Chapter 5-Pre show jitters

I do not own Inuyasha! I do own Sanae, Akiyoshi, Ichiro, and Rinao.

Kagome tried again. Breathe, find your center...to her surprise, Ichiro sat in on the impromptu class being held from a sense of curiosity and vague duty. He was a Priest now, well not really-but he had the gifts. Might as well learn a bit about them and take advantage of the offer to learn, he figured. After all, Miroku was reputed to be a very skilled guy when it came to this stuff.

By late evening, both untrained humans had managed to enter trance and link tentatively with the monk's careful guidance. Not bad, really, and Miroku forbore to mention he'd often suggested meditation to Kagome. She knew he had, and was grateful he wasn't reminding her that she ought to have known how to do this before now.

"Better. Why don't we rest now, this takes a great deal of effort," Miroku asked. He was doing his best to teach, and was pleased at their progress. Kaede nodded, and Ichiro sighed with relief.

"Harder than I thought," he commented.

"Same here," Kagome groaned. The class broke up soon after that, and Kagome didn't sleep well later as she wondered and worried. Tomorrow, the future...it was so much. She got up and went outside, being shadowed soon after by a silver haired hanyou.

Inuyasha found her sitting by the well and staring down into it. He settled not far off to watch...and she glanced up. Not in his firerat, in regular clothes...seeing him in jeans was so odd.

"Did you follow me?" she asked.

"You came out here unarmed, so of course I did," Inuyasha answered, jumping down and strolling over to sit near her with a sigh, Tetsusaiga in hand. Kagome never could sleep right before a major ritual, and for a moment, he worried about his wife, probably sitting up worrying in Tokyo...

"Oh. I guess that makes sense," Kagome trailed off, staring back into the well.

"Something wrong, wench? You ought to be resting," he asked, and she looked up.

"Inuyasha-Akiyoshi, Sanae...why? Why is she a full youkai? Shouldn't she be like a quarter or something? Ichiro told me she's kinda like your Dad and Sesshomaru." He looked very unhappy at the question.

"Feh. Brats can't keep their mouths shut..." he grumbled, and looked around. "It's a long story. And you ain't ready yet."

"That's all you keep saying! All of you! But youkai are running around Tokyo, you're here and you shouldn't be, and I've been talking to my-my grown unborn children and myself like a crazy person for the last two days!" she exploded. Inuyasha...started to laugh. Not a mean one, but one of deep mirth.

"Oh-you-this isn't funny!"

"Yes it is! I ain't seen you this mad in years!" the hanyou chortled. He got control of himself, and sighed, resting an arm on the well as he considered. "Look, you want to know shit, and I understand that. You think it's easy being here? Miroku and Sango, the old hag...I haven't seen these people in five centuries! I'd love to tell you everything, you know that. But would it help?" he asked tiredly.

"Maybe not. But please, help me make sense of this? A little at least? Please?" Damn it. The little minx was an enchantress even at this age, artless and sweet and charmingly earnest...Inuyasha winced, regretting it already-but he nodded.

"Alright. But I ain't promising to tell you everything!" That smile of hers made him sigh as he rubbed his forehead to ease the beginnings of a tension headache.

"Inuyasha...you're so different now. How come?"

"Feh. I'm seven hundred, I grew up. Look, cut the kid version some slack when he comes back here, Kagome."

"Like I haven't!"

"Hey, easy on the temper, or I won't talk to you till you calm down. Try and see it this way. He's in a bad spot right now, and the kid's got some eh-pretty odd views and attitudes to work out around now."

"Odd views?" she asked, turning to face him completely, hands in her lap.

"Keh. Kagome, you know I was raised by my Mother's people until she passed, right?" he waited for her to nod and sighed. "When that ended, I was sort of...a wandering hermit. I didn't see humans much until I ran across Kikyo and the Jewel. Then poof. I was off the tree, had a noble quest, a maiden to ward, and friends to boot. Plus a girlfriend who acted so odd I had no clue how to deal with you."

"Girlfriend? As if!" Kagome snorted.

"Not a girlfriend?? Hah! That's a laugh. That moron's been courting and dating you for two years! Even if all of his attempts to impress you and make you think he's worthy of you keep crashing and burning on the shores of your thick headedness."

"Has not! Has he...?" She asked, noting the pronoun shifts.

"Yes."

"All he does is act jealous and yell, and stupidly get hurt all the time...oh, no. That's supposed to impress me, isn't it? That y-that he keeps throwing himself at danger. When was there a date, though?" Kagome said slowly, confused.

"Let's see, eating together? Walking out? Sitting alone watching the stars? Damn 'gome, those are dates. Big, important things by the kid's standards-"

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. Let's see...Kaguya?"

"We faced her."

"Then toss in a proclamation of love and a kiss. The thing is-you're practically engaged, my dear. After that mess...he figured you understood how things were between you then," a scowl, "but you didn't, of course, because you didn't have a damned clue."

"But that's crazy!! There wasn't even anything, it was just a little kiss!" Kagome protested hotly, blushing.

"Think the shyest, most traditional, honor mad guy you've ever met, and double it. Holding hands is his idea of first base. Trust me, I know these things." She blushed.

"Oh, no."

"Hah. The light begins to dawn," he said with a sigh.

"I had no idea. Does he tell me? No!"

"He's shy! Besides, you're the first girl who ever treated him like that."

"Not-Kikyo?"

"No. Not even close. She...always met him away from the village, or with people around, usually kids. Never even went into her hut for supper or to warm up in winter. Having supper as a guest of your family at their table like a human suitor and not being shown the door or chased off was-is...amazing to him. Most people would chase him away, you know. Like...Jinenji. A hanyou ain't usually welcome," Inuyasha said quietly.

"I didn't know that," Kagome answered softly.

"You weren't meant to."

"Baka."

"Yeah. Pretty much," he admitted with rueful grin.

"Are you alright?"

"Not really. 'Gome...might I lay my head in your lap?" She blinked, and nodded shyly.

Kagome couldn't sleep in Tokyo either. After tossing and turning, she finally got up and threw on her sweats before padding downstairs.

She needed to work off some tension. So she made a detour to her workroom to collect something and headed for the backyard, frowning at the mess in the den as she opened the sliding doors. Kagome sighed silently as she noted she was followed by someone who'd gotten off the couch. He didn't like this.

Kagome ignored him hiding in the bushes behind her as she stood, centered herself...and began sword practice. She was good. Really good as she moved in a smooth pattern until he could almost see her invisible opponent. Kagome let the pattern flow as she pushed herself, going faster. Inuyasha's jaw dropped as he watched.

When did this happen?? It upset him terribly, every move an indictment of his care of her. He was her protector! Kagome shouldn't-wouldn't have to know how to do this! Outraged, horrified, he finally jumped out to stop her.

"What are you doing?!" She paused, panting, and scowled as the point was lowered.

"Practicing. What does it look like?" Kagome answered with a wince. They'd had these fights centuries ago! Why? Why her?

"Well-stop it! You don't need to-"

"Yes, I do."

"You haven't! You can't have-I protect you!" The sword was snatched away and he looked furious as he broke it in half.

"How nice. Do you really, now? Never heard that old chestnut before. Funny, you never say that about archery."

"That's different!"

"Oh, goodie. Look, Inuyasha, just go inside."

"No! What happened to you?"

"A lot," she sighed, looking miserable. "I have a major ritual tomorrow, my husband and my children are stuck, I can't sleep, so I might as well do something!"

"Not that. You ain't doing that."

"Fine. Then..." she sat and offered her lap, "come here, and let me rub your ears, Inuyasha." A head shake.

"No way," he answered.

"Come here, or so help me I will tell you things about my Lord mate-and mating that will curl your toes," she said. Her eyes were knowing, and he obeyed with speed, nervously laying his head in her lap.

By the well, Kagome bit her lip, and hesitantly reached for a pair of silvery ears. He glanced up and caught her blushing as her hands jerked away. But he grinned.

"I actually like having my ears rubbed, it's very soothing. Do as you like, just don't pinch," Inuyasha asked. He didn't move as-ahhh. Rubbing. Not as soothing and deft as his mate yet, but so very relaxing. Kagome smiled shyly as she stroked them. So soft, and she could pet them for once!

"You do? But-he always says he hates it," she said. A sigh as his headache eased.

"Well, it's a little embarrassing. They ain't pointed or human like, so I don't like drawing attention to them much. They set me apart." Plus he wasn't a pet, and every time she reached for them it felt like he was her lapdog being patted by a mistress.

A younger hanyou didn't want to move as all of his tension drifted away. It felt wonderful when every little spot was tenderly seen to and rubbed. Kagome smiled to herself. Poor guy, so thin, so tired under the bravado. Give him a treat, she decided.

"Better?" Kagome asked with an amused smile.

"That's...alright I guess," he confessed, and realized he'd leaned into her hands.

"I know, it's not something you admit to liking, 'yasha. But I kinda needed this, and I think you do too."

"My name is-"

"I call him 'yasha sometimes. I won't if you don't like it."

"Keh. But, I don't understand any of this. That...person is a hanyou. Why is he here? Why do you know how to fight, those kids-" he broke off, blushing.

"I know. I can't tell you. What I can tell you is you are not going with Kikyo to hell. You will mate with, mark, and marry that girl stuck in the past, so get used to it."

"But-no. She'll fix the Jewel, and I'll use it, and-"

"Or not. The only reason Kagome goes back is her feelings for you, Inuyasha. Did you know that?"

"No, she comes back to fix the Jewel she broke! Not that I care," he added carefully.

"Not true. You are the only reason she goes back in time. She worries about you a lot."

"Feh," he frowned and sat up shyly. "She does?"

"Yep. Not that she'll admit it, she's quite stubborn."

"Really? No shit." A chuckle met this.

"Oh, real funny. But be kind to her, would you? Like, bring her flowers. Trust me, she likes those."

"Well-eh. Maybe you ought to go rest now, you've got magic to do."

"Yeah. I do. Even so, it was nice to sit with this version of you again, Inuyasha," she told him. Kagome gave him fond pat as she rose. He sat and smiled to himself after she went inside.

She worried over him. That was...nice.

Kagome sat by the well, and found herself smiling. Thinking hard, she took the plunge.

"Inuyasha...are we-happy?" A smile met this.

"Yep. Look, I will tell you...that you have a pretty good life, Higurashi Kagome, Guardian of the Sacred Jewel. Ups, downs, but it's not half bad. Would you expect life with a half inu guy you first met when he was pinned to a tree by his ex and being attacked by a giant centipede youkai to be simple?" Kagome chuckled, even if it was a bit pained.

"You're quite a guy, you know," she said at last.

"You don't turn out so bad yourself, beloved," he answered. Kagome gasped. Her hands stopped their stroking and he sat up.

"Uh..."

"Kagome, I love you. He does too, but that kid doesn't know how to say it, and granted at first all those things he calls you were insults. But every time he says wench or bitch, every insult, it means beloved. I can guarantee you, word of honor-that's what he thinks when he says them because he's afraid he'll lose you to your own time or a suitor or a battle. Thought you ought to know. He'll tell you too, eventually."

"It does? He does?" a nod, and she bit her lip. "That helps," she agreed.

"Think you can manage tomorrow now, and maybe be more patient with him for a bit?" he asked. Kagome nodded.

"I'll try," she agreed.

"Alright, then let's get you inside, you should sleep."

As they walked, she frowned, though.

"Everyone else has like-careers. Ichiro is a teacher, Aki is a jeweler, Rinao is a lawyer, Ayame is a legal secretary. What do you do? Do you work in construction?"

"No, I used to. We all switch careers every few decades. Name it, and most of us have tried a hand at it."

"Oh, please tell me? Please? Come on! I won't tell, I promise?"

"Tell you what, I'll let you guess."

"Police? Or um...fireman? You like action. Uh-park ranger? Or maybe-" A chortle.

"Nice to see how you peg me! Not even close."

"Well-what?"

"I'm an accountant," he explained with an impish grin.

"You? Yeah, right. Real funny. I thought you were going to tell me!" Kagome scowled as she went inside.

Inuyasha just grinned at her retreating back. He knew she'd never believe him.

Author's Notes-Fun I hope. Thanks for Reading!-Namiyo