***I don't own Inuyasha***

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"Why are crying?" Kagome said taking another step closer.

"No one will play with me...cuz I'm a...a..." Inuyasha plopped on the ground like a dog and lowered his head more. It was now that Kagome noticed his dog ears.

"You're a what? A boy?" Kagome said kneiling by him and giggled.

Inuyasha was surprised by her friendliness, she was being kind to him without any idea of what he was, or what the villagers thought of him. "No..." For a moment, neither said a word and both just looked at each other. Kagome lifted a hand and lightly stroked one of Inuyasha's ears, which surprised him.

"What are you doing? Don't..." Inuyasha said batting her hand off his ears.

"I'm sorry, can I touch them?" Kagome asked sheepishly

"No," he replied and crossed his arms.

"How 'bout now?"

"No," this time looking away from her.

After a moment Kagome got up and started looking around...'It's like those picture books I used to read...' Finally when Inuyasha wasn't looking, she ran and tackled him--along with poking and stroking his ears.

"Ha ha ha hahah, stop-p, hahahah-ahhhh, hahah" Inuyasha laughed so hard as he wrestled her off his ears. He couldn't remember they last time he had laughed so hard especially with someone other than his mother.

"Ha ha hahahhah *snort* ha ha!" Kagome finally got off him and fell on her back laughing.

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"KAGOMEEEE! OLEY OLEY OXEN FREE!!! YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!!!" Hojo called

"KAYGOMIIII!" Kagome's little brother called, who was but 2.

"I don't know what's gotten into that girl," her mother said to herself,"She better not be inside the house...she knows the rules."

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In the shadows a small figure stood watching the two children running around and wrestling each other. *Sniff Sniff* 'He has a friend, for the first time, he has a friend...' Inuyasha's mother walked back to their home light-hearted and smiling with joy.

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"Inuyasha you're cheating!" Kagome said as she hid behind a tree.

"No I'm not!" he called back,"besides, I'm following your scent remember?" He then jumped up on a branch and looked down and smiled "Found you!" and sat down. "Why don't you come up here? I can see something yoooooooou can't! I can see something yoooooooou can't!"

"What is it?!" Kagome asked and began to climb, taking Inuyasha's offering hand when she made it to the branch. Kagome was scared of heights, and when she almost lost her balance he caught her, "Here...hold my hand, I won't let you fall."

"OK...wow" from the branch they could see the village in the night with fires going and festive activities. "It's so pretty, thank you Inuyasha."

"Will you be my friend?" Inuyasha looked at her, his safire eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and joy.

"I thought we already were? But OK, I'd like to be friends with you!" Kagome said, and at the very second gave Inuyasha his first hug from anyone other than his mother. Suddenly a strange scent filled Inuyasha's nose...almost like...

"Having fun little brother?" A deep pre-teen voice asked.