At school the next day, things had someone gone from bad to worse. Kagome wasn't sure what exactly she had been expecting from the classmates who had seen her during the lunch fiasco the day previous, but what she saw was… disconcerting. As she entered the school, demons and humans alike moved out of her path. The demonic classmates gave her dangerous looks and the human classmates looked away when her eyes met theirs. She blinked, confused by how strangely the students were treating her. When she reached her locker, her eyes widened in surprise. On the door were hundreds of sticky notes, all of which had various heinous names and crude slurs. She covered her mouth, holding back the gasp that threatened to escape her lips. She had heard of things like this in movies and whatnot, but never before had something like this happened to her.

"Hey Kag-What the hell?" Sango greeted but stopped when she saw the mess on her friend's locker. She placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder and shook her head sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Kagome. I'm guessing Kikyo's cronies are responsible for this."

Kagome shook her head, sighing lightly as she merely opened her locker and pulled out various textbooks that she was going to need for the day. In a way, she sort of understood that this was what she deserved for letting her anger get the best of her. Her mother had always told her that her temper would come back to bite her someday.

"It's fine. I did call her a lying cheater yesterday," Kagome shrugged, closing her locker and starting to clear the sticky notes from off her locker. A group of cheerleaders passed and giggled a little as they saw Kagome trying to take all the sticky notes off. Kikyo was leading them and though she didn't laugh, she did give Kagome a knowing smirk before turning her nose up and continuing down the hall.

"Have you heard from Inuyasha today?" Sango asked, helping Kagome take down all the offensive notes. Kagome blushed a little, remembering the night previous. He had said so many tender things but because he was in a fever dream, he most likely didn't mean any of them and wouldn't remember last night at all.

"I went by to check on him last night, but I haven't seen him since then. He wasn't looking good," Kagome answered with a shrug. She hoped that Inuyasha wouldn't come to school today, not with all the craziness going on between her and pretty much everyone else in the school.

When Inuyasha woke the next morning to his alarm, he surprisingly felt amazing. He sat up and stretched, finding that his muscles and joints felt loose and flexible already. He grinned a little, pleasantly surprised by how rejuvenated he felt. His hand flexed into a fist a few times, inspecting his claws, and shot out of bed. Last night was a total blur, but now that his fever was gone, he knew that he was feeling so much better. Normally, when he woke from the night of the full moon, he felt sore and over-exerted, but this morning, he was feeling great.

When he entered the kitchen, he greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek and plucked the toast out from the toaster, blowing on it a little and taking a happy bite. His mother watched her son with wide eyes, confused by how chipper he was acting. Her surprised expression morphed into a knowing grin as she leaned against the counter, regarding her son a little smugly.

"Sleep well last night, Inuyasha?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He looked up from his spot at the table and shrugged, snacking on the toast. "You seem to be in a good mood," she observed. He shrugged once again, swallowing.

"Yeah, I'm feelin' pretty alright. That was probably the best sleep I've had in a while," he admitted, stretching a little and raising an eyebrow at his mother's expression. "What?"

She shook her head and waved him off. "Nothing, nothing. Just a passing thought," she answered, deciding against telling Inuyasha about his little visitor last night. He looked at his mother with a confused expression for a moment before wolfing down the rest of his breakfast and kissing her cheek as he left for school.

"See ya later, mom!" he called as he darted out of the house, a bit of a pep in his step.

This was going to be a good day.

At least, that's what he initially thought... until he actually got there.

What he found when he arrived was the whole school acting ten kinds of crazy. Demons and humans alike gave him weird looks. He rolled his eyes, figuring this was going to be another week of people treating him like trash because he and Kikyo had broken up. He shrugged it off and approached his locker, opening it easily and dropping his backpack off.

"Inuyasha," a voice called him, causing him to turn his head in the direction of that sound. His golden eyes landed on the cold brown orbs of his ex. He sighed, shoving his jacket in the locker, trying to ignore her. "Do not ignore me. You know it won't work."

"Whaddya want, Kikyo? Tryin' to start more trouble?" he asked coldly, closing his locker and leaning against it to face her. She didn't seem phased by his accusation.

"I wanted to inform you about your little… friend's outburst yesterday at lunch. This girl came up to my table and began calling me a liar and a cheater. I'm merely here to inform you to keep your little toys to yourself," she supplied coolly, looking over her nails a little. Inuyasha's eyes widened a little in surprise at that. Maybe it was Sango? She had the fire to do something like that.

"Whatever, Kikyo. I don't have to do anything you say anymore. Get the hell out of here," he warned, turning away from her to start towards class.

"That girl Kagome has quite the mouth on her," Kikyo added, moving away from him as well with a smirk. Inuyasha's heart dropped to the floor for a moment, trying to process what she said and just like that, Kikyo was gone, leading the swarm of cheerleaders that had been passing by. He swallowed nervously, wondering what had provoked Kagome to have an outburst like that?

After walking to her first class, Kagome sat down in the back, deciding she didn't want to see all the glares her classmates were sending her way. She placed her head on the desk, wondering if she would be able to get away with sleeping through the class. A familiar wolf demon apparently wasn't going to be deterred by her anti-social actions.

"Hey, Kagome. Is everything okay?" he asked, his brows furrowed with worry. Kagome sat up, getting a better view of him and shrugging.

"I feel a little bad about the whole incident. It really wasn't my place to call her out like that. Honestly, it was just really dumb to approach her at all. It'll all be over with in a week or so," she answered, giving Kagome a reassuring smile. The wolf grinned.

"I admire your optimistic attitude, Kagome. For their sake, it'd better end quickly. I've already had to put a few demons in their place this morning," he chuckled, holding his bicep up and giving it a light smack. Kagome rolled her eyes and smiled despite herself. He always knew what to say to make people laugh and feel better.

"You don't have to beat people up for me, Koga," she laughed, brushing him off. He scoffed.

"For you? It was for me. I needed a good fight," he joked, grinning a little. "But really, maybe you should stick around me for a bit? Just until the demons chill out?" he suggested, giving her a small smile that she could tell was laced with concern.

"You'll do it anyways even if I say no, so I might as well go along with it," she laughed lightly, watching as he gave her a wink.

At lunch, Kagome sat in the group's usual spot and waited for the others to show up. Sango was the first to arrive, plopping down beside her friend and sticking closer to her than usual. Kagome rolled her eyes, figuring that it was just more protective behavior from her overly dramatic friends.

"Hey Sango, it's nice to see you too," she greeted sarcastically, nudging her friend playfully. Sango sighed and looked at Kagome with a bit of a laugh.

"Sorry, I've just been worried all day. Kikyo has ways of messing with your head and her boyfriend looks just as dangerous," she answered, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Guys, it's going to be okay. If anything happens, I'll just go to the principal," Kagome supplied with a shrug.

"Kagome, I'll remind you once again—this is a school of demons. Just because they can't do what they want in school, doesn't mean that they aren't going to do what they want outside of school," Sango pressed, her brows furrowed in worry.

"All I did was call Kikyo a cheater, she'll get over it eventually," Kagome defended, shaking her head as she opened her bento box.

"Ladies," Miroku greeted as he and Koga approached the table, both appearing rather calm despite everything going on. Sango perked up a little at seeing Miroku and Koga and invited them to take a seat.

"Jeez Kagome, you're really stirrin' everyone up today," Koga laughed, sitting on the other side of Kagome, a little closer than usual as well. Unlike Sango, Koga had a natural demonic aura that seemed to be a little more amplified today. She glanced over at him, realizing that he was squirming just a bit more and his muscles were flexed slightly. Her brows furrowed, turning her head to look down at her bento box. She hadn't realized how much this whole situation was worrying all her friends. Well, if she thought Koga was looking rough…

When she felt that familiar tug and glanced up, what she saw nearly made her jaw drop.

It was Inuyasha, his expression grim and angry. He seemed entirely on edge, his movements jerky and sharp, his eyes darting around suspiciously. She blinked at how crazed and stressed he looked and wondered if this was just a demon thing.

"Woah, he looks like shit…" Koga swore in a whisper, shaking his head and chuckling dryly at Inuyasha's expense.

"What's going on?" Kagome whispered to Sango, now actually worried.

"When demons feel like someone they are loyal to is being threatened, they get a little edgy," Sango answered in a whisper as well, apparently equally shocked by Inuyasha's appearance.

The group watched as several lesser demons cowered away from the angry half-demon, clearly not wishing to be in the way of his path. A couple tried to approach and challenge him, but one low growl sent them away. When he finally reached the table, he moved where Koga and Sango were sitting and merely narrowed his eyes at them. Koga refused to move, but Sango knew that this would probably happen and so moved over to make space for the half-demon. When he sat down, he made sure that he was close enough to Kagome that they were touching and let out a sigh. Kagome felt it, too—that sense of calm that only Inuyasha could bring her. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing through his nose to calm down for a few moments before regarding Kagome seriously.

"I leave ya for a day and you make a mess of the whole school," he teased, raising an eyebrow at her. She blushed at that and rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you shouldn't miss school so much," she shrugged. He snorted at that.

"I was sick with the flu, thank you very much. Now, what's all this junk about Naraku being back?" the silver-haired boy asked, looking to Miroku for the information. The escort sighed a little.

"Yes, he and Kikyo were officially announced as a couple sometime over the weekend," he answered. "He apparently transferred only recently."

"Why the hell would the principal let him in? She knows how shitty he is," Inuyasha retorted, glancing over at the table on the far side of the room where Kikyo and her posse usually sat.

"My guess is that his parents bribed the school or something," Koga offered, stabbing at his food.

"No way, the Principal wouldn't allow herself to be bribed," Sango rejected that idea, shaking her head. "Maybe he moved back in town and she had to let him in?"

Kagome listened to the conversation intently, trying to piece everything together when she felt a warm arm snake it's way around her waist. She blinked and blushed, not bothering to look down. If the chills sent down her spine were any indication, she knew exactly who it was. She glanced up at him, pretending to listen to what he was saying but in actuality, she was studying his face and the different ways it moved and expressed his emotion. She could see the faintest hint of pink dusting his cheeks. He didn't hold her tightly, in fact, it was such a light hold that she nearly wondered if he still had his arm around her. Thankfully, the warmth in her stomach and chills shooting through her spine assured her that it was still going on. She almost wondered why he was feeling so upset about what she had done but remembered that it was most likely the mating bond that was forcing him to feel inclined to hold her and protect her. The thought almost made her frown, but she couldn't possibly be unhappy with him right there beside her.

"Kagome?" Sango asked, pulling her out of her fantasy.

"Huh? What?" she asked, blinking and whipping her gaze away from Inuyasha to Sango. The girl met Kagome with a knowing smirk but seemed to keep her opinions to herself.

"I was asking how your aunt was doing," her escort asked her once again. Kagome shrugged.

"Not really any worse than usual, but then again, I don't really have much basis for comparison," she answered honestly, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"I was just wondering because we were thinking about having a group sleepover this weekend. We could do it at your aunt's place if you wanted," Sango answered, smiling softly at Kagome. The transfer student mulled it over for a moment. Would her aunt even notice a bunch of high schoolers? She frowned at that thought. Her aunt barely noticed when she came home to make her dinner and help her take her medicines. Kagome gave Sango a shrug.

"I can ask, or we could just do it at someone else's place," she replied, trying to not let her sad thoughts taint her words.

"We could have it at Inuyasha's. He's got a huge house," Koga suggested, grinning at the way Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"I don't want you guys at my house. You might break something," he answered gruffly, denying the thought.

"Wait now, Inuyasha," Miroku scolded. "You have several guest bedrooms. Yours would be the ideal house for us to have a sleepover at," he pointed out, trying to get his friend to see reason. Inuyasha snorted and shook his head.

"That doesn't change anything."

"C'mon, please?" Sango asked, frowning a little. Kagome watched as Inuyasha looked down at her face and his expression seemed to soften for a moment before shrugging.

"If you guys are really wantin' to come over that badly, I ain't gunna stop ya," he shrugged, looking down at his food and shoving some ramen into his mouth with his free hand.

"What's this?" the group heard a voice ask. They turned slightly to see Kikyo and her looming boyfriend, Naraku looking down at them. "I come over to offer a truce but…" her eyes landed on the arm Inuyasha had around Kagome. His grip tightened around her waist. "It appears things are progressing just as I thought they would," she commented, narrowing her eyes. Kagome frowned, her brows furrowing.

"Get outta here, Kikyo," Inuyasha warned. "You and your rat of a boyfriend," he spat, glaring daggers at Naraku. The boyfriend smirked a little, seemingly amused by Inuyasha's outburst.

"I see you haven't changed a bit," Naraku commented, looking at Inuyasha for a moment before his eyes fell onto Kagome. "A pleasure to see you once again, Kagome."

Kagome felt an overwhelming wave of disgust rush through her senses. This man was cold, dangerous, and he most definitely was not pleased to see her again.

"You can shut your shit mouth, Naraku, and get the hell outta here 'fore you start somethin' you can't stop," Inuyasha swore, growling at the couple.

Naraku seemed genuinely pleased.

"You couldn't stop me then, what makes you think you could stop me now?" he asked, raising a thin eyebrow at Inuyasha. The half-demon snarled at him.

"I'll rip you apart with my bare hands if you don't get the hell away from my table, shit-face," he ground out once more, his voice lower this time. Kagome watched as Kikyo placed a hand on her boyfriend's forearm.

"Let's go, Naraku," she bid coolly but halted when she realized that Naraku wasn't following her. He stood there, staring down at Inuyasha with a cruel grin on his face.

"Is that a promise?" the demon asked, his red eyes narrowing and his grin widening. Inuyasha rose from the table in one swift motion, snarling directly at the demon who was roughly the same height as he was.

"You bet it is, now scram," he warned one last time, obviously not going to allow this to go down any longer. Naraku's eyes remained on Inuyasha's for a few moments longer before falling onto Kagome's with a cold, cruel smile. It sent shivers through her body—cold, disgusting ones that made her want to take a shower to scrub off his stare.

"Very well. Just for this one time," he bid, waving as he began to walk away with his girlfriend. When he was only a few feet away, he turned his head to look at Inuyasha one last time. "Take care of Kagome," he warned, snickering a little.

What happened next, happened too fast for any of the humans to fully register.

Something about Naraku saying anything remotely similar to a threat to Kagome made him lose it. Inuyasha's vision went into a hazy red. He remembered slashing, clawing, and some punches, but he couldn't remember if he had been the one doing it or if he had been the one receiving it. When he came to, he was being held back by several of the demon faculty, blood dripping down his chin. Some was his, but he couldn't say for certain if the liquid exclusively belonged to him. He was being dragged down to the principal's office, still groggy from the blackout. All he could hope was that Kagome and his group weren't going to get into any trouble. He could get in plenty of trouble, but he knew that things were much less guaranteed for them. When the demon faculty finally sat him down in the principal's office, he looked around, his tired eyes landing on a familiar figure.

"Ah, if it isn't Inuyasha. Mr. Takahashi, you seem to have been have quite a rough time lately. Sick with bond fever, breaking up with Kikyo, and now a fight with your childhood bully. If you were wanting my attention, I would have much rather you just called," the principal scolded, shaking her head.

"Eh, whuuu?" he groaned, not able to get much out. The principal sighed and shook her head.

"Normally, I would have to expel you for an incident like this, you do know that, right?" she clarified, looking down at the bruised boy.

"Mmmm," he shrugged, the motion rag-doll-like. He heard the woman sigh before placing her head in her hands.

"What were you thinking? He's a full-blooded demon—he could have killed you," she reminded him. He cleared his eyes, wiping the blood onto his shirt sleeve, and looked up at her.

"It's not like I was wanting to fight him. He started it," he answered. "He came over to my table and started making threats and being a douchebag."

The principal sighed, knowing that it was useless trying to reason with the stubborn dog demon.

"We'll have to send you home and suspend you for at least a week. I should be doing far worse," she reminded him, narrowing her eyes. Inuyasha shrugged.

"He was going to hurt someone. I don't feel bad at all," he defended, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'll have to call your mother and father," she sighed, moving behind her desk to take out her cell phone.

"Aw hell, c'mon, Aunt Inukimi, don't call mom and dad. They'll be pissed," he groaned, covering his eyes with his hands.

"Your father will kill me if I don't," she replied. "Also, I'm not your aunt. I'm more like your step-mother," she corrected him with a roll of her eyes.

"Aunt is just easier," he muttered, frustrated that she was calling his mother.

"Yes, Izayoi? We need you and Toga to come to the school… Yes, you have to pick Inuyasha up… Yes, he's in trouble," she confirmed, pausing every so often to listen to his mother speak. Inuyasha groaned as he listened to his mother's concerned voice over the phone. "Okay, yes, thank you… see you both in a bit," she bid as she hung up and looked at Inuyasha with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Honestly, Inuyasha, this kind of behavior just isn't acceptable. You'll be lucky if he doesn't press charges," she pointed out to him with a raised eyebrow. Inuyasha scoffed at that.

"With what? He's too poor to afford a lawyer," he shot back but seemed to slink down when his gaze was met with the disapproving eyes of his father's ex-wife.

"Enough of that. Go to the nurse's office to get bandaged up, your parents will be here shortly for us to have a little talk," she instructed him, waving him away so that she wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. He sighed and got out of the chair, making his way over to the nurse's office.

And the day had started out so promising...

When the fight had been going on, Kagome hadn't been sure what to do other than get the hell out of their way. Once the fight started to be more obviously in Naraku's favor, Kagome ran out to the hallway to grab a couple teachers to break up the fight. By then, Inuyasha was already mostly unconscious anyway and had gone without much resistance. Naraku, however, seemed entirely calm and composed almost the entire time. When the teachers came to pull them apart, he let go without any opposition, holding his hands up to prove that he was done. While the faculty led the two boys out of the lunchroom, Naraku looked at Kagome, grinning and giving her a wink. The motion made her freeze and go cold, inching closer to Koga, who was protectively blocking her from the whole scene.

"What… just happened?" Kagome whispered, unsure as to how they had gotten here in the first place. Sango glanced Kagome's way and shook her head, unable to form a reasonable explanation for what had just happened.

"That was… something else," Miroku muttered, shaking his head as well.

Kagome couldn't remember a single time when she had seen this kind of wild and crazed violence between to seemingly human individuals. Neither boy had held anything back—or so she thought. Secretly, she wondered if Naraku had been toying with Inuyasha the whole time… his body language certainly suggested such a sentiment. Something about his expression... she had the sinking feeling that while he might have finished the fight, the battle was far from over.

Author's Note:

Man oh man guys. This one had a lot more plot for y'all. I hope you enjoyed it. There will be more fluff to come, but angst is in the immediate future. As always, thanks for reading! Leave reviews if you liked what I did. The motivation is real when I can tell people are liking what I'm doing. See ya!~~~

-STH