Written for the June/July livejournal fic exchange at iyficexchange, and specifically Movie-CaffineAddict who wanted a PG heat wave, a power outage, and babysitting without angsty moments or any pesky character death. Important to note: this is AU, Kagome is a college student and ages have been changed accordingly.

Disclaimer: I don't, of course, own InuYasha.

This was not sulking, he decided with a nod as he crossed his arms and shifted slightly, or lurking. He wasn't. Wouldn't. It was merely a coincidence… a matter of personal preference really. He happened to like trees. They were useful. Yeah. That was it. They provided shelter in rainy weather, shade on a hot summer day, and a resting place out of the immediate eyes of travelers - not that they presented any level of threat to his speed, strength, or senses. A tactical advantage. Yes, he liked the sound of that. Put that way, how could he not sit and wait in one? But he wasn't waiting, no, not really. He had nothing to wait for, nobody was gone, and everything was fine. Well…

No. Trees were just the most convenient perch in the area. He could scent for miles, with the added altitude a tree gave him. The boar who was snuffling and rooting at the ground would soon find himself the dinner of two humans who had been barely able to track it. They came from Kadae's village he knew, wore that awful stuff the old bat was mixing yesterday to mask their sent. A mated pair of nihon kamoshika foraged a good ten minutes of hard running in the other direction, and a moon bear fished in a wide yet shallow river at an even greater distance. And that wasn't even counting the chatty birds as they went to roost or the heady throb of night insects that had his ears turning and twisting and pivoting.

Had a better vantage point to see any approaching animal or human, too. And the cover to stay hidden until he choose other wise. Yes, trees were a true warrior's best friend. From here he would be able to spot the exact moment Kagome came back to him.

Dammit, he was not sulking! And he didn't need her either. It wasn't something he did, this want or need for another. There had been enough of that before his untimely stint communing with bark. With a huff of annoyance and a strong set to his jaw, he decided to prove exactly how un-sulky he was. He'd sit there until tomorrow before going to drag her back.

Yeah. That'll show her.

Good morning Tokyo! It is Monday, July 9th at 5:45 A.M. and here is your trusty weather forecast: If you like your days hot and humid, then we have a forecast that'll cook your socks! So say good-bye to yesterday's low humidity and seasonable weather, for strong southerly winds have bullied their way to the greater Tokyo region. And yes. You've guessed it, the increased moisture will bring us some unhappy clouds and possible rain- But don't let that eighteen percent change your plans! Anticipated high for today is an astonishing 87 degrees, while tonight'll be a respectively cool 80. Make sure you take it easy out there, and a friendly reminder from your TMFI-FM Station to drink plenty of fluids today! Upcoming events are the Su…stival-

The new, cheerily happy yellow alarm clock radio she bought last week gave an unhappy croak as it was silenced. The shuffle, and almost deafening thump moments later, were the result of trying to untangle a thin pink sheet from about her legs while simultaneously standing up. In a rather undignified heap on the ground she glared at the innocent, if pathetic, inanimate object and wondered how much planning should go into its demise. The last alarm clock, her beloved softly spoken battery operated alarm clock, had lasted mere seconds in InuYasha's hands. If she somehow timed it perfectly, she was sure he'd be able to duplicate the outcome. She'd bet a trip to one of those natural hot springs he was always finding for her and Sango.

Then again, she'd pretty much be willing to give one up in this heat. It was barely morning and she was already sweating. Looks like a cool shower was needed before some last minute reviewing. History. Pft. If only her professor knew how much of what the so-called experts called truth was carefully crafted nonsense, her… well, she supposed her life would be somewhat easier. History exams were awful - if she didn't know better, she would blame demon kind on those horrors. Seemed like something they'd be responsible for, a form of entertainment to watch as naïve humans struggled to learn that which would keep them docile and unsuspecting under their rule. The more powerful demons were certainly arrogant enough, like Sesshomaru. Not that he seemed to be interested in humans much past the occasional 'die' or lethal glare.

Still, she thought, there might be something to this theory. After all Grandfather was notorious for discussing demonology with anyone willing, or not so willing as her case had been but a few months earlier. It didn't matter what InuYasha said, how could demons not still exist? Weren't they like, immortal?

Standing she threw the offending sheet back onto her bed before grabbing her clothes and headed to the luxury of a modern day bathroom. The Bone Eater's Well might have introduced her to a night sky without pollution, but there was still nothing quite like running water with the added bonus of temperature controls.

By six-thirty she had showered, dressed, and started breakfast while glancing over the review packet she had made sometime between shard hunting and training. Stains and ink ran at various points over the fourteen pages of hand written notes, a testament to the elements and trying times of the past. Somewhere by the seventh page, where she had studiously written 'facts' her textbook presented about the Sengoku jidai era, was a particularly dark brown patch she refused to name as anything other than mud.

"Kagome dear, you didn't have to make breakfast."

Startled, she looked up from where she was absently stirring the miso soup with one hand and holding her notes in the other. With an embarrassed chuckle she said the first thing that came to mind, "Sorry mamma, habit."

"Shoo," the older woman wore a kind expression, taking the bite out of her words. "Go sit down. What time's your exam?"

"Hm?" A chair leg scuffed the floor, "Oh… oh, it's at nine-thirty."

"I'll make you a snack to take with you."

"Eah - That's not necessary momma, I should be back home before lunch."

"Nonsense, dear. I see you've made enough rice for a small army, there will be plenty left over to make onigiri."

Kagome looked sheepishly at the rice cooker, "InuYasha is a small army. Shippo, too. Though now that I think about it Miroku can hold his own." It had just seemed natural to measure out cup after cup of rice for breakfast. There had been plenty, and her actions were guilt free with the knowledge that the rice was cheaper now a days than it had been. Here, the currency used wasn't supplied by rogue demons out for blood and threatened villagers.

"Heavens," there was laughter in her mother's voice.

Kagome smiled. It wasn't easy to talk about her travels or her friends, being that one or the other was in constant danger. But there were times, like now, that she enjoyed bringing them up. Without the threats, drama, or peril that would worry her mom.

By the time she was heading towards the door Sota came down the stairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes and looking rumpled in his pajama clad form. "Hey!" He shouted, getting her attention. "You're just goin'a leave?"

There was something in his eyes, a mixture of sad determination that no ten year old should have, that almost broke her heart. It was as if he had already resigned himself to the knowledge that she was gone already. She must be the world's worst sister.

"Nawh. Not like that, anyway. I have an exam, remember?" The look didn't go away. "Hey, why don't you and I go for Kakigori (flavored ice shavings) when I get back and I'll tell you the tale of the Peach Man with his incredible digestive powers and the ability to shrink his enemies."

"It's a bribe," but the smile on his face told her it was an acceptable one. Lately he seemed to crave her stories, perhaps it was a boy's natural love of adventure or his curiosity over a world filled with demons. Or maybe it was because it was something that was just between the two of them. Their secret.

If only every problem in her future were to be solved so easily.

"Great! Now, you sleepy head, go get some breakfast. Specially prepared by yours truly." She struck a dramatic pose, with her head tilted to the side in a half bow with her arms spread wide. Drawing upright again she continued in a stage whisper, "I'm afraid mom's a bit mad- I've made too much again. Think you can help me out with that?"

The prospect of extra food cleared away any lingering doubt he seemed to have, and after a 'do your best' he disappeared into the kitchen. With a bounce to her step and a self-made promise to spend more time with her brother here, in the present, she went on her way to Shinjuku Station.

And so over the next fifty-some minutes it took to get from the shrine to Tokyo Metropolitan University she reviewed, analyzed, and quizzed herself with a single-minded determination to win. She would pass this exam with good marks- she would. Then she'd mentally rub it in Naraku's face the next time he popped up to cause trouble. Use it as a sort of metaphorical proof that he couldn't control or destroy everyone's life. Ammunition to boaster her confidence against that monster.

Yeah. That'd show him.

Kagome wasn't happy. And it had all been going so well. The studying, the exam. Weeks of obsession had paid off and she had been able to answer every question with confidence. Even managed to sweet talk the professor into giving her an outline for the next three weeks, complements of a surprisingly legitimate doctor's note her grandfather had somehow managed to get a hold of. She had even avoided gaining the attention of one rather endearing though hopeless Hamada Hojo.

Actually she was feeling slightly nauseous, too, now that she thought about it. It had all started innocently enough. About halfway between stations on her return trip the subway's lights flickered. Then they slowed, stopped. The secondary emergency lights hummed to life as the power failed; somewhere to her right a child started to cry.

There had been a buzz of conversation, of low voices slowly rising with each word. The suddenly too-full car started to shrink with the absence of the continuous air conditioning cycle that had just barely been able to keep the temperature down.

Men and women were shifting in a hesitant and antsy way. An old man in a business suit held up a cell phone, checking his signal; a young woman chatted with the man she was holding hands with and looked nervous; two old ladies talked fast, the one in blue fanning herself while the one in red rooted through the grocery bag on her lap; a young couple sat together, the woman holding a small child while the man talked with ever changing facial expressions. There were other passengers of course, but she couldn't focus on them.

Closing her eyes she wondered about the possibility of being slightly claustrophobic. There wasn't any shame to that, surly. It was just a quirk. Like miko powers and shard sensing and a dislike for the creepy crawlies. Nothing to get worked up about. And the metal car was not getting smaller. She would be fine. Faced countless enemies and days in the wild without a proper bathroom. This was nothing. Yep, nothing.

She was somewhat mortified by the alarmed squeak that came from her when something jostled her body. Slowly she opened her eyes to see an older woman in blue.

"Are you alright?"

It was a rather silly question, considering.

"Yes. Thank you," her smile was only half forced.

"Don't worry, dear. We'll be moving shortly."

"What if we're stuck 'ere forever and ever?" It was a small voice, from a child to her left.

A young woman who looked her age gave a strangled laugh, "Ah, kids. Say something like that again and you'll be going to bed without dessert tonight."

"You can't do that!"

"Oh yes I can. You're parents already approved this type of punishment."

"You're a lousy sitter."

"Tough kid, you're stuck with me."

The boy stuck out his tongue and the girl crossed her arms.

The lights came back on and the air conditioning unit sprang to life while the car slowly picked up speed. They were moving again.

It was all rather anticlimactic, really. The power outage had only lasted ten minutes.

"And then what happened?"

"And then, the unthinkable. All of InuYasha's great demon powers disappeared and he was left in the Peach Man's acidic stomach with an untransformed Fang and hours to go before the new moon fell below its horizon." Kagome tapped her chin before continuing. "He always is so eager to jump into battle."

"Oi! Am not, take that back!"

"Sit. Don't mind him. Now, where was I…?"

Sota laughed, Kagome smiled, and InuYasha learned not to interrupt a good story- especially when it was true.

For a few minutes, at any rate.

"You so did not save the day with Shippo. That runt-"

"SIT!"

"Mom, I'm back!"

"Welcome home dear. Where are Kagome and InuYasha? They didn't go through the well, I hope."

"Nah, they're outside. That Hojo boy's with them."

"Oh. Well in that case, why don't you go help your grandfather? He's cleaning out the storage house again."

"Aw, mom. Do I have to?"

"It's potato juice."

He looked so proud she didn't have the heart to refuse. The jar was snatched from her hands by InuYasha, who promptly unscrewed the lid and scrunched his nose at the smell.

"Now, you should take two teaspoons before every meal. And this, this is Rhubarb. It's been grounded with sugar, so it should taste better. Take this three or four times daily. That's enough for two weeks, I think. If you need anymore just give me a call. Or, um, have your grandfather call mine. Your choice. Well, I should be going now. Bye Kagome. Oh, and good bye to you as well." This last was to her white-haired red-cap-wearing friend who was clearly inspecting the green package of mixed herbs and sugar. Hojo ignored the young man's disbelief and turned to go.

Kagome felt a guilty sense of relief.

"Hope your Rheumatism gets better, Kagome!" Hojo called over his shoulder before he disappeared down the shrine's steps.

Seconds later, InuYasha flinched at the glare Kagome was giving him.

"What do you think your doing!" She took both jar and package back.

"I was-"

"-These were gifts. For me. You can't just take them, especially right in front of the guy!"

"Hey, you don't even like that kid."

"That's not the point."

"What's he tryin' ta do anyway, poison you?"

"… No. Not really. He was trying to cure me with homeopathic remedies."

"You sick? You don't smell sick, just spice and power."

"Spice and power?" She repeated, but the words and wonder in her voice fell on deaf ears on account of his embarrassment.

"Oh, never mind! You don't smell like anything." By this point in their relationship, he had perfected the art of not-looking. Not that he would. Well, he might have seen her smile, because really, how could anyone miss it? "Keh. Look, you comin' home or what?"

"Not just yet, InuYasha." Both kind and firm, "I wanted to spend tomorrow with Sota, it'll be Saturday. One story and a few hours have done very little in repairing our bond as siblings."

"Keh. Whatever."

He expressed so many things with those two words; dislike tempered with acceptance, conceded the need for familial connection because he knew what the lack of one felt like, and hidden deep within rested a small kernel of need. She had watched the two of them together, her best friend interacting with her brother. Had seen the pride and joy in his face while playing the older brother. She fell a little further that day.

"Thank you, InuYasha!"

"Yeah, yeah."

He didn't go home that night, decided instead to watch over Kagome's sleeping form. It was better than the tree, waiting for her to come back. With his back to the wall he kept a silent vigil, long past trying to keep the thin linen across her restless form. And when his eyes refused to stay open he let the sent of orange and ginger and thunder and dawn pull him into a restful slumber, more comfortable now than he had been back through the well.

It wasn't so bad, perhaps. This small part of sharing. Of trust. Of… well, whatever this was.

No. Not so bad at all.