Sesshou was careful about his guests after Kagome made an unexpected visit to his home. Daisuke had come earlier than the rest of his clan, but once Kagome had taken her leave, Sesshou made sure to show Daisuke to the Western Palace.

"Sesshou," Daisuke trailed behind the retired lord as they climbed the steps of the castle, "May I ask you something?"

"Hn."

"Is there any particular reason you asked for me specifically to represent the Kuma clan?" He had thought long enough over the idea. While the two had worked together many times over the course of three hundred years, Sesshou typically dealt more so with his eldest brother, as he was the last blood born son before his sire began taking in stray cubs.

"I am taking interest in many younger sons to train." Sesshou fibbed, knowing his half truth would suffice. Once someone took to Kagome, he would need to begin their physical training. No one would be allowed to mate her if they could not protect her.

"For what purpose?" Daisuke asked, not bothered by Sesshou's quickened pace. His nose could tell him everything, and he enjoyed making the elder demon mentally squirm.

"Kagome is of age to marry and mate," He admitted, knowing his intentions would become obvious sooner or later, "And it is my duty to preserve the Shikon priestess."

"Then why are you passing off your duty to another male?" The words left Daisuke's mouth before he could contemplate exactly what he implied, and fear shot through him with the image of the killing perfection standing over him, poison claws and all, but quickly squashed that fear. This was Sesshou, and he had calmed significantly in the past five hundred years, and especially in the past couple of months, he presumed.

And he was right, as Sesshou only paused in his steps for a moment before continuing on in silence.

He had sworn Daisuke to a vow of silence and the two began preparing for the arrival of his clan, and the many others to follow.

Over the course of the following week, more delegates began to arrive, and as Sesshou had requested, the youngest of each clan was to be in attendance as representation of their clans. He had spent more time in the Western Palace in the past few days than he had in the past few centuries and it itched under his skin to escape it's confines.

When his phone chirped with an alert, he picked up the cellular device to view the message.

Higurashi Kagome:

Class let out early. Coffee?

He was surprised to hear from her so early, but then again, the moment she was free, Kagome always notified him.

Kagome sat in Wacdonalds with her friends, chatting amicably. Her friends had taken to wearing boys sweaters around their shoulders to show how taken they were, in hopes of inspiring admirers to compete for their affection. Kagome could only laugh at their attempts and stuck by her oatmeal colored cardigan. Sure, it was chilly out now, but she felt no desire to sport men's clothing the way her friends were.

"Kagome, when are you going to fess up about your 'old friend'?" Ayumi pestered her friend, "Yuka told us all about him!"

"He's my boss," Kagome protested, "And yes, an old friend."

"And?" Eri leaned across the table, chin in her hands, elbows on the table top.

"What?" Kagome eyed each of them suspiciously, "That's all I got!"

"Yeah right, Kagome!" Yuka crossed her arms and grinned devilishly, "He asked you out for dinner!" When the other two girls gasped, her eyes sparkled with intent. "He came over to work on your roof and wasn't wearing a shirt and asked you to dinner!"

"Come on!" Eri and Ayumi both groaned.

"He's my boss and an old friend of the family." Kagome picked her chin up in indignation, "Now I don't want to hear another word about Sesshou from either of you!" She stood, grabbing her backpack to leave. Her phone chirped.

Sesshomaru:

I didn't know humans ingested so much Wacdonalds…

Her smile stretched wide across her face as she searched the sidewalk for him. As she made her exit, her friends hollered behind her a string of complaints and requests, but above all, she heard all three girls collectively, mockingly moan at the sight of him through the window.

Pushing through the revolving door, Kagome's smile only brightened at the sight of two coffees in his hands.

"Just what I needed." Kagome received her cup and sighed into it after a long sniff of the caramel latte. "I have a test coming up and I'm determined to study for at least a couple hours tonight."

"Then why did you need me?" Sesshou teased, guiding her towards the shrine with a hand on her back to get her moving.

"Coffee doesn't normally deliver," Kagome snickered, "But you certainly do."

"Hn." He nodded, acknowledging her joke.

"Hey you're not in your suit again," She frowned behind her cup, noticing his dark wash denim and white knit sweater, "You weren't at the office again."

"The annual gala is very time consuming," Sesshou offered his arm to her before crossing the street. She took it without thought, looping hers with his and stepping closer to accommodate the gap between them, "And I'd rather work out the earlier details before Mother comes to take over."

"Oh your mother is coming!" Kagome gasped, "Do I get to meet her, Sesshou?"

"Whether you want to or not, you will." His frown deepened, "She is determined to make your acquaintance."

"You make it sound like she's going to hunt me down." She could almost guess he was overreacting, but the more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. Kagome tried to imagine what she was like; the woman who birthed the Killing Perfection. She couldn't picture a loving and maternal figure playing patty cake with a mini murderer.

"You have nothing to fear, Kagome," Sesshou sipped his own black coffee with his free hand, "She is my mother, and has protected me always. She would do the same for you."

"Why?" Kagome's eyes bugged at his statement, puzzled by his truth.

"Because it is what I wish." He resisted smirking at her dumbfounded stare. "Would you not do the same for your own children?"

"You're right," She conceded with a smile, "A mother's love knows no bounds."

Later that evening, while Kagome was hunched over her textbooks and notes, she was so engrossed in her studies that she failed to hear her mother calling her from downstairs.

When she didn't respond the second time, her mother only sighed. She figured the poor girl had probably dozed off over her notes again. Turning to the man behind her, Mrs. Higurashi shrugged.

"May I retrieve her myself?" Sesshou asked, knowing that it wasn't entirely proper for a male to wander into a female's room without permission. However, he recalled many times in the past when he would breeze through his brother's camp and find the young teen sprawled over her sleeping bag, dressed in her button up pajamas. Or more recently, when she wore his own clothing to sleep in at his house. Regardless, this was her mother's home, and he would request permission to enter a bedroom.

"Please, Dear," Kagome's mother patted his shoulder as she turned back towards the kitchen, "Just have her downstairs in ten for dinner, okay?"

Sesshou nodded in understanding and climbed the stairs. When he came upon her door, he knew she was most definitely awake, but certainly focused. He knocked, but she didn't respond. Sesshou fought the urge to roll his eyes. This girl could get absolutely lost inside her own mind if no one stopped her.

Giving up, he entered her room and found her studying diligently. He wanted to comment on the fact that she should be alert at all times, especially to his own presence, but he bit back the urge. Leaning against the doorway and crossing his arms, he allowed his aura to pulse once.

"Hm?" Kagome's head shot right out of her notes, eyes wide. "Oh, Sesshoumaru!" He only raised an eyebrow at her use of his birth name, eliciting her embarrassment. Her cheeks colored, verifying his assumption. She shook her head violently, as if she was trying to jostle her brain back into place. "I mean," Kagome sighed, defeated by her own emotions, "Sesshou. What are you doing here?"

"I came by to ask you about your measurements." Sesshou knew she might take the phrasing differently, but he didn't indulge the influence with a quirked lip of a smile. She blanched. "For your dress."

"What dress?" Kagome asked, tilting her head.

"For the gala." He perched himself at the edge of her bed, leaning back on his hands. "You'll need a ball gown."

"Wait, ball gown?" Her eyes lit up. "Don't I get to choose the dress?" She was disheartened at the idea of not choosing her attire again. While the white cocktail dress from the alliance dinner and the black dress from the casino were both beautiful and she appreciated them both, she wished she could have worn something a little more simple.

"You may choose the style, but I have the color picked out already." He admitted, "You are seen as my pack to the rest of the world now, so you must match my family's colors."

"Let me guess," Kagome crosses her arms, smugly knowing the answer, "I have to wear red."

"Precisely." Sesshou offered a tight smile.

Kagome wanted to bark out a complaint, having always preferred softer warm colors or cool colors like blue, and not to mention, red always made her think of Inuyasha. Her heart still ached when she thought of him fondly, but more often than not, red coloring soured her memory of him. She blamed Kikyo for that. Somehow, she got the feeling Sesshou wasn't too happy today either.

Whatever the reason, they both needed perking up.

"Say, Sesshou," Kagome leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and peered into his honeyed eyes once his attention had been earned, "What do you say we go back to your house?"

"Pardon?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. Kagome knew she'd misspoke immediately and flushed at her mistake.

"I meant," She sat upright again, doing her best to remain composed, "I'd like for you to be comfortable. Why don't we go back to your house? I've done plenty of studying for the night. I'm sure Mama won't mind."

He sat upright and contemplated her offer. Perhaps he had been too stressed lately. He was about to accept her offer as he remembered that she often fell asleep through movies this late at night and that on a number of occasions had chosen his shoulder as her pillow, when her younger brother popped in.

"Sis!" Souta crashed through the doorway, bursting through with his natural childish energy. "Mom said to come get you!" Suddenly realizing he might be interrupting something, he made a silent O with his mouth and backpedaled out of the room.

Sesshou stood, giving a slight bow to the confused woman before him. He should not accept her offer. The intent of this gala was to marry her off in hopes of preserving her, as well as their friendship, for many years. He would hinder any male advances by rubbing his scent off on her.

"Thank you for the offer." His voice was rigid with control, "I have plans this evening, so I'll decline. Text me your measurements within the week or come by the company building after school for dress selections, Kagome."

"Um," Kagome stood, tucking her hair behind her ears, "Okay."

"Goodnight." Sesshou meant to turn away and head downstairs, but Kagome had other plans. She had her arms around his waist before he could contemplate what her intentions were.

"Goodnight, Sesshou," She released him quickly, never allowing him to decide whether or not to hug her back. "I'll come by YANA tomorrow after school, okay?"

He could only nod.