Ouch... How long was I gone for?? *looks at the day of the last update and winces* Yikes. About 3 weeks?? Yikes. Well, you can thank Forgotten Bard for emailing me and telling me to get off my lazy butt and update. THANK YOU!! Lol... I think I needed that good kick in the rear.

Also!! I have been asked to promote a story! I won't tell you what it's about or anything, so you have to read it to know! Go here: home . earthlink . net / ~ evelyn916

You know the routine. Take out all the spaces to get to the site. Dumb ff.net, I wonder why they won't let us put sites on here. I mean, they advertise, right?

Okay, I'm shutting up. Enjoy!! And I don't own 'em!!

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Ch. 10 Confusing Thoughts

After our visit to the kit's home, I found myself with even more respect and admiration towards the priestess than before. She had been comfortable and happy in a room full of youkai, some in their true forms, whereas other mikos would have either been tense and nervous, or else purifying everything in sight. And I could feel her power straining against the feel of youki so nearby, but she was capable of controlling the strong purifying energy that could very well kill me.

I was awed.

With her miko powers begging for release, she had simply lifted one of the pups into her arms and held it, trying to smooth out the ruffled fur caused by the energy emanating from her. But what really amazed me was how she changed her power to be less harmful to the youkai in the room, making it feel like no more than a peaceful strength and warmth. At that moment, the rest of the younger kits leapt to her and hugged any body part they could reach with an enthusiasm that rivaled Rin's own from so long ago.

Shippou's mate was named Kohana, and although I'm not one to be asked about a kitsune's attractiveness, I found her to be the perfect mate for the miko's adopted son. She had darker red hair than her mate, and clear blue eyes, unlike Kagome's blue-gray ones. Everyone seemed to be polite to each other, and was even kind to me, when in the past I would have looked at them as being below me. I suppose 500 years of living among humans may have caused this change...

We stayed for lunch only, although we did watch the fox's promised video, of one of the younger ones riding on a roller coaster with his eyes covered. Quite amusing, really, although I think I may have shocked the miko when I laughed again. I had not laughed since... Well, the other day's meeting didn't count. That was the bitter, 'Why Must I Put Up With Them' laugh. This was... just a laugh.

But when we returned back to her home, no sooner had I turned onto her street I saw Kouga's car parked in front of her shrine. No doubt waiting for her to arrive so he could invite her to dinner. My eyes narrowed, and I glared at the other vehicle as though willing it to melt or explode just from my gaze. No such luck, though.

It's not that I didn't want her to talk to him. I knew she would have to sooner or later. After all, he was bound to have questions after he had just recently learned about the well. I didn't mind her talking to him and spending time with him.

I just didn't want her ALONE with him. Why this was so important to me, I don't know. Perhaps it's because I feel that someone as powerful as she is should not be forced to mate with a wolf who, most likely, never fully appreciated her power. Maybe it's because he reminds me of Inuyasha. All I know for certain is that the idea of him mating with Kagome made me wish that there weren't laws forbidding killing, so I could just tear him limb from limb with my claws.

The tiniest thought crept its way across the back of my mind, shocking me enough to almost drive right by the shrine. I don't know how it got in my brain, but for some reason I found myself not hating it as much as I would have 500 years ago. It was the craziest thought, though. I mean, I couldn't honestly be thinking that, could I?

I glanced over to her while I parked the car, watching as she unbuckled herself and looked up at me with a smile on her face. And I ended up agreeing with the thought. After all, she looked better than most humans, because her beauty was natural, not forged with loads of make-up and other such things I've seen women put on their faces. Her scent was completely her own, and was enough to drown in while dreaming of the thunderstorms she smelled like. The power residing in her body made her a great ally and a frightening enemy. She was loyal, intelligent, polite, and kind.

No wonder I was beginning to feel more than just respect for her.

I shook myself out of my daze before she could become too worried over my silence, and turned my head to nod at her. I watched as her eyes landed on the nearby car, and she gave me a curious look, as though wondering if I knew whom it was.

"Kouga is here." The affect was amazing. She smile faded slightly and her scent became tinged with nervousness. But she seemed to think of something and turned to me with a smile.

"I just remembered. I asked you to stay for dinner, but you, Shippou and I went out instead. You still owe me a dinner at my house. Although I have to warn you that my family will most likely still act the same." While normally the thoughts of her family's behavior annoyed me, I was quite enjoying the mental picture I was currently receiving, where Kouga was alone at the mercy of her relatives.

"So, will you stay for dinner?" She gave me a hopeful look, and I guessed that she knew that if Kouga was inside, then he was most likely intending to either take her out to dinner or stay for dinner at her family's home that night. She didn't want to face him alone, which made me feel better knowing that she wouldn't volunteer to spend any time alone with him. After all, if I was truly beginning to care for her, then I could not have some wolf taking her away.

So I agreed. She relaxed and all tension and nervousness had left her scent. I was surprised that she seemed so calm and happy with the idea of my staying. But I was not about to argue with it.

After getting out and locking the doors, we left the car parked before the shrine and made our way up the stairs to the top. At first we were climbing up the steps, but after a quick glance to make sure no one was around watching, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, surprising her, and bent to slide my other arm underneath her knees, lifting her into the air right as I leapt up and over the other stairs, landing directly a short distance before her front door. She was smiling, and her arms were wrapped around my neck to help hold on, although she was not choking me. With a deep breath, I knew I had done what I meant to do. I had made her smile, which I had already known, but the scent coming towards me told me that I had also angered the wolf youkai.

Good.

~~*~~

I had been shocked when Sesshoumaru picked me up in a way that could only be called "bridal style", and jumped into the air like Inuyasha and Kouga had done before. But that was usually only when we were in danger, and I never got to enjoy the feeling of being so high up in the air, almost flying, without needing a plane to keep me from falling. Now, in Sesshoumaru's arms, I was able to just focus on the way it felt.

And it felt amazing. I don't know if it was just from the sensation of moving through the air with nothing supporting me other than a pair of arms and the chest I was resting against, or if it was the fact that it was Sesshoumaru holding me. Although, that idea in itself sounds odd to me. I mean, he DID try to kill me a good couple of times. And he DID try to kill Inuyasha even more times than that. But still, I just felt... safe... in the air, watching as the steps became tiny with our height, and nothing but Sesshoumaru keeping me from falling.

I think that's when it hit me. I had already begun to fall. And I don't mean vertically. In fact, I hadn't even felt that familiar twinge of pain in my heart when I thought of Inuyasha. Well, I did, but it didn't hurt as much. I know it'll always hurt, I mean you can't just forget your first love, can you? HE couldn't...

We landed all too soon for me, since I was still trying to figure everything out. But when Sesshoumaru didn't put me down, I looked up at his face and was shocked at the way he was looking at me. It was like he was studying me, almost, without taking his eyes from my face.

As I watched, he stiffened slightly, and actually tightened his grip on me, like I was forbidden to be let down and walk on my own. He looked up, and I followed his line of sight to be greeted by the vision of a slightly annoyed Kouga. I know why Kouga was upset. He never mated, and still thinks of me, probably, as 'his woman'. And now, he was seeing me being carried by Sesshoumaru as if I was precious to him. Speaking of which, why wasn't he putting me down yet?

I could practically SEE the sparks flying back and forth between the two. It actually reminded me of the old days, when Inuyasha would threaten Kouga for being too close to me, and Kouga would threaten Inuyasha for interrupting him while he was talking to me. Although, I think it was more wooing than talking. Scary. Not because he was a demon, but because I can't imagine myself living the rest of my life with Kouga. Sure, my life's not that long, but what would we have to talk about? What would we do??

Never mind, don't answer that.

Man, I have GOT to get out of the habit of thinking like Miroku. I spent WAY too much time with him, apparently, because I kept a few of his thought patterns. I'm not saying I go around groping people or asking them to let me bear their child. Oh gods, no. I just tend to say or think things that I normally wouldn't have.

Like the fact that Sesshoumaru has a rather nice chest. And I should know, considering he's practically squishing me against it. His arms aren't too bad, either. I'm glad he grew the left one back. It looks better on him.

'GAH!! Kagome! Shut up and focus here! Prevent bloodshed between Guy-who- thinks-I'm-His-Mate and Ex-crush's-half-brother-who's-really-cu- DAMMIT, 'Gome!'

I shook my head sharply and looked over to Kouga, who I SWEAR was seething. I began to wonder if wolf demons had to get Rabies shots, but I decided against asking, and went for the safe way out. If I ignored Kouga for Sesshoumaru, Kouga would be upset, mad, hurt, and probably jealous. If I ignored Sesshoumaru for Kouga (which wasn't really a possibility, since I DID invite him to dinner), then Sesshoumaru might take it the wrong way and get mad at me, or be hurt, and leave.

So I invited Kouga to join Sesshoumaru and my family for dinner.

I swear, I get more and more stupid ideas every day. But, it wasn't in vain. When we finally got inside, we were greeted by an ofuda-weilding Grandpa. And since I had told him the night before that I trusted Sesshoumaru, and that he didn't need to worry about him, he went straight for the wolf prince. Of course, being STILL carried by Sesshoumaru meant that I could tell when he was trying not to laugh because the chest I was pressed against felt like it was shaking a bit, and I looked up to see him with a small smile on his face.

I think it's still gonna take a while before I see his smile as something other than what he would do right before he killed something.

He finally put me down when I began to try and climb out of his arms in order to stop my grandfather. By the time I was able to keep any more ofudas from being thrown, though, poor Kouga had a good few on his face and chest. And one on his right arm. And across his stomach. Oh, and that one on his left shoulder.

I felt kind of bad for not being able to stop my grandpa sooner, so I volunteered to help peel the sticky strips of paper off. I tried to be as gentle as I could, but I think that those things are the equivalent of duct tape, because I could still hear the slight ripping sound that came from peeling them away from his skin and clothes.

One washed face and millions of apologies, as well as one held hand from Kouga and a growl from Sesshoumaru, later, we all finally got to sit down at the table. Of course, in my house they both didn't mind letting their tails (and in Sesshoumaru's case, his markings) be visible. Or, it could be that Souta said he wanted to see them, since he thought that kind of stuff was cool. What can I say? The kid adored Inuyasha, and here are the only other two demons who were able to fight him and live. Of course he's going to want to ask millions of questions, and annoy them to the ends of the earth, and beg them to see their true forms, and ask to play video games with them, and start grabbing and petting their tails, and - Wait. WHAT!?!

"SOUTA!!" Hurriedly I pried the boy from Sesshoumaru's tail, where he had clamped onto after petting Kouga's and watching it twitch back in forth in what I could tell was annoyance. Too bad my little brother didn't get the message. Oh no, he felt like he need to see if their pointed ears were real, too. Now I'm thankful that I worked with Inuyasha and the gang fighting demons so much. I needed that patience to keep from just handing Souta over to the two youkai along with the tempura.

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Hey everyone!! Okay, okay, I know, I know. But HEY!! SCHOOL'S OUT!! Well, until June um... I think 2nd. So I have a few weeks (or so) to write!! YAY!! Feel free to review!! Ja!