Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and neither do I make profit from writing this fanfiction.
First attempt at a fanfiction. Please review and give suggestions. Thank you! :D
Summary: Inuyasha found an injured young boy near the goshinboku one night and he can't help the feeling of familiarity towards him. Turned out, the boy was Kagome's son. But with whom? Surely, he can't be the father. Wait, can he?
XOXO
The Son Chapter 1
It was definitely a good day. The sun's rays were almost dazzling and the overjoyed chirping of birds is distinct in the atmosphere. If it was a very bright day here in the modern day Japan, Kagome could only imagine how good a day it is then in Sengoku Jidai.
She has been in her time for the last three days, futilely trying her best to catch up with the lessons discussed in her class during her absence. Kagome finds it downright infuriating—her schooling, her classmates, her friends, Hojo. Her classmates were sending her disgusted glances while in class and after the class ended, they kept asking her if she really had herpes! Of all the things his jii-chan could've made up for her, why herpes? And then her friends… it was as if her friends has utterly forgotten about her and has moved on with their lives. It is not like she was selfish and she wants to hoard her friends all to herself. No, god knows she too has a secret life of her own. But did they really have to refuse lending her their notes? And Hojo, please don't let her start with Hojo. The guy basically wanted to barter his notes in exchange for a weekend date with her! She just hopes Inuyasha doesn't hear about that. Not that he would care if she goes out on a date with Hojo. No, he would be infuriated if she stays in her time for the weekends—thus putting off their shard hunting picnic (please do note the sarcasm; god knows that tracking shards is no sunny adventure, more like a stupid march towards hell)—date or no date.
"Mama, can I get a couple of these perfumed soaps? Sango liked the rose scented ones I brought last time," Kagome held up said soaps which are wrapped in pink boxes. She was presently packing her bag for their supplies.
"Of course, Kagome. And you can probably bring Shippo Souta's old crayons," her mother smiled at her.
Not more than ten minutes later, Kagome was heaving her yellow bag out of the well. The thing probably weighed a ton and it felt like her shoulders would snap like twigs at any second just because of its sheer weight. She couldn't stop grumbling about 'stupid hanyous and their insatiable need for ramen'. Well, it is true, Inuyasha specifically ordered her to bring hundreds of ramen packs. And knowing his appetite, they would be lucky if her stock lasts for more than a week.
On top of the ramen, she also brought several basic necessities for a 'growing lady' like her and Sango, as her mother has so kindly put it. She brought more than a few bars of soap, ylang-ylang and lilac scented shampoo, and a change of clothes. She also took along some coloring materials and chocolates for Shippo. God knows, her little kit should have something to keep him busy so as to prevent him from pestering Inuyasha. And Miroku… well, he asked for some magazines with the, uh, pretty ladies. He saw it once with her when she brought some pieces to Senjuko Jidai and was badly enthralled. And since then, it has become Kagome's private humor to see the lecher monk reading Seventeen's.
Hauling the bag out of the well is probably the hardest part, but carrying it from the well towards Kaede's humble hut was no walk in the park either. She wondered where Inuyasha could have gone. Normally, when the hanyou smelt her, he would race to her to lecture her about staying at the other side of the well for too long. Then he would turn away haughtily and shove his hands inside his haori sleeves when she teased him about missing her too much.
While they were certainly not in any romantic relationship (yet, Kagome's mind hopefully added), they were a lot closer than ever in the months that they were together. And her heart, oh her heart, desperately wants to hope… hope that Inuyasha would see her more than his personal shard detector. And only God knows how much his words had stabbed at her heart when he said that she was just a shard detector. But she tries not to think too much about them now, about their relationship status because if she does, it would certainly drive her insane.
Momentarily, Kagome was pulled from her musings when she realized that it was so dark and she could barely make out the stones that lined the worn path she always took towards Kaede's hut. Then, she realized several moments later that there was no moon, thus the impenetrable darkness.
No moon?
No moon! Oh god, how could she have forgotten? Tonight is Inuyasha's human night! That was probably the reason why the hanyou hasn't come and fetched her. She knows that Inuyasha felt uneasy and vulnerable during his human nights. Going outside the hut is just sheer stupidity; and going beyond the village's vista, where the well is situated, is suicidal. He was probably in Kaede's hut sulking, or torturing poor Shippo. Definitely torturing poor Shippo.
With renewed vigor, plus her fear of demons jumping out to eat her, Kagome hurried her steps. She could almost distinguish the yellow glow of lamp coming from the old priestess' hut and she knew that it wouldn't be too far from where she stood.
There was a hushed murmur when she entered. Though thoroughly confused, Kagome managed to set her massive bag on the floor first before proceeding to the hut's only room, only separated by the thin tanned curtain.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called weakly before shoving aside the curtains.
The scene that met her eyes certainly had her disconcerted that it took her several rounds before fully comprehending the situation. "Oh, god! What happened?" There in the hut's floor was a young boy, probably not a day older than three years old. He was positioned in the tatami mat laid at the center of the room, beside the fire which was currently heating what she could only guess to be stew based on the turnips and radish floating in the stock. A currently human Inuyasha and Shippo were huddled around the boy.
"Inuyasha, who is this kid?" she asked the hanyou after kneeling in the mat. The poor kid had several gashes in his arms and a bruise was visible in the side of his forehead. As far as Kagome could see, the little boy was cute—jet black hair, cute little button nose, and chubby full cheeks. The miko just couldn't understand how and what a kid as young as this boy could be doing in the village. She is certain he isn't one of the village kids. She had been in the village running errands after errands and in those ample times, she's sure as hell that she hasn't seen this kid. And this kid's face is no ordinary face. She would definitely remember him if she has already met or seen him before.
And what happened? How did he get these injuries? Unbidden feeling of protectiveness enveloped the raven-haired girl and she could not resist caressing the sleeping child's cheeks.
"Keh, we found the runt near the Goshiboku, passed out," said Inuyasha. "We tried looking for his parents but nobody was around."
"But Kagome, he kinda smell familiar. It is so weird," Shippo whined, and to make his point more clear, he sniffed the haori sleeves of the little boy. "See?"
"U-huh?" she asked uncertainly, turning at Inuyasha for clarifications.
"Like the runt said, this boy smelt familiar. But I didn't get to smell him thoroughly since we found him after the sun set. I turned human and we can't just let him out there so we brought him here. We were waiting for you to patch him up."
Kagome eyed the crudely bandaged arms of the boy and sighed. The bandage was falling off from his arms for not being fastened tightly. "Where are Sango and Miroku? And Kaede?"
"Sango and Miroku got a call from the next village to exterminate a small horde of bull youkai who attacked and killed several traveling merchants. They might be back at daybreak tomorrow. The hag should still be somewhere in the village."
"Inuyasha!," Kagome reprimanded him lightly for calling the elder miko 'hag'.
"Kaede went to deliver a baby," Shippo said rather helpfully, to which Kagome beamed her thanks. She returned her attention to Inuyasha. "They left you alone… on your human night?"
Inuyasha's answering glare made the miko flinch a little and she instantly regretted insinuating something that the hanyou apparently deemed depreciating to his oversized ego. "Wench, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself, even in my human night!"
"And besides," Shippo started somewhat cheekily, "He's not alone. I'm here, 'Gome. If we were attacked and Inusyasha had a nervous breakdown from too much fear, I can always drag and throw his body inside the well, he'll be safe in no time." Shippo even pumped his fist to emphasize his joke, but Inuyasha obviously didn't find the joke that amusing and promptly whacked him in the head, earning a loud yelp of 'Kagome!' from the kit.
"You know what a nervous breakdown is, kit? Too big of a word for your vocabulary, if you ask me! And drag my body? I'll show you how to drag a dead body, runt!" the hanyou shouted indignantly.
Kagome giggled a little knowing that the spat between her boys were just that—a spat, petty and harmless. But she turned somber when she remembered something. "The bull youkai… they don't have any jewel shards, do they?"
"No, the lecher confirmed it. Seems like those youkai were just restless."
Kagome nodded again, appeased by the knowledge that there were no shards involved. "And what are you two cooking?"
Inuyasha blushed and turned his head away haughtily when he saw the way Kagome eyed the stew skeptically. "Keh, the runt said we should make some stew for when the other runt wakes up. So I did. I just added some turnips from the—don't laugh at me, wench! If only we have ramen, I could've made that just fine. I am expert at cooking ramen now, you know," he added moodily, however, his cheeks were tinted with pale pink.
"I would think you are, Inuyasha... expert with ramen, I mean. And I'm not laughing. I'm just surprised that you took initiative to help this poor boy here. But you did wash those vegetable, did you?" she asked, sparing the murky liquid a mistrustful glance.
"They needed to be washed?" Shippo exclaimed in the sideline and Kagome barely held back a frustrated groan when she confirmed that it was indeed mud that made the boiling stock… muddy. They had cooked stew for a hundred times when they were travelling-cum-camping and Kagome couldn't even start to comprehend how in the hell these two demons could possibly think that it was perfectly okay (and HEALTHY) to cook the vegetables without washing them.
"We can't make him eat that, Inuyasha," she gestured at the sleeping boy.
"Keh," the hanyou said again. "I'm going to set this aside then, maybe some of the village farmers can feed this to their pigs." He made a move to lift the cauldron but hissed when his palm connected with the scalding metal, making him realize that he was currently in his vulnerable human state and the temperature of the pot is just too much for him to handle. Kagome yelped, taking Inuyasha's hands in a flash and cradling them in her own. She blew at them gently, hoping to ease the pain. Her mother used to do this to her whenever she was hurt from playing and though it was with gashes and bruises, Kagome believes that blowing the singed palms of the hanyou will work perfectly the in the same way that hers did.
"Be careful, you idiot!" She sighed and in a gentle and relieved voice she added, "Be careful, okay?"
Inuyasha's face turned to a darker shade of red from the contact and begun to grumble incomprehensible "perfectly fine", "blasted human body", "bloody new moon" and a flustered "thanks".
Sighing again when she was assured that the hanyou was not seriously hurt, Kagome released his hands. "Anyway, can you get my yellow bag, Inuyasha? I left it at the front door. A big pot of ramen should be good for all of us, including our little guest," she rolled her eyes when Inuyasha instantly perked up at the mention of ramen.
"Beef?" the hanyou asked hopefully, very much looking like a child at the way he acts.
Kagome rolled her eyes again. "Yes, beef and chicken, and teriyaki, and a lot more. Now, go fetch my bag. Shippo, can you also fetch me a pail of water? We need that for the ramen. And I should also wash this boy's injuries before they get infected."
"Okay, 'gome!" And the kit sauntered outside to fetch the water on the well nearby the hut, followed by an equally enthusiastic hanyou.
Not more than ten minutes later, the smell of cooking ramen drifted through the air inside the hut. Kagome was done washing the boy's body and she dressed him with one of the few clothes she has fortunately packed for Shippo. Now that the grime and dirt was washed away from the boy's face, Kagome could see just how pale he looked. She was sure it was not his natural color and she could only guess that his paleness must be from being laid bare to the harsh and cold wind outside for too long. It was a good thing though that Inuyasha has placed the tatami near the fire, so the boy can be warmed.
Noticing that the water in the basin is now darker because of the dirt, the young miko went to the hut's kitchen to dispose it. But she almost dropped the basin when she heard a piercing wail that couldn't possibly come from Shippo.
"M-mummy! Mummy! I-I want my mummy!"
"Kagome! Kagome, he's awake. Kagome!" Shippo simultaneously shouted, and based from the ruckus, the kit must be in utter state of panic.
Kagome heard Inuyasha rushing towards the hut from his position just outside the door, and she too quickened her steps to rush to the wailing boy.
"Mummy! M-mummy!"
"Kagome! Kagome, he's awake!"
Kagome immediately kneeled near the crying boy and shot Shippo a look that was somewhere in between exasperation and amusement. The weeping boy was still lying on the mat, his eyes tightly closed, as if by shutting his eyes tight enough, he could will his mother to appear in front of him. Her heart wrenching with ache at the sight of the boy's tear-stricken face, Kagome smoothly gathered the kid in her arms and hushed him with sweet words. His forehead was also wet with sweat and Kagome used the palm of her hands to wipe away the dampness.
"Come on, it's alright," she whispered. "We won't hurt you, sweetie," she continued rubbing his back while he rested his head on the crook of his neck. Kagome held him protectively, not thoroughly understanding her reactions to the boy. She just felt like it her heart would burst with pain if she can't comfort the child.
Inuyasha and Shippo just watched the young miko on the sideline, not wanting to disrupt the moment. It is true that Kagome was very fond of kids, human and youkai alike. She was almost a mother to Shippo. But Inuyasha never saw the girl this… maternal, as if she was really the crying boy's mother.
The boy just answered her with soft sobs and hiccups. When he finally calmed down and was reassured that there was no immediate harm to his well-being, the boy looked up at the face of the woman who was currently holding him in a very comforting and familiar manner.
His eyes widened at the sight, and he blinked several times to confirm that he was not hallucinating and the tears that are still in his eyes were not playing tricks on him. "M-mummy?" he asked tentatively. When the woman looked at him straight in the face, his hunch was confirmed.
"Mummy!"
To say that Kagome was taken aback when the boy wrapped his arms snugly around her neck and burrowed his head to her chest was the understatement of the century. Heck, she was stunned… stupefied even.
"Mummy! Mummy I thought the monster's got you! The monster's got Daddy, Mummy." The boy now sobbed with renewed vigor, probably from the sheer relief of seeing someone familiar.
Kagome helplessly returned the hug, still confused with the turn of events. Mummy? Her? Since when? And she knew shit just got serious when she heard the all too familiar growling from somewhere in the room.
"Wench, did you forget to tell me something?"
XOXO
End of chapter.
Please read and review. Criticisms are very much appreciated. :D thanks!
