A/N: Sorry for being gone the past week. I was at a gaming convention this weekend and so I've kind of been neglecting my muse. Now that I'm back, I'll be sure to continue with the updates!

Kagome Higurashi had thought she was prepared.

How wrong she had been.

Staring in confusion, she briefly wondered if she had made a mistake in attending the intermediate class that she was currently sitting in. She had taken a year of Japanese. With her additional studies of the language, she had thought she could proceed to the intermediate class with only a slight disadvantage. Glancing at her phone that was recording the professor who seemed to be speaking a hundred words a minute, she silently complimented her quick thinking on such a thing.

The speed of the conversation. The textbook. Everything was far too advanced for her. Grasping at the familiarity of only a small portion of the vocabulary, she tried to make sense of the lecture presented before her.

Reluctantly, she remembered her mother's words.

'Your father pulled some strings to get your acceptance to the university in such short notice.'

Had this been one of those things?

Trying to salvage the most out of the lecture, she began highlighting and recreating the kanji symbols that were unknown to her. When she got home, she would listen to the lecture and try to translate all that was being said.

Turning to her left and right, she tried to not show those around her how lost she currently was. It had been bad enough that everyone in the class seemed to be scribbling away an abundance of notes. Yet, she couldn't even begin to understand what notes needed to be taken.

"Mama?"

It was her third time trying to get her mother's attention. Yet, once again her mother remained unresponsive. Staring at the woman before her hustling around the house while gathering papers in excitement, she silently debated on if her mother could even assist her with such a thing.

"Mom?"

This time, the woman turned to face her.

"Yes, dear?"

The tone of unfocused attention was not lost on Kagome. Sighing in frustration, she stared back at her mother impatiently.

"Can you help me with my homework?" Her mother was the only one that spoke both languages perfectly. Crossing her fingers, she hoped she would be able to provide insight and suggestion on her current predicament.

"I can't. Your father and I need to attend to a few things at the shrine."

Your father.

Even now, it was odd hearing such things. Or seeing her mother smile like she currently was. Not wanting to take away the happiness radiating off the woman before her, Kagome nodded in understanding.

"I understand."

Apparently, school wasn't the only location that she felt out of place in.

Staring at the letter in her hands, she gazed outside the window of the moving vehicle.

It had been three weeks since that incident.

Three weeks since he had left her to find her way back home after she had insulted him. Her walk home had been nothing short of eye-opening. His anger and annoyance had not been misplaced. Yet, that had not been what had surprised her. Instead, it had been her own actions.

What was it about him that made her act such a way?

Even now, she didn't know.

All she knew was that after requesting help with her education from her mother, she had thought of one other person that would have aided such a request. For an hour she had sat in her room arguing with herself about the ridiculousness of asking for such a favor.

Especially after how she had acted. Even still, after all that, here she was. In an uber with one of his old letters and his address. As if on cue, the car parked, and the driver glanced back to announce that they had reached their destination.

Shakily, she got out of the car.

Yet, in front of her was not something she had expected. Instead of the empty driveway that she had remembered, there were at least ten vehicles present in the driveway.

Damn.

How had she been so stupid?

Turning to tell the Uber to not leave, she yelped in surprise as the car began departing before she had a chance to say a word.

What now?

The meeting that was being held was not one of enthusiasm, or even anything even remotely interesting. Like always, it stemmed around politics. Still, the Youkai and Reiki council continued to converse over all matters that needed to be addressed with both parties. Gazing between his father and the leader of the Reiki council, Sesshoumaru mentally cursed himself.

This was a waste of time.

Standing up to announce his departure on such unimportant matters, his eyes widened at the spark that brushed against his youki all but sent his body into a state of uncertainty.

Could it be?

As if knowing his question, the spark brushed against him once more, but within seconds it quickly withdrew. Shaking his head, he briefly wondered what the miko could possibly be doing at his domain. Had she not been the one that asked for things to not be rushed?

But here she was.

Almost as if uncertain about the act itself.

Narrowing his eyes at such a thought, he briefly contemplated why she would be so unsure of announcing her presence. Letting out a small huff of confusion, he threw out his Youki to coax her out of hiding. Did she truly think he couldn't sense her?

Yet, she didn't budge. If anything, her reiki drew itself back at such at a display.

"Sesshoumaru?" He did not need to turn to his father to know his question, or that his expression wore that of a knowing smile.

"It seems that my intended needs assistance."

Ignoring the shocked looks from all the council members, he stood up and excused himself from the boring discussion. No doubt their conversation would now turn to one that would be much more interesting.

She had tried. In fact, she got to the front door—and then panicked.

What if he had an important meeting? What if he didn't want to help? What if, he never wanted to see her again? Quickly, she stepped back from the door and once more retreated to the front of the house. Staring at the Sakura Tree that stood on the edge of the house, she silently cursed her stupidity.

Then it happened.

The spark.

Nearly jumping in the air from the familiarity from a year ago, she dropped the notebook that she had been clinging on to. Staring in the direction that the spark came from, she wondered if he had done such a thing on purpose.

Sesshoumaru?

Did he know that she was here? Scoffing at such a thought, she bit her lip nervously. Of course, he did.

'Are you coming in'?

Her eyes widened as the words appeared in her mind as if he had simply asked them.

'No'.

She had responded before she even realized. Backing further into the Sakura tree, her back leaned against it while her eyes focused on the door that she all but feared to open.

Luckily for her, it opened without her.

Standing there in all his glory was the man that she had insulted more times than she could. Wearing slacks, a maroon dress shirt, and his hair in a low ponytail, his amber eyes focused on her with an intensity she had never known before.

Allowing his gaze to soften, it quickly became one of curiosity. Almost instantly it was followed by his signature expression—a raised eyebrow and slight tilt of his head.

"Know that I do not chase often, miko." His voice was smooth like always, but his narrow eyes fell on her notes that were full of kanji scribbles. Picking up the notebook, he nonchalantly skimmed through a few pages. Understanding dawned on him, and Kagome couldn't help but wonder at what his reaction would be. Would he deny her without her even getting to ask properly? Or would he gloat? Gloat that she needed something from him after she had insulted him?

To her shock, he did neither.

Instead, he simply sat down under the Sakura tree and beckoned for her to join him.

"Come. I will aid you."

Eyes widening at his words, Kagome Higurashi lowered her head in shame and thankfulness.

How had she treated him so horribly?