Hi there! I want to apologize for the shortness of this chapter, I'm pretty sure it's not quite up to par with the others. I've started redecorating my house, painting, rearranging furniture, etc., and I didn't even realize what day it was until just a few minutes ago. I promise next week's will be better and hope this isn't too disappointing to anyone. Have a great week!
She stares at me, silently, with eyes wide and mouth hanging partially open. I watch as she shakes her head, laughing nervously, as her eyebrows furrow together in blatant confusion.
"I, I'm sorry, there's no way I could have heard that right, c-could you repeat that?" She requests, voice trembling slightly. This one is not in the habit of repeating himself, I think to myself. It seems I shall have to make an exception this time.
"What if I were to be your partner for your competition?" Seeing that she had heard me correctly the first time, her features take on that same look of confusion. No, that is not quite it. She is baffled.
"Wait, w-what? Why, why, why would you do that? You don't even like dancing," she flounders, stumbling over her words in her confusion. I wait, quietly, for her to process my offer. I take the time to lean against the doorframe, seeing this may take some time. Eventually, she stops her rambling and looks up at me with lowered brows and wide eyes. "I don't understand," she settles on. I hold her bag over my shoulder and put my other hand in my pocket.
"You require a partner for a competition. All of your typical options are otherwise engaged. You need the prize money for something and can only attain it by winning. You seem to be out of options and I am a quick learner. Would this one make an acceptable partner for your competition?" She studies my face for a few minutes, looking for something.
"Why?" Her voice is quiet, level, but full of confusion just the same. Because we help our mates, my inner beast growls.
"Because, Ms. Higurashi, we are friends," I remind her, holding the door open. "And friends help each other, or so I've heard." She stifles her laughter, but a smile still slowly spreads across her lips as she carefully avoids eye contact.
"But I haven't done anything to help you," she counters. "You seem to be stealing my share of the help." I nod my head, getting the car door for her before putting her bag in the trunk. Once inside, I start the engine and turn to face her.
"A time will come when I will request your assistance, I am sure. You may even the score then. For now, however, it is my pleasure to assist you." She looks down at her lap, pondering my words. I take my time buckling in and check my mirrors once more to give her time. "Now, I will only ask once more. Will this one make an acceptable partner for your competition?" After only a second's hesitation, she meets my gaze, determination shining through them, her grin seeming more than a little mischievous.
"Let's wipe the floor with them." I smirk, briefly, and start the drive home. "We should probably start practicing as soon as possible, the competition is in three and a half months and, assuming we do make it to the finals, we need six dances, one for each round, and then one we feel most confident in. We'll work around your schedule since you have more going on, but if possible, it would really help to meet up three times a week for a couple of hours. I understand if that doesn't work for you, so we'll do what we can in the time we have. I already have most of the dances choreographed, but some will have to be rearranged a bit to accommodate the changes." I smile to myself as she rambles, planning the next course of action. She is worried about time, I will make sure there is enough of it. "Would you mind if I gave you a list of the songs so you could start listening to them? Kind of get a feel for them?" I nod my head once, pulling into the driveway. "Fantastic! Thank you so much for this, Sesshomaru, I mean it. I really appreciate this." I park the car and turn to face her, only to find her staring at me with wide eyes, nibbling on her lower lip.
"It is no trouble at all," I assure her. The rest of the evening passes as has become normal, but after Rin is put to bed, Kagome begins creating her list of music for me to listen to. Unsurprisingly, I do not recognize most of them, but a few stand out. "What sort of dance do you have planned for these songs?" I ask after reading through her list.
"Well," she glances over, pointing at each song. "That's a waltz, tango, paso doble, rumba, foxtrot, samba, and quickstep. Then I was hoping to do the Viennese waltz as the final." I make a mental note to look up videos of the dances I am unfamiliar with so as to make her job a little easier and nod my head. "They aren't… terribly difficult, I'd say the hardest would be the quickstep, and that's just because it's a lot of small movements in a very quick time. But, seeing as your a demon, I have a feeling getting you to slow it down will be the bigger issue," she teases with a wink. I smirk, pointing to the final song on her list.
"And this is your Viennese waltz song?" She nods her head, a light blush dancing across her cheeks. "The title seems rather... off-brand for the dance, does it not?" Her blush deepens as she begins picking at the skin around her fingernails.
"Yeah, it's, it's a little... out there, I'll admit, but if we can pull it off I think it would give us a big advantage over the other groups. If nothing else, we'll stand out." A small chuckle escapes as a nod my head in agreement. "If you're not comfortable with any of this - "
"There is no need for concern," I assure her, "it would be an honor to assist you. I shall make sure I am an adequate partner in time." I glance over to see her smiling down at her hands. "Although, I do believe I will be looking this one up first." She giggles, biting her lip, and nods her head.
"Fair enough, all of the others are pretty tame in comparison. That one's a bit of a roller coaster," she warns me. This only serves to pique my curiosity further.
"I cannot wait to see what you have planned for it."