A/N: Thank you Logical Goth and impulse960 for your reviews.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.
Her Knight
Ch. 13
Since his blunder back in gym class, Kagome had continually sent glares his way. It was not that he couldn't figure out why she was mad at him but rather why he'd said something stupid in the first place. She'd sailed out of the locker room with her nose in the air, clearly intent on not talking to him. The situation had occurred far too many times in the Feudal Era for Inuyasha not to recognize it. Normally she'd walk off with Sango, either silently steaming or muttering under her breath about what a jerk he'd been. It was only after a long soak in a hot springs and talk with the demon slayer that she settled down. Figuring something of the same needed to happen in this time, the half demon was content to let the trio of school girls take Sango's place.
One of the guys that he sat next to in class came up and patted Inuyasha on the back in sympathy. He briefly tensed at the contact but didn't react in any other manner. "Tough break, Taisho-san. I thought you and Higurashi really had something going."
"Keh, she's just mad."
"Women are complicated, aren't they?" Since he lived on a near daily basis with two of the most complicated women he'd ever met, Inuyasha agreed. A second classmate came forward, a familiar grin on his face. Having seen it often on Miroku, what the boy said didn't really surprise him.
"Women are complicated, mysterious, yet infinitely wonderful creatures."
"Haku, you're such a pervert," the first classmate said. Inuyasha snorted in agreement.
"Reminds me of a monk I know." The guilty look on Haku's face reminded him of someone and the boy's scent was familiar but he shrugged it off. As long as they weren't a threat, he really didn't care who they were. Turning back to watch his miko, he kept an eye on her while staying away. If she got mad enough, she'd "sit" him in front of everyone. It was kind of hard to ignore a glowing rosary. Not to mention the fact that if she did so, he was liable to break something on his inevitable plummet to the ground.
"Hey, Taisho-san, why don't you have lunch with us? Higurashi doesn't appear to be happy with you at the moment." Kagome was likely to be mad at him for the rest of the day. Everyone around them seemed surprised she had gotten mad because of his concern but they really didn't know her as he did. And it wasn't his concern she was mad about but the way he'd expressed it.
"As long as I can see her, fine." In hearing distance of her would have been okay, although he'd rather keep her in his sights. There was no way he could tell them that without sounding strange however.
"Great! There's this spot on the roof that looks directly over the yard where they like to have lunch." Haku grinned warily at the silver haired teen. His words about a monk had rung a bell but he wasn't sure why.
"This way, Taisho-san." Having gathered their bentos, the three males settled themselves onto the roof in the spot Haku mentioned. Kagome and her friends were sitting under a tree that Inuyasha would much rather have been lounging in. He knew she could sense him but from the set of her shoulders she was steadfastly ignoring him. Ayumi glanced his way and Inuyasha figured they must be talking about him.
Kagome had grabbed her lunch and, ignoring Inuyasha behind her, had gone off with Ayumi, Yuka and Eri to their usual spot. Two of her male classmates had come up beside the half demon apparently to commiserate, and she was content to let him remain in their company alone. If he could stand being teased by Miroku and Shippou without reacting violently, there was little to worry about him eating lunch with two of the people he'd been sitting next to for the last couple of days.
She had just finished unpacking the bento when she became aware of the three pairs of eyes staring at her. Glancing up she caught the fevered light in their gazes. "Uh, is something wrong?"
"Okay, spill, Kagome. We've never heard you actually admit to going out with Inuyasha-san. You told us you'd been thrown together but you'd never explained why. Or how you met."
"Yeah, we want to know details. Lots and lots of details. What about his old girlfriend, the one who died?"
Ayumi stayed silent, doubting the former girlfriend was much of an issue. Inuyasha might be feeling some pangs of guilt but she was pretty sure Kagome was the one who held his heart completely. Of course, had she known that there was a clay model of the old girlfriend wandering around, she might have revised her theory. Glancing towards the roof, she spotted the golden eyed teen watching her friend while he ate with two of her classmates.
"The memories are still hard on him, that's why he acts like a jerk sometimes when I'm not feeling well or get hurt."
"What memories?"
"Kikyo was killed and he blames himself." They would have asked more but she waved away that topic of discussion. "You wanted to know how we met."
"Yes, please," Ayumi asked, knowing it must be a romantic tale.
"We met under the Goshinboku. He'd just woken up from a long nap and was very irritable. I think he wanted to kill me for disturbing him."
"That's it?" Yuka pouted expecting something far more interesting.
"No, but the first time I did see him was under the God Tree. We got to know each other because of a task the Priestess Kaede gave us to do. He was hard to get to know because of how very private a person he is. He was raised very traditionally by his mother and then was made to focus on militaristic studies by his brother who is in effect his guardian now that Izayoi-sama is gone. Their father died the day Inuyasha was born so he never got to meet him." The mixture of truth and lies rolled off her tongue easily. It was good that she got to share at least some of her feelings with her school friends.
"Wow, having an older brother like that must be tough."
"Well, Sesshoumaru didn't have it easy growing up either. People expect a lot out of the Taisho heir." At least that much she could say with complete honesty. "Anyway, they don't get along too well most of the time. So Inuyasha was pretty much left to his own devices when his tutor wasn't around. That's why it took a while for him trust me. While doing the task, we met some other people with a similar duty."
"You never mentioned this task."
"I've been learning the ways of a miko from her. I tend to fall asleep or zone out when Grandpa tries to teach me. Mama thought it best if I learned from someone else. Inuyasha knew Lady Kaede years ago so it seemed like a good idea. Between that and school, it's been tough."
"No wonder you get sick a lot." Kagome stared at her friends, surprised they hadn't connected the dots. They saw her every day she was in school. When did she really have time to study to be a priestess with all the work she got from her teachers unless the days she was gone, were used to practice the traditional arts of a miko? If they couldn't figure that out, there was no way they'd understand the true nature of the task Inuyasha and she had been given or that it was Kagome's fault to begin with that the Shikon Jewel shattered.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." She felt better just admitting some of what was going on in her other life. She told Sango what happened in this one all the time. Kagome was thankful she'd been give four wonderful friends such as these and the demon slayer although Sango had become more like a sister to her.
"That's okay, Kagome. I'm surprised you have any free time at all."
"Me too." With a sigh, the young miko finished her meal. "That's why I get so angry at Inuyasha when we have a private moment and he ruins it by saying something stupid." Her trio of friends exchanged looks again and by unspoken mutual agreement decided to drop the subject. A shadow fell over the group and they looked up as one to find Inuyasha approaching Kagome, now leaning heavily on the tree at her back.
"Oi, wench, you need to take some pain medicine. Sitting like that's not good for you wounds." Everyone watched as he dug a bottle out of his pants pocket and took out a pill. He waited until she took it and then stared at her before crouching to stare into her eyes. Ignoring her friends, the half demon apologized for his earlier words. Walking away from the group that went "aww" in tandem, he flicked an ear back to hear what was said.
"And that is why I always forgive him."
