Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Traveler Meets Spirit Detective ❯ Epilogue ( Chapter 20 )

Author's Note: Well. Here's the last chapter. Have fun. Thanks a bunch to everyone.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.
-------------

Epilogue

It was a clear and sunny day. It would have been a beautiful day for a swim. Instead, most of the shard-hunting group was standing beside a grave. They had just lowered her body into the ground and buried her. Tears were in some of their eyes.

"She was a faithful friend," Sango said mournfully. "Saved my life many times during that last fight."

There were general subdued agreements from the rest of the group. Kuwabara looked especially teary eyed. Even Hiei and Kurama looked subdued. Sango whispered her name.

"Out of all of us who had to die, why her?" Was the question. Not that they could think of anyone better to die.

"Kirara. You served me well," Sango whispered in the end as everyone walked away.

It had been a week since the final battle with Naraku, and they had all finally made it back to Kaede's village. Kouga had taken Kagome back to the village ahead of everyone else. The shards were still in his legs, and until they were taken out he would be the fastest of them. Inuyasha and Yusuke had followed closely behind. Hiei was stuck helping out the rest of the group as he and the taijya were the two most able of the group traveling back once the boys had left.

Botan had taken off on her oar upon awakening. They had worried for her when she went off on the oar, since it appeared she was a bit damaged from the fight still. Later she admitted she'd crashed her oar into a clump of trees a couple of times on the way to the village. Botan had arrived four days before everyone else, one day after Yusuke and Inuyasha, and two days after Kouga. She had collapsed again, slept for twelve hours, and then went to work on helping Kaede heal Kagome.

The rest of the group had passed Naraku's part of the jewel around as they traveled. Kurama had jerked it out of Hiei's hands after a couple of hours when the apparition had begun to behave oddly. Then Kuwabara took it from Kurama before they went to sleep. He was acting more like a battle-ready Youko than himself.

Kuwabara had held it for twelve hours. Then he had shuddered and passed it off to Shippo. Shippo managed to hold it longer than all of them. Despite being a demon, his childhood innocence took the longest to be eaten at by the powerful temptation of the jewel. The barely walking Miroku had taken it from him after that day, despite that Shippo had shown no adverse signs. It was a good thing, since Shippo had snarled at him when Miroku had been attempting to take it. Miroku had given it Sango after most of another day, and they continued passing it off until they reached the village. Only Kohaku hadn't held it, more because he refused to than because it would have corrupted him.

Kouga's two loyal wolves had shown up, and after finding no Kouga, had taken Kirara between them and followed the group, acting as a guard for the first couple of days as the group had been little more than staggering forward. Even Hiei didn't mention weak humans when they were forced to rest. Not until the third day at least.

Now the whole group was in the village, and most of the attention before and after Kirara's funeral had been on Kaede's hut, where usually at least two boys and usually three were camped out and watching anxiously over the sleeping girl. The only time one came out was when Yusuke kicked one of them out, usually because Inuyasha and Kouga were arguing, or when one of them decided they needed to go vent their frustrations.

Inuyasha's forest was missing more than a few trees that way.

Three days ago Kaede had announced that Kagome was most likely all right now, she just had yet to wake up. No one had dared try and get her through the well and into a hospital. To most of them, it hadn't occurred to them, either from seeing Botan's healing powers at work, or from the lack of knowledge of the doctors in the future. When it came to wounds from a demon, the group trusted more in mystical healing than technological healing.

On the night of the seventh day since the battle, really seven nights since the battle had begun at night, only Shippo, Puu, and Yusuke were sleeping by Kagome. Inuyasha felt too pent up inside when he was like this. Despite what Kaede said, he was still afraid she would die. Many had been said to be fine and then suddenly keeled over. Sleeping outside away from the medicine scent kept his head clear and away from those thoughts. It was much the same for Kouga, who had found that some of the trees that had been destroyed by their frustrated attacks had fallen in such a way that they and their branches made a den for him. He slept against the grass and inhaling the sweet scent of life.

So it was neither of the boys who wanted her but couldn't have her were there to hear her heart beat speed up slightly, or hear the slight intake of breath as a teenage miko awoke to find herself mostly naked, and more importantly since it happened less often, in a heck of a lot of pain.

"Kagome?" A tiny voice on her chest whispered. She winced at the pain, and then blinked her eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. Then blue flames danced on some of the candles around the room and the room was lit, if looking a bit oddly in the blue light.

"Shippo," She breathed out hoarsely.

She blinked again and managed to lift her head, staring at her little fox kit. Another small head popped into view, this one more naturally blue. "Puu," She whispered again.

"Puu," The spirit beast fluttered his wings softly, then looked over at his sleeping soul. "Puu!"

When Yusuke didn't stir, Puu shrugged, and then peered up at Kagome. "Puu," He scolded, looking at what he could see of one bandage clad shoulder. Kagome's lips quirked and she attempted to sit up. She immediately hissed in pain. "Ow."

"Stay down Kagome! Botan has been healing you, but Naraku's miasma was mixed in with your wounds and was all she and Kaede could do to keep you stabilized so you could heal yourself. They said once you woke up it would mean the miasma was gone from your wounds. Without you conscious to gather power and purify it with your blood, it took awhile for it to go away." Shippo was snuggling carefully into her uninjured side as he spoke, his tired eyes already drooping closed. He had barely slept. He was sure he wasn't supposed to have heard that little speech on miasma Kaede and Botan had been discussing, but he'd heard it anyway. Good thing the boys hadn't heard it. They would have torn up the countryside looking for Sesshoumaru and Tenseiga.

Kagome sighed as Shippo fell asleep. She knew she should be going to sleep herself, letting herself truly heal, but something told her she couldn't yet. Her eyes flickered to Puu, then to what Puu was looking at with annoyance behind her futon. Kagome twisted her head slightly, her hands that had been fisted into the blanket to help her pain going instead to help her twist her body around. She hissed at the pain in her side and shoulder and dropped back down.

"Puu," he said again in a scolding voice, then flew up and dropped down on something behind her. "Puu!" he said loudly.

"Go 'way. It's not time for me to 'ake up yet." Kagome stifled a giggle at the familiar sleepy voice, knowing the laughter would hurt her sore ribs and sore everything else.

"Yusuke?" She asked, confused at the sudden stillness in the room. Had he gone back to sleep? It seemed too still for that. And his aura was swirling frantically around him now.

"Kagome?" Uncertain, hopeful, and too unlike Yusuke's normal voice for her not to answer.

"Who else would be lying here helpless and in pain?"

"Well, who’s stupid idea got you here, huh?" The familiar cocky tone was back, along with relief, and a smidgen of anger trying to work its way through his brain.

"Mine," Kagome admitted in a drowsy voice. Yusuke was immediately up and peering into her half closed sapphire blue eyes. "Kagome?" The miko grimaced as the panic entered his voice again.

"I'll be fine Yusuke. The miasma's out of my system now. Shippo said so. I just need to heal. To do that, sleep is needed." Kagome murmured, struggling to keep awake.

"Well, what are you still doing awake. Sleep, sleep!" Yusuke's anxious tone was offset by the slightly cocky grin. She would be fine.

"You just want me to heal so you can yell at me." Yusuke grinned at the last sleepy murmur before Puu sighed himself and went to sleep.

"Damn right," He whispered, but he moved his sleeping bag next to the feudal futon and went to sleep with a grin. He made a mental note to tell Inuyasha in the morning. It would only make him grumpier that he'd missed it if he went to tell him now.

Grumpy was an understatement of Inuyasha's reaction when he found out. He chased Yusuke out of the village and the two came back two hours before lunchtime, Yusuke now smirking instead of grinning, but his expression didn't seem to know how to turn sour. His clothes were a bit ripped from claw marks, and there were scratches and bruises in different places, but both hanyou and human were in a much better mood than they had been for the past week, even if they were injured yet again.

Kouga himself was in a better mood because Kagome had awoken for a few more minutes after one of Botan's healing sessions while dog-boy was still out chasing the human. She hadn't said much, but that had been enough to let relief course through him.

It was another day before Botan and Kaede pronounced her fit enough to walk around a bit. Now that the miasma was gone, Kagome knew she was perfectly healthy, as Botan had healed her enough that she could probably jump around and have nothing happen. Botan admitted that she was probably right, but it was a precaution.

It was the boy’s overprotective eyes that had Botan and Sango sneaking Kagome out for a bath two days after she had fully awoken that she'd been pleading for since the day before. Hiei spotted them, but he tilted his head and then rolled his eyes, placing himself in a tree on the path to the hot springs to guard them. Kagome smiled at him. Hiei 'hn'ed, but there was a smirk trying to turn up his lips. The other two girls gave him thankful looks and all three scampered to the hot springs, where Kagome would finally be fully dressed besides underclothes and a blanket for the first time in over a week after having a good bath.

"Even Hiei was worried. That's probably the only reason he didn't go to Inuyasha or Yusuke with this. He'd probably enjoy the confrontation, just not right now." Botan was eyeing Kagome nervously, just in case the girl was still weak. Kagome shot them both an exasperated glare as Sango's worried glance went over her as she stepped into the water.

"I didn't mean to worry anyone." Her voice was soft, and she grimaced, knowing there were still a few lectures to come once everybody realized she wasn't going to break and shatter from a few harsh words.

"Don't almost die next time and no one will worry." Sango's blunt advice made Kagome smile, then frown thoughtfully. "Excellent advice. No more plans that involve a high possibility of dying."

"No kissing boys to distract them any more either," Botan said icily. Kagome winced.

"I didn't mean them to be a distraction. Not really anyway. I just... used them like that." Kagome flushed and looked down guiltily, fiddling with her bandages and slowly taking them off so she didn't have to meet Botan's eyes.

There was a sudden ripping sound and the bandages around her shoulder were off in an instant. Sango grinned, holding them and then throwing them over her shoulder. "You're too slow. No one has let me see the damage."

Both girls studied her shoulder and then her side and her other wounds as they threw away all the bandages. Botan frowned and traced an older scar. "What was that?"

"Where the Shikon no Tama came out." Botan nodded, then checked her other wounds. All of them looked healed, and only her shoulder and side looked like they'd have noticeable scars. Even the side scar might be able to be gotten rid of.

The shoulder would definitely scar. Botan was just glad the miasmic purple skin wasn't there anymore. That had been frightening to fight against.

The girls studied Kagome, and after seeing that she seemed fine, left her alone about the subjects they were angry about. They knew that Yusuke and Inuyasha would say it all.

"How's Kohaku doing?" Kagome asked softly. Sango grimaced. "He's feeling very guilty. He barely eats. He only does because he knows I want him to live. I- I was crying at one point, and he actually said he wasn't worthy of my tears! My own brother! Of course he's worthy! He's my brother!"

The girls were silent for a moment before Botan decided to change the subject to something she'd been curious about. "Kagome, how come your blood didn't purify Naraku's miasma while we were trying to heal you?"

"Because unless I'm conscious to activate it, my blood only has the potential for power in it. It carries the power, but it isn't active. That's why I couldn't use blasts of power either, only my arrows, because that sucks the power from the blood into my hands. So when I fell unconscious, the power went dormant again." Kagome explained. Botan nodded seriously, as did Sango. Then Sango sighed in exasperation. "Let's just wash and get dressed. We're obviously just getting more depressed as we talk."

The girls were just getting dressed when they were caught. Kagome realized it first when a sudden burst of energy came from the village.

"KAGOME! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Kagome and the other two girls paused to watch all of the birds in the trees fly up into the sky and fly as far away as they could. Then two blurs of speed stopped in front of the girls who had just barely finished getting dressed.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome tilted her head in confusion. By what she'd been told, he had simply disappeared after the battle. He glared at her. She shrunk back. What had she done?

"You should not be about." Kagome felt like screaming in frustration as he gripped her with his one arm and ran off with her, Hiei taking the other girls beside them.

All three of them were dropped to the ground in front of three very angry young males. Kagome scowled as she picked herself up. She didn't even have to look at their faces. Yusuke was standing in the middle, in front of her, with Inuyasha standing on his left and Kouga to the right. She scowled as she brushed herself off.

"Where the hell were you?" Kagome briefly wondered if they were going to talk in a line since Inuyasha started first.

"I was-"

"Why the hell did you run off like that?" Yup, Yusuke was next.

"I didn't ru-"

"Why didn't you take me with you?" Kouga was stared at for a moment at his whine. He apparently didn't like being in the company of both of his 'competitors'. Despite that it was over anyway.

"I was taking a bath! I needed one, and nobody was willing to let me go out of the village and all the way to the hot springs to take one! So the girls took me."

"In your condition? You're still weak Kagome! And you have part of the jewel around your neck! There are still demons after it. You could have been killed!" Yusuke broke the brief line cycle by stepping forward and beginning to yell at her. He was only talking loudly at the moment, but Kagome cringed as she realized he was going to get louder. Still, she couldn't just let them baby her.

"I'm fine! I'm healed, my powers are still a bit weak but are fine for the run of the mill demon! I had Sango and Botan with me. That's an extra fighter and an extra escape route!" Kagome actually stomped her foot as she glared at him.

"You should have told someone! You can't just have these half-baked ideas and not tell anyone!" Sango opened her mouth to comment that it had actually been her and Botan's idea, when a number of hands pulled her and Botan away from the growing argument.

"Let them work this out. This won't stay about the hot springs for long," Miroku whispered in the girls’ ears. Kurama nodded in agreement beside him as the others gathered behind them to the side. Even Inuyasha was beginning to back off as the argument got a bit off track.

"It wasn't half-baked! I just needed a bath and I knew none of you would let me go because you wanted me to gather my strength and stay safe." The word 'safe' was sneered as she implied exactly what she thought of that idea.

"And we're right, just like we were right before. Your last plan had you on the brink of death!" Inuyasha growled under his breath and grabbed Kouga, dragging him off to the side. "Dammit. Couldn't they have waited before having this argument?"

"But it WORKED! He's dead, and we have the jewel shards! And I'm not dead!" Kagome almost growled as Yusuke seemed to brush off her rather important point.

"But you could have been, Kagome! You almost did! For that matter, you didn't listen either time I tried to reason with you. If you'd actually told someone your plan, we could have come up with something else! But you didn't! You just decided that you would sacrifice yourselves so that your friends could live. Do you really think they would have wanted to live knowing you had died to save them? How stupid are you?" Yusuke's fists were clenched by his side as he glared into sapphire eyes.

"I did what I had to! In battle, people die! They know that, so should you! I would've regretted nothing!" Instantly Kagome knew that she had said the wrong thing. One, she had lied. She would have regretted a lot of things. Two, that probably reminded him of what she'd said before she took off.

Yusuke's eyes darkened in anger. "Regret nothing? You said something similar. Right before you kissed me and then ran off."

Kagome flinched as his tone went quiet. There was hurt, even if deeply hidden, in that simple statement. Somehow, this was much worse than the yelling.

"She what?" Inuyasha hissed to the rest of the audience. Rin giggled next to him and Kohaku. "Rin thinks he just said she kissed him. Does that mean they'll have babies?"

The shard hunters broke out into sudden coughs and bouts of choking at Rin's innocent question. Miroku's eyes twinkled as the rest of the group stared at the child in horror. "Oh, not yet, but since she did indeed kiss him it does indicate a willingness to-"

"Monk." Sesshoumaru's word held a galaxy full of meaning, but Miroku took on of them to heart and shut his mouth.

"Yusuke..." Kagome trailed off, not sure what to say to pacify him.

"I didn't know I meant so little to you that you could use a kiss simply to distract me while we're in the middle of a battle, Kagome." Kagome shook her head, denying the words, and Yusuke scowled.

"I didn't mean to... It wasn't meant for a distraction!" Kagome sighed, all of her anger being torn apart.

"Just used as one, huh?" Yusuke was surprised when Kagome actually looked away, guilt flashing in her eyes. If she had been so set on her course, why was she feeling guilty?

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You-"

"I'm sorry I used the kisses as distractions, I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I was doing, and-" She sighed, and then continued. "I'm sorry I didn't wait until you boys were ready to let me go with only the girls to the hot springs."

She turned back to him, the fire back in her eyes. "But, I am not sorry I made the plan in the first place. I am not sorry I kissed you at all, and I am not sorry we did go to the hot springs."

"Didn't she just contradict everything she said she was sorry for?" Kouga whispered.

"Nah, she just specified what aspects she wasn't sorry for. Females. So dodgy." Botan and Sango smacked Inuyasha on the back of the head for that comment.

Yusuke was staring at Kagome as she dared to continuing glaring at him. Where was his anger to go if she actually apologized for everything he'd been mad about? She was being unfair!

He went over the 'not sorries' in his mind and struggled to find something he could fault her for. Instead, he found something he could tease her with. "Not sorry for kissing me, huh?"

There were a number of confused faces when he stepped closer to her and her eyes widened. Botan bit back a squeal of glee. Sango eyed her. "What's he up to?"

Miroku chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "I could show you if you'd like, dearest Sango."

"Um, well... No, I'm not sorry for that!" Kagome herself was a bit confused at the sudden change of behavior.

"Good." He closed the distance between them swiftly and Kagome's startled gasp was quickly cut off.

"Hey!" Two shouts went out from Kouga and Inuyasha. Inuyasha snarled, but managed to restrain himself. After all, she was kissing him back, and he'd given up his claim to her when he told Kouga that she wasn't either of theirs.

Kouga actually howled when they didn't stop. "That's my-"

"Leave them alone!" Botan had stepped angrily in front of the wolf youkai, her palm out to stop him. "They both deserve this, and this is much better than them arguing. Which they'll probably get back to shortly. And she's not yours. She doesn't belong to anyone but herself!"

Kouga stared, then whimpered. "But, I staked a claim-"

"And she chose to deny it. Her choice." Botan lifted her head proudly, daring the wolf demon to protest.

"Um, I don't get it," Kohaku shrunk back nervously when everyone looked at him. Sango smiled encouragingly. "Get what, Kohaku?"

"Why were they arguing, and now they're kissing?"

"Because the detective is missing a few brain cells. He skipped half the steps." Hiei's arms were crossed angrily and Kurama's eyes widened when he realized the fire demon was about to get himself in a world of trouble.

"What steps?" Sango asked curiously.

"He never even laid a proper claim. Or subdued her and proved who was dominant."

"Apparently Hiei doesn't remember Keiko very well," Kurama murmured to Kuwabara.

"She's a girl! You don't claim girls, or be dominant. You just be with them!" Botan glared at the fire apparition. He looked blank.

"Hn," Kurama sighed at the note of confusion in his friend's voice. Surely someone must have explained to him that humans, and not even all demons, did things that way, right?

As the conversation lengthened, it was proven that no, no one had told Hiei that. Apparently he hadn't given much thought to Keiko and Yusuke either. At the end of the day, Botan and Sango gave up and promised to work more on him tomorrow. Yusuke and Kagome could be found alternatively screaming at each other or kissing. Everyone was unsure if they simply liked doing both, or if they used the yelling as an excuse to lead up to kissing. Either way, there was always one person around to make sure they didn't go any farther than kissing. Though, as Shippo said, "Not like Kagome would. You all know she's not like that."

So the next two days went, until finally Kagome gathered the shards from Shippo, who had been holding them at that moment, and then the last two from Kouga. When the jewel became whole and seemed to be slowly purifying, the original feudal group seemed to draw into themselves. Sango and Miroku were seen more often in each other's company, and Kagome's time was swamped by Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha.

Shippo let them have it, already swearing to sneak into Kagome's backpack if she didn't allow him to go. He wasn't being left behind.

Sango, Botan, and Kagome all cried when the day finally came, two weeks after defeating Naraku. Kagome's bag was filled, this time with gifts from the others. Kohaku had even handed her a new well-made bow, blushing when she hugged him and thanked him for the gift.

The goodbyes went on for an hour before Inuyasha showed up. Kagome stared at him. He shook his head, holding something in his hand. "Keh, wait a minute. I'll go back with you to see you safe. Of course, I'll be visiting often, I just want your mother to know I brought you home."

Neither of them mentioned that she was perfectly protected with the spirit detectives next to her; instead they all simply went through the well, Shippo indeed in Kagome's backpack, but for easier traveling, not because she had insisted he stay. Puu was asleep next to him, having decided that he liked Shippo’s sleeping place as well.

"All right then. Why doesn't everyone go to the bottom of the well and then I'll jump down and we can hope it still works when the jewels whole, huh?" Kagome grinned nervously as a few eyebrows twitched.

"What do you mean 'hope it still works’? Why wouldn't it?" Kagome just directed a small grin towards Yusuke at the panicked question. "Into the well please."

They all jumped down, Kagome watching as Inuyasha and Yusuke scowled at each other in the cramped quarters at the bottom of the well. "Here goes nothing. Or everything."

Kagome almost cheered when the blue lights surrounded her and her modern friends. She was glad for that, though not surprised. They belonged in her era, so it probably required less power for them to go forward than for them to go back.

Within a few minutes of exiting the well, only her, Yusuke, and Inuyasha were left, with Shippo sleeping quietly in her backpack. Yusuke reluctantly backed off when she sent him a look. She gave him the bag and he retreated to the wall of the main house.

Inuyasha and Kagome stood in front of each other, amber meeting sapphire like the sun meeting the daytime sky. Kagome smiled sadly and glanced at the package in his hands. "A goodbye present?"

"Keh." Then, he quickly added, "Not goodbye. I'll come and visit."

"So, what is it?" He 'keh'd again and thrust the package into her hands. She kneeled on the ground and carefully opened it, gasping at what she saw.

A pair of purple gloves had been tailored, and she wouldn't have been surprised if they fit her hands exactly. One even had a hole in it. "Miroku's color. And if Miroku wore gloves on his whole hand, the hole would have been there."

"Yeah." Tears were glimmering happily in Kagome's eyes as she moved to the next gift.

She knew what this was supposed to represent. Sango's family and village. A demon exterminator's uniform, with blue and red where there was pink and red on Sango's uniform, or tan and green on Kohaku's. Her mouth quirked up at the colors. The red reminded her of Inuyasha's clothes, the blue of Yusuke's spirit energy. She frowned briefly. When had they pulled this off?

It was the last piece of clothing that had her heart practically bursting from her chest. "Inuyasha..."

"Fire rat robe. A little extra protection when I'm not visiting. Considering you seem to attract trouble like cats attract fleas and then give the fleas to dogs." Kagome blinked at his statement, then shook her head. A large smile split her face as she stared at the red robes. She gathered up the clothes when the last thing in the package caught her eyes. She put it on top and stared at it with puzzled eyes.

"Inuyasha?"

"That just appeared in there one day. We figured someone had made some copies and then put them in as souvenirs for you, but was too shy to say anything. After all, they're dead." But Inuyasha's eyes were suspicious as he stared at the fan and the mirror. Kagome shook her head and smiled, putting down the clothing and two mystical item look-alikes.

"I don't have anything to give you. But I can do something for you." Kagome stepped up to Inuyasha and her hands went around his neck. Yusuke stiffened as he watched, glaring harshly until he noticed what her hands were on.

"I give you your freedom Inuyasha. From me or anything wishing to hold you down."

"Wha-" Inuyasha stopped at the snapping sound and watched as Kagome withdrew her hands, a very familiar purple necklace in her hands. She held it out to him, the purple beads glinting in the sunlight.

Inuyasha stretched out one clawed hand tentatively, taking the beads and turning them over in his hands. "Thanks Kagome."

The two went back to Yusuke and he quickly stepped up close to Kagome. She sighed when Inuyasha flashed his fangs. They got inside and Kagome left the boys downstairs to put her gifts away.

When Kagome came back down, Yusuke was staring at his mother incredulously. "What?"

"Well, apparently our landlord decided that we weren't paying our rent fast enough. I wasn't that far behind. I'm sure I paid sometime in the last year."

Kagome winced at Atsuko's bright speech. Yusuke did more than wince. "WE HAVE NO HOME?"

Kagome's mother took this moment to chime in brightly. "Of course you do dear. You're staying here. I would never throw you and Atsuko out on the street. Your school files are even being transferred here. Though the school didn't seem to like them for some reason."

Muffled snickers came from near the stairs next to Kagome. She looked over to see Souta holding his hand over his mouth.

"What about out stuff?" Yusuke seemed to be calming down a bit.

"Oh, I salvaged everything useful or personal items. And I moved you and your mother's clothes here. It's not so bad. If you don't get back on your feet then at least we'll have a friend to keep us company when you children grow up."

Kagome wondered if her mother was insane. Inuyasha was frozen, and gaping a bit. They were going to live in the same house? Atsuko seemed to finally notice him. And her eyes narrowed.

"So, you're one of those demons my boy has been running off with!" Yusuke started a bit at that. One of the other girls must have been over here while they left. Hopefully Keiko, because at least she sugarcoated the details.

"Uh... I'll be outside Kagome." Inuyasha had a healthy respect for mothers, and he didn't want to deal with an angry one.

"So, I'm going to be living here?" Yusuke's eyes sparkled with mirth, and Kagome had to wonder what was going through his mind.

"Yes, still in Souta's room for now, though we may be able to make the shed in the back into an apartment for you or father so that a room will be free." Mrs. Higurashi smiled pleasantly, though she too was a bit confused.

"Here. In the same house with Kagome. Thanks Mrs. Higurashi." Kagome's eyes widened when he smirked and both of their mothers looked confused. She started to grin a bit herself. This was much better than him being hours away.

Souta looked between them oddly, then it clicked. Inuyasha's expression, the way both teens were looking. "You're together! Have you kissed yet?"

Both teens frozen and Kagome gulped as her mother eyed her speculatively. "I think I'll go say goodbye to Inuyasha."

"Hey!" Yusuke watched as Kagome flew out the door and glared at the still open door when their mothers kept him from following. "Cowards. Can face Naraku but not our mothers."

Outside Kagome actually was saying goodbye to Inuyasha in front of the well house. "I'll miss you Inuyasha."

"No you won't. I'll be back before you visit. Keep the ramen stocked. That stuff tastes good. And you and him better not do anything more than kiss. Just because you two are living in the same damn house doesn't mean you can do other things. In fact, kissing should be-"

"Inuyasha." He stopped trying to lay down rules when she said his name. She shook her head, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Don't cause too much trouble."

Inuyasha smirked, and then bounded into the well house. Neither of them wanted to let the other go, but they knew that any more goodbyes would be pointless. And if it was possible, Inuyasha would be visiting.

Kagome sighed and turned away from the well house, beginning to walk back towards the house. Then she paused, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Ah, that was what was wrong. No well magic lighting up her senses.

The hanyou rushed in front of Kagome as everyone else exited the house. "Put it back on!"

"Inuyasha-"

"I like this era and all...Actually I don't...but I want to return!"

"Inuyasha... I can't." There was a silence, and then Inuyasha glared at her. "Don't be selfish wench, of course you can."

Kagome stifled the urge to attempt to sit him. It wouldn't work and would frustrate them both. She should have thought of this before she took it off. "No, I mean I don't know how. Kaede put it on to give me power over you. To connect us. I didn't think it would have this kind of effect, breaking it like that..."

"So, what does this mean?" Yusuke was studying them both intently. Kagome looked guilty and confused. She hadn't meant to do this. Inuyasha looked enraged, but wasn't taking it as violently as he could have.

"It means... Inuyasha is stuck here." Tension filled the group of people standing there, and then Mrs. Higurashi shrugged. "Well, I suppose you're staying for dinner then Inuyasha. Come on in. I'm making ramen."

She smiled softly at the hanyou, whose shoulders were slowly slumping. She put a motherly hand on his shoulder and led him inside.

Kagome and Yusuke were soon left alone as the other followed Inuyasha inside. "Nothing is ever boring with us, is it?"

"We both seem to attract a hell of a lot of trouble. With both of us, they'll be even more." Yusuke glanced at her from the corner of his eye. This Inuyasha thing was throwing him for a loop. He hadn't seen that coming.

She smiled and kissed him gently on the lips. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

THE END

---
Until the sequel anyway.