The Storm

By: AniuLonewolf

Chapter 7 - Question

When the two reached the south entrance of the mall, they saw Kagome's family truck waiting parked by the sidewalk.

Kagome opened the door and let Inuyasha get in first. "Sorry we're a bit late." She apologized as she closed the door behind her and helped the half demon fasten his seatbelt.

"That's alright dear, we're in no hurry." Mrs. Higurashi smiled from the driver's seat. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Inuyasha wasn't wearing his normal outfit and turned in her seat to see him better. "My Inuyasha, that outfit looks great on you," she said with a smile.

But before Inuyasha could answer, Kagome's little brother Sota was right in the half demon's face. "Hi Inuyasha!" Wow your outfit looks so cool! Say, how long are you going to stay this time? Hey when we get back home, can you play video games with me? Are you mfph ofth…."

He couldn't finish his question because Inuyasha clapped a clawed hand over his mouth. "Jeez kid, are you ever quiet? You're giving me a headache." Inuyasha sighed, keeping his hand over Sota's mouth just in case he would start up with the questions again.

"Sota, leave Inuyasha alone and turn around place," Mrs. Higurashi said as she pulled out of the parking lot. She looked in the rear view mirror again and saw Kagome's stuffed animal. "Kagome, where did you get that cute stuffed dog?"

"Oh, Inuyasha won it for me at the arcade." Kagome answered, hugging the stuffed dog with one arm and linking her other arm around Inuyasha's arm.

Sota bounced around and faced them again from the passenger's seats. "Really, what did he play?"

Kagome giggled. "Whack a Mole. He was playing for like half an hour. He played for so long that the game shut down," she looked over at Inuyasha who just stared out the window, his chin resting on his hand.

o-o-o-o

When they got home, Inuyasha helped Mrs. Higurashi take in Grandpa's bags while Kagome's grandfather went to help some visitors who had come to the shrine. Kagome and Sota took in the grocery bags and Sota's sleepover bags.

When Kagome was done putting away the groceries that her mother had gotten, she saw that Inuyasha was busy helping her mother with something so she went upstairs to put away her new giant stuffy dog. When she got up to her room, she saw that Tetsusaiga was still lying on her bed where Inuyasha had left it when they went to the mall.

She set her stuffed dog on the floor in the corner of her room and went to sit on her bed beside Inuyasha's sword. While sitting on the bed, she reached over and grabbed her journal from her bedside dresser and started writing down her thoughts. While writing, she stopped for a moment and looked down at the resting sword.

Just then Inuyasha entered her room with the bag that his Feudal Era clothes were in. The half demon saw that Kagome was sitting beside his sword and looked down at her with concerned golden eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"No nothing is wrong, just writing." Kagome smiled up at him from her book. "I have to get to studying soon for that test but I just wanted to write down what was on my mind before I forgot it."

"What has been on your mind?" The half demon questioned as he sat down on the end of her bed. He sat crossed legged on the other side of the bed and was about to put his hands in his sleeves when he realized that he didn't have sleeves in the button down shirt he was wearing. Letting out a slight grumble, he went to playing with the hem of his pants to keep his fingers busy.

"I like to keep a journal about my adventures." Kagome smiled as she wrote down the last of her thoughts in the book and then put it back in the bedside table where she had gotten it front. Her smile faded a bit when she looked down at Inuyasha's sword again. "I've just been thinking about the battle with Naraku when we go back to your time."

"Are you scared?" Inuyasha questioned, his voice lowering as the mood of the conversation grew serious.

"Yes I am." Kagome said honestly. "I worry about Sango and having to save her brother Kohaku, I worry about Miroku and his Wind Tunnel." She ran her hand over the sheath of Tetsusaiga. "And I worry about you fighting and getting hurt."

Inuyasha could see that Kagome was shaking as she spoke. She was holding back tears as she talked about their upcoming battle with Naraku. "Kagome…"

"I'm scared of going off to battle but I know it's where I need to be. I'm not that strong and I can't protect myself very much and I worry about being in the wrong place at the wrong time and you getting hurt because of me." Her black bangs fell over her eyes and she bit her lip to stop her from crying. "I wish I was stronger. I wish I was strong like Kikyo."

Inuyasha could hear the hurt in Kagome's voice and got up from the bed and pulled Kagome up from where she was sitting. "Kagome, don't compare yourself to Kikyo. And don't worry so much, we'll pull through the final battle and finally be rid of Naraku forever."

Kagome looked up at the half demon in front of her, her brown eyes locking with the golden eyes before her. His eyes were smoldering with some hidden emotion that made Kagome's heart skip a beat as Inuyasha held her hands in his.

"I"ll be there to protect you Kagome, I'll always be there." He whispered, his lips inching closer to hers. He reached one hand up and cupped her check, his thumb rubbing away a stray tear that had escaped Kagome's control. "I'll always be here for you Kagome."

Kagome couldn't hold back all of her tears and a few slipped down her cheeks but where rubbed away by Inuyasha's thumb. She found herself leaning into the warm that Inuyasha's hand had on her face. She was so afraid that Inuyasha was going to get hurt in the upcoming battle. Her mind kept showing her his death by Naraku's hands and as the thought bubbled in her mind, it replayed in front of her eyes again and she started to shake.

Inuyasha watched something flash before Kagome's eyes and he felt her start to shake uncontrollably. He wished he could stop her nightmares, put her fears to rest and as he wished this he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest. "I love you Kagome," he whispered and felt her bury her face in his shirt. "I will always protect you, no matter what. I know now why you came to my world and it wasn't just to bring back the Shikon Jewel."

Kagome looked up at him from his shirt. "Why?" She asked.

"You came to my time to show me how to live, how to trust others when no one would trust me." He looked down at her, running his claws fingers through her hair. "You showed me how to love when no one would love me. It was our destiny to meet; you were born to meet me, and I was born to meet you."

Kagome was quiet, trying to keep her sobs down as she listened to Inuyasha's feelings as he held her.

Inuyasha went quiet for a moment, his thoughts bringing him to a question that he had thought of the night before when he fell asleep beside the girl he loved. "Kagome… I have a question for you," he started as pulled Kagome away to look at her. "I… uh…"

This was it; now or never. He now knew that Kagome was scared of their final battle just as he had been plagued by nightmares. "Kagome, I know I'm always gruff and stubborn and I'm not always good with speaking about how I feel. But you've always been there for me and I don't know how much longer we have before the final battle with Naraku so I wanted to ask you this now before we went back," He tightened his grip on Kagome's hand and took a deep breath. "Kagome, w-would you do me the honor of becoming my mate?"

Kagome's eyes went huge with shock at Inuyasha's question. It took a second or two to figure out that what he had asked her was the 'demon-version' of proposing to her. "M-Me?" She stuttered, not able to really believe that this was going on. But it was going on; Inuyasha, the half demon she had fallen in love with was asking to be with her forever. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Inuyasha, "Yes, yes Inuyasha I will." She laughed happily as she crashed into his chest with a hug. "I will."

Inuyasha hugged her back, pulling her closer and not wanting to let her go. Be pulled away for a moment only to capture her lips in a kiss and Kagome didn't waste a moment to kiss him back. The kiss made Inuyasha feel like he was floating, like his heart was going to pound right out of his chest.

Inuyasha pulled her closer, kissing her on the lips but then moved to kiss her cheek and then her jawline and down her neck. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, loving his touch as he kissed down her neck. The half demon stopped when he kissed down to her collarbone. He stopped and pulled away to look back at Kagome, seeing her eyes sparkling with unshed tears of happiness. "If you will let me, I want to do something that will show that no one else can have you, only me." He explained as he ran this thumb down her cheek. "Demons are sorta overprotective when it comes to their mates," he smirked as he ran his fingers over her collar bone. "It might hurt for a moment." He looked to Kagome to give him permission. "Will you let me?"

Kagome didn't need a moment to think about what he was asking and nodded. Inuyasha moved the collar of her shirt down her shoulder so that he could see the flesh of her neck. He looked at Kagome again, afraid that she would pull away but she nodded and he turned back to her shoulder.

He kissed her soft skin for a moment before opening his mouth and biting down with his fangs. She jumped a little when his fangs cut her skin but she stayed still with her hands resting on Inuyasha's shoulders. The pain lessened and Inuyasha soon pulled away. The mark left looked like two tiny hearts.

"There," Inuyasha smiled, pleased with his mark. He looked up at Kagome with his golden eyes sparkling.

"Now what?" Kagome asked as they held each other in her bedroom. She wanted to reach up and touch where he had bitten her but he still had a hold of her hands.

Inuyasha leaned down so his forehead was touching Kagome's forehead. "Now, you're mine," the half demon took one deep breath that filled his nose with Kagome's scent. He looked down at her and captured her lips in a kiss again.

While their lips were locked in a kiss, Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Inuyasha gave a slight growl of possessiveness and guided the raven haired girl down onto the bed, deepening the kiss while his hand moved down to grasp her waist.

Kagome gave a quiet moan in pleasure as she felt Inuyasha on top of her as he kissed her collarbone where he had bitten her. Hearing her moan only made Inuyasha's growl deepen with desire as he kissed her harder.

But then there was a sudden knock on the door that pulled the two apart with a gasp. With the spell from their kiss broken, Inuyasha and Kagome both realized how close they were and jumped three feet apart, both their faces blazing red with blush. "Kagome, Inuyasha; Supper is ready." Mrs. Higurashi said through the closed door.

Her face flush with embarrassment, Kagome cleared her throat and tried to finger-comb her hair to make it look like she wasn't just making out on her bed. But then when she thought about her mother's voice, she realized what she was going to have to tell her family and her eyes went wide. "C-Coming," she answered her mother but kept her eyes on Inuyasha.

Inuyasha could see the look on Kagome's face as well as his hearing picked up the quickening of her heart beat as she got nervous. "Don't freak, Kagome." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder to lead her to the door. He could tell that she was scared about telling her family about them together. "Don't worry; I'll be right there with you."

Kagome couldn't help but shutter as she stood up from the bed but one look at Inuyasha and she felt a slight calmer. She gave the half demon a slight nod and opened the door to go downstairs for supper. With a deep breath, she felt Inuyasha's hand grasp hers and together they walked downstairs to confront her family.

To Kagome, it felt like it took an eternity just to get down the stairs. With every step her heart sped up, beating like crazy in her chest. She heard Inuyasha tell her to calm down and she nodded but she couldn't help it. "I'm just nervous." She whispered as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She was sure Sota wouldn't protest, she was sure her little brother would love to have Inuyasha in the family. But what about Grandpa and her mom, would they think that she was making some rash decision? She wasn't even finished high school yet.

Inuyasha could hear Kagome's heart beating fast and he could almost feel her shaking beside him. Before they rounded the corner to the kitchen, the half demon stopped Kagome. He had come up with a plan that might calm Kagome's nerves. "Kagome, you seem to have a close relationship with your mother. Do you think it would be better if we just tell her first?"

Kagome nodded, agreeing with Inuyasha's idea. Why didn't she think of that! She was sure that the pressure of breaking the news would be a lot easier if they just told her mother first. "Good idea," she smiled and turned towards the kitchen.

Mrs. Higurashi watched from the kitchen as Inuyasha and Kagome both entered. She smiled when she saw that they were holding hands but wondered why Kagome looked like she was going to pass out.

"Um... Mom? Could y-you come here for a minute? I-Inuyasha and I have something to tell you," Kagome stuttered as she tried to keep her breathing normal. Her heart almost exploded in her chest.

"Sure honey," Mrs. Higurashi smiled and she followed the two into the living room. Inuyasha and Kagome sat down on the couch while her mother took a seat in the chair across from them. She saw that Kagome kept her fingers laced with Inuyasha's and Kagome was taking slow deep breaths as if to calm down. "Is something the matter?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Mom... you know that time under the God Tree, I told you that I loved Inuyasha?" She started but then inwardly growled. 'What kind of way is that to start off?' She mentally yelled at herself.

Her mother nodded but said nothing as she waited for what else her daughter had to say.

"Well, um... Inuyasha and I are..." She couldn't get it out! She was too scared!

Inuyasha cleared his throat. "You see Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome and I are what demons call in my time, mates." Kagome held her breath and tightened her grip on Inuyasha's hand, almost turning it purple. "At least we are now, I had just asked Kagome to be my mate."

Mrs. Higurashi was quiet for a minute, her facial expression was blank. But then she smiled. "I know." she said simply. At her comment, the two gave out a questioning 'huh' before she started laughing quietly. Kagome's mother stayed with the pleasant look on her face as she smiled at her daughter and the dog demon. "I heard you ask Kagome while I was going to get the laundry."

"So... y-you're not mad?" Kagome asked, on the verge of fainting.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Mrs. Higurashi got up and hugged her daughter. "I would never be mad. I knew a while ago that Inuyasha was the one. I'm happy if your happy, Kagome."

"Thanks Mom," Kagome said as she hugged her mother. She could feel tears prick her eyes but she fought them back. After all, she didn't want to make this a very sappy moment. "I knew you would understand."

Mrs. Higurashi pulled away and Inuyasha could see those same stars in her eyes that he saw the night before. 'The night before? Has it really been that short of time?' The dog demon took a moment to ponder over how short time had been since all of this happened.

"Just think... soon, I'm going to be a grandmother!"

Inuyasha's thoughts were interrupted at what Mrs. Higurashi had said excitedly and he let out a nervous chuckle while Kagome's jaw dropped. "Mom! I told you that Inuyasha and I were mates, I didn't tell you I was pregnant." Kagome yelled, her face turning red from embarrassment.

"I know sweetie. But somewhere along the line..." Her mother didn't finish her sentence, but they knew what she was going to say. "Oh, we should have a wedding!" Mrs. Higurashi said when she was done dreaming.

Kagome didn't say anything at first but what her mother had said had popped the idea in her mind. Ever since she was a little girl, just like any other girl, she had dreamed about her wedding day. She looked at Inuyasha who nodded and a smile broke out on her face.

But then she realized what she and Inuyasha had been talking about earlier – their battle with Naraku. Her face fell as she realized their duty in the other world beyond the well. "But..." She looked at the ground. "What about Naraku? And the jewel?"

Inuyasha thought for a moment. "It's ok, Kagome. We can get rid of Naraku once and for all and then we can get married." Just the sound of 'married' on his tongue was something that sent his heart soaring.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her daughter and soon to be son in law. "Now come on, dinner is getting cold." She said, eyes still sparkling with stars.

They all got up from their seats and headed into the dining room to sit down at the table to eat supper. The three of them didn't say anything and started to eat their food while Grandpa and Sota look at them with questioning looks.

"Hey sis, what did you guys talk about that took so long? And why does Mom look like she won the lottery?" Sota asked, looking at his big sister for the answer.

Kagome giggled as she looked at her mother sitting on the other side of the table from her. Her heart wasn't breaking into a sprint anymore. With telling her mother first, she got over the nervous feeling and was excited to tell her little brother and grandfather. It felt like she was on Cloud 9. "Well you see Sota, Inuyasha and I are going to get married."

"Married?" Sota and grandpa both repeated at the same time.

It was quiet for a moment while both Gramps and Sota thought this over in their heads. Kagome's heart sped up for a second or two, doubting the easiness to tell the rest of her family. Was she wrong?

"Yeah! Inuyasha is going to be my big brother!" Sota broke the silence, jumping in his seat.

"Married? Kagome, I'm so happy for you." Grandpa said. This calmness surprised Kagome since Gramps had been so against Kagome going to the other time in the beginning. He also didn't seem to get along with Inuyasha all of the time, but it seemed like things were going to work out. "Is that why your mother is so happy?"

They all looked at the Higurashi mother but she didn't notice all the looks in her direction. All she didn't was stare into space with a big smile on her face as she ate her food. Every now and then she would let out a sigh.

All they got out of her that night was the word, "Grandchildren."

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

The Storm by AniuLonewolf