"You're just going to let this mutt into your company! Father, this is ab-"

"Sesshoumaru, he is standing right there." InuTaisho sighed, rubbing his knuckles over and over on his temples. His boys sure knew how to arouse a migraine better than anyone he knew.

"I don't give a shit! Say what you gotta say!" InuYasha challenged. It was amazing to think back to the days that these two were able to live in the same house together. Sesshoumaru was probably just bottling up all his anger all these years. Don't get him wrong, he still cared about Izayoi and InuYasha but things had to be done right. Allowing InuYasha to just slide right into the Taisho Company when Sesshomaru spent endless months training was just absurd.

"This is as much his business as it is yours. You two are both my sons."

"We can't both run it!" Sesshomaru argued.

"Then as the eldest I know you will figure something out to accommodate you both. Mind you I don't plan on disappearing anytime soon so this is still my territory." InuTaisho was able to quiet down both of his sons. He understood that Sesshoumaru was the first born son and worked up to where he was way before InuYasha even began his first year in high school. In a way it was still hard for InuYasha to get hired anywhere just for being the way he is. He was lucky to earn a spot at the hair salon but that wasn't going to cut it in the long run. If there was work to be given to him then it shouldn't matter.

"I don't want your cherry place on top of the ice cream, so what's the problem!"

"InuYasha enough." Sesshomaru sighed.

"I wanna know!"

"I must return to Rin."

"Get your damn paws off of that door knob." InuTaisho barked, his purple streaks on his face becoming more prominent. Sesshomaru removed his hand and faced his father. "You two are the only ones that will be there for each other when your mother and I pass. I don't like seeing you guys fight like this." InuYasha and Sesshoumaru exchanged a look and then looked back at InuTaisho. "Now apologize."

"Although it is true I'm sorry for calling you a mutt." Sesshoumaru spat.

"What's that? I couldn't hear you?" InuYasha's ears twitched. It boiled Sesshoumaru's blood to see his smirk on his face. InuTaisho whacked InuYasha over the head without changing his facial expression. That in the very least made Sesshoumaru feel better. Before he turned to exit the room he expelled out his yellow whip and smacked InuYasha with it.

"Opps. Must have slipped.." Sesshoumaru shrugged and went on his way.

"I hope you two just put on a show and actually just really love each other." InuTaisho could only hope.

InuYasha just held a shocked look on his burning face at his father.

"You deserved it."

At the very least InuYasha had a career to cradle him until he was ready to walk on his own. It just might end up being the better decision out of the two.

()()()()

InuYasha strolled out of his family's company building and continued walking down the street with his hands in his pockets. He didn't bother taking a car. Sometimes it was just nice for him to breathe in the fresh polluted air of the city. It was always the very best in the morning to see. He didn't take what Sesshoumaru said personally. He understood that Sesshomaru was extra stressed with three babies on the way, plus Rin was a child at heart, so that made four. He was kinda excited to be called 'Uncle' soon.

His fantasies of one day having his own children knocked him right into a young girl. She dropped her ice cream in the process. InuYasha looked down and helped the girl up. She had a middle school uniform on and a bandage wrapped around her eye.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." InuYasha tried to contain his laughter about her fallen ice cream but he just couldn't. "I can buy you another one if you'd like." The girl dusted herself off and looked up at InuYasha's amber eyes. She couldn't decide whether she should accept ice cream from a stranger. She was looking forward to the one she was about to eat. After all, she would have to watch him buy it so it wasn't like he could poison her.

"O-okay." She said shyly, watching as they abandoned her ice cream together.

"What's your name?" He asked, just trying to make conversation over to the ice cream stand in the park.

"Kaede. What's yours?"

InuYasha got a good look at her features again almost positive in his predictions.

"What?"

"Your name?"

"Oh, InuYasha. Sorry, your name sounds familiar." He just shrugged it off.

"I was thinking the same about yours." Kaede admitted, not being able to put her finger on it. They finally reached the ice cream stand. Kaede explained to the ice cream man what happened because he thought it was odd she was coming again for the exact same order. InuYasha handed the man his credit card who seemed cautious to take it. A lot of the world had come to accept youkais and hanyous but as you can imagine there was always a community still weary of them. Kaede thanked the man and InuYasha as she took a big lick of her strawberry and banana ice cream.

"Do you know a Kikyo?" he finally asked before letting her be.

"Yeah, I'm her younger sister. How do you know her?" So that was the same Kaede Kikyo used to tell him about. Unfortunately he was never able to meet her while the two were dating; she seemed like a pretty cool kid.

"I used to date her back in highschool."

"Wow. Kikyo dated a youkai?" Kaede bit off the cherry on top of her ice cream. "No wonder we never got to meet you."

"What do you mean?" InuYasha didn't bother correcting her about the youkai thing.

"Religious family." Kaede took note of InuYasha's ears drooping. "I like you though, I just wanna rip off your ears and tear them to pieces; they are so cute."

InuYasha took a step back from her. "How is she?" InuYasha dared to ask, almost too eager to want to know the answer. He followed Kaede to a bench where she swung her feet back and forth.

"Well regarding you I don't think she's over it. She still has all the photos of you guys still up and she was inconsolable for weeks." Kaede smiled, knowing damn well that Kikyo would kill her for telling her ex boyfriend all this stuff. "I haven't really talked to her lately though."

"Did she move out?" InuYasha was beginning to think that their break up shouldn't have happened if Kikyo still had feelings for him.

Kaede shook her head. "She mentioned something about visiting her boyfriend. I...guess she decided to stay? She keeps her phone turned off."

InuYasha felt the red flags sprout up deep within him.

"-and your mother is not at all concerned?"

"She's nineteen..."

"It was nice talking to you, but I have to get going." InuYasha waved, seeming to be in a hurry he pulled out his phone.

"I probably should to.." Kaede looked down at her ice cream; it was almost gone. She saw a man coming down the sidewalk with his dog and decided to stand up. Right as he began to pass Kaede pretended to be knocked down by him, dropping her ice cream on the ground. "Ow..." She moaned, rubbing her head.

The man looked down and helped the girl up. "Oh I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

"My ice cream..." She showed him. Perhaps this was the way to go when it came to frozen desserts.

()()()()

InuYasha felt wrong for doing this, but he had to make sure she was okay. He waited til his phone loaded Kikyo's number. He could only hope that she had the same one. A few moments rolled by before the phone was able to confirm its destination.

He hopped up in one of the park's trees and ran across the branches as he followed his phone's directions. He felt like a child again, running through the trees. A few oak and cherry blossom trees later, InuYasha took a pause and rested up against a massive tree. Her phone was nearby but he couldn't tell where. It was up to his nose to finish the job.

"InuYasha?" A familiar voice called from below. InuYasha glanced down the tree and then up at his phone. Leaning backwards he landed softly onto the ground in front of his past love, Kikyo.

She looked as beautiful as ever in his eyes, except her hair was chopped to her neck now. It was a nice look for Kikyo. "I thought that was your silver hair." InuYasha noticed a small bag over her shoulders. He couldn't think of what to say to her first so he just stood there dumbfounded. Kikyo smiled sadly. "I wish I could take it all back." She continued, figuring that he didn't plan on speaking anytime soon. "I've got myself wrapped up in some crazy shit so I cant stay and chat. Although I seem to be doing most of the-"

InuYasha reached out and grabbed her, crushing her into his warm embrace. It stung Kikyo to be there; like that was no longer her place to be.

"I'm sorry," He choked out. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I ran into Kaede at the park and she wasn't sure where you were."

Kikyo appreciated his concern and removed herself from his grasp. She caressed his face lightly and was glad she was given the opportunity to warn him.

"InuYasha, please listen to me. Japan isn't safe right now. There will be another attack if we aren't careful."

"Kikyo? What are you-?"

"There is one man who will be behind it all. I have to go now before he comes."

InuYasha gripped onto her hand tightly. "Who?" He barely just noticed the bruises on her porcelain skin. "Kikyo, who did this to you?" He repeated, more demanding.

"It could have all been prevented. I did this to myself." Kikyo kissed him lightly. She missed his lips. InuYasha could say the same. "I have to go."

He didn't know what allowed him to release her hand from his grip. He stood there as she disappeared from his site. All that remained of her was the cellphone tossed in the garbage can. That was the last he ever saw of her...

()()()()

Allowing himself through the unlocked front door, InuYasha rolled his eyes. Kagome forgot to lock the door once again. She was going to pay for that one day. He cupped his hands over his ears to try to warm them up while he made his way to his room. He seemed to have been gone the entire day Kagome was at work. It was kinda nice for a change. He walked in on Kagome dancing in her underwear while she cleaned up the place. His face instantly grew red. How had she not heard the front door open?

Feeling the air change by the door, Kagome slowly looked up and gasped. InuYasha thought her face was priceless.

"H-hey when you'd get home?" Kagome asked, slowly getting up while grabbing InuYasha's sheet to cover herself.

"Just now. Why are you naked in my room?" InuYasha smirked as she pulled the sheet tighter around her.

"I thought I was home alone." She squeaked. She had never been so embarrassed in front of InuYasha in her entire life. That's what she gets for rooming with a guy; it was bound to happen eventually.

"Oh don't mind me, I appreciate the view." InuYasha laughed, making his way to his closet to change into something more comfortable. If he lived alone, he would probably walk around naked all the time.

By the time he had finished swapping pants out for pajama bottoms, Kagome had managed to redress herself as well. He thought it was odd to find her cleaning after a long day of work. The cleaning was his job after all. She must have thought he was slacking on his duties. Kikyo's words continuously swept across his mind trying to interpret them. He didn't bother telling Kagome about his encounter with Kikyo, just about Kaede. Jakotsu was finally able to give him a small hint that the two didn't care to hear about the other.

"She totally punk'd you into buying her one." Kagome hopped up onto InuYasha's bed and got under the covers. "What are we watching?" InuYasha gave Kagome a look.

"Uh...well I was watching Netflix." InuYasha took his foot and pushed Kagome off of the bed, which was easily done with his satin sheets.

"Hey!" A mangled Kagome cried, now on the floor. Which was now clean, by the way.

"This is my room."

Kagome picked up one of the many pillows on his bed and chucked it at his head causing his hair to sprawl over his face. He looked good in his natural state, not having to put on a fake face for the rest of the world. InuYasha picked up his comforter as well as his sheet as he stood on his bed and stared down at the weaponless Kagome. He dropped them on her and sat on her. She couldn't think to do anything but laugh although his immense weight was crushing her ribs.

"Can't...breathe."

InuYasha removed the blanket from her face and peered down at her. They both just smiled at each other. They were ending up in this position a lot lately. He could almost hear the sounds of their hearts racing together in sync.

Kagome couldn't stand having such a face so close to her own. She loved the way his fang poked out of his mouth when he grinned. His smile almost seemed sinister inching away from her. Kagome was too late in catching herself as she ran her thumb around his sculpted face. If she had been on top she could pretend to accidentally brush her lips against his. It would be just as satisfying.

The sounding of the emergency alert system on the TV startled both of them. It was a horrible noise but it did its job well of alerting the people of Japan. They figured a storm must have been passing. That was usually when they would hear the alerts.

- - Emergency Alert - - -

This is an urgent message from your local civil authorities.

Please listen and follow instructions –

InuYasha got off of Kagome, never tearing his eyes away from the screen while he helped her up. She instantly got a sinking feeling in her stomach. Regardless if it was for a storm, these alerts always scared her.

"InuYasha..." Kagome clung onto his shirt while he listened attentively to the message.

An area within your general location has been attacked by the Youkai nation.

Stay indoors, keep all windows closed until further notice.

"They're asking for a war!" InuYasha rolled his eyes, throwing up his hands in the air.

Kagome stopped listening to the alert as the announcer repeated the message.

"InuYasha, what if the war has already been happening?" Kagome picked at her nails in worry.

"Then dammit I want to be there when we end it." InuYasha seemed to have spoken before his brain processed what he had meant. Could this be his chance to prove to the world that he wasn't just some useless mutt? For sure his mother would kill him, but it might gain him the respect he had longed for from Sesshomaru and his father.

I apologize if this story is losing or has lost its humor factor. This story could go on forever if some seriousness isn't thrown in :p Wouldn't you all like that... Oh, and sorry about that little InuxKik moment. XD maybe I'm secretly a fan of them. … o.o