pluie

my ao3

inuyasha ✧˖°

anthems for a seventeen year-old girl (in feudal japan) x reader rated:tv-14

chapter one chapter two chapter three chapter four chapter five chapter six chapter seven chapter eight

dc ✧˖°

bury me deep inside (your heart) x reader rated: r

chapter five

word count: 2348

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You could feel the hurt burning behind your eyes as you watched the tracking on the Uber inch closer and closer to your location. Who did he think he was? He's the one who invited you over in the first place! You were the one who eagerly agreed...but that's not the point in the slightest. You got up and began rummaging through his pantry, looking for something, anything to drink.

Wine, wine, wine...you started reading the labels, you knew a little about wine from serving at the Iceberg, every good server should know their wine menu. Alcohol is really where a restaurant makes the most of its money.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg?!

One bottle of that goes for two thousand minimum. You grabbed the bottle and stuck it into your bag quicker than you've ever snatched anything before. You'd drink it on the ride back home. Or maybe you'd adventure in the city. You were going to laid tonight, no matter what. You deserved it. Dick had become such a quick fix for your stress in the past few days. He was an intravenous shot straight into your system, your personal brand of heroin.

You felt the withdrawal symptoms, you felt the ghost of his touch, the warmth of his heat still lingered in the apartment, threatening to swallow you whole. The ding from your phone pulled you out of your sorrows. You were falling -- and fast. You needed to get the fuck out of here. You slipped the bottle into your duffel and ran downstairs to catch the Uber that Dick ever so graciously ordered for you.

You slipped into the car and hugged yourself tight. The sadness that you feel in your everyday life was knocking on the windows, screaming at you to let it in. You don't know why you'd let the feelings and time with Dick consume you so quickly; he was just a man. There's nothing special about being a man. But your heart couldn't help but flutter at the very thought of him.

You gnawed off the cork of the wine bottle with your canines and started drinking straight from the nozzle of the green vessel. By the time you'd gotten out of the Uber, your mouth was purple, and you'd drunk the entire bottle. Something to regret later, the rational side of your brain had turned off, and instead of your feet leading you towards your shitty apartment, your feet turned you to the even shittier bar next to your apartment.

The musky atmosphere of the bar hit you as soon as you walked inside. The interior was actually comforting. It was authentically Gotham. The vinyl on the barstools was worn and peeling, the kind of seat you would pick at until it crumbled apart in your fingers. The lights were dim, and the walls were spotted with dirt and age. You walked to the back of the bar and sat on a stool by yourself. You pressed your forehead to the cool mahogany wood of the bar and rested your racing mind. You really couldn't get this torn up about something so insignificant; you felt deeply, and you hated that about yourself. You turned a paper cut into a gunshot wound, and this hookup had turned into boyfriend material. You sighed and smacked your forehead.

You needed courage. Liquid courage. You made your way up to the bar, you ordered whatever was cheapest, you didn't care. You were drunk enough off the wine; the extra liquor was simply there to aid in your numbness. You had drunk yourself into a stupor within three hours of being there. It felt good to let go in a way that wasn't sex for just a moment. Since even sex was frustrating for you now. Life was too unfair! Your brain was active enough to people-watch, though. It was always intriguing to see what types of people walked in after dark; you'd make up stories for them in your head, maybe they were a lawyer, or a doctor, or perhaps a prince from a far-off land.

You'd been eyeing up a rugged, yet boyish man for a couple of minutes. You wondered what his story was. He was tall, with big, glassy emerald eyes and cropped dark hair. His face was delicate, but his body told another story; he seemed rough. Scars littered his arms (huge--ginormous arms). He was hunched over a pint of beer, looking at the glass with the stare of someone who was reminiscing. You didn't want to bother him, but he just seemed so...interesting. You couldn't help yourself. You slid off the barstool you were sitting on and attempted to make your way over to his booth. Your body was unbalanced; you essentially fell over yourself three times before actually making it to the table.

"Hi...you looked...I don't know." You realized you genuinely didn't have a reason to wonder over, but you were just drawn to him. He looked sad. "You look...sad. Are you alright?" Your stupid, drunken brain finally pieced together the words for you. What great joy!

"It's not particularly smart to talk to random people in this city. You do know that, don't you?" He said gruffly. Okay. A little prickly, you could work with that. You liked a challenge.

"I know...but if you were a psycho-killer hell-bent on destroying humanity, you would've shot me by now. Can I sit?" You said far too perky, you were much more loose-lipped when you were drunk, a blessing and a curse. He didn't say anything, just nodded to the cushy leather seat across from him. You slid inside the booth and lay your head on the table, your eyes were big and wide as you stared up at him. You were bursting with curiosity. He looked down at you and continued to drink his beer. "Whatcha thinkin' about, stranger?" You tilted your head as you asked your question.

"Jason."

"What?"

"That's my name, it's Jason." He said semi-flat, and he took another sip of his beverage.

"Okay, progress! What are you thinking about, Jason?" You gently nudged the question once more. You looked down, his fist was all balled up. He was a nut you wanted to crack in more ways than one.

"What is your name?" He said prickly again.

"My name is Y/N."

"And what are you thinking about Y/N?"

"To be honest..." Dick, your brain called out to you. You were still so upset about what happened to him earlier. You really did like him more than you should, a mental note for something to fix about yourself later. You don't know what it was about Jason; you just felt like you wanted to be honest with him. "This guy. He uhm...yeah. I don't know what I'm thinking, I guess." You felt the salty waves of tears hit your eyes. You sucked them back in. "Now your turn. What are you thinking about?"

"The past. I guess. How things went wrong, why I am the way that I am." Deep.

"Yours is much more meaningful than mine, fuck, I sound like a loser!" You started laughing. He cracked the slightest bit of a smile. You smiled back at him.

"Maybe we're both losers. Look at where we're sitting right now. This has to be one of the worst bars in the city, if not one of the worst bars ever."

"I guess you're right. Both losers." You laughed again. His fist unballed. He had big ass hands. "Your hands are really fucking big." Loose lips. "Sorry."

He laughed at you--with you? You couldn't really tell at this particular moment. "Thank you?"

"You're welcome!"

Silence washed over the two of you, but not uncomfortable silence. The kind of silence you sit in with a friend who has known you forever, it was strange for this situation, sure. But it felt like you knew him. Like you really truly knew him, and he knew you. Even though the two of you had just met, you felt your body leaning closer towards him.

"You have a very comforting presence, you know?" You said softly.

"Do I? I've never heard anyone say that about me before."

You let the comfortable silence overtake the cramped booth, your eyes piercing through him. You could feel your hair sticking to your forehead; you were nervous. It's not as if there was anything to be worried about...simply, you could feel your heart beating right out of your chest. The man in front of you was handsome, and you wanted some attention; it was fucked up, but that's all you wanted. Something to satiate the primal hunger and desire for something more that burned inside of you. An untameable flame that smolders beneath the surface of your skin.

You let your eyes close and took a deep breath, and lay your head back on the cold wood of the table. You felt Jason's warm hand start to stroke your head, and you lay into the touch like a touch-starved pet. He was warm. It felt nice to have a rock like that.

"Do you want to come back to my place?" Loose lips. Once again, a blessing and a curse.

"What?" He let out a little chuckle.

"Do you want to come back to my place?" You said once more, with more sincerity this time. You meant it with everything in you, or drunk, you meant it with everything in you, the liquid was starting to cloud your judgement, but nothing wrong with a little fun, right?

"Uhm...yeah...fuck it, why not?" The mere chuckle from before turned into something. more full. "Yeah, let's go." The two of you slid out of the booth and began the walk to your apartment. It was short, yet enjoyable. The two of you shared laughs and a cigarette as you began the ascent to your apartment. You fumbled with the keys, and soon the two of you were inside.

"This is my very humble abode," you let out a laugh.

"Shh, no, it's nice," he said in a comforting manner. He pushed your hair out of your face, his large hand landing on your cheek. His eyes were lidded, as were yours. The distance between the two of you practically begs to be closed. You leaned a little bit closer to him.

"Hi," you said shyly.

"Hi, yourself."

The distance was closed after a few agonizing seconds. And soon lips were on lips. It was different when you kissed Dick; it felt like you were trying to swallow each other whole, but this...it felt as if Jason was trying to savor you.

Snap out of it! Fuck Dick! He left you all alone tonight anyway; you had someone else to enjoy, someone else to know you, and in this moment, that's all you wanted. Your hands went to Jason's short, cropped hair and gave it a little tug. He let out a small groan, both of his hands came to your face now, and he began to kiss you with more fervor.

"You're so beautiful," he said softly. You could hear the smile coming through his words as he spoke to you. It made you feel all shy. You pressed a small peck to his cheek, slipping off your heels. You waited for him to untie his shoes, and then the two of you made your way to the bedroom.

You could see the sun rising over the cityscape as you looked out the window. Fuck...had the two of you really been talking in the bar that long?

"It's morning already?" He said as he joined your side.

"Yeah...I guess so," you leaned your head on his shoulder. You felt his fingers thread through yours, and you squeezed his hand. The two of you settled on the ground in front of the window; the evening wasn't about sex anymore. You loved watching the sun rise, but it is, and will always be much better when you are watching with someone.

"It's so beautiful, isn't it? Watching the city wake up. Seeing all the cars, all the people embark on their journeys for the day. It always makes me realize how similar we all are. That we all have a little goal that we live for, you know?" You felt like such a dweeb saying that, but it was truly the way you felt. There was so much beauty in the world, it was hard not to take it in during moments like this. Little quiet moments with a stranger.

"What an interesting way to view Gotham...I..."

"Cheesy?"

"No. No! Not at all, I've just never heard someone see it that way. I like you, I don't know you. But I like you. The way you think."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Thanks."

You continued to let that silence soak up your shitty one-bedroom. The two of you huddled up just watching the cars go by. It was a new day. There was still time for you to regulate yourself, to not freak out about Dick, and to make a new friend. To calm that insatiable urge inside of you. To make a new friend. You squeezed Jason's hand once more. You felt as though life was going to get interesting for you very soon; a greater purpose had to be coming. But you had to tackle the challenges of your day-to-day.

The two of you snuck under the covers of your bed, your head leaned on his shoulder.

"You're interesting." You told Jason.

"You are, too. Let's get some sleep."

The world of dreams stole you away and had you wish for something more. For the first time in a long time, you feel completely fulfilled.

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chapter four

words: 2597

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Your stellar mood from earlier had been sufficiently snuffed out after everything with the Red Hood. Your hands were stiff, moving on autopilot as you rolled silverware for tomorrow's customers. You'd do his dirty work for him, I mean, 800 dollars a night will make a huge dent in your bills for the month. He was just...odd. You couldn't quite pin his motives; everyone has them. Vigilantes want to be as well-known as Batman, or get revenge, or serve "real" justice. But what did the Red Hood want? He was so morally grey. He killed some terrible people, sure. That wasn't a bad thing, after all. But he's capitalizing on drugs, too. You shook your head. There was no point in trying to diagnose him; he's giving you cash. Who cares? You'll take it on the chin, just like you do with everything else.

You turned on your customer service smile for the last few minutes of your shift, before heading to the back of the cafe. You sat down on the bench and took a deep breath. Just a couple more hours on your feet and then you'd be done. You could hear your phone vibrating on the bench. You picked it up and cheesed. A text message from Dick.

"Hey, I know I just saw you this morning, but do you want to come over to my place later?"

Your fingers skittered across the keys as you typed up a response. You felt your heartbeat picking up at the thought of him. He was really considerate and nice; you weren't used to that. It felt foreign, but it was something you could get used to for sure.

"I'm down! I don't have the money to Uber, so I'll text you like 30 minutes before I'm off, would that be okay?"

"Yeah, I can pick you up, no problem."

"Cool :)"

Smiley face emoji. You actually felt smiley this time, though. You packed up your stuff, slid your headphones over your ears, and exited the cafe. The polluted air of the city hit you in the face, making you scrunch your nose before your body grew accustomed to the...interesting smells of the city. The trash that didn't seem to be there earlier had reappeared, the grimy streets were smothered in litter, and you felt terrible for the people who had to clean that shit up. It seemed never-ending.

You had your delusions to fill up your mind with while you walked to work. You knew that the thing with Dick wasn't meant to be taken seriously; that was the thing the two of you had agreed on after all. You couldn't help yourself; thoughts of his tanned skin filled your head--he was a total Adonis. So beautiful that it hurt. You hummed as you entered the Iceberg, pushing your way into the back room. You did have a mission for the day, but who cares! You'd get the info for Red Hood; 800 dollars was 800 dollars.

Well, the info was a bust...working the top floor meant zero hot gossip. You had that dreamy look in your eyes as you took orders. You shook your head, reminding yourself of the 800 dollars you stood to lose. If you secured some other dirt, you would get paid (hopefully). Your hands mundanely rolled silver, your thoughts clouded with the dick you're going to get tonight.

You quickly shot Dick a message.

"Hey! I'm about to be off, so send that Uber over. See ya soon!"

"Will do! Can't wait to see you, bet you look gorgeous ;)."

Life is good. Really fucking good, which is rare considering that your life has been in a consistent downward spiral. But today is good, hopefully things will continue to shape up.

You walked out of the Iceberg as you finished your shift, before a hand came up over your mouth and pulled you back against the hard planes of their body. You recognized the shape after last time. Red Hood felt as though he was made of granite; he moved so stealthily, despite being so statuesque...you caught yourself before you could even think something inappropriate. This man was just invading your senses because you missed Dick, that's all. Nothing more and nothing less. You blinked, trying not to get lost in Red Hood. I mean, you didn't even know who this guy was...all you knew was that he was rough, sort of an assshole...and tall...and he smelled somewhat earthy. Like dirt, it was hastily covered up with Old Spice body spray; you could smell a slight hint of leather, too.

Stop analyzing the way he smells! Jesus!

"What do you have for me?" He whispered into your ear. Fuck. You're so fucked. His voice was like smooth velvet against your ears. You rubbed your legs together.

"Not much today...they didn't have me working the bottom floor...so...But I did see Penguin and some other hotshots down there today; a lot of people showed up today. So something relatively big is coming," you tried to keep your tone even. He shouldn't have this much of an effect on you. You don't even know his name, for fucks sake.

"How would we get you downstairs?" Blunt. Rough. You rubbed your thighs again.

"He sends girls he likes downstairs."

"How much does he like you?"

"The normal amount? Fuck if I know."

"Kiss ass a little more. Thanks for the help. Same time tomorrow." He quickly slipped a fat wad of cash into your bag and let go of you. You awkwardly waved goodbye as he disappeared into the night. Maybe it was the mask? That seems like a search on Twitter for later...or maybe a talk with Dick? You'd try it out.

You clutched your bag close to you as you stood outside the Iceberg waiting for your Uber. Carrying that much cash felt awkward. You'd told him to wire it to you. Why didn't he? You didn't want your money taken as soon as you got it. That would suck, majorly suck. You'd talk to him about it tomorrow.

You saw a sleek car pull up to your place of work that matched the description of the car on Uber, you slipped into the vehicle, and tapped your feet. You were excited to see Dick, even though you had just seen him in the morning. He was easy to talk to, which was nice since you hadn't had much social interaction besides work lately.

"On the way over! Uber just scooped me up :)."

"Door is unlocked, see you soon."

You smiled at your phone screen before relaxing into the car seat. The skyline was so beautiful at this time of day. Nature was beautiful too, but there was just something about the city that felt right to you. Each light in the thousands of buildings in the city is a person. The concrete is an ecosystem of its own. You rolled the car window down and let air hit you in the face.

The drive was still going to be a bit. You'd hit major traffic on the way to Dick's place. You slid your headphones on and continued to look outside the window. A pop-punk song began to play, and you just started to fantasize. You were ready for college to be over so you could finally get a real job, and not have to work at the shitty cafe or the shitty Iceberg anymore. You were ready for big things; you were made for big things.

The traffic began to speed up, and the car started to move fluidly through the throngs of vehicles on the pitch tar of the freeway. The breeze from the open window kissed against your face, the cold air tracing your features. The car pulled up to a steady stop, and you slid out of the car. Large glass panes of Dick's apartment building greeted you; they seemed never-ending, stretching up into the sky.

You shook your head; you'd been daydreaming so much lately. Maybe it was because you've been feeling romantic? You didn't know, but your brain had been far too filled with your imagination, and not filled enough with reality. You walked up to Dick's door and knocked softly. It opened as soon as the first knock landed on the wood.

"You made it," he smiled at you, the dimple on his cheek winked at you. You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I made it," you cheesed at him. Dick picked you up with his strong arms and brought you into his apartment, your legs wrapped around his torso. His apartment smelled like sandalwood and vanilla; it was inviting. It looked like he'd set up ambience for your arrival; there were candles lit, and the lighting was moody and deep. The two of you settled on the couch.

"How was work?" He asked you, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"Long!" You sighed, then you tucked your head into his shoulder. "I'm just glad that it's over, to be honest."

"Yeah...? You want me to help you relax?" His voice was smooth and low as he spoke, his blue eyes sparkled as they looked into yours. He rubbed your shoulder.

"Yeah...yeah, that sounds nice."

He gently laid you down on your back, your head falling on the plush cushions of his couch. He gently pressed his lips to yours before peeling your dress off over your head. He began to press kisses down the column of your throat, his deft fingers went to your bra, quickly unhooking it, his attention was then drawn to your breast, capturing one bud in between while rolling your other nipple between his fingers.

You threaded your fingers through his hair and guided his head lower. He pressed a kiss on your hipbone, gently spreading your legs. His finger pressed against the wet spot forming against the cotton of your underwear. His fingers went to the waistband of your underwear and pulled them down.

He seemed so focused, you could see the sweat forming on his brow. His finger found your clit, lightly applying pressure as he began to rub the bundle of nerves. Once he deemed you wet enough, he slipped a finger inside of you, gently pumping it in and out, his mouth attached itself to your clit, and he began to lavish the nub with attention. He was doing the lovey-dovey thing again. Maybe that's just how he is? It felt nice, so you weren't going to complain.

You felt your breath catch as he slipped another finger inside of you, his tongue working in tandem with the smooth rhythm he'd set out. His tongue was working just as hard as he circled it around your clit. His free hand came up to hold your thighs apart. His crystal blue eyes sparkled as he continued to taste you. He was focused, memorizing every twitch, every catch of your breath, every sound. He wanted to find every way to make you feel good.

His fingers hit that spongey spot inside of you, and your fingers tightened in his hair. "Dick!" You moaned out, you felt him hum against you in response, the vibration sending waves of pleasure through your core. You pulled at his hair once more, and he doubled the effort of his fingers and mouth, taking your encouragement as fuel for his ministrations.

His fingers began to move with more dexterity, his mouth becoming more insistent. The quiet apartment was soon filled with the obscene sounds you were making. You continued to guide and encourage him; he looked so happy to take each instruction. His fingers found that spongey spot once again, and he honed in on it, applying his focus to it. The worries of the day seemed to disappear as you lost yourself in pleasure, your hips were meeting his fingers as you chase your high.

"Just like that...keep going."

He nodded, doubling down, his tongue flicking rapidly at your clit, as his fingers maintained that steady rhythm inside of you. You could feel the pressure inside of you building, and he could, too. He took your clit between his lips and sucks at it.

"Ah! Fuck!" Your thighs threatened to close, but his hand kept you steady. He let out a low groan as he continued to lap up your ambrosia.

"You taste so good." He said in awe, as if he couldn't get enough of you. That praise is what brought you to the brink; you pulled at his hair once more as you rode out your pleasure. Your back arched off the couch as you reached your peak, your body shuddering as you came down from the high.

Dick was still kissing the warm flesh of your core, soothing you with the softness of his touch. He pressed a kiss to your inner thigh before he worked his way back up to your mouth, kissing you softly.

"Better?" He said smugly. God, he was so beautiful it wasn't even fair. His lips were swollen, his raven hair mussed from your touch. His smirk was piercing you.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't be too proud." You said teasingly, but there wasn't any real bite to it.

"Ah...I can't help it. You're just so gorgeous spread out beneath me." He wrapped his strong arms around you, kissing your shoulder. You felt your face get hot.

"Stop! That's embarrassing!" You covered your face with your hands, and he gently peeled them away. Pressing another kiss to your shoulder.

"It's not embarrassing...it's true." He turned your face to his. His eyes were bright with passion. You weren't used to people, especially men, being so gentle with you. It felt like a trap.

"You're ridiculous," you mumbled out. You didn't really mean it.

"Yeah, but you're still here." He kissed you softly. Yeah, you guess you were. The soft intimacy of the moment was ruined by Dick's phone ringing. He sighed, his fingers running through his already ruined hair. His face lit up in recognition before he looked over at you.

"Hey, I've got to go," he said awkwardly. His hand went to the back of his neck as he avoided your gaze. Go where? It was 12 AM. Where the fuck was he going? Reality set back in, and you nodded.

There was your reality check. It was fine, you already set up the rules earlier. So no stress, no mess, right? At least that's what you were telling yourself.

"You can stay, if you want." He offered.

"No, it's fine, I guess, I just don't have money for the Uber home." You began to slip your clothes back on, trying not to outwardly express that you were upset.

"I can cover it," he said as he opened up his phone, typing a few things on his screen, "It'll be here in 10 minutes. I've got to go now, but I'll see you later, okay?" He pressed a kiss to your cheek.

You didn't say anything. You just watched him leave through the door. You felt somewhat empty; you guys didn't even have sex. But you didn't want to pry; that was too much, even for you. So you just sat on the couch and waited for the Uber, while brewing on your thoughts.

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an: hi i hope you guys enjoy! im trying to be more consistent! sorry for the wait!

chapter eight

word count: 2037

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Your feet pushed against the pavement as you kept up with Kagome. You were practically choking on all the air you were trying to breathe in; it was all so unexpected. You looked around to see what set the sirens off. You saw a masked figure and looked at Kagome.

"Dude, what the fuck is going on?" You said, exasperated. Your feet were still scraping on the pavement as you ran.

"My grandpa was attacked! That thing that attacked him wants the jewel shards!"

"Jewel shards? How did something that wants jewel shards get into the modern era?!" Your head was racing, you had so much you wanted to say, and you wanted to say it quickly and precisely, but it was difficult when you're running like you're about to die (which you are), plus you're running off of zero sleep.

"I'm not sure...but we need help! Like now!" She said as her legs continued to extend infront of her, you guys were running fast at least.

Inuyasha could help you. But how in hell was he supposed to get here? You had just figured out that you could travel between worlds, you could go back, maybe? Inuyasha was so stubborn, though.

"I have an idea..." You said stopping, you were breathing hard, gulping down air. Your face was hot, and you felt your sweat rolling down your body, somewhat cooling you down.

"Inuyasha...I could go get Inuyasha...take Sota, and run...and guard the shards. I'll get help," you tried to be steady in the way that you were speaking, man, you needed to do more cardio.

"Yeah...yeah, please be careful!" She shouted, her voice echoing off the rocks by her home. You sighed and began to run back towards Kagome's home. The creature was following Kagome, so you'd be safe. You had to move quickly if you wanted Kagome to be safe, too.

You were moving faster than you ever had in your life; you could feel your heartbeat pounding against your chest as you ran, and you felt your shirt dampen with sweat as you made it closer and closer to the shrine at Kagome's place.

By the time you made it to the sacred site, your legs felt like lead, and your vision was slightly blurred. You took a couple of seconds to catch your breath before looking down into the gaping black hole that was the well. It was almost unfathomable that something so wondrous and beautiful was inside that scary cavern. But you had to go. inside if you wanted to reap any rewards.

"Okay...here goes nothing!" You hyped yourself up as you sat on the edge of the well. You closed your eyes before letting yourself be consumed by the darkness of the well. You became alert once you felt the cool breeze of the well over your skin, your eyes now coming open.

It was that same darkness from last time. Not that speckled star wormhole that Kagome had described as her experience. Maybe you had some sort of damage? You didn't know. What you did know was that you had to scramble back to the feudal era, and quickly. It was like the well could feel your urgency; it didn't feel like you were stuck in molasses, the movement felt fluid. It gave you a sense of hope, and you felt as if everything was going to be okay. Somehow.

You felt yourself land on the soft padding of dirt that floored the well. Wow, that was way quicker than last time! You needed that speediness to last. You gripped the vines attached to the well, scaling your way to the lip of the structure. You slid yourself over the side and began to run through the woods.

"Inuyasha!" You called out as your feet guided you towards the village. You could hear your voice getting muffled by the trees. You shouted louder until you could hear the crunch of leaves behind you.

"Jeez! What are ya yelling for? I thought you left to go 'study' or whatever," Inuyasha said with blaring sarcasm, his words biting you as he spoke. You placed your hand on his shoulder as you struggled to breathe. You'd done so much running in such a short amount of time that it almost killed you.

"Help...need your help," you managed to spit out. There on his face, you saw...concern? Maybe for you, or maybe for Kagome. "Please." You were taking deep, shallow breaths, your eyes wide. Even though everything always seemed to be alright in these situations, you couldn't help but worry; you were a very anxious person. He placed an uncharacteristically gentle hand on you before guiding you to the well.

Good thing he was essentially reading your mind; you were too tired to speak. In more ways than one. You were completely drained, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Plus, you still have your finals tomorrow. Inuyasha wordlessly threw you on his back, and your nails dug into the warm fabric of his dress.

"It'll be fine. Okay? I'll save you and Kagome before you get into any real trouble," He said gruffly.

"Okay," you said back quietly. You let your head rest on his shoulder, and you finally felt a sense of calm for the first time in 48 hours. You shut your eyes tight, feeling the breeze of the well tickle your skin.

You could feel the pull of time sucking both of you back to the modern day. You thanked whatever was out there for the sense of urgency that was continuing to be displayed. The strength from Inuyasha's legs shot you out of the well. You could hear him sniffing before his feet carried him and you into the night sky.

"Thank you." You said softly, calmly. You were extremely tired, and your entire body felt heavy. You trusted him to take care of everything. Your eyes struggled to stay open, but you kept them open anyway. The night sky was pitch black, but illuminated by the stars of the abyss. The cool night air was brushing your skin, and it didn't help that you were traveling through the sky so quickly.

You were rapidly approaching a building that looked to be under construction. You squinted and could see the massive black figure from before. It looked to be engulfing the building with its mass.

Using his strength, Inuyasha hurled himself at the massive figure, cutting it in half with his claws. You could see the black goop blowing past as Inuyasha made a steady landing on the ground. You unhooked your fingers from his back and hugged Kagome tightly.

"Are you alright?" You asked her gently.

"Yes! I'm just glad this is going to be over soon, now that Inuyasha is here!" Kagome cheesed at him; her smile was always a beacon in these harsh situations.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't you two think that I deserve an apology?" Inuyasha's biting words were back. As if now was the time to be bickering! You rolled your eyes.

"What are we apologizing for?" You asked flatly. He gawked at you, and then gawked at Kagome. He couldn't look more offended if he tried to.

"What?! Kagome put my back out shouting all those incantations at me before you left, and you just sat there and laughed!" He pointed at you. You thought about the memory, although it wasn't long ago, you covered your mouth and started silently chuckling.

"Look! You're laughing again! Maybe I should just go back!" He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed.

"Oh, stop being such a child!" You shot back. You regret trusting him earlier. He has these moments where he really could be a hero, but right now, he was being so immature that you couldn't even bring yourself to care! You opened your mouth to start arguing with him before Kagome cut you off.

"Fine, fine! We're sorry, okay? Look, the monster has a jewel shard-- don't you want to add it to our collection?" Kagome said with a coaxing tone. Inuyasha's body remained rigid, but you could see his ears twitch slightly. But he remained there with his arms crossed.

"Look, the monster!" Sota shouted out, pointing behind you, and all three of you whipped around to see the monster repairing the bonds of the black goo that Inuyasha had severed earlier.

"Inuyasha! Aim for the mask! The jewel shard is in the forehead!" Kagome shouted. You put an arm in front of Sota, shielding him from whatever the hell was about to happen.

"I am the ancient Flesh Eating Mask, centuries ago I was carved from a tree that was embedded with a shard of the Shikon Jewel. Since my creation, I have craved human flesh and devoured my victims! Now I wish to have a living body, one that will not rot." What? The brothers monologuing, you got, but masks monologue too? You wondered if this would be a regular thing. Dramatic monologues were eating up ass-kicking time.

"Yeah? Well, it's time for you to lose some weight!" Inuyasha always had some shitty one-liner before he killed something, but hey, at least he got the job done, so you held your tongue. There would be time to poke fun later. Inuyasha sprang off his feet and punched the mask in the face. "What the--" the mask had teeth that wrapped around Inuyasha's fist, the teeth sinking into the soft flesh.

You watched as Inuyasha got pulled into the massive black sludge, his form disappearing from your sight. Your face twisted in horror. Fuck. What were you supposed to do now?

"Inuyasha!" You called out, your voice cracking. Before you could do anything, the mask detached itself from the goo and came hurling right at you and Kagome. Before you could even think, your feet were moving, you snatched the shards from Kagome, and just started to run.

"Be careful! It's right behind you!" Kagome shouted, you picked up the pace, running as you never had before. Until you couldn't. You were at a dead end; if you ran any further, you would be a pancake on the street. Fuck. The mask was hurling at you, practically touching your face. You closed your eyes, squeezing the bottle of jewel shards in your hand. You were ready for the worst.

"Watch out!" You opened your eyes and were met with Inuyasha cutting through the goo, and then cutting through the mask. The light was practically blinding as he cut through the mask, the jewel shard emitting that enchanting light you'd seen in your dreams. It's like it followed you everywhere.

"You did it!" You ran to Inuyasha and threw your arms around him before you could even process what you were doing. "Thank you!" Then you realized the position you were in. "Sorry..." you peeled yourself off of Inuyasha.

"Yeah, yeah. Ya got the jewel shards?"

Ouch. Okay, not exactly what you wanted to hear.

"Yeah." You said flatly, and he thought that he deserved an apology. He was always so insensitive to young girls' feelings! The sunlight of the morning cut through the harshness of the moment, and another feeling set in. Panic. Your final was today, and you'd only studied two subjects.

"Kagome. What day is it?"

"Oh no!!! We've got to go!" Kagome grabbed your hand, and the two of you booked it back to her house.

"Outlook on us passing this exam?" You looked at her and asked.

"Outlook awful!!"

At least the two of you were safe, and Inuyasha was being nice, kind of? He was such a convoluted being, you didn't even know where to start with him. He was so comforting earlier when he could tell you were down, but the second you got your fire back, he wanted to bicker with you! It's fine, but for now, it was time to take this exam. You closed your eyes and prayed that good luck would find you on your exam, because it hadn't seemed to find you anywhere else.

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a/n: hi i've been on my academic grind...i am back hello! i hope that you guys enjoy reading, luv ya! bye bye!

chapter three

word count: 2837

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You woke up the next morning to those same silken sheets from the night before. You felt a lack of warmth by your body. Dick must already be up. You swung your feet over the side of the bed and stretched up, letting out a yawn. At the end of the bed, you noticed some clothes neatly folded. Had he left those for you? It's not exactly like your work clothes were lounging material. You slipped the soft sweats on over your body and trodded out into the kitchen. You were hit with the smell of fresh coffee and pancakes when you entered. Cute you thought to yourself. Before realizing you shouldn't get wrapped up. That was never a good idea.

You took a seat at the island in the kitchen and watched him move around as he cooked up breakfast. "Good morning," you said softly. "I stayed." You said playfully. You were known for your daring escapes after sex. Love is a dangerous thing for an ambitious woman. That's what your mom told you growing up. He placed a cup of coffee in front of you, as well as some creamer and sugar. You sweetened it to your liking and took a sip. It was a very smooth blend. You wondered what kind of bean it was; you didn't even have coffee as smooth as this at the cafe. That would be a nerdy question, though, so you refrained.

"Only cause I got up early to make sure you didn't escape," he snickered, turning his attention to the stove. He looked nice in the morning; it was rare to see someone so naturally gorgeous. "I'm glad you didn't, by the way," he smiled, the dimple on the right side of his cheek winking at you as he did. He turned back to the stove, flipping pancakes. "Because now I can give you this awesome breakfast I promised," you laughed. He went to the fridge and pulled out whipped cream, and before you knew it, breakfast was ready. He presented you with chocolate chip smiley face pancakes and runny eggs with bacon.

The word cute hit your brain again, but you suppressed it. You let the smile hit your face, though, and you looked up at him. It looked as though he was acutely studying your features, trying to see if you enjoyed it. "Thank you for breakfast, the pancakes are very first grade. I like it," you giggled. His face looked more relaxed, and a smile grazed over his features. He took a seat next to you, your shoulders slightly brushing as the two of you ate breakfast. In silence. Awkward...you weren't good at the morning after thing. You opened your mouth to say something, but the words died on your tongue before you could get them out.

"Why did you come to my place last night?" He looked over at you expectantly, his blue eyes searching yours. Well...that was a good conversation starter if anything. But you yourself didn't even really know why you wandered to his apartment last night. That was too much self-loathing and desperation to unpack at 7:30 am. Impulsivity was the second-best answer. So that was the one you were going with.

"I can't really say, actually, impulsivity, if I'm being honest," your eyes shifted over to meet his, lifting your cup to your lips to sip more coffee, you tried to read his expression. It looked like he was trying to read you just as hard.

"Oh yeah, so not for any other reason, huh?" His voice was low and teasing. He scooted his chair closer to yours. His knee pressed against yours. His eyes glinted with mischief. You hated yet loved when a hot man knew they were hot. He raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze over to you. Your move. You'd never let a man corner you. So you just dismissed his question with another question.

"Why were you so eager to let me in?" You gave him the same look he just gave you, your eyes shifting over him, looking him up and down. His move.

"Okay, okay, you got me," he chuckled, putting his hands up in surrender. "I wanted to see you again. That's why I texted you yesterday morning," he said sheepishly. Ha! Checkmate. You smiled at him. You overthink a lot, but it's really nice when it pays off. "So...what do I have to do to make this a regular thing?" He said slyly.

"What do you mean? Like a friends with benefits kinda situation?"

"Yeah, just like that," he nodded.

"You don't have to do anything special, you have my number," you laughed, "Whenever you want to hook-up just call me, and whenever I want to, I call you. If we can't for some reason, then no hard feelings, sound good?"

"Sounds great," he looked like sunshine and smiles. He finished up his breakfast, and you finished up yours. You looked at the time on the microwave, and your face dropped. Fuck...you totally forgot about your 9 am class today.

"Any chance I can borrow your shower? I have a 9 am today, I totally spaced on it," you rubbed your temple. You needed to manage your time better.

"I've got somewhere to be, too. You wanna just shower together?" He proposed, and you nodded. There was no way you were making it to your 9 am on time. Your theory was proved correct. About five minutes into the shower, you were on your knees sucking Dick's cock.

"Fuck...ah, just like that," he whimpered. He had his hands on either side of your head and was gently fucking your throat. You hollowed your cheeks and let your tongue work at the underside of his cock. Obscene noises filled the glass shower; the water did little to cover up the noise of you gagging on his length. His thrusts into your throat went deeper and deeper until your nose was touching his pubic bone. The trickle of hair around his base tickled your nose.

"You look so pretty," he smiled at you, brushing a strand of wet hair off your face. "You're taking me so well." He began to shallowly thrust into your throat again. You were letting him have more control than he did yesterday. Spit began to build up around the base of his cock as he continued to fuck your throat, and you continued to suck at his cock. He came pretty quickly, and you swallowed it down. He pulled his cock out of your mouth, and there was a trace of semen on your lips. He gently swiped his thumb over the secretion and pressed his thumb to your tongue.

His strong arms picked you up off the floor of the shower. "What time was that class again?" He whispered into your ear, and you knew there was no way you were getting to that class on time. You would just have to watch the recorded lecture at some point this week.

"Don't worry about it, it's fine," you said a little breathlessly.

"Can I fuck you then?" His tone bordered on begging. "I'll be real good, I promise," he flashed that signature smile at you once again.

"Condoms need to be on our list of rules for this agreement, too," you sighed.

"Condom! Yes! Right! Okay, don't move," he practically bolted out of the shower to retrieve the Trojan. When he returned, he was already locked and loaded. "Okay, can I fuck you now? Please?"

"Yes, you can." He looked like he was going to burst out and say hooray, but he didn't. He picked you up, then kissed you. He gently pressed you against the glass of the shower. Dick spread your legs open before splitting you open.

You sighed in pleasure as he filled you completely. The cool glass against your breasts was a stark contrast to the heat building inside of you. Dick turned your head to face his before kissing you softly.

"You feel...ah, so good," he smiled against your lips, thrusting into you almost lovingly. He was taking his time with you; that was nice, of course. But that all-consuming feeling of lust filled your soul. You wanted a rough fuck. There was time for lovey-dovey stuff later. When you truly decide to settle down with someone.

"You can be rough with me, you know," you pressed your forehead against his. You looked at him, almost pleading for him to be rough with you. He pulled out of you and lifted you up, your back hitting the glass. He thrusted back into you with increasing fervor.

"You like that?" he asked, his voice cracking as he broke down, moaning. He wasn't asking in a dirty way; he was asking for reassurance. He wanted to know he was pleasing you, knew he was making you feel good.

"Yeah, ah...you're doing good," you grabbed his hand, putting it around your throat. "Don't stop, Dick, just like that," you moaned out, your nails dug into his shoulders, desperately holding onto him for stability.

He pressed down on your stomach, thrusting into you harder. You tightened around him as he picked up the pace. He was thrusting into you animalistically now, his hips snapping against yours quickly. You moaned loudly.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered into your neck. "Look how well you're taking me." his hand went down to your clit, rubbing it in time with his thrusts. The steam in the shower built, the glass fogging up as he continued his brutal assault on your cunt.

You smiled at the praise. He was very sweet, to say the least. He pressed down on your clit, the coil in your stomach beginning to tighten. Dick pressed a sloppy kiss to your neck and then to your lips. You'd been really spoiled, getting to experience this for three days.

"I'm gonna cum," you whispered against his lips, your fingers threading in his wet, silken hair. Lightly pulling on the glossy black strands. He picked up his pace even more--if that was possible. With one final press to your clit. The coil in your stomach broke. Your legs quivered as you came undone.

He continued to thrust into you, chasing his own high. His pace was quick, but he'd slowed down a bit. He pressed his forehead to yours, bottoming out as he came. You pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, and he gently slid out of you.

The rest of the shower was filled with a peaceful silence. He grabbed liquid soap and lathered it up, rubbing the suds over your body. You did the same for him, scrubbing off the dirt from the day before. The water washed the soap and sin away from your bodies. The sex is going down the drain.

The two of you hopped out of the shower and dried off. You finally got dressed for the day and looked at the clock. 9:15. A virtual lecture was in store for you when you got home. You got dressed in some spare clothes that Dick had and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. I had a good time last night, and this morning," you smiled at him.

"Anything for the lady," he cheesed back at you. "I'll see you soon, yeah?" He pushed some hair out of your face.

"Yeah, I'll see you soon," you smiled back, a pile of clothes in your hand. You left the luxurious apartment. You had that post sex glow about you. You hopped into a cab and were back on the doorstep of your apartment.

You flopped onto your cheap mattress and pulled out your computer, watching the lecture that you missed. You took some organized notes and flopped on your bed. Back to regular routine, fuck you didn't want to go to work. The rat race continues. You took a quick nap, nowhere near as satisfying as the nap you could've taken in Dick's bed if you just holed up there.

You woke up about 2ish hours later, stretching and getting dressed in your barista uniform, and you packed up your duffel for the Iceberg. You walked to your bathroom and did a thorough scrub of your face, washing away yesterday's sins. Hopefully, talk of the Red Hood didn't reach Penguin, or else the club was going to be on 10 the whole day.

You were broke after bills, tuition, and too many cab rides. So you walked to work. The city streets were surprisingly clean today. Or maybe you were just imagining it due to your superb mood. You clocked in to work, and you were being extra generous. Extra whipped cream, extra sauce, and extra toppings. You were a genuine beam of sunshine today. It felt like nothing could bring you down.

You walked outside, whistling some tune as you hauled the cafe's trash to the dumpster, totally oblivious to the man staring at you from the corner. Until he grabbed your arm and pulled you back to face him. You were ready to scream, but he placed a hand over your mouth. You looked up, and it was the Red Hood. You untensed.

"Don't scream. Please," the gravely voice under the mask asked you. "I need your help." You couldn't see his face, but you could bet he was making puppy dog eyes at you.

"Help...? With what?" you blinked, looking at him, confused.

"You work for Penguin," he said flatly.

"Yes, I do. Your point being?"

"You didn't snitch on me for beating up his goons. No one came for me after."

"I told you I wasn't going to say anything about you. I might work at his shitty little club, but I don't fuck with them."

"I know. That's why I came to ask you specifically," he said it like it was obvious. "Get me information from them."

"I'm not going to risk my job with no monetary gain. How much are you offering me? I know you somewhat control the drug market in Gotham, so you've got money," you said assertively. Even if you didn't fuck with Penguin and the underground crime ring in Gotham, you weren't going to risk a high-paying job for some vigilante.

"How much do you want?" He sighed loudly. It felt like he was being judgmental about it. You thought about it, on a good night at the lounge, you made around five hundred dollars. If you were risking your job, you should add some more money to the pot.

"800 per night, final offer."

"800? That's extortion."

"You were literally just trying to extort me for information, don't be upset that I'm putting a price tag on it," you spat back. You weren't going to let some random dude talk to you like that. Who the fuck did he think he was?

"You make a fair point," was that? Did you hear a chuckle? "Fine, 800 per night. Fair deal, yeah?" He tilted his head over to look at you. He was leaning up against the wall of the alleyway, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Sounds great." You stuck your hand out to shake on it, and he took his hand in yours, shaking it firmly. He dug in the pocket of his jacket and held out his phone to you.

"Type your number in here, we'll be in contact, okay?" His phone looked beat up and old for someone who had so much control over the drug trade in Gotham. Probably a trap phone. You thought to yourself. You took the device and pounded in your digits, handing it back to him.

"Okay, I've got to get to work. I'll text you if anything happens at the Iceberg tonight. Just wire me the cash," you waved goodbye and walked back inside the cafe.

Hopefully, making that deal with the Red Hood didn't end your life. You knew fucking with Penguin wasn't a good idea, no matter how much he liked you. You couldn't even explain why you wanted to help the Red Hood in the first place. Perhaps the danger attracted you. Or maybe it was your morals finally kicking in.

From what you knew, the Red Hood had some mixed morals, but he wasn't a bad guy. Not if he was beating up Penguins goons. But he was monopolizing drugs; maybe it was an act to get more of a reputation? But it wouldn't make sense for him to beat up people he's trying to work with. That was a mystery to unravel another day.

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a/n:

hi guys! i was in the hospital and got broken up with, this is the ao3 curse. but here is dick with chocolate chip pancakes. thank you for reading

-pluie!

chapter seven

word count: 2550

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The realization that finals were this week hit you in the middle of eating your breakfast. You dropped your spoon, the clank of the metal echoing throughout the cabin. How am I supposed to do my finals if I can’t even get home? I’m going to be a high school dropout, oh God…A look of pure terror comes to your face. What were you supposed to do? Like genuinely. A white palm waves in front of your face.

“Hello…? Earth to Y/N? You went full space cadet,” the voice calls out. It belongs to your friend Kagome. You turned to look at her, your lip trembling as your mouth formed the word finals. Her face now mirrored the terror in yours. Her brown eyes shot wide, her mouth coming slightly agape. “Oh God…you’re right,” the words came out in a staccato, as if her brain was barely functioning. You chewed on your nail. Inuyasha looked at both of you, bewildered.

"What's the big deal about finals anyway? Sounds lame to me," his tone was smeared with mockery. You and Kagome both rolled your eyes. He was from the past, of course. But he sure loved to aggravate you and Kagome with his quips. He was far from stupid, even if he liked to act like he was on occasion. You opened your mouth to give him a piece of your mind; you were already stressed out enough. Inuyasha being a douchebag was seriously not helpful. Before you could form the words, Kagome was already on it.

"It's just the most important test of the semester! You've never had to worry about education--and it shows!" She turned her nose up at him, huffing. She had an extremely sharp tongue, even if you wouldn't think someone like her would. She could cut people down with a few words. Quick and fatal as always. Inuyasha just scowled at her.

"Kagome, how am I supposed to get back home? Aren't I bound here or something like that?" You tried not to let the stress seep into your voice. Unfortunately, you could hear it marring your words as you asked your question. You didn't want to seem like a crybaby, but it was your future. If you weren't at finals, it could cost you your diploma, not to mention your parents. Oh God, your parents. When they come back from their trip, they're going to wonder where you've been all this time...and why you're failing. Kagome has been turning in your homework for you, but you weren't sure that you could live under that cover for much longer.

"Well, did you try just going back in the well? I did that when I wanted to be home, and then I ended up right back where I started," Kagome explained efficiently. But the way the figure in your dream explained it...it was almost like you couldn't leave. You would probably sound like a crazy person if you said the "person in your dream" told you something. You mocked yourself in your head. Yeah, definitely crazy. Hell, hopping in the well was worth a shot.

"No...I haven't tried that yet," you admitted sheepishly. It's a bit surprising that you haven't tried it yet. You mentally scolded yourself again. You prayed to whatever was out there that the well would open up for you. Because if it didn't--you were fucked. Completely fucked.

"Well! It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Kagome smiled at you sweetly. Inuyasha just scowled at both of you. The few times that Kagome had left to go back to your time, he wasn't happy to say the least. You could only imagine the terror he'd cause if BOTH you and Kagome left for a few days. Poor Shippo would have to deal with the havoc that was surely to be released. But...your finals were more important than that. You made a mental note to apologize to Shippo later.

You spent the rest of the sunny morning packing your stuff away. You didn't want to leave any piece of this place behind. It's not like you were never going to be back, but you loved carrying little pieces of everything with you. You had a big heart that way. Everything stuck with you, everything invaded your senses, made you feel alive in some way. Maybe you were just boring. Nah.

After hastily shoving your halfway-folded clothes and music into a tiny backpack, you were ready to go. You slung the bulbous bag over your shoulder and almost tumbled to the ground at the weight of it. How did Kagome carry one of these around all the time? You couldn't even fathom the idea of it. Your feet trudged through the forest as you and Kagome chatted idly about the environment around you.

Inuyasha was throwing a huge fit about you and Kagome leaving at the same time; he refused to help either you or Kagome haul your items to the well. When you finally arrived at the dried-up moss-covered well, you saw a rigid figure dressed in red holding...was he holding a boulder? Dude, this is genuinely ridiculous. Inuyasha attempted to throw the boulder into the well, hoisting the rock over his head, his strength being demonstrated quite obviously before Kagome put a quick end to it.

"Sit, boy!" She commanded firmly. God, it would never get old. No more rock blocking the well's entrance. The rock was quite literally crushing Inuyasha now, you delicately tiptoed around his body; the last thing you wanted to do was aggravate him more--the last thing that man needed was another reason to be mad. You looked into the vat of darkness that the well presented to you.

That definitely didn't look safe to jump into. Plus, if it was truly this easy...you don't really have an obligation to come back. That was a selfish thought. You would come back, you would definitely enjoy your stint in civilization. A hot shower and shampoo sounded like pure unadulterated heaven. You closed your eyes and jumped feet first into the giant black hole, which the well presented. Honestly, you were expecting to hear the sound of your bones crunching when you jumped in, but were pleasantly surprised to find all of your limbs intact.

You untensed your face and blinked a couple of times. Your eyes adjusted to the darkness, and you looked up to see even more darkness. What the fuck? You questioned if you were stuck between the fabric of time and space. You could always try to turn around. Could you? Well, it was either finals (hell). Or being stuck in a black void with nothing and no one forever (super hell). Welp. Better keep falling in limbo. After what felt like forever, your butt finally hit the ground.

"Hello?!" You called out to no one in particular; you didn't even know where the fuck you were if you were being truthful with yourself. You could hear your voice reverberating off the wood of the well. After that, silence. Okay then. Time to take matters into your own hands. You got up off the hard floor of the well and dusted off your butt. You looked at the wall, and it stared right back at you. Nothing for you to grab onto. Well, that sucked majorly. "Hello?" you pressed again, with more annoyance this time. You kept repeating hello until you got tired. Eventually, you just settled on the floor once again.

"This is bullshit," you paused, "And I'm talking to myself. Maybe moving to Japan has truly made me reach my breaking point. Monsters, time travel, and a boy with dog ears? What a dream. And this black cavern is super hell!!" You shouted. Fuck man, you just wanted a warm shower and a warm bed.

You closed your eyes, letting sleep take over your body. Hopefully, you will find a way out of this mess tomorrow. You didn't want to be alone for the rest of eternity. That would suck majorly. The sleep in the well was truly unrefreshing; your back had never been so sore in your life. Ouch. You stretched up and then back, attempting to crack your back. You heard a nice pop and instantly felt more comfortable. At least you've got one thing going for you this morning.

You idled around for an hour, a few hours? You couldn't really tell in here; time seemed to get lost. Just when you had decided to accept your fate, you heard the sound of a door opening. "Hello! Help! Help me, please! I'm stuck down here!" You heard some more rustling around before you were met with a flashlight to your face. Your pupils adjusted to the light. "Hello?" You blinked a few times before a face came into view, it was Kagome's grandfather.

"Kagome! Your friend is in the well!"

A ladder, a lot of swearing, and an apologetic Kagome. You were out of the well, but still extremely peeved.

"Sorry!" Kagome said, for the umpteenth time. "I had come out of the well, and you weren't behind me, so I just figured you'd stayed behind." You loved her dearly, so you tried not to let anger come across in your voice as you spoke, but you were pissed. Like, what does she just teleport here magically or something? You took a deep breath before you started.

"It's fine. I guess. But like...how does it work for you to get here? Because I was trapped in darkness for what seemed like all of eternity, and then I dropped in. But you're talking like you got here faster than me or something," You said evenly. You could tell by Kagome's face that some of your annoyance had definitely slipped out while you were talking. Whoops. You weren't exactly sorry about it right now, though. You just wanted that shower.

"Well, when I go through the well, it's kind of glowy in there? I don't know how to describe it exactly, I'm just surprised you didn't experience the same thing," she stated plainly. Okay. So she gets to teleport, and you get infinite darkness. Fuck that, seriously. You just wanted to get out of here and start studying for your finals. You bid Kagome farewell and began the journey back to your place.

The crispy air of fall calmed you as you walked back home. It was the little things in life that brought you peace. The leaves crunched underneath your feet, and the air filled your lungs. You could hear the quiet chirp of crickets in the grass, and smiled to yourself. This was nice, and abnormally quiet considering you were in Tokyo. You reached your door and let out a deep breath. Your parents weren't back from their trip yet--fantastic. You dug in your pocket and pulled out your house key, letting yourself in.

The silence in your house was peaceful too, but it was lonely. It sort of made you miss the adventure that greeted you so openly when you were in the feudal era. You sighed, you'd be back there soon enough. You slipped off your shoes and sank into your bathtub, reading through your textbook as you let the warm water kiss your skin.

You'd never hit the books so hard in your life; missing an entire fall semester's worth of material was not for the weak. Plus, the material was so much harder than what you were used to back home. This would make you or break you. So studying it was. By the morning, you'd manage to read through the entirety of your math textbook; that was a good sign. Maybe you weren't totally fucked. You had a night to learn everything else.

But now, it was time to go to school. This was bound to be a little weird for you; you hadn't been at school since the first week. Plus, you'd only made one friend, and she had lots of other friends. You sighed, going to your mirror and washing your face. You could see how heavy the bags under your eyes were. No way you'd survive going to school like this for a whole week. But you had to. It was your responsibility to study, and you spent your time battling monsters. You get what you pay for.

The school day dragged on far too long; by the end of lunch, you thought you might die. And that you did. You were knocked out on your school desk, the weight of last night's studies on your shoulders. You wouldn't have even known school was over if you didn't feel a hand on your shoulder, shaking you. "Huh...?" You blinked once, twice, three times, before Kagome's pretty face came into view. "Oh, hi," you said sleepily. She didn't look too well. "What's wrong?" You asked quickly, the sleepiness being zapped out of you.

"I need your help. Last night, something attacked my grandfather, and he keeps saying something about a 'flesh-eating mask', and you're the only person I can talk to about this stuff, you know? Come with me?" It wasn't really a question, more of a command. You packed up your school bag and hopped on the back of Kagome's bike. Her feet were pedaling quickly, the ground crunching underneath the tires of the bike. Before you knew it, you were at Kagome's place. You'd been at her house more than yours since you'd moved to Japan.

You entered her place and greeted her mom before sneaking up to Kagome's room. "So, is anything different? You still have all the jewel shards, right?" You said as you snooped around her room, nothing seemed any different. But you couldn't be sure, it's not like it was your room, or your house. You didn't have an acute sense as she did.

"No...nothing seems wrong, it's just like...I have a bad feeling, you know?" She said, her voice wobbling. You sat down on the edge of her bed and looked at the vial where she kept the jewel shards. Every one of them was present and accounted for.

"Well, we can just wait and see if anything happens. We might as well spend the time doing something, though." You pulled your backpack up and onto her bed. "I'm going to study, but at least I'm here just in case anything does happen." You cracked open your history textbook and began to devour the information at a rapid pace. You were going to pass this exam one way or another. The day soon turned tonight, and you'd made good progress on your textbook.

Kagome had changed into her pajamas, and it was getting late. It's not like your parents were expecting you anywhere; you shut your history textbook and moved on to your science one. But soon your eyes grew weary. You'd fallen asleep once again. You were woken up by the sound of sirens, and Kagome telling you to run. Before you could even register what was going on, Kagome pulled on your arm, grabbed Sota too, and dragged the two of you out of the house.

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A/N:...dun dun dun! i'm back hello! it actually feels like the ao3 curse hit me, so that's why this is 8000000 years late! so sorry! i hope you guys enjoy! and i hope i can start uploading regularly again soon! lub ya! and as always, thank you for reading!

-pluie