Archive of Our Own ^beta

Going to college with your best friend was both a blessing and a curse.

It was a blessing because there was someone familiar; someone to turn to when loneliness crept up through your skin, a person to talk to where things were comfortable and easy.

However, it was also a curse. Procrastination happened as a team, goofing off late enough until the sun was peaking out and you had an 8 am lecture to attend to, and there was absolutely zero privacy.

Of course, the pros always outweighed the cons because not many people could say their best friend had been accepted into the same college as you; where you could both suffer in agony about eight-page essays and exams that neither party wanted to study for. Things were easier with your best friend because when the going gets tough, they were there to help pick up the pieces and push you on your way. The equal support system was at its strongest whether it came down to academic breakdowns, downward mental spirals, or weak human moments where feelings came into play.

Alas, the only con that Kagome Higurashi and Inuyasha Taisho could agree on as the worst of them all was that they had gigantic crushes on their best friend.

And they did absolutely nothing about it.

It started in high school, one random day during lunch when Kagome and Inuyasha were sitting beside each other underneath a big tree. They had finished their lunches and were now in peaceful quiet, watching as the other students talked and joked around amongst their groups. It was nice to see everyone enjoying their break from academics, the loud chatter that echoed around the patio was a welcomed sound for Kagome, she loved the buzzing in her ears that came from it.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, did not. Which was why they are always underneath the tree furthest away from everyone, underneath its long, shady branches in the middle of the courtyard.

“How can you read with all that noise?” the half-demon grumbled. He had his eyes closed as he laid back against the trunk with his arms crossed behind his head for some cushioning.

Kagome shrugged, “The noise doesn’t bother me. I like it.”

Inuyasha scoffed, “‘Course ya do.” He peeked one golden eye open and stared at her, “What are you reading anyway?”

“Geometry,” Kagome sighed. “I don’t understand anything, but I need to! I figured reading the textbook would help somewhat.”

He raised his brow at her, “Is it?”

Kagome slammed the book shut and groaned, “No.”

He watched her quietly, his focus solely on the wrinkle displayed on her forehead; she looked extremely stressed out and exhausted. She was fiddling with the book, delicate fingers opening and closing the cover as if it would magically provide her with the answers she searched for.

She had never been great at math, she absolutely detested it, constantly complaining about how she did not need math for her future. She wanted to be a writer! Writers don’t need math!

“I know you’re giving me that look right now,” Kagome sighed as she flicked the corner stack of pages, the pad of her finger lifting and dropping the stack just to hear the sound of it flipping against the skin.

Inuyasha looked away from her and into the branches of the tall tree, doing his best not to get caught again. “What the hell are ya talking about?”

She turned to look at him with a pout, “You always look at me like that when I bring up math.”

“Keh. That’s because you refuse to ask me for help with math.” He kept his eyes closed as he grumbled at her, the tapping of her nails on the cover being a welcomed distraction from the loud students.

“You’re a history nut, and you’re already preoccupied with other things, I refuse to take away what little time you have to yourself to tutor me in math.” In truth, she wasn’t sure if Inuyasha could even help her. The tutors at school couldn't even help her understand the subject, asking her best friend to tutor her when he had so much to do wasn’t fair.

“I’ll always make time for you,” Inuyasha said abruptly, his cheeks turning red at the boldness of his statement. He refused to take it back though because for Kagome no amount of tasks could stop him from seeing her or helping her.

It was his job as a best friend to do that for her.

Kagome flushed a pretty pink, embarrassed about how her cheeks felt so warm all of a sudden. She knew Inuyasha would always be there, even when he had a million other things to do, he was always by her side when she called. Her heart fluttered crazily at his words and she desperately fought back the creeping feeling she had been dealing with for months now.

That little confession of his did nothing to help her with her budding feelings for him.

Inuyasha wasn’t doing too well either, as his own embarrassment was still embedded in his face, cheeks tinted red like his jacket. He wasn’t a man of many words, so whenever he did say anything too honest he meant every word.

Although it wasn’t just the honesty of his brash statement that had him blushing madly, it was mostly the girl beside him, smiling brightly at him while her big, brown eyes shined. That smile could make him do anything. He’d rob the richest man in the world if Kagome asked him to do it with that beautiful smile. A smile he had always thought he didn’t deserve to receive, and yet with time it was a smile that he desperately needed to see every day of his life.

“Really? Are you sure?” Kagome asked shyly, doing her best to relax the beating of her heart.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and scoffed, doing his absolute best to look nonchalant and bored. “I already said it, didn't I?”

She was smiling at him, he didn’t have to look at her to know it.

“Thank you, Inuyasha.”

“Bah.”

Moving forward to the present, their friendship had only blossomed from there; the foundation and trust they’d built was stronger than anything else. They supported each other through and through, even if it meant backing up stupid ideas that they would regret in the morning. They knew each other better than they knew themselves at times, understood their quirks and actions like it was a language and saw in each other what they couldn’t see in themselves.

It was a powerful friendship, one like no other, and that was the reason why their feelings for each other are so intense.

So intense, that Kagome needed to calm herself down at the sight of her best friend talking to Kikyo Fukuhara, the girl in his history course that practically drooled over the half-demon man.

Of course, she couldn’t protest against it, Inuyasha was his own person and he could speak with whomever he wanted. Even if they ever became a couple, she still wouldn’t stop him, he could make his own decisions and they would work on it from there.

No, Kagome had to swallow her suspicions and let bygones be bygones. There was no real threat because there was no relationship, Inuyasha had never shown interest in her and it wasn’t like Kagome had ever shown her true feelings for him. She did her best to hide them, although she slipped up here and there; there was no way he could tell if she liked him more than a friend.

Pushing her flaring jealousy aside, she quietly sat down on an empty bench beside the sidewalk and waited for them to finish their conversation. From what she could tell in terms of body language, Inuyasha looked very uncaring and nonchalant— which was normal for him— whereas Kikyo had both feet in his direction, a shy smile on her face as she played with the tips of her long, ebony hair.

The direction of the feet mattered! She’d read it in a magazine once, the main article had been about body language and what it meant about your crush. Kagome ate it up as a budding teenager since she wanted to understand boys and what it meant when they did certain things.

Inuyasha certainly did a lot of what the articles explained, but she brushed it off, in complete denial that he could have feelings for her. The same girl who’d blown a snot rocket in his face when she’d caught the flu in the sixth grade, and had cried so hard into his shoulder she’d left mascara stains on his favorite jacket.

He still wore it but that wasn’t the point!

As she watched them exchange numbers and say their goodbyes, she couldn’t help but feel her heart sink down into her stomach, especially after noticing Kikyo quickly look back at him before disappearing back into the building altogether.

He was walking over towards her, easily spotting her with those golden eyes of his and a huge grin on his face. However, the fanged smile dropped when he noticed her expression, thick eyebrows cocking up into an arch instead. “Why do you look like that?”

Kagome huffed, not ready to talk to him yet, “It’s my face! I look like my face.”

“Tch, I was just askin’! You’re normally all smiley and shit, not—“ he waved his hand around her general area for added visuals “whatever that is.”

She sighed, feeling defeated and still trying to simmer down her envy. “It was class,” she lied, “There’s a new project coming up for finals, it’s big, and with my stats class in the way I feel like I can’t balance everything.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, she did have a huge project in one of her literature courses, but it wasn’t as hard as she was making it out to be.

Inuyasha didn’t need to know that though.

The half demon blew out a puff of air as he slid his hands into his pockets. He knew how hard Kagome worked in school, even if it was a subject she struggled so much with. Math wasn’t her strongest, neither was science, and yet she fought every time to get a good grade in those subjects. Her strongest suit was in the arts like writing and literature, she could outdo him in a creative writing competition easily, but she still stressed herself out once the work became overwhelming. “Let’s get some food. Eating always makes ya happy.”

Kagome couldn’t stop the snort that came out of her, “You’re hungry aren’t you?”

“I’m always hungry, but that’s not important right now woman! I hate it when ya start sulkin’ and I know that’ll change once you eat somethin’.” He was being reasonable, his own hunger aside, he knew she needed some food in her even if she denied it.

Standing up from the bench, Kagome dusted off her jeans and smiled. “Can I get a milkshake too?”

He rolled his eyes as he nudged her forward in the direction of the campus food truck, the one with a billion different food options, because fuck the campus dining hall. The food there was mediocre at best, and they didn’t have milkshakes. “I’ll get ya all the shakes you want if you stop looking like that.”

Kagome pouted, “I told you! It’s my face!”

As he propelled her forward Inuyasha couldn’t help his eyebrow from twitching. “Well get a new one! One that doesn’t look so fucking sad.”

Begrudgingly she walked at the pace he pushed her at, “I will if you will.”

“That doesn’t make any fuckin’ sense.”

“Does too.”

“Does not.”

“Does too.”

“Kagome.” He warned.

“Inuyasha.” She replied.

The half-demon growled, effectively shutting her up, and he celebrated inwardly. “I hate seein’ you look like that, okay? That’s why I’m forcing ya to drink two milkshakes right now.”

Kagome pouted as she listened, understanding him clearly. She was fully aware that anytime she wasn’t happy, comfortable, or smiling Inuyasha was under intense stress. Seeing her frown or even worse, cry, was like the end of the world to him. It wasn’t fair to him to keep sulking when he had no idea why she was feeling like this; especially when none of it was his fault to begin with.

“I appreciate your concern,” she finally said. “I’ll be a better company once we get to that food truck.”

“Keh. You’re always good company,” he grumbled. Thankful to whatever powerful being above that she couldn’t see his blushing cheeks.

Kagome ignored the pang in her chest at his statement. “How was class by the way?”

A groan could be heard from behind her. “Stupid. I knew everything already. Nothing surprises me. But this class is nonnegotiable and I have to take it even if it bores me to death.”

Kagome gasped dramatically, “History? Boring? I had no idea!”

“Ha ha,” he replied dryly. “You know what I meant.”

That she did. Inuyasha had always been into the subject, completely enraptured by the who, what, where, and why of huge historical events and the importance of them. The what if’s of what may have occurred if one thing had gone differently was his favorite thing to talk about.

“Well, because of that you’re the smartest person in your class There’s gotta be a perk to that.” The food truck was close, she could smell the food from where she stood as she spotted the tall trees that signified where

“Yeah, right,” the half-demon complained. “So smart that I just got asked to be a tutor.”

Anxiety crept up her skin as the recent memory of Inuyasha talking to Kikyo replayed in her head. The way Kikyo had twisted her hair around her finger as she smiled back at the half-demon caused another pang to hit her chest.

“Tutoring?” Kagome asked, “Was it that girl you were talking to earlier?” She knew who she was but she wasn’t going to tell him that. They shared a class once, it happened to be college algebra, and as Kikyo excelled in the subject Kagome struggled day and night to get a passing grade.

Inuyasha’s nose twitched at the strong smell of food, his stomach grumbling in reaction as they reached the truck, the conversation about Kikyo and her troubles in class not as important as his need for a meal. “Yeah, she’s struggling and shit, havin’ trouble remembering a bunch of events for the final.”

They reached the line, which wasn’t too long, and they looked at the menu to decide what they wanted to order. Kagome hummed, “Can you handle that with your other classes?”

He shrugged, uncaring, “It’ll be fine. Tutoring you in stats is my biggest challenge yet. My classes are a piece of cake compared to that.”

A high-pitched yelp similar to that of a dog erupted from him as Kagome smacked his stomach. “If it’s such a challenge then don’t do it anymore!”

Inuyasha growled, “Quit bein’ so stubborn woman! I promised ya I’d tutor you and you can’t take it back!” Honestly, what was with Kagome today? The half demon couldn’t figure her out for the life of him, and usually, he could read her like a book.

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, “I can always go to the library.”

“Yeah?” He chuckled as he leaned his face close to hers, fighting back the creeping heat that threatened to expel throughout his body. “Those tutors don’t know ya like I know ya.”

Those piercing golden eyes of his were going to be her end. Every time he looked at her she felt like he was looking into her soul, and it made her incredibly flustered and nervous. Damn his good looks! She couldn't even blame his demon blood because he was just as handsome on his human nights.

The way his silver hair fell over his shoulders and his messy bangs framed his face only enhanced his beauty. His auburn eyes may have been incredibly beautiful, but those two little fangs made Kagome feel things that normal people didn’t feel for their best friend! However, one of Kagome’s favorite things about Inuyasha was his cute, soft little dog ears. She loved to touch them, which had caught him off guard the first few times because they were just so Inuyasha; and she couldn’t get enough of them.

Kagome blushed at the close proximity of their faces, immediately pushing him back from her before she made a fool of herself. “D-don’t be such a tease!”

He was trying to kill her and he didn't even know it; he needed to be stopped. It was so hard not to look down at his lips when he was so close, she only did it when he wasn't looking, refusing to get caught drooling over him.

The half-demon laughed at her quick reaction as he completely ignored his own feelings and straightened his back. “I’ll stop when you start getting good at math.”

Kagome groaned, “That’ll never happen.”

A cocky smirk appeared on his face as he looked at her, his inflated ego practically oozing off of him. “Then you’re stuck with me.”

The line moved again and the two friends found out they were much closer to order than they were. As Kagome decided whether or not to get extra fries on her meal– because she deserved them– she gave Inuyasha a little smile.

“Eh,” she shrugged nonchalantly, “That doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”

Inuyasha’s ears wiggled as they made eye contact, light pink dusting his cheeks as he processed what she’d said. He had a retort, he always did, but as the employee called for the next customer and he lost sight of his favorite brown eyes, the blush only deepened.

He was glad she was too busy ordering food to notice him struggling to get his temperature back to normal.

_____

“Where are you?” Inuyasha growled from the line, impatience dripping off him as always.

“I’m on my way!” Kagome argued back, panting as she speed walked from one end of campus to the other. Honestly, if he couldn’t wait for her, why didn’t he just come to her dorm instead?

“You’ve been on your way for 10 minutes already—“

“Inuyasha, I have short legs, and I’m not blessed with demon speed!” She sighed, “I can only go so fast.”

Inuyasha closed his eyes and tried not to imagine her hobbling over, the idea in his head both very funny and extremely cute. If she heard him laugh, he would never hear the end of it, so instead, he glared at the two cups of steaming hot ramen and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

“The foods gonna get cold.” He deadpanned.

Kagome’s eyebrow twitched because of course he would be concerned over the ramen, and her hunger, because she had yet to arrive at his dorm room after announcing she was on her way 30 minutes ago. It wasn’t her fault though; her class had been dismissed a little later than usual and she had to pee. Add that to the fact that Inuyasha’s dorm was literally on the opposite side of campus; Kagome was desperately walking as fast as she could on her short legs.

“You can eat the ramen without me you know,” she kindly offered. A triumphant sigh escaped her lips as she eyed the grey-painted building that was her destination.

“It’s our thing— I can’t eat it. We eat ramen while you cry to me about math.” She could practically envision the fanged tooth smile on his face, “We can’t break tradition.”

Kagome snorted as she opened the door with her student ID card, immediately darting towards the elevators. “Glad my mathematical breakdowns are nonnegotiable to you.”

She heard him chuckle and it made her insides twist and flutter, god damn him.

“I’m used to ‘em and how much rage they’re filled with.” He said with a toothy smirk as he unlocked his door for her to easily walk in.

Kagome exited the lift on the third floor, immediately making a sharp right and aiming towards the room at the end of the hall. She had always been jealous of that room, because Inuyasha had a great view of downtown on this side of campus, whereas she had a view of the courtyard where most of the events were held.

It was another reason why she preferred studying in Inuyasha’s dorm. It was quiet, no one bothered them, and if they did it was usually the RA giving him some update on the building or the school. If they studied at her place, they would hear a bunch of noises and loud cheering, especially on the weekend.

Kagome hung up as she walked into his room, thankful that he was able to snag a single room instead of having to room with a stranger. She locked eyes with his molten gold and smiled, “Come on, Yash. I’m always filled with rage. I just don’t show it like you.”

Inuyasha gulped as he watched her close and lock the door, his eyes immediately drinking her in while she wasn’t looking. Her wavy hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, beautiful, untouchable, and wild; while her jeans hugged everything and if he didn’t stop staring at her right now he was going to combust.

As she turned to look at him, he closed his eyes and turned his chin in the other direction, arms crossed over his chest like a disobedient child. “Keh! You only get like that when someone talks about me.”

She dropped her bag on his desk before plopping down on his bed, the mattress bouncing them both awkwardly.

“Duh,” she replied matter of factly, “They need to be put in their place.”

If she kept talking about him he was going to start blushing and he would have no excuse for it. Instead, he stood up from the bed and grabbed their ramen cups. It wasn’t as steamy as before, but it was still hot, and he needed her to eat before he started shoving equations down her throat.

“Eat.” It wasn't a question, because he knew she was hungry after her 2-hour lecture and she probably didn’t get to snack on anything before class as always.

Kagome stared at him quizzically as she took the warm cup from his grasp, the expression on his face looked pained and she had no idea why. “Are you okay?”

Inuyasha slurped noodles in order to settle himself, the creeping heat from his flush now disappearing to the back of his neck. “Yeah, why?”

She shrugged as she drank some of the soup, “You look like you’re in pain.”

The answer he wanted to give her, the one where he admitted she was driving him crazy and he couldn't get her out of his head, was not an option. If he looked pained, it was because he was trying not to explode into a flurry of blushes and stutters from how flustered she made him sometimes.

“You’re imagining things,” he replied as he shoved more food into his mouth.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome gasped, “You’re going to choke on your noodles.”

“I don’t choke, Kagome.” He coughed, proving her right, “I’m better than that.”

“Mmm, sure,” she nodded while rolling her eyes. “What was that cough then?”

“None of your business, that’s what it was.”

Kagome snorted but said nothing, taking the moment to slurp more of the noodles, content at the feeling of them warming up her body. “Of course, it’s my business.”

Inuyasha peaked an eye at her before tossing the empty cup into the trash bin under his desk, making a mental note to throw it out later. He needed to keep himself busy or else he was going to start staring at her again. So he unzipped her bag and opened up her Statistics textbook.

His ears picked up a groan from his right and he couldn’t help but smirk at the sound. She knew what was gonna happen next, whether she liked it or not.

“Nah, your business is to pass this class so you never have’ta do math ever again.”

“But I don’t want to,” Kagome whined, giving him the puppy dog eyes that usually got him.

Tapping the textbook with his claw he grinned at her, little fangs showing on each side. “That’s too bad, Kagome.”

Another pained groan left her lips as she scooted off of the bed and joined him at his desk, half-finished ramen still in hand. As she settled in she passed over the cup to the half-demon while she rummaged through her bag for two pencils, paper, and her study guide. Making sure she grabbed her giant eraser for the hundreds of mistakes she would undoubtedly be making that Inuyasha would have to correct.

“You left nothing but the soup in here,” Inuyasha stated as she slammed her pencils onto her notebook.

She zipped her bag shut and dropped it on the ground with a heavy thunk before shrugging at him. “It’s yours, I just wanted the noodles.”

Without an ounce of hesitation, Inuyasha finished the rest of the ramen, tossing the cup alongside the other one before scooting closer to her. He always inwardly malfunctioned when he was this close to her, especially because Kagome was so touchy. She didn't even realize what she was doing, she just did it; the fact that she trusted him enough to lean on him was flattering.

It also drove him crazy.

Kagome hummed to herself as she opened her notebook, completely oblivious to the flushing boy beside her, and searched for the chapter he would help her with. Finals were two weeks away starting today, and she was almost doe with all of her final papers and projects.

Math was the only class that didn’t require either of those things, just a study guide filled with lessons since the beginning of the semester and her hopes and dreams.

“First things first,” she stated as she pushed the loose leaf paper towards him, still too busy at the moment to look at him. “I don’t understand how to pick the numbers in the word problems. I read it, and try, and then I always choose the wrong number.”

Inuyasha stared at her textbook and sighed, knowing that she would be hit with at least 10-word problems on the final. “C’mon Kags, there’s no way you always pick the wrong set of numbers.”

She couldn’t meet his eyes, completely embarrassed by her lack of mathematical skills, “Well," she paused, "If I do choose the right number I calculate it wrong anyway.”

A low, disappointed sigh left him before he laughed breathily, “What am I goin’ to do with you?”

That shouldn’t have made a million butterflies violently fling themselves around in her stomach, but it did, and she felt like she was going to fall over and scream.

“Alright, ya gotta read the whole paragraph first, to take it all in, okay? After that, read the parts where the numbers are stated, and then piece together what they’re tryin’ to ask you—“ he slid one of the sheets of paper towards himself and began working on the first question so he could provide a visual example.

As he worked to copy down the numbers and mathematical terms that she definitely didn’t remember, Kagome decided to stare at him and boy was that a mistake.

He was talking about the problem, explaining to her what he was doing while scribbling on the sheet. His jaw flexed with every new spoken word while his golden eyes were focused on the numbers. He had his hair up in a messy bun, strands of silver hair sticking out alluringly, and she wanted to run her hands through it. Kagome often wondered how someone could have such a perfect side profile, but this was Inuyasha –a man she could only compare to Adonis– so she guessed her question was already answered.

“—do you understand?” Inuyasha spoke, the sound of his voice pulling her back into reality.

She stared at him dumbly as her cheeks turned a deep red, embarrassment clear on her face, and she bit her lip sheepishly. “C-can you run that by me again?”

A low growl vibrated through him in frustration, “You weren’t listening?”

“I’m sorry!” She apologized quickly, “I-I just… your hair is nice…”

It was Inuyasha’s turn to blush, cheeks turning light pink, as he processed her random compliment. “I literally threw it up like this 5 minutes before ya got here.”

“A-and it looks great!” She defended herself, although she wasn’t sure from what. “And the random messy strands! I can’t even get my buns to look like that.”

“Kagome, your final ain’t about my hair. I need ya to focus.” He sounded like his father with the tone he was using but damn it she needed to focus!

“Can I just… touch it?” She asked him softly, “One little touch and then I’m all yours.”

I’m all yours. If only she knew that she was already his, even if he didn’t tell her.

“Fine, get on with it already.” He grumbled, closing his eyes to prepare himself for her touch.

Kagome smiled as she leaned in closer to him as delicate fingers slid through the silky strands of long hair. She twisted one around her fingers before letting it drop, the hair falling back into its regular shape instead of the curl she created. His hair was so soft, sometimes she couldn’t help but feel a little jealous, because if she had been born with hair like this, she wouldn’t know how to act.

“Ya done yet?” Inuyasha asked, the question coming off more irritated than what he meant to be.

It wasn't his fault, he was overwhelmed with her touch and her scent. She was so close to him that the little hairs on his arms were standing on end, her sweet scent engulfing him entirely, while her breath tickled the side of his neck. The way she always touched him never bothered him though, he was just as clingy with her, but that didn’t stop him from reacting the same way every single time.

He was a literal love-sick puppy and she was his muse.

“Okay, now I’m done.” She told him with a big grin, her big brown eyes flashing to meet his gold.

He swore he could see stars within them.

“Finally,” he sighed. “Now that that’s outta your system, let’s get back to math.”

“Ugh,” she scooted closer to him and fought back a blush. “I’m listening now.”

As she watched him explain the problem, she did her best not to become distracted again. Using this precious time to pay close attention to the way his hands gripped the pencil or his fingers pointed towards something in her book. They went through a bunch of problems to practice until she was able to confidently understand how to solve them before they moved on to another lesson. He quizzed her as they went on, like he always did, to make sure she knew how to solve what needed to be solved.

After a few hours of studying, Kagome’s brain was a pile of goo and she couldn’t think anymore. It was time to call it a day, so he helped her pack up her stuff.

“What do you want to do now?” She asked him kindly, “Wanna get food?”

He stood up from his seat and grabbed his History book, “As much as I want to do that with ya, I gotta go meet Kikyo at the library.”

Kagome’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “You’re going to do that now? But you just finished tutoring me!”

He shrugged as he changed his shirt, the hitch in her breath going unnoticed as he put on a hoodie. “You come first, but yeah, I told her I’d start today. We don’t have enough time before finals week.”

Her brain had short-circuited when she saw his chest and abs, and she was trying to regain consciousness in order to give him a response. “Is she that behind?”

“Eh, I guess so. I’ll find out today.”

They packed their bags and exited the room as they talked about what they would be doing later in the day. Kagome was going to work on her project, she was almost done with it and the more she worked on it the less time she needed to spend stressing over it

Inuyasha had no plans besides going to bed after helping out Kikyo because he had an 8 am tomorrow and he would be exhausted.

“Did you want to meet up after you’re finished with Kikyo?” Kagome asked him as the library came into view.

Suddenly, his plan to sleep the rest of the night from exhaustion was crossed out, burned, stepped on, and thrown into the garbage.

“Yeah, what do ya wanna do?”

He watched her shrug as the wheels turned in her head, a cute little blush on her cheeks. “Wanna watch a movie? I’ll get us a pizza that isn’t from the dining hall.”

Inuyasha chuckled and it sent her heart into a frenzy. “Sounds good to me.”

They reached the library as the sun was beginning to set, orange and pink hues painted the sky in a beautiful light. Kagome looked at the huge double doors and wondered what would happen between Inuyasha and Kikyo. Jealousy swarmed through her stomach and she was forced to swallow down. She didn’t want Inuyasha to suspect anything was wrong with her if her mood changed, and she also didn’t want to make him feel bad for simply helping out a classmate.

“I’ll see you later,” she told him as she went in for a hug. Small arms wrapped around his torso as she clung to him like he was a giant teddy bear.

He hugged her back, pulling her closer to his chest as he rested his chin on her head. He loved her hugs, she fit so perfectly against him like she was made for him. “You have a few hours to pick the movie, don’t pick somethin’ stupid.”

As she pulled back from the hug, already missing his warmth, she grinned at him while walking backward. “Put on The Notebook? Okay!“

“Kagome!”

“Can’t hear ya, bye!” She giggled as she took off, leaving a grumbly hanyou to walk the rest of the way into the library.

____

The smell of hot pizza wafted around the room as Kagome settled into her pajamas. She was freezing in her room and had no idea why even the fuzzy socks she had on weren’t doing the job. She had to wiggle her toes to keep them from going numb as they froze over.

She snuggled into bed with a fluffy blanket and looked for a movie, having no idea what she was in the mood to watch. Inuyasha had texted her telling her he was on the way over, and that he was starving. Luckily the delivery boy had brought the pizza 10 minutes prior, meaning it was still hot, fresh, and delicious.

Kagome settled for Mean Girls, it was a classic, and Inuyasha actually enjoyed watching it. She was torn between that or Legally Blond, but watching a movie about falling in love wasn’t going to do her any good when the love of her life was currently being hunted down by a beautiful girl in his History class.

The knock on her door had her forcing the thoughts out of her brain.

“I’m coming!” She called, knowing it was Inuyasha because of the way he knocked every time he came over. It was his secret knock, one that made her know it was him at the door and not a complete stranger.

Once she opened the door the half-demon sent her a quick greeting before darting over towards the pizza. Immediately chomping down on an extra cheesy slice, closing his eyes in complete bliss.

“Do you want me to leave you and the pizza in here alone?” Kagome laughed, “Seems like you two need a room.”

He glared at her as he swallowed, “Shut your trap and come eat.”

Always concerned over her and her eating habits, Kagome joined him and took a slice. They ate in comfortable silence, allowing themselves to enjoy their first slice as it settled into their stomachs.

“How was tutoring?” Kagome asked as she handed Inuyasha a soda. She wanted to know everything, but he wasn’t going to tell her. Not because anything had happened, but because Inuyasha sucked at detailed explanations.

“Well, she’s definitely behind on a lot of shit,” he sighed, “But she’ll be fine by finals. Hopefully, this doesn’t last too long.”

Kagome climbed into her bed with a plate of pizza and patted the empty spot beside her for him to take, “Why do you say that?”

He joined her with his own plate in hand and shrugged, “She’s worse than you and asks way too many questions.”

Kagome snorted because there was no way anyone was worse than her, especially someone like Kikyo. “I can’t believe that, actually.”

“Keh, believe it.” He took a bite of his second slice and raised a brow, “Mean Girls?”

“What! You love this movie.” She defended her choice, pouting at his question.

“I’m just kiddin’, this movie's fine. Quit poutin’ and hit the button already,” he half grinned at her.

While Kagome hit the play button, Inuyasha switched off the lights, making the room glow in a blue hue from the laptop screen. They ate their slices of pizza while quoting their favorite lines, half performing the scene on their bed as the movie rolled on. When the climax of the plot hit however the duo became focused on the film, not noticing how close they both got to each other as they snuggled under the same blanket.

“Can you imagine if our high school had a burn book?” Kagome asked randomly, the last word becoming cut short with a small yawn.

Inuyasha snorted, “Isn’t that what yearbooks are for?”

She giggled softly as she leaned onto his arm, her eyes suddenly feeling heavier the longer she stared back at the screen. “Maybe your yearbook.”

Falling asleep on Inuyasha during movie nights was a common occurrence, especially because she was so comfortable and safe around him. Sure he teased her when she woke up and missed half of the movie, but she didn't mind as long as she was with Inuyasha.

The half-demon stiffened slightly at the light contact before relaxing his shoulders. He never got used to Kagome doing this. He loved it, he felt comfortable with her snuggling this way, but that didn’t mean that his heart rate didn’t escalate whenever she did it.

“Please, you made sure all of the pages were filled out with the nicest things ever,” he laughed.

Kagome shrugged, humming softly in content, “I called you a dummy a few times in there.”

He rolled his eyes as he looked down at her, a playful grin painted on his face. “You always call me a dummy.”

“Because you are a dummy,” Kagome defended, lifting her chin to meet his eyes with the same playful gleam.

They were so close to each other that Inuyasha could count the itty bitty freckles that dusted her nose like stars. He would take his time connecting each one with a pen to create a constellation if he could. But what stole his full attention was the plush of her lips, pink and soft, so alluring that Inuyasha could only wonder just how sweet she would taste.

Inuyasha concentrated on his breathing as he noticed himself leaning closer, “Am I a dummy because I want to—“

The realization of what was happening dawned on him, overwhelming his senses and causing goosebumps to prick on his skin. What was he doing? What was going on with him?

Kissing his best friend would ruin everything.

Kagome stopped herself in her tracks as she noticed the confusion lace into his eyes, the gold irises flashing at her with want and hesitation. Half-lidded eyes stared into him as she accepted the situation, knowing just as well as he did that whatever was about to happen between them would be a mistake.

A simple kiss between them would change the trajectory of their friendship, and the threat was too much to bear.

Neither of them wanted to ruin what they had because they gave in to their desires.

Inuyasha leaned away from her while lifting a hand to flick off a nonexistent crumb on her cheek. The sound she made from the action made his lip curl into a smile. “You eat like a toddler.”

Kagome closed her eyes and laughed as she tried to suppress her disappointment, “Speak for yourself. Look at all the crumbs on my blanket!”

A sound from the movie distracted them, causing them to divert their attention back to the small screen. The film was just about over, with only 20 minutes left in the running time.

“We missed so much,” Kagome pouted as she leaned her head onto his arm.

The half-demon snorted as he moved to make her more comfortable, “Don’t ask questions during the movie and we won’t miss anythin’ next time.”

“Oh hush,” she laughed, “I couldn’t help myself.”

Inuyasha hummed in reply as they continued to watch the movie, the conversation between them morphing into a comfortable silence. During the next ten minutes, the room was full of their laughter again as they quoted more lines from the incoming scenes. But in the last ten minutes, Kagome got suspiciously quiet while Inuyasha’s right side felt heavier.

She had fallen asleep.

“Kagome?” He asked softly at the sleeping girl.

She didn’t answer, instead, her head dropped lower into an awkward position, which led Inuyasha with no choice but to let her sleep on his lap.

He didn’t wake her as the movie continued, making mental excuses that he hadn’t left yet because the film wasn’t over yet. But he wasn’t watching the movie at all because his full attention was on the sleeping girl.

She looked so peaceful when she slept, and Inuyasha could only compare her to an angel the more he looked at her. Kagome tended to lightly snore when she slept in a weird position, and right now she was, but he thought it was cute. Kagome normally fell asleep near him without thinking twice about it, and it always inflated his ego and warmed up his insides a bit. Knowing she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep with him near her was a huge confidence booster. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her when she was beside him.

As the credits rolled through, Inuyasha was too preoccupied with the curling strands of ebony hair that dusted her cheek. The beautiful waves were always a sight to see, especially with the way they framed her face and fell off her shoulders. He gently played with a strand as he stared at her mouth, soft lips slightly parted as she breathed in a slow rhythm.

“Am I a dummy for wanting to kiss you?” His voice was low and soft as he repeated his question. The longer he stared at her, the more his heart throbbed with want.

“Yeah, I might be.”

With the silence and skill of a hunter, Inuyasha turned off the laptop and laid it at the foot of the bed, careful not to leave it at the edge. Slowly he moved away from her, being careful with her head and neck as he lowered her onto the bed. What he really wanted to do was keep her on his lap while she slept the rest of the night, but he’d rather let her sleep comfortably on the mattress.

Once she was off his lap Inuyasha hopped off the bed and placed the laptop on her desk. He knew she was prone to kicking it off and losing everything, and with finals coming up that would be catastrophic.

He chuckled softly at the view in front of him. Kagome was drooling, something she always did when she slept, and Inuyasha had to stop himself from taking a picture to show her the next day. Instead, he lifted her up bridal style and fixed her position on the bed. Making sure her head was supported by the pillow while the rest of her body was covered by her blanket.

Inuyasha smiled as he leaned above her sleeping form, tucking away a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen by her mouth. “Goodnight, Kagome.”

He walked to his dorm with disappointment, a sharp pang in his chest as his heart demanded him to do something.

It went ignored.

________

“Class dismissed,” echoed the voice of her literature professor, the sound of chairs banging against the tables and chatter bouncing off the walls followed soon after. Kagome calmly packed her bag and waited until the room was almost empty before she started her way down the stairs.

“Excuse me, Professor?”

The kind woman sent Kagome a warm smile, “Yes, Ms. Higurashi?”

“I believe I’ve finished my draft for the project, would it be possible to email it to you so you can let me know if there’s any weak points in the paper?”

“Of course, Kagome. I thought I had mentioned that to you all when I explained the assignment. Thank you for asking, I will send the class an announcement about this tonight.” The older woman zipped up her large bag before stepping away from her desk, “Please email it to me as soon as possible and I will get back to you.

Kagome nodded enthusiastically and smiled back, “Will do Professor, thank you very much!”

The walk to the courtyard was short before she found the bench that she always sat on while she waited for Inuyasha to get out of class. It was a chilly day, as it neared the beginning of December; the crisp and cool autumn air was beginning to be taken over by the biting cold of winter. Luckily, the semester would end before it became unbearable, and Kagome would be in her bed snuggled under the blankets back home with her family by then.

She shivered from the cold kisses the wind gave her as she waited for her best friend, his class had just been dismissed and he should be making his way over to her by now.Then, they would both grab lunch before going back to one of their dorms before Kagome’s next class.

Kagome, however, had to relax her heartbeat as she watched Inuyasha walk languidly beside Kikyo as they conversed amongst themselves. She had a tinge of red on her cheeks, and Kagome knew better than to blame that on the cold. The long-haired beauty was laughing at something that he had said while he looked neutral about it.

It made her body temperature rise enough to stop her body from shivering.

“Yo, Kagome!” Inuyasha called her from afar as a grin decorated his face. He said something to Kikyo before jogging over to where she sat, his golden eyes bright with happiness.

“H—hey,” Kagome forced herself to say, “How was class?”

“Same shit as always,” he grumbled, “I’m in that class for nothin’ but a credit. How was yours?”

She shrugged at him, doing her best to remain calm as Kikyo stared at them from afar. “I finished my draft, and all I have to do now is email it to see if it needs any tweaks.”

A clawed hand patted her head gently, “I knew you’d be able to do it. Now we just have’ta focus on your stats class.”

Kagome gave him a little smile, “What time today?”

Guilt flashed in his eyes so quickly, Kagome would have missed it if she wasn’t looking. “Is it okay if we move it to tomorrow?”

Kikyo. “Yeah, of course. Is it because of—?”

“She needs extra help. Came in late today and missed half of the lesson, so I gotta reteach it to her.”

His ears were downturned as he spoke to her, and it only made her heart throb.

Swallowing her disappointment, Kagome nodded at him and flashed him a smile. “Tomorrow is okay. I promise.”

Inuyasha wanted to tell Kikyo to find someone else to help her with the way Kagome was looking at him, but he had already said he’d tutor her, so he couldn’t go back on his word. “Lunch is on me tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” Kagome laughed. “I’ll hold you to that.”

They said their goodbyes and Kagome watched as Kikyo’s face lit up at the sight of him walking back to her. The throbbing in her heart beat painfully in her chest.

It would just be two weeks of this, and then it would be over, and she’d have Inuyasha back.

_____

“Can you run that by me again?” Kagome whined, “You lost me after the first answer.”

Inuyasha groaned in frustration, leaning back against the chair with his arm over his eyes. His ear swiveled when Kagome shushed him as she erupted into a fit of giggles.

“I’m sorry!” She whispered in a scream,”And don’t groan so loud, we’re in the library!”

A golden eye peaked at her with a dark furrowed brow, “All old lady Kaede will do is shush me and whack me with her pen, you know she loves me too much to kick me outta here.”

Kagome snorted, “It’s because you’re with me.”

“Tell that to the judge, Kags.” The half-demon chuckled as he sat upright. “Also, her love won’t save your grade, so focus on the problem!”

She gestured to the example on the paper, “Please show me how to do it again.”

Defeated by her cuteness, the half-demon explained the process of the problem again, taking extra time to teach her how to answer the second half of the equation. After a few questions from the confused girl beside him, he was relieved to see her solve the similar problem that needed to be resolved.

“I hate math,” Kagome sighed. “I’m not going to need this when I graduate.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, “Well, ya need it for now. C’mon, you have one more to go.”

Making sure to complain about it, Kagome worked on the last example and was proud to find out she could find the solution with ease. The tips she’d learned from the half demon were helping tremendously and she hoped they wouldn’t go down in vain when the final came along.

“What’d I tell ya,” Inuyasha smirked, “You did it.”

Kagome beamed at him from the praise and it made his heart skip a beat.

“I’m so lucky to have you,” she sighed in relief. “I’d be lost without you.”

As he watched her close her notebook and textbook he quirked an eyebrow at her, “You only use me for my brain, huh?”

A giggle erupted from her lips, “Only for your math skills.”

“That’s fair,” he leaned back on his chair with a smirk. “I only use ya for your cooking skills.”

She rested her chin on her left hand as she turned to look at him and raised a brow, “That’s because you can’t cook.”

The urge to lean in and kiss her was so strong Inuyasha had to bounce his leg to keep himself grounded. “Shut up,” he laughed.

They fell into comfortable silence as they decompressed from the long hours of studying. The hushed chatter and clicking of keyboards filling their senses and calming them. It was funny how these sounds had turned into a new form of solace, especially for students who lived in the library like Inuyasha and Kagome. In their earlier years at school, they were a bit more social and went to campus events or parties; Inuyasha only went because Kagome asked him to, and because he didn’t trust anyone near her. But as they grew older and got deeper into their programs the idea of going out seemed exhausting.

Also, when they went out they always stuck together anyway. They figured staying in and spending time together was a better deal than watching their peers get drunk and do things they’d regret in the morning.

A little yawn pulled Inuyasha from his daze as he turned his attention back to Kagome, chuckling as she stretched her back.

“I swear, I’m going to fall asleep before I get back to my dorm,” she rubbed her eyes and yawned again, this time the sound was so soft that only he could pick it up with his ears.

Inuyasha’s eyebrows shot up when checked his phone, it was actually pretty late for her already; especially since she’d had such an early lecture that morning. By now, she’d normally be passed out in bed drooling the night away. However, finals were coming and sleep was becoming less of an option for everyone on campus.

“Then do it.” He answered quickly before he could process it.

Kagome scrunched her nose as she stared at him quizzically, “What?”

“Y—you know,” he stuttered, damn him. “I’ll carry you on my back. To your dorm. S—so you don’t have to.”

Her eyes lit up at his offer, the bright lighting in the library reflecting off of them like stars. “Just like when we were kids? Really?”

Inuyasha flushed as he looked away from her and focused on a random poster on the wall, “I already offered, didn't I?”

Knowing that if she pushed too hard he’d close up, she decided not to ask him anything further. He’d already said he would do it, and even if she said no, he would pick her up and carry her anyway. “Alright,” she beamed at him. “We have to get passed the gates first.”

The smile she sent him made his insides warm up so much, he swore he was going to turn completely red. Nodding in understanding, Inuyasha pulled out his student identification card and followed her towards the exit; where they scanned their ID’s on the security system that allowed the automated gates to open and exit the building.

It was dark out, the song of the crickets and passing airplanes were the only sounds that played throughout the night. The grand entrance to the library was starkly empty compared to the usual hustle and bustle of students and professors running around during the daylight hours. Because the semester was coming to an end, the library extended their hours, closing around three in the morning for any student who needed a place to study.

Inuyasha didn’t give Kagome enough time to indulge in the stillness of the night as he lowered himself in front of her.

“Alright, get on.”

She was grateful that he couldn’t see her because she was blushing deeply as she climbed onto his back. It had been a long time since they had done this; any time he may have carried her recently had been when she’d already been unconscious. Kagome was prone to falling asleep beside him, and if they weren’t anywhere near her bedroom it was obvious that he had brought her to bed.

“You good?” He asked gruffly, keeping his face competent forward and away from her view.

Inuyasha was blushing just as badly too.

“Yeah,” she answered in a small voice. “I’m ready.”

She yelped suddenly as he lifted her, securing her body in his hold before making his way to her building. He walked at a steady pace, choosing to let this moment drag on selfishly. The warmth of Kagome on his back as he walked, and the feeling of her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders as she clung into his shirt kept him from dashing over at nonhuman speed.

Kagome snuggled into his neck and sighed, opening an eye in concern as she felt him stiffen for a second. “Are you okay?“

The half demon cleared his throat as he nodded, trying to hide his embarrassment. “M’fine.”

She was too tired to push for more information as another yawn dragged from her lips, “That’s good.”

Being carried in his strong arms was one thing, but being pressed this closely to him was another. Sure, she was close to passing out at any moment, the warmth radiating off of his body only speeding up the process; but there was another part of her that was feeling giddy, like a schoolgirl. Inuyasha was her best friend, but she was in love with him, and any sort of close, intimate contact that they shared together made her heart pine harder for him. They were already such a touchy-feely pair, but the idea of being able to do more with him if they were together had her mind reeling.

Kagome didn’t want to lose Inuyasha as her best friend, but she did want to gain him as her romantic partner.

A boyfriend.

But the idea of losing his friendship completely if she were to confess because he didn’t feel the same way, making everything awkward and irreparable was too big of a risk to take.

Kagome was too tired to care if she was blushing or not as her body went limp, her limbs going boneless while he carried her. She sighed contently into his neck and cuddled closer to him.

Inuyasha’s hair raised at the sudden warmth that tickled his neck, it made him scrunch his eyes shut briefly in order to relax himself. “Don’t start droolin’ on me now!”

She whined in response as she furrowed her eyebrows, “Shhhhh.”

“Oi…” Deciding to hold his tongue, he rolled his eyes and kept moving forward. There was no fun in arguing with Kagome when she’d already fallen asleep. Instead, Inuyasha took in the quiet night as he passed underneath the light posts, their oddly shaped shadow the only thing accompanying them on their journey.

She was sound asleep on him, the light snoring made his ears twitch ever so often. Inuyasha let out a light chuckle and shook his head. It was adorable. Nights like these where it was just them, the stillness of the night and the moon were moments that he cherished most.

______

“Hey, Inuyasha!” Kikyo, his classmate, called from behind him. She flashed him a kind smile once he looked over at her. “You got a minute?”

Technically, he didn’t. Kagome was waiting for him at their usual meeting spot and he had promised her he’d go with her to the campus store to buy scantrons. But, the chiming little voice, Kagome’s voice, flooded in his head about being nice to people and talking to them had stopped him from keeping the chat short.

“More or less,” he answered plainly.

Kikyo nodded, the little smile never leaving her face. “I just wanted to thank you for your help lately. I can feel the difference already, and I’m feeling very confident for our final.”

Inuyasha shrugged, “Nothin’ to it. You just need extra time on certain things. No need for thank you’s.”

The raven haired girl laughed breathily, a tinge of pink coloring her pale cheeks. She cleared her throat, “Do you have any plans after class?”

He cocked his eyebrow at her and nodded, 'Did she forget that we were meeting up to study tomorrow?'

“Yeah, I’m meeting up with Kagome to get some shit done.”

“Oh,” Kikyo answered. “O—okay! Just wanted to ask.”

Inuyasha nodded in understanding, “Did you want to study today, or—“

“No! No,” she laughed again, a bit forced. “I know we’re meeting tomorrow. I wanted to make quick conversation, I guess.”

“Sure,” the half demon replied, feeling a bit confused. “Alright, well. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yes! Tomorrow’s perfect.” She smiled sweetly at him before dashing out of the lecture hall. “Bye, Inuyasha! Thanks again!”

He was confused, but he decided not to dwell on it. Kagome was going to start wondering where the hell he was, and how she needed to get to the store before everyone else took all the good supplies. Fearing he’d get an earful from her, he sprinted out of his classroom and towards their bench.

______

Kagome wanted to cry.

Her literature professor had given her high marks on everything, her draft was almost perfect save for parts where she ventured off into a different topic. The stress levels were beginning to decrease tremendously, and now all Kagome needed to do was edit the draft and continue studying for stats.

In reality, Kagome wanted to celebrate this moment with her best friend, but right now he was at the library with Kikyo. Again. She hadn’t had any time in the last three days to spend with him because of his promise to tutor her.

Apparently, their history professor decided to add another century into their final along with a life changing event. It threw Inuyasha in for a loop because he wasn’t expecting it, not that he was worried about the added criteria.

No, Kikyo was the one who was worried. Kagome understood, if her statistics professor decided to randomly add another lesson into their final, she would have a heart attack. Jealousy aside, Kagome sympathized with his classmate over this unfair turn of events.

That didn’t mean she liked it.

Nonetheless, these three days of solitude allowed Kagome to finish up her final draft and complete any last assignments from her other classes. She could study with Inuyasha the next day like he promised. Today, she was gonna submit the project and she’d never have to think about it ever again.

“There,” she grinned triumphantly. “I’ve double checked grammatical errors, all of my sources are correct, and I removed the unnecessary information. I’m finished!”

In her empty dorm room, Kagome hit the submit button before flopping backwards onto her bed and sighing. “I think a celebratory nap is in order,” she yawned.

Stretching her back like a cat, Kagome crawled underneath her comforter and snuggled into the sheets. Before she knew it, she was out like a light.

Her phone buzzed on her desk as Inuyasha’s called ID made the room glow in a bright light.

_____

There was a knock on the door as Kagome tiredly rubbed her eyes.

“Oi, Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled from the other side of the door. “I know you were sleepin’, you don’t have class today!”

Groaning, Kagome slid off her giant bed and trudged to her door; not caring what she may look like once he saw her.

She unlatched the door and upon opening it, found a sheepish Inuyasha holding two large plastic bags.

“Wha— ?”

“Breakfast.” He answered simply.

“Why?”

God, she was still waking up. “Because it’s a peace offering for bailing on you for three days straight and because it’s almost noon and you’re still sleeping.”

Honey brown eyes widened in shock, “You’re kidding!”

Inuyasha deadpanned, “Does this look like a face who’s kiddin’? And would ya step aside, or am I gonna eat in the hallway?”

She giggled and it made his heart pang, “Sorry, come in.”

Inuyasha surveyed her dorm room as he walked in, immediately heading over to her desk. The opened laptop and her phone lay haphazardly on the wood, her cellphone on the edge of teetering off and landing on the ground. “What time did ya go to bed last night?”

Kagome locked the door and shrugged, scratching a random itch on her right arm. “I don’t know, why?”

He set the bags down on the table and chuckled as he tapped the screen on her phone, staring back at the three missed calls and four text messages sent from him. “That explains why you ignored me last night.”

Faster than she could blink, Kagome grabbed her phone and went through the messages from her best friend. Embarrassment showed on her cheeks in the form of a blush.

| Dummy:
I’m free now.

| Dummy:
Kagome?

| Dummy:
Are you asleep or are you mad at me?

| Dummy:
Kags?

3 Missed Calls from Dummy.

“I’m sorry!” Kagome launched at him, hugging him tightly as she tried to express just how regretful she was for missing his calls.

Meanwhile Inuyasha was trying to suppress a bright red blush at her closeness, the sweet smell of her shampoo hitting his sensitive nose like a punch to the face. “That’s why I’m here actually,” he paused. “If you were mad for bailing on you, then I wanted to surprise ya.”

Kagome giggled as her head laid on his chest, “That’s bribery.”

The half demon shrugged as he put his arms around her, “You’re gonna take the bait anyway.”

He felt her body against him and he snorted.

“That’s why you’re my best friend, because you know me so well.”

She let go of him and turned away in order to hide her pink tinged cheeks. Deciding to open the white bags and check out what he bought her. Her stomach rumbled at the smell of the food, immediately pulling out the different take out boxes to see what was inside.

“Ya sure you’re not mad?” He suddenly asked again.

Kagome met his golden eyes and smiled as she sensed his discomfort. “I’m not mad at you, Inu.”

‘Just jealous.’

“And I know that you’re doing your best with tutoring the both of us.”

He stared at her for a moment, something seemed off, but nothing was setting off any alarm bells. Inuyasha was fully aware that Kagome liked to push her feelings aside for his sake, and he absolutely hated it.

Inuyasha grumbled as he eyed her, hoping she wasn’t lying to him. “Whatever, you’re in for a long day of math later. But ya gotta eat first.”

Kagome laughed, “I figured I did. Now come on! I can smell the pancakes from here and I really want one.”

_____

Finals week was closely approaching and Kagome was stressed. The weekend passed by way too quickly for her liking as she hung out with Inuyasha without studying a thing. Now that decision was biting her in the butt, because it was Tuesday, and Inuyasha had bailed on her again.

“She’s really needs help, but I’m going to show up I promise!”

“As soon as we’re done I’m heading straight over!”

Kagome couldn't say he hadn't tried but once he had finally finished tutoring Kikyo, she had fallen asleep after looking up videos on the internet on how to solve specific problems. They weren’t great compared to how Inuyasha helped her, but they’d still gotten the job done.

In all honesty she was a bit annoyed, Inuyasha was her best friend and tutor first. Kikyo could easily have asked anybody else for help, or grab some notes from her other classmates. But no, she decided to ask Inuyasha instead. It was the jealousy talking but she couldn’t stop herself. On top of being gorgeous, Kikyo was incredibly smart; it was a little strange to find out History was one of her weaknesses.

She was just getting around to searching up another problem when her phone rang and Inuyasha’s name popped up brightly on the screen.

“He—“

“I’m sorry.” He cut her off.

“Yash—“

“No, seriously, Let me apologize, ya know how much I don’t normally do that.”

Kagome relaxed in her chair and nodded, “Okay. I accept your apology.”

A sigh could be heard on the other side that Kagome could only assume was relief. “Are you busy?”

“Mmm, studying.” She laughed breathily. “You’re welcome to come over if you’d like.”

“How long have you been studying?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “Maybe two hours? I’ve been using google and youtube for help.”

God, he felt like an asshole.

“Do ya wanna take a coffee break?”

“What?” She gasped, “Is the Inuyasha telling me to take a break from math?!”

“Yeah, and this is rare for me, so ya better be ready in five.”

“I’ll be ready in two—“

There was a knock on the door that made Kagome jump, she stood up from her seat and nervously peered over. “Yash?”

“That was me.”

Kagome hung up as she unlocked the door to a grinning half demon. “That was not five minutes.”

He gave her a quick glance over and nodded, “Ya look ready to me.”

Blushing at the random compliment, Kagome shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I’m in sweats and one of your shirts—“

“And? That looks good to me.”

Whatever he was doing to her was making her body heat skyrocket, the aggressive compliments were something that he normally didn’t give her.

“C—can you give me a second to grab my bag?” She blushed prettily.

Inuyasha smirked at her as she dashed for her purse, his ego bursting with pride at the sight of her in his shirt. It practically swallowed her whole body and it was so cute.

“Ready!“ Her voice chimed like a bell, the faintest tinge of pink on her face as she stared up at him.

They began their walk to the campus coffee shop near the library, it was one of Kagome’s favorite spots to unwind after a stressful day of classes. The sun was starting to set, the sky was painted in beautiful oranges and pinks; Kagome just had to take out her phone and start taking pictures.

Distracted by the sunset, Kagome decided to ask “How’s it going being a History tutor?”

Inuyasha chuckled as he watched her take pictures, not paying any mind to where her feet were going. He had to take the initiative to lead her forward, placing his hands on her waist to guide her so she didn’t trip or walk into the bike lane. “Eh, she’s getting better at it with all the extra time we’ve been taking. The additional shit our professor added really stressed her out.”

“You guys have been spending a lot of time together lately, is she nice?” Why did she ask him that?

The half-demon hummed as he led her around. “She’s cool. She’s really nice, sometimes too nice. Asks a lot of personal questions that have nothin’ to do with the subject, and I answer ‘em as simply as possible or not at all.”

Focusing on his answer, Kagome dropped her phone and glanced back at him. “Oh?”

“She’s takin’ the hint about me not wantin’ to get all personal I think. I’ve slipped a few times but it was nothin’ too major.” He shrugged, “Sometimes she just acts weird.”

“Weird?” Her voice chimed, “Weird how?”

Inuyasha hesitated to answer, a little nervous to explain his findings. “She’s a little,” he paused, “Touchy? She gets real close to me sometimes when I’m explaining somethin’, or she’ll take glances at me when we work. It’s weird.”

Oh she was acting weird all right, and it was making Kagome’s heart throb and her blood boil. The fact that Inuyasha never sat down and thought that maybe her behavior may be a bit too flirty didn’t surprise her in the slightest. He was clueless to her attempts in the past as well, but in Kagome’s case it didn’t help that she didn’t tell him either.

“Huh, very weird.” She did her best to conceal her feelings, but her body temperature was starting to rise the more they talked about it and she didn’t want him to catch her.

“You think so?” He asked innocently. Seriously, he didn’t understand the gravity of the situation at all.

“Maybe that’s just how she is with you,” Kagome shrugged. 'Because she likes you.'

“Well whatever,” Inuyasha brushed it off. “Enough about tutoring, I wanna catch up with ya. Feels like I haven’t talked to you in weeks.”

Just as Kagome was going to answer, someone on a skateboard came out of nowhere on their path, causing Kagome to gasp and Inuyasha to pull her away and towards his chest. As the skateboarding student passed them a quick “sorry!” was yelled in their direction; causing the half-demon to growl out a “watch where you’re goin’!” back.

Kagome’s lungs heaved from the sudden impact against her best friend's hard chest. Having no time to process what happened before she was spun around and met face to face with fiery golden eyes.

Inuyasha’s brows furrowed in concern as he looked at her, “You okay?”

Gold. Shimmering, fiery gold. The same color that follows her into her dreams, the same eyes that leave her speechless whenever she stares too intensely into them. “I’m fine,” she nodded, “You pulled me away before anything happened.”

The half-demon let get of her shoulders and grumbled, “I always have’ta look out for ya. You’re like a baby.”

Kagome laughed before whacking him in the chest, “I can always count on you.”

After a few more strides, the cafe was in view, Inuyasha stared in amazement as his best friend started getting excited over what she would order. He felt like he hadn’t been there enough for her lately, and he was getting nervous about it. He’d always promised her she would always come first, his feelings for her aside; Kagome would always be his top priority.

As she practically skipped over to the entrance, he chuckled at her while she impatiently waited for him at the door. The sweet smell of baked goods and bitter coffee flooding his senses. He silently observed her as she read the menu and debated with herself on what treat to order. It was entertaining to say the least. She got like this every time they came here and he wouldn’t change a thing.

While he waited for her to order first, his debit card already in hand, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He figured he had enough time to read the new notification as he grabbed the device. His eyebrow cocking up into an arch as he read the alert on his lock screen.

| Kikyo:
Hey, since Sunday will be our last day studying before the final. Would you want to hang out for a little while after?

He didn’t open the message.

_____

Desperation gets people to start searching for means of survival, and for Kagome that meant going to the math lab for tutoring. Inuyasha’s time had been taken up by his pretty classmate again, and instead of dwelling on that, Kagome decided to distract herself with the subject she hated most.

The math lab was pretty easy to find within the giant building, it was on the second floor in a separate section created just for tutoring. With her student ID card, she could easily access through the double doors and walk right in. After signing up at the main computer Kagome found an empty table and took out her supplies. The math lab was fairly empty at the moment, to her surprise, but it was lunch time; other students had probably decided to take a break and get something to eat.

Looking through her notes was easy, as well as redoing the old problems that she had gone over in the past with Inuyasha. They practiced so much that there was little to no issue in solving them, save for a miscalculation here and there. But Kagome felt confident with what they had gone over, it was the last three remaining sections of her study guide that had her in a frenzy. Youtube and Google were great, but they weren’t Inuyasha great, and that was why she was here today.

Except no one had come up to her yet to ask if she needed help. Actually, there was no one inside the room. Confused, she double checked the hours on her schools website and found nothing that states they would be closed around noon.

Kagome sighed, “Well, someone’s gotta show up soon.” Defeated, she continued to go over the old problems to get in some extra practice; that way if a tutor did return, she could focus on the last three sections she needed help on. Thankfully, her final was on Monday, so she had four days left to study for the exam.

She did wish Inuyasha was around to help her instead.

While Kagome flipped through the pages of her textbook, a male student walked in casually, muttering a soft “oh shit” when he noticed her. She did her best not to laugh at his reaction to seeing her, but it was a little funny to watch the boy drop everything on the desk before striding his way over to her.

“Hey, sorry about that. It was empty for a while so I stepped out to get somethin’ from the vending machine.” The boy paused, his blue eyes widening as he gave her a quick once over. “Name’s Koga.”

Kagome smiled brightly at the boy as she took in his features, “I’m Kagome. It’s nice to meet you, Koga.”

He was tall, with tanned skin and beautiful dark hair that he kept up in a neat ponytail. His ears were pointed, which told Kagome he was a demon, although she wasn’t sure which kind. His eyes were a piercing blue, beautiful and bright like the sky, and they were easy to get lost in if she stared for too long.

Koga cleared his throat and sat down beside her, his cheeks turning a light shade of red. “What’s the subject you need help on?”

She sighed at his question and gestured to her textbook. “Statistics. I know, it’s easy compared to other math courses but math and I just don’t get along well.”

Koga chuckled and shook his head, “Who cares about that? We all have things we’re strong and weak at. For you, it happens to be math. Nothin’ wrong with that.”

Kind, reassuring words from a stranger were nice to hear, especially after being told by others that her struggles in certain math subjects didn’t compare to the harder ones. Koga didn’t know it but his words were similar to Inuyasha’s and it made her feel a little more confident.

Before she could thank him, Koga was already taking a look at her notes and checking out the problems that were blank. “Let’s start here,” he decided. “You have the first half of this down, but I can tell you’re strugglin’ over here.”

Time passed relatively quickly as they worked on the problems to Kagome’s surprise. They took small breaks in between studying when they needed it. Snack breaks were a must for them both, and upon returning they’d also bring each other something small too. It was fun working with Koga, who knew she could bond so easily with him so quickly.

Was he a little flirty? Definitely. But he got the job done.

It was around five in the evening when Koga called it quits, “Will ya come back tomorrow? You’re doing really good and gettin’ the hang of everything.”

Kagome thought about it and nodded, deciding she’d come back to the center instead of stressing out her best friend. She missed him dearly, but she refused to dwell on it in order to save herself from heartache. “I’ll be back around the same time.”

Koga grinned at her, “Perfect, I’ll see you then Kagome.” He had a glint in his eyes that made her skin flush, “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

________

Kagome laughed at Koga’s earnest expression as they snacked on their chips. “You look like you want to ask me something.”

The wolf demon —something she found out this afternoon when he introduced himself again— chuckled, leaning back on the chair leisurely. “I would ask ya but I’m clocked in,” he paused, “You’d have to wait until later.”

It was her turn to stare at him with a questionable look, her curiosity getting the best of her as she processed his answer. “Well, we’re almost done. I guess you can ask me then?“

The boy pondered for a while, “Ya really wanna know huh? Sure, but I can bet I already know the answer.” He finished his bag of chips before tossing it in the bin closest to him, “And you’re right, we are almost done. Let’s get some more practice in before I gotta close this place.”

The next half hour went by in a flash, the last five minutes dedicated to packing up and shutting down all the computers in the room. Kagome stood by Koga’s side the entire time, waiting for him to finish locking up the door before exiting the tutoring center.

Kagome remembered their conversation from earlier and wondered if she was going to regret bringing it up again. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

They stopped midway to the elevators beside numerous book shelves, dividing them from the view of any student in the area. “There’s no other way than to ask this bluntly, but do you have a boyfriend?”

The forwardness of his question made her blush, taking her completely off balance. “No, I don’t.” She answered him honestly, “But I do have feelings for someone else.”

The wolf demon nodded in understanding, not surprised by her answer in the slightest. “It’s that half-demon isn’t it?”

She gasped at his words, eyebrows furrowing together in defense for her best friend. “How did you know that? And he has a name—“

“Woah there,” he raised his hands up in defense, “Didn’t mean to set ya off, let me explain.” He cleared his throat, “I see you guys around each other a lot on campus. I didn’t want to assume anything, but the way you’re always lookin’ at him, I couldn’t help but ask.”

He looked at her with sincerity, and Kagome’s defense for Inuyasha came down only by a little.

“I’ve always though you were beautiful, and probably real smart. We had a class together freshman year and you always knew everythin’” he chuckled, “I thought it was cute.”

Kagome dropped her gaze in embarrassment and laughed, “T—thank you.”

Koga shrugged, “I’m just sayin’ the obvious. But, when I saw you sitting there yesterday, alone, no half-demon in sight, I got curious. I’ve been wanting to talk to ya since freshman year, but he’s always with you,” he laughed. “It was weird to see you without him near.”

His words were true, she and Inuyasha had always been attached by the hip. They did everything together, if they were separated it was because of classes or because they were asleep in their dorms. They even went back home during holidays together since they were from the same town. Inuyasha and Kagome were sort of a package deal, and the last few days had forced them to separate due to certain circumstances. It didn’t shock her in the least that Koga questioned why Inuyasha wasn’t beside her.

Because he usually was always there.

Kagome gazed at the wolf demon apologetically, “I’m sorry,” she said as she laid a hand on his forearm. “I know my answer wasn’t the one you were hoping for.”

She felt him stiffen from her touch, a light blush coloring his cheeks, “I—it’s nothin’,” he stammered. “Don’t be sorry, or I’ll feel like a jackass for askin’ ya in the first place.”

She laughed, “Okay, then I’m not sorry.”

Koga grinned, his expression free of hurt or malice, “Yeah you better not be.”

He accompanied her over to the elevator and changed the subject, and they spoke as if nothing had changed between them. Kagome was thankful for this, because she enjoyed his company and would hate for things to change because of rejection.

In truth, that was the reason why she hadn't confessed to Inuyasha. She could only hope and pray that, if the day came where she did have to confess, their friendship would be strong enough to overcome it if the feelings weren’t mutual.

The elevator doors opened to reveal the chaos of the first floor, students were allowed to be a little louder here until the echoes of endless chatter filled the whole floor. If any student decided to study on this floor, they needed to wear headphones to clear out the noise. And in truth it didn’t help that the cafe was right next door either.

They stepped out in unison and walked forward, but the sudden urge to pee stopped Kagome in her tracks “Oh, Koga, I’m going to head over to the bathroom,” she laughed, “But I’ll see you again tomorrow?”

Kagome grinned brightly at her, “You sure will, you have a final to pass!” He bid her a quick farewell and headed towards the exit while Kagome scurried to the bathroom.

She dashed into the nearest stall and double checked if things were clean before she got down to business. As she was finishing up and about to leave the stall, the door opened to the sound of two giggling girls.

“Wait wait, Kikyo, how’s it going with that cute half demon?“ One of the voices asked.

“Tutoring wise he’s great, he really knows his stuff. I really did need help on some of the lessons I’ve missed, or couldn’t remember learning about at all; but he’s been a huge help—“

“No, no, not the boring stuff!” Her friend cut her off, “Have you asked him out yet?”

Kagome sensed her hesitation, “No, not yet.” She heard her answer. “At least, not in that way. I texted him a few days ago about maybe hanging out after Sunday but he never brought it up.”

“Aw Ki, I’m sorry.”

Kikyo sighed, “I think he’s just oblivious to it? I flirt with him a lot, and he never reciprocates it. But he’s gotten more comfortable with me and jokes around with me a lot. Something could come out from this. I guess I have to be bolder.”

“Do you guys talk about things besides history?” Kagome heard the voice ask. She was grateful Kikyo’s friend was asking these questions, because they had been nagging her for days.

“We do,” Kikyo’s voice echoed, “We have a few things in common, and he’s really funny. Rough around the edges, but deep down I can tell he’s a sweetheart.”

The girls started walking towards the door after they washed their hands, the sound of their footsteps on the same beat as Kagome’s racing heart. Once they were gone, she stepped out of her stall to clean her own hands, staring dumbly at her reflection in the mirror.

“She’s going to ask him out,” Kagome told herself. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Kagome left the bathroom feeling hopeless, her heart yearning for her best friend, and for the inevitable. If Inuyasha liked Kikyo back, all Kagome could do was sit in the sidelines and watch her dreams be crushed.

___

Inuyasha missed Kagome.

A lot.

If he could be completely honest with himself, he had no idea that tutoring his classmate in history would have gone on for this long; but he could only guess it was his professor's decision to add extra shit to the exam that made things go this way.

They’d been keeping in contact through texts and phone calls for the last few days, and he felt like shit when he found out she decided to go to the math center for extra help. He made a promise to her to be there for her, and that included helping her with little things like math. It was his duty as her best friend to stay by her side and at that moment he was demolishing that.

Luckily it was Friday, meaning he was going to do his absolute best to see her that weekend, even if it had nothing to do with tutoring. He missed the sound of her voice, her sweet smell, and her touch. Kagome was so touchy, and he didn’t shy away from it as he would with Kikyo; in fact, he welcomed it with open arms.

He had just received a message from Kagome that she was finishing up at the math center while he had been held up with one of his classes. The class was an easy one, but instead of a final exam, his professor wanted them to present a topic in their textbook as an argument. Due to the lecture only being an hour long, his professor decided to have his students present the argument in his office. The building was full of students, and it took the entire afternoon which made him run late to meet up with Kikyo for one of their last sessions.

Just as he reached the library, he was met with Kagome exiting the double doors. Her hair was in a poofy bun, lopsided and looking like a mess and the image made his heart soar. It felt like he hadn’t seen her in months.

When she met his eyes, a beautifu,l bright smile etched across her face.

“Inuyasha!” He heard her call after him, her voice chiming like a bell in his ears. She ran into him and pulled him into a tight hug, the warmth of her body spreading to him as he took her in. He squeezed her back just the same and relished in the feeling of finally having her in his arms.

“Hey, how was tutoring?” He asked as he sniffed her hair, immediately scrunching his nose in distaste. “And why do ya smell like wolf?”

Kagome looked up from his chest and met his eyes, “Oh! That’s because of Koga!“ The smile on her face from mentioning the name had his heart racing, “He’s a wolf demon.”

“Yo, Kagome!” A males voice called, “You forgot your notebook in the room!”

Kagome let go of his waist and Inuyasha suddenly went cold, immediately missing the warmth of her body. She backed away from him and turned around to meet the man who had called after her, the scent he detected off her suddenly becoming stronger.

So this was Koga.

“Thank you Koga,” she smiled at the wolf, and it made Inuyasha’s stomach churn. “You saved my life! I can't lose this.”

“I figured,” the wolf replied smugly. Koga’s attention moved from Kagome to his blue eyes meeting molten gold. “Is this—?”

“Inuyasha.” He replied, sounding darker than he wanted to admit.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him skeptically before cleaning her throat, “Koga, this is Inuyasha. Inuyasha this is Koga. He’s been helping me with stats lately.”

They nodded at each other in silence, the tension growing between them so thick it could be sliced with a knife. Kagome had no idea what to do to divert the situation, and it was making her a teeny bit nervous.

Koga’s arm was around her shoulder in an instant, pulling her closer to him with a giant smirk on his face. “She’s great, super smart, just needs some help on certain things here and there.”

Inuyasha’s anger flared as a growl erupted from his throat, feeling threatened by another man touching her. “You don’t think I know that?”

“Inuyasha!” He heard her yell.

All the wolf demon did was shrug it off, acting cool and collected. “Nah, I figured you did. Just wanted to remind ya.”

The half-demon swooped in and dragged Kagome back into his hold, his left arm shooting over her chest as if to protect her. “I didn’t need a reminder, wolf.”

The smirk never left Koga’s face as he backed away, his expression turning softer as he stared back at Kagome. “See ya tomorrow, Kagome! Don’t forget your notebook!”

The growling never stopped as something deep within him emerged. Protect her, hide her, keep him away, mine, mine, mine. These were the ideas racing in his mind, he felt threatened and incredibly jealous. He had no right to touch her so closely and act so friendly with her.

“Inuyasha, what the heck was that?!” Kagome yelled, hurt and confusion painted onto her beautiful features.

He couldn’t think of anything logical at the moment, too torn between grabbing her and taking her away or running in there and clobbering the wolf. Honestly, he didn’t even do anything besides touch her shoulder, but Inuyasha was going insane. Koga’s scent was all over her instead of his own and he hated it.

“Don’t go back there again.” He muttered simply.

“Excuse me?” Kagome guffawed, “Are you crazy?”

He definitely felt like he was going crazy, and her sudden rise in temper was not helping him at all. “Don’t. Go. Back. There. Again.”

“Inuyasha, in case you hadn’t noticed, my final is on Monday and I need help! You’ve been so busy with your classmate that I needed to go find help on my own!” She shouted reason at him, and damn it she was right, but he was still raging. The wolf didn’t have to touch her.

“Study with me, right now,” he urged. “You don’t have to see the wolf again.”

“No.” Kagome answered as she crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground. “You promised someone else, and I won’t get in the way of that.”

Another growl came deep from his chest, “Screw that and come with me!”

It hit him instantly, the smell of salt, and he hated that fucking smell. Especially when it came from her. His eyes widened at the sight of tears pooling in her eyes, his anger immediately deflating and he could only feel shame and regret.

“K—Kagome,” he choked.

“Inuyasha, please.” She begged, her voice quivering as she held herself back. “Just go to her.”

Fluffy, white ears dropped low, exposing his emotions freely to her. She could already see it in his eyes, about how sorry he was, but she probably didn’t want to deal with it right now.

“I’ll see you later,” she whispered low enough for him to hear. He watched her quietly walk away from him and completely avoiding eye contact.

The last thing he saw before the building had cut her off from view was her attempt to stop crying while she frantically wiped her eyes.

He had fucked up.

_____

Kagome’s eyes burned from all of the crying, they were dry and swollen, and she kept telling herself that she needed to get it together or else she really wouldn’t be meeting Koga tomorrow to study. Ever since she got back to her dorm after making a run for it, she dropped everything on the floor and let it all out on her pillow.

The way Inuyasha reacted got to her and she couldn’t understand why. All Koga did was put his arm around her, she had no clue why it had set him off the way it did. He’s always been protective of her, sure, but he’s never acted out like this. He was so desperate to separate them and practically begged her to come back with him instead of meeting up with Kikyo as he promised. It was so unfair.

For the last two weeks Kagome has been holding her tongue and swallowing her jealousy in order to keep things civil. She didn’t want to stop him from helping his classmates, in fact, it was something Kagome always praised him for whenever he did. She knew Inuyasha had a heart of gold, he just liked to hide it behind his rough stature. This is something Kagome always talked with him about.

But now it hurts like hell. Because the person he did choose to help out had feelings for him and it was slowly getting to her.

Listening to Kikyo’s conversation in the bathroom wasn’t right, but it was ultimately out of her control anyway. Finding out the girl had planned to confess her feelings to him had hit Kagome deeply, because she wished she could do that; but the idea of ruining everything they’ve built throughout the years scared her.

She wanted Inuyasha to be happy, and she vowed to always be by his side just like he had promised her. The realization that someone could easily take him from her was new though, and she had no idea how to process it yet.

Kagome sniffled and wiped her nose from all the tears she had shed in the last hour; she had a horrible headache. As if to torture herself, she decided to check her phone for any messages but found nothing. Her phone had a bunch of notifications, but none of them were from him.

“I did this to myself,” she sighed sadly. “I fell in love with him, and now I’ll feel like this forever.”

Slowly, she kneeled upwards on her bed and slid off of it, deciding to go wash her face and change into her pajamas. It was still early in the evening, and she should be eating, but Kagome wasn’t hungry. All she wanted to do was take some medicine for her headache and go back to sleep.

It was going to be a very long weekend.

____

Inuyasha was distracted and who could blame him? He hadn’t spoken to Kagome since yesterday after their little spat. He was too afraid to text her because he was worried she’d just ignore him or start fighting with him again. But god damn it, his heart ached. He missed her, even more, today than he did yesterday.

“Inuyasha?” Kikyo asked suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts.”

He cleared his throat, “Sorry, what?”

Kikyo smiled apologetically, “I was just asking if you were alright.”

He grumbled, “I’m fine, never been better.”

She stared at him quizzically but didn’t push further, good, he didn’t want to talk right now. In fact, he didn’t even want to be here. Where he wanted to be was with Kagome, but he couldn’t even do that if he had the chance to.

_______

As soon as Kagome entered the math lab Koga was already marching up to her with determination on his face. She was taken aback by his powerful strides but held her place where she stood. “Um, Koga?”

“You’ve been crying,” he spoke darkly, “Did he do that?”

“I—I haven’t—“

“I can smell the salt, Kagome.” Koga answered, “What happened?”

Her face fell as tears welled up in her eyes, tears she desperately tried to push away. “We got into a fight.”

Seemingly uncharacteristic for him, Koga pulled the girl into a tight hug as she quietly cried on his shoulder. It pained him to see her like this but he decided not to speak about that. “I pissed him off that much huh?”

“Did you do it on purpose?” Her voice was muffled and quiet against his shirt.

The wolf demon sighed, “I did. I’m sorry, Kagome. I thought if I did something he’d get his head out of his ass and confess to you already.”

Kagome shook her head in disbelief, “What are you talking about?”

He chuckled softly as he ran a hand through her hair to calm her down. “I have eyes, Kagome. He looks at you the same way you look at him.”

She laughed bitterly and it hurt to hear that sound come out of her, “I don’t believe you right now.”

Koga shrugged, “Ya don’t have to. I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

After a couple more minutes of hugging, Kagome sniffled and pulled herself off of his chest. There was an apologetic look on her face as she stared at the wet spots she had left on his shirt.

Blue eyes made contact with the tear-stained fabric and he scoffed, “Don’t worry about that shit. It’ll dry.”

“Okay,” her soft voice shook. “Can we study math now? I don’t want to talk about Inuyasha at the moment.”

He smiled at her and led her to an empty table, “Never thought I’d hear those words come out your mouth.”

“Shut up,” she giggled.

_______

The exam was tomorrow and Inuyasha was counting down the minutes. He knew he was going to ace it, so he wasn’t worried about that, he just wanted this shit to be over with. Next semester’s schedule will be filled with courses that actually challenge him and he couldn’t wait.

The only thing that could make this day better was if he was in contact with Kagome, but they still weren’t talking at all. It had been two days now, and he was absolutely going crazy. But he didn’t know what to do.

Does he leave her alone, or should he go run to her dorm and beg for her forgiveness? He’ll push all of his pride aside for her and grovel at her feet if she accepted his apology.

But he made her cry and he hated himself for it.

Today, he found himself back at the library with his classmate as they went over everything for the last time. Kikyo had everything memorized and was pretty damn proud of herself. If he didn’t feel so shitty, he’d probably feel very proud of himself right now.

They have been at it for hours, especially now that he wasn’t on speaking terms with Kagome. To distract himself he decided he would just help Kikyo study longer, it helped her in the end anyway, and he knew that she needed to pass this class in order to start taking the requirements for her degree.

“The library is closing soon,” Kikyo sighed. “So I guess this is it?”

Inuyasha glanced around the empty floor and nodded, eyebrows shooting high at the realization that they had been sitting here almost all day. “I guess it is. Do ya feel confident?”

Kikyo smiled brightly at him and it made him think of Kagome, his heart ached at the thought.

“Yes, I do!” She replied, “All thanks to you.”

He hoped Kagome felt that way with her exam tomorrow, pathetically praying that the wolf demon was some help to her.

“Good,” he chuckled, “But don’t thank me, all I did was push ya where ya needed to go.”

Old lady Kaede came up to them with a friendly smile as she tapped their table, “It’s best to start heading out soon. The library is closing in five minutes, and you both have a final tomorrow.”

“Yes Miss Kaede,” Kikyo beamed, “We’re leaving now.”

The kind librarian left them alone to walk around the rest of the floor, probably looking for other students. The duo packed their things and headed for the double doors, an awkward silence pushing between them as they made it outside to the dark night sky.

“I’ll see ya tomorrow,” Inuyasha started, already on the move to his dorm so he can go sulk until his test.

“Inuyasha, wait!” Kikyo called abruptly, her delicate hand landing on his forearm to halt his movement.

He looked at the hand on his arm in confusion but said nothing, his eyes moving to meet her dark gray. She was shying away from his gaze, her cheeks flushed in a pretty pink.

It made him nervous.

“Can I ask you something?” Kikyo asked, her voice as soft as the cool breeze of the wind.

“What is it?” Inuyasha answered dumbly.

Her blush deepened further and the hold on his arm grew a little tighter as if she was trying her best to keep herself together.

“I like you, a lot,” she confessed, “Would you maybe, want to go out with me tomorrow? After our final?”

_____

Kagome jumped to the frantic pounding on her door, she practically jumped out of her own skin from the loud sound. Scared out of her wits she got out of her seat—because who the heck would be banging on her door at 11 PM— when finals started tomorrow?

“Hello?” Her voice wavered in fear, “I’m gonna get my RA if you—“

“Kagome!” Inuyasha’s voice boomed on the other side, “Let me in, please?”

Her heart sank into her stomach because she was not ready to see him again. But he was being loud, and if she didn’t let him in he would wake everyone up. Begrudgingly she ran to open the door and pulled him in, not giving him another chance to bang on it again.

“Inuyasha, are you stupid?! You’re going to wake everyone up!” Kagome yelled at him, the fact alone that she was speaking to him after two days of no contact finally catching up to her.

“I don’t care, I need to talk to you!” He yelled back as he took her in. She was wearing his shirt again, another one, it was super old and faded. It used to be red, but now it was more of a light pink, and it looked amazing on her. It made his heart ache at the thought that even if they were on weird terms she still wore his clothes to feel close to him.

“Can't it wait? We both have finals tomorrow.” She said between her teeth, currently frustrated and overwhelmed that he was standing in front of her.

“Kikyo asked me out,” he heaved out, the confession going the complete opposite of how he planned to tell her.

He watched her face drop and he wanted to kick his own ass so bad.

“Oh,” she responded softly, almost like a whisper. She forgot about that. Two days with Koga and thinking about math had distracted her over that.

“I said no.” Inuyasha finalized, his golden eyes on her form like a hawk.

“W—why?” She suddenly asked, “You guys have spent a lot of time together and—“

“Kagome,” he tried.

“—You might have a lot in common,”

He sighed, “Kagome—“

“And she’s gorgeous, and smart and probably really funny and—“

“I’m in love with you!” He yelled, the confession making her mouth shut immediately. His amber eyes pierced through her and heated her up, and at the moment she could only compare them to a fire.

“D—don’t joke like that!” Kagome argued as tears welled up in her eyes.

He leaned closer to her as he held her face in between his hands, they shook against her skin and it only made Kagome anxious. On instinct, she wrapped her hands around his wrist to steady them as best as she could.

“Damn it Kagome, I ain’t jokin’! None of this is a fuckin’ joke!” Inuyasha stared deeply into her eyes as he tried to get her to see the truth through his own. She’s always been able to understand him, even if he doesn’t directly say what he feels, and he prayed that she wouldn’t stop now.

Her honey brown eyes widened as she took in the pure honesty coming off from her best friend and her heart swelled in her chest. Without realizing it, her cheeks had become stained with tears as they fell freely down her face.

“You jerk!” Kagome cried, her hands shaking against his arms. “How come you were able to say it before me!”

“What?” Inuyasha breathed, “What do you mean?”

She breathed shakily, “I’ve been in love with you for years,” she finally admitted. “For as long as I can remember.”

Inuyasha laughed in disbelief, and in turn, it made Kagome start laughing as well. The half-demon carefully wiped the tears from her eyes and shook his head. “We’re idiots.”

Kagome bit her lip as she tried to suppress her giggles, “Yes, we are.”

He pulled her into a hug and melted into her touch, finally after two long days she was in his arms again. He could wrap his arms around her waist and hold her, feel her warmth, listen to her heart beating, and relax at the feeling of the rise and fall of her chest.

Kagome snuggled into his chest and sighed, “I’ve been in love with you for so long and I was afraid if I told you it would ruin everything.”

Inuyasha closed his eyes as we drowned in her sweet scent; vanilla and strawberries taking over his senses as he finally took her all in. “So did I. And it was killin’ me every damn day.”

They held each other quietly, saying nothing as they took the reality of the situation in. They felt the same way about each other, they loved each other just the same. A powerful, terrifying emotion that needed no definition; a feeling so indescribable that it overwhelmed every single part of the body, mind, and soul.

Kagome rested her chin on his chest as she stared up at him, a little smile now on her face. Her tears were now dry, and instead of hopelessness and sorrow, Kagome felt whole and happy.

“What are ya lookin’ at?” Inuyasha teased her with a toothy smile.

“Oh, nobody, just my best friend.”

The half-demon shook his head, “I think I need a better title if we’re being honest.”

“Like what?” She giggled, “Does boyfriend sound like a better idea?”

Inuyasha tilted her chin with his finger as he smirked at her, “Fuck yeah it does.”

When their lips touched it was difficult not to get lost in the feeling, two souls finally coming together to express the truth they feel in their hearts. It was slow in the beginning as their mouths glided over one another's, but the fluttering in Kagome’s heart could be compared to the speed of a hummingbird's wings. This moment felt surreal as if the world had completely frozen in time and they were the only two souls left to inhabit it. She never wanted to stop, but her lungs for begging for air but she couldn’t find the heart in her to let go.

They pulled apart as they gasped in unison, their chests heaving as they breathed in the oxygen their lungs were desperately fighting for. The pair of friends —now more than friends— stared at each other in amazement; struggling to grasp onto the fact that this was real and it was happening.

The second time they met it was like a gravitational pull, Kagome’s arms immediately wrapped around Inuyasha’s neck to feel him even closer than before; all while his strong arms wrapped around her waist to keep her steady. He invaded all of her senses as they crashed into her like waves, powerful and overwhelming, and she was becoming addicted.

Inuyasha couldn’t believe what was happening, part of him still thought this could only be a dream, a cruel prank his mind was pulling on him that he would be forced to wake up soon. Every time they came apart for air, even if just for a second, he would open his eyes halfway and take a look; he needed to reassure himself that this was in fact real. And if peeking at her wasn’t enough, the way her dainty fingers curled and pulled at his hair was all the proof he needed to know that this was his new reality.

It was at this moment that Inuyasha vowed he could kiss her every chance he could, whether she asked for one or not. He had waited long enough just to know how soft her lips felt like against his; he wasn’t going to stop himself now that he was given permission.

Inuyasha knew that Kagome wouldn’t be against this idea of his after today.

Slowly the kiss fell apart the same way it started, the desire that had erupted between them the second time their lips met was now becoming languid and lazy. She pulled away first and it made him whine like a dog; he would be embarrassed at the sound if it weren’t for the way she had giggled. It sounded like little bells.

“I love you,” Kagome said finally, feeling complete at the fact that she could tell him freely instead of hiding it.

Warmth flushed through his body at her words, the way they sounded with the softness of her voice surrounded his heart. “I love you.”

She smiled sleepily at him before a little yawn ripped out of her mouth, god, she was so tired all of a sudden. The events of the last few days were finally catching up to her.

Inuyasha laughed as she snuggled into his chest, “I kissed ya so hard that I made ya tired huh?“

“Shut up,” Kagome giggled, “It’s late.”

He led her to her bed and tucked her under the covers, his heart drumming at the sight of her. “I kept you up and your finals tomorrow, I’m sorry.”

She shook her head into her pillow and smiled, “I got to kiss you so I don’t care.”

Inuyasha chuckled before bending down to give her a chaste kiss, “I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

She hummed, her words starting to merge together as sleep overcame her. “Love you.”

The walk back to his dorm was quiet, the only sound being the chirping of the crickets in the grass. His heart didn’t throb in yearning as it did before, instead it beat with excitement for the future. A new future with Kagome, where he gets to tell her he loves her and kiss her senseless every single time.

____

It had been a week since their final, and Kagome was anxious to find out her final grade. Professors had a week to input the scores of the exams and their student's work before making it public and it was absolute torture.

“Relax babe, I think you passed.” Inuyasha tried, “Grades post in one minute and ya look like you’re gonna have a heart attack.”

Kagome moaned in desperation, “That’s because I am having one!” She furiously clicked the refresh button on her laptop repeatedly in hopes that the page would show her grades.

“Listen, the wolf and I did a pretty good job— and I’m only mentionin’ him because ya told me he was a good tutor.”

She chuckled, “Koga was a great teacher, yes.” She refreshed the page again, there were fifteen seconds remaining. “But if I failed both of your attempts would be in vain.”

Inuyasha shook his head and said nothing, deciding to kiss the top of her head instead. They were sitting on his bed in his dorm while Kagome was snuggled in his lap with her laptop propped onto her knees.

She hit the refresh button again and the layout changed, a surprised squeak coming out of her throat as she frantically scrolled down to the chart that showed her final grades.

“I passed,” Kagome said softly to herself. “I passed?” She asked again, looking backward at Inuyasha for clarification.

The half-demon nodded with a huge grin on his face, “Yes, you passed.”

She dropped the laptop onto the side and hugged her boyfriend, their laughter echoing around the small room. “I passed!”

Inuyasha kissed her as an overwhelming pride filled his body, “No more math.”

Kagome giggled as she kissed him back, the action looking silly and uncoordinated while the room filled with joyous laughter as they fell backwards atop the bed.