That Girl!

Summary: Kagome Higurashi was fifteen years old, the daughter of a construction worker, and a tomboy to boot...how does that mix with...Tezuka Kunimitsu?

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Kagome/Tezuka

Rated: M

-x-x-x-

"That Leather Craft on the wall,"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it was between that one and the one in the counter, but I like the seven pockets on that one, oh...it comes with a hammer holder too."

"And a nail pouch Miss,"

"Ooh, if possible, can I get this with an engraving of my name?"

"Of course, it'll be an extra seven hundred yen though,"

"That's fine,"

"Then, can I get your name for the engraving and a number to reach you at when it's done?"

Blue eyes sparkled joyfully, "Higurashi, Kagome; my number is..." Kagome answered everything else with joy as she thought of the tool belt in front of her. 'So pretty, I can't wait to try it on.'

~Beep~Beep~

"Oh," Kagome lifted a pager from the pocket of her brown cargo pants, "Daddy," She smiled. Pulling her cell phone out, she dialed her father and listened to the phone ring before it was picked up. "Hey daddy!"

"..me..t...co...io..ite...ency."

"Alright, I'll be right there." She turned and smiled at the man behind the counter, "I will be back later, an emergency came up at work."

"I understand, we close at ten, and open at seven."

Kagome nodded before running out the buildings door, her white sweat jacket smeared with dirt and mud was tied around her waist, no longer the pristine clean color it once had been. She wore a yellow tank top and black tinny-shoes that completed her dirt stained outfit. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun with a equally dirty white baseball cap on her head, her bun pulled through the back of the cap.

Kagome saw a bus passing; it was a Metropolitan bus and she knew it would be passing her destination, so as it came by her she took a spot on the back of the bus with a slight of her foot and a pushed jump. She never noticed the eyes watching her as she waited cheerfully for the bus to stop.

-x-x-x-

"Hey, that looks like fun!"

Looking out the window, Tezuka took note of what the little boy beside him was looking at. In the back of the bus, on the very back, was a girl sitting on the bumper. She was swinging her legs back and forth carelessly; no doubt she wasn't anticipating the speed bumps, or the traffic. It was almost five; there would be much traffic soon as people started to get off of work.

Watching for a few minutes, he couldn't help notice the dirty clothes she wore and came to the conclusion that she was probably without a home and family. Though, she could have just had a bad day, but then, that wouldn't explain the reason for her not getting inside the bus and paying for the ride.

"NAGOYA, HARADA DISTRICT"

Tezuka moved his bag a bit on his shoulder make it a bit more comfortable, walking up to the front, he made to get off the bus only for the girl on the back to rush in and toss a couple coins in the pay box before leaving.

"Haha, Higurashi-San must have his hands full."

"...Higurashi-San?" Tezuka hadn't even realized he'd spoken out loud until the driver laughed out again.

"His little girl is growing up so quickly, but ever girl needs a mother at some point. When it gets to those awkward teenage years, it will start to become harder on the old man. But I must say, he did a hell of a job raising her. She's the son I've always wanted. She jumps on the back all the time so that she doesn't bother anyone, she takes lots of calls and she's always covered in dirt from the construction sites that she and her father work on; she doesn't want to get the seats or anyone else dirty." He sighed, "Good girl, but she never has time to be a girl, she's so busy working with her dad."

Tezuka noted the end of the drivers talk and nodded his thanks, leaving the bus and making his way down the street; he thought silently to himself and made a mental note of the places he knew were under construction. Deciding to take the scenic route, he started walking and was surprised to find the first place he chose was the right place to start at. The girl had someone's head resting in her lap, and a man was holding a bleeding hand as they listened to an ambulance driver talk about the location they would be taking the construction worker to. Tezuka sat his bag down, from where he was, he could see everything happening below him, it was the children's park that was being rebuilt after a couple accidents due to old and rusting metal.

"Dad, you go on ahead, I'll take over here."

'You can't be serious; she's no older than me.'

"Yeah, alright, call if you need anything."

'They are serious,' Tezuka watched the man leave after the injured construction worker and ambulance workers. He wanted to ask if the man was crazy leaving a construction site in the hands of a girl, but changed his mind and decided to see what she'd do. 'Probably nothing of real labor, he probably makes sure that she doesn't do anything taxing.'

"Hiro-San, bring me that Kobalt Ball Pien hammer over there, I'll get started on the jungle gym, you and Morishiba-San can finish with the swings."

"Hai!"

"Need help, Kagome?"

"That would be appreciated, thanks Miroku."

'They act like she's in charge,'

"Oi, Kagome, ditch the park and let's go!"

'I know him...he's that annoying guy that lives a few houses down from me,' Tezuka glared at the yelling fool, he was a handsome guy like many, but he was loud, rude and vulgar. 'What nuisance,'

"Break up means apart, Inuyasha, go away, I have to finish the layout before seven. I'm sure these guys want to go home to their families."

Tezuka smirked, watching her turn away from a clearly upset teenage boy.

"BE that way wench!"

Tezuka watched the guy leave in a grunt mess before turning back to Kagome. He stayed a while longer before finally leaving himself; turning away, he didn't notice the sparkling blue eyes that followed after him curiously.

-x-x-x-

"He finally left," Kagome said to out loud, "I wonder what he was looking at, oh!"

"What?"

"You don't think he forgot something here, do you?"

Miroku and Kagome looked about the area, dirt was in piles everywhere, bricks were in piles everywhere; there was a crane, a cement mixer, and mulch roller...

Miroku laughed, "If he did, it's gone now."

Kagome smiled, "...hm," Kagome turned the guys behind her, "Get the hangers on the swing sets and the corner brackets. When do we get the benches in?"

"Tomorrow, I believe." Miroku answered.

"Alright, we can start cleaning up after we finish setting up the swings and the jungle gym." She finished putting the inside frame down for the jungle gym a while ago, "Hand me three of those Mantis Deck Fasteners."

"Right!"

-x-x-x-

Kagome yawned, stretching her hands over her head, she couldn't help but smile. "Today was a good day...well, with the exception of Ichiko-San getting hurt."

"Kag's! You missed school today!"

Kagome turned and smiled at one of her only friends at Seigaku Academy, since, she missed school more than she attended. "Tomo-Chan, what are you doing over here?"

"Came to see how you were holding up, your dad called my mom and asked if you could stay the night, so I'm also here to pick you up. Oh, hurry up! I need to get home and make my good luck Ryoma-Kun posters! Tomorrow is a doubles match between the eight Regulars."

Kagome was starting to get confused, but having known Tomoka Osakada for three years, she understood most of what she was saying, the rest she kind of put in a file that she liked to dub 'fangirlisms'. "Uh...he's in our class, right?" She wasn't quite sure, but she recalled Tomoka mentioning him once before too.

"Yes, he sits in front of you, but you are never there, so...hm, you have to go to school tomorrow though, right?"

"Right, I can only miss a week per month, and I have to space it or else I get in trouble, sometimes I leave early, get homework before I go and stuff, but other than that, I'm not there often."

Tomoka sighed, "What really bugs me is how you can be the top scorer in our class, but absent every two days."

Kagome grinned, "Ah, I work, that doesn't mean I don't study. Anyways, we're here, I'll run in and get my clothes, be right back."

"Kay!" Tomoka smiled, leaning back against the gate of the house as Kagome ran inside, it was about ten minutes later that she came running out with a bag over her shoulder filled with clothes and her backpack on her other shoulder.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," Kagome smiled, she enjoyed staying over at her friends place, and since she went over to her house only every so often, she took the chances she got happily. "So what else has been going on?"

"The Tenni─"

"You," Kagome snapped playfully,

Tomoka jumped, "What?"

"What has been going on with you? Not Ryoma-Kun, or Sakuno-Chan, or...Fuji...Eiji or whoever Sempai...you,"

Tomoka blushed, "My birthday is next week, I'll be going to the movies with some friends, want to join?"

"That sounds like fun!"

-x-x-x-

(Next Day)

Kagome yawned; sitting in class, she was seated behind a red haired boy whose hair seemed to be defiant of gravity as it flipped out on either side of his head.

"Higurashi-San, what page did we leave off on, in Crime and Punishment, yesterday?"

Kagome looked up at her teacher and sighed, "Page Sixty-Two, part five of part one."

"Good, start reading, stop when I say stop."

Kagome nodded and stood up with the book in hand, reading out to the class from where the stopped at last, she had the images of the story playing out in something like a slow motion movie of grayscale, making her grow even more tired, that by the time the teacher told her to stop reading she was holding in another yawn. It was always like this in Advanced Literature. She couldn't wait till school was over, she didn't like not helping her dad, and she always carried a spare change of clothes so that she could go straight to work from school.

"Oi, Higurashi~!"

Kagome looked to see a boy on her right, she didn't know his name either, just someone in class that obviously paid enough attention to remember who she was.

"What happened to your arm? How did you get hurt?"

"Is there something you wish to share with the class, Nunda-San?"

"N-no! Sorry Sensei!"

Kagome watched the teacher turn his eyes to her, then to her arm. It was wrapped up, but the injury wasn't from yesterday or today, it had been from a week ago, a drilling accident which had left a graze from a drill across her arm. Nothing too bad, she just wrapped it to keep it clean until it was healed all the way up. Class ended and she left before anyone else could say anything to her, it was lunch time now, and she wanted to study and eat, possibly get her homework from her earlier classes finished before she went to her next class.

"Kagome-Chan!"

"Tomoka-Chan," Kagome turned at the voice of her friend only to be hugged tightly.

"Let's go!"

Lunch was canceled, as was studying, and homework...Tomoka clearly had other ideas for the day.

-x-x-x-

Me: Chapter One! Tell me what you think!