The week had gone by faster than the young mother had anticipated, and now it was Friday after club activities. Kagome was in the entry packing a few last-minute things into a diaper bag when she heard her mother’s footsteps coming down the hall.

Turning away from the bag, she watched as the woman dug through her purse, pulling out some keys. Her mother then looked up and smiled when she spotted her. “Kagome dear, I am leaving. Will Sesshōmaru be here soon?” The older woman asked, pausing beside her and slipping on her heels.

Kagome glanced at the clock on the wall and shook her head. “Yes, any minute now.” A knock on the door resounded as she spoke, causing both women to turn to the entrance.

The silent pup on the bench suddenly squealed happily then scurried off the furniture to the front door. Malakai reached on tippy toes to grab the doorknob and quickly yanked it open. He launched into the yōkai’s arms and greeted his father. “Dada!”

Sesshōmaru caught the eager child chuckling as he returned the welcome. “Hello, little one.”

Blue eyes slowly skimmed the demon's tall form taking in his appearance. He looked good; Hell, he was smoking hot. Sesshōmaru was dressed in a pair of loose-fitting dark wash jeans and a fitted cream-colored V-neck long sleeve. She couldn't help feeling self-conscious in the simple black skinny jeans and a thin light pink oversized sweater. In comparison, she looked downright shabby. Clearing her throat, Kagome greeted the yummy looking man while rocking on the balls of her feet. “Hey.”

His golden gaze left their son and slid over to his anxious ex, eyeing her physique like the way she had just done to him. He thought she looked lovely, nibbling on her bottom lip and peering up at him with those big doe eyes. His tone dropped to a silky timber as he flashed her a teasing grin. “Kagome.” Her expressive face flushed prettily, and the instinctive urge to passionately kiss her was great, but he forced himself to turn away bowing at the other woman instead. “Mrs. Higurashi.”

“Sesshōmaru.” Her mother bowed back then smiled at the yōkai. “It is good to see you again.”

“Likewise.” stated the yōkai genuinely before his gaze dropped to the large duffle bag hanging off her shoulder, offering his assistance. “Would you like some help with your bag?”

She laughed politely and gently waved off the demon’s suggestion. “No, it’s not very heavy.” Glancing thoughtfully at the clock, the older woman addressed her daughter with a radiant smile. “Sweetheart, I need to get going. You three drive safe, and we’ll see you there.”

Watching her mother head to the open door, Kagome tossed out a goodbye. “You too, Mama. See you at the game. Bye.” She waved as the elder Higurashi disappeared.

“Are you ready to go?” asked the man carrying their son closer.

Regarding the empty doorway once more, she gently twisted her needed attention to the bags and child seat, letting the demon know that they were ready to go. “Yeah, I packed last night. I have a few bags and Malakai’s car seat.”

Sesshōmaru made a sound as he pointed at the worn seat, scoffing loudly. “That car seat is unnecessary. I have one already installed for the trip.”

‘What?’ thought Kagome staring at the inuyōkai. She couldn’t believe that he bought a car seat especially when they have a good one right in front of them. “There is nothing wrong with the one we have. You didn’t have to go and buy one.” The young mother told him while placing hands on her hips.

He rolled his eyes at the exacerbated tone but continued. “I wanted to and…” the yōkai sneered at the worn seat. “it appears that one has seen too many car rides.”

Ooh, is he a car seat snob? She didn’t see a problem with the old one. Yes, it was a little worn and bore visible marks of some things that Kagome wasn’t sure what it was, but it was still a functional car seat. Plus, does he even know anything about child seats. “Is it rear-facing?” curiously inquired the teen.

“Yes.” He said with an ounce of vexation while shifting the pup in his arms.

“Is it in the middle?”

His golden gaze narrowed in evident annoyance, a puff of air escaping as he answered. “Yes.” The yōkai sighed again, forcing his hand not to grab the bridge of his nose in aggravation and forged on. “I also set up a tablet, so he can watch videos while we are on the road. It is going to take about an hour and a half to get to Mito.”

Wow. He did do his research and must have thought extensively about the trip this entire week. What else had he planned for this excursion?

Interrupting her musing, Sesshōmaru stepped forward and reached down to pick up the bags. “I will carry the baggage.” He picked them up without a struggle all the while holding onto their son.

It felt silly letting him do all the work. If she allowed him to carry everything then she had nothing to do. “Okay if you’re going to carry them then give me Malakai.” She came closer and plucked the toddler from his hold before he could respond.

The yōkai blinked at the miko for a minute then promptly followed it with the sound that annoyed the shit out of her. “Hn.”

Kagome's forehead furrowed while she curiously eyed the man. Was it a male thing? Maybe something to do with pride? Well, he would have to get out over it and stop making that damn sound. It was so condescending and grated on her nerves. “That sound is so annoying.” She retorted lips pinching thinly while her free hand rested on her hip once more.

A thin brow rose high as he stared down at his family, ignoring the little human’s irritation and repeating himself with eyes twinkling in amusement. “Hn.”

She instantly caught the teasing look and realized he was doing it to get her all riled up. “Oh, now you’re just doing that on purpose,” exclaimed the teen, stamping a foot in frustration.

His lips twitched upwards while he continued to watch the irked woman. “Hn.” Replied Sesshōmaru laughing when Kagome threw up her hand, growling at him. “Ugh!! You’re impossible.” She stomped to the door crossing the threshold, leaving the pleased yōkai in the entryway. It didn’t take the demon long to catch up, and quickly he unlocked the car and trunk with a press of a button.

Leaning into the vehicle, Kagome noticed the new car seat was a heck of a lot nicer than the one in the house. This one was all padded and even had cups holders for Malakai’s sippy and other things that he may place in them. She buckled the toddler into the fancy seat then went about fiddling with the tablet to play a series of cartoons.

Once done, she shut the door with a snap and opened hers only to discover a paper bag on the seat. Lifting sack off to get in, Kagome placed it on her lap then buckled quickly. When Sesshōmaru was next to her, she picked up the bag shaking it at him. “What is this?” asked the young mother curiously.

The inuyōkai glanced at the bag while starting the vehicle casually responding. “Melon Pan.” He watched her face light up in surprise as he continued to explain further. “For when you get hungry.”

Flabbergasted, Kagome inquisitively eyed the demon as she quietly asked for confirmation. “You’re going to let me eat in the car again?”

His loose silver tresses fell over his shoulder as he pulled away from the curb and answered earnestly. “Yes.”

Okay, she believed Tuesday had been a fluke, but the thought was wrong, and he was going to continue to allow her to eat in the car. Did that mean she could also drink in it too? It couldn’t hurt to ask. The worse that could happen was he would say no, and she would require water as soon as they got to the hotel. “Can we go get some tea before we leave?” Kagome asked, fluttering her long lashes and nibbling on her bottom lip.

“Yes.” He said not looking put out by the suggestion while taking the street that led the best coffee drive-thru.

Did that mean that the rules were no more or was he breaking them just for her? If so, what other rules was he willing to bend? Toying with the bag and glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, Kagome dared to find out how far he’d let it all go. “Can I change the station to something else?”

The yōkai’s response was fast as his speed. “No.”

Whining loudly, Kagome released the brown paper to swing her hands about. “Aw. Come on.” When he didn't respond, the teen wondered if they could at least come to some compromise. She wasn't confident she could listen to his type of music all the way to Mito without losing her mind in the process. “Can we at least put on a podcast that we would both like?” pleaded the Miko, her petite hands coming together and resting underneath her chin. She looked over at the yōkai with wide eyes.

He thought about it for some time before agreeing with the suggestion. “That is acceptable.”

“Good.” She chirped happily. Now what podcast did she think he would like? Connecting her phone to the vehicle, she started to scroll through the list. Ah yes, the one about myths and legends would be perfect. She knew he would like that one. “I have one that I know that you will enjoy,” said Kagome bouncing in her seat in visible excitement.

Sesshōmaru did not look thrilled at all at the prospect and made his opinion known with that madding sound. “Hn.”

Ugh! Couldn’t he say something other than that damn noise? “Will you stop that?” snapped the cross teen.

“I will consider it,” said the yōkai dryly. He then swiftly asked her about the mysterious podcast, eyeing her cautiously. “What are you putting on?”

She flashed him a knowing smile, which didn’t make the demon feel any less wary. “You’ll have to wait and see,” quipped Kagome teasingly as she started up the podcast and adjusted the volume. He just snorted loudly at her cheekiness while pulling the vehicle into the drive-thru waiting in line to order them some drinks.

By the time the small family rolled into Mito, it was already near supper time. The couple planned to check into the hotel then go out to eat and maybe hit up a gaming center before retiring for the night. They parked in the hotel lot, Sesshōmaru carrying the bags while Kagome carted Malakai into the large building.

A smartly dressed man stood behind the vast counter, widely smiling when he spotted them. “Welcome to the President Hotel Mito. How may I help you?” He warmly greeted, patiently waiting for a response to his question.

Sesshōmaru approached the counter setting down the luggage before speaking to the hotel employee. “Reservation for Tatakau.”

“One moment.” He said, typing in the last name into the computer and pulling up the information. A frown marred his once happy features as the man turned back to the couple. “Oh dear, it appears that there has been a mix up. You ordered two beds and it seems that your room was given to someone by mistake.” Looking back to the screen, the employee began to type again before continuing. “All we have left is a superior double and there is only one bed. A crib can be brought up if you would like.”

A mistake. How can that be? What were they going to do now? Mused Kagome as she switched the pup in her arms to the other side. She glanced at the inuyōkai beside her and spied his brow crinkle for a second then he made that sound of condescension. “Hn.” This time it was directed at the employee and not her.

Sesshōmaru stopped himself from grabbing his forehead in exacerbation instead released a frustrated breath. He guessed it would have to do. Scrutinizing the employee with a penetrating gaze, the annoyed yōkai barely restrained the considerable amount of displeasure as he said something through clenched teeth. “That will do, and we will not require a crib.”

Sensing the Inuyōkai’s discontentment at the situation, the human male scrambled to apologize and come up with a solution. “Mr. Tatakau, I am very sorry for the mix up. You will be only charged half the price for your stay and your meals will be on us in our restaurant during your time in Mito.” He bowed in remorse then hurried to get their key card. Returning, the employee handed Sesshōmaru the piece of plastic and bowed once more. “Here is the key. Your room number is 204 and it’s on the second floor. Once again, we are sorry for the mistake, and hope you and your wife have a lovely stay.”

‘Wife?’ Kagome blinked at the man as if he had grown another head. Where did he get that from? Did she look like a wife? They weren’t even together any longer for Kami's sake. Wanting to rectify the misunderstanding, she tried correcting the man. “We…” remarked the teen, but before she could say more, the demon interrupted. "We will. Thank you." He picked up the luggage and began to gently nudge her towards the bank of elevators.

She glanced at the employee who waved happily, clearly ignorant of the woman’s plight. Weakly smiling, she then hurried in the direction of the enormous doors. While they waited for the lift, her mind whirled with questions. What the heck was that? Why did he stop her? Did he want people to think they were married? Why? The door dinged then allowed the small family admittance. Once in the elevator, she confronted the inuyōkai. “Sesshōmaru, why did you stop me? That man thought we were married.”

“I do not see the problem.” He stated, shrugging his shoulders not bothered by the idea.

There was no ring on her finger, though wouldn’t there have been a ring and a mating mark with an Inuyōkai. “You and I are not married, though.” The teenager pointed out, displaying her neck slightly and wiggling her bare hand at him.

His golden eyes strayed to her neck a little longer than necessary causing her heart to speed up. Swallowing sharply, he looked away as he answered. “Some may have an issue with us staying in a room unmarried. It would be better for others to believe that we are wed.”

“I don’t have a ring.” Reminded Kagome wiggling her fingers again.

“To humans it would be unnecessary. They would assume since you are with a yōkai that you are mated with a mark.” He said with another shrug. “Their simple minds see what they want to see.”

Hey! Was that an insult? Simple minds, huh? Some maybe though she has met some demons that haven’t been very bright, so she’s not sure where he was going with it. Ignorant or not, wouldn’t yōkai know they weren’t mated. “What about other yōkai?” inquired the teen curious about the answer the inuyōkai would give.

“They will not care either way and will mind their own business.”

Oh. She hadn’t realized demons would see things like that differently than humans. “I guess that makes sense.” Mumbled Kagome thinking more on the issue.

“Naturally.” He smiled cheekily and stepped out of the elevator.

‘Cocky asshole.’ She thought as they made their way down the hall to the room.

The couple didn’t have to go very far before they reached the locked door. Sesshōmaru used the key card then stepped aside to allow Kagome in before he followed kicking the door shut behind him. He set bags on the floor and gazed around the room.

Kagome did the same, noting a couch and chair, a plain desk, a flat-screen, and a massive bed. It was a nice room if only there hadn’t been one bed. Where were they all going to sleep? “So, what are we doing about the sleeping arrangement?” Kagome asked as Malakai wiggled in her hold, resulting in the teen hauling him higher on her hip before thumbing at the made bed. “One bed.”

“It is big enough for all of us to sleep in.” The large yōkai said as if it wasn’t a big deal and continued to eye the other furniture.

That was what he thought, but it wasn’t happening. “I don’t think so. How about you take the couch?” snarked the young woman eyeballing the small sofa near the window.

Scoffing, Sesshōmaru glared at the undersized furniture than to the woman flinging his silver strands over his shoulder in exasperation. “Do I look like I can fit on that?”

“If you bend your legs, you might.” Retorted Kagome smiling broadly while throwing out the suggestion. The image of the yōkai attempting to contort his big figure to fit the parameters of the tiny sofa came to the forefront of her mind. Using her free hand, she tried muffling the giggle that eagerly wanted to spring forth. Oh, that would be a comical and amusing sight.

At the sound of her laughter, he shook his head and gently snarled at the teen crossing his muscular arms over his chest. “I am not sleeping on that thing.” He refused, especially when there was a giant bed that could accommodate them all.

She reined in her amusement as soon as she realized the demon was serious. If he doesn’t sleep on the couch, then where else would he catch some zzzs. It wasn’t like they could order a cot up here, not when they wanted others to believe they were married. “Then where are you going to sleep?” asked Kagome watching the yōkai warily and gnawing her lip in anticipation of his answer.

“We have a child together, Gome.” The inuyōkai pointed out using her nickname for the first time in a long while. He ran his fingers roughly through his long locks and forged on. “I think we can be mature enough to sleep in the same bed.” He patiently explained with a heartfelt sigh while sending her a beseeching look.

The prideful yōkai was not the type to plead, but here he was imploring with her to see some reason. It undoubtedly appeared that she was being immature about the whole situation. It wasn’t his fault that the hotel messed up their reservation, leaving them in this awkward position. Maybe she should cut him some slack? “Fine, but you stay on your side, and Malakai sleeps in the middle.” Reluctantly yielded the teen placing a hand on her hip and trying to come across as stern.

A smile tugged at the corners of his full lips and his gaze suddenly began to twinkle with mirth. “And if I don’t?”

Kagome hadn’t been expecting him to respond in such a teasing manner. It caused her heart flutter wildly and a stain of pale pink to dust her cheeks. “I’ll shock you every time you touch me.” She forced herself to say as she turned to the window. Naturally, she would never do that. Injuring someone even in vengeance was not something the young Miko could ever fathom. Plus, she would never risk hurting Malakai; he didn’t need to know that, though.

It was as if he knew what she was thinking as he responded smugly. “No, you won’t.” Sesshōmaru said with a hearty dose of conviction.

She was curious to know why he thought that. How did he know she wouldn’t shock the shit out of him? He sounded so sure of himself. “Why do you say that?” asked Kagome brows disappearing into her dark bangs.

That grin of his widened knowingly. He glanced at the quiet toddler and tipped his chin in the younger yōkai’s direction before answering. “You wouldn’t risk hurting our son.”

Damn, how did he figure that out? No one could say that the inuyōkai wasn’t observant. It made sense as to why Sesshōmaru was so quiet much of the time, that and he absolutely didn’t care for other people.

The duo was silent for a spell before Malakai’s stomach grumbled loudly, cutting into the stillness. Laughing, Kagome tickled their son’s belly lightly as asked him a question. “You hungry, love?”

The small Inu bounced in her arms, his onyx head flopping animatedly and flashing some teeth while he spoke. “Hai.”

"I am famished as well." Sesshōmaru agreed with the pup glancing thoughtfully at his watch. He turned up from it and addressed the restless woman. "Why don't we go and procure some food?"

Kagome guiltily scratched at the back of her neck. “I’m not really hungry.” She admitted face blooming with color.

He snorted, not bothering to conceal his amusement. “That is because you devoured all of that Melon Pan on the ride up here.” Retorted the yōkai while heading for the door.

A faraway look slid gracefully on her pretty features as she remembered the sweet and delicious bread. He had brought more than one, and they were so delectable. She could not resist eating them all. “It was too good to waste.” She reasoned aloud then hurried to follow the man out of the room.

“Thus, why you are not hungry.” Sesshōmaru tossed the words over his shoulder and strolled down the hall to the lift.

“Hey,” yelled Kagome in mock outrage. “You’re the one who bought me the Melon Pan in the first place.”

The inuyōkai paused at the metal doors and promptly pressed the down button. As they waited for the lift, his bored gaze drifted to the teen and answered dryly. “I seem to be lacking in judgement.”

“Have you been hanging with Inuyasha lately?” Mocked Kagome and smiled when she spied his bland expression sour at the mention of his half-brother.

“One would think so, but I have not. He is not worthy to hang in my presence.” He sneered at the thought then went back to watching the numbers decrease.

“Why because he’s a hanyou?” asked the other teen curiously.

Snorting once more, Sesshōmaru shook his head and surprised her with his response. “No because he is a loud and brash baka. There is always some type of commotion with the boy.”

Kami, the yōkai beside her, talks as if he were years apart from them. He acts like such an old man. Seriously, she should start calling him gramps. “You’re only a year older than us,” noted Kagome blowing some bangs out of her eyes.

“Maturity wise, I am hundreds of years older than Inuyasha will ever be.” He jested with a satisfied smile.

The yōkai was clearly amused by the truth of his words, and the teen mom had to agree heartily. Inuyasha was like a toddler at times though even Malakai was more mature than he. “That is so true,” admitted Kagome while laughing merrily.

“Indeed.” He remarked slyly as the elevator dinged. “Now enough about the fool. Let’s go eat. You can have something light.”

Ooh, Soba noodle Salad. That was light, wasn’t it? Maybe she had room for that. “Sounds fine by me.” She replied eagerly, mind now on the delicious salad as they stepped into the elevator.

Since their meals were comped and it was convenient, the couple had decided to eat in the hotel restaurant. It had been nice, and the food had been good. The pleasant dinner hadn't taken that long, leaving enough time for the trio to go to the local gaming center.

Kagome was at a random crane machine that held various animal plushies. For the past half hour, she had been trying to get a hedgehog plushie. It was too cute, but it was buried amongst the others causing her to blow most of her tokens. Sticking out a tongue in concentration, she didn’t notice the two inuyōkai approaching.

She jumped when Sesshoumaru’s voice sprang from over her shoulder, jerking her hand and throwing the machine off course. “What are you doing?” he inquired wonderingly.

“I am trying to win this hedgehog plushie, but it seems to be wedged in there.” Said the teen moving the claw back to where it had been before he had interrupted. She punched the button, dropping the grappler. Praying that it would hit its mark, Kagome was frustrated when it grabbed the plushie only to slide off the wedged animal. “Ugh! I’m never going to get it.” She whined with a pout and threw up her hands in annoyance before stomping away to another crane machine. There was a Gudetama figure that had caught her eye; maybe she would have better luck getting that.

Sesshōmaru stared after the woman keenly watching her stomp away. His peepers lingered on her swaying backside for a few seconds then turned to the pup in his arms, whispering something to him. Malakai’s bright eyes sparkled, and his little body vibrated with excitement at his father’s words. The older yōkai chuckled at the sight while they quickly went about with their grand plan.

At the new machine, Kagome was once more struggling to get the desired prize. Never in her life had she ever been this bad at crane games. Frustration was rising again in the teen, resulting in the mother wanting to scream the emotion to the world. ‘This is the last time. If I don’t get it, then I am done for the night.’ She vowed vehemently and grabbed another coin.

Before she could slip the token in, her son’s little voice echoed throughout the gaming center. “Mama!” He cried joyfully, causing Kagome to twist around sharply. When she did, the teen observed the toddler waddling over to her with an adorable plushie in hand. It was the same one she had been aiming to win earlier. He skidded to a stop in front of her and held out the stuffed animal. “Hew.” Said the young yōkai proudly smiling as he waited for his mother to take it.

Sinking to a crouch so that she was eye level with the tiny boy, Kagome carefully took the gift he was offering and beamed warmly. “Thank you, love. Did you help dada get it?”

His raven mane bounced while he pointed at the older demon then came back himself to pat his little puffed out chest. “Help.” crowed the active toddler happily.

Malakai looked so proud that he was able to help his father with something. It had Kagome smiling even wider. “Wow. I bet you were an awesome helper.” Cooed the woman ruffling his black crown before standing up.

Sesshōmaru swoop up the toddler bringing him to eye level as he answered his mother. “Uh-huh.” He added then leaned into his father’s embrace as a yawn overcame him. A chubby fist came up to gently rub his drooping lids as another yawn hit the youngster.

“Someone’s getting sleepy.” Commented the teen mom glancing from the small child to the man in front of her. “I think it might be time to go.” She politely suggested with a gentle smile.

Sesshōmaru silently agreed, and they went to cash in their tickets, picking out some prizes before beginning their trek back to the local hotel. Five minutes into the walk, Malakai had fallen asleep in his father’s arms, hugging a stuffed puppy that he had gotten at the prize counter.

“You didn’t have to go through all the hassle of getting this for me.” She held up the stuffed hedgehog and move it to and fro.

His brows rose as the stuffed animal was waved closer to his person. A grin surfaced from her joyous excitement at having it within her possession. “Did you want it?” He promptly asked when she finally settled down and ceased wagging the plushie about.

Did she want it? That was a silly question. Of course, she wanted the plushie; the proof was in the wasted tokens after all. “You know I did,” Kagome fiercely muttered while hugging the fake animal to her chest.

The satisfied grin on his distinctive features broadened, and the golden pools surveying over her tiny form warmed at the clear happiness displayed on her face. “It was worth the hassle then.” He remarked softly before returning his attention to the sidewalk.

A blush rushed forth and her heart sped up at the implication of his words. She turned her focus to the brightly lit sign of a local convenience shop and pointed at it cheerfully.

“Ooh, can we stop in the convenience store to grab some treats for later?” Asked the teen intentionally slowing her steps as she continued. “Then we can go back and watch a movie. Doesn’t that sound fun?” She tossed out the suggestion to see if he’d consider popping in to do a little shopping.

He paused, pondering the idea and eyeing the charming woman critically. “That depends on the movie we see.”

If all it took for him to agree was the choice in movie she’d let him watch whatever. “We can watch whatever movie you want.” She declared with a bright smile.

“Hm...” He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully for a moment before hesitantly conceding. “I suppose.”

“Yes!” She whooped happily, bouncing on her feet, then sprinted across the street without bothering to scan for cars.

“Woman,” Sesshōmaru barked when he caught up to her. “must you always be so reckless. You could have been hit.”

The yōkai was overreacting since there was no one on the road. There were neither people nor cars in sight. Kagome rotated her gaze skyward and scoffed loudly, stretching out her arms. “What cars, Maru? There is no one here right now.” She had a greater chance of getting hit by the wind than a damn car.

“You never know,” was his response, which had the other teen hysterically laughing as she opened the shop door. Kami, he really was such an old man.

Sesshōmaru just shook his head, hiding the twitch of the lips at the use of his nickname and followed her into the store.

Grabbing a basket, Kagome continued to giggle while she scurried down one of the aisles searching for something. “I want some Hojicha Crunchy Chocolate. Have you tried them before?” She asked, glancing over at the man now beside her.

His face crumpled in displeasure as he spoke with disgust. “No. I do not care for chocolate.”

He did not like chocolate. How did she not know this? Did it have something to do with him being a canine? Isn’t it like poison to them? This was the information that she needed to know. What if they were, and she accidentally fed Malakai some? He could get sick and die. She turned to stare at the yōkai with a large amount of nervous curiosity. “Is it because you’re a dog?”

This time he did grab the bridge of his nose, taking in a deep breath. “Woman, it is not because I’m a canine.” The demon uttered in vexation. “Inuyōkai are nothing like a basic mongrel.”

So, they weren’t allergic to chocolate then? Thank the Kamigami. “Then why don’t you like chocolate? It’s soooo good.” questioned Kagome as she tossed some Pocky into the basket.

He shrugged before lightly answering. “It is not for me. I prefer caramel.” He scanned the racks and snagged a red package down to show her. “Preferably, Tohato - Caramel Corn.”

Caramel corn? Who would have guessed? It wasn’t her thing but to each his own and all that jazz. “I don’t think I’ve tried them. Well, we have to get it if you like them.” She snagged the snack from his hold and chucked it into the carrier.

Kagome laughed at his slacked jaw then realized that they were wasting time standing in the aisle. She wrapped her fingers around his raised hand and started to haul him with her. “Come on, Gramps. We have a few more things to pick up.”

Sesshōmaru glared at the giggling woman but allowed her to drag him along. She threw a few more things in the basket before heading to the counter to pay for the items.

Stepping out of the building, the yōkai stared at the bags before moving to Kagome shaking his silver head in amusement. “You are hungry now, aren’t you?”

Her cheeks reddened, and she bashfully dropped her gaze to her feet, mumbling softly. “Maybe…”

Laughing, Sesshōmaru continued to tease the embarrassed woman. “Should I be concerned with the way you would rather eat snacks than a hearty meal?”

Snapping out of her embarrassment, Kagome peered up at him and crowed in mock anger. “Are you calling me fat?”

He snorted at the ridiculousness of the comment since they both knew that was not what he had meant, nor was the glaring miko really mad. “You are anything but.” The inuyōkai uttered dryly, ignoring her words and fake outrage.

“Hmm. Nice save.” She sarcastically hummed while tucking some hair behind her ear and flashing him a toothy grin.

“It was not a save but the truth.” He smoothly stated, shooting her a flirtatious smirk and a quick wink.

The playful wink had thrown her off balance since that was so not like the yōkai. She stumbled slightly then laughed off the surprise. Not waiting for him to comment about her reaction, Kagome changed the subject looking at the cloudy sky. “Do you think it’s going to rain?”

His silver brow rose in question at the flustered change but made no mention of it, instead, he answered her inquiry. “It is supposed to rain tonight but clear up in the morning. It might get messy on the field tomorrow, though.”

Smiling brightly, Kagome was clearly enjoying the idea of her little brother covered from head to toe in mud. It was payback for him convincing one of his friends to ask her out. That had been so humiliating, and she felt bad for hurting the boy’s feelings. “A little dirt won’t hurt my brother.”

“I used to say that about Inuyasha…” remarked Sesshōmaru, his eyes sparkling with delight as he carried on. “Every time I tossed him in a puddle of mud.”

He tossed Inuyasha into mud puddles. Her friend had never mentioned his older brother doing that. Honestly, the hanyō had only complained about Sesshōmaru being a royal dick but nothing about the older yōkai tossing him into puddles. “You did not do that!” cried Kagome, not sure if she should find it funny or be horrified of the mean treatment of her friend.

“Among many things.” Admitted the inuyōkai, chuckling then quickly scoffing when he spotted the conflicted emotion playing out across her features. “Do not feel sorry for the whelp. You have heard his mouth, and it has not changed during all these years. He deserved the majority of the things done to him because of it.”

The teen hadn’t thought about it like that and felt stupid for almost feeling sorry for her longtime friend. Duh, It wasn’t like it was secret about the hanyō’s large potty mouth. How many times had he gotten into a fight because of it? Too many to count. It made sense he’d run his mouth to his older sibling and that Sesshōmaru would end up putting him in his place. “I’m sure he did.” Quipped Kagome now giggling wildly.

“Of course, and needless to say, he still hasn’t learned.” He said, laughing as he recalled a few current memories.

Curiosity started to tickle the edges of her mind and had her wondering what other things he had done to Inuyasha. She had to know what he meant by among many things. How many instances were there? The temptation was too great and had the interested woman asking the yōkai. “You said among many things. What else did you do to him?”

“Hm,” hummed the demon as he cocked his head to the side in thought. His golden eyes started to twinkle while a smile appeared, showing a large number of teeth when a particular memory came to mind. “Well, there was this one time…” He began to tell her about another incident with his annoying sibling. She listened intently to the story all the way to the hotel and up to their room.

Moving to the bed, Sesshōmaru pulled back the bedding and gently placed the sleeping pup in the middle. He then went about taking off his daily wear and carefully dressing the pup into pajamas given to him by Kagome. The exhausted child didn’t even wake as he was doing so, only snoring softly into the still air.

Gently covering the toddler, Kagome stepped away from the bed and headed to the bathroom, grabbing the folded clothes on the end as she passed.

When she was finished, the teen was throwing up her hair as she walked to the tv stand nicking the remote and turning on the television. Kagome approached the empty side of the bed and climbed in. “Okay, what do you want to watch?” She asked, tossing the yōkai the remote and waited for him to decide.

Sesshōmaru caught the remote and started to flip through the on-demand feature until he got to the genre he wanted. “Something with action, I think.” mused the inu, scrolling through the list on the large screen. It didn’t take him long to find one he wanted to see. “13 Assassins will do.” The yōkai said pressing play then set the remote on the nightstand. He turned to the woman beside him and asked her if she had ever seen this movie. “Have you seen this before?”

Seen it, no; Heard of it, yes. It was on her list of movies to see, but she had never gotten the chance. “I have not.” Replied the teen while snatching the bag of Hojicha Crunchy Chocolate off the nightstand. She opened it up and began to watch the opening credits.

He reached over and switched off the light. “You will like it.” Whispered the demon before turning his attention to the screen.

Several minutes later, a yawn escaped as Kagome’s tired eyes slowly closed then opened as she tried fiercely to stay awake. When her eyes closed for the last time, her relaxed form started to sluggishly crawl across the headboard and came to rest against the large yōkai.

Sesshōmaru listened to her breathing deepen, indicating that sleep had finally taken its hold. He carefully shifted the arm that she was on, causing her head to slide to his chest. His arm draped over her sleeping form, gently pulling her closer.

The toddler between them shifted his little body molding against the older yōkai’s thigh. A tiny clawed hand grasped the pajama pants tightly, nuzzling the material whining contently as he did so.

A satisfied rumbled left the man while he reached over to lightly caress the child’s chubby cheek then buried his face into the raven hair of the woman in his hold. He gently nuzzled the locks, taking in her soothing scent and rumbling once more before returning his attention to the movie. This right here was where he belonged. It was where they belonged. If only he could convince his miko.