That Night At the Inn

Modern Talks Part 2

"Press A, press A!" Souta encouraged as InuYasha was losing badly at the video game they were playing.

"I am pressing A." InuYasha growled thinking that if only his opponent were here and not inside the damn TV box he would kick his ass easy.

"You're not pressing A, you're pressing X." Souta shook his head as InuYasha's guy got K…

On the couch, Kagome laughed. "Nice try, InuYasha."

InuYasha scoffed as he passed the controller back to Souta and stood up. "Do you need anything, Kagome?"

Kagome shook her head and InuYasha sat beside her. Automatically, she curled into his side and they watched as Souta completely dominated the game.

Gramps, still ignoring InuYasha and, to an extent, Kagome, had already went to bed. After warning them not to stay up too late, Mama Higurashi had went to bed as well.

InuYasha's former tension and apprehension had all but disappeared. He would really have to talk to their grandfather before he left, but he wasn't worried about it anymore. Whatever objections the old man had was obviously not connected to his half demon blood. And anything else, he could deal with.

"You should go to bed." Kagome said as Souta yawned causing his opponent to get a hit in.

"I'm not that tired." Souta protested even as he yawned again.

"It's late and you are that tired." Kagome smiled. Pregnancy was doing wonders for her. She felt so much calmer and happy than she would have before. Of course, if it had been any old day and that night at the inn had never happened, she would either be cramming for some kind of test or sleeping outdoors.

As it was, she didn't have to worry about either for the foreseeable future. She had already decided to quit school. People would be giving her all kinds of looks the more pregnant she got and, after the baby was born, she wouldn't have time for schoolwork anyway.

"You should go to bed." InuYasha agreed. "Kids grow when they sleep. If you don't go to sleep, you'll end up short for the rest of your life."

Under threat of being short, Souta turned off his game and bid them good night.

"How did you know that?" Kagome asked him. It was true that you grew in your sleep, but human growth hormone wouldn't have been heard of in his time.

"That's what my mother used to tell me when I wouldn't go to sleep." InuYasha shrugged. "It always worked on me."

Kagome thought it was a wonder he would ever question about whether or not he would make a good parent as she snuggled closer to him. "What was your mother like?" She had asked him before about the subject but his mother was always a soft topic for him.

However, this time, he answered, "Mom was great. She always tried to do her best by me. But, sometimes, she just seemed...sad."

"Because you were bullied?" Kagome asked.

"That." he agreed. "But, I think, sometimes she just missed my old man." He squeezed her a bit. "You know I wont leave you. Right?"

"I know." Kagome smiled. "Come on. Let's go to bed too."

He followed her to the base of the staircase but stopped when he heard a door open.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, turning halfway up the stairs. She hadn't heard anything.

"Uh, nothing." He smiled reassuringly. "You go on up. I've got...got to do something real quick."

She looked like she was about to ask why. But instead, she smiled and said, "Sure. Just come on up to bed when you're ready."

InuYasha nodded and watched as she climbed the stairs and went into her room.

It was only after her door had shut that he turned and followed the sound of shuffled footsteps into the kitchen.

Gramps was in there, putting the kettle of water on the indoor campfire they had. Making tea before he went to sleep.

InuYasha gathered his courage and took a deep breath. "Look, can we talk?"

"Oh, now you want to talk?" he asked sharply, not turning around.

"I've wanted to talk to you all day. You've been avoiding me." InuYasha pointed out.

"Well, I have nothing to say to you." the old man said as he got out a cup and a tea bag.

"I know you're mad." InuYasha continued calmly. The night was still and quiet around them. "And, since everyone is saying that Kagome is a bit young to have a child, I can guess why."

"Oh, can you now?" the eldest Higurashi turned and glared at the demon boy. "You understand exactly why I am so mad that you knocked up my granddaughter?"

"Knocked up?" InuYasha repeated. From the context, he could guess what the word meant but Gramps defined it anyway.

"Got her pregnant." he snarled the best he could and, even considering he was half InuYasha's size and barely a fraction of his strength, it was actually a bit intimidating.

"It was an accident." InuYasha said. "But that doesn't mean I'm not happy. I'm sorry that you think she's too young-"

"That's not it!" the elder threw the cup in his hands at his and it shattered against InuYasha's forehead. It didn't hurt, but InuYasha got the message loud and clear. "Kagome is mature for her age and if she feels she's ready then I'm behind her 100%! My problem is you!"

InuYasha felt an icy spear of fear slice through his belly. Had he been wrong? Was it his half-breed blood that the man hated after all?

"Are you ready to be a father?" the old man asked easing InuYasha's fears. "Are you truly ready for everything fatherhood means?"

InuYasha hesitated and this time got a kettle to the head. The water that was hot but not yet boiling spilled all over him and the kettle bounced away.

"You hesitate!" the man accused. "Meaning you aren't ready! Do you even have a way to support those two? A job? A house?"

InuYasha said nothing because, honestly, he had neither.

"And you wonder why I am angry." the old man spat.

He stomped out, not caring that he didn't have any tea, leaving InuYasha dripping, his ears drooping, in the room alone.

XXXXXXXXXX

"InuYasha?" Kagome came into the kitchen, a bit worried. He had never come up to bed that night.

"Hey." InuYasha said quietly. He was sitting at the kitchen table. He had already cleaned up the shards of the cup, put the kettle back on the counter, and wiped up the water. There was no evidence about what had transpired last night except the dejected look on his face.

"InuYasha, what's wrong?" Kagome went to him and tilted his head to look up at her.

He forced a small smile onto his face. "Nothing. Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yes. But-" Kagome wanted to press the issue but he stood and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"I love you." he said softly. "You know that, right?"

"Of course." Kagome looked puzzled.

"And, you trust me. Right?" he asked.

Kagome nodded.

"Good. Good." he pulled her into his arms and held her close.

"InuYasha, what happened?" Kagome asked, worried.

"Nothing." he lied. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Good morning." Mama Higurashi smiled as she walked in. "Who wants breakfast?"

"Nothing for me, thanks." Kagome said as InuYasha loosened his hold on her but didn't let her go. "I'm feeling kind of queasy this morning."

"Want some crackers?" her mother asked. "It'll help."

"Sure." Kagome nodded.

"I should probably go after breakfast." InuYasha said. "I need to get Tessaiga fixed. I'll be back soon though."

"Well, let's get a good meal in you before you go." Mama Higurashi smiled.

Halfway through her making breakfast, Souta came downstairs smiling and energetic from a good nights sleep.

InuYasha heard Gramps get up as well but he ignored the family in the kitchen, grabbed his straw broom, and went outside to sweep the grounds without food.

InuYasha tried not to let it bother him but his ears drooped despite that. Kagome didn't say anything to him but she took his hand in hers under the table as she conversed with her brother.

Everyone didn't say anything about it but InuYasha still knew that, because of him, that old man didn't want to eat at his own table. He would have left it out of respect but Kagome kept her hand tight around his, keeping him there.

He almost felt too guilty to eat but he knew if he didn't he would hurt Mama Higurashi's feelings. So he ate then walked with the family as they all walked to the well house.

"Here, dear." Mama Higurashi passed him his sword. "Safe journey."

"Thanks." InuYasha put the sword in his waist.

"Come back soon." Souta smiled.

InuYasha nodded.

Kagome went into his arms and hugged him close. "You'll be safe, right?"

InuYasha smiled and took a deep breath of her sweet scent. "I'll be fine. I'll be back in three days. I promise."

Kagome pulled back and smiled.

InuYasha looked over her head and saw Gramps sweeping the walkway, his back to them.

"I'll be back." he said to them and walked towards the old man. They kept back, smiling and giving him his privacy.

"Hey." he said.

"I have nothing else to say to you." the old man said, stubborn.

"Then just listen because I have something to say." InuYasha said firmly. He wasn't the type to run from his problems. He preferred to face them head on, claws and fangs bared ready to fight for what he wanted. He didn't consider this any different.

The old man didn't reply so InuYasha went on with his point.

"I don't have a house." InuYasha admitted. "And no, I don't have a way to earn money. The only thing I know how to do is fight. But before now, that was the only thing I needed to know. I want you to know that I am going to do everything I can to provide for both of them. I'm going to build a house for us to live. I'll make sure she's happy.

"And no, I'm not ready to be a father. I've spent my entire life looking after myself but I've spent the last few months looking after Kagome too. I'm getting used to not putting myself first. It might take me a while but I'm going to be ready. I have a few months to get prepared. I'm going to be ready." he assured him. "I don't regret what happened. At all. And I'm going to do everything in my power to protect her. You have my word on that."

Gramps, without turning to look at him, lifted his broom and walked away, inside the house.

InuYasha sighed but turned and went back to the waiting people.

Kagome automatically opened her arms and took him into them.

"Come back soon." she told him.

InuYasha nodded and they held onto each other for a moment.

Kagome let go first. "Go. Come back soon, alright?"

InuYasha nodded and swept her hair out of her face.

He turned to go inside the well house but a voice stopped him.

"Wait!"

All four of them turned as Gramps came out of the house again, a small, long box in his hands.

"Daddy?" Mama Higurashi said.

Gramps walked past them and stopped in front of InuYasha.

He opened the box and showed them what was nestled inside on a velvet inlay.

It was a simple silver chain necklace. But on the end of it was a net of silver that was circle decoratively around a circular blue gem about half the size of the Shikon Jewel.

"What's that?" InuYasha asked.

"This is an ancient talisman passed down through the Higurashi family." the old man smiled with pride at the necklace. "The Higurashi men have been giving this to their pregnant women for centuries. It's a ward against evil."

"Daddy!" Mama Higurashi looked ecstatic.

"Take it." the old man said.

Knowing what he meant, InuYasha gently picked up the jewelry from its resting place. He walked over to Kagome and slipped it over her head. He knew the old man well. The necklace was probably just old. There was probably nothing spiritually powerful about it. He certainly couldn't smell anything powerful about the old silver.

But that the old man would pass it on to him so he could slip it about Kagome's neck was his way of accepting him and it meant the world to InuYasha.

Kagome pulled her hair out of the chain and the charm dipped under her shirt and out of sight.

"Stay safe." he told her as he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

He smiled at his new family before going into the well house and jumping into the well.

Gramps finally got his trousers out of a twist huh? about time!