Yours
Disc: Me no own, everrr. © Rumiko Takahashi.
A/N: Longest drabble I've ever written! Feel special! :P I had three ideas for this same thing (I know, how does that work?) and I'm going to post them all. They're all going to be very similar. In this one, it works out pretty well.
In the second one, they don't, uh, make up… :(
And in the third one, it's shorter and things happen a bit differently.
So the other two will be up soon enough.
P.S.- Slight Kohaku/Rin and Sesshy/Kagura! XD But it's very, very slight. As if you must SQUINT and use EYEDROPS to see it. ;P
ENJOY! :D
It was a beautiful day.
The sun was shining, the wind was just a light breeze, the birds were singing.
Oh and hey, Naraku had been defeated.
Inuyasha turned towards his companions, a feral grin splitting his features, the purple marks on his cheeks that signaled he'd tapped into his hanyou heritage bleeding away to leave only tanned skin.
"That was one hell of a scuffle, eh?"
Miroku laughed heartily, bringing his hand up to his face. The wind tunnel was gone again, leaving no trace that it was ever there, "But how do we know its for real this time?"
Sango sighed, turning towards Kirara, who was still in her fighting form. The fire cat was sitting next to her, Shippo seated easily on her head, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"I can feel it," The demon-slayer declared, brow knitted.
"Yes, but he fooled us all before to draw out Kaguya of the Moon. How do we not know it's the same?"
"Sister!"
Sango spun around, her heart beating erratically as Kohaku appeared, flying out of the brush towards her. "Kohaku!"
"Sister!" He repeated as he flung himself at her, her arms going around him instinctively as she kissed his face in relief.
"Kohaku, you're alright!"
"My shoulder," He said cautiously, "And I still have a jewel shard that should be reunited with the others. …I have come to say goodbye."
"Kagome?" Sango asked, looking around. Panic seized her as her friend didn't immediately come into her sight, "Inuyasha! Where's Kagome!?"
The hanyou looked startled for a moment, and then worried. He sniffed the air for a moment, and then turned, running for the bushes. Sango and Miroku watched the action in shock.
"Kikyo," Kagome mumbled, looking at the re-animated priestess, "I wanted to thank you, for your help."
Kikyo regarded her emotionlessly, cocking her head to the side, "You're welcome."
"Is there anything I--"
"I do not belong on this earth any longer," She said evenly, "I am ready to rest, now. My soul eaters are gone, I will not walk the land much longer. Relay to Kaede my apologies. And as for Inuyasha, I release him from his past allegiances. He is yours, Kagome. I will no longer be standing in the way."
"You're not going to take him to hell?" The green-clad miko asked, shocked and relieved.
"No. It is obvious that he is no longer mine. I cannot ask him to keep his promise and accompany me to the after-life. It would not be right."
"Oh, I--"
"--Thank you," The voice caused Kagome to jump slightly, as Inuyasha appeared beside her.
Kikyo however, remained stoic, looking on with a sense of peace, "Take care of each other."
And then she crumbled, her body and clothing reduced back to the soil it had originated from.
They stood in silence, each silently mourning the loss of Kikyo. Kagome swallowed, forcing her tears down and turned towards the silver-haired hanyou, expecting to see tears on his face. To her surprise, there was the opposite. A small smile rested in place on his lips as he continued to look at the spot where the priestess had last been standing.
He sighed, took in a deep breath and then shook himself out of the moment.
"How much of that did you hear?" Kagome asked curiously.
"Just the not taking me to hell part. I'm glad she's finally at peace. Those last words of hers sounded more like her old self than anything else she's said since she was brought back."
"...Oh. I see."
"Kagome," Inuyasha turned to her, "The others… need you to remove a jewel shard."
From what?
Confused as to why Inuyasha would brush off what had happened so easily, she refrained from asking and kept silent, allowing him to lead her back through the wooded area and up the hill to where Kohaku was still curled in Sango's arms.
Miroku was standing next to them, leaning some of his weight on Kirara as the fire cat cooed.
"Kohaku," Kagome addressed, looking shocked.
"We, uh," Sango closed her eyes and pulled her gaze away from her brother, "Need you to take the jewel shard. We've said goodbye, and...I think Kohaku has convinced me that I can finally let him go."
Kagome looked down at her friend for a moment and responded as clear as day, "No."
"What did you say?" Miroku asked, alarmed.
"I won't do it," Kagome supplied, "I won't."
"Why?" Sango's voice shook, with relief or pain, Kagome didn't know.
"I won't kill him," She said, turning away, clutching her chest painfully.
"Thank Kami," Sango let out a pained gasp and clutched at her brother's silent form.
"I'm sorry, Sister. I know you don't want to, but it must be done," Kohaku hugged back hard before pulling away and standing, looking over at the dark haired miko. Sango moaned in emotional agony as his mouth opened again. "Miss Kagome," He started, but Kirara let out a low growl, cutting him off.
It was that moment that Sesshomaru appeared on the edge of the hill, looking stoic as ever. Kagura and Kanna were standing far off in the distance near the tree line, the taller of the two was clutching her chest in wonder.
"Kagura has her heart," He said emotionlessly, "It is for real this time, it is bound to her soul."
"Says you," Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes.
"HEY! Don't disrespect Lord Sesshomaru!" Jakken shrieked, waving his staff around, "You will not go unpunish--"
"Be quiet," Sesshomaru said coldly to Jakken before locking gaze with his brother, "Naraku is dead. Believe it or don't."
Rin peeked out from behind his leg, smiling shyly, "I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't voice those words if he wasn't positive of the accuracy of his statement…" Inuyasha regarded the small girl coolly with slight respect for her vocabulary, before finally nodding in resignation. Rin smiled, recognition flitting across her face as she noticed Kohaku, who stood in between his sister and Kagome, looking dejected. "Kohaku!" She called to him (I don't remember if they've actually met in the anime, but for the sake of this scene, they have. It's the only way I could do this and keep them in character).
The boy turned, blinking at Rin, as if confused before he too remembered where he'd seen her. He observed her blankly for a moment before letting a small smile slip onto his face, "Rin."
She scuttled out from behind Sesshomaru's leg and ran to him, hugging his arm. "How've you been!?"
"Rin," Sesshomaru called sternly, turning to leave.
"I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin bowed easily to her Lord, smiling largely at him, "Can I please have just a moment with my friend?"
"Rin! Surely you know that our Lord Sesshomaru has other things to attend to--" Jakken began, raising his staff and swinging it wildly.
Sesshomaru sighed, "A moment, no more."
Jakken gaped, but said nothing further.
"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru!"
The elder Inu grunted in return, and then went silent.
"Feh. Going soft, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha smirked, watching him.
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed but Kagome elbowed the younger of the two in the ribs, "Inuyasha!"
"And you're still allowing a human to control you," Sesshomaru retorted calmly.
As Inuyasha opened his mouth to growl back a reply, "Shh!" Miroku frowned at him, pointing to Kohaku and Rin.
"They're saying goodbye," Sango mumbled.
"It seems this will be our last meeting, Rin," Kohaku said quietly, fully embracing the girl before letting her go, "Have a good life, okay?"
Rin looked alarmed, "What? Why? Lord Sesshomaru will certainly allow me to see you again, won't you, Lord Sesshomaru?"
She began to turn to the white haired male before Kohaku shook his head, "I'm sorry, Rin. It seems my time is up."
"Where are you going?" She asked, confused, clinging to Kohaku's arm.
"To heaven," He supplied gently.
Rin's eyes filled with tears as she grasped the front of Kohaku's shirt, already on the verge of sobbing, "You can't! You're the only friend I have besides Lord Sesshomaru, Jakken and Ah-Un!"
Kohaku only patted her head gently.
"Come, Rin," The elder Inu-youkai spoke.
A sob escaped the young girl's throat as she pulled away from the young boy, and retreated to her master's side. Something flickered to life in the back of Kagome's mind as she looked over Sesshomaru's form, her eyes resting on his hip. Inuyasha was watching her suspiciously, almost jealously.
"Goodbye, Rin," Kohaku sighed, blinking back his own tears before he turned to Kagome, "Please--"
"Sesshomaru," Kagome called, uncharacteristically ignoring Kohaku for the time being, "I know you dislike me…"
"What are you doing, Kagome?"
She ignored Inuyasha as well, "But can I ask you a favor?" Sesshomaru's eyes were narrowed on her as he absorbed her words, "If you won't do it for me, then I beg you, do it for Rin. After I remove the shard, please, will you use Tensaiga?"
Sango let out a strangled whimper and Miroku moved to hold her as she finally let her tears roll down her cheeks.
The Inu-youkai blinked, considering the proposal. He really didn't need a mourning, sniffling girl with him, and despite what he told himself and anyone who bothered to comment, he really did care about Rin. She wasn't only his ward, he had grown to like the girl, and would take up the position as her fatherly figure once she was old enough to marry. And damn right the male who intended to take her as his wife would have to pass all of his tests first in order to even ask the girl for her hand in marriage.
He nodded slightly and braced himself silently for Rin's joyous assault. She bowed down in front of him, laughing gratefully, her tears staining the grass. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru, thank you!"
He felt her latch onto his leg for a moment before she let go, and he moved forward, only just so.
Kagome instructed Kohaku to lie face down, as she would have to cut out and purify the tainted shard. He did so next to Sango, and Kagome produced the tip of one of her broken arrows. As Sango lowered the fabric off of his back, she gasped. The spider-like scar that connected the boy to Naraku had vanished. She began to stroke his cheek as Kagome moved forward, brandishing the arrow head as a scalpel, and kneeled next to her best friend's brother. Careening it as easily as she could into the skin in Kohaku's back, she shallowly cut out the shard.
He yelped as she pulled it out, it seemed as if they were only holding back his previous wounds. Gashes and bruises suddenly blossomed and adorned his skin, and he stopped breathing. Sango let out a low pained sound and Kagome stepped back as Sesshomaru stepped forward.
Sesshomaru unsheathed Tensaiga, watching as the little imps scampered over to Kohaku's lifeless body. Everyone was silent as he swung downwards, slicing the little creatures away. As he re-sheathed Tensaiga, he looked subtly over at Rin, who was watching hopefully. Kohaku coughed, whimpered slightly and then opened his eyes. Rin shrieked in thanks, bowing to Sesshomaru again. The two youkai brothers locked gazes for a moment and Sango coughed.
"Arigato, Sesshomaru."
He didn't reply to her, only turned back down the hill, Jakken and Rin flanking him. The girl stopped though, halfway down the hill, to wave and smile up at Kohaku in promise to visit in the future.
"We did it," Kagome sighed, shoving the shard in the bottle around her neck. The jewel was three quarters of the way complete. She had gotten the shards from Naraku's body and now the one from Kohaku's back. Koga still had his shards, and there were still some out there, but that was another mission all together.
"Yeah," Miroku wheezed suddenly, "What a long three years..."
And then he fell.
"MIROKU!" Sango screamed, turning her attention from her brother to the monk.
"He'll be fine," Inuyasha said finally, "He passed out from fatigue."
Sango sagged in relief, afraid that in gaining a loved one, she would lose another, "Thank Kami-sama."
"So what do we do now?" Kagome asked aloud.
"We go home," Inuyasha responded.
Even though Kagome knew he didn't realize she hadn't been referring to their situation, but to their relationship, it still stung. What was home? What would happen after the last shard was found and the jewel was complete again?
Where would home be for her? Would it be in modern Tokyo or would it be in the Fuedal Era…with Inuyasha?
"Oh my goodness!" Kagome said smiling, as they neared Kaede's village two weeks later, "I can't believe we're finally back."
"Feh," Inuyasha frowned distastefully as they walked the beaten path, "We still have jewel shards to find."
"Oh well, Gosh," Kagome frowned, annoyed at his attitude decided to reply sarcastically, "I didn't know that!"
Sango and Miroku shared a look. Kagome had told Sango what had happened, and it was obvious that the girl was still upset about it. Inuyasha had been avoiding talking about their relationship, and it was making the miko edgy. Kohaku just shook his head sadly.
Sighing, Shippo bounded ahead, determined to brighten the mood, "Well we can relax for a few days, then! It's good to be back in familiar territory with nice warm beds to sleep in!"
Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Kagome all groaned in agreement. Kohaku was looking around interestedly but, Inuyasha still made no sound that he had heard them, instead diving into a tree and ricocheting off of it, into a taller one to sit in the branches. Kagome muttered something murderously under her breath and stomped forward, not noticing Shippo's shoulders hunch in depression. Miroku sighed, patting the small kitsune's head as Shippo jumped into his arms.
"It's okay," Miroku soothed, sharing another look with his female companion.
"They'll fix it sooner or later," Sango assured the small fox, slinging an arm around her little brother.
Kohaku blinked, cradling Kirara in his arms as he took in the village.
It was overwhelming. People were bustling about. He could see a young girl with blonde hair walking through one of the garden, obviously harvesting its rewards. Another blonde woman, a bit older was calling out to her, a child nestled on her hip. A man with a graying beard was laughing heartily along with another, sitting underneath the canopy of trees just to his left.
Kagome was talking animatedly with an older woman, assumedly Lady Kaede up ahead. The old woman was shaking her head, the small smile on her face widened as she saw Miroku and Sango. Butterflies flitted about in the hot, bright sunlight, and the birds on the path before him scattered apart and took flight as a small boy chased them around, throwing his head back in laughter, his arms spread out around him. This village was beautiful. Just as his had been before Naraku possessed him and made him--
…Kill everyone.
He had even stabbed his too-forgiving sister. He knew she had a scar, and it was hard to believe that she had survived his hostility, even if it hadn't been purposely, he had still done it, his body had still slaughtered them all. He remembered looking at his Mother as he stabbed her, her screaming threatening to make his ears bleed.
"Why, Kohaku, WHY!?"
Sango. Sango had come back with his Father and the other demon slayers, to find that everyone had been murdered. He had given the term 'backstabbing' a whole new meaning when he had snuck up on her from behind, sinking his scythe deeply in between her shoulder blades. And then there had been when he had stared emotionlessly into his Father's eyes as he killed him. But his father had known.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you from him, Kohaku. I'm so very sorry. I love you--"
Of course he hadn't heeded to any of the words due to being controlled in the first place, but it killed him to have the memories of what his body had done, even when he had not been in charge of it. Looking around again, he found that night had already fallen. Even under the light of the moon, everything glistened in the lovely way that implied life and peace. His heart clenched at the horrible memories that flowed through his mind, and he found his sister shaking him, telling him there was food made and ready for his consumption.
"Are you alright?" She asked as they walked over to one of the several fire pits.
He could see Miroku already sitting on a log, eating some fish. Kirara was at his feet, eating something as well, and Shippo, the small fox demon was eating on the log opposite of them. Kagome was next to him, more playing with her fish, rather than eating it.
"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry Sister," He replied, giving her a light smile.
She saw right through it.
"Oh, Kohaku," She murmured, pulling him to her, "You were thinking about Father and the others, weren't you?"
He said nothing, but his silence was more of an answer than anything.
"Kagome, you've been pushing that same piece of fish around your bowl for the last twenty minutes," Miroku informed her, "Just go and talk to him."
Kagome looked up, startled.
"He's right, Kagome," Sango sighed from her seat beside the monk, "You need to talk to him. It's been two weeks since Kikyo."
Kohaku nodded in agreement from the log beside his sister.
Courage renewed, Kagome stood, handing her bowl to the demon slayer, "Thanks guys. I think I will."
As she left, Shippo looked at the group in wonder, "Inuyasha can be so dumb. When's he ever going to learn?"
Stepping underneath the Goshinboku, she sunk down into the tender ground, easing herself in between the roots, her spine pressed to the bark of the trunk. She could feel Inuyasha gazing at her from above and decided to wait until he was ready to speak.
It didn't take that long. After about ten minutes she felt the leaves of the branches rustle loudly, he landed softly at the base next to her, and knelt down, settling in beside her.
"What are you doing here, Kagome?"
She didn't answer right away, not sure if he meant the Feudal Era, or here, underneath the Tree Of Ages. Deciding he meant the latter, she spoke.
"I wanted to see you."
"Why?"
"Because we obviously need to talk about some things."
He stayed silent, not knowing what to say. She seemed to be thinking about something, gathering words. He could practically hear the wheels in her mind turning, deciding whether or not to speak.
"I… I want to talk about us," Kagome said slowly, not looking directly at him. "I want to know what you want."
"…You know, deep down what I want, Kagome."
Frustrated, she stood, throwing her hands into the air, "No, I don't! That's why I wanted you to tell me! Please, I need you to say whatever you're going to say!"
Inuyasha blinked up at her, frowning, "Calm yourself, woman!"
"No, I will not 'calm myself'! I need to hear it from you. What do you want from me, Inuyasha? Please, tell me!" She cried, looking down at his still-crouched form.
He was standing in an instant, pressing her into the tree, holding her there. He looked at her, their eyes locking- amber and chestnut meeting in a clash of emotion. Kagome sucked in a breath and let it out in a gasp as his hand slipped beneath her uniform shirt, his nails scratching gently along the taut skin of her stomach.
"I told you," He whispered huskily, "You know what I want."
She yanked her gaze away from his lust-filled one, settling it just over his shoulder as a feeling of hurt pooled within her stomach, almost shutting out her desire.
Almost.
"S-sex?" She stuttered, trying to catch her breath.
Is that all he wants from me?
A growl escaped his throat as he pulled his claws away from her stomach, bringing the hand up to her chin, forcing her to lock eyes with him again.
"Keh! Are you fucking stupid? If all I wanted was sex," He spit the word out like it was venom on his tongue and her eyes widened. "I could've gone and gotten that somewhere else instead of sticking by your side for the last three years. Hell, I could've just taken you. But I didn't, I couldn't. You're too precious, despite your complete and utter foolishness on certain days. I want you. I love you. You're such a fucking idiot sometimes, Kagome. Jesus fucking Christ."
Her heart clenched in her chest as she blinked. Her hands, which had been hanging limply at her sides shot upwards. One fisted his haori and the other grasped the back of his head, her fingers weaving through his silver hair. She looked into his eyes, searching, to be sure he was spewing honest words. When she found what she was looking for, she pushed on the back of his head, bringing his mouth to hers in a searing kiss.
And damn it, it was way better than the first one. She'd been half worried that she'd get her lips bitten off, but not worried enough to pull away! At least this kiss was two sided all the way instead of leaning up to kiss his teeth in order to stop the change into a full youkai!
Tentatively, her lips opened, an invitation and he eagerly accepted it, dipping his tongue into her mouth to battle hers languidly. He pulled back for a moment as her hand fell away from the back of his head and then leaned in again, this time kissing her bruised lips a little less forcefully. Her tongue began slipping over his fangs in an expeirimental yet, lethargic manner.
He pulled her to him, resting a hand on her hip, the other moving up to caress her jaw as well as the side of her face. When they pulled away, Inuyasha leaned in again, this time to rest his forehead against her own as they both tried to catch their breath.
"I love you," She whispered hurriedly, grasping his haori. He could smell her arousal, just as clearly as he could feel his own, "I love you so much…"
He laughed against her skin and she shivered beneath the vibrations. He grew calmer, serious and he pulled away to look down at her. She blinked, her hands still twisted up in him, the fabric of his hakama and his haori.
"Kagome…I…I've been meaning to ask you for awhile, but it just wasn't the right time. So I guess this is a good time as any. Feh. Will you be my mate?"
She gaped at him, "Your huh?"
He laughed again, his hands tangling in her hair, "My mate."
"Like, your girlfriend?"
"No," He frowned thoughtfully. "It's like, you're mine, and every youkai around will know it. It'll be as if I marked you and you'd be my mate for…ever."
"So like your wife, then?"
"I suppose," He replied in his special cute-curious tone.
He looked down at her again and she smiled at him. She was so grown up now, compared to when they'd first met three years ago. She had been fifteen then, young and naïve. And now she was an adult, stronger and wiser and even more amazing than ever.
"I love you, of course I will," She said finally and he grinned, exposing his fangs, leaning down to kiss her once more.
"Come with me," He told her as they parted for air again.
She nodded, taking his hand as he led her deep into the woods. They passed the well and disappeared into the other side of the forest. Kagome's heart almost exploded when she saw the modern-looking house built into a large tree. It was new-looking, and Inuyasha grinned down at her when he saw her face.
"I started it over fifty years ago…and I've been working on it whenever we came back to the village," He explained, "It was originally just going to be somewhere for me to stay, but then after I met you…I figured you'd want something more homey to stay in. So I started fixing it up to look like your house back in the other era. I thought this would be a good spot for it considering there's a steam and a enclave with a hot spring just a few meters away."
The smile on Kagome's face was reward enough for his extra labor over the past three years. He led her up the steps and pushed the door sideways, drawing her into the building. She gasped as he lit the fire, revealing a modern-looking fire place, as well as a wooden table with chairs. There was a comfortable looking area with something that resembled a couch, covered with several layers of cloth, as well as a lower set table. There was also a set of stairs, leading up into the tree.
"Inuyasha…"
He smiled at her, leading her up the wooden stairs and into the top half of the house. There were four doors, and Inuyasha pushed each of them back. The first three were ordinary looking bedrooms.
"Why are they all bedrooms? There's only two of us, and we'd only need one…"
He grinned smugly at her, "Pups." He laughed as she turned red with embarrassment. "Not yet, of course. We need to finish the jewel first. And I was thinking that the runt could use one of the rooms…" He looked away from her for a moment.
"Shippo?"
"Yes…he thinks you're his new mother, anyway," Inuyasha continued nonchalantly. "And he could share with Kohaku, plus, the lecher and his wife could have one of the rooms."
"His wife? Sango, you mean?"
"Don't act like they're not gonna get together," He muttered.
Kagome grinned, "Where's our room?"
Inuyasha grinned, grasping her hand again and bringing her to the last room, and opening the door. It was larger than the others, with a large bed and a desk like her room had. She grinned up at him, wrapping her arms around him easily.
"So, uhm, Inuyasha…when are we moving in?"
"Right now," He responded with a smirk as he picked her up, tossing her gently onto the bed, not far behind.
Anxious to get home, Kagome hurried through the trees to the well. She had a horrible feeling that her world was about to come crumbling down around her. Long story short, she and Inuyasha had mated. She was happy to say the least. She had wanted it for so long that it didn't seem real. She felt strange kissing him, still afraid that it was all a hoax and that someone was playing some evil, cruel trick on her.
Sango, Miroku and Shippo had moved into their little house, and Kohaku had even taken up some room. It was cozy, and a mostly pleasant atmosphere. They were close enough to walk to Kaede's village for supplies, but far enough away to not be disturbed. Inuyasha also had Kaede put up a spiritual fence around the house and hot spring to keep out uninvited demons, which seemed to work quite well.
They'd been doing alright, but they'd gotten into another useless fight and Inuyasha had started avoiding her. They'd been about to make up when Kagome had sensed another jewel shard, which caused them to be out in the pouring rain. Inuyasha had given Kagome his haori so she wouldn't get wet, and he had come down with the flu, which meant they still couldn't talk it out.
The flu was a harsh one which had Kagome sleeping on the couch due to Inuyasha's fitful sleeping. And it also messed up most of his senses. His nose was clogged, rendering him unable to track or even smell, really. His taste buds had enhanced, so everything he ate overwhelmed him, he had a fever and he was constantly throwing up.
Kagome had been trying to nurse him back to health, but her medicine supply was getting lower and lower and it didn't seem to be helping him at all. Kaede had said that he was just going to have to get over it himself.
And then she'd taken the time to realize that her period hadn't come in awhile. At first, she wasn't really alarmed- until she checked her journal. She always kept track of dear 'Aunt Flo', and the last time she had noted Aunt Flo had visited…was a week before they defeated Naraku.
Her stomach had turned then and there and she'd gotten sick. Sango had been with her and the other girl had passed it off as the same thing Inuyasha had gotten. Kagome knew different.
She was sure she was …pregnant. But she couldn't be pregnant! She was only sixteen! And she wasn't married! She was mated, yeah, but what would Mama think!? And Inuyasha? They hadn't even made up. And besides all that, they hadn't even gotten all the jewel shards yet!
Lately, all Inuyasha had to say were mean things. Even Sango and Miroku thought he was being a little harsh, but Kaede just passed it off as his flu. Still, she didn't know what to think or do, and she was checking constantly for her monthly date with the lining of her uterus and it just never came.
The raven-haired priestess wanted to cry. Inuyasha had said that he didn't want kids yet! He wanted to wait for the jewel to be completed. She stopped, coming up on the well and peered down into it for a moment. Looking behind her, she sighed and jumped in. There was only one way to find out if she was really pregnant, and it was in her time.
Two hours later, after reuniting with her much missed family, Kagome was standing in a pharmacy on the other side of the city. She didn't want to go to one near her home where they knew her Mama-- if anyone was going to tell Mrs. Higurashi, it was going to be her, and no one else!
She careened herself through the aisles until she came across the right one. Glancing at the shelves she sighed. There were so many brands, so many types… She grabbed four different ones, for fear of a false positive, and walked to the front of the store. The clerk was a girl, about her age, wearing a school uniform beneath her store vest. Thankfully, it was from Cho-ling Academy, and not the school Kagome sort-of went to.
Knowingly, the girl rang up her items and blinked at Kagome, smiling sympathetically. Pulling the money that Kagome had plundered her secret savings for out of her coat pocket, she handed it to the girl and left the store with her purchases.
As she got onto her bike, she looked behind her. The clerk was still watching her sympathetically as Kagome rode off, biting her lip in self-pity.
Mama wanted to know what was taking Kagome so long. Once she had gotten home she'd flown straight into the bathroom.
"Kagome, sweetie, dinner's ready!"
That had been twenty minutes ago. She wanted to see her daughter! She'd only just gotten home and she wasn't even coming out for dinner. They hadn't gotten a chance to talk yet!
On the other side of the bathroom door, Kagome still couldn't pick up the sticks. It said two minutes-- she'd waited somewhere around fifteen. All three of them were on the edge of the sink, face down, and Kagome herself was curled up on the floor, her back against the wall with Buyo in her arms.
There was a knock on the door- "Kagome, it's Sota! Mom wants you for dinner. Gramps and I already finished! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Sota! I'll be out in a minute, okay?"
"…Okay…" Sota sighed, walking away from the bathroom door, "Weirdo."
"Buyo, what will I do when these pieces of plastic tell me my fate?"
The cat only meowed in sympathy.
Standing up, her feline support system cradled against her with one arm, she took a hold of the first test and flipped it over. A pink plus sign was staring accusingly back at her and she blanched, dropping it into the sink. Buyo gave a disapproving yowl. She picked up another, this one had a bright pink smiley face. She remembered that if it were negative, there would've been a blue frown-y face.
God didn't know how much she wanted to see that stupid blue frown-y face.
She set it in the sink with the other. She picked up the next one: this one had the words 'yes' and 'no' in text on it, with a little circle next to each word. The one next to 'no' was white, clear. The one next to the word 'yes' was pink. She dropped that one in the sink as well. There was a thing as false positives! So what if all three had confirmed the worst? Falseeee positiveeeee, pleaseee! Four was her lucky charm (she hoped). She had one left and she picked it up hesitantly, turning it over slowly.
This one was very clear. In the rectangular box, there was a single word that mocked her; pregnant.
Again the cat hissed at the sink full of tests, glaring at them because Kagome couldn't stand to.
All of them were positive. All of them had confirmed what she had already known deep down and each of them were telling her that yes, her world was going to fall apart at the seams.
Resigned to her fate, she let Buyo go and grasped the tests and slid them all into one of the boxes. The other boxes, she threw into the plastic bag she had gotten at the store, opened the door and ran up the stairs, stashing them in her room before she trudged downstairs again to eat.
To her surprise, her mother was still seated at the table.
"Kagome, dear!" She greeted with a smile, "There you are!"
Said girl sat down, where her plate was already made and sitting. She picked up the fork and took a bite. After she had chewed and swallowed, she looked at her mom, "Hi, Mama."
"How've you been, Kagome?"
She accidentally dropped her fork.
"Are you alright? What's wrong?" Her mother pushed her chair back and stood, coming around the table to touch Kagome's shoulder. And then Kagome started to cry.
"Oh Mama! I need to tell you something."
"What happened?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, seating herself in the chair closet to her daughter and scooting towards her.
Kagome wiped her eyes and calmed herself before turning to her mother, "Firstly, Mama, Inuyasha and I mated."
Her mother smiled at her, "Oh, Kagome, that's wonderful! I knew you two would be-- wait, mated means what, exactly? You're together now, right?"
Blushing, Kagome answered, "Yes…It's sort of like getting married…but not," As she told her story, her mother remained silent and understanding.
She made comments here and there that pertained to the 'mating' they had taken part in, until Kagome finally said it.
"I…I just found out that I'm…pregnant, Mama," Tears were dripping down her cheeks as she said it, and Mrs. Higurashi wrapped her arms around her daughter, "I'm so young! I'm not ready to be a mother! What am I going to do, Mama? I didn't even tell Inuyasha yet. I can't …abort it, I wouldn't be able to live with myself and Inuyasha would never speak to me again!"
"Oh, Kagome. I love you and I'll support you no matter what," The words were exactly what she needed to hear and she hugged her mother to her, tightly, "Plus, you never know how ready you'll be when the time comes. Being a mother comes naturally to most. And I know you'll make a fantastic one. After all, you are my daughter. Even though I don't approve of you consummating marriage and not being married yet, I suppose your 'mating' is a type of it. You're eighteen years old, honey. A legal adult. Though I suppose it won't matter in the Feudal Era. You can do this, Kagome. You're strong, sweet heart. And Inuyasha will support you as well, you know it and so do I. He chose you as his uh, 'mate' and you even said that he built you a house! Besides, he knows what would happen, were he to refuse."
Kagome laughed, picturing Inuyasha cowering before her mother. And then him as a father. He would be so beautiful, playing with them, chasing them around. Holding them, holding her. He'd make an alright daddy. She knew he'd provide for his family, and protect his children until the very end, the way he protected her.
It'd been seven days since she'd found out, and Kagome was packed to go back to the Feudal era. She wasn't sure what Inuyasha's reaction would be, or even if she was going to tell him. He deserved to know, but she was scared, afraid that he would push her away again.
Mama had called the school, as Kagome had finally given in to 'Home-schooling', that way if she was ever home for more than five minutes, she wouldn't have to deal with all of the drama at school. Apparently, she already had a very slight baby bump. It wasn't all that noticeable, but ever-observant Sota had asked her if she'd gained weight, much to her chagrin.
Mama had giggled knowingly and told Sota it was rude to ask such things. The conversation however, was cut off as the telephone rang. It was Hojo, who had just found out from Ayume, Eri and Yuka that she wouldn't be in school any longer. He had promised to keep in touch though, and Kagome had laughed, sure that the persistent boy probably would. And being that she wasn't going to school anymore, she had traded in her school uniform for a different set of clothes.
Now, as she was hefting on her backpack, she had on a regular pair of blue jeans and a long-sleeved dark forest green scoop-necked shirt. There were other changes of clothes in her bag along with more medical supplies, some ramen ("To help Inuyasha's freak-out factor," Mama had teased with a grin) and in a duffel bag she had at her side, she had clean blankets, towels, soap and her favorite pillow for the house.
She gazed out onto the yard, her eyes finding the Shrine, the sky, the birds and then the tree. And then finally the ground below it. She looked away from the area as a blush threatened to take over her entire face.
After promising her mother she'd be back within the month, she disappeared into the Shrine. After landing at the bottom of the well, she realized it was going to be a long climb up when she had the duffel bag and the back pack. It was a good half an hour before she got out of the well. It was cold, so she wasn't really sweating, but she was breathing hard as she flung herself over the side, landing in a heap on the ground.
"Kagome!" Sango sounded surprised and Kagome looked up, slightly dazed. "Kagome, are you okay? Oh my god, did you just climb up that?"
She nodded, slightly smiling, "Sorry I was gone so long."
Sango smiled at her, "We're alright here, how was your visit?"
"It was good," Kagome smiled. "How's Inuyasha?"
"He's a lot better."
Speak of the devil. I have to tell him…but how? I don't want Inuyasha to get mad at me. This is a serious matter but I still don't know what I'm going to do!
"Well it's about time," He said lazily, looking at her.
"Oh, give her a break, she just climbed all the way up the well," Sango frowned, looking down at Kagome before she walked past Inuyasha, towards the village, "Stop your belly aching for once and be nice."
Kagome let out a small laugh as Inuyasha's eye twitched. Sango disappeared into the forest and the silver haired male looked down at her, a scowl evident on his face, "What're you doing on the ground, anyway? And what's with the clothes?"
She stood up, looking at him for a moment, "Oh, uhm, Mama decided to take me out of school, so no more uniform, I'd feel weird with it on when I'm not going to go back, so…"
He was quiet for a moment, "Ah. That means you won't be needing to go back anytime soon! No more half-assed excuses about your dumb exams."
"That's my education, Inuyasha," Kagome defended angrily, "And I've given it up to fix my mistake in breaking the jewel. You don't need to rub it in."
He pointedly ignored her, "And it's not like that skirt was helping, either."
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
"It means that skirt didn't leave much to the imagination, Kagome!"
"EXCUSE ME!?"
"YOU HEARD ME! Why do you think Koga was always all over you, Kagome?! Cause you looked like a slut!"
"You're such a jerk, Inuyasha! Osuwari!" The hanyou kissed the earth as Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, "Pervert!"
"Slut!" He growled, peeling his face out of the dirt.
"I am not!"
"Che!"
"You know you're the only person I've ever…!" she trailed off, looking down at her shoes, a light blush on her cheeks. "Just be quiet, Inuyasha."
"Whatever."
"Why do you have to be so mean all the time?"
"Quit your whining, wench. We got stuff to do," He turned, moving towards where Sango had disappeared.
It took a moment, but he realized Kagome wasn't beside him and he turned around. She was fiddling with her bags, as if deciding whether or not to jump back into the well.
"What're you doing?" He asked loudly, frowning.
She jumped, obviously taken off guard for a moment and blinked at him. She sighed, looking resigned, and then spoke, "Uh…Inuyasha, how're you feeling?"
"Eh. Alright. My nose is still all fucked up. Everything else is back to normal. …Why do you ask?"
"Well…you s-see… we need to talk."
Inuyasha looked confused, "About my nose?"
"What? …No."
"What're you going on about, woman?"
"I…I think we need to talk, okay?!"
"Okay, okay, calm down. Jeez," He let out an annoyed puff of air. "What's so important?"
"We need to talk about …us."
"…"
"We never…uh, made up after that fight, and it's obvious you're still mad at me."
"…"
"Are we even together?"
"Well, you're my mate. I marked you as mine. I told you, it's a forever thing."
"…"
"…"
"I'm not property… And that's not really an answer."
"Yes, we are."
"Are we still fighting?"
"Are you still being a wench?"
Kagome bit back an 'Osuwari' and scowled at him, "I'll take that as a yes."
"So?"
"So, I don't think that we're together!"
"Fine, baka!"
"Okay, so, since I'm so stupid then I'll just go back home and finally except Hojo's offer--"
"No you will not!"
"Why, then?!"
"Are you stupid, woman!? That would be adultery! Because you're my mate! Mine!"
"Well then act like it, Inuyasha! Talk this out with me!"
"You want me to act like it, then fine!" He stepped forward and grasped her arms, causing her to drop her belongings as he pulled her towards him. And then, his mouth was on hers, and he was kissing her fiercely, for all she was worth.
She put her hands on his chest and pushed away, stumbling back away from him. She turned away, tears pricking her eyes, "That's not what I meant and you know it!"
Softly, Inuyasha sighed, "I'm sorry," He walked up to Kagome, touching her shoulder gently, surprised when she flinched. "Kagome?"
Quickly, she turned around, wrapping her arms around his middle, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to fight with you and that's exactly what happened!"
"It's okay," Inuyasha soothed, "It was my fault. I was being a dick."
Kagome sniffled into his haori, still holding him close. She had missed him so much in the past week it was ridiculous.
"I love you," Kagome said softly.
"I love you, too."
They were both silent for a moment before Kagome took a deep breath and cleared her throat, "I…uhm, I have to tell you something."
"Kagome, how are ye doin'?"
She was in the village, stocking up on supplies. It was dark though, and she knew if Inuyasha found her in the forest now, he'd be pissed. It looked like if Kirara didn't come for her, she'd be spending the night in a hut for the first time in months.
The dark-haired girl jumped at the sound of Kaede's voice, before plastering on a smile and turning towards her, "Oh, hi, Kaede, I'm fine."
"Have ye told him yet?"
"…Nani?" She asked, confused. What's she talking about?
"About yer condition," The elder miko continued.
"What? How did you know?"
Kaede winked at her, "I have been practicin' medicine fer a long while, Kagome."
The younger miko just blushed, "Yes. I did, but," She whimpered. Kaede blinked uncertainly as she continued, "He, uh, he left. Said he needed some time to think. I…haven't seen him since."
The elder woman shook her head slowly, "He'll be back. He loves ye, Kagome. Even an ol' woman like me can see it, he loves ye more than life itself."
And then she left.
Kirara had come for her just as she was settling into sleep. She'd groggily gotten onto the fire cat and stumbled into the house, dropping the supplies on the table. Kohaku, being the only one in the main part of the house, had tried to help her but she'd insisted she was fine and he watched as the miko practically crawled up to her bedroom only to find that Inuyasha wasn't back.
Ready to cry, she slipped off to sleep and was awoken awhile later when Sango had shouted in to her that she was bringing in dinner. Kagome had yelled back an affirmative answer and her best friend stepped in, bowls in hand.
"Sango," Kagome greeted as the demon slayer with a small smile.
"Hey. I brought your dinner."
"Thanks," Kagome replied easily.
Sango sat down on the fluffy bed and dived in.
"Kagome," The demon slayer spoke after a few minutes, "Kohaku said you barely dragged yourself upstairs after Kirara brough you back. What's going on?"
Ten minutes later, her best friend knew the whole story. She was just standing up when Miroku appeared in the doorway, Shippo and Kirara behind him. The small fire cat bounded into the room, brushing against Sango's leg before jumping into the bed where Kagome had curled up. Kirara lay down beside the dark-haired female, nudging her in a consoling manner as Shippo tugged on Sango's kimono, a pout in place on his face.
Sango shook her head.
Kohaku slid past Miroku into the room, observing the situation quietly.
"Why the long faces?" Miroku asked with a sly grin, moving closer to the demon slayer.
"Don't even think about it," Sango warned, but she was too late. A second later, her personal space had been invaded and Miroku's hand had taken up residence on her backside. Shippo and Kirara stared for a moment with shocked expressions at his boldness, but both shook their hands in pity as Sango's face turned red.
"But, Sango, my love. My hands love the feel of your--"
"Kohaku," The female turned to the teenager in the room, "Please, get me my Hiraikotsu!"
"Okay!" Her younger brother answered, feigning an attempt to get to the door.
"No, no, Sango!" Miroku pleaded, extracting his hand and waving them in front of his face, "I'm--"
A slap resounded through the house and Kagome and Kohaku both let out a light laugh.
Inuyasha just didn't know what to do with himself.
He was gonna be a daddy…
He remembered back to when it happened. He'd woken up first, feeling oddly content with himself, as if it was the first time he'd slept good in decades. It was still dark out, but the sun would rise soon. He took a deep breath, blinking around. And when he'd stared down into to the mass of black hair that had taken up residence on his chest until he was bleary-eyed, he'd smiled to himself.
This was exactly where he wanted to be for just about…oh, ever?
He could feel her pressed flush against him and little snippets of the night before shined bright in his memory. The taste of her, the feel of her, the way her cheeks had flushed when he'd--
Ah.
She moved slightly, tightening her hold on his waist. She wasn't awake yet, and he was taking her peaceful face in as she dreamt easily. She moved a bit, and grimaced, causing him to frown.
He knew it was rough for females the first time but wouldn't she be over it by now? Firstly, he hated seeing her in pain. Secondly, if she was limping or grimacing, he knew the lecher would make comments. Thirdly, they still had jewel shards to find and people to see.
Places to go, things to do.
That hadn't changed, but it didn't matter to him. She was finally his. He sucked in a deep breath, feeling his chest swell with pride, knowing that Koga could no longer try to claim her as his own. Because she was officially the mate of Inuyasha.
No doubt about it.
And he wanted every damned male to know.
His amber eyes found the mark he'd made on her neck. It had blossomed into a dark maroon, and stood out against her pale skin. He could picture its twin on her right breast, and then the light mating bite mark on her left hip.
She would probably be pretty angry about them later, but right now, they were magnificent, symbols of their communion. Of Inuyasha's love for her.
Little.
Splices.
Of.
Beauty.
Everything about her was beautiful.
He snapped out of the memory, closing his eyes in thoughtfulness. And now she was having his child. Because of that one night. He remembered how she had sighed contentedly against him.
He didn't know what to think about her being with child. They still had so much to accomplish, battles to be fought, traveling to do, a shikon jewel to complete. She couldn't travel pregnant, it wouldn't be safe. And once she'd given birth, they couldn't travel either- not with a baby.
It didn't seem realistic.
Besides the jewel, he didn't know if he was ready to be a father. Too bad for him, it was coming and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Well, there was, but he would never ever do that, and he didn't want Kagome to kill their pup either.
It was a mix of him and her, together, something young and gorgeous.
He imagined a little raven haired girl laughing, filled with glee, with black hanyou ears, amber eyes and a bright fanged smile. He was chasing after her as the sun set, Kagome standing with a smile in the doorway of their house, a little silver haired, brown eyed, dog-eared boy perched on her hip.
A family, all his own.
The thought split his face into a grin. That was it, she would have it, he would be a daddy and she would be a mommy and they would take it as it came, together, like they always did.
Suddenly, the days ahead looked much brighter.
He'd returned home well after dark. He could tell his whole house was asleep. He peeked into the room Kohaku and Shippo shared, and found them both sleeping soundly. Kohaku had taken to Shippo nicely, and the boys were always messing around. Sango's door was shut, but he could tell she was sleeping peacefully.
Miroku's, however, was wide open. He was lying haphazardly across his bed, his arm flung over his face, snoring. Inuyasha snorted. Idly, he wondered how sleeping arrangements would go once Kagome gave birth to their pup? They'd surely switch up, wouldn't they? Miroku hadn't asked Sango to marry him yet, (well, since the last time) and she didn't seem as if she was going to be sharing a room with that 'lecherous monk' until he did and they were bound together legally. Inuyasha kind of understood though. Who'd wanna be felt up by someone who wasn't their mate or their significant other in the middle of the night while they were trying to sleep?
He snorted again. Maybe he'd just have to add another room on.
Quietly, he crept into his own bedroom, taking in the form of his mate, curled up in a ball on his side of the bed, "Kagome?"
His mate blinked, sitting up so fast he thought she'd given herself whiplash.
"Inuyasha?" Her voice was so full of hope that he didn't realize how much he'd scared her until she was across the room, hugging his lean frame to her lithe one.
"Kagome?"
"I'm sorry, I was scared that…uhm, when you left...you weren't taking this so well."
"Kagome, I love you, you're my mate. I would never abandon you. You're mine and I'm yours."
The dark-haired miko smiled into Inuyasha's haori.
Everything was going to be alright.
