Completely Fubared
Chapter 7: Planning and Practice
oooooooooooooooooooooo
AN: As you can see, I'm experimenting with different things to separate the story. Since the astrics don't work, I'm going to try something different. Again. Hope you're enjoying the story. Thanks to all the people who've given me reviews, and to those that have got this story on alert and as a favorite! I love you all!
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Warm...She felt so warm. Kagome heard birds chirping sweetly, as if they were welcoming her back into the waking world. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw two drowsy gold ones looking at her. A blushed tried to cover her face, but she stopped it quickly. She forced herself to take in her surroundings before opening her mouth and saying something stupid. Something she'd probably regret.
Slowly, the memories of the night before caught up with her and she finally did blush, realizing she was in fact, laying on a bed with Tama, who had his arm slung around her waist, and whose face was just a few inches from her own.
"G'morning..." He mumbled sleepily. They had both slept like logs. He couldn't remember having such a good nights sleep since his mother died. Her scent still tickled his nose, just as strong as it had been the night before. Her eyes were wide, as though she were surprised to see him there. He sat up, looking away from her, hoping it would camouflage the blush on his face.
She smiled a bit, sitting, facing the other way. "It would have been okay if you'd set me on the couch, it's actually pretty comfortable."
"Hmph." He snorted, standing up. "Girls need there privacy. The only reason I was in here was because the couch got taken when I brought you in." He hoped she didn't ask why he slept on the bed with her.
A soft laugh emitted from her. "So says the boy who walked in on me while I was in the shower." She teased, glancing over her shoulder.
He blushed furiously, remembering the incident. "Look, I'll find you something to wear, okay. Go ahead and go get cleaned up. Datsu's gonna want to figure out this plan..."
Kagome stood up, looking at Tama's face. She saw the uncertainty in his eyes and a small smile played on the corners of her mouth. "Thank you, Tama." She said, leaning over and giving him a gentle hug. She felt him tense and saw a strange expression on his face.
"Why are you hugging me?" He asked, looking at her like she was from another planet.
She smiled. "Because every now and then, you look like you need one." She straightened, looking down at his slightly pink face. She felt a twinge of sadness at the lost look in his eyes, and gently brushed his bangs from his eyes. "Why don't you like being in this form?" She asked softly.
He looked away. "Because I look weird." He pushed her hands away.
She paused. "Wait a sec," She looked at him. "If you do this once a year, and you've been here awhile, didn't you think that maybe Datsu was a demon?"
"No." He said. "I pretty much ignored him. My mother explained it to me when I was young. She said that somewhere to hell and gone down the line a human 'mated' (whatever that means) with a demon. I was like 6th or 7th generation demon human mix. Mom got it twice a year, spring and autumn equinox." (AN: To those of you who aren't familiar with solstice, it's the first full moon of summer and winter, equinox, I think is the first full moon of spring and autumn.) He stood and began rummaging through his closet. "Usually I avoided him like the plague. Besides, what kinda demon would need reading glasses?" He snorted. "My vision is ten times better like this."
She giggled softly. "I think he just wears them to look more intelligent. You know, the nerd effect, 'instant nerd, just add glasses'?"
Tama snorted, then chuckled, then laughed.
Kagome stared at him. His laughter was quiet, pleasing to the ears, quite a bit different from Inuyasha's. She shook her head, wondering what Inuyasha would think of his future incarnate. After all, she and Kikyou had differed in many respects, due to the time they'd been raised in, which made her wonder how many other ways were Tama and Inuyasha different.
Tama turned around, tossing a red t-shirt and black drawstring pants onto the bed. "They may be a bit big, but they'll work." He saw her wearing a peculiar expression on her face and frowned, wondering if she was reminiscing again. He shooed her away. "Go on, go get cleaned up. There's a spare toothbrush in the medicine chest." He grumbled, looking anywhere but her.
She scooped up the clothes, and left the room, leaving Tama to dwell on this Inuyasha guy.
The boy changed his own clothes, looking in his mirror at the features that his demon form presented. His hair was silvery, similar to Tarou and Datsu's. His eyes had turned bright gold, and his nails had grown into, for lack of a better word, claws. He frowned deeply, his eyes moved to the top of his head, where the two pointy ears had emerged. With a deep frown, he reached up, clasping them, trying to hide them with his hair.
He noticed something snickering in his reflection and saw Tarou there. "Get out." He snarled.
"Look, kid, perhaps you don't get it." He said, walking towards him. "This isn't YOUR house. It's father's house. YOU get out."
"It may be Datsu's house." He said, glaring at the boy through the mirror. "But you're in my room, now get out."
"What's wrong, scared the girl might be looking at her old lover, rather than you?"
Tama froze, staring at the demon behind him. "What are you talking about?" He grumbled. He grabbed his comb, dragging it through his hair roughly. He pointedly kept his eyes off of Tarou.
"Didn't you know?" Tarou snorted. "Inuyasha was a hanyou. He had silver hair, gold eyes, like father, yet...he had two quirky dog ears on the top of his head."
Tama set down the comb, struggling with his emotions. "Tarou, get out of my room, or I'll throw you out."
"Like you could even touch me."
The boy proved him wrong. He swung around, punching Tarou in the face for the second time in under 24 hours. Just as Kagome walked in. Her hair was wet, and as he'd suspected, the clothes were more than a bit big on her. In fact, the ends of the pants had been rolled several times to keep her from tripping on them.
She looked from Tama, who looked furious, to Tarou, who looked shocked and realized she really didn't want to know. "When you boys are done..." She began, catching evil eyes from both of them and not caring. "Everyone else is waiting in the living room." She watched as Tama rubbed his fist, walking out of the room.
Tarou still sat there, shocked.
Kagome looked at him in irritation. "Tarou, you should stop being such a jerk to Tama. Especially since I'm sure you don't know him as well as you think you do." She paused before leaving. "Oh, yeah, and if you say some of those cruel things you just said to him again, you don't need to worry about being beat up by him." She grinned. "Because I'll do it." She followed after Tama, leaving Tarou to juggle the weight of her words.
Kagome arrived and most of the gentlemen in the room, specifically, Rikan, Koji and Tama jumped up, offering their seats. She smiled, shaking her head. "I'm okay. I rant better when I'm walking around..." She saw Tarou arrive and gave him a dark look that said in fewer words to keep his damn mouth shut.
Sesshoumaru sipped some tea. "Well, apparently, my earlier statement was partially correct and partially incorrect. Yes, the great demon of the south was in fact at you home, however, it looks like one of his toys includes Naraku."
Kagome put a hand in her face. "Great. Frigging fabulous. So basically, we don't just have to deal with a that little shit, Naraku, but we have to deal with a Great Demon..." She massaged her temples. She took a deep breath. "My archery's good, but not that good. I was still having trouble hitting fast moving targets when I left Sengoku Jidai." She complained, shaking her head.
Tama sat back and listened. He didn't know all the details revolving around the whole great demon thing, much less about this weirdo Naraku. He shook his head. "Okay, quick question. How much stronger than Naraku is a Great Demon?"
Kagome looked towards him and sighed. "When we fought him last-"
"Um, I'd like to abridge that." Rikan said, looking towards Kagome. "Sorry for interrupting." He looked at the floor. "First off, Naraku isn't a HE anymore. The demon that attacked Tama that time was Naraku. And I don't think he's ever been stronger than a great demon. I think he fights dirty, which makes him...well..." He looked at Datsu. "You were scary, back then, but Naraku..." He shuddered. "He was fucking terrifying."
Tama looked down. "I get it..." He said.
Kagome shook her head. "But he's not as strong anymore because he's missing something important." She pulled the Shikon no Tama from her shirt, looking at it. "When Naraku was defeated first, he had part of this. Not a small part, either. Most of it. Inuyasha defeated him without much help..." She left her statements out. "But he died. Without this, his power should be much less." She began pacing. "The problem is, keeping the other demons' hands off it, too." She shook her head.
Datsu looked at Tarou, frowning, noting he was sporting yet another shiner, and was looking at the jewel with an odd expression. The great demon smacked his son on the back of the head. "I'm a match against the Great Demon of the South alone, but..." He shook his head. "Naraku, I do not know. We're going into this blind once again." He shrugged.
Kagome sighed. "I'm getting training to use my spiritual powers, and some aikido training as well, but I don't think I'm going to pose much of a challenge. I can project a small shield, and there are my spirit arrows, which always gave Naraku a bit of trouble..."
Tama looked down. "As far as I know, I'm pretty much useless in this."
Tarou snorted.
Datsu smacked the young demon on the back of the head again. "We can fix that, but I think I should speak with Kagome about my idea first." He glanced towards Rikan. "You're as useful as Tarou."
Koji piped up. "What about me and Yukino?"
Datsu looked at the two young children and almost frowned. "No, Koji, you and your sister will not be joining this fight."
The small demon jumped up. "That's not fair! Tarou and Tama get to go!"
Kagome walked to Koji and knelt in front of him. "But Koji, you have a very important mission." She said, her face serious. "You and Yukino will stay with my family and protect them, okay? It's very important that they don't get hurt."
Tama looked at the girl in surprise. Leave the youngsters with her family? Protection? He would have scoffed, but her face was quite serious. He mentally shrugged. Whatever.
Datsu nodded. "That isn't a bad idea." He said. He stood, walking towards his office. "Kagome, a word?"
Tama watched her stand and follow his cousin into the room. He would have gone to eavesdrop, but Rikan was looking at him. "Oi, what you lookin at?"
Rikan grinned. "Hey, let's go get Kagome something to wear that doesn't look like something a tomboy would wear." He shook his head, heading towards the door. He wanted to grill him about the pairs swiftly progressing relationship.
Tama snorted, standing, following his so-called-friend. "Jerk."
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Kagome sat in a wing-backed chair, waiting while Sesshoumaru made some phone calls. It sounded to her like he was tweaking his connections. He had contacted the other Great Demons, making them aware of what was going on. Then made several other calls, spoken in English. When he was done, he looked at her.
"So, what is this idea that you want to share with me?"
He looked her dead in the eyes. "Unlocking his demon blood."
Red eyes with blue pupils filled her mind, along with memories of Inuyasha in his demon form. "I don't know that's such a good idea."
"Tama doesn't have much demon blood, but it is the blood of a great demon." He saw the shock on her face and arched an eyebrow. "What?"
"Aren't you the only canine Great Demon?"
"Yes."
"Then...he's your..."
"Indeed."
Kagome put a hand to her head. "I don't want to know." She said finally, shaking her head. "Anyways, I remember what happened to Inuyasha when Tessaiga broke. It wasn't pretty." She looked at her hands. "Besides, I think Tama should make the decision in the end. It is his body."
Sesshoumaru smirked. "I'm not talking about what happened to Inuyasha. I'm talking about giving Tama the ability to tap into that demon blood. He wouldn't be the first one I'd taught. In fact..." He almost smiled. "If his mother hadn't run off with that damn Gaijin, I would have trained her as well."
Kagome sighed, nodding. "It sounds like a good idea, but while you're training him, I'm going to Sengoku Jidai. I should do some more training as well." She stood, her face tired. Why couldn't she live peacefully, or at the very least, a bit more normally. She began walking towards the door.
It opened and Tama barged in, almost walking past her. He saw her there and froze. He saw her smile a bit, and opened his mouth, words spilling forth. "Dammit, Datsu, why the hell didn't you tell me you could make me stronger!"
"Because before I said anything, I wanted to make sure Kagome wouldn't object to a walking reminder of what happened to the last person she cared about when they crossed bladed with Naraku." 'Datsu' said, glaring at the boy. "Do you want my assistance or not!"
Tama looked at Kagome, seeing her eyes were calm, not troubled. "I don't know." He admitted.
Kagome looked him dead in the eye and spoke softly. "Tama, I think you should. If you can use your demon blood during a fight, then you'll heal faster from any wounds you receive. You'll be stronger, and faster. Besides..." She smiled at him. "Inuyasha is Inuyasha, Tama is Tama. Two different people." She headed out of the room and saw Rikan with an annoyed expression.
"Dammit, stupid Tama. Rushing back here because I tell him about that. So rude." He handed Kagome a bag. "We found something a little less tomboyish for you to wear."
Kagome smiled. "That was sweet of you two. Leave it here, I'm going to be gone for awhile." She walked toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Rikan asked curiously.
"Back to Sengoku Jidai." She said evenly. She heard a quiet gasp and saw Tama behind her, looking shocked. She smiled back at him, then looked at Rikan. "I have to go finish my training, and no one is going to teach me what I need to know better than Kaede, Miroku, and Sango." She said, smiling softly. She laughed softly. "Don't pout, you two. I'll be back when school starts back up. Inuyasha isn't here to keep me there anymore, remember?"
Tama twitched, then looked away. "I'll walk ya home." He muttered.
Kagome smiled, nodding. "I'd like that, Tama." She said.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
The walk back to Kagome's home was quiet. Neither of them made an attempt to break the silence, and idly Kagome wondered if he would miss her while she was gone. They ascended the stairs together, and walked towards the well house. Kagome glanced towards him, sighing. When they stood by the well together, she hesitated. "Tama...I'll miss you." She said softly.
He looked at her, his eyes slightly softening. He didn't speak, but hugged her carefully instead. He rested his head on her shoulder, enjoying the brief contact. He felt her arms go around him and chewed on his lip. He should say something, but he couldn't think of anything that didn't seem completely hokey, so he kept his mouth shut.
She pulled back, looking up at him. It was going to be a LONG few weeks. She paused, then smiled. "If you need to talk to someone, you know where to find me."
He smiled a bit. "Under that tree?" He asked.
She nodded. "And If I'm not there, I'll know when you are, so don't worry." She pushed herself onto her tiptoes, hugging him gently, then she swung her legs over the side. "I'll see you at school!" She said.
"Get a better attitude before then!" He teased.
She grinned, enjoying the playful banter. "That's my line." She dropped in and felt the strange sensation at the pit of her stomach that always came from using the well.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
"Miroku-sama?" Sango asked, searching through the forest. How had they decided that she would be named 'it', anyways? This game was ridiculous. She shook her head, thinking that they were too old for these games, anyways. Shippou was a kid, true, but she and Miroku were adults. She sighed, shaking her head. Suddenly, two hands went around her, one over her mouth, and she was jerked back into the bushes.
And onto Miroku's lap. Her face went scarlet and she struggled to get away from him, but could only do so much. He was actually pretty strong. For someone so skinny.
"Hello, Sango-sama." He said cheerfully. He arranged her carefully, keeping one hand around her wrists, the other one over her mouth. "Ah, the outcome I was hoping. You found me first!" He smiled, feeling her squirming like crazy and not minding one bit. He moved his hand from her mouth and put them both around her, holding her wrists so she couldn't hit him. "This is nicer than I'd hoped, Sango-sama!"
The jerk had planned this! Sango began struggling more furiously, opening her mouth to tell him off.
Lips touched her cheek and she froze. Her jaw hung just slightly open and she stared at him. "Miroku-sama!" She said, scandalized. She saw him just smiling contently and she felt herself relax a bit. "Sukebe." She muttered, although fondly. She relaxed, resting the back of her head on his shoulder.
"Why Sango-sama, you wound me." He said, smiling. The playful banter had begun sometime around when Kagome had last returned.
"Miroku-sama! Sango-chan!"
The voice caused the pair to almost grown. "Speaking of the devil..." Miroku mumbled, unwinding his arms from around Sango and moving her off his lap, so Kagome wouldn't come to the wrong conclusions. Or the right ones, Miroku hoped. He stood, assisting Sango.
Sango accepted the monks help and left the bushes, surprised to see Kagome wearing a far more cheerful expression than she'd last left with. "Kagome-chan!" Sango rushed over, hugging the girl. "How are you doing?"
Kagome smiled. "I'm okay. Just one thing, we've got to put a rush on my training." She gave them an exasperated expression. "Naraku's in my time, now."
The monk froze, looking at the girl. "You're taking it awfully well."
She smiled. "Let's just say I have some demonic help in great proportions. Inuyasha would roll over in his grave..." She shook her head. "I'll be okay, but I need to train, and fast." She saw the faint look on their faces and realized that she was probably taking this too well. She gave a half-hearted shrug. "Hey, what can I say, Sesshoumaru is training Inuyasha's future incarnate, and Shippou is helping him." She saw their faces and bit back a giggle. "So...about my training..."
Miroku shook his head, looking at Sango. It had been several months since Inuyasha had died, true, but Kagome had gotten over the whole deal entirely too easily. Then again, after how hard her life had been so far, she was probably numb. He gestured the girls to follow him back to the village.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Tama walked back to the apartment, feeling rather lonely. He wouldn't tell that girl how much she affected him. She was just a friend, anyways. A good friend, but a friend. He sighed, wondering how long he could keep lying to himself. He hadn't felt this close to somebody in years.
"Stupid girl..." He muttered, walking into the elevator.
It felt like it was going to take forever before she came back. He sighed, shaking his head, pulling out his key and opening the door. A fist cracked across his face and he turned in shock, seeing a demon there. He moved faster than he could think to get out of the way. He cautiously sniffed the air, noting the place smelled like far more than just Rikan and the other demon occupants of the house. He looked at the demon, noting that it wasn't particularly tough. He could have probably taken it in his human form.
He relaxed, rolling his eyes. "Where's Datsu?" He grumbled, wiping a bit of blood of his lip.
Said demon walked in, looking at the demon at the door, then to Tama, who looked disinterested with the punch he'd just received. "You've returned. The girl made it back safely, then?"
He harrumphed, glaring at the demon. "Of course. You don't think I'd let her get hurt, do you?" He walked past the demon he assumed was guarding the door and looked at his so-called cousin. "What's with the guard?"
Sesshoumaru looked at him blandly. "Him? A guard? He's just got pent up anger for not being allowed into a meeting between three great demons." He said evenly. He looked at the demon, frowning at him. "He may leave now." He didn't elaborate, but the demon turned a ghostly sick color, and disappeared from the apartment.
Tama snorted, looking at his cousin. "Why don't all demon's do that?" He grumbled, wishing he could have a normal summer break like the rest of Kagome's friends. He shook his head, knowing that his life was NEVER going to be that simple again.
"Because they have no sense. All they have is stupidity...Inuyasha wasn't particularly bright." He almost smiled, yet saw no real reason to do so. "Ah, to return to when life was easier..." He began walking back to his office. "Tama, you will join us."
The boy sighed, shaking his head, wishing this stupid transformation was over with already. He ran a hand through his silver hair following Sesshoumaru into the room. The chairs were all taken by the other great demons, and so Tama didn't have a choice but to stand. He scowled at them, able to see his cousins mysterious guests for the first time.
Both had similar facial marks to his cousin, but one had purple hair and pink eyes, and the other had black hair and bright blue eyes.
"Tama, this is Tatsuko, great demon of the east, and Kouga, great demon of the north." Sesshoumaru gestured. "They are going to be...assisting with your training."
The boy snorted. "Whatever." He grumbled, already feeling irritable with Kagome gone. He really couldn't stand his cousin. Maybe this was leftover baggage from his last life, though.
Kouga glared from Tama to Sesshoumaru. "Oi, Dog-breath, I thought you said the kid was human mostly. This runt looks like Inuyasha on a good hair day." He scowled, leaning back.
"Urusen da yo." Tama snarled, cracking his fingers.
"This boy..." Sesshoumaru interceded, before the boy had a taste of what a great demon could do to him. "Is Inuyasha's reincarnated form. He is in his demon form until sunrise. I believe we should commence then."
"So thissss issss your blood..." Tatsuko almost hissed. She stood, pacing around him. "Well built, short, though." She looked at Sesshoumaru. "How much fighting experience?"
"I'm right here, you know..." Tama grumbled.
"He has been trained to fight since he was a child. His mother saw to that much." He looked at Tama, arching an eyebrow. "I suppose after the ceremony, we'll have to put it to the test." He saw the boy was getting annoyed and almost smiled. "Be grateful. It's not often that a partial such as yourself gets to participate in this. There has only been one line of your kind, Tama. Consider yourself lucky."
"How the hell do you know so much about my family anyways, you jerk." Tama grumbled, looking away.
"Who do you think you get that minuscule portion of demon blood you possess from?" He looked down, examining his well manicured claws. "You see, Tama, you are a part of my bloodline. I spawned a single hanyou child in my lifetime."
Tama stared at him, his jaw sagging. "WHAT!"
"Anyways, what are we going to do about that Great Demon of the South Jerk, Kimera?" Kouga grumbled, ignoring the boy's outburst. It annoyed him enough having to help his rivals reincarnation, but Naraku having returned, and Kimera turning on them really pissed him off.
"We will remove him from his position. I know of a certain fox demon who is ready to take on a little more responsibility in the demon world. The girl should learn how to strip his powers during her training and if she can accomplish that, then there will be no troubles." Sesshoumaru frowned, noting the glint in Kouga's eyes.
"The girl?" Kouga queried, sniffing the air. "You mean Kagome? I smell her. She's been here recently." He glared at Tama.
Sesshoumaru stood to his full height, towering over Kouga. "Cease and desist, Kouga. Kagome was here for her own protection. Her family shrine was attacked by demons. Her family will be kept in hiding until we deal with...certain things."
"Where is she now?"
"Getting ready for kicking ass." Tama said evenly, glaring at the 'great' demon who was looking at him like he was shit on his shoe. "She went back to Sengoku Jidai to train with her friends." He straightened, looking at Sesshoumaru. "Oi, Datsu, I'm going to my room." He grumbled.
Sesshoumaru nodded. "Get a good night's sleep tonight, Tama, you'll need your strength tomorrow." He said quietly. The boy paused at the door, nodded, then left.
"That damn human better keep his hands off Kagome!" Kouga snarled.
Sesshoumaru slapped him. "Mind your tongue. You're in my home. It is the decision of Kagome and Tama if they wish to pursue a relationship. Besides, you're entirely too old for her."
Kouga grumbled. "I've known her longer than he has..."
Tatsuko rolled her eyes. "Kouga, you are a demon. Even if you love her, you'd out live her by very much, so if you truly care, you'd let her have someone with a similar lifespan." She looked at her nails. "Humans are...amusing when they are young, but they do age."
Indeed, Sesshoumaru thought, his eyes lowering. He had only one human mate. She had died shortly after giving birth. She had smiled and said she would die happy knowing she gave him a child, and that he should not use his sword to bring her back. That she loved him. He straightened, turning away from the other demons. "You may go." He said evenly.
He heard the other demons standing up, exiting his room, and the door close behind him. He put his hand on his desk and lifted the one replacement that had survived with him through the past century. Slowly, he put it to his face, his eyes closing. "Rin..." He said softly.
He'd managed to block out the memory for so long, and now it was back. Tama was a constant reminder that he had once, in fact, met a human so amazing, that he had taken her as his mate, and they had spurned a child that effectively ended her life. Yet, the memory of her death had been pushed back and smothered for so long, he thought he'd forgotten.
He hadn't.
The demon took a shuddering breath, straightening his back. Reminiscing would get him nowhere.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Kagome panted softly, sweat beading and rolling down her forehead as she ran. She had started before the sun had begun rising, and now it was getting higher in the sky, having peaked over the horizon, several minutes ago. She paused, turning around. She began running back towards the village, taking a more dangerous path.
Vines and roots blocked her path, rising out of the ground, trying to trip her. Hey, if she could navigate this treacherous path quickly and quietly, there would be fewer problems when she returned to her time, where things were far easier to navigate, she should have no trouble keeping up with the others.
It took her over an hour to get back to the village.
Sango and Miroku were waiting for her there. They had grown accustomed to her morning run, usually waiting till well after sun up to untangle themselves from each other, to go help her train for yet another fight against Naraku.
"Ohayo, Miroku-sama, Sango-chan!" She waved, smiling brightly. She wiped some sweat off her head, aware how disheveled she probably looked. She saw Sango holding her sword, wondering what the days order for training would be. As she approached, Sango handed it to her. "Miroku's going to teach you something today. I think your fighting ability is good enough against any lesser demons. We'll start advanced lessons next week."
"Which means!" Miroku smiled cheerfully. "Your mine for the week. Don't worry, I know what pain and suffering awaits if I do anything inappropriate, both here and when I meet Inuyasha in the afterlife." He led Kagome away from the small village and into the forest, to the base of Go Shinboku.
Kagome froze as they entered the clearing. The boy sat there, speaking quietly to someone who wasn't there. "Tama?" She asked quietly.
He looked back and saw her walking with Miroku. He frowned a bit, eyes narrowing at the priest.
Miroku stared at him in shock. His eyes went to Kagome who was walking towards him. "Kagome, that's...?"
Kagome nodded. "Hai, Miroku-sama. This is Akuma Tama." She knelt by the boy, smiling cheerfully. "Tama, I'm sorry, I'm training right now. Do you think you could come back tonight?"
He frowned slightly deeper. "My training starts tonight." He said evenly. "This is the first free time I've had in a week." He said, looking away. "Stupid preparation crap..." He grumbled.
Miroku looked to Kagome and almost smiled. "Kagome, I'll meet you at the bone-gobbling well, when your ready to start." He bowed a bit, leaving the pair alone.
Kagome looked at Tama, tilting her head to the side. "Say, who were you talking to?"
He blushed, looking away. "No one." He grumbled, looking down at his hands. "Who was that?"
"That was Miroku-sama. He used to travel with Inuyasha and I when we were trying to assemble the Shikon no Tama. He used to have a air void in his hand, caused by Naraku. He's a priest, and he's recently begun getting lovey-dovey with my friend Sango-chan."
Tama snorted. "He's training you?"
She nodded, smiling a bit. "They're very precious friends, and Miroku-sama is a very skilled monk, while Sango-chan is a very skilled demon hunter." She looked down at her hands. They were covered in dirt and grime, and she realized how much of a mess she must look. "I must look terrible, I haven't bathed in days." She blushed, looking at him from the corner of her eyes.
"Ya look fine to me." He grumbled. He looked at the ground, feeling strange. "Ne, Kagome..."
She looked at him, tilting her head to the side.
"Never mind." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He sighed, wrapping his hands around his feet, and staring off into nothing. "Sesshoumaru said that the ceremony thingamajig was gonna be held under Goshinboku in your time." He said, glancing towards her. "Why there, anyways?" He began to rant, all the irritations since she's been gone finally erupting. "I'm so sick and tired of this, all I damn well want is to be a normal high school kid!" He drug a hand through his hair, looking at Kagome, who had a tiny smile on her face. "What's so damn funny?"
"I used to feel the same way." She said softly, running her hands over the grass. "After all, I was only just in my second year of middle school, and then I got drug here. I almost failed out a few times. The only chances I got to study were when we stopped traveling for the night and on those few opportunities I had to go home. Inuyasha never wanted me to go back to my time, so he'd try to keep me here." She laughed softly. "But you know what? I had an awful lot of fun at the same time. Funny thing is, I never thought I'd be here now." She leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling fondly.
Tama blushed a bit. He looked away, squirming a bit. Hearing her speak about Inuyasha again, it made him feel weird. "Oi, no offense, but could we not talk about him right now?"
She saw the uncomfortable look on his face and tilted her head to the side. "Tama?"
He didn't answer, just looked at the dirt. Suddenly, something warm and soft pressed up against his cheek and he glanced out of the corner of his eyes and saw that something was a pair of lips. Kagome's lips. He blushed furiously, his jaw hanging open slightly. When she pulled away, he stared at her, his face confused. "Kagome?"
She hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's okay." She said softly. "I understand, probably better than you think." She closed her eyes and felt his head rest against hers and smiled. They sat like that for a long time, till Tama's watch beeped, then he gently pulled away, looking a bit annoyed.
"Stupid watch..." He grumbled, then he looked at Kagome. "I gotta go back. We're going to start in about an hour, and I've gotta help set up." He complained, glancing away.
Kagome stood up, dusting herself off and offered a hand to him. "I'll walk with you."
"Why?"
"Because in spite of what you may think, this time is always dangerous." She wound her arm though his and looked up at him. "The demons here don't hide from the humans. They eat them." She saw his eyes widen and his mouth open to say something. She stopped him. "I'm used to dealing with them, and I'm perfectly safe. I'm allot better at fighting than you may think."
She saw the rather disgruntled look on his face and tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong?"
"I..." He muttered the rest so she couldn't hear.
"What is it, Tama?" She pulled him to a stop. She saw that he looked annoyed, an expression that Inuyasha used to wear whenever he was trying to say something that was difficult for him.
"Iwannaprotectyou..." He said quickly, refusing to look at her. "Not the other way around. I'm a guy, I should be the one who protects a girl." He glanced at her and saw a small smile on her face and turned dark red, looking away quickly. "It's wrong for the girl to have to protect the guy. That's the only reason I agreed to do this Datsu's way. I'm not gonna get caught off guard again. I'm gonna protect you..." He grew gradually more sure of himself as he spoke, and finally looked at her, a determined expression on his face.
Kagome looked at him in amazement. Tears filled her eyes and she threw her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest. "Tama!" She cried, feeling him gently embrace her as well.
He felt her hands fisted against his back and rested his chin on her head. He smiled a bit, relief filling him. She hadn't rejected him. She wasn't turning him away. He sighed, relieved. Gently, he pet her hair as she cried into his shirt.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
AN: Well, another chapter down, hopefully only a few more to go! Love the fans, Hugs and Kisses to you all. Hope you're enjoying the story! Please Read and Review!