Higher Education by SunsetMiko

Chapter 11

All the prompts in this chapter are from Stella's Soundtrack Challenge 2

Prompt: Club Room

"Hmm," Kagome hummed. "Should have brought snacks."

"You are hungry?" Sesshoumaru asked, instantly concerned for her wellbeing.

"Just a little."

"There's chips and stuff in the house, in the club room," Miroku volunteered. "I'll show ya, Sesshoumaru, if you want." The monk winked at the taiyoukai who was just about to refuse his offer. He couldn't leave Kagome's side! Then people would begin to question his presence and he would be thrown out of the party. He also didn't want to leave her unattended for another male to swoop in and spirit her away.

"Oh, would you?" Kagome asked, not wanting to admit that she'd forgotten to eat breakfast before heading to Sesshoumaru's room to collect him. She needed to eat and soon or she was going to be drunk off her ass in no time. "And if they have any of those little sandwiches?"

Sesshoumaru nodded and rose from his lounge chair. "Of course."

As soon as they were out of earshot of the miko, Miroku leaned in close. "You still haven't made a move, have you? Well, this party is perfect. Girls love to play in the pool. They like to be picked up, floated around. Dude, you'll have more opportunities to touch her today than you've ever had. You just have to relax and go with it."

"And if she rejects me? What am I left with then?"

Miroku smiled sadly for the male before him, who was completely devoid of any confidence whatsoever. "I bet you she won't. If I'm wrong, you can kick my ass."

"How can you be so certain?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Because I know the girl," the monk replied with a grin. "Just trust me."

"That is the part I am having trouble with," the taiyoukai muttered. How could he trust a womanizer who was actively working his way through the sorority? Still, some of Miroku's advice had panned out well for him, so maybe he should give it a shot. He would have to see how Kagome behaved when they got into the pool.

Prompt: Stroll

Sesshoumaru did his best to stroll his way through the crowd with two large plates of food, but it was rough going. He hadn't known what she would prefer, so he'd brought her some of everything. Several times, the plates were nearly knocked from his hands by dancing partiers, and he fought down the desire to growl as another person bumped into him. Finally, he made it outside and the crowd thinned. He made his way directly towards Kagome, hoping and praying some other male hadn't caught her attention while he was alone.

Kagome spotted Sesshoumaru weighed down by two very full plates and she laughed. "Did you bring all the food? Where's Miroku?"

The taiyoukai frowned. "He disappeared soon after showing me to the food, chasing after some red haired girl."

The miko smiled. "He does like redheads. So, whatcha got?"

Sesshoumaru sat down on his lounge chair and held the plates out for her to see. His heart beat faster in his chest at her brilliant smile. She looked so thankful, as if he'd just presented her with a four course meal instead of party food. He watched, still holding both plates, as Kagome hurriedly ate a small sandwich. Then she took one plate from him and continued eating.

"You hungry?" she asked.

"No, but you certainly appear to be."

"Forgot breakfast," she said with a blush. "I was too excited about the party. Spent the whole morning psyching myself up to wear the bikini."

Without thinking, the words simply escaped his mouth without permission. "Time well spent."

Kagome's eyes widened and she began giggling, covering her mouth with one hand. When she swallowed her mouthful of food, she spoke. "Was it now? I guess you really like the bikini."

In truth, it wasn't so much the bikini as the body it bared for his hungry eyes, but he couldn't tell her that and so he simply nodded. "I have yet to see a female more attractive than you," he confessed, having decided to follow some of Miroku's advice. It wasn't easy to say, but he managed without sounding stupid.

The miko blushed brightly, her smile never faltering, which gave him hope. "You really mean it?"

"I would never lie to you, Kagome."

Prompt: Jealousy

After his confession, Sesshoumaru had no idea what to say, so he was actually thankful when Kagome rose and announced she was ready to go swimming. He watched as she adjusted her bikini bottom, snapping it around more of her ass, and he bit back a groan. The hint of pale skin he'd seen was enough to make his mouth water. That was the skin that no one else, not even the sun, saw and he definitely wanted to be one of the few granted the privilege.

"You coming?" she asked.

Like a man walking to his execution, Sesshoumaru rose to his feet and followed the miko along the edge of the pool to the steps. The pool had cleared out somewhat as some people had gone inside for dancing and food, while others had decided to sun themselves on the many lounge chairs, so it wasn't nearly as crowded or wild as it had been.

"You sure you don't want to take that shirt off?" Kagome asked. "It's going to get all waterlogged; it'll be floating all around you. It'll be completely annoying."

Sesshoumaru merely shook his head and Kagome sighed. She turned to face him completely, a sweet smile on her face, and she ran her palms from his shoulders, down his chest, and over his abdomen, her fingertips running along the dips of definition through his shirt. She watched as he tensed initially only to calm quickly under her touch and her smile widened. "Please, for me?" She knew it wasn't fair, that she was taking advantage of his obvious attraction to her, but she also knew she was right. Seeing the reaction of the other females to his body would up his confidence, and he needed that if he was ever going to make a move on her.

With a sigh, Sesshoumaru pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it to the ground beside the pool. "Happy now?" he asked.

"Ecstatic," she replied with a smile. "Now, come on. In the water with you." She could already feel eyes on them and she hoped that her plan didn't backfire on her. Kagome stepped down into the shallow water and gasped. "It's cold!"

"We do not have to swim," he told her. He watched as she took several more steps into the water until it was up to her waist and then she suddenly disappeared under the surface. She came up with a splash a moment later, swinging her soaked hair to the side. She looked like a goddess and he found himself jealous of the droplets of water running down her body. If only he could touch her like that. "It's better once you get your head wet. Come on!" she urged him.

Prompt: Epidemic

Sesshoumaru walked slowly into the water until he stood directly in front of Kagome. He was suddenly distracted by the voices of the various females sunning themselves around the pool, as they discussed him, wondering who he was and why they'd never seen him before. They commented on his body, admiring his muscle definition. The discussion seemed to spread through the females like an airborne disease until they were all infected. They were saying the dirtiest things as they spoke to each other. The things they said they wanted to do to him astounded him and he wondered if Kagome had somehow set this up.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, grasping both his hands and drawing his attention back to her. "You can hear them, can't you? I can't tell what they're saying but just the looks on their faces is enough to know. See, Sesshoumaru? You're attractive. Can't you see that now? They look like they want to eat you alive."

Before she knew what was happening, Sesshoumaru had pulled his hands from hers to catch her waist. He pulled her close, lifting her from her feet, and her arms looped around his neck instinctually for support. The taiyoukai walked further into the water while staring up into her face as she looked down at him. They were so close that their noses touched and Sesshoumaru wished that he could bring himself to kiss her. As it was, he had no idea what he was doing. He'd had an urge and his body took over before his mind evaluated it.

He walked until the water was shoulder deep and he smiled at the miko in his arms before dunking his head underwater. Kagome squealed and craned her neck to keep from going under as well, and when he broke the surface, she swatted at his arm playfully.

"A little warning next time, huh?"

"For the picking you up or the dunking?" he asked.

"You can pick me up like that anytime," she said with a shy smile. "But I need warning if you're going under!"

He let go of her waist and she clung to him, her arms still around his neck. Suddenly she released him and swam backwards away from the taiyoukai. Her breasts jutted out of the water as she moved and he wanted nothing more than to catch her. Still, he didn't know what she wanted and so he hesitated, going slightly deeper in the pool to tread water as he watched her swim circles around him.

After several minutes, she swam to the edge and clung to it, resting. Seeing the few males in the large pool watching her, Sesshoumaru swam over to her side, ready to guard her from any romantic advances.

"You swim like a fish," he said.

"I'd prefer thinking that I swim like a mermaid," Kagome replied.

"Then I stand corrected."

"Come here," the miko whispered softly, encouraging him closer until he'd caged her in the corner of the pool with his body. Sesshoumaru nearly swallowed his tongue at the feeling of her calves running up his legs and he was unable to hold back the soft moan her wrapping her legs around his waist evoked. Her arms looped around his neck and she clung to him, trusting him to keep her from sinking under the surface. "They're drowning in jealousy right now, aren't they?"

Sesshoumaru was torn. It felt incredible, having her body so close to his, but her words had him concerned. Was she only doing this to make the other girls jealous? Was she using him as a tool? Did she truly not have any interest in him? Was this all an act?

Curious himself, Sesshoumaru focused on the voices coming from the girls around the pool and the few in the pool and she was right. They were saying horrible things about the miko, all out of jealousy, and he didn't appreciate it a bit. Focusing back on Kagome, he noticed how her breasts bobbed with the surface of the water between them and he realized that they floated. If her bikini had been any looser, they would have floated right out of it!

"They are green with envy," he replied, tearing his eyes from her breasts. "Does that please you?"

"What's more important is how you feel about it," she said, skirting the question.

"I would like to rip their foul tongues from their mouths," he murmured darkly.

"Okay, that's a little morbid, but how does their attraction to you make you feel?"

"It matters very little whether other females find this Sesshoumaru attractive," he said, adjusting his glasses on his nose nervously with one hand.

"Why not?" Kagome asked. "And why in the world do you want to rip their tongues out?"

"Because they are insulting you and that is unacceptable."

Kagome laughed. "That's just how girls are. They're probably calling me a whore and a slut and just about anything else they can think of, but it's only because they want you and they think I have you. Now, why don't you care what they think about you?"

"Because the opinion of only one female matters to me," he replied honestly. She'd asked and he intended on telling her the truth. He refused to lie to her, even if it meant risking his pride and his heart.

"And who's this special girl?" she asked.

"You, Kagome. Only you."