Author's Notes: All right, getting one 1-page longer than usual chapter in before once again going off to another convention (yes, sorry- I'll be gone to Project A-Kon in Dallas next weekend)

Also, due to ff.net beginning to get a little touchy with ratings, I will be raising this fanfic's rating up to R just to be safe. Which is short means- it will no longer show up on the "Just In" page and won't on the section page unless you adjust the settings to accept all ratings (oh yes, it's a royal pain --)

Since I know many of my readers don't have a fanfiction.net account with which to use an author-alert feature for this story, me and my friend Kellychan85 set up a mailing list that will work as an author-alert for our fanfics.

groups. yahoo. com/ group/ sengoku updates/ (remove spaces, add underscore between sengoku and updates (stupid ff.net eating it) (or just go to my ff.net profile and use the link there)

So feel free to join that mailing list and anytime this story or any of my other stories are updated, I will post to it to let you know. :)

That being said- read, review and enjoy :)

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I'd never had a fancy dinner. You know- those in those expensive restaurants where it costs twenty dollars just for a glass of water, and you always have to book ahead. Hell, I'd never even been in one of those restaurants aside from about thirty minutes for a job that I ended up fired from thirty-one minutes after I'd started it- due to my 'less than polite' language.

To me- the idea of fancy candle-lit tables while a violin serenaded you and your dinning companion was just fantasy. It never happened, and it definitely never would.

And even if somehow I found myself free from my Father and with enough money to eat at such an establishment- I certainly wouldn't be eating with some attractive man who goes completely out of his way to act like a gentleman towards me.

But as I was slowly noticing- being around Sesshoumaru didn't exactly keep my life down the same boring path it used to be. Things around him were just- more interesting. Or maybe… it was the fact he was there that made it interesting….

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Chapter 22: Call for Carry-Out

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Kagura watched him closely, taking in the way he glared at the invisible spot on the wall. Sighing to herself, she muttered.

"So…"

Sesshoumaru looked towards her and raised an eyebrow, but other than that- nothing changed.

"This is usually when someone starts up a conversation."

"I was enjoying the silence," He replied simply.

Glaring back, Kagura realized this meant if she wanted to end the silence that a certain someone was 'enjoying' that she'd have to come up with something to talk about.

"What do you do besides working and writing anyways?" She inquired; her crossed arms and half-irritated expression not really making her seem all that interested in the answer.

"Sleep. And eat," Sesshoumaru said casually, his interest in the matter even less than Kagura's.

"Well aren't you full of surprises," Kagura shot back, becoming more and more irritable as the silent seconds ticked by.

"You?"

She paused then, thrown completely by the fact he was not only attempting to continue the conversation but also that he seemed to be remotely interested in her life.

Nonchalantly, the black-haired woman shrugged, "With Naraku around- sleep, eat if I'm lucky and work."

"Then by the fact I write- your life is the more mundane," Sesshoumaru explained.

At first, Kagura was just about to fight back- protesting that it wasn't her choice to live that way. But, there was something about Sesshoumaru's expression at the moment that made her stop.

"He looks almost…like he wished my life wasn't as bland as it seems."

"I suppose things now," He paused as if he was seeking out the right words, "…are a little more interesting for both of us."

Kagura blinked, "Is he saying that...yes, that bastard is…" She smirked inwardly, "He's saying that since I'm here, life's a little better… for both of us…" Looking up, she caught his gaze with her own, "And he's right, life is better like this."

"Sesshoumaru, I…"

She halted on hearing the doorbell downstairs, "Um… aren't you going to get that?"

"Father said he would attend to matters downstairs. I am not to interfere despite my knowledge that he is clearly stirring up trouble."

"Oh…" Kagura muttered, her eyes dropping to her hands.

"You were saying?"

Snapping her head back up, she tried to recall what she was saying.

"Just forget it. It's stupid. It's not like he'll listen. And- most of all- it's venturing back into romance-land which is not good!" She berated herself.

But, despite that, she continued anyways, "I was just thinking that…well, life is better now."

"So. You are agreeing with me?"

She glared, "I didn't say that."

Sesshoumaru smirked back, "So we both just happened to have come to the same conclusion?"

Kagura shrugged, "So maybe we did."

The room returned to the silence it was in before, and Kagura found her eyes drifting over to the space next to her on the bed.

"Damn I wish this medicine would work faster or something. It wasn't so bad when he…"

She cut her thoughts short and quickly glanced to see if Sesshoumaru noticed her flustered reaction as she shook the thought from her head.

"Shit- why am I thinking like this? Reading one stupid romance novel can't fuck with someone's mind this badly, can it? And especially wanting him to…" She forced her thoughts forward, "wanting him to hold me…that just- it doesn't make any sense. I mean, yah he's not that asshole Naraku. I know that, I've accepted that and I trust him but still…"

Cautiously, she looked over towards him.

"Have I become that used to his body next to mine…already?"

"Kagura."

She started at his voice, snapping back in anger, "What?"

"Is the room temperature not to your taste?"

Pausing a moment to readjust her shaken state well enough to understand his strange speech patterns, she realized that she was indeed hugging her arms around herself.

"Not really," Came the lame reply, not sure what else to say to explain it.

Standing, he began to walk towards her.

"Is he going to…" Kagura halted her thoughts, getting very sick of their sudden interest in romance.

Gently lifting her up into his arms, he began to reach down to pull back the covers.

"I see we are keeping ourselves occupied," The calm voice intoned from the doorway.

Sesshoumaru frowned, "Of course this would be the moment he decides to make his presence known."

Mr. Taiyoukai smirked, "If she's not up to walking downstairs. Feel free to carry her to the table. I'm certain she is hungry."

Looking to the black-haired woman in his arms, he raised an eyebrow.

"No. I can walk. Put me down," Kagura said sharply, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Slowly, he lowered her feet to the ground, but she quickly noticed- he never removed his arm around her back; bracing her in case she did fall.

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Once down to the dinning room, Sesshoumaru was confronted with several things he didn't want to see. One being the candle-lit, elaborately adorned table. The second being none other than his editor, Kaguya.

"I don't even want to know why you own that- dress," He noted, regarding her shorter than usual waitress outfit.

She just smirked, her long blackish-teal hair swishing behind her, "It's all I had to fit the part."

"And you are here- why?" Sesshoumaru questioned, pulling out a chair and waiting for Kagura to seat herself.

Kaguya just laughed, "Your Father said you were having dinner in, and he needed a little help, so here I am!"

"Wonderful," He muttered, his dead pan expression and lack of excitement clearly obvious.

Frowning as he regarded the table, Sesshoumaru looked to where his Father had been standing- only to find him gone.

The table had been set with the best silverware, china and furnishings. Three candles flickered from the center, and the lights in the room were dimmed. And, as Sesshoumaru noticed with a deeper frown, there was even a tape of soft violin music being played.

He vented his glare on Kaguya, who only offered an innocent smile in sympathy and nodded her head towards his chair.

His chair which was only a few inches away from where Kagura sat.

"And they think I am to believe that this wasn't plotted out?" Sesshoumaru thought to himself before finally giving in and sitting down, casually moving his chair to a more reasonable distance.

Returning from the kitchen, Mr. Taiyoukai brought forth a large plate of spaghetti and sat it between the two.

"Eat," He said simply, walking over to where Kaguya stood in the archway.

Sesshoumaru just sighed quietly, glancing between the single plate and the two watching from the doorway.

Picking up his knife, he proceeded to cut across the middle of the plate, scooting each respective half towards each side.

"You know- it's not very polite to…to cut the spaghetti," The haughty female voice remarked.

"I refuse to reenact the scenes of children's movies for your personal amusement, Kaguya," Sesshoumaru shot back, knowing too well what they were trying for.

Kaguya glanced to Mr. Taiyoukai and they each expressed a minor disappointment in their failed attempt.

Then, she noticed him reaching for the wine bottle.

Her smirk widened, as she thought to herself, "Perfect. With the amount of alcohol in that drink it will surely loosen up their inhibitions- and then tonight… yes, tonight they won't be able to keep their hands off each other."

"Mr. Taiyoukai, you might be getting grandchildren soon," She whispered to the white-haired man.

"Grandchildren?" He inquired.

"Well it only takes one night for it to work," Kaguya noted with a confident nod.

Back at the table, Sesshoumaru had taken a sip of the wine and then his eyes narrowed. Quickly, he reached across the table and grabbed Kagura's hand before she too could lift her wine glass.

"What…what are you doing?" She snapped, thrown by the sudden grip on her hand and by the unknown reasoning behind it.

Without a word, he reached over and lifted up her wine glass with his free hand. Looking towards the archway, he motioned with his head for Kaguya to come over.

"Yes? Might I be of service?" Her sweet tone was lost on Sesshoumaru as he only glared back.

"About this wine…"

Holding a hand to stop what he had to say, she cut in, "Let me guess- you know the brand and the year right?"

"Good move Sesshoumaru, use your sophisticated knowledge of wines to impress her," Kaguya thought to herself.

"No. I would rather we have water. The alcohol level in this will leave us both inebriated."

His editor's face faltered, not pleased at how easily each of her carefully laid plans were coming unraveled.

"And what's wrong with having a little fun and getting a little drunk?"

Sesshoumaru glared again.

"Oh Sesshoumaru, don't tell me you're going to go all gentleman and pull that "I want to remember my first time" crap on me," She retorted, her anger beginning to seep through her false good-girl façade.

"Rin's birthday party is tomorrow morning. Any semblance of a hangover could prove troublesome."

Kaguya sighed, and turned to go get new drinks, "You are just no fun, Sesshoumaru."

It was only after she left though that Kagura finally spoke up.

"Uh- Sesshoumaru?"

"She will return with water soon," He explained.

"No…um…" She looked down at her hand, and he followed her gaze- quickly seeing the issue.

He was still holding her hand.

Slowing pulling it back, he began to absorb himself in eating rather than looking across the table at her.

"I remember once, Yura said something about- about finding a comfort zone. A place in which you are so relaxed with the presence of someone else there that you don't even realize how much you come into contact with them. Is that…is that what's forming here?" Kagura thought to herself as she too began to eat.

Before the two knew it, the meal itself was over and Kaguya put her last course of action forth- desert.

The large sundae was set out, and the long-haired woman watched Sesshoumaru's actions closely.

"Now, there's only one cherry on top. If he takes it off and gives it to her, she'll take it as a romantic gesture or…well, at least a nice gesture. Come on Sesshoumaru- at least get one right…"

And sure enough, Sesshoumaru reached up and plucked the cherry off the top. But, much to Kaguya's dismay, he sat it aside without a word.

"You gonna eat that?" Kagura asked.

"It has a seed in it," He muttered.

Kaguya drug a hand down her face, "How can one man be so romantically inept like this?"

Shaking her head at the lost cause, she turned to Mr. Taiyoukai, "Well, I tried."

He just smiled lightly, "I suppose we'll just have to let them work through things on their own."

"What's the fun in that?" Kaguya questioned, glaring between the two, "Waiting's no fun."

"No. But. If it makes him happy…" Mr. Taiyoukai trailed off, as Kaguya turned to watch the scene before them.

Sure, the room was silent- save the light sounds of the tape of the violin playing from the tape player hidden under the curtains, but- even that didn't seem to bother them.

It was very slight, and to anyone that didn't know better- there wouldn't be anything at all.

But to Mr. Taiyoukai and Kaguya, there was definitely something in the glances the two at the table exchanged. So, perhaps it wasn't the full-blown romance Kaguya wanted, but the tranquility of it couldn't be passed off at nothing.

"Will you quit staring?" Sesshoumaru said sharply.

The two spectators looked away quickly, Sesshoumaru just frowned- what was so interesting about them eating anyways?

Finally he noticed that Kagura too seemed irritated at their meddling and he stood up.

"If you two would excuse us. I have writing to attend to."

"Wanting to be alone?" Kaguya questioned.

"Alone would be preferred," He said back, his tone cold.

Sighing, she shook her head, "You'll never change Sesshoumaru. All right- you win. We'll get out of here, but I expect to see that manuscript first thing Monday morning. Okay?"

"It shall be dealt with then."

"Son," His Father cut in.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow in reply.

"We shall see you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

He nodded and turned towards the door.

"Try and at least sleep some," Mr. Taiyoukai said opening the front door.

Sesshoumaru's glare turned even more frigid and his Father knew that was the cue to exit.

With the two gone, Sesshoumaru turned back to where Kagura sat at the table.

"You were quiet at dinner."

"I was enjoying the silence," She shot back, mimicking his earlier reply to her.

Walking over, he extended a hand to help her up.

Bracing her once again with a firm arm around her back, he quietly replied as they made their way up the stairs.

 "So was I."

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Preview for Chapter 23:

Sometimes you just grow so accustomed to the touch of another and the warmth of their body…that you miss it when it's gone.