Obligatory Disclaimer: The "Inu Yasha" series and its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise, Shounen Sunday, Viz, and other corporate types. I am none of those entities. I'm just a silly fan writing silly stories because it's fun. Suing me would only be a waste of time and funds, so please don't. Any original characters that show up belong to themselves. Just ask them.
Author's Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions expressed in this work of fiction do not necessarily reflect those of the author.
Overall Rating: M
I CHOOSE NOT TO WARN!
This story contains material that may be disturbing or outright triggering to some. Reader discretion advised.
Two Plus Two
By Misarae
Chapter Fifty-One
Rebuilding
If Inu Yasha could stay exactly where he was for the rest of his life, he wouldn't complain. Then again, he supposed he'd get bored after too long just lounging around, but it was a nice thought. Words couldn't describe the sense of pure and simple joy that filled him. He was lying flat on his stomach, with Naoki draped over his back and Sachiko's spine pressed against his torso as she curled around Kagome's pregnant belly.
That feeling of intense well-being was coupled with complete physical satiation. Every bit of stress and strain that had accumulated while staying in the hospital and having to deal with Hojo and Kikyou had been very forcibly evicted, as his balls could definitely attest. He could still feel his youkai side snickering at him in the back of his mind, but he felt way too good to care.
Things hadn't ended in the bedroom, although his thorough tending to his mate after their initial joining had led to one more round. He had only intended to help Kagome with her long-awaited bath, keeping his libido in check. But when she'd had the nerve to playfully pull him in with her, who was he to decline such an open invitation?
Once both he and Kagome were finally clean and ready for bed, it hadn't taken long for their pups to join them after the door separating the rooms had been unlocked and left slightly ajar. Actually, it hadn't taken Naoki long. What woke Inu Yasha up was the feeling of distress and distraught whimpering from Sachiko being left alone in the pups' bed, despite Mama Higurashi being in the one right next to her. Realizing that he had a blanket named Naoki on his back, he'd slid out from under his first pup to retrieve the missing one. The moment he picked Sachiko up, she snuggled right into him with a sleepy "Papa". He'd quietly asked if she needed the bathroom first, which she responded to with a tiny shake of her head, then carried her to the family bed, situating her between himself and Kagome. As soon as they were settled, Naoki was right back on top of him, delicately snoring away.
There was also a wistful edge to his thoughts as he took a moment to savor that familiar weight on his back. It wouldn't be long now before Naoki was too big to just sprawl all over him. That pupness would soon be giving way to adulthood. It was a scary proposition. He knew he'd been a sulky, surly mess as a teenager, despite Shouga and Kajimaru's best efforts. Hopefully Naoki wouldn't suffer quite so much, having both his true parents, as well as two or more siblings to keep him on his toes.
Then again, the stray thought that Sachiko was slightly older than Naoki reminded him that she would hit adolescence soon, too. Actually, that was even scarier. He knew she wouldn't appreciate it, but he wasn't about to let just any male come sniffing around his precious daughter. If a suitor survived talking with 'Papa', then he might be worthy of pursuing her.
After she turned fifty.
Inu Yasha snorted at himself. But what harm was there in wishful thinking?
All he could do was his best, and he supposed that was all any parent could really do.
"I really hope there's a youkai or two on the hotel's staff," Kagome said. "Did you see the looks on the guys' faces when they brought all this food in?"
The table in the main room was absolutely laden down with practically every kind of foodstuff available. Inu Yasha and Naoki had already tucked in, both of them taking turns putting things on Sachiko's plate as well.
Mama Higurashi chuckled. "They must have," she said. "Otherwise, I doubt they would have taken the request seriously."
"True," Kagome said with an indulgent smile.
They joined their other family members, each taking up a plate and choosing a little bit of as many selections as they thought their stomachs could hold.
Breakfast was nearly complete, and almost all the dishes had been demolished, when there was a knock on the door.
Before anyone could say anything, Inu Yasha leapt over the table to reach the door, every muscle in his body tense. Then he looked through the peephole and relaxed, prompting the rest of his family to do so as well. Inu Yasha unlocked the door and let their visitors in.
"Aohara-san. Fujiwara-san," Mama Higurashi said, coming forward to greet them.
"Please, just call me Byakuya. I get enough of 'Fujiwara-san' from my opponents and the court system," Byakuya said with a wink.
Inu Yasha's nostrils flared. "What did you do all night? Sit in an ash pit?"
"A dormant volcano, actually," Aohara replied.
"Dare we ask?" Kagome said, her voice carrying easily from her seat at the table.
"That is why we're here," Byakuya said, brushing imaginary soot off his shirt. "It appears that, thanks to Tamura's gullibility, he has once again put his trust in the wrong person. I will be blunt. I am not that familiar with the Japanese legal system, but I am aware that the conviction rate there is quite high, and we currently have an overwhelming amount of evidence against Tamura's wife. I believe Tamura may be working off the belief that the case against her has a better chance of garnering a lesser punishment if this doesn't go to court."
"If he thinks we're gonna let her get away with this-!" Inu Yasha spluttered as Byakuya held up a hand.
"She won't." Byakuya's eyes gleamed. "Tamura thinks that having a 'fellow miko' as their lawyer, and having the case heard by a judge who taught said lawyer, will garner a lighter sentence for her. That lawyer is a rival of mine, a dark miko by the name of Tsubaki."
Kagome frowned. "That does sound like a situation that would favor Kikyou," she said.
Byakuya smiled. "On paper, it does, but I know this judge. She is not a spiritualist, nor a youkai, but she does have powers. And if there is anything she hates, it's injustice. What is more unjust than ripping a child away from the arms of her loving family?"
"So you're saying this is a good thing," Inu Yasha said.
"It's a very good thing, for all involved," Byakuya replied.
"I admit I was shocked as well that this particular individual would step in," Aohara said. "However, she has very personal reasons not to let Tamura's wife go unpunished. Usually in a case like this, things would draw out for weeks, possibly months. Since we're doing things outside of the official American court system, it shouldn't take long at all for justice to be served. I'm sure you're all eager to go back home to Japan."
The family nodded as one.
"Though we're still not going back until Kagome's had her wedding in Hawaii."
"Inu Yasha," Kagome breathed.
Inu Yasha turned to give her a warm smile, then obeyed his impulse to walk over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving them an affectionate squeeze. "She may already be my mate, and legally she's been my wife since before we even came here, but it's the reason we made the trip in the first place." He resisted the temptation to lean down and rub his nose against hers, but only barely.
Byakuya simply looked bored, but there was a light in Aohara's eyes as he was reminded of his own early days with his wife.
Byakuya cleared his throat. "Anyway, it should only take a day or two for all the opening statements and interviews to be conducted."
"Do any of them involve us?" Kagome asked.
Byakuya shook his head. "Aohara gave the judge all the pertinent details. I was there to witness it."
Inu Yasha gave Aohara a level look. "Everything?"
"Everything," Aohara replied.
"Good. Everyone needs to know why Kikyou can't be trusted." Inu Yasha's grip on Kagome's shoulders tightened, and Kagome tilted her head to brush her cheek against his fingers. Unable to help himself, he leaned down to kiss the top of Kagome's head.
"Ahem, yes, well, I should probably get going and take care of the mountain of paperwork that will be needed for this case. I'll call you if any snags come up."
"Yes, run on out of here, Fujiwara. Love is contagious, you know," Aohara said dryly.
"Humph," was Byakuya's eloquent reply before he let himself out.
Inu Yasha blushed.
Once Aohara was certain that Byakuya was gone, he asked, "So, anything particular I should know about?"
"Like?" Kagome asked.
"Well, I may not have known your family long, but your mate isn't usually this.. demonstrative. Perhaps something to do with the moon?"
Kagome's eyes widened and Inu Yasha stiffened. "Aw crap," Inu Yasha spat.
"I take that as a 'yes'," Aohara said, obviously amused. "Please don't worry. I'm used to keeping a hanyou's human night secret."
"That's right, your son is a hanyou," Kagome said. "Thank you, Aohara-san."
"You're welcome. Perhaps my apology would make an even bigger impact if I was to tell you that I have secured someplace for Inu Yasha to work?"
"You did?" Inu Yasha asked.
"The hotel has a bungalow that is currently in disrepair. If you would be willing to fix it up, you can use it for the remainder of your time here. You can either call or e-mail me a list of what you need, and I will see that you get it."
"Thank you so much, Aohara-san!" Kagome said.
"It is truly my pleasure."
It hadn't taken long for Inu Yasha to draw up a list of what he needed, delivering it directly to Aohara, who seemed amused at his enthusiasm. Inu Yasha shrugged it off. He hated being so far behind, though the reason for it definitely took precedence. Then Aohara had offered to show them where the bungalow was.
Kagome couldn't help but wonder what people thought at the parade they made. Aohara took up the front, with Mama Higurashi right behind him. Kagome was in the middle, walking alongside Naoki, who was carrying Sachiko's crutches. As for Sachiko, she was perched on Inu Yasha's shoulders despite the fact that most normal humans wouldn't be able to take the strain of having an eight-year-old up there. For Inu Yasha, though, it was as if she didn't weigh anything at all.
When they reached the location, Kagome's jaw dropped, Mama Higurashi chuckled, and Inu Yasha stared in disbelief.
"You said 'disrepair', not fucking demolished!" Inu Yasha burst out.
Kagome glared at him, but more out of habit than anything else. She really couldn't blame him. If anything deserved her mate's more salty language, it was the sight before them.
The bungalow had once been a tidy little cabin with a thatched roof. That much they could tell by the identical buildings surrounding it. However, this one was completely bisected by a massive palm tree that had fallen on it, likely during a tropical storm.
Inu Yasha sighed, setting Sachiko down on a nearby bench, ruffling her hair to try and calm himself down. "Still got that list, Aohara?"
Aohara drew the list and a pen out of the breast pocket of his shirt.
Greatly mollified by Aohara's willingness to help out, Inu Yasha made his way over to the wreckage to assess what he might need to actually fix the damned thing.
Kagome took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air, and bit back a chuckle as she heard Sachiko imitating her. Mama Higurashi, Naoki, and Aohara had gone back into the hotel, but Kagome and Sachiko had decided to make up a little nest of their own close enough to the destroyed bungalow to watch Inu Yasha work, but far enough away to not be hit by any random flying pieces. A blanket had been salvaged from the wreckage to protect their legs from the harsh ground, so they were both quite comfortable. Besides, Kagome knew that Inu Yasha would feel better having them within sight.
Not that Kagome wasn't enjoying the show. For her, it was absolutely breathtaking. Knowing that his youkai blood was beginning to ebb, Inu Yasha had wasted no time breaking down the palm tree into usable parts. She'd been surprised to realize that the palm "tree" wasn't a proper tree at all, the trunk being easily shredded down into fibers beneath Inu Yasha's experienced claws. She'd noticed he had put various parts in piles, and she fully intended to ask him what it all was. Even so, it was hot, hard work, and while she and Sachiko were in the shade of a palm tree grove, Inu Yasha was directly out in the sun.
A small part of her had been worried about him getting heat exhaustion, a fear that had been quickly allayed by a brief stop-by on Aohara's part on the way back to his car, bearing an enormous plastic water cooler complete with a spigot. Inu Yasha had nodded his thanks, while Kagome smiled hers. Now she could sit back and enjoy the sight her mate presented. He'd braided his hair back, but the sun glinted off it and his naturally bronzed skin. He'd also worked up quite a good sweat, and at one point had shucked his shirt off. He was power and grace, all in a lean, broad-shouldered package that Kagome honestly wanted to sink her teeth into.
"Mom?"
Kagome smiled as she turned to her daughter. "Yes?"
"What did you ever see in that other guy? I mean," Sachiko frowned a little as she gathered her thoughts, "he isn't nice at all. And he's not bad looking, but when compared to Papa..."
Kagome laughed, putting her arm around Sachiko and giving her a squeeze. "You're just being corrupted from having such a perfect example. I almost pity any boy who tries to impress you now," she said with a wink before sobering. "Honestly, I was young, and Hojo-kun was my first love. Your grandfather died when I was just a little girl, and the only other guys I knew were Gramps and Souta. Hojo-kun was so different, and he was.. persistent."
"Persistent?" Sachiko echoed, tilting her head.
"He was always giving me little gifts, or doing things like walking me home from school. As you yourself said, he's not a bad looking guy, and he wasn't back then, either. He never raised his voice, and never said a bad word about everyone. I took that to mean he was nice, kind, and polite. Exactly the type of boy I wanted to marry."
"And that's why you married him?"
"Well, that and honestly, being with him was.. comfortable. He really made me feel as if I were important to him. I thought being his wife would be heavenly, and he would treat me like a queen, since that's what he did while we were dating. But the moment our vows had been made and the legal papers signed, he changed."
"So he made you think he was one kind of guy, when he was really another," Sachiko said.
Kagome nodded. "I think one of the reasons I ended up falling for your Papa so quickly and easily was that he didn't mask the fact he didn't like me at first. He didn't pretend to be nice to me just to make things easier. He's an honest person through and through. What he does is truly what he feels, even though he may not be able to express it verbally, and our mating bond only helps me see that even more clearly."
"I think," Sachiko started before shaking her head. "I mean, I hope when I fall in love, it's with someone at least part youkai."
"Oh?" Kagome asked.
"It's not that I think humans are bad or anything," Sachiko said, "but I really want to be mated. You and Papa are so happy now that you are. That's what I want."
"Sachiko..."
"Besides, if I had a human husband, I'd way outlive him, right?"
Kagome sighed. "You're way too young to be thinking about things like that."
"But it's true, isn't it?"
Kagome gave in, needing to respond to the questions in those hopeful brown eyes. "Yes," Kagome said.
"See? That's why I need to find someone at least part youkai like Papa."
"Oi, you two okay?"
Kagome looked up and tried not to faint dead away in rapture. Or climb him like one of the nearby trees. "We're fine. Just talking about boys and stuff."
Inu Yasha's eyes narrowed. "Sachiko's too young for that."
"I was just telling Mom that I want to find someone like you, Papa."
Kagome giggled as Inu Yasha blushed. "Nah, you should find yourself a nice guy. I have no idea why your Mom puts up with me!"
"Because she loves you, silly," Sachiko replied, with all the wisdom of her eight years on earth.
That only made Inu Yasha's cheeks darken even more. "Keh!"
The lower edge of the sun was just touching the horizon as Inu Yasha put everything away. He couldn't help but smile, since no one was there to see him mooning over his audience, who had decided to take a nap. Sachiko's head was pillowed on Kagome's bicep, while Kagome leaned against the tree trunk. He picked up the pace, wanting to be able to pull off one last feat of strength before he was put out of commission for the night.
He finished in the nick of time, scooping up his mate and daughter together, cradling them against his chest and mindful of Sachiko's leg. Both of them sighed happily in unison and snuggled in, obviously aware of just who was now so close by.
Inu Yasha ignored the stares of the few scattered people in the hotel lobby. Let them think that it was a stunt, or he was a strongman. He wasn't about to put either of them down. Once he reached their hotel room, he gave the door a kick, knowing Naoki would be able to sense it was him.
Naoki shook his head as the door opened and he stepped aside, but Inu Yasha caught the corners of Naoki's mouth twitching. Not a moment too soon, he gently settled Kagome and Sachiko on the bed. Then he seated himself on the edge of the mattress.
"Dad?" Naoki asked.
"I'll be fine," Inu Yasha muttered. Truth be told, he was nervous. He had no idea what effect his human night would have on the mating bond, or vice versa. He didn't know any other mated hanyou. Even with all the people they had so far met in Hawaii, they were either human or youkai. The hanyou involved were all children.
Naoki, of course, knew all of that, so he joined his Dad on the bed, allowing himself to lean against Inu Yasha's arm. "Yeah, you will," he said. "Mom and Sachiko are fine, and they're human all the time."
Inu Yasha slipped his arm around Naoki, giving him a quick squeeze.
Then the monthly transformation began. It wasn't truly painful. The hardest part about it was losing his heightened senses for the night. How was he supposed to protect his family when he was just a weak, pathetic human? Then again, as Naoki had pointed out, Kagome was human, and she kicked plenty of ass. On the other hand, she had her reiki at all times. What was he without his youki?
"Dad, stop it," Naoki chided.
Inu Yasha scowled, but his negative emotions were all directed inward. He could all but feel his hair darkening to black, and he definitely felt the way his skull shifted, rewiring his hearing from canine to human. He closed his eyes, the difference disorienting if he didn't. His nails shortened and rounded, his fangs giving way to a softer curve.
Finally, he let out a sigh.
He kept his eyes closed as he felt Naoki brushing his hair aside.
"You're still marked, Dad. Just like Mom."
Inu Yasha let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Thanks, pup."
"Anytime," Naoki said with a grin. "Now, think the smell of food will wake those two Sleeping Beauties up?"
Inu Yasha opened his eyes and smirked. "Only one way to find out!"
The food was still on its way when Kagome and Sachiko were awakened from their nap. Inu Yasha had kissed both of Sachiko's cheeks, then left a lingering one on her forehead. As Sachiko's eyes fluttered open, he'd turned his attention to Kagome. Sachiko smiled sleepily, and she could still feel the warmth of her Papa's lips against her skin. She'd already been prepared for seeing him in his human guise, so it was no surprise. She looked on, entranced as Inu Yasha's lips brushed Kagome's, keeping things chaste, but putting the power of his devotion behind it.
"No going back to sleep," Naoki's voice broke in as his hand covered Sachiko's forehead. "You okay?"
"I'm okay. Just sleepy," Sachiko said. "Though my leg does hurt a little."
"Grandma said you might need more medicine when you woke up. I'll go get it!"
"Thanks, Naoki!" Sachiko called after him.
By the time Naoki returned with Mama Higurashi in tow, Kagome was awake as well, her cheeks slightly pink from Inu Yasha's method of waking her up.
At first Kagome had been a little disconcerted when she finally opened her eyes. Then the memory of Inu Yasha's impending human night filtered back into her conscious mind. She'd felt the shift on a subconscious level, but she had experienced it so many times now, it was practically second nature. The look in his eyes took Kagome's breath away. She brought her hand up to cup his cheek, and he turned into it, pressing yet another kiss to her palm.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said.
Inu Yasha chuckled. "Wouldn't expect anything less. You're not only eating, but sleeping for two."
If it weren't for their pups and her Mama in the room, Kagome would have taken hold of his forelocks and pulled him down to kiss him senseless. As it was, she moved her free arm back and struggled to sit up.
Even though he was human, Inu Yasha was still strong, and he immediately moved to help her. It only took a moment to get her situated, her back cushioned against the headboard of the bed by a pillow.
Meanwhile, Mama Higurashi was doing the same for Sachiko, urging her to sit up so she could take her medicine. It took a little extra doing, but soon Sachiko was gulping down her painkillers with a glass of water.
The rest of the evening passed without incident. After dinner, Mama Higurashi went into the other room to relax and catch up on her reading, while Kagome and Inu Yasha curled up with Naoki and Sachiko on the bed in the main room, getting a few more lessons in how to use a tablet. It wasn't until both pups were yawning uncontrollably that Inu Yasha chased them to their own bed, at least for a little while. He took on the honors of helping Sachiko get ready, with Naoki right beside him.
"I'll protect her, Dad. Don't worry," Naoki reassured him, verbally shooing him out of the room.
As Inu Yasha quietly closed the door between the two rooms, Kagome asked, "Dare I ask what that smile is for?"
Inu Yasha's smile gained a slightly wistful turn. "Our pups are growing up. Naoki's volunteered to protect Sachiko for the night."
"Like father, like son," Kagome said, her voice rich with warmth and love.
Inu Yasha blushed. While he'd been putting the pups to bed, Kagome had changed into her nightclothes and slipped more properly beneath the sheets. Inu Yasha dimmed the lights, then stripped down to join her. That was a new thing they had developed. On his human nights, they didn't turn the lights off completely. The loss of so much of his night vision wasn't as blatant that way.
He slid into bed, and immediately found himself with his arms full of Kagome.
Inu Yasha buried his nose in her hair, in search of her scent. He found it, faint though it was with his human nose.
"So, what are your plans for tonight?" Kagome asked.
Inu Yasha bit back a twinge of frustration. He'd forgotten that working so hard throughout the day wouldn't give him enough time for his youkai blood to heal the aches and pains that normally went away in an hour or two. "I'm afraid this old man is feeling creaky tonight, but I definitely still love you, Kagome."
Kagome snorted. "Old, indeed. It's called being human." She snuggled in, savoring the feel of her body against his. "So just snuggling tonight? Should we go get Naoki and Sachiko?"
Inu Yasha shook his head. "I'm being selfish tonight. Let the pups find out that the door's unlocked by themselves."
Kagome chuckled, pressing a kiss to his chest. "I don't mind," Kagome said. "I love our pups, I really do, but I'm feeling a little selfish, too."
"I just wish..."
"What?" Kagome asked, lifting her head so she could see his face.
"I miss being able to hear our pup," Inu Yasha admitted, a blush washing over his cheeks.
Kagome calmly placed one of his hands on her abdomen. "You can still feel him. See?"
"I know, it's just.. different." Then something seemed to hit him. "Have you ever felt any changes in him?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Inu Yasha hesitated, debating whether he really wanted to know, "could you tell if our pup's had a human night yet?"
Kagome thought back. "No, I haven't," she said. "He's always felt the same so far."
Inu Yasha didn't know whether he should be relieved or concerned.
"You once said that pups don't start out with any powers of their own. They draw off their parents. Maybe their actual human and youkai sides don't start to split until after they're born."
Inu Yasha stared down at Kagome, stunned. "That would make a disgusting amount of sense," he said. "When Naoki was born, he was both crying like a human baby, but also pleading like an inu."
"I can't imagine what it must have been like for you. Did Naoki have a human night right away, or did you have the chance to hope he wouldn't have one?"
"Didn't have the chance," Inu Yasha replied, "and I'm damned grateful for it now. Didn't feel that way at the time, though."
"What do you mean?"
Inu Yasha snorted, his eyes glinting. "You're just taking advantage of me being chattier because I'm human."
"Do you blame me?" Kagome asked, a teasing light in her own eyes.
"Not a bit." He took a moment to kiss her forehead before continuing. "I love it when you take advantage of me."
"I'm filing that away for future reference," Kagome said with a playful smile.
"I'm counting on it. Anyway..." Inu Yasha immediately sobered. "Naoki had his first human night about two weeks after he was born. It was really tough on both of us. The only time he stopped crying was when he'd tired himself out too much. Didn't help that I wanted to cry as much as he was. It was," Inu Yasha swallowed, "hard seeing him like that, not only because I knew what it felt like and I was powerless to stop it, but because I was still mourning the end of my marriage."
Kagome's throat went dry and her eyes stung. "Because that night, you saw what could have been."
Inu Yasha nodded. "I'm damned glad it didn't happen like that, though," he said firmly, even if his voice was a bit rough. "It would have torn me apart, never being able to do anything but watch him from a distance. Not being there for his first steps, his first words. Missing out on all that, even the thought..." Inu Yasha swallowed several times.
Kagome nuzzled him beneath his chin, knowing that deep down, his inu instincts were still there, even if right at that moment he looked human. "I know what you mean," Kagome said. "When I was fighting for Sachiko, I was so afraid of losing her. Of being found an 'unfit mother' and Hojo-kun taking her away."
Kagome felt Inu Yasha's arms tighten around her, hugging her within an inch of her life.
"I also would never have met you or Sachiko," Inu Yasha continued. "I would still be married to a selfish cunt for whom I was always just the means to an end. I can see that clearly now."
Kagome shivered at Inu Yasha's vehemence, glad that she wasn't on the receiving end.
"Did you know," Inu Yasha all but whispered, "Kikyou never really let me hold her, not even after, well, after..."
Kagome couldn't help it. This was her Inu Yasha in human form, incredibly crude one moment, then painfully vulnerable the next. "You can hold me as much as you want, as long as you want. Forever sounds good to me."
If Inu Yasha's chuckle was a bit watery, she wasn't about to comment.
"It's so much easier to say this when I'm human. I love you so much, Kagome. You mean everything to me."
"Inu Yasha..."
His name was punctuated by his lips coming down on hers, swallowing anything else she might have wanted to say. It might have been a horrible cliché, but whether he was human, hanyou, or youkai, his kiss never lied. It often spoke for him, communicating his feelings purely from the depths of his heart. Kagome could spend forever kissing him. The rest of him was always so hard, but his lips were always soft and tender. Even when he claimed her passionately, they became firm, but there was always just the slightest bit of give. Kagome found herself slipping one arm out of his embrace, only to gently rub the outer shell of his temporarily human ear.
Inu Yasha gasped, and Kagome deepened the kiss. Even if they didn't make love, that didn't mean she couldn't savor whatever he would give her.
When they finally drew apart, they were both breathless, the love and joy between them palpable.
"You are mine, Higurashi Kagome."
"Forever," Kagome agreed.
Inu Yasha slowly woke out of a sound sleep to the delicious feeling of his wife curled up in his arms. They'd fallen asleep, her back to his front, his arms securely holding her close. Although apparently at least one pup had found the unlocked door. Surprisingly, rather than being draped over Inu Yasha, Naoki was curled around Kagome's stomach. Then Inu Yasha realized Naoki was taking his responsibility to protect Kagome seriously, and a surge of pride rushed through him.
That was when he realized it was the whimpering of his other pup that had awakened him. He might have been in human form, but his comprehension of inu remained intact. Sachiko was calling for him.
He forced down the touch of reluctance, satisfying himself with kissing Kagome's shoulder before slipping out of bed. He padded into the next room, and mentally cursed the darkness within. He could just make out her prone form on the bed that the pups had been sharing. He went over to her and tried to pick her up, but he quickly realized that with the addition of the various casts and braces on her leg, it made things too awkward for him to carry her while he was human. Murmuring apologies, he helped her up, supporting her when she wobbled, trying to remember how to use her crutches even though she was half asleep.
"Bathroom," she murmured, once she was upright.
Inu Yasha bit back a sigh. Of course she would need to go on a night that he wasn't as capable as usual. He did his best to help usher her to the bathroom, and when it seemed she couldn't figure out how to stay on her crutches while pulling her underwear down, Inu Yasha did the honors. Once she was securely seated, he stepped out and around the doorframe, giving her some semblance of privacy.
He was a little annoyed that he would have to ask her for verbal confirmation when she was finished. Normally he could just listen to the sounds she was making, and be there without her having to ask.
He took a deep breath and gave himself a moment to appreciate how quickly one of his minor fears had been allayed as his and Kagome's relationship grew stronger. Way back when he was trying to convince himself why he shouldn't be involved with Kagome, he had thought it would be awkward having a daughter. A son, he could handle, but he didn't know anything about women, much less girls! But from the moment he'd met Sachiko, parenting her had come as easily as breathing. That was why, when he was first forced to face his feelings for Kagome and Sachiko, his walls had come crumbling down so violently. It was like Kagome said about Naoki. He truly felt as if Naoki wasn't an only child. That Sachiko was his, from the moment she had been born. Maybe that was why both his and Kagome's first marriages failed. They'd simply married the wrong people the first time around.
His train of thought was completely derailed as the sound of Sachiko's scream sent him running into the bathroom without his conscious input.
"Sachiko!"
Author's Note: If you've come this far, you're officially halfway through this fic.
Yes, there is plenty more to come, and thank you for sticking with me!
