Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and Co. (But I do own Nika, Yukio, Katsuga, and Hana ^_~.)

'…' Indicates thoughts.

"…" Indicates words.

"Overcoming the Past"

Chapter 14: Breakfast in Bed

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Sesshoumaru woke up to the inviting smell of food and he slowly opened his eyes. He sat up and looked around the room, his eyes pausing on the opened door. Kagome was standing in the doorway with a breakfast tray, staring at him with a relieved expression. He remained silent as she slowly made her way to his bedside and set the tray down on the nightstand.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru-sama. How are you feeling?" she inquired with a gentle smile. Sesshoumaru watched her warily before slowly relaxing and replying that he was well.

"How did I get to my room?"

"Yukio carried you here yesterday morning after you went into a demonic rage… you slept for an entire day. I am glad to see that you have finally woken up." Her chipper tone made Sesshoumaru suspicious and uneasy. He could easily tell that her cheerfulness was forced and her smile was beyond fake.

"What have you been doing for the passed day?" his tone came out colder than he would have wished, but Sesshoumaru decided just to wait for answer. When Kagome blushed, his curiosity was provoked.

"I uh… well, you see…when…I mean I was…" Kagome face was crimson by the time she had finally collected her thoughts. "I was waiting for you to wake up…" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.

"That's all you did?" he asked. Kagome nodded, her head was bowed so that her bangs covered her face and eyes. Sesshoumaru reached out and cupped her face in his hands, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. When he saw her eyes, he immediately felt a fear rise within him. "What happened? Tell me!" he demanded rather harshly, almost instantly regretting it when she flinched, shy away from him.

"Nothing happened, Sesshoumaru-sama. I just ran into Reiha-sama, that's all." Sesshoumaru's fear turned to anger when he heard his grandmother's name.

""What did she do to you, Kagome? Did she hurt you in any way? Did she do anything to you?" he asked, desperation filled his voice and his eyes. Kagome smiled at him and shook her head.

"That's just it… she didn't really say or do anything. She just pretended I wasn't even there for the most part," she admitted, relieved to see that Sesshoumaru had relaxed a little. He watched her intensely, his eyes not once leaving hers. Kagome nervously averted her gaze and Sesshoumaru frowned.

"Tell me what is on your mind, Kagome," he said, his voice becoming indifferent as he realized he had overstepped whatever boundaries she had set up.

"Yukino-sama seems like a very respectable demoness," she mumbled, her voice wavering slightly. Kagome didn't dare look at him, fearing what she might see. She felt Sesshoumaru tense, though, and knew that the name was not so foreign to him as she had hoped it would be.

"Where did you hear about her?" he growled out, his voice was feral and dark.

"Your grandmother- I mean Reiha-sama, told me that she was to become your mate on your next birthday…she said that you had intended her to be you mate two centuries ago, but something came up and you decided to wait until you formally inherited the Western Lands on the night of the two hundred and tenth anniversary of your birth. She said that you were in love with her…" she trailed off and Kagome turned to look at him, a small, sad smile playing on her lips. "It was rather surprising at first, but Yukino-sama seems like someone you would choose as your mate. I-" Sesshoumaru cut her off.

"She may be my future mate, but I never had a choice! I cannot bear that woman…" he exclaimed. Kagome giggled and Sesshoumaru turned to glare at her for laughing at him.

"Which woman are you talking about, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Sesshoumaru considered her words for a short moment before shrugging his shoulders indifferently.

"Both, I suppose. I loathe my grandmother, but I cannot bear my fiancée any better than her," he laughed wryly before growing serious and locking his gaze with hers. "However, you are quite wrong about this Sesshoumaru's preferences. "I rather prefer the outcasts of youkai society to people like Yukino, who is the belle of the ball." Kagome thought about what he had said for a moment. She thought of Nika, who was far from refined and ladylike, and Yukio, who was a total letch by nature. There was also Jaken, an ugly toad demon that got in the way more than he actually helped. She then remembered Rin, who was rejected by both youkai and human society… and then… there was her, a miko with no control over her powers and was responsible for breaking the Shikon no Tama into countless shard and was forced to work with a half demon, a fox child, a perverted monk, and a lamenting demon slayer to retrieve them. She laughed at the irony of it all.

"You're right. Nika, Yukio, Jaken, Rin, and I are all total rejects… but that is what makes us so special. We are the only ones like us; one of a kind." Sesshoumaru chuckled at her blunt explanations, however right they were. "And you aren't exactly highly thought of by your family either, it would seem," she added good-naturedly. Sesshoumaru smirked when he heard that.

"But how can you spend your life with someone you can't stand? I know I couldn't spend an entire day with Houjo-kun, despite how nice he is to me."

"Who is this 'Houjo-kun' you speak of?" he inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him. Kagome blushed lightly and laughed.

"A boy who can't take a hint," she replied, but continued when she saw he wasn't satisfied with her answer. "He is one of my classmates and always asks me out on dates and stuff, but he doesn't get it that I don't like him back. He's sweet and all, but just not my type, besides, he deserves a more quiet and reserved young lady and I'm anything but ladylike." Sesshoumaru and Kagome both fell silent and Sesshoumaru remembered the food she had brought in. Kagome saw him staring curiously at something and turned her head to see the food she had prepared for him.

"Here! I thought you might be hungry, so I made this for you. It might not be very good, though. I'm a really bad cook according to Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru saw the sadness in her eyes and decided to try the bowl of food she had set in front of him while she was talking. He slowly took the chopsticks and brought the rice to his mouth, hesitating only for a moment before placing the morsel of food in his mouth and eating it. He repeated the process several times. The food really wasn't that bad, although Sesshoumaru had definitely had better. Then again, he did have the best cooks in all of Japan working for him, so such an opinion was to be expected.

"It's good," he said politely. Kagome stared at him skeptically.

"You're lying. I can see it in your eyes." Sesshoumaru shook his head. Why did it matter anyway? At least he had tried it, which is not something he had ever done for anyone other than her. Sighing in exasperation, he looked at her again.

"Fine, it is the worst food I have ever tasted and I think I am going to die because I am so disgusted by such pathetically human food. Is that better?" he replied. Kagome frowned at him. Then, Sesshoumaru smiled casually, causing her to blush prettily in surprise. "In all honesty, it is not bad. I have had better, but your cooking is rather good for a human. That I even ate of it was proof enough that it was more than palatable. This Sesshoumaru has never eaten human food before in his life." Kagome's frown lifted into a radiant smile and she wrapped her arms around his muscular frame gratefully.

"Arigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she mumbled into his chest. The entire incident made the taiyoukai lightheaded. His emotions and thoughts, his whole world was spiraling out of control at the warm sensations the strangely welcome contact evoked.

'I could get used to having breakfast in bed…'

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