Birth, Life, and Death
Kagome cradled the bundle to her, gently nudging one plump, silk-soft cheek until seeking lips latched onto her
nipple and began to suck with vigor. Warm against her back, Inuyasha
enfolded them both with his arms; the children stood at their sides, Shunsho and Keioko perk-eared and
shoulder-to-shoulder as usual, while Akemi's small fangs peeked over her lower
lip as she bit down on it in breathless wonder. "He's so tiny," she marveled
at last.
"You weren't much bigger yourself, runt," Inuyasha said.
Shunsho craned his neck to peer at his newest sibling
in curiosity. "His eyes are open already, Mama. Akemi took forever
to open hers."
"Did not!"
"Did too."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
Inuyasha's growl cut the incipient argument short as Kagome replied. "Yes."
She smiled through the tears that filled her own eyes, tracing one finger along
a small ear, pink and perfect as a seashell. "Human babies start
with their eyes open."
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AN: I've been pondering and discussing, off and on, the topic of youkai aging patterns; this is partly an outgrowth of that (the baby's siblings will outlive him by some time), and partly from an attack of the cutes I had this weekend which I'm still attempting to work out of my system. This ficlet may or may not find its way, eventually, into the "To Catch a Falling Star" continuity (though not in the story covered by that fic). In the meantime a one-shot puppyfic is whimpering and begging for attention--although TCaFS has priority and is currently on the working slate, even though it's being annoying.