Sorry I went MIA in...October? I am done with finals, and now I can relax a little until January.

Kagome was warm, very warm which was odd during this time of year, but she welcomed the smell of pine surrounding her, and gave it little thought, sighing and snuggling back into…into who? Her eyes slowly opened, crinkling at the daylight, and saw a tan arm wrapped around her, his chin resting against her hair. Her nose was practically burying against his chest, and she felt something pressing against her stomach. Her face burned at this revelation, it was a natural occurrence but this did little to stop her from feeling shy, she didn't want to get up just yet…she was comfortable but what if someone walked in? And she could only imagine how he would feel, so she silently inched backwards. But the more she inched away, the more his arms seemed to tighten around her like a vine.

Something fluffy was pressed against his face, it smelled nice, tickling his nose, it was soothing and he snuggled closer, but it was wriggling and he groaned, tightening his grasp around…around who? His eyes popped open, staring straight at kagome still flush against him, flush against his…

They let go, untangling themselves as quietly and awkwardly as they could without waking shippo, who was laying nearby gently snoring against kiara.

"um…" she started quietly, trying to avert his gaze.

"You cuddled me first." he came out flatly.

"W-what! No I didn't y-your arm was around me!"

He moved his face close to her ear, "in the middle of the night you rolled over and grabbed on to me." he rumbled in her ear, his voice deep from sleep sent a shiver down to her belly. He wasn't lying, sometime in the middle of the night, kagome had rolled over, sighing against him grabbing onto him like some cuddle bug, and he had simply enjoyed it. He had considered pulling away, but he couldn't help it, and sometime in the night he held her back.

"W-well you were compliant!"

He laughed quietly, pulling away "I was a victim in this…a completely…innocent victim." he murmured, his eyes brushed over her lips and he leaned down, waiting for the rejection to come, but kagome's eyes hazed over and her eyes closed.

And then he brushed his lips against her, tentatively to test if she would pull away but she didn't, her lips were soft against him, and he held his breath waiting for the moment to end, for her to stop, to tell him to stop, but she didn't, in fact she was kissing him back. He deepened the kiss, parting her lips more to give him more access being as gentle as he could be.

His kiss was gentle on her, like he was afraid to break her and his hand cupped her cheek, his kiss was pure adoration and affection, filling her with a tenderness she hadn't known, yet her heartbeat drummed against her ear and her blood felt like it was on fire.

He practically groaned when they pulled away, each with a dazed look in their eyes.

Her face felt warm as a rosy hue spread across her body, and even through his tan skin, a faint tinge of red showed across his cheeks.

"Innocent victim?" she mumbled shyly, resting her head against his chest.

"Mhm, just an inoc-"

"Kagome?" shippo's yawn made them jump away from each other. .

"Morning shippo, it's time to get up."

And just like that, the world seemed to turn on and a baby began to wail followed by another cry.

Kagome and kouga stared at each other intensely, before she broke away from his gaze.

"We should get up."

"And then!?" sango practically pounced on her.

"Sango!" kagome sat her friend down when she grimaced, "you just had a baby, don't get up too quickly."

"Nevermind that," she said, failing to keep the excitement out of her voice, "did you guys?"

Kagome nodded shyly and sango squealed, hugging her friend and kagome giggled.

"Finally thank the heavens," sango said gesturing up with her hands, "he has been crazy about you since day one." she leaned closer to her friend, "how was it?"

"It was…he was really gently with me and," she bit her her lip nervously, afraid he might hear her but kouga wasn't even around, he was out hunting a boar for them, he had insisted on helping out in some way so kagome had sent him out for meat, for sango's sake, "and..it was so sweet." she blushed.

"Did he try anything?" Sango asked, wiggling her eyebrows, and Kagome laughed, gently slapping her shoulder.

"N-no! Shippo was right there!" she blushed furiously, "he's not like that...he's great." she smiled shyly.

Sango squealed again, holding her hands, her eyes shimmering, "oh kagome, I'm so happy for you." They heard a baby cry and their heads turned to the sound.

"I think the babies are hungry sango." they heard mirkou call out for help and kagome laughed.

Miroku was turning out to be a great father, but even with shippo's help, he couldn't feed them.

Sango sighed, she was tired but she had to help her dear husband.

"You feed your babies, I'm going to go look for some herbs, I'll be back."

She was heading back with a full basket for sango and flowers to brighten the place, when she felt someone was watching her, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Please don't let it be him.

"Kagome." his voice chilled her, and she turned around slowly to look at Inuyasha. He still looked the same but more tired, with eyebags forming, they were so faint that she almost missed them and his ears seemed to droop. Why did he look so tired? Why were his ears-? She brushed the thoughts away, more importantly why should she care?

"Inuyasha." she nodded politely, and turned away, once again hoping he would leave her alone, but things were never that simple with him.

"Wait."

Annoyance picked at her but she turned around, "what is it?"

He looked surprised with her impatience, "I…can we talk? Please?" his ears flattened even more against him.

The old kagome would have softened for him, but she couldn't help but feel…nothing. All her anger had seemed to disappear.

"I don't think that's a good idea, I have to go to sango."

"Oh." his voice was quieter now, "well…you look great..I-"

You look great? Is that all he had to say, and she felt the anger build up again, she wanted to burst out at him, but a hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Ready to go back?" kouga's voice was cool as he stared at inuyasha icily.

Don't make a scene. He had watched as Inuyasha stopped her, and he had every intention of leaving her alone if she wanted to confront him, but his temper rose when inuyasha would not stop bothering her.

Kagome gazed up at him and smiled, grateful for the save, and Inuyasha watched them carefully, something about the two of them had shifted and he didn't like it. They couldn't possibly…? No, no, there was no way, she had never expressed that in the past, so there was no way… But he was certain something had happened between them. But what was it? He hated how this feeling gnawed at him.

"Yes, I'm ready, let's go back." she nodded again at inuyasha and he could only watch as kouga's hand remained on her shoulder and kouga gave him another frosty stare as they turned away.

Kagome's shoulders slumped as soon as they walked in and she let out a long sigh.

"Are you okay?" His voice calm and quiet.

She nodded slowly and pressed her forehead against his chest , dropping the basket in the process, and he wrapped his arms around her almost instinctively, rocking them as she shuddered in his arms.

"Just seeing him, I thought I was okay but then.." her voice wobbled, "I don't know what got in me." she shook her head.

He said nothing, what could he?

She sniffed and looked up at him, "I'm sorry, I was…I don't know what came over me, I'm okay." she smiled weakly.

He shook his head, "if you need to let it out, do it kagome, I won't judge ya."

"No, it's silly I promise I'm fine." she stepped back out of his hold, "thank you for being here for me, I know you're probably uncomfortable with staying here, but I really appreciate it"

He shrugged, "you're here, that's all that matters."

A smile tugged at her lips, "I better go help sango, I'm not sure when we'll leave but can you go get firewood?"

"I'll be back."

"If sango feels that it's too much or she starts crying, take the babies away from her and put them away in another room, let her cry, her emotions are going to be all over the place, she might be angry she might be sad, her body will go back to normal, so don't be harsh on her." she reminded him for the billionth time.

He nodded, gazing lovingly at his wife as she ate the boar meat, she was still exhausted but she was even more beautiful to him now.

"You take care of her, I'll watch the twins."

"Lady kagome are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yes! Rest for now, you won't be able to do that much after we leave."

He smiled at her, "thank you." he whispered helping her bring the babies to the living room, and her gaze softened at the sight of them. Shippo was sprawled on Kouga's chest, worn out from their play fighting and she couldn't help but feel butterflies stir. Kouga had been kind enough to keep Shippo preoccupied while she helped sango with bathing, and showing miroku how to help her get up and manage her pain. Whenever Sango winced, or grunted he was immediately at her side, comforting her, and reassuring her. He was a great husband to her, and already a good father, fussing over the twins, maybe a bit more than sango.

Kouga sensed her presence and opened his eyes, glancing at her and miroku.

"I'm just going to take care of the babies while they rest." she whispered.

He nodded, getting up slowly and gently placed shippo on a blanket, the kitsune grumbled something in his sleep, and immediately curled his tail around himself.

"I'll help you." he whispered.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, holding out his arms and miroku placed the baby in his arms.

"Thank you lady kagome and Kouga." he nodded at them and returned to his wife.

"You're really comfortable around kids." she commented, she noticed how easily he accepted the twin, cradling his head against his chest.

"Is it weird?" he asked.

"Hm, no I just haven't seen a lot of men be comfortable around children. And he..he wasn't…" she trailed off.

"Hmm, everyone helps out in the pack, pack rules don't exclude me just 'cause I'm the leader." he shrugged his shoulders, "and one day.." his voice quieted looking down at the baby, "one day I want kids."

She nodded, "you'll be a great dad Kouga. I mean you kept shippo occupied, and the way you're comfortable around babies, it's not very common to see that. It's mostly mothers raising them." Some things hadn't changed much, even in her time mothers usually raised the children while the fathers were away at work.

He smiled at her, "well I wouldn't be that way with my pups, my father," his voice hardened, "was very much hands off and we never bonded, my mom did everything, I'm helping my wife raise our pups…one day."

The twin let out a cry and kouga gently rocked it, talking to him in a soothing voice and kagome couldn't help but think about having kids one day with ebony hair and- she stopped herself.

Calm yourself, you don't even know what this is.