Hm. Crazy things happened. Then COVID happened. Then I was working from home. With an 18months old. Now I'm on bedrest for risk of preterm labor (I'm 32 weeks).

It's been a trying few months. I hope you're all safe out there!

Neighbours

Chapter 10

Avoid him at home? Do able.

Avoid him at school? Absolutely.

Avoid him at work? A little more difficult.

She had done her best to stay out of his way, navigating the precinct based on what he was currently doing. Any time she suspected that he might come to her desk, she would find an excuse to bolt away before he even got near her. That would not look suspicious, right? Plus, this morning - well, he worked earlier than she did. She did not have to wake up at the crack of dawn. That was believable too, right? Yes. No? It was not like he had gone out of his way to bump into her, meaning it had to be somewhat believable. At least, it was the hope she was holding on to currently.

"Kagome."

The scream of utter surprise that was torn from her throat scared even her. The paper she was holding went flying before she slapped her hand on her chest, feeling her heart thundering beneath her fingertips. "G-ginta," she said with a shaky voice as she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Didn't mean to scare ya."

"It's my fault," she said, dismissing him with a wave of the hand. "I- I was somewhere else."

"Anything you wanna share?"

"Nope. I- I think I'm just tired from last night," she said with a forced chuckle. It was not completely false. Except the last night part she was referring to was Kouga almost kissing her, not all of them going out for drinks.

"We're gonna have to build your tolerance." He chuckled as he dropped a pile of documents on her desk. "Let's do it again sometime."

"I'm sure you're all dying for me to embarrass myself again."

"You were fine," he defended. "I barely noticed a difference."

"Sure," she retorted with a smile. For a brief moment, she was distracted from her dilemma. And a moment was all it took.

"Hey stranger."

His voice had the effect of a cold shower. Her entire body stiffened, and she swallowed hard, the air struggling to make it to her lungs. He would look at her for one second, and he could read her like an open book; she was screwed. "Hey," she managed to croak out, her eyes fixed on the pile of papers Ginta had handed her.

"I was about to go pick up some lunch, you hungry?"

"You never ask me if I'm hungry," Ginta complained.

Kouga shot him a side glance. He did not need his intervention right now; he was busy trying to confirm a theory. Although she had not run away upon seeing him, it felt like there was a distance between them. Usually, he would have joked around with her a bit more and she would have greeted him upon her arrival at the police station. Had he gone too far last night? It had taken him a lot of self control to not kiss her. He thought it might have gone under the radar. Then again, he made a comment about how he would have been all over that. Was she creeped out by him now? Did she no longer feel comfortable sharing an apartment with him?

"No, I had lunch at school," she said, barely making eye contact with him. Great, you idiot, she thought. Now, he could tell something was wrong. Why was she being so weird? She was spinning his words, building a fake story in her head. He was simply - fuck, she did not know. She did not know how to handle his words, she did not know how to process anything he did. "But, you could pick me up some supper," she managed to add. "Looks like I'm gonna be here for a while."

She did not know what had happened during the past few days, but the work had piled up on her desk. She was almost convinced that when she had left yesterday, there was no giant pile. Why was it that some part of her felt like this was Ayame's doing? She could not put it past her to make her life miserable.

Kouga quirked an eyebrow. "You ain't staying here all night."

"Kouga, I have to finish this. I have a class tomorrow, I don't have time."

"Then I'll help ya."

"Kouga… I'm here to help you guys. Not the other way around."

"I can do both."

"That's it," she began using this occasion to put some distance between the two of them. "Shoo, the both of you. I will be here all night if you don't let me work."

"Yes ma'am," he reluctantly agreed. He remained unconvinced that she was not avoiding him, but he refused to be the reason she had to stay late at work. For now, he would listen. She could not avoid him forever, could she?

-N-

"Kagome."

Her name sounded so far away as it was spoken with a soft, quiet voice. She felt warmth wrapped her around as a quietness spread through her surroundings.

"Kagome."

There it was again.

There was a soft touch, gripping at her shoulder, forcing her to stir away from the slumber that was calling to her. Regardless, she opened her eyes, peaking through the faint light that was coming from the faint lamp on her desk. She blinked once, then twice, before realizing where she was. The police station. The shock was enough to make her jump awake, startling the poor Kouga who had been trying to shake her awake for a few minutes now. Panic settled in her eyes as she took notice of the emptiness of her surroundings. Her eyes finally landed on Kouga, who was looking at her with a half-smile.

"Ya okay sleepy head?"

Oh god. "W-where's everyone?"

"Day shift went home. It's just the night shift now."

Night shift? Oh god, she had fallen asleep at work. Her cheeks burned with her shame as she nervously ran her fingers through her bangs, unable to find her voice. This was embarrassing. She remembered filing paperwork and then - and then nothing. Oh please God, she hoped that she had not drooled. Did she snore? Is that why he came to see her and wake her up? To spare her the horrifying shame of snoring loudly through the police station? Wait. No. Night shift? Why was Kouga still there?

"Why are you here?"

He shrugged. "I had a lot of work." Lie. He had planned on staying here as long as her - or at least to drag her back home when the hour got indecent. He had not planned on her falling asleep and then - well, she had looked quite tired and he had not wanted to wake her up. However, the hours were ticking, and he knew they both had to go home.

Kagome eyed her own pile of work, realizing that she had not gotten as far as she had wanted. At this point she did not even know if she wanted to stay; did she want to suffer through the humiliation of spending more time with all the people who had probably heard her snore? Not really no… Oh dear god. "I-I just stay," she stammered, rising into a standing position.

"You need to go home and sleep."

"Kouga-"

"Kagome," he replied sternly. "Home."

There was a commanding tone in his voice that she was not used to hearing. Okay. She popped her lips and nodded, her shoulders slouching downwards as she tilted her head backwards. "Yes sir," she teased.

"See, that's so much better," he replied with a smile. "Come on, let's get some food in you."

Right - she had not eaten.

Well, so much for avoiding him.

-N-

"Beer and Chinese takeout?" she said with a quirked eyebrow as she watched him plop down next to her on the couch.

"It enhances the taste," he defended.

"Uh-huh."

She had convinced him not to stop on the way. Somehow that felt too date like - but then again, that might have all been in her head. Instead, they ordered. She figured she might have a chance to slip away in her room, but he never offered her such an opportunity. Anything she could have tried would have seemed forced and unnatural. And now, there she was, sitting on the couch next to him as they ate together. This was the opposite of what she had wanted to do originally.

"Wanna watch a movie?"

"Hm," she cleared her throat. "Sure." They had just started eating - it was not like she could say she was about to go to bed or anything.

And that left her to watch a movie with him.

Which - surprisingly - went well. As they watched a comedy, she found herself forgetting about the moment they almost had. It was easy; they laughed at the same jokes; they had the same humor… they worked well together. And those thoughts were enough to bring her full circle again. She was not supposed to be thinking about that. They lived together now. It was not a good idea to go down that path. It would complicate things. How can you date when you share the same intimate space? It would not work. Maybe once she moved out, they could re-visit that option. If there was even an option to consider. After all, it might have all been in her head.

Kouga could not help but notice as she stiffened next to him. Something had changed. She was back to being the nervous Kagome who had presumably avoided him all day.

"You okay?" he finally dared to ask, hoping it would break the ice.

She nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"No reason," he answered with a shrug of the shoulders. "You seem tense. Just wonderin' if something happened at work." He knew nothing happened at work, but he had to narrow it down as much as he could and as subtly as possible.

"I think I'm just - tired," she opted for. God, she was a terrible liar. What was he expecting to tell her? I think you tried to kiss me last night? She did not think so. That would be counterproductive.

"I don't believe you." He would like to think he was good at his job and that he knew her pretty well. This was not tiredness. Tiredness was when she fell asleep at her desk in the middle of the precinct. This was something else entirely.

"Is this an interrogation officer?" she teased, hoping it would distract him away from his question.

"Maybe it is."

"I plea the fifth?" she tried, grimacing.

"You would not last two seconds in an interrogation."

"I would!" she defended.

Kouga chuckled. "I doubt it, you're too innocent for that."

"Who says I'm innocent?"

"You're a good girl - a good person," he rectified, not wanting his mind to wander to bad thoughts. "You wouldn't be able to resist telling the truth."

"Maybe I would." She had been doing a good job of lying to herself for a while now. That had to count for something no?

"We could put it to the test at the station if you want," he said with a wink.

And risk blabbering about it in front of everyone? She would not take that chance. "Fine, you win."

"Oh? Do you have a secret?" He was teasing her, but part of him wondered if it were true and if it had anything to do with her slight change in attitude.

"I have many secrets."

"Maybe I should find them out."

This time, the teasing tone laced in his voice was vanishing away, a seriousness taking over as he locked eyes with her. She gulped, holding her breath as she found herself unable to look away from him. What did he expect her to say? I thought you would kiss me? I'm disappointed that you didn't?

"What about you," she said, the gaze never broken. "Any secrets?"

"One."

He answered too quickly - it startled her.

She swallowed, trying to keep her hands from shaking. "Maybe we should find out yours," she said, trying to tease him, but she knew he could see right through her.

"Can I?"

Her initial reaction was to quirk an eyebrow, but when he began closing the distance between them, she held her breath; oh.

"Can you?"

"Can I take you out?"

"Huh?"

"On a date," he finished - in case his previous train of thoughts was not clear enough. They had hung out more than once already, but it was nothing official and the guys were often around. There was something about her that pulled him in; and before he did something stupid like he almost did by kissing her, it was only proper that he took her out. Granted now that he had invited her to be his roommate he should be proper but - no matter what they did, he felt like they kept circling back to the same place. And now it felt like she was avoiding him. The best way he could think of dealing with this was to get straight to the point. If she was avoiding him for that reason, she would say no and he would know. If it was because of something else, then he would figure out what it was.

"Oh."

Did that mean she was right? He had intended on kissing her the previous night? "We live together," she blurred out.

He chuckled. "We do." He had expected that one. Although, despite the fact that she hadn't hastily agreed, she also hadn't turned him down. It had to count for something no?

"A date?"

"If you don't want -"

"Sure," she interrupted. It was crazy; they lived together and because of this she had been avoiding him. A date. It was a good harmless way to see what was there. After that, they could move on from it or - or figure out where to go. She put a smile on before she nodded. "I mean - I think we might need some ground rules but, sure."

"Wouldn't expect any less," he said with a smirk.

She had planned on avoiding him more, but she had forgotten that Kouga was not the type of man that danced around the issues. He was bold, and he was direct. She had to admit; it was nice.

A date.

-N-

"About fucking time," Sango said as she threw herself on Kagome's bed. "I thought you guys would be old and grey before you figured it out."

"Shh," Kagome said, eyes bulging out. "He's in the next room, you know."

That was one of the downside about going on a date with your roommate; it did not leave her a lot of room to get ready. But it was weird to have him pick her up somewhere else, so they were making due. She had asked Sango not to come since she did not want it to look like she was putting too much thought into it. It was still unclear how they would proceed with all of this, and she didn't want to leave any impressions. But her best friend did not listen, and she showed up, regardless. If things had not been awkward before, they were now. It seemed like the harder she tried to not make a big deal out of this, the bigger of a deal it became.

"Even if I whispered, I bet he's on the other side with his ear to the wall," she teased. If neither of them wanted to be reminded of how long it had taken them to get their shit together, they should not have been so slow. Although the fact that they waited after they lived together made things interested. "So what happens at the end of the night? You guy kind of have to have sex."

"What?"

"I mean you both come home here. Let's say it's a good night. What happens? You kiss and you each go to your room?" she said with a chuckle.

It was - a valid point. It was not one she wanted to talk about while Kouga was right there, probably listening to everything they were saying, but it was something to talk about. It could probably fit within the ground rules they had spoke about. But - were they going to talk about it… before? After? During? Fuck. This was a little complicated. She sighed before dropping on her bed, her shirt still clutched between her fingers. They lived together; they worked together. This could mess up everything. "Was this a mistake?" Why was she bothering asking? It was a mistake. Then again, the mistake had probably begun happening back when she moved in with him so technically, she screwed up a long time ago!

Sango threw her head back, desperation radiating from her body. "No," she replied before closing the distance between herself and her friend. "Dating is always messy. You should know that. Inuyasha, Hojo… even if you guys didn't live together, it would be messy." She popped her lips. "You like him?" she whispered, despite the pointlessness of it.

Kagome waited a second before nodding.

"So do it," she replied in aggravation. "For once, Kagome, live a little."

"I did that once, remember? I don't recall it going so well."

Sango fought the urge to roll her eyes. "One time. It blew up in your face one time. Plus, last time, you assumed he was interested. And I mean - let's face it, I'm sure he's still interested, but that's a whole other story and I'm not touching that with a ten feet pole. Anyway - we know Kouga is interested. The man asked you out. So there is nothing wrong with testing the waters." Kagome opened her mouth to rebut, but Sango didn't give her the opportunity. "No ifs and buts. I don't wanna hear: what if it doesn't work, what if it works? No one knows Kagome. Give it a chance. I swear to god, if it goes badly, I'll let you move in with us. We'll make it work."

Kagome cringed. "I don't think I wanna live somewhere where I can hear you guys bang 24/7." Their flirting was already enough to put her off, and she didn't need a front-row seat to this show.

"Listen, this is how sure I am that this will work. If you end up moving in with us, we won't have sex until you move out."

"Miroku would die."

"Hence why I know this is a sure thing - won't happen."

Kagome leaned back, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Could she really argue with such certainty? They both knew that Miroku's sanity was at risk if Sango held back sex from him. Either way, she had nothing to lose in this situation. If it worked out, great. If it didn't - she had a new place to live? It was fine, right? Yes. It would all be fine.

-N-

"The red bra Kagome? Are you sure it's not too slutty?"

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she threw daggers as she watched Sango shouting to the wall that separated her bedroom from Kouga's. She hoped she wasn't trying to be subtle, because no one was buying it. This was not helping calm her nerves in any way. As if her hand weren't shaking enough as it was… Every part of her wanted to cancel this before they took the next step. There was no going back after this. If it went horribly wrong, it could haunt them forever and it would no longer be possible for her to live here or work at the police station… And if it went well? That would be a mess in its own as well. How were they going to handle living together and trying to date? What would be the boundaries? Would it be too much too soon?

Ugh.

"Kagome you have to wear underwear."

Sango was fairly certain that if Kagome's eyes got any bigger, they would pop out of her head. She couldn't resist the laughters that poured out of her. Honestly, she could hardly blame her; it was a little too easy to mess with her. Kagome needed to loosen up. She was making this situation a lot bigger than it was and a lot more serious than it needed to be. This was her attempting to see the fun in the situation. She was going on a date with a good-looking, nice guy. She shouldn't be this nervous, and she shouldn't be having so many expectations. Dating was fun, not a chore. Maybe someone needed to remind her of that. Even if it cost her, well, her shame.

"I am never inviting you over again," Kagome hissed in a low voice. She didn't even know why she was trying to stay quiet. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Kouga had witnessed the whole interaction and she didn't even want to think what was going through his head right now.

"You know you love me."

"I'm really reconsidering right now."

Sango shook her head, a smile on her lips, as she hopped off Kagome's bed. She put her forehead to the wall, trying to close the distance as much as possible before she began shouting. "She's ready if you want to be a gentleman who picks her up at her door."

"Sango!"

"What? I'm trying to make the best out of a bad situation! Usually, he woulda picked ya up at the door! He can't. He can at least pick you up at your bedroom door. And if he wants, I can leave and you can all have a night in…"

"All right, that's it," Kagome said as she threw her hands up. "You're going - I'm going… everyone is going."

She rushed to the door, hurrying to open it before Kouga followed Sango's instructions. This was stressful enough as it was, and Sango's presence was only making it a lot worse. She didn't want any pressure or expectations to be put on Kouga, and this was counterproductive. He didn't have to pick her up; they lived together. This reinforced her thought that this all probably a terrible idea. But she would not think of that right now. If she started the date in that mindset, it would not end well. Then again, how did she want it to end?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Kouga walked out of his room. Unlike her, he didn't seem stress. His long hair was wrapped up in a neat ponytail, and he looked handsome without trying; black pants and a grey shirt. She had been racking her brain, trying to come up with an outfit…, what do you wear for someone who had seen you in your pyjamas? There was no illusion or magic left. He had seen her in the morning - at her worst. Did she ever have a chance to chase away that image? Was there any way to give him a new first impression of her? Probably not.

"Hey," he said, as he slowly closed the door behind him. "I- I wasn't sure…"

"Ignore her. Pretend she's not here."

"Well, don't ignore me completely," Sango began as she exited the room. "Wouldn't want anyone to get naked while I'm still here." Kagome's eyes narrowed, and Sango chuckled. "I'm leaving, don't worry. Have fun you two!"

They both watched her walk away, the air between them thickening. Kagome was the first to clear her throat, glancing his way with a smile forced on her face. "So?"

"So do you want me to knock at your bedroom door?" he asked with a grin.

"You heard that uh?"

"If it can make you feel better, I can pretend I didn't hear any of it. Especially the underwear part."

She hid her face behind her hand, stiffening her groan. "So you heard all of it."

"She's not exactly silent," he said with a chuckle. "But I'm happy to know you're wearing a sexy bra and no underwear. Sounds like my kind of date."

"Is it too late for me to cancel? I got this emergency, and I'm sick…"

"Really, I have it on good authority that you're doing splendidly," he teased back. "It'll be fun, I promise."

"Take the lead," she resigned herself, as she readied herself to follow him to wherever he was taking her.

"Yes, ma'am."

-N-

"I'm impressed," she said as she glanced around at the restaurant.

"I can't be fancy?"

"No, I mean, it feels… very adult." In her head she was picturing the guy who couldn't decorate his apartment and who ordered a little too much pizza. It wasn't like she thought he would take her to a hotdog stand or anything, but she did almost feel underdressed for the occasion. Then again, he had opted for a casual attire, so it should be fine.

"I am a man in my thirties, I think I can adult sometimes."

Right. He was in his thirties. Somehow, despite it being clear, she kept forgetting about this little detail. He had his whole life together a lot more than she did - else she wouldn't have needed to move in with him. She thought she had been ready for the big city, living by herself, and it had all blown up in her face. Meanwhile, he had his life together. He was ready for more?

"Oh? And is that why a man in his thirties like yourself is still living the bachelor life - with a roommate. That feels pretty teenager years, if you ask me."

He smiled. "Let's say life didn't go the way I planned. There were a few years there I worked a little too much to have a social life outside of the guys." It was easier to be buried in the work. He was good at that. He did his job well, and it satisfied him. It filled up the parts of him that were emptier. Plus, he had tried dating, but it often ended in a disaster. "Dating a co-worker, wasn't the best idea. And most people don't understand the cop lifestyle. I don't exactly have normal hours."

"Didn't notice," she teased.

"It's better now," he pointed out. He didn't need to give her reasons why this wouldn't work. Way to put his foot in his mouth. "I'm higher up, got more control and - now I want something else." His eyes met hers, not leaving the meaning of his words to chance. He wanted more out of this.

Heat rose to her cheeks, and she reached out for her glass of water, hoping the sip would allow her to recollect herself.

She wasn't used to dealing with someone who was so forward.

-N-

"I didn't think one person could eat so much."

"I'm a growing boy," he defended.

"I think 40 is a little old to still be growing. I think you're shrinking at this point."

It had happened casually. He kept being the same Kouga he always was. He wasn't trying to push the conversation in one direction; he wasn't trying to pressure her. At first, she kept her responses short, feeling some pressure, but as he kept pressing on, she loosened up, falling back into the same rhythm they had before all of this had felt so complicated. Then again, maybe it was all in her head, maybe she was the one who had created the barrier… and maybe there was no need for it.

"Hey, 30."

"Sorry, you're right. You can still plan the next five years of your life before death comes for you."

"You know, I'm really regretting taking care of that ticket for you right now."

"I think it was only fair since you barged into my apartment."

"To save your life."

"Or to get an eyeful."

"Well, that was the payment for saving your life," he hurried to reply. "I'm also pretty sure you got an eyeful, so we're even," he added with a wink.

Yup, he would not let her live it down. She blushed as she stared down at her empty plate. "Touché."

"Although, I don't mind. If you need to get another look to make sure it's to your taste, I'm okay with that."

"You're lucky we are in a public place, mister."

"Am I?"

She shook her head softly, reaching out for her glass of wine. She had limited herself to only one, not wanting to cloud her judgement or her behavior. It went nicely with the meal as well, so that was a bonus. She let her shoulders drop as she let herself relax. This was do-able.

-N-

"Now I can't eat it!"

"Why not?"

"Because someone took the time to turn it into a swan. I don't want to undo all their hard work!"

He couldn't help himself as he laughed at her comment. "Then why did you take it home with you?"

"Because it was really good."

"But you're not gonna eat it."

"Maybe you can murder the duck."

"Yes ma'am," he said with a chortle as they reached the top of the stairs.

He knew that being back to the apartment would probably break the nice atmosphere he had created. It was easy at the restaurant; he could make her forget about all the stressful elements that seemed to hold her back. Honestly, he didn't get it. He was a simple guy; he liked her and he was pretty sure she liked him. What else was there to think about? So they lived together. They could make it work. He would respect her the same way he always had, and he wouldn't expect more because of it. Didn't they actually know each other better because of their living situation?

They walked in silence until they reached the door and Kagome found herself quite fidgety. This was the part she had been worried about, the one she had forgotten about while they had a good time. They were coming back to the same place. Was there a non-awkward way to end this? What were they supposed to do now?

"I'd invite you in, but my roommate isn't very nice," Kouga joked as he leaned against the door.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yea, she goes on these weird dates, barges into the bathroom, never wears underwear…"

Before she knew it, she was smacking his chest. "Funny man. Did that ever work for you?"

"You tell me."

His question took her breath away, and she stared at him with her lips parted. What could she answer to that?

"How about, we forget I live here for a second? What if I am a gentleman dropping you off home, and then I go for a block around the building? Then, when I come back, I'm just a roommate asking you how your date went?"

"I don't think…"

"I had a good time," he said cutting her off.

She smiled. "I did too."

"Good. Now I'll get out of here before your roommate comes out and kicks my butt for keeping you out too late."

"Yeah, you should be careful. He is a cop."

"Sounds scary."

"Very."

A grin adorned his lips as he leaned forward, intending to put a kiss to her cheek. However, it was not what she had been planning. At the last second, her head turned, his lips crashing on hers. A small yelp formed on her open lips, but as the moment was here, he took it. He captured her top lip, kissing her - like he had meant to do many nights ago. At first she was stiff against him, but she relaxed in his hold, shyly returning the kiss. The taste of her invaded his mouth, and he held back. No pressure. Although he wanted nothing more than to wrap her body around his, he forced himself to pull away.

"Good night Kagome."

Wait, he was actually… mmm….

"Thanks for the date." He chuckled. "And the kiss."

He walked away, much like he had said he would, and Kagome pressed her back against the locked door. All right and now she was supposed to… see him later and…?

There was a tingle in her stomach.

The man knew how to kiss.

For a second, she wondered, what else was he good at…

Okay, she needed to lock herself in her bedroom.

Now.

-N-