Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine.
Dedicated to sugarplumprince!
Shippo loved everything that came from Kagome's time. If he ever had the chance to make a wish on the Shikon jewel, his wish would be to see Kagome's world one day. It bothered him that Inuyasha didn't seem to fully appreciate how amazing it was that he got to see the world five-hundred years in the future. All he cared about was being able to go get Kagome and bring her back home. The kit considered pointing out that Kagome's modern age was her home, but he didn't. That would just make Inuyasha mad, and him sad.
But Kagome's era sounded so cool! Inuyasha talked about strange smells, tall buildings, the abundance of food, and more people than you could ever count. Of course, he said all this like it was a bad thing. He genuinely didn't understand the appeal of such a crowded and busy place. But Shippo's childlike imagination saw it as a world of potential. The things from there never ceased to blow his mind. Delicious, sweet candy on sticks, colorful crayons, a handheld device where you made a small figure on the screen go around battling and capturing strange creatures, salty dried potatoes, cards for playing games, the wonders never stopped! He didn't understand how Kagome could bring objects back and forth between the eras, and not people, but he wasn't going to complain.
Today, Kagome brought the most awesome thing yet; she called it a camera. Shippo's little face lit up as Kagome explained how it worked.
"You hold it up to your eye and point it at what you want to take a picture of. Then you push this button and turn this dial. You can take twenty-four pictures. Then I'll take the roll of film back to my time and have it developed."
"Developed?" Shippo asked questioningly.
"Sorry," Kagome amended, "Ill have the roll of film turned into pictures so you can see them!" Shippo jumped into her arms and gave her a hug. Her magic powers were amazing!
He toddled off with the camera held tightly in his little hands. He was so tempted to run around and take pictures of whatever crossed his path, but he resisted. He must choose wisely!
A few weeks later, things began to go sour again. Inuyasha was in a particularly foul mood when both Koga and Kikyo decided to make an appearance at almost the same time. Shippo silently thanked the kami that the four of them had never been in a room together. That would not go well at all. Inuyasha and Kagome dissolved into their usual bickering match, each accusing the other of being a two-timer and ending with the hanyou's face being slammed into the ground and Kagome storming off. Sango and Miroku only sighed and rebuked Inuyasha for being so hot-headed. While he waited for them to cool off, Shippo rummaged through Kagome's bag looking for snacks. What he found instead was a package with the word 'photographs' and a picture of a camera on it. Were these the pictures he'd taken?! He dashed off to find out.
Kagome hadn't wandered too far this time, having found a nice tree to lean against.
"Kagome!" He cried, clambering onto her lap, "Are these my pictures?" She blinked, momentarily surprised, but she smiled.
"Yes, they are. Sorry, I almost forgot about them." She carefully opened up the package, explaining that you had to try not to get fingerprints on the photos. Her anger had dissipated, replaced by curiosity at finding out what Shippo had chosen to capture.
She blushed. He had snuck pictures of their every day life. There was one of Kaede surrounded by happy children, all trying to be the one to hold her hand. Miroku with a handprint on his cheek, looking adoringly at Sango's furious face. Kagome trying her hardest to read a textbook by the fire, with Inuyasha peering curiously over her shoulder. Miroku meditating. Sango scratching Kirara's belly. Inuyasha perched in a tree with his arms crossed. She laughed at a close-up of Inuyasha's face, nostrils flared as though he'd been sniffing the camera. A night time one that hadn't turned out perfectly yet was clear enough to show Sango and Miroku sleeping side by side, with the slayer's head resting against the monk's shoulder. Kagome combing her hair after a bath. All the little things she'd come to take for granted. But there were two that made her mouth fall open.
It had been a beautiful sunny day and Kagome hadn't been able to resist skipping through the field of wildflowers. Inuyasha had told her to quit being silly and wasting time, but his voice hadn't contained any of its usual bite, so she'd felt comfortable ignoring him. Shippo had caught the exact moment that she'd given the hanyou her brightest, happiest smile. Her eyes had been closed, making the next picture even more shocking.
Inuyasha, looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Mouth slightly open, golden eyes wide, cheeks pink. He was affectionate with her when he thought no one was looking, but even then, he often tried to cover it up with his gruff demeanour. She'd seen moments of unguarded emotion before, usually in the heat of battle when he was frightened for her safety.
But this had been an average occurrence. Nothing special, or so she'd thought.
"He thinks he's sneaky," Shippo said quietly. "But I catch him looking at you all the time."
Kagome swallowed, blushing and unsure what to say. She laughed at the next picture, it was much more familiar.
The two of them had their faces inches apart, features screwed up in irritation. If she'd been a stranger looking at this photo, she wouldn't know if they were about to kiss, or start pummeling each other.
"Thanks, Shippo," Kagome said gratefully when they finished. "I needed that."
About a month later, Shippo awoke to the sound of pages rustling. Everyone else was sound asleep, but Inuyasha was wide-awake and flipping through the picture-album Kagome had made. His ears were twitching constantly, and his head was tilted to the side. From where he was sitting, Shippo couldn't see which pictures Inuyasha was looking at and didn't dare move, but there was one that Inuyasha touched tenderly with his fingertips before closing the album and going to sleep.
Shippo didn't want to brag, but he had a pretty good idea which photo that had been. After all, he'd seen that look before.
FIN
Yay for fluff! Am I the only one that doesn't understand why Kagome never thought to bring a camera to the Feudal Era? That would have been priority number one if it had been me!