A/N: Just something fun for Halloween. Not so much Halloween-specific, but I imagine at some point Kagome would have told Shippo about how kids dress in disguises for candy. Little dude would have a field day if he could travel through the well.

Even in the early days of knowing Inuyasha, Shippo knew that Kagome was his biggest weakness. If he wasn't freaking out thinking that she had been killed in battle, then he was moping around the well waiting for her to come back. And the kicker was that Kagome had no clue. She actually believed that the hanyou would choose a priestess from 50 years ago over her any day.

Shippo had tried to tell Kagome on multiple occasions how Inuyasha acted when she wasn't around. Most of the time he'd get hit by Inuyasha before he could reveal too much, gaining a lump on the head and ringing ears from the argument that followed. The other times when they were alone, Kagome would smile – a fake smile – and tell him that it was only because he wanted her around to find the jewel shards.

He knew better.

He saw it the evening he sat with Inuyasha in the hut. The hanyou was so mad that Kaede and Miroku had sealed him inside – even if it was for his own protection and to recover from his injuries. Shippo had wanted to rest, but the kicking on the door wasn't going to let up unless Inuyasha calmed down. So…he disguised himself as Kagome in the hopes that seeing her would quiet him. Inuyasha had stopped kicking the door alright. For the briefest second Shippo had seen Inuyasha's scowl disappear and his voice soften as he said her name. And then he had blown it by offering to lay next to him as Kagome. Honestly, he meant nothing by it, and still thought the kicks were uncalled for. He didn't even realize that Inuyasha would interpret it any other way. It did prove that he held a soft spot for the young woman, and that knowledge stuck with Shippo as a handy reference for months to come.

Because he was determined to become a great kitsune like his parents had been, being able to create a flawless disguise was up there as a highly coveted skill. As anybody knows, the way to mastering a skill is through rigorous practice. Fortunately, Shippo had gained many friendships in the village who were very happy to critique his disguises. Executing those disguises, however, was commonly practiced on Inuyasha.

The first few times he changed into Kagome, it had been too easy for Inuyasha to tell the difference. His voice wasn't right. Then he made the mistake of trying to use the beads. Then he messed up by trying "To go home" through the well, forgetting that the well emitted light when Kagome or Inuyasha went through. He still hadn't been able to match her natural scent completely, even if he hadn't messed up the other aspects. It was maddening that the hanyou could sniff him out, but Shippo was determined.

Anytime that Kagome was around, Shippo took mental notes. Her expressions, her mannerisms, even her schoolwork he watched carefully. Kagome, to his luck, was an open book – if one watched closely enough. It was through his studying that he saw her feelings towards the hanyou. He knew to an extent, of course, but to see it was something else. It made him feel even worse to watch her expression drop when he'd disappear to speak with Kikyo. So as a sudden attempt to distract her from wallowing in sadness, he asked her if he could practice disguising himself as her. No other reason than to work on his abilities, had been the excuse, which was true. She had been so thrilled that he was doing something productive that she not only gave him permission but offered him tips whenever he asked. Shippo had even gone so far as to borrow some of her magazines and books to look at silently when she studied for tests. He couldn't tell what half the words were, but between what he did know and the pictures on the pages, it was enough to help him figure out how to act like a girl. Flirting – that was the word that came up a lot in her magazines. 'If I follow these,' he thought, looking at a list of ways to catch a boy's eye, 'maybe I can get Inuyasha to come clean. It'd be worth the beating I'll get if he could just admit it to himself that he likes Kagome.'

She hadn't known that he'd be practicing his disguise on Inuyasha, and she certainly had no idea that the kit was working on getting the stubborn hanyou to admit his feelings once and for all.

"Shippo!" An irritated growl echoed in the forest clearing. "When I find you I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Inuyasha ran through the woods, ears straining to pick up on any signs of laughter. Shippo had done it again, disguising himself as Kagome and using her likeness to get a cheap laugh at his expense. The stupid kitsune had been doing this song and dance for a while now. Pretend to be Kagome, get under his skin, and then run away laughing. Or crying, if he got a good punch in first. Shippo had also mimicked Sango and Miroku a few times, but he kept going back to Kagome. The worst thing was that the runt was starting to get good at his disguises. He had damn near matched her scent this last time too…

"Inuyasha," she had cooed from the base of the sacred tree.

He'd jumped down from his seat in the branches, looking at her expectantly. Usually whenever she used that tone, she wanted to go home.

Instead of saying that she had a test, or something pointless like that, she sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his right bicep. Kagome rested her head against his shoulder. "Inuyasha," she said, "let's go take a bath."

"The fuck, Kagome?!"

"Please?" She looked up at him, batting her eyelashes. "Sango is busy and I don't want to be alone…"

Inuyasha knew it was a trap, but that didn't mean the blush on his face was any less real. If he agreed, she'd sit him. If he turned her down, she'd sit him. "W-why not take Shippo?"

"He's playing with the village kids. And anyway," she leaned into his side, pressing herself more flush against him. "I want to take a bath with you."

A strangled noise escaped him as the seemingly real Kagome continued to flirt with him. Her arms were now around his middle, and if his head had been clearer, Inuyasha might have noticed the scent difference before the illusion started to crack. As it was, he was trying to pretend that certain parts of the miko weren't pressing against his front.

Shippo may have gotten better with masking and disguises, but he still had a long way to go if he wanted to hold all of them at once for an extended amount of time. The first reveal had been the fluffy fox tail, then the scent mask had dropped, then the rest of the disguise. Then Shippo had took off like the hounds of hell were after him.

"That little shit has screwed with me for the last time," he mumbled to himself as he entered the clearing of the well. A familiar yellow backpack sat against the side of the Bone-eater's well. As he approached, a dark-haired young woman pulled herself up over the edge. Kagome.

Or was it?

Inuyasha picked up his pace as she straightened. It looked like Kagome. He quickly sniffed the air. It smelled like Kagome…but Shippo had been improving at mimicking her scent…

"Inuyasha!" The maybe-Kagome smiled like nothing was wrong.

Maybe it was her. Then again, he'd been duped so many times in the last month that Inuyasha couldn't trust himself to believe his nose right now. 'Just act normal. Don't let him suspect you and you can lure him out.'

Kagome's smile dropped as Inuyasha came closer. She hadn't been gone long; just a quick check-in and a supply run before they headed to the next village. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. "Has something happened? Is everyone alright?"

"Be quiet" was the only response she got.

Inuyasha grasped the young woman – possibly, he still wasn't sure – by the shoulders and leaned in close. Amber eyes stared into confused brown ones, looking for any cracks in the illusion. No such luck. He sniffed her hair; it smelled like the soap she used. Easily copied, and Shippo had also used it before. Then he moved downwards, brushing his nose against the column of her neck. It was her scent, but if Shippo had had a break between disguises, he could have easily masked his scent with hers. Oddly, there was another note to the scent that he didn't recognize as the kit's, but he didn't think too much about it or the soft gasp as he sniffed her again.

He had to know if this was Shippo or not, and there was only one way he could get his answer: scare the kitsune into revealing himself.

The hands that were grasping her shoulders loosened, moving down her sides to wrap around her waist before pulling her against him. Kagome looked up at him surprised but didn't say anything. 'It could be the runt. Kagome would have said something. Must be trying to hold the disguise in place. Nice try, asshole.' His arms pulled her closer still, and he could feel the heartbeat of the young woman pick up. That odd scent was still there, but he'd given up on trusting his nose today. If he was going to get the runt to break his concentration, he had to up the ante. It was going to be a risk, and if the real Kagome ever caught wind of it she'd sit him into oblivion, but Shippo had to learn that he'd taken things too far.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Inuyasha slid his right hand down over her hip, holding her against him with his left. Kagome never broke eye contact as the hand on her hip began to rub small circles over the pleated skirt. Those brown eyes widened considerably, and she let out a startled gasp when that hand moved downward before rising again, this time under the hemline of her skirt. He was mindful of his claws as the hand disappeared from view, cupping and massaging the curve of her ass. 'The hell? I thought that would get the runt to crack for sure.' Well, there was one more thing he could try, and he was going to get sat either way, so…

"Fuck it," he mumbled, before bending and capturing her lips with his. It's not like it was the first time they had ever kissed, but this was the first time he had initiated it. Her lips felt wonderful pressed against his, and he couldn't contain the feeling of pride when she let out a little moan of pleasure as the kiss deepened.

It should have been the kiss that tipped him off. The fact that he wasn't pushed away, the fact that he was being kissed back…his fantasy brain had taken over and decided that it was going to enjoy the moment come hell or high water. The hands that wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer, rubbing his ears…that did it. There was no way the runt could know that he'd let Kagome rub his ears when they were alone – on the rare occasion that they were alone.

This sure as hell wasn't Shippo.

Oh fuck, he was a dead man.

Inuyasha pulled back as the realization set in that his "scare tactics" had failed not because the kitsune was stupid enough to call his bluff, but because it wasn't him at all. He'd blatantly grabbed Kagome's ass and kissed her like she was his lover. That realization left him blushing nearly as dark as his fire rat robes. "K-Kagome…I…I can…explain…"

Kagome hadn't let go of him, fearing that she'd hit the forest floor because her legs were jelly. Inuyasha had been acting so strange, from the looks to the sniffing, to the…she blushed as she felt his claws absently trace her panty line. He probably didn't even realize he still had his hand under her skirt. And then he'd kissed her. "Do you have to?" she asked softly. 'Just let me enjoy the moment, Inuyasha. Let me pretend that you meant it.'

"I'm sorry!" he blurted out, missing her response in the process. "That runt's been tricking me, making me think he was you – when I saw you I wasn't sure it was you – and I wanted to scare him-"

"So you grope what you think is a copy of me and kiss her?" Kagome was stunned. She knew that Shippo liked to tease Inuyasha, but this was unacceptable, and she'd have to talk to him about this. But what surprised her was how the hanyou wanted to call the kitsune out. "Inuyasha…did…did you…want to do that, or was it just a game?"

The blush waned a bit. "What? Wench, I ain't Miroku! Do I look like someone who'd go around kissing women for the hell of it?"

He felt the heat return when Kagome buried her face in his chest as she said, "Good. It certainly didn't feel like that." She had to hide the blush.

"You mean you…ain't mad?"

"No, but I do need to talk to Shippo about this."

"And…you…uh…liked it?" He really hoped his voice didn't sound as hopeful out loud as it did in his head.

"I did," came the soft response. She dared a glance up at him, her lips forming a shy smile that matched his own. "If you wanted…I mean…if you wanted to do that again. Sometime. You know." Kagome bit her lip and glanced away.

Inuyasha's arms tightened around her, and to his horror he remembered where one of his hands was. Kagome hadn't brought it up, but he quickly removed his hand from under her skirt and settled for the small of her back instead. It was safer territory. "I'd…like that," he said, swallowing. He felt her arms resume their grasp as she settled against him with a sigh. 'Yeah. Once wouldn't be enough. Not after that.'

They didn't have to be back in the village for a while, so there was nothing to say they couldn't stay there and enjoy the moment. Who knew when they'd have private time to themselves once they set out again? Inuyasha was certain that things had changed between them, and while he couldn't say what it meant, he knew it was a good thing. It wasn't like they hadn't been changing anyway.

Inuyasha sat out of sight within the branches of the sacred tree later that day. Once he had gotten over his bout of shyness around Kagome, along with the fear that she'd sit him, he had been able to explain himself better. She had taken it in stride, only saying that the kitsune needed to be talked to about his "game".

Kagome had brought Shippo out to this spot to talk, mostly for the quiet the forest provided. With what she needed to say, she didn't want a lot of people to overhear. Knowing that Inuyasha was above them in the trees was one too many in her opinion, but if it made him feel better…

"Inuyasha told me about your…ah…game," Kagome started carefully once she settled back against the roots of the big tree.

"I didn't mean nothing by it!" Shippo was on the defensive, almost like he expected the hanyou to come up behind him with his fists at the ready.

She tried to soothe his fears, guiding him to sit on her lap as she ran her fingers through his bangs. "I know that, and when Inuyasha told me what happened, I figured that you weren't trying to be mean to him. But…Shippo, when I helped you with your disguise…if I had any idea that you would trick Inuyasha like that…I wouldn't have felt comfortable and told you no."

"But why, Kagome?"

"Well…" She took a steadying breath. How was she to say this so he'd understand? "When you use your disguises to look like somebody else, you need to be mindful of who you're trying to trick. Especially when you appear older to the person you're tricking. Not everyone is as attune to kitsune magic like Inuyasha is, and if you had been at the well this afternoon…let's just say that things could have turned out very differently for both of you."

"Oh. You mean like things that adults do that kids aren't supposed to, right?"

Kagome bit the inside of her cheek and hoped she wasn't blushing. "That's one way of putting it," she said quickly. "I think for the time being, you should limit using your disguises. Especially if you're pretending to be older. I know you want to be a grown up, Shippo, but there's a point that you're gonna miss being a kid. You meant well, and I think it was done from the heart so I can't be very mad about it."

"Inuyasha will," he muttered.

"I told him to let me handle it, so no hitting is allowed this time. But I can't guarantee that he won't hit you the next time you pull a stunt like that." Kagome frowned, not liking that Inuyasha would hit Shippo, but she had to be realistic.

"I understand." The kit looked up at Kagome. "Does this mean that he told you he likes you?"

"Something like that," she replied with a bit of a giggle.

"And everything is okay?"

"Yes, everything is okay."

Shippo sat in her lap a little longer before declaring that he was bored and made his way back to the village. Kagome watched him disappear, feeling the breeze that came from the hanyou dropping down from the tree behind her. "Happy?"

"Keh."

"You know he meant well."

Inuyasha stepped up beside Kagome, slipping his hand around hers. "Yeah well the runt needs to get that you can't pull shit like that."

Kagome hummed in agreement as they made their way back to the village as well. "I'm just glad it was my butt you were grabbing," she said a few moments later. "I don't think there would be enough sake in the world to erase the memory if it had been Shippo in disguise."

She dared a glance upwards and snorted at the horrified expression. "Yeah, thanks for that mental image, Ka-go-me."

"Though I am impressed," she added, ignoring his comment. "You didn't snag my underwear with your claws once."

"Wench…"

"For someone who says they're so violent, you can be very gentle when you want to be."

"Could you stop that!" He hissed, face bright red. "I really don't need the monk to hear about that!" Inuyasha couldn't be too mad about her teasing. She hadn't sat him for the gesture like he'd anticipated, and she hadn't gone into detail about what happened at the well during the talk with the runt. She knew her limits, and it was clear she was going to enjoy the teasing each moment they were alone.