So this chapter has been bugging me for too too long, so I've given up! I'm just gonna have to let it go, and move on. Once again, thanks for the reviews! Hope you enjoy!

TOUCH

Kagome could hear the screams coming from the roller coaster long before Sesshomaru pulled into the parking space. A giant smile had been spreading across her face ever since she saw the red and white flags of the carnival flying overhead. She glanced out the driver's windshield, her eyes shining brightly at the prospect of winning a few carnival games, earning a few toys, walking along the pier, watching the sunset...

An image of her and Sesshomaru walking down the pier hand in hand flashed in her mind. Kagome's head thrust backward as if struck, the image had come as a surprise. Kagome shook the image out of her head; this day wasn't about her, it was all about Sesshomaru's client, Akane Fujimoto: a female mid-thirties business exec who yearned for a teenage romance.

It wasn't a day of play, but one of work.

Kagome glanced back at her host. He was scowling out at the families that were eagerly gathering toward the carnival. He must not like this kind of crowd, Kagome thought, undoing her seatbelt.

Unbeknownst to Kagome, Sesshomaru was thinking the exact opposite. He thought of all the fun Rin would have if she were here now. He felt immense guilt at the prospect of spending such a perfect day at the carnival with a client, when he'd much rather spend it with Rin instead.

A pleasant image flashed through his mind of Rin grinning from ear-to-ear as she walked beside him on the pier in the sunshine, the water of the sea sparkling in the distance. He was content as well, holding a giant stuffed animal that he would have won for his daughter. Then the angle shifted, and there was Kagome. She was walking with him and Rin, in a formation that had Rin between him and Kagome. They all looked happy and walked hand-in-hand, much like the families coming here today.

Rin would love Kagome, he thought absentmindedly. There was no doubt in his mind that she'd make an excellent mother to his daughter.

Sesshomaru blinked in surprise, and frowned. Kagome meeting Rin was not an option. He would not subject his daughter to meeting a woman who would most likely not remain in her life for long. After all, this was only business.

Wasn't it?

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked. He blinked and turned toward her, she was looking at him expectantly, a worried expression on her face. "Are you okay?"

He gave a slow nod. "It's almost two, don't you think we'd better get going?" She asked.

"Hn," he responded. He reached around behind his seat, and pulled out a red baseball cap from his seat's back pocket and fashioned it on his head.

Kagome made a sputtering noise to keep from laughing. Seeing Sesshomaru in something so...ordinary as a baseball cap was so weird! It just wasn't something that immediately sprung to mind when she thought of Sesshomaru.

"That's what you're going with?" she asked, stifling a smile. He frowned irritably. "It was requested of me," he clarified, glowering, obviously miserable. Kagome giggled. "I didn't own one. I had to go out and purchase it," he said, readjusting the hat so it fit better on his head. Kagome laughed hysterically, making Sesshomaru's lips quirk in a smile. The sound was pleasant to his ears.

"Come here," Kagome said, gesturing him to move closer. He furrowed his brow, but hesitantly complied as he leaned closer to her. She lifted her hand and pulled the hat off his head. She then reached around to the back of her head where her ponytail was tied and began to untie the hairband, her brow furrowing in concentration as she worked with the tie, and when she had succeeded, she pulled the band from her hair, closing her eyes as she did so. Finally her hair escaped the band, cascading down her shoulders and back in waves.

It was probably one of the most erotic things that Sesshomaru had ever seen a woman do. Though this was strange: for he had seen hundreds of girls do the exact same mundane task dozens of times, yet not one of them had the grace and care that Kagome exhibited when it came to performing such a task.

He felt dazed watching her.

"Turn around," she commanded. Not wanting to disappoint her, and still in a hypnotic daze, Sesshomaru turned his back to her.

He felt her small fingers work through his hair, gently gathering the strands together and wrapping her hand around the midsection of his hair. Though Sesshomaru was unaware of what it was that she was trying to accomplish, he could care less as he was lost in a flurry of sensations. Kagome's scent wafted and swirled around him; he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, committing her pleasing scent to memory. Her fingers brushed through his hair, and her dull nails scrapped gently against the tips of his pointed ears that sent the back of his head to ignite as sparks of delight spread throughout his scalp. His abdomen felt strange, and momentarily confused him. It may have been his imagination, but it felt as though there were flutterings in his abdomen and his insides were set aflame. It was almost as if...

"Um, Sesshomaru?" Kagome whispered, her voice injecting into his musings. Sesshomaru's eyes slowly opened, and widened. He was looking right up into Kagome's bright red face as well as the ceiling of his car. He slowly blinked again in bewilderment, wondering how he had ended up in her lap. "You're all done now," she said, clearly embarrassed and at a loss at how to address the elephant in the car.

He said nothing as he began to sit up, and was surprised to find that his hair, instead of spread out in a pool on Kagome's thighs was fashioned into a ponytail held together by Kagome's hairband. He became solemn with that thought: she had sacrificed her hairband for his sake. He was also surprised to find, that he had made his way over to her side of the car.

He sat back into the driver's seat and cleared his throat as Kagome bristled self-consciously. It was apparent that Sesshomaru had unconsciously been leaning his head backward to make it easier for Kagome to continue to do whatever it was she was doing, now it was clear she was only fixing his hair.

He felt a tinge of embarrassment at his reaction to this display.

"Um," Kagome said, with uncertainty. Should she bring it up?

"Forgive me," Sesshomaru said, clearing his throat again. Kagome glanced over at him: his face was set in it's usual indifferent state, but not knowing why exactly, Kagome looked over at his pointed ears. She silently gasped. She was surprised to see that the tips of his ears looked like they had been dipped in a bright red.

Kagome suddenly smiled in realization. Awww! He's embarrassed too! She giggled inwardly.

"I don't know what came over me," He said. He turned over to her, and was taken aback to be greeted by the suddenly cheerful Kagome instead of the flushed Kagome who had occupied that space mere moments ago. He raised an elegant eyebrow, questioningly.

"Oh it's fine!" Kagome said cheerfully. She felt giddy; she suddenly felt very daring. And before she could talk herself out of it, Kagome reached out her hand toward Sesshomaru's ear, touched the tip with her fingers and gave them a soft, affectionate pinch. She wanted to burst into laughter when shock suddenly filled Sesshomaru's indifferent countenance. She held her fingers there a few moments longer, giving him the biggest smile she had. He looked so cute when he was embarrassed!

"Come on," She said, releasing his ear before pulling her hand away, "let's go get you that girl!" And with that, she opened the passenger door and stepped outside.

Sesshomaru sat in the car for a few brief moments longer, staring at her incredulously. While he did so, he was completely unaware that he was rubbing the tip of his ear that she'd pinched with his claws as he noted the sudden, unexpected pleasure he felt from her touch.

"Hn," he muttered thoughtfully as he followed suit and exited out of his car.