InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Seven Day Revelation ❯ Day Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Seven Day Revelation

A/N: Wow! I'm psyched this fic's going over so well! Arigato, minna! Now, let's hope I can keep it up! *sweatdrops* Let me warn you now...I was kind of rushing to get this finished, so not only is it not beta-ed, but I've only done a very, very quick once-over on it...and (I'm ashamed to admit) I'm an awful self-editor. Please forgive me for any really stupid mistakes...I have a nasty habit of making lots of those.

Okay, without further ado...

Day Two

Kagome groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as the alarm clock continued to buzz relentlessly. She'd hoped it'd just been part of the weird dream she'd been having. Unfortunately, a good look at the time proved the wake-up call which invaded her dream was all-too real. Just like the fact she was running very, very late.

"Shimatta!" she cried, jumping out of bed and flying to the closet. She dug out a spare school uniform-her mother had begun keeping several spares handy for her since traveling with Inuyasha-and threw the one she'd worn to bed in the trash can. She threw the new one on, quickly ran a brush through her hair, shoved her books into her bag, and raced down the stairs.

She nearly fell over when she ran headlong into Inuyasha.

"Nani? What are you..." She fell silent when the previous day's events came flooding back. Inuyasha hadn't been able to get back through the well, she remembered. Maybe if he tired again...

Inuyasha shook his head. "I tried the well already, and it's not working."

Damn. Then again, it may have been a blessing in disguise. "That's okay, you can just stay here today, and we'll try it together when I get home. Right now, I need you to do me a favor." She threw in a sweet smile, making Inuyasha take a cautious step back.

"Na-nani?"

"Can you take me to school?" she asked with a bat of her eyelashes.

Inuyasha relaxed visibly and shrugged. "Since you can't get out of bed on time, I guess it's up to me, eh?"

Kagome was too relieved to care about the jab. "Arigato!"

He turned his back on her to hide his blush and bent down. "Quit talking nonsense and get on," he grumbled half-heartedly.

Kagome blinked. "But we're not even outside yet," she mentioned.

"Do you want me to take you or not?" he snapped back. "If you'd rather be late-"

"No!" She tried not to think about what her mother or grandfather might say if they saw her getting a piggyback ride from Inuyasha, especially since she'd never mentioned it was her main method of transportation when she crossed over into the other world. Instead, she offered a silent plea to whoever might be listening and complied, and she let out a relieved sigh once they'd gotten out the front door.

Just as Inuyasha was about to make his first leap...

"Kagome?"

She closed her eyes and swallowed nervously while Inuyasha turned around and raised an eyebrow. When she finally did brave a glance, her mother chuckled softly and held out a small parcel.

"You almost forgot your lunch," she stated, her voice as oblivious as always. "Here you go."

Kagome looked from her lunch to her mother's face and back again. "Hai. Arigato, Mama," she managed after a minute.

"You're welcome. Have a good day at school," her mother replied with a wave. "Hold on tight," she added before going back inside.

"What was that all about back there?" Inuyasha questioned as they sailed through the air, using the rooftops as stepping stones above the bustling city streets below. "You act like noone's ever seen me giving you a ride before."

She shook her head. "Sure, you guys have, but not my mom!"

"What's the difference? I don't see what he big deal is," he muttered.

"Because she's my mother! It's embarrassing!" she explained impatiently. "Besides, my mom might get the wrong idea..."

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder as he jumped over the local super market. "What do you mean by 'the wrong idea'?

"Well...erm...you know," she fumbled, unsure of how to break it to him that her mother was a hopeless romantic, as well as quite old-fashioned when it came to matters of courtship. Didn't he remember how she reacted when she found out about Souta's crush on his girlfriend? And he was in third grade!

It took him a minute to realize what she meant, but when he did, he nearly lost his footing, which would have sent them plummeting from his perch along highest ledge of the bank. "Nani? She thinks we're...like that?"

"I don't know!" She ignored the burning in her cheeks as he took the final leap onto the roof of her school building; she'd never been so happy to get away from him. "It's not like I've asked her or anything!"

"But-"

"I have to go, or I'll be late," she squeaked. "I'll see you when I get home!"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to stop her, but she was already at the door, and before he knew it, she was out of sight. He stared at it for several minutes, then huffed indignantly and took a seat so he could watch the goings-on below.

***

"I'll try once more," Miroku called to the surrounding crowd. He was beyond exhaustion, but he growled it away and stood again, pulling the rosary from his arm. "Kazaana!"

Kaede called for Miroku to stop after a few fruitless minutes. "It is useless," she stated flatly. "As long as the seal remains intact, we have no way to move the debris blocking the well."

"Damn it!" Sango cursed as she helped support Miroku, who'd nearly fainted from his effort. "But why did Naraku do this? He didn't even look like he was trying to attack any of us, so much as the well itself.."

Shippo nodded. "And he always sends someone else to fight for him, right? So why'd he come himself this time, if he wasn't going to fight us?"

"Perhaps he did not think it necessary," Miroku resonded weakly. "Since his piece of the Shikon no Tama is nearly complete, he is probably planning to gather the rest as soon as possible."

Kaede nodded in agreement. "With both Kagome and Inuyasha unable to return, he can do his work with little worry of interference."

"But what about Kagome and Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, panicking. "They'll be trapped until the seal's broken!"

"He'll have to unseal it eventually," Sango reasoned, "because Kagome-chan has pieces of the jewel with her. Without those, he won't be able to use its full power."

Miroku sighed helplessly. "It seems, for the time being, all we can do then is wait, but when he does finally remove the seal, we must be prepared for the battle."

"It's going to be the worst one yet," Kaede agreed. "Which means we all need to rest."

"At least we know they'll be safe until then," Sango added. "As long as they're in her world, there's no chance either of them will come to any harm before we fight Naraku. Maybe this was a good thing, after all?"

"You may be right," Kaede answered thoughtfully as an almost imperceptible smile graced her weathered face. "You may be right, indeed." Of course, she kept all the possibilities running through her mind to herself for the time being.

***

After the normal rounds of greetings from her three closest friends and some quick cramming, Kagome took her dreaded make-up test, which she was surprised to find was easier than she'd expected. With an audible sigh of relief, she let herself enjoy being back in the safety of the schoolhouse, where the greatest danger she faced was being called to answer a question in front of the class.

Still, she couldn't help but worry about what was happening to her friends in the other world. Sure, Inuyasha being stuck on her side of the well was a problem, but what about everyone else? What could've happened to cut them off? And how long would it take to get back?

The lunch bell rang, and she saw her friends heading her way, so she pushed her thoughts aside.

"So how'd you do on the test?"

Kagome shrugged. "I think I did okay, actually, but we'll see."

"Since it's so nice today, why don't we eat lunch outside? We can go over the math homework from last night too."

"Sounds great," Kagome answered, then blanched. "Oh no, I didn't finish it!" She groaned. "You guys go without me. I don't have much left, so I'll catch up with you in a little while."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just save me a shady spot," she replied, waving them away.

Once the group had left the room, Kagome cursed under her breath and pulled her book out of her backpack. She wasn't sure if she even remembered what page she'd been on, but as soon as she plopped it onto her desk, she noticed a strange lump between the pages; she figured she'd left her pencil in her place, and she smiled thankfully.

She froze as soon as she flipped to the suspicious spot, and her eyes fell onto the delicate red rose lying in the crease. She immediately ran through all the people who could've put it in there, but, unbelievable as it seemed, there was only one who she knew would've had the opportunity.

Homework forgotten, Kagome ran her fingers over the pedals, still soft, despite the wilting edges.

No way. Inuyasha wouldn't have given me this...would he?

There was only one way to find out, so she picked the flower up gently before running out of the room and up the stairs which led to the roof of the building. Sure, he'd probably left by now, but...

As soon as she flung the door open and stepped into the sunlight, Inuyasha's head popped out from around the corner.

"Is it over already?" he asked. "You usually take longer to get done."

It took Kagome a moment to find her voice. "I...no, it's lunchtime, but..."

Inuyasha stepped out from where he'd hidden and scratched his head. "So what's up?" he asked. "You don't usually come up here."

"I...wait! How do you know what I do when I'm at school?" she retorted suspiciously.

He stammered weakly for several seconds, and a crimson blush spread over his cheeks. Then he noticed the flattened rose in her grasp, and his embarrassed expression turned to one of annoyance. "Hey! What the hell'd you do to it?" he snapped, pointing an accusing finger at her hand. "Do you have any idea what I went through to get that thing?"

"Nani? Maybe if you'd told me you put a flower in my book, I wouldn't have crushed it!" she shouted back. She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but stopped when it dawned on her what it all meant, and she felt her anger melt away.

Inuyasha also noticed the change and gulped nervously. "Na-na-nanda?"

"You...did you really pick that flower for me?" she ventured tentatively.

"I...uh...Well, the old man said...erm...," Inuyasha fumbled, "you know...since you were so mad about yesterday and all...and with all that stuff you said..."

Kagome bowed her head guiltily. "Gomen ne. I didn't mean any of it. I was just angry, and I said a lot of stuff I shouldn't have," she admitted.

"So you really didn't mean it? You're not still pissed at me or anything?"

She shook her head. "Iie, I'm fine now. But...thank you for the rose."

"Feh, if I'd known you weren't serious, I wouldn't have bothered fighting with that stupid bush to get it," he huffed, turning away to hide the second wave of color painting his face.

"I'm sorry I didn't see it before I closed my book on it," she stated regretfully, rolling the stem around in her fingers before putting it up to her nose and inhaling deeply. "It still smells good."

He faced her once again and shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. You might as well throw it away."

"Baka," she began, but stopped when Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her. This is the first flower you've ever given me. It's almost like a making-up gift after a lover's quarrel...of course I'm not gonna throw it away! Still, she knew better than to say it out loud, so she pulled it protectively against her chest instead.

"What?"

"Nothing," Kagome replied evenly. "I'm keeping it."

He cleared his throat, then rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

She grinned; he never ceased to surprise her with his roundabout, random acts of romance. It was too bad he probably didn't even realize what he was doing, or just how much it meant to her. "I'll see you when I get home," she said, walking away and opening the door to the stairwell. "We'll try the well again after dinner."

"I'll wait," he replied flatly. "I'm already here, and I don't feel like sitting in your room all afternoon with nothing to do."

"Well...okay, but don't do anything here either," she commanded sternly. "Last time you hung around too long, you ended up on the evening news."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, waving her away.

Kagome looked back one last time. "I'll meet you up here after school then."

"Yep."

Once she was out of sight, Inuyasha sat down and sighed. Kagome had no idea how confusing she was sometimes. But he couldn't help but grin ever so slightly. She kept it after all. Maybe the old geezer was onto something with the whole flower thing.

Two floors down, Kagome sat back down and finished her dreaded math problems, humming an upbeat tune the whole time.

***

The day seemed to drag on, but, finally, the last bell rang. Kagome was collecting her notes when her friends surrounded her desk.

"Hey, Kagome-chan! Since you skipped out on us for lunch, how about coming with us for some hamburgers before heading home?"

She almost agreed, but she remembered Inuyasha waiting for her on the roof in the nick of time. "Gomen, I can't today."

"Why not? We don't have much homework tonight..."

She shifted slightly, and two of the three girls shared a suspicious glance.

"Maybe Kagome-chan already has plans."

"Iie, not really," Kagome replied. "It's just...erm...I need to get home as soon as possible today."

"Why? Oh no! Are you not feeling well again?"

Kagome waved the girl's concern away. "I'm fine right now. It's just..." My half-demon friend is waiting for me, and patience isn't exactly his strong suit...

Yeah, that would go over really well, if she didn't mind her classmates thinking she was sick in the head along with all her other mystical ailments.

"I have to run," she stated after a moment of tense silence. She tried not to feel too guilty as she finished gathering her books and rushed out of the room, leaving her friends staring at her retreating back.

Once she reached the top of the building and saw Inuyasha, she nearly threw him off balance when she jumped on his back, commanding him to go.

"What the...what's the rush, huh?"

"Please," she begged, "just go!"

With an inaudible growl, he obliged. He looked over his shoulder at her blushing face as they sailed through the air. "Alright, we're gone. So what's got you so jumpy, huh?"

"I don't like lying to my friends," she snapped.

"So...don't."

Kagome fought back the urge to knock the shit out of him, only because they were so high in the air at the moment. "I can't do that! I know you're used to all kinds of weird stuff, but it's not like that here."

"I dunno what the big deal is," he mumbled. "Your world's a hell of a lot stranger than mine. Miniature people talking in boxes and standing still on that thick paper stuff..."

"Television and photos aren't weird," Kagome interjected.

"What about those places where you can hear people singing, but there ain't nobody around to do it..."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Stereos are perfectly normal."

"Not to me, they're not," he argued. "And look at all that," he added, nodding toward the crowded street below. "What's with those things? They're loud and they stink worse than any demon in my world."

"Maybe so," Kagome conceded, "but cars go a lot faster than bicycles or running on foot."

Inuyasha snorted. "Maybe your feet, but not mine. I could outrun one of those things, no problem."

Rather than arguing with him, Kagome just shook her head and enjoyed the view the rest of the way home. She had to admit, traveling on his back did have its advantages. It even included drop-off service right to her room, thanks to the fact that Inuyasha had made a habit of coming in through her bedroom window any time he came to her house.

They didn't waste any time. She threw her bookbag through the open window, locked it back, and signaled to Inuyasha, who took one last smooth leap, and landed right in front of the building sheltering the well.

"It'll work today," Kagome stated confidently. "I know it will."

"Well, if you're so sure about it, why aren't you taking the supplies?"

"Baka, I'm just trying to be optimistic!" she snapped.

He shrugged. "What for? If it'll work, it'll work. If it won't, it won't. We're just wasting time out here at any rate."

She scowled, but let it go and followed him inside. They both walked to the edge and peered down, looked at each other, then back down into the darkness.

"Looks normal, doesn't it?" Kagome whispered.

"Yeah, so that means the problem's on the other side," he replied.

Although he tried to sound calm, Kagome could detect the hint of anxiety in his voice. Not that she blamed him. Any number of thing could've happened, and they had no way of knowing and, worse, doing anything about it.

We're probably worrying for nothing. I'll bet it's gonna work this time.

"Let's go, Kagome."

She nodded and grabbed onto his arm as they leapt simultaneously.

Her hold on him was the only thing which kept her from hitting the ground full force. Instead, she threw him off balance and ended up right on top of him, both of them cursing and blushing madly as they tried to untangle themselves from one another.

"It didn't work," Inuyasha growled after a minute.

Kagome moaned and grabbed a fistful of dirt. "I don't get it! Why won't it work? I have my shards, and I can sense the gateway, but..."

Inuyasha frowned. "Something must've happened to the well on the other side. Something that can block us from getting back."

"But what? And who could've done..." Kagome's words trailed off, and she gasped. "You don't think-"

"Damn it, I'm gonna get through this thing," he snarled, his hand finding the hilt of Tetsusaiga.

Sure, she was all for trying to get back, but not if it meant destroying the well on her side, and she grabbed his wrist before he could unsheath his sword. "Wait! If you try to use Tetsusaiga, you might make a hole in the ground, but you'll bury us in the process!"

He ground his teeth together, but relented for the moment. "Then what are we supposed to do? Just sit here while Naraku does whatever he wants?"

Kagome sighed. No, she didn't want that at all, but she didn't see what choice they had. "I don't know...I just hope everyone's alright."

Inuyasha wanted to slice Naraku in half for pulling such an underhanded stunt, trapping him in Kagome's world, and Kagome's apparent willingness to give up so easily just added fuel to the fire. He jumped up and opened his mouth with every intention of demanding she quit acting like a coward and bending to Naraku's plan-whatever it was.

When she lifted her gaze to meet his, the worry in her eyes and the pale color of her skin stopped him short.

Damn it, he swore silently. She looked dangerously close to tears, and if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was to see a woman cry. Especially when the woman was Kagome.

"Miroku hasn't found a girl to have his baby, so he won't die yet," he proclaimed dryly, "and Sango can take care of herself. Don't worry about them." He turned his face away, though he kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. "Besides, we've been fighting a lot lately. A break doesn't sound so bad."

Kagome smiled gratefully. "Yeah, I guess so. And even if it is Naraku who's keeping us from getting back, he'll have to open it back up eventually, since I've got shards of the jewel."

"Hai, and when he does," Inuyasha assured her with a smirk, "I'll make him pay for everything he's done."

No battle with Naraku would be as easy as he was making it sound, she knew, and she was still scared for her friends in the other world, but hearing him make the claim just to cheer her up worked nonetheless. "Arigato," she said softly.

"Yeah, well...just don't cry or anything like that. We'll get back, one way or another," he mumbled as he offered her a hand so she could get back on her feet.

***

"So, you can't get back yet?" Kagome's mother questioned as she passed Kagome the plate of pickled radishes.

"Not yet."

"So that means Inu-oniichan's staying again tonight, right?" Souta asked excitedly. "Cool! Hey, maybe you can play my game with me, or we could go outside and play soccer, or do you wanna take a bath after supper?"

Kagome and Inuyasha both choked at the mention of a bath. Inuyasha still remembered the scented bubbles overpowering his sensitive nose, as well as the scalding water, vividly. Not to mention how much it hurt to have Kagome's trash can thrown in his face. At the same time, Kagome was suddenly assaulted with images of a wet, naked Inuyasha running into her room again.

"NO!" they both cried, their faces bright red.

"Don't be shy," her mother chirped sweetly. "Kagome always takes a bath first thing when she comes home."

"Mama," Kagome whined as the color in her cheeks went up another notch, "Inuyasha doesn't need to know that!"

"Feh, is that what takes you so long when you come home?"

"Oh man, Kagome spends forever in there!" Souta piped up. "I swear, half her time is spent in the bathroom!"

"Shut up!" Kagome's embarrassment was long gone. Now she was really annoyed. "First of all, it's rude to talk about what a girl does in the bathroom," she stated. "Secondly, there's a lot I have to do, so it takes a while. I mean, what would you do if you were stuck walking around for days on end, having to sleep in the dirt and grass, huh? And every time we have to fight some demon, I get all this nasty gunk all over me and in my hair, and unless we get lucky and find a hot spring, I have to wash it off in these really cold streams!"

"You make it sound like a chore," Inuyasha grumbled half-heartedly. In truth, he'd never realized it bothered her so much. "But I guess, compared to your world, mine's pretty rough."

Kagome felt a pang of guilt in her gut. "That's not what I meant..."

"I think it sounds wonderful," her mother cooed, making everyone look at her. "No big buildings or vacant lots. Just lots of trees and small communities. Lords and princesses and monsters. It must be like a fairy tale!"

"You know, I probably know a great deal about what Kagome sees in the other world," her grandfather interjected. "I happen to know that the most common demon in this region five hundred years ago was fearsome wolf demon-"

Kagome was sure Inuyasha would break his plate in two by the look on his face, so she quickly laughed to distract him. "Actually, there aren't too many of those in the villages. They tend to stay more in the mountains."

"And they're all a bunch of whimps," Inuyasha growled, "who talk too much and think they're strong 'cause they're using shards of the Shikon no Tama. But that's alright," he went on, oblivious to the strange stares he was getting. "The next time I see that Kouga jerk, I'm gonna make him regret ever meeting me. And you're not stopping me either," he added, glaring at Kagome.

She returned the look with one of her own. "What do you want me to do? Every time you two meet, you're either about to battle Naraku or one of his detachments, or one of you is too beat up to fight any more! What do you expect me to do? Let you kill each other?"

"Yeah, that's what I want!" he shot back. "That's the point! Or maybe you don't want me to hurt your whimpy wolf, eh? Then you wouldn't be able to flirt with him all the time."

"Kagome's flirting with a wolf?" Souta questioned.

Kagome jumped up. "I don't flirt with him! And he's not a wolf-wolf. He's a wolf demon."

Souta frowned. "Oh...so he's like Inu-oniichan?"

"Don't compare me to that bastard," Inuyasha shouted, getting to his feet as well and spinning to face Kagome. "If you'd quit protecting him, I'd have already gotten rid of him, and taken the Shikon shards he has. That is what we're supposed to be doing, remember? Retrieving the shards of the Shikon no Tama?"

"I know that!" Kagome spat. "It's just...we can get them anytime. As long as Naraku doesn't get them, who cares if Kouga-kun uses them a little longer to protect the wolf tribe?"

Inuyasha growled angrily. "The only thing I see him doing with those shards is grabbing you any chance he gets, spouting off about how you're 'his woman'."

"You don't let him get away with that, do you, Inu-oniichan?" Souta asked, following his sister's and Inuyasha's lead by standing up.

Inuyasha snorted. "Of course not! If it weren't for this necklace and Kagome's spell, I'd have shut his big mouth a long time ago."

"Oneechan, why would you want to stop Inu-oniichan from stopping a guy like that?" Souta crossed his arms over his chest. "If it were me, and some other boy was making a move on Hitomi-chan, I'd...I'd..."

Kagome raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You'd what?"

The boy's face colored slightly, and his expression became much less determined. "I don't know," he mumbled, then set his jaw once again, "but I would do something! I wouldn't let anyone talk to my girlfriend like that!"

"See? And you're always making it out like I'm the bad guy!" Inuyasha barked. "Even your little brother agrees with me."

"Hai," Souta confirmed. "It's a man's responsibility to protect the girl he loves!"

Inuyasha and Kagome froze for a minute before both turning on the younger boy, stammering in embarrassment. They stopped only when Kagome's mother giggled.

"Ma-mama, we're not really...I mean, it's not like...when he was talking about girlfriends, he was talking about Hitomi-chan, not-"

"Kagome and Souta are growing up so fast," her mother cooed happily as she began collecting the dinner dishes and taking them to the sink. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, coming back into the dining room. "Since Inuyasha will be spending the night again, would you like to stay in the guest room, or would you rather sleep in Kagome's room again?"

Under normal circumstances, Kagome wouldn't have thought twice about someone mentioning their sleeping arrangements, but in light of the current discussion, hearing her mother talk about a boy spending the entire night in her bedroom with such ease made her want to crawl under a rock and die with shame.

"Mama!"

Inuyasha, on the other hand, shrugged indifferently, oblivious to Kagome's discomfort. "I don't need stuff like that. I'll sleep where I always do."

"Are you sure?" her mother asked. "At least let me bring you a few blankets and an extra pillow then-"

"Iie," Kagome cut in, glaring meaningfully at Inuyasha. "He'll sleep in the spare bedroom tonight," she declared firmly.

Inuyasha blinked. "What for?"

"Because it's not good for a boy and girl to sleep in the same room," she replied calmly.

Her grandfather nodded. "Very true, very true..."

"Huh?" He folded his arms over his chest. "Baka, we do it all the time, and you've never complained about it before."

"That's only because we don't have any choice a lot of times when we're in your world," she explained impatiently.

"Feh, I don't see what the big deal is."

Kagome's mother smiled warmly and patted Inuyasha on the arm, making him jump. "It's all right if you want to stay in Kagome's room," she assured him. "I'm happy, knowing you are so diligent, and that you take such good care of her."

It was Inuyasha's turn to be embarrassed, but before he could argue with the woman, she was walking down the hall, humming softly to herself. Unsure of what else to do, Kagome and Inuyasha turned their backs on each other. Kagome stomped up the stairs and into her own room, while Inuyasha plopped down in front of the television, where Souta quickly pestered him into trying out a video game.

***

No matter how hard she tried, Kagome couldn't concentrate on her homework. Especially not since her mother had laid out a pallet for Inuyasha on the floor right next to her bed. She'd almost told her mom not to bother, since the half-demon slept sitting up more often than not, but decided against it. It was just too mortifying to think about starting that conversation up again.

For the twentieth time since sitting down at her desk, she spun her chair around and stared at the fluffy yellow blanket and pillow, both lying so innocently on the floor. It was just as distracting as Inuyasha, sitting like a statue on her bed.

She knew he was staying out of her room on purpose, either because he was still mad at her, or because he thought she was still angry with him. Either way, she told herself to be thankful for the privacy.

But she wasn't. Far from it.

"Inuyasha no baka," she mumbled, though there was little bite in her soft tone.

He really was a simple-minded, insensitive jerk sometimes-she knew that better than anyone-but she also understood it wasn't all his fault this time. What he'd said had been true, they had slept in close proximity countless nights since beginning their journey to collect the jewel shards. And no, she'd never complained about it, mainly because, with demons around every corner, it was comforting to have Inuyasha so close.

As long as he was nearby, she could relax; despite the danger, she knew she would be safe.

Trying to study equations was a lost cause, she decided with a sigh, and she slammed the book shut. Pushing it to the side, she drug her bookbag from under her desk and began digging for her English textbook instead.

What she found, tucked away in the back pocket, was the rose.

"I give up," she moaned, pulling the wilting flower from her bag and letting her fingers run over the dying petals. "There's no way I'll get anything done now."

She leaned forward and propped her head on her arm, letting her eyes go out of focus as she twirled the flower around in her fingers. It was still beautiful, even though the rich red was now becoming a deep violet hue which became almost black at the edges, and the stem was rigid from lack of soil or water.

For some reason, she wished Sango-chan was there. Sango-chan wouldn't make a big deal about Inuyasha giving her a flower. She'd just smile a little, or maybe nod behind Inuyasha's back so no one would be on the spot, but just to let Kagome know she understood.

Of course, if Miroku caught wind of it, he'd take the opportunity to tease Inuyasha with cunning, vague jabs which would lead to Inuyasha chasing the monk until one of them got tired or Kagome used her magic to stop Inuyasha in his tracks.

As for Shippo, his comments wouldn't be vague or discreet, and would inevitably lead to the young fox demon sporting a huge knot on his head, she mused.

"I wonder how they're doing," she murmured sluggishly as her half-lidded eyes finally slipped shut, and she began to dream about her companions, and what they might be facing at that moment.

Downstairs, Inuyasha was hunched over, growling impatiently.

"This thing sucks."

Souta laughed as his fighter performed another fancy finishing move on Inuyasha's man. "I told you, you have to do it like this," he instructed, starting another round and demonstrating a series of buttons to push and directions to move on the controller. Inuyasha watched closely, then tried to imitate it, only to have the same problem he'd had for the past hour. Every time he attempted to push one of the round things, his claw would hit the one next to it as well, making his character jump into an attack rather than dodging it.

Fighting a real enemy was a hell of a lot easier, he decided, and tossed the controller down. "How long is she gonna be studying?" he asked suddenly.

"Uh...I don't know," Souta replied, scratching his head. "Usually she's asleep by ten..."

"How long is that?"

Souta glanced at the clock on the VCR. "Well, it's nine-thirty now, so...half an hour."

Inuyasha took a breath and closed his eyes while Souta watched with great interest. Of course, everything the hanyou did was cool to the younger boy.

"Oiy."

Souta leaned forward expectantly. "Hai, Inu-oniichan!"

"How long is half an hour?" Inuyasha questioned, making Souta nearly fall over.

"Um...not long," the boy answered. "I can tell you when it's been thirty minutes," he offered hopefully.

"Is thirty minutes the same as half an hour?" Inuyasha cracked an eye open and saw the kid nod. "Fine," he agreed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Souta grinned; it would give him more time. "Neh, Inu-oniichan? Can you tell me about the other world? I mean, is it really dangerous, and are there a bunch of monsters and stuff? My sister doesn't talk much about it when she's home, but I know she's always buying lots of first-aid supplies before she goes over there," he rambled, "and she told me she uses a bow sometimes. Is she good at it? Or do you have to protect her all the time? Why is she the only one who can go to your world? Are you the only one who can come here? What does she do, besides help find those jewel things? Is she really the only one who can see them? Where do you-"

"Baka, how am I supposed to say anything if you won't shut up," Inuyasha snapped, cutting the boy off. "Go ask her about it." He was about to get up and go upstairs, and not worry about whether Kagome was finished or not, but when Souta's expression became somber, it made him wait another minute.

"I've asked her, but she won't say much," he replied. "I think she doesn't want us to worry, but," the boy frowned, and his eyes shifted to his hands, "I've seen Mama throw away a lot of her clothes after she comes back, and they've always got big holes and blood on them. She keeps a lot of bandages and stuff in her room too, so none of us know for sure how many she uses for herself, unless she's got a cut on her face..."

Inuyasha considered Souta's words for a while. He'd never thought all that much about it, but as he remembered earlier that day, sitting on the roof of Kagome's school and watching as people walked in every direction, talking and laughing like they didn't have a thing to worry about... He'd seen lots of things he thought were dangerous in the strange world, and yet, no one ever looked like they were sick or hurt or anything else. On top of that, he'd noticed, as he and Kagome traveled together, she often avoided returning home when she'd sustained of few of her more serious injuries.

Why hadn't he noticed it before? Was it because he'd just taken the differences for granted, or was it because Kagome never seemed to be all that scared of the things in his world anymore? She'd told him often enough that she wasn't afraid of Naraku or his detachments, but was she being honest, or just trying to act brave in front of him?

"Inu-oniichan?"

His head jerked up, and he pushed the troubling musings aside. He wasn't sure if he could say anything which would make her brother feel more at ease, so he simply decided to tell him the truth, as he saw it.

"We've seen a lot of bad stuff, and we've had to fight a lot of demons," he began tentatively. "Some are easy to beat, some aren't, but all of us-me, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo-we fight them together. Even though Kagome isn't from our time, and she isn't sure about her own power sometimes, she never runs away. Sometimes she should, but she's too damned stubborn to listen," he went on, his golden eyes distant as flashes of battles they'd fought together ran through his mind.

"She said at first that a lady in your world thought she was the reincarnation of somebody important. Is that really true?" Souta cut in, his eyes wide and unblinking.

Inuyasha nodded stiffly. "That's what the old woman says, anyway."

"You don't believe it? If she's not, then how'd Kagome get her powers?"

It had nothing to do with conviction; he just didn't like to think about the relation between Kikyo and Kagome, period. It'd been a while since the topic had come up, and that particular incident-when Kagome chose to stay with him, knowing he's promised his life to Kikyo-was one he would just as soon forget.

"Kagome is Kagome," he stated firmly. "She's a Miko, she can cleanse evil energies, and she can purify the Shikon no Tama. It doesn't matter how she can do it, or why. Besides, even if she isn't strong enough to fight a demon on her own, I am. As long as she's with me," he vowed, the steely conviction in his voice directed as much to himself as to her little brother, "I won't let anybody hurt her."

"Sugoi..." Souta breathed in awe. Now he knew why his sister was always so calm about going to the other world. Even if it was dangerous and spooky and filled with monsters, she had the coolest, most awesome bodyguard in the world! Witnessing Inuyasha's face left no doubt in Souta's mind. His sister would be okay, no matter what happened.

"Arigato, Inu-oniichan!" he cried, snapping Inuyasha's attention back to him.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the boy's admiring gaze. "Whatever," he huffed, standing up and letting out a loud yawn. Being in such a strange place always wore him out, so he decided, time or no time, he was going upstairs and going to sleep.

Souta didn't object. He just kept smiling as Inuyasha turned the corner and made his way up the stairs and out of sight, assured that his sister was in good hands.

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief at being free of the annoying kid, but only for as long as it took him to see that Kagome's bedroom light was still on.

"Kuso," he groaned, bracing himself to get yelled at as soon as he opened the door, but refusing to back down anyway. She'd studied long enough. He'd go in there, and she'd have to deal with it. End of story.

His mental command didn't seem to register any further than that, because he crept up to the door, opening it as silently as possible, his entire body braced and ready to be slammed down by the dreaded cry of "Inuyasha, osuwari!" at any moment.

For the second time in as many nights, he'd gone to all the trouble of sneaking in, only to find her dead asleep.

He fought back the urge to scream and wake her up, figuring the best thing to do would be to just turn out the light and count himself lucky. She'd get up from the desk eventually and go to bed, and if he was already asleep, she was a lot less likely to be mad at him.

It would've worked out perfectly, if only he hadn't caught the foreign scent lingering in the air.

He sniffed again to pinpoint the bittersweet smell, and found his nose leading him toward Kagome's sleeping form. After a few steps closer and another look, he found the source clutched in her hand.

He'd been curious about her reaction to finding it earlier, but seeing her with it, even while she was asleep, made his stomach flop and his mouth go dry, as well as confused and annoyed the hell out of him.

"It's just a flower," he remarked, then paused as he looked at it again. He hadn't noticed it af first, but her fist was curled so tightly around the stem, her knuckles were white. "What the..." He knelt down next to her chair, peering into her sleeping face, half obscured by the arm she was using for a pillow. Still, he was able to see one eye clenched shut and the muscles in her jaw and forehead flexing repeatedly. There was also a thin sheen of sweat covering her skin, giving it an otherworldly glow beneath the starlight filtering through the curtains and falling across her face.

She was dreaming, obviously, but about what? It couldn't be good, he reasoned. She rarely looked so frightened when she was face to face with a dangerous demon, so whatever she was seeing in her slumber had to be pretty bad.

He nudged her lightly. "Hey..."

She gasped, and turned her face away, burying it in the crook of her arm. "No...please..." she whimpered.

Inuyasha frowned and gave her shoulder a firm shake. "C'mon, Kagome, get up already."

"Please...don't...don't kill him," she pleaded breathlessly to an enemy only she could see. "I'll give them to you...just...don't-"

"Give what?" he asked, this time stepping behind her and grabbing both of her shoulders. "What the hell are you dreaming about?" he grumbled, ready to lift her head up himself.

Though her eyelids were still squeezed shut, he could see her eyelashes, glittering like diamonds just as a tear made its way from the corner of her eye to the tip of her nose and out of sight.

She's...crying?

Her shoulders trembled beneath his hands. "No...no, onegai..."

Something was really wrong, and he moved back to her side and kneeled down. "Kagome, wake up."

"No..." she repeated, her voice hoarse and desperate.

"Damn it, wake up!" he shouted, unable to control his own anxiety any longer after witnessing hers.

Her entire body jerked, and her head shot up. "Noooooo!" she cried, her eyes frightfully wide, though at the moment, he could tell her panicked gaze was still focused on something within her own mind. As quickly as the outburst came, it went, and she turned to Inuyasha, blinking several times. "In...Inuyasha?"

"It's about time," he replied, sighing inwardly in relief. "I don't know what you were dreaming about, but-"

"It..." she breathed, "it was...just a dream?" Her eyes darted around her bedroom as if to confirm what he'd said, though her breathing remained labored and erratic.

He nodded and stood up with a huff. "Of course it was, baka. There's nothing here to get so worked up about."

He yelped in shock when she suddenly jumped out of her chair, grabbing the front of his shirt and burying her face in his chest.

"What...what're you doing? What's wrong?" he choked out as her strangled sobs met his sensitive ears.

"Thank goodness...it was just a dream...thank goodness. I...I was so scared..."

He was glad the room was dark, or else she'd have seen him blushing once again; he'd been doing that too much lately. It was hard enough to keep his voice even, despite the painful tightness in his throat. "What were you dreaming about?" he ventured, scowling when she tensed up.

She closed her eyes and shook her head frantically. She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to talk about it at all. All she wanted to do was forget the horrible things she'd seen, even if they were nothing more than images in a dream.

And, unlike most times when she had a nightmare and would forget it almost immediately after waking up, she could still remember this one vividly.

She could still see herself, following Inuyasha down the well and through the magical gate where their worlds met. She could still recall trying to climb out after him, only to find herself suddenly trapped at the top as if cut off by an invisible barrier where she could see everyone, but noone could see or hear her.

Sango, Kirara, Miroku, Shippo, Inyasha, and even Kaede were all there, facing off with Naraku and his army of demons, led by Kagura and Kanna on his right, and Kohaku on his left. All the while, she kept hearing Inuyasha calling for her, asking where she was and if she was okay. When Naraku laughed, the fight began.

It had been like seeing her worst fears played out before her eyes. Each of her dearest friends were killed, one by one, until only Inuyasha was left, and he was tired and badly wounded. She'd screamed and pounded on the wall separating her from him, threatening...begging...anything she could think of. Anything to keep Naraku from striking the final blow.

From her vantage point, she could see Kanna standing to the side, patiently waiting as Inuyasha began going through the steps which would allow him to unleash Tetsusaiga's full power on Naraku, all the while, knowing what the result would be, but unable to warn him...unable to do anything at all.

The attack seemed to be in slow motion, even as the waves of energy roared toward Naraku...even as Kanna stepped forward and reflected it back.

For one moment, she thought she heard him say her name just before the spirals of power engulfed his body.

Then she'd woken up, terrified of what she'd see when she opened her eyes. But when she did, she was in her room, and Inuyasha was next to her, still in one piece. It really had just been a nightmare, but it'd seemed so real... She couldn't stop shivering. All she wanted to do was hold onto Inuyasha so she could feel the rise and fall of his chest and the steady sound of his heartbeat, just to assure herself he was really there.

"Uh...Kagome? You okay?"

She knew, somewhere deep down, he was probably really uncomfortable, but he'd have to deal with it. Her hands moved, winding around his waist. "Gomen ne," she offered softly. "I just..." She didn't know how to explain her desire to be so close to him without going into the rest of it, so she let her voice trail off.

He waited a minute, then sighed. "You sure you don't wanna tell me about it?" He felt her nod once against his chest. "Alright. I just wish I knew what it was about that dream that had you so scared." He knew, if she was really okay, she'd defend her pride by telling him she wasn't scared at all.

Kagome took a deep breath, her arms tightening around him. "Gomen, I don't want to talk about it," she replied. "I just...want to stay like this for a little while. Is that okay?"

It was all the confirmation he needed; she was a lot more shaken up than he'd thought. It also helped him push his discomfort aside as his protective urges took over. "Well, I don't plan on standing up all night," he informed her before picking her up and carrying her to her bed. He sat her down, settling himself in next to her. She immediately rested her head in the crook of his neck, and he let his arm fall across her shoulder.

She was still shaking every so often, and he tightened his hold on her slightly. "Go back to sleep already," he growled half-heartedly. "Nothing bad's gonna happen while I'm here, okay?"

"Okay." She relaxed against him, a grateful smile on her lips. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Arigato."

He rolled his eyes even as his heartbeat sped up at an alarming rate. "Whatever. Just shut up and go to sleep. I don't want you blaming me if you oversleep again."

She chuckled under her breath-he was always like that-but thanks to his presence, she was sleeping soundly within minutes.

Inuyasha waited until the moon was on its way back down before trying to move, but as soon as he shifted, Kagome would groan and lean into him even more. After a few more tries, he gave up, resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't be getting a wink of sleep until she was gone the next day.

Still, it wasn't so bad, especially since he didn't have to worry about one of their nosey companions spying on them from the bushes like he did when they were in his world. As a matter of fact, he realized with a start, he actually liked it.

He'd never done anything like this with a woman before he met Kagome. Even Kikyo, he mused. Of course, that was because he'd never trusted anyone to be so close to him before Kagome had been thrown into his life. With Kikyo, everything was done at a distance. He could count the number of times they'd actually touched each other on one hand with fingers left over.

With Kagome, it was different. He wasn't fascinated with Kagome like he'd been with Kikyo, but Kagome, aside from being irrational sometimes, wasn't all that mysterious. She rarely hid anything from him, good or bad. He appreciated her honesty, even though it caused them to fight quite a bit.

It was nice, never having to guess where he stood with her, even if it did make him feel guilty when he let himself dwell on it.

She'd never actually said it out loud, but he knew she'd stick with him, no matter what. She'd proven it, time and again, and he wondered, as his eyelids became heavier and slid shut, if she believed him when he'd told her he'd do the same.

Kikyo or no Kikyo, nothing would change that. He just hoped she knew it.

*~*~*~*

End Day Two

*~*~*~*

Well, I hope you liked it. ^_^ Now, I have a request...sort of. If any of you would like to see Kagome and Inuyasha do something in particular during one of the next five days, either email me at animemom@msn.com, or if you're gonna leave a review anyway, go ahead and tell me there. I'm open for suggestions, though you don't have to ask for a lemon...that's already planned. *big grin* I'm also toying with the idea of Inuyasha meets the Mall, as well as his next run-in with Hojo... And I'm thinking there'll be a date-date the night he's human. I've got a few other ideas, but there's plenty of room for stuff for them to do, so please...tell me what you'd like to see! It's the least I can do after you guys have been so wonderful in supporting this fic.

Thank you again, and I'll see you in about a month, give or take. Ja!