A/N: uh, yeah. So I'm starting another new story. I'll probably have about three more out by summer's end. It's all good. Hope you enjoy! Happy summer everyone!

Full summary: Kagome is a senior is high school. She's a pretty normal teenager… except for one thing: she has an eighteen-month-old baby boy. The boy she loved and the father of her child left her for another girl, so Kagome is living with her best friend, Sango, trying to get by on two jobs and her education. Inuyasha's a rich boy who happens to: move into Kagome's city, go to Kagome's school and make an impact in Kagome's life. She teaches him a few things about life, and he gives back to her what she lost. But who said the journey up to that point was going to be easy…

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. But it is said that if you fail to use contractions like don't, you're lying. Hehe. (just kidding, I don't own Inuyasha.)

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Hard Knock Life

Chapter 1 – Intro

TaintedMunkeyz

OoOoO

Just when you think you're all alone… here comes your prince in a Benz and a Polo shirt…

OoOoO

The hospital was peaceful and quiet, the gentle voices of nurses paging doctors on the intercom floating down empty hallways. Nurses' and doctors' shoes squeaked as they walked from room to room, chatting idly about what they'd do when they got off from work. An immaculate white filled every room, every hallway and almost every employee's outfits. Nothing could be more peaceful at this moment.

"Kouga you fucking bastard! I hate you to hell!" a young girl screamed at the top of her lungs, in a hospital room. Nurses and doctors were milling around to comfort and deliver the baby that was to meet a new world very soon.

Ok. Scratch that. The jungle would probably be more peaceful right about now.

"Kagome, you've got to calm down. Just breathe and push. Breathe and push." A nurse put a cool cloth on her forehead and held her hand for comfort. Two nurses stood by trying to look like they were doing their job.

"Such a colorful mouth on a young girl." One whispered to the other. They both nodded and watched with sympathy as the sixteen and a half-year-old girl gave birth. "And isn't she too young to be having a baby?" the other nodded and clucked her tongue.

"Kids these days." Another scream emitted from Kagome's mouth and she did as she was told.

"Just one final push, Kagome. One more and your child will be born. Give me one more good push!" the doctor instructed and Kagome gave it her all. One final push, a spank to the baby, and cries were heard at the foot of the bed. Kagome collapsed on her pillows and gave a sigh of relief. The doctor instructed two nurses to clean the baby and wrap it in a warm blanket.

"Kagome, you did good." Her best friend said. She fanned herself and swallowed a lump as she looked at Kagome. "You did really good." She blew the bangs from her face, as Kagome lay there exhausted.

"Kagome. Would you like to hold your baby now?" the doctor's soft voice reached her ears and she nodded holding out her arms. "You have a beautiful baby boy."

"I knew it." Kagome said with a big smile on her face. Sango let go of one of Kagome's hands so she could hold the baby fully.

"What are you going to name him?" Sango asked hopefully. She looked down at the quiet baby with big brown eyes and a curious look painted on his features. Little wisps of black hair came out from the top of his head and he gripped tightly onto one of her fingers.

"I'm going to name him… Tao." She stated happily.

(Hard Knock Life)

"Hey dad. What'd you need?" A sixteen and a half-year-old boy asked as he walked into the living room. His stepmother and father were situated there, waiting for him to come so that they could all talk.

"Inuyasha. We hate to tell you this…" his father trailed off. "I actually don't know how to say this, but. Inuyasha, we're moving for your senior year." Inuyasha made a noise in the back of his throat.

"What?" he asked in disbelief. "We couldn't move after I graduated? Why do we have to move my senior year?"

"Son, I was offered a job there." his father paused. "It pays handsomely. Better than I'm getting paid now." He explained. Inuyasha sat glued to his seat, in shock. He was upset, yes and very disappointed.

"Dad…"

"Look at it this way. You get to stay for your junior year. And then we move. It's not like you can't visit your friends. It's just a three-hour drive. You'll be fine." he reassured. Inuyasha sat up from his seat and ran from the room angrily.

"How could they do this…?"

(Hard Knock Life)

1 ½ years later…

Her alarm clock went off and sounded even through the thick pillow she held over her head. She groaned and knocked the alarm clock onto the floor, thus causing the baby to waken across the room.

"Tao…" she pulled herself from bed and walked over to his crib, which was situated in her room, and picked him up shushing him back to sleep. She heard another alarm clock go off as she heard Sango getting up in the room next to hers.

They shared an apartment together. Neither had family except for each other. They both split the rent costs and bills in half and paid for them with their earning from their multiple jobs.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled out her door. "You want shower first?" she asked. Kagome grunted and placed Tao back in his crib, then got her stuff she needed for school and set out the door, down the hall to the bathroom. Sango shrugged. "I'll make breakfast then."

An hour later, both girls were ready to go. Kagome picked Tao up from the blanket on the living room floor where he had been playing, and they all walked out the door. The walked across the hall to their neighbor's apartment and waited for the women in question to open her door. When the woman did, she was all smiles.

"Good morning girls!" she said happily. Tao giggled and reached out for her. She took him willingly then smiled again. "Have a good day at school ladies."

"Ms. Sumaki, thank you again. You have been such great help." Kagome hugged her before kissing her son goodbye and walking down the hall waving. Ms. Sumaki looked down at the baby boy in her arms and smiled.

"That girl right there is your mother. And she's absolutely amazing." She walked into her apartment and got ready for a fun filled day of spoiling.

(Hard Knock Life)

"Shit…" Inuyasha situated his backpack further up on his shoulders and looked up at the enormous school. He had gone to a small private school before, so this was absolutely new to him. He was going in with no friends, and he didn't know a soul. And as he looked around, he saw that everyone around here wasn't really like him. In the sense that they didn't drive Mercedes Benz's and they didn't wear polo shirts. It was more the style of way baggy pants, tennis shoes and shirts with three layers. It was the style.

"I'll have to change my wardrobe." He whispered to himself and walked up to the steps leading into the place that harbored his education. He swung the doors open and walked to the administration office. A lady at the desk gave him his schedule and locker combination and number and told him to sit and wait for his escort to come.

Soon a boy with short black hair pulled into a little ponytail at the back of his head walked in. his violet eyes surveyed Inuyasha with humor.

"I'm escorting him?" he asked with disbelief. Inuyasha frowned and growled.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked standing up.

"Nothing just…" he trailed off and stifled a chuckle. "Uh, what are you wearing?" Inuyasha looked down at his outfit. He was wearing a dark red collared shirt, and baggy blue jeans. On his feet were white K-Swiss.

"What's wrong with me?" he repeated. Miroku just smiled.

"Nothing, buddy. Let's go." He patted Inuyasha on the back and winked at the office help (a junior girl). She giggled and sighed contentedly. Inuyasha laughed.

"Nice affect on the ladies."

"I know, right?"

"Hey, Miroku!" a group of girls exclaimed as Miroku and Inuyasha passed. Miroku nodded with a smirk and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Ladies." He turned to Inuyasha as they continued down the hall. "So where you from?" he asked. Inuyasha looked around the hall at all the different types of people.

"Um, I'm from the other side of Tokyo." He stated simply. "Just moved here last week. Names Inuyasha." He explained. Miroku nodded idly and waved his hand.

"Mhm. And welcome to Shikon High." They walked into the courtyard and sat down on a bench. "First rule of thumb: you need to know your surroundings. So let me introduce you to hell."

"This school is that bad?" Inuyasha asked with a raised brow.

"No actually, but I just think it's hell to have to get up and come to school every morning." Miroku shrugged and surveyed the students surrounding them. "Ok. Those people over there are like Goths. They're cool, but don't fuck with 'em. Those over there are the nerds. They can't wait to solve a good Trig question. Those are like rappers, but um, pretty wannabe. The jocks are over there by that tree. They lead us to victory every season in like every sport. Those over there are like, the preps. Um, yeah they could fuck up your rep if you aren't careful, get in their way or just… how about you just don't mess with them, okay?" Miroku laughed and looked around some more. "Those are the skaters and punks. And next to them are the druggies and hardcore kids. I think that pretty much sums it up. Any questions?" Miroku asked upbeat.

"Yeah…" Inuyasha tilted his head to see past some person blocking his view. "Who's that?" he asked pointing casually and looking back at Miroku. Miroku sighed and looked where he was looking.

"Oh. Well, that there is the one and only Kagome Higurashi. And next to her is my love, Sango." Inuyasha looked at him curiously.

"You've never even got with her, have you?" he asked regarding Sango. Miroku looked down defeated.

"Nope. But have no fear, soon I will grace her with my charms." Miroku smiled and looked back at him. "Anymore questions?"

"Yeah, what group do you belong to?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, I actually don't belong to any group. I'm just me. Pretty much."

"Hmm." Inuyasha looked back at the girl with black hair and a pretty face. "And what group does she belong to?"

"Well, she's the same as me. We really just wander around. We're our own people." He shrugged again.

"Are you guys friends?"

"We're acquaintances." Inuyasha nodded.

"She's beautiful."

"Yeah. But uh, I have to warn you, it's hard to get to her. I mean unless she takes a liking to you in the very beginning. But she's sealed her heart completely off with concrete and it'd take a lot more than a jackhammer to earn her trust."

"What happened?"

"Kouga." Miroku snorted and leaned back against the table. "He knocked her up and left her for some chick. He's over there." He pointed to where the preps were and nodded. "Another thing I have to warn you about is even though he left her, he still is very protective. So it's like, no one can get near her without getting fucked up because he won't stand for it."

"That's stupid."

"Not stupid Inuyasha. Fucked. Say it."

"Fucked?" he asked uncertainly.

"We really need to work on you. You're going to get your ass beat down if you talk like a wussy."

"I don't talk like a wussy!"

"Dude, you sounded like one with that simple statement. And we need to work on your wardrobe. No one wears collared shirts, unless it like, tight or seen in a music video." He stated calmly. Inuyasha sighed.

"Ok, whatever."

"Ugh, this will help." He took Inuyasha's collars and unfolded them, leaving them up against his neck. "At least you look a little better." Inuyasha shrugged and ran a hand through his shaggy silver locks.

The first bell signaling the beginning of classes rang. But Miroku didn't make a move to get up.

"Uh, Miroku."

"What, man?"

"The bell just rang."

"Yeah. And?"

"We need to get to class. It's my first day. I ain't really trying to be late." Miroku opened one of his eyes.

"Okay…" he said slowly and stood up. He stretched. "What class do you have?

"Math." Inuyasha stated.

"Let's go. I have that class too." Miroku snatched Inuyasha's schedule from him and laughed. "We have all the same classes. That makes it easier for me." he handed the piece of paper back to him and smiled. "Off to class!" he whistled and walked at the same time, heading for the second floor where their math class you be held.

(Hard Knock Life)

"Hey, I'm going to work, I'll catch up with you later, okay?" Sango waved as she walked in the opposite direction of her best friend. She looked around her surroundings and sighed. The air was cool and crisp and the sky was beginning to change from bright to dark. It was about 6:00, and Kagome and Sango just got off from their first jobs. Sango was going to her second, but Kagome needed to go home and see her baby boy. She missed him so much already.

She arrived home and went to her neighbor's door. After picking up Tao, she went home and kicked off her shoes to relax. She changed into some jogger pants and a T-shirt and walked into the kitchen, setting Tao into his high chair.

"Hey, sweetie. How was your day?" she asked quietly as she kissed him on the forehead. He giggled and cooed the way all babies do and she laughed. "What would you like to eat?" she asked raiding the fridge. He slapped his hands down on the table in front of him and giggled. She smiled as she pulled out a small box of Cheerios from the cupboard and poured some on the little table in front of him, and then poured herself a bowl. He giggled cutely and put one in his mouth, his whole hand almost going in too.

"Eat slow, baby." She said as she pushed them all to the corner of the small table and left two. She pointed to them to tell him to eat those first. He looked up at her, his mouth in the curious shape of an 'O'. Instead of eating one, he moved over to the pile she had made and took one, plopping it into his mouth. She shook her head. "Good Lord." She smiled and placed a bottle full of milk in front of him. He picked it up and drank while holding one of her fingers. He cooed again and she smiled lovingly.

She sighed when she was done with her bowl, and when Tao finished up his little pile she whisked him up and brought him over to the sink so that she could give him a bath. She held him on her hip as she plugged the drain and filled it up with warm water, then poured in his baby soap so that he could have suds. He splashed when she set him down in there.

"You're going to make a mess." She laughed as she soaped up a small washcloth and washed his legs and arms, back and stomach. Then she took some shampoo and soaped up the soft black wisps of hair covering the top of his head. She gave him a soap Mohawk and giggled, making him follow suit. A bubble floated up from the suds and hung in front of his face. He tilted his head curiously, and then looked up at his mother.

"Mama." He said looking back at the bubble.

"No, honey. Bubble." She said pointing to it. "Bubble." She said it slowly as his eyes watched her lips. His eyes widened.

"Ummble?" he tried hesitantly.

She smiled.

"Close enough." She tapped his nose then rinsed him off, lifting him from the water and wrapping a towel around his small frame, using part of it to cover his head like a hood. She carried him to her room, where he had his own little dresser, and picked out a pair of pajamas. They were red with little airplanes on them. She dried him off, put on a clean and fresh diaper and then dressed him, to keep him warm. She brushed his dry hair and looked down at the sleepy boy. "Tired yet?" she asked with a smile. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Time for bed." Tao kicked and groaned protesting. "No, come on, you're tired." He closed his eyes and yawned again, his breath smelling like mint, for she had just brushed his little teeth. She walked around the room, cradling him in her arms as she hummed a tune she'd remembered from when she was a girl. Soon he was in a light slumber and she placed him in his crib, covering him with a small blanket, tucking it in at his sides. When she was done, she walked out of her room and flopped down on the couch. She knew Sango would be home a little late, but she could wait up for her. It was Friday night after all.

She thought about to two most important people in her life. She wondered where she'd be if Sango and Tao weren't there. Frankly, she decided, that she'd be lost. She loved them both so much. They made her happy in some of the simplest ways. And she'd never be able to forget that. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes, waiting until Sango got home.

(Hard Knock Life)

Inuyasha got home and opened the front door tiredly. All the lights in the house were off, and no car was in the driveway, which indicated that his parents were out and about.

He didn't mind.

He sighed as he trudged up the stairs, two at a time, and headed towards his room at the end of the hall. He set down his book bag and stretched. His room was dark, save for the moonlight coming in through his window. The curtains were drawn back, and the light coming in illuminated his room, if only a little. He kicked off his shoes then walked to the other side of his room where his joint bathroom was connected. He stripped off all his clothes and turned the shower on, steam filling the bathroom almost immediately. He hopped in and let the water run down his muscular body, and down to the drain on the floor. He soaped up a washcloth, his body and then washed his hair. Holding onto the wall he just stood under the water and let it run down his body some more, to relieve all the tension and stress in his muscles.

He turned off the water and shook his head; his hair sending droplets of water everywhere. He grabbed a towel on the rack out side his shower and smothered his face, drying it off. Then he wrapped it around his bottom half and walked out into his room. The difference between the warm bathroom and the cool air of his room sent chills down his spine, so he hurried and dried off.

He went over to his dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of black sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt, boxers and socks. After dressing he headed downstairs to the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets, trying to find his beloved ramen. He smiled as he pulled out chicken flavor and put a pot on the stove to heat up water.

While he waited for his food, he thought about how his senior year could turn out. He only knew Miroku, and he was cool; blunt, perverted and humorous, but cool. He smiled as he thought of Kagome and how he wanted to meet her. Except for the whole getting past Kouga… and earning her trust. He actually just wanted to get to know the raven-haired beauty.

'Kagome Higurashi, huh?' he nodded his head and ate his food thinking of all the possibilities for his senior year in high school. 'Gotta make it memorable.'

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A/N: haha. I must admit, that shower scene was my favorite part. And the Kagome and Tao bonding. Even though those two scenes together is practically a sin. well I hope you enjoyed. Sorry if it started out kind of slow. But it'll get better. R&R please!

TaintedMunkeyz