Disclaimer: I love the boy with the puppy dog ears, but he's not mine.

Inuyasha: I can't believe you are making me wear these things.

What? Oh, boxers? Why not? They aren't uncomfortable are they?

Inuyasha: Um…no…they don't feel uncomfortable. They make me uncomfortable.

What? Why?

Kagome: Here…model these!

Oh! I get it…yeah that could be embarrassing.

Chapter 24

Their anger at Shippo didn't go away overnight. In fact, they didn't see their new friends at all the next day. Sunday was spent at home with the Higurashi family, teaching Inuyasha how to play board games. Surprisingly he caught on quickly, especially if it was a game that had the mission to conquer the other players. It didn't take long for him to annihilate them all in each competitive game they played. Risk, he left them begging for mercy. Monopoly, you couldn't land on a space that he didn't own that he had built up with hotels and houses. Even simple games like Clue he figured the answer out before anyone else even had much of an idea. In the end, Kagome pulled out Candy land just to even the odds. It is hard to conquer your opponents when the game is based on chance.

All in all, it had been a good day. She had realized that he would be able to accumulate to life with her, it would just take time. She opened her door and quietly made her way down the small hallway toward his room. She had to be as quiet as possible, if her mother realized what she had been doing every night after everyone went to bed, it would not be a pretty sight. She had spent every night since his return in bed with the hanyou, claiming an inability to sleep.

Can't sleep? Ha, more like can't sleep with him nearby and not being in bed with the cozy hanyou. Can someone really get so accustomed to something so quickly? She turned the doorknob as she reached his room, entering quickly and closing the door behind her.

"Keh," She heard come from across the room, "You again? I suppose you can't sleep." He growled, although Kagome heard the thread of happiness and affection in his voice.

"No." She replied, sighing before she climbed into bed with the hanyou. Snuggling into his chest as he dragged her onto his lap, he yanked his haori from its place on his bedpost and wrapped her in it. It wasn't until that moment that she realized he did not wear his fire rat robes. Instead he wore a plain white tee-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants to bed. Unable to control the giggle that erupted in her chest, she began to chuckle quietly into his shoulder.

"Oi! Weren't you going to bed?" He growled as one of her hands lifted to his ears to rub them and the other wrapped around his neck.

"You look so dang cute!" She teased as she gently pressed her lips against his surprised mouth. As she began to pull away, breaking the kiss, she found herself hauled back to him. As he slowly took possession of her mouth, leisurely tasting her as he savored each passionate kiss. Several minutes later they broke apart, panting.

He forced her to lie against his chest as they caught their breath. "Go to bed, wench." He growled, placing his chin on the top of her raven head as he took in the sweet smelling aroma of her shampoo as she settled into him.

She grinned at the 'endearment' he had for her since the day they met. "Goodnight Inuyasha." She sighed, closing her eyes. They needed their sleep, he started school in the morning and she was worried about how he would do. Within moments the comfortable warmth of his loving embrace surrounded her and she fell into a deep slumber.

Neither moved a muscle until the alarm went off the next morning. Kagome's movement was not voluntary, she found herself unceremoniously dumped onto the floor next to his bed. "Inuyasha!" She yelled; meeting his surprised eyes before realizing the alarm had caught him a little off guard. He had reached over and smashed it in 'self defense'.

Scowling at the now defective clock, Inuyasha groaned, "That means it's time for school, doesn't it?"

"Afraid so." She sighed, scrambling to her feet as she rubbed her quickly bruising hip. She walked over to his closet, pulling out pieces of the uniform that he was required to wear at school. He needed to get used to wearing up to date clothing, including his school uniform. It would start today, and she was ready to begin bargaining with her hanyou. "Alright, I am only going to do a partial spell for you today. You need to wear the pants and shoes. I will cast the top until you get used to wearing it."

By now he knew the look of determination that came into her eyes when she planned on being stubborn about something. That was definitely it in her eyes; he wouldn't get anywhere arguing with her right now. He was as stubborn, if not more than she was though, he had to attempt to argue anyway. "No, I am not wearing the pants. What if something happens and I need my fire rat robes. We are supposed to hear from Sesshomaru today, that alone should warrant my getting to wear them."

"What does us possibly seeing Sesshomaru today warrant you getting to wear your fire rat robes? Inuyasha that is the weakest argument you have came up with yet. You need to get used to wearing modern clothing."

"I know, but I am not wearing those pants. Just looking at them makes me feel uncomfortable right now. Like I said, we might hear something from Sesshomaru and need to take off looking for the jewel without stopping to let me change. I am supposed to protect you. I can't protect you if I am worried about not wearing my fire rat robes."

She growled, grabbing her hair in frustration. If he had given anyone else that argument in the 20th century, they would have laughed in his face. He hadn't though; he had given it to her. She knew that his reasoning was dead on correct in his head; he needed them to protect himself, and her. They weren't just clothing to him, they were protection. "Argh! Fine, just wear a comfortable pair of socks and shoes with it though. You can't have anything bad to say about shoes. I know you will hate them but you need to wear them. I will cast the spell when I am dressed." She headed for the door before turning back to him, looking at him in his pajamas. "Just…get dressed, Inuyasha." She said, chuckling as she walked to her door.

Opening the door, she noticed she was not alone in her room, someone sat on her bed. Choking down a nervous swallow, she addressed her visitor "Mama?" She asked, turning bright red at the disapproving look in her mother's eyes.

"I think we need to have a chat before you go to school, Kagome. Sit down please." Her mother patted the seat next to her on the bed and Kagome followed her instructions, and sat down.

The teenager cringed inwardly, knowing what was coming. She had been caught red-handed and had to face the consequences of her actions. "Mama, I am sorry. It isn't what you think."

"Kagome, Are you two at least being careful. I know he probably doesn't know about that type of thing, but you do."

Stunned, Kagome's mouth dropped to the floor in shock. 'She thinks….Inuyasha?…and I? Oh, hell!' "No, Mama. It's nothing like that. We haven't done anything."

"Kagome, I am not naive enough to believe that. I can see the mark on your neck, I know what that means."

Kagome touched the black mark that was currently exposed on her lower neck, groaning. Her mother would never believe the truth about it now. "Mama, you don't understand. I swear we haven't done anything." Her head was running a hundred miles an hour, trying to come up with a decent explanation for the mark that wouldn't make her look like she was lying about it.

Suddenly the door crashed in, with Inuyasha behind it. She instantly found herself perched in the hanyou's grasp and groaned, "Oh this is going to help our case so much."

Inuyasha had jumped toward the window and had an angry growl emitting from his throat. "What's wrong? Who's threatening you?" He growled, holding her tightly against himself as he scanned the room, landing on her mother. Surprise graced his face, as he tightened his hold even more.

"Oh great, you're here. How wonderful." She said sarcastically to the hanyou. "No one is threatening me. I am just having a very uncomfortable conversation with my mother. Nothing is wrong. Maybe you can explain why I have this large mark on my neck to my mother. She seems to think I got this by…well…um…you know, spending every night in your room."

The hanyou turned white, and dropped his precious cargo from his arms in shock. Kagome grunted in pain as she hit the floor, "I told you! I said she wouldn't like you coming into my room at night like that!" He pointed at the young miko sprawled on the floor, pointing the blame on her.

"It isn't the coming to your room that has upset her, Inuyasha." Kagome tried to explain, as her mother deliberately coughed at the sentence. "Alright, she's not happy about the coming to the room. Inuyasha, the mark, she is concerned about how the mark got there. You know…when do youkai mark?"

Comprehension dawned in his eyes after a moment, and he immediately dropped to the floor next to Kagome, turning pale. "She thinks that…you…and I…." He didn't finish the sentence, but Kagome nodded at him, raising an eyebrow.

"The mark, Inuyasha. Tell her how I really got the mark." She said quietly, not sure how to explain it.

"It wasn't done while either of us was awake." He began to explain to Mrs. Higurashi, who looked like she had a little trouble believing the whole thing. In the end, she still looked doubtful about his explanation.

"Mama, I swear, nothing has happened. Before I let him seal it, we had a quick conversation about the last two steps. Neither of us is ready for that. I keep going to his room; well, because I am so used to having him near me. He always watched over us while we slept, hardly sleeping himself. It is just normal to have him watch over me, it helps me sleep easier."

"I only want you to be careful is all." Mama explained, coming to the floor in front of the pair. "I know how strong your relationship is, and how much you have been through together. You both have had to grow up so much during your time together and things are much different in the Feudal Era. I have no doubt if you two ended up there, this wouldn't be an issue at all. But you aren't, you are here and you are both still teenagers. You need time to be kids and have fun, even as you still have a mission in front of you. I only want you to be careful, that is all. The last thing you need is to be forced to grow up before you get used to your life here together. If you do decide to take your relationship further, do it carefully." With that said she stood up and left the pair alone in Kagome's room.

"Did she just give us permission?" Inuyasha spat out in amazement, stunned at the conversation he had just had with Kagome's mother.

"Um…not exactly." Kagome groaned, her face turning bright red. "That was mortifying! My mother just had 'the talk' with us. It pretty much came down to 'I don't think you should, but if you do, don't get pregnant.'"

"How the hell can you prevent that from happening?" He growled, turning to her in shock.

"Oh, you'd be surprised. I am sure you will learn all that soon enough." She sighed, getting to her feet to get a uniform from her closet. She turned to look at the still barefoot hanyou. "Get your shoes on and go eat breakfast." She sighed, before adding. "Take your necklace downstairs too. I will cast your spell down there."

"I don't wanna face your mom alone." He whined.

"Inuyasha! I need to get dressed! Get out!" She yelled, throwing one of her shoes at him. She watched as the hanyou dodged it and ran out the bedroom door, closing it behind him.

"How humiliating." She sighed as she got ready for school. Suddenly something popped into her head, Inuyasha had crashed into her room because he thought she was feeling threatened. How had he known that?

When she headed down for breakfast a couple of minutes later, she reminded herself to ask him what had happened to make him crash into the conversation like that. As she approached the table she noticed the visitor at the table, Inuyasha did not look too happy about his presence. "Shippo." She acknowledged their visitor coldly, still upset about what he had done on Saturday.

"Kagome, I wanted to talk to you before you left for school. Can you walk with me quickly?"

She turned to look at Inuyasha, who nodded slightly. "Fine, just for a minute though."

She grabbed her breakfast on the way out the door, the young kitsune close behind her. The walked to the bench by the Goshinboku tree, and sat down. "What is going on, Shippo?"

"I just wanted to apologize about the other night. It is kind of weird having the two of you back, with no real time change between you. I am the only thing that has changed for the two of you. I kind of slipped back into my annoying companion mode, sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. It may have been 500 years for me…but only a couple of days for you."

"I just don't like you bugging Inuyasha about saying he loves me. He did what he did to be with me, I already know how he feels. When he says it, it will be at the perfect time. Not because someone tells him he should. You can tease him about only being able to mark me while he sleeps, pinning himself to the tree, anything else you want to tease him about. Stay away from his feelings toward me, if you ruin that for me I may never forgive you." She had said all she wanted to say to the kitsune and stood to walk back inside.

"I missed you guys terribly. I often wished Inuyasha had pinned me with him on occasion. The day you were born was one of the happiest moments in my life. Sure, each birth of a descendant of Miroku's and Sango's was wonderful, especially their reincarnations. It was your birth I looked forward to for 500 years. I missed you." He said quietly. "The worst part was you were born on Kagome's line, so you were Kirara's responsibility. She let me have you though. I watched over you on occasion when you were younger."

"Oh Shippo." She gave him a big hug. "Thank you, that is nice to hear-you hentai!" She broke from his grasp, slapping him across the face. "I have to remember you are Miroku's kid now, not mine." She laughed as she stood up.

"Have fun at school, I wish I could see his first day. If I hear anything we will come for you, I promise." He laughed and walked away as Kagome headed back inside to the kitchen, wondering what Shippo had said to Inuyasha, and why he had come rushing into her room like that.

Well here we are…nice and ready for school. It is the moment we have all been waiting for. Inuyasha in a school uniform!

Inuyasha: Fuck! This thing itches! I can't move in it either. What the hell happened to my fire rat robes anyway?

Kagome: Um…I burned them?

Inuyasha: What the hell are you talking about? My fire rat robes don't burn, you idiot.

Kagome: They don't? Are you sure?

Inuyasha: They are made from material of the fire rat, it don't burn!

Kagome: Hmm…then I don't know WHAT happened to it. Maybe you lost it.

Or angered someone about the Kikyo comment last chapter.