Kagome rubbed her forehead in exasperation, wishing for the millionth time that her son could just stay out of trouble for ONCE in his short life of eight years. Why, oh why, did he have to get that specific trait from his blasted father?

If she had had the energy, Kagome would've killed her son's father. But alas, she did not have the energy, so she just had to deal with this visit to the principal's office until it was over.

"Now, we've agreed that Hikaru was the one to start the fight, so Kazuo was just acting in self-defense. However, we will require that both of them write an apology to each other and have lunch detention for the rest of the week. Since it's Wednesday, it'll only be Thursday and Friday. They'll need to bring their own food and report here each lunch. Does that sound alright?" The principal, Kaede, looked at Kagome and the other parent in the office with one good critical look. Kagome got the eerie feeling that she was reading her mind.

"Yes, it is. I'll talk to Hikaru about starting fights," the other parent, Miroku Houshi, compromised, and Kagome rolled her eyes at the charming tone he spoke in. He probably wasn't going to talk to his son about it, he just wanted to get out of the principal's office just as much as she does.

"Kazuo will get a talking as well, Kaede, don't worry," Kagome assured the old woman, and the woman looked at the two of them before nodding.

"Very well. Both of you can go pick your sons up, they're waiting outside their homerooms." Kaede went back to looking at papers, and Kagome took that as a sure sign to be able to get up from her chair, bow, and then get out. Miroku followed her example, closing the door and shuddering.

"She has as much of a piercing gaze twenty years older. Shouldn't she be retired by now?" he muttered to Kagome, as if afraid that Kaede would hear him through the door.

Kagome couldn't blame him. Kaede had a weird sixth sense, always knowing when something was wrong in her school.

"Kaede is like the Queen of England - never dying," Kagome waved off, walking briskly to pick up her son to give him a real verbal lashing. Miroku jogged to get ahead of her and turned around, walking backwards to meet her eyes.

"So…I'm sorry my kid punched your kid in the face, can I make it up to you over dinner?"

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, putting one hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow at him. "Seriously?"

"What?" Miroku was grinning charmingly, but Kagome knew the man too well to be tricked.

"Miroku, we're already having dinner after this," she said bluntly. "We're going to my house to prepare mac and cheese for the kids and when our significant others arrive we're going to snuggle up to them while they complain about some criminal while we pretend that we aren't jealous of how much time they spend together during the week."

"I was just trying to lighten the mood." Miroku shrugged, turning around to walk side-by-side with her. "Sango and Inuyasha are lucky they don't have to deal with Hikaru and Kazuo's constant fighting. Why do they keep getting into these stupid things when they're in school? They're best friends when they're out of it, even if Kazuo is a year younger."

"Because outside of school, Izayoi is around," Kagome said bluntly. "And Hikaru likes Izayoi, and Kazuo doesn't think of Hikaru worthy of his big sister, but he won't say that in front of her. He's right, of course, but no one deserves my baby." She shrugged. "And yes, Inuyasha and Sango are so lucky - they get to scare their spouses shitless every time they don't get arrive home the time they said they would without telling us first! Ugh, the problems of being the wife of a police officer."

Miroku frowned, but wisely decided to not say anything. After all, he didn't think anyone worthy of his twin daughters, so obviously Kagome would think the same of her daughter. "That's true. At least we have each other when that happens!" He threw an arm around her shoulder.

Kagome laughed, elbowing him in the gut. "Yeah, because I totally want to be left with you for prolonged amount of time."

"I knew it!"

Kagome threw her head back and laughed. Dork alert!