A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had most of this done last week, but then I got busy.
It's still not really done – there was supposed to be another chapter, but instead of wait, I figured I'd just put this out now, and maybe I can have the rest out tomorrow. Have fun!
Trips home to the modern era generally spawned from some mixture of practicality and need. Depending on how that criterion was achieved, urgency dictated the variance in her resulting schedule; but by and large, her loosely assembled itinerary typically went as follows:
1-Mother/daughter reunion
2-Shower
3-Eat/sleep/wound aftercare
4-Doctor/dentist/professional appointments
5-Catch up on homework/gossip/current events with friends
6-Stockpile supplies
7-Laundry
8-Tearful goodbye/assure mother
This was all subject to change, of course, especially at her mother's behest. More often than not, however, Mrs. Higurashi only used her veto power to help her daughter multitask.
Foresight gifted by age and wisdom often saw Kagome's needs anticipated and met before her return, and experience had her chores handled efficiently. Laundry was already in the drier by the time she was out of the shower, and a meal awaited her on the table.
She had no injuries to see to; and since she'd caught up on her appointments during her last visit, she found herself hosting her obligatory 'brain trust' meeting by only the second day.
Sure, she'd yet to get cracking on her Inuyasha problem, but decompression was a prerequisite, and her friends played a role.
"Does your mom know?"
Yuka reclined on Kagome's bed like she had been doing since they were six, the smartphone in her hand as much a testament to the change a decade can bring as the hot pink thong underwear she was carelessly flashing them.
Ever the gracious host, Kagome sat on the floor and let her friend take the furniture – aside from Ayumi, who pulled up carpet in solidarity.
"Yes," the miko replied. "I told her the last time I was home... sick. The last time I was home sick from school."
No one seemed to catch the slip.
Watching Yuka scroll, Kagome wondered if she would be as enamored with technology in the absence of magic and demons. She had a phone for emergencies, of course, but couldn't help doubting that her friend would be any more observant without it.
"You must have been delirious," said the high school girl, bouncing a leg over her bare knee. "I would be mortified if my mom found out I was doing it with Yoshi. Not to mention, grounded."
"Was she mad?" Eri asked, spinning the desk chair slightly to face her, and leaning in. "How much trouble were you in?"
She'd been home once before since starting a relationship with Sesshoumaru, and that was one conversation she was glad to have behind her.
"None, actually. Mama is always so supportive. I just feel bad for making her worry – I could tell she was concerned."
She always was whenever her daughter returned covered in scrapes and bruises; but keen, knowing eyes tinted with another brand of fear when she'd walked in on her changing and glimpsed several unmistakable marks in very suspicious locations.
"And it was only mildly mortifying," she added, scrunching her nose. "I had to sit through 'the talk'."
A collective groan resonated within the pink bedroom as four traumatic memories were simultaneously resurrected.
Though fairly open with her mother, Kagome hadn't been prepared to go into that level of detail. Not yet, anyway.
But it ended up being a net positive experience – awkwardness notwithstanding.
"She just wants to help," she acknowledged, "and actually had a lot of really great advice. I'm glad I said something." Two heads shook in vehement disagreement with Kagome's sentiment, however.
"She made me go on birth control, which was definitely a good move."
"Because you guys are doing it so much?" Eri urged.
Her Cheshire Cat grin was as teasing as lascivious, and Kagome rolled her eyes.
"I'm so glad you're finally getting laid," Yuka said, somewhat condescendingly. "Now you can join in when we trade accounts of our passionate teenage love affairs."
"You lost your v-card to a gangly, squeaky-voiced sophomore five months ago," the miko recounted with a flat glare, "you are not that worldly."
'Despite trying desperately to prove otherwise with your older sister's make up and clothes,' she added silently to herself. Of the four of them, Yuka was the most eager to grow up – a very juvenile impulse.
The schoolgirl smiled, seemingly unaffected by her claim. "Yeah, but we've been doing it every Friday night since then," she pointed out, "right after his team wins their match, of course. You have to be an alpha male to make team captain," she gloated confidently, adding; "Yoshi is very kinky."
"He's captain of the chess team," Kagome emphasized, causing her other two friends to erupt into a fit of giggles. She looked like she was ready to argue further.
"You know Kagome only goes for bad boys, Yuka." Grin returning, Eri successfully directed the conversation back where she wanted it.
"Her punk boyfriend wasn't enough for her, so she dropped him for his punk older brother," she recounted slyly. "I bet he has experience."
She glared as focus shifted to her once again. 'She's getting as bad as Yuka.'
"He sounds so hot!" Ayumi threw in beside her, and Kagome smiled at her least incorrigible friend. Now that she was the lone virgin of the group, she really hoped the others didn't goad her relentlessly about it. She felt mildly guilty.
"Speaking of Mr. Donkey Dick," Yuka smirked, sitting up, "did you try that move I told you about?"
As Kagome recalled the move in question, she was helpless to the onslaught of images her mind produced.
Fierce golden eyes overcome with lust in the form of red demonic power seeping in and taking the helm...
Sharp, jagged stripes signifying the tentative grip on control he was slowly losing to himself – to her...
The deep, rumbling voice that had been reduced to a harsh, nearly indistinguishable growl...
Pink dusted cheeks seemed to be all the answer Yuka required, judging from the smug, satisfied smile she wore.
Credit where credit was due, Kagome admitted she came through on that one.
"Told you Yoshi was kinky. You're welcome." Laying back once more, she pulled her phone back up to her face. "Anytime you need sex advice, your worldly best friend is always willing to share her tips."
She may have gotten lucky once, but Kagome doubted there was much else said friend could teach her about sex – after all she'd been up to. But Yuka looked pleased with herself, so she let her have her moment.
"Okay, so dish. How often are you guys doing it?" She turned to find the girl at her desk looming with a look of anticipation.
"Is the sex still mind-blowing, or are you ready to try someone new?"
She opened her mouth to answer, but her worldly friend chimed in again. "No matter how gorgeous he sounds, no one manages to keep your interest for long. You're kind of a fickle bitch, Kagome -everybody knows it."
Progressively accustomed to those she associated with (in both eras) using 'bitch' as a term of endearment these days, her glare was for her assertion that she was fickle.
Based on what? They may have grown up together, but these girls barely knew her anymore.
'Whose fault is that?'
As she thought on it, she realized it was no wonder she was more comfortable talking to her mom about her sex life than her 'best' friends. She'd been lying to them for over a year. And everyone else she knew here, too.
Maybe that was why she was losing her connection to this place, and everyone within that was not her immediate family. You can't build relationships – not meaningful ones – with people you can't show yourself to.
Maybe that was why she slipped into a liar's role so easily. Lying to her friends was just what she did now.
Creating distance was a natural stage for her relationships.
Make friends, get bored, find more exciting friends, move on, repeat...
Damn, she was a fickle bitch.
"Come on, we've been out of the loop for so long – you owe us some dirt." Snapping her out of her revelation; her friend's breezy assertion cut close to the bone, making her feel raw and exposed. That she could peg her so easily and accurately was especially unnerving, as the girl wasn't particularly clever. If it was so clear to Yuka, everyone must see through her.
'I'm a bad friend,' she finally realized.
She'd done pretty well at justifying her terrible behavior of late; her fantastic circumstances made it easy- to believe she was special, that the rules didn't apply to her... Time and space didn't, so why should any of the others?
Maybe she was special, fine. She was different from other people. That didn't mean she was allowed to discount everyone else's feelings. She'd rationalized doing so.
She'd gotten good at lying to herself, as well.
"...especially after all we've shared when you were still a blushing virgin."
She was in the wrong, but it felt violating to suddenly be exposed.
Yuka was an idiot, and she'd sized her up with but a glance. It felt like her glasses could see through her clothing, leaving her scrambling to cover herself once more.
"I never asked to hear every detail of your sex life, Yuka," she said defensively. "Maybe you should keep some things to yourself."
"Uh, oh. Trouble in paradise?" she mocked.
Another bullseye sharpened Kagome's glower.
"Come on, guys. She obviously doesn't want to talk about it," Ayumi said, recognizing the playful cadence had left her.
"Is everything okay?" Eri worried, preemptively sympathetic. "He didn't cheat on you, did he?"
Her tales of Inuyasha had conditioned her friends to be mistrustful, but that wasn't really fair- he was never beholden to her. Placing undue expectations on him that he never agreed to was just another instance of being a bad friend.
"That bastard! I guess it runs in his family."
"No," she finally managed. "Sesshoumaru would never do that."
"At least he's better than that two-timer." A wicked smile curled up Yuka's lips following Eri's outburst. "How'd it feel when you told him you were fucking his brother behind his back? I bet it felt good to get your revenge."
"I didn't get with Sesshoumaru for revenge!" she insisted firmly. "Inuyasha was never even my boyfriend, anyway. We're just friends." Setting the record straight, she scowled her displeasure. "And it doesn't feel good hurting him- it feels terrible."
"Kagome," Eri began, stealing attention away from Yuka's maddening eye-roll, "If he was never even your boyfriend, why would doing it with his brother hurt him? Why would he care?"
"I told you they don't get along," she frowned at her. "Imagine how betrayed you'd feel if I started dating your older brother."
Eri shuddered... then furrowed. "Why would I feel betrayed?"
She'd already established she was a bad friend mere moments ago, but dismantling her argument was getting dangerously close to labeling her a bad significant other. She didn't know how much more she could stand to learn about herself today.
"I'd just be annoyed I had to spend my Saturday driving you to get your head examined. Maybe a little embarrassed that one of my best friends demonstrated such terrible judgement." She wrinkled her nose, "and nauseous... very nauseous. But I wouldn't be mad at you. I'd be mad at him for being a creep, but what else is new?"
She doubted Eri and her brother's relationship was anywhere as strained as the dog demons' -and Eri wasn't as close with her as Inuyasha was- but she raised a good point.
Why would he care who she dated? To an extent where it would damage him to do so?
"If he got mad, it probably means he wanted to be more than just friends; but I thought you said he was head over heels for his ex." Brows drawn, she tapped a finger to her lips. "What, now that they're back together, he's chasing you again? Dude just likes drama."
No, he wasn't chasing her -he never was- and any alluding otherwise was just projection on her part; yet she let her friends' assumptions run amok, unchecked. Maybe it fed her own delusions on the matter.
What else had she deluded herself into believing? What other lies had she told herself?
"How mad did Inuyasha get when you told him, Kagome?"
Her silence was condemning, and another groan reverberated through the pink bedroom.
"You are such a chicken shit!" Yuka declared.
"You still haven't told him?" Ayumi asked incredulously. "You said you were going to!"
"I know. I tried, but..."
She'd done well at rationalizing herself to... herself. Why was it so hard to explain it to others?
'Maybe they have higher standards... Or less inclinations to be willfully ignorant.'
After fumbling a moment, a strike of inspiration had her turning back to Eri.
"You remember when you were going to break up with Daichi, but then his mom got in that really bad car accident, so you waited two weeks until she was out of the hospital?" she demanded suddenly.
Eri nodded, unsure where this was going. She wasn't alone.
"His mom was in an accident?" Ayumi asked sympathetically.
"No, but he's gone through some personal stuff, and he's really down lately," she confided somberly. "He needs a friend, and I just don't want to pile on the trauma while he's in this low point of his life."
It felt like betrayal sharing this with them, but she decided 500 years was long enough to be considered public domain. Chewing her lip, she admitted; "He's not the most emotionally stable person, and I'm worried about how it will affect him right now... Don't you think you did the right thing," she asked hopefully, "waiting until Daichi wasn't so vulnerable?"
Zeroing in on Eri, she ordained her in that moment with the power of validation. Precedent and preacher all wrapped into one, and she clung to it like a buoy in a big, empty ocean.
"When you finally told him, how did you do it?" she asked, desperation clouding her scent enough for even her to detect. "I could really use some pointers."
Eri's cheeks pinkened as blood rushed to them.
"Actually, I didn't," she replied sheepishly. Kagome's forehead folded in silent question. "Kenji Usami told him he saw me kissing Yuto during free period. Remember the courtyard incident?"
The miko deflated, memories falling into place.
"Oh, yeah."
So much for that. On the bright side, she did a nice job proving why her tactic was definitely a prerequisite for disaster.
"I shoulda just told him up front that I was done," Eri lamented. Kagome offered a pained look. "I honestly don't know if he would have taken it better, but I feel like he couldn't have taken it much worse."
Yeah, he had a pretty exceptional meltdown. Poor guy. She couldn't imagine having the worst moment in her life before a modest audience of peers... and some faculty.
Kami, that had to be anecdotal. She prayed she wasn't paving the way for her best friend to have an epic breakdown like that. That was the opposite of what she wanted.
"Plus, even after she got discharged, it still took his mom, like, another year before she learned to walk again," Eri recalled sullenly. "It was hard on his whole family, but what was I going to do – keep dating him another year just to spare his feelings?"
No. Of course not.
Her heart was in the right place, but in the end, she'd done more harm than good.
"There is never a good time for bad news; but at least if you tell him, you can minimize the damage- instead of some weaselly little snitch embellishing for drama." Eri's ire rose as the incident refreshed itself in her mind.
When it receded again, she caught Kagome's gaze.
"The longer you wait, the worse it'll be. The sooner you do it, the sooner he'll get over it."
The benefit of Eri's experience laid confidently at her feet didn't ease Kagome's anxiety one bit.
"Okay, so anyway," Yuka gleefully reclaimed the floor, "in Yoshi's car last Friday after the tournament...