Hello! If you're reading this, then you must be on the fourth chapter of my long going story! As usual I will have a mini poem possibly a preview, and then the story will begin. I'm sorry for the cliffy at the end, but I ran out of time. I have a schedule and I prefer to keep to it thank you!

I have deleted my story Truth and Lies, because nobody seemed to enjoy it, so I got rid of it. I'm sorry to those of you who did enjoy it, but there was a lot of flaming so I got rid of it.

I'm planning on posting up another one-shot so here's my little preview, and please continue to read my stories. Thank you.

"Wow, it really is an open air bath! Wow, whew." Kagome smiled as she settled into the warm water.' Everyone… all of us…Yeah. It's true. There are those seeds of chaos, but… Kurama, Jin-kun, Yusuke, Micchi, and Kuichi. I love them all. Oh, it would be more fun if Hiei and Kuwabara came back! A lot of time has gone by since they left for Makai… I wonder how they're doing.'

Pat, pat. Kagome turned around at the sound of footsteps. "Ah."

"…?!" Kurama was sitting at the edge of the hot spring wearing nothing but a towel…Immediately Kagome turned into a tomato.

"Nn? Kagome? Why are you…?

"I SHOULD BE ASKING YOU! GYAAAAAAA!!" Kagome screamed as she backpedaled through the water.

His head slightly tilted to the side as he thought out loud, "Huh? It's not time to switch with the girls yet…? Well… Oh well…" He then slipped into the water.

"Gyaaa! He came in!" Kagome panicked.

Suddenly he turned to her, "Nn?" he murred as once again, the fox ears popped up. His eyes were once again a hazy gold while his cheeks were tinted pink.

"Kurama!! You're!! Really, really weird!!!" Kagome shouted in embarrassment.

"Nnnn?" The fox ears started to disappear. In the room, with Kouga…" Suddenly as if a switch turned back on, the fox ears popped up, "Kagooome…." He purred while glomping on to her in a hug while pressing his face into her neck.

'Why would sharing a room with Jin put him in pervert mode?!' she shouted to herself. "Eeek!!! Stay away from me!!!"

With his head still in her neck and his arms holding her in a tight hug, he mumbled against her skin, "You're soft…"

"Kyaa! J…just a… stop it!" Kagome shouted blushing as her nuzzled her neck.

"Women feel nice. Did your chest get a little bigger?"

"Wh-Wh Wh- what are you…?!" she stammered.

"Well, I've been watching this whole time. Watching you."

Immediately Kagome began to blush like a pig. "You perv!!" she shouted while hitting him in the chin, making him fly up. "Uggghh, Kurama, you're getting too carried away. Even if you are drunk and are a kitsune!!"

"Kagome..?" he asked a little while later.

"Eh?" she replied turning around so she face him.

"…It's fun… somehow." Kurama told her looking up at the sky. " I always thought that fighting was sp unbearable…So why? Its fun…being with everyone."

"Kurama…" she smiled. 'It's because he was always fighting alone. Since before he met all of us…We all have been thinking the same thing. That we wish this time would go on forever…'

"Unnngh…" he gurgled. Kagome turned around to ask him what was wrong, "Gaahh! He went to sleep! Oh, Kurama! Wake up!"

Kagome smiled as she went to bed that night with little Kuichi snuggled up against her softly purring, "Mommy!" 'Minna(everyone), I love you soo much…' she thought to herself as she softly drifted away into slumber.

'…me…Kagome… Kagome, can you hear me Kagome?" an older voice softly asked.

"Who?" she asked.

'Kagome…thank goodness you can hear me! I…met Kurama when he came from the past. I am Kagome, the future you."

"Eeehh?! M-m-m- me?!"

"I'm talking to you through the chronos clock! There's no time! I can only say this once, so listen carefully! The future you think you know of isn't exactly right." The future Kagome told her.

"Isn't right?" she asked confused.

"The future Kurama isn't missing. HE…died"

Well, if you think that's pretty good, read the real thing…. Though it might not be yet posted up... Well, on with the story! OH, and it just snowed, so my fingers are all stiff.

Chapter four: Sugar and Rice Makes everything Nice

"And where do you think you're going onna?" Hiei asked her blandly.

"Erm… out?" she asked unsure of herself. He wouldn't fall for it, he was too smart for that! Only an idiot would, she was just about to jump into an empty well, who would fall for a stupid excuse like that?! Mentally scolding herself, she was unprepared for what he told her.

"Fine, but don't expect me to explain to the detective while you're gone," he said in a monotone while turning his back to her.

'Wait don't tell me that…?' She thought to herself… he was letting her go!? "Thank you Hiei!!!!!" she shouted giving him a quick hug and a wink before she jumped in with her huge yellow backpack.

'Crazy, baka, ningen, onna…' Hiei thought to himself as he walked through the small garden and courtyard to the house. It was odd that a total stranger would hug him much less touch him.

"Yo midget, where's my li'l sis?" Yusuke asked as Hiei entered the house.

"Detective, if you wish for proof that you are a man, you will stop calling me midget. And I have no clue onto where the baka ningen onna went."

"What?!" Yusuke panicked standing up, " Where did she go?! Was she kidnapped, or no, maybe she was killed!"

"Who are you talking about Urameshi?"

"Yes, who are you talking about?"

"Ask the detective, not me, " Hiei told Kurama and Kuwabara as they asked him. Well, it was better to ask the psychopath than the guy who was currently running around the house in a panic, less time consuming.

"Kagome's missing!!! Nooooo!" Yusuke wailed, "Kun-loon's going to kill meee!!!"

Kurama stepped up to Hiei a bit exasperated at Yusuke's behavior. "Well Hiei, where is she?"

"Hn"

He sighed. There was no use trying to get answers from Hiei when he was like this.

"How about we eat some of the cheese cake Kagome made for dessert last night, and then plan a strategy on finding Kagome?" Keiko asked them. She was worried about Kagome, Keiko had gotten attached to her along with all the others had last night.

"Okay," Yusuke grumbled, a bit cheered at the thought of having cheese cake.

'This is going to be interesting, ' Hiei smirked to himself. Yes, things were definitely going to get amusing.

"Minna!! I'm back!" Kagome shouted feeling a bit deflated when no one came to pick her up. Sighing she was about to follow the route to the village when she was suddenly swept up. Giving a small squeak as she was twirled around, she looked up. Grinning down at her was Youko. Kagome gave him a grin in return as he let go of her.

"So Youko, how's it been?"

"Boring" he replied simply.

"Ah…" Kagome smiled.

"YOUKO!!!" a voice shouted making Kagome jump in fright. Hearing a distinct flapping noise above her and Youko's annoyed sigh, she gasped. Flying about a foot above her was a pretty bat youkai. She had long purple hair, and amethyst eyes. On her back were two long bat-like wings that snapped close, in her hand was a small scythe.

Kagome leaned towards the pretty youkai, " Wow, you're very pretty koumori-san." Youko let out a barely audible growl. Kuronue smiled as his partner gave off a small jealous growl. "But um, why are you here Miss?"

"Well, I- wait, what?! Miss?! I'm a man!" Kuronue shouted appalled at what he had just heard.

"Oh…. It's just that Youko said his partner in crime was a lady… that disguised herself as a man…" Kagome said paling near the end. She looked at Youko as his growl turned into a chuckle.

"Youko, you horrible kitsune!!" Kuronue growled knowing Youko would cut him to pieces if he were to attack him in front of the little miko. During the past two days he and Youko had been talking about how odd the little village of Edo was. After hearing how the kitsune would talk about the girl made him wonder exactly what was so enchanting as to possibly have stolen his partner's heart. Now, seeing the little ningen miko with his own eyes, he understood.

She had large blue eyes, naturally soft and white skin, long lashes, all the right curves in all the right places, and a smile that shone like the sun. Unlike most of the woman who wore fake powders and palms for their eyes and faces, she simply wore a smile. She had naturally pale skin due to the passing of winter unlike the royal ladies who stayed indoors all the time for pale skin, she went outdoors often too so she wasn't as prone to fainting. She was neither as skinny as the women who never ate a thing, or as obese as the women who couldn't find a single reason to take a single step. True her stomach wasn't totally flat, nor would it probably ever be, but she was still very skinny by modern standards.

Kagome was aware of the bat youkai's intense stare, but she couldn't bring herself to scold him after mistaking him for a woman. She nearly sagged in relief when Youko told his friend to stop staring at her. The three of them walked to the village of Edo. Kagome would often glance at Youko and the Koumori, unsure of who exactly the bat was and what he wanted.

"Kagome!" a small red puffball shouted as it crashed into her.

"Shippo!" she shouted in return prepared for his tackle. "Have you been good?"

"Yes, but Inuyasha's being mean again! He's been sulking this entire time!" Shippo told her smiling and then frowning when the conversation turned to Inuyasha.

"Ohhh… I brought some pocky!" Kagome laughed as Shippo began cheering.

Youko and Kuronue watched this exchange curiously. It seemed as if the miko didn't detest the kit, but treated him like a son… very unusual. "Would you two like to stay for dinner?" they nodded their heads in unison.

"Kagome!"

"Kagome-sama"

"Miroku, Sango, how've things been?" Kagome asked happily.

"Well, Inuyasha's been a grump as usual, and the beautiful Sango and I have found one more shard," Miroku told her smiling. Kagome took the shards in her hands. Naraku had already been defeated, but during the process the jewel had shattered into even more pieces. Now it was simply a search for the shards and hoping that there wouldn't be another rise of Naraku.

"I heard, why do you think he's been so grumpy?"

"Well, when I met him, he was still picking dirt out of his teeth while Kirara tried to get hid of the dirt between his toes, " Sango told her shuttering at the memory of the sight. Kirara mewed in agreement. When they finally reached the hut the sun was setting because Kagome and Sango had decided to take a quick dip in the hot springs, which turned out to be a really long soak when a stupid tori(bird) youkai had flown off with their clothes thinking that Kagome being a ningen was stupid enough to leave the Jewel in her shirt. Kuronue had quickly taken care of the bird, but Sango and Kagome had absolutely refused to come out.

"What, you don't trust me, " Youko had asked innocently. Kagome just gave him a look. "Smart girl…" he grumbled while still smirking at her position.

"Monk, get any closer, and I'll make sure your death isn't by the wind tunnel," Sango had threatened as Miroku got closer.

"Why Sango, you wouldn't do that, " Miroku bluffed.

"You wanna bet?" she snarled. Taking her hint, Miroku had backed off slightly. They stayed that way until Shippo came back from the village with a pair of yukatas. Making sure the men were turned away from them, they put on the yukatas. The walk back was quiet, but not unpleasant. Sango was surprised at how different the kitsune was with Kagome around. He was normally so annoying but he was quiet and sometimes would glance over at Kagome. She never missed how Kagome would also glance at him with the same look.

Dinner that night was very good. They had a nice broth with chicken that Kagome had brought with her. For dessert Kagome had brought the pound cake she had made the night before. Yusuke had tried to sneak off with it, and Kagome had made him run up and down the stairs ten times. She was a bit surprised to see Youko asking for seconds of the cake. ' I guess kitsunes really like sweets' she told herself as she gave him another slice.

"This is good sushi."

"Thank you Kuronue," Kagome smiled at his compliment. They had gotten to know each other while she tried to teach him how to make kimbop, a Korean sushi. It seemed as if even though he was an amazing thief, cooking wasn't his strong point. Kagome smiled at the memory of him having globs of rice in his hair, and looking at her with a pleading expression to get her to get rid of the rice. Somehow, the same thing had happened to Youko, except he was much, much worse. He had somehow gotten sugar in the rice….witch resulted in super rice stuck in hair syndrome. Kagome had promised to get rid of it later.

Inuyasha had nearly ripped a lung with all of his laughing at Youko's expense. He had simply pouted, so none of them expected it when Inuyasha had started to vigorously scratch his bottom.

"It seems to be that some poison ivy had been rubbed onto him, " Youko had blandly told her. Unknowing of his powers, Kagome had scolded Inuyasha while the two kaitos(thieves) smirked it the background.

"Ano…Kagome-sama, how did you meet Youko?" Miroku asked her curiously. The entire time Youko had been with them he wouldn't say a thing about how she had met Youko.

Kagome glanced over at Youko not sure if he'd want her to tell or not. As if sensing Kagome's question Kuronue spoke up for Youko, " I think Youko would prefer for you not to know what happened. Though, I'd like to know too."

Kagome gave Kuronue a grateful glance, he nodded seeing her glance and understanding why she was grateful.

"Well, I think it's time for bed, " Sango commented as Shippo did a face plant into his cake. Kagome stood up with Shippo in her arms and went over to the little hot spring in the back of her hut. Instead of staying in Kaede's cramped hut, they had built another one. This one was bigger with a room for each of the shard hunter's , and one guest room. Kagome had made Inuyasha bring in two couches from her time. The hot spring was about ten feet squared.

After she had washed Shippo's face, she went back into her room. She was surprised when she saw the two of them sitting on her bed in amazement. Kagome had brought a small inflatable bed for each person, though while she got a queen size for herself because Shippo would tend to flail around at night.

"Ano… what are you guys doing in here?" she asked confused.

"Well, you said you'd get the rice out of our hair," Kuronue grumbled. Nodding her head, Kagome asked him to remove his hat. Undoing his ponytail, Kagome ran her fingers through his hair. She marveled at its smooth texture.

"Grr, no fair Kuronue. Why is it always the men youkai have the super awesome hair?!" Kagome grumbled. They chuckled as she pouted. Kagome pulled out her brush and started on Youko's hair. It was seriously messy, somehow it had gotten tangled.

Starting at the bottom, Kagome slowly pulled the brush down and started up higher until she gotten rid of all the rice, sugar, and tangles. Putting the brush down, she couldn't help but run her fingers through his hair. It was smooth strong, and very perfect, she noted. Kagome didn't notice the shiver that traveled through the kitsune as she continued to pull her fingers through his hair. Kuronue had sneaked out sometime earlier while Shippo was curled up on the pillow next to her. The brush was on the nightstand next to the candle that was keeping the room lit up. Youko was sitting on the edge of the mattress facing the wall, while Kagome was gently running her fingers through his hair.

Suddenly the feeling of something soft and almost feathery curled around her thigh made her look down. Youko's tail was slightly tapping against her stomach seeing how the rest of it was curled around her thigh. She blushed when she heard him starting to purr again like he did when she had massaged his back. Tentivley, she reached out and rubbed his ear. Kagome was about to withdraw her hand when he stopped purring, but when he started to purr even louder she kept rubbing. So there she was, running her hand through the Youko Kurama's hair, and rubbing his ear while his tail was curled around her thigh and beating steadily against her stomach.

Youko knew he was purring, he knew he should've made her stop after he felt the rice and sugar come out of his hair, but he just couldn't do that. When Kagome had started to run those nimble fingers through his hair, he contemplated stopping her, but when she started to unconsciously hum, he gave up. Surrendering himself to the feeling of her running her fingers through his hair, he leaned his head slightly into her hands as he let a shiver of pleasure ripple through him. Slowly so he wouldn't startle her, he wrapped his tail around her thigh and let the tip of it thump against her stomach where her womb lay. When Kagome stilled for a moment he was about to remove the tail, but then she gave a soft laugh and continued to stroke his hair.

He continued to purr, but when she suddenly moved her hand to his ear, he paused and caught his breath. When he caught it he subconsciously began to purr even louder. Youko leaned his ear into her hand. They simply sat together that way for a while. When he caught Kagome trying to stifle a yawn he turned to her.

Kagome nearly gasped in surprise. She stifled a yawn, hoping Youko wouldn't hear it. She didn't want the feeling of contentment in the room to vanish. When Youko did turn to look at her, she was caught off guard. His eyes were smoldering yet oddly gentle. He smiled and turned totally away from the wall. Youko unwrapped his tail from her. It was nice, simply being with her. She took care of him, the way he would show her he could take care of her. They could be together, he would be with her, like a friend, like a lover…. Like a mate.

Youko's eyes widened a bit at the realization. Well, he could've taken her for a mate right then and there, but he wanted her to know him more. He needed to find out more about his little puzzle. It would be wrong for him to want a mate since he was in his prime….. but he couldn't ignore the slight ache in his chest when she wasn't within three feet of him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered the both of them onto the bed. Blowing out the candle, he brought Kagome even closer to him. Kagome blushed as Youko held her even tighter as he buried his face into her neck. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on his chest, falling asleep to Youko's pleased purr. 'Youko…. I think I may be falling for you…' was her last thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Five hundred years later in modern Tokyo, Shuuichi Minamino, known as Kurama woke from a vivid dream of a certain missing miko held in his arms.

~Youko, what is this?!~

So, what do you think? It's a bit fluffy, actually I think this is the fluffiest chapter I've written so far. It's a bit embarrassing for me to write this, but well, I'm new. I might not update in a while, but I promise that after spring break I'll have a whole new two or three chapters. So wait until April Minna-san!

Arigato for all of your kind reviews! To the few people who have favorited this fanfic, I can't say anything other than thanks. If you send me a private message for a pairing with Kagome I'll consider doing it. Though, I have to know the manga or anime. Once again thank you all!!!

~Tsuki no Tennyo