Kagome was walking home, a big basket of fruits and vegetables in her arms, a gift from Jinenji and his mother.
As she entered the well known path in the forest, a blur of red leaped in front of her.
"Kagome!"
"Oh hi Inuyasha! Already back from the extermination?"
"Keh. It was only small fry, I didn't even need to use Tetsusaiga."
"Good. I'm glad you're back." she said, smiling.
"Give me that." the hanyo said, taking the basket from her hands.
"I'm not disabled you know. Only pregnant. I can do things on my own." she answered, crossing her arms on top of her now very round stomach.
Her pregnency was almost to term, and Inuyasha was even more protective than usual. A bit too much actually. But even if it was sometimes annoying, she couldn't help but to find that endearing. He always made sure that she and their little one have all they needed and more.
"Feh. Let me take care of you, ok?" he said, annoyed.
Kagome smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Alright. Let's go home."
Once they arrived near the hut, Inuyasha stopped her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I... I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes before you go in." he answered, blushing slightly.
The miko was really intrigued. It was not in his habits to surprise her.
He went in first and she followed, passing the door with her eyes closed.
"Just a minute." he said.
She waited patiently. She heard some shuffling and a thud, probably Inuyasha dropping off the basket. She felt his suikan brushing against her belly as he took her hand and led her near their futon.
"Ok you... you can open your eyes." he said, a bit nervous.
She did and saw that a new piece of furniture had been added beside her side of the futon. It was a small wooden cradle, similar to the one her mom used back then. She took a step forward and slid her hand on the frame, feeling the softness of the wood grain. She noticed it could rock from side to side. She turned around and looked at her husband, tears welling in her eyes.
"How..."
"I made it myself, with the help of an artisan I met in another village... I saw one when I was helping your grandpa clean the storage shed and... I thought you could like having one here." he said softly, pink dusting his cheeks.
"Inuyasha... It looks exactly like the one my mom kept... That's simply wonderful..." she said, her voice thick with emotion.
She almost leaped in his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank you..."
They didn't move nor speak for a while, enveloped in a bubble of love and warmth.
When Kagome stepped back, she was smiling but her eyelashes were damp.
Inuyasha guided her near the burning fire and sat down, settling his wife between his bent knees. She leaned back on his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. He placed his arms around her, his hands gently caressing her baby bump.
He kissed the side of her head and she sighed.
"I can't wait for our baby to be born. It could be anytime within the next month." Kagome said softly.
"Yeah... I just hope everything goes alright..." he answered, concerned.
She lifted her hand and caressed the side of his face. He kissed her wrist and her palm at the same time.
"It's normal to be worried. I'm nervous myself... But I'll be with Kaede who helped dozens of mothers to deliver their baby, and Rin or Sango who already went through childbirth." she said softly.
Kagome turned a bit so her side was leaning against her husband. She lifted her face and he met her halfway, kissing her tenderly. One of his arm, on her shoulders, was holding her against him while his other hand was stroking her stomach.
As if she or he felt the caresses, the baby kicked under the hanyo's hand. The miko felt her husband smile in their kiss.
"I think our baby wants to say hi." she said against his lips.
Kagome reluctantly broke the kiss. "I should get ready for the night. I'm really tired." she told him.
Half an hour later, she was laying on her side on the futon. Inuyasha joined her and kissed her softly, his hand threading through her black strands.
"Hmmm I love when you kiss me like that." she said, smiling.
He gave her one of his crooked smile she loved so much, before kissing her again.
"I think our baby doesn't want me to sleep..." she told him, after they broke the kiss.
"Why do you say that?"
Kagome didn't answer but she grabbed his hand and put it on her belly.
"Oh! That's a very active baby." he exclaimed, as he felt movements and kicks under his palm.
Inuyasha scooted closer and lightly laid his head on the baby bump.
"Hey little one... You have to let your mama sleep tonight."
He was answered with a kick in the face. He raised his head, looking at his wife's belly wide-eyed. Kagome burst out laughing.
"It seems that our baby will be as stubborn as you." she told him, still giggling.
"Keh! You're worse than me." Inuyasha answered, smirking.
He peppered her belly with kisses, which were tickling her.
Inuyasha got back to his place on the futon and held his wife in his arms. They finally fell asleep, cuddling.
The rest of the week passed without anything notable happening.
Inuyasha had to go twice to fight some yokais with Miroku. Kagome, who had stopped her training for the last days of her pregnency, was cleaning her home with the help of Sango.
Suddenly, while she was putting fresh bedding on the futon, she felt a cramp in her lower belly. She stopped moving and panted once it had passed.
"Are you ok Kagome?" her friend asked.
"Yeah... I just had a bad cramp."
"Hmmm it could be that you overdid it today, or that your labor is about to start."
"O-ok... How do I know if it's the labor ?"
"Well... Kaede told me that if you rest and it goes away, it's just tiredness. But you'll know when it's the real deal. Now take a break, I'll make you calming tea." Sango said, smiling.
In the evening, the men got back to their wives. Sango had left two hours ago, so Kagome was relieved that Inuyasha was there. She was a bit afraid of being alone, in case something happened.
"I wish you could stay with me all the time Inuyasha..." she told him as he passed the door. "I feel like our baby will arrive soon and I... I don't want to be alone..."
A single tear rolled down her cheek. Inuyasha rushed to her and hugged her tightly.
"I don't want to leave you either." he reassured her. "Listen. If I have to leave for work, I'll bring you to Kaede's or Sango's and get you back when I return."
Kagome nuzzled in his shoulder, appeased by his scent and his arms around her. "Ok."
"You said that our baby will arrive soon?"
"I think so... I feel that it won't be too long." she answered, yawning.
Seeing that she was tired, Inuyasha helped his wife to change clothes and he brushed her hair. He really liked to do that. The regular movement of the brush and the boosts of her scent were always calming him down.
After, they cuddled on the futon, and the Miko fell fast asleep.
A few hours later, Inuyasha woke up to the sound of his wife grunting. It was still pitch black outside, the only light coming from the moon and the ember in the fireplace.
"Kagome?" he called, since he didn't see her in the hut.
"Outside..." she answered, her voice trembling.
The hanyo rushed outside and found her bent forward with her hands on her stomach.
"Kagome are you ok??" he asked, now concerned.
"Inu... Yasha... I think the baby is coming."
He rushed to her, gently putting a hand on her lower back while she grabbed the other. "What are you doing outside?!"
"Needed to pee..."
She squeezed his hand as another contraction rose. She breathed through it (an advice from Sango).
"I'm bringing you to Kaede's, now." he said, lifting her and transporting her bridal style. He was careful not to leap and only ran to get there. It took only a few minutes for them to arrive at the old Miko's hut.
"Kaede-baba!" he called as they arrived, rushing into the hut.
The old woman looked at who was waking her up in the middle of the night.
"Oh Inuyasha! Kagome! Is it time?" she asked, getting up.
"I think so..." answered Kagome softly.
Rin was woken up by the ruckus. She helped Kaede to setup a makeshift bed so the future mother could lay down, before going outside to gather what they would need.
"Inuyasha. You have to leave." Kaede ordered him.
"What? It's my baby as well and my wife!"
"No I want him here..." Kagome said as another contraction started. This time, she felt warm liquid dripping from between her legs.
"Oh good! Your waters have broken. Baby should arrive in the next hours." the older woman said. "Now, go Inuyasha, you can't stay. This is a situation for women only."
"Keh! Forget it I'm not moving." he answered, crossing his arms.
Kaede sighed. "Fine. For now you may stay. But when the baby is ready to come out, I don't want you here. Understood?"
"A-Alright..." he answered, surprised by the woman's directive tone.
"Inuyasha, please hold my hand..." Kagome pleaded.
He sat beside his wife, holding her hand as she squeezed his when another contraction started. Inuyasha was feeling helpless seeing her in pain. He wished he could take it on him.
Rin gave him a bowl of fresh water she just got from the river and a cloth. He wiped and freshened his wife's face and neck so she would be more comfortable.
A few hours passed. The contractions were getting longer and at a shorter interval. Kagome was trying to be brave but the pain was way more intense than what she ever experienced. She wished she was in her era so she could have drugs meant to ease the pain. Here, she had to go through it like all the other woman.
"I...I feel something pushing!!!" she screamed.
"Ok baby wants to come out. Inuyasha, outside, now!"
He kissed his wife's forehead before reluctantly leaving the hut.
He was pacing around the village, restless. He could hear Kagome's cries of pain and it was driving him crazy.
After what felt like hours, he heard another cry, a tiny one. He turned towards the hut, wide-eyed. Was that their baby's cry? He rushed to Kaede's house but didn't dare to go in.
"Are Kagome and the baby alright??" he shouted nervously.
Rin joined him outside. "Everything is alright Inuyasha. You can't come in right away, there's still things to be done. But I can bring you the baby once she's washed and dried up."
"S-She...? It's a girl?"
"Yes, a beautiful healthy girl." she answered as she got back into the hut.
Inuyasha slid to the ground, his back against the wall. His ears were twitching at every little sound coming from inside. He couldn't wait to see for himself that Kagome was alright, and to meet their child...
He shot upright as soon as he heard footsteps coming at the door. Rin came out, holding a small bundle wrapped in cloths. He approached slowly and saw a tiny black haired head peaking out of the fabric.
He couldn't move nor speak, having a hard time to process all the emotions rushing through him.
"Do you want to hold her?" Rin asked softly.
Inuyasha nodded slowly, his eyes never quitting the baby. His child. Rin placed this small being in his trembling arms. He was observing her in awe, not believing that he and Kagome had made this little girl.
With his knuckle, he carefully caressed her cheek. Then, he tugged gently on the blanket around the baby's head and saw human ears. The movement of the cloth made a little hand peak out. He touched the tiny palm and was amazed when she grabbed his finger. He noticed that she had tiny claws, like his.
"You can come in, Inuyasha." Kaede called.
He slowly walked inside, holding his baby like it was the most precious and fragile thing on earth. He sat beside Kagome's bed and she smiled warmly at him.
"Hey..." she whispered.
"Tell me I'm not dreaming... That this is all real..." he said, his golden gaze moving between his wife's and his child's face.
The miko put a gentle hand on his biceps, squeezing it. "You're not dreaming. She's really there."
"She's amazing... You're amazing..."
"How are we gonna name her?" Kagome asked.
Inuyasha thought for a moment, looking at the girl's tiny face. "Moroha."
"That's a lovely name, Inuyasha. Moroha... It's beautiful."
Moroha began to fuss and then to cry. Inuyasha didn't know what to do so he tried to rock her.
"I... I don't know what I did to make her cry..." he said, worried and confused.
"You did nothing wrong." Rin answered. "Little Moroha is just hungry. Here, pass her to Kagome so she can feed her."
Rin helped Kagome to sit up and the hanyo carefully handed the baby to his wife. She put her against her chest and helped Moroha to take her nipple.
"You're good at this Kagome!" Rin exclaimed.
Inuyasha scooted behind Kagome and she rested her back against him. He layed his chin on her shoulder and slid his arms around her. He felt his heart swell, looking at the two most important person in his life.
"I can't believe she's ours..." he whispered.
Kagome smiled. "Me neither... She's just perfect. Even if she didn't get your ears."
The hanyo chuckled. "You really love them, don't you."
"Of course. They make you... You."
She stretched her free arm and rubbed one of his puppy ears. "And they're so soft too..."
Inuyasha kissed her cheek. Once Moroha finished nursing, he took her in his arms. Kagome needed to rest after all the efforts she made to bring their baby to this world. Rin would help him take care of their baby while his wife would sleep, only waking her up if she was hungry.
"Come here Inuyasha." Rin called him. "I'll show you how to change her diaper, you just watch."
"A-Alright."
Inuyasha spent the rest of the night holding his daughter and looking at his sleeping wife. For once in his life, he felt that he was where he belonged and that his existence finally made sense.