Chapter Seven
Sesshoumaru walked silently behind Kagome, who was leading the way to school. He was a tiny bit nervous. The air had begun to get a little heavy with the stench of humans. Because of this, the only thing that kept him sane was the gentle scent of Kagome. He focused on her, trying to escape from the world in her calming aroma. It smelled of falling sakura blossoms, a cool spring breeze, and a waterfall. He could try blocking out his olfactory organs totally, but he preferred it this way.
As Kagome neared the school, she saw her friends waiting for her at the front gate. They waved frantically to her, and she waved back. Before turning to run to her friends, she quickly turned her head and told Sesshoumaru.
"I'll be gone for a sec, kay?" she said quickly, turning to sprint towards her friends.
She was caught on the shoulder firmly. "No, not okay," he answered.
"Oh, please, Sesshou!" she begged, trying to pull away from his grip. "Five minutes!" she pleaded.
"Fine. Five minutes," he said, releasing her. He leaned back against the stone column that stood supporting the large gates to her school.
"Arigatoo!" she chirped, sprinting off to her friends.
"Kagome!" they called, crowding around her. "Why didn't you call?" asked one.
"Hello to you, too," she greeted, smirking.
"Oooo," one cooed, "Who's the hunk?"
All of them started stealing glances at Sesshoumaru.
"He's gorgeous," Kagome heard.
"Totally," the others answered.
"Oh my gosh!" one finally said, bringing a fist in front of her, "I got it!"
A large drop of sweat began to form at the back of Kagome's head. "Got what?" she asked nervously.
"You're cheating on Houjo!"
Kagome nearly fell to the ground. "Ah…wha?"
"You're cheating on him! Does that mean he's free?"
"Forget Houjo, this guy's waaaaay better," another offered.
"True," she heard murmurs going around.
"Eto," Kagome blanched.
Suddenly, all her friends were looking her way with an intense interest.
"What are you guys loo…" Kagome stopped midway in her question, feeling a light hand on her shoulder.
"Five minutes," a smooth voice called.
"Ahhhh, yeah, okay," Kagome looked to her friends. "Okay! See you guys later!"
She walked off with Sesshou, turning back to look at her friends. They were watching her leave, mouths agape. Kagome turned to look at Sesshoumaru.
"They like you a LOT," she said to him.
He turned his face to her. "They haven't even met me," he reasoned.
"They think you're gorgeous," she said, sighing.
"They have good taste," he said, smiling smugly.
"You are soooo narcissistic," she scolded.
"It's a natural part of my personality," he said, tossing his hair over his shoulder.
"You know, you kind of look like a girl," she teased as they walked through the entrance.
"Mmm," he said thoughtfully, "it only means that I'm beautiful."
"Sooooo narcissistic," Kagome said again. She stopped.
"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked, stopping with her. He turned to look where she was looking.
Kagome turned around and started walking the other way, pulling Sesshoumaru along with her. He stayed focused on the object of Kagome's fear. A lone figure stood in the lobby, long, black hair flowing down his back. Naraku… She tugged on his wrist.
"Don't bother, Sesshou, come on," she pleaded.
He submitted to her whining, letting her drag him along the corridor. Soon, he was walking by her side again. A growl emitted deep from his throat.
"It's okay, Sesshou," Kagome reassured, "Don't transform, okay?"
He looked down at the girl next to him. "You can't possibly be serious…after what he tried to do," he snarled.
"Mmm, nothing we can do about it," she said, leaning against him. "Don't transform," she repeated, latching tightly onto his arm.
"What makes you think I'm going to do that?" he asked, surprised.
"Your eyes," she mumbled.
"So, what about my eyes?" he asked impatiently.
"They're turning red. Don't transform," she repeated, holding onto to him more tightly.
"Oh," he said, calming down.
Kagome started to hesitate a little in her steps. "Sesshou," she murmured.
"Mmm," he replied, looking ahead.
"Everyone's staring at us," she said quietly. "The girls, specifically."
"Mmm," he replied, looking around, "so they are."
He carefully placed his stoical mask on. "I think I'll stay emotionless for the rest of the day."
"Suits me fine," she mumbled, releasing his arm.
Kagome had noticed that many girls were turning to their friends and whispering. After which, they turned back to Sesshoumaru and giggled. This was starting to get annoying.
"Come on," she pushed, "let's get to our first class before you get bombarded by hundreds of girls."
"Mmm," he answered.
His ears were starting to twitch slightly at all the comments directed towards him, but not for him to hear.
"Is this what all girls are like?" he asked, irritated by repeated comments of 'gorgeous' and 'hot'.
"You think I'm like this?" she asked, also catching a few buzzes from her right.
"No, you're different," he answered casually.
"Now, is that a compliment an insult?" she asked teasingly.
"I guess both, whichever makes you happier," he replied.
"Mmm," she hummed, fingering the Yin pendant around her neck. "I estimate you'll have been asked out fifty times by the time lunch comes around," she said.
"We'll see," he answered.
Then, he turned to her. "You're going to stay around me, right?" he asked pleadingly, his emotionless mask no more.
"Thought you were going to stay emotionless," she said, half-closing her eyes.
"Mmm, changed my mind. You're going to stick around me, right?" he asked quickly.
"Who would need a weak mortal as their protector?" she asked, placing one hand on her hips.
"I do!" he said desperately.
"Hmm, why's that?"
"I might transform, you baka!" he burst out, then clapped a hand over his mouth and laughed nervously, "Ehehe, didn't mean that."
"I know," she answered coolly. "I will stay around you, but people would think that we're a couple."
"I don't care," he sighed. "At least, I won't be dragged out on dates and junk."
"Mmm, some of the girls don't care. They'll think that they're better than the girl you're with, now and ask anyways."
"I might just take up on some of those offers," he teased.
"Mmm, I don't care. It's not like we're girlfriend/ boyfriend."
"Mmm."
They had arrived at their class. Kagome walked in, taking a seat near the back. Sesshoumaru followed.
"Since this is history, you probably don't have to listen," she said monotonously as he sat down.
"Mmm, neither do you," he said.
Thus, they chatted quietly through the whole class. When the first session finished, they were given ten minutes break to wait for the teacher to come to the classroom. Sesshoumaru was getting used to human scents, allowing him a little more space away from Kagome. He still, however, stayed very close to her. In the ten minutes given, they both stayed in their seats, flipping through the history textbooks on their desks.
"Yup," Kagome said, bored, "All about the Sengoku Jidai."
"Mmm, this class is going to be a breeze," Sesshoumaru answered, warily eyeing the girls coming towards him.
"Kagome!" the girls called.
"Akane!" she called happily, "Machiko!"
Kagome rushed over to her two friends, gently squeezing Sesshoumaru's shoulder to reassure him as she passed.
"Who's your friend?" Akane asked politely after hugging Kagome.
"Mmm, he's Sesshoumaru, no last name that I know of," Kagome said quickly.
"Oooo," she swooned, "he's cute."
"How're you, Machiko?" she asked her silent friend.
"Mmm, fine," she answered simply, "You?"
"Great!" Kagome chirped.
"Is he taken?" Akane asked, indicating Sesshoumaru.
"No," Kagome said slowly.
"Good!"
"I wouldn't ask him if I were you," she suggested.
"Why? He's totally gorgeous," she swooned.
"He's arrogant, self-centered, mean, cruel, emotionless," she ticked off the list on her fingers.
"Wow, you know him so well already?" Akane looked wonderingly at her.
"Yeah, I lived with him for…" Kagome stopped herself. "I mean, he's my mom's best friend's son!" she laughed nervously. "I practically grew up with him!" she lied.
"So is that where the other half of your pendant is?" Machiko asked.
"Mmmhmm!" Kagome chirped.
"Okay," Akane surrendered, "You can have him."
Kagome choked, "What?!"
"Since you like him so much, you can have him!" she said happily, shaking her friend's hand. "I'll come to the wedding!" she joked.
Then, she stopped the shaking, seeming to be in deep thought. "This would mean you're cheating on Houjo!" she seemed to re-think her former statement. "Can I have him, then?"
"Houjo or Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked on reflex. She clapped a hand over her mouth. "No, no, no! They're both free!"
Akane nodded before sweeping over to Sesshoumaru's desk. "Hi!" she chirped. "I'm Akane, Kagome's friend!" The girl vigorously shook Sesshoumaru's hand and bowed. Sesshoumaru looked desperately over to Kagome.
"Uh, yeah. That's Akane!" she drew out.
"Ummm," Sesshoumaru stammered, "Nice to meet you. I'm"
"Sesshoumaru!" she answered for him.
"Yeah," he said, looking confused at the girl.
"You wanna go out sometime on Saturday?" she asked, twirling a lock of her shoulder length hair.
Kagome blanched. "Akane!" she called.
"You said he was free," she pouted.
"Mmm, no! I changed my mind. Don't hit on him," she said quickly.
"Taking him for yourself?" Akane asked, smiling mischievously.
"Uhhh, no, maybe. NO!" she shouted.
"Okay, Kag, whatever you want," she said, sidling out of the room with Machiko. "Bye!"
Kagome was blushing ever so slightly. She walked back to her desk and sat down next to Sesshoumaru.
"Ehehe," she laughed nervously. "Sorry about that."
"There's one," he said monotonously, placing on his stoic mask again.
"Yeah, surprised that no one else asked, yet." She mused.
"Oh yeah, they asked, alright. Before her, while you were talking ten girls came up to me, asking at the same time. It was kind of funny, actually."
Kagome's jaw dropped. "Ten?! Already?!"
"Mmm, guess I am gorgeous."
"Getting cocky again," she warned. "What did you say to them?" she asked curiously.
"I said I was too busy for dates," he answered.
"Mmm! Good job!" she chirped.
"Why didn't you want the other girl to ask?" he inquired, cocking his head to one side.
"Mmm, er, ummm, eto, I don't know," she finally said.
"Hmph."
Then, the teacher walked in, and class commenced again.
The rest of the school day was pretty uneventful. In fact, there is only one event worth mentioning besides the fact that Sesshoumaru almost passed out in the boys' locker room. Sesshoumaru and Kagome sat on a bench outside the school near the end of the day. They hadn't been dismissed, yet from school. But, their teacher had dismissed the class, already. So, there they sat. And, guess who decided to show up?
"Hello, Higurashi. How are you?"
Kagome turned out the familiar voice. "You!"
"Yes, I'm pleased that you remember me!" he said darkly.
Sesshoumaru growled, rising slightly from the bench. Kagome pulled him down again.
"What do you want, Takeshi?" she snarled.
"Oh, that's not very nice," Naraku said smoothly.
"Go away, Naraku," she said, regaining her cool.
"Mmm, staying with Sesshoumaru, I see," he mocked, "trying to stay safe?"
She clenched and unclenched her fists and her sides.
"What do you want…Takeshi?" she drew out.
"Mmm, just wanted to check you two," he said. "Wouldn't want him to do what I tried to do."
"You" Kagome started, but Sesshoumaru clamped a hand over her mouth. After she seemed to say what she was going to say, he released her.
"Thank you," she said curtly to him.
"Oooo," Naraku cooed, "what were you going to say?" He walked towards her, cupping her chin in his hand, "Not something nasty, I hope."
"Don't…touch…her," Sesshoumaru warned. His eyes began to flare red.
Kagome slapped Naraku's hand away from her chin. "Go away," she commanded.
"Why? I might miss the spectacular fireworks Sesshoumaru will put on," he said, indicating Sesshoumaru.
"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome called. "Don't transform!"
Naraku walked away from the scene. "Good luck," he called to Kagome.
Sesshoumaru was starting to become uncontrollable.
"Sesshou," she pleaded, "don't transform!"
"Naraku…" he called, but Naraku had already fled the scene.
Sesshoumaru couldn't control his transformation. He's going to turn into a giant dog demon and destroy Tokyo. Kagome was panicking.
"Sesshoumaru!" she called again. It was no use.
Distract him, distract him. She uncertainly took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Calm him down, calm him down, calm him down. His eyes were shut. Kagome could tell he was trying to suppress his demon rage, failing terribly. A thin layer of white fur was starting to cover his skin. Other than that, nothing had happened so far. She pulled him down slightly with the arms draped around his neck and pressed her lips into his, giving him a sweet, chaste kiss. Please work, please work. She released him, looking for signs that he stopped transforming.
Sesshoumaru's eyes opened, back to their golden color. He could see Kagome looking up at him, waiting. She stopped my transformation!
"I can't believe you did that," he finally said.
"Mmm, well it worked," she said, a slight blush tinting her cheeks.
"Very well, I might add," he said.
"Like you said, a kiss is nothing but a kiss," she said, smiling up at him. "But obviously, it could calm you down."
Sesshoumaru thought back to when he had said that to her. He had lived with her for a week. The realization that she could not return had suddenly swept over her. She was miserable that she would not see Inuyasha again. She had cried over and over again, and Sesshoumaru was getting very tired of hearing her cry. Finally, he kissed her to shut her up. Not only did it shut her up, it calmed her down considerably. Then, afterwards, when she asked why he had down that, he had answered, "A kiss is nothing but a kiss. I did that to shut you up," he had said. After hearing that, she wildly chased him around the house, shouting, "Shut me UP, EH?!" Yup, he remembered. He came back to reality as the dismissal bell was rung.
"Mmm," he said, draping his arm around her shoulders. "Let's go."
"Mmmhmm!" she answered, leaning into him, "Let's."
"You survived your first day of high school!" she said happily as they neared the Higurashi residence.
"Indeed," he answered.
"How many times were you asked out?" she asked, dying to know.
"Mmm, why would you care?" he teased, pulling her closer.
"Tell me!" she pleaded.
"Forty-nine by lunch," he answered.
"Mou! Close enough! How about by the end of school?" she asked.
"Sixty-three," he replied.
"Mmm! You get too much attention!" she pouted.
"So I do," he said. "Maybe you should pretend to be my girlfriend, then," he suggested.
"Maybe," she mused.
After a moment of silence, Sesshoumaru asked the question he'd been dying to hear the answer to. "Who's Houjo?"
"Why do you care?" she asked, mocking his earlier question.
"Pleeeeeease?" he asked, loosening his grip on her shoulders.
"Mmm," she gave in, "he used to ask me out a lot."
"Soooo, you actually went out with him?"
"A couple times."
"Mmm."
"Inuyasha got mad," she said, giggling slightly.
"I can see why," he answered, before thinking.
She turned to him, a little dumbfounded. "Why?"
"Never mind," he answered quickly.
"Hmph," she pouted, "dog demons."
"Yeah, quite charming aren't they?" he teased, pulling her closer.
"Quite."