She panted, arms aching. Sweat ran into her eyes and her heart pounded with adrenaline. She looked as far out of the corner of her eye as she could, waiting for the signal. The other girl's arm came down and Kagome began to move, as high on her toes as she could get, struggling to move out of Shippo's way and be exactly where she needed to be. Then she took a deep breath and began to play with the rest of her section.

Music was life to her. She dreamed of one day being a professional Horn player. She loved the rush of adrenaline that flooded her body whenever she was in front of a crowd, whether it was in a concert setting or out on the football field during marching band. She loved the callous on her pinky from her marching horn and the way she could always sing the music she wanted to play. She loved watching people's eyes widen when the first note came from her bell and she loved the ache of her muscles after a Friday or Saturday performance.

As the entire band played the last note of the show, Kagome felt as if she could fly. Her horn went down precisely in time with the Drum Majors and she turned in unison with the band to exit the field.

And the roar of the crowd at State finals warmed her to her soul.

They rushed back to the buses to put their instruments away and Kagome met up with her friend Sango, the captain of the saxophones. Sango played a Bari Sax named Hiraikotsu, after a weapon her ancestors had used. They leapt at each other squealing.

"That was so great!"

"I know! I can't believe we even made it to finals our first year at state! And we got fourth in semi-finals!" The girls embraced tightly.

"No PDA in uniform," Kagome's mentee, Shippo, joked.

The two junior girls rolled their eyes at him and continued talking.

They took off their hats and jackets together, chattering the entire time. Sango lined up her section behind the Horns so they could continue talking quietly.

"So, the guy you like goes to Asuwa High, right?" Kagome asked.

Sango turned red. "I do not like him!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at her and Sango fidgeted. "Okay, I do. But he's such a perv that I shouldn't, okay? And yes, he goes to Asuwa."

"They win every year. What does he play?"

"Alto."

"Cool. I totally have to meet him! He was in All-State last year, right?"

"That's where I know him from."

"Funny, I don't remember him..."

Sango snorted. "That's because you were too busy fighting off Hojo when you weren't busy impressing the band director."

Kagome laughed sheepishly. Sango pushed her gently and she saw she was being left behind. She ran to catch up with her hands behind her back, as was required of the people in her band. As officers, she and Sango tried to set the example.

They got to the stadium and sat down to watch the other bands. 5A bands, the largest and the category they were in had gone first and the rest were out of order, since the 3A bands had to come from a stadium farther away. They got there just in time to see Asuwa go on. Asuwa was the band that usually won Grand Champion of the 5A category at state.

Kagome was impressed as they marched, creating almost perfect lines and curves. The balance between sections was excellent, especially considering the dome, but Kagome had also been impressed with Miyagi Gakuen High School, the school that had won prelims. Kagome thought they were equal in talent until the final piece.

A young man stepped out from the ranks. His skin shone moonlight pale even to the people in the stands. He towered over the musicians nearby and his posture was ramrod straight. He shifted a bit then began to play his Baritone.

Kagome's heart fluttered and her cheeks paled then warmed again. Her breath quickened then almost stopped all together. She melted. The warm sounds coming from his bell made her want to drop her $6,000 Hans Hoyer horn in a river and pick up the Baritone. She was completely incapable of taking her eyes off of him. Even when he stepped back into the ranks, her eyes followed him, even off of the field.

"-ome. Kagome!" Sango said shaking the stupefied Horn player.

"Huh? What?"

"Are you okay? Your mouth was just kinda hanging open. I thought you were about to drool on yourself or something."

Kagome blushed. "I just saw God."

"What?"

Kagome shook her head, smiling. "Nothing."

Eventually they left to get ready for the awards retreat. They pulled on their jackets, pulled back their hair, put on bucket hats, and checked their officer bars. Kagome fidgeted with her captain bars, then fidgeted with Sango's. Shippo came too close and she insisted on checking his uniform to ensure there were no buttons missing. She was uniform captain after all.

In line, the three friends chattered nervously to one another. They were all excited about being at state. Shippo was a freshman, so it was an especially exciting experience for him.

"Think Kagome, maybe next year, when we're seniors, we'll be second or third!" Sango said.

The Asuwa band stepped up beside them. "Sango, my love!"

Sango turned red and turned around. "Hello Miroku."

The black-haired, violet-eyed man hugged her. "So good to see you! I missed you my love!" Kagome's eyes widened as she saw his hand wander farther south, to Sango's backside.

"Hentai!"

"So Sango, who is this?" Kagome asked, interrupting her murderous rage with an amused tone of voice.

Sango looked back to her friend. "Kagome, this is Miroku. Miroku, Kagome."

"Sango, love of my life, will you consent to bear my children?"

Sango blushed again. "No you hentai!"

Kagome's eyes slipped past the squabbling couple and landed on two silver haired boys with pale skin. Both hand ponytails reaching to their tailbones, but one's features were rougher and more expressive than the other's.

"Kagome here was practically drooling over your soloist earlier," Sango informed Miroku, trying to change the subject from her bearing his children to something more appropriate.

"Sango!" Kagome flushed in embaressment.

"Oh really?" Miroku asked with an odd gleam in his eye.

Both boys were looking over at them now. One had an irritated look on his face while the other, the prettier one, just looked bored. However, when his eyes met Kagome's, she felt her heart skip and her breathing hitch. He suddenly looked more interested as well.

Miroku ran over and put his arm around that boy's shoulders. "Well what a coincidence! This is the honored soloist here! Kagome, meet Sesshomaru."

"The arrogant, lucky bastard," muttered his brother.

"That, little brother is you," Sesshomaru said with an almost scary calmness.

"Shut the Hell up!" Inuyasha said, straining to reach past Miroku to hit his elder brother.

"Why little brother, did you just curse in uniform? I believe that's points off your grade. And God knows you need them."

"Shut up! I'm first percussionist and you know it, so just shut up!"

"And this fine young gentleman is Inuyasha," Miroku informed an incredulous Kagome.

"I... see. Pleasure to meet you."

Sesshomaru looked back at her with a hidden interest and locked eyes with her. She felt her heart flutter yet again and saw the yokai smirk. She blushed and struggled to think of something to say that wouldn't embarrass her.

"Your solo was beautiful. It almost made me want to switch to Baritone," Kagome told him.

"Hn. Thank you. It wasn't very difficult."

"I understand. But making it sound that beautiful is."

Sesshomaru looked away. He heard her heart flutter every time he locked eyes with her and was almost afraid he'd cause her permanent damage if he kept looking. For some reason, he didn't want to hurt her.

"I'd be willing to bet you win the award for best soloist."

"He did!" Miroku said cheerfully. "The band director told us this morning."

"Congratulations," Kagome said softly.

Sango watched her intently. She'd never seen Kagome act this way before, not in their seven years of friendship.

Sesshomaru nodded, but did not look at her. Kagome's heart ached briefly, until Sesshomaru spoke. "What do you play?"

Inuyasha and Miroku turned shocked eyes on one another.

Kagome smiled. "French Horn. Marching Horn in marching band, obviously."

Sesshomaru nodded and risked a glance at her. One gold eye saw her smiling at him, blue-grey eyes crinkled and the other eye had to follow.

"Kagome wants to be a professional horn player, don't you Kags?" Sango said, nudging Kagome in the ribs.

Kagome nodded. "Yup."

"Are you in All-State?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes."

"She's first chair too," Sango inserted.

"You must be very good. I am first chair as well."

The lines began to move, so the teens stopped talking. They were lined up in blocks by category, band, and in descending point order.

When Sesshomaru's name was called for the best soloist of 5A, Kagome stared intently at the screen, not noticing Sango's amused look.

Finally, after everything, State Marching Band Competition was over. Asuwa had gotten first and Kagome's band had stayed in fourth. They were thrilled to even get to the finals, much less place higher than fifth. Running on that high, the bands went back to their respective buses.

Kagome took off her uniform, hurriedly pulling on a pair of sweatpants over her shorts and a jacket over her band shirt to ward off the frigid November air. She got her uniform and hat under the charter bus and climbed up into it, sighing in contentment as she settled into her seat.

"Uh... Kagome?"

Kagome opened her eyes and smiled at Hiko, the freshman trumpet player that had called her name. "What's up?"

"Um... there's someone from Asuwa looking for you outside."

Kagome looked out the window and saw Sesshomaru standing away from the chaos of cold, rushed band members. She smiled and stood, hurrying off the bus, against the flow of people.

"Hi Sesshomaru."

"Kagome." Sesshomaru took his cell phone from the pocket of his shorts. "I apologize if I seem too bold, but I'd like to see you again. Perhaps as a date. May I have your number?"

Kagome blushed, seeming more like a cherry than a person. "Um... sure, I'd like that too." She took his cell phone and tapped in her number. "I'd ask for yours, but we're not allowed to have cell phones out on band trips."

Sesshomaru smirked. "Neither are we." He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek and left, leaving Kagome to wallow in her shock.

Kagome got back on the bus, still in shock. Sango poked her in the back. "No PDA in uniform," Sango said in a tone too grave to be serious.

Kagome just stuck her tongue out at her.

A month later, a bouquet of flowers was delivered to Kagome's school for her. She ignored the glares of the ladies in the office and read the tag.

I hope you enjoy the flowers, though they are not nearly as beautiful as you. Please meet me at your school gate at three this afternoon.

-Sesshomaru

Kagome smiled and held the flowers closer. She had talked to Sesshomaru every night after the competition. His sharp wit fascinated her as much as his musicianship had. She carried the vase back to class with her, ignoring the questions of her peers.

That afternoon, Sesshomaru escorted her to a movie, then to dinner. After eating at a sit-down restaurant, Sesshomaru escorted her to his car, holding her door open for her.

"Close your eyes," he told her.

Kagome shot him a suspicious look but did as she was told. About ten minutes later, the car stopped.

"Keep your eyes closed."

He opened her door for her and took her hand with one of his while the other covered her eyes. Kagome heard waves in the background and felt the firm asphalt give way to sand. After a minute of walking on the sand, Sesshomaru gently helped her sit.

"Open your mouth," he ordered.

Kagome obeyed. A second later she tasted chocolate.

"Bite."

Kagome again did as she was told and was greeted with a strawberry.

"You may open your eyes now."

Kagome did and saw a blanket layed out with a cooler with strawberries in it and a tub of dipping chocolate. Kagome smiled. "Thank you Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru just leaned toward her to kiss her, smearing the chocolate from her lips onto his.

They fed each other the strawberries, rubbed chocolate across one another's lips, and watched the sun set. When the sun was gone, Sesshomaru wrapped them in an extra blanket and they stared at the stars together.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome whispered.

"Hn?"

"It might be too soon to say this, but..." she hesitated and Sesshomaru turned his head to look at her. Kagome fidgeted with the edge of the blanket, pushing her sleeves back when they got in the way. "But I think... I know... that I love you." She didn't look at him.

Sesshomaru gripped her chin so she was looking at him and kissed her. "It's not too soon."

Kagome cuddled up with him, stealing his body heat to keep warm in the cold winter night.