Summary: After discovering that Kagome glows when she's happy, Miroku, Shippou, and Sango make bets on who will make her shine brightest.
Prompt: February monthly prompt "Heart"
Inspiration: "She's in Love" from The Little Mermaid Musical (Original Broadway Cast)
"My bet's on Rin."
Miroku hummed, leaning back against the sweet summer grass as he contemplated Shippou's choice.
"You don't think it'll be Inuyasha?"
Shippou shook his head. "Nah. It'll be bright, but not the brightest."
"The brightest what?" Sango asked, settling down between them.
"We're playing a game!"
Her eyes narrowed at her husband. "What kind of game?"
"My dear Sango, what have I done to warrant such distrust?"
"Aside from everything?"
Miroku collapsed against the ground. "You wound me so!"
Sango looked at Shippou, and they both rolled their eyes, but Shippou patted her arm. "Don't worry, this game doesn't hurt anyone. All we're doing is watching."
Her suspicion only grew. "Watching who?"
Sitting back up, Miroku motioned to the middle of the village. "We have discovered something interesting about Kagome-sama."
Sango's eyebrows raised. "Oh?"
The kit nodded enthusiastically. "She glows when she's happy!"
Sango glared at her husband, resisting the urge to smack him for deceiving a child. "Everyone glows when they're happy."
Jumping into her lap, Shippou clapped excitedly. "No! She really glows! Look, look!" He took off, running up to the miko before hugging her leg.
Sango watched in awe as her friend knelt down and enveloped the young youkai in a tight hug. Sure enough, a soft glow illuminated from her chest, sliding down her arms before encompassing the rest of her body. It was peaceful. Beautiful.
"You weren't kidding," Sango whispered.
"You doubt me so often, dear wife."
"You give me all the reasons to, dear husband," she shot back.
"Did you see? Did you see?" Shippou asked, scampering back to the hill they were sitting on. "Was it bright?"
"Definitely noticeable," Miroku said. "Let us see who else causes a reaction."
The three sat in silence, watching Kagome interact with various children in the village. The light that Shippou had caused faded slightly, and the kit puffed up his chest, boasting of his importance.
"See? She loves me!"
"Of course she does," Sango said with a smile.
It turned out that Rin was at the same level as Shippou, the glow increasing when the young girl showed up with Kaede, a bundle of herbs in her arms. Shippou was both delighted that Kagome didn't pick favourites and disappointed that his guess had been wrong.
She waved goodbye to Rin just as Inuyasha crossed her path, the sleeves of his haori pulled back at the elbow. He'd been helping repair some of the villagers' roofed recently, and Kagome had grown tired of mending all the tears.
A sly grin broke out onto Miroku's face—the light shone brighter than before, even as she scolded him about the cuts on his arms. Their brash friend shrugged it off but shrank back when Kagome's hands went to her hips, blue eyes narrowing into a scowl.
"As I suspected."
"Aren't you going to wait for anyone else? It's not that bright," Sango argued, suddenly finding herself invested in the game.
"Do you have someone in mind?"
The slayer shrugged, her eyes on her friend. "Not really, but you've only been sitting here for a few minutes. Maybe she's met someone that none of us know about."
"Care to make a wager on that, dear Sango?"
"Sure. I wager you won't be unconscious by dinner time if you stop making bets about Kagome-chan."
Shippou's laughter drowned out Miroku's groan, and Sango grinned at the boy before resuming her observation.
Kagome did nothing out of the ordinary throughout the course of the day; the newly discovered glow came and went depending on her familiarity with the person she was talking to, but none of them really made her shine.
As the sun began to set, Sango sighed in defeat.
"I guess the glow of friendship really is the brightest," Miroku mused, slowly getting to his feet. "Come along, my dear. I'm sure Kohaku has had his fill of our—"
"No way!" Shippou exclaimed.
The pair jerked in response, quickly following Shippou's excited pointing to the village square.
Rin had returned, this time without Kaede, and had pulled Kagome into a short conversation before her stoic guardian had arrived. Rin greeted Sesshoumaru with her usual cheerfulness, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she gave him a respectful bow, but it was nothing compared to the expression on Kagome's face.
Or the brilliant light that was radiating from her body.
Reaching out his hand, Sesshoumaru touched the top of Rin's head, the young girl's smile only widening at the gesture.
"Well. That is certainly unexpected."
Sango and Shippou nodded silently, too stunned to speak.
Kagome's light only increased as Sesshoumaru approached her, clasping her hands together as she offered him a friendly smile. They were too far away to hear what she said, but he inclined his head again, and both females walked with him towards Kagome's hut.
"Do you think he knows?" Shippou whispered, perching himself on Sango's shoulder. She cocked her head to the side, watching the closed expression on Sesshoumaru's face. Kagome was going on about something, her hands showcasing her enthusiasm, and Sango's eyes widened when the edges of the daiyoukai's mouth twitched, his eyes softening.
"He knows."