Sango was folding clothes when she happened upon something small and velvet. Curiosity begged her to open it, but it wasn't hers and she didn't want to happen upon something she wasn't supposed to see. Besides, she was sure that Sesshomaru would only find an annoying way at getting back at her for invading his privacy.

The last time she'd annoyed him he'd come into the room while she was showering and flipped off the lights every day for a week.

Sesshomaru waltzed in, snow adorning his silver head like a crown. He was about to say something that was -undoubtedly- unfunny when the words became lodged in his throat.

"Where'd you get that?" His eyes were glued to the velvet box that she'd discarded.

She went to pick it back up and inspect it, but it was gone before she could blink.

"Is it not yours? I was folding clothes and I found it."

He kicked at the floor, "it's mine. Did you open it?" She cocked her head at him, suspicious of his sudden nervousness.

"No. What's in it?"

She could see him cursing himself, see the cogs working double time as he thought of an excuse.

"Well, it's um," his face colored under her stare, "it's a Christmas gift! And it's a surprise, so don't peak. Even if you find it again."

"I can't just ignore it, now." She slid off the bed, advancing on him as he backed himself into the window. There was nowhere to go but down and she grabbed his sweater to keep him in place.

As a last ditch effort he held the box above her head, watching her jump and attempt to climb up his side, "it's a surprise slayer! You'll simply have to wait."

She sighed heavily, pouting up at him, "fine. Then I'll be taking something else." She led him down to her height by his sweater, capturing his lips with her own. Four months of dating and he'd refused to progress beyond kissing and a few secret touches.

His hands on her hips made her breath catch. Silky hair between her fingers made her want to pull, but boy was he fussy about his hair.

She groaned as he tried to pull away, "don't be a prude," she teased. He rolled his eyes at her, pulling away completely.

"I was going to be kind to you," he ran his thumb along her hip, grabbing a handful of her backside, "but since you're rushing me." His sentence trailed off and he pushed her back a bit, "I'll let you reintroduce yourself to the shower head."

"You're still a prude!" She called after his retreating form. His low chuckle was just barely audible from the other side of the door.

"And you're still depraved."

XxXxXxXxXx

Kagome and Rin were progressing amazingly. Sango watched as Kagome held her newest weapon above her head, determination set in her eyes. Hiraikotsu had been too conspicuous for this era. Even if the knowledge of demons was spreading like wildfire. Instead she'd chosen a chained sickle as her new weapon.

It's curved edge was the same as the one Sango held on her hip, but the handle was a touch longer. It was where she stored her dagger.

The girls had bested Shippo a few weeks ago, so much so that even a one on one fight was considered cruelty against the little fox.

Today, however, they'd be fighting InuYasha for the first time. He wasn't permitted the use of his sword and he was wearing incredible weights on his wrists and ankles.

Even Sango hadn't been able to defeat him on her own, although she continued to insist that it was because of her injuries, not her lack of skill as a slayer.

"I'll even go easy on you girls." He lowered himself into a fighting stance and lunged at them. Kagome threw the ball, catching only dust and dirt as he evaded her with ease. Rin pulled her sword to attention, dark eyes bouncing as she kept track of the man bounding towards her.

She swung, but she was still too slow. He knocked the sword from her hand, kicking her in the back.

Rin tumbled forward, earning herself a mouthful of dirt and snow.

"Point to InuYasha."

He faltered when he was close enough to knock Kagome over. She, however, did not. She wrapped the chain around his arm and tugged.

Not that it did much good. InuYasha yanked his arm backwards and slung her beside her companion.

"Match to InuYasha," Sango stared at her newest gadget. According to Kagome she could talk to anyone in the world with it, but for the most part she used it to keep time, "and it only took twenty eight seconds." The girls clambered to their feet, scowling at the half demon that had bested them.

"Anyone want to tell me where you went wrong?" Sango was perched on the fence, tapping through Sesshomaru's last messages. He was currently unhappy with her. She'd pressured him again, teasingly, and he hadn't taken kindly to it. He hadn't made them breakfast this morning and he likely wouldn't until she apologized.

"We're still too weak to take on an opponent like InuYasha. He's ridiculous even without a sword." Rin whined.

"And that's with weights." Kagome added.

Sango put her phone away, resolving to make it up to him when she returned, "in a way, you're right. Some demons will be like Shippo, not very strong, but problem enough for a few regular humans. Other demons are like InuYasha. The problem is, human strength is limited. You can train your entire life and never be capable of a fraction of what he can do. So how do you overcome it?"

She watched them mull it over as InuYasha worked his wrists. The weights may have been a tad heavy.

"If you'd let us use our scent beads-,"

Sango cut Rin off. She hadn't been there and she didn't want her to know more than she needed to, but it was hard to convince such a headstrong young woman of her reasons. Sango didn't want to watch anyone else die because of her failures as a teacher. If they could defend themselves with weapons then she may just avoid another incident like that one.

"You're practicing with InuYasha to get a feel for battling overpowered opponents, using the scent beads would only work how you expect it to if the demon was a dog demon or something else with a keen nose. If not, you risk making them angry."

The girl conceded the point, "then what do we do?"

Kagome toyed with her sickle, "demon slayers work in groups. So," she glared at Sango, "the only way we could have hoped to win was to work together and to ask Sango for help."

Sango beamed at her and launched one of Sesshomaru's daily offerings at her friend, "correctamundo."

XxXxXxXxXx

Sesshomaru was toying with the idea of making Sango lunch. She'd pressured him. Again. But he was beginning to think he was overreacting. It wasn't a bad thing that she was attracted to him. Things could be worse.

In that moment the girls came spilling into the hotel suite. Kagome was giggling with InuYasha, whispering sick promises as they ran towards their room.

Sango, on the other hand, was holding out a bag to him. The smell of meat buns was rolling out like smoke, but he would not be tempted by her buns of seduction.

"I got you the ones you like."

He looked at the counter, feigning indifference.

"I'm sorry I pressured you again. I guess I don't understand why you're denying me and that leads me to think I can do and say whatever I please. And that's not right. You know I love you, Maru." She kissed his crescent, making him feel all gooey inside, but he would not break so easily.

"Does that mean you'll stop pushing it?"

He waited patiently, wishing she'd hurry and agree so he could eat his meat buns in peace.

"It does."

"Finally." He collected his buns and went to leave her to her own devices. Mrs. Higurashi had requested that he meet her in her room around four and it was exactly four, "now find something to do. I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going? I was going to make it up to you."

She had no clue how she bewitched him, but if it was up to him she'd never find out, "I'm getting away from the resident pervert. What do you think I'm doing?"

He chuckled as she threw her hands on her hips, "me? Don't think I don't know how dirty your thoughts can get."

"Yes, yes, I think horrid things. Things I shouldn't think until you're ready to wear my stripes in all of their glory." He leaned into her ear, "I never said I wasn't a bit of a pervert myself."

He was satisfied with the gooseflesh that rose along her skin wherever he touched.

She pushed away from him, "anyways. Where are WE going?"

"To see Mrs. Higurashi. She says she has a favor to ask of me. Nosy woman."

They headed down the hallway together, sitting when they were pushed to.

"So." Mrs. Higurashi sat a plate of cookies on the table before him, each one decorated like a tree or a snowman, "have a sugar cookie."

"No thank you. I don't like sugar cookies," but he did pass one over to Sango.

"I figured you may say that," she spun the plate around, "how about peanut butter?"

That piqued his interest. He was receiving treat after treat today and he wondered what he'd done to deserve it. Regardless of the reasoning, he was in a decent mood for it.

"You said you wanted something from me?"

Rin began to take over the tale, tired of waiting, "every year Mrs. Higurashi helps to host a holiday event. The money goes to charity, but!"

"But! One of the time slots simply isn't getting filled. I heard from Rin and Shippo that you have a darling voice and-,"

"-and if you help it will make the next week so much easier. We'll even help you with your problem."

"And of course you can keep the cookies!"

They bounced off of each other Rin, Kanna, Rin, Kanna, but Sesshomaru still had no idea why they thought he'd want to help. He liked to sing to himself, and sometimes to Sango, but he wasn't in the business of performing. He was neither a prostitute nor a monkey and so he considered how to kindly tell them where they could shove their charity.

They were all looking at him, hopeful eyes shining and what not. Jeez. He wasn't going to have much choice.

"If I'd know you'd all gang up on me I'd have never come here."

Sango was laughing at him. She knew it was a lie, for meat buns and peanut butter cookies he'd sing in a hundred charity events.

A.N./ A bit of fluff. I'm in this room surrounded by boxes and it is hell. Save me.