She's In Love with the Boy by Sereia

Chapter 1

Inspiration: She's in Love With the Boy by Trisha Yearwood

..::**::..

Emiko Higurashi had always been anxious whenever her daughter travelled through the well. She'd thought it a crazy dream or a strange teenage fantasy when Kagome had told her about the strange world and characters she'd encountered after being pulled through time.

Her vivid imagination rivalled her father's. When Kagome's eyes lit up while recounting the story, Emiko hadn't been able to stop herself from smiling, assuming her daughter would follow in Kenji's footsteps and become an author.

But when the brash, silver-haired boy had shown up and dragged her out of the house, Emiko had been forced to admit there might be more to it than she'd initially assumed.

She'd never tried to intervene—once her daughter got it into her head that she wanted to help someone, there was nothing anyone could do to stop her—but it was the times when Kagome returned with a slump in her shoulders and tears in her eyes that tugged at Emiko's heart the most.

Young love was never easy.

Kagome continued to jump, refusing to give up on her quest, and eventually, she began to stand up straighter, bouncing with anticipation as she walked towards the well-house. Nothing appeared to have changed between her and Inuyasha, though Emiko had often noticed how he struggled to communicate his feelings.

As long as Kagome was happy and safe, she didn't need to know the details.

The threat of a final battle loomed closer, and the anxiety returned. Naraku was hellbent on bringing them as much pain as possible, and Kagome's tales of the hardships her friends had gone through made Emiko wonder if she should board up the well-house.

That thought had only lasted a moment, as she knew Kagome would have taken it apart by the nails in order to get back through.

And then she'd returned for good.

Kagome had been inconsolable, begging her to let her jump again, but Emiko had refused, dragging her daughter away and forcing her into a hot bath. Kagome eventually calmed down, but the shadows of regret and melancholy followed her for months.

Eventually, she used her studies as a distraction, burying herself in final exams, entrance exams, and university courses. She went out with friends now and then, but Emiko had a feeling she was just going through the motions—or perhaps trying to convince herself to live a normal life.

And then the letter arrived.

Kagome rarely received mail at the shrine, so Emiko didn't think much of it, bringing it up a week later when she'd stopped for a visit. Kagome's smiles were still fleeting, so Emiko hoped it was a wedding invitation from an old friend—something to distract her from the monotonous life she'd set up for herself.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "All of my high school friends know where I live, Mama. And Eri is the only one in a long-term relationship." She tore open the envelope and sipped her tea as she unfolded the letter. "Besides, the deadline for my next manuscript is coming up, so I don't have time—" Her cup fell to the floor, shattering on contact as she stared at the paper.

Emiko moved to pick up the pieces, but Kagome grabbed her arm, hand shaking as she struggled to stay upright. "What's wrong? Did something happen to—"

"He's alive." The letter was clutched so tightly in Kagome's hand that Emiko couldn't see the signature at the bottom. Her breath came out in short, frenzied pants as she finally looked up. "Inuyasha is alive, Mama! And not just him! Kouga and Shippou and—" She jumped into her mother's arms, tears of happiness running down her face.

Emiko wasn't sure how to feel. Kagome had spent so much time getting over the life she could've had, the love she'd lost, and had become stronger for it. But as she watched her chatter about the contents of the letter, the relief and joy that mixed together on her face, Emiko could only hug her daughter back, grateful to see a genuine smile on her face again.

..::**::..

"I'm so nervous, Mama. What if he doesn't recognize me?"

Emiko chuckled, one arm slipping around Kagome's shoulders to give her a reassuring squeeze. "I doubt he'd think you were anyone else. Besides, you took so long to get ready, it would be a shame to put it off now."

Kagome blushed, pulling at the hem of her dress. She'd suggested meeting up at the shrine since it was familiar, though Kagome had also cited that it was less crowded, so they wouldn't have to stifle their conversation.

Or glamours.

One of the reasons Kagome had given up hope of ever seeing them again was the complete lack of youki in the main cities, but apparently, the kitsune in her group had developed a knack for illusions early on, steadily improving his skills as humans continued to outnumber the hanyou and youkai population.

"It's a shame not everyone could make it today," Emiko said.

Kagome let out a sigh, shifting her weight from side to side. "They should be able to next time. Besides, it was kind of a last-minute thing. Inuyasha was barely able to—" There was an odd tingle in the air, sending goosebumps up their arms before they had to shield their eyes.

"I told ya to warn me before ya did that!" A familiar voice groused, followed by shuffling. Emiko blinked rapidly, feeling Kagome tense next to her. "Next time, I'm leavin' ya behind."

When the light finally faded, Inuyasha was brushing himself off, having stumbled to his knees. It was odd to see him in modern clothes, though the t-shirt he was sporting was the same shade of red he always wore.

Emiko had also expected him to show up in his glamour, but silver ears twitched before he turned to them, a fang poking out over his lip as he grinned. "Hi."

Kagome stood frozen beside her, chest heaving slightly as she stared at the pair. Emiko didn't recognize Inuyasha's companion, but from the stories her daughter had told her, she could only assume it was—

"Sesshoumaru." His name was barely a whisper, taken away by the wind before gravel crunched under Kagome's feet. Emiko smiled, fully expecting another round of curses as Inuyasha was tackled to the ground, but Kagome bypassed him completely, throwing herself at his brother instead.

The only one who didn't seem surprised was Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru quickly recovered from his shock, arms wrapping around Kagome before he buried his face in his hair, her daughter's shoulders trembling as she pulled him closer. Emiko's mouth fell open, and she gave Inuyasha a questioning glance.

"Keh, hopefully it'll finally shut him up. He's been a right bastard for centuries," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he stood beside her.

"I had thought that you—"

Inuyasha made a face, then shook his head. "Nah, she's like a sister now. Has been for a while." He looked at the couple, Kagome's fingers stroking the marks on Sesshoumaru's face. "I'll still kill him if he hurts her, though." He turned back to Emiko, ears twitching again, and she caught a glimpse of the teen she remembered. "How ya been?"

She was never one for formalities, so she pulled him into a fierce hug, Inuyasha stiffening for a moment before returning the embrace. "I'm glad you're safe."

His grip tightened, and he nodded silently. "Likewise."

"Shall we leave them alone for a moment? You can tell me what you've been up to all these years." She looped an arm through his, tugging him towards the house. "Kagome tells me you're a ceramicist."

He blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "It was a good distraction when Kagome got sucked through the well. But I ended up being pretty good at it."

"I'd love to see your shop one day," she said, glancing over her shoulder. "Once things have settled down."

He sighed, stopping before they entered the house. "Hey asshole," he called, "don't do anything gross!" Gold eyes flickered toward him, Sesshoumaru opening his mouth to retort, but Kagome grabbed his hair, pulling him down and silencing him with a kiss.

Emiko's laughter smothered Inuyasha's groan, and he ran a hand through his hair. "This is why I wanted to come by myself."

"From what I've heard, your brother would've tried to skin you if you'd told him that." Her grin widened when he shrugged, tugging him the rest of the way inside. "Come on. Tell me how he went from trying to melt her to that."

His initial smirk returned. "How much time ya got?"