Unspoiled by forthright
Everything Nice
Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this rainy day moment... especially the curious one. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.
This oneshot was originally posted to Live Journal on May 19, 2010.
Everything Nice
With summer came the rainy season, and while it was pleasant to listen to the steady drum of raindrops on the pavilion roof, the humidity played havoc with Kagome’s hair. She sat at the table, reading by lamplight and absentmindedly pushing her bangs out of her eyes. After so many weeks, they’d become quite shaggy, and when she puffed at them in frustration, two sets of eyes turned her way.
“What is wrong?” inquired Sesshoumaru, seemingly glad for a distraction.
“I need a pair of scissors!” she replied moodily.
The young lord glanced at his teacher, but Hisoka only shrugged. “Is that an item of human provenance?” inquired the neko-youkai uncertainly.
“Erm... yeah,” Kagome replied with a rueful smile. “If I had some, I could give myself a trim,” she explained, making a scissoring motion with her fingers.
“Your hair?” Hisoka asked, studying her more closely. “Hnn... human hair appears to grow faster than a youkai’s does.”
Sesshoumaru gave his own bangs a cross-eyed look. Patting his neatly-parted silver hair, he remarked, “Higurashi does look untidy.”
Kagome bristled, but Hisoka quickly cleared his throat. “You wish to shorten your hair, Higurashi?”
She nodded hopefully. “I know you probably don’t have any scissors, but maybe a small, sharp knife would work?”
Sesshoumaru frowned slightly in concentration, then with a rush, he was sitting cross-legged on the table directly in front of her, golden eyes intent. “Is this human grooming?”
Kagome fumbled to rescue her scroll, which the boy had sent skidding with his maneuver, then cautiously answered, “I suppose so.”
“A trim,” Sesshoumaru murmured, leaning even closer as he studied her overgrown bangs. Then, he reached out and, with a pinching, twisting motion, sent one black lock falling into her lap. “Like that?”
With a gasp, her hand flew to her forehead, checking to see how closely she’d been shorn. To her relief, the section didn’t seem to be too short. However, he’d picked up on her dismay. “Did I do it wrong?” he asked in a very soft voice.
“No, no... it’s all right,” Kagome hastily assured.
Hisoka set aside his own reading materials and said, “Let him groom you.”
“Excuse me?”
“You have enlightened us on the many necessities of human life,” the neko-youkai explained. “I believe today’s lesson should embark upon a study of human customs. As grooming is one of the most basic of inu-youkai practices, a comparison would be most enlightening.” Hisoka propped his chin on his hand, frank curiosity gleaming in orange eyes. “Think of it as a cultural exchange.”
Kagome glanced Sesshoumaru’s way and found an eager light in his wide eyes. With the beginnings of resignation, she sighed and asked, “Do you really want to?”
“Very much,” Sesshoumaru replied solemnly.
Hisoka made a careless little shooing motion with his fingers and directed, “Allow his lordship to groom you while we trade information.”
Fixing Sesshoumaru with a stern look, Kagome held up her thumb and forefinger. “Just a little, and try to keep the ends even.”
He held his fingers next to hers, matching her measurement. Nodding once, he said, “I will.”
With exaggerated care, the lordling tentatively stroked her bangs, exploring their texture. Then, nose quivering, he scooted closer to the edge of the table and threaded his fingers into the loose hair beside her face. “That part doesn’t need to be cut,” she cautioned as Sesshoumaru pulled his hand through the length of her hair, letting it fall back into place.
“I know,” he replied distractedly.
It was a little bizarre to think that Sesshoumaru-sama wanted to touch her, but she reminded herself that it was a child’s curiosity. He’s just a little boy, and this obviously means something to him because he’s inu-youkai. Kagome had a sudden memory of Shippo playing with her hair, toying with the strands while they snuggled together in her sleeping bag. She glanced at Hisoka-sensei, who was watching the young lord thoughtfully, and asked, “Do kitsune groom, too?”
“Naturally,” replied the tutor. “Don’t humans strengthen the bonds of trust through physical contact?”
Kagome slowly nodded. “Yes, of course. Especially a parent and child, and also between... erm... couples.”
Hisoka took her meaning and inclined his head. “All of the senses are employed in varying degrees by every species of youkai, since much of our communication is non-verbal. For instance, neko-youkai primarily depend on visual cues, but inu-youkai rely heavily on scent.” Sesshoumaru chose that moment to lift a lock of hair to his nose and inhale deeply. Huffing in amusement, Hisoka continued, “Grooming is the simplest form of contact, but also the most personal. As you say for humans, it is practiced within the closest circles of an inu-youkai’s pack.”
Kagome tried to wrap her mind around what Hisoka was saying. It made a strange sort of sense to her that inu-youkai depended on non-verbal communication, for Inuyasha had always had a hard time expressing himself with words. He tended to find ways to show that he cared. It had never occurred to her that he might be acting on an instinct from his youkai heritage. Her brows furrowed. What does that say about Sesshoumaru-sama? In the future, did his actions communicate anything that words did not?
While she retraced her meager memories of an adult Sesshoumaru, Hisoka’s voice had taken on the sing-song quality of lecture mode. “...such as sniffing and licking. Of course, there are exceptions. Tails are generally considered off-limits, and kitsune are especially sensitive about them. Also, while it’s not a hard and fast rule, most demons consider it rude or even offensive if you touch their markings without invitation.”
“Do you have markings, Higurashi?” Sesshoumaru inquired when his teacher paused for breath.
“No... unless you count freckles,” Kagome replied with a smile. “Humans don’t have such pretty decorations as yours.”
The little lord frowned slightly. “Males are not pretty,” he corrected.
“You are,” she countered breezily. “And when you grow up, you’ll be beautiful—frighteningly so.”
He cocked his head to one side, as if unsure whether this was insulting or not. Finally he ventured, “Frightening is acceptable.”
Hisoka broke into a fit of coughing that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
With a soft grumble, Sesshoumaru’s expression shifted to one of concentration. Small fingertips grazed the soft skin of Kagome’s cheek before taking her chin in his hand and tilted her face upward. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she held very still while he slowly and methodically trimmed her hair. When he paused midway through the task, she peeped at him from under her lashes. “Hmm?”
“Why do you think I will be frightening?” he asked solemnly. “Are you frightened now, Higurashi?”
Kagome’s eyes widened, then softened. “What does your nose tell you?” she asked gently.
Hisoka hummed approvingly and remarked, “Not many humans would be so calm with a demon’s claws at their throat.”
Sesshoumaru looked down at his hands, then into Kagome’s face, still seeking reassurance. Choosing her words carefully, she said, “If I didn’t know you, I’m sure I’d be very frightened.”
“But you know me,” he reasoned.
For a moment, a vivid memory flashed through her mind—cold rage in golden eyes and ruthless claws hazed in poison. “Yes, I do,” she said firmly, giving him a tremulous smile. “Now, I do.”
End Note: This chapter was written for the Live Journal community dokuga(underscore)contest and their oneshot prompt for Contest #44—Skin. 1,212 words.