"You have been spending too much time with the miko," Inukimi mused, flicking a few leaves as she meandered through the greenhouse.

"Actually, these are Jinenji's doing," Kagura replied, managing to wipe her brow without coating herself in soil. "Besides, you like Kagome."

"Only because I find her entertaining," she replied, brushing off the sleeves of her shamrock-coloured kimono.

"Because Sesshoumaru finds her entertaining."

Inukimi smirked. "It would be more appropriate to say he finds her bewitching, but do not tell him I said that. He has only just agreed to take her flying."

Kagura grinned, moving the last of some camellia into their new home, making sure none of the roots got caught on the edges of the pot they'd been transferred in. "She's only been begging him for what, a month?"

Making it to the end of the greenhouse, Inukimi sighed dramatically. "He seems to think she will be in danger at such a height."

"Only if he lets go," Kagura snorted.

"Which is why she asked him in the first place." Her smirk returned. "I will enjoy having such a devious wench as my daughter-in-law."

"If he ever catches onto all of her signals." Kagura scooped up the remaining soil and deposited it into the flowerbed behind her. "Sometimes I think your son is a moron."

"It is of little matter. The miko is determined and will force him to see reason."

"And then you'll spend the next century rubbing it in his face."

Inukimi flipped a pigtail over her shoulder. "He deserves it for fighting it for so long. He claims to hate humans but saved her no less than three times during their encounters with the spider? He is only fooling himself."

Kagura laughed. "I'm glad it didn't take me as long to figure things out."

"My dear mate, you are lucky you were allowed out of my sight after the miko introduced us." Kagura shivered, then blew her a kiss, and Inukimi motioned to the various plants on the table between them. "Will you be working on these all evening? Or might I persuade you to take a bath with me?"

"Oh, persuade me all you like. I can finish these tomorrow." Her mate raised an eyebrow, and Kagura chuckled, following her outside. "Or the next day."