Picture Perfect by Indie

Chapter 1

Standard disclaimer... *sighs* nope, no amount of pocky or raman will get me the rights to these delightful characters. They are still in the capable hands of Rumiko Takahashi.

Picture Perfect

Stretching her arms up over her head, Kagome yawned and squinted at her laptop screen with blurry eyes. She had been up for hours now, conducting research for a project that was due in her art class the following week.

“Who knew looking for the right stock picture would be so tiresome?” she said, moving her forefinger across the mouse pad. In their kitchen, she could hear her best friend shuffling around, most likely in search of a midnight snack.

“How long are you going to be up, woman? It’s after 2 am now. You've been at this for hours. Just what are you looking for anyway?” he growled at her. She smiled and looked over her shoulder at him, her bright brown eyes somewhat blood shot from staring at the screen for hours on end.

“I have a specific picture in mind, InuYasha. It’s just the sifting through all the other pictures that takes so much time,” she told him, accepting the glass of milk he offered her. Crouching down behind the couch, his arms making a pillow for his head on the back, he observed the current set of pictures she was browsing through. Several photos and paintings of white dogs littered the screen, each a possibility.

“Have you tried a simple search for it?” he asked. She nodded, reaching up to rub one of his fuzzy white ears. She loved the texture of them, so silky soft, and she knew he loved having her stroke them as well. Giggling as a small purr like noise erupted from him, she clicked over to the next page, waiting for the screen to fill once again.

“How’s your brother doing?” she asked conversationally, feeling a slight blush tinge her cheeks, something that did not go unnoticed by InuYasha. By the hitch in her voice, he could tell there was a lot more to that question than she was letting on. So he shrugged, blowing his hair out of his eyes and smirked.

“How every rich, cold hearted bastard is now days. Fat and waxing on the finer things in life.” Kagome nodded and focused her attention back on the screen once again. She refused to push on with further questions. It had been months since she had seen him last, although her mind could remember everything like yesterday. She wondered briefly if he ever thought about their time together. Silently, she pushed those thoughts away, knowing they would only lead to heartache.

Yawning once again, she blinked her heavy eyes, noticing that InuYasha had become rather quiet behind her. One quick glance told her he had fallen asleep, his somewhat sharp hanyou features softened in his slumber. She smiled softly, placing her laptop on the coffee table before her and shook him gently. He grumble for a moment, before opening his eyes. Realizing where he was, he stood, walked around the couch and pulled Kagome to her feet. Tiredly, they stumbled down the hallway of their shared apartment, parting at their separate doors with a hug and goodnight wishes.

Soon there after, Kagome fell into her bed, pulling her covers up over her head and drifted off to sleep. She knew she had classes in the morning, and with her project still not completed, she was sure she would have to spend some time after her last class sorting through more images.

This she elected to do in a small café’ the following afternoon, as it was quiet, and she really did not feel like going home just yet. InuYasha would be at work until late, and the idea of staring at her screen in an empty apartment just didn’t fit her mood. The atmosphere here suited her much better, or so she thought, taking a sip of her tea.  Glancing around the little shop, she noted there were only a few patrons present, each seemingly lost in their own little worlds.

With a sigh, she focused her attention back on the screen once again, restarting her search for the ever elusive white dog picture. ‘Sometimes, being a perfectionist has its down sides,’ she reflected. Deciding to try one more page, she clicked the ‘next’ button.  Browsing down the page, her eyes grew wide as they alighted on a stunning painting. Hurriedly, she clicked on the picture, bringing it up for a fuller view.

With a heated blush creeping up her cheeks, she studied the glorious nude form before her. How it ended up under that particular heading, she knew not; nor did she especially care at that moment.

“This is it,” she mumbled, her eyes traveling the length of the detailed painting. White sculpted skin stretched perfectly over well toned muscles, his silver hair gleaming in the dimly cast light. Magenta stripes highlighted his face, arms and lower abdomen. Drawing in a shuddering breath, she reached her fingers out, tracing his form on the screen.

“An incredible likeness.” A deep voice spoke into her ear, causing her to startle and jump. His breath stirred the hairs on her neck, sending delicious shivers down her spine. Her eyes slide closed briefly, relishing the feeling of his closeness. Then she remembered just what she had been staring at. Of all the people to find her here, looking at that picture… it had to be him. Quickly closing her laptop, she turned around, expecting to see his golden eyes bleed with red in anger.

Instead, thinly veiled amusement and lust lit his gaze, burning deep into hers. She shivered again, feeling the heat pool in the pit of her stomach. It had been too long since she had seen him last, at least in person. He still haunted every dream she had each night. No, they had never been close, nor had there been any real sort of relationship between them. 

Just one summer evening in a park, listening to a concert. Some how she had felt connected to him in that moment of time. They had sat in comfortable silence, listening to the music wash over their souls. After it was over, he had drove her home, neither speaking much. Still, she felt like there was something pulling her towards him, calling her heart. Since then, however, she hadn’t seen him anywhere. Chalking that night up to a fluke, she had tried to move on, even if her dreams told her otherwise.

Shaking herself mentally, she sat there in stunned silence, gaping up at the very being whose picture she had just been gazing so lustfully at.

“I- I… Sesshomaru, what are you doing here?” she sputtered guiltily, as if he was in the wrong for being here, and not her.

Leaning over her, he lifted the lid of her laptop, raising one perfectly groomed eyebrow. She moved to shut it again, but he snatched the computer away. Still examining the painting before him, his mouth twitched into a soft smile.

“Yes, it really is an incredible likeness. Are you searching for something, little miko?” he asked, his voice telling her more than she could imagine. Blushing, she turned her face away from him, embarrassed and feeling very much like a peeping tom.

“It’s for an art project,” she whispered finally. Saying nothing, he placed the computer down on the table top once again. His fingers ghosted over her cheek softly, before he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“I can assure you, little miko, that the real thing is far better. Perhaps sometime you would like to see for yourself.”

Kagome’s breath hitched and her heart hammered loudly in her own ears. Eyes wide she whirled around once again, only to find him gone. In his place, a small piece of paper was folded over the back of her chair. Picking it up, she smiled.

Perhaps he wasn’t as unreachable as she thought.