A/n Sorry…junior year and I'm dying. I know this is kind of unacceptable (ducks vegetables and other thrown food) but at least it wasn't another year. It was half a year. I would like to inform y'all that your reviews keep me going and I luv ya. Just a lot of stress. I don't know why I'm writing this the weekend of finals but I want you to know that no matter how slow I will update.

Disclaimor- not mine unfortunately

And I give you the long awaited

Chapter 17

The day flew by in a whirlwind as she floated from class to class. Her wound still stung whenever she had the bad judgment to move he torso and her mind was still in a haze. The sluggishness she accumulated from the past days in bed had not fully dissipated and contributed to her slow behavior.

"Higurashi I asked you a question…it'd be most conductive if you would stop staring at nothing and returned your attention to class." Kagome blinked once and then again. What? She looked at the board trying to grapple what it was that they were learning.

A normal professor would have just dropped it and leapt to his next victim but their old etiquette teacher was not so. The longer it took her the more looks of annoyance she was getting from her class mates.

Kagome finally just dove into Sesshoumaru's mind and found the answer immediately.

"You should bow and then offer to lead her in." Kagome asserted confidently with a polite smile that seemed to elicit a slight frown from her already irritated teacher.

-You should pay more attention Higurashi its not like you're the one still in pain- Kagome glared at his back.

-I am in pain!- She retorted –Just not as much as before. And no one asked you to take the weight anyway- For a moment she started to feel nauseas, bright stars appeared in her eyes as the youkai prince released his burden slightly before quickly taking it back.

-What was that Higurashi?-

-Nothing- Kagome mumbled

-That's what I thought and if you don't stop glaring at the back of my head that teacher is going to throttle you- Kagome's head jerked to see the teacher indeed was glaring at her again.

-Why is it always me?-

The class resumed and Kagome heaved a sigh as the bell rang. Because of her wound she had been relieved of afternoon combat classes and told to rest up.

Upon finishing her lunch and avoiding Inuyasha she returned to her rooms only to be greeted by and enthusiastic Akira. He pounced on her, his weight bringing her painfully to the ground.

"Ow! Akira watch it that hurt…nggg" Pushing her self up, Kagome panted and winced as the wound stretched.

"How have you been doing? I'm sorry you were so cooped up when I was gone"

Kagome bent down and retrieved his food bowl and poured the contents she had pilfered from the kitchen into it. Akira playfully nudged her from behind.

"Stop that and eat your food and then go and do your daily exercises. It wouldn't do to get out of shape. And I need to rest." She added almost as an afterthought.

Walking to the mirror she let her hair down and unbound her chest. It felt a world better as she seemed to have hit her growth spurt and had become bustier…in all the wrong places. Kagome had had to resort to 'accidentally' tearing her shirts in order to have the palace tailor expand them.

She had also had to loosen her breeches as the tighter they got the more chance the boys had to notice that she seemed not to have the same package down south that they had.

Then there was Inuyasha to deal with. Kagome groaned and poured some water into the water bin by her bed before splashing water onto her face. He'd keep his silence but it would take him a little getting used to the idea o her as a female rather than the boy he'd always assumed she was.

After drying off she carefully lowered herself onto the bed wincing as the straws in the mattress poked into the soft, irritated skin of her wound. She tried to sleep on the side that didn't have the wound. However, the pain from this was greater than the one she had had just a minute ago that she dropped back on her back.

"I'm so spoiled" Kagome voiced out loud.

"I can take this….I'll just suck it up, no big deal." She stared up into the ceiling and counted to ten. The pain was getting any better. A voice from the back of her mind was whispering to her. You know, Sesshoumaru's rooms are open and you know ehere they are. The guard would let you in because he's already seen you and the maid could bring you sweets if you want. Her subconscious was right but her pride held her back.

"Alright, Alright I get it." Kagome got up and redressed, plodding off to his rooms. He won't mind will he? Its not as if he's there right now anyway she convinced herself.

Once reaching the double doors that lead to his wing she nodded at the guard who opened it for her.

Kagome quickly entered his bedroom and fell onto the plush bed with a contented sigh before she lifted the covers and snuggled under them. I'll just get out before he comes back she thought, and take the covers and sheets with me. The day had taken its toll on her, the constant infliction of pain whenever she moved and the burden of her classes. Kagome yawned loudly before falling asleep.

With a start she woke up and found herself in a tent. The canvas moved to reveal Sesshoumaru as he strode in and signaled her to get up. Kagome furrowed her brow but got up all the same. Where was she?

"Come help me put these on. The east bank has sent out the call. There having men deployed now as we speak."

"What?" Kagome was disoriented and looked down to the armor he had placed in her hands and blinked.

"Are you daft? We're in the middle of a war hurry up Sesshoumaru muttered as he slipped on his riding gloves. Awkwardly she put the armor over his shoulders and pulled on the straps.

"What war?" Kagome cringed at the look he gave her.

"The war with the east for the valley of Hathaway what war do you think we're in." He threw her an annoyed glance as he buckled and recheck his armor. As she still seemed confused he elaborated sarcastically

"The one where they sprang a surprise attack from the far bank. It seemed they had been readying themselves for years with the amount of troops they had organized there. Bastards!" Kagome was taken back at the uncharacteristic curse.

"What is with you and your heads in the clouds Higurashi? The next thing I know your going to asking me what you're doing here." He looked down at her and pointed at his helmet. She obliged by handing it to him.

"Yes" Kagome muttered. He looked at her confused and somewhat dismissive as he was about to leave.

"Care to elaborate?" Sesshoumaru flexed his muscles underneath his armor ensuring that he was mobile.

"Yes I would like to know what I'm doing here." Kagome said hesitantly. One look at her face and he new she wasn't joking.

"You are my squire and we're fighting a bloody war. Figure it out. And remember, do not come out you know the consequences if you get caught." With that he ran out leaving Kagome cold and confused. His squire? A war with the east? I thought we were friendly with the east. Kagome sat down contemplatively but before she had a chance she fell asleep again.

Kagome felt someone slip in next to her. Opening her eyes drowsily she smiled she saw the youkai prince next to her.

"hey." Kagome voiced her voice husky from sleep.

He responded only by snaking an arm around her and pulling her close. Kagome smiled as she buried herself into his chest and purred as his arm ran up and down her back soothingly.

"How are you today?" Sesshoumaru murmured into her neck as his hands wound themselves in her hair. Even in her sleepy haze her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Since when did Sesshoumaru talk like that to her or to anyone else for that matter. Even as her body complained she gently pushed him away from her and sat up quickly. Curiously the pain in her side was gone.

Her eyes settled down onto his languid form in front of her as he looked back at her with a hint of smile tugging at the corner of his perfectly carved lips.

"I…what?" Her confusion seemed to amuse him as Sesshoumaru pulled her back toward him. She looked down at herself and frowned as her shirt and breeches had turned into a white silk night gown. Kagome looked back at him. His eyes that had always been almost expressionless except for those rare instances she seemed to elicit from him where now were quirked with amusement. A tired look seemed to adorn the rest of his face though.

"Aren't you going to ask me about my day Kagome?" It was unusual to hear her name on his lips.

"How are you…?" it sounded weird even to her own ears. Kagome looked around confused. What was this?

"The meeting were somewhat boring but it seems that your suspicions of the Duke are uncalled for. I told you before he seems entirely normal. You don't need to be all uptight he is all for us."

"Naraku?"

"Yes…is there another Duke that I'm unaware about?" He asked humorously. Kagome raised both of her eyebrows and looked at him ready to question him farther when she felt someone roughly shake her.

With a rough jolt she opened her eyes to see Sesshoumaru, sweaty from the practice yards stand next to her scowling.

"Since when did I give you permission to sleep in my bed Higurashi?"

Kagome looked apprehensively up at him and quickly calculated the best way to sprint to the door and out of the wing in order to save her hide.

She didn't even get half to the door before she was caught and spun around to face him.

"Eh heh heh" Kagome peeked up at him from beneath her lashes. He glared down at her. It seemed a day of trying to hold her pain had irritated him to no end.

"I was trying to sleep in my own room…but the straw was digging into my side so I just figured I would be ably sleep better in your bed. Sorry." The apology was muttered but it seemed to surprise and appease him nonetheless. Kagome was still too phased out to argue intelligibly anyway.

"Ask me next time Higurashi." Sesshoumaru, too tired to argue, pushed her toward the bed and went to his dresser. Stripping off his shirt with a sound of disgust he whipped another one out of his dresser.

Kagome settled back into bed observing him covertly. Her cheeks warmed as she watched his lithe form flex with cat like grace. Without looking at her Sesshoumaru headed to his bathroom to wash off.

Kagome's cheeks turned even redder as she remembered his arm around her. Just as well that Sesshoumaru was too tired to pick up on her thoughts. Kagome was still confused about her dreams. Were they even dreams?

She remembered the dreams so clearly that they seemed to be instead visions. Kagome was familiar enough with herself that she knew she forgot the contents of her dreams once she woke only retain a vague sense of what happened.

Drifting off She murmured a soft goodnight as she felt the soft mattress creek with the added weight of the youkai prince. Receiving a murmur in return, she fell asleep vowing to get to the bottom of these dreams on a later date.

A/n I have the best reviewers in the world I want you to know that it means a lot to me and keeps me going.

A special thank to….

blackwolf15, Demon Lover77, pinky101, Mysterious Miko of Moonligh..., Fire Mistress, hermonine, renyun, Aria423, Midnight Faerie, Gothic LustGothic Lust, Vigorian-Asakura, Alyakcm, LilNezumi LilInu, BlueEyedNinja, Loli , shelly , The Squabbit, AnimeMoonlightGoddess, inuyasha1818, Fire Mistress, nhjade1

I'm open to suggestions if anyone wants to give any. Also this story obviously is unbeta'd so there are bound to be many grammatical errors.

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winks,…..you know you want to. Haha see you guys next time!!!!