AN: Okay, this one is a little bit longer than my last few - I figured a small gift was in order, since my summer life is officially over in ten hours. Classes begin again and the mad rush of group projects and midterms and all that fun stuff is soon upon me, so I won't be putting these out as often as I'd like. Still! I'm an ambitious folk, and expect weekly updates, unless I'm otherwise impeded. I really am going to try for this.
So besides that there isn't a lot to say. As usual thanks for all of the lovely reviews. Oh! Also, I suppose, you might want to keep track of my other stories (if this appeals to you at all aha) because whenever I have writer's block, I like to write one shots. And most of the time they'll be spin offs of this story, or at least involve some of the pairings or friendship I talk about here, because I figure there's nothing better than some pointless fluff or a good tragedy piece to remind you why you love the length sagas so much. So there's that.
And there's some action and actual fun dialog in this chapter. So enjoy!
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The demon snarled, swiping an enormous clawed hand at the shard hunters. His body towered over them, casting a shadow upon the group - they had finally found him after a day of travel, and their exhaustion showed.
Immediately they scattered, pairing off in a swift manner that showed years of practiced tactics and battles fought as a well-used unit. Shippo hung back, taking Kagome with him as the two paired off to defend their friends - Kagome was still primarily a distance fighter, and while she protected the group, her kit protected her. Kirara swept under Sango, taking the taijiya up into the air where her attacks were most effective, while Miroku ran alongside Inuyasha, an alternating blow of staff and sword keeping the demon's attention.
It was proving ineffective however, for the shards in his head were unwilling to let its host die so quickly. With each powerful swing of his sword, Inuyasha watched another limb detach and regrow, the new skin much stronger than the last. Attacking the demon was only strengthening his defenses.
"Oi, Kagome!" he hollered, leaping high in the air as he avoided another downward swing of claws. Miroku rushed forward, intent on dealing a significant blow to the only remaining part of the beast that was vulnerable - it's underbelly. "Where's the shard?"
She held the arrow limp in her hand for a moment, focusing her gaze on the attacker and trusting Shippo to keep her safe from the demon as it lumbered closer. "It's in his chest!"
Inuyasha landed next to her, his sword brandished threateningly at his side. "You're sure?"
The demon's chest was huge, spanning several meters, and as a result had bared the brunt of their combined attacks. Consequently, it was also the hardest part of his body, impenetrable to Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu.
Kagome nodded her head furtively. "Yes. Dead center."
"Keh." He growled, raising his sword with newfound determination. "Alright, can you clear the way?"
She watched as Sango and Miroku circled the demon, choosing to take the full force of his anger so that their pack could confer in relative safety. She looked at Inuyasha, resolve in every fiber of her body. "Of course."
She turned to Shippo quickly, an eyebrow raised in a silent question. Should the demon turn on them, Kagome would not be prepared to defend herself against the level of his offensive - despite her best attempts at shouldering the responsibility in a fight, she was human yet, and her body could not hope to damage his. Shippo, on the other hand, provided a great distraction with his illusions, and gave her much needed opportunities to flee to higher ground time and time again. He caught her meaning quickly and tersely lowered his head in assent.
Kagome strung the bow taunt, notching her arrow at the demon as Inuyasha yelled for his friends to clear off. With a small prayer of true aim she pulled her powers forward until they seeped through her and into her weapon, letting it loose just as Inuyasha swung his sword down with a resonant cry.
The demon recoiled as the attack hit him straight on the mark, his figure blinded from Kagome's vision by the bright light of her and Inuyasha's combined attack. She heard Shippo beside her, his voice hopeful. "Did we get 'im?"
The debris cleared, and Kagome resisted the impulse to groan. Despite the now large gash on his chest, baring a disturbing amount of internal flesh to her, the demon did not appear hindered at all. Rather, she thought, watching carefully as he focused his glare upon her, he seemed really, really upset.
Before he had a chance to charge his latest assailants, Kirara flew overhead to rejoin to fray, allowing Sango an opportunity to launch her Hiraikotsu. The weapon took advantage of the injury Kagome and Inuyasha had managed, widening the gaping hole further - the demon toppled over, roaring.
Kagome, sensing the jewel shard falling with the demon, knew his defeat was only temporary. She fingered another arrow, dangling it loosely in her grip. There was no point in continuously charging at this guy. With every attack they lay on him, he became stronger, and unless someone could get the shikon out before he healed-
A thought suddenly occurred to her. Still standing close to Inuyasha, she grabbed at the ends of his hakama, pulling his attention back to her.
"You need to get me on top of him." She said intently.
From the way his eyes widened disbelievingly at her, Kagome knew this would be a hard pitch. She had little time to make it however. "No, before you say anything, listen. He's just going to keep healing, and then it'll be impossible to get to the shard. But if I can get at it now, then his injuries won't mend."
"If you can get at what exactly?" The dog demon's harsh question was accompanied by a loud snarl that told both of them time was running out.
"The shard."
"And how you gonna do that?'
She hesitated, if only because she predicted his refusal. "By reaching into the cut on his chest."
"No fucking way-"
"It's the only option! I can tell where the shard is and pull it out!"
"Yeah, while that thing tears your body to bits and pieces. No way, I ain't helping you with some hair-brained scheme-"
"Inuyasha."
"-just because you've got a little training now and you think you can fight a demon all on your fucking own-"
"Hey!"
He shot her an angry look, the glare tinged deeply with worry.
She flung the only card she had at him. "Just trust me Inuyasha, just with this. I know you will protect me."
He sighed deeply, narrowing his eyes at the priestess. Fucking pull out the protector thing on him, as if he could protect someone who just tossed themselves into shitty situations-
"Fine." He looked over at the fight, the demon still on his back, and grudgingly admitted that her plan may in fact be their only option. "But you take out that knife you got and you charge it with whatever the fuck you can."
She nodded, pulling out the wakizashi that Sango had been trying to teach her with - a small sword that served most of the taijiya should their main weapon fail - and pushing as much purifying miko energy into it as she could. It was not as effective as her bow and arrow, but it was better than nothing.
"And if you even think that you're going to get hit, you get outta there, jewel be damned."
"Okay." She agreed gratefully.
He pulled her tightly to his side, casting a look back at the fox kit who was alternating between worrying about his human friends still in the thick of battle, and his human mother who was about the throw herself into it. Inuyasha imagined that his face looked awfully similar. He nodded at Shippo, silently promising him to protect what he could, and jumped into the air.
Kagome leaned trustingly into his grip, her hand tight on the hilt of her sword. The wind rushed past her face as she flew, first with Inuyasha high into the air, and then on her own, as he dropped her as gently as possible onto the demon's front. It was not a smooth landing however, and she pitched forward, rolling rather ungraciously to the side, before she stuck a foot firmly into the demon's ribcage.
She heard Inuyasha yelling at the rest of her group, telling them to keep the demon pinned as long as possible, but chose to focus only on getting to the hole in the demon's chest. It was already a lot smaller than she had thought, and soon it would be but a faint scar, covering another thick layer of hide that encased the jewel. She pulled herself onto all fours, scrambling up the barrel of his chest until she could anchor herself overtop of it.
Gods it smelled something awful.
Kagome used the little toe knives that Sango had gotten her to put in her boots, and secured herself as best she could, although the grip was tenuous at best. It was difficult to penetrate the demon's healed skin, but she managed, for he was bucking with renewed vigor, trying to toss her off. Despite what she had said to Inuyasha, there was little her weapon could help in this situation. She placed it back in the sash tied around her waist, securing both the weapon and herself once more.
With one last grimace - I can't believe I volunteered for this - she stuck her right hand in the wound, using her left one to further fasten her body to the demon's. She stretched her arm as far as she could, groping around for the shard, trying to ignore whatever else she might grasp in the process.
There is no way I'm going to be able to get to it like this.
She realized this just as the demon arched his back valiantly, his whole body rocking to the side as he got loose from one of her friends - she did not have time to see who. With a strangled cry she dug her left boot further into him, the right side of body flung free as he folded over top of her. For a moment she could not see, could not breath, could not do anything but hope that the pain would be over soon.
Thankfully it was, and after a brief moment she was back on her front, quickly regaining her grip on the being underneath her. She looked up to see Shippo charging at the demon's arm. She cried out, concern laced throughout her body suddenly and swiftly, only to be replaced by pride as she noted the kistune's ingenious move - he had placed of his stone statues on the demon's curled hand, pinning him down temporarily. Her cry turned into a cheer.
She allowed herself one more brief flicker of joy, before turning back to the task at hand.
Okay, so she couldn't find the shard with just her sight. But she could feel the shard tugging at the edge of her senses, urging her forward, calling out to her. It was as if a piece of her lay in the demon, steadily beating back at her, waiting to return. Kagome shut her eyes, thrusting her hand back into the wound - now barely bigger than her outstretched palm, and much more thin. Relying on her mind instead, Kagome searched for that small tug, following the line deeper and deeper into the demon's chest cavity.
Thu-thump
She could feel the shard, pulsating beneath her fingertips, just out of reach.
Thu-thump
So very close, but still as unreachable as if she had been miles away.
Thu-thump
She focused everything she had onto getting to that shard, stretching further-
Thu-thump
-just a little further-
Thu-thump
-feeling as if, although she was not getting any closer-
Thu-thump
-the shard was slowly moving towards her-
Thu-thump
-until, with a triumphant aha! she felt the shard fly into her hand, the blinding light of purification ringing out around her. Kagome wrest her arm free of the injury, the demon's hide no longer attempting to heal itself, and gripped the jewel tightly in her grasp. She turned around, waving frantically at her friends just as the demon rolled over onto his other side, the one not stuck under fox magic, and tossed her off of his chest.
She bit back a strangled scream, seeing only a brief flash of bright blue sky before she landing soundly into someone's grasp.
"Oof!" She exclaimed, shutting her eyes upon impact. She blearily opened them, looking up at her savior's face. "Thanks Sango!"
The demon slayer smiled wryly at her. "No problem Kagome."
With a roar, Kirara took to the air again, content that both her companions were now safe. She rode over to where Inuyasha stood, warily watching the demon as it bent over itself in pain.
He glanced up at them as they hovered in the air. "You got it?" He asked her, scanning her body as he did so.
She smiled victorious, keeping her hand gripped tightly around the shard. "Yup!"
Inuyasha turned his gaze back to the demon, eyes narrowed as he watched Miroku help Shippo out of its range. "Good. It's my turn now!"
He raised his sword over his head, letting out a deafening shout. "Kaze no Kizu!"
The air swirled around them, intense streams of power flowing from the Tessaiga as his attack hit the demon straight on. It did not have even a chance of fighting back, and with a sense of finality Kagome watched the demon become pieces of its former self.
The light cleared, revealing three great claw marks embedded in the place the demon once stood. Kirara finally deemed the fight over, landing on the ground softly to allow her passengers to get off. Sango dismounted easily enough, but Kagome soon found she could not swing her stiff body down on her own.
Inuyasha was by her side in an instant, sheathing the sword now that the worst of the battle was over. "What's wrong?"
She grimaced. "I can't...I can't raise my legs."
He was lifting her off before she had a chance to fully explain, inspecting her injuries. "Why?"
Setting her down, Inuyasha kept his arms tight around her waist, holding most of her body up. He was looking worriedly at her lower limbs, trying to discern the cause of her pain, but she shook off his grip. Tentatively she allowed her full weight to rest on both legs, happy to note that whilst heavily bruised, she was not all that injured. "Don't worry, it isn't serious. When the demon rolled over the first time he sorta crushed me against his body."
At several pairs of widening eyes, Kagome sighed deeply. "I am fine; my muscles are just a little tender. Perfectly healthy."
No one was willing to bring up the new reality of her body's invulnerability and a small silence swept over.
"You got the jewel shard then?" Sango asked.
"Oh right!" Kagome opened her hand, finally ready to release the shikon. The second she unfurled her fingers, the now purified jewel piece rose ominously in the air, pausing briefly for the group to admire. Then, without warning, it shot into Kagome, resting in the same place she had just pulled it from, only in a different body.
She clasped a hand over the spot it had entered, feeling no pain from the shard, just a steady pulsation. As usual, she spared a thought for what this latest development meant, finding only a frustrating dead end.
Thu-thump
Thu-thump
Thu-thump
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They travelled for another couple of weeks, the only major incident being the scuffle with the shikon shard. However the lack of a lead regarding Naraku was frustrating, for there had been no trace of him around the sacred jewel - the demon they had fought seemed to move entirely on its own dumb luck. The group had alternated between training and fighting during their travels, letting off steam.
Since each activity took the same form, by the time Kagome returned home for a few more days she was sporting her fair share of bruises and her body ached.
"Oi, you going or what?"
Kagome looked over to Inuyasha who, bless him, had been patiently waiting for her to finish her little mental lapse before helping her out of the well house. Well, waiting patiently in Inuyasha time at least. She nodded, shooting him a brief smile, and he leaned down to pick her up, wrapping an arm around her waist and jumping out of the well and into the courtyard with a quick leap.
As Kagome climbed out of his arms she heard the front door swing up. The sun was beating down on them with a rather persistent glare, much like the muggy weather she'd been subjected to in the past, and Kagome only made out the small form when it was wrapped around her. "Souta! Good morning."
"Heya sis!" The young boy grinned up at her, and then shot off to tackle Inuyasha. The dog demon caught Souta as he leapt, holding the kid up by the back of his shirt. "Inuyasha! You're back this time too!"
Inuyasha had uncharacteristically accompanied her home, saying something about proper escorts and that you never knew who would be lurking around. Personally Kagome suspected something else was up, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what that was.
His ears flattened against his skull at Souta's loud yell, but Inuyasha smirked at him. "Yeah, we're back."
Souta adored Inuyasha almost unconditionally, often going off about his heroic deeds and amazing strength, and was probably unaware of some of the traits he was picking up from his idol. As Inuyasha placed him back on the ground, Souta leaned back, striking a posture remarkably similar to the half-demon's, and beamed up at him.
Kagome sighed. Oh dear, did she even exist?
Apparently so, for Souta turned to her. "Oh yeah, mom said that she had some food ready for you two inside, if you want. I'm going to soccer practice now!"
Inuyasha cocked his head, looking at her hopefully. "Ramen?"
"Inuyasha, it's first thing in the morning, I doubt Mama prepared ramen for us."
Souta shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually..."
Something clicked, and Kagome shot him a suspicious glare, raising an eyebrow. "Souta, how did Mama know we were coming home today?"
The young boy just laughed, giving Inuyasha what she supposed was meant to be a surreptitious look, and ran off. "I'll see you after school sis! Bye Inuyasha!"
He waved at them as he departed, his form quickly disappearing into the early morning sun, but Kagome had already turned so that she faced her friend. "Inuyasha..." She trailed off threateningly.
He gave her an innocent look. "What?" She continued to stare him down, until - "well, she wanted to know when we would be back, and she said she could prepare something for us if she knew a little bit better..."
She had known something was strange about how easily Inuyasha had agreed to come back! And early too, for she hadn't planned on going home until next week. She could have seen the signs if she had bothered to pay attention, they had all been there - he had even asked her what day it was before they had left!
Try as she might though, Kagome couldn't help the laughter that came trickling out. "Inuyasha!" She attempted to sound admonishing, but failed. "She's bribing you!"
He shrugged his shoulders, grinning now that he knew he wasn't in trouble. "So? She said she'd make ramen."
Kagome was tired, bruised, probably quite smelly, and hadn't had a real meal in weeks. Her backpack was already starting to turn an awfully suspicious color she suspected had little to do with the bag itself and more to do with where it had been this week. All in all, she did not have the energy to even pretend to be upset with Inuyasha. And really, except for withholding the truth a little, there wasn't anything to be miffed about. She leaned up against his shoulder, slinging an arm around his waist. "Alright, let's go inside," she said, already walking towards the house "she clearly wants to see you more than she wants to see me anyway."
A very boyish blush dusted his ears. Rather than reply, as the two made their way into the house, he sniffed the air experimentally and grinned. Kagome looked over at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "I swear, if she made just ramen to please you, I'm going to have to cut back rations for next week."
The look Inuyasha gave her was horrified. "You can't!"
They entered the house, Kagome dropping her bag next to the front door and hollering a greeting out to wherever her mother may be. She turned back to Inuyasha, nodding wisely. "Oh but I can."
"Feh, I know where ya hide the stuff."
It had been three years of travelling, after all. He could have smelt out the ramen in the house, but he had seen Kagome take it out of those wooden hidey-hole things often enough to sneak some into the backpack when she wasn't looking.
Before Kagome had the opportunity to retort - something along the lines of Inuyasha not having the money to get more ramen when this stuff ran out - her mother came out the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She smiled at her daughter and Inuyasha. "It's lovely to see you two back."
Kagome laughed and ran up to her, giving her a big hug. She talked into her mother's hair "I hear you had advanced notice."
They stepped back from each other, Kagome's mother wisely not saying anything on the matter except to give her daughter a knowing smile, and turned to the dog demon. "Inuyasha, it is good to see you safe and sound."
The small blush came back and he nodded stiffly.
"The food is on the table for you."
His eyes lit up and Inuyasha darted into the other room, pausing only briefly to say a mumbled 'thanks' to Mrs. Higurashi. A moment later his faint yell was heard. "It ain't just ramen Kagome!"
She giggled, tucking her arm through her mother's and leading them into the kitchen. "Thanks Mama."
Mama smiled. "Oh it was no trouble. I am happy to do at least this much for my daughter."
Kagome was truly grateful that her mother was so understanding of this whole adventure. Besides Inuyasha, she had never truly seen much evidence that her daughter was off saving the world, and it was a lot to accept with a smile and a warm farewell. When Kagome was gone months on end, as she was prone to do during the summer when she didn't have school, all Mrs. Higurashi did was make sure to buy excess supplies.
But she was also thankful that her mother never had to see the reality of what Kagome did. This way, with her worlds so separate, it helped her cope. It helped both of them cope.
Kagome spotted Inuyasha perched on one of the kitchen stools nearest the counter, a bowl of ramen next to his mouth. He didn't bat an eyelash as the two women entered, but pointed with his chopsticks to the rest of the breakfast food sitting on the counter, causing Kagome to giggle again.
As she bounded out of mother's arms and over to the table - real food! - Kagome hummed to herself. "You should bring some breakfast food for everyone else Inuyasha, if you head back early enough. They probably need it as much as we do."
He nodded, talking around a mouthful of noodles. "'Kay." He had planned on leaving right after this anyway, not interested in hanging around for Kagome's post-travel ritual of having what had to be the world's longest bath.
"That reminds me," her mother said, leaning against the kitchen wall "some of your friends called."
Kagome was reaching up into the cupboards, trying to find some containers to pack the food into, so she didn't notice her mother's facial expression. "Oh? Who was it? I told Yuka and them that I was going to be gone for a little while longer."
With a little aha Kagome pulled down a lunchbox, turning around to look at her mom. Mrs. Higurashi's face was pulled together tightly in confusion. "Was it not them?" Kagome asked, staring more carefully at her mother.
She shook her head. "No, this one knew where you had gone to. Her name was Botan I believe."
Kagome's tensed stance eased. "Oh, okay. Yes, she's my friend - I'll fill you in later, promise."
"Sure thing dear." She agreed breezily, her face softening into a relaxed smile.
Kagome had no clue how exactly Botan had found her number, although she didn't worry too much. It was probably just some peculiarity of Koenma's - after all, apparently she had a file and everything. What was a phone number to Reikai when they also knew about your entire childhood spent obsessed over boy bands?
Kagome blushed. She really hoped they didn't know about that, actually.
She packed some of the omelets and rice into separate boxes, making sure that there was enough for her friends before helping herself. Mama approached her as she did this, bringing out some cloth to wrap the lunchboxes in and handing them to Kagome.
She glanced over, accepting them with a gracious smile. "What did Botan want anyway?"
"She left a number for you to call when you returned. She seemed to think you would return much earlier."
Kagome finished tying the packs up, turning around to lay them in front of Inuyasha. The dog demon was moving onto his third bowl of ramen - Mama really did think of everything - and caught her eye as he reached for it. "We weren't gone for that long." He said defensively.
She shrugged, sitting down with her own plate of food to enjoy. "I didn't say that." Honestly, as long as could come home for her tests and her minimum amount of attended days, Kagome no longer fretted too much about time lost to this world. "I'll call her back after my bath."
Mrs. Higurashi took the seat opposite of Inuyasha, silently watching the two eat for a moment. Kagome made quick work of her breakfast, trying her hardest to savor the egg dish, but finding self-control a little impossible. When the only thing they had eaten these last couple of days had been the tasteless herb broth, an omelet with vegetables and steamed rice seemed like heaven.
"You might want to call her sooner dear." Kagome looked up at her mother, confusion written on her face. Mama continued, "she seemed worried."
Whatever for? Kagome nodded slowly, swallowing her last bite. "Worried?"
"She called seven times."
"Oh."
Mrs. Higurashi smiled gently at Kagome's uneasy expression. "I left her number by the phone."
Kagome sighed deeply, thinking wistfully of her bath, and rose from her seat, taking her dish with her as she crossed the boundary between the kitchen and the main room. As she walked past the sink and further into the house she placed the plate gently with the other dirty kitchenware, only pausing to run through several scenarios in which the ferry girl would have cause to worry about her. Maybe something in the way she had told her story to the detectives? She had tried to relay the story as concisely as possible, already uncomfortable with Koenma's eager staring at that point. Or perhaps she had somehow made them to believe this trip was going to be a brief one.
Her house had a corded phone, so it was in its usual spot near the staircase. Kagome stared down at the receiver, looking at the small scrap of paper next to it that her mother had scrawled a number on. With a deep sigh she picked up the phone and the number, casting all potential details out of her mind. She could really just solve this with a quick call.
She held the receiver to her ear, listening as it rang once, twice, and then -
"Hello?" A gruff voice answered, nothing at all like the bubbly tone of the grim reaper.
"Hey," Kagome started, uncertain "uhm, I think maybe I have the wrong number here..."
She heard a cough on the line and then some scuffling as the person on the other end moved around. "Kagome?"
She nodded, and then, realizing he could not see her, mhmm'ed into the phone.
"You're home." He sounded surprised.
"Yup." She said, her eyes still locked on the piece of paper that held the number. "I'm sorry, but who is this?"
She heard laughing on the other end. "Oh sorry 'bout that. It's Yusuke."
"Oh."
"Botan doesn't actually have a phone, so she used mine."
"Oh." This time her exclamation was of relieved comprehension. "Is she there?"
"Nah, but she will be soon. Damn girl can't stop fretting."
Kagome turned a little so that she was leaning against the stair banister. "Yeah, so I heard. What's wrong?"
"Tch," he grumbled into her ear, sounding positively just like Inuyasha "she thought you were gone too long."
Kagome nodded, her thoughts confirmed. "Ah."
"Apparently you're missing too much school. At least, according to her."
Actually, Kagome commented in her head, she was missing just the right amount of school. She had already considered her options when choosing a high school, and she had found one that was lenient enough about her illnesses without being a total dive should she want to attend university. Or so she hoped.
But now that she thought about it... "Yusuke, shouldn't you be in school right now?"
He chuckled. "I'm sick."
"Mhmm."
"Deathly ill actually."
She made an unconvincing sympathetic noise. "Oh, sorry to hear about that."
"My days are numbered."
She couldn't help but laugh. "Everyone's days are numbered, that's what that whole mortal spiel is about."
"Yeah, but the school don't know that."
She couldn't berate him on skipping, not when her own record was so spotty. She would just be begging to have these last few weeks tossed back at her.
There was no need to worry over it however, for she was soon distracted by a faint sound of slamming on the other end, accompanied by a lot of static. She could make out Yusuke's voice, more distant then it had been, and then another person was in her ear. "Kagome!"
She smiled at the frantic voice. "Hey there Botan."
"You're alive!"
"Last I checked."
The ferry girl giggled nervously. "Righteo. Koenma will be so pleased."
Kagome turned this over in her head for a moment. "I'm sorry if I implied that I would be back sooner-"
"Oh, no, you're back just as soon as you ought to be!"
Kagome raised an eyebrow at this odd phrasing, well aware that Botan couldn't see it. "You aren't worried?"
"Nonsense, silly. We know you can take care of yourself." Kagome could hear her high-pitched laugh once again, quite at a loss for her attempted nonchalance. The girl had called seven times.
"Okay..." Kagome drawled, content to not push to issue "what was it then that you wanted? I thought I was supposed to call you when I returned?"
They'd given her a number, likely this one, to call upon her arrival back to her time, one which Kagome was pretty sure was in the house. Inuyasha had promised her that he had stashed it among her belongs, for she had not been capable of doing more than accepting the paper with a guttural murmur.
"Well, I don't want to rush you too much, but we were hoping to have you back soon, to talk some of the finer details over and whatnot, y'know, since it was such a long day before and you headed off so quickly at the end there-"
"Botan." Kagome cut her off, accustomed to giving her own fair share of rambling nervous speeches and feeling sympathetic for the ferry girl's plight.
"Yes ma'am?"
Kagome couldn't decide if she should laugh or sigh exasperatedly, so she just cut to the chase. "I would not mind meeting up. But can it wait until tomorrow? I just got in a few minutes ago."
"Oh of course!" She could hear the relief in Botan's voice, and was starkly aware that this tentative trust extended in both directions. "Is tomorrow afternoon okay? Yusuke and I can meet you outside of your shrine?"
Kagome shook off the overreaching personal information and agreed. "Sure, sounds great. I'll meet you at the bottom of the steps at say...four?"
"Great! I shall see you then!"
She couldn't help her smile. "Great." She echoed, finally letting the flimsy sheet of paper in her hand rest back on the table. She hung up the phone with a small shake of her head, not concerned with the particulars of the emotion behind it.
At least she could boast that although her life was privy to many dark and disconcerting things, it was never dull.
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"Botan! Over here!"
Kagome waved over the grim reaper, spotting the girl easily enough from her current position on the bottom of the shrine steps. Somehow blue really worked for her, the exuberant color blending in seamlessly with her personality.
"Kagome!" Botan ran over to her, an answering smile on her face. When she reached Kagome she bowed deeply, showing tremendous deference. "I am so happy to see you."
As she straightened out, her hands still tucked self-consciously at her sides, Kagome tsk'd. "Please Botan, you don't need to act like that around me. Remember, I am not the priestess from the legends."
She relaxed a little, her posture slackening, but shook her head vehemently. "Nonsense! You are the very one in the same - you just haven't made it there yet."
Kagome smiled ruefully, folding her hands over the large collection of papers that were currently nestled on her lap. "Perhaps, but I am not currently, and as such I do not deserve such praise. I would very much like it if my friends did not idolize me unduly."
Botan wanted to argue with this, but held her tongue. She was immensely soothed by the priestess' easy reference to her as a friend.
"I am glad you found me so quickly," Botan started, the edge in her tone bellying her nervousness "We were worried about your long trip."
"We usually go for a couple of weeks," Kagome said "at least these days. It's already difficult to return here as much as I do, but everyone is kind enough to make it work for me. They argue that I cannot give up my future by rectifying the past."
Well, at least mostly everyone said so. Kagome's relationship with Inuyasha had done nothing but strengthen these last few years, but she could still not imagine him saying such sentiments out loud.
In front of her, Botan expressed her agreement. "That is very wise advice. You are in your last year of human schooling, correct?"
"Yes," Kagome said cautiously "did you hear that from Koenma?"
Botan inclined her head, keeping her tongue tucked firmly in her mouth. People tended to react to the godling's penchant for information in a handful of ways, most of which were quite violent. Kagome however was maintaining a very smooth air of nonchalance.
The priestess tilted her head as she studied the grim reaper. "That is very odd you know."
Botan knew as much. "It is a lot to take in, especially when you've only just been introduced to the three world concept. You do seem to be taking the news in great strides though."
The sun caught Kagome's eyes and she blinked at Botan slowly. "Oh, it isn't any more unbelievable than demons pulling you down time-travelling wells. I stopped believing in impossibilities quite some time ago."
"That's a great way to see things!" Botan exclaimed. "I still have trouble believing some of the strange things we come across in our travels."
Kagome laughed. "You will have to tell me these stories some time. I'm really curious about all of the supernatural shenanigans I've missed out on, being a plain ol' human and all that."
"You are hardly a plain human!" Botan gasped, astonished. "Why, you are perhaps the farthest from it. A time travelling, all-powerful priestess who is host to the most volatile and potent jewel in history. Any more supernatural and I think we ought to not call you human at all."
"Well, when you put it that way..." Kagome replied, a smile still on her upturned lips. "Still, I would love to be able to talk with you sometime, when it's more suitable. I know things are a little rushed right now."
That was the maxim of her life really. In a rush to head back to the past, find the shards, find Naraku, get passing grades, keep things a secret, rush, rush, rush. She should have something about it emblazoned on her tombstone - Her lies Kagome; at last she is no longer chasing the tail-wind of her numerous problems and greatest treasures.
Okay, so probably a little too wordy. But still, it was worth consideration.
Botan leaned forward, a wide grin threatening to stretch her face in two. "Of course! I would be delighted!"
Kagome's grin widened. "Mmm!" She exclaimed.
A comfortable silence permeated the air, although Botan was bursting with questions to ask, eager to take advantage of the priestess' good mood. However, something about Kagome, the same innate quality that made talking to her so easy, had the ferry girl's trust swelling out from her. It just did not seem imperative the she rush any inquiries, for surely there would be a more suitable time and place for them. Kagome had, after all, promised just such a thing. Had asked for it, actually. This made Botan puff up a little bit, her heady excitement palpable in the air around her.
Thankfully Kagome seemed alright with directing the conversation elsewhere. "So we are waiting on Yusuke?"
"Yup! His school is just a little ways from here, and it's only him and Kurama meeting up with us today."
"Oh," Kagome said "why is that? Not that I enjoy an audience, but it seemed important to Koenma last time that his other two members were called."
When she had asked that Inuyasha be brought along, the demigod had insisted on calling his own team. It wasn't a big deal to her so she hadn't thought much of it at the time, but their absence now was notable.
"They're busy, and Koenma didn't think your story would be so long today." Botan replied. "Hiei is in Makai with another demon, and Kuwabara is studying for some interspecies exam he wants to take."
"Oh," Kagome asked "an interspecies exam? What is that?"
Before Botan had a chance to reply, a gruff voice answered. "It's some cock and bull about unifying the three worlds."
"Yusuke!" the grim reaper yelled, her hand flying to her heart. "You scared the daylights out of me."
He was wearing his school uniform, a somber black two piece, with his hands buried deep in his pockets. Dark hair caught the sunlight, each groove ridged with slick gel, as he ran his hair through it absently. Following a little ways behind him was Kurama, a small smile of greeting on his face as he caught her eye.
Kagome looked at Yusuke curiously, her eyebrows pulled together in thought. "Didn't Koenma say that they separated the worlds to prevent fighting?"
"Yup, because demons are too violent to mix with humans, and humans are too dumb to know about either worlds. It'd be a gong show if the barriers ever dropped."
She thought about her world, watching demons desecrate villages in mere minutes, humans who believed so strongly in spirituality that they in turn purified these monsters into ash. But also of the many colorful people she had met during her travels - many demons, even more who were killers, but all who were dear to her heart. Surely writing off all cohabitation was a little premature?
Then again, she had missed five hundred years of history.
Botan pulled her out of her musings, distracting her as she pulled out a large oar. Kagome had noticed that last time too, but it hadn't seemed pertinent to mention it. "Aren't people going to see that? You're not exactly inconspicuous."
The ferry girl just giggled. "Nope! Regular humans won't notice any of this. It wouldn't do to have Ningenkai aware of our presence."
She waved her oar around as she spoke, a portal forming with each turn of her weapon.
"So then, it's really a serious thing, keeping the worlds separate? But there's people who think differently?" She thought back to the tall red-head she had really only seen in passing, and once again to her rag tag group.
Yusuke just tsk'd in a manner she knew from practice with Inuyasha meant he didn't really want to explain it. Kurama moved his gaze from Botan, where he had been watching her weave the portal, to her. "There aren't a lot of demons who remember what it was like when the two races coexisted, so it's become a difficult gap to bridge. People like Kuwabara are trying to see how we could better blend the worlds, but most instances of demons living here are due to their association with Reikai."
"Yeah," Yusuke piped up, scowling "and there ain't a lot of those either, since the King hates demons."
"Koenma's father?" She had been able to get a little bit of his background last time, but not much.
"Mhmm."
"But you two are demons...sort of. And that little one from last time is as well." She said.
Yusuke started laughing at her description of Hiei, but Kurama managed to answer her. "We are volunteers now, but when we were first...recruited, it was by Koenma, not his father."
"Oh." She said. "That's complicated."
Botan, who had solidified the portal as her friends conversed, piped back in. "It must seem odd to you - all of your contact with demons comes from a time before the barriers were put up."
She nodded. "It is a little weird...but it also explains a lot. I've only ever seen demon artifacts here, nothing that really compares to live demons."
Kagome was absolutely awash with questions - who put up the portal, when had they decided segregation was the only option, what exactly was the relationship between Koenma and his father, and on, and on. But she could see that Botan was ready for them to go, and it would be her turn to be interrogated.
Oh well. Hopefully, with this new relationship, she would have a better opportunity to understand this sudden part of her life.
She stood up, trying to balance the large stack of papers that had been resting in her lap. Yusuke saw this and went to help, although this was mostly because Kagome almost took him out with the top half of her pile.
"Oof," he exclaimed, catching a few wayward papers "what is all of this?"
She giggled, reaching forward to reclaim the notes. "Sorry," she said, flashing him a grateful smile "it's homework. Apparently I have a lot to catch up on."
She spared a moment to glare balefully at the many sheets in her grasp, each one more woefully blank than the last. Half of the reason she needed so much time back home was not because she needed to boost her attendance record - although she usually did - but rather, she needed the chance to complete all the work she missed. 'Sick kids' had a lot of time to do homework, so she really didn't have a good excuse to put off doing it.
"Yeuck."
"Yup." She straightened the pile up, clasping it to her chest. "But I'm grateful they haven't just kicked me out yet."
He looked down at the large stack of notes. "Yeah, I guess so." He could understand that at least. Keiko was the only thing keeping him in school, and even he could appreciate the chance to finish his education. If only because of her.
Kagome walked through the portal, the energy passing over her harmlessly enough. She was met with a pair of inquisitive eyes, although the large smile on the demigod eased her worries. She happened to like Koenma, who had yet to showcase his powers in a useless manner just to try to impress or frighten her. He was not overbearing, even though he had the birthright to be, and she enjoyed being respected.
She sat down on one of the chairs, tucking in her papers until they rested on her lap. The room looked pretty much the same it did several weeks ago, with the exception of a few less seating arrangements. Yusuke settled in on one of the longer couches, yawning loudly, whilst Kurama and Botan opted to sit on her right hand side. Once again Kagome found herself in the middle of the room and the center of attention.
"It is a pleasure to see you again Miss Kagome! I trust your travels found you well?"
"Yes sir," she said "everything went smoothly."
"How is the rest of your group?"
She smiled brightly. "They're good, thank you for asking! Inuyasha and I had quite the time trying to explain everything to them."
"Oh," Koenma said "you told them about us?"
"Yup. I tell my friends everything that concerns the jewel," she stressed "we're a group and we stick together."
The godling nodded slowly. "Right. Well, I trust that they do not share this information with outsiders?"
He hadn't explicitly told her not to go spouting off about Reikai and things about the future, but time travel was so tricky...
"Don't worry sir, the fact that I'm from a different time isn't common information. But I trust my friend's implicitly, and they needed to know about this." She gestured vaguely around her, and to Koenma. "I couldn't not tell them."
"No I suppose that would not be fair of us to ask."
She smiled softly at the unrest that settled on Koenma's face. "I am choosing to trust you, and my friend's on the other side have enough faith in me to allow that. So I hope you can decide to trust me enough to allow me the freedom to make my own decisions on who is privy to this type of knowledge."
She was trying to remind him just how much of what he told her she had to take on good faith. Koenma, who could respect that this world was foreign to her and would take some time to acclimate to, allowed her this. "Alright then, I will. Do try and keep the casualties to a minimum please."
Kagome brushed a piece of hair back, smiling. "Definitely. I really appreciate this sir."
He was admittedly easily placated, but what with the smiling and the living legend thing, he still found it difficult to deal with the priestess. Was it possible to chastise someone you had idolized on paper?
"So!" He exclaimed. "Did anything out of the ordinary happen?"
She shook her head. "No, it was a pretty quiet trip."
Kurama, who had been watching silently, raised an eyebrow at this. "You appear to have quite a few injuries though."
She turned to look at him, surprised. Sure, there were still some lingering bruising from the initial demon attack - she had borne the full weight of him momentarily. But she had also made sure to wear tights to school, and to put foundation over the lingering marks on her face.
"How can you tell?"
Kurama smiled deliberately, and tapped his nose - he could smell whatever salve she appeared to be using from the Feudal Era. "And," he added "you are favoring your right leg."
There were other small signs as well - she didn't have a lot of practice applying her makeup and there was an obvious favoritism for the spot near her chin; she had not stood to converse with the detective group either, choosing instead to remain seated on the shrine steps.
"I thought it was weird how quickly you dropped those papers." Yusuke exclaimed.
"Oh." Kagome said, her hand ghosting over her right side. "Well, these ones are just some surface wounds, nothing unusual."
"Haven't you been home for a day now though?" Botan asked, leaning forward so as to get a better look at the priestess. When Kagome just gave her a blank stare, she continued "well, shouldn't the jewel shard have healed your injuries?"
She shrugged. "That's not really how it works..." Kagome trailed off, uncertain of how much she wanted to reveal on this front. Having a different perspective on everything that was happening could help though.
"How does it work?" Koenma prompted, seeing the unease on the young woman's face.
"Er..." Kagome said "I don't know yet. So far, it seems that as long as my injuries aren't life threatening, the shards don't do anything."
Thankfully, she'd only had a few instances to test that theory, and wasn't keen on giving the jewel any more. Sure, it was normal for her to find herself in lethal situations, but they typically didn't do much harm due to the group's ever increasing fighting capabilities. No matter how lucky it seemed, Kagome didn't want to jewel to be exerting more influence on her and her body than necessary.
She had always suspected the thing had a mind of its own, but to discover that it could act on that will was disconcerting. She thought back to the earlier fight and how the fragment had moved into her hand.
She shook the thought off - better to bring that particular tidbit up after she had gotten to know them better.
Kagome turned her attention back to the godling. "Sir, is there anything in particular you wanted me to inform you about?"
Koenma hmm'd and haw'd at what she had said, but allowed her to turn the conversation elsewhere. "Are you always gone for two weeks at a time?"
"It depends. If it's quiet and there aren't any leads we stick pretty close to the village. Jewel shards and hunting down Naraku take precedent, so sometimes that'll keep me longer."
"So this time was longer than normal?" He asked.
Kagome was beginning to suspect that the panic Botan had communicated was really just a filter for her boss'. "No, not really. It was pretty close and the demon was acting on his own. It's been too quiet lately."
Yusuke scoffed. "Isn't quiet better?"
She sighed. "Not necessarily. Not with Naraku."
Kurama noticed that whenever the priestess thought too deeply about the future - bringing up Naraku or the jewel shards or her time spent in the past - she would rest her hand over her heart, supposedly where the shikon fragments resided. Currently Kagome was drumming a light tune onto her collarbone.
"You are worried, then, about him?" He asked.
She turned deep blue eyes to him, considering. "Yeah, we all are. There aren't many free shards left - that just means he'll need to come after us soon."
"But you suggested before that he was recuperating?"
She sighed, knowing that with Naraku, there was always more to it than that. "He is. Or was, we don't really know. It's difficult to tell how long he'll be out for, since he doesn't take after any living being we know of, and it has been a couple of months since everything happened."
"Waiting must be very hard." Botan said.
"It is, but I am not so sure I like the alternative anymore." They could stand an all-out brawl with him, perhaps, but there was still much to do in the meantime. So many loose ends that they had to tie up.
Kagome placed her hand back on top of her other - speaking of loose ends "Botan said something on the phone earlier, about going over some finer points?"
"Oh right!" Koenma exclaimed. "I did indeed."
He shuffled some papers around on his desk, searching for the one that had some points written across it. He hadn't wanted to forget anything, now that he had Kagome here.
"Er...alright, here it is. You go to Matsubara High School, correct?"
"Yes, I do."
"Good, good." Koenma said. "Alright, well, I've discussed it with the detectives, and they can escort you there whenever you're home."
Kagome frowned slightly. "With all due respect, that's really unnecessary."
"It'll minimize any possible threats you may face."
"But there aren't any threats in Ningenkai."
"The attack on you begs to differ."
"Which you told me was not normal."
Caught between defending this choice, and defending his reputation as a capable moderator, Koenma chose her. "There might be a reoccurrence though, and it is in my power to prevent that."
She curled her fingers around each other. "I don't want to impede on your detectives' education just so that I might be saved from a very unlikely demon attack that I have the skills to protect myself against."
"That won't be a problem, you are on the way."
He was smiling triumphantly, leaning back in the oversized chair he called his own. Kagome scowled slightly, turning to look at Kurama - she had already known, from Yusuke's uniform, that his school was close to hers. "You go to school nearby?"
Kurama smiled glibly. "I do. It is no inconvenience for us, so long as you do not mind waiting after your classes end."
"You're not helping my case." She frowned at him.
He shrugged, non-plussed - Kurama relished any opportunity to further study the priestess.
"Koenma," Kagome said, turning back "it will be an inconvenience to your detectives, and is completely expendable."
"But you're not expendable, Miss Kagome, and with all due respect," he said, repeating her earlier argument "I want you guarded while you complete the jewel. I may not be able to help your journey at all, but I can do everything possible to make sure you are safe here."
When she just looked at him apprehensively, Koenma added, "it would certainly be fair and trusting of you to allow me this, don't you think?"
She glared balefully at him for a moment longer, before sighing resignedly. "Fine. We can try out the bodyguard thing."
The fact that Koenma's responding smile was not in any way gleeful did little to help soothe the voice in Kagome's head that reminded her of the many other times she was too weak to be on her own.
She straightened up, arching her back and stretching as she did so. "Is it alright if I head home then? I only have a few more days back, and I am really behind in my classes."
"Oh, of course, of course." Flustered, Koenma looked to his list again. "Alright, well then I will have a detective pick you up tomorrow morning, and uhm...right! Botan, can you grab the phone?"
Botan nodded, pulling out a strange machine from the folds of her kimono. Kagome watched with apt jealousy - everyone in the past could do that trick, and she had yet to figure it out!
The ferry girl passed the device to her. Kagome turned it over in her hands a few times, her fingers passing lightly over the multitude of buttons. "What is this?"
"It's a communication machine," Koenma explained "it'll allow you to reach us when you get back from your travels."
Kagome shot Yusuke a sly look. "Wanted some peace and quiet?"
The detective snorted. "It ain't like I want people in my place at all hours of the night, just cause you're skipping school."
He said this kindly, so Kagome didn't fret over it too long. "So I can use this as a spirit phone, essentially?"
Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, I got one myself. Plus, the toddler over here can track where you are, so he won't be calling you so much either."
Heck, he liked this girl. Really, she wasn't power hungry or out to destroy the world, so it automatically put her in his good books; he didn't want her to be surprised when the gps-like aspect of the machine came to light.
She blinked at him, then turned a considerate look to the device. "Huh." She blew out a deep breath. "Okay then."
"You said you were headed back in a few days? To the Warring States Era?" Koenma asked, drawing her gaze back to him. He didn't even attempt to chastise Yusuke about his informality.
"Yes, Inuyasha will be back for me at the end of the week." She had returned on a Monday, which meant she had three more days here before the dog-demon came hollering at her door, and her days of warm showers and indoor plumbing came to an end.
She watched as Koenma took in this information slowly, his eyes far off into a future she knew she had no right to ask about. She understood that everything about her situation was hard for him to deal with - a time traveler? An untrained priestess piecing together a ridiculously powerful jewel? A demon able to travel back and forth as well? It must cause such chaos for a princeling who dealt in keeping order.
"Koenma?" She caught his attention. "Thank you, for everything. You've been very kind to me and I appreciate it."
He focused on her and smiled. "And thank you as well Miss Kagome."
Taking this as a good cue to leave, she stood up, taking great care to keep her papers with her as she did so. She was surrounded by people with a lot of power and very quick eyes - it wouldn't do to be acting like the total klutz that she was.
The detectives stood up as well, and when Botan opened up the portal back to her shrine they followed through. Kagome shuddered as she walked through the dimensions.
She groaned, rolling her shoulders. "Ugh."
"I would think with all of your time-travelling that Botan's portals wouldn't affect you?" Kurama, who had been following immediately behind her, asked.
She turned around. "Oh, no, it's nothing like jumping through the well - this is way more suffocating."
When she travelled through time it felt liberating. Like she was flying, and for a brief moment she was neither the Kagome who could not fit into the world she had been born into, nor the world she had been gifted with. She was free and weightless and comforted, all at once.
Jumping through dimensions felt like every wall of her body was collapsing and expanding together. It was not painful, but it disorientated her for a moment.
She watched, over Kurama's shoulder, as Yusuke followed suit, and the portal collapsed all at once. Yusuke was yawning, his eyes shut tight. "Well, I'm headed home. Apparently I'm expected to go to school tomorrow."
Kurama laughed. "That girl is the only thing getting you through your attendance record."
Yusuke nodded, grinning widely. "I've been told that showing up for class can help ya learn stuff."
Kagome tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Oh really? People keep telling me the same thing."
The pair laughed, and Yusuke took off, waving goodbye behind him as he strolled in the opposite direction he had arrived from. Kagome took great care in noting this, resigned to the reality that tomorrow morning she might have him as an escort - there would no doubt be someone waiting for her.
Speaking of possible escorts...
"Are you headed home?" She peered up at Kurama, who was still firmly planted next to her.
"Mhmm," he said "soon."
"Soon?"
He tilted his head at her, dark green eyes sizing her up in a way she wasn't quite comfortable with. "It was just something you were saying earlier. Are you having trouble keeping up with your course load?"
He glanced down slowly at the stack of papers in her hand, leaving Kagome without a hope of waving off his concerns. She grimaced at the sheets. "Well, I've never been the brightest student, and I'm always pressed for time."
"I'm sure being here for only a few days has not helped matters."
She blushed. "No, I suppose not. I used to bring my stuff with me to the Feudal Era, but more often than not it got trashed or forgotten somewhere."
His lips quirked, pressed together in a small smile, but he allowed her the silence to continue.
"Plus, it started to seem so...trivial, y'know?" She continued. "There's so many other important things I should be focusing on, I couldn't keep holding everyone back just so I could live half in this world while I'm there. It wasn't fair."
"You speak of fairness a lot, for someone who has been dealt a considerably unjust hand." He said, speaking softly. Something about the setting sun made harsh tones and blusterous noise seem too crude.
Kagome took a moment to scrutinize the man before her. "You consider my lot to be unfair?"
"If you had never been in that well house, you could have gone on to have a normal life. You would never have been introduced to this world, and everything that accompanies it."
She noticed his lack of opinion. "That technically is true."
"But you don't agree with it?"
She shrugged. "You haven't asked me anything I need to agree with. Yes, my life would have been different if I wasn't in the well house that day. And maybe it could have been normal, but there isn't any guarantee."
"So you believe you were meant to be on this journey of yours?"
Kagome could not say what she really thought, not to him. She barely had the courage to tell her closest friends the truth - that there would be no journey without her. She had been the one to bring the jewel back, she had been the one to break it. It was her burden to leave her normal life behind and fight, if only to rectify that mistake, but there was no chance she would complain to a man she had only just met.
"I believe there is no way to change what has already happened." She settled for.
Finally, he smiled at her, easing off of the inquiry. "An odd thought for a time-traveler to have."
"Indeed."
His smile only grew. What an amusing person she was turning out to be; she refused to answer him in full, and yet didn't seem content to lie to him either, instead finding a middle ground to work from. It pleased him, for it had been quite some time since he had encountered something so...engaging.
"If you would not be opposed," he asked, steering the conversation back "I'd like to help you with your studies. Our missions these days are few, and far in between, and I am certain Koenma would not mind if it was you I was assisting."
She stared at him for a moment, turning over the question. Actually, she frowned at him, turning over the statement, since Kurama seemed opposed to flat out asking anything. "I don't believe he would require that level of commitment."
"Neither do I," Kurama smiled politely "but I would very much like the chance to get to know you more."
"The me that you've met, or the me that you've heard about in the legend?" She did not forget how fascinated he was when Koenma had first pinned her as part of the shikon-hunters.
"Both, I believe. Are you two different people?"
She wanted to agree, to say that absolutely she was nothing like the fierce warrior that was streaked across a scroll. She settled for an, "I might be."
Kurama leaned back on his heels, never taking his eyes off of hers. "Well then, I would merely like to help. I promise you that my aid would be invaluable, even if I am only offering it because your story is alluring to me."
Kagome had noticed his uniform, and she had not been gone for so long as to forget what a prestigious school Meiou High was. She knew Kurama was smart. But the idea of using an incomplete story to agree to his help was unsettling - Kagome was exhausted of trying to live up to some better version of herself.
"You're offering to help me study."
"Yes." He said, on the edge of a triumphant tone. He held it back if only because he could see the end in sight.
"Because you think I'll be an interesting story."
"Partially. I would also like to help your quest in any way I can; I understand the difficultly in balancing two lives."
"You do?" She asked.
"I do."
It seemed as though she was giving concession after concession tonight, despite her best attempts. He was being honest however, and she couldn't lie to herself and think that her studies would be okay on their own. Kagome tried for a small smile. "Alright, then I would love your help. I am an absolute mess in school though, fair warning."
Kurama felt a small flush of pleasure run through him. "Thank you. Does Thursday work for you?"
He watched her free hand tap a small rhythm on her collarbone. "Honestly...that's perfect, I have a big math exam Friday."
"So soon?"
"Yeah," she smiled at him again, a light blush dusting her cheeks "I only ever make a point to return for big tests."
He leaned forward, making a show of catching her face in the dimming light. "So then it is possible to tell when you'll be home."
Kagome had to tilt her head up to keep his face in her line of sight, her dimples widening. "I suppose it is."
"That's good to know."
She hummed a small agreement, swearing for a moment she could see his eyes flash gold. Already more questions were burning on the tip of her tongue, things about demons and time travel and how keeping a steady life in all this chaos was the hardest balance she had ever tried for, but they were all lost as she realized just how close their faces were.
Kagome pulled back suddenly. She steadied her papers in her hand and glanced around as if seeing for the first time how late it had become. "I should get going. Lots to do and all."
She hated how loud her voice sounded, as if it had broken a spell.
Kurama took his cue and stepped back. "I will see later then Kagome."
"Mhmm."
She turned around on her heel and began marching up the steps, determined to outpace the odd evening she had had. At the very least she had a lot to distract herself with. Quiet was not a word she commonly used in her vocabulary.
Kagome looked down at her papers once more, a guilty sensation curling and unfurling in the pit of her stomach. She stood for a moment on the steps, listening to the steady rhythm of the kitsune's footsteps, and with a resigned sigh she darted back down the stairs.
"Hey, Kurama!" She yelled.
He turned around at her call, only a meter or two away, but did not come any closer. His face was carefully blank, and as always it seemed he was waiting for her to decide.
"Thank you," she said, her eyes darting to the ground and back up at him "for offering to help. I'm sorry I'm being difficult."
He stood in silence for a pause longer, and slowly shook his head. "You are worried about losing your identity."
She looked at him with wide eyes. "Yes," She answered mindfully "it's an easy thing to lose track of, if you aren't careful."
He had to raise his voice a little to be heard. "I could not agree more."
"Okay then." She said, nodding to herself. Kurama's face broke into a lazy grin and he waved at her once more before turning back around. Kagome continued standing there for a moment however, staring at his departing back.
"Okay." She murmured to herself.
Perhaps, despite all of their concerns, having allies on this side of the well would not be so frightening after all.
.
.
.
.
.