Title: Just
Series: InuYasha
Parings/Characters: Kagome with mentions of various other characters. Hints at Kagome x Hojo.
Disclaimer: Kagome, Hojo and the series of InuYasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Rating/Warnings: T to PG-13, to be on the safe side of things. Angsty. Some minor character bashing.
Dedication: Kagome and Hojo fans, whether as individuals or in a paring.
Summary: Kagome can only be Kagome.

---------
---------

'Kagome Higurashi. What's so bad about that?',she pondered, sitting a top the steps of her family temple. It was a chilly winter morning, late morning technically, the kind of morning that often begged the question as to why anyone would want to be awake and about instead of under the covers or relaxing at a kotatsu.

Lately, just like the chill of this morning, Kagome had been feeling a lack of warmth on a more spiritual level. It was as if her heart had suddenly become dull, and it worried the young girl. She had thought long and hard, meditated even, through out everything that had been happening in her life and came to the painful conclusion late last night before bed.

No one saw her as Kagome anymore. And that hurt.

Her modern friends - Eri, Yuka and Ayumi - all saw her as a passing classmate that might be in attendance and had tons of juicy gossip for them to pick through like some sort of scavenger bird. She couldn't blame them, at least not too much, for acting like that, but it still hurt. She hadn't been at school for a long while, always busy with her escapades in the Feudal Era or miko duties at home. It was only natural that they'd drift apart, but did they have to treat her like that? Like each time they saw her, they were seeing someone new or radically different? They didn't try to talk to her about the newest episodes of the latest drama on television or chat needlessly about music or clothes. They just talked around her. Using her whatever she said to take, mold and pervert into their own fantasies to share with her other classmates.

To them she wasn't Kagome Higurashi but Toy Kagome, who came complete with her own accessories and various catch phrases! "To record your own unique message, just press the red button and you're all set!"

Frowning now, Kagome cast a wary look to the Goshinboku. As much as she loved the tree and nearly all it stood for - Kikyou would forever be a mar upon her thought process -, she deeply hoped she wouldn't have to revisit it's earlier years for at least a few more days.

Oh, she loved her friends in the Feudal Era, but she wasn't too sure if the same could be said about them in reference to her.

Sango and Miroku both saw her as Problem Solver and Little Sister Kagome, a nice change from being the elder sibling, but not much past that. They acknowledge her skills to a degree, but never really saw her for her. They both saw her as an, probably the, answer to their demonic problems. Someone to protect, because losing the key to the chest just wasn't going to happen. The fact that all three of them could get along to a pleasant degree was just an added bonus. Kagome knew even if they had hated her down to her core, they would stay with her so as to see an end to the horrible fairy tale they lived. That was the reason they lived, after all and she wasn't sure if it hurt more knowing that or less when she took into account the fact that they did really care about her.

Shippou saw her as Adoptive Mother Kagome, the woman he desperately needed for guidance and loved as much as she loved him in return. She knew though, that when she wasn't there he didn't miss her as much as he led her to believe. Maybe in the beginning, but as time grew on he knew he could trust the others that were there, that they would lead him to the right path. She couldn't be upset with her kit growing up, but the idea that she would never see him again - after all, where was he in her time if they were so close? - and he wouldn't want to see her nearly drove her to tears each time she thought about it.

She knew, and so far none had proved her wrong, that all InuYasha saw her as was Jewel Detector Kagome, the girl who pointed him in the right direction to hack and slash all of his frustrations away in some sort of macho display of idiocy. He never thought of her as possibly anything more than an old fashioned radar, never made notice to her growing skills as an archer, never noted upon her spiritual power as a miko - lest he suddenly found himself imbedded several feet into the earth he was previously standing upon -, never gazed at her with love or desire in his eyes. She was just there to point the way and occasionally tug on the leash towards the path that didn't lead them to a quick death.

Kagome sighed, leaning back against the side railing to the steps and turned her gaze upwards to her family home. At least, for the most part, he family understood. Sort of.

To her mom, she was Action Daughter Kagome, her little girl who was capable of slaying demons, time travel and looked absolutely beautiful in knee-length sun-dresses, despite the arm bandages. It hurt her to realize that as much as she loved her mom, Kagome would never be able to fully share or ask advice for all of her troubles any more. Really, she didn't know who to turn to for advice with getting demon guts out of a fine silk kimono or what the best herbs would be to use in a demon-killing poison that also acted as an antidote for humans.

Her brother, Souta, just saw her as Dog Keeper Kagome, the big sister who could bring his super hero and role model home from the past to talk to and play with. That fact was both amusing, for the fact that InuYasha would be so insulted by the implications of such a title, and saddening as her little brother could never see her as someone to go to for a real problem or brother-sister chat any more.

And as far as her grandfather was concerned, well, she was Modern Miko Kagome, a girl with ancient power who would do well for the family temple in ways both spiritual and marketable. His actions didn't really surprise her, if she was to be honest, because as often as Kagome could remember her grandfather had been bestowing his, often wrong, knowledge of demons, spirituality, chants and all the likes she had been learning first hand, not to mention correctly, in her travels.

It still hurt a bit though, because she wasn't any of those things. She was just Kagome! She may of hunted demons, saved souls, kept a certain hanyou in line, found slivers of ancient mystical artifacts and attended high school, but she was still Kagome! Ka. Go. Me!

Crunch!

At the sound of approaching steps, the raven-haired young woman shook herself out of her saddened reflections and schooled her face to a calm expression. No sense in scaring off a visitor. With a quiet sigh, Kagome glanced up only to come face to face with pink. Lots and lots of pink. An unusual sight, given that it was winter and white was the dominant colour about.

"Wh-what?",she blinked, surprised at the sudden appearance of roses that blocked her view.

"Surprise!",came a familiar, laughing male voice.

Kagome stood up and took the roses, becoming even more shocked as she took in the sight of the person they were from. Hojo.

"They're your favourite, right?",he explained, still smiling. "I saw them and thought of you."

"Yes, but why?",she asked, as perplexed as ever.

Hojo frowned in response, scratching his head. "Well, do I really need a reason? They just fit you, Kagome. I..I kind of hoped you would've liked them."

Kagome sniffed the sweet petals and couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her face.

"I do."

The brown haired young man perked up considerable at her smile. "Great! Hey, I have to stop by the apartment complex down the block for a delivery, but did you want to go somewhere afterwards?"

Taking in a deep breath, Kagome cast a wary gaze at the cheerful young man in front of her. She had known Hojo for a few years now, not as well as she would've liked, but well enough. He never asked anything from her. He never said anything bad towards her. He helped her study whenever she was back in this time and they both had a spare moment. However, none of that answered her deepest question; What did he see her as?

"Kagome?",Hojo asked, concern lacing his voice as he leaned in closer to the raven-haired young woman standing before him.

Startled, she glanced up into his eyes. They were sincere, bright with an edge of worry traced into the outer lines. They were looking straight at her, into her. Only her. Just her.

Another smile, the second true smile to appear in over a week, made it's way onto her face as she nodded.

"Yes.",she nodded. "I'd really like that."

---------
---------

Angsty angst is angst with happy!Kagome at the end! Hope this makes up for the rather short ficlets I've been submitting lately.

As always, thank you for reading and feel free to review!