Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho 1. Neighbors

Summary

She was only taking a moment to make sure the new resident on the floor felt welcome. She just didn't expect said resident to take an interest in her.

A/N: For future reference, this will be known as the Flowers 'verse. Enjoy!

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Kurama looked around his new living room and sighed in contentment. It was so nice to be out of the dorms now! And having his own place that was still close enough to his mother's was an added bonus.

He was excited about starting his research at the university soon. After graduating with a degree in botany and chemistry, the college had offered to let him stay and work for a surprisingly good salary. Apparently he was well liked by the staff and the head of the university. The avatar had snatched up the opening without a protest, as it would be better than a lot of things he woud find fresh out of college with loans to pay.

His mother had been thrilled, of course, but she'd known there had been nothing to worry about with her studious son. Kurama had grown into a good young man with a solid head on his shoulders.

What amused the redhead was the fact that she was beginning to hint at him trying to get out more and finding a girl to settle down with. He'd explained to her that he wasn't interested in a relationship at the moment, but she'd just smiled happily and reminded him that when love came around, it didn't wait for any specific plans to settle into. He'd left it at that and just agreed to disagree with her.

A knock brought him out of his musings and he furrowed a brow in confusion. He wasn't expecting anyone this evening. The others, with the exception of Hiei, had come by a few days ago to get him moved and unpacked for the most part as he settled into his new home for a while. That hadn't come without an almost catastrophic incident. One of his plant specimens from the Makai had taken a particular shine to Kuwabara and had almost eaten the tough man. Yusuke had joked about it for hours and Kurama had apologized again and again to the shivering human as he'd taken refuge in the kitchen where all of the sharp pointy knives he owned were being put away by Yukina.

"Coming!" Opening the door a few seconds later, he was blinking again and just considering the fact that he was seeing things. Standing on the other side of the door was a petite nymph-like woman with waves of long silky black hair and the bluest eyes he'd seen in a long time. Not the icy color that Touya possessed, whom he'd kept in correspondence with after the tournaments, but a deep fathomless ocean blue that he was sure he'd get lost in if he wasn't careful. The other thing that drew his attention, though, was her aura. It shined like a glowing beacon that immediately put him on guard. No **normal** human had spiritual energy like that.

"Hi! I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself!"

Oh, great. Was she one of **those** girls?

"I'm one your neighbors, and I had seen you several days ago moving, so I just thought I could welcome you to the building," she continued, smiling brightly and fiddling with something behind her back. "I hadn't wanted to disturb you because I know what it's like getting settled into a new place and all."

"I... That's very nice of you," Kurama managed to get out, trying not to grimace at the insincere words, "You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but when I moved in here, I had to get to know my neighbors the hard way."

"... The hard way?" Why had he asked?

"I ran out of sugar one day and borrowed a couple of cups from Haruka-san down that way," she explained, pointing down to their right. Her smile softened and became more geniune, something that he found he immediately liked, "She's really nice, in a grandmotherly way. But be careful; she likes to talk about her cats, Mittens and Socks."

"Mittens and... Socks?" That was amusing.

The tiny woman shrugged and tilted her head. "I don't really ask."

"I see," the redhead replied, starting to relax a little. It seemed the young lady wasn't some rabid crazy girl after all. In fact, she just seemed nice in a somewhat quirky way.

"I'm just on my way in from work, and I saw this, so I thought it might brighten your place up, if you want it?" A second later, he was presented with a bit of a shock. "So, welcome to the complex!"

He blinked and slowly reached out for the little potted plant, wondering all the while if she knew what she was saying by giving him this.

"... Thank you," Kurama murmured softly, fighting down the urge to flush. It was obvious by her bright smile as he accepted the plant that she had absolutely no idea what it meant to give someone a red tulip. Or a little pot of red tulips, in her case. The poor thing probably just thought they'd be a nice welcome gift.

"If there's anything I can help you out with around here, I'm just down the hall in 312. My name's Kagome," the raven-haired girl cheerfully continued, pointing down to their left before waving to him and turning away. "It's nice to meet you!"

Before she could completely walk away, he stopped her with a hand on her elbow. Kagome sent a look over her shoulder, curiosity painfully easy to read on her pretty face.

"Kurama. My name is Kurama," the redhead decided to spit out after a few anxious heartbeats of silence, "and it's nice to meet you too, Kagome." He deliberately left off the honorific as he rolled her name over his tongue. The flush on her cheeks indicated that she definitely noticed and he smiled inwardly. She may have unintentionally started their game, but he was more than happy to play along until she figured it out. She was an interesting little thing.

_'It helps that she is so lovely.'_ He let her go, a charming smile painted on his features. "I'll let you know if I need anything." And he would. He would also introduce the idea to his mother, knowing the older woman would be over the moon about the entire incident.

Nodding rapidly, Kagome turned on her heel and all but fled down the hall back to her apartment, the heat never leaving her cheeks. She'd only been trying to be nice! Then he had to go and say her name like that and make her think about how handsome he actually was!

_'Men! Ridiculous!'_

She had no idea what was in store for her.

Chuckling slightly and shaking his head, the former Spirit Detective stepped back into his apartment and closed the door, a feeling of wicked amusement rolling off of him as he debated where to showcase his new little prize.

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Red Tulip- a declaration of love

A/N: Just thought you guys would want to know that. Hahaha! Poor Kagome! Don't give plants to the plant expert without researching first! Heeee! This will be a fun little series to continue. Expect more from this 'verse soon. I apologize about the delay in everything else, but life has just been kicking my butt recently. Technically speaking, I pretty much don't sleep through the night anymore. Baby hasn't even been boirn yet and he's already got me trained. Hahaha! Hopefully, I'll have the next chapters of things up soon, but please understand that FF isn't really my main priority at this point.

Thanks for your patience and I hope to see you all soon!


	2. Trap

Summary

One good deed deserved another... right? Oh, wait, unless it involved youkai...

A/N: After a ridiculously long absence, I am back. I hope you all can forgive me, but with the baby, I'm sure you guys can understand. Being a mommy sure is something else, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

**Just so you guys know, unless I make it clear and say so, these are all considered unconnected One-Shots. Some of them I do plan to go back and write a continuation. Others are merely stand-alone. Just wanted to make sure I got that across.**

Anyways, enjoy!

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She never should have bothered to care. Her bleeding heart was going to get her killed one of these days. Kagome blew a breath from between her teeth as she carefully manuvered the terrain of the forest. Honestly, what was she thinking?

_'Right. I was thinking that I heard a noise that sounded like a wounded animal and just had to investigate. I should really just go back to the hot spring and enjoy what little alone time I get for my baths.'_ She'd been perfectly content to sit and soak for a while in order to wash away the aches of the day- courtesy of one touchy inu-hanyou- when she'd heard a yowl coming from somewhere in the forest. Oh, why hadn't she just gone back with Sango earlier? Then, she wouldn't have been running around out here in the wild with nothing but a towel on.

The priestess shook her head and again cursed her need to check on whatever it was that had made the pitiful noise. She froze before a conglomeration of bushes when that mournful howl echoed around her. It literally sounded like it was right in front of her!

_'Well, whatever it is, it must be in a lot of pain...'_ Steeling herself, Kagome nodded and pushed the bushes aside. What she saw made her breath catch in her throat. The creature looked as though it was glowing; it's fur was such a bright shade of silvery white.

"A fox..." the girl whispered, watching its' long bushy tail bristle and twitch in fury as it tried to pull itself from a nasty looking trap that was clamped on one of its' hind legs. _'It's hurt! I should-!'_ She stopped. No, she shouldn't try to help it. It was a **silver** fox, for crying out loud! That color alone definitely didn't fall under the category of normal by any means. That, coupled with the fact that it was nearly the size of Kirara's transformed state, should have had her scampering back to her bath. Because with her luck, it was probably a youkai of some kind. But still...

The fox yowled again and Kagome didn't think twice as she turned tail and ran back to where her bath supplies and her backpack were. Changing quickly into a pair of pajamas, she hefted out her first aid kit and checked the contents, letting loose a string of curses that would have made Inuyasha proud, had he heard them. She was out of bandages. An idea hit her and she dug into her bag. Pulling out one of her school uniforms that was shredded beyond even her mother's ability to repair, she untied the long red scarf and stuffed it in the kit as she scrambled to her feet and headed back.

A few moments later, Kagome stepped out of the bushes and into fox's line of sight. Immediately, the creature tensed up, its' lip curled back in an intimidating fashion to show off some **very** sharp teeth as it growled at her defensively.

"Easy there, fella. I'm just going to get you out of there," Kagome soothed in a calm voice, despite the fact that she was shaking on the inside. The fox's bright viscious red eyes were locked onto her and following every movement she made. When she got just out of its' reach, the growl became a snarl and it tried to lunge at her, only to fail when it put pressure on its' trapped foot. Giving a whine of pain, the magnificent creature lolled back and started to reach for its' foot.

"No no! Don't do that! You'll only make it worse!" the priestess chided in a soft voice, scooting a little closer. She was now in the large canine's range of attack. "Let me help you, please!" The fox swept its' gaze back to her, vermillion staring down blue in a clash as it tilted its' regal head just slightly. Almost like it was assessing her...

_'I hope you're not just luring me in to rip my throat out, buddy,'_ Kagome thought, swallowing carefully and refusing to back down. It was a fox, damn it! She wasn't going to lose a staring contest to a fox! Somehow, she must have conveyed the right feelings, because the animal looked away and acted as though she wasn't even there. The dark-haired teen felt the distinctive urge to twitch and smack the creature upside the head for the arrogant move, but reigned the urge in and put her first aid kit down next to her. Reaching for the metal trap, she clasped her fingers around it and looked it over for a second before nodding.

"Okay, when I say so, I'll set this loose and you pull your foot out," she murmured, shaking her head and snorting, "Oh, who am I kidding. You're a fox! It's not like you can talk or understand what I'm actually saying!" She didn't bother looking up when she noticed the canine shift a little. If she had, she would have seen eyes that were no longer red, but gold, staring at her in incredulous annoyance. Instead, she heard a small snort and licked her lips.

_'This is going to suck...'_

"Okay, on the count of three. One, two, THREE!" She pulled, the bloody silver foot disappeared from her sight, and she let the trap drop. Its' teeth snapped shut and the girl breathed a sigh of relief before glancing up at the big fox licking its' injured foot. Reaching over for her kit, she pulled out an antibiotic cream and her red necktie. "Hey, big guy, let me take a look at that and I'll get it cleaned up for you."

It, no, she had a feeling the animal was a he, gave her a long measured look before snorting and glancing away. Kagome, for her part, was stunned speechless when she locked gazes with those golden eyes, but shook herself out of it and scooted closer, uncapping the antibiotic and staring at the wound. She winced, then took a deep breath.

"This is going to sting a bit, so don't freak out and bite me." With that, she took the plunge and poured it onto her hand before smearing the cream over the wound. Working quickly, the priestess spoke soothing nonsense and hummed a few bars of a melody under her breath as she rubbed as much of the blood out of the pretty fur as possible and wrapped her necktie around the wound. With a smile and a little pat, she tied off the makeshift bandage and proclaimed her work finished.

"That should hold for a little bit!" Kagome exclaimed softly, glancing up and jolting at the fact that the fox's face was only a few inches from hers. She froze, waiting carefully and not making any sudden movements to stir the animal's instincts. After all, she didn't want the large silver creature to tear her head off all of a sudden. It was with no small amount of surprise when, instead of the nip she was expecting, the gorgeous canine snuffed at her hair for a moment before giving her a lick on the cheek.

For some reason, she had to fight down the urge to blush. Honestly, what was her problem?

_'Animal, Kagome. Don't forget that.'_ Reaching up, the school girl tentatively ran her fingers over one of the ears, watching with inner glee as the appendage twitched. _'Ohhh, his fur is so soft!'_

"You're not so bad. Why would someone want to trap you, big guy?" Tilting her head to the side, she met that golden gaze again, the curiosity inside her reflected in his eyes, "Unless you were trying to steal someone's chickens. That's probably not such a good idea, you know." The fox let out a bark that sounded a bit like a laugh and she giggled as well. "I mean, you're a pretty good sized fox. You'd probably eat a bunch of chickens. You could always look for rabbits or something though."

His ears flickered and suddenly perked up, drawing the priestess's attention again. It looked as though he was listening for something...

Kagome gasped when she heard Inuyasha's voice faintly calling her name. A moment later, Sango's voice echoed also, and she scrambled to her feet, careful to not jostle the animal that had managed to scoot so close to her. "I have to go! My friends are calling for me! Ohh, I probably have them panicking!" Reaching down, she pushed things back into her first aid kit and snapped it shut. "As it is, Inuyasha is going to be so pissed when he finds out I just up and left the hot spring without letting anyone know."

The fox tilted his head in a way that she had to keep from cooing at- Shippo had the tendency to do that when he was intrigued about something- and hauled the kit up.

"Bye now! Get better soon, and try not to get caught in anymore traps, big guy!"

Darting back through the trees, the priestess disappeared towards her friends voices. Once she left his senses, the fox stood gingerly on its' feet, stretching out and flexing his injured foot in a way that a normal fox wouldn't have ever done. A white fog surrounded the creature, building in density for a moment before it receded completely. In the animal's place stood a man dressed in all white with long silver hair, large pointed ears perched on his head, and a bushy silver tail that was nearly hidden by his hair. Glancing down, he stared at the red fabric wrapped around his ankle and examined the handywork. For being such an odd human, the woman had sure known what she was doing. Remembering what she said before she left, he smirked, golden eyes glinting in amusement.

"Perhaps you're right, girl. Stealing chickens isn't exactly worth getting caught over." His gazed landed on the trap and he growled, "On the other hand, using traps imbubed with magic to keep me from switching between forms is also considered foul play." With a flisk of his wrist, vines wrapped around the metal and he manipulated them to toss the nasty trick into the stream nearby. That being done, he turned and stared back towards the way the girl had gone.

"Now... how to repay you..." He smirked again, "After all, I do enjoy a good puzzle, girl."

He'd heard her friends calling her name. Kagome... Hmm...

_'One that this Kurama will enjoy solving, After all, there is a high likelihood that we will meet again.'_

He would make sure of that.

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A/N: This one is going to be fun to come back to. I already have an idea of how I want the next part of this to go. It's going to be so much fun! Until further notice, this will be known and the Trap series.

Hope you enjoyed! If you did, leave a review and let me know!


	3. Flyaway Hat

Summary

After her permanent return from the Feudal Era, Kagome encounters someone that she seems to forge a connection with... All for a silly little hat.

A/N: Okay! This is just a stand-alone, so enjoy!

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She sighed quietly to herself as she watched her friends have a blast without her. It wasn't that she didn't want to join in on the fun, but that she felt... left out. Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka all had boyfriends they were completely enarmored with. And she... She was still trying to get over Inuyasha. Kicking at the sand beneath her flip flops, Kagome Higurashi smiled wistfully at the thought of her silver-haired hanyou. Yeah, she loved him, but he'd made his promise to Kikyo. It took some time, but the younger priestess realized she couldn't get in the way of a love that strong. So, she'd let him go. But not before her heart had become devoted to him.

"Kagome! Are you coming into the ocean?" Ayumi giggled, squealing when her boyfriend tossed water at her. She whipped around to admonish him and he just grinned at her wickedly.

"No. I think I'm going to take a walk down that way," the priestess replied, smiling smally and pointing down the beach. Ayumi furrowed her brows in concern at the melancholy attitude that surrounded her friend. "Don't worry! I won't be gone long!"

"If you're sure..." the other girl trailed off, laughing suddenly when Eri dunked her respective other in the cool blue water. "Just don't go too far, Kagome."

"I'll be fine, Ayumi! Go have fun!" Kagome laughed, forcing a huge smile that she knew would look fake. She'd stopped trying to hide it a long time ago. And despite the fact that her friends had wanted to help, no one could seem to break her out of her self-made prison of sadness. They'd given up after a while, and hoped that she would find someone that would make her happy again.

"All right! Don't forget your hat!" The priestess spun around and snatched the straw hat from it's spot on her towel, and she set it gently on her head. Despite traipsing around the Feudal Era in all the different types of weather, for some reason, her cheeks still burned easily when she went to the beach... Or the pool. It was so weird.

She meandered down the beach, watching families and friends laugh and splash around. The summer was beautiful this year, and with it being her last one before she started college, she'd hoped that it would be a fun one.

Sadly, though, the peaceful atmosphere and the natural landscape surrounding it only made her think of a time long since passed. The Feudal Era would have been even more breathtaking. Kagome shook her head and reaffirmed her promise to not think about the dimension on the other side of the well today. She was supposed to be having fun!

_'What constitutes as fun for me now? Everything here is the same boring thing. There's nothing new. There's no one interesting to meet,'_ the priestess thought, sighing quietly and looking out at the bright blue ocean. In the distance, she could see a sailboat lazily meandering over the horizon.

"And there are no demons."

The wind from the ocean whipped harshly, swinging her white sundress around and stealing her hat away. Gaping in shock at the floating straw, Kagome watched it head farther down the beach morosely.

"I **have** to get it back! That's my only hat!" the priestess cried, taking off in pursuit of her flyaway hat. She paid no attention to her surroundings, didn't see the older couple on the beach watch her in amusement as she chased down her hat, screaming angrily at it the whole way. She'd abandoned her flip flops a while back, and now she was grateful that she'd remembered to carry them with her.

"COME BACK HERE YOU STUPID HAT!" the dark haired girl growled, reaching out and barely touching the brim. A gust of wind blew it out of her reach again, flipping the straw end over end and tumbling it around an outcropping of rocks. Shrieking in indignation, Kagome whipped around the corner, eyes intent on her prize. Therefore, she failed to notice the person standing so close to the water and she collided right into them with a loud squeal.

They went down in a tangle of limbs in the shallow water.

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He hadn't really realized he'd been bulldozed over until the girl on top of him groaned in pain and sat up. And then he had to wonder how she'd managed to catch him off guard. Kurama opened his eyes and stared up at the girl that was muttering above him.

"Gods, what did I hit?" she asked, shaking her head to rid herself of dizzyness and glancing down. Eyes the color of the ocean connected with bright green and she gasped suddenly, scrambling off him in horror.

"I am so sorry! Are you okay? I wasn't watching where I was going and I-!"

"It's all right. I'm perfectly fine," the former Spirit Detective replied quickly, sitting up and brushing wet sand from his hands. His clothes were soaked, but it wasn't that big a deal. That's what you did when you went to the beach. You got wet. "Are you hurt anywhere?" The avatar sighed inwardly when she gave him a wide-eyed stare before flushing and holding out her hand.

"N-No. I'm okay. I was chasing my ha-! Oh! My hat!" the dark-haired girl started, whirling around and completely forgetting about him in hopes of being able to locate the missing head gear. Sadly, the straw hat was no where to be found. "Damn it! That was my only one!"

For his part, Kurama wasn't used to being so thoroughly ignored by anything remotely female. It not only chafed his pride, but ruffled the kitsune tendencies he exhibited on occasion. Of course, the Yoko was miffed. The rather pretty human girl wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to them. Rising to his feet and pulling his damp shirt away from his skin, the red head glanced around in search of the obviously important hat. Perhaps, if he found it, the young lady would grace him with her name.

A flash of tan caught the corner of his eye and he looked up. There, on top of the outcropping of rocks, was the aformentioned hat. Turning his attention back to the girl, he cleared his throat and pointed up.

"Miss, is that what you're looking for?" She whipped her gaze back to him, those abnormally blue eyes pinning him down for a breathless moment before they slid up to where he was pointing. A delighted smile curled onto her lips and she nodded happily.

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"Yes! That's my hat!" Kagome started towards the facing, but froze when a gentle hand at her elbow stopped her from starting her ascent.

"If you'll give me but a moment, I will be happy to recapture it for you," the red head explained, stepping around her and starting up the facing.

"Oh! Umm... You don't really have to do that! I can get it my..." she trailed off; he was obviously not listening to her as the handsome boy scaled the rocks and effortlessly swung himself to the top. There was something about him... She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but he felt... different.

_'Almost like-! But that's-!'_ the priestess thought, eyes wide and her breath catching in her throat. She'd thought they were all gone; that demons no longer existed in her world. _'Maybe, they just got more clever?'_ It was the most heartening piece of news she'd received in a while. There were others that were different out there besides her!

A moment later, the boy was back on the ground and presenting her hat to her with a slight flourish and a small smile. "For you, milady." Kagome blinked and took the offered gift shyly.

"Thank you... I really appreciate it. My face gets burned easily, so I have to make sure I keep it with me," the former time traveler explained sheepishly, feeling her cheeks heat up as she settled it back on her head. A soft breeze tugged at their hair, and she lifted a hand to keep her reacquired headgear in place.

"I think it's good for a young lady to have some color. It just means you're healthy," he replied smoothly, making her bite her lip to quell the urge to suddenly giggle. He was a smooth one, she'd give him that. But she'd traveled with Miroku, and he was downright suave when he wanted to be.

"Still, a sunburn isn't exactly good for one's skin," Kagome countered, surprised at the playful tone that came out. Was she... flirting with this guy? A guy that may or may not be a demon? Inwardly she goggled at herself for being so silly. The red head quirked his lips in a crooked grin that sent her heart racing a little faster. This guy was definitely a charmer, and he knew it too. But he played subtly, and she wasn't about to ruin the game.

_'Not when it's been so long since I've actually enjoyed talking to someone.'_ For once, it wasn't about life and death. It wasn't about making someone jealous and trying to one-up someone. It wasn't even about getting the guy's number. It was simply some harmless flirtation.

"I suppose you're still planning to walk down the beach?" And he was playing. Oh he was playing, all right.

"Yes. I was... I'm here with some friends and I just wanted to get some real air. They're kinda... stifling, if you know what I mean," the priestess answered, grinning at the curious glint in his eyes, so she elaborated, "They all brought their boyfriends and I feel distinctly like the third wheel."

Kurama blinked, his curiosity full-blown and a muted surprise darkening the color of his eyes. How was this girl not dating some lucky bastard? She was more than pretty enough, even by human standards. And for him to find something pretty was a fairly deep compliment. "Now that I can't believe. How are you-! I apologize. That's a bit of a forward question." The avatar bit his tongue to stop the rest of the words from tumbling out.

She laughed and shook her head. "Don't be silly! I'm nothing special!" Her eyes, so very expressive, drooped and darkened in sadness suddenly, "Besides, I'm not really interested in any kind of relationship right now. I don't... think my heart could take another beating like that for a long while." It was obvious that someone had hurt the dark-haired girl; and deeply too.

"... Would you like some company then?" When her gaze rose back up to meet his in curiosity, he had to supress the strange urge to flush. "Just to have someone to talk to, of course!"

Kagome bit the inside of her cheek to stifle the urge to laugh. It was rather cute that he was trying so hard to put her at ease, and she couldn't help but be surprised by the curious glint shining in his bright eyes. Eyes that reminded her a little of...

"... Shippo?"

"What?" Kurama asked, wondering what in the world she was talking about.

"No... I'm sorry. You remind me of someone I knew," she apologized, shaking her head hard and letting her eyes drop back to the beach. Not before he caught the shine of sadness in them, though.

_'I wonder who...'_ the red head thought, before brushing the question away and holding out a hand in her line of vision. It got the reaction he wanted; she raised her head and sent him a questioning look.

"My name is Shuuichi. It's nice to meet you." She stared at his hand for a second, at a loss for words, before she remembered her manners.

"Oh! I-I'm Kagome! It's... nice to meet you too," she stuttered, putting her hand in his and thinking they would shake; like the American tradition, she supposed. With that red hair of his, he **had** to be only half Japanese. Right?

She got a shock when, instead, he raised her captured hand to his mouth and smirked the just tiniest bit.

"Charming. It suits you, Miss Kagome," the smooth talker murmured, laying a tiny kiss across her fingers that had the girl almost as red as his hair in less than a heartbeat. She snatched her hand back, biting her lip to keep from saying something stupid. Or giggling like an idiot. Gesturing down the beach, he waited for her to start walking, which she did at a fast clip. She could have sworn he laughed, but when she glanced back at him, he was merely smiling innocently as he caught up to her.

_'That sneaky-! Oh! It was almost kitsune-like!'_ the priestess thought, fuming silently for a moment as the heat finally started abating from her cheeks. In a way, she had to considered the possibility, _'And kitsune are known for being mischievous... Maybe it's not too far-fetched? He could even be one of Shippo's kids, with that hair and all...'_

In the end, she decided to just let it go. The time they'd spent together so far was too interesting to get all flustered about something so small.

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They chatted amiably as they walked, Kagome occasionally splashing in the shallows of the water and Kurama chuckling quietly under his breath at her almost child-like antics. They got into a water fight that ended up with them both dripping wet and unable to tell who the winner was, and the kitsune continued to become more enchanted with the small woman with an aura that seemed far too melancholy for her.

"So... I told you why I'm here. How about yourself?" Kagome asked, deciding to change the topic of their conversation after a while.

"It's summer. I'm getting ready to go away to college, and I wanted to spend the last few months doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying my time here," the redhead replied, shrugging slightly and letting a carefree grin slip across his features as he looked out at the ocean. They'd been walking a while and the sun was starting to lower towards the horizon. "I won't be able to do this very often once I get back to classes. I simply won't have the leisure."

"What are you planning on studying?" the former time traveler couldn't help but ask, wondering exactly what he would enjoy. For a pretty boy like him, she wouldn't be surprised if he said-

"I want to work on a double major in Botany and Microbiology with a minor in Biochemistry."

-definitely not that! Blinking rapidly, the dark-haired girl pinned him with a gobsmacked stare. He slid a sly glance in her direction.

"Not what you were expecting?"

"I'll be honest, no. You must be pretty ambitious to load yourself down with that much," she replied, shaking her head before smiling gently, "I guess that just means I shouldn't judge someone by how they look. With everything I've done, I would think that I wouldn't do that anymore."

"I'll manage. What about yourself?" Kurama ventured, steering the conversation away from himself. He wasn't really sure what to think of the dark-haired human, so he had no idea what she would want to do with her life.

"Well... I'm kinda being pulled in a few directions," Kagome thought out loud, staring up at the sky as she shuffled the sand through her feet, "History, but with a focus on the older eras. Religion because I'm curious and I grew up on a shrine." She seemed to glance at him for a second, and he had to have been imagining the little smirk that flickered across her features as she continued, "Mythology, for various reasons."

"Mythology?"

"Hmmm, I've always wondered if all the stories had some kind of basis to them."

"Which stories?"

"Oh, you know, the ones everyone grew up believing were just fairytales. Like how the gods used to roam the earth, spirits that could steal away a maiden's soul in her sleep, spiritually aware people that could do amazing things... demons." That hit a note. He barely stopped the automatic reaction to suck in a breath in shock.

Kagome grinned inwardly at the way the boy's aura spiked alarmingly, but kept an innocent expression on her face, "But none of that stuff is real, right?"

"Right... It's all just stories," Kurama replied faintly, almost disappointed to say that. He hated keeping that part of himself a secret from everyone; his mother, any friends aside from Kuwabara and Yusuke, even a girlfriend, if he ever got around to finding one that wasn't insane or otherwise attached. He would never be able to truly be himself and he despised his other half for that. Admittance would send him straight to a padded cell somewhere.

Kagome stopped walking and peered up at him in question, "Hey, are you okay?"

He jerked for a second and came back to the present. "Yes. Just thinking."

"Deep thoughts like 'Woah!'?" she grinned, elicting the urge to flush again. How was she single? He couldn't understand why any man in their right mind **wouldn't** want to be around her!

"More along the lines of I'm confounded." When she tilted her head in question, the avatar elaborated against his better judgement, "You're a nice girl. Sweet, even. Intelligent, amusing, pretty, and rather clever." With each compliment, her cheeks grew darker with a flush and she stepped away from him.

"Please, you're just saying that," the human girl snorted, waving him off and turning away. Now she seemed agitated, and took a few steps away. Something in him screamed that he shouldn't let her leave, and he snagged her arm on instinct, pulling her back to him with a firm grip. She smothered a gasp as her body came into contact with his again, and stared up at him with confusion and a growing wariness.

"W-What are you doing?"

"I'm not going to hurt you," he responded immediately, trying to put her at ease. His words seemed to have the opposite effect on her because she tried to pull away.

"Please let go," Kagome pleaded, blue eyes actually looking scared. He hadn't meant to do that.

"I'm not the type of person to just hand out a few sweet words because I think it will get me somewhere, Kagome-san," the redhead explained in a soothing tone, "There's just... something about you that's different. I simply want to know what that is."

"I don't like curious people, Shuuichi-san," the girl answered, taking a couple of deep breaths before her next words seemed to tumble from her mouth, "and I really don't like curious youkai either." Kurama couldn't have dropped her arm fast enough. How the hell did she-!

"W-What?"

Kagome's eyes widened and she slapped a hand over her mouth far too late. Then, she was turning and sprinting down the beach much faster than most normal humans could manage. The redhead gawked at her for a few seconds before shaking himself out of it and giving chase. If she knew about demons, he needed to be sure she wouldn't just go telling anyone!

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He caught up to her easily enough, and snatched her hand as she started to crest one of the sand dunes leading to the street. He didn't budge when she tugged on her arm, but his eyes did widen in surprise when the movement caused her to slip down the slope into him. As he steadied her, he kept her arms pinned, not enough to hurt her, but more than enough to make her realize that she wouldn't be able to escape.

"Tell me how you knew."

"It's not that hard to figure out!" Kagome challenged, blue eyes sparking up at him in anger, "If you've got the right training, anyone can see it!"

"Most are not trained to sense such things though," Kurama countered, letting his eyes narrow as he surveyed her violently spiking aura again. There was somethings familiar about its' consistency, though he couldn't pinpoint why. It was a feeling that he was sure his alternate half had recognized before. He reared back suddenly, instincts screaming at him to let the girl go and distance himself from her. Just in time too, because she suddenly let loose on her aura, visible pink sparks dancing around her in her distress.

Kagome gaped at him in shock, horror reflected in her luminous eyes. "I... I'm so-! I didn't mean it-!"

"You... you're a priestess!" For a few moments, they stared eachother down before the girl finally hung her head in defeat.

"Yes... I am."

"The training required for that has been... nonexistent for nearly five hundred years!" Kurama stated in disbelief, reaching out and grabbing her wrist again when she tried to take a few steps away from him. Kagome's gaze snapped back up to him, wariness creeping into her blue eyes again as he worked to wrap his mind around the idea.

"I didn't receive formal training," she whispered, biting her lip and averting her gaze to the ocean. It had been set aflame with reds,oranges, and pinks from the setting sun, and on any other occasion, she would have said it was beautiful. "I found out I had these powers comepletely by accident."

Kurama put two and two together rapidly and a sympathetic twinge unfurled in his chest. "You were attacked by a youkai, weren't you." It hadn't been a question. Kagome nodded and he resisted the urge to wince. The poor girl...

"I barely survived."

"Then you're one of the lucky few."

"I know. I haven't had contact with any youkai since I started high school three years ago," she confessed, finally raising her gaze to his. The earnest glint in her blue eyes and the flush across her cheeks proved that she was being honest. "I won't tell, I promise. So, please don't hurt me, or erase my memories, or whatever it is that you would do to make me forget."

"I said I wouldn't hurt you, Kagome-san," the redhead repeated softly, letting go of her wrist finally, "I meant that. I was merely worried. Most normal humans don't know of youkai, and it's better that they don't."

"I know," Kagome replied, "No one would believe me even if I said they were." She snorted dersively. "That's like a one-way ticket for a straight-jacket."

"Yes, it is." Glancing out at the ocean, he breathed a sigh of relief and the little ball of anxiety that had been building in his gut loosened, "I... suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you keep your memories."

"I would have fought like hell to keep you from taking them," the priestess countered, leveling a calm look at him. It was the kitsune's turn to smirk. "Seriously! I would have!"

"I don't doubt that. You seem like a fighter, Kagome-san." They stared eachother down for a moment, then both started laughing. A beep of a horn suddenly made Kagome whirl around towards the road, her long black hair almost smacking him in the face.

"Kagome! There you are! We gotta get going!" Yuka shouted from the window, waving spastically as she gestured for the priestess to come along. Kagome turned back to meet his curious green eyes and bit her lip in a way that suddenly made his heartbeat kick up a few notches.

"Well... I better get going before they all pile out of the car and decide to ask about you," she murmured, tucking some of her hair behind her ear and giving a little bow.

"Yes, I need to be heading home as well," Kurama answered somewhat painfully, not wanting to part company with the odd little priestess. He hadn't gotten to learn as much about her as he'd wanted, but still...

Kagome nodded and turned away to start up the sand dune before she whipped around again and babbled out, "Despite almost shocking you, I am **very** glad I met you today, Shuuichi-san."

"Same to you." She turned away, and he was seized by an irrationally genius idea. Reaching out, he snagged her wrist to stop her again. When she gazed back at him with that curiosity found so commonly in his own species, he blurted out, "May I see you again?"

The human girl blinked a few times, her brain stuttering for a moment before she processed what he'd asked. "Are you serious?"

"Well, yes." Her eyes watered and she nodded.

"I'd like that," she whispered, "I'd like that very much." The horn beeped again and she jerked herself out of her daze. "Let me grab a pen real quick." She was off like a shot then, bounding up the hill with a surprising amount of grace. Kurama watched her debate with the girl in the window for a moment before rushing back to him with a pen and a small slip of paper that turned out to be a receipt. She shoved the paper at him after scribbling down something, blushing dark red before mumbling under her breath, "This is my contact information, but don't get freaked out if you get asked a bunch of weird questions over the phone. My family is... a little protective of me after some certain events."

"I assume those events involved youkai in some way or another," the redhead surmised, taking the slip and stowing it safely in his pocket. She snorted and rolled her blue eyes.

"You don't know the half of it." Those eyes locked on him again and there was a glimmer of happiness in them, "Thank you. I'm really glad I ran into you. Literally. I think... if I hadn't, I would have started believing that everything that happened was all some magical dream, and that there really were no such thing as youkai."

"Well then, you're very welcome," Kurama replied, smiling softly and shaking his head when the horn beeped a third time, "I think they're becoming impatient. You should probably go." He took an obsenely gleeful amount of pride in the way her pretty face darkened red again.

"Right. Um, bye!" With that, Kagome whipped back up the hill and almost dove into the car. Kurama watched the vehicle drive off and let out a long sigh. He was sad to see the bright girl go, but he had a way of getting a hold of her again. Now, he would just have to wait until the right time.

"My very own puzzle in this day and age," he murmured, gazing out at the fiery colored ocean with bright golden eyes, "I do hope this is worth the investment of my time." He was sure it would be. There was just something about Kagome.

Something that stirred him on a deep level.

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"Soooo, Kagome. Who was tall, tan, and red?" Yuka asked slyly, giggling when Kagome spluttered and blushed for a second.

"Just a friend, Yuka! I'm **not** looking for a date **or** a boyfriend!"

"All right. Suit yourself," she shrugged, glancing in the mirror to see Ayumi and Eri's reactions. Both girls were grinning identically. "You'll tell us eventually."

Kagome grumbled the rest of the ride home.

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A/N: Whew! FINALLY done with this one! It's been sitting on my computer unfinished for AGES! I knew there was only just a smidge left, but I just couldn't seem to get it to flow. And now, after excruiating brain exercise, I finished! Hoorah for me! -brain is mush now-

Umm, stand-alone only. I don't really forsee a sequel for this... unless inspiration hits me like a ton of bricks.

Anyways, let me know what you guys think by leaving a lovely review! Until next time!


	4. Partners

Summary

He's in the process of trying to hire a competent partner and he can't stand the flighty women that seem to flock to the opening. She wants a job that works outside of her tight-knit little family and sees her chance to do something worthwhile.

A/N: Another idea that just reached out and tried to strangle me in my sleep until I sat down to write it out. I thought this would be a fun little shot. Sorry for the long wait. This last half of the year has been very difficult for me to get any time in to write. I'm not dead though, so don't think that I've abandoned my stories. Because I haven't. Enjoy!

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Rubbing his hands through his hair, Suuichi Minamino, known by his close friends and most of the Makai population as Kurama, supressed the urge to sigh and tried to will the oncoming headache away. He was no closer in finding an acceptable partner to his growing business and it was starting to look unbelievably hopeless. Most men seemed to not want to take him seriously, with his young countenance and his prettier than average looks, and every woman had been after one thing or another. Money, a warm bed partner, some type of stipluation or another.

After losing in the last tournament in the Makai, he'd essentially retired from the whole fighting business, finished school with top marks, and went on to impress nearly every college professor in his rigorous schedule. A few years later, armed with a double major in business and history and a minor in botany, for the fun of it of course, he was currently working himself into an early grave and trying to keep his mother from setting him up with every eligible young lady that came within a mile of him. He didn't need to be tied down. He was successful. He was too busy for a family.

He was bored.

Completely and utterly bored with his life at almost thirty.

_'And I have another interview in about ten minutes,'_ he mused, glancing around the office and shaking his head. What he **really** wanted to do was to call the woman that was scheduled to come and tell her to not bother showing up. That he'd filled the position. That he'd changed his mind and wasn't interested in a partner. The only thing stopping him was her resume. And what a resume it was!

Major in history and mythology. Minor in religion. Grew up on a shrine! Taught part-time at a local community college! This woman, should she not be as obnoxious as all the others, would be a gold mine for his company!

_'Kagome Higurashi... I sincerely hope you can impress me as well as your credentials have.'_ He sorely doubted it; the woman sounded too good to be true.

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Kagome Higurashi had long come to the understanding that she was Fate's favorite chew toy. Why else would her alarm clock have gone off late, the shower water turn freezing cold as she was rinsing the shampoo from her hair, and her blow-dryer be missing; she blamed Inuyasha for that one. Her car had broken down this morning, forcing her to take the bus, which was so crowded that she had to stand, then she had to take the subway to the farther end of Tokyo that she rarely bothered to visit, got lost and turned around with her directions, and finally ended up nearly fifteen minutes late for an interview for a job. She'd been discreetly trying to find one outside of her family's wide range for nearly two years now, if only to prove to them that she was capable of taking on a position that wouldn't require her to work under Sesshomaru for once.

It wasn't that she disliked the taiyoukai... well... maybe just a little. He was the epitome of cool, calm, collected, and ruthless in the business world. Just as he was in his early years. Unfortunately, with the barriers going up, most of his youkai endeavours kept him in the Makai, though not entrenched enough to make him forget about the little miko that had guarded the Shikon no Tama and her human family. The point was, as part of Inuyasha's pack, she was thereby considered part of the touchy Lord's pack as well, if only by association. Which, in turn, made her immediate family pack and under his obligated protection. And one in a pack didn't work outside of said pack; thus her issue with finding a job. What the hell was she supposed to do with her shiny degrees if she couldn't find work in their **very** limited circle?

_'Sit back, care for the shrine, teach a few classes at the college, and maybe get married and pop out a few kids I bet,'_ the miko groused inwardly, the thought alone making her eyebrow twitch angrily. Huffing out a breath, she sighed as she walked into the building and headed straight for the elevator. She **was not** a thing to be controlled, damn it! She was sure she'd gone over this several times with all of the males in her pack. Family. Whatever.

She still wasn't used to the whole shtick, even after nearly twelve years of living with it. Waiting impatiently for the elevator, she chewed on her lower lip and tapped her foot on ther floor. One ride up two floors later, she was trying to keep herself from hyperventilating and going back the way she'd come. The only thing keeping her from doing just that was the fact that she needed to prove to them all that she **could** do this!

So, straightening her shoulders and putting a confident look on her face, the miko marched down the hallway and knocked on the office door.

It swung open almost immediately and she was greeted by a handsome red headed man that was giving her a blank look.

"Higurashi-san?"

"Yes. I am so sorry that I'm late," Kagome answered, immediately apologizing, "It's been... one of **those** days... already." The former miko winced at the dull tone in her voice and plastered on a pleasant smile. "I suppose I would understand, though, if you didn't want to do the interview at this point."

"No, we'll continue," he countered easily, stepping aside and showing her in. "Please take a seat."

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It had taken a significant amount of professionalism to not stare at the woman that had stood outside his door looking as though she'd been handwrapped and delivered to him by the Kami theirselves. Not only was Kagome Higurashi a smart girl with her credentials in order, she was stunning too.

_'Those blue eyes of hers are going to make things difficult.'_

Of course, once he'd gotten past her looks, her aura was what captured and held his attention next. It had flared and buckled in warning the moment he'd answered the door in a tantalizing way that he hadn't felt in years.

There was something about her that was making his energy buzz. _'Best to just continue to play the charade. I'll make sure to test it later though; preferably before this interview is over,'_ Kurama thought, shuffling through some more paperwork that he'd prepared for the interview. He was almost done.

Thank you for your patience, Higurashi-san," Kurama murmured, giving the young woman another encouraging nod. She smiled happily and seemed to relax a little more. She had a right to; he'd been impressed, after all. "I just have a few last minute questions and I'll let you go for the day."

"Yes, of course," she replied, nodding and straightening her shoulders.

_'This next part is going to be difficult. But I need to know absolutely.'_

"Being a major in mythology, do you actually believe in much of the supernatural phenomena you've studied? That there are others aside from humans currently living?" She blinked, those luminous blue eyes dilating in surprise before they hardened and lost their emotions.

"Are you a skeptic, Minamino-san?"

"No, merely curious," Kurama replied easily, carefully monitoring the way her energy flared slightly at hearing that, "After all, I've seen some rather odd and interesting things in my life."

"Like what?" Now she was the one that was curious. He grinned inwardly.

"I'd rather you answer my question first," the avatar countered, noticing the way she tensed up and began to rise from the other side of the desk.

"I... I don't believe that this would pertain to this interview. As it is, I need to get going," Kagome worded her answer very carefully, reaching down to snag her purse before straightening and holding out a hand. "It was very nice to meet you, and I thank you for this opportunity, Minamino-san."

Kurama smothered his smile, managed to keep a professional appearance stamped across his face, and rose to his feet. She was a clever little one, but he hadn't been one of the greatest thieves in all of Makai for nothing. He enveloped her hand in his and shook it gently before letting a spark of his tightly controlled youki rise to snap at her. She gasped and pulled away abruptly.

"So you did feel that..." he murmured, tilting his head and smirking just slightly, "I'll say this now, Higurashi-san. Your aura has been spiking curiously since the moment you walked in here. I think you might know why, too."

"You- You-!" the blue-eyed woman spluttered, staring at her hand for a moment before raising her shocked gaze to his. He almost shivered at the hazy emotions darting in her blue eyes, "You're youkai?!"

"Partially. It's a little difficult to explain, but yes," the redhead shrugged, his smirk stretching into a grin when she blinked, "Which means you have encountered youkai before me." At her gobsmacked expression, he elaborated, "It's the only way you'd know, Higurashi-san."

"You-!" She seemed to be stuck on something, but she finally managed to take a deep breath and leveled a surprisingly cold glare at him. Sadly, it did little to intimidate him. He liked the way her eyes darkened in fury. "Were you **planning** this?!"

"Initially, no. But when I noticed your aura, I thought it would be best to be up front," Kurama explained, green eyes brightening in curiosity, "So, I suppose this answers my question. How did you come to be knowledgable about youkai?" She opened her mouth and he interrupted her, "And don't say you learned from a book. You will try my patience if you do."

Kagome made a noise of disbelief in the back of her throat as she continued to glare at him. "Try **your** patience?! I don't believe your arrogance! What are you, Inu?" With tiny movements, she was slowly backing away towards the door. If she could get to it, she could put some distance between her and this modern-day demon that seemed so intent on discovering her secrets.

"Not quite," the avatar snorted, "Kitsune, if you feel you must know."

Kagome blinked. She hadn't been expecting that. It only made the situation worse, though, in her opinion. Kitsune were notoriously curious. It was a wonder that Shippo had managed to survive for as long as he had, what with his tendency to stick his nose into trouble.

Just as she was about to put her hand on the door to her escape, she heard a rustling in the corner that caught her attention. Glancing over, she noted the little ivy plant that was sitting there, then swallowed in apprehension when it shook. That had to have been the noise she'd heard a second ago. Right?

"You know that I'm not going to let you leave until you at least give me a few answers," Kurama murmured, those curious green eyes of his darkening in a predatory way. "I'll ask again, what are you, and how did you come to be familiar with youkai?"

"I'll never tell!" Kagome snapped, her fingers brushing the knob behind her in triumph as her blue eyes lit up. She shrieked in the next second as her hands were forced away and pinned to the door. Struggling was futile as her body became tightly bound and immovable against the wood. Frantically searching, the young woman almost snarled when she found the source of her capture.

The ivy plant.

"Wha-! What the hell is **this**?!" she snapped, glaring at the approaching redhead. Kurama tilted his head a little as he surveyed her and almost shivered. Tied up as she was, it took a considerable amount of control for him to remain collected. He wanted to pull her frazzled ponytail down and run his hands along the curves that the vines were putting on display. The fury in her eyes was captivating.

"This... is to keep you from escaping," the kitsune replied, reaching out and letting his hands rest against the door near her head as he carefully caged her in. The ivy crawling up the door, she noted, squirmed and moved so that his palms rested against the wood.

_'He can control it!'_ Kagome thought, a thrill of fear and awe shooting up her spine. He had to be powerful to be able to do that so flawlessly. Another thought hit her, _'If that's the case, would I be able to purify the damn plant, or would I have to zap him?'_

"It would be so much easier for you to just answer honestly." His voice was so close, and her attention turned back to the redhead that was inches from her face. From this distance, she could see swirls of gold beginning to manifest in his eyes, and she swallowed delicately. Would it **really** be easier to just tell him? As it was, she couldn't see a way out of this situation short of killing the guy. In truth, he'd done nothing to truly harm her yet; he'd more or less just scared her a little and let her know that he wasn't human.

"I... "

"Don't make me beg. I have not had to do that in a **very** long time," Kurama murmured, his voice deepening another notch. Kagome swallowed and resisted the urge to flush. He was just playing with her! That was how kitsune were, damn it!

_'It's not fair that it's working!'_ One of the vines brushed against her cheek, making her squeak suddenly, and she reacted purely by accident.

She purified the hell out of the ivy plant. Bits and pieces of the vines fell in clumps at her feet as she stared up at him, unable to unfreeze herself from her spot.

Kurama blinked in shock. Oh. Well. That was... unexpected.

_'No wonder she was trying to get away...'_

Oh gods. What had she done?! Her secret was out, and she was still at the mercy of this unknown youkai! _'What do I do now?'_

"... I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You did mention in your application that you live on a shrine."

"I-I didn't mean to," Kagome whispered, worried that she'd made the redhead angry. There was literally nothing in his stance or facial expression for her to go by. He was a blank slate.

"I can understand. It's been a long time since a miko with true power has been registered. Nearly five hundred years, in fact," Kurama reasoned, giving her a look that she'd seen Shippo wear far too often for her comfort. "How long have you known about youkai, Higurashi-san?"

Kagome pursed her lips and gave him a flat look. "I've known about them for about twelve years now. I had a run-in with one when I was in middle school and I've been trying to keep things quiet since."

"Indeed."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to kill me." The kitsune laughed quietly, the noise sending a shiver down her spine.

"I'm not going to kill you."

"You'd be the first," the woman grumbled, rolling her eyes and glaring at the pot that the ivy plant had been in.

"You're must too intriuging to do away with, and I've been rather bored in the past decade," he continued, the gold starting to become more dominant. Kagome swallowed slowly, took a deep breath, and again tried for the door knob.

"You know what? Let's just call us even right now. I'll leave and never tell anyone that you're sort of youkai, and you don't black list me on the job market for trying to purify you. I think that's a fair trade," the miko reasoned, smiling warily when the curious male tilted his head just slightly in a way that was undeniably kitsune and very **very** bad for her future prospects.

_'Make out my will, Mama.'_

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you, Higurashi-san. But you need not worry about such a thiing."

"Why..." Kagome asked, a knot forming in her gut that was telling her to **get out of there**!

"Why? It's quite simple," he whispered, the tone he'd dropped his voice to making her shiver again, "You're hired. I'll fax you the paperwork you need to send back to me, and I'll see you on Monday, Higurashi-san."

"No!" Kagome immediately snapped out. _'Like hell!'_ she thought frantically. There was **no way** that she was coming back! Especially after the thought of the 'talking to' she'd get from her family. _'Shippo is going to flip! Hell, Inuyasha with be foaming at the mouth for bloodshed!'_

Twisting the doorknob, she fled before he could manage to get anything else out. Once the door shut, he laughed. A miko for a business partner? It was too priceless. He'd have to call Yusuke and tell him to inform Keiko that he wouldn't need her to circulate that wanted ad anymore.

Oh, this was going to be fun!

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A/N: A playful Kurama is a happy Kurama. Ahh, this is going to be so much fun to come back to. Please review!

Also, anybody got any interesting suggestions for some more ideas? I'd love to hear about them!


	5. Strange Surprise

Summary

She's not quite sure whether to be pleased or horrified with the thought that someone is breaking into her apartment to leave her flowers.

A/N: A continuation of the Flowers 'verse. Hope you enjoy!

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Breathing a quiet sigh and gazing up at the sky with a small smile, Kagome Higurashi shook her head absently and continued up the stairs to the third floor of her apartment building. She was thankful that she'd decided to stay in touch with her friends after their middle school days, but there were times when she wanted to strangle Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi.

The girls had planned to get together for a Saturday out with lunch and plenty of gossip to go around. And it had happened. It was just one of the most embarrassing luncheons that the priestess had gone through in a long time. She should have never opened her mouth about her handsome new neighbor.

_"So, Kagome? What's been new with you?" Ayumi asked casually, spinning her chopsticks around her noodles and grinning happily. They were all excited about spending time together. It had been nearly two months since the last time they ate out and chatted in person. With Yuka's newly announced engagemet, though, they were going to get to spend a lot more time together. _

_"Not much. Got a new neighbor," the blue-eyed girl replied, shrugging before moving on quickly. She didn't want to dwell on the redhead living a few doors down from her now. "How's the engagement plans coming, Yuka?" _

_"Fine. I didn't know you were getting a new neighbor! When did the old ones move out?" Yuka answered, trying to direct the conversation back to Kagome. She gasped and leaned in, "It's not that nice old lady that lets you borrow sugar, is it?" _

_The former time traveler laughed and shook her head. "No! It's not Haruka-san! I didn't really know the couple that lived there. They kept to theirselves pretty much. Have you decided on colors for the wedding scheme yet?" _

_"I'm in a bind about that. I either want to do blue or green," the other girl mused, putting her elbow on the table and laying her head in her hand as she stabbed at her rice, "Kenta isn't being a huge help either. He just says 'Whatever makes you happy sweetie.' What would make me happy would be to have a little more input. I can't do it all by myself!" _

_"Men!" Eri groused, elicting giggles from the other three women. "I broke up with Yama." Heartfelt condolences were exchanged and she sighed, "It's fine, guys. He was getting to be a real jerk near the end there. I just... kind of knew it wasn't going to last much longer." With a nod and a brighter smile, she turned back to the conversation. "Have you met this new neighbor of yours yet? Is it a girl? Do you think she'd like to spend some girl time with us?" _

_Kagome shook her head and smiled. "Nah. New neighbor's a guy. He seems nice enough. I stopped by and said hi for a second a few days ago, so maybe we'll get along and I won't have to worry about someone obnoxious." Not that she thought the redhead seemed obnoxious. On the contrary, he just seemed perfectly at ease with making her flush at the most inopportune moments. Like when she was having her morning coffee. _

_"Oh! Is he cute?" Yuka asked, getting eye rolls galore. _

_"I wouldn't describe him as... cute." A more accurate description would be drop dead gorgeous. Kagome sighed and eyed her miso with slight annoyance. _

_"Soo... On a scale of one to ten, how would you describe his looks? One, being blah, and ten, being off the charts," Ayumi countered, a gleam entering her eyes that the priestess failed to notice. Normally, she was a little more attuned to her friends' ways, but she was rather distracted today. _

_'Damn redheads.' _

_She looked each of them over, meeting their eyes carefully and giving them an assessing look. "You guys really want to know?" _

_The other three women nodded their head rapidly. _

_"... I'd say a ten," she finally grumbled out, flushing when she remembered that sly smile he'd given her as he rolled her name over his tongue. "His hair's prettier than mine. I hate that." Her mind caught up with her mouth and she stared at her friends with wide eyes. No... She didn't... _

_Eri stared before breaking out of her silence first with a wide grin. There was __**no way**__ they could pass up an opportunity like this!_

Kagome glared at her feet and huffed as she made her way to her door, resolutely ignoring the urge to glance at Kurama's door. She **wouldn't**! Unlocking her door, she trudged in and sighed in relief, glad to be home sweet... home?

What?

_'... Did Shippo stop by here? Was he practicing his transformations again and forgot to clean up?'_ Kagome thought, stepping in and carefully closing the door. Scattered across every surface of her living room were leaves. On the tables, the chairs, even her sofa. She didn't know what to make of it.

"What the hell?" the priestess murmured, reaching out and picking up a few leaves to take a closer look at them. Why would there be leaves all over her living room? These weren't the ones that Shippo used either. They had a different feel to them. It hit her in the next heartbeat.

They were all rose leaves.

"But... Why?"

Not to mention who.

Striding into the kitchen to get a bowl to put them in, it took her a second to see the arrangement on her dining room table. When she did, she almost choked before she stared for a second as a flush crept up her cheeks. Someone had left her a dozen varieagated tulips in a pretty vase on her table.

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Kurama idly hummd under his breath as he cleaned up dishes from dinner. He'd been in a chipper mood ever since earlier, for obvious reasons of course. The game was afoot, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so amused about something so small. It would only be a matter of time before-

A knock on the door had him fighting the urge to grin. He could sense the aura on the other side waiting somewhat impatiently for him to answer.

Kagome couldn't possibly realize that she was outputting her emotions so casually for anyone that could pick up on them to see. Drying his hands off, he sidled to the door and unlocked the latch to swing it open. And there she stood; fidgeting awkwardly with her blue eyes filled with mixed emotions.

"Hello, Kagome-san." He'd decided to add the honorific to make her feel a little more comfortable, and it seemed to work for her. She visibly relaxed and gave him a tentative smile that made his heart rate pick up.

"Kurama-san, I was wondering if you were here earlier today," Kagome got right to the point and didn't bother to mince words, "and might have seen or heard anything... strange?"

The redhead blinked slowly and shook his head. "No. All was quiet around here. I did meet the older lady you were talking about before. With the cats?" Distraction would be the best way to catch her off guard and figure out her true reaction.

True to form, the priestess nodded and winced just slightly, that smile never leaving her face. "How long did you stand there trying to find a polite way to leave?"

"Not too long," he replied, shrugging his shoulders and leaning against the doorframe, "Maybe ten minutes?"

"Lucky. It took me a half hour to finally tell her I was running late for a lunch date," the raven-haired woman grumbled, blowing her bangs out of her face unconsciously. She also failed to notice the avatar's green eyes narrowing sharply at her words.

"How long ago was that?"

"Oh, about a month and a half ago. Shippo was okay with it, though he did make fun of me and kept telling me I was 'too nice to be mean'," she answered easily, smirking just slightly in rememberance of what she'd done to her adopted brother in response to that. "I got him back, of course, the little brat."

Now he was just getting annoyed, so he decided it was time to move the conversation along. If there was already someone in Kagome's life, well, he was just going to have to fix that. "So what brings you here?"

Permanently. Because he **wasn't** sharing.

"Oh! I think someone broke into my apartment!" Kagome gasped, eyes wide as she recalled the details of what she came home to. Kurama's stomach bottomed out. Wait, what?! He'd been sure to lock the door after leaving his little gift!

"Is everything all right? Do you want me to make sure there's no one in there? Have you called the police?" the former detective asked, shooting rapid-fire questions at her to try and figure out if he'd really messed up.

"What? No! Everything's fine! In fact, nothing was stolen," the petite woman assured him, waving her hands around to try and calm him down, "There's no one in there. I checked."

_'She __**what**__?!'_ Okay, this had been a bad idea. Next time, he was just leaving them on her doorstep.

"You should have called the police," he grumbled, leveling a reprimanding look at her that she almost smiled over. For a new neighbor, he was being awfully protective.

"I was perfectly safe!" the priestess reiterated, "Like I said, nothing was stolen."

"Then how did you know someone broke in?"

"Well... There's a bunch of leaves in my living room that weren't there before. Oh! And a vase of flowers sitting on my kitchen table."

"Flowers... and leaves?" He could play the innocent card. Easily. He wouldn't be a proper kitsune if he couldn't.

"Yeah. They're really pretty though. I just... I'd usually think it was sweet."

"Usually?"

"Well, it's kinda creepy. After all, I have to factor in the concept that whoever left them was able to get into my apartment," Kagome sighed, raising her eyes to the ceiling before lowering them quickly to the ground with a flush. "It's a shame. I haven't gotten flowers in years." Shrugging, she failed the notice the odd glint in the avatar's eyes as she waved absently and turned away. "Let me know if you see anything weird, okay? And I'm going to ask the other neighbors later."

"Will do," Kurama replied softly, watching her retreat before a thought hit him, "What are you going to do with them?"

"Duh! Keep them! I'm not throwing away perfectly nice flowers!" the former time traveler answered, throwing a grin back at him before disappearing into her apartment.

The redhead stared down the hall for a few moments, debating on whether or not to tell her, before shrugging and stepping inside his own place and shutting the door with a grin. Perhaps the delivery would be a little different next time, but then, it was more fun to continue to surprise her.

Mission accomplished.

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Rose Leaves- you may wonder

Variagated Tulips- beautiful eyes

A/N: Just a little something to put up before you guys start to think I might be dead. I'm not, it's just the last half of this year and the start of the new one has been completely unconducive to writing. I'm working on it though, so I should have other updates soon!

Hope you enjoyed! Please review!


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Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, Romance