Huzah! After many minutes of looking for this stupid thing and thinking I'd accidentally deleted it or something, I finally found it saved under the wrong frikkin' file name on another computer. At least I had a disk with me to transfer it over. I would not have been very happy if I'd have had to type this thing again. I really wasn't looking forward to it. Yahoo!
Hope no one is going to be too dissappointed with this chapter. I'm warning you right now that if you are expecting a huge fight or something you will be starving for some action by the end of this. It's mainly just a soul-delving kind of thing.
Vocab.
zabuton-- relatively flat cushion used for sittin' on da floor on
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Okay--I just went to look at this thing on Fanfiction.net and this is the last time I'm using Simpletext! I'm going to try to put this in another program and fix it.Woohoo! Disaster has been averted! Enjoy the chapter, everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!

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Chapter 9
Sesshomaru's Bane: the Kagome/Hojo date

It had been a week since Sesshomaru'd come to live with the human. He had actually begun to feel her absences during the day. Of course, being bored out of your mind and basically bed-ridden will do that to you. His left front leg, although far from being completely mended, was at least not aggrevating him everytime he moved anymore. He could now hobble around at a nice speed without its usage. That didn't mean Kagome would let him, of course. He had to be kept inside, according to her, at least when no one was home and since she didn't trust her grandfather or Sota to watch him, that left her over protective mother who thought he should stay in until hell froze over.
Needless to say, Sesshomaru was in the habit of becoming incredibly bored until Kagome would get home from school and then he would have to stop himself from running to meet her or her brother (who he had also deduced could be a source of entertainment). He sat boredly on the floor of the kitchen, watching the mother do her daily cooking thing. Today she was making some small round, sweet-smelling bread things and he wondered what they tasted like. He didn't think they could be for dinner as no mother would feed her children something like that as a meal, but he as curious, none-the-less. The little circles went into the oven and she started to clean up after herself, humming all the while.
He watched the clock on the wall (he had learned to tell time in the past week) and silently cursed how slow the thing was moving. It was only 2 o'clock. Kagome never got ome until 4 or 4:30. He shuffled angrily. What kind of mother let her daughter go out alone every day fo the week? He didn't know whar kind of wierd customs this world had, but surely they weren't so fool hardy as to leave thier daughters without escort day after day.
He bristled in anger and nervousness. Today was cause for special concern.
Kagome was in heat.
It had surprised him. He hadn't noticed it, or cared to notice it before on other human females, but it was like an enticing perfume. He was glad then that his senses were more dull. If he'd have had his full demon senses to would have been an overpowering smell. It would have enveloped him and he was not sure if he could have resisted her for long.
The smell was not like the passionate and wild smell of a demon woman in heat. That had a hint of danger and excitement to it. It dared you to come to it. This was different. It was so gentle--it was as if it called to you ever so quietly. You would think you could resist and that you were in no danger of succumbing. Therein lay the real danger. Before you realized it, you were her slave and by then, she had you so wholely you could never break free.
Sesshomaru was aggrevated. He been tricked by that smell earlier in the day. He'd found him self longing to touch her in any way--just be close to her. He'd thought it harmless and innocent at first, but the longer he stayed near her, the stronger the urges got and the closer to her he longed to be. he had found himself nuzzling her hand and whining to be touched by her soft hands before he realized how deeply the smell had gotten to him. Luckily, Kagome noticed the clock and, with a pat to Sesshomaru's head, left him to bo to her "school".
There were other girls at this "school". He could smell them on her when she would come home. He could smell boys as well. That had never alarmed him very much. At least, not until today. Today, it became like a splinter in his skin. He thought he could ignore it, but it would just work its way in deeper and annoy him more and more.
He eyed her mother with contempt. The woman had let her go, unescorted, and in heat, to a place filled (in his imagination) with eager young men. He growled. He was through trying to deny to himself that he cared. In the wake of her smell he'd proved to himself that he felt something for the idiot girl, even if it was only a mindless attraction, and he let his pride take a backseat to his outright jealousy that those boys at her school could be around her in her state. The thought of her pristine soul being sullied by them made him shake in hatred and frustration. There was always the possibility that the boys couldn't sense it as he could, but Sesshomaru didn't care.
He looked angrily at the clock on the wall, hoping that it would give him some consolation.
2:05?!?!? he wanted to scream. The day was possitively dragging. Normally, he would take a nap, but today, he couldn't bring himself to. He rose from the floor and headed for the living room, carefully holding up his injured leg.
The girl's mother looked at him as he left the room.
"You miss her today, don't you, Maru-chan?" she asked with a smile. "That's so cute." She went back to her washing.
Sesshomaru didn't dignify her with a response. he simply passed into the next room and after that, the hallway, coming to his final destination, the genkan. It was there that he waited, staring at the door as his frustration mounted.
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Kagome clomped up the steps to the house looking ar her watch. 4:55. She was a little late today, but she didn't think anyone would mind. She slid the door to the genkan open and stepped in.
"Maru-chan..." she said, a little surprised. He'd never waited for her at the door before. I guess he noticed I was late... she thought.
The puppy stared at her with angry eyes that demanded to know where she'd been.
She smiled at him as she slid her shoes off.
"I'm sorry, Maru-chan. I didn't think that anybody would notice." She scratched his head.
He pretended not to care and tried to walk away. He'd already givien up enough of his dignity today. Kagome saw him walking off, smiled again and scooped him up into her arms.
This surprised Sesshomaru thoroughly. She'd never done it before.
Kagome held the puppy to her chest and cuddled him, smiling and giggling, and she gave him a kiss on the nose. "Thank you for waiting for me," she beamed. "You're such a mean little guy. I didn't think you cared." She laughed again, gave him a squeeze and then put him down. Kagome gave the dog a pat on the head and stepped into some slippers lying near the edge of the genkan. She shuffled past him into the house.
Sesshomaru stood there, bewildered. She sure is in a good mood... he thought blankly. He wondered if dogs could blush. He dertainly would be if it were possible. Her scent had been so strong as he'd been pressed up against her. It would have been perfect to fall asleep there in her arms, cradled against her soft chest and gentle limbs. He felt dizzy warmth creep over him as he imagined what her skin would feel like against his own and imagined how her fingers would feel dancing along the length of his arms or back or---
He stopped, set his face into a scowl and shook his head. No doubt his father had been so bewitched, once upon a time. He limped into the house and made his way to the kitchen where he heard an exchange taking place between the girl and her mother. There, Sesshomaru sat and listened in. Her smell reched him again and every nerve ending tingled sending shivers through him. They weren't unpleasent.
The noises of the room became like far-away murmurs as the dizzy warm feeling overtook him again. His chest ached and tightened. Kagome laughed. He watched her face in its expression of joy-- how her eyes squeezed shut tight, how her delicate lips parted as the sound, like the tinkling of bells, came out, and he found it impossible to breath.
Kagome became sheepish and blushed slightly as the conversation took a turn toward another topic. The words were gibberish to him right then.
Then, she mentioned "blah blah blah-kun." KUN? Wasn't that the suffix for a boy's name? The world came into focus again.
"A date?" the mother asked.
Kagome nodded. "Mm. Tonight at 7:30. That's why I was late coming home. He caught me outside and talked to me."
What's a date? Sesshomaru wondered with suspicion. It obviously had to do with a male and a female meeting somwhere. Alone. OH no. Not THIS female. Not today, he seethed.
"So, anyway, I won't be home for dinner. Hojo-kun is taking me to a cafe. I have to get ready." Kagome began to leave the room.
Sesshomaru was livid. She's letting her go ?!?!?
"Kagome--just a moment..."
Kagome stopped. "Hm?"
HA! he wanted to shout. Your mother is no idiot.
She whipped to face the girl holding a plate of the sweet bread circles. "Have a cookie. You can take some for Hojo-kun, too."
Sesshomaru's eyes bugged out. What is she DOING?!?!? he thought, trembing with anger.
"Thank you," Kagome replied, taking a cookie, thinking for a moment and then taking another. "I don't think Hojo-kun is too keen on sweets, though. Besides, I don't want him to think I'm too interested in him. So, I'll just have to eat all these myself," she said, musing. "If Sota doesn't beat me to it."
She smiled brightly and said, "I'm gonna' go get ready now." She began to skip off toward the hallway already chomping on a cookie.
"Alright, dear," Mrs. Higurahi said as she set the cookies back down.
Sesshomaru sat for a few minutes staring at the door Kagome had used as an exit. With a short growl, he finally followed her.
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It was several minutes before he could reach her room--at least, it felt like it to him-- and when he did finally reach it, he was greeted by her rushing back out again as she headed fo rhte bath. She had her towel draped over her right arm as she trapsed down the hallway with determination.
Sesshomaru stared again, set his face into a scowl (remotely difficult with a muzzle) and, determined to ignore her, walked stiffly into her room.
Kagome's room had not come into any drastic changes since "Maru-chan" had become a family member. It had, however, acuired a stack of books at the foot of the bed. These books were arranged in such a way that they might form a staircase for a a small dog. In this way, carefully climbing the makeshift staricase, Sesshomaru was able to take his place at the foot of the bed. Kagome had also seen fit to provide him with a zabuton and Sesshomaru made his bed on its cushiony surface.
He felt dull pain behind his eyes as he lay there staring at the walls. He wanted to slight her, insult her, by falling asleep and letting her know that she meant nothing to him. But, there always seemed to be a nagging thought in his head-- What if she doesn't NOtice that I'm ignoring her?... There is nothing worse than purposely ignoring someone in hopes that they'll realise that they've somehow angered you only to be ignored by them. Sesshomaru snorted and began anew his staring at the wall.
Kagome reentered the room after half and hour. Sesshomaru had dozed off, finally, his anger and disquiet having curbed themselves. The smell of Kagome's room had somehow managed to calm him in her absense. But, with the screeching of drawers being pulled out of thier places and the rustling of clothing filling the room, Sesshomaru's eyes began to open.
The scene before him made him almost rear back in surprise. There was the girl standing before her dresser. She was trying to change clothes quietly, hoping not to wake the puppy, but his hearing was more sensitive than she ever could have imagined.
He sat transfixed, unable to move, his spine feeling like a rod of cold iron. He swallowed hard. How many women had he seen do this before? They were countless. Demons had almost no feminine modesty and half of them went with no clothes at all. It wasn't as if he had never had a woman, either. So why did he suddenly feel so... nervous?
He swallowed again and felt as if he shouldn't be watching, but couldn't seem to turn his head toward another direction. Finally, it seemed that she was finished. She wore a Cute little dress with short sleeves. It was yellow colored and had a flower print all over it. Kagome began to turn toward the bed and, Sesshomaru, freed from her spell, closed his eyes tightly, not wanting her to know he'd been watching.
kagome sat down at her vanity to further prepare herself and Sesshomaru opened his eyes just enough to glance at her through his lashes.
The ritual that followed took quite some time and Sesshomaru wanted desperately to ignore her, but simply couldn't find it within his power to do so. The girl smelled so strange to him then. He could still smell the inticing smell of her hear, but there was also a newly accquired scent--something fresh and clean. It was like peaches but it had something more to it and -- now what was she doing? Covering up the nice smells with something out of a strange bottle? Kagome dabbed on some perfume. Sesshomaru's nose wrinkled. Humans could never understand smells as he could. Why did she put that awful thing on?!? It burned his eyes and made his nose tingle. He let out a sneeze.
Kagome whipped around to see the dog rubbing at his nose with his good paw. She smiled gently (it was rather a cute pose for Maru-chan to be caught in) and went to the bed. Bending to his eye level she cooed, "Whatsa' matter, Maru-chan?"Sesshomaru sneezed again. Kagome looked a bit sheepish. "Did I go a bit overboard wih the perfume, Maruchan?"
In response, he tried to bury his nose int he cushion but ended up covering it with his paw.
kagome blushed, feeling silly. "I guess I could go wash some of it off..." she said quietly and with that she patted him gently, rose, and left for the bathroom again.
When she returned, she came straight to the bed and said, "Is that better?" Her face was nose to nose with his. The strong smell from before was almost gone now it seemed to be mingling with the other smells on her creating a rather pleasant effect. Sesshomaru felt warmth creep over him and a strange giddieness filling his chest. His tongue flicked out catching the tip of her nose.
kagome smiled sweetly.
Sesshomaru froze in place. He was mortified. What did I just do?!?!? his mind screamed. The taste of salt and peaches lingered in his mouth.
kagome used one hand to wipe of her nose and the other to ruffle the fur on Sesshomaru's heas as she rose. She let out a little laugh. "I knew you'd start acting like a real puppy on of these days."
This last remark made matters worse and benieth his white fur Sesshomaru's skin became re and hot with anger, frustration and embarrassment.
Kagome took the second cookie from off the dresser and bit into it. Sesshomaru watched, wondering silently if he was truly turning into a dog and if the feelings he was getting toward her were simply the feelings that normal dog would have toward its master.
Then, there was a strange piece of sweet bread dangling in front of his nose. Sesshomaru looked up.
Kagome smiled. the piece of cookie was right in front of Maru-chan. "Go on. You want it? It's called a sugar cookie." The words seemed to fall from her lips. He wondered if they tasted the same as the rest of her and silently wishes he had aimed a little lower. This caught him off gaurd. What was he thinking?!? He grabbed the cookie from her hand in a desperate attempt to get her taste out of his mouth adn take his mind off of his previous thoughts.
Had he not been so irrate, he might have enjoyed it more, but the cookie she'd fed him had been quite good and he licked his chops, gleaning crumbs out of the furn on his muzzle.
Kagome scratched his head. "Glad you liked it."
Almost on instinct, he nuzzled her hand.
"You're such a sweetheart," she said, smiling. "I alsmot hate to leave you here."
Sesshomaru stiffened. That's right--she's still leaving ... he thought. Jealousy and anger seeped into his attitude as he thought of her being with the boy, Hojo.
"You be good while I'm gone, okay?" she said sweetly and with a last pat on the head, she left the room.
Sesshomaru watched her leave. There she goes--all alone to go visit a man-- and in such a state-- and in such attire! That dress is barely covering her! He growled contemptuosly and decided that his best course of action would be to follow her to make sure that nothing happened.
Sesshomaru carefully descended the pile of books and made his way across the floor. He heard her yell from the genkan-- "I'll be back! See you later!" and her mother's reply-- "Have fun, dear."
Sesshomaru made it to the hallway by the kitchen. There was no need to hurry--he could track Kagome's scent from anywhere--but he had to get out before Mrs. Higurashi discovered him. If she found him trying to get out of the house he'd be in big trouble. He'd tried it earlier in the week and been locked in the laundry room until Kagome'd gotten home.
sesshomaru held his injured leg close to his body and tried to move quietly past hte kitchen door. Mrs. higurashi was humming to herself and didn't notice as the tiny white furrball loped by. He hopped delicately down the single step in th egenkan and landed amid many pairs of shoes and sandals. His nose wrinkled and he quickly slipped out the open door and out into the sunlight. He loped quickly away from the door and toward the entrance to the Higurashi shrine. He noted dismally that there were many steps but he could smell Kagome's trail. With a snort, he began to go down the steps, one by one, making sure not to bump his left front leg.
Sesshomaru made his way down to the sidewalk, found Kagome's scent and began to follow it when, quite suddenly, he saw a fast moving object coming around the corner ahead of him. His eues flashed forward and he looked at the strange creature as it moved smoothly along its black road. It gleamed int he sunlight and its eyes stared at him. Sesshomaru froze. Was it some sort of reptile? A descendant of a dragon? What did it want?
It moved past him on strange black legs. Sesshomaru's jaw dropped. There had been a human inside of it. Hed it eaten it? He watched it proceed down the street, and noticed that as it stoppped, red spots appeared on its rear end. The thing disappeared around a corner and Sesshomaru, shaking his head in disbelief, continued down the street in the direction the monster had come from. He reached the corner only to be shocked into rigidity by the number of the monsters that her saw on the road. He blinked.
The creatures moved in lines like ants. Sometimes they yelled at one another, screaming in their high-pitched voices. He watched them for a while. Some of their eyes glowed like lamps. A giant white one rumbled to a stop at the corner. It was covered in writing and Sesshomaru could see that it was filled with humans. Some were standing, some were sitting. many were reading parchments. The giant creature turned the corner, roaring as it went, and slowly rolled up to the side of the street directly in front of Sesshomaru. He swallowed hard.
3 people, almost automatically, stood up and exited the giant creature through a folding door that simply appeared. The people exiting didn't look harmed or phased at all. Sesshomaru looked on in wide-eyed confusion as 2 of them came toward him. One shot him a smile and kept walking. The door on the creature closed and the thing rumbled to life again as it pulled in to the street and went on its way. More of the metal things zipped past and he stood transfixed. They all had at least one human inside who seemed to be manipulating htem. Good Lord! he thought. They're so large--why don't they just destroy those humans? He sneered a little in dissapproval.
There was a whirring sound approaching and a bell tinged. Sesshomaru looked around to find its source when a 2 wheeled metal animal under a human swerved around him.
Sesshomaru became slightly nervous after that and, shaking a little bit, edged his way toward the wall that marked the edge of the sidewalk.
He hadn't counted on Kagome's world being so bizarre. sure, there were a few wierd things in her house, like the light boxes, her rattling clock, and that magic echo-box her mother was always listening to, but the strangeness outside her house was far mor disconcerting.
He swallowed. Perhaps I should return to the shrine... he thought prudently. A sound startled him. It was a young man and a young woman riding double on a metal two-wheeled thing. The man was forcing it along by pumping his legs on the thin little beast's arms, which spun around in circles. The girl was sitting on a protrusion on the creature's back.
The man laughed at what the girl was saying and they stopped at the corner, obviously waiting for something. They stared intot he sea of traffic.
"Mou...." whined the girl. "We're going to be late, huh?"
The boy looked at his wrist. Sesshomaru cocked his head and crept away from the wall hoping to gleen something from their conversation.
The boy shook his head. "Mm mm. We will be right on time, I'm sure. The move won't start until 7:45. It's only 7:00." Sesshomaru arched a brow. Movie?
the girl huffed. "But this is a date, Kakeru. I want dinner before the movie. If we get there on time, we won't get to eat."
The boy stared in to traffic for a while. The girl whined again and threw her arms around the boy's shoulders.
Sesshomaru balked. This is a DATE?!? Should she be touching him?!? Sesshomaru went rigid as he thought about Kagome acting in the same fashion.
"Come on, Kakeru... Can't we go to the later show?" Across the street a light caught Sesshomaru's attention as it turned from a red hand to a green person. The boy began to move as the metal creatures stopped.
"Asami..." he whined. "I already bought the tickets..."
They moved out of range and Sesshomaru was left with a renewed determination to ruin Kagome and Hojo's date. He had also learned how to use the crosswalk.
Sesshomaru sniffed along hte ground trying to find Kagome's scent again and, accomplishing that, began to follow it.
Several streets, a few crosswalks, one train station (the train, of course, was, to Sesshomaru, a large metal snake) and one angry driver later, twilight finally came and the lights around the city began to disappear and they were replaced by electric lights. Since he'd seen the metal snake he'd almost been hit by two cars and countless bicycles. He was looking a bit frazzled, feeling a bit jumpy. He had learned that there were time to fear the cars and the bikes and those times had almost killed him.
Sesshomaru sniffed the ground again. he would give up soon if he didn't find her. Kagome's world was a bit too much to handle in one day.
The trail turned. He could see a shop across the street that was well lit. There were tall round tables next tot hte windows. A giant green sign in some foreign words was hanging over the door. Kagome's trail crossed the street to the building.
She had to cross another street, he wanted to groan and he approached the corner white lines marked the crosswalk area.
There was a yellow box on the lightpost. Sesshomaru stretched to his full hieght and pushed the button on the yellow box as he had seen a woman do earlier. The sign across the street changed and Sesshomaru looked both ways and began his steady lope across the street as a strange music played. He reached the opposite curb just in time for the light to change again.
The building had a wooden deck around it. Kagome's trail led to the door, but he had no way to open it and he was afraid to be noticed by the humans inside. So, instead, he skirted the building and, looking throught he window, tried to locate the girl.
He saw her, finally, with a young man. A boy, really. He looked innocent enough, but Sesshomaru still seethed and shook with jealousy.
That must be HOJO... his mind growled. A rumbling began in his chest going unnoticed and he pressed his angry face to the glass, watching their exchange.
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Starbucks?!? thought Kagome as she sipped her tea. Leave it to Hojo to pick some wierd American shop, she lamented. Ah well. It could have been worse... At least it's not Wackland or Mc Donald's or something...
"Did you want to order some cake or something?" asked Hojo hopefully.
Kagome shook her head, popping out of her dream world. "Oh no, thank you. I'm okay. Ha, ha...." She sipped her tea again. What am I saying? I skipped dinner... I'm starving!!!
Hojo smiled. "I'm glad you've been feeling better lately. You aven't missed much school at all in the past few weeks."
"Oh..." Kagome fiddled with her straw. "Thank you..." she added as an after-thought. It's true... Inu-Yasha...
"Your rhuemetism must be all cleared up," Hojo beamed happily.
"Uh... yeah..." she said. Grandpa... grrr....
Kagome shifted a little.
"So... What have you been up to lately? Anything interesting?" asked Hojo. He took a drink of coffee.
Kagome brightened a little. "I got a puppy..."
"That's nice. What's his name?"
"Sesshomaru--but we call him Maru-chan," Kagome took another drink, a bit sheepishly.
"Sesshomaru? Wierd name, but it probably fits, huh?"
Kagome laughed and blushed a little. "Ha--yeah, it does-- It really does--which is wierd because the real Sesshomaru is a big jerk." Kagome laughed again and glanced toward the window.
"....."
"MARU-CHAN?!?!?" Kagome rose from her stool as she saw the angry puppy staring at her from the window.
"Huh?" Hojo leaned toward the window. "H-Higurashi?" he said as she rushed past him.
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The stomp of feet came to a halt behind him and he turned slowly, indignantly, to face the girl. Her hands were placed on her hips and her face was a twisted into an angry looking mask. Sesshomaru stared at her angrily and she stared back with just as much anger. Hojo finally joined her.
"What are you doing here?!?" she demanded of the dog.
He looked at her with defiance and limped over to place himself between Kagome and Hojo.
Hojo looked down. "Hm? Isn't that cute!" Sesshomaru bristled and let out a growl.
"Whoa..."
"Maru-chan," she rebuked. Kagome picked up th edog a little harshly and raised him to eye level. "You don't growl at Hojo-kun. BAD DOG."
Sesshomaru grew more angry at that and began to give her the look of death. He squirmed in her hands and tried to get free. He had been embarrassed mor than he had ever thought he would. He'd been chided by Kagome and called a bad dog. A BAD DOG. He really was her pet. That would not do. Sesshomaru writhed in her hands.
"Stop that..." she argued."You'll hurt yourself. What if I drop you?"
Sesshomaru didn't stop and Kagome looked at him angrily and set him on the ground. Sesshomaru shook his fur and stared at her.
"He's spunky, huh?"
"Stubborn, more like it," said Kagome, disparaging. "I can't believe he followed me. Crazy Mutt. With a broken leg, even..."
Hojo smiled. "He was just worried, I'm sure." Sesshomaru bristled again. "Ha....um..... Maybe we should do this another time..."
Kagome nodded dejectedly. "I guess you're right. I probably ought to take this idiot home."
Sesshomaru glared at her.
"I'll see you Monday, then, Higurashi," said Hojo.
"Okay. Thank you. I had a nice time," she replied.
"Me, too," said Hojo. "Take care of yourself--and be carefull on the way home."
"I will; thanks," and with that, she looked at Sesshomaru the puppy and said, "Come on, brat--we're going home."
Sesshomaru was a bit happy and angry at the same time. He had accomplished what he'd set out to do, but he had also verified that kagome'd been having a nice time. He'd also pissed her off.
They walked a little ways, Sesshomaru being irrate and Kagome being quiet and inscrutable, although Sesshomaru could smell her anger like a perfume hangin off of her. There was that other smell, too, but it only succeeded in making him jealous, not endearing her to him in the least.
They reached the first street and Kagome looked down at the puppy for some sort of sign. Sesshomaru stared at the street in front of the.
The light changed and kagome watched as Sesshomaru looked both ways, noted that all the cars were stopped, and crossed the street. Kagome was aghast and ran to catch up with him after watching him limp his way across.
"So that's how you did it, huh, nut?" Sesshomar glanced at her in his peripherals. They arrived at the other side. "You're pretty clever for a puppy. I'm surprised you didn't get squished, though. You shouldn't do things like that," she chided and bending down she swept him into her arms and against her chest.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened and he began to struggle in surprize. The girl kissed his nose.
"Sorry I worried you." She didn't put him down.
Sesshomaru felt hi temperature hieghtening. His face grew hot.
Kagome hugged him gently and said, "Let's go home," with a sigh. She proceeded to walk and Sesshomaru, escaping her grip for a moment, craned himself up a bit and licked her chin.
Kagome laughed and said, "Now, quit that." She wiped her chin on her shoulder, righted her head and hugged the dog closer.
Sesshomaru sighed, letting himself be cushioned by her soft chest, inhaling her smell. It's not so bad... this life... he thought as he was rocked by her walking. Perhaps he could be content to stay there--amid the humans at the shrine--forever beside his girl. He pushed any thought of her growing up, getting married and leaving home away from his mind. For the moment, he existed to simply be a comfort to her--an extension of her. And fot he moment, he would allow it. He knew that he could never go back--not back to being the Sesshomaru that he was--not if it would mean hurting this girl--and for a moment--just for a moment--that was just fine with him.

Ch.9 end

Chapter 10: Bathroom on the Right: Inu-Yahsa's secret
(above title is ref. to wrong lyrics to CCR song)