Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

AN/ Yep, started a new one. But I already have this whole thing actually completely written. I wrote it in one big chunk, and am dividing it into chapters. I'll be putting out one chapter daily. I think there will be around four or five.

Written to: "Heaven on Earth" by Mika Nakashima

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Clenching Water

There She Was

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"Hey, Minamino!"

Kurama looked up from his lunch to see several of the boys from his class lined up against the fence that separated them from the recreational courts. A few of them were waving for him to come over. Sighing, the redhead packed away the remainder of his meal and rose from the picnic table to see what they wanted. Probably wanting him to join some club again.

It was a beautiful spring day, on the verge of summer. The gym classes had been moved outside for the warmer weather and all the students at Meiou High School had since dawned their cooler uniforms. It was a seasonal event at the school that all the guys looked forward to, mainly because the girls' skirts got shorter.

As he found his way to the fence, he could see now what his classmates were ogling. The gym class was running on the track. The boys were wearing their blue shorts and the girls their blue leotards and white sweatshirts. However, there was a dark-headed figure out in front who seemed to be leaving the rest in the dust.

He couldn't tell much from this distance, but she was obviously very fit and her hair was extremely long, longer than most girls their age kept theirs. It swished around her well-developed hips as long, lean legs propelled her around the track.

"Who is that girl?" he found himself asking, his voice low and even, betraying nothing of his current state of mind. Youko was beginning to awaken and he could feel the old fox rustling around inside him restlessly.

Takashi Sasuke, a tall handsome boy known for his womanizing, smirked in his direction. "That's Higurashi Kagome. She's a beauty, huh?"

Kurama nodded in assent, watching as she rounded the track and came around to their side. As she passed, he noticed the white bandages wound tightly around the length of her right thigh and several dark bruises marking the creamy flesh of her arm. That was strange.

Moments later, four other girls, who had obviously been trying to catch up to her, slowed to a stop, doubled over and panting in exhaustion. "Kagome-chan!" one of them shouted ahead. The girl didn't seem to hear her.

Not taking his eyes off the jogging beauty, he asked, "Why haven't I seen her before?" She didn't seem like the kind of person that would escape anyone's notice.

Takashi ran a hand through his short black hair to smooth it out. "She just transferred here a few weeks ago. We've been trying to get her to join track, but she says she doesn't have time for sports. She's really good; I've seen her run thirty laps without even breaking a sweat."

"If she doesn't play any sports, how does she stay in such great shape?" one of the other boys spoke up.

Takashi shrugged, seemingly uncaring. "Beats me. Hey, Akika-chan!" he shouted to one of the girls still trying to catch her breath. She looked up, knitting her dark brow in annoyance when she saw who was calling her.

"What do you want, hentai?" she asked huffily, making her way the short distance to the fence.

The boy put on an innocent pout. "Ah, you're still mad about that, Akika-chan? That was days ago."

She crossed her arms, looking less than impressed. "It was this morning, you dolt."

Takashi rolled his eyes, but got to the point seeing as she was obviously in no mood for him after this morning's game of grab-ass. "What happened to Higurashi?"

The girl's demeanor changed instantly, turning sympathetic eyes to the figure rounding the track again. "Oh, poor Kagome had to have surgery again! That poor girl has all kinds of health problems. I'm surprised she can still walk! You should see the size of that incision!"

But that doesn't explain the bruises, Kurama mused.

"Akika-chan!"

They all turned to see the subject of their discussion standing with the other girls, having come around the track again.

Her hands were set on her hips as her brilliant blue gaze traveled over the group of boys lined up against the fence, resting perhaps a bit longer than necessary on the handsome redhead she knew to be called Shuichi. He was all her friends seemed to talk about. 'Although,' she mused to herself, 'they have good reason.'

She noticed his pretty green eyes gazing back at her and realized she had been caught staring. Blushing in embarrassment, she quickly remembered why she'd called out in the first place. "We're going to go play some volleyball; want to come?"

Nodding, Akika waved goodbye to the boys and jogged back to her group of friends, all of whom seemed to be giggling and whispering to each other, throwing surreptitious glances towards Kurama.

As she caught up to them, they waited for Kagome as she bent to flip her hair over, quickly pulling the mass of silky black waves into a ponytail, oblivious to the row of boys behind her ogling her round backside.

When the girls were out of earshot, the boys all started talking.

"Did you see the legs on her?"

"Her boobs are huge!"

"She has such pretty eyes."

They all turned to look at the small brown-haired boy. "You were looking at her eyes?" one of them asked. The boy blushed.

Takashi sighed wistfully. "Ah, it doesn't matter anyway. She's turned us all down." A boy beside him cleared his throat. "Er, some of us on several occasions."

Kurama turned surprised green eyes to the boy. "You've asked her out?" he asked. He'd never known any girl to turn down Sasuke Takashi.

He nodded with a little frown. "Yeah, she said she wasn't really looking for a boyfriend." He smirked devilishly then. "I wasn't looking for a relationship, though. I'd just like to get those pretty legs wrapped around me."

'I'd have to agree with him there,' Youko whispered in his mind, having been watching the scene in silence.

One of the other boys snickered. "He told her so, too. And she punched him right in the face. I was there. It was awesome!"

Scowling, Takashi rubbed his jaw, remembering the painful hit. "Yeah, she must take Taekwondo or something," he muttered irritably.

"Hey," another boy said, "you should ask her out, Minamino!"

Kurama blinked, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Me?"

Takashi nodded, "Yeah, she was looking right at you!"

Kurama shook his head in disbelief. "She was looking at all of us; probably wondering why we were watching her."

"No, she was really looking at you." Takashi waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "She was checking you out."

He thought back to the incident in question, and remembered how she'd blushed when he'd caught her gaze. "Takashi-"

"Ah, come on, if anybody has a chance with her it's you!"

"But you said yourself she wasn't looking for a boyfriend," Kurama tried to reason, becoming more uncomfortable with the situation by the second.

But Takashi wouldn't give up. "Nah, that's just something girl's say when they're not interested. But you're Shuichi Minamino! You could have any girl you want! You have your own fan club, for kami's sake!"

Kurama waved his hands, laughing nervously. "But I don't even know her."

"That's what dates are for, Minamino!"

The avatar drifted into thought for a moment. The incident with his only other girlfriend Maya still hurt him. They hadn't been really serious, but she'd been attacked because of him. And he'd had to erase her memories. It had been then that he realized the real gravity of having an ancient fox spirit in his body. He couldn't have a normal life, not now and not ever.

'But she is very pretty,' Youko spoke up again. My, he was active.

'Of course I am; who could sleep with such a delicious little morsel just begging to be devoured,' he chuckled, recalling images of the girl's round behind setting on those impossibly long legs. Kurama's pants suddenly became uncomfortably tight.

But what if they come after this one, too? You know it will happen sooner or later, Kurama argued, thoroughly against the idea of having to face that reality again.

'Perhaps,' Youko said, not a hint of his regret for his counterpart's position crossing his voice, 'but you're stronger now. We'll be able to sense anything coming and take it out before she sees it. It'll be easy,' the old fox concluded with a smug smirk. 'Besides, it's not as though we're marrying her. It's just a date.'

Knowing he wouldn't get any rest until he did something about the little raven beauty, he conceded to ask her out. Coming back to reality, he heard Takashi finish up his explanation. "… And besides, if she says no we can all just assume she's a lesbian," he concluded.

Kurama blinked at him.

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The next day they were all gathered around the fence again, Kurama having come over of his own accord today. He couldn't deny her allure.

They watched as she outran the other students, her gate easy and relaxed, a small smile on her face as the wind blew through her hair. Occasionally, one of the boys would make a crude comment and Kurama couldn't help the little swell of displeasure at their lack of respect. She wasn't an object.

As the girl rounded the far end of the track, she disappeared behind a large crowd of students picking teams for soccer. Minutes passed and she failed to reappear.

"Hm, maybe she went to the bathroom or something," Takashi guessed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned. "Wanna go take a peak?" he asked Kurama.

Shaking his head politely, he answered, "I believe I will have to decline. I need to visit the restroom myself. I will return shortly."

He walked back towards the entrance of the school, passing through the halls unhindered but not unnoticed. No one questioned him as he exited out the back and crossed the tennis courts, heading towards the far end of the track where he'd last seen Kagome.

He could smell her natural scent of orange blossoms and the perfume of her strawberry shampoo leading off the track to the fence where it merged into the woods. What was she doing skipping school for a romp in the woods?

Glancing around, he concluded that no one seemed to have noticed her absence. He was about to scale the fence himself when he heard footfalls approaching from the trees. Quickly, he ducked behind a small oak tree inside the fence and watched as the strange girl came into sight.

Her dark head swiveled and her azure eyes searched the scattered courtyard. When she was satisfied that no one was looking, she scaled the fence with ease and with an expert flip over the top landed on the other side, wincing as the motion obviously pulled the wound under her bandages.

Kurama watched with interest as she pulled the collar of her sweatshirt down over her shoulder to inspect the large, discolored bruises already forming there. He heard her swear softly to herself and sigh in irritation. "Inuyasha is not going to like this.

'That's a strange name.'

Indeed.

Quietly, he stepped out from behind the tree, approaching her from the side. She hadn't noticed him yet. He cleared his throat when she didn't look up.

Her head shot up and a panicked look crossed her face when she saw him. "Uh, M-Minamino-san! What are you doing here?" she laughed nervously.

'My, she's a jumpy one.'

He smiled disarmingly at the flustered girl as she fidgeted with the hem of her sweatshirt, having quickly covered the bruises when she realized he was there. "Actually, I needed to ask something of you, Kagome-san," he replied politely, deciding to pretend he didn't just see her sneak back to school.

"Um, sure, Minamino-san," she smiled anxiously, an adorable blush rising to her cheeks.

"I was wondering if you would be adverse to accompanying me to the movies this evening."

Looking stricken, the girl looked around her in confusion. Seeing no one, she was forced to conclude that Shuichi Minamino, the most sought after guy in Meiou High (and probably the entire Tokyo school system) was asking her on a date. It was… surreal.

"M-me?" she asked in disbelief.

He nodded and continued amiably, inwardly becoming the slightest bit nervous at her lack of an answer.

Kurama had always been a rather self-assured boy, not conceited or pompous, but always confident in his own abilities. But asking a beautiful girl who had already turned down half his classmates was something else. She was so pretty. She could have anyone. She was going to say no, he just knew it. And then that would be awkward. "That is, if you have no prior engagements?"

The blood rushed to her face. "P-prior engagements?" she stuttered, thinking of Inuyasha's reaction when she told him she was going to skip out on shard-hunting this evening for a date. With another guy. Not that he had any right to be possessive of her after his little confession. No, he had no right.

Kurama watched tensely as the girl's expression turned sad and she seemed to be drifting further into her thoughts. Had he upset her? "Kagome-san?" he asked gently.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. "Um, yes, Minamino-san. I'd, love to go to the movies with you," she said with a genuine smile. Screw Inuyasha!

Kurama kept a cool façade, but inwardly sighed with relief. This whole dating thing was a lot harder than it looked. He flashed her a smile and walked her back to the locker room when the school bell rang, signaling the end of his lunch and her gym class.

.

That evening, Kurama waited patiently outside the movie theater. Anxiously, he checked his watch again. Ten after. Where was she?

"Minamino-san!"

Looking to the end of the street, he saw Kagome running towards him, waving frantically. He watched as she skidded to a stop in front of him and immediately rushed into an explanation. "I'm so sorry! I got home late and then I had trouble getting out of the house and-"

"It's okay; you're here now," he soothed, offering her an arm which she gratefully accepted and leading her through the doors. She smiled at him and read over the list of movies playing. He took advantage of her distraction to study her. She'd pulled some of the hair around her face up in a pin and curled the ends. She was wearing a simple green dress with a white sweater hanging over her thin shoulders. She'd put on a little make-up and just enough eye shadow to set off her unusual blue eyes. She looked very lovely, and he considered himself lucky to be out with her.

He pulled himself from his thoughts when she turned those luminous eyes on him and pointed up to the list. "What about Paprika? Would you like to see that one?"

Kurama didn't know much about the film, but nodded his assent anyway. Whatever she picked out he was sure would be fine. He bought them drinks and a popcorn to share and they took their seats.

The movie was enjoyable, but it was made better by the company. After the film was over, Kurama offered to treat her to dinner as it was still somewhat early. Kagome agreed and they ate at a sushi bar just down the street.

They talked over their meal, and Kurama found that he genuinely enjoyed Kagome's company. She wasn't pushy or suggestive, like any other girl he'd ever associated with. She was honest, but kindly so. And she was a very easy person to get along with.

Kagome listened to Kurama talk about his family and his hopes for life after high school. He was a senior and would be graduating this year. He wanted to go to college for botany, but his mother would rather him go into something in the medical field. She liked how polite he was, how he did everything to make her feel at ease. It was nice for a change.

After dinner, Kurama walked Kagome home to the shrine, their path lit by the street lamps. They stopped under the torii at the base of the steps. Kagome fidgeted nervously with the hem of her dress, a habit Kurama found endearing.

With a light blush, he took her tiny hand in his own large one and looked into her eyes, causing heat to rush to her face as well. "I enjoyed being with you tonight, Kagome-san. May I see you again?" he asked earnestly.

Kagome smiled brilliantly, her joy seeming to light up the dark street. "I would not be adverse to that," she teased him lightly, earning her a smile in return.

Quickly, before she could change her mind, she stretched up on the balls of her feet and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Goodnight, Shuichi-san," she whispered before turning abruptly to run up the stairs. She paused once she got to the top to wave down at him before disappearing into her house.

Kurama smiled. It was a good night.

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AN/ Next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Please review!