Taisho Promise

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Here’s another chapter and thank you again Jaxxia7. I’m really sorry about your lose. You have my prayers.

Chapter 5: Asking

Kagome gathered her books and headed downstairs. After her tutoring session with Sesshoumaru the day before she decided to start exercising more. That meant walking to school instead of getting a ride from her mom and she knew she would have to change her eating habits as well but she also knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

“Morning Mom.” Kagome chirped as she walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning Dear. Could you help me set the table for breakfast? Afterwards I’ll take you to school.”

Kagome smiled, “I’ll help you set the table but I’ve decided to walk to school today. Prom’s only a few weeks away and I want to loose some weight before we go get my dress.”
Mrs. Higurashi smiled, “All right then.”

Kagome set the table and sat down with her grandfather and Souta to eat. After drinking down a tall glass of orange juice and a couple pieces of toast, Kagome placed her dishes in the sink and headed out the door.

The day looked like it was going to be a good one. School went by as normal; classes, teasing and more classes until lunch time rolled around.

“Hey Kagome“, Shippou said happily, sitting down at the table next to her.

“How you doing Shippou?” Kagome asked with a bright smile.

Shippou sighed, “Wishing we all had at least one class together and wanting to strangle my science teacher. He actually tried to show me of all youkai how to cultivate a rose bush.”

Kagome couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, maybe he thinks you don’t know what a flower is thinking.”

“I always know what a flower is thinking.” The kitsune complained and took a drink of his fruit juice.

“I don’t doubt it.” Kagome said.

“Kagome!”

Shippou and Kagome looked over their shoulders to see Kirara, Kagura and Kana rushing over to their table.

“We heard that you’re being tutored by Sesshoumaru.” Kirara said as they sat down.

Kagome looked blankly at them before a blush rose up on her cheeks. “Yeah,” she answered softly. “I’m having some trouble in my history class and Sesshoumaru agreed to help me out.”

Kagura sighed dreamily, “What I wouldn’t give to be asked out by him?”

“What wouldn’t we all give?” Kirara asked, earning a glare and a growl from Shippou.

Kagome couldn’t help but giggle at her friend’s antics. She had to admit that Sesshoumaru was very attractive but she wasn’t about to spend more time with him than possible. She was fat and he was the hottie of the school; no way no how. The bell rang and Kagome shot to her feet, grabbing her books.

“See you after school,” she called and rushed out of the lunchroom.

***

Kagome slowly walked home holding her left wrist. Inu Yasha had met her in the hall while she was on her way out the door and shoved her hard into one of the lockers. She fell to the floor, landing on her wrist and twisting it. A hiss escaped her lips as she looked down at it again, trying to rotate it. The joint had swollen and needed ice badly. The only reason she wasn’t running home was any rough movement seemed to aggravate it.

She didn’t notice when a car pulled up alongside her until she heard the horn honk. Looking up she felt her face flame with embarrassment when she saw Sesshoumaru sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Get in,” he said stoically. “I will take you home.”
Kagome licked her suddenly dry lips before slowly walking over to the car. Using her right hand, she opened the door and got in, taking care not to jostle her wrist. Sesshoumaru pulled away from the curb and headed toward the shrine. He didn’t comment on her swollen wrist but was curious as to what had happened. He had a feeling his half-brother was responsible for it.

“You need to put some ice on that.” He said finally.

Kagome nodded silently and hugged her wrist a little closer. No other words were exchanged the rest of the trip. When they arrived at the shrine, Kagome was surprised when Sesshoumaru came around and opened the car door for her. They walked together up the stairs and into the house. Kagome immediately went into the linen closet to get a soft hand towel to wrap some ice up in. Once she was situated with the ice, she breathed a sigh of relief at the coolness of it.

“So, what are we covering today?” Kagome asked, managing to pull her history book from her pack.

“We left off yesterday with the rise of the Roman Empire.” Sesshoumaru answered and opened his book.

They worked a bit longer into the evening, having to vacate the living room to Kagome’s bedroom just to have a bit of privacy to concentrate. Kagome felt another headache coming on just thinking about all the emperors that ruled over Rome for such a long time.

“Now I remember why I don’t like history.” Kagome grumbled, closing her book.

“One can learn much from others past mistakes.“ Sesshoumaru stated, tucking his own book away.

“True,” Kagome said thoughtfully. “But it seems like no one really took those lessons to heart.”

Sesshoumaru let the briefest ghost of a smile appear on his face. “You may be right Kagome.”

Kagome looked at him for a moment before a frown appeared on her face. “Do you have a date for prom yet?”

Sesshoumaru nearly choked on the glass of water Kagome had provided for him. “No!” he answered quickly. “I am considering not going with anyone if I attend the event at all.” He elaborated when he saw the disappointed look on Kagome’s face. “Why do you ask?”

Kagome shrugged, “I just thought that maybe you’d consider going with my friend Kagura. She’s hoping to get a date for it and I thought you two would look cute together.”

Sesshoumaru inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment he thought the human girl would actually attempt to ask him out. He was here to tutor her and once that was done he would go about his life as before. It wasn’t that he didn’t find her a bit attractive, he just didn’t want a relationship with anyone and any girl he asked would automatically assume they were a couple. This was something he desperately needed to avoid; at least for now.

He abruptly stood, saying something about needing to get home and quietly left the room. Kagome tried to catch him so she could walk him to the door. She heard him thank her mother for their hospitality and walked out without looking back. Kagome was left standing at the bottom of the stairs with a dumbfounded _expression on her face.

***

“About time you got done." Inu Yasha growled, this time sitting in the passenger seat of the car. There was no way he was going to walk all the way home again. Damn he’d be glad when his dad let him have the keys to his car back.
“So, I am stuck with taking you home.” Sesshoumaru said in an exasperated tone.

“Hey, it’s not my fault Dad hasn’t given me my keys back.” Inu Yasha exclaimed.

Sesshoumaru got in the driver’s side and started the engine. “If I remember correctly, it is indeed your fault. You received seven speeding tickets in less than a year. Personally I think you deserve worse than what he is giving you.”

“Of course you would Mr. Perfect.” Inu Yasha complained, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “How’d it go with fat ass?” he asked, changing the subject.

Sesshoumaru decided to have a bit of fun with the question. “She asked if I had an escort for our prom.”

Inu Yasha looked at him incredulously before he burst out laughing. “Oh Kami, you gotta be kidding me? She actually got the guts to ask you out? Damn, what a match! I can picture it now, a scene right out of Carrie. Except this time, instead of pig blood we can use bacon fat.”

Sesshoumaru’s hands tightened on the wheel, suddenly not liking the words and laughter coming from his sibling. In all honesty he didn’t think there was anything really wrong with Kagome. Granted, he believed she could loose some weight but only for healthy reasons as some overweight people tended to develop health problems later in life.

“You will be silent.” Sesshoumaru growled. “Your laughter is very annoying.”

Inu Yasha continued to chuckle, “Wait till I tell Kikyou about this. She’s gonna have a laughing fit.”

***

Kagome walked into school actually feeling good for a change. She’d taken a quick walk before breakfast and returned just in time to take a shower and have a really fast breakfast. Unfortunately that good feeling didn’t last long.

“Hey everybody, look!” Inu Yasha’s voice shouted over the crowed. “It’s the wannabe prom queen. Hey Kagome, heard you actually asked my brother to the prom?”

Kagome frowned in confusion at Inu Yasha, wondering where he’d heard such a rumor.

“No I didn’t.” Kagome explained her bafflement evident. “I asked if he had a date and told him about a friend that wanted to go with him.”

Inu Yasha walked up to her, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “Yeah right. I can see right through that stupid cover story. What happened? Did he turn you down and make you realize you’re just a loser?”

Kagome felt her good mood disappear and get replaced by anger. “He didn’t turn me down because I didn’t ask him you moron. Get your facts straight before you accuse somebody of something. Show the intelligence some of the Inu youkai possess. Of course you are a hanyou, half human maybe the intelligence gene in your family skipped you entirely and went straight to your half brother.”

Kagome half ran down the hall, elated that she’d brought Inu Yasha down a few notches. She totally missed the expression on the hanyou’s face. If she’d seen it she would have run anyway because it was calling for blood.

“You finally stepped over the line Bitch!” he muttered.

Kikyou walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Don’t worry about her Inu, I’ll handle it.”

***

Kagome had been experiencing a feeling of dread all afternoon. Everywhere she went she heard people talking about her and the fabricated question of asking Sesshoumaru to the prom. Kagura had confronted her but Kagome explained to her friends that she had asked for Kagura’s benefit. The wind youkai had almost cried; no one had ever done anything like that for her before.

She had started to feel a bit better until Naraku approached their lunch table and actually warned Kagome to watch her back on the way home. Kagome wondered why he would do such a thing as Naraku never did ANYTHING unless he had something to gain from it.

Kagome was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the footsteps suddenly run up behind her. She was pushed to the ground for the second time in as many days, scraping her hands and knees. Looking up, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Kikyou and a group of her cronies standing around her.

“I’ve tolerated you for a long time Higurashi!” Kikyou stated, looking at her nails. “We let you continue to walk around school virtually unharmed. Today you crossed the line and we’re here to make sure you never cross it again.”

***

Sesshoumaru was on his way to Kagome’s. He had been feeling a bit of guilt all day after hearing the rumors around school. A long sigh escaped him as he thought about the joking he had done to Inu Yasha the night before, having no idea it would be taken so seriously. He had been at the other end of the hall when Kagome exploded in Inu Yasha’s face and silently praised her for such daring. Only he had ever spoken to Inu Yasha in such a manner and to see someone else knock him off his pedestal, a human on top of that, made it all the sweeter.

He turned the corner of Kagome’s street and narrowed his eyes when he saw some of the girls that hung around Inu Yasha standing around something and kicking it viciously. He almost drove by when one of them moved and he saw Kagome laying on the ground curled up in a tight ball with her arms around her head.

Slamming on the brakes, Sesshoumaru quickly exited the vehicle. The girls saw him coming and took off running, laughing that annoying laugh they had and yelling promises to Kagome about teaching her a lesson. The Inu youkai walked up to Kagome and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Kagome?”

Kagome looked up at him, tears falling in rivers from her eyes. “Why? Why’d you tell them I’d asked you?!” she yelled and clumsily got to her feet. “I didn’t ask you to go with me! I already knew you wouldn’t anyway.”

Sesshoumaru took a step toward her, “Kagome.”

“No!” Kagome exclaimed and backed away. “I’ll fail history and take it for summer school if I have to, graduate next year if that’s what it takes. I thought you’d be different not make fun of me or warp my words around. Maybe you’d see past this,” She waved her hands indicating her body. “That maybe you’d actually see I was a nice person just like he used to.”

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome turned and ran as well as she could away from him. The guilt he had been feeling turned to a burning pain which quickly turned to anger. Walking back to his car, he got in and turned it around, speeding back to the school where Inu Yasha was serving detention.

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