A little note: As seen on Dokuga! For 'The Spectrum Challenge' found on dokuga_contest. This will be a seven-chaptered story about how Kagome captivated Sesshomaru in one short week.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the creators or producers of Inuyasha. No profit is made from this.

Sunrise, Sunset

When the sun peeked in through the window, Kagome stood up with a heavy yawn, only to remember that it was Friday. She loved Fridays, especially every fortnight when there was no school on Saturday. With one long stretch, Kagome felt ready to take on the world, but first things first, take a shower.

After grabbing some toast for breakfast and packing her bag, Kagome bid goodbye to her family and left for school. She was much earlier than usual, so she decided to walk through the park and enjoy the scenery.

The park was wonderful in the mornings, the sun peeking through the trees, several people moving about to get to work, especially mothers with their young children. Kagome loved children, she couldn't wait until she had a few little ones of her own. Not that, that day would come anytime soon. No, her education came first. Kagome wanted to make a name for herself, after all.

Sesshomaru got up before the sun did. He didn't need much sleep, so he usually spent his long hours of being awake hunting or reading. He enjoyed reading, especially in the fresh air of the park. Friday mornings were relaxed in his family, Rin had morning practice, so she left early, which allowed Sesshomaru to do anything he desired. Usually he walked to the park to read before he walked to school.

This morning was no different. Perched on his usual bench, Sesshomaru seemed to be engrossed in his book, but he was aware of everything that went on around him, his eyes were not his only tools after all. Despite this, the cries and laughs of children walking with their mothers did not disturb him, he was used to noise, having had to take care of Inuyasha and Rin. Rin didn't complain or make much noise, but Inuyasha...he was a whole different story.

A sweet scent infiltrated Sesshomaru's nostrils, surprising him. He looked up, he knew that scent. It belonged to Kagome. And sure enough, she was walking a few feet away from him, her eyes focused on the cherry blossoms above. She looked beautiful in the morning sun, even in her dull uniform.

Sesshomaru's book was long forgotten.

The time flew by quickly, and the final bell signalled the end of the day. Kagome was grateful that school was finally over, and that she could now go home and relax for two days. Standing up, Kagome waved to some of her friends who were leaving, then she quickly packed all the book she would need. Satisfied, she bade her goodbyes to Yuka, Eri and Ayumi before she slipped out of the classroom to go home.

When she got outside, the sun was still baking down on the earth while slowly setting. It was a pleasant day, and Kagome decided she was going to walk home through the park too. She spotted Sesshomaru with some of his strange friends and felt the urge to wave, but thought the better of it when the wild Koga gave her a heated look. She always found him a bit intimidating, especially when he wolf-whistled at her in the hallways. She found it quite curious that he was friends with Sesshomaru, who was in many aspects, his polar opposite. Not that it was any of her business.

"Kagome!" Hojo called from the gate.

"Hi, Hojo," Kagome smiled when she stopped in front of him.

"Want me to walk you home?" Hojo offered.

Kagome felt flattered, but then she remembered that he lived in the opposite direction. She couldn't expect him to go out of the way. She shook her head politely. "No, thanks for offering, though."

"Are you sure?" Hojo asked.

"Yes, thank you," Kagome insisted.

"Alright," Hojo finally gave up, "maybe we can go on a date later."

"Yeah," Kagome muttered, "maybe." She bade her goodbye, then left. She liked Hojo, she really did, but she didn't want to lead him on and give him false hope. But even so, she did not have the courage to tell him to back off; she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

Feeling rather stupid, Kagome slumped through the park, her good mood somehow wasted. She felt like a coward. Why couldn't she just tell Hojo she just wanted to be friends?

"You're frowning again," a deep voice snapped Kagome from her reverie. She looked up, surprised, into a pair of amber eyes. Sesshomaru was sitting on a wooden park bench, a book open on his lap and a take-away coffee resting beside him. Kagome had only seen him at school a few minutes ago, how did he get here so fast...and buy a coffee on the way?

"I am?" Kagome asked.

"Yes," Sesshomaru's response was a warm whisper. Kagome sighed and plopped down next to him on the bench.

"I feel terrible," Kagome stated, "I was in a such a good mood too."

"What happened?" Sesshomaru found himself asking, when it came to her, he couldn't help but feel concerned.

"How do you tell someone who likes you, you don't like them the same way?" Kagome asked. Sesshomaru frowned, then wondered if she was referring to the Hojo boy. Did she not like him the way he thought she did, even though she went on a date with him and kissed him?

"Just tell him the truth," Sesshomaru suggested.

"I don't want to hurt his feelings," Kagome mumbled.

"He'll appreciate your honesty more, even if he only realises that later."

Kagome blinked, surprised. She honestly did not expect such wise words to come from Sesshomaru's mouth. Of course, at times she had realised he was very smart, and acted a bit like an old man, but she never thought he could be so philsophical. And why didn't she think of it in the first place?

Kagome looked up at the sky, orange and pink hues now dancing around with the sun setting. It was beautiful, especially with the cherry blossoms in the foreground.

"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" Kagome changed the subject. Sesshomaru looked up, then nodded.

"Not as beautiful as you, though," Sesshomaru pointed out. A blush crept to Kagome's cheeks while her heart took a leap in her chest. She had not expected that to come from Sesshomaru's mouth either. Feeling giddy, Kagome fiddled where she sat, only to knock Sesshomaru's coffee over.

Kagome shrieked in embarrassment, "I am so sorry!"

Sesshomaru threw his head back and laughed. Kagome stared at him, amazed. She had never seen him laugh before, especially not like this. He looked so free, so open and so much more human. Kagome smiled warmly. She got to see a part of Sesshomaru she was certain no one outside of his family had seen before.

As the orange faded in the sky, a new friendship stood in its wake.

Prompt: Spectrum Challenge - Orange