Hello! A new adventure! I'm really stepping into the crossover game, if you're new to crossovers or just a new reader of mind, thank you for giving this fic a chance and enjoy!

Sota never knew his father.

He certainly knew of his father, and all about the man who had married his mother, but he didn't know him.

Sometimes, it made him sad, that he never got to know him, the man his mother and sister, even grandpa spoke so highly of.

Other times he felt guilty that he didn't miss him like the rest of his family did, it was hard to miss someone who you had never got to meet, who you didn't know outside of stories.

But he hardly had reason to miss him the figure he never once knew. He had a loving family, and odd as it was, his sister fit in the role pretty well.

One would think his grandfather might fit the father role better, but no, that role was taken by one Kagome Higurashi.

It wasn't that she was boyish, but she took on the responsibilities that would normally befall the father. Little things like teaching him the basics of sports, lawn work and coming to any and all school events their mom couldn't make it to.

She did major things like trying to fix up the house here and there, mostly using her ingenuity to make things work, they got by, sure they didn't have many luxuries but the also had all basic needs covered.

Kagome was odd in that she deftly fit in both the father role while not actually replacing the role of their father. He was him, and Kagome was Kagome.

She could comfort Sota as well as their mom could in the worst of nights, and she could nag and tease like only a sibling could.

They of course, fought like all siblings tend to do on occasion.

If he were honest, he could be a bit of a brat then warranted, but it was true on some days she was naggier than warranted.

Sota didn't realize quite how much he depended on her until she was gone. He also didn't realize until he was much older, how much she sacrificed for their family, and in general.

Not to downplay his own mother's sacrifices by a margin.

It was just, he took into account his mothers on a more conscious level and his sisters on a more subconscious level.

If Sota were to describe his hero it would always be Kagome, undoubtedly, she chased off the bullies, the stray cats, and dogs that would hiss or swipe at him. She'd get his ball out of the tree. She'd read him stories and play video games with him.

Grandpa's meals were sub-par and involved a lot of vegetables, mama's food was best to none, but Kagome, Kagome knew how to sneak their favorite treats in before or after dinner. She knew how to make the crunchiest, unhealthiest best food known to man.

When Kagome fell down the well, he was both terrified and amazed.

No words could ever accurately describe how much the following months would change them, change him, and most of all, change her.

InuYasha was cool, and almost everything out of a supernatural novel, or the legends in the books Grandpa was constantly going on about.

His personality was a bit abrasive, he was loud and untamed, but that was all part of what made him so cool!

For a brief period, Sota found a new hero to idolize. He was a bit jealous, but he also felt that the role suited Kagome more than him. She was always his hero, now she was a for real hero fighting bad guys!

Kagome's overall nature was one filled with a cheerful bright optimism, she didn't divulge everything that happened on her side of the well, partly because she didn't want to worry her family, but partly because she was never allowed to stay long enough to really divulge anything...

Sota grew a bit of animosity towards InuYasha, always taking his big sister away.

Kagome was always good at figuring out others emotions, especially when it came to Sota, tried making it up to him by giving him his own sort of duty. She taught what she learned about auras and holy power, she didn't know everything well herself but sharing and imparting it to him helped. He was also given the task to keep an eye on the family, basically making sure Grandpa didn't go too crazy with the list of illness so the didn't go into unbelievable territory. And make sure mama doesn't stress herself with worry.

He took the task on with a great pride. His sister entrusted him that he was capable enough to start helping around too, and he would make sure not to disappoint.

Things went pretty smooth the first few months, the family fell in a sort of routine, all parties on either side missing the other when gone, but knowing it was her mission, and as long as she was alright it was fine.

There were times when she came home early and upset, Sota knowing without being told that she had fought with InuYasha.

At first, he had tried to tell himself she was just being sensitive, and that InuYasha probably didn't know how to talk to girls right, not willing to see his tentative new hero in a negative light.

But all those thoughts were broken when he came home one night and he could hear the muffled cries of his sister. He had heard and seen her cry before, she did so rarely in front of him, or rarely where anyone could see.

So hearing her, despite the slightly muffled sound was an awful experience. He hovered outside her door, unsure if he should bother her or not, but feeling uncomfortable just letting her cry.

When her cries eventually subsided into gentle sniffs, he gave a hesitant and brief knock on her door. As the silence pervaded he wondered if she would ignore him, but the door opened by a crack and she's there in the door asking what he wants.

Her voice was thick from tears and he's a thousand times more uncomfortable but he'd rather be uncomfortable than she be sad and he asks if he can come in.

It was an incredibly heartbreaking and more than a large shock to see his big sister look so upset. She had seemed to hesitate before letting him enter.

Sota was more than a little concerned and it showed on his face.

Kagome tried her best to downplay the tears. Scrubbing her eyes harder and trying to smile more, he didn't know if it was worse to see her attempt to hide her sadness.

But Kagome didn't normally cry, especially not like this.

Sota, though young, inexperienced and naive to things going on around him knew what who was likely the cause...

Knowing that to face the elephant in the room would only distress her more, he tried his best to shift focus, sitting close and regaling her about what she missed while she was gone.

Sitting by her, her sniffing slightly, she smelled of lavender and other herbs. A familiar scent that reminded him of the times he was younger and she would comfort him during thunderstorms or whenever he had a nightmare.

He told her everything he could think of, to get her mind away from what had been upsetting her in hopes of getting her to smile again.

And by some miracle it worked, Kagome relaxing against him, making noises or commenting and questioning certain things as he talked.

Every now and then he manages to draw a chuckle from her and he's able to breathe a little easier.

Kagome had always been a person that could make him smile, and he vowed that he would grow up to be a person who could make sure his sister never lost that smile she shared so easily.

And he continued to keep to the vow, every time she came home early upset over this or that, he would distract her, and his efforts were rewarded everytime she smiled and her aura grew brighter.

The times she was away for extended periods of time, on a base level he worried for her safety with the rest of their family, but he never had a doubt that she wouldn't come back. Because she was Kagome and she could do anything.

So they kept up their mini routine as long as she kept traveling.

Both growing older, the longer it went the more the bubble of admiration he had grown for InuYasha had shrunk until it inevitably popped. InuYasha wasn't just the brash ruff hero from comic books, Sota realized it wasn't fair or right to hold up anyone to impossible standards. It only lead to disappointment in the reality.

InuYasha wasn't a bad person per se, but he wasn't the hero he had imagined growing up, and if he were sort of honest, with how high he regarded his sister, in a dark corner of his heart, resented InuYasha for taking her away from him.

Of course, it wasn't necessarily justified, in the end, it was Kagome's choice, fate had led her such a way, and he understood that in his mind at least, but in his heart, he thought differently...

He understood more clearly that Kagome was only human, she had flaws and all, and once again, he knew it fundamentally, but it was hard to push away childhood thoughts. Honestly, Kagome would always be a hero to him...

The journey of growth and understanding and life continued, until the journey Kagome had spent so long on, finally came to a close...and she came home...