A/N: Heya, this is one of the chapters I've been raring to write. Kagome finally takes Sesshoumaru out downtown!
The weather was good. The azure skies were devoid of clouds, stretched wide as the eyes could see and the sun was bright—but it was a good kind of bright, and not the headache-inducing kind that sometimes pierced through the windows and into his eyes.
Sesshoumaru hung the clothes to dry on the laundry line behind the house, securing them with wooden pegs. He could hear the theme song of a popular Japanese drama series blaring from the television inside. He needed to complete this task on hand, now.
"Always whip the laundry before you hang it to dry! " Kagome's words echoed into his mind. "That way they won't get wrinkled! "
He whipped the shirt with a startling impatience.
"Ah, good morning!" A cheery, feminine voice pealed from the back door. It could only belong to one person—the mistress of the house. "Oh, you're doing laundry! Such an efficient housemate if I say so myself."
Sesshoumaru gave a slight glance. Kagome appeared with an extra-large smile on her face, the one that meant an agenda up her sleeves.
"No need to cook today, alright?" she told him. "We'll be having lunch outside today."
"Hn."
"Yes! I'm going to bring you out to town! And hopefully we'll get you some new things."
Sesshoumaru reached into the laundry basket, and Kagome's new expensive lace bra trailed from his grasp.
"Hey!" she called out. "Did you put that in the washing machine? I told you to hand wash only!"
A while later Kagome was drumming her fingers on the tabletop, looking at the wall clock. It was almost noon, and the sandwich breakfast she had two hours ago was paying no justice to her growling stomach.
He finally stepped out from his room. Kagome whistled. "Someone's lookin' lit."
Dressed in a lightweight sweatshirt and a pair of joggers, his new clothes complemented his build very well. They accentuated Sesshoumaru's tall, slim stature, fitting his well-rounded shoulders just nicely, and giving his legs a lengthened effect. As if his legs were not long enough, Kagome quickly chucked the thought away.
Amazing how a simple change of clothes could alter someone's outward impression, to the point that from a single glance he looked almost like a regular human male. Well, almost.
She shushed Sesshoumaru back into the room and pushed him before the mirror.
"There's just a teensy-weensy problem," Kagome said. "Look into the mirror. Do you see what I see?"
Sesshoumaru appraised his reflection with a critical eye. He preferred his traditional robes to anything else—at least they made him appear regal and self-important. His current garb had him looking like another peasant of the earth.
"Despite my peasantly clothes, I see a ruthless, dangerous daiyoukai out to conquer this world that he has set his eyes upon."
Kagome laughed nervously. "Yes, and he needs some form of disguise if he intends to go shopping, doesn't he?"
Suddenly she yanked down a beanie from nowhere down his face. The pair resisted each other in a peculiar struggle, as Sesshoumaru worked to remove the offending piece of accessory from his eyes.
"Release me this instant! "
"You need to hide your pointy ears and your bright hair and those funny markings on your scary demon face."
"Why must I? And those markings are not to be made light of—they are bearings of the noble inu-youkai clan, of which only esteemed members of the aristocracy are…"
An hour later, Sesshoumaru found himself sitting in a café, staring at an abstract painting on the wall as Kagome scarfed on a plate of fish and chips. Beanie on his head.
"Ohomon, wa dee wong fesh ?" she remarked through big spoon-fuls of fried dory. Oh come on, why the long face?
She swallowed her food. "I know you're not used to it—but look on the bright side. You can now easily walk around in public without anyone getting a heart attack. That's good for a start, isn't it?"
Sesshoumaru lashed her with a glare and she reeled back. "I have never found the need to blend myself among humans."
Kagome poked her fish with her fork. "Well you gotta now, if you intend to go outside."
Sesshoumaru had picked nothing from the menu, and whether it was because he really found no interest in actual food, or that he was too in a surly mood to eat, she was not quite sure. And here she thought they could have a nice lunch together.
After her meal was done, Kagome headed for the cashier. Turning, she discovered to her horror that their table was empty. She rushed out from the café in panic.
Sesshoumaru was surrounded by a group of high-school students, and fast the subject of their open-mouthed awe and whispers of astonishment. His beanie was past gone, his long silver hair cascading down his back in proud, mighty waves. Kagome smacked her forehead.
"Oh crap!" She made a mad dash towards the group, squeezing desperately through their bodies.
"You look so cool!" a boy was gushing.
"Your ears are like the real deal! It's crazy!" another girl cried.
"Sir, who are you cosplaying? Or is it like an original character you designed?" another boy enquired.
Kagome's face twitched as she faced the hoard of students beside him. "Hold on. You guys think he's cosplaying?"
"Well, yeah!" said the girl who had complimented on Sesshoumaru's ears. "This town is famous for its cosplayers roaming around the street. After all, the Tokyo Cosplay Committee is just a few blocks away!"
Sesshoumaru and Kagome stared at each other.
"You mentioned people would drop their things and scurry for safety at the actual sight of this Sesshoumaru," he said.
"Is that why you removed your beanie? So you could test that theory?"
"Indeed. Although it seems to have backfired—they actually seem impressed."
"Hey! We wanna take a selfie with you!" the girl chirped again.
"Well I'll be. Thank god for cosplay," Kagome muttered, dragging him away from the students as they called out in protest.
The pair began to stroll along the stores. Kagome tried hard not to be ruffled by the flabbergasted reactions of the passer-bys that rewarded their every step. She could only be comforted by a single thought: At least they think he's still human. Weirdo or not. As usual Sesshoumaru was taking everything well in his stride.
"What is a "SALE"?" he enquired, pointing to a large sign outside a Uniqlo store.
"It means the clothes are selling at a discount."
"What is a discount?"
But Sesshoumaru was mumbling to himself, as he disappeared into the store on his own, leaving a peeved Kagome behind.
"I shall acquire this, and this and this..."
"Hello sir," Kagome snapped around the bale of clothes he was tossing as he rounded all the displays, "do you think you own this place?"
"I was unaware shopping could be such a…" Sesshoumaru chose his words carefully as he continued down the redbrick-paved streets, a panting Kagome behind as she lugged his shopping bags, "…therapeutic experience."
"Of course it's therapeutic," she wheezed, "when you're not paying a single cent!"
"I see a peculiar structure in the far distance. Enlighten me, miko ," Sesshoumaru pointed ahead.
If it's another sale sign, I swear I'm gonna run amok , she thought. She looked up and instead her eyes met the large, conspicuous rim of a Ferris Wheel, its colourful lights softly blinking in the distance.
Her face softened. "There's an amusement park up front," she said. "It's been ages since I went there."
They sat across each other inside the Ferris Wheel. Both were silent, Kagome flat against her seat, catching a breather, while Sesshoumaru was distracted by the view outside the window. His eyes soaked in the breath-taking scenery of the bustling metropolis fringed by the dark blue ocean, a few centuries too late. She smiled, remembering her own reaction as a child.
"You know, couples usually go out like this," she said, glancing at the window. "Just one of those things that makes into a list of perfect date ideas."
Sesshoumaru's eyes slid to hers. "And a date is...?"
Kagome sat up rigidly. "Well, it's when two people are interested in each other and…"
She thought she heard a chuckle and before she knew it, Sesshoumaru had crossed over, filling the seat beside her. Her heart did a little jump.
"I know what it means. Remember how I said that I interpret words through their intent. Dating," he said, "It is the modern form of courting, no?"
"Yes, exactly," Kagome replied. Was he trying to tease her? She found herself subtly inching away from his sudden proximity. Sesshoumaru was too close—and she was forced to analyze the iridescent strokes of colour in his irises. Pretty. Very pretty but yup, we definitely need to talk about personal space tonight.
"I have seen my fair share of examples on television," he continued, as though it was a piece of knowledge worthy of sharing. Before she could comprehend his meaning, he leaned even closer. His breath was feathering on her face.
"Hah, I see." Kagome broke into a flimsy smile, trying her darndest to stay calm. "You're trying to go all Hollywood on me, Sesshoumaru?"
She could feel his body heat radiating against hers. Kagome felt herself hyperventilate—was the air hot or what?—and in the midst of distracting herself, her eyes flew to his hand between them.
She flinched at the sight. Sesshoumaru had quietly developed claws over the course of many months, and they shaped long and deadly-looking.
For one moment, she had forgotten who he truly was. Not human, her heart whispered.
"Do you mind if I ask something?" she then said softly. "Why were you haunting that old bridge?"
He finally moved away from her. It was evidently a subject he did not want to breach.
"I was guarding it," Sesshoumaru answered after a long silence.
Guarding for what? Guarding from who?
There were so many other questions left uncovered. Questions he would not answer properly. No, another few months had passed since the last time she asked and he still seemed content to not remember anything.
Or perhaps, he actually did remember. At least that was what it felt to her. If that was the case, then he was wrapping her around his finger, wasn't he, occasionally throwing bits of information here and there as and when he saw fit.
She did not know what the truth was anymore, or if there was any point in pursuing it. Suddenly Kagome felt as though it was not her who had been in control all along but rather he, Sesshoumaru, who had her waiting by his hand…
Kagome turned to the window. The sky was pink, the fading sun heading towards the indigo-streaked horizon. She decided not to be carried away by her thoughts, not when a beautiful scene laid before her eyes.
"I guess it's pretty late. And we've already got the things you wanted." She stared at the view, staring but not really staring. "Don't worry. We can always come here again. And I promise you the scenery outside the window never changes. The buildings near the sea line may be new, but the way the sky changes its colour, and the way the sea glitters when the sun dips down—it has always been the same."
There was no reply beside her. Sesshoumaru had conveniently lapsed into silence again.
Kagome flicked the amulet hanging by his neck after they got down from the bus.
"Better than bringing that urn around, right?" she said. What she did not know was that the amulet proved useless when she was close to him, something Sesshoumaru had kept to himself. As they rounded a corner, she put up a hand to stop them.
"One last stop beforehand, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said. "This is important for you. Anytime when I'm not home, and you gotta run for groceries, this is the place you go to," and she gestured to an unassuming settlement hulking beside a faulty streetlight, "the Family Mart!"
There was a young man squatting outside its premises, a cigarette burning between his fingers. The moment he saw Kagome approaching the doors, he quickly tossed his stick into a bin and wiped his hands behind his jeans. "Kagome-sama, welcome!"
"Hey!"
He greeted them with a short bow at the doors, and Sesshoumaru casted a glance to his nametag: Ichiro.
He stabbed the man with a vicious stare, a menacing growl forming, and would have thrown out a bark if Kagome had not pulled him.
"This is where you get the eggs," she pointed. She was guiding Sesshoumaru through a tour of the store, which as modest as it appeared, packed almost everything and anything she might need. "And this is the frozen section…"
"So I am expected to monitor our food supplies at home now," Sesshoumaru stated drearily, as she went on to teach him the subtle differences between mayonnaise brands.
"Don't give me that face. Not totally. I mean, I'm still in-charge of the groceries, but in case we're short of sugar or flour, you won't need to wait for me anymore. I guess this also means you'll have better freedom in your cooking plans, and not just restricted to whatever's in the kitchen."
"Hn. Understood."
Kagome placed her basket on the cashier counter. She smiled at the young man from before. He was only slightly older than her and exhibited quite a distinct sense of style—despite being in the service line, it did not deter him from sporting bleached hair or more specifically cornrows, for that matter. His left eyebrow and lips were also pierced.
"It's just you today, Ichiro-kun?"
"Yeah, Asano called in sick last minute. He's barely here that I betcha don't even know what the guy looks, right?" Ichiro snickered.
He then stole a glance at the tall weird-looking man beside Kagome. The creepy fellow had been staring at him non-stop ever since he stepped into the store. He should be the one doing the staring—because what's up with that get-up, man? Nobody cosplays in this part of the neighbourhood.
"Hey," Kagome said, realizing the two had set eyes on each other, "by the way Ichiro-kun, this is Sesshoumaru. He's new to the area, so any time you see him in the store, do say hello!"
Sesshoumaru offered a condescending sniff.
"That boy in the store," he said later, when they were home and he was helping her to sort out the groceries. The meat in the fridge, the salt and oil in the cabinets. "I do not like him."
"Gee, that's not a nice thing to say. I mean, he does look a bit unique, but—"
"I do not care about being nice. It is a petty form of diplomacy born to conform to a social construct." He exhaled a deep breath. "I did not like you either when we first met."
Kagome snorted a laugh. "You mean when I exorcised the hell out of you."
"No. When you pulled out my father's fang from the ground."
She stared at him for a moment, the tomato denting in her hand.
"You know what, I think it's possible after all," she said, narrowing her eyes. "That you're just purposely withholding information from our past."
"You slander me."
"Yeah, right."
"This Sesshoumaru requires to feed."
"There you go again, changing the subject."
A quiet growl rumbled from Sesshoumaru, so soft it sounded like a purr from his chest. He tugged on her sleeve, a delicate frown on his face.
Kagome rolled her eyes.
"I just don't know what to do with you sometimes." She waved her hand to dismiss him. "Go on, then. Wait for me by the altar."
As Kagome proceeded to take a knife and a bowl, the steel blade meeting blood, she wondered to herself just who was binded to whom.
To be continued...