Sesshoumaru found himself in that courtyard again, it was not a planned meeting when they came here. Still, he was somewhat disappointed that she had not come. He enjoyed the sound of her voice, even when she talked of nothing. Even without it, he found the little spot comforting, her presence still lingered.

He looked up at the sky and realized how late it had gotten. She was not coming, he knew. She would have returned to her room by now, most likely asleep with the pace he knew Kamiko would be pushing.

Sesshoumaru sighed and pulled himself off her boulder, easily reaching the deck in a small leap. He wandered the decks and halls, making sure everything was in order even at this time of night. He could hear a few servants milling around even now, mostly he ignored them, the two women around the corner before him. Or more like he tried to…

"No! I heard it from Chiyoko-chan!"

"That Naraku? Didn't Sesshoumaru-sama kill him a few years ago?"

"Yes, but that's not the point. Why would he bring someone like her here? Filthy spawn of a ha-"

Both women froze as they turned the corner and saw him.

He felt his claws bite into the skin of his palms as he tried to regard them in a cold manner. The one closest to him was the first to respond.

"Please excuse us, Sesshoumaru-sama! We did not mean to question your judgment!" the two dropped to the floor, bowing deeply.

"Get out of this Sesshoumaru's sight." His voice came out as a hiss.

They avoided his gaze as they quickly stood and sprinted past him. Sesshoumaru had barely regained himself when he was met with another obstacle. One of Kamiko's other little pawns appeared around the corner.

His breathing was still slightly deeper than he would have liked but he looked her over. She held a fisted hand to her chin, he thought he could smell the salt of tears as she looked up at him. He waited several moments for her to state her business. It took a trembling lip to finally jar her into speaking.

"I…." she threw her head forward into a bow. "Please forgive me! I didn't know! I only saw the scar and I lashed out. I didn't know. I didn't mean for it…"

He let out a growl and shoved past her, not caring if he knocked her out onto the ground. He was glad she didn't move to follow him, for he most likely would have if given another chance.

This would explain why she hadn't come to meet him, if she had been distressed at her secret being revealed. He unconsciously let out another growl, if it was known that he was housing Naraku's spawn… but that thought quickly buried itself as he reached her door, listening for any signs of movement. There was the sound of rustling sheets, which he took as a sign that she was awake.

"Kagura." He called.

No response.

"Kagura." Slightly louder this time.

"What?"

Sesshoumaru took that as an invitation and slid open the screen, pausing on the threshold. It took him a second longer to recognize her crumpled form in the corner. Kagura had pulled her knees to her chest, the back of one hand held to her cheek. The moonlight that bounced off the tatami gave her hair a silver glow, but set her crimson eyes ablaze as she glared up at him from underneath her lashes.

"What?" she snapped when he said nothing.

Sesshoumaru let out a sigh and closed the door. At least she was not crying, he didn't think he would be able to handle that. Not that he wouldn't have been able to handle her, that is, just that someone would probably be dead before the sun rose.

"I was waiting for you." This was the only reasonable explanation he could think of.

Kagura dropped the hand onto her knee. Her eyes followed his form as he went to sit against the opposite corner.

"Hn! Is the great Sesshoumaru upset that he got stood up?"

He tensed, not at her mocking, but at her voice. It was cold, bitter, angry, dripping with a forced sarcasm. It was the same as when he had first met her. Had he not been listening to her the past weeks he most likely wouldn't have noticed it. But it annoyed him. It was not her voice, it did not suit her. The chill, it didn't fit those cherry red lips. Even her expression was too harsh, drawn into a scowl, too obviously trying to hide whatever she was really thinking.

He didn't like it.

"If you wish to say something, say it. Do not just glare at me."

She took in a sharp breath, he watched her eyes widen and narrow, her mouth fall open slightly, her brows relax.

"Tch." She bit her lip and turned away from him, bringing the palm of her hand to cover her eyes.

Sesshoumaru waited, turning his gaze to the floor and tucking his hands into his sleeves. When she was ready to speak, she would. He was content with listening to her light breaths and just taking in her scent. The scent that filled this small space, smothered him in it. He was getting anxious, looking at her from the corner of his eye he could already tell how quickly he could reach her if he-

"I have my heart back." She was merely stating facts. This was the same as when she mentioned his regained arm.

"But I'm not free. His mark is still on my back." Sesshoumaru remembered that, the burn in the shape of a spider gouged between her shoulder blades. The image made him grit his teeth.

"I can't escape him…." she dropped her head into her arms, her voice coming out muffled against her sleeves. He was surprised at how clear she sounded. "I thought things were getting better. When I was traveling, there would be demons who recognized me… I accepted that. But here, I thought," she took a breath, her grip on her sleeves tightened. "I thought I had friends. Surprising, right? Me, with friends?" she choked. "I thought I could be happy, if only for a little while." He couldn't stop himself this time.

He crossed the distance between them in an instant and draped a clawed hand across her shoulders, pulling her to lean against him. Kagura slowly raised her head to meet his gaze. She gasped at the proximity of his golden eyes. Even in the low light they seemed to glow. She was slightly disappointed when he looked away just as quickly. The look on his face had been… pity? Sympathy? Concern? Concern for her? Ridiculous.

"It is as you said," he had to choose these words carefully, comforting was not exactly his forte, "He spawned you, marked you as such," he paused at her forced sigh, "You will never escape that."

"Tch, that makes me feel so much better." She muttered rolling her eyes.

"It is not to make you feel better, merely to tell you what you must overcome. It is not something I can help you with." As much as he wanted to.

She was quiet, running over what he had said. Yes, it was her trial to overcome, her own past to deal with. She hadn't expected help from him, as if he could regardless. This was no enemy, no monster to fight, merely her own mind. Kagura had no reason to petition for his aid, was he insinuating something by mentioning it?

"I told you, didn't I?" she leaned further into him, letting her eyes fall closed. She was taking advantage of this. "I thought I was going to die… alone. But then…" a smile graced her lips. "You were there."

She didn't expect a response, comfortable with just being near him. It set her heart into a frenzy. The warmth of the hand upon her shoulder was spreading through her veins. She could smell him, the musky scent that clung to his skin, the faint smell of sandalwood. Kagura felt her consciousness beginning to slip when he finally spoke again.

"I ran."

"Hm…?" she turned her face to him lazily, having to crane her neck to see his face. She could barely open her eyes, but forced herself to stay awake for whatever he would say.

"When you were dying. I ran." The words were heavy, forced, but not a lie.

Her eyes were open fully now, as she turned to face him completely. She was met with those eyes again, judging her reaction. Golden eyes that tried to be cold, but were only warm. They bore into her, burned her, clenched her heart more than Naraku's hand ever could. She bit her lip, crimson eyes flicking between the two gold orbs.

"Sesshoumaru, you…" she couldn't finish her sentence, for in that instant his lips were on hers.

It was warm, his lips were softer than she thought they could be.

Hers tasted better than he could have imagined or remembered.

Kagura pulled away first, needing air. She held up a hand, trailing the pad of her thumb across the stripes on his cheeks. He allowed it for several seconds before he was upon her again. More eager than before, the hand that had been on her shoulder combed through her hair, loosening the bun, while the other slipped around her waist, pulling her almost into his lap. Her hand remained on his face, holding them together as the other reached up behind his head, grabbing a fistful of silver hair.

He lightly bit her lower lip and she opened for him, letting their tongues battle for dominance before he pushed her down beneath him. He released her lips to kiss along her jaw and neck, nipping lightly at the exposed flesh. She fisted both hands in his hair, letting out a low moan and he- He pulled away.

Her eyes opened slightly to watch as he backed away from her, releasing the clump of hair he had worked out of her bun. She pulled herself into a sitting position and just as she did, he stood. She couldn't see his expression, clouded by his bangs.

Kagura reached a hand for him, before she was even conscious of the action. Sesshoumaru took a step back. He was out and behind the door in a matter of seconds. Slamming the screen with a loud clack, and leaving her too flustered to follow.

Aw, you guys thought it was gonna' get dirty, didn't you? Come on, we're only six chapters in. ;]