Summary: Calling her pure was a disservice to all the strife she'd endured, yet he did it anyway. Envy was a color that painted her soul so tragically. Just like a flower with no sunlight, Kagome's destined to wither away. A promise is still a promise, no matter how macabre it is. All he could do was uphold his word until the very end.

Pairing: Kagome/JeJe

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter One

"And I wonder…- Do you see her in the back of your mind, in my eyes?"

- Billie Eilish: "Wildflower."

There was something so disenchanting about her reflection. It wasn't a frequent thought that persisted in her head, but it certainly came rushing to the forefront each time she managed to make eye contact with herself on any surface she caught her reflection in. It just… It didn't seem to even really look like her anymore.

She tried to tell herself it was the lighting or the lack of sleep straining her vision, but deep down, she knew what the real root behind it was. As she stood there, observing her reflection without a hint of fondness present in her expression, it was hard to miss the faint sheen of tears building up within her blue eyes.

She really was her mother's daughter, wasn't she? Truly, wholly, completely…

Her face wasn't her face, but her mother's. It only got worse the older she got. It was better than her father's surely, but…-

After everything, she just couldn't bear to face it anymore.

Even her hair, though not the same shimmering blonde her mother had possessed, fell in the same exact waves. Cutting it came to mind, and she glanced at the scissors resting on the counter, but each time like before, she stomped down on the urge before it could take full control over her body.

She instead grabbed the brush and gently pulled it through the messy waves. She didn't bother to observe her reflection as she split her hair into two sections, braiding each one in a long braid that fell over her shoulders. She kept her focus low as she turned away from the mirror, not wanting to risk catching those same eyes looking back at her so boldly.

Only when she fully turned did she offer the other person present in the room with her a fraction of her attention. She'd known he was there the entire time, yet she hadn't bothered to offer any sort of greeting or acknowledgment.

A crimson eye peered at her through the tear in the brown paper bag covering his face, the ice in her blue eyes melting a bit. In the back of her mind, a question she longed to ask bubbled up. Her stomach twisted in a familiar ache, but she ignored it. She ignored both the feeling and the question, choosing the illusion of peace over irreparable dread.

"JeJe, I've been wondering," she spoke, instead choosing another question. "Do you think I should cut my hair off? Maybe to… here or so?" She used her hands as a marker for her hair, clamping her pointer and middle fingers down on the shoulder point of her braid, the gesture reminiscent of the scissors she nearly grabbed not even five minutes ago.

At first, he supplied no response, but she knew he hadn't ignored the question. She let her gaze return to his face hidden below that bag. She was an expert on reading his body language, just like he'd become an expert on reading her own. She didn't have to be able to read minds to know the thoughts coursing through him, and she almost cracked a smile at seeing his hesitation to respond.

She could tell he was weighing the chances that, if he said yes, she'd just grab the scissors and chop it off in the seconds following his response. After all, it wouldn't be the first impulsive thing she did in or out of his presence.

"... Long hair suits you better," he eventually said. For a short moment or two, she stood there in silence, merely processing his response. She blinked owlishly, idly glancing at her hair out of reflex. "How I feel on the matter doesn't matter, Kagome."

She pursed her lips in a pout some, brows furrowing as she lowered her hands back to her sides. The playful look was deceiving considering just how her inner emotions often contrasted the playful gleam that poked through to the surface. She closed the gap with a faint skip to her step, the gesture nothing more than an illusion nowadays.

"C'mon, you really think I'd ask you if I didn't wanna have your serious input on it?" she asked. She always made it perfectly clear when she wasn't looking for other's input when it came to the things she did or said. There was never any chance of mistaking it. It wasn't always a riddle of piecing the genuine intent of it, but whether or not it was a challenge posed. "I hear the short look is all the rage these days for young women. Magazines say it gives them a more "professional" look."

"..."

Yet again it was silence that answered her. She paused in front of him, her petite frame practically dwarfed by the shadow he cast. She came up to his chest in height, yet she held herself higher than others would in his presence.

"There's no reason for you to pursue changing trends," JeJe remarked. His comment caused her pout to fracture some as she looked away from him. A moment later, her shoulders heaved as she sighed.

She couldn't even pretend to know what sort of answer she'd been after, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed upon realizing the answer he gave wasn't the one she wanted to hear. Deep down she knew it wasn't that he thought she'd be ugly with short hair, so why did it strike a nerve as if that was exactly what he was implying?

A moment or two of silence slipped by before she brushed the prior conversation off and to the back of her mind to dwell on later. Her gaze returned back to his shrouded face. She knew the reason behind his intentions of hiding his face, and yet…-

She reached a hand up, fingers briefly making contact with the edge of the bag. His hand came up the immediate second after, snagging hold of her wrist and holding her still. For a moment, ire could be seen in that crimson eye glowering down at her. A moment later, it seemed to flicker away as something much more sad, remorseful almost, replaced any trace of anger. It stained his aura just as it did his concealed face, growing more prominent as the sleeve of her blouse lifted some. Lined scars peered out from under the material, old and faint, yet still glaring.

His iron-tight grip on her wrist loosened before it could lead to any bruise to mar her skin, yet she didn't bother to pull her hand back. JeJe brought his other hand up, hooking his fingers under the edge of the brown bag and pulling it up and off his face entirely.

She gazed up at him, her eyes mapping out the familiar features she'd come to memorize over these past seven years. No matter how hard she tried, she could never quite bring his serene expression to replace the shadows that lingered in her mind. Just like every time before, the feelings were unwelcome, and she caged them all back behind the careful barrier in her mind.

"... You're so pretty, JeJe," Kagome mused softly, moving her hand from his grasp and lifting her arm so she could idly brush his dark fringe from his face. She said those words so casually, her voice lacking any genuine emotional attachment. It was stated as if it was nothing more than a simple observation. After a moment, she smiled. That smile, no matter how small, almost made him feel alive again. "You know, I always feel so calm when you're around me."

No matter how faint it was, he leaned his head into her palm, the caress of her warmth like a soothing balm.

There were no other words exchanged before his figure changed forms. The towering man was replaced by a snake that slithered and glided up her arm before coiling loosely around her neck like a scarf. The smile on her face softened some, and she gently trailed her fingertips along the shape.

Her bedroom door opened, and she looked up to catch a pair of amber eyes.

"You ready to go?" Mikuni asked, lingering in the doorway as he jutted his thumb over his shoulder. "You're the one who agreed to help that kid with that training, after all."

"I seem to recall things differently than you," Kagome responded, sending her brother a glare that didn't faze him. "Aren't you the one who offered me up to the task?"

Mikuni shrugged, not bothered by her response. "Really, does it matter who said what? You were going to tag along either way, even if I hadn't said anything," he responded. "Isn't that right?"

She knew he had a point. She would've done just as he said either way, so it truly didn't matter what was said and by who. She sighed, grabbing her coat from the back of her desk chair. She set it over her shoulders without fully putting it on.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she muttered. "I'm coming, Nii-san."

Auroua-chan: Wrapping this up here!

JeJe has always been one of my favorite characters in Servamp, and I feel like they make a good pair.

Brief TW for future things in this story, as well.

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review, Favorite, and Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~