Inuyasha: Goddess of Demons Act

by Jalapeno Writer

Three months have passed since Kagome's return to the village. Hopes of what her and Inuyasha's relationship would entail have fallen flat, and with a new threat surfacing, it is up to the Inu group to save Japan and a newly resurrected Kikyo. With help from an unexpected source, new romance will arise as the group takes on the Goddess of Demons in this epic tail.(sess/kag;inu/kik)

101. Chapter 100: Final Date

Ello!

WOW! It's been a minute. Forgive me. Can't seem to get my life straight these past few months, but here is the long-awaited 100th chapter. I hope it pleases. It's long. It's a lot of mush-mush and have I mentioned that I sometimes feel really awkward writing mush-mush? I like it in stories though so I force myself to do it anyways. Hopefully, I succeed in getting some high pitched "EEEEEEKs" out of y'all. Let me know if I did.

Fyi, it was gonna be even longer! But, I'm moving some shit around to the next chapter. Maybe I'll put in a mini chapter before the next chapter. I might do that actually. I'm thinking about it while I'm typing this down and I think it might be better. It'd be a skippable one though. Maybe I should scrap the scene and integrate the info in at a later point. I don't like that either though cause it fits so perfectly right between these two points. I'll figure it out. I'll figure it out.

Anyway, is it weird that while I wrote this chapter I listened to a lot of Jonathan Young and Corpse Husband music? I've been in the mood for rock and dark-trap recently, idk.

Let's go ahead and do some shout outs!

CraftyKitsune: Thank you! A lot of things just kind of happened all at once but It's starting to calm down again.

Akuryo: OH SNAP! That's some high praise there! Thank you!

One2Handcuff: Thank you! I won't lie, afterwards, I found myself disliking it (woomp woomp). I just wish my writing skills were a little better. BUT. It's all about practice :D Thanks for letting me practice with y'all

Also, Remember that the chapters are technically one behind from what Fan fic says because I had a continuation chapter (I think it was chapter 3?) so this is technically chapter 100, and I hope it meets 100 expectation lol.

Kouga's Older Woman: We'll have to see ~~

Kit: No, thank you! Oh yes, my Ember deserves allllllll of the love. All of it. Haha

Jamie2012: Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. I love where your minds at man. You're almost a mind reader sometimes I swear. Her plan remains a secret (o.O sussssspensssse!). Yes, Tsutsuji is a youngin'. Around Rin's height with (based on how I kinda understand yokai growth in Inuyasha universe) teen mentality but forced to grow up a little fast for her age. Hahaha! My phone does the same thing lol.

Darn browser. How dare it not like the button! (Sobs)

Now, lets see, lets see… Is there anything to pick apart in this chapter. Ehhhhhhh, not really. Although, there is an answer you've been waiting for. You might not like it though… just saying lol…

Veraozao: Thank you!

That's it for shout outs!

For anyone wanting an update on Matt, he's doing way better. He seems to remember quite a bit, but I won't lie. It's a little odd. Sometimes I wonder if its not just his brain trying to fill in the memories based on what was told to him. But he has also mentioned some stuff that makes me think, 'Maybe he does actually remember'. I don't know, it's a weird process. He's got a lot of therapy left (probably years worth) but extremely better. Thank y'all so much again!

Okay! Onward to the chapter!

Oh, wait wait wait. Disclaimer. Some adult content hinted at pretty heavily in this chapter. Just wanted to get y'all ready for that. We good? Okay. Now you can move on.

---

Chapter 100: Final Date

"How come you didn't tell me Kikyo was planning something? Or that she even talked to you about it?" She asked as he dotted on her, looking over the wound he had healed. The sun had set and the sky was draped over in a blanket of dark blues, purples, and grey clouds. The ash snow had finally stopped with no reason for their existence.

"I do not care for her plans," he said as he brushed back her hair. They sat on the mattress- their mattress- away from eyes that could see his secret. She could have healed herself. It wasn't long until the numbness in her began to recede, tingling her fingertips as they began to move again. The tiredness that weighed on her wasn't one of extreme weight either; it didn't make her sleepy or cause her body to feel like lead. It was as though she had worked out a muscle she never knew was there, and now was sore from it.

She could have healed herself, but it was apparent in how gingerly he held her and in his initiative when he had brought her here, that Sesshomaru preferred he care for her. That was something she didn't mind. In fact, she rather enjoyed it.

"You don't seem to care for her either. Also, that doesn't answer my question."

"You expect me to care for a woman who treats you as she does?"

"No, but your attitude towards her has definitely worsened since yesterday. Which means she talked to you about it last night. What is she planning, Sesshomaru? Why won't you tell me?"

Sesshomaru sighed, taking her hand as he did, gently rubbing the top of it with his thumbs. Massaging it. It felt so nice, that soft pressure working out the tingling kinks between nerves, that the appreciative sigh that came out of Kagome's lips carried the sound of a moan. His brow furrowed in irritation, and he spoke with venom in his words. "That woman hurts you gravely."

"It's not that bad," Kagome responded, cupping his check as he continued to massage her hand, her wrist, her arm. He had never done this for her before, and she felt the gratitude in her stomach like a warm, tender fire. The heat of it reached her lips and cheeks. Kagome bit down on her lip to suppress any sounds excluding her whisper. "Really. I hardly feel anything now."

"I heard your screams, my priestess."

"I know," She whispered as he moved to her other hand. Another faint moan left her lips. "That feels good."

He smiled at her knowingly, but that film of sadness never left his eyes. "It's your arms that always carry the burden of your powers."

"You worry too much about me." She remarked, placing her head on his shoulder as a wave of pleasure ran up her arm, her breath brushing his collar. "It hurt at the time. But it's okay. Honestly, I expected it."

"So you knew she would make you suffer…"

"It was a fight. I knew Kikyo wouldn't go easy on me like everyone else would. Hinotori is definitely not gonna hold back."

She heard his teeth grind before he spoke. "I hate to see you in pain."

"I know. And I'm so grateful for that. I can't even explain how it makes me feel to know that you care that much about me. But if it helps me get stronger- if it helps me find a way to beat the goddess…"

He shook his head. "I cannot withstand it. When I heard you scream, and you told me not to come to you…" he sighed. "The anguish compares to few things I have felt before."

His forehead rested on her shoulder as he intertwined his fingers with hers. Something about this felt different to her; the way he cared for her. Different in a good, yet sad way. This kind of affection had been absent for most of her love life; the calm, tranquil, seeking after that a child often finds with their parents. Inuyasha had done it once for her when she had become sick. She supposed this felt strange because there was no outward reason for him to take her arms into this soft consideration, and yet Sesshomaru, Demon Lord that many feared, had done it without proposition to. Yet there was a solemn weight to it, as if it were his way of apologizing for something she was unaware of.

"Is that why you wanted me to leave? Cause you knew I'd end up having to fight Hinotori?"

His jaw clenched once more, and he began to brush his thumb over her skin affectionately. That's a yes.

"And why you didn't want me to fight Kikyo?"

This time she caught his gaze beneath his bangs. Bingo again.

"She holds no qualms in harming you, physically or emotionally."

Kagome sucked on her bottom lip for a moment, and she closed her eyes. "Is that why you won't tell me what her plan is? Will her plan hurt me, Sesshomaru?"

He took a sharp inhale through his teeth, and he squeezed the space beneath her knee while his other arm wrapped around her waist. Kagome gasped while losing the ability to breathe as he kissed that one spot upon her neck; the section just above her collar bone.

"I will not allow that." He breathed and then gave another kiss to her skin. Before she knew it, Kagome was on her back, laying on the mattress, her leg having been hoisted to wrap around him. Another gasp left her lips, vocalizing the surprise strumming the swift movement had stirred within her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering his name.

"Sessh," She exhaled, struggling to stay focused while her mind was swimming. She could hear his promises, a series swearing that nothing would ever harm her, that he'd never let Kikyo fulfill her plans, and so forth. All the while his hands, lips, and tongue discovered the sensitive portions of her body over her clothes. She threw her head back, releasing a sound that brought a blush of embarrassment to her cheeks.

"Wait," she hardly heard her own voice through her heavy breathing, but he heard her, and the rhythm he was guiding her through slowed. Kagome couldn't decide if that only made it worse, as now she was acutely aware of what each touch and wave did to her.

"What is it, my priestess?" He was breathing heavily, like her, and his words tickled her skin. When one of his hands slipped beneath her sash, she bit her lip hard and grabbed a tight hold of his hair.

"Y-You're trying... to distract me."

He smiled with an exhale of a laugh. "That is not my only reason."

Kagome moaned loudly as his fangs nipped her skin. "Mmm… that is so not fair… I… I want to talk about this…"

He stopped, bringing himself to where he looked down at her, eye to eye. Kagome pouted at what was lost, but that intense gaze filled with desire for her kept that tight coil in her pit waiting to be strung, humming with its own want. His eyes went to her lips and he lowered himself so only a thin layer of air separated them.

"Are so certain?"

"Yes," She whispered back, their breaths mixing.

"And what more do you wish to discuss?" He allowed his lips to brush hers as he spoke, and Kagome shut her eyes, her body pleading to dive into the kiss. But her mind held her back.

"You still haven't answered my questions."

"My love…" The butterflies within her stirred madly, and she felt the sensation of fireworks popping off from her toes all the way up to her pleading lips. He'd never call her that before; she loved the sound of it. "What does it matter what the undead one thinks when I refuse to let any of it come to pass?"

He kissed her, and she kissed him back. The answer didn't satisfy her, but the way his tongue felt against hers was too much to deny, strumming the strings within her body. The rhythm began again, and Kagome matched him, wrapping both legs around him. Her body was reacting, more intense than she had ever felt it before, and she recalled the time Sesshomaru said they would wait until she was ready. She was. Damn, she was so ready, and it ached to hold off because she wanted to mend this gap between them.

"You kept it from me," She spoke more with gasps then words when their lips parted momentarily. "You kept what she told you from me. You still do."

He groaned against her lips longingly, and Kagome briefly contemplated tossing the whole discussion aside. "Have I angered you?" He breathed back as his lips moved to trail her jaw.

"N… No. But… I'm worried."

"Of?" His hands roamed her in areas that made her blush bashfully.

"I… I think you're… starting to protect me too much…"

"And that is a negative?" Another breathy laugh, and as his hand touched her bare stomach, she arched her back towards him.

"Yes," she said, and for the life of her, she couldn't tell if that was an answer to his question, or a plea for him to continue. He kissed the skin just below her belly button, and she thought she might go insane. They had never gone this far. They had teased this line, playing as though they'd cross it, but never reaching it. Now the chill air touching her bareskin made her shiver, and the kimono was falling farther and farther away from her. His nose trailed her skin, inhaling her scent as he roamed from her belly button up to the clip of bra. A single flick, and it came undone as though he knew exactly how it worked. He must have seen me fasten it before. She blushed at the thought, and the blush deeped as he rose to get a good glance at her, admiring her figure. Embarrassed, Kagome covered herself with her arm.

He smirked. "Why do you hide them from me, my priestess?"

He grabbed her wrist gently, softly tracing patterns on her skin with his thumb, attempting to coax her hand away. Kagome refused.

"You hide things from me, Sesshomaru."

His coaxing stopped, his hand becoming still as a troublesome frown appeared on his face. Sesshomaru lowered, wrapping his arms around her, and then turned them over so she was on top. Kagome shivered again, the cold air tickling where she was exposed, and while so much of her continued to ride the arousal he had stirred in her, she could see the seriousness that had befell him. Taking a strand of her hair, Sesshomaru pushed it back over her shoulder.

"I've wronged you."

"I'm not upset, Sesshomaru. I just don't understand."

His brows furrowed, sternness touching his features. It was apparent he wouldn't look into her eyes as he thought, his gaze fixated on a point beyond her. Kagome's chest squeezed with somber. While his face didn't show, she could sense it. Perhaps it was her reiki that told her, but Kagome knew that somewhere deep inside him, Sesshomaru was in pain. She cupped his cheek, and their gaze finally met.

"Tell me what you're thinking."

He swallowed, and she could see it. Hell, she could feel it. That dryness that begs to be quenched but remains as coarse as a desert no matter how much you swallow. The one that's always paired with a weight on one's chest.

"I…" He began, and stopped, clenching his jaw. This was hard for him, that much was evident, and Kagome removed her arm from her chest to place her hand on his in a show of comfort and support. Despite herself, her thoughts quickly went to how much she despised the fact that he was still wearing armor. Damn her though for not knowing how to take it off.

"Just speak," she said, wanting to focus on him. "Don't think about how it sounds or what words to say. Once you start, it'll be easy."

Another swallow. Sesshomaru shut his eyes. "I… I fear losing you. Everyday, that fear grows stronger." He gritted his teeth as if he hated the words he was saying. "I wake, and the first image I see is you, lying in that burned down hut not moving."

The words stung her heart, a pitiful replica of what he must have felt, and continued to feel. "Sessh-

"Do you think I don't know, Kagome? That it was her that took you from me. That the vile goddess had you because the undead one tricked you? And now, dammit, Kagome. This one cannot see you in pain, no matter how little, without feeling that fear."

She kissed him. Kagome's ears burned from his confession and her heart ached for that fear he felt. It would be a lie to say she didn't feel partially guilty. She had gone willingly. Her choice had done this to him.

His arms wrapped around her as she bit his bottom lip, eliciting a rumble from his chest and a soft whisper of her name. She liked that she could do this to him. She loved that he felt so much for her. But she held onto either side of his face and looked earnestly into his eyes, letting him know she wasn't ready to leave this topic just yet.

"I don't want you to hold that fear, Sesshomaru. I know you want to protect me, and I love you for that. But you can't suffocate me. You have to let me make my own decisions and not hide anything from me."

He swallowed again, that bitter swallow. "My priestess… this is new to me. None have captivated me as you have."

Her heart fluttered at his words, and as one of his hands trailed up her thigh, she shivered from delight.

"I wish to keep you safe. But not suffocate you, as you have said. But what the undead one told me…" He paused and a chill ran up Kagome's spine. She knew before he said anything that she wasn't going to like the answer. "I do not care to speak about it."

Kagome blinked, her heart dropping to her stomach at a thousand miles per hour. It almost made tears well in her eyes at the sense of rejection, had it not been for a memory the words had conjured.

"You've told me that once before."

His face was stern as he looked at her, unreadable. She almost felt like a subject beneath his gaze. Though he had told her she wasn't, on the same day he had said those eight little words to her. In her room. Just after he explained to her that, by her time, he had died at some point in his prime.

"Sesshomaru," she whispered, forcing the words past the frog in her throat. "Does… Does her plan hurt you."

His gaze narrowed, and she knew the answer was yes. Her heart lurched, and she placed a hand over it immediately, taking in deep breaths.

"Does…" She said again, willing the tears to stay back. "Does it hurt us."

And there was pain in his eyes. Pain akin to that of grieving. Pain that was very similar to that look he would gain when he would become very silent, thinking about Rin.

"Yes."

Kagome sucked in a breath, and she wiped away a stray tear that fell from the figment knife that plunged itself into her chest. That was it for her. She didn't want to hear anymore.

"My priestess," He spoke softly as he wiped another stray tear from her face. Kagome shut her eyes. Did he fear for her now? He was so gentle, so sweet, but was he terrified underneath? She kissed his wrist.

"I won't push you to say anymore."

His brows rose for an instant, a flash of surprise that settled before her brain could even recognize it. She loved him for that. It told her he was ready for her to push, and even if he wasn't going to say more, he was going to be gentle with her. She kissed him softly, indulging in the feel of his lips against hers. One of his hands reached over grabbing the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. A delighted sigh escaped her, and to her surprise, he pulled her back.

"Are you certain?"

He's asking me now? She thought, and it registered that he asked because he knew she would not continue, unlike she had before. What had occurred was a game at his end, rising her internal tension up as she struggled to remain focused on what preoccupied her mind. Now, the game had ended. A new game was rising from her end and he wanted to ensure the game prior had concluded.

"I am," She whispered, loving him more every second as she read his intentions. The love she held felt greater than her own body. Her reiki hummed with it. It swirled around him affectionately, whispering what she held for him. He smiled, and it left an imprint on her heart. "It's like you said. None of it matters, as long as she can't go through with it, right?"

"Hn."

She smiled, entranced by the eyes that studied her features. "And, how exactly do we do that?"

He took a second to think, allowing his trailing eyes to finish their course before meeting hers. "Defeat the goddess before her, of course."

Sesshomaru said it so plainly, as if it were such an obvious and easy answer, that Kagome couldn't help but snicker. "M'kay, mister wise guy. And how do we go about that?"

"My intent is to have the Lords hold off her minions far from us while we fight, so we are not overthrown. Not why I had called them at first, but a useful purpose nonetheless."

"Alright, I'm with you so far. And what do we do? How do we beat an immortal goddess?"

"If your goal is not attained… perhaps we can cut her to pieces and scatter her throughout the lands." He joked, but Kagome's nose scrunched.

"I don't like that. You'll be cut to pieces too."

Sesshomaru shrugged. "I will have you to heal me. Though leave Hinotori and Usamah in their piles."

"Oh, gosh," she laughed into his neck. "You're so mean."

Her smile grew affectionately as he turned to look at her. He didn't say it, she mused contently. He didn't say anything about demons dying with her. In her marrow, she knew that was where his true belief laid. To ensure the goddess died so that she, Kagome, could be safe… he'd die with her. But it made Kagome so jubilant that in this light joking, he refrained from mentioning it.

"I missed you," she whispered and he raised a brow.

"I've been with you most of today, my priestess. What was there to miss?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, not like that. I mean I missed you. I missed your smile. I missed the sound of your laugh. I… I missed you being relaxed and playful."

It was small but there was a hint of laughter, and the sound of it was music to her ears.

"I've missed this as well."

They kissed, and the taste of it was so much sweeter than before. Milk, honey, vanilla. Kagome swore she could taste the essence of sunshine itself. The feel and taste was euphoric to her senses, and her eyes fluttered closed, her reiki and his jaki continuing to merge and dance along their tongues. He turned them back over, and Kagome's excitement overflowed as she began to fumble with his armor. She wanted it off. To explore his bare form as his hands explored hers. It was frustrating that she hardly knew how to undo it.

He smiled against her lips as she fought against it, finding her struggle entertaining as he teased the skin of her bosom with one hand, touching it with feather-like tenderness before taking a firm hold of one of her breasts. Ecstacy in its purest form flooded Kagome's mind as she threw her head back, exhaling a curse and then a pleasing whisper of his name. A low rumble came from him, and the vibrating sound washed over her in waves. This is it, she mused through her fog of desire as he kissed her cleavage. I'm so ready…

A blush touched her lips as a soft growl was emitted from her stomach, silent to her but audible to him. He grinned, looking up at her from beneath his bangs, the rim of his eyes carrying a dim hue of red. The coil within her tightened at the sight.

"Are you hungry, my priestess?"

How can he make that sound so sexy? That's so not fair. "No," she whispered, feeling weak from the strong, hungry, desire that his eyes held. Another growl came, and this time she heard it.

Sesshomaru laughed as he kissed her skin. While she loved the sound of his laugh, Kagome pouted. "It's not funny."

That made him laugh some more as his lips trailed up to hers, and despite her resolve to keep pouting, she couldn't hold back the smile on her face.

"Shall we find you some food?"

"Absolutely not," she answered quickly, as if the very notion offended her. This was the last thing she wanted to end. This very moment, the most intimate that she had ever been, was divine beyond words. She didn't want it to pass just because she forgot to feed her human body since Usamah arrived.

Sesshomaru smirked. "You have not eaten since dawn."

Dammit, he knows! She cursed as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you go hungry for cardinal pleasure?"

That was twice now that he made fireworks go off in her body by words alone. Fuck. Her toes curled as they went off popping along her skin and she wondered what it was that had set her off. Was it the way he said boyfriend? So playful and teasingly that it made her want to giggle? Or the way he said cardinal pleasures and the thick tone in his voice that told her he wanted as much as she did? Neither? Both. In the end it didn't matter, because the fact was that Kagome had never yearned for something so much in life, and she wanted so deeply that she concluded that no one had ever felt this much want before, and then he proved her wrong by kissing that one point on her neck, her want doubling in ferocity.

"Mmm, please. Sessh…" She blushed at the sound she made but there was hardly enough of her to feel embarrassed.

"So eager," he laughed, and then his body left hers, and his missing presence hurt her so badly. "Come, my priestess. It's time for dinner."

Kagome whined, refusing to move. How can he expect me to think about food when he was- and I was- and we… ugh!

"You're so mean," she whimpered, and she peered at him through her lashes. He held out a hand towards her, gesturing to her to take it, but she caught the moment his eyes leered over her form. Nervousness stirred in her belly. She had never attempted this before, and she wasn't sure if she'd do it right, but she relied on her instincts to guide her. Swaying her hips from side to side, she squeezed her chest between her forearms and spoke in a sultry voice.

"Are you sure you want to stop?"

His eyes gleamed with a red hue at her antics and his lips twitched as if he were contemplating devouring her. Kagome bit her lower lip, pleased with the effect she was having on him, and he rushed towards her. Sesshomaru grabbed the Kimono that had flowered around her, held on by her elbows alone, and yanked her off of their bed. She yelped, excited, thinking that she had gotten her way when he pulled her against him, kissing her passionately as his hands returned to her body. But it was those very hands that did the opposite of what she wanted, and before she could protest, the sash of her Kimono was tied.

"No teasing," he remarked as he gave her one last peck on her lips, and Kagome huffed in frustration.

"The food better be worth it," she grumbled, and he smiled down at her, caressing her cheek.

"You know nothing of what you do to me," he remarked offhandedly before turning his attention to his readjusting his pauldron, the only piece of his armor that she managed to loosen. Kagome frowned, witnessing her inanimate enemy regaining the ground that she had struggled so hard to attain.

"Sesshomaru?"

He raised a brow at her as his pauldron stood proudly in its place.

"Could you… take your armor off?" She asked as her own eyes ran over him, and as the question left her lips, the small portion of her mind unaffected by desire murmured. He's in his palace where possible enemies are currently staying, and another enemy awaits outside somewhere unknown, and I'm asking him to take off his armor? Kami, I'm an idiot. "Sorry, I shouldn't-

Before she could finish her sentence, Sesshomaru swiftly unstrapped his armor in a blur, leaving the secrets of the process hidden in his speed. In an instant, he was placing it in the closet, and he stood before her, armorless, with his obi still tied around his waist and his boa-boa draped around him. Sesshomaru took her hand and placed a kiss upon her forehead.

"Come," he said as he guided her out of their room.

Kagome couldn't believe that she could love him more than she did then.

"Sessh, where are we going?" Kagome asked as they continued to ascend the steps. Love him all she wanted, but her feet were getting tired and they were far from the dining hall. At this point, she had to believe they were reaching the top floor. The enormity of Sesshomaru's palace flickered through her mind, and she was tempted to groan.

"Did you forget already?" He jeered with a half cocked grin.

"Honestly, Sesshomaru, if you weren't holding my hand I would have stopped five times by now." That earned her a short laugh, and placing an arm behind her knees, he lifted her off the ground. Kagome yelped joyfully, and immediately wrapped her arms around him.

"Is this better then?"

"Much." She kissed him on the cheek, and then began to nuzzle his neck as she traced the design of his Kimono with one finger.

"temptress," she heard him whisper, and she giggled into his collar.

"So? What did I forget?" She asked after a moment when she realized she didn't recall what he was asking her.

"You wound me, my priestess," he faked a panged expression. "It would seem I was the only one looking forward to our date."

She gasped. "Our date! You mean you planned something?"

"Did you think I wouldn't?" He grinned, pleased with her excitement.

Kagome shrugged. "I figured, with you being so busy…"

Sesshomaru nuzzled her back, brushing his nose and cheek upon the top of her head. "Nothing comes before you," he whispered, and she blushed again.

"You're spoiling me," she sighed contentedly, and he whispered into her ear once more.

"None other deserves it more than you."

He carried her until they reached a grand shoji designed with ink paintings of birds in trees atop mountains. Upon one of the trees was a small girl in an orange Kimono. Rin, Kagome realized, and when she moved to be set down, he allowed her. Kagome's hand immediately went to the painting, as if the colors themselves could radiate an echo of the girl's presence. It was cold against her fingers, and a whimper escaped Kagome's lips as sudden tears threatened to fall.

"Oh, gosh," she said as she tried to keep a smile, wiping away the wetness that had accumulated on her lashes. It felt as though something had directly punched her in the heart. In the day to day, where distractions were abound, that piece in her that was constantly aware of Rin's absence was almost manageable- a sign she once thought was perhaps acceptance. Far from it. That agony had simply been slumbering.

"I'm sorry," she said commenting on her sudden mood shift when her mind rammed her with another painful thought. Sesshomaru. He was closer to Rin. How often does he feel this?

She turned to him, not sure of what she would see but ready to embrace him if she believed he wanted it, and he approached her, touching her cheek. Slinking an arm around her waist, he pulled her in and placed a kiss on her shoulder.

"This," he said motioning with a tilt of his head towards the room beyond the shojin, "was one of Rin's preferred spaces. With what I know of you, I suspect you'll appreciate it just the same."

There was a hint of it in the way his brow was subtly turned upward and a dimness touched his gold eyes.

"We don't have to do this, you know."

He smiled at her and placed a kiss upon her head.

"You will enjoy this," he whispered, and then opened the door, stealing Kagome's breath away.

In this space- large compared to regular bedrooms but small to the rest of the rooms in the palace- were the equivalent of exhibits. Beautiful, sealed off areas at each corner of the room filled with gorgeous plants, large enough to fit a dining table in each exhibit, and filled with an abundant amount of exotic, colorful birds. Reds, blues, yellows, greens, some large, others small. Some sang, some squawked. Others slept or ruffled their feathers.

Kagome stepped into the room, following the ebonized hardwood path as she gazed into the birds' homes. This is beautiful, she mused. Nearly everything he ever showed her was though. She was certain she would never get used to it, because at the moment, she needed to remind herself to breathe.

"What are you thinking?" Sesshomaru asked her, watching as she turned around to glance at everything and finding herself in the middle of the room where the path broke off into crossroads. Kagome's jaw dropped as she gazed at the view; the entire western palace grounds, the wall surrounding it, and the mountain walls in the distance were exposed to her, and in the dim of the night it took her breath away. It was amazing seeing how the clouds curved around the jagged mountain- at eye level from where she stood- and how the light of stars and moon reflected off of pools of water and rooftops, and the glowing light from torches that illuminated paths.

"My priestess?" He called to her. She had been silent for some time, staring mouth agape.

"I-Uh…" She stammered. "I'm speechless," was all she could say. At least it was the truth. He laughed lightly and then wrapped an arm around her waist as he stared at the view with her. A blush touched her lips as she was immediately grateful that he had taken off his armor. This feels nicer, she thought, like there's nothing separating us.

She sighed contently, and he whispered in her ear. "You've yet to see everything."

Oh, Kami, no. I can't handle anymore. She smiled widely as he covered her eyes with his hand, and turned her around. Okay, if he treats me like this, then maybe a little more.

She laughed, giddy, and when Sesshomaru removed his hand, she opened her eyes. Kagome gasped.

"Sesshomaru!" She exclaimed excitedly. Before her, leading to yet another porch with an equally beautiful view, was a set of tatamis* with throw pillows surrounding a yaki* that was already adorned with bowls of food to place on the grill. Kagome couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before, but now that her eyes saw that some food had been precooked for her, she couldn't ignore the delicious aroma in the air. She turned to Sesshomaru, and immediately jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck. It was beyond satisfying to have him catch her and hold her up off the ground.

"I had no idea you were so romantic," She said teasingly, kissing his neck repeatedly afterwards.

"I am no such thing," He responded just before Kagome felt that low rumble in his chest, responding to her affections. She eyed him knowingly, and the smile never left her face as she caught the subtle joking in his gaze.

"If you say so."

"Hn," he said before setting her down. Taking her hand, he guided her to sit beside him. Kagome's stomach grumbled as soon as she sat.

"Nng…" She groaned as she placed a hand to her stomach, and Sesshomaru kissed her shoulder.

"Eat, my priestess," He said as he handed her the bowl with already cooked meat. It looked delectable.

"You think of everything," She said appreciatively as she took a cube of steak, and plopped it into her mouth. Kagome shut her eyes as her mouth exploded, humming her gratitude as she bit into it. Kami, that tastes good. To think I once made him eat Kaede's food when he could eat this whenever he wanted. Pretty sure that makes me a criminal.

Kagome opened her eyes as she swallowed, her stomach accepting the delicious food eagerly.

"Damn, that's good." Kagome picked up another piece, and caught Sesshomaru's gaze studying her as she took a bite. She smiled. He loves me so much. I can't believe he did all this.

Kagome set her bowl aside, and scooted closer to him so their sides were touching, and kissed him gingerly. "You're an amazing boyfriend."

He exhaled a laugh. "So you enjoy it then?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

She placed her chin on his shoulder and glanced back at the birds.

"I intended to bring yours here, before you arrived at my palace. Certain… circumstances prevented this one from doing so."

This one, she thought, recognizing that he was attempting to detach himself from the emotions he felt. Fear. Pain. The circumstances were obviously what had happened to her. She kissed his shoulder, as he often did with her.

"I take back what I said. You're the best boyfriend. Buyo is gonna love it here." Kagome smiled, thinking of how the bluejay would flutter about with the other birds. She shook her head. "No wonder Rin loved it here."

"She requested it."

"Oh, I know she did." Kagome smiled as he brought her closer to him, supporting her by the waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Is that why this is one of your favorite places? Because it was hers?"

She picked up another piece of meat to eat, and then placed a raw strip onto the grill. As her eyes looked over the area and the bowls that sat in perfect arrangement, her grin widened while her stomach tingled with anticipation. Veggies and cooked rice waited to be eaten as well. She had been so hungry that the chopsticks went unnoticed, but now she lifted them, placing carrots and broccoli onto the grill while thinking of whether Sesshomaru would be dining as well.

He didn't answer her outright, staring into the fire that gently illuminated his face. "There were times she would let the birds go," he said and Kagome perked up, waiting to hear more. "She did it as a game. Challenging my men to chase after them as she cheered the birds on. They would return on their own, given time, but I instructed my men to play along for the sake of her happiness. It… is a fond memory of mine."

She glanced up at him, returning her head to his shoulder as they looked into each other's eyes. "Did you ever chase after them?"

"A few times."

Kagome giggled. "I wish I could have seen that. I bet it made Rin throw a fit of laughter."

"Everytime."

For a moment they just looked at each other, captivated by the other's gaze. Kagome captured her lower lip between her teeth and whispered. "I like it when you talk to me about these things. Memories you hold dear, or things that are important to you. There's still so much I feel like I don't know about you, while you know so much about me."

"You've discovered more of myself than I ever knew was there," His voice was sultry as he spoke, and her butterflies tingled along her abdomen.

"You got to stop saying stuff like that. It does weird things to me."

He laughed silently before cupping her cheek and holding her still as his eyes bore into hers. Her stomach was flipping. For the sake of utter stillness, she stopped breathing, and all she could hear was the thumping of her own heart in her ears.

"What are you doing?" She breathed with what little oxygen she had left, and her words scalded her lips that had been waiting to feel his.

"This is a fond memory I wish to keep."

Touched, Kagome drew in an inhale, and it was then he kissed her. Her eyes fluttered closed as she gave in to his soft and gentle embrace, his lips delicately molding against hers. When he parted, it was too soon for her.

Disappointed, she opened her eyes and saw him removing the items she had placed on the grill. The stench was apparent now. She had burned them.

"Oh, shoot!" She exclaimed as she immediately inspected the food and found them inedible. "Damn it."

"There is more, my priestess. Do not be disappointed."

"No, I know. It's just…" She placed the bowl of burnt food off to the side and crossed her arms with a huff. "One of them was for you…"

Brushing her arm, he coaxed her into giving him her hand. "It's rare when you speak so softly I can't hear you," he said as he drew her back towards him, and he placed replacements of food for her on the grill.

"I… I said one of them was for you."

This time, he raised a brow at her.

"Don't look at me like that. I was trying to be nice."

"You know I do not need human food."

"Yeah, I do. But…" she trailed off into silence as he flipped the food over, allowing them to cook on both sides.

"Why is it you wish me to eat with you?" He asked out of genuine curiosity, and Kagome understood that the context wasn't pertaining to this evening alone, but to all the other times she had pushed him to eat or try something. Kagome shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know… it's… it's something humans do with those we care about. Everyone eats so we use it as something to bring us together."

"I see," he said as he took the meat and veggies off the grill, placing them in a bowl and passing them to her. "And who exactly participates in this type of gathering?"

"Family. Sometimes friends when we're hanging out. Couples."

He looked at her with a skeptical grin, thinking the last part was her own personal add in.

"I'm serious," she giggled, loving the smile on his face. "That's actually a big thing for couples. It's usually how dates go, anyway."

"Is it?"

"Mhmm. Phase one of a date is eating at a fancy restaurant. You talk about anything and everything that's on your mind- as long as it's appropriate to the date- in order to connect over a good meal. Phase two is usually a movie."

"Dinner and a movie?"

Kagome laughed, finding it humorous that he had stumbled onto a common phrasing from her time. "Yes, dinner and a movie."

"Hm. That is interesting." His gaze looked off towards the mountain ridge, and it was apparent that he was deep in thought based on the subtle shifts of his eyes. But Kagome was not content with that. In an odd moment of decision, she discarded the chopsticks and picked up the strip of meat with her fingers. After all, there was only one set with them, and she wanted Sesshomaru to eat with her equally.

"Here," she said, catching his attention as she held a torn piece from the strip. He sighed a laugh.

"Kagome-

"There are no movie theaters in this time. So I'm going to make the most of phase one that I can."

She continued to hold it out to him, a dew of juice slowly trailing down her thumb as they stared at each other. And then he moved slowly, his eyes never leaving hers he took the piece into his mouth, his lips softly closing around her fingers.

She shivered. She couldn't help it. The act had overloaded the nerves on her fingers, and she couldn't explain why. Nor could she stop the trembling. Kagome shoved her fists into her lap, trying to keep herself still as her cheeks warmed to the point she worried she might get a fever.

"Are you cold?" He asked, and she could barely breathe.

"N-no. Not really." Which was an odd statement to make considering how bitter the air had changed day after day, but here in the middle of the night, with no windows to block out the harsh cold, she felt almost comfortable. It wasn't warm, but the tender chill was almost welcoming; just a hint of cold over her skin, while the freezing wind howled through the trees below. There was warmth radiating here. Through the floor? She questioned, and she placed her hand over the hardwood, and indeed it was warm. That was when she noticed the small ridges between the grooves, ridges that spread out from the fire they were cooking over. There must be coal chambers under the floor. I've read about them before, but they were kind of rare and usually visible. Then she smiled. Of course he had this done. How else would Rin and the birds be happy up here without some kind of heating?

"Come," he said, and then he whisked her up so she sat on his lap. Kagome blushed, but that was not where his affections ended. Reaching behind him, Sesshomaru lifted a folded blanket hidden beneath the throw pillows and wrapped it around both of them.

"Better?" He asked as he tugged the blanket a bit to ensure it wouldn't fall off of Kagome's shoulders.

"Yes," Kagome said, and it was. Their shared warmth was soothing, comforting, and their body to body contact was the sensation of home itself. She imagined if she were to sleep here in his arms it would be the best night of rest she had ever had.

He kissed the top of her forehead. "Good."

"I like this. Being like this." Best boyfriend ever jingled in her mind, and she smiled as she held onto the collar of his Kimono. More food sizzled on the grill. "I really wasn't cold though," she said, confirming the fact.

"You were shivering," he replied with curiosity, and the blush on her cheeks deepened.

"Mhmm," not cause I was cold though. She wanted to explain, but she was unable to find the strength to open her mouth. Sesshomaru's gaze fell on her, and the question in his eyes asked if she preferred how she was before. Kagome immediately pinched the blanket, pulling her potion tight around her, and nestled herself against him. You're not moving me, she mentally vowed, and he smirked.

"Your turn," he stated, and he presented her with a piece of meat between his fingers. Almost immediately, Kagome was lost to a fit of giggles, and she laughed into his chest as the blush ran up to the tip of her ears. She felt silly. She felt nervous. Her stomach was flipping while her abdomen tingled, tickling her insides. Her heart was beating in an non-rhythmic way, and she could barely breathe. She glanced at the meat, the juices flowing out onto his fingers, and unrestrained giggles took her over again.

"Come, my priestess," he mocked her, grinning as she squirmed. He's doing this to get back at me. The jerk. Even if I do deserve it.

Kagome bit her bottom lip, attempting to control herself while a wide grin remained plastered on her face. She looked at the food, and then she looked into his eyes. Her greatest motivation was to do unto him what he had done to her. With locked eyes, she leaned forward and softly closed her lips over his fingers.

The mood change was sudden, and palpable. It wasn't much. The gleaming focus of his eyes on her lips, intense and filled with hunger as a soft breath left his lips. She could see his want for her. She could feel it. The blush on her face was uncomfortably warm and she moved back, sitting up straight while she chewed her reward. Their eyes locked. Seconds passed silently, their eyes speaking words neither dared to say until Kagome finally whispered, her voice as silent as the wind.

"Does this mean you'll eat with me?"

The tension in the air lessened. The build up- whatever it was building to- came to a halt. He smiled.

"Hn."

Kagome relaxed, though the coil inside her stayed wound. Sesshomaru moved, placing food on the fire, as if nothing at all had just happened between them. Kagome, though recognizing the moment had passed, was still under its heavy spell. The effect didn't ease for a few minutes, until their conversation gradually pulled her out of the haze.

Each brought their own pressing concerns to discussion, and like waves gently pushing against sand, it was a soothing exercise. Both enjoyed it as they opened to the other.

The first topic to rise came from Sesshomaru, who asked if she knew what was wrong with the monk and slayer.

"What do you mean? Is something wrong with them? I hadn't noticed."

"Hn. They fought with lackluster. I have not seen them fight in such a manner before."

"Oh," she said, instantly calming.

"It is odd."

"Hmm. I guess it is." Resting her head against his chest, Kagome listened to his heart beat. Her bowl of rice rested in her lap, chop-sticks protruding high from it's mound, and as she watched the stacked rice maintain its balance with the exception of a few, she contemplated over what their behavior meant, if anything.

"How long has it been since the goddess tore Miroku's wind tunnel? Four days?"

"Five."

"Right… Gosh, it feels like it's been so much longer."

"The days have been extensive, regardless of how quickly night comes these days."

She nodded. "That has to be it then."

Sesshomaru raised a brow at her in question, and Kagome shrugged her shoulders.

"The goddess said she'd shorten the time Miroku had left before it would consume him, didn't she?"

"Hn. Where he once had months, he now has weeks."

"What if she meant only two weeks…" Kagome was hollow as she said the words, and she knew her face bore the pit in lifeless eyes and expressionless lips. Sesshomaru held her close.

"I am sorry," He whispered, and Kagome wasn't sure what he was apologizing for.

"A week is almost gone, Sesshomaru. If it does turn out that his time is almost up… I can't see them wanting to do anything besides spend time with each other."

"Hn…"

"Do…" She started, looking up at him. "Do you think we'll find her in time?"

"I have my scholars searching."

"I know. But I want to know what you think."

He was silent for a moment, looking intently at her before speaking. "My priestess… No. I do not believe we will."

Kagome shuddered, her breath flying out of her, ricocheting in her lungs and up her throat in thrashes. We're going to lose him, she thought, and if her heart didn't weigh heavily enough for her own grief, Sango and Aimi immediately came to her mind. Son and daughter, brother and sister, stolen from them, and now a husband. A father. How much more are they going to lose? Why them? Why not one of us instead? But of course she knew. It had to be this way to cause the most suffering. None of them had as much to lose. None of them could cause the same heavy despair. That's why she took Rin first. It was a taste for us, but to this day, I know Sesshomaru hasn't recovered… I haven't…

"If that is what troubles them, tomorrow I will relieve the slayer of the responsibilities I have given her."

"But what if she thinks it's because of Hinotori? Because you think she messed up?"

"I will explain my decision to her. Inuyasha will take her place as speaker."

A smile broke on Kagome's face. "I love how sweet you're being, but that sounds like a horrible idea."

"It is," he said, the sound of laughter breaking through his words. "But I trust Inuyasha to try, and he is aware of how the Yokai world works."

"And organizing your men?"

"The slayer did well today. Better than I expected. I believed she would treat this palace as a stronghold, and set the men in a line of defense. But she intuitively knew what I sought, and designed the formation that my men could either defend swiftly through ambush, or retreat in separate groups, confusing the enemy. And allowing you to escape with them if I were not with you."

Kagome clutched his collar. There was no doubt he knew what her thoughts were. If it came to that, she would be separated from him, and she didn't want that. And though of less concern, it also troubled her that this was a plan he had not told her.

"I simply wish to keep you safe, Kagome. Above all else."

"That's not fair. You know I want the same for you, and you know how much you mean to me. I don't want you to stay behind and fight while I leave. If you fight, I want to be beside you. And if I leave, I want you to be with me."

Silence passed briefly, and the disagreement between them weighed in the air. Sesshomaru placed another kiss on her head, and it told her of his unchanging decision and apology. "I will tell the slayer all she needs to know, and Kohaku will take command. He lacks much of her sharp cunning, but he will learn."

"Hn," Kagome said, copying him though she did so due to disappointed sadness.

"Kagome," he whispered, pinching her chin so she would look up at him. "Why trouble yourself for something that has yet to pass?"

"I guess…"

His lips touched hers lightly, apologetically. While her disappointment remained, she kissed him back. When they parted, he looked into her eyes, formulating his words. "I will not lie to you," he finally said, and nothing else.

His words resonated with her, so while she was not content with his decision, she found preference in his truth.

Perhaps still feeling apologetic, or perhaps for the great deal of care he had for her, he served her- and himself- some food. Apologetic, she smiled. To think such a word could be associated with him. She took his offering, and considered it enough to let her disappoint slink into the back of her mind. Taking a bite, she was pleased to find that he had cooked hers just as she liked it- better even.

That's so not fair, she thought, grinning. How can I keep up? For sure the only way he could do this is because of his heightened senses. Dog probably already recognized the scent.

Chewing her food slowly as to enjoy every bite, Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru and was happy to see he was keeping his end of the deal. For the short moment where his eyes did not meet hers, she eyed his food, watching as he ate.

Raw in the middle. But a cooked light-brown on the outside. Might be hard to replicate-

"What are you thinking, my priestess?"

The blush was an immediate reaction to the surprise. His question, heard by her ears but unregistered by her mind, was unanswered as she blinked, hoping to push through the stall that had befallen her thoughts. He raised a brow at her, and the gears began to turn.

"I was just seeing how you prefer your food."

An innocent response, but it brought a frigid stoicness upon his face. Sesshomaru set his plate aside, and turned to Kagome.

"Does it upset you?" He asked earnestly, and she blinked twice more from confusion.

"Why would it upset me?"

"Humans are fragile, including their tolerance. Many grow ill at the sight of someone eating raw flesh."

"Oh," she said, understanding the perspective. Once, he had told his men to gather food for them at the arena. His reminder for them to cook it had made Kagome's stomach turn. But this was different. She couldn't explain how but she wasn't bothered the least bit by his preference. Giving him a smile, she shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't bother me at all."

He stared at her, waiting for her to say more and in his eyes was candid disbelief. Shocked, Kagome exhaled a dry laugh.

"Don't give me that look. I'm telling you the truth."

"Then what were your thoughts, my priestess. Tell me what ran through your head as I ate uncooked meat."

She scrunched her nose at him, knowing he was trying to get a rise out of her. Recollecting her thoughts, she gave a crooked smirk and bit a portion of her bottom lip. A blush appeared. The butterflies stirred. She stilled her breath before speaking.

"I was thinking of how I'll make your food if I ever cook for you."

He was silent. For a moment he looked at her, and as his brows knitted in a confused surprise, he looked away towards the mountain. Kagome thought the reaction was strange, as if he couldn't understand why she would consider such a thing.

"Is that truly what you were thinking?"

"Yeah," she answered, her own confusion rising. "Why is that a surprise? I've made food for my friends before, although I'll be honest. I don't think I'm very good at it."

That broke a smile on Sesshomaru's face. "I wonder what makes you this way."

"What way?"

He spoke after pondering in silence. "Your tolerance for those others would consider your enemies, and your kindness and genuity… these are aspects of you that continue to surprise me. Try as I might, it is difficult for me to understand."

"Is that something really so rare in your life?"

"You have seen my world for yourself."

"That's true, but there must have been at least one other person."

"There was. Rin."

Kagome pressed her lips into a thin line, her heart tightening with Rin's name. "I'm sorry."

His smile was subtle, but the fire highlighted the slight curve of his lips. Kagome was dazed by the sight, thinking it odd how it played as a smile filled with admiration and yet a frown filled with sorrow. "You and Rin… I've wondered if it were something unique to humans, but I've had enough interactions with them in my lifetime to know they are as self-centered as demons. So what is it then? What made you and Rin that way?"

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. The way we grew up? Our parents? I don't think it's as rare as you think it is. Maybe you're just blinded by love," she teased, and he looked down at her with a gentle gaze.

The look he bore was one of determination. He breathed softly, and she waited to hear his words. "I do love you."

She smiled widely, knowing that his affections grew because it was something he wanted to give her. She didn't require it, and he knew that. It was simply the known fact that such verbal endearments made her content that stirred his will to force past that internal wall he had built, and give unto her what he had been unwilling to give unto others. Reaching up, Kagome kissed his cheek as she rubbed the back of his ear in the way she knew he found comforting. He shut his eyes at her tender touch, and she vowed to keep this memory forever.

"I know."

Kagome at last told him of what her yo had shown her earlier in the day, and her admission that she didn't know what it meant. Their conclusion was that it must have been connected to the ash snow, and not Hinotori himself.

"I don't want it to happen again," she confided as his hand stroked her arm.

"Why is that, my priestess?"

"I'm worried it'll call to me when I'm needed here. I messed up so badly today…"

He placed a kiss on top of her head. "Do not fixate on what has passed. You are searching for something greater than the trifle dealings of lords. Should it happen again, place your trust in me to control the consequences."

"I just don't want to disappoint you."

"You could never do such a thing."

As sweet as his words were, the worry remained, and the questions persisted. What did it mean? Why did it feel like a portion of herself was calling out to her far above them?

Unanswered it remained, and the conversation soon changed to leave the topic behind.

"Why is that something you wish to know?" He had asked her when she brought up his "previous relations". The fact that he was unwilling to answer how many "relations" he had, be them one night short or many, suddenly made her anxiety rise to an unprecedented level. And stubbornness often accompanied her anxiety.

"Well, you know about my previous relationship, and I was just curious about yours. But since you won't tell me, now I'm starting to worry."

He raised a brow at her. "You would worry over something that holds no weight?"

She blinked. He really doesn't want to tell me. Till this point, she had been firmly planted in his lap, resting against his chest, but now she sat upright, creating a short distance between them.

"Alright, now I really want to know." She paused, hoping he would respond to her last offer of him telling her. His face became stone cold; his answer was no. He knew she would push.

"Ten?" She began, his face unmoving. More.

"Twenty?" The same reaction. More?

"Fourty?" She asked skeptically, but there was a subtle shift in his eyes. A tightness that whispered, more.

"Kami, Sesshomaru. What, you're gonna tell me that you've been with over a hundred women?"

His jaw tightened. His eyes were sharp. The shallowest of swallows rolled down his throat. Yes. A hundred.

Kagome gasped. "Sesshomaru!"

"I'm over five hundred years old, my priestess."

"That's true," she muttered, looking down at herself. She never considered the large difference those years impacted his life compared to her nineteen. Five hundred years old. A hundred women. Really, considering how many people someone from my time can end up sleeping with within our short life-span, that's pretty tame.

"Does it bother you?"

"No," She answered, yet her fingers fiddled with the hem of her kimono as a gnawing uneasiness crawled inside the walls of her stomach. His fingers grazed her shoulder as he pushed her hair back, watching her studiously.

"Kagome… Was that a lie?"

"N-no. No. I get it. That's not what bothers me."

"But something else does?"

Momentarily, she sucked on her bottom lip, trying to will her anxious emotions down. It wasn't working.

"Tell me what bothers you." He caught her gaze, and he held it. Somehow just looking into his eyes seemed to calm the storm within her. There was no doubt in her mind that she would explain her apprehension, but now that her anxiety had stilled, embarrassment took its place. Kagome's cheeks burned like the coals beneath them. Her heart drummed, carrying its percussive tune all the way up to her ears.

"Well… It's just… what if… What if I don't match up to any of them?"

"Match up?"

"Yeah, what if…" She bit her lip again, tempted to turn away as her cheeks burned hotter than the fire. She could only whisper her worry. "What if I'm… bad at it?"

She couldn't tell what the laugh meant, as short as it was, but she felt her blush tighten around her throat, an awkward nervousness slithering inside brewing her doubt. Kagome gasped as he pulled her back into his hold, whisking her up in such a way that she looked down at him, her knees on other side of him. Scarlet touched her skin but she did not move. She didn't want to. With a smile on his lips, Sesshomaru trailed his nose along the line of her Kimono and up along her neck. Kagome turned her face to one side, giving him more access as her fingers slowly ambled their way along his chest, shoulders, and further until she grasped the roots of his hair. He kissed her skin. Her body reacted instinctually.

"I can promise you, Kagome," he whispered into her ear, "you have nothing to worry."

Her mind was in a flurry. The tight coil was gaining the attention it vied for. She took a heavy breath, riding on instinct.

"You won't compare me to them then?" She spoke hushly, her own lips trailing his skin as she did. Gradually, she brought herself to his shoulder, and lightly nipped at his clothing. Grabbing a hold of the back if her head- forceful enough to have a strong grip yet gentle enough to avoid pain- he pulled her back. His eyes were red. Redder than they had been throughout the night, and there was a hungry growl that grew from the rumble in his chest. Though it faded quickly, the image stuck with her as evidence of how madly he desired her and how quickly she had brought that out of him.

"Compare you to women I never bothered to learn the names of? My priestess. Nothing compares to you."

For a moment, she thought she might cry. His declaration brought a sense within her that she was his everything. It was almost a surprise to realize that deep within her, she had never expected to be treated in such a way. With Inuyasha being the base reference for a relationship, that shattered belief was easy to understand.

"Sesshomaru," she whispered, feeling the rose of arousal tingling her parted lips. Sesshomaru kissed the bottom lip, sucking on it momentarily before teasingly pulling away just as her lips pushed against his.

"What is it, my priestess?"

"I'm not hungry anymore," Kagome answered, red faced but eager. He smiled back at her.

"Phase one has concluded then."

She giggled, kissing him as he stood and lifted her up, keeping her wrapped around him.

"Where do you wish to go?" He asked her.

"I think I'm ready for bed."

"temptress," He teased, nipping at her neck. "What of phase two?"

"Phase two? But there are no movie theaters here."

"No, there are not. But perhaps we can change it for something else I know you to enjoy."

"And what's that?"

"Take a guess."

Kagome thought for a moment, and when the answer came to her, she knew it was correct. "Together?"

"If that is what you want."

"I do."

"Very well." Keeping her as she was, Sesshomaru began to ascend and flew them towards the mountain ridge.

Cascading waterfalls amongst snow and cold stone presented themselves to the two. Steam rose from the waterfall pools, and from above, Kagome could see reflective lights within the water; small pieces of crystals capturing the glow from the stars and moon. Too much, she thought, and she tucked her face beneath his jaw.

"The slumbering volcano below creates the pressure that made these springs and the crystals on their floors."

"Volcano?"

"Asleep within. As it has been for many years."

"So, who made the decision to have the palace here. You or Jaken?"

"I did," he said as he gently put her down. It was colder here, the frost biting through her attire, slightly stinging her toes. Kagome remained close to him, drawing on his body heat to keep her warm.

"Really?" She asked, suppressing the chattering of her teeth. "Was there a reason? Or do you secretly love springs as much as I do."

He grinned, and then lifted her up again, placing her down so her feet dipped into the warm water. "I often forget your human fragility behind your impressive strength."

"You also overcompensate. I was okay."

"Perhaps I do. And what must this one do to gain your forgiveness?"

"Hmmm… A fire would be a start."

"Consider it done."

With a chaste kiss on her lips, he left her, and she was left in a reflective pool of warm water surrounded by snow and bitter air. Keen to the heat radiating from the water, Kagome began to undress. She worried and wondered what Sesshomaru's return would entail. Truth was she was on the edge of embarrassment, crossing over it willingly as she had done many times that night, but trust pushed her forward. Trust in untold girth resided within her for Sesshomaru. Certainty of which she had never felt before held residence within her soul. She could commit the most ridiculous act, and there wasn't a single portion of her that wondered if Sesshomaru would leave her for it. Is this too soon? She questioned, taking the full scope of their relationship in mind. But it wasn't. Not to her. It wasn't uncommon for relationships to often bloomed under pressure, and the constant pressure of death and the sense that they were being watched were certainly viable stressors. But there was more.

A memory came to her, brought on by his question of where she wanted to go and him whisking her away. A night of impulse, spurred by a connection that had been built between them and a spontaneous plea. She had wanted to kiss him that night. Though she was with Inuyasha, and dating Sesshomaru was something that had not been cemented in her mind, she had wanted to kiss him that night. And knowing what she knew now- recalling that rumble she had felt- she knew he wanted to kiss her too.

Thinking of this caused her heart to swell with emotions that brought dew to her eyes- tears like water droplets on spring roses. How long then had she loved him and had simply been unwilling to admit it because it 'wasn't the right time'. So much time wasted worrying what everyone else would think. To prevent the tears from falling, she focused on small tasks; undoing her sash; removing the layers that his hands had readjusted into place. And as she did this, her mind went back to the unanswered question. Kagome smiled, seeing a vague reflection of herself in the water. He always knows where the springs are. Even when they're hidden behind waterfalls. Maybe he does like them as much as I do.

She heard a snap of a twig behind her, and she knew it was him being courteous, announcing his arrival in case she wished to submerge herself in order to hide. The wind blew, commanding her to fall into the warm water, but she remained upright as she turned to him, a gentle smile on her face.

No words were spoken as he threw the kindling down, lighting them quickly with his whip before undressing. Anxiety pulsed within her, but she pushed forward, wrapping her arms around him as he joined her and carefully set both of them into the deep end of the water.

"Kagome," he whispered her name as the water enveloped them, and he began to roam over portions of her body that he had not previously had access to in this way.

"Sessh," she whispered back encouragingly, and he tenderly eased her down so she rested against a flat stone as he loomed over her.

"Are you aware of how long I've wanted you?" He asked as he kissed her collarbone while her heart raced and her eyes and hands skimmed him. Nervousness was in her touch, in her chest, so her only response was a shake of her head. No, she didn't.

With a smirk, he kissed her passionately, her eyes closing from the euphoria, and the nervousness suppressed enough that her fingers gained confidence. When he pulled away, he kept her eyes focused on his with a delicate pinch of her cheek.

"Do you remember when the half-breed harmed you?" Her brows curved upward, confused as to where the conversation was going, but nodded her answer. "Did you never question how I was there so quickly?"

Kagome blinked, The thought had never crossed her mind, but now that he had summoned it, the fact was all too apparent. He had only been a hand full of minutes away on a day he wasn't expected to be there at all. Seeing the question in her eyes, he took a hold of her bottom lip, growling as he purchased it before trailing his lips to her ear.

"I had been thinking of you incessantly," he confessed, and her heart beat began to rise again. "Out of everything that could have preoccupied my mind, you were the prominent constant. Including in this way."

Grabbing a hold of her thigh, he emphasized his words while taking her breath away with a soft sound of his name. "I can wait no longer, Kagome," He said, and he allowed her a glimpse of his reddened eyes as he hoisted her leg up, enlightening her to what his words meant. A strike of worry and anxiety pulsed through her, but with it was more than enough excitement and eagerness.

"Now?" She breathed, almost pleading, and his smirk widened to a smile.

"No. But tonight, if you consent. In our chamber."

The way he said 'our' made a warmth from her core flutter out across her chest, as if his words had been alcohol themselves. "Yes," she answered, confirming her own want.

"Hn," He said, looking deeply into her eyes before lowering down for a kiss. "Then for now, my priestess. A taste."

They walked with interlocked hands, their wet hair distributing the dampness onto their clothes. That was fine. It wasn't as though they intended to keep them on for much longer.

Much of Kagome's weight was supported by him. A permanent redness had been plastered on her cheeks, and her knees were on the verge of buckling. When they returned, her mind had been mentally screaming at her that someone, somewhere, must have heard her. Thankfully it seemed no one was around. Or they're hidden away, prepared to jump into an ambush attack, her mind reminded her of the possibility, and she bit her tongue to stop herself from screaming.

A taste. A taste was all he had given her and it was the greatest moment of her life thus far. She dared to wonder if it would have been the same with anyone else- Inuyasha; Hoju- and it was so obvious that the answer was no. Not only because he had blown her away but because she trusted him and felt comfortable enough with him to allow him to do so. There was no other way to say it. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone, or ever would.

Kagome was unable to tear her eyes away from him as they walked. Meanwhile, he was the stoic Sesshomaru everyone knew him to be; eyes forward and expressionless. Yet his hand that held hers played with her fingers, and his eyes spoke of an driving impatience that made him walk a modicum faster than usual. Kagome giggled into his sleeve.

"Ah. There you two love birds are."

Kagome jumped, surprised to hear Ethreil's voice.

Ethreil and Tsutsuji sat at a terrace, relaxing under the night sky. Ethreil rested against his chair fully, while Tsutsuji sat upright like a pole. Added to their posture was their expression. Ethreil grinned widely while Tsutsuji carried a blank face that shared only a hint of a scowl.

"I take it that the training has finished."

"More or less. Inuyasha and Kagome are your greatest assets. Of course you already knew that. Ah, well, no real reason to discuss it. What are you two up to? Having a night of fun?"

"Don't encourage him, Ethreil. Really. I'd be remiss to not confess that I believe you've lost your mind, Lord Sesshomaru."

"I'm surprised, Lady Tsutsuji. I thought you didn't care that he chose a priestess."

"I don't. That is not what carries my focus. What does is that he seems to be acting without consideration for us."

"Are you two done?" Sesshomaru spoke flatly, pushing for this unwanted conversation to finish. Tsutsuji stood.

"Honestly, Lord Sesshomaru. After what you did to your father, do you truly believe they will let this slide? The precedent was set by yourself. Your influence will only take you so far, and if you do this, Lord Hinotori will take this opportunity- which you are providing- and Lord Usamah will follow. If you are stripped of your-

"Whatever Lord Hinotori chooses to do will be of my own concern, Lady Tsutsuji."

"But it will not!" Tsutsuji shouted, slamming her foot down. The silence that followed from Sesshomaru and Ethreil was one of condemnation. "I'm sorry," she said. To Kagome's surprise, this seemed to only anger Sesshomaru.

"If you are so concerned that the decisions this one makes will affect your ability to rule, Lady Tsutsuji, then perhaps it's time you've learned how to care for your lands on your own."

"Brother-

"Stay out of this, Ethreil."

"Sessh," Kagome whispered, sensing the tension in the air. He squeezed her hand; his own plea for her to not get involved. She felt bad for Ethreil; they way he became rigid with a facade of sterness that was unable to hide that dim glow of hurt. It reminded her of the same look Sota would give her whenever she would scold or lecture him. He's only trying to help, she would have to remind herself. Ethreil was different, though. When Sota would give her that look, it was always paired with tears wanting to fall. A Higurashi curse. For Ethreil, however, there was anger. Enough of himself was in control, though, so his silence remained unbroken.

"There are other options for me. You are aware of this," Tsutsuji responded, her voice shaking.

"By all means. Go to them."

It was awkward for Kagome to be standing here in the middle of this spat. She understood well enough the delicate intricacies of their alliances, and how it each favored them. I don't understand, she thought to herself somberly. If Tsutsuji doesn't care that I'm a human or a priestess, why is she threatening to ally with someone else? Kagome squeezed Sesshomaru's hand back, and began to gnaw on her lip, attempting to decipher the piece she was missing.

Tsutsuji turned her head, and it was then Sesshomaru and Ethreil relaxed. When she spoke again, she did so calmly, but it was evident in her rigid stance that she remained irritated. "I only meant that perhaps you should take time into consideration. To do this now, with them here, is too high of a risk. If dye is cast against your favor-

"You're speaking as if Lord Sesshomaru won't fight back. Do what they will, but they will still think twice on opposing him."

"But you're failing to notice the glaring issue, Ethreil, and that is that the priestess will be considered his greatest weakness. They will go after her, and as strange as it is for me to say, that is something Lord Sesshomaru will clearly not tolerate-

"I can defend myself," Kagome said, offended that she was being used as the crux to this quarrel.

"You are something I don't care about. The truth of the matter is that Lord Sesshomaru will do what he can to prevent it, and where will that leave us? Beneath the heels of Hinotori and Usamah."

"You've made your peace, Lady Tsutsuji, as I have made mine. This discussion is over."

"But…" She breathed, clenching her fists and recollecting herself. "I don't understand. To wait is the more logical step. Once they're gone, you can do as you wish. If you choose her as I suspect you will, then what is a few months or years to you and her? Even as a human, she will still have time left. At least until the war has concluded-

"Kami, Tsutsuji," Ethreil groaned. "That's if there even is a war."

"What?"

Ethreil sighed, rolling his shoulders. "All I meant was that you need to stop involving yourself in their personal business."

"That isn't what you said."

"Let the two love birds have their fun. Whatever occurs, we'll deal with it."

Ethreil stood, and Tsutsuji's cold gaze landed on Kagome. She could have looked anywhere else, but it fell on Kagome, oppressive and angry. As if she discovered something, disliked what she learned, and had placed the blame on Kagome herself. How much did she just figure out? Kagome questioned. From that one sentence- that one slip up from Ethreil- what conclusion has she come to? As little as Kagome knew her, she feared that Tsutsuji's inclinations, when she attained them, were highly accurate.

"I'm going to bed," She said quickly, and before any of them could respond, she turned and walked away.

Ethreil sighed. "Ah, well. I suppose that was a bit much from my end… No point in discussing it anymore. I'm heading off to drink with the tribe. Enjoy the night, Kagome. Brother." With his hand up in the air and his shoulders slouched, Ethreil left them.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Kagome asked, whispering. Anxiety weighed heavy on her chest; a vice squeezing her insides. It dulled with Sesshomaru's smirk.

"Nothing I can't handle."

The weight was gone. Security enveloped her, and she smiled. Squeezing his hand as she pinched her lower lip between her teeth, she began to pull him. "Come," she commanded, suppressing her laugh as she mimicked him. His laughter grew her smile, and her mind was already beginning to forget the awkward situation that had passed.

"Lord Sesshomaru," came a squawk from within the palace, close by as though it knew exactly where they were.

"Oh, Kami, no," Kagome whined, and she plopped the top of her head against Sesshomar's chest, feeling the vibrations of his laugh.

"Does it bother you so much, my priestess?"

"Like it doesn't bother you?" She shot back, peeking up at him, and his eyes gleamed with desire.

"Temptress."

"My Lord!" Jaken called, stepping out onto the terrace. "At last I have found you."

"What is it you want, Jaken?"

Crossing his arms, Jaken pointed his beak to the sky. Kagome was tempted to roll her eyes.

"Well to start off, these humans are highly disrespectful. Treating I, your loyal vassal as nothing more than a buttler! I believe they need a stern talking to-

"Get to the point, Jaken."

Deflating, Jaken huffed. "Of course, my Lord. The slayer and the monk have requested to see the priestess, Kagome."

Sesshomaru raised a brow. "They sent you?"

"Yes, they did! Believe me when I say that I put them in their place."

"Yet you are here."

"Eh- yes…" Jaken bowed his head shamefully.

Knowing what she would do, Sesshomaru pinched Kagome's chin so she would look into his eyes. "Come to me once you're done?" He asked, and she was surprised he would even bother.

Of course she'd go to him.

As she stepped into the palace, streaked black hair appeared at the corner of her eye and the subtle clacking of clawed feet echoed in her ears. How long has he been there? Kagome's heart drummed slowly, almost halting completely, but hard. Each thumb was a hammer that threatened to release a scream as he passed her, Hinotori's frightening, nearly-white eyes firmly upon her. It wasn't until she could no longer see him in her periphery that she breathed, and from behind her, she heard "You're worse than your father".

All the way up to Sango and Miroku's room, Kagome struggled with the horrid pit in her stomach condemning her for not turning back to stand beside Sesshomaru while Hinotori confronted him. I shouldn't be feeling like this. Sesshomaru is going to put him in his place no problem. I'd probably just mess things up if I was there... Standing at the door, she sighed. I should have gone back anyway.

The door opened and she jumped.

"Oh, Kagome. Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay, Miroku. Jaken said you and Sango wanted to see me?"

"Yes, if you have the time. Sango is already waiting for you. I am on my way to retrieve water for my daughter, but I will be back soon. Would you like me to bring you back something?"

"No, that's okay. Thanks though. I'll go ahead and talk to Sango until you get back."

Miroku nodded with a courteous smile, and Kagome entered the room.

Shippo was already asleep in the bed, taking up very little room despite his arms and legs being stretched out wide. The fact that two more people could sleep in it comfortably showed just how large the mat was, and to the side of the room was a smaller mat meant for the children. With the way Shippo was snoring, Kagome doubted he would wake up when they moved him. Training must've taken a lot of him, Kagome mused. And then a frown touched her lips. There's no way we learned everything we needed to. The training was so basic. I wonder if Sesshomaru's nervous. Maybe if we were all demons, we could have learned more. Shippo being so young though… I doubt he remembers the layout of the palace. And considering Sessh is relying on them to corral the vassal if he shows up… All they learned today was how to best work with each other. But if they don't know where to go, how will they even get to that point?

"Kagome?" Sango whispered, pulling Kagome out of her thoughts.

"Hey Sango," Kagome whispered back, and ruffled Shippo's hair, earning her a short giggle that immediately subsided to snoring once again. At least he was dreaming well tonight.

Sango sat on the smaller mat with Aimi in her arms. Seeing Kagome approach, Aimi gleamed happily and reached out her hands.

"Auntie Kagome!" She managed to whisper excitedly, and Kagome scooped her up.

"Oh gosh, Aimi. You're getting big. You're way heavier than I remember."

Aimi giggled into her hands. "Auntie Kagome? How do you do your magic?"

"Huh? My magic?"

"Mhmm. The one with the pink light and your hands."

"Oh… Um… Honestly, Aimi, if I knew I'd tell you."

Sango laughed with Kagome while Aimi pretended to pout. "She says she wants to be a priestess like her Aunt Kagome. She's been going on about it non-stop ever since she saw your fight."

"Really?" Kagome asked Aimi, and she nodded.

"Mhmm. That way I can help bring Airi and Isas back."

With a smile full of somber, Kagome kissed Aimi's forehead. "Well we'd love to have you fight alongside us, Aimi. But before you do that, you gotta grow big, and have a lot of fun as a kid while you're young."

"And learn how to control my reiki, right?"

"...Y-Yeah."

"Okay. I'll ask Amellis then. She's the one who gave you the magic, right?"

Kagome blinked. "Eh- You little eavesdropper!"

Aimi giggled as she was set down, sparking for Sango and Kagome to join her. The laugh was contagious, but the missing echo that usually came from her sister was greatly apparent.

"Time for bed, Aimi," Sango said after a moment.

"But I'm not sleepy."

"Well if you want to be a powerful priestess, you have to get your rest."

"Is that true, Auntie Kagome?"

"Oh yeah. It's very important."

"Oh… okay then! I'll sleep all through the night! And in the morning, I'll start training to become a priestess!"

Eagerly crawling into bed, Aimi hid herself beneath the covers and in a matter of seconds was in a deep sleep.

"Woah, she's out like a light."

"She's been sleeping more lately," Sango said as she lifted Shippo from the bed. "It's the only way she gets to see her brother and sister at this point."

Kagome's brow furrowed as she followed to sit beside Sango. "Someone as young as her shouldn't have to go through all this."

"No she shouldn't. But that's why the goddess chose to do it to her." Speaking the words, Sango's face seemed to age far beyond her years, and behind the vacant stare was the cold void of hopelessness. Kagome couldn't bring herself to try to alleviate Sango's grief, and instead chose to wallow in it as well. At least that way, Sango would have company.

"So you've been thinking about that too."

"How could I not." Sango breathed, and a small cloud came from her lips. Without another prompt, Kagome placed a few more logs in the fire. "Thank you. I've been forgetting to keep up with such simple tasks lately. The truth is, I hardly feel the cold anyways. I hardly feel anything."

Kagome didn't know how to respond, and so she remained quiet, retaking her seat. The howl of the cold wind outside rattled the windows, the only sound that breathed in the middle of their silence until the bow was broken.

"Do you believe you were destined to feed the fire, Kagome?"

"Huh? She asked, perplexed by such an odd query.

"Do you believe you were destined to do that? Or do you believe there was another way?"

"Hmmm… I don't know. It's kind of a weird question, don't you think?"

"Maybe. But it's something else I've been thinking about lately."

"I don't follow."

Sango paused. Kagome didn't know what for as her face was unreadable beneath the veil of constant sorrow. I've never seen her like this. Even with Kohaku…

Witnessing the gloomy sandness that had befallen Sango throttled Kagome's emotional care. It was almost as if she weren't speaking to Sango at all, but rather another person entirely. The sentiment left her riddled with guilt, as she knew it was her mind's selfish way of detaching itself from the sadness of seeing Sango like this.

"Do you believe the goddess is destined to die since demons do not exist in your time? Or do you believe there's a chance she will survive?"

"Oh." Kagine said, finally understanding where Sango's mind was at. Thinking it over, Kagome pinched her chin and hummed silently in contemplation. "I'll be honest. I don't really know."

"No?"

"Nhmm. In my time, they still haven't figured out the whole time-travel, destiny thing. If anything, we've made the idea of it more complicated than it already was. Like, maybe there's a bunch of different paths, all living out the consequences of their own decisions, and we're stuck in our own. Maybe I came from another path. Maybe there's a bunch of versions of us that we'll never see. And if so, which path are we on now? Or maybe it's all a loop, replaying itself over and over again. But then you have to ask when did the loop start? Or maybe we're in a big butterfly effect. In which case, if the goddess ends up winning, what happens to the future? Will it change completely? If it does, will I disappear with it? Or will I be the only one saved since I'm in a different time now. In reality, there's so many different possibilities than I can even explain. That's why I just don't know."

"I see," Sango said, staring at her hands that had been interlocked as if she were praying. Instead of pacifying her, Kagome's answer seemed to bring about more sorrow. Kagome teared her gaze away from her friend and ancestor. The pain was simply too much to bear.

"I asked Amellis something similar," Kagome stated, attempted to fill the air. "She said Fate was an actual being, but that she doesn't direct us anywhere. She just jots down what we do."

"Is that right?" Sango responded, lifting her head up to gaze at Aimi. She spoke almost silently as if she were whispering to her child. "Then it must be the last. If the Fate of this time hasn't marked down what will happen in the future, then we must be able to change what's to come before it happens."

"That's what I'm hoping for. He doesn't mention it but I know Sesshomaru thinks it's set in stone. I wish I could get him to have a little more hope."

"Maybe that is what he's hoping for."

"How could you say that!?"

"If he truly loves you, and he knows your time is safe because his kind are dead, why would he want to risk your safety for anything else? Why would he want to believe that there's a chance that it could turn out worse?"

Kagome was at a loss for words. In her venture to sway Sesshomaru's way of thinking, she had clearly defined why he would willingly choose to die. But she had never considered why he would not hope for something different as she did. She had failed to understand his reasons to the point that she needed Sango to enlighten her. She grimaced at her shame.

"I'm the same way." Sango confessed, her gaze downcasted once again. Kagome waited patiently for Sango to continue as she mulled over her words in silence. Her mouth opened and closed, always ready to speak but nothing coming out. Then a small corak, one filled with agony, slipped past her agape mouth. A single tear glistened as it streamed down her cheek.

"Sango?"

The small crack of the dam broke and just as the flood of tears began to fall, Sango covered her mouth with both hands. The muffled cry Sango attempted to suppress for the sake of her slumbering child was a retched, hurtful thing to hear. It was as if death itself had crept in to weep beside her, broken by the gravity of her pain. Kagome threw her hands around Sango and held her. She wished she could stop the cry, that her embrace would be enough to assuage the ache, but she knew despite her best efforts it never could. So she held Sango as she cried, choking down her sobs until she could force out whimpers of words, saying, "I've tried so hard, Kagome. To convince myself there was nothing I could do- That I didn't fail my children, but I did! And I can't stop thinking about what I could have done differently, how I could have protected them-

"But Sango, you had no idea what the goddess was going to do. None of us did. You made the best decisions based on the information we had-

"But it could have been different! If I had done things differently, my children would be here!"

"Sango," Miroku whispered as he walked into the room and immediately set down the glasses in his possession to attend to his wife. As soon as his hands went to hold her, Sango fell into his comforting embrace.

"Oh, my love," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "How I wish I could take this pain away."

"It's my fault, Miroku. Fate hadn't written anything down. I could have changed it- I could have kept them safe."

"No, Sango. Do not blame yourself for the actions the goddess committed. She and she alone is to blame for what happened to Airi and Isas."

"Miroku's right, Sango. And we're going to get them back. I promise."

A flash of a shattered smile flickered upon Sango's face before collapsing once again. "I don't even know if I'm doing the right thing anymore."

"Of course you are," Kagome said, hoping to provide more hope. "You're doing the best you can with the information you've got. That's all we can do."

Shaking her head, Sango hid her face into Miroku's chest. After a minute, her sobs were more controllable, and while they still fell, Sango wiped at her tears with the palm of her hands.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean for you to see me like this. This isn't why we called you here."

"Hey, it's okay. We're family. That means we'll always be there for each other." They smiled at her, but Kagome sensed a hollowness. A part of her wished to question them, but the rational side of her convinced her that the answer was obvious. Who would not feel hollow after losing their children? After an awkward, silent moment, she continued. "Sooo… What did you call me here for?"

Miroku perked up, giving her a short sideways hug before taking a seat on the mat with Sango beside him. Kagome followed suit.

"More than anything, La-... Kagome. We wanted to see how you were."

"Hm? Just checking up on me, that's all?"

"Yes. The time we've spent together recently has been strained due to pressures of obligations and suspicions of other it's a bit strange- I'll admit that- but, knowing we are your ancestors… Sango and I want to ensure that you know just how proud we are of you, and to know that regardless of what may happen, we couldn't have asked for a better descendant."

Kagome smiled, her reiki informing her of the depth that his words held so that when he raised his head with a stern gaze, she understood it as an expression of someone holding back the effects of ardent emotions. Despite this, however, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Really? Is that the only reason? Why'd they choose tonight of all nights? "Oh, well, thanks. But, um… not to be rude, but do you think we can like… hold this off until later?"

"Did we catch you at a bad time?" Miroku asked cheekily.

"Maybe."

"Does it have something to do with why your hair and kimono are wet?" Sango's question caused Kagome to blush, and the color change was noticeable in the orange hue of the fire. Placing a finger to her lips, Sango stifled a laugh.

"S-So what if it does?"

"Kagome," Miroku sang with a wide smile. "Is my precious descendant going to be-

"Don't."

"... Do you want tips?"

"Absolutely not. And definitely not from you, no offense."

Miroku feigned being stabbed in the heart while carrying an exaggerated frown. After a short laugh, Sango stood, and Kagome did the same. The anticipated hug was accepted, and as they squeezed each other, Sango whispered, "I love you, you know?"

"I love you, too."

"Lady Kagome," Miroku said once their hug ended, placing an arm around Sango and a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Miroku, seriously. Stop calling me that."

"Forgive me," he said with a sorrowful smile. "Old habits."

"S'okay. You're getting better, so you'll get there someday."

"Yes… well… We'll let you go. I'm certain Lord Sesshomaru is waiting for you."

"Oh gosh." Kagome covered her blush with her hands while looking away, thinking this way too embarrassing.

"Before you do go, Kagome."

"Hm?"

His gaze flickered to Aimi, her little fist having found its way on top of Shippo's face as they lightly snored, before gradually returning to Kagome. The mixture of emotions was indeterminable. Joy. Sadness. Pride and disappointment. Along with many others. The sign of internal turmoil.

"Just promise to remember how proud we are of you and how happy we were when you told us we were your ancestors. No matter the struggles or choices you have to make, we trust you to make the right decisions."

"Umm, thanks?" She answered bashfully, briefly scratching her cheek. "I mean, of course I'll remember. But I have to ask now. What brought this on? Y'all are acting like you're going on a long vacation or something and I won't see you for awhile."

"We just wanted you to know that," Sango replied. "It's almost impossible to know what tomorrow will bring, and there was so much I never told Airi and Isas. I was always waiting for the right moment or wanted to wait until they were older to tell them. I regret that now. Because of that, I didn't want to squander the time I had left to tell you."

"Oh. I guess I can get that. Well, I appreciate it. But y'all two shouldn't worry so much. Y'all have plenty of time left, and you'll get to tell Airi and Isas all of those things. Just watch."

Sango smiled once more, but just as a tear was about to fall, she pulled Kagome in for another hug. "If you believe it that much… then I guess I can spare a little hope too."

The quick hug ended, and Sango was back at Miroku's side, no sign of sadness left on her face.

"Try not to be too nervous, okay?"

"Can we please just act like y'all don't know?"

Sango laughed, giving a quick apology.

"Have a good night, Kagome," Miroku stated.

"See? You're already getting better. Good night."

Kagome stepped out of the door, and the frowns they had been hiding were set free.

"Was that alright, my love? I know you didn't get to tell her everything."

"It's okay," Sango sighed. "I know she'll take care of them even if I don't ask her too. I just hope they'll be okay."

Miroku chortled. "This is Kagome we're speaking about. Of course they'll be safe." He brushed her bangs, entranced by the way they fanned out as his finger passed. It calmed her slightly, and Sango shut her eyes. "I have no doubt our children will be safe."

"How can you be certain?"

"How else could we have come to know Kagome if our children did not live?"

Sango restrained her grimace, now knowing the uncertainty of the situation. But she clung to the thin line of hope that remained, the very sliver she had told Kagome she could spare. There was a chance. The uncertainty gave credence to that. Her children could survive. Even if she weren't here to see it, that possibility made the ticking of her remaining time that much more bearable. In this, she chose to keep the truth from Miroku so that he could hold onto the peace he held; a peace that she had dared to question in herself.

May they be okay, she prayed, and she hugged her husband, placing her ear to her chest as she listened to his heart beat. Naturally, her eyes fell to Aimi, and being in the security of Miroku's hold, she smiled.

"I think it might be Aimi."

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"Kagome's family line. I think it's Aimi's." Sango could hear Miroku's slight laugh.

"And what gave you that idea?"

"She says she wants to be a priestess. She's set on it after seeing Kagome's fight."

"Hm. That would make sense. Heh. How odd that such a simple thought could bring me joy, even though it's only a guess of what will become of them."

Touching his cheek, she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. The idea made her slightly happier too.

Kagome stepped quickly through the hall. Her mind was centered around Sesshomaru, with the greatest desire being that of simply being in his presence. She missed him. Such a short time away, and she was impatiently waiting for the moment she could see him again. It's probably not a good thing that I'm so addicted to him. But, really, who could blame me? She pondered as she placed a hand to her chest. Her heart was beating for him. Each drum echoed his name and a wonder. What was he doing right now? Could he still be talking to Hinotori? When she reached their room, what would she see? The more her mind wandered, the greater her cheeks burned. In an effort to calm herself, she lightly smacked the sides of her face.

"Calm down, girl. Don't lose yourself so easily."

"Don't tell me you've actually gotten lost."

"Eh- Boriyu! You scared me!"

Slamming her foot down, Kagome glared at Boriyu as he sat on an elegant bench with Amellis next to him. In her lap was a large parchment with a detailed sketch of Japan and markings of charcoal where x's had been drawn.

"That sounds entirely like a personal issue."

Kagome's mouth opened, ready to shout a counter, but she lacked the enthusiasm to pick a fight with a fox. Instead, she huffed through her nose and rolled her eyes. "Geez. No wonder Sesshomaru keeps you around. You two almost joke the same way."

"Thank you."

"Don't let it get to your head. What are you two up to?"

Amellis perked up, once again smiling directly at Kagome with informed sight. "Good evening, Kagome. I told Boriyu I wanted to help cousin find my mother. So now we're trying to mark off areas she could be located based off of my memories from each of her castles."

"Oh I se-... wait. Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait-wait!" Kagome's eyes bulged, and she placed a flat hand against the side if her lips as if she could direct the whispering sound away from Boriyu's hypersensitive ears. "Amellis, you told him who you were?!"

With a blush on her cheeks, Amellis bashfully giggled. "I… I told him everything."

"Eeeeh?! Everything?!" Kagome eyed Boriyu suspiciously, who reclined in his seat so his head rested against the wall.

"Look, we're doing our part to find her. You better figure out your game plan. Quick. I'd rather not die."

For a moment, Kagome was speechless. A series of half breaths escaped her lips as she tried to process through Boriyu's quick acceptance and agreement to help in the face of the fact that victory could mean death for him and his kind.

"Why?" She asked, and she felt almost guilty for how it sounded after the statement he had said. Though he easily knew what she meant.

"Its…" he began, and perhaps as another defense to his secret, he turned his face away from her. "A personal issue, okay."

Kagome watched as Amellis immediately stopped what she was doing, placing a hand on Boriyu's chest as a sign of support. Boriyu looked down at Amellis affectionately, and their wordless conversation began as he placed a hand over hers.

"Holly shit." Reminded of her presence, they were both startled to look at Kagome, who began to laugh joyfully. "Don't tell me you two are already in love!"

A stammering mess left both of their lips as a deep red blooming from the nick reached the top of their heads.

"Kami, y'all totally are!"

"Don't you have something better to do than tease us?"

"I do. For sure. But. This is also highly enjoyable."

"I hate your friend, Amellis."

Amellis giggled momentarily before turning to Kagome with a more anxious countenance. "You think it's too soon, don't you? I mean, I understand, but-

"I'm not judging, Amellis. No way."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Kagome said as she looked out the hallway window. "You kind of remind me of a friend I have in my time. She rarely dates but she's all about love. She kinda inspires those around her to fall into it. If you heard her say it, if you both feel it, then what's the harm, right? Personally, I think there's a little more nuance to it than that, but generally speaking, I'd have to agree. So what does it matter how much or how little time it took. One day though? Phew," Kagome whistled. "You two are definitely breaking records."

"I can't deny that," Amellis said with a laugh.

"I do have to admit. I'm surprised by Boriyu. Look at him. Trying to act all cool with that big ass blush on his face."

"Shut up!" He barked quickly, scrunching his nose while his eyes closed with a scowl.

Kagome laughed and then waved as she began to walk away. "Goodnight! Let me know if you figure out anything."

By the time she reached their bedroom door, she was slightly out of breath. She had been briskly walking on her way here, but each time she had passed a guardsman of this wing, she had quickened her pace much more just to pass their unmoving stare.

Practically on a jog near the end, she thought as her hand danced between knocking on the door or just opening it. She was glad that she was alone here because she wasn't sure just how much anxiety she could handle having a guardsman watch as she fumbled with what to do. Dammit, girl. This is your room too, isn't it? Just… be cool, and open it.

Taking a breath, Kagome grabbed the handle and opened the door.

She almost couldn't remember what the anxiety had been about. The moment her eyes landed on him, she felt completely at ease.

He stood against the window frame of the balcony, looking out towards his palace grounds. Or perhaps even farther, listening to the subtle hum of his lands as she knew him to sometimes do. The moonlight haloed his silhouette while the hue from the fireplace played mainly with his hair. With his back to her, she noticed that he only wore his hakamas now. A blush touched her cheeks as she found herself wishing that this could be her life from now on.

Taking off her shoes and loosening the sash on her Kimono, Kagome approached him. The muscles on his back were rigid, and his reflection on the glass he was facing showed a Sesshomaru deep in thought. Rather than try to pull him out of what he was thinking, Kagome hugged him from behind. She could only hug his shoulders, her finger tips barely grazing each other on his chest if she tried to complete the loop, and she peeked over him to look at the area he did. She almost laughed, seeing her reflection as hair and two eyes peering over her love, but she held it back for the sake of maintaining the silence.

Kagome wondered what preoccupied his mind, but as she stared out at his home, she couldn't help but be in awe at how much he had done those three years she had been gone. Even before… she began to contemplate, thinking how much was on his shoulders and how easily he held it almost all of his life. Usamah and Hinotori, especially Hinotori, keep trying to bring him down. Even his own men who left just cause he decided to date me. What the hell does it matter? It doesn't change everything he's done. 'You're worse than your father'. Prick. Tsutsuji too. Everyone keeps bringing up his father, like if he should be ashamed, or his dad would be ashamed. I don't know.

"You want to know what I think?" She asked, her mind set on the knowledge of how Sesshomaru looked up to his father. The butterflies inside her stirred as his gaze flicked to her with a twinkle in his eyes. A raised brow. He was waiting for her to continue. She smiled. "I think your father would be very proud of everything you've done."

Sesshomaru exhaled a laugh, his gaze returning to the window but she could tell he was no longer looking outwards, but was focused on their reflection. His hand went to one of hers, holding it tenderly as soft amorous intensity began to settle over his features. He exhaled another laugh, taking her fingers and kissing them. She almost didn't hear him. She questioned if her ears deceived her. But when he looked at her through their reflection, she knew they hadn't.

"Be my mate, Kagome."

Her heart neither stopped nor raced, but a mixture of the two. Was it even her heart that drummed that rhythm, or the gears in her own mind struggling to regain function. Her mind was swimming. Her cheeks burned. Her heart blazed with the answer that she vocalized confidently.

"Yes."

He turned to her, a little too quickly for someone who had just been made dizzy by words alone, but he cupped her cheeks so she remained still. "You do not comprehend what it is that I've asked you," He whispered, his eyes pleading for her while he restrained himself. Somehow, Kagome kept her hands steady as she reached up to mimic the hold he had on her, and when she spoke, his eyes grew wide with surprise.

"I, Kagome Higurashi, swear on the blood that flows within me, to be yours as you are mine for the rest of our eternity. When you are weak, I will be your strength. When you are strong, I will be your serenity. I will guard your heart, as I will guard your lands. With unyielding devotion, I vow to be by your side. I am yours as you are mine, until the end of our eternity. With these words, Sesshomaru, I enter this union."

Before she could congratulate herself on speaking the yokai vow without stuttering or missing a word, Sesshomaru lifted Kagome up so her legs wrapped around him. She drew in a sharp inhale, and as he walked them towards their bed, Kagome listened as he spoke the same words she had just said.

"With these words…" He kissed her collar bone and then looked into her eyes, the gold flickering with an ardent promise. "I enter this union, my Kagome."

He kissed her passionately, floating her down onto the bed where they gave into each other for the rest of the night. Blinded by their fervor, neither noticed the green light that shone by their bedside.

---

That's the end of that chapter folks!

Remember to follow favorite and review, please! It helps me out a lot.

Also check out my youtube channels, Jalapeno Gamer and Jalapeno Writer.

I'm almost done with my Shadow of Colossus let's play, which means Jalapeno Writer will get an analysis video up very soon.

Also, Discord. I got's it. I don't know how to use it. Future stories snippits will be posted there though. Links on Youtube channels.

Alrighty! I'll see y'all in the next one!

Be Kind! Bye and Bless!

Tatamis: the folded mats used for eating in traditional japanese settings.

Yaki: Those cooking fires with the grill built on top. A form of Hibachi dining. Choji from naruto used to eat at a restaurant that focused on this kind of cooking/eati