A/N: Hey everyone! Back again for another rousing chapter of my high-stakes drama! I have to admit that I am supremely stoked over the badassidy of this story. And, though all of you were left with the warm fuzzies at the end of the last chapter, I can guarantee that won't be happening again. What can I say? I love playing God -- especially if I can shatter someone's psyche! All I can ask is that once this chapter is done, no one kill me if they want to find out what happens next! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, it is the property of others. I only borrow the characters for my fanfiction. Also, I don't own any of the lyrics or music used in this story. If anyone asks, the Gameboy made me do it. Even after so many years, Pokemon Silver Version is still addicting.


Unknown

Chapter 7


With the maiden close to her kiss,

And the Demon close to his home,

The pixies delighted in the newfound happiness,

But some things that are found should stay lost...


The auditorium had taken on that black-as-night feeling, where one could barely see their hand in front of their face. The only real light was the row of heavy spotlights hanging over the stage, adorned with only a single microphone in the center, surrounded by a thick black curtain. The theater seating would be illuminated briefly by the flash of cameras every now and then when a performer went up, but it was mostly dark. The person on the stage couldn't see the audience against the glare of light and blinding darkness.

This was a good thing, especially for first timers who were shaking so badly they could barely hold their bows straight. The instructor went through the throng of performers back stage, trying to calm them, along with the older students. Sango was among those comforting the younger kids.

Sango loved that nervous feeling, broiling in the pit of her stomach like hot acid. It motivated her to not make any mistakes. Her entire body thrummed with excitement and the expectation to get on stage under a hot light and play a beautiful song.

It was almost ironic, since she had been the shyest of girls when she was small. It had been music that opened her up to the world, that filled in that missing part of her soul. Music helped her face the world and healed her from even the deepest of hurts. Like when her father had died.

It was her father who had scrimped and saved and bought her first guitar. A beautiful acoustic with a smooth brown body and a slender neck that was a perfect fit for her small hands.

Her mother had been against it, but they had all come to a compromise. Sango could play the guitar as long as she played a more "suitable" instrument as well. So she chose the violin, which she'd found a passion for every bit as fierce as the one she had for the guitar. Then she went on to the piano, which she taught Kagome to play as well.

Sango: the one woman band.

"Alright, you're up, Anthony," their instructor said, patting a petrified twelve-year-old on the shoulder. The boy looked greener than his jacket.

"Don't worry, Tony!" Sango coached, tugging on a piece of his hair. "You know this piece front and back. Just relax."

The boy moved out from behind the curtain and out on to the stage, and Sango rooted for him. She remembered being that age, and having to play a piece of Mozart or Vivaldi. She was past that now, able to pick her own pieces for performing, and she rifled through her sheet music for the eighth time. All there. Good to go. She was next.

Out in the crowd, her family was sitting.

Kanna and Yura had been dragged along, and were probably sitting with their phones open, text messaging their friends about how bored they were. They didn't matter to Sango.

Her mother was there, and Sango hoped she would be pleased with her performance. All she desperately wanted was to prove to her mother that she wasn't a waste.

Jared and Kagura would be a captive audience. Her step-father was always happy to hear her play something, and Kagura often made Sango perform to inspire her writing. Kagome was also in the crowd, undoubtedly with Kagura, and undoubtedly getting ready to cheer herself hoarse.

Miroku was supposed to be there, but Sango wasn't sure if he'd actually showed up. She hadn't seen him since school the day before, and neither of them had mentioned her recital. Sango had been too nervous to bring it up, too concerned with how it would make her sound. He had probably forgotten, and she wouldn't hold it against him. This wasn't his thing.

The heavy applause brought her out of her thoughts as Tony scampered off the stage. "You're up, Sango," her instructor said, nudging her gently.

Sango nodded and, music and instrument in hand, moved out on to the stage.

The teenager would be the first to admit that Kagome's latest design for her was the best. The dress was a deep olive green, fitting perfectly to the waist before falling to her ankles. The top was also scored with black fabric and a front corset design with a pink ribbon. To please her mother, Sango had dyed her hair back to its normal color for the recital, and she had left it in a simple French braid, so it wouldn't hinder her playing.

Squeezed in between Irish folk dances and Oriental lullabies, Sango had picked a mainstream string piece that had moved her the first time she'd heard it. Moving toward the stand, she arranged her music and approached the single microphone. She bent over it just a little. "Good evening," she said with a smile toward the darkness. "The piece I am playing tonight is something I'd like to dedicate to my family, for all their support." She was hamming it up a little, something to please her mother.

Sango held aloft her violin, positioning a cloth at the edge and then placing the wooden body beneath her chin. She held her bow lightly, in the correct fashion. She tried a few practice chords, her fingers nimbly moving along the slim neck of her instrument, and then, she began to play.

The melody was haunting, an echoing blend of old world and battle music. She smiled a little when she heard a murmuring from the crowd; people recognized her choice. Of course, it was a well-known theme from the Lord of the Rings movies, but it still made her happy that her music was received happily. Soon, the Riders of Rohan blazed from her bow and across the auditorium, filling the ears of all who were listening. That haunting, eerily sad song that had pulled Sango in the moment the first chords were played was having the same effect on her audience as she slid her bow along the strings.

After the last few of her notes died away and the sound of applauded wafted to her from the darkness, Sango lowered her violin and bowed. She even laughed when she heard familiar hoots and hollers from the back of the room. She waved in their general direction and then exited, to wait until the rest of the performers had their turn and the group went back on stage for the final bow of the evening.

When all the musicians were released to go back to their families, Sango quickly scampered out to the back rows with her violin case in hand. Kagome was standing in her usual spot, Kagura and Miroku beside her, which made Sango almost feverish with happiness. The three of them all broke out into compliments when they saw her.

"Sango, you were the best out there," Kagura said with a smile.

"Perfection!" Kagome agreed, giving her a hug.

"I didn't fall asleep once!" Miroku said happily, grinning from ear to ear. "And the Rings song was badass."

"Thank you," the violinist replied, pink from all the praise. "I worked really hard to get it perfect. Of course, it sounds better with multiple players, but..."

"It was wonderful, San," Kagome said, smiling even bigger. "Don't doubt it."

Then the rest of the Hart family came over. Aya was showering her daughter with compliments. Money well spent, or something of the sort. Jared poked her on the nose and only smiled, the pride showing in his eyes. The twins only shrugged, forced into compliments by the prodding of their parents. Sango didn't really mind either way.

After a little while of talking, Miroku pulled Sango aside. "I should get going."

"You should come back to my house with us," she urged. "My step-dad always treats for food and stuff. It'll be fun."

"I promised my Dad I'd be home before nine. Sorry. But thanks for inviting me."

"Thanks for coming!"

She was a little sad to see him go, but when he leaned over to give her a kiss goodbye, it made the entire night that much better. "I'll see you in school on Monday." Miroku gave her is usual mischievous smirk and waved to the other girls.

"Uh, sure," she said, a bit dazed.

"You've got stars in your eyes," Kagome said, coming up behind Sango to wave as Miroku departed. "I didn't know you two were so affectionate."

"Hm," Sango said, blushing.

"Aw, you're shy?"

"Leave me alone."

"Oh, Kagome, quit tormenting her," Kagura said, coming to Sango's defense. "You know she's shy at heart."

"Thank you so much, sister dear."

"That's what I'm here for," she replied with a devilishly slow smile. "But you know, Sango, you're not the only one with stars."

Sango, delighted that the attention was off her, turned to look at Kagome. "What's this?"

"Look at her," Kagura grinned. "She's glowing."

"Come on, I'm the same as always," Kagome said, already looking like a deer in the headlights.

"No, Kagura's right." Sango circled around her best friend, sizing her up. "There is definitely something different about our Kags."

"This isn't the time or the place for this kind of talk," Kagome said seriously, completely aware that both Yura and Kanna were listening to their conversation. The twin girls were both pretending to be deep in conversation about just how dull their evening was, but it was pretty obvious what they were doing.

"Come on, you can whisper to us, can't you?"

"San..."

"Pretty please?"

With a heavy sigh, Kagome relented. It was impossible to refuse Sango when she turned her huge gray-lavender eyes on you. Leaning in, Kagome cupped her ear and whispered the five most welcome words that Sango had ever heard. "I broke up with Hojo."

Due to the joyous squeal and happy jig that followed, Kagura only gave the others a knowing smile. "Did you tell the idiot yet?"

Neither Kagome or Sango needed clarification on who that idiot was. "Yes. He knows."

"Oh man! What did he do? What did he say?"

"Nothing," Kagome commented with a shrug. Calmly, she tossed a lock of hair over her shoulders. "His mouth was too busy to really speak."

Sango threw her arms around Kagome, hugging the other girl happily. "Kags, this is so wonderful! I'm thrilled for you!"

Kagome smiled a little over Sango's shoulder at Kagura, who also held an expression of contentment. "I hope things work out for the both of you," was all she said.

"I'm happy," the smallest girl commented, but then she pulled out of her friend's hold. "But you guys have to swear you won't tell anyone."

"What!"

"It's going to be awkward enough once word gets around school about me and..." her voice dropped when she saw Yura move closer in her peripheral vision. "I just don't want anyone to know about us. It's going to be...difficult."

Sango bit her bottom lip, anxious, but sighed in agreement. "Fine, I won't say anything."

"I'm a journalist," Kagura commented, looking at her nails. "I don't reveal my sources."

They put Kagome's nerves to rest. "Thank you. I'm just nervous about what's going to happen when everyone finds out about the split."

"Who's going to tell?"


By Monday morning, it was all over the school. Kagome Higurashi and Hojo Montgomery had broken up.

Everyone had their own theories about the rift, and about what was going to happen regarding it. Hojo, the most popular and well-regarded student in the school was sure to garnish most of the outward support, but Kagome Higurashi, who was always kind and helpful to everyone, would be the secret underdog in everyone's sympathy. Both were icons, and well loved by the student body. The model couple. The ones to last.

Kagome had been hugged and consoled at least six times before she got to her locker that morning, and it was already starting to wear away her infinite patience. Didn't they notice she wasn't a wreck? In fact, she was more rested than she had been in weeks. Didn't they care that she wasn't broken up over it? She was the one who had done the breaking! Naturally, Hojo had gone about telling everyone that he had called it quits with her first, and she didn't really care.

Let him soothe his male pride.

She had secrets of her own that she didn't feel the need to tell the rest of the school just yet.

And it just so happened that one of such secrets was sauntering over to her locker at that very moment, as she hefted her English book out of her locker.

Inuyasha, adorned as he usually was in his trench coat and jeans, with a quiet smile across his face, casually leaned his shoulder back against the locker next to hers. Anyone passing by wouldn't think much of it. He wasn't even looking at her, and she wasn't paying much attention to him as she went about her usual morning rituals.

"Good morning," she voiced, arranging her notebooks in the depths of her aging bag.

"Yo." He toyed with his key ring, trying to act nonchalant. Cool.

Sango, who had been running late that morning and stayed behind to take the bus, came skidding around the corner of the hallway and sprinted over to Kagome's locker. She looked thrown together today, her outfit and hair messy. Her long brown braid smacked against her back as she nearly stumbled in her haste. "Have you seen it?" she asked excitedly, her body thrumming with it.

"Seen what?" Kagome asked, looking at her friend with mild interest.

"It's like a funeral home out here! Everyone's whispering or quiet, like someone died or something."

Inuyasha perked at this, tucking his key ring back into his pocket so he could focus on the conversation.

"The hopes and dreams of their romantic aspirations have withered away into nothingness," the smaller girl commented dryly. "I never realized just how many people cared about my romantic life."

"It's not just your romantic life," Sango said seriously. "You guys were a popular, long standing couple. Everyone is freaked out that you suddenly broke up when no one knew you were having problems."

"That's just it," Kagome said, closing her locker firmly. "We weren't."

It was only when the locker door closed that Sango noticed Inuyasha was standing next to her best friend and her smile brightened all the more. "Hi, Grimm. I didn't see you there."

"I'm lurking," he commented, throwing a smirk her way. "Staking out my territory, you know?"

"And just when did my locker become your territory?" Kagome muttered, turning the dial on her lock with a huff.

"Since this morning," he replied casually. He wanted to touch her, just something subtle like a hand on her arm or to tug on her hair, but didn't.

"Oh my God, Kagome!"

Turning, the ex-cheerleader was faced with her one-time group of friends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. They all looked at her, their mascara smudged, with expressions of total misery. "What happened?" Kagome asked, suddenly fearing the worst.

"We just heard," Eri said, swiftly throwing her arms around the smaller girl. "You poor thing."

"What are you -- oh, you mean about Hojo?" Momentarily stunned, she allowed the three girls to hug her before pulling away and smiling. "I'm okay about it, really."

"You're so brave," Yuka said, her pigtails bouncing with her shaking head.

"We know how much you must be hurting inside. We'll be here to help you soldier on." Ayumi added another hug for good measure.

Kagome wanted to laugh at their sympathy, but she only tucked some hair behind her ear and summoned a mournful expression. It was a little hard, to play this part, but she had become adept at keeping her true feelings buried for years. "It'll be hard," she said. "It'll take me a while to believe it, so I'd really just like everything to continue like normal. That'll be best, I think."

The girls nodded. "We understand. We'll tell everyone to tone it down a little. It's just such a shock, you know?"

"I know."

"We were so just surprised. What happened?"

For a few moments, Kagome was caught off guard. She hadn't really thought about what she would say if anyone asked her what had happened. It was just easier to think that everyone would believe Hojo's side and that would be the end of the story.

"Well, uh...we just kind of decided that...we both want different things." Lame. Very lame. But true. "We've been together so long, and we changed."

"Did he find another girl?" Eri asked suddenly.

"I bet he did," Ayumi answered with a nod. "That cheating bastard, dumping a girl in a perfect relationship!"

"People like that are such scum!" This was from Yuka. "They already have someone steady who adores them, what more do they need?"

By this time, Kagome had gone very pale, and very still. Both Sango and Inuyasha noticed this. But whereas Inuyasha was a second away from pouncing on the annoying cheerleaders, Sango took a different approached to come to Kagome's rescue. And it was not a second too soon.

"Look what you're doing to the poor girl!" the singer shrilled. "It's not bad enough that her heart is broken, but you have to keep dredging up the horrible things that could be causing it!" She moved in front of Kagome, giving a threatening glare at the three other girls. "You should be ashamed!"

"Calm down, St. John," Eri said with a sniff. "We're just trying to comfort her."

"She doesn't need to be reminded of being scumbagged! Just run along, before you have to answer to me."

"She has no manners," Ayumi said in a conspiring tone. The three girls turned away in a huff and moved as one down the hallway.

"No tact at all. What a horrible girl."

"More like a man, you mean."

They giggled and Sango growled, but her worry for Kagome was more than her annoyance at them. "Kags?" she asked, turning around. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." Kagome regained control over herself and sighed, a hand over her eyes. "I have to get used to this, now. But today is going to be painful."

"Then why not skip it?" Inuyasha asked, jumping into the conversation. Both girls looked at him sharply. "What?" he asked, defensive. "She's not going to get crucified for skipping one day of school."

Suddenly, Sango smiled. "Grimm, every once in a while, your genius shows."

"I'm not a complete idiot," he defended, still smiling from the praise.

"But I can't just skip school!" Kagome said, hushing her voice to avoid stares. "I've never done anything like that before in my life."

"Then it's about time you started."

"I just can't." She was already shaking her head, her hands tightening around the strap of her backpack. The first bell of the morning sounded, signaling that there was only five minutes left until class started.

"Go," Sango said. "I'll cover for you." Already her devious mind was working. "I can spin it great! You are so heart broken that the mere thought of carrying on a normal day forced you to collapse into tears, so you returned home to collect yourself. No one will blame you, and I can garnish some more support for you."

"This isn't a war, Sango. I'm not battling Hojo for popularity in this."

"Of course not." They both knew that she thought otherwise.

"Come on," Inuyasha said, grasping Kagome's arm just below the elbow. "We can just get out of here until things settle a bit. It'll be easier tomorrow."

"Go," Sango urged. "I'll get Kagura to help me smooth things over. She can weave a tale better than me."

They were so encouraging, and Kagome was so dreading the day, that she gave in with a heavy nod. "Okay. Get me out of here."

"My pleasure." Inuyasha steered her down the hallway, back toward the parking lot. "See you later, San."

"Have fun," Sango said cheerily. Then she turned and sprinted down the hallway toward the newspaper office, where she knew her step-sister would be.

As expected, Kagura sat behind her small desk, tapping lightly on her computer while sipping a cooling cup of French vanilla coffee. Her ruby eyes lifted when the door swung open and Sango flew inside like a bat out of hell. "What's the emergency?"

"The break-up is all over school," Sango said in a sing-song voice. "Kagome just ducked out of school to avoid it for today. Grimm is with her."

"Oh, because that's such a great idea," Kagura drawled. "Everyone is flipping out over her failed relationship with Hojo, so she goes out with her new boyfriend on the first day of school since the split?"

"No one knows they're together, yet," Sango said with a shrug. "Only the two of us, Miroku and Sesshomaru. You know how Kagome thought it was best to keep it low, just until everything dies down a bit. And who would really believe it, you know? Grimm is the total opposite of Hojo in every way."

"You mean he's an occasionally easy-going idiot with a temper as bad as hers who is completely smitten with her?"

"Exactly."

Kagura snorted, shaking her head a little. "It almost is hard to believe. Kagome and Inuyasha. Who would have ever thought?"

"I did," Sango pointed out. "I knew they would be perfect for one another." She almost lost herself in the romance of it all, but that wasn't Sango's style. Instead, she only mooned a bit and smiled again. "I promised I'd cover for Kagome, so could you type up a fake doctor's note or something for me?"

"You want me to commit a forgery?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Kagura went back to her computer, switching programs and typing up a letter. "What excuse should I give her? Shingles? Malaria?"

"Eh, give her pink eye or something contagious."

"How about Strep Throat?"

"Perfect."

Kagura hit the print button and waited for the letter to pop out of the centuries old printer that the newspaper office was stuck working with. "Do you want one for Grimm too?"

"Naw, he can fend for himself. Plus, who would think anything strange of him skipping class?"

"Very true." Kagura grinned and grabbed a pen so she could write a flowing, messy script signature that looked like something and nothing at the same time, as almost all doctors' handwriting was. "Let's go hand this in to her home room teacher."

As the two women left the office, they hadn't noticed anyone else in there with them. Two people, in fact, who had been in the storage closet. A girl and a boy, who emerged only when it was clear. Naraku wiped the smudge of cherry-flavored lip gloss from his face as he digested the conversation he had just overheard.

"I'll be damned," he commented. "This could turn into something fun."

"What do you mean?" the dazed sophomore girl asked, her shirt half open. "They were just talking about that football player's girlfriend, right?"

He looked at her sharply. "If you keep that pretty little mouth of yours shut, I might be kind enough not to spread around what a horrible kisser you are."

Her face scrunched up in outrage. "Asshole!" she spat, shoving him aside as she stormed out of the office, adjusting her clothes.

He didn't care about her. Instead, he would make it his business to search out Hojo and tell him the real reason his little dove, Kagome, had broken off their relationship. And everyone thought Kagome was the good girl, the innocent one. Here she was, slumming with Inuyasha Reaper.

Naraku smiled. It was going to be a good day.


When Kagome thought of ditching school, she thought empty malls and movie theaters. She thought popular places that everyone always went to on the weekends, then sought out during school hours for excitement. When she'd heard about kids skipping school, that was where they always went. Malls, amusement parks, concerts. That was where she thought Inuyasha would take her when they left the school parking lot, her clinging to him on the back of his motorcycle.

She had not expected to end up in a vacant parking lot next to snow-covered tennis courts. When Inuyasha pulled into the lot and cut the engine, she had been cold and confused.

"What are we doing here?"

He climbed off of the bike and easily helped her off a moment later. "It's somewhere we won't get caught," he said simply.

"Caught doing what?"

He only smirked, sensing where her mind was going. "Wow, you're perverted. I never thought I'd end up with a pervy girlfriend. It's actually rather nice." As he said this, he played with the scarf she had loosely tied around her neck. Kagome only shot him a deadpan glare.

"The library is up that hill," he said, pointing to the municipal complex on the other side of the tennis courts. In the summer, one could see the buildings and parking lots more easily, but the snow made it look a million miles away. "It opens at nine, so we can go there. It's warm, and there's food. No one will tell that we weren't in school."

"Why not go to the mall or something?"

"People at the mall and the movies will call the schools. It's part of their asshole codes." Turning, Inuyasha stuffed his hands into his pockets and began walking across the recently plowed parking lot. The sound of his footfalls broke the icy silence that seemed to close in around them. Kagome scuttled after him, her breath hanging in the air around her head momentarily.

"You know a lot about this, huh?"

"I ditch school a lot," he said in an unapologetic tone.

There was a small white gazebo on the far side of the parking lot with a pointed roof and trellis-covered walls. On warmer days, it was home to all manner of lovers. In the snow, it looked sad and unused. Still, the benches that wrapped around the interior were clear and it was a shelter from the wind and blinding morning sun that glinted off the melting ice and snow. Inuyasha had used it many times, and went right for it.

"Why? You don't have to. You're really very smart, Inuyasha."

He twitched a little and turned to face her, an awkward expression on his face halfway between annoyed and patient. "Don't let that get around, okay? I have a reputation after all."

She laughed a little, her cheeks pink from cold and blushing. "I don't see why it has to be such a big secret. A bruiser with a brain, oh no!"

He cocked his head to the side, giving her a quick and probing look. "You're a very weird girl, aren't you?" Then he turned back and continued walking.

Kagome shrugged. "I guess." She didn't know if she should be offended or not. When they got to the gazebo, Kagome sat on the center bench with her legs crossed at the ankles and her mitten-covered hands daintily in her lap. Like a princess.

Inuyasha leaned against one of the support beams, hands still buried in his pockets, with the collar of his trench coat pulled up to shield his neck from the cold. He needed to invest in some new cold weather gear, something that his grandmother hadn't knitted for him at the age of seven.

"I like that about you," he commented when they were settled. To break the silence. "You can't be put in a box."

She smiled a little. "A lot of people try, though."

"Why do you let them?"

"Why do you?"

He bristled. "I don't."

"Yes, you do," she replied firmly. "Your whole delinquent image is all you ever show them, when you're really very smart and very sweet when you try."

Inuyasha huffed. "Sometimes it's easier to just let people think what they want to think. I shouldn't have to prove myself to be one thing or another just to appease the minds of anyone else. This might not be all of me, but it's all I feel like giving them."

Kagome opened her mouth, then closed it. In reality, wasn't she the same? Didn't she give everyone the image that she was the kind, sweet, caring and perfect girl that the world wanted her to be? If she was honest, she knew that it was too much trouble and effort to be perfect, and that she was tired of it all, but it was all she could do to keep going. She had to pretend, because reality was too frightening.

"How can you just admit that like it's nothing?"

"It's not a big secret to me." He shifted his weight from one leg to another. "I am what I am, and I can't change it for anyone."

"I wish I could be that brave," she whispered with a sigh.

"It's not bravery. It's stubbornness." She laughed and he was glad. "It's not cowardly to try and live up to what others want, but you can't let their expectations define who you are."

"That's very wise."

"I got it out of a book," he said, smirking.

Kagome giggled, shaking her head. After a few moments, when they fell silent again, she became pensive again. "Play a game with me."

"Huh?"

"Remember, when I first started tutoring you, you made a deal with me. Answer a few questions and we'll have a pleasant working environment." When she looked up at him, her head tilted to the side, he got the distinct impression that she was cold inside and out. "Play a game with me. Tell me a secret, something no one else knows, and I'll tell you mine."

He got a little nervous. "Why?"

Kagome shook her head and sighed. "I spent three years in a relationship with a boy who didn't know anything about the real me. I don't want to start a new one that's going to end up the same way." Moving her hand, Kagome brushed a little bit of snow off of the trellis beside her. "I'm not the perfect girlfriend, and I don't want to be."

"If you were perfect, I'd be afraid," Inuyasha commented, shrugging. "Okay, I'll play."

She tossed him a glance from the corner of her eye. "Start."

For a moment, he tried to think of a secret. Something small, something to make her smile. "I'm a good cook," he said.

"Really?" The look she sent him said she doubted it.

"Honestly! Before Rin was born, my mother thought she'd never have a daughter to teach domestic things to, so she started teaching me how to cook and sew. Even after Rin was born. She made me the perfect housewife."

A vision of Inuyasha in an apron with a feather duster popped into Kagome's head and she started giggling uncontrollably. "I can't see you doing that!"

"Come over for dinner sometime," he offered, smiling a little lopsidedly. "I'll cook for you."

"I'd like that."

"Your turn." He moved away from the wall of the gazebo and plopped on the bench beside her. "Something good."

Kagome was quiet for a moment, then smiled. "I can do a back flip."

"No way."

"Yes way!"

"Prove it."

Seeing the challenge in his face, Kagome quickly got to her feet and moved out of the gazebo. "Are you watching?"

"Yep."

Tucking her scarf into her coat so it wouldn't get in her way, and pulling off her mittens so their wouldn't get dirty, Kagome took a walking start across the wet pavement of the parking lot before launching herself into a backward motion. She caught herself with her hands and sprung the lower body forward, landing once more on her feet.

Inuyasha applauded when she was upright again. "Very nice. Left over from your cheerleading days?"

"Yeah." She rubbed her hands together furiously when she got back to the gazebo, taking up her seat again. "Your turn. And something serious this time."

Inuyasha thought for a long moment. Absently, he reached out and took Kagome's hands in his own, rubbing them to add warmth from the friction. "I want to be a writer."

"Really?" This surprised her. Sesshomaru and Rin had both said how much Inuyasha despised the family newspaper business, so she had always thought he hated that kind of work. "Then why don't you work on your father's newspaper?"

"Not that kind of writer," he quickly amended. "My father would be thrilled if I decided to do that, which is one of the reasons I can't stand newspapers. I don't do interviews or hard-hitting non-fiction."

"Then what do you write?"

He looked up, meeting her eyes with a wistful expression. "Fantasy." Then Inuyasha shrugged. "Myth and legend. Fairy Tales, mostly. I started telling Rin bedtime stories and it just kind of exploded from that. My friend Hannah, a librarian here, she's going to help me get published when I finish my novel."

"You're writing a novel?" Kagome was floored. She had never thought of Inuyasha to have that kind of motivation.

"It's in the works," he said, rather awkwardly. "But now it's your turn."

"But I want to hear more about this!"

"After the game."

She saw then just how awkward the talk of his work was making him, and she smiled. He was being honest with her about something very close to him, and that meant a lot to her. "Okay, my turn." Something private, something secret. "I'm poor," she said with a snort.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not really understanding.

"My family, we're poor." This had always been a sore spot, something that she never talked to Hojo about because of his family's wealth and happiness. "All my clothes are hand-me-downs or from the clearance rack. I work two jobs so that I can pay for my brothers' karate lessons, which is why I'll never have a car. If I don't get my scholarships from school, I'll never get into design school. My mom works two jobs so we can have just enough money to be broke."

"Wow. I never knew that."

"No one does," she said. "It's hard for Mom and my brothers, and for them to have to worry about my social standing in high school by being a charity case is just too much."

"But...isn't your father famous or something?"

Kagome looked up at his sharply. "Where did you hear that?"

He looked a little awkward. "Sango."

"Figures."

"Don't be angry with her. I kind of forced it out."

"Sango likes to meddle too much." Kagome sighed and hung her head. "Yeah, my Dad is famous. He's gotten to be a really popular painter in the last ten years or so."

"Then...why?"

"When he left...he took all of our money with him. Everything in our accounts, all of our savings...even my college money." It was an old hurt, a bitterness that crept into her heart from time to time. Something that tainted the abundant love she had once had for that man. "He went to New York when I was thirteen, and we haven't seen him since then."

Inuyasha wanted to say something, but what was there to be said? "Your Dad is a bastard," was the only clever thing he could come up with.

Kagome laughed a little, and smiled up at him. "Thanks."

"Sure."

"Your turn."

She gave him her big secret, he had to give her his. But first, he took his hands away from hers and stood up again. He wasn't entirely sure how she was going to react, and it was best not to be too close in case she needed a little space. Some people did.

"I'm bi-polar."

There was a pause and then, "What?"

"Bi-polar," he repeated. "It's a mood disorder."

"I know what it is," she breathed, staring at him with wide eyes. It made him feel like a freak.

"It's only mild in my case, and I take medication to keep it under control, but there are periods I go through when I have insomnia for weeks and I get moody." He stuffed his hands into his pockets, trying to distract himself.

Kagome got up and moved closer to him. She didn't touch him, but her nearness calmed his anxiety. "When did you find out?"

"Freshmen year. It got bad just after I hit puberty, and there were some...episodes." He remembered the destructive tantrums, the fits of rage. His mother's face. The fear. "I'm pretty much under control now, but it's an embarrassment to my father that he has a son with a mental disease."

"That's horrible!"

He shrugged. "It's not something you flaunt. I'm ashamed too."

"You shouldn't be," Kagome insisted. "You can't change that anymore than you can change the color of your eyes."

He smiled a little awkwardly at her. "I'm surprised you aren't freaked out."

"I'm not. You're not a monster, even if your name is Grimm Reaper." He laughed and Kagome was relieved for it. "Does anyone else know about it?" she asked quietly.

"Miroku, but no one else."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"You trusted me." She smiled. For the first time in her life, things weren't perfect, and she was still happy.

Inuyasha leaned forward just enough to kiss her softly, and she took back that thought. Things were perfect, as long as this boy was in her arms.


"You know, I think I'm starting to like motorcycles," Kagome commented as she dismounted from behind Inuyasha.

After a while, Kagome had gotten over the fact that she had skipped a day of school for the first time in history, and allowed herself to have a little fun. In the library, she met Inuyasha's friend Hannah, who had baited her into conversations over which series was really better: Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. Inuyasha had disappeared during intervals to use the computers and work on his novel, some of which he even let her read. And when they weren't running around in the stacks, they were just talking. About school, and their families, and themselves. Which led to several arguments, and even more make-ups.

"Really?" he asked, grinning evilly. "That's a good thing. I have my official motorcycle license now, so this little baby is going to be my main transport to and from school."

"Even in the winter?" she asked, shaking her head. "Those are not snow tires, Inuyasha."

"Who needs snow tires?" he shot back. "Style over practicality."

"Oh, good Lord. Do you have to make me argue with you over this now?"

"Yes and no," Inuyasha commented happily. "But you have to admit, the bike makes me cooler."

She rolled her eyes, then grinned. "Okay, I'll give you that much."

"Come, my lady, I'll walk you to your door." He hopped off the bike, adjusting the kick stand before strolling up to her and offering his arm.

"Why thank you, good sir," Kagome replied, tucking her arm around his elbow. "How gallant of you."

"Sesshomaru is not the only one with manners."

"So I'm learning." Inuyasha felt a little blush grow over the bridge of his nose and tried to look away so she wouldn't notice. But, like always, Kagome did, and smiled. "Thank you for saving me from school today."

"Thank you," he said quickly. "I was shocked you let me talk you into skipping class."

"I was eager to get away from the gossip," she confided. "With everyone talking, it was giving me a huge headache that would have only gotten worse. And it was fun running around with you."

"I'm glad I'm an entertaining distraction."

"You are definitely a distraction," Kagome giggled as they reached her front door. "But that's one of the things I like about you."

"Is that right?"

"It is."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Kagome received him happily. Inuyasha always kissed her with a smile, always gently. That was another thing that she liked so much about him. Hot tempered as he was, he treated her with care.

"I should get going," he replied, pulling away from her mouth, but still staying within the circle of her arms. "Your brothers will be back soon, right?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "And if they see you here, you'll get a lecture." She tilted back her head, chin held high. "They are very protective of me, you know."

"They have every right to be," he agreed. "If any boy tried to do to Rin what I want to do to you, I'd tear him apart with my bare hands."

For a moment, she looked at him blankly, and then she started to laugh. "You're so blunt," she got out between giggles. "No tact at all."

"It's part of my charm," he replied. He leaned down and kissed her one last time, soft and quick. "Call me if you have time, okay?"

"I'll make time," she replied.

"Not too late, though," Inuyasha stated, playing the part of doting boyfriend very well. "We've got school tomorrow."

"Why, Inuyasha Reaper, are you saying you care about school?"

"Not really. I just want you to have a good night's rest so I can bug you in top form tomorrow."

"Top form, got it."

"Bye, Kagome."

She waved him off, unlocking the front door and heading inside. Try as she might, she couldn't stop grinning like an idiot. She had broken up with her long-time boyfriend, the entire school was talking about it, and she had skipped school, but she could still taste Inuyasha on her lips; life was wonderful.

As she unwound her scarf and took off her coat, there was a knock at the door. Kagome only laughed and went to open it. "Did you forget something, you tactless ass..."

Framed in cold air of the open door was not Inuyasha. Instead there was a tall man with neat black hair to his shoulders, still untouched by gray, that surrounded a sharp-featured, handsome face. There were a few lines around his eyes and mouth, betraying his age, but clear eyes as blue as sapphires stared back at her. He was dressed well, and looked healthy, and his face broke into a blinding smile when he saw her. The same smile as her; the same eyes as her own. "Kagome." His voice was the same as it had been, too.

"Daddy."


A/N: AHAHAHAHAHAHA! SUCK ON THAT PLOT BUNNY! (cough cough) Okay. I'm trying a new system here so that I can update my work at a moderate pace. I'm going to try to get a chapter out a month. October is Unknown. November is Capes and Crusaders. December will be Wish Fulfillment. And so on. (I'm also going to try to get some extra chapters out during vacations, but this system is so that I don't have to cramp a hundred updates into a 3 week period between semesters.) I'm going to really try to stick to this schedule, so please be patient with me. You know I love you guys!