Hi guys! I'm so sorry that an update took ages, things happened, plus, I had to navigate my way to painting this chapter without the lyrics which is a challenge. This story is also something that is building itself as I go and I want to take my time to tell this story as I'd enjoy reading it. My inspiration is seeing the characters live out a domestic setting and the end is still a little hazy but I hope this story is still enjoyable for you.

I have updated most of the previous chapters as I noticed some inconsistencies. And I would like to thank you guys for reading my story and being patient with me.

Disclaimer: 1st song referred to in this chapter is "Looking Up" by Paramore. I'm a big fan of Paramore and their songs will be incorporated in the story as Kurenai and Ren's band's songs. But I do not claim ownership Paramore's songs or any of the other songs in the story, I appreciate them and the life they add to the story. The 2nd song is "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac.

TWENTY EIGHT

"What's that uncle?" Shippo asked as Ren stepped into the re-arranged living room holding a gourd-shaped item on its long neck.

"This is a string music instrument called a guitar," Ren answered, sitting beside his sister on the couch and cradling the lightwood guitar on his lap. "You stroke the strings and they produce music," their guests watched with curiosity as each flick of the pick on the strings, "What do you want to play peaches?"

Kurenai pushed her lips to the side in thought, "Hmm... Looking up?"

"That's good. Ready?"

"Yup."

"1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4." Ren began strumming the guitar, filling the room with crisp, lively music.

Kurenai bobbed her head with the music and moments later, she began to sing… and her voice is astonishing.

It flowed clear and powerful that it made the hair on their body stand on end yet it's also warm and smooth, like a cozy blanket's hug on a cold night.

Ren is just as amazing with the incredible music he created with each energetic strum of his right hand over the strings and how the rhythm changes at the swift slide of his left hand and movement of his fingers on the neck of the guitar.

Listening to the words of the song, they realized that it spoke of how things finally took a turn for the better for the siblings after all of the pain and hardships they went through.

After hearing their story, they are in awe of their strong will to survive and an even stronger bond with each other that got them through great adversity and propelled them to the success they have now. What's even more impressive is they didn't let their dark days consume their hearts and lived to be some of the most compassionate people they know.

There's even a small part of Sesshoumaru that wished that he and Inuyasha had a bond a little closer to what Ren and Kurenai has.

Their audience may be small but the siblings poured their souls into their performance. They can feel it in every strum of the guitar, every time Kurenai closed her eyes when she sang, and every smile they give each other and their audience. It's obvious that they love what they do for a living.

Sesshoumaru can't take his eyes off Kurenai the entire time as if he's spellbound. Her voice is incredible and reflects her personality perfectly; strong, soothing and captivating all at the same time and he can feel his heart stir with every note she sang.

For the first time in his centuries of life, the daiyoukai who's a master of control doesn't know what to do with himself, no one has affected him this much. Never did he feel such a strong pull to a woman. The desire to be beside her all the time, to want to hear her beautiful voice sing just for him and to have that warm bright smile directed at him. He's never felt this way before, not even for a demoness, so why her? Why now?

The song ended with a final strum on the guitar and the kids immediately cheered at their small performance. The others took a second to recover from the amazement before applauding.

"Your voice is sooo beautiful mama!" Rin clapped.

"You're so cool uncle!" Shippo gushed.

"That was wonderful you two! No wonder you're successful." Sango complimented, even Kirara meowed happily on her shoulder.

Kurenai smiled, "Thank you. I'm glad you liked it, though there are a lot of greater talents than we are." her eyes went to Inuyasha, of course she wants to know what her bestfriend thinks.

The hanyou looked away, and refusing to give a straight out compliment, he said, "Hmp! Overachieving wench..."

She can only shake her head and smile, "You really know how to compliment people." she said sarcastically before her eyes met Sesshoumaru's and she held her breath.

His amber gaze held her crimson ones and she can feel warm tingles crawl under her skin, a feeling alien to her and yet she can't help but admire the daiyoukai's golden orbs.

They weren't like Inuyasha's ferocious stare, Sesshoumaru's are also intense but it reflected his elegance which made them mesmerizing. But once again, instead of the icy glare that she's been used to, she's confronted by warmth swirling in those golden orbs.

There's an urge bubbling in Kurenai to identify the foreign emotion Sesshoumaru's eyes hold because she can feel it stirring foreign emotions of her own leaving her confused, terrified and excited all at once.

"Mama! One more!" Shippo snatched her away from her thoughts and eye contact with the daiyoukai.

"Yes mama! Again!" Rin added.

Pushing her flurry of emotions, Kurenai smiled at the pair of puppy dog eyes staring at her, "Okay, but just one more okay? You have to go to bed soon, we're leaving early tomorrow." she told them and they responded with a furious nod.

"Well, sis usually sings a lullaby to the dogs anyway. So it's perfect." Ren said setting his guitar on the space his sister left on the couch as she headed for the piano.

Miroku's brows stitched together, "Where are you going Kurenai?" he watched as the miko pulled the curved lid up the glossy black furniture nestled in the space between the living room and dining room next to the window and sat behind it.

Kurenai pulled another lid up and they saw a row of white strips peppered with a few shorter black strips. To their amazement, she tapped her fingers swiftly over the strips and a pleasant melody bloomed in the room.

"Wow! What a beautiful sound mama!" Rin ran to the side of the piano and stared at the keys her mother just played. Kurenai tapped the space beside her and the young girl excitedly hopped on, Shippo joined them shortly and the two kids sandwiched their mother.

"So that's actually a musical instrument." Sango said, "I thought it was a decorative sculpture."

Kurenai smiled, "Yeah, this is called a piano. They produce music when you press the keys. It's the favorite of the furry little ones for their lullaby." she peered at the furry mounds at the foot of the piano waiting for her to continue playing.

"This song is not like the first one, we didn't write it but it holds special meaning to us because it greatly interprets a certain point in our lives." she said before she began playing.

A silky, gentle melody started waltzing around the room accompanied shortly by the caress of Kurenai's voice.

Her performance is enchanting, her fingers gracefully fluttered over the keys creating a beautifully tranquil music accompanied by her voice as gentle and relaxing as the breeze that brought her listeners back to the quiet times they had at the Feudal era, under the stars sitting comfortably around the warmth of the bonfire.

As her voice and the melody faded in the air, applause erupted in the room.

"Beautiful…" Miroku stared at Kurenai in awe as he clapped.

"You're amazing mama!" Shippo praised.

"Yes! It's like your fingers were dancing!" Rin wiggled her fingers in both hands and her mother giggled.

"Your parents taught you how to play Kurenai? They must be exceptional musicians as well." The demon slayer prodded.

Kurenai pulled the lid over the piano keys, "Yes, they taught us to play classical music at a very young age. Although for them, playing music is more of a hobby or a way to make us sleep back then but they were outstanding."

"Kurenai has been messing with the piano since she was three years old." her brother grinned.

"And you've been playing the violin like an adult since you were five." she smiled but their friends knitted their eyebrows at the mention of another instrument, "He'll show you next time." she promised.

"I want to learn to play it, mama!" Rin squealed.

Of course Shippo doesn't want to be left out, "Me too!"

Inusyasha sneered, "Heh! Dream on pipsqueak fox, your brain will not be able to catch up with that."

"Inuyasha…" Kurenai uttered in a tone the hanyou knew very well but before he can react, it was already too late, "SIT BOY!"

The hanyou crashed flat onto the tiled floor.

Ren's eyes glimmered in amusement, "Wow! I finally got to see it! That IS a neat trick sis!"

"You evil wench! That hurt more than before!" Inuyasha growled when he pushed himself up.

Kurenai rolled her eyes, "Oh, cry me a river. That'll teach you to behave a bit more and besides, I won't get to do that as much in this era." she smirked which grew into a yawn. She looked at the kids, "I'll teach you when we get back home okay? And uncle Ren will also play the violin for you." the said uncle winked at them. "It's bedtime for now, for all of us. We have an early start tomorrow."