I.N.K. (Inu No Kaneko) | Original Kemonomimi Light Novel

Chapter 15: Coming to Terms

Kaneko woke up the next morning, her head pounding. She tried to get up but something across her lap was restraining her. She looked down to see her seat belt doing its job as she realized she was in her car, the memory of everything that had happened last night pouring into her mind. She laid her seat back and groaned, covering her face. Suddenly a thought popped into her mind and she sat up. "Wait... why is she here?" she said and a possibility came into her mind that made her stomach drop in fright. "What if she's here to take him back?" She quickly started the car and drove off. She drove as fast as she could to the house, running in through the door. "INU!" she yelled as she ran around the house, looking through every room she could to find him when suddenly she ran into her bedroom, seeing two long bumps in the covers. She walked over and saw red hair across the pillow; she lifted the covers to find Mikuri holding Inu as they slept. Tear stains were lined down Inus cheeks. Kaneko sat down in a seat in their room deciding to wait it out and wait for them to wake up. She waited for an hour or so, sitting, pacing, watching out the window, doing anything she could to distract herself. "I can't believe what I did, I can't believe I left" she murmured as she ran her fingers through her hair, a tear slipping from her eye as she sat down on the chair next to the bed. "What kind of mother walks out like that?" she thought, looking up at the two of them. "I'm gonna go make them some snacks for when they wake up. Maybe that'll help cool things down... or at least get what I did off my mind" She got up and walked out of the room.

Moments later, Inu woke up to a heartbeat as his head leaned against her chest, his eyes flickering open to a red fabric. He smiled and cuddled closer to the form, but became confused...it wasn't his mother. She smelled different, felt different, and was much too short. He shifted a bit, trying to move back as his tired body slowly regained control over his movement. He heard a little groan and yawn. "Good morning, my little mackerel," he heard, jumping back as he realized just who it was. He looked at her laying there as he sat up. She slowly got up and yawned as she rubbed her eyes. "How are you feeling?" she said wiping a tear stain from his face.

"Why did you come here?" he said looking down, away from her. "You ruined everything," he said accusingly, a new tear sliding down his cheek onto Mikuri's thumb that was still placed on his cheek.

"Hunny, I-I didn't mean to do that at all," she said feeling awful as she looked away as well, placing her hand in her lap now, her other thumb rubbing the tear now on her thumb nail. "I just wanted to see you".

Silent tears dripped from Inus face, not quite sure how to respond. A silence danced through the air, mixing with the tension between them. It swirled around them, twirling like dust catching the light from the window sill. Old memories passed through their mind, wishes, dreams. That's all they were between them, one sour memory keeping them from connecting. Suddenly, Mikuri sighed before doing something she had never done before.

"Inu?" she spoke suddenly and quietly, her sweet, kind voice glancing off the walls to touch Inu's sensitive ears. "You know when I got mad at you that one day... I never meant for you to leave," she said as they sat on either side of the bed, a sadness and wistfulness circling in a figure eight between them, capturing them though they resisted the temptation to look at each other.

Inu sighed as well. "I know... I just thought you didn't want me there anymore... so, I did what I thought was the best for the you and... left." Mikuri grabbed her dress, trying not to cry, mumbling something to herself. "What?" Inu said, barely able to make it out but checking just to make sure what he heard was real.

"OF COURSE I WANTED YOU THERE INU!" she yelled as she turned around to look at him "I haven't been able to go a day without thinking of you since then! I loved you Inu!" she said through her tears. Inu looked at her, astonished and sad. She turned around and cried, hugging herself. She felt a light pressure on her face, pulling her head around to look at Inu, smiling at her as he heald her chin in his hand, wiping some of the tears from her eyes.

"It's okay, Mikuri." He smiled sweetly at her, with a slight smirk.

Mikuri cried harder at that gesture, the pain of what she put him through screaming in her gut. "No its not!" she yelled as she bawled. "You left because of me...all you've been through these thirty years...all of its because of me." She cried, too weak to sit up any longer so she curled onto the bed.

Though it may have been her fault, Inu wasn't mad at her. He was actually very happy to see her. Mikuri felt a hand run down her long hair. She looked up, surprised. Though tears still streamed down her face, she wasn't fully crying now. "What are you doing?" she said through her tears.

"Petting you." Inu smiled "It always helps me feel better," he said with a small smile, shrugging, feeling embarrassed. She laid back down, now getting a bit more comfortable as she set her head on his lap.

"D-don't stop," she said as she laid there in her sorrow and pain, though it slowly started to fade from her mind. The thirty years of sadness and hurt beginning to slowly fade with just the smallest of his touch. How could such a small gesture do so much? After a couple minutes, she sat up slightly and leaned forward, licking him from his chin to the tip of his nose with her rough tongue, making Inu laugh.

"What was that for?" he giggled, wrinkling his nose and wiping his mouth with a beaming grin on his face.

"It was a thank you." She smiled, moving in and licking his cheek "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she repeated those two words with every lick on his face, becoming more rapid as Inu fell back laughing, the feeling tickling his face. All of a sudden the door flew open and Kaneko ran in, grabbing Mikuri off of him, thinking she was hurting him.

Inu's eyes opened wide. "Mommy! You came back!" he said excitedly.

"Of course I did sweetie; I wouldn't be a very good mother if I didn't," she smiled kindly at him "I'd never lea-ACK!" Kaneko said as Mikuri's hand slapped her in the face accidently from Mikuris flailing

"LET ME GO!" she yelled, Kaneko obliging happily and dropping her onto the bed. "OOF!"

"what were you doing anyways" Kaneko said to Mikuri accusingly.

"Licking his face," Mikuri said with a no, duh expression as she fixed her dress. Kaneko looking up at Inu and gesturing to Mikuri confused.

"It's something we do." Inu shrugged with an I don't know face, blushing a bit before smirking shyly.

Kaneko thought about it for a moment before shaking her head, shrugging, realizing she wouldn't understand. "Alright, whatever."

They sat there for a moment. "Well, now what?" Mikuri said looking down at the bed, a bit worried. Kaneko sat next to her and smiled at her
"Well...you don't have a place to stay, do you?" Mikuri shook her head. "And you don't know anyone here except for us." She shook her head again as Kaneko spoke. "Well, that does it." Kaneko shrugged, throwing her hands in the air, mock desperation on her face. "You're just gonna have to live here with us," Kaneko said as Mikuri looked up in surprise before throwing her arms around Kaneko.

"OH THANK YOU!" she said with tears of joy. "Thank you!"