A/N: If you haven't seen it yet, I started a new story named C'est La Vie that's a collection of Inuyasha AUs! You should go check it out ;) don't forget to review if you are so inclined! Thank you to those of you who do review because you guys are the absolute BEST

Also a huge thank you to grapefruitwannabe because she drew a scene from hallway shenanigans and a scene from grown up nonsense and it was so beautiful that I couldn't fall asleep!

An Encouraging Embrace

I hate Kagome, Inuyasha growled violently. How on earth had she managed to drag him into this?! He resisted the urge to slam his head into the seat in front of him only by digging his fingernails into the fake leather. The bus shook and wobbled its way down the highway, the driver not caring if they ran into a pothole or not. Already, Inuyasha had a few sore spots on his head from being thrown against the walls and ceiling of the damn bus.

Somehow, when Kagome had signed up to chaperone an art field trip for another teacher, she had conveniently forgotten that it was the same day as a spa day she and Sango had been planning for the past month. And when she asked, begged, pleaded that he take her place, how was he supposed to say no? He regretted the decision now. Not only were the rowdy kids starting to get on his nerves, but one more bump on this ride and he would have a concussion for sure. I don't think I've ever scowled this much… or this deep, for that matter.

He wasn't sure why the art teacher thought it would be a good idea to send a bunch of brats to an art museum, but here he was anyway. It wasn't like they would behave and appreciate the art. No, he knew from experience that they would end up having a contest on who saw the most "private parts." A smug smile crept on his face at the memories from his past. He had beaten Kouga by 1 male genital. Suck it, he recalled saying to the mangy wolf.

Thankfully, the bus ride passed with no more bumps, and before he knew it, he was leading a group of six kids into the first exhibit he saw. Among the six children was Shippo, the orphan that Kagome decided to adopt without telling him. After his initial surprise at seeing a small child in his house, he had argued with Kagome about it, though the entire time he knew he would've done the same thing if he had been in her position. He wasn't that heartless. Though he had been a little hurt that she hadn't thought to consult him, but emotions were running high at that time so he forgave her. Now, all that was left was for him to actually start liking the kid. Not only did Shippo interrupt his and Kagome's alone time, but the damn brat occupied every moment of Kagome's day. From getting ready for school, to going to school, to swimming lessons; by the time Kagome had put Shippo to sleep, she was too tired to even hold a conversation with him.

Damn the kid.

Shippo grabbed his hand and dragged him in front of a statue of some Egyptian god. Breathing a sigh of relief when he noticed a bench nearby, he told the children to behave and rested his legs.

Art museums are just sitting on benches and occasionally switching to another, he thought wisely.

By the time they made their way to the Ancient Rome exhibit, he was losing his patience. The kids had swarmed him with their questions that he didn't know the answer to, and with each "I don't know" he had to calmly say, he was screaming at least three curses in his mind.

"Mr. Inuyasha? What's that?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And another. And another. "I—"

"That's called Trajan's column," a familiar voice interrupted. He cracked open an eye to see that Shippo had made his way to the front of the group and was now gesturing to the image of a marble (or stone? He had no clue) column. "Trajan was the emperor and he ordered this to be made and if you look carefully, you can see that there's a story that spirals all the way up!"

Whispers of astonishment and amazement rose from the rest of the children. Eventually, their attention jumped to something else, and they all moved across the room. All, except Shippo.

"Sorry," he mumbled, staring at the ground.

"Uh, what?"

"I'm sorry," he said again, this time looking up at Inuyasha with bright green eyes. "I didn't mean to interrupt you back then. I won't do it again."

"You didn't interrupt me."

"Oh."

An awkward silence ensued, causing Inuyasha to fidget slightly. Finally, he blurted, "I didn't even know what that damn thing was anyway."

Shippo looked up at him with incredulous eyes. "You don't know Trajan's Column?"

"Why the hell should I? How do you know about it?"

"My dad…" his voice trailed off, and he looked back at the ground. His shoulders slumped forward. And suddenly, Inuyasha didn't know what to do. Sure, Kagome was the brat's new mother figure, but that didn't necessarily make him the father figure… right?

He knelt down to the young boy's level and put a comforting hand on his back. "Hey," he said softly. "Look at me." Shippo sniffed and slowly raised his head, revealing teary eyes. "I can't say that I knew your parents," Inuyasha started. "But I'm damn sure they'd be real proud of you for, you know, learning about Traying's Pole and remembering all about it."

Immediately, Shippo burst into tears. Shit. Shit. Shit. FUCK. What did I do? WHAT DO I DO? But amid his panicked thoughts, he noticed that Shippo had flung his tiny body into his arms. Wrapping the boy in a hug, Inuyasha sighed and patted the boy on the back.

A minute later, Shippo sniffled and drew back. "Thanks," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "I… I miss them."

"I know," Inuyasha said, for lack of better things to say.

"But… But you and Kagome will be there for me, right?"

How could he say no? "Of course."

Shippo beamed and started to walk away before turning back briefly.

"By the way, it's Trajan's Column."