Chapter 123
Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis
"All things change, and we change with them."

"I took a deep breath and listened
to the old brag of my heart;
I am, I am, I am."
—The Bell Jar

Kagome still felt overwhelmed but not to the extent that she had before. Inuyasha had actually been helpful in figuring out how to organize and approach her massive stack of assignments.

And staying home from school one more day wasn't going to hurt anything either in the grand scheme of things.

What was one more day?

However, in an effort to avoid the work, she organized herself and made a to-do list so she could see what she had to do instead of looking at a pile.

Thankfully, there were several post-it notes of missed exams and upcoming ones, and she made plans to study as hard as she could and hopefully take the missing ones when she returned to school.

It was going to be a whirlwind week while she was here.

But there weren't any sounds of a struggle from Inuyasha and Souta, so she figured that they'd managed to work things out and not boil Inuyasha alive.

She was working through a math assignment when her door opened, and her mother stepped inside.

"How are you doing?" She asked, and Kagome smiled.

"I'm okay. There's just a lot of work, and I need to study for some exams. I'm glad I'm staying home tomorrow to work on everything."

Kagome didn't miss the plate of snacks that she was carrying either.

"I see," her mother said, setting the plate down on the edge of her desk. "You were gone for a very long time."

"Yeah," Kagome sighed, turning to look at her book and avoid direct eye contact. "We didn't mean for it to be that long. We just got caught up with things, and then it was just a long way to get back here."

"You're sure that you're okay?" Her mother insisted, and Kagome knew that if she didn't look up and meet her mother's eyes, then she was going to be suspicious and prod more and more until she got an answer to what had happened.

The last thing that Kagome wanted to do was explain.

Kagome met her mother's gaze firmly and without pause, nodded.

"I'm fine, Mama, and I'll be better once all this work is done."

Her mother stared at her for a beat, before nodding and turning back towards the door.

"I'll call the school in the morning and let them know you'll be out tomorrow. Don't stay up too late, dear."

"Thanks, Mama," Kagome called, waiting until the door fully clicked shut to deflate.

Kagome was very much not ready to have a full conversation about the why she may or may not be okay. She was barely ready to address those feelings herself much less with anyone else.

The thought of her mother knowing what had happened—of knowing everything that had transpired—made the night air feel freezing to the touch. She stared at her hands for a moment, expecting to see them shake and quiver, only to find them still.

She hadn't thought about what had happened those months ago in the woods, when she was alone and injured, for a very long time. At least it felt like a very long time. Smiling, she realized that she no longer felt like she was quaking and terrified. Instead, it just a thing that had happened.

A singular event.

It did not make up who she was or her intrinsic worth.

The door opened, and Inuyasha stepped inside, wearing a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt.

"I swear, your brother is a fucking sadist," he said, looking over at her as he roughly toweled his hair dry. "Tried to fucking burn my ears off with the air rifle."

"The air rifle?" Kagome asked, tilting her head. "You mean the hair dryer?"

"Dunno, but it's fucking loud and hot." His ears flicked as if remembering the assault. "I think he melted part of my brain with it."

"That's not even possible," Kagome said, wincing as he roughly jerked his hair around. "Don't do that," she chided, reaching out for the towel.

Inuyasha huffed, almost sounding annoyed, but moved to sit down in front of her as she turned in her chair slightly. Inuyasha flopped down in front of her, and she gently took the towel from him as he slumped his shoulders.

She gently toweled his hair, squeezing the water out as she tried to dry and not tangle it more than it already had been.

"Can you get me my brush?" She asked, and Inuyasha rose up to her vanity and brought it to her before resuming his seat at her feet. Staring down at the top of his head, she realized this would probably be a little easier if she was sitting on the bed, but he seemed so compliant right now that she hated to interrupt it.

Picking up a section that had been horribly abused, she very carefully ran her brush through the ends, trying her best to not pull on it.

It probably wouldn't hurt as bad as when she did it to herself, but it would probably still be unpleasant to say the least.

The hair was still damp and easy to run a brush through and as she worked, she toweled the hair a bit more to dry it.

Inuyasha's chin rested on her knee as she continued to work, and she watched his eyes close as she ran the brush through his hair seamlessly.

"It's always better when you do it," he mumbled, and she smiled.

"That's because I don't make your head a bird's nest trying to dry it in a hurry." She said lightly squeezing his hair once more as she tried to get as much water out of it as possible. "I love your hair."

"It's weird."

"It's not weird. It's pretty and soft." She smiled as she let his hair fall against his back. "I always know that I can find you in the dark or in a crowd because it stands out."

He snorted at that, cracking an eye open as he tilted his head to look at her.

"My hair looks like everyone else's. Yours is special, which makes you special."

Kagome saw the red flush creeping up his cheeks as she talked to him and grinned.

For someone who boasted and blustered how strong and tough he was, Inuyasha was so easy to embarrass with compliments, which made her only want to do it more.

He should always be complimented for what he's done. His strength, his kindness, his stupid handsome face.

She raked her fingers gently against his scalp, feeling him shudder underneath her fingertips.

His ears flicked back for a moment, and he lifted his chin from her leg with a sharp inhale.

"You need to study," he said suddenly and rising to his feet. He plucked the towel out of her hands.

"I can help you dry your hair!"

"It's dry enough," he said, walking into the hallway. "Oi! Squirt!"

"Yeah?" Souta asked, leaning out of his bedroom only to get smacked with a damp towel in the face.

"There," he said, and Souta just laughed at him as he pulled the towel off his face as Inuyasha walked back into her room, shutting the door.

"Was that really necessary?" She asked, as he leaned over her shoulder to look at the plate on the desk.

"Your mom brought snacks," he said, reaching over to take a piece of apple.

"How do you know I didn't get them?"

"Because you're not supposed to walk, and the pipsqueak was with me, the old man's been snoring since dinner, and your mom's scent was in here earlier."

"Well, maybe I did walk."

Inuyasha leaned down and tapped her nose with the tip of a claw.

"Then you'd be a terrible liar."

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him as she turned back towards her homework. Inuyasha took another piece of apple, then went and sprawled out on her bed.

"How long until your mom gives my clothes back?"

"A couple hours? It's getting late, she'll probably just give them back to you in the morning." She turned in her chair towards where he was lying in her bed, sprawled out across the comforter and staring at the ceiling.

"These clothes are weird," was all he said on the subject.

It was a little strange to see him outside of his usual garb, but he looked so relaxed and at ease now. He looked comfortable and that alone filled her with a great sense of joy.

"You keep staring at me, and you'll never get any work done," he commented, turning his head enough that he could look at her from the corners of his eyes.

Kagome huffed and spun around in her chair.

"Fine, I'll just ignore you," she said, focusing back on her school work.

Kagome jerked as her pen clattered to the desk, and she sat up quickly, snapping upright in her seat.

Blinking, she looked up to see Inuyasha leaning over her a little as she tried to remember what she'd been doing.

Ugh, she must've dozed off while doing her math homework.

"Come on, it's late," he said, gently pulling the chair back to pick her up and move her to the bed.

"Sorry," she mumbled, leaning into his shoulder, even as he settled her onto the bedding that had already been pulled back and left waiting for her. She scooted back against the wall, holding her arms out for him.

He glanced towards the door.

"I don't—"

"Please?"

"But your mom—"

Kagome huffed.

"Stop being a wuss and get in here."

"I am not a wuss!"

"Well, then you really are being a chicken!"

Kagome could see his irritation bristling just under his skin, and he stared back, jaw clenched.

"Fine!" He hissed back, stalking back to her desk and flipping the switch on her lamp.

She felt the bed shift a moment later in the dark as he climbed in beside her, and she eagerly flipped the blankets over the both of them.

"Uh," Inuyasha started.

"Oh, lay down already," she ordered, tugging his arm towards her.

"You really are bossy when you're tired," he muttered, "and if I get any bullshit about it from your family, I'll—I'll do something about it."

"Sure, fine, just go to sleep, Dog Boy. You can complain about it tomorrow," she said, tugging his arm under her head and curling up against his chest so that her nose pressed right into the base of his throat. He was warm, and he always made her feel safe. Like someone was always going to be watching out for her.

Kagome sighed, already drifting back off into sleep as his other arm curled around her and a breath of a kiss pressed into her hair.

She sighed, and it didn't take long before she was asleep.

Kagome woke slowly. She was warm and the air outside the little cocoon was just cool enough that it made her want to snuggle in a little deeper.

She blinked as a blanket was tugged up and over her shoulders and the weight of an arm draped back over her.

Inuyasha was in front of her, stretched out alongside her, and it made her smile.

His youki felt calm and still—and peaceful. His youki had never felt this still before. It was always moving and energetic, like it was waiting to be needed. But this felt like lake water. Kagome marveled at how it felt like running her fingers over silk and satin.

"You gonna say good morning or just lay there?" He asked, and she huffed.

"Maybe I was trying to go back to sleep."

"Not with how you were poking at me."

"I was not poking you! I just woke up!" She pushed herself back a little, so she could look in his face, and he grunted as she poked him firmly in the chest. "That's poking!"

"Would you settle down?" Inuyasha groaned, rolling onto his back and Kagome huffed at him.

"I was not poking you," she insisted, staring at him as he shifted just a bit to get comfortable and then looked over at her in mild annoyance.

"Just lay down, would you? No one else is awake yet.'

He was right, the sky was just starting to lighten and no one would be up for anything for a little bit.

"Fine," she flopped down—gently—hearing his 'oof' when she connected with his side and curled against him. He tugged the blanket back over the two of them as she wiggled a little to get comfortable, finally deciding that it would just be easier to wrap her arm around his middle and tug herself closer to him and use him as a pillow.

"You done?" He asked her, and she pinched his side hearing him yelp.

"Now I'm done," she said, smiling as Inuyasha growled out lowly in the back of his throat, even though he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

Kagome shifted just a bit, listening to the strong thudding of his heart under her ear. If she placed her hand across his sternum, she could feel it beat under her fingertips.

Under her palm.

It beat and beat and beat.

Relentless. Unstoppable.

Kagome smiled, pressing her palm against his chest as she closed his eyes.

"Oi," Inuyasha said, shaking her gently. "You gotta get up."

Kagome took a deep breath and opened her eyes, stretching her arm out before curling it back up.

"You're like a damn cat," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Always stretching and then doing nothing."

Inuyasha rose up on his elbow, forcing her up as well, even though she whined the whole way.

"Why do I have to get up?" She flopped back onto the bed.

"Because your mother is making breakfast," Inuyasha said, standing and stretching his arms over his head.

There was no going back to sleep now, especially with her bladder singing the song of its people.

"Ugh fine," she said, shifting to the edge of the bed and sitting up. "Can you at least let me make a pit stop at the bathroom first?"

He sighed heavily like she'd just asked him to sit down with his brother for dinner.

"I guess," he said, making the turn inside the doorway, setting her down in front of the sink.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Now go outside, and don't listen." He opened his mouth to speak, and she shoved her hand over his mouth. "Don't." His eyes narrowed, and she poked his chest. "Don't."

She pulled her hand away, and that grin was definitely something to be worried about.

"Inuyasha?" Her voice was quiet, because it felt like she was looking at a predator.

"Big Brother!" Souta shouted as he came up the stairs. Inuyasha took a step back and Kagome shut the door between them forcefully.

Kagome opened the door to see Inuyasha back in his firerat. It didn't surprise her at all. It was familiar, and he belonged in it.

"Hey," she whispered, a smile breaking out across her face.

"You ready?" He asked, and she nodded.

"When did you change?" She asked as he picked her up.

"You weren't exactly quick to take a piss, you know," he said, leaping down the stairs.

She lightly punched him in the shoulder.

"Some people don't wake up inherently pretty, Dog Boy," she grumbled.

"Yeah, but you're not one of them," he said, and Kagome started to retort, but then his words clicked in her head.

Had he just called her pretty?

He had, hadn't he?

She stared up at his face, leaning up as they were just outside the kitchen and gently kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?"

She shook her head at him, smiling.

"For being you."

"You usually sit me for that."

He kicked a chair out with his foot, setting her down gently.

"Good morning," her mother said, dropping a plate in front of Kagome and Inuyasha as he sat down beside her.

"Good morning," they both echoed as her mother turned to call Souta down for breakfast, who was already sprinting into the kitchen and sliding into his seat.

"You're running late, Souta," she reminded.

"I know, but Big Brother is here!" He said.

"That's no excuse."

Souta groaned as he dug into his food, and her mother took her seat.

Her grandfather sipped from his coffee mug as they all ate quietly until Souta gathered up his dishes and set them in sink.

"Bye!" He shouted, running for the door.

"Have a good day!" His mother called after him.

"I will!" Came the reply as the door shut.

"Well, I believe I will go out to the shed and see what our dear visitor can help me move."

"You need to find those crutches for Kagome," her mother reminded him.

"Ah yes, of course," her grandfather nodded.

"I thought I was staying with you," Inuyasha whispered as he leaned over next to her.

"You're going to be bored sitting in my room all day."

"No, I won't," he argued, ears back and flat against his skull.

"Yes, you will. I'm just going to be studying and doing homework. I'm not going to be any fun at all."

"You don't know that," he grumbled, finishing off his food.

"It's just until you find my crutches and do a couple of chores for grandpa."

He let out a noise that sounded halfway between a sigh and a huff.

Kagome patted his arm as she continued to eat her breakfast.

Inuyasha had taken her upstairs, making a firm stance that he would be better able to take care of her if he stayed here.

"Inuyasha, I'm fine. I've got everything that I need right here. You're not going out of hearing distance if something goes wrong. I'll even leave my window open."

"It's too chilly for you to leave the window open. You'll catch a cold."

Kagome just stared at him.

"Help grandfather and then you can come back up here. I'll probably need a break from studying anyway. You can help distract me from how badly I'm going to fail everything this year."

Inuyasha scoffed at that comment, leaning over to quickly kiss her.

"You're the smartest person I know. So don't disappoint me." He smirked as he walked out of her room, and she barely had enough time to throw one of her pencils at him—missing the target and hitting the door jamb instead.

Huffing, she turned back to her stacks upon stacks upon stacks of assignments.

"I can do this," she mumbled to herself.

"I can't do this," she whined, flopping back in her chair. Her brain already felt like mush.

Maybe a change of scenery would help.

She was supposed to stay off the ankle but it wasn't like a short trip to the bathroom was going to hurt anything. It wasn't like she was going to take a tumble down the stairs or anything.

Standing up from her chair, she stretched her legs out and decided that the bathroom was a safe trip. No one would know that she'd moved around.

Limping out of her bedroom, she went into the bathroom. She walked out a few minutes later, looking down at the stairs.

How bad would it be to just take a small trip outside and get some sun? Inuyasha was helping her grandfather. He'd never have to know. She could slip downstairs on her butt so she didn't have any pressure on her ankle, and then get back upstairs the same way.

A victimless crime.

She slowly lowered herself on the top of the stairs, and slowly lowered herself down a step, keeping her one foot out.

Look! No one was getting hurt! She was fine!

Kagome was about halfway down when a red figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Uh," she stammered out, looking around like there was something to explain why she was sliding down the stairs on her butt.

Inuyasha crossed his arms with a definitely not happy look on his face.

"I am not on my ankle?" She said, already knowing that it sounded lame.

"What happened to working on your stuff?" He asked, not coming up the stairs.

"I wanted to take a break," she said softly, staring at the stair in front of her. "My brain feels like mush."

There was a long sigh, and he was suddenly in front of her.

"You couldn't call?"

"I wanted to surprise you?"

There was another long stare, and Kagome felt herself shrinking back just a little at it, because she knew she could've just yelled, and he'd have come running to do whatever she asked, because he was far too kind for his own good.

"You wanna go outside?" He asked after a moment, and she perked up at his offer.

"Can we go sit in Goshinboku?"

"Is that where you were heading?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, and she gave a short nod. "You taking the long route to get there?"

"Well, I figured you'd have something to say if I jumped out of my window."

He snorted at that and scooped her off the stairs and carrying her the rest of the way down and outside. He made a couple bounds to the base of the tree, and then suddenly they were leaping up into the branches. He landed on one with a level of grace that she'd never be able to achieve even on her absolute best day.

He sat back against the trunk, keeping her in his lap as he settled back.

"So, what were you doing with grandpa?"

"Moving shit, and then moving shit back. Moving it again. Letting him look through it. Putting it back," he sighed loudly. "And then he'd forget that he went through the box already and made me get it back down, and that's why we're only through half of the shit."

"So why were you walking through the house?"

"I could feel like you were about to do some dumb ass shit, and I thought that I should probably stop it."

"I wasn't doing anything dumb! I was being smart about it!"

"Sliding down the stairs on your ass is dumb ass shit, Kagome."

"But I wasn't on my ankle," she countered, holding up a finger. "And that was the rule."

Inuyasha deadpanned a look at her that was full of clear annoyance at both her finger and her point. But she wasn't wrong.

And he couldn't argue against it.

Giggling, she grinned up at him as he glared down at her with only half the annoyance that he usually did.

"Face it, Dog Boy, I'm not wrong."

"You're not right either, but I'll let it slide."

"Oh, you're going to let it slide?"

"Just this time," he whispered, leaning in slightly.

She met him halfway.

A/N: I swear, I love and hate this chapter. The next chapter will be longer, but I'm struggling to work through the next few. I am working on some of my other fics, and I'm hoping to *actually* finish one of the long ones this year. Anyway, thank you for appeasing me as I enjoy these two dumb idiots being dumb idiots. There's only a couple more chapters of this if you're bored.