Warning: Yaoi. Mpreg.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha.

Kagome climbed out the well, shielding her eyes from the bright rays of sunlight. It was late summer, nearly fall by this point. Bugs were humming noisily, the trees rustling gently as wind passed through the clearing. She sighed heavily, leaning back against the well as she debated actually going to the village. It had been a pretty long time since she had seen Inuyasha. Nearly two years now, if she recalled correctly.

It would be awkward undoubtedly, but she needed to see him. Something was telling her to see him one last time. Maybe they could reconcile their relationship this time and things could go back to how they used to be. After all, she doubted he was with someone else. Not so much because he was undesirable, but he was a hanyou and she knew he was discriminated against.

As she approached the village, a smile brightened her face. "Some things never change..." She murmured, gazing at the villagers working in the rice fields down below. Of course, in a few centuries, it would look nothing like it did to her then.

It was easy enough to find Miroku and Sango's hut, with the help of friendly villagers who were elated at her return. Pulling back the flap nervously, she stepped inside and looked around with curious eyes.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" She asked.

Sango stepped out of the back room, a toddler in her arms. The priestess smiled warmly as the demon slayer gasped excitedly, running forward to pull her into a one-armed hug. She set her child down, taking both her hands.

"Kagome! I'm...this is...I didn't think you were coming back." Her smile was wide, inviting, yet the young woman could see a look of anxiety in her brown eyes. What did she have to be nervous about?

"I'm glad to see you. It's been too long." Kagome enthused, dropping her hands as she looked about. "So, where's Miroku?"

Sango was relieved, her shoulder sagging a little. Still, she knew that the inevitable question would come about their silver-haired comrade.

"He's out performing exorcisms."

"Oh, and the girls?"

Sango's smile wavered. "Out in the fields."

"What about Inuyasha? Where is he anyway?"

Now her smile had totally disappeared. Kagome seemed to understand the subtle hint, that whatever the answer was it wouldn't be pleasing. She almost didn't want to hear and was about to interrupt Sango to tell her it was fine, but the slayer beat her to it.

"He's in the Western lands..." Sango looked towards the wall instead, biting her lip. "With Sesshomaru. He lives there now."

Kagome gaped at her. And continued to gape for several seconds. "Excuse me? Last time I checked, those two couldn't get along."

"Well, things have changed. People change...sometimes." Sango explained vaguely, shrugging. "He seems happy."

"Happy, huh? That's good..." Kagome murmured, feeling confused still. The two brothers had never seen eye to eye. Something must have changed. "I should go visit him and bring Shippo with me."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Kagome." Sango told her.

"Why not? I'll only visit a few days and then return to my era. I just want to see how he's doing." She explained.

"Still, it's probably best if you didn't go."

"I can handle myself fine without protection now. My powers have gotten better, remember?" 'Although I haven't practiced in years...I'm sure I'll be fine though.'

Sango nodded. "I know, but that's not the reason."

"Then what's the problem?" Kagome asked innocently.

"Never mind. You should go to him. It'll clear things up and then maybe you two can finally part on good terms this time. I don't wanna tell you first before he does." Sango told her.

"Tell me what?"

"It's fine, just go to him. You'll find out soon, don't worry. Please take Kirara though, she's back from a trip with Kohaku but I'm sure she won't mind. It'll be safer and a lot faster that way."

"Thanks, Sango. I'll see you soon!"

The demon slayer watched her go, a conflicted look in her eyes. Inuyasha had already told them about the pregnancy, but she had no idea how the other woman would take it.

Blowing out a breath, she turned to her son. "Let's go find your sisters, hm?"

o

Sesshomaru woke up quite uncomfortable as he usually did these days. It had become increasingly harder to sleep. His back was sore, his neck stiff from the awkward way he slept now. He gave his brother credit though - Inuyasha had attempted to make him more comfortable by slipping pillows under his legs and belly to help out, but it only helped so much. His belly was tight and heavy, the child within moving about mainly at night much to his annoyance.

The demon lord hadn't expected pregnancy to be like this. In fact, he knew little about it other than stories he had heard.

His own mother hadn't really divulged anything to him about her experience, despite his questions. The healer wasn't much help either as she only gave him reassuring, sugarcoated answers. Inuyasha, as helpful as he was, only served to annoy him with his worrying. He hadn't realized the hanyou was so overprotective until only recently.

His hand rested lightly on his belly as he looked around at the empty room. It was much later than he realized, nearly noon. Scowling slightly, he shook his head. This pup was making him far too weak. The last time he had slept this much and this late, had been while he was an adolescent.

"Hey, you're up." The half demon smirked, coming over to the bed and setting a glass near him. "The healer says you gotta drink more water. You're not getting enough."

"No." He decided coldly. This child had him relieving himself far too often as it were, so there was no way he would heed such a ridiculous command.

"Fine, be like that. Anyway, are you hungry?" Inuyasha asked, far too chipper in the demon lord's mind.

A sharp glare was sent his way, causing the other to frown worriedly. 'What the hell is his problem? It's those hormones I guess...'

"Leave me." Sesshomaru ordered, not bothering to glance his way any longer.

"...okay. Sorry?" He frowned slightly, his ears lowering. "What's your deal anyway?"

Another disintegrating gaze was sent his way, although the demon lord remained characteristically silent, making him shrug and turn to leave. He stopped by the door, glancing over his shoulder. Walking back over to him, he sighed.

"Look, I know you're uncomfortable being eight months along and all. Why don't you just soak in the hot springs? It'll make you feel a hell of a lot better." He suggested.

A tilt of his head was the only sign that he'd heard him. Finally, he answered moments later. "Perhaps."

o

Getting out of the palace felt good and he figured he should do so more often. Sesshomaru was glad to be in the steaming water. It took pressure off his spine and relaxed his muscles. However, he was finding himself growing bored. There wasn't much that he couldn't really do anymore in this condition. A hand came to rest on his stomach subconsciously as he gazed distantly ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

The demon lord himself never actually thought he would bear a child. He had assumed not so long ago that he would never take on a mate, male or female. He was quite picky and enjoyed his solitude after all. More to the point, he had never thought Inuyasha would ever truly be comfortable enough with the idea to accept his proposition. Yet, here they were together. As he looked down at his stomach, he was momentarily fascinated when there was movement, wincing when he felt a pronounced kick.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt another hand on his large belly. The hanyou seemed fascinated, pressing his hand against it and gasped when he felt movement. Pulling his hand away, he smirked.

"She's strong." He noted. Inuyasha also noticed that while really observing his brother, he realized how big he'd gotten in a relatively short span of time. By no means did he think of him as overweight or anything, but it was still odd to see the large bump on his otherwise slender frame. Even though he'd been through the same thing with Kagome, it still seemed new to him.

"Why do you stare?" His voice was dangerously low.

Inuyasha's head snapped up, tearing his gaze away from where their pup grew. "Huh? I wasn't looking...I mean, I was..." He paused, scoffing, "You look fine anyway, so relax."

Sesshomaru eyed him strangely, before he smirked a little. He wanted to hold the half demon closer, but the pup made that an impossibility for now. The hanyou smirked too, brushing some wet hair out of the demon lord's face.

He suddenly frowned, sniffing the air. "That's-!" Inuyasha's eyes widened and he scrambled out of the hot springs, yanking on his clothes.

The demon lord blinked curiously. "What is the matter?"

"That scent-! I know it anywhere, that's Kagome!" The hanyou looked nervous. It had been a long time since he'd seen her. His heart pumped more frantically, his throat becoming dry all of a sudden. "I gotta go see if it's really her."

He didn't like the thought of leaving his heavily pregnant mate alone, but he knew that Sesshomaru could take care of himself.

o

Following the scent, he slowed to a stop as he saw her from a distance. She seemed a bit lost, probably wondering where the palace was. Unbeknownst to her, it was up in the skies.

The fox kit sniffed the air, tugging on her modern-era sweater. Now that she was an adult, she'd ditched the school uniform long ago. "Kagome, I can smell Inuyasha. He's nearby."

She nodded. "I can feel his demonic aura. "

Her eyes suddenly focused, her head whipping around as she finally caught sight of him too. They were still several feet from each other. He approached her first after a few tense seconds, leaping over towards her swiftly.

"Kagome..." His nervous smile made her edgy. Normally, he would be happy to see her, but considering their difficult break-up she could understand why he wasn't warm to her anymore. The guy had trust issues with people as it were. Still, he was her friend if nothing else, and she was determined to salvage this relationship or at least end it on nice terms.

"It's...this is...more awkward than I thought." She said, laughing a little. Shippo waved a little with a tentative smile, but otherwise stayed perched on her shoulder.

"Kagome wanted to know how you were doing." Shippo piped up when the other two didn't speak and the silence became too weird. The fox demon knew all about him and his brother. His turquoise eyes seemed to silently tell him to just get the news over with.

"I'm living with Sesshomaru now." He said gruffly.

"I've heard." She smiled. "I'm so glad you two finally put aside your differences."

Inuyasha smirked, nodding. "Yeah, it's cool. Whatever. So how are you doing?" He wanted to steer the conversation away from him, for her sake. If she ever found out, he didn't know how she would react.

She smiled, shrugging a bit. "Fine. I'm going to nursing school. Then I might take over the family shrine like my grandpa."

He didn't know what a nurse was at all. One thing he didn't miss was all her confusing modern-day terms. It expanded his knowledge, but was confusing as hell. "Is a nurse a...healer?"

"A healer? Yeah, something along those lines. Although the doctor is in charge really."

He dared to pull her forward then, eyeing Shippo sharply. He took the hint, hopping off her shoulder as he hugged her finally. Running a hand through her dark hair, he noticed it smelled like strawberries. She still used his favorite scent.

"That sounds like something you'd do. You always did like to help people. Hell, it really has been a long time hasn't it?" He muttered. "Anyway, I'm happy you're doing good, Kagome. Your happiness is important to me, you know."

She smiled at the pure sincerity in his tone.

"Thanks..." She smiled, looking down as her cheeks burned. "Well, um, I guess I'd better get going. No point in hanging around. It was really nice to see you again."

Shippo groaned. "But I don't wanna travel, we just got here! I'm tired!"

"Could we stay the night with you?" She wondered.

Inuyasha glared at Shippo discreetly, who seemed to realize too late what he had done. The fox demon laughed nervously, hopping back onto the young woman's shoulder.

"Actually, I'm feeling pretty energized now. Let's go."

"Shippo...?" Kagome looked between him and the hanyou, before her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is really going on here?"

"You're too damn smart for your own good." He sighed. "Fine, you can stay the night. I gotta warn you though, demon culture is very different-!"

"I know."

"- and Sesshomaru and I are kinda... more than, well, siblings-!"

"What do you mean?"

"-Shut up and let me finish! Anyway, we're...together. Also, he's...oh man, I can't tell you. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. It's best if we part ways now, trust me. It was good to see you though, I mean that."

He noticed that she wasn't staring at him anymore, but rather past him. Turning around, he frowned at the demon lord's terrible timing. Sesshomaru walked right up to them, his deep blue kimono that he wore somewhat loose, but his round belly was still very noticeable.

Her eyes were instantly drawn towards it, her mouth falling open a little. Her mind was buzzing with many possibilities. As she stared at him with wide eyes, she nearly gasped at she realized what it could be. Yet, it couldn't be what she thought. It wasn't possible.

"He..." She looked back up at them. "Oh. I see." Her voice sounded too small and distant.

Kagome's knees buckled and the last thing she saw was Inuyasha's worried expression. She didn't stay unconscious for long fortunately, waking up minutes later. The hanyou was still crouched next to her, a brow raised.

"Are you alright?"

"What a stupid question!" She retorted, breathing unevenly. "This is past shocking! He's...well, you know! With child? I mean, is this normal with demons?"

"Sure." He answered casually. "It was weird for me at first too, but then-!"

"Wow, I didn't think losing me would make you do something so... abhorrent." She breathed, clutching her chest. "I mean, you're still my friend, but I can't believe you Inuyasha. Just tell me it's not yours. It's not, is it?"

He was amazed by her arrogance. It seemed she still felt everything revolved around her. "I didn't mate with him because of you. Hell, he came to me first you know. And yeah, it's ours."

She shook her head, clearly not trying to hear him anymore.

"I have to leave now, come on Shippo."

The fox demon frowned sympathetically, for both of them. He leapt into the hanyou's arms, hugging him before he ran back towards Kagome.

"Fine, leave." He muttered, gazing at her retreating form with a wistful gaze. At that moment, he knew saying anything more would be incredibly dumb given the fact that she had reacted poorly to their new relationship. Not that he blamed her - in fact, he was shocked she didn't become more ballistic.

Still, he needed closure. A proper conclusion, a sign that they were still at least on friendly terms.

"Goodbye, Kagome."

She paused, turning towards him with a conflicted look. He nearly froze in place, worried that she would continue to argue and tell him how disgusting they both were.

Yet, she did smile warmly. Her eyes weren't as warm, however. "Goodbye, Inuyasha. I promise I'll never forget you."

"Kagome..." He smiled a little, the wind blowing his hair past his shoulders wildly. "Same here."

From the look in her eyes though, he knew she would probably never return to see him. Surprisingly, after all they'd been through, it didn't sting as horribly as he thought.

o

Pacing around their room, he growled as he tossed a pillow furiously onto the futon. "You know, I'm glad that we left on good terms, but who the hell does she think she is? Abhorrent? I'm disgusting? She's the one-!"

"Enough." Sesshomaru felt a headache coming. His brother had been ranting for the better half of an hour now. "She clearly had a different upbringing and she is mortal."

"I know that obviously! I've known her longer than you and I've been to her world so don't try to educate me or something." He seethed, pausing as he took in some calming breaths. "Sorry, I'm just pissed."

"Why let her comments affect you? If you left on good terms, leave it at that." The older male settled onto the pillows, wincing as a false contraction gripped him. The pain felt odd and foreign, his male body unused to the harsh cramps. It ached enough to make him worry.

He knew it wasn't time yet, but that was not what concerned him. Even he, a demon who'd been through battle, was nervous about the pain of childbirth. Supposedly, it was the most painful thing next to being burned alive. Scoffing, he shook his head. Ridiculous. Surely, women exaggerated when it came to such things. At least, he hoped they did.

He felt a sudden craving for fish meat and something sweet, the cramps causing his back to ache and feel a little stiff. As much as he wanted a massage, his pride would not let him ask for one.

Inuyasha relaxed, finally answering him after staring into space. "Yeah, I guess you might have a point."

He noticed then how uncomfortable he looked - it was subtle, but he'd gotten good at reading the older male's nearly nonexistent expressions. "You want me to rub your back or something? I'm not great at giving massages, but..."

"Certainly not."

"Don't be so damn proud." The hanyou came over to him, helping him move onto his side. Grabbing some oil, he rubbed it into his back slowly. His hands began rubbing along the tense flesh until he felt the other's muscles relax.

He found that he didn't mind tending to him, that it felt nice to have something to care about again. The half demon didn't like to be coddled anyhow, and he knew it was probably better this way. In turn, Sesshomaru took care of him as well. The demon lord could be surprisingly attentive, but then again it wasn't much of a shock considering he'd kept a little human child alive in demon-infested forests while keeping her healthy at that.

After some time, the younger male peeked over his curtain of silver hair and noticed he had actually fallen asleep at some point. Smirking, he rested his hand on the other's round belly, a proud and rare smile lighting up his face.

"Hey... I hope I'll be a decent parent to you. I don't know much about girls, so forgive me if I'm too overprotective or demanding. I just want you to...be happy." It felt weird talking to his unborn child, but he continued anyhow. "More than anything though, I want you to have the childhood that I never had."

A strong thump to his hand was his response, making his heart flutter unexpectedly. It was strange to feel so ridiculously happy and excited. He worried that feeling too nice would cause something bad to happen. It was an illogical fear, he knew.

Yet, given his past, he had plenty of reasons to feel the dark and potent sensation of fear.

That's it for now! Thanks for reading.

Big thanks to both Guests and Ryuu-no-Taisho for the awesome reviews. And thank you to everyone else who left a comment/suggestion!

I hope to finish this story soon. Only a few more chapters, to wrap it up nicely without being too terribly long. Well, off to binge watch Orange is the New Black on netflix now, see you next chapter!