Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Co.
Two weeks had gone by since the confession and blowout, and still, Inuyasha hadn't attempted to speak with Kagome. It greatly hurt her to know that their friendship meant so little to him. This dimmed the teen's vibrant personality and caused her boyfriend to take some action to try and rectify the damage done by the hanyō.
Friday morning, on their way to school, Sesshōmaru had promptly informed Kagome that they would be going out for a date on Saturday night. He refused to tell her where they would be going, only revealing it would be a casual dress kind of affair.
Standing in front of the polished mirror, Kagome added some tinted gloss swiping it across her lips before tossing the tube into her makeup pouch. With the last of her makeup done, she stepped back to carefully eye her outfit. The teen reached up to fasten the top button of her short-sleeved maroon cardigan then twisted her body to make sure that the back of her tan plaid skirt was not caught in her chocolate tights. Nothing says sexy like having your skirt trapped in the band of your tights.
Satisfied that fabric was not gathered at her waist and her butt was not on display, Kagome approached her jewelry box, pulling out a bulky pearl bracelet and a long necklace with large white beads widely spaced on the chain. She slipped them both on then headed to her closet to choose a handbag that would go with her getup.
Snagging the small step stool from the back of her closet, Kagome hopped on it and snatched the maroon and white purse that would go perfectly with her ensemble. The stool teetered, causing her to grab the frame to steady herself. Carefully climbing off the wooden structure, she pushed it into the closet then started to move around the room, shoving things in the handbag that she might need.
Heading back to the ornate mirror, Kagome admired the full outfit- minus the shoes which were downstairs in the coat closet. Nerves tangled in her belly as she stared at the reflected image. It wasn't too much, was it? He did say casual, and the weather was getting too warm for sweaters and pants.
A knock on her door jolted the teen out of the worrying thoughts, and her brother's voice sprang forth. "Sis, Sesshōmaru is here."
"Okay. Tell him I'll be down in a minute." She called from the other side of the room, gently smoothing down her pleated skirt and trying to shake off the wild nerves.
His muffled response came through the wooden door. "Will do." He said before hurrying away.
The sound of his footfalls slowly trailed away, leaving the teen pressing a hand to her swirling stomach and gathering several calming breaths. It was absurd to feel this way since they have been on many dates, although Malakai had been with them. Did this count as a first date then? Is that why she was so nervous?
Staring at the nervous wreck that she was becoming, a giggle surprisingly erupted from her, breaking some of the irrational feelings. She was being silly, and there was no reason to feel like this since it was Sesshōmaru. It would be the same as it usually was just minus the kiddo. Like always, she was overthinking things. Giggling some more, Kagome hurried out of the room to meet her waiting boyfriend.
As she stepped into the living room where her family and boyfriend were waiting, Malakai happily cried when he spotted her waving his little hand around wildly. "Mama!"
Pleasure colored her features at the bubbly greeting, and she watched as his father stood up with him his arms. She slowly approached the duo, and their son gently cooed. "Boofle," he said, batting his golden eyes, turning to his father for confirmation.
"Very Beautiful." Sesshōmaru agreed flashing that damn smile of his that caused her to want to melt into the mats. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, adjusting the wiggling tot.
Her dark head tipped towards the exit as she answered the yōkai. "Yeah. I just have to pull my shoes from the closet, and I'm ready to go."
Hearing the word go, Malakai looked between his parents inquiring excitably. "I. Go."
No babies this time. Kagome knew that the toddler would not be happy about being left behind. It was their fault since they took him everywhere with them. Hopefully, there will not be any form of a tantrum, though Sesshōmaru was rather good at defusing them. "Sorry, baby. You get to stay with grandma." She gently said, motioning to his grandmother moving closer.
The toddler frowned his lip quivering when her mother carefully plucked him from his father's hold and lightly started to bounce him on her hip. "We are going to have so much fun." She continued to coo and gently tickled his belly, causing him to close his eyes and laugh aloud. Her mother's distraction gave the couple enough time to sneak out of the room then the house.
Once the couple was in the car and driving down the road, Kagome began to question the inuyōkai. "So, where are we going?" Surely, he would tell her now that they were on their way to the destination.
His golden gaze twinkled with amusement when they flicked at her curious face. "You will see," responded the yōkai, lips twitching when she let a dramatic sigh and began to pout.
"You never tell me where we are going," Kagome whined, arms crossing over her chest and plopping against the seat.
"If I did, then it wouldn't be a surprise." He remarked, laughing as her eyes rocked to the roof of the cab. Her typical reaction to his response had Sesshōmaru chuckling yet again before descending into silence the rest of the ride to the secret venue.
After parking the car in a parking garage, the couple walked down the street, talking amongst one another until they reach their final destination.
Kagome stared up at the familiar building then turned to the yōkai with wide eyes. "We are going to Round 1?" curiously stated the teen, glancing back at the large entertainment center.
He opened the door and motioned with his free hand for her to go through while answering. "We are."
"What are we doing?" she hesitantly asked, looking around the room at the various activities posted about. There was more than one thing to do at this place, and she hoped they weren't going to do something that was too athletic. It typically never ended well. Miroku could attest to that since he was an unfortunate victim of a stray tennis ball to the back of his head. She still felt bad about that one.
"Bowling." Sesshōmaru said, heading to the counter to pay for their passes. "I thought it would be fun, and maybe we could do some crane games." He tossed out, eyes flicking to her face to try and gauge her reaction while they waited in line.
When her brow crinkled, and she didn't respond, the yōkai assumed that his female might not be pleased with the activities chosen. "Unless you want to do something else?" He nervously offered, wanting this date to be as stress-free as possible.
"No, bowling is fine." Kagome hurried to say, embarrassed that she had been lost in thought. Bowling was good. Not a whole lot she can do with a bowling ball. Well, she could drop it on her or his foot, but that would be unlikely since Sesshōmaru would just catch it.
The yōkai paid for their passes then the couple headed towards the escalator. They rode it to the third floor where the bowling area was located.
Getting some shoes and picking out the correct weighted balls, Sesshōmaru and Kagome selected an open lane. They sat down to take off their normal shoes and replaced them with the standard bowling ones.
"Who goes first?" asked Kagome, peering up from tying her shoes. She stood and moved to the station sitting quickly eyeing the screen.
Sesshōmaru plopped down beside her and suggested with a smile, "Oldest goes first."
She knew he was teasing by the tone of his voice. "How about ladies go first?" retorted the cheeky female gazing up at him with big doe eyes. Not that it was needed since she knew he was only teasing and didn't care who went first.
His lips twitched as he released an exaggerated sigh while easily conceding. "Alright."
She leaned up and quickly gave him a peck before returning her attention to the screen to tap in their names. An arm wove around her waist, and he nuzzled her neck, causing the teen to giggle and glance over at the demon. "Maru!" Kagome laughed again and lightly shoved him away. "Stop. I'm trying to input our information here."
The yōkai smirked pleased to see that happy smile plastered over her delicate features. It was good to catch a glimpse of her bubbly self. "As you wish." He whispered tenderly, leaning in to nuzzle her neck once more before pulling back to wait for her to finish.
Once done, she popped up from the bench and bounced to where the balls rested. Grabbing the lightest one, she approached the lane and propelled the ball in one fellow swoop. It zoomed down the glossy path then quickly veered off, landing into the gutter. A frown dimmed some of that giddiness while she whined softly. "Awe, I didn't hit any of the pins." Her dainty shoulders drooped in disappointment as she returned to her seat.
Resting her cheek on the palm of her hand, she watched her boyfriend handle the bowling ball like a pro. A groan ripped from her when it hit all the pins in one go. "You're so going to win." She cried dramatically and glared at the monitor.
He gradually approached amusement playing at his lips as his female bemoaned. Stepping behind her sitting form, he leaned in and nuzzled her neck before whispering in her ear. "It's how your stepping." The yōkai wrapped his arms around her waist and hoist her to stand. "Here, let me show you." He then motioned for Kagome to collect the bowling ball before sidling up behind her.
"Step with your right foot," Sesshōmaru explained as he stepped with her and carried on. "then when you step with your left, swing the ball back." His hand slid down her arm, causing goosebumps and a shiver to run threw her tiny form. He molded his hand over hers and carefully followed through with his instructions. "Now step once more with right and bring the ball forward."
The ball flew down the lane, this time staying on track and clipping some pins. "I hit some!" she cried happily and turned around to hug the yōkai excitably.
"You did. Now see if you can hit the rest." He said, returning the embrace with a gentle squeeze, then stepped aside to let her try on her own.
Kagome did exactly what her boyfriend had shown her, and the weighted ball spun down the path nicking only one pin. "Awwwwe, almost." She stated with a frown and passed the inuyōkai waiting for the pins to reset.
Peering over his shoulder, Sesshōmaru attempted to reassure the mopey woman. "You will get better." He said, missing the twist of her lips when he circled back for his turn.
'I'm not sure about that.' She thought ruefully and believed it even more as her boyfriend got another strike.
They played some more until hunger took over the couple, and they decided to the food court up to the sixth floor. Riding the escalator to the area, they found the food court after passing some activities sharing the same space.
The couple stood there, scanning the multiple food stations before Sesshōmaru suggested something. "Does Takoyaki and French fries sound good?"
It did. She hadn't had the octopus filled battered balls smothered in Takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise in quite a while. "Yeah, that does. If they have milk tea, I'd like that."
Sesshōmaru scanned the menu for drinks and agreed. "They do, and I think I'll have the same." He then motioned to the seating area. "Why don't you find us a table, and I will order our food?"
"Will do." Said Kagome heading towards the tables and finding one located off to the side. It was rather secluded and left them with some privacy to talk.
Plopping in one of the chairs, her mind drifted while she waited for her boyfriend to come with the food. She was glad that Sesshōmaru had surprised her with a date. Her mood hadn't been the greatest since the confrontation with Inuyasha, or maybe it was from the horrible treatment the past two weeks. He was acting like a spoiled brat and an awful friend. How could he treat her like she was a piece of gum underneath his shoe? Didn't their years of friendship mean anything to him at all?
She was jolted from her musing when the tray of food slid across the table, and her boyfriend sat down with raised brows. "Are you okay?" He asked, passing her the milk tea and a straw.
Shoving the straw into the plastic covering the glass, Kagome shrugged lightly and replied with a forced smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."
He didn't look convinced but made no comment on the mock display and instead changed the subject. Hoping that it would shift his woman's mood. "I ordered us the largest sizes, so we could just share."
"Good idea," Kagome said, unwrapping the chopsticks to start to dig in. "Mm. Not bad." Savoring the tasty flavor on her tongue.
Sesshōmaru tried the sauce covered Takoyaki and agreed wholeheartedly with his girlfriend. For something that was usually street food, it wasn't terrible. "I have to agree." He stated before silence descended the pair.
They ate quietly until the Inuyōkai's deep voice cut over the low chatter of the room and drew her focus away from the warm food. "Are you having fun?" He asked between bites.
Yes, she was having fun, even though she lost miserably to the yōkai, it was still fun nonetheless. "I am." Admitted the teen, flashing her boyfriend toothy grin.
He returned the gesture with one of his own, reaching out to grasp the hand resting on the table. "I'm glad. I know you have been troubled by the callousness of the hanyō," confessed the yōkai stroking the soft skin while setting down his chopsticks to grab at the fries.
Was it that apparent? She knew that she had been rather mopey but thought that she had hidden it rather well. "Is it that obvious?" asked the teen, gently poking at the Takoyaki.
Sesshōmaru squeezed the tiny hand as he spoke. "It is, and even though I do not understand why you allow the half-breed to affect you so, I know that he is a friend. An obviously terrible one but a friend nonetheless."
This wasn't the first time he had commented on Inuyasha's apparent lack of friendship skills. The hanyō wouldn't be winning the greatest friend award, that was for sure. "Yeah, I'm starting to see that." She kept telling herself he was being terrible but had to fight from trying to see the best in her friend rather than seeing the turd that he was.
"You lot have let Inuyasha do and say whatever he wants. The whelp needs to be put in his place. Preferably by you," he pointed out while reaching for another fry.
"Why me?" she asked, brows disappearing in surprise. It wasn't like Inuyasha listened to her. Hell, he didn't listen to anyone.
Sesshōmaru shook his silver head at the ignorance of his girlfriend and her place in the small group of friends. "You are considered the alpha female of your group, and being blunt and direct with the hanyō should set him straight."
Kagome wasn't holding her breath. She was finding out that not only was he a jerk, but he tended to ignore common sense. "There is no guarantee that will work." Said the unconvinced woman tilting her drink in his direction.
A snort escaped the yōkai, his thoughts coinciding with his female. "Unfortunately, the half-breed tends to do the opposite of what is expected or honorable." He answered dryly.
"If it doesn't work, what do we do then?" inquired the teen while nibbling nervously on the end of the straw.
His grin turned feral, and eyes danced with anticipation as he quipped, "I will have to force him to submit."
That didn't sound remotely pleasant, nor did he appear to be too bothered by the thought of fighting with his younger brother. "That does not sound good." She uttered brows raising high as she took another sip.
"Not for the hanyō." He cracked slyly, brilliant eyes still twinkling as he chuckled heartily.
Kagome snorted into her tea then sobered some when asking about her bothersome friend. "Has he caused any trouble at home?" It was a reasonable question and one that she wanted to know.
His laughter stopped while he shook his head and picked up his chopsticks. "Surprisingly, no." He said, snagging a Takoyaki and eyeing the saucy sphere before carrying on. "He has been silent on the matter and has not spoken to me, not that it's any different from before. I am amazed that he has not whined to father about it, though."
Inuyasha keeping his mouth shut now that was a miracle within itself. "Odd. It doesn't seem like him to hold back something like that, especially something that could cause trouble for you." The younger yōkai was very vocal about causing as much mischief whenever he could where his older sibling was concerned. It was strange he had done nothing so far.
"I believe he might be afraid of what I will tell father should he blabber to the old man. Father and I might not see eye to eye the majority of the time, but he will believe my word before the hanyō. Inuyasha knows this and would not risk me exposing his dishonorable behavior," explained Sesshōmaru smiling yet again.
He made it sound like it would be a bad thing if his father found out about them. Is he afraid his father would disapprove of their coupling? "Would it be a big deal if your father knew?" she softly whispered, refusing to drop her gaze to the almost empty tray.
"Not really." The yōkai said, shrugging his shoulders as he continued. "It's simply none of his business who I am seeing."
The relief at his response was profound, and she had to fight her shoulders from sagging. Not wanting to push the issue any longer since she knew the history between father and son wasn't the greatest, Kagome said nothing more on the matter and helped her boyfriend finish the rest of their meal.
A few minutes later had the couple walking to the trash bins to dump the empty glasses and place the tray on the conveyor belt to send it back to the kitchen.
Heading towards the large sign with all the floors and activities, Sesshōmaru and Kagome scanned the list. "What would you like to do next?" He asked.
Tapping a finger to her lips, she debated on what they should do then remembered her boyfriend's plans from earlier. He had wanted to take her to do some crane games. That sounded like an excellent idea since she wasn't too thrilled about the other options. Wanting to mess with her man a little, though, Kagome suggested something that even she didn't have any interest in doing. "How about Karaoke?" The teen commented slyly and watched as the dog demon's face paled at the mention of singing. He eyed the sign warily then to her, trying not to frown. This caused Kagome to throw the dog a bone and stop pestering him. "I'm kidding!" She hastily said, busting into amused laughter when his eyes narrowed. Her arms wrapped around her stomach, holding it tightly as she giggled between words. "You should have seen your face."
Sesshōmaru's muscular arms crossed over his chest, and a light brow lifted. "Hn," retorted the yōkai, clearly not amused.
The giggling slowed then stopped altogether, leaving Kagome staring up at the silent demon. She bridged the gap between them, gently placing a hand on his flexing arm and cooed remorsefully. "Hey, I was just teasing. Please don't be mad."
"Your humor is lacking." He countered drily, no longer glaring at the petite female.
"I know." She softly breathed, rubbing his arm lightly and batting her dark lashes at him before continuing. "Now, how about we go downstairs and check out the games?"
The inuyōkai seemed to relax under her soothing touch and instantly released a faint sigh. "If that is what you want." He replied, unwinding his arms, and moving to place a hand on the small of her back.
Kagome followed the yōkai's lead with a shake of her head. "It is." She answered, carefully stepping on the escalator to head down to the first floor.
When they reached the ground level, the couple made their way through the massive number of arcade games to the area where the cranes were located. "Ooh, look at all these crane machines." Cooed the teen, clapping her hands together in excitement.
Sesshōmaru smiled at the joyful display and inquired about what machine she wanted to go to first. "Do you see something that we should try to get?"
The excited teen scanned the various figurines, plushies, and random items with a curious air. Her gaze quickly landed on a familiar cartoon character that Malakai was recently into and knew that was what she wanted to try and get. "How about the Afro Ken plushie over there?" Kagome suggested pointing to the brightly colored machine then eyed the tall yōkai to see his reaction.
His brows rose, and the sharp feature of his face twisted into bewilderment. "It is a dog with a rainbow-colored afro." Sesshōmaru's gaze flicked to the weird dog plushie then to his girlfriend, shaking his light-colored mane.
"Uh-huh." Kagome choked back a giggle but eventually let the yōkai know the afroed dog was his son's favorite as of lately. "Kai Kai watches the cartoon. He will treasure it."
They approached the machine, and the inuyōkai gently nudged his girlfriend closer. "You try getting it, and if you cannot, then I will have a go at it." He suggested stepping off to the side to give her some room.
She attempted for several minutes to get the medium-sized plushie. The location of the claw was right on, but somehow it would lift the stuffed animal before slipping through the metal grabber. Kagome groaned when it happened yet again. "Almost!" cried the woman shoulders dropping in disappointment.
Snorting, her boyfriend came forward and lightly pushed her out of the way. "Here, let me try." He said, loading the machine with some credit. It only took him a couple of tries before the plushie dropped into the shoot.
'You got to be kidding me!' thought Kagome amazed that the yōkai was able to get the stuffed animal in just a few attempts. "How'd you do that?!" She passionately exclaimed, flinging her hands up in the air dramatically.
He shrugged, holding out the afroed plushie. "I am good at crane games." Stated the dog demon as if it were simple as breathing.
Accepting the stuffed animal and hugging it to her chest, Kagome promptly let out a mopey whine. "I wish I was that good at them. All I seem to do is waste money." Lots and lots of money. Money that she absolutely didn't have to fritter away.
"That is why you have me. It will most definitely save on your purse strings." Sesshōmaru joked as they started to wander around the cranes.
Kagome paused when she spied a machine with a bunch of beautiful animals and plant figurines. "Look at these figurines! I like that one," She eagerly pointed at the cherry bloom tree figurine and peered up at her gorgeous boyfriend. "Can you try and get it, please?"
His golden eyes warmed as he observed his woman clamping her hands together and stare at him pleadingly. "Yes." He agreed while sidling up the machine and adding some credit. "Are you sure that is the one you would like?" asked the yōkai confirming his girlfriend's choice.
"Yep. That's the one I want," Kagome declared, excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet. The figurine would look so nice on her nightstand and would perfectly match her bedding splendidly.
Turning back to the machine, it didn't take him that long to procure the figurine. "You did it!" She squealed with happiness and continued to bounce about excitably. Her excitement caused the inuyōkai to smile as he handed her the box.
She carefully opened the container and pulled out the figurine to see it up close. "It so beautiful." cooed the teen and held it out so the demon could see it as well.
"Just like you." flirted the yōkai flashing his woman that grin he knew would cause the color to flood her cute face and heart to race like an animal caught in a snare.
"Maru," whispered Kagome as she fought off the expected blush by swatting him gently on the arm and giggling. "You do know how to flatter a girl."
Sesshōmaru quickly grabbed her hand and brought it up to kiss her knuckles. "No, just you." He slyly remarked before directing her attention to something else. "Would you like to play some of the games?"
The color disappeared from her cheeks as her mind drifted to the other games on the floor. "Yeah. That sounds like fun." She thoughtfully said as he started leading them in the opposite direction.
They approached a row of basketball games, and it had Kagome eyeing them warily. As she has stated before, she is nowhere near athletic, and basketball was one of those things that she could never do. Yes, all it required was getting the damn ball in the hoop, but for some reason, she seemed to lack the hand-eye coordination needed. No balls ever went in any hoop, and that was why she was always picked last. Not that it bothered her in the slightest, nor did she hold any resentment because she sucked and wouldn't have picked herself either.
"Can you shoot a basketball?" He asked, unknowingly interrupting her musing.
It would be pointless to lie. One, he would be able to tell and two, she god awful. "I'm not that good." She admitted bashfully dark eyes drifting to the flashing lights of the machine.
His breath hit the shell of her ear as he stepped into her personal space. "Then, I will have to help you."
"Like you did with the bowling?" Kagome teased, leaning back against his firm chest while his arms wrapped around her waist.
"Yes." whispered Sesshōmaru, maneuvering her closer to the machine so that he could add some credits. When all of the basketballs were released, he grabbed one and placed it into her hands. "Now, hold the ball like this." Explained the yōkai, positioning them in the correct place as his hands slid over hers. "Bring the ball up with your elbows in." He softly said, leading her into the motion. "Bend your knees and jump, releasing the ball with a flick of your wrist." The ball went flying into the air and landed cleanly in the hoop. "See not too hard." Sesshōmaru whispered yet again, his arms going back to her waist, pulling her closer.
The small teen didn't seem so convinced. "I guess, but it only went in because you helped me." She said, propping her head against his chest. It shook with a rumble making Kagome giggle as she reached for another ball.
"I can help you some more if you'd like." He offered, leaning in to nuzzle the side of her neck.
This caused her to giggle yet again and lower the ball. "More like you would be distracting me." She cheekily retorted while trying to dodge his nuzzling.
"I would never do such a thing." Sesshōmaru said, sniffing haughtily.
A snicker escaped Kagome, and she shook her dark head. "No, that is beneath you," she remarked, laughing as he proudly straightened and peered down at her with a raised brow.
"Indeed." He arrogantly retorted then quickly swooped in to nuzzle her neck a few more times, causing the petite female to giggle madly before helping with her the free throws.
If the distracted couple had been paying attention to their surroundings, they would have noticed the familiar purple clothed teen and his red-faced companion amongst the crowd and games. The pair watched the couple flirt and play until the hanyō sneered at the display and stomped towards the exit much to his friend's relief. The young monk let out a shaky breath and released the sutra he was holding. He quickly followed his angry friend glancing over his shoulder to smile at the happiness that seemed to radiate off the lively couple.
