Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
This is a one-shot that popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone. I love sweetness.
...
Wordplay
It was late spring deep in the Western mountains. The trees were flowering and sporting new and fragile leaves. The streams thickened and the fish returned to the valleys and rivers in droves. Wildflowers sprung up from nowhere, dotting wide expanses of lush grass with their confetti of colors.
Alone in a field dripping with new spring blooms, a couple sat leaning intimately into each other and talking of nothing in particular to pass the time. The warm breeze lifted dazzling white hair from the ground and played with the ends, whipping small tangles here and there in the stoic daiyoukai's unbound locks. A young woman sat between his long legs with her back nestled into her Mate's broad chest, sighing contentedly and soaking in his masculine and inhuman warmth. Her raven hair was braided neatly and tied with a pale blue ribbon, laid heavily against full breasts and trailing down over her belly before resting finally on a thigh. His hand was wrapped tenderly around her and rested in her lap while the other amused itself with the small hairs at the nape of her neck. She lazily twirled a flower with her own hands and stopped to smell its sweet fragrance as Sesshoumaru made a decision.
"Lily." Sesshoumaru rumbled.
"Hmm… yellow." Kagome responded.
"War."
"You would. Let's see… River."
"Rest." He stroked gently up and down her exposed neck with two clawed fingers.
"I'm fine, don't fuss. Trees."
"Sound."
"Dazzling." She looked back at him and met his glorious golden eyes with unhidden love. Tender eyes shone back just for her that would disappear in hiding around the others at the Western shiro.
"Hm. Generous." He stroked the underside of her pillowy breast with the back of his hand, watching as the flesh bulged temptingly beneath her pale-yellow kimono.
"Easy, mister. So, 's'… Silence."
"Hn. Something we have little of." His hand dropped back to her thigh, defeated.
"And even less in the future."
"Indeed. Escape."
"Good one. Enamored." She wiggled her body up to kiss his jaw. He returned the kiss to her in spades, tilting her head up to meet his own wanting lips sweetly. Plucking more delicate kisses from her rose-petal mouth with his eyes closed to block out all other sensations but the feel of her against him. A horn sounded jarringly in the distance.
"Duty." He sighed, growling.
"Don't do that. This is a game, for kami's sake, and we don't have to go back yet. 'Y' is for yawn. Uh oh…" Kagome broke off with one of her own.
"Do we not?" He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Shall we return?"
"No, not yet. We never get out anymore."
"This is not 'out,' Mate. This is a field adjacent to our home." He swept a graciously sleeved arm out to the field around them as the shiro towered over the trees nearby.
"It's enough for me. You. That's my word."
"Uncooperative."
"Are you talking about me now? No, I just want you to myself. That's appropriately selfish, not uncooperative." And she snuggled deeper into his lap to prove her point. "Excited."
"Debatable."
"What? No, I am excited. Why would you say that?"
"No, the word I choose is 'debatable.' Calm yourself." He rubbed his cheek against hers and placed a kiss atop her head.
"Oh, right." She giggled. "Then… eyeball."
"Odd but very well. Lavender."
"Oh, yum. Like my favorite tea. Rough." She ran delicate fingers down the center of his palm and he shivered at her feathery touch.
"Hydrangeas."
"Oh, Rin's favorite. I miss her. We should have brought her home by now."
"She is perfectly happy with the elder miko. She told you so herself when we last visited. We should, however, be getting you back home now."
"Oh fine. Help me up, please."
"Of course."
When Sesshoumaru reached a hand back down to her, she grasped it firmly and hauled herself up to make the trek back home. Back to work and back to busy palace life. Suddenly, shock registered on her pale face, her feet planted themselves and her cheeks flushed with color, eyes wide open in shock. Sesshoumaru was a few steps away but heard her heartbeat quicken and her gasp and was back to her in an instant.
"What is it?"
"Midwife." she breathed.
"That does not begin with 's,' Kagome. You have lost the game."
"No, Sesshoumaru! No, I mean we need one. My water just broke!"
Their eyes met in tender acknowledgment of the gravity of the moment before Kagome smiled and Sesshoumaru scooped her up to take her back to the palace. Everything had been ready for the arrival of their first pup for weeks but the babe was being stubborn. It had apparently taken a long walk from the shiro to the field and game of wordplay to bring labor on.
Hours later, the new parents sat leaning against each other in the same intimate position as they took in the first few hours of their new daughter's cries and wiggles. The addition of the pup to their embrace made it complete.
"Are you well?" he asked gently, keeping his voice low.
"Mm hmm. Tired but fine. She's so perfect. I'm so glad she's healthy. The midwife was getting worried she was so late."
"My own mother once suggested I attempted to remain unborn for much too long, as well. Perhaps it is not a sign of willfulness but one of perfection."
"Oh, for the love of- Or that she's half miko and half daiyoukai and no one really knew at all when she would arrive."
"Perhaps. But you are correct. She is, indeed, most perfect. My daughter and heir, Kasumi."