Splaying her fingers against her stomach she couldn't believe how big she had already gotten. It had only been a couple of months.
"Man, I'm gonna be big as a house." Poking at herself she looked to Sesshomaru. "Are you sure there's only one in there?"
"Yes." He said. "Our pup is simply thriving well."
"I wonder what we're having."
"I know the gender." Sesshomaru stated. "Would you like to know?"
Sitting down a short distance across from him she nodded her head eagerly. Smiling at her he took her hands in his. "We will have our son."
Kagome squeezed his hands and nearly squealed in delight before tears formed. "Dearest why are you crying?"
"I'm just so happy." She bemoaned. Pulling her to him he wrapped her in his embrace as she held onto him tightly.
Sesshomaru watched her intently. She had a hares hide that she seemed to be stitching and sewing small buttons onto down the front and leg diagonally.
She had left the back of the fur on it and had tanned the ears to preserve them. It looked to be a small suit of sorts.
"What are you doing?" His curiosity getting the better of him. Looking up from her project she readjusted her position to accommodate her growing stomach.
Outside of their home the bitter wind whipped the first snow storm around clamoring and howling as if begging entrance to their warm abode.
"I'm making an outfit for our baby." Her tone implying that he should have already known what she were doing. "Newborns get cold easily so this will keep him warm. Besides," Holding it up for him to see her handwork, "He'll be adorable in it."
"My son is not an usagi. My son is an inu." Sesshomaru said closing his eyes and crossing his arms across himself indignantly. Lowering it Kagome pursed her lips and cocked a brow at him annoyed.
"Well my son is half human and I'm putting him in the bunny outfit." She quipped back haughtily. Slowly cracking an eyelid at her Sesshomaru matched her expression.
"We shall see mate." He challenged wanting nothing more than to grab the ridiculous garment and bury it somewhere.
"Hm." Kagome huffed using her cane to stand. "Have fun sleeping by yourself tonight." Draping the fur over her arm she managed to her room slamming her sliding door shut.
Sesshomaru waited until he knew she was asleep before stealing into their sleeping room. Kneeling down gracefully he noted the fur lying in the bassinet she had struggled to make for their child.
Reaching over her he placed his hand down on the hide and nearly sighed audibly. He wouldn't destroy something she had so lovingly crafted especially for their son.
"Mmmm…lie down with me mate." She mumbled sleepily grasping his sleeve.
"Did you not ban me from your bed?" He asked playfully.
"You're here, may as well." Lying down beside her he edged close to her placing his hand against her stomach. Nuzzling against her nose with his he watched as she dozed back to sleep.
"I just want this kid out of me." Kagome gritted her teeth together as she could not find a comfortable spot. She had been pregnant through the winter and spring. Now that the summer weather had arrived she felt almost anxious.
"Soon." Sesshomaru said.
"Easy for you to say." She replied with a side eye. Sighing she stared up at the new leaves on the tree thinking. "Has it been a year yet, since my accident?"
Visibly tensing Sesshomaru tightened his arm around her shoulder.
"Nearly."
"Oh." Leaning her head against him comfortably she ran a hand over her abdomen. "So much can change in a year. I wish I knew what I was doing last year at this time, what my plans were. I think I would be happy to know this is where we both would be in our lives."
"You know I don't remember waking up at all." Kagome continued. "I guess I was saying something pretty crazy stuff."
"No." Sesshomaru replied. "You were drawing on all of the information that you could recall and it just so happened to be past events."
"I just remember you being there, always there."
"I made you a promise after your accident while you were still unconscious."
"What was it?"
"That I would not walk away from you again, no matter what."
Cuddling further into his side she took his free hand placing it on her stomach as their child kicked at her. "I am so glad that you stayed."
"Me too." Nudging her to turn her head he licked at her lips as she kissed the scarred corners of his mouth.
It was humid and miserable. Kagomes stomach itched as her skin seemed near to splitting open, still it stretched seemingly more each day.
"Anytime you wanna come out kiddo, mamas okay with it." She coaxed sitting by the streams edge with her feet dangling in. Leaning back slightly on her elbows she wasn't entirely sure how she would get back up but was comfortable for the moment.
Staring up at the impossibly blue sky she readjusted herself to run a hand down the side of her face. Her forehead was still tender and felt soft, the damage to her skull may always be present.
Running her fingertips down to her eye socket she felt around the edges of it feeling the significant scarring that adorned the left side.
"Sometimes I think maybe it would have been easier if I had just died. If I had, Sesshomaru would have brought me back with the Tenseiga but then maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they have." Musing to herself. "I guess it's something I'll always wonder about, the what if's."
A small cramp gripped her lower abdomen causing her to take a sharp breath. It wasn't uncommon as she had been experiencing false labor pains but this one had been different.
Placing her hand down she breathed out slowly. Sesshomaru was out patrolling their perimeter, a task he began to do during the time they were trying to conceive, and knew he wasn't far if she need to call for him. "Even if he was far, he would still come to us if we needed him."
Feeling her son moving around suddenly as another cramp took hold she watched her muscles tense with the pain she couldn't help but smile. "You ready to meet all of us? I can't wait to see you, you are so loved and so very wanted by so many people."
Making herself comfortable against the grass she took her feet out of the water moving to her side. Lying on the sweet smelling grass she breathed through her light contractions knowing how long a first birth could take.
There didn't seem to be any urgency or rush so she simply dealt with it. Her emotions began swelling to the surface as the pain ebbed away. She was going to be a mother.
The realization suddenly seemed surreal and she wanted nothing more than have her mother beside her or at least be able to tell her.
"Kagome?" The smooth, comforting baritone of her husband sounded above her.
"Hey." She breathed out still lying still.
"Are you well?" Crouching down next to her running a clawed hand through her hair gently.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Pretty sure I'm in labor but it's still early on." His hand stilled suddenly at her words. Moving her head to look at him she couldn't help the small sympathetic smile that formed. Sesshomaru looked terrified. "Help me up mate."
Upon doing so she took his hands in hers and squeezed. "Talk to me. What's going on?"
"This one does not wish for you to be in pain." He said returning to his more formal way of speech. Kagome had come to understand that when he had a difficult time expressing himself he referred to himself in the third person.
"It's unavoidable but it will be worth it." She soothed placing his hands against her swollen abdomen. "When it's over we will have our son in our arms."
"When Rin had Kimi I could sense her distress, smell her blood; you had told this one beforehand not to interfere. Now similarly Rin has said the same." He responded staring at his hands against her.
"I want you there with me but it's a silly superstition that men shouldn't be allowed in the birthing room." Kagome sighed.
"If you need me I will come." Bringing his gaze back to her. "No one will keep you from me mate. Otherwise I will be out here, waiting."
"Thank you." Wrapping her arms around him she nuzzled against his hair as he picked her up to carry her into their home.
"I will inform the others shortly that you will be giving birth here, where you are most comfortable."
"I am. This is our home and I want our son born here." She mumbled against him.
"Let me help you get situated my dearest." Entering their home he made his way to their sleeping room. Placing her down he arranged his moko-moko and their other animal furs in a way that it resembled a nest for her to lean against.
"That's perfect." Leaning against him as a stronger contraction took hold. Helping her to sit once it subsided he stared at her for a moment.
"Everything is about to change again." He said softly. Kagome gave a nod reaching for him bringing his forehead to hers.
"This time for the better." Rubbing her nose against his. "This is our time to be happy, we deserve it."
"Yes, yes we do." Unwittingly breaking contact with her he left quickly to inform Rin and the others of her condition.
Kagome breathed through her contractions as they came more quickly and gained strength. From outside she heard bellowing groans from An and Un.
"Don't worry guys. I'm okay." Rubbing at the most painful spot of her stomach she sighed out. "Everything will be okay."