The name, Time and Time Again for this season, I got from the song Time and Time Again by the band Chronic Future... I don't think the song and the story has anything to do with each other, but... I'm not entirely sure...
Disclaimer- If I was the owner of Inuyasha... If I was Rumiko Takahashi... I wouldn't be writing this, right now... Nor, I'm I getting any profit from this... This story is only for entertainment purposes or whatever... Nor, do I own Cole Blade, Ms. Youkai or Chronic Future... So, um, on with the third season!
Chapter 6
With Memories Hanging on a Thread, the Future Lives in the Pass
"Oh my god..." Your breathe catches in your throat as you gape at the... Stranger? 'It couldn't be...'
The man standing in the entrance of the hall slowly approached you, but stopping far enough to leave you with your personal bubble of space. The man had a bit messy jet black hair, dark purple eyes and slightly tanned skin. He wore a loose fitting, long-sleeved shirt, black slacks and house shoes to complete the outfit... Despite, his appearance... He had to be the incarnation of him...
"I-Inuyasha?" You ask gulping and looking agape.
"Yeah" He responds as he gives your form a once over.
"...Really?"
"Yeah"
"How?" You ask quietly, still gaping at the ebony-haired man.
"I don't know exactly, I think we were all transported to this era overnight." He replies just as softly.
As your gaze wanders around the room, you feel your feet suddenly pull forward to pull the dog boy turned human into a tight hug.
"Inuyasha! I thought I'd never see you again, because I couldn't go back..." You mutter into the man's shirt, crying softly.
"It's only been two days..." You hear him whisper back with amusement in his voice.
"Yeah, but in time it's been like 500 years..." You mutter sniffing.
When content silence falls around you, you two continue to linger in the embrace. 'It feels nice again... Even if it's only been two days since... It feels nice again to be protected...'
"Inuyasha... I, um... You're human... It's the full moon?" You state slowly easing out of the embrace.
"No, this is just an illusion that old lady Kaede came up with." He replies.
"Oh... Kaede is here, too?" You ask blinking slowly.
"Not that I know of…"
"Oh, good..." You reply glancing up at the dog boy. You pause noticing an arched brow and a questioning gaze staring down at you. Blushing lightly you answer- "What? Don't look at me like that! I-I have nothing against Kaede! It's just weird seeing you this way!" You blurt avoiding his stare. 'Though he looks just as good this way, too...'
When your eyes settle on his facade once again, you see the same look with a bit of smugness.
"Inuya-"
Cutting you off in mid whine, he seals your lips with his own, softly. 'This kiss is definitely Inuyasha...' He pulls you closer as the kiss gets deeper and you happily comply diving into his warmth. Sooner or later you have to break away, to get air... With a flushed face you smile up at the dog boy.
"Inuyasha... Where are we?" You ask noticing his façade falling into a frown.
"In my apartment, downtown Kyoto..." He replies stepping away from you.
"Apartment?" You repeat following him into the living room. 'This place is his? No way... This is so weird...'
"Yes, and supposedly in this time I'm the inheritor of a very successful and popular company... Tenrousei corporations and I can fully take over when I graduate."
"Cool… High school?" You ask pausing as you take another observation of the living room.
"Hell no, college, they wouldn't let me step foot in the office if I was only 18! Not that I wanted to anyway…"
Your gaze soon settles back on the dog boy, who's now leaning on the wall looking out the window. Stepping up next to him you catch a glimpse of the night sky above the busy streets of Kyoto.
"How long have I been sleeping?" You ask frowning at the chocolate sky.
"Five hours, it's about 9:30 now. You slept like a rock, by the way…"
"That long! I wonder if my grandfather called the police yet... Though, I've already been gone for two years already..." You say shrugging. 'And somehow came back magically overnight, but what the hell?'
"Your grandfather was already called; he thinks you're on a school field trip right now." He replies glancing at you.
"Speaking of my whereabouts... If you had those black suits to... Bring me here, how did you know where I would be?" You ask curiously. "Because of course we've only been in the future for like two days right?"
"Yeah, you have a right to be suspicious, but I didn't half-way into the office, without using the power I already have... I got good connections." He states smirking.
"Oh…" You mutter bemusedly and folding your arms. 'This Inuyasha is in college and about to become the president of this huge corporation and two days ago, I was sure he wasn't that much of a scholar…' You muse glancing nervously at the frowning dog boy.
"What?" He asks curiously.
"Inuyasha, you're… Different." You answer simply. The dog boy opens his mouth, but quickly shuts it giving you a quizzical glare.
"How am I different?" He snaps frowning.
"Well, you're about to graduate from college-"
"Times have changed, there weren't colleges back then!"
"You're going to become the CEO of Tenrousei!"
"I told you I'm inheriting it, it was my father's company in this era! Do you only think I'm different because I'm smarter and wealthier!"
"Well, no…" You mutter frowning at the carpet. "I guess I'm just paranoid, this is happening a bit fast… Sorry Inuyasha!" You say sheepishly capturing the dog-boy in another hug.
"I guess I should only be really paranoid when something big has changed about you… You still do like ramen right?"
"…No." You hear the dog-boy mutter as a bead of sweat travels down the side of his face.
"What? Really!" You ask quizzically taking a step away from the dog-boy.
"No, I eat nothing, but ramen all the time, all day! Matter of fact I own a ramen company!" He huffs sarcastically as you snicker.
"Really now? Inuyasha, there are more things in the world other than ramen to eat…" He grunts at your reply as you practically skip over to him and hug him again.
"Yep, you're the same grouchy dog boy… But without the dog ears, of course!"
"Yeah and you're still an annoying crybaby!" He counters smirking.
"Eh? I'm not an annoying crybaby! Take it back!" You annoyed demand waving a fist in the air.
"Yeah, you are! You were just crying a few minutes ago!"
"Yeah, but you liked it!" You say pouting. "And I bet you felt the same way! Not seeing me in 500 years and 2 days! What did you do all that time, Inuyasha?" You add smugly.
"Not much, school and work took up much of my time… But, I bet you cried everyday, crybaby!" He mocks laughing.
"How cruel, don't call your girlfriend a crybaby Inuyasha! And just because I like you doesn't mean I'm going to submit to this and not kick your ass!" You pout clinging you're fists.
"Hah, girlfriend…?"
Interrupting your dark reply the door, to exit and entrance the apartment swings open and in pops a head of auburn hair belonging to a 9-year-old.
"Shippou!" You call out to the short, school uniform wearing boy, who looks at you with bright green eyes.
"(your name)!" The boy yells back and bounds towards you.
Grinning you bend down and capture the fox-boy in a hug. 'This is so cool! Shippou looks so cute in a school uniform! And he's definitely taller since he's human, too… I guess.' Your grin suddenly disappears when you look up to see the big nosed, black suit, also known as Mr. Sunglasses standing next to the door. Frowning at the black suited man, you finally take note of his odd complexion, if you didn't know any better you could say that he looked a bit lime, but it could also be just the cold weather...
"Hey, you're the bastard that kidnapped me!" You yell at the pallor skinned man releasing Shippou.
"Yeah, and you're the potty mouthed, insufferable brat that tried to kill me while you were sleeping! I don't know how master can tolerate you!" Mr. Sunglasses yells back, obviously irked just to see you again.
"I am not an insufferable brat, who are you to say that anyway? You big-nosed kidnapper!" You say frowning.
"You may not be too insufferable, but you are a potty-mouthed brat! And I am someone to say such things by seeing, or hearing you talk so loudly in your sleep!" Mr. Sunglasses yells a bit red with anger.
"I-I do not talk in my sleep!" You protest blushing, waving a fist at the irritated Mr. Sunglasses.
"Bulls-" Mr. Sunglasses is interrupted.
"Ken, you can go now." Inuyasha cuts in calmly, with a twitching brow, from either irritation or amusement.
"Yes, Lord Inuyasha, I will be in my room." He says, sighing heavily and without another indignant glare at you, he heads off down the hall. 'The hell? So, that Big-nose's name is Ken? Kukukuku!'
"Well, what a nice, polite chap that Ken is." You mutter folding your arms.
"Just as much as you're a nice, polite girl…" Inuyasha mutters snickering as he gazes back out the window.
"He's always been like that, in his profile, it said he was divorced without any children, I think he's lonely…" Shippou says thoughtfully.
"Profile? Where the hell have you been looking? The Personals in the newspaper?" Inuyasha mutters.
"Just because he's lonely doesn't mean he has to be a prick, my grandfather use to live alone, but he isn't a prick… Though I'm not too sure about him particularly anyway-"
"The profile in his resume, idiot! Why would I look in the Personals?" Shippou says glaring at Inuyasha.
"Hey-" Inuyasha is cut off-
"So, Shippou, how was school today?" You ask shrugging off the last subject as Inuyasha fumes in the background from being cut off.
"It was fine, though I still think my math teacher hates me!" The fox-boy whines.
"Why would this person hate you, Shippou?" You ask sympathetically.
"I do all the work, but she says she'll still fail me! I-"
"Will you shut up about that already! I already told you the reason why you're barely passing is because you're not doing your homework, dumb ass!" Inuyasha yells irately.
"I do, do my homework, but the last time I did she didn't collect it!"
"That's not a reason to quit for good, idiot!"
"I didn't quit for good and I was talking to (your name), anyway, stupid!"
"Hey! Enough already!" You loudly intercept annoyed. "Bad habits, die hard, huh? Shippou, why don't you take the first step and go do your homework now?"
"But, I didn't get homework tonight!" Shippou states.
"Yeah? Like you didn't have homeworkin thelast few weeks, huh?" Inuyasha says folding his arms.
"Shippou…" You sigh. 'Damn, this so weird…' "Do you know why the boy who cried wolf can't cry anymore?" You ask frowning seriously.
"Um, no…" He says bemusedly.
"Well, he can't because he failed his math class, which ruined his chance at getting into college and now he can't get a decent job to pay for a surgery to get his voice box fixed because the wolf ripped it out of him!" You say dramatically throwing your hands into the air.
"… But what does he have to do with me?" Shippou asked perplexedly.
"…I'm not sure, just-just go and do a school related activity, Shippou." You say as a bead of sweat slides down your forehead.
"Fine, I can see I'm not wanted here!" The fox-boy says sighing and waltzing dramatically out of the room. 'I don't know if I should respond to that…' You think frowning.
As the fox child's form disappears around the corner of the hall, you push aside the blanket from the couch where you once laid and sit and the dog boy soon follows, sitting beside you, though ignoring blanket. 'Alright, time to question suspect number 2!'
"Inuyasha, how long have you been here?" You ask glancing at the dog boy.
"…A year, why?"
"A year?" You repeat incredulously. "I'm talking about in this era, because of the stuff you were talking about to Shippou and earlier, too; it seems you were here more than just two days!"
"Oh…" He says simply, eyes lowering to the carpet perplexedly. "I guess I don't know…"
"…But why wouldn't you know?" You ask confused and continue as the dog-boy remains silent. "I went to school these last two days and I didn't remember a thing about the place, I barely recognized my own grandfather and from that I know I've only been in this era for two days… What's going on, Inuyasha?" You ask suspiciously. 'If that's your real name, of course…'
"You act as if I can answer your questions!" Inuyasha finally replies frowning at you. "I told you, I don't know!"
"Well, at least can you tell me what happened this week with you then?" You ask with reinforced patience.
"That I know, I went to school and work as usual this week and did some other stuff-"
"Other stuff?" You ask faking disinterest.
"Yes, other stuff, I do other stuff a lot sometimes, but it's beside the point! Anyways, on Thursday, I…" He trails off with a bit of a distant look in his eyes.
"Well? On Thursday. you?" You drawl trying to get the dog boy's attention and he soon blinks back to the present.
"I dreamed about you…" He whispers becoming distant again.
"…I-Inuyasha, you-" You pause as your face heats up. "You- what-"
"Will you stop stuttering, it wasn't a perverted dream, if that's what you're thinking!" The dog-boy says loudly beside you.
"What? Why would I think that! And besides you can dream about anything you want. I'm just touched you dreamed about me!" You say defensively while smiling.
"Yeah, well Ken says differently." He retorts smirking.
"Ken must have been hallucinating; can you get on with it please?"
"Fine, so I dreamed about you, the feudal era, everything and everybody else… Like it was a replay of all my memories or something, and since then I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I had Ken and my driver to get you… And since, I don't think I've heard of you ever before Thursday, that's why I don't know what's going on, but I know there's a part of me that's been in this era for twenty two years…"
"Damn… So, you- um, well…" You trail off stumbling over your words.
"I already told you to stop stuttering…" He mutters unenthusiastically.
"My stuttering is insignificant, Inuyasha! We've somehow been dropped into the future! And time travel isn't possible without the shikon no tama!" You say exasperatedly, before your eyes widen with horror.
"Oh god, the shikon no tama we never found it! And anything could happen to us now! We could become somehow dropped in the twilight zone next, like somehow suddenly trapped in a box! Or separated! I don't wanna be separated again! Even if it's for two bloody days again! And what would Shippou do alone? He's just a kid, only 9-years-old! He woulda been wolf chow without us! Inuyasha!"
"(your name), calm down!" The dog boy yells pulling you towards him and tightly holding you close. "Panicking at what could happen isn't going to help at all; you're just scaring yourself…"
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" You mutter against the dog-boy's shirt.
"Of course I'm right!" He snaps back.
"Of course… Though, I don't know if this'll help any, but let's try not being separated again? Ya' know, because I don't know where you'd be without me, Shippou needs his brother figure around…"
"Alright, we'll try not to be separated again…" He replies.
The embrace soon dies, as he pulls away from you and gets up from the couch and pulling you with him. Without a word, he grabs your hand and quickly pulls you out of the living room and down the hall.
"Where are we going? It doesn't take two to go to the bathroom now? Does it?" You ask curiously.
"No, stupid, you obviously need to relax so…" He trails off as he turns the corner, with you following helplessly.
"Oh, so we're back to name-calling now? Huh, jerk?" You ask half-heartedly.
He remains silent as he continues to drag you down the hall, pass a few doors, where you have yet to explore. Sighing as you continue to tread down the long hall, you both turn another corner and he finally steps in front of a door. He whips out a key and unlocks the door before stepping in, followed closely behind by you. The darkness of the room is suddenly brightened when the dog-boy claps twice and the light comes on. Your eyes quickly scan the large room, to see that it must be his bedroom, most evidence from the nice-looking bed over there.
"So, I guess this is where I am to relax?" You ask walking farther into the bedroom.
"Of course, you didn't think I was going to call a massage therapist did you? When I could massage you myself?" He asks grinning and taking off his shirt.
"Well, perverts never can stay in the dark for too long, can they?" You ask smirking despite the visible blush on your cheeks.
"What's perversion got to do with massaging? And I just wanna touch you anyway!"
"Really now? Well, if you're really actually going to massage me… Be gentle, I'm not a big fan of pain… Most of the time…" You say letting yourself be picked up and carried to the bed.
"Of course…" He says clapping twice once again bring darkness to the room. "Now relax, you're going to feel a lot better in a few minutes…"
Turn to page- 8
Notes-
Alright, I may have not been under the influence of perfume fumes in this chapter, but it was still fun! And wow, Inuyasha is about to be the CEO of his own company… And, yes, Shippou is a human boy with red-orange hair, I didn't want to change his hair to black, like Inuyasha's, it's way too common especially in Japan, though I wouldn't change the kid's hair color to pink before black. (No offense to Shuichi from Gravi.) And Inuyasha's eyes, dark purple…? I really don't know, I was told they were that color, and they don't look dark blue at all. (Another overly used color) I couldn't picture Inuyasha with silver eyes, maybe dark silver eyes, if dark silver/gray was a color, so we ended up with dark purple. Maybe I should do some research on colors one day…
Peace out!