Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. I do have a Sesshoumaru plushie that thinks he is the real Sesshoumaru, but I have to tell him that he is mistaken. He gets very upset and starts downing tequila shots . . .

Authors Note: Bonsoir Everyone! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as I have stayed up until 1:30 in the morning to complete it. yawn I've started on the next chapter of ILACOCP and I should have it up by next weekend if not before depending on what my school work load is this next week. Thank you for waiting so patiently for this chapter, and thank you for all of your beautiful inspiring reviews. Without them, I do believe my muse would pack up and leave.

The next morning began too soon in Kagome's opinion. It felt like she had just rested her head on the pillow, but the sun streaming in through the window said otherwise. She laid still for a moment, just to rest a bit more before actually getting out of bed, but her peaceful moment was destroyed seconds later by a loud, grumpy Inuyasha demanding that she fix his ramen.

She responded with a calm "Sit," and went about her business in her usual routine. She didn't understand how he could be so rude in the mornings. Hadn't he just gotten sleep? Shouldn't he be crankier later in the day rather than earlier?

Shrugging and putting it out of mind she finished ladling out the ramen into bowls for everyone. Handing one to each of her companions in turn, pausing to smile affectionately at the tiny kitsune who immediately began slurping his up with all the fervor of one who had been starved, she stood up with her bowl in one hand and another in the other hand and headed for the door.

"Where are you going, and why do you have two bowls?" asked Inuyasha loudly from his spot beside Miroku having noticed the extra ramen.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'm going outside."

"What for? There's nothing out there but the bastard.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded.

"What?" he asked like a petulant child though both Sango and Miroku noticed that his ears had laid back flat on his head, as they always did when he felt Kagome wasn't happy with him.

"You shouldn't call him that. He's your brother-" she was interrupted by a quick mumble of "half brother" but ignored it and continued. "And he's helping us to find the shards. He wants to destroy Naraku just as badly as any of us so he is our ally right now. That means you should be nice to him."

"I don't have to be nice to that bastard."

"Inuyasha!" He gulped almost unnoticeably and his ears pressed farther into his hair. Kagome sighed. "There's a famous saying Inuyasha that you should know. 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. That makes Sesshoumaru our ally. You need to tone down the hostility." She didn't bother to explain why she was so adamant Inuyasha treat his brother better. No one needed to know of the attack last night and of how Sesshoumaru had saved her.

Having said her piece and effectively silencing Inuyasha's complaints (although she thought he might have grumbled something to the effect of 'but why does he get the ramen?') she continue on her way out of the hut. Balancing both bowls of ramen precariously in one hand was not an easy task but Kagome managed to do it and sit next to the demon Lord without spilling a drop of broth or losing a noodle. "Here," she said holding out a bowl.

Sesshoumaru looked at the proffered bowl with disinterest, seemingly turning his nose up at without actually moving.

Kagome's brow drew together in consternation. Why did he have to act all stuck up now? She thought they had made some progress towards an odd friendship, or at least a tolerance of each other over the past few weeks. Fed up with his pickiness and still cranky due to lack of sleep she did something she normally wouldn't have.

"Take the damn ramen and eat it," she said thrusting the bowl into his hand.

Sesshoumaru complied, though only because he was too shocked not to. Had little miss sunshine just cussed? In front of him? Was he dreaming?

"It isn't going to kill you." She groused at him when he still hadn't taken a bite.

Sesshoumaru looked down at the bowl of steaming noodles and then at the fuming girl sitting next to him. He took a moment to silently weigh his options:

1) Eat the potentially nasty food (all human food that he had come across thus far was disgusting) and the girl would be in a better mood therefore, she would not be as bothersome, as she would not be nagging at him all day for having not eaten her offered food.

2) Eat the potentially nasty food and the girl would then be in a better mood, and feel that he was now one of her comrades (especially after he had saved her the night before), therefore she would talk all day long, which would be very annoying.

3) Not to eat the potentially nasty food and the girl would then be furious, causing her to whine continuously about how he hadn't eaten the 'ramen noodles' she had prepared.

4) Not to eat the (once again) potentially nasty human food causing the girl to be furious, which in turn led to her giving him the silent treatment as they continued on their journey to find Naraku and the shards.

Option four seemed to be the best option of the lot (to him anyway) as it was the one where he didn't eat the food, and the girl left him alone. On the other hand, if he ate it she would be happier, and in all likely hood, she probably wouldn't bother him too much as she had Inuyasha and his foul mood to deal with.

With a nearly undetectable sigh, he lifted the bowl to his lips and took a sip. He was surprised to find that they weren't nearly as bad as he would have thought. In fact, he would almost say that they were rather good. But he wouldn't because then she might make them more often. And she would probably sit with him. And he didn't like that. She had a knack for changing his perception of her just as soon as he thought he had her figured out.

Sesshoumaru was good at figuring people out. He didn't like it when they surprised him. And she was always surprising him.

"Now they aren't all that bad are they? See how easy that was? Someone was nice and made you food. You politely accepted it by eating it. Isn't it nice to have a meal with someone other than yourself?"

"Watch your tone." He warned.

Kagome looked him dead in the eyes no fear to speak of in her eyes. "I am watching my tone. It was appropriate given your earlier attitude."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "I do not have an attitude."

He felt his frustration grow when all she did was look at him as one would a small child. Perhaps it would have been better to let her be slaughtered. His curiosity about her be damned.

He glowered at her and her expression morphed into a serious one.

"Sesshoumaru, you really should accept it when others try to do something nice for you. It means you aren't alone." She stood up and collected both of their bowls. "Don't you get lonely always being by yourself?" She watched him for a moment before turning and re-entering the hut.

Sesshoumaru was left with one thought. Why couldn't he figure her out? Was she changing or was he just now noticing that despite appearance, like the noodles, there was more to her than he thought?