InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reliving the Past ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Reliving the Past

by kmf

Rating: R

Warnings: Language

Genre: Romance/Angst/Supernatural

Standard Disclaimer applies

Chapter Two

Kagome studied the list of required textbooks as she stood outside the little bookshop that serviced the campus. Most of them had references beside them to online sources to accompany them, and Kagome sighed. She would have to buy extra study material; most of her time being spent in an era when there was no such thing as electricity, let alone the Intranet.

It was going to be an expensive day she thought as she quickly calculated the total cost to buy all the reading material required. Even buying second hand text books would not save her much, most of the books required that she get the latest revised edition. Folding the list, she bit her lip. Her mother was paying for the books as Kagome did not have the opportunity for part time work to give her any sort of income. And whilst her mother assured Kagome that it was alright, Kagome knew that it would put a strain of her mother's limited resources.

Still, when she got her degree, and when she finished the quest, and when she got a job, she would pay back her mother every penny that she had borrowed. She sighed again before entering the shop.

It was crowded, as it always was during the first week. Young men and women were wandering around, their arms full of thick texts, chatting excitedly about what they had done over summer and what they hoped to achieve in the coming academic year. The second hand section was particularly crowded, so Kagome decided to pick up the latest edition texts that she needed first.

The basket she was carrying was full and exceedingly heavy by the time she wandered over to the less crowded section that carried supplementary reading texts. Most students would only purchase these books later on in the academic year, if then. Kagome, however, was determined to stay at least one step ahead in this her most important year.

She put the basket of books down at her feet, before trailing a finger along the row of books, reading the titles. One on Japanese myths and legends caught her eye, and she pulled it out and began to flick through the pages, reading snippets as she did so.

"It's a brilliant book," a deep voice came from beside her, "It's written by one of the new professors here."

Kagome looked up, startled. She had been so engrossed in the colour pictures depicting demons that she was all too familiar with, that she had not noticed anyone approaching her. The man flashed her an apologetic grin, his mouth a trifle lopsided, as he ran his hand through his long dark hair, which flowed over his shoulders and hung almost as long as Kagome's did.

The locks should have made him look feminine, but they did not. Rather, his long hair seemed to emphasise his muscular build and his overwhelming maleness. His face looked a little familiar, his eyes dark and penetrating and his mouth pulled into a confident cocky smile. He was dressed casually, faded blue jeans and red sweatshirt that looked a little bit large on him despite his tall frame.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you?" he asked, as Kagome continued to stare at him.

Embarrassed, Kagome lowered her eyes politely, looking once again at the text.

"Not at all," she murmured, mortified to feel herself blush under his intense gaze.

"Are you studying Japanese mythology?" the man asked again, crossing his arms and leaning against the bookshelf in a relaxed manner.

Kagome nodded, hoping to God that her ears were not bright pink. Hesitantly she looked up, "I'm in my last year of a History degree," she said, closing the book and hugging it to her chest.

"Well, I'm sure you will enjoy Professor Kaminari's lectures, I understand that he keeps his students enthralled," the man replied, "Well, those who turn up, that is. Some of the students enrol in that particular module thinking that its easy and that they don't need to attend the lectures."

Kagome's eyes widened and she felt her blush rise once again; that was exactly the reason why she had enrolled in the course. Although, she thought looking down at the book in her arms, it would be interesting to find out whether any of the myths pointed towards where Naraku was currently hiding. Or if any gave any clue as to whether or not Inuyasha would succeed in his goal.

At the thought of Inuyasha, Kagome frowned. She had promised herself faithfully that she would not think of the hanyou at all during her week of freedom, and here she was on day one thinking of ways in which her degree could help him. Hearing a grunt of amusement, she looked up to see the man was watching her intently, obviously amused by the string of emotions that had played across her face. She cringed. The first time a man had paid any attention to her in years (Miroku could not be counted) and she acted like some emotional freak.

He pushed himself away from the bookcase, grinning at her before reaching out one hand to touch hers as it grasped the book tightly.

"I have to get going, but I am sure I will see you around..Miss...?" he trailed off, waiting for her name.

"Kagome," she whispered, staring at his hand on hers, before lifting her eyes to his.

A flicker of recognition seemed to pass through his eyes, quickly chased away by a puzzled frown as if he was trying to remember something that he had forgotten. Then he smiled at her.

"I most definitely will be seeing you again, Ka..go..me," he pronounced her name softly, sounding out each syllable, before releasing her hand and walking away.

Kagome watched him leave feeling a little stunned. She lifted her hand to her chest, feeling her heart beat rapidly under her fingertips. Then she scowled.

"Damn it all!" she hissed, "I never asked his name!"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, before looking back down at the book in her hands. She tossed it down into her basket where it landed face down. A photo on the back caught her eye, and she frowned as she bent down to pick the book up once again. Smiling at her was a black and white photo of the man she had just been talking to. Underneath it was the legend: H Kaminari, author.

Kagome gasped and looked around the bookshop quickly, trying to see if she could find him amongst the crowd, but he had gone. No wonder he had been so confident that he would see her again; he was to be her professor for Japanese Mythology. His words came back to her as she stared at his smiling picture.

" I'm sure you will enjoy Professor Kaminari's lectures, I understand that he keeps his students enthralled"

She smirked at the memory; Professor Kaminari apparently was as modest about his teaching as Inuyasha was about his fighting skills. At the thought of Inuyasha, arms folded and mouth pulled into a cocky grin, Kagome's smile faded away. She tossed the book once more into the basket berating herself for allowing Inuyasha to enter into every unguarded thought she had.

It was the last time she was going to think about Inuyasha this week she promised herself, mouth pulling into a determined line and head nodding furiously to strengthen her resolve. Ignoring the surprised looks of fellow shoppers who witnessed her nodding like a lunatic, she went on to loose herself in the task of finding the rest of the books on her list.

* * * * *

Inuyasha was well and truly pissed off.

Sango and Miroku had been unsympathetic when he had returned to the village, scowling and grumbling about how the stupid bitch had run away through the well again. They had nodded sagely and mumbled half-arsed comments about how it was only to be expected as her new session of learning was about to begin. And for some reason they had glared at him when he made the comment that Kagome needed to be put on a leash until she learned to stay where she belonged.

Even if they did not agree with him (and he really could not understand why they couldn't agree that Kagome need to learn obedience), at least they had been reasonably quiet in their disapproval of him. Shippo, however, had blamed him loudly for driving Kagome away. Inuyasha had put up with the kit's stupid whines for about five minutes before swatting him away into the wall of Kaede's hut.

Shippo had not been hurt; he was a kitsune and kitsune's were, by nature, resilient beasts. But that had not stopped him wailing at the top of his voice until most of the villagers had assembled to see what the trouble was. Sango had scooped the cub up in her arms and petted him, even though she knew, being the efficient demon slayer she was, that it would take much more to damage Shippo.

When Miroku entered the fray, lecturing Inuyasha on the duty of the strong to look after the weak and that trying to make a permanent impression of Shippo in Kaede's wall was not the actions of a responsible adult, Inuyasha had had enough. He ignored Miroku, instead growling at Shippo telling him to grow up and stop pretending to be hurt. The kitsune's only reaction was to bury his head further into Sango's chest, whimpering in apparent fear. When Shippo's scent suddenly spiked as he nestled in the woman's chest, Inuyasha had raised an eyebrow in shock. He had to wonder just exactly how old Shippo was and whether or not he was innocent as he made himself out to be.

Ignoring Miroku and Sango's continuing berating, and making a mental note to prevent Shippo ever from sharing a sleeping bag with Kagome again, Inuyasha had launched himself up into the trees and away from the village. He didn't need the others, and he definitely didn't need Kagome. He would find Naraku, get the shards and complete the jewel so that he would never have to drag Kagome's worthless butt around behind him ever again.

Or at least, that had been the plan.

Two days travelling brought him no closer to finding any demons, let alone any trace of Naraku. The solitude of travelling alone had been welcome at first, but as the hours dragged by he began to miss listening to the banter of his comrades. He missed Miroku continually trying to touch Sango (or rather he missed Sango's violent responses to Miroku's gropes). He missed Shippo's annoying antics and the opportunities they gave him to smack the kitsune's arse.

Hell, he even missed Kagome.

And that really, really pissed him off. Especially when in a moment of weakness he found himself contemplating going through the well to check up on her just to make sure that she was all right. Her era was not particularly safe. Although there were not many demons populating it, the humans of that time had a very weak concept of honour and some thought nothing of attacking the innocent.

He had almost turned to retrace his path before he realised what he was doing. Growling in frustration, he instead sat cross-legged at the foot of a tree, folding his arms and closing his eyes and tried to calm his irritated heart. He would not go and check on her. Not after what she had said at the well. She had made it very clear that she did not want him there with her. She wanted to study so that she could do well with her life in her time, away from the perils of this era

And away from him.

Inuyasha's scowl deepened. The slight feeling of loneliness that he had been feeling suddenly welled up making it difficult to breathe. Bowing his head, he tried to clear Kagome's smiling face from his mind, concentrating instead on how she glared at him at the well. He imagined her pouting at his demands to stay with him, imagined her putting her hands on her hips and spitting out the words that activated the necklace around his neck.

The sudden yank of the spell working and pulling his face down into the dirt made him yell in surprise. The yell turned into a very explicit curse as he realised that imagining Kagome saying "Sit" was as good a trigger for the spell as actually hearing it from the girls lips.

A thin grin graced his face as he pushed himself up, spitting soil from his mouth. He had been pissed before, but now he was really, really, really pissed. And Kagome, when she returned, was going to find out just how pissed he could get.

TBC