Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Author's Note: My first AU! Whoo! *sweats nervously* FYI: The first chapter is rather different in tone and style compared to later chapters. More characters show up and switch perspectives, but the story overall focuses on InuKag bonding as the plot thickens. I only hope I can live up to expectations as I continue writing ^_^
Also: Yes, it's supposed to be set in Japan, so I apologize for any inaccuracies. I'm writing a fanfic for fun, not for profit. So some Americanized elements are included, mostly because that's what I feel most comfortable writing. Again, my fic, my style. Believe me, if I was writing a professional novel, I'd invest a lot more time into research.
Edit: I've made a few minor changes, mainly in regards to Inuyasha's appearance. I realized I've been bit confusing on whether or not people (in universe) are aware of Inuyasha being a half-demon, so I tweaked it a bit, so that Kagome notices things others don't...
That said, enjoy!
Chapter 1: School Dances and Delinquents
"Come on, Kagome, won't you come? Please?"
"Eri, I'm not exactly much of a dancer."
"Oh, who cares? The point of a dance is to have fun, not to show off moves."
"Unless you're Yuka's boyfriend."
"Hey, guys, he's really good at dancing, okay?"
While Yuka blushingly defended her boyfriend, Kagome laughed half-heartedly with the others, as she packed her backpack and prepared to leave for the day. She knew they meant well, but sometimes meddlesome friends were the most annoying creatures on the planet!
She had never gone to single school event in primary or middle school, or the entirety of her first year in high school. But now, as a second-year, her friends made it their life mission to drag her there, somehow or another. This particular dance was the first special event of the school year, so Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi saw this as their chance to persuade their reluctant friend to go before she delayed and delayed until the school year ended.
But Kagome never dated anyone before, let alone kissed or held hands with someone. She barely had a crush beyond a hot celebrity or two, and simply never showed the same level of interest or desire in romance the way her fellow female peers did.
Her friends used to tease that she was a late bloomer, or that puberty had arrived but never knocked on her door. Perhaps both were true. Kagome never could tell exactly what made her feel differently, but if she had to choose the right words, it would be that she was... waiting.
Besides, what's the point in going if I don't even have a date?
"Kagome, you haven't given your answer yet."
Kagome sighed. "Let me think about it, Eri."
"That's a start!" Ayumi exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
Yuka and Eri glanced at each other and sighed.
"Well, I guess Ayumi has a point."
"After all, before now, you always point-blanked refused to even consider it."
"Look," Kagome said, half-smiling in exasperation, "all I'm saying is because high school is halfway over, I might as well look at my options. But I'm not making any promises!" She pointed accusatory fingers at Eri and Yuka in particular. "The dance isn't for another two months. So, don't harass me until I give you my final answer."
"When will that be?"
"Whenever I feel like it. Bye!"
With that, Kagome gathered up her items and started heading home. Or at least, she was heading down the hall, when shouts and running students caught her by surprise. She overhead a pair of boys say to each other,
"There's a fight down by the boys' bathroom!"
"Who is it this time?"
"Koga from the soccer team and that one guy... the crazy, violent one... with bleached white hair."
"Oh, him?! Oh, this will be interesting..."
Kagome froze. The boys raced off toward the growing crowd, but her feet were rooted to the spot.
A violent guy with white hair... that must be none other than Inuyasha Taisho, the most infamous delinquent Shikon High has ever contained within its walls.
Rumor had it that he was prone to pick fights at every possible opportunity, to blackmail rich kids to give up some of their leftover cash so he could buy drugs (or guns, depending on how wild some rumors got), and to intimidate the teachers so they couldn't kick him out of school.
Kagome normally did not pay much attention to rumors, as they typically only existed based on flimsy misunderstandings and assumptions. But she couldn't deny there was a certain thrill that a fight, a delinquent fight, was happening just down the hall and she was in no real hurry to get home...
"Give it to him good, Koga!" a voice shouted, jolting Kagome out of her reverie.
Too curious for her own good, Kagome hurried over to the excited crowd of on-lookers.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She had never seen Inuyasha Taisho, not even in a picture. He was always an elusive figurehead, a phantom that terrorized students and teachers alike. Even the descriptions didn't do him justice, only ever focusing on his stark white hair. They always left everything else out.
But Kagome now drank in the amazing sight, who was currently standing a few feet away from Koga, obviously assessing his next move or defense, his hands clenching on and off into tight fists. Forgetting where she was and everyone around her, as the world grew silent and still, Kagome ogled brazenly at the strange boy.
Inuyasha Taisho, the scary, dangerous gang member was shockingly, shamelessly hot!
His hair had more a silver tint, not pure white like the rumors had it, and it was long and tied back in a boyish ponytail, but the ends still reached far past his shoulders. His face was angular, but also quite pleasing to the eye.
He wore typical "no-good thug" clothing, down to the leather jacket and baggy pants, though everything was colored red, except his white undershirt. He was the only one in school who openly didn't abide by the uniform dress code, and the teachers were too terrified to discipline him about it.
Though he covered most of his body with clothes, except his hands and head, it was still quite clear that he worked out, as his muscles flexed with every movement. He simply had an aura, a presence of confidence mingled with something deeper that Kagome couldn't quite pinpoint.
Then, she gasped. Atop of that silver head, he sported adorable doggie ears!
But how could this be? Could it be a symbol of his gang? But those cute little dog ears couldn't possibly be considered an intimidating look. Then again, if some of the rumors were true, his gang were known as "the Mongrels."
Was he that dedicated? Or was he simply a closet otaku? Kagome covered her mouth, overcome with giggles over the thought that the supposed delinquent was actually a mega nerd.
And yet... she removed her hand slowly, watching, mesmerized, as the boy with the strange ears, flexed his hands, the corners of his mouth quirked up in a cocky grin that made her stomach erupt with butterflies. She imagined him grinning at her in that fashion, his eyes roving over her body as if he would like to eat her up...
Her heartbeat picked up, faster and faster, as her fantasy grew wilder and wilder, with a now shirtless (and devastatingly handsome) Inuyasha walking up to her, and leaning down and -
"Watch out, Koga, he's coming right at ya!"
The shout brought Kagome back to earth, and the silence that penetrated her ears while she was eyeing the mysterious Inuyasha, suddenly was filled once more with shouts, jeers, cheers, and more ruckus.
Time caught up to her vision as well, for within a blink of an eye, Inuyasha was suddenly on top of Koga, punching his face over and over. But Koga caught one midair and the two fighting boys struggled against each other's strength. Kagome couldn't help but notice the sweat running down Inuyasha's face, making her heart skip a beat yet again. She clutched her textbooks to her chest, wondering at what was coming over her.
The fight was getting a little bloody now, with Inuyasha hitting Koga square on the jaw, and Koga retaliating with a solid punch to the nose, causing blood to squirt all over the handsome boy's face. But Inuyasha refused to back down. If anything, this new injury seemed only to spur him on, as he grappled with Koga's collar and rolled him over the ground, trying to reach the stairs...
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
The bellowing voice of Principal Souma boomed over the hall, silencing even the most enthusiastic of onlookers. The crowd parted simultaneously, revealing a very angry-looking, elderly man, whose stooped figure was no less intimidating with the electrifying aura surrounding him. Though he was generally a kindly, thoughtful principal, who sought out his students' best interests, everyone who'd attended Shikon High long enough knew to never get on his bad side. In a heartbeat, the calm, grandfatherly demeanor would vanish, replaced by a terrifying, cold visage.
He cast a critical eye over the scene, then glared at the crowd of now guilty-looking students.
"Everyone, go home at once! Except for you boys," he pointed at the frozen fighters – Koga's hand was pulling Inuyasha's hair, and Inuyasha's hand was squashing the other's face - "You two. My office. NOW."
And with that, he grabbed both boys by their shirt collars and yanked them onto their feet, marching them down the hall.
Everyone quickly exited the scene, most heading downstairs to leave the building, but some hurrying back to classrooms or the library to pass on news of Inuyasha Taisho's latest fight. Kagome herself decided on the former, and was soon outside and walking along the streets toward her home shrine.
Her mind buzzed with excitement and bewilderment. On one hand, witnessing a fight, as terrible as it sounded, was always a thrill, for better or for worse. On the other hand, what was up with her practically fangirling over Inuyasha, the very cause and most dangerous factor of the aforementioned fight?! Why was it that the only thing that went through her mind as the fight had grown more intense was about how cool Inuyasha looked and hoping that he wouldn't get too hurt?!
Am I THAT type of girl? she thought wryly. Why do I find him so goddamn hot?!
Kagome growled aloud in frustration, startling a pair of elderly ladies doing some window shopping. She quickly picked up her pace, chiding herself.
Bad boys were never good news. No amount of physical hotness could make up for terrible habits, overall toxicity, and dangerous connections! She had to forget him! Forget, move on, and focus on finding a date for the upcoming dance.
For a split second, Kagome envisioned herself dancing to a slow song with Inuyasha, looking rather smart but still rebelliously hot in a tuxedo-
"ARGH! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?" Kagome exploded, once in the sanctity of her bedroom, and could scream all of her thoughts into her pillow. "MOTHER, FORGIVE ME, FOR YOUR DAUGHTER HAS TERRIBLE TASTE IN MEN! ARGHHHH!"
Downstairs, her family could hear the muffled shouting, and looked at one another in bewilderment.
"What's gotten into Kagome?" Sota finally dared to ask.
"Teenage hormones, my lad. Very dangerous and frightening spirits, they are, for they haunt almost every person around Kagome's age, especially young girls," Grandpa said, nodding sagely as if he had imparted some great piece of wisdom.
"Hmmm, I suppose," Mama said softly, frowning slightly at the ceiling.
The next day at school, Kagome was determined to pretend that her lapse of sanity never happened. She was simply swept up in the mob excitement, noticed an attractive guy, and made a connection that had no rational merit whatsoever.
Quite simple. She wouldn't slip up again-
Suddenly, she rammed straight into a tall, walking pillar, and fell flat on her back, hurting herself even more due to her backpack being jammed with textbooks.
"Owwwww," she whined, sitting up and rubbing her lower back and backside, "what the hell-?"
"If you ask me, princess, I'd say you should watch where you're going."
No. No, Kagome, don't you dare-
Paying no heed to the warning voice in her head, Kagome looked up, with a frown. To stare straight in to the amber eyes of Inuyasha Taisho (were his eyes always that color?), whose arms were crossed over his chest, and had the most infuriatingly attractive smirk on his face, his damnably cute ears completed the visage.
Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. Horrified at herself, Kagome scrambled to her feet, wracking her brains desperately for a good comeback.
"Yeah? W-well, you shouldn't be so tall!"
May the gods take me now. I'm ready. Let me ascend into another plane of reality. Clearly, this world is not fit for my stupidity.
Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow. He scoffed. "Whatever. I don't walk around with my eyes glued to the ground, muttering weird shit about forgetting things."
Kagome's face turned scarlet. Her hands twitched at her sides, dying to wrap her fingers around his annoying neck.
"How about you mind your own business!" she snapped, turning around and marching away, feeling stiffer than a poker in her anger and humiliation.
"Whatever, princess. I'm not the one toppling over after slightly bumping into someone."
SLAM! Kagome shot open and closed her classroom door with such fury, that the few students who were already inside jumped in alarm.
Ignoring them, she stomped to her desk, angrily unpacking everything, thinking dangerously violent thoughts about a certain rude boy who dared to make her heart beat unnaturally fast and yet had the gall to condescend to her, to her face!
Bastard! Stupid! Idiot! Jerk! How dare he!
With a huff, Kagome plopped down in her seat, pretending the bewildered stares and whispers around her were nonexistent. And also trying in vain to forget how majestic Inuyasha's silver hair looked, framing his face and body like a walking god on earth...
By some miracle, Kagome made it through the school day, and the rest of the week, without killing a certain delinquent and without revealing her humiliation to her friends. She excused her foul mood on a bad night's sleep, so most people accepted it.
But her anger never subsided, even if she pushed it aside to get through each day. It seemed that the more she thought back on that interaction, let alone witnessing the fight that started it all, the more her blood boiled. Every time they passed each other in the hall, he gave her such a self-satisfied smile, making both her heart flip over and her fury to increase tenfold.
The worst part was that every night, alone in her room, forced her to face the undeniable fact that she found him way too attractive and began haunting her thoughts in ways that did not involve revenge, but rather romance! Over and over, her mind tormented her with fantasies of Inuyasha shirtless, in a tux, or wearing his standard red delinquent outfit, kissing her, touching her, making her skin catch on fire as his fingers ran across her body...
He drove her crazy, in more than one way, and it was absolutely unforgivable!
When Friday came to an end, Kagome looked forward to a weekend of cleansing her mind and body of anything to do with Inuyasha Taisho. She was determined to pretend that they never met, no, that he never existed, and that any other drama or fights that occurred in school were entirely out of her realm of reality.
After the weekend, it would all be just a bad dream or a passing figment of her imagination. Nothing more.
Saturday morning started promising enough. Kagome awoke happily, feeling refreshed and ready to face a new world. She ate her breakfast with such open cheerfulness, that her family was even more bewildered than the previous week when she came home in a state of unadulterated wrath.
("Hormones, my boy," Grandpa whispered discreetly to a wide-eyed Souta, who nodded in stunned agreement at this recent development. Mrs. Higurashi merely smiled and happily served her daughter second helpings).
Today was a day to avoid all school-related life, until evening when she settled down for studying. For now, Kagome would go take a nice, long walk in the neighborhood and possibly visit the mall.
After saying her farewells, she headed out, wearing a conservatively attractive dress and shoes, keeping her purse and favorite book on hand. The sun seemed to send her good wishes as she hummed to herself on the way to the mall. The Higurashi shrine was not too far from nearby conveniences, and Kagome always enjoyed a good walk. On the way to the mall was the marketplace, various small shops, and a beautiful park where families enjoyed hanging out together on beautiful days such as today.
Kagome casually loitered in front of a kimono and dress shop, which was right next to the park, imagining herself in different types of formal wear for the dance, when a small yipping noise caught her attention.
She walked a short distance, to discover a cardboard box containing an adorable puppy! It looked like a mutt, with patches of white and brown colored fur, but still had that universally precious look and demeanor that all dogs possess. It wagged its tail happily as Kagome approached it.
"Oh! Hi, you sweet thing!" Kagome cried in delight, kneeling down to pet the cute animal, feeling the blessings of this fortuitous day all the more. "I'm glad to see such an adorable thing on my way to have a 'My Day.' Though I wonder what you're doing out here? Did someone abandon you? Poor thing. Maybe I'll text Mama and see if she's willing to take you home-"
"Or maybe you're jumping to conclusions and forget that some puppies, even homeless ones, have owners."
Instantly, Kagome's good mood came crashing down. The brilliant sun in the sky now became a scorching fire of death, and even the sweet face of the puppy lost some of its charm at the sound of his voice. Kagome turned slowly around, glaring openly and shamelessly at the object of her wrath, the sight of his red leather jacket and silver hair and damned doggie ears enough to make her tremble in rage.
At this reaction, the amused smirk on his stupid, handsome face faltered slightly.
"Wha-what the hell did I do?!"
"Do? What did you do? I'll tell you what you did!" Kagome yelled, jumping to her feet and pointing a dramatic finger at the stunned boy, throwing caution to the winds, grateful for the opportunity to have her revenge. "First, you humiliated me at school-"
(Well, really first, you were too stunningly attractive for this world and made me actually FANTASIZE about you...)
"Humiliated you?! No one even saw-"
"Second, you ruined the rest of my day-"
"It's not my fault you apparently hold a grudge-"
"And thirdly, just when I was having a happy, gloriously-free-of-YOU day, you came along ruined my moment with an adorable PUPPY!" Kagome's voice rose to a shriek, till she stopped to catch her breath, panting.
Inuyasha stared at her, blankly, blinking in shock. Then, he snorted. "Look, other than whatever the hell you just said, I don't know what I did to piss you off so much, but I don't have time to deal with spoiled princesses like you."
"EXCUSE-"
"I said, back off! As in, back away from Yuki."
"Yuki?"
"My puppy," Inuyasha said as if it were obvious. "She's still young and needs a lot of nourishment. I come by to see her every day to feed her."
He revealed a bag of dog food (where the hell had he been hiding it?), and promptly brushed past the stunned silent Kagome, kneeling down to greet the now very enthusiastic dog, who was wagging her tail a million miles per hour, and barking in excitement. Inuyasha gently rubbed the top of her head, cooing something quietly and offered the pup some food from his hand.
Kagome watched in stunned silence, feeling increasingly shocked and stupider by the minute.
"W-why don't you take her home?" she finally asked meekly.
Inuyasha turned around, his eyebrow raised in surprise at the drastic change in her tone. "Let's just say I have no good home to raise her in," he said abruptly after a pause, turning once again to attend to the puppy enjoying her meal.
"Well, what about when it rains?"
"I know the shopkeeper," Inuyasha said, jerking his thumb at the dress shop window Kagome was standing in front not long ago. "When the weather gets bad, he and his wife allow Yuki into their basement. The longest they'll keep her is this coming winter, but only under the condition that I stop by every day to feed her and clean up her messes. They can't keep her all the time though, cuz they're busy with their store and because taking care of a puppy on top of-"
"B-but, that can't be good for her!" Kagome blurted out. "Dogs aren't like cats, they can't survive properly on their own, they need shelter, and food, and-"
"Do you think I don't know that?" Inuyasha's voice was cold. He stood, apparently finished with feeding Yuki, and faced the bewildered girl. "Not all of us have perfect, clean homes to save helpless animals from off the street. I'm doing the best I can to take care of her. That's all there is to it."
What's gotten into him? He's almost taking it personally.
Kagome took a deep breath, and murmured, "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend."
"Huh? What's this? One minute, you're screaming down my throat, the next you're acting all shy and demure? You've seriously got some emotional problems."
"Hey!" Kagome protested at first, then hesitated. He was right, after all. Even if he was a bit of a jerk, there was no call for her to explode like that.
She sighed. "You're right. I don't know what came over me. I've been in a bit of a funk for a few days now, and I guess... you became my outlet. Sorry."
Inuyasha blinked. Then grinned. "Eh, I've heard worse, princess. Don't mention it." He then cleared his throat and looked away. "Anyway, I gotta get going. Hope I didn't ruin the rest of your day this time."
"I don't think so," Kagome said with a smile. "Yuki helped."
"Keh! I'm sure she did."
"No, really, I'm serious. Puppies make everything better."
Inuyasha looked back at her. There was some glint in his eye. Was it amusement? Deep thoughts? A memory? Who could say?
He shook his head and said, "You're one strange girl, princess."
"My name is Kagome. Kagome Higurashi. There's no need to call me 'princess,' especially since I'm not even remotely close to one."
"Eh, you have a sort of sheltered look about you," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly, "so I sort of nicknamed you that. I'm Inuyasha Taisho."
"Yes, I know. You're quite famous at school."
"Keh! That's a good one."
"Well, regardless, Inuyasha," Kagome said hurriedly, reaching out a hand to shake. "I'm glad to finally formally meet you."
Inuyasha hesitated, then took her hand. Kagome gasped. An electric shock shot through her whole body at his touch, and once again, she had an image of dancing with him, wondering how it'd feel to have his hands at her waist...
"By the way," he said, jolting her out of her fantasy, "why are you not afraid of me?"
Taken aback, Kagome scrambled for an adequate answer. "I-I guess I haven't been given an exact reason yet. Besides," she added with a grin, "it's hard to find someone scary who takes care of a homeless puppy."
"I guess so," Inuyasha said with a chuckle. "But... don't hang out with me at school. It won't do you any good."
"Why not?" Kagome asked without thinking.
Inuyasha gave her a crooked grin, revealing a single elongated fang. "Let's just say I'm not exactly the most... popular person."
AN: Okay! This was a longer chapter than I originally planned, but I knew I had to get them to meet, talk, and stuff in the first chapter, so there's the result! ^^" I apologize if either Kagome or Inuyasha sound a little OOC; I swear, it wasn't intentional. It's just harder getting a feel for the characters in AU without the Shikon Jewel shard hunt, and time traveling... Hopefully I'll improve in time.