BlueMoon Goddess: I know it's been like what seems like forever on this chapter, but I'm still writing other fics and starting on new ones, which I know I shouldn't be doing but I can't help it. Also please forgive if there are some mistakes, I really wanted this story uploaded so I might have rushed a bit and missed some minor errors. Anyway let's get this story on now shall we.
Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, its characters, or A.C. Arthur's book 'Second Chance, Baby' which this fic is based on
Summary: Except for one passion filled night after his father's funeral, Inuyasha and Kagome's marriage had been on the rocks for years. Now Kagome's pregnant and unwilling to bring a child into a home with a workaholic, absentee father. She wanted a divorce, but for the sake of their child, Inuyasha demanded she give their marriage a second chance...and he was not a man to be denied.
Kagome stood at the door to the home she and Inuyasha had shared, debating whether or not she should use her key. Still, she needed to retain some sort of distance between them. As she'd told him earlier that afternoon, she wasn't about to run back to him and things the way they were, baby or not. She wasn't about to act like things were even remotely back to normal.
After a few more awkward moments, she realized how foolish she was being and lifted her hand to ring the doorbell. Inuyasha was at the door in no time, as if he'd been standing directly on the other side waiting for her.
"Hey, you're right on time, as always." He smiled and Kagome almost bolted.
How was she going to survive having dinner with him, here of all places? It was bad enough she'd been thinking of him and that crazy toned body for the duration of the afternoon. "I was hungry." She shrugged and walked inside.
"I'll bet, considering your present condition. Let me get that for you." He took her purse and the sweater she'd draped over her arm as a weather precaution.
Kagome continued into the living area. She loved their loft-style penthouse and remembered each piece of furniture they'd chosen together. Clean linens and a contemporary décor was their goal. As she stood in front of the wall-length windows, she would say they'd hit their mark.
Inuyasha wanted to be close to the pulse of the business industry and so they'd found this great place in the center of downtown. The windows that made up one wall overlooked downtown Seattle. As dusk had just settled over the city, Kagome was treated to the sultry golden hue of the sun as it settled for the night. Buildings glowed majestically, and below she could see people hurrying to start their night out on the town or some hurrying to get home, especially if they lived an hour away. Folding her arms, she took a moment to simply enjoy.
"You look good standing there." Inuyasha said from behind.
She turned slowly. "It's the view."
He shook his head. "No. It's you. I always liked to see you standing there looking so content."
Quickly unfolding her arms, she moved away from the window to take a seat on the beige leather couch. "Looks can be deceiving."
Inuyasha didn't respond, but came to sit beside her. "Dinner's just about done. Do you want to listen to some music?"
Kagome blinked in surprise as he leaned forward and picked up the remote to the entertainment center from the cherry-wood block coffee table. When was the last time she and Inuyasha had simply sat in the living room listening to music? When was the last time they had sat and did anything together?
She watched in a trance as he pushed buttons, having never mastered that monstrosity he called a remote. It operated everything electronic in the room, the DVD, the CD player, the television, etc. It had been her practice to just push the power button on the machine she wanted to turn on. The remote was intimidating and entirely Inuyasha's domain.
Her heart stumbled when the first chords of a song she hadn't heard for years began to play. It was an old jazz song she and Inuyasha had listened to as they'd studied back in college. She couldn't help but smile. "Where did you find that?"
It was Inuyasha's turn to shrug. "It wasn't lost, just forgotten for a while."
She sat back in the chair, loving the caramel and ivory pillows she'd insisted on. The relaxing was good for her. Dr. Hiroki, her ob-gyn, had informed her that during her first trimester she should try and get as much rest as possible. Especially in light of the mild cramping she experienced erratically. Dr. Hiroki said it wasn't a big deal as long as she wasn't bleeding or the pain didn't become unbearable. But she certainly wanted to be as careful as she could.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Please, no." She chuckled, shaking her head. "I go to the bathroom enough without any added help."
"Really? I always thought that was later in the pregnancy."
"Nope. That was one of those symptoms that started right away. I hear it gets worse as the baby grows. I'm definitely not looking forward to more trips to the bathroom."
"So you've been to the doctor and everything is going okay? You and the baby are healthy?"
She couldn't help but touch her stomach at his words. In the beginning of their marriage, Inuyasha had always been very attentive, providing any, and everything she needed, from a glass of wine when they came home from work to a massage on those particularly rough days she'd had at school.
"Dr. Hiroki said that everything looks fine. He anticipates a noneventful pregnancy and a healthy baby in late April."
To her surprise Inuyasha smiled. "May I?" He asked, nodding at the spot on her stomach where her hand rested.
After a second of stunned silence, she smiled. "Sure. There's not much to feel yet."
When his hand replaced hers, Kagome's pulse quickened. It wasn't just with the awareness that it had been almost three months since she'd felt Inuyasha's hands on her. It was also the realization that what he was feeling was something they'd both created. The baby that would forever symbolize their love and commitment. Family.
"This still seems a little unreal." He said, his eyes glued to her stomach.
"Is that good or bad?" She inquired tentatively.
He lifted his gaze to hers and smiled with complete sincerity. "It's perfect."
Keeping his palm on her stomach, Inuyasha continued to stare at her. He used to do that when they were in college. She'd be reading some textbook and assuming he was doing the same. But when she'd look up, those intense, golden eyes would be focused solely on her. What was it he used to say he was doing?
"I'm still memorizing you." He said as if he'd read her mind. "After all these years, I look at you and want the picture of your face to stay permanently etched in my mind."
Dammit. She wasn't going to make it. He was pushing all the right buttons, saying all the right things. How could she resist coming back to him?
"I wonder why that is Inuyasha. I mean, I've always wondered why you'd want to memorize me. Is it that you knew one day we would part?" Clearly he hadn't expected that, as his once-soft gaze shifted to mildly irritated.
"I don't want tonight to go this way, Kagome. I want us to spend the evening together, with nothing on our minds but you and me. Like we used to do."
She nodded, chastising herself for being a little insensitive. It was a protective instinct, she knew, but was it necessary?
"I hear you."
"Let's just relax and not think about our issues for this one night."
He moved closer as he spoke, his voice lowering to that seductive tone she knew all too well. Still, she heard what he was saying and decided it wasn't such a bad idea.
"That sounds perfect." She whispered, just before his lips brushed hers.
'Tonight is going to go well.' Inuyasha thought with certainty. He had the music and her favorite meal, Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. Inuyasha was used to getting his way and in this arena there would be no changing that. He would win his wife back and then he'd make sure she never felt she had to leave him again.
After dropping Kagome off at the school this afternoon, he'd thought of her constantly. However, when he'd arrived back at his office, his mother had called to see if he was available for lunch with her Sesshomaru and his wife Rin tomorrow and he'd been forced to think of his father's death again.
He knew the story of how long his parents had tried for children, Sesshomaru was already nine at the time and it was hard for Izayoi to conceive, resulting in two miscarries already. They had just been about to give up but with the appearance of Inuyasha brought his parents a sense of completion to their lives. Inuyasha realized with Kagome now carrying his child, he wanted that same thing. His father was gone and now he wanted to leave his own legacy. He wanted his career, his wife, his child, his family and nothing was going to stop him from having them. He hadn't been so sure of anything in a long, long while.
"Dinner was fantastic." Kagome said when they stood out on the balcony. "How much did you pay Betty to cook it for you?" Because Kagome knew nothing if she didn't know her man, Betty, the Takahashi's longtime housekeeper, cooked like an angel. Kagome would know her signature mashed potatoes anywhere.
"I'm offended." He smiled and leaned against the railing. "You know I can cook."
"Ramen noodles are the extent of your culinary expertise. This was a good home cooked meal that you definitely didn't prepare yourself."
"All right, all right, you caught me. But I had the best intentions."
"You did, so you earn points for effort." She said, watching as the crisp, white dress shirt, left unbuttoned at the neck, molded his upper body.
Inuyasha had always been sexy. There was no doubt about that. Even in the designer suits he seemed to wear more than anything else, he exuded pure, unadulterated sex appeal. She'd been thinking of nothing else but heading to the bedroom with her gorgeous husband for the duration of the night. Her hormones were going crazy. Luckily her brain still had some power over her libido.
While she'd been lusting after his body, Inuyasha had moved closer so that his hand was now caressing her cheek. His natural scent permeated her senses. She looked away, pretending that the view from the balcony was affecting her more than the man standing too damn close to her.
Putting a fingertip to her chin, he directed her gaze back to him. "You can't walk away from me, from us." He whispered, his face looming dangerously close to hers.
"Inuyasha." She whispered, trying to turn away from him. She knew what was coming and no matter how much she wanted it, she knew that it would be a mistake. That kiss they'd shared before dinner had been brief but still potent enough to leave her off-kilter.
"I love you so much Kagome."
At his words, she could do nothing more than sigh. "You said we would take this slow. We're not supposed to do this tonight. Just dinner, remember?"
He feigned innocence, which was a blatant lie considering that devilish look in his eyes. "We're not doing anything." His lips touched hers in a sweeping fashion that sent tingles all the way to her toes.
Her body was instantly on fire, her tongue anticipating the silky feel of his. "This doesn't solve our problems."
"No." He answered, then used his tongue to stroke fire into her mouth, pulling out the moment she was about to give in. "But it's a damn good start to our reconciliation."
'He wasn't lying about that.' Kagome thought with a groan. Then she felt her body leaning into his. His arms wrapped quickly around her, locking her in place. "You're not playing fair." She gasped, then nipped his bottom lip.
"All's fair in love and war." He sighed a second before taking her mouth in a scorching kiss that made her remember just why she'd spent the last nine years loving this man.
BlueMoon Goddess: And let the reconciliation begin! Maybe in the next chapter you'll get a little limey surprise we'll see. So until next time! ^_^