Summary: Takemichi was never close to his step-sister, Kagome, during their teenage years. It's one of his biggest regrets, especially after her abrupt death at 25. Going back 12 years, he found himself looking into her eyes again, and he realized that saving Hinata wasn't his only purpose. He'd do anything he could to ensure he'd get to see his sister again in the future.

Pairing: Mikey/Kagome

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter Two

"W-Where'd Naoto go," Takemichi asked as he kept looking around. The growing shouts of the gathered crowd weren't missed, either.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

"Quit messin' around and fight already, dumbasses!"

It didn't answer any of the confusion he had, and he looked around. "W-What's going on here?!" he asked, his head practically spinning.

The shouts didn't die down, and he swapped his attention back to the guy across from him. Before he could run at him, he held a hand up.

"W-Wait just one second!" Takemichi pleaded. As he did, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hurriedly flipped it open. When he spotted the screen, he openly gawked at it. "N-No way!" He was twelve years in the past again. "Naoto was right!" he exclaimed.

He was so invested in how he'd just gone back in time that he momentarily forgot that he was seconds away from a fight. He heard the guy across from him shout, and he picked his head up. Just as he looked back, he saw him running at him. Takemichi stumbled back and held a hand up.

"W-Wait just a minute-!" He tried to plead, but he had no luck. He got struck in the face by his fist, and he was promptly knocked to the ground as the world went black.

000

He came to as the sun was starting to set. He woke up flat on his back, but he wasn't on his own.

"The hell was that?" Red asked as he looked down at him. "Don't go down after one punch, dumbass! We're all betting money here."

"What a lam-ass match," another boy scoffed, mask pulled down to expose the lower half of his face.

Match? Takemichi was still confused as to what had even happened, and hearing it phrased like that didn't help clarify much.

"Right, Kiyomasa?"

Takemichi pushed himself up into a seated position, turning some to look where the others were looking. When he did, his eyes landed on a figure seated, cigarette in his mouth as he counted through a stack of bills in his hands. At once, he recognized him.

A scar on his eyebrow… He was the top delinquent of Shibuya Third Middle. His name was Kiyomiza Masataka, but most people knew him as Kiyomasa. He looked up a second later, shifting to put the money in his pocket.

"If people stop coming to these fight club matches to bet, then there's no point," Kiyomasa stated.

A fight club…? It didn't take him long to recall how people had been shouting about placing bets. Slowly, it'd come back to him…-

These guys had been in charge of all of this- of the flight club they had to take part in as their slaves.

"For now," Kiyomasa said, "teach that trash a lesson."

He didn't have time to react before he was kicked in the side. Out of reflex, Takemichi quickly curled up, folding his arms over his head to try and protect himself in some way.

The beating continued until the sky bled red as the sun sank in the distance. Once it'd finally ended, he was flat on his back once more, body aching each time he tried to move.

As he lay there, staring up at the sky, he was reminded why these days had been so awful. He was reminded why he ran away at the first chance he got back then.

Being forced to fight guys he didn't even know, and getting beat up even worse if he lost the fight. Day after day, it was nonstop. It was like living in hell, and running had been his only ticket out of it all.

He rolled over and pushed himself up on his hands and knees. His hands fisted on the ground as he stared down, his vision blurring.

He'd abandoned everyone. His friends, and even his girlfriend. He'd never stopped and bothered to caution Kagome about how dangerous they'd been, and she'd somehow gotten mixed up with the Tokyo Manji in the future.

The thought of the two brought a worse blur to his vision. His hands trembled as he settled down on his knees. A part of him wanted to give up, but he couldn't. If he gave up now, then how could he ever stand to hold his head high…?

"Do better next time," a voice called back to him. He gazed at the group of teenage boys that were stalking up the stone steps to leave. "You really sucked today."

"Let's go home," another stated before someone else did the same.

"How about we get some ramen?"

As he stood up, Takemichi faced them. It could be a dumb idea, he knew, but he had to try. He couldn't give up, not now. Not when he had them right there. "Um…" He spoke. As he did, they came to a halt.

"Wow, you're actually conscious?" Red, the one who'd done most of the beating before, scoffed. "Tch, you're pretty damn persistent."

Swallowing his nerves, Takemichi pushed himself to speak. "So… you guys are part of the Tokyo Manji gang, right?" he asked. "I'd like to meet one of the leaders. Either Sano or Kisaki," he continued. As he did, the group on the steps had become frozen in place, shocked expressions on their faces. "I was wondering if that'd be possible somehow…" Takemichi said. The silence that followed made him rub the back of his head, taking a step back. "O-Oh… if not, I understand."

The silence was tense as Kiyomasa turned to glower at him. His buddies stumbled back a bit, and immediately Takemichi knew he'd made a mistake. A mistake he could not take back, no matter how hard he might try.

"Bring me my bat," Kiyomasa demanded

000

Another beating drug on until the sky had turned to an inky blue. Only when Kiyomasa's friends stepped in did it come to an end. If they hadn't, he was sure he was going to die. In the silence that followed, Kiyomasa glared down at him.

"The next time Sano-kun's name comes outta your mouth…" he trailed off. "You get it, don't you?" he asked. "If it happens again, I'm going to kill you."

The threat struck him deep, and he was frozen in place even as Kiyomasa turned and left with the rest of his group.

Takemichi pushed himself up on shaking legs.

"This is impossible!" he cried.

How was he supposed to meet either of them?! He'd already been threatened with getting killed the next time he so much as said Sano's name again.

"I can't do this…" he whispered as he pushed himself up. There was no way he'd be able to make contact with either of him, not with who he'd been. Not with who he was.

Tears fell, mixing with the blood on his face.

He should just go back to his right time and tell Naoto that he couldn't do this, but to do that, he needed to go talk to the Naoto in the past.

As he walked down the street, many people took note of just how beaten up he was, but he didn't pay attention. He eventually made it to their residence.

He paused in front of the door, contemplating his options one last time. With nothing else coming to mind, he rang the doorbell. Sure, he didn't look in the best shape, but it didn't matter. All he needed was to shake Naoto's hand and he'd be back in the present.

He waited outside the door, but no one came to open it.

Were they not home?

As he stood there, just waiting, he thought back to the whole reason he even came back in the past in the first place.

Kagome and Hinata… he was the only one who could save them, but here he was.

Was he really just going to run away again? Go back to the present and live his life with the shame that came with it? What else could he do…? He couldn't do this… He couldn't-

"Hanagaki-kun?"

A familiar voice caused him to pick his head up. When he did, his eyes met Hinata's.

"Tachibana! What are you doing here?" he asked automatically, not thinking about his words at first. She smiled and pointed to the door.

"I live here," she said. "Remember?"

He accounted for his words. "O-Oh, right," he responded as he rubbed the back of his head. "I uh.."

"Did you get into another fight?" she asked, coming closer to him. She was pouting as she looked up at him, her unhappiness about his current state expressed freely on her face. She set her hands on her hips and she glared at him, and he ended up looking away from her stare.

"I…" he looked down at the ground, unable to look her in the eye anymore. "Sorry," he apologized.

"You're beat up worse than you usually are," she commented, worry seeping into her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Ah yeah," he responded. He lifted his gaze to her own once again to try and reassure her of his claim. He flashed her a thumbs-up. "I'm totally fine. I promise!"

She sighed and walked around him. As she went, he turned to watch her. "Why do boys insist on fighting so much?" she asked as she went to lean against the door he'd been standing in front of. "If only I were a boy too," she said. The comment took him by surprise.

"Huh?"

She looked at him and grinned. "If I was, I'd go like this and protect you!" She exclaimed, holding a fist out in front of her as if she were punching someone invisible. "I know karate, so if I were a guy, I'd be super strong!"

Takemichi watched her for a few seconds, a smile on his face. Soon enough, he looked away. He remembered what he was doing there in the first place, and he found himself second-guessing going back.

"In that case," he said, mirroring her actions. "I'll protect you, too, Hina." The words came naturally, and he didn't clock what he said until it'd already left his mouth. She was quiet at his side, face dyed pink.

That was the first time he'd ever called her Hina.

"I-I was just going with the flow…-" he started to say, but she was quick to interject.

"Okay!" she exclaimed, turning to face him fully. "I want you to call me that," she said with a smile. He couldn't say anything in response, but her request made him happy. It showed on his face. She leaned against the door again and hummed. "But I'm going to be the one who protects you," she stated.

"Huh?"

"Well, you're such a crybaby, Takemichi-kun," she remarked. She called him by his first name for the first time, too. "If I were a guy, then I'd definitely be stronger than you."

"Hey, hey, that's not fair!" he argued her comment. "I only cried the other day," he remarked. Hinata laughed at his red face.

"Is that true?" she questioned.

"Just forget about that already," he huffed.

She shook her head and grinned up at him. "Nope~!" she exclaimed. "I'm never ever gonna forget it!"

He sighed before he laughed, her joining in seconds later.

"I have to go," she said, pointing at the door. "See you tomorrow?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Of course," he said. She smiled brightly.

"Bye-bye!"

As she walked inside, the door shutting behind her, he was left on his own outside. A moment later, he turned to leave.

"I'm home," Takemichi called out into the building as he stepped inside. He closed the door behind him, taking his shoes off before stepping fully inside. Silence answered him at first, and he wondered if anyone else was home. "Hello?" he called out after waiting a few more seconds. This time he received a response.

"In the kitchen!"

It was Kagome's voice. It sounded nice to hear it, he realized. He made his way into the kitchen, spotting her at the stove. He glanced at the clock. It was after eight. When she cooked, it was normally around six.

"Why are you cooking so late?" he asked, coming to peer over her shoulder to see what she was making.

"I was out with friends," she responded. He nodded, not able to ask any more questions. He didn't know a lot about her friends. "It'll just be us tonight," she stated then. "Souta's staying with a friend tonight."

With both of their parents working later hours, that really meant it was them for the night.

She set the heat on low and turned to face him. At once, he didn't miss the way a frown pulled at her lips.

"Again?" she asked. He knew what she was talking about, and he rubbed the back of his head.

"Y-Yeah, sorry," he said. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore." His attempt to convince her was met with a blank stare. He knew his lie had been seen straight through.

"Do you want me to patch you up?" she offered. A second passed, and he nodded. A small smile appeared on his face.

"If you don't mind," he said. "I'd really appreciate it."

She smiled and nodded. "Sit down," she said as she made for the bathroom to retrieve the kit. "I'll be back in a second."

True to her word, she was back before he could fully settle down. She sat in the seat beside him, working swiftly as she tended to his injuries. Her touch was gentle, almost feather-like. He didn't know how, but he felt as good as new wherever her fingers grazed.

When she'd finished, silence fell over them. For a while, he sat there just watching her.

"You know," she said, eventually breaking the silence. He jolted and looked at her face. "I wish you'd be a bit more careful," she admitted. "I feel like every time I see you, you're even more beat up than before," she commented with a sigh.

Takemichi couldn't say anything in response, and he glanced down at the table. When he did, he noticed something up with the jacket she had on. With the sleeves rolled up like they were, it was too big for her. Not only that, but the style was geared towards guys.

"Whose jacket is that?" he ended up asking out loud. Kagome looked at him with a curious look. A second later, she looked down. Her expression told him she'd forgotten about it at first.

"Oh," she stated. "I meant to give this back to him once he dropped me off…" she mumbled to herself. Takemichi heard it, and, at once, his curiosity was struck.

So it did belong to a guy!

At once, he wanted to know who.

"A friend," she responded flatly. A second later, she shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

He sighed and gave in. It wasn't like he blamed her for not wanting to say. He couldn't help wanting to see a bit of her life, though.

The following day he was walking down the hall with Kagome. Before they could get far, someone called his name. A moment later, they were joined by his friends.

"Hey, hey, Kagome-chan!" Akkun said upon spotting her. He slung his arm over Takemichi's shoulders as he grinned at her. When the blonde looked at her, he noticed how she easily spotted the bruise on the other boy's face. "Do you mind if we borrow him for a little bit?" he asked. A second passed, and she nodded.

"Go ahead," she stated. His grin was brighter when she stepped to the side. "See you at home," she called to him as she walked to class. Takemichi nodded and waved to her.

"Yeah!"

000

Kagome let her stare linger on him for a few moments more as he followed after his friends. Her expression was unreadable, a minor frown peppering her face. The hallway was loud with numerous voices coming from all ways, but none of them impacted her.

It was strange… that aura lurking around Takemichi. She didn't want to say anything, but whenever she closed her eyes around him, from deep within her memories, the silhouette of the well manifested.

Why did the air of time travel linger around him…? If he was meddling with time, what was he trying to do…?

An uneasy feeling plagued her chest, and, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, it was hard.

Ever since the aura became tied with his own, he'd been acting strange. It was him, that much she could tell, but…

"What are you doing, Takemichi…?" she mused softly to herself.

She wanted to ask him that to his face. In fact, she'd been trying to find a way to bring the question up without him perceiving it as weird. Or as him catching on to how she even knew in the first place. It wasn't just some innocent question that could be brought up at random, after all.

A moment longer, a sigh fell from her lips, and she shook her head.

"... Just be careful, whatever you do."

The hushed whisper of caution couldn't reach him.

At the end of the day, she busied herself with packing her things away. Her earlier observation of Takemichi was still fresh in her mind. She hadn't been able to focus much during the day.

The room around her became empty, and she picked her bag up finally. She sighed and shook her head, exiting from the room like everyone else had. She went to leave the building, pausing at the gate when she spotted two familiar people standing in wait. When she noticed them, she lifted a hand to wave their way.

"Hey Mikey-kun, Draken-kun!"

They looked her way when she called out to them. Mikey, a boy taller than her but shorter than Draken approached her first. His blonde hair reached his shoulders, his bangs tied back in a ponytail. Dark eyes met her blue and he grinned at her.

"There you are, Kago-chan," he called back to her. She closed the distance between them. "What took you so long?"

Draken walked the short distance over. He, much like Mikey, had blonde hair. He had a mostly shaven head with a black dragon tattoo on the side of his temple, with the rest of his hair pulled back in a braided ponytail. A strand was left free, framing the side of his face. He, too, had dark eyes.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I just…" Kagome glanced down and sighed. "Never mind," She eventually decided to brush it off. "Don't worry about it."

"Someone bothering you?" Draken asked, and Kagome was quick to shake her head.

"Of course not," she responded. She looked between the two, a smile on her face. "I mean it," she said. "I'm just getting worked up over nothing."

If only she could convince herself of that one…

"Oh!" She looked at Mikey. "I still have your jacket if you need it," she said. "It's at my house."

He shook his head. "It's fine for now," he responded, a smile on his face. "Just keep it."

She wasn't exactly going to deny the suggestion, and she nodded. "If you're sure…" she said. "If you change your mind, let me know," she added. Mikey nodded.

"Ready to go?" he asked. Kagome nodded, letting herself fall into pace with them when they turned to leave.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed. "Let's go!"

000

They made it to the park. She'd tried to stay invested in what the two were talking about, but, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep her mind off the shift with Takemichi.

Eventually, her lack of attention was noticed by the pair, and they looked at her and then at each other. It wasn't too strange for her to do stuff like this, but it'd never been so intense.

Mikey paused, turning to face her. Just when it looked like she was going to run straight into him, she caught herself. She blinked owlishly, eventually looking up to meet his stare.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in a curious tone. Mikey sighed and reached for her face. He squished her cheeks.

"That's what I wanna ask you," he retorted. "You're not paying any attention, are you, Kago-chan?"

Her face flushed pink and she backtracked a step. He let her go so she didn't fall. "It's not that," she huffed. "I just…-!"

The sounds of shouting and chanting in the distance cut through what she was about to say. It'd been faint at first, but it'd turned into an utter uproar at that point. She wasn't the only one who noticed, either.

"What's with all the noise?" Draken was the first to voice that question out loud. A second later, Kagome nodded in a direction.

"It's coming from over there," she remarked. She could tell that alone by the noise. She didn't even need to use her senses to feel the gathered group present. An aura more familiar than others hit her senses, and her expression fell.

What was Takemichi doing over there?

Was this how he got hurt all the time…?

He was among them- she could sense that strange shift that clung to his aura far too easily with how she'd been observing it almost non-stop for the past few days. The aura of a fight hung in the air, and she had to be sure.

Without waiting, let alone even sharing her intentions, Kagome broke free from where she stood with the two boys her age. When she moved, it caused both of them to go after her.

She came to a halt when what she felt came into view. Right away, she noted she'd been right, but she hated that was the case.

It was easy to make Takemichi's figure out below, even more so when he was one of the two fighting there. Even from where she was, Kagome was keen to notice the blood sticking to his shirt and skin.

"The hell is this?"

Draken's voice pulled her from her daze, and she looked at the two with her.

"Hey, Kago-chan, what's that face for?"

She figured it was clear on her face, but when Mikey commented on it, that only cemented it. Maybe it was the panicked rate of her heartbeat, or maybe it was the lingering tears that'd built up automatically at feeling the pain in Takemichi's aura, but something was apparent on her face.

She looked at him. His aura… She could tell by it that he wasn't happy, far from it, in fact, but he still looked at her with a kind smile. She could tell he was trying to comfort her, and she was grateful for the effort. He didn't want to show how he felt on the chance it made her feel worse…

This hadn't been his idea. She knew that. She knew that before she caught both of their reactions. She shook her head and motioned to the fight happening.

"I have to stop this," she said as she turned towards the scene. If she didn't… "He's going to die…"

She was just about to take a step when a hand gripped her upper arm so she couldn't just run off. She looked up, spotting Draken looking down at her.

"Do you know that guy, Kagome?" Draken asked, glancing at the one she'd been looking at. She nodded.

"He's my brother," she responded. She tugged at his grip, but he didn't let her go. For good reason, too. He knew she'd run down without thinking things through. "I can't just stand by… !"

"Don't worry, Kago-chan," Mikey said. He reached to pat the top of her head affectionately. "You stay right here," he said, "while we go check out what's going on over there."

Draken finally let go of her arm when it looked like she wouldn't run off. Kagome looked between the two, nodding after a second and conceding to staying put like she'd been asked. As long as someone could do something to stop it, she didn't care.

Auroua-chan: There were a few things revealed here.

Kagome's aware of Takemichi's time-traveling, but she can't exactly ask him about it. The well's been sealed up, and Kagome no longer has the Shikon jewel. As far as Inuyasha's storyline, it went as it did in canon, but Kagome stayed in her time.
This chapter also revealed that Kagome was friends with Mikey during their teenage years. (not that Takemichi knows…) Next chapter, he's going to make a few connections between the nickname Mikey and his actual name. After all, Souta's mentioned him a few times.

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~