Paper Lanterns Chapter 10

Disclaimer: No matter how badly I might wish it otherwise, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the Inuyasha characters.

A/N: Thank you to the amazing CritterWhisperer for doing the beta work on this. Also thank you everyone for your reviews, they make me smile!

_~~~PL~~~_

Sesshoumaru stood on the balcony of his penthouse apartment, starring at the horizon as he waited for Kagome and Shippo to arrive. He owned a large home in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of town, but with the hours he often worked, it was more convenient to keep a residence closer to work. It was also closer to Kagome and Shippo, which meant that they would spend less time driving and more time in his company whenever they came. That was a huge factor in deciding to host dinner at the apartment.

He fought the urge to pace nervously and probably would have if not for the fact that he found the action pointless. Sesshoumaru could not remember a time in his life when he felt apprehensive, but it happened frequently whenever Kagome was concerned.

Always so sure of himself and his actions, Sesshoumaru exuded confidence. Never had he been unsure of an action or second guessed a decision. With Kagome it was different. He found himself nervous and uncertain in her presence. He was worried that he would do or say something that would turn her away from him before he ever got the chance to have her. He had never worried about pleasing another before, yet he found himself eager to please her.

Sesshoumaru had come to terms with his feelings for her long ago, but being in her presence again was almost driving him insane. All of these emotions that he had fought to hide for years were starting to break through his control, and he was finding himself unable to completely hide them. It was a blow to his ego to know that one tiny, little onna could cause him such turmoil and strain his formidable control. With an uncharacteristic sigh, he realized that he would willingly sacrifice some of that control for her and only her. He loved her and for that he would suffer a little bruising to his pride without complaint.

_~~~PL~~~_

Kagome was surprised when they pulled into the parking garage in an apartment complex near Sesshoumaru's office. She had expected him to live in some huge mansion in some upscale neighborhood. This assumption was proven correct when she voiced her thoughts to Shippo.

Shippo laughed as he confirmed that Sesshoumaru did indeed have a large house on the outskirts of Tokyo.

"He usually stays in the apartment through the week because of the hours he works, but he stays in his house on weekends," Shippo said, "I'm sure you'll get to see it. When I'm in town, he usually invites me to stay with him. I have a room there and everything."

Then, a little more solemn, Shippo said, "I think he gets lonely." The thought briefly crossed his mind that, with Kagome's soft heart, that comment might help her make a connection with Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru had never shown a desire for the companionship of others, but as the years passed he had began to seek out the presence of others with more frequency. This led Shippo to believe that the once-solitary demon lord was lonely.

"Sesshoumaru? Lonely?" Kagome asked with disbelief.

"I know it's hard to believe, but yes, I honestly believe that he gets lonely. When he was younger he was arrogant and believed that he didn't need anyone for companionship, but I think Rin changed that." He carefully watched Kagome for her reaction.

"He's grown since then, and he's changed. Why do you think he keeps me and Inuyasha around when 500 years ago he barely tolerated us? Now he treats us like pack, family. Could you imagine how lonely you would get if you had lived such a long life with no one to share it with?" The slight frown and the wrinkle on her brow told him that his words had had the desired effect and she was thinking about what he had said.

Kagome could only sit there in shock. She had never considered that Sesshoumaru would feel lonely. Somehow it made him more human to her. She knew loneliness. She had only known it for a few years and could only imagine how he must feel after having lived with it for several lifetimes. Now that Shippo had opened her eyes, she was seeing Sesshoumaru in a whole new light. His questionable actions towards her now made sense. It was obvious that he was trying to surround himself with people that he felt he knew, people who knew him.

She didn't really know him per se, but she did know his character, and he knew hers. Through observation and their brief alliance in the Feudal Era, it had granted them an insight into each other's character traits. It only made sense that he would want to bring those people close, people who knew him when he was the mighty Lord Sesshoumaru and weren't after him for the wealth and power he still possessed.

She decided that she would try harder to get to know the new Sesshoumaru, and maybe they could even forge a friendship. Then maybe they both wouldn't be so lonely.

Yep, she was the same old Kagome he had known all those years ago. Shippo could see the concern and sympathy run across Kagome's features as her eyes became misty. He decided that he needed to do some damage control.

"Don't tell Sesshoumaru I told you that, he would kill me," Shippo said only half joking.

"Don't worry, Shippo, I won't," she said with a sniffle.

_~~~PL~~~_

Kagome wasn't sure what to think when the butler let them into Sesshoumaru's apartment. She had been expecting lavish décor and priceless artifacts instead of the muted browns and modern décor. Suppressing the urge to smack her forehead, she thought, Duh, Kagome, did you expect him to live in some sort of ancient mausoleum?

With a soft giggle, she realized that was exactly what she had been expecting. The place looked surprisingly warm and inviting, which was such a contrast to its owner.

"Shippo, Kagome, would you care for a drink before dinner?"

Kagome looked up from her perusal of the apartment to find its owner staring at her expectantly. She had to admit that he was very handsome as he stood there in his tailored black slacks and long-sleeved dress shirt. She finally managed to drag her eyes to his and discovered that staring into his eyes did funny things to her stomach. There was something in his eyes she couldn't quite place, but if she had to name it, she would say that it almost looked like affection.

Wow, where did that thought come from? She finally found her voice and said, "Huh?"

With a chuckle Sesshoumaru repeated his question, then added, "Does my presence unnerve you, Kagome?"

"No. I um... I was admiring... your home is lovely," she finally managed to stammer out. Great job, Kagome. Geez, girl, get a grip. She had already decided that she was going to make an effort to be friends with him, and she didn't think that acting like a spaz in front of him was the best way to do that.

A maid came and announced that dinner was served. Kagome followed the men into the dining room and thanked Sesshoumaru when he pulled her chair out for her.

They engaged in small talk as they ate their dinner. Kagome found it a little disconcerting that dinner consisted of all her favorite dishes, right down to her favorite dessert. She would almost suspect him of being some kind of creepy stalker, but this was Sesshoumaru.

From what she remembered of him, he was always prepared. He never jumped into anything without thorough thought and investigation. He was trying to make her part of his pack, so it stood to reason that he would be trying to please her. Still, it was a little above and beyond. Perhaps she would speak about it with Shippo later. Then she remembered what Shippo had told her about Sesshoumaru being lonely. Maybe that would make him go a little overboard? That would explain the job and even the insistence that she live with Shippo. Still, she decided that she would talk to Shippo after they left.

_~~~PL~~~_

After dinner they retired to the living room where Kagome and Shippo seated themselves on the sofa while Sesshoumaru sat in an armchair beside Kagome.

The conversation now was more of a personal nature with each getting to know the other. Sesshoumaru kept the conversation going by asking Kagome all questions and in return answering the ones she asked of him. His attention never once wavered and Kagome found herself flattered and a tiny bit uncomfortable at being the center of such intense focus.

Kagome found out that Sesshoumaru liked to laugh and did so often whenever Shippo told a joke or amusing story. He also liked to read cheesy horror novels. She had laughed until tears ran down her face when he told her that. She would have expected him to like military or historical novels. He assured her that he did indeed enjoy reading those types of novels, but he found the horror novels humorous and a nice change of pace.

Sesshoumaru also had a love for the beach. He told her that he owned a private island that he tried to visit as often as possible, claiming that the sound of the waves breaking on the sand was relaxing. Kagome found out that Ah-Un were still alive and lived on Sesshoumaru's island, along with some of the other animal-type youkai who preferred the more secluded life and couldn't easily fit in with the human populous. When she expressed a desire to see Ah-Un again, Sesshoumaru began plotting the trip in his head.

Sesshoumaru was pleased that Kagome seemed more at ease in his presence than she had during their previous encounters. It gave him hope that perhaps it wouldn't take as long as he had feared to make her his.

Kagome found herself telling him more about herself than she had intended. Of course, it wasn't as if she were divulging any deep secrets. He now knew her favorite color, what type movies and books she liked, and even her dream vacation.

Shippo sat back with a huge grin on his face as he watched the pair spend time bonding. It looked as though they were completely oblivious to anything other than each other. He didn't mind though. He wanted to see them both happy, and he knew that once Kagome opened up, let go of past impressions, and gave Sesshoumaru a chance, Sesshoumaru would make her happy. Shippo was sure that Sesshoumaru would cherish Kagome and do everything in his power to make her happy.

Several hours passed before Shippo announced that it was time to leave. Kagome really hated to go. Sesshoumaru had been such pleasant company, but even she had to admit that she was tired and could no longer suppress the yawns she had been fighting. Shippo let out a chuckle because he wasn't sure who was more disappointed about their departure, Kagome or Sesshoumaru.

"I had a really great time tonight. Thank you so much, Sesshoumaru, for dinner," Kagome said with a smile.

"You are welcome, Kagome. I enjoyed it as well."

_~~~PL~~~_

"That went well," Kagome remarked as they climbed into the elevator, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he is nothing like I thought he would be. I do have a question, though. How did he know all my favorite dishes?" she asked as she eyed Shippo suspiciously.

"He asked me what you liked," he replied without pause.

That made sense, but why? Why was he trying so hard to please her? "Why is he trying so hard, Shippo? He's already convinced me to work for him, and while I'm not completely all in on the whole pack thing, I think I've made it clear that I'm willing to give it a shot."

Because he's been in love with you for hundreds of years and is trying to show you that he can care for you and make you happy, he thought before saying, "Kagome, he just wants to show you he's changed and that he wants to build a friendship with you. Isn't that what you would do if you were trying to overcome a bad impression that someone had of you? Wouldn't you do everything you could to show them you'd changed and try to make them like you?"

"You're right, and I guess he did make a better impression on me now than he has in the past. When did you get to be so wise, my son?" Kagome smiled softly and patted his shoulder.

"I had very positive role models." Even though he wasn't a little kit anymore, he couldn't help the surge of pride that shot through him at his mother's praise.

_~~~PL~~~_

Kagome stood on the balcony of the apartment, deep in thought as she prepared to release her customary lantern. She found herself thinking back over the pleasant evening she had spent with Sesshoumaru and Shippo. She felt like she had gotten to know the powerful Demon Lord more in this one evening than she ever had during their time spent in the feudal era. Whereas back then he had been stoic and closed off emotionally, now he seemed open and charming.

She found herself torn. She liked this Sesshoumaru and found that she could easily forge a friendship with him. If she were to be completely honest with herself, she could find herself wishing for more than just a friendship with this new Sesshoumaru. When they were talking, he made her feel like she was the only person in the room and that every word she said was important. For a girl who had never had a man show such interest in getting to know her, it made her feel special.

Those were dangerous thoughts for her to be having about Sesshoumaru. It wouldn't do for her to develop a crush on him. She was only a human, and he would never see her as anything other than a member of his pack. She was sure that when he did finally mate, it would be to a beautiful demoness and not a human like herself.

Okay, Kagome, enough of that. Damn girl, you spend one pleasant evening with the guy and now you're already starting to crush on him. Still, she did wonder why Sesshoumaru hadn't taken a mate in all this time; surely someone would have caught his eye by now. She would have to ask Shippo about it.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she held her lantern in front of her before closing her eyes and making her wish. She let out a wistful sigh as she watched her lantern take flight.

_~~~PL~~~_

A few blocks away, Sesshoumaru stood on his balcony with a slight smile on his face. He felt that tonight had been a success. He had gotten to know far more about Kagome than he thought possible in such a short amount of time. He had also told her many things about himself, but that was okay because she would eventually come to know everything about him.

Sesshoumaru was lonely, not that he would ever admit it. Back in his younger days he had been so focused on his conquest for power that he really didn't feel the need to be surrounded by others. Plus, he had his little pack consisting of Rin and Jaken. That was enough for many years, but now he found himself seeking out the company of others. A pack-oriented being by nature, he craved companionship. Sure his little pack had grown, but now he wanted companionship of a different nature, and he wanted it with Kagome. Now that she was back in his life, it was time to settle down, mate and begin producing offspring.

The thought of mating and offspring caused the predictable, if not ill-timed, reaction to his body. It was going to take every bit of his iron-clad control to keep from throwing her down and mating her before he wooed her too him.

He was just about to turn and go back inside and head for yet another cold shower when something caught his eye. It was another lantern. He had seen them on several occasions, and they had sparked his curiosity. He was usually able to resist such inconsequential things, but for some reason these lanterns were a mystery that begged to be solved.

Luck was on his side tonight. With the direction the wind was blowing, it would bring the lantern close enough for him to snag it. His apartment was high enough up that he doubted anyone would see him form his cloud and snatch it. Decision made, he waited until it was closer before forming his cloud beneath his feet and plucking his prize from the sky.

He took the lantern inside to examine it. It was somewhat anti-climatic because at first glance it looked like nothing special. It was a simple paper and bamboo lantern but on closer inspection he noticed the words 'longing to be loved' written neatly on the side.

"Hn."

He knew the feeling of longing for love. For years he had longed for the love of one female. This, however, didn't seem to specify a longing for someone, only a longing for love. A little disappointed that his mystery had been less than stellar, he went to the trash receptacle and was about to dispose of the thing when something caught his attention. Slowly, he brought the lantern close to his face and inhaled deeply, taking in all the scents that were on the paper. One scent stood out above the others. It was a scent that he was very familiar with. It smelled like Kagome.

Changing his original plan of disposing of it, he turned and headed for his bedroom where he placed the lantern on his night stand. If it was love she was longing for, then it was love she would get. He had been longing to love her for centuries, and it would be he who showered her with the love and affection she wished for.