"Perfect!"

Rin's high, girlish voice rang out across the small camp. She was seated beneath a tree, her legs crossed a campfire crackling before her. A pile of flowers in all different colors sat next to her, waiting to be incorporated into her crown. She had just completed the circuit and was now beginning to thread extra blooms in. Shippou laid next to her on his back waving an enchanted leaf around. The night sky glittered above the children.

"Gonna give it to her like that?" he sneered. Rin's cheeks fired up red and she jerked back.

"Like what?! It's beautiful!" She crossed her arms, shooting a glare at the lazy kit. Maybe no one would know if she hit him… but Jaken, lazing on the other side of the fire, would probably tell Sesshomaru-sama.

Shippou jumped up, his leaf clutched in his hand. "Look, I can do this to it when you're done," he said, spreading his hands wide. Rin's face broke into a gigantic grin.

A few hundred yards away, hidden by forest and the quiet of night, Sesshomaru sat cross legged. His senses were open, complete awareness of the world around him achieved. He felt at peace, at one with nature, calmly breathing in and out.

"DAMNIT!"

Well, not completely at peace. He sighed, cracking open one eye to view the fuming miko before him.

"Why can't I do this? I don't understand why I can't sense you! It's like there's this big empty space where you are!" Cheeks red, hands on hips, she looked ready to glare down a demon. Well, not one of his caliber, but he could basically feel the animosity wafting off of her.

"This is the purpose of masking one's presence." She blinked, her nose scrunching up. She looked like Rin on the rare times he denied her something.

"Wait so… if you're covering up your aura, then feeling the hole is the only clue to you being there?" He blinked slowly, surprised that she had caught on so quickly. He had merely instructed her to find his aura, without explaining. Her anger was expected, but he thought it would be longer lasting with his deception. Her face shifted into a grin, the anger melting away completely.

"Well that's not too hard! Let's try again!" She whirled around, covering her eyes as she waited for him to move again. He was trying to her to expand her senses, and this game of hide and seek was a classic training technique.

He stepped a few feet away from his previous spot, concealing his aura again before moving. As he waited, he let his senses expand, tuning in to the energies around him. Sesshomaru was always subliminally aware of this, but he needed to focus a slight amount for the visual experience. Scent was his usual route for senses, but sight had its advantages too. As his eyes found the miko, he inhaled slightly.

Her aura was the lightest pink, almost a white glow, shot through with blue and gold sparks. He felt as peace, as though the holy light was enticing him closer. She moved towards him, no doubt feeling for the gap in her senses. Since she'd caught on, his let his grip slip, lowering the concealment. His ears picked up on her gasp as his own presence became visible to her senses again.

Then the strangest thing happened. He could feel his youki surge within, and almost leap out at the girl. Her spiral energy seems to bubble out of her aura, the pink glow intensifying. Before he knew it, Sesshomaru was in front of Kagome, his arms gripping her sides. He braced himself as their energies reached out and gently collided.

Instead of rebuffing each other, he felt heat and energy fill his veins as the light seemed almost to blend together.

Kagome drew in a deep breath. One moment she'd been focusing on the gap in her new "sight" and the next, Sesshomaru had her waist in his hands, staring down at her with glazed eyes. His aura seemed to spark, his youki rising to the surface. His eyes bled red, and she felt her heart quicken. Her reiki seemed to suddenly fill her veins and she gasped at the sensation. She felt powerful, energetic, and so in tune with the demon before her. She could almost feel his heart beat, trace the blood in his veins.

She became aware of the fact that they were both panting, leaving in towards one another. Her heart skipped a beat as their faces became closer and closer. Her eyes slipped closed….

"Kagome! Sesshomaru-sama!"

… and the bubble shattered. She jerked away from the demon, and his hands lowered of their own accord. Her concentration broke and the auras faded away from her. Her head swung towards the sound, seeing Shippo and Rin running over.

What had she been about to do?

A few hours later, the children lay asleep by the campfire. The night was warm, the stars glittering far above the canopy of the surrounding trees. Kagome was humming softly. A glowing flower crown topped her dark tresses. The kids had given it to her, and shippo had spelled it to light only for her. While she was flattered, she did feel a bit like a literal flower child. She shrugged, happy regardless of what others thought.

She was currently digging through her large bag, looking for some chocolate. Her brow wrinkled as she noticed that there was a lot less supplies than she usually liked within. She was almost out of soap, first aid supplies and damn, it seemed the chocolate was all gone. A shiver of trepidation ran through her at what needed done.

She raised her eyes, looking up at the demon that sat across the fire. His eyes were closed, legs crossed, and hands resting upon his knees. He really was beautiful, she thought with a blush. All that silver hair, and the markings seemed to enhance the elegant plains of his face. He would be almost feminine if it weren't for the obvious muscle that bulged against his silk clothing. Just as she was deep in thought, those golden eyes opened and fixed her with a piercing stare.

"Ah! Sesshomaru, um, I didn't know you were still up," she said nervously.

"You have a question," he said, tone betraying nothing. Her eyes narrowed briefly. How did he know? She sighed, realizing it didn't really matter as he was right.

"Well… I need to go home. For more supplies. And that means a journey to the well." She gulped, anxiety making her heart pound and her palms grow sweaty.

His eyes closed again. "We will depart in the morning then," he said lowky. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and she swear her heart stopped for a moment.

"Really? You don't think it's a waste of time or anything… or annoying…." she said in disbelief. Sesshomaru cracked one golden eye open, looking at her with disapproval.

"Has this one not explained the duties of the alpha? Your needs will be met, miko."

She felt her lip quiver slightly, before she settled down. "Oh, I forgot about that. I think I'm just so used to how Inuyasha reacts… it will be awhile before I'm not scared to ask for things, I think," she said with a nervous chuckle.

Sesshomaru felt his lips twitch into an almost imperceptible frown. What an imbecile. If the pack couldn't communicate, how could they truly be taken care of? He looked at the woman once more, and sniffed lightly. Anxiety seemed to permeate the air around her. He sighed.

"Your fear is pointless." He intoned, but he did catch the soft smile on her face before his eyes closed again.