Madame Masseuse
"A Series of Sweet and Bitter Fruits"
"Holy crap, Kagome."
"I know."
"I can't believe you and a client—"
"—He's not a client anymore."
"And you really agreed to go out with him? For dinner? Tonight?"
"Yes. Yes. And yes. But it's not a date."
Sango reclined in her low-back metal chair in the busy cafe bistro across the street from Madame's. She twirled the ends of her long ponytail with an incredulous expression coating her soft features.
The brown-haired masseuse sucked her teeth and cast Kagome a discerning grin. "I can't believe you're dating a client."
"For the billionth time, Sango, he's an ex-client—I have no idea who completed his service this week and I don't even want to know—and it's not a date. We agreed we're not dating. Hanging out with him is like the opposite of dating. We enjoy each other's company, we—" Kagome cleared her throat— "Fine, we kissed—a lot—but, last I checked, kissing someone doesn't automatically equate to dating. Besides, somehow he kept his word and we just kissed."
"With a pizza intermission."
Kagome made a face then stirred her untouched salad in its to-go box. "Like I said—" She cleared her throat again— "There was lots of kissing."
"And nothing else?"
"I know it sounds crazy, Sango, but nothing else happened. He may have kissed like a scoundrel but he was a complete gentleman about not letting it go any further than that."
"So you just heavily made out—no groping whatsoever—ate pizza, got tipsy, and then he just...sent you home?"
"Around one-in-the-morning—yeah. He ordered me a car and sent me on my way."
"But, what about your car?"
Kagome answered with a bubbling laugh. "Oh, it was fine. I've left my car in the work lot before."
"So, no one would find it weird to see—?"
Kagome fluttered her hand at Sango's comment. "Likely not—I've done it a few times. I like to park at work so I don't have to pay for downtown parking." Kagome put a thoughtful finger to her chin. "Although, crap...do you think there's a rule about that?" The panic receded and she shrugged, washing away the fleeting concern with a drink from her bottle of water. "Oh well, too late now. Hard to pass up free parking."
Sango giggled. "Your secret is safe with me, Kagome."
Kagome's phone chimed and she flipped it over. She must have made a face of disappointment or something like that, because Sango snorted as a smile spread up to her eyes.
Kagome flicked away the email notification then turned her phone back over.
"Have you heard from him since he called earlier?"
Kagome shook her head. "No, he has a bunch of client meetings today. He called me from his car when he snuck out for a bite. Apparently it's been a busy week with long hours. Is it silly of me to think he could bail on tonight?"
Sango clucked her tongue. "I doubt he would."
Kagome speared a grape tomato but made no effort to bring it to her mouth.
"So, I guess this means you're excited for him to take you out for dinner?"
Kagome balked, drawing puckered lips to the side. "It's not a date, Sango, so no, he's not taking me out. I'm taking myself out alongside him. But yes, I am looking forward to it. The evening will be two consenting, friendly adults who shared many a-kiss, meeting up in a public space to enjoy a meal together. If you and I were going out for dinner, would you phrase it like you were taking me out?"
Sango cast Kagome a knowing smirk and rested her chin in her palm. "I haven't shoved my tongue so far down your throat it made you see stars, so..."
Kagome blanched. "Alright—touché. But still. He and I agreed on our non-dating status. I don't want casual sex and he's somehow fine with that. We enjoy each others' company to still want to hang out. Besides, the kissing was probably just a twice-in-one-day, one-time thing. I think whatever this silly little attraction is will die out eventually and we'll turn into people who dare to call each other friends. Perhaps even good friends, who knows?"
"Can a man and woman who desire each other really maintain a platonic relationship? Especially when they seem to be in mutual agreement to pussyfoot around said desire?" Sango took a bite of her wrap and eyed the time. Their lunchbreak was almost over and they'd barely touched their food. Kagome's recounted shenanigans were far too distracting to eat.
"There's no pussyfooting happening, Sango."
"So, the two of you have spoken about this attraction between you since you swapped spit last Friday?"
"Ew—please don't phrase it like that—but yes. I added my number to his phone before I left his place. We've texted some this week."
"And in your texts, the two of you have done the adult thing and addressed the kissing? Come up with a strategy on how to handle your non-sexual relationship?"
"It's not a relationship," Kagome countered, her eyes tracing the gold, cursive 'S' of the dainty necklace Sango wore.
"Mm-hmm. I think we both know you're not fooling either of us, Kagome."
Kagome bristled and shook her hand to wave away Sango's dismay. "The kissing has been acknowledged, but no, I can't say there's been any strategizing. Why can't we just hang out and see where each rendezvous takes us?"
"Because I can see by your face that you're smitten. I'm happy for you, Kagome—a little crush can be fun. I just don't want you getting dizzy to the point you lose your footing and tumble into something you're not ready for. It sounds like this guy could easily sweep you off your feet if you're not careful."
"I don't want any sweeping, or falling, or tripping, or tumbling whatsoever, Sango. Yes, kissing him was fun—I really enjoyed myself last Friday. But it's not gonna happen again. It was a heat-of-the-moment thing spurred into existence by a silly little attraction. Don't I deserve a little fun after Hojo?"
"Of course you do, Kagome! I'm just worried about you. I want to know you've thought about what you're doing with this ex-client, that's all."
"We're hanging out," Kagome answered, deciding to put the takeaway lid on her salad. She'd try again later with it—she had no appetite anymore now. "I like his company, and I think he likes mine. We both are finding ourselves after respective heartache and long-term letdowns and that's all it is. Mutual comradery and companionship. I'm not gonna sleep with him, Sango. There's nothing to wor—"
"—It is possible to fall for someone without sleeping with them, Kagome."
Kagome snorted, pushing her back into the metal chair frame until it caused an ache in her shoulder blades. "I'm not going to fall for him, Sango. I will not allow it to get that far."
Sango raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You sure about that? For how many times you've blushed or looked away or checked your phone to see if he's texted you, I could suspect you're on your way to—"
"—Wow." The word was melodramatic in how long Kagome held it. "My own friend is convinced the deck is stacked against me."
"I'm not," Sango defended, resting a hand over Kagome's to still the woman's drumming fingers against the table. "Hojo ripped out a part of you and I don't want to see that happen to you again, especially so soon. You're vulnerable right now, and you're healing. Enjoy your date with—"
"It's not a date."
"—Inuyasha, but please promise you'll be careful with him."
Kagome sighed, offering her friend a forced small smile of appreciation. "Yeah, of course. I don't necessarily want to get karate chopped in the heart again, so yeah, I'll be careful with him."
"Good," Sango nodded. "But I do hope you have fun with him tonight. Keep me updated, Kagome—it's been a while since I had a date—"
"It's not a date!"
"—with my own steamy, maybe-kinda-sorta love interest. Tell me about it next week when we work the bachelorette party, okay?"
I wish I had more friends—my closest girlfriend is a work colleague and that feels a little sad to me sometimes.
Kagome's teeth worried her bottom lip as she watched Sango pay her bill and start to gather up her leftovers, except for half of the wrap she almost finished. The honesty Kagome had admitted to Inuyasha felt loud in Kagome's head. Yes, the two women regularly had lunch together when they worked the same shift, but today felt different. Kagome couldn't help but question why she and Sango hadn't explored a friendship outside of Madame's after over one year of affability.
Kagome decided that, if she could be brave and admit vulnerable truths to Inuyasha, she could certainly follow suit with her female friend.
"Hey, Sango...? Would you—would you have any interest in hanging out with me outside of work? Like, I dunno, maybe do brunch on Sunday or something? I really appreciate your friendship and—as evident from lunch today—your incredibly wise counsel. I could use a friend to debrief with after this fig tonight with Inuyasha, too."
Sango laughed, her ponytail flopping to the side from the angle at which she held her head. "Fig?"
"Oh." Kagome smirked. "When Inuyasha called me to see if I wanted to do dinner tonight, I thought I'd be funny so I referred to our not-date as a fig. Inuyasha was super unimpressed with that term," she laughed. "So obviously, since he hates it, it's stuck. He ended the call, clarifying that it wouldn't be a date and I responded, Would you consider it a fig, then?—I felt like I could hear his eyes rolling back into his head." Kagome shrugged. "Small victories, right?"
Sango smiled, chewing mindfully around a final bite of her wrap. "Sunday would be nice, Kagome. I don't know why it's taken this long for us to consider getting together outside of work."
"Right? I know—I'm looking forward to it!"
"Me too," Sango nodded resolutely. "But I gotta get back, Kagome. I want to ensure I have more than enough time to prep for my next client. Do you remember that other guy from the bachelor party?"
How could Kagome forget Inuyasha's counterpart?
"Yeah, Inuyasha's friend. Miroku. The shameless philanderer who flirted with you like his life depended on it."
Sango gave Kagome her most unimpressed, thin-lipped expression. "Yes. Him."
Kagome felt a bit surprised that Sango was sharing this detail with Kagome. After all, knowing a client's identity and openly discussing it wasn't exactly in line with Madame's strict Code of Conduct.
"Don't tell me he's your 14:30?"
"He is."
Kagome stopped a giggle by pressing a hand to her mouth. "Is this the first time you've seen him since—?"
"—No. This will be the third appointment. He's booking with me directly now."
Kagome fought a smirk. The struggle to hold back her amusement further accentuated the laugh lines around her mouth. "Oh my."
"Mm-hmm..."
"Well," Kagome cautiously droned, "good luck with that, I guess."
Sango snorted, rising from her seat and collecting her things in her arms. "I don't know who's gonna need luck more," Sango quipped, her tone edged with satire. "Me, to survive this lech's appointment, or you, to survive your fig." Sango smiled pleasantly at Kagome, her expression warm. "I'll see you Sunday, Kagome. Text me the details. Enjoy the rest of Mina's shifts—she's still on holiday, right?"
Kagome nodded. "Just tonight and tomorrow, and then I think she's back Monday. It's been weird, working a full week."
I haven't done that since I picked up that last Friday shift—the night of the bachelor party.
"Ugh—professionalism is hard sometimes," Sango lamented with pink cheeks as she turned to leave.
Kagome offered her friend a knowing grin. "Why? Because you wanna flirt back with your hot client?"
"No, because I wanna punch him in the face."
There was no hope of Kagome holding back a laugh. She erupted with giggles and smiled affectionately at her friend. "Yes, well, I have every confidence you'll be the ultimate picture of tact and professionalism."
"Thanks," Sango snorted, waving goodbye. "At least that makes one of us."
"Have fun!" Kagome called, her hands making a loudspeaker around her mouth as Sango exited the building.
Now, Kagome just needed to get through the rest of her client services for the day. Then it was home-time, where she planned to get ready for her non-date with a baby-sized glass of wine—just for her nerves. She maybe-kinda-sorta was looking forward to seeing Inuyasha.
Because it wasn't a date.
It was a fig.
Kagome walked up the concierge desk gripping her black designer clutch between white-knuckled fingers. She felt like a completely different person in her black suede dress, burgundy four-inch heels, and blazer jacket. She hadn't known what to do with her hair, so she left it down. Kagome brushed her straightened bangs from her eyes with a long polished finger. Her makeup was darker than she usually wore, her lips coated in a rich plum lipstick that she hoped would draw Inuyasha's attention.
The website had said Merci was an upscale dining experience. Standing at the wooden podium, waiting to be greeted, Kagome marveled at the aesthetic of live-edge wood and black wallpaper. The restaurant was moody, reminding her of Inuyasha's kitchen.
She wondered what inspired him to make a reservation for them there. Did he frequent this place often?
Even if Kagome hadn't looked up the restaurant online beforehand, the decor of the place and appeal of the other patrons would have told Kagome everything she needed to know about its extravagance—she would be dropping a buck or two on her dinner tonight, that's for sure.
Because she would be paying for herself—she didn't care what excuse Inuyasha deigned to throw at her. There was no way in hell she would allow Inuyasha to pay for her meal. Not after what he told her about Kikyou.
Even though a bottle of wine cost most of Kagome's weekly allotted budget for dining out.
Alright, then—if Inuyasha pressed, she'd allow him to buy them a bottle for their table.
But that was it.
"Good evening, miss," the maître d'hôtel greeted as he stepped up to the podium. This man was definitely a maître d'—at this classy of a place, this gentleman was not your average host waiting to escort Kagome to her table. "May I have the name of your party's reservation?"
"Taisho." It was her first time saying Inuyasha's surname out loud. It felt nice leaving her lips.
"You're the first of your party to arrive. Please follow me to your table, miss. We'll get you comfortable while you wait for your companion."
My companion...
"Thank you."
Kagome fought the urge to tug at the hem of her black-lapeled, dark grey blazer as she was led to a crisp, cloth-covered table for two. The sound of utensils on expensive dinnerware and the drowning wash of background voices roared in Kagome's ears as she sat. Soft piano music sang in the space between the tables. Kagome tucked her dress beneath her thighs, undid the button of her blazer and offered the maître d' a polite nod of thanks as the man disappeared back to the front of the restaurant.
Kagome wanted to lick at her lips in nervousness but didn't want to get lipstick on her teeth, so she decided against it. Instead, she rested her bracelet-decorated forearms on the table and took a sip of her pre-poured water.
Sparkling water. Because it was one of those places.
Kagome tried to look the part as she gazed around, eager to inspect the other customers but not wanting to be caught staring. Kagome had never frequented a place like this all her life.
A server came around and opened a bottle of red wine table-side. Kagome smiled as the man proffered a sample to Kagome, but as soon as she saw the Argentinian label she chuckled and advised there was no need to taste the wine—she knew she'd like it.
She wondered when Inuyasha would have ordered the Malbec. It was certainly a nice touch to help her feel comfortable instantly.
Her phone, facedown on the table—was that rude to do? She suddenly couldn't recall dining etiquette while sitting solo, waiting for her companion to arrive—began to vibrate. Inuyasha texted an apology, saying a client meeting ran long but he was just parking and should be there in a few minutes.
Kagome responded, Take your time, then sent him a picture of the wine bottle and the wide-bowled wineglass from which she had been drinking. I've got all the company I need, she texted him afterwards.
Smiling, she tucked her phone away to await his imminent arrival.
Kagome flicked open her menu and perused the options, as if she hadn't already studied its two pages online earlier in the day, doing the math to determine what she could afford to order. The salmon or the chicken, probably.
She was mid-sip when saw Inuyasha's approach over the rim of her glass. She swallowed quickly and offered him a wide, luminous smile.
Fuck me, he looks good in a suit.
"Kagome—sorry I'm late," he said by way of greeting, unbuttoning his black suit jacket and seating himself. "I see the wine found you okay."
"Hi, Inuyasha—yes, it found me great. I presume I have you to thank for it?"
He grinned. "Yeah. It's not unheard of that I run late to things—I'm often at the mercy of my clients. I didn't want you gettin' lonely if you ended up havin' to wait."
"So considerate," Kagome chuckled on an exhale. "But, yes, Argentina was keeping me plenty good company while I awaited your arrival with bated breath."
"Bated breath, huh? Long week, Kagome?"
"Something like that," she grinned.
It didn't faze her at all when Inuyasha took the pause in their dialogue to give her appearance his typical head-to-toe appraisal. She quirked a corner of her lips up at him and Inuyasha chuckled, pouring himself a glass of wine.
"Why do you do that?" she asked.
"Do what?"
"Scan me like you're looking for something."
Inuyasha took a sizable mouthful of wine. He huffed a laugh once he swallowed. "I believe it's called checkin' you out."
Kagome laughed. "Why do you do that?"
"Why do I check out an attractive woman?"
She blushed. "Why do you do it so obviously?"
"Do you like it? That I openly appreciate looking at your body?" He raised an eyebrow at her playfully. "I could be more subtle, I guess, but that's far less fun."
Kagome shook her head at him incredulously. "I guess I'm just not used to it."
"Used to what? Gettin' checked out?"
Kagome shrugged. "Yeah—since, as you may recall, desire and me have been estranged for a while."
Inuyasha seemed to contemplate her words over another sip of wine. "I can stop if it makes you feel uncom—"
"—No," she answered quickly, her gaze lowering while pink tinged her face. "It's fine. I—I kinda like that you do it. You don't need to—stop."
She saw his beaming smile in her periphery and Kagome chewed on the inside of her lip.
Did he notice that her gaze kept falling to his mouth? God, she hoped not.
Inuyasha poured himself a top-up, and Kagome used it as an opportunity for a distraction. She lifted her wineglass towards him.
"Cheers me."
He looked at her like she grew a second head. "Why?"
"Why not? It's Friday—there's good wine, good company, soon to be good food. I'd like to celebrate being out for dinner with a guy who isn't my ex."
Inuyasha pulled a face and Kagome instantly felt a weirdness settle over their table.
She tilted her head at him knowingly then sighed. "You don't need to panic, Inuyasha—I didn't mean it like that. You and me are just two friends out for a meal. I'm under no pretenses that we are either dating or on a date. You don't need to make that face."
He pouted. "And you're suddenly an expert on my facial expressions?"
"Well—am I right?"
He drew his lips to the side in a look of aggravated defeat and Kagome loosed a victorious giggle.
"Fine," he sighed, a grimace skirting his brow. "For a sec, I might've worried you'd want to convince me—I dunno—into something."
"Into something like...a relationship?"
He shrugged in answer. That was obviously a 'yes'.
"I don't want a relationship, Inuyasha. You don't need to worry about that." She felt her spine stiffen as indignation coated her tongue. "I'm out for dinner with a friend. Sure, last week I may have made out multiple times with said friend—" Inuyasha grinned broadly— "but I'm not looking for any type of commitment from you. I'm quite happy with simply your company."
He looked like he was fighting a blush. "So, you're sayin' you really don't want more from me?"
She seemed to think about that for a few breaths. "Emotionally? No, I don't—how could I when we're both damaged goods from our last emotional entanglements? Now, physically?" She answered her rhetorical question by laughing brightly, which drew a small smile from Inuyasha. "Like I said last week, going down the physical road will lead to complicated emotions, and I don't want that for either of us. I don't want to be disappointed or upset—I've had more than enough of that lately."
She paused, sighing thoughtfully. "I like you, Inuyasha—you're an interesting person. Would I mind if things could be like that between us? No, I wouldn't mind at all—but it's not a good idea. So, I guess that leaves me with your company—which I enjoy, if I haven't made that clear already." She snorted and palmed her wineglass. "That is, if you still want my company after all this friggin' honesty I seem to keep spewing." She tipped her glass at him in a salute and then took a considerable mouthful.
A laugh snuck from Inuyasha's lips, prompting a self-conscious chuckle from Kagome when she emerged from her gulping swallow. Inuyasha's face morphed into a wide smile, amazement in his eyes. "I gotta say—you're a fascinating person, Kagome."
"What makes you say that?"
"I guess the whole honesty bit. I can't imagine many women would be as candid or level-headed about this. You're stayin' pretty cool, all things considered." His eyes lowered, as if he was tracing the outlines of his cutlery. "It's not somethin' I'm used to—spending time with someone and not havin' to second-guess everything they say or do."
Inuyasha's obvious vulnerability had Kagome's heart thumping with endearment. "Don't let my newfound penchant for honesty fool you, Inuyasha. I do not feel cool at all," she guffawed.
He huffed through his smile. "You know what I mean."
Kagome smiled back at him. "Last week," she said, leaning towards him, her elbows on the table, "you didn't expect anything physical from me and you respected my boundaries, no questions asked. I think it's fair for me to extend the same courtesy to you—emotionally—don't you?"
He laughed. "I could cheers to that."
Kagome grinned and tapped his wineglass with hers.
Silence settled between them as they focused on the contents of their glassware. Inuyasha's tongue shot from the corner of his mouth to lick away a drop of wine and Kagome watched it with rapt attention. A hunger started to crawl from her heart towards her naval and Kagome took a controlled sip of her wine to keep herself in check.
If Inuyasha could sense the beginnings of her arousal in this public space, he was kind enough not draw any attention to it.
Kagome smiled privately to herself. This dinner wasn't turning out to be what she thought it would, and that wasn't a bad thing. There was an ease to being in his company. It was like the last time they were together they had set the tone for their future encounters: nonchalant, honest, flirty with heavily sexual undertones.
Her eyes plunged to follow the pointed angles of Inuyasha's mouth, feeling particularly drawn to the allure of his cupid's bow.
Kagome's stomach whirled, recalling when she traced said cupid's bow with her tongue, and the moan her touch had extracted from him.
If I allowed myself to indulge in other parts of him, would I still be so obsessed with his mouth?
Yes—one-hundred-percent!
Kagome couldn't believe the last time she saw Inuyasha was in the lobby of his condo, exactly a week ago. In their goodbye, his tongue had stroked the underside of hers as he suckled her organ in his mouth. Their long-winded, breath-stealing, departing kiss had caused an amused snicker from the Night Guard and a groan of irritated impatience from the cab driver who was waiting to take Kagome home.
She smiled at the memory.
The sexual tension between them was unmistakable, irrefutable. Had she meant what she said earlier to Sango? Did Kagome really think she and Inuyasha could remain friends in this sexually-charged environment?
Was she just taunting the inevitable at this point?
Kagome liked the teasing—fine, she loved it—but how could she fight science? Kagome felt like a shaken bottle of soda. Wasn't an eruption inevitable if Inuyasha kept provoking her? Shaking her up like this?
Kagome had told Inuyasha she didn't want a physical relationship. Well, what about kissing? Did that not count as having a physical relationship? What about foreplay-esque activities? Could Kagome stretch the rules so Inuyasha could go down on her? Or was Kagome's line in the sand truly just no intercourse?
Jesus, at this rate, if we're so worried about where we draw the line, we'll start debating what counts as sex...
Kagome wanted to sigh with frustration, but that would mean Inuyasha hearing her and then asking her to explain, and then she probably would, since they were doing this whole brutal honesty thing.
Could Sango be right? Could Kagome really be on her way to—?
"Anything noteworthy happen at the spa this week—minus the obvious gap in your schedule from my absence?"
Kagome was grateful for the interruption and its sudden cessation of her thoughts. "Did you keep your Wednesday appointment time?"
"You actually wanna know if I had another woman's hands on my body, Kagome?"
"Men work at the spa too, Inuyasha."
The dog demon snorted, displeased that Kagome had ruined his attempt to tease her.
Kagome huffed a laugh at his response. In answer to his initial question, she said, "Nothing noteworthy happened, I'm afraid. At least nothing as dramatic as an obnoxious group of men at a bachelor party." She laughed at the eyeroll he gave her. "I'm only a little sad that's not a recurring Friday activity—perhaps, if it was, I'd pick up more Friday shifts."
Inuyasha snorted.
Speaking of the bachelor party...
"Did you know Miroku goes back regularly?"
"I do—I talk to him more often than I'd like. I think he has a thing for his masseuse."
Kagome's eyes lit up and she felt a tickle of an amused giggle in her throat. She rested the rim of her wineglass against her cheek, thoughtful to avoid getting marked by her lipstick stain.
"There must be something in the water there," she teased. "Since there seems to be an awful lot of that going around lately—men developing a thing for their masseuse."
Inuyasha's eyes tapered into a challenging expression, but he kept his lips pressed together. That shocked Kagome—she thought she had set him up perfectly to deny her claim, to antagonize her teasing remark with a snippy one of his own. Kagome took a chagrined sip of her wine in his silence.
Their conversation lulled as they placed their food order with the server—Inuyasha, the wagyu medallions, Kagome decided on the salmon—and then Inuyasha reached over to refill Kagome's wine, even though her glass wasn't empty.
She took a sip to avoid the twisting sensation in her stomach at feeling his eyes on her again.
He kept staring.
"You really do look good tonight, Kagome."
A facetious smile twinkled in her brown eyes. She hated how easy it was to light up from his flattery. "I appreciate the compliment, Inuyasha—thank you.
"Oh!" she gasped. "Before I forget—I have your pajamas, washed and ready to return to you. I left them in my car—don't let me forget to give them back. I, uh, I half-debated wearing them tonight, you know," she said playfully with a wink. "Since you liked them so much the last time I wore them. But then I decided this outfit was more appropriate for our meeting."
Inuyasha sniggered with his wineglass at his lips. "I like this outfit. You're dressed like you could be here for a business meeting, Kagome."
"Is that why we're here, Inuyasha? To discuss business?"
He chuckled. "You did say somethin' about terms and conditions last week."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "After a long week, I only want fun. I'm here for pleasure, Inuyasha. Not business."
"I could make your pleasure my business."
Yes, please!
Inuyasha was too smooth—she almost couldn't take it.
Kagome fought away a blush with a diffident giggle. Using a few breaths to take control of her arousal, she cleared her throat, then cast Inuyasha a flirty once-over. "That's a handsome suit you're wearing, by the way."
Her deflection was obvious, but he didn't seem to mind. He took a sip, swallowed, then grinned against the rim of his glass before placing it down on the table. "She's also forthcoming with compliments tonight."
"She is," Kagome replied with a coy smile. "Just being honest—you know, since that's a thing now."
Inuyasha laughed, leaning back in his seat so the canvas material of his black jacket revealed more of his tight-fighting maroon button-up. The colour combination was striking with his hair loosely tied back in a low-hanging ponytail. Kagome's eyes lingered on his ears.
"I half expected the whole honesty thing from last week to be a one-night-only kinda deal."
"I kind of did too," she laughed. "But, I'm actually finding I don't mind it. I'm open to keeping it going if you are, Inuyasha. Being blatantly honest is..."
"Refreshing," he finished for her. "I agree."
Kagome smiled. "Then, in the spirit of honesty, would you care to explain why you invited me out tonight for this particular fig?"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her stupid term, soliciting a pleased giggle from her delightfully dark lips. "Am I not allowed to enjoy your company on a weekly basis? It's not like I can make an appointment to see you anymore."
"I suppose that's true," she answered, her finger rimming her glass.
But, why would he want to see me? Why do you want my company on a weekly basis, Inuyasha?
Ah—hell. We said we'd be honest. Why not?
"Any particular reason you want to see me on a weekly basis, Inuyasha?"
That was...surprisingly easy. Far easier than she thought it would be. Maybe she was getting better at this whole saying what you mean when you want thing.
"Can I not? I thought we enjoy hangin' out?"
Are you looking-slash-hoping to hear him reveal something by asking him this question, Kagome? Just let it go. There's nothing wrong with him wanting to see a friend once a week.
She did not let it go.
"If I recall correctly, last week was the first time we hung out. At least, outside the parameters of a business relationship."
He frowned. "So, you're sayin' you didn't enjoy my company while I was on your table?"
Kagome snorted. "You were paying me for my company, Inuyasha. Plus, it's not like we were really talking or getting to know each other then." She fingered the stem of her wineglass, the ministrations of her fingers drawing his eye. "But, is that deflection I hear? What happened to being honest with me?"
"I am being honest—I like your company and I wanted to see you tonight. I thought you enjoyed spendin' time with me?"
"I do."
"Then why are you arguin' with me?"
Kagome laughed, the tension easing from her shoulders. "I'm not arguing."
"You're bein' intentionally difficult, Kagome."
She sighed around a pout. "Alright—fine. But, can you blame me for wanting to know why you invited me for another non-date after we barely spoke for a whole week?"
"Countin' the days we were apart, Kagome? You could've just asked to see me sooner, you know." God, that infuriatingly smug eyebrow of his.
"And why would I ask to see you sooner?"
"Given how much you enjoyed my mouth, I'm surprised to hear you say that."
Kagome balked and instinctively reached for her wineglass, bringing it to her lips for a bravery-inducing sip. Once the glass was rested atop the tablecloth once more, Inuyasha flicked his wrist, grabbing the bottle to top her up.
"Yes, well, I think the enjoyment was mutual," she finally said with a blush on her cheeks.
"She's feeling bashful, is she? Why?"
"I'm not feeling bashful," Kagome countered. The truth made her cheeks warm as she pressed her lips together. "I'm just remembering how much I liked it. Does it make you happy, Inuyasha? Hearing me admit I'll think about kissing you for weeks to come?"
"You're not expecting a repeat performance?"
Kagome flinched. "No," she clamored animatedly, perhaps too animatedly. "No—I honestly didn't think it would happen again."
Inuyasha looked...what was that? Disappointed? Eager? Challenged?
"Would you like it to?"
"Would you?"
"Honestly—yeah," he said around a soft chuckle. "I told you last week, Kagome—you have a mouth made for kissing. I enjoyed it—you—thoroughly. If you wanted me to do it again, I would—you only gotta ask nicely."
She snorted. This guy and his obsession with hearing her beg for it. "But—how would that work?"
"I'm pretty sure by putting our mouths toget—"
"—No, I mean, is kissing a thing for us now?" Kagome flushed and gripped her wineglass as a comforting totem. "I didn't expect we'd do it again—that it was just the one time; something we did spur-of-the-moment."
"If I recall correctly, it happened far more than one time." Inuyasha's features crawled into a sly expression, and it made Kagome's heart quake. He chuckled, as if he could hear her accelerated heartbeat. "But, we don't have to keep it a one-time thing, if you don't want to."
"So—you're saying you'd let me kiss you if I wanted to?"
"Yeah."
"Like—anytime I wanted to?"
He quirked that goddamn eyebrow of his. "Still a yes."
Kagome puckered her lips in a contemplative expression. "So, what if I want to every time I see you?"
"Then I guess you're kissin' me every time you see me."
"And...you're okay with that?"
Inuyasha laughed like he wasn't just asked a serious question. "Why wouldn't I be? I liked kissing you."
"But, what if I don't ever want to do more than that—kissing? What if I can't?"
He shrugged. "Then we don't do anythin' more. I think you're missin' the concept of how simple this is, Kagome."
"I don't understand how you're being so chill about this, Inuyasha."
He crossed his arms and leaned against the tabletop. "What is there to get messed up over? We either hang out and kiss or we hang out and don't kiss. It's really that simple. I told you last week, I'm not expectin' anything from you."
"So, we're just...friends who kiss now, apparently?"
He grinned wolfishly. "I'm game if you are, Kagome."
Kagome's blush was prominent. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to this blatant honesty between us."
Inuyasha guffawed, a staccato bellow that rumbled from his chest, and the sound warmed Kagome's ears. "I like it. I like the contrast of honesty on your lips while you fight the urge to blush."
"I'm not blushing."
"Feh—that's a lie if I ever heard one, Kagome."
She snorted. "Fine—if I am blushing, it's only because I'm feeling a little unnerved by you in a suit. It's all very...Mr. Taisho." Her timbre took on an intentionally higher, breathier pitch as she uttered his surname.
The way he leaned over the table, curving his shoulders towards her, made Kagome think he really liked that tone of her voice—what she insinuated. He looked like a predator, contemplative before pouncing.
"Oh, yeah?" He grinned. "You like it that much, huh?"
"I do," she nodded. The honesty was quick to coat her tongue. "You look—" She cupped her throat while she paused, her diction hesitant.
Inuyasha's eyes ravaged the sight, as if lost in the memory of his own palm against the column of her neck. His responding swallow bobbed his Adam's apple distractingly.
Kagome's eyes played a game of tennis between his mouth and the magnetism of his neck. She cleared her throat, desperate to regain her composure.
Inuyasha rested an elbow on the table. "Don't stop on my account, Kagome. You were saying?"
She flushed again. "You look—tempting."
He leaned back in his seat, seemingly content with the word she settled on, and offered her a brazen half-smile. "You know—you're welcome to change your mind at any time."
"Change my mind about...?"
"Being casual with me."
Kagome flushed. "I told you, Inuyasha—"
"—That you can't—I know." He waved away her words. "But, I'm just sayin'—if you do change your mind and want to...you just say the word, Kagome."
She snorted. "You're that happy to oblige me, huh?"
"I'd very much like to oblige you."
Oof—there will definitely be kissing tonight...
"You are so going to be trouble for me, Inuyasha," Kagome chuckled, her cheeks and neck red as she reached for her wine. Hopefully to any onlookers, she just looked flushed from the alcohol.
Inuyasha grinned at her. "I gotta couple of things to say to that. First, you make it way too easy. And second, I think you like it—trouble. I think you'd find my company a little lackluster without it."
A silence captured their table while their eyes pivoted back and forth between the others.
"Can I ask for a truth from you, Inuyasha?" she called suddenly, breaking the silence.
"Sure."
"There was reference last week to me being a project for you—did you mean anything by that?"
Whatever he may have expected her to ask, it certainly wasn't that. He didn't flinch but the shock was evident on his features, in the way his brow furrowed then lifted, how his mouth parted slightly.
Kagome could feel the change in temperament at their table with her question.
"Or, was it just something you said in the heat of the moment to tease me?" Kagome looked down at her fingers resting on the table.
This honesty felt necessary, but it also burned in her throat.
"I ask because I don't want to feel like I'm a trophy to be won for you. I don't want things between us to feel like you're just teasing and flirting with me in the hopes you'll wear me down eventually, that I'll sooner or later give in to my desire for you. Because it feels inevitable—like I'm walking right into a trap."
Inuyasha's head and neck recoiled into his shoulders, like her words actually grazed him. His brow wrinkled as he hunched over the table, lowering his voice. "Is that what you think my plan is? Kiss you enough times—seduce you—'til you give me what you think I want?" He snorted and leaned away from her. His tone resumed his regular volume. "I'm a little offended, Kagome—that you'd admit to thinkin' so poorly of me."
"Then what is this?" she challenged. "What exactly is it you want from me?"
He looked frustrated with her. "I want you to stop thinkin' so hard about what we are or aren't, and just enjoy yourself—enjoy my company like you said you do. We don't have to label anything or map it out, Kagome. You called us friends—so, why can't we just be friends and do what works for us? Kiss me if you want—or don't. Do more with me if you ever want—or don't. I don't particularly care. But, I don't want you questioning my intentions every goddamn time you're with me! You told me your boundaries and I told you I'll respect 'em. What more do you wanna hear from me?"
She...she actually did offend him.
An apology was thick and heavy on her tongue. Embarrassment was a gargoyle looming in her chest.
Yet, somehow an apology evaded her completely. Instead, she replied, "Why do you try to make it sound so easy, Inuyasha? Are you really that impervious to the attraction between us? Sorry that I can't be as casual about it as you!"
Inuyasha withheld a growl of irritation and took a gulp of his wine. He settled the base on the table harder than he meant to, wine sloshing up the glass walls and almost landing on the table. "Why do you have to make this a thing, Kagome?"
"I'm not trying to make anything a thing," she argued, her voice a low hiss as she tried to fight with him as inconspicuously as possible. "I just don't want to get together with you feeling like I have to pussyfoot around how much I want you."
Huh—interesting use of Sango's earlier word there. Maybe the brunette had gotten under Kagome's skin, after all.
"Then do something about it," Inuyasha snapped, his words tensely whispered. "You want me to list out your options for you, Kagome? Fine—" He held up his thumb at her. "You meet me where I'm at and we let this friendship run its course however we want it to." His index finger joined his thumb. "You be a big girl and stop pussyfooting around and just fuck me—dealing with any consequences after rather than gettin' ahead of yourself and makin' a problem where there isn't one." He added his middle finger—option number three. "You leave here tonight and we don't ever have to see each other again. Problem sol—"
"—I don't want that!" Kagome cried, louder than she meant. She retracted her neck into her bunched shoulders with embarrassment. "I don't want to not see you again."
"Then you got two other options."
Kagome opened her mouth to bicker when the server approached with their meals, effectively shutting Kagome's lips with a snap. She felt her appetite wane for the second time that day, staring down at the entree that she had thought would be a bigger fillet given the price of the damn thing.
The tension at their table was so uncomfortably obvious they could have cut it with Inuyasha's steak knife.
Kagome mumbled her thanks to the server before he disappeared, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome to it.
Kagome reluctantly picked up her fork and watched Inuyasha waste no time digging into his dinner. If he knew she watched him, his body language didn't show it. All of his ire and frustration played out in how gruffly he cut into his tiny pieces of steak, which he arguably could have just put in his mouth straight off the dish.
Kagome sighed. She didn't want to argue with him.
Was he right? Was she making a problem where there wasn't one?
What do you want, Kagome? she asked herself.
I like him—I don't want to stop seeing him.
Then you need to figure your shit out. Inuyasha's right—you can't keep going like this. We either let things run their course and happen as they happen, or we remove ourselves from this situation.
Kagome sighed again, this time forcing stress from her body with a heavy exhale. The sound drew Inuyasha's eyes to hers for a second before he lowered them again.
She didn't like this dynamic between them.
So, tell him that!
"I don't like fighting with you, Inuyasha." Her voice sounded small, hesitant, unsure. "I don't want to keep blaming my relationship with Hojo, but I think my brain is just all kinds of fucked from that experience. I don't know what I want, and I'm taking out my frustration on you—I'm sorry."
"You don't have to know exactly what you want." His words sounded like a sigh.
"I think my problem is that I've never been in a situation like this before. On one hand, I have unmet needs from my ex-relationship that I'm trying to deal with, and on the other hand, I have you—this guy who just randomly showed up in my life with the promise of friendship, and who I happen to find incredibly attractive. How can I be friends with someone I'm attracted to? I don't know the answer to that."
"Do you need an answer to that, Kagome?"
She poked at the greens on her plate. "I don't know how to be friends with you, Inuyasha—not when I have this ache I want you to fix."
Inuyasha sighed, putting down his utensils. "I can't fix you, Kagome—and somethin' tells me, even if we did have sex, that ache would still be there." He tilted his head at her, his expression softening with the vulnerability she so visibly wore. "Your ex hurt you. You need time to process what happened, to heal. I don't think anyone but you can fix what you're feeling."
She laughed bitterly, tilting her head back to take a deep inhalation to avoid tears from appearing and smudging her makeup. "So, what? I wait it out and hang out with you as a distraction in the meantime?"
Inuyasha snorted a laugh. "Isn't that what friends do?" One side of his mouth perked up in a sanguine expression. "I may not be able to fix you, Kagome. But, if you want to be my friend, I can try to help you get through whatever it is you gotta get through. Or, if I can't help, then at least you get to add a new, hot friend to your collection."
She laughed in spite of herself, earning a relieved smile from Inuyasha. She puckered her lips in a pout and stared at Inuyasha—like she could see through him if she tried hard enough.
"You're a really good guy, Inuyasha—you know that?"
He exhaled a laugh through his nose and picked up his fork, stabbing at something that looked like asparagus. "I don't, actually. But keep tellin' me that, and maybe after hearin' it a few times I'll start believing you."
Kagome nodded, understanding and appreciation swelling in her chest. "Right—because I'm not the only damaged goods at the table."
Inuyasha pointed his fork at her, which made her laugh, then he resumed eating his supper.
The energy at their table feeling lighter, Kagome actually took a bite of her entree and wanted to groan at the decadence of it.
They spent the rest of their first fig, in amicable spirits, enjoying espresso and dessert until they were one of the last remaining tables. Even though Kagome didn't verbally select one of Inuyasha's options, it was quite clear that she was going to take option number one—she wanted to try at being his friend, even if she didn't know how to handle her attraction. Like Inuyasha said, she didn't have to label it or map it out—she'd just figure it out as she went along and enjoy his company, while she focused on healing from her breakup.
Inuyasha's pajamas returned to their rightful owner, Kagome wore a fulfilled smile on her drive home, reminiscing the sweet goodbye kiss Inuyasha laid to her cheek after he had walked her to her car.
When they had talked about kissing being a thing for them, that type of gentle caress of his lips hadn't been quite what she had in mind.
Yet, she wore that dumb smile up until bedtime—when she turned off her light and realized she'd be content to be on the receiving end of any of Inuyasha's kisses.
It was Tuesday evening. Kagome's cellphone was nestled between her cheek and shoulder as she stirred a pot of not-yet-boiling water. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she listened to the droning ring of her unanswered call.
She realized it was completely pointless—stirring a pot of water that wasn't yet boiling—but she felt like she needed to do something while she waited for Inuyasha to pick up.
"Hey."
"Hey!" she responded, restlessness taking the reigns as she quickly grabbed her phone to hold it to her ear.
The pause between them was only a few heartbeats, not even four seconds, but Kagome was captivated by the sounds of Inuyasha's laboured breathing. He was winded, almost gasping for breath—she could visualize the dramatic rise and fall of his chest with every inhale and exhale.
Oh my—he sounds...
Okay, out of breath Inuyasha sounded hot. Kagome could have rolled her eyes at her caveman brain for thinking the grunt-like heaving she heard over the phone was sexy. But there she was—getting hot and bothered by it. Because if he was panting this hard, he was definitely sweating, and the image of a sweaty Inuyasha lying on top of her...
Appreciating that he couldn't see her, Kagome literally shook the thought from her head.
He's not with someone is he?
No—absolutely not. No guy would do that. Inuyasha would not have answered the phone if he was with a woman—right?
Kagome squeezed the spatula tighter in her grip. "You okay, Inuyasha? You sound—"
—Like you can barely catch your breath. Like you were having s—
"—Yeah," he answered quickly, stealing her attention before she could finish that thought. She listened to him lick his lips then sip a hiss of air. "I'm good. You just caught me—in the middle of my workout."
Oh, thank GOD.
Really, Kagome? You seriously thought he'd take your call if he was banging someone else?
She spared a moment to wonder if Inuyasha was banging other women on the side.
Nope—you've entered the forbidden zone, Kagome. There is no on the side. He's just banging other women. Period.
If he is...because he could also not be...
"Oh." Kagome flushed, realizing she stood paralyzed in front of her stove, mindlessly stirring a pot of still-not-boiling water. Kagome reached for her glass of water and stepped away from the appliance.
"Is somethin' wrong?"
Kagome furrowed her brows as she started to pace her kitchen, taking a quick sip and placing her glass on the counter. "What? No, nothing's wrong at all. Why?"
He sputtered an exhale after a swig of water. "You just haven't—called me before. Thought I'd make sure—that everythin's okay." His breathing was still wickedly fast, strained, but it started to sound more reasonable.
"Holy," she laughed, listening probably a little too intently to the gruff heaves of his breath. "What kinda workout did I interrupt? You are all kinds of out of breath."
He spluttered a chuckle. "Just my usual."
"Ah, yes, the usual—that answers that, then," she quipped, slipping her feet into her slippers. She listened to him snort at her and she giggled a staccato ha-ha in her throat.
"Did you need somethin', Kagome?"
"I just thought I'd call to—you know—say hi."
"Really? You haven't done that before. Did you have a shitty day at work?"
She stopped pacing once she reached her living room and turned to face the doorway. "No—no, today was fine, if not a little dull. Why?"
She could imagine him shrugging. "You've never called me before just to say hi."
She laughed at his tone and repetitiveness but also at herself for feeling ridiculous. "I can let you go," she offered, resuming her steps across her apartment's vinyl floor. "You're in the middle of—"
"—No, it's fine. I just finished my set anyway."
"Oh, yeah? A set of...?"
"Deadlifts."
"Oh, I see—sounds exciting."
"You couldn't sound less interested, Kagome," he laughed. "But you wanna know what I find exciting?"
"What's that?"
"I surpassed my previous deadlift goal tonight, so Thursday I'll be startin' my reps at a new weight—which is the most I've ever lifted."
"And what would that impressive number be?"
"Uh-hundred and ninety kilos."
Kagome's head recoiled. Her lips separated in amazed shock. "What? Holy shit, Inuyasha...that's—that's a lot of weight!"
He laughed, it was a bright bellow of a sound. "Right? You impressed?"
"Uh, yeah, because that's a crazy amount of weight! Are you sure you can really lift that much? Or are you just inflating that number to try and impress me?"
He scoffed, pausing to take another sip of water. "I don't need to try and impress you, Kagome. You already find my body impressive."
"Is that so?" Did she sound disinterested enough? Hopefully.
Inuyasha chuckled and it sounded muffled, like fabric—a towel, perhaps?—dragged across the phone speaker.
"So, you just called, wantin' to hear the sound of my voice?"
Kagome snorted. "No, I called looking for some hot phone sex." She drew her curtains in the living room closed, smirking into the silence on his side. What she wouldn't give to see his face right now. "Obviously, I'm joking, Inuyasha," she chuckled, "I thought I'd do something crazy like reach out to my friend before the end of the week. For some reason, he likes to procrastinate making plans with me."
Inuyasha cleared his throat. "See, what I'm really hearin' is that she called 'cause she misses me."
"Yup. Uh-huh. It's definitely that, Inuyasha."
He huffed a laugh. "And what made you think you'd hear from me at the end of the week?"
"Your track record for one—you have a thing about seeing me weekly, remember?"
"It's not a thing."
"Isn't it, though?"
She heard him snort at a distance, like she was put on speakerphone.
"Don't lie, Inuyasha—your face probably lit up when you saw my name on your phone."
"Oh, you think so?"
"I know so—you had a nice time with me on Friday."
"If I had to rate it, Kagome, I'd say your company was...adequate."
Kagome gasped a scoffing laugh. "Ouch—I've been reduced to adequate company. I'll end the call now, thanks—save some of my wounded pride."
Inuyasha chuckled. "What're you up to?"
"Waiting for dinner to cook."
"Oh yeah? What're you bringin' me?"
Kagome giggled. "You think I'd cook for you?"
"And deliver it—yes. You like me that much."
She hummed, humouring him. "You'd like to think so. If my company is adequate, your friendship is sufficient. I don't cook and deliver food for my sufficient friends."
It was Inuyasha's turn to scoff a laugh. "What about your incredibly attractive friends?"
Kagome paused her pacing to press her tongue against an upper canine. She could feel Inuyasha's smirk.
"I think those were your words on Friday, Kagome—or am I mistaken?"
She flushed. "Yes, yes—we all know I like how you look. It's not as monumental a truth as you like to think it is, Inuyasha. I'm sure plenty of women think you have a pretty face."
"You like my body, too."
"Oh, do I?"
"You do. At least, from the few times it was visible to you, I think you liked it quite a bit."
"And when exactly was your body visible to me?"
"Well," he chuckled, "there's that time you had dog demon lube all over your tits—still a top memory of you, Kagome, by the way—and you looked awfully interested in a certain part of me." She blushed—deeply. "And then after the storm—I am well aware that white cloth goes pretty translucent when wet. You're not as subtle as you may think."
"Mmhmm," she answered, not trusting herself with words. With how flustered she felt, Kagome knew her foot-in-mouth syndrome would have her digging a very large grave for herself.
"You all good over there? Share a truth with me, Kagome."
She cleared her throat, cupping a warming cheek with her palm. "Yeah, I'm fine. You just brought back some memories, is all."
"Feh—could your answer be any more vague?"
Kagome snorted. "Fine—let the record show I find your body incredibly attractive. I like fit guys, alright? Sue me. There's something about veiny arms that just does it for me."
"So you must be really impressed by how much I can lift then."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "I feel like there's a joke in here somewhere about cardio and your mouth."
Inuyasha laughed. "Why do you say that?"
"Because you, my friend, have a tendency to run your mouth quite a bit."
Inuyasha rumbled a throaty laugh at her. "You know—you're cute when you think you're funny."
"You must find me cute all the time then."
Inuyasha snorted. "Tell me about your day, Kagome."
Nice deflection, Inuyasha. I'll allow it—this time...
She exhaled a soft chuckle and roamed by her stovetop, noticing early onset water bubbles in her pot, so she leaned against her kitchen counter and crossed her arms.
"It was a Tuesday—really nothing exciting to report. I'm working Saturday because we have a bachelorette party coming in and they've booked up the whole place. So, that'll be fun."
"You don't sound thrilled by that."
Kagome shrugged, as if he could see her. "I like my usual hours. I don't mind picking up the odd Friday shift, but Saturdays...I dunno—" She shrugged again— "Working a Saturday just puts off the flow of my week. 'Cause it's work Thursday. Off Friday. Work Saturday. Off Sunday. Then I start my usual song and dance on Monday. I don't really get much of a break."
"Yeah, that's not ideal—especially since you spend your whole day usin' your upper body. You must be tired when you get home."
Kagome listened to rustling noises and sounds she couldn't place on Inuyasha's end of the call. She positioned her phone between her neck and shoulder again so her hands were free to add the red lentil pasta noodles to the now-boiling pot of water.
"You have any plans this weekend, Inuyasha?" she asked him.
"I do on Saturday, yeah."
"What? No way—me too!"
Inuyasha snorted at her and she laughed, pouring an opened jar of pasta sauce into a different pot and igniting the burner.
"Wanna do something on not-Saturday?"
"Yeah, sure."
He answered fast, like fast fast—like she hadn't fully finished saying Saturday before he agreed. It made a warmth radiate up her neck into her cheeks.
Kagome cleared her throat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Wanna do another Friday fig?"
There was silence on the other end of the call and it had Kagome bursting into a fit of giggles. She could only imagine the unimpressed face Inuyasha wore.
"I almost wanna say no just to punish you for usin' that stupid turn of phrase."
"You can't say no to me," she tried to purr around a giggle. "Plus, you can't deny the alliteration. But, see, if we do Sunday, then I'll wanna do brunch, and we already went out to eat."
"I don't mind brunch."
Kagome stalled, biting her lip.
Okay—there may have been another reason she wanted to call Inuyasha other than to say hi and to ask him to hang out this upcoming weekend.
"Inuyasha, listen. Can I be serious with you about something for a sec?"
"Uh—" he sounded hesitant, and that made Kagome's heartrate kick up a few BPMs— "Yeah, sure—what is it?"
"I enjoyed seeing you on Friday, for dinner. And what I've been wanting to say to you since then is—well—I'm a little upset with you about dinner."
"What? Why? Is it that argument that we—"
"—No, no, it's not about that," she interrupted, biting her lip. "I'm upset with you for—for paying. It was like at the cafe—you didn't even give me a chance to try and pay for myself."
The dismissive snorting laughter on his end was not appreciated. "Really? Kagome, come on. There was no way I was gonna make you pay for yourself. That place is—"
"—No, listen to me, Inuyasha. I'm being serious. While I truly appreciate you covering the bill, I don't want you to do that again. I don't want you to spend your money on me."
"Kagome, I—"
"—No, just listen to me, Inuyasha! Stop moving your mouth until I've said what I need to say." She took a deep inhalation, held it for a moment, then released it in a measured breath. "My job pays me well enough that I can afford going out for dinner with you. I wouldn't have agreed to go to that place if I couldn't pay for myself. I—I'm not comfortable knowing that you assumed you'd be paying for my dinner. You shouldn't do that—just because you have the money doesn't mean you're obligated to spend it, especially not on me. In the future, I don't want you doing that unless we've talked about it beforehand. Can you—can you respect that request?"
A longstanding silence had Kagome leaning her head from side to side, biting her lips. She contemplated if she should say something.
"Inu—Inuyasha? Are you still—?"
"—Yeah, I'm here. I'm just—" He cleared his throat— "I've just been thinkin' about what to say."
"Oh. Okay."
She granted him his space while she used a serving spoon to stir her sauce.
He laughed, breaking the silence. It sounded like some combination of self-deprecation and self-consciousness. "I don't know what to say, Kagome. I'm sorry? Thank you?" That same laugh again. "You know about Kikyou and—well, I—I appreciate it. And yeah, obviously I can respect that. Sorry I made you uncomfortable."
"Friends let friends reciprocate from time to time, too, Inuyasha," she added, the smile on her face adding a warmth to her tone. "Wanna do Friday? Oh! Have you still not used your oven?"
"What?" the word was a slow, shaky laugh. "Oh—right. When you were here I said—got it. And no, the oven could not even work and I'd have no idea."
Kagome giggled, draining her pasta noodles in a colander. "Okay, well, how about this? Why don't I pick up some things at the grocery store and I'll head over and we can make dinner? Put that oven to use?"
"You offerin' to cook for me, Kagome? Does that make me more of an incredibly attractive friend than a sufficient fr—?"
"—Shut up, Inuyasha," she huffed over a chuckle. "We are going to cook dinner. It will be a group activity."
Kagome heard a door close on his end and his next words sounded echoey. "Alright," he laughed. "That works for me. I'll let downstairs know you're comin' so you can just head on up when you're here."
"That works for me," she mirrored. "But, I'm gonna go, Inuyasha—my dinner's ready and there's shit TV calling before bed."
He laughed again, a mirthful exhale that was pleasant to the ear. "Sounds good, Kagome. See you, Friday."
"Enjoy your beefy deadman lifts on Thursday."
He scoffed. "Deadlifts, Kagome. They're called deadlifts."
"Mmhmm—see you Friday, Inuyasha."
"Bye."
I'm home now—thanks for having me over. It was good to see you!
Kagome placed her phone on her bedside table after sending the message to Inuyasha. He had been adamant she let him know once she arrived home, safe and sound. Kagome clicked on her lamp and was about to undress when her phone dinged.
Yeah, it was fun. Thanks for supplying dinner, Kagome—it was a good idea
I'm just glad we didn't burn it LOL
Maybe u should cook with less distractions
Maybe u shouldn't KISS ME while we're cooking
Kagome chuckled smugly at her phone, feeling pleased with her mocking response.
Not my fault the sous chef had lips ripe for kissing. Maybe u should set a timer next time, Kagome.
Pssht—it's YOUR oven. You set the timer. And NEXT TIME, huh? You enjoyed cooking with me that much, Inuyasha?
Yeah, it wasn't bad. Though I think the sous chef tasted better than the dinner
Kagome flushed, drawing her lips to the side as she fired back her response.
You're incorrigible lol. Enjoy the leftovers!
Kagome slipped into her pajamas, dropping her cellphone into the pocket of her flannel bottoms. Staring wide-eyed, aghast at her reflection in her ensuite bathroom, a laugh curled out of her throat. The sight of her smudged lipstick was absolutely ridiculous. Kagome picked up her phone as laughter shook her shoulders.
OMG, Inuyasha! Why didn't you tell me I looked like this before you let me leave?!
Looked like what?
Do you know how STUPID my makeup looks? I have lipstick all over my chin! And I was in PUBLIC like this?! You're the worst.
Consider it a reminder of how much u enjoyed being ravished, Kagome.
Then he said,
Besides, I think ur lipstick looked better when u left than when u came over
OMG you would think that lol—you're the worst. And properly RAVISHED, huh?
Yep. I told u before that it's unacceptable u hadn't been kissed properly. I had to rectify that.
Kagome snorted.
Inuyasha The Martyr lol. You want me to say thank you? Cuz you definitely rectified my "situation"...in your kitchen...on your couch...in your parking garage...
Lol ur welcome. Does she have a particular favourite?
What do you mean?
Ur ravishings brought us into some fun positions if u recall. On my counter with me between ur legs...my personal favourite was when u decided to straddle me on the couch (ur more than welcome to do that again btw)...or did u like it when I kissed u up against ur car?
Fuck, they were all hot.
Kagome hadn't known what came over her after dinner, when the two found themselves discarding their drinks to make-out again.
Actually, that was a lie. She knew exactly what came over her—who was to blame.
Kagome didn't have a hope in Hell of keeping her hands off of Inuyasha once they were in his living room—the dog demon could consider it retribution for surprising her in the kitchen.
Kagome's fingers hovered over her lips as she recounted how she rose to stand after placing the lasagna in the oven, and the way Inuyasha surprised her by grabbing her hand to pull her against him, where his back leaned against the island. Kagome had collided with the solid mass of his chest and she barely had time to register the look in his eye when he used his fingers to lift her chin so he could kiss her.
"What are you doing?" she had gasped against his lips, not yet wetted with the amalgam of their saliva. Her eyes darted back and forth as they bore into the depths of his hooded, golden orbs.
"You were the one, last week, who said that we're friends who kiss now," he replied, his tongue tickling her bottom lip as he traced it, the heat of his breath causing a shiver to fissure through her. "I needed to remind myself what you taste like. Tell me you're not enjoyin' this, Kagome. I'll stop if you—"
"—Don't you dare." Her words were equally as frantic as her hands, cupping his cheeks to crash her lips against his. The hunger with which she kissed him had his teeth digging into her lip and causing a momentary ripple of pain to shudder her. Inuyasha had immediately remedied that, turning her insides all gooey and molten as he lifted her onto his counter. His hands pried her knees apart so he could lean against the counter, between her legs. The smoothness of his actions had her gasping for a breath and Inuyasha's lips crooked into a teasing half-grin. His hand rounded the nape of her neck to pull her lips back to his. A rejuvenated fury of desire had issued a throaty moan from Kagome as she caressed the intrusive attention of his tongue.
It was honestly some kind of miracle that the lasagna didn't burn.
Kagome climbed out of that memory, a chuckle on her lips and moistness looming between her legs as her fingers traced her aching, kiss-swollen lips.
It was also some kind of miracle that Kagome hadn't escalated their situation to more than kissing—because God only knows how many times she wanted more than just his mouth, and how many times she actually tried.
She smiled against the pads of her fingers, recalling the many, many times Inuyasha had done something to prevent any of their make-out sessions from escalating.
Like when Kagome was on the counter and she wrapped her legs around his waist, desperate to feel his hardness against the apex of her thighs that was achingly seeping for him. He had pulled away from her mouth, reminding her they had dinner in the oven and Kagome had dropped from the counter with a gasp, having completely forgotten about the lasagna.
Like when Kagome had straddled him on the couch so she could kiss him at a deeper angle, she didn't realize until long after that he had held onto her hips to prevent her from grinding against him like she wanted to.
Like that time when Kagome stubbornly wanted to feel his skin so she reached for the hem of his shirt, keen to remove the article of clothing, only for him to grab her wrists in his hands and pin them to the couch. Moving his assaulting kisses to her jaw and neck had been a good way to distract her from losing the opportunity to touch his skin.
Kagome stared down at her phone, biting down on her thumb as a heat spread across her face.
He was really quite skilled at leaving her wanting.
For fuck's sake—this is friendship?
Who cares?
I'm NOT answering that... You're the worst, Inuyasha. She finally said, a giggle leaving her tongue.
Lol. If I had to guess...I'd say u liked it when I had u pressed up against ur car—I distinctly recall a pretty loud moan when I scraped ur tongue with my teeth, wrapping my hand around ur throat...
Fuck, he has your number, Kagome...that was pretty hot.
The. Actual. WORST! she replied, her cheeks blazing.
Lol u didn't think I was the worst when ur tongue was in my mouth, ur hands in my hair
Yes, I did—I just couldn't tell you cuz my mouth was busy
Kagome smirked at her reflection and reached for her micellar water.
U doin ok after all that?
Kagome paused her cotton pad mid-air to reach for her phone.
Yeah, I'm fine. Why?
His answer came swiftly. Kagome leaned her hips against the counter as she read his reply.
At the restaurant the other week u seemed unsure about being 'friends who kiss'. Kissing u tonight was hot—I liked it alot. But that's basically all we did lol. Just wanted to make sure ur ok with that, that u didnt think tonight was too much? That ur not feeling bad about it?
Kagome exhaled an appreciative laugh through her nose.
Let the record show I'm more than good with it. I like kissing you, Inuyasha. Is it weird that that's basically all we did tonight? I mean—probably? But I don't care—you clearly had fun lol. I had fun. I enjoy your mouth in addition to your company.
She smirked through her blush as her thumbs started flying with a follow up response.
But it's sweet of you to worry about that for me. I told you I'm not gonna overthink it. I had fun cooking with you and I wanted to kiss you after. Nothing to dwell over. If my position on that ever changes, I'll let you know.
Good girl
Kagome snorted. I'm not a DOG, Inu
...Inu?
Lol, not a fan? Do you realize how much time it takes to type out 'Inuyasha'? I'm tired—I spent all my energy matching you kiss for kiss. Your mouth is very demanding, you know
U seemed to have no issues keeping up. I like that little biting thing u do though btw. U can keep that up in the future
Kagome bit her cheek as she grinned.
In the future?
Yeah, like next Friday when you see me and probably tackle me with ur hello kiss.
You think I'm gonna kiss you hello?
Ur gonna go all week with my mouth on ur brain. It'll be the first thing u want when u see me, K
K? Really?
Yeah, too exhausting to commit to typing ur whole name
Lol ur so immature, INU
No—if I was immature, id be rubbing it in ur face about how much u loved kissing me tonight
Ur kisses were sufficient
Only sufficient, huh? Why does my couch still smell like ur arousal then?
Kagome dabbed at her lips with a cotton pad and groaned an outraged and flustered, "Oh my GOD!"
No it doesnt! OMG, INUYASHA—never again! Don't ever say things like that—I might actually die from embarrassment...
LOL What? Why? It's sexy as fuck that my mouth got u that turned on—ur saying u don't find that a little hot?
You want the truth?
Obviously
Kagome snorted, turning to rest her backside against her counter.
Remember how you said I could kiss you every time I see you if I wanted to?
Yeah
If you promise to always kiss me how you did tonight then I'm more than happy for a repeat performance.
It's a deal, K. I'll fuck up your lipstick anytime
Kagome's cheeks ached from the grin she'd been wearing since leaving Inuyasha's.
U in bed yet?
Not yet—I'm trying to get ready for bed but SOMEONE keeps distracting me
Maybe u should stop fantasizing about my mouth and finish getting ready for bed then
Kagome scoffed with an aggressive eyeroll, then decided she would leave Inuyasha's last comment unanswered. She finished preparing for bed then climbed underneath her sheets. She lay on her back, her duvet over her breasts, with her arms raised over her head. Her face was awash in the blue-white glow of her phone.
You still awake? she asked him.
Yeah, he replied not ten seconds later.
Can I share a truth with you?
If u want
Kagome alternated between chewing, biting, and licking at her lips while she sent her next message to Inuyasha.
It meant a lot to me tonight when you opened up about Kikyou over dinner. I'm so angry that shes made you feel like you're only as good as your bank account. Because you have a lot of great qualities, Inu, even if I DO want to rip your hair out sometimes lol. Can you promise me something? Please dont let your stupid ex make you feel any smaller than she already has. I see you, Inuyasha—and I know you'll come out on the other side of this realizing just how much of a great guy you are.
Kagome spent way too long working on that message. When she finally hit send, her eyes read and reread her note, eager for her phone to indicate Inuyasha was in the process of responding.
When the ellipses that meant he was typing kept appearing then disappearing for grueling minutes, Kagome forced herself to rest her phone against her stomach. Her eyes skipped over her ceiling, following the lines of shadows illuminated in the gentle coral glow of her salt lamp.
When her phone finally vibrated with his message, she made a dash to read it.
Here's a truth of my own, Kagome, which feels super lame to put into words, but here it goes. What u did tonight...the groceries, the dinner...it was really appreciated. At first when u told me u didn't want me spending my money on u, I thought it was bullshit, cuz all Ive known is women wanting to spend my money. But it hit me tonight that ur actually serious, that I actually have something to offer other than a fat wallet. I see u too, K, and I hope ur not sad about ur ending relationship for too long cuz ur ex-asshole isn't worthy of ur attention or ur emotions. If I can promise u what u want, then u need to promise me u wont let anyone EVER make u feel unimportant or unsexy ever again. Because ur a fun and sexy woman, and u deserve someone who will worship u. U deserve to live, K. U deserve to be happy.
Kagome felt tears sting behind her eyes.
I think ur gonna make me cry lol
Shit, sorry lol.
She ghost-tapped her fingers against her phone keyboard, debating what else to say.
Thank you, Inuyasha. I can't begin to tell you what those words mean to me. I'm really glad I met you. I'm really glad I decided to be friends with you.
Same, Kagome. Ur pretty adequate. U know, for a female friend.