Chapter 4

The next day came fast and before she knew it, they were back to traveling again. They took it at a leisurely pace; Kagome riding her bike with Shippo perched on her handlebars, Sango and Miroku taking up the rear, walking beside Kirara and InuYasha just up ahead, leading the group. Every once in awhile, he'd look back at her, those molten eyes like liquid gold burning straight through her. It was almost as if he was checking to make sure that she was still there. Every time their eyes would meet, she'd blush and look away, unable to stop herself from thinking about what had gone on between them last night.

Being held in his arms… it was like a dream to her. It still felt unreal. He had said all the right things, had made her putty in his arms. With just a few words from him, all thoughts of letting Kikyo have him flew out the window in a heartbeat. After finally getting to fulfill her fantasies there was no way she'd be able to give him up.

She understood now what he meant when he'd said that it was like he was drunk off her. She'd never felt so intoxicated in all her life.

They kept going until nightfall and set up camp near a tall pine tree, standing alone in the vast fields. She knew that InuYasha had chosen this spot because of that very tree, he would be able to see anything coming their way from the top. While Miroku started up a small fire, the girls got ready to prepare dinner and InuYasha scoped the area, making sure that no stinking demons lurked close by, even though Kagome and Miroku would have sensed it by now.

When he was sure it was clear, only then did he finally come to relax close to the weakly flickering flames. With the food put on the fire to heat up, Kagome settled back onto the ground, Shippo coming to rest his head on her lap. And much to her surprise, her very own half-demon scooted up close to her, encouraging her to rest against his hard muscle.

She happily settled against him, sighing in contentment. With her kit in her lap and the man she'd been waiting for so long at her back, she felt complete. Nothing could compare to this feeling. This was how things always should be.

Across the fire, she didn't notice the smug grin on Miroku's face, but it didn't escape Sango's notice. She followed his gaze and when she saw the trio all snuggled up all she said was, "Well that was fast." And turned her attention back to the food over the fire, giving Miroku a little slap. "Stop staring at them, creep." But even she couldn't stop smiling.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Kagome laid awake inside her sleeping bag. Shippo was cuddled up beside her, warming her with his small furry body. But no matter how much she tried, she just couldn't fall asleep. Her mind was restless, flashing with images of sharp eyes like pools of liquid gold. They fascinated and compelled her, demanding her attention with their brilliance. She kept thinking of him, up in the great pine tree. She wondered if he was awake, wondered if he was thinking of her, too.

She sighed, rolling over in her sleeping bag, slightly jostling Shippo but he barely even stirred. She lay flat on her back, the jean jacket she'd been wearing earlier was now rolled up under her head as a makeshift pillow, leaving her arms exposed to the chill.

She'd never gotten the chance to talk to InuYasha about what he'd said the other night.

"I'm coming up on my two hundred and fiftieth year, I'll be fully matured and then it will be…It will time for me to take a mate."

She needed to know what that meant. For Her, for him… She made a mental note to talk to him about at some point soon, something was telling her that it was important. And her instincts were never wrong.

She looked up at the stars, perpetually inspired by their radiance as they stretched infinitely across the sky. Many nights she had lain awake, especially while she was here, traveling with her mismatched group of friends, that had somewhere along the way had become her family. Many nights she had looked up to the stars for guidance, often finding her answers spread through the cosmos above in the form of constellations. They brought her peace, true inner contentment, if only for a few moments.

Rustling close by roused her from her reverie, but before she even had the chance to turn her head and look for the sound he was there, standing over her with a crooked smile. His white hair shone in the moonlight, glistening like a river of pure silver as it flowed out around him, only serving to highlight the intense shock of gold in his eyes. She was stunned, frozen, looking up at him dumbly.

"Hey." His rough voice was soft then, so as not to wake the others. "Do you, uhm…do you wanna see the view from the top of that tree? I know it's late but…" he trailed off, looking a bit sheepish. His cheeks took on a tinge of pink, but she pretended not to notice. She barely managed to nod a hasty yes, not bothering to wipe the smile off her face while she slowly tried to wiggle out of the sleeping bag without waking the little Kitsune that was snuggled tightly against her.

InuYasha took her small hand in his own, pulling her up and into his arms so fast she hardly even had time to process it before he was bounding up the tree one-handed. She squeaked, holding onto him for dear life as he pulled them closer and closer to the top.

In a matter of seconds, he was placing her down onto a huge sturdy branch, making sure to not let go of her hand as she was steadying herself in this unfamiliar territory. "Careful." He said gently. He was behind her, his back touching the tree and her back pressed against his chest as he held her there. "look, Kagome."

It was at his encouragement that she finally unscrewed her eyes and gasped aloud at the beautiful scenery laid out before hair. The moon shone down, basking the rolling green hills and far off forests in silver light, the sky filled with shining stars. She couldn't believe how beautiful it all looked from up here. It was breathtaking.

She leaned back against the Hanyou, looking up at him affectionately. "Thanks for bringing me up here with you. It's beautiful." Without thinking she reached to place a tender kiss on his neck and smiled, pleased with herself when she noticed the shiver that raced across his skin.

"will you… will you stay? Up here, with me, for the night, I mean?" he said nervously, holding her a bit tighter, her heart jumped for joy inside her chest and she nodded happily.

"I would love to."

With that, he settled them both down against the trunk of the tree, holding Kagome completely in his lap and settling her head against his shoulder to make sure that she was comfortable. As she snuggled up against his broad chest, he pressed a sweet kiss against her forehead, brushing her bangs away to gaze at her face. She could feel her cheeks turning red, but she didn't care, all she cared about at that moment was him, and nothing else. He was holding her like he had a hundred times before but now it just felt different. His hands gripped her a little tighter, pulled her a bit closer but she would always feel the same. Safe.

Sleep came to her a lot easier then, and before she knew it her eyelids were drooping, closing without resistance and for once her mind was completely blank. It was a dark and comforting abyss that she easily slid into, lulled by the steady thrum of his heartbeat.

Dawn came much too soon for his liking. He hadn't slept for even a moment with Kagome wrapped up in his arms, he'd been too preoccupied with studying every inch of her face. He marveled at the smoothness of her skin, the unique pink shade of her lips and the way her dark lashes laid so prettily against her cheek. It was almost as if the Kami's had sculpted her themselves, she was so beautiful. Like a goddess. He felt like a fool for taking this long to notice. She was a goddamned masterpiece. She felt like a doll, precious and easily broken.

He loathed to disturb her, but as the sun rose steadily higher, he knew he needed to wake her before it got too late. He shook her gently, watching as her eyelashes gently fluttered and her eyes lazily opened, meeting his own. His heart melted with that look, all sleepy and warm. She smiled up at him, yawning and stretching in his arms. "good morning."

"Morning." He said softly.

"mmm, I don't think I've slept that good in ages." Kagome said sleepily, gazing up at him through her lashes.

"I'm glad," The half-demon whispered, giving her a light kiss on the forehead. "we should get down there, though."

She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck, clinging to him. "I'm ready."

He smirked, scooping her up and making fast work of climbing down the tree. All too soon he was setting her back down on her feet, hands lingering on her waist, before letting her go and getting to work starting up the fire again. Around them, the others started to slowly wake. Sango rose first, and the Miroku not long after. Sango started to prepare some breakfast for everyone while her counterpart went to fetch some water from a nearby stream.

Kagome took it upon herself to wake Shippo, who they all knew tended to sleep late. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he did was wrap his little arms around Kagome's neck and pull her in for a sleepy hug. InuYasha rolled his eyes at the little kit, who always took every opportunity he could to steal some affection from the girl, not that he could blame the boy, exactly. Kagome was like a mother to him now, and he too felt his affection for the young fox growing. Especially as he watched their interaction now. For some reason, it warmed him all the way through, and he couldn't fight the small smile that worked itself onto his face.

They all ate their breakfast, talking and laughing amongst themselves as they scarfed it down. For InuYasha, the air was unusually light and peaceful between them all. Even Kirara seemed to be in a good mood and everything just felt right, for once.

When they'd finished and packed away all their things, they set out on the road again. They headed for the next village, hoping to stumble upon some leads and maybe even earn themselves a couple of rooms at the town's inn.

The days passed quickly, and before she knew it, it was already time for her to go back to the past again. This time, she knew that she would need to be gone for longer than usual if she was going to have any hope of graduating with the rest of her class.

InuYasha wasn't exactly happy, but he kept his grumbling to a minimum and she was glad for that. She was already dreading being apart, but she knew that she had a duty to her family to try and do her best in school.

When the time came for her to go, she stood in front of the well, her backpack slung over her shoulder and her bike having been already tossed down the hole with the Inu facing her, his rough hands gripping her hips tenderly.

"I'll be gone for two weeks this time." Kagome said, unable to hide the sadness that laced her voice. "don't be afraid to uhm... come visit me." She blushed lightly, fidgeting in his embrace. His crooked smile made her want to melt right then and there.

"You couldn't keep me away even if you tried." His voice sent shivers down her spine, but in a good way. It was rough and deep and sexy and making her feel all kinds of ways she couldn't explain. Heat pooled low in her belly as he shifted her closer, bringing her against his hard chest. His clawed fingers gently took hold of her chin, careful not to scrape her, and smoothly guided her lips to his own.

It started out fairly sweet and innocent but quickly turned passionate. Kagome could've sworn that she was burning alive from the inside out with that kiss. His hot mouth and skilled tongue sent waves of blue fire blistering across her skin and straight down to her core. She had no control as she moaned into him, his arms tightening around her in response, molding her to his body completely. Heaven.

Her cheeks burned wildly. Her mind was completely devoid of anything that that wasn't InuYasha or InuYasha's mouth. He was dominating her, and every single moment of it was pure bliss. He at length, he pulled away, panting hotly with flushed cheeks, his molten gold eyes narrowed in arousal. She couldn't help but gasp his name wantonly, still holding her body against his in such a way that it was borderline risqué.

"Kagome," He growled, his voice had gone deep and husky. He lowered his mouth to her neck, trailing his fangs over the tender skin there, his tongue brushing over her sweet spot gently. The action quickly sent her reeling, turning to jelly in his arms as a breathy moan left her lips. He chuckled, the sound reverberating through his chest pleasantly. He pulled away, putting a little distance between their bodies before he got too carried away.

"I'll see you in two days." He smiled that crooked smile again, trailing his claws down her arm to intertwine their fingers for a brief moment. InuYasha could've sworn that she was the sun, with how hard she beamed up at him, nearly blinding him with its brilliance. He pulled her to him again, cradling her small body against him in a tight embrace, saddening when he had to let her go. Her fingers slipped through his as she pulled away, going to sit on the very edge of the well, her back to him.

Kagome threw him one last look over her shoulder, her lips quirking up in a smile. "It's a date." And then she pushed herself off the edge.

On the other side, Kagome pulled herself up and dusted the dirt off her clothes. She carried her things inside, greeted by a dark and empty house. She set her bag down near the front door, brows furrowed in confusion. It was unsettling for her, seeing the house like this. Someone was always home.

"Okaa-saan? Ojii-saan?" She called, frowning when she got no response. She made her way into the kitchen, stopping to poke her head each of the various rooms as she passed them, hoping to find a familiar face.

There was a note taped to the fridge, and Kagome recognized her mother's neat handwriting immediately. It read:

Kagome, just in case you make it home before us, we've gone out for the week to visit your Aunt Akane, sorry that we missed you, but we'll be home on Sunday. There are leftovers in the fridge. Love, Mama.

She sighed, sad that she missed out on seeing her Aunt's fancy apartment that was a few hours away in Osaka. They usually went every year, but they must've gone early this time because there was no way that it was already spring break. Unless…

She rushed over to the calendar that hung on a nearby wall, her eyes scanning for the date. Sure enough, school was out until Monday. Groaning, Kagome could've kicked herself right then. How could she have messed up the dates that bad? It was unlike her to lose track of time so easily.

Well, she thought, now what? It was only Tuesday, her family wouldn't be back until sometime on Sunday, and she didn't even get back to school until Monday. What was she supposed to do with herself until then?

She went around flipping on some lights and making sure that all the doors were locked since she knew that she'd be alone for a while. Her time in the feudal era had made her a little more cautious, she had learned that anything could happen, unexpectedly, and it was no less true for her own time.

Satisfied, she walked up the stairs and went straight for her bedroom, closing the door behind her firmly. She made sure her curtains were drawn before stripping out of her dirty clothes and tossing them into the hamper. She popped a cd into her radio and let it play softly for some background noise. In her en-suite bathroom, she began drawing her bath, tempering the hot water with some cold and adding some of her favorite bath oil, the scent of jasmine curling up and into the steamy air. When it was to her liking she carefully stepped in, sighing in pleasure as her muscles completely relaxed, sore after all those days of traveling.

She spent a while in the tub, begrudgingly pulling the drain open only when the water had turned cold, leaving a chill on her skin. She dried off, wrapping her long midnight hair up in a towel while she changed into some soft shorts and a thin camisole. Then, she blow-dried her hair so it would lay nice, and as if on cue as soon as she was finished her stomach growled loudly, surprising her. She went back downstairs and microwaved the leftovers in the fridge, some beef Yaki Soba that smelled divine, and went to sit in the living room to eat and watch tv, something that she could never get away with her Ojii-chan and Okaa-saan home.

I could get used to this, she thought, feet propped up on the coffee table, belly full of noodles and her favorite K-drama on the tv. It still felt a little weird knowing that she was really all by herself, but she was starting to like it. She felt like a rebel leaving her drink on the table without a coaster and smirked when she first realized that she didn't even have to wash her dishes before bed. She could do whatever she pleased. Buyo meowed softly, curled up in her lap and she scratched his ears affectionately, grateful for the fat cat's company in the eerily quiet house.

Her eyes gradually started to droop, the tv screen becoming blurry and hard to focus on as her body grew heavy with lethargy. She knew she should go upstairs and tuck herself into bed, but she just couldn't will herself to move with the comforting weight of Buyo settled on her lap, effectively gluing her there. With heavy-lidded eyes, she rested her head on her shoulder and was quickly lulled to sleep by the cat's reassuring purr.

The next day, after having woken on the couch with a sore neck and dirty dishes piled around her, she resolved herself to do some cleaning up if for nothing at least her own peace of mind. She lollygagged for an hour or so, taking her time making a simple egg omelet and catching up on one of her favorite magazines as she ate. After she was done, she washed up her dishes from last night and this morning and got to work on the rest of the house. It was still pretty clean, seeing as her mother was a true homemaker and tended to the house every day. But she still put herself to work anyway, mopping the kitchen and doing some laundry. She managed to kill some time doing that, but around noon or so she was bored and out of ideas, laid back in her bed and staring at the ceiling.

She was contemplating putting on some clothes and walking down to the convenience store, but just then her phone buzzed from its spot on her dresser. Kagome pulled herself up and went to check the thing, having nearly forgotten that she even owned a phone seeing as how she hardly ever used it. She flipped it open, greeted by a text from Ayumi that read:

"Hey girl! We're all going to the mall later so if you're feeling okay you should come! We miss you!"

Kagome smiled, feeling grateful to have friends that still wanted to include her even after she'd blown them off so many times. She quickly typed her message and hit send, still grinning like an idiot.

"Definitely! I miss you guys too!"

She was stupidly excited about going to the mall, like her and her friends had done a million times before, but it was nice to get out and back into the real world after having been in the past for so long. And though she rarely thought of them on her adventures, she really did miss hanging out all the time like they used to.

She quickly got to work styling her hair, pulling out her seldom-used flat iron and smoothing out the thick mass. When she was done, she was left with a pin-straight style that flowed down her back and complimented her features nicely. She dabbed on a bit of makeup and chose her outfit, deciding on some light blue jeans that hugged her figure and a striped crop top. She paired it with one of her favorite necklaces and her nicest pair of sneakers. By the time she'd slung her purse over her shoulder and stuffed in full of the essentials, her friends were waiting for her outside.

She bounded down the steps and out the front door, making sure to lock it before it slammed shut behind her. She all but ran down the path that led out to the road and paused when she saw a small red car idling there in her driveway. She was unsure, having not expected this. Almost everyone she knew didn't even have their license, much less a car, but all her reservations drifted away when one of the windows rolled down, and Eri's smiling face poked out.

"C'mon 'Gome! Let's hit it!" she called, laughing jovially. That was all Kagome needed to hear. She quickly ran over to the bright red thing, pulling open the door and squeezing into the backseat with the three other girls who all greeted her as if they hadn't seen her in years.

"I missed you guys so much!" she said, giving Yuka a tight hug as she was the one who was closest to her.

"We missed you too!" the short-haired girl said with a warm smile. "like, you have no idea." They all laughed together for a moment before Kagome turned her attention to the pair of kind brown eyes that were studying her from the front seat, politely waiting for her to finish her conversation.

"Hojo?" She said dumbly, slack-jawed as she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had never seen him out of his school uniform, and while he wore it well, he looked even better in a plain white tee shirt and some worn-in jeans, the glint of a gold chain hidden beneath his collar. "when did you even get a car?"

"Oh, well it was actually an early graduation present from my dad." He explained bashfully, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. "He said I'd probably put it to good use when I go to college."

"Oh, well that was really nice of him." Kagome smiled, unconsciously toying with a lock of her hair.

"Yeah, it was. So, let's get going then, huh? We still have to pick up Hinata." The girls nodded in agreement and with that, he put the car into gear, and they sped off.

"So, who's Hinata?" She whispered to Yuka.

"He's one of Hojo's friends." The girl said quietly. "He's in our class, I'm sure you'll recognize him when you see him."

Kagome nodded, trying to figure out if she'd ever met a Hinata. She didn't think so, but then again, she'd been mostly absent for the better part of a year so of course, she wasn't going to remember everyone.

They finally came to a stop in front one the apartment buildings on the nicer side of town. He honked to shrill little horn, giving the girls a fright and they couldn't help but laugh at themselves. A few moments later, a tall boy wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, flashy white sneakers, and a baggy tee-shirt came walking leisurely up to the car. He had long dark hair that came down to his shoulders in a spikey style, and as he climbed in Kagome could see the markings of a tattoo peeking out from the sleeve of his shirt and the glint of a silver ring through his lip. She was dumbfounded. When she pictured Hojo's friend she'd thought that he would be some proper boy, probably the type who'd shake your hand and only call you by your last name, definitely not the tattooed and pierced man before her.

"What's up, ladies." He said, his voice deeper than Kagome thought it would be. He trained his dark eyes on her then, "Hey, I'm Hinata, nice to formally meet you." He had an infectious smile and she found herself warming up to him already.

"Kagome. Nice to meet you, too."

He turned back around, propping one of his legs up on the dashboard. "Hey Reo, mind if I play some tunes?"

Reo? She wondered, guessing that must be Hojo's first name. She'd never heard it before, and she had the good sense to feel a little embarrassed that she'd never even bothered to learn it.

"Go for it man," Hojo said as they got going again.

"Sweet." Hinata pulled a cd book out from underneath his seat, flipping through them idly before he found one he liked, popping it into the radio. Almost immediately, some song she didn't recognize was blasting through the speakers. It had a good beat and though it was not something she'd ever pick out on her own, she found herself bobbing along to the music with the rest of the girls, picking up the lyrics here and there.

One thing she couldn't quite figure out is why she'd never met Hinata before. With his eye-catching style, she was sure that she would have remembered him the instant that she'd seen him. All the boys in her school tended to look the same. Short hair and clean cut. And he definitely didn't fit into that mold.

After a short drive of about thirty minutes or so, the mall came into view. Hojo parked the car and the five of them all got out, walking up to the entrance together. She could tell they were catching some curious looks, probably Hinata's doing, as he was smoking a cigarette as they made their way up to the doors, all the more adding to his bad-boy look. But she didn't care, as she talked with him more, she was starting to see why he got along with everyone so well.

Hojo pulled open one of the heavy, metal doors, letting the girls go ahead while Hinata snuffed out his cigarette on the pavement. The crisp air of the huge multi-level shopping center blasted her, leaving a trail goosebumps down her arms.

"So, what first, guys?" Eri said, looking to the rest of the group.

"Well while we're here I wanna get a new dress for the party on Friday." Ayumi spoke up, twisting a lock of her wavy hair between her fingers as if she was nervous. "what about you, Yuka? Are you going to get a new outfit?"

"Eh," Yuka shrugged noncommittally, "I might see about getting some more makeup or something."

"Party?" Kagome chimed in, curious.

"Oh yeah!" Eri said excitedly as the group of them perused the storefronts idly. "Do you remember Riku?" When Kagome shook her head no, she continued. "well anyway, he's from Class 1-C, super cute, super popular, and he's throwing a big party this weekend. You should come with! Everyone's gonna be there." she said, a gleam in her eyes.

"Are you guys going?" Kagome turned to ask the boys, who were both walking beside her.

"Oh yeah, definitely." Hinata smirked wickedly, "it should be fun."

"what about you, Hojo?"

"Yeah, Hinata wouldn't let me stay home even if I wanted to." He laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Yeah yeah, you're lucky you've got a friend like me who isn't afraid to drag your ass out of the house once in a while." He grinned mischievously, slinging his arm around Hojo's broad shoulders loosely.

"oh yeah," he rolled his eyes, laughing. "I'm lucky alright."

The five of them spent a few hours walking around, eventually finding a cute lowcut, baby blue dress that Ayumi was happy with. She had seemed especially concerned with getting Hinata's opinion. Walking out of the changing room wearing it, she had looked up at him bashfully and said, "so be honest, what do you think?" The dress was tight, not something the sweet girl would usually wear but it looked good on her, hugging her body nicely, the low neckline showing off her chest in a tasteful sort of way. Hinata had shrugged, looking indifferent. "Looks good." A blush had colored Ayumi's cheeks then, but if anyone had noticed they didn't say anything.

Even Kagome had seen something that had caught her attention. The eye-catching color immediately making her think of InuYasha. She couldn't help but run into the store, getting her hands on the smooth red leather of the jacket, feeling the material under her fingers. She smirked, an idea forming in her mind.

Without any hesitation, she picked up the jacket, making a guess at his size. And with Hinata and Reo's help, she was also able to pick out a shirt and a pair of dark jeans that were torn at the knees. She doubted she would be able to get the half-demon into a pair of shoes, but she picked some up anyway, a big pair of white hi-tops that she prayed would fit him. As an afterthought, she also grabbed a black snapback that she figured at the very least if he wouldn't wear the outfit, he could use it to at least appear human.

After Yuka picked out some new lip gloss and a cute pair of earrings that she just couldn't resist, Hojo had suggested that they all go to the food court next.

Kagome was glad, her stomach was rumbling and some Yakitori or even some ramen was sounding delicious to her right about now.

They all sat down together, joking and laughing with each other. Kagome had her Yakitori, munching on it happily. She had to admit; she was having a really good time. She hadn't expected Hojo or Hinata to tag along, but she was glad that they had. They were funny together, bouncing off each other in an easy sort of way. Kagome was pleasantly surprised to see this side of Hojo. Normally, he was so formal and serious it nearly hurt, but here he was relaxed and so easygoing that she found herself enjoying his company more than she thought she would have. More than anything, she was enjoying the normalcy of it all. For a while, she could forget all about her secret quest and the dangers that came with and just live in the moment.

After they'd all finished eating, Hinata suggested that they all go see one of the new movies that were playing, seeing as the mall had a theater attached to it. Kagome quickly agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd actually went and saw a movie.

It was some action flick, not something she would have watched on her own but she enjoyed it, nonetheless. By the time the movie let out, it was past 6 o'clock and the sun was beginning to sink low in the sky.

"So… what next?" Hojo said as they made their way back to the car, spinning his keys around one of his fingers.

"We could all go back to my place," Hinata said, hands stuffed in his pockets. "My dad is on a business trip, so we'd have the whole place to ourselves."

The girls all shared a look, coming to a mutual agreement without words. "Okay, but you'll have to stop at Ayumi's house so she can drop her stuff off," Eri said, speaking for all four of them.

Hojo nodded, "Sure, no problem."

They all piled back into the small red car and were quickly on their way again, music blasting. They made a quick stop at Ayumi's place, and she ran in and then almost just as quickly ran back out, squeezing into the back seat again, squishing Kagome into the middle. "Phew! That was a close one!" Ayumi said with a breathy laugh, holding her hand to her chest as she caught her breath.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked curiously.

"You don't think my parents would let me be hanging out with a couple of boys, do you? You know how strict they are."

"Ayumi!" She gasped, "I didn't think you were the type to sneak around behind your parents' backs!" She said as if to reprimand her, but she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her, and she didn't even try to stop the smirk that twisted at her lips.

"Neither did I." The wavy-haired girl said bashfully, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Kagome couldn't help but notice the girl's dark, glittering eyes flashing up to Hinata, who wasn't paying attention, and quickly flashing back down again as her blush intensified. "I've been surprising myself a lot lately."

A/N phew! this one was the longest one yet I think. Kind of a filler, but Kagome gets to have a little freedom, so yay! Also, I gave Hojo a first name cause unfortunately we never got to learn it in the series. Tell me what you guys think! thanks for reading:)