Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Co.

---

Terms:

Hiyashi Chuka - It is a chilled ramen noodle dish usually served with various toppings and eaten in the Summer.

Edamame - Boiled or steamed immature soybean pods.

Ramune - A carbonated soft drink.

---

The first couple of days had Sesshōmaru at the rundown cottage going over the changes that would be made by the contractor and his crew, then calling suppliers for the items that they would need.

The young mother had figured the inuyōkai after hiring a contractor would have left the dirty work for them. To Kagome's surprise, her mate jumped right in to help with the demolition itself - ripping out rotting or warped wood, windows, doors, and replacing the old with new.

With the place being a good distance from the main house, Sesshōmaru and the construction crew were able to work late into the night, especially with most of the team being yōkai. By the end of the second week, the foundation was leveled, the new plumbing was added, the additional rooms were up along with the exterior walls, and the roof was fixed.

Kagome spent most of her time picking design and color options that Sesshōmaru would bring to her. It had taken some convincing from her lovely mate to go and surf the web for furniture and décor. She still felt weird about spending his inheritance even though he had told her that there was money for generations over.

This day the construction crew was at another job site, so Sesshōmaru was finishing the subflooring because tomorrow the electrician and his team would be coming to wire the barren rooms. Hopefully, they'd get it done quickly since her mate and crew cannot start the drywall and flooring until it's squared away.

The sun was high in the sky as Kagome and Malakai carefully made their way down the rough pathway to give Sesshōmaru some much-needed lunch.

"Dada!" The pup shouted when he spotted his father carrying a piece of subflooring toward the little house. The larger yōkai paused, setting the wooden flooring on the grassy ground, and held out his arms for the enthusiastic toddler.

Kagome laughed as the small child flew into his father's mighty arms, happy to see the older demon. "Love," She tenderly said with a beaming grin while holding up the basket of food. "How about a break? We brought you lunch, didn't we Kai Kai?"

Malakai shook his head excitedly. "Elp." He agreed, smiling brightly from one parent to the other.

Sesshōmaru chuckled at the adorable toddler then turned to his mate, flashing the same smile their child had just given them. "I am rather famished." He seized the basket gently from her hold and began to walk towards the temporary table set up for the workers.

"I figured you might be." She noted when he put the wicker on the tabletop and started to pull out the contents. "What do we have today?" he naturally asked, carefully passing the containers to her to open.

She popped the lids and explained what was made this time around. "Since it's hot, Mama helped me make Hiyashi chuka with sesame paste sauce, Edameme, cubed watermelon, and a nice cold apple Ramune."

"It smells splendid," commented the yōkai. He then winded an arm around her waist and hauled her to him. "As do you, Mate." He whispered into her ear and chuckled when she whacked him playfully on the chest. "Maru!" Kagome scolded the dog demon causing him to chuckle yet again, then leaned in to kiss her temple and whisper some more. "He does not understand what I mean." His impish grin widened, and the gold in his eyes twinkled mischievously. "Not yet, anyway."

The other teen groaned dramatically and flailed her arm about then rested the palm against her cheek. "Oh gods. Don't tell me that or the gate will be locked."

"Good thing I possess the key!" He winked slyly and promptly let go to dodge another light smack, laughing as he turned to their son. "Come on, my boy, let's get you some of that watermelon," said the yōkai, taking a seat and reaching for the watery fruit.

Malakai clapped happily and bounced on his lap. "Wawa!" he squealed, then picked up a piece from the plate in front of him and shoved it into his mouth.

Kagome giggled at the cuteness that is their toddler and watched him stuff his face with his favorite fruit. Her musing was interrupted by her persistent mate. "Eat." He softly ordered between bites.

"I'm supposed to say that to you," She wittily said while gathering some food on a plate. "After all, you're the one who is working their butt off." It was true. He had been working hard to get their home completed before the new semester began. Yes, it was consuming the majority of his time, but in the long run, it would be so worth it. Plus, they experienced precious moments like this that totally made up for the time spent.

He scoffed, clearly disagreeing with her statement. "You are taking care of our son. That is far more important than cutting and nailing some wood."

"I know," Kagome said, poking at her lunch with the chopsticks and shrugged. "I just want to help too."

Sesshōmaru set down his utensils and wrapped his arm around her slim waist. He gathered her snuggly into his side and tried to reassure his mate that she was helping just not in the way she expected. "You are, Love. You have all of the furniture picked out, and last night I spotted the swatches on your desk," revealed the dog demon. He then leaned in to kiss her soft crown. "It is a great help, not having to worry about those things."

Her raven head cocked to the side, and blue eyes peered over at him in question. "Really?" she asked, brows disappearing into her dark bangs.

"Yes." He firmly said his arm left her waist and motioned towards her meal. "Now eat, Mate."

Still unconvinced, she opened her mouth to refute but quickly snapped it shut when she caught the look he was shooting her way.

Later that night, the couple sat on a blanket in their bare cottage for their nightly routine. Sesshōmaru would work passed supper, and Kagome would bring it after Malakai was in bed. This time around, she had brought along the paint samples while her mate had stained a piece of flooring with the chosen stain.

"It looks so different now," Kagome stated, eyes sweeping over the two by fours and into the unfinished rooms.

"I know." Sesshōmaru agreed, his gaze following his mates around the structure. "You would never have guessed it had been a miserable decrepit cottage in the middle of the woods."

"No, you wouldn't." She conceded then turned to the chunk of wood between them, picking it up to examine. "This is the wood sample stained?"

"Yes." He uttered, accepting the piece when she passed it to him and admired the finished product. "I have to say the dark stain was a perfect choice to go with the cedar. It also will gel well with the colors chosen."

It absolutely would, though, they would need rugs to protect all that beautiful colored wood. To scuff it up would be a shame. "Since we are doing all hardwood, we will have to pick out some area rugs, so the floors don't get all marked up."

"You find several you like, and we will go through them tomorrow night, okay?"

He didn't want to look at some with her. What if she picked out ones that he wouldn't like? "Are you sure?" She asked with a slight frown.

Sesshōmaru scoffed loudly and shot her a look of exasperation. "I wouldn't have said it if I hadn't meant it, woman." His gaze softened and took hold of her hand. "Pick some out, and we will choose together." He quickly threw out, knowing that was what his mate coveted.

"You mean, you will agree with whatever I like." She quipped clearly no longer bothered as before.

The large yōkai shrugged and lifted the hand in his to lightly kiss her palm. "We have similar tastes, so I usually like what you choose."

"Usually?" She said, a single brow raised into her hairline, and her hand slipped out of his to settle at her waist.

"Well," He said with a hum as if he were choosing what to say carefully. "there was that horrendous bathroom color you wanted."

"It was not horrendous!" Kagome cried, hands leaving her waist to fling about. "The color was a beautiful shade of olive green."

The yōkai's face twisted into a grimace as he retorted. "It looked like explosive diarrhea."

If she attempted to adamantly deny it, she would be knowingly lying because it did look like feces. Though, in her defense at the time, it never entered her mind that it was anything but olive green. This is until her mate mentioned it. "Fine, it did, and if you recall, we went with another color."

"Thank the gods." Sesshōmaru muttered then was shushed by his female. "Oh, hush now and eat your supper that I was nice enough to bring over through the dark and eerie woods." Kagome saucily quipped and gently tossed some hair off her shoulder, looking at the darkened forest.

A snort shook his muscular form as he opened his bento box and snarked out a comeback, "It may be dark, but the woods are neither eerie nor dangerous." His chest puffed, and a serious glint flashed in his golden eyes before fiercely continuing, "Nothing would dare approach you or our homestead."

"Is that because of my powerful and intimidating mate?" The flirtatious response came from the teen who batted her long lashes and grinned gleefully.

"Nobody wants to mess with the top predator and believe me, love," Remarked the proud yōkai, his chest expanded some more while he leaned in closer and smiled, exposing his canines. "I am the top dog."

Kagome tried to ignore the rush that ran through her body as his silky tone washed over her. The twinkle in his eyes told her she wasn't doing that good of a job of suppressing it. "Let me guess. No pun intended." She softly whispered, wetting her suddenly dried lips.

"Oh, the pun was very much intended, mate." His slim brows wiggled as he leered at his luscious mate and her curves.

The teen knew where this was heading, and if they undoubtedly continued, then nothing would get done. She intentionally disregarded the rosy flush that had crept stealthily up her chest and on to her cheeks. "Eat." She promptly ordered, pushing the box closer and handing him some chopsticks. There would be time for other things later.

Sesshōmaru laughed aloud but took the utensils. "Isn't that my line?" He said, snapping the chopsticks in her direction.

"Well, it appears that I've stolen it." She stated with a sniff while motioning at his food once more. "Now eat, because I'm sure you have much more to do." 'And I'd like to see my mate come home before I fall asleep.' She silently mused, missing the routine that has been disrupted for some time now.

"Indeed. I have our bedroom to finish. It shouldn't take that long and will be in some time tonight." He mentioned between bites of food.

"What time is the electrician coming tomorrow?" she asked, reaching over to snag a grilled veggie from the bento and popped it into her mouth.

"Eight in the morning, though I'm sure I will be up before then," answered the demon, snapping the utensils at her fingers when she tried to take another vegetable. "I have to make sure that the contractor received the drywall order and make some other calls to the suppliers." A pout formed on her lush lips for an instant before it curved back into a smile when Sesshōmaru presented her with a piece of grilled zucchini.

She thoughtfully chewed on the piece, savoring the smoky flavor. It tasted great, just like it always did when her mama cooked. Kagome hoped that one day her cooking skills will be just as good. Carefully swallowing, she picked up the bottled water and took a sip before asking another question. "Will we be done before school begins?"

The Inu jerked his silver head in conformation while he continued to eat. "If we keep up with what we have been doing, then yes, we should be finished and moved in before the start of the semester."

Hopefully, there will be no setbacks, and they will be done before then. It would be nice to have one less thing to worry about. "That will be wonderful and speaking of school, what are we going to do about this?" She pointed at the exposed mating mark. "Even if I cover it up, you and I both know the smell will be a dead giveaway."

"I have considered the implications and have commissioned a piece of jewelry that should mask the mark until we are comfortable letting others know." He revealed taking the last few bites of his meal, then set the empty bento box and chopsticks into the wicker basket.

What? When had he had time to commission a piece of jewelry while working his ass off every day and night at the building site and spending whatever was left with his family? Holy shit. Her mate was incredible. However, how was this going to work? Their school had a strict dress code, and not wearing jewelry was one of them. That was why her ring was kept in a hidden pocket of her jacket during school hours. He would have to give her something that would be on her person at all times. She was positive he had already thought of that and had a plan. As long as it worked and bid them time until they were ready to announce their mating. "Sounds good to me. I just don't want any problems," admitted the teen, releasing a wiry sigh. They both knew what or whom she meant.

"One problem being a brash and vulgar half-demon, who would most likely flip his lid should he find out." Sesshōmaru expressed dryly, his face scrunched up in utter disgust.

He hit it right on the head. Inuyasha would be unpleased by the news of the mating, and it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back so to speak. The half-demon was so very angry with them already, and they didn't need to add fuel to the blazing fire. "Yep. You know he still hasn't talked to me." She said with a frown. It hurt her deeply that hanyō was treating their friendship so callously.

Her mate's sharp features softened as he reached for her hand once more and brought it up to lightly kissed her knuckles. "You hurt his pride by your rejection, Love, but the whelp will eventually get over it." He gently soothed and squeezed the hand in his.

Even with the reassurance, the crease between her brows never dissipated, and a harsh exhale rushed forth. "I don't think he'll be getting over it any time soon." Kagome glumly mumbled into the warm air. Inuyasha wouldn't be forgiving or forgetting anytime soon. Not with the way he had been acting before the end of the semester.

Noticing his mate's wilting form, the yōkai suddenly changed the subject. "Let's not talk about that idiot any longer." Sesshōmaru quickly got to his feet, pulling her carefully with him. He peered down at the small woman and flashed a row of pearly whites. "Would you like to help me?" He asked, hoping that would lift the melancholy.

"I'm not sure what I could help with?" Kagome said, temporarily forgetting about the gloominess and lousy friend. She anxiously glanced around the dimly lit room while bouncing from foot to foot.

"You could place glue on the two by fours, and I will lay down the boards and screw them into place. If we were to work in tandem, then we could get it done faster and squeeze in a movie before bed." Sesshōmaru suggested.

"Yeah. I think I could," She said with a little hesitation at first, then becoming stronger the more she thought about it. "Now, how do I do that?"

Her mate laughed heartily and started to lead her toward the area that would eventually be their bedroom. "Come, and I'll show you."

Once outside the bones of the unfinished room, Sesshōmaru picked up the glue gun. "All you have to do is place it where you want and press the trigger, like this." He did one two by four and turned to his woman holding out the gun. "You think you can manage?"

It was just a simple point and click and couldn't be that difficult. She took the glue gun, surprised by the considerable weight of the machine, and struggled slightly to keep her balance as she shrugged. "Yeah. It seems simple enough."

His eyes light up in mild amusement but didn't comment on her fumble. "Good." He declared, then motioned at the boards. "I have it marked on the two by fours where the glue starts and ends."

"Uh-huh. Gottcha." She said, using her strength to carefully hold up the large glue gun and excitedly shout, "Let's get to gluing!" A confident smile bloomed, and her dark brows wiggled about as the teen turned her focus to the bare two by fours.

Sesshōmaru just shook his head and grabbed for one of the boards while his thrilled mate applied the needed glue.

It was nearing eleven when the couple finished the last of the subflooring. They really did work well together and quickly glued and screwed the flooring to the beams in no time before going to the main house to shower and change into pajamas.

The duo was now on the large comfy living room couch, watching a new action movie that was just released. Kagome rested on her side, feet in Sesshōmaru's lap, while he massaged the inner soles. The soothing circles melted away the tension and had the young mother moaning in pleasure. "Mmm…that feels nice." She said in between soft mews then begged her mate not to stop.

A growl erupted from the inuyōkai, and his fingers paused to look at her. "Woman, if you continue to make those sounds, I will be forced to say the hell with the movie and take you upstairs."

Another moan escaped when he started up the circular movements once more, and she peered up at him through her long dark lashes. "And what would we do when we get up there?" her breathy voice asked before sucking in her bottom lip and nibbling it in a way that drove her demon crazy.

"Why don't I show you, Mate." He wrapped his long fingers around one of her ankles and gently tugged her into his lap. He grinned down at his startled mate then swooped in to kiss her senseless. When he pulled away, both were heavily panting, and the movie was long forgotten.

Kagome drew in a lungful of balmy air, and a giggle escaped with the exhale. She leaned over to reach for the remote and clicked off the television. A saucy smirk flashed his way as the teen tossed the plastic device above her head, and it landed with a soft thump. "To hell with the movie."

Sesshōmaru growled yet again and approved of his partner's quick decision. "I couldn't agree more." With that said, the yōkai quickly swept her up and stood, causing the tiny female to softly squeal and hold on tight as he used his demon speed to silently make it out of the living room and up to their own.

---