Kagome looked through the store casually sifting through the evening dresses. It was a department store, post-prom, so a lot were on sale. They were also a pretty gaudy; great for young girls but definitely not appropriate for this club social. Sesshomaru had sent her the link to last year's event, just as he said he would, and she was blown away by the elegance. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to find anything in her budget, which was why she had called in the reinforcements. Sango had promised to meet her after work for some serious shopping. In Sango terms, that meant no idle socializing while slowly going through the shopping was on a budget, with a purpose, and very little nonsense in between.
"So why exactly are you prom shopping?" Sango asked, coming up behind her in the suit she wore to work and a frazzled expression on her face.
"Not prom. Formal dress. You remember my neighbors?"
"The super sexy Takashi brothers? Most definitely."
"Sango, you're engaged," Kagome admonished with a laugh.
"Doesn't keep me from looking or stating the truth. So you need a formal dress for something with them."
"Sesshomaru managed to attack my one true weakness and got me agree to attend a dinner at a country club and it's a formal event. I don't own a formal gown."
"Your one true weakness is udon, and I doubt you've exposed him to that yet. But the point is made, let's fine you something."
Kagome pulled out her phone and showed her some of the pictures she had saved from the website for reference. The mall didn't always have the best reception so she came prepared. "Kagome, most of these are designer dresses, probably personally fitted to these women."
Kagome's stomach began to flutter. Maybe she had made a mistake. Sesshomaru had given her an option of backing out, considering they were both exhausted when he asked, but she promised him it was okay as long as he wanted her there. But she couldn't afford anything designer and now she was legitimately worried if she was going to be an embarrassment to him.
"Maybe I should cancel after all," she whispered.
Sango whipped around, already holding two dresses up for Kagome to try on. "Super hot neighbor - the mature super hot neighbor - wants to take you to a high society function and you're going to back out? I think not. I came here after work, despite being exhausted, to help you find a dress and we'll do that if I have to make you try on every dress in this mall."
She handed over the dresses for Kagome to hold, pushed her purse further up her arm, then commanded Kagome to follow her as they began going through the racks again, this time more in earnest. More dresses were added to her queue until she finally had to give up carrying them by the hanger and instead draped them over both arms. After they had combed the entire department, Sango flagged down an employee to open a dressing room.
"Start with the black, silver, and purple ones because those are the most appropriate," Sango said, shoving her into the back, handicap dressing room.
She pulled a chair from the little sitting area at the front of the changing room near the tri-fold mirror right outside Kagome's room. "Really? Purple is the most appropriate?" Kagome asked as she and the employee hung up the dresses in her arm.
"Well, that's more just because I just like you in purple. It goes well with your complexion and gives your eyes this cool silver tone."
The employee gave Kagome a sympathetic look before backing out of the room. "If you ladies need anything else, let me know."
Sango thanked her, her no-nonsense persona stopping for a moment to make sure the woman knew she really did appreciate her help. Because that was the kind of person Sango was. Kagome closed the door and began to strip out of her own work clothes. Her purse she hung up on the wall but not before taking her phone out. She had a missed called from her mom and several texts from her neighbors - Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both - and another from a coworker. She texted her mom to ask if everything was okay, then made a few quick replies to the others. She added to Sesshomaru's reply that she was dress shopping.
Where at?
B Department store at the East Mall. Sango is here will me. I'm useless without her.
I'm not far from there. Mind if I join or are you almost done?
Not at all. We're currently in the lady's dressing room though.
Sesshomaru sent a wink emoji, not something she would attribute to him, but didn't reply any further. Sango had noticed her stalling. "I don't see any clothes hitting that ugly carpet. Come on Kagome, some of us have a ridiculous inept fiance to get home to."
Kagome threw her phone down on the fabric bench then began stripping down to just her underwear. Since most of evening wear seemed to require strapless bras, she had made sure to wear one that morning - though she hated herself for it after all the discomfort and the sly pulling her bra back up her body she had to deal with during the day. Choosing a tight, black trumpet fitted dress with a rhinestone studded halter strap that extended down below the low cut bust line, she slipped it on and did her best to zip it up. She got it most of the way, leaving just the top most undone.
"Okay, number one," Kagome announced, opening the door she stepped out, dragging the dress a little on her diminutive height, and gasping in shock as she saw Sesshomaru sitting next to Sango. He had a to-go cup of Starbucks in his hand, Sango holding another, a third in a cardboard carrier at his feet. He waggled his eyebrows at her.
"I'm not going to ask why they let you in here."
"I have to leave if any other customers come in," he explained. "Though if you can convince the associates you're gay then they don't care either way."
Kagome laughed a little and turned towards the mirror. "I'm going to have to wear tall heels regardless," she assessed. "No one expects people going anywhere with long dresses to be short. Must be a model thing."
Sango stood up and came behind her. She gave her a critical eye, made her twirl, then shook her head. "Definitely makes your boobs look great, but I think we can do better. Next!"
Kagome laughed a little, her cheeks dusted pink as she saw Sesshomaru staring at her with a little smirk on his face. She said nothing more but returned to the dressing room, catching Sango's under the breath comment of "you're not going to convince anyone that you're gay when looking at Kagome like that" she made to Sesshomaru as she took her seat.
Kaogme made quicker work of changing this time. One, she didn't have to return any text messages - her mom hadn't responded yet (no surprise there) and Inuyasha's response seemed like he was just talking to her out of boredom. Second, she had another person waiting on her and this person brought coffee that she didn't want to cool before she got done. She hung the dress back up on the hanger and then placed in on one of the hooks she had designated as the no's. Next to was the maybe hook and then across the way, next to her purse, would be the yes. She grabbed a purple one this time. It was strapless, again fitted through the corset, but then blossomed out at the hips into layers of thin fabric. Some of the layers had shimmer and stones in it that sparkled a bit as she moved in the light. She stepped out of the dressing room in this dress and walked straight to the mirrors.
"Told you purple was your colour," Sango replied, coming up and making Kagome do the flit and flitter thing again. She pulled at a few places, then had Kagome look forward into the mirror before standing to her side, gathering her hair up and holding it behind her. "Definitely an updo for this type of an event, and I think this dress would look beautiful on you."
Sango looked back at Sesshomaru, who had sat back in the chair and was just staring at her slowly rakeing his eyes over Kagome's body. "What do your males eyes say, Sesshomaru?"
"That it's beautiful. Though that may be more attributed to Kagome than the dress. I'll take care of jewelry. We have a ton of family stuff that never gets worn becasue well - I just don't think Inuyasha or I could pull off diamonds, if we're being honest - that you can borrow for the night."
"Oh, perfect," Sango said. "And I'll call in a favor to get your hair and makeup done."
They all fell silent and let Kagome stew a little on the dress a little. It was beautiful. Breaking the silence, Sango shooed her back into the dressing room again. "We have lots more to try on," Sango insisted to Kagome's groan.
Kagome went through the long pile of dresses, the sales lady coming in a few times to take away the nos as they went, until there were only a few left. Each time they went through the same routine. Kagome came out in a new dress and stood in front of the mirrors. Sango would pull up her hair, make comments if she liked or hated it and what they could do with the liked dresses in the form of hair, makeup, and accessories. Sesshomaru would speak up occasionally, but mostly just kept quiet. His only real contribution was when she came out in a demure looking black dress with long, sheer sleeves, and a high neckline. It was all mock modesty, as Kagome's face made obvious as she turned red walking out in front of the mirrors. When in the light, it became obvious the flowing dress was all sheer and the only thing covering Kagome was the black boy shorts and bando style bra that had been attached to the dress. Sesshomaru had sat up and leaned forward at that one, his breathing speeding up a bit. "Um, that's magnificent on you," he said in a breathy voice Kagome mistook as holding back laughter. "But I think it's not quite appropriate for this function. They tend to be a little bit more on the conservative side of things."
Kagome nodded fiercely and ran back into the dressing room, almost tripping. She missed the look Sango and Sesshomaru shared between them. Kagome stripped from that one quickly, immediately put it in the no hook, then sifted through the remaining dresses. There was one in a shimmering winter white that had been the last one they had added before going into the room. It was just an offhand grab that Kagome had noticed but they hadn't looked too much into it as they were shuffled inside to an opened room. She pulled it off the hanger. The actual fabric was stiffer than she expected for the shimmer that reflected from fabric and almost felt like scales (though thankfully in no way was actual reptile skin). It was in a trumpet style too. The straps and bindings were done in a shade darker of white that didn't have any of the shimmer. It wrapped across the edge of her shoulders than sank down to a plunging back and trimmed out the loop. In the front, the same loop was repeated, this time in a ruching manner that gave a modest cleavage unless you were looking straight down, or if she bent over. It was form fitted, not that there was much give, in that heavy fabric until it hit her knees. The actual trumpeting part at the bottom where it flared out at her knees was made of silkier material of the same colour and shimmer but slightly shinier. It allowed the dress to flow more too. Kagome walked out in this dress, directly to the mirror and tuned everything out. Sango, she heard, approached her to make a few comments, holding up her hair as she did so, but it was all just a passing interest to Kagome as she stared at herself.
"This is the one," she eventually said.
"Totally agree," Sango said. She had stepped back and let Kagome enter her own world. "Shoes are going to be fun to find though."
The employee came in and Sango approached her for advice on shoes for that dress. Sesshomaru took that moment to stand, putting his coffee back into the carrier, and approaching Kagome. He was oft to wear white, though perhaps not this shade. "You look stunning," he said to her quietly. "I mean, just beautiful."
He was breathless and his eyes unrelenting as he gazed at her. He reached out and moved some of her hair from her face to hook behind her ear. "I'll be the envy of everyone there."
Kagome's face screwed up in disbelief and shook her head. "It really is quite a stunning dress."
"Only because you're in it," he added.
He took a step forward so there was little room between the two of them, he towering over her. "Oh," he said with a bit of a chuckle. "There are parts of this dress I like even more now."
She rolled her eyes and pushed back at him until he took a few steps back. "When you get comfortable around someone, you have a similar sense of humour to Inuyasha's, you know that?"
"It's our dad's sense of humour, I'm afraid. Inherited. Though he and I at least know how to apply it tactfully."
"Perhaps," she said with a wink. "I'm going to change."
"Oh, not yet," Sango called. "The associate is going to grab a few shoes she thinks will go well with it. We can try them on now with the dress."
Kagome let out a deep sigh and looked accusingly to Sesshomaru. "You owe me big time for this one," she said. "She may not seem it from the day to day, but Sango looooves this girly dress up shit. I'm effectively her Barbie doll until this is over."
"I apologize, though I'm not sorry. But I do agree," he added at her frown. "I owe you big time. I suppose you can start thinking up how I can make it up to you between now and then."
"You better believe I am."
Sesshomaru chuckled, his voice deep and his face downturned. Kagome frowned at him and brought a hand up to bring the fabric at her bust flush against her chest. "I'll choose another dress if you can't stop looking down this one."
