Title: Middle Ground
Author: SakuraRyuu
Prompt: Puppy Love Challenge – Jumping Thru Hoops!
Genre: Comedy, Friendship, Hentai
AU/CU: AU
Rating: G
Warnings: N/A
A/N: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.
"Alright, Berney, we've been at this all week and so far all I've been able to get you to do is sit." Kagome was having a very serious conversation with Berney in the kitchen. She was sitting in a chair leaned over to look him in the eye. Berney sat when she said the word, then licked her face.
"Don't kiss my face. I'm serious here." More slobs, this time across her eyes. "I mean, I even got Sesshomaru to talk to you. In his true form! He spoke to you; I gave you examples, and nothing. The most I can get you to do is sit." Berney tilted his head, confused because he couldn't sit more than he already was.
This is when it all sank in for Kagome. She had no doubt she had a great companion animal. Berney was friendly, and well behaved. He liked to cuddle with her, and his affection seemed to aggravate Sesshomaru, which made life lively. But he just wasn't a trick animal. She had been humping thru hoops trying to teach him a new trick every day, and it just wasn't working out.
"You know what, Berney? It's ok if you're only trick is sit. I didn't adopt you so you could amuse me. I adopted you because you needed me. None of those other dogs did. They needed homes, but they didn't need me. And you did." This earned her another lick, this time on her nose. Smiling, Kagome reached out and pulled her dog in for a hug.
"I tell you what, buddy, I won't ask you to do any more stupid tricks, ok? It's obviously not your thing." Kagome pulled back and rubbed Berney's head. "Let's go for a walk."
A few hours later Sesshomaru came home from work to find Kagome and Berney asleep in bed. Although he and the dog had not seen eye to eye when he first came home, he knew he was a good protector for Kagome, and would be for his children as well. Just this once he decided not to push the dog out of bed but to slide in behind Kagome instead. Sesshomaru figured she would be well protected if he were protecting her back while their dog protected her front. And as it turned out that was an arrangement both canines could live with.