InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kurayami no Naka de Hikari ❯ Leaving ( Chapter 3 )

Note: Okay, another 11 page chapter here! I always write in Arial at 10 point so it's a solid 11 pages, not a barely reaching just because of a huge font, 11 pages. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

This story is AU, I'll try to keep them in character as best as I can. It takes place in the modern era but there are youkai in it. Humans and youkai live in peace for the most part. It takes place when Kagome is a bit older, early to mid-twenties and Kagome is in college (university).

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters thereof. Even though that is the case, please don't steal my plot, concept, or story out of respect for my creative endeavor as I would not do this to anyone out there.

- l - l - l - Change of scene, time, etc.
'Thoughts/dreams' will be in single quotes (IE: ' ')

Chapter 3 – Leaving

Kagome woke up feeling refreshed and better than she had in days. The fresh air had really helped the previous night. He had brought instant ramen and after the hospital food she'd be forced to endure, it had been a delicacy. Kagome never thought she'd see the day when instant ramen was a delicacy!

She was eager for the time when Sango came to check on her and tell her she could go home. She already had a plan for going home. She was going to stay at her school's library until they kicked her out and then she was going to sneak in after Naraku fell asleep and crash on the couch until he regained his senses. There was a thought that kept intruding on her plan of action... and his name was Inuyasha... Even when he was being an arrogant jerk and getting on her nerves, she still felt somehow connected to him and it made her feel content.

Kagome reached down next to her bed and grabbed the new yellow backpack on the floor and began to stash the brand new books inside with her notes and the few essays she'd had to write. She would make sure she typed them up at the library that afternoon since her laptop was in the back bedroom and she wasn't ready to face Naraku.

"Good morning, Higurashi-san!" The familiar voice of Ayame, one of the nurses, said as the red-headed, pig-tailed girl walked into the room. She had a small zipper bag in her hand as she walked to the side of Kagome's bed.

"Good morning." Kagome said with a grimace. She knew the chipper girl was in there to draw blood again, like she did every morning. "Are you feeling better this morning?" She asked with a warm smile.

"I feel much better today." Kagome said as she returned the smile. She winced in pain as the needle pierced her arm and she felt pressure as the blood was drawn. Ayame's sunny demeanor turned to nervousness as she finished labeling the vials she had drawn.

"Umm..." Ayame began nervously as she fiddled with the pocket on her scrubs.

"Is something wrong?" Kagome asked, confused as the nervous behavior.

"There's nothing wrong." Ayame said as a blush stained her cheeks pink. "I just wanted to ask... umm, how is it that you met Kouga-san?" She asked as she picked imaginary lint from her shirt. Of all the things that Ayame could be nervous about, that was the last thing that came to mind.

"Kouga-kun?" Kagome asked in surprise. "He's a classmate." She explained simply.

"So he's not your boyfriend?" Ayame asked as her eyes lit up hopefully. Kagome couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out at the question.

"Of course not! I hardly know him." Kagome explained truthfully as she smiled at the red-headed wolf youkai. "He's all yours." Kagome said with a smile and a wink at the young nurse.

"Yatta!" Ayame said as she couldn't contain her excitement any more. She leaned down and gave Kagome a quick hug before she left the room beaming and her eyes shining with hope and relief.

Kagome laughed to herself as she watched the girl exit the room. She had felt more relaxed and at peace since she had entered the hospital than she had felt in years! It was strange to be thankful to spend several days in the hospital. Kagome had the feeling very few people felt peace at being in the hospital.

Kagome had just decided to take a nap when a familiar voice sounded from the hallway outside her room. Her body immediately tensed and she became mentally alert and guarded. She heard the soft rumble of a female voice respond before the familiar dark-haired hanyou entered the room.

The man that stood before her had long, wavy black hair to his waist and light brown eyes that looked redder than brown... especially when he was angry... There was a worried look on his face as he approached the hospital bed, which was still covered with the plastic tent.

"How are you feeling, Kagome-chan?" Naraku's voice asked as his eyes fell on her tense posture. "I've been so worried! Why didn't you call?"

Kagome recognized his change in persona. She saw it all the time when he'd finally calmed down and analyzed his actions. He would feel guilty for the pain he'd caused and would make all sorts of promises that he would, inevitably, break the next time he lost control. Kagome remained cautious and refused to drop her guard. She felt confusion grip her mind at the sincere look on his face as he continued to apologize. He gently took her hand and stroked the back of it, gently kissing her fingers in comfort. Kagome resisted the urge to pull her hand from his grip and merely looked at him with no expression.

"It took you this long to wonder where I'd gone?" Kagome asked coldly as she finally made a decision and gently pulled her hand from his. "You didn't seem very worried yesterday when you accused me of cheating." Kagome stated bluntly. His face slid into an unreadable expression and then a soft smile touched his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Will you forgive me, Kagome-chan?" He asked as he reached for her hand again. She drew it back out of his reach and watched as a flash of anger went across his handsome features before it settled back to the same soft smile. "I made a mistake, kiobito." He said with a smile. "I miss you and want you to come home."

Kagome sighed and looked away from Naraku and out the window. She was still hurt by the accusations but somehow, she felt herself giving in. She suddenly felt a strong wave of homesickness when she saw his eyes. She felt she missed having his strong arms wrapped around her and the feel of his lips on her throat that sent chills down her spine. She felt herself unwittingly enjoying the feel of his fingers threading through her hair.

"I don't know if I can forgive you this time, Naraku." Kagome said slowly as she moved over slightly so he was no longer touching her. She didn't turn to face him, it would be too tempting to forgive him then and there is she made eye contact. She missed the dangerous glint that came to his eyes, making them look red in the light from the window.

"I'll give you some time, koibito." He said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it gently. Kagome felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach but forced herself to keep looking out of the window as his footsteps echoed quietly down the hallway outside her room. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and a frown crossed her face. She looked down at her hands in her lap. He had looked sincerely concerned and sorry when he was in the room, bur Kagome just didn't know if she could truly forgive him. She had given no sign that she was cheating. If she weren't in class or working, she was at home. She had no desire to be away from him anyway. She thought these things silently but a pair of warm golden eyes kept intruding and heating her cheeks.

"Yo." An arrogant voice said as Inuyasha sauntered into the room. Kagome looked up and saw his eyes narrow in sudden anger. "What did that bastard do this time?!" Inuyasha demanded as anger rose from his stomach. He had noticed the scent of Kagome's boyfriend the second he walked into the hospital, but he'd just assumed it had lingered from the day before. The scent was strong in Kagome's room and hit him in the face the second he walked through the doorway. "I'll put HIM in the hospital!" He growled as he turned around and headed toward the door.

"Wait!" Kagome cried as her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist under the bottom of the plastic curtain. "I'm fine, Inuyasha." She said with a smile. "He apologized for everything. We're going to be just fine." Kagome explained with a smile.

Inuyasha looked at the dark-haired girl and noted that she had that same sad look in her eyes even though she was smiling brightly. Inuyasha's look darkened as he noted the look on her face. Her scent was filled with uncertainty and tension. His nose twitched at the acrid scent of her hanyou boyfriend that clung to her skin and hair. He found himself wishing that it was HIS scent that clung to her like the night before when she had worn his clothes on the roof at sunset. He felt the bite of rejection snap at him as he scented the hope in her scent. 'She's going back to him?' He thought incredulously as he felt a wave of jealousy roll over him. 'After the way he's hurt her?' He couldn't make sense out of it! How could she take him back after he'd nearly killed her, TWICE! AND he'd left that nasty bruise on her!

"Can't you see he's no good?" Inuyasha asked as he sat down in the chair next to her, the angry look staying firmly in place. Kagome felt her own pang of anger at his words.

"You don't know him!" Kagome said as she glared at the silver-haired man before her. "I love him and I won't allow you to say stuff like that about him!"

"Kagome, he left a bruise on you and almost made you go into a coma!" Inuyasha growled as he jumped to his feet.

"That was an accident!" Kagome yelled back as she glared back. Inuyasha noticed the nervous flick of her eyes toward the door as if she expected him to come bursting into the room or something.

"Look at you! You're jumping at non-existent shadows!" Inuyasha practically shouted as he gestured passionately in his anger. Only a small portion of the anger was directed toward her since she seemed to be perpetuating the situation by staying with him. "Do you really want to live in fear like this?!"

"It's none of your concern!" Kagome shouted back as tears streamed down her cheeks in rivets. "You just met me! I'm happy!"

"Forget it then! You're being stubborn and stupid, Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted back at the crying girl. He spun on his heel and stormed out of the room with a dark scowl on his face.

"I don't need your pity!" Kagome shouted at his retreating form, tears blurring her vision. "I don't need anyone..." She said in a near whisper as his hair whipped out of sight. Kagome's anger immediately deflated and a sharp pain seemed to emanate from the middle of her chest, making it hard to draw breath. She knew instantly it was psychological, but that didn't make the pain relax in the slightest. She lay back and rolled on her side, pulling the blankets over her head as sobs wracked her small frame.

- l - l - l –

Inuyasha was beyond angry! He stormed through the hospital and after several minutes of glaring at nurses and patients alike, Inuyasha found himself on the elevator heading up to the top floor. He had 'borrowed' the keys to the roof from Sango several months back and would occasionally go up there to escape since it was the last place anyone would look for him. It's not like he was at the hospital everyday like Miroku or anything. Sango knew he would go up there and warned him if he got caught, she was going to deny knowing him. He had shared his secluded spot with only one other person... Kagome...

He was beyond livid at the obvious poor treatment of her by her 'boyfriend', but he was mostly angry because he couldn't get her to see it! He knew she was intelligent; she was working on a Master's degree so she obviously had brains. That guy that she was with seemed to have brain washed her or something. Inuyasha growled low in his throat and balled his hands into fists. He felt his claws pierce the flesh of his hands but the pain didn't register.

Inuyasha didn't know how long he sat up there fuming with no outlet for his anger. He didn't hear the door quietly open and close. He didn't even here the footsteps padding toward him. A moment before a hand descended on his shoulder, Inuyasha caught a familiar scent and he growled in annoyance.

"Go away, Miroku." He stated simply as he placed his bloody palms flat on the surface of the roof and leaned back on them. The dried blood flaked off as the muscles in his hands stretched out from their previously compressed state. The deep wounds barely bled now, but they had left small puddles next to his legs. Miroku ignored him and sat down cross-legged next to him on the roof. He didn't say a word, just sat next to him and looked out over the city that opened up before them. Inuyasha clenched one hand into a tight fist and watched Miroku out of the corner of his eye.

"Damnit Miroku!" Inuyasha growled as he turned to look at Miroku.

"Hmm?" Miroku asked peacefully as he turned his head to meet Inuyasha's glare with a calm look. "I hate when you do this! Why do you always just sit there like that?!"

A small smile played across Miroku's face as he looked at Inuyasha. He knew when Inuyasha was hurting and he knew that he was much too proud to go talk to someone when something was bothering him. At a young age, Miroku learned to employ the teachings of Buddha and would just sit quietly with Inuyasha when he was angry, upset, or hurt. Inuyasha would first try to pass his anger off as anger at Miroku bothering him but not saying anything, and then the hanyou would slowly open up so Miroku COULD help him. Patience was essential with Inuyasha because he was capable of infuriating the most calm, level-headed person on the planet.

"I'm your best friend." Miroku said calmly, his expression never altering. "I'm just here if you need someone to talk to." He explained with a shrug.

"Keh!" Inuyasha said as he turned to look forward, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the skyline. "It doesn't even matter. That stupid girl would rather be around some asshole that beats on her... I'm done trying to help!" He grumbled miserably as his eyes narrowed.

"I can't speak for Kagome-sama." Miroku said respectfully to his new friend. "But I know you can't just forget her."

"Keh! Shows what you know!" Inuyasha snapped as his glare focused in on Miroku. "She's none of my concern anymore!" Miroku turned and met Inuyasha's angry look with a smile.

"You don't mean that, Inuyasha." Miroku said to his friend, making it sound a simple statement of fact not up for argument. "I know you can't walk away from someone in trouble like that..."

"You don't know me like you think, Miroku." Inuyasha said dangerously as a low growl sounded in his throat. Miroku just chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Have you forgotten about Shippo? And Ubunto? And all of the others?" Miroku asked with a knowing look in his eyes. "Hell, you even fought like hell for Sango's little brother." An embarrassed blush crossed the bridge of Inuyasha's nose as he brought up a few specific names.

"It's not like that!" Inuyasha argued vehemently.

"It is like that, Inuyasha," Miroku said with an amused look. "It's always been like that. You're too proud to admit you're a good person who'll go out of his way to help others. I know you won't abandon Kagome-sama." Inuyasha glared at Miroku, his anger diverting because deep down, he knew Miroku was right. No matter what he said out loud, Inuyasha knew he would do everything he could to help the girl.

"Now Inuyasha. You might need to hurry; Sango is clearing her for release in about an hour." Miroku explained as he stood and placed a reassuring hand on the hanyou's shoulder.

Inuyasha remained sitting on the rooftop, angry that Miroku was always able to read him like an open book. Must have had something to do with how he grew up and studying Buddhism his whole life. That's why both he and Sango would occasionally call him 'monk'. As goofy and immature as he acted at times, Miroku always seemed to know how to reassure people and make them feel better. It wasn't just Inuyasha, either. It seemed like Miroku was able to read just about anyone and figure out how to comfort and cheer them up. 'That guy should be a psychologist...' Inuyasha thought to himself as he stood up and let out a vexed sigh. He looked down at his hands and noticed for the first time all of the blood. Most of it was dry, but there was still some oozing out lazily. Inuyasha sighed again and set off to find Sango to handle cleaning them up. He hadn't cut himself with his claws unintentionally since he was a child. Maybe Sango would be able to help him think of how to apologize to Kagome.

- l - l - l –

Sango sighed and flopped down on the chair in her small office. She had been up to see her patient, and new friend, Kagome about a half an hour ago and could tell something had happened. Kagome seemed unable to hide the way she felt with her expressive eyes and facial expressions. She had an idea of what had happened. It was obvious the girl wasn't living under ideal conditions and Inuyasha, being the type to help people in need, had lost control of the frustration he had been feeling by her denial of his help. Sango smiled to herself as she thought of her arrogant, self-assured friend. He would let someone staple his hand to the wall before he'd admit to being kind-hearted. Hell... he'd almost gotten into fights before when someone called him 'kind'.

After she'd seen the tear stains on Kagome's face and seen her forlorn look, she had snuck out into the hallway to give Miroku a call. She knew Inuyasha was probably hiding out on the roof. That seemed to be his favorite place to seclude himself these days. Especially when something was bothering him. Inuyasha wasn't the only one that wanted to help Kagome, though. Sango found herself wanting to do anything she could for her new friend. Even Miroku seemed to want to do something and he'd only briefly met her the last several days. He had even started calling her 'Kagome-sama' instead of just plain 'Kagome'. (AN: I watched the whole series in fansubs and he calls her that throughout the series as a sign of respect for her being a priestess). Sango made a mental note to ask him what that was all about.

Sango jumped in surprise when there was a light tap on the door. She had been filling out some paperwork for Kagome's release and had been so absorbed in her thoughts the knock took her by surprise.

"C... come in." She called weakly as she mentally berated herself for zoning out like she'd done. She wasn't surprised when a depressed-looking Inuyasha pushed open the door and sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. He held up his hands and she winced when she saw the dried blood. "Inuyasha..." She breathed as a sad look crossed her face. She didn't say a word as she cleaned, sanitized, and bandaged his hands.

"Ne..." Inuyasha started, his ears wilted and lay back miserably on his head. Sango smiled slightly as she cleaned his hands and patted them dry. "Umm... I should apologize, right?" He asked with his voice filled with doubt. Apologies really weren't Inuyasha's area. 'His pride causes him more grief than good.' Sango thought as she sighed.

"Yes, Inuyasha. You should apologize." Sango said as a soft smile touched her lips. Inuyasha knew she'd sent Miroku to the roof so he didn't need to explain a thing to his other best friend, Sango. Most of the time he thought of the pair as siblings to him... Though siblings he actually liked, unlike a certain half-brother. Inuyasha sighed in defeat and nodded as Sango finished wrapping soft bandages around his hands. The wounds would be healed by morning, so neither bothered with pain killers or anything.

"You should do something nice." Sango said with a smile as she discarded the packaging and used sterile pads in the red bio-waste bin in her office. "That way she knows you're sincere." Inuyasha's ears flicked as he got an idea and a slight smile slowly crossed his features, indicating he'd just gotten an idea.

- l - l - l –

Kagome sighed again; she seemed to find herself doing that all the time lately. Inuyasha infuriated her with his prodding into her life but... It felt nice to think someone cared about her well-being and for her behavior at his obvious concern, she felt ashamed at herself. 'It was nice to think someone gave a damn for a few days...' Kagome thought to herself miserably as she felt tears sting her eyes. 'I don't deserve his concern and worry. I've done this to myself; I don't deserve to have anyone that cares for me...'

Kagome's vision blurred as tears spilled down her cheeks. She didn't realize how lonely she truly was until one of the few people who spoke to her wrote her off. She stifled a sob and took deep, calming breaths to cease the crying. 'This is what I deserve for speaking to him in the first place when I had Naraku at home worrying.' Kagome thought to herself as she tried to force herself to smile. She couldn't seem to make the muscles in her face cooperate and they instead twitched downward as another tear slid down her cheek silently. Kagome didn't turn toward the door when she heard the hinges squeak quietly as someone came in. She assumed it was Sango with all of the release paperwork and her depression deepened.

"How are you feeling, Kagome-sama?" A male voice asked from behind her. She blinked in surprise and turned to see the last person she expected. Sango's boyfriend was just lowering himself in the chair with a calm serene smile on his face. He crossed one leg over the other and placed a hand on his ankle.

"You're Miroku, right?" Kagome asked as she hastily tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. He nodded at her question, the warm smile never faltering.

"I would like to apologize for Inuyasha. He has a big heart but an even bigger mouth so he can come off callous unintentionally." Miroku explained as he handed Kagome a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket to dab at her tear-stained cheeks. "I've known him for a long time, he didn't mean it." Kagome blushed slightly as the gentle words and look of the handsome man sitting next to her.

"Why do you call me 'sama'?" Kagome asked after a minute of peaceful silence. She was looking down at her hands in her lap with the question. He seemed slightly surprised by her question as his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"You don't know?" He questioned her. At the shake of her head, his smile returned. "The first time I met you, I assumed you were a miko because of your spiritual powers. It's the respectful title for a miko." Now it was Kagome's turn to be surprised.

"Spiritual power?" Kagome asked, her tears pushed from her mind. "What are you talking about?"

"So you truly didn't know?" He questioned with a slightly bemused look. "You have the potential to be one of the strongest priestesses of the century. Back before youkai melded into society, priests and priestesses were forced to fight and sometimes purify the souls of particularly evil youkai."

"Eh?" Kagome exclaimed as her eyes widened. "How do you know all of this?" Miroku chuckled at the suspicious look she gave him.

"Well I had a minor in Japanese history and I grew up at a shrine and was trained to tap into my own spiritual powers." Miroku explained with a wink.

"Hmm... I guess grandpa must not be very good or he would have known about this..." Kagome said thoughtfully to herself.

"What was that, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, snapping Kagome out of her thoughts.

"Ah, sorry!" Kagome said sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. "I grew up on a Shinto shrine with my family. Grandpa never mentioned I had spiritual power, though." Kagome said as a blush stained her cheeks.

"I have someone I'd like you to meet, Kagome-sama." Miroku explained. "She's an old miko at a small shrine but she could teach you to tap into it in time if you'd like."

"Really?" Kagome asked as a smile lit up her face. She'd never considered anything of that nature but without her grandfather's boring stories, training to be a miko actually sounded interesting.

"Great! I'm sure Kaede-sama will be thrilled to meet you!" Miroku said as the two of them laughed lightly, all traces of Kagome's tears had dried up. 'How did he do that?' Kagome wondered to herself as the smile tugged at her lips. He had somehow reassured her and made her feel completely at ease in no time at all.

"Oh there you are, Miroku!" A cheerful voice said as Sango walked into the room with her clipboard hanging at her side. "I'm glad to see you're not off fondling the nurses. You know retribution would be swift and painful." This last line was said with an evil glint in her eyes as her smile dropped off. Miroku visibly stiffened and broke out into a nervous sweat as a very crest-fallen Inuyasha walked into the room behind Sango.

Kagome couldn't help the giggle as she listened to Miroku trying to reassure Sango she was the only one for him and that all the other women just reminded him of her. Her smile dropped off as she caught the look on Inuyasha's face. His ears lay back against his head and he wouldn't make eye contact. Not that Kagome really wanted to make eye contact; she was ashamed of herself for yelling at him when he was just worried about her safety and happiness. She noticed almost instantly that his hands had been bandaged and caught a hint of red before he balled his hands into fists at his side.

"So I have your release papers here. I just need you to sign a few things and you can be on your way." Sango said cheerfully as she held out a clipboard and pen to Kagome. She hadn't missed the looks the two had been sharing since Inuyasha had come into the room. "Ne Miroku." She said casually after Kagome handed back the clipboard. "Didn't we have that thing today? I get off in ten so let's go check on it." Miroku gave her a blank look before it clicked.

"Oh yeah!" He said in a bad imitation of remembering something forgotten. "I forgot! We'd better hurry or we'll be late for 'that thing'!" He said, putting too much emphasis on the words 'that thing', before the pair rushed out of the room. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the obvious attempt to give Inuyasha and Kagome some privacy.

"Umm..." Inuyasha started nervously as he fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket. Kagome had swung her feet over the edge of the bed, still in her hospital gown, and was staring down at her hands clasped in her lap.

"I'm sorry." Kagome mumbled as she squeezed her hands together nervously. This took Inuyasha by surprise, his eyes widened and he picked his head up to look directly at her.

"What? Why are you apologizing?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow. He was genuinely confused as to why she was apologizing for his temper. Kagome picked her face up and gaze him a confused look.

"For yelling at you of course." Kagome said as if he was playing dumb or something.

"Well you shouldn't apologize!" Inuyasha as fiery golden eyes looked up to see startled chocolate brown. "It was none of my business and I'm not gonna stop being your friend because of my pride!" Inuyasha told her, his voice rising throughout his statement. Kagome felt her face warm and knew she was blushing. Inuyasha was the last person in the world she expected to ever apologize for ANYTHING. Kagome was so shocked she couldn't speak and instead just stared bug-eyed at the silver-haired hanyou. "Now get dressed, we're going somewhere." He said as he tossed a bag onto the bed beside her. "Sango picked it out." Inuyasha said as Kagome opened the bag to see some brand new clothes within. She gasped as she saw the designer name on the tags and tried to shove the bag back, saying they were too expensive.

"Just shuttup and get dressed." He growled as he shoved the bag back in her hands. "Didn't I say my old man was loaded?" He asked in exasperation.

"But still-" Kagome started to argue but was cut off when Inuyasha picked her up around the waist and physically put her in the bathroom and closed the door.

"Just get dressed would ya!" He called through the door. He leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for her to change.

When Kagome felt herself being crushed into Inuyasha's muscular chest and picked up, an electric shock had gone through her. She felt her cheeks warm as she leaned against the wall and clutched the bag to her chest. She took deep breaths to try and calm her fluttering heart. 'He just surprised me...' She told herself as she opened the bag and pulled out the clothes within.

After pulling on the fresh undergarments, she pulled a billowing yellow dress from the bag. The fabric was light-weight and extremely soft to the touch. She quickly pulled it over her head and tied the strings in a bow behind her back. It was a very pretty spring dress that had thick straps that criss-crossed behind her back with a low-dipping back. The dress flared at her waist and hung in soft folds almost to her knees. The fabric seemed to shimmer in the florescent lights of the bathroom. 'With the designer label, this must have cost a FORTUNE!' Kagome thought to herself as she slipped her feet into the matching toe-less sandals. There was even a necklace in the bag with a sun flower with matching earrings and bracelets.

"Are you ready yet?" The muffled sound of Inuyasha's voice came from the other side of the door. Kagome took a deep breath and turned the door knob before stepping out of the bathroom.

Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath as he saw Kagome step out of the bathroom. The pale yellow dress looked amazing on the dark-haired girl. It accented her figure perfectly without looking trashy. He couldn't help but notice the gentle curves of her body. The hint of visible cleavage caused another intake of breath as he looked her up and down. Leave it to Sango to pick something that would make his mouth go completely dry. After several minutes of studying her, he saw her cheeks redden and watched as she shifted foot to foot nervously. The sound of a throat clearing broke the uncomfortable silence as both turned toward the door.

"You guys coming, or what?" Sango asked with a suggestive wink. This prompted a blush to cross both of the faces occupying the room.

"Yeah, yeah we're coming already." Inuyasha grumbled as he grasped Kagome's hand and began pulling her toward the door.

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked timidly, no one had ASKED her to do anything. It was nice to be included in something without question. There had been a few times when Naraku had gone to visit some family but she hadn't been invited. Most of his family hated humans so she probably would have been uncomfortable, but the thought of the exclusion was very painful.

"We're going to Izayoi-mama's for dinner." Sango explained with a grin.

"Izayoi?" Kagome questioned as she looked down at her hand, which Inuyasha still held.

"Every Sunday, my mom makes a huge dinner and you're the guest of honor this week." Inuyasha said as he looked over at her with a rare, genuine smile without a hint of arrogance or annoyance. Kagome felt herself returning that warm smile without thought as she squeezed his hand lightly.

"Thank you, Inuyasha..." She whispered as she felt happy tears prick the corner of her eyes.  "This really means a lot."  Inuyasha glanced back when he catches a whiff of salt and he saw Kagome had tears in her eyes with a magnificent smile on her face.  He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw her eyes shining with happiness.  He was jolted roughly out of his stupor when he crashed into Miroku's back.

"Oi!  What the hell did you stop for?" Inuyasha growled as he rubbed the side of his head that had clashed with Miroku's head.

"Baka, we're waiting for the elevator." Miroku said as he rubbed a tender spot on his head.

"Mou... please don't start picking at each other." Sango said as she gave the pair a dark look.  Kagome walked up and stood next to Inuyasha, Sango on her other side, a feeling of elation filling her being.

Several minutes later, Sango and Miroku were climbing into a nondescript dark blue, bordering on purple SUV that must have belonged to Miroku.

"We're over here, Kagome." Inuyasha said as he motioned to a bright red crotch rocket several spots over.  There were two helmets hanging from the handle bars.  He picked them both up and handed Kagome the black one, while he put on a red one that matched his bike.  Kagome felt extremely nervous as he started it up and jumped on.  She'd never been on a motorcycle before and was a little scared of anything like them ever since her father had dumped a snow mobile with her and her brother as a child.  (AN: drawing on life experiences here... my dad did that to me and my little brother.  I got over it a bit driving four-wheelers, though).

"Get on." Inuyasha said as he motioned for her to sit behind him.  She took a few tentative steps forward and pulled the helmet on in the process.  "Don't worry, I'm a good driver.  Just hold on really tight." Inuyasha said with a smirk as he placed her hands around his waist.  Kagome blushed at his arrogant smirk and resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him.  He took off with a burst of speed and Kagome instinctually tightened her grip as her body pressed against his broad back.

- l - l - l –

Inuyasha couldn't help the smirk that stayed on his lips throughout most of the trip.  He could sense her annoyance at him for his hasty takeoff, but it had definitely been worth it.  He could feel her slim body pressed against his back and it sent a chill down his spine.  He could feel the softness of her breasts pressed against him and had to shake his head to make the thought go away before he had a rather embarrassing moment when they got off the bike.

He took the familiar route to his parents' house through the city, thankful that the traffic was light since the office buildings were closed for the weekend.  Inuyasha hadn't lived at home for several years, but he still enjoyed the drive.  They lived in a rather unknown little suburb that was pretty secluded from the city, but was still close enough for an easy commute.  It was also in a fairly wooded area so it was free of most of the overpowering and harsh scents that accompanied living in a city so it was a nice escape.

After several more minutes of driving, the SUV and bike pulled up to a massive, closed gate in the middle of the woods.  Kagome gasped as she looked up at the gates, and then looked side to side.  Inuyasha smirked as he punches a code into a small touch pad next to the gate and they swung slowly forward.  He glanced back at her and received a questioning look.  Before she could ask anything, he revved the engine once and burst through the still-opening gates, which prompted Kagome to bury her face in his back once more.

Kagome breathed in his scent and sighed, he really smelled good.  His silky locks whipped around her face and she couldn't help but be amazed at how shiny and soft his hair was.  She had never seen him outside before, but it seemed to shine like diamonds in the bright, natural light.  Kagome closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of her face buried in his hair as the moved further up the road.

"Almost there." She heard him call over the sound of the motorcycle and she picked her head up to get a glimpse of his parents' house.  What she saw sprawling out in front of her made her mouth drop open in shock.

"Your family lives HERE!" She cried over the roar of the bike.  Inuyasha laughed at her reaction.  He'd definitely expected it considering she was a struggling college student.  By her reaction to him buying her books, which he'd tossed in Miroku's SUV, and the clothes Sango had picked out, it was pretty obvious she came from a lower or middle class family.

"I told you my dad was loaded." Inuyasha said with his normal smirk as he parked and turned off the bike.

"You didn't tell me he was a millionaire!" Kagome cried as she got off the bike and began unbuckling her helmet.  She pulled it off and shook her head to rid herself of any helmet hair issues.  She had been lucky, since her hair was wavy, it didn't get kinked or creased like someone with straight hair.

Inuyasha caught himself staring at the raven-haired girl in front of him as she took off her helmet.  She shook the shining looks and ran her fingers through it once.  He licked his lips and his hands twitched in anticipation.  He wanted to run his fingers through those silky locks.  He felt a nudge in his side and looked up to see Miroku looking at him with a sly smile.  Inuyasha glared and elbowed Miroku in the gut in annoyance.

"Inuyasha!" A high-pitched voice shrieked as a red blur darted out of the front door.  Kagome looked over as a small red blur launched from the ground right into Inuyasha's chest.  Whatever it was, Kagome couldn't tell because of the fast movement.

"Yo, Shippo." Inuyasha said as he snatched the blur out of the air.  "You've gotten faster, shrimp."  Kagome squealed as her eyes fell on an adorable little kitsune with red hair and sparkling emerald eyes.  Inuyasha was holding the kit by his fluffy red tail.  He had little paws and fangs were poking out over his bottom lip as he flashed a wide grin at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, you might not want to hold him like that." Miroku said as he glanced nervously over his shoulder toward the front door of the house.  Shippo's eyes fell on Kagome at this point and he began fighting to free his tail from the iron grip of Inuyasha.

"Save me!" Shippo cried as big, crocodile tears filled his eyes.  Without thought, Kagome rushed forward and plucked the tiny kitsune from Inuyasha's hands.  Kagome pulled the kitsune to her chest and directed a glare at Inuyasha.

"Why are you picking on a little kid?!" Kagome demanded as she faced down the hanyou.  Inuyasha growled low in his throat as he met Kagome's glare head on.

"He attacked ME, remember?!" Inuyasha demanded angrily.

"He's a kid, he was just playing!" Kagome yelled back.  Shippo, meanwhile, was relaxing in Kagome's arms with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Shuttup!  You don't know that brat!  He does this every time I see him!" Inuyasha roared as he gestured in frustration.  "He plays the 'pity me, I'm an orphan' card every time!"

"Aww..." Kagome said as she turned sympathetic eyes on the small kitsune.  Shippo's triumphant smirk, of course, had already been replaced by the wide watery eyes.  "I'm so sorry to hear that, Shippo-chan." Kagome said as she hugged the little kit into her chest.  Inuyasha spluttered incoherently as he watches this action.  A low growl sounded in the back of Inuyasha's throat as the kit peeked over Kagome's shoulder and pulled down his lower eyelid, sticking his tongue out at Inuyasha.

"They go through this every time." Miroku chuckled as he walked up to the dark-haired woman and the young kit.

"Miroku!" Shippo cried as he launched himself from Kagome and jumped into the arms of the monk next to Sango.

"How's school going, kid?" Miroku asked as Shippo pulled back from the hug.

Inuyasha was fuming!  That stupid Shippo had gotten Kagome to take his side using the sympathy and pity card... Again!  That stupid little kit always managed to turn people against him!  He turned toward Kagome and scoffed at the stern look and arms crossed over her chest.  He couldn't help but notice that the stance revealed quite a bit of pale cleavage and found himself blushing and looking away.

"You're early, Inuyasha." A musical voice broke into to slight pandemonium that had ensued in the courtyard.  Inuyasha and Shippo immediately stopped their yelling at one another, with Kagome breaking in to defend the kit instantly   Walking down the steps was a beautiful and graceful looking couple walking down the front steps hand in hand.  Kagome felt her breath catch at the regal atmosphere that surrounded the two.  There was an air of power and serenity that seemed to encase the pair.

"You must be Kagome; I'm Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother."  A warm smile graced her perfect lips as she approached Kagome and bowed slightly.  Kagome found herself unable to speak as she mechanically bowed back, completely in awe at the couple before her.  'They look like royalty... How the HELL did they end up with such a rude, arrogant son?' Kagome thought to herself.

"It's wonderful to meet you." The deep voice of Inuyasha's father boomed out as he smiled as well.  "Inuyasha almost never brings friends home.  I'm Inu no Taisho." He explained as he held out his hand.  Her eyes bugged out of her head as she reached her hand out to grasp his.  'No WONDER the name Takahashi sounded so familiar!' Kagome thought to herself.  She was vaguely aware of asking Izayoi if he and Sango were just chopped liver and not friends and she responded with a laugh that the pair were family.

'The Takahashi's were the descendants of the great Inu tribe and basically OWN the city!'  She remembered that from the history class she had taken right when she started college.  Kagome felt a little faint as this realization hit her.  That's when she remembered she hadn't eaten breakfast and felt herself falling forward in a daze.  She was aware of being surrounded by strong arms and a familiar scent as darkness consumed her.

:: FIN::

Yeah, I know, Kagome passed out again *sweatdrop* Well think of it this way, Kagome and Inuyasha got into a fight early in the morning, she's too depressed to eat and the hospital food is nasty anyway. PLUS she's still sick, just well enough to go home. So some anemia is bound to set in when she found herself in a world she knew NOTHING about (what would you do if you were a lower/middle class person dropped off in front of a freaking mansion?!?). Anyway, I'll update as soon as I can. Long, in-depth reviews inspire me to write faster~.^