Innocent Kisses in the Rain
During school, Sesshoumaru's school, Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2004
Sesshoumaru sat tall and tentative in the classroom, as always, the picture of the perfect student.
The teacher spoke loudly and in a droning voice, but the wiser ones did not fall asleep to the tone of his voice.
"Japanese history and Japanese culture are very important. It is essential to know of your heritage. Since the beginning of time, stories have been a common means of entertainment and education. Stories to warn children against something naughty, and stories about foolish humans mistakes, and the infamous decisions of the ever watchful gods. Stories have developed into an important part of our history, and many have developed into myths and fables. Your project is to independently write a myth or fable, conveying an important moral or message. This will be due at the end of the semester."
The final bell rang.
The students wearily found their feet and shuffled out of the classroom, most hopelessly trudging to a harsh cram school in which they would never be free.
Sesshoumaru stood and thoughtlessly brushed his platinum pale blond hair back over his shoulder. His almost amber colored eyes sparked for a moment. Then an unusual smile appeared on his lips.
'Perhaps it is necessary to enlist the help of one with more experience…'
Sesshoumaru walked swiftly behind the crowd of dutiful machines, and kept a stern face as he continued home, separate Inuyasha and Kagome.
Kagome walked into the silent house, sighing as she dropped her bag on the ground.
She had greeted Inuyasha today. His reaction had been strange. He had looked at her bewildered, as if he had expected her to shoot him instead of say 'hi,' and then he had blushed, and then he had shaken his head and ignored her for the rest of the day.
Kagome was about to walk sullenly up to her room when the phone rang, startling her so that she jumped and yelped before calming her heart and going to the phone.
She was expecting her mom…
"Sesshoumaru?" Her face went slack for a moment, her eyes blank. Sesshoumaru was calling her?
"Kagome. I have had a rather… humorous thing happen to me today." He confided, a hidden chuckle in his voice.
"Yes?" She asked, speechless.
"My teacher has assigned me an independent project." Sesshoumaru paused and Kagome blinked… "I must write a myth."
Kagome laughed so hard that tears gathered behind her eyes.
Buyo darted through the kitchen and Kagome almost stepped on him as she stumbled back, falling onto a seat, giggling.
"That's funny, Sesshoumaru! That's so funny…" She grinned ear to ear, her eyes twinkling and her mood lightening.
"You are much easier to laugh than I, who must do it." He said, and she was not sure if it was a mockingly serious voice.
"But the great Sesshoumaru will be able to manage, right?" She joked, swinging her legs as Buyo came back to investigate.
"Kagome -- I might need your wisdom." He was not good nor did he like asking for help… he didn't even need it. Why was he playing with her, anyway?!
She burst out laughing once more in glee, happiness bubbling and swelling in her chest like a balloon.
"How bout Inuyasha?" She asked, quieting down.
"I would rather wing it myself than listen to that nimrod." He said bluntly. Kagome was compelled to fall into another fit of giggles.
"Should I go over to your house then?" She asked delightedly as Buyo jumped up into her lap. In his young age, he was lazy but limber.
"Would that be convenient?" He asked, suddenly distracted.
"Sure. When?" She asked, absentmindedly petting the purring Buyo, who sounded like a feline on massive catnip at the time…
"Are you busy today?"
"No… I'll just have to call my mom. She's at work." Kagome informed him.
"Okay, call me back in ten minutes… Goodbye." And then he hung up after what sounded like a half uttered curse word, muffled slightly in the background.
"Did you and somebody have a fight?" Kagome asked as she stepped in the door and abandoned her shoes.
"No, a fight and a pointless argument are two far different things. For instance, a fight is usually something to be taken seriously." Sesshoumaru said, and there might have been amusement in his voice.
"Care to share?" Kagome asked, following him into the dining room.
"Inuyasha has issues, unsolved." Sesshoumaru explained.
"I figured as much, but we all knew that." Kagome sighed, but her thoughts were more in playful friendship than malice towards Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha made a clumsy and particularly stupid mistake." Sesshoumaru nodded, retrieving paper and pen quietly.
"And?"
"Inuyasha almost broke the kitchen."
"What?!"
"The idiot was looking for Ramen. He managed to bring the entire pantry down on his head and he thinks I rigged it."
"The pantry?"
"A pointless quarrel ensued, and after I won he was left to kitchen duty. Now he's moping in his room because I failed to buy Ramen yesterday."
"Inuyasha was yelling because he made a mistake and couldn't eat food?"
"And he thought I jinxed him." Sesshoumaru smirked.
'Of course, that conversation flowed into one about Kagome, and then Kikyou, and then touched on Mother before I knocked him out and locked him in his bedroom…'
"So, do you have an idea for your project?"
"What are you here for, if not to brainstorm?"
"Hey, I'm just trying to help!"
"Noted."
"Sesshoumaru!"
"You were supposed to be here to help." Sesshoumaru reminded her accusingly, almost harshly. But she only stuck her tongue out in return. Inuyasha's incessant banging and the absence of a muse was driving them both insane and cranky.
"You were supposed to be smart." She challenged.
"You were supposed to be creative."
"I guess not everything is perfect for you after all, eh?"
"This is fairly pointless. I have better things to do."
"As do I…"
"Do you need a ride home?"
"Yes please…"
"We should get together later this week. Perhaps it will be easier without all the noise to think."
"Inuyasha is so loud."
"At least you will not be here the rest of the night…"
"Mama! I'm home!" Kagome called, walking into the house once again.
"Kagome! Hello!" Kagome's mother returned, smiling at her advancing daughter.
"What's for dinner?" Kagome asked.
" Are you hungry?"
"I've got some homework tonight too…"
"You were out with a friend while you had work?"
"We were doing work too, and he even explained a few math terms for me during the beginning. He gave me a piece of paper with a few examples on it." Kagome defended, but her face lit with a smile with the memory.
"Ah - that was nice." Mrs. Higurashi said, smiling, as she turned back to the rice on the stove.
"Dinner will be ready soon!" Mrs. Higurashi called as Kagome ran up the steps to finish her homework.
"Okay!"
'Sesshoumaru is so nice!!'