Crystal: Ha! I LIVE! I bet you doubted that, didn't you?

Nope, I'm not dead, just a lazy procrastinator. And I shower my reviewers with apologies for not updating sooner. Would you excuse me if I told you I suffer from permanent writer's block?

Silver-Shadow-Fox: n.n Yay! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. XD Yes, I prefer my stories to go nice and slow, because it makes me able to see the pairing a little bit better.

inu-fluff-luvr/S. Weez: Hehe. I'm glad you liked it. n.n

kawaiipnay: Heh, yeah I wondered about that too. But his mom's not going to come in...not yet anyway...;D

Twilight Oracle: Yep, Yusuke is a fight-obsessed moron! But he's a kawaii fight-obsessed moron. nn

gurlhushere13: Glad you liked it! Here's your update!

vicky: Yep, the pairing is indeed Yus/Kag. And I updated! Wh00t.

excel-saga: O.O You feel strongly about that, don't you? Well, I'll try to update more often...I'll try. n.n;

L-O-O-K-I-N-G

Aftermath n. The consequences of an event, especially a disastrous one, or the period of time during which these consequences are felt.

A-T

Kagome blinked several times to clear her fogged vision, an unfamiliar place coming into focus. Her head was not supported by the usual softness of her pillow, but something firmer, that rose and fell subtly and steadily.

In realization of what she was resting her head upon, she let out a small yelp and sat up so fast she got dizzy enough that she almost fell back down again.

"Nh," came the stirring of the boy on the floor next to her, turning over in disgruntled sleep, though her heart was almost pounding too loudly in her ears for her to catch it.

"Yusuke, wake up!" Her brow furrowed as her eyes turned to the sunlight pouring in through the curtained window. They were definitely at least an hour late for school as it was... Kagome's heart sunk at the thought of what would happen when she walked in late without a good excuse.

Let alone what would happen when she walked in late with Yusuke, both without excuses.

Might people assume that something had actually happened between them that night? Her face turned bright red at the thought. I don't even like him! Her eyes slowly gazed back down to him, looking over his sleeping figure. Did she really? Well...he's not all that bad...

But he had a girlfriend! She shook her head vigorously, in an action to dispel any traces of romantic feelings that had developed as a result of the last night.

"Wake up!" she shouted, louder than the last time, but not desperate enough to reach out and touch him. Subconsciously, she was still much too flustered to, even if only to shake him awake.

"Hn?" he muttered groggily, his lids opening slowly for the schoolgirl's anxious face to come into view first thing. "H-hey!" he shouted edgily, suddenly wide awake. "What are you doing in my house?"

"Hey! It's your fault!" Kagome retorted almost automatically. "You invited me over!" She hadn't phrased it exactly how she meant to, but she ignored that as bigger issues were on her mind.

"I...well...oh. I did..." Yusuke mumbled incoherently, recalling the events of the night before. Fumbling for a comeback he managed to blurt out, "Well, what else was I supposed to do?!"

"And what to do you expect me to do now?! We're already late for school!"

"Well, no point in going to school then," Yusuke shrugged the matter off in an instant and laid back down, closing his eyes.

"How can you say that? Don't you even care about your grades?!" Kagome realized how stupid of a question this was as soon as she said it. Of course he didn't care about his grades. He fell asleep in school, put off assignments as much as he could, and overall was a complete and total idiot.

But for some reason, it almost seemed like she didn't mind like she had when she first met him. She had come to accept it as a part of him, along with the fact that were other good qualities along with the delinquency.

"Maybe..." she said softly, unbelieving how she could say that. She had never skipped school before in her life and was just deciding to do it now because Yusuke had suggested it? Well, it would look less suspicious if we didn't come in late together, she reasoned silently. And I won't have to explain to the teachers why I'm late. But what if the school calls home? Her stomach felt as if it was knotted as she realized the school would probably be calling home no matter if she was late or absent. Either way, it was still considered skipping class.

What have I got to lose? she thought dismally, letting herself relax a bit. At the very least, I can get some more sleep...

Y-O-U

It had been almost a month, and Inuyasha was not appeased.

Day after day, he had brooded, waiting for Kagome's return. What in all the hells could have been taking her so long to come back?

He lay his hand upon the wooden rim of the old dry well both he and Kagome had passed through so many times. It seemed so easy to just jump down and arrive in her world, like he always had been able to before.

"In your current state, it is doubtful you could pass through the well."

The ningen frowned, his grip on the wood tightening. He felt so weak and helpless, a feeling he did not enjoy in the least, especially when something could've happened to Kagome because he couldn't save her.

"That's it!" He shook his head vigorously, putting his leg on the rim of the well, in a position so that he was ready to spring. "I don't give a damn about what Miroku said!"

And so he jumped.

Y-O-U

Kagome hugged her knees to her chest, for despite her efforts she had not been able to sleep.

Images of what would happen once jii-chan and her mother found out kept playing and replaying in her mind. Her little bubble of optimism and hope had been shattered as she had begun to think of worse and worse scenarios and what her fate would be afterwards. How had she been talked into this?

She took a quick glance at the clock. It was only three hours into school, so she could still make it for about half of her classes. She would still be in trouble, but maybe just a little less, if she showed up for some.

And maybe she would be able to make up a good excuse! She had been attacked by a random thug on the street, or had tripped and fallen flat on her face and...

She sighed and shook her head. What am I saying? It's useless.

Kagome suddenly stiffened, hearing a slight rustling sound from down the hall. Nobody had been in the house other than herself and Yusuke the other night...had someone snuck in? She felt her heartbeat suddenly begin to quicken as she got up and headed for the kitchen, looking for a potential weapon, but only able to come up with a butter knife.

Catiously, she headed in the direction of the noise, dulled knife at the ready. "I-is someone the–?"

Kagome stopped suddenly, brown eyes widened in surprise, a single word echoing through her mind as she looked at the boy before her. "Inu...yasha?"

L-O-O-K-I-N-G

Crystal: Yes, I know. This chapter was t3h shortness. I would've made it a bit longer, but I felt it was necessary to update so you all know I'm alive. Besides, I think it's longer than most of my chapters. Yeah. Well, ja!