Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do not intent to get any kind of retribution for this work of fan fiction.
Reunion
He parked the car in front of the blue house with the white metal fence, and turned off the car at the same time he took the cellphone out of his pocket and checked her last message.
"... the sky blue house with the white fence, the third from the corner" He counted the houses, it was the third house.
Getting out of the car he needed another moment to calm down. After all, how does one start a face to face conversation with an estranged childhood friend that was also your first love?... your first and kind of unrequited love... it was awkward to say the least.
Slowly he walked to the fence, she had told him it would be open. He found himself in front of the front door too soon for his liking. Rubbing his sweating hands on his pants again, he rang the bell, holding his breath trying to calm down as he fought with his ears to stay up and not flatten on his scalp.
The bell sounded strong in his ears and he paid attention to the soft steps that walked directly to the door and stopped just behind it. A deep breath sounded from the other side and the door finally opened.
He stood there drinking her in, reveling in her presence. She looked different, she wasn't the nineteen-year-old teenager that he remembered, Kagome was a woman now. As she smiled at him, he could see how that smile remained bright and contagious, and in the way that it always had, it warmed his heart.
She tilted her head to the side and blinked a couple of times. Heat came to his cheeks as he realized she must have said something. The best way to make a good impression, he thought, stare like an idiot.
"Ah um, sorry..." he said meekly rubbing the back of his neck.
She laughed a little signaled him to come in. "It's nice to see you, Inuyasha." she declared as he walked into the living room.
"Same, Kagome". He sat down as he looked around. It was a small house, two story building with maybe two or three bedrooms tops. The space designated as the living room had only one long couch and she seated herself beside him. "I thought you would be living on your family's temple" He let out before he could stop himself.
Kagome's smile became forced "Me too, but many things happened, and for everybody's well-being my brother took care of it after my mother died." her voice was even and controlled as she explained.
"Oh, sorry to hear that. I didn't know about your mom... She was a great woman".
She could feel the sincerity of those words as his golden eyes focused on her, and those white ears flattened on his head. She felt a wave of all those feelings she had repressed all these years, after she was forced to leave his side the only thing she wanted to do now that he was finally in front of her was to hug him and hold him as close as was physically possible. Taking a deep breath, she gave him one of the calm smiles she had been practicing in front of the mirror since she had received the first mail from him a couple of weeks ago.
"And what have you done, what did you become?" She asked, trying to sound cheerful.
Inuyasha made a face as he remembered the kind of wreck he had been around the time she went away, his mother had just passed away, a few days after the first year anniversary of his father's death. Right when his brother took the rights on the family company and started to make his life a living hell. Honestly, he couldn't remember much of the months prior of her leaving. There was one thing he could remember perfectly, but if he didn't want to become a stuttering and babbling idiot in front of her, it was better to stay away from that special place. Clearing his throat, he answered slowly.
"Well, I pulled myself together and after fighting for what felt like an eternity ended up doing what my brother wanted..."
The girl winced at the sudden bitterness of his tone. "I transferred to America for a couple of years and finished my" his voice went higher in a mocking way while his eyes expressing sarcasm. "elite education. Came home, and married the woman he had chosen for me."
His eyes focused on her waiting for some kind of reaction to his words, something that could give him hope. Anything that could be used as an excuse to keep him wondering that maybe, just maybe his lovely Kagome felt something remotely close to what he felt. But he found nothing, her reaction was a curt nod with a sympathetic look on her face, no shock, no sadness whatsoever.
"...I worked in the company, I started as a desk employee, not accepting the high paid job he wanted for me. And I divorced the woman as fast as the prenup let me, the fact that I didn't like the pompous life my brother favors made it really easy."
A small hope came to life inside his chest when this time he got a response, her eyes went wide and a mix of surprise and something that resembled... fear? Crossed her face before it came back to her polite smile.
"... And right now I'm working on starting my own little company." He gave her a proud smile as he announced the last part, gaining a real smile from her.
"Sounds really... intense. And honestly I'm shocked your brother let you work on your own." Her tone was light even as her face was serious.
His smile became a lopsided smirk that showed one of his fangs. Kagome blinked rapidly to erase a very similar face from her sight. "I don't need his permission for nothing... 'sides I never said he knew" He finished with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous glint in his eyes, and she found herself laughing at his antics. She had missed this, she had missed him so much.
"And, what about you?" his question was delivered with some hesitancy.
Kagome stood up and gave a few steps toward what seemed to be the kitchen. "I'm such a bad host! Do you want some tea? I would love some right now"
"Um... ok?"
The woman smiled at him and darted to the kitchen. Inuyasha couldn't decide if he should follow her or stay on the couch, his ears flicking nonstop trying to figure out what she was muttering to herself but whatever she was doing didn't let him hear clearly. At the end he chose to roam around the living room as a few photographs were on the wall.
The first one was one of her family, her grandfather, mother, brother and herself. She looked so young and happy, it had been taken before she left Kyoto, because he remembered perfectly that the main reason for her to move to Tokyo was the passing of her grandfather, he smiled softly he was an annoying but kind old man. One that always took him aside to remind him to keep his paws off his granddaughter. Shaking his head, he focused on the next one.
It was an even older photograph, it had her father in it. She must have been around five or six years old, her little brother was in her mom's arms as she stood in front of her dad with that enormous smile of hers, and now that he paid attention to the man, she had inherited it from him. Both of them shared the same brighter-than-the-sun smile. Inuyasha wished to meet the man, too bad he had arrived in Kagome's life years after her family lost that man.
The next was a slightly bigger photo, it also had a better frame. It was a wedding photo. The floor moved below his feet for a moment and had to reach for the wall to avoid the dizziness. It was Kagome's wedding picture. And of course she looked incredible beautiful and happy. He had prepared himself for this possibility, after all, she did have the right to get married and be happy. But in his hellish imagination, he had always picture her with a human. Someone that was the exact opposite of what he was.
A calm, well-educated and kind HUMAN. Deep down he accepted it was the only way to cope with it. The one she chose to be her beloved one had to be different from him, not a lowly hanyou, son of a mistress, with bad temper. It was the reason she never loved him back. But she had married a fucking youkai and by his looks it was a wolf youkai. In the picture she was happily looking at the camera from her husband arms, and only his profile was visible as he was kissing her cheek, his pointy ears and his glowing blue eyes signaling his supernatural blood.
From the corner of his eye he could see the next picture, and he was sure it had a child in it. His dizziness returned, this time along with the need to empty his stomach. In the back of his mind a little voice was telling him that he was being overdramatic and he had no right to be like that. At the same time, he could not bring himself to look at the next picture.
Closing his eyes, he tried to calm himself as he took a deep breath. Gathering the courage to look at the next frame when her steps announced her return. His body moved on its own as his head turned to her direction and asked "You got married?" The accusing tone was evident for the both of them as Kagome flinched before the hanyou and his stance changed from alert to ashamed.
Kagome's eyes became serious and she sat without answering him. Inuyasha knew he had made her mad. She poured the tea in two cups and sat one beside her after sweetening it with honey. Without a word from her he walked back to the place he had occupied before as he felt something warm inside his chest, noticing she still remembered how he liked his tea.
After pouring her own and giving it a sip, she looked at him, directly into his eyes. Finding it difficult to stay angry when he looked really ashamed of his behavior. "Answering your question, yes I got married" she pointed to the picture. "That man was my husband... I keep it there because Asahi likes it, even if it makes Ayame uncomfortable sometimes"
Inuyasha didn't follow all her explanation as his mind got stuck on one little word "was?" he repeated softly.
Kagome took another sip of her tea before answering. Enjoying the exasperation that flashed through his eyes for a brief moment. "Yeah, it's not glamorous to frame the divorce papers and put them on the wall, but we got divorced a few months later."
It became evident for Kagome that he wanted more information, his eyes were fixed on her, his ears turned on her and on full alert. For a moment she wondered how would his tail be moving if he had one. He hadn't even acknowledged her lousy joke.
"Yeah, when you realize that what you have is more like a strong non-sexual friendship than a romantic relationship it's easy to get divorce on friendly terms. Besides it's difficult to play cupid when one of the people is still your husband"
His expression screamed 'what the fuck, Kagome?' even when he stayed quiet trying to digest it. She was getting nervous, knowing that being as smart as he was the next question could only be one.
She took her cup of tea and stood up again, at the same time his eyes became wide and focused on her again. "But you have a kid..." it wasn't a question, though he was asking to know more.
"I need to start with the lunch." She started to walk to the kitchen again, this time he didn't hesitate to follow her.
Kagome wasn't sure he had looked at the pictures of her son, she deduced he hadn't paid attention to them because he would have phrased the question very differently.
For his part, Inuyasha's head was spinning as he reached the Kitchen and took a seat on the kitchen bar without her permission. She had said a "non-sexual friendship" but she had somehow ended up with a kid. When he first arrived to the door he had taken a few discreet sniffs and he couldn't find a male scent on Kagome, at least not one that had stayed on her after her bath, like the smell of a mate would. Around the house there were several scents, maybe from a recent gathering, but inside the kitchen there were fewer. The strongest one was Kagome's and the one of a boy. If Kagome scent reminded him of lavender and light and freshness, the kid's reminded him of sunshine, the smell of the early morning, and with that thought still on his mind his eyes found the fridge.
Kagome was trying to avoid him the longer he could. Knowing that as soon as she got into the subject it would take some time, she set the hot pot to slow heat, knowing it would be ready around the time she needed to be. Steeling her nerves for what was to come, Kagome took a deep breath and turned to him. Expecting to find his eyes on her and barely holding to his patience.
But his eyes were locked on the few drawings she had on display. She took her favorite and handed it to him, Inuyasha didn't move, just his eyes moved with the picture until it was on the counter in front of him. He felt his nausea come back viciously, parted his lips trying to keep it on bay.
"I do have a son, Inuyasha" she said with a soft voice.
The raven haired woman felt horrible as she watched his reaction, he looked like a cornered and panicked dog. He wouldn't appreciate the analogy, but it was the only thing that came to mind. His normally tanned and healthy complexion was yellow-greenish, his eyes were wide and moving erratically from the drawing and her face, and he was gasping for air.
She handed him a glass of water. "Breathe, everything is alright..." His golden eyes stared at the glass and took a slow and long sip, until it was empty.
Feeling worse by the second she let him calm down on his own, after what felt like an eternity his raspy voice reached her.
"Is he human?" He already knew the answer, but maybe, just maybe he got it all wrong.
Kagome slowly shook her head with sad eyes
"He is a hanyou..."
Kagome shook her head again, this time holding her tears. "Not exactly... and he is not Kouga's son."
Inuyasha's heart was drumming on his chest, it was difficult to hear something other than the beating on his ears but her words had reached him entirely. He wasn't sure what was he feeling, was it anger? Was it fear? Happiness perhaps? A combination of them all? He just was sure of something; he would be really embarrassed if he fainted right there on her kitchen...
"Breathe, Inuyasha..." repeated Kagome with her soft voice. A growl and an accusing stare were her only answer.
Feeling like human garbage for breaking his heart like that, she turned to hide her tears, using the hotpot as an excuse to avoid his eyes. Kagome wanted to hit herself for doing this. She had planned it so differently.
According to her they would have a nice conversation about the past and the good times together, something with the cheerfulness of their recent electronic conversation. And along the catching up she would slowly ease him into the whole 'I have a son' conversation, giving him clues, and slowly explaining these last nine years to him. But no! She had been stupid enough to let him alone with all her photos and shocking him like that.
She walked out of the kitchen, not being noticed by him until she placed the photo he had refused to look at, beside the drawing. His wench had robbed him of his last moments of denial with a simple action.
"His name is Asahi, he just turned eight and he is a quarter dog youkai." She explained with the softest and kindest voice he had ever heard from her.
Inuyasha was the one holding his tears now as he looked back and forth from the picture and the drawing. The boy, Asahi - he corrected himself-, had her mother's black hair, and he kept it short, a little longer than his own, he had a pair of black and soft looking ears on top of his head, no doubt inherited from his father. Asahi also had the same smile as Kagome, it was the third generation with that smile, maybe if he didn't feel as he did at that moment he could have commented on it. And the final touch, the thing that made his futile denial impossible to hold onto was the pair of bright golden eyes that mirrored his own.
"...Asahi" he tried the name out loud.
"...Yes, Asahi" She felt her heart race as she finished the sentence "...your son".
His honey-colored eyes glowed with supernatural energy as they darted to her face and he snarled. It made the barely held tears stream down her face freely, he had never, not once in her life snarled at her, maybe some growls but never a full angered snarl.
Inuyasha saw her reaction as if he was watching it on a television, with a detachment that would have frightened him if he was in another situation. But right now the safest emotion for his broken self was anger. Anger at the woman who had refused to tell him she was expecting his child, a woman that had kept him away from his son for the first eight years of his childhood. A woman that had been so ashamed of carrying a hanyou's pup that had changed cities to keep it a secret. A woman he had loved for far longer than those eight years. If only she had said something back then... a whine came out of him without his knowledge.
Kagome tried again "He is a great boy, incredibly intelligent and with a great heart"
This time he didn't snarl, only lifted his head and stared at her for a long time. "Why... why did you never tell me?" he asked with a broken voice.
She gave him a bitter smile "It was more complicated than that..."
He growled deep on his chest "Try me..."
"I never got the chance to tell you, ok? Besides, is not like I could go to your home and say 'remember that time you were really hurting after your mother died? The night we got incredibly drunk and hugged and kissed a lot and we woke up mostly naked? Well I'm sure we had sex because I'm pregnant!"
"That was a perfect example of what you could have told me!" he was now standing up on the other side of the counter.
"I know! I know!" she also stood up and rested her hands on the counter before looking directly on his eyes. "But you were gone..." her voice was soft but those words had cut him deep.
"By the time I knew what was happening you weren't here. And it was your brother who gave me the news, by the way."
"The fuck are you talking about?"
She sat again and waited for him to do the same. "My mom, my brother and I moved here because my grandpa had died, but the temple had many debts, and my mom spent most of her savings trying to keep it working. She over exerted herself, and less than two months after coming here, she was hospitalized for what we thought it was just stress..."
Inuyasha was not liking where this was heading, Kagome's scent was rapidly spiking with fear and sadness.
"But turns out it was not, it was cancer." She turned and grabbed a couple of napkins, used one to clean her face and left a few on the counter before continuing "...And we had no money for her treatment, so I had the great idea to come back to Kyoto to ask you for help. I tried to reach you by phone, I hoped your anger for leaving you with such a short notice had subsided by then. But you didn't answer. Then I thought of your brother, at least to ask him how to contact you..."
Inuyasha groaned, his brother was an ass. "By that moment three months had passed since the time we got drunk and hadn't seen you for almost the same time." Kagome's eyes became hard and talked with a flat voice "I finally managed to see him and he behaved like the asshole he is, telling me you had gone away to study like your family deserved, even a bastard hanyou like you. I was desperate and told him what was happening and asked for his help. He agreed." she let out a sarcastic laugh "too easily now that I look back. He only asked me to bring the papers of the temple as a guarantee of the loan, and he would take care of every expense, and that I would be free to pay back as fast as I feel comfortable."
Inuyasha hoped the story didn't finished like he was fearing "tell me you didn't give it to him"
"I was really desperate and, I was really stupid back then" She walked to where she had placed the discarded cups and poured some tea, more as an excuse to pause her story and calm down than because she was thirsty. "When I came back with the papers, he took the originals, gave me a copy and a black credit card on my name. Said it had unlimited funds. And just before I walked out of his office he told me to use the money to take care of it..." Her teary eyes looked at him with something that looked like desolation.
"I was so stupid that didn't know what he was talking about, so I asked and he mocked me telling me to stop playing the idiot. That he wouldn't allow another bastard into the family. And I still didn't get it... he had to spell it out to me, in the most humiliating way." she closed her eyes remembering the cold smirk on his face as he finally stood from his chair and walked to her, looking at her stomach. "He said that it was low enough to lay with a hanyou, that it was enough shame on my family to also be the one to carry his child, that he could smell it inside me. I just..."
Her eyes opened scared as Inuyasha snarled again. His face was contorted in a pure fury as he stood up and started to stomp his way back and forward around the kitchen. "That fucking bastard! I will kill him!" another growl sounded on his chest and he kept pacing. "I swear he will pay!"
She waited until he walked close to her and grabbed his sleeve "And what would that change, Inuyasha?" he question delivered with a calm voice betrayed by the tears still streaming down her face "Would that take away the humiliation? Would that erase all these years? It's not worth it..."
He stared at her for a long time, still growling on his chest from time to time. Her eyes weren't wavering, she really believed on what she was telling her. His wench was amazing, he lacked all the strength and love she had. Before he could stop himself he kissed her forehead and walked to his seat, again.
Kagome was too shocked to continue. "So, what happened after he told you to..." a new growl finished the question.
"I stood there stupidly not believing what he said. And before he dismissed me from his office, he told me that if I didn't dispose of the baby and planned to contact you to tell you the news, he would fight for it and take it from me... and made it clear that with his kind of money it was easy to do. Of course he told me that if I kept it and raised it on my own, living in disgrace we won't have any problems, as long as I didn't involve you..."
Inuyasha was really upset again, growling with every breath he managed to get. Kagome stretched her hands to hold his. From the moment her soft skin touched his, the growing subsided.
"You want me to continue?"
A white head nodded slowly, not trusting his throat to answer.
"I came back to Tokyo and went to the doctor, and they confirmed it, I was pregnant, ten weeks along, a little more than three months. And I completely panicked. I didn't know what to do." Kagome admitted with a sad smile.
She did not expect the hurt on his face, his shoulders slumped and his ears were draped over his head and he had taken his hands from hers. Kagome wasn't sure what had put him in that state.
He lowered his eyes, staring at spot on the counter. "Did you ever..." he cleared his throat. "I mean; I understand that maybe you didn't want to...after all It was a hanyou's pup". That was the moment Kagome understood what was on his mind, she had forgotten how strong his inferiority complex was.
"What? No! How could? I Just!..." she groaned and slapped one of his hands. "I panicked thinking how could I break the news to my family... we were in a tough spot, with my mom and her health... not because I didn't want him... It took me a while to process it all, yes. I mean we were not in that kind of relationship."
They were both blushing now, discreetly looking at the other from the corner of their eyes. "And I didn't have that much experience with the whole sex thing. I mean, I was three months pregnant and until that moment on your brother's office I hadn't realized I missed three consecutive periods. I Knew something was a little off, but I thought it was because all that had happened." She gave him an awkward smile.
A weird silence settled between them, not knowing how to move to another topic. Suddenly Kagome stood up "I'll be right back!" she said with a cheerful tone as she launched to the stairs. He could hear her move things around and exclaiming "Where is it?" from time to time.
Inuyasha took the opportunity to look at his son's picture again. Even saying it inside his head felt weird. He took a deep breath, he had a son.
Thinking back to this morning the best outcome he had thought possible was Kagome accepting his lunch or dinner invitation, depending on the mood. And the worst had been having to have lunch or dinner with Kagome's husband. This kind of development was too farfetched to even play on his mental theatre.
His son looked at him from the photo with his bright smile and sparkly eyes. He looked like a happy boy. He frowned when something dawned on him. Looking at that little head, it looked like his only contribution were the eyes and ears. The skin, lips, hair, and face structure looked like hers... well maybe the nose was his too. Inuyasha told himself to wait until meeting the pup to decide if he had inherited something else from him.
The sound of Kagome walking down the stairs slowly took him out of his musings. Before he could see her he asked. "Where's my pup, wench?"
Kagome smiled to herself, feeling relieved, that sounded more like the Inuyasha she knew and loved. "You mean where is Asahi?"
She answered at the same time she placed the albums on the counter.
Inuyasha grunted something that resembled a "Yeah, that's what I meant" and Kagome smiled.
"He is at Kouga's..."
His eyes were traveling across the albums she had brought when the name registered on his head, and those honey eyes darted to her face. "Kouga... as in, your ex-husband?" he asked with a voice that sounded close to a growl.
Kagome deadpanned as she looked at him. He had been a father for less than half an hour and was already judging her decisions. "No, Kouga as one of my best friends".
Inuyasha huffed, "That's not normal, Kagome" he told her as he shook his head. "It's fucking weird".
Kagome ignored him as she searched for a special album. "Found it!" Kagome handed the album to him "And it has nothing weird about a boy spending the night with friends" she added, even as she knew her hanyou had no ears for her words. He was completely engrossed looking at the first page. the album was special for two reasons, it had been bought and filled by her mother, and it had the first pictures of Asahi and the only ones of her pregnancy.
The page he was studying had the first sonogram, taken during the thirteenth week. "We were just beginning the second trimester, meaning he was a little smaller than this" Until that moment he had been tracing his finger on the little white bean-looking thingy on the center of the image, but as she stopped talking he looked up. Her breath hitched as his golden eyes looked at her with an intensity that almost felt like he was seeing through her. His focus traveled from her face to her fingers, where she was signaling a space around four inches between her fingers.
"...So small." his words were breathed out in a reverent way.
He returned to the pages, the next one had a picture of her profile with her flat belly exposed, he caressed the place she was exposing to the camera. The corner of his lips pulled up slightly as he noticed the expression she wore "You looked embarrassed..."
She chuckled "I was incredibly embarrassed to do that." Inuyasha kept his eyes on the album but both of his ears were pointed at her, so Kagome continued. "I kept telling my mom how unnecessary that was, I didn't have a belly to show. But she said that I would regret it if I didn't take it then." She laughed humorlessly "And now I know she was right..."
Inuyasha stopped going through the pages and his ears when down to end up draped on his head again. "How did she take it?"
Kagome blinked confused at his question. In front of him were both the sonogram and the pictures of the seventh month, it wasn't a complicated picture. "My mom was on the couch and I was beside the television." she answered confused.
Inuyasha scoffed, but didn't raise his eyes "Stupid. I meant how did she react to the pregnancy news?"
"Oh"
His voice went lower, almost like a velvety whisper. "Was she mad?"
She shook her head "I think she was more surprised than anything else. I never had a boyfriend, so she never thought about that possibility." She bit back the sob and stop for a moment. "And after the initial shock she said we needed hope and good news, and a baby could mean both"
Inuyasha felt a few treacherous tears fall as he thanked that special woman for being as amazing as she always was.
"... everything went well until I didn't want to share who was the father." As soon as her words left her lips she knew how it could sound in his ears so she practically stumbled with her own words as she tried to explain. "Not because I was embarrassed of carrying your child, but because I knew my mom, and It didn't matter how weak she could be, if she knew what your brother had said she would have gone to give him a piece of her mind." She made a face "And it would only mean more problems for everyone."
Suddenly Kagome laughed with genuine emotion and he found himself watching her in awe. "It didn't matter how much I tried to keep it a secret, as soon as Asahi was born she knew. Never tried to convince me to say it out loud but she knew."
Kagome turned a few pages on the album, stopped where a picture of a very red and bloated baby looked at the camera, he had his golden eyes grumpily focused as if he was getting ready to cry, on the top of his head two still-folded puppy ears were resting between soft as cotton looking black hair. "This is his first photo"
His eyes traveled to the picture beside the one Kagome was signaling, it was a photo of his very tired and sweaty Kagome, looking at the baked-sweet-potato-looking baby on her arms with so much love and reverence that goosebumps erupted on his arms.
The album was opened on a page close to its last, Kagome reached for the album again and turned its pages until it was on the very last page, it had an envelope glued to it instead of a picture, she opened and gave him the pictures.
His breath was caught on his throat. The pictures were of him, during the years he had known Kagome, from middle school, through high school, to the year they had entered college. On those pictures he was smiling, sulking, arguing, but he realized how obvious was the adoration in his eyes in every picture where he looked at Kagome. There was one especially, taken during one of the stupid plays Kagome's friends used to write for school festivals. In this particular one, Kagome had been the princess and he was just a page-boy, but as he held her hand while she exited the carriage, his eyes were on her showing so much, it hurt to look at it, all these at the same time Kagome was looking down deciding how to step down.
"These were the evidence of how much she knew. But never pressured me to do anything about it".
Carefully he put the pictures back where they belonged.
Kagome's phone rang and she walk away to answer at the same time he took another album. A fang-showing smile formed on his face as he saw the first pictures, looked like this one had Asahi's kindergarten years.
"Yes, it's alright... I know. Yes!... Tell your husband to stop cursing so much... Yeah, I'll be waiting. Ok, bye" He could hear her answer with a bored voice before starting to walk back to him
When Kagome came back Inuyasha was holding an album and pointed repeatedly to a person on Asahi's last Kindergarten play. And the person he was signaling was Kouga. "He is in almost every picture of the pup at school!" He declared with a tone that sounded close to an accusation.
"I know... he was in almost every event of the Kindergarten"
His brows were low and THE vein was starting pulsate on the middle of his forehead. "That means around two years Kagome." He explained, trying to make her reveal what she had hidden, but she just nodded. He huffed and continued "And you said you were married for just a few months"
"Oh! This is why you're angry?" she laughed and his anger grew even more "We got divorced at least a year before Asahi started to go to school"
This time he gaped. She meant this man had been around them always. But not anymore, he promised to himself.
"And he wasn't there for Asahi, it was for his twins."
The only thing he could do was blink stupidly as he waited for her to decide to talk again.
"He remarried a few months after we got divorced and they adopted the twins, Ginta and Hakkaku, whose age is the same as Asahi, so he has been in almost every school event since always."
Kagome smiled with a hint of embarrassment "For a long time I've thinking he wanted to marry me and divorce me - I was the one to file for divorce after noticing how my husband and one of my best friends were in love - so I could say I was a divorced woman with a child and not a single mother. And I appreciate it."
He only nodded. "How old was the pup when you married him?"
"Um... he was two years old, I think. It was a few months after your wedding."
"How do you know when I got married?" he asked really confused.
Kagome shrugged "Your brother" On her lips was a sardonic smile. "He took the time to come and deliver an invitation to your wedding telling me he had finally found a real woman that accepted you, and as he left the invitation on my table he managed to make it clear she was worthy of becoming part of the family and that he was disappointed in my decision to keep the little beast, and made it clear the invitation was only informative and that I wasn't welcome".
The growl resonated across the room before he could stop it "I'll fucking kill him, Kagome." His words were solemn and was taken aback by Kagome's soft smile and the calm that she radiated.
"It's not important anymore, the debt is paid and you are here. And that is enough for me."
Inuyasha avoided her eyes and mumbled something that Kagome heard as "You are way too calm. It's weird..." She giggled lightheartedly. "Side effect of raising a child that is capable of doing weird and surprising things since he was in the cradle"
He wasn't ready to let the subject go and spoke as he centered his gaze on a picture of what looked like a year-old baby hanging from the closet door, with a big smile and holding an arm up calling his mom.
"I married her because the fucker needed to secure the cooperation of her father's company, he said I would be able to divorce in a year and we didn't have to live in the same house." A humorless laugh interrupted his words "And I was too stupid and believed him. The prenup said we had to live together for almost three years. It was hell, she didn't want to be married, at least not to me and I didn't even like the bitch. And as soon as we could we parted ways and we barely say hello to each other when we see each other somewhere."
"...That explains it, right?"
"What?"
"The reason why your brother was so proud and ready to let me know you were getting married, he was making us both play his game..." She stopped talking as her face changed into one of confusion "How did you find me?"
A part of the wall beside her head became really interesting as he was trying to put it into words without sounding like a creeper. It was a difficult task "Um, you remember Sango?" Kagome nodded thinking he had asked her email address to her. "Well, she married the stupid lecher that was always trying too hard."
"They belong together in a really strange way" She commented with a smile.
"Yeah" he gave her a goofy smile "I think he became addicted to her punches... Anyways, a few weeks ago they invited me over and she had her computer open and it had a mail from you...andIreaditandmemorizedtheaddressandsendyouamessagethenextday."
Kagome stared at him confused. "You did what?" she was fighting back a smirk. He looked so shy and embarrassed, with his face blushed, his eyes going back and forth, never stopping on her.
"I took your address from Sango's computer, OK?" He admitted with a defensive tone and this time Kagome laughed out loud. He was sulking by the time she had calmed down.
"Is it that funny for you, wench?"
Kagome patted his hand, "It's not THAT funny, it's just that I'm sure Sango would have given it to you if you'd asked. She asked for my permission in one of her messages."
Inuyasha was ready to retort when the doorbell rang. Kagome gave him a full smile before walking to the door. He wanted to follow her and be there the moment she opened the door, but his feet became too heavy and his legs felt too rubbery to stand. Cursing his own cowardice, he knew he had to wait for them to come to the kitchen again.
"Hi!" a high pitched voice greeted as soon as the door opened, it was the voice of a woman, not a child, Inuyasha deduced from the Kitchen
"Hi Ayame, how was the slumber party?"
The other woman laughed "Noisy as always, I can't wait to go home and sleep."
"Hello baby, did you have a good time?" He heard clothes moving, maybe they were hugging. The sound stopped being clear as his heartbeat returned to his ears. He would finally hear his pup's voice.
His ears lowered a bit when the answer was a muffled "mmhmm"
"Thank you for dropping him off, Ayame. Thank Kouga for me too"
"Yeah, no probs." The woman's voice became lower and secretive "Sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, and he can still hear you, you know?"
The woman laughed "Oops, forgot, Hanyou right? Good luck and I'll see you later, hun."
Kagome waved good bye to Kouga and the kids in the car before she closed the door, and finally realized Asahi was not with her anymore.
During the short conversation between his mom and his aunt, Asahi had started sniffing something on the house, or better said, someone. It was a man, he didn't like it when men stayed too long around his mom, they sometimes started to smell too weird and it made his mom uncomfortable.
He left his backpack on the couch and follow the scent to the kitchen. As soon as the man became visible he stopped walking.
He was big, bigger than mom, maybe as big as uncle Kouga, few people were bigger than uncle Kouga. Asahi could only see his profile and gasped when a pure-white ear pointed in his direction. He had seen this man before, in pictures and from mom's stories of when she was little, it was her hanyou friend. Asahi had always wanted to meet him.
He was still not looking at him when Asahi walked closer and sat on the chair beside him. The boy took a sniff of him and frowned, the big man smelled of fear. What could make him feel fear?
Trying to look at the man's eyes he leaned forward. "Why are you scared?" the boy asked trying to use the same voice his mom used when he was crying.
Inuyasha gave a small jump when the boy spoke. So this was how his son sounded. His son was sitting next to him, looking at him.
Inuyasha's nausea had come back as soon as the smell of his pup reached his nose. It was mixed with the smell of wolf youkai, but to his nose, it was perfect. By the time his stomach had stopped doing the merry-go-round act and he felt confident on not throwing up on his son during their first meeting, the boy was sitting beside him with his head really close to him and the silver haired man finally turned to see him, his breath halted on his throat for the umpteenth time that day.
The little boy was leaning so close him that the little black head was almost on top of the arm resting on the counter. Asahi moved back slowly and tilted his head to the side as he stared at his father's face.
Inuyasha did his best at trying to smile, even as he knew it would only reflect how nervous he felt. His son was even more perfect in real life than he was in the pictures, he was a small boy, smaller than what he expected according to his age. A soft and innocent-looking boy. A boy with no sadness or bitterness in his eyes, only curiosity. And He had been right, Asahi's eyes, nose and ears were pure him, a wave of pride swept through him... but the light he had and the gentleness he projected were Kagome's.
"Are you afraid of mom?" the boy asked in a hushed voice, taking Inuyasha out of his special place. "...She is very nice and I'm sure she won't yell at you..."
Inuyasha chuckled and cleared his throat again. "Does she yell at you?"
His head went up and down as he nodded, followed by a sudden stop and a hurried explanation "She yells when I do something wrong or something dangerous... When she yells it's because I deserve it... But I am not a bad boy!"
Inuyasha agreed with a solemn nod. A fight to utter an explanation of his presence or at least an introduction was happening inside him, he wanted to explain everything he could. He wanted his son to know who he was. But the fear of being rejected had him frozen in place. He closed his eyes for a moment to take a deep breath and finally start talking.
The air went in slowly, and came out in a rush when a pair of small hands touched his face. The little hands were barely touching his skin, grazing his way from his cheeks to the skin around his eyes.
"...I've never seen eyes like mine before" the boy whispered in awe, and Inuyasha's eyes shot open, shocking his boy with the sudden movement.
The young boy looked down in a shy way. His body was stretched, with his knees on his stool and the rest of his body hovering over Inuyasha's lap. "Sorry, my mom told me not to touch people without permission..." The small fingers started to retreat from his face at the same time his hanyou reflexes helped him to catch those soft hands in place.
"... you have my permission, pup" he purred as Asahi looked up with his eyes full of excitement and hope.
"Really?"
Inuyasha nodded, with his hands still on top of the little ones on his temples. Missing the softness and the warmth as soon as he left the boy's hands wander on his face.
Asahi look at the top of the silver haired head and giggled when Inuyasha flicked his ears in quick succession "I like your ears, they are so white, and pink!" the boy exclaimed as his hands followed his eyes.
Having the same kind of ears himself, he knew how to touch them without hurting those white fluffy ears.
"And I like yours, pup" said Inuyasha before blowing on one black ear that was just in front of his face, causing it to flick and another giggle came from the boy.
As the laugh died on his lips, Asahi frowned and look at his father with a serious face as he retreated to his stool. "My name is not pup... is Higurashi Asahi. A-sa-hi." he repeated.
Inuyasha couldn't stop the smile that invaded his face as the little boy looked just like his mom did the first time they met and he kept calling her 'wench'. Seeing the expression on his little son turn sour after he laughed and put his hands up in a surrender stance. "I wasn't laughing about your name, A-sa-hi"
Said boy half-closed his eyes while deciding if it was true or not. At the end nodded and gave him a small smile.
Inuyasha cleared his throat, a voice in his head screaming how this was one of the biggest trials of the relationship he wanted to build. Explaining who he was, and what was their relationship. The stakes were too big, he had no idea what he could do if Asahi rejected him after knowing who he was. After knowing he was the father that had not been with him during the first eight years of his life. What if he said he didn't want a father now? What if it was too late?
He shook his head before looking at his son tilt his head and sniffed, no doubt noticing his nervousness growing again. "I'm Inuyasha and-" His words interrupted with the sound of a soft voice.
"I know who you are..." Asahi declared with his head still tilted when he saw the white ears going flat.
"Y-you do?" his hesitant voice barely reached Kagome, who had been quietly listening behind the kitchen door, giving them space and the moment to meet each other on their own. But her son's answer surprised her, almost enough to come out and ask what he was referring to.
"Mm, hm." His short black bangs moved with the energetic nod he did. "You are my dad... right?" A hopeful smile with his innocent golden eyes were wide and fixated on his face.
The ground below Inuyasha's feet shook again, the air left his lungs as the pressure was lifted from his shoulders. His boy had asked him if he was his father, with the hope he'd say yes. Not trusting his throat to make the sound he wanted instead of a pathetic whine. Inuyasha nodded.
"I knew it!" Asahi's smile became a smirk. "I knew you would come someday..." he finished looking to the side.
Without being able to stop himself, being inside of the sea of emotions he was feeling at the moment. Inuyasha's clawed hand darted to the back of his son's head and pulled at the same he moved closer, burrowing his nose in the crook of his small neck and circling his back with his free hand.
Asahi remained immobile for a moment, not expecting the display of that kind of speed to pull him closer, but the moment the warmth of his father was registered on his head along with his scent, instinct kicked in and he nuzzled the neck that was in front of him.
Inuyasha took a long breath, rejoicing in the moment. Nuzzling Asahi's neck, enjoying the feeling so close to him. Being able to feel his warmth, the sensation of his soft hair on the side of his head. To have the opportunity to listen to the soft rumble coming from the little body he was holding. A voice kept repeating over and over on his head "my pup" he didn't know it was his own voice he was hearing. A pair of arms circled his shoulders and his voice disappeared and a soft rumble answered his son's.
They stayed like that, neither of them moving or knowing how much time had passed. The moment was broken when Asahi's stomach made a loud announcement of his hunger.
Inuyasha chuckled and loosened the hold on his son, but not before he caressed the pinkish and soft cheek with his son and gave him a short lick.
The boy giggled with the tickling sensation and pulled back with his cheeks blushed and a small smile on his lips "Mom doesn't like it when I lick her..."
Inuyasha let his hand slide from the black head to the back, happy because his son had not retreated completely but was still touching his thighs, holding part of his weight on him. "But, I ain't your mom, right?"
Asahi beamed and nodded, "You're my dad".
Inuyasha turned his head to the side and offered his cheek. Slowly Asahi approached, supporting more of his weight on the hanyou. First a somewhat cold nose touched his cheek, closely followed by a small, warm and wet tongue tracing part of his jaw line. Too soon for his liking, Asahi was back on his stool, still with his bright smile on place "You taste different than mom..." The boy said more to himself that to him.
"You hungry?" Asked the older man and Asahi nodded and turned to the kitchen door.
"Moooom! I think the food is ready!" he yelled to the entrance.
A few sniffs sounded and a very red-eyed Kagome entered the kitchen, with a trembling but enormous smile.
"Are you two hungry?" she asked with a voice that broke after the first word.
Inuyasha saw her struggling to keep it together, a wave of immense gratitude flowed through him. Gratitude for loving and nurturing this child on her own during all these years, for loving him since she knew of his existence. Gratitude for giving him the opportunity of meeting Asahi, and giving them both the time to bond as youkai do.
"...I think we are, right pup?"
"Yes! Very hungry!"
Kagome checked the pot and gave them green light. Asahi knew it was his responsibility to set the table and as fast as he could. He took his father's hand and guided him to the table, indicated which chair would be his and came back to the kitchen to get everything for the table.
The meal happened with an air of surrealism for the three of them. Asahi spend most of the time talking about his friends and what he liked, while Inuyasha listened avidly and commented on the stories from time to time. The boy had also make sure to tell him how amazing his mother was every time he could, to which Inuyasha always agreed and Kagome blushed. The boy had made sure that now Inuyasha knew she worked in a day care since he was little and that she was really good with kids, that it didn't matter if they were humans, or youkai, she was amazing with everyone. To which Inuyasha only nodded and said he already knew.
Kagome only looked back and forth between the two men that she loved the most. Biting back the giggles when they reacted in a mirrored way or gave the same answer at the same time.
Before it was over their son asked to watch a movie "You said we would watch it today! And Dad also wanted to watch it, right dad?" was Asahi's answer when Kagome refused because it was not a good time.
His son was staring at him with his ears lowered, a pouty mouth and a pair of puppy eyes that had not inherited from him. "I have no problem watching..." he searched for the name of the movie on the box "...shrek?"
Kagome chuckled at her half demon's expression at the moment he realized what movie their son wanted to watch. Asahi had taken special liking to that movie after she said his father really liked that movie when they were young.
After a few more minutes of begging, this time from both men Kagome finally agreed and her boy ran to the living room after putting his dishes on the sink. Inuyasha stayed behind to help her in the kitchen.
"It's going better than expected" he whispered behind her.
Kagome turned her head and beamed with a smile "I'm really happy for that", he smiled back and she returned to wash the dishes. Kagome jumped when she felt his head rest on her shoulder, he moved really slow towards the crook of her neck, giving her every chance to tell him to go away, but she didn't, and he was thankful for that.
His nose found the place he wanted and nuzzled. Kagome's skin erupted with goosebumps and her head fell back, to rest on his chest, on its own accord, giving him better access on her skin. She felt his arms snaking around her torso and pulling her to his body slightly.
Kagome let out a sigh that bordered on a moan when he started to kiss a trail from her neck to her jaw, each kiss closer to her lips, but not quite there. She couldn't help the whine that sounded when he returned to her jaw for the third time. "My Kagome..." reached her ears, his husky voice also resonated on his chest. And with a courage she didn't know she possessed, her hand found the back of his neck and pulled him to her lips, and with a smile on his lips he complied.
It was a slow and intense kiss. Filled with everything that they weren't able to say aloud. The recognition they wanted the other to be able to feel, the apologies they wanted to say, and the promises they wanted to make. Inuyasha was making that soft rumble on his chest that had always make her feel safe and her reaction was to melt deeper into his body with another moan of appreciation.
"I want to hug mom too!" came the yelp from the kitchen door as an indignated Asahi made his way towards them.
Inuyasha chuckled and started retreating from her body, not without licking the place he had nuzzled first, feeling her reaction, he smile and turned to see his son standing beside him with an annoyed expression.
"The movie is ready, come!" The boy took his hand and pulled him to the living room, where he also instructed which one was his seat. Asahi returned to the kitchen and brought her mother to the same couch and told her to sit beside Inuyasha.
His brow was still furrowed when he started the movie and walked back to the couch and instead of sitting on the vacant seat he stood in front of his parents. Kagome raised her hands in invitation, to let him sit on her lap, he shook his head and declared "I wanna sit with dad"
Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a surprised look and also raised his hands, the boy shook his head and showed him the way her mom did it when they watched a movie. The legs crossed at the ankles leaving a space for him to fit and resting his back on Inuyasha's chest.
Asahi's head reached just below his chin, he had also taken one of his father's clawed hands and had put it on his lap, distractingly playing with it. With his free hand he searched for Kagome's and held it.
Kagome started to fall asleep before the ogre and his friend reached the princess' castle, with the head resting on his shoulder and her hand still loosely intertwined with his.
"She always falls asleep during movies..." Asahi whispered without moving his eyes from the screen.
"Really?" he whispered back.
"Yep, and then she asks me about how the movie ended" his voice sounded amused.
They remained quiet for a while, and after an especially funny dialogue, Asahi laughed and ended up with an arm curled on his free shoulder, the hand slowly traveled to his hair, which the boy used to play with it distractedly.
It was the scene where; Fiona was ready to say her secret but Shrek doesn't let her say anything.
"Dad..." Inuyasha answered with a sound from his throat and nudging his black head softly.
"Do you also transform during the new moon?"
"Yes..."
"And the full moon too?"
"I don't pup..."
"Good!"
"Why is it good?" he asked confused by the whole conversation.
"Because that way you can protect mom on the full moon nights"
Inuyasha didn't know what to answer, with his throat completely blocked by the sob he was not going to let out.
Asahi had no idea how much it meant that to him, everything that the child was telling him with those simple words. He only kissed the top of his head and let his head fall back on the couch as the tears he had been holding all day started to travel down his cheeks.
And during the last scenes of the movie, where the princess accepts the kiss of true love. Inuyasha swore on his life to do whatever it would take to make this moment an everyday occurrence. Spend his time watching Asahi grow up, and loving Kagome...
It didn't matter what was necessary, he would be part of this family, his family.
The end.
A/N:
I hope you like the story, I'm really thankful for everyone who likes to read my stories, thank you.
This is the answer my brain gave me when I wanted to write for the feudal-prompts event. It had nothing to do with the prompt I wanted to work with, but I'm happy with the results though.
I've always love the idea of Inuyasha as a parent and having him react to the news was an idea that has been on my mind for a while.
Also, I'd love to know your thoughts on the story. And again, thank you for reading, liking and leaving a review, thank you for taking the time.
Love,
Nanna.