Photograph
The next day, she hadn't seen Sesshoumaru at all. Neither did she the next day. Nor was he around the next week. She becoming a bit disgruntled, but paid no mind, and continued to hunt for the Shikon shards with her group, feigning casualty. Inside, though, she was hoping he'd come back. The taijiya had asked her about it not too long ago, but Kagome had dismissed her friend's concern and continued to appear as if everything was okay.
Though she had only known the taiyoukai to be a ruthless killing machine that wanted to kill her on sight, she had missed the way he marveled over her pictures. She got over it quickly, though, until the second week with no show she had went back home to her own time to present her photos.
Mr. Tsukihaku had been extremely pleased with her work. "I simply love this one! I mean, where in the world did you find this old of a kimono and this elegant piece of armor?"
Inspecting the picture of the demon lord with a critical eye, Kagome smoothly lied, "I have a friend who collects this sort of thing. I borrowed it from him, and then asked my friend to dress up for me, and we found a spot and I took the picture."
"Enchanting!" Mr. Tsukihaku exalted. "Is that his real hair?"
"Yes, he likes to dye it and wear it long."
"And that picture of you by the pond is absolutely breath-taking!" Mr. Tsukihaku took the enlarged photo in his hands and gave it extra care. "This will be displayed at the open art museum this weekend if you so choose! How knows! Maybe you could win something."
"A-are you serious?" Kagome stammered, thrilled.
"Oh, absolutely!" He picked up the photo of Sesshoumaru in his dog demon form in the forest. "The digital art here is astounding, and the background compliments it completely. If you want, this will go on display, also."
"Yes! Yes!" Kagome stood from her stool and hopped up and down, forgetting that she was being childish in front of her boss. Of course, his enthusiasm for her was amazing and he was proud of his student. When Kagome finally calmed down, she asked somewhat professionally. "So, what about this one? And the ones with the birds and tree?"
Mr. Tsukihaku picked the photos up, inspected them, and started sorting them out. "This one, of the large tree, we'll see what we can do. The birds, not so much. I haven't seen this species before, but we'll see what I can do with them. The one with the boy in the uniform will definitely be on display with the others. You've done a remarkable job Ms. Higarashi, and I expect full results like these always."
Kagome had a sinking feeling that quite possibly her 'partner' may not enjoy being photographed anymore, and told him this. "You see, it was a taxing job just to talk him into it, I don't know if he'd be willing. I can try, though."
Mr. Tsukihaku shook his head. "No worries. Make do with what you can. I just expect 120%."
"Yes, Mr. Tsukihaku." Kagome stood and bowed. "Arigatou."
She went immediately home and told her mother and brother, and showed them the photos.
"Oh my," her mother gasped, "isn't that Inuyasha?"
"No," Kagome said, "it's his brother, Sesshoumaru."
"It sure looks a lot like him." Souta said. "Except for the moon on his face. And those lines on his cheeks."
"He's a full demon." Kagome told him. "He's got the markings to prove it."
Her mother looked at her daughter wryly. "Are you developing feelings for him as well?"
Kagome bristled. "Eeek! I am not Kaa-san! He just sort of let me take his picture..."
Her mother smiled, winked, and walked away to prepare dinner.
Souta gave his sister a meaningful look. "Sis, you're so clueless..."
Kagome ignored him and after dinner, she returned back to the Sengoku Jidai, to see a taiyoukai awaiting her by the well. Sesshoumaru didn't greet her, or say why he was here, just stood there looking at her.
Thinking he deserved a thanks for helping her with her career unknowingly, she gave him a deep bow when she stepped out of the well. "Thank you."
"For what?" he said quickly.
"You've helped me with my career. My boss loves the pictures."
Sesshoumaru appeared not to care in the slightest.
So, taking the opportunity of silence, Kagome asked in a small voice. "Is there...possibly a way I can continue to take your picture to help me further?"
"Why would you need my help?" he asked in turn, the way his tone carried to her was testing. A slight smirk followed his question.
"Because," sighed Kagome, "my boss really liked the pictures I took of you and he wants more. I'd like you to help me so I can give him more and keep going with my career."
"Why take pictures as a career?"
"Now you're starting to sound like Inuyasha."
He paused to this, considering. Still, he persisted with the question. "I do not see the point of just taking pictures that could surely support a life."
"It's not so much as to support a life, it's just my way of living."
He crinkled his nose in distaste, a small movement that she would have missed it had she blinked. "A way of living? How pointless."
"It's not pointless!" she shouted, hands fisted at her sides. "Lots of people see it the same way, too!"
"And I bet those people have a lot of others who don't agree with them." Something flashed behind his eyes. "Take myself, for example."
"You just don't have any sense of appreciation." Was her response, before she smartly shut her mouth.
The taiyoukai ventured nearer to her, eyes boring into hers, daring her to say another word. "This Sesshoumaru possess appreciation."
Determined not to be walked on, Kagome retorted, "And what might that be, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
He didn't answer, instead his one hand came to lift up her chin with a sharp claw, causing her to look at him fully. He then traced a slow, gentle trail down her neck, and the heat within her core ignited. The hand moved around to brush a strand of hair away from her face, before suddenly, a weight in her palms was missing. When she peered down, the camera had been snatched, and he was thirty paces from him, turning it on, and aiming it at her.
"Do not move." Was what he said before he snapped the photo.
He came back, quicker this time, so fast that when he stopped the air stirred and her hair moved. He showed her the photo, of her with her startled expression and precarious pose.
"If I were to...appreciate this, I would have achieved appreciation, correct?"
Stunned, she snapped back to reality and shook her head, taking the camera from him. "That's not how it works." She went back to the picture of him by the lake. "You see this picture? I appreciate it. Do you know why?" His silence was taken as a no. "Well, I appreciate the way the moonlight makes you look surreal and not at all human--"
"You forget I am not?" he intoned, a bit of mirth in that statement.
She immaturely stuck her tongue out. "I know that! My boss doesn't, though." She gave a small huff, and continued her rant. "The picture of the landscape matches the way you stand out in contrast to the darkness, the pale full moon that's reflecting off of the surface of the water also helps to amplify the effects of your appearance. Besides, the moon suits you. It's on your forehead, too." Without thinking of it, her finger reached up and poked the spot where the crescent moon was on his forehead.
He didn't lash out and strike her, as she had first thought, when she realized what she had did. Instead, his hand came up to grip her wrist, brought it down, and gave her a level stare, silently asking, "Was that necessary?"
"S-sorry." She murmured, trying to wrench away her hand, but found he kept it in his grip.
He didn't say anything, instead, released her hand to take the camera from her. He went to the picture he had just taken of her, and indicated that he wanted her to look at it. "So if I was going to appreciate this picture," he started, giving her a look she did not discern, before looking back, "one must look at the positive aspects of the photograph?"
"Y-yes, basically." She stuttered.
"And the positive aspects of this photo would be..."
She didn't know at first if he was just thinking of some or waiting for her to fill in the blanks. But when he gave her a look at told her that indeed, he was waiting for her diagnosis, she pointed to the well. "You see the well?" he nodded. "It's brown frame actually compliments the green grass to make it look brighter and bolder, and the flowers that are surrounding it as well give it a serene picture to it. The sun only further accentuates the peaceful atmosphere. Me? I'm just ruining the peace and upsetting the balance by being there."
At this, Kagome heard his soft chuckle from behind her ear. "I think you fit into the picture just fine." When she looked up at the taiyoukai to figure out what he meant, she noticed that his features seemed to have softened, but that could just be the delirious state she was in.
"U-um, no, in order to have a proper picture you need balance along with the right objects to compliment the other object so that the picture stays equal and gives out the emotion you want it to."
"What if the emotion I want to portray is humor?"
She was about to snap back, but saw him smiling, just barely, so she could just see the white teeth between his lips. At first, she continued to stare, before realization smacked her one hard and she came back to reality.
"Well, then I think you would have won a Grammy." She said, trying to be cryptic, but failing when she smiled.
Sesshoumaru pretended to know what a 'Grammy' was, and simply said, "Hn." Without announcing his departure, he started to walk away again.
"H-Hey!" Kagome sputtered, running after him. She caught his one arm, and he whirled around, so fast that he managed to knock her down, with him on top of her. At first, Kagome didn't know what kind of position they were in, until she opened her eyes. His knee was in between her legs, capturing one leg, while his one hand pinned down both of her hands that were above her head, his face mere inches away from hers.
She turned scarlet, and tried to wriggle from his grasp. But with no such luck, and not wanting to resort to trying to fight him off, she sat there, frowning up at him. Finally, after several heartbeats, she asked, "Can you please let me up now?"
"Will you not grab me next time?" was what he said in turn.
Kagome could feel his feathery hair just brushing against the bare part of her skin, how sensual it felt, but ignored it and answered. "I will not grab you again." She said sulkily.
He seemed to probe her eyes for deceit and trickery, but, he must have found nothing when he slowly raised himself to his feet so easily that it appeared effortless. When she stood, he was no where in sight, completely gone.