The Shape of Love by Dawn_Song

Chapter One

I'm back with another story! Before you all get really really angry with me for this, um, just let me say this...I LOVE YOU! There, now you can't get mad at me! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! And now, on with the story! By the way, if some of the characters seem ooc, well, this is an AU. There are no demons or mikos but I'll try to keep them as humanly close to character as possible. Also be prepared for some different pairings. Still S/K though so don't worry.

~Dawn_Song

Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha. There happy now!

_________________________________________________________

The Shape of Love

Strong nimble fingers worked the clay in front of her. Pushing, pulling, pressing and smoothing the cool material, they worked diligently in bringing out the desired form. After a couple hours of constant cutting away and adding more clay, clear blue eyes assessed the work from a short distance away. They moved from the sketch to the model, slowly analyzing and comparing each detail. Yes, it would do. Now to decide on a final medium for her work and she could start the final process. The sound of someone knocking on her studio door brought the young woman out of her thoughts. Sighing, she placed a sheet over the model to keep it from drying out and went downstairs to answer the door.

"Damn it, Kagome!" called an irritated voice from outside. "Would you hurry up and answer the door?"

Quickly unlatching the lock, Kagome opened the door to let in two other young women who stopped and stared at their reluctant hostess. Taking in their clean and beautiful appearances, Kagome sighed and could easily guess what their thoughts were. Yet even knowing this, she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"What?"

"You were right, Sango. She did lock herself in her tower to work with her precious art. She obviously forgot what day it was when she went into her 'artist' mode."

"I told you that would happen, Kagura. Once she gets in that studio of hers, she completely looses track of the real world. Luckily for you, Kagome, we love you no matter what and will forgive you if you show us your latest project."

Kagome smiled and pushed her thick glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "And you both can see what I'm working on only if you each give me a hug."

Both young women looked down at their clean and neat attire and stared appalled at Kagome's filthy clay encrusted jeans and t-shirt. Even Kagome's arms were caked in clay up to her elbows. The tops of her ears had bits of clay on them from when she would shove strands of hair that escaped her braid behind her ears. With Sango in a neatly pressed and stylish pant suit and Kagura in an expensive yet tasteful looking summer dress, neither was looking forward to a hug from their best friend.

"Not till you've been hosed down. I don't understand how you can get so dirty."

"Well when you have to reach down into a wet bucket and plug clay for the better part of the morning, add to that a few hours working on a model, you don't really have time to worry about constantly trying to keep clean. Why don't we go to my apartment so I can clean up a bit and you can tell me what was so important about today that I forgot."

Opening a side door that led to the apartment under the studio, Kagome followed her friends inside and shut the door behind them. Sango and Kagura walked across the small yet cheery kitchen and sat on the stools at the counter while Kagome went to a special sink and proceeded to scrub her arms.

"Actually," Kagura began, "you couldn't have forgotten about today because nobody told you. In fact, I didn't find out about it myself till this morning. But no matter, you are invited over to the main house for lunch today. And of course Sango is invited too. It can be a surprise."

Kagome put the brush down that she used to clean under her nails and walked over to the regular kitchen sink to finish the job. Looking out the window above the sink, Kagome's eyes landed on the main house about one hundred yards away. Kagome didn't live in the main house and never had. But when she was younger she used to dream about have a big mansion like that as her own. Often her mother had caught her looking over at the main house from the window of her room above the garage. Her parents had worked for the Drake family for years. Her father had been the head chauffer and her mother was the family's cook. But the Drake family was a great family and never treated those they employed badly. Because of how much the Drakes liked Kagome's family, they had a very nice three bedroom apartment of above the main garage. Kagome had even grown up playing with the children of the Drake family. She had many fond memories of following after to two Drake sons, claiming she could keep up even if she was a girl. One of her best friends was even Kagura Drake, the boys' younger cousin. When Kagome's father had died, instead of kicking out her mother and her to make room for the new head chauffer, the Drakes insisted they stay where they were and built a separate apartment for him to live in.

And when Kagome had needed a place to set up a studio for herself, the Drakes told Kagome that if she could clean up the old abandoned gardener's house, she could have it and they would even pay to make it habitable. She tried to tell them it was too much for them to do for her, even though she had fallen in love with the place when she had first seen it when she was younger, the Drakes simply refused to listen and insisted she have it. Though it was small with only one bedroom, a bathroom, small sitting room and small kitchen, it fit Kagome's needs perfectly and she loved it.

Sighing as she finished rinsing the soap off her hands, Kagome turned once again to her friends and smiled at them. "A surprise, huh? What kind of surprise?"

Sango laughed, "That's right. She hasn't even told me about it. But we all know how good Kagura is at keeping secrets."

Kagura just smiled at Sango and Kagome, her unique magenta eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Well if you all are ready, let's go. I'm starved." Kagome dried her hands on a towel and started walking towards the door.

"Aren't you going to change? You know, into something a little nicer?" Kagura asked though she already knew the answer.

"Why, the clay is dry and it's not like I haven't eaten lunch with you guys like this before. Besides, why change when I plan on getting right back to work after we eat?"

"Honestly Kagome, you should take more pride in your appearance. I don't know why you insist on hiding your beauty underneath baggy clothes and big glasses."

"I'm not hiding anything, Kagura. Besides, who do I have to impress when I'm working on my art?" Kagome laughed as the trio walked across the pristine lawn to the main house.

"She's right, Kagome. You're beautiful and you should show it." Sango said as she took of her jacket to let the sun reflect off her bare shoulders.

Kagome sighed as she looked at her two best friends. No matter what they said, she always felt like the ugly duckling next to them. Walking with her finger hooked under the tag of the jacket that she had slung over her shoulder, Sango looked like a model with her wide flowing black silk pants that clung to her hips and ivory button up sleeveless vest. And of course there was Kagura looking like royalty with her beautiful summer dress swaying slightly in the breeze and with the rhythm of her movements. No, Kagome would even attempt to compete with them in the beauty department. She was content with how she looked and left it at that. And it wasn't as if she had to money to change her wardrobe to match theirs.

Soon they were at the main house and the girls walked in the back door to the expansive and bright kitchen. Kagome walked over to older woman rinsing some lettuce. "Hi Momma, what have you got cooking?"

"I'm making a special lunch today. Want to help me make the salad?"

"Here, let me do that Mrs. Chiba." Sango said as she pulled down a bowl from the shelf and started pulling leaves apart, adding other ingredients as she went. "I can't cook like you can, but I do know how to put together a salad."

"Hopefully the man Sango marries won't have a problem with take-out or can cook himself. Lord knows he would die of food poisoning or starve otherwise."

Kagome and her mother laughed at Kagura's comment while Sango just stuck her tongue out at her. Another older woman walked out of the pantry with her arms loaded with plates and long sticks of French bread. "Kagura you shouldn't talk about your friends that way. I'm sure any man Sango marries will love her for the wonderful, smart, beautiful woman she is; not her cooking abilities or lack there of."

Sango walked over to the other woman and put an arm around her. "Thank you Mrs. Drake. It's good to know someone here is on my side." Sticking her tongue out once more at Kagura, Sango went back to putting the salad together while Kagome and her mother helped Mrs. Drake slice the bread and Kagura got the plate and glasses ready to be taken to the table outside.

Soon talk began, Sango was asked about her new position in the company she worked for, and Kagura discussed some new dresses she was going to be selling at her trendy boutique. "Just wait till you all see them. They are fresh from the catwalks in Milan. In fact, there is one in the collection that I'm dying to see on Kagome." Kagura said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Did someone say something about my little Kagome in a dress?" A deep voice said from the door to the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at the head of the Drake family household and Drake Enterprises. At fifty-six years old, Lyon Drake was still a very handsome man. Though his hair was white, it looked very distinguished on him and he kept it longer than most men his age. His broad shoulders still maintained most of the strength of his youth and he never developed the gut most men in their fifties sported. Lyon's eyes were still as sharp as ever as was his mind. Yet he maintained a soft spot for the women in his life.

"No, Sir." Said Kagome leaning against the counter, "I do believe age has finally caught up with you and has run off with your hearing. No one said anything about me being in a dress."

"You little missy would do well not to mock your elders." Lyon said as shook his finger at her. "You may be too old for me to put over my knee and spank, but this OLD MAN can still show you a thing or two in chess."

"I agree. Last week you showed me how to dodge a flying rook and a couple of bishops."

"Lies!" Walking over to his wife, Lyon put his arms around her and pouted over her shoulder at Kagome. "Love, see how she treats a poor old man like me? It's a disgrace the way she throws such slander my way."

Maria Drake shook her head and patted her husband's cheek. "You poor thing. Here, why don't you have a cookie Kagome's wonderful mother made and go nurse your wounded pride."

"Ah yes, one of Sakura's wonderful cookies will definitely help. But I also expect a full apology from her mean daughter."

Kagome smiled and grabbed a couple cookies herself before linking arms with the man who was like a second father to her and led him out the back door to the gardens. "Tell me, Sir, would you prefer the groveling while I expound on all your amazing attributes, or the simple 'I'm sorry and you are the most amazing chess player in the world' speech?"

"Is there a way you could grovel and give the speech?"

"We'll have to see how good a mood I'm in."

Laughing, the two walked arm in arm to the gardens, munching on cookies.

"So, how is your latest project coming along?" Lyon asked in the most innocent of voices.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him but refused to take the bait. "Don't worry; it will be done in time for your birthday. That is all you need to know."

"Would you happen to have been working on it this morning?" The older man said as he looked down at bits of clay still clinging to various parts of Kagome's face and hair.

"Perhaps."

"I'm not going to get anything out of you am I?"

Kagome laughed as she patted Drake's arm with her other hand. "No, but I commend you for your efforts. You wouldn't be the successful business man you are if you weren't able to charm people the way you do to get what you want."

"It never did work on you though, my dear Kagome."

"That my friend is because I have no need or desire to be charmed. That and I've known you all my life so I know all of your tricks."

"Tricks? Why I never...well my charm still works in the board room and on the most important person of all, my Maria."

"As it should."

"GRANDPA!"

The loud squeal of a young girl made the pair turn around to discover the source of the noise.

"Rin! How is Grandpa's Little Angel? Did you have a nice nap?"

Kagome stood back and smiled at the little six year old girl wrapped in her grandfather's arms with her much smaller arms twined around his neck. "Yes Grandpa, thank you. Kagome!"

The young woman braced herself as the little girl launched herself at her. "Kagome, Rin has missed you!"

Laughing, Kagome squeezed Rin real tight before spinning around with the little girl in her arms. "And I have missed you too, Rin."

"Rin, what have I told you about speaking properly?"

The sound of that smooth velvety voice brought instant goose bumps to Kagome's arms. It could belong to no other person. Taking a deep breath, Kagome slowly turned around, trying to prepare herself for the sight that stood before her.

"Sesshoumaru."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N.- I know, I'm sick, I love cliffies. So BEWARE! Hope you all liked the start of this story. I'm really excited about it. This story, I've been reading it in my head for days now, (if that doesn't make sense to you, you aren't an author) and I honestly love where it's going and where it's going to end. (starts clapping hands and jumping up and down) Please, reviews are welcome!