Title: Eternal Salvation

Summary: "Suicide is not the answer. No... really it's not. I've already tried that method more times than I can count." Shouta Aizawa didn't know what to make of her. The woman who stood across from him on the roof, with shattered blue eyes laden in anguish and defeat.

Pairing: Kagome/Shouta

Anime: My Hero Academia/InuYasha

Rated: M

Warmth found his fingers as he held onto Kagome's hand. So simple, the little things they were doing, and yet, he felt so warm in each moment. Helping with the bags, he moved to the room he shared with Kagome.

Looking around the room, Tenko felt fidgety. His hands started to shake as he pulled away from her hand. Today, Hizashi and Shouta were out of the apartment. Called away to take care of a few things with Nezu and some others Kagome hadn't met yet, but he'd gotten a chance to talk to.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kagome moved beside him just as he dropped onto the air mattress. His whole body broke into tremors. "Come here," she pulled him into her arms, working him into her lap as she took his hands in hers. Holding him tightly, she guided his head to her chest. Tenko adjusted slightly to listen to her heartbeat. "You're having trouble adapting to everything that's happening, aren't you." This wasn't a question. He knew she could tell that he was struggling. Tenko also knew that Kagome believed in him. More than anyone else, he knew that she honestly believed he could pull through.

What he had to tell himself was that it would take time. Thankfully, they had plenty of time to take, so there was no hurry. "I want to be helpful to you too, Kagome, but why am I the only one not doing anything?" He shook his head, "I feel like everything is changing and moving, and I can't keep up. I want to do more." Tears were burning at the corners of his eyes; his breaths were coming in shorter and faster. A pulsing in his head made him struggle to concentrate on the conversation.

Kagome hummed gently in understanding, and he could feel the subtle vibration from her chest. "Tenko, do you feel my hands?"

"...yes." He squeezed them as if to reassure himself that they were there.

"Focus on my hands, close your eyes. I want you to breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale slowly for eight seconds."

He did as he was told, counting silently in his head.

His eyes were closed, and he tried to focus on the hands holding his. Breathing, in-four, hold-seven, out-eight. Again, in-four, hold-seven, out-eight. One more time, in-four, hold-seven, out-eight. He had panicked? Was this going to happen every time he became overwhelmed by something? And when had his heart started to beat so fast? If he were back at the bar with Sensei, he'd be okay, right? Right?! No. He couldn't think like that. Kagome wanted to be set free. He also... didn't want to be under Sensei's thumb. Not the Sensei that Kagome was scared of. Not the Sensei that was lying to him, deceiving and manipulating him. Not the Sensei that wanted him to become a villain. Breathing, in-four, hold-seven, out-eight. Again, in-four, hold-seven, out-eight. One more time, in-four, hold-seven, out-eight.

"Good, good, Tenko."

His muscles progressively relaxed until he finally felt safe again. He was okay. No, he wasn't, but he would be okay. He had Kagome...and... he was going to be a big brother. He was really looking forward to that.

"WELCOME BACK, HERO FM LISTENERS! CAN I GET A YEEEEEAH~? If you're just tuning in, this is Present Mic's Put Your Hands Up Radio—"

Slipping out of the apartment, Kagome left Tenko to listen to the radio. Walking out and looking around, the stars that probably filled the night sky couldn't be seen with the towering buildings and streetlights. Bringing her hands up to her arms, she rubbed at them. The night was a bit cold, just a little nippy, as a soothing breeze brushed her long hair across her shoulders. Kagome basked in the calming feel. Then, taking a moment, she scaled the building before moving into a comfortable spot on the ledge. Pulling her phone out, she let her eyes fall on her text messages. She had one missed text from Hizashi.

8:49 PM

Don't make plans for tomorrow, Sho and I already did, ya diggin' me?!

It was nine, so the message wasn't sent too long ago, most likely before Hizashi went on air. Kagome sent a thumbs up and messaged him back with a Swype of her fingers. Will do, but that means you and "Sho" owe Tenko and me a trip to the bookstore. We were already planning on going. Ya dig? ;P

Was that too much sarcasm towards the end? No. If it was anyone besides Hizashi, she might have responded differently, but he was good-natured and wouldn't take any offense to her playful reception. Pushing her phone back into her pocket, she relaxed outside. Enjoying the night. Peace of mind had settled around her, and she embraced it welcomingly. The alley below had been recently cleared away of the trash piled up. A better part of town than the shitfest she'd been spending all of her time at when she'd stayed at the bar, but it was still dingy. This somehow made sense to her, though. Shouta preferred the shadows to the luminescent spotlight most heroes were drawn to. It was appreciated. Kagome had enjoyed the seclusion of her flat in Saitama.

She didn't spend too much longer outside. Even as she wanted to wait for Shouta to get home, she had been sleeping on a schedule lately, and her eyes just couldn't stay open for that long. Not with how much was going on. Not with the changes taking place. Tenko and Hitoshi were her new priorities, whereas enjoying her freedom and, by extension, her time with Shouta had been her priority before. Not that she would have any arguments falling back into that pattern, but not right now. Not yet. Things were starting to turn around for her and Tenko. Things were finally starting to change for them. Shouta... he could wait.

'For what, though? What will I be waiting for? Another Inuyasha to break my heart? Another Yoichi to come into my life like a shining star just before it dies...brightest in that brief moment before it completely disappears. Yoichi...' a familiar sting caught her off-guard, and Kagome brought her hands up to her eyes. Rubbing furiously at them as she tried to stop herself from crying. "Fuck!" Shaking her head, she returned her eyes to the vacant sky above.

A little longer and Kagome returned inside. It was already her bedtime. Curled up on the air mattress was Tenko, who had fallen asleep with the radio still on. A blanket lay half on and half off of him. She didn't miss a beat, bringing the blanket to his shoulder and turning the fan above them on low. She was becoming used to this docile life, but even she knew better than to think things would just work out now. No, she knew that there would come a day when she and Tenko would need to face Takeshi again. That day, however, wasn't anytime soon. "Four more hours? That's not so bad." Sitting against the wall, Kagome brought her knees to her chest and buried her head in her arms. At some point through the night, her eyes drifted closed. A soft patter started in the background against the windowpane. Kagome recognized the sound as rainfall, having come in just in time to avoid getting caught in it. It wasn't supposed to rain, but one hundred years hadn't changed the fact that weather forecasters were never a hundred percent accurate.

It was nearly twenty minutes into her thoughts when she drifted off to the soothing sounds outside. An occasional low rumble of thunder followed by a white shock of lightning kept her company throughout her sleep.

Hizashi got to Shouta's apartment at the same time as he did. Staring at the blonde who was fighting back a laugh, Shouta gave him a dry glare.

"Did you get caught in the rain?"

"..." He refused to answer that. Shouta unlocked his door and stepped inside. Trailing a small river with him as he walked straight back into the bathroom to shower and warm up. He was freezing, coffee would have been great, but that might wake up Tenko and Kagome. He would rather let the two sleep. He stripped down and wrung out the water from his uniform before hanging it up to drip along the shower floor. Delving into his shower, Shouta sighed and relaxed under the jetstream of hot water. Turning to let the water press along certain knots and muscles that proved tenser than others.

A hand nudged her shoulder, and her eyes snapped open. Bolting right up, she was afraid. Kagome's eyes moved around the room to every shadow before settling on the surprised Present Mic kneeling in front of her.

"Sorry, I was trying not to scare you."

Heaving a deep breath, Kagome shook her head. "It's fine. I'm just... normally a lot more alert."

"You're tired, I mean, you don't have bags under your eyes like Shouta, but you still look tired."

Nodding, she lifted her phone and checked the time. 04:57 AM

"Shouta told me he got a call from Layla."

Kagome smiled, "he told me the same thing. This place won't be up to our caseworker's standards."

Nodding, Hizashi looked at the bare apartment. "This place wouldn't pass my mother's standards."

"Or mine," Kagome laughed. Even thinking of how her mom would respond to where she was staying brought tears to her eyes. Somehow, she managed to avoid crying for a second time that day. She wanted to be strong for Tenko and needed to be strong for these heroes helping them. "but it's only like this now because we're moving into U.A...right?"

Hizashi's eyes widened, "what's that? Who said you were moving into the U.A?"

"...Nezu?"

"Oh no! We must have missed the memo!" Laughing at the raised brow Kagome through his way, he brought his hand up and waved the look off. "Don't worry about it, Kagome. I told you, Shouta and I have everything under control." Standing, he moved into the kitchen and grabbed a paper cup for water. "Can't wait to leave behind the bare necessities, though. The number of cups we've gone through in a week could fill a landfill."

"You're a hero. Don't you believe in recycling?"

"Of course I do! When there's a recycle bin for me to recycle in." Making a show of looking around the apartment, he shrugged, "there doesn't look to be a bin!" Moving to the pantry in the kitchen, he peered inside, "no bin!"

"You're too much."

"No bin here either!" Closing the hall closet, he threw open the bathroom door.

"HEY!"

Laughing as steam fogged up his glasses, Hizashi smirked back at Kagome, "there's definitely not one in here."

Laughing, she looked over as Tenko sat up on the bed. Waking up from Hizashi's wacky nonsense. The sound of the water turning off in the shower and clear swearing could be heard, and that only had Kagome and Tenko laughing louder.

"We'll make sure the new place has a bin."

Dressed in his flannel pajama pants, hair damp and dripping every few minutes, a drop of cold water down his chest. Shouta ran his fingers through his hair. Pulling it into a ponytail to keep it from dripping on his chest. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he could have rolled his eyes at Hizashi's cat calling. It certainly didn't help when Kagome joined in with her own whistles. "Aren't you guys supposed to be asleep?"

"We were. Hizashi woke us up."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Sitting down on the air mattress, he laid back. "Since you two aren't going to use the comfy mattress, I'm going to sleep here then."

Hizashi nodded, "Right, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you—"

"Shut up,"

Tenko yawned and fell back into the bed, "Kagome sleeps by me until we get our own rooms. I'm too young to be traumatized so early on in my life."

"I'm done with both of you."

"You can't be done with me," Hizashi laughed, "I'm your best friend, Sho. You're stuck with me." The night crawled into a blissful moment of sleep as Shouta was dragged into his room, where he and Hizashi slept. Kagome curled up beside Tenko, who was already out like a light.

"KAGOME!"

Turning around, her eyes tried desperately to take in every feature of the house that she possibly could. Tenko came running from downstairs, wrapping his arms around her waist as he smiled, "I have my own room! It's huge too!"

"You have your own room, Kagome has her own room, Hizashi has his own room, I have my own room...and of course...Hitoshi will have his own room too. I thought you might like to go shopping for him and Tenko, spruce their rooms up a bit." Shouta held a card out to her.

Taking the card curiously, she frowned, "this is Nezu's card?"

"He said something about a trade."

Tilting her head, Kagome slowly pulled out her wallet, taking a black card from inside. She stared at the hard plastic for a minute before passing it over to Shouta. "That card is dangerous, Shouta. It's tied to one of the cruelest and most vile men in all of history...don't go looking for him. Pass that along to Nezu too."

"We're heroes, Kagome."

"Yes, and I'm aware that being a hero means you're inevitably prone to reckless behavior, but I'm telling you, it's a losing fight. At least, right now, it is. The only one who will be able to fight him is his brother. Or a kindred spirit who carries his flame. Sadly, that's not you."

"That hurts." There was so much sarcasm in Shouta's tone that Kagome could hardly be expected to take him seriously.

Pulling her phone out, she quickly swiped across her screen as she looked at the global search engine. "It's a fact, I'm afraid. His flame is currently...here." she pointed it at Shouta. Hizashi wrapped an arm over Shouta's shoulder before leaning in to see her screen.

"Wait, wait, wait... you aren't saying that because you're secretly an All Might fan, are you?" Shouta groaned, "please say no."

"I mentioned it to you before. Don't you knuckleheads listen? Takeshi's younger brother Yoichi had a quirk called One for All and the ability to pass on a stockpile quirk that carries the quirks of every predecessor thereafter. If All Might can figure it out, he can use all of the six other quirks passed on."

"Six quirks? He only uses super strength, though." He sounded irritated; Tenko looked up at Shouta and then turned to Kagome. As he turned and walked towards the new island in the kitchen they would be sharing, Shouta leaned against it. "That idiot probably doesn't know anything."

The small smile Kagome gave him told him otherwise.

"You're kidding. He's known? He's known and has never told anyone?"

"The successors always think they're doing a service to humanity by keeping Takeshi quiet. Only so many people know about him. It's how he's managed to get so strong." Shrugging, Kagome didn't go further into detail. She didn't need to. Instead, she turned back to the house. "Guys, you really outdid yourselves."

Hizashi rocked the water bottle in his hand back and forth, watching the water slosh to and fro. "Nezu took quite the interest in you, Kagome. You're an anomaly to him. Something with more layers to unravel, and I think another part of him just desperately wants to protect you."

"As terrifying as that alone sounds," Shouta muttered.

"Kagome, let's look around more."

"Right," she took Tenko's hand as he held it out to her. "On the plus side, we don't need to unpack. Is that what you guys were doing all day yesterday?"

The guys blushed, but neither said anything to dispute her observation. Walking through the house, she took in just how much room there was. On her way inside, she'd noticed the large car park that comfortably could fit three cars. Not that she had a car. Something she'd thought a lot about lately. She'd gotten so comfortable with Kurogiri warping her that she hadn't considered getting one. Now, she wouldn't need to have one. Staying here, with U.A. staff, she wouldn't need to travel anywhere a car would be needed. In the house, there was a spacious living room with the most comfortable-looking long furniture set that easily could fit six or so people for a movie night. Not to mention the recliner. A plush large area rug with abstract shapes in cream, taupe, and lavender, the ashy grey wood floors throughout the house. Soft cream-colored walls. Lilac curtains that were sheer and fell just barely skimming across the floor.

A half-wall separated the living room from the kitchen and dining room. The kitchen was spacious, which was great because she and Hizashi both cooked. Tenko had also expressed a desire to learn, so Kagome would take some time to help teach him the basics of home cooking when available. The island and countertops were all done in Cambria quartz. High-contrast, deep-black veins were juxtaposed with understated gold veins on a pristine, cool white canvas. The black and gold veins shimmered with the gentle lighting from the glass bubble chandelier hanging over the island. Softer capillaries, gradated from the dominant ones, adding a touch of delicacy.

As they were pulled past what looked like an office, most likely for Hizashi and Shouta, Kagome peeked inside the bathroom and noted the half bathroom to be for guest use. A toilet and sink, some much-needed space to move around, but no shower or bath. The stairs heading up were wood, simple ash that traveled in two sharp angles to the second level.

"Hizashi's room and mine are both downstairs."

Kagome smiled at that, "are you two sharing?"

"Hah! Shouta is so tired of my ass waking him up. That's a negative."

"Hm?"

Shouta pointed to the two rooms, "mine," he jabbed a finger, "Hizashi's." Which was down the hall. "Upstairs, there are three more rooms. I'm guessing Tenko found his?"

"Yeah, it's at the end of the hall past the upstairs bathroom and the middle room. Kagome's yours is right up the stairs."

"So I can hear you and Little Bit if either of you tries and sneak by me."

"What?!" Tenko frowned, "I wouldn't do that!"

Pulling him into her arms, she laughed, "I know that. It was just a joke. I do like that you are on the other side of Hitoshi, though. He'll always have someone to go to if he gets scared. On a serious note, the caseworker will be here sometime this week, so we'll ensure the house is ready by then, right? It's set up for us, but what about Hitoshi?"

"Well, like I said. Hizashi and I thought you'd like to go and decorate it yourself. We got him a bed, a desk, and even a small bookcase that doubles as a nightstand beside his bed. The rest is up to you and Tenko."

"Do you want to pick some things for your new little brother, Tenko?"

"Mn, I want to help decorate his room!"

Continuing the tour, Kagome enjoyed the high ceilings and natural lighting. Further inspection showed a pull-down ladder leading to the attic and a spacious private rooftop balcony with a secluded outdoor seating area. Offering what Kagome could only call picturesque scenery.

A gorgeous en-suite bathroom in the primary bedroom, a theatre room which she didn't think they'd ever have time to use. Then there was the children's play area with a walk-in pantry. Each of the other bedrooms was similarly sized, not too much of a difference from the Primary Bedroom she'd claimed; only her bedroom came with a private bathroom. To top it off, there was a storage room that Aizawa had purposely turned into a book nook. Dimmed lights above, a comfortable sitting area, pillows, and a small window that provided only enough light to do no damage to the books Kagome had saved throughout time. "The house is gorgeous, thank you both."

"It wasn't just us," Hizashi laughed. "Kayama helped, and so did Nezu, considering he bought it."

"Why is he doing so much. I don't understand." Tenko frowned, "he hardly knows anything about us."

"He's invested. That's what Nezu said." Shouta grumbled, "don't think about it. I know I'm certainly not going to question him."

Three days later, they were visited by the caseworker. The woman said little. She had a mutation quirk, what looked like long pointed fox ears and a slightly longer nose with whiskers. Not fully animal features, but enough to give off the impression of which animal her quirk was based on. Her tail swished behind her, with Tenko watching it as if mesmerized. She'd walked around the house with Kagome while Shouta sat in the kitchen on a barstool with Tenko. Both wanted to stay out of their way.

The day grew warmer as the sun perched itself higher in the sky, the fans were going in the house, and the temperature was regulated at sixty-eight degrees. When the two came back downstairs, Shouta relaxed. They were smiling, laughing even. That was a good sign, right? Tenko shifted beside him, a Konjac Jelly pouch hanging from his mouth. "How many of those have you had?"

The two ladies looked up at them and watched the interactions. Tenko raised his hand, two fingers up, three down.

"...no more today."

"Kay."

"Ekhm," the caseworker cleared her throat. "I understand you've thought to move into a bigger abode at the consideration of Shinsou?"

Not necessarily the truth, but it was really only mildly stretched. "That's right. We wanted to make sure there was enough space for both Tenko and Hitoshi to grow comfortably."

She nodded, "very well done. Doing this now rather than after the adoption, I mean. For a child, his age, having to move once will be hard enough as it is. Changing scenery too often or too quickly could cause diverse ranges of panic due to the unfamiliarity of his environment. I saw his room. That lovely setup and the playroom! It looks like you both have thought about this carefully and have truly considered Shinshou. I wanted to make sure I covered a few things with you both. Little one, Tenko, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am,"

"I'd like for you to listen carefully too."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kagome smiled, taking a seat next to Shouta as the woman took hers across from them.

"Layla pointed out a few things to be wary of. He likes to wander the streets, and this is no longer Saitama. He won't be familiar with the area. Keeping him safe is a priority, we agree?"

"Yes,"

It was strange, but Kagome felt like she was back in school. The woman who'd introduced herself as Machi had a very kindergarten teacher vibe.

"He also has insomnia. Will that be a problem?"

"No. My husband and Tenko's uncle work various times, and I am mostly home. Even though there is a median between shifts where we can enjoy family time and relax throughout the day, we operate at different times. We can also set some time to visit a doctor and see if there's anything we can do to help him with his insomnia. While I've never dealt with Insomnia, I'm open to learning and doing what I need to do for him."

"Well, I think you're on the right path. A physical exam and sleep study may be a good step in the right direction. I will come by to check-in in a few months, so I'd like to see what his doctor has diagnosed and what steps you are taking. We can discuss more later...hm, Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"Layla discussed with me before this meeting that Shinsou wished to go home with you...so..." she pulled out a packet of papers, "I thought to bring these along, as this was more of a formality. If you sign these, you will be this child's legal guardian. His mother. Are you positive this is what you want?"

"Absolutely,"

Machi slid the packet in front of Kagome and Shouta. "I need both of your signatures here- date here, and print your name here, good. Sign here. Initial here. Sign here. Sign—"

Hitoshi was standing by the door with Miss. Layla. He heard today that he was going home. All week, Miss. Layla talked about the nice family he'd spent the day with and how they wanted to take him home. Adopt him. He was scared at first. Miss. Layla told him he had nothing to worry about, though. They were good people, and they would take care of him. He knew that! Kagome was already really nice. He saved her from the loud man at the food store and the old lady with the beady eyes again. She ate ramen with him and played with him. She held him and patted his head. Kagome was nice. So was her son, Tenko. Tenko held his hand the whole time and let him sit in his lap! Others were there, but he wasn't quite sure who they were, only that they were heroes. Kagome's heroes. Like Kagome was his hero.

"Ah!" He stood and pointed out the window. A car had pulled up! When the passenger door was thrown open, Tenko came running out first. Then the hero in black and Kagome finally stepped out. He looked back at Miss. Layla, but she was crying. She wasn't happy like he was. Reaching up, the woman lifted him into her arms and hugged him. "You behave yourself, Hitoshi." She said softly to him, "and no matter what, be happy. You deserve to be happy." Placing a kiss on his forehead as the door opened. He was placed down, moving into Kagome's arms as she hugged and cuddled him into her side. A small laugh escaped him when her long hair tickled his cheek.

The family stayed long enough to talk to Miss. Layla, grab Hitoshi's bag and say one final goodbye to the woman. Departing, Hitoshi looked back at Miss. Layla, lifting a hand to wave at her as she waved back. When she was no longer in sight, he turned to Tenko who was talking about his new home. His tummy hurt. He was happy, but his tummy hurt. The car was fun, and the city was moving fast...his tummy hurt. He moved over as far as his seatbelt let him. Lying his head on Tenko's lap, he felt a hand thread through his messy hair. It felt nice...but his tummy still hurt.

A couple of hours passed, and Tenko helped Hitoshi out of the car, guiding him inside as the smaller boy held his hand. Shouta and Kagome walked after the two, taking in the interaction, but more specifically, Hitoshi's reaction. He was coming to a new home. He would be living here now. Kagome wasn't completely sure if he understood what that meant.

"He understands. He's six; he knows what it means to go home."

"Does he?" Kagome frowned, "at four, he was put into the system. Home for Hitoshi is...Layla. Will he be happy here?" She wanted to make him happy.

"It might take him some time to warm up to this house and the idea of family, but Kagome...he'll be happy. We can give him and Tenko a happy life. You aren't doing this alone." Reaching out, Kagome took his offered hand and leaned on his shoulder for support. She watched as Tenko gave a tour to Hitoshi. When they made it upstairs, Kagome's room was shown to Hitoshi first. He looked back and pointed at her. "That's my room, Little Bit. It's always open if you need me."

He looked back at the room, peering inside with Tenko, who looked tentatively over the tuff of lavender hair. "Come on! Your room is next! I can show you the rest of the house later, but I bet you're excited to see your room!"

More like Tenko was excited to show him his room. When he opened the door, the soft periwinkle walls and plush cream-colored carpet met Hitoshi's eyes. He stepped inside, toes moving in and out of the soft carpet, Hitoshi's attention turning to his bed. A Present Mic plushie was lying on it, right next to an All Might plushie. He moved to the small bookcase and looked at the lamp, the white navy blue lamp shade with star speckles all over it. Dozens of books for kids on the bookcase below. Then a desk with a dark purple chair that could roll and spin. A large All Might trunk with a bunch of toys hidden inside. He opened it and picked up the Gang Orca action figure; looking over at Kagome, Hitoshi ran up to her. Pointing at the toy, then at her.

"For me?"

He shook his head.

Tenko looked at the toy for a few seconds, then smiled, "you want one of Kagome?"

He nodded.

Kagome laughed, "there aren't any action figures of me. Those who stay in the shadows, often go unseen."

He looked down at the toy. Then back up, this time pointing at Shouta. Kagome laughed at the blush forming along his cheek. "...I honestly don't know if there are any of me. I've pretty much shut down anyone who's tried to make merch of me."

Toshi moved back to the trunk, putting the Gang Orca up. Pulling Tenko inside, he handed toys to Tenko, who sat down and played with Hitoshi for a while.

"I will find an Eraserhead action figure if it kills me."

"You realize that anyone who has one isn't likely going to part with it. Those who do are collectors."

"Hm...I'm sure I can bargain something."

"Sounds sketchy when you put it like that."

Evening fell, Hizashi came in around six, and Hitoshi's eyed the man quietly while he talked to Kagome. He stared for a minute before his eyes lit up. He ran upstairs and grabbed his Present Mic plushie. Running back downstairs, Hitoshi held it up to show Hizashi. He recognized him immediately, despite his different clothes. Kagome was smiling at the scene, washing the dishes as Hizashi got to know their newest addition. Quiet vs. Loud...what an interesting duo, she thought. When it was bathtime, she washed Hitoshi and helped him into his nightclothes. Tenko was reading in his room, curled up in his bed already after showering earlier. Hitoshi curled up in her arms, small, too small, despite his age. She would work on that. Taking him to a doctor to figure out a nutritional diet for him would be the best course of action.

Shouta wouldn't be home till four in the morning. By then, she planned on having the boys both in their beds asleep. Hizashi left at eight, so it would be just her for a while. She helped Hitsohi into his new bed. Pulling the blue covers up, she smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, his eyes watching her as he reached up to her. Kagome took his hand, and she held it, rubbing soothing circles over the back of it. Eyes closing, Hitoshi had a busy day. He was tired, but she knew he probably wouldn't sleep for too long. She'd need to set the alarm to check on him periodically.

Asleep. Hitoshi was fast asleep, and she silently slipped out of his room. Closing the door without so much as a snap. Kagome moved to Tenko's room, and her eyes caught the sight of a sleeping twelve-year-old. The book he held was slipping from his fingers. She took a bookmark and placed it between the pages, lying the book on the table beside his bed. Kagome turned to his alarm, setting it for eight. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. A life she never wanted, never expected, a life she couldn't live without now. Kagome would die for her kids. No... Kagome would kill for her kids.

Leaving his room, she did one last check over the house. The windows were locked, the doors secured, and the lights were off. She made her way to her room. There were two large windows, and in front of one, there was a small lamp. Turning it on, she grabbed a book and made herself comfortable. Warm mocha and cream colors with burgundy accents here and there gave her room an assuasive feel.

"Tell me you were waiting up for me."

Feeling cool fingers run along her arms, Kagome's eyes fluttered open as she looked up sleepily into Shouta's own tired eyes. "I tried."

"How did Hitoshi handle the night?"

"I checked in on him a few times," she frowned, "he was awake after a three-hour nap and was just sitting in bed holding his Mic plushie that Tenko had picked out for him. He seemed confused when I walked in. Like he wasn't used to people being awake while he was." Stretching her legs out in front of her, she accepted his hand when he held it out to her. "I stayed with him for a while until he fell back asleep. I'm scared to check on him, like...I don't want to wake him up if he's asleep."

"Want to invest in a sleep cam?"

"Spy on my child while he's sleeping? Why does that make me feel so gross?"

"Only until we can figure out his schedule. He's likely got one, which could help us adapt to his."

Kagome nodded, "alright." Smiling when Shouta pulled her up against his chest in buried his nose in her hair. His hand pulled at the sleeve of her sweater and revealed her bare shoulder to him. Kagome laughed when the stubble from his chin brushed against her shoulder when he pressed a kiss to her neck before slowly pulling away.

"Shall we go check on the little one?"

"I'm surprised, Sho."

"By?"

Kagome smiled through a deep sigh, "when you said you wanted to help me with Tenko and Hitoshi, I probably underestimated you. I shouldn't have."

"I feel like your idea of underestimating is still somehow overestimating me compared to what I feel I'll be able to do. Don't expect me to know what I'm doing. I'm just following your lead."

They stepped into the hall, and Shouta opened the door without even a whisper from the door. "Not here?" He frowned. Turning the light on, he knelt to look under the bed, Kagome lifted the chest of toys, and the two quickly slid open the closet door. He wasn't in his room. Kagome shook her head, "I would have heard him move past my door, Sho."

"Let's check Tenko's room."

Carefully opening the door, a prayer on her lips as Kagome peeked inside. Her eyes followed the thin line of light to Tenko's bed, where the boy's arm lay over a little boy's shoulder as a head of purple hair was tucked into the other's chest. They'd found Hitoshi fast asleep in Tenko's arms. Present Mic was held loose in his hands. Kagome moved inside and raised Hitoshi's arm, placing the plushie closer to him so it wouldn't fall to the floor. Tenko was sleeping peacefully with the boy safely held against him. Kagome smiled, 'everything is going to be okay.'

Me: Here is chapter six. This one took me a bit, having to rewrite it more than a handful of times. I was finally satisfied with what I wrote. The next chapter will have more bonding before a time jump pushes us into later years, so be prepared, and I'll see you all again soon.