A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Here's the new chapter for you guys :D

Kagome's POV

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Chapter Twenty-Six: Sake

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"Sesshoumaru?"

I watched, somewhat in awe, as Sesshoumaru smoothly excused himself from a throng of admirers and laced his fingers with mine. "Yes?"

I was rather taken aback by the malicious glares I was suddenly receiving. "Forgive me for interrupting," I said quietly, ignoring the murderous looks of various goddesses, "but I must tell you something."

Immediately, he was concerned. "What is it?" he asked as he grasped my chin and lifted my eyes to his. "Tell me."

"I . . . I . . ." Goodness, I couldn't even speak! I took a deep, calming breath and tried to relax. "I met your father."

His reaction was . . . unexpected.

Fear twisted across his face, which in turn made meafraid, and he hugged me against his chest. "Where?" he whispered harshly, his golden gaze searching the partiers above my head. "Tell me where, Kagome!"

Belatedly, I noticed how tightly I was clinging to the front of his clothes. "You needn't worry, Sesshoumaru. He left after . . . after I told him my name."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Explain everything to me. What happened?"

So I did, leaving nothing out, and at the end I found myself seated beside him as he drank cup after cup of sake.

For the first time, I watched a god become inebriated.

I hadn't even known gods could getdrunk.

Eventually, I decided to intervene. "Koishii," I said, and blushed as the endearment slipped from my lips, "that's enough." Tenderly, I gripped his wrist and plucked the sake dish from his grasp. "I think it's time we retired for the evening."

Slowly, he looked at me, his normally pale cheeks tinged pink from alcohol, and gave me a happy smile. "You called me koishii."

I blinked. And then, unable to help myself, I cupped a palm over my mouth and laughed,laughed so hard I felt tears in my eyes and my lungs ached from lack of air.

"Oh, Kagome-koi, why are you crying? Are you sad?"

Kagome-koi! This brought around a whole other bout of laughter, and it was quite a struggle for me to catch my breath. "No, Sesshoumaru, I'm not sad." I paused here as giggles threatened to escape me. "You're . . . you're just very funny."

"I am?" he asked delightedly.

Oh, my poor lungs were going to burst if he kept this up. "Yes, you are, but I think it's time for us to leave while you can still walk."

A long, long while later, I finally had Sesshoumaru in his room. The trip here had been interesting, to say the least, and now I had him sitting in front of me on his bed as I gingerly pulled decorative pins and golden needles from his silvery hair.

"Kagome?"

"Hm?"

"I feel rather . . . ill."

"Well," I said as I freed the last of the pins, "come rest your head in my lap. Considering the amount of sake you had, I'm not surprised."

He settled against me, his loose hair pooling around us. Soothingly, I brushed his bangs from his forehead, letting the pads of my fingers linger on his skin. "You should sleep."

There was no answer, and I, assuming he'd drifted off, jolted when he spoke. "I do not deserve you, Kagome."

That's the sake talking, I thought. "Nonsense, Sesshoumaru. If anyone is undeserving, it is me."

"You do not understand," he muttered, "but how could I expect you to, when I haven't even told you?"

Confusion knitted my brow. "Then perhaps you should tell me now."

He inhaled shakily. "You will despise me. Any feelings of love you have towards me will disappear."

"How can you be so certain?" I asked, though my heart was trembling with apprehension. "My feelings do not so easily sway."

"I hope, for my own sake, what you say is true."

"Sesshoumaru . . ." I bent over him, veiling him with my dark hair. "You're frightening me."

Shadowy gold reflected in the dim light. "I know," he whispered.

Frustrated tears spilled down my cheeks. "If you know, then please stop! Please.I can't bear seeing you this way."

A hesitant hand reached up and caressed my throat delicately. "I adore you, Kagome, and for that reason I want to hold no secrets from you."

I felt him tense, steeling himself, and I knew, somehow, what he wanted to tell me.

Unthinkingly, I swept down and kissed him firmly, desperately. "You don't have to say anything more," I said against his lips. "I already know."

He sighed exasperatedly, his cool breath fanning my face. "Kagome, I have—"

"No." Clutching him anxiously, I met his bewildered stare. "I know what happened. I know what you did. I know that you . . . hurt other gods during that ridiculous war. But I don't care."

It seemed to take Sesshoumaru a while to find his voice. "How . . . How can you not care?"

I tilted my head and smiled. "Pasts are unimportant to me, Sesshoumaru. Who you are now is all that matters, and I love who you are."

In one of his inhumanly fast moves, Sesshoumaru had me crushed against him, holding me so tight it was nearly painful. His mouth was pressed to my neck, and I wrapped him in my arms, offering comfort.

For the first time, I felt like a genuine wife, and we held each other until sleep claimed us.

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A/N: Please review!