Disclaimer: I saw a bird in my yard yesterday and it reminded me of the fact that I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. I cried. Then I went inside and had some pie with bleu cheese.

A.N. I'm going to give my authors note at the beginning of the chapter today, because I want to apologize (in advance) for the sloppiness of this chapter. I'm moving on Saturday, and I want to get this chapter out as fast as I can. Review anyway…. Please?


Kagome hovered in the doorway, daring not to breathe. His silhouette seemed to be glowing from the lamplight behind him. Her mind told her to step away from the door, to somehow find her room and curl up in her safe bed, but it seemed as if her nerves insisted on remaining stagnant. He was sitting in a chair, head resting in one hand and, from what Kagome could see, was poring over some documents. Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly turned to face her.

"What are you doing out of your room, human?" Despite the harsh words, his voice was relatively soft.

It took Kagome two tries before she was able to settle on "I couldn't sleep."

His golden eyes narrowed for a moment before he turned back to his desk.

Kagome sighed. She had really asked for it when she had wanted someone to talk to. 'Well,' she thought, 'at least I know him. I might as well talk to him.' It might have been a little weird anyway, asking some random stranger if she could talk with them. She pushed the door open silently, padding over to his bed on the other side of the room.

"Wow Sesshoumaru, you have a cool bed!" Kagome exclaimed, running her hands over the dark wood. It was a western-style four poster, the posts extending almost to the ceiling.

Sesshoumaru didn't respond, so Kagome sat stiffly on the bed. She clenched her hands into fists before she began.

'Sesshoumaru, I'm really worried. I've really screwed up. My brother's gone, my mother is probably worried sick, and Inuyasha is most likely getting impatient. Not to mention the fact that I don't think I can heal your arm.'

Well, that was what she meant to say.

It seemed as if her nerves had failed her once again, and chickened out at the last moment.

"What are those papers, Sesshoumaru?"

He turned to glare at her. "These papers are documents that your feeble little mind couldn't possibly comprehend."

Great. Now she was engaged in a completely awkward conversation that involved him making rude comments and her making a fool of herself.

"Sesshoumaru, why are you so rude?" If she was gonna make a fool of herself, she might as well go all out.

"Because you are a worthless human."

"Stop using that to justify your actions all the time, damnit!" Kagome shot back. "Okay, so I know I'm human, and I guess I'm worthless to you, but I'm sick and tired of you using that as an excuse for all your bad actions!" Kagome covered her mouth. 'Whoops...'

Sesshoumaru stood from his chair, turning around and striking her in one lightning-fast fluid motion. Kagome stared up at him with hurt eyes, before covering her bleeding cheek with her hand. She closed her eyes, about to heal the torn skin, but she hesitated, She wouldn't heal it. She'd purposely not heal it. Make him smell her blood. She'd let it drip onto his bed so he could smell it for days. To remember the fact that he'd stricken her for merely saying some harsh things. Sesshoumaru turned back to his documents and Kagome's eyes opened again willing the gash not to heal.

Sesshoumaru frowned, staring blankly at the documents. She smelled of salt and blood. Had she been crying before? Perhaps that is why she could not sleep. And the blood. Hadn't the young miko healed herself yet?

Kagome began laughing, her giggling echoing off all four walls of his room. He turned, slightly alarmed. Now what? Had this stupid human lost her sanity?

"Sorry." She choked. "I just think it's really funny to see you at a desk, working with documents. I mean, I'm so used to seeing you in a forest, or in a tomb, saying 'now you shall die, Inuyasha,' but seeing you here is just funny!" Kagome smiled at him, blood dripping unto her lap, staining her kimono. The entire right side of her face was covered in blood, a larger amount pooled in her lap. He stood, taking a step forward. "Heal yourself, human," he commanded. Kagome took to her feet, hands on her hips. "No! I don't have to! You were the one that caused the injury anyway!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed again. "Heal yourself." He repeated. Kagome took another step forward, only to stagger backwards again. "I feel sorta dizzy, though…" Kagome said faintly. "I don't think I can…now." The miko looked to the ground at the enormous amount of blood that had fallen from her lap when she stood. Her eyes widened. By willing herself not to heal, her magic had worked to make the injury worse.

"Well," she said softly, looking at her blood covered hands. "At least I succeeded in making the biggest fool of myself possible."

Then she fell, hair swirling about her as she soared backwards to the ground. She never quite made it to the ground, however, as Sesshoumaru's instincts had prompted him to stick out and arm to save her from the fall. Kagome's eyes remained closed as he brought her back up.

"That stupid woman," he muttered. "Blood loss." He carried her to her room, summoning a servant to bring some bandages. Placing her on the bed, he grabbed the damp cloth his servant presented to him and wiped all blood clean from her face. Normally he liked the smell of blood; it was in his demon nature, but presently it wasn't appealing to him. He wondered why.

After a healer, under the watchful eye of Sesshoumaru, bandaged Kagome's face, the youkai dismissed all servants from the room, sitting in the chair that occupied the far corner of the room. She was very odd indeed. He had so many questions about her, about what motivated her to do the things she did. His eyes closed, a brief moment of emotion. She was a lot more intelligent than he had first thought, yet she was the stupidest creature at the same time. She used the weirdest techniques to save loved ones, sacrificing herself to have them safe.

And what's worse, she, this human girl Kagome had inspired emotion in him. He would not deny it. He, Sesshoumaru, ruler of the Western Lands, felt a twinge of guilt for striking her. If she had healed the gash using her magic, which he knew she could, he would have felt no remorse. He stood up, hovering over her bed and touched her forehead briefly, strange and intimate contact for one such as himself, brushing the pads of his fingers against her soft pale skin. She rolled over.

Then he left.

Kagome awoke to the sound of heavy sighing near her bed. How did she get into bed in the first place anyway? Her heavy eyes fluttered open as she brought up a hand to shield them from the light leaking into her room. The miko touched her cheek, fingers brushing against soft cloth instead of skin. So she had been bandaged.

"AH! So you finally woke up!" Rin piped up from the end of her bed. "Rin was getting sick and tired of waiting for you to wake!"

Kagome sat up, pulling the covers down to take inventory. Yes, she felt…icky, for lack of a better word. She was still wearing the blood stained kimono from the previous night. She had never changed into her night clothes.

Kagome faced the adorable girl at the end of her bed, smiling. "Rin. We have a mission." Rin visibly brightened. "We have to find somewhere for me to bathe, something for me to where, and something for me to eat!" Kagome said, ticking off each thing on her fingers.

Rin's eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought. "Well…" Rin said slowly. "Rin thinks she can have a servant fix Kagome-chan a hot bath, and Rin knows there's always food in the kitchen, but for something to wear—Oh! Leave that to Rin!"

"Okay," Kagome said happily. "Thank you so much Rin!"

Kagome sunk down deep into the hot water. No matter where she was, hot water always had an affect on her. It made her all tingly inside, giddy and sleepy and comfortable at the same time. She wondered absently what Rin was up to. More importantly, what happened to Sesshoumaru after she had fainted Had he carried her to her room and had he bandaged her? Kagome blushed. She was so stupid

Rin smiled, tiptoeing silently to a room she had snuck into dozens of times. It was unpredictable access, however. Sometimes it was locked, sometimes it wasn't. Rin hoped with all her might that today was one of those days it wasn't.

Her small fingers wrapped around the doorknob, twisting it as silently as she could, tingling with anticipation…

"Its not locked!" Rin exclaimed aloud before covering her hands with her mouth. Her large brown eyes darted all around, searching for signs of someone who might give her away. She padded silently to the oak wardrobe in the corner of the room, a giant magnificent piece of furnishing. The doors creaked loudly as she opened them, making the small girl wince.

A smile appeared on Rin's face as she laid her eyes on the magnificent wonders inside. Kimonos of every color and pattern, all woven of the finest silk.

"Now what color are Kagome-chan's eyes?" Rin asked herself quietly. "Brown? No, Rin remembers! Blue!" Rin ran her small hands across all the colors, picking out all the blues she could find.

(Quick A.N.: I'm going with the manga version of Kagome, where her eyes are blue. They're just much prettier than the dull brown ones Kagome has in the manga.)

Laying out all the kimonos on the floor, Rin placed a finger on her chin, deciding what kimono would be best for Kagome. She was torn between two: a dark midnight blue with large pink blossoms, or a brighter blue with green and dark blue fans. She gently picked them both up and closed the wardrobe. She could take them both to Kagome, and the miko could choose. Rin left the room, leaving everything intact, and tiptoed down the hallway, hiding whenever she heard or saw another person.

Kagome sat on the edge of her bed wrapped in a towel, waiting for Rin. Her had wandered to her face again, tapping the ugly bandage. What was she doing? She might as well heal it. Kagome peeled of the bloody bandage. The wound looked as if it had just stopped bleeding, and the miko tossed the bandage away quickly. She placed her hand gently on her cheek and used her healing powers to close the wound and make the scar disappear.

"There!" Kagome said with a smile, face now fully intact, "easy as pie!"

The girl's head turned as the door to her room slowly cracked open. Rin's head peeked inside, looking around cautiously.

"Rin is back! She has brought Kagome-chan two kimonos to choose from." Rin said stepping in.

"Why thank you R—" Kagome paused, observing the two kimonos the small girl presetned. "Rin!? Where did you get these?!"

"Are they not to Kagome-chan's liking?" Rin said, hurt.

"No, they're beautiful!" Kagome assured. "I've just never seen such beautiful clothing!"

Rin smiled. "Which one does lady Kagome-chan want to wear?"

"I like…" Kagome said slowly, thinking. "I like the dark blue one, with the pink flowers."

Sesshoumaru sat on the rough branch of a tall tree, eyes closed, attempting to relax his mind. His youkai hearing picked up two female voices below him, chattering away without a care. 'It must be Rin and that woman.' He thought without opening his eyes. A breeze floated upwards, carrying with it the smell of the two humans. He separated the smells: Rin's scent smelling of flowers and dirt and sunshine, the miko's smelling of power and allure and…his mother.

Now this normally puzzled him, but now she reeked strongly of the scent of his long-dead mother. He opened his eyes to observe her, but what he saw instead was what he was certain was the ghost of his mother. He blinked, clearing his mind. It wasn't his mother…It was that girl. She was wearing his mother's kimono, the blue one she wore in summertime, usually in the evening. He followed the two girls through the treetops, waiting for a moment when Rin wasn't around.

"Rin will run to the edge of the field and pick those pink flowers for Kagome-chan!" Rin exclaimed grabbing Kagome's hand. "They will match Kagome-chan's kimono perfectly! Kagome-chan will wait here for Rin?"

"Certainly, Rin!" Kagome said, watching the young girl run off. She took a deep breath. It was nice to be outside and to not be traveling, it really gave her a chance to enjoy nature. Kagome blinked as the wind harshly blew her hair all over. Sesshoumaru stood in front of her, making her grab her heart in surprise.

"Where, girl," he began, "did you get that kimono?!"

Kagome resisted the urge to wince at his cutting voice. "Rin gave it to me." She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know where she got it."

Sesshoumaru looked away.

"It was your mother's." Kagome said softly.

Sesshoumaru looked back at the girl, masking surprise.

"I could tell because it smelled like my mama. Mothers have that distinct scent, you know? I mean, I know I don't really have a good sense of smell, compared to you at least, but I could still smell it."

"Sorry I'm such a dork for not healing myself." Kagome added, blushing slightly. She brought her eyes up to his, surprised at the level of intensity that he was staring at her with.

"You are granted access to her kimonos from now on." He said stiffly.

"What was her name?"

"That's irrelevant."

"I wanna know."

"Maruya." He took off, disappearing into the treetops and out of Kagome's line of sight.

"That's a cool name." Kagome said softly to herself.

"Kaaaagooooooome-chan! Rin has brought you flowers!" Rin skipped to the miko, presenting pink flowers to Kagome.

"They're beautiful, Rin, thank you very much!" Kagome took the flowers in her hands and allowed herself to be led away by the small child. She looked into the trees and smiled slightly before running ahead to play with Rin.


A.N. Well, there you go. Out and ready before Saturday. . I feel accomplished as it normally takes longer. Sorry for the sloppy chapter!