From Your Palette to My Heart by Aurora Antheia Raine

From Your Palette to My Heart

Title: From Your Palette to My Heart
Author: Aurora Antheia Raine
Prompt: Leather (Third Anniversary Challenge)
Genre: AU, Romance
Rating: T
Warnings: Beware, do not overdose on fluffiness! ;3
Word Count: 1,806
Summary: The process of gift exchanging is always full of ups and downs…


Sesshoumaru restlessly paced back and forth on his plush ivory carpet, impatience deeply etched upon his face. He lifted his wrist and glanced at his watch, scowling when he noticed the time. Where was she? They were about to be late and… Oh. Sesshoumaru paused in thought when he realized he knew just where she was.

Two weeks ago, Kagome had decided to lock herself in their family room, forbidding anyone from entering, especially him. She had not shared her plans with him and had chosen, instead, to practically ignore him the entire two weeks (and counting). She went to bed late every night and woke up every morning before he did. Sesshoumaru would attempt to check on her before leaving for work, but the door was always locked and she refused to come out, even for something as simple as a good morning kiss. It felt like he had not seen her, much less touched her, for years.

At first, he had been overcome with worry. Perhaps she was upset with him, but through the barrier of the door, Kagome had convinced him that was not the case. Then, Sesshoumaru had grown suspicious. Did she have someone in there with her? He had quickly dispelled those thoughts. He loved her as she loved him. There was absolutely no reason for her to be unfaithful, especially when Kagome frequently compliments him on being a wonderful, loving boyfriend.

Now; however, he was growing angry. It appeared as though they would lose their dinner reservation - the one he had worked so hard to obtain - because they were due in an hour and Kagome was still MIA. It had not been an easy feat to reserve a table at the most elegant, high class restaurant in all of Tokyo on a Saturday night, but he had managed… and yet, it seemed as though Kagome did not care.

He glanced at his watch again, feeling his temper stir. Did he mean so little to her that she would forget? Today of all days? Had she forgotten the effort he had put forth to plan for this day? He had told her in advance that this day would be special, that he would make it so. Did she decide to make it “special” by standing him up?

Running a hand through his hair, he sat down on the couch, resting his elbows upon his thighs as he sighed. Several tense moments later, just as Sesshoumaru was about to give up on Kagome’s arrival, he heard the faint creak of a door opening. He looked up and noticed her walking down the hall towards him, dressed comfortably in a tank top and a pair of sweats. Her hair was thrown up in a wildly loose ponytail, but even then, she was utterly beautiful.

“Hi Sesshoumaru,” she said, voice cheery and upbeat as she came to a stop before him.

He sat up ramrod straight in his seat, a single eyebrow raised in disbelief as he stared at her, waiting for another response. When Kagome only looked at him expectantly, he nearly lost it.
 
“What?” he practically seethed between clenched teeth.

She quirked her own eyebrow. “I said ‘Hi Sesshoumaru?’”

“Is that all you have to say to me after completely shutting me out of your life for the past two weeks?” Sesshoumaru snapped, rising to his feet to tower over her.

“Well…,” Kagome started, but he interrupted before she could continue.

“Have you any idea the torment you have put me through with your absence? I wake to an empty bed. I come home to an empty house and sleep on a cold mattress. I eat alone, sit alone, and shower alone while my girlfriend is in a room I am forbidden to enter with no explanations as to why. Do you even remember tonight’s occasion or has that completely slipped your mind? Perhaps you have forgotten me as well. If that is the case, then it would be best if we go our separate ways as it is becoming clearer and clearer that we are not suitable for each other,” Sesshoumaru raved, pacing back and forth again.

With a deep sigh, he fell silent, waiting for her response. To his utter disbelief, Kagome merely grinned up at him. Normally, his heart would melt at the sight of her glorious smile, but today… it only hardened in anger. Was she mental?

He had just given her a verbal lashing so harsh, anyone else would have burst into tears and still, she stood - quiet as a mouse with that silly smile on her face. Did she not comprehend that he was attempting to tell her that she had wounded him deeply by her inattention? Did she not understand that he might actually leave her?

“That’s the most I’ve ever heard you talk in a minute,” Kagome commented happily, rocking back and forth on the soles of her feet.

Utterly speechless at her lack of response, Sesshoumaru could only blink at her in confusion.

“But…,” she continued. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, anyway, that I’ve really fallen in love with someone. The last two weeks were wonderful since I spent it with him and…”

At breakneck speed, Sesshoumaru shoved past her and ran to the family room, intent on mutilating the man who had dared to intrude on his once beautiful relationship. He burst through the door and his footsteps immediately faltered.

He had come face to face with himself.

In the center of one wall, staring at Sesshoumaru with narrowed eyes, was a painting of himself in a leather jacket, leaning sideways against a motorcycle. He remembered that period of his life well. When he had been fresh out of high school, he had gone through a short lived rebellious phase.

His eyes traveled to the far left and took in the sight of his toddler self with an equally as young Kagome. Both were laughing happily in their diapers as they played in a sandbox. A pile of sand was gathered at the very top of Sesshoumaru’s head while he had his hand raised, ready to throw a handful of the grainy particles at Kagome.

In between the sandbox and bad boy memory was another reminiscence of their past together. Sesshoumaru had a look of pure alarm on his face as Kagome, with a wide beaming smile and sparkling eyes, grabbed him by the shoulders and leapt onto his back.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru turned around to look at Kagome who was standing quietly behind him as he observed her artistic skills. His eyes roved the contours of her face, noticing the faint paint splotches upon her skin - proof that she had slaved away at the mural for quite some time. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kagome lifted her hand and pointed a finger to the side of the wall he had not yet seen in detail.

Nodding in understanding, he turned back to the painted wall. This time, he looked to the far right and saw a photo replica of their visit to Kagome’s favorite botanical garden. Amongst the colorful variation of flowers stood a vibrantly smiling Kagome with her eyes blissfully closed and behind her was Sesshoumaru with his arms wrapped firmly around her. His eyes was closed as well as he savored the feel of her in his arms and the smell of her hair. At the time, they had been unaware, but a stranger had snapped a photograph of them, claiming that they had touched his heart and he wanted to capture the definition of true love at its finest. It hadn’t taken long for Kagome to exchange addresses with him since she had wanted a copy of the photo.

The painting beside it was also from an unexpected snapshot. It was at a family dinner in which he had taken Kagome with him. He had never liked the stiff atmosphere of family dinners and had slipped away for a moment to relax. Unbeknown to him, Kagome had followed him onto the balcony. He had been mildly startled but that quickly gave way to desire when the moonlight cast an ethereal glow upon her. Sesshoumaru had pushed her against the wall, arm resting above her head as he claimed her lips in a fiery kiss while the other wrapped around her waist possessively. Kagome’s fingers had bunched the fabric of his shirt tightly in her grasp, a light flush tinting her cheeks. A bright flash had interrupted them and when Sesshoumaru lifted his gaze, he saw Izayoi scurrying back inside with a camera in her hand.

“So… Do you like it?” Kagome asked nervously.

“You…,” Sesshoumaru tore his eyes away from the mural, completely amazed by her abilities. “You did this? All of this?”

Kagome silently nodded.

“The two weeks you had been in here… you spent painting this for me? For us?”

Kagome nodded again before speaking, “Happy three year anniversary, Sesshoumaru.”

His heart surged as he suddenly realized the depths of her feelings for him. To sacrifice time and sleep for such a wondrous gift to him… To stand silently and take his anger in the living room… it spoke to him in volumes. To hell with his dinner reservation… he had better thing to do.

In one swift movement, Sesshoumaru cupped her face with his hands and covered her lips with his own. He poured all the emotion he felt but could not verbalize into the way he plundered her mouth so thoroughly. Kagome clung to him, pressing her body flush against his, understanding everything he was saying with his body language.

When they broke apart, panting for breath, Sesshoumaru withdrew a small leather box from his pocket and held it up to her.

“And to think… after all the effort you put in, all I got you was jewelry,” Sesshoumaru stated, handing Kagome the box.

Slowly, Kagome opened the lid, revealing a delicate silver ring with a round solitaire diamond in the center. She gasped as she realized the representation of the ring and tears suddenly sprang into her eyes. With quivering lips, she lifted her gaze up to meet Sesshoumaru’s and she watched in a dream-like state as he slowly lowered himself onto one knee, grasping one of her hand in his.

He brushed his lips over her knuckles before meeting her shimmering eyes. “I love you, Kagome, and I promise I will take care of you forever. Will you marry me?”

A happy sob tore from her throat as she threw herself into his arms, burying her face into his neck as she repeatedly murmured her reply.

“Yes, Sesshoumaru. Yes, I will.”

And it was with two hearts overfilled with love and joy that Sesshoumaru slipped the engagement ring onto Kagome’s finger, sealing their future together forever.