I got to watch the film "Spirited Away" and it turns out the main couple are named (well, in this case nicknamed) Sin and Kohaku. Now that made me giggle.
Rin flopped onto her bed, letting out a huge sigh directed towards the ceiling.
It wasn't fair. She should have been allowed to go to that party. The only time she left the castle was when she went for studies, and that was just for a few hours. Didn't she deserve to be let out more? She had earned it, hadn't she? She obeyed all of Sesshoumaru's orders, studied hard, didn't do naughty things, behaved accordingly. So why couldn't she be granted the freedom to go beyond the stronghold's walls?
Maybe I am getting too restless for my own good...
Rin frowned. The only thing going her way right now was her cycle was starting to finally wane. The cramps had ceased and the blood had been tapering off. It would hopefully be done with by tomorrowThat was something to look forward to at least.
"Are you alright, Rin-sama?" Keikai's voice broke her reverie.
"I'm okay, Keikai-sempai," she acknowledged without rising from her slumped position on the bed. Truthfully she wasn't, or at least not happy, but she wasn't paying enough attention to give much thought to the question. She just didn't care at the moment.
Keikai chewed on her bottom lip. She knew Rin was unhappy and the girl wasn't bouncing back from her funk like she normally did. Had the party really been that significant to her?
"Why don't we have a party here, Rin-sama?" Keikai suggested. "We could bring Kagura-sama and Mamoru and borrow sake from Maniakku. Wouldn't that be fun?"
Like a hole in the head. Rin pushed that thought away, berating herself for thinking that. The idea of having a party inside her room with three older women wasn't that appealing to her. But it was a nice gesture so to think maliciously of it was rude and wrong.
She levered herself on her elbows to regard Keikai, forcing a smile. "It's okay. Really." Her gaze flickered to the bedspread underneath her, ignoring Keikai's disbelieving expression. "I think I'll go to bed."
She pulled back the blanket to show she meant what she said.
Keikai frowned at her charge's hunkered shoulders. The girl wasn't tired, she wanted to be alone. And that disturbed Keikai. Rin had never shut her out before, not like this. The knowledge hurt. Rin was like the daughter Keikai never had and never would have. Her life was Rin's and Rin was her life. The exclusion Rin was treating her with made her heart felt like it had been stepped on.
The boar youkai stepped to the door, quietly opening it. She would respect Rin's wishes regardless if they caused her heartache or not. Like Sesshoumaru had said days before, maybe she was becoming too close to the girl. She had been taught when she was young to not tie herself emotionally to any other. To bear affection to another was weakness, something that many would exploit and use to their advantage. But when she had been prescribed as Rin's guard, her youkai instincts had gotten the better of her, making her fiercely protective of the child. Without Keikai's permission, she had come to consider Rin her own child. But the bald-faced fact was that she wasn't and despite her inner wanting's, she would never be treated as anything more than a bodyguard. She was Rin's friend, she understood that, but that too hurt. She wanted to be more than just a friend. A part of her ached for the love a child gives a parent, and her soul cried for Rin. She didn't desire a child now that she had Rin. It amazed and scared her. Had she really become this emotionally dependant on the human girl?
Shaking her head, she stepped into the hall. "Good night, Rin-sama."
"Night." Rin was lying on her side facing the wall, her back turned to Keikai.
Keikai slipped out, the door snapping closed behind her, and Rin rolled onto her back once she was gone. She stared at the darkened ceiling, her brows drawing together to form a 'V' in the center of her forehead.
The room seemed so much smaller than it ever had before and the darkness only reinforced that idea. The size of her room was bigger than most villager's houses but to Rin it felt like a prison. The silence made the air heavy and she growled in frustration, flipping over to face the wall again.
"Sesshoumaru-sama never lets me do anything," she grumbled to the darkness. "All I wanted to do was go to that party for a few hours. Its not like I'm going somewhere dangerous or disappearing into the unknown. I'm surprised he even lets me out of this room anymore."
Scowling, she picked furiously at the hem of the blanket, tearing out several strings of cloth. After dismembering a corner of the cover, she lost her surge of anger and her hands released the abused cloth. Expelling a disheartened sigh, she lay her head on the pillow, staring inattentively at the wall.
She thought of her friends attending the party so many miles away, imagining what they were doing at this moment. They would be having fun together, celebrating Sango's baby and Kohaku's return. They would all be drinking sake, cracking jokes, laughing, dancing, enjoying each others company, as she sat alone in her room without anyone to talk to.
There was Keikai but Keikai was different. She was more of a mother figure than a friend. She wasn't like Shippo or Sango or Kagome. Rin wasn't entirely certain what the difference was but she just didn't feel the same towards Keikai as she did the Shinkon hunters. Keikai had been raised as a soldier and the drills she had gone through years ago had burned into her the mien needed to be a good fighter. She may be a bit more open to Rin than others but there would always remain that streak of seriousness that separated her from the attitudes of the Shikon hunters. The Shikon hunters were more relaxed and a lot more open then those of the castle.
The atmosphere of the stronghold wasn't suiting Rin's mood at all lately. She longed to get away from the stiff administration. Even if it were for just a couple days.
She blinked at the wall and thought of her friends once more, though one of them strangely stuck out sharply in her mind and she couldn't help but wonder.
I wonder what Kohaku's doing right now...
Kohaku scuffed his feet in the dirt, keeping his eyes off the kitsune sitting across from him. The two males were largely ignoring each other but the tension between them was obvious. Both of them were too busy concentrating on the noises going on inside the house they were sitting in front of to bother sparking a scuffle though. Their hearts weren't in the fight either. They were just damn uncomfortable being so near the other.
Kohaku stopped his scuffing to listen more intently. Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Kaede were all inside the house, delivering Sango's baby in privacy. Sango had first gone into labor several hours ago and Kohaku had only seen her for a scant few minutes before Kaede ordered everyone outside. He was quite worried but did his best to conceal it. No one had come reporting bad news, which let him relax a bit. He was certain that if anything was wrong with Sango, Miroku would be flying into hysterics and if he didn't hear the monk, then Shippo would.
Yes, everything was fine. Babies were delivered every day without tragedy. Sango was perfectly well.
Kohaku and Shippo winched, a high pitched shriek of pain followed by a string of colorful curses assaulting their ears. Nearby, Inuyasha let out a whistle of appreciation.
"She's getting more creative," the hanyou commented.
Shippo snickered and Kohaku couldn't help but grin ruefully. As time and Sango's labor pains had progressed, the three men had heard a steady increase of invectives coming from the laboring woman. It had shocked them at first. Sango was a conservative individual, someone who rarely used such language. Apparently she was intent on catching up on the lack of use over the years in just one night.
Kohaku leaned again the wall, making himself more comfortable. It would likely be quite a bit more time before the baby was delivered, which gave Kohaku an excessive amount of time to think.
He was going to be an Uncle...What an odd sensation that was. Him, an Uncle...He had never thought it possible. Well he had known it was bound to happen. Sango was in no way an unattractive woman and it had always been her unspoken desire to bear children. The prospect of being an uncle just seemed extremely odd and unreal now that it was upon him. Did other Uncles feel this way right before they became an Uncle?
Shippo drummed his claws on the porch rail he was sitting on. "I wonder how Miroku's doing in there."
Inuyasha guffawed. "Heh heh. Let's just say, after this I bet he isn't going to want thirty kids."
"Why do you say that?" Shippo asked curiously.
Inuyasha smirked evilly. "Trust me."
Miroku was currently thinking on a great many things. He was currently rethinking his decision of having thirty kids, rethinking his decision of remaining in the room with Sango, and wondering if his hand was broken yet. Trying to dislodge it from Sango's death grip was impossible and possibly suicidal. His wife was determined in inflicting as much pain as she could upon him as well as keeping him beside her as a source of comfort. Although Miroku was starting to think she just wanted him there so she could scream bloody murder at him.
A few days ago Miroku had thought birth was a wondrous, glorious thing, an event that was joyful and ethereal. Now he considered it a virtual hell.
"You miserable houshi!" Sango screamed. "This is all your fault! I hate you!"
"Yes, I lov-"
"Shut up! You are never touching me again, you lech! Do you hear me?! Never!"
He grimaced, paling under the intense pain of Sango squeezing the living daylights out of his hand. Kami she was going to break every bone! The woman was damn strong.
He briefly wondered if had he still possessed the Kazaana if all her squeezing would have caused it to grow bigger. Getting sucked into the Kazaana may have been a better option than letting her strangle the appendage.
In an attempt to be helpful, he said, "Sango dear, remember to breathe, honey."
"I am breathing you idiot, hence why I am still alive!" Sango seethed sarcastically.
It was then Miroku decided the best course of action was to keep his witty comments to himself.
Sango hissed loudly as another contraction seized her, arching her back at the intense agony ripping through her abdominal muscles. Kaede had taken the duty of midwife and was kneeled down at the end of the bed, Kagome alternating between hovering at her shoulder and hovering near Sango. Being older, Kaede naturally had more experience at delivering babies than Kagome did, though Kagome had helped in the delivery of quite a few infants over the years.
"Don't worry, Sango-chan. It will all be over soon," Kagome said encouragingly.
Sango turned on her now that her husband had quieted, giving her friend a good tongue lashing for daring to speak. Kagome smiled and pushed the sweaty bangs out of Sango's face, not phased in the least by the outburst. Women in labor weren't known for being polite.
Kagome was being too nice so Sango attacked her husband again. Kagome wasn't responsible anyway. Miroku was.
"I hate you, Miroku! I hate you for doing this to me, you playboy! This is all your fault! Do you hear me?! I hate you! I never want to see you again! I hate you!"
Miroku gave her a nervous, lop-sided grin. Sango stared at his grinning visage for half a second then pulled an Inuyasha and did a most marvelous imitation of an exploding volcano. Miroku swore his ears were bleeding by the end of the verbal assault.
Down at the foot of the bed, Kaede shifted her weight. "It won't be too much longer. We're reaching the point where she's totally...dilated." Kaede sounded out the foreign word she had picked up from Kagome's health books.
"The contractions are about a minute apart," Kagome informed her.
Kaede nodded sagely. "Pretty soon. Keep it up, Sango. You're doing great."
The old woman chuckled dryly as Sango turned her vicious attacks on her. "I'm getting too old for this..."
An hour later and Sango let out a hoarse scream, lifting her upper body off the bed slightly in both pain and the effort of pushing. Her face was strained, sweaty, and red, a scowl marring her pretty features. Without warning, she collapsed onto the pillows, breathing heavily and moaning lightly.
Miroku watched her with undeniable concern and hesitantly reached out to caress her cheek. She gave him a weak smile at his touch, grateful that he was there. Once again Miroku became the unwavering rock for her to lean on, and she drew strength from his presence alone.
As the pain and contractions had advanced, and her energy waned, her venomous words decreased until they disappeared entirely. Miroku had lost count of the times she had told him she hated him and wasn't ever going to let him touch her again. In a weird way, he found it endearing. He supposed it was because he knew for a fact every word out of her sweet, little catty mouth had been a lie.
But the way she acted now worried him. She was exhausted and breathing so hard and loud that she would have drowned out the Kazaana. Kaede and Kagome hadn't said anything so Miroku assumed that everything was going according to plan. Neither miko's appeared troubled and that calmed him a bit.
Kagome flitted between Kaede's and Sango's side, giving support to her friend and making sure Kaede didn't require any assistance. "You can do it, Sango-chan," Kagome encouraged. Sango offered the same weak smile she had given Miroku to her and Kagome squeezed her shoulder.
"All right, Sango, I can see the head. I want you to give me a big push, alright? Push with all that you've got," Kaede instructed from her position at the end of the bed.
Gritting her teeth, Sango lifted herself up and pushed with the pain of her contraction, letting loose a loud, guttural scream of both pain and determination. The pain was unbearable and she fell back with a choked sob, her face contoured in agony.
Miroku couldn't stand this. He hated seeing her in so much pain and he turned to Kagome with an almost pleading look. "Is this how it's supposed to be?"
Kagome nodded, mopping Sango's sweaty face with a washcloth. "Hai. It'll be alright. We're almost done."
"You've been saying that for the last hour and a half," Sango croaked breathlessly.
"Don't talk. Concentrate on pushing."
"Once more, Sango," Kaede commanded.
Sango groaned loudly, her head thrashing from side to side, denying Kaede's request. "I can't."
"You must."
"C-can't."
"Come on, Sango," Kagome said. "Just one more time and you get to see your baby!"
Sango's mouth hung open like a dying fish, her skin pale and shiny with moisture. She shook her head, eyes glazed with fatigue. "I can't. It hurts too much. I can't do this."
"Sango!" Kagome scolded. She shot a desperate glance to Kaede, the old woman's face tight with apprehension.
"Sango, we need one more push. If you don't want your child to die, you're going to have to give us one more push," Kaede said seriously.
Sango's face scrunched, a mixture of agony and frustration. She couldn't do it anymore. The pain was unbearable and she was tired, so very tired. How many hours had she been enduring this torment? How many hours had she been fighting to expel the baby from her womb? Kami she didn't think she could move one finger much less push anymore.
A tear slipped unbidden from under Sango's closed eyelids and the tender touch of a finger made her snap them open. Miroku inspected the droplet hanging from his fingertip, watching it slide down his hand, leaving a wet trail in its wake. His violet gaze flashed onto her's, watching her in that serene intensity she had come to love.
He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. His eyes alone communicated his support and belief in her strengths and Sango was almost painfully reminded of how much she adored this man. He told her without words that she wasn't a quitter, nor did she give up easily. He believed in her and his deep trust in that gave her the strength to try once more.
With the last of her strength left, she gave a horrendous push, her nails digging hard enough into his hand she was clutching to make blood flow. A horrendous pain ripped through the taijiya, causing her to utter a high-pitched, gasping yell. Then, miraculously, the pain subsided into a dull ache and a loud squall flooded her ears.
The pain and fatigue were forgotten in a split second, and Sango pushed herself up to see her child. Kaede clasped the wailing newborn in her arms, Kagome rushing to her side with a number of clean towels to wipe the baby clean. The younger miko was smiling widely in delight, her expression so filled with happiness Sango felt the prickle of joyous tears.
Miroku leaned forward in awe. He had never seen a baby born before and it was both disgusting and beautiful. The infant was covered in blood, amniotic fluid, and Kami knew what else. He was mesmerized.
Kagome turned to the two spellbound parents, her face excited. "Sango-chan, it's a girl!"
Sango choked on her breath, the euphoria making her heart race and her throat dry. Her large chocolate eyes shimmered with tears and she squeezed her husband's hand, the giddiness growing as he squeezed back. She waited impatiently as Kaede finished cleaning up the infant and finally the old woman placed the child into its mother's arms.
Sango, despite the tears now running down her face, smiled brilliantly at the screaming baby in her arms. She looked up at Miroku, the monk bending over her form to get a better view. "We have a daughter," she stated, her voice choked with emotion.
She looked back to the small life in her arms, raising a finger to trail it down the red-faced baby's cheek, marveling at the perfections that existed in such a tiny being. The little fists of the bawling child were waving in the air and Sango cupped her daughter's hand, fascinated at how delicate and fragile the fingers and nails were compared to hers. It was utterly breathtaking at how small, yet perfect, this little being was.
Miroku sat down on the bed near Sango's legs, his entire attention focused on his wife and child. Seeing them together, the love of his life and his first offspring, caused a fierce protectiveness to well up inside him. At that moment, he knew he could take on the world without a speck of doubt, take a knife to the chest without a shred of regret. He had a daughter. A princess, an angel. He was a father, a daddy. It was the most awesome feeling he had ever experienced, better than sex even.
Miroku tilted his head to the side at that sudden thought. Ok maybe he was getting too far ahead of himself but it came damn close.
Kagome brushed away a stray tear, her chest constricting at seeing the two parents sitting there enthralled with their newborn. Kagome was an Aunt. An Aunt! She couldn't believe it. Feeling exhilarated and happy beyond reason, she bounced to the door, yelling to those waiting outside, "Come on in, guys! The babies here!"
On the porch, the three males had fallen into a slight doze. None of them had gotten any sleep during the night due to the party and Sango's laboring, and eventually each of them had given into the tug of drowsiness, conking out against any structure they could lean their heads on.
Kagome's call snapped them awake and Shippo and Kohaku scrambled for the door, running into each other and roughly pushing away. The kitsune actually tripped on his own tail in his excitement. Inuyasha, on the other hand, took the time to yawn and stretch before following them, muttering to himself, "About damn time."
Inside Sango's bedroom, the new mother smiled at the commotion announcing the arrival of her brother and fox youkai, the two young males careening into the doorway.
"Sango!"
"Ane-ue!"
"Be quiet!" Kaede hissed at them, quieting them considerably.
Subdued, they both walked with exaggerated care to the bedside, crowding around the bed so all could see. Kagome handed the last dirtied towel to Kaede and joined them, Inuyasha appearing in the doorway with another large yawn. He leaned against the doorframe, watching from a distance.
Sango had never felt so at home; with her child in her arms, her husband by her side, and her friends clustered around her. She felt a great weight slide off her heart, the final ties of regret to her old destroyed home cutting away. She could finally let go. She was at total peace; gathered around her was her family and she looked from one face to the other, identifying each and every one of them. Her husband, her brother, her sister, her grandmother, her best friends, her daughter. Her life was complete, at last.
Turning to her brother situated at her left elbow, she said with a smile, "You have a niece."
The black clothed taijiya was surprised for a moment then gave her a wavering grin. There was a strange look to his eyes but Sango was too tired to question him right now. The fatigue was starting to catch up to her and she leaned back into her pillows, her daughter cradled to her chest.
"Would you like to hold her, Miroku?" she asked her husband.
Her tiredness was clearly expressed in her speech and Miroku held out his arms. Sango gently eased the baby into his embrace, watching how carefully he handled the infant, as if she were going to break at the slightest movement. The monk tucked her into the crook of his arm, gazing down at the black fuzz covered head. The girl had quieted and lay passively in his hold, eyes fluttering open sleepily. A great burst of pride filled him as he noticed her eyes were a dark violet, a direct inheritance of him. It was surreal; admiring eyes that matched his to a tee, knowing that he had helped make this small bundle of life in his arms. Like holding a piece of heaven.
In an afterthought concerning heritage, he lifted the right hand of the infant, rubbing the soft tiny palm. There's one characteristic you won't inherit. I've made sure of that.
Grinning, Miroku tucked the hand back into the blanket, raising his head to find everyone observing him and the baby. Sango was watching him through half-lidded eyes, a content smile curling her full mouth.
Sheepishly, Miroku said, "Would anyone else like to hold her?"
Kagome's arms flew out faster then anyone else's, the young miko eagerly waiting for a chance to hold her best friend's child. The others laughed lightly and Miroku delicately transferred his daughter to her. Kagome cuddled the baby against her, cooing and murmuring. When the miniature hand of the baby curled around her finger, she spoke excitedly in jubilation.
With Kagome holding the entire child's attention, Shippo brought his onto the parents. "You guys aren't disappointed it's a girl are you? I know a lot of families tend to hope for a son," he said inquisitively.
The taijiya and houshi shared a surprised glance, neither of them anticipating such a question. Miroku shrugged. "It doesn't matter what sex. I am happy either way."
Sango nodded her head in agreement. "Girl's are just as honorable as boys," she stated with conviction.
Shippo grinned slyly, saying, "Aren't you disappointed that you won't be able to teach her any lewd behavior, eh Miroku?"
Sango narrowed her eyes dangerously at the monk, who sighed dramatically. Doing his best to appear insulted, he said, "Now Shippo, where would you ever get an idea like that?"
"Gee I wonder," Sango muttered scathingly.
Miroku was polite enough to cough uncomfortably, making another laugh pass through the occupants of the room.
Except for Inuyasha.
While the others had been discussing the preferred sex of the child, his attention was captured solely on Kagome holding the infant. Totally unbeknownst to everyone else, he watched his wife with a critical scrutiny from the doorway. He watched her fondle the baby that was not hers, watched the sad smile slowly develop on her lips, and watched that faraway look in her iris's deepen, becoming more intense than ever before. He narrowed his eyes a fraction, making sure he wasn't just being paranoid and imagining things.
He wasn't.
What was that exactly? Regret, depression, nostalgia? Whatever it was, he knew it was bad and that it had been given a violent shove forward, blowing it into much greater proportions. She would deny it, she always had, but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty, wondering if perhaps she had made the wrong choice.
Fate had never been kind to Inuyasha. It had always seemed intent on ripping away or destroying everything he held dear, even now. Even with the Shikon no Tama gone, Naraku dead, and him accepted somewhere, fate was unkindly sharpening its claws on the person that meant the most to him.
Frowning, he inverted his gaze to the hallway, a dark mood settling on him as a question revolved around and around inside his head. It was a question he was reluctant to answer and one he hoped he would never have to. But, of course, only time would tell.
On the bed, Kagome made to hand the baby that reminded her so much of Souta back to its mother, a slight pang in the miko's heart at the resemblance. The infants might be different sexes but she was painfully made aware of the long lost memory of the time her younger brother had been born. She had held him in much the same way she held Sango's baby, except she had been much younger when holding Souta.
Instead of taking the child, Sango looked to her brother. "Kohaku, would you like to hold her?"
Kohaku started at the question, visibly nervous at holding such a fragile creation. "Me?" he squeaked.
"Yes, you," Sango laughed. "Go on, Kagome-chan."
At the prompting, Kagome shuffled onto her knees to better pass the girl to her uncle, grinning reassuringly when he hesitated.
When the baby was placed into his rather stiff arms, Kohaku had expected to become jumpy, had excepted for his inner emotions to be withdrawn and cowering. What he got was something totally unexpected.
The reaction in him was like a floodgate opening. Wonderment, reverence, but most of all a savage need and desire to defend and safeguard this being lying sedately in his hold. Kohaku stared into the violet eyes of the newest generation of taijiya, and literally felt and saw the red thread of fate linking them together, binding his bruised heart to the pure, innocent one thumping away in the breast of his niece.
He had said at the monks temple, if there was one innocent being left in this world he'd like to see it. And now he think he had.
Sango watched enchanted as a transformation seemed to take place in her brother, and before she knew it, he was smiling. She had seen him smile before, but compared to this the others paled in comparison. Before his smile always appeared half-finished, held back, elusive as the unicorn. But this smile was completely unrestrained, open, and full. There was a soft contentment in his eyes, something she hadn't seen since the day he had slain their father.
He looked...alive.
"What are you going to call her?"
Leave it to Shippo to kill a moment. Sango wanted to hit him.
"You wanted to name her after a precious stone, right?" the kitsune persisted.
"Uhm." Sango nodded. "We'll think upon in later though."
She held out her arms and Kohaku returned her daughter to her. With a peaceful sigh, she lay back into her pillows, the fatigue and exhaustion taking its toll on her. Kaede began ushering the others out quietly, leaving Miroku and Sango alone with their offspring. It had been a long ordeal for Sango and the old miko knew the taijiya would need an excessive amount of rest.
The sun had fully risen when all of them stepped onto the porch and Kagome groaned upon seeing it.
Rubbing her closed eyelids with her palm to clear the drowsy orbs, she yawned, "I could use some sleep."
"I'll say," Shippo agreed.
The kitsune headed off with a wave, going down the steps to his home in the village. Kaede shambled to the shrine, muttering testily under her breath about old bones and joints. Kagome moved to get off the porch and was pleasantly surprised when the strong arms of her husband picked her up.
Her lips curled into a smile of tuckered gratitude and she leaned her head on his solid chest. "You're too good to me sometimes."
He grunted impassively at her comment. "Later, Kohaku." And the hanyou leaped away, carrying his precious cargo securely against his frame.
Kohaku remained alone on the porch. He felt no need to leave so he walked to the end of the structure and sat down, satisfied to remain here listening to the quiet birdsong of the morning, the rustling of the breeze through the leaves, and the quiet murmurings of those inside the house. He arched his head upon the wood of the wall, feeling the gentle wind tickle his skin and ruffle the spiky bangs of his hair.
It was odd of him but he felt...at peace. For the first time in many years he felt peaceful, happy.
Perhaps he had been wrong. Perhaps he himself could teach the next generation of taijiya, preserving their long heritage. He didn't practically care at the moment to think of hate. The future was too bright in this instance to consider that. Maybe the girl would despise him, maybe not.
If anything, the future didn't seem as bleak as it did before. Now in the depths of the swirling blackness there was a sparkle of light, a tiny flicker of hope.
He grasped it like a life line, twining his hand until the red string of fate wove through his fingers, binding himself to the last innocent being existing on this earth.
It was quite ironic really. Last night he had been ready to leave. Now he wasn't sure if he wanted to anymore. Only time would tell.
And he smiled to himself, his thoughts growing slower as sleep overcame him. He recalled the conversation between Sango and Shippo, the discussion concerning the child's name, and right before he descended into slumber, he whispered to the tranquil morning, "Keiseki."
Inuyasha pushed the front door of his home open with his leg and carefully stepped inside, making sure not to accidentally hit Kagome on the doorframe whilst passing through it. The young miko was a deadweight in his grip, barely awake at all.
"I'm really happy for Sango." Apparently awake enough to talk though...
He did his usual dismissive grunt, not in the mood to hold a conversation with her.
"She's waited so long for it. She deserved it too."
He didn't bother responding, concentrating on getting to the bedroom. Selfless Kagome...You've always been like that. Even when you have nothing and watch others get their desires granted you're happy for them. Always the loser, but always happy so long as someone is the winner.
"After all she's been through she really deserves happiness," Kagome continued.
Reaching the bedroom, he deposited her unresisting form onto the mattress, commenting, "You talk too much."
She rolled her eyes but dug her head comfortably into the pillow. "And you talk too little. You could have at least congratulated her instead of standing in that doorway like a mime."
"A what?"
"Never mind."
He snorted at her. "Enough talk. Go to sleep."
She yawned widely. "Yes, master."
He smirked at her choice of words and prepared to leave the bedside, but was stopped short when he felt a tugging on his wide sleeve. Kagome had clasped the fabric and she pulled insistently on it when he raised an eyebrow at her.
"What?" he asked gruffly.
She ignored the tone. "Where do you think you're going, you big dope? You haven't slept either."
"I don't need sleep."
She shrugged. "I don't care. You can keep me company then."
He frowned, the thoughts of earlier weighing heavily on his mind. He'd prefer being alone to brood but denying her request would just hurt her. Sighing mentally in defeat, he made a shooing motion with his hand and she scooted over, giving him room to slide in. He climbed onto the mattress, pulling the blanket over both of them before settling down. She snuggled into his chest immediately, aligning her body to his to feel every part of him. He was surprised at first, making his usual "Uh" sound, then smoothed into the gladdened look he adopted whenever she comforted him or embraced him.
But though he was made immensely warm by her actions, they were doused by the plaguing worry that was starting to haunt him worse than before.
He was afraid. Horribly, terribly afraid.
She was mostly asleep when he clasped her almost madly to him, curling his body around hers and burying his nose in her hair to smell her scent. He desperately needed to feel her, smell her, touch her, make sure she was there with him and hadn't disappeared.
She made a small sound of happiness and nuzzled his neck, her head tucked under his chin. She yawned lightly and he felt the hot air flutter across his throat, knowing by the sound of her breathing that she was falling asleep.
He remained awake for quite some time, listening to the beating of her heart and clutching her warmth to him. His ears were laid far back, disappearing into the long silver tresses of his hair, a sign of his anxiety.
There was only one thought on his mind, and though Inuyasha wasn't a praying man, he found himself praying then, repeating the prayer over and over like a mantra.
Dear Kami, please, please don't take her away from me.