AN: Third chapter...

Monday, September 20

Sunset High- 6:20 AM

Kagura slowly walked to the back entrance, wondering if he had remembered her request to meet her there today. Sure enough when she looked by the doors she was relieved to find him there waiting.

"Kagura," He started in a nonchalant voice, "What was it that was so important not to be seen or heard?"

It was then that he noticed her eyes were red, cheeks slightly puffy. She had been crying. Concern quickly spread over his features, and the first thing he thought of was the first thing he said.

"Does," he paused for a half-second, "this have to do with your father?"

Kagura looked at him sadly, her face stained with tears from crying. "Sesshoumaru, my father is dead. He... he died two nights ago, in a drunk driving accident."

Sesshoumaru nearly gasped. Nearly. Instead he looked at her with his eyebrows slightly raised. She was slowly walking towards him now, her head turned down. When she got to him, she collapsed, nearly fainting. He caught her and held her in his arms. She obviously hadn't gotten much sleep over the weekend.

He held her to himself for quite a while, though he was not worried. They had about half an hour before the first bell would ring. It was about three minutes before anything else happened.

What came next was like a blur, though it happened in timing near slow motion. Kagura looked up at him, obvious tiredness in her eyes. She looked so weak; so... helpless. He couldn't stand it. He slapped her. Not hard, but enough to get her to come to her senses.

Then, in a split second all of the tiredness and helplessness, the weak and hurt looks in her eyes and apparent on her face vanished. What appeared next on her features was what he had hoped she would feel: Anger, rage. She was furious. That was what he knew she should be like. Not that pathetic, lost, coward that she had become in a matter of days after gaining her happiness back.

He knew, immediately, that he had hit the right nerve. She was done feeling sorry for herself. She was through with seeking pity, through with being helpless. And he was glad.

She yelled at him, screamed at him. Saying that she had thought he was her friend. She thought he cared. She said that she would have expected him to be kind, to help her through this. He took a step towards her and she stood there, looking up at him unafraid. She had changed a great deal in a matter of seconds.

'Good,' he thought. 'Now I can get through to her. I can make her see what she's been doing to herself.' He took another step towards her; they were now only a foot apart. One more step and fear would seep into her eyes again, but he had to take that chance. He took another step and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked almost petrified.

'He's going to hit me again!' her mind screamed. But she could not manage enough strength in her legs to move back or run. She just stood there in obvious fear. He raised his hand. She closed her eyes tightly and waited for the blow, but it never came. Instead, she was aware of a hand gently cupping her chin and her face being tilted upward. She opened her eyes slightly and was amazed at what she saw.

Sesshoumaru was looking at her in a peculiar way. His face was stoic and emotionless, but his eyes... his eyes were different. They had an emotion she could not decipher in them. Was it... anger? No... hurt? That seemed most fitting. He looked hurt, but... why?

Sesshoumaru looked at her calmly. She seemed uneasy. She was looking at his eyes... what did she see there? "Kagura... you were afraid. Why?"

"Because..." She faltered for a reason. "Because... I thought you were going to hit me again." She settled on, her voice wavering slightly. Why couldn't she seem to be completely calm around him?

Sesshoumaru chuckled. Kagura's eyes widened at this. 'Did he... just... laugh?'

Sesshoumaru smiled softly, surprising even himself. This conversation was not going as planned at all. But he wanted, no matter how odd it sounded for him, for her to be happy. And she looked more relaxed at his smile. He wasn't sure exactly why he was behaving this way. It was like he had no control; something very, very different for him.

"Sesshoumaru..." She started. "W-Why are you acting like this?" She asked, feeling still a bit uneasy at the way he was behaving. She looked at his eyes again and they told her that even he didn't know.

His smile quickly vanished, being replaced with his stoic mask and he leaned down, his lips pressing to hers for a brief moment. As soon as her brain registered what was happening, he had walked away; leaving her slightly... disappointed?

Had he... just kissed her?

"Yes..." She thought to herself. "Yes, he did."

She suddenly realized what she had been doing. She had been pushing him away, thinking of only herself. She had been too blind to see what he had felt... and what she had felt. But now...

She finally understood.

He had been trying to help her all along; trying to save her from herself. Even since that first day of school, he had known exactly what to say to make her feel better. Even on the days she arrived at the school entrance with new bruises on her arms or stomach. He had been there for her, and aside from that first day, she had never even shown any gratitude...

She suddenly felt alone, and tears fell down her face for the second time that day. But this time, they fell for a completely different reason.

Kagura did not show up for class that day.

AN: Hmm... maybe this is moving too fast? Please, please, please review! The more reviews I get, the sooner I can update...

Side note: I know no one reads this fanfic anyway, but I still like to ask for reviews!