Kagome stood beside a watery-eyed Sango, herself on the verge of tears. In the aftermath, they had not found each other until a full day had passed. It had been an emotional reunion, both sporting bandages as physical testimony to what they had endured.
The two now stood, dressed in black, before a polished wooden coffin. White lilies were arranged atop the lid. In it, lying on the comfortable-looking cushioning, was Sango's fiancé, Miroku. Miroku was one of many paramedics to lose his life in the tragic few hours of chaos that both Kagome and Sango had survived.
Countless men and women, civilian workers and civil servants alike, had died that day. But the two women had lived. Lived, because of the firemen that had rescued them. Standing before the open grave, Kagome's thoughts again drifted to her savior. She knew that, without him, she would be with Miroku now.
Kagome had scoured the firehouses for the man who had saved her. The stations had placed memorials, with pictures of their fallen comrades in view of the public. Kagome examined every photo, silently praying that she would not find his face among them. The firemen would listen to her description of him, but without a last name or a firehouse number, they could not help her.
She wanted desperately to see him again; to thank him, and to know that he was safe. Her hope of finding him had dwindled, but she continued her search whenever possible.
Guests began to disperse.
Kagome laid a hand gently on her friend's shoulder. "I'll go bring the car around." Really she knew that her friend wanted, needed, a moment alone.
- - - - -
By chance, he looked up from the oak wood coffin that held one of many of his fellow firefighters. Recognizing the tear-streaked face of the woman standing before a coffin several yards away, he felt the hand of fear tighten around his chest in an icy grip.
His long legs brought him to her side quickly. His hand touched her shoulder and teary brown eyes met his and widened in surprise.
A moment passed before he knew he could speak calmly. His eyes slid purposefully to the coffin. "Is that…?"
She shook her head. "My fiancé," she explained.
- - - - -
Kagome froze the moment she stepped out of the car to go and retrieve Sango. She immediately recognized the tall stature, the silver-white hair.
He stood beside Sango, facing away and looking at Miroku's coffin. Kagome watched as Sango shook her head and spoke. Then Kagome's friend turned and pointed at her. She saw Sesshoumaru turn until his golden gaze met hers across the distance.
With barely a nod at Sango, his eyes never leaving Kagome, he came to stand before her. Her eyes checked him for injury as she knew his did the same to her.
"I thought…" His gaze momentarily returned to Miroku's coffin. Kagome shook her head, whether in response to his question, or in disbelief, even she did not know. He cleared his throat. "Your friend told me you were looking for me."
Kagome colored, realizing how foolish searching for a man she knew nearly nothing about must sound to him. "I was worried that…" She paused, then hesitantly asked, "Would—would you like to get something to drink? With me?"
They had met under the worst of circumstances, yet she felt a strange connection to him, a desire to be near him. He seemed to feel it too. Perhaps they had known each other in a past life?
His lips lifted into a small smile, one that was matched by her, and Kagome decided that she liked his smiles. "Gladly," he replied. Yes, he felt it too.