Summary: Kagome, younger twin to Shoto, was regarded as a failure by their father. With her Quirk never showing during her youth, her father regarded her as a blight on his legacy. He gave her away. After sealing the well up, she's accepted into U.A. Her very presence serves to shake things up in the best ways!

Pairing: Kagome/Hawks

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"So you're set on him for an internship, huh?"

The soft sound of her mother's voice caught her attention. Kagome didn't look up from the book in front of her as she nodded, her smile barely there. "Yeah," she responded. She could feel the concern littering her aura, but she didn't call her on it. "Trust me, I put a lot of thought into it and everything. It's just…" She paused and trailed off with a low sigh. "It feels right, at least."

Her mother answered her with silence at first, not quite saying anything as she took in her appearance. After a moment, she set the cup she held down in front of her on the table. A few seconds later, a faint smile broke across her face. She leaned a bit closer, curling both arms gently around Kagome's shoulders.

"Your kindness never ceases to amaze me, you know," she murmured softly. It was such an unfortunate thing that her brother stood to miss out on, and all because of his own ignorance. There was a knowing tone in her voice as she breathed a faint laugh. "Though, try not to worry so much about me, okay?" she mused. "I'm not afraid to knock some sense into my brother, after all." After all, everyone could use a bit of humbling every once in a while and he was long overdue for some sort of retribution.

Silence fell over the area as her mother walked from the room. Though she hadn't said anything to her, the older woman seemed to have pieced it all together on her own. Deep down, Kagome wasn't surprised. Much like herself, her mother had such a powerful sense of intuition.

Just as she was about to swap her focus back to the book in front of her, a familiar aura brushed along her senses. It made her freeze in place, almost as if she were gauging just how accurate it was, along with how close it was.

Her eyes narrowed as her grip on the book grew a bit tighter.

No…-

There was no mistaking it. Not with her senses.

Kagome didn't say anything as she closed the book and pushed herself up onto her feet. At her side, Enya leaped up when she caught the scent gradually getting closer. Eira moved slower, stretching and strutting along at a leisurely pace behind her.

Kagome made her way to the door. Her actions weren't noticed by the rest present there in the building. Her hand gripped the handle as she waited for a few more seconds. There was no warning provided before she pulled the door open and stepped outside. Her eyes searched the shrine grounds until they landed on a familiar head of spiky blonde hair.

He froze in place as ruby eyes clashed against sapphire. Kagome didn't say anything as Enya bounded ahead of her. Bakugo didn't react as she rubbed up against his leg, pacing in circles around him before she jumped to sink her claws into his shirt and hang off his shoulder.

Kagome cupped her hands in the small of her back and leaned against the door as she looked at him. There was a gleam of confusion visible in her eyes. Despite that, she regarded him with a gentle smile.

"If you're here to pray, you want to head over to that spot over there," she remarked in a light tone. "Though not many people come here anymore, you know."

The lack of response on his part took her by surprise. Normally she'd get some sort of bite in response, but not this time. He stood there, expression as hard to read as ever. She craned her head to the side, blinking owlishly as she waited for some sort of response from him.

Bakugo kept his gaze locked on her face, more so her eyes. The cold gaze that was often found there seemed to have melted, getting replaced by some newfound source of warmth. It looked out of place on her, but not in a bad way. Even the way she stood, she looked more open than she usually was- given how her usual openness was some sort of facade that kept others from sinking too close. It was calm, but not the same type of calm she always seemed to wear before.

She was less cold. Less reserved.

A long pause of silence hung between them. She was the first to try and break it.

"Hey, everything okay?" she asked, leaning forward some. "You look like you have something on your mind."

Those few short comments from her seemed to do the trick to kick him into motion. He stiffed up, hands still jammed in his pockets. "Hah? What's that supposed to mean, brat?!" At the same time, he seemed to become aware of Enya hanging off his shoulder, her hind feet occasionally kicking at him. He reached for her, but she didn't loosen her grip any as she fought to remain where she was. "And get your damn cat off of me!"

Kagome sighed and moved over to his side. She tucked her hands around Enya's sides and unlatched her from his shirt. She mewed in protest but otherwise surrendered. "You're here for a reason, aren't you?" Kagome responded. "So why are you just standing here all quiet?"

She posed that question, but, at the same time, she felt as though she knew his reason. She didn't say it, instead giving him a chance to actually vocalize whatever it was that he wanted out of this moment.

"..."

The silence didn't surprise her. She felt his glare boring into her skin. It was something she was swiftly growing used to. Even so, she couldn't help but be reminded of her early days spent with Inuyasha when he kept acting like this.

"Well, since you're not going to talk, I guess I will," she mused softly. She looked at him with a small smile as she observed his posture. "You know, don't you?" she asked. Her tone wasn't accusatory, but it lacked any room for denial on his part. "That Shoto and I are siblings."

The silence was damning, and she breathed a faint laugh.

"Honestly, you're one of the first people I thought would put two and two together," she admitted. "Not that it's really a secret in the first place, but…-" She fell silent, gazed drifting to the ground as she sighed. "But sometimes it's better to pretend that it is." For her sake, at least.

Bakugo scoffed at her statement. "If it's not a secret then why not say it?" He didn't admit to how he'd discovered the truth by eavesdropping on a conversation, but he doubted she'd care even if he were to. He saw the way her smile softened as she shook her head.

"Okay, so maybe it is a secret, but it's not like a normal one," she countered. She didn't bother to look his way as she spoke. "It doesn't cause any harm to anyone left unsaid, does it?" Denying a public confession to such a claim had no impact on anyone other than…

"..." His expression was blank as he regarded her. "Stop doing that," he scoffed. Kagome perked up, looking at him in blatant confusion.

"Doing what-?"

"Treating yourself as if you're not someone," he cut her off before she had a chance to finish her question. "The person harmed by that kind of secret is you. You're just letting yourself wallow in shadows."

How could she be happy that way? He didn't get it, and the more and more he thought about it, the more it got under his skin. He didn't understand why it affected him so much, but that thought was easily brushed aside.

It was at that moment that her expression broke. A note of sadness lingered in her eyes before it was swept away by an unidentified edge.

"You don't get it, do you?" she mused softly. It was a question he wasn't meant to answer. When he tried to, she cut him off just as easily as he did to her. "I mean, you really don't understand why, not that you're ignorant," she amended before an argument could arise.

For the first time ever in her presence, he held his tongue in retaliation.

"There's… just so much that's hidden. Secrets bring questions," she stated. "And I… I don't want that kind of attention on me. I don't need that comparison. Not right now." She sighed and shook her head. "It'll all come out on its own in due time. These things always have a way of doing so, and I'm more than patient.

"You think too much of other people's benefit," he scoffed. Kagome looked at him with a faint smile.

"Is that a bad thing?"

He didn't say anything in response. Kagome sat on the ground, both Enya and Eira curling up on her lap.

"I've spent so much of my life detached from my family," she stated. "I'm still learning how it feels to be able to speak to my brother. I haven't even seen my other siblings or my biological mother in years," she continued. "I don't even know little things like their favorite foods, but I'd like to so I can have them all over and we can eat together like a real family. Shoto, Fuyumi, Natuso, Toya, and our mother. I think it'd feel like home, but…-" She paused, falling silent. She patted the cats in her lap as she lingered on that comment. "I guess I'm just too scared right now."

Scared of what, exactly?

That question lingered in her mind, almost as if she were questioning herself about it.

"They might not like who I grew to be…"

The silence returned between them. Kagome wasn't anticipating any sort of response from Bakugo as they remained like they were. She'd spoken words to Bakugo that she had never even spoken to Sesshoumaru or any of her companions. It felt strange to confide in him, of all people, but he wasn't the type to use it against her.

She heard the rustling of fabric, and she glanced to the side to watch as he pulled his hand from his pocket, quickly wiping his palm on his side. Before she could ask what he was doing, she was stunned back to silence as his palm landed on the top of her head.

The gesture, while it felt strange coming from him, was comforting either way. She didn't say anything, knowing that if she did, then that entire moment would be ruined. Instead, she let a small smile lift at her lips. She swayed her weight to the side some, letting herself lean against his leg.

"It doesn't matter what they think if they don't like it. Quit caring so damn much about what someone else thinks of you."

It felt strange standing in the presence of Endeavor. Beside her was Shoto. Sesshomaru was also there, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. It was silent as the two glared at one another.

"I don't see a reason for you to be here." It was Endeavor who broke the silence first. She felt the ire spark in Sesshomaru's aura, and she contemplated giving Endeavor a break.

"I'm amazed that you're as ignorant as you are arrogant," Sesshoumaru responded. Shoto glanced at her in the aftermath of his comment, but Kagome kept her gaze forward. "As her mentor, my presence is demanded where she goes. Your opinion holds no worth to me."

Endeavor's hands tightened into fists at the presented challenge. He looked from the silver-haired demon and to his daughter, but she offered no sort of inclination of mercy.

"Yeah, this is a battle you don't want," Kagome remarked with a quick shrug of her shoulders. "Sesshomaru's got his own title of sorts in the demon community," she continued, "and I really don't think it's in your best interest to poke the bear and figure it out today."

They didn't call him the Killing Perfection for nothing, after all.

"Then stay out of my way," Endeavor stated as he stood from his desk. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed a fraction. Acid dripped from his claws, melting holes in the floor at his side. The sizzling sound echoed in the silence that followed that comment.

Kagome, sensing the imminent danger, broke away from where she stood beside Shoto. She reached for Sesshoumaru's wrist, pulling his arm towards her. In her haste, she missed the way both Shoto and their father's eyes narrowed at the closeness between them. "Well, time to get going huh?"

Auroua-chan: The Stain arc is here! I'm excited! Kagome and Shoto have started their internship with Endeavor. Sesshoumaru and him are already at each other's throats, but it's significantly more dangerous for Endeavor at this point.

Speaking of, both Shoto and their father seemed to catch on to the closeness between Kagome and Sesshoumaru.

Kagome and Bakugo had a moment earlier in this chapter. He won't say it, but she's becoming a friend. Kagome sees him a lot like Inuyasha in the earlier days of their meeting, so she's fond of him. She opened up to him a bit, and he comforted her in some way (not that he'd admit to that, either.)

I've been thinking a bit more on the pairing as well. I still like the idea of Hawks/Kagome, but I'm also contemplating on changing it. I'm not sure yet, so feedback is welcome.

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review, Favorite, and Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~