Chapter 1. Choosing your Inu

The girl gaped as the hanyou stuffed his face.

First, there had been the lasagna. It had been closely followed by the potato salad and the nachos. The next course, her carefully prepared cherry cobbler, seemed as if it had encountered a Star Fleet transporter beam, so quickly did it disappear. She could not even mention all the other little 'side dishes' he'd devoured.

Her jaw seemed content to reside on the ground as he washed it all down with the multiple gallon jugs of green tea.

The rest of the 'pack' seemed similarly shocked, the houshi so stunned his 'cursed' hand had frozen midway between his leg and his favorite groping target.

And when the young hanyou finally sighed in contentment, he was oblivious.

He'd eaten an entire meal!

No, scratch that.

He'd eaten everyone's entire meal.

Good thing she'd hidden her favorite dessert…

'Grandpa always said that dogs have no self control when it comes to food,' Kagome thought absently. 'That's why you never left food out for them, like you would a cat.'

The rude sound of a belch brought her back to herself, and she groaned in exasperation as she watched him drop to the ground with a snore.

"Inuyasha…you pig." Her voice was quiet, not wanting to wake him only to have him start an argument.

"Well," Miroku said, turning to Kagome as he let his arm drop to his side. "I must say it was good, by his reaction. Thank you for your effort."

Sango narrowed her eyes at the unconscious male on the ground. 'All of Kagome's hard work, spoiled as usual.' "I can't believe he did that," she gritted from between clenched teeth.

Suddenly, Kagome winked at her.

"He didn't get all of it," she mouthed to her two companions.

Miroku looked at her in surprise…and a bit of awe. She'd managed to hide something from his nose?

She lifted her finger to her lips, and held up one of her special scent-sealing 'rubber' storage containers.

Thank god for Tupperware!

Sango gave her an evil little smile and mimed kicking the hanyou in the backside.

Kagome hastily smothered a giggle.

Then there was a grunt from the fallen hanyou. All three turned to see him roll onto his back, one foot absently thumping against the ground a few times before he once again relaxed.

They forcibly bit their lips to keep back the laughter, then they walked a small ways from the prone male, eying him carefully for movement.

"My grandfather was right," Kagome muttered.

Miroku raised a brow in question, then snickered at her answer.

They soon came to a small shaded area beside a stream, sitting down to enjoy Kagome's last dessert.

Cheesecake.

Some imp must have whispered in her ear when she'd packed up the food, because that had been the only thing to be packaged in the rubber container. And she'd have fought him to the death if he's gotten his greedy little claws on it!

Though sharing it was another matter, and she savored the looks of bliss on her friends' faces as they enjoyed the fruits of her labor.

That was when…Oh, great…

The youkai aura that had been tickling against the back of her mind suddenly flared. A rather familiar aura that, for all of the coldness of the youkai's nature, felt like warm honey running down her skin.

Silver and white flickered in the trees, and she quickly got to her feet.

Sango and Miroku looked at her in question, then followed suit as the Western Lord appeared before them in all his pale, beautiful glory.

His silvery hair rippled in the faint breeze as he neared, his hakama clinging to muscled thighs in a way that Kagome suddenly found rather…fascinating.

'Apply mental slap here.'

Sesshomaru advanced on them in his silently graceful way, his long legs quickly eating up the distance.

None of them were quite sure how to react to his presence.

He'd offered them no violence, as of yet.

It was funny, but Kagome was almost certain that he was more intent on the bit of cake in her hand than he was on their presence.

His nose twitched faintly before his eyes lifted to her own.

"Where is the hanyou?" Did he sound distracted?

She bit her lip. Was he once again here to take Inuyasha's sword? Should she tell him that his brother was passed out from overindulgence?

She turned to look at her friends in silent question…and golden eyes followed the motion of her hand.

"What is that?"

"Huh?"

My…how articulate…

The Inu took in another pull of the scent from the bit of half-forgotten sweet in her hand.

"Oh." Kagome blushed in embarrassment. 'Duh.'

"It is a dessert that Kagome has made and brought for us from her home, Sesshomaru-sama." Miroku's tone was polite as he answered for his currently brain-dead companion.

Another step brought the rather imposing being closer.

"Would…would you like some?" Kagome asked hesitantly. If they could get out of a confrontation with him that easily, then she was all for giving the cheesecake to Sesshomaru…even though a part of her wanted to cry at the loss.

He didn't answer.

Kagome took his silence as assent and bent to see if there was a clean plate.

A large hand suddenly wrapped about her wrist, tugging her to her feet.

She turned…just in time to see him lift her captured limb upward.

"This will suffice miko."

Her eyes resembled headlights as firm, lushly molded lips slowly wrapped around her fingers.

'Gulp…'

He was strangely careful of his fangs as he curled his pointed pink tongue about the treat and took it from her unresisting hand.

Long lashes swept down over his eyes as he savored the taste.

'Wow…he looked like he was- NONONO! Bad Kagome!'

Golden eyes half mast, he suddenly seemed to realize what he was about…and with whom. Though, he didn't let it stop him from remembering his manners. He was a Taiyoukai, and failing to act courteously when he was treated in the same fashion was not to be tolerated. The girl had shared her dessert with him, after all. He smirked to himself, well aware that he wasn't going to convince anyone with such a foolish argument.

Kagome gasped as Sesshomaru politely licked her fingers clean of the creamy residue. His eyes never left hers, and she found herself holding her breath as something just a bit wicked flashed in their depths. Then he lowered her hand and stepped back.

"It was…satisfying."

High praise, indeed, when coming from him.

Sango and Miroku, who had also gone still with shock, simply stood there and stared.

"Thanks…" It was the best she could do.

He nodded before he turned to leave, apparently deciding that the cheesecake was better than fighting for the day.

When he'd once again disappeared from view, they turned to look at each other.

"Did that really happen?" Sango asked.

…a warm tongue flicking over her fingers…and was it just her imagination, or had he been a bit more thorough than was truly called for? Who was she kidding?! Sesshomaru had just licked her! When had that ever been called for?!

Though…it wasn't exactly unpleasant…

Miroku suddenly turned, his 'hentai radar' working at full power. He grinned as he took in Kagome's flushed cheeks and her strange fascination with her hand.

Sango was all too aware of his rather perverted train of thought and sent him stumbling into the grass with a well-placed fist upside his head. Then she turned back to Kagome.

"He didn't…bite you? Did he?"

Bite me… The sudden thought about what else those fangs of his could nibble on flooded her rather overheated brain and Kagome gulped.

'Was Miroku's perversion rubbing off?'

She shook her head violently.

"Kagome…?" "No. He didn't bite me. He was actually rather careful with his fangs."

"Oh."

The fallen man shook his vision clear with a chuckle, before slowly regaining his feet. "Are you going to tell Inuyasha?"

Sango rolled her eyes at him. "Sure monk. We tell Inuyasha that his typically homicidal brother decided to stop in and see how cheesecake-flavored miko tastes! Because he's always been so well-known for his calm, level-headed nature!"

Miroku grinned. "So...it wasn't just me, then?"

"What wasn't just you?" Kagome asked cautiously.

"It wasn't only me that noticed his…enjoyment. Of both treats."

Kagome gasped at his audacity, before the monk once again went flying.

Sango grinned.

She'd taught the girl well!

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Far from the three humans, a demon lord contemplated his actions as he wandered through the trees. He chuckled to himself. He'd simply been unable to resist the lure once she'd waved her cream covered fingers in front of him. Sure, the cake had been delicious. But nothing compared to the taste of the little priestess.

oooooo

lesson one - when choosing your new canine companion, be sure of his manners that he does not show tendencies of being greedy of his treats.