-VvV-

Kagome just had packed everything into her bag after the last lesson as she sensed Sesshomaru's presence behind her.

She turned and wordlessly smiled at him.

Together they walked down the halls and towards the home they now shared.

"What should I tell my brother?" he asked just before they reached the house.

"If you want to, you can tell Inuyasha the truth. It would be a bit complicated though. How about the continuation of our project? And I will stay over because it became late?"

He inclined his head. "A good idea. He won't disturb us when we're working then."

She smiled at him again and the look in his eyes softened. Every time he looked at her, she seemed only more beautiful. The soft smiles she only showed him made his heart burst. He had fallen hard, very hard and had yet to reach the bottom of this feeling, the limit of it.

He opened the front door for her, smiling inwardly as she thanked him with a small blush.

"We could get something to drink for our working time." he offered.

"How about tea? The coffee this morning will last for the day."

"Then it's tea."

Walking into the kitchen and preparing a big pot of tea and two cups on a tablet the two just enjoyed the silence and each others presence.

The front door opened and closed with a loud snatch again.

"I'm home!" Inuyasha yelled throughout the house, coming towards the kitchen.

He at first only saw his brother putting cups, spoons and sugar on a small tablet. Opening his mouth to greet him, Inuyasha froze as he noticed Kagome pouring tea into a big tea pot.

"K-k-kagome?"

"Oh. Hello, Inuyasha."

"What are you doing here?"

"There's a big project coming up where we work as partner. We will use this afternoon to work and start planning the presentation." Sesshomaru intervened.

Kagome nodded and put the full tea pot on the tablet Sesshomaru balanced.

"Whut?"

"Please do not disturb us. This project is very important for both of us." Sesshomaru calmly and coldly answered the unintelligent remark of his brother.

Kagome bent down, took her and Sesshomaru's bag and went upstairs after him, leaving a stunned and irritated Inuyasha behind.

"Did they have to do so much with each other before?" Inuyasha asked himself out loud.

As he went to his room he tried to eavesdrop on his brother's door, only hearing the rustle of paper and the scratching of a pen.

-..*..-

The next day Kagome and Sesshomaru again went to school ahead of Inuyasha, he had not been awake yet.

They did not need to talk much. Enjoying the silence between them was enough for both. But there was still something Sesshomaru wanted to know from her.

"You rejected Koga."

Her eyes widened before she smiled sadly. "Yes, I did."
"Why?"

She closed her eyes and sighed quietly. It was a very sad sound and Sesshomaru had to calm himself not to try and comfort her.

"You heard my reason, didn't you?" she quietly asked without looking at him.

"I did. But I wanted to hear it from you again."

"I like Koga, but only as a friend. There's someone else I like in a romantic way." she shuddered and her hands clenched into fists. "Though it will most probably never happen."

'Anyone who rejects her is blind and an idiot.' He took her hands into his and rubbed them with his long fingers. "You never know what fate brings you."

Instead of soothing her pain, he had seemed to deepen it. His heart clenched at her down-turned lips and melancholic eyes.

"I know what turns fate will take. It's just... not very easy to carry the burden." she murmured quietly.

He barely had been able to hear it. 'She knows...? What does she mean with that?'

She turned towards him and a smile stretched over her face, though Sesshomaru noticed that it did not reach her eyes. He still held her hands in his and before he could let go completely, regretting to even have asked, she intertwined her left with his right hand, squeezing it lightly.

He returned the squeeze cautiously and a warm feeling spread inside him.

He never had seen her hold hands with anyone before.

He really enjoyed it until-

"Kohaku!" she let go of his hand running towards her two cousins in front of the school gate.

She hugged him tightly, shuddering a bit. A few seconds Sango joined the hug. Sesshomaru slowly walked towards them, careful not to interrupt their moment together.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Kagome whispered, her eyes clenched shut and her hands shaking.

Letting go of Kagome, Kohaku shook his head. "It is not your fault. It never was and never will be."

Sango nodded and took Kagome's hand.

"It is my fault. I never should have pulled you into all of this. I'm so sorry."

"Kagome..." Sango quietly said, looking at her cousin who had become her best friend.

Kohaku opened his mouth to say something as Sesshomaru stood beside him. But then he froze, lifting a shaking finger to point towards two persons on the other side of the street, standing beside a car, looking at the students.

His eyes were wide and full of fear. Kagome looked where he pointed and gasped.

"No." she whispered. Sesshomaru was overwhelmed by the feelings shown in her eyes, fear, pain and hurt, but also determination and power.

"Who are they?" Sango asked cautiously.

Kohaku gulped and wanted to answer, but-

"Kohaku, please." Kagome looked at him with pleading eyes.

His eyes clouded over and he hugged her, whispering in her ear: "Be safe." before he went on towards the school.

"Go on, I'll just have to do something." she smiled a shaky smile at Sango.

Her best friend hugged her and just nodded before going through the school gate to the classroom.

"Sesshomaru..." she began, her voice shaky and her whole body suppressing a shudder. "I wanted to say thank you. For everything." she reached upwards and pulled him into a hug before kissing him on the cheek.

His heart stopped for a moment, before he returned the hug tenderly.

When she pulled back, he saw tears running down her cheeks.

"What can I do?" he asked, his passion burning. His heart and mind screamed to soothe her pain, to try and help her in any way possible. To never ever let sad tears fall from her eyes.

"Go on." she answered, her eyes still fixed on his.

He swallowed at the look in her eyes, there was nothing he could do for her.

"Promise me we will meet again? Soon?"

She smiled, a warm and happy smile, putting her hands into his. "I promise."

He nodded, reluctantly letting go of her hands and slowly going towards the school. As he looked at her before she left his field of view she still stood there looking after him.

'Kagome... please be safe.'

-...v*v...-

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Please review! I could use the encouragement.