InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Clumsy ❯ The Small Things ( Chapter 4 )

Clumsy

Note: A couple of people have made mention of it - Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha aren't going to dance. I thought it was too unbelievable. I was going to have Miroku dance and be the flirt of the studio but that idea fell away too.

~X~

Act Four: The Small Things

He didn't want to watch her. He didn't want to see her there representing all the things in his life he'd thrown away. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be reminded of all the happiness he'd had here.

Here at the Higurashi Shrine. There were so many days in his memory that had at some point all melded into one memory of warm happiness. He'd never been discontented at the Higurashi Shrine; maybe that was why he stopped coming here. To this haven from the unhappy world outside.

Stopped because he discovered that everything wasn't happiness. That the little bubble of security that enveloped this place couldn't contain him, or them forever. But as he saw her, still there, sweeping, moving from one pathway to another, he questioned whether that was really true.

She had grown up here. The Higurashi Shrine still kept her content. Or maybe it wasn't the shrine; maybe she was just a cheerful person, so when had his happiness been lost?

He turned crossly away from her again. He hated this place. It brought too many questions to mind he didn't want to think about. Too many things he didn't want to remember. Her voice was unwelcome when she spoke.

"Where is Inuyasha?"

It only made him angrier and he spat out the first distasteful thought. "Disappointed?"

"Just curious! You don't have to get all snappy!"

He almost smiled. Despite being shy and wary around him, she was still Kagome. She still had the fiery spirit that defied others when she was pressed or insulted. The spirit that had gotten his wayward brother knocked about when he was younger by the feisty girl.

"He went out," he offered for her. Where or with whom his brother was dallying with, he knew not and cared not.

"Oh," she paused a few moments, still clutching the broom. "You want to come in now? It's kind of chilly out here,"

He didn't want to go in. He wanted to leave. He wanted to walk down those steps and never see the Higurashi shrine again. But he couldn't and turned toward her; following silently like the lapdog he had called his brother. He growled at himself but it didn't impede his progress inward.

He could hear the boisterous conversation consisting of his father, Kagome's mother, and grandfather from another room. He didn't see her younger brother anywhere. They followed the conversation into the sitting room where everyone was piled around.

"Sesshoumaru, we have been invited to stay for dinner. What do you think?"

He turned to Kagome's mother and bowed politely. "Thank you,"

She smiled warmly at him. She hadn't changed either. Kagome was a lot like her.

"I'm going to do my homework,"

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze toward her before following after silently. He almost growled again when he noticed the sly stare his father was giving him as he left after Kagome. He'd have to deal with that later.

The girl in question was heading back toward the front door and at first he thought she was leaving. Then she stopped and scooped up her dance bag, finally turned toward his direction.

"Are you following me?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied directly. It was the surest way to set her off guard. He wasn't one for games or mincing words. It was the truth after all he was following her.

"Okay,"

He was pleased that she took it so well and allowed him to follow wordlessly. She skipped quickly up the stairs and he followed leisurely. He remembered these stairs. Kagome had almost been knocked down them one year when his insipid brother had-

No, he wouldn't go into nostalgia. He hated that. He was glaring when he reached the top of the steps he knew he was. He could feel the mar of the heavy glare upon his own face. He had caught the slightly distressed look in her eyes.

"It's been a while, but you remember the house right?" she asked uneasily.

"Vaguely,"

She accepted this just as easily and gave him a brief overview of the house before disappearing into a room. He knew the room. Her room. He hadn't seen her room…

No, he just told himself he wasn't going to get into the memories!

The door was open, so he followed.

It wasn't extravagant. It wasn't amazing. It was just a girl's room. Her bed was decorated in frilly pink blankets and her desk was in the corner. She had a vanity near the desk with her feminine things, make up and the like. It was different though from the last time… of course, he reminded himself. She had grown up.

He'd never pictured himself here. Not again. Not in her room, not in her house, not even in this close proximity to her personal space.

The room smelled of her. A soft, lingering perfume dusted the air while the overall freshness of cleanliness was vastly appealing. It invited him in, begged him to relax and seek a restful nap on the fluffy pink bed in the corner. But the notion was absurd. He had no intention of sleeping, least of all in her bed. He glared all the more.

"You want to come in Sesshoumaru?"

Her dance bag was now flung across her bed. She was seated at the desk, a textbook open, her eyes gently gazing at him. He wanted to say no. He had no intention of coming in her room. No, he had no intentions of moving past the threshold that he was already half over. At least, he hadn't. Somehow the conviction melted and he pierced her sanctuary.

The carpet was soft as he padded forward and sat down on her bed. The bed that had been teasing him with visions of rest. The idea was peculiar really since he got plenty of sleep at home, in his own bed. Perhaps he was delusional.

He sat there in silence; being overlooked the girl at the desk. Ordinarily he hated being ignored, only he was allowed to ignore people, they didn't ignore him! But today he just wanted to be there without the bother of questions and curious glances. He wanted this time to sit and remember as much as he chided himself he was being weak and stupid at the same time. He was on the path of self-discovery that led nowhere.

His mind was wandering aimlessly. Without form or reason just drifting through memories. Of this place, this shrine, her family… her. Kagome. Had she been important to him before? His eyes were now on her, where she sat in the corner. Just past her dark raven locks he spotted a familiar gold frame and stood. That couldn't be-

He walked toward it, leaning rudely over her and grabbing the gold-framed photo.

"Do you mind?" she snapped and paused.

This picture. He stared at the four youthful faces in the photo. Amazed that she still had it and that he still remembered it. Kagome's baby brother had just been born. They were all inside and Kagome's mother had let her hold her new baby brother. He and his family had been visiting when his brother came along and grabbed a lock of her hair and yanked. There they all were.

Kagome about to drop her baby brother; Inuyasha yanking her hair for all he was worth; Souta looking extremely disturbed by his older sister's scream; and him about to severely scold Inuyasha.

"My mom gave me that a while ago when she was telling me about it,"

He nodded absently.

"You can have it if you want to. We have other copies,"

He didn't reply, and didn't imagine she expected him to seeing as she turned back to her book. He went and sat back down on the bed, still grasping the snapshot.

Time could drag or time could fly depending on the activity. In this case he wasn't sure where it was going or if time was even in motion. He tore his gaze from the picture, tossing it lazily beside him, yet wanting to snatch it back up.

The room was moderately decorated. Beside him on the bed he noticed a book under her dance bag and pulled it out. It was an album and with nothing better to do he flipped it open. Apparently it was Kagome's book. That shouldn't have been a surprise, it was her room.

The first page contained no photos only a computer printed page that read "Kagome's Dance Pictures." So that was what was in the book, he mused and turned another page. He flipped through the book absently remembering the stupid recitals he'd gone to every year. Remembering that Kagome had been in every one of them, and recalling the sparkling, short tutus and dresses they would wear. It was the end of the book that was most interesting. When he could see, from page to page how each year changed and sculpted her a little bit more.

As she got taller her legs had gotten longer, and her chest and hips had smoothed into delicate curves. Her hair was mostly unchanged from year to year.

Although he spent most of his time at the studio dreading just being there, it did have advantages. He thought so grimly with the thought of his own comparison to that lecher friend of his brother's.

"Kagome, dinner!"

The girl in question stood and looked to him. "Ready?"

He stood as well and she left ahead of him, turning down the hall. He cast one more glance at the photo on the bed before following.

~X~

Dinner was altogether unmemorable except for the fact that her ballet teacher and his son were seated at their table. Her mother had had to grab two extra chairs to accommodate them but no one minded really. After all they were old friends and welcomed just as affably as any family member would be.

Inutaisho was fine; he could come over every night and not be a bother to her. It was Sesshoumaru that was once again that was creating rifts in her happy little world. She almost sighed but caught herself. The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself.

Souta was chatting animatedly to Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru. Although the latter didn't seem half as interested as the former and she doubted if he even heard half of what he was saying. Still, she didn't speak up about it. She didn't really want to talk to Sesshoumaru. It was bad enough she had to sit across from him.

She wanted to scream. Sesshoumaru was so hard to figure out. Sometimes he seemed so… easy to be around and to talk to. Other times, like now, he seemed oblivious to everything. She was sitting directly across from him but he had yet to even acknowledge her presence there. He'd scarcely looked in her direction.

What he was looking at she didn't know, but it wasn't at her. Or as far as she could tell, anything else. He was just there. It was baffling how much a person could change when you didn't see them for a couple of years. A person you thought you knew completely and then when you meet again you don't know anything about them anymore.

Sesshoumaru of course was only too willing to point that out. He had on many occasions that was why she generally liked to avoid him. She saw him almost every day but interaction was meager. She saw him at school, from a reasonable distance, where no interaction at all took place. She saw him again at his house where she practiced twice a week. She also saw him at recitals and various little events she performed at during the year. She was never sure why he was there.

Although he did appear to work at the studio for his father she'd never seen him doing anything. As far as she could tell he sat at the front desk, on rare occasions she'd seen him on the phone.

Dinner took an awkward tone when her mother inquired about her progress. Inutaisho smiled and promptly showered her with praise, much to her embarrassment and her mother's pride.

Kagome thought this might be an opportune time to discuss jazz class.

"I was thinking about quitting my jazz classes. Would that be okay with you?"

Her mother readily smiled. "Whatever you think is best Kagome,"

"So you don't mind?"

"No, I'll expect you home an hour sooner,"

Kagome frowned. Well there would be no hanging around the studio waiting for Sango, but what could she do?

"Okay,"

Things seemed to progress rapidly from that point. Dinner ended and conversation glided from topic to topic but settling on nothing important. Her guests left a short half hour after dinner ended and the family was alone again on the Shrine grounds. Kagome skipped up the stairs back to her room. Her door was still open and everything was generally the way she'd left it. She was about to sit back down at her desk to finish her homework when she noticed the photo frame lying across her bed.

She approached the bed, her album was closed, but it appeared Sesshoumaru had been looking through it. She'd had it out earlier to add some new pictures to it. The envelope with the extra pictures was underneath her dance bag where he album too had once been. She ignored those things and reached for the frame.

It was empty. She smiled weakly to herself. So, he'd taken the photograph after all.

~X~

School was routine. She arrived, she met Sango, and they chatted then went to class. This morning was no different. She was standing at her locker when Sango appeared.

"Guess what!" Kagome said.

"What?" Sango asked.

"Nothing, I just thought that's what you were going to say,"

Sango smacked her arm lightly. They weren't early this morning and were running a little on the late side. The hallways were half full of people milling about.

Kagome was grabbing her math book when Sango whispered. "She's back,"

Kagome peered around but saw no one.

"There she is, with Inuyasha. To the left, to the left!"

Kagome looked down the hall toward the entrance and sure enough there they were. Inuyasha was walking with a girl that looked remarkably like herself, albeit much prettier, she thought gloomily. She was taller and had longer hair that was straight rather than wavy.

The people the hall were whispering and looking in their direction, neither seemed to either notice or mind. Sesshoumaru wasn't even in sight, and Kagome realized he was probably already at his class by now.

Now that she was thinking about it, Inuyasha had probably been with Kikyo last night when he hadn't come to the Shrine. It made sense; he had said his brother was 'out'. She turned back to her locker determined to think nothing more of it. She grabbed her book, slammed her locker securely, and headed off to class leaving a bewildered Sango hurrying after her.

"Why'd you rush off this morning?"

Kagome looked up as Sango sat down beside her on the bench, under a shady tree that only made her colder.

"I was late,"

"Is that all? Nothing wrong, is it?"

Sango was staring at her so concerned, she felt guilty.

"No, just thinking really. Exams are coming up and three major performances. Plus I have to tell Toshiki-san I'm not going to continue with jazz after this month. So that's… only four more jazz classes to close out this month."

"Actually I meant about Inuyasha. After you saw them you sort of rushed off like you were upset,"

"Oh… no, nothing like that! Like I said I'm not interested in Inuyasha that way. I just don't get it… why's everyone so interested in Kikyo? What has she done that's so great?"

"I don't know," Sango replied, leaning back against the bench.

"Good afternoon,"

Both girls looked up, one with a frown.

"Couldn't find anyone else to harass?" Sango snapped at the smiling male.

He took a seat next to Sango. "Actually Inuyasha is missing so I've just been wandering around."

"Missing?" Kagome asked.

Sango scoffed. "Or did he abandon you for Kikyo?"

Miroku shrugged. "Probably. You want to go have some lunch? I'm a social creature, I don't like eating alone and it's an added benefit if my companions are attractive females,"

"Or any creatures of the female gender, I'm sure," Sango quipped and Kagome laughed.

Miroku looked across at Kagome. "Is she always so harsh?"

"I guess… it depends,"

Either way Miroku left the bench with the two girls and before the half hour was up they were all smiling. Even the disagreeable Sango.

~X~

"Kagome!"

Hearing the loud, male call she turned toward it curiously.

"Hi," she greeted the grinning Miroku.

"Where are you headed?" he asked conversationally.

"To Inuyasha's,"

He was clearly surprised by her answer. "Really?"

"His father is my ballet teacher," Still he didn't seem to get the connection. "I got there twice a week for practice,"

"Oh. Special sessions,"

"Sort of," she agreed.

They began walking together.

"Inuyasha mentioned something about a shrine. Did you serve at one?"

She shook her head. "My family owns the Higurashi Shrine up the street,"

"Very interesting. I am studying to be a monk, myself."

"Oh… I don't really know much about that kind of stuff. Do you enjoy it?"

He scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, I guess."

A few moments lapsed by in silence.

"So… where's that friend of yours?"

"Sango's probably there already. I'm running late,"

"She goes too?"

Kagome nodded.

"Is she dating anyone?"

"I don't think so." Kagome was grateful when the house came into view.

"Big house isn't it? I always wondered where they got the money for such a place,"

"Their mother,"

"Pardon?"

"Inuyasha's mother came from a wealthy family, and so did their father. Although I think he gave up the family business to be a dancer. His family didn't approve of that type of thing and so I think they lost contact a long time ago. But he met and married their mother, and he was semi-successful at the time. I think he did pretty well when he had a career."

"You know about the family then?"

She met his gaze squarely but with a weak, sad smile. "A long time ago,"

They walked up the steps and knocked.