Moonbeam and Ebony by royalbk

Caught In A Moment

Inspiration has struck anew...and it has struck with a vengeance. I already have four Sesshoumaru/Kagome stories in my mind. Each more exciting than the previous. I can barely contain myself.

My personal thanks to the person who nominated this story for Best AU Fic. If you're reading, know that this chapter is dedicated to you...and I hope you like the outcome. It's a very long one shot!

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Warning: Mature, dark, sexual themes. Don't read this if you don't like it...just look away! (Grins)

Disblaimer: Sesshoumaru and Kagome belong to Rumiko Takashi. Such a pity isn't it?

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Caught In a Moment

by Royal blueKitsune

Your stare swallows me in

She hadn't believed she could ever find him in such a place...such a form either.

It had been so unexpected that she had stopped dead in her tracks, unable to take her eyes of his prone form being dragged away forcefully. His four legged form.

So much time had passed since those surreal travels in the Feudal Era that Kagome had caught herself wondering if this was a dream. A very, very vivid dream that would end once she woke up in the safety of her little room.

After all, the powerful Daiyoukai of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru couldn't be in a kennel. He most certainly couldn't be in his dog form - albeit shrunken considerably since his muzzle was at equal level with her hipbone - and he most certainly wasn't being leashed and collared like some common mongrel by ruthless guards who were currently trying to drag him God knows where.

Long ago, five hundred years to be more precise, Sesshoumaru had disappeared and not even Inuyasha had been able to unearth anything about his brother's whereabouts.

Still. It was him. She could recognize him anywhere at any given time...not that his coloring was too hard to distinguish anyway.

He was the miniature version of his former demon self complete with the soft, snow-white fur, jagged mauve stripes on each side of his snout and piercing amber eyes with swirls of ruby red. Eyes that concealed a cunning and predatory creature...the eyes of a once respected demon Lord.

It was truly mind-boggling. Something one saw only on TV or read about in supernatural novels...something Kagome had never seen coming despite all her years spent in the Sengoku Jidai with strange monsters, powerful witches, youkai and brave humans and whatnot.

Scared should have been her first emotion. Already her miko energy was sizzling beneath her skin and something she had learned to recognize as raw power coiled in the pit of her stomach, making the young woman aware that if she didn't grab hold of herself she was going to end up making quite a scene.

She should've felt pity at seeing such a powerful creature being dragged towards the basement for God knows what purpose - most likely to be locked inside a reinforced cage. A fate he didn't deserve despite his callousness and pointed arrogance.

None of those feelings seemed to want to make an appearance though. They were somewhere beyond her reach and Kagome didn't plan on searching deep within herself to find them either.

Her anger was, however, a completely different thing. She hadn't felt that way since her little brother had gotten the flu so many years ago and she hadn't been there to tend for him like the loving, responsible sister she was supposed to be...

No one was doing anything and it was fueling her temper like nothing else; so burning she found it hard to breathe past the raging emotions swirling behind blue eyes. The little pet shop was virtually abandoned but those that were currently in it, mostly women and small children, weren't doing a damn thing for the animal struggling in its muzzle.

How could they just stand there and watch someone being mistreated? Granted, they didn't know that dog was actually a very powerful Daiyoukai with the strength -and most assuredly- the desire to kill them all for witnessing his humiliation...but they were still watching and acting like nothing was wrong.

That being had played an essential part in the destruction of a power hungry monster with many faces. Even her miko side agreed that it was an honorable thing to return the efforts of he who had helped save humankind from destruction - the same humans who were now trying to subdue him.

The slamming sound of a door dispelled the stormy feelings immediately and Kagome blinked slowly, noting that she had been so lost in her thoughts that she had missed the moment 'Sesshoumaru' had been dragged away.

First reaction was to try and follow him, consequences be damned, but Kagome had long ago learned not to react on the basis of first emotions. It had cost her many days of her health every time she had jumped recklessly into a battle and gotten herself injured, beaten, bruised and unconscious...those moments had done justice to her grandfather's delusional diseases truly.

Second reaction was to compose herself as best as possible and march to the clerk's desk, a stuttering young man, and inquire as neutrally as possible about the 'exotic, wild animal that had been brought into their store.'

And I can hardly breathe

I feel it's dangerous

Her persuasion methods consisted of innocently batting her eyelashes, smiling sweetly and acting as interested as could be when the man started to babble some not so ridiculous story about the 'vile beast' attacking humans who had only wanted to give him a cozy home.

Many years had passed since she had been the innocent and oblivious girl traveling with a loud-mouthed hanyou. After such a long time, Kagome thought herself a worldly woman. Anyone who knew her deceiving age and the fact that the Shikon was pulsing beneath the valley of her breasts would most likely agree with her.

'You flatter him so,' A grin. 'Vile beast indeed.'

"I was wondering if he would be up for adoption anytime soon..."

Well, that certainly shut him up for a few moments. Kagome prayed for forgiveness for any mean thoughts but really...he had been talking nonsense and keeping his eyes strictly below her neckline. Another moment of blatant staring and she might've sat him into the ground with the aid of her trusty purse.

Tapping into the vast supply of patience, kept just for such occasions, the blue-eyed woman prepared her arguments and cooled the heated ire burning just beneath her temples in the form of a headache. Still...someone should've just shaken her then and there because, and despite her best intentions, she hadn't the slightest of clues what she was doing.

Saving her peacock - in almost all the senses possible - of a former enemy who had looked down at her from above his nose so many times, she had lost count. The one who had tried to kill her and Inuyasha countless times...

...and then proceeded to save both of them and his young ward Rin just as many times. Fair to his people, even if a little to set in his preconceived ideas, and a good ruler of his lands.

She sighed. Why oh why did the good have to tip the balance in its favor? Trying to free the dog, demon Lord now would probably be nothing more than a nuisance.

"Miss, you can't be serious. He would rip you to shreds - you are too delicate and beautiful to search the company of a vicious dog." If he didn't hear her temper boiling and reaching dangerous temperatures, he was either deaf of just an idiot bigger than she had given him credit.

If Sango had been here, she would've probably hit this over attentive clerk with her Hiraikotsu if only to stop him from spewing more flowery words. Gods - Miroku incarnated anyone?

Delicate? Twitch

Was he calling her weak? Twitchy-twitch.

"Might I suggest the rabbits? They are excellent creatures."

Kagome visibly grimaced and tapped her fingers nervously on her bag.

'Happy thoughts, happy thoughts...happy thoughts! Sesshoumaru better be worth this much!'

"I'm afraid you have misunderstood me. I only wish for that particular dog and I am willing to pay as much as it takes to have him," good thing Sesshoumaru wasn't here to hear her talking about him like some piece of meat for dinner. He would have had a fit...and then returned her into the dust she had come from for taking such liberties with his...dogginess.

"But miss, surely..."

He was a persistent idiot and that was that. This required a different approach. "Are you trying to tell me that you can not sell me the pet I want?"

The clerk gulped and launched into a series of full-blown excuses and reassurances that she could have any pet she wanted...he even offered to take her see her future acquisition if she wanted.

Bingo.

Could be deadly

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Of course, the emotions and jitters were bound to catch up with her sooner or later. They crept up her spine when she found herself in front of the door that separated her from the former nemesis of her youth. Butterflies were also expected to take residence in her stomach, but that didn't mean Kagome had to like the nervousness - it only served to remind her of sweet sixteen.

Inexperienced, naïve and sweet sixteen...

The attendant, Koji she had learned from the tag earlier, was fumbling with the keys, which only served to fuel her anxiety...what was taking so long? And why in heavens name did he have so many keys? It wasn't like the small pet shop was a labyrinth of doors and hallways.

"Just curious miss, why do you want to get such a dangerous dog? You seem very determined to get this particular one and it's just so big."

Well, as long as he wasn't looking into her cleavage with that leery expression - he was seventeen, it was his first job and he was a very talkative person - she could answer that question.

Her smile was polite but she still suppressed a giggle when the young man blushed and almost dropped his keys. Somewhat flattering wasn't it? Kagome had this 'extraordinary' luck with only attracting youngsters, old people or men who were generally wrong for her. For all reasons possible.

"I am. He is a very exotic creature and for some reason I've always been attracted to strange pets." Well, no lie there. She had tried raising a lizard once...the experiment wouldn't have been a failure if she hadn't outlived the poor thing.

"White dogs with brown eyes aren't that unusual, miss..." A grunt and finally the door opened.

Kagome was too busy gaping at the boy's back to see that. What had he said? She blinked when he gently ushered her in a small, white, room with dozens of cages and different utensils. Were they even talking of the same Sesshoumaru here?

The scent of old magic was so strong that the former miko had to cover her nose and take a step back to clear her senses. Getting hit by a truck must've felt similar.

It was how Inuyasha must've felt when coming into her era for the first time. Her eyes stung and she was caught between running back out or doing what she had come to do; which was saving Sesshoumaru from a fate trapped in a cage for the rest of his unnatural life.

So...what was stopping her from turning back on her heel again?

Somehow I'm willing to do the things you want

"Step this way please," Kagome was hard pressed not to mock imitate his walk due to the way that had sounded, "he's in the back room."

'For once in his life, Sesshoumaru is forced to be last and least.' The thought was more saddening than she would've believed and pity once more overcame anything else. Her fingers tightened around the purse until the knuckles were white and bloodless and her heels clicked loudly on the hard floor.

Would she find a broken shell of the former Daiyoukai or perhaps a hate driven animal, crazy with bloodlust?

Kagome didn't want to think of the possibilities, even as she took a peek over her shoulder...at the unusually scared and quiet cats. Circling their restrained kennels, hissing quietly, fur standing up menacingly - all the signs of restlessness, and maybe more, were there.

Were they aware that there was a killer among them? Animals, after all, were very sensitive to such things and Sesshoumaru's aura was nothing to take lightly. Five hundred years ago he had been able to bring Naraku to his knees with the green flames of his youki.

"You will most likely be able to take him home today...as no one appears to want him around for long." The last words were spoken as an afterthought, and Kagome would've smiled if she hadn't caught sight of the large figure curled around itself in a dark corner of the room.

There was no mistaking him - not now, not ever. Those eyes, that massive frame and that long, abnormally white, fur...that crescent moon on the once noble brow of Inuyasha's half-brother, now only a beast taught humility by a horrible curse - it was the only way to explain his current condition - he couldn't control it.

He was either tired, or uncaring of her presence, because he didn't open his eyes not even to spare her a glance.

She frowned.

"I'll take him," she carelessly batted away whatever the attendant had to say and, unmindful of her skirt, crouched down next to the cage, crawling closer on her hands and knees. Not the best position but Kagome still crooned in happiness when the inu opened half-lidded eyes to look at her.

What was a wrinkle or two on cashmere compared to the spark of heat and fire she saw in those oh so familiar sun kissed eyes?

Nothing...absolutely nothing. Everything was unimportant when placed in contrast to the revelation she had in that moment. This was someone from her past, someone who had played an important role in her adventures in the Sengoku Jidai, and suddenly she was not so alone in the world anymore.

Someone other than her family, canine or not, wouldn't believe her nuts if she talked about a well that could take her back and forth from and to the past. Sesshoumaru hadn't known about that insignificant detail before but she was living and breathing proof of it.

Kagome was nothing short of giddy by the time the former Lord unfurled his tail and raised his head to stare her down with that oh so painfully pleasing flicker of recognition dancing in his eyes.

He knew her.

He remembered her.

She wanted to cry and at the same time laugh with joy.

Not the best company but, hey, who was complaining?

In an act of many times preceded courage, the miko from the future carefully coiled the loose strings of power dancing just beneath her skin and extended her hand forward...to the ruler of the Western Lands from the past. Strangely enough, she wasn't afraid that he would want to take a bite out of her fingers or harm her in anyway.

Later, she would probably question her sanity and ponder whether bashing her head on the wall would do some good.

Only courageous fools had willingly bared their week spots in front of the Killing Perfection.

Sesshoumaru seemed to think so too, because for a few long moments he was silent and cold. A perfect statute like he had been in real life. He looked suspicious, weary and vicious at the same time, with the way he was gazing at her - the almost imaginary draw upwards of his eyebrows (since when did dogs have eyebrows?) and the, she dared think it, his perked ears.

Kagome had always had a certain something for puppy ears.

Then he rose from his comfortable position, a predator on the move, and padded towards her, massive neck stretching to...

Sapphire eyes widened. He was sniffing her?

Take me in your arms

Spoon-feed my heart and

Her fingers twitched and she stomped down on the urge draw back her hand quickly - instead she pushed her hand close to his muzzle, letting him take in as much of her scent as he needed.

Scent and physical contact were as much essential for Inu youkai as human interaction was for her. It was the main basis of communication between members of the same, or different, species; and although Sesshoumaru had always been aloof and seemingly detached from the real world, Kagome was sure that instincts played their part well.

Hadn't he rough played with Inuyasha so often, disguised in the form of deadly spars and life threatening battles? Kagome herself had only later realized it, but seeing as how the Lord had decimated the foul dark hanyou with such a burst of ethereal power, she was inclined to believe she was right in her assumptions.

Otherwise Inuyasha would've been one dead half demon long before she had met him.

Careful nips and bites using his sharp fangs were almost enough to make the young woman faint from the sudden strength of her fear. Or at least enough to make her week in the knees.

She didn't even notice when Koji suddenly moved forward to draw her back...she sure as hell noticed though when slivers of eerie green seeped into Sesshoumaru's eyes, almost overpowering the gold and red, and he bared his fangs in a thunderous growl.

"Are you insane?" She fumed at the attendant, suicidal instincts coming forth again and moving her hand closer of their own volition. To calm him. Humph - most likely to kill her, damned traitorous things. "Hasn't anyone told you that it's not good to rile an angry dog?"

Drip by drip

I'll take it all

Sip by sip

She was being irrationally angry on Sesshoumaru's part.

That was an apocalyptical sign right?

"If not for these reinforced iron bars," though that didn't explain how he was subdued enough to stay put anyway! "he would've probably pounced you by now. Never, ever, do that again. I doubt Sesshoumaru would be so lenient next time..."

Next to the fact that the young boy was visibly trembling, she had just told him that the name of her pet was to be the Killing Perfection and to top it all, she could swear, absolutely swear, that Sesshoumaru was feeling distinctly amused.

Which was as precisely as ridiculous as it sounded.

Miko or not, there was definitely no way she was getting happy waves from a...dog. Nope. She was not going there, on the grounds that her mind might consider her crazy.

"Se-Sesshoumaru! You want to name your dog Sesshoumaru?" He looked green and Kagome flicked her raven ponytail over one shoulder and gave him her most innocent smile, hoping against hope that the clerk didn't decide to faint on her at the moment. Naming one's pet - the mother had been insane and the father no doubt twitching at how well the choice fit - Killing Perfection, or as a variation Ending of the Circle of Life, had to be something only a nut would think up.

"Did I stutter?"

I guess that it's

Make or break

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Credit went to bureaucracy this time, Kagome thought with a lopsided grin.

She had gotten her own, personal slaughtering machine - fast and easy, only use claws, fangs and I-am-holiest-than-thou attitude - in only an hour. Complete with leash, brush (she was definitely going to need it considering that Sesshoumaru's fur was probably longer than her own hair) and a very cute red ribbon as a compliment from the store.

In her defense, Kagome had tried very hard not to laugh at having to see a dog with a put off expression. Almost peevish!

All those items and a priceless experience and Sesshoumaru hadn't even dented her account...that much. Well, actually not at all as her account was a black whole really but Kagome's - still - human mind was nonetheless surprised at having to pay such an impressive amount to get a pet. A scary, would have been better off as a rabbit, animal.

Oh well. Sesshoumaru might kill her if she thought he wasn't worth her money and more.

Now came the part where she was supposed to ask herself what she would do with him.

Kagome frowned to herself and unbuttoned the first two buttons of her shirt, feeling grateful for the slight spring breeze that ghosted faintly over her heated skin. Times like these she was happy she had found an apartment with a large enough balcony for several persons to fit.

The view was stunning.

"I know you're looking at me you know." Stormy blue met glittering gold and she let a little of her weariness show. "What?"

His expression was indescribable and oh so fixed upon her face.

Didn't he ever blink? He was disturbing.

Half of her five foot one and he was still bloody intimidating her with that chilly stare. The one that sharply reminded her of her youth again and their first meeting - where he had tried to turn her into a puddle of human goo.

"You're not planning on gutting me in my sleep for putting you in a leash I hope," the weariness was doubled, though coupled with humor and embarrassment - because frankly she was talking to a dog, "I didn't want it, but anymore slip-ups and that clerk might've had a heart attack."

Sesshoumaru barked harshly.

Kagome squeaked, not actually expecting him to answer, and fell flat on her rump...missing the couch by a few inches.

A groan.

Boy here and now

"You did that on purpose didn't you? You just love seeing my misery and weren't sure how to achieve it without actually making me into sushi...because then I wouldn't get to feed you anymore." Her midnight hair had come undone, falling all around her in messy waves of onyx and dark waters, but of course she couldn't actually look sexy like one of those actresses in movies.

No...that would've been a too good thing for her.

Kagome just looked messy with the tufts of hair sticking out everywhere.

"And don't think I didn't see that sneaky wag of your tail. I know you love making fun of me no matter how hard you try to hide it."

Truly, she had never been so free with the Great Daiyoukai before. It was such a strange concept that they could have such an easy one-sided conversation after five hundred years of not seeing each other.

Well, at least the one sided part hadn't changed one bit.

Smothering her hair was the fairly easy part and she used the quirky movements to hide the stirrings of self-consciousness that had finally started to catch up with her. Dog he was, but she hadn't even taken the time to ask Sesshoumaru how he had gotten to be the way he was; she hadn't even walked him through the apartment to familiarize him with the rooms and furniture or perhaps asked him if he wanted to be left alone instead.

After all, belonging, in documents, to his brother's hated wench couldn't be very pleasant.

"Uhhh..." And the looking - how was she going to stand those fixed stares? Vestiges of long forgotten shyness returned and her body abruptly bent of its own will, in a half bow of respect, before she straightened up with flushed cheeks.

How embarrassing. How could she have forgotten? Certainly he was staring at her like that, because she hadn't bothered to show him the smallest ounce of respect.

"This may sound odd coming from me now, but," Kagome coughed and willed the burning sensation in her belly to disappear, "I believe an introduction of my apartment is needed if, that is," she sounded like a babbling incompetent didn't she? "if you're going to be staying with me from now on."

His silence, not like he had much to say, prompted her forward.

"I mean I'm not forcing you or anything."

He barked down at her and Kagome shut her mouth, taking that as he queue to zip it. Now. Before Sesshoumaru did decide that he was too lenient with her and she found herself forced to purify the fur off his back, for making her into Kagome steak. It wouldn't be pretty that was for sure.

"Didn't quite catch that," her voice was dry even as she resisted the urge to twitch because he was practically in her face, "was that a yes bark? A no, I don't give a damn bark, or a shut up now before I kill you bark?"

She could've sworn that she had seen another flicker of amusement in his eyes. He curled his long tail around her leg and tickled her with his fur and she couldn't help a giggle. If she hadn't known better, Kagome could've sworn that the former Daiyoukai had just allowed her a glimpse at his playful streak - the one that wasn't supposed to exist.

"I'll take that as a yes then. Would you mind getting off of me or do I have to point out the rooms from down here?"

We're caught in a moment

And I won't let it go

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No doubt that living with your former nemesis was supposed to be weird...but Kagome hadn't counted on just how strange that would be considering his vicious personality. Or at least that part of his self she was somewhat familiar with after the continuous meetings in the Feudal Era.

Actually seeing him eat, from a bowl no less, had been an odd experience for her. No more than when she had stumbled upon Inuyasha pinned to a tree, but then there were many types of odd for Kagome. Seeing him rip into raw meat like it was nothing more than a simple piece of paper had been enough to make her stomach turn on itself.

And the quantity of it...made her feel thankful for having enough money not to worry about being eaten into the ground! She hadn't worried about rent for a long time and she didn't want to start now of all times. It was enough that her job as a writer meant papers and more papers filled with scribbled squiggles called letters.

The following day, after having woken nose to snout with a wide awake Sesshoumaru and screamed loud enough to wake the dead, Kagome had tried feeding her new acquisition with well seasoned steak to see if he could stomach it...before she decided she couldn't!

It had been with a swell of pride that she had noticed the glimmer of appreciation as he had looked at her after that first bite. For some reason, pleasing him had in return pleased her as well. After that she had tested her culinary skills on him more and more often.

Finding it satisfactory when he ended up leaving not even a trace behind and a real challenge when she would see him push it away and turn to her with that derogatory expression that told her of his displeasure.

Instead of feeling thoroughly insulted, Kagome raised her chin and usually ended up surpassing herself by the next try. There would be no vocal thanks, no outward sign of his appreciation, but Kagome would smile to herself when Sesshoumaru would stride in the living room, tail swinging behind, and curl himself on the couch comfortably...like a big feline almost.

And the bowl would be empty when she set up to do the dishes later on.

Funny, how the Demon Lord had chosen silently to stay with her instead of pursuing another fate as far away from her as possible.

Sure as ever there was awkwardness at times...at first, when she hadn't known how to deal with him, silence had been suffocation because she had been paranoid about him watching her every waking moment. Even now the feeling would persist sometimes, but definitely more subdued and less making her feel like an insect under the microscope.

Kagome had come to the awe-inspiring conclusion that Sesshoumaru preferred her company - a human's company - instead of loneliness or going to whatever place he might choose to wander to. He had decided that from the first moment she had issued the invitation and things, daily happenings, had fallen into a pattern of abnormal normality since then.

What else could she call sharing an apartment with a dangerous demon?

I'm falling deeper, losing my control

She would see his familiar, err, snout when she woke up and sleepily made her way to the bathroom, bypassing the couch Sesshoumaru seemed to have claimed as his for the night.

He would be there to growl back an inarticulate sound at her chirped 'good morning' and, per ritual, would follow her in the spacious, white and sunny kitchen to receive his breakfast; the same as usual when she hadn't had time to go shopping, meaning steak or raw meat depending on his mood, or one of her famous surprises...just to see his expression when he tried it.

The most popular had been pizza, followed closely by hot pot (which by the way had gone down famously well despite the fact that it was more human food than anything else). Of course, Kagome was determined to try more types of food, excepting anything vegetarian, on her lab rat...pet!

He liked it so there were no losses on either side. Kagome loved to cook and had a good mind to make him try her chocolate mousse next time! As ridiculous as it sounded.

So the days stretched and passed, one after another, and the miko found herself getting more and more attached to her strange companion, found herself happy to come home after a meeting with her - very cranky - editor to see the familiar sight of a white dog curled up on the couch...watching TV and occasionally switching from one show to another disinterestedly. With a remote. Using his claws - thank all the gods he hadn't destroyed it.

Giggle.

Kagome knew by heart what captivated his interest the most - not that he would admit that the vile contraption would ever appeal to him as anything special - and that was the history channel, political and economic debates and, surprisingly or not, supernatural shows or movies. Probably because he liked to scoff at the sheer idiosyncrasies there.

He stoically endured her chick flicks, choosing to sleep while she sighed over the sheer mushiness of romantic relationships, but Kagome knew that if she even dared suggest he look with her, Sesshoumaru would melt the TV into small bits and wires.

Ahem. She had learned that in a rather painful way that had forced her to go shopping afterwards, lest they had nothing to watch anymore. Though, Sesshoumaru liked reading too...scratch that, he liked staring at her piercingly until she relented, with a defeated sigh, and took a heavy book from the top shelves to entertain him.

Humph. Like she was a maid or something! Imagine the nerve of that.

It was his fault for not having fingers from the beginning!

Still...she huffed, puffed and tried to glower at him but in the end she willingly accepted to read to him, knowing deep inside herself that it had to be hard on him to be in this body without a way of changing into his original form. The one he had prided himself with so much for good reasons.

The task wasn't wholly unpleasant per see.

At least that had been the conclusion she had come to one, stormy, summer night several months after finding Sesshoumaru.

Involved in a feeling

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Kagome listened to the pitter-patter of the rain outside, admiring the mist that had settled on her windows and simply enjoying the breeze that floated through the open balcony doors. It was a beautiful night, cool and crisp and bringing her mind to times long forgotten where she had traipsed through lush forests and green fields with her friends.

A smile.

Those had been good times. Exceptional even. So, despite the pang that always accompanied such thoughts, she was happy to have belonged to that timeframe from five hundred years ago. Sango, Shippou, Miroku, Inuyasha...even Sesshoumaru, had made a difference, had opened her eyes to another existence she had never known about.

The raven-haired young woman sighed to herself and embraced her pillow, snuggling deeper into the comfortable blankets strewn all over the bed. This was heaven.

Lazily, Kagome realized that she had forgotten to close the door separating her bedroom from the living room. She didn't bother to ask herself why, instead of feeling scared about what Sesshoumaru might do to her while she slept, she only felt safe...and warm. Protected and far away from anything or anyone who could want to hurt her.

Like the blink of a eye

Definitely, she had spent a little too much time with him if she was beginning to see him as a friend rather than a threat.

Heat spiked in her belly and Kagome turned sideways, groaning in embarrassment and shifting her legs to banish the insatiable feeling that burned her.

She was also definitely insane if she was experiencing this problem once more. She whimpered mentally and willed herself not to think of her dog, yes, agreeably, once a sexy Daiyoukai, like that. It wasn't normal...it wouldn't have been normal either even if he had been in human form and Kagome wanted to beat herself for having such mixed feelings towards him.

To fantasize about Sesshoumaru this way - it was forbidden and a betrayal of Inuyasha who had hated his brother, and everything he represented, so passionately.

Besides...he was a dog now. Completely trapped in the body of a beast, without a way to change back, at least Kagome had come to that conclusion. Otherwise, she was sure that such a vain - not without grounds - person would've jumped at the opportunity to escape imprisonment from this curse. How much more wrong, from any point of view, could this get?

Kagome scowled and curled into herself, bringing her knees to her chest and the sheets over her head. Hoping that she wouldn't suffocate while she figured out this problem!

So she had caught him throwing her a few - intense - stares and he hadn't bothered to turn away. It was all silliness from her part. Hell, maybe she needed to get rid of her frustrations before she went mad, if Sesshoumaru was interested in her that way wouldn't he have turned away from her before she would see?

Preposterous.

The dog demon had never been one to allow a human to capture his interest.

'Then again, wasn't Rin a human?' the voice of reason had just made an unexpected appearance. 'Besides, you're pretty enough to gain his attention. Imagine the delicious things he could do to you if you let him...when you find a way to break the curse.'

'You do realize that we are talking about a four legged creature here right?' It did and proceeded to send her some graphic images about the 'on all fours' concept.

It was a miracle that her face hadn't burst into fire, because it had surely burst into color.

And the silence it belongs to you and I

Kagome really, really hated when he own body or mind worked together. She detested even more that she couldn't fight them or deny any assumptions. They were, in all actuality, a part of her. Her mind had been aptly involved when she had gone to the library in search for a spell book, had been working full time while she had poured over volumes after volumes of ancient magic - forgotten in some dusty, shadowy corner when people had lost their faith in supernatural things.

It was amazing the potions - unrelated and not at all useful for her search - she had managed to unearth from the aged pages covered in blotches of wax and ink. Kagome hadn't even been aware of the existence of the existence of shape shifting spells until now.

Back to the subject in question though. Sesshoumaru. The one who had tried to kill her and about whom she had recently started having more than one intimate fantasy. As a human of course! Kagome couldn't even fathom another possibility - it was too disgusting for her.

The answers (yes, there were two) to her frustrations were stamped, put in an envelope and sent back to her mind in the gutter where it was temporarily residing. Hearts and all. Solution number one was to settle things simply by finding a willing male - Yuka could supply those in a snap though Kagome had no idea where from - to resolve her little problem and the second one was to magically find a cure for Sesshoumaru's problem and then to quickly pounce him...before he ripped her into shreds.

At least if she died afterwards, she could die a happy woman.

With another dejected sigh Kagome turned on her stomach and buried her face in the pillow. Maybe if she didn't breathe, the lack of air would take her mind away from this problem? Knowing her luck, she might end up suffocating first.

Or hallucinating and hearing growls?

She blinked and passed a hand through her hair, lifting her eyes and coming face to face with the subject of her musings. A very angry demon with his fangs bared...

"Sesshoumaru!" the word was squeaked out between the thunderous beatings of her heart, which had just received one of the many small shocks of its life. "How dare you scare me like that? I almost had a heart attack!"

Her response was another heavy growl and the flaring of amber eyes. The stripes on each side of his snout turned jagged, growing more noticeable, and Sesshoumaru literally pounced in the next moment.

Kagome squealed and reined in the natural response of her body, sensing no real danger from the large dog but not completely able to stop her miko powers from coming to life under her skin. It was a terrifying experience to find oneself suddenly pinned underneath the massive weight of such a beast and very much embarrassing to realize that she was only wearing a shirt and a pair of white panties.

Coupled with her earlier thoughts...she gulped.

Broke through barriers

And passed a state of mind

"What are you doing?" she squeaked out embarrassedly, trying to squirm out from underneath him.

'Well isn't it obvious?' her mind supplied observantly once more, 'It seems to me like he's just pushed your shirt up and he's currently sniffing you.'

'And since when is that good?' she screamed back with no little indignation.

'Oh wait...I was wrong. I think he's trying to disrobe you...Full Monty style! Go Kagome! I had no idea you could be so seductive when you didn't want to.' Hormones cheered in the background and Kagome already imagined, with no little twitchiness, them forming a cheerleader team.

Jeering Sesshoumaru on!

UGH!

It didn't help that he had just pushed his nose into her flat stomach and one big paw between her ...ummm! She turned even redder...and he was purring to top it all. Why? Kagome hadn't the faintest of clues but it was sure as hell mortifying to realize that she was getting aroused because of an animal.

Technically, the Demon Lord was an animal in human form and the natural laws stated that, in this form or another, he could still...

She slapped her hormones and felt mildly satisfied when they started sulking.

"What do you imagine you're doing?!" Her legs clamped shut in a virginal sort of defense...though only Kagome knew how long ago she had ceased to be one. Why oh why hadn't she asked Inuyasha more about inu youkai instincts? This is exactly what happened when she was left in the darkness!

For some reason, no particular one her mind added sarcastically, when Sesshoumaru lowered himself on her stomach and lifted half-lidded, drugged eyes to look at her, Kagome felt another dark flush cover her face. Besides this situation, she wondered what else could bring that expression to his features. That satiated, felinely pleased twinkle...

I'm not scared no more

It feels divine

And then he closed his eyes and relaxed against her, nose still buried in her stomach, paws on each side of her waist and body half curled around hers, releasing a low series of low vibrations that, frankly, had her body responding a little to lively.

She whimpered. The sound intensified and Sesshoumaru rubbed his wet nose against her ribcage, making her body tremble.

"I don't know what you're imagining, but you are not sleeping here with me," what would her mother say if she saw this? "And definitely not like this!" Kagome added with as much anger as she could muster...pitifully low. She needed coffee to get going.

For the third time, she tried to squirm from beneath him, only to stop immediately when he barked viciously at her.

"No! No means no!"

He snarled and lightly bit into the soft skin of her stomach, stilling her movements as quickly as they had began. Not fair! Her baser instincts answered too easily to the threat of his youki!

"Sesshoumaru...let me up or so swear me God that I won't feed you for a week."

Seemed fine with him, Kagome thought mutinously watching as he settled back onto her stomach, completely bypassing her warning as if it didn't exist.

"Sesshoumaru?"

Said dog snored softly.

"Sesshoumaru!"

So take me in

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Truly, another time he might've killed her...but in those circumstances, Kagome felt justified in entertaining thoughts of purifying him.

That had to have been the most interesting/scary/emotion filled night of her life. She hadn't slept a wink and, even worse for her, neither had Sesshoumaru. Though he had pretended to. Somehow she knew him better than to just think he could sleep so easily after what had happened before.

When he had inhaled her scent. Her arousal filled scent, which had probably been the very cause of him snarling and acting like a feral demon in the first place. It had taken her an hour huddled in a library chair, ignoring the queer looks of the librarian for her reading choice, and lots of chocolate with cinnamon to understand more about 'Demon Rituals'.

Who in Gods name wrote that? By the scent, some cat demon with a strange Scandinavian name she couldn't pronounce.

Kagome didn't even want to know...really, she didn't.

It had been had enough that Sesshoumaru had cornered her at home after she had come back, red eyes primal, and tackled her to the ground no doubt to remove the other demons' smell imprinted on her hands and clothes due to so much turning of pages. It had been so unusual; she had nearly gone into a laughing fit.

Apparently, the species known as dog demons was a very possessive one, scent wise and concerning personal territory...and Kagome had discovered that she was just that when it came to the Daiyoukai. As if the world hadn't tilted off its axis hard enough for her. Now she was considered property of a demon because she had issued an invitation into her home...of her own will.

To top it off, miko powers and all taken into consideration, Kagome couldn't understand why no one else saw what she saw. Sesshoumaru as he had been countless years ago - with the exotic coloring and the strange markings and the demonic appearance.

Sometimes he scared her – if she took a too good look at him and saw his heritage deeply buried beneath the surface – but she didn't let it get to her; using the time spent with him to accommodate herself with his visage. Kagome was bothered by the fact that others saw him as only a white dog with unordinary eyes and no distinguishing signs.

It made her feel...nuts.

So, the ending line was that her life had taken a spin into the Twilight Zone. All she needed to complete the picture was some creepy music.

Of course, being the kind hearted young woman her mother had always made her be, Kagome had decided to breathe deeply, tell herself that Sesshoumaru's reactions were conditioned by merely an impulse of his darker side and wouldn't happen again and put it all behind her. Not an easy task, but she had forgiven Inuyasha for so many more trespasses and stupidities.

His brother definitely wasn't interested in her!

First thing she had done when she had come home was to smile at the large dog curled up on the couch, watching her through hooded eyes, and serve him his favorite meal.

And catch me when I fall

I'm waiting on the edge

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Kagome had been enjoying a quiet night when Yuka, yes Yuka, had suddenly sprung into existence (or Japan to put it better) and called her to arrange a much-needed meeting.

Yuka. The one person who had acted like a sister to her after her family's slow passing away. Who had always gone with her to visit Souta's descendants – his and Hitomi's, his childhood girlfriend - and offered her a shoulder to cry on when she missed her mother or grandfather.

Her best friend.

She had been sprawled on the couch, using Sesshoumaru as a large, fluffy, pillow - it was the event of the millennia but, unbelievably, he allowed her to actually touch him - and stroking his fine fur from time to time just to hear the inward rumble he refused to make out loud. Contemplating about the strange ways of fate had almost made her miss the shrill ringing of the phone...and although she would've loved not to answer, just in case her editor had found something wrong to harp about, she had been forced to.

Lest Sesshoumaru followed though his silent vow of 'destroying anything that vibrated, chirped or rang too loud for his pleasure'.

Mournful sigh. It had been how she had lost her beloved pager.

"Kagome! Finally...I thought you'd never answer the phone."

Her lips twitched upwards. "You've only rang three times Yuka. Even you can't be that impatient. What if I had been taking a bath or been busy doing something important?"

After traveling so much in the Sengoku Jidai, spending so many days and sometimes even weeks there, Kagome had found that her relationships with her old friends had drastically changed. The time for being a teenager and a schoolgirl had long passed and she had come to discover that she didn't fit in between her old peers anymore; many of which she had once admired and wished to know.

Newborn maturity had made such a task difficult and Kagome had found herself, regretfully, alone and clueless of how to fix the situation. Ayumi, Eri, Hojo...all had moved forward one-way or another, leaving her behind.

Imagine her surprise when Yuka had approached her during a break, it had been her last year of high school, and told her that she about the Feudal Era and Inuyasha...and she knew the truth.

"Hm! What could be more important than to talk to a lifelong friend who just happened to pass through Tokyo last night because she missed her little Kagome? I hope the answer is nothing," Yuka mock chided with a grin in her voice, "We've been friends for...what? Three hundred and twenty eight years already?"

She could almost imagine she had seen Sesshoumaru's ears perk up. No doubt about it - the ever-so-inquisitive demon, was probably listening to the conversation with that annoyingly sharp hearing. He didn't even seem perturbed by the fact that she was three hundred and more years.

Kagome ignored the lazy stare from the corner of his eye but he knew, she knew...

Uncut my soul

Tongue-tying. Bleh!

"I think your memory is failing you," the best times of her life could be counted on her fingers. Getting to use Sesshoumaru as a fluffy pillow while chattering mindlessly on the phone, and he listening attentively, was one of those times, "I clearly remember it was three hundred and twenty nine...but if you insist!"

The cheerful tone was bound to make Yuka twitch. Kagome smiled lopsidedly. If she hadn't lost her touch that is...

"Who the hell cares?" The brunette bellowed on the other side of the phone, most likely deafening her poor mate. Foxes had such keen hearing after all. "One year won't make a difference when we both know you are closing soon on eight hundred forty! You've survived the Sengoku Jidai with that damn glass trinket stuck below your ribcage," here Sesshoumaru took his queue to ogle the underside of her breasts, while Kagome kindly undertook the role of the blushing bride, "and you'll survive another few millennia!"

Look! Pink bunnies on the wall doing the Macarena...

Kagome cleared her thought with a giggle. "And you can't wait for the opportunity to find someone to quickly tie me down right?"

Was it her or had Sesshoumaru's tail whipped the couch just now?

"I'll start with a simple...duh! I'm going to throw you the biggest bash on your thousandth birthday and by then I want to see you with twenty kids running around and a sexy, edible mate to take care of you. Comprende?"

There went her hand - slap - colliding with the side of her face in frustration.

How, someone please explain, had she allowed this fiend next to her innocent, little Shippou again?"

Actually, Shippou had been anything but little by then. And...Yuka had been the one to introduce them. With full knowledge of everything and sporting a very wide, pleased grin on her face.

Guess where the pleased grin came from. Clue - it was definitely not because she had reunited mother and son (said son had, a month prior, returned from his travels to Egypt and apparently hadn't the time to announce her), though that had played a small part in her friend's happiness. That smile, when sported by a woman, spoke of one thing - well actually it screamed - above all...

Sooo...that mostly cut the possibility of Shippou being innocent also.

No wonder that her friend had known everything about her. Bed talk...

"Just a wild guess - you haven't, by any chance, set me up on another of those blind dates? Prey for your safety the answer is no Yuka..."

Kagome could almost imagine the other girl passing a hand through her short hair and grinning evilly at the phone. "Don't you just love me for that? He's handsome, rich, well mannered, cultured and a real babe. You'll love him Kagome!"

Trust Yuka to start with important words and end up with some form of sweet talk. Babe? She had to be kidding.

"You're paying me, right? Say yes and I might consider." The miko scooted backwards slightly when Sesshoumaru turned to give her his full attention.

Now why did that make her feel guilty?

"Paying you to take out a fine specimen with a nice ass?" Yuka tapped her nails on the table, feeling a headache coming, "I have every intention of dragging you forcefully out of the house if you don't show up this Friday at seven at the Moonlight restaurant."

That name was more fitting of Sesshoumaru rather than what's-his-name that was supposed to accompany her.

She blushed and turned away, unable to imagine how that had ever passed through her mind. Honestly, she was supposed to be over that annoying problem! He was a dog...end of mental discussion!

Snip by snip

I'm oozing it

Bit by bit

"Sure, I'll come."

Kagome blanched and snuck a glance at a not so pleased - obviously because his human property had just given her consent to be with a man - doggie...yes, doggie. Had she really accepted? And so eagerly too? Was she nuts?

Oh no!

Actually, oh yes. She had definitely gone crackers if she had said yes.

Kagome meant oh no, as in 'gods, why does my mouth speak without my consent? What have had I done you wrong?' kind of way. She had just said yes to her close, loud mouthed, too well meaning (one of her experiments was going to scream his or her head off one day - Kagome had bets on herself) lunatic of a friend. She had accepted to go on one of 'Yuka's dates'...those types that usually involved guys with serious not paying for their share/groping/mommy issues (and the list went on and on).

O...kay. She was pretty much doomed.

It didn't take Yuka long to pass over the concept of speechlessness and the usual, expected, bouts of delighted sounds, sounding suspiciously like squeals, followed suit. Yuka could be such a child at times.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret this...and I promise that this time, you won't be forced to slam the soup in anyone's head. Or the spaghetti. Or juice?"

"You're making me reconsider saying yes, Yuka." It was going to sound crude, but what the hell? Another month trapped in her house with the object of her desires and she would start practicing spells and compulsions on him!

Kagome didn't want Sesshoumaru to be mad at her...though it would be hard to look mad when she turned him into some sort of hybrid between a rabbit and a giraffe.

It could happen!

"Sorry, sorry. Shutting up now."

3. 2. 1...

"But you are going to wear the little, black dress at least, right? For my sake?" There went the imaginary puppy eyes. No pun intended of course.

"Never start a sentence with but. I'll think about it Yuka. I don't want to be jumped as soon as I get there." That dress brought back memories and she was reluctant to try it. After all, Yuka had promised her that she wouldn't have to hit her date with anything hard. Why tempt the fates?

They were annoying enough!

"Aw, come on."

Sesshoumaru, who had been eerily silent until then, barked out a warning into the receiver and swished his tail rapidly. Kagome would've thought it cute, if she hadn't been scared out of her wits again! For the sake of all that was holly! Did he have to scare her into an early grave? What if she did die? It would tarnish her reputation as a respectable immortal with might jewel to protect.

"What was that?" Yuka squeaked, breathing heavily and trembling with fright on the other side.

"I think my dog doesn't like you..."

He glared at her, sharp and intimidating. Kagome laughed nervously.

"Umm, let me rectify that. My," irritating, four-legged demon master, "friend doesn't like you that much."

If she started to tell Yuka about him now, she might be very well acquiescing to spend the all night talking.

I'm taking it

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Kagome wasn't disappointed of her date one bit.

He was everything she had expected him to be, everything only her best friend could find for her. In the last hour he had managed to grope her twice - every ten minutes or so - and mentioned his mother twice.

She was positive that by the end of the night, his wallet would also go spoof and dematerialize into thin air. At the precise time the bill came. Coincidence? Not when Kagome was involved. Her dates - spanning half a millennia - were...

Well, how should she put it? Quirky? Filled with soulful discussions that made her want to sink down into the ground and disappear? Kagome only knew why she had thought that pleasing Yuka, by wearing the damnable black dress, would be a nice gesture from her part.

Her companion had taken one look at her eyes and hair and afterwards proceeded to carry a long one sided conversation with her cleavage. Thankfully, he had had the decency to keep it in his head, or she might've slapped him before appetizers came.

The restaurant was lovely, for a change. Kagome tapped her fingers on the table, blue eyes fixed and sardonically sparkling in Yuka's direction, and thought that she would've preferred a thousand times to date it - yes, as stupid as it sounded (what was the point of having too many intelligent thoughts with this over driven specimen laughing, cackling, next to her?). At least the restaurant was classy and attractive enough to make her think of passing by another time.

See? Everything the butterfly youkai next to her was missing. A sappy, butterfly youkai who had mentioned his mother.

Kagome twitched and sipped her wine, noticing with increasing unease that the glass was emptying fast.

She couldn't wrap her mind around that one bit of conversation. It had come and gone, had been brief, but left a disturbing impact. Sesshoumaru would've never, ever talked about such a thing on a first date!

To simply imagine the massive, powerful and striking Lord of the West mentioning about his mother's delicious cookies was...

Mental grimace.

...not happening in this lifetime.

Step by step

Wimpy, modern youkai! Where had the honorable, impressive, manly ones gone to?

"So, Kagome" her date finally decided to leave the pleasant company of her friends - Shippou was throwing her apologetic looks for not being able to distract him any longer - and give her some attention. The young miko didn't know whether to be happy or thoroughly depressed. "I find myself disappointed to notice that almost two hours have passed and I know so little about you."

'What can I say? I'll make it brief - I'm not a flower, thus not attractive. Look away!'

Kagome plastered her most polite smile and pushed a strand of ebony hair behind her hair. "Well, I graduated with honors, a major in psychology, linguistics and comparative literature," what could she say? She had time, interest and lots of making up for the years she had missed while hunting for shards! "And I've recently taken up the task of writing a book about Japan from the Edo era up to now. It is quite fascinating."

She had to bite her lower lip from laughing at the butterfly's dazed, cross-eyed, expression and smother down the urge to ask if 'he needed explanations or if she was using words that were too impressive for him.'

"I'm sure," he drawled out slowly, making a show of passing a hand through his luxurious golden hair...no doubt to make her eyes sparkle at the 'shininess'. "A friend of mine recommended such a book once."

'This friend wouldn't by any chance be someone you invented on the spot, now would it?'

Bad Kagome. Bad! When had she become so cynical?

Behind his back - Satoshi, was it? - Yuka stuck out her tongue, while Shippou struggled to tone down the fierce temper of his mate.

Her smile upped a notch.

"Really?" Still dessert to go and then she could fly home to her very own Lord. Might as well make conversation until then. "Do tell me, Satoshi-san."

Bright, cheery smile Kagome!

Boy here and now

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She was still smiling when she got to the door of her apartment building. Whether from having that second glass of wine, or the corny jokes of Satoshi, was debatable. The night was cool, winter at its end and quickly blooming into spring, and she huddled closer in her coat, listening as her date blabbered about...something, anything, and wishing she could just take out her keys and run into the safety of her home as fast as possible.

This demon wasn't her type and that was that. Who was to blame that she never found a suitable match for herself? Her standards were regrettably high after being acquainted with so many wonderful specimens of males. Miroku's charming wit, Inuyasha's adorable gruffness and the obvious care he had had for her, Sesshoumaru's bright power and the thawing heart well hidden beneath layers of ice...

Intelligence, beauty, strength, devotion, honor...she wanted at least some of those traits in the person who would share a life with her. Kagome sincerely hoped that this particular date would someday find a person who would accept him for all the qualities she couldn't appreciate anymore.

A second Hojo, only more full of himself and less shy of displaying his affections.

Escaping with a farewell kiss would have to be done in a stealthy manner, which was Kagome's field of expertise after so many failed tries – and an overly polite frame of mind. That had always been her downfall when it came to men.

Saying no would hurt their feelings...playing clueless would save hers. (And them from a stinging slap)

The method was easy and reliable! She thanked her companion for the wonderful night, though she rarely meant it; played the innocent when it came to a possible kiss and 'unknowingly' dodged their insinuations of coming up for coffee.

Please...that line might've been invented even before coffee had. Tea had worked just as well in the Feudal Era when women wanted to play coy and men knew it.

"Thank you for the lovely evening Satoshi-san. I appreciate your concern."

"Ah, yes..."

Kagome giggled and waved merrily, ignoring the sputtering Satoshi, and jogged up the stairs, unmindful of her heels and dreaming only of hot chocolate in the safety confines of her apartment...where a possessive Sesshoumaru would either reaffirm his dominance by scent-marking her (yes, it had a name) or forcefully pushing her into the bathroom and silently telling her to take a bath.

Blush.

How brazen of her! Maybe she should just jump in the shower and escape temptation?

We're caught in a moment

And I won't let it go

She opened the door with more force than necessary, irked at the fact that her mind considered 'a wet nose and a rumbling growl' temptation. She was beginning to think that she should've taken Satoshi's offer and gone to his place instead? It would've been one problem out of the way...though she loathed to think of it that way.

A blink.

Her home was unusually silent and deserted tonight. She squinted into the bluish darkness of her living room, hoping to find the large shape of her most unusual friend lazing around in the same place she had left him before. Perhaps even sitting on the balcony, sitting under the endless, night sky he seemed to appreciate so much.

All she could come up with was an empty couch and the white drapes fluttering wildly in the wind. Nothing moved and no sound reached her ears...it was eerie in a way.

Kagome swallowed thickly and called out his name, "Sesshoumaru?"

He didn't come.

Gathering her unending supply of courage, Kagome quietly shut the door behind her and shuffled into the room awkwardly. Throwing the purse on the couch, she shivered and valiantly struggled with the curtains and the windows – deciding that she had been with Sesshoumaru for far too long, if she could get scared so easily in her own house.

Foolish girl. That is what he would call her if he could actually say something that didn't resemble some garbled yip or bark. Trembling in her shoes for nothing!

Sesshoumaru was probably sleeping in her bed, it wasn't out of the question, and uncaring if she had come home already. Waiting for her to come and find him because his youkai highness was entirely too important to move from his position for her.

Kagome chuckled to herself and slipped her feet out of the high-heeled stilettos with a small groan. Her unworthy human self was going to do that, as soon as her feet cooperated and regained the feeling that had abandoned her when Yuka had stuffed her into these murderous shoes.

She longed to get herself comfy and into the pair of bunny slippers she liked so much.

Putting the stifling atmosphere on account of her childish fears, completely clueless for once about the power humming in the air, Kagome threw her shoes in a dark corner – where she hoped they would be forgotten – and tried to accustom herself with walking again...all the way to the bedroom.

Or skipping, or doing the little Red Riding Hood sort of prance...

The miko sighed to herself, not noticing the steam coming from the bathroom, or the fact that the lights had somehow been left open, and shook her head to dispel the influence of that damn wine. Acting like a giggling idiot in front of her dog, former enemy, ally...ummm, never mind, wasn't something she wanted to try.

Maybe, if she wished it hard enough, she could sober up completely before she found her bedroom?

Stop. Angry sigh. Turn around. Stomp out of the closet and into the opposite room.

She was never touching another drink. Ever. There was no way she, sensible, levelheaded, smart Kagome, wanted to stumble through the dark like this again...both literally and not.

The door opened silently under her firm push and Kagome threaded her fingers through her hair, trying desperately to undo the coif her friend had expertly fixed, and struggled to appear as dignified as possible when stepping in. Sesshoumaru was bound to have heard her even before she had taken her keys out of the purse, sure to be amused at her tousled appearance and – currently – scary looking hair, which stubbornly insisted on not coming down.

Yes, Kagome Higurashi was expecting all of these aforementioned thoughts to come reality. Expecting everything but the impossibly pristine figure sprawled on the sheets uncaringly – a beacon of light that drew her eyes without even trying to.

I am falling deeper, losing my control

Involved in a feeling

Kagome froze, one hand tightly curled around the door, and almost choked on her indrawn breath...mostly, because she had forgotten to inhale when she had set eyes on him!

That pretty, shiny, white hair fanned beneath him...

Tanned, toned and possessing a six-pack that was unforgettable...

One pale arm was thrown over his face, covering his eyes, those dark red eyelids and half of the stripes that adorned his cheeks...

He was missing a shirt, that much was certain, but Kagome had little to no doubt that his lower half was...clad in a pair of form fitting black jeans. Her eyesight was twenty-twenty. She had no idea where he had gotten those and absolutely no mental image could've prepared her for how good he looked in them.

My...Lord!

"Sesshoumaru?" her voice was squeaky and unpleasant. She desperately tried to gather her scattered wits. "Is that you?"

Her intelligent question for the century! What Kagome wouldn't give for the earth to swallow her now.

The demon – yes! Unmistakably him – turned his head to look at her, his gaze hooded and glittering gold in the dimmed room, and Kagome found herself not knowing whether she should swallow thickly, breathe first or grab onto something before she fell to her knees. Those eyes! He could devour her with those fathomless eyes and she wouldn't mind. Actually, all thoughts of disappearing from this planet had just fled in the back of her mind.

"Miko."

It was really...Sesshoumaru. Not the stray dog she had found that faithful day and not the cursed being she had believed him to be. Somehow he was human again...human and oh so familiar to her burning eyes that it hurt to simply look at him. The only other missing link to her past, except Shippou, was fully restored.

Without realizing that she was crying, Kagome sprung from her place near the door and abandoned all grace and pretense in favor of throwing herself in his arms and tackling him to the bed in one smooth move. The thought that he might want to kill her for talking unnecessary liberties with his person, never once passed through Kagome's mind.

She was so happy, so very, very happy to feel warm muscle and a hard frame instead of soft fur and the distinct body of an animal that words came by themselves. In a torrent of babbling and broken syllables.

I am falling deeper, losing my control

Involved in a feeling

"Y-You're human! But how? You...you lived with me so long," hiccup, sniffle, hiccup, "I thought that you were under a curse. I thought that you couldn't revert into a human ever again...h-how? I tried for so long to find a cure..."

His skin was smooth under her chapped lips and Kagome pressed them into his shoulder, clinging to the youkai with all the strength she possessed. She knew that she was probably acting quite ridiculous in his eyes – weepy and weak and embarrassing to one as strong, emotionally and physically, as Sesshoumaru was. Blessedly, he chose not to comment on it.

Besides even if he had said anything, she thought dazedly, the action of touching him was so strikingly intimate that she didn't dare move from her position. This moment was the embodiment of all the sleepless nights and restless dreams she had had about him...so, when the world had gone silent around them and her tears had subsided almost entirely, she didn't pull back.

"Sesshoumaru," a breathy sigh, "I didn't expect you to be overly talkative but...please say something already. You're making me nervous."

Like the blink of a eye

And the silence it belongs to you and I

The rumbling in his chest was keenly felt. Kagome made a small sound of protest in the back of her throat when he threaded his hand – he had two? How strange – in the hair at the back of her neck and forced her to look up at him. Into that unbearably heated gaze she couldn't decipher.

It was a clichéd scenario. She licked her dry lips and his eyes followed the move with doubled intensity, the arms around her tightening briefly.

"Foolish girl. You waste your tears for nothing."

Well, that wasn't unexpected.

He looked ethereal in the moonlight. Truly belonging of the night and shadows and Kagome found that she couldn't look away or say anything to defend herself against him.

"Do you truly believe me so weak as to not be able to change my form as I please? It was merely a fluke that you decided to find me during this transformation, an error that I had allowed myself to be captured by simpleton humans." The amount of ice in his voice wasn't nearly as overwhelming as it had been when she feared him and his power. He was a royal nonetheless, an imposing presence.

Kagome blinked. Wait...what had he said?

"You can't possibly be serious," was he toying with her? "I thought your were under a compulsion. If you could change back whenever you wanted, than why not before I found you? What purpose would you have to stay with a lowly human such as me?"

Anger wasn't the correct emotion. Blue eyes flared and lit dangerously and Kagome ignored her precarious position – so vulnerable in his embrace – to glare at him with all her might. She was livid! How dare he trick her like that?

She had worried about him, cared about him...and he thought her nothing more than a game?!

"If I was just a play toy for your sick amusement, then why did you stay so long with me?" Kagome struggled not to scream and purify his high-handed ass into oblivion. Now...she was sober all right! "Why take your human form tonight of all nights? Got tired of me?"

Secretly I let it slip

Emotional I fall through it

All I know I'm losing my control

In front of her anger, Sesshoumaru was impassive and cold. Only the darkening of his features hinted at something deeper. Fury? She couldn't give a damn! He was going to answer her question or she was going to pass to drastic measures.

"You could consider it as that...Kagome. Tonight was indeed the last straw."

She had a good mind to tell him to get the hell out, wanting and feeling the sudden pressing need to burst into tears of sadness and fury, but when pulled her upwards and crushed his lips against hers...that idea evaporated into nothingness.

Many things happened simultaneously – her brain turned into absolute mush, in perfect sync with her body, she whimpered and curled around him without wanting to and her world exploded into color. Bright and vivid spots of color and light that pulsed beneath her closed eyelids with every insistent press of his mouth, every sharp nip of his fangs and the sweep of his tongue against hers.

Good...almighty, merciful Kami! Had she been actually thinking of making him leave?

Kagome moaned when his fingers glided against the satiny material of her dress and disappeared underneath, to retrace their earlier path. They applied satisfying pressure to her calf, lifting the material little by little, and curved around the soft flesh – tracing patterns she wasn't interested in naming right now and grinding her into him expertly.

"Do not misunderstand my intentions little priestess," Sesshoumaru allowed her the breath of air she needed so much, apparently content to brand his touch into her skin, "While meeting you in this era was a nothing more than a simple coincidence, the rest was most definitely not."

He was hard and demanding against her and Kagome was struggling so very hard not to let her eyes roll into the back of her head and die a happy woman. The touch against the heated place between her legs sent jolts of pleasure that made her want to purr.

I'm down your way too far

And there's no turning back

"You wanted to play the hero and rescue me of a horrible fate I could have escaped myself and I allowed that charade to go on. I allowed you to be in control of the situation, permitted you a measure of control over me," he squeezed the firm flesh of her bottom and her mind went into la-la land, "But now...I believe it is time to collect that particular favor."

She tried to speak through pants, "That is...without a doubt...the longest I've ever heard you talk."

Sesshoumaru chuckled darkly and bared his fangs in the semblance of a feral grin. "I am more interested in hearing how long you can scream for me."

Kagome's eyes went impossibly wide and her mouth parted in a silent gasp when the he resumed his earlier lying position, on her sheets...with her straddling him shamelessly and his hands on her hips to keep her right there. Where he wanted her.

"Sesshoumaru?" she was blushing...wasn't she? And unable to say anything else but his name...like an idiot. "What are you doing?"

Other than looking incredibly good, she thought flushing hotly.

Her hormones were going to be exquisitely happy if this continued.

He caught a long strand of her hair between his fingers and pulled her forward to kiss her once more full on the lips. Not that she fought back or anything. "What does it look like I'm doing, little priestess?"

And now I'm shedding all my fears

I know, I know

She had a pet name now apparently. With an emphasis on it.

Kagome mewled in his mouth and groaned when Sesshoumaru lifted her knee length dress to her waist and ground her against him forcefully. What was more pleasing though, was the primal growl she elicited in response, followed by the baring of his fangs. She was fascinated by his reaction and eagerly repeated the earlier action to see if she could get such a response from him again.

It did...most definitely. That was probably the reason why she was suddenly rolled over and pinned under his weight in the blink of an eye. And then kissed senseless with the added bonus of having a very masculine chest pressed against her breasts.

Shoot. Why was she wearing a bra again?

No problem, her libido added its two cents cheekily. I'm sure that if you beg nicely, Sesshoumaru will remove it for you.

"You know," her voice was breathy as she felt him remove the black straps of her dress from her shoulder, "I'm still not sure if you're trying to seduce me, or if this is all one of those dreams..."

As soon as his lips curled upwards predatorily, Kagome knew that her mouth had run away with her once more.

"Modern women are so very forward in their advances." The tip of his ear brushed against her cheek fleetingly and she caught it between her fingers, amazed at the surprising texture...inhuman in its quality. Almost. "Do you willingly admit to having had dreams about Ka-go-me? I feel humbled."

She flushed again. The way he broke her name in three parts...she could easily imagine him saying something else like that.

His hands cupped her breasts, tweaking the nipples through the double layer of material covering them, and his mouth was on her collarbone...busy leaving behind love bites and setting her skin on 'extra sensitive' mode.

We're caught in a moment

It was a curse that he was so damn talented with that mouth of his.

"The word humble," she panted softly, "does not exist in your dictionary. Neither do other synonyms!" Was she actually wasting her time with talking when she could be jumping him instead? With the sinuous way his body was still grinding against hers, Kagome figured that her brain was quickly loosing the ability to think rationally.

"Are we actually getting to the good part," she yanked him to her none too gently and smashed her lips against his, like he had earlier, "or do you intend to drive me nuts all night?"

Sesshoumaru proved to be ruthless when he wanted, or liked something...and he had definitely liked her feisty attitude by the way the dress was cut clean in half not a moment later and thrown beyond her field of vision. That only left her in her bra and a pair of black panties – somehow her subconscious had guessed that something important would happen tonight.

She was more of a practical person. Really!

Obviously a demanding person in the bedroom, Sesshoumaru relished in his partner meeting him halfway when needed. He scraped his nails – gently – against her side and she moaned at the pleasure-pain combination.

"Please," Kagome combed a hand through his hair and snuck a hand in the pockets of his jeans, to push them down, "Please? I've wanted you for so long...I don't think I can stand any more of this."

And I won't let it go (let it go)

Without a doubt the most shocking, wanton thing that she had ever dared say to a man. Kagome blushed a deep red and hid her face in the ivory, luxurious hair that cascaded around her.

Squeak?!

"Yes..." Sesshoumaru hissed through clenched teeth, kissing her harshly and stealing her breath away once more. His knee wedged between her thighs firmly, spreading them apart, and she shook when those long and tapered fingers suddenly found their way to the shadowed place between her legs that ached so badly for him.

Oh.

Oh!

For a moment, Kagome felt sorry she hadn't come a virgin into Sesshoumaru's bed...but then her bra went missing mysteriously and he swirled his tongue against her aureole at the same time as his fingers started moving against her...and she stopped thinking at all. Anything besides that delightful suction, his tongue rougher than that of human males and almost alien on her skin, and the friction that trapped her mind in a loop, just didn't compute anymore.

She whimpered and moaned, squirming against him, kissing desperately any part of his body she could reach...trying to please him the same way her did her.

Her own hand – at least the one that wasn't busy clenching convulsively in his moonbeam strands – slipped beneath the waistband of his jeans, seeing as how he hadn't taken them off yet, and wrapped around his hard length. And so Kagome discovered another few interesting facts.

Sesshoumaru wasn't Lord just because of his position in the youkai society...no normal man she had met could possibly – ever – compete with him in the sex department. He was...well impressive would be putting it lightly. Deliciously responsive like she wouldn't have imagined a roughened man like him to be – snarling, panting, hardening and swelling in her hand even more if possible.

Kagome gulped through her own pleasure and gave him an experimental squeeze, gasping when his eyes, already pink, turned a deep shade of burgundy and the stripes on his face lengthened and grew jagged under her touch.

I am falling deeper, losing my control (my control)

He rewarded her by cutting through her last remaining piece of lingerie and slipping two fingers inside her...and oh, how she needed the emptiness to be filled. She arched off the bed with a muted scream as her orgasm swept over her, overpowering in its intensity.

If only the miko knew how comely she looked in the throes of passion. He wanted to devour her whole...his blood boiled for her and roared in his ears and Sesshoumaru welcomed the uninhibited freedom of five hundred years of self-control. Inuyasha's foolish loss, his gain.

"When I'm done with you, you won't be able to walk straight." he snarled, jerkily undoing the buttons of his pants and shoving them down and off his feet unceremoniously. They joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor...and now they were both naked! And feeling hadn't done him any justice, because her eyes were as wide as saucers when she saw exactly what she held in his hand.

She giggled mentally, sated and silly, when her thoughts ended up resembling to those of schoolgirl.

It was her touch that made shadows swirl in his eyes and sweat run down his back...almost like a human.

Now...she reddened to the tip of her ears. He was nestled between her legs hotly and...licking his fingers thoroughly, eyes holding hers like an unbreakable spell, of her essence – like she was some sort of delectable, exotic treat.

"You do taste delicious little priestess," Sesshoumaru murmured in a rich tone heavy with sexual tension, "I was wondering...perhaps next time I will have more patience to truly sample you."

Her throat went dry at the implications of his words even as pushed herself up the bedding to close the distance between their lips. There was going to be a next time? His fangs scraped her lower lip, hard enough to draw blood, and she whimpered when he licked it gently afterwards...to soothe the sting.

"So eager," He curved his fingers around the small of her back and pushed halfway into her, teasing her with his slow pace and holding stubbornly still against the internal pull of her muscles.

Kagome panted against his neck, wanting to plead with him once more, but unable to get out more than an unrecognizable sound. She felt... stretched, felt him inside her body throbbing and pulsing, almost felt his iron restraint on his tongue. Just knowing that he was having difficulty controlling himself was enough to spur her into action.

The light touch on his chest, a breathy mew swallowed by his insistent kiss, whispered words only his demonic hearing could've picked up...

"Sex now, teasing later."

Involved in a feeling (involved in a feeling)

With one thrust he was fully buried inside her and Kagome was struggling to inhale through a shivery moan of disbelief. He had touched that sweet spot without even trying – it felt incredibly satisfying to feel him completely. She arched off the bedding entirely, blue eyes hazy and smoky with desire mirroring his own amber ones.

And then he was moving, pulling out almost entirely before sliding back home, and her traitorous body saw no problem in wrapping itself around him completely, letting him do whatever he wanted with her. Like painting green stars and bright lights beneath her half closed lids, or drawing out more human-like versions of his growls and desperate moans of her own.

Faster...deeper.

Kagome didn't know that she had spoken those words out loud until he picked up the pace and gave her exactly what she had asked for.

The most powerful aphrodisiac was the pleasure reflected in his eyes and the hoarse grunts he couldn't hold back when she met him stroke by stroke and slid her hands down his back to grasp his ass – that had earlier looked oh so fine in those jeans – and gyrate herself against him.

She could be a truly sensuous woman in his bed, Sesshoumaru whispered in her ear, making her mewl and blush heavily. Had she known that he would be such an excellent lover, she would've pounced him a long time ago.

Tight, wet...small. Sesshoumaru sunk his fangs into her neck – ignoring her startled scream and the fleeting pain he knew it would bring her - to keep her thrashing body still and, lifting her knees higher, slammed into her fully...just to see her coming for him again. He wasn't disappointed...this little female had never disappointed him once since they had met the first time in his father's tomb.

Kagome's eyes rolled in the back of her head and bit her tongue to keep the overwhelming pleasure from waking the poor, innocent neighbors. No need to share the ecstatic joy she was feeling right now.

"Wow..." a pant, a groan...he had definitely kept his promise. It would be miraculous if she could to walk tomorrow, "Wow!"

Like the blink of a eye (eye)

Monosyllabic words...great! Insert roll of eyes. Now she definitely had something in common with him. Though, with what had just happened now, it was to be expected that her brain cells would be momentarily fried.

'Thoroughly fucked' her mind supplied one of the more vulgar phrases, with a giggle mind you, she had never thought catchy before. Kagome could see the truth in those words now, even if she would never say it. It sounded too...

Sesshoumaru leaned down to kiss her jaw and roll his tongue in the hollow of her neck. Kagome gaped at him, only now realizing that...

"You didn't," her tone was strangled, "you didn't...come?" Obviously not, considering that she could feel him inside her...needy.

He chuckled and his eyes glowed predatorily. One perfectly shaped eyebrow rose, "You didn't think that we were done yet, now did you...Kagome mine?"

"Again?!" She squeaked, wide eyed. His? When the hell had she become his?

"And again and again...after all, we do not have much time before your thousandth birthday. Only a hundred and sixty years left." His voice slid into a warm baritone that sent pleasant chills down her spine, "We might as well start practicing now, my desirous mate."

'I'm going to throw you the biggest bash on your thousandth birthday and by then I want to see you with twenty kids running around and a sexy, edible mate to take care of you. Comprende?'

"Now, now...Sesshoumaru!"

He pounced.

And the silence it belongs to you and I (I)

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"My Lord! Sesshoumaru-sama...you're back!" Jaken – it was a wonder he had survived up to now – bowed, with a groveling undertone to his shrilly voice, and clasped his hands in delight as the doors opened to allow his dearest master passage in his mansion. Next to him, his master's secretary sighed in adoration and slapped her hands over her heated cheeks.

He sniffed haughtily. Like Sesshoumaru-sama would give her the time of day...youkai or not. His eyes shone at the pristine, tall figure, perfect figure of his master.

Seven months! Seven months since they had seen or heard from the Lord of the house...it seemed like an eternity but it wasn't really unsurprising. Servants were taught to behave the same even when their master was not present...and they usually didn't disobey.

Sesshoumaru threw his retainer a dispassionate look and almost tenderly rearranged the blanket over the squirming bundle in his arms.

oooh ahhh ooooh oooh

Jaken squinted at the same time as said bundle cursed, muffled and low, and threw the sheets from over her head without a care. It was scary to see her mate flying over the city, but it was suffocating inside!

"You!" The kappa demon's voice notched up a little into an accusing squeal, "You're...Inuyasha's wench!"

He should've seen it coming...the blow that would send him hurling into the nearest wall for his unneeded insult.

"Never...insult my mate again unless you wish for your demise."

And as much as Kagome herself couldn't stand the annoying, little creature, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity at the sight. With the complementary, mental smug look at the young servant woman who was caught between gaping and glaring at her!

No offense, but Sesshoumaru was hers now! Apparently, surprisingly, mind-blowing...no one had the right to look at him when he was dressed in something as sexy as jeans and a simple shirt.

"Sesshoumaru," she softened her voice a little, eyes still on the unconscious toad, "don't be so harsh on him. I'm sure that he didn't expect to see a mere human with you...it's not his fault."

She was sure that the low rumble vibrating against her ear was his reluctant way of giving in to her demand. Kagome could almost hear him now...

'You are too kind for your own good, little priestess.'

oooh ahhh ooooh oooh

"Have Jaken woken up and into my study in five minutes. No more, no less," Kagome rolled her eyes. Typical Sesshoumaru – after spending another month with him in human form, almost fainting when he nonchalantly told her that he owned half of Tokyo and that she would relinquish her pathetic apartment and come with him, she had come to be acquainted with some of his quirks. Like the way he was ordering that poor secretary without even sparing her a glance.

"Let it be known...from this day on, I will not be bothered with any useless attempts of 'mating alliances' from any demon, important or not."

Yep. Kagome wasn't the least bit surprised to find out that even demons had their own stalkers and media. There was probably nothing that could catch her off guard now. Her life was back to being adventurous once more.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. Should I hold a meeting? Personally announce the other Lords of this development?"

Professional but green with jealousy.

"Do as you please Mariko."

Another set of doors opened in front of them, magic bound, and Kagome's mind went 'ooooh' when they also closed behind them by themselves.

She looked upwards inquisitively and sighed. "Just tell me this Sesshoumaru...will I have to spend the rest of my mated life, stopping woman in close vicinity from jumping you?"

The feeling of amusement flowed through their newly created bond, even though it showed only in his eyes. "Are you looking forward to such?"

Kagome bristled.

"I truly, for your own good, hope that yours was a trick question."

oooh ahhh ooooh oooh

End.

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Look! Another screwy idea of mine! I'm a little bothered about the three last lyrics...but I suppose that's the song.

Sugababes - Caught In a Moment. Hope you like it. It's one of my favorites!

It's over...I'm finally done with this one shot. I can't believe it. I've been working on details and whatnot for so many days that I didn't believe it would ever be over.

Hope you enjoyed the lemon. It was a little different from the ones I do usually and I don't know just how well I managed to end it.

Reviews you guys? It's thirty-six pages long! That has to count for something.

Edit: Damn mistakes. Sorry. I just caught them!