Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: I am so sorry, everyone! I am fully aware that chapter 24 had been a big, nasty cliffy. Of course, as most of you already know by now, I do not like to rush the plot, so questions will unfortunately remain unanswered for the time being. In the meantime, please enjoy the new chapter.

He has two arms in this chapter! Since it got regenerated anyway in the manga. I will amend the other chapters soon.

Don't forget to let me know what you think of it! Do reward me with your reviews :)

Title: Wisteria

Chapter 25: The Endless Waltz

Kagome felt the excited stirrings of her almost dormant miko power at the base of her gut. The power of the three-quarter Shikon Jewel was reverberating around the entire castle grounds, and she could feel it pulsing through her even though they were far from the actual castle.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome were sitting at an elegantly-crafted tatami pavilion set in the middle of a calming Zen garden, just the two of them without any maidservants or whatsoever in the otherwise bare garden. There was no snow at all, just balmy wintery air stained with cold and frost. The ground was covered with snow and pebbles with designs swirled in them to resemble the motion of flowing rivers, and the surroundings were quiet and peaceful.

It was a chilly night which would ensure a very comfortable sleep, but neither was tired, not when they had each other. Hence when Kagome suggested that she personally performed the traditional Chabako Temae tea ceremony outdoors for him, Sesshoumaru was quick to comply.

Kagome whisked the tea meticulously with the tea whisk, her hand moving steadily as she performed the tea ceremony which Oka had meticulously and patiently trained her in when she first found herself at Hanaka.

The warmth from the charcoal fire was comfortable and soothing, matching the feelings she had in her heart. Knowing that the Shikon jewel was within vicinity brought Kagome the relief that she had not known for a long time.

When the tea was ready, Kagome turned towards Sesshoumaru and placed the porcelain bowl with its front designs facing him, before bowing deeply as a mark of respect.

Sesshoumaru bowed in return, before picking the porcelain bowl up. He regarded the tea silently for a few moments to express his appreciation for her efforts, and Kagome was secretly impressed once again; Sesshoumaru was definitely well-versed in the arts. The way he carried himself during the ceremony, and the natural grace he exuded when appreciating traditions told her so. Rotating the bowl in his hands to avoid drinking from the front, he lifted it to his lips and took a tentative sip, before putting it down.

"The koicha is very skillfully prepared." The thick green tea was comfortably warm with a layer of pale green froth floating on a deep emerald green, and the creamy consistency and bitterness of it was professionally managed.

With that said, Sesshoumaru expressed his heartfelt gratitude in the typical practices of the Way of the tea, and drained the bowl in two more sips, before wiping traces of green tea off the rim with his thumb. Turning the bowl back to its original position, he placed it back in front of Kagome.

"I am glad you enjoyed it." Kagome smiled politely and bowed once again. "I will now prepare the usucha for you."

Sesshoumaru nodded. He did not like tea ceremonies when he was a young boy and back then, his father always had to force him to attend. It was dreadfully boring to someone of tender age, but as Sesshoumaru grew, he started to find a liking for the traditional tea ceremony. It was an experience which brought him into a completely relaxed state of mind, where the entire tea room area consisted of only him, the other guests and green tea.

At that moment, when he watched Fuji perform the tea ceremony so respectfully and meticulously, he found himself enjoying the tradition more than ever. He knew it was childish to think that way, but the scenario appeared as if she was his dutiful and loving wife, preparing tea for her husband with utmost care and respect. He watched her spoon tea powder carefully into the porcelain bowl placed in front of her, her beauty enhanced by the way she concentrated on her task.

It was just the two of them, locked in a realm away from the rest of the world, enjoying life's simplest.

He picked up a camellia flower themed sweet cake and bit into it. Was it just him, or did the sweet cake taste even sweeter than usual?

"The usucha is ready. Please enjoy the tea." Kagome said as she placed the bowl of thin tea in front of Sesshoumaru again, and bowed politely till her forehead was almost touching the tatami flooring.

Once again, Sesshoumaru bowed and drank the thin tea respectfully, and the atmosphere was considerably lightened, since guest and host can now exchange casual conversation after the thin tea was served.

"How was the usucha, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"It was a perfect contrast to the earlier koicha. I particularly like the light and refreshing taste and the consistency of the usucha; the amount of powder used in proportion to water was expertly measured."

Kagome bowed. "I am glad you like it. For a moment, I was worried that my mediocre skills would not be able to stand up to your expectations."

"No, it was not mediocre in the least. You have talent, Fuji-chan."

Kagome smiled at the compliment. "The night is cold. Would you like to have another cup of usucha?"

"Later, perhaps." Sesshoumaru replied.

She nodded and neatly arranged the tea ceremony equipment into her chabako, after wiping them clean with her chakin. There was a silence floating in the air between them, and even though there was more conversation that they could exchange, both stayed silent, enjoying the companionship.

To Sesshoumaru, it was like meditation, only that being around Fuji made him even calmer. His heart, if he used a Zen term to describe it, was like a pool of still water, without a single ripple. Peaceful, at ease and free of external influence.

Another ten minutes went by in silence, as Sesshoumaru gazed at the snowy landscape around them, his thoughts unbeknownst to her.

However, to the modern girl in Kagome, having grown up in a society of hustle and bustle, silence was not something she could live very long in.

An idea came into her mind.

"The night is so quiet, isn't it, my Lord?" She broke the silence.

"Yes, it is."

"I have a suggestion."

"And what would that be?" He asked.

Kagome smiled sweetly in return, her kanzashi swinging attractive as she nodded. "Well, I was thinking…if you would like to dance."

"Dance? This Sesshoumaru is a warrior." Sesshoumaru looked slightly incredulous, and Kagome felt like laughing aloud at his adorable facial expression.

"No, not the Japanese dance which I perform. Rather, it is another type of dance. Something I learned from my…my hometown. It is a dance which both men and women can dance together. It is not conventional to dance this during a tea ceremony, but…"

That got Sesshoumaru interested. He always knew Fuji was an interesting character, which was what attracted him to her, but to bend tradition and introduce something new into it? That had never crossed his mind.

He pondered for a moment, before asking, "So how do we dance? And what dance is it?"

"Well, we call it a waltz."

"Wa-ru-tsu." He repeated after her, the foreign words leaving his lips slowly and carefully.

"There you have it." She smiled encouragingly, before standing up from her kneeling position on the tatami. "Now, you have to stand up too, Lord Sesshoumaru, or I would not be able to show you how it is done."

Kagome suppressed a giggle at how confused and lost Sesshoumaru looked when he slowly stood up. Of course, she was no professional when it came to waltzing, since she had only taken lessons in it for three months back in a summer school program, but Kagome knew enough to teach Sesshoumaru.

Walking over to the demon lord, she stood less than a foot away from him, feeling his lingering gaze on her.

"Now, even though I am leading the dance, you have to put your right hand on my back. Generally, this is the position the men assume." She instructed, before she caught the slightly surprised expression on him again.

"Your hometown has interesting practices, Fuji-chan. A dance with physical contact…that is unheard of to this Sesshoumaru."

She did not reply to that, but instead, settled for smiling at him. "I will put my left hand over here," She continued, placing her left hand on his right shoulder. "And then…then…"

"Hm?"

"We'll clasp our hands like that. This is the closed position."

She quickly said, fighting the rising heat from the base of her neck due to embarrassment and held his hand tightly with her own.

He watched with amusement as she fell silent and squirmed ever so slightly like a virginal bride. Her palm in his hand was slightly cold, and he could feel and hear it very clearly – her heartbeat was rather erratic as well.

"Fuji-chan."

"Hm?" She kept her eyes glued to the ground.

"Look at me."

His voice was her undoing. Kagome looked up into his eyes, and the distance between them was reduced instantly.

"You are feeling embarrassed." He pointed out in a manner atypical of Sesshoumaru. "Why is that so?"

"I…I…" She could not find the right words to say. "I am just a little…uneasy, because I haven't…haven't been in such a position with a man…"

"Then how did you learn to dance this couple dance in the very first place?" He was quick to question.

"I haven't finished my sentence, Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome's voice strained. "I haven't been in such a position with a man…who…who made my heart race like that."

"Neither have I, Fuji-chan, been in a position like that with a woman who made my heart race. Demonic adrenaline pales in comparison to this." He replied hotly, even though his face was as serious as ever. "But when I see the way our breaths mingle faintly in this chilly wintery air, I feel joy."

"As I do, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Then do not fear me." He said firmly. "Why fear, when you have no need to?"

Those words once again made poor Kagome's heart skip a beat. Things had come too far for her to do anything about the ugly truth about her identity; it was the only thing on earth that was holding her back from him.

She nodded silently, and stepped in a little so that their bodies were touching through the thick fabrics of their clothing. Her wisteria scent clouded his senses as his fresh pine fragrance clouded hers. Her covered feet touched his, and the tatami beneath them creaked slightly with the combined weight in the same mat.

"And we move slowly, just like that." She said.

She leaned in, and guided him slowly on the first steps of the International Standard slow waltz. He followed on well enough, though he was obviously not used to it. There was no music at all, only the rhythm of their beating hearts.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered softly, her voice gentle and breathy as their bodies moved fluidly in unison. "Do you know that the heart lies on the left side of the chest?"

"Hm."

"So there's a void on the right."

Sesshoumaru nodded.

Kagome continued. "You see, as we are in this position, your left chest is against my right. It's as if…as if you are filling the void there with your heart."

"Fuji…" He whispered.

"You are calling me Fuji, instead of the usual Fuji-chan." She pointed out gently.

"Yes." He did not make any efforts to conceal his dropping of the formalities behind her name.

"I am happy, my Lord." Kagome said truthfully, but unshed tears welled up in her eyes. It was melancholic, when she was not even Fuji, and the man she was growing to love loved Fuji. He loved Fuji enough to address her only by the name…and where does that leave Kagome? Will there be a place for Kagome?

A tear fell, and it did not go unnoticed by Sesshoumaru. However, he did not know those tears were of agony that she was shedding. He genuinely thought those were of joy.

"Don't cry, Fuji. The wisteria is too beautiful to be marred by tears."

A few minutes went by with them waltzing across the tatami pavilion, connected gently as one body. The only noises they heard were those of their feet shuffling against the tatami, and Kagome's soft sniffles to stop her tears.

"My lord…am I filling your void?" Kagome asked, her voice slightly raspy from the unshed tears.

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment, before he pressed her closer to him assuringly.

"Yes."

Kagome let a tear fall.

"Thank you." She whispered as she leaned in closer to him. "That's all I need to know. May this be an endless waltz."

To be continued….

A/N: Please tell me it was romantic! LOL. I exhausted all my muse's capacity for romance in this chapter. I thought the waltz idea was sweet since we are giving him his arm back, and it made a lovely cross cultural contrast with the Japanese tea ceremony. I praised my muse for coming up with the slow-waltz-on-tatami idea! Words like "endless waltz" were to suggest Kagome's wish of this relationship lasting forever.

In a nutshell, I hope you guys loved this!