A/N: (I stole the title of this chapter from a line from Four Seasons. Just in case you Jpop fans noticed.)

Sorry this chapter is so late. I had to catch up on my AP summer work that I put off all summer, and then my parents popped in Indiana Jones so I had to watch it. My parents were fresh out of college when I was born, so unlike other kids who grew up on Sesame Street, I watched Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Ferris Buller's Day Off, E.T., Jurassic Park...just your good ol' 80's movies. Might explain why I feel so disappointed in most cinema today.

It also might explain a lot about my fanfiction as well, ne?


Chapter 28: Four Seasons in My Heart

And so we were mated. It was something that took a long time for me to really get used to, realizing that I was Inuyasha's one, and only, mate. It was a little different than I had imagined my life going when I was young—it was no grand wedding, with all my friends and family enjoying in this special day. It was just me and Inuyasha, and yet, it was just perfect.

Though we decided to keep it from our friends for the time being, because Inuyasha knew he would have a hard time telling them, the secrecy didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. It was kind of nice, keeping this between ourselves, when we didn't have our nosy friends to bother us.

And though he didn't like to show it, I knew Inuyasha was happier than he had ever been. He had someone there who loved him, who didn't care that he was a hanyou, willing to stay with him for the rest of his life. Every time he looked at me, I could see it in his eyes. In my own was the feeling reflected…I was loved and cherished by the man of my dreams…I couldn't be happier.

Well, man of my dreams wasn't exactly what he was. I had never, and never will, love another like him. But I suppose I could have done without the rude mouth, violent temper, and tendency to pay more attention to food than me…But my heart chose him, and we cannot choose who we love more than we can choose the weather.

The point is, we were happy, happier than we had ever felt, and though that feeling would not last forever, at that time, we were content.


Inuyasha stepped out of the well into Kagome's time, carrying her backpack as he helped her up. She looked happy to be home for a while, to celebrate her birthday, but he was far from it. He couldn't keep from fidgeting and looking away from her, upset that she had to bring him back for this.

Kagome had noticed how he had been behaving ever since she announced she was going back. With a sigh, she told him, "Come on, Inuyasha, its not that bad."

Glaring back at her, he yelled, "Not that bad? Not that bad! Kagome, you said we had to come back to tell your mother about…about…us!" He spoke the last word with a strangely high pitch in his voice, turning bright red at the prospect.

She had known this wouldn't be easy for him. To tell the truth, it wasn't easy for her either. But it had to be done, and she knew it. And he knew it too, despite the fact that he wasn't happy about it. Kagome put a gentle hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. "Inuyasha, you know my mother, she'll understand. She took the news of us getting together well, so what's to be worried about this time?"

"There's a difference between a little kissing and what we've been doing," the hanyou muttered, folding his arms.

When he put it that way, Kagome blushed a bit as well. It wasn't like they had been doing those things for long; they had only slept together once more since their mating. That was last night, after a long week without anything but kissing with their friends in close proximity, Inuyasha announced he'd be taking her back when instead he took her into the woods to…have some quality time.

"Inuyasha, I told you already; if we're going to keep a relationship like this going while still searching for Naraku, then we're going to have to make sure I can't get pregnant."

Rolling his eyes, he commented sarcastically, "And your mother would have a way of doing that?"

Kagome let out a frustrated sigh. Sometimes it was awkward having to deal with a hanyou who lived 500 years in the past. "Look, in my time we have things, called birth control, which can make sure that I can't get pregnant."

When he glanced back at her, the look in his eyes was unreadable, but his voice was nervous. "You won't be able to have pups?"

"Not 'pups' Inuyasha, babies. And I'll still be able to have them—you can take pills or other sorts of things until you want them, and then quit, so I'll still be able to have children someday," she explained, hoping he would understand.

His eyebrows rose. "But not now?"

"No."

There was a moment of silence as he contemplated this. "Are you sure you need them?" he asked, hoping for anything that would have to get out of telling her mother where exactly their relationship stood now. "I can tell when you're…um…when you're…" He swallowed, blushing again, hoping she knew what he had meant. "Your scent changes."

Kagome was unable to keep from a small, amused giggle. No matter how much she thought Inuyasha was more comfortable speaking about the facts of life with the way they were now, it seemed that she was always surprised. "As much as I appreciate that, Inuyasha, what will you do on a new moon? You won't be able to smell that then."

He glanced at her, his golden eyes uncertain. "You would mate with me on a new moon?"

This time she huffed and looked away. "You know, I'll never understand you. Haven't I said already that I love you, all of you?" She paused a moment, before adding, "Besides, given how you were last night, I'm surprised you're not dragging me off to mate with you every night, you dog."

Kagome knew she had never seen her hanyou blush deeper.

Picking up her backpack and beginning to walk out of the well house, she told him, "I'm not trying say you can't protect me well enough on your own, but I would feel better if we were using protection. So would Mama. And I would rather tell her now before we have to see her get mad by her finding out through…other ways."

As they walked past Goshinboku, which Kagome couldn't help but turn and smile at, Inuyasha muttered, "She'll hate me."

"No she won't! What are you saying? You know Mama loves you! Everyone else does too, so you've got nothing to be afraid of." She kissed him on the cheek to accent her point, but it didn't help.

Glaring back at her, he muttered, "She'll hate me because I…you…we're…" Unable to finish his sentence, he turned around with a sour look on his face.

With another sigh, Kagome wrapped an arm around him, leaning her head against his shoulder, wishing he wouldn't believe those things. "I'm telling you, Inuyasha, she won't be upset. She knows you take care of me and provide for me, and she knows that we both love each other. She won't be mad. And if she does get mad at anyone, it'll be me because we weren't using protection."

Still pouting, the hanyou asked, "What about your grandfather? He'll be upset."

"Inuyasha, the last thing you need to worry about is Jii-chan. If something does happen, then I'll take care of him." Running her hand down his arm to clasp his hand, she asked, "Why are you so worried about what my family will say, anyway?"

He didn't say anything for a moment before replying, "I've seen the way the fathers of those women the monk tried to pursue hated him."

At that, Kagome couldn't help but laugh. "I think Miroku-sama's situation and yours are a bit different, Inuyasha."

"It's just hard for me, Kagome," he admitted, looking down. "It took me a long time to get over the fear that you wouldn't want me…and I'm still kind of afraid of that…And now I can't help but worry that they won't like us like this…it's just the way I am."

She knew. And even though she wished he didn't always think that people would reject him at first, it was how he was. It broke her heart, but it was something she would have to live with. Turning towards him, she said, "I know I won't be able to change your mind, but…" Kagome stood on her tip toes, reaching up and giving him a short, chaste kiss on the lips. "I love you. And no matter what happens in there, it's never going to change, okay?"

Though he was still nervous, his mate helped calm his fears a little bit. He knew that there was no indication in any of her family's behavior that they would reject him, but still…he couldn't help but worry that they wouldn't want their daughter mated to a hanyou. But she was right, no matter what they said, he knew his mate would always stay by his side. That thought caused him to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer to him. Yep, he knew it, despite the fact that she could be annoying at some times, he had to have the best mate in the world.

He removed his arm around her waist as she stepped inside, his fear not yelled quelled. "Mama?" Kagome asked, peering in the kitchen, seeing her mother beginning to make dinner. Usually Inuyasha would have been happy, smelling such delicious food cooking, but right now, the feeling left him sick.

Her mother smiled at her warmly as she looked back at her daughter. "Kagome, Inuyasha-kun, I'm glad you're back!" she said, coming to sit at the table. "Souta and Jii-chan are out at his soccer tournament, but they'll probably be back soon."

"Oh…" Now it was Kagome's turn to blush. Inuyasha felt better knowing that he wasn't the only one nervous about this. Kagome gulped, before speaking carefully, "Mama…there's…there's something we need to talk to you about."

Her mother instantly noticed the change in her tone. As Kagome sat down (Inuyasha preferred to stand in case a quick escape was needed) she hoped her face wasn't blushing as much as it felt like it. Now she knew what Inuyasha meant when he was afraid to tell her mother…she was beginning to feel afraid as well.

Taking a deep breath, she decided the only way to get through it was to tell her. If any problems should arise (which she doubted, but then again, one could never know) then Inuyasha would always be there to take her back down the well. "You know Mama how we told you a while ago that we were…erm…together?"

Mrs. Higurashi's eyebrow raised. "Yes, what about it?"

"Well, we're still together…but now…it's complicated." Her face was flaming red by now. Why couldn't her mother just know without having to ask like with everything else!

Mrs. Higurashi glanced from Inuyasha to Kagome, both looking bright red, before asking, "How complicated, Kagome?"

Though she acted confident before, Inuyasha could see plainly it wasn't just her scent that told him she was nervous. Perhaps she wasn't nervous about what her mother would say, but still…it was her mother! Fidgeting, she spoke so soft that it was almost a whisper, "We're…he and I…he is…" After a pause, she muttered, red as a cherry, "He made me his mate."

Her mother's eyes widened, "His what?"

As she glanced in his direction, Inuyasha made a mental note to do something terrible (but not physically wounding) to Kagome for seemingly pinning this all on him. Falling back on his instincts to protect him from the wrath of Hell, he pointed back at Kagome, "It was her idea!"

That made Kagome's embarrassment fade quickly. "My idea?" She jumped up and faced him, pointing a finger at his chest. "So you're saying this is all my fault?"

Mrs. Higurashi forgotten, Inuyasha yelled back at the annoying, infuriating wench—er, the love of his life--in front of him, "Oh yeah? We'll who was the one who started it back in the cave, huh?"

Sputtering, Kagome shouted back, "That…that was…that has nothing to do with this! You were the one who marked me!"

"Only because you asked for it!"

"I asked for it because you were telling me in a million ways that you wanted it!"

"A million ways, huh? Name one!"

Before Kagome could retort, her mother stood up and walked between them, a serious expression on her face before. "Hold it!" she said firmly, stopping their fight in an instant. Looking at the girl and hanyou in front of her, she asked, "Now what exactly is going on?"

Glancing back at Inuyasha, Kagome sighed and told her mother calmly, "We're…we're mates now."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Considering that Kagome and Inuyasha had pretty much blurted it out before, she was taking it well.

This time it was Inuyasha's turn to speak up, because he knew Kagome didn't exactly know the full specifications herself. "It's a youkai thing," he explained. "It means that I'll always take care and provide for her for the rest of her life, I'll always be by her side and…" He gulped. He really hated doing this. "It's a promise that there will be none but her in…in my life."

Holding a questioning look, she asked, "So it's like marriage?"

Inuyasha didn't even pause before he replied, "No. This is forever. And…with mates…" He hated saying that word in front of her. "It's not a promise connected by words. It's a promise connected by the soul," he finished, showing her the mark across his hand. Following his example, Kagome showed her own.

After another pause, Kagome's mother asked, "I take it that mating entails…mating?"

Both Kagome and Inuyasha blushed profoundly at that, and didn't look at each other. That answered her question. With a small smile, Mrs. Higurashi said, "I see. Is that what you two were worried about?"

Her mother's reaction was clearly not what Kagome had expected. "Uh…Mama…"

Continuing to assure her daughter, she told her, "Kagome, did you think I would be upset about that?"

"You're…you're not mad?" she asked, completely confused.

Turning back to the dinner she was making and leaving a very confused hanyou and miko, she explained, "Kagome, I won't say I'm thrilled about it, but I know you have your own life. You're seventeen now. And if this is a true commitment and not just a fling, then I know you're both taking it seriously."

Kagome sighed. Her mother took it better than she would have thought. No, check that, she was positively ecstatic compared to Kagome's expectations.

Her mother had to drop the dreaded "But…"

Fearing the worst, Kagome asked timidly, "Yes?"

Glancing back at her, Mrs. Higurashi asked in all seriousness, "You are using protection, aren't you?"

Kagome decided she would take this one. "Erm…that's why we came to see you Mama. I can't afford to get pregnant now, so I need to get some birth control pills before we consider doing anything else."

"You know those aren't foolproof, Kagome," her mother reminded her. "It is still possible to get pregnant on the pill."

Forgetting Inuyasha was in the room, Kagome said, "I know. But Inuyasha already told me he can smell when I'm ovulating anyway, so I'm getting these as a double precaution."

Even though Inuyasha didn't know half of what they were talking about, he had an inkling that it was something to do with womanly cyles. And with the blush and the look of utter disgust on his face, he wished Kagome would have this discussion elsewhere. Not in her kitchen. Not anywhere in the house where he could hear. In fact…he wished she never had to talk about this stuff at all.

"Are you sure you don't want to use condoms?" her mother asked, having forgotten Inuyasha was there as well.

"No, Mama. I don't think he's the type who would understand, much less use them," Kagome told her with a slight laugh.

Lowering his ears on his head, Inuyasha hoped he was allowed to leave the room. I don't want to know what those are, I don't want to know what those are, I don't want to know, I don't want to know…

Just as he left the room to go wait, no, hide in Kagome's room, he heard Mrs. Higurashi say, "All right, Kagome, I'll get them for you, but I hope you and Inuyasha will both be responsible about this."

The minute Inuyasha got in her room, which he always liked because it was filled with her scent, he slammed the door, lowering the ears on his head, hoping he wouldn't hear any more of that conversation. What is it with women wanting to talk about these things in public anyway? Can't they just talk about it when we're not here!

Soon he heard Kagome coming up the stairs and opening the door into her room. Once inside, she looked at him with question. "Why did you come up here?" she asked, sitting down on her bed, noticing the blush on his face.

"Why did you have to talk about…those things…while I was still down there?" he demanded, looking away and cursing his cheeks for turning the bright shade of pink.

Instead of apologizing like he hoped she would, she let out a breath and asked, "Inuyasha, do you want children someday?"

He glanced back at her. What brought this on? "Yeah…" he answered truthfully.

"Then you had better get used to it. You're going to hear a lot about it then. And if we end up having a boy, then you are going to be the one teaching him the facts of life."

Inuyasha folded his arms, turning away with another blush, muttering, "Keh."


"Happy Birthday, Kagome!" her family chorused as Kagome sat in front of the large cake with seventeen candles. Inuyasha was unable to smile as he looked upon her, looking so happy in this moment. It was eerily familiar as he remembered a year ago with her in the same position, and he knew how much had changed over a year.

They had gotten closer. They had admitted that they liked each other and began a relationship. They told each other they loved each other. And now they were mates. Though Inuyasha had seen two centuries pass by without so much as a blink of an eye, things had changed so much in this year to make up for it. A hanyou who thought he would be lonely all his life found love, and would someday have a family.

Like he vaguely remembered last year, when it came time for Kagome to make a wish, she looked at him, winking, before blowing out the candles. Inuyasha felt a blush coming on, hoping that wink meant what he thought. This time instead of blowing them all out, one remained, but with a shrug, she blew out the last until they were left in darkness.

Her family clapped for her and wished her a happy birthday, but Inuyasha couldn't be so carefree. He had never felt so stupid at that moment. How could he have forgotten to get her a present? After how much she had liked the last one, he hoped he could have given her something even better, but…he couldn't think of anything. And he soon ran out of time before he realized it.

While her family all ate cake and began talking of things that pertained to her era, Inuyasha hung back and walked out into the night, jumping up and sitting in Goshinboku. He hoped Kagome wouldn't be too mad at him, but he did feel like an idiot. She was his mate! Wasn't he supposed to give her presents and sparkly things, as women seemed to like them a lot?

He hadn't been sitting in the tree for long when he heard the door to her house open, and someone walk outside. A familiar scent washed over him, a scent that he had been dreading… "Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, coming closer.

Inuyasha didn't look back at her, hoping she hadn't figured out what was wrong yet. She came closer, to the bottom of the tree. "Inuyasha, what is it?"

He didn't answer. He didn't want to answer.

With a sigh, Kagome asked, "Inuyasha, please come down."

Inuyasha didn't even respond to that. He was considering perhaps coming down when she added, "Don't make me say 'it', Inuyasha." The hanyou was down in an instant.

Sitting next to him, she asked, "What's bothering you?"

His ears drooped on his head as he turned away. "I didn't…I didn't get you a birthday present, Kagome…"

Knowing that something wasn't seriously wrong with him lightened her mood. "Oh, Inuyasha, is that what's bothering you?" Leaning against him, she replied, "I don't need a present, Inuyasha."

"Yes you do," the hanyou told her in an instant. "I got you something last year. I didn't get you anything this year...I'm a bad mate."

Playfully smacking his chest, Kagome retorted, "Oh, stop it, Inuyasha! You are not a bad mate. You're the best mate anyone could ever have! And you've already given me the present of a lifetime, Inuyasha."

He glanced at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Pulling the shell necklace from under her shirt, Kagome told him, "You remember this? I like to think of it as our promise…one year ago. It was a promise, Inuyasha. This year, you gave me the real thing…I couldn't ask for more. All I wanted from you was your love, and you gave it to me…that's worth billions of little birthday presents." Entwining her hand with his, she spoke, "All I've ever wanted out of life was to be loved by someone who I loved back, forever. And I've gotten just that." Snuggling deeper into him, she murmured, "I could die right now, and be the happiest person on earth."

Glancing back at her, Inuyasha replied, "You're not the only one." He leaned down to look at her, before capturing her lips in his, in a beautiful kiss pouring out his love for her in one action.

They didn't know how long it had been before he lifted his head, and said with a grin, "But I know one thing we could do that would make us even happier."

Kagome's eyes went wide at that implication. Pushing out of his embrace, she yelled, "No you don't! Don't even think about it when my whole family is nearby!"

"But, Kagome…" he whined, hoping the 'puppy eyes' Shippou always gave her would work this time.

Pointing her finger at him, she continued, "You see! This is why I wanted those pills! I knew you were such a dog!"

Standing up to meet her eye to eye, he yelled back, "Don't call me a dog!"

Putting her hands on her hips, Kagome bellowed, "If you didn't act like one, then I wouldn't call you one! You're getting worse than Miroku-sama!"

"Don't compare me to that pervert!"

"I wouldn't compare you if you weren't like this!"

While Kagome and Inuyasha kept yelling in each other's faces, Souta, Mrs. Higurashi, and her grandfather watched out the window, "What are they yelling about?" Souta asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Sighing, Mrs. Higurashi told them, "I think its best if we don't eavesdrop," as she led them away from the window.

Her grandfather couldn't help but hold back tears, "My poor, innocent granddaughter…"


Kagome and Inuyasha weren't the only couple under the stars as Sango sat on a hill overlooking the village, glancing up into the infinite universe. She had gone out to think, and knowing Kagome and Inuyasha had somehow gotten closer since they had last been in the village only led her train of thought to one place—Houshi-sama…

I know this is no time for things like this…the youkai exterminator thought, curling her knees up to her chest in a vulnerable position. We haven't seen Naraku in a year, he's up to something…we should be looking for him instead of being together like this…

And besides that, I…I don't think I can deal with that right now…

She heard the clink of a familiar staff. And only one person she knew would have such a staff, one person she really didn't want to talk to right now. "Sango?"

She didn't look back at him. "Houshi-sama."

Sango heard him sit down next to her, laying his clinking staff on the ground. "Sango…I've wanted to talk to you for some time."

"I know, Houshi-sama," she replied, glancing back up at the stars. "But…there is nothing to talk about."

Miroku felt his heart clench. Why was she doing this to him? "Sango…what have I done to you to make you feel this way? I don't understand…please tell me why you are suddenly pushing me away?" He reached for her, but she turned away from his hand.

"It's just…it's too much for me to handle right now," she told him, standing up, wanting to leave while she still could.

He stood up as well, "Sango—"

Turning back to him, he could see tears in the exterminator's eyes. "Please, Houshi-sama…let's just leave it at that."

She turned and walked back to the village, while Miroku watched her, wondering how he could have seduced many women who would be all over him, yet the one he wanted was the one pushing him away.