This chapter feels very much like a filler one butttt it helps set up future chapters, I can't wait to upload chapters 18 and 19! Also thank you for the kind comments, I'm enjoying classes so far, and I'm writing during my hour break :)
"Here kagome, wear this." ayame said while she was rummaging through the sack that she had brought with her, and handed her something brown.
"What is it?" She turned the article around and studied it, it was light, and very soft and smooth.
"It's a kimono." ayame replied, also donning another white kimono for herself, but it was much shorter than kagome's.
The girls were getting ready in Ayame's room, ayame had insisted that kagome join her so they could talk and get ready, and kagome readily accepted the invitation, eager for some girl time. They hadn't had much time to hangout just one on one and keeping up appearances was exhausting for the both of them. After her unification was over ayame was glad that not every little thing about her was going to be monitored, no one was pressuring her to hurry and have kids anymore, and she could be more of herself. She could start over.
Kagome looked at ayame's kimono quizzically, and ayame grinned, "mine's shorter cause I can stand the cold."
"Ah I see." that made sense, the feast was outside and kagome would freeze if she went outside right now, and she shuddered at the thought, once it got dark out she didn't dare step foot outside.
They turned away from each other and dressed quietly and it brought back memories of when she would hang out with her friends from highschool, from going shopping together or going to someone's house. After she came back from defeating Naraku their dynamic had shifted. They didn't call her as much, or ask her to hangout, and she didn't blame them, she had been gone for a while and eventually they moved on to their lives that didn't include her. She missed them and she shook off the memories. Tonight she would have fun.
She turned around just as ayame was smoothing out her kimono, and Kagome gasped softly at the sight of her friend.
"Ayame! You look beautiful." she gushed, it was true, ayame was always beautiful, but the dress helped bring out the rossiness in her cheeks, and her green eyes seemed to illuminate more.
"R-really? You think so?" ayame blushed under her gaze, she hoped she would.
Kagome nodded, "yes! You look amazing." and an idea sprung to mind, " Wait, I think I have something." remembering a necklace she had brought with her, she ran to her room and rummaged around, where is it? Ah here. She was about to head back when her fingers brushed against the jade pendant, she eyed it and slipped it into her pocket. She ran back, and held out an amethyst pendant necklace.
"It'll match your iris," she nodded towards her hair, and held out the jewelry.
"It's so pretty thank you." Ayame beamed at her, and she put it on admiring the gleam of the stone.
"Here I also have something for you." ayame said, taking out a pendant. Kagome's eyes bulged, a sapphire necklace? Where on earth had she gotten it, and her hands immediately shot up in protest.
"I can't accept this ayame, this is worth too much!"
Ayame cocked her head, "worth too much? It's just a stone, take it" and kagome shook her head.
"Where I'm from, it's a lot of money."
Ayame laughed,"kagome, just take it," she leaned forward and whispered, "and blue is kouga's favorite color."
Heat rushed to her cheeks.
"What does he have to do with this?" she mumbled but begrudgingly accepted the necklace, slipping it around her head.
Ayame laughed again, "nothing just pointing it out." shrugging her shoulders. She knew kouga still love kagome, but she was starting to get the feeling that maybe kagome was seeing him in a new light, and somehow and someday she was going to push them in the right direction
Kagome rolled her eyes trying to wave off the crimson in her cheeks, and adjusted the necklace, "I think I'm ready." she sighed, she was starving.
"You look beautiful kagome, I think koug-I mean I think everyone would approve!" she teased.
"Let's go." kagome grabbed ayame's arm nearly dragging her out of the room before ayame said anything else that would result in her melting in embarrassment.
The sound of the Taiko drums became louder as kagome and ayame approached the exit, and kagome felt the flutter of excitement in the stomach, and nervousness. She was excited to eat and have fun, but at the same time nervous about the new customs she would learn. The wolf demons grew up with this but she did not, and she was slightly worried she would offend them.
"Ayame!" they heard a man call out and they turned to see ezume walking to them, his hands behind him, as if he were hiding something.
Ayame's face flushed immediately after spotting him, and she waved shyly at ezume as he approached them, he nodded politely at kagome. Their first time meeting still made things awkward for the both of them . No, they would probably not be friends, but ezume had to be tolerant towards ayame's friend, even if she was a miko.
"Where have you been?"ayame asked, he had been gone most of the day. She didn't want to admit that she missed him but they had fallen into their own routine, they would talk in the morning and sometimes walk around. And today he had not shown up. She had grown worried until someone pointed out that he had left early, she had assumed it was to go hunting.
"Just out." he said, and sheepishly brought out the flowers from behind his back and ayame beamed.
"Where did you get these?" there was snow all around, there was no way he had gotten them nearby.
"Oh not too far." he lied, in fact it had been very far, he had gone hours away until the snow had melted and then searching for the perfect flowers had added more time, but it didn't matter, she made it worth it.
Kagome beamed at her friend's reaction, but she couldn't help the wave of sadness wash over her. She couldn't remember the last time Inuyasha had gotten her flowers, actually she couldn't remember ever getting flowers from him, except on their "wedding" day when she had asked him. He hadn't cared too much about which flowers, and when he came back with a bouquet, some of them were missing the heads, she should have known back then. She shook off the feeling, right now she would be happy for her friend.
"Let's go get something to eat." Ayame suggested, trying to keep her blush down. He was courting her! He was officially courting her! Well he hadn't said it, but his actions definitely were.
Ezume led the way, while Ayame and kagome fell behind.
Ayame quickly glanced at Ezume, and pulled Kagome close, "he's courting me!" She whispered, trying to keep her voice down,and kagome looked at ezume. She could tell his cheeks had turned a bright red. He pretended he couldn't hear them, with his body moving forward but his step stalled for a second and then he resumed.
"Really? How do you know?" She didn't know wolf customs very well.
"Let's sit so I can tell you."
