"Priestess."
Kagome jumped, startled out of her reverie by Sesshomaru's smooth baritone. "Hello, Sesshomaru," she greeted him, realizing that he must have just arrived on the outskirts of the village. "Rin is helping Kaede gather herbs at the moment, but she should be back soon."
His gaze fixed on the floral crown on top of her head. Before Rin had scampered off for her chores, she'd woven a few floral crowns and given the one made of daisies to Kagome. She'd brought packets of seeds from the future back for Rin to grow but though Rin diligently cared for her flowers, no one could seem to break her of the habit of picking them once they bloomed.
"They're daisies," she explained, suspecting that he wasn't familiar with the flower.
"Hnn." His expression remained calm but it carried the faintest hint of undertone.
She decided to explain. "Rin made this for me earlier this morning. I brought seeds back from my home for Rin to grow. These are daisies. Where I'm from, people believe flowers have meaning." She sighed at the romance behind the idea. "People can have entire conversations through the meanings of the flowers they give and receive."
"And what do these daisies mean?"
The question surprised her and she blinked as her mind blanked. "Innocence," she blurted as soon as the meaning came to her, thinking that that word was quite fitting for Rin. "They mean innocence."
His eyes widened as he continued to stare at the crown on her head and Kagome floundered.
After a moment, Kagome's anxiety kicked in and she blurted, "Sesshomaru?"
"They suit you." She must have looked as confused as she felt for he quietly explained, "The flowers. They suit you."
Kagome immediately flushed at the unexpected compliment—from Sesshomaru, of all people. "Thank you," she murmured, pleased, deciding that he was referring to the flowers themselves rather than their meaning. InuYasha had never been one for compliments, even when she'd been romantically interested in him. Though she privately doubted that Sesshomaru was interested, it was still nice to hear. "Rin should be back soon if you'd rather come and wait inside."
And yet Sesshomaru surprised her as he continued, "But this one sees beyond your purity. He also sees your beauty and worth, yet you wear no flowers to demonstrate that."
She gaped at him.
"Tell this one: in the 'language of flowers' humans use, what flowers would symbolize your beauty and honor?" His golden gaze bore into her, his expression serious and fierce. He seemed to be willing her to understand something but whatever it was, Kagome wasn't getting it.
Kagome swallowed as she stammered, "W-well calla lilies or orchids can mean 'beauty,' but I-I don't know if there is one that means worth. At least not off of the top of my head." She licked her suddenly dry lips and tried not to fidget under his intense gaze. "Um but gladiolus can mean 'strength of character,'" she added as the thought came to her.
"Hnn." He stepped closer and she rose to her feet instinctively so he wouldn't tower over her. "Tell this one why you do not also wear flowers of lilies and gladiolus, priestess."
"Oh." Kagome took a step back. "Because Rin didn't make me one?" she answered him faintly.
His voice dropped to a low rumble. "Or is it perhaps because you do not see your own worth, priestess? Has the hanyo blinded you to your own sense of pride?"
The rumble of his voice sent a pleasurable feeling through her and his eyes widened as his nostrils flared, telling her that he knew. "Sesshomaru—" Kagome began and then stopped short at how breathless she sounded.
"Priestess," he rumbled back, taking a step forward and gently pulling her to him, mindful of the spikes in his armor. "If you wished it, this one would put lilies and orchids upon your hair."
He said it with pride, though she was fairly certain he wasn't familiar with the flowers. Even if Sesshomaru was a yokai prone to the delicate nature of tending gardens—and Kagome personally doubted that Sesshomaru ever would be—calla lilies, at the very least, wouldn't be seen in Japan for another few hundred years until they were imported by florists and flower enthusiasts.
But though Sesshomaru should be uncomfortable, he threw that discomfort to the side for a message he wanted to share with her.
Again, she licked her dry lips, suddenly acutely aware of how his gaze followed the gesture. "That sounds lovely," she breathed, not sure if she was talking about the flowers or the promise of a kiss that was reflected in his eyes.
"Hnn," was all he said moments before he gently pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't long before the kiss became as wild and passionate as the daiyokai himself and Kagome found that she enjoyed every moment.
The last thought she had that didn't revolve around Sesshomaru himself was that she should give Rin some flowers as a thank-you, for without the crown upon Kagome's head, she doubted she would be standing here before the daiyokai like this at all.
And then, the thought fell away and all she could think of for some time was the daiyokai she clung to as he wrapped her in his warm embrace and showered her with all the affection her weary heart desired.