Sesshoumaru calmly watched his daughter out on the soccer field, running and laughing with a little pack of seven year olds. When he was in high school, if someone told him that he would be a soccer dad, he would have probably punched them in the teeth. Yet here he was, twelve years later, sitting on a set of steel bleachers and holding a purple Gatorade with a sport cap waiting for his ray of sunshine to come over for a drink.
"Rin, I need you in back!"
His eyes moved from his daughter to her coach. Kagome Higurashi, full time school teacher and part time soccer coach. Coach 'Gome, to her team. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday she led the kids through an hour and a half practice with more enthusiasm than Sesshoumaru had ever seen a full grown adult have. She ran with them every step of the way, even did exercises with them to encourage them to participate.
Athletic women he had never been attracted to. He found them too muscular and not soft in the places that most women would be. There was just something about her; the way she put her hair up, the way her eyes always sparkled when she laughed, the way she never berated the children if they did something wrong like the coach on the field next to them. Her voice had an almost musical quality, and her movements poetry in motion.
Staring was all he would allow himself to do; at the moment Rin was his top priority. It would be that way for the next eleven years until she was in college. Between his daughter and work, he didn't feel there would be a way to fit any sort of dating in. So on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday he got his fill of staring at Rin's attractive soccer coach.
There were other parents there, of course. It was hard not to feel he eyes of the other women that brought in their children roaming his body, hard not to ignore the whispers about his unusual eye color and 'tight buns'. He thanked the gods he was not any of their husbands.
His head flew up when he heard a sharp cry. His little Pelé was on her back in the middle of the field. Before he even had the chance to move, Kagome blew her whistle and told the other children to take a break, and immediately tended to her fallen player. Rather than bounding onto the field, he stayed on the uncomfortable metal bleachers, his hand squeezing the purple Gatorade with sport cap.
Rin lay on the field with Kagome hovering over her for a few moments before sitting up and pointing to her ankle. He watched as Kagome checked his daughter thoroughly, listened to his daughter's giggles.
Then she was up again and running, albeit with a slight limp. Kagome blew her whistle again. "We're done for today, see you tomorrow!"
He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, but he stood. "Pizza for the team at Angelo's, my treat!"
Any thoughts he had after that were drowned out by the cheering of eleven excited seven year olds, and the blinding smile that Kagome gave him.
To hell not dating until Rin was of age; he had a feeling that this athletic, totally not his type woman was worth it.