Collide
Musical Notes: Easier to Run- By LP; When the Lights Go Down- By Faith Hill; Dirty Little Secret- by AAR; Concrete Angel- By Martina McBride; Unwritten- By NB; Hands Down- By DC
Chapter One: (I Can Hear) Your Voice
A small child. He was barely four, and yet he sought a new home. He held no love, no trust in anyone his age or older. He was running for what seemed like forever, but he had to keep going. He had to crawl under small holes, he had to hide. Somewhere, in a dark alleyway where the homeless lived or behind an abandoned building. Just no where in sight, so that woman looking for him wouldn't find him.
/ - It's hard to see the pain behind that mask - /
Panting, he felt his legs begin to weaken. He had ran a long way, but he wasn't going to give up. He knew that if he stopped, the lady chasing him would put him over her knee and spank him until he was unconscious.
/ - Bearing the burden of a secret storm - /
And then there it was, a school with very few lights on, making a small lit path for him in the dark. He followed it, and it led him to the back of the school. There, two sheds that were probably storing gym supplies and other things stood up against the fence that boarded the school yard. Slowing to a limp, he eventually made it to them and squeezed in between the sheds. There, he found a wide enough space where he could sit and lay down, out of sight.
/ - Sometimes he wishes he was never born - /
As he sat, laying there and staring up at the sky with his small eyes, he heard the breath of many people running around. He clutched his eyes closed, and curled up and into a small ball, trying not to catch notice. Thankfully, the sound of panting and shouts grew near, and then immediately departed in a direction totally opposite of him.
/ - He wishes he was in a place where he could be loved - /
After moments of silence, he looked down at himself. His brain barely comprehended what was going on, where he was, and who was after him. All he knew was that he was tired, and that he wanted to cry. But if he did, and if people heard his whines, they would look for the source. So, he just shivered where he lay, letting tears flow down his cheeks softly and without sound. He clutched his bleeding hand, which was now numb from ignoring it for so long.
/ - Maybe he was a broken heart that everyone would forget - /
Opening his eyes slowly, pain seemed to be the one thing that he could feel. With a side of betrayal and confusion, it was the one position that no one deserved to be in, and that no one his age should experience.
/ - If only he was loved - /
Kagome sighed. She never knew that making supper was going to be so stressful. Just standing there, occasionally stirring the rice and waiting for the chicken to finish was very boring. Thinking that she could run upstairs and grab a book wasn't a great idea either. Her little brother and their friends were probably going to take an adventure today; and leaving a stove on with them around was like saying "Please set my house on fire." And she didn't trust the stove either. For some reason, she thought that things such as a stove, or microwave, or anything inanimate could hate her.
Must there be an explanation? One time, Kagome was on the computer, comfortably finishing an essay when she felt the need to have a snack. While venturing downstairs and into the fridge, the computer 'purposely' froze and all her information was lost. Kagome claimed that it knew she forgot to save her work, and wanted only to raise hell for her.
And so, Kagome doesn't trust things relating to technology, or anything made by man. If it were made by animals, on the other hand... Suddenly, Kagome was knocked from her stressing daze when the door bell rang. She looked at the clock on the coffee pot, and read in large bright numbers 5:45. Knowing for a fact that Sesshomaru would not be early, she began to feel uncomfortable with answering the door. It could very well be the evil doers, aka Souta and his friends. She looked around, and her mother was no where in sight. Sighing dreadfully, she called for her mother.
Suddenly, the bell rang multiple times, causing Kagome to hate it for eternity. She sighed. Yes, it was her brother. Or maybe it was her mother with groceries. She hated not knowing such information. Taking one more fleeting glance at the boiling rice and potatoes that rested on a flat stove, she rushed to the door.
Opening it quickly, her mother practically fell into the house. Her mother looked over at her daughter with a playful look, and ignored the dull look she was receiving in return.
"Kagome, what a wonderful surprise."
"Mother, do you know what time it is? Sesshomaru will be arriving within the next half hour, and I started the potatoes..." Kagome sighed as she shut the door behind her mother. Taking a few bags from her mother's arms, she followed her into the kitchen.
"Well dear, I saw someone at the grocery store. And why don't you just guess who it was?" Her mother asked, her mood still unchanged.
"I don't know, maybe Buddha or a goblin?" Kagome replied smartly. As her mother unloaded a bag, she took out a stick of celery and pointed it at Kagome stiffly.
"Don't use that tone with me, young lady. And no, it just happened to be Sesshomaru's father that I ran into. You already know him; remember our real estate agent...?" Her mother asked as she put away all the frozen groceries. Kagome thought a moment, and walked over to the stove to stir the rice.
"So you're saying that Mr.Taisho is Sesshomaru's father...?" Kagome said silently, not directly asking her mother.
"Yup! And I saw his darling little girl, too. Her name is Rin, and she is just the cutest! And before I knew it, I had-"
"Invited them over for dinner..." Kagome whispered with shock as she dropped her stirring spoon onto the floor. Her mother looked over with a raised eyebrow.
"Hun? What's wrong?" Her mother asked as she shook her daughter's shoulder.
"I..." Kagome began.
"Mm-hmm?" Her mother continued as she continued to unload the grocery bags.
"I didn't make enough food..."
Sesshomaru walked down the stairs casually and looked around. Rin was no where to be seen. He suppressed a sigh. He hated the fact that he had to sneak around. When he had to leave, and when Rin knew, she would throw a fit. And most of the time, when he chose to stay instead of leaving, she would just run off and watch TV. He didn't know why she wanted him to stay home, but he passed it off as a little girl thing. As he walked into the kitchen, he caught site of his father. The man was putting away the groceries, and looked very tired.
"Father." Sesshomaru said suddenly. His father paused putting a package away to look at him.
"Oh! Just the son I wanted to see!" His father cheered, despite the tired exterior.
"I am going to visit..."
"I know! I know! You were invited over the Higurashi's, correct?" His father continued putting the groceries away, leaving Sesshomaru standing where he was- baffled. After shoving the plastic bags into the trash can, his father turned to him once more with a smirk on his face.
"We've been invited over too. Ms. Higurashi, Kagome's mother, was at the grocery store. We had a little conversation, and all of a sudden, WHAM! We're expected to be at their house in ten!" his father laughed as he loosened the tie around his neck. "Boy, that woman sure can make you feel alive again."
Sesshomaru suppressed a sigh for the second time that night. He walked out of the room and sat on the couch closest to the door, and waited for his father as he ran around looking for something to wear. And then, a question popped into his head. 'Where... is Rin!' A moment after that though, he heard that taunting giggle. A certain little girl was hiding behind the couch, and was playing with Sesshomaru's hair as it swung loosely from his ponytail.
"Rin... please go wash your hands and face. We're leaving in a moment." He stated silently. The little girl huffed, but still obeyed her older brother. He watched as the little girl crawled from her hiding spot, and then quickly stood to speed away. This time, with no one to witness it, he sighed aloud. He didn't know what was making him feel so down, and it was starting to frustrate him also. Maybe it was the fact that he had no fun in life. Or maybe it was because of disappointment. But for now, he couldn't find out.
Kagome stood in front of the door, and stared at it. It was officially two minutes past six, and the door bell had not wrung yet. She was in a state of surprise; Never did she think that Sesshomaru wouldn't be somewhere at a specific time. But then she thought back and tried to remember what time she invited him. Suddenly she was struck with fear. Was she- Did she accidentally give him the wrong time? Or, did he forget where she lived? Well, he probably wouldn't forget where she lived (for he had gone there twice), but all things considering...
The door bell suddenly wrung, scaring Kagome out of her fit of panic. Giggling at herself for being so stupid, she reached toward the door and tugged at it. Suddenly, a little girl bounced into the room and threw her hands into the air.
"See? I do have super powers! I am the girl who can open doors without her hands!" she shouted with triumph, and let out a childish evil laugh. Kagome stood there, and watched as the girl skipped into the kitchen to investigate what was going on. She smiled widely as she opened the door more to let the others in. First came in an old, tired, but well built man- which just happened to be Mr.Taisho. He was almost tall enough to touch the top of the door frame, which shocked Kagome. When did men grow to be that size? Despite the fact that she had seen him a few times, she never remembered him being so tall.
And then Sesshomaru stepped into the room, which made Kagome feel very awkward. He looked over at her and nodded with a small smirk. It was then that she knew that he was planning something. And she felt guilty for some reason. But she smirked back, waving slightly as he looked around. As for Mr.Taisho, he wandered into the kitchen after a quick hello. And then a huge splash and scream came from the kitchen. 'Just wonderful.'
"I didn't do it!" Rin giggled as she ran out of the kitchen and clung to Sesshomaru's leg. Kagome thought it was one of the cutest things, but then she head a growl and noticed the annoyed look on Sesshomaru's face. Knowing that when he was mad, you didn't want to be near him. So, after quickly excusing herself, she fled into the kitchen.
"Rin, what did you do?" Sesshomaru scolded.
"I didn't do anything! The lady gave me a cup of water to drink, since I was thirsty, but daddy started tickling me when I dropped it." she explained, as she began to fake crying into his pant leg. He resisted rolling his eyes, and looked over at the door. His brother had yet to enter the house, and was starring nervously at the threshold. Suddenly he looked up, noticing the glare he was receiving.
"Are you aware that standing there is letting some of the heat leave?" Sesshomaru questioned sternly. His little brother still stood there, but was shocked at how Sesshomaru showed such anger towards him. It was rare for Sesshomaru to even acknowledge his presence.
"I... I'm sorry." he stuttered and rushed into the house, making sure to wipe his shoes on the door mat after he closed the door. Then he removed his shoes and put them off to the side, just like guests were supposed to. He looked up to see Sesshomaru gone, but Rin standing there, holding one of her feet.
"James, can you help me with my shoes?" she asked embarrassed, and glanced slightly over at her older brother. With a small smile, he walked over to his little sister and brought her to the couch so he could untie her Barbie shoes. After successfully removing her shoes, he ruffled her hair before putting her shoes next to his.
"Oh, and who might you be?" a female voiced asked, and made James stiffen. Slowly turning around, he saw a tall woman standing there, and looked about a head smaller than Sesshomaru. Her blue eyes pierced him like an arrow would cloth, and he straightened his glasses to look at her more thoroughly.
"I... I'm James." he stuttered silently. She smiled, and nodded.
"I'm Kagome. I'm a friend of Sesshomaru's." she giggled as she waved to Rin. But he didn't hear what Rin had said, for he had been pushed into a state of shock. 'Sesshomaru! He has friends! And with a girl, no less!' he thought. He raised a hand to pinch his cheek, which caused Kagome's attention to turn to him again.
"I'm sorry, but did you say you were a friend of Sesshomaru's!" Kagome blinked. She nodded slowly, and then smiled.
"Why? Is it odd or something?" she giggled. James couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Of course it is odd! Sesshomaru always acts like everyone around him isn't worth his time, so why would he have friends! And if he did, why would he have a girl type of friend! And such a beautiful one, too?" He blurted out suddenly. But then realization hit him so suddenly, and a blush rose to his cheeks.
Kagome's eyes went wide, but she had a smirk on her face. "Oh, really?" After realizing how silly it sounded, she began to laugh. James watched as she did so, and adored the sound. It was nothing that he heard at school, and he suddenly felt obligated to make her laugh more. But at that moment, he just wanted to crawl under a rock.
Then his callous brother walked into the room, with a look of utter confusion on his face. Kagome suddenly calmed down, and looked at Sesshomaru. She started to giggle more, and walked over to him to lean on his shoulder for support. The confused look quickly disappeared as he watched his 'friend' giggle uncontrollably. James felt then that crawling under a rock would not be good enough, but putting a bag over his face for eternity was.
"Your brother has the cutest little thoughts, Sesshomaru." Kagome stated after she calmed, and stood on her own two feet. Sesshomaru shot a look at him, but didn't seem to be glaring that time.
"That is slightly relieving, I thought you had become insane this time for sure." he replied smartly, as he looked at Kagome. Kagome looked shocked at how mean he was acting, and punched him in the chest lightly.
"Hey, Mister! You gotta be nice to me, or else I'll use the rat poisoning in the kitchen." Kagome stated as she stepped into the said place.
"Oh, and you'll use it to kill a rat? Already are you attracting such things?" Sesshomaru replied. Kagome turned around gracefully as she stared him in the eye.
"No! I'll use it on you!" she pointed at him dramatically, earning curious glances from Sesshomaru, and their parents who were conversing near the stove.
"Surely you don't think that I would be poisoned by such." Sesshomaru stared down at Kagome, expecting her to be stung by his words. To his further disappointment, she wasn't. Pulling the said poison out of no where, Kagome showed the label on the container to Sesshomaru, where it said 'Very Lethal: Keep Away From Humans' and below, a small head with crossbones. Glaring at Kagome, she put it away and raised an eyebrow. Before he could protest about her actions, Kagome's mothered announced that dinner was served.
"That dinner was one of the most spectacular dinner I've had in forever!" Mr.Taisho boomed as he smiled at everyone at the table. Sesshomaru kept silent as he eyed Rin chewing at the last piece of bread on her plate. Kagome smiled, and listened into the ongoing conversation between her mother and Mr.Taisho.
"Well, it was Kagome who cooked us this wonderful meal. We should thank her for taking time to do so." Kagome's mother replied, throwing a charming smile at her daughter. As a thank you passed around the table, Kagome nodded in response and looked up at Mr.Taisho that sat next to her.
"Yes, I have never expected someone so young to cook so well." He stated silently, the others barely able to hear. And then he leaned down to her and whispered in her ear, "But Sesshomaru makes the most wonderful lasagna, you should try it." He smiled evilly as he sat up straight. Kagome's eyes went wide as she looked over at Sesshomaru, and immediately he knew he was in trouble.
"Oh really?" Kagome asked as she too, smiled evilly. But before things got out of hand, her mother cut in.
"Kagome, would you like to start cleaning off the table for me?" Kagome looked over at her mother and nodded in acceptance. As everyone stood, they handed their empty plate to Kagome and headed into the living room. However, Sesshomaru stayed behind to help Kagome clean off the table.
"How very kind of you." she smirked at him as she walked into the kitchen with a stack of plates in her hands.
"It is to be expected of a guest." he explained.
"You make that sound like an excuse." she shook her head slightly as she headed back towards the dining room. Kagome sighed, but smiled at him as she accepted his help. Picking up a few glasses from their places, Sesshomaru copied her actions and grabbed the extra glasses and cups. But they kept quiet as they finished putting the dishes where they belonged.
"My father wishes your family to join us for dinner next week." Kagome looked over and at him as she put the condiments away. He was looking at her from in front of the fridge.
"Oh? That would be fun." She smirked. He ignored the look and turned to study the pictures on the refrigerator. After putting away the salt, Kagome walked over and stood at his side, looking at the pictures with him. On the pearly white fridge sat many cute magnets, which held many different pictures. Some were family portraits of Kagome, her mother and brother; others were distant relatives. In one of those pictures, was Kagome's grandfather as he handed over the ownership papers of a shrine to a young man. This was seemed to catch both of their interests, until Sesshomaru's eyes wandered over to the side.
There, he saw Kagome and her brother hugging and smiling for the camera, both dressed in their swimsuits. He concentrated on that one picture for a while, and didn't say anything. Kagome noticed this, and looked at the photo he was. She smiled, and gently punched him the arm.
"You have a very perverted mind." she whispered teasingly as he snapped out of his daze. Looking down at her, he raised an eyebrow in question. Kagome motioned towards the picture, and Sesshomaru glared at her.
"My mind wasn't in the gutter. I was thinking about the fact that I don't have any memories such as these." he told her coldly. Kagome- being the dense person she was- didn't realize how straight he was being, and smiled.
"I know, can't you take a joke? Like 'ha ha'?" He turned away from her and walked into the living room, listening as Kagome's slippers skidded along the floor as she followed him. Feeling the urge to sigh in content, he realized that the discomfort and impatient feeling he hadhad earlier had left, and was replaced with a feeling of comfort.
As they stepped into the carpeted room, they were greeted with smiles. Sesshomaru's family was getting ready to leave, with Kagome's mother and Mr.Taisho conversing heavily about something irrelevant. Sesshomaru bent over to grab his coat, when he noticed that it wasn't on the arm of the couch where he had placed it before. He turned to ask Kagome where she had hidden it, but was surprised when she placed it over his shoulders.
"We have a closet to put your coats near the side door and next to the bathroom, Sesshomaru." she statedquietly as she watched him put his coat on. Silently she adored how the black rain coat commented his frame, and looked up into his amber eyes when he nodded.
"Seeya tomorrow?" she asked as she tilted her head, and he nodded again. Rin ran up to cling to his leg, and Mr.Taisho and James waved to her. She said her goodbyes waved back, when suddenly she felt a hand on her head and began to ruffle her hair.
"Agh!" she laughed as she tried to stop whoever it was, when they pulled away from her grip. She clutched her messed up head and glared up at Sesshomaru, who had turned and picked Rin up.
"I'm going to get you back for that." Kagome threatened, and watched as an evil smirk spread across his lips. Looking over at her one last time, his glance seemed to tell all. 'You can go ahead and try.'
Kagome ran out of the house, locking the door as she closed it. Fumbling with her keys, she tried to avoid any puddles that had accumulated overnight. Walking around the car and over to the driver's seat, she began to feel like she had forgotten something. But she shrugged it off and jumped into the car. She plugged her key into the ignition and started the car up, making sure the heat was on the exact level of comfort for her.
After a moment, a silent clicking sound reached her ears. Funny, she had just realized what she had previously forgot about. And so, she sprung from the car.
As the engine complained and continued to click, and was joined as a blast of smoke came from the exhaust pipe behind her car. She nearly fell to the ground as she scolded herself for being so stupid. Before the engine started to blow smoke into her car via the air vents, she dove into her car to turn the heat off and to grab her keys from the ignition. To her, she had just made it out alive as she slammed the door shut.
'If you turn your heat on right away ... the engine will ... and that isn't good.' Kagome glared at the contraption as it sat in front of her. She only faintly remembered what the repairman had said to her two days before, and now she was punished for forgetting about it so easily.
Kagome sighed, knowing that just standing there, staring at her car wasn't going to get her to school before Sesshomaru. So she walked back to the house, unlocked the door and stepped inside. Minutes later, she stomped outside as her mother slowly followed her, trying to convince her to stop.
"Hunny, how can you drive my car if yours is in front of it?" her mother prodded, clutching the belt of her dark gray robe.
"Mother, I'll drive it onto the grass! I just need to get to school!" Kagome pouted as she fumbled with her mother's keys.
"Hunny, you can't! The grass will be pulled from the ground because it had rained last night." Sighing, her mother noticed that her daughter was only turning a deaf ear towards her. So, she stopped behind the car and looked at her sternly.
"Kagome Higurashi. Stop this foolishness right now!" her mother yelled. Kagome straightened and turned to look at her mother. Her mother gave her a warning stare, but she thought that she might be able to get her mother to let her go. But right when Kagome was about to put up a defense, her cell phone rang. Groaning impatiently, she ripped open her cell phone pocket attached to her bag and clutched the phone unhappily. Looking at the caller ID,she was surprised almost to the point that her breath would escape her. So she quickly answered the phone, turning so that her back was shown to her mother again.
"Sesshomaru?" she asked hesitantly.
"I suppose you need a ride?" he asked plainly from the other side. Kagome raised an eyebrow in confusion, and was about to question how he knew when a car horn sounded from the road. She looked over to see Sesshomaru's Dorango parked there, waiting for her. She smiled as she waved.
"Thanks Sesshomaru!" she cheered as she hung up. She apologized to her mother as she gave her a comforting hug, and waved goodbye to her as she ran to where Sesshomaru was parked at the end of her driveway.
"Be careful!" her mother called. Kagome waved as she jumped into the passenger seat, and set her bag at her feet. Then she flashed a thankful smile over at the driver, in all his glory. He wore his regular attire, and below his sleek black jacket was a business looking button up with formal but comfortable tan pants, and black shoes. With his hair put up, he looked like he had the previous night.
Kagome, on the other hand, looked very comfortable in her attire. She wore a pair of regular jeans, with a large Grey sweatshirt that had a stick figure on it, saying 'Rock On!'. And, of course, a cute pair of boots that were the same shade of gray as her sweatshirt. Sesshomaru smiled at this as he turned the car around to head back to the main road that lead to their school.
"You are my savior!" Kagome praised him, totally forgetting about her former problems.
"You are an accident prone girl who just happened to catch me in a good mood." he stated, waiting for a green light before entering into the traffic in front of them.
"You call this a good mood?" she asked as she noticed he was acting very stiffly. He looked over at her with the same emotionless facade before he frowned.
"Don't question your savior." he demanded as he looked back to the road in front of him. Kagome smiled and resisted the urge to hug and snuggle into his arm.
"You know, you are cute when you are frustrated." she laughed. He shot an annoyed look over at her, and it was then that she realized not to toy with him. Sighing, she sat back comfortably and waited to arrive at the school.
It was after Sesshomaru was parked a safe distance away from the school that they both exited the car, it being locked securely before they started walking to the school side by side. It took everything Kagome had in her not to give Sesshomaru a thankful hug, and it took everything Sesshomaru had not to whip open his phone and ask someone to deliver him another coffee.
As they walked closer to the school, Kagome started humming a tune that she heard on the way there. It wasn't a widely known song, but it just happened to stick in your head. So as she hummed to herself, she happily pranced along side the emotionless savior of hers. Unknowingly, he was listening to her humming, not knowing if he was growing annoyed with the tune or if he didn't mind it.
As they neared the doors, Sesshomaru reached and grabbed the closest one, opening it up for the both of them. Kagome nodded her thanks as she continued humming. They walked to the library like they did every morning, but something seemed out of place as they neared it. Kagome stopped humming as she looked at the sign on the door of the library- which obviously held Sesshomaru's attention as well.
Stopping in front of the door, they read the contents of the letter. Kagome went wide eyed in shock as Sesshomaru just grew angered. After reading it, Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru and pulled on his sleeve slightly.
"Can they do that, Sesshomaru?" she asked. He calmed himself to look a little bit more accepting, but the way he felt never changed. Slowly nodding, he reached for the handle and opened the door.
"But, why? Why would they want to do that?" she asked silently, fearing that someone might hear her.
"It is the students will." he replied after settling down at their little four-person table. Kagome sighed, and sat across from him like always.
"I just can't believe they want to get rid of the library to replace it with a 'social hall'. I mean, I know it's barely used here, but... every school needs a library." She looked over at Sesshomaru once again, and noticed he wasn't even listening to her. He was already leaning back comfortably, reading his book. Glaring at him for a moment, she noticed that he was only holding back on her. He didn't want to state his opinion, so maybe she shouldn't state hers.
"What is a 'social hall', anyways?" she looked to the side, looking at all the books that probably had some use a few years back.
"It is where students go for study halls, with tables surrounding a large place in the middle that would be used for dances and such." Sesshomaru informed, but didn't look away from the text in front of him.
"Oh, but this time, there will only be a row of tables along one side of the wall. The other side will house a large DJ and lighting. There will be a disco ball in the center, and other things." a voice said from behind Kagome. Jumping from her seat, she quickly turned to see who it was. Sesshomaru seemed not to care about who it was, but his glance did flicker to the person for a moment.
"Who are you?" Kagome asked, scared slightly. The man looked down at her, and flashed a charming smile.
"I'm Bankotsu, and president of the student council." Kagome calmed slightly, but was still confused about why he was there.
"Are you the one who started the whole thing?" Sesshomaru asked, making Kagome turn to him.
"Maybe." Bankotsu replied, smirking over at the callous senior.
"Why, though?" Kagome asked him urgently. He looked over at her, his smirk disappearing. Her question seemed to go through one ear and out the other, as he looked her up and down. Otherwise known as 'checking out'. Kagome noticed this, scowled and ran behind Sesshomaru as if to protect herself. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, and put the book down. Couldn't he just read on page without someone bothering him?
"Bankotsu, go away." Sesshomaru threatened. Bankotsu smiled at the glares he was receiving, but ignored them. He walked over to them slowly, bent over the table where Kagome's chair had been, and looked Sesshomaru in the eye.
"What if I don't?" he slithered through a smile. Kagome shivered in discontent, and folded her arms across her chest. Bankotsu looked up from Sesshomaru and at Kagome, giving her a look of confidence.
"And who might you be?" he asked. Sesshomaru stiffened as Bankotsu stood from his position with a smile. But it wasn't just a simple smile. It was a smile in which made his fellow students sway.
"You don't need to know." she replied, sticking out her tongue. Sesshomaru almost laughed at her. If she thought her childish attitude was going to make him go away, then she was wrong. Slowly he stood, placed the book back in his bag, and turned to Kagome.
"Get your things. We're going out." he stated, and waited for her reaction.
"But where?" she asked as she hesitantly obeyed.
"Am I not invited?" Bankotsu asked in clipped tones. Sesshomaru turned to him, and wanted to leave all the more.
"Of course not! Who would invite a piece of slime like you?" Kagome asked, returning to Sesshomaru's side. Bankotsu looked at her again, and smiled.
"Your words do so much damage." he said sarcastically. Immediately Sesshomaru didn't like where this was going, and stepped in front of Kagome. Looking at Bankotsu with a warning look, he watched as the president just looked at him with more anger.
"I've known you for six years Sesshomaru, and never did I know you were interested in girls." Bankotsu insulted. He wasn't implying that Sesshomaru was gay, because that was below him. He was merely stating that Sesshomaru was a loner, and barely ever glanced at the opposite sex.
"That is none of your concern." Sesshomaru's expression became blank, and showed that he wasn't in the least intimidated by him.
"Oh, come on. You have girls all over you every other moment. But now you have your own little pet. Now tell me Sesshomaru, what does she have that makes her valuable to you?" Bankotsu inquired icily. Sesshomaru threw the most hated glance at the man in front of him, not even replying.
"What? Are you speechless because I found a weak spot, or because you feel like you just wanna run away and cry?" Bankotsu continued to prod, bending back with his hands propped on his hips.
"You know what? You annoy the hell out of me." Kagome spat at him as she stepped around Sesshomaru. Grabbing her upper arm tightly, Sesshomaru prevented Kagome from stepping any closer to the man.
"Oh? Do I really?" he laughed. Kagome only growled lowly as she glared at him. Sesshomaru now restrained her by holding both of her shoulders, watching as the scene went on. This whole quarrel would've been avoided if Kagome weren't there. But this might have been the most exciting thing yet, so why bother smother his highlight of the day?
Bending closer to Kagome, Bankotsu whispered. "You know, you are cute when frustrated." after that small statement, Kagome was shocked. She stopped resisting Sesshomaru and just stood there, eyes wide. Bankotsu smiled, ruffled her hair like everyone else did, and left. But before he was out of sight, he looked back at them and laughed.
Sesshomaru sighed openly and turned Kagome so he could see her expression. Surprisingly, she wasn't cursed forever by Bankotsu's words. She was blinking, and looked up at him with a look of loss, and confusion. Sesshomaru smirked as he led her over to a chair, sat her down, and smoothed her hair. Kagome lifted her hand and caught his in hers, making their eyes connecting once more.
"Sesshomaru?" she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Am I cute?"
Jakotsu ran in the direction of the library, mercilessly shoving girls out of the way as he stepped around everyone else. He concentrated on his task at hand, and arrived at the library a few moments before the first bell rang. Ripping the letter from the door, he read it very carefully. He growled at his forged signature along the bottom, and quickly ducked into the room.
What he saw almost pushed him into a state of insanity, or disbelief. But instead, he just fell over in surprise. Sesshomaru was sitting down reading a book, with a girl sitting across him, stroking her hair.
A few random thoughts ran through his mind. First, when did his Sesshomaru hang out with women? Second, why was a girl in a library? Third, was his Sesshomaru cheating on him? Jakotsu almost started to freak out as he stood, dusted his shirt and walked over to Sesshomaru calmly.
Being as silent as he could be, he tried his best to creep behind Sesshomaru- unnoticed. But the girl that was stroking her hair had noticed him, and was staring at him. She traced his every movement with her dazed blue eyes, which freaked him out even more. But none the less, he walked up behind Sesshomaru and raised his arms to get ready to pounce.
"Ruin his beautiful hair and die." the girl mocked. He looked up at her, but she was to busy giving Sesshomaru a competitive look. He looked down at Sesshomaru, who glared at the girl across from him.
"Jakotsu, go away." he finally said, returning his gaze back to his book. But Jakotsu didn't care, and he wrapped his arms around Sesshomaru's shoulders, mumbled something about 'Lovely Sesshomaru Hun', and smiled as he inhaled the scent of him. The girl across from him smiled evilly, noticing that she had just made a new friend. Someone who could make Sesshomaru feel guilty and uncomfortable at the same time was definitely her ally.
Sesshomaru sighed as he put his book down, resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the pathetic-ness of the situation and looked over at Kagome. She noticed the look and smiled. Alright, maybe she was being a little cold-hearted when it came to the situation at hand; but it was still funny she thought strongly. Standing up, Kagome walked over to Jakotsu and tapped him on the shoulder. He opened his eyes and glared at her for disturbing him, but she shot an even dirtier look back at him.
"What do you want, woman?" Jakotsu asked, obviously pissed off. But the menacing smile that appeared on Kagome's lips only made him reconsider ever talking to her like the way he did. She leaned forward, whispered something in Jakostu's ear that only he could hear, and immediately he let go of Sesshomaru.
"Wha-What!" Jakotsu asked as his expression changed from disturbed to greatly distressed.
"Yup. You better leave before..." Kagome started.
"Of course! I'm not even here! I'm just a figment of your imagination!" he interrupted as he leaped for the door and disappeared. Kagome chuckled as her mood lightened considerably, and returned to her seat. The bell was going to ring in a moment, and she didn't want to leave Sesshomaru on bad terms.
And as she sat, Sesshomaru looked at her with a hint of curiosity. She just smiled, and stared back at him. She knew it was killing him, not knowing what she had said to Jakotsu. And she liked having him confused, even if it were only for a moment. Glaring at her, Kagome only smiled wider.
"What did you say, Higurashi?" he asked. Her wide smile changed into a small smirk as she stood, walked behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders just as Jakotsu had.
"Nothing important, Sesshomaru Hun." sh breathed slowly into his ear, which only fueled his anger more. Standing straight she laughed evilly as she raced towards the door, Sesshomaru on her heel. Catching hold of her hand before she was even a few tables away, she tripped and plummeted towards the floor. But as Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around the back of her waist, she seemed to float right above the ground. Lifting her to her feet and holding her tightly by the shoulders, Sesshomaru looked her in the eyes and tried to pry the words from her.
"I only told him that you were moody without your coffee, and that he would rip anyone to pieces if they touched him in any way." she replied helplessly, and flailed about in his grasp. And as she did so, Kagome thought 'If there was an onlooker, then they would immediately assume that I am a hopeless prisoner.'
"Is that all?" Sesshomaru asked expectingly. Kagome looked up at him and noticed how close he was leaning towards her. She blushed after nodding, and scrambled towards the door as the bell rang. Sesshomaru watched her go, curious about why the blush had appeared on her cheeks before leaving. But he shook all thoughts from his head as he seated himself back at the table and picked his book up again.
Kagome shoved her way gallantly threw the hallway intersection, knowing that she didn't want to have a clumsy moment and fall on her behind; And then have to deal with being trampled by her superiors. So her gracefulness kicked in, and she swerved in and around all the people; a majority of which were taller than her. But as she neared the hallway of her choice, someone ran in front of her suddenly, and sent her soaring towards the floor. Again.
But someone caught her, lifted her onto her feet, and led her towards the hallway in which she was faced. Unknowing about who was her hero, she just accepted the forwardness of the situation and unwillingly shoved her fellow students out of the way to get to the hallway. And as she reached the clear hallway where no one ventured, she breathed a sigh of relief. Looking up at the person who still held her shoulders, she smiled.
"Twice today, you have saved me!" She giggled as she gave him a thumbs up. He barely acknowledged the movement, and walked with her the remainder of the way to the library. He was quite tired; after all, he had battled the principal about the renovations that were going to happen in his solitary confinement.
Opening and closing the door for herself and Sesshomaru, Kagome felt out of place. Already was she devoting most of her time to school work and to her profession rather than what she wanted to accomplish. At her old school, she was used to having the smiling friends greet her every morning, and every other day she would receive calls from her friends to ask her about her day. She felt something like a necessity back at her old town, but obviously that was proved wrong. As she sluggishly walked to her seat, she plopped down onto her seat while throwing a slightly curious look at Sesshomaru.
He didn't smile, he didn't call like the others. And he definitely didn't give her needy looks, or looks of encouragement. Somehow, he was the only friend she could claim to have, now in her new hometown. She frowned. She looked down at her hands and saw the smudged pencil on her small finger, and pen on her index finger. And she also saw what no one else seemed to notice; the ever-present loneliness. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed it herself.
A cloud, it seemed, hung over her every moment she was alone, and tried to ruin her day. But if she put up a smile, it didn't seem totally obvious. And maybe the feeling of inspiration had left her; maybe the feeling of refreshment had made her think she was happy with a good life.
Deep inside, that scar still lay. The scar that had hurt her pride, her trust, and her courage to face others. Somehow she had slightly recovered, and was able to forget the loneliness and betrayal that people had inflicted on her. The feeling of being important in people's lives had faded, and now the image of what she thought were friends looked like it had been dropped on a dirty street, kicked into a muddy puddle and was left to be stepped all over. To her, that was how it felt. And she didn't like it.
Now she had Sesshomaru. What was he to her, though? Someone who helped her often, someone who had no friends other than admirers. To him, what was she though? Was she a nuisance? (Maybe not, because had he not accepted her invitation to go with her to her sessions and drove her to school that day?) Maybe she was like the side dish of a meal. Never important, or too plain to meet the criteria of being a 'favorite' food.
Her head dropped, and her shoulders were deeply slouched. She just sat there, looking like she had been abandoned like a dog that had accidentally did something wrong. No matter how sorry she was, she could never win back the love of her friends.
A sigh escaping her lips, by now she had definitely taken notice to Sesshomaru. He watched her confusedly, wondering why all of a sudden she was so sullen. Wordlessly and soundlessly, he walked behind her chair and placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to sit her back against the chair. She did as he wanted, but didn't look up. A thought struck him, and he became nervous. 'Was she crying?'
"Sesshomaru..." He heard her whisper faintly. He bent down slowly to hear the rest about what she had to say.
"I want to tell you something..." She whispered with a louder but gentler tone, only for Sesshomaru to stand straight again. Being the patient person he was, he pulled out the chair next to her and watched as she pushed herself in. Resting his head in one of his hands, he looked at her and waited for her to speak once more.
"I... I had many friends... where I came from. They ranged from some of the greatest looking people to the smartest looking people, to some people who were plainly talented. I felt like I belonged there, like if I left- the system would crumble..." she took a small glance at Sesshomaru, and he wasn't looking at her gloomy form anymore. He was staring forward, into the aisles and aisles of books. But she could tell that once she stopped talking, he glanced back at her again. So he was listening.
She moved her gaze to the floor and continued. "I know that seems kind of conceited of me, but that was just the way of how I thought of it then. So it was obvious that I trusted everyone, because they all trusted me. But my old school wasn't very gracious and angelic as it might have led on. A good amount of people had crummy attitudes, and were always trying to hurt someone to make themselves feel superior. So it was no surprise when a rumor was spread around, or when something horrible had happened to someone's property.
A majority of us ignored them though, and our lives continued onward. But, one day, I entered a room with a smile on my face like always, waiting for someone to walk up to me and greet me with a hello. But as I walked to my seat, the room grew silent as everyone stared at me. I thought that maybe they were playing a small joke or something, so I ignored it. Apparently, I should have done the opposite..." Kagome sighed. She again lifted her gaze to meet Sesshomaru's, who looked as if he was processing everything she said before she even said it. Wordlessly, she was grateful for his patience.
"I learned later that day, that a rumor about me had spread. For some reason, the reaction had been so different from all the other rumors. And I still have yet to figure out why. But the rumor, apparently, wasn't spread by those regular rumor-starters. It had been started by one of my best friends; I couldn't believe it myself. A thought ran through my head over and over again asI tried to process what was going on. Why would anyone have such a deep hatred for me?" He hands began to tremble in her lap as she looked into Sesshomaru's golden eyes.
"I went to investigate for myself, and I had got what I had sought, but I didn't like it. She was envious of the amount of friends I had, jealous about the uplifting attitude I had that made people want to smile, and angry about the fact that the guy she had a crush on had admitted liking me instead. So she confessed about starting the rumor, saying that it was the only way to make me pay for causing her to be so pained." Kagome stopped speaking. She realized how open she was being, and was positive that it was wasting both hers and Sesshomaru's time.
"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rant on about that..." she apologized as she quickly stood. Grabbing her bag, Sesshomaru cautiously watched her as her bangs covered her eyes. As he stood much more graciously than she had, he lifted a hand to rest on her chin. Raising her face so he could look at her, he realized that pain and suffering that she had kept inside of herself. Despite her happy exterior, she was really just crying inside. He noticed all of this as he looked deep into her dark, azure eyes. They seemed to be swimming with emotions and thoughts, and they seemed to cry out for his help. 'Maybe a simple hug would help?' He heard a small whisper.
And as her eyes searched his for a piece of comfort, she noticed that she was being too expecting. After all, she was still new to this town. She was still refreshing her mind on how kind the world really could be. She was still making adjustments on how she lived without friends smiling around every corner. It almost made her want to break into tears on the floor.
But as Sesshomaru continued to analyze how much grief she was going through, Kagome moved her head out of his grip and adjusted her messenger bag on her shoulder.
"I... um... I have a session in twenty minutes." she whispered. She couldn't believe herself, here she was opening herself to Sesshomaru and causing him to stay longer than he was supposed to, and she was asking him to drive her to her session! She wanted to slap herself.
"I will join you." he replied. Her head shot up and she watched as he readied himself to leave. She didn't necessarily believe the fact that he was being very helpful. She had learned from the past week and a half, that he wasn't always going to lend a hand. As he looked back at her, a smile brightened her face.
Walking with him to his Dorango, she controlled every urge that she had to hug his arm, or to just tackle him while thanking him to death. But that was unacceptable; why should she put someone in the hospital for being almost hugged to the other world? Despite the consequences, she wanted to take his mind off the previous twenty minutes; even if what she had to do was a little dramatic. So she ended up deciding that she shouldn't think about it.
Reaching out, she stole the keys from his hand and ran to beat him to the drivers seat of his car.
He was glad that she had returned to her glee-filled state. It was more of a comfort to have her act that way, but sometimes she just went overboard and he had to risk a few tangled hairs to make sure she didn't cause any serious damage. For example, she had stolen his car keys an hour ago. For that, she was severely punished. She was forced to be silent the whole ride to her skating session. He had actually enjoyed the silence, but there was a small longing that he didn't notice on the way there. He longed for the conversation he knew that would be interesting between Kagome and himself.
And once she had bounced (rather dangerously) from her seat and out the car when they had arrived, she laughed and giggled. Then she looked at him with a sly look, and mocked him. 'You sure do know how to torture a girl.'
But now she was skating happily along the ice. He watched warily, wondering if she had any defects in her skating habits. From what he had observed, she always pushed herself to the limit. Even when she was slightly off balance- she always tried to do her best. And it also surprised him that had not yet been honored with the view of Kagome falling.
"Sesshomaru." Kagome called as she flew towards him on her skates, a look of total excitement on her face. His back stiffened as he stood straight on the ice, bent down to place his cup on the frozen surface before standing to catch Kagome.
She giggled feverishly and she did a little dance within his hold. He could sense her urge to jump up and down- but she no longer dared to for fear of hurting his expensive shoes.
"Guess what?" She asked, clinging to his black jacket that she adored so much. He didn't really care for the jacket all that much himself, but he did now that the fabric would not tolerate her grip on it.
He waited until she calmed down before replying. "Yes?" he asked. She cast a frustrated look on her face as she looked up at him.
"No!" she pouted before letting him go and glided backwards a step. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"No, what?" he asked.
"I want you to guess what happened!" she said as she safely stomped her foot on the ice. His expression changed to a more relaxed one as he tried to think.
"Then let me guess, you've finally been accepted into a mental clinic?" he asked smartly, and appreciated the result. She grew angered at him and skated forward to lightly punch him in the chest. He looked at the place where she had supposedly 'wounded' him, and then looked back at her with an unimpressed look.
"Take this seriously Sesshomaru!" she pouted once more. He mentally sighed at that. Sometimes she acted just like Rin.
"I don't have any clue, Kagome." he spoke truthfully. A disappointed look was the response he received.
"Sesshomaru, Mr. Amou was talking about offering a free lesson in skating for you." Ah yes, Amou. Amou turned out to be a man in his mid 30's, which was quite relieving. Not only was he married, but he also had a very good profession other than a professional skater's guide. Kagome had already talked to him on the phone and had two sessions with him before, but Sesshomaru had only met him an hour earlier. In all honesty, the man seemed to be too generous and modest for his tastes.
"A free skating lesson?" Sesshomaru repeated. A small smile appeared on Kagome's face as she nodded vigorously. Sesshomaru leaned back against the wall again that separated the ice rink from the bleachers, and thought deeply about what Kagome was telling him.
"Come on, Sesshomaru! I really want you to consider it!" Kagome whined as she clung to his jacket again. He looked down at her pleading eyes, and didn't know what he was getting himself into with this girl.
"I'll consider it." he replied a moment after. Kagome smiled happily and skated off again to talk to Amou again. After that, Sesshomaru picked up his cup and resumed drinking his now cold tea.
Kagome walked side by side with Sesshomaru tensely. Anyone who looked at her would notice it too. So she tried her best to seem calm and collected, but she was far from it. After the session with her new guide, Mr. Amou, Sesshomaru drove Kagome to the mall to get her her performance outfit, which was needed for tomorrow night.
Kagome appreciated everything Sesshomaru did, and she would not disappoint him. So she thought it might be convenient to get her dress now, rather than tomorrow right before the said performance (which Sesshomaru would not tolerate).
As she dragged him through the mall, she searched desperately for a sports store that the building ought to have. And as she neared her destination, something shiny caught her eye. Turning to look at it, she grew wide eyed. Stopping suddenly and causing Sesshomaru to stop uncharacteristically, they both looked at a sparkling dress in a store window. It seemed to have the type of cloth Kagome needed in a dress, and it reminded her of everything she ever wanted...that seemed to be very very expensive.
Sighing, she clasped Sesshomaru's hand in hers and brought him inside to check to price, which seemed only to lead to failure. And as she did so, a worker at the store was immediately accompanying her.
"Hello there! You must be new, because I've never seen someone so beautiful before! And are you interested in that skater's outfit? I'm sure we can find it in the size that would certainly fit your curvaceous body!" the man flattered her all at once. Actually, by the time he was done, Kagome was blushing slightly and Sesshomaru was growing annoyed with his forwardness.
"Well, it depends. How much is it?" Kagome asked, taking one last look at the article of clothing. The man smiled as he nodded and led them to the counter that was centered in the back.
"That dress is..." he started as he searched his computer. When he did, a weak smile appeared on his face. Silently whispering the price, Kagome felt a pain grow in her heart. And Sesshomaru was already disgusted at how horribly high the price was for it.
"I can't believe it's that much..." Kagome recovered instantly, raising a hand to her cheek in astonishment.
"It's ridiculous." Sesshomaru added. The man looked away from Kagome and at Sesshomaru, finally noticing the silver haired man. The man looked at him with adoring eyes, and smiled.
"Are you also here to buy a skater's outfit also, sir?" the man asked him; and if Sesshomaru wasn't so ridiculously exhausted, then he would have caught onto the flirtatious tone the man was using with him.
"No, only I am." Kagome answered for Sesshomaru. Watching Sesshomaru's face, she knew that the day only seemed to drag on longer for him, and how he didn't appreciate it at all.
"Alright! Then if you'll follow me-" the man started as he led them through a few aisles of clothes. As they walked along, Kagome couldn't help herself as she stared at the dresses that she passes by, and the cute skirts that shouted 'buy me'.
"I'm sure you don't expect to sped a lot of money, so I'm suggesting this dress for you." the man said as he reached a rack along the wall that held many hangers for different styles of dresses.
As Kagome let go of Sesshomaru's hand to examine the material and to check out the price, Sesshomaru looked at the dresses and outfits that hung all along the wall. Many of them were short and very revealing, which made his opinion about the store change all the more. He didn't know why he let such futile things get to him so easily, and considered getting a good amount of sleep that night to prevent further crankiness.
"Alright, I'm going to go try it on." Kagome stated strongly, and strolled over to the dressing stalls that were right behind the counter. Sighing and hoping that his bad mood would soon go away, Sesshomaru sat on a stool next to the counter and waited patiently for Kagome to finish. And as he waited, the store man leaned against the counter and folded his arms across his chest to wait patiently also. The closeness of the man unnerved him.
"Oh god..." Sesshomaru heard after a moment. He looked at the door of the stall with curiosity. Slowly it opened, and there stood Kagome. She slowly but gracefully stepped out of the stall to reveal the outfit on her. The top held a long V neck, with the end of the top piece ending a couple inches away from her waist. And she had a small skirt that matched the top piece, but was sort and seemed to float high about the knee, which revealed much of her thighs.
Sesshomaru thought about the resemblance of the turquoise color and Kagome's eyes. They both seemed to demand a reaction; whether it was a stare or smile. Personally, Sesshomaru loved the way it fit Kagome perfectly, and thought that indeed she had a very curvaceous body- unlike many skaters. But as he scanned her once again, disapproval reigned over the loving he held for it.
"It looks horrible, doesn't it?" Kagome asked, staring at Sesshomaru with a worried look. For some reason, he kept staring at her with an emotionless expression on his face. His eyes finally rose to meet hers, and she was beginning to think that the outfit was definitely not the one she wanted.
"Oh goodness! You look marvelous! It definitely fits you better than anyone else! It accents your curves, and that color brings out your eyes." the store man commented, lifting a hand to his cheek to sigh happily. After getting such a good response from the man, Kagome looked to Sesshomaru to see what he would say.
"It's too short, and it seems like you're going to sell yourself to anyone who would pay twenty bucks. Choose another one." was his clipped response. Kagome blushed and crossed her arms across her chest. Obviously his opinion was very important to her, and she went to change into a different one.
After a few minutes, she opened the door of the stall to reveal yet again, another beautiful dress. Sesshomaru liked this one also, because it had a black color with a thin mesh cloth that was invisible over the black. The mesh cloth was was decorated with silver glitter, making the outfit resemble a clear night sky. Unlike the last one, the shirt had a turtle neck type shirt that had a zig zag type pattern on that stomach that showed her skin that stretched to disappear into the back.
The skirt was just like the other one, shirt and wavy- and revealed much of the thigh.
"I love that outfit! It matches your smooth and silky hair and gives you this eerie but beautiful look against your skin! If the press was here, they would be all over you." the man continued to flatter. Kagome smiled at him for being so considerate, and looked at Sesshomaru again for his reply.
"The upper part of the outfit is fine, but the skirt is too short." Sesshomaru stated sternly. Kagome through him a disbelieving look and crossed her arms against her chest once more, but this time it was in defiance.
"Sesshomaru, it needs to be short. Or I'd get my legs tangled in the cloth, or it could get caught against the tights I need to wear under it." She retorted. Sesshomaru thought carefully about what she said, and agreed with her hesitantly. Despite the fact that he didn't want her to look so revealing, he didn't want his thoughts to cause her to get hurt.
After a long moment dragged on, Sesshomaru nodded to her. "Alright then. You can get it." he replied. She smiled and nodded back at him. But instead of turning around and walking into the stall, she walked very cautiously backwards and accidentally walked into the door, and jabbing the hook on it to poke her head stubbornly. Kagome laughed nervously as she rubbed her head and felt for the door handle to open the stall.
Sesshomaru sensed that something was up. He sent her a glare-like look and made a movement with his hand to have her turn around. Kagome bit her lip, and stepped forward to spin as quickly as she could. But Sesshomaru stood and turned her to face the stall as he observed the back of the dress. The collar and a thin strip of cloth were the only things connecting the two sides of the shirt, and showed off much of her back. What he saw made him slightly displeased again. He let her go, and whispered in her ear menacingly.
"Put it back, Kagome." and with that, he sat back down with a grumbling sound from Kagome as she went to go find another outfit. The man next to him giggled slightly, and finally caught Sesshomaru's full attention.
"You are very protective of her. Many girls who come to look for outfits usually don't have guys with them, and they usually do purchase the more revealing type outfits." the man stated to no one in particular, but had informed Sesshomaru considerably. Sesshomaru watched as Kagome entered the stall with a few outfits at once this time, and thought more about the type of outfits she had picked out that time. (Now that she had a clue about what he would and wouldn't accept.)
Indeed- he was protective of her.
The next outfit was pink, and he and the store worker both agreed that it was too bright for her. She went back and changed into yet another outfit. She came out again, and this time praise rained on her immediately.
"Truly marvelous! If I were available right now, I would snatch you up and keep you to myself!" the man giggled. Sesshomaru stared into Kagome's eyes, and wondered what the hell she was thinking.
Her outfit this time was a dark purple, which seemed to mix in with her eyes and dark hair. It had a small v neck, with no sleeves and connected with the skirt. But the skirt was so short, that it she spun around it would seem as if there wasn't even a cloth to cover her.
Kagome noticed from the negative attitude that she was receiving from Sesshomaru that it was yet again, not the dress she would wear to the performance. So she slowly walked back into the dressing room, with a feeling of boredom growing within her.
Sesshomaru waited another moment before Kagome stepped out again, in her last outfit. It was a dark ocean blue-green, with jewels decorating the sides and around the small v-neck it had. The top piece, though, was cut off a few inches above the waste line, connecting with the skirt in X shapes. As she turned around, he learned that the back was plain with a small oval carved out of the fabric in the middle of her back, and also had an X shape that connected with the skirt.
As she turned to face him again, she smiled. Not only was the skirt a little longer, but it seemed that it wasn't too revealing- just the way he liked it.
With a small nod of his head, Kagome rejoiced. Jumping forward, she embraced him around the shoulders and repeatedly thanked him. And then, jumping up, she bounced back into the stall to change back into her clothes.
Sesshomaru stood, and paid for the outfit as Kagome changed. The man huffed when Sesshomaru caught his eye, and confused him.
"That outfit disappoints me. It hides much of the smooth skin that people prefer to see in a sexy skater." He commented, obviously out of line. Sending a heated glare towards him, the man apologized quickly and gave Sesshomaru his change with his receipt.
"Alright, I'm ready." Kagome said, handing the dress to the man, expecting him to give her the price. He just smiled, put it in a bag, and handed it back to her without a word. She asked him about paying, and he grew confused.
"Your boyfriend paid for it..." he said, and a blush rose to her cheeks.
"But I don't have a boy..." Kagome started, but her eyes were suddenly drawn to Sesshomaru who was already at the door, waiting for her.
"Ugh!" Kagome pouted, and ran to meet him, bag in her hands. And when she reached him, she swatted at his shoulder. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, oblivious to the what he had done. She looked into his eyes, and wondered silently why he had paid for something that she could have paid for all by herself.
"I'm going to pay you back. How much was it?" Kagome asked as she pulled out a few twenties. Ignoring her, Sesshomaru just took her wrist and dragged her through the mall at a much faster pace than Kagome. And throughout the whole trip, she tried many times to stop him, but failed. She bombarded him with questions, but they fell on deaf ears. No matter what she said- or so Sesshomaru thought. Apparently, he wasn't the only cranky one.
"Ugh! It's hard to believe that store clerk ever though I'd go out with someone as mean as you!" Kagome insulted just as they neared the exit. Suddenly stopping, Kagome was caught off guard and bumped into Sesshomaru's side, who was now staring at her with emotionless eyes.
Fear took over her as she stared back at him, wondering what he was thinking. After a moment of just standing there, and receiving unwanted looks, Sesshomaru let go of Kagome's wrist and walked at a much slower pace to his car.
Kagome, on the other hand, stayed at his side and mentally slapped herself for saying that. She hadn't really meant it, she just wanted a reaction out of Sesshomaru. She thought if he would pay attention to her for one second, she might just get the question through his head and he might have the brain power to answer her. But the response she had received was far from what she expected, and felt guilty.
Once she was in the passenger seat, she looked over at Sesshomaru, barely turning her head, so she wouldn't attract his attention. He sat back against the seat, eyes closed, with his keys already in the ignition. She could tell from his emotionless yet tired face that she had probably pushed him over the limit. Reaching out, she took his right hand in her left one and looked at him with worried eyes.
His eyes opened to look at her sad blue ones, which was unexpected. Then his eyes glanced at his hand in her warm one, seemly out of place next to her smooth and creamy skin.
"I'm sorry I said that Sesshomaru. I didn't mean to be so cruel." she apologized, breaking the thick silence that seemed to haunt the car. He nodded his head in acceptance, and released his hand from her grip to start the car up. A moment later, when they were on the road and when Sesshomaru let his right arm rest on the arm rest next to him, Kagome held his hand again. And this time, he didn't pull away.
When they arrived at Kagome's house, Sesshomaru parked in front of the driveway. She looked over at him, his hand still in hers, and looked into his eyes once more.
"Sesshomaru?" she asked silently, as if scared he would lash out.
"Hmm?" he replied, still quite emotionless.
"Will you be okay?" she whispered, but still sure that he could hear her. He seemed to be digging into her soul through her eyes to find out where the question had originated from: out of care, out of curiosity, or out of friendship- but he couldn't figure it out. With a slight nod, she smiled. It was a sad smile, but Sesshomaru was glad that he didn't take that away from her.
Leaning over, Kagome caught Sesshomaru in a small hold that only lasted a small moment. She noticed so many things at that moment that she swore she could have been overwhelmed by it all. He was so gentle with her, and had actually returned the hug with a small movement of his arms around her small frame. And the way he smelt wasn't strong, but it was so entrancing that Kagome had fallen in love with it. And the comfort she felt in his arms couldn't even compare to any other.
After a small moment, Kagome let go of him and quickly exited the car without a goodbye. She firmly- but silently shut the door, and ran up to her house- both her school bag and shopping bag in hand.
If she had looked back, should would have noticed a small but important emotion on Sesshomaru's face. But it was quickly wiped away with a sad look, and he put his car back into drive to drive home.
Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as her mother drove her and Souta to the ice rink the next afternoon. That day she had received no homework, which made everything a little better on her part. Now she just had to get through the competition, and try to catch the eye of someone who would be interested in having her come to other competitions rather than a children's recital.
Her mother pulled into the parking lot, next to a large Dorango that was the same shade of maroon as Sesshomaru's. Shaking her head, Kagome rejected any thought or possibility of seeing Sesshomaru there at her competition. After all, she dragged him all over the place the day before. She didn't deserve to spend any more time with him that she hadn't already.
Walking into the back rink with her mother, she was met with the pair of friendly eyes that she saw just 24 hours ago. "Hello Mr. Amou!" Kagome smiled as she embraced him in a little hug.
"Good afternoon, Miss Kagome." he greeted her back as he looked her up and down as she took her jacket off.
"Kagome, why are you wearing a dark green outfit?" he asked her after she slipped her skates on in the locker room. She looked over at him questionably and shrugged.
"The outfit color you needed to wear was black..." he trailed off and gritted his teeth as he hit himself on the forehead with his palm. "...I forgot to tell you yesterday..."
Kagome's smile turned into a pale frown as she stared into his eyes. "Are you serious?" she asked, dread dripping from her every word. He nodded slowly, and they both took in rugged breathes.
"This sucks."
Kagome skated onto the ice, proud to be the one who stood out of the group that followed her. People clapped, others just watched, and others just judged the way the skaters looked. 'It's just like old times...' Kagome thought. As she took a warm up lap, she searched the crowd for her family so she could wave to them later on. Normally enough, they had seated themselves a few seats above the concrete walkway, and were waving to her. Smiling, she thought that the competition wouldn't turn out so bad after all.
As she lined up in the center with the other six skaters, she noticed only two guys were there. She smiled, and turned to face toward the bleachers.
When an announcer had greeted the audience and introduced the event, people clapped and cheered. Kagome couldn't help but smile as the butterflies prickled her stomach. Then the intercom introduced the skaters around her, and pride swelled inside of her when she heard her name.
And for the first time, she felt like she had accomplished something.
After a moment, she and a few other skaters skated off the ice to let a couple skate their own routine. But she showed little interest for them. As soft music played in the background and people watched with looks of awe, Kagome rested on a bench near the door to rub her numb legs.
One by one, other skaters went and skated, and it was only a good 20 minutes later that it was her turn.
As she gracefully floated on top of the ice, she felt many stares on her as others whispered.Even thoughit was jjust the usual, she felt slightly nervous. She didn't know what it was, maybe it was because she was just introducing herself to this community? But she quickly shrugged it off when she stood in the center, her hands on her forearms.
A ticking sound entered the room, and Kagome slid forward along with the movement. As the ticking sound seemed to stop and rewind, Kagome did the same. But then there was a boom from the speakers, startling the crowd. Just the reaction she wanted from them. She rushed towards one end of the rink, and just when she skid to a stop along with the song. The ticking sound entered the room again, and she skated backwards along the wall at the same beat that carried the music along. As the ticking ran faster, she increased her speed and quickly turned to see that she was heading once again towards the wall.
He didn't like the fact that she kept heading towards the wall. He remembered all those times she relied on him to stop her when she flew towards him on her skates. And here she was, proving that she could stop herself from flying towards a hard surface all by herself.
That feeling made him feel not needed, and useless. After all, he attended the event on hopes of cheering her up with a helping hand. But it seemed as though she really didn't care if he was there or not. What a disappointment.
But as he traced her form in that tight fitting outfit, another feeling sprouted within him. It was envy. He didn't quite realize it himself, but it was still there. Why it was there, and the cause of it was unknown. Any feelings he had left him confused, especially when it was a small one; for example, the feeling of comfort she handed him when they had hugged.
And the feeling of envy was brushed away and was filled with pride. He had the privilege of holding her in his arms. He could tell that almost no one else could do that, especially those who adored her in the silence of the crowd that observed her.
He started to concentrate more at what was happening in front of him rather than what he started to feel inside. He watched as her body swerved around corners, lifted her into the air when she jumped, and stretched as she held her foot behind her head using both hands and spun in place simultaneously. Even though he had witnessed her do this many times before, he felt like she did look more astonishing when being appreciated.
And as the song slowed down to tick again, she too slowed down and drifted on the ice, one foot barely on the ice with her arms wrapped around her torso once more. Another feeling pulled at his heart strings as he saw her stop completely in the middle to bow her head. It was a pleasant surprise that he enjoyed such a performance as her friend.
About two hours later, the audience was cheering as the event ended, and people were pouring from the bleachers to congratulate their kids and relatives on what a wonderful skater they had been. But for Kagome, it was slightly different. She met Amou in the back, and shook hands with many people who wanted to congratulate her on being chosen with two others to go further with their talent. She smiled brightly at all of them, and laughed at Souta when he gave her a single rose from himself and her mother.
But as the rink seemed to empty, Kagome chose then to leave. Extreme exhaustion revealed itself as she rubbed her tense muscles and stripped her skates off of her feet. A few moments later, she was walking back to her mother's car with her family. But as she stepped outside into the cold with a thin jacket being the only protection she had from the cold, she dreaded the fact that they had parked their car 'far... far... away'.
"Ugh! I'm freezing in this outfit! Why didn't we park closer?" Kagome asked, rubbing her thigh absently as they ventured closer to the car. Souta shook his head as he shoved his hands into his coat pockets, and kept his eyes on their destination. But slowly, his eyes wandered though, to a figure that stood against the Dorango that was parked next to their car.
"Hey, who is that?" Souta asked, making Kagome look up. The Dorango was indeed, still parked next to their car, and leaning up against it was Sesshomaru. His black jacket was snuggly wrapped around his frame, and in his arms were a bouquet of flowers. Smiling brightly, Kagome gave her sports bag to her mother and ran to Sesshomaru.
Slowing down when she neared him, she smiled at him. He stood from his stance against his car and embraced her the way they had yesterday. If it were possible, Kagome smiled wider and wrapped her arms around his neck, inhaling that scent she loved so much.
"You were great out there." Sesshomaru whispered into her ear, making sure that the bundle of flowers didn't ruin her softly flowing hair.
"Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me." Kagome replied back, still clinging to him. A small smirk appeared on his lips as he held her close to him, feeling that same comfort he had felt yesterday with her body pressed against his.
Reluctantly releasing each other, Kagome looked at the flowers that Sesshomaru handed her. Gladly gripping them in her hands, she admired the dark green color they vibrated that matched her dress. Looking up at Sesshomaru, she smiled at him and thanked him once more. He nodded in return, his face a little brighter. Even if it was for just a moment, he felt glad he was wrong about being not needed when it came to her.
They stared into each others' eyes for a moment, smiling at each other. But her mother beeped the horn next to them, waking them both up. Kagome laughed nervously as she whispered a goodbye and stepped to the side to leave. But Sesshomaru caught her, and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, a small token of his respect for her. Standing there, slightly startled, she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She thanked him once more and left to jump into her mother's car to make her happy.
Sesshomaru smiled to himself, he recalled the blush that rose to her cheeks and gave her an innocent but cute look before she left him.
But as he watched the car pull out of the parking lot and into the stream of cars, he realized the feeling of loss that floated within himself. He didn't know what he had lost that would cost him such emotion, but he left that question to hang in the air as he walked around his car to jump into the driver's seat. Once he shut the door, he looked over at the empty passenger seat that gave him a small feeling of loneliness.
And as he pictured who should be sitting there, he realized what exactly was happening to him. And he couldn't decide whether it was good or not.
Thanks for reading.
Next Chapter: (I Can Witness) Your Eyes