The Flower Girl Chapter 10

Please Forgive Me

Disclaimer:  I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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Once again, the group was uneasy.  Kagome was upset about something - she'd been trying to hide it, but she appeared to be ashamed and sad, and no one seemed to know why - a few had guesses, though.

For several days now, ever since the episode with the egotism thing, Sesshoumaru had neither spoken to, nor of, Kagome, and he'd ignored her presence completely.

It was as if she didn't exist in his eyes.

Of course, he didn't speak to the others much, either, but it didn't bother any of them the way it seemed to be bothering Kagome.

Inuyasha, as always, was completely oblivious to what was going on around him, not having the first clue as to why she was acting the way she was, and in true bumbling-hanyou style, eventually confronted her on it one evening as they lounged in camp - after his ice Lord brother left.

"Oi, wench!  What's your problem lately?  You've been moping and sulking for two days already!"

Kagome stiffened, then spun to face him, glaring at him angrily for a moment, then her shoulders slumped, and she shook her head.

"You're too insensitive to ever understand, baka.  Just leave me alone."  

"What's that supposed to mean, huh?  If you've got something to say to me, Ka-go-me, then why don't ya do it already?"

"Did you think I was upset over you?  I'm not."  When he looked taken aback at that, she shook her head.  "I did something to someone that I'm not proud of, and that's why I'm upset, baka - it has nothing whatsoever to do with you."

"Bah... who the heck do you ever upset that counts, but me?"

He barely finished that statement before Kagome stepped forward, slitted eyes staring into his, and hissed,  "Osuwari, Inuyasha!  A bit self-centered, aren't you?  Everybody counts, not just you - and now I feel even worse, because you truly are the most egotistical person I've ever met.  Baka!"  

She stared hard at him as he groaned, then turned her back on him with a sniff.  Walking back over to the fire, she sat down, and stared into the flames, the sad, shamed look settling on her face again.

Rin and Shippo came over at that point, the little girl sitting next to her, and Shippo crawling into her lap.  She looked away from the fire and smiled half-heartedly at them, and Rin reached over and gave her a hug.

"It's okay, Kagome-sama.  Everyone does things they feel sorry for sometimes - even Sesshoumaru-sama."  She ignored Inuyasha's disbelieving snort.  "If you want to say sorry, why don't you try to find a flower that means that and give it to the person?"

Kagome thought about that as she prepared for bed later, and she thought about it all the next day, too.

Everyone noticed how she seemed to watch every step of their travels the next day, and they could all tell that she was searching for something.  

Only Rin seemed to know what, though - and perhaps that was a good thing, because they passed through a large village late that afternoon, and Rin led Kagome off from the group, both girl's slipping away before anyone noticed.

The child led her to a small hut on the outskirts - one they'd passed by just minutes before, and walked around behind it.  There was a woman there, doing laundry, and the child walked right up to her and smiled engagingly.

"Hello, lady!  Rin's name is Rin, and this is Kagome-sama."  As the lady smiled back at the little girl, enchanted by her sweet demeanor, Rin continued.  "Rin just wanted to ask if it was okay if we picked two of those flowers over there,"  she pointed to the far side of the hut.

Kagome glanced around the woman, only to let out a slight, surprised gasp, and look down at the girl wide-eyed.

'How did she find them?'

The lady glanced over her shoulder at the flowers, and nodded.  "Of course, child!  I hope you enjoy them - they are pretty, are they not?"

"Hai!  But that's not really why we want them.  They're for something special,"  she said, with a glance up at a still surprised Kagome.

"Well, for whatever reason, child, you're free to take as many as you like."

"Rin thanks you - and Kagome-sama does, too!"  With that, and one last smile, she led Kagome over to the patch of flowers and looked them over carefully.

Kagome stared at the girl, tongue-tip just touching the corner of her mouth as she concentrated hard, finally choosing two nearly perfect blooms - and handing one to Kagome, she kept the other for herself.

With that, the two girls hurried back to their companions, and Kagome said not a word to anyone for the rest of the afternoon.

Later that evening, Kagome gathered all her courage, and with a dry mouth, she clutched the flower in her hand, and walked up to Sesshoumaru where he'd settled after dinner.

Stopping in front of him, she didn't wait for him to acknowledge her, knowing that he wouldn't, she simply knelt before him, bowed deeply, and set the flower at his feet, before standing and backing away, still with head bent.

After a few seconds, she turned and walked to her bedding, and sat down with her head still bowed, ignoring the way the camp had gone silent with her little display.

There was no reaction from Sesshoumaru for several minutes, and then suddenly, he asked,  "What does this flower mean, miko?"

"It means I'm sorry, please forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama.  I said and did some things,"  voice sinking to a shamed whisper,  "the other day, and I really didn't mean them."

It got quiet again for a moment, and then his voice came again, steady, stoic, but carrying a small, pleased note within it.

"Apology accepted... Kagome."  

For a reason unknown to her, and one she didn't look very deeply into, she blushed when she heard her name from him for the first time, and a small, but genuine smile settled on her lips.

"Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama."

It was a very silent group that watched the interchange - silent, and wondering.

Inuyasha himself was even quiet - but his silence was filled with fear, anger - and suspicion.  He was very sure he didn't like what had just happened... even if he couldn't figure out for sure what was going on.

'He's never said her name before - and what was with that blush?  It was just a stupid apology!'  

He flicked a quick glance at his brother, and scowled.

'He's been watching her too much lately.  Something's going on...'

'And I really don't like it.'

Rin smiled quietly, and carefully pressed a pretty, purple hyacinth into her book.

'One more memory...'