Higher Education by SunsetMiko

Chapter 7

All Prompts in this chapter are from Riku Ryuu's Random Prompts unles otherwise specified.

Prompt: Haunted

Sesshoumaru was lying in his bed, staring at his phone on his bedside table, waiting for it to chime. Miroku had given him a great deal of advice, but two parts really stood out and he'd set about following them immediately. The first was to arrange when he would see Kagome next before they parted ways. That way he wouldn't be sitting around wondering if he'd ever see her again. The taiyoukai had done just that, setting up a study date for the two of them late the next morning at the library.

The second bit of advice that Sesshoumaru had decided to follow was to use technology to his benefit. He'd never even considered texting with the miko, but he was glad he got her number and gave it a shot. He'd spent the last few hours exchanging what seemed like hundreds of texts and the taiyoukai felt as if he'd learned more about whom she really was through cell phones than he ever had in person. She shared things with him about her friends, her classes, her past, and her plans for the future.

All the texting made Sesshoumaru feel slightly guilty. In all the time they'd spent together, he'd never really asked her about herself. Instead, he'd simply waited for her to volunteer the information, and that wasn't the gentlemanly way to go about things. He should have tried harder to get to know her rather than just mooning over the miko like a lovesick schoolboy. Thankfully everything he did learn about her he liked. The additional information only made him want her more.

Finally his phone chimed and Sesshoumaru snatched it off his nightstand, eager to see her response. The topic had been turned towards her ex-boyfriends. He had been the one to bring it up by asking what she ever saw in Hojo, hoping to learn what her type was so that he could mold himself into it to gain her attention romantically. Now, she was recounting every relationship she'd ever had, including the good parts and the bad. Much to his relief, there weren't too many of them. She wasn't the type to skip from man to man. No, she was always in search of something meaningful and long term, just like him.

He really needed to get to sleep and he was sure that she did as well, but it was hard to pull away from her. He felt as if he had to reply to every text, and quickly, and he didn't know how to say goodnight without sounding rude. Really, he would rather spend all night talking with her via text than sleeping. He, however, was a demon and could go without rest. She, as a human, could not and he knew she would be miserable in the morning if he didn't put a stop to this soon.

Kagome smiled as her phone chirped again. She didn't know why, but texting was so much easier than talking sometimes and she was thrilled to be able to do so with Sesshoumaru. Her thoughts flowed freely and she'd confessed some things that she never would have been able to speak aloud. He had shared information about his past as well and she felt like she was getting to know him better.

Checking the clock, Kagome sighed. She had class in the morning and then their library study date and she needed to get to sleep. She didn't want their conversation to end, but she was a bear if she didn't get enough rest, and so she quickly texted him a goodnight, including an emoticon kissy face. She couldn't keep from grinning at that. If only she could get up the nerve to really kiss him, even if it was only on the cheek. Until then, however, she would have to make do with cute little animated faces.

Sesshoumaru responded with a goodnight of his own, relieved that she was going to sleep. He, however, couldn't find rest. He lay, staring at the ceiling, thinking of that kissy face emoticon. What did it mean? Was she kissing him goodnight? Did she wish for a real kiss goodnight or was she just being a flirty female? He had no idea what to think of it and that emoticon haunted him a good portion of the night. Even when he got up and tried to study, it dominated his thoughts. How he wished he could just confess to Kagome that he desired her, but he feared receiving a negative reaction, and so he was stuck floundering. Even with Miroku's other advice, he wasn't sure what to do or how to act.

Prompt: Cardamom (Stella's Spicy Challenge)

Kagome groaned as her alarm beeped obnoxiously. She was exhausted and it was her own fault. She'd stayed up far beyond her bedtime before finally deciding to turn in and now she was suffering for it. It wasn't really her fault, however. It was Sesshoumaru's, for being so easy to talk to. Now, she was going to be a zombie in her math class, which was no good. She should have known better than to take math first thing in the morning. She was not a morning person.

The miko clicked on her lamp, dragged herself out of bed, and dressed mechanically, heading to the common bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Once she was back in her room, she sat on her mattress and stared at the opposite wall. She always gave herself extra time to get ready, knowing how hard it was for her to wake up, and now she had a good fifteen minutes before she needed to leave for her class.

Her phone chirped and the miko smiled. She'd assigned that sound to Sesshoumaru and every time she heard it, it made her happy. She picked up the phone and unlocked the screen to see what he'd said. 'Coffee?' she thought to herself. 'Sure, I'd love coffee but I don't have time to run to the cafe.' She typed just that only for the phone to chirp again quickly. 'Open the door?' A huge grin spread across the miko's face as she rose and opened her door.

"Sesshoumaru!" she exclaimed, feeling more awake already at the sight of the two coffee cups in his hands.

"I figured you might be tired since I kept you up late last night. I wasn't sure how you take your coffee, however, so I told the barista to make something girly."

Kagome laughed and accepted her cup, sipping carefully at the hot liquid. "Mmm," she hummed. "It's good."

Sesshoumaru smiled at the happiness on her face and the brightness in her eyes. He'd done that. He'd made her so happy with such a simple gesture, and he hadn't even needed anyone to tell him to do so. Maybe he could handle this romance thing after all. At least he knew he was being a good friend.

Prompt: Rain

"Thanks," Kagome said. "I really needed this."

"It was my pleasure," he replied. "After all, it was I who kept you up late."

"Nah, I stayed up because I wanted to. You didn't force me. You're just too interesting to talk to. It felt like minutes and it was hours!"

"I know exactly what you mean," Sesshoumaru agreed. "Might I walk you to your class?"

Kagome grinned from ear to ear. "If you want to. Is it chilly out?" Even thought it was only late August, the mornings were sometimes cool enough that she wished she'd worn her light jacket.

"It is cool and slightly foggy. It also smells of rain."

The miko quickly pulled on her jacket and grabbed her umbrella, stuffing it into her bag with her textbook and notebook, along with what she would need for the library after class. Once she was ready, she turned her focus back to the taiyoukai. "Thanks for the heads up. I hate getting soaked walking between buildings."

Prompt: Star

Soon, the pair was walking side by side, each sipping their coffee, in a comfortable silence. Sesshoumaru was highly tempted to offer to carry the miko's bag, but he wasn't sure if he should or not. She was a strong, independent woman and he didn't want to give the impression that he saw her as weak. He wasn't sure if that was the chivalrous thing to do these days. He wished that every decision didn't have to be so complicated. He knew he was over-thinking everything, but he didn't want to screw things up.

"You know," Kagome said with a small smile. "A girl could get used to this." She gestured towards the coffee in her hand and Sesshoumaru nodded.

"That can be arranged."

Her smile widened. "You want to be the official Kagome wakeup crew?" she teased. "I could use someone. I can barely dress myself before nine a.m."

Sesshoumaru looked the miko up and down, taking his time, and she giggled. "You look perfectly fine to me."

"Just because my underwear are on the inside and my clothes are on the outside doesn't mean I did the best job of picking my outfit. I hate this shirt. I don't even know why I still have it," she said, gesturing to the sparkly stars covering her t-shirt. "The glitter gets everywhere, and trust me; you never want to get a piece of glitter in your eye. It kills."

"I would imagine so," Sesshoumaru agreed. "Has that ever happened?" he asked. When she gave him a questioning look, he elaborated. "You wearing your underwear on the outside?"

Kagome giggled and the taiyoukai reveled in the sound. "No, but I've worn some horrible combinations before. It's like my eyes and my brain don't communicate properly when I'm tired."

Prompt: Delete

All too soon they had arrived outside the door to Kagome's math class and she had to fight back a sigh. She didn't want to leave Sesshoumaru's presence. After last night, she felt so close to him, and this morning only cemented it. Reminding herself that they would be meeting in the library once her class was over, the miko smiled.

"Well, here's my stop."

"When does your class let out?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Why? You wanna pick me up?" she teased. "Don't worry about that. I'll meet you in the library in two hours. I'm gonna head back to my room and change after class, and I'm throwing this shirt away!"

Sesshoumaru chuckled and the sound sent shivers through Kagome. She loved the sound of his amusement. She knew laughing wasn't something he did often before she befriended him and she loved making him do so. She loved making him happy. He deserved it. He was a wonderful guy and he deserved the best. Too bad he didn't think so. She really needed to work on his self-worth, along with his confidence. She didn't know what had happened in the past that caused him to be so introverted, but she wanted to completely remove it from his memory so that it would no longer affect him.

"Have a good class," he said awkwardly, unsure how to say goodbye to the miko.

"I'll see you soon," she said softly. "And thanks for the coffee." She hurriedly emptied her cup, ignoring the fact that she'd just scalded her tongue. Sesshoumaru took the empty cup from her hand, happy to throw it away for her. They stood, staring at each other in silence for a long moment. Kagome wanted to do something but she didn't know how the taiyoukai would respond. Deciding to go for it, damn the consequences, the miko leaned close and rose up on her toes, pressing a quick kiss to Sesshoumaru's cheek.

Before he could respond, before he could even properly assess what happened, she was gone. She'd kissed him! Sure, it was only on the cheek, but her lips had touched his body! What did it mean? He wanted it to be a sign that she was interested in him as he was in her, but he couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was just a friendly gesture. Maybe it didn't mean anything. He really wanted it to, though. He also hoped that it would happen again. He'd never been kissed before and this was a moment he would never forget.