Gallant Knight

"Here you go," Kagome cheerfully said, handing over a ramen bowl to Inuyasha. It always amused her watching his eyes light up with childish delight and obvious hunger for the simple meal.

Greedy clawed hands all but snatched the bowl from her, and she couldn't suppress a small chuckle as she watched him attack his noodles, stuffing his face much like her younger brother was want to do.

If only he would act like that towards my homemade cooking, she thought riley before giving him a paper napkin he would most likely ignore.

Standing she went to Sesshomaru and offered him a bowl. It was only polite she offer everyone lunch as the Western Lord and his small group had unexpectedly shown up while she had been preparing lunch. Rin was obviously the reason for the impromptu visit as she admitted to missing her and Shippo.

Inuyasha had, at first, blustered, refusing to allow his brother to stay anywhere near him, but a few 'sitting' sessions from Kagome shut him up in minutes; however, it was the threat of refusing him his precious ramen that really got his attention if he didn't play nice with Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru had merely remained silent yet watchful during the whole display. He seemed truly fascinated every time she used Inuyasha's subjugation beads. She had a gut feeling he was amused by the display, but so was she half the time, so who was she to judge.

"Thank you, miko."

Kagome was slightly surprised that Sesshomaru had not only thanked her, but reached out to take the offered food. His longer fingers grazed innocently along her own as the ramen exchanged hands and she shivered in response. When he looked at her inquiringly, she blushed and opened her mouth to say only God knew what when Inuyasha's brash yell interrupted her.

"What the hell, Kagome? First, you let this asshole interrupt lunch, now you're actually giving him my ramen? Hell no!"

Kagome who was still crouching beside Sesshomaru, looked over her shoulder at her hanyou friend, gifting him with an exasperated stare. "It's not your ramen, Inuyasha. Don't be so greedy, jeez." Turning back to Sesshomaru, she offered him her favorite handkerchief. It had an embroidered image of a bee hovering over a patch of thyme. She had run out of napkins and out of any other option, offered the cloth out of politeness. Continuing, she said, "If you want it so badly, you're more than welcome to try and take it from your brother, but my money is on him."

As she stood to hand out the rest of the ramen, Inuyasha sputtered indignantly, "Half-brother!" Then shooting his older sibling a death glare, continued brashly, "I could easily take that ass—hey, monk! What did you do that for?!"

Kagome turned to watch Inuyasha rub his scalp as if he had suffered a blow. Miroku calmly picked his ramen back up before speaking. "You are being rude and obnoxious, Inuyasha. The lovely Kagome had just slaved away at the hot fire to prepare this delicious meal, and you waste your breath with slander. Have a care for the woman's feelings." Then he commenced with eating his meal with much more gentlemanly tact than his half-demon friend.

Grumbling under his breath that everyone was a traitor, Inuyasha continued to wolf down his ramen, blatantly ignoring everyone while glaring at the ground before him.

Sighing Kagome handed Rin her ramen and settled down beside her, which put her in close proximity to Sesshomaru.

"Kagome? What is that picture on that piece of cloth you gave to Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Smiling down at the child, Kagome answered. "It's an embroidered image of a bee hovering over a patch of thyme, Rin. In another culture, such a thing would be considered a gift given by a lady to the man she saw as her chosen protector. It is a very romantic gesture."

Closing her eyes, Kagome sighed as an image of a handsome knight smiled down at her while she presented him with her gift. What girl didn't dream of her dashing white knight?

"Yah right. That's so stupid. Don't tell me you actually believe that drivel?" Inuyasha's harsh criticism snapped her eyes open to spit fire at him for his words.

"Sit, boy."

Inuyasha cried out in surprise as he held his ramen out in a move to save the rest of his meal while his face once again greeted the dirt.

Sniffing, Kagome turned her head, ignoring his cursing form, her eyes falling on Sesshomaru who was regarding her with an unfathomable expression. Before she could inquire about it, Shippo's and Inuyasha's loud, fighting words interrupted her, causing her to sigh and shake her head at their childish antics.

Later that night, Kagome stole away to the hot springs they had camped near for a well-deserved reprieve from Inuyasha's childish antic when Sesshomaru had yet to take his small group and leave as he normally did after a brief visit. Kagome didn't know why his routine had changed this time, but she was equally glad to be away from under his intense, golden gaze he had leveled upon her for the majority of the day and evening.

Settling her supplies on a large rock, she quickly divested herself of her clothing and sank into the steamy pool with a blissful sigh. She had quickly washed her body and shampooed her hair as all she really wanted to do was lay back and enjoy the waters soothing warmth.

However, she heard a noise intrude on her contentment, and she quickly turned her head with panicked eyes until her chocolate orbs fell on Sesshomaru. Then she made a small choking sound as she tried to swallow an instinctive shriek of maidenly modesty.

"What do you think you're doing?" she sputtered, crossing her arms over her chest and swimming to the other side of the pool, curling up into a tight ball as far away from him as she could get without actually stepping out of the small pool. "Can't you see I'm bathing?!"

He simply replied, "Yes," before his hands lifted to unclasp the intricate clasps of his armor.

She watched transfixed until he deposited his armor on the ground. Before he could stand back up from his bent over position, she was already nervously demanding, "What are you doing?"

He stood regally, eyes locked on hers, trapping her with a heated expression. She froze, her breath caught in her lungs as she watched transfixed as his hands went to his haori.

"Undressing."

She couldn't answer. Her mouth had gone dry as his muscular, unblemished chest was revealed to her wide eyed stare. "Why?" she all but croaked, forced to wet her lips, trying to wet her cotton mouth and only succeeding in drawing his attention to her lips. Holy Moly! That look could make any girl swoon.

"This Sesshomaru is joining you, miko."

Surprised speechless, she nevertheless opened her mouth in an effort to speak, but then his haori fluttered to the ground at a careless shrug of his shoulders, and she was spellbound by his beauty. Never before had she seen someone so splendid, no one so beautiful yet unmistakably masculine.

Her eyes drifted across the wide expanse of his shoulders, his skin alabaster white, and heart stoppingly gorgeous. Moving lover, her gaze took in his sculpted chest, pale nipples, and further down a set of washboard abs that did nothing for her though process. How could anyone be this perfect?

Her gaze zeroed in on the small trial of white hair leading from just under his naval—which was impossibly perfect in shape as the rest of him—to run down his lower abs to disappear into his hakama, hakama he was now reaching for and untying.

Voicing a shrill "Eeep!" she quickly shut her eyes, her ears hearing the unmistakable sound of cloth rustling and settling to the ground.

"You can wait your turn! I'm in here!"

In answer she felt the water gently move against her crossed arms and she knew he had just stepped into the pool. Talking quickly, she said, "You know what? You can have it. If you could just turn around and—"