To Kagome's delight Shippou's room was only on the second floor of six. It always made things easier especially since she was usually carrying something and wobbling her 5'5 frame on three inch heels. Plus, it was less steps. Kagome carried the parcel in her left hand. It was slightly heavy and she switched hands a few times as she walked the two sets of stairs that rounded up to his floor. The bag was the same one she carried to the park, but after Sango's inane, blurted words of her having a crush, she'd totally forgotten. Kagome was certainly embarrassed after all the trouble she went to finding the perfect gift. Or she hoped anyways.

The wooden planks creaked with their age as she watched the faded walls where the wallpaper was peeling in certain places. This was most likely because of water leaked and then persuaded the decoration to decay unnaturally soon. Her hair fell over her one shoulder and she had to switch the bag into her other hand other again to push it back behind her ear.

Kagome paused on the landing before the last flight. If she were to walk up to more steps she would see his door with the dead fish on the door. Apparently it was a hot new band called the 'Deisui Pirania' also known as…the Dead Drunk Piranhas.

-What kind of name is that?! I mean their insignia is a freakin' dead piranha-like doodle!-

Kagome sighed irritably. She wouldn't put a damper or even think about limiting his tastes for that would only improve his knowledge. It would increase his area of interest and set up a good habit for later occurrences. The fish's eye was crossed out with its fangs shown over the bottom lip. The fish was lime green with teal fins. And the sign covered a space of about a foot of thick, hard plastic.

Kagome stepped up one more step before she thought better of it and instead pulled her cell phone from the periwinkle Jansport backpack hanging precariously on her right shoulder. The small front pocket left unzipped.

The silver phone flipped open as she dialed a memorized number that she punched in so many times. A sullen voice, one she barely recognized answered the line. It was obviously bored and Kagome held in her chuckle at the tapping of her pencil in the background.

"Konnichi'wa, I am a representative of the Seikio Order Preparatory Institution."

Kagome's snicker echoed over the phone at the clatter of the pencil as it fell from his grasp and also the roll of his computer chair he moved in his shock did not escape her notice.

"Uh, um, konnichi'wa. What may I do for you?"

At his stutter, Kagome just couldn't hold it in any longer, that was the last straw needed to set her off. And Kagome did, she burst out laughing holding the phone away from her mirth to attempt to save Shippou's tender ears from the unusual outburst.

"Kagome-chan?"

His only answer was laughter. Shippou rolled his eyes and sighed. He knew that laughter would recognize it anywhere. He brought the phone back to his ear when he heard her words wheezed passed giggling lips.

"Outside…down…stairs…"

He clicked off the portable phone and returned it to the base on his desk. Then Shippou swiveled in his blue desk chair while tucking the foot stool underneath the table top back against the wall. Shippou pulled on a dark blue t-shirt over his bare chest. It was so hot in the room, despite the cool contrast of the outside world in this wintry fall season.

He searched the hallway before walking to go down the steps. But he didn't have to for there she was. Kagome was leaning against the wall with her hand covering her large smile at the sort of dirty trick she played on her orphan. There were crystal tears layering the bottom lids of her dancing eyes. The color of the irises the brightest blue they'd been in awhile. Kagome's other arm was wrapped around her side with the forearm holding up the elbow of her left.

"Ohayou."

Shippou smiled at the giggling woman as he stood there in his boxer shorts and t-shirts, the socks not completely on his feet in his haste out the door. Kagome stood straighter and made her way up admiring how mature he was acting right now.

It was certainly a different greeting from Shippou. At least that's what the woman thought before a boy-shaped blur hurled at her heeled form as soon as she cleared the last step. Lucky for her Kagome wore off that extra force her lovable orphan sent her way by spinning around full circle. Except his legs didn't fly out like they normally would because of the lack of space.

"That's the Shippou I know."

The brightly smiling pair entered his dorm room. It was simple with a twin on one side next to his window. There was a navy shade pulled down. The dual-layer covered the dim light cast through from the branches of the tall oak next to the boy's window.

"Hey Shi-kun! What do you think about coming to dinner with Sango, Kohaku, and I tonight?"
"Sure I was really bored anyways, but what's occasion?"
"Well…nothing really special…"

Shippou smiled as Kagome rested her head in her hands while sitting on the edge of his bed. Her gorgeous blue eyes, the ones he loved to admire, lifted to look at the ceiling in a belying meaning of importance than which she spoke.

"Mikata…onegai tell me!"

Shippou didn't notice the warm glow in her eyes from the name he labeled her as. The color lightened and swirled with another lighter blue to indicate her happiness. He wanted her happy of course, but he did try to achieve that affect with careful words. Shippou was always amazed by what color the twin orbs would go to next. It seemed to always be a different hue. But the light and warmth of her eyes reminded him of someone. The picture of a laughing, sweet, if not somewhat shy little girl with chocolate eyes and a side pony tail popped into his head.

-Yea…Kagome is kinda like Rin, huh-

"Oh it really is nothing, Shi-kun…I just got the internship at Hamasaki."

Shippou turned his back as she spoke passing it off as nothing due to her nonchalant tone. That is until the truth of her words sunk into his red head. His freckled nose wrinkled in confusion.

-Hamasaki...Hama…-

Kagome's orphan turned his green eyes wide with recognition. Kagome jumped up happily grinning as he ran to her with open arms. They did hug a lot…but that was part of the beauty of their relationship. The two were purely platonic, but shared the liberties of telling all feelings and the contact deemed only worthy of mother and son without the strange awkwardness that was usually closely acquainted with adoption.

Kagome and Shippou were more than friends and as devoted as they could be without being connected by blood or legal papers declaring their right to each other. And it was all realized in moments such as these, at least to Shippou. The orphan could only hope that when the day came for Kagome to move on with her life, that he wouldn't be left behind like he had with any of the others who attempted to keep him. Kagome was like none other and he would have no other, for she was what he wanted.

Now, whether or not she would remain as his close friend and confidant or perhaps become the only family he ever actually had…would be decided by her because Shippou already considered her that way. Shippou loved this klutz of a woman with all of her childish notions and the strange maturity she seemed to attain only when it counted. Shippou loved her, but he was anxious to verbally state, even as it had always been imbued in his actions. The orphan wasn't afraid she'd reject him for that wasn't in Kagome's nature, to leave someone in need alone. No- Shippou was more concerned that she would accept him fully into her life only because she felt that she was obligated instead of really wanting it like he did.

"Well, do you want to go?"
"Mochiron!"
"Then get ready baka!"

Shippou would have taken offense seeing as how he was quite advanced in intelligence for his age. He even, as many said, acted much older than he really was, but again that laughter in those stupid, giddy eyes of hers told him clearly it was only a silly joke at his expense. Shippou had learned not to take those words literally, they were almost endearments. Shippou had actually come to like hearing them for then he knew that Kagome was comfortable enough to joke around with him. As she didn't with many others, it felt like a privilege that only Sango and on the rare occasion Kohaku shared with her, with the exception of himself.

"With you in my room?"

To his ever amusement she blushed. Kagome was his senior by at least a decade, but was still as modest as a schoolgirl. Perhaps it was one of her more redeeming qualities if not a little bit annoying at times. Shippou remembered the irritation he felt when she had fallen once when they were roller-blading in the park. The woman wouldn't even push up her pant leg to reveal the scrape he knew existed on her knee. The two had to move until a willow tree with its all-encompassing branches to hide the 'skin' she was showing in public.

Shippou was naturally uncomfortable in intimate situations, even if he was just in a room alone especially when with a female of his age. But for his age that was natural. Kagome…was just strange. Shippou knew there was a reason she was so distant and under a limited 'touch' policy. This was where she was very cautious of her affection and receiving it in return. But Shippou never really had the heart to push her enough to tell him that. In time, he knew that she would open up to him. Kagome, to his knowledge, was an open person where the pages of her life were showcased for the world, if not already seen plainly on her expressive baby face.

"Oh, of course not…I'll be down stairs. But hurry, we're probably going to be late with traffic."
"Why don't we just take the train?"
"Uh…well it's so close to my school I was going to drop off my car then ride you home on the train if that was alright?"
"You know you don't have to do that every time."
"What?? Yes, I do. Shippou you may act older than me sometimes, but you're still seven. I don't want you to get hurt!"

Shippou smiled, a not so bad habit that he got from her, as he pushed Kagome out of the doorway gently. That is before he shut the door in her face and shouted ten minutes through the wooden barrier.

Kagome laughed lightly and headed carefully back down the stairs. She sat on her car pondering why she acted all maternal on Shippou earlier. He'd been using the train as transport since he moved into this dorm because it was farther than walking distance from the city. But when with her, Shippou always got escorted back especially if at night.

-Hm…I never really noticed before…-

This is late...I took it a different way than originally planned which meant the entire chapter I wrote- to be deleted.
Words to know:
Mikata: close friend, supporter
Mochiron: of course, naturally
Baka- idiot (we all should know that because of inu…but just in case)