4-4-2

4-4-2

Chapter Two: Room Mates

Kagome emerged from the bathroom feeling better than she had in hours. She was warm, clean, and thanks to InuYasha’s ex-girlfriend leaving some clothes behind, in dry PJ’s. “Are you sure this is okay with you? I mean you don’t even know me.” Kagome said worriedly. InuYasha looked at her from his couch. “InuYahsa, Kagome. Kagome, InuYasha. There we know eachother.” Kagome sighed. “I wish more people were as easygoing as you.” He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m one of a kind all right.” Kagome smiled. “Thank you again for letting me stay here tonight. I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.” He frowned. “What happened anyways. I mean, not to pry. It’s just not everyday that I see a girl crying on the edge of the road looking for a ride to a motel in the middle of a thunderstorm…” Kagome looked away ashamed. “Were you kicked out?” Kagome’s expression froze. InuYasha smiled softly. “It’s okay. I won’t press you for details. Just know that you’ll be fine. I know you were kicked out because I was kicked out of the home I grew up in a little over a year ago. I know that look in your eyes.” Kagome couldn’t find words. “I… I don’t know what to say.” He looked back towards the TV. “Do you have somewhere you can go?” she mulled it over for a few moments before realizing that she really didn’t. Hearing silence, he looked back at her. “You’re welcome to live here if you like. I’ve been looking for a new room mate anyways.” Kagome’s eyes brightened. But she frowned. “I couldn’t. I don’t have a job or any money, and I’ve already been enough of a burden on you.” He sighed. “You gotta stop apologizing for everything. it’s not a problem really. If you’re willing to get a job to help pay rent, I can front you for a few weeks until you find one.” Kagome grinned widely and InuYasha smirked. “I’ll take that as a yes.” She nodded. “Thank you InuYasha. You’re a good person. You really are.” He shook his head. “No I’m not. I just don’t like to see people who are kindhearted suffer. And you live here now, so stop standing there and make yourself at home. You like drag racing? The Camera/Trans Am shootout recap is on.” She smiled and sat on the other side of the couch. “My father used to work on old muscle cars. I’ve always loved watching them race and going to car shows.” InuYasha perked up at this. “A woman after my own… Ho Damn! That’s Miroku. Hang on a sec, I need to watch this.” Kagome watched the screen in awe as her past flashed before her eyes. Her first boyfriend stepped into his old purple Camaro that he had taken her to prom in and floored it down the track. She didn’t see the other car, or the time he finished in, or that he had won. She didn’t hear InuYasha cheering. “He made it. He actually made it.” She said, quietly reminiscing about how he used to talk about his dreams of drag racing. “Huh? You know Miroku?” InuYasha said, stirring her from her memories. Kagome nodded. “He was my first boyfriend. We broke up before he left for collage. We agreed that him being in collage and me being still in high school wouldn’t work. I was a sophomore then. He was such a perv, but I’ve never met anyone so kind hearted.” InuYasha grinned. “Yeah, That’s him alright. Small world. Remember that friend of mine who rents the house across the street? Well, that’s him and his girlfriend.” Kagome gasped. “Really? You mean I can see Roku again?” InuYasha smiled and nodded. Inside he felt a little jealous of his friend. He told himself that that was dangerous thinking. That he had just met her and she’s obviously distressed. ‘I shouldn’t fall for her. I’m still not over Kikyo. And I don’t want her to get hurt, she’s already been through a lot. But all the same she’s… she’s everything I wished that Kikyo was, and even more attractive. And she actually likes cars too… wow… maybe…” “InuYahsa?” he looked up “huh?” she smiled. “If it’s okay with you, I think I would like to stay. I’ll go looking for a job tomorrow and I’ll pay my share as soon as I can.” He grinned and looked about to say something when the phone rang. “Hold that thought.” He said, jumping up. Kagome giggled and shook her head. She liked him, but she knew she couldn’t. Not rightfully. There was no way he would accept her if he knew why she had been kicked out. Her thoughts still dwelled on it though. ‘He is really cute, and he is so kind hearted… he’s done so much for me and he hardly even knows me. And I know he and I will be good friends and get along well if I stay here. But I doubt he would want to commit to it. It’s so much responsibility… and we’re really both too young to be able to do what’s best for…” she was stirred from her thoughts by a loud scream from the kitchen. “Miroku! You Lucky Fucking Bastard! You gotta get your ass over here and celebrate with us, man… oh, yeah, I got a new room mate… apparently you know her… well, you’ll see when you come over here… Oh you Mother Fucking Horndog!…. Well, that doesn’t surprise me… Alright man, well, you enjoy your ‘Victory dance’. It’s obviously more important than me… Oh, bullshit you are… alright, well you have fun with that… yeah tomorrow night… sure, what do you want… alright, I’ll see what I can scrape together… Yeah, I can probably hit up Myoga or Toutosai for some… alright man. Take care. And congrats again… later.” InuYasha immerged from the kitchen wearing a faced of mixed happiness and disappointment. “Miroku won a sponsorship and a new crate 427 for his Camaro.” Kagome grinned. “Yet you seem disappointed.” InuYasha smirked. “I can’t afford to race my Olds. Well, it’s getting there, but it’s got a ways to go before it sees a drag strip.” Kagome frowned. “I’m not going to stop you from doing what you want to do, am I?” InuYasha shook his head. “In a month, that car will still be there. Tonight, the opportunity of a good friendship could have been lost. My 4-4-2 will wait for me to be ready for it.” Kagome smiled. “That was touching InuYasha. I would like to become good friends with you as well.” There was a moment of silence that stretched moments beyond comfortable. InuYasha broke the silence and Kagome was grateful for the awkwardness to end. “Do you mind if I smoke around you?” she shrugged. “It’s your place. And my dad smokes cigars all the time. I’m used to it.” InuYasha chuckled. “Not what I meant. He pulled a bag out of his pocket. “Oh!” Kagome said when she saw it. “N-No, I don’t mind.” He grinned. “You smoke?” Kagome shook her head. “I dabbled a little back when I was going out with Miroku. Him and I used to get high and build water pipes out of old soda bottles and radiator hoses. You know he had a piece made out of an old carburetor? God, that took us so long to get right…” InuYasha put on a thoughtful look for a moment then ran off into his room. There was a crash followed by some cursing, rummaging noises, then a victorious laugh. He returned holding Miroku’s old carburetor. “Miroku’s not allowed to smoke inside his place, so we keep most of the smoking shit here. He told me to hang on to this and we’d smoke out of it someday. I’ve tried, but I can’t make heads or tails of how it works.” Kagome Grinned. “Well all right. Maybe I’ll try it again. This thing was awesome back then.” InuYasha grinned. The carburetor was placed on the table and InuYasha packed it as per Kagome’s instruction. Kagome for a moment realized that she had forgotten about the horrible day that had proceeded. She smiled, and decided that she was welcome here. And deep down, even though she knew that there was no way he would accept her once he knew, she felt that he might. He was kind enough to take her in, and make her forget about he woes. Maybe she was meant to meet InuYasha, maybe it wouldn’t work, but Kagome knew one thing. For the first time that day, she was happy. Completely and unquestionably happy being with this stranger who had helped her.