Random Acts of Love- Epilogue
By Matoko Shizaki
Disclaimer: Inu-Yasha © respective owners and Takahashi-sensei.
Notes: I am SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry this took so long! I'm a wicked lazy ass! Forgive meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Purple beads rolled between Miroku's first finger and thumb, a nervous habit on his part. He hadn't realized how soothing the sound of the beads that had formerly sealed his wind tunnel was. But to Inu-Yasha, it was just plain annoying. In rage, he thumped his fist down on the porch. Miroku looked up in surprise, watching as the half demon stood menacingly above him.
"Would you cut that out already?!!" he howled, the muscles in his face twitching slightly.
Miroku let the beads fall from his fingers and sighed. "I cannot help it."
The animal rage in Inu-Yasha subsided and he dropped back down onto the porch. "It's… gonna be fine, you know…" he muttered as he idly scratched the side of his head.
The monk smiled a little, accepting that this was the most comfort he would get from his half demon friend. "I appreciate the fact that you're trying, Inu-Yasha."
"Who said I was trying to cheer you up?!"
"He just can't express his feelings right."
Both turned to where Shippo was sitting in front of the door. Normally he'd have been wearing a playful smirk, ready for Inu-Yasha to pounce on him but he was unusually somber for a kitsune pup.
Miroku returned to his beads and looked back out across the village. 'Everything is going to be fine.' he repeated to himself. 'Everything is going to be fine.'
More muffled voices and small cries came from the interior of the hut, each voice distinct in his mind.
"You're doing fine Sango." That had to be Kagome.
"I've done nothing yet!" Sango retorted.
"Pray relax Sango." Kaede advised.
Then there was the cry. I was a cry of pain, a call for help. "Miroku!"
In a flurry of robes, Miroku jumped to his feet. Both Shippo and Inu-Yasha looked up, a lingering question on both their lips. Before the question could be voiced, Miroku was headed to the door.
"H-hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Inu-Yasha asked, reflexively leaping up from his crouch.
"I'm going in there. She needs me."
"But Lady Kaede and Kagome said to stay out here! You can't go in!" Shippo insisted.
"I… don't care." There was another cry and Miroku squeezed his eyes shut. "I have to be there for her…" Without a moment's hesitation, he threw the cloth doorway back and stepped in.
The hut smelled of the earth, not a surprise. There was also the smell of sweat and the heat of exertion that made the room seem stuffy. Lying on the floor, soaked with fevered perspiration, was Sango. She looked even larger now that she was in labor, her stomach heaving up and down in time to heavy, gasping breathes. At her side, Kagome looked up.
"Miroku!"
Kaede looked up as well. "Away with ye, Houshi-sama! It's not a man's place to be present at the birth!"
"Lord Buddha will forgive me if I do this just this once." Miroku commented as he knelt down at Sango's side. She turned her head towards him, a weak smile gracing her features as she took the new addition to her surrounding.
"M-Miroku…" she whispered.
Miroku held a finger to his lips to silence her and took hold of her left hand which had been previously clinging helplessly to the cloth bed made for the birth of the child. He squeezed it hard and felt and even stronger constriction on the other end. For a moment he thanked his lucky stars that he had been born a man.
"How much longer, Kagome?" Miroku asked, turning to the girl. He didn't want to meet Kaede's disapproving stare, especially now.
"Not much… the contractions are getting closer together." she replied as she wet a cloth in the bowl of water beside her. "It should be any moment now."
"Th-think Miroku… our own child…" Sango smiled again, the old spark igniting in the depths of her eyes.
"Save your strength." he told her, smiling a little himself. The thought of parenthood was unnerving and exciting at the same time. It would just be another adventure. Compared to parenthood, he thought, Naraku was nothing.
Sango tensed, shifting uncomfortably. Kaede's dull eye sprung to life and she shifted from the pregnant demon hunter's side to the end of the makeshift bed. "It's time, Sango. Push with all the strength thee hast left within thee."
Another cry rose in Sango's throat as she bore down, lifting herself up to help. Miroku placed a reassuring hand behind her back, comfort and courage flooding her exhausted body with one touch.
'Keep going… you can… you can… can…'
"That's it Sango!"
Sango's silent pep rally was echoed by the loving soon to be father at her side.
"I-" she began. The words were choked back with another cry as she felt Kaede's hands near her bare birth canal.
As silent encouragement, Miroku squeezed her hand tighter (if possible).
"Almost Sango! Almost!" Kagome said, her words running together and making no sense to Sango's stressed mind. She suddenly felt a release and fell back, tumbling into Miroku's arms.
"Sango… you did wonderfully…" Miroku whispered, brushing back her bangs. In the background Sango could faintly hear a small mewing grow to a full blown wail.
'The baby! Our baby!'
Even though exhausted, Sango forced herself to open her eyes. Miroku, Kagome, Kaede, even Inu-Yasha and Shippo at the door were smiling and in Kaede's extended arms was a tiny bundle.
As if answering Sango's own mental questions, Kaede said, "A boy."
"A boy…" Miroku echoed in disbelief.
Carefully, Sango took the baby in her arms, warm tears spilling down her face. "A boy!" she cried. With a smile, she turned to Miroku. "Our baby boy!"
Miroku, eyes alight with wonder, looked down at the baby. "Yes, Sango…" he whispered, a finger stroking the baby's small cheek. "Our baby boy…"
Sorry that took so long! See, today is fan fiction update day! XD Not really… It's just midnight and I'm in a creative mood… Beware!!
By Matoko Shizaki
Disclaimer: Inu-Yasha © respective owners and Takahashi-sensei.
Notes: I am SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry this took so long! I'm a wicked lazy ass! Forgive meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Purple beads rolled between Miroku's first finger and thumb, a nervous habit on his part. He hadn't realized how soothing the sound of the beads that had formerly sealed his wind tunnel was. But to Inu-Yasha, it was just plain annoying. In rage, he thumped his fist down on the porch. Miroku looked up in surprise, watching as the half demon stood menacingly above him.
"Would you cut that out already?!!" he howled, the muscles in his face twitching slightly.
Miroku let the beads fall from his fingers and sighed. "I cannot help it."
The animal rage in Inu-Yasha subsided and he dropped back down onto the porch. "It's… gonna be fine, you know…" he muttered as he idly scratched the side of his head.
The monk smiled a little, accepting that this was the most comfort he would get from his half demon friend. "I appreciate the fact that you're trying, Inu-Yasha."
"Who said I was trying to cheer you up?!"
"He just can't express his feelings right."
Both turned to where Shippo was sitting in front of the door. Normally he'd have been wearing a playful smirk, ready for Inu-Yasha to pounce on him but he was unusually somber for a kitsune pup.
Miroku returned to his beads and looked back out across the village. 'Everything is going to be fine.' he repeated to himself. 'Everything is going to be fine.'
More muffled voices and small cries came from the interior of the hut, each voice distinct in his mind.
"You're doing fine Sango." That had to be Kagome.
"I've done nothing yet!" Sango retorted.
"Pray relax Sango." Kaede advised.
Then there was the cry. I was a cry of pain, a call for help. "Miroku!"
In a flurry of robes, Miroku jumped to his feet. Both Shippo and Inu-Yasha looked up, a lingering question on both their lips. Before the question could be voiced, Miroku was headed to the door.
"H-hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Inu-Yasha asked, reflexively leaping up from his crouch.
"I'm going in there. She needs me."
"But Lady Kaede and Kagome said to stay out here! You can't go in!" Shippo insisted.
"I… don't care." There was another cry and Miroku squeezed his eyes shut. "I have to be there for her…" Without a moment's hesitation, he threw the cloth doorway back and stepped in.
The hut smelled of the earth, not a surprise. There was also the smell of sweat and the heat of exertion that made the room seem stuffy. Lying on the floor, soaked with fevered perspiration, was Sango. She looked even larger now that she was in labor, her stomach heaving up and down in time to heavy, gasping breathes. At her side, Kagome looked up.
"Miroku!"
Kaede looked up as well. "Away with ye, Houshi-sama! It's not a man's place to be present at the birth!"
"Lord Buddha will forgive me if I do this just this once." Miroku commented as he knelt down at Sango's side. She turned her head towards him, a weak smile gracing her features as she took the new addition to her surrounding.
"M-Miroku…" she whispered.
Miroku held a finger to his lips to silence her and took hold of her left hand which had been previously clinging helplessly to the cloth bed made for the birth of the child. He squeezed it hard and felt and even stronger constriction on the other end. For a moment he thanked his lucky stars that he had been born a man.
"How much longer, Kagome?" Miroku asked, turning to the girl. He didn't want to meet Kaede's disapproving stare, especially now.
"Not much… the contractions are getting closer together." she replied as she wet a cloth in the bowl of water beside her. "It should be any moment now."
"Th-think Miroku… our own child…" Sango smiled again, the old spark igniting in the depths of her eyes.
"Save your strength." he told her, smiling a little himself. The thought of parenthood was unnerving and exciting at the same time. It would just be another adventure. Compared to parenthood, he thought, Naraku was nothing.
Sango tensed, shifting uncomfortably. Kaede's dull eye sprung to life and she shifted from the pregnant demon hunter's side to the end of the makeshift bed. "It's time, Sango. Push with all the strength thee hast left within thee."
Another cry rose in Sango's throat as she bore down, lifting herself up to help. Miroku placed a reassuring hand behind her back, comfort and courage flooding her exhausted body with one touch.
'Keep going… you can… you can… can…'
"That's it Sango!"
Sango's silent pep rally was echoed by the loving soon to be father at her side.
"I-" she began. The words were choked back with another cry as she felt Kaede's hands near her bare birth canal.
As silent encouragement, Miroku squeezed her hand tighter (if possible).
"Almost Sango! Almost!" Kagome said, her words running together and making no sense to Sango's stressed mind. She suddenly felt a release and fell back, tumbling into Miroku's arms.
"Sango… you did wonderfully…" Miroku whispered, brushing back her bangs. In the background Sango could faintly hear a small mewing grow to a full blown wail.
'The baby! Our baby!'
Even though exhausted, Sango forced herself to open her eyes. Miroku, Kagome, Kaede, even Inu-Yasha and Shippo at the door were smiling and in Kaede's extended arms was a tiny bundle.
As if answering Sango's own mental questions, Kaede said, "A boy."
"A boy…" Miroku echoed in disbelief.
Carefully, Sango took the baby in her arms, warm tears spilling down her face. "A boy!" she cried. With a smile, she turned to Miroku. "Our baby boy!"
Miroku, eyes alight with wonder, looked down at the baby. "Yes, Sango…" he whispered, a finger stroking the baby's small cheek. "Our baby boy…"
Sorry that took so long! See, today is fan fiction update day! XD Not really… It's just midnight and I'm in a creative mood… Beware!!