Never Crossed My Mind

Summary: She didn't pay much attention to the Boy's Tennis Team, since most, if not all, 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, backflipping redhead insults her.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Prince of Tennis

Pairing: Kagome/Mukahi

Genre: Romance/Humor

Rated: M for Mature Content

-x-x-x-

Glancing over his shoulder, Gakuto watched as Kagome continued her way to her home. When he had finally finished his practice, Kagome was returning Keigo's jacket to him. Thanking him for something he hadn't been privileged to. He had thought about asking, but the puffy red beneath her eyes, he didn't want to upset her more than she had already been. 'That girl... she heads my Fanclub.' Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the fence to his house. "There is no right way to handle this. I speak out, and they target Kagome. I don't' say anything, and she's still targeted. What do I do?"

-x-x-x-

Stopping in front of Inari, Kagome bowed to the statue twice, clapped her hands twice, and bowed once more before giving prayer. 'Inari-Sama, I've never asked you for anything for myself. Neither do I intend to start. So, rather than asking you for something for me, could I ask you for something for my friend? I worry that I'm making his life difficult. I don't want to stop being his friend though, so, please, watch out for him. Make his life a bit easier and ease the burdens on his shoulders. We're kids, so...life isn't supposed to be this difficult. Gakuto-San, he lets off a glow, but I refuse to think of him like a flame. Should I reach out and touch him, I trust I won't be burnt. That's why...I'm putting my faith in him, as I have always done with you. Please watch over him. Thank you, Inari-Sama.'

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.

"Kagome!"

"Souta," she smiled, "how was school? Did you get your homework done?"

"Yeah, it's finished. We have a school trip next week. Mom just signed the permission slip, but we have to go shopping for some new shoes."

Kagome glanced down at her own, "I should too..."

Souta frowned, "why are they turning blue?"

"Oh, a science experiment went wrong."

Laughing at his sisters' mess up, Souta ran inside, "Mom! Kagome needs new shoes too! She spilled her science experiment all over the ones she's wearing!"

'I wonder if he will figure out that I'm lying. We don't wear our daily shoes at school. Dork...'

She blinked curiously as her mom peered outside, "Hey, mama."

Sighing, Rai raised a disbelieving brow, "you did spill something on your shoes. Silly girl," she held her hand out and smiled when Kagome took it. Pulling her daughter into her arms, before giving her a small hug, "you don't lie well, though."

"..."

"Kagome, talk to me if you need to. I'm your mother, and if anyone tries to mess with my daughter, I'll plant a tree!"

'Her way of saying she'll bury their body where no one will find it.' Kagome laughed. "I promise I'm fine. If it becomes too much to handle, I will tell you."

"Promise?"

"Promise,"

"Alright then," she rubbed her hand up and down her daughters' arm, "you can't break a promise with your mother! It goes against the mother/daughter clause in the contract we signed during your birth." Nodding more to herself, she let Kagome go, "put your bag up and change. Souta and I will wait for you."

"Hai!"

-x-x-x-

(The Next Morning)

Sitting on the steps of the shrine, Kagome was waiting for the sun to rise. She looked out at the city, wanting to see that moment of breathless stillness that settled across Japan. Tapping her shoes together, she listened as the wind brushed and tickled the leaves of the trees around her. A smile on her lips told of how her morning was going so far. Completely at ease with the world around her, she looked up at the lightening skies and took in the still twinkling diamonds above her. "Not ready to call it a night, huh? Even when the sun comes out, when no one can see you, you still hang out watching us stumble around clumsily."

"Talking to the stars?"

Kagome smiled and looked down to meet Gakuto's eyes, "yeah."

"Were they talking back?"

Shaking her head, she looked back up at them as Gakuto joined her on the steps. "No, just watching on in silence. They whisper amongst themselves, but never loud enough that I can make out what they're saying."

"Ah, but they're good listeners." Gakuto grinned from next to her as he looked up at the stars.

"I mean, I've got no complaints."

Silence found the two as the sun pulled itself from up the distance. Light danced across the pavement, climbing the steps of the sunset shrine until it stopped just at their feet.

"I don't know why I never stopped to look out at the sun rising. Now that I noticed it, I can't bring my eyes to look away."

"That makes a lot of sense. Lately, I've found myself feeling the same way. Discovering something I never noticed, I can't push it from my head. I'm usually a dedicated guy when it comes to the things I like. Recently, I find myself distracted. I mean, I still put everything I am into Tennis, and my family is just as important to me as it's always been. I haven't been slacking when it comes to my teammates and friends, but...now...I have more to think about. More on my mind."

"May Inari-Sama grant you peace of mind then and give you a leave of absence from any troubling thoughts."

Shaking his head, he laughed, "Nah, I'm good. Though! If Inari-Sama is listening and is in a... I don't know... giving mood? Then I'm all down for an uneventful morning! You know, boring, ordinary, uninteresting..." he looked at Kagome, who had started laughing, "you know any more synonyms? In case I'm using the wrong word."

"Unexciting, dull, monotonous?"

"Ah, let's just have a peaceful walk to school. That would be nice. Though," Gakuto lifted his bag and pulled out a neatly folded shirt, "I came prepared! My blazer is folded in my bag too, so..." then he raised his umbrella, "I also brought this, just in case."

"But the weatherman said it was supposed to be sunny all day."

Gakuto looked at her as if she'd grown two heads, "I'm supposed to trust a weatherman with my uniform?"

Grinning, she stood up and stretched as the sun had officially made it's way past her knees. "Let's go; we'll never make it to school on time if we miss the train."

"Hai, hai!"

Kagome couldn't be sure, but this felt like a tale-tell sign. Everything would be alright. Because she had Oshitari-San, and she had Gakuto-San, even Atobe-Sama was on her side. She didn't need many friends, but a few good ones, that would get her through the hardships to come!

-x-x-x-

Me: Here is chapter 8 of Never Crossed My Mind.