A/N:
This is light, very light. It's also my first fic in the IY fandom so be kind if you spot gruesome inadequacies to canon, grammar and language. I wrote it for the fun of messing with characters that don't belong to me and because there are few to none SK friendship fics out there. There will be no sequel, as I am currently writing another extensive story in another fandom...maybe after I finish that one and only if I get a positive response with this one:) I hope you enjoy it!
He ranted, he raved and acted all pissy. He even stomped his bare foot, which, given any other circumstances, Kagome would have found endearing. His unborn baby did that a LOT of that. And it was her belly at the receiving end and not the dusty, uncaring patch of soil of Kaede's village. Henceforth, the growling hanyou routine fell on deaf ears, closed eyes, jutting chin and give-me-a-break attitude. A break, the heavily pregnant miko thought, I could use a break.
"Inu-ya-sha!" she enunciated in her long forgotten "my-gosh-you-just-hit-a-girl-OSUWARY!" tone.
"Mou," Kagome huffed and puffed, "can you be ruder than that?! Poor Takeda-sama is standing right behind you!"
…in a cloud of dust, eyeing the back of the red-clad creature with puppy ears he had sought for assistance. The man was in full groveling mode, bowing and sniveling and generally moping around. Inuyasha was nonplussed.
The village emissary of some importance had come a long way to the peaceful dwelling near the Goshinboku seeking help with exterminating a most virulent and ill-mannered human eating youkai that plagued his settlement. The miko with a funny sense of fashion had helped in the past. And her silver-haired companion hanging around her had this super-amazing-freakishly-hot youkai blade that pulverized enemies with a swish of the hand and a hollered incantation. But to his surprise, the raven-hair miko was indisposed for at least another two months till eternity, if Inuyasha had his way. The whole plea for assistance bit had degenerated in theatrical display of the hanyou's resounding "Like hell she is!", that quickly turned into "Like hell I am!" when Kagome suggested that instead of her, Inuyasha should perform the task.
Truthfully, Kagome pondered, this had been going on for too long. She loved her husband dearly, she was going to give him his first child, for the love of red, but having to explain to said husband that said wife was feeling splendidly and was in no danger of harming the upcoming little creature by the mere act of bending over and picking up a twig for the last 7 months took a toll on her nerves. Sweet, forever cherished and kinda cute toll, but a toll nevertheless. Because apparently having to purify a child-eating youkai miles and miles away over-throned the end of the world on Inuyasha's scale of potentially dangerous situations. Being away from mother and child came close to second.
"Look, it's not like you'll be traveling alone. You'll have Miroku-sama with you."
The happy mien the monk had put on was not even mildly reassuring. Kagome went on unperturbed by her hanyou's fuming stance:
"I'll have Kaede-baa-chan here…"
The one-eyed miko nodded sympathetically as Kagome raised one slender finger.
"…and Sango-chan and the kids…"
Inuyasha keh-ed at the extended palm that suddenly made soft contact with the tip of his nose.
"…and Rin-chan and Shippou-chan…"
And Inuyasha stopped her before she went through the entire list of people she knew and doted on her and ran out of fingers and limbs.
"Keh, I get it, I get it. But you won't have me!"
For him, that was that and it was an insurmountable argument in the path of his wife's logic.
Suddenly, Kagome really wished there'd be no one around but the proud and overly concerned father to be. The advanced pregnancy had only served to heighten her feelings towards her moody hanyou and she thought that if she loved him more, she'd slowly burn herself to a crisp. Touching, kissing, loving was not enough, never enough. But Kagome had always been and continued to be a selfless person. She was a miko, yes. And also a mother. So the mere thought that there was a rabid youkai out there feasting on the innocent and helpless made her sick to the soul.
"I will not allow the killing to continue!" she said in a seriously scary tone that made Inuyasha's ears flatten.
The hanyou flinched internally. How many times had they had the same conversation? Kissing and caressing her pumped-up belly had usually done the trick for him in soothing his brave, but sometimes over-zealous Kagome. With all her powers and her tenacity, she was still a frail mortal woman that held his life and the life of his child within her small, easily-breakable frame. Should something happen to her…the thought was unbearable to conjure. Young women in the Sengoku Jidai had enough problems even without carrying the offspring of a hanyou.
"Surely you trust your wife and your friends to keep safe while you're away for a couple of days?"
Inuyasha quickly realized he was going down, even with a fight. He wanted to stifle a creeping smile that graced his lips at the thought of how he would have rewarded his wee little wife for her clear-cut victory, had the setting been different. He wanted it…but he just couldn't.
"Two months into completing my killer whale look and he is still able to think such things?" a slightly flustered Kagome wondered – not for the first time – at the ingenuity with which her cocky hanyou managed to handle their more…basic needs.
She scowled, he keh-ed, in order to hide their little moment.
"Fine! I'll go!"
"Blessed be the Gods!" Miroku sighed. One more second into the whole drama and he would've snapped. Promptly, the emissary launched himself in a litany of thanks that rose in the clear mid-day air.
Sometimes, the monk pondered, he sincerely thought that he had more chance to see Buddha riding a donkey cart than actually placate his hanyou friend. All the goodbye-ing had done nothing to appease Inuyasha's foul mood as he put distance between themselves and their home-village at a super-human pace. Consequently, Miroku was not enjoying the free piggy-back ride he never in a million years had hoped to get. But as they usually did in dire situations, his thoughts turned to the loved ones he left behind. Inuyasha's thoughts were not far off either.
It wasn't all that bad. Sure, the futon was cold, her back ached a little and two seconds into Inuyasha's disappearance from her line of view she already missed him, but it could've been worse. It could've rained. As it were, the weather remained sunny and warm throughout her husband's absence. And because there really wasn't much to do, what with the twins chasing Shippou and Sango catering to her youngest, Kagome found herself yearning for a little up and about. The opportunity to stretch her legs and kill some time rose in the guise of Kaede's apprentices favorite past-time: gathering herbs. With a hyper Rin on her right and a bow on her left shoulder – Inuyasha would have been proud of her precautions, she surmised – the miko set out confidently on a short journey to a green hill not far from the village.
It was pleasant to have Rin around, prattling away about this and that, asking innumerable question to which Kagome endeavored to answer as best she could. Lately, she avoided upsetting the child for reasons of her own. Poking Kagome-sama's belly to get a reaction from the baby within, laughing and being merry were things Rin dearly loved to do. But, Kagome could not always set her worries aside. Like now, when she watched Rin chasing butterflies and the gloom that would settle over the bright, usually happy child now and again, at the thought of not having seen or heard of her Sesshoumaru-sama in now close to an year.
Never had the great inu-youkai failed to check on his ward at least every three months or so. He was consistent in his habit as Inuyasha ever was in retrieving Kagome from her home in the future. But for 12 long months, not a whisper had been uttered about Inuyasha's older brother. And much to the miko's surprise, Rin was not the one solely affected. She would often find her hanyou staring off in the distance, all senses on high alert and muttering "bastard" under his breath. When she gently prodded him with questions, he usually replied with feigned disinterest:
"I just wanna know where he is so I can avoid him!"
Kagome was no fool. In the end, it all came down to blood, no matter how forcefully the stubborn brothers tried to deny it. The young miko and her husband both knew that whatever it was that kept Sesshoumaru away for such a long time, it would only come to bite them in the ass later, as Inuyasha eloquently put it one night when he was feeling particularly prone to talk of such things. Namely, the night he was human. The conversation was dropped when her husband made it abundantly clear that Sesshoumaru's business was none of their concern…and that he could take care of himself. Kagome had smiled at that and at the hanyou's abrupt change of subject. But it nagged him, she could tell. Or at least she thought she could tell. She wondered sometimes if maybe she was reading too much into her husband's new relationship with his half brother. Her little "onii-san" stunt was received with freakishly similar mean faces. But Kagome came from a tight-knit family where everybody was somebody's mother, brother, sister, grandfather. Souta had always called the hanyou "Inu-no-nii-chan", right? The miko hardly thought she was being unreasonable and had made a secret decision to put an end to all the sama's going on with her brother-in-law. Especially now, with an heir to the Great Inu Lineage growing in her belly. A fact she had yet to present to Sesshoumaru.
Oh, boy! Kagome sighed, her resolve shaking a little as the stern face of Sesshoumaru popped up in her mind's eye giving her a death glare. No, he wasn't some prejudiced human, the lights of which she still saw, much to Inuyasha's chagrin.
He was some prejudiced youkai.
No, no, that was all in the past. Sure, it would probably miff her if he actually didn't care one way or the other, but she could live with indifference. It just pained her deeply-routed sense of family.
"Ne, Kagome-sama, I think I kinda overdid the herb gathering…" a blushing Rin approached her, covered in all the pretty flowers she could find.
Kagome giggled, all her worries gone in a puff of dandelions. Such a happy, adorable child. If her youkai brother-in-law could tolerate and even come to care for an orphaned little mortal girl, he would surely accept a little baby with some of his own blood.
"Well, then, Rin-chan, we should hurry up and get home and keep the flowers pretty!"
Rin nodded enthusiastically and ran ahead with bees and butterflies hot on her tail. Kagome however was not as fast.
"Oi!" she grimaced a little trying to get her currently occupied body straight up. Thankfully, the baby didn't stir. Bow and quivers in place, she set a leisurely pace in pursue of the now far away child. There was really no hurry in getting back and it was a fine day for a walk.
A fine day indeed, if it were not for the throbbing in her temples. Or was it a throbbing in the ground?
"Earthquake?"
Behind her, a cloud of dust was drawing near. Had he been there, Inuyasha would have warned her about the smell of horses and blood in the air. But he was not, and Kagome realized the danger too late.
Bandits.
Open field, as far as the eye could see, a lonely woman on the road, and no place to hide. It was no surprise she was surrounded in mere seconds, before she could fire her first arrow. Her vision blurred by the strong mid-day light, all she could think was: Let Rin-chan be safe! Let the baby be safe!
Over and over again in her head.
"Oi, look what we have here! A stray miko on the road! And a pretty one at that!"
"Stay back!"
The first arrow hit its mark with accuracy. But the second one never followed as the horse suddenly reared and sent Kagome on her back, to the ground, trying to protect her baby from the impending kick. The dead rider also hit the ground with a loud thump. His comrades were amazed and then angered:
"Stupid whore! Now you will die!"
But before he could deal the fatal blow, he froze on the spot.
"I don't think she likes being touched."
The graveness of the voice got all eight remaining bandits sweating leeches and maggots.
"You should leave…"
The silken sashayed footsteps of the tall silvery creature echoed through the death-like silence.
"…while you still can."
Foolishly, the woman forgotten, the bandits charged on their horses towards the unperturbed elfish-looking man. He closed his eyes in disgust.
It only took a flash of bright-green for all of the savages to fall dead from their mounts. The horses swiftly turned back, guided by their animal instincts away from danger.
Stepping lightly over the offending corpses, Sesshoumaru looked down on the little woman staring in shock at him. If he registered her condition, Kagome could honestly not tell. He remained silent and quickly scanned the area.
"Inuyasha…is..is…not here…" she stuttered.
"You'd think."
But that was the entirety of their conversation, before Jaken barged in, flying on Ah-Uhn, hollering from the top of his little youkai lungs:
"Se-shouuuuuu-ma-ruuuuuuu-samaaaaaaa! Oh-ouch-aw!" as he came crushing on his nose in front oh his master.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, you left so quickly and I brought Ah-Uhn and I was calling you and calling you and looking for you…and…oh…look, Sesshoumaru-sama, it's Kagome!" the imp pointed a startled finger at the young miko.
"And look, Sesshoumaru-sama she's….aaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
It was at that precise moment, Kagome realized that at least one of the two youkai properly registered her condition. Jaken's wide eyes popping out of their sockets, the visible twitch in his left side and the trembling finger were reliable enough indications.
"She's..is..is…p-p-r-p-p…with..th..th…."
"Jaken, shut up."
Ohhh, now it was Kagome's turn to gasp incoherently.
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
"Can you walk?"
"Anything you ask, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Jaken was promptly hammered by a concussion-inducing fist to the head, which made Kagome giggle good-naturedly. Somehow, the scene was all too familiar and she half expected Jaken to fly into her protective arms.
"Sure, Onii-san, as soon as I get up, I'll give it a try."
Although she flashed her best reassuring smile, ignoring Jaken's running in circles like a headless chicken over the nickname for his master, it turned out that getting up was not so easy. Not without help.
Oh, boy! The pregnant miko sighed.
"Nee, Jaken…do you mind…"
Whoop!
And so she was up. Miraculously, Sesshoumaru's hand had connected with her shoulder, lifting her up in the process.
"Thanks, Onii-san, I always have problems with that part."
Why, oh, why, did she persist on calling him that? Kagome thought she was too trusty for her own good. But when she managed to take her eyes off the ground and look at her brother-in-law, his face had such a neutral expression that she felt like glomping him as the twins did Inuyasha. An armor and a baby prevented her from furthering her thoughts into actions. It was so damn relieving to see someone outside her circle of friends not scowl or frown or put a nasty face on whenever her pregnancy was concerned.
Realizing she was most likely ogling him – he had that head-cocked-to-his-side posture going on – Kagome pulled out her best polite tone and said:
"Onii-san, thank you for your help. I don't know what would've happened to us if you hadn't come."
And she meant that. Really really did.
And he really really didn't care, for he turned his back on her and simply said:
"They were in my way."
"Oh, and which way is that?"
Meany!
Big, bad meany!
Kagome frowned so hard, the wrinkles on her forehead had wrinkles of their own.
"This way."
He went ahead, walking slow enough to allow his party to catch up to him.
The miko was fuming, but nevertheless fell into step with him. There was a heaviness in his usually strong, confident stride and a weariness in his demeanor that did not go unnoticed by Kagome.
"Nee, Onii-san, where've you been?" she asked softly. "You got us worried there for a while."
Which was entirely true. Rin was sad.
"Away."
She almost didn't hear him for the rustling of their garments.
"Oh. Okay."
Kagome wisely chose to remain silent, thinking he might surprise her and confess on his own terms. It worked with Inuyasha. Usually. Sometimes. Once in a while. On occasion.
But the baby was not so subtle. It – Kagome did not think of a he or she - took all it's stress and fear on it's poor mother's ribs. She should've seen that coming as she doubled over in pain.
"Oi, ouch-ouch!"
Sesshoumaru stopped inquisitively.
"You are not hurt."
"Yeah, but I'm with child. Angry, kicking child!"
Had she been paying attention, she would not have missed the smirk creeping on the youkai's lips.
"Jaken."
"Sesshoumaru-sama, yes!"
"Bring Ah-Uhn here."
The double headed dragon moved of his own accord and lowered down to allow Kagome to rest. Caught in the spur of the moment, the pregnant miko eased herself on the creature's back without much protest or bewilderment. She was preoccupied with soothing the restless child within. She wasn't having much luck and her baby's distress was bringing her on the verge of tears. His kicking limbs contributed to it too.
And then it came. Soft and gentle, Sesshoumaru's palm on her belly.
"Cease." He commanded in his most authoritative voice, but there was no malice or disdain in his demeanor as he spoke it.
The baby, mercifully, complied.
Kagome was stunned, all pain forgotten. As quickly and unexpected as it came, the soothing hand was gone. Inuyasha did that too.
"He is a true son of my brother."
Inuyasha said that too.
"It could be a girl…" Kagome mumbled.
"But it is not. Let's go."
Inuyasha knew that too.
Ah-Uhn followed his master's command, carrying the miko on his back, with Jaken grumbling something behind his back about weak humans.
Kagome was not going to let it fly.
"How…how do you know that?"
"It's an animal thing."
It downed on her that this was the most wordy conversation she had had with Sesshoumaru…ever. On the off-chance there really was a word limit to conversations with her Onii-san, she had to stop now if she wanted to have another one anytime soon.
Consequently, the remainder of the trip back to Kaede's village was spent in companionable silence. Kagome was nothing but grateful and she suspected Sesshoumaru felt the same way.
Rin's squealing and happy laughter did not die down all throughout the day. Perched on a conveniently placed rocky outcrop somewhere near Kaede's hut, Sesshoumaru watched as Rin could not make up her mind which of his two youkai servants deserved more hugs. The woman that had Inuyasha's scent on her, but nowhere near her, was also happy with Rin's happiness. And, strangest of all, somehow happy that he was – as she put it – finally here. He could pretend she offended his loyalty by assuming he stayed away out of his own volition, if he had the strength for it. As he did not, he lapsed into a quiet contemplation of his ward's comings and goings.
Kagome sat nearby, thoroughly amused by the trio that was Jaken, Ah-Uhn and Rin. Her Onii-san did not amuse her. She thanked the gods Inuyasha was away and not here to witness his brother's arrival. She had a feeling he might not have been sensible enough to not upset his troubled youkai brother. But she took great pleasure in the thought that whatever was going on in Sesshoumaru's life that wearied the great inu-youkai, he came here, to the village where his ward and hanyou sibling dwelt. Where the miko pregnant with said hanyou lived. And he was not grossed out, not quite caring but not too indifferent either. And the scowling stopped at her repetitive Onii-sans. Impredictable he may be, this great Sesshoumaru, but he was also strangely adaptable, Kagome mused as she caught the eye of her brother-in-law and smiled at him with kindness.
He left. Walking slowly away from what was now his waving and good-wishing family. Running straight into his not so domesticated brother.
"Keh!"
"Humpf!"
"Yeah, good to see too."
"Indeed."
He was walking away…