Kagome managed to keep her chair from hitting the floor with how quickly she stood up. "You take that back!"

"Why should I?" Mei sneered. "Daddy always taught me it's rude to fib." Bright red lips curved up into a condescending smirk. "And shouldn't you be kissing my feet right about now? How else are you going to get funding for that pathetic idea?"

It had been a long time since she'd been in a real fight, but skills like that never went away. It was like riding a bike, except it involved reminding the arrogant panther that she wasn't as untouchable as she thought.

Power concentrated around her fingers, and she heard Tsubasa gasp in response. Kagome had spent enough time training that she knew she could keep the blast contained, and she smirked as Mei's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare," she hissed.

"No, she would not." Sesshoumaru appeared at their table again, but her eyes were on Mei, ready to put her in her place.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't."

"Because you have more integrity than to engage in baited rhetoric with bottom-feeders." The compliment did its job, splintering her attention as she looked up at him. He gave her a meaningful look, and she pursed her lips.

"You don't know that. I've changed since we last met."

"Not that much." His tone was soft and warm, another shiver running down her spine, and Mei scoffed, hands on her hips.

"You've done it now. I'm going to tell Daddy just how disrespectful you were to me and Shou-san. Picking a fight in the middle of a prestigious restaurant—"

"There is a difference between picking a fight and defending your honour against parasites." Sesshoumaru pinned her with a scathing glare. "And I will remind you that my connections reach further than yours." Mei paled, finally at a loss for words.

The board members mumbled to themselves, but Tsubasa leaned forward, placing her napkin on the table. "I think we've heard all we need to hear, Hizoku-san. It seems you are not the right fit for our idea. Please communicate your condolences to your father." The rest of the table nodded, slowly collecting their belongings before heading toward the door.

Mei continued to sputter as Kagome grabbed her coat, glad to have Tsubasa on her side, but Sesshoumaru held her hand. "You have not finished your meal."

She let out a forced chuckle. "I wouldn't stay here if she paid for two wings."

"Of course not," he said, pulling her away. "You are much more suited for the chef's table." Kagome blinked as he led her toward the kitchen, seating her at another table only big enough for two people. It gave her a full view of the prep area, and any station he chose to work at, and she flushed as he pushed her chair in.

Her glass was quickly refilled, and he handed her a different menu—one with no prices. "Are you sure this is alright? I almost attacked someone in your workplace."

"I am sure she deserved it."

Kagome's fingers tightened around the menu. "I thought we'd gotten past the whole 'youkai are gods and humans are scum' mentality."

"Only for those keen enough to let go of old prejudices," he replied.

"Like you?" she asked, then immediately backtracked. "Sorry. You've probably been through a lot since I last saw you, and I'm sure you've changed a lot. It was just jarring to—" She noticed the amused expression on his face and chuckled in embarrassment.

"You, on the other hand, seem to have kept most of the qualities you had as a teen."

She raised her chin, pretending to read over the menu. "I've changed enough to become your friend," she teased. The easy-going smirk on his face disappeared, and she swallowed at the heat in his eyes. "If that's what I really am."

He continued to stare as servers moved around them, calling out orders between picking up plates, and he stepped closer. "No. I have never considered you a friend." Under normal circumstances, she would've been insulted, but there was something he wasn't telling her, something she desperately wanted to find out, and every moment she spent in his presence led her closer to the truth.

He was close enough that she could smell him, an intoxicating mix of spices and wilderness that had her chin tilting up when he leaned down. Her eyes fluttered shut, the touch soft and searching, and all too quickly, he was pulling away.

"Will you wait for me until the dinner rush is over?" he whispered, his hand on the back of her chair. "A pale comparison for how long I have waited for you." Blue eyes widened as she suddenly placed the source of the heat behind his.

He wanted to devour her.

She nodded once, flicking her tongue out to moisten her lips, and Sesshoumaru growled softly, stealing another kiss behind the cover of her menu before finally straightening. "If you cannot decide, I will put together a course for you based on what I know of your tastes."

Something in his tone told her he knew a lot more about her than she could even imagine, and she nodded again. "That sounds wonderful."

"Naturally."

She let out a breathy giggle, tensing when it looked like he was going to push his luck a third time, but he bowed stiffly and returned to the kitchen. Kagome had never seen an artist at work before, but she was pretty sure that's what Sesshoumaru was when it came to preparing food. He moved with a gracefulness she never knew he was capable of, his smirk growing every time he caught her staring.

She managed to get him back, though, lingering over her food and keeping eye contact as her tongue slid along her spoon. The way his hands flexed promised retribution, but as long as they were in public, she was safe. After hours would be a different story, and one she was relishing more with every passing hour.

She always did enjoy dessert best.