Summary: Two months after the well's sealing up, Mama Higurashi reaches out to her brother-in-law for a favor. She hopes that sending Kagome to the school he heads will help improve her daughter's dispirited mood, and he vehemently approves of the idea. When Kagome begins to receive roses paired with reminders of her past, she fears things might not be as finished as she had once believed.

Pairing: Kaname x Kagome

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belong to their rightful owner.

Chapter One

Kagome stood, watching the older woman across from her with widened eyes. Overall, her mother seemed to be pleased by the news she had just relayed to her, but Kagome was still attempting to absorb it.

"Aren't you happy, Kagome?" Kun-Loon asked her daughter as she set her palms on her daughter's shoulders. "You haven't seen your uncle in such a long time, and, since you're done with the quest for the jewel, I figured this would be a great chance for you to get some fresh air!"

Kagome blinked and downcasted her gaze to avoid meeting her mother's stare as the older woman continued to speak.

"Getting away from the shrine will do you some good, too," she continued in a softer voice. She affectionately squeezed Kagome's shoulders and pulled a brighter smile onto her face. "You've been so despondent lately, and I'm worried that it might be the well causing you to be like that. You can go and finally put all of that in your past."

Kagome stared at her sock-clad feet, and a frown pulled her lips into a downward curve. She appreciated her mother's efforts, but…

"I wish you would have talked to me about it before making this decision on your own, Mama," Kagome cut in abruptly. Knowing her uncle, he had most likely already begun preparing for her to arrive, as well as told Yuki about her coming, too.

In short, there was no way she could just back out of it without providing some sort of disappointment to someone.

"You would have found any and every reason under the sun to avoid doing it if I did it that way, Kagome," Kun-Loon stated. "You don't need to be arguing with me over this. You need to go to a place where you can breathe without having the pressure of the well always around you. I know it might sound odd, but I'm still worried about you. You might not be fighting demons every other day, but I still get so worried when I see you looking so sad." She was answered by Kagome's silence, and she stepped towards her so she could pull her into a tight hug. "I believe some time away is just what you need right now. You miss all your friends, I know, but you can't just sit around and mull over everything."

"..."

"Your uncle mentioned that he would start getting everything ready for you right after he got off the phone, so you should leave tomorrow evening." Kun-Loon stepped away from her daughter, but she squeezed her shoulders once more before fully releasing her. "Come on, dear, I'll help you pack all of the things you'll need to take with you."

Kagome watched as her mother left the kitchen to start on her way toward her bedroom upstairs. Once the older woman was out of the room, Kagome let out a tired sigh as she pressed her hands against her face. She combed her fingers through her bangs as she pushed them back out of her eyes.

Even though she was sorta annoyed over having all of this decision without any of her own input, she couldn't deny that the thought of seeing Yuki and her uncle again did sound nice. It had been forever since she had last seen them, so it would be something long overdue.

She let her arms fall back down to rest freely at her sides as she finally began to follow the path her mother had taken upstairs. Even with her small collection of positive thoughts in her head, her steps were heavy and reluctant. It had only been two months since the well had gotten sealed up, so, of course, she would still be adjusting to being back. It didn't help any that she missed the faces of her friends and companions from the past. Leaving wouldn't do anything to fix it. All it would do is just put space between her and what was once her portal to the past and all of them.

Still, even if she believed that she couldn't just demand not to go. Her uncle and cousin knew of her impending arrival, and her mother also seemed to be enthusiastic about her going to get some time away. Letting all three of them down wouldn't leave her feeling particularly happy, either.

For now, it just seemed to be for the best if she went along with it.

The large school she stared up at filled her with an odd feeling. It was already late at night, and she attempted to ignore that feeling in her chest.

She made her way down the walkway with a medium-sized bag slung over her shoulder. Despite her mother's protests, she ended up bringing her bow and quiver of arrows along with her just to be on the safe side. The silence of the night surrounded her as she walked, and the brisk air brushed along her skin. The rest of her luggage had already arrived prior to her own arrival, and she was curious as to where it had been put.

"Kagome!"

The raven-haired girl came to a sudden halt at hearing her name get called. Not even a second later, another girl appeared in front of her, and Kagome nearly ended up dropping her bag to the ground out of surprise. It was quiet between the two of them, each one staring the other down before the new arrival broke it.

"Ah… you are Kagome, right?"

Yuki stared at the woman she assumed to be her cousin. At spotting the new figure walking into the school grounds, she had automatically thought it to be her cousin, but now she was left recalling how long it had been since they had last seen one another. Any worry she felt left her when she noticed how the girl offered her a familiar smile.

"Yuki, it's so nice to see you again!" Kagome let her bag drop to the ground gently as she took a step closer to the other girl. They threw their arms around one another and shared a tight hug before parting and looking one another over.

"You look really different!" Yuki stated once getting a good look at the blue-eyed girl. "Your hair was so short the last time I saw you, but I like your long hair. It looks good on you."

"Well, you seem to have cut and kept your own hair short," Kagome commented. She looked Yuki over with a sharper eye before smiling. "Though… short hair is definitely a nice look for you, too." At her comment, Yuki beamed and rose a hand to pat down an area of her hair that stuck up at an odd angle.

The pair hosted a short conversation before Yuki suddenly whirled around and beckoned Kagome to follow her with a quick wave of her hand. Before she could question the brunette's actions, Yuki spoke up once more.

"I was told to come get you and help you so you don't get lost or wander off somewhere."

Kagome nodded in understanding and plucked her bag back up from the ground. A second later she fell into step with Yuki. The pair made their way further into the school grounds, and, presumably, to the office of the headmaster of the school.

It would be interesting, considering the type of personality her uncle often expressed. It was something she had to prepare herself for, to say the very least.

000

They eventually made it to a shut door. Yuki led her inside, letting the door close behind them as they entered the Headmaster's office. At once, the man seated at the desk perked up in excitement.

"Finally!" Kaien cried out, eyes lighting up at the sight of his niece in tow with his daughter. The pair together nearly brought tears to his eyes as he thumped both hands onto the desk. "It's been so long since I've gotten to see my darling little niece!"

Kagome smiled at him, the gentle upward curve of her lips delicate in comparison to the way he broadly grinned at her. "It's nice to see you again, too," Kagome said. She blinked, a bit puzzled when he reached a hand out to beckon her closer. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she set her bag down out of the way. She took slow steps over to the desk, soon enough stopping right on the other side of it. "Uncle? What is it?"

"Oh my! You're as cute as ever, Kagome!" Kaien abruptly dove forward and Kagome found herself chained against him in a tight hug. "The last time I saw you, you were just a little thing!"

Kagome felt her cheeks flushing red, letting out a faint squeak when she was suddenly held trapped against him. He let her go soon enough, his body slumping forward onto his desk as he cooed up at her with a joyous smile on his face.

"Although… I suppose you're still a cute little thing, aren't you?"

Her blush deepened and she folded her arms across her chest. She looked away from him, locks of dark hair fluffing up with the action. She jutted her lower lip out in a pout as she turned away from him.

Kaien laughed at the reaction his words had garnered, the sound causing a faint huff to come from the ravenette. He stood back up and reached across the desk to affectionately pat the top of her head, smoothing down the dark locks some. Her pout only deepened when he did this.

Kagome migrated away from him, lifting her hands and carefully smoothing down her hair the rest of the way. As she did so, she glanced around the room. Her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed Yuki was no longer in the room with them. Confusion settled in her as she turned back to Kaien. He beckoned her to the chair on the other side of his desk as he sat down, and Kagome got the hint. She walked over to it and settled down in the seat, intertwining her fingers together on her lap.

It was silent as Kaien looked her over. The over-joyous smile he wore softened some as he folded his hands together and balanced his chin on the back of them. It was only a few seconds later before the girl across from him relaxed. Seeing her ability to remain at ease pushed him to speak once more.

"Your mother expressed a lot of concern over your well-being when we got to talking," he began, his smile fading into a small frown. "Looking at you, I understand why she's gotten so worried, Kagome." Kagome looked at him, averting her gaze a split second later. "You aren't as bright as you used to be."

Kagome exhaled, the sound nothing more than a soft and shaky sigh, as she shook her head. "I appreciate the concern, I really do, but it's not needed," she said as she waved her hands in a disarming manner. "It hasn't been long at all, and I just need to adjust back to how things are."

Kaien nodded in response, and she was left uncertain if he'd been in agreement with her or if he merely humored her. He lowered his hands and rested them on the desk surface. "You're resilient, Kagome," he said then, his smile returning as he watched her. "Your mother knows this just as well as I do, but that doesn't mean she's free of worry for you."

"... I know," Kagome said, glancing down at her hands on her lap. "Guess I just need to do my best to prove to her that I'm okay," she added with a sheepish laugh. Kaien joined her, his chuckle melding with her soft giggles.

"I haven't even asked you how you feel about attending this school," Kaien said. His words pulled her attention back towards him. "The presence of vampires might make you a little uneasy. It won't get to be too much, will it?"

"Oh… right," Kagome nodded as he said those words. He did have a point, after all. "It'll take me some time to get used to it," she stated honestly. She saw no reason to lie to the man. A second later, she offered him a faint smile. "It's fine, though. If it means I'm able to spend a lot more time with you and Yuki, then I guess that means I'll have to adapt to their presence."

It might not be easy, but it wasn't impossible. However… if they kept their distance from her, then that'd be the best scenario. For her, and for them.

Kaien fell silent following her statement, and Kagome sat motionless as she watched him for any sort of response. Just when she was about to ask if he was okay or not, the man suddenly bolted up out of his chair and threw an arm over his face as dramatically as he physically could. She jumped in her chair when he suddenly sprung into motion.

"You absolute darling!" Kaien half-wailed. "You're so sweet to your uncle and your cousin!"

Kagome bit her lip in order to keep the sigh she felt tempted to slip free at bay. How was Yuki able to deal with him every day?

The door opened again, but it did nothing to silence Kaien. Kagome felt her curiosity mount inside her, and she turned a bit in her seat to see who had entered the room. Yuki had returned, and with her was someone she wasn't familiar with.

Kagome folded her arms across the back of the chair and rested her head in her arms as she observed this new figure, not bothering to even try and be subtle in her examination of him.

The very first thing she noticed about him was the stunning white hair he had. The color reminded her of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's hair, but it was much shorter than either of the brothers' hair. She finally moved on from his hair, and her eyes met a shade of light lavender. He towered over Yuki's height, and she knew that he'd do the same to her with ease. He was neither smiling nor frowning, his expression calm and blank.

She knew why he'd been brought here, and she was curious as to why she was being made to meet him directly. However, she kept from asking any questions and instead waited for someone to say something.

His aura was unusual to her. It wasn't like something she'd felt before, and she furrowed her brows as she tried to place why it was so unusual. Despite not knowing what was so off about this aura, she knew for certain that it came from him. That, she wasn't mistaken about. Kagome made no mention of it, and she glanced toward Yuki silently, hoping she'd shed some light as to who this boy was.

Yuki got the hint when she felt the weight of Kagome's confused stare, and she smiled her way. "This is Zero," Yuki said, introducing him to her before doing the exact same for her. "Zero, this is Kagome!"

"Zero?" Kagome repeated the name out loud, testing the feel of it on her tongue. With a name like that paired with a face like his, it'd definitely be easy to remember.

Kagome stood up from her chair and approached the pair still standing near the door. She came to a halt a few feet away from them, and she looked up so her full attention rested on Zero. She remained quiet as she looked up at his face, unbothered by the silence he gave off.

Admittedly, she felt a lot smaller than she really was due to his height combined with the expression he wore. Still, she didn't let any of that perturb her, and she pulled a small, yet sweet smile onto her face as she stared up at him. "It's nice to meet you, Zero!" she chirped cheerfully.

He was momentarily taken aback by the light in her eyes. A second passed, and he'd reeled his expression back to normalcy. "You too," Zero said after a brief pause.

"My darling niece and my cute son are finally able to meet!" Kaien sang cheerfully from his spot across his desk.

"I'm not your son!" Zero shot back at Kaien instantly, but the words had very little effect on the long-haired man. Instead, Kaien merely turned towards Kagome.

"Oh, Kagome!"

Kagome turned towards him after hearing Kaien call her name. "Huh?"

"I promised I would give your mother a call to let her know you got here," Kaien stated as he moved out from behind his desk. He began on his way towards the door, pausing with his hand on the doorknob. "Is there anything you want me to tell her?"

Those words caused her to fall silent for a moment as she thought the question over. Nothing urgent stuck out to her, and she shook her head after a moment or two. "No, nothing in particular," she said. "Just let her know I'll call tomorrow and tell her how I'm settling in."

Kaien nodded in response and left the room. As he left, she could hear his sing-song voice. "It's so nice to have you here~!"

The three teenagers were left by themselves in the room. For a few seconds, the doorway held Kagome's attention as she watched the spot Kaien had been in moments ago. She shook her head and turned, letting her attention drift to the window.

"..." Yuki cupped her hands together, wringing her fingers together as she looked at Kagome. After a moment, she found the words she wanted to say. "Um…" The sound called Kagome's attention to her, and Yuki continued. "Why did she decide to have you come here?" she asked.

Kagome let a sheepish smile appear on her face as she shrugged. "Mama thought it'd be good for me," she said. "I tried telling her that I was fine, but she had already gotten in touch with Uncle and everything." Kagome rested a hand on her hip, letting the other thread through her long, raven locks. "Let's not worry about it right now, though."

She knew her mother's intentions were pure, but she doubted they'd have any genuine effect on her. Being away from the well wouldn't do much. After all, the jewel was still with her. At the thought of the jewel, a small frown tugged her lips downward.

She could feel the cool, smooth surface of the pink bauble underneath her snug hoodie. Most of the time, she could ignore its physical presence, but when it returned to her thoughts, it was impossible to ignore. It wasn't as troublesome as it had been in the past, as it remained in a dormant state when it was in her possession. Her own aura had grown stronger, and it now overshadowed the jewel's quiescent one.

Upon returning to her possession, whole and purified, it resumed the dormancy it had before it got ripped from her body. And it would remain that way. Her aura seemed to keep it in this state, the destructive power and strength of the jewel now seemingly dormant as well. However, if it happened to separate from her, then that dangerous power would return to it without her aura to keep it subdued.

Out of reflex, Kagome rested a hand over the outline of the jewel. It was almost impossible to believe that something so tiny and pretty could so easily cause another war to get stirred up due to someone's own greed. All it took was one malicious being to bring around terrifying happenings. The thought alone was enough to send a chill of fear down her spine.

That was why it had to remain in her care. As its guardian, she was to keep it dormant and out of trouble. It could not be separated from her, or else that part of it would stir and call forth demons and all else that hungered for its destructive power.

A deeper frown marred her face, and she let her hand lower from where it hovered over her chest. She sighed a second later and willed her surly expression away, letting it get replaced by her casual, small smile.

"Being here won't be all that bad, though," Kagome stated. She saw the worry in Yuki's eyes, and Kagome offered her a gentle smile that was full of warmth. "I can see you're worried, but don't be."

"But… you're a Miko," Yuki said, housing the same concern Kaien had. "Are you sure you're comfortable?"

Kagome felt her expression soften. "I'll be fine," she said. "I'll manage," she assured her. "Anyway, it's worth a little bit of discomfort if I get to see my family~!" she chirped.

Kaien, Yuki, and, even though she'd only just met him, Zero as well. They were her family, and she'd be certain they were all safe and well-protected. The strong urge to protect them was as natural as breathing for her.

She got settled in her room that night. Unlike others, she was without a roommate, and she was thankful for that. The extra space was nice, as was the calmness that came with solitude.

Kagome changed into her nightclothes, an oversized t-shirt, and a pair of mid-thigh length shorts, and she settled down on the soft bed. She let her weight tip back, letting out a soft sigh as she fell back against the bed. Silence settled around her, and she thought about the two that were out late still, patrolling the school grounds.

Starting tomorrow, she'd be joining Yuki and Zero in that task.

When Kaien broached the subject of becoming a Guardian of the school to her, she'd agreed. He'd insisted she start her duties the next day, as opposed to tonight.

"It'll be great to have your help, Kagome!" Yuki's cheerful voice caught her attention. "Although… it might not be easy," she said after a second. Kagome beamed at her.

"Don't worry about it!" Kagome assured her. After all, she'd endured much worse than what this would entail. Compared to fighting demons in order to survive, being a Guardian would be a piece of cake! "If you give me a second to put my bag up, I can come join you tonight-"

"No, no," Kaien said, interrupting her with a shake of his head. "You'll start tomorrow," he said.

"Why?" Kagome asked, craning her head to the side in confusion.

"You just got here tonight," he said. "Take some time to adjust, and do a little unpacking. While those two head out, I'll show you to your room."

"O-oh…" Kagome grabbed her bag and turned to follow Kaien as he headed for the door. She paused before leaving, turning back to Yuki and Zero. "I guess I'll see you two tomorrow, then," she said as she waved on her way out.

Blue eyes opened, her gaze focusing on the ceiling above her. After a few minutes, she sat up, drawing her knees up against her chest.

"I wonder…" she whispered, her voice a faint echo through the quiet room. Kaien and Yuki had voiced their worry as to how she'd adjust to the presence of vampires, but the question of how the vampires would adjust to her presence seemed to have gone unasked. Demons of all kinds had seen her as a threat. Would vampires see her in the same light? If so… then settling in here wouldn't be as easy as she hoped.

Her thought from earlier returned to the front of her mind, and she found herself resonating with it stronger than before.

It'd be best for all of them, her included, if distance was kept.

"I need to get some rest," Kagome said, shaking her head to brush those concerns away. With a faint sigh, she stood and went over to her window. She opened it a crack, just enough to let a fresh breeze drift in, and returned to bed. She pulled the covers back and slid underneath them.

It didn't take long for the call of sleep to win her over.

000

A sweet aroma hit his nose, and, for a moment, a haze of recollection made him freeze. Dark lashes dusted against his skin as he let his eyes close, focusing solely on the scent of jasmine and mint. Just below the heady scent, something undeniably pure lurked. It added an extra prick to the scent. It was nearly maddening how enthralling it was.

The need to know what bore this scent was strong, and it was unable to be buried. It'd appeared so suddenly, so unexpectedly, yet it was still so familiar that it burned.

Kaname breathed a silent sigh as the wind carried more and more of that scent toward him. Before long, he knew the curiosity he felt would be sated, so for now, he'd simply enjoy the enthralling aroma.

The following day, Kagome got ready in her uniform. Just like Yuki and Zero had, her uniform was also worn with a white and red armband. It was the insignia that she, just like them, was a Guardian. Her movements were a bit on the sluggish side as she got ready and went about preparing herself for the day she had ahead of her.

Even though she'd gotten plenty of rest, she was still exhausted. Kagome yawned into her hand, and she swapped her pace from a leisurely walk to a slight jog when she caught sight of Yuki. She was already there, trying to keep a crowd of Day Class students from breaking past her.

Kagome was surprised by the amount of girls that were there. Admittedly, she didn't see the appeal of standing around just to see a group of people head back to their dorms. At the thought of the Night Class Students, she was reminded that they weren't humans.

Kagome shook her head to clear her thoughts. She came to a halt a few feet away from Yuki. Once there, she stretched her arms out a bit and stood as if she was taming a bunch of wild animals. She felt the approaching auras before it became apparent to the others there, and Kagome prepared herself the best she could before it got even more hectic.

"Don't push so much," Kagome stated to the mass of female students that were all shoving and pushing into each other in an attempt to get just a tiny bit closer to where the Night Class students would walk down. Kagome felt a scowl appear on her face when her words went ignored by the crowd. "Someone will get hurt if you don't let up on all the shoving!" Kagome shouted. She didn't care about their crushes, not even in the slightest, but the thought of someone getting a cut or more while so close to creatures that drank blood for sustainability was worrying to her.

They didn't heed her words much, and Kagome sighed. She put a bit more space between her and the crowd, and turned. She saw Yuki flash her a thumbs up, the gesture intended to be encouraging. Kagome looked around a second later, tuning out the excited chatter of the girls as she did so. It was just then that she noticed they were one short, and that it was just Yuki and herself there keeping the girls at bay.

"Hey, Yuki!" Kagome called out to the other girl, waiting patiently for Yuki's response. After a second, she turned her way, brown eyes meeting blue.

"Yeah?"

"Isn't Zero supposed to be helping us do this…?" Kagome asked, ire settling into her voice as she said those words and took in his lacking presence.

The agitated tone she spoke with made Yuki upright her position a bit. The coarseness of her voice was an abrupt contrast from her usually polite and gentle tone. "Yes, he-!" Yuki was unable to give her full response before the female students of the Day Class began to get riled up once more as the Night Class finally began heading down the walkway. The crowd of girls resumed shoving to get to the front of the crowd, and Yuki and Kagome could no longer focus on their conversation. They had to resume focus on keeping the crowd at bay. They got more insistent when the Night Class finally showed, and several excited girls managed to knock Kagome's balance away from her with a careless group shove. She ended up falling forward before she could catch herself, landing on the concrete underfoot.

Kagome winced in pain as she carefully lifted her weight up onto her palms. "What did I just say about shoving?" she hissed out in annoyance. Kagome scrambled onto her knees, adjusting her skirt back down. There was a faint sting on her knees, and she felt the familiar soothing warmth of her healing kicking in. She glanced down, spotting the bit of red dying her white, knee-length socks, and she cursed inwardly. She brushed her hair back out of her face and quickly drew back a hand that rested on the concrete before it could get stepped on by an excited girl.

She was thankful for her healing, as because of it, there hadn't been much blood at all. The few drops that dyed her socks was it. With a sigh, Kagome began to push herself up from the ground, only to come to a stiff halt when an outstretched hand appeared in her line of vision. The aura she felt brushing against her senses wasn't human.

Why was it so close to her?

She forced herself to move, setting her hand in the one that was outstretched towards her. "... Thank you," Kagome said softly as she was guided back onto her feet with a strong, but surprisingly gentle tug upwards.

"You fell rather hard," a calm voice rang in her ears. She refused to buy into the sweet sound of it. "Are you alright?"

Kagome finally turned her attention up to see who'd helped her up. Her eyes met a shade of reddish-brown, and she felt for a moment as if she forgot how to breathe properly.

It wasn't his attractiveness that rendered her into such a state, no, but instead, it was the very strong pang of recollection that shot through her the moment she looked at him. She had met him before, that much she knew. She didn't know much else, however. She downcast her gaze, painfully aware of the delicate grip he still held her hand in. Instinct guided her next movement, and she pulled her hand out of his hold.

"I… I'm fine," she said, her voice quiet under the noise around them. "Thank you for helping me up," she said a second later. She felt Yuki approaching her, and the other girl soon set a palm on her shoulder.

"Kagome?" Yuki's voice, paired with the gentle weight of her hand on her shoulder, caused Kagome to glance her way. "Do you remember Kaname?"

"... ah…" So Yuki had noticed the confusion on her face, then? Kagome looked away from Yuki before she wrapped her arms around her midsection, tangling her fingers in the blazer of her uniform. "No… not at all. Sorry," she said.

"It's okay!" Yuki assured her, smiling at her. "You've only met him once or twice I think. It was back when we first met, too."

Harsh recollection came racing back, and Kagome perked up. She focused on Yuki and nodded. "Oh yeah! I remember that!"

The first time she was taken to meet Yuki was the night Kaien had agreed to adopt her. If she remembered correctly, Kaname had been the one to take Yuki to Kaien in the first place.

Kagome shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, and she soon realized that the rest of the Night Class had already returned to their dorm while Kaname remained standing there. Class would be starting soon for them, and she lifted her gaze to meet Kaname's.

"You should go already, Kuran."

Before she could encourage him to be on his way, someone else had already beaten her to it. Kagome glanced up just enough so she could spot that Zero seemed to have finally arrived- despite that there was really no need for him at this point. She glared at him, turning and resting her hands on her hips.

"About time," she snapped at him. She sighed a second later and shook her head. "I'm going onto class now, since everything's been handled." She left without giving anyone a chance to respond.

000

Kaname resumed his way back to their dorms, his thoughts straying back to the girl that'd been in front of him mere moments ago. There was no doubt about it, especially since the faint aroma now clung faintly to his fingers, carrying the scent along with him. That scent from the prior night had belonged to the raven-haired girl.

The reason for the familiarity of it came racing back in the form of memories, those few moments he'd seen her so long ago.

He'd recognized her the moment he saw her.

The pair that had brought Kagome there had offered to go get a few things to help Kaien with Yuki, and they had left the dark-haired child there. For the most part, she'd played with Yuki after they'd left.

The couple had been gone for a few hours now, and both Yuki and Kagome had gone to sleep already. The faint sound of footsteps pulled his attention to the doorway, and Kaname spotted the small, raven-haired girl standing at the threshold. She approached him with clumsy steps as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

She came to a halt beside him on the couch, and she looked up at him with a curious light gleaming in bright blue eyes. Her hair was in disarray from the nap she'd taken. A second passed, and he lifted a hand to fix it. He threaded his fingers through her hair, smoothing it back down and detangling the locks that'd gotten stuck on the red bow tied in the back. She stood still and patient as he fixed it back, allowing him to comb out the tangles with his fingertips.

"Why don't you go back to sleep?" Kaname questioned her. "It's late."

He didn't get a response from her. Instead, Kagome clumsily climbed up onto the couch so she was now sitting next to him with her knees tucked underneath her. Her gaze was fixated on his face, and Kaname extended a hand to lightly touch her cheek. She covered his with her own tiny hand and nuzzled against it while he watched her in hidden curiosity.

The aroma of jasmine and mint surrounded her, the scent soothing. There was something more to it. Something pure clung to her, but what it was he couldn't figure out. It was delicate, yet burning all the same.

Her scent covered his palm, but he doubted she understood she had just scent-marked him. The thought made him smile, and he did not pull his hand away from her. He froze his hand when she moved back, and he sat still as she moved closer to him.

Her scent clung to him, just as his now clung to her. He matched her stare with his own, and he observed how she was now focused even more on him. When she sat up a bit he followed her movements with one hand in case she ended up slipping. A wide smile was on her face as she reached towards him, and he realized then what she was wanting to do.

A small finger prodded at his lower lip, and he opened his mouth a bit wider. Her finger traced along the side of one of his fangs, and he noted how her smile faltered into a look of confusion. The taste of blood settled on his tongue when her finger got pricked on the sharp point of his fang, and she flinched at the abrupt sting. She didn't cry. Nor did she try to pull away when he took her small hand in his own larger one. He pulled her finger from his mouth, gaze straying automatically to the red trailing down her finger.

Kaname tugged her hand back to his mouth as he licked the remaining red away and let the little puncture heal up. Once it no longer bled, he let her hand go and saw as she looked at her now-healed finger in awe.

The sound of the door opening jarred her attention away from him and her hand, and she moved without sparing him a second glance as she barreled down from the couch and darted straight toward Kun-Loon. Her hands wound into the material of her long skirt, and Kun-Loon turned her attention to Kagome right away.

"Mama!"

Kaname watched as Kagome was picked up by the woman.

Such a strange child...

He wondered how much she could remember. She was so different now, compared to how she was back then. It seemed as though her curious nature had been replaced by wariness, and he desired to know why that was.

Kaname brushed his fingers along his cheek, the action leaving a trail of her remaining scent along his skin.

Auroua-chan: I still really want to continue this story. It'll have a lot of changes from the og version, but it'll still follow the plot.

Sesshoumaru and other characters from IY will be showing up soon- very soon!

That's it for now, I hope you all enjoyed! Thank you all for reading! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not, sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~