InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Decisions ❯ Chapter 18

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Decisions

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho or any characters associated with either show. Let's put it this way: If the characters, situations, or storylines are recognizable, then I don't own them. I own the particular plot of this story and a few characters that I will make up later, but that is it. At least, I think it is.

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Chapter Eighteen

Shuichi's human body was about to reach its limit. He had not had a restful night's sleep in four days. Even Youko was denying instigating the dreams. They were coming all on their own. During his lessons with Kagome, he couldn't keep focused. For once he had no problem keeping his hands off of Kagome. He was too tired to do anything. The third time that his head nodded forward in thirty minutes was the last straw for Kagome. She didn't think that he was as pigheaded as Inuyasha, but it never hurt to save a guy's pride. The way that he was going, she didn't even think that he would make it home in one piece. “Shuichi, why don't we finish the English lesson on the bed? It's much more comfortable and my butt is going to fall off if I don't get out of this hard chair. I don't know what Mom was thinking when she bought these.” She said this completely ignoring the fact that they were actually very comfortable with the cushions that her mother had placed on them.

Kurama blushed. “I guess, if it would make you more comfortable.”

Kagome smiled and took a seat at the foot of the bed and motioned for Kurama to sit at the head. “Thanks.” They continued their lesson until Kurama's head fell back against her headboard. The position didn't look very comfortable, but Kagome decided that she would wait for a while until he was more deeply asleep to make him more comfortable. She would have never gotten away with manipulating him if he was at his best, but if he was, then she wouldn't feel the need to. Kagome went back to her desk and sat studying her English vocabulary words until she guessed that he was as deeply asleep as he was going to get. She moved his legs gently onto the bed and moved him farther down the headboard until his head was on her pillow. Kurama groaned and Kagome froze, but he just turned his head to where his lips were just touching the palm of her hand and rubbed them against her in a gentle kiss. A jolt of desire shot through her and she slowly pulled her hand away from his lips which settled in a frown at being denied. Instead she ran her fingers through his hair, and she could have sworn that he purred. His hair was as silky as she had felt in her dreams the last three nights. Luckily the dreams only came in the later part of the night after her lessons were over so they only interrupted her rest. She reluctantly extracted her fingers from his hair and grabbed the spare blanket at the foot of her bed and spread it over him. She studied his face, which was unguarded in sleep. He looked stressed and exhausted. He needed to loosen up. Maybe tomorrow she could do something about that.

She went downstairs, explained what happened to her mother, who then called his mother just in case she decided to call him or come over and found him gone, and then ate dinner with her family. She went to the God Tree and tried to think what would be the best thing to do to cheer Kurama up as she sat on Inuyasha's favorite branch. She thought of the things that she knew about him and decided that he needed to get entirely out of his comfort zone. She knew just the place.

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Kurama woke up the next day with the sun shining in his face, vaguely surprised that he had managed to go the entire night without dreaming even once. The next thing that he noticed was that he was under a pink blanket and not his usual white one. He didn't even own a pink blanket; his friends already wondered about him enough as it was. And next…it smelled like Kagome. He was in her bed!

Kurama quickly sat up and looked around, remembering yesterday. He must have fallen asleep on her bed after she suggested she would be more comfortable…He fell back on the bed and started to smile. He had been manipulated. Him. By a girl over a thousand years his junior…at least in experience. He let out a small chuckle. Maybe she's even more suitable for him than he had originally thought.

Yes, the girl is crafty. Not in our league, but then again no one is.

“Oh, you're awake.”

Kurama jumped. How had she opened the door without him noticing?

Add stealthy to the list.

Kagome walked over to him carrying a breakfast tray. “I hope you like pancakes. Mom suggested I bring you up a tray since you slept through breakfast.”

Kurama started to blush. “I'm sorry-“

Kagome shook her head, cutting him off. “Don't worry about it. You seemed to be exhausted and you still came over to tutor me. I was just trying to assuage my guilt.” Her lips curved into a sly smile. “But you could make it up to me by doing what I want to do today instead of studying. You did take over my bed. I had to sleep on the couch. But if you don't want to spend the day with me, that's fine. I'm sure I'll find something to do. Maybe sweep the shrine steps or stare off into space…” Kagome stared at the carpet and tried her best to look pitiful, a pretty good attempt after all the time she had watched Shippo.

Kurama knew exactly what she was doing and was charmed by it. He saw no reason not to let her think that she was getting her way. He would like nothing more than to spend the day with her. “I would be honored to spend the day with you.”

Kagome let out a cheer. “Hurry up and finish your breakfast. We need to hurry by your apartment for you to change your clothes and then we're going…to the AMUSEMENT PARK!” Kagome flounced out of the room.

Kurama groaned. An amusement park? He hadn't been to one since he was four and had made it clear to his mother that he was not amused and would appreciate never having to go there again. It still made him feel guilty remembering the hurt look on her face. He decided that he would endure whatever Kagome had in mind for today and not say one derogatory thing about it. He wouldn't be responsible for hurting Kagome's feelings.

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Kagome looked around Kurama's apartment. “Wow. This is a really nice apartment.” It was exquisitely decorated in forest and emerald greens and with mahogany furniture. There were plants everywhere that was appropriate. He even had a balcony with a small garden adjoining the living room. It had a great view of the city that must be even more spectacular at night. All in all, it must have cost him a fortune. How did he manage this when he was still in high school?

Kurama saw the questioning look and guessed where her thoughts had gone. “My father left me a small inheritance when he died. It was left in a trust for me. My mother turned over the management of it to me a few years ago and it has grown since then. I prefer to live alone now that she will soon be remarrying.” It was sort of the truth. His past hauls as Youko had paid for most of it (luckily he had had a stash in Human World left over from before youkai and humans were separated into their own worlds), but his father did leave a trust for him. It seemed that he had a talent for making money in addition to stealing it, even though he didn't do that anymore, at least not much and never anything major since the Forlorn Hope. It wasn't as if he could totally deny his kitsune nature. “I will only be but a moment. You may sit down if you wish.”

“May I go out on the balcony? It looks like a miniature jungle out there.” Kurama smiled and nodded, then went into his room to change. On the way to the balcony, Kagome noticed a picture of Kurama, as she still called him in her mind, and a woman whom she assumed to be his mother. Kurama was wearing a hideous purplish-pink school uniform that, while he still looked incredibly handsome and dignified, clashed horribly with his hair. She was still staring at the picture when Kurama emerged from his room dressed in an emerald green shirt that his mother had said matched his eyes and black jeans.

“I thought you were going to be waiting on the balcony.”

Kagome jumped and turned her scandalized eyes to the flesh and blood Kurama. “Shuichi, I don't know if anyone has ever told you this but…” she picked up the picture and pointed at his uniform. “This is hideous.”

Kurama started to turn as red as his hair. Youko was currently laughing his ass off inside his head. “It was what we were required to wear at school.”

“The person that picked these uniforms out must have either had terrible fashion sense or been on drugs at the time. That shade of pink is hardly ever a good idea, especially not on teenage boys. It will be a wonder if none of you poor boys are scarred for life!”

If possible, Kurama turned even redder. He mumbled, “I didn't think that it was that bad.”

Kagome looked at him incredulously. “Who decorated this apartment?”

Kurama looked confused at the change in topic. “I did. Why?”

“I find it hard to believe that someone with this kind of elegant taste would find wearing that bearable.”

Kurama had never really thought about it that way. Sure he preferred more understated colors when he wasn't in school, but he had never really thought the uniform was as bad as she was making it out to be. To tell the truth, he didn't really care all that much about his cloths. Youko was the one that was horribly vain. Come to think of it, the first time that he had seen the uniform he had almost had a heart attack.

“It's no wonder you have such a problem with your fan clubs. With that hair of yours combined with that uniform, they could see you coming a mile away. It would be almost impossible for you to get lost in a crowd. But I'm surprised that people didn't think that you were gay. My friend Yuka has been a member of your fan club for years, even though she doesn't go to your school. She told me that you are really secretive and have very refined mannerisms, but she never once thought that you were gay.”

Kurama's face was really burning now, not only with embarrassment, but with annoyance as well. Why did everyone think that he was gay? Just because he had never had a girlfriend or even shown interest in one didn't automatically mean that he was gay. Now the one girl that he was interested in thought that he might be. No wonder she didn't seem to find him attractive. She thought that he was interested in other guys! A big turnoff for some women, although some women…

Youko stop sneaking into my thoughts! I don't need this right now.

Kagome noticed Kurama's embarrassed face and the slight annoyance in his expression. Her own face started flaming as she thought of how her comments must have sounded to him. “Not that I actually think that you are. I was just wondering why no one wondered. I mean, even you have to admit…I'm just digging myself a bigger hole, aren't I?” Kagome finished sheepishly.

Kurama nodded, still slightly annoyed. Why was it that everyone thought him feminine? Was it because of his roses? But then, that part was because of Youko and no one had ever thought that he was gay. But he had had numerous past lovers while Kurama had never even had one. Maybe that had something to do with it. But Youko hadn't been attracted to anyone that they had met either. At least not enough to do anything about it. And the fox was not going to settle for anything but the best. And evidently they had found the best.

“You just have some slightly feminine facial features, but you have a decidedly masculine presence. I mean you are very…” Kagome thought quickly, turning even more red than Kurama's hair. Built? Muscular? Sexy? Should I tell him that he gives off this predatory air? Or that I have been having very naughty dreams with him as the star? “Let's just say that no one could mistake you in a million years for a girl or as being gay if they had any sort of sensitivity or intelligence. So on second thought, I'm not surprised that no one thought so.”

Kurama wondered at the blush. Could she be more interested in him than she let on? But there was still that lack of a certain smell. He wondered what he would do if he ever did smell her arousal.

I could think of quite a few things. I will show them to you later if you are interested… Youko trailed off suggestively.

Kurama almost groaned. He could just imagine some of the spirit fox's more intense fantasies. He had had to endure them often over the years, but had never had a face to put with the body in the fantasies. Now that they had both Kagome's face and body…Let's just say that he imagined that it would be ten times worse.

Kagome decided that she had had enough with being embarrassed. “Let's go! I haven't been to an amusement park in years. This is going to be so much fun!” Kagome set out the door happily while Kurama trailed behind her reluctantly. He really didn't want to do this, but since Kagome was so looking forward to it, he wasn't going to say or do anything to hinder her enjoyment by letting her know that he wasn't having as much fun as she was.

Kagome saw that he was less than thrilled with her choice of destination and was more determined than ever to make sure that he got his mind off of whatever was bothering him and have fun. Plus this particular amusement park had a spectacular garden right in the center of the park. If nothing else, he should enjoy that.

Kagome suddenly noticed that he wasn't catching up to her and turned around, marched up to him, grabbed his hand, ignored the sparks that flew up her arm as best she could, and told him to hurry up.

Kurama couldn't help but smile at her excitement. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad considering the company.

Unnoticed by the pair, across the street in a small café, they had been spotted by a certain blue-haired grim reaper that was currently giving a report of the goings on in Spirit World to her ex-boss, the exiled Koenma. Botan stopped right in the middle of her report, seeing Kurama. Just as she was about to point him out to Koenma, a very pretty girl rushed up and grabbed his hand, dragging him laughing past the café. Botan was even more surprised to see Kurama smiling at the girl indulgently and allowing himself to be dragged. So the girl wasn't just one of his usual fan girls. He cared something for her. Botan quickly pointed the pair out to Koenma. “Do you think that that could be Kurama's new girlfriend? Or could she be a relative? I always got the impression that Kurama was gay. I mean, he doesn't ever make inappropriate comments or try to do anything inappropriate to girls. Plus, he has girls chasing him left and right but has never taken them up on any of their offers, if my sources are correct. Who could she be? Maybe we should follow them…” Botan got up to do just that when her old boss in teenage form pulled her down.

“Botan now is not the time to be wondering about Kurama's love life. We have more important things to discuss.” Koenma was reluctant to admit it, but he also desperately wanted to go after the former spirit detective and find out the facts of his female companion. He didn't have much to occupy himself with in human world after being exiled by his father. He was impossibly bored but that didn't mean that he would pounce on anything to do, especially spying on his friends. Although, if you couldn't spy on your friends, who could you spy on? And he really wanted to see that girls face; she reminded him of someone. He just couldn't figure out who. By the time Botan had pointed the girl out, she had turned her face away from the café. But if Kurama was interested in her, she had to be something. “Let's go Botan!”

Botan wasn't really surprised that her boss had changed his mind. He was really bored living the life of a normal human. Well not normal, but as normal as the prince of Spirit World could be while in hiding from his father. They both threw some money on the table and ran out of the café. Unfortunately, the couple that they were chasing was nowhere in sight. They both sighed in disappointment and went back into the café for Botan to finish her report.

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Kurama had had to fight Kagome when it came time to pay for their tickets. Kagome finally won the fight when she told him that he could pay for their next date but since this one was her idea, she was going to pay for it. While he was still in shock over her calling the day a date, Kagome paid for the tickets.

Kurama decided to clarify the date comment. “When you say date…”

Kagome smiled innocently. “Who says friends can't go on dates?”

We were just manipulated again. If it was anyone else they would be dead right now, but on her I think that it is charming. I have no idea why.

Kurama snorted in his mind. It might be because you want to get in her pants.

My, my, aren't we a crude one today. You have been hanging around Yusuke entirely too much.

Either that or I have been listening to you entirely too much. You seem to be more talkative since Sensui. Why is that?

We are becoming closer in experience. You are far more powerful now, almost more powerful than I was when I was alive. We are more in accord now. Eventually, I expect that our souls will completely merge and you will be able to transform into me whenever you want, if you can't already do that now. When this happens we will truly be one soul and will not part for eternity.

Kurama was vaguely horrified by this idea. If this happened, how could he explain it to his mother? It would be better if he could explain to her that he had a kitsune soul along with a human one, but when they merged wouldn't Youko's soul also be a part of his? Would he change? Would his lifespan be that of a youkai? How could he ever have even a remotely normal life if this happened? Would Kagome understand or would she reject him? Could he keep it from her or did he even want to? It was killing him, keeping his past activities from his mother. He could only imagine what it would be like keeping it from his wife. Wait a second, where did that thought come from? They hadn't even kissed yet and already he was thinking about marriage?

Youko felt that he should have known that Kurama would react this way. He was so lost in thought after the first few questions flew through their mind that he didn't even catch the last few of Kagome. He didn't want to make it worse by confirming his fears, but knew that he had no chance of enjoying the day if Youko didn't tell him it all. Yes, you will have a youkai lifespan. No, you won't change because we will both still be conscious. You have always been a part of me, just as I have been apart of you. You are more of a mixture of who you would have been as a human and me. Your soul will just be more harmonized and you will be more powerful for it. It would be best if you just accept it. The more your body becomes used to transforming into my youkai one, the more harmonized our souls will become.

Kurama didn't want to think about that now. It was too much too soon. He would think about it later, when he was alone. He pulled his attention from the conversation inside his head to pay more attention to what Kagome was saying.

“I think that I would like to go on all the roller coasters here. Then maybe…Oh my God a merry-go-round! Come on Shuichi!” Kagome dragged him over to the line, which wasn't very long. Kurama had to laugh; there was a certain charm in acting like a child. He hadn't even acted like one when he was one. They each got on a horse next to each other and waited for the ride to begin.

Kagome was looking around, waiting for the ride to start, when she noticed a woman in a wheeled chair trying to get her son to go on the ride. It seemed that the boy was afraid to get on by himself. The mother didn't want cause trouble by attempting to get on the ride. It was already embarrassing enough to be seen arguing with her son who didn't understand his mother's dilemma. Her son had begged her to bring him here. It was his birthday so she couldn't bring herself to refuse, no matter the embarrassment it caused her. She knew that she probably could have rode with him, but she couldn't stand the pitying looks that were bound to be thrown her way.

Kagome got off the ride and went over to the pair. She tapped the little boy on the shoulder and winked at the mother. “Hi. Do you think that you could ride with me? These rides go so fast that I need a strong man to make sure that I don't fall off. Are you up for the job?”

The little boy nodded shyly at the pretty lady and his mother smiled gratefully. Kagome smiled at them both. “My name is Kagome Higurashi.”

The other woman smiled. “My name is Mila Makamatsu (A/N: Another made up name as are virtually all the names I use). And this little man is Kohaku.”

“Wow. One of my best friends' little brother is named Kohaku! We're going to get along just fine.” Kagome took out the disposable camera that she had bought earlier and handed it to his mom. “Mrs. Makamatsu, would you mind taking a few pictures? I would love a few pictures of my new friend here!”

“I would be glad to. And please call me Mila. I'm not that much older than you!” Mila said laughingly as she took the camera.

Kagome and Kohaku made their way back to Kurama. Kagome lifted Kohaku onto her horse and got on behind him. “Kohaku, this is Shuichi. He's my friend too.”

The little boy looked at Kurama slyly. “Is he your boyfriend?”

Kagome blushed and then laughed. “I guess you could say that. He is a boy and he is my friend.”

The ride started and Kohaku started yelling and laughing. Kurama looked at the pair and imagined how she would look with their own children. Stop, it is too soon for that kind of thinking! But somehow he couldn't help it. It was like he had been waiting his entire life to meet her. And it just had to be at a time when he was so unsure of his future. He decided to just enjoy the day and leave the future to be worried over for later, which was completely unlike him.

When the ride was over, Kagome returned Kohaku to his mother and retrieved her camera. “Do you want me to send you some of these?”

Mila nodded, thanked her for her thoughtfulness, and gave Kagome her address. They made their way over to more of the children's rides, with Kohaku in the lead. It seemed that he had gotten over his fear of them.

Kurama and Kagome made their way to the roller coasters and soon were laughing their heads off. Kurama was surprised that he was enjoying himself so much. He normally wouldn't be caught dead at one of these places. It was too childish and he had never been childish. Youko was even having fun and for once stopped making perverted comments.

Then they went to some of the booths with stuffed prizes and other things to be won. Kagome laughingly pointed to one of the booths. “Since I am the initiator of this date, I believe that it is my responsibility to win you something to remember it by.” She made her way to the booths, examining each one before a special one caught her eye. Archery. Yes! She bounded up to the booth and examined the rules. You got three arrows. There was a really small bull's eye and two circles surrounding the bull's eye. If you got all three arrows in the bull's eye, then you got a big prize. There was a more thorough breakdown of the specifications of who got what category of prize, but she wouldn't need it as she was going to hit the bull's eye every time. “I would like three arrows please.”

Kurama was shaking his head at her. “Kagome, you do know that these games are rigged?” The operator of the booth looked offended at the suggestion.

As soon as Kagome picked up the arrows, she felt the unbalance of them. It was nothing that she couldn't handle. After all, she was used to using arrows made by hand anyway. She was used to shooting with unbalanced arrows. If she could shoot with Shippo's awful attempt at becoming a bow, then she could shoot with unbalanced arrows. “It doesn't matter. I am very good at this.” She shot the first arrow, and sure enough, it landed right in the center. More quickly than the other two could even draw in their breath, she had shot the other two arrows. All three were nestled in the center, right on top of each other.

Wow. Youko thought breathlessly.

Kurama was in too much shock to comment. Kagome tried to ask him what he wanted, but he didn't answer, so she chose a huge stuffed rose and presented it to him with flourish. “For you my lord.” She said with a curtsy.

Kurama finally snapped out of it and took the rose. “Where did you learn to shoot like that?”

Kagome had already come up with a story for this. “I sometimes teach an archery class at the shrine. Plus I had it in P.E.”

Kurama accepted her answer. Youko was still a tad suspicious but decided to let it go. “Why a rose?”

Kagome blushed. “It's because you smell like roses. Plus you are into gardening. It seemed appropriate. And aren't you supposed to give your date a rose? I wouldn't know, I haven't been on many of them.”

Kurama blushed as well. That was the third time that she had referred to this as a date.

I swear, you have blushed more in the few days than you have in your entire life. Get a grip!

As if you could do any better!

Oh I know that I could. I would make her blush spread to her entire body before I would have even a tinge of red on my cheeks.

Kurama tried not to think of the mental image that comment threatened to provoke. He brought his attention back to Kagome. They were now in a garden. It was actually a pretty good one, at least as much as one cared for by humans could be. They had actually managed to purvey a wildness while still keeping it kept and controlled, an almost impossible task to do well. The paths were winding and you never knew what was around the next bend. Kagome had bought lunch while Kurama and Youko were having their inner conversation, so they found a nice spot and sat down to eat. They each talked about their childhood and Kurama told her as much as he could without telling her everything. He told of her of his aloofness towards his mother as a child and about his father dying. He told her of his mother saving him when he was young and of her getting sick. He didn't tell her about his friends, not wanting to get into that this quick.

They finished lunch and left the garden to ride some of the more tame rides until their stomachs settled. They even rode some of the water rides and Kagome got a kick out of Kurama looking like a drowned rat with all his long hair. That was until she got dunked. Then it was Kurama's turn.

It was sunset when they decided that it was time to leave. Kurama walked Kagome to the shrine. “Thanks for taking me, Kagome, I had a wonderful time.”

Kagome peeked up at him. “Did it get your mind off whatever it was that was bothering you? You look so worried at times when you think that I'm not watching. I just wanted to get your mind off of it, at least for a day. Did it work?”

Kurama was flabbergasted. People who had just met him were not supposed to be able to tell when he was worried. He was supposed to be unreadable! Not even Hiei knew what he was feeling at most times. Oh, Hiei thought that he was an open book to him with his Jagan, but Youko had not lived for over a thousand years without having learned a few tricks. Hiei only saw and heard what he wanted him to see and hear. But it seemed that this girl had no problems reading his emotions.

Kagome saw his confusion. “You obviously haven't been sleeping well and when you were sleeping, I could see the worry in your face. I just thought that you could use a day free of worry.”

Kurama smiled. “Thank you. And yes, it did take my mind off what was bothering me. I had fun, as surprising as that is for me to admit. I always thought that going to the amusement park was childish, even when I was a child. But somehow it didn't seem so today.”

Kagome laughed. “The fact that it's childish is part of the fun. We got to be children again, without having to worry about the height restrictions on the rides. Goodnight, Shuichi.” As Kagome turned to make her way up the steps, Kurama grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“Call me Kurama.” Kurama said, for some reason wanting her to call him by his true name.

Kagome smiled, but inside she was reeling. Part of the dream was real? Could the dreams be a vision of some sort? Would they happen in the future? Kagome blushed, remembering some of the more graphic dreams. God, she hoped so. Wait a second, where had that thought come from?!

Kikyo stirred inside her head. Well, you try being chaste your whole life and afterlife. Well, that describes you as well, so let's face it: as a whole, we haven't gotten `laid', as the people in your time call it, since well before Midoriko. That means that we haven't had sex in over a thousand years! Anyone would be a little restless after that long.

Kagome could have done without that information. It just made her predicament twice as bad. Now she was feeling justified in her desire and that made it easier to accept the dreams as being normal. But that didn't explain the strange connection that she felt with Kurama.

“Goodnight…Kurama.” Kagome went up the steps of the shrine and into the house. Everyone was asking her how her date went, but Kagome seemed slightly dazed, so her mother herded everyone away from her, and gave her permission to go up to her room. She went immediately to sleep, figuring that if she could get her lessons over and done with early, then the dreams might come earlier.

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Kurama came over the next morning and tutored her, acting like the day before had never happened. Kagome was extremely hurt by his attitude as well as confused. She had thought that it had been a good day and that he thought so too. As she said goodbye to him after the lessons, she gave him a questioning look.

Kurama knew that she was confused, but he wasn't going to make her wonder if he never came back. There was nothing that he could do about his mother, but any feelings that Kagome had or might develop could be stopped. He really didn't want to hurt her, but until he could be sure that his past would not interfere with his future, he didn't want to get involved with her. He left without giving her the explanation she sought. It was better this way.

Kagome didn't know what was going on with Kurama. Maybe he didn't want to have a relationship with her, even as a friend. Or maybe he thought that she was pushing him into something more. She was used to being rejected by Inuyasha. She could take it. She wouldn't push like she had with Inuyasha. She had found out the hard way how much it hurt to be continually rejected. She would just put on her patented happy face and not show how much his rejection hurt her. She had had plenty of time to perfect that particular expression before she accepted that all that Inuyasha and she were ever going to be was friends. She would let him know that she was only interested in him as a friend and that should put his mind at ease.

The rest of the week passed in much the same fashion as that day. They were polite, but distant. But the dreams kept on coming, making the strain even worse between them. Kagome was glad when it was time for her to go back to the Feudal Era. She really hoped that Sango was out and about by the time she got back. She really needed to talk with her.

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Well, that was the first week of Kurama and Kagome's relationship. I hope that I can get the timing right in all this. It is kind of hard to figure out when I want certain events to happen. Well, I suppose I could always change it later. It will be a while before I bring the rest of the group in. This story is progressing far more slowly than I originally intended. I didn't want to drag it out this far, but these things have a mind of their own.

Also, with the boy and his mother I had originally intended for them to play a bigger part in the story, but then I realized how much trouble it was just to keep up with the characters already in the story, and I had to rethink it. I was going to have the child be a hanyou and Kagome help him through it. The father was going to have left them because he couldn't understand his wife's weakness. And let's face it, hanyous are looked down upon and most youkai wouldn't like having one tagging around with them so it only made sense to have him stay with his mother. But my brain could only take so much and I'm having enough trouble writing this as it is without having to worry about more characters and story lines.