"Oh come on, Takehashi! I've already got something planned, and I can't cancel again!"

"I'm sorry, Kagome, but you'll have to. This is a really important shoot for the company, and Kai's already on her flight to the states... Come on, it won't be that bad."

Sitting in the waiting room of Maeda Studios, Sesshomaru Taisho couldn't help but by amused by the conversation he was hearing between who he guessed was a photographer and the manager of the studio. Apparently, the woman, whose name was common enough but whose voice sounded somewhat familiar, cancelled previous appointments quite often, and Sesshomaru had a feeling she would once more postpone her plans.

"Alright, but you owe me one. " Hearing a laugh, Sesshomaru smirked himself, wondering what manner of woman this was that she seemingly could not say no. He supposed he would find out.

"Mr. Taisho, the photographer will see you now." Nodding to the secretary, he stood and walked calmly into the back room, taking the hand the manager held out to him immediately.

"Mr. Taisho, thank you for choosing Maeda Studios." The man was tall, and built, but Sesshomaru could tell that he, like all humans, was intimidated by his presence, the nervousness rolling off of him indication enough although he managed to keep it out of his eyes. "If there's anything I can do, please let me know, and if Kagome here displeases you in any way, tell me and I'll be sure to dock her pay."

"Shut up, Takehashi. You know I'm the best you've..." Golden eyes met startling blue, and Sesshomaru instantly recognized the woman. Oddly, he remarked to himself that of course she wouldn't be able to say no; she hadn't been able to do so when traveling with his idiotic half-brother, so why would she be able to do so now? "Sesshomaru... I didn't - I didn't know you were alive." He could hear the wonder in her voice, and he thought for a moment to ask her how she could possibly think that he, Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, would let himself die, but he noted that her scent suddenly spiked in embarrassment, and her eyes darted to her boss before landing on him again. "I mean, I didn't know that you were here, in Tokyo." He gave her a curt nod, walking further into the room.

"I have business here," he said, answering the question in her eyes and sending a message with his own golden orbs. She seemed to get it, and threw a smile in Takehashi's direction, the hope in her eyes matching what Sesshomaru suddenly felt; he disliked talking in code, and the sooner the human left, the sooner the miko could ask her questions.

"Alright, Take, I can handle it from here; I don't need a babysitter, you know." The man addressed held up his hands in an "I surrender" gesture, leaving the room without another word and closing the door behind him.

Youkai and miko stood in silence for a moment, and Kagome worried her bottom lip before smiling up at him and walking to the portion of the room that held all the equipment. He listened as she rummaged around, mumbling to herself. Underneath her natural jasmine and moonflower scent, the smell of her emotions fluctuated constantly, switching from confusion to curiosity before finally settling on a mixture of the two as she emerged, a camera in hand.

"So, Sesshomaru, long time no see."

"Indeed." Her smile didn't waver, and she motioned him over, indicating that he should sit on the small stool.

"Where have you been?" She was looking at him, an artist's gleam in her eye, and he answered her as she came forward, moving his limbs into the desired position.

"I have lived on the mainland for the past twenty years." She nodded, making a noise in her throat before stepping back. Satisfied, she nodded.

"Look this way, just a little." Her voice was soft, and he followed the request, not really seeing it as a command. "Okay, now tilt your chin down, a little more... Okay right there. Thanks." The camera flashed, and the little miko lowered the lens from her eye, pushing back a few strands of errant hairs and tucking them into the loose bun that sat at the nape of her neck. "So is that why I never felt your aura?"

"Perhaps." Some of the confusion left her scent, but her curiosity had not been sated, so Sesshomaru resigned himself to more questions.

"Why didn't Inuyasha tell me you were alive?"

"My brother may not know."

Suddenly, the onna paused in whatever she was doing, moving back around in front of him and looking at him with disbelief in her sapphire orbs. "Your brother?" He watched her for a moment, wondering if he was wrong to assume that she was a smart miko.

"Yes. Inuyasha is my brother, is he not?" She continued to stare at him, and he noted, or cared to notice, that she was only slightly higher than him while he was sitting, and that she had not grown very much since he had last seen her five hundred years previous; except for the curves he could plainly see on her person, she was only a few inches taller.

"B-but you never claimed him, at least not without sounding like you were mocking him," she murmured after a moment, her wide eyes telling him just what she thought of this new development. He resisted the sudden urge to smile at her, keeping their eyes locked to let her know that he was serious.

"A hundred years after your departure, Inuyasha and I settled our differences." If possible, her eyes widened more, and as his words sunk in, she smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling.

"That's great," she said cheerily, moving out of his line of sight once more. He sensed that she was done with her questions for the moment, but there was still a lingering trace of curiosity in her scent. He allowed her to move his limbs once more, shifting the props she'd previously set up until everything was to her liking.

Once more, she stepped back, checked the set-up, and raised the camera to her face. It flashed, and Kagome looked at the digital display before frowning. Figuring that the photo had not been satisfactory, Sesshomaru held his pose, staring unblinkingly at her as she snapped another picture, frowning at that one also. Sighing, she propped a hand on her hip and looked at him, the pout on her face calling his attention to her annoyed scent.

"Is there a problem, miko?"

Her facial expression did not change, and she stared at him for a moment more before answering. "Yeah, but I can't figure out what it is... Maybe there's something about the background..." Her voice trailed off, and her azure eyes darted over his head briefly before she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed it lightly. However, she did not move, and Sesshomaru found himself enthralled as he looked at her.

It was obvious to him that she had indeed developed into a mature woman, although her dress didn't seem to have improved; even now she wore a pair of brown shorts that showed off her long legs, complete with a white t-shirt that clung to her breasts and taut stomach, her finely muscled arms moving with grace as she raised and lowered her camera. Her ebony hair, which seemed adamant about its escape from the bun at her neck, shone in the studio's lights, glimmering almost blue as she moved around the space, her cobalt eyes showing her emotions as they flittered from one to the next. The inu could even feel her powers, thrumming just beneath her flesh, suppressed but completely under her control.

"Oh!" At her exclamation, Sesshomaru stopped his perusal of her form, taking note of his beast's sudden activity as he looked at her with indifference. "I know what's wrong," she said, the smile on her face showing just how pleased she was with herself for figuring it out. She tapped a finger against her camera lens before pointing it at him. "It's you."

He felt one eyebrow slide up, though he supposed he kept the shock from his expression fairly well. "I fail to see how I am the problem," he said, waiting on her to explain. Her smile was slow, and the fingers of the hand she'd once more propped on her hip began to tap rhythmically.

"I need you to show some emotion," she said. "I know you're probably not used to doing it, but you're about to be on the cover of Sekegai Magazine as "Sexiest Man of the Year", and the only expression you've managed to pull is that bored one." She pointed at his face, as if to emphasize her point, and then kept talking, reminding him of the times he had endured Rin's never-ending chatter. "Do you think that you could give me something more than that?"

"Hn." It was his only response after a moment of silence, but the bright smile she bestowed on him caused him to believe he had just made her the happiest woman in the world.

"Thanks." She moved behind him again.

---|---

Kagome still couldn't get over how utterly beautiful Sesshomaru was, although she couldn't say that she had expected him to get uglier over the years, seeing as he was an immortal, seemingly never aging, all powerful demon.

Shaking herself free of her thoughts, she reached up and released the black satin drape from its hook, pulling it across the space before teasing it a bit to get it to fall like she wanted it to. She grinned as she stood in front of Sesshomaru, knowing that she had been right about the black; it offset his pale skin and quicksilver hair. Even his eyes stood out more, the golden color as sharp as she remembered.

She smiled at him, and then raised her camera, focusing the lens. Her finger twitched, but she didn't shoot the picture. Something wasn't quite right. Lowering the lens, she ignored the irritated look the youkai was giving her, narrowing her eyes as she observed his position. After a minute of careful examination, Kagome huffed, and then sat her camera down.

"I'm sorry Sesshomaru, but I need to move some more things. Could you stand up, please?" Giving her a blank look, the youkai stood and moved to the side, and she could feel his eyes on her as she pushed the chair he had been sitting on out of the way, replacing it with a burgundy chaise and a glass side table. Examining the new set up, she nodded to herself and stepped back, not noticing how close she stood to Sesshomaru until she turned around, finding herself face to chest with the youkai. Raising her eyes to his face, she smiled, a little nervously, and took a couple steps back. "I'm done now."

He gave her a curt nod, and then moved to the chaise, sitting before swinging his legs up onto it, crossing them at the ankle. He threw an arm over the back of the chair, leaving the other one resting against his thigh. Kagome nodded, liking the natural way his body flowed along the line of the chaise, going and finding a champagne flute and a bottle of sparkling cider she kept for props. Pouring a little into the flute, she then handed it to Sesshomaru, ignoring the look he gave her and pulling the table a little closer to his side. Grasping his wrist, she gently moved his arm until the flute rested on the table. Keeping a hold on his wrist, she moved his hand a little further away from the flute, leaving him to position his fingers as though he were going to pick it up.

After satisfying herself with his position, she picked her camera up, and then raised it to her face after giving him a pointed look. She thought his hand might have twitched, but ignored it and focused her lens. And then Sesshomaru's expression hit her full force, and she had to remind herself that gawking at him wouldn't help his ego.

His eyes were warm, his entire face softened with an expression she had never seen on him. His mouth seemed to quirk at the corners, but it wasn't a smile, and it wasn't a grin. Unable to place it, Kagome forced herself not to pay attention to the way his heated gaze seemed to crawl along every inch of her skin, causing it to prickle in pleasure. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and then snapped the picture, knowing instantly that it was the one she would present to Takehashi.

She took longer than usual looking at the digital display, convincing herself that it was to make sure that everything looked as she wanted it rather than taking time to calm her nerves. When she looked back at him again, his eyes had gone back to the blank gold she was used to seeing, and she smiled at him. "Alright, I think we're done here."

"Hn." He stood, his movements smooth, and Kagome began collecting her things after making sure to save the picture, noting that she felt Sesshomaru's youki against her skin much easier than she had felt any other demons. Figuring that it was only because he was the strongest of them all, she ignored the tingling feeling and turned to him with a smile as she put away the sparkling cider and cradled her personal camera against her chest.

"So what do you do in this time, Sesshomaru?" She fumbled to get her studio key out of her pocket, locking the door and waving lightly to the secretary as she walked by, Sesshomaru holding the door open for her as they left.

"I own Taisho Industries."

Kagome chuckled to herself. "I always wondered if the name had anything to do with your family. I guess I was right." The inu said nothing, and they walked in silence for a moment before Kagome spoke again. "I was supposed to be meeting Inuyasha today, you know. I had to call and tell him I'd be late because of a photo shoot… You could come with me, if you like." I doubt he'll let me off on smelling like you otherwise, she thought.

Sesshomaru was silent, and said nothing until Kagome found her car parked down the street. She unlocked the door, and was reaching to open it when a clawed hand shot forward and grasped the handle, swinging the door open. She glanced up into amber eyes, and, finding nothing but plain indifference, she smiled. "Looks like chivalry isn't dead after all."

"I shall accompany you to your meeting," he said, obviously not having anything to say about her last remark. Kagome smiled at him, turning and tossing her camera and bag onto the passenger seat before looking at him again.

"Alright. Where'd you park?"

---|---

"Inuyasha!"

Sesshomaru watched with slight interest as Kagome shot up from her seat and threw herself into the arms of his half brother, who laughed as he swung her around in a complete circle before setting her down on her feet again. The half breed opened his mouth to speak, and then his head snapped up and his eyes met Sesshomaru's.

"Little brother." He hadn't spoken very loud, but Inuyasha heard him and returned the slight incline of his head, throwing an arm around the little miko's shoulders and leading her back to her seat. She sat, but reached across the table and took the hanyou's hand, her smile never wavering.

"Inu, it's so good to see you," she murmured, pure happiness pouring from her sapphire eyes.

Sesshomaru half listened to their conversation, his senses trained more on the bustle around them than on the two reunited friends. He could hear the conversation across the street, even over the sound of the gas guzzling pollution machines as they rolled over the pavement. The woman coming out of the restaurant behind them came toward their table, and he smelled her interest in him before she came within twenty feet. She was human, and, unlike the miko sitting at the table, smelled of kitchen grease and cigarette smoke, a revolting combination. He resisted the urge to glare at her, and settled instead on ignoring her as she placed menus in front of them and asked what they wanted to drink.

"Water, please, with a lemon slice," Kagome said pleasantly, her voice almost a chirp. The waitress made an agreeable noise, but Sesshomaru kept his eyes trained across the street, waiting until Inuyasha ordered his beverage before blandly stating that he would like a bottled water. He refused to look at the woman, even as she lingered, her eyes on him. After a moment, she intoned that she would return shortly.

"Gods she stinks."

"Inuyasha!"

Sesshomaru looked to the miko, whose face openly displayed her disbelief. "Inuyasha is correct," he said, making sure to keep his voice devoid of emotion, although he was amused at the look on the onna's face. "The woman smells." A pout touched Kagome's lips, and she shook her head.

"It's only because you've got sensitive noses. She doesn't smell to me."

Instantly, Sesshomaru caught a faint tinge of deceit, but ignored it, finding himself highly intrigued at the miko's desire to protect a woman she didn't know. Then again, why should he have thought she would have done any differently? He had, after all, known her for quite some time before she completed the Shikon Jewel, and, although their relationship, or lack thereof, had been far less than stellar, he knew that her capacity for compassion was almost as large as Japan itself.

Inuyasha had, while he mused, scoffed and called her a liar before launching into yet another conversation that Sesshomaru only half listened to, only returning his attention to the pair when Inuyasha said something about him, and as his brother looked at him, Kagome gaped.

"Rin is still alive?"

Sesshomaru looked at her, and, again, resisted the urge to ask her what manner of lord she thought he was. "I would not let her die," he answered. Her eyes widened, if it were possible, and Sesshomaru would have found the expression slightly amusing had he not seen the disbelief. "I arranged for her to mate with the Lord of the South."

"Who is he? And where is she?"

"Shippo." It was Inuyasha who uttered the name, and Kagome's head snapped so quickly to the side that Sesshomaru thought it was a wonder she didn't break her fragile human neck. "Yeah," the half-breed murmured, as if answering a question. "Dog boy here set Rin and him up when Rin turned eighteen, and they mated when she turned twenty."

Kagome was silent for a very long time, her head down and her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt between them. Sesshomaru was, for once, unable to sense anything from her; she had masked her scent and aura so efficiently and so quickly that it was like she wasn't there.

And then she threw herself out of her chair and around the small table, latching herself to Sesshomaru's side. It took him a moment to regain his neutral expression, and to realize that the high pitched noises coming from the onna's throat were actually words, but when he did, he suppressed the urge to bury his nose in her fragrant hair, choosing instead to sit very still. When she continued to make the gods-awful noise, he clenched his jaw. "Miko."

Almost as if he had physically harmed her, she drew back, her cobalt orbs widening as she clapped her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she whispered through her hands, finally lowering them and reaching over to pull a chair from another table, settling into it before continuing. "I just - I'm happy for you, and you probably gave Shippo a reason to live, because he had Rin to look after, so thanks. I really appreciate it." The gratitude shining in her eyes and exuding from her pores had told him as much, but, oddly, hearing the words gave him a sort of pride, his beast stirring once more.

It was a small movement, and the caged dog settled almost as quickly as he shifted, but Sesshomaru had learned to take every change in the beasts demeanor as a sign of something important. After all, he'd had complete control over his inner self for almost three hundred years, and he'd never had a response to anything, much less anything as simple as a show of gratitude. It was something he would have to think on later.

"It is of little consequence," he said blandly, once more ignoring the putrid smelling woman as she came to their table with their drinks. "I simply did what was necessary to ensure Rin's survival."

Kagome nodded, although she said nothing until she'd cheerily informed their waitress that they wouldn't be eating and nicely asked for some sugar. "Yeah, well, I still feel like you've done a lot... I owe you one, okay?" She said after the woman had gone, looking at him with a light smile on her lips and contentment in her eyes.

The taiyoukai found himself nodding, although he had an odd feeling that he would be satisfied to simply see the appreciation on her face. He kept his thoughts to himself, as per usual, and the three of them spent the better part of three hours catching up on their lives thus far.

Kagome, as Sesshomaru already knew, was a photographer, and although she had dreams of opening her own studio, she was content with what she had at the moment, and currently rented out an apartment on the eastern side of Japan. She also drew from time to time, and Sesshomaru could see small, almost non-existent calluses on the fingers of her right hand, evidence of her words. She had not drawn for a while, however, if the size of the little spots of hardened skin were to be of any indication, and Sesshomaru wondered briefly if she had no inspiration.

He was brought out of his musings as the miko's aura flared, and an intense sadness swept over her. Her face fell, and she stared at Inuyasha as though he'd said something she didn't understand. Looking to his half-brother, Sesshomaru deduced that he had indeed said something that upset the both of them; Inuyasha's facial expression was slightly pained, and Sesshomaru could see through the illusion that he wore that his ears were pinned against his skull.

However, Inuyasha's uncomfortable expression was nothing compared to Kagome's sorrow, and Sesshomaru shifted his gaze to her, watching as she opened her mouth, but closed it again, and then opened it once more. A noise escaped her throat, but it could hardly be considered anything near a word. Suddenly, she took a deep, shuddering breath, and then closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I know you loved her." Her voice was quiet, and she fiddled with the sugar packets she'd gotten for her water, tearing the paper into small pieces.

"You don't have to apologize for anything," Inuyasha answered. "It was bound to happen sometime. She was old, ya know?"

Deducting that they were speaking about the older miko, Sesshomaru found himself tensing, the muscles across his shoulders tightening almost painfully. At first, the reason for the tension eluded him, and then he realized that Kagome's powers were flaring, fizzing against her skin, and her proximity to him, within arms reach, was setting him on edge. He could barely repress his natural instinct to get rid of the threat to his person, but he managed, only slightly extending his aura as a warning.

Instantly, Kagome's power drew back into herself, and her eyes snapped to his, an apology in the azure depths. He inclined his head towards her in acceptance, and she smiled, the smell of salt stinging his nose as a tear trailed down one porcelain cheek. She quickly wiped it away, mumbling a trembling 'sorry' as she did so. "She was happy though, wasn't she, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou nodded. "Yeah. She knew you were safe back here, and she made me promise that I'd tell you not to be too sad over her. She told me to tell you she was perfectly at peace, and that she'd lived long enough."

The table fell silent, and, after a moment, Kagome took a few deep breaths, a small smile on her lips. A type of peaceful expression fell over her face, and she tapped her slim fingers against the tabletop before looking up and changing the subject with a swiftness that startled even Sesshomaru.

He scented her, but the smell of her gave away nothing, nor did her aura give off anything except calm and happiness. He watched her.

The onna had always intrigued him, although he had initially found her nothing but a nuisance, and even then, her dress and manner made him curious. Now, five hundred years after their first meeting, he found that his curiosity hadn't abated, and had even grown stronger, if he had anything to say about it.

A vibration against his thigh drew him out of his thoughts, and he pulled his phone from his pocket, eyes quickly scanning over the text message Rin had sent him. He narrowed his eyes, then quickly typed a reply, standing as he slid the device back into his pocket. "If you would excuse me. I have business to attend to."

"Yeah, I really oughta get going too. Listen, Kags, I'll call you, alright?" Inuyasha stood with him, and the miko followed, a bright smile on her face.

"Sure. We can have dinner sometime." Her azure eyes slid to Sesshomaru, and her smile widened. "Maybe you'll let me take your picture again?" It was a question, and Sesshomaru gave a slight nod, though he doubted that he would allow the miko that experience.

After a few more traded promises of a later meeting, the miko waved one last time and walked toward where she'd parked her car, and Sesshomaru was gifted with one last tendril of her alluring scent before she disappeared in the crowd.

"It was good to see her again."

"Hn."

---|---
Author's Note: I wanted to try something I haven't seen much of, and I've got to say, I did much better than I thought I would ^_^. Anyway, let me know what ya liked, what ya didn't like, or if it was just okai! Thanks for reading!