Author's Note: I received a request to do a one shot fic of Kurama/Kagome, any theme, for someone's birthday coming up. It is my first request, and while I have a lot to work on, Trial by Error being my main concern, I am not going to turn a request down. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Arashi Wolf Princess! And so very sorry for the delay.

Please note that this will be set in the A Wrinkle in Time verse, post Naraku's defeat, so this is a glimpse into that future. Kistune!Kagome

Festival

She held up the garment in front of herself and looked to the collection of the village girls, plus Kaede, for their opinions. There was a unanimous side to side shaking of their heads and Kagome sighed as she added the last garment to the large pile behind her. They hadn't liked anything, not that she blamed them, but that left her with nothing to wear to the upcoming festival.

Wracking her brain for a solution to her dilemma proved unfruitful and just when she was about to give up and wear the very first thing she grabbed her ears twitched. A softly singing girl was approaching, her voice familiar to her newly enhanced senses. Kagome smiled brightly as Rin entered Kaede's nearly crowded hut, the women and girls parting for the Inu Youkai child.

"Hello, Kagome-nee-sama!" the young demoness called out in a sing-song voice, a brilliant smile on her face as she skipped up to the Miko. Her chestnut colored hair was neatly plaited in what would come to be known as the French style, something that Kagome had shown her how to do two years ago. The end was held together with a clip that had been designed to look like a male Great Purple Emperor butterfly, encrusted with jewels that matched the exact shading of the insect's wings, both inside and out.

"Rin-chan! It's so good to see you!" Kagome left the pile of garments, which the village girls closest descended upon to start folding and put up, to hug Rin. She briefly noticed that the young demoness held a silk-wrapped parcel in her arms, which Rin held out to her with a bright smile once she was released from the hug. "What's this?" The Miko asked as she took it, catching faint whiffs of a certain Silver Kitsune from the item in her hands.

"It's a surprise for Kagome-nee-sama." Rin stood there, looking innocent, her hands held behind her back. The young demoness beamed as she watched the Miko pull the silk wrapping off, Kagome's expression one of awe and admiration when she saw the kimono. "Rin helped pick it out!" the young demoness exclaimed exuberantly.

"Oh Rin. It's lovely." It truly was, Kagome thought as she carefully held up the beautiful layered garment for the girls and women of the village to see. The outer layer was a dark blue that lightened and became silver towards the bottom, with vibrant green vines that artfully twisted up the fabric. Pale golden flowers sprouted on the vines, much like the flowers that a certain Youko had given her on multiple occasions. The ladies of the village were of course urging her to put it on, so they could be the first to see their Miko in such a fine kimono. Thank goodness she knew how to put it on. I have Sesshoumaru to thank for that, she thought with a small smile.

"Now, now. Let's all give Kagome-sama some privacy," Kaede chided bemusedly of the village girls. She motioned for all of them to leave, Rin excluded, then followed them out.

"Rin also has flowers to put into Kagome-nee-sama's hair," Rin stated once she was alone with the Miko. She held up the previously hidden flowers, identical to the ones on the kimono, that made Kagome's heart skip a beat. Somebody was going all out for tonight.

Kurama paced around the bonfire at the center of the village, as he had been for the past few hours since Rin had gone with the items he had gathered for Kagome. It was to the point that Hiei finally got fed up and purposefully tripped the Kitsune. Shippou snickered from where he sat, already dressed up for the evening, to which Kurama cast him and Hiei a baleful glare after he picked himself up.

"Stop working yourself up, Fox," Hiei intoned plainly, his gaze a little amused at the state that Kurama seemed to be in.

"Okaa-san will love the kimono, and the flowers," the young Kitsune stated as he ignored the glare the older Kitsune was giving him. Though he hadn't known Kagome for as long as Kurama did, it seemed he knew her better.

"Well, it seems like we haven't missed anything," a familiar voice spoke up, making Kurama halt in his pacing while Hiei muttered something to himself too soft for anyone to hear. Shippou bounced up from where he had been sitting as Miroku smiled cordially at the collection of men. The village men called out greetings to the Monk, which he returned as he made his way over to the nervous Silver Kitsune. "I think the ladies are almost ready." If the hand print marking his cheek was anything to go by, the men present doubted that statement.

"Hello, Miroku." Kurama's tone was short, his appreciation for the Monk outside of a battle very close to nothing. Shippou scampered over to them and leapt up onto his shoulder to take in the damage to Miroku's face. The kit gave an amused chuckle when he caught the scent of his adopted mother coming from the mark on the man's face, as well as Sango's. "Being that you've already been properly dealt with, I see no need to take matters into my own hands."

Miroku winced at that, remembering a particular incident in which Kurama had been the one to deal with him because of his lecherous ways. It hadn't been pleasant, and he had been aching for quite a while in places he hadn't thought possible. Add in that he was quite sure that the Silver Kitsune also had plants attacking him whenever nobody else had been looking, he had learned to never proposition or make any lecherous moves towards Kagome ever again. "I promise I wasn't doing anything untoward, Kurama-san."

"Please keep it that way, Miroku." Kurama absently reached up an ruffled Shippou's hair, causing the kit to fuss a little before everyone with demonic hearing when absolutely still. "The ladies are now on their way," he stated softly, which had the village men quieting down. After a moment, the ladies of the village became visible and started approaching their chosen men and husbands. Kurama glanced to where Hiei had been sitting, only to find that the Apparition was gone, most likely taking up a perch in a tree.

"Oh wow," Shippou breathed out, drawing Kurama's attentiontowards the newest arriving ladies. Among them were Rin, who was tossing flower petals on the ground, followed by Sango and Kagome. Sango had chosen a plain ensemble, save for a coral comb that she wore in her hair, but that wasn't what Shippou had been commenting on.

"Oh wow," Kurama echoed, his gaze alight on the radiant figure of the Miko Kitsune. The pale golden flowers had been woven into her hair, which cascaded down her back, and the kimono that he had picked out for her really brought out her eyes. She was smiling shyly as their little group drew closer, Rin cheerfully skipping by and calling out for Shippou to join her. Kurama didn't even notice the Kit jumping off of his shoulder, his attention focused solely on Kagome.

She gracefully glided over to him and her smile became stunning as she held out a hand for him to take. "I love the kimono," Kagome whispered, just for him to hear as he took her proffered hand between both of his. "And the flowers." One of which were tucked by her left ear. "You've been courting me this entire time, and I never even realized it."

"I..." Kurama was at a loss for words, his brain having seemed to have short-circuited at the sight of her, leaving him fumbling for words. That she had figured out what he had been up to wasn't even processing at the moment. "I..."

Kagome reached up and lightly pressed a finger to his lips, her eyes shining with amusement and happiness. "Yes, Kurama, I would love to be your mate."

He was utterly gobsmacked, and at the same time so very happy. His hands let go of her hand and reached to cup her face as he leaned down. "Kagome..." Their foreheads were touching, noses just barely brushing as he gazed into her so very blue eyes. "Are you sure?"

She merely grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him a tad closer before she closed the distance between their mouths.