Hello, hello! Would you look at me! It's been about three days and I'm updating! Take that! Anyway, in this chapter, Inuyasha and Kagome take a break from the whole Midori drama. But now, they have to deal with... dun dun dun... THE BOYS BATHROOM! While there are probably ways this kind of situation could be avoided in real life... that's not how fanfiction works... at least not my fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it!

By the way, does anyone remember when you were in like, fifth grade... and the boys bathroom (or vice versa) was seen as forbidden territory? Like it was a huge deal... I mean I know girls aren't supposed to go in the boy's bathroom, but back then it was like you'd freakin burst into flames or something... At least it was like that in my school...

To my reviewers...

To The World is a Stage: Glad you like it! And I'm happy you thought it was funny too! Thanks for the review!

To sheenachi: It is veeerrrryyy evil. Mwahahahaha! Thanks for the review!

To Rumi: (sigh) That's like the third time I've been corrected on her eye color between this fic and the original version... I'm always wrong! Why? Hehehe. For the sake of consistency (and for the fact that I'm not sure when and where I mentioned her eye color) I'm going to leave it as is. Thanks though! Glad you like it!

To Es: I'm happy to hear you like it! Thanks for the review!

To inukag909: Glad to hear it! Thanks for the comment!

To inuyashababe1598: That's alright, what matters is that you reviwed! Glad you like it! And yay for favorites list! You rock!And I would love to take a look at your stories! It may take me a little while but I definitely will! Thanks for the review!

To inu&kag4eva:I just imagined she was panicked and went with the first thing that popped into her head. Technically she didn't. It's the same thing with his name being Midori. I don't really think it would have mattered if she had just called him Inuyasha. ; Glad you like it! Thanks for the review! ... Bathroom indeed... mwahahahaha

To orlandoroxmysox: Hahaha! It will indeed be an adventure! Thanks for the review!

To Irathernotsay: Awww... I'm sorry to hear you say that. I don't like unhappy readers! To be honest I don't like the current state of the summary. I couldn't for tha life of me figure out how to phrase it... Anyway, I dunno if you are still reading or not, based on your most recent review, but if you are, would you mind pointing out some stuff you didn;t like? (In a contructive manner of course ) That way I can try to prevent or fix it in the future. Thanks for the comment!

Disclaimer: I don't own it.


Chapter 8: A Modern Day Out

It felt like one of those scenes from the old westerns. Two grungy men wielding six shooters face off in some desolate, dusty old street. A quick draw. A showdown at high noon: they face off, whip out their six shooters and one ends up six feet under.

Kagome waited, expecting the infamous tumbleweed to roll across the barren hallway. She almost felt like shooting herself as she thought again about the situation she was about to get herself into.

'The boy's bathroom.' She thought scandalously, glaring at the vague little man that donned the blue sign on the door. 'The boy's bathroom... as in girls aren't welcome...' She'd been so close to just making Inuyasha hold it. But lucky for him it was lunch time, and they were on the opposite end of the school from the cafeteria.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha fidgeted, looking uncomfortable.

The raven haired girl took a deep breath, preparing herself to cross the line. "Okay. Let's get this over with... Fast."

She reached out and pushed the door open a couple of inches. Then, leaning in, she listened to make sure the bathroom was not occupied. Hearing no one, she quickly walked through the door and into the nearest stall, closing and locking the door behind them.

Once again they found themselves stuck in a very awkward position.

Kagome felt the heat rising in her face. "Alright. Go ahead."

Inuyasha stared blankly at her. "Am I supposed to know how to use one of these?" He asked, gesturing to the white porcelain object behind him.

Kagome wanted to cry. Of course he hadn't seen a modern toilet before! "Okay. Um... Well... You're going to sit on it... I think, like you would a chair... or maybe you stand... And then you um... do you're... business. Just uh... make sure you aim with... you know...and then the paper..." Kagome's face was becoming more red with every word she spoke.

"Alright, alright. I get it." Inuyasha grouched, deciding to give her a break from her bumbling directions. He shifted to remove his pants before Kagome gasped.

"Wait! In case anyone comes in, they can't see two pairs of feet." She placed the hand not held by Inuyasha on his head, and carefully edged up and around until she was situated on the back of the toilet. Then she let go of his hand and placed it too in his silver mop. She then closed her eyes and hid her feverish face in her arms. "Alright." She could feel Inuyasha fidget around for a few moments.

"Kagome."

"Huh?"

"I... uh... can't get them off."

Kagome, once again, wanted to crawl into a hole and die. "Oh... Okay... Hold on..."

Refusing to open her eyes, she reached around and patted her way down his body, seeking out the waist of his jeans. 'I cannot believe... that he wants me... to undo his pants.' Absolute mortification did not even begin to describe what she felt at that moment.

Suddenly, Inuyasha grabbed her hand in his and planted it firmly over the zipper.

Kagome thought her head was going to explode from blushing so hard. He certainly was blunt. Working the button loose, she ran the zipper down and withdrew her hand as quickly as if it had burned. She felt Inuyasha shift around some more before becoming still. In a moment, she could here his muffled voice.

"Kagome-"

"The handle." She stated simply, not moving an inch.

"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked, gazing around him. He managed to find a lever on one side of the contraption, and pushed it; almost jumping out of his skin when there was a loud rush of water.

Only then did Kagome summon enough courage to open her eyes. "Just one more thing and then we can get out of here."

"Oh, come on! What no-"

The bathroom door opened, and Kagome clamped a hand over Inuyasha's mouth. He growled softly against her palm but she leaned in and whispered for him to keep quiet. She listened tensely as feet shuffled across the tiled floor. After a moment there was another surge of flushing water, more shuffling, the door opened again, and it was silent.

'Ewww... He didn't wash his hands...' Kagome thought to herself.

"Okay Inuyasha, let's go. Really fast." She jumped down from the toilet and unlatched the door. Dashing to the sink, she put her left hand on his shoulder while turning some knobs with her right.

Water began to spout from what looked and sounded like a metallic, silver snake. But Inuyasha's concentration was quickly captured by the obnoxious blue and white color scheme of the sterile-smelling room.

Shaking the shoulder beneath her hand to get the half demon's attention, Kagome spoke. "Okay. Put your hands under the water, and then hold them under the soap dispenser."

Inuyasha blinked in confusion, following her directions as best he could. "The what?"

Kagome sighed. "The black box thing on the wall."

"Oh." He did so, and Kagome pushed a button, filling his cupped hands with a small amount of pink, frilly smelling gunk.

"Now scrub your hands until their foamy, and then rinse them under the water again." She instructed, in the process of pulling paper out of yet another strange contraption.

After washing and drying his hands, he lifted them to his nose and sniffed, recoiling with a disgusted expression. "What the hell? Now I smell like a girl!"

"Too bad, Inuyasha. There was no way I was letting you out of this bathroom before you washed your hands." Then she placed his hand on her shoulder, and washed her own hands for good measure. Finishing in record time, she grabbed his wrist and tugged him to the door. Opening it slightly and peering out, she closed it again and turned to Inuyasha. "Quick now. Let's-"

The door suddenly being flung open cut her off. She jumped back against the wall with a squeak, pulling Inuyasha in front of her as a shield and cowering behind him.

Hojo entered the bathroom humming some strange little tune to himself. He stopped to admire himself in the mirror on his way to the stalls. Seeing Inuyasha's reflection in the mirror seemed to startle him, and he jumped, quickly turning to brace himself against the counter.

"Oh, man! Hey, Midori! You scared the living daylights out of me!"

Inuyasha blinked. Who was this guy talking to? But feeling his side pinched, he regained his memory of their earlier encounter and forced a response. "Ow! Oh, uh... sorry."

Hojo regained the smile he had been practicing in the mirror and stood up, walking closer. "So, where's Kagome?"

"Uh... outside..." Inuyasha suggested stiffly.

"Really? I didn't see her..." Hojo stopped halfway across the room, pausing to ponder the situation.

Inuyasha heard an almost inaudible voice whisper from behind him. "Um... girls bathroom." He offered quickly.

"Oh!" Hojo snapped his fingers. "That must be it! Well, I've got to go! If you know what I mean. Heh heh heh." He turned and walked into a stall, chuckling at his own lame remark.

The hanyou quirked an eyebrow at him. 'What's wrong with him?'

Wasting no time, Kagome inched to the doorway and, glancing out into the hall once again, threw open the door. Dashing outside, she braced herself against the wall, her breathing heavy.

"Well, that was..." Inuyasha began.

"Permanently scarring." Kagome finished, regaining her composure enough to grab his wrist again and gesture down the hall. "Come on, let's get some lunch."


A couple hours later, they had managed to make it through the rest of Kagome's classes, reaching her house without any more incidents, and without running into her friends.

Kagome practically skipped down the stairs after changing out of her uniform. "Safe at last!" She exclaimed.

Inuyasha pulled off his baseball cap and tossed it onto a nearby table. He reached up, massaging his ears. "I'm all sore now." He complained. :"Can I take this stuff off?"

Kagome smiled, getting an idea. "Not yet, Inuyasha." She picked up the hat and placed it back on his head. "You survived a day of modern school, so I might as well show you a modern day out, as a reward."

Inuyasha regarded her suspiciously. "And just what is entailed in this 'modern day out?'"

"Oh, just some sight seeing, a little walking, some shopping, some fun..."

"I can get all that stuff with that T.V. whatchamacallit thing you showed me, minus the walking." Inuyasha crossed his arms, smirking in triumph.

"Ah yes, you could. But... you can't get good food. And you know what that means." She grinned mischievously.

Inuyasha perked, his ears up and alert. "Ramen?" He questioned hopefully.

"Ramen." Kagome sang. "And it's even better than usual. Not that instant stuff. Homemade from scratch, fresh from the pot. Hot and steaming."

Inuyasha was practically drooling. "Well let's get a move on!" He eagerly pushed her out the door.

"Okay, okay! Hold on!" She leaned back in the doorway. "Mom! Inuyasha and I are going out!"

Her mother's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Alright dear! Be careful! And don't stay out to late!"

Kagome would have replied but Inuyasha was already dragging her down the stairs to the street.


"What's so great about a bunch of pink flowers?" Inuyasha complained, completely uninterested. "When are we getting some food?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, turning to face him. She tugged playfully on his wrist before turning to gaze at the rows of budding trees again.

"Come on, Inuyasha! They're Sakura blossoms! Aren't they pretty?"

"I know what they are! What's so special about a bunch of girly flowers?" The half demon huffed, frowning impatiently at her.

The girl beside him sighed. "Okay, okay. So there's nothing special about them. I just think they're beautiful." Kagome turned slightly, a soft breeze ruffling her pale blue skirt, tossing her long, ebony hair lightly about her shoulders.

Petals rained down around them both, and Inuyasha found himself unconsciously reaching out to brush them from her hair, accidentally letting his fingertips linger. Strange feelings began welling up inside of him. 'Beautiful...' His mind agreed, in complete rebellion.

"Well... I guess they're not so bad..."

Kagome felt herself blush under his attention. He was looking at her like he had that time he had almost kissed her. She shook herself lightly, shrugging off her unease. "Okay. I just have one more thing to show you. Then we can eat."


Kagome walked briskly through the busy streets, explaining on the way about the 'Ferris Wheel' she was going to show him.

"Oh no!" Kagome exclaimed, seeing the barricade around the dark, inactive ride. She hurried over to an older man, who was leaning back against the fence reading a newspaper. "Hey, Tsuzuki!"

The elderly man looked up and smiled when he saw her. "Well hello, Kagome! What brings you here?"

"I wanted to take my friend on the Ferris Wheel."

The graying man scratched his chin idly. "I'm sorry, Kagome, but it's closed for repair. It should be up in time for the upcoming festival though."

"Well, could we just sit in one of the cars for a minute?" The girl suggested, pleading with her eyes.

"Well, I suppose..."

"Great! Thanks, Tsuzuki!" Kagome rushed past the barrier and into the nearest car, pulling Inuyasha in after her. She closed the little gate and moved to the opposite side of the cage-like structure. "Wow! Look at all the people! They look like ants from way up here!" She exclaimed, pointing at the ground.

The half demon raised an eyebrow at her before leaning over the side to look at the concrete.

"Kagome, those are ants." He stated, watching the little black insects swarm over a discarded piece of fruit.

She gave an exasperated groan. "It's pretend Inuyasha! Come on! It's so pretty from up here! You can see everything."

Inuyasha gazed around at the small stands and restaurants. "Right."

"Hey!" Kagome suddenly turned, reaching her leg back to his to free her hands. She grabbed the two metal bars that framed the side of the ride. "Now I can do something I've always wanted to!" She leaned out beyond the railing. "Yeah!" She began to swing gently back and forth, rocking the car, and abruptly lost her balance; losing her grip and falling forward slightly. "Whoa!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shot forward, grabbing her and drawing her back into the safety of his arms.

The young woman was startled as she found herself tightly pressed against the hanyou's chest. "Inuyasha?"

He blinked, exceptionally confused. "I uh... didn't want you to fall... all that way..."

Kagome glanced downwards at the two foot drop, then turned back to Inuyasha with a smile. "I think I'm rubbing off on you!" She laughed, taking his hand in her own. "C'mon, let's get some dinner."

Inuyasha followed her silently, still in a state of bewilderment with himself.

By the time he awoke from his stupor, they were in front of a small restaurant. Kagome turned to him with a smile.

"This is my favorite restaurant. They've got the best ramen I've ever tasted."

Inuyasha licked his lips in eager anticipation. "Well let's get to it!"

They were greeted at the door by a polite young man. He plucked two menus from a podium and offered to seat them right away. They were led through rows of tables to a fairly secluded booth in the back of the restaurant; the lights were dim, and candles flickered slightly within sconces on the walls.

They were settled promptly, and ordered drinks before the waiter scurried off to the kitchen.

Kagome slid her ankle against his beneath the table so she could release his hand, and immediately her own felt chilled. She propped her chin in her palm and smiled, watching Inuyasha stare at the menu with a curious expression.

"What is all this stuff?" He wondered aloud.

"Don't worry." She said, taking the menu from him. "You'll get you're ramen."

Inuyasha was about to nod, but at that moment the waiter appeared from around the corner, carrying two glasses on a small tray. He placed the drinks in front of them before pulling a pen and paper from his apron and taking down their orders. Two bowls of ramen for Inuyasha and one for Kagome.

As the man disappeared again, Kagome bent to take a sip from her drink. Sitting back up, she noticed Inuyasha staring questioningly the plastic thing in his drink. She grinned.

"It's a straw. You drink through it. Just suck the soda up into the straw."

"Soda, huh?" Inuyasha mumbled, bending and taking the 'straw' between his lips. Then he violently inhaled.

Perhaps a bit too hard.

He choked, sputtering as he managed to swallow what was in his mouth. Whatever the hell that stuff was it made his throat burn. He took the napkin that Kagome offered, wiping his mouth and glaring at her. He could see her fruitless attempt to stifle her laughter.

"Gently, Inuyasha." Kagome instructed, giggling quietly.

Inuyasha scowled. "What is this stuff? It makes my nose feel funny." He complained, scrunching up the mentioned body part as he tried again to successfully take a sip of his drink.

Kagome tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's carbonated. Lots of little bubbles." Kagome explained, watching him closely. She noted how the candlelight turned his eyes into a molten gold color.

Inuyasha felt her staring at and looked up; meeting her gaze. For a moment he thought she was just daydreaming, but when he realized she was actually focusing on him, he looked hastily away.

Kagome's good mood deflated slightly, and she sighed.

"You've been doing that an awful lot lately."

Kagome straightened, looking across the table at the half demon. "What?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes, taking a deep breath; puffing his chest out in the process. Then he exhaled loudly in an exaggerated sigh; his shoulders slumping as he opened his eyes and cocked an eyebrow at her.

Kagome smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I'm just feeling a bit drained."

"Is it because of me? And this damned necklace..." Inuyasha asked quietly, an edge of hurt in his voice.

Kagome was startled by the show of insecurity in the normally overconfident hanyou. 'Why would he think that?'

"Oh no! Inuyasha! That's not it at all!" Kagome exclaimed, desperate to convince him. Sobering slightly, she lowered her eyes to the table, her fingers beginning to trace a knot in the old wooden tabletop. "I've just been thinking about a lot of things lately. I just tired myself out, I guess."

"You know," Inuyasha started, sounding almost reluctant in his hesitance "If something's wrong... you... you can tell me." He paused, avoiding her gaze. "I mean... if you want to.

Kagome's smile widened at this rare admission. "Thank you, Inuyasha. And I know. I do want to tell you, but I just... can't. It's like I don't know how."

Inuyasha suddenly snorted. "You sure as hell haven't had a problem telling me what you think in the past!"

Kagome made a sound of indignation. "What do you mean?"

Inuyasha shifted back sitting and putting his hands on his hips. "You're such a jerk!" He imitated, raising his voice until it was shrill and as feminine as he could manage. "Inuyasha, you're so stupid! I'm going home, you jerk!"

"Well, what about you?" Kagome fumed, sitting up and leaning over the table. "You call me ugly! Tell me I smell! You jerk!"

"See? See? There you go again!" Inuyasha jabbed an accusing finger at her.

Kagome was at a loss for words. He was right! "I...! Ah...! I uh... darn you!" Kagome slumped back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, frowning as Inuyasha smirked triumphantly at her from across the table.

And although either one of them could have been mad for having insults of the past brought to focus, in moments both of their faces had broken into wide, genuine smiles.


Kagome woke the next morning refreshed and content. She yawned loudly, stretching lazily on her bed. The fingers laced with her own caught her attention and she looked down at Inuyasha.

The silver haired hanyou was asleep against the side of her bed. His head was craned backwards, resting back on her mattress.

Kagome smiled. Leaning over him, she reached out with her free hand and brushed her fingers through the silver fringe that veiled his face. A tendril of her own hair escaped past her shoulder and fell to tickle his nose.

Inuyasha's nose twitched. Then he sniffed. And finally he was thrown forward in a tremendous sneeze.

'What a wake up call.' Kagome thought, tucking the troublesome strand back behind her ear. 'Hope he didn't get whiplash.'

"Damn." Inuyasha mumbled, rubbing his face on his sleeve.

"Good morning."

Inuyasha glanced back at her. "Oh. Morning." He greeted awkwardly.

"Ready to get back to the feudal era?" She questioned, lifting herself into a crouch on her mattress.

Inuyasha instantly perked up at the thought of going home.

Soon enough they were jumping back down the well. They climbed from the well back in the feudal era, with a great deal more difficulty than the last time. Due significantly to the large amount of ramen... and the few necessities that they had purchased after dinner the night before.

As if they were waiting to greet them, they found Shippou, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Kaede sitting close by.

"Wow, guys." Kagome started, catching the little kitsune in a one armed hug as he flung himself at her. "You weren't waiting for us were you?"

Kaede stood up slowly and moved toward them. "We were." She spoke, a foreboding tone to her voice. "Midori returned while you were away, searching for Kagome. When he could not find her he left, saying he would return. But I fear he has not gone far. I can still sense his evil presence."

Inuyasha growled. "That bastard." He cracked his knuckles. "I'll just have to kick his ass all over again!"

Kagome, although greatly concerned, took a moment to sigh. 'He's back to his old self.'

"It was strange." Began Miroku, shifting uneasily beside Sango. "I had expected him to attack us like he had the last time."

The demon exterminator nodded in agreement. "He was much less hostile compared to our last encounter. I wonder if it had anything to do with the girl that showed up."

"Ah, yes." The monk smiled absently. "That lovely young woman arrived just in time."

Kagome and Sango shared an irritated glance as Miroku's lecherous side reared its ugly head.

"Anyway, I guess we'll just have to be on guard." Kagome supplied, turning to face Inuyasha.

Seeing that the pair had a noticeably larger range of motion than before they had left, Kaede spoke up next. "What happened to the beads?" She questioned, looking curiously at the two that had once been linked.

Inuyasha then turned his wrath on her. "That reminds me!" He shouted. "You better un-stick us right now! If Midori is back than I have to kill the guy! And I can't do it with Kagome still attached!" He gestured wildly with the their fused wrists to emphasize his point.

Kagome nodded in agreement. "He's right, Kaede. Would you please release us?"

"That is a strange result. I never expected that..." Mumbling to herself, the older woman frowned. Kaede looked disheartened, but nodded slightly. "That would probably be best." She relented; mumbling the counter-spell under her breath. "There."

Inuyasha tugged his wrist free. "Yes!" He flexed his fingers. Then, turning to the retreating form of Kaede, stomped after her. "Hey, old hag! Now that I'm free I'd like to have a word with you and you're damn theories! Hey? Do you hear m-"

A terrified shriek cut him off. "What the..." He muttered, his heart pounding as he whirled to face Kagome, recognizing her voice instantly.

Midori had made his appearance sooner than expected, and had his arms wrapped firmly around Kagome's waist. He turned and struck her quickly on the back of her head, causing her to cry out before collapsing lifelessly against him.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled desperately, moving cautiously toward them. While he wanted to charge straight over and kick the demon's ass, he had no idea what the plant-like man would do with Kagome as a captive.

Midori quickly took the woman's hand in his own, her body slumping back in his hold. He leaned in, his cold, hungry eyes roaming the girl's face.

"No!" Inuyasha shouted, moving as swiftly as he dared toward the youkai, not wanting to provoke him.

The rest of the group looked on helplessly; not making any movement that might be interpreted as a threat, but at the ready should an opening to rescue the girl reveal itself.

The tree-like man leaned down, but realized he could not move fast enough to claim Kagome's lips before Inuyasha would be upon them. Heaving her lifeless form over his shoulder, he turned and grinned at the half demon.

"She is mine."

His last cryptic statement was followed immediately by what must have been thousands of roots, erupting from the earth. They tangled in every direction, rendering the group off guard just long enough for him to escape unopposed.

Inuyasha froze, looking frantically around for any sign of Kagome when the vines finally halted, rotting away almost as quickly as they had grown. There was no telling what he'd do to her. He had to find her... He couldn't lose her...

"No! KAGOME!"


Alright, another chapter done! I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to review! I'll get right on the next chapter. Who knows... If I get a whole bunch of reviews, I might update even faster than I did this time!

Thanks for reading!