Kagome Higurashi | Inuyasha (sit_boy) wrote in thedisplaced, @ 2017-12-04 13:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | inuyasha, kagome higurashi |
Who: Inuyasha and Kagome
What: Reunited and it feels so gooood
Where: Inside the base
When: November 28, right after they’re released from quarantine
Warnings: None
Status: Complete
Three long years had passed since the last time Kagome had seen Inuyasha. Three long years of schooling and stressing over tests and trying to find her place in the modern world once again. She had been in the feudal so often that she had almost forgotten what it was like to be a part of her own era. Over time, she had adapted and remembered the workings of her world. However, she had been gone from the feudal era for so long that she had started to wonder if she would ever make it back. Maybe she was physically in the modern world, but her heart was still back with Inuyasha and she missed him more each day. It killed her not to be able to jump into the well and travel back in time like she used to. She had visited her family’s shrine often, hoping that the well had magically opened up once again. Most of that time had been spent feeling a deep sense of disappointment because it was always closed. Then came the last day. She had wanted so badly to return, and suddenly, it was open again. Maybe Kagome had hesitated just a little, but that was only due to her family. She would miss them terribly, but she knew in her heart needed to be elsewhere. Well, that plan had backfired the moment Kagome had stepped into the well. Instead of finding herself in feudal Japan she had been transported into a place called Tumbleweed, and not only that, but into the not-too-distant future. At first she had been incredibly confused and disoriented. She didn’t often feel that way going into the past, not after the first time. This was a different sensation. Her head had been a little groggy, but she knew the feeling of traveling through time and this was most definitely it. The one thing that made it bearable was that Inuyasha had somehow been transported there as well. Being stuck in quarantine for forty-eight hours felt like a lifetime when she realized he was around, too. She had wanted out the moment she knew he was there and she had wanted to sit with him while he slept, because she didn’t like knowing he was drugged and she could have been there just to be there. That last hour felt like an eternity. She had already showered and made sure she looked nice. She hadn’t seen him in three years, she needed to look presentable, okay? So when the last second ticked by and Kagome was released her first question had been, “Where is Inuyasha?” She had been pointed in the right direction, and after setting her bow and arrows on her shoulder, she went off in search of Inuyasha. Brash, impatient, and sometimes temperamental, Inuyasha never topped anyone's list in the category “Good at Waiting.” People tended to forget that he had been around for a long time, by human standards, even if a large chunk of said time hasn't been spent in an enchanted sleep while pinned to a tree with a magic arrow. Inuyasha knew how to wait for the important things. No one, not even Kikyo, had ever been as important to him as Kagome. Inuyasha hardly paused long enough to take back his sword when the quarantine ended. He could hear Kagome now, and catch her scent on the facility’s processed air. He could detect traces of Sesshomaru, too, which he ignored in favor of the human woman just around the corner. There would be plenty of time to acknowledge his older by way of fists later. “Kagome!” Yeah, he ran to her, and yeah, he picked her up and swung her around. And he would definitely punch anyone who had anything disparaging to say about that. Kagome wasn't as bad at waiting as Inuyasha, but she could still be impatient. She had passed much of her time in quarantine looking for a job, because evidently she needed to find one ASAP upon leaving the base. She had been given a set of keys supposedly to an apartment she had found, thanks to one of the bases employees. At least they would have a place to stay immediately and not have to go searching. As for the job, she had landed an interview the following day. Today would be spent with Inuyasha and the archers she had chatted about on Alison’s network post. It didn't surprise Kagome that Inuyasha found her first. She figured he'd sniff her out long before she could ever figure out exactly where he had been staying. At the sound of her name her ears perked up. That was definitely Inuyasha’s voice. A laugh of sheer joy escaped her lips when her picked her up. “Inuyasha!” was all she managed to get out for now as she clung to him. Maybe they weren't in feudal Japan, but anywhere Inuyasha was was home to her. This place would do. Inuyasha held Kagome close, careful of his strength and his claws. He drew in her scent, his nose buried in her dark hair. After three years of waiting and checking the well every day, he finally had her back. He wished he’d been able to get to her before now. Each minute that had gone by without her had felt like a minute wasted. Human lives were so short, and time with Kagome was precious. “I missed you,” he confessed, voice pitched so only she would hear. Though he let her feet touch the ground, Inuyasha didn’t let go. He wanted to hold onto her forever. It had been so long since he’d been able to listen to her heartbeat or feel how warm she was against him. Tension bled out of him, years of anxious anticipation dissolving in moments. Eventually, he’d stop hugging Kagome and let her start ordering him around. Three years in the modern era had made Kagome only miss her days with Inuyasha. She felt the days tick by with a sense of loss that only someone who felt forcibly separated from their love could possibly feel. They had gone through so much together and being apart from him had been unsettling at first. She never really accepted that she wouldn't see him again, because she had been determined to get back. It had been the longest three years of her life. But that was over and they were together again and there was nothing that could be compared to the happiness she felt right now. It was overwhelming, being with him again, but in the best way. Even when she felt her feet touch the ground again she didn't loosen her hold on him. She didn't want it to end because there was still that fear that one of them might be pulled away. She smiled at his words, burying her face a little more into his hair. “I missed you, too,” she murmured. She didn't want the hug to stop, but she knew it was inevitable. They'd have to move along eventually. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at him, “We should probably get out of here before they kick us out.” She held up a set of keys, “Someone from the base helped me find a place for us.” The moment probably called for a little more than hugging and half-whispered I-miss-you’s. Inuyasha let Kagome call his attention elsewhere, though, and would never admit that the hairs on the back of his neck were standing at up at the idea of their reunion being so public amongst strangers. He’d save the more personal declarations for later, when they didn’t have a foreign future military watching them, and Sesshomaru wasn’t liable to walk onto the scene and say something stupid. Reluctantly, Inuyasha traded the embrace for holding Kagome’s free hand. He frowned at the keys she dangled in front of him. It was one thing to agree to an apartment while they were both locked up. It was quite another to actually have to face this oddity of modern life. To make things worse, it wasn’t even a place he and Kagome had picked. Someone else had made the arrangements for them. How was he supposed to know the place was safe? “Are you sure about this?” he asked. “Do we really want to trust them?” Though, he had to admit that no one had actually harmed him or Kagome, and it sounded as though Sesshomaru was not only fine, but hadn’t felt sufficiently threatened to take offense. Kagome probably wouldn’t have cared one way or another if more had been involved, but on any given day she was of the belief that certain displays of affection were best kept private. Hugging was innocent. There was nothing wrong with this. And surely the people at the base had seen more than this. What else could they expect from people who were kept in quarantine? Her fingers intertwined with his easily as she smiled happily at him. Even if it had been years, it suddenly didn’t feel like it. Kagome no longer felt that sense of loss because the one thing that did matter was standing right next to her and she felt whole again. Kagome hesitated for only a moment, “All they did was take my blood. They’ve been very respectful and hospitable.” She hadn’t given a definitely yes because even Kagome needed time to truly trust someone. She tucked the keys into her jacket pocket before tugging his hand. “Let’s go. We can talk and catch up at the apartment.” Their apartment. That was going to take some getting used to. Inuyasha set out down the hall, in the direction that had been indicated as the exit. Kagome’s hand in his own felt right, something missing but vital finally restored. She’d become home to him. Despite the village’s acceptance and all of the friendships he’d made in recent years, Inuyasha hadn’t felt entirely like he belonged without Kagome near. He’d been willing to wait for centuries to see her again if that was the only way. Technically, he had gone through centuries to get back to Kagome’s side. He was just glad it had been the fast way instead of the slower option. “Do I have to get a hat on our way out?” he asked, making a face. Being back with Inuyasha made Kagome feel whole again. Walking hand in hand with him seemed like the most natural thing in the world to her. There was so much time to make up for, and she fully intended to make sure he knew how much he meant to her. How much she had missed him over the last three years. That she only focused on school and never once said yes to any of the boys at school. That she had every faith they would be together again. She couldn't help the smile on her face as they walked. She had every reason to be happy right now. She leaned against him slightly as they walked, looking for the way out of the base. Nothing in the world ever felt more right than being beside him. “That…. might be a good idea. They said we'd have to be inconspicuous and your ears would stick out like a sore thumb,” she said with a frown. She was fond of his ears and had no problems with them herself, but she had a point. Said ears flicked in disgruntlement, but Inuyasha didn’t argue when one of the people from the facility handed him a baseball cap before pointing the pair toward the exit. Inuyasha discreetly sniffed the item and ran his fingers around the seams to ensure that it was, in fact, just a hat before he put it on. “Next you’re going to tell me I have to get modern clothes.” Inuyasha sounded grumpy, but this was his version of conversation. Kagome knew him well enough that he trusted she’d be able to see that. “I did some reading in there. This is a whole different country, right? What exactly counts as inconspicuous here?” People tended to make the assumption that Inuyasha was an idiot. He might not be a strategist to the same degree as his brother, but he was not, in fact, dumb. His mother had made certain he received an education, up until her death. He’d been able to gather more knowledge through the years via his own efforts, and he hadn’t been opposed to learning from Kikyo, or Kaede, or any number of the other humans and youkai who came into his life. If they didn't have to be discreet, Kagome wouldn't have had any issues with Inuyasha walking around like he usually did. She was so used to him that covering up his ears seemed strange. It was unfair he had to hide something about himself because others were clueless. Yet at the same time she understood the necessity to remain discreet. She wouldn't be running around town shooting arrows, but hers could be easily hidden. “Just for outings,” she said with a sweet smile. She leaned on against him a little more, as though giving him a little hug from the side. It would be okay, everything would be. It would just take some getting used to. Kagome considered his question, thinking to herself about all the possibilities. “I guess that's something we'll find out. Until two days ago I had never been out of Japan.” She seemed to be considering something as they continued on their walk to wherever their apartment was located. “I had to adjust to the feudal era. At first it was really difficult, trying to fit in. But I wore my school uniform most of the time and people mostly didn't say anything about it. After a while it was home so eventually I went into it without worrying over how I dressed. If people don't like how you're dressed they can get over it.” Kagome was defending him before an issue even came up. “But if you want to wear something different I can help you find something,” she said cheerfully. Shrugging, Inuyasha strode out of the building as though he didn’t care what anyone thought. He often succeeded at not caring, but sometimes, he was as self-conscious as anyone. It was difficult not to be, the way he’d grown up. “Maybe,” he allowed. “I’ll think about it. I’m not sure about those blue jeans things. They don’t seem very practical.” The stiff fabric and tight fit struck Inuyasha as a terrible idea. T-shirts weren’t so bad, and the sweatpants he’d seen were enough like hakama that he thought they might be okay, though no one seemed to wear them in public unless they were doing what Kagome called “exercising.” “We probably need to get some things anyway, don’t we?” he asked. “How do we do that? Money doesn’t just show up.” That was one concept of the modern world that Inuyasha understood perfectly well. Although he was able to get by on bartered goods and labor in his own time, people still used and sometimes relied on money. Kagome preferred something less restrictive than jeans, although she could wear them when the weather called for it. She couldn't imagine Inuyasha wearing a pair. That didn't seem to compute with her brain. She was so used to seeing him a particular way that anything else just wasn't right. “I think they would be too restrictive for you,” she said thoughtfully. “Yes, we should probably get some groceries,” she said with a nod. “I wonder where the store is from here,” she looked around, trying to gauge the area. She pulled out the device she had been given, “I’ll take a look at the map.” She stopped to momentarily study the map. “Ah, looks like the store and the apartment are the same direction.” She looked back up to him, “We could get some groceries on the way and I can make us some noodles.” It would take time for Inuyasha to decide what he liked in this era and this country, and how he wanted to handle the fact that he was from a time hundreds of years in the past, not to mention a culture that stood out against the local backdrop. He wasn’t opposed to causing a stir, but he also didn’t want to put Kagome in an awkward position. “I guess I’ll figure something out. Need to get a job, and I feel like they’re going to want to hire someone who looks like they’re at least from this century.” Inuyasha followed Kagome as she used the computer-thing to find a store, and frowned again. “Noodles sound good, but … we still need money?” Or did they have money, but the guards had given it all to Kagome? That sounded pretty typical, honestly. Whenever they were in Kagome’s time, she handled almost everything while Inuyasha stayed close and kept watch. It was the opposite for Kagome. She had only just left her own time so she was more up to date than Inuyasha. She was still years behind as far as technology, but at least she understood better how things worked. It wasn’t too different from her own time at any rate. “I’ll help you,” she said reassuringly. “I already have an interview at one of the local day cares. I do that tomorrow, so you can look around then. Or whenever you want. I don’t want to make decisions for you,” she added quickly. Kagome patted her bag, “Got some from the base. It’s enough to help us start off, but we do need to ensure jobs to make a living here.” Not that he didn’t know that. She was just confirming his suspicions. She grabbed his hand now and started walking in the direction of the store, “It’s this way. Oh, I almost forgot. I met a group of archers and we’re going to meet at 4:30 to practice. Do you want to come?” She glanced at him as they walked. She figured he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight now that they were together again, but she didn’t want to seem presumptuous. “Is that how that works? Interviews?” Inuyasha’s ears twitched under his hat, a tiny, hidden motion that would have been a full-blown twitch had they been uncovered. “You have to … interview?” He made a restless motion with his hand. “You can’t just go out and do something that you’re good at?” Inuyasha wanted to provide for Kagome, or at least help out. He didn’t want to sit around and leave her to be responsible for keeping a roof over their head and food in the pot. “You make friends fast,” he observed, without judgment or jealousy. Kagome had always been good with people. She seemed to be able to make her place wherever she wanted to, despite the obstacles in front of her. “Are you sure you can trust these people?” Not that he was worried, exactly. He had Tetsusaiga. He could protect Kagome from any dangers she couldn’t handle on her own. Kagome nodded, “Yeah, it’s how that works in the modern world. But the people at the base provided us with the identification necessary to make it easier to get jobs.” She squeezed his hand gently. She shook her head, “Not if you want to get paid for it. I know it’s a lot different,” she said, trying to sound reassuring. She understood what it was like to be thrown into a world completely new and strange to someone. She had gone through it once before, and she had been lucky enough to find the right people to guide her. “Yeah,” Kagome said simply with a smile. She liked meeting people. She liked most people in general. It took a lot for her not not to like someone. She nibbled her bottom lip, hesitating, “Well… I know I just met them, but the only way to know if you can trust someone is to be around them. Right?” It was how she had come to trust Inuyasha. And her other friends. With an annoyed huff, Inuyasha accepted that Kagome knew best, and let the subject drop. He’d figure the job thing out later, when they’d taken care of food and finding the apartment and anything else they could manage with the resources they’d been given. He could still hunt and forage. Surely the didn’t make you get a job to do that. “I’m going with you,” he confirmed of the archery meet. “I don’t want you to go by yourself.” He was being overprotective again, but that was his default setting, so much so that he rarely recognized when he was doing it. It wasn't like the feudal era where they could complete a job for someone in exchange for room and board or money. Kagome knew more how the world worked in this age, and in all honesty she wished they could go back to his time. The modern world hadn't felt right ever since she had returned. She felt out of place. Even with Inuyasha there now it didn't feel like home. He was home no matter where they were, but the setting wasn't right. Kagome couldn't help the amused look on her face. “I figured you might.” She wouldn't have it any other way. She liked that he was protective, just like she was over him. There wasn't much Kagome wouldn't do to keep him safe. “The store should be just around the corner,” she noted thoughtfully. He squeezed her hand, gently, to show that he appreciated her acceptance, and also that he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight any time soon. All through the remainder of the walk, not to mention every turn in the grocery store, Inuyasha stayed close, hand clasped with hers whenever he could get away with it. He wasn’t going to let anyone separate them again, and he was, frankly, too enamored with having Kagome in reach again to let go. |