Ch.4 Expectations

The sound of bamboo hitting against bamboo echoed in the small courtyard. I gritted my teeth as I tried pushing away the training sword sango wielded. Whenever we have the time, we go out into the courtyard and train. I found sango lounging around our room when I came home from school and brought up the idea. Usually, we eventually get an audience but right now we were completely alone.

Sango found a weak spot in my stance and swung and I walked backwards to avoid a broken bone. In rare cases, we ended up hurting each other badly for not paying attention, however, ever since sango broke my arm before, she's been very cautious, allowing me to get more hits in. I grinned as I feinted away from her bamboo sword.

I finally found an opening when sango swung her sword vertically, allowing me to hit her best arm in fighting with my sword, ending the round.

"Damn," sango muttered, wiping sweat off her forehead, "Being careful does a number on my abilities."

I shrugged indifferently, "You're too violent, it's in your nature."

Sango tapped her sword against my head in a warning, "I am not!"

"Then what was with beating up miroku last week?"

"He was touching my ass, it was self-defense!" sango argued.

I giggled, "I think that's his way of showing he likes you."

Sango blushed.

I gasped in mock surprise, "You like him too don't you?" It was pretty obvious that miroku and sango liked each other. Which was why miroku went after sango whenever he found the chance and sango didn't reject him immediately when he joined with her. Until his hands start wandering where they're not suppose to be.

Sango glared at me and tapped her sword in her other hand dangerously hard, "Say that again, I dare you."

"Sango likes Miroku! Sango likes Miroku!" I shouted in a sing-song voice and started running when sango growled and chased.

It ended up in another round of sparing and, due to sango's anger and embarressment, I lost and was gonna have a sore bruise on my shoulder later.

She dropped her sword carelessly on the grass and layed down, sighing.

I grinned down at her until something caught in the corner of my eye and looked up to the second floor to see human inuyasha.

He was leaning on the dark green railings as he looked down on us in amusement. How long was he there? The corner of his lips quirked up in a half-smile as he realized I caught him.

"Kagome?" sango opened her eyes from her small nap and looked in the direction I was staring at, "Isn't that the guy who lives above us?" she murmured low enough so he wouldn't hear and I nodded, taking my eyes off him quickly when I found out I was staring too long. "Hey jackass! why don't you get a life instead of staring at us?" she shouted to inuyasha and I was slightly startled as I looked back to find him walking down the stairs.

Inuyasha grinned playfully, "I do have a life, miss, a pretty interesting one," he said, "But I don't mind watching a spar between you two ladies once in a while."

"Because you're too weak to spar yourself?" sango raised a brow as she sat up, brushing off grass.

He shrugged, "Would you like to try that theory, Miss...?"

"Sango," she replied automatically as she got up, gripping her practice sword, "And yes, I would."

"Any bets, sango?" inuyasha asked as he caught the sword sango threw at him.

"Hmm... if I win, you have to keep down the racket you always make... or move to a different room, any will do," sango smiled sweetly.

"Fair enough," he weighted the sword in his hand experimently to get the feel of it.

I knew for sure that with inuyasha's experience he was gonna win this round. I backed off the grass and onto the cement, sitting down against the wall. If I concentrate hard enough, I'd probably be able to spot a weak spot on him for the next time I have to go up against him.

"And if I win, she gets to be my slave for a week," he nodded towards me with a devious smirk.

Are you kidding me? I thought in disbelief, sango would never sell her best friend-

"Deal," sango nodded and I gasped at how quick she was to answer. She didn't even spare me a glance when she agreed! "But not in an abusive way," she added quickly.

"I don't harm women anyways, unless they want it," he wiggled his brows suggestively and I felt the heat rise up my neck and covered my face in my hands, groaning slightly. I couldn't belief sango would sell me off to him for a week.

Sango had a small blush too at the comment before she shook her head and grabbed the sword I was using. She glanced at me and scoffed, "Come on kagome, can you have some trust in me? He's probably low in rank anyways," she said offensively before looking him over, "Really low," she mumbled.

Inuyasha's smirk widened, "If you're done trying to offend me, I would like to start now."

I watched with despair as they fought. I was slightly amazed at how long it lasted before sango was starting to lose her rhythm and inuyasha was forcing her back. I held my breath until sango got too close to the wall, surely she would've known he was trying to corner her. Without thinking, I shouted, "Sango! pay attention to your surroundings!"

It was lesson four sango taught me when he first started going against each other. Sango grunted as she pushed him off and managed an upper hand when inuyasha glanced at me for a split second and hit the sword out of his hand, pointing hers at him, "Surrender or suffer."

Inuyasha scowled, "Surrender," he chose reluctantly and sango brought her sword down, "You only won because Miss Loudmouth over there was being an agitating audience," he nodded towards me.

I stood up walking towards him, "What am I suppose to do? let you win? Ha! I rather have peace and quiet than be your slave," I said, joining sango's side.

He looked faintly amused as he looked me over, I forced myself not to shy away and stared at him defiantly. He met my eyes and stayed for a short moment until he spoke, "Unfortunately, I have to leave, but we should do this again sometime," his eyes flickered to sango, "Next time, let's raise the bets higher."

Sango grinned, "Right, if you lose, you move out next time."

He smirked, "Keep dreaming, sango," he turned and walked out, sending a short wave before going out of their sight.

Sango walked over to the discarded swords and picked them up, walking back to their room. She stopped at the doorway and turned half-way to face me, "Aren't you gonna be late for something...?" she edged on.

Realization hit me as I stared at my wrist watch, "I'm gonna be late!" I shouted and ran inside for a quick change.

My head came out of the water as I took a deep breath. One more time, I told myself, then I'll go home. I went underwater again and kicked off the wall, swimming. I was part of the swim team at my school, not the best, but good enough to beat some other schools. My team had went home a half-an-hour ago, I stayed behind to practice a bit more, the coach didn't mind as long as I informed her when I was done so she could lock up. I was grateful for the school's and pool's heating system, since there was a strong cold fall wind outside.

I got out and grabbed my white towel, wrapping it around myself before taking my green swim cap off with the goggles, running a hand through my hair.

A whistle had me spinning on my heel towards the sound and instantly scowled, "Do you make a habit of stalking your hunters?"

Inuyasha, in his human form, was lounging on the center of the blue bleachers, he shrugged, "I merely want to know what my hunters do when they're not doing their jobs," he got up and walked down, his footsteps were faint but echoing softly as they hit the plastic seats, "But I came for a different reason."

My grip tightened on my towel, even though I'm wearing a dark one piece, I still felt too uncovered. "And what would that be?" I asked as he came a few feet in front of me.

He waved an envelope, "You have a job to do, since you already know who I am, I felt the need to give it to you personally."

I blushed, usually when I get a mission, it comes in the form of an envelope in places only I would look. "So you're the one who slides it in my locker!" I accused, pointing a finger at him.

He grinned, "I'm not that sneaky, picking locks are simplier than trying to stuff a letter through."

I scowled, snatching the envelope from him and walking to the locker rooms.

"Come out to the parking lot if you want a ride," he called out.

While I was changing, I glanced at the letter, "A fox demon?" I asked myself. Does he think I could take down one of those tricksters? usually Group A handles most fox demons.

I got into his dark red Jaguar and ignored the smirk sent at me and put my seatbelt on, hearing Miss Murder by AFI being played quietly on his radio. "Do you really think I'm up for a fox demon?" I asked skeptically.

He shrugged as he started the car, "You have to have a chance to face one, you don't get stronger if you don't challenge yourself," he said as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Besides, it's just a kid anyways."

"A kid?!" inuyasha shot me a flat look as he stopped at a red light.

"Yeah, he used to follow demon code with his family but his parents were recently murdered by two demons, now he's misbehaving, using his magic to prank humans and demons and risking being discovered, he needs to be put down before he does anything rash," inuyasha sighed, shaking his head.

I looked away, out the window and grimaced, "Don't we have another option?"

"Keh," inuyasha scoffed, "We tried other options, fox demons are hard to track too, he won't listen to any demon slayer who tried talking to him."

He drove off again, one hand on the wheel as his other reached towards the glove box and ruffled around papers until he found what he was looking for. A automatic switchblade.

"Here, you might need this," he handed it to me and I studied the handle. It was white with silver letters spelling inuyasha's name. "It was a gift from a friend."

I opened the blade, inspecting it.

"Careful, it's sharp," he warned and I sent him a glare. He rolled his eyes, "As sharp as it could get."

I tested that by cutting through a huge corner of a piece of paper in the glovebox. It sliced through cleanly and I whistled under my breath.

He scowled and sped up around a grey car, "Get off the road, grandma!" he shouted out the window as he passed by it.

I flushed with embarressment, "Inuyasha," I hissed.

He looked indifferent as he cut infront of the old lady, "What? I doubt she could hear me anyways."

"That doesn't-" I gasped as he suddenly stopped, the seatbelts held me from hitting my head on the dash board.

"We're here," inuyasha said as he reached for something behind my chair.

"Where's here?" I asked, putting a hand over my fast-beating heart as I looked out the window. A night club- crowded with humans- a dark blue and green neon sign above labeled it 'Nights'.

"An interesting place for a kid to pick," she heard inuyasha mumble, "You shouldn't have any trouble, it's a human club, it should be easy to spot the fox, the hard part is getting rid of him in such a public place."

I turned to see him messing with a stopwatch, "What's that for?"

"Timing you," he shrugged.

"Why?" I asked in irritation.

He shrugged again, "Ready, set, go," he said simply as he pressed a button.

"This is ridiculous," I groaned.

"Tell you what, if you get back here in less than half an hour, I'll give you a ride home," he grinned at my shocked expression.

"Are you serious? I don't even know this part of the city!"

He tapped the watch with a fingertip, "You're running out of time."

I let out a frustrated growl as I opened the car door, "You're unbelievable!" I closed the door with more force than necessary and stormed over to the doors, showing my demon-slaying card to the demon in disguise, working as a bouncer.

He nodded inside and the people in line groaned as I went in and started arguing.

It was dark, I was hardly able to see until my eyes adjusted to the dim light. Music pounded on loud speakers as dancers moved to the beat. I quickly went to work, finding a fox kit in a place like this should be easy, all I have to do is spot something that doesn't belong, just like the game where you have to find a object in a picture.

I smiled when I was able to find him. In the shape of a bottle of Crush, hiding among the numerous empty beer bottles. Two eyes peeked on the label as he spoke loud enough for the bartender to hear as the bartender tried to find the source of the voice. I walked over casually and swiftly grabbed the kit when he bartender's back was turned and ignored the noise he made as I quickly made for the back door, where there was less people.

As soon as I was outside, I threw the bottle at the wall and instead of breaking, it exploded into smoke as a small fox kit tumbled to the ground. The kid let out a whine of pain as he held his head. He had bright orange hair tied with a blue ribbon with emerald innocent eyes. He wore a ruined outfit, a blue dirty shirt with green shorts showing fox legs and a puffy fox tail.

"What was that for?!" he shouted as he got to his feet.

I reached into my skirt pocket, feeling the cool handle of the switch blade with a grimace, "Do you know what I am?"

He only growled as he backed away slowly, glaring at me through his hair, his back hit the wall.

I knelt down, taking my hand out of my pocket and leaving them in his sight so he knows I'm not looking to kill. That seemed to calm him just a bit. "I'm a demon slayer," his eyes were glassy as he looked up at me, "I was sent to kill you."

He shook his head quickly, "Why do you people keep chasing after me?!" he shouted, "I don't know what I'm doing wrong!" he cried.

My eyes widened, "You seriously don't know?"

He shook his head again, slower, "All I know is demons are suppose to wear those spells to-" he sniffled, "-Hide their true forms, but I don't know how to do that."

I relaxed my shoulders, "It's gonna be alright, I can help you," I held out a hand.

He looked at my hand untrustingly, "How do I know you're not just gonna draw that knife on me? or lock me up like the others?"

"It's up to you to trust me, I can teach you the rules," I said calmly, keeping my hand out, "If you don't take it, fine, I'll just walk away and tell others you escaped me, but know this, most demon slayers don't have as much patience as others, they will find and kill you."

He set his jaw, thinking, before he said, "Promise you won't take me to that building."

He's talking about the demon slayers base, I thought. That place is ment for everybody in demon slaying, from first time slayers to bringing in demons like this kid to teach the rules. If only he would've stayed for a couple days, he probably wouldn't be so clueless. "I give my word."

He hesitantly grabbed my hand and I picked him up in my arms as I walked back to the car. "Where are you taking me?"

"My home, you'll be safe there for the time being."

He nodded and I felt his eyes inspecting me, "I'm shippo."

I felt a small smile tug my lips, "Kagome."

Inuyasha looked surprised as I entered the car, putting shippo in back, "You managed to talk to him?"

"It takes a simple promise," I said easily as I clicked my seatbelt on.

His eyes narrowed, he knows that any promise a slayer makes a slayer keeps, "I suspect that we're not taking him to the base, am I right?"

I heard shippo growl softly as I replied, "We're not, we're going home."

He shook his head as he started the car, "Idiot," he murmured as he pulled out onto the street. He was silent for a moment. "I hope you know that you're in charge of the outlaw, if he escapes and causes havoc among humans again, the blame will be directed at you."

"I'm not an outlaw!" shippo shouted from the back seat.

Inuyasha looked irritated as he stepped forcefully on the brake, his hand flew out to push me against the seat to avoid hitting my head on the dash board. Shippo yelped as he flew and smacked into my seat. "Put your seatbelt on and be quiet," he ordered as he drove again, taking his hand back.

Shippo grumbled as he reached for the seatbelt and pulled it over him.

"I understand what you're saying, I'm prepared to not let him get too out of hand," I said, watching inuyasha's eyes narrow slightly.

He glanced at me before sighing, "Whatever, I'm sure you'll be able to handle him with sango around to help anyways," He looked in the rear-view mirror, "Hey runt, do you have any covering spells?"

Shippo blinked and shooked his head.

He tapped his fingers on the wheel annoyingly, and glanced heavenward as if for assistance, which wasn't coming. "You two come to my room first, I'm sure I got a couple spells handy." He parked in front of the apartments and got out.

"Come on shippo," I said, reaching in back.

"I don't like him," shippo stated.

I sighed, getting out of the car, "You won't see him around much hopefully then."

I followed inuyasha to his room where he happily took off his seal. I watched tranfixed as his raven black hair faded to a shining silver and his human ears disappeared as his dog ears formed ontop his head as his fingernails grew to sharp points.

He turned half-way, revealing golden eyes, "Stay here, I'll be right back," he said and disappeared into his room.

I sat down on the couch and shippo hopped off my lap and onto the floor, looking around curiously and poking into stuff that wasn't his like a new dog sniffing around his new home.

His yelp had me jumping out of my seat instinctively as I viewed the damage. Shippo was looking at a blade that must've fell from the desk and almost landed on him. I sighed as I picked it up and set it on the desk, "That would teach you not to go through other people's stuff," I said as I put my hands on my hips.

"That shouldn't of happened anyways," inuyasha appeared at my side as he picked up the knife and I watched as he squated and placed the weapon underneath the desk where it stayed.

I went on my knees to find that there was an imprint under the desk where the blade fit perfectly and hooked somehow.

As I inspected it, he explained, "Many demons want to avenge other's deaths, I get slightly worried they might find this place, so I fixed most of my furniture like this just in case an enemy arrives in here."

"Smart," I murmured as I stood up.

"Now, about the kit," he crossed his arms as he looked at me.

"What?" shippo and me asked at the same time.

"I don't think the hunters that live here won't take too kindly to a misbehaving demon."

"I said I'll take care of him," I said, "There's no need to take a life if we could handle it."

"I wasn't gonna say kill him but that would make things easier for you," he sighed before kneeling down to look at the fox and pulled a sutra from his pocket, "You know what this is, do you?"

Shippo studied it for a brief moment before pulling out a leaf with small writing, "Is this it?"

"If you have a demonic sealing sutra, then why don't you use it?" he asked in annoyance and shippo just shrugged. He sighed heavily, "If you want to stay with kagome, you're gonna have to keep that on at all times when you're outside."

"Uh..." shippo glanced at the leaf, "I guess I can do that..."

"And no fox magic whatsoever," He pocketed the sutra, "We don't need to draw anymore attention to you."

Shippo frowned but said nothing, "Is that all?"

"I guess..." inuyasha looked thoughtful for a second, "You are to stay with kagome or her room mate at all times, if I see you alone I will slay you myself."

I quickly picked up a shakened shippo and hugged him to me, "You wouldn't-" I ment to be playful but he was dead serious.

"I would," he stood back up, "I never heard of a demon slayer befriend a demon like that," he motioned to shippo, "And I'm pretty sure my boss wouldn't approve, he would surely have both of our heads if he found out that we're keeping a demon here instead of sending him to the base."

My grip on shippo slightly tightened but my choice never wavered. I made a promise to shippo and I intend to keep it.

Inuyasha paused, looking at me with a straight face.

I turned, "If that's all, I'm leaving," I opened the door and shivered slightly at the cold air.

"Kagome," I faced inuyasha, "Explain this to sango, then come back here. Alone."

I blinked in confusion before nodding, "...Okay," I closed the door behind me and rushed downstairs, avoiding being caught by another hunter as I quickly entered my key and stepped inside.

Sango looked up from the television, "Hey kagome," she looked down to my arms, "Who's that?"

"This is shippo," I said, setting the kid on the sofa, "Shippo, sango, sango, shippo," I introduced before turning to sango, "We're taking care of him."

"We?" sango raised a brow, "Kagome, I'm not sure about this..."

Oh boy, even sango disagreed with the idea of keeping shippo, I thought. "He didn't want to go to the base, it's up to us to teach him everything they teach there," I reasoned, "You don't even have to do much, just watch over him while I'm at school."

"Hrm..." sango glanced at shippo who was flipping channels until he found a cartoon show, "Alright, I guess that won't be too hard."

"Thank you, sango," I smiled in appreciation as I went for the door, "I'll be right back."

"Wait! where are you going?" sango asked.

"Just the visiting a neighbor," I replied simply.

"She so has the hotts for him," I heard sango say to shippo who just snorted in response before I closed the door, rolling my eyes.

I went back upstairs at a slower pace, hoping sango wouldn't try to spy. I opened inuyasha's door and peeked inside before stepping in, "Inuyasha?"

"In here," his voice echoed in the small kitchen.

I walked inside to find him sitting on one of the counters across the microwave, which was humming as it cooked another t.v. dinner. "Don't you cook at all?" I asked, motioning to the oven beside him.

He shook his head, "Don't know how to," he turned his head to face me.

I looked at him in confusion as I sat down in one of the island's spinning chairs, "I could let you borrow my cook book."

He shrugged before scowling, "I didn't call you back here to criticize my cooking skills."

I waited for him to respond but he just faced the mircowave again. I looked away for a brief minute, my eyes stopped at his room before I asked, "I ment to ask you something."

"Oh?"

"Is kikyou apart of demon slaying?"

He shook his head, "She's human, she doesn't even know I'm a demon."

I frowned slightly, "Isn't that lying to her?"

He glared at me, "You expect me to risk everything we worked for just for a human girl?"

It sounds romantic, I smiled mentally, "It's your choice."

He didn't seem to listen as his gaze fell to the floor, "Besides, how do you know she won't accept the demon part of me anyways, she loves the human," he spat and he raised his eyes to mine again, "I prefer to keep demon hunting and my romances seperate."

I paused for a moment, "You won't know 'til you try."

He shook his head, "I'm not risking it," he said, "And since we were on the topic of romance, I might as well tell you that demon slayers can't love other demon slayers," he watched for my reaction and the mircowave beeped three times indicating it was done.

At first, I didn't mind, I get boy's unwanted attention everytime I step into school, at least demon slayers won't be included in my list of admirers. But then my thoughts went to- "Wait a minute, sango and miroku-"

"Have a simple crush, which is why I never put them together if I can help it," inuyasha replied, "If it becomes anymore than that, I'll be forced to intervene."

I scowled, "Can't you change or bend the rules? just for them?"

He raised his brows in slight surprise before shaking his head, "That's unfair," he commented, "And all rules are set in stone, unchangeable unless you want to take it to my boss."

I shot to my feet, slamming my hands on the table, "Then I will take it to your boss!, that rule is the stupidest-"

"My boss is not as kind as you think," inuyasha replied quickly, "That rule is both smart and stupid."

"How so?" I raised a brow.

"If a hunter fell in love with another, they would think for themselves first when they sworn to protect humans, it's less of a chance with that rule," he shrugged, "And there are plenty of people who aren't demon slayers so it works out," he slid off the counter, his dinner momentarily forgotten as he circled the island, coming closer, "It's stupid because no one can control love, when it happens, it happens."

I moved out into the den and he followed me to the door, opening it, "I still think it's unnecessary," I muttered, forgetting about his bionic hearing.

"Believe me," Inuyasha said with a growing smirk as I turned to face him outside the door, "If that rule didn't exist, you'd be with me," satisfied with my dark blush, he closed the door.