Dance With Me

Chapter 11

After gazing at her refection for a moment longer, Kagome crept back to her room, once again closing the door behind her. The girl glided smoothly to the window at the opposite end of her bedroom and stared out, admiring the darkness that had fallen over the land. She sighed deeply and then inhaled a breath of sweet, winter air.

Then, there was a knock on the door. Kagome turned quickly, jolted slightly by the abrupt sound.

"Yes?" she called uncertainly.

"Kagome, are you ready, sweetie?" came her mother's soft voice. "Inuyasha's here."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat, and she felt heat rising in her cheeks. "Alright," she called through the door, trying to conceal her nervousness. "I'm coming out then."

Footsteps on the other side of the wall were her only responses as Kagome crept to the door and opened it cautiously. The girl slid out of her room, her legs suddenly feeling weak. She strode to the stairwell and started her descent, holding onto the bar for support.

As Kagome walked down, her first glimpse of Inuyasha was a pair of black shoes under black pants. And, as the girl continued her descent, she saw more and more of Inuyasha.

Once halfway down the staircase, Kagome could see him completely. Her breath hitched in her throat.

Inuyasha wore a black tuxedo and black shoes to match. His once wild and knotted mane had been brushed through, making it fall in a soft wave down his back. His ears twitched curiously as he heard Kagome's footsteps.

---

Inuyasha's golden eyes met Kagome's brown ones, and the hanyou found himself gawking at the girl.

Her school clothes had been cast away, and a long, sleek black dress now appeared in their place. The dress fell just past her ankles, and had thin straps at the top that revealed more of her pale skin.

Inuyasha continued to stare, a light blush now tingeing his cheeks, as Kagome smiled softly at him, her eyes twinkling gently. She took another step downstairs, and Inuyasha noticed how unstable she looked. If I'm nervous, then what is she? He found himself wondering as she continued to walk down the steps, trembling slightly.

Then, Inuyasha's golden eyes honed in on the movement of her feet. As she took another step down the staircase, her foot narrowly missed the stair, sending her flying forward. Inuyasha didn't waste another precious moment before he reacted. He quickly ran to the bottom of the staircase and caught her, his arms wrapping reflexively around her waist.

Kagome shyly lifted her head from its place on his chest and stared into Inuyasha's amber eyes.

"Ano…" Her blush deepened, and Inuyasha found himself blushing as well. He lifted his gaze from her brown eyes and stared at something sticking out of her hair…

---

Kagome had just gotten her footing on the ground when Inuyasha jumped back, staring at the top of her head. He threw a hand out and pointed at two appendages sticking out of Kagome's hair.

"What is that?!" he asked, still keeping a safe distance between himself and the mutated Kagome.

Kagome giggled softly and raised a delicate hand to touch the black cat ears on her head. She tugged gently and pulled the ears out, causing a yelp of surprise to come out of Inuyasha's mouth.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha," she said, suppressing a giggle. "These aren't real. It's just for decoration. See?"

Kagome held out the neko-ears headband for the hanyou to see. He leaned forward and sniffed them gently.

"They don't smell like cat…" he said, still perplexed by the strange object.

Kagome laughed softly. "They're not." The girl put them back into her hair. "They just make me look like one."

---

Inuyasha blushed involuntarily as Kagome gave him a playful wink. And then a strange thought entered Inuyasha's mind. He found that… that… that with cat ears, Kagome actually looked…

Cute.

Inuyasha blushed even more at this thought, his cheeks now burning dully.

"Oh, don't you two look adorable!"

Inuyasha and Kagome turned to see a squealing Mrs. Higurashi behind them. She held a strange object in her hand, one that Kagome had told Inuyasha was called a 'camera.'

"Oh!" the woman cried happily, "Let's take some pictures!"

"Mama…" Kagome said softly in protest, but to no avail. Inuyasha and Kagome were soon ushered to the front by Kagome's brother and grandfather. They stood there both blushing like mad as Kagome's mother demanded that they smile.

Inuyasha shot a sideways glance at Kagome and noticed a gleeful smile on her face. She really did look beautiful…

At this revelation, Inuyasha smiled as well. And, then, there was a flash of light. Inuyasha swaggered back a couple of steps, blinking wildly, trying to get to spots in his vision to go away.

Once the hanyou had recovered from the barrage of light, Kagome's mother snapped a few more photos, claiming that each one was cuter than the one prior.

Once Mrs. Higurashi had had her fill of photography, Kagome shot Inuyasha an apologetic glance, accompanied by a sweet smile.

"Ready for Tolo?" she asked, her eyes softening.

Inuyasha smiled shyly, blushing gently. He nodded his response, and then the two were off, heading for the wonder that was Tolo.

---

It didn't take long for Kagome and Inuyasha to reach the school. And even if it had taken a long time, neither of them would have noticed. The chill air had surrounded them the instant they left the house; and it was a feeling that they had greeted with pleasure.

The winter air was crisp and still, holding no sign of commotion until Inuyasha and Kagome had arrived at the girl's school.

Inuyasha gawked at the school before swallowing the knot in his throat. An unfathomable number of students littered the walkway to the school, each one dressed in some sort of formal wear.

"Feh," Inuyasha found himself muttering. None of these people could even hold a candle to Kagome…

The schoolgirl turned to him, curious brown eyes searching his. "Did you say something, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou's cheeks flushed as he shook his head. "No," he replied snidely, crossing his arms and turning his head away.

He heard Kagome's soft laughter as he felt her arm link with his, her pale skin seeming to glow against the black cloth. The girl offered a sweet smile and tilted her head.

"Shall we?"

Inuyasha looked at the school. The building seemed to have music seeping out of it, as well as Kagome's schoolmates. Would Inuyasha be able to act properly? Would he remember his dance steps? What if he made a mistake?

The hanyou's ears flattened against his head involuntarily, a deep blush painting his cheeks.

"Hey, cool ears!"

Inuyasha blushed and turned to see the owner of the voice. A boy of about Kagome's age with black hair and bright green eyes looked back. Inuyasha blushed even more. Since when were his inu ears 'cool'?

"Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha whipped his head to the side to meet Kagome's gaze. She smiled warmly. "Come on."

The girl then made her way to the school, walking with ease and confidence as the hanyou trailed slightly behind her, still attached to her arm.

Kagome and Inuyasha strode up to the school, pressing through the large doors and then making their way through the crowd inside. The front hall was filled to the brim with teenagers around Kagome's age, all flashing some animal tribute on their outfits.

Inuyasha shot a glance to each of these people, wondering if any of their animal traits were real. He saw one girl with short, chestnut hair wearing panda ears that seemed pretty convincing, and then another with bright blonde hair and fox ears. Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. He had to admit, this was pretty strange…

Before another thought could cross his mind, Kagome had pulled him into a large auditorium. Music filled this room and sent deep vibrations through the hanyou's body. He shivered slightly and then cast a glance to Kagome, who seemed perfectly fine. The girl turned to him, seeming to feel his unease and offered a sweet smile for comfort.

'Anata no koto wo omou sore dake de namida ga…'

The music rang in his inu ears as he stared at the girl, unsure of what to say or how to react.

'Ima afuredashite kuru yohakanai omoi zuttodonna toki demo negau yoanata ni todoku you ni to...'

---

Kagome grinned at the hanyou, trying to make him feel more comfortable. She knew that it must have been awkward for Inuyasha to be there; among all of these humans with the fake animal tributes. It was probably pretty confusing, as well.

"Are you okay, Inuyasha?" she asked over the music, still smiling gently.

Inuyasha whipped his head around, facing away. "Of course I am," he said, feigning confidence.

A sly grin crept across Kagome's face. "Then let's go!" The girl ran out into the crowd, adding a twirl in her steps. She giggled gently and spun around again, her dress whirling around her figure like a whirlpool.

---

The girl's raven hair bounced gently as she danced, falling around her porcelain face in a black shroud. Kagome threw her arms in the air and continued to spin, causing more and more confusion for the poor hanyou. Inuyasha tilted his head curiously, watching these strange dance steps. Mrs. Higurashi hadn't taught him these ones.

Inuyasha watch Kagome's movements with a bemused expression haunting his face. He watched as Kagome closed her eyes as she danced, the girl still grinning ecstatically.

And then the hanyou watched as a boy approached her.

---

"H-Higurashi-San?"

Kagome's eyes widened at the voice and she whirled around to meet the boy's curious gaze.

"Hojo-Kun!" she cried with a surprised tone.

The boy looked around, obviously looking for her date. And then a soft smile crept across his face. "Would you like to dance?" He took Kagome's hand in his.

"I… um…" Kagome stammered, glancing back at Inuyasha. She could read the hanyou's expression, but hopefully he could read hers…

---

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he saw the boy take Kagome's hand and wrap his arm around her delicate waist. A deep growl rose in his throat, and before he knew what he was doing, Inuyasha was storming in the direction of the two.

At this point, the boy's back was to Inuyasha. The hanyou walked up behind him and gripped his shoulder firmly, pulling him away from Kagome. Her spun him around and then stared directly into his fearful eyes.

"Deme…"

Inuyasha cast a concerned glance at Kagome, one that she met with wide, shocked eyes.

"Inuyasha," she cooed softly, gently removing his hand from the boy's shoulder. "It's okay."

The boy jumped back slightly, his eyes still wide with terror.

Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha, Hojo. Hojo, Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha?" Hojo asked with a puzzled expression, "That's a weird na-"

Before he could finish his word, a deep growl had rose in Inuyasha's throat. It was obvious that the message had been clear enough, because without another word, Hojo had waved a quick goodbye to Kagome and jetted off.

"Feh," the hanyou snorted, flicking his hair in the direction of the boy.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said softly, "Arigato."

Inuyasha turned to meet the girl's gaze and smiled calmly. "Keh. He was asking for it."

Without another word, Kagome had thrown herself at Inuyasha, pulling him into a warm hug. The hanyou blushed slightly, and tentative placed his arms around her small frame.

Kagome stared up at Inuyasha, a playful flicker of amusement glimmering in her brown eyes. She pulled back a bit and grabbed Inuyasha's hand. "Come on," she said, pulling him into the mass of people. "Let's teach you how to dance."

And Tolo went on as such. All through the night, Kagome tried to teach Inuyasha her dance steps, which were quite different from her mother's. Inuyasha watched with a blush on his cheeks as the girl waved her arms in the air, moving them in random patterns as her body twisted and moved to the music.

Eventually, Inuyasha found himself dancing along with the girl. She had laughed softly at his antics as he had tried to match her dance moves and had failed miserably.

But, despite the confusion, despite Inuyasha's inability to dance, he found that he was actually having fun. His amber eyes twinkled playfully as the girl laughed.

And as the night progressed, Inuyasha and Kagome found that they were having more and more fun by the minute. And to Inuyasha's amusement, several people had approached them as they danced, inquiring to the hanyou's ears and silver hair. Inuyasha had beamed with pride at their comments. Nobody in his time had ever complimented his dog traits.

---

Multicolored lights beamed down on Kagome and Inuyasha, the bright colors bouncing off of the hanyou's silver hair. Kagome grinned as she danced. This was exactly what she had expected. No, it was better than she had expected. And not only was she having the time of her life, but Inuyasha seemed to be having a good time as well.

Kagome smiled brightly at the hanyou's ridiculous dance moves, and was about to make a comment about killing youkai with his dance moves, when a familiar song pricked her human ears. She stopped dancing, lifting her head up so she could hear the music clearly. Her eyes widened.

Shit! Iwao Junko's 'Scarlet.' A slow song. Kagome bit her bottom lip as the music played. She hadn't anticipated this…

---

Soft music reached Inuyasha's ears, and he stopped dancing. He looked at Kagome, noticing her anxious eyes, and then let his eyes roam over her peers. The surrounding people were slowly breaking off into twos, their arms wrapping around each other as they swayed to the music.

Inuyasha beamed. Finally! He thought, This is what Kagome's mother taught me to do! Still smiling, Inuyasha shifted his gaze back to Kagome. The girl blushed shyly, her head bowed slightly. Inuyasha grinned, prepared to amaze her with his dancing skills.

---

Shit, shit, shit… Kagome had just officially started to freak out, when a clawed hand appeared before her. She looked up into Inuyasha golden eyes with wide, bemused ones. Does he know how to dance? She found herself wondering as she hesitantly took the hand.

Her doubts almost instantly vanished when the hanyou pulled her to him, placing his hand on her waist. She noticed the slightest hint of a blush on his cheeks and smiled warmly.

And, the two danced, swaying to the music and clinging to each other like lifelines. About halfway through the song, Kagome sighed lightly and rested her head against Inuyasha's shoulder, looping an arm around his neck.

---

Inuyasha blushed furiously as Kagome placed her head against his shoulder. A chill ran up and down his spine, sending a multitude of shivers through his already trembling body. His ears flattened against his head as he and Kagome continued to dance.

And soon, Inuyasha found himself wishing that the moment would never end. That the song would keep playing, and they would keep dancing.

Inuyasha sucked in an uneven breath and then blew it out through tight lips as he heard the music nearing an end.

'Tatoe tookute mo kitto tadoritsukeru tsuyoku shinjite'ta

ano hi no watashi ga ima mo kokoro de nemutte-iru…'

The last line rang in Inuyasha's ears as he and Kagome parted. His arms fell lifelessly to his sides, feeling cold and lonely when they weren't wrapped around Kagome.

A tugging at his hand alerted the hanyou to look back at Kagome, who still stood before him, smiling sweetly.

"Let's go, Inuyasha," she said softly.

"Nani?" Inuyasha asked as they made their way to the door. "Is it over already?"

"Hai," Kagome said with a gentle nod of her head. "For us it is."

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side. Had he done something wrong; something to offend her? Maybe he had gone too far when the boy had tried to dance with her…?

Anxious thoughts swarmed about in Inuyasha's mind as the two found their way out of the school. The cool, winter air hit them like a sack of bricks, wrapping around them and lapping at their heated faces.

Inuyasha breathed a sigh, inhaling the sweet night air. He turned hesitantly towards Kagome, who was now lifting her head to the sky, smiling softly. The girl's gaze shifted, and she now stared in Inuyasha's eyes, sending more shivers through the hanyou's body.

The girl smiled and wrapped her small hand around Inuyasha's. She smiled warmly as the hanyou blushed deeply. "Come on."

---

The two walked in silence, the peace between them seeming sacred. A gentle breeze swept through the empty street, and Kagome found herself shivering. Her shivers came to an abrupt stop, however, when she felt a warm jacket being placed around her shoulders.

Brown eyes widened and looked to the hanyou at Kagome's side. Inuyasha offered a quirky smile.

"Baka," he said with a grin.

Kagome smiled back. "Arigato, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha snorted his response, and the two continued walking. A nearby streetlamp cast a ray of light on the couple, the golden beams making Inuyasha's hair shine brilliantly.

After another silent walk, Inuyasha and Kagome found their way to a park. The semi-wooded area was virtually empty, with only a few night owls hanging around the benches.

Kagome stopped walking and turned her head, smiling gratefully at Inuyasha. "Arigato, Inuyasha," she said. "Thank you for coming with me."

Inuyasha blushed, but shrugged off the thank you. "Keh, it's not like it was a big deal or anything." He trotted ahead of Kagome, bounding down some concrete steps.

Kagome stood at the top of the steps, smiling down at the hanyou. "It was to me."

The girl padded down the steps, her dress flowing around her like black waves. But, once again, she lost her footing, and was sent flying forward. Inuyasha quickly leapt to her, catching her in his arms.

"Baka," he said, still holding her.

Kagome slowly raised her head, revealing a delicate blush on her cheeks. Her brown eyes were wide with wonder as they stared into the hanyou's golden orbs. Inuyasha found himself blushing as well, wondering why he was still holding onto Kagome in the first place.

But, neither of the two moved an inch. They just stared into each other's eyes, still caught in a rough embrace.

"Inuyasha…"

And then Inuyasha realized why he was still holding her. He realized why he had kept her at his side all of this time; why he had wanted her to stay near.

Inuyasha leaned down and captured Kagome's lips with his in a soft kiss. His ears flattened against his head as he silently prayed that Kagome wouldn't reject the brazen act.

But, she didn't. She stayed with him, her lips caressing his in their very first kiss.

---

What's happening…? Is this real? Kagome couldn't help but revel in the idea that this was just a dream, just some cruel fantasy.

But, it was real. Their kiss was as real as the air around them, as real as the moon that shone above.

Kagome found herself wrapping her arms around Inuyasha's neck, deepening the kiss. She felt heat growing in her cheeks, and let her eyes fall closed.

Time stood still. Kagome didn't know how long they stayed in the embrace, but it felt like her first breath of air; cool, refreshing, life-altering. She felt Inuyasha's lips leave hers as he pulled away, his cheeks flushed, his ears pressed back.

"G-gomen," he mumbled, bowing his head shamefully.

"Inuyasha…"

The hanyou pulled back even more, averting his golden eyes from Kagome's face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I just-"

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha finally lifted his head.

Kagome smiled softly, padding up to Inuyasha and wrapping her arms around his neck. She let her head fall against his chest and sighed with contentment, her eyes closing lazily. She could feel Inuyasha's unease; she could hear his heart hammering in his chest. A small smile appeared on the girl's lips, and she murmured something almost inaudible. Something sweet; something that would determine what she felt for Inuyasha; something that would give Inuyasha the response he was looking for…

"Dance with me, Inuyasha."

.-.-.

Author's notes: Fin! The End! Owari! It's over! ::grins:: I'd like to say thank you all for reading and reviewing my story, especially to those of you that saw it through to the end. It really does mean a lot to me that my first multi-chapter story did well. Once again, thank you all, and I'll see you in Here Without You! Bye!

Beta's notes: I admit, it is kind of corny, but there are two corny's in this world. The bad corny and the adorable corny! This was totally a cute corny! An adorable corny! I wuved it, and if you rewrite it I shall slaughter you and make you feel pain. Bwhaa. Bwhaa….bwhaa…--;