Author's notes: Took a piece of a scene from one of the episodes. Joyous, ne?

…I MISS TOLO! sniff

With a fluff fluff here, and a fluff fluff there, here a fluff, there a fluff, everywhere a fluff fluff… OO;

Dance With Me

Chapter 10

Two pieces of black leather flew through the air, the pale winter sunlight sending rays of light beaming off of them. The two objects hit a large tree with a click of their solid soles, falling and landing at the base of the trunk.

A few meters away, a silver-haired boy glared at the shoes, a deep growl of anger rising in his throat. He trudged sullenly to the objects at the base of the tree, picking them up and handling them as if they were bombs. He continued to glare at the items, his lips curling up to show pearly white fangs.

How the hell am I supposed to get used to these things? He wondered irately, dropping to the ground and slipping them back onto his aching feet. Inuyasha rose to his feet again, taking a few cautious steps forward. Despite his moral outrage at the idea of wearing these torture devices, he knew that he had to, for Kagome. Another low growl sounded in the hanyou's throat as he took more steps forward, being less careful about how softly he treaded. A burst of pain exploded in the balls of his feet, causing him to wince and clench his teeth.

An irritated grunt came from the hanyou's mouth as he dropped onto the ground, the pain in his feet almost instantly evaporating. Tolo was so close, and he still hadn't mastered the shoes! Nor had he mastered dancing in the shoes. Inuyasha growled softly. He didn't even want to think about that.

In the midst of his brooding thoughts, Inuyasha didn't hear the approaching footsteps.

"Oi, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha hardly had time to brace himself before a small kitsune youkai leapt onto his shoulders with small grunt.

Inuyasha turned his head to face the boy. "Baka!" he shouted angrily. "Would you stop doing that?!"

"What?" Shippou asked innocently, staring into Inuyasha's golden eyes with wonder. His gaze quickly shifted, however, to the shoes on the hanyou's feet. The kitsune leapt down from his perch on Inuyasha's shoulder and began to inspect the unfamiliar objects, poking and sniffing them. His brow furrowed.

"What are they?" Shippou asked, crossing his arms as he continued to stare at the foreign items.

"Shoes from Kagome's world," Inuyasha explained. "I have to wear them for that Tolo thing."

"Ah, so Kagome-Sama has given you clothing to wear?"

Inuyasha turned to see Miroku and Sango walking towards him, the monk's eyes searching the hanyou's for any sign of an answer.

"No," the hanyou replied, slightly annoyed that he hadn't heard the two coming. "Her mother and grandfather are letting me borrow some of theirs." Miroku and Sango both nodded and sat on the ground in front of Inuyasha.

Miroku raised an eyebrow, leaning in towards the hanyou's feet. "So, you have to wear those?" he asked, his eyebrows still raised.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Yes," he growled, glaring at the contraptions on his feet.

Miroku stared at the shoes for a moment longer before breaking out into hysterical laughter. Inuyasha promptly responded to this action by throwing one of the shoes at the monk. Miroku, however, caught the object in his hands, and began to examine it closely. Sango leaned over to the monk, also studying the strange item.

"It looks uncomfortable," Sango commented, taking the shoe from Miroku's hands. Inuyasha grunted his response, looking at the shoe with loathing glimmering in his amber eyes.

Sango looked at the sole of the shoe and then peered inside, as if looking for something. "Ah!" she finally exclaimed, her face brightening. She dropped the object into her lap and then reached inside of her kimono, her hands digging for something near her waist. Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippou watched curiously as she finally pulled something out, thrusting it out into the air with a small cry of triumph.

"Aha!" she cried, holding the strange object in the air. Her gaze shifted to Inuyasha. She dropped the item in front of him, and the hanyou then realized that is was in the shape of a foot, but very thin.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked, poking at the strange foot-shape with a clawed finger. He found that it was made of a very soft substance as his finger sunk into it.

"They're gel pads. Kagome gave me a few of them a long time ago," she explained, reaching into her kimono and pulling out another. "You're supposed to put them in your shoes so your feet don't hurt." Sango smiled.

Inuyasha stared at Sango, and then at the gel pads, for a moment before a smile crawled across his face. "Can I use them for these ones?" he asked excitedly, motioning to the foot-torture devices.

Sango nodded, still smiling. "Hai."

Inuyasha grinned and took the gel pads, quickly placing them inside of his shoes. The hanyou stood and slipped his feet into the shoes, grinning even bigger than before. He took a couple steps and then turned to Sango, absolutely beaming.

"Arigato, Sango!" he shouted before turning and taking off at a run. These 'gel pads' were like magic, and the hanyou couldn't help but wonder if someone had spelled them to relieve pain. He took a leap, hitting the ground on the balls of his feet. He kept running, loving the fact that the shoes were no longer set on destroying his feet.

---

Kagome directed her brown eyes at the beautiful gown in her room, casting it a quick joy-filled glance, before she turned and jetted down the stairs. A grin spread across her face for about the millionth time that day, at the mere sight of her dress. The girl bounded to the door, still grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm going, Mama!" she shouted, picking up her knapsack and exiting through the front door.

"Sayonara, Kagome!" She heard her mom shout, and then the door swung shut, blocking out her mother's voice.

Kagome smiled, sighing lightly as she strode to the well. Only a couple of days until Tolo, she mused, blushing slightly. True, the anticipation was torture, but she knew it would all be worth the wait. Kagome's blush deepened, and she couldn't help but grin again. Just thinking about Tolo made her giddy.

Kagome finally approached the well, trying desperately to wipe the grin off of her face. And despite how much she thought of Kikyo and geometry, it just wouldn't work. Oh well, she thought, diving into the well, Inuyasha will just have to deal an over-happy Kagome for the day.

---

Inuyasha stared at the grey sky overhead, his golden eyes rolling, his hair splayed across the ground. You moron. The scolding words repeated in his head as he pulled himself to a sitting position, a low growl rising in chest. He glared at the shoes on his feet.

The growl eventually subsided as the hanyou remembered that it was his own fault for trying to climb a tree with shoes on. Baka, he chided himself silently, rising to his feet. He was about to take off running again, just to prove that he was superior over the shoes, when a sweet but loud voice pricked his inu ears. His ears twitched in the direction of the familiar voice.

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat, his eyes instantly darting to the black shoes on his feet. Kagome's here already…?

"Inuyasha!" the voice came again, alerting Inuyasha to the fact that the girl was coming closer. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for a place to stash the shoes. But, his efforts seemed fruitless once he realized that if he hid them anywhere in the forest, an animal or creature of some sort would come along and take them.

"Inuyasha?"

The voice was closer now, probably within sight range. Without another thought crossing his mind, Inuyasha had pulled off the shoes and shoved them inside his hakama. The rubber rubbed uncomfortably against his skin, but he did his best to ignore it.

"Inuyasha…?"

The hanyou turned to see Kagome's curious eyes staring directly into his. She tilted her head. "What are you doing out here?"

Inuyasha snorted, crossing his arms and turning his head away. "Feh. None of your business."

Kagome rolled her eyes and then shrugged her shoulders, letting her backpack fall to the ground. She kneeled next to the bag, opening it and beginning to rummage through it. Her brow furrowed in concentration, and Inuyasha couldn't help but push his ears forward curiously as his eyes searched her hands for whatever object she was searching for.

"Aha!" Kagome shouted, pulling out a small bracelet of sorts with a small illuminating piece of metal attached to it. The schoolgirl turned to Inuyasha, her face becoming more serious. "This, Inuyasha," she said, holding up the foreign object, "Is a watch." Kagome noticed the hanyou's confused face and giggled gently. "It shows what time it is." She held up the round, metal piece for Inuyasha to see, and he noticed that it had illuminating numbers on it. "See?" Inuyasha nodded.

The girl smiled warmly and took Inuyasha's wrist in her hand, wrapping the weird bracelet -or watch­­­- around it. Inuyasha stared at it curiously, his golden eyes filled with wonder.

"Since Tolo is coming up and all," Kagome continued, "I thought I'd better give it to you. When those numbers read seven thirty." She pointed at the glowing characters. "I want you to come through the well to my house, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded, staring intently at the watch on his wrist. He shifted his amber gaze to look at Kagome, who he found was picking up her bag, preparing to leave.

"W-Where are you going?" Inuyasha sputtered, placing himself in front of her, blocking her path. "You haven't even been here for an hour!"

Kagome rolled her eyes again, a sigh slipping between her lips. "I need to go back home and get ready for Tolo. There's a lot to be done, you know." She nodded knowingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Inuyasha snorted, also crossing his arms. "Whatever," he grunted, turning his head away.

Kagome smiled sweetly at him. "Sayonara, Inuyasha!" she squealed, jogging in the direction of the well. "See you in a couple of days!"

Inuyasha snorted again. "Feh."

---

Kagome smiled, a cool breeze ruffling her skirt as she skipped through the empty forest. Upon leaving the mass of trees, a familiar voice pricked the girl's ears. She trotted to the top of a nearby hill and stared down where the owner of the voice sat. Sango, however, was not alone. The demon exterminator blushed under the gaze of her companion.

"Miroku…" she said softly, lowering her eyes. The blush on her cheeks deepened. "I don't know why I feel this way about you… or how I even came to it, but the fact is… I do."

Kagome's eyes widened and she had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep from squealing out loud. She then lowered herself to the ground and continued to watch the commotion below.

The monk shifted, sitting Indian-style in front of Sango. "How long have you felt this way?" he asked, staring intently at Sango's violet eyes.

Sango smiled wryly. "I don't really know." She brought her knees to her body and hugged them. "I've lost track of time."

Kagome shot a glance at Miroku, curious about how he would react. She saw a war waging in his eyes, his brow furrowed in thought.

"I thought you were leaving."

Kagome quickly turned around, coming face to face with Inuyasha's golden eyes. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Shh!" Kagome hissed, placing a finger in front of her lips. She quickly grabbed hold of the bemused hanyou's wrist and pulled him onto the ground.

"Baka-"

Kagome placed a hand over his mouth before he could continue. "Shh!" she whispered again. The hanyou's eyes flared, but he said nothing. Kagome rolled her eyes and motioned to the other side of the hill where Sango and Miroku sat.

Inuyasha's ears twitched in the direction of the voices, and both he and Kagome peered over to watch the conversation take place.

"Sango…"

"I don't expect you to feel the same way," she said with a weary smile, "But-"

The demon exterminator's words were cut short when she was pulled into a fast hug, being wrapped up in Miroku's arms.

Kagome worked quickly to muffle another loud squeal, clasping both hands over her mouth. Inuyasha jumped slightly at the girl's reaction and watched her with confused golden eyes. Kagome ignored the hanyou's stare and continued to watch the action below.

Sango's eyes widened as she was pulled into the embrace, her cheeks now a deep shade of scarlet.

"Sango…" Miroku said softly, "I never thought of us this way."

Kagome noticed an inaudible gasp escape through Sango's lips. The monk leaned away from the girl and stared into her wondrous eyes, his dark blue ones more enigmatic than ever.

"But, Sango…"

Sango stared up at Miroku's unreadable face, her hands clasped anxiously in front of her. Miroku placed his hands over hers.

"Will you bear my child?"

Another gasp came from Sango's lips. She stared up at Miroku, unable to move as if her shock had paralyzed her. After a moment, a small smile crept across her face.

"I will."

Miroku's eyes widened. He leaned forward, curiosity filling his surprised eyes. "You will?"

Sango cocked her head to the side, still smiling gently. "Hai."

Miroku grinned, seemingly unsure of what to do next. He quickly realized, however, exactly what he was supposed to do. He leaned forward, cupping Sango's face in his hands, and placed his lips over hers.

---

Inuyasha's cheeks flushed as he watched the display of human affection below. He heard Kagome let out yet another squeal. The hanyou turned his head to see the schoolgirl grinning from ear to ear, a delicate blush painting her cheeks. She turned to look at Inuyasha, a smile still inhabiting her face.

As their eyes met, Inuyasha couldn't help but blush. He felt heat in his cheeks and averted his eyes, looking away from the girl in front of him.

"Well," came the girl's quiet voice. "I'll see you in a couple of days, Inuyasha."

The hanyou looked up to see Kagome inching her way down the hill and towards the well. She smiled warmly at him.

"Ja ne!"

---

The following couple of days inched by slowly, as if carried on the backs of snails. And if the slow days weren't enough to eat away at both Kagome and Inuyasha, the anticipation and anxiety that led up to Tolo surely was.

In the late afternoon, on the seventh of February, Kagome found herself staring out of her window, her brown eyes roaming over the powdery snow that lay on the shrine grounds. Her little brother, Souta, was bounding through the white abyss, kicking up the snow around him. A small smile appeared on Kagome's pale face as she watched the little boy's antics.

The girl's gaze shifted to look to the sky, where a multitude of color was displayed as if on the palate of the earth. Pale blues and shades of violet painted the sky, with the occasional pink jetting across the billowing clouds. A delicate sigh left Kagome's lips as she dropped her head into her hands, still watching the sunset.

After another glorious carefree moment, Kagome pulled her eyes away from the setting sun and turned to look at the clock by her bedside. The hands both pointed to six, alerting Kagome to the fact that she needed to get ready for Tolo.

After making sure that the door was closed, Kagome walked to her closet and opened the doors, her face brightening the instant she saw her dress. She pulled the beautiful garment off of its hanger and laid it gently on her bed as she proceeded to get undressed.

Without another passing moment, Kagome had been stripped of her regular clothes. The girl picked up her dress and pulled it over her head. She shimmied into the dress, letting it slide over her form, and then pulled it down; making sure it wasn't wrinkled or harmed in any way.

Seeing as how the dress was unharmed, Kagome decided to take one more look at herself in the dress before she continued to get prepared for the night ahead. The girl slowly opened her door, poking her head outside. Brown eyes darted from one end of the hall to the other before she jetted out of her room and into the bathroom.

Kagome quietly closed the door behind her, and then turned to gaze at her reflection.

A young girl of fifteen stared back. Her wavy, raven hair fell to her shoulders, covering the pale skin that was now revealed. A delicate blush painted the girl's cheeks as she turned this way and that, trying to get a better look at herself. Brown eyes sparkled happily as she took in the whole of herself. Grinning, blushing, and altogether gloating, Kagome cast her reflection before diving into the make-up bag by the sink.

Long, graceful fingers unzipped the pink bag and began shuffling through the random objects inside. They knocked away the random lipsticks and eye-shadows until the owner found what she had been looking for. Kagome pulled out a tube of mascara and a stick of pink lip gloss.

True, Kagome had never been one to wear make-up, but for a special occasion like this, sticking to the norm didn't seem like a possibility. The girl unscrewed the tube of mascara and gave the small, black brush a penetrating stare. She proceeded to put the brush up to her eyelashes, successfully jabbing herself in the eye with the said brush.

And thus went her experience with make-up.

---

Inuyasha cast another anxious glance at the contraption at his wrist. His golden eyes read the numbers, waiting for them to change.

A watched pot will never boil… The old rule of thumb rang in his head, but he quickly reminded himself that pots don't boil.

Inuyasha let a sigh slip through his lips and dropped his head, silver bangs falling over his eyes. Should I go now? He wondered silently, staring at the watch again. The numbers read six forty-five, but what was the harm in coming a little early? Nothing, Inuyasha replied mentally, as long as Kagome doesn't see me.

The hanyou then proceeded to walk towards the well, a small smile appearing on his lips. He patted the side of his kimono where his shoes resided; making sure that he hadn't lost them.

Inuyasha's smile widened into a grin as he threw his head up and aimed his confidence towards the sky. Tolo would be a piece of cake, as he so often found Kagome's people saying. It would be simple.

With one last confident 'keh,' and a toss of his silver hair, Inuyasha jumped into the well, ready to face what lay on the other side.

Once the hanyou had appeared in Kagome's world, he had quickly trotted over to the back door, making sure to stay low to the ground so as not to be seen. His jaw was set, and his amber eyes were determined, ready for the night ahead.

Inuyasha finally reached the back door of Kagome's house. He didn't bother to knock, fearing that the slightest sound might catch Kagome's attention. And as the hanyou crept through the house, he came across Kagome's cat. And as if on cue, the cat began to meow loudly, a deep rumbling sound rising in his throat and emitting through his mouth.

Inuyasha quickly dropped to the ground and placed a hand over the cat's mouth, but to no avail. The feline continued to produce sound, deep growls rumbling in his chest. Inuyasha pulled his hand away, hoping that if he let the cat go it would be quiet.

And as if for convenience's sake, the cat continued to meow. Even louder, this time.

Apparently, all of the noise that the cat was creating had caught someone's attention upstairs. Inuyasha's ears tweaked as he heard a door creak open and footsteps approach the top of the stairs.

"Buyo!" called a familiar voice. "Be quiet!"

The door slammed, and Inuyasha's ears drooped, a sigh of relief leaving him.

Luckily, the cat's consistent meowing had caught the attention of someone other than Kagome. Mrs. Higurashi walked out of the kitchen, her eyes full of curiosity. Her face almost instantly brightened at the sight of Inuyasha.

"Oh, Inuyasha," she said happily, "I'm glad you're early. Let's go get you ready, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded gently and allowed the woman to lead him into the room where the tuxedo was. She stopped at the doorway and stood to the side, allowing Inuyasha entrance.

"Come out when you're done," she whispered, not wanting to attract her daughter's attention from upstairs, "And I'll help you get everything else all ready."

Inuyasha nodded as the woman smiled and closed the door. Once the door had clicked shut, Inuyasha began to peel off his haori, and then his hakama. The hanyou strode to the wooden chest where the tuxedo was kept and opened the doors, staring inside at the black garment.

With a sigh and a roll of his golden eyes, Inuyasha took the clothing in a tentative grip and proceeded to put them on. Fortunately, Inuyasha found that putting the tuxedo on was easier the second time around than it was the first.

With the black garment now covering the hanyou's body, Inuyasha carefully pushed the door open, his golden eyes peering outside before he actually stepped out of the room. He walked into the kitchen, creeping on tiptoes.

Mrs. Higurashi, who stood by the sink, suddenly became aware of Inuyasha's presence, and turned to greet him. As she took in the full of Inuyasha's form, she grinned widely, her brown eyes glimmering with delight.

"My, oh my, don't you look handsome?"

Inuyasha shifted his weight uncomfortably, unsure of whether or not to answer the question. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Come, now," the woman said cheerfully, once again leading him to some unknown part of the house. "There's still more work to be done!"

Inuyasha gulped, unable to keep himself from worrying about this 'work that had to be done.'

---

Having won the battle with the mascara brush, Kagome found that putting on make-up wasn't that bad. The lip gloss smelled good, and the once painful mascara made her eyes stand out magnificently. The girl took a step back and admired her reflection once again. Hmm…Something's missing… Kagome tapped her bottom lip thoughtfully, wondering what she could have forgotten.

"Ah!" she said aloud, pulling out a drawer from under the sink. She stared into the compartment, digging through random hair-scrunchies and clips as she searched for something in particular.

Not long after the search had started, it was over, and Kagome had found what she needed to complete her outfit. The girl pulled the item out of the drawer and placed it on the top of her head, wiggling it into her hair.

Kagome took another look at herself in the mirror and beamed at her reflection. She was ready. She had overcome the obstacles; the make-up, the dress, the date. And now she was finally ready.

She was prepared for Tolo.

.-.-.

Author's notes: To be continued! ::cackles evilly::