Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. The characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi!

Author Note: Enjoy.

Chapter 8
Getting Settled

Once lush, green, and pampered by the school gardener, the practice field laid in ruins after an hour and a half of excessive rough play. The twenty-four members were scattered about haphazardly, some standing up, others choosing to remain down. They adorned the dying field with the bright red and white color of their uniforms. Standing amongst a group of exhausted players, Inuyasha tossed his head back and took a long swig from his water bottle. Beads of perspiration trickled down his forehead, making their way to the dampened regions of his chest.

"That was hell," he wheezed, grasping at the annoying piece of cloth that clung to his torso.

"You're telling me," Miroku muttered, cupping his sweaty forehead. Lying on his back, Miroku rested his head on an overly beaten soccer ball and closed a pair of blue eyes. The summer sun perched lazily in the sky and brought with it scorching heat.

"Thank gods it's Friday," Hitan broke in. He caressed a sore arm and stretched his legs out. They had remained crossed for an uncomfortably long period of time.

Tattered and dirty, his three-striped socks hung limp and frayed near the kneecaps. Hiten, a demon with fierce red eyes and boyishly good looks sat alongside his brother Manten who stroked his hairless head affectionately.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and grinned, he wore a distant look as the corners of his lips were curled in a most unusual smile.

"…Yeah,"

Miroku cocked one eye open and looked at Inuyasha quizzically. The hanyo had refused to sit down, give in to the pain. Instead, his method of relaxation was to lean against the fence lining the soccer field. After practice, a small portion of the team chose to trail the captain.

"Inuyasha," Miroku addressed the hanyo sharply. "You do intend on picking up the ladies, correct?"

Folding his arms, Inuyasha grumpily mumbled, "What ladies?"

"What ladies?" Hiten and Manten chanted in unison.

Hoisting himself up, Miroku brushed the dirt off his shorts while frowning at the massive accumulation of mud on his cleats.

"It's only proper," the grimacing boy stated, lackadaisically picking at the clump of brown.

From across the field, the coaches were roaring, "Hustle! Hustle! Let's go!"

The shrill sounds of the whistle that followed had each player scampering off to the showers. Hiten stood, his delicately long braid whipped from side to side. Helping his brother up, the two trotted off.

"You'll have to tell us about them next time!" Hiten called back. Laughing a little, he jogged ahead of his brother. Manten was confused and slowed to a halt. He held two soccer balls, one in each hand.

"Wait up! HEY! You jerk! You left your ball behind!"

:-:-:

Pulling a long sleeve red shirt over his silver tendrils, Inuyasha struggled to get his head through the collar. Once through, clawed hands went immediately to the annoying tag, cargo pants sank as he raised his arms. His scowl was a complete contrast to the charming smile Miroku sported. Dressed in a handsome dark blue jacket, the monk looked rather dashing. His rumpled hair now tied back into a miniature ponytail, Miroku flashed his trademark playboy grin…and his lustful reflection smiled back.

"Snap out of it bouzou," Inuyasha ordered scowling at this friend's rather pompous act. He grabbed his duffle bag and stalked out in a huff.

Miroku tisked and shook his head gravely. "With that attitude my friend…" he left the last part unsaid.

:-:-:

Back at Takahashi Headquarters: somewhere on the fifth floor in room 118…

Sitting on her haunches, Kagome happily flipped through 'The Lost Puppy', one of the various children's books she had discovered in the discrete closet. Surrounded by a circle of items, she felt perfectly content.

"Mm, now here's a good part…" Kagome mumbled quietly. She let out a deep sigh and continued to leaf through the worn cardboard pages.

Just then, Sango rushed in, looking around frantically for any sign of her snooping friend. Letting out a frustrated sigh at the mess Kagome had created, Sango wanted to pull her hair out. She could never leave Kagome alone for more than 10 minutes without there being some sort of trouble.

"What are you doing?" Sango hissed. "I am in the middle of crisis here!"

Kagome flinched and dropped her book.

"Sango-chan! What's going on?"

Sango let her head drop, meek and tired from having vented off some steam. "My car was-was um…towed."

With an irritated scoff, Sango ran a hand through her disheveled hair. Her face was rosy and it looked as if she had chosen to take the stairs again. Sango bit her lower lip and frowned, waiting for some sort of reaction.

"So how-" Kagome paused, keeping her waning anxiety in check, "How're we getting to the festival?"

Sango continued to gaze longingly at the floor, picturing herself at the festival eating grilled miso chicken and totally pigging out on a plate of takoyaki. Her stomach growled restlessly.

"Earth to Sango," Kagome chanted, waving a hand before stupefied brown eyes.

Sango gently swatted at Kagome's hand to get it to stop fluttering. She collected and composed herself after previously having an out of body experience. Now, she must set her mind on reaching the festival before all the grub disappeared.

"Ne, Sango," Kagome questioned curiously, "Why did your car get towed?"

Discomfited and distressed, Sango didn't respond right away. "It's-I don't know,"

She wasn't about to let her best friend find out that they'd both overlooked a huge freaking warning sign that read: RESERVED! All drivers without permit will be towed immediately.

That would be a bit mortifying…

"Guess I'll call a taxi," Sango declared cheerfully. Laughing nervously, she dialed the local taxi company.

"Meanwhile, get that mess cleaned up," Sango chewed out, glancing at the pool of littered items. How exactly had this happened? The room had once looked orderly. Now, intermingled with all the black cords, were…marbles?

Looking to were Sango watched fixedly, Kagome tensed and scurried off to gather the pearl-like trinkets.

"I was wondering where those had gotten to,"

Sango rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the phone. "Hello? Yes, I'd like a tax-"

"WHAT THE FU-?"

Marbles spilled, pelting the floor as if a cloudburst had just erupted. The noise droned out his last word. The phone dropped with a clatter, but it was Kagome who had spotted the intruder first.

"Inuyasha don't do that!" she reprimanded, feeling her heart slam feverishly against her ribcage. Looking at the dog boy through disbelieving eyes, Kagome struggled to catch her breath.

Sango felt the raised hairs on her neck slowly recede.

Inuyasha merely rephrased his question and kept reminding himself that homicide was a very bad thing. "What the hell did you do?"

"Oh, don't you dare blame this all on me!" Sango retorted, a week of sleep deprivation setting in. She matched his glare with equal animosity whilst Kagome sat helplessly on the floor, shoulders slack. It had been a long day and was proving to become an even longer night. .

"Cut it out you two," Kagome pleaded. She pushed herself off the floor and forced a smile. Her happiness was met with chilling fierceness from her companions, both of whom shortly realized she was to the one blame.

"What?" blinking innocently, Kagome almost wished the two would start bickering again. Unfortunately, they were both too busy staring her down.

Laughing nervously, Kagome tried to change the subject. "Hey, where's Miroku?"

"Eh? Miroku?" Inuyasha asked, snapping out of his reverie. "He couldn't come. Said there was something he needed to take care of."

"Speaking of which, we better get going" Inuyasha realized, looking up at the clock on the wall.

"You mean you'll give us a lift?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"Keh, whatever," Inuyasha approved acquiescently. He turned around took a couple steps towards the door.

"What about—" not having the chance to finish her sentence, Kagome was dragged away by Sango who wasn't in the mood to disclose past events.

:-:-:

Firing up the ignition, Inuyasha glanced sideways at the passenger's seat in which a fidgety Kagome sat. She toyed with the hem of her skirt, adjusted the passenger's mirror, ran a hand up and down the seat belt, she did anything but stay at rest. It was as if her batteries never ran out and frankly, it drove Inuyasha mad.

"Damn it wench, will you stop moving around so much?"

"I can't help it!" Kagome protested, drumming her feet against the vehicle's plastic mat. "I'm excited."

"Keh" Inuyasha pretended to scoot as far left as his seat would allow. In the meantime, Sango sat with her hands propped neatly atop her lap. She had peered at her watch to check the time, only to return her stare back to the world that lay on the other side of the glass.

"Ne, Inuyasha," Kagome had caught his attention and his amber orbs flickered to the side. "Do you know someone named Kouga?"

Grinding his teeth secretly, Inuyasha had gripped the steering wheel so hard that his fingers had left indentations. Nonetheless, he continued to drive. "What about him?"

"Nothing," Kagome hurriedly explained how Wolf's Lair had been chosen as a finalist, and how the band had been assailed by flashing cameras, how Kouga had sang such a great song, and how—

Essentially, she babbled on and on. Inuyasha growled; partly because the more she talked, the more he was reminded of Kouga, and partly because the girl sitting besides him seemed to glow a brilliant pink when jabbering about the band that the stupid wolf.

"Just be quiet. You talk too much."

Kagome had remained silent thereafter.

:-:-:

As it turns out, Inuyasha was a pretty decent driver; the group had arrived with only minor bruises and scratches.

"Did you have to run that red light?" Sango asked pensively. She fumbled to stabilize herself, suffering from an unrelenting case of dizziness. Any moment now, and she would hurl.

Ignoring her comment, which he took as an insult to his tremendous driving skills, Inuyasha 'keh'ed and tucked his car keys away. They'd reached their destination in a record breaking six minutes, thanks to all those red-light violations. Inuyasha was never happier. Kagome, on the other hand, had yet to exit the car. She'd twisted the seatbelt until her knuckles had turned white. The experience would have been exhilarating for one who craved an early death.

"I think you're going to have to carry her," Sango suggested slyly. Her comment had the desired effect as Kagome lunged out of the car immediately. At the same time, Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and snapped, "Hell no."

Brushing herself off, Kagome squared her shoulders and walked stiffly away while attempting to keep what little dignity she had left. Actually admitting how much his rebuttal had hurt was the last thing she wanted to do.

:-:-:

Like mini, colorful accordions, hundreds of paper lanterns were strung underneath the dozens of maple leaves that decorated the sacred school gardens. Only once a year was this area opened for enjoyment, and that was during the Fall Festival. Fluttering in the wind, the round paper lanterns would emit a soft light when darkness fell. As of now, they served only as ornaments with their pretty cherry blossom print.

There were tables with refreshments, trays laden everything from sweet cakes to fried rice. And not far from the food was the entertainment: a string of booths and tents. People continued to flock into the spacious gardens, the festival had long begun. It didn't take long before Kagome spotted her little brother Souta at one of the game stands. He tossed a balloon at a moving target, missed, and then paid the amused teenager who was working the booth for some additional balloons. Behind the counter, there was a wooden shelf piled high with large stuffed animals.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Kagome tapped her little brother on the shoulder, who, in alarm, threw the balloon smack at the bull's eye. Beside him stood a girl no older than eight, her wavy brown hair bounced as she squealed with happiness.

"Alright Souta-kun, you got it!" she clapped her hands merrily.

"T-thanks Hitomi-chan" Souta turned red with contented embarrassment.

"Onee-chan," he smiled awkwardly at Kagome. "This is Hitomi-chan, my" he gulped and tried again. "M-my g-girr-"

"Girlfriend," Kagome finished for him. "Nice to meet you, I'm Souta's sister Kagome."

She extended a hand to Hitomi, who had both her arms tightly wound around Souta's right arm. Releasing one arm, she shook Kagome's hand gladly and smiled cutely. The two of them made a very adorable couple. Hitomi was bubbly and seemed to get excited over everything. Souta was more quiet and patient.

"Very persistant kid," the teenager behind the stand commented, exchanging smiles with Kagome. "Now you get to choose your prize."

Souta looked unsure and glanced at Hitomi for help. "Which one do you want?"

"Souta-kun, I think you should get to keep it."

"No, because I did it all for you, Hitomi-chan,"

How sugary and sentimental was this going to get? Kagome was torn between sticking around to find out or leaving and giving the kids a chance to talk it out themselves. Eventually, it was the latter that won out and had her calling a final goodbye.

:-:-:

"Hmm hum, nine children—I'm sure of it"

"Miroku, there's no way," a feminine voice cooed. "Who's the husband?"

Miroku held the hand of a damsel in distress and let his thumb rub circles on her exposed palm. At the start of the festival, he had rushed to his booth, one which had been secretly set up without the school's permission. Fortune Telling offered the perfect opportunity to come into physical contact with a woman without getting slapped since touching was a part of the procedure.

"Hum," his mischievous blue eyes twinkled. "Some guy named-"

"Miroku!" a harsh voice cut in. Startled, both Miroku and the girl turned to see Inuyasha, and not far off behind him was Sango, looking on disgustedly.

By scaring the hell out of Miroku, not to mention hinder his success at finding another girlfriend, Inuyasha had considered his part done. He turned to look at Sango, urging her to continue speaking.

"Have you seen Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, forcing herself to meet his gaze.

"Kagome?" Miroku scratched his head thoughtfully.

"She hasn't stopped here if that's what you mean…"

"Try the food courts," Miroku's female companion piped up. Thanking her for the suggestion, Sango hurried off, followed by Inuyasha whose mouth watered at the thought of anything edible…maybe they would have ramen!

:-:-:

Kagome was indeed at the food court. She sat alone at an umbrella table, one of several dozen structures that gave its surroundings a more café-like appearance. Each table had its own miniature vase which held an assortment of flowers. At the moment, Kagome had her hands full trying to chow down on a bowl of oden.

"Umm!" she all but squealed. Swallowing quickly, Kagome beamed cheerfully at the two figures looming in front of her.

"We were so worried!" Sango cried, embracing Kagome in a tight squeeze. Caught by surprise, Kagome had to force herself not to cough up any food. Looking up sympathetically at Inuyasha, whom she was no longer troubled by, Kagome motioned him to have a seat.

"No way," he shook his head and immediately, her jubilation was turned down a notch. Inuyasha grinned and added, "You want me to starve or what?" Understanding his implication, Kagome smiled shyly. Something about that smile and he'd felt it; a light tug at his heartstrings. Though at the moment, Inuyasha was famished and didn't give a damn. He sauntered off in that familiar pose; hands tucked inside the pockets of his trousers.

"At least one of us is happy" Sango observed quietly. Her slightly bitter tone prompted Kagome to ask what was wrong. The miserable schoolgirl, whose dark brown tresses lay in ruins, had her elbows propped up on the table. Her head rested on the heels of her palms.

"That stupid pervert, I'll never talk to him again!" Sango fumed, fisting her hands into stiff balls.

"What did he do this time?" Kagome asked, assuming the worst. Sango rolled her eyes. Dear gods, she didn't even feel hungry anymore. And wasn't that the reason why she had been so eager to come to the festival in the first place? Amazing how a boy can make you feel so stumped sometimes. Not to mention turn your life upside down.

"Oh you wouldn't believe it," Sango muttered, covering her face with her hands. "I don't even understand how he got permission to…" she trailed off. Her head pulled back suddenly as she tried to piece it all together. "Unless…, unless he did it without!"

"Do what? What did he do?" Sango had sparked the younger girl's curiosity. Kagome practically bounced in her chair. Without answering her question, Sango's head slammed back into its protective shield.

Kagome reached out to pat the older girl's back, whispering a soothing "It's okay."

Sango sounded more frustrated than sad when she replied, "I am not crying!"

"Crying over what?" a masculine voice interjected. Sango froze in her spot. She felt her cheeks blush a hot pink, warming her curled fingers. If she looked up now, her life would be over.

"Miroku! What a surprise,"

A/N: It's Miroku! Our favorite perverted monk!