Lets Go With That

Kagome walked behind her two boys as they all made their way into the village. The both of them seemed quieter than normal all that morning, almost melancholy, and it was beginning to eat at her. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out in front of Inuyasha, Shippo on his shoulder, and set her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong with you two? Never had a morning go by without hearing either of your voices."

The giant sigh from Shippo made Inuyasha's ear flick towards the sound.

"I thought we were going to get more snow this year, but it's already spring. I didn't even get to make a snow burrow," the boy said, crossing his arms. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, tipping his head away from the fox to stare out into the woods.

"Oh," Kagome said. Well, it wasn't exactly spring, by her guestimation it was still early February but given the temperature and the way the plum trees were budding…well, the true winter was right around done for the year. There's always next year for snow, Kagome told him. For the time being, there were flowers to start blooming, baby animals to be born, warm sunshine to bask in, soon enough. Shippo just frowned. He would have to return to the mountain for an exam as soon as the plum buds popped open…but at least he could see more of the friends he had made back there.

"And you, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, hands held behind her back. Inuyasha's ears flicked towards her then out towards the woods again.

"I'm not being quiet, I'm just listening. There's a bunch of mongrels out in the woods somewhere." Kagome sighed, but nodded and let the boys continue down the path. Aki was grounded for the time being, only being let out on a leash a few times a day. She wasn't very good on the leash, they honestly should have started that training much earlier on, but it was what they had to do to keep her from running off. They would rather not have to deal with puppies any time soon. Inuyasha had woken her up late last night when he went out to break up a dogfight that was keeping him up. He had warned her this would happen if they kept the dog.

As they entered into the village center, Shippo left off into one of the fields to play, despite the chill left in the February air. Kagome waved, but felt a sharp prick at her neck, unconsciously smacking an insect away. She was surprised by the squeak she heard, then opening her hand to see what sort of bug had bitten her.

"Oh! Myoga!"

Inuyasha turned back to look into his wife's palm, where the old flea was regaining is composure.

"Long time, no see, Kagome-sama." Kagome never really liked the honorific with her title when used because she was a Miko, but Myoga had started using it only after discovering the couple's status as husband and wife. She didn't mind being recognized as Inuyasha's wife, one bit.

"Well it's good to see you too. Have you come to visit, or did you just pop in to say hi?" Kagome smiled down at the tiny demon, who crossed his arms and nodded to her.

"I'll be visiting for a while, if you don't mind my company." Kagome heard Inuyasha's scoff, but didn't react.

"How is Totosai?"

"Oh, well. He's doing well. Decided it was time for another move. I wouldn't be much help getting packed up, so visiting with Inuyasha-sama and yourself on this occasion—"

"So the bag a' bones pissed off another customer, eh?" Inuyasha interrupted. Kagome tried to send him an annoyed look, but the hanyou continued on.

"Figured it'd been a while since the geezer let his mouth fly off ahead of him. That's the only time he ever heads off on the run."

"Inuyasha, that's not nice," 'and you're really one to talk,' she nearly finished. Inuyasha was the king of letting his mouth work ahead of his brain. Kagome heard Myoga clear his throat and continue on.

"The cold weather is harsh on elders, but I'll be off after I've had a chance to rest from the travels," Myoga gave. With that, the flea jumped up and disappeared under Inuyasha's hair, as per usual.

The morning fog was burned off by noon, and so Kagome left from Kaede's house to go up to the shrine. When she returned, she found a mother at the base of the steps, asking Kagome to watch her son while she helped her husband and older daughter turned over the soil. It was the second day that Kagome had agreed to watch the littlest one. She let Kaede know she was running errands and had the little boy toddling about beside her. Haru was doing well, finally coming around to tell her new husband of her pregnancy now that it was becoming obvious. Kenta seemed excited, and Kagome wore a smile, despite what she knew of the pregnancy. It didn't really matter, anyway. The brothers had looked alike, so even if the child looked like their father, no one would know anything was off.

She passed another man in the road, a widower who was often passing his sons off to babysitters when he was stressed out, and so Kagome was watching two more children. Then came another, and soon Kagome was taking quite the gaggle tagging along around her. With spring on its way, their parents were starting to become busy again, and Kagome felt no qualms about watching the children who were too big to be strapped to their mother's back. Kagome brought the children out into the field to play in an open area where she could keep an eye on all of them. They played with a ball one of them had brought along or played jump rope with one Kagome borrowed from Rin, while shy boy sat beside Kagome to help her look for the earliest growing herbs in the field.

The little boy had once expressed his interest in becoming a doctor—a healer, and Kagome thoroughly indulged his curiosity in her notebook as she read out the names and uses for the plants she scribbled in there. The boy wasn't yet old enough to read any of the simpler kanji, but Kagome was surprised he knew how to read at all. Miroku was doing a fine job setting up makeshift lesson plans for the village children. She wondered if maybe she should help out some, trying to get some semblance of a school going.

Long silvery strands had gotten tangled with twigs and bark, Inuyasha noted as he propped himself against the trunk of a tree, halfway to the top. He just dropped the dog back off at the house, so she wouldn't piss in the house again. He sighed. There had been a big scrappy-looking Akita right outside the house when he had gone to take Aki out. Mean dogs, Akitas, especially when they had a one-track mind. He certainly hoped Kagome wouldn't run into one without him around. He really didn't care for dogs, despite the jokes everyone liked to poke at him. Cats were much more tolerable…he liked Aki, but he would have preferred a kitten have followed Kagome home. A male one, so they wouldn't have to worry about it yowling nonstop every few months.

He began pulling bits of bark out as he casually took in the scene across the field. Those kids, he knew, were on their best behavior around her, so of course they weren't driving her up a wall. That's the only reason she looked so at ease, the hanyou told himself. Then again, they were well behaved because they liked her. They were drawn to her, and they liked being around her, even when their parents hadn't shoved them off on her. They liked her because she was so good with them.

Inuyasha sighed, leaning his temple against the trunk, watching the scene from an angle. She was good with kids. She would make a fine mother—a damn fine mother—but Inuyasha wanted so badly to deny that. Deny it for his own, selfish sake. No, not selfish, but he couldn't—wouldn't—give her the family that she wanted. She deserved it. If she wanted it, god, how she deserved it.

He couldn't give her a lot, but when it came down to it, he could give her children—it was something he could do, easily. He could provide for those kids too, however many she wanted, if it was two or ten (although ten might very well drive him to drink) even if it meant he would be hunting more—hunting larger game—trading the hides for stuff they would need. He didn't know what kind of father he would be, but he could be a good provider if—

What the hell was he doing, indulging in those sorts of thoughts? It wasn't going to happen. Yet, as he saw Kagome there, surrounded by all those kids…

Ah, one of them got tripped up by the jump rope. Kagome lifted her head as soon as Inuyasha's ears picked up on the sound of crying, Kagome no doubt having heard it too. She got up and hurried over to the boy, asking if they were alright. The child nodded and picked themselves up, wiping the tears from their eyes. Kagome held the little boy by the shoulders, probably checking to make sure they weren't cut up, and said something that Inuyasha couldn't hear. Whatever it was, it made the child laugh and smile back at Kagome. She ruffled their white hair and—

White?

Inuyasha shook his head to clear his head, looking back up at Kagome, stepping away from the brunet child. Brown hair, not white. Inuyasha groaned, letting his head thunk back as he leaned into the tree.

"Kagome-sama is a natural with children, wouldn't you say?" Asked a tiny voice from Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Butt out, old man," Inuyasha said, gruffly. His eyes popped open and he growled.

"Exactly how long have you been hanging around?!"

"I have been…well, that is…Most of the day."

"Then it's time to leave me alone, don't you think? Call it my present, eh?" Inuyasha said, picking the old flea off of his beads. Inuyasha looked up as a light drizzle started to come down on top of the village. Nothing severe, but he watched Kagome hurry the children back towards the village center, where many of them lived. It was the afternoon anyways, their parents should be picking them up soon enough.

Inuyasha shook off a few drops that had beaded on his ears and closed his eyes.

Kagome was a little damp, but the afternoon sun was already breaking the layer of clouds, and it didn't look like the sprinkles would continue in the night. She said her hellos to Sango as she was just getting her laundry folded. Little Ichiro was standing now, with the help of one hand clutched in his mother's sleeve. He didn't quite know how to walk yet, but he had the standing thing pretty much figured out. Kagome smiled when he caught sight of her and gave her that big four-toothed grin.

"Hi baby," Kagome greet him as well, turning up to his mother.

"Miroku's got the girls?"

"Yup," Sango said shortly.

"They decided they weren't doing the "nap" thing today, so Miroku took them for a long walk. I'm very much hoping they'll sleep hard tonight." Sango ended with a chuckle, so Kagome knew her annoyance wasn't too serious.

"Oh, it was raining a little just now, I hope they were indoors."

"Well, Miroku has enough sense to stay out of the rain, I'm not too worried. Snow on the other hand…" Sango touched her knuckle to her lip, seeming to recall a memory before she shook it off.

"Well, we're all done with snow, I think. Spring seems early this year, or is that normal?" Kagome asked, crouching down to pick up Ichiro as he crawled his way to her. She set him by his mother and went about removing her sandals.

"Well, it's not really that early for spring. It does seem that way, I suppose. It was snowing this time last year." Sango chuckled.

"Inuyasha did mention it was snowing the day he was born, which would have been right around now, and for a month afterwards, even. That would have been a very long winter, so I would much rather have an early spring," Sango laughed, "I prefer not feeling like my toes are going to fall off, you know?"

"Wait…snow? When he was bor…" Kagome's brows scrunched together. When he was born? He was born…Kagome stopped what she was going, one sandal still clutched in her hand and pondered her friend's words. Not about the mild winter but about her husband. She had never thought about it before, that Inuyasha was born, obviously, but that he had a birthday was something that had never crossed her mind. Sure, people back here didn't go by the Gregorian calendar, but the twins were obviously born early winter, Sango and Miroku having named them after the first snowfall, but Inuyasha? Sango had once told her she was born in the autumn, while Miroku and Kohaku's birthdays were closer to her own.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

The young Miko's eyes shot up to her friend's.

"When is Inuyasha's birthday?"

Sango blinked, throwing up a puzzled look.

"His birthday—the anniversary of his birth—when he turns another hear older? Like, how the twins just turned—"

"I know what it means, Kagome. I just didn't think…" She touched her fingertips to her lips. "Well, it's right about now. This time of year."

"I've got to go, then. Ooh, why didn't he tell me it was his birthday?!" Kagome stopped, mid-step out the door and turned back to her friend, asking how Inuyasha had come to tell her his birthday, and not his own wife.

"Well, I don't think it would have ever come up if Myoga hadn't mentioned it."

"Myoga, huh? Geez, nobody tells me anything…I'm sorry Sango, I didn't mean to leave the second I got here like this."

"Uh, that's fine..? Oh wait," Sango called. Kagome spun around and opened the door further.

"Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night? I've got dibs on the next eggs Ataru's chickens lay, and we could do something with those."

Kagome laughed at her friend's smiling face. She would love to come over for dinner.

He was always easy to find when she went looking. Always up in the tops of one of several trees with good views of the forest and village below them.

"Inuyasha," she called up into the trees when she felt she was close enough. In a moment, he was soundlessly standing before her, taking in the strange expression on her face. Was she mad? Should he head for the hills or..?

"Is it really your birthday?"

The question made his expression shift from one of curiosity to appall and confusion.

"Who told—"

"Then it is?! Inuyasha, why didn't you tell me!" Kagome balled her fists to her chest, pursing her lips. Inuyasha shook his head, setting his hands on his hips.

"Cuz it ain't a big deal. I'd've forgot if I didn't get reminded."

"Not a…It's your birthday! I've never celebrated your birthday before. Oh, if I'd known earlier, I could have planned for it…Okay, okay. Better late than never, what do you want for your present?" Kagome clapped her hands together. She wasn't even sure of the exact date of his birthday, so if she got a present to him in the next few days, it should still count for something. She should know by now what sort of things Inuyasha liked, but her mind was honestly blanking out.

"I'm not a little kid, Kagome. I'm a little old for presents, doncha think?" Inuyasha scratched the back of his head, continuing, "Besides that, there's nothin' I would want. Nothin' I can think of."

"I know you're not a kid, but like I said, I never celebrated one with you. I'd like to do something, at least once…um…If you can't think of a present, then…" The pretty little Miko's cheeks became a little heated as a thought came to mind.

"I could um…" she swallowed thickly. She covered her mouth and looked away from her husband.

"I could…do that thing you like…with my mouth." She took a quick glance over to her husband, his eyes wide and face beet red up to his ears. She stood a little straighter.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She watched his mouth open and close, trying to form words before he finally spoke.

"Y-you do that all the time—it wouldn't really be special for you to—"

"Do you want me to or not?!" She snipped at him.

"I—yeah, yeah, geez—" he replied with a hurried nod. He hated how quickly he had...then again, she always became very compliant when he offered her the same. Of course, he had never offered in words, like she had just done.

Kagome's face took on a little heat.

"I haven't in a while because Shippo's always…Where's Myoga? Oh gosh! He isn't hiding on you somewhere, is he?" She would be mortified if the old demon heard the sorts of things she does to her husband. If anyone heard her say it aloud, anyways!

"Don't…uh, I told him to get lost a while ago so he's probably in Shippo's tail or somethin'."

Kagome let out a sigh of relief. She nodded and spun around, facing towards the village.

"H-hey! Where are you going?"

"We're low on flour, I want to see if I can trade for some. I'll make you something good for dinner," she replied, smiling at her husband, his face still flushed.

"Ah, come on, you don't gotta—"

"I know. You're not a little kid, but it's good to eat something yummy for special occasions…" She stopped her forward momentum, slowly touching her fingers to her lips as a thought swept through her mind. She never had asked him outright how…

"Inuyasha? How old are you? How old are you going to be this year, I mean?"

Inuyasha's face returned to it's normal color as his expression blanked. A moment of quiet passed between the pair before the hanyou gave his answer.

"I don't know, really."

Kagome tilted her head to the side, confused.

"You don't? Why not?"

Inuyasha returned her head tilt. He just…he had gone through puberty, so he was definitely older than, say, thirteen, but besides that, the years seemed to just muddle together. He felt like he had been wondering from forest to forest for decades before he was sealed to the tree and then…did those fifty years count?

"I just…it wasn't something I thought about."

Kagome bit her lip. Did he really not know? The only other person she knew who could hardly remember their age was her grandfather, who had to do the math between the year he was born until the date he was asked to get a straight answer. Could…he was a hanyou, after all…could he be that old? Old enough to forget how old he was? No, that couldn't be it. He had only just started to grow those few annoying chin hairs, so he had to be a lot younger than that…right?

"Do you have a good guess, or a range on how old you are?" Kagome asked, chewing her lip. She didn't know how demons aged, but Inuyasha was…he looked to be aging at the same rate as her, at least in the past four years.

"Uh…Not really. It felt like forever that I was…I dunno, I could be thirty or ninety or, even like seventeen." Inuyasha scratched through his white hair. He really wasn't sure if he should include the years he was bound to the tree. Was he technically dead during those years? They shouldn't count, but at the same time, with as much as the world had changed, it still felt like they should be included…but maybe not?

"Well, okay, how old are you? You turn another year in the spring so, how old will you be then?" Inuyasha's eyes fixated onto his wife's as she threw him a confused look. She didn't seem to know what to think of his answer and the following question.

"I'm…I'll be twenty."

"Okay," Inuyasha nodded, "Then lets go with that. I'm twenty. It makes it easier to remember if we're the same age."

"But if you're not really twenty…"

"How old do I look, then?" Inuyasha asked, his tone light, but with a serious edge to let his wife know that whatever they said here was what he was going to go by. No additional questions asked.

Kagome looked him up and down. He was a little taller than when she was fifteen, with broader shoulders, though still lean. A little bit of fuzz had tried growing on his face in recent months and…well, he certainly looked about twenty.

"The same age as me," she said, shaking her head slightly.

"Alright then," Inuyasha said. That was the final word of it. He may be twenty in actuality, or older or younger, but twenty was what they were going with. Next year he would be twenty-one, and Kagome would be twenty-one a little while after, so that settles that.

While she was still processing the decision, Inuyasha leaned down to peck her on the lips. Kagome blinked up at him.

"What was that for?" Kagome asked, a bit of warmth coming to her cheeks. Inuyasha shrugged, flashing her a smile.

"I felt like it."

'Riiiight,' Kagome thought with a wry grin. He just wanted to end the discussion, she was sure. There were worse ways to do it, she supposed.

Now to plan a nice birthday meal for her husband.

...

Sorry for the delay. My computer went on the fritz, I lost the first draft of this chapter as well as my motivation to finish it after the loss. It's not what some of you were expecting, but here it is. I should hope "the garbage will do" (I still need to see the new Star Wars movie).

I intentionally left Inuyasha's age ambiguous, I have a plan to address this again in the future. I would like to think he's actually 20, but the profiles book suggests he just kinda...looks 15 in the manga...but then he looks older later on so...again, at a later date.

Typos exist. Grammar issues exist. I'll fix those later.