*Note*: Chapters get consistently longer starting from Chapter 11 (over 3,000 words, and anywhere up to 7,000) and are going to stay 4,000 or over. As well, earlier chapters occasionally have small revisions/corrections made to them.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters, although if I did I'd be pretty happy.

A/N: (Quick apology for the terrible summary: I'm sorry :P) So this is an idea that's been kicking around in my head for a while, and I finally decided to write it. I suppose I like making life harder for myself. :P Anyway, although a lot of you are probably going to say "Hey, that's like episodes 94 & 95 (or whatever chapters in the manga those are, I haven't read that far yet)," which it totally is, but it's actually based off an idea that I had for an original story about a year ago (before I had seen those episodes) that I never took to the 'pen to paper' stage. I forget how I got inspired to turn that particular concept into a fic, but I did, and immediately after I realized it was the same kind of idea from those episodes. However, this is a fanfic, so it doesn't really matter now does it? :P So anyway, enjoy!

As Day Turns to Night

Chapter 1-Borrowed Time

He slammed the locker door closed hurriedly, causing a loud bang around the room that was empty of students. The clock continued the steady ticking, which seemed to taunt him, almost as if it were satisfied with the fact that it would soon spell his social death if he didn't get out of there soon. Scratch that, not just social. He was sure that there would be more than a few people with no qualms over murdering him in cold blood if they were to...see. He lobbed a crumpled piece of paper that he had scribbled some useless notes on into a nearby trashcan, not bothering to go find a recycling bin, and then started speed walking towards the exit. He neared the library where he had been studying previously, one of the many checkpoints that got him ever closer to the end of the damn hallway.

Stupid research project, he thought angrily. He'd had to waste his precious time stuck in this place because his teacher, of course, gave him an assignment that could only be completed using the, as he had put it, 'valuable resources our wonderful library has to offer that you should all strive to take advantage of'.

"Keh," he muttered angrily under his breath. "What a tool." The doors on his left swung open just as he began to pass them, revealing a smiling ebony-haired girl and her male companion, the latter clad in a black, high-collared uniform just as InuYasha was, the former in a green and white sailor fuku. They were both laughing, and for a moment didn't even notice him. He hoped it would stay that way and he could hastily leave, but unfortunately, luck was not on his side today.

"Oh, hi, InuYasha!" the girl chirped brightly, raising her hand in a little wave.

"Hey, Kagome," he begrudgingly said back.

"What are you doing here so late? From what I've noticed, you usually try to get out of the building as quick as possible," she bubbled.

"Yeah, well, I had that dumb research project to do. I was, um, actually in the library too," he mumbled looking down at his shoes. The soft rubber flexed against the linoleum floors, and he found himself contemplating once again how much he hated shoes. He thought they were impractical, which confused most people, especially his mother, but they were too damn noisy and made it harder for him to run.

"Oh, really?" Kagome asked, snapping him out of his reverie. "Sorry, I didn't see you. Hojo and I were really focused on our work." She gestured to the boy beside her.

"I was helping her with math!" Hojo proclaimed proudly. "And I must say she's improving a lot!"

"You don't need to make me sound like I'm dumb," she grumbled. InuYasha held in a snicker, and then remembered he had to get the hell out of there.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, but I really have to go now," he said in as polite a voice he could muster, and then began to head towards the doors again.

"Wait!" Kagome called after him. "Are you sure? I mean, Hojo and I were just about to go to WacDonald's, and you're welcome to come with."

InuYasha stopped dead in his tracks. Damn that girl, teasing him like this. There was no way he could go with them, but he didn't want to disappoint her. Never mind the fact that getting out of his house for something other than school would be fantastic. Fuck, did he ever hate this time of year. It wasn't nearly as bad as winter, but the sun still set at a little after six each night, or more precisely, six twenty-three tonight, according to his calendar. There was only about an hour left until then, and that was still cutting it close. He turned and walked back to where she stood.

"Uh, that sounds great, Kagome, but, um, my mother's expecting me at home...soon." Aw, fuck. Could he sound like any more of an idiot?

"Oh, okay. I see," she trailed off, and he could hear the hurt in her voice, probably due to the fact that his excuse wasn't very convincing. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Why did he do these things to himself?

"You know, I'm sure she won't mind if I'm a little late. I'll go," he relented, forcing a smile onto his face. How was he supposed to say no to her? She looked like a damn puppy with those big, brown eyes.

"Are you serious?" she exclaimed. He nodded, and Kagome threw her arms around his middle and let out a delighted squeal, a gesture that, frankly, caught him off guard and caused him to blush slightly. She released her grasp then stepped back, looking slightly sheepish. "Sorry," she apologized. "It's just that I never see you out, and, I don't know. I'm just glad you're going to come have some fun with us, instead of being so absorbed in your studies."

InuYasha scoffed internally at this. There wasn't much of a choice to do otherwise, not when you were stuck inside as much as he was. And if he got good marks, then maybe he would have an easier time trying to fix his problem. Otherwise, he was screwed for the rest of his miserable life.

"Well, are we going to go now?" Hojo asked merrily, clasping his hands together and rubbing them excitedly. InuYasha looked at him with an expression of both confusion and disdain. Did nothing faze this guy? From what he had seen when the two of them were together, which was an awful lot, even though Hojo wasn't in the same class, he was more than interested in Kagome, yet he didn't care that she was inviting another guy on what sounded like a date? What a dumb ass.

.~*~.

A quick glance at the clock hanging above the register told him that he had a little more than twenty-five minutes until sunset, which was giving him a sick feeling in his stomach. His half-eaten burger was no longer very appetizing, and he found himself wondering why the hell he had agreed to this in the first place. Kagome and Hojo, on the other hand, looked perfectly happy. Kagome sat on his right, giggling at Hojo, who was across from them and making some absurd hand gestures to go along with his story. InuYasha wasn't really paying attention, but it seemed to be about the guy being an idiot and dropping a whole ton of shit for his family's store everywhere.

"And so then I don't see the wet floor sign, and I'm carrying this really big box just full to the brim with glass jars," he blabbered on.

"So let me guess: you slipped?" Kagome offered.

"Nope. I walked right through the water, didn't slip, made it to the storeroom and put the box safely on a shelf, which then proceeded to fall over, along with everything on it."

"Oh gosh, of course," Kagome clapped with delight. InuYasha just stirred his drink absentmindedly, then looked at the clock again. Only a minute had passed, but it felt like an hour. He sighed, causing the others' empty wrappers on the table to flutter in the breeze.

"Is something wrong," Kagome inquired, concerned.

"What? Uh, no, nothing," he stammered. "I just..."

"You need to get home?" She finished his sentence for him.

"Yeah," InuYasha admitted weakly.

"Well that's fine; we can leave now. We're finished anyway, right, Hojo?"

"Sure are!" Hojo beamed. InuYasha glared at him darkly from beneath his black bangs. The 'everything is just so great!' act was wearing thin. Kagome gathered her things, and the boys did the same. On their way out, InuYasha snuck one more peek at the clock. Twenty minutes. He'd have to hurry.

.~*~.

"So, this is where you live?" Kagome asked as they sidled up to the rather impressive tan, three-story building that bordered somewhere on the line between house and mansion.

"Yep," InuYasha replied, hands in his pockets.

"It's very nice," she told him, "Your family must be pretty well-off." Her eyes widened as that slipped out of her mouth. "Oh, gosh, I didn't mean to say that. I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean any offence by it," she added quickly. He looked at her, amused.

"Why would I be offended? I am aware that we have money, after all. I spend it often enough."

"I just meant for bringing something like that up. Kind of a touchy subject, don't you think?"

"No, not really. At least not to me." He glanced at his watch.

"Shit!" he yelled, then remembered that Kagome was standing beside him. "Shoot, I mean." There were only two minutes until sundown, at least according to the weather report he got all his information from. It wasn't always accurate, though, which meant he was running on borrowed time.

"What is it?" Kagome asked in a panic.

"I need to get inside, now. I had a nice time today, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" The words came out in a jumbled rush as he ran for the door.

"Um, all right! I enjoyed it too! Maybe we can do this again sometime?" she hollered after him as he ran inside. The door shut, and she was left feeling slightly rejected.

"Cutting it a little close, are we?" Sesshoumaru, leaning on his doorway, questioned him nonchalantly as InuYasha flew up the stairs and into his room.

"Shut up!" he yelled back, and slammed the door. He rested against it, breathing heavily, and let himself slide down it to the floor. InuYasha sat there for a moment, staring at the brilliant hues of pink and yellow that were streaked across the sky, signalling just how lucky he was today. The beauty that people saw in sunsets had always evaded his understanding, due to the foreboding connotations they brought for him.

A sharp pain suddenly wracked his head, forcing his hands up to clench at it in some futile attempt to ease his suffering. He drew them away, however, when his claws started to come in, and instead gripped the floor, adding to the multitude of scratches already lining the hardwood surface. A groan escaped his lips as his normal ears finished making their way to the top of his head and started to change shape. The ears were always the worst part. His teeth clenched together even harder as he felt the canines grow to a frightening size, and his senses heightened, causing the world to become an overwhelming jumble of only sounds and smells since his eyes were still shut from the pain. He made a mental note to tell the neighbours to turn their damn music down when he was presentable. It was then that the transformation stopped, and he breathed a sigh of relief as his body relaxed. InuYasha opened his now golden eyes and picked himself up from the floor, opening his door forcefully and nearly pulling it off its hinges with his increased strength. The rosary that had been hidden beneath his school uniform was partly uncovered and glowing.

"Fuck me," he muttered under his breath as he made his way downstairs.

A/N: So that's it! Any reviews or thoughts would be appreciated, as I am insanely busy right now and they help keep me going. And yes, I realize that in the series, Yash's transformations don't hurt him (that we know of), but here they do, for a reason which shall be explained if you keep reading! Also, the line about getting people to turn their music down is dedicated to Amy, as she both bothers people with her excessively loud music and gets mad at other people for doing the same. :P