Disclaimer: don't own Inuyasha.

AN: Thanks . and Lady AngelDust, for the reviews ! I greatly appreciate them.

Terms to Know:

Chawan - tea bowl

Mizusashi - water container

Fukusa - silk cloth

Matcha - tea powder

Chaki - tea container (holds matcha)

Chashaku - tea scoop

Hishaku - bamboo water ladle

Kensui - waste water bowl

Chasen - tea whisk

Shokyaku - honourable first guest

Sugar With That?

Struggling down the hall as she walked to the specially selected room for Lord Sesshoumaru's session, she growled under her breath at how tired she was becoming from just walking from one building to the next. The blasted kimono was so unbelievably heavy, there were so many layers to this one. Note to self, next time, choose the kimono with the least layers. Stopping in front of the most expensive tearoom of the whole ochaya, Kagome bowed slightly to the youkai that stood guard of the room. Sucking in a deep breathe, she composed herself as best she could before sliding the door open and stepping into the room.

Sliding the shoji door shut, Kagome did a 180 turn before bowing low to the lord. Still bowing she waited and waited and waited and waited, for the lord to acknowledge her presence. What seemed like hours but was really two minutes, she slightly raised her head to peek through her bangs at the lord. Who… wasn't even there. Just great, the mans late for his own tea ceremony. Harrumphing to herself, she straightened out her posture and gave the room a quick once over.

Ambling over to the tea-table, she knelt down beside it placing her hands on her lap and bowed her head. Trying to remember everything she was supposed to do for the tea ceremony, which was a lot, she ran over all the finer details in her mind while waiting for the lord. Mumbling something under her breath, Kagome raised her eyes to stare at the little waterfall in the corner of the room. It was beautiful with grey rocks climbing up the top surrounding the crashing water, small koi fish swam in the depths of the water below.

Dragging her gaze to the rice paper doors when she saw the outline of a tall man, she rose from the floor and lowered herself into a bow. The shoji doors slid open then shut, as Sesshoumaru entered the room and bowed to her in acknowledgement.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, shokyaku, please sit beside me." Moving out of the way Kagome seated herself in the appropriate spot, then waited for Sesshoumaru to join her. When he had finally seated himself beside her, she proceed to give him a little bow of her head before she began the tea ceremony.

Gently picking up the fukusa Kagome began purifying the chaki and then proceeded to do the same to the chashaku. Focusing her mind on her task at hand, she concentrated as best she could to show the importance of her task to the Lord. A small smile gracing her lips when she was sure she had done it properly, she replaced the fukusa on the table. Using the hishaku to ladle some of the hot water into the chawan from the mizusashi. Grabbing the chasen, she proceeded to rinse it in the hot water before replacing it and pouring the hot water from the chawan into the kensui. Continuing she wiped the chawan with the chakin.

Glad she finished the preparations for the tea without hitch, she finally began to make the tea. Dumping three scoops of matcha into the chawan, she then ladled hot water into the bowl, lastly whisking in very deliberate and precise motions. Satisfied with her work Kagome lifted the chawan in both hands and carefully handed it to Sesshoumaru, who in turn received it before giving her a bow in thanks.

Taking the chawan with his right hand, Sesshoumaru elegantly placed it into his left hand. Turning the small bowl clockwise three times he stopped when the front of the bowl was no longer facing him and raised it to his lips. Sipping the tea for a few moments until there was but a little tea left in the chawan, Sesshoumaru gave a dignified slurp to show his enjoyment of the tea to his host. Wiping the spot where his lips had touched with his right hand he then turned it counter clockwise once before returning it to Kagome.

Kagome took the bowl and then laid it onto the table and bowed her head in thanks. Beaming with pride she couldn't help but smile at completing the ceremony without hitch until something hit her.

"Oh no! I was supposed to give you sweets before serving the tea." Dismayed at forgetting a step in the ceremony which had probably offended the lord greatly, she threw out apology after apology.

"Gomenasai, gomenasai, gomenas-"

"It is of no concern, this Sesshoumaru does not eat sweets." He cut her off.

Kagome stared at him a moment, another apology still hanging from her lips. "Uh… gomenasai?" Nodding her head, she cleaned up the slight mess she'd made when preparing the tea.

Silence soon filled the room as Sesshoumaru watched Kagome clean up. Kagome was becoming irked by the lord's staring but brushed the feeling away and continued to clean until the task was done. Leaning back from the table, she allowed a small coy smile to grace her face as she sat in the ever-lasting silence waiting for the lord to speak up… if that would ever happen.

When she realized the lord wouldn't be speaking anytime soon, Kagome decided she should at least make some sort of attempt.

"Would my Lord care to walk through the gardens?" she questioned, hoping he'd say yes. The room was slowing closing in on her and she didn't think she could stand the uncomfortable silence anymore.

"Hn."

#*-

Walking ahead of her, Sesshoumaru purposefully strode down the hall of the ochaya before stopping at the door leading to the outside and waited for her to catch up with him. When she finally reached his side, he pushed the door to the side before beckoning her forward and waited for her to slip through the door before he followed behind her. Here he would allow her to lead and him to follow because it was her domain.

Walking only a few feet behind her and at a slower pace so he wouldn't pass her, his eyes followed the sway of her dark blue hair as it began to loosen in its bun atop her head. He watched as tendril after tendril fell out of place until half her hair was done. The way her hair shone in the brilliant sun entranced him only a small bit as he wondered how soft her hair would feel against his claws.

Moving his gaze to the kimono she wore he noticed how she seemed to be struggling to walk in it, taking notice of the way her breathing was slightly erratic.

"This Sesshoumaru shall send another chest of kimonos, lighter ones, for you to wear. Since it is apparent that these ones are too heavy for you." He spoke, dragging her from her daydream.

Growing irritated by his tone, she almost snapped at him but quelled her anger before she did. "Arigatou, but if you prefer me in these it does not matter. You are the shokyaku of course and your wishes are what matter."

Noticing the way her aura had flashed an angry dark purple before returning to its normal lilac colour, he bit out. "This Sesshoumaru was not referring to your humanity. A chest will be sent here prior to my next visit."

Kagome nodded slightly at his words, inwardly reprimanding herself for becoming angry when he obviously meant nothing by it. Don't let your mask slip. Keep it cool, calm, and collected… pft this is you were talking about Kagome. Smiling at him she nodded her head once more with vigour before bringing her eyes back to the path carrying them to the gardens.

Sesshoumaru watched her with slight amusement as he continued to follow her. Reaching the gardens at last, he watched as she did a few twirls, a happy laugh tinkling from her mouth. He inhaled the scents of the garden around him, pleased that the okiya would keep one this stunning.

"I planted this garden myself you know, when I was younger and still a maiko." Kagome spoke.

Sesshoumaru watched her from the corner of his eye as he took in the gorgeous garden around him, it was certainly beautiful. No where near as beautiful as the garden on his estate, but beautiful none the less.

Seeing the appreciation in his eye, even though they looked the same, Kagome continued. "I always loved the beauty of flowers. When I first entered this okiya it looked nothing like this. It was so strict and dull. Somehow I was able to talk the former okami-san to allow me to plant a garden." Strolling up to her beloved Sakura tree, she raised her hand to it, settling it upon the bark.

"Okaa-san gave me a little patch of land, right in this spot actually to begin my small garden." She whispered, reminiscing at the old times. "I planted this exact Sakura tree here with the help of Sango. Then I planted a few flowers around it."

She laughed slightly, the sound a melody to Sesshoumaru's ears. "Okaa-san was so happy with it, she gave me the rest of the land and told me to build the most beautiful garden. That's exactly what I did." She smiled wistfully at the tree before turning to him.

"Now look what it has become, when spring comes and the flowers and Sakura tree bloom I always come out here and sit for many hours. Allowing the scent of the garden to imprint into my mind so I will have it when my flowers die down. When fall and winter come to the land of Japan, I hold the image of my garden dear to me until spring comes again. Then it all begins again."

The smile never left her face as she moved past him to another section of the garden, he followed her slowly to where she now stood in front of a flower bush. "Now you see my Lord. Once in a while I will send a scout out far into Japan to find me a new rare flower. It costs quite a bit yes, but this is the treat I give myself every year."

Kneeling to the ground she brushed her hand over a small dark purple flower which had yet to bloom. "I do not know the name of this flower, but it is beautiful. I call it the Moon Flower, because it only blooms upon the night of the new moon. I've only had it for but a moon cycle, but that was the one night it bloomed for me. And it was truly beautiful my Lord."

Sesshoumaru towered over her and silently observed her coddle the ugly flower. To him at least it was ugly. He would never understand females and flowers, to him it seemed the uglier the flower was the more they loved it. "This Sesshoumaru has a large garden of his own at the Western Castle, said to be the most beautiful in the land. Geisha, why is it that this flower is protected by a barrier… made of holy energy?"

Mulling over possible answers that wouldn't seem like lies she decided the truth would work the best. "It is to keep it safe from the hands of some of the more… troublesome residents of my okiya." Leaving the rest out she moved from the flower protected by a barrier to continue her stroll around the garden.

Sesshoumaru remained at the spot only a moment longer to glance down at the flower before he brushed the questions nagging at him and proceeded to follow.

#*-

The setting of the golden sun signalled the end of the Lord's session with Kagome. Over the rest of the time they had slowly walked the garden as she pointed out her most precious flowers and told him the stories behind how she got them. When she had grown tired from walking around the garden in the unbelievably heavy kimono, they had seated themselves on the bench below the Sakura tree, where they sat in silence.

The setting sun finally disappeared from sight as the moon rose high into the dark sky and shone down on the two. Sesshoumaru took his gaze from the full moon above and placed it onto the ningen beside him. He had observed a lot of things about the little woman, one being her scent. The geisha that had lined up for him the first time he'd visited the okiya all had pleasant scents, but on that encounter he had noticed that the ningen beside him smelled ten times better. Now being so close to her he could fully inhale her scent and realized how intoxicating and soothing it was. Her scent was that of the garden surrounding her, the exact duplicate but with the added hint of light rain.

He'd also noticed her appearance, when he'd told Jaken that she had to be beautiful he'd meant it. One of the geisha in the line-up had caught his attention, she'd somewhat resembled the geisha beside him, but was just a pale comparison to her. Where this geisha had a light tan, hair that was so black it was blue, her scent soothing and Persian blue eyes that struck him. The other geisha's skin was ivory if not pale, her hair a dark brown, her scent nothing special and her eyes a dull cold brown.

All the ningen he'd ever come across in Japan had brown eyes, but the one beside him had blue, but not only that her iris's were tinted silver. He would never admit it but the beauty of them surpassed those of all the geisha he could have chose from. Ripping his golden gaze from her person he returned it to the moon above him.

Kagome had noticed the way he'd been staring at her a moment ago, his eyes appraising her person. A light blush rose to her cheeks as she tried to ignore the feeling rising up in her. Ignore him Kagome, ignore him, ignore him, ignore him. She chanted the words in her mind like a mantra, willing herself to be indifferent to the way the daiyoukai stared at her. The blush only intensified as the way his eyes had been a moment ago flashed through her mind. Damnit! His gaze finally off her person, she sighed in relief, her blush slowly disappearing from her cheeks.

Realizing how late into the night it was Kagome rose from the bench and bowed to the lord still seated. "My Lord, I think it is time I escorted you to your private quarters so you can retire for the night." Walking ahead of him she strolled toward the special inn on the east of the okiya. She couldn't very well put him in

the normal inn where men stayed the night with oiran.

Entering the inn, she went ahead of him and climbed the stairs until she reached the top floor where there was one locked door. Removing a key from the inside of her obi, Kagome pushed it into the lock before twisting it. Pushing the door open she turned back to Sesshoumaru and bowed to him once again. "This will be your room for the night My Lord. We decided for a lord of your stature, the top floor would be the most appropriate. I hope you enjoyed your evening as I did, and rest well." Sweeping by him she proceeded down the stairs and out the building, leaving the daiyoukai to his own devices.

Sesshoumaru stepped into the room before shutting the door lightly behind him. Heading to the wall opposite the futon; he stripped himself of his haori, then his outer and inner jubans, leaving his chiselled chest bare, lastly he left his hakamas on. Proceeding to the futon, he laid himself down comfortably. Pulling his knee up in front of him, he placed his elbow atop it and his hand under his chin. His gaze fell upon the large painting across from him, ordained by the wall. Staring at the painting of crashing waves for a few moments before he closed his eyes, he leaned back against the wall of the room and allowed sleep to take him for the night.

#*- (the next day)

Yawning, Kagome rolled onto her back. Blue eyes peeked from under her bangs as she blinked her eyes open. The light nearly blinding her, she groaned before rolling back over to bury her face into the pillow on her futon.

Kaede who had been watching her the whole time smirked at her actions before picking up a small drumstick which she slammed into the gong hanging on from the wall. The loud sound crashed into the room as Kagome jumped from her bed and landed face first onto the ground beside the futon.

"'Tis truly sad, that after years of doing this Kagome, that ye still cant wake up on ye own. What would ye ever do without me?" Kaede grumbled, walking over to the pile of limbs on the floor. Grabbing her hands she hauled Kagome to her feet and gave her a stern slap on the back of the head.

"My Lord leaves soon, I want ye ready to bid him farewell by then." With that Kaede brushed past her and left a disgruntled Kagome behind.

#*-

Mumbling obscenities under her breath as she struggled to place on her kimono, Kagome hopping around the room as she attempted to ready herself in time for the lord's departure. Finally managing to get the kimono on properly and tie her obi, Kagome rushed to stuff her feet into her white tabi socks and geta sandals. Running to the small dresser in the corner of her room, she grabbed a brush to run through her hair and dipped her finger into a gel-like clear sheen. Rubbing a little of the sheen onto her lips to leave them slightly glossed, she dropped the brush back onto the dresser.

Leaving her chambers in a flurry of clothing, Kagome rushed down the hall of the okiya towards the entrance. Reaching the doors at last she paused to compose herself before she pushed the doors open and slipped down the stairs towards the gates of the okiya. Stopping beside Kaede who had a displeased look on her face, Kagome gave a nervous laugh before she turned back towards the okiya to wait for the lord to appear.

Her hands laced in front of her, she bowed when the lord finally appeared. Straightening herself she allowed a small smile to flutter onto her face. She watched as the lord reached them and gave a bow of his own.

"I hope your stay at the Chinatsu-Okiya was pleasant my Lord. I will be waiting your next visit." Kagome spoke.

"Hn. This Sesshoumaru will have the kimonos sent within the next moon cycle." When he was finished, Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to the little green imp by his side who moved forward to grab a hold of his hakamas. A demonic cloud formed under his feet as he rose into the air from his spot and shot forward, gone from the area within seconds.

Kagome stared off at where the lord had shot to, smiling gently. At least I wont have to dread his visits, he seems… pleasant. "Come Kaede, we have much to do today."

Kaede glanced at her okaa-san, a knowing smile on her lips. "Hai, Kagome. There is much to do."

AN: Yes I know, this chapter was kind of boring but it will get better I promise. The two will soon get used to each others company and then the real sparks shall fly !