Forever in a Day by Madison

Forever in a Day

A/N: Tournament entry once again! And I swear, Tangie will be the death of me with her prompts!

The prompt will be at the END.

Opponent: Synysterstar

Remember to read both entries and then send a PM to Tangerine Dream with your vote! Thank you!

Thank you Daniella for beta-reading! ~and the summary!

Forever in a Day

Oneshot

Dusk was barely disappearing beneath the horizon and the tiny town was completely quiet. Most buildings were closed and the houses were still filled with people. In the midst of the small amount of shops that were opening, there was a garage. The walls were red and the ceiling was charcoal black with a thin layer of fog surrounding it. A man walked through it, heading to his business.

The strong scent of oil filled his nostrils as he pushed the door of his body shop open. His hand roamed the wall until his fingers felt the light switch. He fumbled with it before turning it on to shed light over the large room. A pile of cars was in the left corner; all of them in pieces or half destroyed.

On the other side was his work station. It was not much but it was enough for him to make a living out of it.

He grabbed a black stained rag and tossed it over his shoulder as he examined the place, like he did every morning, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. A smile appeared on his face and he flipped the closed sign to open.

The moment he was about to sit down to wait for his customers of the day, the sound of the bell hanging by the door caught his attention and he turned around. As soon as her ebony hair came in view he shook his head. "You do not work here. You do not actually have to be here when it opens."

Her blue eyes shone with happiness while the door closed shut behind her. "I like hanging out here."

"I do not think your mother approves. You should be a slave to school Kagome, remember?"

She rolled her eyes before reaching out for a stool under the desk. She pulled it and dropped on it while her palms pushed against the seat. "I'd rather be here with you."

They both came from broken families. His mother passed away when he was young, just like her father did. Many years back their parents found each other and married making them siblings by marriage. He was slightly older than her and his childhood was marked by loneliness. His father was always too busy for him and he learned to be on his own.

When Kagome came into his life, it was a gigantic change and it took a while to get used to.. In the beginning, he did not even speak to her. Of course, back then he was a foolish twelve year old and she was an annoying six year old invading his private world.

But then slowly, she pushed her way into his little bubble and he found out he did not have to be alone. Every day for months she sat in his room, waiting for him to acknowledge her. He thought she was going to get annoyed and leave him; everybody else did. But not Kagome. She stayed with him until he spoke to her.

It took time, years, but he finally became comfortable around her. She was the only one he showed himself to – fully without restraints. It was a feeling that overwhelmed him; he needed her in his life because she showed him it gets better.

"I don't think I'm made for school anyway."

Kagome had visions and dreams that went beyond the norms. She did not wish to be in school and stuck in a classroom. She was a free spirit and an artist. They still lived with their parents, but the garage was theirs. Actually it was his, but he sacrificed half of it to allow her to have a studio. There, she was free to paint and express herself.

"Then you should remain here."

"Can you handle having me here all day, every day, Sess?"

It was not as if it wasn't already the case. As a matter of fact, it was the sole reason why he took this job. Sesshomaru was smart, he possessed a good education and he had everything he needed to go far in life. However, the outside world and the fancy cities lacked one thing; Kagome. If he left, it meant she would stay behind and he was not about to do that.

As soon as high school ended, he began working in this little shop. The owner was quite old, without a family and when he passed away he left it all to Sesshomaru. It ended up working out perfectly.

He would rather stay in this little town to run this body shop then being without her. If he was without her, he did not know how to be alone again. When he was a child, his thoughts were always dark and cold. His mind wrapped around darkness and focused on that instead of the light. Kagome was his hope, his shining light.

"I believe I will have to," he said before ruffling her hair with his hand.

Kagome was aware she meant a lot to him, but he never shared just how important she was. It was the only thing he kept from her in fear that in the end, he was going to be the one hurt. No, his Kagome was not going to hurt him, but he felt she could not know. They grew up together as siblings and their relationship should be as such. The love he felt for Kagome however went beyond that.

They were not truly siblings and there was nothing wrong with the way he felt but – what if? What if he was nothing more than her brother in her eyes? It would destroy him. Living in the unknown while having her in his life was much better and satisfying.

"Maybe I could be a mechanic – girl."

He was unable to hold back an unnatural laugh. "I do not think it would suit you."

"Why not?" she inquired while puffing up her chest. "I could do this. I could… paint the cars?" She laughed and his mood cheered up even more.

"You are already free to do that. I do not need the exteriors of the broken cars over there."

She shrugged. "I meant getting paid for it."

"What makes you believe I would hire you?"

"Oh please," Kagome said dismissing him with a hand gesture. "You'd be lost without me. That's reason enough."

And she had no idea just how right she was.

She jumped off her seat and stretched herself on her toes to reach his hair. She gently ruffled it before walking a bit further from him and going near the pile of junk. Sesshomaru had no idea why but she tended to lurk around there. He always figured it was because of her artistic side; perhaps her mind was running wild and imagining the things she could do.

Sesshomaru watched mesmerized as she ran her tiny, fragile, precious fingers along the metallic edges completely absorbed by it and his expression turned into a smile. He remembered himself being that way as well. Of course, he was alone unlike her. He would speak to himself, sometimes to the objects around his room… until she came along.

"Quit starin'," she said before biting on her bottom lip.

Suddenly, before he could utter his reply, he was cut off by the sound of the bell. He sighed before throwing his rag on top of her head. "I have to work."

Sesshomaru grabbed a tablet of paper and a pen from his desk before heading in the direction of the customer. It was hard to miss the old man as he slowly walked inside. He wore a brown leather hat, which mostly likely covered his bald head, along with cargo pants and an aqua shirt.

"How can I help you?" His tone was not rude, but it was not friendly either.

Considering he was not much of a people person, this was a strange job for him. He could only be at ease around Kagome and everyone else put him on his guard. Nonetheless, he could put up with it as long as he got to keep Kagome.

Instead of replying, the old man stared at him strangely. He leaned forward, eyeing him with glimmering honey orbs. For a second, Sesshomaru felt like his heart ceased to beat. This man he was inside of him – not literally – but Sesshomaru experienced fear and darkness. Memories from his childhood, the times alone with nothing but his own shadow, were being forced back up.

And then, it all stopped.

The old man smiled and backed away. "I require new tires." The words slipped from him so easily as if he did not notice what happened.

Sesshomaru blinked a few times out of confusion before mindlessly nodding. He scribbled a few things down on his pad and proceeded to head outside to find the car. As he was walking by, he felt the man grab hold of his arm.

"You have to let her go."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"The girl, you have to let her go."

He began to breathe faster while he took a step forward in the old man's direction. "What girl?"

The man chuckled and he removed his hat from the top of his head. The old man ran his palm over the little bit of hair he had left, and slouched down. "I am simply here to get my tires changed son. Now what girl are you speaking of?"

"I'll check your car," Sesshomaru said without a second thought.

He walked past the customer quickly with his heart pounding just slightly faster than usual. Either this man was attempting to mess with his mind or he was a little more tired than he thought. His sleep pattern was a bit of out whack lately; he was not getting any more rest.

Maybe he was spending too much time alone.

-F-

A thin layer of sweat was covering his face by the time he walked back inside. A dirty towel was wrapped around his neck and a small patch of black was on his cheek. When he entered the main room, he found Kagome with her hands pressed against the wall, looking as if she was playing some sort of game.

Kagome was tapping her fingertips against the wall in different beats, sometimes gliding her fingers across, sometimes not. She appeared to be so entranced by it that she did not notice his presence. The whole world surrounded her yet she only saw what she wanted to see. He could spend hours watching her be swallowed in her own little universe: he loved it.

"The heat broke," she said breaking the silence.

"Again?" he dared to inquire a bit annoyed. He kept getting the darn thing fixed yet it would not stop breaking. She was always cold every day. He would change it, but he did not have money for that, not yet.

She finally pulled her hand away and wrapped her arms around herself, gently rubbing to warm herself up. "It's always so cold."

"I am sorry, I am working on it. I have been saving up money." A little bit every week. Of course, some of his money also went towards another kind of saving. He did not wish for him and Kagome to live with their parents forever. Once he gathered enough money, they could move in their own place.

Perhaps it would make his feelings for her slightly less awkward.

"You work too hard. You used to spend days and days at home with me. Now the only time I see you is when you're here. Working."

Sesshomaru rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. "I know. Once I have enough money, I will not work as often." It was his body shop now meaning he was able to afford employees and he was allowed to assign tasks to others. Although, he did prefer it when it was only the two of them.

She turned her head to look at him and her eyes were shining with light. It felt as if she was wrapping her fingers around his heart and squeezing it. She was happy around him, he could tell. Maybe if he shared his plans and ideas with her, she would agree. He was not going to mention his feelings, but everything else was safe was it not?

"Kagome – I –"

"Mister Taisho?"

He almost groaned at the interruption, but he held it back. Instead he spun around and found himself staring at five men in blue uniforms. "We're bringing the parts you ordered last week. Where do ya want 'em?"

Sesshomaru rubbed the side of his head before pointing at the corner. "You can pile up everything there."

The one in charge nodded and joined the others in grabbing boxes. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru went to his desk instead of resuming his conversation with Kagome. He did not like to speak in the presence of strangers and what he wanted to share with her was personal; he did not need anyone overhearing.

He sat down on his chair and moved a pile of paper in front of him. If he was unable to do anything he wanted, he might as well use the time to get some work out of the way. The entire time Sesshomaru rested his head in his hand, scribbling away at paper. The sounds were messing with his concentration.

Sesshomaru wanted to think about Kagome standing behind him, massaging his shoulders, but instead the only sound that echoed in his mind was the voices. The men were loud and laughing, unaware of how much they were disturbing Sesshomaru.

To distract himself, he began tapping his fingers against the wooden desk to the same rhythm Kagome was earlier. He then gave in and closed his eyes trying to form clear pictures. Her sweet angelic voice. Her crystal blue eyes. Her red lips and her soft skin.

And – and he was not able to see it.

Out of frustration, he punched his desk. They were ruining it – all of it. His breathing was heavy as he rose to his feet rapidly. He wanted to see her, he had to see her. His hands were shaking because of his level of stress. It was not a safe thing to do with people around, but he did not know how to stop himself.

When he was stressed or without her, he did not know how to keep himself sane.

Doing this might make him lose it, but if he did not then he would lose his sanity nonetheless.

He walked as calmly and collected as he could and headed far away from the group of men. With little footsteps he made his way to the junk pile. Nobody went there, especially since he was the only one working here at the moment. It was just garbage, junk; nobody cared. Half the cars were in pieces or destroyed; why would anyone pay any attention?

His fingers were twitching when he reached the back part of a blue car. It was one of the only cars that was somewhat still holding together; it was the hiding spot. Joy and pleasure twirled inside of him when he grabbed on to the trunk. He pressed the little hidden button and then lifted it open.

And there she was, just like in his memories. His Kagome wrapped in a blanket.

The way he tucked her in hid the bloody wound on the side of her head. He chose not to clean it because he wanted her body to remain as it was. As if she never tried to leave him and shatter his heart. Now instead she was here, forever, with him in the body shop.

"Sesshomaru! I got in! I got in!" Kagome ran inside the house like a crazy woman, yelling and shaking a piece of paper.

She shoved it in Sesshomaru's face with a bright smile. "They picked me!"

One of his eyebrows was raised when he snatched the sheet from her. His eyes scanned it rapidly but it was enough for his heart to stop beating. "Y-you are leaving?"

"Yes!" she said enthusiastically.

Sesshomaru wanted to hide his distress but he could not. Kagome – she was his everything. He stayed here to be with her and she was going to leave him to help some poor country?

"Wait! Sess! It's not forever," she said when she noticed his sadness. "I'll just be gone for less than a year. I'll be helping people!"

"I thought you loved art," he said dryly.

"I still do, but I'm not sure what I wanna do yet in my future. But this, I mean I've always been stuck here! Aren't you tired of being here?"

"No. I do not need to be anywhere else. I have you here. What else could I possibly need?"

Her smile saddened and she wrapped her arms around him. "Sesshomaru, you know I love you. And I don't want to leave you or this place forever but, I wanna do this. You've always looked after me but I need to learn what it takes for me to be able to take care of myself.."

"You don't need to know," he instantly replied.

Rage like he never experienced before was forming inside of him. She wanted to leave; leave him and their friendship. She cared more about strangers than she did him. He was always there for her; he watched over her, he loved her. He spent his life here because it was where she was comfortable! HOW COULD SHE WANT TO LEAVE HIM?

He could feel his veins ready to pop and he was doing his best to concentrate to not let his whole body shake with anger. She never saw the bad side of him, the angry lonely one. She pulled him out of that state and now she was trying to push him back into the darkness where his mind would be swallowed by the darkness. No, no, no. He refused to be alone again.

"Sesshomaru, I will be back. I just I want to go somewhere!"

"Why? You never wanted to leave! I remained here to be with you!"

Her expression fell and her lips parted to show her puzzlement. She observed him carefully while his eyes were raging and spit was spilling on his mouth. He did not mean to share his secret and he did not mean to let her know his thoughts.

But she was forcing it out of him.

"Sesshomaru?"

She was confused; she did not understand his feelings. No, he saw the fear in her eyes, she was – could she be afraid of him?

"I love you, Kagome. You cannot leave me."

Kagome's breathing sped up and she took a step backwards. Her arms were stretched behind her as if she was attempting to grab or touch something – anything.

"I love you too Sesshomaru," she finally uttered.

"No, no. I love you Kagome. I cannot allow you to leave. I stayed here for you. I took a job at this stupid body shop to stay by your side. You have to stay."

Her bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. This was the wrong reaction; actually it was the wrong time! He was going to get them an apartment, provide for her and show her how happy he could make her! Then he would have revealed his feelings to her and instead of being scared, she would have loved him back.

This was all wrong.

He grabbed her shoulders with his hands and held her tightly in place. "Kagome, you will stay here."

"Se-sesshomaru let me go. I won't go anywhere. I promise." She swallowed hard. "You-you're just hurting me."

He searched her eyes and he was afraid he would find lies, but instead he saw her honesty. No, his Kagome would not lie to him. Then again, he thought she would never leave him and now she wanted to. He squeezed down a bit more and watched as she squirmed with pain.

And then, he released her. He observed while her shoulders slouched and she offered him a small smile. "Th-thank you."

"You will not leave me."

She shook her head before gesturing to the couch. "Let's sit down and we'll talk about all this. No reason to get upset."

Talk. Yes talking was good. He needed to explain his feelings to her better and let her know just how much she meant to him. If he expressed himself carefully, she would not wish to leave anymore; she would understand how much he loved her.

Sesshomaru took a deep breath before giving her a true smile. His Kagome. He no longer had to hide his feelings for her; she knew the truth. He would soon be able to love her like he always wanted and cherish her for the rest of his life. With a lighter heart, he moved towards the couch and got ready to sit down.

But Kagome had another plan in mind.

As soon as he heard her footsteps against the wooden floor, running in the direction of the door, he lost it. He ran for her as fast as he could and during his dash, grabbed a vase that was on the counter. Before he knew it, he grabbed her waist and sent her flying to the floor.

He towered over her, sitting on her stomach and, acting as if he was in a dream, he began smashing the vase against her head. "YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ME!"

Another hit. "I NEED YOU!"

And again. "I LOVE YOU!"

Why, why did she run from him? Why leave him?

The final smash. He felt the vase break, crushing, shattering when it made one final contact with her head. Pieces flew all over the room and his hand was tainted with blood. He was trembling like a leaf when he glanced down at the woman he loved. Half of her face was covered in blood and he couldn't feel her struggling anymore.

Slowly he removed himself from her and gently wrapped his arms around her body before pressing her face in his chest. It would be fine now; everything would be just fine. Kagome was not going to try to leave him anymore, she would stay with him. He repeated those words in his mind while he kept rocking her gently.

"I will take care of you."

And he had ever since. Yes, now their life together was at it was supposed to be. She was here with him every day like before and she loved him and cared for him. Soon, he would ask her to move in. She was with him every day, in mind and body. He knew her spirit wanted to remain here; she felt bad for what she did. He did not care what that old man might say. It was real.

It was not some kind of illusion tying her spirit down. It was her choice. She was here with him, every day like it was meant to be.

Yes his Kagome. She was real, she loved him.

They would be together.

Forever.

~Fin~

Remember to read Synysterstar's entry and to send Tangie your vote! Thank you for reading!

Prompt: Sesshomaru is a mechanic + dead body.