InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ With Meaning ❯ Escape ( Chapter 5 )

To Kokoronagomu: I've successfully figured out the formatting as you've seen #^_^#. And thank you so much for your lovely reviews- I think it's a mark of a great writer and a great reader that they always get something new out of a piece of work. And your pretty reliable reviewing makes me darn happy! XD

To DYquem: This started as a Kuwabara/Kagome/Kurama fic, and it will get there. I really want to explore a slow relationship buildup. So I hope you hang in there long enough for the romance~!

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Kuwabara glowered at the retreating form of the weird lady, unhappy with the way her emotions had roiled and bounced off the souls- the way it had upset his balance with all the pressure around him and the trio he'd found solace in. Certainly the two other redheads had overwhelmed his soul in such a gentle manner as to calm his raging powers, but the arrival of the woman (once she'd calmed and recovered her child) was near enough to block everything out.

And that was good.

She was bright and gentle in every aspect of her soul, and her bearing down upon his own powers and spirit had set him at ease. It felt like something he'd never experienced before; peaceful and welcoming and exciting all at once.

In combination with the other two, and his faltering control, it had become a combined weave of acceptance- he rather liked it.

The twit had messed it all up, and she'd been trying to walk all over the nice woman.

He'd not stand for it, and, as he relaxed at Yuka's departure, he scrutinized the weary look upon Kagome's face, the way her slender arms struggled to tightly hold her son even as she feared letting him go.

“My name's Kuwabara Kazuma.” He offered quietly, watching the way she smiled at him and her eyes sparkled.

“I'm Higurashi Kagome, and I can't say this enough- thank you.” He blushed as her brilliant eyes watered and she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth.

Kurama shifted beside him, and he turned to see his relaxed posture and glowing content eyes as they both delighted in the small family they had stumbled upon due to good grace and compassion.

Shippou shifted tiredly, his head only movement slightly before he settled- Kagome smiled down at him and kissed the crown of his head. Kuwabara liked the way she held her child, all protective and gentle and clutching at once. He smiled in return to hers and reached out to stroke the hair on Shippou's silky head.

She smiled brighter at this, and just as she shifted to secure her bags more firmly at the crook of her elbow she was hailed once again. Her eyes widened comically as Shippou grumbled and turned more into her neck, trying to block out the sound of another woman screeching for his mother so he could slip back into a light doze.

Kurama let out a rumble of disapproval, and Kuwabara shared his exasperation as he turned to spot yet another short haired woman making her way through the crowd- her hand waving theatrically over her head as she pushed around disgruntled shoppers and smiled brilliantly upon her stumbling arrival.

Kuwabara shifted, perplexed at the way her aura bounced everywhere in its own confusion- he still didn't like it even with its apparent childlike disorder. It messed up Kagome's aura, but not to the extent Yuka's had.

At least not yet.

“Ara! Kagome-chan, you ran off so fast earlier.” Her eyes briefly caught on the slumbering child. “Oh you found him, that's good. Hojou-san was worried. He thought you ran away because he'd asked you out again.”

Kagome twitched.

Kurama coughed politely, but Kuwabara just about threw up his hands. “Excuse me, Miss?”

She startled and turned to them, as if confounded by their `sudden' presence in her little world.

Kuwabara cleared his throat. “We were just taking Kagome-chan home.” He practically growled; his jaw so tight he could feel the beginnings of a headache, and that combined with the dubious feel of her aura mixing up the others put him into an entirely soured mood.

It was only the warm press of Kurama's hand suddenly on his arm in restraint that made him breathe deep and try to reign in his ire and his powers.

He thought he might need that tea soon.

“Yes, Kagome has had a rough day, you do understand don't you?” Kurama spoke up politely, his teeth bared in a smile not quite fit for courteous conversation. Kuwabara took his aid at face value, and discreetly moved to usher the wide eyed Kagome away- the strange woman distracted into staring at his poor friend.

“Yeah,” he heard the young woman absently say, her voice faded with the distance they were making. “That's why she needs Hojou- someone has to look out for her.”

Kagome let out a sighing breath and looked up to him with wide wondering eyes, and he blushed under such marveling scrutiny- he didn't quite think anyone had ever looked at him like that.

Or…like that.

He eyed her as her blue orbs practically went dewy with gratitude; her tired form slumping slightly before he gently managed to free her from the weight of her shopping bags. The smile that was added to the overall affect stunned him, and as she shifted Shippou he took a moment to shake himself back into sanity and stumbled into step beside her as they walked.

It seemed that escorting her was the only way she would get home.

…

Kurama straightened his collar with a glare, walking at a brisk pace now that he'd finally freed himself of that damnably confusing woman. His face lost its glower upon catching up to the small family and their tall escort, they having waited for him just a few stalls down the market- Kagome was giving him a sympathetic look, wincing and smiling and trying not to laugh.

He snorted, of course, she would have put up with it before - she probably had every right to laugh given how many times he thought she'd been caught by the bumbling woman and her obnoxious predecessor.

He finally grinned at the humor of it, and he sighed theatrically- “Well, I do believe the only way to get you home, little missy, is to escort you right to your door.”

She smiled sheepishly, but her eyes lit up at his gallant sweep of an arm. “Yes, sorry about them- they have one track minds.”

Kuwabara chuckled from beside them and they continued their trek together- it was much more enjoyable (all kitsune teasing aside) now that the kokitsune wasn't so despaired and Kuwabara wasn't so worried.

And the added bonus of the woman's bright soul wasn't hurting in any manner for the old kitsune.

She murmured a quiet `thank you' before sighing and straightening her shoulders, her son shifted higher so that his head rested fully in the curvature of her neck and clung higher so she could walk with larger strides. The way her chin slowly came to rest upon the crown of Shippou's head as she closed her eyes and breathed, it told Kurama more about her. More about the way she cared and loved and lived.

He smiled.

Kagome shook her bangs out of her eyes before smiling at them, her eyes crinkling happily as she regarded them. “I am very glad Shippou found you. He's not so fond of strangers.”

Kurama smiled as Kuwabara blushed, running a hand through his hair as his green eyes flashed and he regarded the odd little woman the kitsune had claimed as mother. For it could have happened no other way. Kitsune couldn't be claimed, they were a proud race- the only way to adopt another family was to claim it and love it themselves.

It meant all the more.

This woman was nothing like he'd met before, she had no ulterior machinations or selfish motives- she lived for her kitsune son and seemed to ignore the entire truth of the matter, kitsune usually couldn't survive without kitsune.

But Shippou was doing wonderfully.

“That's only natural for his age”- he looked at her carefully, wondering if the flash in her eyes was of knowledge or just simply acknowledgement.

Kuwabara chuckled, his arms shifting so he wouldn't hit a passing pedestrian with the shopping bags. “He took to me just fine, Higurashi-chan.”

She colored and smiled. “It's Kagome please, Kazuma-kun.”

Kurama smirked as his friend colored as well.

“In that case, call me Kurama, all my friends do.” Kuwabara sent him a sharp look, but Kurama just smiled and watched Kagome's pleased expression- even as her legs were shaky and her steps tentative while she still clutched at her son.

“How far away is your place?” He asked worriedly, wondering if they would need to take a break so she wouldn't tremble so much and fret about falling with her son.

She gave out a tired laugh. “Not too far, we're used to walking distances. But I live near the Sunset Shrine- it's been in my family for years so we bought the traditional property surrounding it.” She hefted Shippou a bit as she absently smiled at them.

“You're a shrine maiden?”

She blushed. “Sort of,” she paused and used her chin to gesture- “That's our place.” When she turned her head slightly to regard them, there was a curious light to her eyes that Kurama hadn't seen previous. He shivered as the hard blue swept over him, his eyes bright as he realized she was pondering deeply. She finally firmed her lips and smiled tentatively. “Would you stay for dinner? I know it's rather late…but I can't say thanks enough. And I'll be making the meal anyways.” She flushed as she shifted, preparing to head up the path through the small front garden.

Kuwabara swallowed loudly, and Kurama turned to him with feral eyes- recognizing the man's surprise and wonderment at such welcome when he'd worked so hard for it his whole life. Kurama softened, finding this an even better reason to accept the offer than the temptation of reward for doing what was right.

He had found himself very protective of the large man he called friend, simply because he was such an intimidating fellow that many others thought nothing of his vulnerability. But Kurama did.

So they accepted.