Kagome and Sesshou walked to their rooms in silence. After their meeting with Kakushin, they both agreed they needed to freshen up and retire for the afternoon. They were both in shock from the events of the meeting.

Sesshou felt like a fool. It was a merger. Of course he meant of packs, and not actual business. Kagome was a desirable addition to one's pack as the time traveling shikon priestess. Who knows what kind of powers her family line will continue to spawn, especially mixed with youkai energies?

It certainly helped that she was young and beautiful.

Kagome couldn't believe herself. She had agreed to consider an engagement to her friend's son.

But would it be so bad? She fidgeted with the hem of her peplum blouse, keeping her eyes down to avoid Sesshou's judgement. She could feel his displeasure at her decision. Vocalizing said displeasure with a challenge had put everyone on edge, and yet she was relieved he had spoken up. He swore to protect her, and she believed him wholeheartedly.

Coming to two sets of doors, they figured their rooms connected and both waved their door keys over the sensor. It didn't take long for Sesshou to turn right back around and follow her into her own room.

Kagome parked her suitcase next to her bed and turned to use the bathroom she had passed upon entering and walked face first into Sesshou's chest.

"Ack!" She stumbled backwards, righting herself with minimal assistance from Sesshou. "You have really got to stop doing that!"

"Hn." Sesshou moved around her, luggage in hand, and dropped his own suitcase next to hers. "We will share this room. These rooms do not connect and I do not trust Kakushin at the moment."

"You know what?" Kagome sighed, "I'm not even going to fight you on this one." She made her way to the bathroom and shut the door. "I'm showering first!" She called through the door as she started up the water. He was fine with that.

Kagome emerged ten minutes later wrapped in a terry cloth robe with wet hair. Her face was flush with the heat of the shower and her own embarrassment over forgetting her clothing before retreating into the bathroom to begin with. Sesshou only smirked and passed her by for his turn.

By the time he was through with his own shower, Kagome was already dressed and napping on one side of the bed. She had slipped into a pajama short set, paired with the matching tank top. It was girly and cute, and oh so Kagome. He could only smile at remembering her middle school uniform. He had thought back then that she enjoyed the attention she received from wearing obscene clothing, but now he knew, it was just her uniform. However, seeing her now, he understood that she was comfortable in her skin when in the company of those she trusted, such as her family, close friends, and now, him.

What was he to her? He could have been her older brother-in-law, her pack mate, alpha, and even friend. But somehow being thought of as an in-law displeased him. Kagome and Inuyasha had never even defined the nature of their relationship, and never had they mated. In all technicality, they were simply friends and pack mates.

Once this nonsense with the wolves was over, he would begin her training. She would become stronger, more controlled in her actions, and soon she would be ready to start her recruitment of other priestesses. First, though, she would have to remember what truly happened the final day she was in the past.

Sesshou situated himself at the desk in the corner of the room and fired up his laptop. For now, he would get in contact with Shippou. He had sent the fox kit to work with the wolves for months now. This situation needed discussing.

Kagome awoke two hours later to the former lord sleeping in the fetal position on the other end of the king sized bed. She was caught off guard by his position, and took advantage of the situation to study his features at rest. She had seen him resting before, but never had she seen him look so vulnerable, or precious. She blushed at her own thoughts. His gentle, delicate features were softened in his sleep, his normally stern frown was released from the worry of his own thoughts. The more she focused on his mouth, the more she thought of his smile. He did that now, she realized. He often smirked when joking with her, or slightly turned up the corners of his lips in apology, but she had caught him genuinely smiling.

He sighed in his sleep, hardly noticeably, but as she was staring, she saw, and she admired. His lips looked so soft.

Kagome never sat up so fast before. Her heart rate spiking in panic brought her companion to wakefulness. One second she was sitting upright with a hand over her mouth to stifle her own gasp of self realization, and the next, the subject of her realization and mortification was in her face.

Sesshou came to awareness when he felt, rather than heard, Kagome's heart rate change pace. He was used to the light fluttering of her heart when she became nervous or embarrassed, but he had become easily accustomed to sensing her panic, even without meaning to. This was proven first when Shippou had tossed her up in the air and let her fall for a hot second to elicit a blood curdling scream from her the very first day he had met her mother.

It didn't even take him a second to react. He was on his knees in front of her, his hands cradling her shoulders, searching for harm. His eyes danced over her body, but no blood or bruise was present. His nose caught no scent of blood, but he did sense her fear despite the lack of threat.

"Kagome?" Sesshou's hands made their way up, tracing her delicately soft skin to frame her face in his dangerous fingertips. His worry made him forgo personal space.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. Hand still over her mouth, Kagome peered into his golden eyes. His silver hair stuck up in places from sleeping with it wet, and had dried skewed. How was he still beautiful? Her blush deepened.

Sesshou brought her hand away from her mouth and held it in his own, with his other still on her cheek, while he searched her eyes for reason. At this proximity, he could feel the heat of her blush on his own face. Knowing she was physically safe, he sighed, closing his eyes and resting his forehead to hers.

"You'll be the death of me," He breathed against her. She could feel his breath brush against her lips and shivered. With his hands on her, he felt it, and pulled away just enough to see her face fully. "What ails you now?" Sesshou wanted to be annoyed that she had disturbed his sleep over nothing but human emotion, but couldn't bring himself to be upset with her, not when he was encompassed by her tangy citrus scent and the heat of her flushed skin.

Kagome was frozen. She was still reeling from her own thoughts. He was gorgeous, sure. Sarcastic, intelligent, and thoughtful, too, but never had she thought of him as more than Inuyasha's brother and her friend. Now, with his concerning eyes, soft sighs, and gentle hands, she was finding herself more and more caught in the action of her own denials.

She liked him.

Good thing she didn't have time to think on it, though. The phone rang, an obnoxious tone that ripped both of them away from the other.

Sesshou almost snapped the phone in half when he lifted it from the cradle. Kagome retreated to the bathroom as he answered.

"Hello?"

"Sesshou, meet us in the lobby for dinner. I'd like to show Kagome our success." Kakushin didn't even wait for a response before hanging up.