Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Gravitation. Both of these series belong to their respective owners. I make no profit from the writing of this fanfiction story. This is done purely for my amusement and the amusement of my readers.
A/N: I know, I know. I should be updating my other stories first, but I'm having a hard time pinning down my muse for those. I apologize, and as soon as he/she/it gets their butt back here, I'll see what I can do about updating them. SFS is in the works, as is FA. I haven't forgotten them, and given a little time, I should have them updated. In the meantime, this was something I had written out awhile ago, and it just needed a few tweeks to be ready for publishing. It's not my typical genre, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless. This is a ONE-SHOT. It's intended to stand alone, and I have no plans of extending it. If there is someone out there who would like to see something more done with this, just drop me a line at sayurinakamura AT gmail (dot) com. As it is, I'm going to be placing different ONE-SHOT's here under this story heading. If you have suggestions for a ONE-SHOT that you'd like to see with Kagome (I must be specific – KAGOME, from Inuyasha, and any other random male,[I APPROVE OF CROSSOVERS…obviously ^^;;][or female, I don't mind doing shoujou-ai]), just leave a review or contact me at the aforementioned email address and I'll see what I can come up with! :D Thank you all for your continued support!
Now, on with the fic!
Title: Victim of Love – A Series of Kagome Crossovers
Series One: I Want to Shine on You
Warnings: Fluff.
Starring: GravitationxInuyasha
Leading Roles: Ryuichi Sakuma/Kagome Higurashi
Status: Complete. One-Shot. No intentions of expanding.
I Want to Shine On You
"Kagome!" Souta called again, breaking her concentration once more. She was reluctant to leave from the spot she was currently rooted to. It had been forever since someone connected with her, truly connected with her. Even Inuyasha hadn't really 'connected' to her. Sure, he tolerated her, and they were friends, and there were powerful emotions between them, but Inuyasha never really understood her need to be childish and silly sometimes. He had such a horrible childhood that he didn't get the urge to be childish, though he acted selfish like a child most of the time.
Kagome was in the park, surrounded by smaller children and a warm, blazing sun. There was a slight sweat dripping down her face, but all of that was trivial, inconsequential to the person she was looking at right this moment. He was taller than her, but not by much, and had brown hair. His eyes, she had decided, were too much a myriad of colors to truly define, as she had caught glimpses of golden, hazel, and even hints of chocolate within their glowing depths.
Ryuichi's eyes connected once more with hers and she struggled to find the right words to say. He had joined her and the other children so easily in their games, and she appreciated that. It told her volumes about him as a person, though she'd never met him before. With a glowing smile, he held out his most prized possession, a stuffed rabbit he had named "Kumagoro". Kagome's eyes fell to the stuffed animal with something akin to shock, and then she shook her head, her eyes full of worry. "I couldn't. It's important to you, right?" she hadn't been around him but an hour, and she knew that by the way he clutched the stuffed toy to his form the entire time he'd been there.
His smile seemed to brighten further as he spoke softly, but for a moment, completely serious as he said, "Shine, Kagome." Her eyes softened as she reached out her hands to place over his around the rabbit. Her hands gingerly took the toy from his hands, but before she'd pulled it to herself completely, he held it back long enough to say, "This is just for now. I'll be back to get Kumagoro later." There was an unspoken promise in his words and Kagome's eyes again flew to his own as another silent conversation was exchanged between the two young adults.
For some reason, it made her eyes water as she nodded quickly and a new, fresh, beaming smile broke across her face. "I'll take good care of him!" Ryuichi was nearly floored at her sparkling self. He hadn't seen anyone shine nearly so bright at so small a thing. It puzzled him, and yet at the same time, elated him. He made a promise to himself, to help her always smile, to always keep her shining.
"Kagome!" Souta yelled out, with impatience this time as he moved to run up to his stalling sister. He frowned when he saw the young man in a rabbit hoodie, but when he saw his sister's brilliant smile, he couldn't help but eye the man even more suspiciously. She hadn't smiled like that since her return from the well for the final time. His protective instincts kicked up a notch. Who was this stranger? Kagome quickly looked over to her sibling and she couldn't help the lingering regret that she had to leave.
"I'm sorry, Souta. I was busy talking to…" her eyes widened in surprise as she realized she didn't have his name. She whirled back around to ask, but he was gone. Just that quickly, he had disappeared.
"Sis?" the young boy questioned hesitantly. He saw as her eyes filled with confusion and uncertainty before she clutched the small stuffed animal to her chest, and those darker, sadder emotions left her face to leave it with a peace that he hadn't seen in years.
She shook her head at her brother's questions, and said, "Let's go home." He watched her walk towards the shrine for a few moments, as he lingered in that spot, his eyes searching the park quickly for the figure that had lit such a bright light in his sister. This time, it was her turn to call back over her shoulder, "Are you coming?"
He took a few seconds more to search for the stranger, but, not seeing him, he quickly ran the distance between them and began walking beside her. He was taller than her now, by quite a few inches. He had always taken his role to protect his sister seriously, even as a child, but now it was even more fierce, because of what had happened in the past, and how badly she had been broken by the man he saw as his idol.
He shook his head of the thoughts of Inuyasha. Kagome was safe and home; that was fine with him, but what he really wanted was to see his sister come back; the one that had fallen down the well at age 15. The girl beside him wasn't the girl who had adventured around in the past. The girl beside him was just a shell, a memory of how he could remember her; however, right this second, a ghost of that girl he remembered was back. Kagome's eyes were calm, at peace even, as she clutched tightly to a pink bunny in blue overalls. Again, Souta made a lingering sweep of the park. If this stranger could make his sister smile, and make her happy like she used to be, then he would do just about anything to keep them in contact. Heaven help the stranger, though, if he hurt her.
The days passed painfully slow as Kagome spent every spare moment at the park. The children enjoyed her presence, and the caretakers of those children were grateful for her ability to wear their children out before nightfall. Two weeks passed, and she hadn't seen the special person who had given her his prized possession to take care of while he was away. As each day passed, her improved demeanor dwindled, leaving her sad, and much like she was before he'd come into her life. She forced herself to shine, like he asked, in front of her small, neighborhood friends, but at home, at night, she found herself again doubting her worth, and doubting that he would return. Each time she would about give up hope, she would clutch the precious rabbit to her form and breathe in his unique, sweet, scent. He smelled like sugar-spun cotton candy and caramel. She'd never met anyone that smelled so much like a candy shop, but it made her nostalgic for her own childhood and her love of sweet things. The evening was young, and she stood, holding Kumagoro in her arms as she made her way downstairs. Souta was just turning off one of his new video games, and he was getting ready to turn on a live concert he wanted to see. He was surprised that Kagome was downstairs; usually she kept to herself after retreating up to her room for the evening.
He gave his sister a smile and she nodded her head lightly back at him, a light smile of her own coming to her lips. He didn't question the smile, but he took notice of it. Though she was sad again that the stranger hadn't come back yet, the lingering effects of that one afternoon still held her in their grips. If he ever got to meet the man again, he would thank him for what he was able to do. It wasn't much, just an afternoon of playing with her, but it had a profound effect on her. He had no idea what had actually transpired, but whatever it was had done more than all the psychiatrists and therapists in the world could have done for his heartbroken sibling. "You going to watch the NG concert with me?" he questioned, gesturing to the table in front of the couch, which was piled with popcorn, trail mix, and other small munchies. They'd just eaten dinner a couple of hours ago, but he had been waiting for this live taping for a couple of months, and he was going to enjoy it to the fullest. The concert had been sold out since the day the tickets went on sale, so he gave himself a plan b: enjoy the concert in the comfort of his own house and eat all the food he could, while taping the show, of course.
Kagome eyed the food before she snatched up a piece of cheese and nibbled on it with a thoughtful smile. "Do we have any ice cream?" right now, the comfort food sounded good, and it had been awhile since she spent some time with her brother. Besides, she wasn't as hard core a fan as Souta was of Nittle Grasper, but she did like a lot of their songs.
He grinned at her question before he nodded and pointed to the kitchen. "Go get yourself a bowl. The concerts not going to start for another ten minutes or so." He said, looking at the clock on their DV-R.
The young miko smiled brightly again, that spark returning as she was urged on by the scent of caramel in her arms. She moved into the kitchen, and a couple of minutes later, she found herself with Kumagoro on her lap and a bowl of ice cream with all sorts of extras on top in her hands. Souta's expression softened as he noticed how at ease she seemed. He didn't understand it, but he couldn't question it, not when such a drastic, and positive, change, had taken place. He took a seat beside her and flipped through the channels before he settled on the Pay Per View station that was hosting the concert. He went ahead and ordered the concert (a much lower price than tickets would have been, he noted), before he set the timer to record the concert automatically, and began scooping up some of the trail mix to eat.
"Where's Momma?" she questioned her brother as she took a bite of the sweet cream and let it melt in her mouth before she swallowed.
"At Auntie Atsuko's house. Yusuke called about some sort of trouble, and he wanted someone to stay with her." He informed her. Atsuko wasn't really their aunt, just like Yusuke wasn't really their cousin, but when they were children they had spent all kinds of time together before their father died, and their mother moved them in with their grandfather. Kagome lifted an eyebrow at the thought of Yusuke. It had been so long since she'd seen him. She wondered if he was still eyeballing Keiko, and how the other girl was doing.
"I hope everything's alright." She said, a little worry slipping into her eyes. She knew Atsuko was a progressive alcoholic, though she hadn't understood that when she was a child. A lot of her issues stemmed from being abandoned with baby Yusuke when he was still an infant. Her own mother helped a lot to ease that pain, but once they had been forced to move away, there was little could be done, especially since Kun-loon had her own grief to deal with and small children to raise.
"I think he was just worried she'd do something to relapse. I think she's getting better since Momma can go see her more often." He said, with a light smile. Since Kagome and he had grown into teenagers, she didn't have to worry as much about watching over them. It gave her more free time to explore the things she enjoyed, like the tea ceremony, and flower arranging. It also gave her time to reconnect with friends that she had missed over the years.
Kagome nodded in agreement. "I should go see her one of these days. She was so nice when I was little. I haven't seen Yusuke in awhile, either." She said, as she smiled and took another big bite of her ice cream, only to wince and hold her head. "Ow, ow, ow!" she muttered as Souta barked out laughter.
"That's what you get for eating it so fast!" Her expression was hilarious, and he hadn't seen her so carefree in so long. He'd missed this side of her. He was almost afraid he'd never see it again.
"Bugger off!" she said playfully as she slapped him on the shoulder.
He laughed again but it was cut short when the loud announcer's voice came over the television saying, "Without further ado, presented by Toyota and NG Studios, we bring you, Nittle Grasper: Live in Tokyo!" Souta's attention instantly went to the screen and Kagome stifled a giggle. He was such a fanboy. She took another, slower bite of her ice cream before her eyes flickered to the screen. She recognized the song introduction that was blasting from the speakers. It was 'Shining Collection.' Her eyes brightened at the recognition and she found herself engrossed in the laser show and the familiar vocals of the band. The camera was swinging from one side of the stage to the other, so she hadn't had a good look at any one of the band members yet, however, as the second chorus began, the cameras zoomed in on the main singer, and she found herself dropping her spoon in her bowl. Souta didn't notice her flabbergasted expression nor did he notice the tears that came to her eyes.
'It's…him? He…he's Ryuichi Sakuma?' her hands stilled over the bunny in her lap and she thought again, 'This is…his…?' She cleared the tears from her eyes as she put her empty bowl on the table in front of her and found herself leaning back, bewildered. Some of the shock was easing. It wasn't like she should be surprised of who he was. He was a normal person too, though she didn't know he had a child-like side to him just like her. Souta was belting out the lyrics along with Ryuichi, but Kagome couldn't find it in herself to tease him about it. Her thoughts were on that day at the park, and his unspoken promise to return to see her again. Souta didn't realize who it was that had entranced his sister, or he would have been reacting far differently. Kagome didn't feel like speculating and increasing her brother's blood pressure. He was already high enough on just being able to see the concert. Besides, she didn't want him to think she was crazy; well, crazier than she already was. He might not believe her. After all, he didn't get a good look at the stranger, and she had spent a couple of hours with him.
The song ended, and she caught the enthralled look on her brother's face. She smiled at his enthusiasm before she flicked her eyes to the screen again. The song following was another high energy, upbeat song, 'Lost Complex'. However, the next song was one of her personal favorites, 'Breathless Night Slider.' Somehow, she found herself singing along with her brother and they sang out the chorus's together in some sort of unique harmony that didn't sound half bad. She stood and began dancing lightly around the room as she held out Kumagoro and began twirling around happily with the caramel scented plush. Souta laughed and got up to dance with her, even pretending he had an air guitar for the rifts towards the end of the song. They were both enjoying the time together, and the good music, Kagome for a different reason than Souta. She could see what Ryuichi had meant about sparkling now. His presence didn't just fill the stage and auditorium that he was in, but it filled her shrine, so many miles away, and her house, which had been so full of gloom for her, and finally, his sparkling aura filled her heart, making it soar with unexplained happiness.
The rest of the concert was just adding onto that good feeling that filled her, and by its end, she was sad to remember that he might not ever come back to see her. Again, one glance at the all-important plush in her arms, and she felt her fears ease. Souta was surprised that she had stayed with him for the entire concert, but he wasn't going to knock it. He had seen his sister return to her normal self; the one that wasn't sad, and broken. He owed it all to his favorite band; and the fact that their music was so uplifting. He had no idea that something more was at work here.
The DV-R clicked off, and the encore performance was beginning to play before he turned off the television. He saw it was late, and he moved to clean up the mess they had made of the table before the telephone rang. He answered it, finding it was their mother. She informed him that she was going to have a girl's night with Atsuko and that she wouldn't be returning home. Relaying the message to his sister, Kagome smiled at the thought of her mother finally having a social life again. She stood, and looked at the rabbit before she thought about following her mother's example. She needed to get out, and live again. She needed to, for lack of a better word, sparkle. She frowned at the thought, before a small ache settled in her chest. She knew what this feeling was, but she hadn't really missed anyone in awhile. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Shippou and Kaede came to mind, but she had laid those particular aches to rest awhile ago. No, it was Inuyasha's heartbreak that lingered with her, not the aches of missing her friends and family of the feudal era.
She shook her head of the thoughts before Souta moved out of her line of sight into the kitchen. Feeling a little lost now that she wasn't sure what to do with herself, she stifled a yawn and thought of bed. It was late after all. After saying her 'goodnight's' to him, she moved back upstairs and into her room. She got into her pajamas and settled into sleep. It came easier than she thought it would have as the soothing smell of caramel lulled her into the land of dreams.
The next day came and Kagome found herself at the park in one of the swings. It was a Sunday, so there were plenty of children to play with, but she herself felt like playing on the swing. She pushed herself higher and higher while Kumagoro watched her from her small pack that was sitting next to one of the poles of the swing set. She felt the wind push her hair back from her face, and she almost felt like she was flying, and that one properly timed swing would send her catapulting into the sky. She was still riding the high of NG's, and more specifically, Ryuichi's performance, and she couldn't help but sing the songs to herself as she passed the time in the park.
She barely noticed when another voice chimed in during the chorus's as he stood off to the side and watched her swing. After a few minutes more of swinging, she slowed herself and let her feet drag her to a stop until they were dangling lightly above the dirt trench that was in the ground below her swing. Her eyes flicked over to her almost silent observer, and a hesitant smile came to her lips. She'd been waiting for forever it seemed, and he was finally here. His brows furrowed at that smile before he stepped forward and stole a glance back at Kumagaro. "It seems you took good care of him."
She was quiet before she smiled warmer and nodded. "I promised I would…actually…" her voice faltered and the young man gave her a quizzical look before she said quietly, "…he took good care of me, too."
The man beamed before saying, "Kuma-chan has learned good things from me!" his tone was full of happiness and pride in the stuffed animal and Kagome looked up to see that radiant aura blanket the space around him. It was so close she could touch it, but…just but. It had been so long since she felt happiness, and even longer since she felt she deserved it. Even if he would let her bask in that aura of his, that warm and welcoming aura, did she feel she had earned it? Was she worth it? Ryuichi's expression softened when he saw her internal struggles play out on her face. She was so beautiful, and when she had been carefree, he had never seen such a genuine, sparkling soul. Now, though, it was dark with worries and anxiety and he felt compelled to make her shine like the sun, like he knew she could. He walked forward and placed his hands over hers, which were wrapped around the metal links of the swing she sat upon and her eyes lifted from the ground and locked with his. Shame, fear, embarrassment, and finally, hope, shone in the depths of those sapphire eyes of hers.
He took in the power of her look and finally he smiled, a gentle smile like a parent would give a child who was learning a painful lesson. It was part hope, and part sadness. He had to give her the choice to guide her own path, but the kami's be damned if he didn't help her towards the path he wanted to see her on! "What do you want, Kagome?" he questioned, his voice soft, but serious again as he squeezed her hands tenderly beneath his own.
She was silent a moment as if contemplating that question. Finally, that peace she had felt the night before came back as she felt him squeeze her hands. A soft, though hesitant look came upon her face as she looked back into his eyes, only to close her own. "I want to shine." Her voice nearly broke as she whispered, "I want to shine with you."
His eyes widened in slight shock before a brilliant smile broke out on his lips. "You already are." He answered just as quietly before she stood, putting her mere breathes away from him as her eyes sprung open.
"No. You've been sparkling since I met you, and you've brought me so much peace. You have chased away my darkness, but all of that was your doing. None of it was my own."She looked frustrated, and he looked to her with confusion. Why would she be frustrated? "I want to shine with my own power; the power of Kagome…no one else." That statement sounded slightly childish, but he couldn't find it in himself to tell her that she was being silly. She wanted to shine bright, not necessarily brighter than anyone else, but as bright as she could make herself, without anyone's help. His eyes softened again at her outburst before he said, "Then shine, Kagome." He grinned, a childish and silly grin before he grabbed her hands and moved to spin her around.
"Shine!" he said with a laugh as she moved with him, startled by the movement, but not so much so that she didn't move along with him. The children in the park watched the two childish adults with wonder before they began to laugh themselves and moved towards the two, wanting to get in on the obviously fun game that Kagome and Ryuichi were playing. Seconds later, they were surrounded by children and laughter, and the young miko couldn't hold back her tears of happiness. The children missed the tears, but the young singer didn't as they began an elaborate game of ring-around-the-rosy, with many participants, all of whom were smiling and laughing with joy. The parents looked up at the sudden burst of laughter and smiled at the way the two young adults directed the game, and how carefree the participants were.
The game lasted for almost an hour before the children got distracted by other games and play equipment, leaving Kagome and Ryuichi with hands clasped where the game had nearly started, and also where it had finally fallen apart. Sapphire eyes met golden brown and she smiled weakly before speaking. "I guess you'll be leaving soon." She said quietly, as she kept her eyes on his.
Ryuichi's expression faltered for a moment before he said in his typically childish tone, "I'll be back! I promise! Besides…" he looked over his shoulder at Kumagoro, left in the same spot it was before beside Kagome's swing. "…Kumagoro wants to stay with you. And I need to come back and visit him!"
Kagome's eyes lifted to look over at the stuffed rabbit, and her expression gentled further as she shook her head. "You've been away from him too long. He'll start to really miss you if you leave him again." She said softly, before she caught his gaze again.
The young man was stunned at the generosity of the girl before him. She was obviously sad and upset, but she wouldn't take the rabbit for comfort because she knew of how important the stuffed toy was to him. Quickly, he squeezed her hands before he said, "Then you'll just have to come visit him!"
Her eyes widened in surprise before another warm laugh broke out from Ryuichi's lips. "You'll have to come see where we live! And where we work, where we play…we'll show you everything!" he said happily as he dragged her towards her backpack, and Kumagoro. Kagome's hands tightened around his as her shock wore off to be replaced with gratitude and a growing affection. He didn't have to do this, any of this, and he didn't have to even take a second glance to look at her the first time they met in the park. The fact was, that he had, and since that moment Kagome felt, for once, cherished. Inuyasha didn't cherish her; he did everything he could to show that he didn't care for her more than a friend, and sometimes not even that. Even if this person before her didn't care for her more than a friend, that was fine; because right now, that's all she wanted. Ayumi, Eri, and Yuki had grown apart from her in the few years she'd been back from the Feudal Era, and a lot of her own loneliness was self-imposed. There were many that just didn't understand her, and too many that didn't want to try to break through the shell she had trapped herself in. He, strangely enough, understood her need to be childish, because he himself had that need. He understood, on some level, her loneliness, because he had given her his most prized possession to hold onto to ease the sadness she had.
On some level, one that she hadn't quite figured out yet, he understood her, and cared about her.
Tears once more clouded her vision before she reached up a hand to wipe them away. Her heart felt too full to be contained in her chest, and she once again blamed his ever-expansive aura of gentleness. He had a soul almost as large as hers, and the goodness that he held touched her in a way that few others had. His kindness seemed to wrap around her in a physical way, making her feel warm and loved.
Ryuichi turned once they reached the corner of the swing set and he was surprised to see Kagome shedding a few more tears. It broke his heart a little to see those tears, and he found himself tearing up a bit. He hated to see anyone cry, whether it is from happiness or sadness. He let out a mostly artificial wail as he reached forward and pulled Kagome into a tight hug. The startled young woman nearly pulled back before she caught herself and pulled the young man into that same tight embrace. His wails nearly got the attention of others, but when they saw Kagome comforting him, they looked the other way. Her tears stalled as his increased in volume, and she smiled, as she rubbed her hands gently over his back.
"There there…it's alright. Everything'll be okay." She said softly, as she held him close as he tightened his grip on her. "I'm sorry I made you cry." She added, as she brought up one of her hands from the center of his back to run through the bottom of his hair, and lightly over his neck.
He shook his head as his elaborate wailing trailed off and he sniffled as he felt her hand in his hair. Her hands were so gentle and warm, like a mother's touch. He didn't remember much about his mother, since he had been gone from home for most of his life. He had become a star at a young age, and was constantly flying and performing in both Japan, and in America. He didn't remember much about his childhood, but somehow this felt familiar; a gentle, warm hand soothing away his anxieties and tears. Quietly, he rested his head at the crook of her neck, and sniffled again as he let her sooth away his tears. He hadn't really been upset, but when he started to cry, hers had instantly stopped. It again showed him just how tenderhearted she was. "You'll come play with me and Kumagoro?" he questioned, giving her watery puppy-eyes as he looked up from her shoulder.
Kagome's smile softened further before she nodded and said brightly, "Of course! We're friends now, right…Ryuichi-kun1?"
Her expression said volumes to him, that she trusted him even though she knew little about him. He could have easily told her that this was a prank, a joke, and that he didn't ever want to see her again, and yet, to do so would have devastated not only her, but himself as well. He nodded quickly, with a positive, "Un2!"
Smiling back brightly at him, she let her arms fall as she leaned around him to pick up Kumagoro and her backpack before she held out the caramel scented plush towards the young man. He looked quickly from the wide, plastic eyes of the stuffed toy to the sparkling ones of the miko, and he grinned wider before he took the plush from her hands and squeezed it tightly to his form. He had missed it, after all. He hadn't been away from the gift for longer than a few hours since he'd had it given to him. Kagome placed the strap of her backpack over her shoulder before she said, "Lead the way. Wherever you go, I'll follow."
She put such trust in him, such blind faith. One part of him, his childlike self, thought it was grand, and was all ready to play 'follow the leader'; the other part of him, the one that was very much adult in nature, realized how much effort it took on her part to trust him so unconditionally. Adults didn't believe in blind faith anymore. Children, who were still innocent, believed in unimaginable things, and believed in things that didn't exist because of it. Adults didn't have faith in anything that hadn't proved themselves to them first. Ryuichi didn't believe that he'd done much of anything to earn her faith as he did, but that just proved another aspect of her personality. She was honest, trustworthy, and she believed in people, no matter what had happened to her.
With a growing smile, he reached for her hand, capturing it within his own. Kagome flushed lightly, but didn't pull her hand away, instead, she gave him a shy, soft smile. With a growing grin on his face and a newfound determination, he led the way out of the park, going to work his hardest to make Kagome…shine.
/end
A/N: Thank you, again, for your continued support in all that I write. I appreciate all the reviews, the favorites, the watches, and the author favorites. They all make me happy to know that you guys out there enjoy my writing.
Kudos, Loves!
Sayuri-chan aka animeinvasiongirle held He hhlksdofaljsdefojHlsdal;adsflasfd;lkHe HHeHe
1 "kun" is an honorific used for males in Japan. It's typically used by girls when they are referring to a boy that they are close to; this is typically used between friends.
2 "un" is a typical response from children in the affirmative of something.
