Good morning and welcome back! You may all thank my work for this speedy chapter. When they give me one patient, I get bored.
as you all know, do your best to wash your hands, don't touch your face, and just because the CDC says no masks, doesn't mean you should toss 'em. Like, the CDC also told me to text my ex?? why would I trust anything they say since that terrible piece of advice?? exactly.
Everyone get turnt, just because the CDC said so!
love and splooshy pants,
splooshbaby
"Take care, neighbor." Lord Ryota bowed his head at Sesshomaru. Standing outside the gates of his island palace, the trio were wind whipped by the sea breeze. Kagome's nose was already red from the exposure.
"We thank you for your alliance, Lord Ryota." Sesshomaru bowed to their host. Despite the uncomfortable transgressions under his roof, Sesshomaru had to call the visit a success. They acquired protection for the Western border, thus ensuring the safety of his people.
"Thank you for caring for us." Kagome knew without his hospitality, they'd have been stranded. Even now, with two days of rest, Sesshomaru wasn't his usual self. His fever was gone within the first twenty-four hours, but his senses were still diluted. Regardless, he felt well enough to travel. He'd insisted they depart the very next morning after coming to an agreement on terms of an alliance.
"We will see each other again, I'm sure." Lord Ryota turned to leave, waving a hand overhead.
"So where next?" Kagome turned with Sesshomaru, facing the open road that was nearly blanketed by the snowfall from overnight. She wasn't entirely comfortable in his presence anymore, right back to square one since his tantrum.
Two days had passed.
Their next destination had her stomach in a knot. She'd thrown up twice today already, which only slowed them down and irritated Sesshomaru more.
He'd said they needed to secure all their allies. Kagome had thought about it plenty since they began their journey, but she'd still hoped that maybe her influence on the timeline would hinder the involvement of the Northern Lord and Lady, Koga and Ayame.
She couldn't stomach causing the snowball effect that orphaned a boy. Kagome couldn't even begin to guess if Kakushin had been conceived yet or not. And if he hadn't, would her presence negatively impact an alliance? Sesshomaru needed backup for the West, and they couldn't risk an old jealousy preventing an agreement.
Their first day of travel had been on foot, with the goal of preserving energy until they reached the shore of the island. From there, they'd traveled by air, atop the cloud of youki Sesshomaru could summon at will. By morning, he'd needed to rest.
"I appreciate the quiet, however your lack of idle chatter does not bode well." It was the first thing he'd said all day.
"Just nauseous," She lied, sort of. She was always nauseous. "I'll be fine."
They'd settled into the hollow of a large tree, under roots thick enough to protect them from the elements. At one point it had been an animal's den, but for the morning it belonged to them. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, they both nodded off.
Their new silent treatment to one another stretched into the second day, with the exception of her requests to stop more frequently due to her morning sickness. Both instances subjected her to the slow, controlled exhale she had come to know as Sesshomaru's exasperation in the form of a sigh he could barely withhold. She refused to feel guilty. It was his fault- eventually- that she was like this.
By evening, her indifference thinned. Kagome was a social creature. She loved him, five hundred years in the future. She had to remind herself that for her, it'd been a matter of weeks since they were last close packmates, friends, and lovers. For Sesshomaru, he woke up to find he was going to be the father to a half-blooded demon, carried by his disgraceful half-brother's intended human mate, who'd been missing for nearly five years. He was making it work, for his people. The West relied on his alliance with her to end this war.
"Not to be a pest, but when are we stopping?" Kagome crunched through the snow beside him. The sun was setting, making the scenery glow. The last rays of the day reflected off the undisturbed powder, giving warm hues to Sesshomaru's iridescent hair. It almost gave the illusion of warmth in his aura. Almost.
"Soon."
Willing herself to be patient, Kagome nodded. After dusk had fallen, she was rewarded with what appeared to be a vacant home.
"Is this..?" She didn't want to assume, but hope swelled in her chest. Shelter for the night would grant them both a restful sleep. Camping in dens and caves didn't allow them the luxury of fire to keep warm. Kagome had to rely solely on Sesshomaru's body heat and his resilience to freezing temperatures.
"Hn."
Despite its lack of occupancy, the two room hut was at least semi-furnished with the basics. A couple futons, some firewood, and two cooking pans. It was more than she could've asked for. Kagome got to work melting snow to cook and bathe with, while Sesshomaru hunted dinner.
He didn't go far. Not after last time. Thanks to their mutual silent treatment, Sesshomaru still wasn't privy to the details of what happened to Kagome inside the den before it collapsed.
His equilibrium was still off. He could feel the muted delay in registering external stimuli. If they had time to afford, Sesshomaru might have insisted on staying at Ryota's for another night. If that barbaric heathen hadn't thrown soiled sheets at him either.
They had a decent history together, being sons born into inheritance and handed titles. Both men grew up together, albeit at a distance. Ryota was old enough to evade play dates set up by their mothers, but close enough in age that as long as they remained heirs, they would wade in the same social circles. Thanks to their many years, Sesshomaru had grown accustomed to Ryota's abrasive sense of humor. However, he'd never been the cause for attention.
Kagome, their pup, during this war, would be the tale of the century if he wasn't careful. His family had garnished too much novelty already, thanks to his adulterous father. They needed to finish this and send her back to her time period. An idea he wasn't certain he wanted, knowing what he'd come to know. Could he wait five hundred years to see the birth of his presumed first child?
"Sesshomaru!" Kagome's voice echoed in the night, followed by howling.
He took off towards the safe house, a blurry ghost in the woods. He hadn't gone far, and still, somehow, he could not detect their scent. Last time he'd blamed the gunpowder, now there was no excuse.
Inside, Kagome was a limp doll in the corner of the room. The hunter was gone, having left it's prey. Sesshomaru could hear her heartbeat, strong and quick, and stooped to check her for harm anyway.
"Kagome." He turned her onto her back, shaking her shoulder. No blood, no bruises, scuffs, nothing. Sesshomaru's hands itched for reassurance, running down her arms, to her waist, across her abdomen. His palm pressed into the swell above her pubic bone, flashing his youki.
Sesshomaru hadn't been able to try again since his fever, but he felt it now, just as he had then, too. His pup, no bigger than a plum, had a soul that pushed back.
"Kagome." This time he spoke with less concern, the urgency sapped away with the validity of their well being. "Kagome," He scooped her torso in his arms, cradling her against his chest, "Wake up."
She winced, and he deemed it a good sign. "Not again."
"You have a penance for falling victim."
"Gee, have we just met?" Kagome rubbed the heel of her hand into her forehead, feeling a headache build.
"What happened?" His teasing over, he inquired seriously.
"It was him again," She scrunched her face with the pain building behind her eyelids, "That thing!"
He gave her a moment. The pain was too distracting, as was the imagery she desperately tried to unscramble. She'd been pinned down again, and there were jaws snapping at her face, but not a single scratch was on her person.
Howling from the distance pulled both of their attention away, the shack silent as they waited. For what, Kagome wasn't sure, but Sesshomaru was.
"We'll have visitors in the morning."
"How do you know?"
"They're acquaintances of ours." Kagome attempted to sit up without his support, but stopped when she felt resistance on her abdomen. "Wolves." He clarified, ignoring the questionable look she gave him and his intrusive hand.
"Sesshomaru, I don't know what's after me, but it has a mouth like a dog," Kagome worked herself upright, breaking the contact between them, "Snout and all, gnawing and chomping at me, but nothing ever happens. I tried to shoot it, in the den, and nothing happened!"
"It has no traceable scent."
"What if Shinkai Shi already knows?" True fear struck her, not realizing how gravely she wished to carry her baby to term. All this time she'd felt it was a cliche, and a cheap one at that. She was embarrassed by every aspect of the pregnancy; losing her virginity, drugged, knocked up on the first try, and the father of her bastard child being the elder brother to her first love. She had been so concerned about the pregnancy itself, Kagome hadn't stopped to think of the actual son or daughter she was giving sustenance to, growing her child's heart and lungs, fingers and toes.
Searching his eyes for reassurance, Kagome couldn't help but see the eyes of her child. They would look like Sesshomaru, no doubt. Inuyasha was nearly a spitting image of his father, thanks to his split genetics. Their kid would be no different.
"I'll kill him." Sesshomaru grew determined, assured simply by her presence. She foretold Shinkai Shi's demise. The West won the war. That would not change.
"But what if-"
"No one harms what is mine." The steel gaze he bore into her was pure resolve. Kagome couldn't help but remember that he'd said the same thing to her in the future. Mine. She hadn't understood the true meaning until Sesshou had come to her rescue, with bloody claws fisted through her assailant.
"What if-" She couldn't turn off her racing thoughts. What if he killed their pup, and left her alive? Or waited until she gave birth, and targeted either one of them instead? What if he would use them as bait? What would happen to Sesshomaru?
"You are mine."
Kagome shivered.
"I refuse to let either of you perish under my protection. Your safety, and the pup's, are my primary concern." He misunderstood, feeling the need to further explain.
"No, no," Kagome grasped his wrists, "Of course, I know." She was lost in his piercing gaze, overcome by the warmth that flooded her belly. "I'm yours."
Her breath caught when she realized how intimate that sounded. Embarrassed by her one sided affection, Kagome let his wrists go, flinching like she'd burned herself. She forced herself to look elsewhere, anywhere, but his eyes.
Sesshomaru couldn't fathom the name of what he felt. He swallowed, breathing slowly to filter out the oddity that consumed his person. When she flinched away, his chest deflated.
"The water's boiling now..." Kagome stood, ready to let this be another moment that just passed without meaning.
He let her prepare them a basin to wash with, and another pot for tea. They relied on dried goods to sustain them tonight, thanks to Lord Ryota. He wouldn't let a pregnant female leave empty handed, and had stocked her bag with dried meats, grain, and ginger root.
When Kagome returned from the next room, bathed and dressed for bed, she settled in next to Sesshomaru. They sat shoulder to shoulder against the wall, with their eyes turned to the crackling flames.
He thought nothing of her unnecessary proximity. They sat in comfortable silence. When Kagome's head began to loll to the side in sleep, he welcomed the fall of her head onto his shoulder. Shifting himself to slouch lower against the wall, Sesshomaru rested his cheek against the crown of her soft hair.
"Inuyasha.."
Sesshomaru stiffened. Even in her sleep, she preferred his brother. Tucked into his side, she wanted him. Despite soaking sheets in the sweet dew of her arousal in his name, she wanted Inuyasha. He swallowed the jealousy that choked him. It was misplaced, Sesshomaru reminded himself. These were the reactions of someone who was mated and fathering a pup. He was technically neither.
It dawned on him that if Inuyasha never perished in her time, his progeny would not exist. He would not have coveted Kagome's companionship. If Inuyasha lived, it was very likely he'd be the burdened uncle to many, and father to none. Rin would be long dead by then, leaving him truly childless.
Sesshomaru forced himself to close the lid on his thoughts. He blinked, eyes glazing over the firelight, and willed himself to sleep.
Just as his eyes closed, while his mind teetered in the realm of wakefulness and sleep, he heard her voice again. This time, it was devoid of the aching loss that always encompassed her dreams of Inuyasha.
"She's beautiful, Sesshou.."
Just before he drifted off, Sesshomaru hummed with contentment. Whether they desired their circumstances or not, one thing was certain: Kagome would make a wonderful mother to their pup.
In her dreams, Kagome saw the same vision she always saw. Inuyasha's eyes watering in heartache, longing, and loss, as he perished over and over in her head. It was a nightmare that foretold his demise, protecting her on the battlefield, and losing his life for it. It was her greatest fear. Everything would be for naught if Inuyasha died. She couldn't stand it.
Every time she saw him die, she would fall into a restless sleep. Comatose in half-sleep and trapped in darkness, but she knew better. It was just another dream.
Memory, she corrected.
It was the memory of being inside the Shikon jewel. It was dark, and cold, with nothing but herself and the four souls inside. They mocked her with their silence, willing her panicked cries for help. Afterall, begging isn't very different from wishing.
Ever since they'd left Ryota's Southern realm, her dreams were changed. When Inuyasha fell to his death, collapsed by the slice of a sword, bled out, or burned alive, her mind wouldn't transform into the jewel's isolated madness.
Now, the nightmare merely blinked out of existence. She'd closed her eyes in horror at Inuyasha's last expression, knowing in those teary eyes that he was desperately trying to convey that he loved her, all while losing her.
When she opened her eyes, Kagome was embraced by Sesshou. His arms would unwind themselves, exposing a pink bundle cradled between them. He would gaze lovingly at them both, sometimes kissing her temple, sometimes caressing their daughter's soft head, smoothing down tufts of silver hair.
"She's beautiful, Sesshou," Her voice was always thick with love and exhaustion, "Isn't she?"
"Hnn." He would give her his happiest hum of approval, and nuzzle their noses together. "You did well, Kagome."
So overcome by what she felt in those fleeting moments together as a family, Kagome would often wake hopeful for another chance to prove to Sesshomaru that he would become the person she loved. That he already was. He just needed to let that side of himself free.
Despite what Sesshomaru had said about the wolves coming, they went two more days without incident. They ventured on foot in the day, and huddled close for warmth at night. When they wanted cooked meat, they hunted together. Sesshomaru used it as an opportunity to teach Kagome about tracking animals, staying down wind, and waiting patiently for prey. All successful kills, except once when she scared off a rabbit, and even then, she convinced him to blame their baby, winning him over just by calling it their pup. It wasn't her fault she was always nauseous.
On the third morning, Kagome was energetic. Her nausea was nonexistent for the first time in weeks. When she realized she was hitting a little over eleven weeks, almost twelve weeks pregnant, she was both grateful and worried. The second trimester meant less exhausting symptoms, but the further along she was, the less time she had to put an end to this war.
Inuyasha died five years after she left. That's what Sesshou had told her. He died in battle alongside his brother, defending their land from Eastern invasion.
Kagome left the feudal era around her birthday, just as she had first traveled back in time on her fifteenth birthday. The well squeezed her into the thick of the war, manipulating time itself to give her a chance to right so many wrongs. She knew, just after her birthday, it would be exactly five years in this timeline since she left.
A cold sweat broke out across her neck, despite the heat of the sun melting the harshness of winter away. Spring was coming, slowly but surely. They only had about two-ish months left to put a stop to Shinkai Shi's plans. If Sesshomaru was correct about her pregnancy developing faster than a regular human gestation, then she'd be almost ready to deliver by then.
Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome from the corner of his eye. She wobbled for a moment, but this time nothing had caught her foot. He had grown accustomed to her tripping over roots and branches, but this was different. He could smell her sweat. Her heart rate dropped from a steady beat to a staggered, uncoordinated pulse just before she collapsed.
He caught her in time, having come up behind her and braced her form with his own. His arms latched under hers, wrapping around her waist. For his own reassurance, Sesshomaru pressed his nose to her exposed neck, sniffing her pulse for any clues.
She was fine. Her heart rhythm returned to normal, and her eyes fluttered open.
"What in the-"
"You fainted." He noticed the way her heart now raced at his touch.
"I'm okay," Kagome accepted his help to stand on her own. Pulling at the collar of her warrior priestess outfit to cool down, she added, "I promise. That was normal, I think."
His raised eyebrow was the only indication of his disbelief.
Kagome rolled her eyes at him, "I didn't pay that much attention in Health class because I didn't think I'd end up pregnant so soon, okay? Sue me."
"Sue you?"
"I mean," She refused to try and explain any more future phrases to him. While he grasped the subjects well enough, Sesshomaru was often dissatisfied with her lack of understanding. How was she supposed to explain things like the internet? She didn't even know how it worked. "Nevermind."
"Kagome." His tone was reprimanding.
She encouraged him to resume walking, taking his arm to reassure him she'd stay close. After taking a moment to organize her thoughts, she told him, "I think you were right about how quickly this pregnancy is going."
"Hnn." He'd been sure from the beginning.
"If that's the case, then I'm due to give birth in June. Meaning that I'm further along in development, which explains why I feel so fat." She glowered at how absolutely wide she felt. Ever since she'd woken up in Lord Ryota's castle, having spent five days unconscious, it was like waking up in a new body. She felt fuller; skin stretched, and breasts plump.
"Do human women faint when they're pregnant?"
"No, not really." She chewed her lip, trying to recall anything from health class. "If we were in my time, we would have called a doctor to make sure everything was okay, but I think it's just low blood pressure. I was feeling dizzy earlier, but I just assumed it had to do with my anxiety."
"You have nothing to fear, Kagome." He paused their walk, eyes taking to the treetops.
Two figures emerged from the trees, descending upon them. They moved too quickly for her to read an aura, but Sesshomaru identified them easily.
"Wolves."
They landed in a crouch, close enough to communicate, but far enough to avoid retaliation. Both demons straightened to full height, one with a smirk, and the other with a grimace. Wearing brown furs, she knew they were Kouga's pack.
"I thought we smelled Lord Sesshomaru." The one smirking called to them, crossing his arms. He sized the pair up, assessing her identity.
"You are correct." Sesshomaru guided Kagome to stand behind him. She peered around him anyway.
"Never thought the Western Lord would take a mate." The second one sneered in her direction, making her duck behind Sesshomaru's shoulder. He sniffed again, "Oh wait, you haven't. What do you know, Ayato? It looks like we have a happy accident on our hands." He smirked at Sesshomaru, "Lord Sesshomaru, you dog."
"Lord Kiryu," Ayato's amusement vanished, recognition clicking in his mind, "That's not just any woman."
"A human woman." Kiryu was disgusted by the idea. His own brother had been infatuated with one, just before mating the Lady of the North.
"That's Lord Kouga's woman."
Sesshomaru steeled his gaze, internally repulsed by the title. Since Kouga's late rise in station, he'd had little to do with the wolf. They'd only ever interacted a handful of times during their war against Naraku. He didn't know Kagome had a history with the Northern Lord beyond an expired alliance.
"My name's Kagome!" She shouted from behind his shoulder. Sesshomaru did his best not to wince at the volume of her voice so close to his ears.
"This day just got a whole lot better." Kiryu stretched his arms, mockingly getting limber for a fight.
"Lord Kiryu-" Ayato tried to reason, but Sesshomaru had grown tired of their visit.
"What are Kouga's men doing this far south?" Sesshomaru inquired. He could take them both on easily, but he didn't feel the fight was necessary. They needed the North's support.
"Same reason as you, I reckon." Kiryu grinned in a feral way that only the wolf clans could. He looked so much like Kouga, it twisted Kagome's stomach into knots.
He was a carbon copy of his older brother, but darker. Kouga's brown hair was black on Kiryu, the sky blue eyes she remembered were a deep sea blue. Even his tanned skin seemed darker against the white of his carnivorous canine teeth.
"We were on our way as scouts to acquire allegiance against the East." Ayato explained, "When we arrived at your palace, they said you were visiting your brother's village."
"Why you would want to associate with that mutt is beyond me, but then again, you seem to have grown fond of halflings." Kiryu's intolerance for humans grated on Kagome's nerves.
Sesshomaru reached a hand behind him, reminding Kagome to stay put with his palm to her hip. She wasn't sure if the gesture was sweet or not, but she took comfort in it anyway.
"Would Lord Kouga happen to be traveling close?" Sesshomaru redirected the conversation.
"Well, he ain't on the mountains if that's what you mean. Before we left, everyone was making plans to return to the fortress." Kiryu inspected his claws. It was apparent to both Kagome and Sesshomaru the rivalry between the siblings.
"We will meet your brother there." Sesshomaru nodded at the two, wrapping an arm around Kagome's shoulder to guide her by the wolf demons. Both stood motionless, arms crossed, while their tails twitched in displeasure.
"You know, you and Kouga are so blindly stupid, starting families in a war like this." Kiryu scoffed, turning to face their backs as they passed by. "At least Kouga is mated to Ayame. You won't even mark your bitch, even after pupping her."
"Excuse the informality, but Western customs require a blessed mating by one's parents." Sesshomaru peered over his shoulder, "My mother's castle isn't far from your brother's den."
"Good luck surviving that long."
Kagome shivered at that. Shippou's human wife was one of the many victims of the Eastern war. She was just the human wife to a demon, carrying their half-blooded infant across Japan's cardinal borders.
Sesshomaru led her away, listening as the two wolves sped off in the opposite direction. When he was sure they were gone, he dropped his arm from around her shoulders. He hadn't planned to lie to the North about his relationship with Kagome, but it irked him to hear her reputation tarnished by a bastard pregnancy. Not that her history with Kouga had anything to do with it.
"Kouga's woman?" Sesshomaru inquired.
Kagome watched his jaw clench when she didn't immediately ease his worries. She bit her lip to keep from laughing. His aura was as green as his poison whip. Her heart fluttered at the thought.
He took notice of her heart skipping a beat. How many admirers did she keep? Clearly the woman had a line of potential mates, just waiting for her consent. Sesshomaru's aura darkened with his doubts.
"Oh, Sesshomaru, no," Kagome couldn't help the giggle that escaped her, "Kouga and I are just friends. He swore I'd 'be his woman' when Naraku was defeated, but he only said it to upset Inuyasha. Really, I have no interest."
"Does he truly not desire you?"
"Even if he ever did, he's mated." Her heart dropped when she recalled what Kiryu had said about him starting a family. "Plus, you heard his brother, he's got his own little one on the way."
"I apologize for our lie."
"Don't worry about it, Kouga knows about my time traveling. We can just explain this to him when we get there."
"Tell me, is he alive in your world?" Their eyes met briefly before she purposefully withdrew her attention. That was all the answer he needed.
"You're actually business partners with his son." Kagome found it easier to speak to their feet, "He's going to run the American branch of your company."
"Do I hate him?" He asked more to earn her smile than anything.
She chuckled, "Only sometimes."