"Kei, Mama says hurry up, we're gonna go to breakfast!" Kei blinked from the thoughts that he'd sunk into, half dressed and staring at the dripping shower head. The nine year old had been thinking about the vacation that was now drawing to a close before his seven year old sister had interrupted and golden eyes shifted to the door only briefly to make sure it was locked.
He'd been little more than a brat for most of the trip, true he'd had his decent moments but for the most part he'd been standoffish and all together uncooperative towards almost everything. Today was different though. Unlike the last seven days he'd gotten up when asked to without much fuss; he was actually going to be able to go to breakfast with the rest of his family this morning-something he (and his mother as she'd refused to leave him alone in their room) missed out on every day due to his laziness.
Pulling his shirt down the rest of the way, he straightened it and ruffled his hair in an attempt to make it look brushed-though it really didn't-then ventured out of the bathroom to find his mother packing and his siblings waiting by the door. His father muttered something to Kagome, who was all but climbing under the furniture to make sure they had everything, and she smiled.
"You go on, I'll be down soon enough." It didn't take a keen ear to figure out what they were talking about and when his father glanced down at him inquiringly, the young boy straightened and answered his question before he asked it.
"I'll stay and help Mom" The demon lord seemed to accept his answer and before the boy could even think to change his mind, Kasumi and Seishiro had been ushered through the door and he and his mother were left alone.
"Kei, did you pack everything you brought? I don't want to leave anything behind." He didn't answer her, truth be told he'd barely unpacked anything besides clothing and a handheld videogame. Instead the nine year old crossed the room, climbed up onto the suitcase that the older woman was fighting to zip shut and watched her with those bright hues he'd in herited from his father.
"I'm sorry Mom..." Kagome paused as his words filled the space between them, he'd wanted to say it for days now but the timing had never seemed right. After a moment his mother's usual smile returned and she finished zipping the suitcase.
"What for Sweetheart?" Surely she couldn't have forgotten, he definitely hadn't, embarrassment and pride fought angrily inside him.
"For how I've been acting." Dark curls fell over her shoulder as Kagome stilled, deep blue eyes considering her son in a softer way than Sesshomaru would have-though he knew they would still see right through him. She was his mother after all. But what she saw she didn't tell him, she simply smiled and sat down beside him, her head coming just a bit shy of his height on the suitcase.
"Kei, I am not going to say that your actions this week have been acceptable. I understand that you were disappointed that we couldn't go out of the country, but you have to understand that, that sort of thing costs a lot of money and if we spend money on it that we don't really have it takes away things like birthday presents and college savings." She ran a hand through his hair.
"Maybe we can go next year, but for this year, it just wasn't on the table." The hanyou nodded.
"So, apology accepted?" Kagome leaned to press a kiss to his cheek.
"Apology accepted." Kei gave her a grin that she matched and with a clap of her hands she continued. "Well, packing's all done, how about we join your father and siblings for breakfast?" And with eager bounds, the hanyou beat his mother to the door and opened it for her.