Birthday Bossa Nova by Zenaida

Chapter 1

Authors note: This fic is inspired by the song Billie Bossa Nova by Billie Eilish. It's something that I conjured up during my morning commute to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome leaned forward on the counter, tapping her pen impatiently, as she waited for the microwave to finish.

The microwave dinged and she removed the plastic container with the last serving of her chicken curry.

Brng-brng-brng. Brng-brng-brng.

Brng-brng-brng. Brng-brng-brng.

Kagome swore under her breath as she rushed into her room with the hot container to put it down at her desk before grabbing her phone. She groaned as she looked at the caller ID.

She knew she should have ignored it.

Maybe it was morbid curiosity.

But against her better judgment, she answered it anyway.

“Moshi-moshi,” she greeted.

“Kagome~, ” the voice intoned on the other end. The caller’s voice had a low pitch, her name spoken in a smooth and sexy timbre that would have the average girl swooning.

Unfortunately for him, Kagome was not the average girl. She heard him use it enough to know that he was asking for a favor.

“No, Toshiro,” she said, firmly. “I told you, this is my last semester, so I can’t take any work right now.”

Toshiro chuckled on the other end, his voice taking on his normal tenor. “But I haven’t even told you what it’s about yet.”

Kagome spooned the heavenly curry sauce over her chicken cutlet, making sure it was fully coated. The thought of it made her mouth water.

“Whatever it is,” she said dismissively, “I’m not interested. Get somebody else to do it.”

“I need you, Kagome,” he nearly pleaded.

Kagome shook her head, knowing Toshiro couldn’t see it. “Nope. Get Rikia to do it.”

“I can’t do that. It has to be you, Kagome,” Toshiro said with a sigh. “Look, this guy has a shit ton of cash. He’s one of our regulars and he’s extremely specific about what he’s looking for, besides…”

Kagome waited for him to finish, but when nothing else was forthcoming, she prompted him.

“Besides…?”

“I already promised you to him for the night.”

“You. Did. What??” she practically screeched. “Toshiro, you didn’t-”

He cut her off and spoke really quickly. The sooner he got it out, well, he could only hope it was enough.

“He specifically wants someone who has experience with full-blooded youkai. You’re the only one of my girls with that particular talent and willingness. That makes you my highest paid girl. On top of that, this guy is willing to pay triple your usual rate… triple, Kagome! Can you really turn that kind of money down?”

She wanted to turn it down, just out of spite. He should have spoken to her first.

But triple her usual rate?

She couldn’t deny the appeal of that much cash. She would be able to replenish her bank account after the hit it took with Grandpa’s surgery last year. It would even give her a chance to live off of her savings for at least a year until she could find a job…with a History degree, of all things.

“Who is it?”

“You know I can’t tell you that," he said with a sigh.

“You said he was a regular. Have I dealt with him before?”

Toshiro hesitated. “You haven’t. He’s more flexible in regards to our services. He said that he's looking for someone for his brother, who has more ‘exacting standards’. His words.”

She fell silent, contemplating. It was a lot of money for very little work.

Her eyes fell on the Word document where she had started her research paper. Books were stacked on the edge of her desk. Steam came from her mom’s chicken curry. Everything was all set up for a productive evening.

But it was a lot of money.

Like in the 1.5 million yen range of a lot.

The money was talking to her and she was listening.

“So…” Toshiro prompted after a moment. “What do you say, Kagome? Can I count on you?”

Kagome still weighed it in her mind. Finally, she responded.

“When?”

“Tonight at seven at Tasogare. It’s the client’s birthday.”

Tasogare.

It was a very exclusive, very expensive, and very high-profile restaurant. Everybody who was anybody in the upper echelons of society was a patron there.

So it was that kind of client, was it?

It had to be if all she had to do was share a drink with him on his birthday.

What could possibly happen?

She looked at the clock. It was only three in the afternoon, but if she was going to Tasogare, every second was going to count so she could look her best.

“Ok, fine,” she relented.

“Yes!” Toshiro shouted on the other end.

“But quadruple the rate since I’m changing my plans to do a favor for you. And Toshiro?

“Yes, my angel?”

“Don’t ‘my angel’ me,” she scolded. “If the client and I don’t vibe or if he’s a creep, I’m out of there. I won’t stick around for that. Not even for that much money. Got it?

“Of cour-”

“I won’t tolerate being stressed out and failing my last semester because you won’t take no for an answer.”

“Fine, we’ll quad the rate. I’ll send you the details. I knew you wouldn’t let me down! You’re the best!”

“Whatever,” Kagome mumbled as she disconnected the call, pouting at her curry as she put the lid back on it and started to get dressed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sesshoumaru sighed as he opened up another folder, perusing the contents. Everything was as it should be.

Damn it.

He set the folder to the side and picked up another, hoping beyond hope that there was something, anything, that someone had overlooked or had neglected that he could do over again.

But again, he was disappointed.

“Alright, birthday boy, are you ready?” the uncharacteristically cheery voice of his hanyou brother greeted him as the door to his office swung open.

He pointedly avoided looking at Inuyasha as he closed the folder in his hand and sat it on top of the growing stack he’d already been through. Immediately, he took up another but as soon as he opened it, Inuyasha snatched it from his hands.  Sesshoumaru leveled a glare at the other male.

“Stop being childish, Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru scolded, as he lifted yet another folder, desperate to find some kind of work to keep him busy.

“I’m being childish?” he asked incredulously. “Sesshoumaru, it’s your birthday for the kamis’ sake!”

Sesshoumaru flipped pages in that folder. He had no idea what the contents were.

As far as he was concerned, it could have been his secretary’s grandmother’s friend’s cousin’s friend’s recipe for homemade bath soap or whatever.

His only goal was to at least look like he was elbow-deep in work so Inuyasha could abandon that fool plan he had concocted.

“You know I have never concerned myself with anything like that,” he responded, distractedly, turning pages.

“Yeah, well, after, what…seven hundred of them? I suppose you would stop counting them eventually.”

Sesshoumaru ignored Inuyasha as something about the contents of this particular folder got his attention. Sure, it was just an outline for…something, but it was typed out in that ghastly Comic Sans MS.

He hated that detestable font.

Everyone that worked for him knew that if it was in his office and on his desk, then he wanted it to be in twelve point EB Garamond.

Times New Roman was acceptable as well.

He turned towards his computer and started retyping the document. He didn’t get very far before Inuyasha stepped over and pulled the folder and the document he was retyping out of his line of vision.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with a sigh. He should have known that once his brother had made up his mind, Inuyasha was a dog with a bone. Pun intended.

“Just what is it about this particular birthday of mine that has you so determined to get me involved in whatever you cooked up?”

As soon as he opened his eyes, he immediately regretted it. Inuyasha had the most triumphant look on his face that Sesshoumaru had not seen in…centuries…at least.

“I spent a lot of money setting this up for you, like a shit ton of cash,” Inuyasha stated, crossing his arms. “The very least you can do is humor me, even if all you do is stare at her all night!”

Sesshoumaru’s shoulders sagged in defeat. He shut his computer down. Hopefully, Inuyasha spent his own money on this madness.

“Forward me the information.”

Inuyasha couldn’t contain the glee as he cheered, whipping his cell phone out of his pocket. He forwarded Sesshoumaru the address.

“Be at Tasogare at seven. The reservation is under Getchouseki. That’s your alias for tonight.” Inuyasha flicked his thumb back and forth as he dug up the email. “She uses the alias Megami.”

Sesshoumaru checked his watch as the notifications pinged his phone that Inuyasha did, indeed, forward him the information for this evening. It was currently four-thirty. He had just enough time to go home and change before making it back downtown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome checked over herself in the mirror, pleased with what she saw.

Black hair, black eyeliner, black cocktail dress, black heels. She wore her hair up, securing it with a large red hibiscus and her red lipstick that she saved for venues like Tasogare. Simple gold earrings, a gold chain, and three gold bangles finished the ensemble.

She knew she looked like a million bucks.

For an evening at Tasogare, she really needed to look like a billion bucks, but since this was on short notice, it would have to do.

Sweeping over her reflection one more time, Kagome kicked her shoes off and started to unzip the dress.

She’d wear the red one instead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sesshoumaru frowned at his reflection.

For some reason, as much as he detested Inuyasha’s idea of a blind date on his birthday, he felt like he was being particularly fussy about his attire tonight.

Did it even matter what he wore? It’s not like he would see the woman again anyway. It would just be an appearance so Inuyasha’s money wouldn’t be completely wasted, maybe have a drink or two, and call it a night.

But why did Inuyasha feel the need to pay for a blind date for his birthday? That made it seem like he couldn’t get a woman himself.

Which he could.

In his sleep.

If he even cared enough to.

Still, it was Inuyasha that went out of his way to dump a “shit ton of cash” into this evening. His words. It was his money and he could spend it how he wanted.

Sesshoumaru turned back to his closet, pulling off the turtleneck and blazer he had put on. He reached for a white dress shirt and his three-piece black suit.

The suit had been perfectly tailored per his specifications. He buttoned the vest but left the jacket unbuttoned. He left the top two buttons of his shirt unbuttoned as well.

He eyed his long silver hair, wishing he had cut it.

Since there was nothing for it, he pulled it back into a low ponytail.

Giving his reflection a slight nod, Sesshoumaru grabbed his wallet and keys before stepping out into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome studied her reflection one last time.

She had abandoned the red dress for a white sleeveless vintage style tea dress. The boatneck was high enough for modesty while still accenting her neck and collarbone. The black flower print was a beautiful contrast. She added a petticoat under the dress, the black organza exposed approximately an inch below the hemline of the dress. She wore a black cardigan over it and accented her look with black pearl earrings.

She wished she had time to do some cute pin curls, so she just settled for adding some waves instead, then tying her hair into a low side ponytail.

Satisfied, Kagome slid her feet into her black strappy sandals as she grabbed her black purse and closed the door behind her.

Instead of taking the bus, she hailed a cab and gave the driver the address for Tasogare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sesshoumaru sat in the corner booth on the rooftop, a glass of Pinot Noir before him.

The upside about Tasogare was that Sesshoumaru was a frequent enough customer at this particular establishment where entering was not a problem.

The downside, though, was dodging questions as to why his reservation was under a name other than his own.

He simply stated that it was his brother that made the reservation for him and left it at that. A couple of well-timed glares in the direction of the night’s manager and the waitstaff silenced any other curiosities he knew they would have.

He glanced at his watch.

He had meant to arrive early, but he got there much sooner than he had anticipated. It was still only six-thirty.

Sesshoumaru’s stomach churned in uneasiness.

He was definitely not nervous.

He was Nishi Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the Western Lands, even if his title was a mere formality in this modern era. Beings, both youkai and human, and everything in between, cowered in his mere presence. He didn’t even need to speak for them to submit.

So there was no way he could be nervous about meeting a woman, an escort, his brother had hired.

He had remembered Inuyasha using the alias Getchouseki before. It was at a business meeting with the CEO of a company he was looking at acquiring. His brother had arrived late with two women shamelessly hanging on his arms.

He had remembered Inuyasha had volunteered the information that they were escorts that he had hired for the night. He had tried for months after that to get Sesshoumaru to consider using their services, even if it was to avoid showing up at a company function alone.

Sesshoumaru had declined.

Several times.

It was a shame he didn’t remember that fact before he had arrived at Tasogare.

Well, he would humor this female for about an hour, if he could even tolerate her for that long, and then he would be on his way. Besides, he still had to go to work in the morning.

He took a sip from his glass of wine and focused his attention on the jazz band playing in the opposite corner.

Just as he settled into the leather seat, a familiar scent hit his nose.

It had been centuries, for him at least, and her scent…in fact, everything about her…was muted, but still, he would recognize her anywhere at any time.

Golden eyes turned to his right and he felt his heart sink into his stomach as they met blue ones shining back at him. Red painted lips smiled in thanks to the establishment’s hostess as she made her way over to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome stepped out of the cab and stood outside of the entrance to Tasogare, willing the butterflies in her stomach to settle down.

This was hardly her first rodeo, and as an escort, she was being paid to keep the client company.

But the clients were usually a mixed bag.

More often than not, her clients were pleasant. She was usually just their date for a couple of hours for an event of some sort.

Occasionally, a client would violate her personal boundaries rule. Youkai offenders would get a zap of reiki. Any human violators got a swift kick in the nuts or a punch in the nose, whichever she could get to first.

Usually, her clients were of the youkai persuasion. While socializing with them wasn’t any different from socializing with a human, being a miko gave her a measure of safety that her colleagues didn’t have.

But she also discovered early on that for the occasional client, her being a miko was a kink. They had learned their place very quickly.

That was what set her apart and, as a result, she had her own dedicated clientele.

It could have also been her experience with dealing with both moody and juvenile youkai and hanyou while traveling on the other side of the well.

At any rate, she reached in her purse and slipped a pink ring over her index finger. The ring glowed as it activated, suppressing her scent and reiki. She knew that those were identifying markers that her overeager clients could use to find her later. At the same time, suppressing her reiki was also for the comfort of other youkai, her client or otherwise, as they were much more sensitive to her holy power.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself before lifting her head and striding into Tasogare. After identifying herself, she was swiftly led to the rooftop lounge.

She was early and had been hoping to get there first, but the table was already occupied.

Silver hair practically sparkled in the dim lighting. He was definitely a youkai. A daiyoukai at that.

But it was his youki. She recognized it.

It felt like a coming thunderstorm.

Her heart raced and her steps faltered as he turned towards her. She knew the signature facial markings… twin magenta stripes on each cheek with a crescent moon on his forehead…anywhere.

Swallowing her nerves, she gave the hostess a smile before making her way to the table where her client was awaiting her.

“Getchouseki-san.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If someone had offered Sesshoumaru five million yen to guess who his escort for the evening, for his birthday , would be, the woman before him would not have been his guess.

Yet, as he watched her as she approached his table, he knew he wouldn’t have wanted anyone else.

“Getchouseki-san,” she greeted.

She was so familiar, and yet she wasn’t.

He knew it hadn’t been nearly as long for her, but something about her… the way she carried herself, the way time filled out her curves beautifully, the energy radiating from her, her elegance…what had happened to her?

It was her power…that raw, feral reiki… where was it? He could feel it simmering just beyond his senses and that made him uncomfortable.

That made it feel like it was not her.

He came back to himself and, remembering his manners, stood quickly, motioning for her to sit.

Something clenched in his soul.

Five centuries.

Five hundred years.

And here she was.

On his birthday .

“Uh, Megami, good evening.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome slid into the seat to his left, close enough for intimacy, but with enough distance to still look him in the eye. She asked for a glass of Moscato when the waitress arrived at the table. Butterflies did acrobatics in her stomach as she smoothed out her dress.

“Uh, Megami, good evening,” he said in his familiar baritone.

His nervousness was palpable.

She smiled wider. Although he used the alias the escort service provided, she knew that he recognized her.

She took the time to look him over as he fidgeted nervously with the napkin that was on the table. She knew that the daiyoukai before her had certainly changed since she had last seen him.

Kagome thought she would be the one that would be a nervous wreck. She was surprised at how calm she was. Maybe because he was nervous enough for both of them.

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, almost like a puppy that was trying to hide under the bed.

She couldn’t help herself and she reached out, taking his hand in hers.

He started in surprise, golden eyes widened at the contact, but he relaxed and closed his fingers around her hand.

“It’s good to see you, Sesshoumaru,” she said, with a smile.

At the sound of his name, he visibly relaxed. “Same.”

Releasing his hand, she placed her napkin in her lap as the waitress placed the glass of Moscato before her.

“I must say that when I got the call, I would have never believed that it was you,” she smirked, sipping her wine. “I find it hard to believe that the great Nishi Sesshoumaru would have trouble finding companionship.”

He let a small smile slip. “It was Inuyasha’s doing. Apparently, when he last employed a service such as this, he was so pleased with the company he spent time with that he refused to take no for an answer.”

She giggled. “Sounds like he hasn’t changed much.”

“If you are referring to his propensity for juvenile behavior, then no, he has not changed much at all.”

Kagome laughed at that. “But how have you been? Aside from what I’ve read online.”

“You’ve read about me?” 

“Of course,” she responded. “I know that you go by Nishi Sesshoumaru, CEO and chairman of Nishi Electronics. I know that you have amassed a fortune, between your family heirlooms, other relics of the past that you managed to procure, and pure supernatural work ethic. I know that you split your time between Tokyo and Kyoto. If I’m not mistaken, you’re due back in Kyoto by the end of the month. Oh, and I know that you are currently unattached.”

He raised his eyebrows at her. He didn’t know whether to be flattered or unsettled by how much she knew about him when they haven't seen each other in such a long time.

“I’m totally not stalking you or anything of the sort,” she said, smiling at his expression. “It’s common knowledge.”

Sesshoumaru took a sip of his wine. “Hn, is that so?”

“You know you can find anything on the internet.”

“Indeed.” He paused for a moment and asked if she wished to dine with him.

Kagome nodded and she sat back in the supple leather of the seat, eyeing him as the waitress approached the table. She handed Sesshoumaru a menu. He barely glanced at it and proceeded to order several items from the menu.

He knew the establishment and the fact that she allowed him to order for her said that she trusted his judgment to order something for her that she would enjoy.

It had taken them four years to complete the jewel and defeat Naraku. She was able to travel freely between the different eras. They had grown close during the next two years after Naraku’s defeat. He could even go so far as to say that there was a mutual attraction and affection for each other.

But then the well closed.

They had been cut off from each other, with five centuries between them and so much that should have been shared was left unsaid.

Sesshoumaru gave the menu back to the waitress and picked up his wine glass again. He didn’t really want it, but it gave him something to look at other than those blue eyes he had missed for so long.

He could feel those eyes on him.

“How are you, Sesshoumaru?”

The seriousness in her tone made him focus on her. Her hands were folded in her lap, but the piercing look she had leveled on him was like she was looking into his soul.

He’d never been on the receiving end of that kind of gaze before.

He didn’t know how he felt about it.

“I’ve been busy. I acquired a new company a few months ago and I’ve been overseeing the merger. That’s why I’ve been in Tokyo.”

Kagome sipped her Moscato.

“That’s amazing,” she said. Her tone sounded almost dismissive. “But tell me something that I can’t read about online.”

Sesshoumaru sighed. If his hair wasn’t in its ponytail, he would have started fidgeting with it. Instead, he opted for the napkin.

“I’ve been so focused on work, I’ve not really pursued anything else.”

“Well,” she said, “seeing as how this is your birthday today, I say it’s time for that to change, wouldn’t you?”

“Easier said than done,” he murmured.

“Is it?”

They fell into silence, the music from the jazz band filling in for them. After a moment, Sesshoumaru spoke.

“So, you know all about me and what I’ve been up to. It’s time for you to share.”

Kagome smiled.  “What do you want to know?”

“Your power. What happened to it?

She held up her left hand, showing him the pink ring. “It’s rose quartz, but I made a seal to suppress my reiki and my scent. It makes it easier for my youkai clients.”

That explained it. He understood, but he couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she had to do such a thing as her reiki was part of what made her her .

He leaned forward and fixed her with an intense look. It was her turn to fidget. He was five hundred years older than when she last saw him eleven years ago, but he was no less intimidating.

When he wanted to be.

“Why have we been unable to find you?”

Kagome dropped his gaze. To her relief, the food had arrived. Several dishes of meat, pickled vegetables, and condiments arrived, along with a bottle of very expensive wine.

The sommelier showed Sesshoumaru the label and, after the daiyoukai nodded his approval, popped the cork before filling two new goblets.

Kagome couldn’t suppress the smile that graced her lips, thankful that she didn’t eat the chicken curry out of spite for Toshiro setting this up at the last minute.

Sorry, chicken curry. I’ll eat you tomorrow.

Before she realized what was happening, Sesshoumaru had taken her plate and filled it with a little bit of everything.

She’d been around enough youkai to know that he was proving to her that he was a provider. Whether he did it subconsciously or not, his nonverbal communication was stating that he was courting her.

Still, it was his birthday and he was her client for the night. She was being paid to go with the flow.

Even if she had missed him since she last went through the well. Something had grown between them. She knew he felt the same way she did. Their attraction and affection was mutual.

She knew it was.

And it devastated her when she couldn’t go back through the well to him.

What she didn’t realize was that Sesshoumaru believed that finally found his other half, only to lose her without warning. He, too, was severely heartbroken that they weren't given the chance to explore any possibilities between them.

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome’s eyes practically rolled into the back of her head as she took her first bite. He could tell she was holding it together for propriety’s sake, but he was pleased that she enjoyed it.

His eyes dropped down to her lips as she licked them, savoring each bite that passed them. As she ate a piece of fish, a moan escaped from her that made his heart flutter.

“Kagome.”

Her eyes snapped over to him. It was the first time in eleven years that she’d heard that voice say her name. It made her heart skip a beat. Even if he was her client, she couldn't deny it.

She had missed it, missed him, so badly.

She spent more nights than she wanted to admit hypothesizing about the what-ifs . It took her a long time to come to terms that the well wouldn’t work for her anymore.

But everything she had felt for him before was already starting to settle back into her soul.

He repeated his earlier question. “Why were we unable to find you after all this time?”

Kagome put her chopsticks down and dabbed at her mouth. She avoided looking at him as she shrugged.

“I didn’t want to be found. Not yet.”

He tilted his head to the side in question, but she continued.

“There were a couple of reasons, really,” she said. She hesitated. She didn’t have anything to hide, but still.

He prompted her, “The first?”

“I moved to America for several years to attend college there.”

“Impressive. What did you study?”

Kagome smiled, “History. I specialize in Japanese folklore and mythology.”

“Hn, quite fitting, considering how you spent your high school years.”

She laughed at that. “Yes, it seemed to be the obvious choice.”

“You returned to Japan to finish?”

“To complete my graduate’s degree. I am actually in the process of working on my research assignment.”

“Research assignment?” he furrowed his brow. “That means you are nearly done.”

Kagome nodded. “That is correct. I graduate in about ten weeks.”

Sesshoumaru pulled out his phone and checked his calendar. “Do you know the date?”

“December 18th.”

He made a notation on his phone. “I can be back in Tokyo that day.”

Kagome blinked. She heard the words, but her brain was slow to catch up. When it did, her eyes widened. “You mean, you're coming back to attend my graduation?”

“If you will allow me, then yes,” he responded.

The pure, unadulterated joy that lit up her face caused Sesshoumaru’s heart to flutter again. He could tell she wanted to jump up and cheer, but instead, she took one of his hands in both of hers and squeezed it to her heart.

“You have no idea what it means to me to have you there,” she said, tears of joy sparkling in her eyes.

He couldn’t help himself and he reached out, brushing a stray hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

She blushed and released his hand. His hand felt cold after being in her warm ones, but he cleared his throat.

“Reason two?”

She blushed. “My chosen line of work is frowned upon.”

“By whom?”

Kagome shrugged. “My family certainly didn’t approve. Even after I paid for my grandfather’s surgery last year.”

“Do you provide…”

“Intimate services for my clients?” she finished for him.

He nodded, relieved that she anticipated the question. It was no doubt a question she had to answer frequently.

She looked at him but he had looked away from her. “No, I do nothing more than keep them company, attend social functions, perhaps entertain them with conversation, but that’s it.”

Kagome thought she saw him release his breath in relief. “Then what seems to be the problem?”

“As a miko and as a single woman, being in the company of unattached males looks suspicious,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve tried to explain what I actually do, but my family won’t listen. They have pretty much categorized me as nothing more than an expensive prostitute.”

Sesshoumaru leaned back in his seat. “You were ashamed that someone else you knew would find out.”

Kagome nodded wordlessly as the waitress came over and cleared the table quickly.

She spoke again after the waitress walked away.

“I enjoy what I do because I am able to put a smile on the faces of my clients. I ensure they enjoy themselves whenever they are with me. But I never know who my clients are ahead of time. So every time I met with someone, I was always scared that it would be someone who knew me.”

“Like tonight.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes, like tonight. I admit, if Inuyasha wasn’t so determined, I would not have been here tonight.”

“Likewise.”

Silence fell between them. At that moment, the waitress returned with a brownie sundae. It wasn’t very large, but after the meal they had, it was more than enough. Kagome’s eyes grew wide as she looked at Sesshoumaru.

“I remembered how much you enjoyed desserts and other sweet things. I hope it’s to your liking.”

A light dusting of pink seemed to form across his nose.

But in the dim lighting, Kagome couldn’t tell.

Without thinking about it, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, catching him by surprise.

She handed him a spoon, inviting him to share it with her. Both of them dove into the dessert.

“That was the third thing,” she said softly.

Sesshoumaru looked at her in question.

“I was afraid that everyone would have forgotten me by the time you made it to this era.”

He watched her as she focused her attention on the dessert.

“I will not speak on behalf of anyone else,” he said softly, “but I never forgot you.”

Kagome faltered as she placed the spoon on the table. 

“I know it was a long time and I was prepared for the possibility. But I still had hope.” She looked away but he hooked a finger under her chin. She turned her eyes back to him. “I’m sorry it took so long to find me.”

He took her hand, interlacing their fingers together. He lifted their entwined hands and kissed the back hers.

“We found each other again. That’s what matters.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They pulled in front of her apartment building.

What was supposed to be an appearance and a couple of drinks ended up being five hours of catching up.

Sesshoumaru got out of the car and went around to the passenger side, opening the door to allow Kagome to get out. He walked with her to the door of her apartment.

“Thank you for driving me home,” she said.

Sesshoumaru gazed down at her, taking her in: the smile on her lips, the way her wavy hair fell over her shoulder, especially when she laughed, her eyes that betrayed how she was feeling.

“I want to see you again, Kagome,” he said, “if you will allow me.”

She couldn’t stop the grin from spreading on her face if she tried.

“I would love to see you again, Sesshoumaru.”

He couldn’t resist the temptation and he leaned in to kiss her. The moment his lips touched hers, a shock ran through him, but when she opened for him to allow him in deeper, he knew he was lost.

When they needed to both breathe, he ignored the magnetic pull of her and stepped away. She smiled at him before stepping inside the apartment.

“Good night, Sesshoumaru,” she said, “and happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Kagome. Good night.”

She closed the door on him and he sighed, walking back to his car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome leaned against the door and closed her eyes. She sighed as she kicked off her shoes. Fishing her cell phone out of her purse, she called Toshiro.

“Hello, my angel!” his cheery voice came on the line. “How was it?”

“It went well, he was definitely not a creep,” she said, nonchalantly. “Hey, Toshiro, do me a favor?”

“Anything for you, my love!”

“Issue a refund for Getchouseki-san.”

There was a long pause before Toshiro spoke up. “Excuse me, but I thought I heard you say that you wanted me to refund two million yen to a client.”

“Yes, you heard me correctly. Give him his money back.”

“B-But why??”

Kagome smiled as she sat on her bed. She was reunited with someone from her past, someone she missed and cared for dearly. The chance to take a risk that they were both too afraid to make before presented itself to them again. It was the best night she’d had in a very long time.

She didn’t want to tell Toshiro that, though. He was her agent and colleague. He didn’t need to know.

“Because it is his birthday. Tonight is on me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sesshoumaru tossed his vest on the bed on top of his jacket and slid his shoes off. Before he could even reflect on the evening, his phone rang.

Inuyasha.

He almost ignored it, but decided against it.

Besides, if it wasn’t for his little brother, he wouldn’t have reunited with Kagome when he did.

“What the fuck, Sesshoumaru??” he shouted as soon as the call connected. “Are you really that incompetent with women? You can't possibly be my brother!”

“I just got home, Inuyasha. I spent the evening in very pleasant company. Thank you for arranging this for my birthday.”

Inuyasha’s breathing evened out as he came out of whatever mood he was in.

“What are you talking about?" he demanded. "I just got a call from the agency!”

Sesshoumaru sighed as he finished undressing. “Inuyasha. It is nearly one in the morning. I have been out all night and I am tired.”

“Who were you with?”

Sesshoumaru hesitated. Kagome did not give him leave to reveal that she was Megami.

"I was with a very lovely female, Megami, from wherever it was you got her from."

"Huh," Inuyasha expressed his confusion.

"What happened, Inuyasha?"

"The agency is refunding me the two mil I paid for her. Are you sure you didn't fuck shit up?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I did not. I assure you, little brother, that you outdid yourself for my birthday. You will be happy to know that I will be seeing her again."

Inuyasha was stunned into silence. "So…did you fuck her?"

"Don't be so vulgar, Inuyasha. She is an escort, not a prostitute. We dined, we talked and I took her home."

"Maybe that's why they're refunding my money."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Good night, Inuyasha. I sincerely thank you for my birthday gift."

More than you realize, he thought as he disconnected the call.

Sesshoumaru looked at his phone.

He’ll send her a text message in the morning.