Convivial

Chapter 10: Opposite Day

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

The dull gray of the sky loomed, stretching into the distance, and not for the first time that week she wished for giant blinds to go over the wide expanse of windows that made the outer walls of the condo. For the past two weeks it had been nothing but gray clouds covering the sun and keeping everything shadowed and dim. Even studying was becoming difficult, the oppressive weight of the gloomy sky bearing down on her from the other side of the glass like an unseen hand.

"Argh," She growled, running her hands through her hair. The front door chose that moment to open, and Sesshoumaru stepped in. She turned, ready for any distraction from her paper and the uncooperative weather. He removed the bracelet with a fluid grace that bespoke years of habit and his features paled and bled into their natural state.

"You look frustrated," He observed quietly as he sat the bracelet down and removed his suit jacket. Even though she'd been living with him for months, the sight of him in a tie was still jarring, and she was grateful he was removing it and laying over the back of the couch with his jacket.

"The weather sucks. I can't concentrate at all," She admitted, righting herself in the chair as he walked over and took a seat across from her at the table.

"It is winter," He replied in an even voice, eyes going to the cloud muddied sky outside of the condo.

"I know," She groaned, tilting her head back to look at the ceiling. "But it's been like this for two weeks. Barely any sun, no warmth unless I'm in here, and everything is just dead. Even the park looks like it got hit by death. Gray, everywhere."

When she leaned forward to prop her chin on her hands, he was watching her intently, looking vaguely amused.

"When is your paper due?"

"Not for another week," She grumbled, looking down at the offending text and notebook. Her notes were little more than absent scribbles and meandered over the page, a sure sign she was getting antsy.

"You have class tomorrow, don't you?"

She nodded, wondering what he was thinking. When he shrugged and gave her an indulgent smile, she stuck her tongue out and watched him leave the table. He said nothing further as he padded over to the kitchen to begin their evening ritual of making dinner. Giving up on her paper for the moment, she followed.

"You will learn to cook tonight," He rumbled in his quiet way, tone authoritative.

"I can cook," She retorted, watching as he pulled out the paper package he'd brought home the day before. Several other objects followed, each sat on the counter with care before he turned to her with an arched brow.

"Ramen and other instant foodstuffs do not count as cooking."

"I can boil-"

"Wash your hands," He rumbled, brow arching even further.

"Yes, alpha," She muttered, washing her hands in the sink before moving so that he could wash his own.

The array of vegetables on the counter was impressive, and there was fruit as well. Still unsure what was in the butcher's package, she waited patiently as he finished. Within seconds he was at the cutting board, unwrapping the package in his hands.

"Tonight we'll experiment," He told her, voice warm as he revealed two large, red steaks. "This is salmon."

Experimenting was her forte. She'd done it countless times in the past. But that had been because desperate times called for desperate measures. The two fillets he was handling looked expensive and tasty enough on their own. With her luck, she'd not only make them inedible, but set the kitchen on fire in the process.

"Come here," He commanded. She stayed right where she was, staring the fillets down. An exasperated sigh breathed out, the only sign of his impatience as he took her by her wrist and pulled her toward the cutting board.

"I don't think-"

"I do. Listen to your alpha," He commanded, voice giving little room for argument. She had to try anyway.

"Sesshoumaru, the last time I cooked anything, re-hydrated youkai demolished half of my school," She warned.

"This salmon will not come back to li-You tried cooking youkai and brought them back to life?" He asked, her words catching up with him. His incredulous look was so out of place she would have laughed in other circumstances. But it was directed at her. Because of something she'd done. Which meant it wasn't funny.

"I didn't know boiling them would bring them back to life," She muttered, flushing hotly. He was quiet for a moment before his brow relaxed and a smile tilted up one corner of his mouth. The laughter in his eyes remained, however.

"This salmon will not come back to life," He told her, finishing his earlier statement. "Right now we're going to give each one a simple rub."

"A rub?" She imagined caressing the fillet. It was a laughable image where Sesshoumaru massaged the fish.

"Yes, hand me the herbs I pulled out." She turned and grabbed the small bundles of fresh herbs. He looked at each one and picked four before giving her the others to put back in the fridge. When she turned back to him, he was mincing them so quickly that she was sure he would cut himself with the knife he was using. The sound of the knife hitting the big wooden cutting board echoed through the apartment as he turned all four bundles into small piles of greenery.

"This is a dry rub, which means I won't be putting them in oil first," He told her as he mixed the ingredients. "Come here."

She stood next to him and watched as he grabbed a handful of the chopped greenery and began rubbing it into the red meat of the fish. His fingers were sure and firm as he handled the fillet, and she realized she had been right. He was massaging it.

Despite her own misgivings about their venture, her mind flashed over to an image of him massaging her, which was as surprising as it was unwelcome. As soon as the image popped up, she was stuffing it down into the box it had sprung from with a stern lecture.

"Do you see?" He asked, completely oblivious to her blush, for which she thanked the gods.

"Yeah," She mumbled, taking the other fillet and trying not to flinch at the feel of it in her hands. The meat was smooth and slippery, and the herbs were soft, almost crushed from his earlier ministrations with a knife. Mimicking his movements, she awkwardly rubbed the herbs into the meat, willing her blush away.

"It's alright, I know you haven't done this before," He murmured as he continued. "Be light, or you could make the meat fall apart."

He thought she was embarrassed because she didn't know what she was doing. Good. Better than the alternative. Making her grip lighter, she continued until he sat his own fillet down and reached for a baking dish. In seconds he had them sitting in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap to sit.

"What now?" She murmured as he gave her a knife and began washing a pear.

"Now we experiment," He chuckled and gave her the pear. "Chop that."

He picked vegetables at random, sometimes asking her what she thought would taste good, and halfway through came up with the idea for pear salsa, which made her wonder if he even had taste buds. But she accepted the other ingredients and chopped and minced dutifully, putting them into a bowl when she was finished.

He used a spoon to taste it, eying the bowl thoughtfully as he handed the spoon to her with an air of absentmindedness. She tasted it, surprised that it actually did prove to be good.

"It's missing something," He murmured, looking to her.

"Ginger?" She ventured hesitantly, afraid she was saying something stupid. But it lacked bite, and she liked the taste of ginger. He nodded once, smiling as he turned and rummaged through the cupboard. The powdered ginger was peppered in lightly and she stirred as he did, surprised by the content smile lazing on his lips.

When he tasted it again, the smile widened slightly, an almost miniscule amount, but she noticed. Right up until he filled the spoon up again and offered it to her. She took the bite and chewed thoughtfully before swallowing and smiling widely.

"It's good," She said, flushing under his intent stare. He nodded once and took the bowl from her, wrapped it and sat it in the fridge.

"Now we wait for both to marinate before cooking the salmon," He told her. "And you need to work on your paper."

She nodded, feeling less antsy than she had before. When she sat back down to her paper, he brought his laptop and worked across from her, fingers tapping lightly on the keys as he worked on a project of his own. Able to finally focus on her work, she barely noticed when he stood, jumping when his clawed finger tapped her shoulder lightly.

"We're not finished yet," He chuckled, leading her back into the kitchen. She watched as he took out the salmon and grabbed a pan from the rack hanging from the ceiling. With a careless splash he put something into the pan and turned on the stove, then put the salmon, herbs and all, into the pan.

"You know fish is done when it begins to flake," He told her, turning the fillets over.

Slightly awed by his ease in flipping the fillets by tossing the pan, she listened with half an ear. She knew he liked cooking, but she'd never taken the time to notice his comfort while he did so. It fit with the new Sesshoumaru, but it was still strange to her. He was completely relaxed, completely at ease with himself.

"These are almost done," He said, glancing at her. "Would you like to set the table?"

She took that as a quiet command to clear the table, their work going onto the coffee table and plates being set out. He warmed up rice and seconds later he was bringing over two plates that looked like he had whisked them away from some five star restaurant.

"This is good," She exclaimed after a tentative bite. He nodded, obviously savoring the food he was chewing. The salsa was cool, and the salmon warm, the rice perfectly fluffy. She felt a moment of amazement and triumph. She had cooked something and the apartment was still in one piece. And it was delicious.

Dinner was finished in silence, and after she'd immersed herself in her paper, he surprised her with a cup of hot chocolate before retreating to his room.

The morning sky was cloudy and gray, just as it had been the day before. Since she was still learning to drive and had no license, she shivered and chattered all the way to the bus stop. Other students were shivering as well, and she prayed to the gods to keep it from raining. The skies threatened to open up at any moment and drop a deluge on their heads.

But when she arrived, the sleek silver sports car was waiting on her, the driver quiet as she gratefully yanked the door open and hopped in, feeling only mildly sorry for her fellow students as they stared enviously.

"Thanks, it's so cold today," She mumbled, unwinding her scarf in the warmth of the car.

"One does not let pack fall ill," He chuckled as she relaxed into the heated seats, instantly feeling like a melting ice cube. Intent on savoring the warmth, she barely noticed that they missed the turn to go back to their apartment. Confused when she saw that they were traveling further and further from their building, she turned to Sesshoumaru with a questioning glance.

"It's a surprise," He murmured, not even looking at her as he navigated traffic. She nodded, even more confused than she was before. When she saw the airport, she looked at him again, hoping for an answer. None was forthcoming as he parked.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," He repeated as they got out. Now bewildered by his actions, she followed him inside, missing her scarf as he walked past everyone to the security checkpoint and flashed a card. They were ushered away from everyone else and led away from the crowds and directly past other checkpoints. She could hear planes rumbling outside of the building, and the noise became louder until they finally came to an exit. The man that had walked with them bid them a quiet goodbye, almost lost in the vibrations of the walls before Sesshoumaru nodded and opened the door.

A small jet was waiting, stairs down, and a man in a pilot's uniform was waving at them, holding onto his hat.

"Sesshoumaru-"

"Surprise," He told her, walking to the jet. Following like a lost puppy, she was grateful for the hand he offered to help her up the stairs, her extra layers of clothing making it difficult to get up on her own. The jet was small enough that it only had eight seats, but it was luxurious for it's smallness. Feeling pampered as she took a seat, he took the one across from her and smiled at her apparent awe.

"Sesshoumaru, I have no idea what you're planning, but this-"

"Is my jet," He informed her, his voice hinting at laughter.

"You have a jet?" It sounded so dumb, and she knew it did, but still. His own jet?

"I have had a surplus of time to accumulate wealth, and it aids in my work with the council." He was removing his suit jacket and smiling, obviously pleased with himself as she began shrugging out of her own jacket. The interior was warm and since she figured they had time, she made herself comfortable.

The plane took off smoothly, so much so that she barely noticed it's ascent. After fifteen minutes of sitting in silence, he stood and walked to a small cupboard and pulled out two plates. They proved to be better than any food she'd eaten on a flight, the steak still perfectly warm and the vegetables crisp.

"Sesshoumaru, when will you tell me where we're going?"

"I won't. You'll see when we get there."

Insufferable really, but she let it slide. After all, he had obviously put some thought in to the surprise, and she didn't want to ruin it by poking too much. Besides, the view from the windows took them above the oppressive clouds, and she savored the blue of the sky as the jet took them closer to their destination.

Too soon the pilot announced that they would begin their descent momentarily, and she leaned back, once again allowing curiosity to get the better of her. Before she could ask however, Sesshoumaru was leaning forward, a sleeping mask in his hands.

"What?" She stuttered, leaning away from the mask.

"A surprise," He rumbled, looking slightly chagrined. Afraid of making him angry after the effort he'd put into the surprise, she allowed him to slip it over her head, leaving her world in darkness.

The plane descended with little fanfare, and he helped her into her jacket and then led her slowly but surely off of the jet itself, giving her support so that she didn't stumble down the stairs. His hand was strong, warm beneath her own as he led her to a car where he helped her sit, and then closed the door. Every sound was magnified, and she struggled for clues to their location, but heard only cars and planes, until even the sound of the planes faded.

"Are we on a highway?" She asked as they drove.

"We are," He acknowledged.

"Can't I at least have a clue?" She whined.

"No."

"Alpha-"

"Correct."

"Please."

"No."

"Just one hint," She begged while fidgeting, wishing she hadn't agreed to wear the sleep mask.

"Patience."

"I suck at that."

"Now is the time to practice," He told her, voice lilting with laughter again. Huffing and crossing her arms, she slumped in her seat and tried to listen for any other noises. An eternity passed, marked only by the sound of cars fading from dozens into a few, and then into the solitary sound of their own driving along.

When he stopped and turned the car off, her hands were at the mask, ready to take it off. A noise in the back of his throat stopped her however, and she let them fall back to her sides. Patiently waiting for the moment he took the mask off, she let him open her door and lead her out. The air was warmer by far, and she took off her coat, letting him take it. Her long sleeved shirt and sweater proved to be enough as he took her hand in his large one, devoid of claws, and begin guiding her.

As the ground became uneven, she held more tightly to his rough, callused hand in an attempt to keep from falling. When he stopped she turned to where she thought he was.

"We are at stairs. Would you like to walk or-"

"Or?" She asked.

"We are the only ones here that I can sense, I can carry you up them much more quickly." His voice held an eager note, and she smiled at the sound, strangely warmed by it.

"What does the mighty alpha prefer?" She asked, unable to stop her giggle.

"I have always preferred the efficient method."

"Efficient it is," She laughed, the gasped as he picked her up in his arms. She had expected a piggyback ride, similar to Inu Yasha. But he was holding her close, grip tight as the air rushed around them. His chest was solid beneath her face, and despite the rushing of air she could hear his heartbeat, strong and sure.

When he sat her down, she could hear and taste the salt of the sea air, and for an unsteady moment she wondered if he'd taken her to the beach.

The blindfold came off, and she gasped, eyes immediately taking in the sight of the sea stretching forward into the distance. The sun was still hidden behind clouds, but they held little of the gray gloominess of Tokyo's skies, and the sea was dark blue, the white waves cresting in the distance.

She spun to thank him for bringing her when she saw it. Behind him were bits of pink speckling the trees, which had leaves. Green, vivid leaves.

"We're at Nago," She breathed, eyes widening as she walked over to the cherry blossom tree with it's light green foliage and multitude of unopened buds. There were a handul of open blossoms, giving her a view of what would come in later weeks, reminding her of what would soon come in Tokyo.

"You said everything seemed dead in the city," He murmured as he came up next to her. Long tapered fingers moved over her head to break a small twig from the branch, an open cherry blossom resting on the tip. When he held it out to her, she cradled it in her palm, as awed by it as she was by the fact that he'd flown her almost a thousand miles so she could see the first blooms of the trees.

"Sesshoumaru," She murmured, voice wobbling dangerously.

"Was this not-" He began, looking, for the first time, slightly uncertain.

"Thank you," She mumbled, throwing her arms around him, careful not to crush the delicate bloom in her hand. "This is amazing."

"I'm glad."

And he sounded truly glad that she was so happy. Taking his hand, she led him down a path, away from the sight of the sea and into the grove of trees. Ignoring the set path, she pulled him down the mountain and into the thick of the cherry blossom trees. Some where blooming more than others, but all of them were vivid and bright after the past weeks in the city. Breathless and giddy, she drunk in the sight of them, tried to memorize every tree as she laughed like a child while he let her lead him along.

Time lost meaning as they meandered, and when the sun began it's descent, he began leading her once again. They came back to the mountaintop, and she held the flower close to her heart, silently watching the sun set with him. At first it was barely noticeable, and they both sat, eyes on the china sea. Tired from her explorations, she leaned against him and didn't complain when his arm went over her shoulder.

The sun's setting became more vivid, more intense as reds and pinks and oranges tinted the sky in vivid contrast to the blue sea. The water seemed to catch fire for a breathtaking moment, earning another delighted gasp. His rumbled of agreement thrummed through her, and she looked up at him, surprised to see that he'd removed the bracelet while she'd been looking at the ocean. His own features were tinted with golds and reds and oranges, making his eyes all the more vivid and alive.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Hnn?"

"Thank you for this, it's wonderful."

He rumbled again, almost a purr. Falling back into their companionable silence, she watched the sun sink lower and lower, the world growing darker as it disappeared little by little. His body was solid and warm next to her own, strong. Snuggling deeper into his warmth as the sea air grew cooler, she watched the last sliver of the sun disappear with no little regret.

But their viewing was apparently not over. One by one the stars began to appear, and she found a new delight in the night. As the hour grew late, more and more stars seemed to burst into being, catching her notice and making her sigh in appreciation.

"It's late," He murmured. Understanding the gentle nudge for what it was, she stood and stretched, eyes still on the stars. Wordlessly he picked her up, and she let him, this time enjoying the short flight down the mountain even more now that she could see. All the world was a blur except for his face and the stars beyond it.

Still awed by the magnitude of the gesture, she remained silent, almost dazed as they drove back to the airport and parked in the hangar next to the jet. She was pleased that when they were finally above the clouds again, the stars were vivid and bright, and looked almost close enough to touch. Dinner was likewise a silent affair as she stared out the window, not even tasting her food.

Tokyo was a loud, bright city in the darkness, and despite that it was unable to break through her haze of quiet pleasure. They were in a bubble as they traveled through the world, one that sounds bounced off of in deference to their companionable silence. Even the elevator seemed to open and close more quietly as they waited to step into their apartment.

It wasn't until they were about to part ways for their rooms when she stopped him, and hand on his arm.

"I can't thank you enough," She murmured, smiling softly up at him. "For last night or today. It's helped and been-" She paused, unsure of what to say next. "Marvelous," She finally finished, hoping the simple word conveyed her gratitude.

"I wish to see you happy," He answered, as if the answer was obvious. She nodded in return, smile widening just a little.

"Good night, alpha."

"Good night, Kagome."

As her eyes closed for the night, the last thing she saw was the tiny flower on her nightstand.