Disclaimer: No, still don't own Inuyasha or any of Rumiko Takahashi's characters.

AN: Well, I wanted to thank all of who commented on this story. I know I don't normally do this, but I figured you'd rather get the chapter than wait for me to reply to all your kind reviews. A big THANK YOU for all your encouragement and support. I really appreciate it.

Chapter 21

Last time:

"Oh, no!" Maika exclaimed and crawled closer to them. They had all forgotten the flowers for the moment. "I want to hear this one. A kitten robe?"

"We didn't have anything he would be willing to wear. You think he's arrogant now, you should have seen him then. Well, I found my largest bathrobe for him to wear while his kimono was cleaned, but it happened to be one with kittens all over it," Kagome explained, covering her brother's mouth with her hand.

"And you can't tell him we told you, because I promised I wouldn't. Inuyasha doesn't even now about it."

Maika grinned evilly. "I wish I could have seen that."

Sota bit Kagome's hand, and when she released him in shock, he exclaimed, "I took a picture!"

Kagome tackled her brother to the ground and hissed, "Shut up!"

Maika's smile grew wider. Sota pushed Kagome off and ran up the stairs as he shouted, "Kagome keeps a copy in her desk drawer!"

"Have you been snooping in my room, you little brat?!" Kagome hollered as she chased after him. "Don't you dare go in my room!"

Maika was on her feet, followed closely by Reiku and Mrs. Higurashi. When they got to Kagome's room, she was chasing Sota around in circles. He dodged and feinted like a pro, waving a photograph in the air. He tossed it to Maika as he passed.

xxxxxx

"So, did you like it?" the janitor asked cordially. He tipped his hat back to scratch his forehead and said, "When Mr. Iwahashi told me they were going to get it polished and cleaned as your wedding gift, I was more than happy to help. I may not see you much and most of you business folk never even notice me, but I've always been a bit partial to you. Good to see young guys shaking it up for these older fellows. Congratulations on the wedding, too."

Sesshomaru nodded curtly to the man's respectful bow. "Thank you. I appreciate your help in the matter."

The janitor grinned broadly and waved goodbye to them.

"So, I guess Iwahashi was acting alone. That mortal wasn't lying," Inuyasha said as they headed back out to the street.

Sesshomaru's face was set in a stoic mask again, but his lips were drawn into an angry line. "My strength has returned. I believe it is time to visit my old business ally. Such a dishonorable act will be punished accordingly."

"Well, I don't think he has any other engagements for the evening," Inuyasha remarked.

They returned to the Higurashi shrine in silence, but the sounds of spirited laughter greeted them before they had even ascended the shrine steps. They exchanged curious looks and continued on into the house. Sesshomaru halted abruptly just before entering. Inuyasha nearly ran into his back, but held back a complaint when he noticed the odd look on his brother's face. He had regained his strength and composure and erected his detached façade, but it flickered for a moment, like ripples on the surface of a pond, and a warmth and awe shone through. Those firmly set lips twitched into a slight smile and those golden eyes softened slightly.

Inuyasha followed his brother's gaze, wondering what it was that had caused this chink in the emotionless armor. He was both surprised and not surprised to see the pretty wind youkai and the cheerful little girl laughing and smiling and surrounded by the Higurashi family. The hanyou snickered quietly and said, "You're drooling like a lovesick puppy, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru glanced at Inuyasha. His smile faded, but the warmth lingered in his eyes. "Love is no sickness, little brother. When you realize this, you'll have your miko."

Inuyasha sniffed and crossed his arms, then led the way into the room. As soon as they made their presence known, the group turned as one and fixed them with very broad, unnerving smiles.

Inuyasha snarled at them and demanded, "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," they all quickly replied and found other things to occupy their interest.

Reiku ran over and gave Sesshomaru a hug around his legs. "I missed you."

He patted her head gently in acknowledgement. Maika looked him over and said, "It's good to see you back to normal."

He nodded his head once, already fully into his vengeful lord role with every emotion carefully tucked away behind a cold mask.

"Are you going to call the police on that man now?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. The others, with the exception of Sesshomaru, shifted nervously and wouldn't look at the woman.

"He will face judgment for his crimes, yes," Sesshomaru told her and followed his nose to the room where Iwahashi was being kept. He flung the door open with a grand sweep of his arm, though the effect was somewhat diminished by the lack of flow from the t-shirt's short sleeves.

Iwahashi was a mess. He reeked from sweat and urine, and his clothes were extremely disheveled, both from his entrapment as well as his all-night preparations for the attack. He was currently asleep, firmly tied with Sesshomaru's no longer immaculate fur.

The youkai growled low and said, "You tied me up with rope, yet saw fit to keep him bound with my pelt?"

Inuyasha shrugged, a shameless grin on his face. "Hey, it was all I had at the time."

"Well, you have rope now. Go get it and bind him properly," Sesshomaru told him.

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Keh! I'm not your servant. Fetch it yourself."

"Stop it, Inuyasha," Kagome grumbled and then handed him a rope. "There, problem solved."

Inuyasha complained steadily as he removed the fur and threw it at his brother, then proceeded to tie the man with the rope.

"So, what are you going to do with him, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked. "You know you cannot kill, maim or torture him at the shrine. Not to mention you're having your wedding here tomorrow."

Sesshomaru stared at his fur, holding it out a bit from himself. "I shall take him to the presiding lord's lands to have his case tried."

"Oh," Kagome said, clearly surprised. "And who is the presiding lord?"

"Me," Sesshomaru informed her. Maika came up behind him and took the fur from him.

"I'll make sure to wash it," she said. "And if you're going out to your family estate, will you find Reiku's doll? She left it last time we were there and has been asking for it."

Sesshomaru smiled in spite of himself, recalling another time he'd had to search for that prodigal doll. "I shall retrieve it for her."

A raspy moan from Iwahashi drew their attention. He slowly woke, blinking his eyes. He yawned broadly and started upon seeing a group of people standing around him. His eyes widened when they fell on Sesshomaru and he gasped, "You! I- I killed you."

Sesshomaru glanced down at himself and said, "Then I would say your ability to kill rivals your ability to run a business. And yet you make my task so simple for me, so you confess to the attempt on my life?"

"It was you," Iwahashi hissed at Inuyasha. "You interfered. I would have slain the beast if you had not stopped me."

"Don't you dare speak of my mate like that," Maika snapped viciously, brandishing her fan as a warning.

Iwahashi looked at her now and licked his lips. "Don't you see? He's lied to you. Look at him. He's not even human."

"Yeah, I know he's not human," she told him.

"Is his money worth that much to you that you'd risk your life?" Iwahashi pressed. "Find another billionaire, one that's not a monster."

Maika's ruby eyes narrowed and her knuckles went white around her fan. "What did I tell you about how you speak of my mate?"

With a flick of her wrist she sent a single blade of wind crashing into the ground beside him. Iwahashi screamed and cringed to the side. "You- you're one, too!"

"I love him whether he is a youkai or a human," Maika told him, "and he feels the same about me. You will not malign our relationship even if it is out of ignorance, or I'll make sure you're a few inches shorter with my next shot."

Sesshomaru laid a hand on her arm, "Easy, love. He shall be judged and punished accordingly, no need to trouble yourself over his corpse."

Maika glared at the man, but said nothing further.

"Keh, he just admitted he was guilty," Inuyasha said, unsheathing his sword and transforming it with a flick of his wrist. "You want I should take off his head with Tetsusaiga?"

"No, brother," Sesshomaru said in voice that made the temperature drop a few degrees. "He wished to involve himself in the youkai world, he shall face youkai judgment as any criminal would. He forfeited his humanity and honor when he plunged a sword into the back of an unconscious business rival. Human law is not sufficient in such a case."

Tetsusaiga lowered and Inuyasha pouted. "I never get to use this here."

"How long will it take to bring my case before this youkai court?" Iwahashi demanded. "You can't keep me in this closet forever you know."

"It is to be done at my discretion," Sesshomaru replied, "but seeing as I have more important affairs to attend to tomorrow, I shall see this done tonight.

"We leave at once. Inuyasha, I request your attendance as a witness."

Inuyasha shrugged and sheathed Tetsusaiga. "Whatever. Let's just go already, this human really smells."

"Indeed. Maika…?" Sesshomaru turned around, but she was gone. He frowned, sensing some sort of distress from her. Likely she had a sick spell and had gone to lie down. It would be best for them to reside the night in their own home this evening. All the more reason to hurry and be done with Iwahashi.

xxxxxxxx

"What the hell was that?" Iwahashi gasped in a shaky voice as the light of Sesshomaru's ball of energy receded. Sesshomaru dropped him and Inuyasha on the lawn of his estate and set off briskly towards the entrance. Inuyasha stood there, his ears twitching, and looked back and forth between Iwahashi and his brother.

"Come, Inuyasha."

"But-?"

"The servants will retrieve him," Sesshomaru explained. "I wish to find something more appropriate to wear."

Inuyasha chuckled as he caught up with his brother, both ignoring Iwahashi's protests.

"What? That shirt's a good look for you. The thought of you cooking…terrifying."

Sesshomaru ignored the remark and ordered two servants to fetch Iwahashi as he stepped inside. He continued down the hall, sniffing every so often. Abruptly, he spun and went down a dark corridor. Inuyasha followed silently. Suddenly, Sesshomaru dropped to his knees and bent to reach beneath a bench.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded as he watched his brother almost crawl beneath the bench.

Sesshomaru felt around for a moment, then pulled a familiar doll out. Inuyasha grinned, while his brother continued on as if nothing had happened.

"You know, it's getting easier and easier to see you as a father," Inuyasha said. "Maybe your kid won't be a screwed up asshole like you after all."

"Hmm," Sesshomaru replied. He led Inuyasha to a small room near his own and opened a closet inside.

"Inuyasha, I asked you here for a reason other than Iwahashi," Sesshomaru finally said.

He handed the hanyou the doll and retrieved a very elegant kimono from inside. With a flourish he laid it over his arm to display the fine silk to Inuyasha. It was a deep red color with the same honeycomb and flower crests that adorned the kimono Sesshomaru wore in the past, while the inside was decorated with various scenes depicting what Inuyasha assumed was their father, a great white dog that did not have a crescent moon on his forehead.

"Um, yep, that's a kimono," Inuyasha said, unsure of why his brother was showing him this. "Are you asking if I think it will look good on you tomorrow?"

Sesshomaru patiently shook his head. "I have a wardrobe for tomorrow's ceremony. I am assuming, you, however, intend to wear that?" He indicated the fire rat with his hand.

Inuyasha looked down at himself. "Well, yeah, I am not putting on any of those ridiculous things like you wear to that office."

"I would not ask you to," Sesshomaru told him. "Human weddings tend to be as traditional if not more so than youkai ceremonies. I am giving this to you to wear tomorrow. It was Father's and bears the crest of our family. It is the customary dress for special occasions in our house. I wore it myself when I came of age."

"Keh, I wasn't made for fine silks, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha told him self-consciously. "That would be like putting it on a swine in its pen."

"Silence!" Sesshomaru barked. "You will not speak of Father's son in such a manner. I, wrongfully, have done that more than enough, and I will tolerate it no longer. Father's bloodline is an honor you should bear responsibly. You will honor your father and not speak ill of his son."

"Keh, I ain't gonna stop calling you asshole," Inuyasha muttered, hiding his embarrassment behind feigned grouchiness.

"It is only speaking ill if it is not true," Sesshomaru pointed out. "As I am deserving of the title, I shall bear it until I have proven myself otherwise in your eyes."

Inuyasha flushed. "Keh, fine, I'll wear the stupid thing if it means so much to you."

Sesshomaru nodded and closed the closet. He called a servant and asked them to wrap the kimono for them to take with them.

"You may follow me if you wish, or go ahead and wait for me in the courtyard," Sesshomaru told him, taking the doll back as he walked into the hall.

"Keh, I don't know where anything is in this place," Inuyasha said.

"I am going to change," Sesshomaru informed him.

"But I'm sure I can find it."

xxxx

When Sesshomaru stepped into the courtyard flanked by two servants, Inuyasha nearly drew Tetsusaiga. His brother looked almost exactly as he did during the feudal era except for the missing fur and no armor. The flowing sleeves of his usual white kimono billowed gracefully in the breeze as did his long white hair. He wore Tenseiga at his waist, and his face was hard and held no spark of any emotion, neither hatred nor anger. It was a striking and beautifully powerful image, and Inuyasha couldn't help the sense of pride that filled him. That was his brother. The great lord of the western lands, who called him pack and brother.

Inuyasha realized he was grinning stupidly at his brother and hurriedly dropped his gaze to the ground. Iwahashi, kneeling in stocks on a small platform, fell silent as Sesshomaru approached.

"Daiginkeiko, is this some kind of joke?" the man demanded once Sesshomaru stopped in front of him. He waved his hands at the wooden device that held him trapped by his neck and wrists. "I thought youkai had some kind of court system like civilized people, not this barbaric medieval nonsense."

"You are here to face trial before the ruling lord of these lands," one of the servants said sternly. "You will address him with both the respect and propriety that his station merits, human. It is an unusual honor to have this process granted to mortal filth by Sesshomaru-sama, and you will recognize this."

Iwahashi gaped at the three youkai before him. "Lord? This is the twenty-first century. Lords are a thing of the past. Obsolete."

"Silence, human!" the other guard snapped and in an instant he was standing beside Iwahashi with a very sharp sword against his neck.

Iwahashi stiffened. "This isn't fair. I have no lawyer, no defense. Have you no sense of justice?"

Sesshomaru looked at him apathetically. "My word is justice in my domain, human. Do you now deny that you attempted to take my life without provocation? My brother is a witness to the contrary, as is the fact that I investigated your actions this very day and found the evidence incriminating."

"Very funny, Daiginkeiko," Iwahashi shouted. "You might as well kill me and be done with it rather than go through with this mockery of established human practice."

Sesshomaru moved faster than the eye could follow to stand beside Iwahashi. His claws gripped the man beneath the chin and he squeezed hard enough to drive the tips of his claws into the flesh.

"Were you not told to address me with my proper title?" he asked in a detached tone and released a single drop of poison into the man's face. His howl pierced the silence, and Inuyasha winced a little. "And to acknowledge the fact that it is a high honor to receive such attention from me? If you continue the brutish practices of your kind in this rudeness at my generosity, I will forgo the formalities and make your death as excruciatingly painful and long as is possible for a mere mortal."

Sesshomaru released the man and flicked the bloodied mess from the claw that had released the poison. Iwahashi wept and tried in vain to cover the gaping wound in his cheek.

"Please, I beg you mercy," Iwahashi whimpered. "Surely a great lord such as yourself is known for his mercy as well as his great power and intelligence? I was wrong in my actions and I will do anything you ask of me. My company is yours, all my assets. Please. Mercy."

"You insult my intelligence with your groveling, Iwahashi," Sesshomaru said.

"It wasn't my idea," Iwahashi cried. "It was the rat, Nezumi. He told me about youkai, that you were a youkai. He gave me the powder to burn and told me how to use it. Mercy, please, spare my life and I'll take you to him. I am your humble servant, please, just spare my life."

"You did not seem so humble when you plunged a sword into my back like a coward, or when you insulted my mate as though she were a common human whore."

With each accusation Sesshomaru opened a stinging cut across the man's back with his whip. The smell of blood, tears and urine was strong. Flayed flesh hung from Iwahashi's back along with the tattered ruins of his clothing. Another flick of the whip freed him of the stocks. Iwahashi hunched over, hugging himself and whimpering.

"Thank you, thank you," he chanted, but Sesshomaru silenced him.

"Do not think I grant you any leniency, human. You wished to face me and defeat a monster. Then face the beast and in death restore what little amount of honor self-defense might grant you."

Sesshomaru nodded to the servants, and they laid their swords and spears before Iwahashi, then retreated to the courtyard's entryway. Inuyasha watched on, reclining leisurely in the low limbs of a tree. He was enjoying the show, but still sulking a little. He really had hoped Sesshomaru would let him take at least one good swing with Tetsusaiga, but it looked like his brother was enjoying himself too much.

Iwahashi chose a sword and lifted it with two shaking arms, holding it more like a shield before him than a weapon. He looked fearfully at Sesshomaru, awaiting the youkai's first move. Sesshomaru stared the human down and then released completely his youki. The air surged around in great, writhing coils, whipping his hair and kimono wildly about him. His eyes glowed red and widened as his features contorted until a cloud of dust enveloped him.

The earth shook, knocking Iwahashi to his feet as Sesshomaru's massive paw struck the ground. When the air cleared, Sesshomaru towered over the entire area, his body tensed for battle and his massive maw open, revealing the glistening fangs. Iwahashi gazed up at him, completely entranced by the sight before him, then Sesshomaru snapped his jaws at the man in challenge.

Iwahashi threw the sword down and screamed, drawing himself into a fetal ball. Sesshomaru snorted, nearly rolling the man over with the force, then swatted him across the ground with a paw. His claws, longer and thicker than swords in this form, impaled him as they tossed him across the area. Bones snapped and blood poured, yet still the man lived, screaming and babbling incoherently now.

Inuyasha sighed. It was going to be over too quickly. That man had been a fool to think he could take on Sesshomaru.

The giant dog pounced and snapped the man almost in half with his massive jaws. The poison saliva ate away at his nearly severed torso slowly, and still the man twitched and screamed. Disgusted, the massive youkai shook his head and returned to his humanoid form.

"Pathetic. Clean his mess once he has fully died. Under no circumstances are you to assist his passing."

The servants nodded their understanding as Sesshomaru glided past. Inuyasha, surprised at his brother's abrupt departure, ran after him.

"Hey, I thought you were going to toy with him a little longer?"

Sesshomaru frowned and increased his pace. "Something has come up of greater importance."

"Is it Maika? Is she okay?" Inuyasha asked. He ignored the servant who handed him the wrapped kimono, and absently tucked it into his fire rat.

Sesshomaru's frown deepened. "She is well, but distressed over something. I must return as quickly as possible."

That said, he picked up Inuyasha and shot across the sky in his energy ball, bound for Tokyo as fast as he could go. Inuyasha shifted, uncomfortable with his brother's incredible youki cackling against him. It was nervous energy, too.

"I've never seen you like this. So caring. I just don't get it. For centuries you hated everyone and everything, or at least it seemed like it. How does she do it? How does she make you drop everything at a hint of distress from her? How does she make you smile even when you try to hide it? How did she make you, of all people, fall in love?" A silence weighed between them, then Inuyasha added, "And most importantly, how the heck does she put up with you? I mean you're a stuck-up, uptight asshole and she's, well, she's fun, a little wild, and so free."

"You know more about the answers to those questions than I, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru finally replied. "You are correct. For centuries I avoided and shunned love, thought it useless because I had not known it until recently."

Inuyasha frowned slightly as if trying to process this. He heard a soft sigh from Sesshomaru.

"I do not know if I can explain it to you, brother, since you already know and have always known love. Father and your mother loved you. The dead miko loved you, as does Kagome. Your companions love you. But that love was coupled with hate. The hatred of youkai and humans alike for what you are, a hanyou. And perhaps that is what blinds you to the love you already possess and what prevents you from understanding me now.

"True, Maika is not like myself. She is 'fun' and 'free' as you put it. I am not these things, at least not without her. She does not make me smile; she is my smile. She did not make me fall in love, she is my love."

Inuyasha frowned, only more confused.

Sesshomaru growled his frustration this time. "You know what I am saying, Inuyasha. I have seen the same in you as you see in me. However, you have yet to realize it. Think on my words, and when the time is right, you will see."

When they got to the shrine, they noticed the harsh, sterile light of news cameras illuminated the entire yard. Maika was immediately visible, her charm activated. She tapped her fan smartly against her chin, a sign of her great agitation.

To avoid detection, they landed behind the house and activated their charms before approaching. Inuyasha went straight into the house to check on the others while Sesshomaru marched over to the frenzied reporters that had cornered his mate like prey. He was hard pressed not to let his anger overpower the charm. Extreme sadness and frustration poured into him through the mating bond. That could not be healthy for her or their pup.

He kept this all firmly locked away as he approached the cameras. Maika turned, but seeing him hadn't calmed her at all. To his utter confusion, she grew even sadder and he could smell the building tears.

"Mr. Daiginkeiko, what are your plans once you become a married man?" a reporter asked and shoved a microphone under his nose. It took physical restraint not to melt the damn thing.

"I have no comment as my personal life is my affair," he replied coolly and snaked an arm around Maika, in an effort to comfort her.

"So, then, is there a prenuptial agreement?" another reported pressed. "With a man as well off as yourself these are common."

Maika's sadness spiked and he could smell the tears about to spill now. He ground his fangs together. "There will be no further questions. You will leave at once and cease harassing my fiancé and myself. Channel six, for your rude and inappropriate question I am revoking my permission to your station to be admitted to the reception. Leave!"

This last word was punctuated by a spectacular spray of sparks as one of the large portable lights exploded. Sesshomaru flexed his fingers, retracting his whip before it was seen. He then turned and escorted Maika away and into the Higurashi house. She took a deep shuddering breath once her face was away from the cameras, and two large tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

He shut the door behind him, quietly glad the entryway was empty, and pulled Maika to him. She pushed away, though, and dried her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Is that how everyone sees me?" she demanded suddenly. "Is that what I am? Some gold digger looking to get set for life."

"Do not trouble yourself over the ridiculous questions a foolish reporter poses," Sesshomaru told her.

"Oh?" she retorted. "It's not just the reporters. It's in the magazines, the newspapers, Iwahashi even thought that's what I was." She walked over to the table and lifted a glossy magazine.

"Here it is, a rather clever title actually, 'Bringing in the Benjamins, Bimbo Lands Billionaire'. A fascinating analysis on how I can benefit financially from marrying you."

She turned her back to him again. "You know I would sign one of those prenuptials. I don't want your money, I want you. I love you."

Sesshomaru couldn't stand to see her so upset over something so trivial. She wasn't normally one to care what others thought. Just as Inuyasha had said, she was a free, happy spirit, who brought him joy and happiness that he so often denied himself. He wrapped her in a strong embrace and nuzzled her ear affectionately.

"Foolish woman" he murmured softly, "you do know that I love you as well, and I will ask for no such silly thing to appease a few rumors started by the mortal community."

He growled low as he held her to him and gently stroked her hair in an effort to soothe her. They stood like that for a while. Sesshomaru refused to let her go until she calmed. Her tense silence turned to crying, then that finally ebbed into the occasional sniff. She lay against him now, and he felt her going limp. Easily he swooped her into his arms and carried her into the living area where Inuyasha, Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi were still awake and waiting.

"Is she okay?" Kagome asked fearfully. "I didn't want to let her go out there, but she insisted it was better to chase them off now rather than tomorrow."

Sesshomaru nodded once, and to his surprise Inuyasha stepped in to spare Maika another inquisition, no matter how loving and concerned this one was. "Reiku is asleep upstairs in Sota's room. If you want to stay, Mrs. Higurashi has offered her bed again, or if you'd rather go home you can leave Reiku with us."

Sesshomaru wanted to have an evening of privacy before the stress of tomorrow, but he sensed that Maika was too stressed still to travel that far with him in his energy right now, and they had not come in a vehicle. He considered calling a limo, when Mrs. Higurashi put a hand on his back and pushed him towards the stairs.

"You two rest," she insisted. "You'll need it for tomorrow. Go on up and take care of her."

Sesshomaru complied in silence. He carried her up the stairs and laid her on the bed. He thanked Mrs. Higurashi and closed the door, but as he slid onto the bed beside her, Maika opened her eyes and said, "I'm sorry, for overreacting like that. I know we love one another and I shouldn't have let them get to me like that."

"No, love, when someone slights our bond you react fiercely and protectively, as you did when Iwahashi insulted me. That is honorable and a sign that our bond is truly strong." He placed his hand on her stomach and added, "And a sign that Reiku and this pup are in good hands."

She rolled over and took his face in her hands, tracing the stripes on his cheeks with her thumbs. She held him in a loving gaze for a moment, then pulled him closer and kissed him.

"Thank you," she whispered, then turned over and curled up against him. "Goodnight."

He kissed her neck and secured her against him with his arm in response.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Your brother left already, didn't he?" Kagome asked as she returned from the bathroom wearing her pajamas and a towel wrapped around her wet hair.

Inuyasha sat on her bed, staring at a lumpy bundle on his lap. He started and looked up at her, though his gaze was still distant. "Hmm? Yeah, I guess so."

Kagome sighed and sank onto the bed beside him. "What's this?" she asked, pulling the package from his lap and untying it.

"Hey," Inuyasha exclaimed, "Give that back. Who said you could open it?"

Kagome ignored him and lifted the beautiful kimono from its wrapping. She gasped. "Oh my gosh! That's gorgeous. Did Sesshomaru give this to you?"

"Keh, he forced it on me, said I should wear that rather than my fire rat," Inuyasha explained grudgingly.

"Is that your father?" she asked, pointing at one of the scenes inside.

"I think so. Sesshomaru said it was very old and special. He wore it when he came of age."

Kagome hurriedly handed it to him and pushed the package, still containing a black pair of hakamas and an obi, into his lap. He could smell the salt as she wiped her eyes. "Oh, Inuyasha, you will look so handsome in that. I'm so glad you and your brother have been able to make amends. You should hurry and shower, so you can dress. The ceremony will start in couple of hours, and you don't want to be late."

She stood and took the towel from her head so she could brush it.

Inuyasha was about to protest, when Mrs. Higurashi burst into the room and hauled him up by his elbow. The kimono fell to the bed. "Your turn, mister, you're the last one."

She dragged him into the bathroom and shoved a towel into his arms. After a bit of uncertainty, Inuyasha managed to get clean. Kagome then dragged him back into her room where she proceeded to dry his hair with her blowing machine. He almost fell asleep beneath the gentle strokes of her brush and the tender brush of her fingers through his hair and around his ears.

"Okay, now get dressed," she ordered and abruptly left the room.

Still fighting the effects of her grooming, Inuyasha stretched and found the fancy kimono. Why did women get so crazy and demanding when it came to weddings? It must have been some instinct.

He dressed quietly, then stood looking at his reflection in Kagome's mirror. He almost didn't recognize himself. The fine silks hung from his frame as though they had been tailored for him, and it was so soft and smooth. Like Kagome's skin, he thought with a blush. Even his hair didn't look like his own. It was smoother, each hair neatly in its place like Sesshomaru's always seemed to be.

He had to admit he looked rather handsome and suave, two feelings he rarely ever encountered and wasn't quite sure of how to handle them. So he fell back to his customary gruff indifference and muttered, "Keh!" to his reflection.

"Wow, you look so nice," Kagome said as she came in.

Inuyasha wanted to say the same for her, but his mouth went suddenly dry and the capacity for speech failed him the moment he saw her. Nice wouldn't describe her. Not even gorgeous or beautiful would work. She was perfect. Her hair was pulled up in a simple arrangement that left a few wispy tendrils around her neck and face. She wore a traditional kimono as well, not as fine or old as the one he wore, but the silk itself was the least of his concerns. The way it hugged her curves and accentuated her femininity had him almost panting.

She smiled broadly at him and came closer. Almost in a panic, he backed away, unsure if he trusted himself around her. Ignoring this, she leaned forward and twined her arms around his neck as she planted a sweet, simple kiss on his lips. His hands came up of their own accord and gripped her arms, pulling her more firmly against himself as he deepened the kiss.

Mine! his instincts roared as he claimed her lips, but he forced them back for now. Neither of them were ready for that step yet, and he certainly didn't want to savagely force Kagome into anything. What they shared was much more special than that, and if there was something greater in store for them, then it would come of its own good time. Preferably after Naraku was pushing up daisies.

Finally, Kagome broke the kiss to take a breath. Her face was flushed and her eyes glowed. "Very handsome," she added with an alluring smile.

Inuyasha swallowed hard. She still filled his senses, and his mind reeled. Amazing that this one girl could have such power over him. And this power had nothing to do with the rosary.

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Across Tokyo, another silver haired inu was having a similar reaction. His mate sat on the edge of the bed wearing no more than her undergarments, very tiny and strategically lacy undergarments. Her dark hair was swept up from her neck and shoulders, revealing an enticing expanse of her smooth skin.

She was busy with something and didn't seem to notice him, so with a feral grin, Sesshomaru began to stalk his prey. He crept silently around the bed and was about to lean down and claim her neck and shoulders with his lips when what she was doing caught his attention.

A very familiar frame and even more familiar picture was in her hand and Maika was setting it gently on the nightstand. He reached out to snatch it way, but she jerked it out of his reach.

"Uh, uh, not until I have your word that you will not destroy it," she teased and stood on the bed with the picture behind her back. She was grinning madly, and without clothes Sesshomaru could see her muscles tensed to defend her prize.

He scowled at her. "Why on earth would you want to keep something like that? An utterly ridiculous picture, which reminds me that I now need to kill a certain nosy miko."

"It's cute," Maika argued. "And I took it against Kagome's wishes, so don't you dare blame her."

"At least you removed it from her possession," Sesshomaru said. "Now let me destroy it."

He lunged for her gently, and she dodged, leaping lightly from the bed to the floor and stood in front of their dresser. "You still think I cannot catch the wind?" he asked in a husky voice.

Maika shivered, and he grinned when he smelled her arousal. She blushed once she realized what he was smelling and waved the picture in the air. He moved faster than the eye could follow, taking the picture from her grasp with one hand and drawing her to him for a rough kiss with the other.

She gasped, her face flushed and her breathing ragged when he let her go. He smirked down at her in triumph as he melted the picture with his claws. Maika didn't make a move, instead she just grinned at him and said, "Perhaps you can catch the wind, but you can't outsmart it."

Before Sesshomaru realized what was going on, Maika pulled something from behind her on the dresser and threw it around his shoulders. Taking advantage of his shock, she put his arms in the sleeves and stripped him of his pants and underwear.

Sesshomaru glanced down at the pastel kittens playing, while Maika backed up and dusted her hands. "What do I need the picture for, when I have the original to look at? Though if you think that was the only copy, you are not as clever as you think you are."

She licked her lips and said, "You will wear that tonight."

Sesshomaru growled and lifted her gently into his arms and set her on the bed. "I will agree to this absurd request, if you…" His claws strayed to the straps of her bra and panties and mimed cutting them off. "…will be wearing that."

Maika almost purred as she strained up to kiss his jaw. "I believe that sounds fair. You have a deal. Now come, we can't be late for our own wedding."