2010
"Are you ready, koi?" Sesshoumaru asks his mate, refusing to wince at the intense grip she has on his hand.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Do you think they'll be mad? It's been six months since they saw me last…" she trails off, their bond wavering with her anxiety.
"They will be shocked, but they will not be angry. We had no way of know which jump was the last, and had to be sure. They will understand." he reassures her for the hundredth time, fully prepared to do it a hundred more.
Kagome nods, squaring her shoulders and looking up the shrine steps again. "Right. You're right, of course you're right."
"Kagome, you are still stalling."
"I know." she whines softly. Huffing, she squeezes his hand even tighter, and finally takes the first step of the stairs. Half way to the top, she stops again, closing her eyes and counting backwards from ten. Twice. Then opening her eyes and looking to her mate before jumping slightly when her back pocket buzzes. Pulling out her phone, nearly hysterical giggles erupt from her, and she shows Sesshoumaru.
From: Yash
Quit stalling, wench and just go say hi. You know they won't hold any of it against you, they'll just be glad you're alive and safe.
"My brother is correct. You are making this a bigger problem than it is, koi."
"Ugh, I know. Fuck. Damn, right. Okay. Fuck. Let's go." She nods jerkily and starts up the stairs again, dragging her chuckling mate with her.
"Kagome?" a quiet voice calls, and then something collides with her. "Where were you?" Her, not so, little brother sobs into her shoulder. "We thought you were dead." His voice is so quiet that she can barely hear it.
"I'm so sorry, squirt. I had to wait to make sure I didn't come back through the well. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She repeats herself over and over, tears streaming down her face as they clutch at each other. Sesshoumaru places his hand against her back, grounding her.
They remain like that for several long minutes before another voice calls out.
"Souta? What's taking so long? What're you- Kami... Kagome?!"
"Mama?" Kagome looks up, before reaching a hand out, Souta still refusing to let go of her.
"Grandpa, you need to come out here!" Kagome's mother calls as she runs to her daughter, crashing into her two children, sobbing.
"What's so important I have to come outsi-" the old man stops dead in his tracks for a moment, before he steps forward again shakily. "Kagome?"
A small hiccup is heard as the miko nods, and then he's moving as fast as he can to join in with the group hug. They all stand there crying onto each other for a long time, before their sobs begin to quiet and become intermittent hiccups.
Kagome pulls back a bit and looks at her family, smiling widely through her tears. "I'm so sorry, guys. I'm so sorry, I have so much to tell you guys. So much has happened. First though, this is Sesshoumaru, my mate." she says, turning her head to look at her Inu Lord.
"Isn't that the guy who tried to melt you?" Souta asks, concerned.
Kagome laughs brightly, as Sesshoumaru scowls, looking away, embarrassment coming through the bond. "Yeah, it is, but it was a long time ago. Things changed."
"Uh. I'll say. Went from trying to kill you to marrying you…" her brother quips.
"Perhaps we should go inside and sit down, start from the beginning..." her mother offers, also mildly concerned, before turning towards the house, everyone following.
"Wow, Kagome. That's… quite a tale." her mother murmurs when Kagome pauses long enough to make a new pot of tea for everyone.
"It's been a long time. We've seen and done a lot. And, that's just the cliffnotes version." Kagome smirks as she sits on her mate's lap again.
"I know, it's just a lot to process."
"I'm still trying to get over the fact that the guy who tried to melt you, married you and you have three kids now." Souta huffs.
"Soon to be four." Sesshoumaru states, arms wrapping around Kagome's waist, as the other three's mouths all drop, and Kagome groans quietly.
"We were going to wait, Sess." She swats his arm as he smirks, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.
"My miko granddaughter married a youkai. What is the world coming to." her grandfather whispers.
"Mrs. Higurashi, I know it is a lot to process, however, it is important that you understand that I love your daughter. Completely and irrevocably. I have for the last four centuries. My life would be empty without her, let alone the pups she has given me." His arms tighten slightly around Kagome as he shifts his gaze to hers, feeling their bond flood with love.
Kami, Sess, I love you so fucking much.
"And, I you, koishi."
"Please, call me Hitomi, Sesshoumaru." Kagome's mother says quietly, her eyes brimming with tears. "Well! Welcome to the family, officially. Will I be getting a wedding?"
Lilting laughter bursts from Kagome and soft chuckles arise from Sesshoumaru. "If that is what you wish, Hitomi, we would be happy to provide one."
"Good, I'd like that. Now, when do I get to meet my grandchildren, and where is InuYasha?"
"Soon, and he's in Kyoto with our eldest at the moment checking in on one of our buildings."
"Buildings?" Souta asks.
"Oh, yeah, forgot about that. Um. Taisho Corp? You guys know it?" When she sees three heads nod, she smirks. "Yeah, that's ours." Three jaws drop. "We founded it back in the '30s, though it didn't really take off until the '50s. We," she points between herself and her mate, "retired, at least for the time being, in '96. Now, we teach at a school for youkai in an after school program a few times a week, and own a dojo, where we work as instructors during the day." Kagome's warm smile morphs into a wicked grin that startles her family a bit, and Sesshoumaru laughs.
"Um. Sis. You look a little scary there." Souta says.
"Oh, shi-" she stops at the immediate glare from her mother, "I mean crap, I'm sorry. Um. So, sorta glossed over it a bit, I guess. I'm… kinda..."
"She is a master with most bladed weapons, unparallelled with a bow, and her gunmanship is just as impressive." her mate interjects, ignoring the sharp look she gives him. Kagome sighs heavily.
"Uh, yeah, what he said."
"Really?! What do you know how to use?" Souta straightens up immediately and leans forward in his seat.
"I'm going to go get that tea." Hitomi announces, smiling indulgently at her excitable son.
"I need a nap. I am glad you are safe, Kagome. Perhaps we may speak more on matters at a later time, as you will be quite busy with your brother for the foreseeable future." Her grandfather smirks, standing up and giving Kagome a tight hug before shuffling off to his room.
"Well?! What can you use?" Souta repeats.
Kagome laughs heartily. "The better question, squirt, is what can't I use."
"Katana? Sai? Kodachi? Naginata? Shurikens? Kamas?" His eyes begin to nearly pop from his skull at every nod of affirmation from her. "Well, what can't you use?"
"I'm not very good with fans, and I never got the hang of kursarigama, or any chained weapon really. Too unwieldy for me, and I don't need the whip effect when I've got my own." She shrugs.
"Your own? What does that mean?" Soutas brows pinch in confusion.
"This." she says as she flicks her whip out to slice a few hairs from his bangs.
"Holy shit!" he yelps, then calling out "Sorry, Mom!" when his name is snapped from the kitchen. "That is so cool! Is that from your reiki?"
"Yep! Took a bit of time to learn it, but totally worth it. It's saved my ass several times. And win a few spars against the formerly unbeatable Western Lord here."
"I still maintain that you cheated." Sesshoumaru huffs.
"I did not, and you know it. You're just mad I broke your record."
"You used unfair tactics to secure a victory."
"Well, yeah. It was a match with no holds barred, except for killing. That means anything goes, pouty puppy." Sesshoumaru scowls darkly.
"It is a dishonourable win."
"It was a sparring match. You've beaten me, too, a few times, and you don't see me crying foul."
"I am hardly crying."
"No, just pouting. still. After two hundred and fifty years."
"Kouga would-"
"Agree with me, just as he always has when you ask him, because it wasn't cheating."
Sesshoumaru gives up, leaning back in his seat, growling quietly to himself.
"Are you guys always like that?" Souta pipes up, struggling to hide a grin.
"More or less." Kagome smirks, leaning back against her mate and patting his hands, still draped over her stomach, fondly.
"Hey, do you think you could help me practice kendo? I joined the school's team last year and I'm okay, but I bet with your help, I'd be awesome!"
"Which one of us? Sesshoumaru is definitely still better than me, but he's also got about a millennia's worth of practice more than me under his belt."
"Uh, either of you. Both?" Souta scratches the back of his head.
"We would be happy to teach you. Would you like the practice done here, or do you have somewhere that you go?" Sesshoumaru inquires.
"Usually I go to a nearby dojo."
"Hn, do you have a preference for that site?"
"Not particularly, it was just close and had a really cheap membership." He shrugs lightly.
"Good. Our dojo is not far, you will come there to learn with our younger pack members. Our membership fee will, of course, be waived." The inu smirks.
"Sweet! Hey, have you seen your old high school friends yet?"
"Fuck." Kagome hisses under her breath. "No. Kinda hoping to avoid them for a while longer. Though, being pregnant might make that hard anyways, cuz I'm gonna start showing soon, and then the pup will be here in about three months."
"What?!" Hitomi squeaks as she enters the room again, nearly dropping the tea tray.
"Uh. Yeah. Youkai pregnancies only last four months." Kagome titters nervously.
"But it'll be hanyou."
"Nope. None of our kids have been a hanyou. They're all full youkai. We think it has something to do with the jewel." she explains off handedly.
"Oh. Well. That's good to know. Yes, I can see why you would want to avoid seeing them for a while longer."
"Yeah, ideally about a year. Then I can explain away the pup, and it doesn't seem quite as sudden, though it's unlikely I'll be keeping in touch with them in any meaningful way."
"Oh that's too bad, I liked those girls." Hitomi laments.
"They're fine, but it's kinda hard to have meaningful relationships with humans, especially nowadays when almost none of them know about youkai and magic. I have to lie about most of my life, which doesn't make for a proper bond." Kagome shrugs sadly.
"Maybe you could tell them?" Hitomi suggests weakly, shaking her head when Kagome shakes hers. "No, you're right. It would be too much to tell them just to stay friends, especially when your lives are diverging as it is with them going to different universities."
"Exactly. I'd like to see them at least once before I drop off their radar completely, though. Just... not yet. If they ask about me, tell them I went to stay with some cousins in the countryside? Then maybe next year..." she trails off, leaning back against her mate as he holds her tightly, rubbing his thumbs against her hips.
"Sure, honey." Hitomi agrees. "I've already told them something to that effect when you didn't come home through the well. We weren't quite ready to admit that you might... not." After a few minutes of silence, she clears her throat. "So, when do I get to meet everyone else? And where?"
Kagome smiles at the subject change. "Next week, our house?"
"Perfect! I look forward to it."
"Mama, this is Airi. She's now three weeks old." Kagome says softly, mindful of the sleeping pup that she hands to her mother, Kirara sitting next to Kagome on the lounge chair, purring loudly. Sesshoumaru finally got his wish- black hair, blue eyes, just like her mother, though the blue stripes adorning her cheeks are definitely from him.
"Oh, honey. She's beautiful. She looks just like you. What colour are her eyes? You said youkai babies are born with their proper eye colour." Hitomi queries.
"Blue, like her mother." Sesshoumaru replies, unable to hide the beaming grin even if he wanted to.
"Finally got the right combo, eh, Sess?" Kouga prods, snorting when the inu merely nods.
"Daddy! I wanna see Airi, please!" Koto whines, holding his arms up to his father to pick him up. Easily lifting his son to his lap, he shifts so that Koto can see his sleeping sister in his grandmothers arms. "She's so small..." he whispers, awed.
"Everyone starts out that small, little one." Hitomi tells him softly.
"Really? Was I that small?"
"Yes, you were, though, much louder. You definitely take after your mother." Sesshoumaru answers.
"Hey, he wasn't that loud, and I'm not that loud." Kagome huffs.
"Yes you are, Kags." Kouga chortles, laughing louder when she sticks her tongue out at him.
"You can tell you guys have gone through a lot together, the way you behave."
"Heh, yeah. You probably wouldn't believe half of it." the wolf scratches the back of his neck, his eyes flicking to Kagome's briefly before snapping away quickly.
"Uh huh, I think I have an idea." Hitomi's own eyes meeting her daughters, suppressing a laugh when a light blush dusts Kagome's cheeks.
"He's been my best friend for four centuries. He and Sess kept me sane when I wasn't in a good place, even though I may have pretended for a long while." Kagome explains quietly, two hands reaching out and touching her gently, making her smile.
"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. Where was InuYasha in all of this?" Hitomi looks around for the hanyou who had been in the room beforehand, finding him now missing.
"That's... It's a long story. He wasn't there. He didn't really step back into the picture in any meaningful way until the mid 1700s."
"Oh. I see." Hitomi looks down at the pup in her arms, now sure that the reason for Kagome's 'dark times' were largely due to the now missing hanyou.
"It's fine, Mom. It was a long time ago, things changed." the miko says, correctly guessing why her mother has gone very quiet.
"It's not, but alright. If it's in the past, that's where it will stay."
"It is, Mrs. H." Kouga affirms.
Just then a squealing voice is heard, followed by another, as Nariko barrels into her fathers legs and Takuma darts to stand next to Sesshoumaru.
"Nariko! What'd we say about screaming and running through the house?" Kouga admonishes lightly.
"To not to, Daddy." Nariko says quietly.
"Exactly, so what do you say?"
"Sorry..."
Kouga sighs and lifts his daughter onto his hip, smoothing her hair out of her face. "Now, why were you yelling?"
"Takuma was chasing me. I wanted to see the pup, and he said I wasn't allowed, and I said I was, and he tried to lock me in the laundry room." Kouga looks to the hanyou that was now slowly shifting to hide behind his grandfather.
"I see. Did you ask an adult if you could?"
"No..." Nariko drags out the o, twiddling her fingers in the hem of her clothing, looking away sheepishly before snapping her eyes back to her fathers. "Can I?" she asks, wide eyed and sincere, making Kouga laugh.
"Sure, kiddo, just be quieter and gentle." he tells her as he sets her down again. "And, Takuma, don't lock people in rooms." He sighs, hearing a tiny 'sorry' from the hanyou still hiding behind Sesshoumaru.
"It's still amusing seeing you in Dad-mode, Kouga." Kagome chuckles.
"Oh, shut up." he gripes back at her.
"Where is my grandpup? I wish to see her. Oh, hello human. I am Kimiko, he is Nobaru." The Lady Mother sweeps into the room, her mate following sedately behind her, hands in his pockets.
"Hello, my name is Hitomi, I'm Kagome's mother."
"Ah, I thought you smelled similar to her. Pleasure to meet you, your daughter is darling."
"Thank you, I think so, too. Here." Hitomi passes her grandaughter to the the silver inu, watching as the expression of haughty amusement melts into a cooing smile.
"She is stunning, little one. Not that I expected anything less, coming from the two of you, it would be an aberration to produce something less than perfect."
"Of course, Kimiko." Kagome giggles, reaching for her mate's hand and squeezing it gently.
"Daddy! The foods here! Do you want to pay for it?" comes Sayua's voice from downstairs, making her father sigh.
"Only ever wants my wallet." Sesshoumaru sighs as he sets his son on the floor and stands to deal with the food's payment, Kirara following him out of the room.
"That's not true and you know it." Kagome calls after him, laughing loudly.
"So, my dear. Now that it is just us, are you going to tell me what happened with InuYasha, and then Kouga?" Hitomi asks her daughter pointedly before sipping tea, looking at Kagome splutter over the lip of the cup.
"Ugh, I guess I have to, don't I." Kagome groans, then sighs, sitting down at her breakfast table in her kitchen- Sesshoumaru being at the dojo, and Koto and Airi out with Kimiko. "Before we start, all has been forgiven and we've moved on, grown up, learned. So, getting angry over what I tell you will do nothing but upset yourself. I don't mind talking about it, but it is upsetting to hear about, it wasn't pretty."
Hitomi nods, now very wary of what her daughter is about to tell her regarding the hanyou that she had thought was a sweetheart, if a little gruff. Kagome starts her story from the beginning, this time not editing out anything as she used to do when she was travelling back and forth through the well. Hitomi begins to become incensed and is having a progressively harder time not going out and finding the hanyou to smack him upside his head. By the time Kagome gets to the wish on the jewel, Hitomi has stood up to angrily wash dishes.
"Like I said, it wasn't pretty. There are no excuses for it, and he knows that, he's admitted to it, several times, and he still feels guilty over it, Mama."
"Why did you keep it from me?" is all Hitomi can think to ask in her anger.
Kagome shrugs, looking down at the cup of tea in her hands. "I was a dumb kid, who thought I was in love, that I could change him, fix him."
Hitomi whirls around to face her daughter again, "You were fifteen! How were you going to... " she cuts herself off, closing her eyes and turning back to the dishes that are most definitely clean at this point.
"I know. I'm aware. As I said, I was a dumb kid. It was my first real crush, and I mistook the feelings as something much deeper than it was. I've learned since then, and if you hadn't noticed, I'm mated to someone who has never treated me like that. Sure, there was the melting incident, but there were extenuating circumstances around that." Kagome smirks wryly. "He wouldn't have done it had I not involved myself in a fight that wasn't mine to be involved in. Had I stayed out of it, and not tried to play hero in defense of InuYasha against Sess, Sess would've completely ignored me. And, he did ignore me in all the battles after, unless I stupidly put myself in the middle of shit. He also feels bad for trying to hurt me as well. He even aplogized to me for them as soon as we became allies against Naraku, before we could even be considered friends." Kagome sucks in a deep breath before releasing it slowly.
"The next part, is rough. Please don't break a dish." The miko then proceeds to tell her of InuYasha's abandonment, showing up a century later, and what happened when he did, then his crappy attempt at an apology, and then his real one. "It took him a long time to grow up and unlearn shitty habits he'd gained, but he did. We'll never be as close as we were, though. To be honest, we weren't even that close to begin with." Kagome huffs softly, shaking her head a bit.
"It was a very one sided relationship, and toxic. He's pack now, and we're friends, I trust him with my kids, and life if need be, but he's never going to be the person I call up when I need to cry, or if I need advice on things. That's Kouga and Sess. They're the ones who were there for me, provided me the safe haven I needed, the shelter from my own storm while I grew, healed and then let go."
Hitomi stares at her daughter, slowly seating herself at the table again and folding her arms over the surface. Finally, she nods slowly. "Okay, I understand. Now, tell me about Kouga, and how you two ended up sleeping together." Kagome chokes on her tea, as her mothers lips quirk upwards.
"Mom! Kami... fuck... How did you know?"
"The look you gave each other before you both looked away and blushed, and Sesshoumaru smirking at your embarrassment."
"Gods dammit... Well. You know how I met Kouga. I told you guys all the stories about him coming up and claiming me and such." Hitomi nods, grinning in silent laughter. "Well, turns out he wasn't actually after a mate, just wanted to piss off InuYasha, which worked, and get a wolf that was trying to pursue him off his back, which kinda worked. Sorta. She did give up, but not entirely because of me. Anyways, I'd been living at the Shiro for a couple decades, give or take, I don't remember the exact year off hand, that's what journals are for. Sesshoumaru was holding a banquet and ball for the Summer Solstice that year, because it was special, a full moon landed on that night, which, for canines, is significant cuz of their heritage or something like that. Anyways, I spent the night dancing with Rin, as I was operating as a body guard for her, and Kouga and I saw each other for the first time since Naraku. We spent the rest of the night talking and catching up, and well. One thing led to another." Kagome's face was bright red, not having ever had to recount the story to anyone before.
"Mhm, and? How long did you court, and what happened that led to Sesshoumaru instead?"
"Uh… we didn't... We weren't… courting." Kagome whispers, sinking in her chair, wishing the floor would swallow her.
"Okay. So, it was only the one time." Kagome shakes her head, looking away, eyes closing. "It wasn't the one time. Okay... how long?"
"Um. Well. See, the thing is. He was Alpha of his own wolf tribe at the time, so he had responsibilities there, but he would come and visit for a couple weeks or so at a time a few times a year…"
"Okay. How visits was it?"
"Ummm... a few."
"Okay, let me rephrase. How many years worth of visits?" Kagome squeezes her eyes tighter, really wishing her mom wasn't asking her about this.
"Seventy years or so…" Kagome squeaks. Her mother stares at her for several minutes before looking down at her tea and lifting the cup to her mouth.
"Okay. You're a grown woman. You were when the well closed. You don't have any other children, do you?"
"Gods, no, Mama. The only kids I have are with Sess. Actually, I am kinda proud of this. Rin had the initial idea, but I developed a little spell that prevents pregnancy, all I have to do is bespell an item you wear. Rin and I each have a ring." She holds up her right hand where a simple silver band loops her middle finger. "The female youkai's in our pack also have rings, but their fertility cycles are much, much longer than a humans, anyways. Without the ring, I would've had hundreds of kids." Kagome shudders, and her mother erupts in loud laughter.
When she collects herself again, Hitomi looks up and studies her daughter again. "Okay, so you and Kouga had an open, intimate relationship, for several decades. How did Sesshoumaru come into the mix?"
Kagome snorts, looking down at her left hand holding her tea cup, seeing the delicate silver ring- tiny silver vines and leaves twining around small pale blue diamonds. Sesshoumaru had given it to her in the late 1800s, and it's served as an engagement ring since then.
"Funnily enough, it was Kouga who figured it out way before either of us did, and he was the one who told me to talk to Sess. Apparently, Sess had been wanting to court me for a few of decades at that point, but because Kouga and I weren't exactly hiding the terms of our arrangement with each other from anyone, Sess didn't want to burden me with his feelings, thinking I wasn't interested in anything serious, let alone long term."
"And your arrangement being?"
"Gods…." Kagome squeezes her eyes shut and breathes deep, before forcing herself to reply. "Neither of us wanted serious, we weren't ready, and we didn't want any ties. We were, are, really, really close friends. I still go to him when I'm having a hard day and need a pick me up- Sess, for all that he's loosened up in the last five centuries, he's still very reserved, which I love about him, but sometimes I need someone to make me laugh so hard I nearly pee myself. That's what Kouga provides. They're both weights on either side of the scale to balance my sanity. Anyways, Kouga and I, it had no strings, no expectations. We simply enjoyed each other when we wanted." Kagome opens her eyes again and shrugs. "It was easy, didn't require thinking, and no one got pissy when I didn't want to court them. So… Sess figured out that he wanted more, not what Kouga and I had. Which I probably would've given him if he did. Cuz... come on, you've seen him." Hitomi nods, smirking.
"Kouga had noticed over the years all the little things Sess had been doing, though he didn't think Sess even knew what he was doing until the last couple of decades before we started courting. Then I started noticing things. It was the year InuYasha showed up at the Shiro that several things struck me as weird. So, I asked Kouga. And, he walked me through all the puzzle pieces until they fell into place, and it was blindingly obvious. Then he told me to go talk to Sess. So, I did, and he asked me to court him, and I agreed. We got mated a year later."
"We're you still... with Kouga when he told you?"
"Yeah, and Sess knew about it. Dog nose. Impossible to hide anything from them without hiding everything. Sess didn't care, and doesn't still. At least, not in any significant way. He's told me he was a little envious before we started courting, but he wasn't willing to only have part of what he wanted, so he went without entirely. As I said, I would've with him, but I'm glad he didn't. It kept the waters clear for us. Plus, he likes teasing me and Kouga with it. Drives us nuts."
"Is he close with Kouga then?"
"Oh yeah. The three of us are still super close. Kouga and I are his only friends. We know pretty much everything about each other, and just like how Sess and Kouga provide different things for me, Kouga and I provide different things for Sess, and same goes for Kouga. We've got this pretty perfect relationship between the three of us, really."
"What about his mate?"
"She's great, and again, provides something Sess and I can't, but, when he needs advice on things he's stuck on, he still comes to us to get his head on straight, and Mai knows and appreciates it."
"And, you and Kouga stopped when you started courting Sesshoumaru?"
"Yep. Kouga had been preparing for it for a while, since he figure out what Sess wanted."
"And, he just let you go..."
"Well, yeah, why not? Sure, we were physical with each other, but first and foremost, we're friends. We want each other to be happy, and we knew we weren't going to be mates. We weren't meant to be. And, do not say he's like a brother. That's gross and Sess does it enough." Kagome's face twists in disgust and she shudders hard, making her mother laugh at her again.
"Well, then, I'm glad you have such solid support from your mate and friend." her mother says finally, a warm smile on her face. Kirara chooses that time to jump up on the table and start purring, rubbing against the two women.
"Thanks, Mama. I'm a really lucky girl, having the two of them." Kagome reaches out and scratches behind one of Kirara's ears. They then turn when they hear the door open, and see her mate stepping through. He drops his duffel bag, kicks off his shoes and drapes his jacket over the back of the couch. Sesshoumaru then stills for a moment when he sees the women in the kitchen watching him, then straightens to stride over to them.
"Hey, babe." Kagome murmurs as he bends to kiss her temple.
"Hello, mate. Hitomi." He nods, sliding into a seat next to Kagome.
"We've been discussing history with each other." her mother supplies, causing the inu's brow to arch, and Kagome to groan, putting her face in her hands.
"Now you're both gunna tease me about it." she mumbles into her hands, and she hears her mate snort quietly, having figured out just what was discussed.
"I see she has explained the dynamics of our relationship with a certain ookami." Sesshoumaru guesses.
"Indeed she has, though I must say, I am a little surprised at how maturely you handled them back them, and even now." Hitomi remarks.
He shrugs, leaning back in his seat and prying a hand from his mates face to rub his thumb into her palm. "It wasn't, and isn't, my place. It was her life, body and choice. She has never been unfaithful or dishonest with me about anything. I admit to being envious before we were courting, as I am sure she has told you- I have never hidden that- but her happiness was more important than a petty emotion over a situation I had made no attempts to change. If it were not for the wolf, I would not have my mate. Or, at least, not have had her for as long as I have. He has never overstepped, or brought it up unless I wished to. We are adults, and very close friends." he finishes, eyes on his mate, who had shifted to cup her chin in her palm, rubbing her own fingers against his wrist.
"If only everyone could be as mature as you three. The world would be a much happier place." Hitomi notes. "Dare I ask how the rest of the pack feels?"
Kagome turns to head her mother, "No one mentions it, since it's not their business or place. So, if anyone has any opinions, we've not heard them." earning a hum from her mother.
"Next question. Shippo and Sayua." Sesshoumaru scowls then, and Kagome snorts. "Aren't they technically siblings?"
"Yes." the daiyoukai glowers.
"Yes and no." Kagome corrects. "Shippo, while I consider him mine, and he calls me his mother, I didn't directly raise him. He spent most of the year for a long time at the kitsune academy. And, after Sayua was born, we'd moved out of the Shiro for security reasons, but Shippo still spent a lot of time not with us, rather running around and helping kitsune leashes and other youkai who needed it. So he wasn't really around to see her grow up, just popping up a handful of times a year to see the adults of the pack. We saw it coming almost a decade beforehand at any rate." Sesshoumaru growls again, and Kagome swats his arm lightly.
"That makes sense, I can see why you're okay with it."
"I am not."
"Hush, koi."
"What about InuYasha? He's not mated?" Hitomi queries, at which they both shrug.
"He is not, I do not know if there is any specific reason or if he has just not found someone of interest." Sesshoumaru remarks. "He certainly has not kept an empty bed for long however."
"Ew! Didn't need to know that." Kagome says out loud, pinching the bridge of her nose, missing the confusion on her mother's face until Sesshoumaru begins to explain the bond to her.
"You guys can speak telepathically… and feel everything each other feels... doesn't that feel invasive?"
"Not at all. It's a comfort, actually. Losing it after having it…" Kagome sucks in a sharp breath, closing her eyes tightly, and hears her mate move to kneel next to her and slide his arms around her.
"Kagome? Did something happen?" Her mother asks quietly when Kagome turns to bury her face against his neck, her arms wrapping around him tightly.
"There was an incident. He almost died. The bond got cut for a moment. It was... gods, it was fucking awful." Kagome whispers, not sure if her mother even hears her.
"Oh, honey." She reaches a hand out and rubs Kagome's arm.
"It is okay, koi. I did not die, I am still here, we are safe."
Taking a shuddering breath, she nods and pulls back, her blue eyes meeting her mate's concerned golden ones. "It is okay." he repeats to her, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek lightly, and then kisses her forehead, before returning to his seat.
"The bond is hard to describe. In order to make it, you share your auras, your souls, with each other. Losing it is literally losing part of your soul. But, it feels worse. Not only does it physically hurt, because good kami does it, but mentally, spiritually. It's hard to describe mental and spiritual pain to someone who's never experienced it, but it's... it's awful, and having all three at once… When a mate dies, it's very rare that the one left behind survives for very long, and if they, by some miracle, do, they're usually so insane that it's a mercy to kill them." Kagome looks up at her mate, seeing the sorrow in his eyes as well feeling it through the bond.
"How awful." Hitomi murmurs.
"I don't mean to make it sound like losing Daddy wasn't as painful. Loss is loss, it's just... different. I think part of the magic is to prevent mate's from offing each other. It makes it mean something, makes it something people aren't willing to just jump into. It's not something you can walk away from, after all, in any way."
"I'd say that's a fair assessment of it."
"Hn. Agreed."
"So, you mentioned it once, but what are the marks?"
"Oh, they're basically the injection points of the soul exchange. They're on our necks, see?" Kagome pulls her collar aside to show her blue crescent moon, and Sesshoumaru reveals his pink sun.
"Wow, they're beautiful. And, the scars around them?"
"Part of the mark. Um... the process requires biting... and blood exchange..." Kagome flushes again, knowing the next question her ever curious mother is going to ask, and glares at her smirking mate.
"What else is part of the process?" Hitomi asks, head tilting.
"Dammit." Kagome breathes out, before taking a deep breath. "You have to literally mate." She rushes out, closing her eyes.
"Mate... as in... oh. I see. And then you bite each other…"
"Yes." Sesshoumaru takes pity on his mate and explains to his mother 'in law'. "At the height of the act, you bite your partner, exchanging blood, and feeding your aura into each other, infusing and blending your souls together. It results in the permanent tying to each other, and sharing of abilities. For example, I am completely immune to all forms of reiki. As well, I have the ability to call upon and manipulate her reiki to a certain extent. Conversely, she is immune to all poisons and toxins, and is able to utilise it as I can. Another added benefit for mixed pairings, though it does not affect Kagome specifically, is it lengthens the human lifespan to that of a youkai."
Kagome holds up a hand and summons his poison to her fingers, as he holds up one of his and summons her reiki. "See?" Kagome wiggles her fingers before reabsorbing the toxins.
"Wow, that's amazing. But what about the emotions and telepathy?"
"Ah, that's just another side effect of the magic. Because your souls are shared, doesn't it make sense to be able to feel the other as you feel your own soul?" Kagome asks, smiling. "Telepathy isn't a guaranteed effect, and it's not instant. The bond has to be deepened and matured to reach that point, and even then, some mates never achieve it. I think that also has to do with the strength of the souls."
"And you can just hear each other all the time?"
"The emotions, yeah, we feel them all the time, though, you get used to it pretty quickly and learn to let it be background noise, unless a particularly strong emotion is felt. You usually have to focus on it to tell. Thoughts, no. It's only direct monologues that are shared, and again, you get used to it quickly and learn how to think without broadcasting everything. I'm sure I gave Sess a lot of migraines in the beginning." Kagome giggles as Sess looks at her tiredly. Hitomi looks between the two and shakes her head.
"I don't think I'll ever truly understand it. Being told is very different from experiencing after all."
"Indeed it is. We are happy to answer any questions you may have, however." Sesshoumaru replies gently, smiling lightly.
"I appreciate that, I'm sure I'll have some new ones, eventually. For now though! I believe food is in order, and I'm sure Kimiko will be returning soon with Koto and Airi." Hitomi stands and grabs the phone, intent on ordering her daughter's favourite foods.