Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Summary: He'd always been the pillar of support. That hadn't changed even fifteen years later.

Pairing: Daichi/Kagome

Suggested Listening: Be Okay by Oh Honey

Sound of a Heartbeat

Chapter One: Bad Day

The alarm went off precisely at 5:00. Daichi laid in bed for a few moments, staring up at the white-painted ceiling above him. The device screeched in intervals of three seconds each. He'd counted it enough times to know.

Three

His mind was still faintly clouded from sleep. What was on today's schedule, again?

Two

A pair of feminine feet brushed over the top of his own. There was a slight groan as the weight on top of him began to shift.

One

"Time to get up," His wife leaned over him, bracing her arms on either side of his head. He smiled up at her.

"We've got an hour before the kids wake up," He wrapped his arms around her naked flesh, pulling her down onto his chest. "We should make the most of it." He tipped his head to capture her lips in a searing kiss. He missed the time where they could do this sort of thing anywhere and any time they pleased. However now that children roamed the halls of their home, the time and place in which they could indulge had been greatly limited.

Daichi easily rolled her under him, her hands eagerly grasping at his shoulder blades and the small of his back.

"We can't," Kagome tried to dissuade him. He pressed his mouth to the hollow of her neck; her weakness his mind supplied. A pleasured moan struggled to escape between her sealed lips. It wouldn't take much to convince her. She was always just as eager as him when it came to sex.

"Watch me." He shot back playfully. Just as he aligned himself, a high pitched whine came from the other side of their door.

Daichi didn't stop the frustrated sigh. As much as he loved his kids, they could have some seriously bad timing.

His wife laughed lightly, "I did say that it was a bad idea." Her arms moved up and down his back in soothing motions. He allowed his body to go lax. He buried his nose in the hollow of her neck, taking in the soft scent of jasmine from her. He could feel the slight pulse of her heart against his lips. He didn't want to move.

"Papa!" Their daughter cried from the other side of the door, "Kazu is being mean to me!"

"Am not! You're just too sensitive!" He heard their son shoot back. Daichi's brow twitched. They were not going to like it when he got out there. They had rules in this house and interrupting their mornings was definitely one of them.

"Get dressed, love. I'll get started on breakfast." Kagome combed her fingers through his hair affectionately. Reluctantly he released her in favor of throwing on a pair of simple jogging pants and wife beater. He'd change before he leave the house later, but for now this would do.

"You kids better have a good explanation by the time I'm ready." He raised his voice enough to be heard through the house. His wife rolled off the bed gracefully as the sound of feet scattered across the hallways. Their only saving grace at this point was the fact that they'd thought to install door locks. There'd been a few incidences of the children wandering into their bedroom in the middle of the night without knocking. He'd never been more mortified in his life.

Kagome slipped her arms through the sleeves of her robe. She tied a knot over her waist to hold it in place. It was so simple but the image it created along with her tousled hair still left him at odds with himself.

"Better go wrangle those kids, dad." She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "They might break something if you wait too long."

He pressed his lips against hers, "Yeah, my sanity." His brow twitched as he glanced towards the clock: 5:15. They were a good thirty minutes ahead of schedule.

"See you downstairs in a minute." She dropped her arms from him reluctantly, "I've got to make myself semi decent."

Daichi felt the urge to counter that comment but chose not to at the last minute. He sighed to himself as he unlocked the door and marched down the hallway. This was the way their mornings usually started in this household.

With complete and utter chaos.

"Mayumi," Kagome started in a softly chiding tone, "Don't pick at your food dear. You'll get hungry if you don't eat."

Their daughter puffed out her cheeks petulantly, "But I don't like leeks!"

His wife shot him a meaningful glance and knew what he had to do.

"Listen to your mother," Daichi joined in. "This is your first day of school. You don't want to go hungry while you're there, do you?" He kept his tone soft but direct. It was the best approach when talking their middle child. She was easily frustrated by new things and had always been an exceptionally picky eater. This battle could go on forever if it weren't for their oldest child's typical quip.

"Don't be a brat, Mayu." They boy took a mouthful of the food. "Just eat or you'll be late on your first day."

Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red in anger. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb.

"Kazuki, we've talked about this before. Don't be rude." For once he wished that their mornings could go without any problems but it looked as if that dream was still a long way from becoming reality.

"Yeah Kazu! Don't be mean!" Mayumi stuck her tongue out at her sibling.

"Dear, it's time. I've got to open up the shop." Kagome braced her palms on either side of his shoulders. She rubbed them affectionately as she pressed her lips against his ear, "Think you can handle the kids while I mind the store?"

"As if I couldn't." He smiled back at her. Kagome had decided half way through her career that she wanted to open up her own bakery. So they'd converted the downstairs of their home into the shop she'd always wanted. It was small time but the locals absolutely adored her and their little family.

She pressed her mouth against his in a brief kiss. Then she did much the same to Mayumi and Kazuki but on their foreheads. She swept down the line until she reached their youngest daughter.

"Ready to go, Saki?" The baby gave a happy gurgle and outstretched her cherubic arms towards her mother.

Daichi watched with no small amount of affection as she took their youngest into her arms. Both girls had taken after her the most with the same colored eyes and facial features. He leaned on the back of his hand and smiled.

"Good luck today." It was their usual goodbye and she returned it with fervor.

"Of course! Now off to work!" She crested down the stairs to open up their tiny store. It'd be some time before he could come back to the house so he'd have to hurry up with his own meal as well.

"Alright kiddos, you heard your mom. Time's running short." He glanced back at his older children. "So let's eat and then start the day."

Mayumi cheered while Kazuki pushed his polished plate away.

"Hey dad," The boy suddenly pinned him with an inquisitive glance. "What's a dilf?"

Daichi froze. At that moment he knew that this was going to be a horrible day.