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-

"Sae failed!"

"So she did,"

"What are we going to do?! Higurashi-San is closer to Gakuto-Senpai and my Oshitari-Senpai!"

Looking at the photo in her hand, Momoko frowned, "not just them it would seem." Fisting her fingers around the picture as she crushed it, the image was burnt into her mind. Atobe placing his Regular's jacket over her shoulder, as if he cared for the little tramp?! "Perhaps we should try something different. She came to school with Gakuto-Senpai again. We can assume she'll do this tomorrow too. Let's make sure she's welcomed to school properly."

Hana smirked, "leave it to me,"

Grey-blue eyes peered thoughtfully around the corner, taking in the two scheming girls before they closed and disappeared.

-x-x-x-

(Another Day, Come and Gone)

'It was relatively peaceful today. Maybe Inari-Sama has taken a liking to Gakuto-San.' Kagome smiled as she finished her math homework. Pulling her literature assignment on top of her math, she read it over before opening her notebook and getting started on it. 'I don't think I should get comfortable, though. Nanako-San, I didn't see her this morning.' Thinking about the intense girl from the day before, she was frighteningly strong for her size. 'That was insane, but I guess, she must really like Gakuto-San.' Sighing, she wrote notes on the invention of the Kana Phonetic Syllabary.

Knock-Knock-Knock

"Kagome?"

"Hm?"

The door opened, and her mother peered in, "Hey hun, I made pudding, did you want one?"

Kagome's eyes lit up, turning to her clock, she grinned, "got three to spare?"

"Th-three? I mean, yes...I made us all two, so...technically."

Standing, she pulled her jacket on and moved around her mother before running downstairs, "Souta, let's go see your friend!"

He was looking up from the silverware drawer, a small spoon in his hand. "Huh!? Which one?"

"Gakuto-San."

"Hisashi's?! Okay!"

Grabbing three puddings, Kagome carefully wrapped them before grabbing two more for herself and Souta.

"Kagome, it's six, don't be out too late, alright, dear."

"We won't," She held a box of puddings and started for the door, her brother opening it for her before following her outside.

Rai watched her daughter and son leave the shrine before sighing, "it's so quiet when Mama's home alone."

-x-x-x-

"You don't need to go outside this late. I'm sure they're eating by now anyway!"

"Come on; I wanna go play soccer with Souta!"

"No, tomorrow, maybe, but you need to finish your chores today."

Ding-Doooong~

"I got it!"

"Hisashi!" Mukahi sighed and chased his brother downstairs, ignoring his sister, who could be heard laughing from her bedroom.

"Souta!"

"Hisashi!"

'Ah, Kami!' Stopping a few steps before the first floor, he could already feel a headache forming. 'These two share brain cells or something!?'

"Hey, Hisashi-San, is your brother here?"

"Nii-San! Souta's sister is here for you!"

Blushing, he could hear footsteps from upstairs and watched as his sister came running down in excitement.

"A girl is here for Nii-san!?"

'Please, no!' His hand whipped out, and he caught his sister around the waist and sighed before continuing downstairs with her under his arm. Kicking and complaining about how he was holding her, he shifted his weight and stepped up behind his brother, "Higurashi-San,"

"Gakuto-San! I brought pudding!"

'Pudding?'

"Pudding!"

-x-x-x-

"You came by just to share pudding with us?"

Kagome smiled into the sweetness of the silky custard mixed with the caramel sauce on top. "Sure," placing the spoon on the small plate next to the gelatin custard, she looked at it for a moment before meeting Mukahi's eyes, "I've been feeling a bit guilty about all the trouble I've caused you as of lately."

"You're causing trouble, sis?" Souta laughed, "but that's normal, right?"

"Souta-Kun shouldn't be so mean,"

Laughing, Souta waved the girl beside him off, "I'm not. Kagome is always causing trouble for mama. She goes through shoes, skirts, and blazers just as often as the weather changes."

Kagome sighed, "ah, he's not wrong."

"Nai, Koko-Chan, you always say that your brother is super responsible and takes care of all the cooking and cleaning, right? Kagome-Chan isn't allowed to cook because she gets hurt. Somehow, when she cleans, the house ends up messier."

Blushing, Kagome ducked her head, "Souta, I think I saw a soccer ball outside; why you don't go practice balancing the ball on your nose."

Laughing, Souta finished his pudding and stood up, "we'll go play in the backyard! Hisashi, Koko-Chan, come on!"

"Hai!"

"...I should've left him at home."

"Higurashi-San, you don't need to worry about me."

Shaking her head, she watched the younger kids from the dining room table, the window across from her gave her a good view of the three. "It takes my mind off of other, more troubling matters."

"The tennis fan club?"

Nervous, was that it? Maybe, but she wasn't about to focus on the feeling. Too many people worried about her, but never themselves. Even now, Mukahi was concerned about her, yet he was the one who would be troubled most by what may or may not happen. She wanted to worry about him, the way she knew he worried about her. Though he wasn't wrong, "the tennis fan club." She finally said, acknowledging his earlier question. She hated the tennis fan club. They really, really bugged her.

"I... I don't want you to worry about me,"

Looking up from the pudding, Kagome frowned, 'am I such a bother. Even worrying about him is upsetting?'

"Instead, I want―" Mukahi blushed and turned his head away quickly as he felt her eyes return to him, "I want you to let me take care of you!"

'Take care...of me?'

"Let me deal with the fan club. I want to help you and protect you!" Forcing himself to look up, he observed as Kagome's eyes widened, her cheeks changing from their normal tone to a red glow. "Higurashi-San..."

"Gakuto-San is kind, but that kind of burden; I couldn't put that on your shoulders. Fangirls are not easily dealt with. They are cruel and vile. I don't want you involved with them." She watched his eyes droop and smiled, "but, if you could continue to stay by my side, before school, after school, during lunch, I think I can handle all that they throw at me. Just don't let me drown." When his hand reached across the table and took hers, she thought she might cry. 'I'm used to being alone at school. However, since I've made friends, I've started to get used to being around them. Please, don't let go of me.'

-x-x-x-

(The Next Day)

The school was loud by the time Kagome and Mukahi arrived. Louder than normal. The two barely passed through the gates when Oshitari and Atobe joined them. Both were taking the energy of the school in stride.

"What's going on? Are we putting on the Cultural Festival early this year?"

Mukahi shrugged, reaching out to Kagome, he pulled her out of the way of a couple of students as the nearly brushed into her. "Whatever it is, it's happening by the shoe lockers."

SNAP

Kagome leaned forward and peered curiously around her friend at the Tennis Captain. In a matter of seconds, he'd cleared a path to the locker room. In addition, he'd also made a path to the cause of all the excitement.

Whatever Kagome had been mentally preparing herself for... this wasn't it. Scattered across the lockers, littering the floors, and covering the walls, were unflattering and indecent photos of herself. Were any of them real? No. they weren't. However, that didn't matter. What did matter was that everyone here thought that they were real. The photoshop was so well done, Kagome would be hard-pressed to convince them otherwise.

Reaching out her hand, she snatched a printout off her locker and dropped it, letting it float silently to the ground. Removing her shoes in the silence of the crowd, she pulled her school slippers on. Placing her shoes inside the locker, she walked coldly past the entire student body while her friends took in the sight. 'Is this all it'll take?' She couldn't shake the feeling of fear that had taken hold of her. It felt as if she was suffocating, and at any moment, she might blackout. 'No, this won't break me!'

-x-x-x-

Me: Here is chapter nine. Hope you all enjoy~