Dance With Me
Chapter 9
Rays of golden sunlight peeked through the grey, thunderous clouds, marking what would be the arrival of spring within the next month. The distinct sound of birds chirping pricked a certain hanyou's ears, the white appendages on his head twitching in the direction of the interference.
Inuyasha stared at the cloudy sky, holding his arm over his face as to shield his eyes from the sun that shone through. Can I go now…? He wondered, still staring up at the sky. Though the clouds hid it well, the sun had been up for about an hour now, sending small glimpses of light down to earth every so often. The hanyou shot a glance to the well that was just meters away. Would Kagome be at school already? Inuyasha considered this question for a moment before diving into the well. He was positive.
---
Kagome pushed a wad of rice past her lips, chewing and swallowing the food quickly. I'm going to be late! The girl set her rice bowl by the sink, shouting a quick thank you to her mother.
"Thanks for breakfast, Mama!" the schoolgirl called, running to the door. "Sayonara!"
Kagome leaned against the wall, holding onto it for support as she slipped her shoes on. She grabbed a navy blue sweater, pulled it over her head and then knocked her toes against the floor, making sure the shoes were on properly. The girl flew through the door, racing in the direction of her school. I'm going to be late… The thought continued to shout in the depths of her mind as she ran. So much so that she didn't notice the white-haired hanyou standing by the well as she ran by.
---
Inuyasha stared at the girl as she passed, his mouth agape. When he saw the flicker of her raven hair against the snow and wind, he was sure that he'd be caught. But, instead of seeing him and interrogating him, she had just run past.
The hanyou blew a stream of air through his lips, letting his shoulders droop slightly. Well, he was past Kagome. Now, onward to preparation for Tolo. Inuyasha sighed, heading in the direction of Kagome's house. To be honest, he was quite nervous. What if he tried to dance and wasn't any good at it? What if he couldn't find the proper clothes to wear to Tolo? The hanyou's mind swirled with doubt.
But all thoughts instantly faded when he saw Kagome's mom smiling warmly at him.
"Good morning, Inuyasha!" she called through the kitchen window, beaming brilliantly at him. "Come on inside and we'll get started!" She added an unnecessary giggle, making her appear younger than she truly was.
Inuyasha blushed slightly and trotted to the back door. He cautiously pushed it open, wondering if anyone in the house was still asleep. The hanyou crept into the kitchen where Kagome's mother resided. The woman was now facing the sink, washing some spare dishes from breakfast. But, upon Inuyasha's arrival, she turned and smiled brightly at him. Inuyasha's face flushed once again, embarrassed by the woman's kindness. He was too busy blushing, however, to notice a small boy run up to him and latch onto his legs.
"Inu-onichan!" Souta cried happily, hugging the hanyou's legs.
Inuyasha's face flushed to a deeper shade of red as he tried to pry the boy off of his legs. Although separated from his beloved dog demon friend, the boy still smiled.
"Are you here to see Kagome? She already left for school-"
"No, Souta," Mrs. Higurashi interjected, speaking to the boy with a kind voice. "We're going to help him get ready for Tolo."
Souta's tapped his bottom lip in remembrance. "Oh yeah! Can I help?" He gave his mother a pleading look, but she shook her head, her hand at her hip.
"No, you need to go to school," she said sharply, giving the boy a piercing look. She looked at a round thing on the wall that Kagome had told Inuyasha was called a 'clock.' "Speaking of which," she continued, shoving a small bag into the boy's hands. "You need to get going or you'll be late!"
Souta shot his mother a defeated look and grunted his argument as he walked to the door.
"Sayonara, Souta!" Mrs. Higurashi called to her son, turning back to Inuyasha once she had. "Alright, Inuyasha…" She gave him a once-over that made Inuyasha feel very uneasy. His ears flattened against his head.
"We'll need to find you a tux!" she declared, throwing her arms into the air.
Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow, his ears pressed forward curiously. "A tux?" he asked in a confused tone. "What's a tux?"
Kagome's mother giggled slightly. "A tuxedo. It's a suit- something you wear for formal occasions."
Inuyasha nodded knowingly, though he really didn't have a clue. "Ano, I don't have any tuxedios."
Mrs. Higurashi giggled again, placing her hand over her mouth to hide her laughter. "It's a tuxedo. And I'm sure we can find one for you. Just let me find Kagome's grandpa, and I'll be right back." The woman shot Inuyasha a delicate smile before jogging up the stairs in search for Kagome's grandfather.
A sigh slipped through Inuyasha's lips. He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling in thought. Well, this is going to be strange… The hanyou's ears flattened against his head as he blushed, thinking about Tolo. There were so many things he had to learn: how to dance, how to act… What if he didn't learn them in time?
"Inuyasha."
Inuyasha turned and looked down upon hearing the somewhat edgy voice of Kagome's grandfather.
"Hai?"
"Come with me."
The old man gave Inuyasha a penetrating stare before turning and limping down the hall. The hanyou followed without objection, padding quietly after the old man. Kagome's grandfather made a sudden turn, walking into a room that Inuyasha had never seen before.
Golden eyes roamed over the room, taking in every aspect; the faded yellow paint on the walls, the wooden bureau on the other side of the room, even the glass vase of wilting roses. But one thing in particular caught Inuyasha's attention. A shrine. There was a small shrine in the corner of the room. The hanyou tilted his head in curiosity.
Kagome's grandfather must have noticed Inuyasha's curious expression. "That's for Kagome's father."
Inuyasha shot a glance at the old man, and then returned his gaze to the shrine. It was covered in a fine layer of dust, indicating that nobody had visited it recently.
Suddenly, a squeaking sound reached Inuyasha's ears, causing him to turn around in search of the noise. The wooden bureau was open, and something lay inside…
"A tux?" Inuyasha heard himself ask innocently.
"Hai," Kagome's grandpa responded, removing the black clothing from the bureau. "This was Kagome's father's. He was about your size, so this should fit…"
Fifteen minutes and a confused hanyou later, Inuyasha had been stripped of his hakama and forced into the tuxedo. He stared into the mirror on the inside of the bureau door, a bemused expression on his face.
"Is it supposed to be this tight?" He tugged at the collar.
"Yes, yes, it fits you perfectly," Kagome's grandfather said, seemingly very pleased with the outcome. "You'll get used to it in no time."
"I don't know if I want to get used to it…" Inuyasha grumbled inaudibly, pulling at the sleeves of the tux.
"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome's grandfather called to the hanyou from the door. Inuyasha noticed a small smirk on his wrinkled face. "We have dancing to do."
---
Kagome sat at her desk and sighed, a piece of her raven hair twirled around her finger. She had almost forgotten something very important about school: That when it wasn't hard, it was boring. She yawned and dropped her head into her hand. That was when she felt something prodding at the back of her head. She turned in her seat, rubbing the back of her head slightly.
"Did you ask that jealous, cheating boyfriend to Tolo?"
Kagome stared her friend, Eri, with curious brown eyes. What the hell is she- Oh, she means Inuyasha! The schoolgirl remembered with a slight smile. But her innocent smile almost instantly gave way to a sly smirk as she looked upon her curious friend.
"You'll see…" And with that vague remark, Kagome turned back around in her chair, trying her hardest to pretend that she was interested in geometry, which, of course, she wasn't.
---
Inuyasha followed Kagome's grandfather towards the living room, his heart beating quickly, his hands clenching and unclenching anxiously. He tugged at the collar of the tuxedo for about the millionth time in the past hour. Dance. Now he had to learn to dance. The hanyou crossed his arms over his chest, trying to keep himself from fidgeting too much as he strode into the living room. His golden eyes surveyed the small room, noticing that all of the furniture had been pushed against the walls.
"Inuyasha."
The hanyou jumped slightly at the sound of the voice, for he hadn't seen Kagome's mother approach him.
"My, don't you look handsome!" She chimed, smiling sweetly at the boy.
Inuyasha blushed slightly, mumbling his thanks as the woman laughed softly and took one of his clawed hands in her pale ones, pulling him to the middle of the room. Inuyasha let himself be led by her, a light blush still painting his cheeks.
"Shall we dance?" the woman asked with a smile and another feathery laugh.
Inuyasha's blush deepened to a shade of scarlet. His ears went back slightly as he responded. "Ano, sure…"
Another giggle erupted from Mrs. Higurashi's lips. "Now, Inuyasha," she said with feigned seriousness, "You'll have to loosen up and relax or it'll make dancing all the more difficult."
Easy for you to say, the hanyou thought with a snort. You're not wearing a tuxedo. But, he didn't bring up this argument to Kagome's mother. She was doing him a huge favor; the least he could do was be appreciative and bear with it. Inuyasha gave the woman a slight nod.
"So, um, how does this work?" he asked uncertainly, shuffling his feet. He dropped his arms at his side, letting them hang there as he remembered Mrs. Higurashi's advice.
"Well, we'll need some music." She shot a glance at Kagome's grandfather, and Inuyasha saw him nod. The old man shuffled over to a nearby table where some sort of strange contraption resided. The hanyou gave it a puzzled glance as Kagome's grandpa began to toy with it; turning dials, flipping switches, and pressing buttons.
Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head as high-pitched sounds and voices began emitting from the machine, sending out wavelengths of music that Inuyasha met with surprise. He stared at the contraption for a moment, wondering how such a thing could contain sound, when he noticed that Mrs. Higurashi was speaking.
"Next one, Grandpa," she said to the old man. "I can't teach Inuyasha how to waltz if we're listening to Ayumi Hamasaki, now." She gave the man a gentle smile that he returned. He pressed another button and a new type of music began to flow out; a softer, gentler piece that was soothing to Inuyasha and didn't attack his ears as much as the last one had.
The hanyou stared at the music box a moment longer before turning back to Mrs. Higurashi. She held out her hand. "Now, Inuyasha, take my right hand in your left." He did so, blushing all the while. "And put your other hand on my waist."
Inuyasha's ears pressed forward instantly, his cheeks turning bright red, revealing his embarrassment.
"N-nani?" He asked, just to make sure that he had heard correctly.
Mrs. Higurashi giggled. "Just out your hand on my waist, Inuyasha," she said kindly, "I promise I won't bite."
Inuyasha's cheeks flushed again, but he did as he was told, tentatively placing a clawed hand on the woman's waist.
And from that point, Inuyasha learned to dance. He let himself be led around the room by Mrs. Higurashi as they danced, spinning in slow circles every now and then. At first he had felt extremely awkward, moving around has delicately and slowly as possible, when almost everything he had ever needed to do relied on brute force and speed.
At first, Inuyasha was taught how to waltz, as Mrs. Higurashi thought it would be the easiest. This was very true, seeing as how Inuyasha had each step down perfectly within an hour. The hanyou had beamed with pride once he had done so, a wide grin growing on his face.
But, beyond the waltz, was another equally intriguing dance called the 'foxtrot.' Inuyasha was sure that Shippou would be interested by the name. But, further, beyond the foxtrot, were even more types of dance. Inuyasha learned the polka, and the tango; the foxtrot, and the waltz. In fact, around noon, the hanyou began to wonder if Kagome even knew how to do these complex dances.
At two o'clock, however, both Inuyasha and Mrs. Higurashi were exhausted and most certainly done with dancing for the day. The hanyou dropped to the carpeted ground, rubbing his aching feet. Kagome's mother laughed softly at his antics and began to walk out of the room.
"I'll go get us something to drink," she said as she left.
Inuyasha smiled at the woman's retreating back, suddenly overwhelmed by a sensation of gratitude. He knew how to dance! He actually did! And so well, that maybe even better than Kagome! The hanyou swelled with pride, a satisfied 'keh' emitting from his lips as he crossed his legs and raised his head.
"Oi, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha's ego-trip was interrupted by the voice of Kagome's grandfather; the said man now walking up to the hanyou with a box in his wrinkled hands. Inuyasha's white ears perked up as he looked at the box, curiosity glimmering in his amber eyes.
Kagome's grandfather kneeled in front of Inuyasha, placing the on the ground and removing the lid. Inside, there were two shiny black objects that the hanyou could only assume were more pieces of their strange clothing. He groaned.
The old man pulled the objects out of the box and handed them to Inuyasha.
"Here are some shoes," he said as the hanyou began to turn them in his hands, inspecting them from every angle possible. The said hanyou sniffed them gently, his nose scrunching up when a strong scent of leather reached it.
"They're probably different from what you're used to." He shot a glance at the bottom of the hanyou's dirt-covered feet. "But you'll need to wear them to Tolo."
Inuyasha nodded, setting one of the shoes down as he proceeded to put the other one on his foot. His mother had made him wear shoes once when he was younger. They were nothing like these ones, but shoes nonetheless.
Finally, the shoes were on, and the hanyou stood to make sure they worked properly. What they were supposed to do, however, was far beyond him.
Once Inuyasha rose to his feet, a quiet growl rose in his throat. He definitely did not like these shoes. They fit fine, leaving just enough room for his toes, but he couldn't feel the ground beneath him. Inuyasha took a couple of cautious steps, inching less than a foot forward. These shoes would definitely take time to get used to.
"The shoes might be uncomfortable at first," Kagome's grandfather said, as if reading Inuyasha's mind, "But you'll get used to them. Take them to your time and wear them as often as you can. So long as you don't get them dirty, that is."
Inuyasha nodded, staring down at his concealed feet. He took a few more steps, trying to wear in the shoes as much as possible. In fact, as he felt his confidence shoot up, he felt the shoes breaking down beneath him. The hanyou grinned.
---
Kagome sighed deeply, letting her bangs fall over her eyes as she tossed her knapsack over her shoulder. She walked to the door, striding slowly past all of her chattering peers as another sigh escaped her lips. The schoolgirl was just about to exit her school, her spirits beginning to lift at the thought of the school day being over, when three figures jumped into her path.
"Ano, Eri, Yuka, Ayumi…" she said, running a delicate hand through her jet-black hair, "I'm really tired." She feigned a yawn for the sake of her argument. "I need to go home."
Yuka crossed her arms sullenly. "No until you tell us about your date for Tolo." Ayumi also crossed her arms, trying to look sulkier than she really did.
"How do you even know I have a date?" Kagome asked, getting slightly agitated. "Maybe I don't."
"You have a date for Tolo, Higurashi-San?"
Kagome jolted slightly at the sound of the unexpected voice. She turned to see a wide-eyed, curious looking Hojo standing next to her.
"Um, I…" she stammered, a light blush rushing over her face.
"Ha!" Yuka sounded, pointing a finger at Kagome. "She does then!"
"Wh-what?!" Kagome asked, leaning in towards her friend. Her fists clenched at her sides. "I didn't say anything!"
"You stuttered," Yuka chimed in with a sly smirk. "That's enough proof for us."
"Who's the lucky guy, Higurashi?" Hojo asked sweetly.
"Ah, um…" Kagome stammered again. "You don't know him-"
"Ohhh," Eri's voice said in a drawling tone. "You asked that jealous, two-timing boyfriend of yours, didn't you?"
"Higurashi-San has a boyfriend?" Hojo was now speaking to her friends, no longer Kagome herself. So much for going straight to the source, she thought sourly, glaring at the group.
"Yeah, but not a very good one," Eri said with a snort, crossing her arms. "You'd run circles around him, Hojo-"
"Nani?!" Kagome asked loudly, perplexed by her friends lack of loyalty. Her face was now a deep, brick red. "I do not have a boyfriend!"
Eri cowered slightly. "But you said-"
"I didn't say anything!" Kagome glared at her friends for a moment longer before letting out a long sigh. "I need to go home…"
Kagome brushed past her friends, ignoring their questions as she walked out of the school. She sighed, inhaling a sweet breath of cold, winter air as she trotted down the front steps, her heels clicking on the concrete.
Just what I need, she thought pessimistically, an interrogation from my friends and an offended Hojo. The schoolgirl sighed, glad that she was finally going home. That the madness of today had ended.
---
Inuyasha gratefully took the cup from Mrs. Higurashi, taking a sip of the cool, refreshing water. "Arigato," he mumbled. He rolled his shoulders, ecstatic that he was now back in his comfortable hakama. The hanyou smiled, taking another sip.
However, on the water's slow descent down his throat, it came back up. All at the sound of a familiar voice.
"Mama?" came Kagome's gentle, but tired sounding voice. Inuyasha could hear her soft footsteps as she walked through the hall. "I'm home!"
Inuyasha, Mrs. Higurashi, and Kagome's grandfather all froze, casting each other nervous glances. Inuyasha quickly leapt to his feet, searching for a quick way out, and found one; a window on the far side of the room.
The hanyou ran to it, snatching up the box of shoes as he did so, and quickly pulled it open. He was about to dive through when he heard Mrs. Higurashi's voice.
"Inuyasha," she called quietly, her voice in a near whisper. "I forgot to tell you: At Tolo, you'll be leading Kagome, so you'll need to know the steps."
Inuyasha nodded. And with that, he jumped through the window, landing on the ground in a run. He ran swiftly and quietly through the shrine, making a beeline for the well. The hanyou was finally there, staring down into the hole that led to his home. And then, with a flick of his silver hair, he was gone, disappearing into the darkness.
---
Kagome walked into the living room, an eyebrow cocked at what she saw.
"Ano, Mama…" she started, "Why is all of the furniture against the wall?"
Kagome's mother smiled warmly at her daughter. "Oh, just doing a little cleaning."
"Hmm…" Kagome shrugged, turning and walking out of the room. She jogged up the stairs and stepped into her room, closing the door behind her. Once in her room, leaving all politeness and grace behind, she dropped facedown onto her bed, burying her face in the clean-smelling sheets.
---
Kagome looked around at the various stores on either side of her, her brown eyes searching for something in particular. The girl suddenly noticed the course of her journey, her shoulders drooping slightly. She rolled her eyes, and sighed.
"I can't believe I let you drag me out here…" she groaned, letting herself be led into yet another dress shop.
"Well, we have to find you a dress, some way or another," piped up Yuka.
"Yeah," chimed Eri, "Even if you are going with that jerk boyfriend."
Kagome gave another roll of her eyes, sighing again. "How do you even know I'm going with him?" She asked. "How do you even know I'm going at all?"
Ayumi made a tutting sound with her tongue. "Come on, Kagome, it's so obvious."
"Well, I didn't think it was that painfully obvious…" Kagome grumbled, quiet enough that her friends couldn't hear.
"Okay!" Eri and Yuka both shoved Kagome into the massive collection of dresses that was laid out before her. The girl glanced back at her three friends, giving each of them an 'I really don't want to do this' look. But, they just smiled, each giving her a thumbs-up.
Kagome blew out a stream of air threw her lips and began rummaging through the dresses. One by one, she gave them each a once-over. The girl finally pulled out three of them, her brown eyes roaming over each, making sure that they were worthy opponents. She took them to the nearby dressing room, closing the door behind her.
And there, she began to try them on. Once the first was on, Kagome backed up and gazed at her reflection in the mirror on the inside of the door. She tilted her head to the side, seeing if it would look different from different angles. But, no, this definitely wasn't the dress that she'd wear to Tolo. Kagome quickly pulled off the dress and continued onto the next one. However, just like the previous one, it didn't stand out. It was nice, but not 'the one.' That left the last dress…
Kagome pulled off the second dress and started to pull on the last one. Once she had slipped into it, the schoolgirl once again glanced at her mirror self. A small smile appeared on her lips, almost instantly turning into a grin as she opened the door to the dressing room.
All at once, her friends broke into huge smiles. Ayumi clasped her hand together.
"Kagome-Chan!"
Kagome smiled back at her friend, turning around so they could appreciate the full of her beautiful gown. As she turned, the girl caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She stopped spinning and stared into her reflection, her brown eyes sparkling. This is what I'm wearing to Tolo… Kagome mused, a wide grin gracing her delicate face.
More thoughts continued to swirl around in her head as she gazed at her reflection. A light giggle erupted from her lips as she thought of how Inuyasha would react. A faint blush graced her cheeks as she thought of the hanyou. This is what I'll wear when I dance with Inuyasha…
.-.-.
Author's notes: Okay, I didn't get very many reviews for the last chapter (sob), but I don't care- the story's drawing to a close! And I have to say that I am very happy about that. Not because I will no longer need to endure having an unfinished fanfic on my shoulders, but because I will have finished my first multi-chapter story! Yay! And then I can start Here Without You… yay again. So, anyhoo, the next chapter is the last (I think so, anyway…), so be prepared for fluff! TO THE MAX. XD