Watching The Stars With You by Acb6293

One Shot

A/N: I've been writing fanfic for about a year but this is my first ever SessKag even though they're the couple that brought me into fanfic. Please, please, let me know what you think. If people like it, I'll post more!

Kagome watches as Rin and Shippou play near the river. She knows all her attention should be on the children but she can’t help sneaking looks at her fellow companion, the great lord Sesshomaru. She knows it’s foolish but the heart wants what the heart wants. There’s no getting out of it, she’s in love with the stoic lord. She sniffles and brushes a traitorous tear away, she knows she’s just setting herself up for heartbreak, just like when she thought she was in love with his brother. There’s no way the human-hating lord of the western lands would ever return her feelings. In fact, if he ever found out how she felt about him, he’d probably scoff, take his sword out of its sheath, and cut her head off before walking away and never thinking about her again. 

The heart can’t help but hope though. Especially because of how he’s been acting since she joined his pack. How he talks to her as if she’s his friend, how he cares for her and protects her, the way his eyes linger on her, to name a few. She shakes her head. Stop it with this wishful thinking, it’s only going to break your heart in the long run.

“What troubles you, Miko?” 

Kagome jumped, she didn’t even see him move. Stupid Youkei always scaring her. “Nothing, Sesshomaru-sama.” 

Yes, good job Kagome! Use honorifics to help keep your distance.

“Lying is beneath you, Kagome. And we have spoken of this already, I do not like repeating myself. We are pack, there is no need for you to be so formal with this one.”

Kagome scoffs. “Are you sure about that, my lord? You tell me not to be so formal then end that same sentence with a ‘this one’.”

“Hn, that is fair, I suppose. I shall endeavor to do better and not be so formal with you.” Sesshomaru looks at Kagome and she realizes how soft his eyes are, almost loving. She mentally shakes her head, no, not loving, more like, well, she didn’t know but she wouldn’t put the word-loving anywhere near Sesshomaru. 

“Oh, okay, good then.” She felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks. He was just looking at her like he was waiting for something but she had no idea what. Oh! “I’ll do the same, Sesshomaru.” 

He nodded his head once in approval. He still kept looking at her, she supposed that wasn’t what he was looking for. She had no idea what it could be though. “Is there anything I can help you with?” 

“You still have not answered my question. What troubles you?” He looks annoyed for having to repeat himself.

Kagome has to think fast, there is no way she is going to tell him she’s upset because she loves him and knows he’ll never return her feelings. “I’m just thinking about a lot of things. How much things have changed in the past few months, it’s been hard.” 

His eyes harden and he growls his words. “The halfbreed, you’re still upset over him and the dead one.” 

Three months ago:

Kagome was walking around the forest, looking for Inuyasha. He’d been gone too long, she was worried about him. It wasn’t unusual for him to disappear without telling the group where he was going but he’s her best friend, so she’s allowed to worry. At least, that’s what she’s telling herself as an excuse, she’d feel bad for snooping otherwise. 

She heard a noise not far away from her to her left so she slowed down and as quietly as she could, walked over to see if it was Inuyasha. She didn’t want to stumble upon some other youkai and have to fight them. She cringed because she realized she didn’t have her bow and arrows. As she got closer, she heard two voices, and she knew both of them. Inuyasha and Kikyo, she sighed, there was no point in even looking, she knew what she’d see. She must have some masochistic tendencies because she pushes the final branch down anyway. 

There, for all to see was Inuyasha and Kikyo in a heated embrace. Kagome tried to be strong and not get too upset by what she was seeing but a tear fell down her cheek anyway, then another and another. ‘That’s it’ she decided. She’s done with him. He promised her he’d stay away from Kikyo but that obviously was a lie. She started walking back to camp, thankfully when she got there, everyone was still asleep. She went over to her stuff, opened her backpack, grabbed a letter she had written out weeks ago but was hoping to never have to use, and then packed up all her supplies. Finally, she slowly picked Shippou up so she could roll up her sleeping bag.

“Kagome? What’s wrong?” Shippou wiped one of her tears away that she didn’t even realize were still falling. 

“Everything is fine, Shippou. Shh, stay quiet, I’ll explain when we’re further away.” 

He looked confused and a little sad but he nodded his head. She put Shippou on her arm, walked over to Sango, and put the letter there before walking away. After only a few steps Kirara mewed next to her. 

“Thanks, Kirara, we’re not going far.” 

Kirara nodded her head, changed into her bigger form, and then bent down so Kagome could get on. They traveled for about 15 minutes until she could feel Lord Sesshomaru’s aura. 

“Land in that clearing over there, please Kirara.” 

The Neko mewled in response and landed. When she did Kagome let her aura out to make herself known. A few minutes later, Sesshomaru landed in front of her and looked at her, the kit, and her belongings. Kirara growled at Sesshomaru and tried to get in between him and her pack. 

“It’s okay, Kirara. He won’t hurt us.”

Shippou wasn’t scared, his mama told him all about the times she’s met up with and spoke to the scary lord. He trusts Kagome won’t put him in a situation that will put him in danger.

“You’ve decided to take me up on my offer, have you not?” 

“Yes. Shippou and I will travel with you from now on. You’ll help me get the jewels and I’ll help you with Rin and her schooling.” 

“Hn. What of the Neko?”

Kagome turned back to Kirara, “Go back to Sango, it’s okay. I’m safe now. I can’t travel with Inuyasha anymore. This is better for everyone, I promise.” 

Kirara mewled sadly then gave Kagome a look that clearly asked ‘Are you sure?’

“Yes, my friend. This is for the best. Give Sango extra cuddles for me, she’ll be sad once she sees my note.” 

Present day: 

She’d only seen Inuyasha one time since then when her group came looking for her. She should have known a letter wouldn’t have been enough. She looks at Sesshomaru and sees the softness in his eyes disappear behind a wall of nothing, he looks much like he did the first time they met. She’s positive he’s perfected that mask of stoicism centuries ago. 

“No, I’m not upset over Inuyasha, I’ve been over that for a while.” 

His eyes soften again. “Then why were there tears? I only ever see you cry over that mutt and he does not deserve them.” 

Kagome cringed. Yeah, there might have been a lot of tears when she first started traveling with Sesshomaru. When everyone would go to sleep, Kagome would lay in her sleeping bag and cry over her broken heart. That stopped a while ago though, the last time she cried over Inuyasha was the last time she saw him. 

2 months ago:

“Oi bastard! Where is she?” Inuyasha yelled as he came bursting into their camp. Kagome was hiding her aura but she was only a few yards away stargazing and thinking about her life. 

“Who is it that you speak of?” 

“Don’t play dumb with me, you know exactly who I’m asking about, where’s Kagome?” Inuyasha asked belligerently. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara finally caught up to him just as he was unsheathing his sword. 

“Inuyasha, my friend, perhaps it’s better to go about this calmly. Sesshomaru does not seem the type to answer to demands and fighting him will get you no answers at all.” Miroku, always the voice of reason, said gently while putting his hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, he’s right Inu, let’s just talk to him,” Sango added.

“Keh.” Inuyasha huffed and pulled his shoulder away from Miroku but put his sword away all the same. “Well then, ya bastard, where is she?”

“Do not speak words which you do not know the meaning of, it’s unbecoming. The only bastard here is you, the child born of a philandering male and a betrothed female.” 

Miroku and Sango sighed, well, there’s no way to stop the fight now. Inuyasha was in the process of taking his sword out to attack when Kagome made herself known. 

“I’m right here, Inuyasha.” 

“Kagome!” Her three friends shouted in unison. Inuyasha started to run towards her to pick her up and take her back to where she belonged, with them. Sesshomaru stopped him by standing right in front of Kagome. In fact, Inuyasha was moving so fast that he couldn’t stop in time and ran directly into Sesshomaru. 

“The Miko is mine, she’s pack and she isn’t leaving.” 

“Like hell, she isn’t! She’s my pack, she’s my alpha female, she’s not yours!” Inuyasha said after he stood up and shook his head to clear it. 

“She was your pack, she forsook you when you left her alone to continue your dalliances with the dead Miko. She came to me willingly and chose me as her alpha. It is done, you’re not wanted here, nor needed, leave.” 

“You’re stupider than I thought if you think I’m just going to leave Kagome here with you.”

Sango walked up to them, trying to keep the peace. “Kagome, are you okay?”

“Yes, Sango, I’m fine. I told you why I was leaving and that I was happy with the decision in the letter I wrote you.”

“It was just hard to believe, I didn’t know you and Lord Sesshomaru were even on speaking terms. The last time I saw you together, we were fighting him.” 

“A lot has changed since then, Sango.” She said softly, It might be the best decision for her to stay with Sesshomaru but that didn’t mean she liked hurting her friends. Sango was still, and always will be, the sister of her heart.

“I understand, Kagome. I’ll miss you though.”

“I’ll miss you too. Our packs cross paths a lot, we’re on the same mission after all. We’ll catch up every time we do, okay?”

“No way, Kagome. Stop talking like you’re planning on staying with the bastard! You’re coming with us, we need you. How are we supposed to find the jewels without you?” Inuyasha cut in. 

“That’s not my problem, Inuyasha. I’m doing my duty to collect the shards, I’m just doing it with Sesshomaru instead of with you. If you want to collect them so bad, invite Kikyo to join your group, I know that’s what you really want anyway.” She said sadly.

“Kagome? What are you talking about?” Inuyasha asked worriedly. 

“I saw you with her. The night I left. You promised me you’d stop seeing her, you promised me I was the one you cared about and you promised me you’d be loyal to me. You lied, you broke all those promises and now I know I’ll never be your first choice. It’ll always be her.” She stopped to sniffle and wipe away a tear, then got angry. Loving someone isn’t supposed to hurt this much. She’s cried over Inuyasha way more than she’s been happy because of him. This isn’t love, at least, this isn’t a healthy love. “I won’t keep putting myself in a situation that will hurt me. I know you’ll never be able to give me what I need in a relationship so I’m done. There will never be anything between us again romantically. The best way for me to do that is to get away from you so I can take the time I need to heal. I hope one day the anger in me for you will go down, so we can be friends again, but right now, I’m still so mad. You broke my trust and you hurt me. Distance is the best for us right now, so I did the mature thing and left. You just have to deal with it because I’m not coming back.”

Sango and Miroku looked surprised, sad, and approving at Kagome. Sesshomaru looked at her and she swore she could see pride in his eyes. Inuyasha just looked heartbroken, like he finally realized he messed up too much this time and it’s over. 

“Kagome, I… I don’t know what to say, I never meant to hurt you.”

“There isn’t really anything left to say Inuyasha. I think that’s kinda the point.” She says as she wipes a few more tears away.

“There’s nothing I can say to change your mind? To make you come back to me… to us, even just as friends?”

“No, this is where I’m supposed to be. I’m happy with Sesshomaru and I think it’s good for Shippou to be around another child.” 

Inuyasha looked at Kagome one last time, the heartbreak clear in his eyes, then nodded and turned away. Miroku and Sango walked up to Kagome, and hugged her, Sango whispered something in Kagome’s ear, that even Sesshomaru couldn’t hear, then they got on Kirara and followed Inuyasha. 

Present day:

“I’m not crying over him, I didn’t even realize I was crying at all. I’m okay, Sesshomaru.” 

Kagome knows she said the wrong thing because she can see the walls go up behind his eyes. ‘Is he mad because I haven’t told him what’s wrong?’  He’s looking at her coldly like they are nothing but strangers. She doesn’t want that but she can’t tell him the truth, it’d just be setting her up for pain again. 

“Hn.” He started to stand up when Kagome put her hand on his to stop him. Sesshomaru looks at her hand and then to her face. He doesn’t say anything, just lifts one elegant eyebrow in question. 

6 months ago:

Sesshomaru was mad at himself, he had no idea why he was following the halfbreeds pack and watching them but he couldn’t stay away. He internally scoffed, he was above lying to himself, he wasn’t watching the pack, he was watching her. He’s tried to stop but there’s something about her that draws him, he’s like a moth to a flame and he can’t stop it. He doesn’t know why she cares so much for the stain on his familial line, Inuyasha treats her terribly and constantly leaves her to rut with the dead one. She deserves better than what she gets from him. 

Sesshomaru decided he was done watching, he either had to leave and be done with this foolishness or he had to make contact with her. He knew the smarter thing to do would be to leave and never look back but he also knew he wasn’t going to do that. So, the next time the Miko left the others to go watch the stars, as he noticed she liked to do, he joined her.

She was sitting on a hill looking up at the stars when she heard a noise a few yards away in the wooded area. She grabbed her bow and arrows but wasn’t too worried, she didn’t feel any youkai coming from where she heard the noise. She was surprised then when she saw Sesshomaru walk onto the hill where she sat. She stood up with her bow in her hand but didn’t aim at him.

“Worry not, Miko. I mean you no harm.” 

“Then what are you doing here, my lord?” 

“Same as you, I suppose. It is a good place to relax, is it not?”

“Yes, it is. I’m sorry, I’ll get out of your way.” 

“That’s not necessary. I think the hill is big enough for both of us, don’t you?” 

Kagome felt her cheek blush but she didn’t know why. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was making a joke, possibly at her expense. That doesn’t make sense though, Sesshomaru doesn’t joke, especially not with a human. She cleared her suddenly dry throat and sat back down.

“Hai, it is.” He smoothly sat down too, not too close to her but close enough to be considered sitting next to her. After a few minutes of them both looking up at the clear starry night, Kagome dared to speak. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.” 

She was honestly surprised he answered her at all, so she tried her luck for more. “I think so too, where I’m from, it’s hard to get a good view of the stars.” 

“Where are you from that you cannot see the sky?”

Oops, she didn’t think that through, she couldn’t tell him the truth, could she? Just because he’s being nice right now doesn’t mean that he’s not still her enemy. Although, is he her enemy? She didn’t know, all she knew was that she loved Inuyasha and if Sesshomaru wanted to hurt him, she’d do what she had to, to protect him. But what could she say? 

“My home is a place far from here. Things are much different there.” She answered with a nonanswer and hoped he didn’t question her further.

“Hn.” Sesshomaru has been watching the group long enough to know she’s from somewhere far away, and that her land is much different than here. He also knew that she had to go through the well to get there. He wanted to know more but also knew that this wasn’t the time to push her. He must get her to trust him first. He’ll get his answers in time. Being as long-lived as he, patience is a must. 

After another ten minutes of watching the stars in silence, Kagome stood up. “It’s time for me to get back to camp, Sesshomaru-sama. Thank you for keeping me company.”

“Miko, I’d like to do this again, if you’d be amenable.” 

Her blush came back with a vengeance and she stuttered for a few seconds before being able to respond. “I’d like that.” 

Sesshomaru nodded and gracefully got up to leave. Before he did, he made eye contact with Kagome, “Until then, Miko.” 

Three days later:

Kagome honestly did not expect to see Sesshomaru again. At least, not in a setting like this. When Sesshomaru casually walked up and sat next to her, this time in a field three days travel from where they last met. She was surprised that Sesshomaru’s group was still close enough to theirs to even meet her. It’s not like they set a date and time for their meeting, it was just some hypothetical ‘someday’. Kagome couldn’t lie though, she had spent most of the three days since she last saw Sesshomaru thinking about him. She couldn’t stop wondering why he’d want to spend time with her, a lowly human. She also had to admit that she enjoyed the time she spent with him, well, after she got over the fact that Sesshomaru was sitting next to her and being nice out of the blue, anyway. 

“Good evening, Sesshomaru-sama. Fancy seeing you here.” 

 His back stiffened and his eyes shot to her, even more guarded than they normally were. She felt bad because she thought she might have offended him. “We agreed to do this again, did we not?”

“We did, it’s just a figure of speech. I’m glad you decided to join me. Though I am surprised it was so soon. I figured you and your group would be far away from us by now.”

“Our packs are after the same thing. We both want Naraku dead. It makes sense that we’d be following similar paths and leads.”

“Yes, but we’re looking for the jewel shards. I thought you didn’t have a need for them.” That worried Kagome, she really didn’t want to have to fight another person for the shards. Definitely not someone as dangerous as Sesshomaru. Especially because she was kind of thinking they were becoming friends, she wouldn’t want the shards to change that.”

“One such as I have no need for those jewels, they only bring you false power. I follow the rumors of the shards because I know Naraku will be doing the same.” 

Kagome’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Oh, that’s good to hear.” They sat in peace for a while until Kagome thought of something Sesshomaru might find interesting. “Hey, Lord Sesshomaru, did you know, where I’m from, they name the stars and how they connect to each other.” 

“Hn” is all he said but Kagome could tell that he was interested, so she continued. 

“See, right there, that constellation is called the Big Dipper. You see how there are three stars in a straight line and it the last one has three other ones that make it like a cup? So it’s like a handle holding a bowl?” 

“Hn.” Somehow she knew he meant that he did see what she was talking about. She didn’t know how she could interpret his ‘Hn’s’ from each other, but she could. 

“Okay, now look right there, you see how there is another set of stars that look the same but just a smaller version?”

“Hn, I assume this is the Little Dipper .” 

She smiled at him, “That’s right!”

“I’d like to know more about these constellations. What other ones can you show me?” Sesshomaru slowly and precisely said the word ‘constellation’ because it was a word he’d never used before. Kagome couldn’t help but think it was cute. Then she jumped, shocked by her own thought. Since when has she ever associated cute with anything to do with Sesshomaru? “Is all well, Miko?” 

“Huh? Yeah, sorry. I was just lost in thought. Anyway, what were we talking about? Right, constellations. Hmm, okay. See over there, those three bright stars in a row? That’s Orion’s belt”

“Hn, three stars in a row make a constellation?” He did not sound impressed. 

Kagome huffed in annoyance. “Well, yes, technically they do. But if you would have let me finish, I’d have shown you the full constellation. It’s called the hunter.” 

“Yes, you will show me this constellation. It sounds like one this one will enjoy.”

She huffed again. Inpatient dog, she thought annoyingly, then quickly shook it off. She loved the stars and was happy someone from the past was interested in learning about them. “Okay, so remember those three are the belt…” 

They spent the rest of the night with Kagome pointing out as many constellations as she could. By the end, she decided she’d get a book for him from her home so he could look them up when he was with his pack. Kagome lost track of time and the only reason Inuyasha didn’t find her with Sesshomaru was because, in the middle of showing him another set of stars, he abruptly stood up. 

“We shall continue this later, Miko. The halfbreed comes and I do not wish to ruin this peaceful night with a confrontation with him.” 

“O-okay. I had a really nice time tonight, Sesshomaru-sama.” She said and felt a blush come over her cheeks. 

“As did I, Kagome.” Her blush grew five shades darker because that was the first time he said her name. She decided she really enjoyed how it sounded coming out of his mouth. Then she forcefully ignored that thought, it probably wasn’t smart to think things like that about the human-hating lord. 

“Oi, wench! What are you doing? I know you like your weird star-watching time but enough is enough.  I don’t care if you’re tired in the morning, we’re leaving at first light so get your butt back to camp.”

“Sorry, Yasha. I must have lost track of time.” That was the first time she had to lie to Inuyasha about Sesshomaru and she felt the guilt in her gut. 

One week later: 

The next time they met it wasn’t under similar circumstances. Inuyasha had lost control of his youkai side, when Sesshomaru showed up Kagome felt a strange mix of weariness, relief, and comfort. Was this going to be the Sesshomaru who was trying to kill his brother and take the sword? Or was this going to be the Sesshomaru who is her friend and likes to sit and watch the stars with her? Right now, relief was winning out because she knew she and her friends couldn’t handle Inuyasha feral like this.

When Sesshomaru landed on the ground, dissipating his youkai cloud, he saw the unsure look in Kagome’s eyes. It was time for him to make a decision. He still hadn’t figured out what it was about her that called to his blood. In fact, the only thing that spending time with her has done was make him more enchanted by her. The only thing he knew, is that he wanted her, to possess her, he wasn’t sure how he wanted to possess her but he knew that he wanted her to be his. He also knew he wanted the sword, by rights it should be his, he’s the rightful heir, hell, he’s the only heir, Inuyasha is a bastard and by rights, is owed nothing. It’s come the time that he had to choose, which he wanted more, the Miko, or his father’s legacy. 

Sesshomaru fought Inuyasha and Kagome felt her heartbreak. Two people she cared about were fighting ruthlessly and she didn’t want either to get hurt. It did not take Sesshomaru long to realize that even with his youkai side in control, Inuyasha was no match for one such as he. He was surprised to feel disappointment at the thought but quickly shook it off and knocked the worthless halfbreed out. He took a step closer to Inuyasha and that set Kagome in motion. She quickly got inbetween them. 

“Sesshomaru..” Was the only work she uttered but it said a lot. She just hoped he was the man she thought him to be, no matter what he chose to show to the world, she knew he was more.

“He is a halfbreed. The human part of him cannot control the demon in him. When he wakes, he’ll be the same. Put the sword in his hand, it will stabilize his blood.” 

“You could have killed him and taken the sword for yourself. Why didn’t you?” Miroku asked though he was terrified when the lord's eyes turned to him. 

“There are things this one desires that are more important than the sword.” He said, confusing everyone of the Inutachi. He turned and started to walk away. 

“Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama,” Kagome said as she bowed to him. 

“Hn,” he replied but this angered him. He did not know if it was because she was thanking him for sparing his pathetic half brother, or if it was because she felt the need to bow to him at all. He deigned not to answer that question for now. 

Two weeks later

Kagome sat eagerly but tried not to show it. Every night for the last two weeks she’d made sure to get away from her friends to watch the stars, hoping for Sesshomaru to be there. He didn’t show up once. The few first nights she brought snacks and the books she’d found for him. By the end of the week, she figured he was bored of wasting his time by coming out here and spending time with her. So, she started to just bring the snacks for herself and was planning on bringing the books back home the next time she went, they were taking up precious space in her backpack. She was sad though, she enjoyed spending time with him and wondered what she did to make him want to stay away. She was surprised this night because she could feel him, and he was close, she also had that feeling people get when they’re being watched. So she knew he was watching her and was wondering why he wasn’t coming to sit with her. Perhaps she was wrong, maybe he was just walking and stumbled upon her. But then why was he staying and watching her? She got up her courage and then spoke. 

“Sesshomaru-sama, fancy seeing you here.”

It was quiet for a long time, she thought he might not respond at all, or maybe he’d just leave. Instead, he finally replied. “Your senses are getting better, Miko.” 

“Are you planning on joining me?” 

“Hn.” She couldn’t tell what that one meant, it was too monotone. So she was pleasantly surprised when he came out and sat down with her. 

Sesshomaru tried with all his might to stay away from her. It was wrong, this obsession he had. He had willingly given up an opportunity to get his father’s sword because he didn’t want to displease her. Yes, he wants her, but she still wants his brother. Sesshomaru saw the way she looked at the halfbreed, and it filled him with a feeling that was foreign to him. He eventually figured out it was jealousy. He was above such feelings, so he stayed away and tried to rid himself of them. It did not work and somehow he found himself still leading his pack in a way that coincided with Inuyasha’s. He saw her get away from her pack every night, and he knew she was waiting for him. He saw her get more and more disheartened when he did not show. Though he did not want it to, it gave him hope that his wants were not so different than hers. She just hadn’t realized it yet. He wasn’t even planning on making himself known tonight, her senses must be attuning themselves to him.

“Oh! I have something for you! Wait right here.” 

‘She moves fast for a human’ he thought as she was gone before he got past the fact that she was giving him a gift. 

When she returned, she had her full backpack. “I told them I plan to get some school work done so I need some peace and quiet for a while. Inuyasha knows better than to disturb me while I’m getting my work done, he doesn’t want to get sat. Oh! Here they are. They’re books from my home about different constellations.”

“Books?” Sesshomaru tried the foreign word on his tongue. 

“Uh, scrolls that are bound together. It’s much more sturdy and easier to keep safe. Here!”

He could figure out most of what the words were saying but even though it was similar, the language was different than what is written here. She must have seen his confusion. 

“Can I trust you, Sesshomaru?” She was probably insane for even considering telling him the truth of where she was from, but after the last time they met, she knew he cared about their friendship. She figured that was the only reason he didn’t hurt Inuyasha more and didn’t take the sword for himself. She knew it was maybe conceded or maybe she was full of herself for thinking such things, but she knew in her heart he did it because of her. So she figured she could trust him because of that.

“I would not hurt you, Miko. Yes, you can trust this one.” He was still upset with himself about this but it was 100% true, he would do anything to keep her safe, and that meant not hurting the welp and not telling anyone about her travels through the well. He hoped she would finally tell him where the well takes her.

She gasped when she heard the sincerity in his voice. It solidified her decision, even though Inuyasha would kill her if he knew, she was going to tell Sesshomaru where she was from. “Remember when you asked me where my home is?”

“Hn.”

“Well, it wasn’t a lie when I said I was from far away. The thing is, it’s not distance that’s far away from here, it’s time.” 

‘Is she saying she’s from a different time? That would mean she’s either from the past or the future. Given the way she dresses and acts, this one doubts it’s the past from where she resides. It must be the future, but how far in the future must she be for those scandalous outfits to be the norm?’ Sesshomaru thought.

“So you’re from the future. This one wonders how far.” 

Kagome is flabbergasted and doesn’t respond for almost a full minute. She just couldn’t believe that he was taking the information so calmly. No one ever believes it so easily, people usually freak out. She stuttered for a second before finally replying. “About 500 years. The language has evolved in that time but it’s similar.” 

This shocked Sesshomaru, but the only sign he gave of it to the outside world was the slight widening of his eyes. To give himself time to come to terms with this information, he decided to continue looking at the book. He found a constellation that he wanted to see. 

“Hn. Miko, show this one this group of stars. It interests me.”

Kagome scoots over to him and then giggles when she sees what he’s looking at. “Canis Major, or the great dog. It’s not surprising that you’d like this one. Hmm, let me see, it looks like it would be over there. Let’s see if we can find it. You see, we cannot see all stars all the time, the earth is round and it spins daily while also rotating around the sun yearly. So that means that there will only be certain times during the year that we will be able to see certain stars.” Kagome broke off to look at the book. “Oh! We should be able to find it, it’s not far from Orion… hm… there! Do you see?”

Sesshomaru hummed quietly and without her notice, leaned closer to Kagome and inhaled her scent then silently sighed in contentment. ‘Yes, she will be mine. I will have it no other way.’ 

Two weeks later: 

They had been sitting, watching the stars for over an hour. Over the last few weeks, their conversations have changed, before they’d talk about anything, whatever was going on in Kagome’s life, the stars, whatever Kagome was thinking about that particular night, or what she was currently working on in school. Lately, though, they’ve gotten more personal, it was like as soon as Kagome trusted him with her secret, he started trusting her more as well. He’d tell her stories about his childhood, what it was like growing up with his parents. He’d tell her the hardships of being a lord and how hard it was to actually get to know someone when most people only wanted him for what he had or what his title was, and how no one actually cared who he was. 

It was strange for Kagome, to feel so close to him. She felt like they knew each other better than she knew anyone else and that just didn’t feel right for her. Shouldn’t she have this connection with the man she loves, not his brother? Either way, she cherished their friendship and she wouldn’t want to change it. She just wished she and Inuyasha spoke about such things. 

On this particular night, they’d been talking the whole time they were watching the stars and it was getting late. Even though she was very tired because they’d fought two different big demons and got a total of five jewel shards out of them, she didn’t want to leave Sesshomaru. He made her feel so comfortable and safe. Because he made her feel that way, when her eyes got heavy, it wasn’t surprising that she couldn’t keep herself awake. 

Sesshomaru stiffened for a second when her head leaned against his shoulder, the shoulder of the arm that his brother had cut off. He noticed then that her heart rate and breathing were slow and steady, she had fallen asleep. He knew he should wake her up and tell her to go back to her pack but he didn’t want to. Instead, he basked in the contentedness that being with her made him feel. So he stayed there and watched her. He used the time to think of ways and plans to make her his. About twenty minutes into her sleep she turned on her side and rested her hand on his arm. It made him stiffen because he hadn’t let anyone touch that arm since he lost most of it. 

In her sleep, he felt her reiki start to make itself known. She was one of the strongest Mikos he’s ever met so he knew she could actually hurt him. He was about to wake her up so she could control it when her hand started glowing and he felt a tingle on the stump of his arm, it wasn’t painful so he decided to wait and see what his little miko was up to. The tingling turned into a slight itching and burning. Then it turned into pain and the only reason he didn’t wake her was because he saw his arm growing. She was healing him, a youkai with her reiki, that only cemented that she was meant for him in his head. They were supposed to be opposites but instead, they came together in synchronicity. 

Once it was fully restored her reiki withdrew and all he could feel was the normal sense of it and the comfort it brought him. He flexed his arm a few times and realized it was just as strong as it always had been and it was his, his markings were there for all to see. He sat there in shock for a while before snapping out of it and adjusting her so he could wrap his new arm around her. They stayed that way for another hour before he heard Inuyasha coming and he quickly but softly laid her on the ground and dashed away before Inuyasha found them together. He stayed in the shadows nearby to make sure she was safe until Inuyasha burst through the bushes to find her. 

“Oi, wentch! Wake up! You fell asleep out here, are you trying to get yourself killed?” 

“Sess….” She started to say as she woke up but stopped when she realized who was in front of her. “Oh, hi Inuyasha. Sorry, I must have fallen asleep.” 

“Yeah, whatever. Just be more careful next time. If you insist on doing your star watching, you better be safe while doing it because I’m not there to keep you safe.” 

Kagome smiled brightly at Inuyasha and his clear worry. It made Sesshomaru hurt because he could see the love in her eyes. She looked around a little bit, trying to find him before shaking her head and happily following Inuyasha back to camp.

Two weeks later: 

They had met often over the last month and have grown closer with each meeting. Sesshomaru was able to admit to himself that he cared about her. He knew now that he wanted her as more than just a possession, that he wanted her as his mate, to keep her, care for her, protect her, forever. He knew Kagome did not know of his feelings or intentions. He also knew that she did not feel the same, she was still hung up on his younger half-brother. She only thought of him as one of her dear friends. He was a patient demon though, he could wait. She was becoming less and less enchanted with the whelp every day, that was because Inuyasha kept leaving her for his dead priestess. 

Sesshomaru was making his way through the forest, following Kagome’s aura. He was surprised when the trees weren’t getting more sparse, they were getting denser. That is when he heard the sound of crying and smelt the smell of his dear one’s tears. He felt the instinctual side of him take over and sped to where her cries were coming from. As his intelligent side wasn’t in control he didn’t stop to read the situation he just ran up to her, pulled her into his arms, and started growling to her in Inu, using the tones one would to calm their mate. She froze for a second but when she realized it was Sesshomaru, she gladly took the comfort he was offering. 

By the time she cried herself out, his youkai calmed down and he was able to think clearly again. He didn’t stop the constant growls though as they seemed to help calm her. It made him proud because she was acting as a proper bitch should. Even if she doesn’t know it yet, she’s already submitted to him and his suit for her. Once the only sounds that were left were her sniffles, he finally stopped growling and spoke.

“Kagome, tell this one what is wrong.” 

She sniffled again, “No, you won’t get it. You’ll think I’m dumb or just a stupid little girl.”

Sesshomaru growled, this time in anger. “Do not think so little of this one, or yourself. We are both better than that. I am not the halfbreed, I don’t speak to you or think of you so unkindly.” 

Her eyes widened in surprise then she felt guilt because he was right, that wasn’t fair to him. Then, her eyes started to tear up again because Inuyasha was brought up and it was because of him that she was crying in the first place. 

“Hush now, Miko. No one is worth such tears. Especially from you.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“It means that you are special, one of the only beings that are equal to me in every way. If someone has brought on such tears from you, they are unworthy.”

She felt warm at the major compliment he just paid her and the fact that he was trying to comfort her in his own way. Then she felt a giggle coming because of how highly he thinks of himself and the ego he must have. She tried to stop the giggle but she couldn’t. 

Sesshomaru just quirked a brow at this strange response. Was she not just sad? He will never understand humans, more specifically her. “Miko.” He said warningly. 

When she was finally able to calm the giggles down she felt sadness fill her again. With another sniffle, she finally answered him. “It’s Inuyasha. He snuck away, and when I finally followed him, I saw him with Kikyo and they were…. Were… Well, they were doing things I’ve never done before. I thought he was finally getting over her, I thought we really had a chance but I guess I was wrong.” She started to cry again. 

Sesshomaru’s whole body stiffened and that’s when Kagome realized he was still holding her. Kagome slowly got up because it felt wrong to be held by someone who wasn’t Inuyasha. Especially when she was crying because Inuyasha was off with someone else. She wasn’t acting any better than he was. She knew that wasn’t rational but the guilt was still there all the same. 

Sesshomaru let her go without any fight because he was angry. Why didn’t she see that while she was wasting time getting her heart broken by a boy who didn’t see her, there was a male here who wanted to give her everything? Sesshomaru would never be so dishonorable to hurt his lady so the anger was quickly taking him over though he was trying to calm himself down. 

“Why do you put up with so much from the being you claim to love? Do you really think so little of yourself? 

“That’s what you do when you love someone. You take the good with the bad.” Sesshomaru’s only response was to scoff with all the disgust he felt at her answer. “What would you know about it anyway? You know nothing of love, you left your little brother out alone because you were hurt by what your father did. Guess what, it wasn’t Inuyasha’s fault that your dad couldn’t keep it in his pants.” 

She knew what she was saying was cruel, but she was angry and Sesshomaru deserved to be held accountable for what he did or didn’t do for Inuyasha when he was only a child. She didn’t expect Sesshomaru’s red eyes in her face with a ferocious growl coming out of his mouth as a response though. 

“You know nothing, human. Though I guess it should not surprise this one, the whelp has always been a liar and you seem like one that would believe a lie if it would make the one you claim to love look better.” He scoffed condescendingly then walked away, his eyes gold again after he forced himself to calm down. He didn’t want to hurt the girl, she knew not of what she spoke.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked angrily.

“It means that the halfbreed was offered my care after the homewrecker died. He turned me down.”

“You.. you’re lying!”

“It is below me to do so. Believe what you will. This one already knows it will not open your eyes to the halfbreed. You’re determined to let yourself get hurt over and over again. This one wishes not to see it. I do not like seeing you so.”

The only reason he stopped walking away was because of how sad her voice sounded when she said, “Sesshomaru…” 

“What is it, Miko?”

“I’m sorry, okay? Just please don’t leave, not like this. I think I accidentally took my anger out on you.”

“Hn. Miko, why do you stay with him when he causes you so much pain? As I said, you deserve more.” 

Kagome was shocked, not only that he spoke so much but how much emotion was behind those words, and that he was talking about her. ‘Does he really see me like that?’ She wondered. 

“Because I have no choice, I need to finish the jewel and I can’t do it myself. I need someone to help protect me, I’m not from this time, I don’t need to constantly protect myself like this where I’m from. And because I… love him.”

“Miko, I… care about you. We are friends, are we not? You should just travel with this one and I will help you complete your mission of collecting the jewel shards. It will also help me with my mission of defeating the spider. It will take time but you will get over the whelp. He is not the love of your life, as you think, he’s just your first love. The first love always feels like it’s the most important part of your life until it’s over. It takes time but once you get past it, you realize how wrong it was for you.” 

To say Kagome was shocked would be an understatement. For one thing, she didn’t think she ever heard Sesshomaru speak so much, especially while speaking of emotions. He’d rather everyone believe that he didn’t have any. Could he be right? Is Inuyasha only her first love, not her true love?  And probably the biggest shocker of all, he cared about her enough to bring her, another human into his pack.”

“I appreciate the offer but I couldn’t leave Shippou.”

“You would not need to, the kit is welcome.” 

She stayed quiet for a long time. When she finally replied, it was softly. “I can’t Sessshomaru, even if you’re right and Inuyasha is only my first love, I cannot give up so easily, that’s just not how I’m built.” 

Sesshomaru was hurt though not surprised. He did not let his emotions be shown though. “Hn. goodbye, Miko.” 

Kagome opened up her mouth and reached her hand out to stop him from leaving when he turned away and started walking but no sounds came out. She had the feeling that she really hurt him but she didn’t know how or why. She just hoped he didn’t mean goodbye forever. 

Three weeks later:

Kagome was so happy! She was worried when Sesshomaru left her in that forest that day that they would never be friends again. She was happily surprised when a few days later he joined her in another random field to watch the stars. He acted just as she’d become used to. It’s like he forgot about that whole day in the forest and they were just friends again and that continued through the last few weeks. That’s not why she was happy though. She’s happy because Inuyasha finally told her he was done with Kikyo and that he was ready to commit himself to her! 

Sango and Miroku were so happy for her, they told her they knew it would happen, and that’s why they urged her to have faith for so long. Shippou was strangely quiet about it when he found out, she was surprised that he wasn’t more excited. They could be a family together, she already thought of him as her son, and now he can have a father too. Though she guessed she understood, Inuyasha wasn’t always the nicest to him but she still thought he’d be happy for her. The only friend she had left to tell was Sesshomaru but she didn’t know how he’d react, he didn’t seem to think they’d make it. He probably just had a bad experience with his first love and assumed everyone’s ended that way. Well, she was going to make sure hers was different. 

She stopped thinking about Sesshomaru when the thought that she was finally in a relationship with Inuyasha popped back into her head. She got up from where she was watching the stars and started giggling and dancing around. 

When Sesshomaru found his little Miko, he could not stop the small smile that grew on his face. ‘She looks so happy, maybe she found a lot of jewel shards today, or received a good grade on one of her exams.’ He thought. He watched her do her happy dance for a while before making himself known. 

“Come now, little Miko. What could have possibly made you so happy as to dance around all alone?” 

She jumped because she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t feel him coming like she normally did. “Sesshomaru, you scared me!”

“You should be paying more attention, Miko. It is a dangerous world you now stay in. Now, tell me, what has you in such high spirits?” 

“Inuyasha told me he’s done with Kikyo and is ready to commit himself to me!” She said with a happy giggle. 

Sesshomaru felt like his world stopped for a moment. Then he had a strange sensation where his heart was located, if it were possible, he’d say he almost felt like it was breaking. Though he knew that was not possible. He didn’t know what to say to her, she was looking at him with such an open face, she was so happy. Normally because he liked when his woman was pleased, he’d keep her talking about what made her so happy. Now though, he couldn’t. His beast was whining inside and it was dangerously close to showing on the outside. All he knew was he had to get away from her. He knew she did nothing wrong, she knew nothing of his feelings for her. 

“This one is happy you’re happy, Miko. I must go now.”  He didn’t wait around for her to reply, he just walked away and then as soon as he was out of her line of sight, ran as fast as his humanoid legs could take him. 

Kagome stood there with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open for way too long. She had no idea what that was about, that was strange, even for Sesshomaru. Eventually, though, the happiness that she was feeling took back over and she forgot about the strange encounter. It was not three weeks later that she happened upon Inuyasha with Kikyo and decided to take Sesshomaru up on his offer to travel with him. Though the last time she saw him was the night that she told him of her and Inuyasha, she was a little worried that he wouldn’t want to travel with her anymore. Thankfully, that was not the case. It took time for Kagome to heal from her heartbreak but eventually she did. She was surprised how much support Sesshomaru was for her during those times. Slowly her feeling for him started to change once she learned how much she could rely on him and how much he cared for her and their pack. One day she woke up and realized it, she loved him.

Present day: 

With her hand on his, stopping him from walking away angrily, she said his name almost in a whisper, “Sesshomaru.”

“Kagome.”

“I wasn’t crying over Inuyasha. I’ve been over that for a long time. You were right, what you said before we were even traveling together, about first loves and true loves.” 

“Hn.” 

Kagome wants to roll her eyes, she’s somehow been able to tell what each individual ‘Hn’ meant when he said it but it still doesn’t give her that much information. Then again, if she were being honest with herself, she’s not giving him much information either. It’s time for her to be strong, to go out on a limb and tell him how she feels about him. 

“Sesshomaru…”

He turns his head slightly so he can see her and quirks a brow waiting for a response. After a while, he decides that she isn’t going to say anything else so he starts to walk away again. 

“Sit down, please. I’d like to talk to you.”

He considered her request for a while but eventually sat. He was hopeful that this meant she was finally truly over the whelp so that he could finally make his intentions clear to her. He’s been waiting patiently for so long but even his patients have their limits and seeing her crying again today brought him back to all the other times she cried over Inuyasha. It was too much for him and he had decided that he had to get away from her or he would end up taking his anger out on her. When she said that it wasn’t about Inuyasha, Sesshomaru began to hope. “What do you wish to speak about?” 

“Sesshomaru, I… I don’t know. I want to tell you something but I’m scared that if I do, it’ll ruin our friendship. You’ve become one of the most important people in my world, and I don’t want to mess that up.”

“Miko, I do not see how that could happen. What could you have to tell me that is so bad?” Sesshomaru was genuinely surprised, though he didn’t show it. What could his little Miko think is so bad that they would go their separate ways? How has she not yet realized that she’s never getting rid of him? She looks so scared and all he wants to do is pull her into his arms but he doesn’t have that right, yet. 

Kagome sighs dejectedly, then looks away from him. A few seconds later, she takes a deep breath, straightens her back, and looks him in the eyes. “Sesshomaru, I love you! There, I said it, now reject me and make fun of me for being a human who wants you, I already know it’s coming.” She closes her eyes and waits, she honestly thinks there’s a chance he might be so disgusted that he’ll take out his sword and cut her down. That or just walk away, and keep on walking, never willing to see her again. She’s not sure which one is the better option.

Sesshomaru on the other hand, is pretty sure this is what it feels like when one is in shock. He must have heard her wrong, there’s no way she actually told him what he’s been wanting to hear for so long, right? Sesshomaru was never that lucky, he has always had to work hard for what he had, and he’s never just given what he wants. He uncharacteristically shook his head to clear his thoughts, since no one was around to see and Kagome’s eyes were closed. He didn’t hear wrong, he’s an inu-youkai, and he most likely has the best hearing in Japan, possibly the world. Kagome loves him. Kagome, his Miko, loves him. 

He can tell how nervous and worried she is, and he can’t allow that. So instead of wasting time saying more unneeded words, he quickly grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. When she feels herself being moved, she opens her eyes and ‘eeps’. Sesshomaru uses that opportunity to kiss her. He makes sure to temper himself, the passion he has for this woman is intense but he doesn’t want to overwhelm her. He knows she’s inexperienced so he keeps the kiss chaste. Well, at first anyway.

‘Ahhh! Sesshomaru is kissing me! This can’t be happening, out of all the possible responses I thought I would receive from telling him how I felt, this wasn’t even on the list. Does this mean he feels the same?’ She thinks. She decides to worry about that later and returns the kiss because right now, she’s just sitting there frozen, doing nothing. So she softens her lips and stance, then kisses him back. Kagome decides to try something her friends from school told her about, so she sucks his bottom lip into her mouth and uses her teeth to lightly bite and scrape against it.

Sesshomaru let out a loud growl and pulled her even closer, so their bodies were flush up against each other. Sesshomaru’s control is now a thing of the past. He knew she didn’t know much about the instincts of an Inu but biting is always a turn-on. Especially because he wants her as his mate. So the kiss turns more animalistic and sexual. Thankfully, Sesshomaru remembers that this is all new for Kagome, he doesn’t want to scare her, and if they keep going like they are, he’ll mate her right here. That would be bad since he hasn’t even asked her yet. So with much effort, he slowed the kiss down and eventually pulled away. He doesn’t go far though, he rests his forehead against hers while they’re both breathing hard and calming themselves down from the kiss.  

“Sesshomaru, what was that?”

He guesses he isn’t going to get out of the talking after all. He smirks at her. “That was a kiss Kagome, you must know that.”

She sighs exasperatedly. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Then ask what you really want to know, Miko.” 

She huffs. “Why did you kiss me, Sesshomaru?” 

He stays silent for a long time, words do not come easy for him, they never have. Especially when it has to do with emotions. He sighs uncharacteristically, “I have felt that way about you for a long time, Kagome. You were in love with my brother though, and I know you are not one to have affection for more than one person at a time. So I stayed silent.” 

Kagome gets up off his lap and starts to pace back and forth. Sesshomaru doesn’t have much experience with romantic relationships but he doesn’t think that is a good sign. “You, you love me? I haven’t been with Inuyasha for a long time though, why didn’t you say anything after?” 

“You needed to heal, I did not want to hamper that, or pressure you.” Sesshomaru stands up and walks in front of Kagome to stop her pacing, he puts his hands on her waist and pulls her close again. “There is no need to fret, little Miko, all as it should be now.”

She looks up to him, “What does that mean? How did things change? I mean what are we to each other now?”

“You will be my mate, the next lady of the western lands. Once this business with Naraku is handled, we will go to my home and have the ceremony to make it official.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Slow down buddy, we haven’t even started dating yet, and you want to jump right to mating?” 

Sesshomaru quirks his eyebrow. He does not think anyone has dared to call him buddy before. He also is not sure what the word ‘dating’ means but he’s pretty sure she’s talking about the courting he has seen humans partake in. “Do you speak of courting?” At her nod, he continues, “Youkai do not do such things, we follow our blood. My beast calls for you, I am already sure you are who I want as my mate. If you were Youkai, we would have been mated for many moons by now already. You have said you love me, is this not enough?” 

“I know you’re the one I want to be with, Sesshomaru. It just feels fast, like we’re skipping a lot of steps. I guess it’s a difference between species.” 

“What do you need from me to feel ready to become my mate?” He asks plainly, he’s already waited so long, now that he finally has her affections, he doesn’t want to wait any longer. 

“I… I don’t know. As I said, I know you’re who I want to be with for the rest of my life, but I’ve never done anything involved with mating before… maybe we could just take it slow?” Kagome feels her cheeks grow red speaking of such things. Though they’ve never spoken of it before, she knows he’s not inexperienced. At least she thinks he’s not, he’s hundreds of years old, he’s had to have been with women before.

“I promise, this one will bring you nothing but pleasure. You do not worry Ka-go-me.” The way he says her name makes her shiver. It rolls off his tongue like pure sin and she can’t help but want more. The blush on her cheeks darkens even further. At this point, they feel like they’re burning. 

She believes him, she loves him and she wants to show this love in a physical way, but she’s still very self-conscious. She thinks it’s a little because she’s inexperienced, but she thinks it’s mostly because of all the times Inuyasha cut her down and told her she’s nothing compared to Kikyo. Because of that, she can’t help but to compare herself to all his previous lovers, hypothetical as they may be because she doesn’t actually know about his past experiences. She’s just sure in his long life, he’s had some.  However, that puts another thought in her mind, their different life expectancies. Is it really fair to put him through the pain of having a mate for so little time? 

“Sesshomaru, have you really thought this through? I’m human, which means I’ll have a human lifespan. That’s a blink of the eye for you. That also means any children we have will be half breeds and you’ve made it clear how you feel about them. Although, I suppose you can just mate another full-blooded youkai after I die and she can give you full-blooded pups.” That thought made her very sad though. Did he expect to mate with her but not have any children so they wouldn’t bring half-breeds into the world? She’s always wanted children…

. 

Her thoughts are abruptly cut off when he growls and his eyes turn red. He pulls her into his chest and she can hear him inhaling the top of her head deeply. She guesses he’s scenting her.  She enjoys the feeling for a while before falling back into her sad thoughts. He starts growling angrily again once her scent starts smelling of sadness again. 

“Do not say such things to me, Kagome. I will not lose you to time. Once we mate, you will share my lifespan. Silly Miko, do you think this Sesshomaru is one to give up what he claims so easily? No Kagome, we shall have a long life together, long enough that we shall still be young when I’m able to meet your parents and properly introduce myself to them. That shall be an interesting day, your mother will meet me and our many litters of pups. 500 years is a long time to fill, dear one and I plan on keeping you pupped for most of it.” 

Kagome’s eyes widened at the thought. Yes, she wanted children, of course, she did. But to continuously have children for 500 years straight? Sesshomaru has another thing coming if he thinks that’s going to happen. Wait? She’ll live long enough to be with her mother again? She still visits her a lot but for a long time now, she knew she was meant to stay in the past, even if Sesshomaru never returned her feelings. The hardest part of accepting that was the fact that she’d have to leave her family and they’d have to never see her again. Now that won’t have to be a problem! She can have both! Sure, she’ll be older when she gets to that time but by the way Sesshomaru is talking, she’ll still look young so it won’t cause problems in the future. She mentally shakes her head, she still has more to speak to Sesshomaru about, she’ll think more about this later. 

“You really won’t care that they will be half-human?” 

“No, you and Rin have taught me that not all humans are the same. A lot of them are what this one was raised to think humans are but not all. Plus, they will be powerful, maybe even more powerful than a full-blooded pup because of your Miko powers. They’ll have immunity that no other youkai do. None of that matters to me though, as long as you are the mother to my pups.”

Kagome feels her eyes tearing up and she doesn’t even care. He really does love her, even though he hasn’t said the words yet, she knows he does. She stands on her toes and daringly leans up to place a chaste kiss on his lips. He tries to deapen it but she pulls away. “Yes Sesshomaru, I’d love to be your mate.” 

Sesshomaru’s eyes turn red again but Kagome isn’t scared, she knows she can trust him with her life and that he has control over the youkai in him. He leans in and she thinks he’s going to kiss her again but instead, Sesshomaru goes for her neck and she feels him bite her. It’s not deep and it doesn’t hurt, it just surprises her, so she yelps and pulls away. 

“What the hell, Sesshomaru?!” 

He doesn’t answer right away, instead, he pulls her closer and looks at the mark he left on her. She could see the pride on his face. “I have marked you as my intended, now the outline of the sign of my house on your neck will let everyone know you’re mine. When we mate I will bite you again to cement the marking.”

Kagome could hear the pride in his voice and it makes her smile. She gently pulls away and then goes to search through her backpack. She lets out an “Aha!” When she finds the mirror she’s looking for. She looks at her neck and sees an outline of the crescent moon on it. ‘It’s cute’ she thinks. She can’t help but feel a little pride for the mark herself. She turns to Sesshomaru. “So what happens next?” 

Sesshomaru’s eyes darken with lust. “Suddenly you’re in quite a rush, little mate. Do not fret, it will not be long before I take you as mine. We must be getting back to the pack soon, they’ll be waiting for us. Once we do, we’ll take them to my homestead and leave them there for a few days so you and I can go into seclusion.” 

“S-seclusion?” Kagome was feeling a little unsure of herself now. Though she wants to be his mate, she is still a virgin so she can’t help but be a little nervous. 

“Hn. A few nights, perhaps a week, just you and I alone in one of my caves, cementing our bond as mates.” His voice grew husky at the thought of what that entailed. “Now come, let us get back to our pack, the little ones must be growing worried by now.” 

She clears her throat nervously at the pure passion in his eyes but nods her head and walks into his waiting arms. When she gets there he wraps it around her and lifts off onto his cloud to bring them back to their pack. As soon as they’re in sight of the camp the kids start jumping and throwing their arms around happily. 

By the time they land the kids are running up to them, Rin wraps her arms around Sesshomaru’s legs while Shippou climbs up Kagome. When Shippou gets on her shoulder he starts sniffing loudly. She giggles feeling his little nose move around her hair then to her face and down to her neck. When he sees her new mark he freezes. 

“Mama?” He asks in a small voice. 

“Yes, Shippou? What’s wrong?” 

“Is that what I think it is? My papa and mama had their own marks.” 

“Yes, Shippou. Sesshomaru and I are going to be mates.” 

Rin starts jumping and clapping. “Yay, now we’re all one happy family. I have a mommy and a daddy again!” 

Kagome looks at Sesshomaru out of the corner of her eye. She already thinks of them both as her children but she doesn’t know if Sesshomaru feels the same. Sesshomaru can feel Kagome’s eyes on him and wants her to know that he already considers these two as their first two pups. So he picks up his kit off of Kagome’s shoulder, he can tell Shippou is nervous but hopeful.

“Hn. That is correct, Rin. After the mating, we are going to adopt you two officially as the children of the lord and lady of the west.” 

Rin starts clapping happily until Kagome bends down and opens her arms. So Rin runs and throws herself at Kagome. “Yay! Rin is so happy.”  

Sesshomaru lets Shippou rest in his arm while he idilly pets him. Shippou is still at first then relaxes and rests his head in the crook of Sesshomaru’s arm. He finally has a home and a family again. 

Although Sesshomaru was planning on packing up the camp as soon as they got back to it, to take the children back to his palace, once the news of their mating and therefore new family unit got out, an impromptu party started. So, while Kagome and the kids are dancing to music from her ‘iPod’ Sesshomaru decides to hunt for a meal worthy of their celebration. It does not take him long to come across an elk and he makes quick work killing it and prepping it for cooking. 

He once made the mistake of bringing a full bore back to Kagome. At the time he was expecting praise for how well he was providing for his pack. Instead, he got squeals of disgust and demanded to take it away because it was ‘watching her’. Apparently, in his mate’s time, they do not have to see meat in such a way, it is already prepped for them. His pack is ecstatic about his offerings and Kagome quickly gets to cooking it. They spend the rest of the night eating, laughing, dancing, and sitting around the fire talking until the children fall asleep from sheer exhaustion while Sesshomaru watches his pack with a feeling of contentment he’s never felt before. With a shy smile and a slight blush on her cheeks, Kagome places her sleeping bag right next to Sesshomaru and makes it so her head is resting on his knee. 

“Is this okay?” She asks shyly. 

“Hn. You should never feel shy about wanting to be close to this one. It is always welcome.” 

Moko-moko moves to wrap itself around Kagome and she lets out a sigh of contentment then quickly falls asleep. Sesshomaru stays right there and watches his pack all night, feeling the same contentment that Kagome does. 

The next morning once everyone is awake and has eaten their breakfast, Sesshomaru makes it known that it is time to pack up the camp. Once they’re ready to go, Kagome gets on Ah-Un with the children and they make their way to the Western Castle. Kagome and Shippou are in awe of it when they see it for the first time. It’s huge and it’s beautiful. 

“This is where we’re going to live after we defeat Naraku?” Shippou asks. 

“Hai! I love it here, everyone is so nice.” Rin says and Kagome is surprised. She figured most of the staff would have the same opinions as Sesshomaru did. Then again, he probably fired everyone who had a problem with Rin when he first started taking care of her. 

It doesn’t take long to drop the children off, though Shippou is a little nervous to be there without Kagome. He calms down when he meets Rin’s nanny though, she’s a nice older Kitsune youkai, so Shippou thinks he can learn a lot from her. Kagome gives each of her babies a hug and a kiss while Sesshomaru puts his hand atop each of their heads as a goodbye. 

Before Kagome knows it, she’s on Sesshomaru’s cloud flying off to his cave. That’s when her nerves start to kick in. By the time they land, she’s so nervous she doesn’t even notice how nice the cave is. There are lots of furs that make a beautiful and comfy looking bed and there’s even a hot spring somewhere deeper in the cave. Sesshomaru can see her nerves growing so when they land he takes her into his arms, pulls her close, and starts using the growl meant to calm one’s mate. It works and her tense shoulders slowly ease. 

“What about this has you the most frightened, mate? Are you having second thoughts?”

She pulls back quickly, just enough to look him in his eyes. “No! Not at all! It’s just, I’ve never done this before and I know you have and I, I just don’t want to be a disappointment.” By the end, her confession comes out in a whisper. 

“You need not fear such things. You could never disappoint me. You’re all I’ll ever want or need. Once a youkai chooses a life mate, they never turn away from them.” 

She knew this might not be the right thing to say but she had to know. “But what about your father? Weren’t he and your mother mates?” 

It’s hard to see the flicker of distaste that crosses his face at the mention of his father, but Kagome does. “Yes, they were mates, but they did not choose each other. It is different, they were mates for political reasons only. They knew they’d birth a strong pup. They did not tie their souls together like you and I will.” 

“Oh, okay.” 

“You look tense, why don’t you go take a soak in the hot springs? I know how much you enjoy those, it's why I chose this particular cave. I’ll join you soon.”

“Okay, yeah. That sounds like a good idea, thanks Sesshomaru.” She smiles at him then boldly stands on her toes and kisses him. He growls lustfully and has to use all his legendary control not to pull her in and make the kiss deeper. 

It’s not until a few seconds after she sits down and lets out a sigh of relief in the hot springs that her eyes open wide and shock is clearly written on her face. 

‘Did he say he’ll join me in here?!’  

She forces herself to take a few deep breaths to try to calm herself down, it doesn’t work as well as she hoped but at least she can think a little clearer now. She knew in the back of her mind that the purpose of them dropping off the kids and then secluding themselves in this cave was to mate but she thought they would ease into it. She then feels stupid because this is Sesshomaru she’s talking about, when has he ever eased into anything? She supposes that’s not really fair, apparently, he’s wanted her as his mate since the beginning and he’s taken the time to let her be ready to accept him. Now that she has, she guesses he’s done waiting. She can’t help but be scared though. No, scared isn’t really the right word, nervous is better. She’s nervous because the furthest she’s ever gone sexually is a few kisses, and those were with Sesshomaru. Now some of those kisses were hot and heavy but she’s still inexperienced. 

At least she’s not a girl from these times, she’s a modern woman, and she knows the ins and outs of sex, even if she’s never done it herself. She’s pretty sure she might even know some things that haven’t even been invented yet, thanks to movies and books. With that thought, she relaxes a little… then tenses right back up when Sesshomaru sits down next to her. She didn’t even notice him enter the cavern, damn Youkai's stealth and speed. She takes another deep breath and then looks at him. She feels a blush come over her cheeks when she sees that he’s blatantly par-oozing her body, well the parts that aren’t covered by water, anyway. Her blush gets even darker when she realizes her breasts are above the water line and he has a clear view of them. She lets out an “Eep” and then slides her body lower so her breasts aren’t out in the open. 

“Why do you hide yourself from me, mate?”

“Because we’re not mates yet! This is all new to me.”

He stares at her for a long time then nods his head. “Ah, I see you’re nervous. Come, let me wash your hair. For my kind, bathing together is important, it brings us closer together. You will feel more relaxed.”

She wanted to say no because she was still embarrassed. She sometimes feels like nothing next to him, his hair is so shiny and soft and perfect, and hers, well, hers isn’t anywhere near that. But the idea of Sesshomaru washing her hair makes her all warm and happy, so she moves in between his legs as he indicates her to. She’s so tense that instead of starting her hair, he starts massaging her back while letting out the growl that’s meant to calm one’s mate. It doesn’t take long until Kagome is nice and relaxed, she’s even let out a few moans of satisfaction when Sesshomaru worked out a knot on her back. It surprises her that he’s so good at massages but she also thinks she probably shouldn’t be, because he’s great at everything she’s seen him try. 

“There you go, Kagome. This is meant to be relaxing, there was no need to be so tense. I hope by now you know I would never hurt you.” 

“Of course, I know you don’t want to hurt me. I guess I’m just nervous because I know what’s going to happen later.” She gets upset when she feels her blush come back. ‘Ugh you’re not a child Kagome, you don’t have to blush every time you talk about sex. Especially to the man who’s going to essentially be your husband.’

Since Sesshomaru is sitting behind her, she can’t see the devilish smirk on his face. He knows that soon, she won’t have time to be nervous because all she’ll be able to focus on is the pleasure he’ll be bringing her. By the time they make it to the actual mating, she’ll be so satisfied that she won’t have it in her to worry. 

“Hn. Do not think of that now, just relax while I cleanse you.” 

He picked up a container of youkai-made hair cleanser and put a little on his hand, then he started methodically washing her hair. It wasn’t long till Kagome was moaning again. By the time he was done, Kagome felt a little more confident, so she turned to him and grabbed the container. 

“Your turn.” 

She’s excited to get to wash his hair, she’s always wanted to play with it but never dared to ask before. So when he nods, she gleefully returns the favor. Kagome has to work hard not to react when the growls he’s been making to calm her turn into purrs. She really wants to tell him how cute she thinks it is but she knows he’ll stop right away if she does. So, she does her best not to react at all. When she’s done she feels a lot more comfortable being nude in front of him. It’s probably the only reason she doesn’t dive into the water when she realizes the whole top half of her body is above the water. It’s also why she doesn’t tense up again when she realizes it’s time to wash each other's bodies. 

Sesshomaru lathers his hands with the youkai soap he’s brought and starts with her neck and shoulders. He massages her as he goes and she moans yet again. Sesshomaru is glad that his lower half is covered by the water or else Kagome would know how her sounds of pleasure and the feel of her body affect him. He does not want to give her another reason to tense up again. He then moves to her arms, once he’s done cleaning there, he moves his hands to her chest. Her breath hitches when he touches her breasts for the first time, Sesshomaru takes his time meticulously cleaning each one. Kagome thinks he’s less cleaning them and more playing with them. The way he touches her nipples makes her let out more sounds of pleasure. She knows there’s wetness growing in between her legs, and not just because they're in the hot springs. 

Kagome decides that she’s done waiting for her turn so she gets some of the body wash and starts washing Sesshomaru too. She starts at his chest, she’s always wanted to put her hands on it. Well, ever since that one time she’ll never tell him about. It was when she was still traveling with Inuyasha and she was lost. She accidentally came across a hot springs and who happened to be bathing there? None other than Sesshomaru himself. He was lounging, leaning back with his whole upper body in clear view. He almost looked like a model posing for a picture. 

‘Wait a minute, he would have been able to sense me…’ she starts to think but before she can think any further about that Sesshomaru’s hands finally make it to her sex. He’s given up the pretense of bathing her, he’s now just exploring her body like he’s wanted to do for so long. He spreads her lips apart and uses his thumb to rub circles on her clit. 

Kagome grabs onto his arms because she’s not sure she’d be able to stand up straight without something to hold on to because of the sensations he’s giving her. She thinks that it feels much better than when she does it to herself. She can’t help but yell when her first climax rolls over her. By the time she comes down from her high, Sesshomaru has pushed her up against the wall of the hot springs and is kissing her passionately. 

She feels his hardness pressed in between them and has a few seconds of worry because she doesn’t know how that is going to fit inside her. She doesn’t have long to think about it though because he grabs her by the hips and lifts her so she’s sitting on the edge. When he breaks the kiss he lets out a feral growl and kisses down her body while spreading her legs wide. When he gets to her sex he starts sucking on her clit and using his finger to enter her. It’s a new feeling for her but after taking a few seconds to get used to it, she finds it very pleasurable. She feels a flash of pain and she tenses up her body at the sensation but he takes his finger out of her and replaces it with his tongue. If she thought he sounded feral before, she was wrong because it’s nothing compared to how he sounds now. But along with the sounds, he’s moving his tongue and sucking faster and harder so it doesn’t take long for her to feel another orgasm building inside of her. 

“Oh Cami, yes, Sesshomaru!” She moans as she falls over the edge. 

She thought he’d stop there but he kept licking and sucking all the right places. He continues this for a long time, so long that she’s lost count of the orgasms he’s given her. She decides it’s not fair to him, she wants to give him pleasure in return. Plus, she is getting cold because only her feet are still in the water. So she pushes him away, she wants to giggle when he looks sad, like a puppy that has just got his favorite treat taken away from him. 

“Wait, Sesshomaru, stop. Let’s move this to the furs so we can be near the fire.”

When Sesshomaru sees that her lips have a blue tint to them, he feels horrible, which is a feeling he’s not used to. He has to remember that she’s human and doesn’t have the same physical resilience as youkai do. Sesshomaru uses his youkai speed so she barely has time to blink before she’s wrapped up in furs and sitting on more in them while Sesshomaru is stoaking the fire. Kagome wants to giggle when she realizes he’s still naked. That is, until he turns around and she gets her first real look at his member. When she does, all her lust comes back to her with a vengeance. She pats the spot next to her.  

“Thanks, Sesshomaru. Now come sit next to me.” 

He quirks an eyebrow at her demand but complies anyway. When he does, she takes a deep breath then looks at him in the eye and reaches over to wrap her hand around him. Kagome can tell he’s surprised but after she experimentally pumps him once, his head falls back and he groans. It doesn’t take long until she becomes more confident in what she’s doing. She’s surprised to find that he’s a very vocal lover, not with words but with sounds. 

Sesshomaru loves that his little Miko is trying to learn what pleases him but he needs to be closer to her, she’ll have more time to explore later. Now it is finally, finally, time to make her his mate, so he uses his speed to push her down and get on top of her. He kisses her deeply and opens her legs. He can hear her heart speeding up, he thinks that is good because it means she knows what is coming next. 

He brings his hand down to play with her clit, while he puts the head of his cock at her entrance. Slowly he enters her, he has to stop a few times because she needs him too, and he has to stop a few times because she’s so tight that he’s in danger of cumming. He kisses her gently when he’s finally completely inside her because he wants to and because he’s hoping to calm her down, she’s so tense he doesn’t think he can move. Which is good because he’s barely holding on, it’s taking all his learned control not to take pleasure for himself. Cami she’s too tight around him. He takes a deep breath, this is her first time and he wants it to be good for her, so he kisses her and waits for her to be more comfortable. 

Eventually, she calms down and the slight pain eases, he pulls away from the kiss to look at her in her eyes. She gives him a slight nod and finally, he pulls almost all the way out and thrusts back into her. Neither of them can stop the moans that come out of their mouth, it feels so good, so right, what this has been building up to since they first met. 

Sesshomaru has had his fair share of women before, only for base relief. This is the first time there’s ever been any emotion evolved and the first time he’s ever lain with a human. He’s getting lost in the sensation, nothing has ever felt as right as this does. It’s almost as if Kagome’s body was made for him, they fit so perfectly together. 

Kagome knew sex felt good. Heck, she’d heard it enough from her friends and movies and TV but Cami, no amount of hearing her friends talking about it or seeing it in movies could have prepared her for this. The way Sesshomaru somehow managed to hit all the spots she found while exploring herself and a few she hadn’t even discovered yet. She’s pretty sure her voice is going to be raspy tomorrow because of how loud she is being but she doesn’t care. Sesshomaru isn’t as vocal as she is but she knows he’s enjoying it. Just the look of pleasure on his face and the look of love in his eyes. 

It takes a little while for Kagome to get the hang of it, but soon she is rolling her hips and matching Sesshomaru’s thrusts. Kagome can feel another orgasm building, with every thrust, Sesshomaru is rubbing against her clit. Her hands were exploring all over him but now they were wrapped around him, with her nails digging into Sesshomaru’s back, trying to hold on because she felt like this climax would take her away. When she finally crests, instead of screaming like she feels the need to, she bites down on Sesshomaru’s shoulder blade. 

Sesshomaru lets out a vicious snarl and when Kagome comes down from her high, she sees his eyes are tinged red. She doesn’t get much of a chance to look though because he pulls out of her, flips her on her hands and knees so easily that she feels like a rag doll, then grabs her by the hips and thrusts his cock back into her. This time, she did let out a scream of pleasure. 

“Sess-Sesshomaru, yes!”

Sesshomaru bends his back around her and rests his hands on the outside of hers. She can tell from his breathing that he’s getting close too. She feels him move her hair off one side of her neck then she feels him sniffing and nuzzling the juncture of her neck and shoulders. Soon his tongue and then teeth join in. She never thought she’d enjoy so much teeth and biting in her lovemaking but she was wrong. As another climax comes over her, she feels the pain of his teeth biting into her, she feels him let loose some of his youkai and it tries to enter her. She has to forcefully hold her reiki at bay and allow it to enter her. 

He thrusts one, two, three more times before he climaxes. Kagome’s eyes widen and her orgasm is prolonged when she feels his member grow inside her. She didn’t think it was possible to feel any more full than she did when he first entered her but he just proved her wrong. 

When they both finally come down from their highs, they’re both panting. Sesshomaru gently extracts his fangs from her soft flesh and licks the wounds closed. His saliva heals her and he kisses his mark that will forever tie them together. He wraps his arm around her stomach and gently pulls her with him as he lays them both on their side. They’ll be stuck like this for a little while and he doesn’t want his mate to be uncomfortable. 

Kagome snuggles into Sesshomaru’s arms, she’s never felt so comfortable, safe, or sated in her life. Before she knows it, she drifts off to sleep. Sesshomaru is content to just hold her and watch her while she sleeps. He feels at peace for one of the first times in his life and is in no rush to leave this moment. 

When Kagome wakes, she’s still being held by Sesshomaru and they’re still intimately connected. Unfortunately, she feels all gross and sticky from their previous activities so she decides she has to get up and take another bath in those amazing hot springs. She wiggles her butt a little bit just to see how sticky she really is and is surprised when Sesshomaru groans and pulls her close. She can feel his member grow hard inside her and she grows wet at the feel.

“Where do you think you’re going, little mate?” He growls seductively into her ear. It makes her wiggle again in anticipation. All thoughts of cleaning up go out the window, she thinks getting dirty again will be much more fun. 

She turns her head to look at him“Nowhere, but I want to try something.”

He quirks his eyebrow at her and lets go of her hips. He’s interested to see what his mate is up to. He’s unhappy when she moves in such a way that disconnects them and he’s surprised when he puts her hands on his chest to make him lie flat on the ground. It goes against all his instincts when she crawls on top of him and positions herself to take him in. He’s the alpha, he should always be in the dominant position. He takes a deep breath to try to calm his beast down, whos trying to break free to show their bitch who the alpha is. Once he has control of himself, he decides to let his mate experiment. He trusts her above all others, he can let her take the lead in such a way. 

He has to admit, it’s quite arousing watching her bounce up and down, taking every inch of his cock into her body. It takes her a minute to get the hang of being on top but soon the way she’s riding him, the way she rolls her hips and squeezes her muscles has him fighting not to let his eyes roll into the back of his head. He doesn’t allow them to though, partly because it’s undignified but mostly because he doesn’t want to miss a second of the show. 

He moves his hands from her hips up to her breasts and palms one while tweaking the nipple of the other. From the keening sound coming out of her mouth he deduces that she enjoys that so he does it again then sits up and repeats the move, this time with his tongue. Yes, he could get used to this position, it gives him leeway to focus on other things while she brings them both pleasure. 

Kagome isn’t sure what comes over her, whether it’s her instincts, or her reiki but when she feels another peak coming she bites Sesshomaru again. This time it’s different though, she bites with all her might and feels herself break through his skin, she knows she’ll be grossed out about that later. She doesn’t know how she has this information but she just knows to let her reiki out through her mouth and let it flow into him. She can feel his youkai try to resist until Sesshomaru controls it. 

The feeling of giving herself to him in this way feels like nothing she’s ever done before and she knows Sesshomaru feels the same. By the time she comes down from her high, they’re on their sides lying down again and Sesshomaru is rubbing her back gently while making a sound she can only term as purring. 

Sesshomaru waits until Kagome catches her breath before speaking. “I did not know you could do that, mate.”

She pulls back just enough to look at him “What did I do?” 

He lets out a husky chuckle that Kagome has never heard before but one that she hopes to hear again soon “You claimed me in return. Now we are full mates and no one will be able to try to dispute our coupling,” 

“So, earlier we weren’t fully mated?” 

“No, I did not think it was possible to finish the claim with you because you are human. But you Kagome, have a way of always surprising me.” Sesshomaru can tell that the news upset her so he continued. “Had you not been able to finish it, we would have still been mates. When I bit you I gave you a piece of my youkai, it tied our souls together, we would have always been connected but now, I have a piece of you inside me as well.”

She smiles at him brightly. “Good, I’m glad I was able to finish it, I wouldn’t want a female to think they could steal you from me. Then I’d have to purify them and you know how I don’t like hurting people unnecessarily.” 

Sesshomaru uses that husky chuckle that Kagome was beginning to love again then pulls her close to kiss the top of her head. “You need not worry about that, my Kagome. I shall only have one mate and would never stray from you.” 

“Good, I wouldn’t want to have to purify you either.” She says cheekily. 

They both groan when they feel his knot loosen inside her. She’s read about dog knots before and has even seen it a few times, Yuka’s family owns a kennel, but she didn’t think Inuyoukai did it too. She doesn’t really know much about it though, she thinks it’s used when they’re getting the female pregnant and she hopes that’s not what Sesshomaru is doing, they still have Naraku to worry about. Plus, she’s still young, her Mama knows she’s traveling with Sesshomaru now and she knows her affections have changed but Kagome couldn’t imagine what her Mama would think about her going from ‘I have a crush on Sesshomaru’ to ‘I’m eternally bound to Sesshomaru and I’m carrying his baby even though I didn’t even finish school yet,’ She’d disgrace her family, everyone would judge her and them, she can’t have a baby yet, even though one day she’d love to be the mother of his children. 

“What is wrong, mate? I feel how upset you are, though you were fine a minute ago. Did I do something to displease you?” 

Feel? How can he feel what she’s feeling? She takes a deep breath to calm down then listens to what her body is telling her. She feels worry and concern. Kagome knows those aren’t her feelings though, they’re Sesshomaru’s. ‘Is this part of our mating? What else will come from it?’ 

“Kagome?” Sesshomaru asks, bringing her back to the current issue. 

“I was just thinking, what happens when we uh you know” she feels a blush on her cheeks but ignores it “and you finish, and your…”

“My knot”

“Yeah, does that happen all the time?”

“Yes, or I should say it will always happen. It’s never happened before but that’s because I’ve never been mated before.”

“So you’re not like trying to get me pregnant, right?”

Even though Sesshomaru doesn’t show much expression on his face, Kagome can see the second he locks it all away, If that weren’t enough, even though she is still getting used to this new bond that they share, she feels his hurt before a metaphorical brick wall goes up around him and she feels nothing. She has a feeling she’s said something wrong but she doesn’t think it’s wrong to want to wait a little while to have children. 

“You do not want to carry my pups.” He says flatly. He had thought they’d already spoken about this when she was worried about his opinion of having half-breed children.

She wraps her arms around him and pulls him close. “I didn’t say that! I do want to, just not right now. I can’t be walking all over Japan fighting demons, collecting jewel shards, and trying to end Naraku while pregnant. Plus, my Mama doesn’t even know about us. I have to tell her we’re mated before I can tell her we’re having a baby. In my time, I’m way too young to have a child of my own, people would look down on my family.” 

The tenseness of his shoulders slowly loosens as she speaks and when she finishes he wraps his arms around her. “Do not fret, you are not pupped. It is not your fertile time.”

Her blush comes back with a vengeance because he’s been able to smell such things this whole time. “Okay, good. I do want to have babies with you, lots of cute furry-eared babies but I’d like to enjoy some time with just you first, okay?” 

“They’ll be pups mate. But yes, I can accommodate you in this, mate.” 

She huffs a laugh at his haughtyness then lays back. “Good. Now, what’s there to eat around here?” Her stomach lets out a perfectly timed growl and so Sesshomaru gets up and puts on his Hakima. 

“I shall hunt, wait here, I won’t be long. Why don’t you relax in the hot springs until I get back?”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” She smiles at him and then gets up to do just that. 

When she sits down in the hot springs she lets out a sigh of contentment. There are still a lot of dangers and hardships she has to face. She’s sure a lot of people will have a problem with their relationship, especially the people of the youkai courts. She still has to collect all the jewel shards and take down Naraku. She’s sure there will be a confrontation with Inuyasha, and that’s not even thinking about her life on the other side of the well. It won’t be easy telling her family that she’s planning on staying and living her life in the past. She thinks it will all be okay though, as long as she has Sesshomaru and the rest of their pack by her side.