Begin Again - Rated T
It's been a while since I've written anything, and it just so happens that I'm not writing a one-shot. It's a story with 9 (ish) chapters!!!
It's my first one ever so I hope you guys enjoy it if you decide to join me on this new journey.
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There is beauty in starting over when you get to let go of what happened and who you were in the past.
Kagome has moved into a new apartment, and she looks forward to a brighter future where she leaves the baggage of a toxic relationship behind. Rooming with her best cat Buyo, Kagome starts to experience the fun of living alone. Although, she didn't count on her neighbor being a cute half-demon.
She also didn't expect to develop a crush on him either.
you can find it on AO3! (Multi Chaptered)
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Chapter One
After unloading the last box into her new and empty apartment, Kagome felt like she could finally take a deep breath and begin analyzing the situation. She still needs to unpack her belongings and place them where they belong, and with her best friend's help, it will be done faster and efficiently. Her apartment complex was decently sized with multiple three-story buildings swarming the land. Rent was a decent price, one that she could definitely afford and live comfortably on her own, and the layout of the unit itself was really nice. Bunking with Sango and Miroku for eight months helped her to save up for the new move, and she was excited for this new phase in her life.
Moving into this place was like a breath of fresh air, so clean and free of the pollutants that once claimed her life. With this, Kagome was ready to leave her ex-boyfriend and all the pain he left her behind. The way the relationship had ended could be compared to a work of fiction, even to the point where she had to move in with her two best friends until she got back on her feet. The first two months had been terrible as she dealt with an aching heart and a broken spirit. Insecurity and doubt etched into her mind, haunting her while she continuously blamed herself for not being enough for him to stay faithful to her.
‘If he cheated on me, it’s clearly because there is something wrong with me.’
Although she had convinced herself that those words held true, with time and patience she began to heal. After days and nights of consistent crying, emotional breakdowns, and girls' night-outs for distraction, Kagome was beginning to glow differently. As weeks dragged on, she faced the trauma and pain head-on and allowed herself to feel it. Processing what had happened gave her a new, outsider point of view of the relationship. Journaling became a new hobby, giving her a canvas to write about any thought that crossed her mind.
Pros and cons lists were made, and Sango would scream with her in large, empty parking lots that were far from civilization with Miroku tagging along as their designated driver. Therapy sessions with her mother and hanging out with her brother Sota helped too. If it hadn’t been for her best friends and family; Kagome would have lost herself months ago. The days were rough, and it felt like the tears she cried would never cease, but they did. Just like that, all the love she carried for this man vanished as fast as he had turned into a stranger.
Kagome had learned her lessons, and now she could see the red flags that she once ignored. While focusing on herself, she landed a position as lead editor for the publishing company she worked for. It was a fantastic opportunity, and it made really good money.
The confidence that was ripped apart had returned, the self-doubt had disappeared, and she realized that what he did was not a reflection of her but a reflection of who he is. Truthfully, she’s not too sure if she’s ready for something new; there is still fear latched to her heart about trusting someone and falling in love all over again.
She shook her head to brush away that thought clouding her mind. Focus on the present!
“Okay, that’s the last of it.” Miroku declared. He locked the door behind him and observed the empty apartment.
“Don’t you think it’s cute?” Kagome asked, her voice filled with nervous excitement.
“Yeah, I really like the naked white walls and hardwood floors. Reminds me of our guest bathroom at home. ” He sarcastically replied.
“Ha-ha,” Kagome replied dryly. “Give me a few weeks to make this place mine and you’ll see.”
“I think it’s got a lot of potential.” Sango chimed in. “Plus, you’re great at decorating. Unlike Miroku when he was in charge of the said guest bathroom.” She cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Hey, I never agreed to decorate the bathroom,” He retorted, “You told me to do it.”
“Because it’s next to your man cave.” The girls replied in unison.
He pouted, clearly in defeat. “I like things simple.”
Kagome clapped her hands. “Perfect! So then we can all agree, my apartment is cute, especially when it looks like Miroku's guest bathroom.” Kagome cheered.
“Just like you.” Sango complimented.
Miroku chuckled at the scene before him, admiring the way the girls enjoyed each other's presence. “Alright. While you guys flirt with each other I'm gonna go ahead and order us some pizza.”
Kagome looked around at the unopened boxes and sighed. “While we wait for the pizza, wanna help me unload some of my stuff?”
Sango smiled softly at her best friend. “If I don’t help you, you’ll do it by yourself, and you’re clumsy enough to break something.”
Miroku put his hand over his cell phone's speaker and loudly whispered, “You may even break you!”
Kagome sent Miroku a mock glare, failing to conceal the grin on her face, and swiftly turned on her heel towards the kitchen with a huff. “Fine, then come help Miss Clumsy unload her dishes first!”
Carefully, the girls began unloading the boxes with Kagome’s fragile items one by one. Together they cleaned the cabinets and drawers before adding her dishes, pots, and pans. Miroku joined after placing the pizza orders and helped unload her cooking and eating utensils. Since she will be living alone, she didn’t have a lot of dinnerware, but she fell in love with a glazed set and she is very capable of dropping them all.
Once they completed unloading the kitchen items the pizzas had finally arrived, and they happily plopped down on the dusty floor to eat.
“Your next move is to get some furniture in here.” Miroku managed to say with his mouth full. He thought it was a good idea to add extra cheese to the pies, but now it’s so cheesy that he is having a hard time with it.
Kagome nodded before taking a bite. “I won’t have any for another week. My pick-up orders have been delayed, so I’ll be eating on the floor for the time being.”
Sango shrugged her shoulders and grinned. “Good thing you had your own bed. The floor is comfortable, but use a pillow if your butt starts to go numb.”
“Oh no, not my butt!” Kagome giggled, “My most prized possession!”
The group was quick to eat the large pizza, the quick meal helping them tremendously. It gave them enough fuel to continue unboxing as many of Kagome’s possessions as possible, as long as there was a place to put them. Together they built her bed and put her clothes away in her closet, as well as loaded her bathroom with all of her hygiene products and various soaps. The number of boxes left was manageable for Kagome to unload by herself, and all the heavy-duty items were already in their spots.
Sango dusted off her hands and exhaled, looking around the little empty apartment that will now be her best friend's home. “Guess that’s it.”
“Yeah.” Kagome breathed, joining her in taking in the empty living room.
Miroku shook his head and laughed, “You guys are acting like we don’t live five minutes down the road.”
The girls rolled their eyes and scoffed, “You just don’t get it.” They said in unison.
His eyebrows shot up, his eyes averting their gaze. “Well,” he laughed as he patted their heads. “Call us if you ever need anything. I won’t miss watching you eating my snacks while you binge watch movies on the couch.”
“Your Doritos are now safe once again.” She laughed.
“Nah, my oreos are safe. His Doritos were always your second choice.” Sango chimed in with a smirk. She pulled Kagome into a hug, squeezing her tightly in her arms. “I’ll miss seeing your grumpy face every morning.”
Kagome laughed, squeezing her back with the same vigor. “I’m down the street, you can come to see my grumpy face whenever you want.”
Sango squeezed her harder, “Call me whenever. We’ll run right over if you need us.”
“Babe, you’re gonna pop her like a balloon if you hug her any harder.”
They let each other go, laughter echoing around the empty apartment. They made their way to the front door, giggles still leaving their mouths as the reality set in that this would be the first night that they don’t live under the same roof together. Kagome opened the door and leaned on it, a sad smile now decorating her features.
“I’ll see you guys later.” Her hands fiddled with the doorknob, turning it back and forth within her hand. “Text me when you get home.”
Their car’s lights blinked twice as Miroku unlocked the doors, the finality of the day beginning to set in between them.
“We will.” He held Sango’s hand with his and pulled it to his chest, a common thing he does whenever he knows she needs comfort. They said their final goodbyes, and Kagome silently watched them open their doors and climb inside.
“Don’t talk to strangers!” She heard Sango’s voice yell from the window, her boisterous laugh reverberating in the parking lot.
She waved goodbye as their car pulled out of the spot, happy little giggles leaving her mouth for no one but herself to hear.
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Two weeks had already passed since Kagome moved into her new apartment, and in those fourteen days, she had already made it into a home. She surprised herself when she successfully built her new furniture without any extra help, being convinced she would have to call Sango to come over to be her second pair of arms. Her dining table and chairs, couch, and lounge chair had already come assembled; but her coffee table, dresser, and nightstands were easy to puzzle together with her small toolbox and little knowledge of assembly.
She padded herself on the back for her skills in interior decorating, thanks to the internet, she had already bought everything she needed before moving in and added them into their designated spaces once the furniture was added. With her home office now set up, and all the other rooms organized; she could finally lay around comfortably in her own home.
Work has been eating up all of her time, no thanks to the move, and she felt like she had been drowning in paperwork. Playing catch-up would never be easy for Kagome, as she usually sucks at staying level-headed under pressure. Luckily, she’s getting the hang of it thanks to her promotion, the mountainous piles of paperwork and tasks were slowly becoming no match for her quick thinking.
Her stomach grumbled loudly in the silent room, telling her that it was going to shrivel up and die if it isn’t fed soon. Again, she had prioritized her job over her hunger and now her body was complaining. Exhausted, she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Guess I need to go eat before my stomach decides to eat itself.
The chair pushed back with resistance against the floor; a piercing squeal followed the movement, and it made her body shiver in reaction. “That can’t be good for the floor, but right now, I’m too hungry to care.”
She sauntered to her little kitchen and pulled out some leftover dinner from the night before, along with an extra helping of rice because she deserved it, and threw it into the microwave.
“Buyo!” She called for her cat, “Come for dinner!” Her foot tapped on the hardwood floor, an old habit she picked up from her mother to summon the cats back home, and filled his little bowl with his favorite food.
While she set it back down to the ground, the microwave beeped, and she excitedly grabbed the plate full of food and set it on the counter. Her stomach flipped as it continued to growl and complain, her hunger was really starting to set in the longer she waited to eat.
Without caring about whether or not she burned her tongue, Kagome scooped the salmon rice into her mouth and hummed happily. She danced where she stood, too happy to take a seat at her dinner table to eat like a normal person, and stuffed her face faster than usual. The hours she had gone without any food, even a snack; had been a terrible idea and as she took her last bite she promised herself to never do that again.
A promise she had been breaking the last two weeks.
“Dinner was good huh, Buyo?” She asked her cat, the fullness in her stomach finally settling in.
Looking down towards the food bowl, she realized it was still filled to the brim, with no chunky Calico cat in sight.
“Buyo?” She called a second time, her voice raised with concern. “Where are ya bud?”
Kagome checked every corner, nook, and cranny in the hope she would find her cat hiding somewhere he couldn’t get out. She looked in his favorite spots, under her bed, and even in the bathtub, but she could not find her cat.
In a last-minute attempt as panic set inside of her, she decided to look for him outside of her unit. Buyo was an inside cat, and if he managed to escape somehow, she was convinced she was never going to see the beloved feline ever again.
His little bell is attached to his collar, I just need to be really quiet and focus on hearing it. With her two bunny slippers and oversized cardigan thrown onto her shoulders, she fought a heart attack and stepped outside.
“Buyo!” She cried out, her voice echoing in the parking lot. “Buyo, baby, come here!”
There was no sound, not even a little jingle or a pitter-patter of tiny paws on the concrete to alert her that he was around. Cars were searched underneath, flowers and shrubs were moved around, and she even crouched on the ground to look in between small areas.
“This your cat?” A male's voice called out to her, gruff and deep, yet welcoming.
In her crouched position she looked over to find that the owner of the voice was her neighbor, although this is the first time she has ever seen him in person, she was finally able to connect his voice to his face.
Kagome had to squint to make sure the giant, round fluffball in his hands was indeed her cat, but as soon as he loudly meowed in his arms it was confirmed from there.
“Oh my god, Buyo!” Legs wobbling from anxiety, she ran right over to the man and hugged him. The impulsive action hit her immediately upon feeling just how big and muscular the man she randomly hugged was.
“I-I’m sorry!” She stuttered, pushing herself off his chest. “I’m just so happy you found my cat.”
“You hug every person you meet?” His voice sounded rough as he asked her, but the flush on his face told a different story. This girl was cute, and he had definitely not expected to get hugged by his pretty neighbor.
“N-no! I’m just really thankful.” She repeated. “He’s my first cat, and I’ve never lost him before.”
The color of her cheeks matched his own, and it wasn’t just because she decided to hug a stranger, it is also because this stranger was the most attractive person she’s ever seen and it had her internally spiraling. With his long, white hair and piercing gold eyes, it was no surprise she was a blushing mess.
“I-It was nothin’.” The man replied, the cat in his arms becoming more interesting than the girl in front of him. He gently scooped him out of his arms and into hers, the furry cat nesting himself comfortably into her chest. “Ya gotta lay him off the cat food.”
“Hey!” She guffawed, “Take that back! Buyo’s shy.”
Her handsome neighbor chuckled, the sight before him was a lot cuter than he’d like to admit. “Shy enough to walk into my apartment while I’m making lunch? That’s even bold for me.”
Kagome couldn’t keep her smile back, the action causing his cheeks to redden deeper. “If Buyo likes your food, I’d take that as a compliment.”
Something about her smile had him reeling, it was inexplicable how this girl he just met could have such a strange effect on him. The same girl who just moved in two weeks prior, who he could hear singing songs to herself while she did her chores and babbled about things to her cat. The new sounds and smells that came out of her apartment were definitely welcomed, especially because he found her entertaining and new.
“What’s your name?” He found himself asking before he could stop himself. He already knew her name, but he wanted to hear her confirm it.
Her finger stopped wiggling around Buyo’s face at the sound of his curious voice, the feline deciding to paw at the finger to make her start moving it again. “My name’s Kagome. And yours?”
Kagome. He thought to himself, her name reverberated in his head. “Inuyasha.”
“Inuyasha.” Kagome smiled again, his name coming off like honey out of her throat. “And you’re a dog demon, right?”
Normally, that question would have turned him off and he would tune out the rest of the conversation because it usually never ends well; his minuscule amount of friends is proof of that. Although, with the way she asks it, he feels the need not to turn a cold shoulder towards her, because the tone in her voice is filled with innocent curiosity instead of malice.
“I’m half. Why do ya ask?”
“No particular reason,” she readjusted the now sleeping cat in her arms. “I just really like your ears.”
Heat flared up in his face again, the innocent compliment catching him totally off guard. The only people who verbally compliment his ears are his mother, the little old ladies he sees at the grocery store, and kids. Besides those experiences, he’s never received something so genuine.
He cleared his throat to play it cool, a smirk painting his face. “Flattery will get you nowhere, but I’ll take it since I saved your cat and all.”
Kagome rolled her eyes, playing along. “Technically, all he did was walk into your apartment to eat your food. He was safe the entire time”
“What if he wasn’t.”
“But he was.”
“I could have kicked him out into the street.”
“But you didn’t.”
“But the option was there.”
“But yet,” she grinned, “You didn’t.” Her gaze stayed glued to his own, the smirk on his face now dimming into an annoyed frown. She knew she won the little game, because instead of sending her cat into danger, he probably let Buyo sleep on his floors instead.
“I’m going back into my apartment. I’ve been out here long enough, and your chunky cat is back where he belongs.” He announced, knowing he wasn’t going to win against the raven haired beauty. He briefly opened the door and stepped inside, and decided to lean on it; knowing he wouldn’t go inside his home until he knew she went into hers first. It’s something he learned from his mom when he was a kid, and he always followed it, especially with girls.
From what Kagome could manage to see from his entryway, his apartment was simply decorated and dark, something she would completely expect from him even though they had only just met.
“Don’t hate on the chunky, Inuyasha!” She giggled at his unamused expression staring back at her. “Chunky cats have more to love.”
“Yeah yeah, go back inside your apartment.” He waved her off, closing the door.
Kagome smiled at his unit number, 200, before turning swiftly on her ankle to enter her house. With Buyo snuggled in her arms, his little body rising and falling with every breath he took, she suddenly felt sleepy as well and decided to turn in for the night.
What Kagome didn’t know was that her unamused, half-demon neighbor had quietly watched and waited for her own door to shut close, followed by the click of the locks to signal that she was safe.
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