Chapter 14: Continued Normalcy

I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes. I squinted at the sunlight. I was still on top of Sesshomaru and his arms were still around me. Rarely did we wake up in the same bed, so it was nice. I picked my head up and rested my chin on his chest. He slept so peacefully. like he didn't have a care in the world. I sat up and realized that he was still inside me. I didn't want to wake him, but I knew the moment I climbed off him. I would have to sprint to the bathroom to avoid making a mess.

"Do not move," he said quietly.

"You've been awake this entire time?"

"Hn."

He looked up at me and sat up. He stood up and held me close without pulling out. It was so embarrassing. I would have preferred to take my chances and run to the bathroom. He lifted me off him and placed me in the shower. I quickly turned it on, letting the water hit my skin. I could feel him spilling out of me. I quickly washed it away.

"How did you know?" I asked him.

"I could feel your embarrassment. It was impossible to ignore, and it was not difficult to figure out why." He said stepping in behind me.

I leaned against him and enjoyed the feeling of the water beating down on me.

"This is what the world will look like five hundred years in the future." he'd said.

"Mhmm. I wonder if your future self is out there wandering around somewhere. I wonder what you're like. What you're up to. If we're still together in this time."

I felt his arm snake around my waist. "Is there a reason we would not be mated in this time period?"

"I don't know. I make silly decisions and I am very stubborn. Or so I am told." I said, trying to hide behind the joke.

"We will be mated in this time as well Kagome."

The emphasis he put on the word 'will', made my stomach feel warm inside.

He always said things like this but would act so indifferently. it was like he enjoyed confusing m.

He grabbed my loofah. I squeezed body wash onto it, and he scrubbed my skin. His hands brushed against my nipples as he washed the soap off me. He pushed his knee between my legs. He reached his hand between my legs and started washing. I know that he was trying to clean me. This wasn't the first time, but it was having the opposite effect. I was trying to focus on something else, but him using his fingers to clean inside of me... was making that difficult. I could feel my nipples getting hard. He pulled his fingers out of me, but it was already too late. I could feel his erection pressing up against me. He dropped the loofah and grabbed my breasts, slipping himself between my legs. I could feel him grind against me.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing." I breathed.

He licked the shell of my ear.

"I promised your mother grandchildren soon. I intend to keep that promise," he said low.

This is what I wanted. I wanted normal. I was struggling to make a decision. If I would wait it out and fight... or let go and settle.

I'd shaken down my grandpa for some money, for our outing today. He complained and said I should have married a man with money. I had to explain to him that Sesshomaru was not from this time. I also threw in the tidbit about him being a rich prince. A prince who basically ruled his own nation. He said he was expecting his money back if that was the case. I grabbed Sesshomaru some more of my dad's old clothes. It's a good thing my mom kept them all. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with some khaki but the material was light so he should be okay. I ran upstairs to put some clothes on. I threw on a pair of jean shorts and a spaghetti strap and ran back downstairs.

"Kagome."

"Yes?"

"Your clothes."

I looked down at them. "Yeah? What's wrong with them?"

"The clothes are not the issue. It is the lack thereof."

"I'm covered up enough, and I have a bra on. You can't even see my nipples."

"Kagome-"

I smiled. "Come on it's hot outside," I said grabbing the house keys.

"People will surely stare."

I raised my eyebrows. "You mean men?"

"Hn."

I laughed. "I'm sure people will stare at you more than they will at me."

"I am not naked."

I smiled. "Good, neither am I."

I hurried down the stairs and he followed after me.

"It's a wonderful day for a walk, come on."

I lived in the city, so we didn't have to walk too far to get to anything. Conveniently I was in the middle of everything. Now, we were walking down Main Street. I couldn't figure out where to take him first. There were so many places and so little time. I didn't mind. I was just excited to be here with him. He stopped in his tracks and I followed his gaze. He was staring at an ice cream shop. I looked up at him and smiled. He was sniffing the air.

"Is that what you want?"

He nodded. "It smells..."

"Good?"

He nodded.

"Well, then let's get going. " I said grabbing his hand and pulling him along.

I led him over to a table. "Wait and just sit here," I told him going up to the counter.

The man behind the counter smiled.

"Good morning, how may I help you?"

"Hi, could I have a small sample of everything? My husband has never had ice cream before and he would love to try some. I mean, if it isn't too much trouble."

"Oh, all of them. Well alright, no problem."

I watched him scoop small amounts of each flavor into tiny cups. He placed them onto a tray. One by one and handed it to me.

I smiled. "Thank you."

I carried the tray to the table and set them in front of him.

"There are this many of them?"

"Mhm. There are a lot of flavors. These are called samples. Small portions so you can figure out which one you like."

He went straight for the chocolate but I quickly snatched it away.

"Wait. Not this one."

"That is the one I want," he said matter of fact.

I shook my head. "This will make you sick."

"You do not know that."

I put my finger up. "Oh, but I do. Chocolate makes dogs sick Sesshomaru. It's poisonous to them."

"I am a demon."

"A dog demon. I kept this stuff away from Inuyasha too. I'm sorry you cannot have it and you will have to trust me on this." I said putting my foot down.

I watched him eat all of the samples. Like his brother, he had a sweet tooth. I could still see him eyeing the chocolate sample. To solve that problem, I ate the two spoonfuls in one go.

"Yet it is safe for you to eat."

I smiled. "I am a human, not a dog." I teased. "So, do you want more ice cream, or should we move on?"

"Move on. I no longer want to eat ice cream."

Now who was acting like a child?

I noticed girls would walk by and stare into the window at Sesshomaru.

"See, you're the one they're staring at. Not me."

"Men were staring at you while we walked here."

"What when?"

He raised a brow. "You did not notice?"

I shrugged. "I guess not. I can't notice them if I'm only looking at you."

What I had said had caught him off guard. Hell, it had caught me off guard. I didn't think before I spoke. It just came out. It only hit me a few seconds later, how it sounded. All lovey-dovey like.

I cleared my throat. "Come on, there is something else I want to show you."

Hopefully, a change of scenery would help him forget what I'd just said.

I had taken him to see a movie; specifically an action one. He tried to hide it, but he was amazed by the pictures on the screen, about how everything seemed so realistic. He wrecked his brain trying to figure out how it had been done. He couldn't come up with an explanation, and he didn't show it, but I could tell it frustrated him. He most likely wouldn't admit it, but he was having fun.

"I do not understand. How did they capture such things and trap them in a..."

"Screen?" I finished for him.

He nodded

"Science," I said plainly. "We have these things called cameras. They've evolved over the years, and instead of only taking a single frame, and having to be reset. They can capture faster movements and so much more. I'm not sure about the particulars of it. Still, there are so many movies, that have been made in different ways."

"How many more?" he asked intrigued.

I shrugged. "Hundreds of thousands. People all over the world make movies. There are new ones every day. There are some from different cultures and different times. So, it is difficult to give you a specific number."

"Hn."

"Do you remember that 'contraption' you saw in my room? The one shaped like a block?"

He nodded.

"It's a bit smaller but that one plays movies too."

"When we get back you must show me."

I smiled. His face remained emotionless, but the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice said it all. He was like a kid, that was seeing new things for the first time. He was soaking everything up like a sponge. I was glad he was having a good time.

"We must come back to see another movie on our next visit."

Our next visit.

My eyes widened, and I smiled. "I'd like that a lot."

We kept on walking in silence. The sun was out and the breeze was cool. Our hands brushed against one another while we walked.

Screw it. What's the worst that could happen?

I slipped my hand into his own and laced my fingers with his own. He held my hand back. For my sanity, I needed this mating mark to stop being a one-way street. I needed to know what he was feeling. I was tired of being in the dark. Despite him telling me I should stop running and talk about things. He didn't take his own advice.

"Kagome?"

I looked around. I knew I had just heard my name. I could see people waving to me off in the distance.

"Oh my God."

It was Eri, and Yuka. I waved back and they came rushing over to me.

"It's been so long," Eri said.

"Way too long." Yuka chimed in.

"Where's Ayumi?" I asked them.

Eri sighed. "She's off somewhere with her new boyfriend. You know she's always been boy crazy."

"Oh yeah."

"So, who is this?" Yuka asked, gesturing to Sesshomaru.

They both had a doe-in headlight look in their eyes. I smirked. They thought he was attractive, which he is. Before I could say anything Sesshomaru beat me to it.

"I am her husband. It is a pleasure to meet you both."

"Husband?" They asked in unison.

Eri looked around and pointed to a small cafe.

She snapped her head towards me. "Follow me. We need to be filled in and don't you dare leave a detail out," she said marching inside.

I sighed as the three of us followed her inside. They wasted no time grabbing a table. Sesshomaru and I sat opposite them. I was nervous, meanwhile, Sesshomaru seemed to not have a care in the world.

Yuka folded her arms. "So, how did this happen?" she said gesturing to us both. "And why weren't we invited?"

I put my hands up in defense. "Okay, hold on. Don't crucify me just yet."

This was going to be a much more difficult conversation, than the one with my family. They knew about my time-traveling. I was going to have to tell half-truths if I wanted to make it through.

"I'm sorry that you guys weren't able to be there, but we were really far at the time," I said honestly. "Besides, it sort of just happened overnight."

Eri's eyes narrowed. "Shotgun wedding? Are you pregnant or something?"

"No!"

"She will be soon," Sesshomaru interjected.

I shot him a look. I did not need him saying that right now. Eri and Yuka looked at each other and then back at us.

"Well, the both of you are good-looking. I'm sure the children will be beautiful, and we'll get to be aunts." Yuka said.

Eri smiled and nodded. Eri looked at our hands. "The two of you aren't wearing any rings."

I nodded. "We don't wear rings. It's a sort of old-school tradition." I said half-true.

Eri's eyes narrowed at him. "Kagome this isn't the guy you would talk about in high school, is it?"

I could see Seeshomaru glance at me when she mentioned the other guy.

"Absolutely not," I said quickly. "He is a thing of the past."

Which was true in more ways than one.

"Does he know that you're married?" Yuka asked

"He sure does."

"How'd he take it?" Yuka asked.

"Not well," Sesshomaru interjected.

So, he realized who they were talking about.

"My brother has always been quite the hothead." he'd said.

Their jaws fell and they looked at me shocked.

I was going to need Sesshomaru to stop trying to help.

"His brother?" Yuka asked stunned. "I never would've guessed you had that in you."

Eri folded her arms. "Good. That two-timing jerk. It serves him right. Now he'll have to see your face and see what he lost. You were always too good for him. Clearly his brother here has a good head on his shoulders."

"Hn."

I laughed nervously.

Eri smiled. "Well damn, Kagome. You did well for yourself."

"Thank you, seriously. Now, stop embarrassing me please."

Yuka checked her watch. "Oh, crap. Eri we're going to be late for the movie. Sorry Kagome, but we have to go. We'll make sure to stop by the shrine sometime." She said, pulling Eri after her.

"Friends from your childhood?"

I nodded. "From school. I would see them every now and again. When I'd make trips home. Just now was the first time I'd seen them in three years."

"They are an interesting pair."

I laughed. "You have no idea."

We exited the cafe and started walking again.

"They seem to know about Inuyasha as well."

"Well yeah. They were my closest friends at the time. So, I talked to them about him. That is what teenage girls did. They talked about boys they liked at the time."

We ended up in a small park and decided to sit on a bench and take a break.

"Have you never had someone you loved in the past?"

"No." he said almost immediately."

"Oh come on I don't believe that. Not a single woman?"

"No." he said.

"Not even puppy love when you were a child?"

He relaxed and folded his leg over the other.

"I had no time for crushes when I was young. There have been women who have warmed my bed. However, I have not kept any of them in my heart."

Of course, he'd slept with other women. I mean look at him. He was desirable in every way. There isn't a woman who would turn him down.

I pushed it to the back of my mind before I started to overthink the matter.

"You love Rin though don't you?" I said changing the subject.

He stopped. I could see him thinking about it.

"Yes, I care for her deeply."

I leaned back and smiled. If Rin was the only one in his heart then I was fine with that.

"Who is in your heart Kagome?"

I froze. The question had caught me off guard. Where had it even come from? I could feel him looking at me. I wasn't sure how to answer him

"Could you be a bit more specific?" I asked, trying to buy myself time.

"Is there a man that you love?"

I looked at him and smiled. "I love the day that we had. I love that we're taking time away from the palace." I said ignoring his question.

I stood up and stretched.

"You are running again." He said.

I smiled. "So are you."

"I do not understand."

"I thought playing stupid was my thing? Allow me to explain. You are running too Sesshomaru. You're running from giving me an answer. Whether it's the answer I want to hear. Or the one that will hurt me. I'm just not sure which it is. You're very good at being confusing that way."

He said nothing and just looked at me. I sighed. I still couldn't read him. I was starting to think I'd never be able to.

I gave him a small smile. "Come on. Let's head back to the house. I'll show you as many movies as you want."