Series: Inuyasha, Shugo Chara

Pairing: Kagome/Ikuto

Related song: Everytime by Brittney Spears

Summary: Kagome Higurashi and Ikuto Tsukiyomi are childhood friends. The kind that the other could say they could turn to them for anything and mean it literally. When they couldn't bring themselves to go to even their most trusted of confidantes about something or knew they wouldn't understand, the other was there without fail. No one understood Kagome more than Ikuto did and she in return understood him more than even Tsukasa Hotori, the only adult the blue haired boy could count on, did. It was natural that she fell in love with him. He in return had seemed to feel the same way since before she realized her feelings. But things were different now, and Kagome was afraid that it was all her fault...

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shugo Chara belongs to Peach Pitt. If either belonged to me, Kagome would end up with someone else and an epilogue scene in Shugo Chara's final volume would establish amuto as canon once and for all.

Intertwined Hearts

It was a beautiful spring day. Warm but far from the unbearable heat of summer. The sun was shining but not blindingly bright. So it was the perfect day to take the longer route through the park as Kagome Higurashi and her childhood friend Ikuto Tsukiyomi walked to the movies. The former time traveler was happier than she had been in three years as she walked to the theaters with her cat-like friend. It was even like a date, and it had been so long since they were able to spend so much time together. Suddenly a familiar voice made them stop.

"-still believes that Nadeshiko and Nagihiko are two different people!" Amu Hinamori ranted, "Sure I believed him too but at least I got suspicious now and then and at this point Yaya's the only one who doesn't know!"

For a moment Ikuto allowed his facial expression to soften in that way only the pink haired girl could invoke. It was replaced by an all too familiar mischievous gleam in his eye that was gone just as quickly. In an instant the cat-like boy had appeared behind the pink haired girl.

"So your best friend is a tranny?" he asked teasingly.

"I-Ikuto!" Amu stuttered.

Kagome watched for a few minutes as the best friend she had ever had fell into an all too familiar routine with the girl who had freed him from the chains his former stepfather had placed on him. For a second Yoru glanced over at Kagome from Ikuto's shoulder with a concerned look in his eyes, and then the adorable chibi neko-boy was distracted by something one of Amu's chara said. The moment all significant attention was off of her, her eyes dimmed. In a way watching Ikuto with Amu was more painful than seeing Inuyasha with Kikyou. Kagome wasn't sure if it was because she had always known Kikyou was first in the hanyou's heart or because she had hoped she really might have something more than friendship with Ikuto.

Kagome sighed, and then called out to the blue haired boy she had been thinking of. "Ikuto, I'm going ahead."

Ikuto paused a moment, but there was no further indication that he had heard her. Frowning, she walked away. Never noticing Dia, Amu's yellow chara, and Miki, Amu's blue chara, look her way and exchange glances.

'I thought I meant more than that, Ikuto. You've never been the type to just ignore someone you'd been spending time with willingly out of the blue like that. But nowadays I always seem to take a backseat compared to Amu.' Kagome thought, 'What did I do wrong? When did things get like this? Is it what I said back then?'

One day during her time travel escapades, Kagome had had the misfortune of running into her trio of friends while she'd been spending time with Ikuto. Not only had the three almost ruined the increasingly rare and much cherished time with her oldest friend. But what's worse, they didn't even think about restraining their boy crazy tendencies.

"Who's the hottie, Kagome?" Yuka had asked, "Did you finally ditch that two timing jerk?"

"Or are you cheating on him?" Eri had then added conspiratorially.

"I've told you three a thousand times that Inuyasha is too hung up on Kikyou to ever start a relationship beyond friendship with me." Kagome had replied tiredly.

"Then is this guy your boyfriend?" Ayumi had asked, a light of understanding in her eyes that told she thought she saw the situation.

"Ikuto's just a friend but he means more to me than Inuyasha ever could." Kagome had stated firmly, "Come on Ikuto, let's go."

Some startling emotions flickered across the blue haired boy's normally apathetic gaze at her words back then, but the look had been gone before Kagome could read it. She had suddenly felt as if she had said something she shouldn't have.

Kagome kept her gaze to the ground.

"Will you ever forgive me, Ikuto?" she muttered dejectedly, "We were fifteen, I didn't know the first thing about real love and I knew it. How come I didn't see what was right in front of me before it was too late?"

The faint sound of the cry of a bird reached Kagome. She looked up and she smiled sadly. Kagome had always wanted to fly, but somewhere along the line she lost her wings. Was it when her ego became too damaged by Inuyasha's rough treatment? When she became so reliant on Ikuto? No, she had always been dependent on her childhood friend and she had seen the heartbreak coming the moment she noticed her rising crush on the hanyou. Then was it when she noticed that she had fallen in love with Ikuto? Or when she realized one day that the blue haired boy looked at his pink haired friend the way he used to look at her and realized that she was probably too late?

Before long the sounds of children playing and nature gave way to the typical sounds of civilization. Suddenly, her attention was brought back to Earth by a hand on her arm keeping her from moving forward and the sound of a car horn. Kagome had been about to walk into the street when the crossing light was red. She looked behind her to see a worried and angry Ikuto.

"Are you all right?" he asked, "You're not usually that clumsy."

She blushed at his close proximity and the reminder of embarrassing situations she had wound up with him and looked away. "I'm fine... thanks to you."

He smiled and though his gaze remained steady Kagome felt as if it was searching for something. "That's good. Let's go, we don't want to miss the movie."

The light was green now, and Ikuto moved his hand down to link it with hers. He led her across the street and towards the movie theater. Kagome increased her pace slightly to walk next to him. Then a thought occurred to her.

"How were you there to save me?" she asked, "You were so busy flirting with Amu I wasn't sure if you noticed that I left."

Ikuto looked at her, surprise in his eyes, and then he seemed to reach some kind of understanding or decision. And then he pulled her into a space between two buildings that would have been an alley if not for the wooden fence.

He turned towards her, his expression more serious than Kagome had seen him be in a long time. "What makes you say that?"

She didn't bother hiding her surprise. "It's obvious you have feelings for her. The way you treat her, the sad look you get when she writes off your 'antics' as she puts it as messing with her..."

His eyes widened as if the final piece of a puzzle had been placed and the picture had caught him off guard before his expression calmed and he sighed. He brushed her hair out of her face but she looked down. Ikuto moved his hand to her chin and moved her head up so that she would meet his eyes. The intensity of his gaze surprised Kagome, and she opened her mouth to question him... Only to be silenced by a kiss.

"Baka." he murmured when he pulled away, "Why would I flirt with a kid when I'm on a date with the girl of my dreams."

As Kagome's confusion increased hope welled up in her for the first time in a long time. "...What?"

Ikuto brought his face closer to hers. "I thought it was obvious. I love you, Kagome. I have for a long time."

Kagome's answering smile was brighter than it had ever been. "I love you too, Ikuto."

Then their lips met in another kiss. They walked the rest of the way arm in arm.

"Speaking of Amu, is she over your old tag-along yet?" Kagome asked.

Ikuto chuckled. "She stated to right when he started to switch his crush from her pink chara to her."

"Oh? Who does she like now, Ikuto?"

"It's hard to say but if she wanted she could have a reverse harem." He answered with a smirk, "As it is I think Tsukasa gets even creepier when it comes to her. I swear he's waiting for her to graduate high school or turn eighteen so he can sweep her off her feet."

Kagome just laughed. It sounded creepy but the man wasn't even ten years older than Ikuto, far younger than many people seemed to think in spite of his looks. And she knew her blue haired boyfriend wanted their friend to be happy. Ikuto was probably joking yet being wistful, his feelings for Amu were platonic but he still wanted her happy and well treated. They started comparing what they had observed of the pink haired girl's interactions with the various boys she was close to, intent on matchmaking.

The next time they ran into Amu they were on a proper date. (Which mostly meant that this time was without Yoru as a tag-along.) The pink haired girl's chara were conspicuously absent, and she was with the rest of the Guardians. As always, Amu was surprised to see him and therefore was slightly flustered. And slightly happy, not that the tsundere was about to admit it.

"You having a reunion?" Ikuto greeted, "Where are the newbies?"

"I-Ikuto!" Amu tried to stammer out an explanation, but only ended up rambling.

Kagome chuckled. "She's adorable, Ikuto. No wonder you can't leave her alone."

Ikuto knew that his girlfriend had never hated Amu in spite of her former jealousy and he was amused at the pink haired girl's blush so he just smirked. "Yeah, she's even cuter flustered like this so she's fun to tease."

Kagome rolled her eyes, used to his antics. Amu was not stuttering denials and something that might have been a protest, redder than ever.

'I knew he liked messing with me!' the pink haired girl thought incredulously.

"Ikuto." The blonde boy greeted, seeming unsure whether he should be suspicious of the cat boy or happy to see him, "It's been a while."

Kagome was amused and annoyed at the same time, and then she saw his eyes and realized what the blonde boy's deal was. "I remember you. You're the Tadase kid who used to follow Ikuto around and play with his dad's key like you thought it belonged to you right?"

Tadase blinked. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

"I'm Kagome Higurashi, Ikuto's girlfriend."

Then chaos erupted, and Kagome sighed as Ikuto purposely made things worse.

Owari