1,000 Paper Cranes

Chapter Thirteen: Stripped Bare

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked curiously, looking around wildly at their surroundings. A few feet ahead of her, Sesshoumaru paid her no heed as he continued walking leisurely.

It was bright and early on a Saturday morning and Sesshoumaru had woken her up from a beautiful, peaceful sleep. He wouldn't tell her what he wanted or where he was taking her, only telling her to hurry up because they had a lot to do. Still half asleep and bleary eyed, Kagome went through her morning routine while Sesshoumaru stood by the door impatiently.

Now, for some reason, they were at an empty high school. To say she was confused would be an understatement.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"You said I had to let go, did you not?" Sesshoumaru replied as he continued walking, "and you said you would walk beside me, did you not?"

"Yes," Kagome answered slowly, drawing out the word, still unsure as to what he wanted to do.

"Then walk with me," he stated as he stopped and turned to face her, holding out a hand for her to take. "Walk with me and assist me in letting go."

Wordlessly, Kagome nodded before striding to his side, placing her hand on top of his outstretched one. Sesshoumaru looked down at their joined hand before lacing their fingers together and dropping it down to their sides. Together, they walked closer to the large school building until Sesshoumaru came to an abrupt stop.

"This is where I met Kagura for the first time," Sesshoumaru explained, using his other hand to point to the corner of a stone ledge. "Spring of my Senior year, I saw her sitting there reading a novel. Captivated by her beauty, I approached her as the suave player I had been but she rejected me instantly. It became a game for me as my desire to have her accept me grew. I did not, still do not, take rejections well. She did not matter to me as a person or as a woman, as long as I won the game in the end. After that, every school day, I would see her upon that ledge and I would attempt to woo her with no success."

Listening to him recalling the past, Kagome could almost envision the scene playing out before her. She imagined a beautiful but young Japanese lady in her high school uniform, sitting beneath the shade on the ledge with a book in her hand. Then she saw a younger uniform clad Sesshoumaru approach her only to be turned down. It was such an endearing image that Kagome couldn't suppress the soft smile that emerged.

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"I did not win the game," Sesshoumaru replied simply.

"So how did you two get together?"

"Patience, Kagome," he murmured, giving her hand a soft squeeze, "All will be revealed in due time."

They stood in front of a tall, white building this time. There were people mulling around here and there. Some had easels set up to paint the forest scenery around them and others were bent over sketchbooks with their pencils in hand. Others held expensive digital cameras as they strolled through the throngs of people.

Kagome gave Sesshoumaru a sideways glance. This did not seem like the type of place he would frequent, but she was also sure that the Sesshoumaru of the past was vastly different from the Sesshoumaru of today.

"Following my graduation, I forgot about Kagura. I attended Musashino Art University, majoring in Architecture here at the Takanodai campus. I never thought I would see her again," Sesshoumaru explained, "until I saw her painting here one day."

"It must have been fate," Kagome murmured, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"She still held a fondness for ledges for that was where I saw her, legs crossed, concentration upon her face, and her paint palette resting beside her while she caressed the canvas with her brush," Sesshoumaru continued.

"Did you talk to her?" she prodded.

"My desire to exceed at the top of my classes in university drove away my desire to be the player I was before, but when I saw her, I knew I needed to have her. I approached her then and I always believed that she saw the difference in me within one glance. She smiled at me when she looked up and she greeted me by name, almost as though I have been on her mind all this time. I asked her out for coffee and she agreed instantly."

"I bet she knew you were a good person all along," Kagome complimented with a smile. Despite the pain Sesshoumaru was going through, his story with Kagura was already a beautiful one and Kagome had always been a sucker for a beautiful, love story. "That's why she remembered you so well."

"Perhaps," Sesshoumaru agreed, "or perhaps I had simply bothered her for far too long."

"So… are we going in or not?" Kagome asked curiously, staring at the small restaurant hidden in the corner of an otherwise busy street. It was a hole in the wall kind of restaurant with a shabby outer appearance and she was surprised that this had been one of Sesshoumaru's stops. If he had not taken her directly to the front of the shop, she would have missed it entirely. It was that unnoticeable.

After another moment of silence, Sesshoumaru seemed to snap out of his reverie as his eyes lost the dazed, faraway stare. Refocused, he nodded his head and pulled the door open, a small bell ringing above them to signal their arrival.

Inside, the interior was in far better shape than the exterior and Kagome took it all in with wide-eyed curiosity. They were quickly seated and cups of steaming tea was served soon after. Menus were handed out, mental debates on what to order had ensued, orders had been placed, and quicker than Kagome could even process, the food had been set before them.

It was a pleasant surprise for her to find that the scent was mouthwatering and the dish looked equally as appetizing. She hadn't been sure of what to expect, but she had not yet been disappointed. She took a bite of her food tentatively and her face immediately brightened in delight.

"This Gyudon is really good," Kagome exclaimed as she took another bite with a wide grin on her face.

Sesshoumaru simply nodded in response before placing a bite-sized piece of his Yakizakana into his mouth with his chopsticks. "This was Kagura's favorite restaurant to visit and this was where our first official date was held."

"It's a very warm restaurant," she commented thoughtfully. "Not as high class as you are now. I guess I have a hard time imagining the kind of man you were with Kagura."

Sesshoumaru was quiet for a moment, as though he were trying to find the best way to phrase his next words. Slowly, he set his chopsticks down and settled his intense gaze on Kagome.

"You will not have a difficult time imagining," he murmured, "because you will experience it firsthand."

Immediately, heat spread over her cheeks, staining them a light pink. Unsure of what to say, Kagome ducked her head down shyly and took in another mouthful of food in response.

Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment longer, feeling a warmth he had not felt for a long time radiating within him. His heart involuntarily skipped a beat at this profound sensation. After Kagura, he had never expected to ever feel any semblance of adoration for a woman.

And yet, here he was, thinking about how attractive Kagome was when she was being bashful. Here he was, a scorned man, thinking about having a future with an enigma he had not yet fully figured out. And perhaps the most surprising of all, Sesshoumaru believed it was truly possible; that perhaps he, too, like many others, would have his happy ending. His eyes softened as he gazed at Kagome in a new light.

The stars were twinkling brightly in the dark sky as they came to a stop in front of one of the most breathtaking sights Kagome had ever seen. A large pond shimmering with the reflection of the moon's illuminating light sat in the middle of a lush park. Across the body of water was a cobblestone bridge and on both ends stood a tall lamp. Stringed lights were wrapped around the lampposts and along the railings upon the bridge, casting a colorful shadow upon the entire scenery.

The sensation of utter tranquility washed over Kagome and in an instant, she knew this was the most important location of all in Sesshoumaru's past. Her heart leapt to lodge in her throat at the possibility of what had happened on that bridge. This had to be it - the site of Sesshoumaru's proposal.

Kagome patiently waited for Sesshoumaru to speak, knowing that he would when he was ready. Even after all this time, his heart had been deeply wounded by his ex-fiancé and burying it under work had only worsened his heartache. It was time for him to release all the negativity and let go. It was time for him to start anew and Kagome truly hoped that she would be the person who could make him happy.

"This is where I proposed to Kagura," Sesshoumaru said suddenly and Kagome flashed him a wistful smile, silently urging him to continue. After another moment of silence, he continued, "and also the location in which Kagura had chosen to call off our engagement… on the morning of our wedding day."

Before she could stop it, tears had filled Kagome's eyes as her heart ached for him. She didn't pity him and what he had been through. She was shedding tears of hurt, pain, and humiliation for him because she knew that he would never do so, no matter how much he wanted to.

"That morning, I had given her a gift, unaware of her changed mind. With my two bare hands and one sleepless night, I had made her 1,000 paper cranes to prove my unwavering love. It was only after I told her the significance did she tell me that she no longer wished to wed with me because I was not financially wealthy. I told her I would succeed one day but she refused to wait."

Sesshoumaru paused and drew in a shuddering breath.

"She asked me to understand, but I couldn't. I left her standing upon that bridge, tears falling down her cheeks. I wanted to turn back and brush away those tears, but I forced myself to continue walking out of her life. I have neither seen nor heard from her since."

A small sob escaped Kagome's lips as she finally heard the entire story of his short-lived romance. He looked at her with glimmering eyes, brushing away the tears she shed for him with the pad of his fingers. Without breaking eye contact, she covered his hand with her own before moving to place a soft kiss on the palm of his hand.

"She was a fool," Kagome whispered, "but I am thankful for that because I might have never met you otherwise."

Sesshoumaru flashed her a light smile, the first she had ever seen, and tugged on her hand, signaling for her to follow him. He led her up to the middle of the bridge and Kagome understood his intentions. Throughout the day, he had been replacing painful, past memories of Kagura with present, content memories of Kagome. It was his method in moving on and not be surrounded by unwanted recollections of events he would rather not think about.

She knew it was the only way Sesshoumaru would be able to return to those locations with a lighter heart and not be reminded of Kagura. Kagome mentally vowed at that moment to never break his heart so he would never have to repeat a day like today.

With startling clarity, Kagome knew she had fallen in love with Sesshoumaru so completely, there was no way she could ever stop. Turning to face him, Kagome cupped his smooth cheek and pressed her lips against his, pouring her newfound emotion into their kiss. He stole her breath away with the passion he responded with as he pulled her fervently against him.

Both could feel the subtle difference within their embrace. The softness of their movements, the sensual sliding of their lips against one another, and the beating of two hearts that were perfectly in sync.

It was a kiss that promised a new beginning and a bright future. It was a kiss of two people who were meant to be.

Author's Note: So... I lied, didn't I? I am so sorry for the delay in this chapter. I know I am awful at updating, but please forgive me. I was hit with a strong case of writer's block and I took a long hiatus from writing in general due to RL situations. I'm trying to get back on track with this story so please, bear with me. I am so grateful for each of my readers, I would hate to lose you because I suck at updating.

auto review: (for those who aren't sure what to say in a review)

"Dear Raine,
FINALLY! The turning point!
It's about time!
This was a really touching chapter,
and it made the wait worthwhile,
but shame on you for taking so long to update!
You'd better update soon this time...
Or else!
Much Love,
(enter name here)"