's here. What do I do?'
"Aren't you going to greet him?" Kagome's not-so-subtly nudged Inuyasha towards civility. The half demon shifted uncomfortably on the couch, the fabric beneath him suddenly feeling like a bed of nettles.
'Greet him? Greet him how?'
'Use your words, dumbass.'
"Uh, hi," Inuyasha managed to grunt out, his voice rough, as if dragged over gravel. It was a pitiful attempt at greeting, and he knew it.
"Inuyasha, don't be rude. Greet him properly," Kagome chastised, and Inuyasha felt his ears flatten.
'Properly? Properly how?'
Kaito, standing there with an air of easy confidence, seemed oblivious to the barely suppressed violent anger and humiliation that broiled inside Inuyasha. "It's alright. You're not from around here, are you?" Kaito asked, his voice carrying a note of curiosity, tinged with what Inuyasha perceived as patronizing benevolence.
Inuyasha's gaze fixed on Kaito, his golden eyes flashing with a mixture of resentment and defiance. 'Not from around here? As if I'm some sort of uncivilized outsider?'
"Yeah. I'm not from around here," he retorted, his words laced with a venomous sarcasm that he couldn't completely hide.
Kaito, unfazed by Inuyasha's tone, maintained his polite demeanor. He glanced at Kagome and then back at Inuyasha. "Well, it's always refreshing to meet someone with a different perspective," he said with a friendly smile. "I'm sure Kagome-chan has told you a lot about our school. It's quite a unique place, isn't it?" he responded, the smoothness in his voice bordering on smugness. It was clear that he was trying to be amiable, but to Inuyasha, it felt like a thinly veiled mask of fake friendliness.
Kagome, watching the exchange, felt a pang of concern. She knew Inuyasha's struggle with modern customs and his fierce, often misguided, protective instincts. She hoped he'd rise to the occasion, not just for her sake, but for his own.
The dinner table, set meticulously by Mrs. Higurashi, awaited them. Each utensil, each plate, was a hurdle in the challenge Inuyasha faced – not just in mastering the fork and knife, but in respecting the world Kagome came from.
"Please, have a seat. Dinner is ready," Kagome welcomed everyone.
"Thank you. It smells delicious. Can't wait to sink my teeth into this!" Kaito happily accepted and took a place next to Kagome.
Inuyasha sat between granpa and Souta. Eyeing the setting and Kaito back and forth.
'I'd sink my teeth into his throat and watch him bleed to death, and then I'd piss on his corpse. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.'
"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice broke his murderous fantasy, and he looked at her. "We're going to start eating."
"Mmnh." He muttered and leaned back, his gaze landing on Kagome's hand that held a fork.
'A fork. Such a stupid invention. Why do they even have these? It's not even a weapon.'
Kagome picked up an egg roll and dipped it into a small dish of soy sauce. Inuyasha watched as she lifted it to her mouth and bit into it. She chewed carefully, swallowing the piece before speaking again. "Kaito-kun, how is your little sister doing?"
"She's good," Kaito answered, taking his time to savor a bite of his meal. "She just got accepted into the kendo club, so she's quite excited."
"Oh, that's wonderful," Kagome replied, giving Kaito a genuine smile. "Congratulations to her."
"Thank you. She's working really hard, so I'm sure she'll continue to do well."
"You must be proud of her," Kagome said, her voice filled with warmth.
"I am," Kaito agreed, smiling at Kagome. He then turned to Inuyasha and asked, "What about you, Inuyasha? What do you do for fun?"
"Huh? For fun?" Inuyasha echoed, his mind blank. He couldn't remember the last time he did something for fun, aside from what he had done with Kagome the past week. Or what she had rather done to him. If one could call it fun when it borderlined on torture.
"Yes. What are your hobbies?" Kaito clarified, his expression curious.
Inuyasha thought for a moment before replying, "Killing de- Hunting." Inuyasha quickly corrected when he felt Kagome kick him under the table. "Big game."
"Hunting big game? That sounds quite dangerous. How do you do it?"
Inuyasha grinned, feeling more at ease as he regaled tales of his prowess as a hunter. "I chase my prey into a trap. Sometimes, I use a net. I don't like to use poison because that's cheating," he explained, his golden eyes gleaming with excitement as he relived his past hunts in his mind. "When I catch it, I get to choose how to kill it. I usually go for the throat, but if they have thick skin, I'll stab it through the heart."
Kaito inhaled a piece of pork in his surprise. He began to violently cough for a moment.
'Choke, bastard. Choke.' Inuyasha's inner demon chanted gleefully, but the bout of coughs subsided when Kaito took a sip from his glass.
"Excuse me, uh. Wow. That sounds like... quite the sport." Kaito struggled to find other words of compliment.
Kagome stared at Inuyasha from across the table and shook her head, eyes wide in horror. She then looked at Kaito and apologized on Inuyasha's behalf. "He's a bit eccentric, ahahaha," she explained, hoping that Kaito wouldn't think her family was somehow deranged.
"Ah, yes. I see. You must have a lot of stories to share, Inuyasha," Kaito replied politely.
Inuyasha smiled darkly at Kaito. "I do."
Before he could divulge in the gory details of his feats of slaying, Kagome cut in and asked her grandpa to explain some of the Higurashi shrine traditions to Kaito, who was surely interested in such a riveting topic.
Thankfully, Grandpa Higurashi gladly burst into lengthy explanations of how the shrine enjoys particular interest among the people during summer festivals and the New Years.
Kaito patiently listened and nodded his head along to grandpa's detailed accounts on the decors and artefacts of the shrine.
Inuyasha, meanwhile, found himself growing increasingly annoyed. The more he saw Kaito shift on his chair and "accidentally" brush against Kagome's arm here and there, the more he felt his blood boil. He wanted to punch Kaito in the face and claim Kagome right there on the dinner table.
'Who does this guy think he is? He thinks he can just come here and flirt with Kagome? I'll show him who she belongs to.'
The half-demon's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden pressure on his thigh. At first, he thought it was his imagination. But as the pressure continued, he realized that Kagome was rubbing her foot against his leg.
The sensation was both maddening and exhilarating. It was also highly distracting. He couldn't focus on anything else except Kagome's foot stroking his inner thigh. The heat of her touch radiated through his body, igniting every nerve ending in its path. He felt his cock grow hard, straining against his pants.
He stole a glance at Kagome, whose expression remained neutral, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. But he knew better. He could smell her arousal, thick and heady, overpowering the succulent scents on the dinner table.
'What the fuck is she doing? She wants to drive me crazywhen she knows I can't reciprocate?'
Inuyasha shifted his focus back to his meal, determined to ignore Kagome's teasing. He tried to concentrate on the conversation at hand, but his mind kept wandering back to Kagome's foot rubbing against his leg.
Kagome smirked at her little game. She knew that she was driving Inuyasha off his hinges again. She could see him struggling to maintain his composure and decided to up her game. She slowly and subtly lifted her foot higher on his leg, her toes brushing against the bulge in his pants. Inuyasha almost knocked over his glass. He tried to stay focused on his meal, but his breathing was becoming more and more erratic.
'This is insane. How am I supposed to survive this? I need to get a hold of myself.'
Kagome was relentless in her teasing, continuing to stroke his cock with her toes. Even though on the other side of the table, she was still close enough for him to easily smell her arousal, and it only made his own grow.
"Inuyasha? Are you alright?" Kagome asked, feigning concern.
"I'm fine," he replied, his voice strained.
"Are you sure? You don't feel it's too hot in here," she teased.
"K-keh," he weakly retorted. He wanted to grab her foot and shove it into his mouth.
"So, Kaito-kun," Kagome began, turning her attention to the man seated beside her. "Tell us more about your studies. I'm sure Inuyasha would love to hear about your achievements." Her voice was light, but Inuyasha could detect a hint of a test in it.
Kaito, unaware of the undercurrents at the table, began enthusiastically discussing his academic endeavors, his eyes occasionally flicking towards Kagome with unmistakable admiration. Inuyasha felt his insides twist with every glance, every shared smile between them.
'Why is she enjoying this so much? Making me squirm?' Inuyasha thought bitterly. The urge to leap across the table and mark his territory was overwhelming.
But then, amidst the cacophony of his emotions, a quieter voice emerged within him. 'Is this who you want to be? The one who can't handle Kagome being her own person?'
Kagome's laughter at something Kaito said felt like a dagger in his heart. He had to remind himself that this was Kagome. His Kagome. Trustworthy and true. She wasn't his possession; she was his partner. As many times as he had saved her, she had done the same for him. Saved him from the monsters, even the one within him.
Inuyasha took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner squall. He focused on the food in front of him, the intricate patterns on the ceramic plates, anything to distract himself from the jealousy gnawing at him.
Kagome noticed the subtle change in Inuyasha's demeanor, his shoulders slightly relaxed, and a certain resignation in his eyes. It wasn't defeat; it was acquiescence.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said softly, turning her attention back to him. "What about the stories you were about to tell?"
Inuyasha, caught off guard by her direct question, hesitated. He glanced at Kaito, then back at Kagome. "Yeah, I've seen a lot," he said, his voice more subdued than before. "Traveling does that to you. Shows you a world bigger than your own problems."
Kaito nodded, genuinely interested. "It must be quite the adventure. I'd love to travel more myself one day."
Inuyasha managed a small smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes but was sincere nonetheless. "It's worth it. Opens your eyes."
The rest of the dinner passed with less tension. Inuyasha found himself listening more than speaking, absorbing the conversation rather than trying to dominate it. There was a certain grace in stepping back, in allowing Kagome the freedom to be herself.
As the evening drew to a close and Kaito prepared to leave, Inuyasha extended a hand. "It was good to meet you," he said, surprising even himself.
Kaito shook his hand, a look of respect in his eyes. "Likewise, Inuyasha."
After Kaito left, Kagome approached Inuyasha, her expression soft. "Thank you," she said simply.
Inuyasha looked at her, his heart still aching but his resolve stronger. "I'm trying, Kagome. I don't always get it right, but I try."
Kagome reached out, her hand gently touching his. "I know. And that means everything to me."
In that moment, Inuyasha realized the depth of what it meant to truly care for someone. It wasn't about possession or jealousy; it was about respect. If he truly wanted a grown-up relationship with Kagome, he needed to be a grown-up himself.
The young woman was still holding on to his hand. All of her family had retired for the night and her room had been finally installed with a new window. Kagome's eyes held a warmth and a softness that spoke of her pride in Inuyasha's newfound maturity. She leaned closer, her gaze flickering with a hint of something more, a promise of a long-awaited prize.
"Inuyasha," she began, her voice somewhat hoarse, "I... I'm really proud of you." Her fingers traced small circles on the back of his hand, sending tingles up his arm. "Maybe we could... go upstairs?"
Inuyasha's breath hitched. This was everything. All he had endured and suffered for. And yet...
"I. Don't. Think. So," he replied slowly with a calm and low voice, looking down at Kagome who practically had turned into putty in his hands.
Kagome blinked in confusion.
"What?!" She squeaked.
A/N: Holy shit, Batman. The tables have turned! I honestly didn't see that coming myself. :'D They were supposed to go upstairs and fuck each other silly, but Inuyasha went and had a stroke or something and suddenly decided to become an AdULt.