A/N: Hehe! I get all excited when I get reviews! And now I have 277! You are all amazing. Thank you for putting so much thought into your reviews- it's really exciting and inspiring. Please keep it up! I am relaxing with my family at the moment, so my apologies that this didn't come out sooner.

Disclaimer: I had to stare into the mirror and convince myself that I didn't own inu yasha or anyone he knew. And then I took an expo marker, and tried tracing the reflection of my face. It looked kinda deformed when I was done, though… hm…

Previously:

Yes, he knew he cared for Kagome- but just how much he cared for her was the real question on hand. Did he want her to stay with him, like he had wanted Rin's companionship? Or did he just want to take something of Inu Yasha's, since his disgrace of a brother had taken Rin from him? 'No,' he shook off the thought. If he simply wanted to take her, he could very well have marked her whenever he wanted to do so. But- that wasn't the case. He had no desire to force Kagome into anything. Sesshoumaru let out a small laugh. Originally, he did force Kagome into residing at his castle. But now- now it was different. He didn't want to admit it when it first became apparent to him, but he had begun to care for Kagome- albeit ever so slightly- the night that he had temporarily marked her. The only things that had kept him in check the night that they kissed were his feelings for and loyalty to Rin. But now, Rin was gone. Sighing, Sesshoumaru stood up and looked at the sky. It was about time for dinner.

chapter 16: the proposal
Kagome nervously prepared for dinner. 'Geez.. why am I so nervous?' she thought as she styled her hair. She twisted it up and pinned it, allowing the ends of her hair to cascade gracefully down from the top of the twist to her shoulders. She decided on a white kimono with light pink flowers embroidered at the hems. She looked quite beautiful- more so, she thought, than any night so far.

What Sesshoumaru had said to her weighed heavily on her mind that entire day. He- had thanked her for staying with him. He was grateful for her presence. Not only that, but even Jaken remarked that she had somehow changed his master. She hated to admit it, but the butterflies that now raged in her stomach when she saw Sesshoumaru no longer raged when she sawor thought ofInu Yasha. 'What could this mean?' she had asked herself while she bathed in the onsen. 'Has- has my love for Inu Yasha really changed that much?' Kagome shook her head as she remembered her thoughts. The girl in the mirror staring back at her gave her a small smile. "It'll be okay, Kagome," she told herself aloud. 'Just- wait until you see Inu Yasha again. Then you'll be able to figure out where your heart lies.' Just then, a tap was heard at her door.

"It is time," Jaken called. Kagome rose and opened her door to see him standing in the hallway. She followed him to the usual dining area.

Somehow it seemed different. 'That's right- Rin isn't here…' There were candles all around the gazebo, and lighting the stairs leading to it. Soon, Sesshoumaru made his appearance. He looked beautiful- his clothes were different from normal. His usual haori was replaced with a high-collar cape. The collar was very similar to those which the boys used to wear at her Junior High. Instead of being a uniform jacket, however, the cape simply clasped at the neck and then flowed down until it was a foot aboveground. Underneath it, she could see the shape of his pants, which were loose fitting, but gathered at the ankle. The material was a dark blue, and there was intricate silver and gold embroidery along the collar and the seams of the cape. Sesshoumaru quietly sat in front of Kagome, and they began to eat.

"So- what did you do today, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, breaking the stiff silence. He looked up at her from his plate.

"Land surveillance," he replied simply. "What activities did you perform?" Kagome looked at him, surprised that he returned the question.

"Different things. Archery, reading…" she trailed off, realizing that she really didn't do much at all that day. Sesshoumaru just looked at her. She was getting embarrassed. 'He probably thinks I just wasted my time…' After a moment of silence, Sesshoumaru took a bite of his food.

"If it interests you, you are welcome to join me tomorrow," he offered, once he had swallowed. Kagome almost dropped her chopsticks, and Jaken fell over in surprise.

"A- are you serious? Are you feeling well?" She leaned across the table to get a better look at his complexion. Sesshoumaru smirked.

"I am fine." Sesshoumaru proceeded to take a bite of his unagi. Jaken struggled to his feet, and Kagome attempted to regain her lost composure.

"Sesshoumaru-sama gave you an offer- it would be polite to--"

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru warned his servant not to interfere with their conversation. Jaken sighed.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"I would like to join you," she replied slowly, wondering if that really was the best idea. She rationalized it, telling herself that it would be better to be doing something than to be wasting away at the castle. Besides, her ankle was much better. There was only a little residual soreness in the morning, but it soon disappeared. Sesshoumaru nodded. "So," she began, after a few moments had passed, "what exactly do you do on these surveillances?" Sesshoumaru sipped some of his water before he answered.

"The purpose of the surveillance is to maintain the order of my realm," he answered simply. "Tomorrow I will meet with several vassals to discuss property management and relations with visitors from the other lands." Kagome nodded as she shoveled some rice into her mouth. "Meet with me later to discuss the involved customs."

"Mm," she nodded. She looked calm on the outside, but she was inwardly excited. This was almost like going on a field trip. That was her favorite part of school. Except when she had studied hard to catch up with her classes, only to find out that she just wasted her time. Kagome finished her food. "Thanks for the meal," she said. "By the way… I-" Sesshoumaru looked at her when she trailed off. "I.. like your outfit tonight," she told Sesshoumaru timidly. The taiyoukai stared at her in disbelief. She had never complimented him before, that he could remember. He had no response ready for her. Slowly, he closed his eyes and set his cup down in front of him.

"Thank you for the meal," he said deliberately. He stood up and turned away from Kagome, who had remained seated. "I'll meet with you later," he told her before walking down the stairs. Instead of turning toward the castle, he turned the opposite way, and began to circle the lake. Kagome watched him for a few moments before she stood up herself. She headed back to her room, wondering what kind of customs she needed to be briefed on.

'Those vassals… could they be youkai?' she thought as she unpinned her hair. Kagome had changed into a comfortable, light purple yukata, and now decided to style her hair into two low pigtail braids. 'If by being with Sesshoumaru, I can keep his mind off of the loss of Rin… then going with him is the best thing I can do,' she told herself. After resting for a few moments, she decided it was probably time to go see Sesshoumaru. She had no doubts that he would be waiting for her by the lake.

It was almost into the full of nighttime- the last hint of light blue was barely visible on the horizon, and the stars were already shining clearly in the blackened sky. Kagome stepped outside onto the dewy grass. As she did, a cool breeze combed through the field, causing her to shiver briefly. Kagome shook it off, and proceeded to walk down to the lake. She approached Sesshoumaru, who was standing by the lakeside, his back to her. His silver hair was iridescent in the moonlight, and waved gently in the breeze. Hearing the sound of grass crunching behind him, he turned to see Kagome.

"You are probably wondering what kind of customs you need to be prepared for," he began. Kagome nodded.

"Mm," she said.

"While you are allowed unrestricted freedom on these castle grounds, things will not be as such when we visit my vassals."

'Whaaaat… does he think I had freedom when I was forced to come here?' she thought. Her attitude quickly changed however, when she realized that she really was free to do what she wanted- especially now that she decided to stay at the castle out of her own volition.

"While I am the lord of these lands, and my vassals are under me, it is still my place to command their respect. Should a human woman accompany me and act as though she is my equal, it very possibly will stir up resentment among them."

'He- he thinks of me as acting like his equal? What does he really think of me, then? Does he think I'm his equal, or just that I'm acting like it?' All these questions raced through her mind. "Then- what is it that I need to do?" she asked plainly.

"It is imperative that you do not speak to any of the vassals. If you have something to say, you must say it to me directly- and preferably out of earshot of the vassals." Kagome nodded. That was pretty much a given, considering that she had no say in his business affairs, anyway. "And, if you must use my name, it would be wise to use an appropriate honorific." At this, Kagome felt a twinge of resentment. Sesshoumaru seemed to sense this, and quickly continued. "Should the vassals, who use honorifics, hear that you- a human woman- do not, it is also likely that it will stir dissention within the ranks."

Kagome nodded slowly. She was beginning to have second thoughts about joining Sesshoumaru. Why did he want her to come with him, if there was so much potential to cause trouble? "So, basically, you want me to act like a servant- is that it?" Sesshoumaru could practically smell the resentment building. He closed his eyes, and nodded.

"It would be of value to have you with me," he began cautiously, remembering what it was like for him to try to get his work done earlier that day. He couldn't concentrate; Rin's face was continually before him. But having Kagome nearby somehow calmed his nerves. If she was with him while he conducted his business, he knew that he would have a greater chance at succeeding with his objectives. "The only alternative, should you still decide to accompany me, would be for you to act as my mate." Kagome nearly fell over as she took in a gasp of surprise. "Considering that the vassals are also youkai, it would be more than obvious to them, should I give you another temporary mark rather than permanent one."

'Temporary and permanent marks? What I had must have been temporary- but… what is this 'permanent' mark? Anyway… there's no way I want to go through that whole ordeal again..' Kagome thought to herself.

"I am sure you have no desire to be permanently marked, so this option is discounted." He looked at Kagome's face, which showed no clear response. "You are always welcome to stay here instead," Sesshoumaru offered. Kagome was just about to accept that offer, but then realized that she would again be overcome with boredom while she did nothing but wait for Inu Yasha to come and get her. And she was never one to just sit around and do nothing.

"I'll come with you," she said, almost through her teeth.

"Very well. The appropriate clothing will be provided for you in the morning. We will leave shortly after dawn." Kagome nodded, and Sesshoumaru began to walk toward the castle. "Sleep well," he told her coolly.

"Mm.." Kagome said, mostly to herself. 'That was weird. I've never heard Sesshoumaru talk like that before.' True, she had experienced a few moments with him where he seemed less cold than normal, but over the course of the day, she had seen him open up to her. He thanked her in the morning for staying with him, and just now he had told her that she could help himby coming with him to visit the vassals. He was truly becoming someone different in her eyes; someone who needed her comfort, who needed to overcome a tragic loss. He really did have emotions underneath that cool exterior. Kagome smiled gently at the prospect that she could possibly touch Sesshoumaru's seemingly untouchable heart.

A/N: I know, I'm sorry the chapter is so short! And after I made you all wait for it! And on top of that, the chapter title was misleading! I thought it was appropriate, because Sesshoumaru was making her a proposal- giving her something to do... y'know... Oh well. The next chapter should be longer.

Also, just a quick cultural note: When Sesshoumaru says "thank you for the meal," he isn't thanking Kagome for the meal. It's a traditional phrase that the Japanese say when they finish their food. Laters!

Reviewer Responses:

Jessica L: Hahahahah! –pause- Hahahahaha!.! Dude, I am so saving that post, and reading it whenever I need a good laugh! I agree with you about the way the brothers fall in love…

Zookie Moon Princess: I'm taking my time with the storyline.. if it gets rushed, it will become unbelievable. And also, since you're curious, I'll let you in on something: I don't believe either of those outcomes for Inu Yasha. So… stay tuned!

Hanyouxmiko990: Yes, it is sad, isn't it? Well, this is what happened because of the masses who preferred more of an s/k story…

Midnight Faerie: Hey! What mean things to say! I'm not the one who killed her! I just write out what happens! Anyway, welcome back to reviewing. Please come again! (glad you like the story)

kitsune ninja: Yes, the Sesshoumaru/ rin-kagome thing will be addressed, but not as a major thing. I think that a big problem in fanfics is that the authors don't stick to what development Takahashi-sama has made in the characters already. For instance, from the moment Inu Yasha calls Kagome by name (episode…4, I think…), he recognizes that she's her own person (in my opinion, anyway). Of course, he still gets reminded of Kikyou just by looking at Kagome, but he realizes that she's her own person.Anyway, that was a very good question- it showed you put thought into my story, and that's a huge compliment! Thank you!

Beulah Page: one of the things that has already happened (before the alternate ending branch) was Kagome and Sesshoumaru's conversation concerning the similarities between her soul and Rin's… so I think she's aware of it- just not aware of the way it affects Sesshoumaru. I see what you mean about the authors sticking to what the readers want. It's very scary being an author! I was writing my IY/K ending for this fic, and everyone was like, "I'm just glad it's gonna be sess/kag in the end!" and I was thinking to myself, "OoooPs… you're gonna be disappointed!" And there's nothing worse than people not liking your work.

Thanks also to: hermonine, InuyashaGal, sheenachi (-pats you on the back- "there, there… it's okay…"), The Squabbit (You sure you wanna be Kagome? She's gotta make some nasty decisions…Thanks for reviewing!), Rin Willow (Hehe, judging from your name, I'm not surprised that you preferred the other ending!), toxiclollipop (welcome back! I missed you!) Demented Dope (welcome!), and whimsy (thank you very much!). You guys/girls are awesome!.!.! See you next chapter!