Kagome groaned and slammed her head down on the loose pages in front of her. She had been studying the ancient and new texts for anything that would help her help Kakashi back home.
Her eyes swam as she stared at the wall, exhaustion filling her as a yawn escaped her lips.
Pushing off from the desk she turned and closed the few steps to the bed, falling face first as her hair fell around her softly.
She was vaguely aware of the door opening and closing quietly and the footsteps that padded across the carpet towards her bed.
"Are you awake?"
Kagome turned her head as she cracked her eyes open, "you've got a bruise…"
Souta nodded and touched his temple before moving to sit on the foot of her bed.
"What's wrong?"
Souta fidgeted with his hands and cleared his throat, "I don't like this."
Kagome frowned and hefted herself up, pushing the hair away from her face.
"I don't know what you're talking about, can you elaborate please?"
"The whole thing with Kakashi…"
Kagome sighed and draped her arms over her bent legs, eyeing her brother critically. "No way, I had no idea you felt like that…"
Souta gently pushed one of her legs and crossed his own, "you know what I mean… I'm just worried about you… you loved the idiot and he broke your heart, how do you feel about this guy? I don't want to see you go through it again."
"You're worrying yourself silly, there's nothing going on between us except this… we're just… having fun."
Kagome nodded slightly at her word choice, she couldn't say if she had any feelings for the man besides a friendship, she hadn't known him that long. He was good-looking, even if she were blind she could probably see that…
"Maybe…"
Souta trailed off slowly, a sigh escaping his lips as his hand raked through his dark tresses.
"Souta, are you okay?" Kagome asked.
The elder Higurashi sibling reached across the small space between them and gripped her brother's hand, concern shinning in her brown eyes.
"No! Yes… No…"
Kagome smiled softly in an encouraging manner, knowing better than to push her brother into talking.
Souta inhaled deeply and stared at their hands, squeezing hers in return before raising his own gaze back to hers.
"I don't want you to go… I heard mom mentioning it to gramps that she brought it up to you." He whispered.
"Souta…"
"I know it's stupid and you're going to find a guy and get married eventually but after Inuyasha… I thought you'd find someone here—not Hojo, he doesn't seem too bright—but I thought maybe… then this guy shows up."
Kagome scooted forward on her bed, wrapping her arms around her brother tightly, "I didn't know you felt this way."
"Because I didn't want to tell you, you were so happy and I knew that you'd feel so guilty but, you're only looking at banishment spells and that means that you can never come back. I don't want that."
Kagome remained silent as her brother spoke, she heard the quiver in his voice.
"Is that why you've been so mean?"
"Partially…"
Kagome pulled away and gripped her brother's face in her hands, "I'm not going anywhere… you have nothing to worry about, I'm just being young."
Souta nodded slowly before moving to bring Kagome back into a hug.
"Next time, just tell me…" Kagome mumbled.
Souta nodded and buried his face in Kagome's shoulder, "I love you sis."
"I love you too."
