his intoxication

12

Kagome looked up and accepted the hot tea Damon handed her with a smile. He sat next to her on her porch swing, just out of the line of sight of her phone screen, and Kagome smiled conspiratorially at him.

"Are you ready? You remember what I told you to say?!"

Damon chuckled at her excitement. 'Meeting the parents' was supposed to be something nerve wracking, but with how happy Kagome was about it, he only felt at ease. This was usually a pretty big step, and taking it with her felt like the most right and natural thing in the world.

"Of course."

"OH OH! It's connecting!" Kagome smiled down at the woman on her screen, waving in greeting and bouncing in excitement.

"Mama!"

"Hello my dear! How are you? How was your move? Are you alright? Are you eating?"

Fondness and happiness radiated off of every inch of her as she listened to her mother fret over her. Living without her for over 500 years had made her appreciate every last moment she got to spend with her, motherly worrying included. Moving away had been very hard, but the wonders of modern technology made missing her much easier.

"I'm FINE mama, I promise I'm eating. I... I have something to tell you actually, something important!"

"Oh! Well what is it dear?"

"I... I met someone. Someone very special. I want you to meet him."

"Ah! Did my baby meet a BOY?! Where is he?"

"Mama, this is Damon, he's my boyfriend."

Kagome gestured for Damon to come into view, so he slid over and put an arm around Kagome's shoulders. He smiled his most charming smile and waved at Kagome's mother through the phone screen. He cleared his throat before giving her the greeting that Kagome had instructed him to use to help impress her mother.

"Ohayo, Higurashi-San."

Her mother squealed happily, and then she and Kagome babbled away in Japanese to each other while he settled back to watch.

"KAGOME my darling! He's so handsome!"

"I KNOW mama, isn't he?"

"And his smile!"

"It's so dreamy!"

"I'm so happy for you my girl, I can tell by the way he's looking at you that he cares for you very much."

Kagome blushed and glanced over, catching Damon's stare. It was filled so many emotions she wasn't ready to name yet. She smiled a tender smile at him before turning back to her conversation with her mother. A few minutes later she hung up with promises to call again soon, informing her mother they had to get ready for their Halloween masquerade tonight. Then she turned to Damon with a giddy smile and glowing eyes.

"She liked you! I knew she would of course but it just makes me happy to hear her say it, you know?"

Damon simply kissed her cheek and hugged her close.

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Kagome looked herself over in the mirror with a critical eye. She'd had her mother express ship this dress too her the day after she'd learned of the glorified Halloween party the citizens of this town liked to call a 'ball', and she was pleased it had arrived well on time and with no damage. It was a black sequined flapper dress that she'd bought in the twenties and had preserved. She had very few opportunities to wear it and jumped at any chance she could. She'd curled and pinned her hair in a customary twenties style and tied her mask around her face to complete her look. Shippo knocked on the door lightly before opening it, smiling wide at the sight of his mother looking so beautiful.