InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Life Sucks ❯ New Beginnings and Rough Starts ( Chapter 6 )

Life Sucks
By: ShoukaMiko
Chapter 6: New Beginnings and Rough Starts

Blanket Disclaimer for Life Sucks: I don't own Inuyasha, its characters, songs, or any other songs I put on here by other groups.


“Kagome!” Mrs. Higurashi's cheery voice called up the stairs, “There's someone here to see you. Are you decent?”

“Yeah,” Kagome yelled, opening her door to shout down the stairs better. “I'll be right down!”

She half closed the door as she turned back to her mirror to finish brushing her hair. With the morning light, everything that happened yesterday just felt so…surreal. Even though she hardly slept last night, she felt so alive, like if she had just waken up from a very good dream.

Her door creaked slightly and she turned toward it expectantly. No one was there.

“Hmmm… that's funny… I didn't feel a draft.” She shrugged it off and turned to grab the black hair band she had tossed on the bed earlier.



There was Inuyasha, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed cringing and flattening his ears to his skull.

“Oi wench! Take it down an octave or eight! What are you trying to do, take over lead guitar too by deafening me or what??”

Kagome, with a hand over her heart looked at him incredulously as she tried to catch her breath.

“ You baka! If you didn't go sneaking up on me I wouldn't have screamed. You damn near gave me a heart attack!!”

“I don't sneak! I never sneak! I have never snuck in my life!” So saying he planted a fist on his hip. “Besides your young, you'll live.”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “ Thanks for the concern.” She replied dryly. “What are you doing here anyway? How did you find me?”

Inuyasha panicked for a second before remembering what he found that morning. He reached under his black shirt and into the waist of his jeans to pull out a black purse. He flicked it to the corner of the bed.

“You left that last night airhead. All I had to do was read the address off of your ID.”

Kagome flicked her gaze down at her purse for a second before looking back at Inuyasha with one eyebrow raised in question. “You carried my purse in your pants?”

Inuyasha blushed furiously. “ Keh, It's not like it wasn't out side my boxers and besides I wasn't about to be seen toting your friggin' purse around town like a pansy.”

Kagome slapped her fore head with her palm and let out a groan. Inuyasha folded his arms in front of him and flicked his long silver mane over his shoulder indignantly.

“Hey wench, I believe some thanks are in order here.”

“You Baka! My name isn't wench it's Kagome. Get a clue or else don't bother talking to me.” With that Kagome spun on her heel with every intention of leaving the room with her dignity in tact.

“Fine by me woman,” He spat, stopping her in her tracks just under the door frame. “So long as you realize my name isn't baka, it's Inuyasha. Well,” the hanyou smiled arrogantly, “ Inuyasha-sama to you.”

Kagome turned slowly back to Inuyasha as her hand took a death grip on the door frame to keep her from running back in the room and pummeling him. Inuyasha seeing the dangerous gleam in her eye and nervous tic in her eyebrow flattened his ears and cowered down slightly on her bed.

“Listen here you arrogant prick! No one insults me in my own room…”

“Oh yeah, well where do you usually go?” Inuyasha cut in as he regained his courage and stood up on the bed.

“Get off of my bed you JERK!”

“Why don't you come up here and make me you Bimbo!”

“BAKA!”

“BITCH!”

“BASTARD!”

“WENCH!”

“ ;Anyone hungry? I made Oden.” Mrs.Higurashi yelled up the stairs. Suddenly Inuyasha and Kagome's stomach rumbled simultaneously. Kagome huffed out of the room and Inuyasha leapt off the bed and pushed past her in the hall.

“This isn't over dog boy.” Kagome mumbled as they jostled each other going down stairs.

“Not by a long shot.” Inuyasha tossed over his shoulder as he leapt the rest of the way down stairs. At the bottom of the stairs he turned to flash Kagome a triumphant smirk. Kagome's heart fluttered slightly but she wrote it off as rage.

She glared at his back and growled as she watched the tall hanyou follow his nose smugly into the kitchen.

********

The kitchen was deathly quiet as the two teens glared at each other over rice and oden. Mrs. Higurashi gave the two teens a knowing glance and decided to try and break the ice for them.

“So Inuyasha,” She said with a sweet smile, “What were you explaining to me earlier? I believe you were saying something about Kagome and singing and such.”

Inuyasha shot Kagome a look before turning to her mom. “Our band is kind of out a lead singer, and we were wondering… well they were wondering, if you would maybe let her come with us on tour.” Inuyasha finished off blushing slightly. He always got nervous when he had to talk to any kind of parental figure one on one. He could take on a horde of journalists any day of the week and twice on Sunday, but parents freaked him out.

Mrs. Higurashi turned toward her daughter who had put down her spoon while eating her oden. Her mom smiled `that speaks volumes on it's own. Kagome doesn't stop for anyone when she has Oden in front of her.'

“What do you think about all of this Kagome?” She asked her daughter gently.

Kagome turned toward her mom with hope in her eyes, but the next second cast her eyes down toward the table, very solemn.

“Well it's a dream come true mom. It's what I love to do and it's also my favorite band.” At that Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “But…”

Both pairs of eyes shot toward her “But what dear?” Mrs. Higurashi coaxed.

Kagome sighed dismally, “Mom I can't leave you, Souta, and Grandpa. We're a family. Whose going to keep Souta in line and whose going to help Grandpa with the shrine and who is going to take care of Souta while you're at work?”

Mrs. Higurashi stared at her daughter a second before giving Inuyasha an apologetic smile. “Will you excuse us for a second Inuyasha? I have to discuss something with Kagome in private.”

Inuyasha, who'd been staring at Kagome with a look of enlightenment, nodded solemnly and started to get up to leave the table.

“Don't be silly dear, you finish eating your oden, we'll just be in the hall.” With that Kagome's mom nodded toward the hallway and followed on her heels.

When they closed the door Inuyasha sighed. Kagome was confusing to him. Anyone else would have killed for this kind of opportunity, yet she seemed to be turning it down to stay with her family. Who was this girl with the sad eyes and the quick smile? He heaved another sigh before bringing a hot spoonful of oden to his lips. Before he took a bite the triangular, white ears on the top of his head caught voices. He lowered his spoon again and cocked his head and ears toward the sounds.

“Keh, as if I couldn't hear you. I'm a demon or didn't you notice.” Inuyasha said out loud to himself as he listened intently for whatever he could pick out.

In the hall a ways, Mrs. Higurashi turned toward her daughter and put both hands on her shoulders so that she would look at her. “You have to say yes.”

“Mom I can't, I have responsibilities here and…”

“Kagome,” Mrs. Higurashi cut in as Kagome ducked her head down so only the top of her head was visible. “Your father is dead sweetheart. I wish everyday that there was a way to bring him back but we can't. Time goes on Kagome. We had a rough time at the beginning and you've been a big help to everyone but it's time to let go and live your own life.” A silent tear fell down Kagome's cheek as her mom brought her into an embrace. “ I know I heaped way too much responsibility on you, and you had to grow up faster than I would have liked…”

“Oh no mom, I handled it. It was no big deal…” Kagome said shaking her head and hugging her mother a little harder.

“Yes, it was Kagome. It was a very big deal.” Mrs. Higurashi pulled her daughter back a little to gaze warmly and offer a reassuring smile, even if it was a bit watery. “ As much as I've appreciated your help, I think it's time you stop hiding behind your responsibilities, and start enjoying life as the young woman you are.”

Kagome looked away from her mother. Her eyes landed on a familiar picture upon the wall; a young mother holding a little baby, with a young girl hugging a stuffed animal of a white puppy, and staring lovingly up at her… her…

“But…but… Souta will be starting a new semester of school and Grandpa can't take care of the shrine all by himself and you…”

“We will be just fine. Souta is a grown boy now. He can help with the shrine, and Grandpa will look after him when I'm at work.” Kagome let her arms fall to her sides, but she finally looked her mother in the face. A small, almost undetectable glimmer of cautions hope brightened her eyes.

“What about school?”

Mrs. Higurashi raised a hand to brush the bangs out of her daughter's face.

“You can home-school for a while and I'm sure you can handle some on-line classes.”

Kagome pressed the knuckle of her fist to her mouth, considering her mother words. Her eyes flicked down, then back to her mom, as a small smile grew from her eyes to her still hidden lips.

Kagome threw her arms around her mother and whispered a “thank you” in her ear.
Pulling away, Kagome wiped away the one tear that managed to escape her. Straightening her shoulder, she put her chin up a little higher and took confident steps back toward the kitchen.

********

Inuyasha's ear twitched slightly at its position at the crack of the door in the kitchen. His face would screw up intently as he heard Kagome's voice grow shaky, and then would grow calm when he heard Kagome's mom reason with her. If there was one thing he understood well in this world, it was loss.

His eyes grew thoughtful for a second, before his ears twitched again and strained. The last part was so quiet. What had she said? Does she want to join or not?

Inuyasha frowned in self-loathing. After how he yelled at her earlier, could he really blame her if she told him to shove it?

He was still crouched there, very much like a dog would sit on his haunches, so lost in his thoughts when he heard the approaching footsteps, that he almost missed them.

His eyes went wide with panic as he raced back to his chair, plopping down in it so fast, he had to pinwheel his arms to keep from falling backwards. Righting himself, he grabbed his spoon just as the door slid open.

Kagome hesitated for a moment in the doorway. All of a sudden she couldn't get herself to feel particularly brave wearing a pink long sleeve and a khaki mini skirt.

“ Inuyasha?”

“Yeah, what?” He asked, pretending to eat the now cold oden.

“I've …” Kagome took a deep breath, “I've come to a decision.” Kagome was wringing her hands together. She knew in her heart, what she said next, would alter her destiny irreversibly.

“Keh, took you long enough.” Inuyasha snorted still pretending to eat while his ears strained in Kagome's direction.

“I…” Kagome hesitated a second while Inuyasha's fur covered ears, twitched and strained harder, “ have decided that…I want to join the Sengoku Jidai after all.”

Inuyasha stifled a sigh of relief as he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “ about time.” He then calmly got up and walked toward the open doorway.

For a second Kagome thought he was going to walk right past her, that is until his hand shot out and grabbed hers sending her into a half spin out the door, where she stumbled after the hanyou and his flowing silver hair.

“Hey, what do you think you're…?” Kagome started indignantly.

“Our next concert isn't' for awhile so we have a little time to get you settled.” Inuyasha said over his shoulder as he continued to drag her through the house and out the door into the cold winter sunlight. “ That doesn't mean we have time to be messin' around. You're pretty rough around the edges, and on top of that, our stupid manager needs to `evaluate' you, whatever that means.”

“Umm… Inuyasha…?” Kagome struggled to keep the panic out of her voice as they started down the shrine steps.

“Now what?” Inuyasha spat out roughly as they neared the bottom steps.

“Ummm…. Where's your car?” Kagome's blush started at her cheeks and couldn't stop spreading.

“Didn't bring one.” Inuyasha shrugged.

“But how are we…eep!” The girl squeaked as the half demon boy crouched down in front of her expectantly when they reached the sidewalk.

“What??” Inuyasha looked over his shoulder impatiently. “Whatever it is, can it wait until we get going?”

“Not really,” Kagome answered quietly, unconsciously chewing on one of her nails.

Inuyasha heave a frustrated sigh as he straightened and turned toward Kagome, whose bright red face could have rivaled a stop sign.

The hanyou smiled impishly, one fang peeking out as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“ What's the matter?” When Kagome didn't meet his gaze his smile got down right wicked.

“Don't tell me I scared you with all that jumpin' around last night?”

Kagome just shook her head and took a deep interest in her feet.

Frowning now, Inuyasha cocked his head to the side trying to see past the curtain for bangs hiding an obviously flustered Kagome.

“Alright, spit it out.”

Kagome's eyes snapped from here to there as if trying to find an answer to snatch out of thin air.

“I didn't tell anyone where I was going.”

“You can call them when we get to Miroku's”

“Uh… I have to use the bathroom.” Kagome tried desperately.

Inuyasha rolled his amber eyes. “We're not going across the country, it's only a couple minutes away from here.”

Finally Kagome looked at him as she sighed and put her hands on her hips. “ I need to change clothes, ok?”

Inuyasha's eyebrows furrowed a second as he frowned. Maybe she's more like Kikyo than he thought.

“Look princess, your not gonna be trotting down a runway in front of thousands of admirers, we're just going to Miroku's.”

Kagome hit her forehead with the palm of her hand, fighting for a way to salvage her dignity but finding no way to escape what she had to say next.

“You Baka! I need to change because I'm wearing a skirt, unless you want to help me flash all of Japan!”

Inuyasha's brows drew together in confusion for a moment, until at last he caught on. Then his blush came on hard and rivaled any Kagome had before then, as he had a flash back from the night before of just what might be under that skirt.

“Keh, hurry it up then!” The much chagrined hanyou said turning his back on a very irritated Kagome as he crossed his arms.

Kagome let out a frustrated groan and rolled her eyes as she turned on her heel to head back up the steps toward the shrine.

Inuyasha huffed out a sigh as he turned back around, intent on sitting on the shrine steps to wait. He was putting his hand down to ease himself onto a step when he looked in the direction of where Kagome had fled. She was nearing the top of the steps, hips swaying and slender legs propelling her upwards.

Too busy gaping at Kagome's retreating figure, the half demon miscalculated how far his hand had to reach the stone step and he stumbled forward.

“ I am not turning into Miroku! I am not turning into Miroku…!” Inuyasha grumbled over and over as he nursed a scraped elbow and a slightly bruised hip.

********

Upstairs in her room Kagome hurried to throw on a pair of jeans and gather her forgotten purse. She was about to leave her bedroom when something on her dresser caught the corner of her eye. She looked at her I.D. card, lying forgotten where it had been for nearly a week.

“But didn't Inuyasha say…?” Kagome began as her face screwed up in thought.

“Kagome!” Mrs. Higurashi called from downstairs, “ Don't forget a sweater, it's chilly out.”

“Oh, okay!” Kagome said as she whirled around and grabbed one out of her closet then raced out the door.


The I.D. card lay once again forgotten on the dresser.