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Published:
2024-12-04
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1/1
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Night Cruising

Summary:

Kagome faces a breakup, her friends offer her comfort and do their best to help her feel better. Will a certain best friend who's hoped for more get his wish fulfilled?

Inspired by July the Artist's work.

Notes:

Inspired by July the Artist's work:
https://www.tumblr.com/julytheartist/750815753599614976/my-contribution-to-the-spring-gift-exchange

When I saw this picture, I was unable to resist the little plot bunny that began gnawing at my brain. Hope everyone loves the fic and the art!

Work Text:

   “We’re done.” Kagome whispered as she stared at the person she’d been dating for the past two years. They’d started in their senior year, and she thought they’d been fine. They’d been so happy with no red flags, or so she’d have said to anyone who asked. Hojo stared at her in shock at the words she’d just said to him.

   “What?” He questioned as he took a step towards her. Kagome took a step back and shook her head when he moved again to give her a hug.

   “I said we’re done.” She fought the tears that threatened to form in her eyes, she could feel the heat rising in her throat as she spoke. “Get out, Hojo.” She pointed at the door behind him that he’d just come through. She was done being second priority in his life.

   “Come on Kagome, you can’t hold this against me. Yuka needed me, her mother is in the hospital.” He tried to cajole her into forgiving him for bailing on her yet again.

   “No!” She shouted at him. “I deserve to be treated as a priority in my boyfriend’s life, Hojo! You’ve bailed on every single date and event for the past six months!” The tears wouldn’t be held back now.

   “I’m. Done!” Her voice was rough as it broke when she shouted again. “Just get out!” She pushed against his chest when he tried to hug her again. He sighed heavily before stepping towards the door to open it.

   “I’ll call you in the morning. After you’ve calmed down we’ll talk about this.” Hojo said as he stepped out and closed the door behind him. He knew talking to her now wouldn’t do any good, but he doubted she meant it. They’d been together for two years, Kagome had been talking about marriage recently and how she wanted to have a family, after all.

   Once the door was closed behind him Kagome locked it as she rested her forehead against the door and allowed herself to really cry. She sobbed, not at the loss of her relationship, but the loss of the dream she had for her future and the time wasted. She wanted someone who prioritized her the way she prioritized them. She didn’t think it was such an extraordinary thing to ask for. She jumped when her phone rang and vibrated in her pocket.

   She stood and pulled it out, rubbing her eyes as she read the caller ID. It was her best friend, he had perfect timing, how did he always seem to know when she needed him? She tried to calm her breathing down as she pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear.

   “What’s up?” Her voice betrayed her and cracked as she spoke. She took a deep breath and willed her voice to stay steady.

   “You doing okay?” His voice was smooth and deep on the other end of the line. She could hear the concern in it, and her heartbeat calmed down as his soothing voice washed over her. The desire to cry slowly faded as she listened to him.

   “I’ll be okay.” She answered truthfully, thankful when her voice came out steadier than it had before. She moved to the couch in her living room and sat down enjoying the way she sunk into the comfortable furniture. His hum of disbelief made her giggle as she found herself speaking again. “I just broke up with Hojo.”

   “You did?” He asked, his voice careful to not be harsh still betraying his surprise at her words. He had thought they were still a happy couple despite the few times Kagome had voiced concerns about being sidelined for one thing or another.

   “Yeah.” Her answer was less a word and more an exhalation of all the emotions that had been buried within her the past few months. Honestly, as she thought about everything, she realized she should have done this sooner. Eri, Rin, and Ayumi had told her many times that it was obvious to them that her relationship was uneven.

   “What happened?” He asked her, on the other side of the line he set his helmet on the bike as he leaned against it. He’d been out riding and when he’d come back home he had felt the need to give her a call. She’d been looking forward to her date today and he’d wanted to check in and see if she’d enjoyed it. “Weren’t you guys supposed to see Rin’s concert today?”

   “He canceled on me… again.” She closed her eyes and pressed her thumb to the underside of her brow, rubbing the spot a headache was beginning to form. “Apparently Yuka called him for support, I know her mom’s been in the hospital for several days now. He felt it was a pressing emergency and had to go spend the afternoon with her.”

   “You’re sure you’re okay?” He questioned as he fiddled with his keys, debating heading over to her place so she wouldn’t be alone. He was surprised Rin hadn’t told him about this when she’d come back from her show.

   “I will be, you called me just after he left.” Kagome’s words were interrupted by a yawn, her hand smothered it as it escaped her. “For now I just need a good night's sleep.”

   “Okay, head to bed soon. If you need a day out tomorrow, just give me a call.” He stuffed his keys into his pocket as he entered the house, closing the garage door behind him as he did. “If you need retail therapy, or coffee and cake, we can do that too.”

   “Yeah, I’ll head there now.” She agreed as she fought another yawn. She hated how much crying drained her energy. Her limbs felt heavy as she hefted herself off the couch and began to make her way to her bedroom. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow, I don’t know if I’ll be up for going out.”

   “Understood.” He responded as he held a finger to his lips to hush the girl in front of him from speaking. “Sleep well.” When she hummed an acknowledgment he hung the call up and glanced at his adopted sister with a raised brow.

   “Were you talking to Kagome?” Rin asked him as she offered him the mug of tea she’d just poured. He took it and nodded at her question.

   “Why didn’t you tell me that Hojo and Kagome weren’t at your show today?” He sipped the tea as he leaned against the counter and watched her pour another cup for herself. She glanced at him with surprise at the question.

   “But Kagome did go to my show?” She leaned back against the counter herself as she faced her eldest brother. “She mentioned that Hojo couldn’t make it due to a medical emergency, so I didn’t think it was important.” Rin watched his expression carefully as she spoke, when it showed the tiniest hint of anger and irritation her eyebrows rose.

   “It wasn’t an emergency, was it?” Her own question caught him by surprise and he shook his head in answer.

   “Yuka called him, he went to visit her and her mother in the hospital.” He set the mug down on the counter, not wanting to break it in the anger that was growing within his chest. Her gasp at his admission caught his attention.

   “Her mom was in surgery two days ago! She’s fine now, just in recovery.” Rin spat in irritation, it was clear she was upset for her friend. “When is Kagome going to realize that she prioritizes him and he doesn’t?”

   “I think she has.” He answered before turning and heading to his room. He refused to answer Rin’s questions as she followed him. She was asking him what he meant, how he knew that, ect. He playfully placed his hand on her forehead and pushed her out of his room when she tried to follow him in.

   “I’m going to change and head to bed. Stay out.” He chuckled at her huff of irritation, her cheeks puffing out like she’d been doing since she was a child. “If you want to know more, talk to Kagome tomorrow. She’s headed to bed, leave her alone tonight.”

   “Fine.” Rin acquiesced as she shut the door to his room. “Sleep well!” She hollered through the door at him as she made her way back to the kitchen to clean up his mug and the dishes from her late night snack. As she went about cleaning up, her mind pondered what her brother had said. She hoped that Kagome would finally put her foot down, she deserved so much better than what Hojo had been giving her lately.

   Her eyes drifted towards the ceiling in the direction of Sesshoumaru’s room. She wondered again, as she had many times over the past year, if maybe Sesshoumaru might be interested in Kagome. He’d had friends throughout the years, both male and female, that he did whatever he could for. But the care he gave Kagome seemed to be a bit more. Rin shrugged her shoulders as she moved to her own room to finish her coursework, she was jealous of Kagome and Sesshoumaru already being done with their college courses.

   She’d just finished one of her assignments when her phone vibrated on her desk. Rin picked it up, glancing just a moment at it before pressing the answer and speaker phone button.

   “Talk to me.” She said distractedly as she shuffled through her notebooks, pulling out what she needed for her next assignment.

   “How’d your show go today?” Ayumi’s voice asked on the other side of the phone.

   “It went smoothly!” Rin chirped in happiness as she found what she was looking for. “Nothing to report.”

   “That’s good to hear.” There was a scuffle sound from the speaker that caught Rin’s attention. After a few moments of muffled voices Rin caught a muttered ‘asshole’ before Ayumi’s voice returned to the phone. “We need to check on Kagome tomorrow. She broke up with Hojo.”

   “She did!?” Rin snatched her phone up and turned the speaker phone off, she held her phone to her ear as she stood from her desk and began to pace about her room.

   “Yeah. Were they at your show?” The question was tight as if Ayumi was attempting to hold her own anger in. “You did know today was their anniversary, right?”

   “No, I didn’t know that.” Rin bit her lip as she sat on the edge of her bed. That made what Hojo did today much worse than she’d thought. “Kagome attended my show, but Hojo skipped it. He’d gone to visit Yuka and her mother in the hospital.”

   “Yup, he’s an asshole.” Ayumi spit out as Rin heard a door slam through the phone. “Gods, what a jerk!”

   “How’d you know she broke up with him?” Rin asked with curiosity.

   “She texted me, and I quote ‘Good night Ayumi, I’m going to bed. Oh, by the way, I broke up with Hojo.’ like come on! Who texts someone something like that!”

   “Kagome would, and did.” Rin supplied with a giggle.

   “Yeah, guess you’re right.” Ayumi sighed as she moved to sit on her own bed. “Well, for now we should let Kagome sleep. But we should visit her tomorrow and make sure she’s okay.”

   “Agreed. For now let’s also get some sleep. Message me when you’re up and I’ll pick you up to go visit her.” Rin answered as she stood to turn her laptop off. The two girls wished each other a good night’s sleep before hanging up.

* * *

   The doorbell pulled Kagome roughly out of her sleep. She groaned as her arm covered her eyes, she didn’t want to wake up yet, but the doorbell rang incessantly. She tossed her covers off and made her way to her front door as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She peeked through the peephole and opened the door when she saw who it was.

   “What are you two doing here so early?” Kagome yawned as Ayumi and Rin stepped into her apartment. She coughed in surprise as the two grabbed her in a group hug so tight it stole the breath from her lungs. She giggled when she regained her breath and ruffled their hair roughly, they protested and pulled back from the assault.

   “Are you okay?” Ayumi asked as she fixed her hair with a slight pout.

   “I’m fine.” Kagome answered as she shut the door and moved towards her kitchen. She needed a cup of coffee if she was going to deal with these two morning birds. “Now answer my question, what are you two doing here so early? Don’t you have classes?”

   “I don’t!” Rin spoke up from where she’d sat at the island in the kitchen. “Just some assignments due at the end of the week.”

   “I do.” Ayumi admitted, she’d come this early because she had some classes she had to teach in the second half of the day for her students. “I have afternoon classes, that’s why we’re here early.”

   “Gotch’ya.” Kagome murmured as she tossed a mug under her single portion brewer. It was just a moment before the heavenly scent of caffeine filled the room. When it was done she picked it up with a happy hum as she sniffed the cup. She sipped it as she eyed her friends and shook her head at the way they seemed to be inspecting her.

   “Seriously you two, I’ll be fine.” Kagome assured them as she held the warm cup between her hands. She was starting to feel just a touch uncomfortable with the way they seemed to be inspecting her like a specimen under a microscope. “I’ll just stay home and do some self care today.”

   “You’re sure you don’t want to go out and have a girl’s day?” Rin asked, happy to offer her friend some time out. She puffed her cheeks out when Kagome shook her head at the offer. When Kagome only laughed at her Rin shrugged.

   “Fine, you’re okay. Heaven forbid we have a girls day.”

   “Rin, we both know Kagome tends to be a homebody, let’s leave her be.” Ayumi comforted the younger woman with a hand on her shoulder. “Kagome, just give us a call if you need some company. But it seems like right now you want to be alone, so we’ll head out. I’m just glad you seem okay.”

   Kagome nodded at her friends with a smile. She loved how protective they were, and while they did sometimes drag her out of her home despite her protests it was never when she truly didn’t wish to leave. They were some of the best friends she could ask for. She gave them each a tight hug as they left, she waved as she saw them out.

   She returned to her living room and stared out the window across the city below her. It was time for her to prioritize herself, not someone else. She sipped the coffee as she contemplated what she wanted to do today. She was already awake so it seemed like a waste to go back to bed. The traffic below caught her attention as she noticed Rin’s car pull away from the curb and zoom off into the chaos.

   She sat there with her mind just wandering aimlessly for many minutes as she slowly finished her mug of coffee. Her eyes followed random vehicles as they traveled below her, her thoughts flitting from one random thing to another. She was content as she did so, a peacefulness was present in her room as she sat in the quiet. She lost track of the time, her activity was almost meditative.

   She was shaken from the zen she was experiencing by her phone vibrating and ringing in her room where it was plugged in. She stared at her door for a moment as she contemplated ignoring it, but knew she couldn’t. It might be important, or her editor contacting her. With a sigh she stood from her seat and entered her room. A glance at the caller ID made her wish she’d chosen to ignore it.

   “What do you want?” She snapped as she answered it. 

   “Let’s get breakfast.” Hojo’s voice on the other end was trying to coax her to agree. “So we can talk about what happened last night.”

   “There’s nothing to discuss, Hojo. We’re done, over, finished.” Kagome answered as she paced in her room.

   “We can’t be over, Kagome. We’ve been together for so long. Don’t breakup with me just because of one mistake.”

   “It wasn’t just one, Hojo. Yesterday was our anniversary, and you decided to go visit Yuka and her mother instead of going on our date.” Kagome sighed, already weary of the conversation. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Do whatever you want. We. Are. Over.”

   She hung up the call and when after a few moments her phone rang again she declined the call. She pressed the contacts app on her phone and pulled his card up, her finger hovered over the red words ‘block contact’. Her hesitation disappeared when her phone vibrated again, showing him attempting to coax her through text this time. She pressed the button and turned her screen off as she tossed it to the bed.

   It hurt still, she hated that it hurt. She had to remind herself that it hadn’t even been 24 hours, of course it still hurt. She’d been so excited for their date yesterday to celebrate two years together. She ran her hands through her hair as she took another deep breath to steady her emotions.

  1. He had prioritized so many other people and insignificant things over her for the past six months.
  2. He had flaked on their anniversary date.
  3. He always made her out to be the bad guy when she got upset with him about anything.

   Yes, it was time to move on. She would be okay, she would find someone who prioritizes her the way she prioritized them. She moved to her bathroom to take a nice hot shower. So what if it was so long that the water turned cold? She deserved it.

   Kagome stared at her face in the mirror, her hair wrapped up in a towel on her head. She offered herself a smile then shook her head at her silliness. She took her time with her makeup, applying her mascara and eyeshadow she felt she looked pretty and leaned back. It felt good to feel pretty despite the chaotic storm of emotions that swirled in her heart and head.

   Moving towards her closet she considered her clothing. She slid some items to and fro as she debated what she wanted to wear. She settled on a pleated blue skirt and light grey sleeveless top. After dressing she went back to the bathroom, taking the time to blow dry her hair. She then braided it so it hung gracefully over her shoulder.

   A flash of anger heated her when her phone went off again, but she pushed it away. It couldn’t be him, she’d just blocked him. She picked up her phone and a soft smile pulled at her lips when she saw who it was that had texted her.

    ‘Good morning, Kagome. Rin said she’d visited you, how’re you doing?’ Sesshoumaru had messaged.

   She typed a quick response. ‘I’m fine. Going to order some breakfast and do some editing on my book.’

   She slid the phone into her skirt pocket and moved to her study. Sitting down at her computer and opening her email to see if there had been any new feedback from her editor. She lost track of time as she hyper focused on what she loved to do, write.

* * *

   Her doorbell went off, startling Kagome out of her focus on her screen. She glanced at the clock and groaned when she realized she’d gone the whole day without eating anything. She stood and stretched as she moved to answer the door. Scared for a moment that it might be Hojo she peeked through the peephole again, relief washed over her when she saw who it was.

   She opened the door and greeted Sesshoumaru with a smile. He held his helmet under his arm, his riding suit fitting him in all the best ways for his figure. He had his long white hair in a braid that swayed hypnotically with each step he took. She stepped aside so he could enter, once he was in she went to shut her door. A voice down the hallway caught her attention and she glanced over to see Hojo approaching. Her eyes widened as she quickly shut the door and locked it, just in the nick of time too. He pounded on the door, shouting for her to let him in.

   “Kagome. It’s okay, calm down.” Sesshoumaru’s voice pulled Kagome’s attention to him, suddenly she was aware of the tears that were streaming down her face as the pounding and shouting continued at her door. She stared at him, trying to focus on his golden eyes and magenta striped face. She held her hand out asking for contact to help her ground further.

   Sesshoumaru didn’t hesitate and held her hand firmly, he pulled her away from the door and to her study. Once they were in the room he closed the door, helping to muffle the sounds coming from her entryway. He moved Kagome to her chair so she could sit down and steady herself. Once he could see that she was starting to calm down, Sesshoumaru pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

   “This is Sesshoumaru Taisho. Kagome Higurashi in unit 225 is getting harassed by someone banging and shouting outside her door. Please send security up immediately.” His voice was hard as he spoke into his cell. Kagome closed her eyes and just listened, her heartbeat slowing down again. She heard a male voice on the other side of the call speaking before Sesshoumaru continued. “He is not welcome. Now or ever again, Kagome will contact you later to have his access code deactivated. She’s been dealing with a lot and probably forgot to tell you last night.”

   A few more exchanges over the phone happened, but Kagome was calm again and was watching Sesshoumaru handling the situation for her. When he hung up on the call he turned to her and seemed to study her for a moment.

   “Why don’t you go freshen up, when you’re done I’ll take you to get some food. I feel like you haven’t eaten today, from the lack of any scent of food in the apartment.” His voice was low and comforting as he offered a hand to help her up. Kagome offered him a smile and nodded as she stood and made her way to her bathroom. She used everything in her to ignore the pounding happening at her door.

   She looked at herself in the mirror and cringed at the sight she made. Her mascara had run horribly, giving her serious panda eyes. She washed her face, her striking blue eyes now free of any adornment. She glanced at her makeup palette and wondered if she should reapply her eyeshadow. She decided against it and just threw some mascara on, hopefully this time it wouldn’t be ruined by tears.

   She had been focused on her task and was relieved when she stepped out of the bathroom that there was no more pounding on the door or shouting to be heard. She saw Sesshoumaru standing in the open door talking with the building’s doorman. Myoga caught a glance of her and waved her over, his older face offering her a gentle smile.

   “Dear, did you want to revoke his access code to the building?” He asked her as he held out a tablet with the notification of access denial. She read through the form, verifying that all the information was correct before taking her finger and signing it.

   “Thank you Myoga, I’m so sorry for the trouble. I didn’t even think of calling yesterday night to do this in advance.” Kagome apologized as Myoga signed his own name below hers to complete the task.

   “Think nothing of it, dear, I’m just happy you’re safe and sound.” Myoga assured as he offered them a small bow. “If there’s nothing else you need from me I will head down and make the proper adjustments in the system.”

   “Thank you.” Kagome said again as she returned his bow and waved as he left. She turned to Sesshoumaru and before she could speak her stomach announced its displeasure at not having been fed all day. Sesshoumaru’s laugh at the sound caused Kagome’s face to heat with embarrassment.

   “Let’s go get some food.” Sesshoumaru said as he motioned for her to grab her keys. She nodded and retrieved them, slipping on some white tennis shoes over her socks when she returned to the door.

   “Sounds good.” She agreed, closing the door behind them as they headed for the elevator. The ride down to the garage was comfortable as they stood in silence. When the doors opened, Sesshoumaru spoke up.

   “What should we grab?” They reached his bike and he pulled a second helmet from the storage space beneath the seat. He handed it to her as he waited patiently for her answer to his question.

   “I’m not craving anything in particular, why don’t you pick?” Kagome responded as she pulled the black helmet over her head, thankful she had her hair in a braid so that it wasn’t difficult to see through the visor on the front of the helmet.

   “I can do that.” Sesshoumaru nodded as he pulled his own helmet on and mounted the bike. Once he was settled he held his arm out to help steady Kagome as she climbed up behind him. “Hold on tight, don’t want you falling off.”

   Kagome giggled at the usual words of concern that Sesshoumaru spoke whenever she rode with him. Once she was settled behind him she wrapped her arms around his waist and felt comfortable with the familiar rumble of the motor as he started the bike and left the garage.

   Evening had fallen over the city with a dusky orange light only visible as a sliver on the horizon. The stars were starting to peak out in the darkest parts of the sky, the crescent moon offering its ethereal light in addition to the city lights. It was a comfortable ride, not too warm or cold. The wind whipped their braids behind them, Kagome could feel her own braid bumping into his from time to time and smiled. She rested her head against his back as they drove.

   The ride was comfortable and Kagome felt herself relaxing against his back as they moved smoothly through the traffic of the city. She watched silently as cars and lights raced by. When Sesshoumaru slowed the bike down and pulled into a parking lot Kagome pulled back to see where they’d come. She couldn’t stop the snort of laughter that escaped her as she saw where they were.

   It was the restaurant they’d met at when she’d joined Rin’s birthday party a year ago. She shook her head as she realized that Sesshoumaru intended to once again spoil her. She wouldn’t argue it today, the idea of being spoiled by someone felt nice. Sesshoumaru parked the bike and again offered her his arm to get off the bike.

   Together they stored their helmets in the bike and then entered the restaurant. They were greeted by the hostess who offered them a warm smile. When Sesshoumaru motioned that it was just the two of them she nodded and led them to a table settled next to one of the windows that provided them a view of the river. Kagome lifted the menu to see what sounded good.

   The meal passed with comfortable conversation about her book, his research, just odds and ends they hadn’t spoken about on the phone. After they were done eating Kagome sat back in her chair and placed a hand on her stomach in mock discomfort.

   “I ate too much.” She lied good naturedly. “If I continue to let you feed me like this, I’ll get fat!”

   “I doubt that.” Sesshoumaru chuckled at her display as he shook his head at her antics. His expression turned pensive as he watched her. Kagome caught the change in his expression, and when it looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind she motioned for him to speak.

   “What is it?” Her words seemed to catch him off guard and he hesitated before finally speaking.

   “I don’t know if this is the best time to say this, Kagome.” His eyes studied her quietly, Kagome could see he wanted to say whatever it was but thought it was best not to at this moment.

   “Sesshoumaru, you’ve been my best friend since we met. You’ve never done anything to make me uncomfortable or hurt me. Just say whatever’s on your mind.” She leaned on the table, focusing on him. It was clear she intended to hear whatever it was he had to say.

   “You just broke up with Hojo, I understand that people need time to heal from breakups. Would it be too much to ask you to make me your first consideration when you start looking for someone again?” His eyes flickered from her face to the view through the window as if unsure if he wanted to hear her answer. Kagome sat back in her seat and watched him quietly for several moments.

   In the time they’d known each other she’d never considered having a romantic relationship with Sesshoumaru, but that was because she was already in a relationship. She thought back on everything they’d done together as friends and how he’d treated her. She felt silly for not realizing he’d liked her in that manner, it was clear that he had cared for her beyond friendship. But even though he’d cared for her and helped her whenever she’d needed it he had never spoken about these feelings, respecting the fact that she was in a relationship already.

   He had always been respectful of every boundary she had set, but had made himself available to help her at the drop of a hat. Despite his busy schedule with his research at the medical college, they’d always been able to meet up and hang out as and with friends for things everyone enjoyed.

   “I will consider it.” Kagome finally answered, amused with the happy shock that flashed across his expression. “I don’t know when I will be ready to start another relationship, but from knowing you over this period of time I feel comfortable with you and the idea of trying to date you.”

   Sesshoumaru smiled at her, something she rarely saw. Yes he loved to smirk, chuckle, even laugh on occasion, but this full and happy smile she’d seen only a few times. She couldn’t stop the returning smile that forced its way onto her own lips.

* * *

   “So we’re still set for tomorrow right?” Kagome asked into the phone perched between her shoulder and her cheek as she finished washing up the dinner dishes. She laughed at Rin’s voice in the background complaining that Sesshoumaru wasn’t paying attention to her rehearsal.

   “Of course, love.” He responded even as he was interrupted yet again by Rin. ‘Rin, just a moment please. It’s Kagome.’

    ‘Of course it’s Kagome! You speak to no one else these days! You can spare me 5 minutes!’ Rin shouted in the background causing Kagome to laugh again. ‘Kagome! Spare me your boyfriend, my brother, for 5 minutes! I swear he’ll call you back!’

   “I must go, if I don’t she just might break my phone in retaliation.” Sesshoumaru groaned in faux frustration at his sister. “I’ll speak with you later.”

   “It’s okay, I’m going to bed after we hang up. We can chat some more tomorrow.” Kagome said as she dried her hands on the towel and hung it back on the oven handle. “Have a good night.”

   “Sleep well.”

   Kagome washed her face and glanced in the mirror, a small smile refused to leave her lips as she considered their plans for the following day. They were going out to celebrate their one year anniversary. Looking back, she was thankful that he’d spoken up that night in the restaurant. He had been patient with her as she focused on herself after her breakup with Hojo, his care and attention for her never ceased as she took her time.

   They had gone out together just the two of them several times before she’d asked him if he was still interested in dating her. His enthusiastic response had reassured her and they made it official one year ago tomorrow. In that one year he had shown his actions to be genuine as his attention to her never faltered from what he’d provided before. She dried her face off and settled into bed, she drifted off to sleep with that smile still on her face.

   She was happy. She was his priority, and he was hers. They had fought a few times so far this year, but every time they faced it together, talked it out, and compromised with each other. She knew him so much better now and was confident that his personality would continue to push her to grow in the same way she could for him. He was more sociable even with people he didn’t know, and she was slower to anger and consider the situation before reacting.

   As Kagome fell to the dreams that came surging forward, Sesshoumaru offered Rin a glare after the practice was done.

   “Did you have to rush me off our call?” He grumped at her, Rin laughed in response. He showed some childishness now that he hadn’t before he started dating Kagome.

   “Give her some beauty rest! If you don't, she might hate you for looking tired in the photos, let her look her best in your proposal pictures.” Rin responded as she smacked his arm playfully. She was happy for her eldest brother and her friend. They both seemed so happy together, she’d never heard a complaint from either one of them about the other. Even when she knew they were in the middle of a fight they never spoke badly about their partner to others.

   “Fine.” Sesshoumaru agreed as he glanced at the music sheets on the stand in front of Rin. “Do you think she’ll like everything?” He questioned as his mind ran through all that he had planned for tomorrow.

   “She’ll love it, I’m sure.” Rin assured with a smile. “Now you need to go get sleep too.” She pushed him towards the stairs to his room, he hesitated only for a moment before nodding. He fell asleep going over everything time and again, wanting it to be perfect for her. He hated that she’d had to suffer from the breakup with Hojo, but deep down he was thankful for it. It had allowed them to find each other's comfort and a relationship that he had long wished for.

   If she said yes to his proposal tomorrow he looked forward to another of their favorite night cruises on his bike. It had long ago become one of their favorite activities. Her sitting on the back, arms wrapped around his waist as their hair whipped behind them, intertwining in ways that felt intimate and special.