Protection

They were looking their way again. Even after he glared at the stupid humans. He had promised her not to growl at the people on the road or the townsmen. But he has not promised to avoid sending mental threats and murderous wishes around them.

He hated traveling. He had always hated it. It meant leaving the place he liked, his home-their home-, it also meant being around people who didn't know them, that didn't trust them and he was positive they didn't want them there.

Inuyasha bit back another growl as a middle-aged woman saw them, took her whatever-she-was-carrying and turned away with a nasty scowl on their way.

"Come on, Inuyasha! Try to enjoy the day, it's our first trip together," Kagome said with a bright smile as she walked beside him, way too close to him for the liking of the stupid humans.

"I'm trying... see?"

Kagome laughed at his fake smile, it was only a display of his white teeth and twitching eyebrows over half closed eyes. After it stopped being funny, she stopped walking and faced him, using those way-too-intelligent eyes of hers to stare at his face and his tense pose.

Knowing he was not uncomfortable for the weight he was carrying, that it was something else, she asked with a serious voice "Why are you on edge? Do you feel something bad around?"

His bangs covered his eyes as he shook his head. "Then what is it, Inuyasha? and don't you say nothing."

He rapidly closed his lips before that exact word left his lips. Trying to avoid her discomfort, ti shield her from some of the ugly aspects of being the wife of a halfbreed and protecting that happiness she constantly radiated was part of him, was part of who he was for her. Of the man he had become thanks to her. And even when she discovered he was holding something from her, he was not going to spill it so easy.

"It's not important."

Kagome huffed "The hell it's not important, it has you in a sour mood. And soon everyone is going to catch that mood from you!"

One of the corners of his mouth twitched. That was her favorite excuse why she was in a bad mood, "I caught your mood" she said even if he had a good day and she was the only one with a nasty disposition that day.

"It's something from this town? We can go to another one before sunset" she offered looking around, studying the attention they kept attracting just by talking, "It's them, right?"

She was the one giving the other humans the murdering looks, and in spite of the situation he found a little humor. She was a still a fierce and protective woman.

"What are they doing?" her voice was almost a whisper, confident he was able to understand.

"Talking shit..." Inuyasha answered with a matter-of-fact tone, causing Kagome to turn back at him with her brows knitted in confusion.

"But they always say mean things..." it was said as an statement, he knew it was a question, and without thinking it through his words spilled "It's not about me... exactly."

Kagome's lips opened a couple of times before she pursed them in a thin line looking around glaring before her eyes halted on him, or specifically on the sling on his chest. Her face changed from annoyed to disappointed, to hurt, ending on anger again.

Too many things were hiding behind her stormy grey eyes when she looked into his eyes and gravely whispered "what are they saying?"

Inuyasha shook his head again. "It's nothing! Let it go..."

"What is it?"

"Nothing..."

"What-" Her question was interrupted as his face charged close with a low growl, so deep in his chest that she felt the vibration more than she heard it. His eyes were almost tormented.

"I'm not going to repeat it!" he said through his teeth.

Kagome's fighting stance relaxed as her face softened. "You don't have to repeat it" her hands raised, one to his cheek, cupping his scowling face, and the other to stroke the precious cargo on his chest.

A long, tired, and slightly bitter sigh told her she has won this little discussion. "...It's the usual, about them not wanting me around, fearful of me. But now they think I kidnapped you or put a spell on you..."

Her head tilted to the side in confusion, and his face blushed. "Um...They are talking about how those are the only explanations for these". His hand pointed at the bundle on his chest that had just started to fuss. Nap time was over. And then he pointed at her belly.

Her hands reached for the baby on his chest as she said one of the darkest curses he had ever heard from her. In other circumstances he would have teased her about her potty mouth, but it was fitting in their current situation.

"Ok, so this town is stupider than others..." she whispered before kissing the baby's head and placed him on her shoulder as he kept looking around and sniffing the surroundings. She knew she had some time before his attention returned to her.

Inuyasha looked at the setting sun, adding another worry. "Well, we can go if you want. But it will be night time before we reach the next village."

"We are staying. We are NOT going to let them ruin our first trip."

Now she was wearing her determined face and he knew from experience there was nothing a mere human could do to deviate her from her goal. "Wait here" she said before handing back the cooing baby to him. "I'm gonna find a room and some food".

After her husband nodded and retreated to find some shade, she beelined to the closest food seller. "I would like to buy some bread," Kagome tried with the brightest smile she could muster.

The man scowled to her, "How many?" he said as he stretched his hand to ask for the cloth where to put the bread, the sengoku's version of a plastic bag.

"Eight... no, wait. Make it ten please."

The man huffed this time, "Do you have the money for it?" he asked giving her a mocking look as he only served two pieces on her cloth.

So this man was testing her patience now, she thought. And with the most dramatic mannerisms she could force her arms into she took her share of the money she and Inuyasha had on them and gave the man what she expected to be the double of what he was going to charge for the bread.

"I don't really know, will this be enough?" Kagome asked with her most innocent voice, hiding her smile when the man's eyes glinted at the sight of money and started to put more than ten pieces of bread on her makeshift bag.

After thanking him and taking her bread she walked to the next little seller. Inuyasha kept an eye-and ear- on her as she strolled the little street, smirking with every remark she gave to the people. If they said they were not going to sell their products to a youkai-loving whore, she stopped, corrected them about him being a hanyou and announcing he was her husband, and declaring their products were not good enough for her to be interested.

By the fourth little transaction, Kagome had the string of money hanging from her wrist, letting everyone know how much she could pay for something. His wench was making them compete now, to find who was going to be the one making deals with her.

He was laying down beside a tree, with his back partially resting on the cool bark, their baggage was beside him and the crawling baby was playing with his haori, cooing, growling and gnawing at it.

"Aren't you having fun wrecking my clothes?" he whispered, enjoying how his fluffy black ears flicked at the sound of his voice along with a bunny-like smile, with only front teeth showing.

"You are drooling all over me, pup..." he said a his hand raised to wipe the liquid off the baby's chin. Which by the glint in those golden eyes and the yip he let out, it was time for him to fight 'the hand'. As he tried to keep those too sharp teeth away from his skin, Kagome finished her transactions.

"Do I really look that fat?" was the first thing she said when she was close enough for her not to be heard from someone else.

Kagome's mood went a little sour when instead of answering with a "of course not", he tilted his head to study her figure.

"I am, aren't I?"

Inuyasha raised a hand to ask her to sit beside them, "it's not that you are fat, it's just obvious you are with child, Kagome."

She accepted the help to sit down, still looking at herself. "I dunno, people didn't look at me this way when I was this far along with Masaaki..."

The urge to say things like 'you're crazy' or 'you're being dramatic' had disappeared almost completely during her first pregnancy, when she usually glared at him and threw whatever she had in sight yelling "don't lie to me". He knew she was carrying bigger this time, that it was more noticeable now. He had a few theories about it but, unless she asked about them, he was not going to say peep about it because knowing himself, he was going to hurt her feelings saying something wrong... and that only left him with careful phrased half-truths...

"Maybe your clothes have something to do with that..." His eyes were on the pup, but his ears were solely focused on her.

"You think these clothes make me look fat?" She asked with a tone that was half angry and half hurt.

"Yeah, I mean. No they don't... It-it's the obi." He tried to explain, waiting for her questioning eyes. "The obi of that kimono, being thin and right below your breasts makes it more obvious than when you have the priestess clothes..."

She gave him that special smile that was only reserved for him, filling his chest and bringing butterflies to his stomach.

"You are sweet," she whispered as she leaned closer. And even after those two years of Kagome doing that, he blushed.

"...they are staring..." he whispered almost breathless, not really remembering why that was supposed to be important.

A mischievous glint came to her eyes as she kept inching closer. "I don't care," was whispered a heartbeat before her lips touched his.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Turns out Kagome, being the great negotiator she was, had gotten them a very good room in inn closest to the woods, and the room was the only one with a tree right in front of the gate. The woman knew him too well.

Said woman was currently laying down and using part of their luggage to slightly raise her feet. He narrowed his eyes as he grumpily said "You told me you were not tired." He plopped beside her and brushed the bangs away from her eyes and she opened one eye.

"I'm not tired-tired, just my feet."

"You should have said something..." He mumbled as he reached from the crawling baby that was getting too close to the open door and softly dragged him close to them as the little boy giggled.

He felt her hand rest on his thigh and squeeze softly, "If I said something every time I feel some discomfort, we wouldn't go anywhere... ever."

Inuyasha huffed "You make me sound as if I was some kind of over protective mess."

Kagome stifled a laugh "And..."

"Haha..."

His fake laugh always made her laugh and he knew it, that made him happy. He laid down beside her as their son looked at both of them trying to decide who was going to be his climbing wall first.

"But seriously, if you don't feel good you need to tell me."

"And I will... when I feel bad enough."

"Kagome..."

"Inuyasha..."

"How can I protect you if you don't tell me these kind of things?" he asked with a strained voice. Too many possibilities and problems filled his head to leave the subject alone.

Kagome turned to face him and scooted closer until she was hugging him the closest she could, considering their seven months-old playing with his father's feet at the moment.

"Whenever I need protection or think I'll be needing you, I'll tell you, OK?"

Inuyasha made an uncommitted noise and pulled her closer.

They remained like that, reveling on each other's presence, giggling when Masaaki crawled in-between their bodies until he was safely between his parent's chests, purring and ready to go to sleep.

Inuyasha didn't realized they had fallen asleep until he jolted awake. His eyes scanning the room and his ears flicking around. Something was wrong.

Softly he shook Kagome awake.

"Wha-"

"Something's not right" he whispered in her ear, and both knew what it meant.

They had to take Masaaki, their weapons and be ready. She stood up and searched for the sling to put the still sleeping baby. Inuyasha was in front of them with their small luggage already on his back and his sword ready to be unsheathed.

Her bow was in her hands, with an arrow ready, her heart racing and her hands tingling.

Inuyasha's ears were swiveling and flicking around, he could hear men walking closer. Their hushed tone made it clear that they were trying to make a surprise attack. Well that was not going to happen.

The door opened slowly and soon a man with heavy robes, that were somewhat familiar, stepped in.

"Demon! Stop your despicable actions!" the man yelled as he threw a sutra that landed on Inuyasha's forehead, stopping him mid-action as he tried to unsheath his swear.

Inuyasha could only stared at the men walking inside their room, trying to get to Kagome, unable to do anything. The hatred he had for those damned things was

"Bring her to me" said the monk.

But the villagers around him realized, it was not an easy task. The woman had circled the immobile youkai, raising her bow with a glowing arrow in place, shielding the silver haired monster behind her from any kind of attack.

Kagome's hands were sweating. She could not hold her stance and take that awful thing off him. She could feel his emotions, the need to do something, the helplessness and the fear coming from him in waves. She made a decision.

"I'm not going anywhere!" she yelled.

The monk took the opportunity to throw another sutra yelling "Relinquish your hold on this woman."

Kagome felt the paper stick to her forehead. Just what the hell was he trying to do? With the sutra still on her forehead she said through her teeth "Stay away from us!" and she shot the arrow to the floor, right between the monk and them, illuminating their forms with its pink light.

As the men took a couple of fearful steps back, she turned around and took the sutra off his forehead. The shift of power was instantaneous as a snarl erupted from his throat and it was her turn to be shielded.

His aura flaring around them, he started to walk towards the monk, laughing darkly as the men around started to scatter. "You are not taking them anywhere!"

The monk walked back with his sutras ready to be thrown. "I will not let that innocent girl continue to be a slave to your youkai lust."

Inuyasha raised his sword at the same time Kagome gasped outraged.

He could hear her walking closer-stomping would be more accurate-until she was standing beside him with her bow in one hand and an arrow in the other.

"Why is it so difficult to understand? I want to be with him so I am, what is the problem?" Her anger was so great that the danger they were still in was not in her mind anymore. They were insulting them, insulting her family and even the right to have one.

Inuyasha braced himself for the answer, knowing it was going to be one of the arguments his own mind still threw at him from time to time.

"It's not natural for a human woman to be with a... an animal. That need you feel is part of what he is doing to you. Bending your will to his desires... and obvious carnal needs. You need to wake up-"

Another arrow landing close to his feet interrupted his self-righteous speech, looking lost at the power display. It looked like holy powers, not something that a youkai could control.

"I don't care what you think about us! I don't even want to hear the rest of your stupid reasons!"

She took another step closer to the monk, shrugging off the clawed hand that darted protectively. There was nothing that could stop her from giving a piece of her mind to the man before her.

"If I want to spend the rest of my life with the man I love. I will do it! Can your small little head understand that?"

"You don't know what you are saying." The male voice sounded desperate, as if he was trying to convince himself along with Kagome. "You don't know what you are doing, you are still being controlled by the spell the monster has casted on you! That is why you are willing to bear the children of an abomination".

Kagome wanted to screech and yell. How dare he say something like that? She was not going to stand there listening to his stupid words as if they deserved to be heard.

"...Kagome..." Inuyasha said softly behind her, but she ignored him and kept walking.

The hanyou blinked a couple of times as she gave another couple of steps, the soft pink that had been surrounding her since she prepared the first arrow. The pink that was almost invisible for his eyes-and he knew it was invisible for most humans- was starting to glow and even slightly fanning the tips of her hair. It was enough to say his wife was furious.

"Your head must be clouded by the presence of his evil youki" the man that had tripped and fell on his ass tried to convince her.

"I told you! I am under no spell, youki-or-whatever-induced control!"

Kagome noticed something was different when the monk in front of her shrieked without her pointing her arrow at him. Quickly she turned to Inuyasha expecting to find him with his sword raised trying to look extra intimidating, but she found him closer than she expected and with his arms crossed on his chest with his sword sheathed.

The almost relaxed stance bothered her. His brows shot up inquisitively. "What? He's not screaming 'cause of me" he gave her a wicked smirk.

"It's the youki that infects you making itself visible..." The man shouted, looking around, finding himself alone.

Kagome looked down at her hands and found them glowing. Along with one of the two sets of golden eyes she loved. And as soon as her son found his mom's eyes on him he started to giggle and coo, wanting some attention. She smiled at him and caressed his head. He was such a good baby.

"Your filth is coming to the surface! That is why that color is oozing out of you!"

Another flare of her power, this time it was visible for her, and she controlled it to appear like a barrier. Smiling to herself she patted her own back. The lessons with Kaede had payed off.

The monk had one last hope, that maybe her energy was pure and it would vanquish the evil before him, but after the second flare of that pinkish light covered the youkai man entirely, he knew his time was running out. He knew that at the same moment that energy touched, he would be the one to perish.

The glowing woman walked to him, keeping her energy-he was not going to call it light- away from him.

"Even if you kill me woman, the monstrosities you have done will not disappear."

Kagome kneeled down very close to the man, but not close enough to be at an arm's reach. She was angry, not stupid.

"Enough. I have not done any kind of monstrosities, and if you meant my children I'm gonna let him" she pointed at Inuyasha, who was now grinning. "Punch you, and I mean it... Ok let me explain something to you before you say another stupid thing and I forget why I wanted to explain this to you... So keep quiet."

Kagome decided she was going to keep the glow on to avoid any kind of stupid actions from the man. "I am a priestess, I am, not was. And yes, this is my son and that one behind me is my husband... No, I'm not a dark priestess, and the power you see is my own spiritual powers..."

She flared one more time, now engulfing him too.

"It is some kind of human's spiritual energy."

Kagome smiled brightly as the light went away. "I told you! I am a priestess, and there is nothing wrong with me... with us... and I will really appreciate if you leave us alone from now on, ok?"

Inuyasha had to bit his tongue not to laugh at the extremely stupid and baffled expression on the monk's face. Following Kagome's mercurial emotions and understanding the reasons behind them took time, and being at the receiving end of Kagome's anger and then smile left anyone feeling-and looking- stupid.

Before the man had another chance to make her angry, he walked closer to her and stretched his hand close to her shoulder, confident on her understanding. "Let's go Kagome, I think we need to look for somewhere to sleep".

Kagome nodded and took his hand to help her stand and let him guide her as the walked away from their room.

The monk's jaw fell as he looked back and forth between them. "Priestess Kagome? The last guardian of the Shikon no Tama?" He shouted at the retreating figures.

Kagome turned around and smiled at him, "I guess that is me, and this one is Inuyasha, the last protector of the shikon no Tama" She wanted to say something else but the now blushed Inuyasha kept pushing her from the lower back, so she only waved goodbye to the man.

-.-.-.-

"You got really angry back there..." Inuyasha whispered into her ear.

They were securely resting on a thick branch, in one of the biggest trees around. Inuyasha sitting on the branch and hugging her back with his head dipped in the crook of her neck, as the now tired Masaaki slept clinging to her kimono His face was relaxed and the perfect image of pure innocence and trust. She caressed the side of his little head smiling at the way he seemed to like it enough for him to purr in his sleep.

She liked the place, it was calm and cozy in its own way. And she liked the position they were in, it only took a turn of her neck to reach his lips, or any part of his face for that matter.

"I think I got mad, but he was talking shit about my family."

Inuyasha let out a deep chuckle. looked like his wench was picking up his bad habits. "And you went all out..." he said in an amicable tone.

"I had to protect my husband's honor. Being controlled by something my ass" She declared proudly before pecking his temple. "But you were pretty relaxed though."

Inuyasha growled low as he nuzzled her neck "By the time you were glowing, the man was alone there, no other human was around us.." his voice went lower, huskier, "I knew you could take him."

"You knew, huh?" She let her head fall back, feeling truly relaxed for the first time during that day.

"Absolutely, and If you messed up, I was ready to jump and rescue you".

It was Kagome's time to chuckle "Good to know we got each other back." She pecked his jaw and let herself fall into the calm darkness of sleep, with his strong arms around her, and her own around their baby, and on her lips a soft smile.

The end

A/N:

Thanks for reading!

This is a small drabble written for Inukag week 2017 on Tumblr on "Protect" day.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Love,

Nanna