Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or it's characters, that right belongs to Katsuyuki Sumizawa and Masashi Ikeda. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.


Quatre stood off to the side, watching as the Higurashi family moved about with the start of what looked to be a rather large crowd. His mind has been going over the last few months. He had experienced a few new holidays that his time and world didn't have. Halloween was interesting. The concept of people dressing up in costume and going to houses and businesses for candy was unique. Then again, he had been dressed as himself he'd come to find out. Which had landed him a job as something called a Cosplayer at a cafe?

He'd also been sat down with Souta and made to watch a few animes. One of which was called Gundam Wing AC. It shocked him to his core to see himself in cartoon form on the screen. How accurate the events were, give or take a few things. Though when Kagome had found him watching it, the resulting conversation they had about knowledge was rather enlightening and confusing. It was making him wonder just what was going through her head. But, either way, he'd been unable to watch the end of the show because it had not been out. It went up to the Lunar Base. And the battle between Trowa and Heero. It was painful to see it.

He was smiling as he watched Souta run over to a short, dark-haired girl, cheeks red as he nervously offered to show her around the shrine grounds. The boy was awkward, but it was apparent to everyone but those two children that they liked each other. Quatre was amazed at how diverse Tokyo was. How accepting yet prudish the culture was. A far cry from where he had come from. Where they mostly fight.

When things settled again, Quatre let his mind jump to the next major holiday. He rather enjoyed it. And if he did make it back to his time and world and the war had concluded. For those that survived, he would be doing this. Thanksgiving had given him a new appreciation for home-cooked food. And Mrs. Higurashi was a darned good cook. His waistline had increased a few sizes that night and the following days.

It was watching Souta and the elder Higurashi being chased out of the kitchen by the two females with spoons and spatula that would be the memory he'd always keep. Mainly Kagome covered in flour, and what he learned later was stuffing as that had been her task to make this year while her mother covered almost everything else—resulting in a feast that could have fed many in his time.

He smiled widely as his eyes met that of some of his fellow students from the school. The girls still talked to him incessantly, asking him out on dates. Which he mostly turned down. It had taken him being cornered and snapping to make them understand that he was not interested in a romantic relationship with anyone. He'd eventually have to go home, or so he hoped. When they smiled and nodded back at him, Quatre watched as they walked up to the shrine and prayed.

The next holiday was one he was very familiar with, Christmas. He recalled all the fun times as a small child with all his older sisters. The gifts that had been hand made and given out. He'd worked extra hard at the cafe, portraying himself, earning a rather large bonus to buy a few gifts for the Higurashi family. He was somewhat indebted to them, and he loved the gifts they had gotten him as well.

Souta had gone out and gotten him a perfect grade kit of his Gundam to build. The elder male Higurashi bought him books and scrolls on the history of the Shinto religion as well as mythologies. He was giving Quatre more insight into the culture, or a specific aspect of their culture. Kagome, well, her gift was something he would cherish. It was a bow and arrow complete with a quiver. Quatre knew it was an odd gift. But he had found Kagome out behind her house one-day practicing Archery of all things.

He'd watched her for hours before she finally spoke to him. The way her body moved with fluid grace. How powerful her tiny frame was as she pulled the string back and fired arrow after arrow at various targets. Her accuracy was at least in the ninety percentile. Their conversation had sparked his interest. And when the chance came at school, Kagome took him with her to the Archer Club, where he got inducted before he knew what happened.

Most of the club were girls. He was one of three guys, and that included the instructor. When he had started, he was abysmal at even pulling the string. Not one to have a big head, he was amazed at the skill Kagome showed with the bow. Now he was fairly accurate, hitting the target four to five times out of every ten arrows. The practice at the shrine in Kagomes personal space was beneficial. It also gave him more time to get to know Kagome personally.

The sound of a soft laugh drew him out of his thoughts, and Quatre saw Kagome laughing at the antics of a small kid as she knelt in her traditional shrine maiden Haori and Hakama, which looked very natural on her petite frame. He watched as she stood and grasped the child's hand and brought them to the shrine and showed them how to pray by clapping their hands and hanging their head in silence for a few seconds before ringing the bell. Just to have the child throw in a few yen into the offering box.

This offering to the gods was intriguing to him. Even when young, Quatre felt that there was more to everything. Hence why he claimed, there was a heartbeat in space. It was like something was watching and protecting those that it found worthy of traversing the cold, empty depths. And if one could make something real by believing in it, then he would continue to believe in it. Because going through that odd Blackhole, or was it a wormhole? Either way, he knew he should have died. But here he was alive and well, in what could be a different world or just time for him—learning, adapting.

When Kagome turned, her eyes caught his. The smile she gave him had him feeling more relaxed as a loud bell tolled out across the city. It was getting late as the paper lanterns, and the stone ones were lit. The few stalls that the Higurashi's allowed to be set up for games and food were now opening. Figuring he'd go inspect them, Quatre shifted and pushed away from the Goshinboku or God tree. The tree always seemed to be surrounded in an aura of calm and peace, and he liked that.

It was New Year's. A time of renewal and festivities in Japan. Strolling in the Yukata that Mrs. Higurashi had given him. One that he had found out after putting it on and stepping out of his room that had belonged to the former Mr. Higurashi. The way two sets of brown eyes glistened with tears at the sight of him in it. While Kagome's blue ones looked at him in a silent contemplative manner, before she allowed a small, sad smile to appear and vanished from sight for a few hours, that whole experience left an impression on him. More so after learning that the late Mr. Higurashi died in a car accident when Kagome was young.

"You look good in that."

Quatre stiffened and kept from whipping around to defend himself. Some things, he noted, had not changed even at this time. His training and conditioning were still heavily ingrained in him. Just to look down and see Kagome looking up at him with a sparkle in the depths of her blue eyes. She was amused at his reaction. Taking a deep breath before smiling at her, Quatre nodded silently at her compliment. Not sure what to say or even how.

"So, enjoying yourself yet?"

He knew she was just making small talk. That there was something on her mind. Something she was not ready to talk about as he saw her eyes dart to the old well house.

"Yes. It is much different how I spent New Years," he said.

The way her eyebrows jumped up on her forehead as she looked shocked at his comment. They were still operating under the guise of him having amnesia. But Quatre knew that somehow Kagome knew better. Hell, the girl had an odd knack for saying random things that were accurate. As if she were psychic and could read a person's mind. Not that he believed in stuff like that. Gods or higher beings were more probable as that came from faith in the spiritual. Superpowers, that was just childish, even if it was something that was just as alluring.

"I see. Well, glad that you are opening up and sharing, what you remember," Kagome said, her voice sounding pleased and yet mockingly sage-like.

"Hmm," Was all he replied, making a bit of sadness flicker in the depths of her blue eyes for but a second or two. Which was a thing that made him want to find out more about her overall?

Quatre stopped before a booth that had people kneeling with little paper circles trying to catch goldfish. It was amusing how many broke their tool before being able to scoop a fish into the small bowl they were provided. It was a test of skill and dexterity. Understanding the strength of paper stretched tight while wet. Bending down, knowing Kagome was by him watching, he offered a 100 yen coin for one try. Rolling up the sleeves of the Yukata, he let his eyes track the beautiful fish as they danced in the water as they swam around. Before deciding on one with a single black spot maring its orange-gold body.

Taking a deep breath, he only put half the little scoop into the water and hearded the fish towards him slowly. Then with a deft flick, he caught the side of the fish on the edge of the loop. Glad it was made of wood and not metal as he dropped his bowl to just above the water and flicked the fish into it deftly. He was hearing a loud round of applause and a few mumbles of beginner luck and standing as he handed the bowl to the stall owner to put the fish in a small clear bag. Quatre waited until he had the fish in hand before giving it to Kagome.

"I'll call it, Spot. You can have it," he stated, watching her reaction.

The faint tint of pink to her cheeks as she took the fish from him and smiled a shy smile. Something he was coming to find he liked seeing on her. Because it made the blue in her eyes lighten a shade or two. Kagome was complex, intriguing, and so very different from all the females (his sisters included) that he knew. She was polite, friendly, and helpful in one second. In the next cold, hard, and distant. Then there was time she was contemplative and withdrawn, just to be sad and lonely the next. And in the five months, he'd been there Quatre didn't like it when she looked Sad and Lonely.

"Thank you, my friend," Kagome said softly as she turned to look in the direction her name just came from.

Looking in the same direction, he saw her grandfather coming towards her with Hojo in tow. That was another thing that confused him. Kagome liked the boy as a friend. Yet the boy wanted more. She never really encouraged him, just accepted at random to go on a date with him after denying him for a long while. It was showing him that Kagome was often too sweet for her own good, even with a temper buried deep under everything. He was sighing as he watched her walk away, back straight and stiff. He knew that her grandfather was going to broach her looking at potential marriage candidates again. Something Kagome was refusing because she claimed at the end of high school once she graduated, she would be leaving.

When he had asked her about it, Kagome had told him rudely in a forceful voice to mind his own damn business. But he could tell that whatever it was she was hiding with that occasional sad look dealt with her leaving. That and the well house. Shrugging as he pushed the thought away, Quatre continued to walk and look at the stalls. It would be another day he would think about this. Because he knew it was important. How or why he didn't know.

TBC!