Author's Note: Hello! Yaaay, 76 reviews! *waves around little flags* Love, love, love…I love you all! *big group hug and group kiss to everyone* Heck, I even got an e-mail. Ashley, thank you so, so, so, SO much for that. It made me feel really good. And thanks to you, I've decided to start writing today! I wasn't going to, but your e-mail inspired me. So, again, thank you! And…here we go!

~

Sesshoumaru was tired and frustrated. He had just spent over seven hours 'discussing' land plans with some insufferable youkai whom didn't know a thing about the negotiation strategies used in modern time. The only upside seemed to be that the confused lord, the son of the man Inutaishou had made the contract with a decade or so ago, had just given up. He was a fool when it came to these sorts of issues, so to save himself the embarrassment of messing things up and making an enemy out of the fearsome dog-youkai that had just approached him, he gave into all of their demands.

Inutaishou had been surprised. He was prepared for a week of intense conversations and negotiations that would end up with a land contract giving them only a small portion of what they wanted. The outcome was pleasant, of course, but it left Inutaishou and Sesshoumaru both feeling empty inside. What a waste of time…

The youkai prince was insulted by the display that had just transpired, but at the same time pleased that it took no longer than two days. He was unnaturally anxious to get back home. The room that he was staying in now just didn't feel right to him. It wasn't amazingly small, but it was nowhere near the size of his normal chambers, and he always felt a tad bit annoyed when surrounded by unfamiliar corridors and rooms.

What was bothering him even more was the fact that sometimes he'd forget where he was and turn from the desk that had been provided for him, opening his mouth to insult his melodramatic human maid. Every time, after he realized that he wasn't in his home and she wasn't there in his room, he got this horrible empty feeling in his chest and the room seemed to darken considerably. After nearly an hour of mental debate over the subject, he decided that it wasn't the maid that he missed. He just missed insulting and demanding her around, that's all. It didn't matter who it was, just as long as he had someone to intimidate. Unfortunately, this theory also crumbled before him when he realized there were plenty of whimpering servants scurrying around the halls, all of who he could just look at and send them to their knees. For some reason, it just didn't feel the same as when he was with his own maid, who always tried so hard to spite him with her considerable work.

He moved his eyes over to the cloth bag sitting on his bag. No matter what he did, that dark feeling kept on growing in his chest, and it aggravated him more than anything else. Normally he liked…no, loved being alone, away from the fools he was constantly surrounded by. But now, sitting alone in this unfamiliar room, without the maid he had only had for a week, it felt vacant. He wanted to be calling her stupid; he wanted to watch her bumble around with that determined look on her face. He wasn't used to wanting things, and he absolutely hated it.

Standing, Sesshoumaru made his way over to the bed, sitting down on it and despising the way it felt so different from his own. He had to somehow get control of his thoughts before he went insane. Sesshoumaru sighed, bringing his hand to his forehead

…Stupid girl.

~

After the Gospela incident, Inuyasha was touchier than usual. He remained silent for most of the walk back, except for little episodes of anger in which he yelled violently at anyone who brought up what had just happened. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou were left in the dark about why Inuyasha had become so angry, and Kagome had decided against telling anyone about it, even if Inuyasha wasn't around.

I don't think he'd appreciate it if I went around spreading his love issues…She sighed heavily, looking forward at him. Inuyasha…are you ever going to cheer up now?

Inuyasha had rejected going down to dinner once they got home, as it was swiftly getting dark, and Kagome decided against leaving him. It was quite obvious that he didn't want any company, but she was convinced that he needed it.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha turned to Kagome, glaring and huffy. "Just go eat or something! I want to be alone!"

Kagome looked at him silently for a moment before sitting down on the ground. "…I won't make any noise."

Inuyasha scoffed, turning his head away and stomping over towards the window, perching himself in it much like Kagome often did. "Keh!"

The maid sighed heavily, placing her hands in her lap as she watched Inuyasha sulk. It made her depressed, seeing him like this. Whether he was angry or not, he was always energetic. Now he wasn't much like himself at all. Sesshoumaru…she glanced to the door tiredly. What are you doing now? She snorted a little to herself, closing her eyes. Probably ordering around some other maid, I'd guess. He's probably already found a replacement for me…Kagome hung her head a little, sighing. She wanted to tell herself that she didn't care, but it was no use. In all honesty, she did care if he had found a replacement for her. If not anything else, Kagome was proud of the fact that Sesshoumaru acted a lot more open with her than with anyone else. She didn't want some other person getting that sort of attention, no matter how selfish it sounded.

Inuyasha was restless, constantly looking back at the girl in his room. He didn't like having her there, especially when he needed space to think. "Just LEAVE!" He stood, glaring down at the maid sitting on his floor.

"I'm not saying anything, so what's wrong with me staying here?!" She stood as well, returning the look.

"You are MY servant, and I'm telling you to leave, so you'd better leave, wench!" He pointed towards the door.

Kagome clenched her fists. "I'm also your FRIEND if you haven't noticed, and I want to make sure you're not alone when you're obviously so upset! I'm just trying to be a good person!"

"A good person?!" Inuyasha scoffed loudly, crossing his arms. "If you knew what would make me happiest, you would leave! What the hell do you know about what I'm feeling right now?!"

"What is THAT supposed to mean?!" Kagome narrowed her eyes even further, hoping he wasn't serious about that comment.

"You heard me! What do you know about losing the most important person to you?! What do you know about ANYTHING?!"

Kagome stared at him in shock, jaw opened just slightly. "H-how can you…"

Inuyasha paused, loosening the grip on his hands. "I…"

"INUYASHA, YOU BASTARD!" Kagome screamed at him as loudly as she could, eyes beginning to line with tears. "Wh-what do you mean 'what do I know about anything'?! When's the last time YOU'VE been stolen away from your home and sold into slavery?!"

She took a step towards him, causing to stumble back in fear. "Stop being such a child! Inuyasha, why can't you just let things in the past go?!" She stuttered a little, all the blood rushing to her face and her anger blinding her. "I HATE YOU!"

She turned away from him, stomping out of the room in a huff.

The hanyou watched her rush away, somewhat shocked at being rejected a second time in one day. He hopped back onto the window ledge, much more bothered now than ever before. "Why should I have to deal with her…" He grumbled, leaning against the wall and looking down. "She's my maid, she should do whatever I want…"

I'm also your FRIEND if you haven't noticed, and I want to make sure you're not alone when you're obviously so upset! His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, glancing out the window.

…Raven. You and Kikyou are…so alike. He sighed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. What am I thinking? They're not at all similar. She'll come back in a few minutes, smiling that stupid smile of hers. I know it.

~

Kagome violently pulled her hood down over her face, hiding her teary eyes as she rushed down the hall. Inuyasha…Why did you have to go and say something like that?! I was just trying to help you! She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as she walked around aimlessly, her speed decreasing as the anger she felt was replaced by misery.

Where am I supposed to go now…? She looked around at her surroundings, suddenly feeling very lost. She couldn't very well go back to Inuyasha's, and she didn't even feel like looking to Sango for advice, like she knew she could. I guess…Sadly, Kagome turned her head in the other direction. There's only one other place…

~

Inutaishou and Sesshoumaru arrived back home early the next day, the land contract in hand. It was nearly 8 AM when they entered the building, Inutaishou immediately breaking off from his son to return to his office. Sesshoumaru stood in the great hall for a few seconds, bag gripped tightly in his hand. Somehow, with his tenacious and indestructible powers of repulsion, and with a strange ability to always be there when he's least wanted, Jaken came rushing out of one of the doors. "Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama--!!"

The youkai prince glanced down at the toad, tossing the bag at his head and causing him to topple over. "Drop this off at the laundry room. Now."

"R-right away, Sesshoumaru-sama! This humble servant is glad to see you back so early! Did everything go as Sesshoumaru-sama had hoped?"

Sesshoumaru stared down at him menacingly. "Jaken."

Jaken made a little croaking noise, bowing down to his master. "Right away, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama!"

As soon as Jaken disappeared down the winding stairs, Sesshoumaru started towards Inuyasha's room. It was quite literally on the opposite side of the castle as his, due to some issues the brothers had had a long time ago. Over the day and night he had been away from his home, thoughts of his brother and his maid had crossed over his mind so often and so persistently that he was on the verge of actually being worried. That wouldn't be a problem if Sesshoumaru didn't make it a point to never worry over such trivial things; especially if they concerned his brother.

Without knocking, Sesshoumaru opened the door to his younger brother's room, stepping inside. "Inuyasha."

The hanyou stirred in his bed a little, turning to press his face down into the pillow, muttering something incomprehensible. Sesshoumaru looked around, seeing no sides of his servant. "Inuyasha." He repeated.

Inuyasha turned over once more, yawning and just barely finding the energy to sit up. "Nng…" He looked groggily over to Sesshoumaru, the drowsiness he felt delaying his reaction. "Wha-…" Finally it registered. "Sesshoumaru?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

The youkai tried to pay his brother's stupidity no mind, giving him one of his monotonous looks as always. "Inuyasha, where's my maid?"

Now a bit more attentive, Inuyasha looked around his room, surprised. "Raven? You mean…she didn't come back?"

Raven…? Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the hanyou. "What do you mean, 'didn't come back'?"

"Well…" Inuyasha looked to the side bashfully, trying to avoid the degrading look his older brother was giving him. "We…we got in an argument and…I thought she'd come back over the night!"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, more pissed off at his little brother than he had been in a long time. "Inuyasha, your idiocy still amazes me. You can't even help but appall humans now."
Inuyasha rubbed his head, glaring childishly at Sesshoumaru. "Why are you back so early, anyway?"

"That's none of your business."

"Keh…" Inuyasha snorted. "I'll just ask dad later. Don't get in a tizzy, I'll find her…" He moved to get out of bed, but Sesshoumaru stopped him.

"No." It was an order. "I don't want you going near my property any longer. That's not a request."

With that he turned and waltzed out of the room, leaving Inuyasha confused and moody. The hanyou growled, flexing his claws and moving to get dressed. "Fuck Sesshoumaru…I'll find her myself!"

~

Sesshoumaru had checked the maids' chambers, the kitchen, the laundry room, and the dining room, but his maid was nowhere to be found. Where could she be? He growled, becoming more and more anxious by the minute. The more he thought of the possibilities, the worse those possibilities became. What if she left the castle? He growled low in his throat, clenching his fists tightly. The stupid girl probably did it just to spite my stupid brother…

Something made him rethink that. She was a bit melodramatic, and often did ridiculous things, but he doubted if she would ever honestly leave the castle. Especially not after being attacked by that snake youkai outside his room. An idea flashed by Sesshoumaru's mind, picking up the pace as he strode down the halls. My room…He grinned a little. That girl makes it far too easy for me.

~

Kagome was in the deepest, most peaceful sleep she had had in a long time, even when she was back in her own home. Everything surrounding her was warm, everything surrounding her was soft, and she didn't even have to deal with bothersome dreams that might interrupt the rest she so desperately needed. She forgot all about Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, her situation, her family; she was just asleep. So, naturally, she was unable to sense the presence lurking above her.

"Girl."

The voice just barely pierced the warmth she was surrounded by, coming out as a light ringing sound. However, it was enough for Kagome to realize that all the comfy darkness was about to shatter around her.

"What…" She muttered it out, still unwilling to open her eyes.

Now a bit more tuned into her surroundings, she could feel the shift next to her. "Girl." The voice was much louder this time, and in an instant the amused tone registered in her still groggy mind. Her eyes snapped open, and she sprung upwards just to find herself face to face with Sesshoumaru. He had leaned forward on the bed, his forehead was now just a few inches away from her own. "A-..a-..a..a..aaaa…!"

Kagome pushed herself back, all the blood rushing to her cheeks. "Sessh…sess…Sesshoma-maru…"

He grinned in a way that only made Kagome blush more. It wasn't one of his cocky, sarcastic grins, or one of the ones meant only to make the receiver nervous; he almost looked…the word wasn't happy, but it was a different sort of amused.

Sesshoumaru just kept on staring at the girl as she backed herself against the headboard, eyes wide and face a bright red. "Y-you're certainly b-back early…" She paused for a second, looking to her left and then to her right, confused. "Unless…how long have I been asleep…?" She had meant it a comment more to herself, as Sesshoumaru could tell by the way she muttered it under her breath, although he had no arguments about answering for her.

"You don't look happy to see me back so soon."

"Ah haaaaah…" Kagome laughed hesitantly, a big puff of air. "O-of course I am, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama! I…I was just…you know, just now…"

The youkai prince raised an eyebrow at her, that strange look still on his face. "Sleeping on my bed."

"N-no! It's not like that!" The maid raised a hand, still laughing hesitantly to him. "I wasn't…"

"SESSHOUMARU-SAMAAAAA!" Rin burst into the room, Jaken following close behind. "Rin, slow down! You'll interrupt Lord Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin chirped around happily, totally ignoring the toad youkai's chiding. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you've come back!" She jumped up, wrapping her little arms around Sesshoumaru's body, giggling. As soon as the door opened the almost happy look the youkai prince had been wearing faded, leaving him with his normal stoic look, glancing down at the girl clinging onto his robes. "Rin."

Kagome breathed out in relief. Thank you, Rin…

"I'm so happy you came back soon! I was really, really lonely!" Rin was just bursting with energy, as always.

"Calm down, Rin." Again, it was an order. Rin nodded her head fervently, turning to Kagome. "Raven-chan, why are you on Sesshoumaru-sama's bed?"

Kagome blinked at her vacantly for a few moments before letting out an 'eep' noise, quickly rolling off. "O-oh! I was just trying to flatten out the sheets…when Sesshoumaru-sama came in, surprising me!"

"Eeeeeh?!" Jaken threw a dirty look at the maid, raising his staff up to smack her hard across the face with it. "Now it's all dirty again! What were you doing in Lord Sesshoumaru-sama's room in the first place?! Stupid human!"

He reared up to hit her again, when Sesshoumaru reached forward, gripping on tightly to the toad-youkai's staff. "Jaken."

The little demon looked up at his master, eyes wide. "But, Sesshoumaru-sama…"

"Let me take care of her." Sesshoumaru kept his gaze steady on the cowering frog, slowly releasing his grip on the cane.

"Let me do that!" Rin rushed over to Kagome, pushing her to the side gently and beginning to enthusiastically flatten out Sesshoumaru's bed. Kagome stood near the corner, surprised and confused.

There's way too much going on…She watched as Rin tried desperately to flatten all of the bed's wrinkles, while Sesshoumaru stared on bored and Jaken flitted around Rin like a fly. Kagome relaxed her shoulders some, beginning to smile. I'm glad…It's like he was never gone.

Absent-mindedly Kagome looked out the window. But…what about Inuyasha? What's going to happen to him? I wonder if he's still sad…

"Human." Kagome was pulled out of her thoughts, turning to look at her master. "Yes…?"

"Get to work. I want all of my walls and floors clean." He strode over to his desk, gracefully sitting himself down. "Dust has collected in the time I've been away."

The maid just stared at him in shock, having to fight to keep her eye from twitching. He…he was only gone a day! She turned in a huff, rolling up her sleeves and marching into the bathroom. Good for nothing…I guess some things really don't change…

"Oh, girl." Sesshoumaru stopped her, causing her body to tense up right in the entrance to the bathroom. "I want to see the floors shining. And don't use any water…It dries there and leaves awful stains."

Kagome's fingers twitched uncontrollably as she narrowed her eyes. …Bastard! She whirled her body to him, plastering a sweet, happy smile onto her face. "Right away, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama! If it makes Lord Sesshoumaru-sama happy, this humble servant will scrub on hands and knees until Lord Sesshoumaru-sama's reflection can be perfectly seen!" With that, Kagome very literally flounced into the bathroom, cheerfully shutting the door behind her.

Sesshoumaru had to resist the urge to smirk, looking back at Rin and Jaken. Some things don't change.

~

Kagome was on her hands and knees in the bathroom, scrubbing the floors vigorously, fueled by her anger. It was harder work than it should've been, especially since she had absolutely no water to work with. Stupid Sesshoumaru…making me do this…She growled at her own thoughts, pressing the cloth down so close to the floor her knuckles turned white. Stupid, stupid Sesshoumaru…I can't believe I actually wanted him to come back…good-for-nothing bastard…

She listened to Sesshoumaru's groupies babble around in his room, Rin jumping around to get stuff done, and Jaken yelling at her for touching Sesshoumaru's property. It was a half an hour before Sesshoumaru gave Jaken one of his 'looks,' or so Kagome guessed, with the way Jaken babbled and squawked until he finally managed to coax the squealing Rin out of the room. Kagome dreaded the silence; she would rather be able to listen to the cheerful Rin and the huffy Jaken than have to do this busywork with only her own thoughts to comfort her.

Inuyasha…her mind melted back to the hanyou, and the way they had argued the other night. She loved him, just as strongly as she loved Sango and Miroku, being that they were the only people in the world she seemed to have anymore. But, the way he had talked to her…He put such a mental strain on her sometimes that she felt like she'd just go insane. Why does he have to be so pigheaded?! She scrubbed faster, narrowing her eyes. I had only been trying to help him…! He never even bothers to think about how other people feel…

"Stupid Inuyasha…" She muttered, shifting her body to clean further to the side.

Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway, an eyebrow raised at his young maid. "What about my fool of a brother?"

Kagome blinked, surprised, turning on her knees to look up at her master. "Ah…Sesshoumaru-sama…"

Mentally she smacked herself. Dammit, Kagome! Never talk out loud! Never! Never ever! "Oh…it's nothing, I was just…" Before she could ponder over a suitable lie, Sesshoumaru took a step into the bathroom.

"Thinking about whatever argument you two had yesterday?"

Kagome stared up at him, eyes narrowing in anger. How does this guy know every intimate detail about…everything?!

Sesshoumaru smirked down at her, immensely entertained by her expression. "Well?"

The maid chewed on the inside of her lip for a second or two before turning back to the floor, returning to her work. "If you don't mind, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama, this humble servant has cleaning to do…"

"I do mind. You can finish this later, now I want you to straighten out my bed."

Kagome paused, still not looking to him. "Didn't Rin-chan already do that?"

"I gave you your orders." Sesshoumaru stepped back and presumably left, although Kagome still had not turned to look at him. She sat there motionlessly, glaring down at the tiled ground. "Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama…Whatever makes you happy…"

After she had sucked in a few strong breaths, regaining control of her temper, she stood and waltzed out of the bathroom. Not even bothering to look at her master, she walked straight to the bed, pulling lightly at the sheets to try and flatten out any wrinkles that might be on the surface. The mood in the room was tenser than usual, and they both noticed it.

Finally, Sesshoumaru spoke. "So, what is it you and my idiot brother quarreled about?"

Kagome refused to say anything, just going about her work as if he had said nothing at all. Sesshoumaru growled, baring his fangs menacingly. "Girl, I asked you a question." He reached forward and grasped her wrist violently tight, spinning her around.

She finally glanced up at him, eyebrows pulled down in anger. "I understand that, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama, but this humble servant doesn't see why it is necessary to bother her master with such trivial things."

Before she even knew what was coming, Kagome could feel a burning impact flash across her cheek, throwing her to the side. The initial blow was immediately replaced by a hot stinging sensation that brought tears to her eyes. Shocked, she slowly raised a hand to her face, gently touching her fingers to the cuts that had been left there by Sesshoumaru's claws. "You seem to be confused about your place in this community, human."

Kagome's eyes, wide and wavering just slightly, darted over to Sesshoumaru. Luckily for her, the tears caused from the sudden pain were beginning to fade, none having spilled over down her face. More than the sting on her cheek, she was frightened of the look on Sesshoumaru's face; a sort of intense anger she had never seen before.

"If I ask you a question, you answer it." His lips were upturned just slightly, revealing his fangs. "If I tell you to do something, you do it right away. Do you understand?"

The frightened human girl carefully pulled her hand away from her face, examining the smudged blood that still lingered on her fingertips. "…Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama…"

The youkai prince seemed satisfied with the answer, allowing his body to relax a little. Ridiculous human…He stared down at her coldly, unrest building in him. He had no explanation to why her indifference to him bothered him so much, or to why he had just so violently lost his temper towards the fragile girl.

As if expecting the conversation to then be over, Sesshoumaru turned away from his maid, silently walking over to his desk and sitting himself down. He had decided to get something else done, or at least to do something to take his mind off of the foolish human, before his thoughts were interrupted.

"Kikyou…"

Sesshoumaru moved his head just enough so that he could look at the human girl from the corner of his eye, surprised to see that she had not moved from the position he had left her in. "Kikyou…" She repeated. "Do you recognize that name?"

When Kagome received no response, she continued. "I'm not positive, but…I think that she was Inuyasha's past lover…"

The image of an attractive young human woman, who actually quite resembled his own maid, flashed through Sesshoumaru's mind. "Yes…I know who you're speaking of."

"We…" Kagome began to rub her thumb against her fingertips, smudging the blood that was there. "We were in the Gospela, when I met her…"

Sesshoumaru's eyes twitched just slightly, moving himself to get a better view of the human. "The Gospela?"

All he got in response to the question was a slight nod. "Yes…she was there…and, so was Naraku…"

Sesshoumaru very nearly rose from his chair, now completely facing the girl. "Naraku? You talked to Naraku?"

Again, Kagome just nodded. "He's a very…frightening man."

"Inuyasha…" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, flexing his claws out just slightly. "He's a fool for going anywhere near there…"

"Inuyasha and Kikyou…Apparently Kikyou hates Inuyasha now, for reasons I can't understand…Inuyasha was crushed…When we got back to the castle, I tried to comfort him, but…" Kagome suddenly clenched her hand, eyes sparking up in anger. "He just acted like a jerk about it! I just tried to help him, and he had to go and be ridiculous about it!"

Sesshoumaru relaxed, sinking back into his chair now that the subject of Naraku was over. "Of course. You should've known he would've been like that. Why would you want to help him?" Sesshoumaru scoffed just slightly, not focusing so intensely on his maid any longer. Kagome shrugged a little, beginning to rub the cut on her cheek. "He's…my friend. Of course I'd want to help him…and maybe I just felt guilty…"

"Guilty?" The youkai prince raised an eyebrow at her.

"When they were arguing…Inuyasha and Kikyou, I mean…The way that they acted was more than pitiable…It was one of the most miserable, sympathy-worthy displays that I've ever seen in my life. But…" Kagome got an almost childish look on her face, one of anger due to her inability to understand. "I didn't feel that bad. I didn't really feel anything at all."

Sesshoumaru let out a sound very close to the 'keh' Inuyasha was famous for. "And you felt bad because of that?"

The human girl turned her head to look at the youkai, eyes narrowed. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

He gave her a bored look, swinging one arm over the back of his chair. "How do you expect to feel bad for someone if you don't even know their situation? Just because someone looks miserable, without knowing why, there's no way you can expect yourself to feel pain for them. If there are none of your personal feeling involved, how can they be hurt?"

Kagome paused, staring over at Sesshoumaru thoughtfully. "…I guess you're right." She blinked, as if surprised with the revelation, looking down at the ground. "I never thought about it like that…"

"Of course you didn't." Sesshoumaru looked exasperated with her foolishness, looking her up and down. "You over dramatize everything."

Kagome held herself back from responding to that, though still giving him a somewhat dirty look. They went on like that, staring at each other silently for nearly two minutes, before Kagome even realized that they were doing it. She turned away quickly, a blush rising to her cheeks. I just can't…get over his eyes, no matter how cruel he is…

The youkai watched her reaction curiously, though he showed no sign of it on his eyes. For some reason, all the anger and contempt he had earlier felt towards her was vanished, and the cut on her cheek was now beginning to deeply bother him. Seeing the blood on her cheek, especially being that he had caused it, created a feeling of protectiveness in him that he had only ever felt towards Rin.

"I guess…" Kagome finally spoke, trying to hide her flushed expression. "I guess I should get back to work."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her, standing and walking into the bathroom for a moment, before returning with a towel in hand. Kagome stared up at him, confused, before realizing that her cheek was probably still bleeding. Expecting him to hand it to her, she reached out for it.

Surprisingly, he did not let her take it. He took a few confident strides forward, pressing it to her cheek himself, his expression giving off nothing. Kagome's eyes widened just barely, moving over to look at his hand before moving back to him. Sesshoumaru caught the look and just brushed it off as if it were nothing. "You cannot even clean floors properly. Why should I trust you when it comes to wounds?"

Kagome couldn't help but smile a little, looking off to the side. "Lord Sesshoumaru-sama knows best."

After wiping up what he could, Sesshoumaru nonchalantly tossed the somewhat bloodied cloth into Kagome's arms, giving her a conclusive look. "Go wash this, now."

"…Oh." The human girl looked down at the cloth for a second, before moving her gaze up to Sesshoumaru. "Right away, Sesshoumaru-sama."

She headed towards the door, stopping right before exiting out into the hall. Sesshoumaru kept his eyes steady on her, a questioning look on his face. Suddenly, Kagome turned back to him, looking him straight in the eye. "You know…I'm glad you came back early." She paused, as if getting her thoughts in order. "I'm glad I'm your maid."

He flinched some, enough for Kagome to notice. She hesitated a little when she realized how this must've sounded. "I mean…over staying with Inuyasha."

With that she bowed her head down, pulling the maid's hood over her head and stepping out into the corridors, disappearing from Sesshoumaru's view. Stoic as always, Sesshoumaru stood where he was, pondering the situation. Slowly, that same amused grin grew onto his face. He sank down into his chair and looked out the window thoughtfully as he once again began planning ways to make his maid's life as bothersome as possible.

~

Author's Note: Woah. Woah. Woah. Damn was Kagome OOC. Yes, people, I realize it. But, I mean, it's REALLY hard, because…you never really see her interacting with Sesshoumaru. I guess I'm just adding my own flare to her, so that the situation will look cuter. Sigh. I'm really, really sorry people. I do realize that she's insanely out of computer, and so is Sesshoumaru, but I'm not really positive on how to write them. ._.; Forgive me! I feel bad now. And…It's not too long, but it's a sooner update than the others, right? I did it just for Ashley and her kind e-mail. Of course all your reviews helped, too. But yes, I tried to pack in as much fluff as I could. I know it's probably not enough for a lot of you people, but let's be honest. They've only known each other for a week! I don't want to be ridiculously unrealistic. Not that my characters already aren't. o_@; Argh.

ELLA! Haha, everyone, guess what? One of my chatroom friends ended up being a fan of this story, without her even knowing I was the author. We just made the connection today. Ella I love you! *waves* I just wanted to shout out to her, because…I can…I just want to make her feel special. Feel special, Ella.

All right, I'd like to apologize for everyone who read this chapter last night or whenever it was it came up. o@ You see, I'm a student of Japanese, and because of that I set my computer into Japanese recently for more exposure. Well, apparently that screws up the uploading process as well, making everything all screwy. It should be fixed now. ^_^ Thank you for bearing with me!

I'll try to update soon! Until then, tata!