InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sengoku Jidai University ❯ Freshman Spring Part 1 ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

 

Kagome shouldn't have worried about whether Inuyasha was hungry or not. He was currently more in danger of freezing to death than starving.

 

The rain beat down upon him as he stumbled along the road. His bare feet felt like ice and he couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to feel his toes. The side of his chest felt like it was on fire every time he took a breath, his lungs protesting loudly as his diaphragm expanded and irritated broken ribs. That wasn't half as bad as the burning sensation along his right arm. That felt like fire every time the freezing hit the large gash across his bicep.

 

And the small trail of blood that would have followed him was quickly washed away.

 

Inuyasha was absolutely miserable.

 

And he was human.

 

“A conference, that asshole says,” he muttered to himself. “We had to attend a stupid ass conference.”

 

And so he had. Sesshoumaru did not like that Inuyasha was an extension of the family, but he could no deny his brother had his uses. Especially when the Board of Youkai Universities wanted to see a diverse group of university representatives. Rin had come as the human representative….and Sesshoumaru quickly pulled Inuyasha in for the hanyous.

 

Not that Inuyasha did anything other than sit in a million and one boring meetings, watching as his brother carefully manipulated the Board members like checkers. He didn't bother likening it to chess. Chess took more strategy and the pieces were all of different powers. Board members, really, were all the same powers and weaknesses all rolled in one. And Sesshoumaru neatly jumped over every single one of them.

 

And just when he'd thought his luck couldn't get any worse, he looked at the calendar.

 

They were to drive back…together…on the night of the new moon.

 

His human night.

 

“I'd rather die than give that damn asshole the satisfaction of knowing when I'm weak,” Inuyasha swore.

 

Although his current situation wasn't much of an improvement. Sesshoumaru killing him was far less certain than the cold killing him. Cold didn't think…it just was.

 

“Cold,” he mumbled as his teeth chattered. “The absence of heat….dammit!”

 

Inuyasha was so wrapped up in his own misery that he didn't even see the car pass him and stop until he ran smack into the side view mirror. Blinking in astonishment, he looked down in dread, wondering who had found him this time. Hell, if they killed him outright, maybe it would be better to die quickly than to freeze to death.

 

`But what about Kagome?' he thought. `Who'll protect her?'

 

“Are you alright?” came a very light, concerned and most definitely female voice. Great…now he was hallucinating. He could almost swear that was his roommate's voice.

 

The small car was not one he recognized. It was about as non descript as you could get. Non descript brown, non descript design….hell, from here he couldn't even guess what the make or model was. He didn't even know they made cars so…..dull.

 

“You shouldn't stop for strangers, bitch,” he snapped, only to clutch his stomach in pain. “I could be a killer for all you know!”

 

“I…Inuyasha?”

 

He felt his heart just about stop in shock. Only one person could say his name that way….unless he really had gone into full out hallucinations. Maybe he was hallucinating the car…her…this whole conversation.

 

He didn't remember her getting him into the car or how he got wrapped up in a thick blanket with towels soaking up the damp moisture. He didn't even remember dozing…or being carried into the dorm. Hell, he didn't even remember getting a good look at the girl.

 

All he remembered was the blessed feeling of warmth slowly creeping back into his body….and then, darkness.

 

 

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Kagome looked down at the man in her roommate's bed with a deep frown on her face. He looked just like him…except his hair was black and all characteristics…including his aura….were human. It just didn't make sense. His attitude fit…but why was he human?

 

“Who hurt you?” she asked the sleeping man. “Did they turn you human too?”

 

Not getting any answers from him she went about making ramen, knowing he'd want it as soon as he woke up. She hoped his nose was still sensitive enough to smell it…although she suspected she'd probably have to hold it under his nose to get the desired affect.

 

Before she was able to even get started boiling the water a groan turned her head.

 

The idiot was trying to sit upright.

 

“No, no, lie back down. You're suffering from exhaustion and hypothermia.”

 

“Then I shouldn't be allowed to sleep, bitch,” he snapped. Even his voice sounded the same…although there was no growling.

 

“Alright, Mr. High and Mighty, have it your way, but you're staying in that bed if I have to tie you there.”

 

“High and Mighty is my half-brother, bitch, not me,” he snapped, but stayed in the bed. And promptly sneezed.

 

“I was going to make you some ramen…do you want some?” she asked, all anger dissolving. She really couldn't fault him. He was only being his normal, testy self and considering he was sick on top of that….well she was grateful he was at least staying in bed.

 

“Keh!”

 

Kagome smiled. Yep, that was definitely Inuyasha. Ever the one to be eloquent with words Mr. Webster and the OED society had yet to define.

 

She was pleased to find that when she returned, he had no only remained in the bed, but also shed himself of the damp clothing and wrapped himself in the large, fuzzy covers. If he had not woken up she would have had to throw her modesty out the window and do the job herself, but luck was with her tonight.

 

It wasn't that he was unattractive….Kagome just didn't feel right undressing him without his permission. Even if he had already seen her in her underwear.

 

“Ok, so I'm a chicken,” she mumbled to herself.

 

Inuyasha stopped slurping long enough to raise an eyebrow in question. He'd been avoiding any explanation of his appearance…hoping she wouldn't ask. He certainly wasn't going to volunteer the information any time soon.

 

“Who did this to you?” she asked, tears filling her eyes. Her tone was heart wrenching. If she had asked what happened, he would have denied it….if she had asked why he looked different, he would have brushed her off. But instead, she asked who….in a tone that more than suggested she cared. Deeply.

 

No one ever cared about him. It was….unnerving.

 

“Demons, who else?” he scoffed. “I smelled right…but didn't look right so they tried to beat the information out of me.”

 

“They beat you into being human?” she asked in shock. And then he realized she had no clue. She looked frightened, lost…and about ready to burst into tears. Why were human females so prone to the crying thing? It was like the world, for them, was going to come crashing down at any given moment.

 

“Stupid bitch, they can't beat me into being human. I'm a Hanyou, remember?”

 

Her blank look suggested her mind was not making the mental connection…or perhaps she didn't know. It wasn't exactly common knowledge his kind went around handing out. It'd be asking for an execution.

 

“Hanyous have temporary periods in which their youkai blood recedes and they become fully human. The time and extent of the period depends on the hanyou. Mine happens to be the new moon and last from sun down till sun up.” He slurped the noodles, looking more than annoyed that he had to reveal that information.

 

Kagome watched in silence, her mouth forming the simplistic response with no audible sound following.

 

“And if you tell anyone about it, bitch, you can not only forget about me protecting you…I'll hunt you down as well,” he snarled, suddenly looking very much like an angry dog…even if his hair was black, and his fangs and ears were missing.

 

“All you had to do was ask,” she said dryly, her voice clearly annoyed. “I'm hardly going to tell everyone how to beat up my roommate. Even if you do make me so mad sometimes. It wouldn't be right….and I'd never betray someone.”

 

“Well just to make sure,” he scoffed. “Accepting that car from wolf-ass means you're under his protection now. I can't trust anyone with my secret…”

 

“Whoa, wait a minute!” she snapped. “Kouga? I'm not under his protection! I'm staying away from him! Do I look like I'm running off to his room? Do I look like I am sitting by his bed? Making HIM ramen? Lending HIM my extra blankets?”

 

“You accepted his gift. That's practically an engagement in youkai terms,” Inuyasha pointed out.

 

“And who was the one who told me I should use the car to go home?” Inuyasha didn't answer, although she could see the makings of a deep scowl on his face. “That's what I thought. And if you noticed, I didn't keep the car. I sold it.”

 

“Alright, alright, I get the point bitch. I'm warm, I'm full…now go away so I can get some god damned sleep!”

 

Kagome wanted to retort…she really did. But the fatigued evident on his face caused her to hold her tongue. She watched as he drifted into a comfortable sleep, his breathing slow and even. His skin was no longer a scary, pale and cold looking color. Any sickness she might have worried about him contracting would probably disappear with the sun as his demon powers came back…but still.

 

“I can't just sleep without knowing he'll be alright,” she muttered and looked at the clock.

 

2:04

 

“Hmm,” she said aloud. “What can I do in the room that will take several hours and let me keep an eye on him?”

 

Her eyes flickered over the mess that was his side of the room…and her eyes sparkled with mischief as she grinned.

 

 

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By 8 am not only was Inuyasha back to his normal hanyou self, but Kagome found out she had youkai studies at 8:15 this semester. It truly was a cruel, cruel world. Seeing him looking none the worse for wear, she went ahead on to class…her steps slow and sluggish from the lack of sleep she'd had. She could even FEEL the black circles under her eyes.

 

“Good god, what the hell did you do over break?” Sango asked as they walked down the hallway.

 

“I can't tell you the details, but I got NO sleep last night.”

 

“So you and Inuyasha took it to the next level?” Miroku asked, suddenly appearing from behind them and startling both women. Sango gave him a light punch…which almost sent him into the floor…for his lack of tact.

 

“No, pervert,” Kagome responded, thankful Sango had more energy than she did. “I spent last night cleaning the room…all of it.”

 

“That should be a fun surprise for him…” Sango thought with a laugh. Kagome waved a half hearted goodbye as she came to the classroom, leaving Sango and Miroku to continue down to their own classes…or, in Miroku's case, to his advisor meeting. Kagome was glad she didn't have a morning person for an advisor…that was just cruel. Miroku had even told of the 5am meetings he'd had in the past….

 

“Good morning, Kagome, my love. You are looking especially sexy today,” came a voice she would have cut her right arm off to avoid.

 

“I haven't slept all night, Kouga,” she said calmly. “Back off.”

 

“Dreaming of me? Oh, don't I know how that goes. You should come to my room tonight. I'll kick out my roommate and-”

 

“Would you mind if we start class, Mr. Ookami?” the professor said from the front as she paused mid sentence in something she was writing.

 

“No problem, Professor Yura. I was just checking on my mate,” Kouga said with a charming smile.

 

“I am not your mate,” Kagome said, but either no one chose to listen…or no one cared.

 

 

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“What do you mean he's in all your classes?” Sango asked.

 

“Every. Single. One.”

 

“Even chemistry?”

 

“Yes, but luckily Rin is there too and she grabbed me to be her partner. Everyone else is afraid she'll blow them up or Sesshoumaru will come after them or something.”

 

“Well…how bad can it be?”

 

“How bad can it be? It's the first day of classes and not only is he in EVERY one of my classes, but he is also my husband!” Kagome snapped.

 

“Your….what?” Sango asked in shock, dropping her pencil.

 

“Professor Yura….curse the woman. I've never hated anyone in my life, but I'm tempted with her. She seemed so much…nicer than Professor Kanna. Boy was that a ploy.”

 

“How does this pertain to you being married?”

 

“I'm not really married. You know how they have sugar babies in psychology?”

 

“Isn't that a high school thing?” Sango asked. “I know the better high schools even have the dolls that really cry and stuff. Has to be the worst-best idea ever…although I assume most teachers would rather not have the class distraction.”

 

“Yeah, well take that idea and put it into youkai studies….except of course, this is college so we don't get the ease of high school. Nooooo. First, we were paired off, boy/girl. I got stuck with Kouga. Next week we get the happy addition of a “youkai” baby.”

 

“And how long does the project last?”

 

“All semester.”

 

Sango gave a low whistle and leaned back in her chair.

 

“Sango…you don't think….they're not using real youkai children, right? I mean, I hardly want some youkai mother coming after me if I accidentally bump his head or something. I get enough death threats as it is!”

 

“To tell the truth, I have no idea. Human children are protected by law. Youkai children are a lot tougher, so the laws are weaker. Many youkai want their kids to experience the hardships because they believe it makes them stronger….boy is the philosophy on that one a bit screwed up.”

 

“Has Professor Yura done this before?”

 

“Until this semester, Professor Yura was the head of the Cosmetology department. However, due to the lack of enrollment in her classes, her department was cut from the University and she was offered the choice of teaching something else, or resigning.”

 

“We had Cosmetology here?” Kagome asked in amusement.

 

“Well, up until Professor Yura kept hacking everyone's hair off. You'd go in for a trim and find your head shaved. She has a bit of a ….fetish for hair.”

 

“Well that explains it.”

 

“Explains what? Your marriage assignment?” Sango asked in confusion.

 

“No…why she said I could have an automatic A if I chopped of Inuyasha's `luxurious locks'…and A's all four years if I could get Sesshoumaru's.”

 

“Good god, she's gone mad!”

 

“Wouldn't be the first professor,” Kagome commented.

 

“KAGOMEEEEEEE! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU BITCH???!!! I CAN SMELL YOU! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MY ROOM???!!!!!!”

 

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“Dammit, did you have to clean the room?” Inuyasha demanded, throwing stuff off his shelves as he looked for something. Kagome calmly began picking up after him.

 

“There was mold under the piles,” she said evenly, trying not to lose her temper over the fact he brought the topic up every single day.

 

“It was MY mold dammit, not yours bitch!”

 

“Do you think you could at least call me by my name?” Kagome asked in exasperation. He really was being an ass this week. The only time he didn't complain was when his mouth was too full of food to talk and when he was asleep. Considering how fast he ate and how little he slept, she got a daily earful.

 

“Keh!”

 

“What are you looking for?”

 

“Astrophysics,” he snapped.

 

“Uh…ok,” she said uncertainly. How the hell was he taking a class like astrophysics? Looking on the shelf she saw the large text book as plain as day gleaming back at her in it's wrapping. He was still throwing stuff around when she calmly handed it to him.

 

“Oh….I knew it was there,” he scoffed and quickly tore the wrapping off.

 

“Breaking our no-studying vow?” she teased.

 

“Hey, even a genius like me doesn't know everything. Myoga wants me to write a test for his class. Since the damn kids actually read the book, they'll be expecting questions from the book.”

 

Kagome could only watch him leave with a bit of confusion and shock. Just what was Inuyasha's major anyway? She always forgot to ask him…and he never volunteered the information. Considering the books on his shelves were everything from Biology and Literature to History and Foreign Policies….she really didn't have a clue what his focus was. Did he even have a focus? It was a well known fact that youkai could spent decades here studying hundreds of different things.

 

“Drat,” she thought as she picked up her own textbooks. “I have to get to class!”

 

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When Kagome thought “youkai” babies, she had assumed the dolls would have little horns or tails or some other youkai characteristics. She'd even thought they might come with claws and maybe some extra special feature like extremely stinky poop or special care instructions depending on the breed.

 

Nothing prepared her for this. Not even the speculation she'd had with Sango.

 

Professor Yura was standing in front of the board, as usual. What was unusual, however, was the dozen or so kids standing there with her. They were all different shapes and sizes, all different breeds of youkai. Some were small and round, others tall and thin. Some resembled humans while others resembled the animal breed their ancestry came from. If she'd been asked, she wouldn't have labeled a single one as a “baby”. These kids looked between the ages of 5 and 12….if she was any good at estimating youkai aging.

 

Hell, some of those kids were probably older than her!

 

“You know, we could skip the brat and start having our own kids,” Kouga suggested arrogantly.

 

“Absolutely not,” Professor Yura interjected before Kagome could answer. “This is an assignment, Mr. Ookami. If you want pups with your mate, you can damn well wait.”

 

“Stupid whore,” he mumbled.

 

“Was that a request for an F?” the professor asked. “Obviously you have no respect for this class. Maybe you shouldn't be here.”

 

Kouga made no reply, but he did slip an arm around Kagome's waist, making her tense in anger. She did not, however, want to interrupt the professor who seemed to be on a short tether today. Kouga didn't need this class, but she sure as hell did.

 

“The children all know your profiles and a bit about you. It's your job to learn about them. Any severe injuries or deaths will result in automatic failure and you will report, personally, to the president. I doubt you'll live through the experience so I suggest you take this seriously. Any questions?” Professor Yura snapped in a tone that suggested not only was this serious, she wasn't accepting excuses of any kind.

 

“What about…their real parents?” Kagome found herself asking. She felt very stupid when the professor threw her head back and laughed.

 

“You humans really don't know anything, do you?” she said with a harsh laugh. “You really think a youkai parent would allow another to care for its offspring? Their parents are dead. No one wants them, least of all me, so if there will be no more wasting time, I'll send the little brats off with you all. Since you decided to annoy us with your lack of intelligence, Ms. Higurashi, I'll get you out of the way first, if only to get you the hell out of my classroom as soon as possible.”

 

A small demon looked up at Yura who nearly kicked him off toward his new….parents. Kagome felt a cruel pain of sympathy for the poor kid. He was so much smaller than the others and clearly not at all happy about this predicament. The other demons scared him, teased him….and bullied him.

 

And he was so adorably cute!

 

“His name is Shippou. Fox demon. Now take your project and get out of my class!”

 

Kagome quickly scooped up the little kit, holding him close as she hurried out of the class. How could anyone be that cruel to a kid?

 

And yet she remembered the words Sango had said….about demons being harder on their kids in an effort to toughen them.

 

`You can be just as strong with love,' she thought.

 

“Kagome?” a little voice asked. She stopped walking and looked down at the bundle in her arms. Two wide and innocent eyes looked back up at her and it was all she could do not to snuggle him like an adorable toy.

 

“Yes, Shippou?”

 

“I'm hungry.”

 

“Ok. Why don't we get you some food? Kouga?” Kagome asked, turning around to look for her “husband”. The wolf was nowhere in sight. For a demon who rarely left her side and was annoyingly inconvenient, he sure picked a convenient time to ignore her.

 

“Do you like ramen?” she asked. “It's not the healthiest thing, but it'll hold you over until lunch time when the cafeteria is open. And then you can meet my roommate!”

 

It only took Shippou five minutes to fall head over heels in love with the woman he was to now call mom….

 

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Question and answer time. I don't usually take the time to do this, but I woke up early today and have all afternoon free.

 

silver-kyubi or just-2-scared: Will Rin be the bad-ass she was in The Centre? Well, hmm. I always found Rin to be the character I could take the most liberties with since we only see her as a kid in the Inuyasha series. However, I do like portraying her as a strong, independent women….who happens to be hell bent on claiming Sesshoumaru. In this story she is a very intelligent, hard working Genetics major….and isn't above using biology to seduce Fluffy.

 

dog-demon-emiko: Yes, Inuyasha was pinned to the tree…for a lot of time. However, if you noticed, he didn't “feel” the passage of time. And goodness gracious, I don't want to make him out to be a sex-starved beast. I made people wait 40+ chapters in The Centre for romance between Inu/Kag….and while I don't plan on this story being that long, you will have to wait a few more semesters to get anything other than what I like to call “sexual tension”. I don't like to rush the pairings…and yes, it will be Inu/Kag. As for Inuyasha being a virgin…well that's his business, not mine.

 

Dustychic: Remember my timeline, hahaha. Sorry for the laugh, but here's the kicker. This isn't present day, modern world. This is an AU that I created…so I guess you could think of it as a future world. Obviously it's way different due to the fact it has demons. Yes, certain things like computers, cars etc are the same, but the timeline of creation is different. I have them in a world were cars, computers and everything else have been around for decades. However, I appreciate that you questioned that. It means I made you think. If the story was too dull you probably wouldn't have bothered to review or point that out!

 

Hououza- Luv you too hun! I personally know her and she has shown nothing but never ending support for my writing….even if Japanese anime wasn't always her thing. Yet somehow I got her hooked into reading….I even told her the plot lines of The Centre before I was done writing it!

 

Rawben: Ok, pairings…cause why bother holding readers in suspense? Pairs are as follows. Inuyasha and Kagome…eventually. Miroku and Sango….sort of…theirs will be the most comic relief and when you least expect it. Currently they are just year mates and not a couple. And Sesshoumaru and Rin….again, eventually. Romance between Rin and Sess is scheduled for Kagome's Junior year.

 

Dilanda Albata: Yes, there will be lemons…eventually.

 

abbessauma: Nice try being coy hun…you know exactly where I got that information! You were one of the ones who contributed to it! Now you know how I passed the time between being dropped off at Cornell and class. The library was such a nice, quiet place full of students who all had issues much like the ones I wrote…just not on such a serious scale.

 

Laura-chan: Will Inuyasha rescue Kagome? Did you have to ask? Yes, Shippou is now here. As for Kagura….well I hope to tie her into the story, but I don't know here exact roll yet. Any suggestions on what subject she should teach? Maybe…Avionics?

 

Ok, I think that's all the questions…if I missed any let me know. Or ask me again. And no, I don't mind emails asking questions. I'm more apt to answer those faster than I am to post the question and answer in a chapter.