InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blinded ❯ Blinded ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with this fiction, however I do own Dick and Koudai.

Note: Inuyasha is a little OOC in this story, but nothing too extreme.

The air was clean, cool, and crisp as Inuyasha stepped out onto his porch at 5:32 a.m. donned in muddy work boots, old torn jeans and a black T-shirt with his utility belt slung around his hips. It was a foggy morning on this September day, the earth blanketed in a white haze, and there was a light mist in the air as he jogged down the steps, put on a pair of sunglasses even though it wasn’t sunny and climbed into his red F-150. Or, as his mother liked to call it, the Gas-Guzzler. Inwardly he snorted. At least he hadn’t bought a Hummer – his mother would be appalled at how much fuel one of those highway monsters ate.

Turning off the radio and rolling his window down part way, Inuyasha pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street, a small smile quirking his lips as a cool breeze rushed through the window and caressed his face. He looked forward to the start of his day every day, breathing in the fresh, chilly air, unhurriedly driving through the peaceful quietness of the neighborhood, and sometimes if he left early enough, he got to watch the sunrise. Inuyasha particularly enjoyed watching it from his porch swing, hot cup of coffee in hand, nowhere to be, nothing to do. The only thing that would make those mornings even better, make them perfect, would be the woman of his dreams cuddled up close against his side, her head on his shoulder, her scent in his nose, and the knowledge that many more mornings like that were sure to come.

Inuyasha’s smile widened slightly and his expression softened as he hung a right onto the street that would take him into the shopping district, his booted foot pressing down a little harder on the gas. There weren’t any other vehicles on the streets this early in the morning and aside from the occasional early-bird jogger, the streets were vacant and as such Inuyasha caught every single green light into the shopping district. Another reason why he loved mornings so much; no rush hour traffic. Heh. Then he approached the one left turn in his route he couldn’t avoid and he was forced to slow down with an annoyed grumble, swinging around the corner in a faster speed than what was advised, before accelerating again and taking off, too eager now to enjoy the serenity of the morning.

As homes started turning into businesses the farther along he went, one thing – or rather, one person – occupied his mind and they were the reason for his haste; big mocha-colored eyes that were also so damn expressive, luscious, pink lips that he pictured himself kissing all the damned time, and thick wavy tresses black as a raven’s wing pulled up in a sexy, messy bun with loose strands framing a flawless face. As always his heartbeat kicked up a notch and his stomach did a pleasant little flip-flop. God, what he wouldn’t give to see those ebony locks cascading down her back and he desperately wanted to run his fingers through the soft-looking strands and bury his nose in the silky waterfall, inhaling her sweet scent, holding her close, touching her skin.

The woman of his dreams went by the name of Kagome Higurashi and she worked at this favorite coffee shop across town. And, okay, he had to admit, it was only his favorite coffee joint because of the gorgeous woman who worked there and truthfully he wouldn’t even had known it, or she, existed had it not been for his best friend and coworker begging him to stop somewhere on the way to work for coffee because his coffee maker was broken – he’d made the mistake of picking the pervert up that morning – and so begrudgingly Inuyasha had Google Map’d the closest java joint on his phone and made a pit stop for two coffees and a muffin; might as well grab a bite while he was there. The moment his gaze had landed on the woman behind the counter and the second she smiled at him, Inuyasha knew he was done for and ever since that day six months ago, he’d been a regular there, stopping by every morning – at least on his workdays – and ordering what had become his usual.

Inuyasha slowed to a stop at a red light and momentarily allowed his mind to wander, naturally going in the direction of the black-haired beauty. He smiled fondly, remembering the first week he’d entered the café after that first time, feeling awkward and shy and decidedly unmanly for feeling as such. Kagome, however, had always made him feel welcome, like he’d been coming there for years and quickly Inuyasha became more comfortable, walking in each day with more confidence than the last until the two had developed a routine of sorts, a happy little rhythm that they followed, filled with harmless flirting and warm conversation. He’d wanted to ask her out ever since the first day but hadn’t had the guts so he’d held back, waiting until the time was right until finally after one month he’d gotten the balls and asked her out, pointblank.

She’d politely declined, but even so, Inuyasha hadn’t been deterred. He’d asked her again the next day, and the next, and the next, and without realizing it the two had fallen into a pattern that has lasted six months.

Every day he’d ask, “Have dinner with me?”

And everyday, Kagome would smile and say, “Maybe another time.”

Inuyasha wouldn’t give up. He would go out with Kagome Higurashi, one way or another.

Finally arriving at his destination, Inuyasha parked in front of Toto’s Cocoa and Bake Shop but didn’t go inside after cutting the engine, instead sitting back and simply watching his beautiful barista through the large glass window.

Kagome was behind the counter, donned in a black apron with her name embroidered on the front, and her hair pulled up, as he knew it would be. She was fiddling around with one of the espresso machines and filling the glass cases under the counters with freshly baked goods. She hadn’t noticed him yet, talking and laughing with Totosai, the shop’s owner, whom Inuyasha knew was sitting in one of the booths out of sight. The barista laughed again, paused as she listened to whatever the old geezer was saying, and then a pretty blush stole across her cheeks as her eyes widened and she mumbled something before swiftly turning around and busying herself with the hot water dispenser.

Inuyasha chuckled, wondering what Totosai could have said to get such a beautiful reaction like that.

Suddenly unable to wait any longer and yearning to have the delicious aroma of Kagome and coffee tease his senses, Inuyasha exited his truck and strolled inside, bright eyes hidden behind dark shades.

“Silly old man,” Kagome mumbled as she shut the lid to the hot tea urns, but despite her words, a small smile flirted with her lips. She had to admit, though, that her boss was right; Kagome had never particularly enjoyed the morning shifts here at the café, having always dragged her feet to work and moaned about lack of sleep, but upon a certain silver-haired early-bird customer walking in six months ago when she’d been covering for Sango, the mocha-eyed woman was suddenly all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every morning, eager to get to work at 5:00 a.m. to be able to open at 5:30 and much to the shock of the elder shop owner, she had begged Sango to trade shifts with her enough times, Kagome usually having the mid-shifts, that finally her best friend and colleague had just asked Totosai to schedule Kagome for mornings instead of herself.

Now Kagome was the scheduled opener for Toto’s Cocoa and Bake Shop and even though the old man continued to tease her, she put up with it because it was all made worth it when her favorite customer walked through that door at approximately 5:50 a.m. every workday morning. Kagome knew from pervious conversations that they had the same days off, so she knew his schedule like the back of her hand.

And right on cue, the door opened with a musical little chime and Kagome smiled. Right on time.

“Morning, beautiful,” her favorite customer greeted with a charming smile, walking up to the counter.

“Morning, handsome,” Kagome returned, spinning around to grace him with a smile.

“Whippersnapper.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re still alive, old man?”

“And kicking, you ungrateful brat.”

“Stuff it, geezer.”

“Eh? When’d you get here?”

Shaking his head, Inuyasha sent Kagome a long-suffering look and she giggled as she retrieved a to-go coffee cup. “The usual?”

“You know it.” He grinned, reached up to slip off his shades, and Kagome found herself staring into his eyes, the right one sharp and bright amber-gold while the left was cloudy and unseeing, like milk glazed over warm honey.

Kagome’s heart warmed, as it did whenever he took his shades off around her and she nodded, still smiling as she retrieved his muffin of choice from the glass case and grabbed a carafe to fill his cup with black coffee.

“Mmmm,” Inuyasha said, biting into the still warm muffin. “I love your muffins, Kagome.” He waggled his brows and Kagome snickered.

“Who doesn’t like my muffins?” She gave a little shimmy and Inuyasha had to cover his mouth so he didn’t spray chewed up muffin everywhere when he laughed.

“Say it, don’t spray it,” Kagome teased and the half-demon tossed a balled up napkin at her.

“On the road again today, Inuyasha?” Totosai asked from his location at the booth and said hanyou answered in the affirmative, turning around to talk with the shop owner.

As they delved into a discussion about Inuyasha’s job as a hardscape technician, Kagome topped his coffee with a lid and put another muffin in a small paper bag for him, this one on the house. She wiped down the counters, checked the machines, stocked the creamers, sugar and stirrers then leaned against the counter and stared at her half-demon friend, her eyes softening and a fond smile curling her lips.

Kagome had been surprised to learn that Inuyasha was blind in his right eye, but she didn’t treat him any different because of it. It just made him all the more special in her eyes, because despite his slight handicap, he didn’t let it interfere with his life. He acted like any normal half-human being would, not drawing attention to it but at the same time not bothering to hide it either. It was a part of him and he’d accepted that and Kagome admired him so much because of it.

She remembered when she’d first met him, the awkward and stammering half-demon who wore sunglasses indoors for the first week or so, until finally becoming comfortable enough around her – and trusting her, a gift which Kagome cherished – to take off the shades and reveal his secret. It was obvious he’d been afraid of her reaction, the hesitance in his face, his muscles tensed, ready to bolt if she’d showed a hint of disgust. Kagome had started slightly, surprised, but then she smiled and continued on as normal, staring into both of his eyes, telling him without words she accepted him, all of him, and she would not begrudge him or something that was out of his control.

It wasn’t until a month after that that Inuyasha had told her of how it happened. He’d gotten into a heated argument with his then girlfriend Kikyou while she’d been painting her nails, accusations flying, arsenal in the form of words and having reached a breaking point, Kikyou snatched up the open nail polish remover and hurled it at his head. He hadn’t been able to dodge in time and it splashed onto his face, into his left eye, the acetone permanently damaging the sensitive tissue.

They’d broken up after that and he hasn’t forgiven her.

It annoyed her a little, how easily the whole thing happened, how, because of his ex-girlfriend’s immaturity, this beautiful man has lost something that’s can never be regained, permanently scarred, the half-demon that was half-blind. She couldn’t even imagine how difficult it must have been, how frustrating, how painful to lose something so abruptly that you take for granted every day, not realizing how important, how cherished the gift of sight was until it’s gone. She surmised that it was just as bad as slowly losing your sight throughout time, year by year, your vision getting blurrier, the tunnel vision getting becoming narrower until one day, you wake up in the morning to a sea of blackness. Kagome was sure there were people who would argue that one is worse than the other, but in her book, they were both equally frightening in their own right.

Of course Inuyasha still had his right eye, and Kagome was grateful for that, but still…this strong, beautiful hanyou that she’d been fortunate enough to meet deserved so much more than a relationship turned sour and a sightless eye as a result. Kagome wanted him to have it all, a loving woman who accepted him, all of him; she wanted him to have children, a freakin’ dog, and a white picket fence, and not for the first time she cursed the unfairness of it all. She knew how difficult it was for him already because of his half-human status; throw a slight handicap into the mix and it had to make it doubly hard to achieve any of that, despite the fact that it didn’t even hamper him in the least. Inuyasha functioned perfectly with just one eye, never complaining, and Kagome admired his strength, his iron-clad will as he dared to show the world that he was no different than the rest of them with a sharp, coherent mind, personal opinions, and a strong, beating heart. He bled like anybody else and he challenged the world to tell him otherwise.

Inuyasha chose that moment to glance at her, found her staring at him, winked with his good eye then tossed her a secretive grin before grabbing his java and turning back to Totosai.
 
Kagome’s heart skipped a beat and she smiled, marveling at the effect he had on her with just a single look. Without realizing it her features turned wistful, the longing in her gaze painfully apparent and so lost was she in her thoughts about the half-demon hardscape technician, she missed the speculative look sent her way by her too observant boss.

Every day Kagome desperately found herself more and more wanting to be that loving woman who gave everything to him, the one who made him smile, made him laugh and crazily enough, Kagome wanted to have stupid little arguments with him, only to make up afterward and whisper endearments to each other, share sweet kisses, hands exploring, bodies grinding—

Oh, my God. Kagome’s heartbeat accelerated and she spun around with a wicked blush painting her cheeks just as Inuyasha whipped his head around and stared at her back with something akin to shock mixed with cautious hope etched onto his features.

She refused to look at him as she entered his order into the register, face still red, painfully aware of the sterling-haired hanyou regarding her silently.

Her blush deepened and she cleared her throat. “So,” she chirped and forced herself to finally face him. “You already know this, but you owe me $3.58. So cough it up.” She stuck her hand out and wiggled her fingers, a cheeky grin curving her lips.

Inuyasha studied her silently for a few seconds more, his gaze slightly suspicious, then he smiled and produced a five from his wallet. “Greedy.”

“Dem bills,” Kagome replied and Inuyasha chuckled.

Pocketing his change, Inuyasha heaved a sigh and grabbed the bag with the extra muffin, a slight pout on his face. “I gotta go,” he said reluctantly. “If I’m late again I’ll never hear the end of it.” He rolled his eyes. “Fucking pervert.”

Her flush receding, Kagome giggled and poked his cheek. “You’re pouting.”

He growled and half-heartedly snapped at her fingers. She squeaked then laughed. “Am not,” he protested weakly but couldn’t stop the smile from curling his mouth. He shook his head.

“Kagome?”

“Hm?”

“Have dinner with me?”

Her smile had a touch of sadness to it as she replied, “Maybe another time.”

His answering smile was crooked. “I’ll get you,” he promised, backing toward the door and Kagome blew him a kiss. He staggered back with an exaggerated gasp, putting a hand over his heart, the power of her kiss astonishing. The barista dissolved into giggles and he grinned triumphantly, mission accomplished. Then with an extravagant bow, Inuyasha bid farewell and left the café, sipping his cup o’ joe and his little “doggie bag” clutched in his hand.

Grinning like a fool, Kagome watched him through the window as he climbed into his truck, gave one last wave then sped off, unbeknownst to him taking a littlie piece of her heart with him.

After a moment or so of gazing wistfully out the window, her smile faded somewhat but didn’t disappear and she sighed, shaking her head and then bustling about behind the counter, getting things ready for the breakfast rush. Kouga would be here soon to take over the kitchen with his culinary genius and Kagome needed every bit of mental energy she possessed to fend of his unwanted advances.

While she waited for a fresh pot of coffee to brew, the brown-eyed barista walked over to her boss’s booth and gathered his dirty breakfast dishes, wiping off the table and humming a soft tune under her breath.

Totosai regarded her silently then turned his gaze back to the morning paper. “I don’t know why you keep refusing him,” he said at length as Kagome refilled his coffee mug with fresh decaf. “It’s obvious you want to go out with him, so quit being stubborn and do it.”

Kagome stiffened and cleared her throat. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she mumbled and escaped back behind the counter.

The look the shop owner gave her was all knowing with an undercurrent of “I’m not blind or deaf, young lady,” and Kagome dropped the act with a sigh, grimacing as she set the coffee pot back on the warmer. “You know I can’t, Totosai,” she said softly, pushing a dishrag around in distracted circles on the countertop. “With work here and the orphanage, there’s no way I’d…I don’t have time for a relationship, boss. Those children need me more than I need a man. Even if he does have cute puppy ears and a phenomenal ass.” She mumbled the last part to herself but Totosai heard it anyway and coughed into his fist to disguise a laugh.

“Blasphemy,” the elderly shop owner snorted, waving a hand in the air dismissively. “You know as well do that this place is going to be yours in another year or so and when that happens you can just hire someone new or even make that Rin part-timer fulltime. There are always alternatives, my dear.” He nursed his coffee and scanned the business section.

Kagome smiled a little at the reminder and slung the rag over her shoulder. “It’s not like you’re going to die when that happens,” she said. “I could still work…”

Totosai snorted into his coffee mug. “Mmhm, and I’d like to see you do that and juggle all the gods-be-damned paperwork that comes with this place when I sign it over to you. Inventory, deliveries, order forms, payroll, accounts receivable and payable, revenue, profits…”

“It can’t be that bad…”

“Have you seen my office?”

“Then why aren’t you back there right now?”

He blinked them shrugged. “Eh, it’ll still be there when I get to it an hour later. Or five.”

Kagome shook her head. “Procrastination,” she sing-songed.

“Damn good at it, too.”

Laughing, the onyx-haired woman smiled, feeling just a little bit better about the whole thing.

Maybe he’s right, she mused as one of their regulars, an older gentleman with an Irish accent waltzed in with a smile of greeting and she returned the gesture. Maybe I can find the time for a relationship…

“Good morning, Dick.”

“Good morning, my beautiful rose. You’re looking ravishing today,” he shamelessly flirted and Kagome shook her finger at him, though she was grinning.

“Richard McPherson, don’t make me call your wife on you,” she joked and Dick let out a hearty laugh.

“Oh, my dearest heart,” he cried. “How you wound me so. Surely you must know I cannot leave such beauty unappreciated.”

“I appreciate you behaving yourself, you sly old man, while I go and get your coffee.” She winked at him and the two shared another laugh before Dick shuffled over to Totosai while she retrieved a saucer and a mug. After exchanging “pleasantries” – “Totosai, you crazy bastard,” “Dick, you senile old fart,” – the elderly men launched into a discussion about rising gas prices and the barista tuned them out as she poured Richard’s coffee and set a bowl of mini creamer cups and sugar on the table.

The door chimed, signaling more customers and Kouga the cook walked in behind them. Kagome greeted them and retreated behind the counter to take their orders, smiling to the wolf demon as he passed by and disappeared into the kitchen.

A secret little smile curled her lips upward as Kagome punched in their orders on the register. She had a lot to think about now, and she had a feeling there would be some positive changes in her life that would be occurring very soon.

1:00 rolled around faster than Kagome expected and when Sango walked in ten to, Kagome looked at the clock in surprise. Between thinking about a certain half-demon and taking care of customers, the day flew by without her even realizing it.

Sango grinned as she joined Kagome behind the counter, tying her apron around her waist. “Time flies when you’re thinking about your man,” she teased, privy to the relationship between her best friend and the half-blind landscaper.

Kagome blushed. “He’s not my man.” She tided up the back counter so her friend had less work and checked the milk dispenser. It was getting low; she should go in the back fridge and get a new one ready…

“But you want him to be.”

She winced and stole a glance at her best friend and coworker. Sango was staring at her with a raised brow, arms crossed and a “you know I’m right” smile gracing her features. It was useless to deny the accusation, because the taller woman was right, so Kagome didn’t and merely heaved a sigh, untying her apron and taking it off.

Sango’s expression softened at Kagome’s speaking silence and she put a hand on her friend’s arm. “Kagome…why don’t you?”

Kagome bit her lip and shook her head. She’d already had this discussion with her boss; she didn’t have enough mental energy for a repeat performance.

Sango sighed. “You know, Kagome…if you don’t outright tell it to him, he’s going to think that you’re refusing him because of his eye.”

Kagome gasped and turned to the brunette with wide chocolate eyes. “But I’m not!” she adamantly claimed.

Her friend smiled. “I know,” she said gently. “But he doesn’t. What would it look like to you, if your roles were reversed?”
The raven-haired barista sighed, closed her eyes and Sango knew she had already considered that question. “I know you’re right,” Kagome conceded, looking defeated, and it was obvious to Sango that het friend was really struggling with this. “It’s just…Sango, what if—”

“Stop right there,” Sango interjected, holding up a hand to stall Kagome’s words. “That’s your problem right there, Kagome,” she said and when she ebony-haired woman looked lost, Sango explained, “You’re thinking too much and not doing enough, and as a result you’re finding obstacles where there are none. All these excuses, what it’s, ands or buts are just a product of misplaced fear because for some reason, Kagome…you’re frightened of a relationship with Inuyasha. Aren’t you?”

Kagome gasped and opened her mouth, a protest right on the top of her tongue, but then she paused, flushed darkly and seemed to deflate right before Sango’s eyes. Without warning unshed tears welled up within her coffee-colored depths and Sango bit her lip, glancing at the forming line of curious customers at the register, torn between comforting her friend and performing her job. Then as if on cue, Totosai, who’d been squirreled away in his office “not procrastinating” on paperwork, suddenly appeared from the back and waved the two baristas away, stepping behind the counter.

Relieved, Sango nodded in thanks and ushered Kagome into the kitchen, away from curious eyes of nosy patrons. Kouga paid them no mind as Sango wrapped a comforting arm around Kagome’s shoulders, thinking she had probably hit the nail right on the head given her friend’s telling reaction.

“Oh, sweetie,” Sango murmured, reaching up to brush the loose tendrils of hair away from her face. “What’s the matter? Is it…I’m right, aren’t I?”

Sniffling, Kagome swiped her hands across her eyes and looked at her best friend helplessly, uncertainty swimming in her brown pools. “I’m frightened of my feelings, Sango,” she admitted softly. “I’ve only known him a few months, but what I feel for him…it’s so intense, so strong, Sango…I don’t know what to do.” More tears streaked down her cheeks, a silent testimony to her troubled heart.

Sango smiled warmly and used the long sleeve of her shirt to gently wipe away her tears. “You don’t have to know what to do, Kagome,” she reminded gently, squeezing her shoulders. “You just have to do what feels right, even if you don’t know exactly what it is yet. Life comes with decisions, both good and bad, and sometimes with risk factors that make us wonder if it’s truly wroth it or not. It’s about living, taking the plunge, and not merely surviving, just going through the motions, getting stuck in the everyday grind.” Sango sighed and ran her fingers through her friend’s dark hair. “What I’m trying to say, Kagome, is you’ll never get anywhere if you keep going on like this, second-guessing yourself, thinking and never doing. I love you, Kagome, and I want you to be happy. So go and do what makes you happy. Okay?”

Her tears finally abating, Kagome stared at her friend in awe, wondering how she could have been so foolish to have not seen it before. Sango was right; she had managed to dig herself into a rut, going nowhere, subconsciously making excuses or finding reasons to avoid making a particularly difficult choice, or to not do something. Without realizing it, she had been focusing on the cons, and not the pros as she should have been, continually digging herself deeper, stuck in the darkness, blinded, trapped. She supposed she could argue it was a defensive move, the part of herself that sought to protect her not only physically, but mentally as well.

But then Inuyasha waltzed into her life, into her heart, and with his charming smile, his genuine laugh and his gorgeous golden eyes, he slowly drew her back out into the world, into the light, and she could see him. It didn’t matter that he was half-blind, or half-human; despite his slight disadvantage, they still managed to be so expressive, telling her without words what he felt, how much he cherished their brief but so significant moments together. Kagome didn’t see him anything less than a man, a man that she’d be proud to call hers, the half-demon that made her whole.

At last a smile tipped the corners of her lips upward and she sniffled again, gazing at her best friend with grateful mocha orbs. “Has anyone ever told you you’d be a great motivational speaker?”

Relieved she’d apparently done the trick, Sango grinned. “Think I’d make millions?”

“Billions.”

The two baristas stared at each other for a silent moment. Then simultaneously they chorused, “Dem bills,” and fell against each other in a fit of giggles.

From his location at the stove flipping paninis, Kouga rolled his eyes but quirked an amused smile.

Their laughter died down a moment or two later and Kagome pulled Sango into an embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Smiling, Sango returned the hug, glad she’d been able to help her closest friend. “Anytime, Kagome.”

Pulling back, Kagome gave one last grateful smile then left the kitchen to gather her things and head out to her volunteer job, her steps light, feeling…free.

Twenty minutes later Kagome walked into the large brick building that was the local orphanage and almost instantly a faint chorus of “Kagome’s here!” echoed from what sounded like the main living room and Kagome grinned as the sound of many little feet tearing through the great house toward the common area reached her ears.

“Hey, guys—oomph!”

“Kagome!”

 220;We missed you!”

“Did you bring us anything?”

“You smell like cookies!”

Laughing, Kagome stooped down and gathered as many of the tiny one’s as she could into her arms, hugging them all tight. “I missed you too, munchkins,” she said, smiling at the children that were human and demon alike. “And I do happen to have something here…”

Among the cries of excitement and curious inquiries, the dark-haired woman reached into her purse that Inuyasha liked to call a monstrosity – it wasn’t that big – and pulled out a large bag of chocolate chip cookies, an extra batch she’d made just for this purpose.

The children let out a whoop of joy and she laughed again as Shippou, a tiny kitsune with the biggest green eyes she’d ever seen and the cutest little tail hopped onto her shoulder and hugged her around the neck.

Eyes softening and with a warm smile, Kagome placed a hand on his back and kissed his forehead. The two of them had a special relationship, and while Kagome loved all of the children here, she had to admit she was closest to Shippou, since she’d been the one to find him and essentially save him from the nightmare he’d been living before coming here.

“Chocolate chip are my favorite,” he stated with a big smile.

Kagome winked at him. “I know,” she said and her heart swelled when Shippou giggled and kissed her cheek.

“Can we have some now, ‘Gome?” asked Shinta, a little wolf-demon with great blue eyes. His older brother Kai nodded eagerly beside him, his identical eyes wide and imploring.

“Weeeeellllll….” Kagome gaze skittered to the side in contemplation, lips twitching as she tried to suppress a smile.

“Pleeeeeeaaaassseeeee?”

She glanced behind the orphaned young’uns to their elderly caretaker Kaede, who chuckled and nodded assent.

Grinning now, Kagome said, “Okay.” The little ones cheered and she waited for them to quiet before handing the bag to a human girl named Satsuki. “I’m sure if you ask Nazuna nicely she’ll get some milk for you, too.”

“Thank you, Kagome!”

Once more said woman was bombarded with mini demons and humans as they sought to smother her with hugs and kisses and then with Satsuki leading the way, holding the prize aloft, they all headed back from whence they came, no doubt to seek out the aforementioned teenager and beg for milk to go with their sweet treat.

Kaede chuckled again as she ambled toward the younger woman. “You spoil them,” she remarked, not without a smile.

Kagome pushed herself to her feet and smiled a little sadly as she gazed after the precious ones. “Somebody has to,” she answered softly and the elderly woman nodded again.

Gentle eyes full of wisdom studied the beautiful chocolate-eyed barista for a moment before Kaede announced, “We have a new guest today.”

Kagome turned curious eyes to the kind caretaker. “Oh?” As much as she adored the children and despite how happy they seemed, Kagome couldn’t really say she was happy to hear this news because it meant another child had lost his or her parents and had no other relatives in which they could stay with – or those relatives didn’t want to take them. It was heartbreaking, and it always made her a little angry whenever she thought about it, but there wasn’t much she could do except give them all of love and affection they deserved so Kagome could do just that, regardless of his or her circumstances.

Kaede nodded once more. “This way,” she said and led the younger woman into the separate, smaller living area, where the potential parents sat with an adoptee and they got to know each to other, also where more businesslike matters took place, such as adoption discussions and paperwork.

“He won’t talk to me, or any of the other children,” the older woman said as they paused in the large doorway of the room their newest addition to the makeshift family was sitting in. “The social worker wouldn’t tell me the events that led to him coming here, but I figured if anyone can get him to open up, it’s you, Kagome.”

The younger woman blushed but smiled. “I’m not that amazing,” she denied and turned her attention to the silent boy. He was either ignoring them or he just didn’t notice them as he ran his fingers through a stuffed dog’s fluff and Kagome took the opportunity to study him, or what she could see anyway. He appeared to be around six years old and is head was bowed so she couldn’t make out his face or eyes, but for some reason Kagome was willing to bet they were a startling blue. Soft brown hair topped his head, tousled and a mess and Kagome had the strong and sudden urge to run her fingers through it soothingly and hold this obviously hurting boy close.  Donned in an oversized sweatshirt and ratty blue jeans, he looked so alone, sitting there looking so small in a large plush armchair and her heart went out to him.

Setting down her purse, Kagome was about to take a step toward him when movement atop his head caught her attention and she flicked her gaze upward. Brown eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly when she spotted twin dog years, a shade darker than his hair, twitching about, nearly hidden by the disheveled locks.

He’s… “Half-demon,” Kagome murmured in awe and watched as those ears, so similar to a pair of silver ones she longed to touch, swiveled toward her.

Lifting his head, the young hanyou swung his gaze in their direction and Kagome gasped, her hand coming up to flutter her fingers over her mouth as her eyes filled up with tears.

Standing in the middle of the road, directing traffic with the customary red flag and wearing his yellow reflective vest, Inuyasha allowed his mind to wander as the performed the task that he probably could have done—well, fully blind.

Could I have imagined it? He frowned and waved across some pedestrians. No, I know I smelled it because otherwise I wouldn’t have just suddenly… He pulled a face, remembering how his jeans had abruptly gotten uncomfortably tight back at the coffee shop and the way Kagome had avoided his suspecting gaze with a rather becoming shade of scarlet coloring her face suggested that perhaps he wasn’t the only one to have less than pure thoughts in this relationship.

Keh. What relationship? Inuyasha thought sourly as he raised his hand to stop oncoming traffic and then gestured at a row of cars with the other to move into the opposite lane. A relationship means two people spending time together and getting to really know each other. All Kagome does is pour my fucking coffee, though she does know a lot more about me than I do about her. Keh. Not from lack of trying, though. Dammit, if she would just let me…

Inuyasha heaved a sigh and watched unseeingly as various heavy equipment vehicles rumbled on by him. He had to admit, at least to himself, that the dark-eyed barista’s continued rejections were starting to take a toll on him and his self-esteem. He got a little bit more discouraged every time she shot him down and sometimes he wondered why he even bothered to ask her out every time. He knew what her answer was going to be, so what was the point?

The point, Inuyasha answered himself as his ears drooped under his hard hat, is that I’ve already fallen for her. That and I’m a stubborn ass. A stubborn fool ass. And besides, as stupid as it sounds, it’s our thing, our special way of communicating and call me a greedy bastard but I just can’t give that up, no matter how small it may be. Even if all we’ll ever be is just friends, I can’t—I won’t let her go. Kagome is the best thing in my life right now. She makes me…keh. Happy is too tame a word. Maybe euphoric? No, doesn’t quite fit. Giddy? He paused, and then snorted quietly. What am I, a teenage girl? Fuck. Kagome makes me feel…real. Like I’m not just another customer, another coffee, an empty smile. She—she sees me, all of me, and not just the parts that are half. It’s like I’m…like I’m a whole half-demon when I’m with her, if that even makes any damn sense, and…fuck, I dunno. She just makes me feel so…so…

Unbidden the word he was searching for came to him and he froze, a soft, wondering smile quirking the corners of his lips as something warm unfurled in his chest and expanded throughout his entire body.

Complete, Inuyasha thought, absently wondering if it was possible to get high off of a particularly strong emotion welling up inside him. Kagome completes me. I can’t explain it but whenever I’m around her something just fills me up and suddenly, I just…I feel…better. About everything. He wondered why he had never realized it before, how whenever she smiled at him, Inuyasha felt lighter somehow, as if the permanent burden of being half blind was temporarily lifted from his shoulders. Her melodious laugh had the power to erase all the negativity from his slight impairment swimming within him, and her eyes… Kagome’s big beautiful coffee-colored eyes healed him.

Inuyasha smiled, recalling how just that morning the way the beautiful barista had gazed at him. Kagome always looked into both of his eyes, silently telling him that she truly saw him, and not just his right one as most people tended to do, either unconsciously or intentionally. And although it was a constant reminder of his disadvantage, he didn’t fault them for it; it was a natural reaction to avoid what was displeasing to the senses. Inuyasha knew what his filmy eye looked like and he supposed it could come across as kind of creepy to some people. Hell, sometimes when he was particularly out of it in the morning, he could momentarily forget about his ocular impairment, so used to it was he by now, and upon looking in the mirror his own damn reflection would surprise the shit out of him. Not to mention the times he’d even screamed like a little fucking pansy. He wondered what Kagome would think about him if she knew that. He suddenly grinned. Ah, well, at least he had one hell of an advantage come Halloween time.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha’s grin melted into a fond smile and he heaved a soft sigh, wondering if this warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest would never cease to persist whenever he thought about his barista.

Damn, he thought. I’ve fallen hard.

A low whistle suddenly pierced his consciousness, followed by an amused, “You have indeed fallen hard, my friend.”

“Wha—” Snapping back to the present, Inuyasha blinked and turned his head to find a grinning Miroku, arms crossed and an eyebrow arched knowingly.

“Uh—” Inuyasha said intelligently then narrowed his eyes at his friend suspiciously. The lech couldn’t read minds, right?

Snorting, Miroku shook his head, closed the distance between them and grabbed the flag from the silver-haired half-demon so he could wave across the impatient drivers that’d been waiting for five minutes. “Quit glaring at me. It’s obvious where your mind was, since you only get like this and grin like an idiot whenever you think of Kagome.”

Inuyasha sputtered and blushed darkly but didn’t deny it, turning his head as a slight pout settled on his features. “Keh. Shuddup, stupid pervert.” Having been momentarily relieved of his duty, he took the opportunity to remove his shades and rub his eyes, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.

Heaving a sigh, Miroku handed off the task of directing traffic to a fellow coworker then gave his friend his undivided attention, leveling him with a knowing gaze. “I take it her answer hasn’t changed,” he stated more than questioned, his tone laced with a hint of sympathy.

Inuyasha cut his eyes to his then quickly looked away again.

Miroku nodded. “I see,” he said solemnly, truly feeling for his closest friend and colleague. He knew how long he’d been pining after the woman, after all, and he hoped things would look up for the hanyou soon. In his opinion, no one deserved happiness more. “Don’t give up, my friend.” The violet-eyed man clapped a hand to his shoulder and squeezed. “I’m positive she will come around sooner than you think. Every relationship starts with friendship, right?”

Instead of having the desired effect of encouraging his down-in-the-dumps golden eyed friend, his words seemed to do the complete opposite and Inuyasha appeared to deflate before his eyes, shoulders slumping, ears no doubt drooping low against his head and Miroku was able to catch a glimpse of the toll the prolonged rebuffs were taking on him that was leaking through the cracks.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Inuyasha replaced his shades before anyone could notice his dud eye and gawk and he stared at Miroku with what he was sure was more than a little helplessness in his eyes though thankfully the human male couldn’t see it. “Yeah, but…what if her friendship standards are different than her dating standards, Miroku? How do I know I’m not chasing after a lost cause?”

“Well, ‘maybe another time’ isn’t a ‘no,’ right?”

Inuyasha frowned. “No…”

“And Kagome doesn’t seem like the type of woman to lead someone on, correct?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“So, don’t you think it stands to reason that if she truly wasn’t interested from the very beginning, she would have told you as much by now?”

Inuyasha opened his mouth, closed it, and his frown turned thoughtful.

Shaking his head in bewildered amusement – he truly hadn’t thought of that? – Miroku squeezed Inuyasha’s shoulder again and said reassuringly, “Don’t lose faith, Inuyasha. It’ll all turn out in the end.”

A flicker of hope buried itself within his heart, however the uncertainty was still heavily apparent on his face and in his voice, hesitant to believe that his friend might be friend. “Miroku…”

“Trust me, my friend. Give it time, and you’ll see.”

The next morning at approximately 5:37, Inuyasha parked in front of the coffee shop and released another yawn for what felt like the nth time in the past hour. Damn brain and keeping him up all night, thinking about a certain raven-haired barista with deep chocolate eyes…

‘Trust me,’ he says. ‘It’ll all turn out,’ he says. Keh. Easy for him to say. He’s not half blind and half-human and the women flock to him like fucking magnets. If Kagome wasn’t already mine, she’d probably—

Inuyasha froze in the middle of getting out of his Chevy as his sleep-deprived brain processed what he’d just thought. He didn’t question whether or not Kagome was his, because she was, goddammit, end of story, but by the fact that she didn’t seem effected by Miroku’s charm at all. She didn’t automatically gravitate to him like most women did during the numerous times he’d given his lecherous friend a ride to work some days, instead always falling into the same pattern of talking and flirting with him, throwing those beautiful smiles his way and it was like Miroku’s presence didn’t even matter in the slightest.

Of course, it might have something to do with the fact that he’d threatened to beat the man into a bloody pulp if he ever put the moves on his woman, but it was still a nice thought and the hope in his chest flared outward, warming him in the chilly September air and Inuyasha couldn’t help but to think that it was more effective than any hot cup of coffee.

Feeling better than he had when he first woke up, the sterling-haired hardscaper quirked a smile then finally headed inside to begin the best part of his day.

He walked into the warm establishment but before he could say his customary greeting, another yawn escaped his mouth and the soft giggle that floated over to him made is ears swivel in her direction, eager for more of the sound of her merriment.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Kagome greeted, smiling in amusement as she pushed his already in a to-go cup of coffee across the counter toward him.

Grinning, he chuckled and wrapped his fingers around the warm paper cup. “Keh. Had a long night.”

“Couldn’t sleep?”

He shrugged. “Had a lot on my mind.”

Kagome smiled in sympathy. “I hear you. I’m actually in similar straits.” She reached under the counter and lifted her own cup of coffee.

Inuyasha raised his fresh brew and they silently toasted their java before taking a sip of the hot beverage.

“Insolent whelp,” came a voice over to his right and he rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner that had Kagome snorting into her coffee cup.

“Geezer,” Inuyasha returned and Totosai grunted indignantly before going back to reading the newspaper. The younger male made a face at him and Kagome nearly spat out her coffee.

The half-demon looked rather proud after witnessing that and the onyx-haired barista threw her dishrag at him. Inuyasha snickered, waggled his brows then tucked the rag into his jean’s pocket.

“Hey,” Kagome said. “Give that back.” She leaned over the counter and made a half-hearted swipe at it.

“Nah,” Inuyasha said easily and scooted away from her questing hand. “Gimme a muffin.”

“Give me a muffin what?”

“Gimme a muffin now?”

Kagome sighed. “I swear,” she muttered as he snickered again but she was smiling as she retrieved the baked treat and bagged it for him. Then, on the sly and after a quick glance in the shop owner’s direction, Kagome snuck a chocolate chip cookie into the bag as well and Inuyasha fisted his hand, jerked his elbow back and mouthed, “Yes!”

Kagome winked and sniggered silently behind her hand.

Falling a little bit more for the beautiful mocha-eyed woman, Inuyasha grinned and dug in his wallet for the required amount of money for his muffin and ‘joe. He sobered slightly as he put it on the counter and stared at Kagome’s face alight with mischievous pleasure. God, what he wouldn’t give to see that face every day for the rest of his life.

“Kagome,” he said and at his tone, said woman’s smile faded somewhat but didn’t disappear.

She cocked her head, curious at the sudden change. “Hmm?”

“Have dinner with me.” His eyes bore into her own and Kagome couldn’t help but notice that this time it was more of a plea than a question and her chest constricted. She’d been hoping to put this part off for as long as possible in an attempt to build up her courage but what little she’d had suddenly evaporated under his hopeful gaze and Kagome found herself desperately wanting to leap across the counter, throw herself into his arms and agree a thousand times over and in fact her mouth opened to do just that, however the words caught in her throat, which was just as well. No matter how bad she wanted to, how strong the urge was, she couldn’t mess this up, not when she finally, finally knew what she truly desired.

Kagome just desperately hoped that her response wouldn’t stop him from asking her in the future.

She knew the regret showed plainly in her eyes as an apologetic smile curled her lips up slightly. “Inuyasha…I’m sorry. I have a date.”

Inuyasha froze and it was like a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped over him. His hand curled into a fist, claws digging harshly into his palm, and he dropped his gaze to the counter so she couldn’t see how much those words hurt. He swallowed once, twice, cleared his throat and tried very hard it ignore the stabbing pain in his chest.

Well, this bit of news was definitely unexpected, however at the same time and on some level, Inuyasha knew that it had been inevitable. He’d tried, and he’d fought hard and though he was grateful for what he had with Kagome now, but in the end it wasn’t enough. A sudden crushing sense of loss assailed him then and Inuyasha allowed himself a moment of bitter reflection. He would never get to hold her close, never kiss those full smiling lips, he’d never get to see what she looked like in his T-shirt, and he would never be able to watch the sunrise with her curled up against his side.

That last one hit home the hardest and he clenched his jaw to stifle the pathetic whine he could feel welling up in his throat. Jesus fuck, but he hadn’t been prepared for this. The disappointment, yeah, sure, he was feeling that in spades, but this, the total sense of deprival, accented by utter vulnerability, left him feeling exposed, bereft, cold and he didn’t know how to deal with it. It was pathetic, how such a slip of a woman could affect him so, but he supposed it just solidified the fact that he’d fallen hard for her.

And yet, despite all this…Inuyasha didn’t regret a single bit of it. Every hour and every minute, every second of every day spent with her shaped him into a better person, a better man and he didn’t take so much for granted anymore. Every breath, he realized, was a miracle, a blessing and given the chance he would do it all over again because that meant he’d get the opportunity to fall in love with her again, learn even more about the beautiful dark-eyed woman of his dreams.

The bitterness and disappointment slowly faded away and acceptance replaced the damaged region of his heart. His muscles relaxed, his hand uncurled from its fist and Inuyasha breathed in deeply for a moment, closing his eyes and finally letting the information sink in. A thought occurred to him then and it succeeded in making him feel just a tad bit better. Who knew, maybe the date will be a failure and Kagome would decide to end things right there. It was small, and it was unlikely, but it was better than nothing and Inuyasha stubbornly refused to let go of that small glimmer of hope.

And if nothing ever came of it…then he’d rather be Kagome’s friend than nothing at all.

More or less at peace of the notion, Inuyasha nodded and opened his eyes, staring down at the lid of his coffee, not quite ready to face her yet. “I see,” he said slowly and didn’t try to hide the disappointment in his voice. What was the point? “I…hope it goes well.” Lie.

Kagome, who had remained anxiously silent as the silver-haired hardscape technician digested that tidbit of information, winced and bit down on her lip, a wave of guilt crashing through her. She felt low for turning him down when all she really wanted to do was say yes, but she had another priority that she had to take care of first. Then, when that was complete… Kagome couldn’t wait for that day to arrive.

“Inuyasha—”

“So,” he loudly interjected, cutting her off and he stared at his coffee cup with a bored expression. “What’s this guy got that I don’t?”

Kagome watched him for a silent moment, her gaze calculating as she studied his face, and then a soft sigh escaped her. “Actually, it’s more like what you have that he doesn’t,” she muttered and wrinkled her nose.

Inuyasha frowned and finally flicked his gaze toward her. “What?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.” Worrying her bottom lip, Kagome anxiously twisted her hands together and peeked at him through her lashes. She had to at least try… “Inuyasha…I’m sor—”

Immediately he lifted a hand to stall her words and shook his head. “No,” he said. “Don’t apologize, Kagome. I understand. I just want you to be happy. Even if…even if it isn’t with me.”

Ridiculously Kagome felt like crying. “Inuyasha…”

The half-demon offered a strained smile and grabbed his coffee and goodie bag. “See ya, Kagome.” He turned around, nodded to Totosai, then walked out of the coffee shop, Kagome’s forgotten dishrag hanging from his back pocket.

The next day started out much the same as the day before, however this time when Inuyasha sauntered into the shop Kagome was feeling more than a little trepidation. She didn’t want things to be weird or different between them because of what happened yesterday and hoped that he felt the same way. To her pleasant surprise, however, Inuyasha acted like yesterday hadn’t even happened, all easygoing grins, light bickering with Totosai and casual flirting with herself. Grateful, Kagome was able to relax and enjoy their morning routine without being worried of personal feelings getting in the way.

However, Inuyasha surprised her for the second time that morning by asking her without a hitch to have dinner with him and though she was relieved that her rejection hadn’t swayed him from asking that question again, her earlier apprehension came back. Hesitantly, afraid her response would trigger another bout of awkwardness, Kagome declined once more, saying she had a date, and much to her relief Inuyasha merely nodded then asked her how Sango was doing. (“Stupid pervert won’t stop badgering me about her.”)

The same thing happened on the next day, and the next, and the next, with Inuyasha asking for a dinner date, Kagome responding she already had one, and things between them continued on as normal, like that September day hadn’t even happened. The feelings grew stronger, the days got colder, and it wasn’t until a little over a month that Inuyasha’s persistence finally paid off.

It was the middle of October when Inuyasha ambled into the warmth Toto’s Cocoa and Bake Shop, expecting the day to be like any other when he spotted his favorite barista behind the counter already pouring him some coffee into a to-go cup. He smiled as that familiar warm feeling rushed through him.

And then Kagome looked up and smiled so brilliantly at him he was momentarily stunned and he just stood there for a second, admiring the view, memorizing every little detail about this amazing woman whom he was so fortunate to have in his pathetic half-demon life. Her deep coffee-colored eyes were bright with what he could only call eagerness and absently he wondered what it was for but didn’t dwell on it long. Her happiness was his happiness and even if it meant enduring her gush about the mysterious man she was dating – she always refused to talk about him whenever he brought the subject up – then he’d suck it up, rein in his jealousy and do his best to support her.

“Inuyasha! Good morning!” Kagome cheerfully greeted, her bright smile never wavering and he couldn’t help but notice she looked positively radiant this morning.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he replied, returning her smile as he watched her bustle about behind the counter, humming a jovial little tune under her breath, seemingly bursting with energy this morning. He raised a brow and chuckled. “Damn, baby, what’s got you so hyped up this morning?” He took a sip of his coffee, amber gaze inquisitive.

Kagome paused as a dark flush colored her cheeks but her smile never wavered; he’d never called her that before. She found that she quite liked it. Vaguely she wondered if it had been deliberate, or if it had slipped out by accident without him realizing. Either way, Kagome didn’t mind it and she liked how warm little tingles rushed through her at the endearment.

“No reason,” she chirped, her smile widening as she selected a freshly backed pumpkin muffin, a chocolate brownie, and a maple glazed donut to put into his daily goodie bag.

Inuyasha’s brows rose up into his bangs. “Three treats?” he said with a grin. “Kagome, you spoil me.”

“And why shouldn’t I spoil my favorite customer?” She winked and set the bag on the counter before him.

“Keep this up and you’ll inflate my ego to massive proportions,” he said.

“Your ego is already massive,” she quipped good-naturedly and he comically puffed out his chest and raised both of his arms in a typical “He-man” pose, showing off his muscles.

He waggled his eyebrows and Kagome dissolved into giggles.

“Put those away before you poke an eye out, boy,” Totosai commented from his booth, nose buried in the morning paper as usual.

Inuyasha deflated and sent the shop owner a deadpan stare. “Always a pleasure, old man.”

Totosai grunted.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha cast Kagome a long-suffering look and said woman grinned back with a shrug.

“So,” Inuyasha said and took another sip of hot coffee. “What’s got you in such a good mood today?”

Kagome merely cocked her head and smiled.

“C’mon, tell me,” he coaxed, grinning now. This side of Kagome was definitely cute, he decided. “Did you get a pay raise?” She shook her head. “The old man announced he’s finally dying?”

“I heard that, you ungrateful hooligan.”

“Whoops.” He didn’t look apologetic at all and Kagome laughed outright that time. He grinned cheekily, and then paused. “…Did you get laid?”

Kagome gasped and smacked his chest, blushing, but she couldn’t hold back an amused grin.

Chuckling, Inuyasha leaned his elbows on the counter and studied her with a gentle smile, racking is his eyes over her smiling face, taking it all in. “What is it? Tell me, baby.”

He did it again. Her smile gentled and she idly swiped the countertop with a dishrag. It couldn’t hurt to nudge him in the right direction… “Well,” she started and flicked her gaze to his face. “I suppose I’m excited for tonight.”

“Yeah?” he said and tilted his head. “What’s tonight?”

Kagome’s smile widened. “Why don’t you ask me?”

Inuyasha blinked, opened his mouth, closed it, and looked adorably confused. “I…just did?”

Kagome giggled even as her heart raced in her chest. “No, you didn’t. Ask me, Inuyasha.”

He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t…”

Mocha eyes met golden-yellow and something clicked inside his brain. Inuyasha’s eyes widened, his spine stiffened and his face grew serious as he gazed into Kagome’s eyes, searching, hesitantly hopeful, and desperately wishing he wasn’t wrong.

“Kagome…” he began slowly and she stared straight into his eyes.

“Yes, Inuyasha?”

He took a deep breath. “Have dinner with me?”

The smile she bestowed upon him was truly beautiful, one he would remember for the rest of his days, but what really stopped his heart was what she said next.

“Yes.”

Inuyasha’s mouth dropped and he stared wide-eyed at her. “Y-yes?”

Kagome nodded, her smile never wavering as she retrieved a folded piece of paper from her apron, leaned over the counter and boldly tucked it into his jean’s pocket. “Coffee’s on the house today, okay?” And with that, she winked at him, playfully tweaked his ear then turned around and retreated into the kitchen, once more humming a jaunty little tune under her breath but damned if he could figure out what it was in his current state of mind.

Inuyasha stared slack-jawed after her, his ear tingling from her soft touch and twitching madly atop his head and it was awhile before he was able to snap out of it and manage to control is basic motor skills to nod dumbly, grab his java and bag and stumble out of the coffee joint, not even noticing Totosai’s amused chuckling.

It wasn’t until he was sitting in his truck and getting ready to head to work that he realized he hadn’t yet looked at the note she’d slipped into his pocket and curious, Inuyasha withdrew the piece of notebook paper and unfolded it to read its contents.

Ueno Park, 6 pm. Don’t be late.

-K

It was about a quarter to six as Inuyasha hung a left onto the street that would take him to Ueno Park and he couldn’t quite seem to wipe the goofy smile off hi face that had been there since about six that morning. He’d been in the best mood all day and not even Miroku’s wiseass cracks about his abnormal behavior were able to dampen his high spirits. He day had seemed to drag on forever, the hours ticking by the slowest they ever had – at least to him, anyway – and when he and his crew were finally done with work for the day, which was around 3:30 or so, Inuyasha was the first one to flee the site, leaving a trail of dust behind him and a bunch of amused hardscape technicians.

Inuyasha had rushed home, probably breaking a few traffic laws in the process, and he’d immediately jumped into the shower, dragged out his best pair of jeans and a black T-shirt and he was rearing and ready to go in under fifteen minutes.

Until he realized he still had a whole two hours before the predetermined meet-up time and he’d nearly screamed in frustration and then proceeded to mentally berate himself for the next twenty minutes.

The clock was his enemy, and after damn near driving himself mad by checking the time every two minutes Inuyasha decided to take a drive in an attempt to stifle his impatience and perhaps distract himself with the beautiful fall scenery and festive Halloween decorations. It was his favorite time of the year, after all, and he always loved to look at all the different ideas people came up with to spook-ify their houses and yards.

Thankfully, it had worked, up to a point, anyway. By the time 5:30 rolled around Inuyasha’s earlier anticipation was back in full swing and to just decided to fuck it and headed toward the park a little early. The note did say don’t be late, right, so it never hurt to get a head start. Right?

So now here he was, shit-eating grin on his face, heart beating a mile a minute, and as the park came into view, Inuyasha wondered, not for the first time, he was dreaming and that he’d wake up any minute now. He’d had many similar dreams before, several of which never made it to the actual date itself, while others made it all the way to his bedroom – those, he had to admit, were his favorite. A sharp pinch to the arm, however, proved time and again that he was indeed not dreaming and oftentimes this realization led him to question just how these circumstances came to be. Maybe Kagome had had a change of heart, or perhaps one of his innumerable silent prayers that her date with her mystery man would go awry had finally been answered.

But then Inuyasha realized that it didn’t matter how it happened, he didn’t care about the particulars or the why’s or how’s or any of that because it was happening, this was real, and it was then he decided to stop focusing so much on yesterday and the events that led to this instant; instead he’d look toward all of his tomorrows with, he hoped, Kagome by his side.

Feeling like nothing in the world could possibly bring him down at that moment, Inuyasha turned into the small lot designated for park visitors and eased his truck next to a small white school bus with the letters TCO on the side. He cut the engine, put on an old and tattered red ball cap and grabbed his leather jacket before climbing out and shrugging it on, eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses already scanning the expansive park for a familiar head of dark hair. He’d parked near a play area where a large and color playground was built and he could see children of various ages running around, having a grand old time climbing the structures and going down slides, their cries of joy and laughter ringing in his ears. A small smile quirked his lips as he stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and strolled down the narrow walkway, his face softening. Someday he hoped his own brats would be playing here, the sound of their merriment music to his ears and their beautiful chocolate-eyed mother leaning against his side…

The smell of coffee and vanilla suddenly invaded his senses and Inuyasha grinned, his steps quickening. Even outside the shop she still smelled heavenly, like something he wouldn’t mind having a taste of over and over again. He inhaled deeply as he once again scanned over the grounds, knowing she was near, so close but still too far away for his liking. He quickly found her over by the picnic tables where the adults were apt to sit and watch over their young ones as they played. Wearing a long beige peacoat and faded blue jeans, her back was to him and she appeared to be talking to somebody but Inuyasha didn’t care to look to see whom exactly.

Consumed by the need to be close to her, Inuyasha started jogging over to her before he could even think about it and called out her name, smiling as she immediately spun around to face him. Thick raven tresses fell around her shoulders and it was then that the half-demon realized her hair was not in its usual up-do of a cute, messy bun. Her hair was down and god, she was fucking beautiful as she smiled brilliantly at him, mocha eyes lighting up and Inuyasha swore his heart skipped a beat.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome breathed, feeling elated that had shown up even as nervous bufferflies took flight in her stomach. Small hands clutched at her pant leg and she sucked in a breath.

“Kagome,” he said softly, reverently as he closed the distance between them, drinking in the sight of her before him. His first instinct was to reach out and haul her into his arms, damn the consequences, and he took a step forward to do just that but movement by her legs stopped him short and he automatically glanced down.

A kid was hiding behind her legs, clinging to her pant leg, obviously shy, and that was when the scent hit him.

Inuyasha’s jaw dropped in shock as his eyes grew large behind his shades and he could only watch in stunned silence as Kagome tossed him a small smile then knelt down to the child’s level, smoothing back unruly brown hair and giving a reassuring rub to an even darker brown puppy ear.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome started softly. “I’d like you to meet someone. This is Koudai.” With her arm around his tiny shoulders, the kid finally turned to face him and abruptly the air left his lungs in a whoosh as for the second in as many minutes he was shocked stupid. “Kou, this is Inuyasha. He’s…very dear to me.”

Though he heard her words and was absolutely elated, Inuyasha was unable to outwardly react, caught off guard and frozen under the curious gaze of twin moons of pale silver. The azure tint swimming behind the white film suggested they were once a startling blue and suddenly it was hard to breath, the air caught in his chest, his throat tightening, his mouth dry.

The sightless eyes blinked up at him and it was as if that action thawed his frozen bones. Slowly, with shaking limbs, Inuyasha knelt down before the blind half-demon child and swallowed thickly, reaching up to remove his sunglasses and revealing his own sightless eye. He watched silently as Koudai cocked his head and sniffed in his direction.

Recognition dawned on his face and an excited grin blossomed across those cherubic features. “You’re like me,” Koudai said and reached up to tug at his own ear, his meaning clear.

“Y-yeah,” Inuyasha managed to choke out and watched as Kagome leaned down and whispered something in the younger hanyou’s ear. Koudai’s pale eyes widened, his mouth parted in wonder and Inuyasha held very still as he took a hesitant step forward, using his nose to guide him, and slowly reached up to his face with a tiny hand. Inuyasha held his breath as Koudai touched his fingers to his left cheek, carefully trailed them up to the corner of his blind eye and lingered there.

“Like me,” Koudai said again, this time must softer and Inuyasha felt tears prickle the backs of his eyes.

“Yeah,” the older half-demon rasped and lifted his own hand to gently touch the corners of each of his eyes with a finger before putting his hand on the child’s head and ruffling his hair affectionately. Koudai blinked, grinned, patted his cheek and released a soft, pleased giggle that elicited an answering grin from Inuyasha.

“Can we be friends?” Koudai asked then, stilling grinning and how the hell could Inuyasha possibly say no to that?

Grinning back, even though the young’un couldn’t see it, Inuyasha blinked rapidly to stave back the tears and nodded, then cleared his throat and said, “Yeah, Koudai. We can be friends.”

“’Kay!” he chirped, then grew serious and Inuyasha bit back a chuckle as he said soberly, “But I gotta tell you, Kagome is my friend too an’ if you hurt her I’ll hafta kick your butt because I gotta protect her, ‘kay?”

Amused, Inuyasha snuck a glance at Kagome who was biting down on her lip to keep from laughing, eyes bright, and he managed to reply back without chuckling himself, however his eyes were serious as he locked gazes with the dark-haired woman. “Don’t worry, Koudai. I’ll never hurt Kagome. I can promise you that.”

As Kagome blushed but gave him a genuine smile, Koudai nodded, satisfied. “Good.” Then he was all-smiles again and Kagome gestured over to one of the children on the playground to come over. Inuyasha watched as a red-haired kitsune scampered over, took Koudai’s hand and carefully lead him over to the playground, telling him all about the slides and seesaw and how he’d be by his side so he didn’t have to be afraid.

Smiling, Inuyasha pushed himself to his feet and stared after the two kiddos for a moment longer before turning his gaze to Kagome to find that she still gazing after them, a fond, motherly smile gracing her pink lips and suddenly all he wanted to do was cover them with his own.

A thought occurred to him and Inuyasha frowned thoughtfully and asked, “How…?”

She sighed. “Cataracts,” she said softly. “Since he was a baby.” She paused, and then admitted solemnly, “His parents…couldn’t deal with a blind child anymore so they dropped him off at the orphanage where I volunteer without even saying goodbye. It took me a very long time to get him to open up to me, to be able to piece together everything he told me to get that conclusion, for him to trust me, and I’m so glad I took the time to get to know him. He’s incredibly smart, and once he came out of his shell, all the children loved him.” She smiled. “Especially Shippou. He took to Koudai like an older brother, showing him around, introducing him to all the other children, and always being by his side.”

Inuyasha absorbed all of this silently, gazing at the two children in question, wondering how parents could just abandon their child like that, even if they did have a disability through no fault of their own. “The orphanage,” he said. “Is that why before, you never…?”

“Yes,” she answered. There was a moment of silence, and then Kagome softly admitted, “Koudai was my ‘date’ all those times, you know.”

He nodded. “I figured as much. Sneaky little wench, I really thought you weren’t interested in…well.” He shrugged.

Kagome blushed and looked a mite sheepish. “I was,” she said. “I…I am. I just…before I bet Koudai, I never thought I’d be able to have a relationship while working here and volunteering at the orphanage. I spend all my free time there, and it wouldn’t be fair to any guy I dated if I never made time for him, too. I wanted so badly to say yes, Inuyasha, believe me, I did, and I almost did, so many times, but…come to think of it now, I guess I was being kind of selfish by not even giving you a chance. Those children mean the world to me, and I just kept thinking, how could I possibly take time away from them when they have so very little already?” Kagome paused and then released a soft sigh. “And also, just recently, with a little help from Sango, I’ve discovered that I’ve developed a bit of a bad habit.”

“What’s that?” Inuyasha asked quietly.

She smiled a little ruefully. “I tend to hide behind excuses when confronted with a tough situation, or making a hard decision, always managing to talk myself out of it, too afraid to take that risk. So it turns out I’m a bit of a coward.” She laughed humorlessly and shook her head, then turned her gaze to the playground, zeroing in on two little ones in particular. Her eyes softened as Koudai, with careful direction from Shippou, sat down at the top of the slide and she watched as the two of them flew down together, laughing joyously.

“And then…” she continued softly, “then I met Koudai, got to know him, and suddenly I realized something. If this brave, strong little boy can still smile and laugh despite the unfortunate circumstances of being blind and having his parents abandon him because of that blindness, then why can’t I do the same? If Koudai is still able to be the littlie boy he is with letting his disadvantage rule his life or define who he is, then who’s to say I can’t, too?” Kagome shrugged. “I know now it was foolish of me to let my irrational fear blind me to what was important, let it control my life and so I’m going to stop thinking so much and just do what makes me happy. And I think…I know that Koudai makes me happy, so I’ve decided that…I’m going to adopt him and Shippou. They adore each other, I love them both so much, and…I asked Kou what he thought about it, and he said that he’d always wanted to have a brother, and that…that he anted me to be his new mom.” Her voice cracked slightly at the end and she blinked back the joyful tears that threatened to escape.

Pulling herself together, Kagome took a deep breath and peeked up at the silent half-demon through her lashes, biting down on her lip. “Also…there’s something else…that I’ve realized, too.”

His honeyed gaze locked with her own and her swallowed hard. “And what’s that?” he asked huskily, daring to hope…

Turning to face him fully, Kagome steeled herself and let eyes never wavered from his as she said, “Now that Kou and Shippou are going to be a permanent fixture in my life, I figured…I have room for one more.” Then she blushed and added before he could react, looking uncertain, “I-I mean, that is if you still want to…er, I know this changes things, and—and I completely understand if you don’t—”

Without warning Inuyasha grabbed her wrist, hauled her in close and covered her mouth with his own, kissing her deeply and Kagome gasped in surprise, her eyes going wide as a dark flush stole across her cheeks. A moment later she melted against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and she felt him growl against her lips as his own arms snaked around her waist, securing her to him tightly and she sighed against his mouth, kissing him back, tangling her hands in his long silver hair.

Pulling back several breathless moments later, Inuyasha rested his forehead against her own and struggled to catch his breath, raising a hand to gently cradle her face. “You,” he breathed, “are so…amazing.” His eyes bore into her mocha depths, smoldering hot and Kagome’s breath caught in her throat. “You could adopt the whole lot of ‘em and I’d still want you. I’ll always want you, baby.” He kissed her again, gently this time, and pulled back all too soon. “I think Koudai and I will get along great, and as for the fox…well.” Inuyasha shrugged. “That remains to be seen, but it shouldn’t be too bad. And besides,” he continued with a crooked grin. “Who else is gonna pour my coffee and make me muffins?”

Kagome smiled, beyond relieved. “I knew you only liked me for my muffins.”“I plead the fifth,” he said and Kagome giggled.

Her smile turned slightly mischievous and she toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck, brushing her knuckles against his skin and reveling in his subtle shiver. “So, Inuyasha,” she started casually.

“Hmm?” He locked his hands at the small of her back, reluctant to let her go.

Kagome’s smile widened. “Have dinner with me?”

Inuyasha paused, and then a slow smirk curled the corners of his lips upward. “Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “I have a date.”

“Mmm,” she replied thoughtfully and reached up to trace the bill of his seen-better-days, faded red baseball cap with a fingertip before grasping it and turning so it faced backwards on his head, being mindful of his ears. “Too bad I don’t care. You’re mine now, dog-boy. I don’t share.”

“Yeah?” he husked and trailed kisses along her jaw, his hand trailing up her back and into her hair, sinking his fingers in the lush tresses. “I can deal with that. Just bear in mind that the kiddos won’t be seeing their new mom as often as they’d like.”

“And why’s that?” Kagome asked breathlessly as he hovered his lips over hers, the anticipation making her head buzz pleasantly.

Inuyasha’s lids lowered to half-mast and he growled, “Because neither do I,” and then claimed her mouth in another torrid kiss, crushing her to him, the craving for her never-ending and all consuming. Kagome eagerly reciprocated and when she smiled against his mouth, he smiled back and for the first time in a very long time, he felt whole.

Not too far away on the swing set, while his future brother chattered excitedly about their future mom and chocolate chip cookies, twin ears the shade of dark chocolate twitched, sightless eyes brightened, and a smile graced a young face.

It was nice to have a family again.

Oh. My. God. I am SO FREAKING HAPPY this is finally completed. IT WAS TAKING OVER MY LIFE. IT WAS THE ONLY THING I THOUGHT ABOUT SERIOUSLY.

Also, I want a Koudai. <3

Alright, so a few notes:
1.I’m not entirely sure what acetone (found in nail polish remover) does to the human eye when it’s splashed into one, and I don’t know if it can actually cause blindness without proper treatment, but for the sake of this story, let’s pretend that because Inuyasha is half-demon, it has a different affect on him than it would a human and made him go blind in his one eye. It was the easiest thing I could think of.
2.There is a very good reason why I did not mention Rin with the other orphans. *grin*
3.Let’s also pretend that Inuyasha’s sunglasses go on normally and ignore the fact that it would be nearly impossible since he has dog ears on top of his head. >.>
4.Third longest oneshot. *hysterical giggle*
5.I kind of struggled with the part where Inu reflects on his feelings after the first time Kagome says she has a date, so I hope it came out alright.
6.I’m very satisfied with how this turned out. ^_^
7.If you have read my drabble/oneshot titled Dick in my series Keiz’s Closet, then hopefully you had a good laugh at that part lol.
8.I literally snorted when Inuyasha said it shouldn’t be too bad with Shippou. xD
9.Chicken wings.
10.I’m an OCD bitch and wanted it to be an even ten. *rolls around*

Well, I hope you enjoyed this story. ^_^ Be on the lookout for a sequel coming soon! (Hopefully, anyway…)

Until next time,
Keiz