InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Present Perfect ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Chapter 4

 

 

Sesshomaru was leaving for Japan in three days. He had left most of Inuyasha's questions unanswered, but at least he seemed to feel confident now that Inuyasha would be able to handle the local youkai population.

 

On the way back from meeting the youkai, Sesshomaru grabbed Inuyasha by the arm and swung him around. They were traveling very fast at the time, so Inuyasha ended up crashing into a tree from the force of Sesshomaru's swing. He sprang back, snarling, and curled his claws to take a swipe at Sesshomaru. He hadn't expected Sesshomaru to turn on him like that.

 

“You will tell me what's different about you,” stated Sesshomaru calmly. He made no move to avoid Inuyasha's claws, and Inuyasha stopped short of actually connecting with him.

 

Inuyasha clenched his fists and spat back, “Not until you tell me the truth about what happened to Kagome and me in the Sengoku Jidai.”

 

“What truth? At some point I noticed you weren't around anymore. I don't know exactly when. Or why.”

 

Sesshomaru was hiding something, Inuyasha was sure of it. “Did something happen to our friends?” he asked. “Miroku? Sango? What about Shippo? Kohaku? Rin?”

 

A pained expression briefly crossed Sesshomaru's face, but he replied, “No, not then.” And left it at that. So he did know when Inuyasha and Kagome disappeared. Inuyasha gave up trying to get him to be more specific for the moment. He turned to resume their journey when Sesshomaru laid his hand on his arm again. “We're not finished,” he said.

 

“There's nothing different about me now,” Inuyasha stated with absolute truth. The restraining beads sat firmly around his neck. He couldn't transform if he wanted to, and nobody except Kagome could remove the beads.

 

Sesshomaru sniffed him again, very thoroughly, but Inuyasha could tell that he was puzzled. He himself couldn't tell the difference in his own scent, being too close to it. He wondered what, exactly, Sesshomaru was scenting.

 

“You're lying,” said Sesshomaru. But he couldn't prove it. Inuyasha grinned. He couldn't resist baiting Sesshomaru, just a little, with the truth he wouldn't believe.

 

“Yeah, I'm lying,” he replied facetiously. “I'm really a full youkai and can transform into a Great Dog spirit.”

 

Sesshomaru humphed, and streaked off in a ball of light. Inuyasha laughed out loud.

 

 

Inuyasha was glad to get back home to Kagome. She was just finishing her last class when Inuyasha collected her for dinner. He'd stopped by the apartment to change first, and realized there was nothing to eat there, not even ramen. If he'd known that, he would have killed some small game on his way home for Kagome to cook. Luckily they both had their student IDs. It was just as easy to eat at the cafeteria.

 

Peter, Noriko and Jen were already there. With them was another girl, someone Kagome didn't recognize. She had blonde hair and was very pretty. She was talking animatedly with Peter, much to Noriko's irritation, although it wasn't obvious to anyone but Kagome.

 

Inuyasha set down his tray, looking at the new girl with surprise. “Soo-sen?” he said tentatively. The girl looked up, not recognizing Inuyasha.

 

“Yes,” she replied. “Hello.” She looked to Peter for an introduction.

 

“Sue, this is my friend Inuyasha. He's a friend of Miroku's—do you remember Miroku?” Peter's eyes sparkled with humor. He knew very well that “Miroku” was really Inuyasha.

 

Of course! Kagome understood now. This must be the “Susan” Inuyasha had met last semester as Miroku. She had thought Susan dropped out, though.

 

“Sure I remember Miroku,” said Susan, smiling warmly at Inuyasha. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha,” she added. “Next time you see Miroku, tell him I'm back, and I'd love to see him, Ok?”

 

Inuyasha smiled and nodded. Kagome nudged him in the ribs. Oh. “Soo-sen, this is my friend Kagome,” he introduced her, using the same formula Peter had used. Kagome frowned.

 

“Nice to meet you,” Susan said briefly, then went back to her conversation with Peter. Kagome looked at Noriko and the two of them shared a grimace.

 

Susan, it turned out, had re-registered for the second semester and was now enrolled in many of the same classes as Peter. That was how they had met in the first place. It looked like she intended to insinuate herself into their group. Kagome watched Inuyasha and Peter both laugh as Susan said something clever. Susan seemed to pay much more attention to the two boys than to the rest of the table. Was she some sort of female Miroku?

 

Jen didn't seem to care, but Noriko was fuming. Kagome wasn't worried, not really, but she thought she should find out what Susan's intentions were, for Noriko's sake.

 

“Are you staying in the dorms, Susan?” she interrupted. Susan stopped talking to Peter and turned her attention towards Kagome.

 

“No, I live nearby, so I'm a commuter,” she answered. She smiled brightly at Inuyasha. “Do you live on campus, Inuyasha? Maybe I can come over to your dorm room to study in between classes.”

 

Kagome was flabbergasted. Didn't the girl realize that she and Inuyasha were together? She waited for Inuyasha to tell Susan that they shared an apartment off campus and NO she couldn't come over there to study, but he didn't. He reddened slightly and stammered some nonsense about not having a dorm room. Nothing about her.

 

Susan thought that was even better. She practically invited herself over to his place. Peter and Noriko both watched the exchange with apprehension, wondering what Kagome was going to do about it. Jen had had enough.

 

“Look, Susan,” she said, pointing her fork at the new girl. “Inuyasha lives with Kagome, they're going out. And Peter is with Noriko, Ok?”

 

Inuyasha was confused. What had just happened? He turned to Kagome for an explanation, but she looked like she was furious with him. What did he do?

 

Susan sat back, a little embarrassed. “Oh, I didn't mean it like that,” she replied. “I just thought we could study.” She looked down, concentrating on her food for a moment. “Sometimes I come on too strong,” she admitted. “I'm really not that mercenary. I didn't know Peter had a girlfriend. He didn't have one before, so I just assumed it was the same. And Inuyasha introduced Kagome as his friend, not his girlfriend.” She looked directly at Kagome. “Sorry. I tend to make friends easier with boys, I always have. Girls don't seem to like me very much,” she concluded.

 

Kagome felt obligated to feel sorry for her after that half-hearted apology, even though she still was mad about the whole situation. She wasn't ready to forgive Inuyasha yet, though. “It's Ok,” she replied. “You didn't know.”

 

“Thanks. Now that that's over with, do you guys mind if I hang out with you? Since I left last semester, I don't really know anybody else here.”

 

What was she going to say? No? She wanted to. “Sure,” said Kagome. She glanced over at Noriko and saw that she wasn't too thrilled with their newfound friend either.

 

 

“What were you thinking?” Kagome asked Inuyasha once they were home. “Why didn't you tell her we were living together?”

 

Inuyasha threw up his hands. “I didn't know how to say it,” he said.

 

“You just SAY it!” Kagome shouted. “I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND! How hard is that?”

 

Kagome was jealous? That was ridiculous. “Soo-sen is my friend from before,” he told her, beginning to get annoyed. “Can't I have my own friends?”

 

“So. . .” Kagome got extremely quiet. “That's how it is. . . . First of all, she's Miroku's friend—she just met you.”

 

“Same thing,” Inuyasha muttered stubbornly.

 

“It is not the same thing. But if that's how you want it, fine. I hope you and Susan have a wonderful life!” Kagome flounced out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind her, leaving a stunned Inuyasha alone and half-undressed on their bed.

 

“Hey!” He yelled. He yanked open the door and stalked over to Kagome, who was curled up on the sofa, her face buried in the cushion. He reached out to touch her, and got zapped. She was literally glowing with power.

 

“Go away,” her voice came out muffled.

 

“No,” said Inuyasha. He tried to put his arms around her, but again her barrier rejected him. It stung, but it was nothing to the pain in his heart. She really didn't want him near her. Reason told him to leave her alone to calm down, but he couldn't do it. He sat just outside her barrier, determined to wait until she let him back in. He could hear her crying, and it tore him up that he couldn't do anything about it. With one finger he reached out to test the limits of the barrier, but as soon as he touched it, a flash went off and he jerked his finger back, singed. He sighed. It was going to be a long night.

 

Kagome's mood didn't last. Some time during the night Inuyasha fell asleep and his head leaned forward to touch Kagome's back as she lay on the sofa. He woke when the sun rose, sore from his unnatural sleeping position, yet awed when he realized Kagome's barrier had finally let him in. Without waking her, he carefully lifted her into his lap and switched them around so that he lay on the sofa with Kagome resting peacefully on his chest. Gently he stroked her hair. “Kagome, I'm sorry,” he murmured, safely enough as she was still asleep. He really was sorry, for making her sad, for making her doubt him. From now on, he was going to tell anybody who asked that he was sleeping with Kagome.