Kagome slept fitfully that night. When she woke up for what felt like the thousandth time, she made to get up and get some water. Just as she was sitting up, however, the door to the garden slid open. She stared as Sesshoumaru entered and seemed to be surprised to see her sitting up. He quickly schooled his features, gave her a curt nod and was about to leave again, when she called out to him.

"Wait, please!"

He turned back to face her, eyebrow raised in a silent query.

"Uhm, could we talk? Please?" Kagome almost whispered, as if she was afraid to scare him away again.

He remained standing by the door for what felt like an eternity, but eventually he slid the door shut behind him and regally sank to the floor beside her. She had the distinct feeling he was avoiding her gaze, however, staring at some point above her head. She was unsure how to begin, there were so many things she wanted to say and ask. She wrung her hands in her lap, clenching until her knuckles turned white.

"Thank you!" she finally blurted, deciding it was best to show her gratitude, "for saving me, and all. And for putting up with the others all this time."

A short nod, again, but other than that, he showed no sign of having heard her.

"Oh, and thanks to your mother, as well, of course, for the hospitality. She has a wonderful palace."

"Hnn."

It was progress, however little. "We won't be bothering her much longer, I think. Sango is happy with my progress, it's mostly just a matter of stamina now. And I can work on that anywhere. Besides, InuYasha is getting stir-crazy, and Miroku and Sango want to rebuild her village. Shippou always wanted to go back to that kitsune school…" She trailed off when she saw he was staring at her now, and realized she had been rambling.

"It's just…,"she swallowed heavily, tears suddenly welling up, "I don't want to cause you pain!"

Sesshoumaru found himself at a loss as to how she had arrived at that statement. He also found himself discomforted by her tears. As he saw no immediate solution to the latter, he decided to address the former. "How would you cause this one pain?"

She blinked owlishly at him. "By leaving?"

His slight frown told her he somehow didn't follow. "InuYasha said that your mother told him that because of the bond, we need to stay close, otherwise you would be in pain. So, if I left, I would be causing you pain, and I can't do that! You saved all of us by showing up, before saving me. There's already no way we can repay you, so no way am I going to-"

"InuYasha misunderstood," he interrupted her rambling, "there is no literal pain."

"Figurative pain is no good, either," she muttered.

"Hnn."

"So, what is it then? How does this all work? Is it true you're stuck with me? Why does my shoulder keep hurting? Just how far does this power-sharing go? Does it go both ways? Is it truly permanent?"

"Did my mother not speak with you?"

"She said I should discuss it with you."

If he were a lesser being, he would have cursed. "Do you not need sleep?"

"What I need are answers, Sesshoumaru. You've stalled long enough," Kagome all but growled at him.

His eyebrow raised as he clamped down his instincts. "You presume to order this one, miko?"

She crossed her arms and frowned right back, ignoring the pleasant tingle in her shoulder. "I am your mate, right? Now, spill."

He released a sigh before starting to explain. "Yes, a mating bond is permanent. It holds until death. There is no way to break it. The bond binds the shorter lifespan to the longer. The sharing of power is minimal."

She took it all in. "And what of this pain?" she asked as she gestured to her shoulder.

"The bond is incomplete, this causes the sensations you feel. It will remain thus until you reciprocate."

She powered through instead of fixating on the 'reciprocating' part of his statement. "Ok, but why does it hurt, though?"

He refused to meet her eyes. "It serves as a conduit."

Gods, this was like pulling teeth, Kagome thought. "A conduit of what?!"

Gold clashed with blue. "My emotional state."

Silence fell, but only for a moment. "So, if I don't want to continue my life as a Sesshoumaru-mood-ring, I have to bite you?!"

"Any marking should suffice," he deadpanned.

Kagome closed her eyes and massaged her temple, trying to stave off the threatening headache. She ran over the information again and again, but all she got was more flabbergasted. Deciding to go over it again in the morning, when she'd had whatever Feudal equivalent of coffee she could get, she sighed deeply and moved on to a different topic.

"So, why are you hurting?" As he slightly cocked his head, she continued, "this, conduit thing, it mainly hurts, so, you are hurting, right? Emotionally?"

He looked away from her again. "A mating bond should not be forced."

She was taken aback by the tightness in his voice. "It's not like you had a choice, either, right?"

He sharply turned his gaze back to her. "You would have died. Again."

"Right? I would much rather be mated to you than be dead."

She had meant it to lighten the mood, but something changed in his gaze that made her stomach do a flip.

"You would accept me?" he murmured, inconspicuously closing in on her.

The tingling sensation was back in her shoulder, along with the same gentle warmth she had felt when she had woken up in the palace for the first time. It sent a blush up her face, which doubled when she realized how close he was. And since when had he stopped referring to himself in the third person? Images of a shapely chest clad only in translucent silk, a playful game of fetch and a delivery of fur flashed before her eyes. Why couldn't she think straight?

"Uhm… ah… yes?" she breathed.

He drew back at the uncertainty in her voice. "We will continue this discussion when you are certain. Rest now, miko."

She bristled despite her lingering confusion. "It's Kagome. I think we're on a first name basis, now, don't you?"

He smirked slightly, sending her stomach off again. "Sleep, Kagome."

She lay back down and suddenly felt exhausted. She heard rather than saw him get up, and before she could stop herself, she called out to him again.

"Will you stay?"

She didn't think she had ever sounded so meek in her life, but her thoughts were quickly claimed by the shudder that seemed to go through him and the subsequent shiver that ran through her shoulder.

"As you wish," came his husky answer.

The shiver that answered that in turn was all her own.