Disclaimer: Takahashi Rumiko owns InuYasha. The loose resemblance of any other characters in this fic belong to Nightrow Yasuhiro. My mind belongs to me, that makes me the poorest of the three.

The next morning, Kagome woke to a warm arm holding her anchored to a warmer body. She felt very safe, very embarrassed, and somewhat sore. What do I say? Do we just go on as before? Does this change everything? How do I act?" She started tensing up.

"Calm down Kagome. Last night was last night. It was the single most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. We'll continue to take one day at a time, and see what happens." He tightened his arm, and she could tell THAT was awake and happy. However, before she could tell him she thought they should wait to have sex again, he kissed her shoulder, and got out of bed.

"Come on, we can share the bath." At her arched eyebrow, he smiled at her suspicious gaze. "Miroku told me that Sango and he share a bath often." He raised his eyebrow in imitation of Miroku's lecherous gaze. "Come my pretty lady, a bath would be relaxing for me, doubly so if you were in it too." He playfully grabbed her hand, pulling her out of bed. "Please, let me honor you by allowing you to lead, beautiful lady."

Kagome laughed. "But then you'll be looking at my naked butt."

InuYasha pretended to think for a moment. "Ah, I see the truth in that. Oh well, what a sacrifice I must make!" They both laughed, breaking the tension of the morning after.

After their shower, Kagome showed InuYasha how to make ramen. "If you're going to live in my time, you're going to have to learn how to cook for yourself." She put her hands on her waist, looking just like she used to. "I'm not going to cook and clean for you all the time!" As he put the food on the table, she complimented him for a job well done, and they both started eating. He wasn't too bad with the ramen, but the eggs were burnt, and crunchy, which meant he didn't get all the shells out. Oh well, Kagome thought. I guess that's a lesson for another day.

"InuYasha," Kagome leaned forward and looked at him intently.

"Keh?" He was still eating noodles like they were on the endangered species list.

'We need to find you a job. What can you do besides fight and kill things?"

"Mmm phm hmpm" he muttered in between bites of ramen.

Kagome reached over and caught his chopsticks before he could put the next bite in his mouth.

"FEH!"

"What did you just say, mumble boy???" He glared but answered.

"I can make swords." She released his chopsticks and he pulled them out of her way. Picking up his bowl of noodles, he moved across the room, glaring at her.

"I started working for Toutosai after you went through the well." He looked at her with sad eyes. "Not exactly the same day, I waited for a day or two first." No way am I telling her I sat next to the well for two months, until Miroku and Sango dragged me off and helped put me together again.

"Was it one, or two?" She was glaring at him and he could feel the sweat gathering on his forehead.

"Damn you're scary! It was more than two." He put his breakfast down and walked over to her. Gently putting his hands on her cheeks, he looked her in the eyes. "It was definitely more than two. I waited until I KNEW you weren't coming back. Then I waited some more. Finally other people had to get me to see that I had to keep living, because that's what you would have wanted." He sighed in relief when she calmed down and was no longer glaring daggers at him. Turning back to his meal, he added, "don't ask again, I won't admit we ever had this conversation."

Kagome's heart warmed. Okay, so ten years hadn't changed him THAT much. Now to get him a job so we can move on to our happily ever after. "InuYasha?"

He looked up from the tasty chicken flavored noodles. They were almost gone, and he was delaying the moment he'd have no more diversionary tactics. He waved his chopsticks for her to continue.

"I have a friend who is looking for a good sword smith. I think we need to go there and find out if he'll hire you. You might have to start as an apprentice…" at his glare, she smiled "however, if you show him how good you are, he'll promote you to master smith quickly."

He finished the last bite, glad they had a plan. "Okay, let's go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the house.

"Wait! Unless you plan to carry me the whole way…" His eyes grew large at the thought, he hated to admit he'd lost most of his strength by becoming human. "We're going to need the car. My keys are inside." He smiled in relief and opened the door to let her back in.

Twenty minutes later, they were standing at the doors to a warehouse-style building. KatanaWorks® was hammered in copper into the door and there was an elaborate iron scroll handle. InuYasha was impressed by the workmanship, but was reserving judgment until he saw how well the swords were made. Kagome pushed an intercom button, and a voice came out, startling InuYasha. "Can I help you?"

"Kagome Higurashi here to see Erik Ryonuko." Something buzzed, and Kagome pulled open the door. They walked into a big showroom that had an entire wall covered in swords of various designs and materials. There was a young lady sitting behind a desk looking attentively at the visitors. InuYasha walked over to the wall and took great delight in looking at the various styles of swords while Kagome talked with the receptionist. "Is Erik here?" The lady nodded, then picked up the phone. InuYasha had just completed his perusal when a tall thin man with spiky blonde hair and glasses walked out. Holding out his hand, he walked straight to Kagome.

"Kagome! What a pleasure to see you! I haven't seen you since my list visit to the shrine. I get such inspiration there!" Kagome smiled into his blue eyes. He was such a corker!

"Erik, I have someone I would like you to meet." She looked over at InuYasha, who was glaring at Erik. "InuYasha, please come over here, this is Erik Ryonuko, and he owns KatanaWorks." InuYasha gently placed a scimitar back on its holder and walked over to shake the man's hand. He turned and pointed at a large weapon that looked to be the size of a small person. "What is that?"

Erik smiled and walked over to the sword. "It's called a Claymore. The Scottish used it during medieval times. You don't know much about swords do you?"

"Feh. That's not the type of sword I'm used to making." Erik tilted his head and looked at him strangely.

"You make swords?" He pushed his glasses back up his nose and looked at InuYasha more carefully.

"Yes. That's why we're here. To see if I can make swords for you." Erik looked at Kagome, who was blushing furiously.

"Um, I was not going to be so blunt, but I am wondering if you need some help." She was holding her hands tightly, embarrassment in every fiber of her being.

Erik smiled and patted the shorter man on the back, winking at Kagome as he did so. "Sure, if you know what you're doing. But I'll warn you," he looked at InuYasha over the rims of his glasses "I'm picky. That's why I work alone. I only accept the best." He turned to look at his receptionist. "Millie, I'll be in the back, don't bother me unless You Know Who calls." Erik opened the door and ushered InuYasha and a speechless Kagome into the workshop.

InuYasha leaned over to Kagome. "Who is You Know Who?" She shrugged, but Erik laughed lightly. "My wife. I give her first priority. If I don't, she has a nasty habit of making my life really tough." He chuckled at a private joke he didn't share, than led them to a clean bench. "Before we get started…" he looked at InuYasha, "show me what you're going to make."

"Feh?" Erik picked up paper and pencil.

"Draw me the sword that you're going to make." InuYasha scowled, and glared at Erik.

"That's not how I work. I make the sword, you test it, end of story." He put his arms across his chest and glared.

"Okay." He waved his hands at his studio. "Make yourself at home. I'll be sitting over there reading a book." He pointed at a lounge chair in the corner. InuYasha started working and Erik and Kagome went to sit down and watch.

Erik's long legs took up most of the floor space between the two chairs, and he read as if he had no interest in anything going on around him. It was a little disconcerting to Kagome at first, but she realized that Erik was VERY aware of everything going on in his studio when she shivered in cold and he pulled a red blanket off the back of his chair and handed it her. "Here." He leaned forward even further. "Are you sure he knows what he's doing?"

Kagome smiled at him. "In the eight years since you've first visited my shrine, have I ever butted into your history?" Erik shook his head and looked at her a little warily. "I'm not about to today. Let's just say that whatever past you have," she pointed a finger at InuYasha "his is probably stranger." As InuYasha expertly started hammering the metal, Kagome looked Erik straight in the face. "He knows what he's doing."

Erik went back to reading, but paid close attention to what method InuYasha was using. He'd never seen anyone make a sword the way InuYasha did. He was using an intricate folding technique that Erik knew would make that sword the strongest blade in the shop.

After a couple of hours, Erik dialed a number on his cell phone and sandwiches from a nearby American deli showed up. Kagome and Erik ate theirs, placing InuYasha's aside while he continued to work. The sun had set, and You Know Who had called Erik twice, yelling at him the second time, before InuYasha cleaned up his workspace and walked over.

"It's cooling. Leave it until tomorrow. Then call Kagome on that ring, ring box and let me know if I have a job."

Erik stood and stared at the man that had such strange mannerisms. Suddenly he held out a scrawny hand. "I don't need to wait until tomorrow. You're hired." He smiled, but InuYasha frowned.

"I don't know how to make all those fancy blades and hilts you have out there. I only do that." He pointed at the expertly made Katana.

"Okay, so you keep making those, and when you want to learn something else, I'll show you how to make the others." InuYasha's eyes lit up, but he didn't smile.

"Hai." He grabbed Kagome's hand. "I'm tired, and hungry. Let's go home."

Kagome couldn't agree more. As they left Erik's shop, she knew their lives were going to be just fine.

A/N: There is 1 more chapter, so don't give up yet. If you know who my three new characters are loosely based upon, give yourself an extra two points for watching something outside of the InuYasha world. -TK