InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dumb Luck ❯ Time is Precious ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer - I do not own InuYasha or any of the original characters; they are the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. This story is an individual creation for personal and shared enjoyment of true InuYasha fans that I hope is up to the quality of the real series. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Chapter One: Time is Precious

The dark-haired girl climbs the wooden steps wearily, taking a deep breath before sliding the wellhouse doors open, the runners gliding easily. She shifts the straps of the heavy, yellow backpack more comfortably as she looks fondly at the Higurashi home bathed in the glow of the setting sun and sighs again. Kagome blinks tiredly, closes the doors and trudges across the Shrine grounds towards a hot bath, a filling meal not cooked over a campfire and her wonderfully soft bed.

Stepping through the front door she calls out, "I'm home!" as she slips her shoes off. Silence greets her in the dimly lit interior and she frowns slightly. "Mama?" No answer, so she looks up the stairs to the second floor, "Jichan?" Still no answer and her shoulders slump in disappointment. `Where is everyone?'

She steps forward and uses the handrail to help pull her weary body up the stairs to her room. `I guess that leaves bed and bath…' She pauses halfway up and lifts her uniform's collar for an experimental sniff, wrinkling her nose. `…And not in that order.'

About 40 minutes later after a good scrubbing and a nice soak, Kagome re-enters her bedroom rubbing a towel over her wet hair and wearing clean pajamas, her slippers scuffing softly across the wood floor. Tossing the damp towel over her desk chair, she flops on her bed with a slight squeal of happiness.

"Ahhh…so good to be home." She squeezes the pillow around her head, uncaring if the cold strands of her hair get it wet. She lets her arms fall back as she is hit with a huge yawn. Kagome looks at her alarm clock and thinks, `I should wait up…' Her eyelids droop, `they should be home…soon…' and her eyes close, her soft breathing the only sound in the quiet house.

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"Kagome?"

"Mmm…" Kagome sighs and nuzzles into her pillow.

The bed dips and the soft voice comes again, "Kagome?" followed by a gentle hand shaking her.

One eye peeks out through tangled hair to see her mother sitting next to her with a tiny smile and a ceramic mug in her other hand. The steam rising from it was enticing and, pushing her untidy mop of hair back, Kagome sits up and reaches for the cup. "Mama."

Mrs. Higurashi's smile grows, "Okairi, Kagome." She relinquishes the cup of hot tea and reaches up to tenderly tuck more of her daughter's hair behind her ear. "And good morning."

Kagome hesitates with the cup halfway to her lips, glances at her bedside clock and at the pale dawn light outside her window. "Morning?" She looks questioningly at her mother and takes a sip of the spiced tea, "Why didn't you wake me when you got home?"

Her mother's smile fades, "We got in so late and, because you looked so tired, I just didn't have the heart to wake you."

Kagome holds the mug with both hands and inhales the delicious steam, savoring it with eyes closed. "Late?" she echoes and opens her eyes before asking, "Where were you?"

Mrs. Higurashi sighs and clasps her hands in her lap and looks calmly at her. "That's why I woke you up a little early; so I could talk to you." She watches her daughter take another sip, "I don't want you to worry, but I had to take your grandfather to the hospital-"

Kagome gasps and she almost spills her tea, "Jichan?! Mama, what--?"

"I said don't worry," Mama reaches out and steadies her hands on Kagome's wrapped around the mug. "He had a little fall and broke his leg-"

Kagome gasps again, her eyes wide.

"-But he's going to be fine and will be home later today." She lets go and sits back with a deep breath, "He'll be fine," she repeats and stands up. "Now, you just finish that and come down for breakfast after you get dressed." She turns for the door and stops with one hand on the frame, looking back at her motionless daughter to ask, "You were planning on going to school, yes?"

Kagome nods mutely.

Mama gives her another smile. "Good. I'll start on your lunch too," and she closes the door behind her.

Kagome sits there, blinking. `Jichan…' She looks down at the rippling surface of the cooling tea and feels tears building. `I…never worried…' Frowning down at the mug she thinks of all the times her family had supported her in all her endeavors; normal and not-so normal. With all the dangers on the other side of the Bone-eater's Well, home seems so safe. But with a simple accident…

`It could have been worse and I wouldn't have been here.' She wipes at her blurry eyes with her sleeve, `and Jichan is so old…' She sets the mug aside, not really wanting it anymore, and throws back the covers to slide out. The bulging yellow backpack sits on the floor next to her desk and she stares at it guiltily. `I should stay here to help.'

Nodding and firming her lips in decisiveness she moves toward the closet door.

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"Kagome-chan!"

She turns to see Ayumi, Eri and Yuka in their identical green-skirted uniforms come running up. She waits for them, holding her bookbag and smiling.

Ayumi looks down at Kagome's foot and back up, "Did your Gout go away?"

`Gout…' Kagome's smile turns a little sour, "Um, yeah…I guess so."

Eri moves to her other side as they continue to walk together towards the school. "You know we're having a science test today?"

Kagome nods, "I studied hard for it." She pats her bookbag. "Thanks for dropping off the notes."

Yuka squeezes in-between Kagome and Ayumi and asks in a loud whisper, "How are things going with your boyfriend?" Ayumi looks interested and Eri nods vigorously, "The violent, two-timing one."

Kagome stops and blushes. Three pairs of eyes stare avidly so she takes a breath and starts walking again, "Fine."

Yuka leans close to Ayumi and whispers, "Do you think it's alright?"

Ayumi shrugs, "She seems ok with it."

Kagome ignores her friends' concern and keeps walking. They all turn the last corner near the school when they hear a familiar, "Higurashi!"

The teenage-trio turn with bright smiles and wave to the tall boy approaching while Kagome rolls her eyes before turning too as her friends call out in chorus, "Hojo-kun!"

The young man in the dark uniform has eyes only for the much-absent Kagome, "Ah, it's been a while Higurashi."

She glances up at him and gives a small smile, "Hello Hojo-kun."

He looks her over with a little frown, "You haven't been taking care of yourself," and shakes his head. "You look tired." She raises her eyebrows as he peers closer, "Did you boil the root I left with your Grandfather to help your `pink-eye'?"

Her obviously-clear eyes widen, `…pink…eye?' She slumps with a sigh and nods at him. `Jichan…can't you at least tell the same story…?' She straightens and says brightly, "Arigato Hojo-kun."

He glances at his watch, "I have to go." He walks away with a carefree wave, "I'll see you later Higurashi!"

She waves back, turns and is halted by three identical frowns. Eri cocks her head, "You really should give Hojo a chance."

Ayumi adds, "He's so nice and he always asks about you."

Yuka nods in agreement, "He wouldn't `two-time' you." The other two nod.

Kagome looks from one to another and decides to not answer. "We're gonna be late," and she walks around them towards the wide open doors.

The trio stare after her and sigh collectively before following.

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Kagome says goodbye to her friends and climbs the long stairway to her family's shrine, her head down in thought. `I think I did ok on the test.' She pauses at the top, staring forward but not really seeing anything. `I sure studied enough for it.' She smiles at remembering the leaky hut she and her companions had taken shelter in…

--Flashback--

The dim light from the two candles made reading difficult and she was squinting, determined to finish this chapter before getting some sleep. The occasional flash of lightning outside made it that much harder as her eyes had to adjust to the darkness again each time.

Shippo was peeking over her shoulder, his fluffy tail twitching, "What are you reading now?"

`…as seen in most cases…' She squints harder and answers absently, "Science."

The ever-curious kitsune looks at the few pictures on the page and the strange drawings that were incomprehensible to him, "And what's it about?"

She sighs and rubs her tired eyes, "It's about the world and how things work and why they work the way they do."

"Things just are. You don't need a book to know that." The soft but arrogant statement came from the eavesdropping hanyou sitting cross-legged near the doorway with his arms wrapped around his sheathed Tessaiga and his golden eyes luminous in the low light, his pale hair easily the brightest thing in the dark one-roomed hut.

Kagome gave up, closing the book and sitting up with another sigh, stretching her arms over her head. "Not everyone can know everything like you InuYasha," the sarcasm was barely detectable.

He snorts and his dog-like ears twitch at the verbal hit. "I suppose this is for another one of your `Tests'?" It sounds like the word left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Uh huh." She covers her mouth as she yawns.

Shippo shrugs and bounces over to Kagome's waiting sleeping bag and crawls in. InuYasha watches him snuggle down and then glances at the Monk and Taijiya that had fallen asleep over an hour ago, their breathing soft and even, too tired to be disturbed by the rumbling skies. His alert eyes swing back to the worn-out young girl stuffing the schoolbook back into her pack, seeing her rub her eyes again. He sighs with resignation, "I guess we'll have to make camp earlier in the day."

Kagome looks over at him, puzzled. "Why?"

He glances at the still burning candles and then back at her, "So there is still some daylight left."

She sits stunned by his blunt statement and stares at him. `Daylight…' She looks down at the candles and a smile grew, she couldn't have stopped it if she wanted to. And she didn't.

Her smile was aimed at him and his eyes widened. "Arigato InuYasha." She leaned down and blew the candles out.

--End Flashback-

Kagome is still smiling when she pushes open the front door of the Higurashi home, "I'm home!" She slips off her shoes in the entryway and walks into the front room. Her Grandfather is sitting in his favorite spot with his lower left leg in a cast propped up on pillows. "Jichan!" She drops her bookbag and rushes over to wrap her arms around his shoulders in a heartfelt hug.

He returns the hug, patting her comfortingly, "Kagome!"

She leans back and wipes her eyes, smiling at him. "Are you alright?"

"Sure I am!" He lifts a nearby cane and gives the cast a light whack causing himself to wince a little. "This is only temporary. I'll be back running the shrine in a few days-"

"Weeks." Mama is standing in the kitchen doorway wiping her hands on her apron. "The doctor said you have to stay off it for at least two weeks. And then only for short periods of time. You have to let the bone mend before you go climbing on ladders again," she said pointedly.

Kagome looked up with wide eyes at her mother. Mrs. Higurashi nodded in acknowledgement. Kagome straightened and looked down at him with her hands on her hips in mock anger. "Ladder? That old rickety one that was supposed to be thrown away and you hid behind the storage room?"

He squinted an eye at her, "Now see here! That ladder is perfectly fine. It only needs a few screws-"

"Not anymore." Mama stepped further into the room. "I had those nice young men that carried you up the stairs haul it away."

"Haul it…?!" He sputtered at her retreating back and shook his cane, "I'll have you know that my father made that ladder…"

Kagome grabbed the dangerously waiving cane before it could do some damage, "I thought you said you found it at a junk sale."

He stopped trying to take it back and looked up at her, "I did?"

She sighed and nodded, judging that it was safe now and handed the cane back. "How could you be so careless… " She sniffled a bit and he stared in surprise when she suddenly hugged him again. "Jichan."

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Later that evening while she is bent over a book on her desk in her room, a light tapping at the window breaks her concentration. She sighs and closes the book before turning to unlatch the window, allowing the silver-haired hanyou to enter.

InuYasha pushes it open and climbs in, "Ready?"

She looks up at him with his arms crossed and his expression calm. `That won't last,' she thinks; dreading the upcoming argument. Kagome stands up and braces herself, "I'm not going."

His eyes narrow and he frowns, "Nani?"

`Oh boy…here it comes.' She takes a deep breath, "I said, I'm not going."

His arms drop and his face turns suspicious, "Did you take your test?"

She clasps her hands behind her back and nods. "Uh huh. I think I did pretty good on it and I really appreciate that you let me have time to study InuYasha." She watches to see if the implied `thank you' had defused the rising temper in her dog-eared friend.

He blinks a couple of times before tilting his head in confusion, "Then why-?"

"I need to stay here for a while," she rushes in before he could remember to get angry. "I have responsibilities here too. You seem to forget that."

He opens his mouth to respond but she is faster, "But I'm not blaming you; I'm just as guilty of forgetting it too."

She takes a deep sigh and he closes his mouth with a slight frown, finally seeing the strain around her eyes, "Kagome…what's wrong?"

His sudden concern takes her by surprise and she looks down blinking back tears, knowing how much they will upset him. "Jichan fell and broke his leg. I want to stay here and help out so he won't hurt himself again."

A few minutes pass before she hears him sigh and looks up to see him re-fold his arms, turn his head away and say, "You can stay." Her eyebrows rise at her easy victory.

He straightens his shoulders and looks at her with a sideways glance, "So you can stop crying." He turns his back on her and places a hand on the windowsill. "How long?"

Kagome wipes at her eyes, "What?"

He keeps his back to her, "How long will it be?"

She bites her lip and thinks for a few seconds. "Um…four weeks?" She waits with her hands clasped hopefully in front of her.

He spins around in shock, "Four weeks?!" He slashes his hand out in emphasis, "No way! That's too long!" His eyes narrow and he leans closer, "Two weeks!"

Her eyes widened and she puts her hands on her hips, her jaw firming, "Four!"

His arms wave over his head in exasperation, "Keh! Why don't we just hand over the shards and save Naraku the trouble?!" He crosses his arms again and glares at her, "Or have you forgotten we still haven't found them all?" His chin juts forward, "Two!"

She steps closer and huffs fiercely, "Of course I haven't forgotten! You never let me! Four!!"

His arms drop and he bends down to get in her face, "Two!!"

"FOUR!'"

"TWO!"

"INU-YA-SHA…!"

He knew that tone and stepped back in alarm.

Too late…"OSUWARI!"

"…………………..All right………three."

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