Kagome held her breath as she once more heard a rustle in the room and then the door opened to reveal a shirtless Sesshomaru. Letting her breath out in a huff she stared at his bare chest and abs a moment to long as she was caught. His chuckle brought her out of her thoughts and made her look up to his eyes.
"Um… hi" she whispered out.
Sesshomaru nodded to her and stepped away from the door slightly allowing her in. She stepped in to the room and off to the side out of the doors path and Sesshomaru shut it. Sesshomaru studied her in silence for a moment after shutting the door than walked over to the bed and once more sat comfortable with his back against the head board without saying a word to her.
"Is it ok if I sleep here after all I couldn't get comfortable on the couch" Kagome asked with her head down not looking at him.
Sesshomaru let a soft smile on his lips, that he was sure only she would ever see from him, "If you wish" he said gently.
Kagome's head shot up at his gentle tone and she smiled a shy smile and approached the bed. Standing at the side she looked at the open spot between the wall and Sesshomaru. Slowly she crawled over Sesshomaru's legs and laid down on the other side on her back. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him or how they were going to get the tension to go away but she hoped whatever it was it would happen soon.
Sesshomaru couldn't help when his mind wondered to a slightly dirty side of things when he watched her crawl on her hands and knees across his legs to the other side of the bed. When she was lying down on her back he noticed the tenseness in her whole body, feeling pity for her he scooted down in the bed and turned on his side to face her.
"You may relax Kagome I will not do anything to you" he said softly.
Kagome turned her head to the side and looked at the sincerity in his eyes and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Smiling softly she rolled on to her side as well facing him, "I know you wouldn't" she admitted to him.
Sesshomaru brushed the back of his fingers softly against her cheek staring in to her deep blue eyes "Than why so tense?" he asked his hand cupping her cheek now.
Kagome leaned in to the gentle caress unconsciously "I don't know I guess this all still seems pretty unreal to me" she said as she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his hand.
"And is there anything I can do to make is seem less unreal to you?" he asked scooting closer to her while her eyes were closed.
Kagome's eyes shot open "I don't know honestly" she whispered looking down at the stripes along his wrist.
"Then may I try something I think may help to resolve the doubt you have?" he asked as his eyes drifted to her lips.
Kagome's breath caught in her throat at the hooded look he was giving her "I...I guess but you have to stop if I say so" she said shakily in reply.
Sesshomaru only nodded slightly and leaned in to her slightly "If that is your wish" he whispered as his lips met her in a gentle but brief kiss.
Kagome's eyes shot wide for all of a second before she allowed them to close and enjoy the brief contact with him. Yes she kissed before but it was out of necessity and really this was so much more different than anything she had shared with someone else.
His lips were soft for as thin as they looked, as he pulled back Kagome licked her lips slightly to be rewarded with an almost citrusy taste on her tongue. She couldn't name it for sure but it was sweet and tart at the same time and very pleasing to the palate in her mind.
Sesshomaru too licked his lips slightly as he pulled back, he had never kissed anyone in his life only seen it done in movies and other humans. He figured it was a show of affection to humans and since the woman he sought to be his own was human he figured it wouldn't hurt to try. The taste of honey and cherry greeted his tongue when he wet his lips it was a very tantalizing taste and he wasn't sure he would ever get enough of it.
Pulling back he held his breath in wait of her reaction, granted he didn't tell her what he was going to do she didn't seem to object when the act was done, but women were funny in that their first reaction was different than their second. When a soft smile spread to her lips Sesshomaru let out the breath he was holding, he didn't get slapped so it must have been ok.
"Did it help any?" he asked in a curious tone.
Kagome giggled at him it wasn't the act itself that helped, it was that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone to try and put her at ease that made it work. Nodding shyly at him she answered "It did thank you."
Sesshomaru scooted back slightly allowing a bit more breathing room between them and smiled at her. The next few hours were filled with light banter about their lives as well as what they had done since they had last seen each other in the past. Kagome learned a great deal more about Sesshomaru than he did about her but in all fairness he was like 1000 years old of course he had more tails to tell.
When dawn began to break through the window shades and in to the room Kagome let out a huge yawn. It had been years since she tried to stay up so late and she wasn't as young as she used to be. Granted 23 wasn't by any means old but she had a routine and breaking it was taking its toll.
Sesshomaru smiled as she yawned and rolled on to his back to look at the clock behind him. Seeing as it was nearly seven a.m. he rolled his head back to look at her, "Sleep Kagome you need your rest" he said as he placed his hands behind his head.
Kagome looked at him through half closed eyes "I'm not tired yet" she tried to insist.
Sesshomaru laughed at her "You are now sleep" he said as he reached out and brushed her bangs from her forehead.
He was not prepared however for her to curl up to him and lay her head on his chest and an arm across his stomach. However not being prepared for it did not stop the content purr that worked its way out of his throat. Wrapping one arm around her back he pulled her slightly closer to him and kissed the top of her head "Sleep well mate" he said through his purr.
Suddenly Kagome shot up and was staring down at him eyes fully open without a trace of sleep in them. "Ok that's like the third time you have called me mate, why?" she asked.
Sesshomaru looked taken back, he didn't even realized that he was calling her such till she pointed it out. Shrugging slightly he spoke "I suppose it is because my beast and I already see you as ours" he stated as if he was talking about the weather.
Kagome's temper flared ever so slightly "I'm not a thing to be owned" she said as calmly as she could.
Sesshomaru cupped her cheek with his free hand and slowly slid it down to her neck where his mark lay. "No you are not and it was not meant as a statement of ownership" he said softly watching as his courting mark disappeared and reappeared behind his hand as he rubbed in gently.
Kagome's anger completely deflated under his gentle ministrations "I don't understand" she whispered out still looking to his eyes.
"To us with or without the mark you are our mate Kagome, even if we do not mate you, you will always be our mate in our minds and eyes" he said softly pulling his eyes way from the mark to meet her own.
"But if we don't mate you said we both move on with our lives" she said confused.
"That is true in most cases of courting yes but when the beast chooses the mate if the courting does not result in mating it will not pick another" he said bringing his hand back to her cheek and caressing her cheek bone with his thumb.
"So if I don't mate with you you'll be alone for the rest of your life?" she asked tears brimming her eyes.
Sesshomaru let out a gentle smile to her "Than I had better convince you to mate me shouldn't I" he said to attempt to cheer her up.
A single tear slid down her cheek to be caught but Sesshomaru's thumb. She laughed gently "I guess you better" she said attempting to smile back at him.
Sesshomaru gently pulled her back down to his chest with the hand still wrapped around behind her "Rest Kagome I have three months to convince you and I assure you I will not give up easily" he said and once more kissed her on top of the head.
Kagome laughed once more then squeezed Sesshomaru around the middle where her arm once more rested "Well I promise not to make it too hard for you" she said in a whisper as she closed her eyes and allowed her exhausted body the rest it so badly wanted.
Sesshomaru couldn't help but chuckle at her, he didn't know what her idea of too hard was but it couldn't be any worse than it already was, he hoped at least. He began to think about just when his beast had picked Kagome. The only reason he would call her mate without realizing it is if his beast had picked her, but searching through all his memories he couldn't say when it happened. His beast had never directly stated that she was the mate it picked. Yes it brought her up a lot but never made direct claim.
Sesshomaru however wasn't going to waste any more time on the thought. At this point he agreed with his beast if it wanted Kagome they would have her.
Just as Sesshomaru was about to let sleep claim him there was a soft knock to the door. Calling out a soft enter to the other person he waited as the door opened to reveal Shiori.
"I was coming to see if Kagome was here Inu was really worried when we woke up and she wasn't on the couch" she said softly to him.
Sesshomaru nodded to her but didn't say anything, getting the hint fairly fast Shiori smiled to him than closed the door leaving the two to sleep. She rushed down the hall and stairs as fast her pregnant belly would allow, to find Inuyasha pacing the living room.
"You can calm down Inu she is asleep on Sesshomaru's chest" she said in a happy tone leaning against the door frame.
Inuyasha sent a bewildered look over to his mate "Truly?" he asked in disbelief.
Shiori nodded once and watched as Inuyasha began to run around their living room looking for something in all the doors and cupboards, "Inu what are you looking for?" she asked.
Inuyasha gave a triumphant cheer as he pulled his digital camera out of one of the draws "I have got to get a picture of this and send it to the other lords" he said with an evil glint in his eyes.
Shiori let out a sigh and watched as he ran up the stairs, shaking her head she decided to hold back the reminder that he still had the beads around his neck if he was to make Kagome angry she was sure to use them.