A/N: Because, seriously, like this hasn't come up before.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to it.

"I'm your what?" she shouted, chocolate orbs flashing dangerously. Kagome glared at her intended, furious with what he deemed was appropriate to call her. Sesshomaru had finally acknowledged that he had strong feelings for her and decided to stake his claim on her (at least, that was how she interpreted it). Staking his claim involved a lot of snuggling, which was supposed to enforce his scent on her person, letting other males know that she was taken. At least, that was how Inuyasha described it. He couldn't really explain how demon-mating rituals went without getting flustered and turning the same color as his firerat coat. However, just today Sesshomaru decided to call her something that she never thought she would hear from him.

"You are my bitch," he stated coolly as if it were a common word. He looked so unperturbed about it that it drove Kagome crazy.

"Listen, I'm not your anything, got it?" She continued to glare at him, not understanding the slight crestfallen look on his face. "I can't believe you would call me something like that, Sesshomaru! I thought you cared about me."

A silence fell over the two. "Miko, I do not understand."

She squawked in irritation. "You don't…ugh, I give up!" She gathered her things, stuffing them in her enormous yellow backpack. "I'm going back to the village. You'll know where to find me when you're ready to apologize." She huffed the bag over her shoulder, not even sending him a glance as she took the familiar trail back to the village.

"Miko…"

"No!" she cried, turning around to face him, slight tears crinkling at the edges of her eyes. "That hurt. Just leave me alone!" And with that, she fled back to the village, leaving a confused taiyoukai in her wake.

She finally arrived at the village and all but fell into Sango's arms while bursting into tears. The demon exterminator had no idea what was going on, but led Kagome to their hut, giving her some privacy while she sobbed. Kagome finally got herself under control, feeling soothed by the other woman's presence. When she finally had enough composure, she began to tell Sango what was wrong.

"I just don't understand, Sango. Things were going so well."

"What do you mean? Did he do something to you?" she asked in concern.

Kagome nodded her head briefly. "H-he called me his…bitch."

The reaction from Sango was not one she expected. The older woman broke out in laughter, shocking Kagome with her actions. "It's not funny, Sango! That's a horrible thing to say to someone, especially to me. I thought that he liked me."

Sango chuckled a little longer, while Kagome pouted next to her. "That's all he did? He called you his bitch?"

"Yes, that's what he did," she ground out, beginning to feel irritated. "It's an atrocious word to use on someone that he supposedly cares about."

Sango chuckled. "Kagome, dear, you do realize that you are, what is the word you use…'dating' a dog demon." Said woman nodded, clearly not understanding where this was heading. "Do you know anything about mating rituals for dog demons?"

Kagome snorted. "I tried to weasel some information about it from Inuyasha, but he's too embarrassed to say anything about it. Just that there is a courting period, where the male marks his intended, and if they are compatible, they go to the next level of becoming mates."

"Once again, you do realize you are dating a dog demon?" She paused and sighed at Kagome's blank expression. "I think you need a couple lessons in this ritual idea. I cannot tell you very much, because I myself am not a dog demon, so you will need Sesshomaru to go into further detail with you at some point."

The miko nodded and arranged herself in a comfortable position. "Now, Kagome, what do you know about dogs in general?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, they are extremely loyal, gentle, caring…"

"Kagome, what is the proper term for a female dog?"

"A bitch," she replied without hesitation. Then, the light bulb went off. "W-wait, Sesshomaru wasn't calling me a bad name?"

"No, he wasn't. When a male dog demon calls his intended his bitch, it means that he is letting the world know, who might not have demon senses, that you are taken. It can also be an endearing term for some dog demons as well, as I suspect with your Lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome covered her face in her hands and groaned. "Oh no. In my time, when you call someone a bitch, it's a derogatory term, especially for females. I thought that Sesshomaru was mocking me." She paused for a moment to let it all sink in. "I guess I just never thought about it that way. Oh my gosh, he's going to hate me for what I said to him."

"You didn't refute his claim, did you?"

The younger woman peeked at Sango through her fingers. "I might have told him that I'm not his anything and that he should apologize to me." She grimaced. "I really hope that doesn't mean he doesn't like me anymore."

"I think it was just a huge misunderstanding and that if you talk to Lord Sesshomaru about it in the morning, he will understand. He doesn't seem like the type to let a misunderstanding come between a lasting relationship."

"Why can't I go talk to him now?"

"Because he's probably just as hurt as you were. And, I think you need to get some quick lessons about dog demons so you'll have more of an understanding about how they act."

Kagome took a deep breath and steeled herself as she walked deeper into the forest. At Sango's encouragement, she decided to wear a lovely kimono with a simple ivy leaf pattern. She nervously tugged at the collar, mentally going through what she was going to tell Sesshomaru when she saw him. She trudged in a little further until she stumbled upon a clearing. She gulped when she saw his large form turn to face her.

"Miko."

"Sesshomaru," she responded, tilting her head to the left to expose her throat to him. One brow quirked at her behavior, but she could see that he appreciated her action by the way his amber eyes smoldered.

"Have you come to refute my claim?"

Breaking eye contact with him, she bowed her head in shame. "Never. I simply wish to explain myself for my odd behavior yesterday." The quiet encouraged her to continue. "I am a novice when it comes to dog demon mating behaviors. I was upset when you called me your bitch, because where I come from, it is an insult. I had no idea that it had a different meaning. You calling me that hurt me, because I thought you were taunting me." She swallowed thickly. "I am really sorry, Sesshomaru. I overreacted and I really hope you don't hate me now. I would never want to refute your claim on me."

Her speech was met with silence. After a few minutes, tears began to form in her eyes. She knew she said hurtful things to him, but apparently saying she was sorry wasn't good enough. The first tear fell and landed on her cheek. However, it was soon wiped away. She gasped as her gaze shot up to the stoic youkai standing closely in front of her.

"Little miko, why are you crying?"

She sniffed as a few more tears leaked down her face. "I thought you would hate me and that you wouldn't want to be with me. I really do care for you, Sesshy."

He chuckled. "I had a feeling that you misunderstood my meaning, Ka-go-me." She giggled at the way he said her name and wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his chest. He rumbled in contentment as he wrapped his arm around her, nuzzling her neck in affection. "You and I will have a much needed conversation about dog demons." He pulled away from her to look into her eyes. "I also do care for you greatly, my little bitch."

She opened her mouth to retort something back, but he merely grinned and silenced her with a kiss.