May 20, 2014

I do not own Dragonball or Inuyasha

Chapter Thirty-Six

Kagome watched with a smile as Vegeta instructed his son on how to fight. Ryujin was learning quickly and was actually doing some light, very very light, sparring with his father... which was more like Vegeta held out his hands and moved them around while the boy punched them and dodged the occasional swat of his father's hand. But Kagome knew this wasn't their real training. It was only Ryujin's warm-up, really. As soon as Kagome walked away they would kick it up several notches. Kagome found it amusing that they (Vegeta) tried to hide from her how advanced Ryujin was with fighting already at the very young age of three. Kagome could only assume that it was because Vegeta didn't want to upset her by making her think that her baby was going to eventually be put in danger.

She was fine with it... well, to an extent. She knew Ryujin wouldn't be in too many dangerous situations until he was older and could handle himself better. And she knew it was in her son's blood to fight, just as much as it was in his father's blood. She also knew Vegeta would train their son well, so he would be strong enough to protect himself and those around him with ease. If that required him to start training seriously this early in life, well, Kagome wasn't going to complain. It was true that she didn't want anything to hurt her baby... but it was also true that being hurt would only make her son stronger in the end. But Kagome was a bit saddened to realize that soon her baby wouldn't be her baby anymore.

A glass of tea appeared in front of Kagome's face, startling her. She looked up to see Tony offering the drink to her. "It's fairly warm out today. I don't think being dehydrated is going to help that baby much, Mrs. Higurashi." he said with a polite smile which Kagome returned.

"Thank you, Tony-san. You didn't have to do that." She said as she accepted the drink. Tony just smiled again and walked away to clean some more. Kagome focused on the drink now, thankful that Tony had interrupted her thoughts before her hormones took over and she burst into tears. Even the smallest thing could trigger her tears these days, and it was driving Vegeta insane. He hated to see her cry so he was constantly walking on egg shells around her, making sure not to say anything she would take the wrong way. He learned real fast that mentioning her hair, makeup, clothes, stomach, hips, thighs, or ankles was a huge no-no, and kami forbid he mention anything, anything, about her dramatic mood swings. She would burst into tears and claim he didn't love her anymore because she was fat and ugly and moody and fat. Yes, fat mentioned twice.

Kagome sighed and decided it was time for her to go inside. Vegeta saw her struggling to get up so he stopped the little spar with his son and hurried to his wife's side like the dutiful husband he was and helped her to her feet. Kagome only smiled. There were some perks to her mate being overly protective of her while she was pregnant. For one, he was a lot more helpful simply because he didn't want her to hurt herself.

"Thank you." Kagome smiled at her husband, giving him a quick kiss. "I'm going inside to start on dinner. I'll send Tony out to get you when it's done, okay?"

"Hn. Be careful, mate. Don't overwork yourself." he told her softly. Kagome only smiled and he gave her a light kiss before returning to their son. Kagome took her empty glass and waddled into the house. She found Tony sweeping the kitchen floor and she smiled at him.

"Good afternoon, Tony-san."

"Good afternoon." he responded. He watched as she went to the fridge and started pulling out what she was going to make for dinner. He noticed it was a large amount of food, but that wasn't the only strange thing he'd noticed about this family. Kagome's pregnancy, for instance. He'd been working for them for three months now. By all means Kagome should have had her baby by now, considering she looked about seven months along when he came to work for them. By the size of her stomach had changed very little in the past three months and she showed no signs of going into labor anytime soon. Yet Kagome and Vegeta acted completely normal about it, as if nothing unusual was going on. This family was strange, and he had the suspicion that they were yokai, but he knew better than to question them. This was a very good job and he knew that if he asked too many questions he would be fired.

"Ack." Kagome suddenly flinched, making Tony look at her curiously. She was grimacing and both her hands were on her belly. "Baby, stop kicking mommy's ribs." Kagome whined and Tony relaxed. He'd been worried she was going to go into labor. Then he'd have to get Vegeta, who was fairly intimidating on a good day. Kagome looked up and saw Tony staring at her and she smiled wryly. "Be thankful you're not a woman, Tony-san. You men have it easy, I tell you." Tony just laughed politely to that and continued sweeping.

Vegeta sighed as he relaxed on the couch after a long day of working out and teaching his son some new sparring moves. He was impressed with the boy's strength, already he was at twenty-five times the earth's gravity in the GR and was still able to keep up with the pace Vegeta set for him. Vegeta smirked now. Their son was taking after him in more ways than just his looks. He could tell Ryujin would be a force to reckon with when he was older.

The saiyan prince glanced down at his mate now. She was curled up beside him on the couch, resting her head on his chest as she watched TV, one hand rubbing her stomach where the baby was kicking her. She looked tired and he knew it was likely she would fall asleep on him and make him carry her to bed. That would actually be a good thing, however. Kagome hadn't been sleeping well and it normally took her forever to fall asleep. If she fell asleep on him tonight and got a good night's sleep that would be great for both of them. For Kagome because she needed the sleep, and for Vegeta because he would get a break from her crankiness for at least a day.

"Vegeta?" Kagome's voice came softly. He looked down into her eyes and she smiled sleepily. "Today makes seven months." She told him as she rubbed her belly lovingly. Vegeta smirked and kissed her temple, replacing her hand with his on her stomach. He felt the baby kicking energetically at his hand. Then the kicking stopped. Vegeta pulled his hand away and chuckled softly at what he saw. The baby simply pressed her foot against Kagome's stomach and now there was a tiny little foot visible even through Kagome's shirt. He looked back at Kagome's face and smiled softly when he discovered that she was asleep.

Vegeta turned off the television and then gently scooped Kagome and their baby up into his arms, holding his mate plus the extra weight easily as if she was lighter than a feather. Kagome snuggled against his chest as he held her and he smirked at this. How did he get so lucky? Only five years ago he would have thought he would be all alone for the rest of his life. He was a killer, after all, and surely no one could love someone like him. Yet now he had a beautiful wife who he loved with all his heart and who loved him back with all her heart, a handsome young son who was growing up so fast, and a daughter on the way, a future princess. He had love, a family, and a home... three things he would have sworn only five years ago that he would never have.

How did he get so lucky?

As he looked down at his sleeping wife he saw her smile in her sleep as she snuggled further into his arms, breathing in his scent deeply as she enjoyed the warmth from his body. She felt safe and loved in his arms, even in her sleep. She trusted Vegeta with every fiber of her being. A fact that astounded him at times. She knew he was a killer, knew how much blood was on his hands, knew he was not afraid to take a life, knew it didn't bother his conscience one bit to kill someone, knew he'd even killed for her sake... and yet she trusted him completely, loved him with all her heart, and did everything she could to make him happy. She was not afraid of him, not even slightly. She knew that even if he was angry, truly angry, he would never hurt her. She would always be safe with him, and she knew it.

Vegeta made it to their bedroom and gently laid his mate down on the bed. He went to the dresser and pulled out one of her maternity nightgowns before returning to her side. With practiced ease he slid her clothes off of her, taking a moment to admire her very round belly where their daughter was growing safe and sound, and then he slipped on her nightgown and eased her under the blankets on her side, without waking her. He slid a fluffy pillow between her legs to make her more comfortable and then he got into bed behind her, pulling her into his arms. One arm went around her waist to rest on her stomach and his other arm slid beneath her head but above her pillow. She claimed that his arm made the best pillow and, with how uncomfortable she was lately, he would do anything to make her more comfortable. He truly felt bad for missing her first pregnancy. She had to go through all this without him for their first child. To make up for it Vegeta would do whatever he could to make his beautiful mate more comfortable and more happy during this pregnancy. Seven months... they still had four or five more months to go...

"Vegeta..." Kagome sighed softly in her sleep, moving closer to him as she sought his warmth. "I love you, Vegeta..." she whispered around a yawn before she returned to sleep. Vegeta smiled softly and kissed her temple.

"I love you, Kagome." he whispered in her ear and was rewarded with a sleepy smile that spread across his mate's face. "More than you will ever know... I love you."

Kagome yawned loudly as she slowly made her way to a sitting position in bed. She'd slept really well last night! Which was surprising considering the fact that she hadn't slept well since she was four months pregnant. She looked around her and noticed Vegeta was no longer in bed. Not surprising. He was usually gone when she woke up. She looked at the clock now and gasped in shock. It was well past noon! Ryujin and Vegeta were probably starving by now! But why hadn't Vegeta woken her up when she missed breakfast?

"Sleep well?" Vegeta's voice came from the door. Kagome looked over at him and saw that he was holding a tray of food. Looking closer she noticed Ryujin peeking out from behind his father's legs.

"Really well." Kagome said quietly. "But why didn't you wake me? I didn't make you or Ryu any breakfast or lunch..."

"You needed to sleep." Vegeta said simply, walking into the room. Ryujin trailed behind him quietly. He wasn't usually allowed in his parents' room, and his daddy didn't normally make their food or bring his mommy food. He figured his mommy was sick so he felt really bad for her and decided to be quiet so she would feel better soon. Vegeta set the tray down on the bedside table and Kagome looked at it. There was a bowl of tomato soup with some crackers and a bottle of sprite, since he knew her stomach may be acting up this time of day. "I made Ryujin some oatmeal for breakfast and a sandwich and an apple for lunch."

"What did you have?" Kagome asked, fearing her husband had starved without her. Ryu's food was simple enough to make but Vegeta preferred food that was more filling and took longer to make.

"Some cereal for breakfast and then a few cans of soup for lunch." he shrugged before handing her the soup. "You need to eat, mate. You look much better this morning, not as pale. That sleep did you good." he told her as he reached up and gently caressed her cheek. Kagome gave him a small smile and leaned into his touch.

"Yeah." Kagome said quietly. She felt very refreshed now and she supposed it was thanks to Vegeta letting her sleep till noon. She looked down at Ryu as he lightly tugged on her nightgown.

"Mommy, do you feel better?" he asked cutely.

"I do, baby. Thank you for worrying about me." Kagome smiled at her son. Were she not holding a bowl of hot soup she would have pulled the little boy into her arms and hugged him. He was just so cute sometimes!

"Eat, Kagome." Vegeta said now, giving her a stern look. "You know that going a long time without food is bad for the baby." Kagome could only smile to this and start eating happily. She knew Vegeta was just worried about her and she was happy he even went so far as to make her something to eat. Albeit, he probably just popped some soup into the microwave and nuked it for two minutes... but it was an effort and that's all that mattered to Kagome. It was just his way of showing her how much he loved her.

Satisfied that his mate was eating, Vegeta sat down on the edge of the bed beside his mate. Ryujin, unsure of what to do, sat down on the floor and crossed his legs, looking up at his mother as she ate her meal. He was worried about his mommy. Even he had noticed that she was looking pale recently and looked like she needed a nap. He was so glad she looked better now, but he was still worried about her, just like he knew his daddy was. It was very rare when he saw this gentle side of his father. Even to the three-year-old, just seeing this side of him meant a lot. To Ryujin it meant that his daddy wasn't heartless like everyone believed, that he was actually a very good husband and a great father. When Ryujin was little he got to see this side of his daddy all the time but lately he'd been getting stricter with him. But Ryujin knew it was only because his daddy wanted him to get stronger.

"Thank you, Vegeta." Kagome smiled at her husband after she finished the soup. "Now, why don't we go downstairs and I'll make us some real food, hm?"

"Yeah!" Ryujin cheered instantly. He officially didn't like it when his father cooked. His oatmeal that morning had been a sticky mushy goo that he wasn't sure wasn't alive. The sandwich at lunch was okay but it had nothing on his mommy's cooking! Kagome giggled at her son and let Vegeta help her to her feet.

"Ryujin, go wait outside while your mother changes." Vegeta told his son.

"Okay, but aren't you coming too, daddy?" Ryujin asked, cocking his head to one side curiously.

"Well, someone has to look out for her, don't they?" Vegeta questioned his son. "What if she starts feeling bad again?" The little boy's eyes widened at this.

"Okay, you stay and watch mommy, daddy." the boy quickly agreed before scurrying out of the room. "Mommy, don't get sick again. I don't like it when daddy cooks." he called out as he left the room. Kagome just giggled at the tactic her mate had used and at her sons words. Then she pulled her nightgown off and started to get dressed. For her, these days, getting dressed meant putting on lounge pants and a maternity shirt and a bra. Then she would put her hair up in a bun and relax all day except to take care of Ryu and make the meals, which meant she really didn't relax much at all.

Vegeta came up behind him mate while she was still topless and he gently wrapped hims arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. Kagome smiled and leaned into his touch, loving how warm he naturally was. She smiled as one of his hands came to rest on her prominent belly. He took every chance he got to touch her stomach. Kagome could only smile at this, it showed Vegeta was excited for the baby. She knew he would love their daughter, just as much as he loved Ryu. But she feared the day their daughter was old enough to date. The poor sap who even attempted to hold her hand would likely get blasted to the moon by a pissed off saiyan prince. Probably two of them, if Ryu gets close to their daughter by that time.

"Come on, Vegeta. Let me get dressed if you want to eat something besides soup." Kagome said quietly after a while. Vegeta sighed and kissed her neck before stepping away, tempted by the offer of food.

"Later I want to eat something else. Like you." he smirked as he watched his mate pull a shirt on. Kagome look at him, confused for a moment, before she processed his words and blushed furiously, which made her mate chuckle. "I love how you still blush for me, mate, after all this time." Vegeta chuckled as he gently pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick kiss.

"C-come on. Ryu is waiting." Kagome said, still blushing. Vegeta only chuckled and followed his flustered mate out of the room.

Vegeta smirked as he looked down at his mate as they sat on the couch watching television late into the night. She was snuggling into his side, trying to be close enough to him that they might fuse together. Vegeta didn't mind all her cuddling, though he didn't typically return it. The most he would ever really do was simply hold her when she was in a cuddling mood. For her that was enough.

Kagome's very round belly made her cuddling efforts awkward these days but she still managed. She settled for simply pressing against her husband's side, resting her head on his bare shoulder while he had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She often took to tracing his scars, admiring them as a saiyan woman would. She saw his scars as testaments to his strength, which pleased Vegeta to no end. He did enjoy having his ego stoked, after all, and his mate was very good about stoking his ego... or at the very least not damaging it.

"Vegeta..." Kagome's soft voice came, making the prince look down at his wife. She looked up at him with those large blue eyes of hers and a soft sweet smile that went all the way to her soul. "I love you." she told him. Vegeta just smirked and kissed her, cupping her face with his free hand as he deepened the kiss. He heard Kagome sigh into the kiss and felt the way she melted against him, and he knew she'd gotten the message even without him saying a word. He loved her, too, even if he only said the words on occasion. After a moment or two the couple broke apart and returned to watching the show that was on. Soon enough Vegeta could sense his mate growing tired. This time, instead of letting her fall asleep on him, he scooped up his drowsy wife into his arms, lifting her and their unborn daughter with ease. He turned off the television and took her upstairs but, by the time he reached their room, Kagome was fast asleep. Vegeta could only sigh and smile lightly at his mate as he set about getting her ready for bed. It seemed like this would become a habit with them...

-END CHAPTER-

Another chapter for my lovely readers! Kind of a filler chapter, though. I'm biding my time until the new baby arrives, to give my readers more time to vote on the names.

Results so far on the contest:

You all seem to favor three names in particular

Mizuki - 5

Kimiko - 3

Himeko - 2

Hanai - 0

Chrysty - 0

Mizuki is in the lead so far, followed closely by Kimiko. Keep voting, people! I will accept one vote per chapter per reader.

Please tell me what you think :)

See Ya!

-Aozora12