Hello again! Since I've had to get back into fanfiction I'm kinda having a hard time finding time to write so please forgive me if it takes me longer than a week to update. Hope you guys enjoy it! =]

Inuyasha could never figure out how the hell Sesshomaru could be a fully fledged dog demon but didn't have the doggy instincts Inuyasha himself had who was only half-demon. I mean, how much sense did that make? Scratch Inuyasha behind the ears & he'd practically show his belly. Do the same to Sesshomaru & you pull back a bloody nub. The whole thing just made Inuyasha feel like he wasn't the alpha here!

Inuyasha watched from his seat at the kitchen island while Sesshomaru cooked & cleaned. Did Sesshomaru ever, ever feel the need to just lift his leg & piss on something he felt belong to him? Did he feel tempted to drink out of the toilet? Would he like his belly rubbed & being asked over & over who's a good boy?

That whole train of thought made a chuckle bubble up his throat which attracted Sesshomaru's attention.

"Does me working while you sit there & do nothing amuse you?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Watching ya ass while you work amuses me"

The inu-youkai gave his mate a level glare. It's not like he would ever ask Inuyasha to do anything he could just do himself; he had way too much pride to ask for anything. But his eyes always communicated whatever he couldn't say so Inuyasha sighed & stood up, going over to the pot of rice that was almost done.

"You're almost done though..." he grumbled.

"You may start on the dishes then"

"Sessh there's only a fork & a plate in the sink"

"Then wash them..." the inu-youkai said very slowly, not looking up from the big pot of jumbalaya he was stirring.

Inuyasha made a big show of rolling his eyes & letting out an exasperated sigh before he grabbed a dishcloth & began washing the few dishes in the sink. He really shouldn't have been surprised: Sesshomaru liked to keep their house immaculate, not just when company came over or when spring was approaching but at all times. It wasn't that Inuyasha minded, he just didn't want to be bothered with cleaning himself [unless he actually made the mess]. When he turned on the faucet to rinse the dishes off, Inuyasha thought about that whole doggy instinct thing that Sesshomaru lacks again & wondered if he should put it to the test.

He slowly turned the faucet until it was in the opposite sink, closer to where Sesshomaru was standing, & watched to see if his mate would struggle with the urge to drink.

"Wow this water sure is cold..." Inuyasha said, making a show of letting the water run over his hand before pulling back & shuddering.

Sesshomaru spared Inuyasha, but not the faucet, a glance. "Is the hot water not working?"

"No it's workin'. I was just...pointin' out how cold the water is. It's so cold...you could drink it..."

The silver haired beauty grabbed a few seasonings out of the cabinet beside him & gestured vaguely in the direction of the cabinet full of glasses. "If you wish to soil another dish only to wash it then be my guest"

"But Sessh, ya gatta come feel how cold it is. Look, just come feel it & I'll leave you alone"

"Ignore a child & they will eventually leave one alone, regardless"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, shutting off the water. Ok so that didn't go as planned but that wasn't the only thing that could tempt a dog around this house.

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Inuyasha carefully pocketted his purchase in his pocket before he got out of the car & made his way into the house. He found Sesshomaru reading a book on the couch with a glass of wine in one hand.

"Welcome home" the inu-youkai murmured, setting the glass on the couchside table.

Inuyasha went over to receive his hello kiss. "Thanks, bae. Whatcha readin'?"

"It is not as if you care"

"You're right, I don't. So what's for dinner?"

Very casually, after he'd put his phone & keys down, Inuyasha slipped his hand in his pocket & squeezed the item he'd bought on his way home from work.

"Though I had no desire to eat it I cooked the veal we received at wor-" Sesshomaru was saying until he was interrupted by a loud, elongated squeak, "What was that?"

"What was what?"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "Since when have you ever been deaf, Inuyasha?"

"I ain't deaf, I just dunno what you're referring to. I hear a lotta things like my stomach growlin', the fridge hummin', ice maker being extra-"

"It was an annoying squeal, such that a squeaky toy would make"

"Oh? You got some squeaky toys around here?"

Instead of answering Sesshomaru flipped his book so that it was facedown on his thigh. "You will explain to me why you thought it would be amusing to squeeze a squeaky toy in front of me & then pretend you did not hea-"

Inuyasha whipped the toy out of his pocket & squeezed it quickly. "Wanna play? Wanna play, boy? Come on boy! Go get it! Go get the the toy, boy!"

Sesshomaru's eyes followed every movement of the toy in Inuyasha's hand until Inuyasha began talking to him like that & he frowned. "You will not refer to me as boy nor will you talk to me as if I am a dog you own"

"But I own your doggy ass in the bed every nigh-"

Inuyasha dropped the toy & took off when Sesshomaru shot up from his seat on the couch. Alright after he recovered he'd just have to move onto a plan C.

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Inuyasha sighed as he took the Ziplock bag of ice off his cheekbone where Sesshomaru had punched him the other day. He tried everything from flushing the toilet everytime Sesshomaru would walk by to trying to scratch him behind the ears. He didn't feel like anything he was doing was particularly annoying...a little weird but telling his mate to play dead shouldn't have resulted in a black eye & a few cracked ribs...unless...Sesshomaru's defenses were being broken down & he was getting frustrated that his canine instincts were about to slip through.

"Bae"

No answer.

"Bae"

No answer.

"Baby, come on, are you really going to ignore me?"

Sesshomaru, again, chose not to respond & simply turned the page in the novel he was reading.

"Sessh...baby, come on, I said I was sorry"

Inuyasha eased off the couch, careful of his still sore ribs & walked slowly over to the couch. That had to be the only explanation for why Sesshomaru was acting like this. His pride was competing with his instincts & his instincts were winning. Inuyasha did feel just a little regret for trying to bring out what he knows would be a blow to Sesshomaru's pride but honestly Sesshomaru should've known what he was getting himself into when they first mated. I mean hell he didn't mind giving up his pride that night!

"You can't stay mad at me forever..." Inuyasha said , kneeling to lay his lead in Sesshomaru's lap but the inu-youkai stood quickly, causing the hanyou's head to drop onto the leather cushion. The half-breed sighed. "Seeeeesh...come ooooon, I'm sorryyyy, Jesuuuuuuus!"

Inuyasha got up & followed Sesshomaru in the kitchen who was washing a plate the hanyou was sure had already been clean. Ok yeah, he did feel more than just a little regret. It's one thing when Sesshomaru got mad & started swinging & swearing but it was a whole 'nother ball game when he started ignoring Inuyasha. The hanyou just couldn't take it.

Inuyasha walked up behind his mate & gently wrapped his arms around the inu-youkai's middle. "After I say this you can walk away from me & keep ignoring me but I gatta say this first so I need you to listen. I never thought of you as someone beneath me. I would never call you my beta. I'm not better than you, I'm not smarter than you & I'm not stronger. I would never seriously treat you like a dog, I swear, I was only just playing around. I really am sorry if you feel like I was being insensitive & I-"

Inuyasha was only vaguely aware that he'd begun running his hands up & down Sesshomaru's abs so it took him a moment to figure out why Sesshomaru leaned back until his head was resting on Inuyasha's shoulder. The hanyou involuntarily turned his head until he was pressing his nose into his mate's hair, whatever he was saying long forgotten. Sometimes he wished Sesshomaru was more affectionate; he'd love to cuddle with his sweetheart after a long day at work with a bottle in one hand & the tv remote in the other. Sometimes he wished Sesshomaru was more vocal about how he felt about the hanyou; there were days when Inuyasha really doubted Sesshomaru loved him at all. They say actions spoke louder than words but neither reassured Inuyasha at all.

"I miss you..." he whispered.

He must have broke the spelled because Sesshomaru tensed then straightened up before continuing scrubbing the same dish he'd been scrubbing for the past few minutes. Inuyasha sighed & dropped his hands. Maybe Sesshomaru just needed some time. He'd try again another day.

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Today was not Inuyasha's day. Between dealing with several new employees who were lazy as hell, one of them walking off the job & leaving him to take her spot until a replacement from third shift was brought in & having to deal with cranky customers, not to mention being stuck in traffic because apparently these asswipes around here didn't know how to fucking drive in the rain, he was not in any mood to put up with any more bullshit. He hoped, for Sesshomaru's sake, the inu-youkai didn't still have his panties wedged up his ass crack because Inuyasha was ready to go off again.

He slammed his car door as he got out & walked into the house, tossing his keys onto the hallway table. Sesshomaru glanced up from his phone briefly before looking back down at it.

"Yeah, hello to you too, asshole, yeah, my day was real fuckin' good, thanks for asking. How 'bout you?" Inuyasha snarled, taking his coat off & flinging it into the hall closet.

He only half expected he wouldn't get an answer so he was only half disappointed when he didn't get one. & then all of his anger from the past twelve hours came rushing out of him like a broken water hydrant.

"You know what? I don't even fuckin' care that you're mad anymore. I apologized to your ass, I ain't gatta beg & grovel like you're some fuckin' king or some shit. I don't give a fuck anymore, do you hear me? Not a single, solitary fuck. You wanna be mad? Then be mad, muh'fucka. I'm fuckin' sick of being treated like I ain't shit after all the hard work I do Monday through Frida-hell, no fuck you. Fuck. You, Sesshomaru"

During that rant Sesshomaru had looked up. About halfway through something in his facial expression or eyes, Inuyasha couldn't tell which, changed & by the end of that rant Inuyasha had walked up to the couch & Sesshomaru was on his back, belly displayed in a show of submission. Inuyasha was so utterly shocked he lost his train of thought. His mouth opened & closed repeatedly for some time as he tried to process what was happening while Sesshomaru did not move an inch.

They probably stayed like that for fifteen minutes, Inuyasha staring in wonder & Sesshomaru staring at everything else but Inuyasha. It was only when the silver haired beauty let out a high pitched whine did the spell break & Inuyasha blinked. He realized he had no idea how the hell he was expected to respond in this situation since he'd never been put in it before. What was he supposed to do, rub Sesshomaru's belly & tell him what a good boy he is?

"Gatta take a piss..." Inuyasha finally muttered before turning on his heel & walking away.

Once he got to their bedroom he rid himself of his work clothes. Of course he'd always known he was the alpha in their relationship but something about the Sesshomaru doing something so blantantly submissive was just baffling. It made Inuyasha uncomfortable. Maybe a Sesshomaru that was affectionate wouldn't be Inuyasha's cup of tea. Maybe it was better this way simply because a non-affectionate, non-overly submissive, non-canine like Sesshomaru was the Sesshomaru he'd fallen in love with.

Inuyasha started when a soft hand took hold of his wrist & pulled him back gently. Sesshomaru kept his eyes down [which Inuyasha really hated], running his hand up & down Inuyasha's arm & torso. Inuyasha felt like he should really say something...but what should or could be said?

"Look at me..." he murmured.

Sesshomaru raised his head but he was still looking off to the side.

"I said look at me" Inuyasha repeated in a gentle voice.

The inu-youkai swallowed a few times before their eyes connected only for a few seconds before they dropped again. Inuyasha gently gripped his chin & forcefully raised the inu-demon's face again. It was a moment before their eyes connected once more.

"I'm sorry" Inuyasha whispered sincerely. He wanted to say more but he was sure those two words were enough.

Very slowly Sesshomaru leaned forward & licked Inuyasha's mouth to show who he knew was the dominant one here & Inuyasha frowned. When the silver haired beauty tried to do it again the hanyou leaned back.

"Stop that. Right now" he said in a stern voice.

Sesshomaru tried to pull away from the hand gripping his chin but Inuyasha held firm, the frown melting from his features. It was at that moment that he realized how much he loved his mate & it made his heart feel like it was being filled with a warm liquid that overflowing into his belly.

"I love you" Inuyasha whispered.

Sesshomaru didn't respond but the softness in his eyes & the very small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth told everything Inuyasha wanted & needed to hear [or see rather]. Yeah he loved Sesshomaru just the way he was.