Oh hey. I'm back! Sorta. I haven't published anything on in a while, but I started teaching a Creative Writing class this year, and what can I say? The bug bit me again. I've never posted to the Inuyasha section of this site, which knowing how much I read stories off of this section, is a little odd. This is my first published Kag/Sess pairing, but hopefully not my last. Let me know what you think!

Oh, also, there may be some grammar mistakes still in here. I will go back and edit later maybe. I just wanted to get this out tonight; it's been sitting on my laptop for four days now.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters within the show Inuyasha. Rights to all plot and characters belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi.

"You do not have to do this."

"I don't think I have a choice…"

"The well may close."

"I cannot risk this falling into anyone else's hands." Kagome gazed up into distressed, golden eyes.

"Come find me if I don't return…"

How did I get stuck doing this again?

Kagome couldn't help but groan as Yuka pulled her along the street by one hand. Behind the two grown women, their current boyfriends walked at a slower pace, and shook their heads at the short haired girl's typical excitement.

"Come on, Kagome! If we don't hurry, we're going to miss the shuttle!"

"Yuka, if you pull my arm any harder it's going to fly out of its socket! Let go!" The young woman yanked back her abused appendage, pouting as she rotated it.

Cars rolled by as Yuka looked back with an indignant look on her face. "We paid over 6000 yen for this trip to the castle each, and if you think a little a little hurt arm is going to keep us from this shuttle, you have another think coming. The House of the Moon only allows people in once a year, and we just happen to be in the city at the right time. You have no idea what I had to go through to get these tickets. Now LET'S. GO. Come on Hideki." She snatched her boyfriend's hand instead, hoping that the other two would soon follow.

"Do we have to go, Kagome? I have a lot of work to do at the office today, I really don't have time for something like this." The speaker walked over to Kagome, clearly annoyed at being pulled away from work during a week day. He scratched the back of his head while he waited for his girlfriend of two months to recover from her abuse.

A sigh of exasperation escaped the raven hair girl's pink lips. "Yes, Shiro, we do. Yuka bought four tickets without checking in with me first, and the tickets are nonrefundable. I'm sure the company will survive one day without you. Besides, you never know, it could turn out to be fun..." But the look on her stubborn other's face told her no matter what happened that day, Shiro would refuse to admit to any sort of fun just on principle.

The reluctant couple started their way forward, and soon caught up with their companions. Two weeks ago, Kagome had gotten a call from her longtime friend, who had caught wind of the opening of an ancient fortress that only opened once a year. The Moon House. Call her nostalgic, but she couldn't help but feel compelled to go. While she was sure the house had nothing to do with anyone she knew from the Sengoku jidai, all of her attempts to find anything that had to do with her time in the past had come up empty, the gripping need to connect to the past still clung to her.

It had been five years since the Shikon no Tama had shot her back to her time, but she found that she could never stop looking for different signs on her friends. Everywhere she looked, Kagome saw shadows of her gone, but not forgotten, friends. Inuyasha stood at a street corner one day, and Miroku sipped tea at a tea house the next. Any time a child laughed, Kagome looked over her shoulder in a double take, swearing it was her left behind surrogate son. She missed them dearly, but unfortunately, life had to go on.

"Do you think the stories are true, Kagome?"

"Huh?" Kagome snapped her head up, startled out of the reverie she was caught in. "Do I think what could be true?"

Clearly upset at being ignored, Yuka huffed, "The stories about the castle, of course! Supposedly a young lord once held court there, but a terrible tragedy struck while he was out traveling, and the love of his life was gone forever with no explanation! It's said that he grieved for days before he tragically died of heartbreak…it's so romantic!" The love struck girl's hands were clasped in front of her face, and Kagome could practically see stars in her eyes. "I would love to have someone so in love with me that he would die of heartbreak." She cast a sidelong glance at her, now pale, boyfriend. "Wouldn't that be lovely, Hideki?"

The poor man gulped before replying, "O-of course dear. That sounds, um, pleasant?"

The bus that was slowly making its way down the street screeched to a halt in front of the foursome. "Yuka, stop petrifying the poor guy; he's about ready to wet himself. Get on the bus you tyrant." Kagome rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. She knew it was all for show, but sometimes Yuka could be a little over the top. Ignoring Shiro, she climbed onto the bus and chose a window seat that was closest to the door. Grunting, her grumpy boyfriend ambled into the aisle seat next to her.

"How long are we going to have to sit on this damn bus?"

Yuka and Hideki bounced into the seats behind them, and the brown haired girl practically climbed over the seat to answer the question. "The Moon House is only about an hour away. Isn't it amazing that something so grand and romantic is so close? It's a shame that it's only open to the public once a year…"

Shiro blanched when he heard the trip length. The frown that had been slowly blossoming on his face, bloomed in full force.

Irritated at her boyfriend's behavior, Kagome couldn't help her nasty comment. "If you didn't want to come, you shouldn't have said you would, Shiro. I could have just as easily asked Eri or Ayumi." To be honest, the poor raven haired girl had be hoping her boyfriend would turn down the trip in the first place.

Yuka and Ayumi had set her up with Shiro about two months ago. Insisting that Kagome just HAD to meet him, they dragged her to dinner and promptly abandoned the former miko at a restaurant in the middle of the part of town she was unfamiliar with. While she understood why the girls might have thought that they would click, they were both incurable workaholics, Kagome felt his handsome face had more to do with the set up than anything else.

He had been nice enough at first, and as far as her friends were concerned, he was a huge step up from her two timing, trouble maker ex named Inuyasha, so Kagome agreed to a second date. Despite the fact that they rarely saw each other due to work, Shiro was usually, though now that she thought about it not always, polite and considerate when they were together. This excursion to the house was their first trip together. And soon to be our last if his poor attitude keeps up….

Needless to say, the relationship that she reluctantly entered into, was not going well.

Kagome stared out the window and watched as the trees passed by. Yuka's babbling to Hideki was background noise that she was used to and easily ignored. I wonder what Inuyasha and the gang are up to right now…

About an hour later, the bus rumbled to a stop and the driver allowed his passengers off. A tour guide dressed in a maroon uniform waited for them at the entrance of the trail that would lead the guests to the waiting fortress. "Good afternoon. My name is Shisuka, and welcome to The Moon House. I will be your guide for the day. Please follow me. The house is right beyond these trees." She tucked a short, stray brown colored hair behind her ear and turned to lead them away.

Shiro was the last to leave the bus, dragging his feet down the stairs as he went. Kagome glanced behind her in time to catch him sneaking a peak at his watch. She frowned. The man looked miserable. Even though the trip wasn't her idea, she was still excited, but her boyfriend's irritable demeanor was slowly starting to irk her. Deciding to ignore him, and intent on not allowing him to ruin her good time any more than he already had, she hooked elbows with Yuka and led her away.

When they broke free of the trees, both girls gasped in awe. The palace was beautiful. The wood that made up the structure looked brand new, and the pristine shoji that adorned the walls were breathtaking; colorful cranes and Japanese landscapes had been skillfully painted along them. It looks like a castle I would have seen 500 years ago.

Yuka noticed the wistful expression on her friend's face as she took in the scene. "Ne, Kagome, it's a beautiful place, right?"

Kagome shook herself, slightly startled. The corners of her mouth tilted in a tiny smile. "Yes Yuka, very pretty."

"…and the young lord came across a wounded girl in the forest, completely ravaged by wolves. It is said that the lord healed the young girl, and loved her for the rest of his days like he would a daughter. He had the gardens planted for her when she came to live with him as his ward."

Huh. That story sounds slightly familiar-

"How did you ever find each other?"

"She was wounded. I helped her…"

"But don't you hate humans?"

"…not all…"

"Hey, if she was completely ravaged, then how did he save her? Medical knowledge back then was awful, so how could he…" The young man who stepped forward and asked the question was young. He wore his reddish, brown hair in a ponytail, and dark square shades hid his eyes from the other guests.

"Do you think he realizes there's no sun out today?" Yuka semi whispered in Kagome's ear.

"Sh! I'm trying to listen!" Kagome rolled her eyes. The young man looked over at them with a frown. Kagome, closed her eyes and smiled, hoping she could ward off any future disconcerting stares.

"That's a great question, Sir!" The guide winked at the boy flirtatiously before she turned around again. She started leading them through the entrance of the palace before answering. "The stories say that he actually didn't use medicine at all. Instead, the young lord used magic to help her."

That caught Kagome's attention. "Excused me," she asked quietly. "What type of magic did he use?"

Chocolate colored eyes met hers. "No one knows," she said with another wink. "I guess it would depend on whether you believe in magic or not."

Hmph. Good thing I don't believe in magic then, huh? As the group of ten to fifteen guests walked through the entrance, Shisuka led them to a room filled with glass cases. The cases were filled with swords, armor, robes, the typical museum fare. Tiny, typed cards explained to the guests what each item was.

While the guests wandered around the room, the guide began to speak again. "Once the young lord took the little girl in, he continued to wander the lands for a time. Little is known of the exact reason why he wandered, but many historians agree that it had to do with the mythological Shikon no Tama."

Kagome, who had been reading about a ceremonial tea robe, shot her head up at the mention of the jewel. "What? The Shikon no Tama?"

The guide smiled again. "Yes, have you heard of it?"

"Heard of it? The girl is obsessed with that thing." Kagome turned her head and glared at her male companion. And she had almost succeeded in forgetting he was there…

"Obsessed?" Chocolate eyes once again met Kagome's azure ones. "Are you interested in the jewel, Ma'am?"

Kagome blushed at the formal address. "Kagome, please, and yes, I am interested in it. Call it a silly hobby though, not an obsession as this guy here describes it." She waved her hands in front of her, trying to brush off the attention her boyfriend had brought upon her.

But Shiro wouldn't be quieted so easily. He came to stand next to the now embarrassed and glaring girl. "I certainly would. Any time you have your laptop up for anything other than work, you're reading some weird article about the past or that jewel."

Clearly noticing Kagome's mortification, the guide decided to save her. "Well, Kagome-san, if you are interested, you may ask me anything you want about the jewel while you are here. I will try my best to answer any questions you have." With that, she turned on her heel and walked over to answer a question that another guest had about a sword that was hanging on the wall.

Yuka, who had also been next to Kagome the whole time, elbowed Shiro in the side. A soft, "umph!" told Kagome that the hit was none too gentle either. "Shiro! You've been miserable this whole trip, and the one time you decide to speak, you insult your girlfriend in front of everyone. What's wrong with you?" The young woman seemed to have had enough of his bad temper as well.

Shiro rolled his eyes. "What? I was just trying to be a part of the conversation. Right Hideki?" Obviously feeling slightly outnumbered by angry females, he turned to the only male whom he thought might save him.

"Keep me out of it," was his reply, as the, confrontation avoiding, said male ambled away. The wrath of Yuka, once they returned home, just didn't seem worth it to him.

The group began shuffling away from the first room, and followed the guide into the next. Kagome and her companions moved to follow as well, but as Kagome was about to leave the room she stopped in her tracks. That was weird…I swear I just felt- and just as suddenly as it was gone, the feeling of something brushing gently across her consciousness, made itself known again. "That feels so familiar. Like a youki. But it can't possibly be…"

Suddenly a whirlwind overtook him. Caught by the magical wind, her hair blew around her face as the daiyoukai, in his great inu form took to the sky, catching tiny youkai in his great maw as he moved. His crimson eyes practically screamed death to those that dared harm those dear to him…

"Hey, Kagome! Stop whispering creepily to yourself back there and get a move on!" Yuka was motioning her forward again.

Realizing she was about to be left behind, Kagome jogged over to her friends. "Who's being creepy, you weirdo!"

Yuka laughed off the comment and entered the next room, not noticing Kagome turning her head once more to look behind her, and neither noticed the young man who had lifted his sun glasses to reveal mischievous, sparkling sea green eyes.

In the next room, a single exhibit was on display. Inside the glass case that stood in the middle of the room, a rusty old sword sat on a stand. Its scabbard was laid on the bottom at an angle. "….belonged to the young lord's brother. Unfortunately, the sword was not taken care of well, as you can tell by the jagged blade, but it is one of the only items left behind by the family's ancestors. The sword was used…"

Blocked by the many people standing in front of the display, Kagome paced along the room's borders, gazing at the painted shoji doors once again. She stopped in front of one door in particular. The painting was of Tsukuyomi, the moon god, but what caught the young miko's attention was the tiny, indigo crescent shaped moon that was almost hidden in the background behind the god's head. That's…

"Kagome-san, we've made room for you over hear by the display if you would like to come take a look." The young woman that was leading the group around the castle was motioning to her to come near the glass.

Reluctantly, wishing she could inspect the moon a little longer, Kagome walked over to the case. She was only half listening to what the woman was saying.

"…of two gifts from their father, though the young lord was said to have coveted his brother's blade more than his own…"

At this point, Kagome wasn't even listening. She had her hands up to the glass, staring hard at the sword that lay beyond the glass. Tetsusaiga stared right back at her. Noticing the people around her moving once again, Kagome whipped her head around. "Excused me? What is the name of the young lord? I don't believe you have actually said it yet." After she was sure she had Shisuka's attention, she turned back to the sword she had once pulled out of the gut of an ancient Daiyoukai like a modern day King Arthur. Now she was sure she felt the pulse of youki. She would recognize this particular feeling anywhere.

"You're right, I haven't. The name of the lord and his brother, the one the sword belonged to, is actually unknown."

Yuka walked over to stand next to Kagome once more, worried. Kagome's face had gone completely white. "Unknown?" She linked her arm with Kagome's, just as the other woman had not an hour ago. She frowned. Kagome was shaking.

"I'm afraid so. The young lord's ancestor's actually live here all year round, in fact, they are normally quite knowledgeable about the subject, but it's almost like the lord's name was wiped out of existence…"

Azure eyes stared down chocolate ones. "What happened to the lord and his brother?"

The girl, who obviously had no idea what was happening in front of her, opened her mouth to answer, "Well-"

"Excuse me, Miss! Everyone else is waiting for you in the next room!" All three women looked up. The intensity of the conversation disappeared as they gathered their wits upon them. The young man from before was trying to get their attention.

Kagome could see Shiro and Hideki not far behind him. Shiro was rolling his eyes, clearly unhappy that his girlfriend was holding up the tour. Damn sourpuss. This is definitely the last trip we take together.

"If you follow me, Kagome-san…er…Kagome-san's friend, I can answer your question in the next room. There is a painting that…" Shisuka began walking away, talking as she walked, while Kagome and Yuka hung back.

"Are you alright, Kagome? You don't look too well." Yuka stared at her friend, concerned. She leaned close and whispered, "You're not feeling sick, are you? Like you used to get in high school?"

The crowd was beginning to fall in around the guide again, and Kagome began pulling Yuka in their direction, not wanting to miss what she was going to say about the painting. "I'm fine, Yuka. Hurry!" With one final pulse from Tetsusaiga that almost had Kagome doubling back, the girls hurried into the next room.

It turns out, the "painting" wasn't a wall painting. It was another depiction painted onto the shoji doors. The brushstrokes told the story of a great battle and what looked like the death of a young maiden in a flash of light. A giant inu flew over the top of the scene. The first shoji melted into the next. More paint showed a morning young lord, head bowed, sword thrown to the ground, knees on the floor, sobbing out his misery.

"Kagome!"

Blood and gore covered her uniform. The remains of millions of youkai that once made up the terrible hanyou, Naraku, continued to rain down on her and her friends. As Kagome stood in the wreckage, her friends could see a shining, glimmer of pink, held in her outstretched, fisted hand.

She lifted her tear stained face, azure eyes searching for and locking with blazing gold. "Goodbye. Please don't forget-"

"Interesting painting, huh?"

Kagome whipped around to her side. Without noticing, she stopped right next to the mysterious young man when she walked into the room. Kagome shrugged. "I guess."

The young man chuckled, "You guess…"

"As I am sure most of you saw on the brochure that you were sent when you bought the tickets, the young lord lost the love of his life in a great battle. Again, no one is really sure what the battle was over, nor do we know what the outcome of it was, but what we do know based on this painting, is that the lord felt great sorrow over his loss." The guide was still going on with her lecture. Her captive audience was circled around her once again, but Kagome had completely lost interest. She didn't need to listen, after all, she knew the story already. It was hers.

Another gentle pulse swept through her being. Not invasive, but still probing. She knew this youki. Kagome moved her eyes around the massive room they were in, hoping to pinpoint where the youki was coming from. Her azure orbs lay on her soon to be ex-boyfriend briefly before beginning her search anew. He was leaning against the doorway to the next room, blatantly in the middle of a phone conversation. The poor miko sighed in annoyance.

"He's something, isn't he?"

The man next to her was speaking again. Gazing up, they locked eyes. The already annoyed miko narrowed her eyes at her new companion.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be rude; I'm just surprised."

Nonplussed, Kagome replied, "What do you mean?" She was trying to sound polite, though she was sure that wasn't the case. The shaking that had engulfed her body earlier was getting worse. She was distracted. Her tightly wound control was starting to unwind. The powers that she worked to keep at bay at all times, was starting to leak through; they were reaching out for something, something that was just barely out of-

"Well, you just don't seem like the type of girl to be with a guy like him. He doesn't even care about being here, and clearly, you do. So what's the deal?"

Now Kagome was pissed. "I don't think that's any of your business and-" Suddenly she gasped. The youkai that brushed against her this time was so forceful, so achingly familiar, that it was enough to bring her to her knees.

The young man knelt down next to her. He brought his lips a breadth away from her ear. "You were saying?"

Breathing through the last wave of youki, she squinted back up at the unfamiliar man. "You son of a bitch! Who are you?"

Somehow, the group of people that Kagome had been with had already meandered away, not noticing they were leaving the other two group members behind.

The man chuckled. "You wouldn't know who I was even if I told you. How are you feeling? Can you stand?" He suddenly stood up, making the swaying, raven haired girl, feel slightly dizzy. A palm was offered out to her, but Kagome had no intention of taking it.

She swatted the hand out of her line of sight, and used the floor to help heft herself up. Another pulse, extremely gentle this time, swept over her like a warm breeze, almost as if it were apologizing for being so rough before. The powers that Kagome had been trying so hard to keep sequestered burst forward finally, seeming to twine around the gentle youki before it was no more. Without her realizing, the youki had turned her in the direction of the shoji screen, and at closer inspection, Kagome saw that it was not just a screen, but a door that led off of what seemed to be the traditional museum path.

She heard a chuckle. "Want to find out what's behind that door?" Footsteps could be heard as he walked towards the screen. Slowly, he took hold of the wooden frame and pushed it, revealing a lesser ornate hallway.

But despite her curiosity, Kagome was still hesitant. "We can't go that way. It's not part of the tour."

"Feh."

Kagome froze. Feh?

"Like I care. It doesn't matter anyway; I don't need to follow the tour. Come on, I wanna show you something." Gently, he grabbed her arm and started leading her toward the hallway.

They made it halfway down the hallway before Kagome could get any words out of her mouth. Her eyes were wide, face whiter than the shoji along the walls; her pupils were turning glassy, "Inuyasha?"

The young man stopped cold. He turned to face her. Slowly, their eyes met. "Nah. I ain't him." The sight before Kagome made it difficult for her to believe it though. As the young man spoke, the reddish, brown hair that was kept in a short ponytail started to bleed white, or was it silver? It started growing in length, ending just below the man's knees. Human ears started traveling up his head, the color of flesh slowly turning snow white, and baby soft.

Kagome sobbed. Her knees hit the ground, her hands covered half her face. She kept her eyes uncovered, not wanting to miss the familiar transformation from human to hanyou. But as she continued her eyes up to meet the golden gaze of the friend she left behind, she realized something was wrong.

Instead of meeting the golden eyes of her friend, his eyes were violet. Confused, Kagome could barely get her mouth open before-

"I told you, I ain't Inuyasha. He's…he's my old man."

Kagome's not scrunched up nose betrayed her confusion, "Old man?"

"Er….yeah." White ears fell flat on his head like a scolded puppy. "Maybe it would be better if he told you about it all."

Blue eyes widened in shock and tears pooled in their depths once again. "Inuyasha? He's here?" The raven haired woman had always hoped that one day she would be reunited with her long lost friend, but this seemed too good to be true.

But her best friend's offspring looked uncomfortable. "Well, ah, not exactly. Come on, follow me and you'll see what I'm talking about." He took hold of her arm once more and helped Kagome to her feet. "We're almost there."

"And where exactly are you taking me?"

"To my oji-san. He can explain things a lot better than I can-" Once again, the young man, er, hanyou, found himself stopped in the middle of the hallway.

Kagome yanked her arm from his hand this time. "Your oji-san?" A dark cloud of emotion started sweeping across her face. "As in your father's brother?"

Not quite sure how to answer, and not sure whether it was the right or wrong thing to say, the poor hanyou simply answered, "Yes?"

"Absolutely not." Kagome quickly crossed her arms and looked away. Stomping her foot like a child, she said, "I have no desire to speak to him."

It was the hanyou's turn to be confused. "But don't you want to know-"

"Yes! I would love to know what the heck happened in the past, and how everything turned out after I disappeared, and why no one came to find me after I came back! But there is no way that I want to hear all of that from him!"

The poor boy's ears were back again. Violet eyes started back in open horror. "But I thought-"

At this point, Kagome was furious. Her hard won control was now completely lost. Violent tendrils of miko energy fairly crackled around her shaking form. "Well you thought wrong!" The poor girl hissed the words out between clenched teeth.

The scent of salt itched at the hanyou's nose. In her alarming burst of anger, the girl's eyes began leaking her tears once more.

A foot stepped forward, and then another, until Kagome began pushing the hanyou backward. It was clear the man was terrified of being struck by her potent energy. "How dare you corner me and take me away from my friends? What gives you the right to start assuming I wanted to know anything from you or your uncle? You have no idea what happened, or what the events all those years ago could possibly mean to-"

"Enough."

Caught completely off guard, Kagome's tirade came to an abrupt halt. The young man watched as the girl's entire being stiffened at the uttering of that one, quietly spoken, word.

"That is enough, Kagome. You are correct. Ichiro knows not of what he speaks, however, you must calm yourself. You are making the youkai in my home rather nervous with your impressive show of power; they have not encountered miko energy in nearly 200 years."

Slowly, and breathing hard, the riled girl turned her head to the right. The doorway that she had pushed the young man…Ichiro?...by, was now open. Standing in the opening was, "Sesshoumaru?"

"Kagome."

The first time he whispered her name was a shock.

"Thank you, Kagome."

The humbled miko stared up at the daiyoukai in awe. "You are very welcome Sesshoumaru." She placed her hand on the young girl's now cooling forehead. Still gazing up at the male, she smiled. "I'm here whenever you need me."

If she had been looking more closely, she wouldn't have missed the slightest softening in his golden irises.

The befuddled young woman was speechless. Never would she have imagined that she would be standing in front of the dazzling daiyoukai when she woke up that morning. Kagome looked at the hanyou, now identified as Ichiro, the son of her best friend, then back at Sesshoumaru. "What the hell is going on?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes fell on his nephew. "Ichiro, go back into the main compound. You have confused the miko enough."

"But Oji-san, I was only trying to-"

The gold in the menacing daiyoukai's eyes began to darken. "Go."

While ears melded themselves to the back of the poor hanyou's head,Kagome thought she caught a glimpse of a scattering of pink on his cheeks. As the young man side stepped his much older pack member, the miko heard a slight rumbling, like that of a cat's purr, come from the daiyoukai's chest.

A blush worked its way up Kagome's own face.

The vibrations of his purr rocked through her body as they lay together. His head rested on her barely clothed chest, soaking in the feel of her curious fingers as they played with the silver strands of his hair.

The sound must have been one of comfort, for as soon as it wove through the air, Ichiro seemed more at ease as he passed through the doorway. Sesshoumaru barely noticed. His eyes were set on only one thing, the beautiful miko in front of him.

Kagome gulped as he fairly stalked up to her once his nephew disappeared. Slowly, he began to circle around her, taking in the woman that he had not seen in over 500 years. "S-Sesshoumaru?" The daiyoukai stopped directly behind her, and she could feel his chest barely grazing her back.

She could feel his breath on her ear, breathing in her scent once more. "You're…companion…seems rather neglectful of you, Kagome. Surely he would have noticed by now you were missing if he were properly courting you." Nearly jumping at the feel of the warm puffs of air on her skin, the poor miko could barely process the overbearing male's words. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he started moving his lips ever so gently along her skin, following her jawline down to the crook of her neck.

Breathing difficult, she barely managed, "He's not courting me."

A soft chuckle was heard from behind her. "As if he would be worthy."

That brought Kagome out of her Sesshoumaru induced haze. Faster than the daiyoukai expected, the now irate female turned in his grasp and took a step away from him. She narrowed her eyes. "And what, exactly, makes you think you have the right to pass judgement on who is worthy of courting me or not?" Slowly, she crossed her arms in front of her. "I've been in this time for five years Sesshoumaru," a slight sadness passed over her face, "Why didn't you come find me?"

Nonplussed, the daiyoukai took a step towards the upset woman. "You will have to forgive this one, Kagome. It has been many years since you disappeared, and the hanyou wasn't exactly specific about what year you might have returned to your time." He reached out with his right hand and cupped her cheek. "I decided opening up my home once a year might cause an allure you could not resist. It seems the plan worked." His thumb stroked her jawline, and, thinking that all was forgiven, he lowered himself down as if to steal a kiss.

Kagome's eyes softened, luring him into a false sense of security before-

A roar erupted from the daiyoukai as he pulled his burned hand away from the dangerous miko's face. "Woman!" He hissed out. One glance at his afflicted hand showed the appendage was already blistering from the, to him, unwarranted attack.

Said woman narrowed her eyes again. "Do you really think that pretty words are going to make up for the fact that I was left alone for five years, Buster? Guess again! Now, explain to me what the hell is going on, and I might be a little more forgiving."

If the daiyoukai didn't have so much control over his youkai, he might have growled. "Very well. This one-"

"KAGOME!"

Both woman and daiyoukai glanced at each other one more time before Yuka came barging through the open door that lead back into the main museum. She looked more exasperated than Kagome had ever seen her. "There you are! Shiro and I have been looking all over for you! We have to go! The bus will be leaving in five minutes!"

Riiiiight. Where is Shiro? The miko looked around her absently, and found no trace of her supposed "boyfriend."

"Oh, excuse me, Sir. My friend wasn't bothering you, was she?" Yuka was staring up at what was once the silver haired daiyoukai, but to Kagome's shock, she found that he now looked quite different. Where his long tresses were once the color of the silver moon, they were now a deep shade of ebony. The gold of his eyes was now a dull hazel color.

"Of course not." The sentence came out as a rumble, causing Yuka to blush heavily, and Kagome didn't even want to think about what that noise was doing to her own poor, unsuspecting hormones.

Yuka's hand shot out and grabbed her friend's elbow once more. "R-right. Well, we should be going. Come on, Kagome." Practically dragging the poor woman out of the building, Kagome barely caught the glance of her long, lost daiyoukai.

As his miko was pulled away from him, his eyes held the promise of many more things to come.

The bus ride home was uneventful once Kagome gave her ill mannered boyfriend an earful for not coming to find her sooner, and consequently, Yuka similarly gave her an earful for wandering off.

"Geez Kagome! You would think you would have at least tried a little harder to be respectful of the fact that we paid good money to see even a little bit of the estate. There's no need to be wandering off and bothering the hot inhabitants of the home."

The miko couldn't help the grin that blossomed on her face. "Hot inhabitants, Yuka?"

The brown haired girl blushed again. "Please, Kagome. You know that man was sex on a platter. There's no use denying it."

Who's denying? She did know exactly what as hidden underneath all those clothes after all….

"Ahem," Shiro was now trying to look affronted at his girlfriend's behavior towards him. The frown on his face, brought back the young woman's irritated mood from before.

"Look away, Dumbass. Don't even pretend you have the right to be mad after the way you treated me and my friends today. You can find your own way home once we finally get off this bus." Piece said, Kagome went back to gazing out the window, which had been woefully interrupted by her irritated friend.

"Finally," Yuka whispered out loud. Her boyfriend smacked his palm to his forehead. Apparently his scatterbrained girlfriend had completely forgotten that she'd been the one to set Kagome up with the bad mannered man in the first place.

"No, Mom, I won't be getting back together with him." Cell phone balanced between her ear and her shoulder, Kagome towel dried the rest of her hair the best she could.

Mumbling could be heard on the other end. Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'm only twenty-two, Mom! Geez! I still have plenty of time to settle down and make babies. Don't worry, I'm sure the right guy is just around the corner…" Or maybe in the next town… Muffled talk could still be heard, but over the sound of her mother's ramblings, Kagome heard the swish of her window opening.

A swift turn toward the window confirmed what she already expected. Sesshoumaru stood in her room in all his glory. With a roll of her eyes she said, "Mom, I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Mmhmm. Love you too. Bye," and with a click of her phone, it was just the two of them.

"You did not think you could get away that easily did you, dear?" Sesshoumaru moved towards the wary miko, stalking her once more. He backed her up until the back of her knees hit the edge of her bed, and she toppled over backward.

"Just what do you think you're doing here, Sesshoumaru?" Though she already knew the answer her question.

Mischief glinted in his golden eyes. "Explaining, of course."

Kagome giggled as he sealed her lips with his.

Please review! :)