InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Clumsy ❯ The Rosy Blush of Dawn ( Chapter 7 )

Clumsy

Act Seven: The Rosy Blush of Dawn

Author's Notes: There's an estimate in here for Kagome's dance total being somewhere between $1200-$1500 for a yearly total, and that's American dollars. This is a general estimate based on the research I did. In reality if you all up all the stuff, the pictures, the classes, the make-up, the clothes, the costumes and etc, it is quite high. Just in case anyone picked up on that and thought it was too high or too low.

Second note: Someone mentioned kissing in the reviews, and regrettably that's not gonna happen. It's really too early for that kind of thing. There are a few more things to get out of the way. I still have to explain what happened with Sesshoumaru and why he stopped coming to the shrine and all that, and that's kind of important in keeping them apart, let alone together.

~X~

Sesshoumaru emerged from his room less than fifteen minutes later than when he'd gone in before. She was in the house and it was eating at him. Had she gone downstairs to the practice room? He simply had to know. He couldn't concentrate on his work until he was certain of what she was doing and where she was doing it.

He glanced toward her borrowed room but the door was open, she wasn't inside. Her things were on the bed where she'd placed them but a bag or two was now open. So maybe she'd changed clothes and gone down? He followed the path downstairs and made it to the practice room. He could clearly hear music from the room but it wasn't the sweet melodious tones of ballet or classical music. It was the harsh grating notes of a local radio station. The door was ajar slightly, which explained why he could hear the music so well. The question was, why was the door open?

He approached stealthily and then wondered why he was sneaking around. Whatever expectations he'd had, they quickly faded in light of what he saw. Kagome was still dressed in her school uniform, the short length of her green skirt revealing far too much of her thin, long legs. It wasn't her that startled him; it was the presence of Inuyasha. His brother was a few feet within the doorway, hands on his hips apparently conversing with her. He couldn't hear them over the music.

Kagome didn't look upset and was talking with him peacefully. Until he made a smart comment, Sesshoumaru could immediately tell by his body language. The girl turned on him then, glaring for all she was worth, raising her voice.

"Get out!"

Inuyasha grumbled, he heard as his brother followed her command to leave. He pulled the door closed behind him as he left the room.

"Shouldn't you be with Kikyo?"

"Shouldn't you be doing your school work, O diligent one?"

This only led to a nasty stare down which neither won. Inuyasha eventually broke off the conflict proclaiming he was hungry and heading off toward the kitchen.

Sesshoumaru looked back into the room. The girl in question wasn't dancing. She was staring into the mirror. She looked much more small and fragile than he ever remembered. Was she feeling bad about something? Perhaps she missed her family already? There was little that he could do to alleviate such distresses.

He turned away and found his way back up to his room, his interest for the moment, sated.

~X~

The house was suspiciously quiet when Inutaisho returned. He peered around. The TV room was empty. He didn't hear anyone upstairs. Sesshoumaru was likely to be doing his homework however. He walked down the hall where he found Kagome. She was practicing for her performance tomorrow. So, Kagome was here, where were the other two? He decided that as long as they weren't making noise they weren't getting into trouble and headed off to the kitchen.

It was the smell of food that eventually drew everyone together at the kitchen. All, he noted but Kagome, was most likely still in the practice room. It was Inuyasha who brought vocal attention to her absence.

"Where's Kagome? Doesn't the stupid girl know dinner's done?"

"Why don't you go tell her?" Inutaisho suggested diplomatically and the boy stood up and went after her, eager to eat. He stomped loudly down the hall and didn't bother with the pretense of knocking. He simply pushed the door open, and told her to hurry up, it was time to eat.

"Excuse me?" she asked, turning off the radio.

"Dinner's done, so let's go!"

She decided to let his callous attitude be and followed him without any protests. The table was set. Inutaisho was at the end of the table with two places set one to his left, where Sesshoumaru was and one to the right where Inuyasha was. There was one other place at the table. Next to Sesshoumaru, and she inwardly groaned in response. Was it better to be beside him or across from him?

Dinner was spent largely in silence while everyone gaze uncertainly at everyone else. Until Inutaisho decided to break the monotony by inquiring how school was going. Silence was his immediate reply, until Kagome decided to answer.

"School is going well for me," she smiled cheerfully. "How are things going for you Masaharu-san?"

He returned the smile; pleased the silence had been dispelled. "Good, thank you."

A half hour of meaningless chat, primarily between Inutaisho and Kagome would follow. Inuyasha occasionally grumbled involving himself in the conversation while Sesshoumaru preferred to listen. When dinner ended each party went their own direction. Inuyasha and Inutaisho headed to the TV room while Sesshoumaru and Kagome found themselves going upstairs. It didn't escape Inuyasha's notice who jeered at them on his way past the stairs. Kagome flatly ignored him, and kept her head turned away to hide the blush and went up to her guest room, closing the door firmly behind her never turning her face to Sesshoumaru who had been behind her.

It was hours before any of them saw one another again. Kagome had first explored her room, then sat down with some homework. When she finished that she then entertained herself with a book that she'd brought with her but her concentration drifted. What was she going to do? She rooted through her bags looking for something when finally she gave up and left her room. She passed by the kitchen and room where the television was. She ended up in the practice room again, by herself and bored.

It was impossible for her to know how long she sat there, but after a time it became apparent she was no longer alone. She caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. She watched him there, from her vantage point on the floor as he approached her and then sat down cross-legged on the floor beside her.

"Hey,"

She smiled. "Hi Inuyasha,"

"What are you doing in here?"

"Just sitting,"

Her answer was quiet and unlike an answer she'd usually give. Her entire mood seemed wrong.

"You homesick?" it was gruffly asked but he seemed genuinely concerned.

"I-I'm bored I guess. Not sure what to do with myself," she replied and a moment of silence ensued.

"So what happened… with you and Kikyo?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, turning her head away.

"You're acting funny around each other." He pointed out bluntly.

"I… I don't think she likes me much that's all. I guess we just have conflicting personalities,"

He crossed his arms. "Is that all?"

She was confused, what was he asking exactly? So she and Kikyo didn't get along, what was the big deal? It was curious that he suddenly wanted quality time with her but maybe he was bored too.

"Yeah…"

The night ended quietly and she retired to bed a few short hours later dreading the coming of dawn. Tomorrow was performance day and even though she'd done it for years, the nervous jitters visited before every public showing of talent.

~X~

Kagome sat up groggily glancing at the clock by her bedside. 6:04 a.m. It was early, she yawned and threw back her blankets. She stumbled lazily to the door and opened it quietly and listened. It sounded like everyone was still asleep. She slipped out and tiptoed her way toward the bathroom, peering this way and that, but no one stirred. Assessing that everyone was still slumbering she headed back to her room and gathered her bathing supplies before heading back to the bathroom.

She was awake and refreshed when she stepped out again. Her smile was met by the taut frown of Inuyasha who immediately accused her of hogging the bathroom. She had been in there for just short of a half hour but wasn't really in the mood to argue and passed by him silently. She needed to get dressed anyway. She had changed back into her sleeping clothes so she could change in her room and not tie up the bathroom longer. So much for her consideration, she should've stayed in the bathroom longer, she thought moodily.

She made her way back to her room and quickly changed into her clothes for the morning. She'd end up changing again later. Stepping out, she started toward the staircase when she heard a scratching and turned her head slightly. Disaster struck when she smacked her foot against a book lying in the hall and tumbled forward dangerously close to the stairs.

"Eep!" She fell hard, smacking her chin soundly against an object that wasn't the floor. At least though she hadn't fallen down the stairs.

It was all too clear she hadn't hit the floor because someone had made a concerted effort to keep her from falling there. She sighed deeply even as the tight grip around her arm was released and she met the steely gaze of Sesshoumaru.

She laughed uneasily hoping to hide her embarrassment. "Uh… good morning?"

"Be more careful," was the somber warning before he started down the stairs.

"Thank you,"

She felt utterly stupid. Not only was she stuck at his house for the rest of today and half or more of tomorrow but she had to be awkward in front of him too.

Suddenly Inuyasha appeared, leaning close toward her, pointing at her face.

"What's wrong with you?"

"What?"

"Your face is all red,"

"Ooohh!" she pushed by him clumsily and retreated to her room.

~X~

Inutaisho glanced at his watch impatiently. "Where's Kagome? We have to go,"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

He glanced up the stairs and she appeared with a big, stuffed bag on her shoulder.

"I had to make sure I had everything. Costume, shoes, makeup, hair bands, you know… everything."

She followed him outside to the car where Inuyasha was already seated. He had his nose stuck in a manga, blissfully unaware of everything else.

"Why are you going?" Kagome asked as she opened the side door where she'd sit next to Inuyasha in the back.

"I have to," he grumbled irritably, never lowering the book.

"Oh,"

The ride was mostly silent, but the radio easily took the place of conversation. When they reached the performance hall, Kagome was well out front of the group. A group of girls were just inside the lobby and eagerly called out to her and she was absorbed into the crowd easily before they all made their way into the auditorium and from there backstage.

It was early still, and most of the girls hadn't even arrived yet. After Kagome's disappearance with her friends they rest of them split up as easily. Inuyasha met up with Kikyo, her young sister Kaede and Kaede's best friend Rin. Inutaisho quickly took to the auditorium going over everything from music to last minute problems with the dancers. Sesshoumaru took a seat at the front of the auditorium in the center column with his book and read.

They'd have rehearsal for an hour or two, and then the afternoon performance would start about 2:00 p.m. They'd all hang around until the evening performance at 7:00 p.m. and probably make it back home somewhere between 9:00-10:00 p.m. It was going to be a busy day.

~X~

For anyone who wasn't a dancer or involved with the students it was dull. The most unbelievable boredom ever inflicted upon another person and every year it was the same. Every year Sesshoumaru endured it without the slightest of complaints. He switched between his book and the stage for hours barely moving from his seat except when he went to get some water or visit the bathroom. His father hovered about the general area, here and there; no one was able to pin him down.

He'd seen Kagome a collective total of twice, once in rehearsal and once again in the afternoon performance. He wasn't sure where she was but guessed it was in the chaotic mass known as 'backstage'. In all likelihood she was in the girl's changing room talking the day away with all her girlfriends.

Inuyasha wasn't anywhere in sight, he hadn't seen his brother since they arrived some five hours ago. It was now that time of day where there were hours to kill but he didn't really have anything to do. He turned to watch as the girls flocked out from backstage, bags on shoulders, a hundred different conversation threads all meshed into one loud rush as they walked by.

He searched but didn't find Kagome among them. No, not until the last of them swept through the doors in pairs of one or two. It was her friend he recognized first, the girl he'd seen at the school yesterday.

"I think everything will go well. I'll see you in a few hours okay?"

Sango waved and headed off down the aisle toward the doors and that's when Kagome came into view. She looked around a few moments looking lost and desolate before she spotted him and tentatively approached.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru? Um… what exactly do I do for the next couple of hours anyway?"

It was obvious enough his father and brother had disappeared and only he and Kagome remained of the original group from this morning.

"Whatever you want I imagine,"

"Oh,"

He couldn't tell whether or not she was disappointed but she did appear out of place and vulnerable. As though she wasn't sure what to do with herself.

"So I'm not necessarily bound to stay here? I can… go out?"

"If that's what you want,"

She nodded weakly. Her bag wasn't hanging on her shoulder; she was holding the straps tightly in her palm, sitting on the floor. When he noticed what he thought might be the signs of her going to leave he stood suddenly.

"Let's go,"

She was surprised, but she didn't question him immediately. She followed him outside to the car where he reached around and took her dance bag and tossed it inside and closed it again.

"You won't need it,"

He walked off without another word and she followed curiously, but unsure of whether or not she was supposed to be following him. Was the 'let's go' a summons to the car or just a 'let's go keep following me' type of thing? When he slowed for her to catch up with him she determined she was supposed to be following him.

"Where are we going?"

"To lunch,"

"It's almost 4:00,"

Although she hadn't eaten and was terribly hungry she was sort of nervous too.

"We're going to be here late and they don't sell anything suitably edible in the lobby," was his stoic reply.

She smiled and then laughed quietly, relaxing somewhat. "You're still picky about your food? I thought you might have outgrown that,"

Sesshoumaru hadn't ever like junk food much and what he did eat he was quite picky about. Anything that he ate had to be pre-approved as edible first.

He was looking around now at various eating establishments as they happened by them. They ended up at a small dining area on a street corner. Kagome was relieved at the choice, Sesshoumaru had a taste for 'the finer things' and those finer things were expensive and she didn't have a lot of money.

Granted the Higurashi family wasn't poor, they got along well financially. After all they spent somewhere between twelve and fifteen hundred on her dancing every year and that was just extracurricular. They weren't poor but compared to Sesshoumaru's family they didn't have a lot of money.

Sesshoumaru's mother's family was exceedingly wealthy. Sesshoumaru's father's family had been too, before they'd disowned him and refused to ever see him again. Sesshoumaru never talked much about his family; he barely said anything about his mother when the topic came up. She often wondered if he even remembered her and then felt guilty if he didn't.

They were seated at a small table by a wall of windows when a menu being handed to her interrupted Kagome's train of thought. She glanced over it scantily and chose something inexpensive that didn't sound bad.

"Is there some particular reason you invited me along?"

She was kicking herself for asking, especially him knowing the kind of cold answers he could give, but she had to ask.

"Did you have something better to do?" he asked in that unbearably haughty tone as though to say that she should be honored to be having lunch with him at all.

"Maybe I did," she replied just as confident. "How would you know?"

He apparently found this amusing, and grinned at her. "Really now Kagome, save your tales for someone who will believe them,"

She glared, crossing her arms indignantly. "Do you have to be a jerk all the time?"

"It doesn't really matter though, does it?"

He was leaning forward across the table looking so intently at her she had wonder if she were actually sitting in an eatery with him. It was too much like a fantastic dream sequence.

"No, it most certainly does matter. It makes getting along with you difficult," it was a half-hearted attempt to keep control of a situation that was falling off somewhere but she wasn't sure where.

And then, just like that, staring into those gold eyes that were so intently focused on her, she realized something. Sesshoumaru had an agenda! There was no reason for him to be acting all half flirty and staring at her that way without wanting something. She knew him well enough to know that, for certain!

She blinked, and he watched her self-conscious puzzlement wash away under a new, secure veil of confidence. As though the girl now sitting across from him could read him through and through.

This time it was she who grinned. "Really now Sesshoumaru. Save your games for girls who will play them with you,"

He was wholly impressed and almost bit his lip to keep from smiling. But it didn't matter if he smiled. The feeling was there. The light, hopeful feeling in ones chest when they smiled or were trying desperately to contain their laughter. The feeling was there, and through the rest of their lunch, it showed no signs of fading. Kagome, herself was a good memory, and much more pleasant when it was a memory in making than a remembrance of something past.