Innocent Kisses in the Rain
February 14, 2005
It would be a long day, Sesshoumaru decided as the final bell rang and the teacher's desk remained unoccupied.
Incompetent educators on Valentines Day was a pain.
The echo of a small gift resounded on the hardwood desk before him.
It was a tiny white box, crisscrossed with golden ribbon and attached to it was a delicate little card, bordered in pale rose pink.
He did not bother to say thank you, or even look into the haughty girls eyes. She spun around with a repulsive giggle and pranced back to her friends.
He watched the plain white socks pulled up smoothly to the knee and the uniform black sandal-shoes move out of his direct vision. He did not follow them.
Thick silver lashes drooped heavily over the amber-sun eyes. So bored, so tired. Folding his hands quietly, he imagined that the clatter of candy, gifts and chocolate was rather soothing hail, falling ice on a cold summer night in which he did not have to deal with tardy teachers and foolish high school females.
Kagome blushed as she stumbled down the halls, feeling an uncanny urge to tug her skirt down.
The boys were looking at her strangely, and she mused on how some of their hands seemed to be itching to touch - to receive a present, perhaps? Or to practice their pervert-ladies-man routine?
She, in fact, was carrying only two gifts. One for Inuyasha, her best friend, and one for Sesshoumaru… Her secret crush.
Shaking her head, trying to contain the tomato blush, she hurried past the small groups of students who were chatting and staring and laughing and exchanging. She practically sprinted into the classroom, sliding the shoji-style door behind her in relief.
"You act like there's stalkers out there." A girl who was erasing the board winked. Kagome laughed with her and walked up to join her.
"My skirt feels inches shorter than it normally does." Kagome confessed, laughing with her.
"I know what you mean. My boyfriend's been acting like a body guard all day. He can be laid-back and all over the place all year round, and then Valentines Day shows up and he becomes as possessive as… who knows what!" She scrunched her face up with a look akin to impatience.
Kagome tried to roll her eyes sympathetically, but she couldn't move her eyes around the daydream that was developing inside her head that completely distracted her from whatever the girl said next.
"Higurashi-san, are you listening?" The other girl, being the forgiving type, showed her concern rather than anger, and touched her arm.
"Yes, I'm okay. I was just thinking!" Kagome laughed nervously and swiped furiously at the black board. Though Sasumo-san was not one to grin broadly in revelation, a small knowing smile slid across her lips and she brushed a strand of russet-black behind her ear in contemplation before turning back to her work silently.
"You're a deep thinker Kagome. It's early." A slightly whining voice stated over her shoulder. She tensed for a moment and clamped down on her first reaction to spin-and-slap-in-surprise.
"Inuyasha!" She chastised instead, glaring menacingly at him. "What are you doing?"
Sasumo-san moved away from the squabbling friends considerately, humming a tune under her breath.
"Did you bring me chocolate?" Halfway between innocence and mischief, Inuyasha smirked down at the enraged Kagome.
"You're so… impolite!" Then, before Inuyasha adopted a more defensive expression in place of playfulness, she added, "of course I did. You can have it when you apologize."
Looking shocked, Inuyasha reared back and blinked at her. Looking bewildered, he spoke experimentally: "Sorry, Kagome."
'Haven't you ever apologized to anyone before?' Kagome thought, shocked. Then a smile spread across her face. She felt elated and progressive, having taught Inuyasha something knew that day. However pitiful it was that he'd never had to apologize for being mean.
Skipping back to her desk, Kagome retrieved the sweet-smelling treat and deposited it in Inuyasha's extended hands. He looked at it greedily, then turned up sly eyes.
"You want me to give Sesshoumaru his too? I wouldn't mind. I should make up my rude comment to you." Kagome was silent for a moment, then the entire classroom jumped at the resounding thud that was Kagome tackling Inuyasha to the ground, sitting on his back, and ranting on to him about how she'd give Sesshoumaru his on her own, thank you very much! --- And don't take advantage of anything, by the way, it's rude!
Kagome yawned widely as she descended the steps. She gently fondled the gift she had made for Sesshoumaru. A special gift.
She heard the uneven fall of footsteps behind her and recognized it to be Inuyasha. She quickly pulled her hand from the object, as if she had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar or had been burned.
She plastered a bright smile on her face and waited to greet Inuyasha as he galloped up beside her.
"So, what have you got for my older brother?" Inuyasha asked absently, not bothering to say hello. His hands struggled to contain the candy he had hoarded through the day. Enough candy to feed a country, it seemed.
"Good afternoon Inuyasha." Kagome nodded at him while her brown eyes sparkled. "What I got for your brother is none of your business." It was hard to tell if she was teasing or being serious.
Inuyasha studied her face for a moment, and finally decided to let the issue drop.
"I see you've had a successful day." Kagome regarded him and his stash with a wry expression. Predicting her intentions, Inuyasha huddled over his sugary supply and eyed her with a combination of suspicion and weariness.
"Give me a break." She rolled her eyes and pranced ahead. She looked around for a moment, searching for something.
"Where is Sesshoumaru?"
"Here." His voice, characteristically cold and cynical, was a welcome addition to her hectic day. She spun on her heel to greet him.
"Good afternoon! I'm glad you're here! I have something to give you. I've had guys hound me all day. It's been weird." She smiled widely, settling for a rambling approach. His eyes flashed for an instant before he nodded in deceptive passiveness.
An awkward moment passed and Inuyasha finally got a clue.
"Well, guys… I'll see you whenever. Don't stay out too long, Sesshoumaru." A wink and a grin, and Inuyasha galloped off in a different direction.
Kagome swallowed dryly and tried not to distract herself by looking after Inuyasha.
Finally, she found an 'ease-in' conversation.
"Hey, where's all your winnings?" She was genuinely curious. Sesshoumaru seemed the type of guy to get the cream of the high school crop of candy.
He looked at her, studying her with a wry expression. Finally, seeming to come to a decision in her favor, he tossed his platinum mane of moonlight and smirked, observing the dancing cirrus.
"I sold it." She almost fell over, and his smile widened in mounting amusement. "I sold it, for ten-thousand yen."
"That's a bit of yen for some candy…" She said hesitantly.
"It was a fair amount of merchandise. Only after I sold it did another female offer double the price." He looked frustrated, his brow furrowing irritably.
Kagome tried not to laugh helplessly for his predicament.
"So… are you walking me home?" She asked shyly. His light eyes flickered to her and scrutinized her so that she felt like sprinting away. Or drawing closer. Like a moth to a flame.
"Of course. I must not give Inuyasha the satisfaction of seeing this Sesshoumaru obey him in any minor way." But his eyes narrowed gently, and she felt he might have more motivation than that.
She blushed and looked away, trying to ease the sense of nakedness that was falling over her in his presence.
"My birthday is in a couple months." She commented, looking into the cerulean-amethyst sky to distract herself from his sunset eyes.
"Yes." It was a word without description; he was merely agreeing with her. He asked for nothing, offered nothing.
"I'll turn fourteen." She inwardly cringed. It seemed so young when spoken aloud. But he seemed unaffected. Perhaps it was a sign, that he harbored no feelings for her after all. She shook her head, banishing the despair with a flourish of courage. She had to tell him anyway.
He remained silent until they finally reached the park near her house, and she could see in the near distance the ascension of the shrine steps.
He turned to leave, uttering a soft, non-committal good-bye. She sputtered after him, grabbing for cloth.
He stopped when she found the white cuff of the dress sleeve. He looked at her, and his eyes revealed nothing. She felt her power draining away, and almost fled. If it weren't for the press of cotton urgently against her hip, she might have turned.
"Sesshoumaru… I still haven't given you the present I got - I made for you. For Valentines Day." She looked down and struggled with her voice. Deciding to make herself busy, she fumbled with the gift in her book bag. She felt his eyes stripping her down, and squared her jaw.
"Here." She offered hastily, pushing the silver and gold teddy bear into his hands roughly, making to spin away from him. It was his turn to lunge after her, catching her by the sleeve as well. She bowed her head in humiliation. It seemed like such a silly gift now.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, hating herself for the trembling note and the promise of tears in her eyes.
"Thank you." He responded, disregarding her apology.
She blinked and straightened. "Do you like it?" She asked carefully, as if pressing a kitten for wounds. His hand found her black hair, and he hesitantly touched her.
"Yes." He said, and stepped back unobtrusively.
She licked her lips and twirled slowly to look at him.
"I'm glad for our friendship, Sesshoumaru." She was beating around the bush, but at least she was beating.
His eyes slid down to the significant gift suggestively. "I harbor… special feelings for you as well, Kagome. Please contemplate the seeming impossibility of a relationship, however. In the near future, it will be illegal. Illegal for us to be anything but friends." His eyes narrowed, as if he was having trouble accepting the fact he 'liked' a girl who was still in the junior high, about to go into high school while he was about to graduate.
"… Sesshoumaru." She chewed on her lip, reaching out to touch the hand-made bear's ears. One was silver and one was gold. Shiny black eyes gleamed a her mockingly. "I don't have a solution." She confessed.
He nodded.
"I do not have one, either." And he withdrew from her, froze for a moment, leaned forward and kissed her cheek - dangerously close to her soft lips, and swooped away gracefully. He was like a bird, elegant feathers centimeters from a surface of water, and never touching. A breath of wind. The lick of flame so close you felt burned, but were only uncomfortably warm from the proximity.
Sesshoumaru retreated. " - Sesshoumaru?" She asked suddenly, and he slowed.
"Yes?" He asked, his voice once again painfully monotonous.
"Is anything going to… change?" She inquired, caught between stepping forward and moving back. He looked back at her over his shoulder, liquid honey regarding her. He made her feel beautiful.
"We will have to see, Kagome." And he smiled at her.
It was the last time for several years… that she would witness his rare smile.