#Inukag Week 2019

[maradigma]

It’s @inukag-week and I’m busy, but I still wanted to draw something for the first ever OTP I’ve ever shipped: these two precious babies!!! :’)

[keichanz]

Friends

I hadn’t planned on participating this year since I just have too much on my plate at the moment, but my brain randomly came up with this and freaking took off with it so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ have some Inukagness.

@inukag-week day 2: Friends

“So, your friend...he seems, um, pretty strong.”

“Hm?” Tilting her head, Kagome glanced at the village women that had sidled up to her, a blush on her cheeks and looking rather star-struck. She blinked and followed her gaze to the two men she’d previously been watching as they assisted in clearing away the rubble of an old hut that had been torn down to make room for a new one.

“You mean Miroku?” Kagome mused as the man in question, robes stripped down to his waist in deference to heat of the day, heaved a thick support beam onto his shoulder with a grunt then passed it off to his companion in red. She shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose he is, but this is really nothing for him. You should see him carry around a huge bone boomerang that weighs twice as much as him.” Kagome chuckled, suddenly wondering where the wielder of that particular weapon had gone off too.

Probably admiring from a safer distance, she thought with a quiet snicker, unable to hold back her grin.

The woman cooed, the look on her face downright provocative. “So his name’s Miroku?” she murmured, seemingly distracted.

Kagome’s face softened in sympathy. “Yes, but I’m afraid he’s not emotionally avail—”

“What I wouldn’t give to touch all that glorious hair,” she suddenly gushed with a girlish titter, her flush deepening and the smile dropped from Kagome’s face.

Kagome stared at the woman blankly for a moment and then once more followed her line of sight to land on the man she was shamelessly ogling, a man who was in fact not a one violet-eyed monk.

Brown eyes watched as clawed hands hauled up an armful of heavy wood that looked to have been part of flooring before easily hefting it over to the side, toward the pile of rubble to be burned later. Sweat glistened on his chest, bared for her – and evidently others’ – viewing pleasure and all that glorious hair clung to his muscled back, damp from sweat and making it look a shade darker that its usual sterling silver. Even with the sun beating down on him, though, he didn’t look the least bit winded, idly chatting with Miroku and the villagers, oblivious to the attention he was receiving.

Beside her, the woman sighed dreamily and leaned in closer to Kagome, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. “You don’t suppose he’d agree to show off all that...muscled strength in a more private setting, do you?” she giggled, eyes riveted, refusing to look away from her quarry as she bit her lip. “I wouldn’t mind a demonstration, if you catch my meaning.”

Kagome didn’t say anything until golden eyes suddenly swung her way and a familiar smirk flickered at the corners of a sinful mouth before directing his full attention to the task at hand, bending down to dig up another support beam stuck in the ground.

She smiled as butterflies took flight in her belly. “Mmm...” Kagome crossed her arms as she jutted a hip to the side. “You could ask,” she answered at length and her smile widened when a single ear flicked back toward her.

“But something tells me he won’t agree.”

“Soooo, hanyou,” one of the village men helping out suddenly piped up, his tone lacking any of the venom that usually accompanies that word, and Inuyasha paused, half-turning toward him and cocking a brow.

To his chagrin, the man grinned and propped an elbow on his shoulder as his leaned his head in, dark eyes riveted to one of the two women chatting off to the side. “Think you could introduce me to your friend over yonder? Now that’s what I call a woman!” He waggled his eyebrows and Inuyasha wondered how many brain cells he had knocking around in that head of his.

Not many, he’d wager. Frowning, Inuyasha followed the man’s gaze and spotted Sango standing off to the side with her arms crossed over her chest and looking a mite stern as she talked with her dark-haired companion, her kimono sleeves pushed up to her shoulders with lean muscles on display.

Inuyasha made a face. “Who, Sango?” He snorted. “Whatever, I guess, but talk to her at your own risk. She tends to get a little slaphappy if you touch her wrong. Or at all.” He suddenly frowned. Where the fuck was the lech, anyway? He was here a minute ago, the goddamn slacker.

“Sango...” the man repeated, utterly entranced and looking seconds away from drooling on his shoulder. “A wonderful name, indeed.”

Inuyasha made a noise of disgust and shrugged him away. “Keh. Yeah, but look, pal, don’t get your hopes up, she’s already—”

“Her kimono is delightfully short, and those legs! I wonder what her a—”

Inuyasha froze and tuned out the rest of what he was saying as he once again turned to gaze at the woman in question, who turned out not to be a certain lean demon slayer.

Donned in what she like to call a camisole and that short green skirt of hers, attentive amber eyes look in the dark hair piled up onto the top of her head in a messy bun, strands of raven silk that had escaped clinging to her face and neck from perspiration. He could see tantalizing beads of sweat trailing down her neck to disappear into the fabric of her shirt, her bare shoulders glistening and lightly tanned as she propped one hand on her hip while the other gesticulated in the air while she chatted and laughed with Sango. She seemed none the worse for wear, despite the rise in the day’s temperature, and if she was at all uncomfortable with the admiration she was unknowingly getting, she didn’t show it.

“You think she’d show me how she puts on that strange apparel of hers?” the man suddenly stage-whispered, prompting Inuyasha to reluctantly withdraw from his appreciative thoughts. “Heh, I’d like to take it off of her, if you know what I mean!”

Despite the familiar jealousy that roiled in his gut, Inuyasha’s gaze went hooded as he watched the man’s target throw her head back with a laugh, her face splitting into a wide, genuine smile. His expression softened and a hint of a grin flickered at the corners of lips.

“Keh,” he murmured just as dark eyes drifted over to him and glinted with an impish light before darting away again. “I wouldn’t bother. Somethin’ tells me that you won’t get very far.”

Dusk approached swiftly and the group of travelers decided to call it a day and bid farewell to the village’s occupants. Two people in particular of that group made a very hasty retreat before anyone could approach them offers of the nefarious sort so it was up to the other remaining individuals to propose their well wishes and express their gratitude for providing that evening’s dinner.

Miroku and Sango found their friends just a little ways up the path that led to the village, talking quietly amongst themselves and seemingly oblivious to their friends’ arrival. Inuyasha snorted loudly, Kagome giggled behind a hand, and with an amused glance between them, the monk and slayer closed the distance between them as the former asked what was so funny.

Inuyasha and Kagome shared a glance and mutually grinned. Kagome looked away, but not before she could hide her grin, and Inuyasha didn’t bother to conceal the smirk that spread across his face. Neither gave an explanation as the wordlessly started down the path and baffled, their friends could only follow after them, wondering what could have possibly happened to get them to act in such a way.

Later, when Miroku and Sango had retired to bed and Kagome sat alone before the fire, she waited another few minutes before silently getting to her feet and disappearing into the trees, her footsteps light, muffled by the ground’s soft soil.

She didn’t even make it past the fire’s orange glow before she was suddenly snatched around the waist and launched upward into the trees. Kagome gasped and then laughed quietly as she was settled on a thick branch between two red-clad legs and without missing a beat she turned around and climbed into her hanyou’s lap, straddling his thighs, but there was nothing sexual about it. Draping her arms over his shoulders, she grinned at him and received a fangy smirk in return as clawed hands slid around her waist and clasped at the small of her back

“Hi, friend,” Kagome greeted and tried to stifle her giggles. She failed.

Inuyasha quirked a brow at her and chuckled lowly. “You’re hilarious, friend,” he fired back and leaned forward to swallow the rest of her giggles with his mouth.

Kagome hummed, smiling against his lips as she twined her fingers in still slightly damp silver hair and she felt Inuyasha’s low growl more than heard it. “They’re not wrong, you know,” she mused aloud as her hanyou lover trailed kisses along her jaw and delivered gentle nips to her skin.

“Hm?” he grunted, too lost in the taste, the scent of her to give a more articulate reply.

Sighing, another smile flirted with her lips as she reveled in his touch, that familiar heat pooling in her belly. “You are still my friend,” she explained, prompting Inuyasha to pull back with a puzzled frown. She blushed, however her smile remained as she continued, “Just because we decided to...further our relationship doesn’t mean I don’t consider you my friend anymore, Inuyasha. You’re my best friend, the one person I can talk to about anything, even Sango, and I...that’s never going to change, you know? Even if we do do things that aren’t considered, erm, friendly.” She grinned and gave a helpless shrug.

A black brow lifted into silver bangs and fangs flashed in a devilish smirk. “You mean things like this?” he asked and promptly dropped his hand to grab a handful of shapely behind.

Even as Kagome’s face flamed, she smacked a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound of her laughter, her eyes crinkling at the corners from the force of her smile. Inuyasha snickered and gave a playful squeeze before releasing her and returning his hand to her back, clawed fingers slipping beneath her shirt to caress warm skin.

Expression softening, Inuyasha sighed and leaned forward to nuzzle her nose with his own. “You idiot,” he said fondly as small hands cupped the back of his neck, pressing her forehead against his. “’Course that hasn’t changed. You...you’ve always just been mine, Kagome. First my friend, now my lover, and I hope, when this is all over, something...something much more permanent.” His eyes bore into her own, his meaning abundantly clear, and Kagome’s quiet gasp affirmed that she understood.

He smiled and went on, his voice a low rumble, “You can stick as many labels on it as you want, but you’ll always just be my Kagome, the first real friend I’ve ever had, and that ain’t ever gonna change. I hope you know that.”

With unshed tears brimming her eyes, Kagome released a watery laugh and nodded, tugging his face forward, her breath ghosting over his lips. “I do,” she whispered, eyes fluttering close, her love for this man overflowing in the form of tears cascading down her cheeks.

Fingers sank into her hair and twined around the ebony strands, tilting her face back as his lips brushed against hers in a teasing, whisper-soft touch. “But Kagome,” he rumbled, lips twitching. “Don’t you know friends don’t ki—”

“Shut up and kiss me, dogboy.”

Inuyasha laughed and covered her smiling mouth with his own, tasting the salt of her tears, and as Kagome sighed her pleasure against his lips, he slipped his hands into her skirt and showed her just how friendly he could be.

[little-known-artist]

@inukag-week Day 1: Opposites.

Their hair, black and white.

[xoxopandapanda]

InuKag Week 2019: Day 2

@inukag-week

He was a good friend.

“You’re my best friend, you know that, right?” Kagome’s voice was soft, but carried far in the room. Inuyasha had his eyes closed against the flittering light of the fire heating up the small home, but opened them when she spoke.

Kagome was laying on her side, hands tucked up by her face and knees crooked. She was relaxed and comfortable, her face holding a gentle look as she watched the man across from her.

They were laying on their relatively new futon, enjoying the gentle, cooling breeze of an early spring night. Kagome has just come back, ready to start her life again in the feudal era a few weeks prior, so their home was bare and filled with minimal items.

This didn’t bother them, though. They knew that soon enough it would be filled with goods and food, and memories would quickly follow.

Inuyasha was still sleeping in his fire rat robe. He had never owned a different outfit, so the thought of changing into a sleeping yukata was never on his mind. Kagome was sleeping in hers, a gift from Sango who, having just given birth, was still using her larger one to accommodate her stomach.

Once spring was in full swing, the merchants would be making their rounds and Kagome could get cloth to make her own. Until then, the kindness of her friend was much appreciated.

Inuyasha watched Kagome carefully for a long while, the light dancing across her soft features. He could tell the three years separated had rounded her body and her looks as she became more and more of a woman than a girl.

But the beauty she had was still her most prominent feature.

He considered her words carefully. He had never considered what they were. They had fallen naturally into a relationship with no definitions nor titles. Over time it had just become ‘Inuyasha and Kagome’, and everyone saw them as a duo.

Sometimes the villagers would pry and ask questions, but mostly they were left to their own devices.

Now that they were sharing a home, it was known they were to be married soon, although it was just a formality at this point.

Inuyasha turned from laying on his back to face Kagome on his side as well. “Yeah?” he asked her. “Your best friend?”

Kagome nodded, her eyes sparkling, sensing the tease.

“Not your lover?”

Kagome smiled and coyly tucked her face into the bedding, peeking only one eye at Inuyasha. “You’re both.” Her voice was soft and muffled but he heard her.

Inuyasha placed his face down on the bedding right next to hers and blew air into her face. “I thought I was annoying.” He smiled at her crinkled face. “Worse than Souta ever was.”

“Oh,” Kagome said lifting her face to rest back on her hands, “you are.”

She blew air up to his ears, causing them to wiggle from the sensation. “But you’re still my best friend.”

Inuyasha didn’t respond at first. The room was filled with quiet peace as the two of them lay in silence. Inuyasha looked at her, seeing the rosy cheeks and striking eyes of the girl who had pulled the arrow from his heart all those years ago. He could still see the stubborn girl who fought off losing her soul with all her might, only to stumble when he called Kikyou’s name. He saw the girl who cried for him, and shot a near fatal arrow at Naraku because he was calling Inuyasha names.

He saw the girl who paid no mind to the hateful words and looks that were thrown their way when they traveled. The same girl who had helped him build a family with strangers who had taunted and belittled him by making them see his worth. The girl who would proudly announce she was under his protection, so no one should mess with her.

He saw the girl who gave him love when no one else would, and asked for nothing in return.

It felt like an insult to her to call her his best friend. She was so much more than that to him. It was an oversimplification of their relationship. But he didn’t know how to put into words what she was to him, so he went with it.

“You’re my best friend, too.” His voice was just as soft as hers had been, as if afraid to disturb their newfound peace.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Daddy,” little hands pressed hard on Inuyasha’s cheeks as his daughter spoke with an absolute inherited from her mother, “you’re my bestest friend.”

Inuyasha’s eyebrows rose slightly, but he knew better than to laugh or questions his little girl. At three – almost four – years old she was resolute in her knowledge of the world, and very convinced she was right. Any questioning of her authority would be an unforgivable crime. So, he kept his face as straight as he could.

He had been picking vegetables from their garden for dinner. Kagome, heavily pregnant with their second child, was on bedrest until the baby arrived, so Inuyasha had taken their daughter outside to help him.

She had picked a few good summer squashes, but was now wanting a change of pace and conversation it appeared.

Inuyasha put the pepper he as holding in his hand in the basket with the other vegetables before placing his hands on his daughter’s cheeks, mimicking the hold she had on him. “Oh yeah?” he asked her. “I’m your best friend? I thought the twins were.”

Patting her father’s cheek in a child’s way of miming a parent’s comfort, his daughter tutted at him. “No, Daddy.” She pressed her forehead against his. “You’re my bestest friend.”

“What about Mommy?”

“Daddy!” his daughter exclaimed, tossing her hands up in the air in exasperation. “Everybody knows that Daddies are their daughter’s bestest friend! It’s law of the land!”

Inuyasha held back a snort at her comment and her outburst, dropping his hands to his knees. She had the same fire that he and Kagome had acted on in their youth, but bottled up in a smaller form. Her new favorite phrase to use was ‘it’s law of the land!’ having heard it from some of the village men when discussing planting for the season.

Kagome thought they should perhaps curb that phrase, but it amused Inuyasha too much for him to make an actual effort to stop her.

“Law of the land, huh?” Inuyasha stopped his snort, but he couldn’t stop his smile. “Well then, can’t argue with that.”

His daughter nodded, planting her hands on her hips and standing proud. “Don’t you forget, Daddy. You’re my bestest friend.”

Inuyasha responded, “You’re my bestest friend too, baby girl.”

She looked at him, beaming from his statement. Inuyasha opened his arms to give her a hug, which she gladly took and ran into his embrace, giggling from excitement. Inuyasha planted a kiss on the top of her head, right in between her black dog ears that marked her as her father’s daughter. He cherished this moment with her, just as he did with every moment that he had with her.

Much like the conversation he had with Kagome years prior, when they were new to building their family and new to living together, it all felt like it barely scratched the surface of how he felt.

He could still vividly remember the first time he held her, so tiny and squirmy in his arms. She had cried and screamed for the first months so much that Inuyasha was convinced she already hated him. Kagome had soothed away his fears by assuring him that she was a baby, and that babies cried. She didn’t hate him; she was a baby.

He could still remember the day she got her feet under her and ran. She was fast, faster than he had expected, and took off with an alarming speed before he caught her. He was scared, but her giggles and laughs eased his worried mind and he laughed with her.

She was the most precious thing in his life, and so much more than words could describe. When he had found out he was going to be a father, Miroku had warned him that it would change his world forever, and the two men loved to regale stories of their daughters’ antics to each other.

Inuyasha stored this moment away in the back of his mind, wanting to tell Miroku about the law of the land that a father is his daughter’s best friend. He was sure that Miroku would ask his own twins about this ‘law of the land’, and would most likely be told they liked their mother much more.

Inuyasha’s daughter may be stubborn and unwavering in her stances on life, but Miroku’s daughters had his mischievous streak that bested their father most days.

But for now, he would just live in the moment that his daughter loved him and he was her best friend.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Inuyasha picked up the large stone pot from the fire and moved it so Kaede could add the final touches to the soup. Kagome was bouncing their little boy on her knee, listening with great amusement to the story their daughter was weaving about her afternoon with the twins.

Kaede had invited the family over for dinner a few weeks prior, wanting to celebrate the birth of their healthy little boy. Kagome swore up and down that the second time around was so much easier than the first, but Inuyasha still thought the whole process was a lot for one person to endure.

But they had a child from it, so he couldn’t fuss too much.

Their son was a much happier baby than their daughter had been. He didn’t cry nearly as much, and was beginning to figure out how to smile much faster than his sister had, although it was still funny facial expressions and snorts.

Kaede had showered both of their children in affection as soon as they stepped into her home, feeling a great grandmotherly love for them.

As Inuyasha put the pot before Kaede, Kaede touched his arm and told him, “You’re a great friend, Inuyasha. I am thankful to have you.”

Inuyasha blinked a few times, trying to figure out the meaning of her statement.

Once again, he realized he had never really put much thought into his relationship with Kaede. It just was what it was.

But now that she had said something, he realized that she was his friend, just as much as the others.

“What? Are you getting mushy in your old age?” Inuyasha couldn’t help himself from taking a light-hearted jab at her, but his smile was bigger than his bite as of late.

Fatherhood had mellowed him out quite a bit.

Kaede returned his smile, and tossed the last remaining ingredients into the boiling soup before stirring it to cool it down before serving. “Maybe I am,” she responded to his jab, “or maybe you don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“She’s right, Inuyasha,” Kagome called from across the room, her daughter now preoccupied with entertaining her little brother who was screaming in glee at the attention.

Inuyasha looked over at her, questions dancing across his face.

Kagome answered those questions, “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re a great friend.”

Inuyasha thought about what they were saying, and looked at his children. They were the light of his life, and more. He hoped they would always stay close to each other, and want for nothing.

He had never considered what he wanted most of his life. He had focused on survival, and given little else much thought.

Now that he was here, thinking about his life and what he wanted, he knew that there was only one thing he had ever wanted.

To have a friend and to be a friend.

Now, here he was, years later, surrounded by friends.

It was a great place to be.

[mustardyellowsunshine]

Another Tomorrow

For @inukag-week Day 7: Time.

_____________________________________

For Inuyasha, time was first a thief.

 It stole his mother from him. And Inuyasha wasn't a fool—he knew all mortals died. But it wasn't simply her death that Inuyasha begrudged: it was the time he might have spent with her, the years she should have lived and seen him grow from a child to a man. Most of all, Inuyasha felt robbed of the time to grieve. In the very moments after Izayoi's death, he'd been forced to flee for his own life, thrown out into the wilds to survive. No time for tears, no time to touch her pale vacant face, no time even to think of what it all meant – in one moment she'd breathed her last, and in the next he'd felt rough hands grab his arms, heard the angry mutters of men swarming around him. He'd been yanked through castle hallways and courtyards, and finally shoved into the dirt outside the castle's high walls, its gate groaning closed behind him. Dirty hanyōs were allowed no time for grief, and his life in the wilderness provided him none.  

 Then time became a prison.

 A literal prison, no less. If a childhood filled with scorn, persecution, and violence weren't prison enough, Inuyasha was then skewered to a tree—suspended within time itself—for fifty years. Time was laughing at him again, that merciless bastard. It was robbing Inuyasha again. He'd finally found something good, a safe harbor to shelter in. He'd finally found someone who didn't treat him like a dirty hanyō, who spoke to him with kindness, who looked at him with sad and solemn eyes. Kikyō. He'd sensed in her a lonely spirit that reached out to his. And just when he'd thought the course of his life would change, that he and Kikyō would share their burdens of loneliness... then he'd been betrayed. Then he'd been imprisoned. Fifty more years of solitude, an isolation that couldn't begin to compare to what he'd known before. His safe harbor turned into the hurricane he'd sought shelter from.

 Then, strangely, time became a portal.

 In the midst of his greatest solitude, time sent Inuyasha the most baffling thing he'd ever met: Kagome. The girl who freed him from time's fetters, who looked at him with awe, who told him in no uncertain terms exactly who she was: "My name is Kagome! Ka-go-me! I'm not anyone else!" The girl from another world, another era; the girl who smiled at him and screamed at him by turns; the girl who always—whether in anger or affection or sadness—always treated him like her equal. She helped him even when she didn't want to. She believed in him even when she thought he was a jerk. She stayed with him even when she could have—should have—left. She baffled him. She often angered him. But mostly, she filled him.

 Kagome brought him abundance when his life had been defined by deprivation. She gave without any thought of receiving in return. She did everything wholeheartedly: she laughed, cried, fought, loved, despaired with her whole heart. It was her great strength and her great weakness—just as she was his. That wholeheartedness was why, on the day he expected to say goodbye to her, she instead reached for his hand, threaded her fingers through his and smiled at him with aching warmth. He'd die with the image of that smile in his mind. And from that day, he prized each moment with her. Each day, she filled him with a peace he'd never even thought to hope for.

 And then time took her away, too.

 The great thief struck again. The portal closed. Time became a wall, a locked gate, confining them both to their separate worlds. Three years without her.

 Three years — it sounded too small for what it was, too innocuous a label for that kind of wretched emptiness.

 Time was a thief, a prison, a closed portal... but then it became something new altogether.

 Time brought her back. After interminable years apart, she came to him again, as she'd always done before. He reached for her hand—just as she had once reached for his—and pulled her into his arms. He couldn't control their trembling around her, and he knew she could feel it when she squeezed him back.

 "Inuyasha," she whispered, "I'm sorry. Have you been waiting for me?"      

 "Idiot," he choked into her ear. "What took you so long?"

 The days and weeks and years that followed were full. Inuyasha held Kagome that night as she sobbed against his shoulder, telling him about her life during their years apart. He watched as Kagome integrated back into village life, and grew more confident in her new role as Kaede's trainee. Within weeks, he built her a hut on the edge of the village, and they married the day after its completion. He prized each new intimacy of married life, the quiet mornings, the meals together, their conversations about the smallest things. Each day he marveled at how fundamentally unchanged she was, how she still did everything wholeheartedly and how her smile still filled him with peace. And when their first child was born, and Inuyasha held Kagome as she hummed their baby to sleep, he finally realized exactly how time had changed.

 Time had become a gift, the promise of another tomorrow with Kagome.

[danaty-consolation]

Inukagweek Day 6-Au

A big spoiler of one of the future chapters of my fic Reasons to live.

I can’t wait to write this angsty chapter.

[mamabearcat]

“It’s so beautiful here Inuyasha!”

“Yeah, you totally are... *cough*... I... I mean, whatever you say, wench...”

Inu and Ka-go-me, sitting near a tree... A. double F. E. C. T. I... nah, that doesn’t work.

A scribbly sketch for the Affection prompt. Still working on my next chapter of Captured, so it will be a little late... just needed to give my writing brain a short break!

[aurea-b]

For @inukag-week 2019

Classmates~ \(´ω｀*)

Made in MS Paint ^^ the background with PS (still with mouse 😊)

also on my pixiv

[petri808]

Sixteen Weeks and Counting

The complete story from InuKag Week 2019.   9k words.  

“But Mrs. Tai--sho, Inuyasha?!”  Kagome gestures wildly at the delinquent standing with his arms crossed.  “And don’t you ‘keh’ me!” she glares at the young man who simply turns his head with his ears pinned down.  Turning back to the teacher, “Mrs. Taisho this is not fair, I’m a straight A student and he’s a slacker!  How could you pair us up like that for this big project?!  Is it because his brother is the school Principle that he gets away with everything?!”

“Ms. Higurashi,” the teacher, Mrs. Kagura Taisho folds her hands in front of her and sighs, “I know this may be quite the shock, but your differences are precisely why I paired you up. Inuyasha needs a firm hand to guide him.”  Looking past the young girl squarely at Inuyasha, “and this is his last chance to pass regardless of who his brother is.  If he doesn’t get a decent mark on this semester project, he’ll be held back a grade.” Turning back to the fuming girl, “who better to turn to than my top student who’s also a bit of a spitfire?” Taisho winks.  “Don’t worry, you’ll have all semester to work on this and of course I will help keep Inuyasha in line he does after all have to come home sometimes.”

Kagome sighs, “I really don’t have a choice in this do I?”  Mrs. Taisho shakes her head.  “Great,” the young girl hangs her head and takes a moment to breathe.  “Science isn’t the easiest subject for me and I need to help a reta…  not so enlightened person enough to get through this…”

“Oi, I ain’t no retard, just lazy,” Inuyasha quips back, but when Kagome looks up and he sees her eyebrow twitch, he quickly turns away again.  

“It’s true Ms. Higurashi, Inuyasha was a good student once upon a time, it’s just,” sigh, “getting him to care since, well let’s just say past events happened, hasn’t been easy.  Many of us in the family have tried but he won’t listen to us.  You have 16 weeks for this science project, why don’t you guys take the afternoon to come up with an idea?  In fact, if it’s okay with your parents, as a thank you, how about coming over for dinner, you two can talk while I cook.”

“Eww, I don’t want her at our house!”

“Your house?” Taisho’s eyebrow raises.

“I guess that would be okay, I mean you’re right, we should come up with our idea quickly so we can get started on it, I’ll just text momma and let her know where I’ll be.”

“Wonderful!” Taisho clasps her hands together.  “Then gather your belongings and I’ll drive us.”

A couple hours later at the Taisho residence, Kagura is busy in the kitchen.  As full-blooded demons, she and her husband Sesshomaru aren’t very big eaters but as a half breed Inuyasha can consume quite a lot of food. Most nights, he fends for himself, gorging on different flavors of ramen but with a human guest in the house it was only proper she cook a meal.  The smells of chicken and vegetables simmering start to fill the home and she’s surprised it hasn’t lured a hungry boy out.  But based on the sounds coming from the living room, he might be a little too indisposed at the moment.

“These smells are actually making me hungry.”  Sesshomaru dips a claw into the broth to take a taste.  Licking his finger, “and I must say your guest is putting a smile on my face.” A loud thump rings out from the other room causing him to grin.  “I like this one.”

‘Damn it why’d you hit me?!’

‘Cause you were falling asleep!’

Kagura chuckles, “I agree, she was the perfect person to help him.”

‘I swear if you hit me again!…’

‘Well if you’d pay attention I wouldn’t have to!’

Sesshomaru leans against the counter and crosses his arms, facing the living room.  “What did you say they were working on?  The final project for your class?”

“Mmhmm,” she too crosses her arms and takes a break from stirring.  “They’ve decided on a topic but that’s as far as they got from what I could hear.  Kagome sat him in front of his laptop to do research and I’m guessing he keeps falling asleep instead.”

Another thud. ‘Damn it, Kagome I wasn’t falling asleep that time!’

“Sounds like he’s lucky to be a half breed,” he chuckles, “or I might end up losing a brother.”

‘Ooops!  My mistake.’

With the help of the Taisho’s, Kagome and Inuyasha come up with a timeline to work on the project. It was a better outcome than nothing at all from that first meeting.  Every Friday afterschool, Kagura would bring the two kids to the house so they could work on it and Sesshomaru would take Kagome home in the evening.  Now if they could just learn to work together without killing each other everything should be okay.  Maybe not smooth sailing, but at least manageable.  

But by the time Kagome was dropped off at home that first night around 8pm she was ready to take a nice soak in the ofuro then crash for the weekend. She didn’t know what was worse, track and field season or dealing with such a temperamental brat!  The mental drain was exhausting!  Inuyasha kept nodding off, or not listening, she even caught him playing a computer game when he was supposed to be looking up information on air pressure!  He’s lucky all she did was hit him with a book cause what she really wanted to do was grab the ornamental sword off the wall and run it through him!  “Ugh,” she rubs her temples and sinks deeper into the tub, ‘this semester is gonna be a nightmare…’

“ARGH!” Inuyasha threw himself onto his bed and buried his face in the pillow.  ‘This sucks!  This utterly fucking sucks!’  As soon as Sesshomaru came home from dropping off Kagome, he and Kagura were on him, harping that he needed to get his act together.

You were supposed to graduate this year Inuyasha, but you were held back once, wanna make it two?  I’m tired of supporting you, if you don’t pass this year, you can get out of the house cause you’ll be an adult and my promise to dad will be over.  

Inuyasha, I know it’s been hard on you after losing your mom, but do you think this would make her happy?  She would want you to do your best and that girl, Kagome, is your saving grace, don’t ruin it.  Or Sessh is right, we won’t help you anymore.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, they were right about everything.  Most of his problems were all of his own making and both his parents was probably rolling in their graves.  But he’s been this way for over 8 years and changing his personality overnight just wasn’t going to happen.  “Ugh…” ‘This semester is gonna kill me…’

~~

Sesshomaru walks over to where his wife is leaning against the frame of the archway sipping on a cup of tea.  The kids are in the living room working on their project.  He takes a place by her side and whispers, “awfully quiet huh? Everything going okay?”

She leans over, “yeah, I’m a little surprised that they could be so civil after just two weeks.” Kagura giggles, “maybe that miko bloodline she comes from still holds sway.”

“Maybe,” He places a hand on his wife’s shoulder, “but looks like you were right about her, maybe she will be the best thing that’s ever happened to him.”  Smack!  Sesshomaru laughs, “or maybe not.”

“Oww,” Inuyasha rubs the spot on his arm where Kagome punched.  “You are so lucky I won’t hit a girl!”

“Tch,” she snickers, “I don’t know, seems you like being hit since you always provoke me into it.”          

“Keh!  I’m trying here, so cut me some slack.  I did what you asked and found the information didn’t I?”

“You did and I appreciate it Inuyasha, but there’s still a lot more we need to do, so I need you to stay focused.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

The bell rings, signaling the end of 3rd period.  Monday morning seemed to always be the toughest, aside from Friday.  One would think after a couple of days off students would be refreshed but it was the opposite feeling and now with the project thrown in, Kagome is even more tired than usual.  Kagome’s best friend Sango knew of her friend’s dilemma and had even offered to help but the young girl had politely declined.  Inuyasha wasn’t the easiest to work with but it was slowly getting better, the operative word being slowly, but still, Kagome was sure that things would start to even out soon and she wouldn’t be as tired.

“Mrs. Taisho wasn’t lying,” Kagome explains on the way to their next class, “Inuyasha is smart, but getting him to focus and care is the tough part.  I just don’t know why that is.”

“Rumor has it, he started acting out after his mom died.”

“Oh.  I can relate to that.  It was tough after my dad died, but I didn’t act out.”

Sango laughs, “that’s because you’re a better person.”

“I guess….  Maybe and it wasn’t just his mom right, his dad died when he was a baby…. So, I guess I should cut him a little slack.”

“The sooner you two can really get along,” Sango opens the classroom door, “the sooner you won’t be so stressed out.  Speak of the demon,” she looks over and sees Inuyasha already at his seat.  She smirks, “your lab partner is already waiting for you.”

Kagome rolls her eyes, but with a slight uplift in the corner of her lips, “so he is.  First time for everything.”

The girls take their seats, readying themselves for the science lesson.  Mrs. Taisho starts to hand out the days assignment which looks to be a fun one for once; working with chemicals.  She tells the students to gather the listed items and bring them back to their desks.  So, Kagome grabs the chemicals while Inuyasha grabs their Bunsen burner and some glass flasks along with the lighter.  Seems easy enough.  Mrs. Taisho floats around the room assisting the students who busily read the instructions for the first test.

“Okay,” Inuyasha holds the paper up, “it says you add a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate to the water, this should create a bubbling reaction.”

Kagome grabs the bottle she thinks is correct and begins to level off a spoonful.  Inuyasha takes a whiff while he ties his hair up in a ponytail, “are you sure that’s the right one, doesn’t smell like baking powder to me.”

She shrugs her shoulders, “pretty sure, I grabbed what was in that bin.”  

But something wasn’t sitting right for the hanyo, his nose was pretty accurate and something in his gut was turning.  He watches as Kagome slowly turns the spoon over to allow the contents to fall.  It took just a millisecond, but the instant the first powder touches the water it becomes obvious to the hanyo that this definitely wasn’t baking soda. “Kagome!” he grabs her by the shoulders, turning her away like in a slow-motion scene while at the same instant a bright flash and small explosion ricochets through the room.

When Kagome opened her eyes again, she was facing away from their table and still wrapped tightly in Inuyasha’s arms.  Mrs. Taisho was asking if she was okay, but maybe it was the slight ringing in her ears or the confusion that caused her to just nod slowly while she processed what just happened.  

“Hey, Kagome are you okay?” Inuyasha’s deeper voice so close to her ear snapped her back to the present a little quicker.  “Kagome?”

“Y-Yes?”  She turns her head as far as she can to look at him, which was difficult because he was still holding onto her so securely. “What… what happened?”

Inuyasha finally lets her go, but not before seating her on a nearby chair.  He kneels down and it almost takes her aback when he starts to speak to her in a calm tone.  “Are you sure you grabbed the bottle from the bin labeled sodium bicarbonate?”  Kagome nods her head, a bit of moisture pooling at the corners of her eyes.  “Absolutely sure?”  Again, she nods her head.  “Okay because teach said that was Cesium and that’s why it exploded.”

“Ce-cesium?”  Kagome’s hands are trembling in her lap at the realization that she screwed up.  “Oh, kami,” her hands fly up to her mouth, “y-you could have, w-we could have gotten so hurt….”  The tears break free and rush down her cheeks.  She covers her face.  “I screwed up, oh kami I’m sorry, I’m sorry Inu…”

“Hey, you’re fine, I’m fine, no one got hurt,” he tries to pry her hands away and get her to look at him. “Kagome, no one’s perfect, it probably got put away wrong by the last class, you can’t beat yourself up over it.”

“But you could have been hurt badly!”

“Keh!  I’m tough.” Inuyasha smirks.  “Main thing is you’re okay.  You are okay right, at least physically, I don’t see any marks on ya.”

“Thanks to you,” Kagome slightly flushes.  “Your quick reaction is why I’m not hurt.”

Mrs. Taisho comes over to check on them again while a couple other students helps to clean up the area. “Is she okay,” she asks her brother-in-law.  He nods yes. “Kagome you still look a bit shaky, do you want to go to see the nurse?”  She shakes her head in response.  “It’s the last period and it’s best not to do any more experiments today anyways.  I’ll have Inuyasha walk you home dear.”

“Oh,” the young girl waves her hand, “I don’t wanna trouble anyone…”

“Keh!  It’s no trouble,” he stands up with a grin plastered on his face and helps Kagome to her feet.  “Grab your bag, any chance to ditch school early I’ll take it.”

~~~

“Are you ever gonna let me make it up to you?”  Kagome asks for the third time that period.  

“Ugh, give it a rest already,” he grits his teeth trying not to yell in the middle of class, “it’s been almost a week.  I told you it’s not a big deal.”

“To you maybe, but for me it is.”

Groaning, “If I say yes, will you stop bugging me about it?”

“Uh-huh,” Kagome leans in. “Anything you wanna eat, it’s my treat.”

“Okay fine.” Inuyasha scratches his head, “there’s a ramen shop between school and my house, we could go there.”

“Great!  I’ll tell miss she won’t need to drive us today!”

“Fair warning, I eat more than one bowl.”

“I know,” she teases back, “I’ve seen you eat so I brought extra cash.”

“Keh!”  Inuyasha turns back to his lesson.

He couldn’t understand what was happening between them, it was weird how in five weeks this girl had been able to get under his skin… but in a good way.  No one’s ever been able to do that before.  Not his family, not his last girlfriend, or any friends for that matter.  Inuyasha peered at Kagome through his periphery.  So easy and unassuming she sat there working on the questions for the day. He couldn’t help the glimmer of a smile licking at his corners.  ‘My saving grace, huh, I wonder if mom would have liked her too.’  He refocuses on his paper, of course she would have.  Kagome had a lot in common with his mother, a refined, almost regal nature yet feisty enough to put up with a demon.  Inuyasha chuckles in his head.  ‘Okay maybe not refined, but definitely,’ he takes one more look, ‘pure.’

The following Wednesday, Kagome catches up to Inuyasha at his locker during lunch break to share some information she found for their project.  As he looks through the papers, Kagome leans in, pointing out things here and there, jabbering about some supplies they’ll need to get for their poster display. “Or we could do a Powerpoint presentation, it’s either or.”

“I think the Powerpoint makes more sense cause we can add video’s to better illustrate what air pressure is.”

Kagome giggles and pokes at him, “look at you sounding all smart now Inuyasha, who’da thought it.”

“Ha Ha,” he flashes a fanged grin, grabbing her hand and holding it up near his chest, “lazy but smart remember, get it right.”

She giggles again, but before she can retort someone bumps into Inuyasha’s shoulder hard, causing him to take a step back and her hand to be released.  The same person grabs her around the waist and pulls her away from the hanyo.  

“Kagome, why are you getting all chummy with this stupid half-breed?  He’s so cursed that both his parents died because of him.”

“Fuck you Koga!” Inuyasha moves to take a swing, but the wolf yokai places the girl between them and he’s forced to stay his hand. He growls and narrows his eyes at the wolf, “Only a loser would use a female as a shield.”

“Tch, I don’t need her,” Koga pushes Kagome aside and squares up, “but maybe I don’t want you to touch me and spread the curse.”  Inuyasha clenches his fists at his sides.  Talking about his mom was always a sore spot and to be called cursed….  “That’s right mutt you should know your place.  A half breed like you ain’t nothing when it comes to…”

“That’s enough!!”

The two men stop and turn to see Kagome with her hands fisted and the most menacing aura surrounding her.  Human’s may not sense it, but these demons could feel the energy surging around her. Kami the girl was pissed!  She walks straight up to Koga and slaps his face so hard the entire hallway grows silent.  She moves between them, blocking Inuyasha in a protective stance.  

“How dare you say those things about him!  Just because his parents are gone doesn’t make him cursed because if it does then add me to the list!  My dad died when I was younger, you gonna say that was my fault?”  Koga is so shocked that someone, even more so a woman had slapped him that he didn’t respond for a second.  “Well?!” Kagome’s hands land on her hips, “you gonna answer me?  Am I cursed too?!”

“This…” Koga clears the shaky tone.  “This is between me and him, it has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh, like hell it doesn’t. You think I’m gonna let some brutish wolf make fun of my friend you got another thing coming.  Now get lost!”

“Tch!”  Koga’s friends, Hakkaku and Ginta start pulling him away.  “This ain’t over!”

Kagome glares at the trio until she could no longer see them.  She was still shaking, she was so furious.  Inuyasha places a hand on her shoulder to get her attention and almost takes a strike to the jaw, ducking and catching her fist instead.  “Kami, Inu I’m sorry!”

He drops her hand, “damn, woman you are scary when you get that angry.  Remind me not to piss you off that badly.”

She flushes red, “well he just made me so angry, i-it just came out.”

“Come on,” he shut’s his locker, grabs their stuff and takes her hand, “let’s get out of this hallway. I need to report this to Sessh.”

“O-Okay.”

Half way to the principal’s office, Kagome stares at their joined hands.  She looks up at Inuyasha’s face and notices the tenseness of his jaw. Does he realize?  Her cheeks growing warm, she averts her eyes to the floor and mumbles, “Um, Inu you can let go of my hand now.”    

He lets go immediately. “Oh shit, I didn’t realize!”

“Don’t worry, I kinda figured,” she reassures him.  “But, um, I was wondering, why would he say that about you?  I mean like, is there something about demons I don’t know about?”

“No,” Inuyasha lets out an exhale, “nothing like that.  He’s always had something against me, and I don’t even know why.  But to bring up my mom like that was a low fucking blow.”

When they reach the office, Kagome goes in with Inuyasha so they can fill Sesshomaru in with all the details.  He wasn’t surprised that Koga tried to pick a fight with Inuyasha, but he was taken aback that Kagome was the one who ended it and reassured her that Koga would be pulled in for a discussion since he’d put his hands on her.  Once that was done, Sesshomaru gives them passes back to their classes.

As they are about to part ways Inuyasha stops her.  “Kagome, you know thanks for standing up for me back there and I’m sorry about your dad.”

“You don’t have to thank me Inu,” she smiles.  “I lost him when I was 7 in a car accident.  It was hard but I realized I had to move on, I think that’s what he would have wanted.”

“Yeah…”

She places a hand over his heart, “Inu if you ever wanna talk, I’ll listen.”

For a few moments, the pair stand there, face to face in front of the office.  The look on Kagome’s face, it was so sweet, so serene as her hand stayed its position upon his chest.  His breathing slows, by kami was she always this breathtakingly beautiful? “Y-yeah…” Inuyasha swallows hard, “I’ll remember that.”

“Great!” Kagome bounces on the balls of her feet, “I’ll see ya after school Inu,” waving as she skip’s away, “we can finish talking then.”

“Right!”  But his feet are glued in place.  His hand sweeps over to where he could still feel the warmth of her hand lingering…

~~~~              

“What took you so long?” Miroku leans over and whispers as Inuyasha takes his seat.  “Class is half way over already.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, just had a run in with Koga at lunchtime.”

“I don’t see any marks on ya, he didn’t get a hit in?”

“Didn’t have a chance.”

“Whoa!” The teacher looks their way and Miroku ducks back down, but as soon as she goes back to writing on the board, he continues.  “Did you knock him out first?”

“Nah, girl stepped in between us.”

After Miroku picks up his jaw from the ground, his expression switches to a lecherous grin. “So, is she cute?”

“Keh!” Inuyasha turns away, but he couldn’t hide the slight burning in his cheeks from his friend.

“Oh ho!” Miroku pokes at this buddy, “bro you neeeed to give me details after class!”

“Will you shut up,” Inuyasha grits his teeth, “before the teacher comes over here!”

“Fine,” Miroku straightens out, “but I will find out who she is sooner or later…”

Of course, that month’s full moon had to fall on a Friday of all days.  It was common knowledge that hanyo’s like himself had a day when their demon powers waned, and the human side took back control.  But for Inuyasha, the feeling of being weaker never sat well with him.  Human frailties like disease cost his mother her life and even though it was just part of existing for them, that didn’t mean he had to like it.  You had a better chance of being struck by lightning than to see him on one of these nights and so the fact that Kagome was still going to be at his house when his turning would occur bugged him all day through classes. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to cancel their session.

Inuyasha stared out the living room window watching the sun slowly make it’s decent below the horizon. It wouldn’t be long now, he could feel the tingling in his finger tips and the fading scents around him.  He talks a dry gulp before gently tapping Kagome on the shoulder.  “I need to warn you about something, I… t-tonight is my human night so in a few minutes I’ll be turning.”

“Oh,” she turns to look at him, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, “why is that a big deal or something, like do I need to worry cause you’ll get all weird?”

He blinks at her nonchalant tone, “um no, just didn’t want you to freak out.”  He motions over his shoulder with his thumb, “I’ll be right back, I like taking a shower after I change.”

“Sure,” she smiles, “take your time.”

He was right on the dot by the time he had reached his room for the change to begin.  Hair shifting from white to black, his fingers, the claws retracting into human nails.  The oddest feelings were as his canine ears receded and human ones appeared instead. But he was used to it all, and after a minute, Inuyasha opened his eyes to the new man staring back from the full-length mirror.  He sighed, saddened by the loss of his extra senses.  It really wasn’t such a necessity in this day and age, but it was still a handy feature.  After gathering his clothing, he retreats to the bathroom for a quick shower.          

When Inuyasha returns for the project, he stops in the kitchen to grab them drinks and runs into his brother, drinking tea and reading a newspaper.  

“How are things going Inuyasha?”

“Fine.”

“Oh, just fine?  You two are getting along so much better now. You even allowed her to stay despite it being your human night,” Sesshomaru puts his paper down, “any significance?”

“That-That’s none of your business.  But for the record I just wanted to stay on track.”

“Mmhmm,” his brother snickers, “then you should get back to it then.”

“Keh!”

‘Any significance…  Damn him trying to read into this like there’s more to it…’ Inuyasha reaches the archway and notices Kagome rubbing the back of her neck and turning her head from side to side like it was stiff.  He gulps, she had put her hair up in a messy bun and her neck was just…

He puts the bottles of water down on the table in front of her.  “Your neck sore?” he asks and takes a seat next to her on the floor.

“Yeah, a little. Thanks for the water,” she smiles and looks over.  But when she realizes how different he looks, her eyes widen, “wow, I mean it’s still obviously you, but the black hair makes you look so different!  Aww, and the doggy ears are gone!  I like those ears better.”

“You do?!”

“I wanna rub them, they look so fluffy and cute!”

“Maybe one day,” he mumbles as his cheeks flush.  “If you want, I can give you a neck massage. You’ve been working really hard today and I barely did anything, it’s the least I can do.”    

“That would be really sweet!”

Inuyasha scoots behind her and shifts her between his legs.  Guess his human form came in handy tonight, he looks at his hands before placing them gingerly on her shoulders, no claws.  Kagome pulls her knees up and lowers her head, giving him all the access, he would need. Slowly he began massaging her shoulders, starting at the edges of her collar bone and working his way towards the middle.  He kneads at the muscles, searching with the pads of his finger tips for any knots or tight spots.  “Tell me if there’s anywhere that hurts the most.”

“Okay,” she breathes out. Wow, she mused inwardly, even as a human Inuyasha had some strong hands. Shouldn’t she be a little surprised that he knew how to massage a person?  Oh, like it’s hard to figure out. Kagome closes her eyes and just lets the relaxation carry her away for a spell.  This feels so nice…. Her mind drifts…. Could his touch always feel like this?  She starts to imagine his strong grip, teasing other areas of skin….  Crap! Don’t go there!  She screams at herself.  Friends just friends and this project we’re working on, nothing more!  But it might be nice for more….  Kagome groans internally, maybe the massage was a bad idea.

He didn’t need his demon senses to figure out Kagome was enjoying the massage.  A few little cringes when he touched upon a sore spot, but for the most part she just sat there stoically and every so often he earned a wispy sigh.  Ugh!  Every time she did that a shiver ran up his spine!  Inuyasha was after all a normal male and after this little episode he might need to take stock of another feature.  It had been a couple of years or maybe three since he’d been physically close to another girl.  Nothing sexual, but they had made out a few times and now sitting here with Kagome, Inuyasha was starting to miss that.  

“Feel better,” he asks 20 minutes later.

“Very much,” she blushes lightly and looks down as she fiddles with her fingers, “thank you Inuyasha.”

Now it was his turn. He averts his eyes knowing that his own cheeks had grown warmer, “no problem.”

~~~~~

They’d surpassed the mid-way mark of the semester and it was crunch time for a lot of the bigger projects for all their classes.  Kagome had spent her lunch breaks the last couple of days studying poetry since she had to write one for a class assignment.  So, as she and Inuyasha make their way towards the school exit, her stomach makes itself vocally known.  

Inuyasha laughs, “you’re starting to sound like me.  Wanna stop for food on the way to my house?  I could go for some ramen.”

“You can always go for ramen,” Kagome giggles, “but yeah that sounds good.”

As they round the corner and see the doors, Inuyasha pauses, “oh crap, it’s Miroku,” halting her advancement and pulling her back.

“Who?”  She peers around, “the guy talking to Sango?”

“Yeah,” Inuyasha looks around too.  “But he’s been bugging me ever since the Koga thing about you.”

“Why?”

“Don’t worry bout it, he’s just a perve who’s curious what you look like.”

“Eww!” She tries to step away but is held back, “but he’s bugging my friend!”

“Shh!” Inuyasha tries to cover Kagome’s mouth.  “Keep your voice down.  You know Sango can take care of herself.”

“Inu you’re being silly. And who cares if he knows what I look like, I have no interest in someone like him.”  She grabs his hand and starts to pull him, “come on, I’m staaarving!”  

He couldn’t believe he was allowing himself to be pulled along by this girl!  But there he was being led by the hand towards Miroku and Sango, who looked like she was bout two seconds away from slapping the guy. Inuyasha’s eyes pan towards the entrance, it would be so easy, just grab Kagome and run out before Miroku could get in a word.  Yet his feet kept travelling in the same direction he was being pulled.  What the hell was happening to him?

As soon as Sango sees Kagome, she slips away from Miroku and starts walking towards her and Inuyasha. Miroku is annoyed at being interrupted but when he sees the hand holding… his eyes flash and he quickly brushes past Sango to saddle up closer to Kagome.  “You sly dog Inuyasha!”  Brushing his hand along her arm, “how’d you manage to land this fox?!”

The hanyo pulls Kagome away from the lecher, but drops her hand at the same time, “it isn’t what you think,” crossing his arms, “she was just dragging me over here cause I didn’t wanna come!”

“In that case,” Miroku tries to grab for her hand, “if you’re single,” he wiggles his eye brows, “then I’m in the market.”

Kagome yanks back her hand and narrows her eyes, “weren’t you just hitting on my friend not 2 seconds ago?  As if I’d give you the time of day.”

“Oh ho, lemme guess, this is the girl isn’t Inuyasha, the one that stepped in between you and Koga? Feisty and beautiful!  But just to be clear, I’ve been trying for a year to ask Sango out, but she keeps turning me down.”  Miroku feigns a sigh, “one day she’ll say yes, and I’ll be able to give up my lecherous ways.”  

Sango rolls her eyes, “if I believed that of you, you might actually have a chance.”

“A chance?!” Miroku leaps over and kneels before Sango, grabbing her hand again.  “I would be your devoted slave, my queen,” kissing the back of her hand.  She blushes despite trying her hardest to get angry and pull away.  “A chance is all I require to prove my love for you.”

“Oh, brother,” Inuyasha snorts.  Kagome giggles.  He glares at her with a look not to encourage the idiot but that only makes her laugh harder.

Kagome calms her fit, “as amusing as this show is, I’m fricken hungry so can we get going Inu?”

Sango finally gets Miroku to let her hand go.  “Where are you guys going?”

“The Shiba Ramen place near Inuyasha’s house,” Kagome answers her friend.

Miroku chuckles, “I see he’s got you going there too now, huh?”  Turning to Sango with the best cutesy face he can muster, “my treat, if you’d be so kind to join me?”

“Oi!  Who invited you in the first place!” Inuyasha growls.

“Oh, my mistake, did you wanna be alone with Kagome?”  Miroku retorts.

“I…. Keh!”  Inuyasha snorts and turns away.  

Kagome speaks up now, “you can come only if Sango agrees to it.”

“Please,” Miroku tries even harder, “I promise to behave.”

After a minute Sango finally caves in and the group heads out.  Surprisingly, Miroku manages to control his more, naughtier behaviors and they spend the next couple of hours eating, joking around, and talking about different subjects.  It was almost perfect to Kagome, she got to spend time with her best friend Sango, the guys were trading one-upping stories about dumb shit that had them all laughing.  What a way to start off the weekend.  Sure, they’d have to spend a couple of hours working on their project tonight but going in with a happier mood should make things smoother.  

Inuyasha was so comfortable in the booth next to Kagome, it was a subconscious move when he found his arm draped over her shoulder.  His first thought was to remove it, but then again, by her slightly shifted and leaning against him, was she actually enjoying it?  Or maybe she didn’t realize she was doing it either?  To move it now would certainly draw her attention and the irrational side of his brain growled at him to do no such thing.  If she was happy, he was happy.

Things were starting to wind down and the conversation had shifted into lighter topics.  Then in the middle of a sentence, Miroku stops talking, his eyes wider, staring past them, and annoyed.  Everyone stops and follows his trail as a female voice breaks the silence.

“Inuyasha is that you?”

The hanyo turns his head as he recognizes the voice.  “Kikyo?” In a flash the warmth of his arm leaves Kagome’s shoulder, and so quickly that her hair shifts in the burst of air.  “Whoa!” he jumps out of his seat and hugs the woman.  “What are you doing here?”

“I recently moved back to town,” she hugs him back.  Stepping away again but only by a foot, Kikyo looks over to the girl who was sitting next to Inuyasha.  “New girlfriend?”

“Huh?” Inuyasha looks at Kagome who has a mortified look on her face, then back to Kikyo.  “No, she’s just my friend.”  

“Oh…”

Both Sango and Miroku sat back in shock as they watched Kagome deflate in the booth.  It was clear how oblivious Inuyasha was of his simple statement’s effects on the poor girl, but he seemed too over joyed to see his ex-girlfriend again.  As the pair stood next to the table chatting quietly and even exchanging numbers, Kagome sat devastated.  Okay fine, it’s not like he was lying, they weren’t a couple but… it still hurt.  She thought they’d been getting along so well, even to where maybe, just maybe there was a chance at something a little more but as he just blurted out, she was just a friend in his eyes.  

~~~~~~

“I’m just gonna… go pay my bill,” Kagome quietly tells Sango and Miroku before sliding out of the booth. She was careful not to make any physical contact with either Kikyo or Inuyasha who were standing almost against the table and slips away unnoticed.  

“Should we follow her,” Miroku whispers to Sango, “she looked pretty upset.”

“No,” Sango responds, “Kagome prefers to be alone if she is.  I’ll call her after we leave.”

Miroku narrows his eyes in the hanyo’s direction.  “I should just go pay for my bill too, and maybe we should all just ditch Inuyasha.” Sango blinks, for a guy who was still a total pervert, she could see how annoyed he was at his friend.  Guess Miroku has some standards, she muses to herself.  He pats her leg, “follow me.”  Sango just nods and grabs her bag ready to go.  

Clearing his throat in an exaggerated manner, “Excuse us,” Miroku’s tone is rude and annoyed. “We’re leaving.”

Kikyo moves out of the way so the pair can get out, never saying a word.  Inuyasha looks around and realizes Kagome was also gone.  “Oi, Miroku where’s Kagome?”  But Miroku flips off his friend without turning around and he and Sango simply walk over to the cash register.

“Sorry, I gotta go,” Inuyasha stammers out leaving Kikyo standing alone by the empty table.  He catches Miroku just as they are about to walk out the door and grabs his friend’s arm.  “Oi, I asked, where is Kagome?”

“Do you really care?” His friend spits back.  “Ya didn’t seem to mind ignoring her once Kikyo showed up.”  Miroku tries to pull away but Inuyasha grips tighter.

“What the fuck are you talking about?  I was just talking to an old friend, so what?”

At this point Miroku yanks harder and frees his arm, walking out the door behind Sango.  “Argh!”  What the hell is their problem?  He tosses enough money onto the cash register and storms out still snapping at their retreating figures.  “Hey! Miroku, you asshole!  Sango!  Somebody tell me what the hell is going on!”

This time it’s Sango that stops to face off with the hanyo, glaring.  “She probably went home, happy now we answered your question?!”  

“Go back to your ex, Inuyasha,” adds Miroku, “seems like you two were picking right up from where you’d left things.”

Inuyasha blinks, “what in the world would make you think that?!”

Miroku rolls his eyes, “oh, I don’t know, like how excited you were that you almost whacked Kagome in the head trying to get out of the booth.  Maybe by the way Kikyo kept touching your arm and you not pulling back, in fact you leaned in closer.  You guys trading phone numbers and your face was practically giddy about it.  Shit I was mentally preparing myself to see you two start kissing or something, probably why Kagome couldn’t take it anymore and left.”

The hanyo growls, “That is not how it happened, you’re totally exaggerating!”

“She saw it all, we saw it all, and you’re the one in denial.  Inuyasha, you didn’t even notice her leave!  I didn’t even see your ears flicker which means you were fully focused on only Kikyo.  So, don’t you tell me I’m the one exaggerating.”

“But…” Fucking hell! Was it really that bad?  “Ugh!” Inuyasha runs a hand over his face.  “I was happy to see Kikyo but there’s no way I’d ever go back with her.”

“Sure, looks like Kikyo is hoping for a second chance, and it’s not like you were turning down the advancements.”  Miroku sighed, “take it from a guy who does a lot of flirting…”

“That’s an understatement,” Inuyasha mumbles.

“… Kikyo was flirting with you and you were completely going along with it.  Am I right Sango?  That’s how it looked right?”  She nods her head.  “So, either you’re lying to us, to yourself, or if you’re telling the truth then the person that deserves the truth and an explanation is Kagome.”

Inuyasha roars and takes off, leaping away.  It’s been some time since he’d pushed his muscles like this running along walls, jumping over fences and houses.  Not knowing where she lived, he tracked the air for Kagome’s scent.  It couldn’t be too far he assumed considering she went to the school in this district.  

So, okay maybe there was a bit of lingering emotions for Kikyo, he couldn’t deny that but at the same time he knew to get back into a relationship with her would be a mistake. She wasn’t good for him and he’d come to realize that after she’d ended it 2 years ago.  Kagome, yeah, the girl was definitely imprinting on him and he was starting to crush on her, but he still wasn’t certain yet of anything. They’d really only gotten to know each other for a few weeks, and he didn’t want to make the same mistake he had made with Kikyo.

When he finally finds the house, Inuyasha groans internally.  Figures, what is it with him and picking miko chicks!  He touches down in a large old tree where he has a clear view of her window, well the one he assumes is hers based on the pink curtains and pulls out his cell phone.

Inuyasha texts Kagome, ‘we need to talk’

A few minutes later he sees her walk over to her desk and picks up her phone responding, ‘I’m fine’

Inuyasha, ‘I know you’re not’

Kagome, ‘…….’

Kagome, ‘how would you know?’

Inuyasha, ‘I can see you’

Inuyasha, ‘tree’

Kagome looks out the window just as Inuyasha hops down.

Inuyasha, ‘come outside please, let’s talk’

He sees Kagome turn away from the window as she sends a reply, ‘no’

‘fine have it your way,’ he responds and jumps through her window.

“What they hell?!” she immediately whirls around and starts hitting him.  “I don’t wanna talk, can’t you take the hint?!”

“Well we need to talk,” he grabs her wrists.  

The smaller girl doesn’t have the strength to fight off his control, but it doesn’t stop her from seething. “There’s nothing to talk about Inuyasha. I get it, I’m not your girlfriend, I have no right to be upset.  Go back to that Kikyo woman since you both seem fond of each other.  I’ll get over it.”

“Are you really that jealous of my ex?  Okay I admit I was happy to see her but there is no way I want her back so there’s nothing to be jealous of.”

Kagome rolls her eyes, “she seems to have other ideas and it’s not like you were turning her down.” As if the timing couldn’t be any worse, Inuyasha’s phone beeps with an incoming message.  Her eyes narrow, “Well, aren’t you gonna answer?”

“No.”  He sighs and let’s go of her wrists.  “Kagome,” he sits at the edge of her bed and hangs his head, “truth is I’m still not sure of what I really want.”  She takes a seat at her desk as he talks, rubbing her wrists. “I mean I know I don’t want her back, and even though I have some feelings for you, I don’t know if, I’m not sure if I’m ready to be in any relationship is what I’m trying to say.” Inuyasha makes eye contact again, “if you want me to block her I will just to make you happy.  But if you were hoping I wanted to be your boyfriend, I can’t say yes either right now.”

“I don’t know what I want either Inuyasha…..”

~~    

It was just too awkward for them to work together alone anymore but the project still needed to be completed.  They kept up a front in class and lied to Mrs. Taisho that Inuyasha was going over to Kagome’s house afterschool on Fridays.  But what was really happening is they’d split the project, Kagome would finish the paper, and Inuyasha would complete the Powerpoint portion.  The plan had been working for the past three weeks and paid off when they’d successfully stood before the class and presented their project on Wind & Air Pressure Dynamics.

Just perfect, Kagome sighs as she took her seat again.  The project was over, only a week and a half left of school when they would be graduating then it’s off to college in the Fall.  Well, it’s not like she was leaving town but who knows, she side-eyes the hanyo on her left, maybe in the Spring I’ll enroll further away.  Stop it!  She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.  Being in the middle of class really wasn’t the time to ruminate.  

After the bell rings, he watches Kagome gather her belongings and shuffle out of class along with the other students.  Inuyasha knew she was still upset, but he really didn’t know what to do about it. This whole semester had gone from bad to amazing to crash and burn like a train about to run off its tracks and the stupid part is he really was the reason for every single rollercoaster hill. Ugh!  Inuyasha drops his head onto the desk, ears flattened, with his fists clenched and claws digging into his palms.  

“Inuyasha,” Mrs. Taisho places a hand on the hanyo’s shoulder, “what’s the matter with you?”

“I fucked up big time…” he mumbles without raising his head, “again…”

“It’s about Kagome isn’t it?”  She sighs and takes a seat in one of the chairs.  “I had a feeling that something wasn’t right.  Wanna tell me what happened.”

“Not really.”

“It couldn’t hurt. Maybe there’s something I can help you with.”

Inuyasha sits up and looks at his sister-in-law Kagura for a moment, mulling over the decision. Eventually his shoulders droop along with his ears.  “Alright…”

Once he started, the words poured out.  For about 30 minutes Kagura sat in silence while Inuyasha goes over everything that happened that night at Shiba Ramen and the subsequent weeks since then.  His mind was settled on the Kikyo part, because she did try to rekindle things and he’d shot her down.  Inuyasha knew in his heart the crush he had developed on Kagome was real and true, and that the only things keeping him from making the plunge was fear itself.  He had jumped into a fast-blown relationship with Kikyo and it ended poorly, and that was certainly not what he wanted to happen again.  Kagome was clearly a step above him and destined for better things. She was graduating near the top of their class and on her way to a great university while he had no idea what the next step was going to be beyond simply getting to walk the line.  

“What good am I for someone like her, when the last thing she needs is someone that might hold her back.”

This was the first time Kagura had ever witnessed the hanyo break down.  Even after his mother passed away, while she assumed, he had shed a tear, it was never in the presence of another.  Inuyasha’s coping methods had been to clam up, grow moody, distant, and yet now….  She was taken aback by how much of an effect one girl has had on him.  As much as the two rarely saw eye to eye, she found it almost amusing how so alike he and his brother really were.  

“Never thought I’d see the day that you would actually fear something.”  She tries unsuccessfully to keep from chuckling.  “That girl has done what no one has ever been able to do and that’s break through the wall you put up all those years ago.  Are you really going to let your insecurities and fears of what could happen stop you from possibly gaining the best thing you might ever have in your life?  Come now, Inuyasha, that doesn’t sound like the hanyo I’ve come to know.”

“But I don’t know how to fix this…. How to talk to her again….”

“Just tell her, just like you told me,” she leans over and points at his heart, “from here.  Find the right moment and just do it, but don’t wait too long or she will slip through your fingers and you will regret it for the rest of your life.”

One thing was for certain, that night was the most restless night of his life.

‘Lucky to be hanyo,’ he groaned as he sat through class the next day.  Morning wasn’t so much the problem but after lunch it was becoming a semi struggle to stay awake which really sucked because he had to read a poem out loud in that class.  ‘At least I got to go second. Maybe now I can relax.’  He almost fell asleep.  

Kagome stood up for her turn and heads over to the front of the class, clutching to her paper. Inuyasha’s ears flick forward, but he keeps his eyes averted to his desk top.  He doesn’t see the slight, almost unnoticeable tremble in her fingers as she begins to speak.  

Aww, fuck.  By the end of the first line he knew this was gonna hurt.  His eyes drift shut and all he could do was die a little more inside.      

Her tone was smooth, her cadence slow as she channeled the very essence behind her poem.  It spoke of winter.  Of the fluffy white snow and how it’s beauty and elegance could mesmerize. Falling, softly, floating through the air like an angel to kiss your cheeks.  And on sunnier days, you could almost forget about the chill that winter brings when wrapped in such spellbinding charms.  But then the blizzard comes, cold and frightful. Blustery winds entrapping you behind walls that you cannot break free of, leaving you dark and alone… helpless. Praying for the snow to end its torture...                        

All of the practice she had done in front of a mirror had paid off in keeping her from breaking down in the middle of the reading.  And maybe in a way, it actually felt better getting it out.  The poem was to let go of some of the pain so she could move forward. Kagome could see the effects it was having on Inuyasha.  She couldn’t lie that a small part of her wasn’t happy to see him tormented.  But that wasn’t what she really wanted and as she sat back down and filed away her paper, the relief she had hoped for never came.    

As soon as school let out, Inuyasha tracked Kagome down.  He knew her class schedule, so it wasn’t difficult, thought it seems she had planned to make a quick exit that day.  By the time he saw her she was already walking out the front door.  He pushes through the throngs of students all making their way toward the exit.  Ugh!  He wished the ceilings were higher so he could jump!  

“Kagome!” He screamed at her fleeting back, her legs carrying her away as swiftly as it could. Damn it!  Once he was in the open, he threw out the rules against using their abilities on school property and made the leap.  One bound, two bounds, pushing his legs as hard as he could.  “Kagome!”  Oh, this woman!  He was sure she could hear him calling her!  One last jump and he lands ahead of her.  She pauses briefly and shifts course down a small alley way.  Inuyasha growls, and using a couple of walls, he manages again to get ahead of her, grabbing her arm before she could bolt again. “Woman, stop running from me!”

“Let me go Inuyasha!” She yanks at her arm, but his grip is too tight.  “If it’s about the poem…”

“It is and it isn’t,” he states matter of fact.  “But we really must talk, now.”  Sweeping Kagome out from under her legs, he picks her up, holding on tight, and takes to the sky once more.  She continues to cuss him out, but fear of falling keeps her from fighting his hold. Over rooftops and through alleys, staying out of the main thoroughfares, Inuyasha scans for an area with little to no humans around.  He wanted privacy and finally finds it in Ueno Park.    

“You better have a damn good reason to have brought me so far away from home,” she spits out as she adjusts her clothing.  Crossing her arms, “what do you want?”

“Look, I know I suck with words and I don’t know how to… argh!”  he runs his hand down his face.  “Oh, fuck it all!”  

Just as Kagome is about to respond, Inuyasha grabs her by the waist and slams his lips against hers. “Oof!” Her eyes expand and she goes stiff for a moment as her brain and body come to terms with what was happening. Even after he lets her go, she stares wide-eyed and speechless.      

“Please Kagome, I’m sorry!” he blurts out.  “I’m an idiot, I know I’m an idiot.  I was confused and I didn’t wanna hurt you.  I--I was afraid,” his ears droop and head hang’s low.  “Okay, there I said it.  I was afraid if I let you in, sooner or later you’d realize you deserved better than some lowly hanyo.”      

Kagome blinks as her shaky fingers brush against her lips and her cheeks feel like they are on fire. “I-Inuyasha, wh-why would you ever think that?”  Moisture floods her tear ducts, “you are so much better than you believe to be.” Reaching up to caress his cheek, “I saw that with my own eyes, how you grew so much over this semester.”  She smiles, “I got to see the real you come out and that’s who I fell in love with.”

“But, what if…”

“No one knows the future Inuyasha, not even the Kami’s themselves.  We just have to keep walking forward.”  She takes his hand.  “Come on,” giving it a small squeeze, “how about you start by making up for that Shiba date night with me?”

He groans, “that doesn’t mean with Sango and Miroku too, right?”

Kagome chuckles, “no, this time,” leaning in for a kiss, “let it be just the two of us...”

[19molly97]

Affection by SonicFanGirl321

"Hmm...Kagome...My beautiful Kagome..."

[spiritual-sacred]

DAY 7 OF INUXKAG WEEK 

Two different places, two different souls, two different people, but each connected to the red thread of fate. Kagome and Inuyasha, both from different times yet picked for each other.

Time!

@inukag-week

[little-known-artist]

@inukag-week Day 2: Friends

I think they would make good friends if they met when they were younger.

[xoxopandapanda]

InuKag Week 2019: Day 5

@inukag-week

(OOOPS)

Jealous Streak

Inuyasha had mellowed out, that was one of the first things Kagome noticed when she returned from the future. He was a much calmer, more collected person than he had been when she first met him. In hindsight, Kagome realized that that change had started while they were searching for the jewel shards; she hadn’t noticed since she had been there with him every day.

Kagome watched as he played with Sango and Miroku’s girls with patience she wouldn’t have ever have thought possible. He let them climb all over him, and even had a pretend dinner with them that consisted of sticks and mud, taking a moment to compliment their cooking skills.

Sango, when the girls were fighting, had placed her new born son into Inuyasha’s arms to have hers free to break up the squabble.

Inuyasha took the babe with no fuss, tucking the child into his chest and waited for Sango to take him back.

It would be an absolute lie to say Kagome wasn’t conflicted about the change in Inuyasha. She was pleased to see how much he had matured, but she was sad to know she hadn’t been there to change with him.

Kagome was taking time to learn the ins and outs of Inuyasha’s new, much mellower personality when Koga arrived in the village, causing Inuyasha’s jealous streak to rear its head.

Kagome was gathering some herbs for Kaede to dry for the approaching winter months when Koga appeared before her. While not going nearly as fast as he had been able to with the shards in his leg, Koga’s arrival still took Kagome by partial surprise because she hadn’t been able to figure out where she knew the aura from before he arrived.

“Kagome!” the tall tanned man stood in front of her with his arms wide open, moving swiftly to embrace her. “You’ve come back!”

Kagome stood, ready to side step the unwanted affection, when a large red blur obscured the wolf demon from her vision.

Inuyasha stood in front of her, the energy radiating off of him the first sign Kagome had felt of the boy she knew all those years ago. He was quivering with anger, but Kagome knew what it stemmed from.

He was jealous.

Inuyasha slapped Koga’s arms downwards and snarled at the other man. “What are you doing here, ugly? Don’t you have somewhere else to stink up?”

While Kagome was also wondering why exactly Koga had come to Kaede’s village – never had he traveled this way before – she was not thrilled with how Inuyasha asked the question.

“Inuyasha, be nice.” She moved to stand beside the red clad man. “Hi Koga, it’s nice to see you again.”

Inuyasha let out a loud snort and growled at Kagome, “You don’t have to be nice to him, you know.”

Kagome ignored his outburst and continued to speak to Koga. “How have you been?”

Koga, still completely undeterred by Inuyasha’s growls and snaps as he ever was, moved to embrace Kagome again. Kagome stepped back and slightly behind Inuyasha to give non-verbal clues that she was not interested in his affection.

While he didn’t encroach any further than where he was, he didn’t seem even phased by Kagome’s movement.

“So much better now that you’re back!” he exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest and puffing it out while flexing his muscles. “And you are as beautiful as I remember! If not even more!”

Inuyasha let out a loud groan and slung his arm around Kagome’s shoulder. “Now that you know she’s back, why don’t you go ahead and leave?”

Kagome halfway thought about telling Inuyasha to be less rude, but she was a little pleased to learn he still could be a little jealous. It was like having a little glimpse at the boy she once knew.

Koga didn’t acknowledge Inuyasha’s comment. “I’ve built a wonderful home on the base of the mountain. This spring, we had several pups born. I know you’ll love them! If we leave now, we’ll be able to make it back by night fall!”

Kagome blinked.

Wait. What?

Inuyasha’s growls began to grow exponentially in volume as he also realized what Koga was insinuating. His hand that had been previously draped over her shoulder, now gripped it hard and he started to move her directly behind him.

Kagome, however, stood her ground and didn’t move. She knew that if she did a fight would break out and she didn’t want to deal with that.

“I’m sure the pups are wonderful, Koga, but I’m staying here. This is my home now.” Kagome’s voice was stern and cut quickly through the air.

Koga’s tail fell dramatically, and his body when from held high in pride, to slouched in confusion. Inuyasha’s hand released its grip and he looked over at Kagome, confused as well.

Kagome wanted to roll her eyes at them, but she knew that would start a different kind of fight.

Wrapping her arm around Inuyasha’s middle, Kagome leaned into him and waited for Koga’s response. Koga carefully watched the interaction between them, dissecting the information being presented to him.

It was a long tense silence that followed, and it didn’t help that Inuyasha was just as confused and bewildered as Koga by Kagome’s behavior.

But she had made it clear what her choice was, and the boys were just going to have to figure it out.

It was Inuyasha who broke the silence, letting out a loud, “Take that!” to Koga.

This time, Kagome did roll her eyes.

Koga bristled and turned his attention away from Kagome, now tucked into Inuyasha’s side as he took advantage of her proximity to pull her as close as he could. Inuyasha was standing with his chest puffed and proud, looking much like Koga had moments before, his eyes mocking the wolf demon before him.

Kagome, still wanting to curb any squabble that might break out, spoke before Koga could. “Maybe one day I’ll be able to meet the pups and see your new home, but for right now, I’d like to stay here.” She gave him a soft smile, tilting her head to rest on Inuyasha’s side. “I just got back and I’m still getting settled.”

Koga’s body slouched again, the fight response from Inuyasha’s earlier remark extinguished by Kagome’s comment.

“Alright then,” Koga agreed. “Maybe one day.”

He turned on his heels and was quickly gone from their sight.

Left in the dust cloud of Koga’s departure, Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, who was giving him a Cheshire cat smile, her eyes twinkling with glee.

“Were you jealous?” She reached her free hand up and tapped him on the end of the nose. “Were you a jealous man, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha let out a loud scoff and twisted to get away from her, untangling his arm from her shoulder. “No!” he shouted. “I’m not jealous!”

Kagome tailed closely behind him, tucking her hands behind her back and leaning forward to tease Inuyasha. “Yes, you were.” Kagome wrapped her arms around one of his and pulled into her chest. “You were jealous.”

Inuyasha snorted, but he didn’t pull his arm away from Kagome’s grasp. He slowed his walk so they could walk amicably together to the village. He rested his other hand on her arms, the warmth of his affection seeping through her clothes into her skin.

Kagome rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the peace and comfort of being with Inuyasha, but still elated that there is a little bit of a familiar jealous streak in him.

[mustardyellowsunshine]

Reinforcement

For @inukag-week 2019, Day 2: Friends. 

______________________

Fighting off murderous, power-hungry yōkai is nothing compared to calculus, Kagome thought as she rubbed at her tired eyes with her knuckles. Sighing, she slumped across the surface of her desk, burying her face in her folded arms.

 It's all right, she told herself, trying to ignore the beginnings of panic building in her lungs. You can catch up. Just be patient. Don't panic. Panic and studying don't mix well.  

 She wished the sour feeling of anxiety curdling in the pit of her stomach would listen to reason.

 Don't. Panic.

She'd once read online that slow, conscious breathing could be calming and centering. Kagome took a very deep breath through her nose.

 But all she managed to do was inhale flecks of rubber eraser shavings scattered along her desk, which threw her into such a frenzy of coughing that she had to rear upright in her seat, thumping her chest with a fist.

 Okay, she thought as her eyes watered, maybe scratch the deep breathing.

 Wiping at her eyes, Kagome surveyed the textbooks spread across the expanse of her desk, along with all the crumpled up wads of notebook paper, loose mathematics worksheets, the color-coded and intimidatingly-detailed notes she'd borrowed from Ayumi... and worst of all, the failed test she'd gotten back from her teacher earlier that week, absolutely covered in red marker and written comments which got progressively more curt in tone with each failed answer.

 Kagome had seen yōkai corpses with fewer red marks than her failed calculus test.

 While her teacher had clearly been unimpressed with her performance, he was also laboring under the delusion that Grandpa's lies were true—what illness had Gramps told the principal she suffered from now? Mad cow disease? Gangrene?—and had offered Kagome the chance to take a makeup test. "This is an important test, Higurashi," he had said brusquely after class, "if you can't get a handle on these concepts, you won't be able to understand the next section of the material. And I don't need to tell you how vital an understanding of math is for your high school entrance exams." Her face flaming at the reprimand, Kagome had nodded fervently and bobbed a hurried bow. Just as she'd turned to leave the room, he'd added, "Study. Find a cram school, or a tutor. Make this work, Higurashi."

 But considering that she'd spent the last three days studying and she still couldn't make sense of the subject, Kagome didn't have high hopes for the makeup test.

 Make this work, Higurashi.

 She grimaced, and resisted the urge to slump back over her desk.

 That's what she'd been trying to do for six months now—ever since the day she'd been dragged 500 years into the past, ever since she'd gotten mixed up with the Bone Eater's Well and the Shikon Jewel and actual real yōkai, for heaven's sake!  She'd been trying to juggle two different lives in two different eras, trying to make it all work.

 It wasn't her fault that the machinations of a vengeful, homicidal demon took precedence over homework. Usually, anyway.

 And the thing of it was, she wanted to do well in school. She wanted to go to class. She wanted to study regularly. There was a part of her that had always taken pride in her academic performance, that had reveled in the challenge and had pushed her to be one of the top students in her grade, year after year.

 A lifetime of hard work, and it had only taken a few months of travelling between eras to completely torpedo her academic standing. Now she was one of the worst students in her grade, if not the worst.

  It stung her pride, but worse than that, it left her with a vague sense of shame, a lingering fear that she was somehow letting her family down.

 Her lungs constricted. Her stomach roiled.

 Panic and studying don't mix. Deep breathing, Kagome, come on! Pull yourself together!

 Why was it that her attempts to get a handle on her anxiety only made her more anxious?

 "Okay," she whispered, slapping a hand down on her desk. "I just need a plan, is all. I can make this work. I'll make this—"

 "Oi, Kagome!"

 The girl shrieked and whipped around in her chair.

 "Fuck," complained the hanyō swinging his leg over her windowsill, "do you try to make my ears bleed? You're loud enough to wake the dead."

 "Inuyasha," Kagome breathed, pressing a hand over her fluttering heart. "Don't do that! You scared me half to death!"

 "Keh!" He stood next to her bed, his frame silhouetted by the afternoon light streaming in through the window. His silver hair seemed to glow, stark against the red of his suikan. "You should've been expecting me," he said with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest. "You said you'd be back today, remember?"

 "I said—" Kagome paused, then gasped. "Oh, no! I did say that." Groaning, she dropped her face into her hands. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry, I completely forgot!"

 His eyebrow twitched, and his fingers drummed against his bicep. "I figured as much."

 His grouchy tone grated on her nerves in a way that only made her feel guilty instead of angry. "I'm sorry," she repeated quietly, dropping her hands to her lap and glancing up at him. "But the thing is..." She winced, then continued, "I don't think I can come back tonight."

 His scowl blackened, and he took a step forward. "What?! Why the hell not?"

 "I just— I have to— because I failed my—" She felt her heart rate speeding up as the awareness of everything she had to do flooded her brain. When she'd told Inuyasha she only needed a few days to catch up on homework and attend a couple classes, she hadn't been counting on the failed test, or her futile attempt at studying. The makeup was the day after tomorrow: she'd have to take two extra days, and she knew Inuyasha wouldn't be happy. She didn't blame him. Now in addition to disappointing her teacher and her family, she'd gone and let down the friends who counted on her—Inuyasha, Shippō, Miroku, Sango, all of them—because who knew what the consequences of delaying their hunt for Naraku would be?

 Dimly, Kagome noticed Inuyasha's expression shifting to one of alarm as he stepped closer to her, his crossed arms dropping to his sides. "Oi, Kagome, slow down."

 She'd seen complete havoc unfold in mere hours, what kind of chaos could Naraku wreak in two whole days, and all because she'd slowed them down, made them wait on her—

 "Kagome!" She jumped in her seat as she felt Inuyasha's hand clamp down on her shoulder. He stood right in front of her, his bare feet on either side of hers, and he was staring down at her with a concerned frown. It was only then that Kagome became aware of her accelerated breathing, and the way she was wringing her hands.  

 He opened his mouth, but she shook her head vigorously, flapping her hands at him. "It's nothing! I've— I've got things under control!"

 "Got what under control?" he demanded. When she didn't respond, he gripped her other shoulder and said, "What's up with you, huh? Tell me."

  All she could manage then was another head shake and a gulping inhale.

 He growled under his breath, then seemed to make a conscious effort at patience, because his tone gentled a little when he said, "Kagome, you need to breathe."

 Remembering the inhaled eraser shavings, Kagome laughed a bit hysterically and was vaguely horrified to feel a telltale tightness in her throat, a prickling at the inner corners of her eyes.

 Inuyasha's nose twitched, and his golden eyes narrowed. "If it's got you almost crying, it's not nothing." He crouched down on the balls of his feet before her, his hands sliding from her shoulders down her arms, finally settling in a loose grip around her elbows, the tips of his claws just faintly pricking through her shirt. His chest grazed her knees as he leaned forward a bit, tapping his thumb against the crook of her elbow. "Tell me," he said.

 Kagome began to shake her head, but stopped mid-motion. She was caught by the look in his eyes—how unwavering they were—and the way his grip felt oddly grounding. Like he was crowding out her panic with his nearness. Forcing herself to focus on his gaze, she started taking deep, even breaths.

 When the tightness in her throat had lessened somewhat and she felt a little calmer, she told him everything. She tried to stick to the bare essentials, avoiding any reference to the anxiety gnawing at her insides. But he still knew. Of course he did. It's not like she'd done a great job of hiding it so far. As she spoke his frown deepened, his nose surreptitiously sniffing at the air, no doubt scenting the true extent of her stress.  

 Once she'd finished talking, they looked at each other silently for a moment. Then Inuyasha made a low noise in his throat, and said gruffly, "Listen, Kagome. Just focus on, " he jerked his chin in the direction of her books and scattered papers, "whatever that shit is, all right? You don't have to worry about us. We can wait."

 "But—!"

 "Keh, your ears broken? Shut up and listen, will ya? We can wait. You just do what you gotta do here."

 Kagome stared at him. "Are... are you sure? Because I know I promised it would only be a few days, and what if—"

 He snorted, and it looked like he was trying very hard not to roll his eyes at her. "How are you this dense?" When she spluttered in indignation, he cut in, "This test thing... it's important to you, right? School is important to you."

 Unsure of where he was going, she nodded slowly.

 "Then it is important." Inuyasha squeezed her elbow and continued, "So stop beating yourself up. We can wait. Okay? All you need to worry about right now is taking care of this."

 He sounded so matter-of-fact, so confident, as though he had no doubt she'd get it done.

 She swallowed miserably and looked down at her lap. "I've been studying for nearly three days straight, and I still don't understand it."

 Inuyasha leaned back, releasing her elbows in favor of bracing his arms against his bent legs. "And let me guess—you've been worrying your fool head off the whole time?"

 "Hey!"

 This time he did roll his eyes. "Dummy. No wonder you can't concentrate! Stop stressing about all the other shit. Just focus on what's in front of you. Ain't no different than bein' in a fight. You concentrate on your opponent and nothing else."

 Kagome blinked.

 Trust Inuyasha to compare her academic career to a sword fight.

 Only... Kagome blinked again, and felt a spark of realization.

 Only it wasn't her entire academic career she was tackling. It was just one test. Isn't that what Inuyasha was saying? It was one opponent, one fight, not an entire army.

 And just like that, the tightness in Kagome's throat eased away. She felt like she could breathe freely again. "Inuyasha..."

 He must have seen a change in her face, or smelled it in her scent, because he smirked at her. "Better?"

 She smiled back slowly, feeling a sense of calm for the first time in days. She nodded. "Yeah... I think I can make this work now."

 "Good. Get to it. I'll be ready whenever you're done."  He rose to his feet and strode toward her window, but instead of leaping out of it as she expected he would, he dropped into his usual pose—cross-legged and cross-armed—underneath it, his back resting against the wall.

 Puzzled, Kagome hesitated, then asked, "Are you staying?"

 She might have been imagining it, but she could've sworn she saw the faintest red flush across the bridge of his nose.

 "Keh!" he mumbled, turning his face away, "Not like I got anything better to do. Besides," he glanced back at her, "someone's gotta keep you from losing your shit again."

 He was baiting her, but she saw right through it. She smiled at him. "Thanks, Inuyasha. I'm... I really needed that. I'm glad you came. I'd probably still be hyperventilating if you hadn't shown up."

 He shrugged and closed his eyes, all gruff nonchalance. "Whatever."

 She turned back to face her desk, and as she did, she heard him add under his breath, "Besides, you'd do the same for me."

 Blushing and biting her lip, Kagome grinned down at her math homework.

 With Inuyasha at her back, she knew she could conquer it.

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A/N: Friends can give you much-needed perspective on things, don’t you think? ;)  

In my mind, one of the hallmarks of a good friendship is support. Friends support one another. And though I adore the many ways that Kagome supports Inuyasha through the series, I absolutely love seeing how Inuyasha supports Kagome. I wanted to play in a space where Inuyasha provides unexpected, but very welcome, support in Kagome’s life, meeting her where she is and helping her along. 

[danaty-consolation]

Inukagweek Day 4- Affection

My second entry is a screenshot redraw of my fave Inukag filler moment, I love this scene so much!!!

[aurea-b]

For @inukag-week week 2019 <3 Day 4: Affection

However I don’t have digital pad or other stuff just my two hand and my mouse I wanted to create some digital :) 

Quite simple but mine. ^^ 

also on my pixiv

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I think the red thread of fate has bound them together and nothing can tear this apart... even time :)