Chapter 4: Hiro

Kagome walked into the store; she needed to talk to Hiro. Hiro was a long time friend of hers; they had met a long time ago when she was still searching for the Shikon Jewel. Yes they only met for a short time, but Hiro had soon grown on her, and the whole group. They had met when traveling to Naraku's castle. He was similar to Miroku, but that was an understatement 'The little pervert' Kagome thought smugly.

Hiro had wanted the Shikon shards too, like any other demon that was around. After seeing who actually carried the shards he thought twice about taking them. Hiro could never steal from a lady, that's what Kagome liked about him; he was a gentleman 'Sort of anyway' Kagome thought. They had ended up reuniting back when she was still in college; he had disappeared for about 200 years. It was quite an event meeting him again

Kagome had talked with Hiro after meeting him that day, he had given her his side of the story, which was far more entertaining then her side.

Hiro had started off his story mentioning that he was looking around campus for girls, of course he didn't need the education, but he had said that it was a great way to meet the chicks around campus. He had been styling with his 'sweet' t-shirt and 'awesome' torn jeans. 'It was his words not mine' Kagome thought remembering Hiro's amazing story telling skills, she had to roll her eyes while he had started his story.

He had continued with his story to mention small details about running his fingers threw his sandy blonde hair, thinking about how it wouldn't be that hard to find a girl. Hiro did indeed have a lot of practice on the ladies, unlike Miroku. He had leaned against the brick wall near the steps of the campus graduate library. Waiting for his next challenge, someone who would be able to entertain him.

All those girls were either too easy to persuade into his bed, or that they were too eager.

Hiro had then explained that he saw a dark figure enter the corner of his dark purple eyes. He had turned to that direction to see a girl, who as he put it "Hot!" 'It was funny how he described me though; Hiro had mentioned that just from looking at my backside that I was hot. He mentioned how my hips swung to the rhythm that I walked, and my hair was jet black and glossy. Also my petite figure was toned and fit. Which I believed none of those things actually described me well'

He had walked up behind the girl and tapped her shoulder "Excuse me miss, I couldn't happen to miss that you were exceptionally gorgeous, and I would love it if you agreed to be mine?"

He gave a brilliant smile when the girl turned around, but it quickly turned into a frown when he saw her hand coming in contact across his cheek; that was unexpected. Looking back up to the girl he saw her standing shocked, 'Hiro had mentioned that he was curious why I was shocked' Kagome thought as she remembered the rest of the conversation that they both of them had.

"Hi-Hiro? Is that you?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

"Yes that's my name, but why do you ask?" he asked, looking to the woman's face for the first time, why did she look so familiar?

"Kagome! Is that really you?" he shouted out. She leaped into Hiro's arms and he swung her around. "You're just as lovely as ever" he said as he placed her back on the ground.

"And your just as handsome as I remember Hiro" She had answered.

"Why not more handsome?" he added with a charming smile.

"Okay okay Hiro more handsome then" she said smiling.

"Well if that is the case that you think I am so handsome why don't you take me up on my offer to be mine then?"

"Same old Hiro I see, I swear you're just as bad as Miroku" She sighed out while turning and picking up her dropped bag and walking off.

"Yeah yeah like Miroku, wait... What's that supposed to mean?" He yelled out while trying to catch up to Kagome, who had run off.

That memory always made her laugh. He came up with so many excuses to cover up the slap mark; he even said that he slept on his hand at night and somehow left a mark; 'yeah as if anyone would believe that. Oh, wait I take that back, that one blond bimbo believed him'.

Hiro had wanted to travel; he wanted to see the outside world. When she had offered him to travel with her, he instantly agreed. Instead of being on the team Hiro had decided to own a shop in wherever she would be staying in for the time being. That's where she would always get her supplies; she was Hiro's most frequent shopper.

Kagome walked into the small shop which greeted her with odd objects hanging from the ceiling and walls. Kurama trailed behind Kagome, he glanced around at the objects in awe, it was shocking how many things could fit in the small space. Hiro liked to keep his shop cluttered. While Kurama glanced at a case which held jewelry Kagome walked up to the front desk, and sat upon it. 'One, two, three'.Kagome thought in her head before yelling "Hiro get your ass out here this instant!"

"I'm here my beautiful Kagome!" A new man entered the room trying to catch his breath. He leaned one hand on the counter while the other on his knee. "Wait...hold on... Okay... wait... yeah... I'm good now" He replied finally standing up strait. The man gave a dashing smile "Well the great Kagome had come to grace me with her presence. What will you be needing now? A kiss maybe?" He asked while he placed his arms on the counter and looked up at her in a hopeful glow "You know sitting on my desk, that's so whorish of your Kagome" He gave her a sly smile "I like it" he added licking his lips.

Kagome looked to the man and rolled her eyes "Well I don't think the kiss is going to happen but I need some stuff, lets see, gasoline, a pike, shovel, no make that two shovels, some water, preferably bottled, and without the cracks in it this time, lets see" she listed, while numbering them with her fingers ignoring the looks that both men were giving her. Kurama giving a confused look, and Hiro giving a small sexual smile. "I will need some potatoes, we just ran out. Let's see, oh yeah! Could you get me some of that chewing stuff, you know the kind, where you mix the flavor in the fabric and then you chew it? Wow that stuff is good" she said with a dreamy face plastered on.

"Anything else Kagome, some stolen artwork, grenades, me?" he listed writing down what she needed on a notepad.

Snapping out of her dream faze she looked back to Hiro "What?"

"Me?" Hiro asked nervously.

"No no no, before that. Stolen artwork and weaponry?" She asked "Hiro I thought I knew you better than that" she scolded him. "Now what kind is the artwork and where did you get the grenades?" She asked.

"Lets see, I have a couple of Da Vinci's, I have a Raphael in there, oh I just got a new Botticelli in just yesterday, then the grenades I stole from some Americans." He listed.

"I am disappointed in you Hiro" Kagome said, but then she moved closer to his face, she dropped her voice to a whisper "I am disappointed that you didn't think of selling those on the black market, come on Hiro what are you five? You should know by now that you get more money from the black market" she giggled. 'Everytime we have to joke about that, it is funny though, he always thinks something new to 'steal' for whenever I come around' She thought smiling, she knew Hiro would never steal anything, he was too honest.

"I know I will next time okay" he said happily as Kagome moved back to her original spot sitting strait on his desk.

"Oh I don't think I will need you Hiro, I already got a guy to take care of, and I don't need another one" she said motioning to the redhead that had been looking around and now was looking at the pair strangely.

"Oh?" Hiro questioned. He scanned the room and glanced to the kid in the corner. He was maybe a little younger than himself. 'His aura is familiar, I wonder if he has had a past life' he looked back up to Kagome 'I wonder if she has noticed yet, that he is part demon'. Hiro glanced back at the kid and called him to come closer. While Kurama made his way to him he kept his eyes on him "What's your name kid?"

Kurama looked at the man named Hiro. He could tell he was a demon, 'but what Kind?' That little bit of information was blocked from his senses. "My name is Shuuichi Minamino, or if you like Kurama" He stated reaching his hand out for the man to grab.

'That guy seems familiar, I just can't think of it. Also he seems a little too close to Kagome; maybe you should do something Kurama.' Youko said.

'Youko, how did you get out? Besides we have no claim on her'

'What do you mean we have no claim over her? Just look at her Kurama, she's wonderful, so wonderful that she is made for us' Youko replied merrily.

'Youko that's not true' Kurama finally said tuning out Youko and focused at the conversation at hand.

"Well Kurama" he gave him a glare after shaking the new man's hand. "Why did you travel all the way out here huh?" Hiro questioned while he sat on his stool behind the counter.

"Well let's say I wanted new adventures" he replied while he walked up to the counter. He leaned against it gently. "I don't really know myself why I came out here, maybe to get away from my old life, maybe start a new" he said as his green eyes glanced to Kagomes form. Was that really him that did that did her mean for it to sound as if he wanted to be with Miss. Higurashi? Or maybe it was just for a brief moment that he let Youko slip out.

Hiro noticed that glance that Kurama stole at Kagome; he could tell that something was going to happen between them. "Fair enough of an answer" he replied getting up from his seat to head in the back. "Hey Kurama come help me" he yelled as he picked up two heavy boxes and started to walk out the doorway "grab some boxes and we will take em' out to the jeep" he replied as he pushed the load he had into the back of the jeep. He saw Kurama come out with a couple more boxes.

They loaded about twenty-five boxes varying in size into the back. Kagome stood outside while Hiro shut the back of the jeep. He glanced back to her. "Hey Kagome?" he said with a smirk in his eye.

Kagome looked back behind her to see Hiro looking at her strangely "Yes?" she asked cautiously. Kurama stood only a few feet behind her looking at Hiro strangely.

"You forgetting something?" he asked pulling out a small bag from his pocket. Before anyone had a chance to notice Kagome had the bag in her hand and was walking to the jeep.

"Thanks Hiro" she replied blissfully, but turned around and walked back to him. She quickly pecked him on his cheek "There you go you got your kiss, are you happy now?" she said throwing him a smile.

"Oh yes Miss Kagome!" he yelped.

'That's it I am going to kill that bastard' Youko yelled 'First off I am going to cut off his head , then I am going to chop his arms and legs into little pieces, then I am gonna squeeze all the blood out of his body and-'

'Youko just shut up, she is not yours okay, and I doubt that she is with Hiro either' Kurama argued.

"Mr. Minamino, we are leaving" Kagome said as she started the jeep.

Kurama started to walk towards her, he passed Hiro. "You hurt her you answer to me" was all he heard from the demon. Turning around he noticed that the man still had a smile placed on his face, but ever so slightly he could see that his eyes were showing warning. He heard Kagome ask for him again so he turned back around and got in the jeep. Hiro couldn't possibly mean that he wanted to be with Kagome, 'did he? Great because of Youko I now have someone watching me'.

Kagome started to drive off as she waved back to the shopkeeper, Kurama turned around too, and all he saw was Hiro smiling and waving goodbye, as if nothing had occurred.

Hiro stood there waving as Kagome and Kurama left, he saw the man turn around to glance at him, he looked confused. Well to bad for him, he should have been paying more attention. He saw the car drive down the road; he finally walked away when it was almost out of sight.

He could tell that those two were going to have some kind of a bond, all he could say was, that guy better be careful, he was walking on broken glass already. Kagome was like a little sister to him, and he didn't want her to be hurt again by someone else, like how that dumb dog did.

Kagome was still hurting, after all these years, the pain she felt from back then still haunted her, 'hell it still haunts me to this day and I didn't even play a large part in the whole thing'.That Kurama fellow though, he was quite strange, he seemed so familiar. "Oh well, the answers always come in time, they always do" he said walking back into his shop whistling an unknown tune.