"Kagome, hurry up! We don't want to miss the sale!" Yuka called back to her friend as she and Eri hurried forward into the crowds of busy shoppers. There was a supreme sale at one of the department stores downtown and the four girls had rushed after school to compete for half off products.
"Coming!" Kagome hollered back, her arm linked with Ayumi as they attempted to hurry. Following Eri's guidelines of the buddy system, Yuka and Eri had teamed up as they were far more determined to get what they wanted, whereas Ayumi and Kagome were more tagging along. "Jeez she's acting like the sale didn't just start."
"You know Yuka," Ayumi chuckled, "She's in it to win it." The two girls both shook their heads at their friend's antics as they spotted her jabbing a fellow classmate to get ahead.
Once inside the department store, the pair understood Yuka's distress. There were hundreds of people swarming the cosmetics department.
"Any chance you would want to grab a frappuccino instead?" Kagome asked her partner, still linked at the elbow. Ayumi nodded without hesitation.
Retreating from the bustling crowd, they found themselves at the coffee kiosk just beyond the cosmetics section next to men's clothing.
"What a relief," Kagome plopped down at a small cafe table. Loosening her red scarf, she exhaled her stress. "It's not even December yet and everyone's already nuts about these sales."
"After today, I think I'll stick to online shopping." Ayumi loosened her own purple plaid scarf and sipped her mocha frappuccino.
Kagome was truly relieved to have spent the past week at home sans her YANA training and any meetings that came with it. Her archery practice was cancelled for all of seven days now, and she was anticipating a fresh start come Monday morning, but it was already the early evening, and still no word from Sesshou. No calls from the instructor. Not even a text to see how she was doing.
"I'm so glad your boss gave you a break from your internship, Kagome." Ayumi cradled her cup close as she leaned back into her chair. She knew how their friends shopped; they would be there a while.
"Mhm," Kagome agreed, "But is it weird I miss it?"
Ayumi shook her head no, and Kagome could see without a doubt, that she meant that. Her aura was a gentle lavender. Ayumi was more soft spoken and optimistic than their other two friends, and Kagome often found herself relishing the calm that followed Ayumi. Now she could see it. Her aura was almost always pastel and comforting, like a baby's first blanket. Being near her was soothing.
"You've worked really hard." Ayumi's pride was visible in her aura, with a rosy magenta wave running through the sunset of color surrounding her. "Especially with everything you've had to deal with all of these years with your illnesses. Yana Corp could be the start of your future, Kagome. We're all rooting for you."
"Thanks, Ayumi." Kagome leaned on her elbow, absorbed in her friend's ever changing aura. There was a splash of the rain that she saw in her mother's aura: sadness and fear. Kagome never considered that her friends might fear for her life when she had to lie about having cancer when she had first returned home permanently.
"I think Inuyasha would've wanted you to be happy." Ayumi wouldn't meet her friend's eyes this time. She knew he was a sensitive subject, but she felt like it needed to be said. Nearly all of them had toed around the subject, but now things were different. Kagome had come alive in the past few months. She was working harder than ever to do good in school, learn from her archery practice, help more around the shrine, and spent countless hours being involved with this new internship. Maybe it was time someone told her.
Kagome was stunned. With having seen his literally ghost just a week ago, it was like the shadow of the subject lingered. She spoke with her mother many nights, just the two of them over tea about the occurrence, and now Ayumi was on it too. Maybe there was something to it.
I'm where I'm supposed to be.
So maybe she was too.
You're with people who love you.
She had been too afraid to look away at the time, but she knew Sesshou was nearby. With just a glance, Inuyasha had confirmed that his brother was her pack. There was always going to be a familial tie between them, despite blood and despite mating or marriage, they would be family forever. Because of Inuyasha.
And she missed Sesshou. Terribly. The first few days without him, she figured he was allowing her to grieve again, which she appreciated, but it wasn't necessary. She needed him just as much, if not more so now.
You're with people who love you.
She blushed. She remembered how concerned he was over her at the hotel in California.
You'll be the death of me.
His words were of annoyance, but soft with fondness. He would always care for her. And she relished that moment now, looking back. He was so close…
"I'm so sorry to bring him up, Kagome," Ayumi laid her hand over Kagome's. "I just wanted to remind you that you can't punish yourself. You deserve the chance to love again."
Ever the romantic, that Ayumi. Kagome snorted.
"Sorry, Ayumi," Her laugh relieved her worried friend, "I was just lost in thought. I know I've been difficult, and everyone has been so good to me. Thank you." Ayumi only tilted her head in confusion. "For always staying by my side."
"What are friends for?" Ayumi beamed back at her.
"Way to ditch us, guys!" Eri huffed, both her arms full of bags, "We were looking everywhere for you two!"
"Come on, we got to hit the next floor! I have a date next week and there's this new bra I want to find." Yuka chirped, a couple smaller bags on one arm.
Startled by their energetic shopping, both Kagome and Ayumi jumped to their feet and followed after their friends dutifully.
"Are you gonna go to second base on the first date?!" Ayumi almost began lecturing on the importance of abstinence when kagome cut in.
"Maybe they're star-crossed lovers!" She teased, sticking her tongue out at Yuka. The comment alone altered Ayumi's judgment.
"Oh, how romantic! Do your parents not approve? Is he a bad boy who needs a little taming?" There were stars in her eyes as she questioned further.
"What? No! We met on this dating app…"
The silliness of their conversation continued and Kagome revelled in the simplicity of it. Just a bunch of teenage girls shopping after school, talking about boys, sex, and make up.
Later that evening, Kagome sat at her desk trying to study. Her focus was solid as long as she was determined, but this past week had her distracted to say the least. Her grades were better than ever, so she allowed herself to daydream.
She missed watching movies with Shippou on that big leather couch in Sesshou's living room, and watching the rain fall from the large windows in his study that overlooked the forest that marked the end of his suburb. She missed watching him eat her pancakes even though she knew he wasn't big on sweets. She missed seeing his bare feet, and his hair wet from the shower. Even the simple quirk of his eyebrow when he was about to make fun of her for putting her foot in her mouth.
Picking up her phone, she caved. Shooting a quick text to Shippou, she was pleased when he answered her right away.
He's home, I just left to pick up Genko from the airport. Remind him to bring my sweater to the office tomorrow!
-Shippou
But it was late. Staring out at the moon, high in the sky, Kagome sighed. Maybe she should wait until tomorrow after school. She focused on the reading assignment again.
Not five minutes went by of drumming her pencil against the desk and realizing she wasn't retaining a single sentence of the text before she jumped out of her seat.
Changing out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and an oversized royal blue sweater, she hurried to leave. She grabbed her raincoat from the back of the kitchen chair where she had left it the day before and spotted her mother washing dishes at the sink with her back turned to her.
"Mom, I gotta go," Kagome was nearly breathless from rushing herself. "I gotta talk to Sesshou, but I promise to be back tonight."
"Okay, Dear," Her mother shot a smile over her shoulder, "Let me know when you get there, okay?"
"Will do, bye!"
Taking public transportation, her ETA gave her time to think over the brashness of her decision, but she didn't waver. She needed to see him. What if he was pulling away from her all this time? What if he decided she wasn't ready? She had to fix this. Inuyasha had kept him away while she grieved when she returned. Now that she knew Sesshou was here, she wasn't about to let him just leave her behind.
She wanted to last more than a lifetime, and she wanted to stay by his side.
Still jittery as she exited the last bus out to his neighborhood some thirty minutes later, Kagome ran the few blocks down to his house at the edge of the neighborhood.
When she arrived, she didn't think twice. In her human habit of forgetting he could feel her arrival probably from the time she got off at the bus stop, she knocked at his door. Excessively.
Not two seconds later did the door nearly fly off the hinges, and she found herself face to face with the demon that had plagued her thoughts all day.
The right words escaped her, though. She didn't know what to say, and she defaulted to the last thing that had crossed her mind as she mulled over his absence from her life.
"How could you leave me like that?" Kagome's voice came out shrill, and a touch angry. He could only stare, still mute. "You can't just disappear on me like that! You don't get to come to me and give me hope and then leave just because you don't think I'm ready for all this!" She motioned widely with a wave of both hands to generalize him, "Because I am! I want to live as long as you do, buddy! We're a team and I don't want any bull-"
She never got to finish her thought, though. With speed that made her dizzy, he had pulled her forward and into him.
"You came back." Sesshou whispered, his voice a low rumble that she could feel in her cheek against his neck. He was relieved.
Tears filled her eyes, and she clutched him to her just as fiercely as he held her. He missed her too.