For the SessKag Festival 2024 hosted by Crescent Dreams (on Tumblr)!
Kagome Higurashi checked her watch after placing the final bowl of Lego on the desks at the front of her classroom. She knew they were supposed to be in separate rows, but she found the students much more engaged when they faced each other and were able to work in pods. They were only in second grade, so they'd have many more years of stringent school rules; plus admin had yet to complain, so until then, the groups would remain.
She'd always enjoyed working with children, often choosing part-time jobs where they were the focus, but after completing a generic degree in university, she hadn't known which field to enter. Granted, she hadn't chosen a specific field in the first place because she was still hoping the well would open and let her return to her friends, but after several years, she'd finally given up hope.
School had become her only means of distraction, keeping her focused with definitions and formulas and away from fresh air, rolling landscapes, and those she'd left behind. It had taken several months of cajoling from her mother before she'd even considered moving away from the shrine on the off chance the magic returned, but in the end, she'd known it was best for everyone.
The change of scenery had done her good, gaining her new friends and landing her a job at an elementary school. It had taken her a year before she'd stopped seeing familiar faces on every other student that passed through her door, but just when she'd thought the memories of her past would haunt her no longer, she'd run into Shippou.
Literally.
He'd been ecstatic to see her, nearly dragging her from the schoolyard with the promise of reuniting her with everyone else. Apparently, they'd spread themselves out looking for her, hoping to cover more ground after the bombings destroyed any clues they'd had regarding her location. Inuyasha had known she lived in a city but wasn't sure which city it was, as modern-day skyscrapers and pollution dulled his senses.
Kagome never thought she'd have dry eyes again after his familiar pointed silver ears had come into view.
Shippou had berated him for weeks, sliding in a snide comment about him being an old man and losing his hunting skills whenever he could, but she was so grateful to see them again that she hadn't even cared. She barely had the time to be mad, anyway, what with Shippou's family crawling all over her whenever she visited.
Youkai and hanyou were part of everyday society, though many were still wary about showing off their traits in public. It was one of the reasons Kagome had been hired at Mazeru. They had the highest mixed population in the country, and somehow, her work at the shrine hadn't been a deterrent. She'd thought about shutting herself off, especially after high school, but after a few weeks without an outlet, her reiki had built up to the point of making her feel like she was going to explode.
So, she'd found a different way of using it, focusing instead on healing and displacing negative auras. People of all heritages had signed up for her meditation classes, and she'd been surprised at how many of them had brought their children. Inconsolable wails had turned to peaceful murmurs while bathed in her power, and the parents were forever grateful.
She still held sessions at school, and admin continued to offer her the role of counsellor every year, but Kagome preferred her own classroom. It gave her the chance to create closer connections with her students, and she loved witnessing their progress in all areas of their studies. She might accept a change in position once she got older and couldn't move around as much, but for now, she was enjoying the hiccups that her classroom brought her.
The bell rang, signalling she had just under three minutes before the doors would open and the chatter from outside would spill into the building, and she checked to make sure the schedule for the day matched the notebook on her desk.
"Morning, sensei!" She turned around to find little Megumi already taking off her coat, backpack at her feet.
"Good morning, Megumi-chan. Why aren't you lined up with the rest of your class?" she asked.
The girl unzipped her backpack, pulling out a card with her name scrawled across the envelope. "Papa sent you a note and wanted me to give it to you before class started."
Kagome stifled a groan as she accepted the envelope. Megumi was Hojo's child, and while Kagome had initially been excited to have her in her class, she'd soon realized that Hojo was using his daughter to rekindle their high school relationship.
Her friends had pushed them together, and after the well had closed, she'd eventually given in to attempt some sense of normalcy, but she soon discovered that they weren't well-matched. Thankfully, his parents had agreed, forcing him to break it off with her because she wasn't influential enough. Their dreams of grandeur for their beloved son bordered on delusional, and Kagome was grateful to leave it all behind when she started university.
Yuka kept tabs on him, convinced they were meant to be together, but he eventually married some heiress and had Megumi, so Kagome thought that was the end of it.
How wrong she was.
She'd thought the girl was familiar when they first met, but Hojo was a common last name, so she'd dismissed the connection until the first meet-the-parents night. Hojo—she still hadn't known his first name—had greeted her with an overenthusiastic smile, intent on reminiscing about their high school days instead of telling her about his daughter. Kagome had forcibly changed the subject, though he'd let it slip that his wife had died a year earlier in a car accident. After some light but heartfelt condolences, Kagome managed to get some information on Megumi and how she'd done in her previous classes.
She'd thought that would be the extent of their reunion, but then Megumi started bringing her notes and cards and remedies like he'd given her in high school. She wasn't sure if Hojo was shrewd or old-fashioned, but he never sent any personal emails, so all she had were unsigned messages stuffed into Megumi's backpack. And while nothing could be misconstrued as a threat, Kagome was getting sick of him using his own child as a messenger.
She'd yet to respond to any of them, but maybe it was time she made it clear that he was crossing a line.
"He got you a card this time, sensei," Megumi gushed. "I think it has to do with Valentine's Day."
Kagome had to turn away to hide her grimace. "Oh, are you wanting to bring something in for the class?" she asked, hoping to manifest the idea.
Megumi shook her head. "Nope. Papa wants to spend the day with you!"
"But that's months away!"
Her outburst didn't faze the girl. "I know, isn't it sweet? Papa likes to plan things really far in advance." She changed her shoes as Kagome placed the envelope on her desk and headed toward the main door to let the rest of the children in.
"Your papa needs to remember that I'm your teacher," she mumbled.
"He knows," Megumi reassured her. "He talks about you all the time at home." She went about her morning routine as if they were discussing the weather, but not before getting one last shot in as Kagome's hand tightened around the doorknob. "Wouldn't it be fun if you married Papa?"
Inuyasha picked up after the first ring, not bothering with pleasantries, and Kagome wondered how many times she'd called around this time with the same complaint before he assumed it would be the same conversation. "What did dead-from-the-neck-up do this time?" he asked.
She groaned, flopping unceremoniously onto her couch. "Invited me out for dinner on Valentine's Day," she groused, draping an arm over her eyes.
"It's not even November!"
"See, I know that, and you know that, but apparently, asking for a date months in advance is normal for him."
There was a slight shuffling on the other end before he replied. "I don't get how this loser still hasn't gotten the point. I thought you'd told him off."
She sighed, pressing the sleeve of her oversized hoodie into her temple. "So had I, but according to Megumi, they still talk about me at home." She still hadn't figured out how to contact him without feeding into his delusions. So far, they were harmless, but even pulling him aside when he picked up Megumi would give him the opportunity to tell other parents they were a thing, and Kagome wanted to avoid that at all costs.
"He works a lot, especially being a single parent. Megumi is probably lonely," she said, tapping her fingers against her bent knee.
"That's not the point, K'gome—"
"I know, I have no sympathy for him. It's her I'm concerned about." She lay back against the side of her couch. "She's been through enough, and now Hojo is filling her head with thoughts of replacing her mother with me."
"I mean, ya can't really blame her. Your whole class probably wants you to be their mom."
"Not helping Yash."
"I know, I know." There was another shuffle. "You should just get yourself a boyfriend. That would stop the bastard from coming around real quick."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'll just sign up for one of those online dating apps: single and looking for someone to ward off a potential stalker. I'll have to beat them off with a stick." Inuyasha's chuckle calmed her like nothing else could, and she finally relaxed. "You could always help with that, you know."
His chuckle was replaced with a snort. "Yeah, I'll get right on that."
"I'm serious!" she said, sitting up. "The family reunion is coming up. You could be my date and play pretend for a day. It would be perfect."
"Why would I wanna act all lovey-dovey in front of so many people?" he asked.
"Because," she whined. "Megumi already mentioned how much Papa-dearest is looking forward to it. Mama thought it would be fun to invite some of my friends from high school, and Yuka can't keep her mouth shut to save her life, so now he's using it as an excuse to spend time with me."
Inuyasha made a gagging noise. "That's borderline harassment."
"Exactly. Please, Yash? I'd have way more fun with you there, anyway." Whatever childhood crush they'd had during their hunt for the shards had long since cooled—he spent just as much time with Souta as he did with her—but she could still count on him in a pinch. And this was a pinch.
He let out a long sigh. "Sorry, K'gome. Mama H already invited me, but Shiori and I are outta town that week. Gotta officially register our mating. You know I'd help ya out if I could."
Kagome flopped backwards with a huff. While Youkai and hanyou were widely accepted, they were still separated by the rules of the youkai council. They were a part of the United Nations and had a say in the laws pertaining to their species, but there were some things that humans were still not privy to. Inuyasha had only started getting involved after the bombings, but it was more out of devotion to Shiori than anything else.
He was happy to live as a human most of the time, but Shiori's work with barriers gave her prestige even some of the purebloods lacked. They'd rekindled their friendship while petitioning for the council's protection to include anyone with youkai blood, no matter the percentage, and if Inuyasha wanted to remain by her side and part of her life, he had to be on his best behaviour.
He'd done well so far, and wasn't any worse for wear, considering how closely they monitored his movement within the city, but it didn't stop him from complaining about it now and again. It was never in front of Shiori and mostly pertained to how he couldn't just show up to events and meetings in a t-shirt and jeans, but it still made him feel better to bitch about how tight the collars of the council were.
He snorted again, voicing his opinion before she could question where his mind had wandered. "You could always ask Sesshoumaru."
Kagome was glad she'd swallowed her water, or she'd have given herself a second shower. "Yeah, right."
"Why not?" Inuyasha asked. "Hojo would probably take it more seriously than if I showed up. And last time I checked, he ain't got nothing going on."
"It still doesn't compute in my brain that the two of you get along," she said, finally digging into her leftover noodles.
"500 years will do that." His soft tone spoke volumes. He'd mentioned they were civil now, maintaining contact on a regular basis, but hadn't divulged the finer details of why they could be around each other without breaking anything. Kagome had pressed him a few times, but Inuyasha always changed the subject, so she assumed it was some pact between brothers that only they knew about.
"So you've said." She twirled some noodles around on her fork. "Do you think he'd go for it? I don't want to push my luck when I might need a bigger favour down the line."
"Keh, won't hurt to ask. I think he's between projects right now, so it ain't like he's got a reason to say no."
Kagome's eyes flickered to the pieces of torn envelope and card in her trash bin. "At this point, I'll take what I can get."