AN: So sorry that it took this long to get out a new chapter. Aside from real life shenanigans, I wrote and rewrote the beginning of this chapter so many times before I got something that I was happy with. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor The Avengers nor any of their characters. Those belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Marvel/Disney, respectively. I only own any original characters that may appear.

Control

Chapter Six

Kagome swiveled her chair slowly from side to side as she listened to the men in the conference room drone on and on about revenue projections. It was her job to record the minutes for the meetings that she attended with Sesshoumaru, but she had long ago figured out that it was easier to record the meetings with a webcam and her laptop and then type up the minutes later. Her boredom was beginning to get the better of her though. She had to attend these meetings with her boss, but she rarely spoke and there really wasn't much for her to do. Eventually, her fingers snaked their way into her purse and she pulled out her smartphone.

No new messages. 'Well I'll just have to fix that,' she thought.

Opening up a new message to Bruce, Kagome tapped the touch screen's digital keys. In a meeting with S right now, but I'm free for a late lunch. Want to go to that Indian place you were telling me about?

It had been several weeks since Inuyasha's arrival and since she and Bruce had gone to the park together. True to her word, she had called him later that evening and they had discusses where each of them wanted their relationship to be.

It had come as a relief to both of them that they were actually on the same page. While they were both willing to see what would develop between them given time and the chance, neither of them wanted to define or label their relationship. They had eventually decided that they would just keep doing what they had been doing and see what happened. If they felt that things were progressing to new levels that weren't "casual" they would just cross that bridge when they came to it.

It didn't take long before Kagome felt the soft vibrations of the phone in her hand. Keeping the phone strategically angled underneath the conference room's table, Kagome read the new message from Bruce. Can't. On the helicarrier for a team meeting. Not sure when we'll be back on the ground.

Pouting slightly, Kagome began to respond, Boo. Oh well, we'll just have to go another time. Kagome stopped typing when she felt a slight swell in Sesshoumaru's aura. Glancing up, she saw her boss glaring at her before looking pointedly to where her phone was in her lap under the table. Smiling apologetically to her friend, she quickly finished up her message, Uh oh, I just got busted for texting mid-meeting. S is giving me dirty looks. Gotta go, but call me when you get back. Maybe we can get dinner. Hope your meeting is more fun than mine xoxo

Feeling like a child who had just gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar, Kagome quietly slid her phone back into her purse before glancing towards Sesshoumaru. His glare slowly melted into a look of mild annoyance before he finally just shook his head at her and turned his attention to the current speaker. Kagome resigned herself to half-listening to the rest of the meeting as she opened a game of solitaire.

Bruce smiled as he read Kagome's latest message. The Avengers were sitting around the large round table that they usually used for their meetings. They were simply waiting until Fury returned from being called away to another deck.

"Awwww, is that another text from Kagome?" Tony cooed in Bruce's direction when he noticed his friend's expression.

"Who's Kagome?" Steve asked as he looked up from the files that Fury had left behind.

Smirking widely, Tony answered, "Bruce's girlfriend."

The two assassins and the demi-god immediately perked up and began paying attention to the conversation. It wasn't often that anything came out about the quiet doctor's personal life, so Tony's answer instantly piqued everyone's curiosity.

"She's not my girlfriend," Bruce defended tiredly. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time he'd had to correct Tony on that point.

"Oh, right," Tony drawled. "I forgot. You're not "labeling" it. I don't understand that. And no matter what you say, she's your girlfriend."

"So who exactly is this woman?" Natasha broke in.

Pulling out his tablet, Tony said, "Hold on a second." Quickly syncing his tablet with the monitors in front of each seat at the table, he pulled up a file picture of Kagome. "There we go! Miss Kagome Higurashi: Personal Assistant to Sesshoumaru Taishou, self-proclaimed priestess, and Bruce Banner's girlfriend," Tony said as he stressed the last word and looked at Bruce.

"She's very pretty," Natasha commented. The other men at the table seemed to agree while Clint let out a low whistle.

"Stark," Fury barked as he approached the table. "What have I told you about tapping into our systems without my permission?"

"Calm down, Mom," Tony responded with a dismissive wave. "I was only pulling up a picture for everyone."

Getting a little annoyed, Bruce said, "You made your point, Tony. Now take her picture down."

Fury glanced down at the picture on the table's screen before asking, "Who is she?"

"Bruce's girlfr—"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Bruce finally snapped at his friend.

Tony spun his chair to face Bruce directly before ticking off on his fingers, "You call each other almost every day, you're constantly texting like high schoolers, you've spent every Saturday together for a few months, you have lunch and dinner dates, and lately she's been coming over and the two of you watch movies together." Turning to face the other people at the table, Tony raised his hand and questioned, "Who agrees that all of that constitutes normal dating for boyfriends and girlfriends?"

Bruce's mouth dropped open when all of his teammates raised their hands, including Fury and Agent Hill. It wasn't until he heard Tony's laughter that he turned around and saw several other agents still at their stations who also had their hands raised.

"Now I've made my point," Tony said smugly as he took Kagome's picture off of the table's monitors.

Bruce was about to retort when Fury cleared his throat loudly. "If we could get back to the reason that you're all here today," he paused making sure that he had each of the Avengers' attention. "I've been speaking with Mr. Stark recently about a new project for the team. It's been decided that since threats to the Earth and its people have become more and more frequent, The Avengers can no longer operate efficiently scattered around the world. That's why, in the coming months, Mr. Stark will be moving his employees out of Stark Tower and into another building so that renovations can begin on what will be—"

"Avengers Tower!" Tony interrupted loudly as he pulled up preliminary designs and schematics on the table's screens.

Glaring at the billionaire, Fury continued, "Yes, on what will be Avengers Tower. This will be what all of you will eventually call home. Floors are going to be renovated to add more living quarters as well as add training and practice facilities. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be overseeing the upgraded and additional defense systems of the building."

Yelling immediately ensued, most loudly from Natasha and Clint. Holding up his hand to silence the group, Fury continued, "You won't be expected to move into the tower anytime soon since the renovations will take time, but this is not optional. Agents Romanoff and Barton, you'll still be assigned your own field missions as you're needed, but when you're stateside and off-duty, this is where you'll be staying. That's final." Despite the pouts and clenched jaws and fists, the team began to settle down. "You'll receive more information and updates on this at future meetings or in packets that will be delivered to you. Now, let's get the sector and mission reports out of the way so that we can all go home."

Inuyasha vigorously rubbed a towel over head before removing the cotton balls from his damp ears. He was just stepping out of his bathroom and into his bedroom when he heard humming and light footsteps coming from the hall. Placing his towel around his neck, he pulled on a pair of boxers before stepping into the hall to see Kagome. "Hey," he called. "Where are you going?"

Kagome turned to look at her friend before taking a few steps toward him and answering, "Bruce called in an order to this Indian restaurant we've been meaning to try, so I'm going to pick it up and we're going to eat dinner and watch a movie or two."

Scowling, Inuyasha darkly stated, "I don't like him."

"No," Kagome corrected, "you don't like Tony. You don't even know Bruce." Reaching up, she ruffled some of the half-demon's short white hair. "I like this better than the black."

"Yeah, well it's easier to fit in with black hair," he said as he gently swatted her hand away. "And I don't like the guy because I don't know anything about him. I can't trust him."

Kagome smiled, knowing how Inuyasha could get. "Then you'll just have to trust me when I say that he's a good guy."

Inuyasha scoffed but didn't say anything more about it. Feeling his stomach rumble, a more concerning topic was brought to mind. "What the hell are Sesshoumaru and I supposed to do for food if you leave?"

"Sesshoumaru is working late and probably won't even bother with dinner. As for you, you're a grown man with two working hands and three options: get a cook to make you something, cook something for yourself, or pick up a phone and order take-out," Kagome said with a teasing smile. Lightly swatting at the taller man's bare abs, she added, "But either way, put on a shirt and some pants before you make the maids swoon."

Having his masculine ego stroked, Inuyasha stood up a little straighter and smirked. "What if that's what I'm going for?"

Kagome grinned impishly as she turned to walk away before answering, "Then, considering all of the maids are in their forties and fifties, I'd say that you're type has really changed." As she descended the steps to the mansion's first floor, Kagome could hear Inuyasha trip over his words as he tried to come up with a reply before he finally just huffed and walked back to his room. Smiling at her small victory, Kagome exited the mansion and hopped into the car that she had called for.

Kagome thanked the driver and told him that she would call a taxi when she was ready to come home. Adjusting the paper bags in her arms, Kagome entered the dark and empty building only to be greeted by an increasingly familiar voice.

"Good evening, Miss Higurashi," Jarvis said.

"Hello, Jarvis," Kagome answered. "Could you bring an elevator for me, please? My hands are a little full." She had just finished her sentence when she heard the ding of the arriving elevator. "Always a step ahead of me, aren't you?" Entering the elevator, Kagome knew she wouldn't have to press any of the many buttons. Jarvis would automatically take her to floor containing the living quarter's large kitchen.

Settling the bags on the marble countertops, Kagome began unpacking their food. It wasn't long before Bruce appeared looking sheepish. "Sorry I wasn't here to meet you," he apologized. "I was in the lab, and I guess I lost track of time."

"No problem," Kagome chirped. She always enjoyed their meals together. "I haven't checked out any of the food yet. I did remember to tell you that I'm a wimp with spicy food, right?"

Bruce laughed at the face Kagome made as he picked up one of the containers and smelled the contents. "Yes, and I made sure to order something very mild for you. I actually think this one is yours," he said handing over the container.

Curious about the difference, Kagome sniffed the container that Bruce handed her before picking up another on the counter and giving it an exploratory sniff. She pulled back quickly and cleared her throat before handing that container to her dinner partner. "I see what you mean now." Peeking into a couple of containers that contained sides and appetizers, Kagome asked, "How can you handle stuff like that?"

Bruce shrugged a little as he said, "I've told you that I lived in India for a while. I took what meals I could get and never wanted to be rude, so I guess I just built up a tolerance over time. I'm actually pretty fond of spicy foods now."

Humming lightly, Kagome grabbed the utensils included in the bag and said, "I think I'll stick with my wimp spices for now."

The two took their food and moved to where Bruce had already set up a movie for them to watch. As they got settled and Bruce grabbed the remote, Kagome asked, "So what are we watching?"

"Arsenic and Old Lace," Bruce answered as he pulled up the menu screen.

Confused, Kagome said, "I don't think I've ever heard of that one."

"Well, it's an older movie—it came out in 1944—but it's really good. I think you'll like it," he said.

Kagome watched Bruce and couldn't help smiling. He was so much more relaxed around her than he used to be. It made her happy to see how far he had come since she had known him. "So," she started as she picked at her food. "How was your meeting today?"

Immediately remembering the debate on the status of his relationship with Kagome, Bruce decided not to mention that—mostly out of embarrassment. "It was fine. We went over the usual types of reports. But Fury and Tony announced that the tower is going to be turned into Avengers Tower. It sounds like it'll be a place for the team to live and train together."

They continued to chat about the upcoming building through the previews but settled into a comfortable silence as the movie started and they ate. By the time the movie ended, Kagome was laughing at the screen and Bruce was chuckling at her laughter. "So should I assume that you liked it?" Bruce asked.

"I loved it," Kagome answered as she turned to look at him. "So how authentic was the food?"

"It was good, but not what I would call authentic," Bruce said with a small smile.

Thinking for a moment, Kagome asked, "Do you miss traveling?"

"A little," Bruce answered honestly. "I miss meeting new people, seeing new places, and helping people that needed it. I'd like to travel again one day without always having to look over my shoulder."

"Yeah, I miss it too," Kagome agreed absently as her mind wandered to days gone by.

Catching his attention, Bruce asked, "You used to travel? Where?"

Kagome had to think for a moment on how to answer. "I never went anywhere far away or exotic. I just traveled through some rural areas of Japan with some friends." Thinking back on her adventures, Kagome added, "Honestly, I think what I miss the most is being able to look up and see the stars. They're impossible to see in big cities like this."

An idea sparked in Bruce's head and he stood up and held out his hand to help Kagome off of the couch as well. "I have something to show you that I think you might like," he explained as he pulled her to her feet. Bruce didn't let go of her hand as they walked down several hallways towards his room. Kagome had instigated hand-holding many times, and Bruce had eventually gotten the courage to do the same. She never hesitated or shied away from him, and he was grateful. He couldn't express how much he had missed physical human contact.

When they finally reached his room, Bruce ushered Kagome inside and urged her to find a seat wherever she wanted. Kagome looked at her choices and opted to just sit on the end of the bed. She watched as Bruce pulled the curtains closed over his windows to shut out the city lights. He then picked up a small remote from his bedside table, turned off the lights in the room, sat down next to Kagome on the bed, and pressed one of the buttons on his remote.

Slowly, Kagome realized that there was a new light source in the room, but it was very soft. Looking up, she gasped softly at the sight of thousands of twinkling stars. From beside her, Bruce spoke, "I mentioned to Tony one time that stargazing helped me relax. The next thing that I know, he had these panels installed in my ceiling. They're displaying real-time the stars that are above us right now."

Kagome was transfixed. It had been such a long time since she had seen stars like that. Even though she knew that they weren't real, it looked like the ceiling had just opened up to reveal a night sky in the country. Lying back on the bed so that she wouldn't have to crane her neck up, Kagome softly said, "Wow...it's beautiful." She turned to look at Bruce in the soft light and smiled brightly. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

Though it was dark and neither of them could tell, Bruce blushed. When he felt a soft tug on the back of his shirt, he took the hint and reclined back to lie next to Kagome.

It was quiet for several minutes before Kagome giggled and said, "Maybe we should picnic in here next time." She thought a little more about it and added, "And I could cook! I'm not as good as Mama, but I'm not bad."

"Do you miss your family?" Bruce asked as he turned his head to look over at Kagome.

"Of course I do," Kagome answered. She rolled over onto her side and propped her head up on her hand. "I'm actually going back home for a little vacation in a couple of weeks. I've been meaning to ask, I mean I don't know if you're interested and it's completely fine if you're not, but I was wondering if you'd like to come with me? You'd be able to get a little bit of wanderlust out of your system."

Bruce was quiet while he absorbed what Kagome had just asked him. "You want me to visit Japan with you?"

Kagome nodded happily and waited for his answer.

"I'm not sure," Bruce hedged. "I don't do very well on planes."

"That's fine!" Kagome said. "Sesshoumaru lets me use his plane for trips home. It would just be the two of us. You wouldn't have to worry about being cramped in with a bunch of strangers."

"I don't even have a passport anymore. All of my assets are frozen because I'm still technically a fugitive," he pointed out.

Waving her hand, Kagome said, "I'm sure we can work something out with your status with S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Avengers." A thought suddenly occurred to Kagome. "If you actually want to go, that is. If you don't want to, you can just say so. I'll understand," she reassured. She smiled trying not to seem disappointed, but she wasn't sure how well she was doing.

Backpedaling so that she wouldn't think that he was rejecting her, Bruce sat up and began to explain, "That's not it. I would love to go! I just didn't want to be more trouble that I would be worth."

Kagome sat up so that she could look at him more evenly before covering Bruce's hand with hers. "You're not any trouble, and even if you were you would be worth lots of it."

Bruce looked at Kagome in the soft light from the starry panels above them and felt his stomach twist. She was holding his hand and smiling at him softly and the light from above reflected in her dark hair creating a halo effect. Even he knew that it was a perfect moment. The only question was would he take the chance to act on it? As he hesitated, Kagome's smile widened a little before she reached up to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. For once, Bruce stopped thinking about the situation and just acted.

Reaching up, Bruce took Kagome's other hand into his own and leaned forward slightly. He watched to see if she would pull away or stop him. When she stood her ground and just kept staring into his eyes, waiting, Bruce moved closer. He gently rested his forehead against hers as her nerves began to get the better of him. He was pretty sure his stomach had taken up gymnastics. But the anxiety began to leave him when he felt a familiar soft warmth work its way through him from his hands. He dipped his head slightly and let his eyes shut when he saw Kagome's eyes flutter closed.

His lips were only a breath away from hers when a loud voice echoed through the room.

"Bruce!" Tony yelled over a speaker installed in the bedroom. "I just got a call from Fury, there's a situation. Get to the roof to catch your ride to the helicarrier, ASAP."

Bruce could feel Kagome shake with soft laughter even though all he wanted to do at the moment was wring Tony's neck. "You should probably go, huh?" Kagome asked quietly as she stood up and stretched.

"Yeah," Bruce answered as he turned off the ceiling panels, stood, and turned the bedroom lights back on.

The two left the bedroom and made their way to the elevators. Bruce would take one up while Kagome would take another down, but before he could step onto his Kagome grabbed his sleeve and tugged him back. She quickly rose up to kiss him on the cheek before she said, "Be safe." Letting go of his sleeve, she stepped forward and into her own elevator. The last thing Bruce saw before the doors shut was her waving at him. Sighing at how their night had ended, Bruce made his way to the roof. Tony was at least getting a punch in the arm.

Kagome had just hailed a taxi and was getting in and telling the driver where to go when she saw a hoverjet leaving the roof of Stark Tower. She thought back to the moment that they had shared just before they were interrupted. Smiling brightly, Kagome rubbed her cheeks to get rid of the heat gathering there. It was sooner than she thought that it would be, but maybe the time was coming for them to reevaluate the status of their relationship.

AN: New chapter! And I was a little evil. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Remember to let me know what you think. Either way, thanks for reading and I hope to see you next time!