Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

I Said NO!

Or

Why Inuyasha Hates Kagome's School

"I said NO, wench!" Inuyasha stood in front of the well with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "You aren't going back!"

Kagome glared at him. "I HAVE to go to SCHOOL Inuyasha! I have an Algebra quiz I HAVE to STUDY for!"

"I said NO!"

She clenched her hands, and she began to glow with a fire in her eyes. "Inuyasha…."

Uh oh.

"SIT!"

Whump!

Inuyasha continued to yell at Kagome that she wasn't allowed to leave even as she hopped merrily down the well. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were all watching from the relative safety of the bushes. Like they could really hide from Inuyasha. Pssshaw.

Once the spell wore off the dog demon sat up and looked down the well. He continued to yell at the girl who was now 500 hundred years in the future. Then he sat on his haunches and kicked dirt at the well before leaping off into the trees.

He waited in the trees until nightfall, when he was certain that the demon slayer, perverted monk, and fox kit had all left for Kaede's hut for the night. Then he dropped to the ground and looked around.

It was safe.

In a flash he was down the well and traveling to Kagome. Uh… to Kagome's TIME.

Quickly he hopped into his tree and stared at Kagome in the window. Stupid girl, always coming back to this stupid, smelly time for her stupid homework and her stupid school. And stupid boys. Inuyasha growled.

He watched her as she chewed on her pencil and concentrated on the book in front of her. He watched as she yelled in frustration and threw the book against the wall. He watched as she reluctantly picked it back up and got back to work. He watched as she cried in despair. And he watched as she eventually fell asleep with her head on the book.

Why does she do this to herself? I can't stand it. How am I supposed to protect her from this? I hate it. I hate what it does to her. It makes her cry.

Why does she keep coming back?

Miroku had once told him that she needed to study in order to be able to get a good job once she was older so that she would be able to take care of herself.

Which is stupid. I take care of her.

Besides, most of their fights were about school. If it wasn't for school, Kagome would be able to stay with him all the time. She wouldn't have to be so worried all the time.

She wouldn't have those nightmares.

The nightmares worried Inuyasha. Most nights the girl tossed and turned in her sleep, mumbling about math or science homework. Algebra in particular seemed to haunt her the most. Her heart would race in terror in the night. Sometimes she would cry, sometimes she would let out a whimper.

Inuyasha dug his claws into the tree. It's a demon I can't fight for her.

His sensitive fuzzy ears twitched as he heard Kagome whimper again. He leaped into her room, barely even noticing anymore that she always left her window open. Quietly he picked her up and put her on her bed. Awkwardly he patted her head. It's something that always seemed to calm her down.

He slumped down to sit beside her bed and watch her.

I hate this. I feel so helpless. I really hate this. What does she need Algebra for anyhow? It's not like she needs it at home. She doesn't need to get any smarter, she already probably the smartest person in Japan in our era.

A troubling thought entered his head. What if Kagome wasn't going to stay with him after all? What if she was going to finish school, get a job, and live HERE forever? Is that why she goes to school? So she could leave him?

Inuyasha shook his head.

No. She promised me she'd stay with me. She wouldn't leave me.

Would she?

Worriedly Inuyasha watched Kagome sleep. He struggled with whether or not he should wake her up. What if she really does leave me?

Inuyasha poked her. "Oi, wench." He poked her again. "Wake up."

She stirred. "Inu…. (yawn)… yasha?" Slowly she turned to face him and stifled another yawn.

He glared at her and crossed his arms protectively in front of his chest.

"You keep your promises."

Kagome cocked her head to one side. Now she was waking up. She sat up and sat with her back against the wall. She patted the spot beside her. Inuyasha got off the floor and sat in that spot.

"I keep my promises, Inuyasha." She looked him in the eye.

"You better."

She grinned with good humor. "I will. Now, is there any promise in particular I'm supposed to keep?"

He glared at her. "All of them."

Drawing her knees to her chest, Kagome rested her head on them. "What's this about, Inuyasha? Spill it."

He grumbled. This wasn't exactly how he was planning on this conversation going. He stood up and prepared to leap out of the window.

"SIT!"

Whump!

Casually Kagome got up from the bed and sat on Inuyasha's back, pinning him to the ground.

"Okay, dog boy. Fess up."

He refused to answer. So she had to resort to drastic measures. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to do this to him, but it was her only weapon against the inhumanly strong hanyou. She tickled him.

"Stop!"

"Not until you talk to me."

"No!" She continued her torture.

"Talk!"

"No!"

He flipped over, ready to escape. But he made the mistake of looking up. She stopped tickling him and put her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes were suddenly serious.

"Please."

He sighed and pushed her off of him. Walking to her desk he picked up her book.

"It makes you miserable, Kagome. Why do you do it?"

Kagome sighed, not really wanting to continue their usual argument over school and homework. "I have to study to graduate."

"Why?"

"They don't graduate you if you fail," she giggled as she took the book from him.

"No. Why do you have to graduate?"

She paused, not used to him asking so many questions about school. Usually he would just make his demands, get sat, and grumble. "Because… I have to."

"Why?" He watched as she put the book away and chewed on her bottom lip. "You said you were going to stay with me."

Kagome blinked slowly and looked at him. He was very serious. He let her see the doubt and the hurt in his eyes. He let her see the fear. Fear that she would leave him. Alone.

"You promised."

Kagome stood up and wrapped her arms around him. After a moment he returned the embrace. He hugged her tightly, afraid, for just a moment, that if he let her go that she would never come back to him.

"It's my last year, Inuyasha. After that, then I won't have to go to school anymore. But I have to finish. It's… well… it's a matter of pride."

He nodded. Pride is something that he could understand "Miroku says you need school so you can get a job and take care of yourself here, in your time, not with me."

"Ah."

Inuyasha growled. "That isn't an answer, wench."

"You didn't ask me a question, stupid."

"ARE YOU LEAVING ME?"

Kagome sat down with a gentle smile, pulling Inuyasha with her. "I'm not leaving you, Inuyasha. I told you that I'd stay with you for as long as you let me. So the question is, how long do you plan on letting me stay with you?"

"Keh."

"That isn't an answer, dog boy."

He faced the window, only looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'll protect you until the day I die."

"What," she teased, "Not until the day that I die?"

He snorted. "Keh, Don't be stupid. I won't let you die as long as I'm alive, wench."

It wasn't until Inuyasha saw the startled look on Kagome's face the he realized what he said. It wasn't necessarily a declaration of undying love, but it was awfully close. Too close. Suddenly he was very nervous. He opened his mouth to say something stupid out of sheer panic, but words left him when her lips lightly touched his cheek.

"Thank you," she said. Then she kicked him off the bed. "Now get out of here, Inuyasha. The sooner I get this stupid test done, the sooner I can go home."

Inuyasha grumbled out some rude remarks then hopped out the window into his favorite tree. He saw Kagome grin as she looked at him through the window. When she turned her attention back to her homework Inuyasha allowed himself a smile.

She's coming home.

Inuyasha still hated the homework that she had to do and the school that takes Kagome away from him. But knowing that she would be coming home with him made it bearable. It was going to be a long rest of the year though. There were definitely going to be some changes when Kagome graduates. When she is finally free from homework and school… and THIS era.

Inuyasha smiled. She's staying with me.