Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. Nor do I own "My Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder. I do love both, however. ^_^

Author's Note: This is my first songfic, written in Hojo's point of view. I've always thought he must have been curious about her constantly disappearing and reappearing. She must have looked awful. I'd be dead tired if I was chasing evil shard-stealers and battling demons constantly. Anyway, I love the song "My Cherie Amour," and it seemed to fit so perfectly, and thus, this fic was born! Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~

My cherie amour, lovely as a summer day;

My cherie amour, distant as the Milky Way.

My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore.

You're the only girl my heart beats for,

How I wish that you were mine.

 

Hojo sighed as he glimpsed the unmistakable backside of Kagome. The particular way her ebony tresses flipped as her hips swayed. The innocent little skip of her step as she cradled her textbooks against her hip bone. Yes, even the slight nod of her head at every person that greeted her. It was most definitely his beautiful Kagome.

My Kagome? He blinked at the thought. When did she become my Kagome? He shook his head in confusion. I guess I've always thought of her that way.

He continued to stare at her as she made her way down the crowded corridor, past the lockers and the classes that she did not attend. She was usually surrounded by a small posse of chattering girls. He would sometimes strain his ears to hear her musical voice. But not today. Today she was carrying an overly large armload of materials. He had noted her extended absence from her classes lately.

I wonder why, he thought.      

In the café, or sometimes on a crowded street

I've been near you, but you never notice me.

My cherie amour, tell me how it is that you ignore

That behind that little smile I wore.

How I wish that you were mine.

She paused in front of the locker that Hojo had come to memorize. She twisted the lock and pried the door open. She deposited a notebook and shoved the rest into her bag, grimacing at the weight.

Okay, he thought. Now or never. Just ask her out. He took a step closer to her, his heart hammering in protest against the wall of his chest. He felt a hard knot sink into his stomach. Sweat formed in the soft parts of his palms and he nervously shifted from foot to foot.

Oh come on, you chicken. You've been putting this off for far too long. He frowned slightly at the thought of all the times he'd watched her in the cafeteria or the library, bent over her food or some tome she'd plucked from the shelves. He especially remembered the time he'd gathered enough courage to speak to her. It had been a disaster.

"Kagome?" he had asked, his throat dry and his voice wavering. "Hmmm?" she'd replied, whirling around, causing her hair to whip around her shoulders, proving to be quite a distraction.

"I, uh, well, you, uh, look lovely today." He blushed. She followed suit, a dainty pink shade creeping up her cheeks. He smiled in apology for his stuttered compliment. "I just thought I'd tell you that I enjoyed your book report." He suddenly found the floor to be quite interesting.

Kagome noticed his odd behavior. "Thank you," she giggled. "I thought it was boring really, but I'm glad you liked it." She swallowed. This encounter was proving to be quite uncomfortable. "I really must go to class now, Hojo," she excused herself before hurrying away.

Hojo scowled at the awful memory. He sure had screwed that up. Who would ever imagine smart, Mr. Class President Hojo, going to pieces over a girl? But Kagome was not just any girl. She was special. Yes, she was definitely special, and she was definitely worth the risk.

He took a step towards her, and the movement drew her gaze. "Hello Hojo," she smiled happily as she shut the locker. "Hello Kagome," he greeted her. "I was, uh, wondering what you were doing Friday." He smiled. This was easier than he'd expected.    

Maybe someday you'll see my face among the crowd,

Maybe some day I'll share your little distant cloud.

My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore.

You're the only girl my heart beats for.

How I wish that you were mine.

Kagome's faced paled visibly. "Oh, well, I'm going to be, well, visiting friends." She trailed off. Hojo looked at her. "Oh, really? Well, how about Saturday then? I thought we might have dinner and see a movie."

Kagome blushed and stared down at a notebook she held in her hand. Hojo glanced down at it too. She'd decorated the cover with all sorts of strange doodles. He saw a funny-looking boomerang-type object, some sort of decrepit well, and a necklace that was made of alternating black beads and what appeared to be fangs.

"Well, they live, out of town, you might say," she explained quietly.  "I'll be gone for the whole weekend," she finished lamely, twisting the ends of her hair around her fingers.

  Hojo's face muscles slacked. "The whole weekend?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes. I swear I'm not trying to weasel out of a date with you!" she blurted, as if suddenly horrified that his thoughts might have assumed it. "Really! I just, haven't seen them in a while. This weekend is not good," she blushed even deeper. "But anyway, I really must be getting home so I can study." She smiled weakly. "I'll see you around, Hojo."

His eyes followed her as she left. The nervous fluttering of his heart had ceased, and now he felt as if his innards had disappeared completely. He felt oddly empty, but despite the strange sensation, he still felt as though he might be sick.

Well, he thought as he shouldered his book bag and headed towards the nearest exit, I'll try again later. After all, she can't stay with her friends forever.

But what were all those strange drawings on her notebook? He wondered, as he opened the door to be greeted with bright sunshine.

My lovely Kagome. Not only is she beautiful and smart, she's got a great imagination too.