Chapter 15
The Engagement Party
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Kagome took a deep breath and checked herself one last time in the mirror. She grabbed her purse, and headed out the door.
She was still thinking of ways to keep Sesshoumaru from seeing InuYasha when she picked him up.
Seeing Sesshoumaru again made her stomach go in knots, as if it wasn't in enough knots already. He looked so nice, and sophisticated. . . she felt so plain next to him. She continued to feel nervous until he said hello.
"Hey!" she said happily, trying to sound like everything was fine, like she didn't have a hopeless crush on him.
"You look nice," he told her.
"Thanks." she answered, blushing. "You, too." Deep blush.
The night was like any other night in the city, only more magical because she was with Sesshoumaru. The sky was clear, and the moon was out, and as they drove down the block to the hotel where the engagement party was being held, the lights on the buildings were bright and enchanted. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" was playing softly on the radio, relaxing Kagome even further, and she nearly forgot about the trouble she was heading into .
They pulled up to the nice hotel, and there was even valet parking. She and Sesshoumaru went inside and found the party on the sixth floor. The walls of the large room were painted a golden color, and the draperies hanging in the exit to the balcony were a deep red, as were the table cloths, and everything else. Large golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling and wine was being served by caterers. 'Sango's parents sure have a lot of money,' Kagome thought to herself. (It is tradition for the Father of the Bride to pay for everything when his daughter gets married). 'I'm surprised Sango isn't spoiled rotten,' Kagome mused. 'She grew up like this, but was elated with the slightly-cheaper ring she received from Miroku. She's a great girl. Her parents raised her right.'
"Kagome!" Miroku waved them over to himself and Sango. They were standing together, looking as cute as ever. Sango was showing off her ring by placing her left hand on Miroku's shoulder so her fingers visibly draped there, and you could see the plain but very real diamond glinting happily on her ring finger.
"Konbanwa!" Kagome told them happily. She hugged them both, then re- introduced Sesshoumaru.
Miroku nodded to him, but for Sango, Sesshoumaru shook her hand. "Kagome tells me that we've met before, just under poor circumstances. I apologize for anything I may have said offend you on our first meeting. Do I get another first impression?" he half-joked.
Sango beamed. "Yes, it's all right! Don't worry about it!" She shook his hand in return, and they laughed at the situation.
Miroku took Kagome to the side. "InuYasha isn't here, yet, so we still have time. Have you thought of anything?"
"No," Kagome groaned.
"Well, I did think of something, but -"
"'But' is never good -"
"- it's a little drastic."
Kagome's eyes widened a little. "What is it?" she asked flatly.
"Well, this is a hotel. . . maybe you and Sesshoumaru could slip away from the party early, and you know. . . get a room?"
"No! No! I will not do that! You're just going to have to think of something else! I refuse to embarrass myself like that!"
"All right, all right! So we're back to square one, then. . . I guess we'll just have to keep a lookout for each other. . . um, I'll keep InuYasha on the balcony for a while. . . " he sighed. "You know their seeing one another is inevitable, don't you?"
"Yeah," she groaned again. "I'll do what I can so the party isn't ruined."
"Think we should just tell them both that their brother is here?"
"Half-brother."
"Whatever. Do you think we should?"
"Uh. . . I dunno. . . Let's just try. . . for a little while?"
"All right. . . " Miroku then looked somewhere to the entrance behind Kagome. "Uh-oh. Here goes."
She turned around to look through the crowd of people, and there was InuYasha, looking very sexy in just a black dress shirt and black pants. Kagome bit her lip as a little bit of what she felt before returned; a sexual attraction to InuYasha, and a sadness for their current lack of friendship. She watched as Miroku ran to greet him and pull him out onto the balcony to "look for Sango."
There was a tap on her shoulder, and Kagome turned around to face Sesshoumaru. She smiled at him immediately, and even forgot about InuYasha, for a split second. "Want some wine?" he asked, smirking.
She just smiled and blushed. "Yeah. . . I'll be needing some," she added under her breath.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you -"
"Nothing! It was nothing! Why don't I come with you? I'm bored. Sango told me she was going to bring me to meet her parents, but she hasn't - "
"Kagome-chan!" It was Miroku's mother, and who Kagome considered her second- mother.
"Rosa! Rosa, how are you?!" she asked, hugging the older woman happily.
"It's been so long!" Rosa exclaimed, pulling away. "How are you, Kagome? How is that novel of yours coming along?"
"Actually," Kagome said sheepishly, thumbing Sesshoumaru behind her, "this is my editor. My novel's being published!"
"Oh! Well, then, congratulations!"
"Rosa, this is Tokunawa Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru, this is Mazuhara Rosa - uh-oh. . "
"What is it, dear?" Rosa asked her, concerned. Sesshoumaru shot her a confused look.
InuYasha was coming back inside, heading for the punch bowl. Kagome looked to the balcony and saw Miroku waving at her from the entrance. She made a questioning face, and he shrugged. "Uh - look!" she said, trying to cover up,"There's Miroku!"
"Oh, good!" Rosa exclaimed. "I've been looking for him everywhere!"
"Let's go outside!" Kagome exclaimed, grabbing Sesshoumaru's arm and tugging him over.
The trio joined Miroku. Kagome unconsciously kept her grip on Sesshoumaru's arm.
"Mom!" Miroku said, hugging her, then playfully squeezing her. She swatted at him, and they laughed. "Uh," he said, throwing a look at Kagome, "Sango's over there with her parents, Kagome. I was just going to go get us some wine. I'll be right back!"
Rosa spotted Sango and headed off to greet her new in-laws-to-be, and Kagome went to follow. When she tried to pull Sesshoumaru with her, he resisted, and she stopped and looked at him. "Come on."
"Kagome," he said carefully, loosening her grip on his arm, "is there something wrong?"
"Wrong? No! Nothing's wrong! What makes you. . . think that. . . " her question faded out when she found him looking into her eyes. He smiled kindly. "You've had a death-grip on my arm for the past five minutes. Something's wrong."
Kagome sighed. She couldn't lie to him anymore. She pulled him over to a secluded corner of the large balcony. "Okay, you're right. There is something wrong. . . InuYasha's here."
He looked at her for a moment, his eyebrows drawn together. Then he looked at his shoes and inhaled. "Is he?"
"Yeah. . . look, uh. . . I know how you guys get when you're around each other, and. . . he doesn't know you're here, so. . . try to keep away from him, ne?"
"That won't be a problem," he said a little flatly. "Kagome?"
She swallowed nervously. "Yeah?"
"Why did you bring me to this party if you knew he would be here?"
"I. . . I wasn't thinking about it when I asked you. . . I'm sorry."
He wasn't happy; she could tell.
He sighed. "I can keep my temper under control. . . but if he sees me here, *with you*, I can't guarantee you he won't make a scene."
She placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, I should've thought about it. I know you hate being around him. . . I just had so much fun with you Saturday, I thought it'd be nice to do something again."
He didn't reply, but instead looked sullenly at the air between them.
"Guess I could've thought of something better, huh?"
He agreed by raising an eyebrow.
She bit her lip. "Do you want to leave?"
"I don't wish to be rude, but, yes."
"Okay." Weakly. "I'll drive you home."
"No, you don't have to leave. I'll get a cab."
"You're not mad at me, are you?"
Sesshoumaru looked at her, and he sighed. "I. . . no. It's okay, Kagome. Good night."
"Good night."
He surprised her suddenly by leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. It was quick, and gone in a flash, and before she knew it, she was staring at his back as he walked off of the balcony and back into the main room.
"That didn't go well," she groaned, utterly embarrassed.
Something black and white caught her eye to her right, and she saw InuYasha standing there, looking at her with a displeased expression. His hands were in his pockets, and he sauntered over.
She turned away from him to look off at the other buildings surrounding them, and down at the cars passing by busily on the street.
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that." came his voice behind her.
She didn't say anything. He leaned backwards on the railing beside her and crossed his arms. "So I'm getting the silent treatment, now?"
She looked down.
"I apologized. And I'm still sorry. What more do I have to do, Kagome?"
Se felt a twinge in her chest, and she decided to look up at him. She tried a small smile, but it faltered slightly. "Nothing," she replied. "Don't worry about it anymore."
"I didn't want to hurt you. I regret ever doing it. I'm just a jerk, I guess."
"Damn right." she said with a hint of playfulness.
He bit his lower lip to hide a smile. "So you, uh, brought Sesshoumaru with you."
"Yeah, but he's leaving at the moment," she said, spotting Sesshoumaru's figure hailing a cab down on the street.
"What'd ya do to piss him off?"
"I invited him here."
"Ah. . . right. Why'd you go and do that?" His voice was light, teasing.
"Because we're friends," she replied honestly, still watching Sesshoumaru's figure below.
"Wow. You're friends? That would make you his first friend. . ." he pretended to think a moment, "ever."
"Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything."
InuYasha frowned. "Guess so." He was quiet a moment. "I was hoping we could still be friends."
"Define 'friends,'" Kagome said carefully.
"Good friends? People who call each other on the phone, and have conversations, and do things together?"
"Are you asking or telling?"
"Both?"
She smiled. "All right, InuYasha."
"Kagome! Are you gonna come meet my parents or not?!" Sango called to her from somewhere, interrupting their conversation.
"Coming!" Kagome replied, then quietly left InuYasha at the railing to go join Sango.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After she met Sango's parents, Miroku pulled Kagome aside. "Where's Sesshoumaru? What happened?"
Kagome sighed. "He left. I told him InuYasha was here, and he left."
"So he's mad at you?"
"He said he wasn't. . . " she touched her cheek, remembering his kiss. "He. . . well, he kissed me on the cheek, too. . . I guess he can't be that mad. InuYasha saw him do it.. . ."
Miroku gave her a confused expression. "He saw him kiss you?"
"Yeah, but he chose to ignore it. . . " she sighed. "I don't know, Miroku. They both confuse me. I don't want to try to figure them out, anymore. It's too much work."
"I did see you talking to InuYasha. Are you guys on good terms, now?"
"I guess so." she told him, shrugging. "Yeah."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sesshoumaru hailed down a cab, and climbed in. He hadn't really wanted to leave the party, but for Miroku and Sango's sake, he decided to leave so there wouldn't be a scene. And Kagome. . . he wasn't angry at her; he *couldn't* be angry at her. . . he wasn't sure what he felt. . . he just wished she had never invited him to that party. He knew she had good intentions; it had just been a mistake. But being around his brother depressed him, and another reason he left was so Kagome wouldn't have to see him that way. He prayed that his parting kiss reassured her that he understood.
Still, though. . . he wanted to make sure she knew he wasn't angry. He wanted to do something for her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next night, Sesshoumaru was cooking, and Rin was setting the table at dinner time. Rin had stayed with a baby-sitter the night before, and was talking about her animatedly.
"She was so boring! She wouldn't even play games with me, she just wanted me to go to sleep!" Rin complained further, precariously putting the dinner plates on the table. They seemed to be a little too heavy for her tiny hands.
"Careful, Rin," Sesshoumaru told her.
"I am!" she argued.
Sesshoumaru just smirked and shook his head, and continued to stir the spaghetti sauce.
"Forks!" she said, pushing at his hip so he would move from in front of the silverware drawer.
He moved aside and she hummed to herself busily, grabbing two forks.
"Don't forget the spoons," he told her.
She gave him a questioning look.
"Spoons make the spaghetti easier wrap around your fork," he explained.
She raised her little eyebrows skeptically and grabbed to large spoons.
After she set the napkins and silverware down, she stood back to look at her work. She straightened one napkin. She then straightened a fork. Sesshoumaru watched her with amusement as she frowned. "What is it? The table looks good."
"It looks. . . empty." Sadly.
"Empty?"
"Let's invite someone to eat with us!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! Call somebody! Who was that pretty lady you were eating lunch with the other week?"
"Pretty la -- when you went on your field trip?"
Rin nodded.
"You want me to invite Kagome to eat with us?"
"Yes! What's her name?"
"Kagome."
"Kagome! Yes, invite her!"
"Okay, we'll ask Kagome to come eat with us. That is, if she's not busy."
Rin sat down in her seat at the table. "Who is Kagome, daddy?"
"She's a writer. I'm her editor, and we're having her novel published."
"Is she nice?"
"Yes. . . she's very nice. . . "
"She's pretty."
"She's very pretty."
"Do you like her, daddy?"
"Of course I do. We're friends."
"NO, I mean, do you *like* her?"
"Rin!"
Rin covered her mouth and giggled.
"Why do you want to know?" Sesshoumaru asked, smiling suspiciously as he wiped some sauce off his hands and retrieved the phone.
"Because." Rin answered.
"Because," Sesshoumaru muttered to himself as he dialed Kagome's number.
The dial tone switched to a ring, and after two rings, Kagome's voice answered. "Hello?"
"Hi, Kagome."
"Sesshoumaru. . . hey."
"Rin and I would like to know if you will join us for dinner." He looked over at Rin, and she smiled, excited.
"I would love to. . . " she sounded surprised.
"Is there something wrong?"
"No." she laughed a little. "I thought you were mad at me. . . about the party, you know. . . "
"I told you I'm not. " he said in a soft tone. "Don't worry about it. I didn't leave because I was angry, I left so there wouldn't be a scene."
He could almost hear her smile. "Okay. What time should I be there?"
"A soon as you can. It's almost ready."
"What's on the menu?"
"An elegant Italian dish. . . "
"Oooh. . . "
"Spaghetti."
"Ha! Sounds great. I'll be there." She disconnected, and Sesshoumaru looked at Rin. "She's coming."
"Yay! I've gotta show her my doll house! I've gotta show her my whole room!"
"Go easy on her, Rin. . . "
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Hey guys! Hope you liked it!
I just wanted to thank everyone who's been reviewing. I have over 100 reviews for "Finding Happiness," now! I guess I'm just surprised that so many people think it's so wonderful! You guys have been so patient and supportive, and the story's been moving so smoothly; I don't think I could've done it without you guys! Love ya!
Honey Bee
Ch.16 coming very soon! Let's dance! ^-^ ^-^
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Kagome took a deep breath and checked herself one last time in the mirror. She grabbed her purse, and headed out the door.
She was still thinking of ways to keep Sesshoumaru from seeing InuYasha when she picked him up.
Seeing Sesshoumaru again made her stomach go in knots, as if it wasn't in enough knots already. He looked so nice, and sophisticated. . . she felt so plain next to him. She continued to feel nervous until he said hello.
"Hey!" she said happily, trying to sound like everything was fine, like she didn't have a hopeless crush on him.
"You look nice," he told her.
"Thanks." she answered, blushing. "You, too." Deep blush.
The night was like any other night in the city, only more magical because she was with Sesshoumaru. The sky was clear, and the moon was out, and as they drove down the block to the hotel where the engagement party was being held, the lights on the buildings were bright and enchanted. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" was playing softly on the radio, relaxing Kagome even further, and she nearly forgot about the trouble she was heading into .
They pulled up to the nice hotel, and there was even valet parking. She and Sesshoumaru went inside and found the party on the sixth floor. The walls of the large room were painted a golden color, and the draperies hanging in the exit to the balcony were a deep red, as were the table cloths, and everything else. Large golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling and wine was being served by caterers. 'Sango's parents sure have a lot of money,' Kagome thought to herself. (It is tradition for the Father of the Bride to pay for everything when his daughter gets married). 'I'm surprised Sango isn't spoiled rotten,' Kagome mused. 'She grew up like this, but was elated with the slightly-cheaper ring she received from Miroku. She's a great girl. Her parents raised her right.'
"Kagome!" Miroku waved them over to himself and Sango. They were standing together, looking as cute as ever. Sango was showing off her ring by placing her left hand on Miroku's shoulder so her fingers visibly draped there, and you could see the plain but very real diamond glinting happily on her ring finger.
"Konbanwa!" Kagome told them happily. She hugged them both, then re- introduced Sesshoumaru.
Miroku nodded to him, but for Sango, Sesshoumaru shook her hand. "Kagome tells me that we've met before, just under poor circumstances. I apologize for anything I may have said offend you on our first meeting. Do I get another first impression?" he half-joked.
Sango beamed. "Yes, it's all right! Don't worry about it!" She shook his hand in return, and they laughed at the situation.
Miroku took Kagome to the side. "InuYasha isn't here, yet, so we still have time. Have you thought of anything?"
"No," Kagome groaned.
"Well, I did think of something, but -"
"'But' is never good -"
"- it's a little drastic."
Kagome's eyes widened a little. "What is it?" she asked flatly.
"Well, this is a hotel. . . maybe you and Sesshoumaru could slip away from the party early, and you know. . . get a room?"
"No! No! I will not do that! You're just going to have to think of something else! I refuse to embarrass myself like that!"
"All right, all right! So we're back to square one, then. . . I guess we'll just have to keep a lookout for each other. . . um, I'll keep InuYasha on the balcony for a while. . . " he sighed. "You know their seeing one another is inevitable, don't you?"
"Yeah," she groaned again. "I'll do what I can so the party isn't ruined."
"Think we should just tell them both that their brother is here?"
"Half-brother."
"Whatever. Do you think we should?"
"Uh. . . I dunno. . . Let's just try. . . for a little while?"
"All right. . . " Miroku then looked somewhere to the entrance behind Kagome. "Uh-oh. Here goes."
She turned around to look through the crowd of people, and there was InuYasha, looking very sexy in just a black dress shirt and black pants. Kagome bit her lip as a little bit of what she felt before returned; a sexual attraction to InuYasha, and a sadness for their current lack of friendship. She watched as Miroku ran to greet him and pull him out onto the balcony to "look for Sango."
There was a tap on her shoulder, and Kagome turned around to face Sesshoumaru. She smiled at him immediately, and even forgot about InuYasha, for a split second. "Want some wine?" he asked, smirking.
She just smiled and blushed. "Yeah. . . I'll be needing some," she added under her breath.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you -"
"Nothing! It was nothing! Why don't I come with you? I'm bored. Sango told me she was going to bring me to meet her parents, but she hasn't - "
"Kagome-chan!" It was Miroku's mother, and who Kagome considered her second- mother.
"Rosa! Rosa, how are you?!" she asked, hugging the older woman happily.
"It's been so long!" Rosa exclaimed, pulling away. "How are you, Kagome? How is that novel of yours coming along?"
"Actually," Kagome said sheepishly, thumbing Sesshoumaru behind her, "this is my editor. My novel's being published!"
"Oh! Well, then, congratulations!"
"Rosa, this is Tokunawa Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru, this is Mazuhara Rosa - uh-oh. . "
"What is it, dear?" Rosa asked her, concerned. Sesshoumaru shot her a confused look.
InuYasha was coming back inside, heading for the punch bowl. Kagome looked to the balcony and saw Miroku waving at her from the entrance. She made a questioning face, and he shrugged. "Uh - look!" she said, trying to cover up,"There's Miroku!"
"Oh, good!" Rosa exclaimed. "I've been looking for him everywhere!"
"Let's go outside!" Kagome exclaimed, grabbing Sesshoumaru's arm and tugging him over.
The trio joined Miroku. Kagome unconsciously kept her grip on Sesshoumaru's arm.
"Mom!" Miroku said, hugging her, then playfully squeezing her. She swatted at him, and they laughed. "Uh," he said, throwing a look at Kagome, "Sango's over there with her parents, Kagome. I was just going to go get us some wine. I'll be right back!"
Rosa spotted Sango and headed off to greet her new in-laws-to-be, and Kagome went to follow. When she tried to pull Sesshoumaru with her, he resisted, and she stopped and looked at him. "Come on."
"Kagome," he said carefully, loosening her grip on his arm, "is there something wrong?"
"Wrong? No! Nothing's wrong! What makes you. . . think that. . . " her question faded out when she found him looking into her eyes. He smiled kindly. "You've had a death-grip on my arm for the past five minutes. Something's wrong."
Kagome sighed. She couldn't lie to him anymore. She pulled him over to a secluded corner of the large balcony. "Okay, you're right. There is something wrong. . . InuYasha's here."
He looked at her for a moment, his eyebrows drawn together. Then he looked at his shoes and inhaled. "Is he?"
"Yeah. . . look, uh. . . I know how you guys get when you're around each other, and. . . he doesn't know you're here, so. . . try to keep away from him, ne?"
"That won't be a problem," he said a little flatly. "Kagome?"
She swallowed nervously. "Yeah?"
"Why did you bring me to this party if you knew he would be here?"
"I. . . I wasn't thinking about it when I asked you. . . I'm sorry."
He wasn't happy; she could tell.
He sighed. "I can keep my temper under control. . . but if he sees me here, *with you*, I can't guarantee you he won't make a scene."
She placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, I should've thought about it. I know you hate being around him. . . I just had so much fun with you Saturday, I thought it'd be nice to do something again."
He didn't reply, but instead looked sullenly at the air between them.
"Guess I could've thought of something better, huh?"
He agreed by raising an eyebrow.
She bit her lip. "Do you want to leave?"
"I don't wish to be rude, but, yes."
"Okay." Weakly. "I'll drive you home."
"No, you don't have to leave. I'll get a cab."
"You're not mad at me, are you?"
Sesshoumaru looked at her, and he sighed. "I. . . no. It's okay, Kagome. Good night."
"Good night."
He surprised her suddenly by leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. It was quick, and gone in a flash, and before she knew it, she was staring at his back as he walked off of the balcony and back into the main room.
"That didn't go well," she groaned, utterly embarrassed.
Something black and white caught her eye to her right, and she saw InuYasha standing there, looking at her with a displeased expression. His hands were in his pockets, and he sauntered over.
She turned away from him to look off at the other buildings surrounding them, and down at the cars passing by busily on the street.
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that." came his voice behind her.
She didn't say anything. He leaned backwards on the railing beside her and crossed his arms. "So I'm getting the silent treatment, now?"
She looked down.
"I apologized. And I'm still sorry. What more do I have to do, Kagome?"
Se felt a twinge in her chest, and she decided to look up at him. She tried a small smile, but it faltered slightly. "Nothing," she replied. "Don't worry about it anymore."
"I didn't want to hurt you. I regret ever doing it. I'm just a jerk, I guess."
"Damn right." she said with a hint of playfulness.
He bit his lower lip to hide a smile. "So you, uh, brought Sesshoumaru with you."
"Yeah, but he's leaving at the moment," she said, spotting Sesshoumaru's figure hailing a cab down on the street.
"What'd ya do to piss him off?"
"I invited him here."
"Ah. . . right. Why'd you go and do that?" His voice was light, teasing.
"Because we're friends," she replied honestly, still watching Sesshoumaru's figure below.
"Wow. You're friends? That would make you his first friend. . ." he pretended to think a moment, "ever."
"Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything."
InuYasha frowned. "Guess so." He was quiet a moment. "I was hoping we could still be friends."
"Define 'friends,'" Kagome said carefully.
"Good friends? People who call each other on the phone, and have conversations, and do things together?"
"Are you asking or telling?"
"Both?"
She smiled. "All right, InuYasha."
"Kagome! Are you gonna come meet my parents or not?!" Sango called to her from somewhere, interrupting their conversation.
"Coming!" Kagome replied, then quietly left InuYasha at the railing to go join Sango.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After she met Sango's parents, Miroku pulled Kagome aside. "Where's Sesshoumaru? What happened?"
Kagome sighed. "He left. I told him InuYasha was here, and he left."
"So he's mad at you?"
"He said he wasn't. . . " she touched her cheek, remembering his kiss. "He. . . well, he kissed me on the cheek, too. . . I guess he can't be that mad. InuYasha saw him do it.. . ."
Miroku gave her a confused expression. "He saw him kiss you?"
"Yeah, but he chose to ignore it. . . " she sighed. "I don't know, Miroku. They both confuse me. I don't want to try to figure them out, anymore. It's too much work."
"I did see you talking to InuYasha. Are you guys on good terms, now?"
"I guess so." she told him, shrugging. "Yeah."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sesshoumaru hailed down a cab, and climbed in. He hadn't really wanted to leave the party, but for Miroku and Sango's sake, he decided to leave so there wouldn't be a scene. And Kagome. . . he wasn't angry at her; he *couldn't* be angry at her. . . he wasn't sure what he felt. . . he just wished she had never invited him to that party. He knew she had good intentions; it had just been a mistake. But being around his brother depressed him, and another reason he left was so Kagome wouldn't have to see him that way. He prayed that his parting kiss reassured her that he understood.
Still, though. . . he wanted to make sure she knew he wasn't angry. He wanted to do something for her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next night, Sesshoumaru was cooking, and Rin was setting the table at dinner time. Rin had stayed with a baby-sitter the night before, and was talking about her animatedly.
"She was so boring! She wouldn't even play games with me, she just wanted me to go to sleep!" Rin complained further, precariously putting the dinner plates on the table. They seemed to be a little too heavy for her tiny hands.
"Careful, Rin," Sesshoumaru told her.
"I am!" she argued.
Sesshoumaru just smirked and shook his head, and continued to stir the spaghetti sauce.
"Forks!" she said, pushing at his hip so he would move from in front of the silverware drawer.
He moved aside and she hummed to herself busily, grabbing two forks.
"Don't forget the spoons," he told her.
She gave him a questioning look.
"Spoons make the spaghetti easier wrap around your fork," he explained.
She raised her little eyebrows skeptically and grabbed to large spoons.
After she set the napkins and silverware down, she stood back to look at her work. She straightened one napkin. She then straightened a fork. Sesshoumaru watched her with amusement as she frowned. "What is it? The table looks good."
"It looks. . . empty." Sadly.
"Empty?"
"Let's invite someone to eat with us!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! Call somebody! Who was that pretty lady you were eating lunch with the other week?"
"Pretty la -- when you went on your field trip?"
Rin nodded.
"You want me to invite Kagome to eat with us?"
"Yes! What's her name?"
"Kagome."
"Kagome! Yes, invite her!"
"Okay, we'll ask Kagome to come eat with us. That is, if she's not busy."
Rin sat down in her seat at the table. "Who is Kagome, daddy?"
"She's a writer. I'm her editor, and we're having her novel published."
"Is she nice?"
"Yes. . . she's very nice. . . "
"She's pretty."
"She's very pretty."
"Do you like her, daddy?"
"Of course I do. We're friends."
"NO, I mean, do you *like* her?"
"Rin!"
Rin covered her mouth and giggled.
"Why do you want to know?" Sesshoumaru asked, smiling suspiciously as he wiped some sauce off his hands and retrieved the phone.
"Because." Rin answered.
"Because," Sesshoumaru muttered to himself as he dialed Kagome's number.
The dial tone switched to a ring, and after two rings, Kagome's voice answered. "Hello?"
"Hi, Kagome."
"Sesshoumaru. . . hey."
"Rin and I would like to know if you will join us for dinner." He looked over at Rin, and she smiled, excited.
"I would love to. . . " she sounded surprised.
"Is there something wrong?"
"No." she laughed a little. "I thought you were mad at me. . . about the party, you know. . . "
"I told you I'm not. " he said in a soft tone. "Don't worry about it. I didn't leave because I was angry, I left so there wouldn't be a scene."
He could almost hear her smile. "Okay. What time should I be there?"
"A soon as you can. It's almost ready."
"What's on the menu?"
"An elegant Italian dish. . . "
"Oooh. . . "
"Spaghetti."
"Ha! Sounds great. I'll be there." She disconnected, and Sesshoumaru looked at Rin. "She's coming."
"Yay! I've gotta show her my doll house! I've gotta show her my whole room!"
"Go easy on her, Rin. . . "
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Hey guys! Hope you liked it!
I just wanted to thank everyone who's been reviewing. I have over 100 reviews for "Finding Happiness," now! I guess I'm just surprised that so many people think it's so wonderful! You guys have been so patient and supportive, and the story's been moving so smoothly; I don't think I could've done it without you guys! Love ya!
Honey Bee
Ch.16 coming very soon! Let's dance! ^-^ ^-^