Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Inuyasha and will make no profit from this story. All recognized characters are the property of the orginal author. All original characters as well as the plot of this story belong to the author.
********************************************************************
"Hey, I remember that photo!" the bright voice said behind him.
"As do I. It was two summers ago, the big trip to Hawaii." he said slowly.
"That was great fun, remember when Inuyasha fell off the dock into the water and came up covered in seaweed."
He chuckled softly and sighed.
"What are you doing in here anyway Sessh? You never come in here anymore." the brown haired woman said, taking a seat next to him.
"Just making sure everything is where it should be, you know, it's getting rather dusty in here."
"Yeah, I'll get right on that." she joked.
"Ami, what are you doing here?" he asked her seriously.
"Sitting with my friend. I thought he looked kinda sad, so I decided to pop on by." she said happily.
He smiled. So typical. She always knew when something was bothering him, it never once escaped her notice.
******************************************************************
"So, what's the deal? Are you going to ask her out or not?" Ami said while they walked the campus.
"I think not. She's not exactly my type." Sesshoumaru said flatly.
"Really? So the best looking girl in school has the guts to ask YOU out on a date and you're just going to turn her down?"
"She is hardly the best looking girl in school, Ami, and yes I am going to turn her down. She has no true interest in me, only in the raise in popularity she will get by being on my arm."
"True, but hey, maybe you're wrong and she does like you?"
"It is possible, I am still not interested."
"Suit yourself. Did Inuyasha ask Kagome out yet?"
"Why would I know such trivial information?"
"Probably because he's your brother, duh!" she said poking his arm a little harder than needed.
"Half-brother, and no, he has not managed to ask her out yet."
"Idiot, he better suck it in and do it before someone else does."
"Inuyasha is not often known for his smart decisions and timing."
"True true. Listen, I'm going to be late tonight so tell your father to leave a light on for me."
"What are you doing tonight?"
"Big study group. A bunch of us are getting together to go over everything before the finals next week. I would have invited you, but it's political study, I KNOW how interesting you find that subject." she said rolling her eyes.
"Thank you for not subjecting me to that torture once again."
"Yeah, who loves ya...I gotta split, so I'll see you at home." Ami said kissing his cheek and running off.
He watched her go happily to her next class and thought quietly to himself.
"No I did not lie, Kagura is definitely not the best looking girl in school" he said to himself and headed off for his own class.
*******************************************************************
"What are you thinking about now?" Ami asked him and he thumbed through more and more photos.
"Nothing in particular, just remembering the good times." he said.
"We did have some good times when we were younger didn't we? Man I miss those days. Now it's all serious, grown up stuff...oh to be 5 one more time!" she said laughing.
He smiled but kept his head down in the photo book. He stopped when he reached their graduation pictures. They looked so ridiculous in the gowns and hats but it had been a great day.
"Look how young we were!" she said
"We have not yet grown so much that we should look upon these pictures and feel ourselves to be that old Ami."
"Oh I know, it just seems like so long ago. I can't believe it's been 4 years since then."
"Neither can I. So much has changed, not all of it for the good, not all for the bad."
"Yeah, I know. Best not dwell on it for now, it's not good for you."
"Yes, I suppose you are right." he said, flipping the page to reveal more vacation photos.
******************************************************************
"Hey, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled
"What?"
"Wow, who pissed you off this morning?" Miroku said to him.
"Is there something you want?" he said coldly.
"Yeah, listen we're on VACATION...that means you have to put down the work and actually enjoy yourself. Look we're all going down to the beach for the day. Stop sulking in your room and come join us."
"Plus, Ami said she was going to kick your ass and break your laptop if you didn't at least pretend to have fun while we're here." Sango said stepping onto the balcony.
"Do you not understand how important this piece that I am working on?" he said sighing.
"Yeah, but we really don't care, now let’s go before Ami beats us all up." Sango said pulling him off the couch and forcing him to change.
10 minutes later he was walking along the hot sand to the group of people waiting. His father and step mother sat under the shade while Kagome and Ami laid out on towels near the water’s edge.
"Well well, look who finally decided to join us." Izayoi said smiling at her step-son.He nodded politely and took a seat in one of the shaded loungers.
He watched Ami, Kagome, and Sango head off to the water to cool off. Inuyasha and Mirkoku followed shortly after and soon Ami was beckoning him to join them. He shook his head defiantly until her soft eyes pleaded with him, and that damn pouty lip of hers. He's never been able to resist that. He strolled towards the water’s edge and waded out to where she was waiting.
"So, I don't have to break your laptop then huh?" she laughed at him.
"You would not dare and you know it." he said sharply.
"Oh yes I would!" she said splashing him with the warm ocean water.
He raised his eye brows at her and proceeded to dunk her fully under the water. She came up and immediately tried to retaliate against him. They sat and played around in the water for the rest of the day, finally coming out to change for dinner.
They ate at the best restaurant the island had to offer, everyone, including him had an amazing time. They returned to their hotel and he once again found himself sitting outside on his balcony. He was preparing to start working again when he spotted his best friend sitting quietly below in the sand. Putting work out of his mind, he descended the short stairway walked in her direction.
"Ami, what are you doing out here all alone?" he asked her as he sat down beside her.
"Nothing, just sitting, it's a nice night and I really wasn't all that tired." she said smiling.
"Are you having a good time?"
"Are you kidding? I'm having a great time, I don't think I've ever had a better time!"
"I am glad."
"You're not though are you?" she said, slightly sad.
"No, it is not that at all, I just...have a lot of work to get done."
"It's always about work with you Sessh. Life is far too short to think about work all the time, there are more important things in life than work."
"You're right. How about this, I will not do anymore work for the remainder of our trip."
"Really? You promise?"
"For you, anything."
"You're the best." she said laying her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and together they sat and listened to the waves.
"Ami?"
"Hmmmm...." she said sleepily.
He paused...
"Nothing, never mind."
"No, what is it? I hate it when you do that." she said raising her eyes to match his.
He gazed back into those bright blue eyes, leaned in, and placed a soft, tender kiss on her lips
.She pulled back and stared at him with intense curiosity.
"Wh---Sessh..what are you doing?" she questioned.
"I'm sorry, if I have upset you." he said turning his head away.
"No, no, I'm not upset...I just.....I mean...."she seemed unable to find the words she wanted. "Sessh...I love you..you know that. You're the best friend I could ever ask for."
"But?" he asked, his heart aching.
"But that's just it...I would hate to think of what we would lose if by chance.....we didn't work out. I don't think I could handle that, and neither could you."
He listened to her words carefully before he decided to answer her unsaid question.
"I understand. Forget about it..." he said getting up quickly.
"Wait Sesshoumaru!" she called to him, but he kept walking.