Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Inuyasha. I sincerely wish I did, though. Rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
A/N: I got a little caught up studying for a big test I have coming up, so I'm sorry this took so long to get to you guys. I hope you enjoy!
Wish Me Luck
All traces of darkness had been chased away by the time Kagome and Inuyasha were settling down for breakfast back in Kaede's hut. Shippo was grumbling to himself while nursing a growing knot on his head but the atmosphere was one of happiness.
"Oh Kagome-chan, I'm so happy for you! And to think that it only took three years!" Sango was smiling and almost bouncing with joy for her best friend. Both Kagome and Inuyasha blushed at the thought of everyone knowing about their feelings for each other except for them.
"Better late than never, I guess." Kagome giggled but twirled a strand of hair around her finger to keep from feeling awkward. She turned toward the kitsune in his corner and pulled him into her lap. He had been pouting ever since Inuyasha chased him from the forest and bopped him on the head.
"Thank you so much for the honey and flowers, Shippo. They really helped me feel better." She smiled apologetically at him and he brightened instantly. Kagome hugged him and she could swear she heard him purring.
Do foxes purr? She thought about this and laughed a little before saying, "I will be sure to bring you something special back the next time I get to go home."
"Hooray!" Kagome and Sango chuckled at the kitsune's excitement. No one could deny that Shippo loved the candy Kagome brought back from her time.
"After breakfast, I suppose ye will be on ye way again?" Kaede asked while stoking the fire to make it hot enough to cook the rice she planned for the meal.
Inuyasha who before then had been sitting quietly with a half smile on his face said to his friends, "We hafta check our supplies and if we're set, then we'll get going again. We lost almost a week here." He did not have any anger in his voice, nor did he make any insinuations. He figured that he could be a little less insulting toward Kagome now that he knew she reciprocated his feelings.
"Ah, okay. I'll go see what I have in my bag then." Kagome was a little surprised that he hadn't taken the opportunity to call her a nuisance but it was a pleasant surprise. She made her way back to the room she inhabited for the last week.
If this is the type of change I have to look forward to then I will be very happy indeed!
Kagome began to rummage through her trusty yellow bag checking the first aid kit, her supply of traveling clothes (which unfortunately, was ever dwindling), and the food stock. She packed everything awayand came back to the main room to report on the supply status. Everyone already had bowls of rice with vanilla and sliced peaches. She sat between Inuyasha and Sango while Kaede passed a bowl her way.
"We're running low on bandages, pain-killers, and food. I personally need some more clothes, soap, and arrows. Do you guys need anything?" She dug into her breakfast, relishing the substance of the meal after a week of tea, stew, and bitter herbs.
Everyone shook their heads between bites and Kagome took a chance, turning to her love. "If it's alright, could I run home quickly to get the things I need? And could you possibly take care of the arrows for me?" She braced herself for rejection but was surprised at his casual reply. "I guess it's alright. We already lost a week, what's another hour?" Inuyasha was completely nonchalant but Kagome was floored.
"O-okay. I'll leave right away then so we can be back on the road soon!" She inhaled her last bit of rice and ran to grab her bag. Kagome was feeling grateful and promised her friends to be back within the hour.
The room sat in stunned silence after she ran out to the door toward the well. Inuyasha finished his rice and helped himself to more. He was contemplating letting her go.
It can't be that easy to make the wench happy, can it? Damn, I've been slackin'. He shook the thoughts away and continued eating his breakfast.
Miroku was the first to venture speaking to the hanyou. "You've never been so willing to let her go, Inuyasha. May I ask why the sudden change?" Inuyasha thought for a moment before speaking. Kagome was really bringing out the best in the hanyou, even after only knowing of her affections for a short time.
"I guess it ain't worth getting' into a fight over her goin' home when we're right here. She won't be gone for long."
Inuyasha's eyes met blank faces, all absolutely stunned into silence.
Kagome was tearing through her house packing everything on her supply list. Her mother had always kept the house well stocked for these surprise visits, knowing her daughter would need to come back for such raids.
As Kagome passed a mirror in the hallway leading from her room to the stairs, she noticed how terrible she looked. A week of being sick did nothing to improve her natural beauty. Her hair was dull and a little dirty, she just noticed that she smelled of herbs, and her skin was paler than usual. She glanced down at her digital watch and decided she enough time for a quick shower; she figured she could freshen up and refill her traveling bottles with shampoo, conditioner, and soap.
As she washed up she thought to herself, Nothing compares to a hot shower!
The miko continued to wash at the speed of light and as soon as she felt she was sufficiently clean, she ran back to her room for a fresh outfit. She ran back to the bathroom and turned her head over to quickly blow-dry her clean locks. Once she was done, her hair laid flatter than usual and decided to pin her bangs back from her face. The comparison to herself before her shower was night and day; she blushed slightly to think that Inuyasha had seen her looking what she had deemed grotesque.
When she was finished upstairs, she brought all her dirty laundry down the stairs including all the clothes she had ruined. Her mother had taken to patching and sewing the ruined garments as best she could instead of buying Kagome a new wardrobe every month.
"Thanks again, mom. I appreciate it!" Just as Kagome was grabbing a few last minute items, a brilliant idea struck her. "Mom, do you think you could pick up an outfit for from the thrift store?"
"Anything in particular, sweetheart?" No trace of annoyance penetrated Mrs. Higurashi's tone; she was always warm and tender, something that Kagome admired in her mother.
"Actually, I would like you to get a guy's outfit… for Inuyasha. A t-shirt, jeans, and shoes will do. And I suppose, he'll need a hat to hide his ears." Kagome hoped that the next time she and her group of friends found a lull in action, she and Inuyasha could possibly have a normal date.
"Oh, what size pant does Inuyasha wear?" This question completely stumped Kagome. She thought aloud, "Hmmm, I'm about 5'6 and he isn't much taller… so maybe he's 5'7 or 5'8. I'm not sure about his waist size though… I guess he's average for a guy my age. I trust your judgment better than my own, mom."
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. I take it you want to be out and about in public with him?" Mrs. Higurashi wore a knowing smile on her face.
Kagome began to twirl a strand of hair again, suddenly becoming very nervous. "We're sort of dating now, I guess." She turned her head and blushed at the resulting squeal the announcement brought from her mother.
"I'm so glad you two are finally together!" Kagome's mother then turned to look at the clock on the kitchen wall and said, "It looks like you better get going, sweetie! You're almost late!"
"Oh, jeez! Thanks mom!" Kagome flew out the door toward the well house with her heavily laden book bag in tow. She thought she heard her mother call something out about needing to come back soon in the distance but she decided that it wasn't more important than being on time.
She reached the well and jumped in without hesitation, knowing her hanyou was waiting on the other side.
Two weeks later found the inu-tachi with a completed half of the Shikon no Tama. Since the jewel shattered the second time, it had been grueling work piecing the thing back together again. The past few battles had taken all but everything out of the group; even Inuyasha was feeling a bit worn down. There was no way the group would be ready to face Naraku for his half of the jewel any time soon.
Miroku could feel the kazaana throbbing around the edges, telling him that the tunnel would be getting bigger soon. This was by far the most alarming of the group's injuries, but no one was in much better shape after their battle with a fire dragon that had three jewel shards.
Sango was covered in scratches and Hiraikotsu was dented in some places; she would need to make some serious repairs before she could use the boomerang again. One of Kirara's ears had been torn but aside from some other scratches and a couple of bruises, the nekomata was well.
Shippo's hind paws were burned badly and even with his accelerated youkai healing, it would take a week or two before he could even walk without pain. Kagome carried him in her arms when she could stand to walk herself. When she couldn't bear it, Sango or Miroku carried the suffering kitsune. Kagome was sporting bruised ribs from Inuyasha tackling her. Her attention had been elsewhere when the fire dragon turned his sight to the miko. She was close to becoming barbeque when Inuyasha saved her.
They were making slow progress because of everyone's injuries but the group only had about a day's journey left until they were back in Kaede's village. They were in desperate need of rest and downtime. Naraku would surely be planning his next move and the inu-tachi needed to recuperate and plan for themselves.
Inuyasha had secretly decided to take Kagome home so that she could heal comfortably. He waited until she was asleep with Shippo tucked in beside her to discuss his plan with the taijiya and houshi.
"Would you guys be alright if I took Kagome home for a week or two until she's healed?" He decided to jump right into the conversation without hesitation.
Neither Sango nor Miroku were surprised to hear such a question. Inuyasha certainly had no problem expressing his concern for Kagome since they both came clean about their feelings. The shock of seeing the softer side of Inuyasha had worn off and though Inuyasha was still rough around the edges, he was working his hardest to be at least a little more thoughtful of his miko and her desires.
Sango turned with Kirara in her lap toward Miroku, and said, "I suppose we can take care of Shippo until you guys get back. Kagome just has to leave that burn salve she's been putting on his paws." Sango was absently stroking Kirara's fur, comforting the nekomata. Miroku continued, "I don't mind. I doubt we would come under attack as long as the jewel stays with you on the other side of the well."
"Alright. I want it to be a surprise, so don't say anything to Kagome or Shippo. You know the brat can't keep a secret. When we get to the village, I'm takin' her straight to the well."
"Shall we start making battle preparations while you are gone?" Miroku asked.
"Yea, go ahead and repair Hiraikotsu and make any other preparations like that. With the planning, I don't see any other way to handle this but to find out where that prick is hiding and lure 'im out." Miroku and Sango nodded, both silently deciding they would look at all the angles and options they had while Inuyasha was gone. He was always rushing into battle hotheaded, and to do something like that in this final battle could have them all killed.
As the conversation died down, everyone settled down to sleep with an eager feeling. Deep in their hearts, they all came to think of Kaede's village as home and relished the time they could spend there together.
The group did not waste any time eating breakfast and packing up the campsite. They were all ready for what seemed like a mini vacation, although most of it would be spent healing and preparing for a bigger battle.
Kagome rode on Inuyasha's back for the latter part of the day, feeling too tired to walk into Kaede's village. She had been doing well for the first half of the day, and she even carried Shippo after applying his burn salve. She hooked her arms under Inuyasha's so that her rib muscles wouldn't stretch, causing her pain. Her hands gripped his shoulders, and his arms supported her legs so that she was secure. She drifted between sleep and consciousness while he was running. Somehow, he managed to fly like the wind without jerking her around very much. She became acutely aware of her surroundings when she felt the presence of the Goshinboku. She couldn't put the feeling into words but she always knew when she was approaching the Goshinboku, even when she was wandering aimlessly. She just felt at peace in the ancient tree's vicinity.
Her eyes snapped open just as Inuyasha jumped into the well and the soft blue light surrounded them.
"Why did we come to my time?" She was glad to be home, but she was curious as to why Inuyasha would bring her there without even telling her.
"So you could be comfortable while you healed up, is all." Her jumped out of the well onto the floor of the well house and set her to her feet. She winced and he started his apologies once again. "I'm sorry for tackling-"
"Stop it! If you apologize one more time for saving my life, I will use the "s" word! I'm happy you chose to save me instead of watching me burn to a crisp. Now, quit saying you're sorry or I'll start to think you regret it." She smirked and kissed Inuyasha on the cheek. He had taken to apologizing every time he saw her in obvious pain. She only felt gratitude toward him for saving her life and she didn't mind if a few bruised ribs were the price she had to pay for being alive. She turned to make her way toward the house and the hanyou linked her arm with his, so that she was leaning on him for support. She smiled at the contact.
He certainly has gotten more hands on… Kagome blushed at where her mind led her after that thought.
Her mother greeted her once she made her way through the door and into the kitchen.
"Kagome, is that you?" She called from the living room.
"Yes, mom! I'm in the kitchen." Kagome called back. Inuyasha helped her into a chair and she relaxed a bit, until her mother came into the kitchen.
"Oh, sweetie I didn't think you would remember to come back in time. You didn't even turn around when I reminded you to come back the last time you were here." Mrs. Higurashi was grabbing glasses out of the cupboard to pour juice for her daughter and Inuyasha.
"Back in time for what?" Kagome could feel there was something important she was forgetting.
"Senior finals, dear. I managed to get all your study guides downloaded from the school's website and I printed them. I left them on your desk upstairs." Kagome cursed herself immediately before jumping out of her seat, involuntarily hissing from the pain.
"I completely forgot! What day is it!" She was hoping it was Saturday so that she would at least have all day Sunday to study.
"It's Sunday. Are you feeling okay, dear? You look like you're in pain." Kagome brushed her mother off, leaving Inuyasha to explain her injuries to Mrs. Higurashi.
Adrenaline started to course through Kagome's veins, temporarily blocking any pain from her ribs. She ran up the stairs and looked at her study guides. She hadn't been to school in almost a month now. There was no way she would pass all her finals and be able to graduate. She hung her head dejectedly as she decided she didn't recognize anything on any of the papers. She turned to go back to the kitchen to break the news to her mother.
"I don't think I will be able to pass all my finals, mom. I haven't been to school in so long and I just couldn't keep up with my reading while in the Feudal Era. We've had a rough month with completing our half of the jewel." She waited to hear her mother's disappointment.
"Inuyasha told me all about it, Kagome. But I still think you would do alright if you tried on your exams. You never know what could happen if you studied really hard." Mrs. Higurashi winked at her daughter before leaving the room again. Her cheery attitude gave Kagome a little hope.
Maybe I can pull this off. And hey, I might get to graduate with my friends!
With newfound hope, Kagome asked Inuyasha to help her back up the stairs. As the adrenaline rush faded, the pain from her bruised ribs came back with a vengeance. She decided to take some painkillers, soak in the tub, and then study as much as she could before bed. She couldn't afford to get her hopes up too high, but she decided to give it all she had.
Inuyasha helped as much as he could with her studying. He stayed quiet and preoccupied when she didn't need his help and he helped her with her mock conversation for her foreign language exam. He didn't understand a word of it but he had to try for Kagome. He could see that these exams meant a lot to her and then there was that graduation thing she was talking about. He didn't get it, but he would do anything for Kagome.
I can't tell her I'd do anything for her, but I can show her.
The night labored on with Kagome scribbling notes to herself, saying random things aloud, working practice problems from her math text book, and her constantly using the internet to look for answers and easy concept explanations. Inuyasha was even kind enough to bring dinner up for the both of them after Mrs. Higurashi was finished cooking.
He's being so supportive. I wonder how long this will last.
Kagome chastised herself for thinking about her hanyou that way, but it was a hard habit to break after the years of insults and pig-headedness that became routine. She decided she would just appreciate the support she was getting from him and let all other thoughts go.
She worked into the wee hours of the morning before she felt asleep on top of her books, sprawled all across her bed. When she woke up in the morning, she was under her blankets, with her books safely closed and sitting on her desk. Inuyasha was sleeping sitting up at the end of her bed, looking as if he had fallen asleep watching over her.
She rolled over, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and decided she would have breakfast before going to face her doom. She did not feel anywhere near prepared for her exams, but she had to try. As she stirred, Inuyasha awoke and silently followed her down to the kitchen where her mother was making omelets. Souta was finishing his math assignment at the table.
"How did you sleep, Kagome? Inuyasha?" Her mother asked as she slid a finished omelet onto a plate for Souta.
"I slept alright, but not for very long. I was up studying almost all night." Kagome was still rubbing her eyes; they felt so dry from lack of sleep.
"I slept fine, I guess." The hanyou was well aware of Kagome's restlessness during her sleep the night before and he wondered how she would do on her exams that day. Between her tossing all night and Buyou pawing and meowing at Kagome's door, Inuyasha was surprised he slept at all.
Before long, everyone was finishing their omelets and Kagome was dressing for school.
I haven't seen that uniform in a while…
Inuyasha was mesmerized as she walked down the stairs to where he was waiting in the hall. He hadn't seen her legs since she decided that it was costing too much to replace her uniforms every time one got ruined in the Feudal Era. She had taken to wearing jeans or the exercise clothes with the weird stretchy material.
"Wish me luck!" Kagome called to her mother and grandfather in the living room.
Before she walked to school with Souta, Kagome kissed Inuyasha on the lips, needing a little encouragement for the day. His fingers brushed her cheek as she pulled away, her eyes glazed in delight.
A whispered good luck followed her out the door and slid down her spine, causing a shiver.
I'm going to need all the luck I can get.
