InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Babysitter ❯ Chapter 2
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: inuyashagirl5 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Hentai / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 07.16.2013 | Pages: 6 | Words: 8.4K | Visits: 606 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Hentai / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 07.16.2013 | Pages: 6 | Words: 8.4K | Visits: 606 | Status: Work In Progress
Title: The Babysitter
Author: inuyashagirl5
Rating: M/NC-17
Genre: Drama/Romance/Comedy
Pairing: Kagome/IchigoDisclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Bleach. InuYasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I only borrow their characters for my own amusement and for the amusement of my readers.
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Ichigo groaned as his alarm went off, signaling the start of a new day. He knew he needed to get up and shower before heading downstairs to grab some toast. He had only a couple days of school left before summer started. He was sure at least one of his friends would try to talk him into going somewhere, not that he would accept their offer. He never did.
"Would you please shut that thing off already?" Souta grumbled sleepily from his spot on the floor. Ichigo glanced over at him and then reached to switch off the alarm. The boy flopped forward, his face thumping into his pillow. Ichigo chuckled. Souta was not a morning person.
"Didn't your sister threaten you with chores yesterday?" He questioned with a small grin. Souta shot up into a sitting position, eyes wide.
"I'm up!" He cried out. Ichigo snorted quietly at him. The next few mornings were looking to be quite amusing if he had this to look forward to.
There was soft chatter coming from the kitchen, along with the delicious scent of pancakes. Kagome was at the stove again, this time dressed in denim shorts and a plain black t-shirt. Doing his best to avoid the same awkward situations he had encountered the day before, Ichigo didn't let his eyes linger long on her body.
"Good morning, Ichigo!" Yuzu beamed happily up at her brother and pointed emphatically to the prepared lunches on the counter. "Look at how good Kagome's lunches look! Aren't they amazing?"
"Yuzu, please stop admiring them and cover them back up. The rice will dry out if you don't and all of Kagome's hard work will go to waste." Karin scolded her twin lightly, "And sit down before your breakfast gets cold."
"Good morning, Ichigo." Kagome said softly as she set a plate of food before him. "Was Souta up and moving?"
"Yeah. He was just changing into his uniform when I came down." He replied.
"Oh! That's a bummer!" Karin pouted. "I was hoping he'd doze back off again. I need someone to wash the dishes tonight."
"How come?" Kagome inquired, making her way back to the stove to prepare a plate for her brother.
"My friends want to get together to play a game of soccer. Sometimes our games run a little long which means I'll have to finish my homework after dinner."
"I see. I'll take care of it. You just try to be home for dinner."
"I'll do my best!"
After that, breakfast was a quiet affair. Ichigo kept his eyes on his plate and didn't lift them even when he answered a question. This still made Karin smirk at him, not that he noticed. She believed his behavior today was just an awkward continuation of the day before. It was a first, but she truly believed her brother thought Kagome to be pretty.
"What are you going to do today, Kagome?" Souta's question drew all eyes to her, Ichigo's included.
"There are a million things I need to do. I just don't know if I will get to them." Kagome shrugged. "I might just do nothing but read a book and stay out of trouble."
Ichigo smirked slightly at her comment. They'd had their fill of trouble the day before and he doubted she would want a repeat performance. She'd be alone this time too and though he knew she'd probably hold her own, she probably didn't want to risk it without him there.
"You're so boring!" Souta rolled his eyes. "At least do something productive today. No one likes a couch potato."
"You're one to talk." Kagome pinched her brother's arm. He cried out and pleaded for her to let go and she did while laughing at him. "Hurry up now, you three. You don't want to be late."
She saw the younger ones off at the door, smiling and waving to them as they went on their way. Down the street she spotted the young woman from the night before. She was dressed in the high school uniform and heading towards the clinic. She paused long enough to greet Ichigo's sisters and give one long look at Souta. Kagome frowned, but said nothing. She knew her brother's aura was high for a kid his age and it was likely that this soul reaper was curious. She'd let her be curious for now.
"Ichigo, I think your friend has come to walk you to school." She turned to look back at him. He was gathering up the last of his things and slipping on his shoes.
"I had a feeling I'd see her this morning." He stepped outside and for a few steps Kagome followed him. "She probably has a dozen or so questions to ask."
"You can tell her anything you want, with the exception of the Shikon no Tama of course." Kagome laughed at the surprised expression he wore. Apparently he hadn't been expecting her to give him permission to talk about her without her present. "I'm not afraid of what you will say. It's not like you know everything about me."
Because, she was very sure, if he did know everything about her, they probably wouldn't be friends and he definitely wouldn't trust her with his family or friends. Kagome pushed those thoughts aside as Rukia stopped ahead of them. Kagome waved in greeting and inwardly grinned at taking her off guard. Rukia hadn't expected her to be nice after what had occurred the night before.
"Stay out of trouble." Ichigo teased lightly, enjoying her affronted gasp. Her reaction had been cute. He turned away after that and walked forward to greet Rukia. The reaper girl gave her a small smile and returned the wave. Kagome felt pleased with herself and moved back inside. She still had a ton of things to get done.
Their walk was quiet at first. Ichigo knew Rukia had a million questions and it would be any second now that she would start asking him about Kagome and Souta. Though he had permission to talk, he really didn't want to. It wasn't any of his business and Kagome should be the one to explain herself. However, he knew Rukia well. She wasn't going to make asking for her help easy and he knew she'd want something in exchange.
"What gives, Ichigo? I've never seen you act that way with a girl before." Rukia asked with a slight smirk as she walked alongside him. If anything, she'd always seen him act disinterested in the opposite sex.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He gruffly replied, doing his best to ignore the valid point she had brought up. He didn't act that way with other girls. Aside from a few females, he really was indifferent to them.
His sisters didn't count. Tatsuki and Rukia came off as tomboy-like and Orihime... She was pretty and nice and they were good friends, but that was it. He wasn't drawn to her like some of his male classmates.
Kagome though, he was finding it a little difficult and a bit annoying that he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. It was as if she were a magnet and his eyes felt the pull.
"There is something not right about her. You should be careful."
"She's harmless." Ichigo didn't want to point out that the girl could fight like a seasoned veteran and could probably give him a run for his money.
"I am telling you, as a friend, be careful." Rukia gave him a stern glare. She knew her feelings weren't wrong. There was something not quite right with the girl and she didn't want her friend and his family getting hurt.
Ichigo rolled his eyes. Talking with her about Kagome wasn't going as well as he had hoped for. Releasing an annoyed sigh, he pushed forward.
"Look, she's a priestess. A strong one. Other than that, there's nothing different or special about her."
"I thought so, but it's off. It's like there is another energy wrapped around her."
"Anyway," He wanted to steer the topic away from what Kagome was and especially what that other energy was. That was undoubtedly the jewel he wasn't allowed to speak of. "There was a situation when she was younger where she was pursued by a hollow and saved by a soul reaper. Perhaps you can come over later and listen to her description of him? I think she'd like to thank him."
"Alright. That'll give me a chance to gauge her energies and see if she is a threat." Rukia replied. With an evil smirk she continued, louder than before. "I'd love to go over your house!"
"Ooh! Rukia's going over Ichigo's house after school!"
In front of them were Keigo and Mizuiro, their classmates. Keigo looked stunned at the words Mizuiro had said.
"You never invite me to do anything!" Keigo whined at Ichigo. "You're always spending time with Rukia and Orihime and Chad and..."
"Will you shut up already?" Ichigo scowled as he stalked past them. "Don't read so much into it!"
"Good morning, Rukia!" Mizuiro happily greeted his female classmate, ignoring Keigo's outbursts.
"Good morning!" Rukia replied in kind.
"What are your plans with Ichigo this afternoon?" He inquired as he fell into step alongside her.
"I'm going to sit down and have a talk with Kagome."
"Kagome?" Mizuiro and Keigo asked in unison. Ahead of them Ichigo flinched, then glared over his shoulder at Rukia. She gave him another evil smirk.
"Yup! Ichigo has a new neighbor."
"What's she like? How old is she?" Mizuiro asked.
"She's... alright, I guess. I think she's about our age too." Rukia answered, watching as the news made Mizuiro pout a little. After all, he liked older women.
"You're keeping a secret girlfriend too? Ichigo, how could you? I thought we were friends?" Keigo cried loudly, making Ichigo increase his speed. It didn't stop Keigo from speeding up as well.
"She's not my girlfriend, idiot!" Ichigo stated, not stopping for his friends. If this moment was any indication, he knew he was in for a rough day at school. With a heavy sigh, Ichigo trudged forth, hoping to get the day done with as little suffering as possible.
oOoOoOoOo
Renji was bored. Sure, he knew Ichigo was with the others at that school place they went to, but her doubted he'd mind if he stopped by his place for something to eat. He was hungry and that little runt at Urahara's place was grating on his nerves. He needed time away from him so he wouldn't do something he'd later regret. Though, Urahara's shop would be a lot quieter without Jinta and Ururu would no longer be on the receiving end of the boy's mean spirited words and noogies. Somehow he doubted Urahara would like it though.
Ichigo's home looked dark when he peered in through the window. No one was apparently home and he wondered where Ichigo's old man was. The man was usually there running the clinic. He shrugged to himself and tried the front door. It was unlocked and it opened without a sound. Renji didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, but it was odd that the door was unlocked, yet the house was empty. He eased his way through the open door and kept his eyes open for anything that might be off. Maybe someone was lying in wait, looking to strike down Ichigo and his family at just the right moment. He would be cautious.
His steps were quiet as he moved down the hallway heading towards the living room. Since it was the first room he came upon, he'd look it over and make sure things were in order. Renji paused, wondering where Kon could be hiding or if he was gone too.
His question was answered as he stuck his head into the living room to look around. Kon was trying to climb up the side of a chair that held a sleeping girl. He blinked a couple times. He didn't know who she was, but she was very pretty. She was also seconds away from being molested by a perverted plush toy. With quick steps, Renji had Kon by the head and was lifting him away from her.
"Hey!" Kon loudly protested. It was enough to startle the girl awake and in a flash, Renji found himself pinned down on the ground and being surrounded by a pink glow. His eyes looked up at the tiny female holding him down. Her eyes were a vivid gold and he thought for sure he could see some fangs. Kon attached himself to her head and covered her eyes. "What are you doing, Kagome? Stop that before you fry Renji to a crisp!"
"Renji?" The girl, he now knew as Kagome, asked softly. The pink glow around him disappeared and she sat up. He blushed at where she was sitting, but decided it probably wasn't a good moment to point it out. Steeling himself, he willed his body to comply with his demands. "You know him?"
"Yes. He's a soul reaper friend of Ichigo and Rukia."
"Oh. Oh!" She jumped to her feet and pulled Kon from her head. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"
She had very bright blue eyes and Renji wondered if the yellow he had seen moments before had been his imagination. But these eyes were stunning.
"I apologize for sneaking up on you. I was attempting to save you from what would have likely been an awkward situation. Kon was seconds away from touching you inappropriately."
"Kon!" Kagome growled angrily. Kon yelped and fled from the room in search for a hiding place from a very pissed off priestess. "You better make yourself scarce or I promise you that I will staple flowers all over you!"
"You have to be careful with him. I'm certain if he had a gigai he'd be a raging womanizer." Renji dusted himself off and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't think he could have kept his body in check for much longer.
"A gigai?" Kagome wasn't certain what he was talking about. "What's that?"
"It's like a shell. Soul reapers use them when they're in the world of the living." Renji replied and then covered his mouth with his hand. He probably shouldn't have said that out loud to a girl he didn't know. "Who are you anyway and why are you in Ichigo's house?"
"Oh! I'm sorry! That was rude of me." She straightened herself up and pointed to her right. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. I live over there, next door. I'm sort of watching Yuzu and Karin while my mother and Isshin are on a little vacation. I guess I must have dozed off after everyone left for school."
She tidied up the small mess she had made when she was awakened abruptly. She folded the blanket and placed it neatly back into the chair. The book she had been reading was on the floor, he page lost for now.
"Well, I am Renji Abarai. I'm a soul reaper as Kon said and the lieutenant of the sixth division."
"Huh?" Kagome cocked her head to the side and peered up at him. He was tall, definitely taller than Ichigo, but only by a few inches. She didn't know what he was talking about again and as she looked at him, she knew he wasn't supposed to be telling her these things. Looking for an out, Kagome opted to change the subject. "Are you hungry? It's just about lunchtime and I can make something for us to eat."
"That sounds good. Thank you." Renji answered. It was why he was there in the first place. She didn't need to know that all he stopped by for was to raid the Kurosaki household's fridge.
Kagome made them rice and heated up the leftover meat from the lunches she had made for the others. She could feel Renji watching her every move, but she had grown immune to such stares since her return home from the past. It wasn't her fault that guys looked at her like she was a piece of juicy piece of meat sometimes. It was Naraku's fault. Naraku and the curse he had managed to place on the Shikon no Tama before his death.
She had been lucky this time. Had Kon not been there to quickly distract her, things would've gotten messy. The last things she needed was to lose herself. She didn't want anyone to know she wasn't normal, that she was hiding something that could potentially harm then all. She didn't think she could bring herself to tell them about her curse. She just knew that they would reject her and in the end, she'd have to leave.
Souta knew, of course, but, he was also affected by the overall outcome, by the interference of the priestess known as Midoriko. She had countered as much of the curse as she could with what little power she had over the jewel. Souta took it in stride. It was her fault, but he didn't blame her and it brought them closer as siblings.
"You're a pretty good cook, Kagome." Renji complimented her with a big grin. There was nothing better than tasty, well cooked food.
"Thank you. Cooking is one of my hobbies." Kagome easily replied, letting her mind slip away from the thoughts of her curse so she could focus on getting to know one of Ichigo's friends. "You don't go to school with the others?"
"I have no need to. Neither does Rukia actually. I think she goes because she finds it entertaining and she gets to see the others." Renji knew that Rukia enjoyed sitting down and being able to talk with her friends here in this world. "She doesn't even mind that Quincy brat Uryuu either."
"Quincy?" She tilted her head again, curious at the word. Renji inwardly groaned at his big mouth. He really needed to keep quiet on the things she clearly didn't know about. "Is Uryuu a friend of Ichigo's?"
"More like a rival, I'd say." Renji was glad to redirect the topic quickly. "I think Ichigo has a lot of rivals now that I think about it. But, they're also friends on some level too. Between you and me, I think it's mostly because of Orihime. Uryuu likes Orihime, but Orihime spends more time near Ichigo. So, Uryuu has to spend more time near Ichigo so he can spend more time with Orihime."
"That poor guy." Kagome pouted and Renji blushed. "Unrequitted love can be difficult. I hope she realizes his feelings so he won't have to suffer for too long."
He had no idea what she was talking about or why the subject made her sad. He didn't care one way or another if Uryuu and Orihime understood each other's feelings, just as long as neither made a move on Rukia. He shook his own head at that thought. It was just plain stupid to think like that.
"Yeah... I'm sure it'll get sorted out with time."
"Good. More rice? I think I made too much." Kagome offered to refill his bowl and he gladly handed it over. "I am happy you came with an appetite. I don't like when food goes to waste."
After the meal was over, and all the rice was settling in Renji's stomach, he departed from the Kurosaki household with promises to return and have more conversations with Kagome. She was good company and he wouldn't mind having such a cute friend in the living world to come back and see from time to time.
"Kon, do you ant to head to the market with me? I need to buy more rice and wouldn't mind having some company." Kagome called up the stairs. There was a soft whimper from what sounded like Ichigo's room and she smiled softly. "I promise I won't hurt you this time."
"I knew you cared about me, Kagome!" Kon launched himself down the stairs and leapt at Kagome's chest. With her quick reflexes, she caught him mid-flight.
"But, you have to behave yourself. If you don't, I won't be easy on you. I may even toss you into the river."
"I'll behave!"
"Good." She gave a smile and nod, pleased that her threat would stand. Slipping her shoes on, Kagome, with Kon, set off to run errands.
As they walked, Kagome and Kon held quiet conversation. Kagome never spoke if someone was nearby and Kon would always go slack in her grip. To passersby, males especially, she looked like a pretty girl with a little plush toy, if they were even looking at the plush toy to begin with.
As they continued on, Kon cleared his throat to gain her attention. Her gaze shifted to him for a moment to let him know she was listening.
"A soul reaper works here." He said quietly, his head nodding in the direction of the store to their left. The revelation surprised Kagome.
"In a convenient store? Why?"
"Patrol duty probably. Like Renji and Rukia, he was probably assigned to keep an eye on Karakura town. It's been a hot spot for hollow activity."
"R-Really?" She asked softly, peering in the window of the store. There was a young man that looked her age behind the counter helping a pair of kids.
"Yes, but Ichigo is usually very quick to take action. The others too." Kon answered.
That was reassuring, she guessed. She certainly didn't want to run into a hollow. There was no telling what might happen to her if she did.
Out of curiosity, Kagome entered the store. It was always good to meet people that could be seen as an ally of sorts. Even if he wasn't aware that she was staying in the Kurosaki household for a short while, she could still learn something about him. He looked up as she entered, the kids too. Kagome realized, as all their eyes zeroed in on Kon, that they knew the plush's secret. These kids were not normal kids either and it explained why they were not in school while most kids their age were.
The boy behind the counter was definitely a soul reaper, but there was a difference between him and the others she had encountered. The others exuded confidence and strength. This boy, Hanataro as his name tag read, was more gentle and pure. She liked the feeling she got from him.
They were all giving her uneasy gazes as she walked through the store picking up a few necessary items for dinner. They were probably wondering why she was carrying Kon around and wondering if she knew what he really was. She gathered the last of her items and moved to the register. Hanataro was blushing brightly which made her giggle internally just a little bit.
"Let me make this easier on you." She placed Kon on the counter with the food items. She smiled down at the kids briefly, noting how quick the boy's cheeks tinted too. "My name is Kagome Higurashi and at the moment I am staying at the Kurosaki residence. Kon agreed to accompany me while I did some shopping and yes, I do know that he, as well as you, are not normal."
"It's true." Kon piped in after discreetly looking around. The store was empty.
"I wanted to come in and meet you, Hanataro. Kon said you are a friend of Ichigo."
"H-How do you know my name?" Hanataro's eyes grew wide.
"It's on your name tag, stupid." The younger boy rolled his eyes at the soul reaper. Kagome giggled out loud this time.
"Oh. Yeah." Hanataro rubbed the back of his head and laughed at himself. "It's nice to meet you, Kagome."
"These two brats are Jinta and Ururu." Kon jumped closer to her as the younger boy scowled and took a threatening step in his direction.
"Kon, don't say mean things." Kagome gently scolded, "It isn't nice."
"There's something weird about you." The little girl said suddenly, staring up at Kagome who had gone silent. Ururu was silently observing her, her brows creased in concentration. This wasn't what she had been expecting at all when she walked into the store. All Kagome had wanted was to meet a friend of Ichigo's and be on her way back home, but this girl... This girl was giving her a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if she knew there was something bad lurking within her.
"Don't be so stupid!" Jinta placed his fists on either side of Ururu's head and gave her one hell of a noogie that had the girl in tears. "There is nothing wrong with her at all! Right, Kagome?"
"Right!" Kagome answered quickly and glanced at the clock. "Oh crap... I really need to get back home. They'll be out of school soon and I still need to go buy some rice! It was very nice meeting all of you! I hope to see you all again!"
She gathered up her purchased goods and Kon, then darted out the door. The trio she had left behind gave each other a glance and they all frowned. Jinta gave Ururu a gentle shove towards the exit, telling Hanataro that they were heading back to Kisuke's shop and would likely be in touch soon.
oOoOoOoOo
Ichigo scowled angrily, his back to his friends. Behind him Keigo was being obnoxiously whiney and Ichigo wanted nothing more than for the school day to end and for him to get away from his friend. Next to him Rukia was chatting with Orihime and Tatsuki, telling them about Kagome and her brother. She was giving a very watered down version of how she had met them and how she hoped they could be friends one day. Then the subject switched to something else and Ichigo tuned them out too, opting instead to get some of his homework done now so it would be one less thing he had to do at home. Tonight, he was hoping for some peaceful silence. Not likely to happen with the trio of preteens under the roof, but he could hope.
Again Keigo whined behind him about being left out of all the fun things Ichigo did when he was away from school. Of course, he knew nothing about anything he really did when he wasn't in school or at home. He already had enough friends he had to worry about because of him, he didn't want to add to that list. It was best that Keigo and Mizuiro were left in the dark.
"So she's not your girlfriend?" Tatsuki plopped down in the chair in front of his desk. "What's the matter with you? Are you too good for her?"
He sputtered and then scowled at her. "What are you going on about now?"
"The new girl. Is she pretty?"
"How would I know?"
"You have looked at her, right?" Tatsuki smirked wickedly and he knew right away that she was teasing him.
"Of course I have looked at her. Now shut up and leave me alone."
She laughed at him, but did as he asked and moved back to her own seat, picking up the conversation that had been dropped. With a huff, Ichigo went back to his own work.
Ichigo couldn't have been more glad for the last bell to ring. He gathered up his things and set off before Keigo could stop him. He could only hope his friend didn't suddenly show up at his house uninvited. Rukia had things to talk about with Kagome that was not for Keigo's ears.
oOoOoOoOo
"Well, look who it is, boys!"
Kagome groaned as she realized she was going to be having a bit of trouble with the local bullies again and this time she had no Ichigo as back-up. She carefully set down her things and placed Kon off to the side. She had a feeling she was going to need his help.
"As soon as you can sneak off, go and find me some help. This is going to be messy and I fear I might get overwhelmed." She whispered to him.
"Okay!" He whispered back, and then sat still next to her groceries.
"She's even hotter today than she was yesterday!" One of the thugs leered at her chest, not even bothering to look slightly higher to address her.
"I think her outfit yesterday was better! The skirt was positively tiny and we all got to see glimpses of that treasure she's hiding beneath the fabric."
"Are you done? If so, I'd like to go home and start my preparations for dinner as it is getting late." Kagome rolled her eyes when they ignored her in favor of circling around her like a bunch of over sexed predators. "Really, it's quite unflattering to have a bunch of no good, smelly thug wannabes staring at me. You're not my type, so you might as well let me be on my way."
"It's even more unflattering to have a girl with an uncouth mouth." The guy shot back and his friends laughed and chuckled.
"Do you even know what that word means? Or are you just using it in an attempt to make yourself sound smart?" Kagome countered easily.
"I'll show you what it means!"
Kon yelped as he watched the male jump forward, only to be out maneuvered and kicked in the groin by a girl much smaller and faster than him. It worked as a good distraction though and Kon leapt to his feet and ran off in search of someone who could help Kagome. He hated leaving her behind to fight on her own, but it wasn't like he could do anything to help out anyway. All he could do was go and get the help she asked him to find.
Ichigo was sulking as he walked. He had only intended to bring Rukia back to his house to talk to Kagome, but it had turned into a group event. Once Orihime had discovered that he had a new neighbor their age, she wanted to meet her too. After that, both Uryuu and Chad had tagged along. He was thankful, however, that they had managed to ditch Keigo. He was very tired from listening to his friend complaining all day and getting worked up over nothing. Ichigo didn't know how many times he had to tell his classmates that his new neighbor was not his girlfriend simply because Keigo couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Rukia!" Kon's voice cried out. He saw his friends returning home from school. This was just the type of help Kagome needed. Between Ichigo and Chad, there was no way those bullies would get away with hurting his friend.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ichigo asked angrily, catching Kon by the head in mid-air. Didn't he know better than to run about the streets where he might be seen?
"I was looking for help!" Kon said defensively, squirming and hoping Ichigo would release him. "Kagome and I went to the market, but on the way back..."
"What did she need to go to the market for? Stupid girl. I told her to stay out of trouble!" Ichigo knew where to go to find her and who the guys were that were once again causing problems.
He didn't explain to the rest as he ran along the roads, trying to reach her before any serious harm could befall her. Before long he could see some bodies lying in the street and the tiny girl fighting one on one with a guy who was obviously stronger and more skilled. In only a few short seconds, the guy had swept her legs out from underneath her and she fell onto her back, her head thumping off the ground.
He would be impressed with her taking out most of them by herself later. The guy was kneeling down over her, preparing to strike her in the face with his fist. Ichigo wasn't about to let that happen.
"She's in trouble." Orihime replied, worried and angry that the girl was in such danger.
Ichigo wasted no time in kicking the guy in the side of his head and knocking him several feet away from Kagome. She was conscious, but groggy.
"Stay still while I pummel this guy." He scowled at her, and then passed by her to address the thug. The guy was already out cold and a little bloody from the cut on the side of his head and Ichigo scoffed. "Tch. How pathetic."
"Stay still. You shouldn't sit up yet." Orihime's worried voice made Ichigo glance over to where Kagome was slowly sitting up and shaking her head.
"I'm alright." Kagome winced as she touched the back of her skull. "I'm not bleeding, but that's definitely gonna be a big bump."
"Kagome..." Kon pouted as he climbed into her lap.
"I'm fine really. You don't need to worry about me. I'm a big girl, Kon." She pet the plush's head affectionately. "Thank you for finding help and thank you, Ichigo, for stepping in and finishing the fight."
"You did most of the work yourself." Rukia observed with a bit of awe.
"Well, yes, but that last guy was a lot smarter than the others. He should consider becoming a bouncer for a bar or something."
"Why did you leave the house?" Ichigo glared at her, but Kagome wasn't going to let it bother her.
"Am I not allowed to?" She gave a shrug. "There was something I needed to get and I was well aware of the possible dangers. I am able to take care of myself as you can see."
She gestured to the still immobile males around them, but Ichigo pointed to the guy he had taken out.
"What about him?"
"He was amazing!" Kagome grinned.
"He was about to punch your face in!"
"True." Kagome conceded. "But, I refuse to stay indoors and afraid. That's not me and I don't like it at all."
"I don't see why you needed to go to the store. What was so important that you had to go before I got home?" Ichigo turned away from her to gather her purchases. Kagome quietly seethed as she watched him. He was being irrational and it was getting on her nerves.
"We ran out of rice." She answered calmly. Ichigo glanced over at her with the change of her tone. Her eyes were narrowed and cold, staring directly back at him. He had pissed her off and for just a few seconds, he was intimidated by her gaze. He pushed it aside as he picked up the bags and walked back towards his friends.
"We still had some after breakfast. How did you run out?" He asked quietly, hoping to calm her.
"Your friend Renji stopped by and we had lunch together." Kagome answered, dropping her gaze. Next to her, Rukia let out a loud laugh.
"That does explain why she would be out of rice." She said, knowing very well how big Renji's appetite could be sometimes. Orihime giggled as well and leaned a little closer to the new girl.
"Hold still please. I can heal you." She raised her hand towards Kagome's head, but Kagome caught her hand in her own.
"It's alright, but thank you. I can actually heal it myself too." Kagome smiled at the kind girl, her anger fading at Orihime's smile. Ichigo's friends were not normal feeling. She knew there were special things about each of them and she silently wondered if one day she might get to see it for herself, but today was not that day. She gathered her own power into her fingertips and ran them carefully over the forming bump. The pain subsided first, followed by the swelling. There was no damage inside and for that she was glad.
"You're a priestess." The boy with the black hair and glasses to her right stated. "But, I've never felt this kind of power come from any other priestess before. It's much larger and different."
Rukia shot a pointed look at Ichigo. He rolled his eyes and frowned. It still didn't prove that there was anything actually wrong with his neighbor. It only told him that she was powerful, which he already knew. As a matter of fact, as his eyes scanned around their small group, the proof of her strength was still lying on the ground around them.
"Well, yes, I am a priestess." Kagome confirmed with a nod. "As for the enormity of my power, I have no idea why it is so large. It has always been like that."
It wasn't quite a lie. Her soul had always been large. She had managed to survive even with a huge piece of it sustaining Kikyo's false life for quite some time.
"It's impressive." The boy admitted. He crouched down next to her and helped her to her feet. "Your control looks like it could use some work though."
"That wouldn't surprise me." Kagome replied with a nervous chuckle.
"It can be perfect with practice, I'm sure."
She didn't point out that her control was, in fact, nearly perfect already. She was containing much of her energy and what he was feeling was only a small part of it. She hoped to never have them feel the enormity of her entire aura, especially when partnered with the jewel or even worse, when her curse was triggered.
"Let's get home. I still have things to do." Kagome gathered Kon into her arms and smiled. "We can do introductions then."
For the walk back, the group trailed behind Kagome and kept their silence, though, for Orihime, it was a difficult task. She was brimming with questions, all of which had to do with the new girls she had just met. She wanted to know everything about her. What her favorite food was. What show on television she watched the most. What she had for hobbies. Absolutely everything and she felt giddy with anticipation. She just knew they were going to be best friends eventually. She was looking forward to it.
Sensing Orihime's excitement, Rukia glanced at her from the corner of her eye and frowned. Her gut feeling was telling her that there was something not quite right with Kagome, but she couldn't just come out and ask her. For all she knew, Kagome could be like Ichigo. Ichigo was a good person with a dark secret. She understood how hard it was for him sometimes, but he still tried his hardest to be there to protect his friends. Perhaps Kagome was the same as Ichigo; genuinely kind and protective, but hiding a dark secret. Either way, Rukia was going to proceed with caution and use the resources she had at her disposal to get answers. After all, someone in the Soul Society had saved her when she was little and that person might know about Kagome's secret.
At home, the guests made themselves comfortable in the living room while Ichigo and Kagome put the groceries away. Ichigo felt uncomfortable with Kagome's silence, but her expression made him believe that now was not the time to talk to her. Instead he quietly helped her to put the things away and then joined his friends. They looked over to him as he entered, a little curious that Kagome had not followed him. But after another couple minutes the little priestess joined them and took a seat on the couch in between Orihime and Ichigo.
"My name is Kagome Higurashi and I live next door. I have a younger brother named Souta, who goes to school with Yuzu and Karin." She said after taking her seat and then motioned to the girl to her left to introduce herself. After a couple moments she knew all of their names and was pleasantly surprised that she had gotten to meet some of the ones Renji had talked about earlier in the day and now that she knew, she could see that Renji had been right about Uryuu's feelings for Orihime and it made her smile softly in remembrance of the days she had loved InuYasha, but he had been oblivious. She pushed those thoughts aside, knowing it was best not to dwell on the past. She still held onto the hope that one day, someday, she'd find someone new to love and that those feelings would be returned. For now, she could only hope and nothing more.
"Ichigo told me that you had an encounter with a hollow when you were a child and that a soul reaper saved you." Rukia brought up the subject she was there for. She wanted a description so she would know who to look for when she returned back home.
"Mm." Kagome frowned and gave a short nod. "It was fighting with my father and then turned its eyes on me. When I fled, my father called out my name and when I turned back, he was killed right in front of me. That creature, the hollow, gave chase, but I was saved before any harm could befall me."
"Do you remember what the soul reaper looked like? Was it a male or female?"
"A male. He was so polite and kind... and he looked so sad when he looked down at me." Kagome remembered his face vividly in her mind. "His hair was very long and white and his eyes were dark, but not dark in a scary way. As I said, he was kind. It reflected in his eyes."
"Sounds like Ukitake to me." Rukia murmured. If it was indeed Ukitake, she might be in luck as far as info gathering went. "Do you remember if he had one zanpakuto or two?"
Kagome tilted her head to the side, confused at what Rukia had said. "Zanpakuto?"
"Yes. Was he wielding one or two?"
"Two, I think. It's a little blurry in my memory, but I believe he had two swords."
"Then there is no doubt that it is Ukitake. You're in luck. I know him well." Rukia grinned, partially because she was in luck too.
"Will you send him my thanks? I know it was forever ago and he may not remember, but he did save my life and I truly appreciate it."
"I will speak to him upon my return tonight." Rukia agreed.
"Thank you."
The conversation drifted to other topics while they sat there and Kagome found herself having different things in common with each of Ichigo's friends. She was quickly growing fond of Orihime and her bright imagination, not to mention the girl gave her similar vibes as Hanataro had. She was a warm, pure soul and it made Kagome feel at ease. Her hobby of sewing interested Uryuu and they made promises to share different ideas and suggestions with one another in their free time. School was almost out for summer, so she had a feeling she might see a lot of him and the others. Secretly, she was planning to work on getting Orihime to like Uryuu. She couldn't stand the thought of the poor boy suffering and if she could be of help to him, she would do what she could to help.
The group parted ways before dinner with promises of getting together once summer was here and they had free time to spare. Kagome shuffled off to the kitchen to start dinner. She smiled as she heard the soft chatter of Yuzu and Souta entering the house and moving into the living room. She ignored Ichigo, who was sitting at the table watching her and scowling. She didn't care if he was still mad at her for going out on her own. She wasn't a typical girl and he knew better than to think as such. She'd let him be mad. She didn't care.
Souta entered the kitchen with a happy whistle and glanced between his sister and Ichigo. The aura in the room was ominous and he gave a nervous chuckle as he approached Kagome. He cleared his throat to gain her attention and when she looked at him, he realized that the only sour thing in the room was Ichigo. His sister was perfectly at ease and unaffected.
"I hope you had a good day?" He ventured politely, knowing that something had to have gone wrong for Ichigo to be in such a bad mood. Kagome's face brightened.
"Yes! I met some wonderful people and even a few kids your age."
"You went out then? I'm proud of you for not being a dorky bookworm all day." He ducked when she swung at him. If she had connected, it wouldn't have hurt, but it was fun to frustrate her when she missed.
"Yes. I went out." Kagome pouted.
"You've used your power? I can sense the purity lingering around your head. Did you get into a fight again?"
"You make it sound like I'm always getting into fights." Kagome gave an exasperate sigh and glared down at her kid brother. He met her glare with cool, calm eyes and she knew he had her beat. "Okay. Okay. I do tend to get myself into a lot of fights, but it's not my fault that some guys tend to be more aggressive in their advances. It's not like I go out looking for a fight. I'm not some lowly street thug!"
"You get into fights often?" Ichigo asked, his tone curious.
"If you must know, yes. Yes, I do get into fights often. I sometimes like fighting." Kagome huffed and whirled back around to face the stove. "Get your juice and get the fuck out of the kitchen, Souta."
Souta gave a startled shout at her angry command. He had infuriated her to the point she was going to start using profanity. When she got like this, he couldn't help but to remember the always loud and brash half-demon she had learned it from in the past. He raided the fridge for juice boxes for himself and Yuzu to drink while they did their homework. Before leaving, he stopped in the doorway.
"You know I will never hold it against you, Kagome. I know you better than anyone." He cast a sad smile over his shoulder at her and gave her a nod when their eyes met. "Besides, I think it's cool to have an older sister that can kick a grown man's ass!"
"Souta Higurashi, watch your mouth!" She yelled, but smiled. He was right. No one knew her better than he did.
"I can't! My nose is in the way!" He replied with a laugh and then darted off to rejoin Yuzu.
"Sniveling little runt." Kagome murmured to herself. She turned her head towards Ichigo upon hearing his soft chuckle. "You find something amusing, carrot top?"
He ignored the childish insult about his hair. He'd heard it a million times in his life already. "Yeah. Your kid brother. He knows how to rile you up."
"Shut up."
"Perhaps I'll have him teach me a few things. Hearing you swear is incredibly funny." He ducked out of the kitchen before she could reply or even turn around and hit him. He had homework of his own to finish and right now, it was probably best to stay out of her way.
Author: inuyashagirl5
Rating: M/NC-17
Genre: Drama/Romance/Comedy
Pairing: Kagome/IchigoDisclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Bleach. InuYasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I only borrow their characters for my own amusement and for the amusement of my readers.
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Ichigo groaned as his alarm went off, signaling the start of a new day. He knew he needed to get up and shower before heading downstairs to grab some toast. He had only a couple days of school left before summer started. He was sure at least one of his friends would try to talk him into going somewhere, not that he would accept their offer. He never did.
"Would you please shut that thing off already?" Souta grumbled sleepily from his spot on the floor. Ichigo glanced over at him and then reached to switch off the alarm. The boy flopped forward, his face thumping into his pillow. Ichigo chuckled. Souta was not a morning person.
"Didn't your sister threaten you with chores yesterday?" He questioned with a small grin. Souta shot up into a sitting position, eyes wide.
"I'm up!" He cried out. Ichigo snorted quietly at him. The next few mornings were looking to be quite amusing if he had this to look forward to.
There was soft chatter coming from the kitchen, along with the delicious scent of pancakes. Kagome was at the stove again, this time dressed in denim shorts and a plain black t-shirt. Doing his best to avoid the same awkward situations he had encountered the day before, Ichigo didn't let his eyes linger long on her body.
"Good morning, Ichigo!" Yuzu beamed happily up at her brother and pointed emphatically to the prepared lunches on the counter. "Look at how good Kagome's lunches look! Aren't they amazing?"
"Yuzu, please stop admiring them and cover them back up. The rice will dry out if you don't and all of Kagome's hard work will go to waste." Karin scolded her twin lightly, "And sit down before your breakfast gets cold."
"Good morning, Ichigo." Kagome said softly as she set a plate of food before him. "Was Souta up and moving?"
"Yeah. He was just changing into his uniform when I came down." He replied.
"Oh! That's a bummer!" Karin pouted. "I was hoping he'd doze back off again. I need someone to wash the dishes tonight."
"How come?" Kagome inquired, making her way back to the stove to prepare a plate for her brother.
"My friends want to get together to play a game of soccer. Sometimes our games run a little long which means I'll have to finish my homework after dinner."
"I see. I'll take care of it. You just try to be home for dinner."
"I'll do my best!"
After that, breakfast was a quiet affair. Ichigo kept his eyes on his plate and didn't lift them even when he answered a question. This still made Karin smirk at him, not that he noticed. She believed his behavior today was just an awkward continuation of the day before. It was a first, but she truly believed her brother thought Kagome to be pretty.
"What are you going to do today, Kagome?" Souta's question drew all eyes to her, Ichigo's included.
"There are a million things I need to do. I just don't know if I will get to them." Kagome shrugged. "I might just do nothing but read a book and stay out of trouble."
Ichigo smirked slightly at her comment. They'd had their fill of trouble the day before and he doubted she would want a repeat performance. She'd be alone this time too and though he knew she'd probably hold her own, she probably didn't want to risk it without him there.
"You're so boring!" Souta rolled his eyes. "At least do something productive today. No one likes a couch potato."
"You're one to talk." Kagome pinched her brother's arm. He cried out and pleaded for her to let go and she did while laughing at him. "Hurry up now, you three. You don't want to be late."
She saw the younger ones off at the door, smiling and waving to them as they went on their way. Down the street she spotted the young woman from the night before. She was dressed in the high school uniform and heading towards the clinic. She paused long enough to greet Ichigo's sisters and give one long look at Souta. Kagome frowned, but said nothing. She knew her brother's aura was high for a kid his age and it was likely that this soul reaper was curious. She'd let her be curious for now.
"Ichigo, I think your friend has come to walk you to school." She turned to look back at him. He was gathering up the last of his things and slipping on his shoes.
"I had a feeling I'd see her this morning." He stepped outside and for a few steps Kagome followed him. "She probably has a dozen or so questions to ask."
"You can tell her anything you want, with the exception of the Shikon no Tama of course." Kagome laughed at the surprised expression he wore. Apparently he hadn't been expecting her to give him permission to talk about her without her present. "I'm not afraid of what you will say. It's not like you know everything about me."
Because, she was very sure, if he did know everything about her, they probably wouldn't be friends and he definitely wouldn't trust her with his family or friends. Kagome pushed those thoughts aside as Rukia stopped ahead of them. Kagome waved in greeting and inwardly grinned at taking her off guard. Rukia hadn't expected her to be nice after what had occurred the night before.
"Stay out of trouble." Ichigo teased lightly, enjoying her affronted gasp. Her reaction had been cute. He turned away after that and walked forward to greet Rukia. The reaper girl gave her a small smile and returned the wave. Kagome felt pleased with herself and moved back inside. She still had a ton of things to get done.
Their walk was quiet at first. Ichigo knew Rukia had a million questions and it would be any second now that she would start asking him about Kagome and Souta. Though he had permission to talk, he really didn't want to. It wasn't any of his business and Kagome should be the one to explain herself. However, he knew Rukia well. She wasn't going to make asking for her help easy and he knew she'd want something in exchange.
"What gives, Ichigo? I've never seen you act that way with a girl before." Rukia asked with a slight smirk as she walked alongside him. If anything, she'd always seen him act disinterested in the opposite sex.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He gruffly replied, doing his best to ignore the valid point she had brought up. He didn't act that way with other girls. Aside from a few females, he really was indifferent to them.
His sisters didn't count. Tatsuki and Rukia came off as tomboy-like and Orihime... She was pretty and nice and they were good friends, but that was it. He wasn't drawn to her like some of his male classmates.
Kagome though, he was finding it a little difficult and a bit annoying that he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. It was as if she were a magnet and his eyes felt the pull.
"There is something not right about her. You should be careful."
"She's harmless." Ichigo didn't want to point out that the girl could fight like a seasoned veteran and could probably give him a run for his money.
"I am telling you, as a friend, be careful." Rukia gave him a stern glare. She knew her feelings weren't wrong. There was something not quite right with the girl and she didn't want her friend and his family getting hurt.
Ichigo rolled his eyes. Talking with her about Kagome wasn't going as well as he had hoped for. Releasing an annoyed sigh, he pushed forward.
"Look, she's a priestess. A strong one. Other than that, there's nothing different or special about her."
"I thought so, but it's off. It's like there is another energy wrapped around her."
"Anyway," He wanted to steer the topic away from what Kagome was and especially what that other energy was. That was undoubtedly the jewel he wasn't allowed to speak of. "There was a situation when she was younger where she was pursued by a hollow and saved by a soul reaper. Perhaps you can come over later and listen to her description of him? I think she'd like to thank him."
"Alright. That'll give me a chance to gauge her energies and see if she is a threat." Rukia replied. With an evil smirk she continued, louder than before. "I'd love to go over your house!"
"Ooh! Rukia's going over Ichigo's house after school!"
In front of them were Keigo and Mizuiro, their classmates. Keigo looked stunned at the words Mizuiro had said.
"You never invite me to do anything!" Keigo whined at Ichigo. "You're always spending time with Rukia and Orihime and Chad and..."
"Will you shut up already?" Ichigo scowled as he stalked past them. "Don't read so much into it!"
"Good morning, Rukia!" Mizuiro happily greeted his female classmate, ignoring Keigo's outbursts.
"Good morning!" Rukia replied in kind.
"What are your plans with Ichigo this afternoon?" He inquired as he fell into step alongside her.
"I'm going to sit down and have a talk with Kagome."
"Kagome?" Mizuiro and Keigo asked in unison. Ahead of them Ichigo flinched, then glared over his shoulder at Rukia. She gave him another evil smirk.
"Yup! Ichigo has a new neighbor."
"What's she like? How old is she?" Mizuiro asked.
"She's... alright, I guess. I think she's about our age too." Rukia answered, watching as the news made Mizuiro pout a little. After all, he liked older women.
"You're keeping a secret girlfriend too? Ichigo, how could you? I thought we were friends?" Keigo cried loudly, making Ichigo increase his speed. It didn't stop Keigo from speeding up as well.
"She's not my girlfriend, idiot!" Ichigo stated, not stopping for his friends. If this moment was any indication, he knew he was in for a rough day at school. With a heavy sigh, Ichigo trudged forth, hoping to get the day done with as little suffering as possible.
oOoOoOoOo
Renji was bored. Sure, he knew Ichigo was with the others at that school place they went to, but her doubted he'd mind if he stopped by his place for something to eat. He was hungry and that little runt at Urahara's place was grating on his nerves. He needed time away from him so he wouldn't do something he'd later regret. Though, Urahara's shop would be a lot quieter without Jinta and Ururu would no longer be on the receiving end of the boy's mean spirited words and noogies. Somehow he doubted Urahara would like it though.
Ichigo's home looked dark when he peered in through the window. No one was apparently home and he wondered where Ichigo's old man was. The man was usually there running the clinic. He shrugged to himself and tried the front door. It was unlocked and it opened without a sound. Renji didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, but it was odd that the door was unlocked, yet the house was empty. He eased his way through the open door and kept his eyes open for anything that might be off. Maybe someone was lying in wait, looking to strike down Ichigo and his family at just the right moment. He would be cautious.
His steps were quiet as he moved down the hallway heading towards the living room. Since it was the first room he came upon, he'd look it over and make sure things were in order. Renji paused, wondering where Kon could be hiding or if he was gone too.
His question was answered as he stuck his head into the living room to look around. Kon was trying to climb up the side of a chair that held a sleeping girl. He blinked a couple times. He didn't know who she was, but she was very pretty. She was also seconds away from being molested by a perverted plush toy. With quick steps, Renji had Kon by the head and was lifting him away from her.
"Hey!" Kon loudly protested. It was enough to startle the girl awake and in a flash, Renji found himself pinned down on the ground and being surrounded by a pink glow. His eyes looked up at the tiny female holding him down. Her eyes were a vivid gold and he thought for sure he could see some fangs. Kon attached himself to her head and covered her eyes. "What are you doing, Kagome? Stop that before you fry Renji to a crisp!"
"Renji?" The girl, he now knew as Kagome, asked softly. The pink glow around him disappeared and she sat up. He blushed at where she was sitting, but decided it probably wasn't a good moment to point it out. Steeling himself, he willed his body to comply with his demands. "You know him?"
"Yes. He's a soul reaper friend of Ichigo and Rukia."
"Oh. Oh!" She jumped to her feet and pulled Kon from her head. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"
She had very bright blue eyes and Renji wondered if the yellow he had seen moments before had been his imagination. But these eyes were stunning.
"I apologize for sneaking up on you. I was attempting to save you from what would have likely been an awkward situation. Kon was seconds away from touching you inappropriately."
"Kon!" Kagome growled angrily. Kon yelped and fled from the room in search for a hiding place from a very pissed off priestess. "You better make yourself scarce or I promise you that I will staple flowers all over you!"
"You have to be careful with him. I'm certain if he had a gigai he'd be a raging womanizer." Renji dusted himself off and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't think he could have kept his body in check for much longer.
"A gigai?" Kagome wasn't certain what he was talking about. "What's that?"
"It's like a shell. Soul reapers use them when they're in the world of the living." Renji replied and then covered his mouth with his hand. He probably shouldn't have said that out loud to a girl he didn't know. "Who are you anyway and why are you in Ichigo's house?"
"Oh! I'm sorry! That was rude of me." She straightened herself up and pointed to her right. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. I live over there, next door. I'm sort of watching Yuzu and Karin while my mother and Isshin are on a little vacation. I guess I must have dozed off after everyone left for school."
She tidied up the small mess she had made when she was awakened abruptly. She folded the blanket and placed it neatly back into the chair. The book she had been reading was on the floor, he page lost for now.
"Well, I am Renji Abarai. I'm a soul reaper as Kon said and the lieutenant of the sixth division."
"Huh?" Kagome cocked her head to the side and peered up at him. He was tall, definitely taller than Ichigo, but only by a few inches. She didn't know what he was talking about again and as she looked at him, she knew he wasn't supposed to be telling her these things. Looking for an out, Kagome opted to change the subject. "Are you hungry? It's just about lunchtime and I can make something for us to eat."
"That sounds good. Thank you." Renji answered. It was why he was there in the first place. She didn't need to know that all he stopped by for was to raid the Kurosaki household's fridge.
Kagome made them rice and heated up the leftover meat from the lunches she had made for the others. She could feel Renji watching her every move, but she had grown immune to such stares since her return home from the past. It wasn't her fault that guys looked at her like she was a piece of juicy piece of meat sometimes. It was Naraku's fault. Naraku and the curse he had managed to place on the Shikon no Tama before his death.
She had been lucky this time. Had Kon not been there to quickly distract her, things would've gotten messy. The last things she needed was to lose herself. She didn't want anyone to know she wasn't normal, that she was hiding something that could potentially harm then all. She didn't think she could bring herself to tell them about her curse. She just knew that they would reject her and in the end, she'd have to leave.
Souta knew, of course, but, he was also affected by the overall outcome, by the interference of the priestess known as Midoriko. She had countered as much of the curse as she could with what little power she had over the jewel. Souta took it in stride. It was her fault, but he didn't blame her and it brought them closer as siblings.
"You're a pretty good cook, Kagome." Renji complimented her with a big grin. There was nothing better than tasty, well cooked food.
"Thank you. Cooking is one of my hobbies." Kagome easily replied, letting her mind slip away from the thoughts of her curse so she could focus on getting to know one of Ichigo's friends. "You don't go to school with the others?"
"I have no need to. Neither does Rukia actually. I think she goes because she finds it entertaining and she gets to see the others." Renji knew that Rukia enjoyed sitting down and being able to talk with her friends here in this world. "She doesn't even mind that Quincy brat Uryuu either."
"Quincy?" She tilted her head again, curious at the word. Renji inwardly groaned at his big mouth. He really needed to keep quiet on the things she clearly didn't know about. "Is Uryuu a friend of Ichigo's?"
"More like a rival, I'd say." Renji was glad to redirect the topic quickly. "I think Ichigo has a lot of rivals now that I think about it. But, they're also friends on some level too. Between you and me, I think it's mostly because of Orihime. Uryuu likes Orihime, but Orihime spends more time near Ichigo. So, Uryuu has to spend more time near Ichigo so he can spend more time with Orihime."
"That poor guy." Kagome pouted and Renji blushed. "Unrequitted love can be difficult. I hope she realizes his feelings so he won't have to suffer for too long."
He had no idea what she was talking about or why the subject made her sad. He didn't care one way or another if Uryuu and Orihime understood each other's feelings, just as long as neither made a move on Rukia. He shook his own head at that thought. It was just plain stupid to think like that.
"Yeah... I'm sure it'll get sorted out with time."
"Good. More rice? I think I made too much." Kagome offered to refill his bowl and he gladly handed it over. "I am happy you came with an appetite. I don't like when food goes to waste."
After the meal was over, and all the rice was settling in Renji's stomach, he departed from the Kurosaki household with promises to return and have more conversations with Kagome. She was good company and he wouldn't mind having such a cute friend in the living world to come back and see from time to time.
"Kon, do you ant to head to the market with me? I need to buy more rice and wouldn't mind having some company." Kagome called up the stairs. There was a soft whimper from what sounded like Ichigo's room and she smiled softly. "I promise I won't hurt you this time."
"I knew you cared about me, Kagome!" Kon launched himself down the stairs and leapt at Kagome's chest. With her quick reflexes, she caught him mid-flight.
"But, you have to behave yourself. If you don't, I won't be easy on you. I may even toss you into the river."
"I'll behave!"
"Good." She gave a smile and nod, pleased that her threat would stand. Slipping her shoes on, Kagome, with Kon, set off to run errands.
As they walked, Kagome and Kon held quiet conversation. Kagome never spoke if someone was nearby and Kon would always go slack in her grip. To passersby, males especially, she looked like a pretty girl with a little plush toy, if they were even looking at the plush toy to begin with.
As they continued on, Kon cleared his throat to gain her attention. Her gaze shifted to him for a moment to let him know she was listening.
"A soul reaper works here." He said quietly, his head nodding in the direction of the store to their left. The revelation surprised Kagome.
"In a convenient store? Why?"
"Patrol duty probably. Like Renji and Rukia, he was probably assigned to keep an eye on Karakura town. It's been a hot spot for hollow activity."
"R-Really?" She asked softly, peering in the window of the store. There was a young man that looked her age behind the counter helping a pair of kids.
"Yes, but Ichigo is usually very quick to take action. The others too." Kon answered.
That was reassuring, she guessed. She certainly didn't want to run into a hollow. There was no telling what might happen to her if she did.
Out of curiosity, Kagome entered the store. It was always good to meet people that could be seen as an ally of sorts. Even if he wasn't aware that she was staying in the Kurosaki household for a short while, she could still learn something about him. He looked up as she entered, the kids too. Kagome realized, as all their eyes zeroed in on Kon, that they knew the plush's secret. These kids were not normal kids either and it explained why they were not in school while most kids their age were.
The boy behind the counter was definitely a soul reaper, but there was a difference between him and the others she had encountered. The others exuded confidence and strength. This boy, Hanataro as his name tag read, was more gentle and pure. She liked the feeling she got from him.
They were all giving her uneasy gazes as she walked through the store picking up a few necessary items for dinner. They were probably wondering why she was carrying Kon around and wondering if she knew what he really was. She gathered the last of her items and moved to the register. Hanataro was blushing brightly which made her giggle internally just a little bit.
"Let me make this easier on you." She placed Kon on the counter with the food items. She smiled down at the kids briefly, noting how quick the boy's cheeks tinted too. "My name is Kagome Higurashi and at the moment I am staying at the Kurosaki residence. Kon agreed to accompany me while I did some shopping and yes, I do know that he, as well as you, are not normal."
"It's true." Kon piped in after discreetly looking around. The store was empty.
"I wanted to come in and meet you, Hanataro. Kon said you are a friend of Ichigo."
"H-How do you know my name?" Hanataro's eyes grew wide.
"It's on your name tag, stupid." The younger boy rolled his eyes at the soul reaper. Kagome giggled out loud this time.
"Oh. Yeah." Hanataro rubbed the back of his head and laughed at himself. "It's nice to meet you, Kagome."
"These two brats are Jinta and Ururu." Kon jumped closer to her as the younger boy scowled and took a threatening step in his direction.
"Kon, don't say mean things." Kagome gently scolded, "It isn't nice."
"There's something weird about you." The little girl said suddenly, staring up at Kagome who had gone silent. Ururu was silently observing her, her brows creased in concentration. This wasn't what she had been expecting at all when she walked into the store. All Kagome had wanted was to meet a friend of Ichigo's and be on her way back home, but this girl... This girl was giving her a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if she knew there was something bad lurking within her.
"Don't be so stupid!" Jinta placed his fists on either side of Ururu's head and gave her one hell of a noogie that had the girl in tears. "There is nothing wrong with her at all! Right, Kagome?"
"Right!" Kagome answered quickly and glanced at the clock. "Oh crap... I really need to get back home. They'll be out of school soon and I still need to go buy some rice! It was very nice meeting all of you! I hope to see you all again!"
She gathered up her purchased goods and Kon, then darted out the door. The trio she had left behind gave each other a glance and they all frowned. Jinta gave Ururu a gentle shove towards the exit, telling Hanataro that they were heading back to Kisuke's shop and would likely be in touch soon.
oOoOoOoOo
Ichigo scowled angrily, his back to his friends. Behind him Keigo was being obnoxiously whiney and Ichigo wanted nothing more than for the school day to end and for him to get away from his friend. Next to him Rukia was chatting with Orihime and Tatsuki, telling them about Kagome and her brother. She was giving a very watered down version of how she had met them and how she hoped they could be friends one day. Then the subject switched to something else and Ichigo tuned them out too, opting instead to get some of his homework done now so it would be one less thing he had to do at home. Tonight, he was hoping for some peaceful silence. Not likely to happen with the trio of preteens under the roof, but he could hope.
Again Keigo whined behind him about being left out of all the fun things Ichigo did when he was away from school. Of course, he knew nothing about anything he really did when he wasn't in school or at home. He already had enough friends he had to worry about because of him, he didn't want to add to that list. It was best that Keigo and Mizuiro were left in the dark.
"So she's not your girlfriend?" Tatsuki plopped down in the chair in front of his desk. "What's the matter with you? Are you too good for her?"
He sputtered and then scowled at her. "What are you going on about now?"
"The new girl. Is she pretty?"
"How would I know?"
"You have looked at her, right?" Tatsuki smirked wickedly and he knew right away that she was teasing him.
"Of course I have looked at her. Now shut up and leave me alone."
She laughed at him, but did as he asked and moved back to her own seat, picking up the conversation that had been dropped. With a huff, Ichigo went back to his own work.
Ichigo couldn't have been more glad for the last bell to ring. He gathered up his things and set off before Keigo could stop him. He could only hope his friend didn't suddenly show up at his house uninvited. Rukia had things to talk about with Kagome that was not for Keigo's ears.
oOoOoOoOo
"Well, look who it is, boys!"
Kagome groaned as she realized she was going to be having a bit of trouble with the local bullies again and this time she had no Ichigo as back-up. She carefully set down her things and placed Kon off to the side. She had a feeling she was going to need his help.
"As soon as you can sneak off, go and find me some help. This is going to be messy and I fear I might get overwhelmed." She whispered to him.
"Okay!" He whispered back, and then sat still next to her groceries.
"She's even hotter today than she was yesterday!" One of the thugs leered at her chest, not even bothering to look slightly higher to address her.
"I think her outfit yesterday was better! The skirt was positively tiny and we all got to see glimpses of that treasure she's hiding beneath the fabric."
"Are you done? If so, I'd like to go home and start my preparations for dinner as it is getting late." Kagome rolled her eyes when they ignored her in favor of circling around her like a bunch of over sexed predators. "Really, it's quite unflattering to have a bunch of no good, smelly thug wannabes staring at me. You're not my type, so you might as well let me be on my way."
"It's even more unflattering to have a girl with an uncouth mouth." The guy shot back and his friends laughed and chuckled.
"Do you even know what that word means? Or are you just using it in an attempt to make yourself sound smart?" Kagome countered easily.
"I'll show you what it means!"
Kon yelped as he watched the male jump forward, only to be out maneuvered and kicked in the groin by a girl much smaller and faster than him. It worked as a good distraction though and Kon leapt to his feet and ran off in search of someone who could help Kagome. He hated leaving her behind to fight on her own, but it wasn't like he could do anything to help out anyway. All he could do was go and get the help she asked him to find.
Ichigo was sulking as he walked. He had only intended to bring Rukia back to his house to talk to Kagome, but it had turned into a group event. Once Orihime had discovered that he had a new neighbor their age, she wanted to meet her too. After that, both Uryuu and Chad had tagged along. He was thankful, however, that they had managed to ditch Keigo. He was very tired from listening to his friend complaining all day and getting worked up over nothing. Ichigo didn't know how many times he had to tell his classmates that his new neighbor was not his girlfriend simply because Keigo couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Rukia!" Kon's voice cried out. He saw his friends returning home from school. This was just the type of help Kagome needed. Between Ichigo and Chad, there was no way those bullies would get away with hurting his friend.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ichigo asked angrily, catching Kon by the head in mid-air. Didn't he know better than to run about the streets where he might be seen?
"I was looking for help!" Kon said defensively, squirming and hoping Ichigo would release him. "Kagome and I went to the market, but on the way back..."
"What did she need to go to the market for? Stupid girl. I told her to stay out of trouble!" Ichigo knew where to go to find her and who the guys were that were once again causing problems.
He didn't explain to the rest as he ran along the roads, trying to reach her before any serious harm could befall her. Before long he could see some bodies lying in the street and the tiny girl fighting one on one with a guy who was obviously stronger and more skilled. In only a few short seconds, the guy had swept her legs out from underneath her and she fell onto her back, her head thumping off the ground.
He would be impressed with her taking out most of them by herself later. The guy was kneeling down over her, preparing to strike her in the face with his fist. Ichigo wasn't about to let that happen.
"She's in trouble." Orihime replied, worried and angry that the girl was in such danger.
Ichigo wasted no time in kicking the guy in the side of his head and knocking him several feet away from Kagome. She was conscious, but groggy.
"Stay still while I pummel this guy." He scowled at her, and then passed by her to address the thug. The guy was already out cold and a little bloody from the cut on the side of his head and Ichigo scoffed. "Tch. How pathetic."
"Stay still. You shouldn't sit up yet." Orihime's worried voice made Ichigo glance over to where Kagome was slowly sitting up and shaking her head.
"I'm alright." Kagome winced as she touched the back of her skull. "I'm not bleeding, but that's definitely gonna be a big bump."
"Kagome..." Kon pouted as he climbed into her lap.
"I'm fine really. You don't need to worry about me. I'm a big girl, Kon." She pet the plush's head affectionately. "Thank you for finding help and thank you, Ichigo, for stepping in and finishing the fight."
"You did most of the work yourself." Rukia observed with a bit of awe.
"Well, yes, but that last guy was a lot smarter than the others. He should consider becoming a bouncer for a bar or something."
"Why did you leave the house?" Ichigo glared at her, but Kagome wasn't going to let it bother her.
"Am I not allowed to?" She gave a shrug. "There was something I needed to get and I was well aware of the possible dangers. I am able to take care of myself as you can see."
She gestured to the still immobile males around them, but Ichigo pointed to the guy he had taken out.
"What about him?"
"He was amazing!" Kagome grinned.
"He was about to punch your face in!"
"True." Kagome conceded. "But, I refuse to stay indoors and afraid. That's not me and I don't like it at all."
"I don't see why you needed to go to the store. What was so important that you had to go before I got home?" Ichigo turned away from her to gather her purchases. Kagome quietly seethed as she watched him. He was being irrational and it was getting on her nerves.
"We ran out of rice." She answered calmly. Ichigo glanced over at her with the change of her tone. Her eyes were narrowed and cold, staring directly back at him. He had pissed her off and for just a few seconds, he was intimidated by her gaze. He pushed it aside as he picked up the bags and walked back towards his friends.
"We still had some after breakfast. How did you run out?" He asked quietly, hoping to calm her.
"Your friend Renji stopped by and we had lunch together." Kagome answered, dropping her gaze. Next to her, Rukia let out a loud laugh.
"That does explain why she would be out of rice." She said, knowing very well how big Renji's appetite could be sometimes. Orihime giggled as well and leaned a little closer to the new girl.
"Hold still please. I can heal you." She raised her hand towards Kagome's head, but Kagome caught her hand in her own.
"It's alright, but thank you. I can actually heal it myself too." Kagome smiled at the kind girl, her anger fading at Orihime's smile. Ichigo's friends were not normal feeling. She knew there were special things about each of them and she silently wondered if one day she might get to see it for herself, but today was not that day. She gathered her own power into her fingertips and ran them carefully over the forming bump. The pain subsided first, followed by the swelling. There was no damage inside and for that she was glad.
"You're a priestess." The boy with the black hair and glasses to her right stated. "But, I've never felt this kind of power come from any other priestess before. It's much larger and different."
Rukia shot a pointed look at Ichigo. He rolled his eyes and frowned. It still didn't prove that there was anything actually wrong with his neighbor. It only told him that she was powerful, which he already knew. As a matter of fact, as his eyes scanned around their small group, the proof of her strength was still lying on the ground around them.
"Well, yes, I am a priestess." Kagome confirmed with a nod. "As for the enormity of my power, I have no idea why it is so large. It has always been like that."
It wasn't quite a lie. Her soul had always been large. She had managed to survive even with a huge piece of it sustaining Kikyo's false life for quite some time.
"It's impressive." The boy admitted. He crouched down next to her and helped her to her feet. "Your control looks like it could use some work though."
"That wouldn't surprise me." Kagome replied with a nervous chuckle.
"It can be perfect with practice, I'm sure."
She didn't point out that her control was, in fact, nearly perfect already. She was containing much of her energy and what he was feeling was only a small part of it. She hoped to never have them feel the enormity of her entire aura, especially when partnered with the jewel or even worse, when her curse was triggered.
"Let's get home. I still have things to do." Kagome gathered Kon into her arms and smiled. "We can do introductions then."
For the walk back, the group trailed behind Kagome and kept their silence, though, for Orihime, it was a difficult task. She was brimming with questions, all of which had to do with the new girls she had just met. She wanted to know everything about her. What her favorite food was. What show on television she watched the most. What she had for hobbies. Absolutely everything and she felt giddy with anticipation. She just knew they were going to be best friends eventually. She was looking forward to it.
Sensing Orihime's excitement, Rukia glanced at her from the corner of her eye and frowned. Her gut feeling was telling her that there was something not quite right with Kagome, but she couldn't just come out and ask her. For all she knew, Kagome could be like Ichigo. Ichigo was a good person with a dark secret. She understood how hard it was for him sometimes, but he still tried his hardest to be there to protect his friends. Perhaps Kagome was the same as Ichigo; genuinely kind and protective, but hiding a dark secret. Either way, Rukia was going to proceed with caution and use the resources she had at her disposal to get answers. After all, someone in the Soul Society had saved her when she was little and that person might know about Kagome's secret.
At home, the guests made themselves comfortable in the living room while Ichigo and Kagome put the groceries away. Ichigo felt uncomfortable with Kagome's silence, but her expression made him believe that now was not the time to talk to her. Instead he quietly helped her to put the things away and then joined his friends. They looked over to him as he entered, a little curious that Kagome had not followed him. But after another couple minutes the little priestess joined them and took a seat on the couch in between Orihime and Ichigo.
"My name is Kagome Higurashi and I live next door. I have a younger brother named Souta, who goes to school with Yuzu and Karin." She said after taking her seat and then motioned to the girl to her left to introduce herself. After a couple moments she knew all of their names and was pleasantly surprised that she had gotten to meet some of the ones Renji had talked about earlier in the day and now that she knew, she could see that Renji had been right about Uryuu's feelings for Orihime and it made her smile softly in remembrance of the days she had loved InuYasha, but he had been oblivious. She pushed those thoughts aside, knowing it was best not to dwell on the past. She still held onto the hope that one day, someday, she'd find someone new to love and that those feelings would be returned. For now, she could only hope and nothing more.
"Ichigo told me that you had an encounter with a hollow when you were a child and that a soul reaper saved you." Rukia brought up the subject she was there for. She wanted a description so she would know who to look for when she returned back home.
"Mm." Kagome frowned and gave a short nod. "It was fighting with my father and then turned its eyes on me. When I fled, my father called out my name and when I turned back, he was killed right in front of me. That creature, the hollow, gave chase, but I was saved before any harm could befall me."
"Do you remember what the soul reaper looked like? Was it a male or female?"
"A male. He was so polite and kind... and he looked so sad when he looked down at me." Kagome remembered his face vividly in her mind. "His hair was very long and white and his eyes were dark, but not dark in a scary way. As I said, he was kind. It reflected in his eyes."
"Sounds like Ukitake to me." Rukia murmured. If it was indeed Ukitake, she might be in luck as far as info gathering went. "Do you remember if he had one zanpakuto or two?"
Kagome tilted her head to the side, confused at what Rukia had said. "Zanpakuto?"
"Yes. Was he wielding one or two?"
"Two, I think. It's a little blurry in my memory, but I believe he had two swords."
"Then there is no doubt that it is Ukitake. You're in luck. I know him well." Rukia grinned, partially because she was in luck too.
"Will you send him my thanks? I know it was forever ago and he may not remember, but he did save my life and I truly appreciate it."
"I will speak to him upon my return tonight." Rukia agreed.
"Thank you."
The conversation drifted to other topics while they sat there and Kagome found herself having different things in common with each of Ichigo's friends. She was quickly growing fond of Orihime and her bright imagination, not to mention the girl gave her similar vibes as Hanataro had. She was a warm, pure soul and it made Kagome feel at ease. Her hobby of sewing interested Uryuu and they made promises to share different ideas and suggestions with one another in their free time. School was almost out for summer, so she had a feeling she might see a lot of him and the others. Secretly, she was planning to work on getting Orihime to like Uryuu. She couldn't stand the thought of the poor boy suffering and if she could be of help to him, she would do what she could to help.
The group parted ways before dinner with promises of getting together once summer was here and they had free time to spare. Kagome shuffled off to the kitchen to start dinner. She smiled as she heard the soft chatter of Yuzu and Souta entering the house and moving into the living room. She ignored Ichigo, who was sitting at the table watching her and scowling. She didn't care if he was still mad at her for going out on her own. She wasn't a typical girl and he knew better than to think as such. She'd let him be mad. She didn't care.
Souta entered the kitchen with a happy whistle and glanced between his sister and Ichigo. The aura in the room was ominous and he gave a nervous chuckle as he approached Kagome. He cleared his throat to gain her attention and when she looked at him, he realized that the only sour thing in the room was Ichigo. His sister was perfectly at ease and unaffected.
"I hope you had a good day?" He ventured politely, knowing that something had to have gone wrong for Ichigo to be in such a bad mood. Kagome's face brightened.
"Yes! I met some wonderful people and even a few kids your age."
"You went out then? I'm proud of you for not being a dorky bookworm all day." He ducked when she swung at him. If she had connected, it wouldn't have hurt, but it was fun to frustrate her when she missed.
"Yes. I went out." Kagome pouted.
"You've used your power? I can sense the purity lingering around your head. Did you get into a fight again?"
"You make it sound like I'm always getting into fights." Kagome gave an exasperate sigh and glared down at her kid brother. He met her glare with cool, calm eyes and she knew he had her beat. "Okay. Okay. I do tend to get myself into a lot of fights, but it's not my fault that some guys tend to be more aggressive in their advances. It's not like I go out looking for a fight. I'm not some lowly street thug!"
"You get into fights often?" Ichigo asked, his tone curious.
"If you must know, yes. Yes, I do get into fights often. I sometimes like fighting." Kagome huffed and whirled back around to face the stove. "Get your juice and get the fuck out of the kitchen, Souta."
Souta gave a startled shout at her angry command. He had infuriated her to the point she was going to start using profanity. When she got like this, he couldn't help but to remember the always loud and brash half-demon she had learned it from in the past. He raided the fridge for juice boxes for himself and Yuzu to drink while they did their homework. Before leaving, he stopped in the doorway.
"You know I will never hold it against you, Kagome. I know you better than anyone." He cast a sad smile over his shoulder at her and gave her a nod when their eyes met. "Besides, I think it's cool to have an older sister that can kick a grown man's ass!"
"Souta Higurashi, watch your mouth!" She yelled, but smiled. He was right. No one knew her better than he did.
"I can't! My nose is in the way!" He replied with a laugh and then darted off to rejoin Yuzu.
"Sniveling little runt." Kagome murmured to herself. She turned her head towards Ichigo upon hearing his soft chuckle. "You find something amusing, carrot top?"
He ignored the childish insult about his hair. He'd heard it a million times in his life already. "Yeah. Your kid brother. He knows how to rile you up."
"Shut up."
"Perhaps I'll have him teach me a few things. Hearing you swear is incredibly funny." He ducked out of the kitchen before she could reply or even turn around and hit him. He had homework of his own to finish and right now, it was probably best to stay out of her way.