First Born
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Ichiro © Me
Summary- Kagome gives birth to hers and Inuyasha's first born son, but not long after, something seems to go wrong.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!"
9 hours straight…that's how long she had been screaming. 9 whole hours of agony on both her and him.
The half-demon sat against the wall of the hut, his hands over his overly-sensitive ears, the night air filled with his wife's painful shrieks.
"That's it, child! It won't be too long, now!" Kaede's voice was heard from inside.
"You can do it, Lady Kagome!" added Rin. "Just a bit more! You're almost there!"
"Please…make it stop…!"
Inuyasha bit his lip, trying his hardest to tune out Kagome's cries. As surprising as it was, it seemed that even he looked ready to break down into tears himself. He just wish he could help her get through this, but Kaede ordered him to stay outside until the birthing was over, and thus, Inuyasha could only sit and listen.
At least he wasn't alone.
"Inuyasha?"
The half-demon looked up at Miroku, as well as Sango and their children, and Shippo.
"It'll be all right, Inuyasha," Sango assured, her hands on her tired but worried daughters' heads. "We all know Kagome. She'll get through this."
"That's right," Miroku said, Roku strapped to his back, surprisingly able to sleep through Kagome's screaming. "Have faith in her."
"And besides, it won't be too much longer!" Shippo added. "Just think! Soon, you'll be cradling your child in your arms and giving Kagome a big kiss, too!"
Normally, Inuyasha would huff in slight annoyance, but at time like this, he couldn't help but give a chuckle and smile at his friends.
"Thanks, you guys," he said. "I'm grateful."
Just then, the air is filled with a high-pitch wail, one different from Kagome's. Inuyasha gasped before he looks back, knowing that it could only mean one thing.
"It…it's here…!" he whispered before he stood up and rushed inside, and Miroku, who held Roku, Sango, Shippo, Haruhana, and Shiratsuki followed after at a slightly slower pace. As Inuyasha entered, he saw Kaede and Rin, gently washing an infant in a basin of water as he cried. Atop his head, a head of silver hair, only in a much darker shade than his father's, and two pricked ears on his scalp.
"Lord Inuyasha!" Rin said, her voice soft but excited. "It's a boy!"
Inuyasha only stood there, his eyes wide and watery. His body suddenly felt heavy as he fell to his knees, a sigh escaping his lips. Kaede chuckled as she wrapped up the baby in a bundle of sheets and handed him over to the half-demon, who gasped slightly in surprise as he took his son in his arms.
'This…this is…my son…!' he thought. 'Mine…and Kagome's…!'
"Aww, he's so cute!" Haruhana whispered gently, peeking over Inuyasha's left shoulder while her sister looked over his right.
"He looks like you, Uncle Inuyasha!" added Shiratsuki.
"Let's hope he doesn't turn out to be like you when he gets older," Shippo chimed in, clinging into Inuyasha's arms. Normally, a quip like that would earn the young fox demon a hit to the head, but Inuyasha was so enraptured in gazing at his infant son, that he didn't seem to hear him.
"You should be proud, Inuyasha," Miroku smiled. "Your son looks quite handsome."
"Yeah…he takes after me and his mother when it comes to looks," Inuyasha said before he gasped. "Kagome! How is she?!"
"She's very tired," Kaede replied, "but you may go and see her if you wish."
Inuyasha stood up, being careful not to drop the baby before making his way over to Kagome, who lied on the tatami mats…but as he grew closer, his nose twitched, and he froze as he felt his breath hitch.
"B…blood…?" he whispered as he looked down…and saw a pool of the crimson liquid forming on the mats, right in between Kagome's legs while the priestess gave out strained breaths.
"What's the matter, Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she went over to him, only to gasp in horror upon seeing the blood. "Oh, no…L-Lady Kaede! Kagome's bleeding!"
"What?!" Kaede questioned, and almost instantly, the happiness that once filled the room had just disappeared and is replaced with panic as everyone began to rush around, tending to Kagome…while Inuyasha only stood silently, still holding his once again wailing son in his arms.
"Kagome…!"
XXX
"Internal hemorrhaging?"
"Yes. Lady Kaede said it will be a miracle if Kagome survives."
Shippo looked down at the grass in concern, the morning dew sparkling on the green blades as he sat between Miroku and Shiratsuki, who held her mother's hand while her sister sat next to her father.
"How could this have happened?" asked Shippo. "Kagome seemed so healthy before she gave birth."
"…It's my fault."
Everyone looked up at Inuyasha, who sat solemnly on the grass, still holding his son in his arms, where the infant slept quietly while sucking on his fingers.
"I should've seen this coming," he said. "Whenever a human mother gives birth to a demon's child…it usually results in the mother's death."
"…Is that how your mother died, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.
"She actually didn't die until a few years later," replied Inuyasha, "but I was still pretty young back then…but I still believe it was because of me."
"Inuyasha…" Shippo muttered before his gaze fell upon the baby boy. Hoping to help everyone take their minds off the situation at hand, the fox demon smiled and asked "So, did you name him, yet?"
"Oh, right!" Sango piped up. "What did you name the baby, Inuyasha?"
"…I didn't give him a name, yet," Inuyasha replied. "I…I was hoping that Kagome and I would…"
"Oh," everyone realized.
'I was hoping that would cheer him up a little,' Shippo thought. 'Back to square one, I guess.'
Just then, the baby's eyes slowly opened, revealing 2 golden yellow orbs, just like his father's. No sooner did they open, though, that he began to whimper.
"Oh, no," Miroku muttered with dread. "Here it comes!"
No sooner had he said this that the baby began to let out an ear-piercing wail, causing Inuyasha to flinch at the noise. He almost dropped the infant in his haste to cover his ears, but luckily, Sango was there to catch him.
"Inuyasha!" Sango cried. "Are you crazy?! You almost dropped him!"
"Excuse me for having sensitive ears!" Inuyasha barked.
Sango rolled her eyes before she cradled the baby in her arms.
"There, there," she cooed, softly. "It's okay. You're probably just hungry."
With that, Sango slowly stripped her clothes, only leaving her chest bare (to Miroku's inner delight), before she held the baby up to her breast to suckle, but the little quarter-demon whimpered and turned his head away, to Sango's surprise.
"What?" the ex-demon slayer muttered. "But…why?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Inuyasha asked. "He won't nurse from some random woman. He knows his mother's scent."
"Are you saying he'll only nurse from Kagome?" Shippo asked.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Inuyasha replied.
"But Kaede said Kagome is in no condition to be nursing the baby," Miroku pointed out. "What are you going to do?"
"…I don't know," the half-demon answered, "but I have to do something."
"Like what?" asked Sango, putting her blouse back on.
Inuyasha paused before glancing back at the birthing hut where Kagome rests.
XXX
Kagome groaned as she lied on the mats, her eyebrows furrowed in discomfort.
"It will be all right, Kagome," Kaede said. "Don't try to push yourself. Rin, burn some more herbs, please."
"Yes, Lady Kaede," Rin said as she put some herbs in a fire, but as she turned around, she saw Inuyasha enter with the crying infant. "Oh! Lord Inuyasha!"
"…I need to see Kagome," Inuyasha said.
"She is in no condition to be seeing anyone, Inuyasha," Kaede said. "I'm sorry."
"Please," Inuyasha urged. "The baby's starving. He needs his mother's milk. He won't nurse from anyone else."
"Inuyasha, Kagome must recover first," Kaede argued. "If she attempts to nurse now, then-"
"It's all right."
The old priestess gasped before looking to Kagome, who sat up slowly.
"L-Lady Kagome?" Rin asked in concern.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, "bring the baby here."
Her husband didn't hesitate and carefully approached her before handing his son to her. Almost instantly, the baby's tears ceased, and as he looked up at his mother, he cooed fondly as a warm smile appeared upon Kagome's lips.
"That's a good boy," she whispered. "You were crying because you missed mommy?"
Inuyasha smiled while Kaede and Rin stared in complete awe.
"Here you go," Kagome said as she pulled her blouse down a bit, revealing her ample breasts, from which the baby began to nurse. "That's it."
Inuyasha soon sat next to her, gently propping her up in case she fell back from weakness, while Kaede and Rin continued to watch before smiling at the bonding of mother and child.
After the baby had had his fill of milk, Inuyasha took him and left so that Kagome could rest some more. It went on like this for a few more days, him coming into the hut and bringing the baby to Kagome so she could allow him to nurse from her, and then he would leave so she could recover some more, asking the others for help when it came to chores (specifically diaper-changing, which was left up to Sango).
Before Inuyasha knew it, a week had already gone by, and Kagome was up and about again, to his and everyone else's relief.
The half-demon sat on the porch of his and Kagome's house, his wife sitting next to him while cradling their son in her arms.
"Good to have you home, Kagome," Inuyasha said, smiling.
"I'm glad to be home," Kagome said, leaning on his shoulder before she looked down at her baby boy, who cooed softly as he blinked his golden eyes at her and his cute little ears twitched and swiveled. It was at that moment that a thought occurred to the priestess.
"Inuyasha," she said. "We never did name him, did we?"
"Oh, yeah," Inuyasha realized. "I guess I was so worried about you, I never thought about giving him his name."
"Well, what do you think we should call him?"
"…Ichiro…our firstborn son."
Kagome smiled before she looked down at the newly christened Ichiro, who giggled and held his arms up to touch her face.
"…Ichiro Higurashi," she repeated before she held him closely. "I love it."
Inuyasha chuckled before he gingerly tickled his son's neck, causing him to squeal happily.
"I know this has been a long time coming," he said, "but…welcome to the world, Ichiro."
THE END
This feels a bit rushed, but I'm proud of it anyway! :)
Review, please!
