Kagome's heart beat wildly as she entered the restaurant, automatically checking her reflection in the glass door for any snagged seams or flyaway hairs.
After the jewel had sent her back, she'd almost given up hope of finding a familiar face. It wasn't until she'd finished college that Inuyasha had shown up on the shrine steps, that same sheepish grin lighting up his face before she'd launched herself into his arms.
After beating him senselessly for taking so long.
Mama had eventually stepped in, happy to see him regardless, and Kagome had immediately berated him with questions about the others—specifically Sesshoumaru. She'd started out asking about everyone, but Inuyasha had quickly told her to get to the point.
She'd punched him again for good measure, but he'd been more than willing to fill her in on what Sesshoumaru had been up to for the past five centuries—the most important being that he was still single.
She'd given her friend a hopeful look, and Inuyasha had just rolled his eyes. "You know he ain't gonna make the first move."
Kagome hadn't been worried. She'd planned on pleading her case back in the feudal era—after a few years of warming up to him and getting him used to the idea.
Which was why she was posing as a reporter looking to interview the elusive Yasei Shou, author extraordinaire. As soon as Inuyasha had given her a copy of his first book, she'd known without a doubt who'd written it—and subsequently devoured his entire series.
The only problem was that Yasei-sensei was a recluse who preferred his privacy and avoided signing events whenever possible. She'd missed his latest one by a few weeks, and he wasn't set to repeat until the fall.
Kagome couldn't wait that long.
So she'd taken the phone number Inuyasha had provided her—a direct line to his assistant because she had to do some of the work herself, the ass—and had pretended to work for a local magazine. She'd spent hours getting ready, running through every hypothetical conversation in order to convince him to date her.
Yet, as she followed the host towards the table, a frown puckered her brow. The person sitting at the table was deviously handsome, back straight with high cheekbones and an easy smile.
But it wasn't Sesshoumaru.
Pulling out her phone, she dialled the phone number his assistant had given her. She watched as the man answered, his voice not even close to the one she remembered. "Yasei-sensei, I'm so sorry, but a family emergency has come up; can we take a rain check?"
She ducked behind a plant as the man got to his feet. "Of course. Please speak to my assistant to set up an appointment. But don't make a habit of it. I can't be sitting around waiting for you."
"I won't," she assured him. "Thank you so much for understanding." Kagome quickly ended the call, keeping her back turned as the man walked by her. Blue eyes followed him as he strode through the restaurant, though she didn't move from her place until the door had shut behind him.
Rolling her eyes, she texted Inuyasha about what had happened and that she wasn't about to give up. She shook her head as she returned to the parking lot. When she finally met up with Sesshoumaru, she'd make sure to tell him off.
His stand-in wasn't even youkai.
..::**::..
Five times. Five times she'd set up an interview, and it hadn't been him. If Kagome wasn't so determined to give him a piece of her mind at this point, she might've given up, but accepting fate wasn't what helped her defeat the jewel, and she certainly wasn't going to let him avoid her forever.
Inuyasha had checked in with him, and Sesshoumaru hadn't brought up her name, so it was unlikely he was even getting her messages. If he didn't show up today, she would storm into his office herself and beat down his door.
She'd taken just as much time with her appearance as the last five times, though each of them had ended in disappointment and stomping around her apartment, cursing the daiyoukai under her breath. She'd spent extra time in the greenhouse to stop herself from doing something drastic, cultivating her garden and focusing on creating bundles of flowers for those who visited her shop.
Mama had taught her flower arranging as a way to pull her out of the melancholy that was her final years in high school, and Kagome, being the over-achiever, had latched onto it like a lifeline. It wasn't until her friends started asking her for Valentine's Day bouquets and prom corsages that she realized how much she enjoyed it.
So much so that she'd opened her own store after getting her degree in business administration.
She'd always thought she'd take over the shrine, but Mama refused to let her. And though she was the one with the holy power, Souta had more interest in continuing the family than she did, anyway.
Her brother would always get his flowers for free because of that.
Entering the restaurant, Kagome released her reiki, power scuttling along the floor. There were youkai present, so that was promising. She couldn't sense anyone as formidable as Sesshoumaru, but hopefully that was due to his glamour subduing his youki and not his lack of attendance.
However, as she followed the hostess, the tall blonde at her table was once again not the person she'd planned on meeting. Kagome bit the inside of her cheek from groaning aloud, ready to lay into the stand-in, but stopped when the woman turned around, eyes like a sunset before a storm.
She knew her.
Kagome continued to stare as she sat down. Inuyasha had told her about all the people who'd survived, how they'd hidden among society to keep their identities intact, but he'd never mentioned her. And given her current appearance, Kagome wouldn't be surprised if none of them knew about the company Sesshoumaru kept.
"You're persistent, Higurashi-san, I will give you that much," the woman said, resting her chin on her hands. "No one else has blown me off as often as you."
Kagome pursed her lips; so she was going to continue the ruse as well. Fine, she'd play along. "Is this where you admit to sending stand-ins to all our previous meetings?"
The blonde chuckled and leaned back in her chair. "People read the name 'Yasei Shou' and expect the man of their fantasies. The others were sent to maintain the image—and ensure my privacy." Considering her sleek business suit and tightly wound hair, Kagome could understand why, but it didn't explain why she'd come in Sesshoumaru's place. Or why she was parading as a human.
"And you are?"
"Moeru Kira," she replied easily.
Kagome couldn't help but laugh, the woman tilting her head in surprise. "It suits you." Moeru raised an eyebrow, suddenly sitting up straighter. Kagome shook her head and sighed. "I was really hoping he'd show up today."
"Higurashi-san, if you have changed your mind about the interview—"
"I absolutely want the interview, Moeru-san," she said, eyes hardening as she gave her a level stare. "But I won't speak with anyone but him." Moeru bristled, and Kagome could see the wheels turning as the woman tried to decide how to proceed.
She also wondered if Shippou would be interested in knowing his old playmate was still alive and well.
"Don't get me wrong; I'm glad Yasei-sensei has managed to find people loyal enough to him to keep him from having to deal with the pond slugs I'm sure you filter through on a regular basis. Especially someone as long-lasting as you."
Coral eyes darkened to crimson, then narrowed dangerously before Kagome reached across the table, tracing the diamond on her forehead hidden under her glamour. The woman stayed glued to her chair, breath stilling as they stared at each other.
Kagome smirked as she rested her chin on her hand. "You're his assistant, right? The one I talked to on the phone? Did you read the full name on the email I sent you?"
"I don't have time to read every email sent to me," she argued, still in shock.
"Too bad. It would've saved us both a lot of hassle," Kagome said. "We could've spent the time catching up instead of you wasting time sending out randos to keep your boss's identity a secret."
"He prefers it that way," Moeru muttered.
"I'm sure he does. But don't you think he'd make an exception if he knew it was me?"
"Kagome—"
"So, you do know who I am."
The blonde had the decency to blush, rubbing the back of her neck. "More than you know."
Kagome's heart fluttered as the possibilities those few words sparked, but she forced herself to focus. Whether Sesshoumaru had mentioned her in the last 500 years was beside the point. For now. "So then tell him who I am. Drag him out of the office if you have to. Or whatever cave he's sequestered himself away in."
Moeru stared at her for a moment, then the first genuine smile crossed her face. "You haven't changed."
"I hope I've changed enough to warrant a second look," Kagome grumbled.
"I'll make sure of it," Moeru said, crossing her arms. "I'd planned on harassing him about his next manuscript over the weekend anyway." Kagome raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm also his editor." The women shared a chuckle.
"You keep him on his toes."
"Slack is for the weak."
Kagome's smile only widened, and she reached into her purse, pulling out a preserved camellia, the pink petals standing out against the chilled container. "Give him this while you're at it. I'm hoping it'll strike a chord."
"Or a memory?" Moeru asked, accepting the gift.
"Something like that." The waiter passed by their table, quietly asking if they were ready to order, and Kagome met the blonde's gaze. "Your boss is footing the bill for this, right?"
Moeru smirked. "He is now."
"Good. Let's make it worth our while, then." They ordered the works, the most expensive bottle of sake soon appearing on their table, and Kagome raised her cup, clinking it against Moeru's. "To new beginnings, Kirara."
..::**::..
Kagome wiped the sweat from her forehead, knowing she'd just dragged a streak of dirt along with it. It was the perfect day for pruning, but it was hard, tedious work, which was why she always did it on the weekend.
Her shop was never that busy on Sundays, especially in the afternoons; she always closed early to focus on the foliage instead of fulfilling orders. Soft violin music played in the background, head swaying to the interlude as her scissors cut away dying leaves and tangled roots.
The tranquillity was interrupted by a sharp knock at the front door, and she looked up with a frown. The shop hours were clearly posted on the window, and she'd flipped the closed sign around, so it struck her as odd that someone would be looking for a last-minute arrangement. Especially since she'd run the same schedule for over a year.
"We're closed," she called through the double set of doors, going back to her pruning, but the knocking started again, a continuous sound as she sighed and shoved her shears into her apron pocket. Brushing her hands off on her faded jeans, she stalked through the shop, wrenching the door open. "I told you, we're—"
The rest of her tirade died on her lips at the sight of Sesshoumaru standing on the front stoop, golden eyes hidden behind the hazel irises of his glamour, along with a pair of thin-rimmed glasses. She had so many things she wanted to say, so many things she'd rehearsed, but they all fell by the wayside, and instead, she felt the heat of indignant anger creep up her neck.
"Why are you here?"
"Kirara gave me your gift—"
"You're not supposed to be here now," she snapped, reiki flaring. "You're supposed to wait until tomorrow so I could make an entrance and leave you speechless and begging for forgiveness while you pull your jaw off the floor!" Her hands automatically went to her hair, trying to calm the messy bun she'd haphazardly tied earlier that morning.
"I felt it was more pertinent to—"
"You don't get a say!" she said, cutting him off again. "There was a plan. Kirara was supposed to tell you—"
"I could not wait that long."
Kagome opened her mouth to blast him again but pursed her lips instead, slowly crossing her arms as she stepped back. "That's not fair."
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, and it was so painfully familiar that her heart clenched. "And blaming me for my lack of knowledge of your rendezvous with my assistant is?"
"That's your fault for filtering out so many emails in the first place," she countered, moving back enough for him to enter the shop.
"I have lived too long to waste my time with frivolous fangirls and benign requests." He towered over her, the door shutting softly behind him.
"And yet you're here now."
"The circumstances are different." The look he gave her made her heart flutter, but she kept her balance, arms tightening against her chest.
"How so?" She hadn't meant to sound so breathless, but he was close enough for her to smell him, the scent of summer rain and rolling mountaintops playing havoc on her senses.
Sesshoumaru considered her for a moment, then removed his glasses, the low ponytail shifting to silver, amber eyes glowing in the dim lighting before he presented a single stem of ambrosia. It was freshly cut, leaving Kagome to wonder how long it had taken him to find it after Kirara had revealed the identity of her new friend.
She fingered the tip of the plant. "Some people consider this to be a weed."
"Only those ignorant to its true meaning," he said, stepping closer.
"So you chose it on purpose?" His other hand reached out and cupped her cheek, clawed thumb running along her jawline. His skin was warm, and she felt the slight tremor of his fingers before tilting her head into the touch.
"Everything with you holds a purpose," he murmured.
"Smooth talker for a recluse author who has other people parade around pretending to be him at book signings," she chuckled, eyes fluttering closed when he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"It allows me to go out in public without being disturbed."
The movement of his lips tingled against her skin. "Good. Because you owe me lots of dates for having to put up with all of the failed meetings these last few weeks."
"I will start tonight if you let me," he said, pulling back only enough to meet her gaze. "Though I would advise bringing a spare change of clothing, as you will not be returning home after."
Heat pooled low in her stomach, and she watched as his pupils dilated, his other arm snaking around her waist when her desire hit his nostrils. "Big talk for someone who hasn't been on a date in the last two centuries."
Sesshoumaru wasn't fazed. "Is that a no?"
Kagome slid her arms around his neck. "Guess you'll have to play your cards right and find out." Before he could retort, she pulled him the rest of the way down, pressing her lips against his and taking her fill.
Words of longing bubbled close to the surface but were quickly swallowed by his shudder, and she opted for a more direct form of communication instead, making a mental note to bring some jasmine with her on their first date.
Or maybe an orchid.
..::**::..
Chapter Glossary (cuz you know me and meaningful names):
Moeru - blaze
Camellia - longing
Ambrosia - reciprocated love
Jasmine - desire
Orchid - exotic seduction