Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or Inuyasha.

A Strange Occurence

She dropped from the sky.

Though he clearly knew she was no angel, he had to admit; he definitely was mesmerized by her falling fatigue figure, her black hair flowing like ripples as her form seem to fall freely without any restriction. Now she lay in his arms as he stared down at her calm yet pale face lit under the sunset. Apparently, he wasn't sure what to do with this woman who suddenly fell from the sky and right into his embrace, as if this was supposed to happen. Now the man seriously didn't know what to do. For he did not transform by her touch, by him embracing her.

"Shigure! We're home!"

From far, the dog could hear the two Sohma's and his cute Tohru coming back from school, and here he was, sitting in middle of the forest unable to move just because of this woman. Or rather, a girl of Tohru's age. Now that he started to observe the girl's features, he noticed that just beneath her right eye, he found a strange marking, a black one that resembled a canine of a dog yet with a closer look, what it seemed to be a feather. His black orbs were fixed on the marking as his hand slowly reached up and gently stroked the small shape of the tattoo.

"Mm…"

The girl in his arms suddenly shuffled, whining at the sudden touch on her face. Shigure visibly stiffened, wondering if the girl was waking up because of him. What would she think if she woke up, and see a man staring down at her intensely? He gulped at the thought about this girl screeching, calling him pervert before running off to the near by police station. No, he would definitely not let that happen. Then what was the other choice he had besides just sitting here looking down at her?

"Eh, Shigure san? What are you doing here?"

Tohru stepped in just at the right time.

Three weeks had past by since Shigure brought the unconscious girl in his arms unaffected to his dwelling, and Hatori had checked the girl's health. She didn't open her eyes or show any sign of life but lay motionless on the soft futon beside his bed. Yuki and Kyo urged, no, demanded him to let Tohru take care of the girl, afraid that the dog will take advantage of the unconscious girl at night to satisfy his needs. Despite the fact that the two animals disapproved him of taking care of this unknown girl, he still insisted taking care of her, which Tohru actually agreed. Shigure hoped Tohru simply made that decision because she trusted him, not because some other reasons. Nevertheless, the girl was his care now. At that thought he smirked. He could finally hug a girl at any time, anywhere.

The girl's name was Higurashi Kagome, who lived in a traditional shrine located at the outskirts of Tokyo. It was a month after the girl joined Shigure's family when Kagome finally woke up from her deep slumber. First she seemed to be puzzled why she was lying in a room that she didn't recognize, but hearing that she fell from the sky right into this man's arms, she blushed, apologizing for the inconvenience she brought to him.

"I'm sorry. So… For how long?"

"A month. Well, three and half weeks to be exact."

"A month?"

Now she sat across him in one of Tohru's clothes that the brunette prepared for Kagome to wear once she woke up. Her exclaim hurt his ears, but she seemed to calm down once she noticed the short expression of discomfort shot across his face. Tohru and the other two zodiacs were not at home currently, but Shigure figured they would be home soon. The sun was already setting behind the jagged horizon of the forest, and the trio always returned home around this time of the day.

"We're home!"

"Ah, speak of the devil."

Shigure muttered under his breath, as the girl sat across him seemed to be confused for about a second or so before she realized there were other people living in this house. She seemed to panic as footsteps started to approach his room, and Shigure watched her with pure amusement as she shifted uneasily.

"Ah, Shigure san!"

Just as Tohru slid the door open, there was a small poof, and the girl was gone, leaving only a pile of clothes on the wooden floor.

This strange little occurrence was forgotten as time past by and many things had happened since then. Of all, Tohru finally had Akito's permission to stay with the Sohma family, which Shigure loved the most. Every day was enjoyable since then. His entertainment only grew better when he figured the two boys in his house had feelings blooming for the sweet girl who melted the ice in their heart. Yet, he still couldn't pinpoint why he felt so empty. As the days past by, that hollowness in him only grew bigger, and no matter how hard he laughed, how entertained he was, he was unsatisfied. Eventually, he learned to cope with such bareness, as it became a part of his life. And just as he started to get used to such feeling, he found his excitement on the front step of his door.

"Um… hi?"

He didn't remember her name, but he certainly remembered the young maiden's enchanting black hair flowing along with the light breeze. She stood there, a light tint of red adorning her cheeks while her eyes cast downward in shyness. She was wearing a yellow kimono that seemed to be a little big for her, but showed her fatigue form nonetheless. The same old tattoo was under her right eye, except the shape seemed to have changed a little from last time.

"Sorry for…disappearing like that last time. It's a magic trick that I picked up from a magician I know. I often do that when I get nervous…"

Shiguren found the explanation hard to believe, but he just smiled it off.

"Ah, it's fine. So what brings you here?"

"Oh. I just wanted to show my gratitude…"

She extended her arm until the thing rapped in handkerchief was right under his nose, and he could smell the delicious fragrance of cooked food. Noticing the time was now around noon, he grabbed the lunch box with a smile that made her even blush more. How cute, he repressed the urge to hug her, but if he hugged her, he probably would transform…

"Eh?"

Then he remembered.

"Is there something wrong?"

His black eyes shook with unbelievable excitement and hope. Then, without warning, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

It is Shigure and Kagome :)

Enjoy!

Izno