Summary: Kagome and Ichiriou are childhood friends. They've always been close. Considering Ichirou's always been there for her, it's no surprise Kagome fell for him. But she thinks he has feelings for their new coworker, Uru. However, she's soon proven wrong.

Pairing: Kagome/Ichirou

Misunderstandings

Kagome sighed as she watched Ichirou yet again stare at Kashiwa Abekawa flirting with their female coworker, Uru Takamura. This was always happening. The whole time they had known the short but unusually strong girl Ichirou had protected her from other guys. Not too long a go his actions- and sometimes his words- made it clear that he saw Uru as more than a friend. Leaving Kagome as the third wheel again. The older- and taller- girl was just glad that her childhood friend still considered her welcome.

A smile came on her face as she remembered how she met the almost narcoleptic boy. It had been at the festival for children that were turning three, five, or seven that year. Kagome was four at the time, Ichirou had been five. Her father was at work and her mom and grandpa had been helping the priest run the festival. So she was alone.

"Why are you all by yourself?" he had asked.

"I won't be five for another year and everyone is busy." Kagome had said with the kind of logic and nonchalance only a child could properly achieve.

"Ah." As he was a child himself, it made perfect sense to him. "But then how did you get here?"

"I live here. My Jii-chan takes care of the shrine." she had explained.

"I'm Ichirou Nishikawa." he had stated.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi." She had chirped, more cheerful because she'd made a friend.

And they had been inseparable ever since. They ended up going to the same elementary school so being in different grades and the time being too early or late to play were the only things that could keep them apart. Kagome never told her friends from Jr. High about him. She hadn't wanted them to bother him or ruin their friendship. This said a lot about how much Ichirou meant to her. Even though she never told their coworkers even modified versions of her adventures, she had never hesitated to talk about the friends she made in the Feudal Era with these three.

That volatile third and final year of Jr. High was when Kagome fell in love with her childhood friend. Ichirou had known about her time travel escapades. It was only natural. Kagome had never been able to keep things from him and he had believed her because he could always tell if she wasn't telling the truth. When she let herself think about the situation it was a very stressful time for Kagome. She was just a girl of only fifteen. He'd been her rock in the sea ever since they became friends.

So when it all got to be almost too much, it was almost a reflex to go to him instead of her mother. It was during the aftermath of Mt. Hakurei. Naraku had killed Kikyou. Kagome even came across a dying soul stealer as proof. Yet Kagome did not regain the soul or piece of soul Kikyou had that was supposed to be a part of her soul. For the time traveling girl, it was proof once and for all that the only connection she had with the undead miko was the Shikon no Tama. Inuyasha, though, took it as proof that Kikyou was still alive. Miroku and Sango even agreed that it could be possible. Little Shippo was the only friend who traveled with her that could see that Kagome was nothing like Kikyou, whether it personality or looks. It had already hurt that the second friend she made in Feudal Japan sometimes only saw Kikyou in her. That two of her other friends seemed to see a glimpse of Kikyou in her just made it worse.

"They must need glasses." Ichirou had speculated after she told him, slightly droopy-eyed as he usually was, "Or did most people back then just have bad eyesight?"

"Huh?" Kagome could still recall her surprise.

He looked at her, eyes wide open- which proved he was completely serious. "Do you remember the picture of the dog with the zombie you showed me that Shippo drew? (The terms showed what he thought of them.) "You look nothing like her, and from what you said she made some choices that you would never even consider."

"Ichirou…?"

Suddenly, he pulled her forward and hugged her, his head on her shoulder, "You don't have to be the strong one all the time. You're Kagome, and you need someone you can count on. End of story."

Then both were silent as he held her while she cried.

"Thank you, Ichirou."

"No need to mention it. After all, we're friends, aren't we?" he said with a smile.

Something about him in that moment made Kagome's heart skip a beat. She quickly wrote it off as they fell into their typical routine. However, that time had been when she fell for her childhood friend, of that there was no doubt. It just took a while for her to realize it.

At that point, Ichirou had also started to work at Bonheur. It had been adorable when Jirou, who had been four at the time, pouted in his own way. ON top of also being allowed to work with Ichirou, when she entered high school she made it into the same school as him. Two years passed, and instead of graduating Ichirou's sleeping in class led to his being held back a year. Meaning that for the first time, they were in the same class. Then Uru came along.

Don't get Kagome wrong. She was just as fond of Uru as everyone else. Not liking the usually cheerful and always thoughtful younger girl was almost impossible. She really liked the positive effect she had on their male coworkers. It was cute watching Sou Abekawa deal with the feelings he was developing for Uru too. So was watching Shindou and Ichirou try to protect her from the Abekawa brothers.

Kagome was just jealous. By the time Uru's first cultural festival took place, most had realized that the silver haired male had somewhere along the line ceased to simply comment on and semi tease Uru about the subject of boys and romance (he had taken special delight in making Shindou sound less than innocent when he knew that wasn't the case for the most part) to saying things that seemed to clearly imply that his intentions towards the short but strong girl were not by any means innocent or that of one who saw Uru as just a friend. She couldn't say that she was surprised, but it still stung.

It was only a matter of time, Kagome was sure, until Uru figured out her feelings for their friend. The younger girl may be totally oblivious in her own romantic matters but she could be very insightful in love matters that didn't include her as a love interest. Only little Sakura had noticed how she felt about Ichirou. To her relief, not even the surprisingly perceptive younger Nishikawa sibling had noticed her feelings. Though, Jirou had noticed and commented on how some of the things Ichirou said and did made her blush.

When the little boy had informed Uru that he'd decided that he could stand his older brother getting married of she was the bride, Kagome decided to give up all hope. At first, Kagome had help hope that Ichirou would back down and she would gain a chance once a boy finally managed to begin to breach Uru's naivety. If that was the case, then surely she would be able to tell Ichirou how she felt, even if nothing came of it.

As far as Kagome could see though, that was all in the past. Ichirou's feelings seemed real. And the way things currently were he was the only one who definitely liked Uru that had a real chance. Never let it be said that the girl who put her education at risk for a rash hanyou and a magical bauble stood in the way of her best friend's happiness because she was jealous of the girl he liked. The only female Abekawa sibling, the ever adorable and cheerful yet oddly mature Sakura, naturally didn't understand Kagome's thoughts on the matter.

Kagome Nee-chan, can't you just tell him you like him?" Sakura once asked her.

Kagome had smiled, to Jirou she was just Kage-chan and even Souta, her actual sibling, simply called her Kagome. "He likes Uru-chan, so as long as I'm never left behind I'm happy with how things already are between him and me."

She had managed to say it so that the little girl vaguely understood, but Sakura was obviously still confused. "Okay, Kagome Nee-chan. If you say so."

More time passed, and things were the same as always for the most part. Except for one thing. Satsuki Shindou, the infamous 'demon king' if mad or annoyed, was slowly starting to finally starting to understand just how he felt about Uru Takamura. It was adorable when Uru unknowingly made him blush. There was one more change, however. Something had changed yet again in Ichirou's manner towards Uru. The meaning behind it this time was a mystery, though. Kagome dearly wished she knew what it meant.

The ultimate irony for the friends came around. It was February 14th, which meant the first Valentine's Day since Uru had arrived in their lives. Naturally, Uru and Kagome both made chocolates for everyone. Even the girls, even though Valentine's Day being for both genders was a Western tradition. Uru had- with the help of Kagome's mother- made simple chocolates which were all the same. Kagome, on the other hand, bought a mix found only that time of year and made chocolates that looked like truffles but weren't for most of her friends.

She also took a bit of a gamble. For Ichirou, she made chocolates that had key lime filling from scratch. He knew she was the only one who had realized he was particularly fond of that fruit flavor, and she would leave the meaning of the difference up to his imagination. Little did she know she that she had failed to disguise their real meaning. She may have suspected if she looked up from a customer to see Ichirou switch a contemplative look between her and the box of chocolates in his hand. But she didn't, so that wasn't the case. So she didn't suspect a thing when he made it clear without saying so that he would be walking her home.

"Let's stop for dinner on the way home, Kagome." he stated.

She blinked, succeeding only in making her imminent blush unnoticeable rather than nonexistent, and then smiled. "Sure!"

At first they chatted lightly about school and Uru's latest help-someone project. They only paused to order. Then, when their food arrived they ate in silence. It was a smaller, possibly, but not necessarily family-run restaurant. They had discovered it in their final years of elementary school, and had since then succeeded in not running into anyone that knew them. But Kagome couldn't bring herself to be surprised when that luck ran out.

"Is that you, Kagome-chan?" a female voice said.

"…Hello, Yuka-chan. It's been a long time." Kagome said weakly, noticing Ichirou tense.

"Since Jr. High graduation!" Yuka complained, "Why haven't you called? Poor Hojo turned into a kicked puppy when we found out from an old classmate that you signed up for a different high school and never told us!"

"What does he have to do with it?" Kagome asked incredulously.

Yuka blinked, then as if it were the most obvious thing stated, "Well he was your boyfriend right?"

"You forced me to go on a couple of dates with the guy then suddenly get the idea that we were dating?!" Kagome exclaimed.

"You're a very rude girl, interrupting our dinner date." Ichirou said, as if he wasn't interrupting a brewing argument.

"Who are you?" Yuka asked, clearly wanting to go out with him.

"Ichirou Nishikawa, Kagome's boyfriend." He stated, making Kagome blush.

"But what about Hojo?" Yuka asked.

"Is that the name of the boy you always complained about in Jr. High?" Ichirou asked Kagome.

"Yeah." Kagome confirmed, "I always thought that if my friends liked him so much they should date him themselves."

"…Kagome… if you two are really dating… then kiss right here and now." Yuka demanded, now desperate and embarrassed.

"Okay." Ichirou said, then, never one to shy away from such things, covered Kagome's lips with his.

"Eep! Th-that's enough!" Yuka said, clearly surprised that they actually did it, and then she soon left.

Kagome blushed.

"W-why did you… But what about Uru?" she stuttered, "It's obvious that you have feelings for her."

If it were anyone but Ichirou, they might have been frowning. "What gave you that idea?"

"Why are you confused?" Kagome asked, a light frown on her own face, "You don't bother hiding it, if Uru was less naïve some of the things you say would make her blush."

"Why would we be on a date if I liked Uru?" he pointed out.

She blinked, surprised and a little confused. "But if you don't like her that way why do you…?"

"To amuse myself. It's fun to see if Uru's reactions will ever change." Ichirou informed her nonchalantly, "Plus I think Shindou's reaction will be amusing when he realizes that he's no better than me because he likes her just as much as I pretend to."

At first Kagome laughed. It was just like Ichirou to do something like that. Then the other part of what he said sunk in. As she was used to needing to do so, this time she succeeded in fighting back her blush enough so that it was unnoticeable in the fading light. A faintly pleasant feeling bubbled up in Kagome's chest. She didn't dare examine the feeling closely enough to define it, though.

"Did you… just say… that we're really on a date?" she asked, her blush now more visible.

"You haven't made anything from scratch when you bake in years." He said, not about to be more frank- she'd only ever baked from scratch for her father after all, "So I decided that taking a chance was worth it."

"… I-Ichirou…?"

Ichirou mentally cursed Kagome's dog-eared friend for hurting her confidence when she'd never even liked the guy as more than a friend as he stepped closer to her.

"It was honmei choko, right?" Ichirou said, smirking when her eyes widened and her blush returned, "So I took you out on this date because I finally knew that I lucked out."

The feeling welled up in her chest now threatened to overflow. "Then… you…?"

"Let's see if this spells things out for you." Then Ichirou pulled Kagome closer and gave her a kiss much more passionate than the one he has used to scare away her friend.

"I love you, Ichirou." she confessed when they pulled apart, "I have for a long time now."

"I love you too, Kagome." He said, and then he pulled her in for another kiss.

"You know," Kagome sad with a giggle as they finally headed back to the shrine after an evening of having fun on their first date, "Uru's going to be so disappointed that we're the only new or future couple she's around that she didn't notice before they got together."

"It'll be amusing." Ichirou agreed, "But we'll need to be careful of my mother when she finds out."

Kagome knew exactly what he meant. The woman could be scary or unnerving, even when she was happy. But they'd cross that bridge when they got to it. For now, they would just immerse themselves in their feelings.

Owari