Six months had passed. Kagome had her precious Marigold planted, and she was taking care of it well. She didn't want the poor thing to die, and she hoped to find the person who sent it to her some day.
One day, she got a letter in the mail. It had no return address, which made her tear it open in hope that it was the person who sent her the Marigold.
"Marigold: Pain or Grief.
I sent this flower to you because of the lifelessness in your eyes. I hope you have regained that light in them. Be happy, dear Kagome. Life is fleeting... it will be gone before you know it."
A blush tinted her cheeks as she read. It seemed as though this person knew her. And well! But... how?
--
It had been around a year since he sent her the flower, and since he had last seen her. He was nearly giddy—yes, giddy!—in excitement to see how she reacted. Did she keep it? Did she throw it away? Did she just put it in a vase? Did she try to preserve it? It had also been six months since he had sent her the letter. He decided to send a letter six months after the flower. He wanted to keep her guessing. Not only that, but sending her things made him surprisingly happy. And, although it was only one thing per six months, it was enough.
He had gotten a hint from his brother—unknowingly to him, of course—that her favorite coffee shop was, in fact, his own! He wondered why he had never seen her, then, and he figured it was because she never went out for coffee before because her fiancé was still alive. As he sat in the coffee shop, his golden eyes secretly peering around, hoping to spy the beauty that had haunted him for the past year. When he spotted her, he composed himself, almost biting on his lip to keep himself from calling out to her. What would he do now? They hadn't gotten off on the best start. Maybe, he thought, he should just leave. Yes, that'd save him a lot of humiliation. Just stand up, leave a tip, and walk away...
"Sesshoumaru?" DAMN IT!
He turned around, only a few paces from the door. What would he do? What would he do?!
"Do I know you?" Be an ass. Perfect.
"Err. Yeah, kind of. It's me, Kagome Higurashi? The party, Sango... it was a year ago?" She only smiled, despite the obvious discomfort. Her smile was as beautiful as ever, and as he looked up, he realized her blue eyes had life in them, making them more beautiful than the ocean. He pursed his lips before he began to drool.
"Oh. Oh, yes. Kagome... the smart-mouth girl who said I would be doing you a favor." ...Open mouth. Insert foot. Swallow.
She only smiled wider, rubbing the back of her neck with a small laugh. "Yeah... about that. I was going through a really bad time. My fiancé went to war, and, well... let's just say he's... not coming home."
It was his chance! His first chance not to make an ass out of himself! He promised himself he would not blow it. "I understand. Losing a loved one... it's very hard for humans." Oh, for the love of!!
She brushed it off, and nodded. "Would... you like to sit, Sesshoumaru? I mean, if you don't want to, or if you have to go somewhere, I understand..."
Whoa, wait. He was making an ass out of himself and she still wanted him to sit? She really was an angel! He nodded, sitting down beside her. "No, this Sesshoumaru has nowhere to go right now."
"Really? You seemed in a hurry."
"I wanted to get back home to do some paperwork." Yeah, that'd work.
She nodded. "Oh yeaaah! Inuyasha told me about that. You're a businessman, you're the vice president of your father's company... and you only come here once a year on business, right?"
He nodded as well. "Yes. I'm far too busy to come more so. Although I do enjoy this little town... except for the presence of my brother."
She grinned. "Well, we all have that one relative that drives us crazy. I have my little brother, Souta. He drives me up the wall!!" She laughed, causing the corners of his lips to turn up slightly.
They talked for hours it seemed, Sesshoumaru enjoying the opportunity to learn more and more about his—yes, his—angel. Kagome enjoyed just having someone to talk to without the awkwardness she shared with her friends. To her, it felt like nothing ever happened when she talked to him.
--
Another box without a return address. Another beautiful package. She grinned in anticipation as she carefully opened it, and gasped as she spotted a yellow rose inside. Like the last, it had a tag tied to it. The tag read, "Yellow Rose: Friendship."