Forever My Valentine by Oroyukae
Chapter 1
AUTHOR'S NOTE: well, this ends the story as this is the last one. I hope that you enjoy this one...it has my pitiful attempt at poetry again. Appologies all around for that. Ciao!
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Gently, he removed the organized stack of paper goods from the box and placed them upon the desk before him. Warm amber eyes scanned the top item with fondness and remembrance, for it was that one little rectangular thing that had started it all for him oh so many years ago. The silken cord fell away as he untied it, barely able to hold them all, and he supposed that it was time for a longer cord since there would undoubtedly be more in the long years to come.
It never failed to bring a smile to his face, though the colors had begun to fade just a bit due to time. Still, his heart warmed at the sight of the little scruffy puppy wearing that hat...'You're Tops, Valentine!' it read in big bold glittery letters. It had been the very first valentine he had ever received, having moved from his home to the United States when he was but six years old. He had known no one and had been extremely uncomfortable in his setting. His classmates had teased him relentlessly in regard to his near silver hair and his golden colored eyes; they had made fun of him relentlessly and made him even more angry that he had been before. As a result, he had not been a well liked young boy back then due to his resentment over his father's decision to uproot their family like he had. And thus had been birthed his reputation as being unfriendly, mean even; which had rendered the 'strange new kid' completely friendless.
Subsequently, he had received just the one card that year but it had been enough. That tiny little dark haired girl had dared to reach out to him on that day when all others did their best to ignore him. To this day he could still see the genuine smile on her face as she sat four seats away from his; so kind and so inviting in her desire to befriend him. In no time at all, he had secured a friendship with that little girl named Kagome Higurashi and they became inseparable.
Memories came flooding to his conscious mind then, and the smile on his face widened considerably. One after another, he opened each valentine she had given him since that day and mentally tracked the gradual change in each one. As time moved on, those little cards took on different sentiment, illustrated by the images upon each one. From childish to humorous to amorous, they created a time line that he could easily use to pinpoint the exact moment their association blossomed beyond the borders of friendship. The last platonic card Kagome gave him was by far the most humorous of them all. The deceptively voluptuous blonde bombshell wearing the heart shaped bikini morphed into a hideous withered hag with but a flip of the cover...Damn if it still didn't make him laugh.
Then, his eyes rested upon the one that followed and the laughter died quickly. She had written her own verse inside that one and he had memorized each word verbatim. It was funny how Kagome's sudden change of heart occurred shortly after a rather embarrassing incident at her family's New Years party. God, would he ever forget how he had become aroused as they danced just after the stroke of midnight? How he had been forced to make a hasty retreat to the bathroom in order to hide the effects of her rear end rubbing up against him?
It had been that moderately sized valentine that eased his concerns about having suddenly found his best friend sexually attractive and, incidentally, he no longer suffered panic attacks over the mildly explicit nocturnal fantasies that had started to plague him too. After that their relationship altered drastically and, though no one seemed all that surprised by the change, he was still amazed by it with no clue as to how it even happened.
From that particular Valentines Day forward they dated, doing most of the things a newly formed couple did. Movies, dances, dinner, or just hanging out; it did not matter, for nothing had changed all that significantly. They held hands, shared a warm embrace or two, and even affectionate pecks on the cheek here and there, but neither of them had tried to go further until the following Valentines Day when they shared a real kiss. Well, that was not entirely accurate; it was more like three short kisses and one very long one to be completely honest. Some would say that there had to be something wrong for them to wait so long just to kiss, but he had to say that those people had no idea as to what they were talking about. Just because they had not been the stereotypical horny young adults who took every opportunity to physically accost one another did not mean that there had been something wrong with their relationship. If anything, the delay of physical displays had been out of both comfort and respect in their relationship; they had started out as friends after all. They had already connected on nearly every other level imaginable so there was no need to rush into the physical aspects.
Then came the next Valentines day and, well...yeah. Everything about it had been one hundred percent right and it had come so naturally; there had been no awkwardness in wondering what to do or concerns about whether they were pleasing the other to speak of. Not many people could make such claims, he supposed.
Of course they did have their moments, like every other couple; moments when there had been harsh words and ill tempers. And, like some, they had even had a moment in time when it seemed as though there would be no more Valentines Day to be shared. Him in college here, her in college there, a frat party gone awry... Looking back, he really should have let her explain rather than just slamming the door behind him with the intention of walking out of her life for good. How in the world Kagome had managed to find a card that played that particular song he would never really know...but it had worked. By nightfall, he and his Valentine had come together once more and damn if it wasn't spectacular.
Thus it really came as no real surprise that somewhere along the way, it had become their day, Valentines' Day. Nearly every significant event in their lives centered around the day attributed to love and affection. Their first date, their first kiss, even their first time being intimate; all had occurred following the exchanging of a little card and a gift or two. They were married on Valentines Day just at three years prior as well and it was safe to say with absolute certainty that it was indeed their day.
It was swiftly approaching, the anniversary of so many important events and he had planned out each and every detail of their celebration too. He had vowed long ago to make each one that passed more special than the one before it and so far he had never failed. Last year they went on a cruise and he had arranged to renew their vows as a surprise...Kagome had been moved to tears. This one, while not involving a long trip, would be no less special for much effort had gone into insuring that.
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The door closed softly, announcing her arrival, and Sesshoumaru lit the candles upon the table. She would be dressed and ready for their celebration, this he knew for a fact; his lovely wife always made certain to dress her best on this day because she never knew just when the festivities would begin. Time itself had taught the woman much about him, the man she called husband and friend; at least enough for her to know to always be prepared for anything at any time. One last assessment confirmed that he was indeed ready to begin their holiday for everything was without a doubt perfect.
“There you are,” she murmured, her eyes sweeping his tall muscular frame with obvious appreciation. Kagome had always said that she loved the way he looked in a tux. “It's grown quite late, you know. I was beginning to think you had forgotten what day it was.”
“Never. How could I ever forget such an important event?” He handed her a crystal glass filled with the finest champagne, “You look absolutely divine.”
“As do you, my love.” Kagome moved toward the table, her eyes apparently mesmerized by the candlelight, then set her glass down. “Did you prepare our dinner tonight?”
Sesshoumaru nodded his head once, though it was just barely noticeable, to confirm his woman's suspicions. Kagome knew him well; his extreme love for cooking was a secret that only she was aware of. “I did...with my own two hands.”
She dared to move even closer to him though her insides had begun to quiver just a bit. Something else she had confessed some time ago; that it was almost as if he held some sort of power over her and she was helpless to resist. “You're so talented and you spoil me so much,” she praised, a look of pure adoration shining brightly within her eyes.
“It is nothing that you do not deserve...simply for being you. Now, sit down,” he instructed, “I shall serve you for a change.”
Dinner went as it usually did, the couple sharing some of their favorite moments in past holidays. This year, hers leaned toward the year they got stuck babysitting her younger brother and had to celebrate while Souta harassed them about sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g. According to Kagome, it had been extremely romantic to sit on the floor, her back to his chest while he reclined against the sofa playing video games with that annoying brat just to keep Souta quiet. Oh yes, he remembered that year rather fondly...her card had been rather racy and came with his first ever intimate oral encounter with her body just after Souta went to bed.
His, he revealed, was their first year as man and wife; which was marked by the intertwined wedding rings upon a blood red velvet pillow on the cover of her card and when she looked disappointed that he did not mention a gift, Sesshoumaru smirked at her and thanked her again for the 'home movie' she had given him as well.
The time then arrived for the exchange that always marked the end of their holiday meal and Sesshoumaru felt his eagerness intensify. As per their custom, he gave her his card and gift first, a devious gleam in his eyes. Oh he just knew that Kagome would love what he had for her this year...
“Sesshou...? Wh-what is this?”
“I do believe that is the deed to a house.” He could not help it, he had to smile at Kagome's reaction; it had been all that he anticipated it would be. For two years the woman had intermittently mentioned her desire for it and this year he had managed to acquire exactly what her heart longed for. It made him so proud.
“You bought us a house?” she whispered in disbelief as he sipped champagne from his glass. Her brows knitted when he shook his head and set his glass down upon the table.
“No...I bought you a house; one that is acceptably close to the one you have described on a few occasions.” Sesshoumaru placed his hand upon hers, drawing those time stopping eyes upwards toward his own. Forever would not be time enough to convey the extent of his love for this little raven-haired beauty, though he fully intended to do his best to do just that. “I will just get the distinct honor of residing there with the most beautiful woman to ever grace the earth.”
Tears of what he would only believe was joy glistened in her eyes, causing them to sparkle even more than usual as they flitted from him to his gift and back again. Kagome stood up, their shared gaze never breaking, and rounded the table to stand beside his chair. So gracefully she positioned herself and then lowered to sit upon his lap. Soft hands cradled his face and Sesshoumaru felt the familiar fires ignite deep inside him. After she whispered a heartfelt 'thank you' for her card and gift, something that honestly was not necessary, his wife and best friend in all the world then pressed her divine lips to his.
For many moments they remained as they were, displaying their love for one another through kiss and through touch. The passion mounted, increasing in urgency with any move that was made; be it by their kiss alone...a caress of a hand...the not so subtle grind of voluptuous hips. The thick dense fog of passion and desire was quick to dull his mind to all that was not the exquisite attentions of his beloved Kagome, but before his brain completely malfunctioned on him Sesshoumaru remembered one very important detail in their yearly ritual.
“Kagome...we have not finished our exchange...” It was ever so difficult to speak with his wife kissing him like she was, but he did manage it.
It wasn't as if her physical displays were not important to him, for they were very important as a matter of fact. It was just that he had been looking forward to seeing what she had selected for him this year and secretly hoping that she had decided to write her own verse this as well. He favored those; the ones where his delicate flower tried to convey her innermost feelings through written word.
“I know,” she breathed into the kiss, “We can finish after.” There was no mistaking the need and urgency in her voice; he knew well that Kagome had no intentions of stopping.
To say that Kagome's shift in moods shocked him would be a drastic understatement. It had been some time since she had acted this way, but as her efforts continued, Sesshoumaru found himself caring about the why less and less. In no time, she had managed to convince him that her need was so urgent that there was no time to even move their activities to their bedroom and they wound up on the floor instead of in their bed. He tended his woman with no further reservation, for Kagome had a way of rendering him mentally compromised with no hope of recovery until they were finished. And so, Sesshoumaru had to wait; which he did, more than happy to do so too.
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Once they both were satisfied and sitting upon the davenport, Sesshoumaru reminded her that he had yet to receive the customary card that she had never failed to give him since they were six. At that moment, she appeared strangely apprehensive about her presentation and Sesshoumaru could not help but ask her if there was a problem. For a few brief seconds he actually found himself believing that perhaps his wonderful wife, herself, had failed to remember their tradition and that there would be no addition to his collection this year. As she slowly walked out of the room, Sesshoumaru felt his heart wrench a little; but then Kagome returned and his eyes caught a glimpse of the one thing that he had been waiting for.
Her card was a bit bigger this year, unless the large red envelope was but a rouse to fool him. She had done that to him once while they were still in high school, placing a small kiddie Valentine inside a much larger envelope as her way of being humorous. It was number eleven in his cherished pile and it was no less special than any of the others.
He noted her hesitation in her steps, how it seemed to take forever for her to reach the sofa upon which he sat. Her behavior was quite odd but Sesshoumaru attributed it to her feeling as though his gift to her was somehow better than whatever she had for him. Of course that was nothing short of plain ridiculous, but she did not know that. Since she held no present in her hand, he surmised that she had decided on just the card this year and that was perfectly fine with him. For him, the card was what made the holiday not what said card accompanied. As he waited, Sesshoumaru recalled their last year in college when Kagome had given him a hand made ticket to a real strip show in which she was the one and only attraction. It only made him want that card even more and the wait was practically killing him.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his wife reached the desired destination and sat down beside him. Sesshoumaru watched as she swallowed hard apparently nervous and he came close to just reaching out to take that card from her. Slowly, Kagome lifted her hand – presenting the man with yet another card to add to his secret collection. She watched as he carefully opened the envelope, amazed at that he did not just rip it like some guys would have done. As she gave the issue some quick thought, the woman realized that Sesshoumaru had always done that, but she had never really noticed until now.
This was new; there were three folds to her card this year. Taking his time, Sesshoumaru studied the front; he noted each detail and associated it with something from their past together. The color red was her favorite color, black was his; candlelit white linen covered table upon which two half-full glasses sat signified the many romantic dinners that they had shared, and the roses...oh the roses, they had littered the bed the night he had been granted the honor of becoming her lover. Perfect; just as he had known it would be.
To his extreme delight, Kagome had indeed written her own verse this year and his heart warmed with each word that he read. Though the woman claimed not to be a poet, to him ever word that she wrote was worthy of such a title; such could be construed as a mere result of his infinite love for the woman who shared his life with him, he supposed. Still, he held a special liking for her attempts to reveal her innermost feelings where he was concerned and it was those cards that tended to hold more meaning for him.
'You started out as a friend,
One that proved loyal and true.
With each day that passed,
I looked forward to seeing you.
Then everything changed,
Just as all things tend to do.
So much more than just a friend,
I had discovered the true wonder that is you.
Words can never convey my heart
Failure plagues any attempt.
It has been said actions are better
And I believe I have a good start...'
Sesshoumaru then turned the page, expecting to see either a crimson kiss or even a plethora of little x's and o's; there was no way he would have expected the sight that awaited him. He sat there stunned beyond comprehension - barely breathing and unable to utter a single solitary word. The black and white image stared up at him, and it was as if time itself had decided to stand still. His child. Kagome had given him a child for Valentines Day...
“Se-Sesshoumaru? Are you okay?” his wife inquired, undoubtedly frightened by the sudden loss of color in his naturally pale face.
Even as he held the card containing documented proof, he still could not believe it. They had not discussed the subject, feeling as though they had all the time in the world in which to consider starting a family. Now, it seemed as if time had made the decision for them. A father...he was going to be a father.
Sesshoumaru closed the cover on the card, then rose to his feet. No answer to his wife's questions of concern was given, for he honestly had not heard a single one of them. His mind was lost in the swirling cloud of emotions one would customarily experience upon receiving such news and it was all that he could think about at that point. His feet began to move in the direction of his den, no thought given to his nakedness and the window said den contained. Once there, he removed his treasures from their hiding spot and sat behind his desk. Again, the pile of cards from days past came into view, the newest addition sitting off to the side. He just could not bring himself to untie the silken cord so that the card to his right could take its place amongst the others. Once more his eyes came to rest upon it, thinking about what was inside...
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After an undisclosed amount of time had passed a soft rap sounded on the door to announce the arrival of his beloved wife and longtime best friend. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes for a few moments, doing his best to get a grip on his emotions but discovered that it was much more difficult than one would think.
“May I come in?” her siren like voice inquired timidly.
He cleared his throat despite the near excruciating pain. More than one attempt to grant Kagome entrance was made and most of them failed. He finally managed it though and soon the door opened to reveal the lovely form of his wife, one that was set to eventually change as his don or daughter developed and grew. He had to close his eyes at that point, just to forge an attempt to restore some form of control.
“I-I know that this was a shock, Sesshoumaru and I probably should not have told you like this...” Kagome's words were cut short almost instantly as he realized just what she had been prepared to say.
“No,” he replied hoarsely, “don't apologize, please.” He would not have her saying sorry about anything in regard to the gifts he had received.
Her big bright eyes lowered to his desk where she instantly saw the large stack of cards that he had saved for years. “What's that?”
Sesshoumaru did not answer, he had never intended for his collection to be seen by anyone, not even his own beloved wife. It had been his secret, one that he had kept for years; used for various reasons as his life progressed. Now, his secret had been exposed and he feared what her reaction would be to his odd and less than masculine behavior. Females were the ones who tended to indulge in things such as this, not males, and thus birthed the fear that she might think him weird or strange for it.
Kagome gasped ever so quietly, obviously shocked by what was before her eyes. Although he was not looking at her to confirm it, Sesshoumaru just knew that her reaction had caused those eyes to widen considerably. “Th-These are my Valentine cards, Sesshoumaru...ones that I have given you...”
He nodded his head in confirmation, a small smile upon his face. His tone was soft when he responded to her, “Since we were six years old; yes, Kagome, they are.”
“You've kept them for all these years?” Though she wanted to touch them, Kagome kept her hand upon the desk – right beside this year's Valentine. It appeared to confuse her, possibly struck her as being weird as well, his having each and every card she had given him in their lives together. That was a notion that was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt the instant that Kagome opened her mouth to say, “Why?”
“Because you gave them to me.” Though his response was simple, the sentiment was far from that. “It was my initial intent to add to it as the years progressed, but after this...” His eyes lowered to the newest addition to his horde, “I believe that I will start a new one.”
Her eyes drifted over to her announcement that sat all alone rather than with the other mementos of their holiday together. It really was not all that reassuring to be honest about it, he reasoned. “S-so...you're not upset about it after all?”
Eyes glistening, Sesshoumaru looked up at his woman, “Upset? God no; not at all. What would make you think that I would ever be upset about something like this?”
“Well...you didn't say anything and even though I knew it had come as a complete shock, I expected a smile at least, if not a hug,” she confessed with a blush and a shrug of her shoulders.
He pushed his chair back from his desk, reached his hand up in invitation for her to join him. Kagome accepted without hesitation. At first, he just buried his face into her long obsidian tresses, rubbing his cheek against the luxurious softness; then, he sighed ever so softly. He really should have known that his failure to properly address the matter with her would be construed as a negative response. Kagome was an extremely sensitive person after all.
“My silence was a direct result of the massive degree of joy and elation from being told that I am going to be a father, Kagome. While I tend to conceal much of what I feel from the world around me, there are just some things that are impossible to hide. This...” his hand lifted to the desktop where Kagome's precious announcement lay, his fingers touching the image with reverence, “is definitely one of those things. I am not accustomed to such overwhelming emotions...I do believe they even managed to surpass the moment you agreed to become my wife.”
In his mind, there was absolutely no shame to be had in allowing his woman to see just how happy she had made him, made so by the single but significant tear that slid down his left cheek. It did not mean that he was weak, despite what others might say on the matter; it was something that Kagome had taught him over the course of time. They did not matter one iota; only Kagome and his much welcomed child mattered.
“Sesshou...” Her voice failed her, the sweet sincere words of her husband moving her to tears. If he lived to be a hundred he would never fully understand just why this woman loved him like she did. Sesshoumaru was just ever so thankful that she did.
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