Temporary Home

Summary: Kagome would be the first to tell you that life wasn't easy. She would also tell you that she didn't want it to be. If not for the hard life she had, she wouldn't have the life she did...all thanks to them...

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Prince of Tennis

Genre: Romance/Drama

Pairing: Kagome (None)

Rated: T

-x-x-x-

"Okaa-San!"

Sachiko jumped and turned to see her youngest and oldest son running up to her. "What, yes? What is it?"

"Can I take Kagome to the Beach? The guys were talking about going and said to invite Kagome-Chan!"

"Oh, well-"

"When?" Daichi frowned, interrupting his mother before she could agree.

"This Sunday!"

"No, I want all of us to take Kagome-Chan to the Aquarium, the Penguins!"

"Penguins?" Sachiko looked curiously at her eldest. "Since when-"

Eiji turned to his oldest brother and glared, "I wanna take Kagome to the beach!"

"Aquarium!"

"Um..."

The three stopped and turned to see a bewildered Kagome standing by a confused Kouta and Etsuko. Three standing in the doorway as they watched the two argue between one another.

"Is this a bad time?"

Etsuko laughed, "don't get discouraged, Kagome-Chan. These two idiots are always yelling, and actually, between you and me, any conversation that involves Eiji usually ends with raised voices."

Kouta chuckled, "you don't say "between you and me" then say it so loud that everyone in the room can hear it. Besides, you and Eiji are both to blame for the raised voices."

"What was that?!" She twisted her knuckle painfully in his hair and he cried out for her to stop. "Tch, whatever, I have to finish my homework. Oh, Okaa-San, Kagome-Chan has a date this Sunday." Etsuko yelled down the steps as she disappeared around the railing and into her room.

"I-it's not a date!" Kagome ducked her head and sighed, "what a pain...saying that and then running off."

Kouta smiled down at her as he fixed his hair, "you'll have fun though, I think this will be enjoyable for you."

"You think so?" She smiled back at him, "I'm really excited!"

"Wait, wait," Sachiko raised a hand to stop Kouta and Kagome, her other two boys already deflating from being pushed aside by Kagome's date. "What kind of date? Who with? Oh, that reminds me, you and I need to go and buy you a phone."

"I'm going to go learn how to play Tennis with Hazue-San."

Gushing, Sachiko knelt before Kagome and pulled her into a hug. "So cute!" She leaned back, "who is Hazue-San?"

"He's a boy in my class. Kaidou-Senpai's younger brother."

"Eh!? Nai, nai! Kagome-Chan, you can't date the relatives of my teammates!" Eiji looked as if he might cry. "What if you break up, things get really weird and uncomfortable, nyaaaaan!"

"Baka," Kouta pulled a lock of his hair to cover up his embarrassment. Excusing himself from the room as he left Kagome to fend for herself. He didn't even notice her hand unconsciously lifting towards him.

Kagome dropped her hand and sighed, "Eiji-Nii, it's not that kind of date. It's just him teaching me some about Tennis. I wanted to learn...so that I could watch Eiji-nii play and understand it better. I also think I'm going to join the track team."

"Tennis...track?" Eiji was airy, he felt his heart floating inside of him as he sat crisscross in front of Kagome. "Can't Eiji-nii teach you too?"

"Y-you can, but I don't want to get in your way. Inui-Senpai said that when I come visit you, your performance drops by forty-two percent."

Feeling a bit annoyed, perspiration appeared along his brow in his frustration. "I-Inui...Senpai...that's a little..."

"So, while you are practicing, Hazue-San is going to teach me. I won't be going to the Junior High Courts anymore."

"N-no way! Kagome-Chan, don't listen to Inui-San! He's not right in the head. Tries to poison the tennis team all the time! Ask Shuusuke!"

"Shuusuke?"

"Ah! F-Fujiko-San!" Eiji blushed and shook his head at his slip up. "He was poisoned by Inui-San's Aozu Drink." He frowned, "it was scary..."

'What is this topic?' Kagome laughed, "I'm kind of confused."

"That's why you should go to the Beach!"

'The Beach?! Where is his randomness coming from?!' She put a hand on his shoulder, "can it be on a different Sunday? I already promised Hazue-San."

"Mmn, fine."

"Wait, Aquarium too!"

"Aquarium..." the color in Kagome's cheeks started to fade a bit. She fumbled and her grip lessened on Eiji's shoulder.

"Hehe, she doesn't like the Aquarium, Daichi-nii!"

Her eyes fell and tears swarmed her vision for...well, she'd lost count how many times she'd cried since coming to this house. "...I-I really like the Aquarium..."

Daichi smiled, he got on one knee beside Eiji and his mother. The door was still wide open as he held out his hand to her. "Then, let's all go to the Aquarium, as a family." She leaned into his hand and he pulled her into his chest. Resting his cheek against her head as she collapsed into his hug. Her body was so much smaller than his and trembling in his arms. He felt for the first time, just how frail his new baby sister really was. A part of him was second guessing his idea. 'Maybe dad is right. This might not be such a good idea...but...'

"I want to go..."

-x-x-x-

"Sachi?"

Sachiko looked at her husband, sitting in her bed, she smiled up at him as he made his way beside her. "Yes?"

"You looked worried about something, what's on your mind?"

"I was thinking about Kagome-Chan."

"Ah," he sighed, "this family seems to have a one-track mind. Kagome-Chan is certainly on the right track to being spoiled."

"Oh, hush!" She pouted, "I am seriously worried. I want to do so much, but I know that we can't rush her. It's just, the way she broke down in Daichi's arms. She looked so happy; I wonder why."

"Wait...wait, Daichi's arms? Damn, I might have just lost twenty thousand yen."

"Are you betting?!"

"Daichi started it!"

"You're betting with your son!" She popped him with her pillow, laughing when he fell backwards. Laying back beside him, she grinned at how his hair feathered wildly around his head. "No betting, especially on my little girl."

Chuckling, "isn't she supposed to be mine too?"

"Well, you still have to raise your likability around her."

"Likability?! I'm a news anchor and voted most popular across TV news stations. What's not to like?!"

"You don't smile enough; you always look like you want to lecture rather than give hugs and you don't take Mama out to eat at pretty restaurants anymore!"

"Yes, well, that's because you already love me. I don't need to spoil you anymore. Now I need to be the type of person that Kagome-Chan will like."

"I think she'd like my Isamu-Kun!"

"You think so?" He pulled her in and kissed her on the forehead, "I guess I can be your Isamu then, but the kids won't be joining us for dinner."

Sachiko giggled into his arms and curled up beside him. Neither seemed to care that they were laying on the bed wrong, they fell asleep with ease just as they were. Curled into one another across the middle of their bed, no pillows, no blankets, just each other.

-x-x-x-

Me: Here is chapter fourteen! I hope no one is upset with how I'm writing the family into this. Please enjoy! Merry Christmas!