Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters.
A/N: I should not be doing a long one-shot, given how many unfinished works I have, but I couldn't resist this! Here's a rather late summer fic on Sesshoumaru and Kagome - think Japan's sunny Okinawa, sandy beaches, traditional summer festivals, fireworks-scented night air, glazed with the magical shimmer of summer love. I bet many of you have imagined Sesshoumaru on the beach, and well, all I can say is enjoy!
~That Summer, Forever~
"Every summer I come back to this place.
Not only because of the breathtaking stretches of white beaches against the deep blue,
The fireworks that bloom magnificently in the inky summer night sky,
The balmy summer breezes,
or the Okinawan folk songs that resonate deep within the soul.
Rather, it's because of a girl.
A girl I met that summer, the summer I will remember forever."
The tender flesh of the mango cube gave way under the slight pressure applied by his tongue, splitting open to release a delightful burst of sweet tropical flavor. He took a generous sip of the shaved ice soda, closing his eyes at the tantalizing ice cold blend of saccharine sweet mango and the slightly sour soda. A can of Asahi or Hoegaarden beer would have been good too, but mango was Mother nature's summer gift to Okinawa.
Furthermore, mango iced soda was her favorite drink. She had claimed there was abit of summer magic to every glass of manga iced soda.
It was a perfect contrast against the almost glaring sun rays shining down upon his topless form. His skin, warmed by the sun, was soothed from the inside by the ice cold liquid down his throat. The salty sea breeze was strong, whipping his hair back. It was paradise, really. Sesshoumaru could not think of a better way to spend summer in Japan. A dinner of a plate of hamachi sashimi and chilled somen with katsuobushi dip at the local restaurant would be perfect.
Year after year he revisited Okinawa, telling himself it was the sunny beaches and summer atmosphere he adored.
But who was he trying to kid? He couldn't fool himself.
Well, he didn't even like the sun that much. He was not the type who could sustain a tan well, so he gave up on tanning since a long time ago.
He might as well admit it; after all, he was the only one listening in on his own thoughts.
It was all because of her.
This girl he met one summer, a girl by the name of Higurashi Kagome.
She made every detail about summer so mesmerizing - the hibiscus blooms were a deeper shade of carmine, the watermelons and mangoes were sweeter.
Even the summer dandelions were flying and giggling with every light kiss from the summer breeze as they floated freely like tiny puffs of clouds against the azure expanse of sky.
She was the reason he came to Okinawa every summer since four years ago. Every year he came, hoping to catch a familiar face within the throngs of summer tourists. He would arrive secretly hopeful, and leave secretly disappointed. He wondered if summer in Okinawa held the same meaning for her as it did for him, and if she remembered the short summer they spent together; the four weeks that became forever.
Four weeks became forever for him; their story was a simple one, but somehow, its impact was immense.
Their meeting was purely a chance meeting. A chance meeting blessed by the wisps of romantic magic lingering in the dizzy heat of mid-summer. It was so ironical too, when they saw each other for the very first time in the midst of a tropical storm.
The storm had come so suddenly; Sesshoumaru was caught unprepared. He was on his way back to his hotel room after strolling along the long stretches of sandy beach, when the skies rumbled and the rain gods above began throwing torrents of water down upon earth. They always called rain "Heaven's Tears", and it did suit his mood then. He had just broken up with his girlfriend of two years, Kaguya, and had wanted to forget all the past unhappiness by taking a trip down to the summer paradise known as Okinawa.
He had taken shelter underneath the eaves of an old shophouse, and had discovered he was not alone when a slender hand holding a floral printed handkerchief was extended to him.
"Here, you can dry yourself with this."
Being what people would label a typical Japanese man, he inclined his head silently to express gratitude before taking the soap-scented floral handkerchief from the hand. It was then when he looked up, and looked into a pair of sparkling eyes that made the gloominess of the tropical storm dissipate into nothingness. Against the backdrop of mercilessly pouring rain and equally merciless winds, she bestowed upon him a smile which warmed his entire being more effectively than the sweltering summer heat on other days.
"You're not from Okinawa, are you?" He asked. That was the first thing he said to her.
She nodded with a smile, the strong winds furiously whipping her long hair back from her clear, sweet features. "Neither are you, judging from the accent. You're from Kanto, right?"
"As you are too." He replied, gauging the similarities in their Japanese accent. "I am from Tokyo. You?"
"How coincidental; I am from Tokyo as well." Her eyes sparkled even more prettily with the blend of excitement and shadows from the dancing raindrops around them. "I am Higurashi, Higurashi Kagome."
"Takagi Sesshoumaru."
"So, Mr. Takagi...what brings you to Okinawa, of all places?"
Casting a sideward glance at the girl sitting beside him before looking out at the torrential rain in the distance again, Sesshoumaru had shrugged. "What about you, Miss Higurashi?"
She had smiled wistfully as well, shrugging in response.
Then his eyes caught hers, and that elicited embarrassed smiles from the two strangers brought together by the hated tropical storm. Neither raised the question of the reason of visit again.
What they had found out about each other was the fact they came alone on the trip, and somehow, it naturally became the convenient excuse for companionship on this summer trip in Japan's very own paradise island.
Sesshoumaru never expected to fall victim to the elusive spell known as summer romance, but fall he did. He had never really been the best companion to anyone, in fact, he clearly decided he wouldn't have wanted himself for a companion. That was how boring he was, being stoic, overly serious and never knowing how to lighten up. That was partly the reason Kaguya initiated a breakup with him - he never was sensitive enough, and she was the type of girl who despite being gorgeous, was always in doubt of herself and requiring assurance. She tended to be overly sensitive over issues around her, and to a man like Sesshoumaru, it was just a constant problem he could never properly tackle.
Yet Kagome was different. Maybe it was simply the duration for which he had known her - it was a mere four weeks, and four weeks was definitely insufficient time to discover too many flaws in an individual. That was perhaps why she was so beautified in his mind.
Then again, she was different. She was different from Kaguya in the sense that she was content with herself. That may seem a simple point, but one would be surprised at the number of people out there who could never ever be satisfied with themselves, only to end up making life tougher than it already was. Kagome's simplicity in being contented with herself and feeling comfortable and confident in her own skin, was as refreshing as the warm sea breezes that wash over the coasts of Okinawa. It took away with it Sesshoumaru's unhappiness, leaving him rejuvenated.
Yet maybe, it was only the summer heat. It deluded, and clouded his senses. Perhaps, the summer sunshine tended to glaze over everything about Higurashi Kagome with a coat of sugared magic, especially when she smiled and laughed in his presence, her large expressive eyes crinkling up at the sides.
There were a few particular incidents that managed to tattoo themselves permanently in his mind, etched forever in memory, free of erosion from the traitor known as time.
He could clearly remember how she suggested a stroll down the beach in the evening, when they could watch the crimson sun retire for the day before slowly sinking into its comfy ocean bed together.
The gradually cooling white sands felt almost blissful to the touch, as their bare toes dug into the slightly warm moist sand beneath the surface with every step taken. It was warm to the extent of being tantalizingly comfortable yet without the sting of heat it gave in the day. She did not really talk much then, and neither did he. When they sat together on a rocky ledge listening to the rhythmic crashes of soft waves against the sandy shores, she simply looked up into the skies above. The sun had completely retired into the previously aquamarine ocean, leaving the stage to the pearly moon with its companions; the vast spread of twinkling stars that somewhat made Sesshoumaru imagine a dozen angels sprinkling glitter and stardust from the clouds onto their darkened art canvas.
It was at that moment, when one of the angels who had escaped Heaven spoke to him. That was what Higurashi Kagome reminded him of then, an angel descended from the starry heavens.
"Look how vast the world beyond is," She mused, smiling in contentment. "Doesn't it make one feel so small and insignificant? What do we really have, what do we really know?"
He had nodded in agreement.
"Yet in this vast world, we managed to meet each other. Two individuals from metropolitan Tokyo, having no one else but each other for companionship in summer paradise Okinawa."
He regarded her beautiful side profile silently, her features doe-like with its kindness and simplicity, sharp but not too sharp to the extent of being too strong. By then, Kagome had already gotten to know Sesshoumaru well enough to know he was the type of man who would listen to every word she said intently, yet without commenting much.
She had continued. "I find it...somewhat amazing. You know, like how we can't really put it in words and-"
Her sentence died then, and it never came back from the dead, for Sesshoumaru had gently wrapped his hand around her soft, slender one.
"We don't need words."
Her eyes were wide with surprise, before a small blissful smile illuminated her face and she nodded in agreement.
They sat hand-in-hand on the rocky ledge in soothing silence, listening to the songs of the sea and the occasional ship in the far distance, while the stars above twinkled somewhat conspirically among themselves. That gave a memorable ending to chapter one of their story, written together in Okinawa.
Sesshoumaru smiled at the fond memory, and took another sip of the mango iced soda he was drinking. Somehow it tasted even sweeter than before, leaving a lingering sense of bliss in his mouth. Laughter came from all around him as happy beach go-ers soaked up the sun rays and played in the crystal clear waters, painting an even prettier picture of the summer at Okinawa.
He remembered how they took the boat out to one of the smaller islands, Taketomi, around Okinawa, where the famous star sand was. Sesshoumaru had always been a staunch believer of science and technology, and the biological explanations behind the pretty star-shaped grains of sand did the lovely natural phenomenon no justice. Scientifically, they were merely fossilized microorganisms, but if one looked at it from another perspective, the beautiful legend behind the star sand only added to the beauty of the summer romance he experienced.
It was romanticizing at its best, but legend had it that the star sand was actually the babies of the Southern Cross star, born in the seas of Okinawa. Unfortunately, they were killed by a giant serpent, only to be rescued by a kind goddess who allowed them to follow the smoke from the incense burned by her worshippers to be reunited with their mother in the sky. That was why Okinawa was blessed with such captivating night skies, with a multitude of smaller stars surrounding the magnificent Southern Cross star.
They had collected the magical star sand together, placing them into tiny glass bottles for good luck and fond memory. He noticed the adorable manner in which she would shake the bottle ever so gingerly, smiling in subconscious bliss when the few grains of star sand emerged from the colored sand in which they were mixed. It once again reminded him of how this girl embraced the simplest joys of life so readily, which was a form of beauty in its own unique way.
"This is so cute!" She would smile and exclaim, before shaking the bottle gently again to peer at the grains of sand.
Then there was the night when they went to a local summer festival together. Kagome was dressed in a demure black yukata with red and pink hibiscus prints, while her long, inky-black hair was twisted elegantly into a simple high bun, held in place by a two-pronged flower hairpin with sprays of kanzashi trailing down. Sesshoumaru was glad he brought his yukata along, a light gray yukata with subtle prints of blue stripes at the hems. It was a very crowded night, with tourists and locals alike. But somehow, summer cast a spell on him again and he became deaf to the redundant noise around him. Instead, all he could see, hear and sense was Kagome.
Holding her hand protectively in his, they mingled with the crowd like any other couple spending the summer together. With her by his side, he found himself enjoying the simple joys of life like she did. They shared a candied apple, taking turns to take bites out of the sweetened fruit by the side of the stall from which they bought the apple. She brought him to play the traditional game of kingyo sukui, a game he had not played since he was twelve, demonstrating her adept skills at catching the little goldfish with the rice paper hoops. Between them, they had managed to catch five fish, all of which they released together in a pond near a local temple. Let them live happily and grow in freedom, she had said.
They had also attempted yoyo-tsuri, where he caught a pretty purple water balloon for her, much to her delight.
He also recalled how they bought okonomiyaki and yakisoba respectively, before sitting at the stone steps leading up to the interior of the temple as they ate. It was a simple, relaxing luxury his status at his company back in Tokyo never allowed, and Sesshoumaru felt as if the weight of the world was removed from his tired shoulders. Amidst appreciative sounds of "This is so delicious!", they ate in comfortable companionship, reaching out occasionally with their chopsticks to try abit of the dish in the other person's hands. Sipping chilled roasted barley tea and fanning themselves with the complimentary uchiwas given out at the festival, Sesshoumaru had never felt more at ease. If life could be like that forever, he would actually enjoy living each day. Even the cicadas' song was not annoying for once.
To put a spectacular end to the summer festival, there was a magnificent fireworks display that night. Sitting on a comfortable spot they found on the grassy slopes by the side of the road, Kagome and Sesshoumaru watched as the majestic flowers of colored sparks burst into full bloom against the inky night skies, only to disappear into nothingness as the wilted petals of sparks fell back onto earth.
Yet another fiery flower would soon steal the momentary limelight by announcing its arrival with a loud bang and a spray of spectacularly colored sparks, adding a romantic touch to the night air. As the purple fireworks burst into an impressive display of mauve, lavender and lilac, Sesshoumaru kissed Kagome tenderly on her left cheek. She had smiled bashfully, deliberately evading his gaze like a shy young girl while he turned away to continue gazing upon the fireworks in the night sky with a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips as well.
But like any other season in the yearly cycle, summer had to come to an end. She had to leave Okinawa earlier than he did due to commitments back in Tokyo, but before she left, Kagome had written her contact number down on a piece of paper and handed it to Sesshoumaru.
Fate chose to play the most cruel joke it could ever play on a man in love.
He discovered he lost the slip of paper when he was on his way back to Tokyo.
He searched high and low for it, but no, Sesshoumaru just could not find it. It was then he realized how little he knew about this mesmerizing stranger named Higurashi Kagome who managed to capture his heart in four weeks. Sesshoumaru wanted to slap himself for how stupid he was, but it was too late. He did not even know where she worked.
That was the drawback of a summer romance - the air was obviously enchanted with the heat, and romanticized activities and events tended to make one get carried away in the blossoming feelings of attraction. It must have been the summer's fault; it made everything too beautiful with its unimaginable magical charm.
Sesshoumaru realized he was subconsciously trying to create excuses to discount the four weeks of dreamy bliss, escaping the reality his feelings knew to hide in denial so as to feel better about losing her contact number. It was something Kagome would never do, he realized. She would never do something so cowardly, deliberately putting something good down so as to derive some form of pathetic consolation.
But it was too late; he had lost the only way of contacting her.
This was already his fourth visit to Okinawa, and somehow, he got the feeling he was going to go back in disappointment again, only to have to act as if he had an enjoyable trip around his acquaintances back in Tokyo.
Sesshoumaru took another long sip of the mango iced soda. The shaved ice was already completely melted, diluting the mango-flavored soda which was no longer carbonated. Though it was not as delicious as it was when freshly-served, Sesshoumaru was once again reminded of why Kagome liked the drink so much. He had drunk it once four years ago with her, and this was the second time. He knew he had to buy it when he walked past the shop selling the drink, and it definitely reminded him strongly of her.
Draining his glass with one final sip, Sesshoumaru shifted and stood up from the beach chair he was in. The sun rays were no longer as sweltering as it was an hour ago, and he liked the way the warmth caressed his bare back softly. Walking towards the quaint little shop selling the iced fruit sodas and summer snacks, Sesshoumaru held the empty glass carefully, intending to return it to the shop.
It was then when he heard a soft gasp, and the slightly unsure whisper of his name.
"Sesshoumaru...?"
His heart skipped a beat.
"Is that you?"
His head snapped up at the sound of the familiar voice, and he found himself looking back into the same sparkling eyes of the beautiful girl he met four summers ago here at Okinawa. She was holding a freshly-prepared glass of mango iced soda in her hands, and as he cast a glance at the empty glass in his hands, Sesshoumaru finally knew what Higurashi Kagome meant.
There was indeed a bit of summer magic in every glass of mango iced soda.
At least, enough summer magic for that summer to last forever.
A/N: That's the end of my summer oneshot! I hope you guys felt the love, the warmth and summer magic lingering in the words. please review to reward my efforts!