Button Mashing

Summary: An arbitrary text leads to a unique bond that transcends normalcy.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Big Windup

Pairing: Kagome/?

Genre: Friendship/Humor/Romance

Rated: T - M

-x-x-x-

"So, do you have everything you'll need?"

Kagome looked up from the application in her hand. "Hm? Archery equipment? Yeah, I mean, I've got my bow and arrows, a quiver. All the rest, no. I mean, I never used the uniform, but I can order one."

A sudden strum of thunder echoed, and the two glanced up at the overshadow above.

"Was it supposed to rain today?"

'I didn't bring an umbrella...' Placing the application in her bag, Kagome shifted the strap over her shoulder, "I should head home. I'll see you tomorrow, Hamada!"

"Oh, right! See ya!"

-x-x-x-

After leaving school, a hole had torn through the sky, and rain plundered the streets. It didn't take long for her to end up soaked to the bone, and after thirty minutes on the train, she was freezing. By the time she made it home, her clothes were clinging to her, and her hair was messily drenched and pressed against her cheeks and neck.

The sloshing of her socks in her shoes was enough to drive her insane.

"Daaaamn!" Wringing out her hair, Kagome pushed open her front door. "Mom, I'm home!"

"Welcome back; I got the bath ready for you. Go wash the rain off and give me your clothes so I can clean them."

"Hai~."

"Oh, did you think any about―"

"I'll think about it!" Kagome snapped, flinching at the bite in her voice. Shaking her head, she sighed and walked off.

Rai gave her daughter a broken look but didn't add anything.

In days that followed the end of her daughters' adventure, she had become a bit more distant. It wasn't that she was pushing her away on purpose. She was having difficulty reconnecting with present-day Japan. Silently, Rai wondered if that was her fault. Should she have been stricter? Perhaps maybe she should have been wearier of her daughter and her adventures. Denied her such travels to the past? Now that adapting in the present-day was so tricky...too dull...

-x-x-x-

'I could die,' Kagome soaked in the hot water of the bathtub, no longer concerning herself with her mom's pressuring. "She didn't even ask about whether I found a club. Just went straight to the well." Flicking a lock of her hair out of her eyes, she closed her eyes and sighed, 'how should I think about this. I need to. If I commit to the present, won't I be leaving Inuyasha and the others behind? On the other hand, if I choose to commit to the past, I'd be leaving my family here behind. When it all comes down to it, I never belonged in the past, to begin with. That was just a lucky fluke on my part.'

"Kagome, dinner is ready when you get out."

"Right," raising a hand, steam broke away from her fingers at the change from hot water to cold air.

BAM BOOOM~!

"...ah... the power went out..." focusing on her energy, a pink glow formed around her hands as she climbed out of the bath and let the water out. Drying off, changing, it was an easy matter in the dark. As she wrapped her hair with a towel, walking out of the bathroom, she stopped at the sound of footsteps.

"Uh, mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think Kagome needs a glowstick..."

Rai peered up the steps and raised a brow at the pink glow of her daughter's hands. "I guess even in this day and age, your abilities come in handy."

"Hmm," Kagome rolled her eyes, though no one could see her. "Dinner at candlelight?"

"It has a certain romantic appeal, don't you think?"

Souta sat down and placed his glowstick next to his plate and utensils. "I would rather electricity when it comes to making sure my food makes it into my mouth and doesn't end up on the table or floor."

Not arguing the logic, Kagome let her energy cover a bit more of her arms and smiled as the pink lit up the room a bit more.

Eyeing his sister, Souta laughed as he thought of something. "If anyone ever saw you like this, what would you tell them?"

"I fell into chemical waste, and now I'm a superhero,"

Perhaps times were harder on Kagome with the end of Naraku and the closing of this chapter of her life. However, as her children sat laughing and joking across from her, she felt a small sense of relief fill her. There was a telling note to their laughter that everything would be okay.

"I joined a club, by the way. I need to get my gear, but..."

"Archery?" Souta asked. "I had my money on archery."

"You were betting?"

"No, not really. Since mom also said archery, all I get from, it is the satisfaction of knowing my sister is predictable, and despite her time-traveling adventures, I can still read her."

'Predictable, am I.' She smiled, "I joined archery and one other club." She stood and made her way upstairs, grabbing her schoolbag, she flipped the flap and pulled a paper from the bag. She hadn't joined two...but...she couldn't be predictable. Her life was far too exciting to be predictable. Well, it was. "Hamada will be happy, at least." Running downstairs, she placed the paper down on the paper and smiled, "on top of archery, I'll be joining the Cheer Squad!"

If silence were money, they'd be rich. In abundance, no one made a sound, Souta and Rai looked quizzically at Kagome who seemed to be proud at how surprised she'd made them. Continuing her food, she ate in silence, both never taking their eyes off of her. In hindsight, she probably should have asked what it was about her joining Cheer Squad that sounded so weird, but in that silence, she found that she didn't care to interrupt it.

-x-x-x-

Me: Here is chapter 2 of Button Mashing. I hope you enjoyed it!