Um... Hi again!! Jeez, I was gone for a long time!! Yeah, I got a few threats, a couple pleas, and a few that made me feel really bad and really guilty. But summer college was a little more hectic than expected!! Well, wish me luck! I'm gonna need it, or else I might very well FAIL government!! NO!!

I don't own them!

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Ch. 11 The Date with Kouga

That night, as I lay in my bed back in my own home, I couldn't help but reflect on how Kagome's younger brother, Souta, reminded me so much of Rin, with all of his questions and his energetic actions. Kagome had shown infinite patience in prying the boy from my tail and ears, as well as from my face, where he was staring at my markings and asking if they were tattoos, or if I had been born with them.

After explaining that they showed that I ruled the entire Western lands, he had become awed, and immediately asked why the wolf didn't have any, causing Kouga to sulk the rest of the evening after pointing out that while he didn't rule an entire set of lands, he DID rule the wolf-demon tribe of the north-west. I had nearly considered adopting the boy as an ally, since I don't have 'friends'.

Except Kagome, apparently. She had called Kouga and I her friends as she made her brother release us from his game of 20 questions. Then the fool wolf has asked her out on a date.

I began to have brief visions of dripping the long - unused poison from my claws onto his tail, then taking said tail and forcing it down his throat.

But she had accepted it. I would have been angry at her obvious lack of understanding that I was beginning to have intentions of courting her, until I noticed her glancing at me apologetically while Kouga was busy answering her family's questions. After catching her first few sad and nervous looks, I realized that she didn't truly want to go with him, but was too kind-hearted to say no to an old friend. And so, that night, I began to think about any date I could possibly take her on that would erase the one of the ookami youkai from her mind.

Finally, I fell asleep amidst my planning, and dreamt of the past, when she was simply the miko I respected, and the sister that Rin loved, wished to be her mother.

When I woke the next morning, I called the person I had chosen to oversee the running of the company, since I rarely went in to the corporation building myself. After relaying my schedule to him so that he wouldn't schedule a meeting of any sorts when I would be busy doing something else, I plucked the two phone numbers from where I had left them sitting on my desk. One was lovely flowing kanji and kana making up a name and telephone number, while the other was more jerky and sloppy, showing that it was written in a hurry by a (most likely) hyper person. Kagome and Shippou.

I focused on the kitsune's digits, and dialed him in order to set up our own meeting. I had decided that if anyone knew what Kagome liked and disliked, it would be him. His mate, Kohana, could be heard in the background, telling him that she was more than willing to help me if I wanted to know more about her adopted mother-in-law. I agreed with the vixen, and we decided that while Kouga and Kagome were out on their date, we would have dinner and discuss the miko's preferences.

The rest of the day went by quickly, with a few video conferences, as well as a quick meeting up at the building itself with the current supervisors. But even then, I had wondered if Kagome missed the old days like I did, when youkai were accepted and feared, and the air was cleaner, and the land wasn't as populated.

Did she, as I did, miss the age before guns were invented and youkai were forced into hiding or extinction? Did she miss the deep forests and the unbeaten paths through them, as well as the exhilarating rush that came after defeating one's enemy, whether it be a wayward youkai or human, or the cruel hanyou Naraku, who lived to lie and deceive all those he came in contact with?

Did she still, in some corner of her mind, still think of me as an enemy? This idea worries me the most. She has shown no fear or nervousness around me after our first meeting, but would she ever be able to care for me as I think I have begun to care for her?

One thing about being an inu-youkai is that it means I have the senses and also the instincts of a dog. And those same instincts have lately become stronger anytime I'm around the powerful young miko. They had almost become dormant from the lack of anything interesting or blood-boiling happening. But now the dog-demon blood in my veins calls for a mate, and a powerful one, to produce me pups great enough to be claimed as my bloodline.

In the most blunt of terms, the dog inside me wants a bitch. And the demon wants a mate. And I know that the best candidate around would have to be my brother's former companion, whose strength and abilities could make even ME nervous.

The moment I accepted this, the decision became closed in my mind. It didn't matter that Kagome was a human. It didn't matter that had an adopted kitsune son. It didn't matter that the wolf prince wanted her.

"Kagome WILL be MY mate."

~~*~~ (Still Sesshoumaru!)

The fox couple had offered me dinner at their home, all the younger kits being sent visit some of the older ones, who already had their own pups.

Kohana made tempura and miso soup, as well as dumplings and stir-fry vegetables. I complimented her cooking with a small smile, even though I was anxious to get to the discussion of my intended mate and her ideals.

Finally, we were able to bring up the main subject as Kohana again denied my claims of fine cooking skills.

"No, really, I'm not nearly as wonderful a cook as Kagome's mother. She cooks delightfully, even if she IS a human! Although, I have to wonder about Kagome's humanity every time it comes to Oden!" She laughed, and I looked to my future mate's pup, making a mental note that my Kagome liked Oden above all foods, apparently.

Shippou must have understood the look I was giving him, as well as the question I was wishing to ask, since he actually smirked at me in a way not unlike how Inuyasha once did.

"Yeah, Oden's her favorite food. No doubt. But other than having hot water and a bed, I really think she preferred being in the Sengoku Jidai. Although Inuyasha didn't like it every time she jumped through the well to take her tests. But she always came back a few days later, with Ramen for Inuyasha, and candy for me."

I was surprised, actually. I know I shouldn't have, but the full situation finally settled in my mind, and I realized that my intended had gone to the past, fought countless youkai (including Naraku and myself), traveled with my half-brother, acted as a mother and miko, and still stayed in school. I can't help but be impressed by the thought of what she had achieved. And I was learning amazing things about her when I was not around her. I can only imagine the things I'd learn if I were to ever get her alone without the kit, ookami, or human boy nearby.

"Kagome always loved the hot springs in our time though. She would beg Inuyasha to stop and let her bathe anytime we came near water." The kit blushed. "I remember because that was unusual back then, to be bathing so much." I had to agree. And now I also knew why she had never held the same sweaty, dirty, disgusting smell that most humans in that era had held.

"But that baka yarou of a hanyou, no offense, Sesshoumaru, broke her heart at least once a week, telling her how Kikyou was more beautiful, smarter, braver, a better fighter, and so on." Had my brother not already been dragged to hell by his undead lover, I would have sent him there myself at the fox's next words. "And Kikyou loved to torture Kagome too, from having Inuyasha confess his love to her in front of my mother, to trying to kill her."

I found myself stuck between cursing the hanyou for his stupidity and for hurting my future mate, and thanking him for giving me this opportunity to make her my own.

Shippou sighed, and looked at me curiously while his mate began to clean up after the meal.

"Sesshoumaru, don't kill me, but I was wondering..." I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he'd ask. "Um, why, exactly, are you so curious about Kagome? Is it because she's lived in the Sengoku Jidai too?"

"Iie," I answered honestly. I felt that, as her son, he deserved to know of my intentions towards the miko. "She interested me when she first drew Tetsusaiga in my father's tomb. I knew she wasn't a normal human. Then she changed the sword back to its dormant state. She helped Rin, and was patient, proud, and brave enough to travel with and stand up to my half- brother. She is intelligent, stubborn, powerful, and kind. I refuse to let such a person be taken as the mate of some weak, arrogant, idiotic wolf youkai version of Inuyasha."

The kitsune stared at me in shock, and had I turned to where I knew his mate was standing, I think I'd have seen her staring at me as well.

"You love her..." Did I? Was Kohana correct? I knew I cared for her in a way different than I had cared for Rin. I respected her, and was angered by the mere thought of that damn wolf or that stupid ningen touching her, being with her. Was that love?

Before I could voice my question, Shippou and his vixen looked at me with smiles on their faces.

"You're in love, Sesshoumaru. You just didn't know it till now." Both youkai looked at the clock, then myself again. I glanced at the clock as well, and was surprised to see that it was almost 9 o'clock.

"The movie started at 8:30, Sesshoumaru. If you hurry, you might be able to get there before it's too late." I snorted.

"I shall not lower myself to spying on her while she's on her date." Shippou stared at me incredulously, one eyebrow quirked.

"Even knowing that Kouga has kidnapped her before?" My eyes widened. That bastard wouldn't -

"See you tomorrow, Lord Sesshoumaru!!" As I ran off, completely ignoring my car in their driveway and trusting my demonic speed to get me there faster, I registered their words in my head and wondered why they said that they would see me the next day.

~~*~~ (Finally, huh?)

I sighed as I looked at my reflection. My mom had helped me pick out which dress I should wear on my "date" with Kouga. It was simple, a soft lavender knee-length dress with a white sweater in case it got cool later on.

But I think the main reason I was depressed was because I hadn't heard from Sesshoumaru all day. I still feel it's odd to think that now I can look at the stoic demon lord and not want to either hide or fight. But nevertheless, I feel almost lonely when he, Shippou and I aren't out doing something. I'm out of school, so I see my friends less often,, and spend more time at home with my family and my memories.

Smoothing out the fabric of my dress, I left my room to find my mother and get her approval. Unfortunately, for Souta at least, Kouga was intending to pick me up while my little brother and grandpa were at Souta's soccer practice.

I found my mother in her room, looking at a picture of Inuyasha and I. Of course, I had had to sit him before he would actually agree to it, and then he has refused to actually smile. But, looking over her shoulder, I can see sadness in that annoyed glare he was giving me.

Before I could stop it, I felt a tear I had realized I had cried, fall from my face. When it hit my mother's shoulder, she spun around and looked at me in surprise. The moment her gaze landed on my face, though, I found myself in her arms, crying over the man I had loved and lost. And whose brother I was starting to fall in love with.

The doorbell chimed almost 10 minutes later, jolting my mother and I out of our reminiscing and primping session we had fallen into. While my mother went to answer the door, I went back to my room to retrieve my purse and a pair of shoes to put on once I got to the front door.

Kouga's voice rang thought the house with its usual confidence. I don't think he ever learned how to speak softly, and not in a commanding tone. But then, how else would a pack leader be used to talking? I smiled at the thought, and how different people, like Shippou, Sesshoumaru, and even Inuyasha would react to that question...

*

"He could try talking like Inuyasha!" "Hey, what do you mean by that, you little runt?!" "Kagome!!!"

*

"Hn. If he has to raise his voice for his pack to hear him, he must not be a very well-respected leader. Foolish ookami youkai."

*

"No matter how he talks, he'll always be the same stupid yaseokami! Damn wimpy wolf. Even with three shards in him, he ran from a fight with me!"

*

When I came down the stairs, he turned and smirked at me, then bowed deeply, surprising me with the amount of respect he showed towards me with that gesture. I returned it with a smile and a bow as deep as his own.

"You look wonderful, Kagome. I like your dress, it's beautiful." As I linked my arm with the one he offered, I shook my head in denial of his compliments.

"It's not beautiful, its pretty old and worn out." I smiled at him, trying not to laugh at the three guy's voices I could still hear making comments in the back of my mind.

Mama forced us to take a picture, and I wondered if I'd have recognized him a year or two ago. His hair had been released from its high ponytail, but was pulled back into a lower one. He wore a black silk button-up shirt and a nice black dinner suit, as well as a sapphire blue silk tie that showed off his eyes. He looked more human in his "disguise", with his tail hidden and his ears rounded, his fangs being the only thing that still showed he was a youkai.

But he still reminded me of the possessive wolf prince who kidnapped me at our second meeting, then proclaimed I was his mate since I could sense the jewel shards, fight and heal, and I had a stood up to him when he had told the wolves they could eat Shippou.

After we said goodbye to my mom and put our shoes on, he led me out to the nice black limousine that I hadn't seen waiting down in the street for us. The driver was another wolf youkai, only I didn't know this one. Kouga called him "Hanasu" (talk), and I later learned that the demon earned his name, since he didn't stop talking until his prince told him to pay attention to the road and not the conversation.

I was kind of nervous then, since Kouga and I were practically alone in the back of a limo. Then a thought hit me. "Hey Kouga, why doesn't Sesshoumaru or Shippou ride in limousines?"

He snorted and smirked at me. "Probably because they don't like to draw attention to themselves. Sesshoumaru's always been the type to be filthy rich, and have immense respect, but there's no way in hell he could tolerate anyone driving him around. Besides, I don't think he trusts anyone with his life like that."

"And Shippou?"

"No limo driver could stand him and his constant chatter, and all his kits. Plus, he wasn't the kind to have a stuffy office job. Instead, he volunteers at orphanages and things like that, and sells off stuff he's saved over the years to keep himself wealthy. But then, all us demons do that. We save things all the time that we know will one day be worth much more, and wait until we need or want more money. Then, we simply say we inherited a rare artifact, and the museum owners come running, or die-hard collectors. Good way to keep things funded."

I was shocked. I knew Shippou volunteered, but I never knew about the whole selling of artifacts thing. I had never asked, so no one had ever told me. I wonder what all things they keep?

Before I had the chance to ask, Kouga announced that we had arrived at the restaurant. I had expected us to arrive at his, but instead we were at another expensive place, one that was almost on the other side of town from his own.

"I thought you wouldn't want to eat there with everyone trying to talk to you at once. Besides, it would be impossible to get anything done there with the pack trying to spend time with their little sister."

Dinner was pretty uneventful, I spent most of it explaining everything to Kouga. Well, explaining about the well, and how I traveled through time. I wasn't about to just blurt out that I was falling in love with his former rival's half-brother.

The whole story, though, left Kouga in some shock, though, and he asked questions throughout the entire meal, making me wonder if Hanasu had learned to be so inquisitive through watching his leader.

When we left for the movie he had insisted upon taking me to, I was surprised to see that it was already almost 8 o'clock, since he had picked me up around 6. We rode to the nearby theater, and arrived just in time to buy our tickets and sit down near the back rows. As we had driven, Kouga had removed his jacket and tie, and I pulled on my sweater, so that not only was I warmer, but we were also not as immaculately dressed. Now we both looked like a couple of nicely-dressed college students or something who were out on a date. Which was only a little wrong in certain places.

I was almost relaxed until the room went dark, announcing the beginning of the movie. Then Kouga put his arm around me, and I couldn't even think about relaxing because I didn't know if he was going to try and kiss me like some guys would do in a movie theater. I hoped not. I'd probably have ended up either shoving him off or blasting him with my miko power out of reflex. And I didn't like the idea of hurting my friend.

After 10 minutes into the movie, I began to feel like I was being watched. I didn't know who was doing it, but it didn't upset me as much as I thought it would have. Then Kouga pulled me closer against him, and I had to bite back the squeak that wanted to come from my throat at the hasty readjustment.

I wondered what could have happened to make him react like that, but I passed it off on merely the fact that he was being his possessive youkai self again. I knew I was right when he began to move his claws up and down my arm, being sure not to tear the sweater I had put on earlier. Of course, that feeling alone caused me to shiver, and I suppose he assumed it was either because I was cold or because I enjoyed it, because he lifted the armrest that was between us, and pulled me even closer, holding me tightly to his side.

20 minutes into the movie, and the feeling of being watched hadn't gone away. I finally used my miko senses to try and detect any youkai, and was surprised to find one not too far off that seemed almost familiar, although I couldn't put my finger on the aura to save my life. I only knew that it was a youkai, and that it wasn't malevolent. Perhaps Sesshoumaru? No, that was being just plain fanciful.

I tried to focus on the storyline of the movie, but only 10 minutes after I had registered my demon watcher, it was joined by yet another aura, this one much more powerful. I worked hard not to spin around and try to see who was staring at me. But I knew that if I did, then Kouga would, as well. And if it was nothing, then I would feel stupid, and Kouga would most likely end up threatening them. While if it WAS something to worry about, they hadn't done anything yet, and alarming the wolf next to me would result in a fight among innocent people. It looked like I would have to sit out the movie while trying to keep a tight rein on the anxiousness that pushed me to look behind me. The first demon had left, and the second demon's aura had receded greatly, as though to try and hide itself from other youkai. But I could still feel it. This aura, however, felt more familiar and comforting.

I finally relaxed, which made Kouga look at me and smile, thinking he had done something right, no doubt. I smiled back weakly, my thoughts still stuck on who could possibly be sitting so nearby so as to be hidden from the nose of an ookami youkai. After all, dogs and wolves had the most powerful sense of smell. For Kouga not to have caught the scent of another demon meant that the other person was far enough away to stay hidden.

Or it could have been the fact that Kouga was starting to lean over and smell my hair. Why my hair, I have no idea. But at least I knew that a possible reason for Kouga's lack of smelling the other demon was because he wasn't paying attention to smelling anything else other than me. And while this would have made another girl twitter and blush, it made me want to frown in annoyance at his lack of focus.

Whoa, did I sound like Sesshoumaru there or what?

My thoughts were cut off as I felt fingers touch my chin. The slightest pressure was used, and I found myself looking directly up into cobalt-blue eyes. Those same eyes looked almost dazed, and he leaned forward until our noses were almost touching, causing my eyes to widen in surprise.

"You smell so good, Kagome. I can't help but wonder..." He brushed his lips lightly against mine, causing me to stare in shock as he continued on in a husky voice. "I wonder if you taste as good as you smell..." I was about to pass out from the sheer jolt of shock and adrenalin rushing through my body.

Then Kouga kissed me.

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I'm gonna be really evil and leave it here!!! BWAHAHA!! *gets attacked by pissed readers* Okay!! Okay!! A little more!! Jeez!! Mean people!!

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I felt his mouth move against mine, nibbling and tasting, even as the demon aura behind me began to change. I knew this change. This was the change that occurred when Kouga arrived to find his friends slaughtered. This was how it felt when Inuyasha slipped into his youkai form, and when Sesshoumaru changed into his true form.

Wait. Sesshoumaru...

My eyes widened, and I gasped in revelation, accidentally providing Kouga with entrance into my mouth.

The demon behind me was Sesshoumaru.

He was watching Kouga kiss me.

And he was PISSED.

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Happy?? Hope so!! Sorry it took so long, but hey! I got a lot more stuff to write now!! YAY! I mean both in chapters for current stories and NEW STORIES!! But don't worry, those aren't going up for a while!

Feel free to review!! Don't worry, the next chapter shouldn't take so long!! Did I make up for it, at least?? O.O 9 pages... long for me...