A Time for Changes

Chapter 15 – Stealing Glances Through The Key Hole

Inuyasha opened an eye slowly, meeting a face full of black ebony hair.  There was a calm in the room, the ceiling fan stilled, and finally there was a break in the summer heat. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled, closing his eyes again. She smelled faintly of fresh rain and cherries, but also carried the scent of dried tears.  With a small sigh Kagome rolled over into his chest, her forehead resting on his chest.

“Kagome?” he whispered gently, combing her bangs off her forehead. “You awake?”

She nuzzled against his chest and sighed, wrapping her arms around him, pulling close to his body. Clearly, she wasn’t awake.  The stains of last night were still clear on her back; while the wounds had closed and almost entirely healed, a few of the worse road rashes remained, peaking out from underneath her sports bra.  Her legs were twisted in the bed sheets, bent just slightly at the knees.

Inuyasha’s heart clenched, remembering her face full of tears looking back at him. “But I’m not even a demon am I, I’m just a monster!”  He cuffed one of her bangs behind her ear and smiled down at her, “You’re nothing close to a monster.”

Somehow, it felt natural to be beside her. All he wanted last night was to get her to stop crying. Eventually she did, completely collapsed in his bed, exhausted. He assured Sango that he would move Kagome back to her own bed and watch over her, but once the door closed, Inuyasha felt he wanted nothing but to go to sleep. So here he was with this tiny little thing wrapped around his waist, and somehow, it felt completely like home.

Inuyasha slowly lifted her arms from his waist and nudged her over to the other side of the bed. Toes clicked against the floor. Just as he moved towards the shower he heard something vibrating on the marble counter. It continued to hum as he scrambled to the counter. Without looking at the name he flipped it open.

“Hello?”

“Are you just waking up now?”

“Oh, good morning, Kikyo.” Inuyasha looked over his shoulder to  see Kagome still curled up in his bed, “Yeah, we had a rough night.”

“We?”

Inuyasha gulped and rubbed the back of his head, “Yeah, Sango and Kagome were over and things were just a little rocky.”

“Rocky. I see.”

It always felt like Inuyasha was covering and scrambling. He let out a low sigh and went to the fridge and opened it, “Everything’s fine now, just meant a little bit more sleeping in than normal. Keh, slept like a freaking rock. “ He pulled out a bottle of water. “So what’s up?”

“I need to see you, Inuyasha,”

He paused from closing the fridge, “Is something wrong?”

“A change in events, I need to discuss it with you,” she replied as calm and cool as she always was.

 

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Her feet slammed against the floor in a consistent rhythm as she rounded a city corner.  It was not often that Kagome was allowed to have some alone time, but Inuyasha and Sango agreed that any of Kagome’s training with Lady Kanade was left untouched. So Kagome took this as her time to run the city streets. At first her pacing was horrible, as any other college girl who had a naturally skinny body; she never had to exercise before to stay fit. Sango found it humorous at first, running circles around her best friend, but Kagome has learned and improved.

Four miles under her belt, Kagome slowed her run to a jog, coming across the street where she had encountered the little girl yesterday. The traffic lights shifted and Kagome stopped before the crosswalk and relived the moment of saving that young girl. She breathed heavy while bouncing from foot to foot to keep her heart rate up.

‘I wonder what happened to that little girl.’

The stupid little human was probably scolded by its stupid mother.

Kagome chuckled and began to job across the street. ‘You’re probably right. I’d want to hit my kid too, or at least yell.’

Survival of the fittest would have had that mother prepare her child or simply let her get hit. We have to eliminate the weak.

‘Oh come on, that’s so horrible. Would you ever let that happen to your own pup?’

The demon said nothing.

Kagome turned another corner in her jog, turning up her volume on her ipod. She happened to be looking down while changing to a new song, when someone grabbed her by the arm.

Kagome jerked back, stumbling, but managing to catch her balance by reaching out and grabbing a telephone pole. “Whoa.”

“It’s you!” a little voice screamed, followed by a bunch of giggles.

The little bundle of a child was running in circles around Kagome. Meanwhile the demon was groaning inwardly, Kagome pulling her headphones from her ears and wrapping them around the ipod.  “Can you,” she spun in a circle to find the girl, “hold still?”

“Rin! Thank gods I found you. The Lord would have had my head on a platter for dinner.”

Now Kagome was even more confused as a small green kappa appeared and grabbed the running child by the waist. Finally, Kagome got a good look at the girl. While now wearing a far more elegant black and white kimono, it was the same little girl from yesterday. Her hair was pulled back into a braid and she had the faintest blush on her face.

“I found her, Jaken! I found the demon lady.”

Kagome cringed and stepped back slightly, unsure of the little green demon at her legs holding the young girl, who finally, had calmed down. Her name was Rin, apparently. The green demon looked up at her and bowed, “We have been looking for you, Miss…?”

“Um, Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi,” Kagome squeaked out slowly.

“Kagome-chan!” Rin sang, tugging on Kagome’s sweaty risk.  “You left yesterday!”

“Oh um,” Kagome brushed back her sweaty bangs. “I had to head home. I’m sorry, Rin-chan.”

Jaken bowed in front of Kagome, “My lady, the Lord has requested an audience with you.”

“An audience?” Kagome panted, still trying to find a way to escape and return to her run. “What are you talking about?”

“He wants to thank you for saving me!” Rin chirped. She tried bouncing, but her kimono kept her pretty close to the ground, much to Kagome’s relief. “I want to play with you. Can I, Kagome-chan?”

“Um, sure?” Kagome looked from Rin, who had now decided to hug her sweaty leg, to Jaken. “Please tell me now right now though, right? I’m---“ she gestures to her sweaty form.

“Oh no, the Lord would never do something without scheduling. That would not be proper.” Jaken dug into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “This is the information for an event in your honor, as thanks. It will be this Friday night.”

Kagome took the card and looked at it. Just as suddenly as the two had appeared, the two were bowing in front of her. Rin was actually being pushed down by Jaken’s guidance but still. It was as if Kagome suddenly had authority over these complete strangers.

Kagome sighed and bent at the knees, tilting Rin’s head up so the two could look face to face. “Were you hurt yesterday, Rin-chan?”

Rin smiled, some teeth missing from her tiny little mouth. “A got a scab on my elbow, but not because of you, Kagome-chan. You really protected me with that big bear hug.” She threw open her arms for emphasis.

Kagome smiled and ruffled the girl’s hair, “I’m glad you’re alright.” She stood and looked to Jaken, “It would be a pleasure to attend this…audience…thing. But please, I don’t want anything fancy or spectacular. Okay?”

“I will relay your request to the Lord. Thank you, Lady Kagome.”

 

 

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Sango opened the door to the café and waved at Nana at the counter. While not a “regular”, Sango had learned that if Kagome and Inuyasha weren’t home, they tended to be here.  Much to her relief Kagome was on the yellow couch. She sat on the couch’s arm with an easel up, working on Nana’s face.

“Kagome, she looks beautiful.”

Kagome looked over her shoulder and smiled, “Thanks. She’s not quite there yet, but I’m glad you like it.”

The portrait of Nana was a simple outline. Nana was leaning over the counter, as if welcoming a customer. Her hair in the portrait was black. Nana was entirely in her element; she was surrounded by syrup, coffee beans, cups, espresso, and with a small smirk on her face, Nana looked like she was at home.  Kagome had added little highlights of color, but the overall look was so soft, as if it were a faded photograph.

Sango sat down on the couch and looked at the portrait, “It’s like I could talk to her right now.”

“Well you could, she is right behind you.” Kagome laughed and put down the charcoal, wiping her hands on her faded overalls. “So what’s up? You haven’t been here in a while.”

“Well, last night was pretty rough, Kagome. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Kagome picked up her coffee and sipped at it, thinking. “Tension. But I’m fine.”

“You always say you’re fine, Kagome.” Sango poked her friend’s side. “Kagome, you were hysterical last night. You didn’t stop crying for hours.”

Kagome rubbed her eyes, getting charcoal smudges on her eyebrows. “I always feel like I’m in therapy with you. You revaluate the scenes over and over again.” She put down her cup and went back to art. “I know I need to find a middle ground.”

“You jumped in front of a car, Kagome. The thing that made you cry was that someone called you a monster. You didn’t at all seem upset about the car,” Sango protested.

Kagome sighed, “I don’t know how to explain this to you.  She was in my dream. That girl. That car. That accident. It was all in my dream.”  She began to color in the blush on Nana’s cheekbones, “I was afraid I couldn’t save her, I wasn’t afraid for myself.”

“But why? Why do you make yourself such a low priority?”

Kagome shrugged, “I could not save my parents. I could not save Souta. Let me at least save Rin-chan without grief.”

“Rin-chan?”

“That’s her name,” Kagome explained, picking up a different piece of colored charcoal. “She ran into me today while I was jogging. She wants me to ‘play’ with her in a few days.” Kagome smiled gently and looked back at her portrait. “Maybe I’ll be able to draw her too.”

“When is the gallery showing, anyway?”

“Two weeks. I have a ticket for you back at the apartment, but another one too.”



“Why not invite Inuyasha?”

Kagome shrugged again, “Because Kikyo doesn’t like me?”

“Since when has a girl ever stop you? Do you remember how many girls wanted to date Koga-kun?”

Kagome laughed gently and pushed a bang behind her ear, “That’s true. I’ll think about it. I’m not sure he’ll want to do the art thing.”

“You are his roommate, he’d be a jerk if he didn’t go. Seriously, that’s like, basic courtesy.”

Nana stood beside Kagome and Sango and stared at the picture, as if to scrutinize it. She rubbed her chin and smiled, “I think you like to make me look younger. Is this just a ploy to get free muffins and coffee?”

The three chuckled and Kagome nodded her head, “I’m not a good liar at all. Sango knows about my secret romance with Miroku and now you know about my secret desire to grab all the free goods I can!”

“Obviously preparing for hibernation. ” Nana nodded her head, satisfied with her answer. “Don’t work too hard, Kagome. You’ll put wrinkles in that pretty little forehead.” She patted Kagome on the head, filled up Kagome’s coffee cup, and trotted back to her counter.

Kagome looked at Sango and smiled, “One day, all of these confusing things with me will be better. But I’m not sure you’ll ever be able to understand me the way you used to, Sango.”

Sango tried to hide her hurt, “How could you say that? We’ve been best friends for years.”

 

“That won’t change, Sango. Never.” Kagome began shading on Nana’s chin. “But it’s because you’re a human…you’re normal, Sango.”

“You’re normal too, Kagome.”

Kagome shook her head, “No, I’m not.” Her voice was firm, “I am part demon and part priestess.  My body can now endure things it couldn’t normally.” She turned to her friend, “I can jump from my the window of my apartment to the street and not miss a beat. The demon in me, she’s so powerful. She’s not even a full demon.”

Watch it. I don’t need to be a full demon to control you, girl.

Kagome smirked at the demon. “Do you understand that, Sango?”

Sango couldn’t help but sigh. She couldn’t help but bit her lip and look away. How could she listen to Kagome forcibly explain that she was different? Kagome wasn’t trying to boast, but she was in a way, pushing Sango farther and farther away. It’d been like this since the hospital. The gap was becoming larger and larger.

 

 

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Kagome pushed open the door to her apartment and leaned the easel by the door.  There was a note on the counter from Inuyasha with four simple words: Date, call if emergency.  Inuyasha was so good with his words it made Kagome laugh.  She pulled open the fridge and to her surprise there was a bowl of pre-made ramen with plastic wrap over it. There, she found another note: Food, eat it.

Mature, that one is.

Kagome actually laughed at loud at her demon voice, trying to balance the bowl of soup while pulling out a bottle of water. “I know, right? You really think the note for the food was necessary?”

As if between the two of us we couldn’t fathom eating.

Kagome popped the soup into the microwave and set it for two minutes. “I’m pretty sure my grumbling stomach would have been a cue.”

After waiting for the timer, Kagome sat down at the table with her soup and water. “Why do you decide to talk to me now? Didn’t you want to get rid of me?”

Because I thought you were completely weak and stupid.

“Gee, thanks,” Kagome stirred the soup. “You said you wanted to lock me up forever.”

Just your damn priestess blood.

“I can’t control what makes me up. That’s just insane.”

The further you train your priestess powers the more you confine me.

“But I…you just came out the other day.”

Because YOU let me out. I cannot come out on my own.

“But you have before! At the graveyard, you just took over. You’ve done that before, right?”

When you’re unstable, you leave yourself open for it. You have barriers.

“Barriers? I can’t even do anything with my powers yet.”

Not those powers, you moron. You and I are a hurricane of chaos. You have no secure thoughts or emotions in here.

Kagome finished off her soup and put the bowl in the sink.  “Do you even have your own name? Since you want to be separate from me, the human, maybe you need your own identity?”

Kagome waited and there was a little silence that filled the room.

Tsuki

“Moon?”

It’s all I can think of right now. I was born under the moon, that night.

“Do you remember….what happened to me? Do you…have my memories?”

There was a little bit more silence. I do.

Kagome walked into her room and looked at the repaired mirror. Inuyasha had surprised her one-day and brought home a new mirror for her, large and oval.  She sank into her chair and looked at the mirror, the reflection sending back red eyes for Kagome to stare into.

“Tsuki, what do you really want from me?”

I don’t want anything from you

“But you’re here. I’m here. We share this body.”

 I hardly call you occasionally giving me permission to use this body ‘sharing’. The reflection shrugged its fingers in the air with air quotes.

Kagome smirked, “Then how do I do this? How do we move back and forth?”

We can’t. Not the way we are now. It will require some research.

“Fine. But the next time you take over at least let me see, okay? No more locking me out?”

Then you need to let me out when I tell you to.

Kagome nodded slowly, “Fine.” She put her hand up to the mirror, “It’s a deal?”

The demon placed its hand on the mirror, touching hers through the glass. ‘A deal.’

 

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“What do you mean you’re leaving the country?” Inuyasha slammed his water glass on the table, almost knocking it over in shock.

Kikyo put down her glass of white wine and looked at him dead on, “The Company will be relocating me back to the United States in September.”

“That only leaves August left! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Inuyasha, I just found out yesterday. That’s why I called you,” her eyes had narrowed and she seemed slightly defensive.

Inuyasha pulled at the beanie on his head and growled, “Seriously, did you know this would happen?”

“I told you from the start I came back to Japan for work, not just you.”

“Damnit, Kikyo, you sought me out. If you wanted you could have just left it at two years ago.” Inuyasha looked down at his empty plate and growled again, “Now I’m involved. Why did you get me involved if you knew you were going to leave.’

“I didn’t know I was going to leave.”

“But you’ve left before. It was part of your job. Right?”

Kikyo looked away and took in a deep breath. To Inuyasha, it looked like she was almost regretting telling him to begin with. “It is an important job, Inuyasha. Is it so wrong my job makes me happy?”

“No, that’s not why I’m mad, damnit.” Inuyasha paused while a waiter walked by. “You could be a carpenter, a mime, a gymnast, for all I care, but what I can’t understand is why you do this to us. Why do you toss us aside? Why do you always assume I’m going to be here? Damnit, why am I not a priority?”

Kikyo turned back to him with for once, it seemed, a touch of sadness in her eyes, “You were still here when I came back though. What does that say to me?”

Inuyasha glared and leaned back in his chair, “It said that I thought we loved each other. But you left and then came back like a lost dog.  What does that say about you?”

“We made a promise, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha tilted his chair forward, threw some money on the table, and then stood. “I’m starting to wonder if you ever loved me before.”

“Why do I have to say something to make it real?”

“Actions speak louder than words, Kikyo.  Your actions have always been about your job.”

With that, he left.

Inuyasha opened the door to the apartment and found Kagome, per usual, sleeping on the couch.  On her chest, clutched tight under her crossed arms, was her sketchbook. There was a pencil tucked behind her ear.  It was a little cold tonight, so she had opted for a pair of sweatpants, and to his pleasant surprise, one of his old t-shirts.

After investigating the kitchen and seeing that she ate and cleaned up, he sighed and ripped off his beanie, tossing it to the floor. He lifted up her feet and plopped down on the couch, letting her legs rest on his lap.

“Hey there, ‘Yasha,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he mumbled, ears flat against his head.

Kagome shook her head and continued to rub her eye, the other open, “You just get back from your date?”

He shook her his head, “Went for a walk around the city. Shit on my mind.”

“ ‘Yasha, what’s wrong?”

“We fought, again.” Inuyasha looked away at the floor. “I’m I unreliable, Kags? Do you think I’m just a big dummy?”

Kagome gently tossed her sketchpad and pencil onto the coffee table. With a slight squirm she sat up a tiny bit. “Well, we both can be idiots. But you’re not unreliable, stupid.” She grinned, fang sticking out.

He laughed lightly and stuck out his tongue at her.  “You suck, you know that?”

Kagome leaned forward and pulled Inuyasha down. He yelped slightly and found himself sideways against her until she rotated him until Inuyasha’s back was against her chest. She secured her arms around his waist and laughed into his hair, “I might suck, but you’re stuck with me, Inuyasha.”

He laughed harder, feeling both their body shake. “You are trying to make me forget about the fight?”

Kagome squeezed him gently and looked into their apartment, “Not at all. Talk about it. Talk to me. I’ll listen to you.”

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, “I just...shit, I don’t even know.”

“Well, what did she say today that made you so upset?”

Inuyasha wiggled slightly so her chin rested against his shoulder, so he wasn’t just smushing her. “I feel like I’m not taken seriously.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a mutt.”

“A dog demon?”

Inuyasha sighed, “I’m half human and half demon. It’s like that makes me incapable of understanding her.”

Kagome squeezed one of his hands gently, “Do you really think that is the reason?”

“No. Damnit. We were together so long but out of nowhere she just left.  And…it hurt. It hurt like she fucking shot me. Then after two years she comes back. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, because she’s just going to leave again.”

“She’s leaving again?”

Inuyasha closed his eyes; “Her Company wants to send her back to the states.”

“And she accepted?”

He paused. “I didn’t wait to find out.”

Kagome closed her eyes and leaned into his white hair,  “If you want it to work, I think you can make it happen.” She thought of Koga and felt herself wince even if she didn’t want to.

“You alright?” He looked over his shoulder down at her. “Am I too much of a fatass for you?”

Kagome laughed and hugged him tight, “If you keep feeding me ramen for meals I’m going to be a fatass with you. We’re a team, Inuyasha. No matter what happens, we’re a team.”

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay everyone! I went on a little vacation with the family. I'd love some reviews and input!

Vanessa Carlton  “Hear the Bells”