Pretty by Breenieweenie
Pretty
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PRETTY
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"Do you think I'm pretty?"
The first time Kagome had asked him that question she had been five years old.
She was outside playing in the yard with an eight year old Inuyasha, while their mothers were inside having tea. Sesshoumaru, being ten years old and the oldest of the three, was the designated 'babysitter'. The two younger children were running around playing tag while Sesshoumaru sat underneath a large oak tree and tried to meditate. Keyword: Tried. It was hard to block out Kagome's giggles and screams of joy as Inuyasha chased her around. Sesshoumaru immediately knew something was wrong when the yard went completely quiet except for a few sniffles.
He quickly opened his eyes to see large, teary-eyed blue ones staring up at him. He backed up a little out of surprise and took a deep breath. He frowned when he noticed Inuyasha was no where to be found.
"What's wrong?"
He watched her sniffle a few times before opening her mouth to answer,"Yasha said that I'm weird looking and stuff cause my two front teeth are missing and I'll scare away all the butterflies and no one will like me ever."
Sesshoumaru was at a loss on how to deal with an emotional five year old. She was honestly too young to really care about her looks, but, then again, she was female.. so maybe not.
"Sessy-kun, do you think I'm pretty?"
Sesshoumaru stared wide-eyed at her for a moment. Pretty? She was five years old. He supposed she was cute for a five year old, even with the missing teeth, but decided it would be better for everyone involved if he just told her that she was pretty.
"Yes."
Her smile was blinding and he had to fight back a smile that threatened to form when she threw her arms around him in a giant hug.
"Oi, Fluffy! You shouldn't lie to her. You know she's freaky looking!" Immediately Kagome jumped off Sesshoumaru and ran up to Inuyasha. She glared up at him before kicking him in the shin.
"I'm gonna tell your mommy 'Yasha!" Kagome yelled as she ran towards the house, a stumbling Inuyasha running after her.
"He's such an idiot." Sesshoumaru said out loud and then returned to his meditation.
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The second time Kagome asked him that question was when she was eleven years old and met his girlfriend for the first time.
She was over at his house playing video games with Inuyasha when Sesshoumaru and his latest girlfriend, Kagura, strolled into the den and plopped on the sofa behind them. Kagome stayed quiet for awhile, but Sesshoumaru noticed that she kept taking peeks at Kagura.
"Kagome.." She jumped at his voice and turned around to face him,"This is my girlfriend Kagura. Kagura, this is Kagome."
Kagome smiled politely and said a quiet, "Hello." Kagura just watched her for a moment before smiling back sweetly and commenting that Kagome was a cute little thing. No one, but Sesshoumaru seemed to notice Kagome's scowl as she turned back around to continue playing Mortal Kombat with Inuyasha. It was a few hours later when Sesshoumaru, coming home from dropping off Kagura, came face to face with an irate eleven year old.
"She said I was cute." Her voice was slightly angry and her cute face was in a pout. He stayed quiet and stared down at her, waiting for her to ellaborate on what exactly about being cute was bothering her. When she didn't get any response from Sesshoumaru she glared up at him.
"I'm eleven years old! I'm not cute! I've grown out of that!"
Taken back by the emotion in her voice, Sesshoumaru just nodded his head and walked around her intending to go upstairs to his bedroom. He was half way upstairs when he heard her voice drift up from the foyer.
"Sessy, do you think I'm pretty?"
He turned around to look at her. She was a thin, gangly pre-teen. He looked her over and supposed that, although she wasn't much to look at now, she would be pretty when she got older.
"Yes."
He could hear the smile in her voice as she skipped back to the den. "I knew it! I knew it! I'm more than cute!"
He shook his head, smiling and continued upstairs to his bedroom.
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The third time Kagome asked him that question she was fifteen years old and had just gotten dumped by her first boyfriend.
She sat on the steps outside his house and stared at the night sky. Sesshoumaru sat quietly next to her and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side. They sat in silence for a few moments before he felt her shudder slightly against him, trying to hold in her tears.
"Inuyasha's an idiot."
She giggled softly and shook her head," No, he's not. He just wants to be happy and I want that for him too."
Sesshoumaru kissed the top of her head and sighed, "You were too good for him anyways Kagome. You don't need him. Anyways, how could he choose Kikyo over you? Your cousin can be quite the little bitch."
Kagome pushed his arm, "You shouldn't say those things about Kikyo. She is a good person.. sometimes."
"Hn."
They stayed quiet for awhile, both just watching the starry sky. Finally, she turned her head and looked up at him. He realized, staring down into her deep, blue eyes, that they were way too close and she smelled way too good for any of this to be appropriate. He made his move to stand up, but she quickly placed her soft, warm hand on the side of his face. Too soft.. too warm..
"Sesshoumaru, do you think I'm pretty?"
He stared at her for a moment, taking in the way the moonlight made her hair shine and her eyes sparkle. The way her soft, full lips parted slightly in anticipation for the answer. She looked so utterly kissable at that moment and he mentally scolded himself for even thinking like that. It was Kagome. She was barely fifteen years old and he was almost twenty-one. Any thoughts he might entertain of kissing her were completely blown off just for the fact that she was so very young and she was Kagome, almost like a little sister. Granted, a little sister he had recently noticed had matured in the most curvacious of ways, but still a little sister none-the-less.
He quickly stood up and immediately missed the warmth from her body being so close to his.
"Of course you're pretty."
He glanced down at her to see her smiling softly. Yes, she was pretty, but he knew she was going to be quite lovely when she was fully grown and he was going to have to be careful over what men she would associate herself with.
"Come on Kagome, I'll take you home."
She placed her soft, warm hand in his and followed him to his car.
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Sesshoumaru was wrong. He always prided himself on never being wrong and always thinking things through clearly and accurately, but he was wrong. Kagome was not lovely as he predicted...
She was absolutely gorgeous.
He sat by the bar nursing a scotch on the rocks and trying not to glance at the raven haired beauty. He scowled while thinking of ways to torture Inuyasha for making him the best man at his wedding. He knew that Kagome was going to be Kikyo's maid-of-honor and he was honestly looking forward to seeing the woman, since it had been quite a few years since their last encounter. Unfortunately, he had no idea that little, itty-bitty Kagome had grown into... THAT!
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye to see her talking with her mother. He eyed the creamy expanse of her back that was left uncovered due to that indecent dress Kikyo had picked out. She had grown so much and she was so damn beautiful that it hurt. He caught himself staring at her when she turned around and they made eye contact. A stunning smile broke out on her face and she slowly made her way towards him. He quickly downed his scotch and ordered another, hoping she wasn't actually coming over to see him although he desperately wanted to see her.
"Hey stranger, I feel like you've been avoiding me all night."
Her voice was musical and he felt himself involuntarily shudder in delight at the sound of it. He quickly responded with a "hn" and tried to avoid looking at her. He knew that during Inuyasha and Kikyo's entire wedding he was staring at her. He also knew that she probably noticed, but was too polite to say anything. The dress that Kikyo had picked out for her maid-of-honor was positively indecent. First of all, there was barely any material and it dipped extremely low in the front, showing off a breathtaking view of her cleavage. As noted before, her entire back was bared to his viewing pleasure and the material of the dress was so light and flimsy that he was positive he could see her panties if he looked closely.
He almost groaned when she sat down next to him and he caught the scent of whatever delicious perfume she was wearing. He tried to keep his eyes away from her, even as she prattled on about what she was studying while she was at college. He realized that she was almost twenty-one years old now and should be graduating from the university soon. He was always away on business and hadn't seen her since her highschool graduation.
He was jerked out of his thoughts when he felt a light weight on his arm. He glanced over to see her dainty, well-manicured hand resting on the sleeve of his tuxedo. "Geeze, Sesshoumaru ignoring me much? I asked you a question."
His eyes glanced at her impassively, "I apologize, I was lost in my thoughts. What did you ask Kagome?"
She arched a brow and smiled mischieviously, "Oh come on, you have to know what I asked. I ask it almost everytime I see you." When she realized he wasn't going to respond because he A.) didn't care or B.) didn't know, she sighed and gave him her most beautiful smile.
"Do you think I'm pretty?"
He should have expected that question, but he didn't. She must realize she's gorgeous, he mused as he looked her over. He was quiet for quite awhile and he noticed she was starting to get a little nervous.
Her voice was a little shaky, "You've never taken this long to answer befo-"
"No."
Her eyes were wide at the stern tone of his voice and her smile faltered, "I'm sorry?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes were unreadable, "You heard me Kagome. I said No, I do not think you are pretty."
He watched as her smile faded and then her eyes turned hard, "I can't believe you are such a dick. Granted, I'm not five years old anymore, but did you have to be so cruel about it?!" She started to get up, intent on walking away, "And to think I've had a crush on you for all these years.. what a way to throw that in a girl's face.." She was muttering to herself now, but stopped when she felt a warm hand on her bare shoulder.
Kagome quckly turned around and glared up at him, "What Mr. I'm-So-Much-Better-Than-Everyone?!"
"You didn't let me finish," He smiled as he stared down at her, "I said No, I do not think you are pretty, but I do think you are beautiful."
As her eyes widened at his admission, he leaned down and kissed her sweetly on the mouth. He savored the taste of her and, as her lips slightly parted in a gasp, he swept his tongue inside. The kiss was magnificent and he reveled at the blush on her cheeks and glazed look in her eyes when they finally broke apart.
"You know," Kagome whispered against his shoulder as she rested against him, "I always thought you were beautiful too."
..FIN..
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