Lines in the Sand by ErynnMF

Chapter One--Welcome Home

The waves broke noisily on the white sand. In they came; out they went, taking parts of the beach away with it. Kagome closed her eyes and listened to the soothing sounds of the ocean, wishing she were somewhere else. Her mother had decided on the spur of the moment that the family needed a vacation, and had also decided that the beach was the perfect place.

"Kagome!"

Higurashi Kagome looked back over her shoulder at her younger brother and smiled. "What is it, Souta?"

"Mom says it's time for dinner and sent me to get you."

"I wouldn't dream of missing dinner," she said with a smile.

"That's what I told Mom," Souta replied.

The two siblings walked side by side back to the rented condo on the beach. Their mother, with her few connections, had managed to get a small two bedroom condo for a week. It came complete with a small living room area, equipped with a television and a pull-out sofa bed, a kitchen with a dining counter. When the Higurashi siblings entered the condo, they were greeted with the smell of cooking meat.

"Oh good, you found her, Souta." Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her children. "Come and set the table, will you, Kagome? Souta, will you get us all something to drink?"

"Hey, Mama, when do we go home?" Kagome asked over the sounds of the sizzling meat.

"Tomorrow's our last day, Kagome. Why do you want to go home so bad?"

She shrugged. "I guess I just miss my friends, that's all." There was more to it. Her friend since grade school, Inuyasha, was coming back that night from his vacation, and he had told her in their most recent online conversation that he and his family were bringing someone back with them.

"She wants to see Inuyasha!" Souta teased.

"Shut up, that's not why I want to go back home!"

"Suuure, Kagome!"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her children's behavior. "Dinner's ready, let's eat."

"When are you coming back, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked over the phone.

"The day after tomorrow, so just be patient, okay?"

"It's not like it's a Virtue or anything."

"Actually, Inuyasha, it is."

"...oh. Well, whatever. We want you to come over for dinner when you get back."

"Of course, I'll be there. But why? Who's there?"

"Well, Dad, of course..." Inuyasha trailed off.

"Who else?"

"Sesshoumaru..."

"Sesshoumaru's back in town?"

"Yeah, that's who we brought back after vacation. His study abroad ended and we figured we'd meet him and pick him up and take him home."

"Inuyasha, get off the phone! I need to make a call!"

"Ack, sorry, Kagome, Dad needs the phone. I'll talk to you later, all right?"

"Okay, try not to drive your family nuts, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. See ya when ya get back." Inuyasha hung up the phone.

"Who were you talking to?"

Inuyasha looked at the doorway of his bedroom. His older half-brother was standing there with his arms crossed.

"I asked you a question."

"I was talking to Kagome. You remember her, right?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

Sesshoumaru looked at his half-brother before he turned on his heel.

"Oi! What the hell?" Inuyasha ran after his brother.

"Don't be so crass, Inuyasha. Of course I remember your little girlfriend."

"She ain't my girlfriend, Sesshoumaru. We're just friends, 'sides, you know I'm dating someone else."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru disappeared into his bedroom, closing the door with a soft click.

"Jackass," Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome smiled as she stood in the middle of her room. It had only been a week, but it felt much longer than that. She would get to see her childhood crush that night, after her mother gave her approval for Kagome to dine with the Taishou family.

It had been such a long time since she had last seen Sesshoumaru. He had gone away to study abroad nearly three years ago, before Kagome had gotten a chance to confess to him her feelings. She knew he thought that she liked Inuyasha, and she had at one point until they got to know each other better, but she wanted to prove him wrong.

She smiled as she thought of how much he changed, or little he had changed. Kagome was willing to bet that he still kept his abnormal silver hair long. She also guessed that his shoulders had broadened out and she just knew that he grew at least four inches taller, if not more.

"Kagome! You better hurry up if you want to get to Inuyasha's on time!" Mrs. Higurashi hollered from the kitchen.

"Okay, Mama, I'm leaving now!" Kagome gave herself one last look-over and nodded in approval. She'd brushed her hair free of any knots and wore a simple pair of blue jeans and a green tank top as the weather was still warm.

"Have fun, Kagome, don't be too late," Mrs. Higurashi said as her daughter dashed out the door.

"I won't, Mama!" Kagome practically skipped down the sidewalk, hardly able to contain her excitement. She had waited three long years to see Sesshoumaru again. She was glad that their house wasn't very far from hers.

Kagome stood in front of the door before she knocked on it twice. Inuyasha answered the door.

"Kagome! You're back!" He picked up and hugged her tightly.

"Inuyasha, put me down!" She laughed at his antics.

"Sorry, sorry, I just haven't seen you in so long!"

"It's only been a week!"

"A week too long!"

The two teenagers laughed at went into the living room to catch up on the past week's activities.

"You went to the beach? Nice! What did you do? Surf?"

"I didn't surf, I can't, you know that. It was all right, kind of boring though. Mama picked a really quiet place, there was hardly anyone there!"

"I bet it was fun, though!"

"It would have been if some of my friends were there," Kagome replied.

"Oh! Speaking of friends, I've got someone I want you to meet! I started going out with her a couple days after you left. You might know her, but I don't think you do. She's helping out in the kitchen right now with Dad, you know he wanted to meet her, let me go get her!" Inuyasha smiled and dashed off to the kitchen, leaving Kagome behind.

She stood up and looked at the pictures on the wall. There were pictures of Inuyasha as a child, of her and Inuyasha together having fun, but the ones she was most interested in were the ones of Sesshoumaru.

"Well, hi Kagome. How are you?" The deep voice caused her to turn around. Her heart promptly lurched and she smiled shyly.

"Welcome back, Sesshoumaru."