AN: So, you know what I found? A cool quiz. http/guru. who your Inuyasha Mystery guy is. I got Kouga. I am not quite sure how to deal with this, or why you would even care. I mean, sure, I love his amazing legs, and lets admit it, he is the only guy who can pull off that mini-skirt - No way Inuyasha or Miroku could. In fact, it worries me to think about Miroku's reaction... He might actually enjoy it, considering he is walking around in a dress all day... See, this is what happens when I don't have coffee in the morning- I start to ramble on. Anyway, try it out! It's fun! And who knows... Someone may be lucky and get Sesshy! In which case, I hate you. No, no.. Just kidding. I am happy with my wolf boy. As happy, as I hope you will be with our new chapter! Much fluffiness, twists,and things to come... Please review and let us know what you think! I'll try to update again soon, PoF doesn't have computer access for a while, and mine will be rather spratic at best, but whenever I do get my fingers to a keyboard, you all will have a nice new chapter update!
Enjoy the story and remember to review::skips off to chase Kouga's wagging tail:
Chapter Thirteen: I'll Make the Roses Bloom
The next morning, Inuyasha awoke to an amazing sight. The grass was green, the sun was bright and the sky seemed blue instead of hazy, and he could hear animals moving. There was a bunny eating clover that had spread like wild fire, the birds were flying without fear, and he could hear the croak of frogs from somewhere nearby. The grass, still only knee high, was enough to make him feel like he was in a strange world where everything eclipsed him.
And, of course, Kagome was still in his arms. He rolled over to his side and watched her sleep, for the first time in a long time not being bothered by the fear of hurting her accidentally, or plagued by memories he wanted to cauterize. Inuyasha's eyes slipped to her stomach, the sound of his baby's heart still echoing in his ears.
Like the newly reborn demon world, Inuyasha just felt overwhelmed by it all: by his love for Kagome, by the idea that she was carrying a whole new life inside her, even the idea that he was going to be a Daddy, feeling elation and pride every time he thought of it, too grandiose for him to accept. He looked up to her sleeping face again, kissing her cheek to express the words she wouldn't be able to hear. "You amaze me…"
Kagome let out a little sigh of contentment and turned her head to the side a bit, stretching her arms over her head she arched her back and allowed her muscles to stretch and purr. It took her a few minutes to remember where she was. She didn't remember falling asleep in a sea of green. Opening her eyes a little more, Kagome blinked a couple of times, her thick eyelashes fluttering away her dreams.
"Inuyasha," Kagome spoke softly, her voice full of emotion when she saw him with his head placed on her stomach, his ear flattened over her stomach. Reaching out her hand, Kagome laid back and watched Inuyasha with growing love and warmth fluttering through her. Running her fingers through his silver hair, Kagome smiled completely contentedly. She looked like the very picture of the cat who had had the cream and mouse.
"Why do I amaze you?" she whispered, her finger tips playing over the tip of his ear. Leaning up on her elbows, Kagome laughed shyly. "I can't believe we did… well, out here and stayed," Kagome told him with a light blush, looking around again a look of confusion fell over her face. "I don't remember it looking like this last night," she whispered, wondering just how strongly the spell had affected here.
"It didn't, not really," he told her. It hadn't felt so alive last night, even though the seeds had been sewn last night. Now, under the morning sun, they could see just how much had been brought back. "And that's why you amaze me. You're the one doing all of this. It astounds me. I never thought that I would see this world looking green… That's the one thing I didn't like about being on a ship. When we were banished to that world, we… we arrived someplace that was filled with warmth and color and life. And then we lived out on the ocean, but even that was miraculous after living here for so long."
His ears twitched as she played with them. "I really would like to go back to my Mother's," Inuyasha finally confessed. "She would have liked you, Kagome. She worked so hard at trying to make roses bloom, but she never actually managed…."
Kagome caressed him softly, a soothing look in her understanding brown eyes. "It would be hard to here. However," Kagome told him softly. "It shows her the strength of character for her to have tried," Kagome said softly, shifting into a sitting up position, holding Inuyasha's red robe to her form. Blushing, Kagome looked about for her shirt, not meeting his eyes.
"We'll help the roses around her castle grow then, and plant some in our garden at home, around the house if you'd like. I'm sure she would've." Kagome smiled warmly at him. "It's quite the woman to have raised you," Kagome whispered, and leaned close lightly brushing her lips against his. "And lived the life she did, here, with your father," Kagome said her thumb etching over his cheek.
He covered her hand with his, pressing it against his flesh. "Thank you, Kagome." Inuyasha rose one of his eyebrows, looking mischievous. The morning was still young… "I guess we should be getting back. I hope we didn't make Sango and Miroku worry…."
And then he recalled all the longing looks they had been giving each other. They probably hadn't even noticed that Inuyasha and Kagome were gone, let alone that they hadn't returned. Kouga… he doubted the wolf would care. He had a pack to look out for, and Inuyasha was old enough to take care of himself. "After all, I'm going to be a Daddy," he mumbled under his breath, his cheeks turning red when he realized he had spoken out loud.
"I hope they didn't worry, I'd for them to have had..." Kagome quirked her brow at him, as she pulled on her shirt, and stretched her hand through the sleeve. "What were you thinking?" Kagome asked, curious to know what led to that sentence. Then blushing furiously, Kagome knotted her brows together and threw Inuyasha a look. "Turn around," she mumbled, her fisted hands holding on tightly to her pants.
"Not like I haven't seen more of you than that…" Inuyasha mumbled, retrieving his own pants. He stretched before he began to dress himself, watching the bunny eat the clover and thinking of how hungry he was. Damn it, he was not going to eat the bunny!
Hunting through the grass to find his white shirt, he smiled. "I'm just happy," Inuyasha told his wife, even his golden eyes sharing in the proud grin he sported. It still hurt slightly that Kagome hadn't told him that she was pregnant, but… what was in the past was in the past. Inuyasha just had to look to the future, and, of course, the present. He picked up his jacket, but pulled Kagome into his arms before he put it on. His nose brushed her neck, making her giggle.
"You know, I thought of another lie I told you. I may love you, but I'm also going to love this baby as much as I love you. I'm going to shower them with so much affection that you might just be jealous, Kagome. And then well have more children, and I'll love each and every one of them all just the same and you'll have to be the one to barricade the door, my Kagome."
He spun her around, lifting her feet off the ground and twirled her once and twice. Inuyasha laughed. "And we'll have to come up with whole new ways to fill our nights with each other, because we'll have healthy children to watch out for," he teased. "I mean… how would we ever explain to them what we do when we couldn't even explain it to our little Shippo?"
Kagome laughed and blushed furiously. "Inuyasha," Kagome whispered softly, her arms holding him tight as she felt the sensation of flight, while being twirled around in his arms. "We'll just tell them, mommy and daddy want private time," Kagome said, finally back on her feet stepping back out of his tight grip and pouting. "You know, you're starting to make me feel bad about the baby. I don't want to be jealous of my own child..." Kagome said and began walking off in the way, she hoped, led to Kouga's den.
"Maybe we should just wait, a long time, till we have another," Kagome tossed over her shoulder, as she crouched quickly to pick up her bow and arrow, then stop suddenly and look around suspiciously. "This forest might be deceiving, but this is still a demon world," Kagome whispered, looking back at Inuyasha as she slowly stepped around in her place to face him. "Did you hear anything?" Kagome asked before a huge beast lunged at her from the bushes and with snapping teeth pushed her back, his paws on her shoulders, landing her back hard on the ground.
"Oi! Wolfie! Down!" Kouga's voice rang clear as he pushed through the bush. "Sheesh, could you guys have gone any farther- Wolfie. I said off." Kouga hurried over embarrassed, and picked the wolf up by his hind legs, pulling him, and his curious snout, away from Kagome's crotch. "Nothing interesting there," Kouga lied gruffly, and couldn't help but give a feral grin when the wolf reached his nose out to sniff Inuyasha.
"Matching scents, huh?"
Letting go of his sword, Inuyasha helped Kagome up, glaring at Kouga, even though his lips teased with the idea of a smile. "So is this a search party or were you guys out hunting?" he demanded.
Kouga scratched the hair under his bandanna, his face turning cocky. "Me? Go out and look for a shit faced dog like yourself, Lord Inuyasha? Don't make me laugh. Although dog shit like you would need help in chasing down your own wife, wouldn't you?"
"At least I have a mate, wolf piss," Inuyasha countered, now his voice suppressing a laugh. He and Kouga shook hands. "It's glad to see that you don't harbor any bad feelings for me deciding to stay in the human realm, Kouga. How have you been lately anyway?"
The wolf demon's smile vanished. "Hungry. We're currently camped out between gangs, Yasha." The topic was too serious for Kouga to make fun of Inuyasha. "Naraku to the east, and your half brother to the west. The land's been picked clean. If this conflict gets any worse, we're going to have to leave. I don't want to do that. This is our land, our territory, and aristocrats or not, they have no right to decide to play war right in the middle of my fucking land."
He opened his mouth to answer, but Kagome nudged him. Knowing exactly what she wanted, Inuyasha made a tiny sigh that earned him a glare. He'd get that later…. Recalling the frogs he had heard, Inuyasha changed what he had been about to say. "Kouga, is there a river or something around here, somewhere were we can go and bathe?" Recalling the first spring they had met, he thought of fish. Kagome hadn't been sick this morning: either it really had been the fish or else it didn't happen every morning.
Staring at them, Kouga hid a grin and again nudged his companion to be silent and still. "There's one not too far away. I'll say this for humans: at least they're clean. Better than say, frog demons."
"And that would be the closest Kouga can come to a compliment," Inuyasha muttered to Kagome, knowing full well the demon could hear him.
Ignoring Inuyasha, Kouga looked at Kagome. "I'm glad to see that you're feeling better. Everything all right with you two? I mean, if you're not fighting, then somebody's chucking shit at me, or else you two are making out worse than your Miroku and the slayer. Whom, by the way, are not allowed spending another night in the den. They're sleeping outside next time you guys come looking for a place to crash!"
Kagome blushed and looked away from Kouga, inching closer to Inuyasha and winding her hand through his. "I'm feeling better now. Unlike you, Inuyasha took the spider out that caused the webs," Kagome retaliated and shook her head. "I'm better," Kagome promised and nudged Inuyasha, slowly feeling Inuyasha's arms encircle her and his hands lay protectively on her stomach. Kagome couldn't help but turn even redder. "We're all better. Um... what happened between the two? Are they alright?" Kagome asked, missing the main point of WHY they were to sleep outside of the den.
Kouga glared at her like she was a brainless idiot. Which to him, was more or less the equivalent of being a human married to a doggy half breed. "Because their panting kept all of us up!" Then he thought of their scent…. "Okay, I suppose that they can stay inside next time, considering that they also made most of the women in my pack… should I take you to the spring now?" he asked, jumping topics. "I can go and get Sango and Miroku for you and then they can shower too. They need it." His nose wrinkled.
Inuyasha grinned. "That'd be great."
Kouga sent his companion to go and get Miroku and Sango, and Kouga himself led them to the spring. When Inuyasha saw the steam rising from it, his smile grew. A hot spring would mean that Kagome wouldn't complain about the cold. Hot water was good. Kouga waved them goodbye, telling them that Inuyasha could find their own way back to the den and that they damn well better come back this time, because he wanted to talk to Inuyasha later.
Looking at his wife, he stroked her hair. Inuyasha couldn't stop touching her, at least in some small way: a hand on her back or shoulder here, his knuckles brushing hers as they walked. "So… shall we?"
It was Kagome's turn to purr as she leaned into him, enjoying the stolen caresses. "Is it completely wrong of me to be so in love in someone?" Kagome asked in a sigh, her eyes still closed as she leaned against him. Turning around in his arms, Kagome threw her arms up around his neck and hugged him close. "It is not the sex," Kagome told him and wrinkled her nose, knowing that would be a bruise to any male ego and quickly wanting to amend. "Though it is great," Kagome added quickly, "But it's your heart. I love it so much." Kagome whispered, her fingers playing with the shorter strands of his hair. "Is it wrong of me to think how a half demon fulfills the missing part of my soul?" Kagome whispered in question, before letting go and sitting by the spring bank, dangling her feet in the warm water and practically purring.
Even though the parts between them reversed, especially in this world where Inuyasha seemed so much... more. Carnal. Real. Feral. Wild. Kagome was still the one who could be as easily pleased as a puppy.
"Stop nudging me!" A once monk's voice rang through the air. "Stupid mutt, get your nose out of there!" he yelled finally stumbling forward and quirking a brow at Inuyasha, then Kagome. "Yo," he said shortly, and put Sango, whom he was carrying in his arms down.
"If he annoys you, smack him. Kouga'll understand," Miroku promised, with a last glare at the wolf who led them. "Where the fuck have you two fucking been? We've been fucking worried!" Miroku yelled, then saw both their looks and groaned inwardly.
"You know, if you keep on giving us that reaction, I'm never going to lose the 'I had sex with my wife' look," Inuyasha told his friend, his favorite part of the saying the 'with my wife' part.
Sango sighed with relief when she saw the water. Unlike her husband, she had known deep down that Inuyasha and Kagome were safe. Maybe not back together, but safe for sure. Inuyasha would never let anything bad happen to Kagome that would actually put her in danger, and Kagome would never hurt Inuyasha.
Just like she could never hurt Miroku.
"I hope that you're not going to swear like that in front of our son, Miroku," she pointed out, digging through the knapsack she had brought with them from Kouga's cave. She found a bar of soup and a small container of shampoo and sighed with relief. "Kagome obviously did the packing."
Pulling at his shirt as he tried to restrain from tossing Kagome into the pool of hot water, Inuyasha shrugged. "I still maintain that all I need is the sword."
Kagome huffed. "You say that because I brought the supplies for the fire that you grilled your fish over," Kagome told him proudly, throwing her head back at him. But her smile faltered. "Things are fuzzy after that," she whispered rubbing her temple, before jumping out of the water and rushing to Sango, bare feet padding through the grass, and as though the droplets of water from her feet were the essence of life, the grass grew lush and thick.
"Sango! Are you alright? I mean, we came to get you and I... I'm so sorry I forgot. Are you well?" Kagome asked feeling ashamed now that she enjoyed Inuyasha's company at night, rather then worrying about her friends' wellbeing.
Miroku, who was sitting now on a boulder, threw Inuyasha a worried look. 'You sure she's ok?' he mouthed to his friend, before looking back at Kagome, who just seemed very lost and out of it. Putting on his poker face, Miroku grinned at Sango. "Is that your polite way of telling me there is a son on the way?" he joked, while whittling a piece of wood.
"It's what you asked for, but we can't be sure until they are born," Sango teased. She took Kagome's hands and smiled at her friend. "I'm perfectly fine. And from what I've been hearing, you really don't want to know what happened after they cooked supper. Don't worry about me. I'm not Sango for nothing, Kagome. No prison can hold me for very long. Oh… and I got to meet Kirara. She's around here somewhere. I think she's actually hiding right now, because of all the canines around here."
Miroku broke his stick. "W-what?" Miroku asked gaping at his wife. Had he understood her correctly? Why the hell were his hands sweating? Miroku wondered and then added onto that same thought, 'why in the hell is my heart pounding?' "They?"
Sensing, that she should leave Sango and Miroku to themselves for a couple of moments, Kagome smiled warmly at Sango, her hand squeezing hers. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," Kagome said, and blushed. "But I am happy you are still your fighting self. You aren't hurt are you?" Kagome asked knowing that if she was, Miroku would've kicked the whole den out to tend to her, rather then just... Kagome arched her brow. "Sango, with people around?" She 'tsked' her tongue.
"Don't worry about it so much, Kagome. Don't feel guilty," he said, knowing exactly what she was thinking. Inuyasha wasn't as clueless about his wife as he seemed, at times. "Everybody is allowed to need some time to work things out on their own. Or with other people. Isn't anybody going to enjoy the damn water?"
Seeing as how nobody else was making a move to undress as he was –Sango still peering through the supplies and making comments now and then- Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Picking Kagome up in his arms, he kissed her gently… before he jumped into the water, still holding him in his arms. And he was still wearing his pants.
Feeling herself sinking for a moment, before being pulled against him, Kagome spurted water and shook her head like a dog, trying to get the water soaked bangs out of her eyes, her hands rubbing the droplets away from her face. Facing him, Kagome spat out the mouthful of water she had in her mouth in his face before sputtering. "Lovely! I'm clothed! Inuyasha, now I'm soaking wet! And... Ooo... There are even warmer undercurrents..." Kagome whispered loving the warmth.
He let go of her to keep himself afloat with his hands, settling her into his lap. Inuyasha grinned at her. "I told you it was nice."
Without warning, she jumped Inuyasha pushing him under and grinning proudly at Miroku and Sango. "How long can inu-demons stay under water without air?" Kagome questioned, giggling when she felt him attempt to tickle her through the wet clothing. "I believe my pirate prince has met his match!"
Sango giggled and sat on the boulder next to Miroku, watching Kagome and Inuyasha in the water. Oh, she'd give him five seconds before he threw her in there with them. "What'd I say that made you stutter?" she asked honestly. She kept replaying it, but the only thing she could think of was that he was freaking out because she said 'they', but what else was she supposed to call an unborn baby? It? She didn't think so!
Inuyasha gasped for air when Kagome finally let him up. He was shocked that his sweet little Kagome had tried to drown him, but it turned into a game soon enough. When she laughed and went to push him under again, he willingly went along, and started to pull at her shirt this time instead of tickling her. He'd show her what a pirate prince did when push came to shove!
Miroku gritted his teeth hard enough to break his molars. Seeing Inuyasha and Kagome were busy with the inane game of trying to drown each other, Miroku grabbed Sango by her hips and swung her around to face him. Knowing quite well he had just moved her from sitting to standing position, that's why he held her so tightly, to make sure she didn't fall. His fingers grazing over her hips and down to clench her buttocks, Miroku glared. "Don't play games woman... Are you trying to tell me you're pregnant?" Miroku asked, unable to fully hide the hopeful look in his face.
Kagome gasped when she felt Inuyasha's hands somewhere where they really shouldn't be, not with their friends so close by. Kicking at him, Kagome felt his clawed hand close around her ankle and pull her down, with just enough time to catch a breath Kagome was under the water and staring at him, the way his silver hair floated around him like a storm cloud. Wagging her finger at him, Kagome lightly smacked his hand away from her chest.
Sango was grinning too hard to slap Miroku, so she just patted his cheek lightly. "I don't know. I mean, it's only been… three days since I stopped taking my glass of sake before having sex with you, and it might not even be the right time of the month. We'll know when Kagome can sense something or Inuyasha can smell something. But until then, don't you think that I should start trying to get you out of the habit of swearing now, Miroku?" She kissed him softly, letting her lips linger over his as she talked. "I'll become with child sooner or later, Miroku. We just have to keep on doing what it is we've been doing since we agreed to have kids."
Miroku sighed and placed his forehead against Sango's collar bone, his eyes open and looking down at the ground. "You're right. I'm sorry. I was jumping the gun," Miroku sighed and clung her closer to her. He just was too eager to have a son. His hand inching over her derriere, he wondered when he should tell her about the small problem he had recently found out about his little 'demon' deal. "Oh, we'll continue," Miroku teased lifting his head up to her. "Don't worry. If Yasha with his 'does this go here?' attitude can do it, so can we," he joked.
Swimming away before she could dunk him again, Inuyasha worked at removing the rest of his clothes, which was made slightly more difficult by the fact that he had to tread water in the deeper area he had escaped into. Finally, he managed to do it, and flung his pants and underclothes up by where Sango and Miroku were sitting. "Honestly! We're all adults here! I don't see what the big deal is!"
Sango nodded in agreement and pulled her melancholy yet hopeful spouse up off his buttocks. "That we all are, aren't we, Miroku?" she asked sweetly before throwing him in.
Kagome stood on the side as Miroku's fallen body sent waves of water flying. A moment later, the Priestess was cracking up with laughter. Then she turned to Inuyasha and loosened her shirt, just to prove her point, she began unwrapping the shirt. "Since we are all adults, you don't mind Miroku...?" Kagome asked, motioning to her slowly loosening shirt.
Miroku broke the surface and flung his hair back. "Wench!" Miroku swam to the shore and grabbed her ankle, pulled her in. Only with apt skill, he caught her around her hips pressing her to him and kissing her, before her face hit the water. Looking at Kagome and Inuyasha, Miroku shrugged. "My Lady is feisty," he laughed then grumbled when he felt a kick where one really shouldn't have delivered. Especially after the enticing thought of his wife bathing... "Ugh."
"Oh, sorry!" She had meant to aim for the shin, and forgot how hard it was to aim in water.
Kagome then looked over at Sango. "Does this mean I get to find out for myself about all you've been telling me of your husband?"
Inuyasha swam back to Kagome, and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her gently. "Okay, well, I hadn't really though of him looking at you, or you and Sango trading notes… you two have been trading notes this whole time, haven't you?"
Sango looked up from where she was tending to Miroku; which basically meant that she was apologizing to him in between quickly lengthening kisses. "Contrary to belief, women have a sex drive, and a sex life, and we talk about it as much as men do, we just don't admit to it."
Kagome nodded. "What she said," Kagome said then patted Inuyasha's shoulder reassuringly. "We get points for times. They get points for creativity," Kagome informed him proudly. Shying away slightly, Kagome shook her head. "We've been trading notes just as much as you and Miroku." Kagome said quirking up her brow. "You have, haven't you?"
Miroku groaned, thankful for the water helping to ease his pain. "Sango..." Miroku gritted out. "Just how hard did you mean to kick my shin?" He muttered.
"Well, see love, part of it was the force I put in because water can be a strong resistant force…."
Inuyasha ignored them, at least momentarily. "I might have said something now and then… all of it was good! And no details, because that would have been ungentlemanly." He stopped and paused about that for a second. Inuyasha still wasn't all that much of a gentleman, hence with the swearing. "Well, even pirates have their limits. But we can find our own place, just the two of us…."
Sango, recalling the conversation they had had before she'd taken a bath, and knowing that the implication of sex would always cheer up Miroku, was thinking the exact same thing. She smiled at him. "Didn't you say something about washing my back, Miroku?" Sango wiggled the soap at him.
Kagome smiled at him warmly, liking him protecting their privacy. Snuggling close to him, even through her clothes Kagome could feel his perfectly chiseled body. She loved the feel of his strong muscles around her, holding her close. He still felt warmer to her then even the warm spring water. "Just the two of us would be nice." Kagome said nipping his lip with her teeth and then just holding him close, enjoying how he spun her about in the water, splashing water about.
Miroku was sure his jaw was clenched shut. "Woman. Thy name is evil," Miroku told Sango, when he looked down at his lap. "Do you know how much pain you are.." Miroku closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of his hands squeezing her rear without a slap. "Back? Yes. Yes. I can wash your back... lather it up good and well," Miroku said huskily.
"The pheromones in this pool could populate Kouga's entire clan," said a cold disgusted voice; the strong powerful voice of the Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshomaru. "It's disgusting," he said coldly, his eyes pinning his own half-breed mark of shame on the family.
Kagura stepped from behind him into view, and narrowed her eyes at the men. Enjoying the scene. "Oh. I don't know. It's the best show I've seen for a while." She smirked cruelly.
Glancing at her, the tiniest of smiles tugged at his lips. "I'll keep your watching fetish in mind… for next time."
Inuyasha smiled at his brother, his pinched brows suggesting that it was more of a grimace, and suppressed a shudder. "Hello, Sesshomaru."