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Theme I: The New Girl in Town

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Meiou Academy was suffering a crisis quite unlike anything that had ever happened before. It all began scarcely a month ago, but the rapid change in the school atmosphere was more than visible now.

Most of the girls (read: the not-so-secret fanclub, i.e. stalkers of one Minamino Shuichi), who were usually bubbly and simpering and quite energetic in the pursuit of their idol were now getting somewhat jittery and panicky whenever they perceived a chance and downright hysterical when that chance came and went.

The boys – with the possible exception of one Yuu Kaito – on the other hand were coming to appreciate their star student much more these days, congratulating him whenever any girls they might be interested in came within sight. Most reasoned that the girls would get over their massive heartbreak and desperate attempts to avert the inevitable within some months.

Within a year, they should have reasonably come to terms with the facts of life.

This crisis, or rather, the person causing it, had a name and a face; the name, the girls didn't really care much about, as the more vindictive ones among them were entirely ready to give the culprit creative names of their own, ranging from the mild to the downright malicious. The face, however, was what had them worried, because they couldn't really find fault with it.

Her name: Higurashi Kagome. Age: going on seventeen, which was an ideal match. Occupation: student of a high school in Nerima, but, more importantly, girlfriend and supposed fiancée of Minamino Shuichi. Appearance: long black hair, blue eyes, moderate height, athletic build. Other facts weren't as important, but were equally distressing.

Needless to say, the girls of Meiou Academy were not amused.

The general opinion before her existence had been discovered was that Shuichi simply couldn't have a girlfriend, because A, he was too perfect, B, he showed no interest beyond the formal and polite in the dozens – dozens – of girls who offered him chocolate on Valentine's Day and C, it would break the hearts of all these fans idolizing him.

Thus it was hardly a surprise that the female population of the high school hated Higurashi Kagome with a fiery passion of a thousand suns.

There had been several attempts to try and corner her at her home to find out her weakness, but apparently, her family was somewhat wacky – read: her grandpa, who chased them away with sutras that looked like flypapers to their eyes – and, as she wasn't a student of Meiou, their other options were very limited.

However, the fanclub was clingy enough to be desperate and desperation meant choices that were somewhat crazy and would likely classify as minor offences.

Namely, stalking.

Even now, seated in a cozy café far enough from both of their schools to avoid classmates and friends but close enough to feel comfortable, both Kurama and Kagome kept a wary eye on their surroundings as to make certain that no one they didn't want to see was around. Usually, they had a good deal of fun with evading these half-baked attempts at intelligence gathering or disrupting their dates; or rather, Kagome had fun and laughed a lot, which was enough for Kurama to continue tolerating these things for the time being.

It made dates a bit difficult, though, especially when the persistent chase refused to end.

"So how are you settling in?" Kurama asked after their order was brought. He was still only just getting used to the notion of seeing the priestess in modern clothing, but the change was proving very easy to adjust to. Especially considering that he never saw the beauty of short skirts and sleeveless shirts before the right high school student wore them.

So perhaps he was developing a slight fetish, but a perfectly natural one. No one could deny that Kagome had wonderful legs and now that he could admire them at leisure (when she wasn't looking, just in case) the choice of staying in Ningenkai for the time being didn't seem so grim anymore.

Kagome herself was still a bit self-conscious of all these changes, but it had been weeks – months, actually – since she had entered the jungle that was high school and believed herself to be coping quite well. the three girls that had been "assigned" to her as friends were proving an incredible help in "steering her in the right direction", Eri might claim. In any case, she was happy with the result.

"Some things are still a bit confusing to me, but the crash course I received was relatively thorough in preparation. Besides, you told me a lot even during the tournament."

His lips curled into an indulgent smile that any of the non-present girls would have pulled another's hair out for. "Yes, but that was mostly generalizing." Though the second tournament was more fresh in the minds of most, the thing that had carried him through it was the image of her, his sleeping beauty. Now awake. With him. "I suppose some things have to be learned in person."

Of course, there was much to be learned – especially the uses of the gazillion cosmetics and beauty devices she was now expected to be using as a girl. She rather doubted Kurama could tell her those things without embarrassment; though admittedly, Yuka had been right about his hair being far too perfect.

"I guess." She smiled as well, though it was a bit bemused. "Are you still getting trouble from your admirers?" By admirers she meant infatuated girls and by infatuated girls she meant shrieking adolescents who never failed to give her death glares when she came to visit him at school. It was one of the reasons why they usually met in their own free time, but after enduring the more animalistic world of Makai for so many decades, Kagome was well aware that she had to make her claim known once in a while.

She would never forget the White Day that came soon after her arrival to Ningenkai, when she received a large bouquet of flowers – all custom-grown, none spraying sleeping powder this time – in front of her whole class during lunch break. Personally delivered.

Kurama shook his head with a quiet sigh, sipping his tea before it could get too cold. "I'll never understand how you can consider my situation amusing. You didn't all those years ago."

"Well, that was a bit different." Back then, she didn't acknowledge, let alone understand her feelings. Once one got past the whole denial part and figured out why it hurt so much to simply watch, things got much easier. "I'm sorry; I imagine that it must be rather frustrating to you, since you can't really do much about it."

"Indeed." Here, one simply had to be patient and assume that eventually, they would give up on him and find boyfriends. Of course, in this case, eventually was a relative term that could mean within the decade. "But you are doing something about it with your presence alone, to my satisfaction I might add."

It wasn't too difficult to guess that the girls both hated and were jealous of Kagome – and, in his opinion, there was plenty to be jealous of when one looked at her. the only thing not to the satisfaction of his more primal instincts was that they weren't yet mated, so the claim they had on each other was verbal and emotional, but not physical. However, it was easily acknowledgeable that it would be a scandal if two teenagers just finishing high school got married simply like that. they had to wait a bit.

But he had all the time in the world. And so did she.

Kagome's lilting laugh filled the room, warmer than their hot drinks. Her blue eyes twinkled at him fondly, almost with mischief. She wasn't angered by the suggestion that she was almost like a watchdog protecting him.

"What is it?" he asked, uncertain what to think of this pleasing change to her usually hot-and-cold attitude. However, it was possible that love had mellowed out her hot temper somewhat.

"Nothing, just… well… you haven't changed all that much, I guess." Human or demon, he was the one she adored. "I do miss the ears, though. What?" she added, frowning quizzically when she received the very smile she had given him right back, mischief free of charge.

"Koenma was quite wrong." Kurama noted softly, studying her with an intensity that made her blush. The desire was carefully concealed beneath a great fondness, but she had spent enough time memorizing the expressions his eyes conveyed to see it there. "You haven't changed at all."

She ignored the little friendly and triumphant jab at her, as a warm hand gently descended upon hers as she returned the sugar to its place after sweetening her drink. "I guess this is fate, then."

"There are much worse fates, I assure you."

"Spending your life with me is something you'd consider a bad fate?" she teased, feeling fingers closing around her hand, promising never to let go.

"Perhaps only in comparison to spending an eternity with you." He held her gaze evenly, but then his eyes shifted a few degrees to the right and she saw the groan Kurama would never allow himself to voice pass through his eyes.

Kagome knew not to look around. She knew this look far too well. glancing outside, she saw the heavy raindrops falling in rapid waves. It was no time to leave the café now – neither of them had an umbrella and the station was quite a ways away. however, judging by the volume of whispering and poorly concealed giggling coming from the side – along with the feeling that someone was glaring heavily at her back – Kagome understood that it was time to go.

"Make no sudden movements." Kurama spoke quietly, though he wasn't quite whispering – something that might have been beneath his dignity. The priestess berated herself for finding the tone sensual, despite the danger in it. "This will require proper timing. Have you finished your drink?"

She gulped it down rather too quickly to appear nonchalant, but it was a cool spring morning outside, therefore Kagome could be excused for a lack of subtlety. Kurama recognized the giggling band of girls, especially since they all stopped their simpering upon noticing him and proceeded t whisper theatrically among themselves before putting on their best sickeningly sweet smiles and directing them at him, waving in a horrible impression of shyness. The other patrons of the café were beginning to notice.

This could be a potentially embarrassing situation. And they couldn't simply walk out into the rain like this, as it would look purely ridiculous.

It was testament to his skill as a thief that Kurama was able to get his own mobile phone under the table without being noticed at all and dial Kagome's number. The priestess fished out her own phone upon hearing the first notes of Danger Zone, her current ringtone. However, she raised her eyebrows when she saw the number of the caller and peered up quizzically at the demon. Kurama's green eyes were staring at her unblinkingly.

Answer it. he was saying. It's your move now.

Fortunately, Kagome was able to understand this nonverbal communication after a few seconds and a very shrill giggle. Swallowing, she hoped that she hadn't hesitated for much too long before picking it up, addressing her mother clearly. The perks about living with someone like jii-chan was that she was able to invent far-fetched stories without compromising herself. So when she feigned astonishment that her uncle had come down with a rather obscurely-known disease, it was an almost believable lie.

Before the now clearly scheming girls could even figure out what was going on, Kurama and Kagome had finished their drinks, paid for them and were running through the rain, the latter laughing merrily, the former shielding her head from the rain rather unsuccessfully with his jacket. By the time they managed to reach a rather deserted train station, both of them were soaked to the skin jacket or no jacket.

Kagome continued her laughing, though. "You could have nudged me or something!" she finally exclaimed, demonstrating said action on her companion quite easily. The jacket she had held above her head is now completely soaked, but she slips into it and wraps it around her as if it were the only heat source in the night.

"Possibly, but then you couldn't claim that this was a joint effort of imagination and masterful trickery." Carefully, Kurama wiped several black strands from her pale but shining face. Parole and service to the Spirit World wasn't as bad as he might have imagined years ago, he considered. If he could keep her and have her remain like this… well, there wasn't much more he could ask for.

"What do you mean?" the priestess scoffed, hands on her hips suddenly. "I did all the work while you watched as I rambled on into a mute telephone!" Again, she nudged him, her face a mix of smiles and frowns; but it is clear which one is winning, because, after all, it's Kagome, who can't remain angry for too long, especially now.

It was she who expanded his idea, but the mood was too good for him to ruin with pointing out the logical. Instead, Kurama smiled at her, hoping to quench the fire before it spread. "I think we should both simply admit that we work flawlessly together."

That was all right with her, Kagome decided, though she couldn't stop her cheeks from coloring. She was quite certain this was the first time anyone had received a compliment of such magnitude from him. Looking away, she mustered a smile that bordered on shyness, almost colliding with him. In the moment she wasn't paying attention, Kurama had moved with the preternatural speed of a demon to be closer to her and stop any possible argument she might raise.

But was highly unnecessary when, despite their slight difference in height, their noses almost collided when the priestess´ head whipped around to face him again. The breath she had been about to let out and allow to give voice to her opinion caught in her throat.

"Yes…" Her voice sounded as if she had run a thousand miles to reach this point. "Perfect…" Because he is, despite his tendency to mock, the cold fire that his anger ignites and the chiding sarcasm he often employs beneath the façade of utter kindness. Perfect… perfect for her.

She is too close. Far too tantalizingly close. Even if he counted to a thousand and back, Kurama doubted he would numb his awareness enough not to notice the smell of her breath, the darkness in her eyes passion is painting or the rapid beating of her heart that has nothing to do with exhaustion. Everything he had wanted all those years ago.

And, being selfish by nature, Kurama certainly didn't make a habit of denying himself what he wanted so greatly. Propriety and traditional upbringing and convention could be very easily brushed aside – after all, weren't they engaged in the eyes of the world? – and though he wished he could say something meaningful and deep, his instinct overrode any kind of gentlemanly soft-spoken impulses as his hands delved into the tangled damp mass of her hair to hold her in place.

He kissed her as if not doing so would mean losing her and the chance to exist with her; and after Kagome recovered from the initial numbness of surprise, she found that responding to the wonderful feeling building up within her was the easiest thing in the world. From his lips, she learned of need, of passion. Finally, it was she who brought gentleness to the process when her trembling hands cupped his face. The effect was like the calming of a wild animal, in a way, and by the time he pulled away from the sweetness with utmost reluctance, it was more caress than kiss.

Ironically, perhaps, it was she who recovered first. "I think the plan failed."

Kurama overcame the fleeting obsession with the sight of her flushed mouth and saw, with the corner of his eye, several girls with umbrellas rushing away, some of them apparently crying, others trying to appear inconspicuous in the thickening rainstorm, others throwing the girl in his arms highly poisonous glances before sprinting after their friends.

In a way, it was gratifying, though undoubtedly somewhat mean, to do something like this to them. it was highly unlikely that they would attempt such a thing again soon.

"You think so? I believe I won nonetheless." Kurama's fingers continued combing through her hair rather soothingly, if a bit possessively. Not to say that Kagome minded much, though he did look a bit too smug for his own good at the moment.

"And I'm supposed to spend my existence with you and put up with this forever?" Kagome quipped, unable to say anything meaner than that when tremors of everything but fear were passing through her skin when he touched her.

A gentle, deceptive smile. "It's only for the rest of eternity." It wasn't meant to console, not in the least, but the arm snaking its way around her waist helped dim the blow somewhat.

And then he kissed her once again, or perhaps she kissed him, the fleeing girls quite forgotten, along with whatever argument they might have had.

"But if it helps…" he breathed, drinking in the very essence of her, "I promise to go easy on you at times."

Her voice trembled despite the confidence of her statement. "You're lying."

"No." Kurama corrected, "I wouldn't lie to you unless it could protect you somehow. I love you."

It's the first time she has heard those words from him, as he has been very careful in not speaking them before meaning them, even though his actions are more than proof enough.

Kagome smiled broadly as she threw her arms around him and held tightly, content. "I think I can live with that." she whispers as the embrace closes in around her as well, holding her in place.

The next day, dartboards with the name Higurashi Kagome pinned to it were no longer enough. The news spread through the school like wildfire, all the way to the highest ranking members of the Shuichi Minamino fanclub. This new girl, fiancée or not, girlfriend or not, was threatening the careful stability brought forth by years of unsuccessful fighting for Shuichi's heart and his own personal restraint.

The question was: what did Higurashi Kagome have that none of them had? They were determined to find out; not that they ever would. However, one thing was clear.

This meant war.