Kagome woke to the sun shining in her eyes. With a groan, she turned around and tried to go back to sleep. She found her pillow to be much too firm, however, and wondered how she had even managed to fall asleep on it last night. She sat up and immediately regretted it. Her head was throbbing and her stomach lurching. With her eyes closed, she scooched over to the side of the bed, planted her feet firmly on the ground and with her elbows on her knees and head in her hands, waited for the room to stop spinning.

'I really shouldn't have finished that bottle,' she muttered angrily to herself.

'Indeed,' came a low rumble from behind her.

With a squeak way too loud and high pitched for her pounding head, Kagome twisted around with too much speed, throwing herself off the bed in the process. Wincing, she glanced up from her position on the floor. Sesshoumaru was lying on his side, head propped up by the arm she had mistaken for a pillow, his expression blank. Save for that infuriating eyebrow. The sheets were draped over him from the waist down, sparing Kagome from more embarrassment. She didn't know if he was wearing anything underneath, but the view of his bare chest mortified her enough.

'Gah! I'm sorry!' she blurted before managing to pick herself up from the floor and dashing to her own room.

After drinking some water and splashing it on her face, she calmed down enough to get dressed. She brushed her hair and teeth with the complimentary toiletries and stared at herself in the mirror.

'He's seen you at worse,' she tried to rally herself before going down to breakfast.

If their host noticed anything about the awkwardness Kagome felt, she was professional enough not to comment on it. They once again ate their meal in silence, but there was nothing companionable about it this time. They thanked their host, checked out and left. Kagome was simultaneously stewing in self pity and mortification, but also fuming that Sesshoumaru hadn't said anything about that morning. She went back and forth between deciding she would break the silence and waiting for him to broach the subject for well over an hour, until they stopped for their customary pitstop. She couldn't contain herself any longer.

'I'm sorry, alright?!' she all but yelled as soon as their helmets were off. 'I know I shouldn't have drank all that sake, but this trip is wreaking havoc on my emotions and I just slipped! I couldn't sleep last night, so I went for a walk, and then I thought a nightcap might help, and then I was in the garden, toasting to InuYasha, and then all the others, and then… and then…'

Her memory drew up short, but her position this morning filled in some blanks. She felt heat rise to her cheeks again and buried her face in her hands.

'And then, you mistook my room for yours and got into my bed. You got comfortable and promptly fell asleep,' Sesshoumaru easily supplied.

With another groan, Kagome shook her head, as if to deny and erase everything he said. She didn't look up until she heard him sigh softly.

'I do not blame you for drinking last night, nor do I resent you for confusing our rooms. But you should know, miko-'

'It's Kagome,' she muttered weakly.

'You snore.'

Her mouth fell open and she stared indignantly at him as he had the audacity to smirk and chuckle. She sputtered as he went to pay for the gas and buy a light snack, fuming all anew. Here she was, baring her tattered soul and unhealthy coping mechanisms, and he didn't even do her the courtesy to be mad at her for them. He'd added insult to injury, even! She was all ready to chew him out for it, but as he came out of the shop and handed her some ibuprofen together with a sports drink and egg sandwich, she deflated. Meekly accepting the items, she muttered another apology. He nodded lightly.

'I do not agree with drinking to forget, but I understand the need,' he said, as they sat down beside each other on a bench, staring at the traffic whizzing by.

'It's not like I'm proud of it,' she said, scuffing her feet on the ground, 'it just became a bad habit, to drown out the emotions. And this trip…' she heaved a big sigh and stared at the sky, '...this trip is drawing all those emotions out.' She turned to look at him, and found him gazing at her.

'Which is good!' she added hastily, blushing again under his scrutiny, 'it's just a lot all at once.'

'Hn,' he said simply, 'as I said, I understand. I do prefer my bedpartners to be conscious, however.'

Her blush deepened, but before she could sputter out her indignation, she noted a mischievous glint in his eyes and decided not to give him the satisfaction.

'Fine. No more drinking,' she said, hoping it would be the end of this discussion.

'And no more snoring,' he continued goading her.

It took everything she had not to rise to the bait, but she simply nodded in agreement.

'You're welcome to my bed, though,' he said and she swore she saw his eyebrows waggle.

She made to slap him in the face, but he caught her arm easily. His golden eyes bored into hers, his face suddenly closer than she remembered.

'Careful, miko. You will not find me so lenient as the monk. Or my brother,' he said softly, belying the dangerous intent of his words.

'Is that a threat?' she asked, more huskily than she intended and with a confidence she didn't feel. Then, deciding to one up her own bravado, she sent a shimmer of purity down her arm, just enough to zap him and make him release her wrist.

He held on, however, and brought her hand to his lips. 'A promise,' he murmured darkly, before nipping her at the fleshy base of her thumb.

Then, he abruptly released her and made his way back over to the bike. Kagome stared after him, wide eyed and cradling her abused hand in the other. When she finally followed him to their vehicle, he was already sitting astride it, helmet on his head and gaze focussed firmly ahead. She awkwardly got on behind him, arms burning as they found their way around his waist. As Sesshoumaru revved up the bike, she was alone with her thoughts again, just as she had been that morning. But now, besides the similar mortification, she had a whole new set of emotions to mull over.