CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
.
"Does he really need to be in here with us?" Miroku asked wearily.
"YES."
Inuyasha stepped into the hot springs, looking down at the steaming water that was bubbling up to halfway up his thighs. Slowly and very carefully, he sat down in the hot spring, with the water rising to his chest. It's pretty warm, but not too hot, he thought. Just right.
He reached up onto the riverbank and picked up the baby. "Okay, time for you to get in," he grunted. The baby looked a bit uneasy as Inuyasha half-submerged him in the warm water, but then he started kicking his little curled feet at water bugs.
Miroku sighed. "Inuyasha really is domesticated," he muttered.
"What was that?" Inuyasha said sharply.
"Inuyasha, couldn't the girls bathe the baby?"
"They could," Inuyasha said coolly. He splashed some water on the baby's stomach. "But I wanted to do it."
"Because he's your baby, eh?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You called it 'my baby.'"
"I did not."
"Yes you did. Even Koga noticed."
The flush on Inuyasha's face could have been the steam or his own embarrassment -- Miroku was pretty sure it was the latter. "So my tongue slipped. Big deal." He began diligently washing the baby off, looking somewhat nervous. Dammit, he thought. Why do they have to be so slippery?
"However," Miroku said suddenly, looking interested, "there is one intriguing thing I have heard about babies."
"Whatzat?"
"I've heard that women find it quite attractive when they see a man caring for a baby. It gives off the impression that he is nurturing and caring-"
"Oh no you don't," Inuyasha said, hugging the squirming baby close to his bare chest. "There is no way you are goin' to corrupt him before he can even walk. You want to pick up women -- find your own baby."
The baby himself was making little pleased squealing noises, and flapping his little arms and legs at the water. Miroku smiled a little at the sight of the happy baby, and Inuyasha nervously trying to bathe it and himself. Then the monk settled back against the mossy bank and relaxed. The only way this could be more pleasant, he thought, would be if one of the girls-
"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice echoed through the woods. "Be careful! That water might be too hot for him!"
"It is NOT too hot," Inuyasha bellowed back.
"How can you tell? Babies aren't supposed to be in hot water, so what's fine for YOU might scald HIM!"
"He's fine. He ain't even turning red."
"Inuyasha, maybe I should give him a bath instead!"
"Why? I'm almost done!"
"Because a hot spring is way too hot for a baby!"
"IT IS NOT!"
Miroku sighed heavily and gave up. He wasn't going to get any peace and quiet. Inuyasha and Kagome kept arguing at the top of their lungs for some time, as Inuyasha kept scrubbing the baby.
With a groan, the monk heaved himself out of the hot spring and went over to where his towel and clothes were. Ah well, he thought, it was nice while it lasted.
.
"Did Inuyasha give you a nice bath?" Kagome asked the baby, as she fastened the diaper around his little waist. The baby's response was a twitchy little smile. "Did you have a nice bath in the too-hot water? Yes, it looks like you did!"
Inuyasha shot her a filthy look from the campfire. "Just let it die, willya?" he said.
Kagome fastened the adjusted cap on the baby's head, making sure his ears weren't squashed inside. He was watching her with wide golden eyes. Then suddenly he began flailing around and making noises like "ehehEEEE!", trying to reach his little arms up to her.
Kagome scooped him up and cradled the baby against her. He's such a sweet little thing, she thought, letting him grab her fingers. She had babysat for some cute babies before, but this little guy was something special. And it wasn't just that he looked like Inuyasha. He was so alone in the world -- his mother was gone, and who knew when they would find his father, who might not even know he existed. He needed the group -- and Kagome hadn't ever really felt so needed before.
He's just so cute, she thought, twiddling his puppy ears and watching him kick in response. So cute and so sweet.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
"Does he really need to be in here with us?" Miroku asked wearily.
"YES."
Inuyasha stepped into the hot springs, looking down at the steaming water that was bubbling up to halfway up his thighs. Slowly and very carefully, he sat down in the hot spring, with the water rising to his chest. It's pretty warm, but not too hot, he thought. Just right.
He reached up onto the riverbank and picked up the baby. "Okay, time for you to get in," he grunted. The baby looked a bit uneasy as Inuyasha half-submerged him in the warm water, but then he started kicking his little curled feet at water bugs.
Miroku sighed. "Inuyasha really is domesticated," he muttered.
"What was that?" Inuyasha said sharply.
"Inuyasha, couldn't the girls bathe the baby?"
"They could," Inuyasha said coolly. He splashed some water on the baby's stomach. "But I wanted to do it."
"Because he's your baby, eh?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You called it 'my baby.'"
"I did not."
"Yes you did. Even Koga noticed."
The flush on Inuyasha's face could have been the steam or his own embarrassment -- Miroku was pretty sure it was the latter. "So my tongue slipped. Big deal." He began diligently washing the baby off, looking somewhat nervous. Dammit, he thought. Why do they have to be so slippery?
"However," Miroku said suddenly, looking interested, "there is one intriguing thing I have heard about babies."
"Whatzat?"
"I've heard that women find it quite attractive when they see a man caring for a baby. It gives off the impression that he is nurturing and caring-"
"Oh no you don't," Inuyasha said, hugging the squirming baby close to his bare chest. "There is no way you are goin' to corrupt him before he can even walk. You want to pick up women -- find your own baby."
The baby himself was making little pleased squealing noises, and flapping his little arms and legs at the water. Miroku smiled a little at the sight of the happy baby, and Inuyasha nervously trying to bathe it and himself. Then the monk settled back against the mossy bank and relaxed. The only way this could be more pleasant, he thought, would be if one of the girls-
"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice echoed through the woods. "Be careful! That water might be too hot for him!"
"It is NOT too hot," Inuyasha bellowed back.
"How can you tell? Babies aren't supposed to be in hot water, so what's fine for YOU might scald HIM!"
"He's fine. He ain't even turning red."
"Inuyasha, maybe I should give him a bath instead!"
"Why? I'm almost done!"
"Because a hot spring is way too hot for a baby!"
"IT IS NOT!"
Miroku sighed heavily and gave up. He wasn't going to get any peace and quiet. Inuyasha and Kagome kept arguing at the top of their lungs for some time, as Inuyasha kept scrubbing the baby.
With a groan, the monk heaved himself out of the hot spring and went over to where his towel and clothes were. Ah well, he thought, it was nice while it lasted.
.
"Did Inuyasha give you a nice bath?" Kagome asked the baby, as she fastened the diaper around his little waist. The baby's response was a twitchy little smile. "Did you have a nice bath in the too-hot water? Yes, it looks like you did!"
Inuyasha shot her a filthy look from the campfire. "Just let it die, willya?" he said.
Kagome fastened the adjusted cap on the baby's head, making sure his ears weren't squashed inside. He was watching her with wide golden eyes. Then suddenly he began flailing around and making noises like "ehehEEEE!", trying to reach his little arms up to her.
Kagome scooped him up and cradled the baby against her. He's such a sweet little thing, she thought, letting him grab her fingers. She had babysat for some cute babies before, but this little guy was something special. And it wasn't just that he looked like Inuyasha. He was so alone in the world -- his mother was gone, and who knew when they would find his father, who might not even know he existed. He needed the group -- and Kagome hadn't ever really felt so needed before.
He's just so cute, she thought, twiddling his puppy ears and watching him kick in response. So cute and so sweet.
TO BE CONTINUED