Restitution by Demonlordlover2

Restitution

I have the author's permission to post this work on this site, under this pen name. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at the address associated with this profile. ~~Wiccan~~

Disclaimer: All InuYasha characters depicted are the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi and are copyrighted by Viz. All original characters and the plot are the intellectual property of Demonlordlover. All names and places, either factual or imaginary, are used for the purposes of entertainment only. Demonlordlover is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of InuYasha. Copyright infringement is NOT intended.

Written for Wiccan in thanks for her donation to A Single Spark.

Restitution

by Demonlordlover

She yawned into a curled fist, bored beyond belief. What was I thinking? Kagome wondered morosely, brows lowered in self-condemnation for her monumental stupidity.

Eri had cornered her as soon as she'd come home from abroad. She had finished her last semester at Oxford, and had flown home early to relax before searching for a job. Unable to fabricate an adequate excuse, Kagome had accepted the invitation to stay with her friend for the night. Unbeknownst to her, it had been an elaborate set-up from the start.

Her well-meaning friends had been plotting and scheming for such an opportunity. Their goal was to finally entice their sick friend to give the hapless Hojo a chance. Kagome had been primped, prodded, then thrown out the door with an over-eager Hojo.

She winced at the memory of her complete surrender. Her companion misinterpreted the gesture.

"Are you okay, Higurashi-san?" Hojo asked. He lifted a slender hand and brushed aside her bangs with tender concern. "You look peaked. I humbly apologize for dragging you out tonight. I should have known better. Come, I will walk you home." Taking his feet, Hojo led the unresisting girl out of the theater.

As long as it meant that she would soon be alone, Kagome was willing to go along with it. Breathing deeply of the night air once they made it outside, she expertly maneuvered around a rowdy group of teenagers. Dodging demon attacks on an almost daily basis had given her an edge on humans.

Four years she had spent in the feudal era. Four very hard years that seemed to have passed within the blink of an eye. Kagome pulled her coat closer to her body as a chill passed through her slender frame. Naraku had been defeated two years ago, she recalled, just as she and Hojo reached the bus stop. Naraku been a terrible menace, but in the end, a joint attack by Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had erased his presence from the earth.

She'd been a little piqued at the time. After all, she hadn't even been needed! And now, due to the interference of a certain Daiyoukai, she had been sent back home. Sesshoumaru had simply plucked her from the battle before anyone else had been able to react. Speedily racing to the well, he had thrown her into the depths without a word of explanation or anything other than a blank stare.

He must have known, she had later mused while crouched beside the well's edge. Inuyasha had been wishy-washy on the subject of his wish for the years that they had chased after the jewel. He had declared he would stay a hanyou for just a little longer for her. But after the incident inside Naraku, he had been unable to forgive himself for harming her. Even if it had been at Naraku's behest, Inuyasha's shame weighted him down.

They both knew that he needed to separate himself completely from his past and, in her, he would always see the pain of betrayal and weakness.

With that realization, he once more took up the desire to become a full youkai. He had listened to Kaede's warnings, but in the end, had reasoned that he lost himself to his blood only because of the weakness of his humanity. If he were a full youkai, he wouldn't become a mindless beast. He would be whole.

Kagome didn't know what to believe. There were plenty of youkai that she had met over the years that were kind to her. Yet, she was not blind to their true nature. Kouga himself had thought nothing of killing villagers before meeting her. Would Inuyasha lose his human sense of right and wrong along with his humanity?

She had hoped not. Surprisingly, it was in Sesshoumaru that she was able to find the strength to cling to that fragile hope. A full youkai, over the years he had proven that he was capable of mercy and compassion. He wasn't even what she would call deep, either. Sango and Miroku had loved to expound on the Daiyoukai's enigmatic nature, but Kagome had always remained silent. He had a code of honor, but it was a creation of his own and could not be understood by any but him.

Yet, she did feel that the times they had crossed paths had lent themselves to craft a clear picture of who he was. He killed without compunction when necessary, but not needlessly. He was capable of loyalty, as was evidenced by Rin and even Jaken. He was not, however, an overly possessive individual, as he never forced his little group to follow him. They simply did so out of respect and admiration for the tall youkai. Most importantly, he forged his own way through whatever obstacle that blocked his path. Just like Inuyasha, in fact, though he had a maturity the hanyou lacked that aided him in coming out on top unscathed.

For the most part, at least.

Kagome giggled as she left Hojo to climb to steps to the shrine after declining his offer to see her up. It had been priceless, the moment his arm had been 'gifted' to him so that he could wield his new sword. Inuyasha had been shocked. Later, back in camp, he had cursed the unfairness of his 'bastard brother's' uncanny way to luck into every advantage.

It was jealous spite, pure and simple, that loosened Inuyasha's tongue. To have Totousai reveal that Sesshoumaru had surpassed his father in power burned the hanyou's ego. Sure, he had mastered Tetsusaiga. It wasn't the same, however, once it was discovered that Sesshoumaru's sword was of his own power, and not the 'borrowed' strength of their father.

Kagome was also fairly certain that was when the desire to become youkai had once more entered Inuyasha's heart. It had festered there, unnoticed, as everyone prepared for the final battle. She had seen it just before the battle and had worried over how he would react to her refusal to grant him that particular wish. Apparently, Sesshoumaru had also known his brother's heart.

It was odd, Kagome recalled, how well he had known Inuyasha. What buttons to push, which words to inspire Inuyasha to recklessness and which ones to prod the hanyou into using reason. Some of Inuyasha's best moments had been a result of Sesshoumaru's interference.

Had he known? she wondered. Had Sesshoumaru been deliberate in his visits, traveling about but stopping by occasionally to remind Inuyasha of their sibling rivalry as a means of distracting Inuyasha from his desire to become youkai?

Sighing, Kagome shrugged away her meandering thoughts. Inuyasha was, no doubt, dead. It had been five years since her return and he hadn't come to her. She knew he would have sought her out. She had mourned her friends deeply but hadn't buried herself in sadness.

It was odd, perhaps, to think of it thusly, but she would rather live life to the fullest as a testament to their courage and love. If the situation had been reversed, she would have wanted them to live on. Just as she hoped they did when she disappeared forever from their lives.

The only fly in the ointment of her life was the glaring lack of a romantic attachment. After years battling and fighting alongside courageous humans and powerful demons, the average man just didn't measure up.

What she wouldn't give to find just one guy who wasn't intimidated by the calluses on her fingers from the bow she refused to give up. A man who she could actually count on in a pinch to stand by her side.

Hojo was nice. He would make some woman a fine husband. But he was soft. Even if he would desire to stand up for her should she need it, he would crumble at the first sign of violence. She knew this, as he fainted at the broken leg Ayumi had gotten two years ago. Rather than run for help when she'd been hit by a car, he had taken one look at the bone peeking through torn flesh and had swooned dead away.

There had been some nice English boys who were of a more rugged nature, but with that outward masculinity came a certain crassness that was an overt turn-off. She wanted someone who wasn't a braggart, someone more self-contained, who exuded a quiet confidence.

In other words, she wanted a man that didn't exist. At least not for her. She wasn't a hypocrite. While she was measuring these men by an internal yardstick, she knew they would also hold her up for inspection. Even should she find such a perfect man, she was glumly aware that, more than likely, she wouldn't meet his standards.

Her ideal, her fantasy, in other words, was destined to stay that way. Either she would get desperate enough to lower her standards, or she would grow accustomed to being alone. Of the two, she had a feeling long nights and a passel of fat cats were in her future.

How depressing.

* * * * * * * * * *

"You are sure it is her?" the elegantly dressed male asked the person on the other end of the line. Garbed in a white silk shirt and black trousers, he cradled the phone to his ear while walking out the open doors to absently take in the towering trees that surrounded the small house.

"Fine. Execute my orders." He paused, eyes narrowing on the unseen individual he spoke to. "And, Jaken, no mistakes." The soft warning came through loud and clear. As the demon began to squawk reassurances, Sesshoumaru hung up.

Finally, after all this time, the plans he had set in motion over five hundred years ago were coming to a head. He wondered what she looked like now. It was hard to believe that she would only be a few years older than the last time he had seen her as he threw her into the old well and sealed it.

Yet, Inuyasha had been quite forthcoming on that matter. Sesshoumaru had not known of the well's true purpose, he had merely assumed she would be sent home. That she had been sent to the future and not merely transported however many miles away to her home had been cause for enormous irritation. He hadn't meant to send her away indefinitely. Just until the hanyou had understood that the jewel was not for him.

With his true power's revelation, he had known that he was responsible for the hanyou. As youkai aged, they gained understanding about those that moved around them. Inuyasha, as the last of his kin, was to be manipulated away from further damaging his mind. Unfortunately, there hadn't been enough time to wear away the stubborn tenacity with which Inuyasha had clung to the idea of becoming a full youkai. Drastic measures had been taken, hence the act of absconding with the miko and 'disposing' of the threat of the jewel.

The vaguely betrayed glance she had sent him just before the light whisked her away had stayed with him these 500 years. He respected her loyalty to the hanyou. It was commendable, despite the nature of Inuyasha's character and origins. Perhaps, he amended, her loyalty to his hanyou half-brother was all the more honorable considering the dishonor it could have brought her.

Humans, he still dismissed as pests for the most part. There were very few of them that had merited his regard, either for good or bad. As one that he had acknowledged in terms of a potential threat and then a passable ally, the miko was an anomaly in his narrow world.

Now, in a world that was ruled by humans, had she forgotten the excitement of the feudal era? Was she now inured to the injustices that surrounded her? She had always been so concerned about 'fairness' before. So easily overset by the notions of bigotry, prejudice, or any other number of vices shared by humans and demons alike. It would be amusing, to say the least, if she still held on to such beliefs. She had been more than just a human, and he meant to see if she was still the same woman.

What would she say once his plans were discovered? Would she fight against him? It was both a heady promise and a promising headache. He was too old to enjoy a tantrum, but was male enough to appreciate a spirited female.

The intervening years, long and lusterless once the battles of yesteryear became nothing more than a tale for humans to recount on dark nights, had proven enlightening.

What she had lacked in common sense, as he recalled, she had always more than made up for in spirit. Said character trait was sadly lacking in those that surrounded him. Obsequious and fawning, modern youkai feared his power, and humans, his wealth.

Yet, he was wise enough to understand that she wasn't special. That there were other humans, male and female alike, that had not allowed themselves to be jaded by the times.

She was, however, the only one to force him to consider her merit. The slayer, the monk, and Rin. The only other humans that could have made the same claim.

Despite her humanity, she was proven in battle; she had walked the same path he once claimed as his own. And she was worthy, something that could not be said of those faceless humans that existed only in knowledge and not fact. He would see to it that, just as Rin had earned his regard and protection, the miko would understand her place.

A slow smirk crossed his face, highlighting the golden gleam of feral determination. He laughed lowly, the sound echoing in the stillness of the forest. Yes, he would see for himself if the image in his mind matched the matured woman. Once the truth was discerned, he would act accordingly.

His gaze fell on the wrought iron table that sat just outside the doors. The beads gleamed dimly in the bright sunlight. Slowly moving over to the table, he gently tapped the large fang that hung in the center of the jade bead necklace. Inuyasha had been his brother. The son of his father. And he, Sesshoumaru, had shamed the memory of his father by refusing that bond until it was too late.

Wisdom had visited too late. He should have been there for the hanyou's youth. Perhaps Inuyasha would not have lived so tragic a life. He had lived in peace at the end, but the most grievous wound delivered surrounded the woman. The miko. And it had not even been deliberate.

It was time to make restitution to the one he had wronged.

* * * * * * * * * *

"You misguided excuse for a tadpole!" Kagome yelled furiously after the retreating back of the retainer. Asleep, she had been woken abruptly by the feeling that all was not as it should be. Before she could react, however, a strong-smelling cloth had clamped over her mouth and nose. Inhaling the noxious fumes instinctively, she had grown limp within seconds as the fight drained out of her.

Carted and dumped unceremoniously in an unknown location while still unconscious, she had woken up to the sight of the scowling face of one she had thought long dead. In her shock, she had been rendered speechless.

Taking the opportunity to get away before she could interrogate him, Jaken had scurried off after dropping the tray of food like a hot potato. Startled back into action, she had jumped up after him only to be met with a door in the face.

Rubbing her nose, she had shouted after the coward. Now, she turned to frown at the mess of food that had scattered across the floor when the tray had bounced off the hardwood surface.

Great. Just great. What was Jaken doing kidnapping her? The question begged an answer, but no answers were forthcoming.

Even more important, she mused, was the location of Jaken's erstwhile master, Sesshoumaru. If Jaken had survived, it surely wasn't due to his own prowess but that of the powerful Daiyoukai.

And, in that case, Sesshoumaru was the one to order Jaken to action, since the toad never did anything without his Lord's expressed permission.

So now, she wondered, what on earth did Sesshoumaru, of all people, want with her?

"Miko."

Whirling around as the deep voice reverberated throughout the small room, Kagome came face to face with the Daiyoukai in question. Furtively taking in his appearance with a glance, she wasn't surprised to see that nothing had changed except his clothing. His austere features, outlined with bold youkai markings, were exactly as she remembered.

"Why am I here, Sesshoumaru?" she asked, getting right to the point. "If it's about the jewel, you should know it's gone."

An arched brow answered the subtle challenge in her voice and stance. "Gone?" This was a development he hadn't factored into his strategy. Considering the options, he absently caught the faint blush on her cheeks.

Kagome shuffled her feet in embarrassment. "I wished it away."

Curious, he asked, "How?"

"Do you remember that T.V. Show called 'The Greatest Idol?'"

He snorted. Yes, he did recall that abomination to culture that the Americans had slaughtered beyond recognition. He never watched it, of course, but the media coverage ensured that even he was aware of its existence.

She groaned. "Yes, well, I was in England at the time and it just sort of slipped out without my thinking about it." She waved a hand in the air and recited, "'I wish they would quit torturing us with this show.'" A grimace marred her face. "After that, the sponsors dropped the program and it failed in the ratings. The jewel poofed away."

Surprising her, he chuckled. Trust the miko to end up finding the perfect wish that would benefit the world without tainting the jewel. Only something so asinine would have fit the bill.

Without elaborating on just what he found so amusing, Sesshoumaru turned and gestured for her to follow him. Confused yet curious, she obeyed just as silently.

* * * * * * * * * *

Breathe, she told herself. Just breathe. He must be joking!

Kagome peered at the Daiyoukai through lowered lashes. He had brought her to an outside table. Her eyes had immediately been drawn to the necklace on the table. It looked vaguely familiar.

Sesshoumaru had noted her interest and, without explanation, offered it to her. Unsure just what was transpiring and too wise to the ways of enchantments to willingly accept something of an unknown origin, she had declined with a short shake of her head.

Then the Daiyoukai had proceeded to shock the ever loving daylights out of her by proposing. To her.

Apparently, he felt responsible for her. She had belonged to his brother. Through Sesshoumaru's actions, however, she had been removed from Inuyasha's protection. In short, since Inuyasha had passed on two hundred years ago and wasn't available to see to her, Sesshoumaru was willing to sacrifice himself on the altar.

It was too much. Kagome laughed.

Unimpressed by her reaction, Sesshoumaru waited for the almost hysterical giggles to subside before arching a brow in mocking inquiry. "You object to the salvation of my honor?"

Breathing deeply to recover from the bout of silliness, she leaned against the iron table and crossed her arms over her breasts. She met his gaze straight on. "You don't owe me anything. You didn't know that I couldn't make it back, or even where you had sent me, for that matter."

One of the matching pair of metal chairs was pulled out and he gestured for her to sit. He claimed the other chair once she had complied. "Does ignorance excuse the mistake, or the fact that you were denied the eventual mating with Inuyasha?"

She frowned. The necklace grew even more interesting as her eyes darted to it while she shifted under his intense regard. "You don't know that we would have been together." Had she stayed, the jewel would have needed resolution.

If Inuyasha had wanted it to become youkai, would it have hurt their chances at recovering the little they'd once had? She'd already realized before being ripped from the feudal era that she and her hanyou best-friend weren't destined to be.

"Hn." He processed that. Perhaps it was not all as he had assumed. But there were a few facts that were irrefutable. "Despite the intention or motivation behind his reasons for it, he was your protector. Without providing a proper replacement, my mistake removed you from his guardianship."

Many had tried to steal Rin away during her short lifetime. All had been dealt a swift punishment. It was only to her husband, a male of whom he had approved, that he relinquished guardianship, as was his right.

Kagome opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out. Something about the way he felt, she suspected, was holding her silent. It wasn't often, but sometimes the very air around youkai could resonate their emotions to a tactile degree. Strong enough for the miko to pick up on, in any event.

Right now, Sesshoumaru was emitting vibes she would have never attributed to him. Desperation, urgency, curiosity... Blended together into a tapestry of emotive expression, they depicted an entirely different male than the closed off Daiyoukai about whom she had known so little.

Did it really matter that much to him? Could it be that, while she had forgiven him the moment she had made it through the well and out the other side - since she knew he had no idea just what he had done - he needed to make restitution for his own peace of mind?

How many times had she been drawn to the feudal era to fix something she had broken in her ignorance? No one would have blamed her had she gone home. Many times they had urged her to return lest she be harmed in a battle that wasn't hers.

But she had refused. Had continued to fight to restore what she had fractured.

Kagome dropped her head into her hands and groaned. The niggling reminder triggered a memory of Sesshoumaru on the battlefield while he took a blow meant for her. Sesshoumaru restoring Inuyasha to sanity. Sesshoumaru saving her from youkai after youkai. All while gracefully ignoring the fact that he was missing an appendage sliced away in her name.

She'd always hated seeing the empty sleeve flap in the wind. It was a reminder of his loss at Inuyasha's hands, even if it had been in her protection. She wasn't sorry Inuyasha had defended her, of course, but she hadn't known it wasn't a permanent loss.

When he'd regained his arm and a powerful sword to boot, she'd been grateful but some part of her had been unable to forget. He had more than made up for the attempt on her life and, in her mind, she owed Sesshoumaru for his many services helping her and her friends.

She sighed. She couldn't believe what she was was about to do. "What if I agree to a sort of guardianship like what you had with Rin?" She might regret it later, but at least her conscience would be finally clear. Sesshoumaru would hold the same position Inuyasha had once held in her life. She could handle that.

Claiming the necklace on the table, Sesshoumaru slipped it into his pocket. "That is acceptable."

For now, he finished silently when she smiled in relief.

Time had grown on him, and he had learned many times over that he must not waste the opportunities presented. His honor would be restored. She would be his.

* * * * * * * * * *

He was beautiful. Kagome wondered why she'd never seen it before. Sure, she had known in a distant way that he was handsome. It had taken months under his roof to truly appreciate the subtle nuances, the personality behind his aesthetic appeal, that granted him true beauty rather than a cold perfection.

"Sesshoumaru?"

He stopped reading once her voice reached him. Setting the book down, glanced over the edge of the desk at the woman reclining on the cushions there. She had been preoccupied with her own book, as had become their habit before retiring for the night to their separate rooms. The book - a romance, he noted with dry humor - dangled from her fingers, obviously forgotten as she stared off into space.

"Yes?" he asked, curious as to what had disturbed her reading.

"Your mother was beautiful, wasn't she?" Kagome rolled onto her knees and propped her elbows on the desk to stare into his eyes. "I saw your father once. He looked like Inuyasha. You look more ethereal than either of them. More... well, I wouldn't say delicate, just, well, your features are more refined. I wondered if it was something you inherited from your mother."

Wondering if he should be insulted, he refrained from sighing as had become his wont around the exasperatingly obtuse woman. "A close connection between our appearances has been noted before. She is not dead, however," he added, in reference to the miko's use of the word 'was' in relation to his mother.

Starting, Kagome leaned over the desk while her eyes widened. "Really? Why haven't I seen her? Does she come by here at all? Do you meet with her on holidays or talk to her on the phone?" She couldn't imagine not keeping in touch with her family! Even while in England and after moving in with him, she took care to write her mother or call every other day.

He sniffed before reclaiming the discarded book. He found his page and resumed reading.

Refusing to take the hint, Kagome placed her fingers over the edge of the book and blocked the page. "Come on, Sesshoumaru. You know everything about me. If you don't talk to her, that's okay."

He lowered the book and met her gently pleading eyes over the edge. "I have not spoken to her in over fifty years. It is not as you humans would assume. Youkai do not feel the need to constantly reaffirm familial bonds when we are so long-lived. Have I need of her assistance, it would be rendered. The same can be said of me. Such is considered a strong youkai family."

Her shoulders sagged. "I guess that's alright. At least you're still on good terms with her." She clapped her hands, having cheered herself up with that last thought. "Yep, I guess, going on the fact that you have all the time in the world, there's no need to keep up with everything in each other's lives. That would be pretty boring, and you would forget more than you could remember!"

"Though," she tapped a tapered forefinger against her bottom lip, "I wouldn't like it, no matter how long I lived, if my children didn't call me or write me in over fifty years. Assuming I ever have any," she ended with a groan.

Hojo had called over ten times since she'd moved in with Sesshoumaru. After meeting the boy - as the Daiyoukai insisted on calling him despite the fact that Hojo was older than Kagome - Sesshoumaru had declared him unsuitable. Three other men, all introduced to Kagome by Eri or the other girls, also got a sneer and a door in their faces.

Had Kagome not silently agreed with his assessment, she would have been peeved. Instead, she was oddly grateful for the excuses he so readily handed her to give out to her friends. Her fantasy hadn't become reality, and she wasn't ready to sacrifice her dreams just yet.

Lost in thought, Kagome didn't notice the smirk he sent her way.

More and more, Sesshoumaru mused, she had become curious about him; his life and those who occupied it. Don't move too soon, he cautioned himself. Little by little, he was bringing her into his world. One day in the near future she would don his fang. He was sure of it.

* * * * * * * * * *

She was burning up. Kagome shivered at the gentle scrape of claws against the flushed skin of her inner thigh. She clutched the broad shoulders leaning above her, dominating her, casting her in the shadow of her lover. "Please," she begged, shamelessly arching her back in supplication.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed on the female trapped beneath him when she undulated, almost forcing a groan from his lips when the wet curls at the apex of her thighs brushed his straining arousal. She was easily aroused. Attempting to delay the inevitable, prolonging the pleasures to be had in the process, had become quite a challenge. Despite his refined appearance, he was all male.

His woman begging was a beautiful sound.

It had taken three years, but she was finally where he wanted her. He leaned down and placed an open-mouth kiss on her collarbone, before moving aside the necklace she had accepted three weeks ago from his hand.

She was his. And, just as he had mentioned once before to the miko, his mother had come to his aid. The enchantments the inuyoukai female had placed on the fang would ensure that his human, at least, would walk beside her mate through time.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome demanded, when it appeared he had no intention of moving or doing anything at all to assuage her need.

He gently bit down in reprimand before laving the tender skin in apology. He had been remiss. Surging home, both grunted at the impact. It wasn't long before he was moving within her, working to bring her to ecstasy while holding back his desire to release within her silky depths.

Kagome wrapped her legs around his lean hips, having learned that she could never hope to keep rhythm with her youkai lover. She kissed his chest, ran her hands down his back - fingers dancing along his spine - and held on for dear life when the wash of heat and liquid pleasure threatened to separate her from reality.

Concentrating on the feeling of him parting her folds, hard and heavy, until he was seated firmly within, her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She shut them tightly, determined to hold on until the last possible minute.

Sensing the challenge she now presented, Sesshoumaru smirked. His lips traveled down to latch onto a furled nipple, pulling the beaded flesh into his mouth and teasing it with tongue and teeth.

Her dull nails dug into his back and she shuddered. It was his turn to squeeze his eyes shut to the sight of her flushed body, the way she bit her bottom lip and tossed her head, breasts shivering with the motion of his thrusts, lest he lose the silent battle being waged.

Adding a swivel to his hips, the hard flesh just above the root of his arousal brushed against her swollen clitoris. Her eyes shot open on a strangled version of his name. Her muscles fluttered around him before squeezing the hard shaft when her orgasm shook her frame and stole her breath.

Unable to hold back any longer, he surged forward in uncontrolled, jerky movements as his seed was forced from his body and he was thrown into bliss.

She was the first to recover. Rising from the ground, she shyly wiped away the milky evidence of his pleasure with a corner of the blanket they had laid upon before pulling on her robe. Settling back against his side, she yawned.

"Good night, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, eyes fluttering with sleep.

Undisturbed by the notion of remaining nude in the outdoors, Sesshoumaru shifted to cushion her head against his shoulder and tightened his arm in a silent acknowledgment of her words.

Her breathing evened out, but he remained awake as he contemplated the stars. The servants had been given the night off and, this far from the city, it was almost as if they were the only ones in the world.

Brother, my debt to you has been repaid. He glanced at the female he had claimed as his own. And you, Kagome... You are the reward for my penance.

He had the power, the blood, the honor that his brother had always wanted. And now, he had the woman his brother had loved. The woman who he now felt for. The irony of the situation did not escape him. Attempting to save the hanyou from himself, he had separated them. In restitution for his mistake, he was gifted with the woman herself. Once more...

I win.