Souta noticed that they were acting a little funny when they got back from the apartment. They had the boxes of belongings and began to find places for all of their things. It was the long looks and smiles that he noticed.

Inuyasha helped Souta put his clothes and things away. Taeko lay at the foot of the bed, and Inuyasha stood at the door to the closet, helping Souta hang up his clothes. Inuyasha was as confused as Souta

'They are acting weird,' he observed, and Souta nodded.

"We got them this far; I don't know what comes next."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, "you dummy, they are going to get married and then they are going to take care of us like our parents did, I thought that was the point of all of this,"

Souta scratched his head. "Like mom and dad? I didn't think too far beyond getting rid of the stalker," he considered it and shrugged. "I guess that works too,"

"Want to see if Kagome will take us to the park?" He asked, and they nodded together

When the sun was setting, Kagome left the house. She got into the SUV, and Hakkaku greeted her happily "Hi, Miss Kagome!" He called, and she smiled and nodded at him.

"Hello, how are you doing today?" She asked, and Hakkaku groaned.

"Oh, life's been hell. Ayame is going to leave me; I just know it." He let his shoulders fall, and she crossed her arms.

"Oh, don't say that, you're such a nice guy," she said, and Hakkaku grimaced.

"I think that's the problem," he said and started down the road.

Kagome worked through three rushes, a car crash sight, and several nighttime accidents that she didn't want to talk about as she walked out into the front of the hospital and out to the place where he was waiting. Taking her time getting out there, she saw him leaning against the black vehicle. "Hello," she said to Sesshomaru.

"How was work?" he asked, and she shook her head

"How are the boys?" She countered, and he nodded, changing the subject accordingly.

"Sleeping well, Inuyasha tired himself out, so Souta read his summer reading material before going to bed," he said approvingly.

"Good!" she said, relieved. She embraced him before getting into the car and noticed that Hakkaku wasn't there. Instead, Ginta looked out from the driver's side and waved excitedly. She got into her car and he got in after. She tied her bag closed and intended to take it straight to the washer.

The ride home was uneventful; the traffic was non-existent, so there was no delay as they rounded the corner and drove into the garage, and the garage door shut behind them.

For once, Kagome didn't have anything to look for. There was no way to break into her new home. With Souta settled and protected, she felt nothing but the pull of sleep.

"It's time for bed," Sesshomaru said as he adjusted to the new schedule. She put her scrubs in the hamper and nodded. She grabbed her sweatpants and a nightshirt from her bags and noticed Sesshomaru hovering behind her. His heated eyes looked amused, but she pointedly ignored him. She remembered how he had been after their first fight and blushed at the thought of the second round of punishment.

She turned towards the living room and sat on the couch. She was going to sleep there. She looked around before getting changed but noticed him walking in just as she put her shirt on. "Why are you out here?" he asked, amused. She looked like a caged rabbit.

"I'm going to bed," she said, and his smirk turned to a grin. She didn't like the entertainment in his eyes. He was almost laughing at her. She put her arm under her head as a pillow and lay down.

"That's not a bed," he commented, going to where her feet were and picking them up so that he could sit down.

"No, but I agreed to move in after only a month of dating," she looked at him and he shook his head.

"You can't resist my will; eventually you will accept what I have already decided." He said as he caressed the bottom of her feet. She pulled them from his grasp and tried not to laugh.

"You certainly get your way most of the time," she said, prodding his side with her foot.

"I am getting my way now. Aren't I? You're not worried about any stalkers."

Kagome felt her irritation doused as if he had dumped water on her head. She felt her heart squeeze at his words, and she brought her hand to his face. "You're right. I'm not worried." He caught her hand and kissed it.

"I want you to let go of your fear. I won't let anything happen to you or Souta." He leaned in and kissed her once more. Her mind flashed to the incident at the apartment, and she blushed, grasping his shoulders.

"Sesshomaru, I know after what happened earlier, not sleeping in your bed seems petty, but I need some time to get used to this. It's not something you've done. We have to set a good example for the boys." She settled once more into the couch and he sighed.

"Very well, you may sleep wherever you want," he said as he put his feet up on the coffee table.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm going to bed too," he said, and she shook her head and closed her eyes.

"You're something else, Sesshomaru." She said before going to sleep.

The morning arrived with aching muscles and Kagome wondered what this strange feeling was. Her arms held her, even though she had not gone to sleep that way; as soon as she opened her eyes, she realized she was pressed against something solid.

"Sesshomaru?" She wondered aloud as she lifted her face from his chest. They were still on the couch, she could tell that much, but instead of her sleeping and him sitting up at her feet, he had found a way to be between her and the couch and she was lying mostly across his chest. His hands were on her back, holding her.

He was awake at the first sign of movement. His eyes remained closed out of curiosity, and he was not disappointed to find her sleepy eyes and messy hair just as appealing as they had been on their first meeting. She raised a hand to rub the sleep from her eyes and tried to sit up.

"What about my kiss?" He whispered. She was startled, but she didn't move because she realized he was awake.

"How-" she trailed off and sighed.

"My kiss," he said again, bringing his hand to the back of her head and drawing her down to meet his lips. With her weight settled on his chest and hips, he was content to keep her there as he pressed his lips to hers and moved them slowly. She smiled into the kiss and deepened it, not wanting to admit how much she appreciated his brand of possessiveness. When he released her, a blush stained her cheeks and a warmth he had not noticed before.

"Just one kiss? Maybe I could spare another…" she ventured, kissing his chin and jawline up to his ear. Once reached, she took the lobe in her teeth and rolled it gently. He made a sound of pleasure she had never heard before, and he shifted to sit up.

"Maybe I should show you my tattoos again and really get things going?" He teased her, but he was on the edge of taking her in the living room. She had her arms around his neck. Biting and kissing his neck and shoulder as she felt his hands at her back, and he plunged his hands into the back of her shirt.

His hot hands caressed away her resolve, and she found herself beneath him in one movement. she wanted to protest, to maintain a but of distance so she wasnt swept away but the pure desire that she saw in his eyes stopped it in its tracks.

His warm eyes absorbed her. The expression was as close to happiness as she'd ever seen him, and when he came down once more to place his lips on hers, she felt the tip of his tongue trace her lower lip before entering her.

Completely absorbed in the other. Neither of them heard the door open nor the heavy footsteps that rounded the corner and entered the normally empty living room. Koga froze in his tracks upon seeing them.

In all of his memories, Koga had never seen Sesshomaru get so attached to anyone. It was odd seeing him flirt, as rare as that was, but the uninhibited pleasure and sounds from both turned his face crimson, and he turned to flee into the kitchen.

"Sorry," he muttered. Neither heard him.

Sesshomaru thought he felt the presence of another person in his home. The feeling was overcome by the sensual movements of his woman, and if it were an assassin, he would die happy.

A while later he heard the sound of the boys waking and greeting each other in the hallway. Taeko was the first to emerge, and for the life of him, Sesshomaru tried to pull himself away from her. Her fists bunched against the shoulders of his shirt and he was helpless to the pull of her need for him. He would win this fight over where she slept, it was just a matter of time.

Her lips dragged down his neck, and he found her particularly interested in his tattoos there. He would find out about this newfound fetish. If she liked tattoos, they might come into play if she started to resist him. To test the idea a little, he revealed a bit more of the needlework. And on cue, she was drawn to it biting gently on the flesh there.

Unable to tear himself away from her, he could hear the boys coming closer. He was on the brink of insanity, but he willed his body to resist her long enough to maintain his dignity. they rounded the corner before he could muster the will power.

"Good morning," Souta's voice trailed off, and that was enough for Kagome to push Sesshoumaru off of her and sit up, looking flushed.

"Souta, Inuyasha," she said, looking at the embarrassed faces of their brothers.

Sesshomaru grumbled, dignity gone, and pulled himself from the carpet with a little irritation. When he saw the boys, his cheeks turned pink, but did not apologize for the situation. when she stood, she adjusted her clothes and bolted for the bathroom with only a few words for them. He heard the shower turn on and he knew she had run away.

"Go get ready for the day," he said. Taeko came over to him for a pat on the head. He raised his hand to the giant dog's head and appreciated the loyalty in his eyes.

The boys returned, dressed, and ready for the day. Sesshomaru noticed that Souta was dressed casually and pointed at him. "Go change into something else. We're going for a run." Inuyasha gave him a thumbs up already wearing his workout clothes from that day.

When Kagome emerged, they had already gone. She went to the kitchen and found Koga; he was reading the newspaper. Kagome thought it was strange to see the eternal frat boy reading the daily journal, but when she passed by, she noticed the comic strips and nodded.

"Good morning," she said, and he looked up and quickly looked around. His cheeks were crimson and he did not look her in the eye as he responded. kagome wasn't interested enough to find out why he was acting so funny, but she shrugged and watched his eyes drift back to the comic strips.

"morning," he said too quickly. She furrowed her brows at his response and bent to get into the refrigerator to start breakfast. She cooked in silence, her practiced hands created a medley of main dishes and entrees in just a short time. the dark-haired man was breaking down the wall that had formed, his eyes darted to her and watched her as she cooked. He perked up as he began to smell the home-cooked food, and was happily chatting with her by the time things finished cooking.

"That smells delicious," he said, and she looked over at him.

"Thanks," she said as she served him a portion of rice and eggs. He took it with a smile.

"Wow, this is delicious! Can I have some more?" he asked, and she nodded and gave him more.

"Yes, where did everyone else go?" She asked, and he pointed outside.

"Boss took 'em for a five," he said, and she stopped.

"Five what?"

"Five-mile run, he goes every day. I guess he decided to take both the boys this time. Lucky Souta. I'm not invited anymore," he said the last part with some bitterness

"I'm sure it's not you," she said, and he grinned

"Last time I went, we ran so hard that they called the police and had us followed for days. He said he was tired of my competitive streak." She patted his back as he stuffed another bite of egg in his mouth.

"I sometimes run, maybe we can go together. I will win, of course, but you're welcome to try and beat me," she laughed and Koga looked at her, understanding why she worked so well with his boss.

"You got it," he said.

As she started the next part of breakfast, she heard three voices outside. Souta and Inuyasha seemed to have gotten past the morning's shock, and Sesshomaru looked satisfied.

"We're back," he said.

Kagome was amazed that the boys still wanted to go to the park again after running five miles. Sesshomaru was nearly glowing. He was surprised by the breakfast that awaited them all and ate happily. She sat with them and ate a small breakfast, much to Sesshomaru's delight. He watched them get their coats on and waved goodbye before turning to Koga.

"Today, we kill that bastard," he said, meaning Naraku. Koga watched the switch, feeling a little surprised. Seeing his old friend act in such a carefree manner made him wonder what the stoic man would do if he weren't born into a crime family.

And that woman was something else. She seemed nice, smart and was a good cook. But there was something about her that had him wondering what she was hiding behind her innocent eyes. Koga didn't think he would like Kagome more than just in passing. She was cute, that was enough for him most of the time. But there was something about her that was different.

He glanced at Sesshomaru, who was pouring over the latest messages and calling the lookouts along the downtown sector. They were putting everyone in the right place to find that bastard Naraku.

When he turned off his phone, he leaned back. He massaged his temples and Koga could tell he wished he were anywhere else at that moment. He was thinking about her.

As far back as he could remember, the man in front of him was quiet, calculating, and showed no pity for betrayal. If loyalty were his crutch, then all of his men acted as the functional body of his empire. Even dating Kagura had been a political move with one of the old yakuza families. She was a leech on his finances and a drain on his spirits, sucking the joy from every moment of his day until he had severed ties with her

She was never allowed into his home or to attend any of the family dinners that he had attended with Sesshomaru from their earliest days in school.

Koga remembered when his father had given him the news of his role in the business. There was no choice, no chance, and as the son of Touga's strongest enforcer, Koga had been there every step of the way. They had saved each other's lives more times than they could recall, and taken more risks than most people do in a lifetime.

Sesshoumaru had always done what he was told, what he was expected to do for others. Being with Kagome was the first decision he'd ever made selfishly.

"Sesshomaru, you're doing a good job," he said.

"I know that," he looked at him bored and Koga was reminded of the quiet arrogant asshole he used to be as a kid. He could just picture his angry glare and the long hair he wore tied back. They had terrorized the community, especially the other tough guys.

"I know you know. I know it too."

Sesshoumaru looked at him for a moment. "Are you going soft on me? What's going on with you?" He wrinkled his brows and shook his head. "You sound like a woman," he said, and Koga snorted.

"That's my boss. Hey, I wasn't going to say anything, but I saw you this morning." He crossed his arms.

"Oh yeah?" He started the familiar glare, and Koga laughed.

"Yeah, I see you got yourself a new running partner. I'm a little irritated. First you got a shiny new girlfriend, and now a new running partner."

Sesshoumaru relaxed. He wondered if he was going to have to teach that wolf a lesson for putting his nose in his business. "You know what happened last time," he reminded Koga and Koga nodded

"That's just what a chicken would say," he said, in an unassuming tone, and Sesshomaru raised a brow.

"Are you trying to anger me into competing with you again?" He asked. Koga rose to the challenge. "Because it wouldn't serve any purpose to prove that once more I am a far superior athlete," he said, and Koga grinned.

"You wanna go?" He said, standing his ground. Sesshomaru smirked; he needed a break. Then they would go downtown and be ready to uncover the devil.

Kagome had a good day with the boys. Taking them shopping was fun. They looked handsome in their uniforms and she was excited to learn that they would be in the same grade. Souta was in Class B and Inuyasha was in Class A, they were both in the fifth grade.

She went shopping for supplies and then to the grocery store before returning. When she got home, she took her time with the laundry and cleaning the boys' rooms before going to the back porch to enjoy the afternoon sun with a lemonade.

It was a surprise when her phone rang. She read the contact card and excitedly greeted her. "Hey, Eri!" She said and was greeted by her friend's happy voice.

"Hey, me and a few of the girls are going downtown for some coffee. Want to join us?" She asked, and Kagome looked around the quiet house, hearing the boys playing video games again.

"It's been so long since we hung out last," she said and agreed. "I'll be there."

She heard Eri smile into the phone. "Promise to give us the down low on your new boyfriend, Yumi mentioned him and I couldn't believe that you didn't tell us about him!" she said, and Kagome laughed

"I will, it's been a whirlwind," she said and then after a few minutes of conversation, she hung up. Smiling, she was looking forward to going to class now. With the midterms behind them, they were only weeks from finishing the program altogether.

Sesshomaru found himself driving through the entertainment district. He watched people walk along the street. The SUV drove along the roads, and he checked the men posted on each corner. They nodded at him one by one discreetly sitting at cafes and walking along the sidewalk.

The spiders wore their uniforms, walked in formation, and frightened people as they walked. They had a bubble around them, and the shopkeepers all watched, hoping they wouldn't come in.

The SUV was parked parallel to the street. Sesshomaru watched the men. Five minions acted as their enforcers, each with a spider's five-handed method. Sesshomaru knew their names and their preferred methods.

"Koga, has everyone checked in?" He asked his right-hand man more than to describe the scene. There was something wrong.

"Yeah, boss. Everyone is in position, and we're looking for the man with the code name Naraku." Koga said.

Sesshoumaru felt a sense of dread as he dissected his surroundings. The five hands were a distraction. He clenched his fist and watched the group pass by, "He's not coming," he said and signaled for Koga to drive on.

Each of their men signaled according to his position. "How did you know?"

"Do you see anyone actually causing trouble, or do you see people dressed up just to keep our attention?" He said as he began to look around the cafes and restaurants.

Koga noticed a familiar face in the cafe window. He felt his blood chill at the sight of her there during the operation. Who knew what would happen as the two gangs collided? Seeing that Sesshomaru hadn't seen her, he gestured over to the place where she sat. "Hey, boss! Isn't that Kagome?" Koga said, and Sesshomaru locked eyes on her at a table outside a pastry shop and cafe. He was sure she hadn't mentioned going out today.

For a moment Koga wondered what would happen. He eyed the silver-haired man whose his eyes were trained on her. She was with a group of women laughing and talking happily.

"And then they walked in," Kagome face-palmed and the ladies squealed.

"Oh! That's so embarrassing!" Eri said, clutching the side of her face and blushing red.

"Tell me about it, we've just started this relationship and everything is moving so quickly," she said before taking a long drink of her coffee.

"My boyfriend is still in the 'I don't want any labels' stage, it's infuriating!" Yumi said, and Kagome listened as her eyes scanned her friends' faces and the surrounding cafe.

There was a strange feeling rising up in her as she began to feel like she was being watched. With some nervousness, Kagome excused herself to go to the bathroom. She stood and began to walk towards it when she saw him.

"Hello, it's been too long, my love," his sickeningly smooth voice caught her attention, and she felt her heart sink.

"Onigumo," she turned then to see him face to face. She looked at his cruel black eyes and long hair that fell past his shoulders. He was wearing casual clothes: a button-up shirt and slacks. He was unassuming to an outsider, but she could see the violence bubbling up in him as he stood and walked up to her. "What are you doing here?" She asked, and he shrugged casually before standing and going to her.

"I want my girlfriend to come home. You shouldn't have left like that, and only days after your parents' funeral." He stood and she reached for her knife, but it was not in her bag today. Onigumo walked to where she was and raised his hand to touch her face. She shied away from the touch and that motion spurred her to take a step back, and turned into a familiar sight.

"Sesshomaru," she took a breath seeing him and Koga walk towards her.

"Who's that?" Onigumo clenched his teeth, seeing her obvious relief. There was a black hatred in his eyes; he realized he had found a target for his rage, and he met Sesshomaru's cold stare with his own.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Sesshomaru reached out to her and beckoned for her to come to him. Koga cracked his knuckles and stepped in front of her as she went to Sesshomaru's side.

"I am now," She was, breathless, pale, and seeing her obvious distress pissed Sesshomaru off thoroughly.

"That's my girlfriend, we are simply having an argument," Onigumo started. His voice sounded calm, but his eyes took in the sight of her grasping his arm, and fire lit his eyes.

"You must be mistaken, Kagome is my woman. You must be confusing her with someone else." Sesshomaru put his hand on Koga's chest to hold him back and approached Onigumo himself.

They stared each other down, their eyes meeting with intense hatred and Kagome swore the black auras of both yakuza filled the entire cafe.

Onigumo let out a breath as he heard what Sesshomaru said. "How disappointing. It looks like my little bird has been unfaithful while I wasn't watching. Mark my words; you will be punished." He threatened her over Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"I don't want to be with you! Leave me and Souta alone," she said, and they began drawing the attention of the cafe. A waiter approached them, but he recognized Koga and he turned on his heel at a single glance.

Onigumo laughed. "You know what I'm capable of. You won't get away, and as for this common thug, you'll watch him die. I'll make sure of it." Onigumo took a closer look at the man dressed in a casual button-up shirt and nice jeans. He saw a deadly cold stare and was surprised when he showed no fear.

Sesshomaru did not wait a second longer before cocking his fist back and punching him in the mouth. He connected squarely. The man didn't expect the blow and crumpled.

The punch sent him backward. He stumbled and sat back in the chair, drawing his hand to his bruised cheek. Several people stopped all at once to watch.

Sesshomaru's men looked at him, and several of the thugs, dressed in uniform, stood. The tension on the street became deadly, and both men held up a hand to stop their respective groups.

"I'm not just any common thug. And I won't hesitate to kill you if I see you again," Sesshomaru said coolly. He summoned the waiter back, and the man hopped to his feet. "Take this, for the damages and lost business," he handed the waiter a wad of cash and turned with Kagome.

"Don't turn your back on me, bitch," Onigumo warned, but Kagome ignored him. Everything inside her told her to run, to take Souta to another part of town and pray he didn't find them again. But she took a breath.

This was a chance encounter in public; he didn't know where she lived or where Souta went to school. He didn't know anything aside from the fact that she had moved on and her boyfriend could punch him in the face where others had left her abandoned to his cruelty. She grabbed onto his arm and held it tightly.

Koga followed behind them. He signaled to three of his men to follow Onigumo from the cafe. Today, he thought, this stalker would be dealt with.

"Kagome, it was lucky we were working here today; otherwise, things could have been very different," Koga said, taking another look back at the glaring man.

"Yeah," she was shaking. As they passed the table with her friends, she grabbed her purse.

"Wow that was intense," Yumi and Eri said together.

"Sorry about this, I'm not feeling well," she said, and they all shook their heads, not wanting her apologies.

"Don't be that guy. He's a creep..." Eri stood up to bow and eyed Koga. "And who is this?" Kagome saw the mutual attraction.

"This is Koga. And this is my boyfriend, Sesshomaru." She introduced them and the ladies flocked to Koga without shame.

"I'm going to go home," she said and they waved goodbye without stopping their obvious fawning over Koga. Sesshomaru smirked and took the keys from his right-hand man, this happened a lot with him.

"I have everything handled here, Boss. Take her home." He waved at Sesshomaru.

Kagome saw the displeasure rolling off of Sesshomaru. He walked with her to the SUV and looked around at several people watching them move. They were vulnerable, he could sense the danger as clearly as he had seen Kagome panic moments before. He opened the passenger side door and closed it firmly behind her before getting in the driver's seat. They drove away.

"Was that him?" he asked, and she hugged herself and nodded.

"Yeah, I think you surprised him. No one has ever punched him like that. Even when we were kids, he was always sure that everyone feared him." She shivered and reached to grasp his hand as it reached out.

"He will not hurt you again," he said, and she nodded, hoping he was right. "We will make one stop before going home," he said and turned towards a parking garage.

When they arrived at the parking garage, he parked and beckoned her to follow him. As he got out, he grabbed everything from the dashboard and the back seat. He went to the sunglass case and withdrew a set of keys, replacing the ones he'd been using and shutting and locking the door.

Kagome didn't know what to expect, but she didn't hesitate when he walked up to a black SUV and clicked the button, unlocking it. "Get in," he said, and Kagome slid into the passenger seat.

"What are we doing?" She asked, he turned on the engine with the press of a button and rolled away from the parking lot.

"They have seen that vehicle, so they'll be looking for it. This is my alternative," he said. The windows were blacked out. She had seen the car in the commercials and wondered how much he had spent on it.

"Some alternative," she said, putting things back where they had been in the SUV. The leather seats and chrome trimming were luxury-level items, and as they pulled away from the final gate of the parking garage, she sighed at the sight of several other SUVs entering the garage.

"They were coming for us," she said nervously.

"They always do," he said confidently, "I'm ten steps ahead of them,". Kagome clutched her bag like it was a lifeline.

"You made him mad," she laughed, breathless.

"He made me mad," he said and reached up to caress her face. "He almost touched you." He didn't doubt her fear of him now, the man she saw was a seasoned killer. She smelled blood on him and there was no denying he had signaled some of the spiders to stand down.

"I'm glad you were there... but what were you doing?" She asked, and he pursed his lips.

"I am looking for someone, he's very dangerous, perhaps someone that man is acquainted with." Sesshomaru didn't like the feeling that she might get swept into the war. She was not one of them; he had seen her in entirety and she had no tattoos or marks of affiliation with the gang, but sure enough, her ex-boyfriend was wrapped up in the middle of a turf war.

"It wouldn't surprise me; the man is a psychopath. You're the only one I've ever seen who isn't afraid." She said, looking at his calm face. There was nothing there except the normal, easy calm he always projected.

"I want you to stay home from class today, and call out of work. They won't give you any problems," he said so calmly that Kagome wondered how he knew.

"Why?" She asked, and Sesshomaru sighed.

"I want to keep an eye on you for now," he said, and Kagome turned to him then.

"You think Onigumo could find me at school and work," she said, and Sesshomaru reached out to grasp her hand.

"No one is going to mess with my girl,"

They drove home, gliding through the neighborhood with ease and entering the garage. The door shut behind them, and she went to the door to go in. As soon as she opened the doorknob, she found the boys in the kitchen cooking.

"What are you doing?" She asked, and Souta took their one

"Hey, big sister, we're making ramen." He explained, and she put her bag down.

"Why are you using the biggest pot in the house?" She looked horrified that they had filled the pot to the brim with packs of ramen.

"Well, we know that Koga eats a lot and Hakkaku and Ginta are usually here. Also, Inuyasha loves ramen and I like it too," he said. Kagome went to the stove, turned the heat down, and assessed the damage.

"You better eat this, there is a lot of wasted food here," she said, pointing between the boys. Both felt a pang of doubt that hadn't been there just moments before.

"Taeko will help," Inuyasha offered, and Kagome noticed the back door was open, with a large dog walking in and out of the house freely.

"Inuyasha! Why is the door open?! the house is dirty!" she saud shrilly, and turned to Sesshomaru who emerged from the garage. He froze at the sight before him and Inuyasha knew he was in trouble.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sesshomaru demanded, and the boys looked sheepish. "Taeka, out!" he demanded and shut the door. "You, get the broom; you, mop, you will both clean this kitchen." He was angry, but he saw Kagome's surprised expression, her eyes looking at him approvingly, and she put her hands on her hips.

"You heard him,"

At seven, Kagome made dinner. It was the first time they could sit down together for a meal. Sesshomaru had been busy in his office most of the afternoon. She heard him shouting through his phone and heard the distinct sound of shattering glass. She imagined his mug flying across the room and made a mental note to knock before entering his space.

The smell of braised pork and steamed vegetables drew Sesshomaru from his office. The day after the incident was filled with one bad report after another. The spiders had cleared the street after they left. The men who followed Onigumo from the cafe had been brutally beaten, but not killed. They were on their way to the hospital currently. He had engraved the face of that bastard in his mind. He would never forget those cold blue eyes or the fire that had flashed through them as he'd seen Kagome.

He hadn't said how much those eyes worried him. She needed to have confidence in his power, but there was something terribly wrong with that man.

Sesshoumaru made one last call. "Miroku, I need you to look someone up for me. Name: Onigumo. He's a member of the spiders, I don't know his surname, but he looked about 26 and was approximately 5 ft. 11." He said, and he could hear Miroku mumbling the information as he wrote it down.

When he emerged from his office, she was waiting for him. Her hair was braided back, and she had an easy smile that brought a strange feeling to his chest. He looked behind her to where the boys were bathed and dressed nicely, and dinner sat in front of them.

He looked at the table with mixed emotions. It had been a while since he had eaten dinner in a family setting. The thought struck him as oddly pleasing but intimidating since he had yet to sit at the place where his father had been at the head of the table. he couldn't show weakness now and steeling his heart from the grief he felt at the loss he took his place. Kagome didn't see the small fear that held his breath but Inuyasha did not miss it.

The boy's eyes found him with some awe and he nodded at him to let him know that it was time. Sesshomaru could not say what he was feeling, the pressure he was under felt like an ocean and until that moment he had not tried to take over the things his father had done. he'd been running it as the highest-ranking enforcer, though his men called him boss this was the first time that he felt like it. When Kagome sat down beside him he let go of the breath and looked at her calm face. all of this time he had been doing this alone, now he wasn't.

"Itadakimasu", they said together.

Sesshomaru enjoyed dinner together. He was impressed by her cooking and was not disappointed when the boys began helping to clean up after dinner. He looked around feeling a strange sense of domestic pride. He did this, not only had they adjusted well but seamlessly.

Later, Kagome found herself wandering the house at night. Since Sesshōmaru was working late in his office, he had left her alone for most of the night. She tried to sleep, but she couldn't after seeing Oni-Gumo. Even though there was no way they could find them, she worried. Her knife was clutched in her hand and she hid it beneath the fabric of her nightgown.

"Kagome, are you still awake?" His voice was behind her, and she turned to his voice. She saw him still dressed, his hair tousled, and his eyes were tired. She couldn't help but go to where he was and hug him tightly. His arms came around her.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, feeling his lips on the top of her head.

"I won't let anything happen. Go to bed," he said and took her down the hall to his room.

"Sesshoumaru," she started, but he shook his head.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch; you get some rest." He brought her to his chest and kissed her deeply before pushing her towards the open door.

She protested, "I'm not kicking you out of your own bed."

His heated eyes turned to her. "Would you rather I slept in there too?" he asked innocently. She didn't answer and he nodded. "Get some sleep,"

Kagome went into the room. It was clean, smelling of sandalwood, and when she got into bed, there was a single rose on the nightstand. She picked it up and smiled, knowing that he'd left it for her.

She got into bed, and he surrounded her. She could smell his cologne on the pillow, and she closed her eyes, breathing in deeply before drifing off to sleep.