Moving Forward

The room was deathly silent. Kagome couldn't tell if the two demons in the room were breathing or not. 'This is so awkward.' She thought as her, Sesshomaru, Rin and Akio sat around the table in their tea-room. Kagome thought the tea-room would allow everyone to relax. Clearly, she was wrong. They agreed to speak with the younger couple right after breakfast and end this stress everyone was feeling. This, however, wasn't helping at all.

It was time to give her mate a mental push through their bond. 'Sesshomaru, what are you doing? This is killing them.'

'Mate, This One is giving his daughter away.' There was pain lacing his voice.

Kagome's heart cracked at her poor mate's pain. She reached over and laid her hand on his knee. She gave it a reassuring squeeze which he thanked by sliding his own hand down to hold her hand. Her support was something he'd never get used to. It proved, once again, she could tell what he needed without him asking.

When he thought she couldn't be any more amazing, she proved him wrong by pushing her love for him through their bond. She reminded him of the pain they felt, but they were able to recover it. This was the same; it would hurt, but things would get better.

"Rin." His cold voice caused both Akio and Rin to startle.

"You will finish your training as you committed to it." Sesshomaru stopped speaking without ever looking at Akio.

"What your father is trying to say is, while you're with Kaede finishing your training, it would be perfectly acceptable for you two to communicate through letters. While you're visiting us the two of you may spend time together with a chaperon... One that isn't your father." Kagome added as an afterthought.

Sesshomaru's eyes cut to Akio's as they narrowed. They may have agreed to this, but that doesn't mean he had to like it. His daughter on the other hand, was feeling the opposite side of the emotion chart. Rin was positively glowing. She was sure her father would make her cut ties with Akio after he found out they were out alone.

"Akio."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"You will spend the next two years doing your own training. With This One. You shall become worthy to mate Rin. Once she is home for good you will enter an official courting that will last one year. Either of you may walk away at any time." Sesshomaru may have said either of them could walk away, but Akio was able to tell by the look on his friend/Lord's face that he'd die an extremely painful and slow death if he hurt Rin in anyway.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama. Truly." Akio moved away from the the low table to lower his head to the floor. He couldn't express his gratitude for this opportunity. Even if she wasn't Sesshomaru's blood, she was still the princess in Sesshomaru's eyes, and no one would ever be good enough for her.

"Really?! Thank you so much!" Rin completely forgot her manners as she jumped from the table and hugged both her parents with tears running down her face. What almost caused Sesshomaru to lose his cool façade was her whispered words. "Thank you. I love you, Daddy."

"Hn. As I you."

The older couple watched the two leave the tea-room with another guard to watch over them while Rin was home. It wasn't even a second later when Kagome turned towards her mate to share how proud she was of him.

"Sess? You did wonderful. As much as you may not want to admit it, Akio has the potential to be a great mate for Rin." She hugged him, but Sesshomaru wasn't having it. He pulled his loving mate into his lap, so she was sitting sideways in his lap with her legs hanging off one side. He nuzzled her hair as he asked his teasing questions.

"Did This One do enough to earn a reward?" He nipped her ear hoping he'd get her as excited as he was.

"Hm... I suppose. However, you'd have to catch me first." Kagome pushed off his lap and dashed from the room while laughing.

Once alone, Sesshomaru smiled. He loved his family, but right now he had a mate to catch. He slowly stood as he allowed his beast to merge with him. "As you wish, Koi."

Time skip 6ish months

Sesshomaru woke to the stench of sickness. His chest and arm were on fire from the small heater cuddled up to him. Her hair was sticking to her face and back as sweat poured off her. Her already pale skin was clammy, causing his beast to feel anxious as there was nothing more he could do to ease her pain. He tried to get Kagome to heal herself or see a healer, but she always told him it was best to let these things runt heir course. That they'd help make her stronger so she's less likely to get the same illness again.

Stubborn.

Indeed.

"Mate, let This One clean you up." His words were spoken in hushed tones, her and their pup were the only ones to ever see this side of him. It gave her a reason to smile even when she felt horrible.

She groaned and turned away from him as she answered with a simple, "I don't wanna."

The Western Lord knew his mate well enough to know she wouldn't move on her own so he carried her bridle style to the hot spring. He took her to the cleaning area to wash her with cool water while the servants rushed in to change all the bedding and air out the room with their own wind demon.

"Thank you." Kagome was feeling slightly better after cleaning up. She knew this was just the flu and it would take a day or two to get over it. Sadly, that would be a day or two of her mate unhappy with her next news. "Sess, I need you to ask Akio to step in for you. I don't want us to send our son off to a random nanny."

"Mate, he would be safe."

"It's not about that, most people don't have money for that. I want to raise him like I was. Please?"

He didn't say anything as he carried her back to their room and set her down at the small table. The staff always amazed her with how fast they worked and the extra things they did to make her smile. There on the table sat some broth and flowers.

"Eat."
Kagome started eating while she waited to see if her mate would say anything else on the issue. Turns out he was trying to avoid it.

"You will rest until you are well if you will not heal yourself."

Kagome rolled her eyes. He would never learn to ask her to do things. Sometimes it was okay, in times like this she knew he just worried too much. Her throat was rough and sore, but she wanted to make sure he cared for their son. "I was planning on it. Please Sess, can you keep Hideyoshi while I'm sick?"

"Why? This One must care for the West." Sesshomaru loved his son as much as Kagome, but children were like an enemy you can't destroy. They looked cute and innocent, but the trouble they caused was enough to be thankful he came across Rin at an older age.

"Sesshomaru, I wish you had a middle and last name; you are a father first. I'm sick and you have Akio to help with the paperwork or whatever else you need to do. Any minor things can wait while you spend some quality time with our son. If there's an emergency, I'm sure you'll still be the first to know.

He was about protest when their pup started to whine from his room next door. With Kagome no longer nursing anymore, since demons didn't need their mother's milk like humans did, they were able to move him into a new room and get their sleep back without interruption. That also meant Sesshomaru was going to be on his own all day. That or deal with an enraged mate, which no one wanted to risk.

Sesshomaru glided into Hideyoshi's room and spoke in a gentle tone. He'd kill anyone who ever heard it outside of his immediate pack and explained what was going to happen today and why he wouldn't see his mother today.

"Pup, your mother is ill. She will rest. You will behave while This One works." He was the Western Lord; he was the most powerful demon alive. He wouldn't ask for help; no, he didn't need assistance. He could do both, work as a Lord and be a father just as Kagome did every day.

What could possibly go wrong?

A lot. It turns out a lot could go wrong. Sesshomaru set up a little area for their pup to play on his stomach. "Tummy time" his mate called it. He sat at his desk to take care of minor business and paperwork figuring this was what his mate did, no wonder she was able to do it all. Well, when he turned to look at his pup and see how he was doing, his son was missing!

Growling lowly, he stood to find his son, who was currently destroying Sesshomaru's bottom row of scrolls and maps, he called out in an attempt to put fear into the youngin.

"How did you get here, pup?" The only response he was given was a cute and innocent laugh of a baby that knew they were caught.

Mother will know more.

His beast was correct. The best way to beat your opponent was to know them. Using their mental link, Sesshomaru was able to reach out to his mother for answers without waking his mate. 'Mother, when do pups begin to crawl.?'

'Why hello to you too, Sesshomaru. My handsome grandpup should be crawling any day now. Why? Did someone out smart you?' Her laughter could be heard through their bond telling him she knew this would happen but didn't tell him. He cut the link off at that. No. He, Lord Sesshomaru, was not outsmarted. He was simply surprised, but it wouldn't happen again.

Fine, if his son wanted to play dirty then he could too. He requested more pillows to keep his son inside one area. The stressed-out father saw one small opening and decided not to risk it. He sat next to it and used his legs to block off the exit.

There was no way his son would get out this time.

The whole castle heard Sesshomaru roar when acid hit his skin through his favorite pair of black boots.

His son had acid?! When did this happen?! It didn't hurt since it was his own acid, but it did scared him. He grabbed Kagome's laughing son and left to get answers. The irritated Western Lord made his way towards his mate as the staff ran the opposite way. He stood right outside the door to see if she was awake or not. Thankfully, she was up. He just hoped his aura didn't wake her up. That thought was instantly erased from his mind when he saw his mate's back facing him while she was changing. Kagome must be feeling a bit better if she is wearing the pants she had made for when she wanted to feel "comfy."

There wasn't time for this thought. "Kagome, were you aware our son has my acid abilities?"

Kagome spun around so quickly she almost fell until Sesshomaru's quick reflexes caught her around the waist. "Thank you." She whispered while looking over both her son and mate. There was an odd smell following them, but she didn't see where it was coming from yet. She looked slower, his silver hair looked the same, his face, chest, stomach, legs, and fe-. His feet! She lost it when she saw what their son did to him.

"Oh my gosh!" Kagome lost the ability to speak from how hard she was laughing. "What happened to your boot?" She had tears running down her face from laughing so hard, she was almost scared she'd pee herself from this laughing session.

His poor boot. It was still burning away leaving him with only his heel covered and his poor, irritated red skin showing. Probably from the boot melting on his skin. When she looked back to his face he had somehow managed to look as regal as ever while he was giving her time to calm down. He lifted one perfect brow in a silent question before he finally spoke. "What do you think happened?" Did he not just come in here and ask her about their son?

"No way! He did this?!"

Does she truly think This One would drool on his own foot?

"Yes." He glared at her when she laughed even harder.

"I swear I didn't know. I would have told you if I did. Are you okay?" Her laughing was starting to settle down, not because she was concerned about him, but because her throat was becoming raw.

"Hn." Sesshomaru handed his pup to Kagome while he changed boots. Without a word he took their demon of a pup back out of the room and took the rest of the day off. He was halfway down the hall when he heard Kagome start laughing again until she started to cough. Sesshomaru smirked.

Serves her right.