Kagome looked forward to each weekend and dreaded it at the same time.

Weekends meant that her papa was off work typically, unless the island was heavy with tourism, then he might be called to handle the influx of hungry people at the diner. When her papa was home though, the entire family would spend the day at the beach, just like so many other families. Families that had children who liked to swim. Children who were smaller than her.

Being fat – and yet not fat – sucked.

Each weekend that she went to the beach, Kagome would wear a bathing suit to please her mama, but she still wanted to cover up with her baggiest t-shirt and shorts. Sure, on some days it was more uncomfortable, and she envied the children who ran and splashed in the water. But then she would recall the latest jeers from those same children and she preferred to stay hot instead of exposing herself to more ridicule. It was bad enough to hear those things from her peers, but she wasn't sure she could take it if she ever heard adults comment on her size.

It was better this way.

Mama was understanding of her daughter's dilemma. It still hurt to see her sit on the beach towel each trip and watch the other children run around and have fun. What could she do? It seemed like her talks with the girl weren't sinking in as much as she'd hoped, and she was running out of ideas. It wasn't normal for a seven-year-old girl to be so self-conscious about her body weight, at least not when she was a child. She'd never heard the other parents mention anything of the sort about their daughters, but then it was their daughters that had put these dark thoughts into her daughter's head. All she could hope for was that one day the talks would resonate with Kagome to where she could be happy as herself, no matter what she looked like.

"Here," Mama said, pressing a small coin purse into Kagome's hand. "It's alright if you don't want to show your bathing suit, but I'd really like it if you could enjoy yourself. Grab a bite to eat, play a game, anything you want as long as you stay in the area. I'll come find you when it's time to go home, okay?"

Kagome accepted the allowance, nodding to Mama as she tucked the coin purse into her shorts pocket. It had quickly become a new tradition when they went to the beach each weekend. The vendors that set up in the area were welcoming, and within a few visits they had come to know her by first name. Even if Kagome wasn't particularly hungry, she'd pass some time talking with the employees when they weren't busy. There were also games she could playas well; beachside versions of the carnival games that would appear each fall that took more luck than skill to really win. She didn't mind, she enjoyed the momentary peace of being around people who weren't pointing out what she couldn't control.

There were only a few weeks before the steady stream of tourists began to roll in, though the beach was more occupied this weekend than Kagome had seen so far this year. She watched her papa and grandpa play with her infant brother. This was Souta's second outing on their weekend routine, and Kagome felt a pang of guilt as she accepted the coin purse from her mama. Was it right to run off to amuse herself? The next few weeks could become too busy for her papa to come with them, and if her mother was too tired from taking care of the baby, then she'd want to stay home.

Mama sensed the change in her daughter's mood. "You should go on and have fun, Kagome," she urged. "Souta's still too young to take in the water, and we don't want to keep you sitting with us in the sand all day."

"Are you sure it's okay Mama?"

"Of course it is. You know our routine by now."

With a gentle nudge Kagome turned and trudged across the sand to the boardwalk where the vendors set up. Some lines had begun to form at her usual stops, so all Kagome really felt comfortable with as she passed them was a wave. She knew how hard her papa worked in the diner, so she wasn't about to interrupt them while they worked. Instead she decided to try to shoot basketballs into the hoop.

"How's the little lady and her family?" The teen employee asked as Kagome handed him her coins.

"Fine," she replied, taking the first of the three basketballs. "It's getting busy sooner than I thought it would. Papa may have to do afternoon shifts early." She tossed the first basketball, watching with bated breath as it traced the rim of the hoop before falling through. Kagome clapped happily as it passed through the netting and bounced along the platform before reaching for her second attempt.

"You're getting quite the arm," the teenager grinned, catching the second basketball as it bounced off the platform towards him. "You ever thought about trying out for the team?"

Kagome shook her head. "They wouldn't pick me."

She didn't have to elaborate, and the teenager chose not to follow that thread any longer. He could tell that she was self-conscious, so whenever she came to visit his perch on the boardwalk he'd attempt to boost her spirits. Even if it was just so long as she hung around to shoot basketballs, if she walked away in a lighter mood, then he felt successful. The little girl shot her third attempt, and while this one was a hair's breath from falling into the hoop, she didn't appear put out by the miss. "Hold up," he said, when Kagome was about to turn away. He reached under the table and pulled out a bin of prizes that were to be given out with three successful shots. His father had brought in a new collection of items and he had spotted on in particular that he had earmarked for one person. He pulled out a charm necklace fitted with imitation chipped puka shells and a polished rose quartz bead and held it out to Kagome.

"But I didn't-" She knew the rules of the game; make three baskets in order to win a prize. She'd only made two.

"From what I saw, you had it. Now you can take this necklace now, or I'll hang on to it for next time. Either way it's yours. You've earned it with how well you've done. There ain't many seven-year-olds who can make one shot at that distance, much less two in a row." He grinned when her tiny hand reached out and accepted the necklace, pulling it around her neck.


It was warm. Far warmer than he had expected.

His parents had told him this, but he had played their warnings off as being overprotective. As he walked along the beach shore, the hot sand on his bare feet was almost painful, and he was beginning to think better of coming here. There were no clouds in the sky today, and even the light reflecting off the ocean made him shield his eyes.

Why was he here, exactly? To expand his horizons, so to speak. His parents had met on the beach, and in their opinion, it was a good place to make new friendships. Dark brown eyes looked across the landscape at the large groups of people spread out. Everyone seemed to be with at least one other person. Very few that sat underneath small canopies that were alone did not appear to be in a socializing mood. He let out a soft grunt. Just how was he supposed to talk to anyone if they were already with a group? He wasn't the best at introducing himself to one person, much less more. His mouth had a tendency to say what he thought before his good sense could warn him against it, so he came off as a brash little brat to some. That's what his half-brother said, anyway.

"This will be good for you," his mother had told him before he left his home for the day. "Try to find someone who looks to be your age. That shouldn't be hard."

The boy frowned. Anybody who looked close to his age was either with what he assumed was family or other groups of kids. Not one person looked to be on their own that he felt comfortable walking up to. His eyes scanned the area again, noticing some of the people breaking off to go on something he overheard as "the boardwalk". Whatever it was, it looked like people gathered there, so he crossed the hot sand and followed the crowd.

The boardwalk, he had come to discover quickly, was a collection of people that sold goods and entertainment of all varieties. The smells of the foods were intoxicating; he didn't know what they were, but he was going to be sure to ask his mother when he returned home. There were vendors who sold trinkets of all sizes and forms, from small handmade jewelry to painted clothing that was created on the spot. He recognized some of the games from his mother's descriptions, but there were many that he was certain she had never heard of.

"Where ya going, chubby bunny?"

He paused, not knowing where the question came from. It had been a boy that asked, he knew that much.

"Leave me alone."

That was a girl, and she didn't sound happy.

"Not until you tell us where you're going, chubby bunny."

Another voice, and this one sounded like it came from the same direction. Another boy, it seemed.

"You going to stuff yourself with funnel cakes?" the first boy asked.

The second chimed in. "You ought to lay off those, chubby bunny. You won't be able to get through the school doors if you keep this up."

"I said leave me alone!" There was a hitch in the girl's voice that he didn't like. That wasn't what a girl was supposed to sound like at all. Before he realized it, his feet had begun leading in in the direction of the voices.

"What's the matter? Is chubby bunny gonna cry?"

"You're such a jerk!"

"You know if you cry, you're gonna be chubby blubber bunny," the second snickered.

And like always, he had opened his mouth before his better judgement could stop him. "You two need to shove off," he growled.

All three heads turned to look at him. "Who the heck are you?" the first asked.

"Doesn't matter," he said. "But I know my mother raised me better than to pick on a girl."

"She deserves it," the second countered, "on account of she's so-"

He didn't let the other kid finish the sentence. He'd grabbed him by the neckline of his shirt and lifted him up in the air. "No girl deserves to be talked to like that," he growled again, shaking the kid. "So you best get out of here and out of my sight." For extra measure he gave the kid a shove as he put him down, sending a glare at the first kid as a warning.

The pair looked like they were considering challenging him, but thought better of it and walked off. He watched them until they disappeared before turning to the girl. "Are you alright?"

"I…I'm fine…" she mumbled, looking down at her feet.

He stepped closer, slowly so as not to startle her. "Do they do that a lot?" he asked gently. "Call you names?"

She nodded, not looking up, and the gesture made him want to chase those two boys down. "They have no right."

"I kn-know," she sighed. The girl looked up at him for the first time. "Mama tells me that. I…try not to let them get to me…but…" she shrugged. "Thank you."

He felt his cheeks pinken lightly. "It's no problem." Then it hit him. She looked to be about his age. She wasn't around a lot of people. Doing what his mother told him, he held out his hand to her. "My name is Inuyasha Taisho."

Slowly she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

It was the first smile he had seen on her face.


Things were going, Kagome thought, up until two of boys from the class next door found her. Then the teasing had started up, and all she wanted to do was just walk away. She didn't want to have a shouting match on the boardwalk. She just wanted to be left alone. They wouldn't listen…and then something changed. A boy had shown up, telling them to back off. He even picked one of them up as a sign of his strength, like he was daring them to challenge him. Kagome almost expected him to turn on her when they ran off, but he didn't.

He'd introduced himself. Inuyasha Taisho.

Now he was standing there looking at her like she was supposed to say something else. Kagome was just hoping that the smile she felt form didn't look crazed. She took a moment to really look at the boy that stood before her. His black hair fell to his shoulders, just slightly longer than hers, but it didn't look girly on him like it would have on one of the boys in her class. He wore a plain tank top and shorts, but no shoes. Then again it was the beach, and most of the locals didn't bother to wear shoes in the brick and mortar stores on the other side of the boardwalk.

Right. She was supposed to say something. "Do you…live around here?" she asked. "I don't think I've seen you before."

Inuyasha didn't appear bothered by her long pause. "My family doesn't live far from here, but this is the first time I've been to this beach."

"Do you like it?"

"It's…busy." He winced as he said it. His mother would be appalled at his ability to speak.

But Kagome giggled, so maybe it wasn't as bad as he feared. "I think the tourists are coming early this year," she replied. "Normally the island is rather quiet. The tourists are good for us, though, even if it means Papa has to work extra long."

"What does he do?"

"He works at a diner. He cooks food." Kagome fingered the charm that hung from her new necklace. "Do you want to get something to eat?" she asked suddenly. "My treat, because you ran those boys away." She hadn't missed the look of resistance that crossed his face, but she was insisting. He had kept her afternoon from going bad.


Inuyasha wasn't sure how he allowed himself to be drug along the boardwalk by this Kagome. She had stated that she was going to treat him to something to eat, and as he quickly discovered, when she set her mind to something she meant it. She took him to a vendor that she had known fairly well, striking up a conversation with the workers as they bundled up two hot twisted dough pieces and fished in their container for bottles of some liquid that she had asked for.

He learned that this twisted dough was the "pretzel" that his mother had often reminisced about, but the bottled liquid was a mystery. Kagome had told him it was "Dr. Pepper", but he didn't think that doctors were skilled in the art of creating drinks. It was refreshing, as the pretzel was incredibly salty in spots. His mother would have been pleased that he remembered to thank Kagome for her generosity.

Kagome was smiling more. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but he was happy to see her smile. So when his mouth blurted out his thoughts, he wanted to kick himself for seeing her expression drop suddenly. "Sorry, I didn't-"

"No, it's okay," she said, trying to smile at him reassuringly. All he could see was that she was sad. "I don't…have a lot of friends. Lots of the kids in my school pick on me because I'm not skinny like they are. I do have friends, but they have their own things that they do." She gestured at her clothes. "That's why my clothes are so big. So I can hide and still enjoy the beach like everyone else."

Inuyasha shook his head. "That's stupid. You shouldn't have to hide because of some dumb people." He shifted in his seat. "I get what you mean about friends. The few I have are usually busy, so I don't see them as much as I'd like."

"Could we be friends?" Kagome asked softly.

He looked up at her, stunned. "You want to be my friend?"

She nodded. "If you want to be mine?"

Inuyasha smiled. This girl wanted to be his friend. She barely knew him at all, and already she wanted to spend more time with him. Despite all of his verbal blunders, she still wanted to try. "Yeah, I'd like that."

With his words, Kagome's smile returned full force, and Inuyasha was stunned at how it brightened her whole being. It was a genuine smile, and he hoped he got to see it again.

"Kagome!"

A shout from a ways away caught their attention, and Kagome waved at the woman who approached their bench. Both got up from their spot, Kagome to greet the woman with a hug, and Inuyasha out of respect. His parents always told him to show respect when meeting other adults, and sitting wasn't the way to do it.

"Did you have a good afternoon, dear?" Michiru smiled, noticing the boy that stood off to the side. She didn't recognize him.

"I did, Mama!" Kagome turned and motioned to Inuyasha to come closer. "I made a new friend today. This is Inuyasha Taisho."

"It's nice to meet you," Inuyasha said, holding out his hand like he had done for Kagome. This woman, Kagome's mother, seemed delighted by his manners and shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Inuyasha. My name is Michiru, Kagome's mother. Tell me dear, do you live in the area?"

"Not far from here. My family hasn't been to this beach for a long time. It's my first time visiting."

Kagome looked to Inuyasha. "We come here each weekend. Would you be able to come back, if your parents said it was okay?"

"They should be fine with it, but I'll ask. I'd like to come back and visit with you again."

Michiru smiled. This was a nice change. Usually Kagome looked ready to head home most weekends, but this time she seemed reluctant to leave. "If your parents will allow it, you're welcome to come visit at our house any time." Her daughter's eyes looked surprised but happy just the same.

"I will ask them." He was just as surprised. "I should probably go as well," he said, looking at the setting sun. "My parents will expect me home for dinner."

Inuyasha turned back to Kagome, about to tell her goodbye, when she pitched forward and hugged him around the shoulders. Awkwardly he returned the hug the best he could, since she had pinned his arms down to his sides. "Thank you for being my friend," she whispered before pulling back. In a blink she was walking down the boardwalk with her mother, occasionally looking back and waving.


Inuyasha waited until he was certain most of the people on the beach were either packing up or had left before he ducked behind the stone wall divider. It hadn't been any trouble to slip through the people on the beach to make it to the stacked stones, as everyone was too concerned about their own belongings to notice a small boy on his own. His mother had told him that this wall was built by the local residents to keep tourists from venturing into unstable land. If one was not familiar with the area, they would surely fall and hurt themselves on rocks buried in the sand.

With one last glance to make sure no one had followed him, Inuyasha began to undress. He folded his clothes neatly and tucked them away with the others in a small hutch that was carved into the stone wall. He double checked to make sure that the stone covered the hidden compartment before he darted into the ocean. Standing naked on the beach didn't bother him really; it was the cool breeze that come by that did. The sun was almost past the horizon, and the wind carried a bit of a chill with it.

The ocean water was warm in comparison as he dove deeper. He could feel the tingle of the transformation take place as his human legs shifted and merged into the tail he was used to. There was no pressure on his chest that restricted his breathing. His eyes adjusted to the darkness as he swam, and before long he could see clearly as if he were on land again.

Inuyasha continued to swim towards the large structure, anxious to find his parents. Many of the merfolk spoke of the structure as a castle, given his father was the head guardian of this part of the sea, but to him it was home. It had always been large to him, but he had learned that it had been expanded on for centuries. After all, it was also home to his older half-brother and his father's first wife as well.

The boy was glad he didn't cross Sesshomaru's path on the way to find his parents. His stepmother Inukimi was kind to him, and he held no disrespect towards her, but her son got enjoyment out of tormenting him. He pushed himself faster as he heard his mother speaking to his father in the sitting room.

Both adults looked up as a small body swam into the room. "Inuyasha," Izayoi smiled, "Did you have fun today on the shore?"

Inuyasha's grin spoke volumes even before he started to tell them about his day. He spared no details on how he met Kagome Higurashi, her mother, or how she had extended an invitation to their home. Izayoi was pleased to hear that he had remembered his manners. Touga was intrigued by this new change in their son. He had expected the boy to come back home in even more of an ill mood than when he left, growling about how the whole idea was ridiculous. Yet here that same boy was, excitedly telling them about how he looked forward to going up to the shore again just to see this Kagome.


A/N: A little longer this time around, and now Inuyasha's made his first appearance! Next chapter will see them a few years down the road, because if I wrote each chapter as they gradually grew it'd easily go into double-digit territory before we got anywhere significant. There's still a lot about Inuyasha and Kagome that I haven't begun to go into yet, so hang tight.