well.. I read the lyrics to Bon Jovi's Thank You For Loving Me and it just begged me to write a futuristic Inu fic! I'm serious! it begged me!!!! ::people in white coats come to take her away:: NO! I'm not crazy!! ::one of them raises an eyebrow in disbelief:: okay, so I am, but you can't take me away! I have stories to write!! ::they back off:: one of the people in a white coat: we're watching you!
eheh. well.. uhm.. Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or Thank You For Loving Me; the first is (C) to Takahashi Rumiko, and the second to Bon Jovi.
Thank You For Loving Me
InuYasha glanced up from his idle whittling, a habit he'd picked up from a vacation to the US years ago, and smiled as he saw Kagome and their eldest, Hiroshi, walking in. With them was Hiroshi's wife, Kara, and their two children, the elder of whom made a beeline for InuYasha. InuYasha grinned, and put down his carving equipment just in time to catch his flying two year old grand-daughter. She squealed happily, and, as soon as InuYasha had picked her up, started playing with his ears. He growled at her, and she just giggled. InuYasha sighed. "Why do they all think my ears are cute?" he asked, settling the girl on his shoulders as he stood up. Kagome giggled.
"'Cause, Inu-chan," she answered, "you -are- cute." InuYasha blushed, and resorted to his favorite word. "Keh."
Kagome laughed, and smiled at him. "I can't believe that that still makes you blush, koinu-chan."
"Keh. You always could make me blush," he answered.
"Mom, you're home!" A teenage girl squealed, and rushed over, nearly tripping over some toys left scattered on the floor. She hugged Kagome, then practically glomped Hiroshi. "Hiro-niichan!"
"Ack," Hiroshi replied, stumbling backwards. "Nikki-chan, I love you too, but could you let me breath?!" "Ah, gomen, Hiro-niichan!" She let go of him, looking contrite. "Gomen, gomen, gomen!"
"It's alright, Nikki-chan," Hiroshi answered, "so don't you start crying on me."
"I wasn't going to," she shot back, but a sniffle belied her words.
"Nikki-chan," Hiroshi chastised, and she shrugged.
"Okay, so I was!" Nikki said, sniffling again. "But-"
"No buts. sis. I'm fine, you're fine, and you're an aunt again." Hiroshi jerked his thumb at Kara, and Nikki forgot about him and went to meet her new nephew. Hiroshi sighed, then walked over to InuYasha and took his daughter off of his father's shoulders. InuYasha mouthed his thanks, and Hiroshi snickered. "Getting weak in your old age, Dad?"
"Nah." InuYasha grinned, showing his pointed canines. "Just have enough of shoulder rides these days, what with the twins begging me for them all the time."
"Haha, serves you right."
"Hiroshi."
"Sorry, Mom, but it's true." Hiroshi shrugged as best as he could with a climbing toddler clinging to him. Kagome laughed, and slipped her arms around InuYasha.
"I know, Hiro-chan, but I'm supposed to keep your manners in line."
"You didn't do too good a job with Dad," Hiroshi said. snickering.
"Hey, that one wasn't my fault," Kagome answered, grinning. "He was too far gone by the time we met. I'm just lucky I've managed to make him tone down the swearing!"
"Yeah, true," Hiroshi grinned.
"Hey, what's this, a pick on Dad session?"
"Yup," Hiroshi answered, grinning. "Come and join the party, runt."
"Hey, I'm not a runt!" But the boy walked over anyways, deliberately kicking Hiroshi in the shin when he got there. "Don't call me a runt, Hiro- niichan."
"Aw, but you're so much shorter than me, 'Kiro-chan," Hiroshi said, ruffling Akiro's hair.
"That doesn't make me a runt!" Akiro protested. As Hiroshi and Akiro bickered, Kagome and InuYasha slipped away. They went outside, and looked at the early evening sky from under the boughs of the Goshinboku, and Kagome smiled. A while later, by ones and twos, the rest of the family wandered outside as well. Kagome looked over their family, and leaned her head against InuYasha's chest.
Ten kids, two grandkids so far, and I just turned forty, she thought happily. It's a good life. And thanks to Inu-chan, I'll live a lot longer than Mama did. Her smile faded for a moment. Mrs. Higurashi had died two years before. "Old age," the doctors said. But she'd barely been sixty. At least we know that Mama's happy where ever she is. She always said that she missed Daddy a lot, especially after InuYasha and I started having kids.
"Hey, beautiful," InuYasha whispered in her ear, making her jump a little. "Whatcha thinking about?"
"About the kids. And Mama," she added.
"We do good work, ne?" InuYasha asked, looking out at their family. "Hiroshi, Shinji, Nikki, Keiko, Akiro, Kenji, Mika, Mitsu, Rei, Kirara. And there's Hiroshi's kids, Sakura and Heero."
"You left out Terra," Kagome whispered, pain evident in her voice.
"Only because I know you still blame yourself for her, koiishi," InuYasha whispered back. Terra had been their first daughter. She'd barely lived for a few hours before she'd died. Kagome had cried over her for a long time, and still wondered what she'd done wrong for Terra to die so soon after tasting life.
"But, Inu-chan.."
"I know, Kagome, I know. I sometimes wonder what she'd have been like if she'd lived, too, but.. She's keeping you mother and father company while they wait patiently for the rest of us."
"InuYasha, that's a sweet thing to say," Kagome whispered, her azure eyes glistening.
"I can be sweet, every now and then, you know."
"I know. That's why I love you."
"Hey, Daddy?"
"What, Rei-chan?" InuYasha asked as the four year old girl leaned against his leg.
"Can we listen to music?" Rei asked, her chocolate brown eyes looking up at him pleadingly.
"Sure," he answered.
"Yay! Nikki-neechan, Daddy said we could!" Rei bounced around, then over to Nikki, who was nearly as excited. Kagome bit her lip, trying not to laugh. Nikki brought out her stereo, then put a CD in. Then she looked around at her siblings, and then at Sota and his wife, who'd just arrived with their four, and smiled.
"I made this CD out of songs I thought were romantic," Nikki started, her sweet voice filling the courtyard. "And I realized as I was putting it together, that they all made me think of my parents. Especially the last song. So, Mom, Dad, this ones for you."
The small audience applauded as Kagome mouthed "Aww" at InuYasha. Nikki pushed the play button. The music started playing, and soon the mood of the music had lent a peaceful air to the shrine's grounds. Kagome recognized so many of the songs, and sang along, quietly, to some of them, directing them at InuYasha. After about an hour, the younger children were asleep, and Nikki was laying on her back, staring at the stars and dreaming of finding a love that she could share these songs with someday. As the strains of the last song filled the air, Kagome recognized it. InuYasha had sung it to her a couple times in the last year, claiming that it described the way he felt perfectly.
--It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken old streetlight
Lock the doors
Leave the world outside
All I've got to give you
Are these five words when I--
InuYasha sang along, all of their kids able to hear as he did. Kagome's eyes filled with tears, and Hiroshi put his arm around Kara. InuYasha smiled, and sang along with the chorus a little louder.
--Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me--
Kagome smiled through her tears, and remembered the next line. As the song went on, she began to sing as well.
--I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies--
Nikki watched her parents, smiling happily as she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She didn't bother to brush it away as she watched Kagome and InuYasha sway slightly to the music while singing.
--Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me--
Sota grinned, feeling his eyes begin to mist over. InuYasha-niichan, I always knew you loved Kagome. But you didn't know until it was almost too late. This song fits so well. Nikki has good taste.
--You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning, you'd part the sea
And risk your life to rescue me--
Kagome smiled, so many memories of times when her life had been in danger, and InuYasha had saved her at the risk of his own, flashed past her eyes. She felt a tear slide down her face as a series of "Yeah"s floated from the stereo. She closed her eyes, waiting for the next verse to start.
--Lock the doors
Leave the world outside
All I've got to give you
Are these five words when I--
InuYasha held Kagome closer, so much of his life flashing in front of his eyes. So much of it spent protecting her, cheering her on, drying her tears. I don't know what I ever did to deserve her,' he thought, glancing upwards, 'but thank you, for giving me my Kagome.
--Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
Oh, when I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me--
By now, there wasn't a single dry eye in the courtyard, except the sleeping kids. It was so rare to see something like this, even Kara knew that. I just know, Kara thought, cradling Heero closer to her as she felt tears run down her face, a complete opposite of her smile, that every time I hear this song, after tonight, I'm going to start crying. This, it's the epitome of true love. I'm blessed to be a witness of it.
--When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Oh, for loving me--
The music faded, but the mood hung in the air. Kagome looked up at InuYasha, tears glistening on her face, although she was smiling and there was a happy glint in her eyes. InuYasha looked down at her, golden eyes meeting blue, and Kagome realized that the song had gotten to him, too, because there were tears in his eyes, too. He bent down slightly, and hugged her tight.
"Kagome, thank you for loving me."
"Thank you for loving me, InuYasha," she whispered back, just before his lips met hers. Nikki - and everyone else - "awww"ed, but the two ignored them, lost in their own world of emotions, memories, and hopes for the future. When they parted, they both looked up at the sky, just in time to see a large star streak across the sky.
Kagome looked at InuYasha, and whispered, "I love you, Inu-chan."
"I love you too, Kagome-chan," he answered. "I always will."
"Same here," Kagome whispered, twining her fingers with his. "Same here."
A meteor shower fell across the sky that night, and if one looked closely into the branches of the Goshinboku, one would see two figures, one with black hair, one with silver, sitting there, holding each other like the rest of the world had disappeared, while they watched the stars fall. On the breeze, the repeated phrase of "I love you" floated, bringing smiles to the faces of everyone that had the ears to hear it.
--Thank you...for loving me--
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d'awww! pure fluff!! don't you think? ::bounces around squealing at the kawaii-ness of it:: no getting cavities! please review! please!!!
--Myuu