Helloooooo! Anybody there? I'm baaaaack! ...Sooooooo hi there again. It's been a while. Long story short, life happens. Long story...long? I got my Masters degree, and a job! Yup! You're looking at a full blown teacher! I have students and everything...who allowed that to happen? Anywho, I honestly had no intention of adding another chapter to this story, but a funny thing happened. I was told I got to teach Creative Writing this year. Me! TEACH people to write CREATIVELY. So what happened? Obviously I just HAD to start writing again myself. I was reading some reviews for this story, and reread it and realized that I was still in love with this pairing even after so much time has passed. I've decided I'm going to give this sequel one last crack, but I was afraid that everyone has forgotten this little 'ole thing. Luckily a muse bit me, and I figured, there is no better way to reawaken some fans (hopefully) than by updating THIS story first. Did it work? I hope so!

This chapter is a liiiiitle bit different from the rest in that there is another character that makes a quick appearance. Can you guess who? I won't tell! You'll have to read and see. ;) On with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters within this story. They belong to the creative minds behind Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho.

"How long will you be gone this time?"

Kagome was staring at her boyfriend of a year with deep concern. She was sitting on his bed as he walked around his room grabbing different items off of shelves and clothes from his closet. Normally, she wouldn't question his going away. She had no right after all, but the last time he returned from a "job," he had come back injured. He had tried to hide it of course, and if she had been a normal girl she probably wouldn't have noticed the slight limp in his step or the way he winced whenever she wrapped her arms around him. Unfortunately, though unknowingly, he had the misfortune of being the boyfriend of the protector of the Sacred Jewel, and said protector, just happened to be used to detecting injuries hidden by stubborn males.

The only difference between the males in the Feudal Era and the one in front of her, besides the obvious youkai heritage, was that she couldn't call Shuichi out on his injuries. Even after a year of being together, there were still secrets between them. It couldn't be helped. Mikos with active powers were unheard of during her time, and if she told her red haired boyfriend she could shoot sacred arrows with a bow, he would probably have her committed. Plus, she was gone just as much as him. In fact, she would be leaving for Inuyasha's time as soon as Shuichi left.

"Only a few weeks. Hopefully not even that long." Kurama turned around to address his nervous girlfriend before he folded up the silk white and yellow robes he would wear during the tournament Yusuke's team was forced into. The corners of his mouth turned down when he saw the look of consternation on his vibrant girlfriend's face. Guilt swam through his chest again as he contemplated yet again the stress he put the girl through. It wasn't fair to her to keep her waiting, and yet, she never complained. Always took it in stride.

Walking over, he placed his robes in the small bag that he would be taking with him on the boat that sat next to Kagome on the bed. Instead of reaching for more clothes, he curled up on the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her surprised form. Gently, he pulled her into his lap and she immediately buried her face in his neck. Deep green eyes closed as he tightened his arms around her and leaned his own head against her raven locks. "I wish I didn't have to go, Kagome. Despite going to the same high school, we barely get to spend any time with each other. But I assure you, I do miss you while I am gone."

Azure eyes met his as she lifted her head away from his shoulders; they met with emerald as she searched their deep pools. There was a sadness in them, and she knew he spoke the truth. "And I miss you. But you have to go; I understand that. I'll be waiting patiently for your return." She smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

It made Kurama feel all the worse for leaving her. As much as she understood, he could still feel the strain on their relationship every time he left or she became ill. But fair was fair. If she could accept his absences, he could deal with her many, odd, "illnesses." Trying to lighten the mood, he lifted his hands and poked her in the sides.

A quiet "eep!" filled the silence as she tried to squirm away from the playful gesture. Overcompensating, and having already been precariously perched upon her boyfriend's lap, a tumble from the bed was inevitable.

Realizing what was about to happen, Kurama lunged to try to catch her before she met her untimely demise, but was too late.

A loud crack was heard as Kagome's head hit the floor, and unable to stop his own momentum, Kurama was barely able to keep himself from squashing the already injured woman. Wide green eyes took in the poor miko as she rubbed her sore skull. "Are you alright?" His arms were stationed on both sides of her head to keep from crushing her, but he leaned to the side, balancing his weight on his left elbow so that he could feel around for a bump on her head as well.

One blue eye was kept closed as she allowed her, now guilty, boyfriend to massage her aching head. She couldn't help but wince a bit when he hit a tender spot. "I'm fine," she giggled. "I've survived much worse before." The smile she gave him was much more genuine than the one she bequeathed him with before. Flaming red hair created a curtain around them, and Kagome couldn't resist wrapping a hand around her concerned boyfriend's neck while twining her other hand through his soft locks. Her legs, which lay with Shuichi's innocently between them, were slowly but deliberately moved to drape over his hips.

Her giggles died down as his emerald eyes darkened with desire and the hand that was massaging her head before, instead tangled into her own silky mane. The atmosphere in the room instantly changed from one of mirth to something completely different and much more intense. Kagome tightened her long legs around Kurama's hips and brought them even closer together so that his chest met hers. "I know something we can do that is even better than me watching you pack." The husky quality of her voice stirred his own desire, and instantly used the hand that was caught up in her long locks to pull her head up and catch her grinning lips with his own.

The kiss started out slow, just a light brushing together of lips, before he ran his tongue along the seam of hers, asking for permission to enter. Her lips quirked up before she allowed him in, giggling a bit at his eagerness to deepen the kiss. Her tongue met his in a familiar dance before she allowed his dominance over hers. The mischievous fox explored a bit before pulling back slightly, catching her bottom lip between his teeth and lightly tugging before he let go, laving the abused flesh with his own before he pulled away.

He smirked down at her from above. Her breath was a coming out in deep puffs, almost completely stolen from her. "And what, my dear Kagome, did you have in mind?" In answer, her legs tightened one more time, and this time, she lifted her hips simultaneously. A deep groan escaped the tortured man's lips, and he buried his nose in the crook of her neck. Nibbling on her neck, he whispered, "Vixen," in her ear right before he attacked.

"Damnit, Kagome! What the hell? We don't have time for you to go to school for a while this time. Naraku is close and we gotta strike soon if we're going to beat the tar out of him once and for all!"

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed. She crossed her arms and bent her head down as she leaned against the wall in her room. Four weeks had come and gone since the day in Shuichi's bedroom. After the, ahem, encounter, she had to rush home in fear of being late to meet her best hanyou friend. Hoping to shower before he got there, she groaned in disappointment as she rounded the corner of her street that led to the giant staircase that guarded her family's shrine. She could already feel her friend's aura radiating from somewhere inside the shrine. There was no way she would be able to sneak past him to get into the shower; he would be able to smell her as soon as she scaled the steep stairs.

Turns out, she didn't even make it up the stairs before the encounter happened. Inuyasha, feeling her own aura, rushed out to meet her, intent upon grabbing her and jumping up the rest of the stairs. The faster she got up them, the less time it would take her to get her ass down the well.

But as soon as he set eyes on her, she knew she was in trouble. Immediately, the hanyou's nose was working in overdrive. Slowly, a blush made its way from neck and rose to his cheeks.

Kagome knew exactly what that nose was telling him. Her own face was as bright as a ripe tomato. She cursed herself for her carelessness. For an entire year she had been able to keep her relationship a secret from her curious traveling companion, but it seemed like fortune was not smiling on her that day.

Needless to say, he was pissed. It had taken the entire four weeks, and an embarrassing blowout in front of poor Miroku and Sango, for the silver haired hanyou to speak to her without a poor attitude. But even after that much time passed, he still walked around with a chip on his shoulder. It was beginning to really grate on her poor nerves.

"…and your stupid boyfriend will just have to wait another few weeks to see you! Not that it matters in the first place."

At that statement, Kagome's eyes popped wide open. As the oblivious hanyou ranted on, he completely missed the slow narrowing of furious blue eyes.

Shuichi round the corner with and almost skip in his step. One week late. Not terrible. But not ideal either. He had told Kagome his job could run a little long as she slipped back into the sweater he had eagerly removed not a half an hour before, though he had hoped that wouldn't be the case. The slow stride that he kept betrayed the excitement he felt at seeing his raven haired beauty again.

Practically bounding up the stairs, he almost didn't hear the bellowing emanating from Kagome's upstairs window. Odd. No one typically yelled in Kagome's family, and the voice was clearly male. A nagging whisper in the back of his mind told him he had heard the voice before, but he brushed it off. What did catch his attention however, was the aura that partnered with said voice. Cloaking his own youkai aura, he crept closer to the open window that the voices were coming from. The unidentified male was clearly having an argument with Kagome.

"It's none of your business why I want to stay here, you idiot! Now go home before you're sat so hard, your body drowns in the Atlantic! I'm not leaving again for another week or so. Don't come back here again. I'll return on my own after a reasonable amount of time."

This confused Kurama. "'Leaving again…return on my own...'," he whispered to himself. "What could that mean…" Before he could contemplate the conversation more, a red streak blazed its way past him from above. It disappeared into the well house that he thought was kept locked at all times. Apparently not. His eyes narrowed when a blast of magical energy engulfed the entire shrine before it settled down once more.

A glance up to Kagome's window told him that she was not In the direct line of sight to the well house, so before he announced his presence to his awaiting girlfriend, he made a beeline for the closed doors of the well house.

The doors slid open easily, as if they were used regularly. Again, odd, because he knew from the information his, now even more interesting, girlfriend that no water flowed from it any longer. There would be no reason for the family to enter the structure at all. This time Kurama's eyes narrowed in concentration as he descended the short case of stairs that led down to the dry well. Faint traces of magic still flitted through the air, but the origin of said magic was still unknown to the curious kitsune. But he didn't become a master thief by giving up on his targets. Investigating further, he hopped over the lip and descended into the depths of the well.

Nothing happened. "Not that I would expect anything to happen. It's simply a dry well. I'm sure Hiei would get quite the chuckle out of this absurd behavior." Kurama brought a hand up to his forehead in consternation. It seemed there was more to his girlfriend than even he could have expected.

Curiosity sated, for now anyway, he jumped out of the well and walked back up the stairs. Fully expecting to meet his girlfriend in the house, he was completely surprised to see her waiting right outside the well house for him.

"Shuichi!" She said in surprise. "What are you doing in there? I didn't even know you were back! You're late." Panic flitted through her eyes briefly before, surprise, then concern settled into their deep blue depths.

So expressive, he thought before answering, "My apologies my dear. The doors were left open, and I must admit I was curious. I couldn't resist poking around inside." A disarming smile blossomed on his lips, not quite reaching his eyes.

Her own eyes were still a bit guarded. "Oh? Did you find anything interesting inside?" Any normal man wouldn't have picked up on the slightly nervous trembling her voice betrayed, however, he was no normal man.

She is definitely hiding something from me, he thought to himself. The secrets that they kept from each other had always been danced around, never brought to the surface. He knew she wasn't always honest with him about her "illnesses," but he respected the fact that she would confide in him only when she was ready. Now, his curiosity was piqued. "Unfortunately no. It is just as you explained before. A dry old well. Nothing interesting to be found at all." Turning, he reached out his arms and grabbed hold of the handles used to pull the well house doors closed. When he spun back around, his nervous girlfriend had calmed herself down. A real smile shined from her pink lips. He couldn't help but return the grin. Despite his suspicions, he had missed her.

"Welcome back, Shuichi," she said. Slowly she walked toward the man she hadn't seen in a little under a month.

He reached out his arms and welcomed her wholeheartedly into a tight embrace. "It is good to be back, love."

And so ends chapter 4. A little more angsty than usual, but I think it will lead in well to the sequel that I have planned. Kurama is definitely suspicious.

Also, keep in mind this is a raw version of the chapter. Once again I am finding that my muse hits me late at night, and I just don't have time to go back and edit at the moment. I'll go back later and fix as per usual. Be gentle.

I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! :)