Hey! Torina here with the latest! Hope you like! Oh, and even though no one asked, no, Kikyo is not going to be in this fic (I don't think. But you never know with me… As Kaitlyn can tell you.) So she never fell in love with and/or broke Inuyasha's heart. This is his first (although very rushed, I know --) love. So sweet! Okay, review responses!
DarkSilverMaiden- O.o Wow. Never had such an emphatic reviewer before… That sounds like a review I would write! Well, thanks for liking it so much! I'm updating now!
Sesshophreak- sigh I KNOW that their relationship is moving too fast. But I told you people, I'm a hopeless romantic! There isn't anything I can do about it! And this chappie is even worse, so please no complaints on how it's too rushed, cuz I KNOW! Thanks for reviewing, though. About the length- in my opinion, the only way a story can be too long is when I haven't finished reading it and my mom makes me get off the computer. So I'm gonna keep making them fairly long, kay?
inu chick- Are you and DarkSilverMaiden long lost twins or something? It's cool, I like excited reviewers. I'm one of them! Well, like I told her, updating now!
IYWriterGirl- Updating!
ichie- Hey! Thanks for being my only reviewer who actually asked questions! It's so much easier to think of an individual response to each reviewer that way… --. Inu does have his dog ears. I forgot to mention that he has been wearing a red (lol) hat this whole time. --. Sorry. I'm not so good at writing AU fics, I guess… Oh well. Oh, yea, the Grinch reference. Remember right before he picked her up and ran down the hallway to class? Well I wrote, "Then he got an idea. An awful idea. A terrible, wonderful, awful idea." That's from the Grinch, when he decides to dress up as Santa and steal everybody's presents and stuff. Yea, I know, lame that I know that. But my four year old bro watches the movie constantly, so… Yea. Oh well. Review this chappie, please!
Kohaku's Sister- Updating!
Keiko89- Updating!
Oh, yea, look out for the YuYu reference in this chappie! And the name of the Home Ec teacher from the last chappie was from WHR. I have nothing against Karasuma, I just wanted to use the name. She's actually one of my fav characters… After Robin and Amon, of course. Oh well. On with the fic!
Somebody Like You
Recap
"Well, well, well. How unexpected," he said. "The miko defending the hanyou."
Kagome and Inuyasha looked over at each other, thunderstruck.
WHAT?
Chapter Two: Mikos and Hanyous
They quickly covered up their shock. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Naraku," Inuyasha said smoothly. "Miko? Hanyou? Those are creatures of legend! You've finally gone mad, like I've always said."
"Oh?" Naraku raised his eyebrows. "Please, half-breed, I've seen your true form. Or did you forget our last battle? Besides, can you not sense her power? Ah, but of course, I had almost forgotten. Your humanity has dulled your senses; you wouldn't be able to identify her for what she is, now would you?"
Temporarily forgetting, in his rage, that he ought to hide his identity from Kagome, he replied testily, "You are hanyou as well, Naraku!"
"Yea," Naraku replied smugly, "but I believe that comment is in my defense, not your own. After all, if both of us (although I hesitate to compare us) are hanyou, and I could sense her strength when you could not, that just makes you all the weaker."
The mention of Kagome's power brought him crashing back to reality. Great! She heard everything I just said! What am I gonna do now?
"Inuyasha…" she whispered, her voice hardly audible, "Are you serious?"
Well, there was no longer any point in denying it… "Yes…" he replied softly, suddenly finding the ground extremely interesting. He abruptly felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see none other than a softly smiling Kagome.
"Guess you just proved what I've been trying to tell my grandfather for years."
"Wha- What?"
She smiled again, more reassuringly this time. "All demons aren't that bad."
Inuyasha's heart leapt. "Do… Do you mean it?"
"Would I lie to you?" she said softly.
Inuyasha felt a warm, overwhelming joy cascade over him. He had never felt like this; only with Kagome did he seem to experience this sense of… Belonging, he supposed. There was no other way to describe it. Somewhat like love, he mused. If you understood it, it just wouldn't be what it was…
"I suppose not," he whispered. He bent over slightly to kiss her, when-
The bell rang.
"Oh my God!" cried a frantic Kagome. "I'm gonna be late AGAIN!" Off she ran, dragging a poor Inuyasha (once more) behind her.
Naraku, still seated next to Kagura, glared. So, they wouldn't be separated by a single secret kept. That was fine with him. He enjoyed a good challenge. But they had to be alienated at all costs, and soon. Divided, he would conquer. But together… Even Naraku himself was willing to admit the possibility of defeat. And that was saying something.
"Come, Kagura," he said. "We will go fetch Kanna. We need a new plan…"
He rose from his seat and glided out the door, a glaring Kagura trailing dutifully behind him.
"Kagome!" he cried, his arm almost ready to fall off due to the speed at which she was dragging him. "Do you even know which class you have seventh period?"
She stopped abruptly at this realization, sending Inuyasha crashing into a wall.
"Oh my God!" she cried, rushing to his side. "Are you okay?"
He stood up and brushed the dust from his jeans. "Yea, I'm fine. But could you stop running off like that"
"Oh, yea… Heh." she scratched her head nervously and sweatdropped. "I guess I gotta work on that…"
Inuyasha sighed. "So what class do you have?"
She rummaged around in her large yellow backpack for her schedule. "Um… Math."
Inuyasha felt hope surge through him. "Takanaka?"
"Yea. You too?" she asked, looking up at him with such anticipation that his heart melted.
"Yea. Let's go."
"Okay." To Inuyasha's amazement, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck before he could lift her up himself. When he simply stood staring, she tilted her head to the side and said, "Inu? You okay?"
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. She really trusts me… "Yea. C'mon, let's go."
He lifted her into his arms and carried her down the hallway, subconsciously deciding to take the long way to their Algebra class. He liked spending time alone with her, and he wasn't going to miss out on a chance to be by her side.
Mr. Takanaka sighed. It had taken him twenty minutes, but the class had finally calmed down… He was going to send appreciation notes to all the teachers he had looked down upon when he was the principal of Sariashki Junior High. And he had thought that Urameshi was difficult… These children were terrors! Oh well. Time to start class… "All right, everyone, today we are going to-"
He was interrupted by the loud banging sound of the classroom door being opened.
"Sorry we're late, Takanaka. Kag's new here, and-"
Inuyasha's excuse was cut off by the rest of the class exploding in cheers.
"All right!"
" 'Yasha's here!"
"Come sit by me, man!"
"Yea, class is never any fun without you!"
Takanaka sighed. Was it too much to ask to hope for a single peaceful day?
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and set Kagome down. "Oh, shut it, ya moochers. Maybe if you would shut your traps for half a second you would learn something, instead of being the idiots you are. And no, I'm not giving out free tickets to the dance this weekend, for the last time- only the principal can do that. And he doesn't. So, as you're not even my friends, you can pay your way in, just like everyone else. The classroom quieted, and Inuyasha turned his gaze to Takanaka. "Well, are you gonna teach us some math today or what?"
Takanaka nodded his gratitude. Inuyasha might act like a tough guy, but in all honesty he was a truly kind and brilliant child… "Okay, everyone," he said as Inuyasha and Kagome took their seats, "can anyone tell me the area of the shaded part of a rectangle if the dimensions of the entire polygon are 3X4 and 2X2, and the dimensions of the unshaded section are 4X-5 and 2X-3?"
Kagome raised her hand instantly.
"Yes, Miss… Er…"
"Higurashi," she responded, "and he area of the shaded section of the rectangular figure is 6X322X-15." (Do it yourself if you don't believe me!)
Takanaka blinked, glancing at the answer sheet in disbelief. "Um… Yes, that was correct… Would you like to try another?"
Kagome smiled and nodded, standing and walking to the chalkboard to explain the concept of factoring to the class. From his seat, Inuyasha grinned. She was fitting in perfectly. Hopefully, this would help her forget about her little brother, at least for the time being. 'The time being' meaning, of course, until he came up with a plan to reunite them. She wasn't going to be away from her brother for very long if he had anything to say about it. She deserved so much better of a life than the one she was living… And she was going to get it.
Kagome sighed and leaned against her locker. "That was the most tiring day of my life…"
Inuyasha shook his head and smirked inwardly. It figured she wouldn't be tired until the end of the day… "Come on," he said. "I'll walk you home."
Kagome stood up hurriedly and brushed her skirt off. "On second thought," she said, hefting her backpack over her shoulder, "I think I'm okay. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Inuyasha was surprised at her sudden change in attitude. He could smell the sudden fear and apprehension that threatened to engulf her. "Are you sure?" he asked, uncertain.
"Definitely sure," she said quickly. "Bye now!"
"Hold on a sec," he said, grabbing her shoulder and whirling her around. He gazed deeply into her eyes. "You're hiding something."
Kagome winced. "It's nothing, really. I'll be okay."
"Kagome…"
"Just trust me, okay?" she pled desperately. "it's for your own good…"
"What do you mean?" he asked, concerned. "Are you in danger?"
"No," she muttered, "but you would be."
Thanks to his hanyou hearing, Inuyasha was able to detect the lightly spoken sentiment. "What?"
She whirled on him, her tone fierce. "I'm a miko, remember?" she hissed. "My family wouldn't take kindly to me bringing a demon home, no matter how kind and gentle you are. They would attack first, ask questions later." Her tone and expression softened, and she looked at him with affection and something akin to protectiveness. "I won't put you in that kind of danger."
"Kagome, I can take care of myself. Besides, I can't risk letting you go out alone. Naraku is out there, remember?"
He could smell the fear that now radiated off her in waves. "I'll be fine," she lied. "I can walk home from here without my life being in danger."
But her voice shook as she said this, and Inuyasha didn't fail to notice. He folded his arms across his chest and clearly enunciated, "You are not going alone."
Kagome sighed. "I'm not going to win this, am I?"
He shook his head, determined. "Not a chance."
Kagome sighed and relented, taking his hand in hers and walking out the door. "Thanks," she whispered as they walked down the street.
He tilted his head to the side in confusion. "For what?" he inquired.
She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "For caring…"
Inuyasha smiled, content to simply be by her side.
"Mom! Grandpa!" Kagome called, releasing Inuyasha's hand and running up the shrine steps, "I'm home!"
"Kagome, stand back!" a male voice from within the shrine called. "I sense a demon!" A short, old man came into view, wielding paper ofudas and crying, "Die now, youkai!"
The paper stuck to Inuyasha's forehead, and he looked up at it for a moment, cross-eyed in annoyance, before peeling it off peevishly. "Hey, what was that for, old man?" he called.
The priest now looked frightened. "Oh no! This demon is dreadfully powerful! Dispose of it, Kagome!"
Inuyasha looked on, incredulous. The man couldn't defeat a demon, so he sent out his own granddaughter to do the dirty work for him? What kind of family was this?
"Grandpa, stop it!" Kagome cried. "Inuyasha's my friend!"
A strange warm feeling filled Inuyasha at her words. She considered him a friend… She had treated him as such, but hearing her say it evoked new and powerful feelings in the inu-hanyou. What had he done to earn the friendship of such a wonderful person?
"WHAT?!?!" her grandfather cried. "This is awful! Just wait until your mother hears about this! Oh, for shame! My own granddaughter dating a youkai!"
The two immediately flushed. "We are NOT dating, jii-san. I wasn't feeling well, so he offered to walk me home." The two suddenly realized how couple-like that sounded, and blushed more deeply.
Trying to cover up her mistake, Kagome continued, "Besides, he's not a youkai. He's a hanyou."
Her jii-san's eyes widened, and he started running around in frantic little circles, waving his hands back and forth over his head and shouting, "Haaaaalf Deeeeeeeeemon!"
A woman who seemed to be in her late thirties stepped out of the door to the main shrine. "What on earth is going on out here?" she demanded. There was something unique about her voice; it was firm, but kind and understanding. This woman was clearly an objective person, willing to listen to all sides of the story before deciding what to do. She seemed concerned, but not angry, at her family's strange behavior. These thoughts put Inuyasha at ease. Certainly this woman would understand that he meant neither her or her family harm, and allow him to stay friends with Kagome.
"Daughter!" Kagome's jii-san cried, flinging himself at her. "Kagome is dating a hanyou!"
"We're not dating!" Kagome cried. "Inuyasha's just a friend! He was only walking me home to… Uh… Study. Right Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha was in his own little world, mesmerized by the way the light reflected off the miko's hair, so Kagome elbowed him to get his attention. "Right, Inuyasha?" she stressed.
"What?" Inuyasha mentally banged his head on a wall. Smooth, Inu, he thought. Smooth… "Oh, yea, right. Homework." MUCH better.
Oh, shut up, Inuyasha countered. You're just a voice in my head…
Yea, a much smarter voice.
Shut up.
Why don't you?
Cuz I'm me.
But I'm you, too.
…
See? I'm right, aren't I?
… Just shut up.Inuyasha was brought back to reality by Kagome, who was waving her hand up and down in front of his face. "Hello?" she asked. "Earth to Inuyasha!"
"Huh? Oh, Kagome, hey… Sorry, spaced out for a second there."
"I noticed," she replied, a slight amount of amusement in her tone. "What was going on in that head of yours, anyway? Having a personal conversation with the voices in your head?"
Inuyasha was struck dumb for a moment by how close to the mark her assessment actually was. To cover his shock, he replied, "Yea, nine out of ten agree that I'm sane."
Kagome burst out laughing. "God," she gasped between breaths, "that's the funniest thing I've heard in the longest time…"
Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. "You don't get out much, do you?"
"It's not that. It's just… I don't guess any of my friends back home were very humorous people. And mom hasn't laughed since dad died…"
"Kagome Higurashi!" Mrs. Higurashi exclaimed. "How dare you discuss such personal issues with someone you have only just met! I swear, if your father were here-"
"But he's not," Kagome interjected angrily. "And neither is Souta. You say that we moved here because it was in our best interests… But sometimes I think that you just wanted to run away from your memories of the past. To start over… I tried that, mom. But you can't forget the past. Who you once were shapes who you are now. And if I want to discuss things that everyone else refuses to talk about with one of my friends, then I have every right! I'm sick of you trying to block father out of your mind! You have to talk to someone. And when you're ready to grow up and take advice from someone other than yourself, I'll be perfectly willing to oblige you. But until then, back off from me and my friends!" Kagome turned on her heel and marched up the shrine steps, her fury apparent.
Mrs. Higurashi's eyes shone with sadness. She had clearly not meant to hurt her daughter- she was only trapped in a situation that was beyond her control. She was unable to manage her emotions, and therefore acted harshly. She made to follow Kagome into the house to speak to her, but Inuyasha stopped her.
"Mrs. Higurashi, I understand what you're going through, but talking to Kagome about it right now will only make things worse. Please, let me speak with her…"
Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "All right. Just… Just tell her that I'm sorry. And that I love her…"
Inuyasha smiled slightly. "I'll be sure to ." He turned around and walked into the shrine, following Kagome's scent. He climbed up to the second story and knocked on the door that her scent stopped at. "Kagome?" he asked. "Are you in there?"
"Go away!" she cried, her words muffled by tears and something that sounded suspiciously like a pillow.
"Kagome, it's me. Inuyasha."
The door opened slowly to reveal Kagome, her eyes puffy and bloodshot with crying. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry," she whispered, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "It's just my mother, she-"
"She loves you, Kagome, even if it doesn't always seem like it," he said, gathering her into his arms. "She was wrong to run away from her problems, but she thought it would help all of you, not just her. She did it for you as much as herself… And she doesn't mean to hurt you. So please, Kagome, stop crying. I hate it when you cry…" He brushed away a few wayward tears.
Kagome hugged Inuyasha tightly and smiled. "Thanks, Inuyasha. I appreciate everything you've done for me… Let's go do our homework."
Inuyasha nodded and squeezed her hand, smiling slightly. "Let's."
From her hiding place in the hall closet Mrs. Higurashi smiled. Maybe all hope was not lost in her relationship with Kagome. And it seemed that this new friend of hers was the key to solving all their problems.
"Okay," said Inuyasha, "so to find the area of the shaded portion, you calculate the area of the entire figure and then subtract the area of the smaller unshaded section?"
"Yup," said Kagome. "You're getting the hang of it! See, I told you it was simple. It didn't even take you long to figure it out!"
Inuyasha snorted. "You call two hours short?"
Kagome bit her lip nervously. "Well… You tried your best, right? And you get it now. All's well that ends well!"
Inuyasha blinked. "You know something?"
Kagome looked at him quizzically. "What?"
"You're a little too optimistic."
Kagome threw a pillow at his head. "Well maybe you're a little to pessimistic."
Inuyasha smirked. "Maybe. But I'm not the one who's about to be screaming bloody murder."
Kagome tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I haven't lost a pillow fight in twelve years," he replied. "And it seems to me that you just started one."
Kagome's eyes widened in fear. "Y- You wouldn't!" she exclaimed.
"Oh," replied Inuyasha, "I would." He threw back the pillow she had tossed at him, and so the pillow fight began.
Inuyasha easily gained the upper hand, bombarding her with every pillow and plushie in her room. Kagome screamed in excitement, laughing as he tossed the last plushie in her room at him and pushed her down on her bed.
"Gotcha," he declared, pinning her arms down. "Do you give up?"
"Never!" Kagome cried, struggling against his grip.
Inuyasha sighed. "Well then you leave me no choice… I'll have to unleash my most powerful weapon."
Kagome shrank back instinctively. "Wh- What?" The look in his eyes was giving her the creeps.
"Tickling!" he cried, his assault sending her into uncontrollable fits of laughter.
"Okay!" she exclaimed. "Okay, I give! Just stop!"
"You surrender?" Inuyasha prodded, refusing to cease until she admitted his superiority.
"Yes! I surrender!"
He stopped tickling her, but wouldn't let her up. "And you agree that I am better than you?"
Kagome sent him a warning glance. "You're pushing it."
Inuyasha smiled and relented, releasing her. Kagome's door suddenly slammed open.
"Demon! Stay away from my granddaughter!" Kagome's jii-san threw six ofudas at Inuyasha, who shredded them with his claws before they could reach him.
"Jii-san, what are you doing?" Kagome exclaimed. "I told you, Inuyasha is my friend!"
He stood there stupidly a moment before replying, "Then why were you screaming? And why is your bedroom in such disarray?"
Kagome flushed as she noticed the terrible state her room was in. "We… We were playing, jii-san."
"Well, the two of you can clean up this mess before you come down for dinner." With this kind parting statement, her jii-san turned and left.
Kagome sighed as she surveyed the extent of the damage. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to, Inuyasha."
He shrugged. "I'll help. After all, I made most of the mess." And I'll get to stay with you longer…
Kagome shot him a brilliant smile. "Thanks, Inuyasha." She turned her gaze back to the room and sighed again. "Well, let's get cleaning."
OMG, that was so SHORT! sobs Oh well. I just got a really bad case of writer's block… I'll try to start updating faster, kay? My life has just been really hectic lately... Next chappie is cleaning fun and more of Naraku! And Inu/Kag fluffiness, of course! Well, g2g. R&R, peeps!
