Hello lovelies! I know I have other unfinished stories right now, but this story was calling to me. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA! THIS STORY IS FOR MATURE ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY!

-KJ

They weren't certain when the change had begun, if it had been gradual or sudden. All that was certain was something was going on with Sesshomaru. He was being oddly protective and less icy with Kagome. However, whenever she tried to talk to him or thank him for saving her, he'd turn on his heel and leave.

She'd catch rare moments of kindness when he thought he was alone with Rin. Once in the late spring, Kagome had been practicing her cloaking; hiding her scent and aura from others. Kaede had Inuyasha search the forest for Kagome while she cloaked herself, and nine times out of ten, he found her in under a minute. That time, she'd slipped to the edge of the forest and focused very hard on cloaking properly. The minutes had dragged on, and getting bored, she'd looked over to a small meadow and saw Sesshomaru sitting with Rin. His spine was straight, his posture regal, and his face impassive as he watched the small human child weave flowers together into a crown. Kagome had watched with heightened interest as Rin had reached up to put the crown on Lord Sesshomaru's head. Kagome blanched and expected Sesshomaru to lash out or get angry. What she had not expected was the tiny upward lilt of his mouth. It was only there for a moment, but Kagome had seen the small smile on his face before it fell and he patted Rin's head a few times. Kagome was so thrown she'd dropped her cloak and Inuyasha found her within moments.

She was sputtering when Inuyasha found her and waved his hands in front of her face.

"Yo, wench! What's wrong with ya! Was there a demon? Do you sense a shard?"

Kagome blanched again and resisted the urge to smack Inuyasha. Everything was always about finding shards. She'd kept the scene of Sesshomaru and Rin a secret, knowing the proud lord wouldn't want it to spread through the village or reach Inuyasha's ears.

That night, she'd ventured out of Kaede's hut in search of Inuyasha and realized he was nowhere to be found. She started walking toward the forest, and came upon Lord Sesshomaru sitting in a patch of grass at the edge of the village. He was facing the forest and scowling. Kagome would have been nervous to approach him, but the memory from earlier that day was bright in her mind. She stood next to him, wondering why he was angry, but didn't ask. She glanced in the direction that he was glaring, and saw a soul collector float into the forest in the direction of the sacred tree. Her heart had splintered a bit and she collapsed into a sitting position. Right next to Lord Sesshomaru.

His eyes narrowed on the forest, but Kagome hardly noticed. She'd dropped her head into her hands and was holding her tears in. She wouldn't cry in front of Sesshomaru. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke on a quiet growl.

"It isn't proper."

She tilted her head in his direction but wasn't certain if she should speak. Usually he got up and left when she tried to speak directly to him. She didn't need to though, as he elaborated on his own.

"It is unnatural and deeply shameful for an Inu to court two females at once. We have but one mate, and straying from your intended is disgraceful and goes against our instinct and nature."

Kagome wanted to point out that this was the most she'd ever heard him speak, but she didn't think he'd like that. She also felt that she lacked the emotional capacity to tease him at that time, should she dare to. Instead she went with painful, brutal honesty.

"Technically he was courting her first. Doesn't that make me the 'other woman'", she asked miserably.

A quiet snarl ripped from Sesshomaru's throat without his permission. The idea that Inuyasha could stray from the soft, warm, kind, strong miko for the undead, cold, clay priestess made Sesshomaru want to wring the idiot whelps' neck. It was disgusting and disgraceful.

Kagome tilted her head in thought, "Why are you here?"

Kagome had asked, but she hadn't expected an answer. Sesshomaru almost never came to the village. While they had created a sort of truce between the brothers, he never stayed with them. He only popped in to help slay a demon or two when he happened to be in the area. Which was quite often, Kagome mused to herself. She wondered if that was a coincidence.

His gaze flitted to her, "My ward is human. She needed a rest. We were close by. She is fond of you and requested we visit."

Kagome's mouth almost flopped open like a fish. She managed to squash the movement before it happened.

"So, you stayed near the village so she could visit me?"

He nodded silently. Her mind brought back the memory of Sesshomaru and Rin earlier that day. A small smile lit her face. He was fond of his ward. Kagome would even venture to say that he was paternal toward her.

She sighed as she looked up toward the forest.

"There's no use stay here and waiting for them to be done. He doesn't come back until morning when he goes to her. We might as well relocate."

He grunted, "We?"

She stiffened at his gruff tone, "I was going to offer to make you tea."

He looked pensive for a moment, "That is acceptable."

She chuckled softly and rose. She padded at a steady pace toward Kaede's hut and froze before entering.

"Would you prefer to sit outside? Kaede was cooking and making medicinal salves earlier. The hut will probably have a strong smell."

He didn't show his surprise, but he felt it. No human had ever shown such deference to his sense of smell, with the exception of Rin, who had been informed of his preference for her to bathe well and often. Sesshomaru assumed that, having spent a lot of time with Inuyasha and her kit, she would be aware of their aversion to strong smells. However, that she cared and made an effort to spare him the strong smell made something inside him rumble with satisfaction.

He nodded and sat down gracefully. He was grateful that it was already evening. He knew that the villagers didn't often leave their homes at night, for fear of a demon attack. He knew because he dropped in at night on the small village often. He would come whenever he was close to assure that the miko was alive and unharmed. He still hadn't figured out his perpetual need and desire to know that she was safe. His instincts forced him to check on her as often as he was able.

The odd instinctual response came the moment after he realized that she had lived through his poison attack in his father's tomb. The moment she rose to her feet, he felt an odd stirring in his chest and his instincts and his beast had started rumbling in his mind and rattling his thoughts. He made the effort to avoid her for quite a while, but eventually his instincts and his beast had tormented him enough to make him check on her. So, he had occasionally tracked down the small group and checked on her under the guise of attacking Inuyasha. He hadn't put all of his effort into the attacks on his half-brother. If Inuyasha died, then Sesshomaru would have to find a different reason to visit her. It was a small blessing that the groups had reached an uneasy truce. He could now check on her often without needing an excuse. He could pretend he was only enquiring after the progress on the jewel and the whereabouts of Naraku.

He was torn from his thoughts as she exited the hut carrying a small bamboo mat and two tea cups. She set the bamboo mat out in front of him and set one cup on his side of the mat, and one on hers. She retreated to the hut and was soon coming back out with a teapot. She poured their tea expertly, he noticed, and sat down across from him. She lifted her tea to her lips and he watched as she sipped it through her plump, pink lips.

As she looked up, he diverted his attention to his own tea. It was expertly prepared and enjoyable to his refined tastes. Another good quality of the beautiful miko.

A few minutes passed in silence, and Sesshomaru found that it was rather comfortable. He glanced at her and realized that she was equally as comfortable with the silence, which surprised him. He had often noted that whenever he saw her, she was speaking animatedly with one of her traveling companions or yelling loudly at Inuyasha. He pondered over why she was comfortable with silence when she was with him.

"You are quiet", he noted in a bland tone.

She blushed a bit and shrugged a shoulder, "I like the peace and quiet. I'm particularly fond of it when I'm having tea."

"You've made an odd choice in companions if you enjoy the quiet."

She bristled at his statement, but noticed there wasn't judgement in his eyes. He was only pointing out his observations.

She shrugged again, "I don't always need the quiet. I find time for it when I need it."

He nodded, understanding the statement. He had grown accustomed to Rin's chatter and Jakken's constant warbling. However, he was fond of the quiet. He liked to hear himself think, and he would often find time for himself.

He finished his tea while he watched her. She was staring up at the stars and sipping her tea in contentment, Inuyasha's straying far from her thoughts. Her hair was silky and flowed down her shoulders and back. Her face was soft and open, and beautifully porcelain. Her cerulean eyes shone in the night. He noted that she looked to be at peace.

"How often does he stray to the dead priestess?"

Her posture wilted immediately and her scent grew sour with sadness. He inwardly cursed himself for causing her abrupt change in mood. Her eyes grew sad and she looked down to the ground.

"Whenever she's near. It's been more often recently. Every few days. Maybe once a week."

Her voice was tinged with bitterness and misery. The silence was thick between them now.

"I bet you're wondering why I don't just give up on him."

He didn't nod, though he wanted to.

"I just don't like to quit. I know I should. It wouldn't really be losing if I never had a chance in the first place."

He wanted to tell her that she was foolish to think she had a chance at tearing the half-breed away from the dead priestess.

She sighed heavily, tearing him from his thoughts.

"What do you think I should do?"
She wasn't at all sure why she'd asked him. She wasn't sure if his opinion even merited thought. They weren't really friends; just very tentative allies.

He stiffened at the question. He knew what he wanted her to do.

He stood quickly in shock at the realization of what his beast and instincts had been trying to tell him for months. He'd stood so fast she hadn't seen it. One moment he'd been sitting across from her, and the next he was standing with his back to her.

"You know what this Sesshomaru thinks of him."

With that, he walked off into the night.