It was rare to have all of them together like this, not without a sense of purpose or a meal to share. Shippou had even made an appearance, having come down from his training for a few weeks to spend time with those he considered his family. They all did - their chosen family. The five of them sat in the middle of an open field, the sun beating down hat would have been uncomfortably, if there wasn't a constant breeze or the shade of a few trees to keep the lot of them cool.
Bouncing Hisui on his knee, Miroku kept the young boy entertained as the twins were kept somewhat busy by the kitsune, showing them his newly learned tricks and pranks. Kagome watched with a sense of hesitance, peering to Sango before speaking somewhat lowly, "Do you think it's a good idea to have Shippou be teaching them that stuff? They could get into some serious trouble."
"C'mon Kagome, don't be so uptight," the statement hadn't been directed towards him. Laying on his back, head resting against his hands that lay crossed to make a crude pillow, he didn't even open his eyes as he continued, "Those pranks are harmless - they're fine. Shippou's been showin' em stuff like this since they barely knew how to walk."
Kagome stiffened at the tone of his voice, how he spoke to her as if she knew nothing, and her brow furrowed. Sango rested a hand on her sister's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile, "They're in good hands with Shippou," she started, pulling her hand away and placing it back in her lap.
"Inuyasha isn't the only one who has done growing up, since you left," Miroku teased, expecting a reaction from his friend and rewarded with the hanyou's eyes snapping open and sitting up with a start.
"And just what are you getting at with that, bozu?" the snap of Inuyasha's voice only had the other three chuckling softly in amusement; his temper was as predictable as ever, it seemed. Grumbling, Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest as she straightened in his seat, chin lifted in a slight scowl. It was only because of his wife's hand on his thigh that he allowed his expression to soften, letting her rest it there as she grabbed Sango's attention.
"Hey, isn't it your guys' anniversary soon?"
The young couple paused and looked at one another, brows lifted as if they'd forgotten, "Uh-" Miroku began, as if he really needed to think about it. Sango's expression mirrored his, both of them thinking more than perhaps they should have needed to.
"I guess so," Sango finally finished, turning her attention back to Kagome, "I suppose we've been so busy with the children that we haven't had the space to really think about things like that," a shrug followed her statement, slightly saddened by the realization of it. Miroku followed with a sigh, hearing the attempt at words in the form of incoherent babbles coming from his son.
It was soon after Kagome had disappeared, trapped in her own time, that the monk and demon-slayer got married and only a few months after that did she become pregnant. The monk had wasted no time in making sure his wife fulfilled the statement he'd first said to her when they met; she would be the bearer of his child. Inuyasha had been the one to tell Sango, off-handed and flippant, as if she already knew, or that it was obvious. That nose of his didn't seem to miss anything, not that any of them should have been surprised.
The arrival of the twins had the new and inexperienced parents with their hands full, only finding some reprieve when Inuyasha offered to watch one of them with one parent, while the other managed to find time to nap or grab something to eat. Who knew something so small could be so much work.
It was because of all of that work that the two of them weren't able to do much outside of their daily routine, leaving them to neglect their relationship at times. Of course, that hardly meant that their love had diminished, but it did get a little difficult, especially once Hisui was born. The twins had just started to stop using diapers, but they were still unable to take care of themselves by any means. Adding another child almost made it impossible.
Yet, with Hisui finally almost weened from Sango's breast, it seemed like things were finally slowing down for the two.
"Well, did you two do anything - y'know, before you had the twins?" Kagome finally asked, keeping her attention between Sango and Miroku, only to see them look at each other once again.
"We went just outside the village, a bit more south, and set up camp for a couple days," Miroku stated, offering his wife a soft smile, "Wasn't much, but it was nice to have just the two of us." Sango's gaze softened, reaching a hand to take her husband's in her own as it was obvious that the two of them had a moment of reminiscing. The sight had Kagome sighing wistfully, filled with her ability to turn things into a hopeless romantic situation.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, still rather uncomfortable with the display of public affection - or rather, still jaded towards them, as if he didn't have his own wife to indulge with. When his eyes found their normal position, he saw his wife looking at him with a gentle smile, finally pulling her hand from his thigh to lean back against both of her hands.
Sango sighed heavily at the reality of their situation, "It'd be lovely to get away for a bit, but leaving the kids with someone would be a handful," she stated blatantly, only to have Kagome not skip a beat. Straightening to a seated position, a wide smile formed on her face, mahogany eyes filled with excited intention.
"Inuaysha and I can babysit!" she exclaimed, only to hear a sound of protest from her husband.
"Like hell I am! I've done my time with babysitting," a reactive response, looking to the woman who had offered up his services with consent, "You're on your own," he added, turning his head away from the group in defiance as he shoved his hands in his sleeve, "Maybe you can get Shippou to help you -"
"Inuyasha..." he knew that tone, eyes widening and his body stiffening, back completely straight and hair standing on end, "Sit, boy."
The beads worked their magic, dragging the hanyou down face first into the ground with a loud yelp, "We're more than happy to help our friends by babysitting for a night," the miko said in a voice so chipper that it was almost as if she hadn't just caused her own husband to eat dirt, "Right, Inuyasha?" her gaze didn't even glance towards him, hearing a groan in defeated agreement.
"Are you sure?" Sango asked, the couples face showing an uncomfortable shock at the display they'd witnessed between their friends, "We wouldn't want to impose-"
"Nonsense!" Kagome sang, waving her hand at them in dismissal as she continued her smile, "You guys deserve it. When is you anniversary?"
Once again, Miroku and Sango peered towards each other, both trying to find the answer in one another, "I think...in a couple days," Miroku spoke, finally offering his wife a smile, "That's right, three days from now."
"Then it's settled, we'll make the plans on when exactly we'll head over for you to head out," Kagome could hear a low grumble beneath her husband's breath and she turned towards him with a warning glare. Inuyasha flinched away from her, lifting his arm front of his face as if he was trying to shield himself from the piercing scowl his wife directed towards him.
"We can't thank you enough, you two," Sango replied, offering a very genuine smile, "For you to offer is beyond what we ever expect," she added, feeling Kagome take her hand.
"It's what family does, right?" Kagome assured, unable to see how even Inuyasha softened at that statement.
Family. He never thought he'd have a place within one, but now he was surrounded by people who genuinely cared for him, even though he had a hard time accepting it. The village had accepted him as one of their own, Sango, Miroku and Shippou considering him like a brother; and Kagome - his Kagome - was his wife, a concept so foreign to him that sometimes he found himself lost in thought o try and grasp that it was his ow life he was living, not someone else's.
The sweet moment was broken by a yelp coming from Shippou, seeing the twins dog-piled on the small kitsune, giggling and pulling at his tail and bow, "A little help here!?" A soft laugh was shared between the group before Sango called her girls over.
"Kin'u, Gyokuto! Leave Shippou alone, it's time to head home," the rest of the adults climbed to their feet, Kagome dusting herself off as she watched the girls listen to their mother, jumping off Shippou with a groan of disappointment before running back to the main group.
One of the twins immediately ran directly to Inuyasha, reaching her arms up in a silent plea to be lifted. Never able to deny them, the hanyou leaned down, picking the young girl up with a grumble before placing her on his shoulders and holding onto her ankles to make sure she stayed secured. Without fail, Kin'u found her hands on his ears, giggling uncontrollably as she tugged at them, "Doggy!" she shrieked with amusement, resulting in a visible wince on the dog demon's expression. Yet, as uncomfortable as he was, there was no snap or snarl, only a hand reaching up to bring the child's vice-like grip from his sensitive appendages. The young girl got the message, replacing her hands in his hair to keep herself stable as the group headed back to Miroku and Sango's.
Miroku released a sharp breath of amusement, "Best hope you two don't end up having a girl," he murmured within Kagome's earshot, causing a soft 'huh?' to leave her as she peered over her shoulder and watched how Inuyasha interacted with the young girl, "She'll be trouble and have Inuyasha wrapped around her finger, I'm sure of it," the monk continued as Kagome felt her heart completely melt at the thought.
They'd walked in silence on the way home, Inuyasha keeping his hands in his sleeves as they did so. There was a tension between them, even as they walked into their hut, and it was only making Kagome agitated.
"Are you really that upset?" finally, she asked, only to see her husband peer over his shoulder towards her with a huff. Rolling her eyes, she released a heavy sigh, almost like that of a groan, as she made her way over to her husband, "It's just one night," she mused, placing her hands on his forearms to bring his hands from his sleeves.
"Keh, you weren't here when the twins were born - I meant what I said when I told you I did my time," he rebutted, allowing her to spread his arms enough for her to press herself against him. Loosely, he wrapped his arms around her, finding it harder throughout their time together to refuse much of what she asked of him. Kagome ran her hands over his ribs and up his chest, gently tracing her fingers over the bare skin at the top of his collarbone. Sliding her hands beneath his haori and kosode, she felt the warmth of his skin against her palms with the intent to warm up he hands as well as simply get closer to him.
The coldness of her hands against his skin had him grunting slightly, staring down at her with a knowing look, "Your hands are freezing," like it wasn't completely obvious to the both of them. Typically, she did this out of pure necessity, getting close to him with the sole purpose to warm up her hands; but the mood had shifted. There was more to this touch, letting it wander over his chest as she scraped her nails gently against his flesh.
There it was - that mischievous, enticing look in her eye that told him she had ulterior motives, "C'mon, Inuyasha," she mused, leaning her head forward to press a soft, though purposeful, kiss to his pronounced jawline, "Don't be such a poor sport," she hummed, letting her hands continue to wander down his sides. Reaching his stomach, she pulled her hands away, tugging at his obi only to be stopped by the grip of his hands on her biceps.
"Kagome..." he warned, peering down at her in order to have her pull away and meet his gaze, "You're not playing fair," he snarled in an attempt to intimidate, but it was only met with a soft smirk.
"You look good as a dad, you know," the statement had Inuyasha freezing completely, eyes wide as he kept his attention on his wife's face. It distracted him enough to allow Kagome to loosen his obi enough to have his haori go slack, "I just mean, seeing you with the twins - it's a good look."
A perplexed expression washed over the hanyou's face, never having thought about being a father. Well, he thought about it, but figured it would never be a reality for him; the two of them had never really discussed kids, Kagome holding an assumption that he was hesitant and possibly opposed the option of having them, "W-what are you talking about? Do you want kids?" The sudden feel of her hand pulling his kosode from his hakama had his gripping her hands to halt them, "Kagome," his tone held more seriousness within it.
"With you? Yeah," she said it as if the statement was the most obvious thing in the world, allowing him to hold her hands still as she kept her gaze on his, "What about you? Did you ever think about having kids?" It seemed she'd hit a sensitive subject, or at least a sore spot, as his ears dropped and his gaze averted from her, cheeks flushed slightly.
"Hey, you brought this up," she stated with more force than she'd intended, pulling one of her hands from his to cup his cheek and turn his head back towards her, gaze still averted as she did so, "Look at me, Inuyasha!" she commanded, finally finding his molten amber meeting her deep mahogany. Without a moment to think about it, she knew that look - a look that held a lifetime of rejection and the desire to find a place for him to belong. It harboured a sense of hurt and suffering that Kagome knew she'd never understand fully because she'd never experienced it. That look always broke her heart, to know how much heavy weight her carried from his childhood.
"Technically, you brought it up-" the statement had little fight behind it, moving his hands to her back and resting there loosely. A soft sigh left his wife in response, leaning forward to rest her head on his chest, her arms wrapping his waist to pull him closer to her - an invitation to open up in only a way she could get him to.
A few beats passed, Inuyasha hesitant to return the hold, as if he suddenly felt he didn't deserve it. Yet, once again, when it came to his miko, he was wrapped around her finger, circling his arms around her and cradling the back of her head, "Why?" the question was posed weakly, holding authentic questioning within it, "You know what it means, if we did. If I-" the feel of Kagome pressing against his hold had him loosening it enough for her lift her head and find his gaze.
"Why wouldn't I?" she challenged, canting her head to the side with a furrowed brow, "You're right. I knew exactly what it meant to be with you," she started, her expression softening before she continued, "It meant I got to be happy - to feel whole..." she mused, keeping her hold around his waist, seeing her hanyou - her husband - look at her with a sense of relief. It didn't last, though, that uncertainty painted on his face as he brought up another worry that wormed into his mind.
"What...what if they look like me?"
"I hope they do," she replied, barely able to let him finish his sentence as she offering him a bright smile, "A little baby with your ears - are you kidding me?" The tone of her voice held no sarcasm or falsehood, only pure joy at the thought. It caused her husband to scoff, rolling his eyes and averting his gaze once again, as if what she'd said was a complete mockery of his worries.
"You'd be judged for it and they-"
"Inuyasha, the village accepts us; accepts you," she emphasized, finally having Inuyasha turn to look at her, finding nothing but pure reassurance in her gaze, "And they'd accept the baby we'd have. They'd be protected and welcomed," getting up on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to his chin, "It wouldn't just be us, either. They'd have Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kaede...so many people to show it love and support."
Finally, Inuyasha allowed himself to be comforted, if only a small bit, as he rested his forehead against hers. A silence fell between the two of them, Kagome knowing full well to give Inuyasha the space and to take as much time as he needed. It was the reason she was able to get him to open up as much as he had. Closing her eyes, she simply basked in his hold, his presence, attempting to calm and reassure him - convince him her words were true.
"I thought about it-" he finally stated, answering her question from earlier, "But not much. Didn't see the point," he murmured, opening his eyes to lift his head and press a kiss to her forehead, "Since you've come back, though..." he trailed off, feeling Kagome pull from him to catch his gaze, "I've thought about it more."
"And?" Kagome prodded, though it was ever so forbearing.
"I-" he swallowed slightly, trying to search her gaze for the right answer, "I don't know," the instant he said it, he could feel Kagome's heart dampen, "I mean, I just..." he released a heavy sigh giving her a slight squeeze, "I don't know if I'd be a good dad. I didn't grow up with one, you know that."
"And you think I know how to be a mom?"
"Well, yeah!" The way he responded, with more force and confidence behind his words, it took Kagome by surprise, "Look at how you are with Shippou; he's basically your kid," he added, releasing a huff of uncertainty, as if that confidence had run out from that statement alone, "You just have this nurturing nature to you, y'know? And I-"
The taste of her lips had him cut off, the nature of the kiss claiming and commanding. Inuyasha had no choice but to sink into it, lifting a hand to cup her cheek to pull her closer and drink up more of her - a good distraction. It didn't last as long as he wanted as Kagome seemed to have other ideas, breaking the kiss but keeping her lips close to his - a breath away.
"Idiot," she stated, though her tone was almost melancholy. It startled her husband, eyes widening in surprise and heart aching by the word, "You need to give yourself more credit," she continued, showing the confusion Inuyasha felt at the conflicting choice of words. A soft smile gave him some of her contagious reassurance, lips still barely an inch from his own, "I see how you are with the twins - with Hisui. How careful and patient you are with them; they love being around you, they feel safe." It was then that she pulled her hands from his waist, only run them down his sides, finding the warmth of his bare skin beneath her palms, "And if you're not gunna believe me, I guess I'll just have to convince you as often as I need to." With the attempt to lighten the mood, she smiled a little more playfully, though it still held that genuine seriousness she had towards her words.
"Kagome..." he breathed, closing the gap between their lips and letting himself indulge in her taste, "What did I ever do without you?" He knew exactly was he did - he moped and sulked, diving headfirst into what ever could distract him. Now, he could enjoy the present and take in every moment with her.
Instead of responding to his rhetorical question, she nipped at his lower lip, "Now, are you going to let me undress you? Or has all this baby talk ruined the mood?" she teased, receiving a response from the low growl from her husband's throat.
"Takes more than that to keep my hands off you."
"Then, husband, take me to bed."
It wasn't a request, but an order, feeling him obey as he lifted her off her feet and carry her to their bedroom.