2. Prompt: "Can you hear me now?"
Time: 2018
They had planned the party for weeks. All the preparations were set. Unfortunately, last minute hospital call was drop on them. One of them would have to cover call.
"I can take it, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha offered. They were standing in the kitchen, having just looked at the well-stocked refrigerator boasting Inuyasha's cooking.
"No. You worked so hard on all the treats. You deserve the accolades. Our guests are more comfortable when you are around. Besides, if anyone calls tonight it's probably a delivery and I enjoy bringing a new one into the world."
"Geez. Listen to the Great Dog Demon! "I enjoy bringing a new one into the world"! Keh! I still remember you liked to take them out of the world!" Inuyasha imitated a broad swing of a sword.
Sesshomaru frowned and then started pulling on Inuyasha's cheeks, inspecting his brother's face and ears.
"What?!" Inuyasha batted gently at him. "I'm not lying. You were different in the past."
"Are you sure you aren't part elephant demon? It's been over 600 years or more since I was like that."
Inuyasha smiled and leaned into his mate, nuzzling under his chin. "I'm not part elephant demon. I am the proud mate and brother of the King of the Western Lands, the great physician Sesshomaru Takahashi." He preened, "I just like to point out how much you've changed and how great you are!" He allowed his right fingers to caress the magnificent pecs under his right hand and squeezed the demon closer with his left.
A devious smile arose on Sesshomaru's face.
"Care to demonstrate that, my sizzling hot mate?"
Inuyasha grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and began dragging him to their master bedroom when the pager went off.
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Both mates stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the beeper number.
"It's the OB ward—the OR section. I've got to run!" Sesshomaru phased.
"Urgh!" Inuyasha leaned up against the wall. He recognized that number too. An infant was in trouble and the nurses were heading to a crash C-section. He understood the importance of the job and situation. They were just going to have to put their sexual energy in the "bank" for later.
Suzy toddled in from her playroom.
"Daddy? Can you come and play with me? Rin's napping."
Inuyasha looked at his little girl. Grinning at her, he reached out a hand. "Let's play."
The two played house and adventures, until the doorbell rang and the guests started arriving. Inuyasha welcomed their guests and pointed them to the living area.
Bobbie and Barbie mingled with the staff. Everyone wanted to hold Rin and she cooed cutely. Everyone wanted to see the baby. Suzy stood to the side until one of the guests noticed her and raced over to hug her.
"Oh Suzy, you've gotten so big! Louie! Come here. Look at Suzy! So grown up!"
The guests picked her up and commented on how big she had gotten. Soon Suzy was laughing and part of the party just like her big brother and sisters.
"Where's Dr. Sesshomaru?" A guest asked.
From across the room Inuyasha replied, "Sesshomaru went to the hospital. There was a crash C-section."
"Oh my!" another guest startled. "I'll have to check the prenatal list in the morning at work. We'll have a new patient soon."
Laughter surrounded the guest. "Leave it to the finance manager to think about new patients!"
Slapping his shoulder the woman replied, "Oh you! You know what I meant. I need to send a card and flowers and…." The discussion went on as the staff members present discussed the new member.
The first guest who asked about Sesshomaru started teasing Inuyasha about his hearing. "Heard me all the way across the room?! Talk about amazing hearing!" The crowd joined in and soon the conversation hemmed around Inuyasha's ears.
Suzy had been listening. Suzy had wondered how good her dad's ears were. She had heard him brag about hearing the heart monitors through the walls of the ICU. She listened as his nurse friends ribbed him and teased him, "Those big Dumbo ears had to be good for sumthin'" and other ribs like "good thing you hear well with 'em, cause they don't help your looks any."
However, before Suzy could say anything to the guest seemingly insulting her daddy, Bobbie came to her side. "Suzy, time for us to go." He offered her his hand.
She rubbed an eye and yawned. "But, Bobbie-"
"No Buts. You know what Dad said." Inuyasha was excusing himself to put Rin to bed.
Reluctantly Suzy nodded and Bobbie, Barbie and Suzy walked off to their rooms.
The party continued for a while.
Suzy brushed her teeth and lay down, but her mind was busy. Suzy thought it sounded like "bullying", the mean thing that kids did at school and wondered if her daddy would start yelling and fighting with his so called friends but as she listened all she heard was her daddy's big, robust laughter echoing back in the room.
Later after the guests left, Suzy crept out of her room to the living room. There she peeked, trying to see her dad. Her dad was resting on the sofa, his back to her. The TV was on but so soft, she couldn't hear.
"Hey Suzy. What are doing awake?!"
Suzy startled. How did he know she was there? She walked around and stood in front of her father.
"Why did they tease you about your ears, Daddy? I like your ears and so does Father. They are wonderful. Are they bullying you like they say at school?"
"No honey," Inuyasha beamed at his daughter, "The difference is these are my friends and they like me. And really, I do have some pretty large ears. They weren't lying." He wiggled his ears for her sake.
Suzy thought about it for a moment and then crawled up on the sofa with her dad. She curled into his side and sighed.
Her dad was perfect. She fisted his shirt and rested her head on his chest. Slowly her breathing slowed and her eyes drooped. She was nearly asleep.
The two stayed on the sofa until Sesshomaru returned.
Sesshomaru quietly took in the empty glasses and empty food bowls and then smiled as he saw his lover and Suzy resting on the sofa.
"How'd it go?" Inuyasha whispered.
"Just barely made it in time. Decelerations, absence of fetal movement, placental bleeding, maternal hypertension. Inuyasha, it was worse than it looked. I didn't think I could save them both for more than several heartbeats." Sesshomaru looked deep in his lover's eyes. "I just wanted to hug you and hold our kids when it was over."
"Yeh. I understand." Loosening Suzy's hand and easily putting her on the sofa, Inuyasha rose gracefully from the sofa. He padded over to his brother. "Welcome home, Sweetheart. Your family is safe and tucked in for the night. Help me put Suzy to bed." Inuyasha grabbed his mate's hand and started to pull him to the sofa.
"Wait," Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around Inuyasha and held on tightly. Inuyasha pulled Sesshomaru tightly to his chest.
Through the years they both had experienced intense medical situations; life and death, failure and success, giving the diagnosis of cancer to their close friends. Working with humans had made those occasions even more frequent and it never got easier. Sesshomaru sighed just as Inuyasha took a deep breath and savored his brother's smell.
Sesshomaru smiled. 'Smells like home. That hasn't changed.' Straightening himself, he kissed his brother's lips.
"Now, let's put our graceful lily to bed and pick up on some earlier promises." Sesshomaru looked lustfully at his mate.
"You may have to remind me," Inuyasha tried to appear innocent, but started laughing almost immediately.
"You are definitely not an elephant," Sesshomaru snorted.
A sweet little voice mumbled, "Not an elephant, nice ears, love Daddy."
Sesshomaru walked to the sofa, bent over and picked up Suzy effortlessly. As he carried her to her bedroom, Sesshomaru murmured to her, "The best ears. I love Daddy too. Sleep well Suzy. I love you."
Suzy sighed and curled into her father's chest even closer.
Inuyasha leaned against the wall watching his husband put Suzy to bed and peace settled over him. 'Thanks Dad and Mom. I feel you watching over us. But, can you turn your heads for the next 20-30 minutes? Thanks.' The inuhanyou blushed as he was gathered up in his husband's arms and phased to their private rooms.
In the fields of heaven, an inu daiyoukai laughed.
"Twenty minutes! Ha! That's just the foreplay, boy. Your mother and I-"
A dainty hand covered her mate's mouth.
When he appeared startled, she winked and suggestively dropped the shoulder of her kimono.
A predator growl rumbled the fields of heaven.
