Saturday, September 25, 2004

   inuyasha 8
One week, a few setbacks, and two aching backs later...

Kagome peeked around in the darkness, squinting to see into the darker shadows. The more time she spent here in the past, the better it seemed her senses were becoming. Sometimes lately, she was a bit alarmed at how acute they were getting, but then again, when you're forced to use only your senses to survive and develop a power you never knew you had, it was no wonder they would get rather intense.

It was just after midnight and she had snuck out after making sure Inuyasha was asleep in the corner of Kaede's hut. She had tried to sneak out to the well all week without success, and Inuyasha was having so much fun with that stupid subduing spell that he would set little traps for her around it and just wait. Like that time he'd pretended he was going off to bathe only to be waiting in a tree... It was frustrating to say the least. He always let her get SO close...!

That had to have been the worst part about the entire situation. Inuyasha's attitude where she was concerned had undergone a dramatic transformation. He was almost disgustingly confident, barely yelling at her or even arguing anymore. Instead he would just stand proudly, arms folded over his chest and head cocked to one side with a borderline patronizing smile on his face. When she stopped for air or ran herself out of things to say, he would pat her on the head and walk away with an arrogant swagger and most often with his shoulders shaking in outright laughter.

This time just HAD to be different. It was the middle of the night, for crying out loud, and she'd left him asleep, she was sure of it! She'd even left her pack at Kaede's so she could move faster through the eerily silent forest.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she slid out into the grove and walked calmly for the gateway that would take her back to her time. Her steps slowed as she neared it, and against her will, her head turned back in the direction of the village. Eyes softening, she hesitated, 'Inuyasha will definitely be angry if I do go... This'll be the "sneaking off" that he said I-' She shook her head violently to clear that thought, growling out softly, "Damn him! I will not feel guilty about going home!"

Kagome had barely turned back to the well when an unmistakable voice came from right behind her, "Stay."

"Ite!" she dropped instantly, mouth tightening in annoyance as she stubbornly folded her arms over her bosom. This was really too much...

Inuyasha slid around in front of her and crouched down before saying in that calm voice he'd seemed to acquire in the past week that never failed to infuriate her, "I said no, Kagome."

"You were supposed to be asleep," she bit out, glaring at him.

"So were you," he snorted, scooping her up as he stood and yet again tossing her over his shoulder with his arm around her waist to hold her still. "Hell, Kagome, it's too late to be messing around like this. And I specifically said no sneaking off, didn't I?"

She shot the well as longing look as the distance between it and her lengthened, "Inuyasha, I have to go to school sometimes."

"No."

"Why not? What about my family? And supplies?" Kagome tried to turn enough to look back at him, but the arm around her waist tightened to prevent that. Sighing, she settled for propping her elbows on his back and supporting her chin in her palms. "I have to go home!"

"You are home," he shrugged as though that was the simplest answer in the world. "You wouldn't have fallen through the well in the first place if you were supposed to stay in your time. You're supposed to be here."

"Well...then how do you explain yourself getting into the future?" she bit down on her lower lip as a glimmer of doubt went through her. She'd wondered the same thing more than once, but there was no way she'd admit that to him. "Maybe you're supposed to be there."

Inuyasha shook his head, "Nope, I can only go through because you don't have the sense to st- I mean, to keep yourself on the right side of the well. I have to be able to go through to bring you home. Why do you think I'm the only other one who can?"

"You've obviously thought this through," she freed one of her hands to reach up and tweak his ear, smiling affectionately when it twitched and flattened down.

"You kidding?" he turned his head slightly towards her even as he kept himself alert for any possible dangers. "I've been building this up for months, you just never sat still long enough to fucking listen."

Kagome sighed, her hand moving down to absently stroke his hair, "Inuyasha, my mom's probably worried about me. I have to go back at least for a little while now and then."

She could practically feel him scowl, but he finally let out a heavy sigh and nodded once, "All right. I'll take you home tomorrow morning but we aren't staying long. Just enough to reassure your mother."

Kagome smiled in relief, her body relaxing, "Arigatoo, Inuyasha."

"Keh," he gave her waist another squeeze. "Only if you'll sleep the rest of the night and stop trying to sneak off."

"Deal."

Inuyasha grinned smugly, 'You're one step closer, Kagome.'



**



Kagome fought the urge to giggle as she left her school grounds later the next afternoon. She had pouted and pleaded with Inuyasha to let her go to school for her make-up exams and to get her work load for the next month or so. Having absolutely no idea when she'd be able to convince the stubborn hanyou to bring her back again, she wanted to be prepared. She had to at least keep up with the rest of her class for when she did actually get back enough to take her tests so she didn't make a complete fool of herself. If things kept up like this, her school pack was going to start looking as ridiculous as that massive pack she loaded with supplies for her little expeditions into Sengoku Jidai.

"Kagome!" several high-pitched voices rang out across the school yard, almost making her cringe. Inuyasha had told her that he wanted her to come straight home since he couldn't go with her to her 'school.' He would not appreciate her getting held up by her match-making friends. 'Wait a sec, why the hell am I so worried about what he thinks all of a sudden?' she paused, her brows lowering thoughtfully. Not really liking the answer that immediately came to mind as it had nothing to do with his newfound control over her, she purposefully turned her attention to the three girls rushing across the grounds towards her.

"Wow, you must have been really sick this time! You were out a lot longer than you've been before," the first girl to reach her looked her up and down critically. "You do look a little pale still..."

Kagome gave them a weak smile, her bravado for ignoring Inuyasha wearing thin even as her feet turned her in the direction of home, "I... I actually am not feeling very well still. I need to get home."

"Aww, we were hoping you'd finally have a chance to come out with us again!" another sighed regretfully.

"Or with Hojo-kun," they all giggled brightly.

Kagome sent a rather desperate look heavenward, praying for divine intervention. Or more patience. She'd be happy to get either one.

"We didn't make your illness worse, did we?" the first girl stopped when she had that sudden flash of thought. "I mean, we didn't mean any harm..."

"Yeah," the second girl murmured, reaching out to grab Kagome's sleeve. "We just thought you could use a little loosening up, ya know?"

"We didn't think about what alcohol might-"

"You didn't tell me you got drunk, Kagome."

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the irritated growl slightly behind and to her left, whirling around with open-mouthed amazement to see Souta grinning up at her brightly. But what made her pulse really leap was the fact that his hand was attached to a blue-jean clad leg, and that leg happened to be attached to one very pissed off looking hanyou. Somehow he'd been convinced to swap out his fire-rat kimono for a pair of blue jeans that were a size or two too large and a plain gray t-shirt (her mother's doing, no doubt). He'd had his hair pulled back in a simple tie and a dark ball-cap hiding his ears from view. He was even wearing sneakers that couldn't have been comfortable for someone so unused to footwear.

"Eh...Inu..Inuyasha?" she put a hand to her heart in a futile effort to stop its pounding as her friends immediately jumped behind her to peer out at the impossibly gorgeous man glaring daggers at their best friend. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"I brought him," Souta announced proudly. "He was pacing and driving Mama nuts, so she told me to walk him up to get you."

"Kagome, who is that?" her friends whispered loudly, all tugging at her at once for more information. "Is this him? That guy who's-"

"Ah-" she cut them off in a hurry, remembering just what she had told her friends about who they thought was her on-again off-again boyfriend. "Ah, this is Inuyasha. He's-"

"Here to take Kagome home," he finished for her, moving away from Souta to reach out and catch her wrist in gentle hold that was completely at odds with the anger simmering in his golden eyes. "We're leaving."

Kagome winced. She was getting used to that tone, that "we're going to have a long talk when I get you alone" tone that she had heard far too often now. Glancing back at her friends, she gave them a weak wave, "I'll see you later, okay?"

She heard them call out behind her, "We hope we didn't get you in trouble with your boyfriend, Kagome-chan!"

She did her best to look more reassuring, "No, nothing like that. We'll...ah, we'll talk later. Don't worry."

They didn't look convinced, but she was more concerned with the hanyou now barking at Souta to start walking at the brisk pace he'd set. Souta was grinning like an idiot as he gave her a sideways glance that said quite obviously that he thought she was going to catch hell from his favorite hero. She scowled at him, trying to look threatening with Inuyasha looking ten times more fierce than she ever could. Souta understandably looked less than impressed with her look, running on ahead with a laugh.

"Inuyasha-" she tried softly.

His squeezed her wrist, "We're going home as soon as we get back and you're going to tell me all of it, Kagome. I want to know why you lied about that."

"I didn't lie!" she protested in a low hiss.

"You kept it from me on purpose," he shot her a glare.

"Because I knew you'd overreact like this," Kagome shook her head.

"This is NOT overeating!" he shouted, drawing numerous stares in their direction from the crowded streets and a smothered giggle from her eavesdropping little brother.

Kagome turned dark crimson, trying desperately to quiet him, "Can't we wait to talk about this?! Please?"

His response was to pull her along faster, followed by a growled, "Keh!"

"They didn't mean any harm, Inuyasha," she still fought to cool down the blush warming her cheeks.

"I thought you wanted to talk about this later," he shot her a frown, his eyes still gleaming with banked anger, but he'd pulled it back under control.

Kagome ground her teeth together in frustration and tried her best to change the subject, "Where'd you get those clothes?"

He snorted, not releasing her wrist as he absently answered, "You mother said I'd be too conspicuous in my regular clothes. She loaned me some of your grandfather's so Souta could bring me here to get you. They're fucking uncomfortable as all hell."

"I said I'd be right home," she mumbled sourly.

"That monk is in 'this' time, Kagome, I'm not taking any chances," Inuyasha sighed at her stubbornness, pulling her closer protectively when the crowds thinned out enough for his comfort. "What if it really was supposed to be worse than a subduing spell and it just got messed up somehow, hn? Or what if the spell had been activated by someone else? I don't want you getting hurt."

Now why did he have to go and say something like that when she was trying to be mad at him? Kagome's arm slid around his waist distractedly as she tried not to notice how cute he looked in jeans and a t-shirt. She completely missed the surprised, yet pleased look that crossed the hanyou's face as his arms tensed as slid around her shoulders to tuck her back under his arm.

"Aw, don't make up yet!" Souta's annoyed shout snapped Kagome's attention back to the present. "You're supposed to be in trouble with Inuyasha-nii-chan!" he made a face and pointed at his sister.

"I am so going to kill you, you little brat," Kagome let go of Inuyasha and chased out after her little brother as he gave a shriek of fear and scurried off down the sidewalk to the shrine steps a short distance away.

Inuyasha sighed and shook his head.

Kagome's world was so damn confusing.



**



"Hurray, you're back!" Shippo cheered when Kagome climbed over the rim of the well with Inuyasha close behind. "Did you bring my chocolate?"

"You didn't distract him, Shippo-chan," she lifted the little kitsune when he held out his arms to be picked up, ruffling his hair. "Wasn't that our deal?"

"Oi, is it my fault that he wasn't with Kaeda-baba anymore?" he shrugged eloquently and gave her his cute look. "Aren't I cute enough for a treat?" he wiggled his tail, knowing she couldn't resist that.

"And you play it up so badly," she giggled, shaking her head. "We'll see."

He grinned and leaned around the girl to make a face at Inuyasha, "See? Kagome loves me best!"

Kagome blushed, clearing her throat and yanking the kit back against her stomach, "Be nice, Shippo."

Shippo wrinkled his nose, "You're no fun since he got a spell too."

Now it was Inuyasha chuckling softly, feeling much better with how easy it had been to get Kagome back through the well this time. She'd even promised to tell him about the "drunk" comment her friend had tossed out before she noticed he and her brother were waiting. It might have had something to do with how pale she'd gone when Souta yelled out that if she killed him he would tell their mother she'd gotten drunk with her friends.

He gave Kagome a nudge to get her started, "Oi, Kagome, this damn thing isn't exactly getting lighter."

She nodded and started off, glancing back at him with a speculative glance. 'Easier to get it over with,' she decided with a frown. She gave him a warning frown and started with, "You have to promise not to get mad at Sango-chan, Inuyasha."

"She knew?" his brows rose sharply.

"I made her promise not to tell anyone that part," Kagome shrugged. "She wanted me to, but I... Well, I didn't really want you to know."

"Why?" he lengthened his stride enough so that he was walking beside her and could get a look at her face. "You should have told me."

She frowned and looked sideways at him, "I knew you'd be angry and then you'd be less inclined than normal to let me go home."

Shippo gave her hair a little tug to get her attention, "Why would Inuyasha be angry at you this time, Kagome?"

"I, ah, didn't tell him that the night I somehow got the subduing spell cast on me that I was just a little bit drunk," Kagome stammered a bit nervously, well aware of Inuyasha's intent stare on her face.

Shippo's eyes widened, "Drunk? You?"

"They sorta slipped it into my drinks," she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked under her lashes at Inuyasha. His expression was slowly darkening and she braced herself for the lecture she knew was coming.

"Fuck, bitch, don't you have any sense?" Inuyasha yelled out, his steps slowing as she stubbornly kept walking. "Do you have any idea of the kind of things that could have happened to you? Of what did happen? That's why you don't remember anything, isn't it?"

She sighed, "Hai, that's why everything's really hazy. But nothing...well, nothing really bad happened, I guess."

Shippo grunted, "I don't want to see what you call bad, Kagome. You don't 'sit' him anywhere near enough anymore."

Inuyasha growled, sending Shippo burrowing down against Kagome's chest with a frightened squeak. Satisfied that the kit had been properly chastened, he jumped in front of Kagome and waited for her to stop and look up at him. When her eyes met his, he arched one brow in demanding inquiry, "Kagome, is there anything else that happened that night?"

Kagome bit her lower lip, fighting the urge to rub her hip, "No."


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