A/N: I've been working and re-working this idea for a long time now. Consider the posting of this first chapter experimental. I already have the first several chapters written, although they need a considerable amount of editing. I do plan to post the rest of this, if I get enough positive feedback. If you like this, please review. If no one likes it, I won't post the rest. I don't know how many chapters this is going to be, but I do know that I'm on chapter nine and I still have about seven months to cover. So…it'll be quite long, eventually. And yes, this takes place after Naraku's defeat. More on that in later chapters. Obviously, expect a greater maturity in the characters, particularly Inuyasha.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, I would have better things to do than write fanfic. I don't own the characters, either. I just borrow them
Love and Joy
Chapter One
Both of Ours
As per usual, Inuyasha was sitting in a tree. It was mid-September, the beginning of Kagome's first year without school. At last, Inuyasha thought, leaning back against his favorite tree, which was easily within view of the well that connected his time with Kagome's. Not that it makes much difference, the impatient hanyou growled to himself. She still goes back there for days at a time sometimes. I hate it when she's not here. Unconsciously, Inuyasha's mind drifted to the miko. Pictures flashed through his mind, as they often did when he was alone and waiting for her. Kagome smiling at him. Kagome hugging him. Kagome laughing at him. Kagome yelling at him. Kagome kissing him. Kagome… Inuyasha pulled his mind back to the present as a familiar sweet scent drifted out of the well. Kagome!
The hanyou leapt from the tree, running to meet his miko. One of Kagome's small white hands appeared, grasping the side of the well. Inuyasha reached out a hand to help her, which she took. Her head and shoulders emerged, and he pulled her out.
"Thanks…" she panted. She'd clearly been running to get to the well in a hurry, which Inuyasha found incredibly sweet of her. He considered forgetting the fact that she was nearly a day late, but thought better of it.
"You're late!" he growled at the miko, after she had risen to her feet and dusted herself off.
"Sorry, something came up…" she muttered, blushing. She wasn't meeting his eyes.
"Yeah, well, what? Now that you're done with that school thing, I thought you wouldn't be spending so much time in that world!" Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't leaving until he got an answer.
"It's still my home, you know! It's not like I need to be here, now the jewel is gone and Naraku is dead!" Kagome's eyes blazed. Why was she getting so worked up? They always had a fight when she returned from her era. It was…traditional. Customary. Without it, Inuyasha would feel…weird.
"Yeah, I know that, but do you really want to torture me? You act like you only came here for the goddamn jewel!" He looked away from her eyes at this last. That's not the only reason she came. I know that. But I want to hear it…again.
"Of course I didn't." Her voice was gentle again. Hesitantly, he met her eyes. She smiled. "Don't be stupid, Inuyasha. You know better."
"Keh." He tried to keep her smile from melting his heart, he really did. It was futile, as usual. "Kagome…"
"I come for you," she whispered. A chill ran up the hanyou's spine.
"I know," he replied.
Kagome's smile was so gentle. Soft. Happy. He looked at her, and met her warm brown eyes. Why had he been mad at her? He couldn't remember…
"Kagome." How had he closed the distance between them so fast? He was standing right in front of her, without any recollection of having done so. As if of their own accord, his arms moved to her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her close, needing to feel the warmth of her body against his. This was what he had missed the most…
Humming softly, she tightened her grip on him, just enough to let him know that she had missed him as much as he had missed her. He brought his lips down to hers and they met, softly. He held her in his arms, and sighed in relief. No matter what had passed between them, he still was afraid every time she went home. Afraid she might not return to him. He knew there was no reason for his fears, but that was how it was. He couldn't even remember a time when he had been unsure about his feelings for Kagome. There had been a time, he knew that. But it was in his past. He didn't want to think about it. Since he had met her, she had been his light, his hope, his…well, his everything that mattered. The thought of not having her at his side was simply too much to bear. He tightened his arms about her waist protectively.
When they broke apart, she looked up at him, sweetly. He still held her in his arms.
"This is the kind of welcome I was hoping for…" she murmured. He laughed and kissed her again, not exactly eager to let her go any time in the near future.
"Mmmm." Lifting her mouth off his, she buried her head in his shoulder, rubbing her cheek against the smooth cloth of his haori. He stroked her hair, running his hand from the top of her head to the very bottom of her hair, hanging at the small of her back. She shivered delightedly in his arms, so he didn't stop.
They stood like that for a few minutes. Kagome, for her part, was reluctant to move from her warm position in Inuyasha's arms, surrounded by warm haori-clad hanyou. But she had to. Eventually he would want to know the reason for her longer stay in her time. And she had to tell him, anyway. She'd rushed back almost as soon as she'd found out, for sure. He had to be the first to know. Of course, she had had suspicions, but now she knew. For sure. And so he had to know.
"Inuyasha?" She pulled back slightly so that she could meet his eyes.
"Hmm?" Inuyasha stopped stroking her hair and looked up at her. "Something wrong?"
"Er…no." Kagome knew she was blushing violently. Inuyasha caught the feeling, and pulled away from her, letting his arms drop to his sides. Great…she would have preferred to have him holding her. "I just…well, I have something to tell you. It's…pretty important."
"What? Is it bad? Is everything okay?" She saw worry cross the hanyou's face.
"No…no, it's not bad. It's good…or at least, I think it's good. It's just…well, it's pretty important."
Some of the worry left her hanyou's eyes, but not all. "Well, tell me already!" He was always impatient, but…this was more than impatient. He was downright scared.
"Okay, listen. Er…maybe we should sit down."
"What? Is it that big? Can't you just tell me here? Kagome, you have to tell me what's going on!" Inuyasha cried as she led him to the sacred tree.
"Shh. I'm about to." Kagome gestured for him to sit down, and he did so, leaning his back against the huge tree. She sank to the ground in front of him, nervously tugging at the hem of her skirt.
"Okay. Now tell me." The hanyou leaned forward anxiously. Kagome almost smiled, but then her nerves returned to her. She looked at the ground.
"Okay, well, I-" she stopped. Just what exactly am I supposed to say? She wondered, panicking. I knew I should have asked my mom…but that meant telling her first…I want him to be the first to know. He should be…
She looked up, and met his searching eyes. She could not control her blush, and she could see the impatience beginning to drive him insane. She had to get it over with…she hadn't pictured herself having to give him this particular news for many years, at least not until they were married. At least not until we were ready.
"Kagome…" she heard the pain in his voice. She had to tell him…
"I…" she broke off. Was this really the best way? She should really try to explain some things to him first, instead of giving him the news right away. She should prepare him…
"I'm pregnant." She rushed out, not even sure he'd heard it, it had come out so fast. So much for preparing him…
"WHAT?!" His head snapped up, and his eyes popped open. Kagome took a shaky breath.
"Um…yeah…"
"So…you…we…are you sure?" He bit his lip.
"Yes. I…yes." Kagome's hands clenched into fists. Please Inuyasha…be okay with it…
"S-so…we're having a baby." He breathed in sharply. "I'm…going…to be a father?"
Kagome tried to breathe, and couldn't. There had to have been a better way to tell him. She didn't know what to say. "Yes."
"How do you know?" Inuyasha's voice was strangled. He thought back…to the times they'd…slept together. Twice. Was that enough? How could it be enough?
"There are tests you can take, in my era. I…suspected. I mean, I still need confirmation from a doctor…" she trailed off, staring at the ground.
"Oh."
Kagome did not look up until she felt a hand on her arm. Surprised, she glanced up and found herself staring into large golden eyes.
"Inuyasha…I'm sorry…it's so soon…"
"No." His voice was gruff. "It's not. Kagome, in my era…in this era…it's not."
"I know. It's just…" she took a deep breath, not taking her eyes from her hanyou's face. "Do you want it?"
"A child?" Inuyasha looked puzzled. Kagome nodded. And, to her surprise, he laughed. "Kagome, it's going to be a living, breathing person, who's half you and half me. Of course I want it."
"You do?" I love him…I love him so much…
"Don't you?"
Kagome smiled. "Course I do."
She squealed as she was suddenly pulled up to her feet. She found herself wrapped in Inuyasha's embrace, and his lips found hers, and he kissed her passionately…
He pulled back, looking in her eyes. "I love you…"
"I love you, too."
Inuyasha took one of his arms back, and moved his hand down so it rested on her stomach.
"Inuyasha…" she giggled, blushing.
"It's right here…I can't believe that…" He blushed. "Our-our child…"
"Yes. Ours." Kagome laughed softly, stroking his hair. "Together."
"Mmm." He kissed her, and she reveled in the warmth of his arms, and the sweetness of his lips, and the fact that, within her, there was a future human being that was half her and half him. Both of ours. Together…
A/N: So, chapter one's up. I have a lot of editing to do on chapter two, but I won't post it unless I get some positive feedback on this. Constructive criticism is welcome, although flames are childish and do nothing except discourage the author. If you read this just to flame, a hint: click the little back button in the upper left-hand corner. Yup, that's the one. Otherwise, thanks for reading!
