The Gift

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

"Ahhhhh!" The girls voice echoed through the small valley that they were traveling through.

"Rin, look out." The miko screamed at the young women as a demon came over some brush and dove at the unsuspecting girl.

Kagome stood firm as she took careful aim at the large red demon. Just as she was about to release, a bright flash of light rushed past her left side causing her hair to fly up with the gust it created.

"Wind scar." Followed Inuyasha's roar.

Within moments the demon was no more. Rin fell to the ground panting from the fear and excitement. Before Kagome could turn around Inuyasha had bounded past her and was beside Rin, helping her to her feet. The miko stood flabbergasted at the hanyou's behavior. Her wide eyes blinked repeatedly while trying to process what she had seen. In the next instant Sesshoumaru was standing by her side. She turned to look at the daiyoukai and tried to say something but couldn't get it out.

The victim and the rescuer joined the priestess and youkai lord. The odd group stared at one another for a few minutes before finally the youngest member spoke, and everyone turned their attention to her.

"Oh no. I'm sorry my lord. I tore my kimono when I fell down." She looked down remorsefully at the hem of her kimono.

Everyone looked at the daiyoukai when the girl had finished her confession. Sesshoumaru looked down at the edge of the fabric then at the girls downtrodden face, then turned and walked away without a word. Kagome watched his retreating form and wondered what he was thinking. Kagome held out her hand to her newest friend and pulled her along after the girl had given her hand to the miko.

"I should have a sewing kit in my bag. We should be able to fix it." Kagome said cheerfully to the girl.

"Thank you Kagome." She said with a wide smile.

Kagome looked over her shoulder at Inuyasha; who was trailing behind slightly. He looked straight ahead with a look of indifference. When Rin had said something to her, she noticed that his ear would twitch slightly. The girls soft and pleasing voice always invoked this response from the half demon. Kagome wondered idly to herself if there might be more to it. After all, he had just rushed to her aid and helped her off the ground. His helping her was nothing that was so surprising. He is protective about members of the group like he always has been, but his helping her off the ground was what really caught her attention. Could Inuyasha be more interested in Rin then he is letting on.

Kagome shook her head suddenly. That would be crazy. He barely knows her, and she is his brothers ward. That is asking for trouble. He wouldn't be that stupid.

Or would he?

That night, after Kagome had helped Rin with repairing her kimono, the girls all went to the nearby hot spring. The women all sunk into the hot water with great gratification. When everyone was settled they heard some rustling in the bushes nearby. Each one of the women sat up and covered themselves. Out from the bushes strolled the small neko youkai Kirara, with a small bundle wrapped in fabric held in her mouth. The small cat stopped beside Rin and dropped the package. Rin turned and bowed to the fire neko, then patted her on the head. The girl carefully unfolded the fabric parcel. The two older women looked on in curiosity of what was inside. When the wrapping lay open, inside could be seen a new cotton kimono similar to the one that she already wore.

"Is it from Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked.

"Yes. He is very attentive to my needs." She smiled at the priestess.

"Inuyasha seems to be as well." Kagome took note of the girls blush and smiled at how sweet she was.

"He was most gracious this afternoon." Rin tried to seem unaffected, but was not very successful.

"Yeah, he was very helpful." Kagome said with slight sarcasm in her voice. "Well that is a pretty kimono you got."

The miko left the conversation at that, not wanting to harass their youngest companion too much. The trio finished their bath quietly and then returned to camp together, with Kirara close behind them. When they returned to camp Rin thanked Sesshoumaru for his gift and then sat beside the fire quietly. Sango sat near Miroku, and quickly smacked away his hand as he tried to caress her rear for the millionth time. Kagome smiled and gave a little chuckle at the monks antics.

Kagome settled down on her sleeping bag with a book and began reading. Once she was a couple pages into her endeavor she suddenly had the feeling that someone was looking over her. She carefully and slowly lifted her eyes. As she scanned up she saw the familiar white hakama of the youkai lord that traveled with the group. When her gaze reached his eyes, his piercing golden orbs were staring down at her with an intensity that made her shiver. Without a word or a motion from his master, Jaken scurried over to him with a large parcel. The green imp set the package down in front of the stunned miko and ran off. However, the daiyoukai remained. With slight hesitation Kagome placed her bookmark in her book, snapper it shut and set it aside. Her eyes went between the parcel in front of her, and the daiyoukai that loomed over her.

"Is this for me?" She asked tentatively, and Inuyasha snorted with a flick of his ear.

"That's why it is before you." He replied.

"Um. Thanks."

Realizing that he was not going to leave until she opened it, she reached for the blue ribbon that tied the whole thing together. When the ribbon and the fabric fell away she was left looking at a small pile of varying fabrics. She blinked several times before picking one up. When she unfolded one in front of her, she realized that she was looking at a kimono. Each one was made of cotton and had a simple yet beautiful design on it.

"You are the only one of the group without proper attire." He announced forcefully.

"What?" She snapped. "What's wrong with what I wear?"

He eyed her flannel pajamas with a scrutinizing eye then looked into her eyes again. Kagome looked down at her sleeping clothes and back at the youkai lord. His look spoke volumes to her, but she wasn't about to give in because he said so.

"Your clothes make you stand out, and are frequently brought into question." His voice remained unemotional.

"What's wrong with my jeans, and the t-shirts that I wear? They are comfortable, and no one has ever said anything about them." She looked at her friends who each shook their head in turn.

"Your friends do not mind them because they are familiar with your times attire; however, demons and villagers of this time are not. They are suspicious and untrusting of your strange appearance."

Kagome lowered her head and contemplated his words for a moment. She looked back at the stack of kimono's before her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize." She said in a whispered voice.

"Your friends never said anything, because they didn't want to distress you about the matter. All this aside, they did not have the means to provide you with the proper clothing either."

"Thank you for the consideration. I will find a way to repay you." Her voice was soft as she pushed the fabrics around.

"There is no need." He said with the same lack of emotion as always.

She pushed through cotton kimono's, a thick michiyuki, some bright colored obi and white tabi socks. When she had sifted to the bottom of the pile she noticed one more kimono that was hidden underneath the rest. The fabric was a very fine silk in a cream color with a soft sakura blossom design, and a thick red obi. She gasped at the beautiful cloth and carefully picked it up. Sesshoumaru eyed her carefully as she lifted the kimono before her.

"This is too much, Lord Sesshoumaru." She finally said. "I couldn't accept something this extravagant."

"You are a lady and should dress as one." His answer was simple and to the point as usual. Then she lowered the kimono and looked at him quizzically.

"I can't wear these to fight. What am I suppose to wear while we are fighting?" She asked no one in particular.

Sesshoumaru leaned over and came very close to the priestess, causing her to lean back slightly. Kagome thought she saw a smirk on his lips for the briefest moment, but shook off the idea.

"You could ask the slayer for one of their uniforms. I think you would find it suiting." His voice was low and husky, and Kagome blushed at his odd response.

When Sesshoumaru felt satisfied with himself, he turned and left the miko to her new clothing. He watched carefully as the women gathered around and investigated the different clothing that he had gifted the priestess that night. Even Rin was admiring the silk kimono, and was smiling happily at Kagome. He overheard the priestess ask the slayer for a demon slayers uniform. Sango smiled and cheerfully agreed to her friends request.

The daiyoukai was very pleased to see what his little gift had done for the young priestess. His eyes drifted to his half brother for a moment. Inuyasha seems rather unaffected by his attentions toward the miko. However, he noticed his ears twitching and twisting to listen. He looked at the group of talking women and surmised that his attentions pertained to one female in particular. A scowl came over his face when he looked at his brother. Inuyasha was sitting with his back to a tree, eyes closed and his ears busily working. An occasional smile would come over his face when the girls were discussing something humorous. Everyone went to bed that night with a small bit of self gratification. Sesshoumaru had passed his gift to the miko without any hang ups, Miroku got his hands on Sango by the end of the night, Shippou had a new lollipop, Rin had her new kimono, and Inuyasha got a night of peaceful conversation.

Sango had gone to the slayers village early that morning with Kirara to retrieve the clothing that Kagome had requested the night before. When the demon slayer had returned with the article, the miko had taken it as well as her friend into the brush to change. When the couple returned Kagome was wearing one of her new kimonos. She looked slightly uncomfortable, but was smiling nonetheless. Everyone smiled at her before they started their travels again.

Inuyasha traveled at the head of the pack, followed by Sango and Miroku. Kagome, Rin and Shippou traveled in the middle with Ah-Un and Jaken; and Sesshoumaru was at the back of the pack keeping a close eye on everyone. At one point Rin had migrated to the front of the grouping and was talking with Inuyasha, and Kagome had unknowingly fallen behind the green imp and twin headed dragon. Soon she found herself in the company of the daiyoukai.

She blushed when the inu-youkai gave her a sidelong glance. For a long time the two simply walked together without saying a word. Finally, Kagome couldn't stand the silence anymore, and she had to say something. Anything.

"Thanks again for the gift. They are very beautiful." Her voice was timid, and she didn't know why.

"Your welcome." The priestess couldn't believe it. He had actually said something to her. Something that was not important.

"You are very close to Rin?" She asked, trying to continue the relaxed conversation.

"Yes. I have cared for her for a few years now. I am concerned for her." He said with a slight bit of warmth in his voice.

"I don't know if you know this, but we saw you that day that you came to rescue Rin when the monks had hold of her." Kagome looked up to the sky with a far off look.

"I knew you were there." He said. "That was no concern to me. Rin wanted to stay with me and so I came for her. What you may not know was I didn't come for her immediately." Kagome gasped and looked at him.

"You were going to leave her?" She asked.

"If that is what she wanted. It has always been Rin's decision to go or stay." Kagome smiled at this comment.

"That is very admirable of you." She began. "What made you go after her?"

"I heard what she had said to the monks, and I couldn't leave her with someone that she didn't want to be with. If you were watching as you say, then you would know, that I told Rin to do as she pleased." He looked carefully at the miko as she nodded her head in understanding.

"Do you care for her though?" Kagome asked and the youkai lord gave her a puzzled look. "You said that you are close to her, but do you care for her."

"I do not understand your question. Aren't they one in the same?" He asked her.

"Not the way I see it. You can be close to someone and worry what happens to them, but to care for them you have to love them." Her eyes took on a faraway expression, and Sesshoumaru looked at Rin for a long moment.

"Yes. I care for her. I want her to have the utmost happiness in her life. For her to find what makes her smile and someone to live for." He said very thoughtfully.

"That's beautiful. Would you like to be that someone?" She asked. Although she knew Rin's side of it, she had to ask the daiyoukai his feelings on the subject.

"No. I see Rin as a daughter. That would not be right." He looked at her with a determined look on his face. "She deserves someone better."

"What do you mean? Aren't you perfect." Her tone was laced with sarcasm again.

"We both know that is not true, miko. Although their are few that equal me, I am not without fault." He suddenly turned modest, and Kagome didn't know what to make of it.

"What faults would you have?" Even more sarcasm thickened her voice.

"I have them. Let's leave it at that."

"O'kay." She said softly and left the subject were it was, and the two returned to silence for a while.

"You look beautiful, Kagome." He suddenly said, causing the woman to stop and gawk at the youkai lord that never complimented anyone.