his intoxication

end

Damon watched his new wife dancing with her son, looking radiant in her lace gown while his new mother-in- law took 5000 more pictures of anything and everything. He fought the urge to pinch himself, because that was silly, and stood to cut in and catch another dance with his new bride. He spun her around and caught her in his arms, her radiant smile leaving him breathless.

"Hello Mrs. Salvatore."

She blushed and giggled and snuggled up to his chest as he swayed with her to the slow piano music playing in the background.

"Hello new husband."

Damon felt like his grin would split his face in half.

00000000000000000000

It was a mere two months after their wedding that they received a summons from Sesshoumaru. To come all the way to Japan. The plane ride had been long and exhausting, but they'd had no chance to just rest, as Sesshoumaru had insisted on seeing them immediately upon their arrival.

"This better be good." Damon grumped, stretching to work out the kink that had formed between in his shoulders from first the long plane ride, then the long cab ride through Tokyo traffic.

"Sesshoumaru wouldn't have called us out here like this if it wasn't." They leaned wearily against the elevator walls on their way up to sesshoumau's office, too tired to feel any apprehension or nervousness. When they were finally seated in front of his desk, Damon shifted at the blank look on the stoic youkai's face. He'd met Sesshoumaru a few times now, but he still felt uneasy being around someone who could be so blank in every situation. Kagome didn't suffer from the same problem, and she gave the being that she had come to love as a brother a warm greeting.

"Salvatore-San. Miko. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Damon nodded in acknowledment, trying to get used to the unusual way that Sesshoumaru addressed him. He knew it was traditional here, but he wasn't used to anyone being so formal with him.

"Please understand that I would not have called you here for any matter that was not of the utmost importance."

"Of course Sesshoumaru! We came as quickly as we were able!" Kagome chirped with a sunny smile that perfectly hid the fatigue she felt from their flight.

"Now, as for the reason I called you here. A fortnight ago, a human woman approached me and begged me for assistance. She claimed to know what I was, so I agreed to sit with her and hear her request. She had unknowingly had relations with a youkai, and since this male who had deceived her was weak willed and without even a shred of honor, he left her pregnant and vanished. She was ill equipped to raise and care for a hanyou child, and asked that I help her find the child a home. Since you have already proven able to successfully adopt and raise youkai children, and since you are one of the few people I actually trust, I thought I would ask you first if you might take this child in." Sesshoumaru paused, and Kagome gaped at him as he leaned over pressed a button on his desk telephone, buzzing his receptionist at her desk outside his door.

["Mine, bring the child in."]
["Yes, Sesshoumaru-Sama. Right away!"]

Kagome glanced over at Damon, who had gone pale and was staring blankly at the edge of the desk in front of him. Before she could check on him, the office door opened, and Sesshoumaru's secretary walked in carrying a small, pink bundle which she handed directly to Kagome.

"This is Emi. She is a neko hanyou, and is approximately 1 month old. I shall leave you to get acquainted and make your decision." Kagome gasped as she pushed the blanket around Emi's face back to reveal two tiny, black kitten ears nestled in her thick, raven locks. She knew immediately what she would do if it was just up to her, but since it wasn't, she turned to her husband, who was still staring unseeing at the desk in front of him.