One Thousand Paper Cranes by hawynislegurl

Frozen

Prompt: Frozen (Kirai's Frozen Challenge)

Words: 1080

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How did it come to this?

Last month, Sesshoumaru had been floating on clouds in pure bliss.  He had finally worked up the courage to propose to his longtime girlfriend of nine years, and to his great pleasure, Kagome had said yes.  Well, not exactly.  First, she’d been shocked speechless – probably because they’d been dating so long without discussing the possibility of further commitment, Sesshoumaru admitted to himself – then she’d started bawling – in uncontrollable happiness, she’d explained, but it was still decidedly unsettling – and then finally, Kagome had put Sesshoumaru out of his misery and shouted her acceptance. 

Although he was relieved, he was uncomfortable with the tears still welling up in his new fiancé’s enchanting blue eyes that he almost forgot to slip the engagement ring on her finger.  It only hit him when her pouty lips formed an awed smile while gazing at the gem: they were engaged.  He couldn’t believe it.

All was perfect in the world.

Fast-forward thirty days, and Sesshoumaru wondered where that happiness had gone, for all he felt now was pain.  Oh, the torture.  He glared at the scraps of paper littering his workspace, some folded to would-be perfection if not for that damnable bit of white at the seams and tips, while the majority was crumpled into tiny balls and tossed to the side, marking his frustration.  If he had to endure this hell much longer, the wedding would have to be called off.  Not only would he lose his mind, but more importantly, he would be physically incapable of walking down the aisle with his bride. 

He hated to concede defeat.  It’s inconceivable.  In his thirty years, Sesshoumaru had never met a corporate rival he couldn’t outcompete, an irritating, annoying, pain-in-his-backside half-brother he couldn’t pound into submission, a cat, even one as aloof as Kagome’s, he couldn’t outstare.  It seems I have finally met my match. 

His enemy lay innocuously on his desk, in a seemingly never-ending pile.  Two by two inches, gleaming gold on one side, pure white on the other.  It taunted him. 

The stupid things were for the wedding.  Senba-dzuru.  One thousand paper cranes. 

In Japanese mythology, cranes represented, amongst other things, longevity because they were said to live for a thousand years.  The tradition of folding origami cranes was popularized from the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who, after developing cancer as a result of the US bombing of Hiroshima, attempted to fold one thousand of them by hand in order to make a wish for a cure. 

In the area of weddings, one thousand cranes symbolized happiness.   Oh, the irony…  Usually, to bestow good luck and prosperity on the couple, someone else did the folding and presented the set to the bridal couple as a gift, sewn together on several strings.  Nowadays though, the bride and groom, and inevitably, their friends and families, folded the one thousand paper cranes by themselves, and had them skillfully, painstakingly glued down to form a larger picture.  Like a puzzle. 

At first it took some time for Sesshoumaru to warm up to the idea.  I have wealth and prosperity enough for ten lifetimes, and luck has nothing to do with marriage.  As with any truly worthy goal, it takes hard work and patience…  Finally understanding the merit of the practice, he could admit that seeing the finished product on his wedding day would fill him with pride; even more, watching the joy light up Kagome’s face.  It would be proof that he could and would do anything to provide for her. 

Now, hindsight being twenty-twenty, Sesshoumaru cursed his foolishness.  It was all he could do, since he couldn’t curse his fiancé, who eagerly suggested that they fold them all by themselves to demonstrate their love and devotion to each other, upon seeing the ridiculously elaborate design – an open Japanese-style fan that had cranes with their wings extended as a pattern.  Their married name, Takemori, would also be embroidered in the gold paper on one side. 

Out of the one thousand cranes needed, he had finished… ninety-one.  In one month, after spending numerous hours each day working diligently and going through too many packs of one-hundred sheets of origami paper for him to really care anymore, he had only finished ninety-one cranes.  Damn. 

It wasn’t that Sesshoumaru was inept at folding origami.  He snorted at the thought.  Theoretically, it was easy: fold, crease; fold, crease.  So simple.  No, what was causing him grief was the size of the paper.  As the folds became smaller and more precise, it was just physically impossible for his large fingers to neatly make the tiny creases.  A perfect, usable crane showed only gold on the outside, no white spots.  His, on the other hand, had either been refolded so many times that the paper became ugly and wrinkled or the finished bird had blotches of missing feathers. 

Even though it was obvious he couldn’t, and shouldn’t, be continuing, his perfectionism wouldn’t let him quit.  Sesshoumaru spent many late night hours practicing, hunched over his desk, face inches away from the precious origami.  Today alone, he had spent five hours locked away in his office, with only six cranes to show for his efforts.

Now I have a problem.

He couldn’t move.  Literally. 

People warn that making a weird face for too long would make their face stay that way.  Well, passing too many hours in a scrunched position left his shoulders so tensed and sore that now he was frozen in his chair with that Igor hump.  His head was pounding, he could barely move his neck, and his hands were so tired they were practically in a coma.  Crap.

Sesshoumaru was tempted, oh so tempted, to give in.  He would even go so far as to admit aloud that the paper had won.  He should save himself from future pain and frustration by just handing the project over to Kagome and her far more delicate fingers. 

And he would have, had heaven not descended in that instant.  He groaned in pure delight as sensation suddenly coursed up and down his spine, finally settling around his shoulders.  Surprisingly strong hands kneaded the hard knots there, moving up to rub his neck and temples, before returning to his back. 

“How’s it coming?”  Kagome gently teased her turtle-like fiancé, never stopping her massage and coaxing his head out of his shell. 

He moaned in response. 

If this was his reward, it was so worth it. 

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Information regarding the Senba-dzuru can be found at Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_origami_cranes

I'm not entirely sure if they do the whole crane-picture thing for weddings in Japan, but that's the way we do it in Hawaii. 

The story about Sadako Sasaki is true.  Just look up Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.

Sooo...  this is my first fanfiction ever.  How'd you like it?

Reviews and comments are very welcome.  Please be kind.  =)

Thanks for reading.