Never Crossed My Mind
Summary: She didn't pay much attention to the Boy's Tennis Team, since most if not all of Hyotei's Academy's Tennis players, the guys in general, were all self-absorbed pricks! She didn't pay much attention...that is...until some annoying, bouncing, back flipping redhead insults her.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Kagome/Mukahi
Genre: Romance/Humor
Rated: M for Mature Content
-x-x-x-
Birds chirping, ground slightly wet after the rainstorm that carried over until early morning. The sun had only just started to cascade over the mountain in the background of Sunset Shrine. Kagome walked out the front door of her family's shrine, flipping a five-yen coin in the air a few times as she smiled and inhaled deeply the smell of nature and morning dew. She was dressed and ready to go to school, wearing her uniform neatly steamed and her once messed up shoes now completely died blue on the outside. Changing the laces to a new clean set of white ones. She chuckled to herself as she imagined how upset the three girls were going to be.
BONG-BONG
Looking to the Haiden she smiled at the familiar red head and walked silently over to him. His head bowed and eyes closed, she wouldn't dream of interrupting him. He bowed one last time before turning and jumping as he came face to face with her. His face did the same thing it did yesterday. Going from his normal complexion to a deep and sudden crimson. She smiled, "good morning. Inari-Sama must be happy!"
"Hm?" he looked back at the statue of the Kami Inari, "what makes you say that?"
"It's so early, yet you've come to pay your respects. The first prayer of the day; I'm sure of it, she's very happy." Kagome bowed to the statue twice, clapped her hands twice, and bowed once more before giving prayer. Rather than asking her for something, she thanked the Goddess. Gently tossing forward the five-yen coin she'd been playing with, she listened as it clinked between the coin shutters before reaching up and pulling at the rope.
BONG-BONG
Once more, she gave a final bow before she turned and started walking away.
"Oh, hey!"
"Yes?"
"I never introduced myself yesterday,"
"Indeed, but then, neither did I." She said thoughtfully. It certainly had occurred to her that while she knew of him, she didn't know him.
-x-x-x-
"Gakuto, Mukahi...it's-it's nice to meet you. Properly, that is." Mukahi held his hand out to her, "without life endangering threats, you know?"
She smiled, "life endangering?" Laughing a little, she took his hand in hers, "Higurashi, Kagome. It's nice to meet you, properly, Gakuto-San."
They started off towards the stairs before Mukahi paused, "isn't your brother going to school?"
"He's sick. Apparently, he caught a cold. Silly kid forgot his umbrella on top of playing around in the rain."
'She's one to talk,' he laughed a bit, 'crawling around on all fours in the rain, and no umbrella. I think I'm getting a clear view of the type of brother she has. Soccer aside, he must be exactly like his sister.' Returning his attention ahead of him, he took in his surroundings, "it's amazing up here, and you see this every morning?" Referring to the way the sun lit up the city and the shadows contrasted brilliantly in the background. Everything looked to be on fire with the surrounding glow.
"Ah..." a frown marred her lips, "I hadn't noticed. I guess, I got used to it. I forgot to pay attention." She took in the city past the neighborhood below, looking at it now, her eyes widened a bit. "It really is...beautiful."
Mukahi looked away quickly, somehow, he could hear his heart in his ears. "Let's hurry so that we don't miss the train!"
"Hm? Hai!"
-x-x-x-
"I don't get it!"
Kagome frowned, "don't get what?" They were a few feet from some older college students who had been kind enough to stumble backwards into her and knock her off her balance into the side of the train. Gakuto helped her upright and positioned himself against the train door to keep her from hitting it again.
"You, your kind of...well, how should I put it―bad luck?"
Balking a bit at his comment, she turned her head up to better see him and glared, "how do you mean?!"
Frustrated, he was and still is. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he pushed her a bit so that she wasn't leaning up against him completely, "don't move so much, damn!" He sighed, "and what I mean..."
(FLASHBACK)
WROOF WROOF! WROOF!
Kagome tried to dodge the leashes that suddenly wrapped around her, but the dogs that were pulling their walker were a bit faster than she was. Gravity took her and she reached out to catch herself. Contact didn't come. A hand around her waist held her up and the walker apologized as she unwrapped the leashes from Kagome's ankles. Looking up, she grinned, "thanks, Gakuto-San!"
He smiled, righting her back on her feet, "yeah, don't mention it."
A Little While Later
"HEY, LOOK OUT!"
Mukahi glanced up, his eyes widened as he reached out and grabbed Kagome's arm, yanking her backwards and into his chest as a bucket fell just where she'd been standing. Paint splattered across the fence and across his blazer. Somehow, he managed to turn just in time to keep her from getting the same splatter treatment. "Damn..." he glared up at the painters on the structure above them, "what the hell!? Watch what you're doing, you could have seriously hurt someone!"
"Sorry kid~"
Kagome was silent as she looked over the arms holding her. When he looked down to check on her, he realized he'd subconsciously pulled her into a hug in his attempt to protect her. Blushing, he pushed away from her at arm's length and let her go. "Akhm, let's go before something else happens. Oh, and watch where you step, there's paint everywhere." Even as he said this, he was pulling his blazer off to avoid getting it on the rest of his uniform.
Not Even…Five Minutes Later
Outside the Train Station
Mukahi was on high alert, even as the train station was right in front of him, he trusted nothing. Sighing, he shook his head. He knew he was being paranoid. Watching Kagome from the corner of his eyes, he smiled when she bent down to help a little girl with her shoelaces. The mother of which was holding an infant and not able to do so herself.
"Thank you so much," the mother said as she took her daughters hand and started walking inside. The little girl waved back to Kagome who returned the gesture.
"Hehe, that's so funny! Oh, can we take food inside the train? It's just ice cream, right?"
Kagome had just stood up when a girl and her boyfriend knocked into her, said ice cream now covered the front of Kagome's uniform shirt. He heard her sigh from where he stood, and he felt it. The exhaustion in the sigh, it carried over and he knew now why she'd snapped at him yesterday. If every day was like this for her, he would have been a prick to anyone dumb enough to talk to him. Seriously though, what was with this girl's luck!?
"Hey! My ice cream! You better pay for it!"
Looking at the strawberry pink that was bleeding into her white top, she raised a brow.
"Hey, did you hear me?!"
Mukahi was about to intervene but stopped when he heard it again.
Sighing.
"Your voice is annoying; you should dial it back some if you want to be heard." She rolled her shoulders in her annoyance before glaring at the girl. "If money is what will shut you up, fine, but I don't understand why you're whining about ice cream. Something like that...it can be replaced, so why does it matter?" Kagome shrugged, pulling her wallet out before pulling a five hundred yen from it and handing it over to the gapping girl. "Whatever, money is money, it holds no relevance to me one way or another. So, go buy your ice cream, and please get out of my way."
Mukahi smiled a bit to himself, 'that savage part of her...how scary.'
(END FLASHBACK)
The train shook and he held her in place so that she didn't tumble or fall. "That's what I mean. How the hell do you do it? Is it like this every day for you?"
"I guess I never thought about it. Things just happen..."
"True..." he acknowledged the fact that life was known to throw a shoe or two at times, "but not to this extent! You must have upset Inari-Sama or something!"
Kagome laughed, "goodness, I hope not. That would be awkward since I talk with her every day."
"What do you pray for? Money? Good test results?"
"I don't pray for things like that, I just thank her and go about my day."
He couldn't understand her. If it was him, he'd be praying for safety, health, a peaceful day without incident! Yet Kagome was over here thanking her for all of her near crisis situations!? As the train came to a jolt and stilled, he had a sudden daunting realization. 'We're getting off the train...it's not too far a walk to the Academy, but―' he looked at the oblivious Kagome who was still slightly pressed against him. 'If it's her, a lot can happen in ten minutes. Inari-Sama...please have pity on me.'
-x-x-x-
Me: Here is chapter four! I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Envisioning Mukahi struggling with all the near mishaps that Kagome attracts to her, and ultimately suffering in some way shape or form whenever he gets involved with one. I love it! Merry Christmas to ALL and to ALL a Good Night~ Review!