"Crap," Kagome muttered as the rain began to fall in earnest. "Just what I needed. Damn Sesshoumaru..." She jogged towards the building, hunching over her belongings in an attempt to keep them dry.
As she entred the building, she set her books and purse down, wringing the water from her hat, muttering ill wishes at the weather and Sesshoumaru. Checking the room number of 'Professor Inukami's' office one more time, Kagome turned down the hall, knocking as she reached the correct door. "Hello? Professor Inukami?" The name stuck in her throat.
"He's over in the corner by the window," another professor said, looking up and gesturing towards the space.
Kagome followed his finger, easily spotting Sesshoumaru. She quickly pulled herhat downfurther to hide the shivers going down her spine. He was staring at her. Making her way passed the other professors who shared the office space, she stopped in front of his desk. "Good afternoon, Professor," she said quietly.
He was silent, staring at her still before his head jerked almost imperceptibly and he looked down abruptly. "Good afternoon. Please sit," he said tersely.
What is wrong with him? Kagome eased herself slowly into the chair, setting her things on the floor. Her heart began to speed up as he stared at her again. Does he know?
"Do you know why I asked you here?" He said all of a sudden.
"N-no..." Kagome replied hesitantly. "You said about my paper..." Shit. He knows.
"Yes."
"What about it?" Kagome asked. Is he playing games with me?
He was shuffling some papers around. "Here." He pulled her paper to the top. "Kagome, some of the information in your paper is not from any of the sources provided. I'd like to know where you got your information."
Kagome blanched. He thought I was cheating? Silence was her only response. He was staring at her again, the silence stretching between them while Kagome's mind raced for an excuse.
"Do I know you?" he said two minutes later, seeming surprised at his own words. "Pardon, have you been in my classes before?"
"No," Kagome said quickly. "I've never been in class with you before. I would remember. You're hard to forget."
He blinked.
Kagome flushed slightly. "I mean--well... you are.." Open mouth insert foot, she thought grimly. Crap... He is so on to me.
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Nevermind. That's unimportant. Do you have an answer for me? This is very serious."
"I know, " Kagome replied heatedly. "I didn't cheat."
He nodded. "Okay. I'll believe you. Where did you get this information? It is correct, but you quote no sources, nor is it from any of the sources I asked you to use."
"It isn't plagiarism." She looked up, into his face as if to convince him of her sincerity. "The information is from... family. My family lives near a shrine, and my grandfather tells me stories that were passed on to him," she lied.
He stared back at her, his glasses at the end of his nose, honey-brown eyes intense.
He's not buying it, Kagome thought grimly. "It isn't taken from any books. It's all from first-hand information. Honestly."
He finally dropped his eyes with a sigh. "Very well. I believe you." Steepling his fingers as he leaned his elbows on his desk, he looked up at her again, his eyes mild. "Where did you live?"
"I lived in Tokyo," Kagome replied almost warily.
"I lived there for a while," Sesshoumaru said quietly, his gaze wandering to the window.
No kidding, Kagome thought acerbically. You lived there a long while, as well as a long while ago.
"Your grandfather must be a very interesting person." He turned his attention back to her.
"Ah... Yes. He is..." She avoided his eyes, looking down into her lap. Can I go now...? She worried her lip between her teeth, waiting out the silence, her nerves making her tremble.
Sesshoumaru sighed. "Very well. Here is your paper. You recieved an "A." Wonderful paper. Thank you for the new insight. You may go."
Kagome grabbed the paper and picked up her things. "Thank you, Se--Sensei." She stood, gave him a quick bow. "I will see you in class." Shit! I almost said his name!! Stupid Kagome! You idiot!
"Are you sure I don't know you?" He asked quickly, glancing up at her.
"Hai, sensei," Kagome said with a smile. "Like I said, I'm sure I would remember you. You're unforgettable." She gave him another bow and quickly threaded through the desks and made her way out the door, hurrying down the hall and out of the building. Kagome hurried towards her dormitory, rounding the corner. Stopping to catch her breath and calm her racing heart, she burst out laughing. The few people walking by looked at her strangely, but Kagome didn't care. That was the most thrilling thing that had happened in years! She hurried home, her step lighter, grinning.
"Hey, Kagome!" Katy called as Kagome walked passed her open door.
"Hello, Katy!"
"Ooh, wow! You seem chipper?"
"Do I?" Kagome asked a little breathlessly, calming herself again.
"Yeah! Something good happen?" Katy set her laptop down and walked over.
"Oh. Well, not really. I just went to see Professor Inukami about my paper. Apparently, he thought I cheated. So--"
"You?! Cheat?" Kagome almost laughed at her shocked expression. "Why?"
"Oh, I don't know." Kagome waved a hand. "So I just explained to him, and he believed me. He really liked my paper!"
"No way! That's awesome!" Katy squealed, giving Kagome a big hug. "Congratulations!" Pulling back, she gripped Kagome's hands. "Now. What was he like in person? Like... talking to him one on one? Tell. All." She grinned.
Kagome laughed again. "There isn't much to tell. Here, come with me to my room. I have to put my stuff down." Kagome walked the short distance to her room next door, unlocking it and setting her things down. "He was very much like the dispassionate doll he is in class."
"Kagome!" Katy replied, scandelised. "He is not dispassionate. He's suave."
Chuckling, Kagome shook her head. "Okay. Whatever. He wasn't any different. Hey, do you want to head to dinner early?"
"Hm. Sure! I could do food now. Let me get my keys."
The girl was entertaining. And, to be honest, Kagome was glad to have a friend. Katy's persistence was endearing, and she was a cheerful presence.
"Alright! Let's go to dinner!" Katy returned, waving her keys.
Smiling, Kagome nodded. "Right!"
Sesshoumaru frowned. He couldn't concentrate on his paperwork, anyway, but he could at least make pretenses. His eyes strayed to the window again, the sound of the rain soothing and relaxing. He checked the clock again. She would be there shortly. Ah. There was the faint sound of feet. The door opened and he heard her ask after him. She--
There it was again! That familiar smell. He looked up at her, staring, trying to figure out where he knew that scent from. He must have known her at some point. She smelled too familiar. From Japan? But how? He hadn't been there in over fifty years, and she was just a college student. Was she the daughter of someone he knew...? That didn't seem right. The smell was too familiar, and it would be different on offspring. Damn it was so frustrating! He suppressed the urge to growl.
She pulled her hat down and hurried over. She was damp, so the rain must have washed away most of that perfume that she normally wore. How infuriating. She made her way over to him, weaving between the desks of the other professors. "Good afternoon, Professor."
He stared at her, still trying to figure out where he knew her from. "Good afternoon. Please sit," he said finally, vaguely noticing her heart speeding up, guilt and worry rolling off her. Was she really guilty of cheating? Damn! She smelled so familiar! "Do you know why I asked you here?" He asked, getting down to business.
"N-no…" she replied, unsure. "You said about my paper…"
Again the scent of guilt. Odd. "Yes."
"What about it?" She asked warily.
Sesshoumaru moved some papers around, bringing Kagome's to the top. "Here. Kagome, some of the information in your paper is not from any of the sources provided. I'd like to know where you got your information." To his surprise, the girl looked genuinely shocked. She stared at him blankly, her blue eyes—strange for a Japanese girl—wide beneath her bands and the brim of her hat. They also looked familiar. Those eyes… He'd seen eyes like that before… "Do I know you?" He blurted, cursing his bluntness, quickly trying to cover. "Pardon, have you been in my classes before?"
"No," she said quickly, seeming relieved. "I've never been in class with you before. I would remember. You're hard to forget."
Sesshoumaru blinked, surprised this time by her bluntness, even more surprised by the fact that he was pleased by her words.
She was embarrassed. "I mean—well… you are…" She was mortified. Interesting.
Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru returned his thoughts to the business at hand. This was a ridiculous time to be even thinking about thinking those types of thoughts about one of his students. This was a serious matter. "Nevermind. That's unimportant. Do you have an answer for me? This is very serious."
"I know!" she replied heatedly. "I didn't cheat!"
Oddly enough, he believed her. She didn't cheat. She was telling the truth. "Okay." He said for appearances. "I'll believe you. Where did you get this information? It is correct, but you quote no sources, nor is it from any of the sources I asked you to use."
"It isn't plagiarism." She looked up, her earnestness clear in her eyes. "The information is from…family." That part was a lie. "My family lives near a shrine, and my grandfather tells me stories that were passed on to him. It isn't taken from any books. It's all first-hand information. Honestly." That was true. She wasn't lying about that part, but something didn't ring true about her entire story.
Sighing, Sesshoumaru looked down at her paper. This certainly was a confusing situation. There was no way out, from a teacher's standpoint. "Very well. I believe you." With another mental sigh, he leaned forward on his elbows, steepling his fingers. "Where did you live?" He asked idly, looking up at her.
"I lived in Tokyo." She replied, her guard back up.
"I lived there for a while," he said, turning his gaze to the window. So much for leaving Japan behind… Even in America, it comes to him. He almost chuckled at her wary silence. She was perched on the edge of the chair, her shoulders straight and set. She was an interesting girl; she was very vague about the information she let go. "Your grandfather must be a very interesting person," he commented, looking back at her, noticing her perk to attention.
"Ah… yes. He is…" She looked down, worry returning. He watched her worry her lip between her teeth, his curiosity piqued. He sighed.
"Very well. Here is your paper. You received an 'A.' Wonderful paper. Thank you for the new insight. You may go." He handed her the paper which she grabbed from his hand, standing quickly, relief flowing off her. She grabbed her things.
"Thank you, Se-sensei." She gave him a quick bow, rushing the words. "I will see you in class."
Now he felt almost affronted, but there was that scent again! "Are you sure I don't know you?" He asked, surprised by his own desperation. He looked up into her blue eyes, all armor on.
"Hai, sensei. Like I said, I'm sure I would remember you. You're unforgettable." She bowed again, giving him a blinding smile, and then was gone as quickly as possible.
Sesshoumaru grumbled under his breath, finding himself wishing for the old days of Japan where he could demand something and have his answer. Ridiculous. This was a foolish charade. He curled his lip as he fingered the charm on the necklace, lying warm against his skin beneath his collar. He was soft. This…career had softened him. Pathetic. That girl, Kagome. Perhaps he should speak with her grandfather to get those stories. It would mean going back to Japan, but… The girl knew them so well. That spoke well about her grandfather. They were so detailed. It was almost as if she had been there…herself… Sesshoumaru froze, repeating the words, mouthing them silently. 'Almost as if she had been there herself.' "Shit!" He surged to his feet, his chair skittering on the linoleum floor. He stared down at his hands flat on the desk. Shit!
"Professor Inukami?" The woman one desk over asked hesitantly. "Is something wrong?"
Sesshoumaru mentally shook himself and gave her a warm smile. "Of course. I just remembered. I forgot to get groceries. Sorry for disturbing you."
She laughed, flushing lightly. "oh no. Not at all. It's fine."
"Pardon me. I need to get going." He threw his things together and left as quickly as he was able, while still appearing human.
His half brother! Damnit! She was the girl who was—had been—with his half-brother's party. She was the archer. He was sure of it now. There had been Inu Yasha, the houshi, the demon hunter, the fox kit, and the fire cat. And her. Her in her short skirt, scandalous at the time, and the scent like summer and fresh rain. He slid into the driver's seat of his car and locked the doors, gripping the steering wheel, knuckles white.
"Shit! Shit shit shit!" He let his hair down, running his fingers through it, grimacing as he noticed the imprints of his hands on the steering wheel.
She was the same girl though, despite the hair-cut and the dye job, hats and sunglasses, and perfume. Oh shit! Panic ran through him anew, something he didn't like. He didn't like it at all. Did she know who he was? Is that why she did it? All of the perfume and what-not? To disguise herself? All so he wouldn't know? Was that—
Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. This was ridiculous. Starting the key in the ignition, Sesshoumaru rolled down the windows, heading home, making plans to go on a long run to help himself work things out.