All throughout the next day, I find my thoughts traveling back to Kagome; whether it was wondering about her wellbeing, her day, whether or not she was busy, I could not seem to get the girl out of my head. I manage to make it through the day without calling her and make it home without stopping by her studio; heaven knows I wanted to. The moment I step in the door, Rin is waiting and asking a million and five questions at once.
"Rin, slow down. One at a time." The tiny girl takes a large breath and physically deflates, eyes closed, in an attempt to gather herself.
"Rin asked when Kagome is going to come back over." I arch an eyebrow at my daughter. "Rin drew her these and Rin wants to give them to her." She thrusts a stack of papers into my hands, each of them depicting different scenes of Kagome and herself, with my occasional appearance. It would appear I was not the only one who could not get the human out of their head. I smirk, handing back her drawings.
"I am not sure." Rin huffs, following as I make my way to my study.
"You have tomorrow off. Could Kagome come then?" I sit down in my leather chair behind my desk, pondering this. Perhaps I could use Rin as an excuse for Kagome to come more often.
"What would we do?" The young girl looks puzzled, so I clarify. "Surely if you are asking to see Ms. Higurashi again, you have some form of an idea. Staying around the house all day would grow tiresome after some time." Fear suddenly shoots through her eyes as Rin thinks of something else to do that would take up a substantial amount of time. After a moment, her big brown eyes light up, a smile taking hold of her lips.
"May Rin call Ms. Higurashi? She has an idea." Seeing no harm in the matter, I dial Kagome's phone number.
"She may not still be at work, if she isn't-"
"Rin and Sesshomaru will deal with that when they get there." I am about to scold her for interrupting when the phone stops ringing.
"Hello, Shikon Studio, how may I help you?" Kagome's voice drifts through the receiver and immediately, I am fighting the urge to smile.
"Kagome, this is Sesshomaru."
"Oh! Hey, Sesshy!" I roll my eyes at her nickname. I have a feeling that is going to stick. "What's up? I was just heading out." I gesture for Rin to turn around and cover her ears and wait for her to do so before replying.
"Rin has a request she would like to ask of you, I do not want you to feel obligated to say yes as I am sure that you already have plans, but she has been hounding me since I arrived home. Would you mind speaking with her?" A small lie, but it will be worth it if she is available. I hear her giggle through the phone and the smile in her voice when she answers,
"Of course not, put her on." I tap Rin's shoulder and offer her the phone. She smiles brightly, taking it.
"Hi, Ka- Ms. Higurashi." I nod my approval and her smile grows. "This is Rin!" After a few seconds, she says, "Rin is doing well, thank you. Rin was wondering if you would like to accompany Sesshomaru-sama and Rin on a trip to the zoo tomorrow! Rin has always wanted to go but Jaken would never take her, complaining that it is a waste of time and far too much walking." Now Rin is lying in an attempt to get the girl to go. She has never once requested a trip to the zoo, or I surely would have taken her. Rin looks at me, shrugs, and then returns to staring at the wall. "Sesshomaru-sama already said that it was okay, and he has the whole day off of work. We can pick you up and everything." A few more seconds pass, before Rin's face lights up. "Really? You can? Oh, thank you, Kagome! Rin is so excited! Here is Sesshomaru-sama, Rin has to go find something to wear!" Rin practically throws the phone into my hands before running out of the room.
"Well, she seemed excited," Kagome says, with a giggle, when I put the phone back to my ear.
"I apologize for her behavior, and for putting you on the spot like that. It was-"
"Oh my god, Sesshomaru, it's so not a big deal. I'm glad she liked me enough to ask. So what time did you want to leave tomorrow?" I smile, pleased that she is looking forward to tomorrow's plans.
"May we pick you up around eleven?"
"Yeah, totally, eleven sounds great! Let me give you my cell phone number just in case." After taking down the digits, we say good night and hang up. It is at that moment that Rin comes running in, arms full of clothes.
"Rin has no idea what to wear!" I arch an eyebrow, smirking at the girl. Jaken enters, mid-yell, but stops at my look.
"Jaken, you are dismissed for the evening. I will not be requiring your services tomorrow either." The small man looks taken aback at first, but eventually bows, muttering a thousand Yes sir's and exiting the room. "So, you've always wanted to go to the zoo?" Rin shrugs, dropping the clothes she'd been holding, before crossing her arms.
"You wanted to see her too. And you put Rin on the spot. The zoo will take hours to get through and, since Rin really hasn't been, Kagome and you can teach her all about the different animals." Her logic is impressive for one her age. Looking down at her, I can see my influence on her shining through and am overwhelmed by a sense of pride in her. I bend down, becoming eye level with her.
"You are correct, it was a wonderful idea. Now, let's get these picked up and back into your closet." She nods her head, grabbing as many as she can while I grab the rest, as well as whatever falls on our way to her bedroom. Once everything is away, I help her pick an orange shirt and white shorts. After tucking her into bed, I return to my study and finish some paperwork before going to bed myself. I feel I've only just closed my eyes when Rin comes in and starts jumping on my bed, yelling for me to get ready. I roll over to check my alarm clock.
"Rin, it is nine o'clock. We still have two hours before Kagome is expecting us." Rin rolls her eyes before plopping down on my bed, a stern look on her face.
"Do you really think that Rin's breakfast is going to cook itself?" I smirk, trying not to laugh at the seriousness of her tone.
"No, I do not. My humblest apologies, Rin." She nods, smiling.
"That's better. Now come on, get up, get up! We have to eat, and then you have to get dressed, and then we have to go get Kagome!" And then she was gone, messed up covers the only sign that she was ever there. I lay down for a moment longer before getting up and walking to the kitchen. While Rin eats, I go to my room and put on dark jeans and a white polo shirt with white converse. As I brush through my hair, Rin walks in and stares at me for a moment. I turn to her, one eyebrow raised. "You should put it up. It might be hot there and it'll stay out of the way better." Smirking, I put my hair into a ponytail.
"You just want to ride with the top down." She giggles, tying her shoes.
"If Sesshomaru-sama insists!" I take her hand and lead her out the door, towards my Mercedes convertible. After the top is down, I call Kagome to tell her we are on our way and pull out of the driveway. Rin giggles and screams the whole way there, trying to fix the small ponytail on the right side of her head. We arrive at Kagome's fifteen minutes later and I instruct Rin to stay in the car while I get her. Once at Kagome's doorstep, I knock three times before backing up. Kagome emerges, minutes later,
"Hey, Sesshomaru!" She smiles brightly before turning and locking her door. "Woah, nice car. This one yours, too?" I nod, opening her door for her. "Hey, Rin! Thanks for inviting me."
"Hi, Kagome! Rin is so glad you could come, this is going to be so much fun!" After I am seated, I turn to Kagome.
"Would you prefer the top up?" Kagome shrugs, still smiling.
"I don't care, whatever you guys want." I nod once more. I put the car into drive and start heading towards the zoo.
"Kagome looks pretty, don't you think, Daddy?" At the red light, I look over at Kagome, taking in her long, raven waves, now windblown, flowing down her back. Khaki shorts show off her toned legs and a grey three-quarter length shirt flatters her figure quite well. I catch myself staring longer than necessary and quickly look away, nodding.
"Yes, she looks very nice."
"Don't tell Rin, tell Kagome!" Could Rin really be encouraging me to flirt with Kagome? I will have to talk with her later, in private. I look at Kagome, noticing a blush across her cheeks.
"You look very nice, Kagome." Her blush deepens in color and she looks down at her lap in an attempt to hide it. I smile slightly.
"Thank you, Sesshomaru. You do too." My smile widens a bit and I return my eyes to the road in front of me. I catch Rin's eyes in the rearview mirror and see an almost satisfied look on her face before she looks out at the cars around us. Rin asks Kagome more questions the whole way there, favorite colors, Disney princesses, animals, etc., and we arrive at the zoo 30 minutes later. The line to get in isn't too long and, after paying the entrance fee, Rin immediately takes off towards the bird enclosure. I keep her in my sight as Kagome and I follow several feet behind.
"I apologize for Rin's incessant talking. If she gets to be too much-"
"Sesshomaru, it's fine, really. She's absolutely precious. I don't mind at all."
"Hurry up! The birds need to be pet!" I smirk, shaking my head at my daughter.
"Rin, I am not sure you are allowed to touch the birds." She nods her head, defiantly, opening the door to the enclosure and running in. I grab the door before it can close and usher Kagome in, and am immediately proven wrong. Birds are free to roam the large enclosure while the people walk through on paths. Birdseed is sold in cups so one may attempt to lure a bird onto your shoulder or arm. Rin is far too excited, however, and only manages to scare the poor creatures. Kagome laughs and runs over to join her, pointing out several birds she knows. I purchase two cups of seeds and pass each to the girls. Rin begins throwing it everywhere before Kagome shows her how to do it properly.
"Just put some in your hand, hold it out like this, and be very still." Rin does as she was told and, within minutes, a bird has perched itself on the rope in front of her. Gasping quietly, Rin slowly reaches out to touch the small, white, grey, and black bird. "That's it. So cute," Kagome smiles down at Rin and the bird. "I wonder what it is."
"A pygmy woodpecker," I reply. She looks at me in shock.
"How do you know?" I nod my head toward a sign hanging from a nearby tree. She makes an 'O' with her lips before running a hand through her hair.
"I knew that." I chuckle, walking closer to Rin and her new bird friend.
"Of course you did," Kagome smirks and bumps me with her shoulder, rolling her eyes. When Rin wanders off to find other birds to feed, I pull Kagome back. "I am told there is a wolf enclosure somewhere here. I would very much like to keep Rin as far away from it as possible." Kagome's eyes widen in understanding before nodding.
"I'll keep my eye out for a sign."
"Thank you." She nods, smiling. After the birds, we visit the Bush Dogs, monkeys, and rabbits before we decide to stop for food. When we're about to order, I notice Kagome reaching for her wallet and place my hand over hers, stopping her. She looks at me in confusion. "I will be purchasing your lunch."
"It's fine, I can get it."
"I am well aware that you are physically capable of paying, but you are my guest. We invited you so we will be paying. Will I need to confiscate your wallet for the remainder of the evening?" She sighs, shaking her head. "Good. Now, tell the woman what you want." Once seated, she flicks my hand.
"I'm paying you back." I shake my head with a smirk. "Yes, I am. And you can't stop me." I arch an eyebrow, looking at her.
"Is that a challenge, Ms. Higurashi?" She crosses her arms and leans across the table a bit.
"And if it is?"
"Consider your challenge accepted." Rin shakes her head next to me, smiling.
"Sesshomaru-sama's going to win Kagome. He's sneaky. Even if you give him the money, he'll have it back in your wallet before you go home and you won't even know how or when it happened." Narrowing her eyes at me, Kagome sighs before turning to Rin.
"What's your favorite part been so far?" Rin thinks for a moment before answering, rather loudly,
"The puppies! They remind Rin of Sesshomaru-sama when he turns into a giant puppy!" Kagome gives me a strange look and I explain the human form versus demon form aspect of being a taiyoukai. "He's so fluffy and cute! Rin loves it when he's a puppy." I suppress a grimace at being called cute while Kagome tries not to laugh.
"I'm sure he's very majestic as well, very fearsome." I sit up a little straighter at this, once again attempting not to smile. We finish our meal and head back out when Rin decides she wants some ice cream. I give Kagome some money and excuse myself to use the restroom. When I return, Kagome has a hold of Rin's hand and is trying to walk away from a man who continuously blocks her exit. Listening closer, I quicken my pace.
"C'mon baby, ditch the kid and lets you and me get out of here."
"I really shouldn't, we're just waiting for someone." The man places a hand on Kagome's shoulder, squeezing tightly.
"I'm sure your friend won't mind you catching up with her later."
"Kagome," I call out. She looks up at me, relief clearly evident on her face. I remove the man's hand, glaring at him as I do so. He cowers, fear radiating off of him. "Are you alright?" She nods, loosening her grip on Rin's hand. I kneel down to look her over, relieved to see no marks on either of them. "Rin, sweetheart, are you alright?" Rin nods, licking her ice cream. She was not oblivious to the actions around her, she merely knew I would be there. I stand up, drape a protective arm around Kagome, and meet the man's eyes.
"Dude, I'm sorry man, I didn't know she was taken-" I arch an eyebrow, growling low in my chest. Chills run down his spine.
"Have you any idea who I am?" He swallows the lump in his throat before replying in a shaky voice,
"Sesshomaru, Lord of the West... owner of the largest trading company in the world..." I nod once. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't realize she was yours." Kagome nestles closer into my side, both a reminder to keep my temper and a hint to get moving.
"If I should ever hear of you attempting this on another woman, with or without a child, and I promise you I will hear about it, I will track you down and tear you limb from limb. Let this be a warning. Now go." He nods before running away. I am still attempting to contain my inner beast when I feel arms around my neck, and the smell of lavender vanilla drifts into my nose. I wrap my arms around Kagome's waist while taking hold of Rin's hand.
"I'm so sorry, I was trying to get her out of there, honestly I was. I just couldn't get passed him-"
"Shh, I am just glad you two are alright. I apologize for my lateness, it won't happen again." When I pull back, her eyes are teary and her lip swollen where she'd bitten it out of nerves. "Do not cry. I won't let anything happen to you. Not while you are with me." I pull her close once more and let her calm down. "It wasn't your fault." A minute or two passes before she pulls away, smiling again. "Shall we continue to look around?" Kagome and I look at Rin who is nodding, enthusiastically.
"Sesshomaru-sama will take care of any bad guys. Besides, Rin still wants to see the tigers and lesser pandas." I nod, take Rin's right hand and move to take Kagome's before stopping myself. I look to her, seeking permission. Once she nods, I take her hand in mine and lead them towards the tiger exhibit. Somehow, this feels... right. Sneaking a glance, I notice Kagome's cheeks are slightly tinged with pink, and can't help but smile. I had never realized I'd been missing something until now. It is official, I most certainly have feelings for Kagome Higurashi.