He carried Kagome on his back, just like he used to, as they made their way to the demon slayers' village. Along the way, Kagome asked him questions, and he tried to answer them to the best of his ability. She couldn't help but often mention how weird she thought him knowing more about geometry than her, was. He then proceeded to tell her he'd tutor her when they weren't hunting for Naraku.
"Now I have a question," he spoke up.
"Yes?"
"Why in the hell did you push me down the well? Did you know it would let me through, or were you taking a chance, one of which might have left me with a broken neck?" he asked carefully.
"Um, well, I just had this feeling. The necklace reacted for some reason, and I don't believe in coincidence," she replied evenly. He nodded slightly in response. Kagome's feelings were usually right, never had he seen them wrong at all.
"InuYasha, are you from Kagome's time now? Does that mean you have to take tests and stuff now?" Shippo asked.
"Oi! Why did you have to ruin a perfectly good moment with THAT question of all questions?!" he growled.
"So now you can't get mad at Kagome for taking tests!" Shippo cheered.
"Well, unless we START high school, there's no tests in the foreseeable future," Kagome pointed out.
"Keh, the first few days are a waste of time anyways, getting to know your teachers, etc, I always end up hating them all anyways…" he murmured.
"I like school," she said carefully.
"Yeah, well, now I can say I understand that," he said quietly.
"So….does this mean your parents get to make up excuses for you missing school?" Kagome asked.
"Ah, now THAT'S the funny part. I'm adopted, and my parents, well, they work a lot, sometimes overseas for days at a time, and my temporary guardian watches over me during that time, so I basically am by myself most of the time. Or was, anyways," he said.
"Sounds lonely," she whispered.
"Yeah, well, guess who my guardian is?" he asked.
"Err! I have no idea!"
"My dear half brother Sesshomaru, who must have come a long way since the feudal era. I've known him as this kind, yet mysterious guy all my life, yet I still remember him as the bastard he always was…does that make sense? A shrink would have a field day with me…." he said as he leapt across a river with little effort
"What's a shrink?" Shippo asked.
**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**
"I wonder if perhaps we shouldn't go check up on Shippo, and Kaede," Miroku spoke up quietly. Beside him Sango knelt, saying a prayer, as always to her fallen people. For months now, they'd been there, slowly rebuilding the houses, despite the fact that no one inhabited any of them anymore. Sango steadily reminded him that someday the tribe of demon slayers would be rebuilt. And it was her duty as the last survivor to see that they had a place to thrive.
"It's been a few weeks now, perhaps you're right. Maybe Kaede has some news on Kagome," Sango said quietly.
"I do hope so, these endlessly quiet days can get so disconcerting," he said, his hand idly wandering to rub her smooth-THWACK! His head snapped to the side so quickly from the force of the slap, that he saw stars.
"Keh, nothing changes with you, does it, you letch," a familiar voice boomed from all around them. Both he and Sango whirled around at hearing the voice to see a very strangely dressed InuYasha, with a frazzled looking Kagome on his back.
"InuYasha?!" they exclaimed in unison. Miroku gawked. No sooner had they given his body a proper send off, and there he stood….and he sensed no deception either.
"It's a long story, but yes, its him!" Kagome said cheerfully.
"Got any food? I'm starved," InuYasha murmured quietly.
"Of course! There's some fresh fish cooking right now!" Sango said cheerfully, embracing them both. Miroku continued to gawk at InuYasha.
"If I'm not mistaken, those are Kagome's era's clothing style," he ventured.
"No, you're right, but like Kagome said, it's a long story."
"Well then, lets go eat, so we can hear this story, I am quite eager to hear it!" Miroku said, patting his returned friend on the back cheerfully. All the while, Shippo never left InuYasha's shoulder.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Normally, Kagome sat in school, eager for the day to end so she could go through the well to see InuYasha, but considering he was sitting beside her at his desk, she could surprisingly concentrate on the lesson being given, and InuYasha, or Shoji, as known by the student body, seemed as equally concentrated. Still, she glanced over at him. His normally white hair was now raven black once gain, and his eyes were that entrancing violet hue. Of course, it was just a façade. He was still a hanyou, but being in the modern era, he couldn't very well show up to school looking like one. Grandpa gave him a talisman to wear that made him look human, when in fact he wasn't. People saw what InuYasha wanted them to see.
She still wasn't used to this huge new development though. Normally, School was her refuge from all the goings on in the feudal era. She could talk about normal things here, but now…
She hadn't mentioned this to InuYasha yet, but she planned on it. Right now she was still reveling in the fact that he was back. He seemed to feel her eyes on him, because he turned slightly, and offered her a smile, before going back to jotting down notes. They had a lot to catch up on. They had been in the feudal era for a few weeks, missing the first two weeks of school. And a lot transpired in those two weeks. And she also realized something as well. InuYasha's sword came in handy, and she wished she had brought it with her…so after school, he was coming over before going home himself, and she would give him that, and the haori she kept safe.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They sat alone outside at lunchtime, relaxing under the shade of a large tree. She didn't, however, miss the lingering glances of girls in passing…
"I don't think you'll have trouble fitting in here," she said. InuYasha suppressed a yawn, and looked at her.
"I'm not all that worried about fitting in," he said. Kagome picked up a rice ball, and bit into it.
"I have to admit, this is working out pretty well," she said cheerfully.
"Well, we'll see AFTER I have a talk with Sesshomaru," he replied. Kagome bit her lower lip. That's right, since he had come back, he hadn't seen his brother…in either this era, or the feudal era.
"Well, if anything becomes too tense, you can come stay at the shrine, you know. It not like you haven' spent the night with me before," she said, only realizing how bad it sounded afterwards. He chuckled softly.
"Before, I didn't understand the implications others might see that as. Still, thanks for the offer." he said, now yawning.
"Maybe we shouldn't go back tonight, we only got back just this morning, and were both exhausted," she ventured.
"Keh! Just because you're tired, doesn't mean I am, I' not some weak," he began, before looking at the glare she was offering him.
"You've been through a lot body AND soul. And you need to rest" she scolded him.
"Fine, I'll come over and hog your bed again," he teased. Kagome threw an orange at him, and he ducked with dizzying speed.
"Oi!"
"It was either that, or I stoop to darker measures," she teased back. He pointed a finger at her.
"You promised!"
She giggled at the fear on his face.
"AHEM!" someone cleared their throat. Kagome glanced up to see, Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka staring at them
"err, Hi guys!" she said nervously.
"Hi yourself," Yuka said with little enthusiasm.
"Yuka," Ayumi snapped at her.
Kagome bit her lip again. That's right, the time that InuYasha had died, she refused to see any of them, save for Ayumi once, in secret…Eri and Yuka both gave her icy stares, before walking off, leaving Ayumi behind.
Kagome fiddled with her napkin. In the times she confided with Ayumi, she had told her EVERYTHING, and judging by Ayumi's confused expression, she probably wondered why Kagome was so chummy with Shoji…
"Yo," InuYasha said to Ayumi, someone, Kagome forgot, he was familiar with.
"And where have you-" Ayumi began, only to cut herself off, and look at Kagome.
"You went back," Ayumi said finally, after looking at Kagome carefully for a moment.. Kagome nodded slowly.
"And Shoji too?" she asked. Kagome nodded.
"Oi, what's goin' on?" InuYasha asked. Ayumi looked at him strangely, focusing on the necklace about his neck.
"Why is he wearing the sit necklace?" she demanded. InuYasha spewed the juice he had been drinking.
"You TOLD her about that?!" he exclaimed. Kagome fiddled with her napkin some more.
"Err, well, I told her …more than that…"she admitted. InuYasha groaned.
"Great, as if I wasn't a big enough of a freak already!" he grumbled.
"I…didn't know you two knew each other," Ayumi said carefully.
"Its kind of complicated," Kagome began. Ayumi sat down.
With a sigh, Kagome began….
~*~*~**~*~*~*~~~~~*~*~*~*~*~
"So…where's the doggy ears?" Ayumi's first question was. InuYasha glared at her slightly.
"Safe," he said simply.
"So, do I call you InuYasha or Shoji?"
"Shoji in the modern era." Kagome said. The alarm sounding the end of lunch signaled, and Kagome sighed.
"Just like before, please keep this secret." she pleaded with Ayumi.
"Of course, you have my word!" Ayumi said quietly.
"Great, we have a test next period…I think I would rather be fighting a demon…" InuYasha said, stretching slightly.
"You'll learn that taking tests is a nice reprieve from all the countless slaying." Kagome replied, stifling a yawn.
"You both look like you could use some sleep actually. Coming to school together looking equally exhausted, people will start to talk," Ayumi said quietly.
"Talk…pfft…" InuYasha grumbled, quickly shaking his head, before running his fingers though his unruly shaggy hair.
"Looks like we may have to come up with a new story," Kagome added. InuYasha stood, offering each girl a hand to help them up.
"I already have a story, I'm your violent two timing boyfriend, if I'm not mistaken, I'm a juvenile delinquent." he spoke up with a sly smirk. Kagome shot Ayumi a look.
"I should kick both of you!"