Innocent Kisses in the Rain
Souta's birthday party, August 21, 2004, Tokyo, Japan
"So, how did you do?" Kagome asked, smiling brightly.
He didn't reply, so Kagome assumed he hadn't heard back yet.
"You know you're going to get a good grade on it. You're like, a nerd." She giggled, tempted to wink.
He sent her a calculated glare in response.
'Guess he does get worked up over every little assignment.' She thought with a secret smile. 'He has to be perfect.'
She was about to speak again when a kid, even shorter than her, breezed past, knocking her over. She let out an audible gasp as she plummeted towards the counter top.
"Yikes!" She cried out as her hands reached out to steady herself.
A hand wrapped around her upper arm and she was jerked back into a standing position before she could register what was happening. Her hand slapped to her forehead as she tried to still her rolling eyes, finally managing a half glare, half grateful look at Sesshoumaru.
"Give me whiplash why don't you." She scolded, but there was no contempt in her voice and she didn't pull away from his hold.
He gave her a look of indifference, but she could tell that he was silently scrutinizing her for any signs of damage, a faint and almost unrecognizable glint of concern beneath his honey colored eyes.
She also noticed when he sent a scornful glare at the child who had ruthlessly bumped into her, and the said infant hurried away without a second glance.
She laughed in relief at the disgusted look on his face, and she could almost hear his voice - 'Something Inuyasha did many times. Brat.'
Of course, this Sesshoumaru was too mature for such words anymore. He simply steadied her and withdrew his support, a cursory look-over confirming his worry.
Kagome smiled and stepped away (however reluctantly) from his touch, before turning to look at the woman behind the counter, staring at them with a knowing, teasing smile.
Kagome blushed hotly and was about to retort about the secretive glance when she was suddenly jarred by a stampede of children, running for the games.
Kagome yelled as she tumbled over for the second time, and Sesshoumaru looked halfway between fury and shock as the wave of nine-year-olds flooded past them.
Sesshoumaru was able to keep his feet, but Kagome had, coincidentally, of course, toppled right into his arms which were, coincidentally, of course, held out towards her.
Kagome only blushed more when she realized her position, and the final stage of tomato initiation happened when the amused titter erupted from the observer behind the counter, softly.
Kagome jerked back this time in embarrassment, and looked ready to kill someone - surprisingly, a look that Sesshoumaru mirrored perfectly.
Mrs. Higurashi stumbled up before the two disheveled people and smiled a wary, almost-defeated-but-still-struggling smile, apologized breathlessly, and then tried to catch up with the 'herd.' Not before handing them each a cup of tokens, of course.
It was arcade, and this was a birthday party, after all.
"Lets go play a game before we become road kill." Kagome decided, a growl rising in her throat as she left the counter, following the kids and the adult at a distance, with Sesshoumaru beside her.
Sesshoumaru didn't answer, but she could feel his displeasure rolling off him in waves, his eyes seething.
She stole a glance at him, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." She said.
"It was not I that was thrown to the floor… twice." He said indifferently.
'He's mad… for me?'
Kagome yelled as she failed yet again, a few tickets gurgling from the worn machine.
"Not again!" She groaned, finally moving away from the game.
"You are out of tokens." Sesshoumaru said, only an inkling of amusement audible in his voice.
"So are you." She huffed, crossing her arms irritably, gathering and folding her tickets with an air of finality.
"How many did you acquire?" He asked, teasingly…
"Stop rubbing it in! You're such a jerk!" Kagome exclaimed, flushed as she turned her nose up to him.
He couldn't contain the temporary smile that adorned his lips for an instant before melting back into the pale flesh of his monotonous façade.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, and Kagome responded with a war-like cry of resign and annoyance.
'How quickly here emotions change.' He mused, watching as she giggled over the prizes beyond the thick glass barrier.
"Ne, Sesshoumaru, that's neat, isn't it?" She asked him, and he graced the small frog shaped toy a bored glance before turning once again from it, an air of pride about him.
"A toad." He spoke.
She huffed.
"You're no fun. It's a frog!" She said, but moved on to more impressive things instead.
He heard her mumbling something to herself, but didn't mind as his own mind wandered.
"It's perfect!" Kagome exclaimed, so loud and abruptly that he spun to face her almost automatically.
When he did, she bent protectively over her prize and eyed him suspiciously.
"You can't look, you know!" She cried out indignantly.
He didn't point out that over half the earned tickets were acquired by him.
"Happy birthday Souta!" Kagome cried out, grinning in glee as he tore at his presents, almost forgetting to blow out the candles.
"Did you make a wish, or can I make one instead?" She asked teasingly, and a few of Souta's younger playmates gave her awed glances at her 'wit'. Sesshoumaru awarded each one with a five minute, complimentary icy glare.
Souta rewarded her with the evil eye and fixed his honey orbs back on the chocolate cake. He seemed to be concentrating harder than necessary and when he finally broke eye contact with the smothered delight, he haughtily proclaimed that the 'wish was occupied.'
After which he continued opening his gifts at an alarming rate before calling the entire center of the cake - after all, it had his name on it!
"Happy 10th birthday
SOUTA!"
This resulted in a prolonged argument which had only one kanji going to Souta and the rest of the cake equally divided.
"Parents these days." One child sighed dramatically, a slight lisp to her Japanese.
Kagome fell into a fit of giggles, and even Sesshoumaru seemed amused.
"So, are you going home now?" Kagome asked Sesshoumaru subtly, studying his face.
He looked back down at her, silent for a moment.
"Yes." He finally replied, his hair whipping in the wind.
They stood outside the game arcade.
"That's too bad." She said with a forced smile. "But thanks for coming! It was fun! And I got the best prize ever!"
He raised an eyebrow as if to ask - 'What?'
She grinned and blushed, yanking out a pair of bracelets.
It was a simple, almost cheap looking contraption, the silver length knotted and beaded as decoration. A rectangular plate of metal hung from the supposed front (not even the length of Kagome's thumb), and on it was what appeared to be a pair of slightly intertwined stick figures.
"The man said that it was in Chinese characters. It means 'friend'." She explained brightly, nodding.
He accepted one and scrutinized it for a moment, finally looking back to her hopeful eyes and nodding - it was the extent of his gratitude, it seemed.
"I will cherish it." He said, and turned.
Kagome's smile widened.
"Okay." She said, laughing. "Are you going to wear it?" She asked teasingly.
He turned terrified eyes back on her, and she burst out laughing at his expression, which he had not been able to catch control of in time.