Chapter 4

...

Sesshoumaru wasn't even sure what he was still doing here. Just to see the look of surprise on that idiotic girl's face. To see her plump pink lips smile at him again while her light brown eyes looked at him in such an innocent way.

He stopped that thought immediately and did not investigate where it came from. He needed and cared for no one in this world.

But the question still remained. Why did he stand in front of the school's car garage door?

To see their set up and equipment. That's all, he told himself.That female probably isn't even here anymore.

Was that the taste of disappointment? No, the taste of relief, he corrected himself.

He opened the door and took cautious steps inside. The lights were still on and he spotted the annoying girl near the back pushing a very large, shiny black and silver tool cabinet by herself.

She's strong, Sesshoumaru noted.

He walked toward her and it wasn't until he was a short distance from her that she took notice of him. In her surprise, she put too much force onto the metal and knocked into it. Like a domino effect, the cabinet bumped into the poorly stacked tower of tires and they began to teeter forward in Kagome direction.

Sesshoumaru jumped into action and positioned his body over hers. Their difference in size made it much easier for him to properly conceal her. His hair fell like a curtain around her and he kept his eyes on her face to focus. With a few grunts of pain Sesshoumaru took the blows from the heavy tires on his back, legs, shoulders. Even in the pain, he refused to buckle or budge from his position. It was surprising that nothing had hit his head.

As the last tire fell beside him and rolled to a stop some feet away her eyes began to open slightly. When she noticed him they widened in surprise.

"Sesshoumaru,"she whispered.

The way she looked at him with her innocent surprised expression made time stop. Neither of them moved for a moment.

Kagome broke the atmosphere as her mouth gaped at him. She scrambled from underneath him and knelt on her knees.

"Are you ok?!" She extended her hands out like she wanted to help him up but retracted them. "Y-You need to get to a doctor immediately! My cellphone! Where's my cell phone? I need to call an ambulance!" she exclaimed.

Sesshoumaru stood up and dusted himself off while she babbled.

"Hey you!" she stood up herself and grimaced at him. "Don't move too much! You could be seriously injured!"

"I'm fine," he stated.

"Those tires aren't light weight ya know!" she yelled.

"If I say I am fine, then I am fine," he told her with an icy glare.

Why she continually insisted on making him repeat himself was beyond his understanding.

Her eyes fixed on him with stubbornness but he held her stare with a stoic expression. Finally she sighed and looked away irritated, mumbling something about not blaming her if he collapsed from any injuries.

She looked at him again with concern. "You're not lying right?"

Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed. "No."

"Thank goodness," she said in relief and rubbed at her eyes. "For someone to get hurt in order to protect me...isn't necessary at all," her voice broke and he could see the evidence of tears on her hand.

First she's panicking to help him, then angry at his lack of concern, then so concerned for his well-being that she cries.

"You are strange," he spoke.

Kagome looked up and gave a flashing smile. "I know."

Now she smiles, he noted.

The bi-polar feelings were a little too much for Sesshoumaru. He hated emotional people.

"Oh!" she breathed. "But you came to the garage!" She leaned towards him with her hands clasped together.

Her extreme happiness made him uncomfortable so he didn't respond.

"Well," she backed off and relaxed, "now that you've seen the garage what do you think? It's not much. The school doesn't get a lot of funding, but," she gave a small content smile, "it's good enough for me."

"Are you always the last one to leave?"

Kagome cocked her head to the side. "Hm? Oh, yeah usually. But I don't always stay after school hours. My friend Sango doesn't like me to be alone because it's not safe and I'm a very oblivious and klutzy person. But I'm not cute at all and no guy in this school finds me attractive so I think I'm pretty safe." She stretched her arms above her head. "Cars are my passion and I won't let anything get between that."

Sesshoumaru took a moment to examine her appearance. Dressed in a blue garage jumpsuit with her arms and face smudged and marked. Her hair was in a messy bun and going in all different directions. Not to mention she smelled of sweat and motor oil. Indeed no man would find her attractive in this state.

During his thoughts she had made her way to a ladder and was proceeding to climb it. "I have to close up now, but drop by tomorrow during school. It's much more lively then and I'll have more time to show you the two cars we're working on for-" Her foot slipped on a step near the top and she fell from the ladder.

Again Sesshoumaru went into action. Moving near her and extending his arms to firmly catch her.

"How you have survived this long is a phenomenon," he stated.

She giggled nervously. "Thanks,again, for saving me. I knew you had a kind heart underneath that cold exterior! You big old softie!"

Sesshoumaru calmly released his grip and let her drop to the ground.

...

"Ow!" Kagome landed on her rear but pouted up at him.

He folded his arms and avoided eye contact. "Whoops."

"Was that really necessary?"

"You slipped," he explained.

She glared at him. "You liar! You dropped me on purpose!"

He raised an eyebrow at her and she huffed in annoyance.

"At least help a lady up!" she demanded.

"I didn't realize there was one here," he retorted, still wearing his stoic expression.

"You're so mean!" Kagome cried. And here she had been thinking they were becoming good friends.

She stood up by herself. "So you'll come tomorrow?"

"We shall see," he replied coolly.

"Yay! We could use another really strong member. Plus you're already a professional mechanic!" Kagome stared at him with stars in her eyes.

His eyebrows drew together. "If you continue to look at me like that I will never show up," he threatened. "I never said I would join either."

She gave him a knowing smile. "We'll see about that."

He raised another sleek white eyebrow at her and her smile only grew bigger.

Sesshoumaru Taisho was definitely one interesting guy.

...

AN: I know it's a short but it's been a long bust day. At least I updated some fluff? ...mercy?... *gulps*