A/N: Thanks to Umacaking19 for letting me know that this fanfiction has been nominated for an award. I love the other accounts that have been nominated, such as alannada and TouchofPixieDust, so it is a real honor! The notification absolutely made my day. Thank you to the fan of this little fiction who nominated me. Fingers crossed!

"Your fanfiction "Terms of Engagement" has been nominated by one of your fans for the 2020 3rd Quarterly Inuyasha Fandom Awards, run by FeudalConnection!"


Kagome hitched her pack higher on her back as she marched up the steep slope. Not even the majestic view of the Alps could improve her mood! The ruins of Hayashi-Ojo were at the top of the mountain and she was determined to visit them. The pine forest with its ancient, mauve trees and beautiful shadows were a welcome distraction from the half demon trudging behind her.

A magic tattoo! He should have told me.

A golden orange flower symbol on her belly. It would not wash off. Permanent! She glanced over her shoulder at her husband but he pretended to look elsewhere. Charging off to fight Inari without waking her! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ask one of the Lucky Seven meaningful questions! Inuyasha did not even know Inari!

Kagome stopped in front of the shrine of the mountain god. Clapping her hands and bowing her head, she offered a prayer to the shrine. Other travelers had left bottles of sake and packets of food. She dropped her pack on the ground to find an offering. Inuyasha stopped too but kept his hands tucked into his sleeves. The last of their food was a packet of crisps. It was a poor offering but it was honest.

"What do you pray?"

"Inuyasha?"

"When you bow your head to the shrine. What do you say?" Inuyasha shrugged. "They seem to hear your prayers but ignore others. Your prayers must be special."

"You mean which norito? Nothing unique! I just speak from my heart. I do not know the name of this kami, only that he is the mountain god. I am thanking him for allowing us to traverse this beautiful mountain safely. I hope he likes the potato chips!" Inuyasha's interest in her prayer was enough to break her mood. The boy came forward to investigate the shrine more thoroughly. She smiled encouragingly.

"Inari told me to build a shrine in our house."

"A household shrine? That is a nice idea. A kamidana for Inari or a butsudan?"

"For my parents." Inuyasha's ears flickered back and forth. She purposefully kept her face straight. It was a miraculous sign of maturity that Inuyasha wanted to honor his parents for his birth in their home! After discussing her own late father, maybe he was ready to admit he loved his human mother? "What do you think? I have never cared much about shrines but you know better."

"Miroku could make proper ihai for your parents and my dad. We could have a small enshrining ceremony to welcome their spirits. That would be a good way to officiate our home! Since your parents could not attend our wedding, they could still watch over our family. That's brilliant!" Kagome threw her arms around his waist. The thoughtful boy dipped his head towards her hair. Inuyasha's first home! A place where her poor orphaned husband could feel safe enough to love his parents. Does Inuyasha pray to his mother? She would happily show her husband how to recite prayers. The poor guy would be too embarrassed to ask Miroku for help.

"You wouldn't mind?"

"A household shrine is a wonderful idea. We will need a proper cabinet and some cloth for a little curtain. Candles!" Kagome squeezed him happily. How many years had his parents' spirits wandered without a home? "They would be so proud of you, Inuyasha."

"Keh, I don't know. The fox said I was the 'head of the household'. My parents are protecting spirits." Inuyasha hugged her lightly. The heartbeat under her cheek fluttered. "Do you think that is true? Would they stay in this world to watch over us? Shouldn't they move on?"

"If your parents did choose to stay in this world, it was to protect their only son! The best way to soothe them is to live well, which we are going to do." Kagome gripped his haori to study his calm, thoughtful worry. "We can invite them into our butsudan so they can watch us live in peace."

"Weird," Inuyasha scoffed gently.

"All of the other families in the village will have a butsudan. It is not weird!"

"But - "

"You are the head of our household! You are your mother's only son. We should remember her." Kagome smacked his chest to silence any more protest. "Without your mother, I would not have a husband. It would be a nice way to thank her."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, stubborn dog boy." The words came out softly. She made sure to tweak his ear in jest. When she went to collect her pack, she extended her hand for Inuyasha. The morning's complications were forgiven when he smiled. Sweet, open Inuyasha had to be rewarded! A shrine in their family home. They could place his mother's hair pin inside. It was the only real memento he had of either parent besides Tetsusaiga and the robe. Kagome smiled one last time at the shrine. The old metal bell marked the way to the next wooden post. The old abandoned village was quiet and peaceful. The paved road was shaded on either side by large greenery. It was a steep descent that brought them to the metal gate closed with a padlock and a warning sign.

"What does that say? Hell no!"

"Oh, please! We came all this way!" Kagome clasped her hands together. The route to Hell's Cauldron required him to break the lock or jump over it. Inuyasha scowled but twisted the metal out of place with a single hand. He held the door open while she skipped through. A strong hand grabbed hold of her arm before she could sprint forward.

"Any place called Hell's Cauldron is probably haunted! Don't wander off." Protective, gruff Inuyasha fixed her with a look. She dutifully nodded until he released her. Her mirth seemed to insult his caution as she held his hand.

Wood and bamboo had been fashioned into a form of well covering. Kagome bent down to read the sign sticking out of the ground on a rectangular placard. Man-made and almost uniform, each of the unpainted rods had been stacked together cabin style with rivets carved at each side to fit like jigsaw puzzles. The hole was not particularly big but her Matsumoto guide book had suggested a horse had fallen inside and died!

"This is Hell's Cauldron? It looks like a caved-in well!"

"Maybe. No one really knows."

"There could be a demon sealed away down in this pit!" Inuyasha cracked his claws. Excited by the prospect of a battle, he approached the fixture. Before Kagome could stop him, the boy had dragged the seal away. He peered down into the black space ready for a fight.

"Umm...Inuyasha?" Dark clouds were gathering overhead at unparalleled speed! Despite the sunny day, rain drops were beginning to darken the mountain top. She shielded her face from the instant downpour.

"You sense anything?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. A muscled, bare-chested creature was forming from the mud. Inuyasha withdrew Tetsusaiga before the demon's claws could strike him. Enormously tall with a triangular head, the unfriendly cat turned its fangs in her direction! Without her bow or any arrows, she stayed behind Inuyasha. The half demon grinned as he brandished Tetsusaiga. The cat's tail was a dark length. It was on fire!

"Inuyasha, it's a kasha!"

"A what?" The cat's fiery tail lashed. It could not cut through his haori. He dodged out of the way of another charge. The pelt at his waist seemed to be made of tiger skin! A drum bouncing against his leg stirred her memory.

"It's a corpse-stealing demon that drags sinners to hell! Be careful!" There was nothing in the vicinity that could serve her. Tetsusaiga rang as the creature's claws bounced off its edge. The horrible yowl of the creature made her hold her ears.

"A flesh eater, eh? Try this!" The transformed Tetsusaiga swung widely. Kagome fell to her knees in the fresh mud. The sword's power cut the creature in half down the center. It dissolved into colorful flakes but the weather did not revert. The pulsing, cramping sensation in her lower abdomen made her suck in her gut.

"Kagome? Kagome! Did it touch you?" Another muscle spasm made her ache. The proximity of his aura helped. She pressed his hand against her lower abdomen. Relief! His natural temperature acted like a heating pad. Leaning against him, she waited for the sensation to fade. Based on her calendar, she was due for her period. It was always inconvenient. What a pain.

"Cramping? Did you get hit?"

"Yeah, by destiny. I was born a girl." Kagome giggled. "Nothing extraordinary! Just my cycle."

"Oh, your – do you want to go back to the inn? You're covered in mud. I can carry you."

"We're out of food anyway. Maybe we could soak in the tub?" Her supplies were back in the room. A change of clothes, a bath, a warm meal! The tampons were in her vanity bag. It might be a good opportunity to call her mother and see how their family was doing. A proper nap without sake or destroyed castles or magic flower decals! Maybe they could visit a local shrine or bookstore to decipher Inari's blessing.


The laundry had been collected during their absence. New sheets covered the bed. A new remote sat on the counter with a note about the destruction of property and a small replacement fee. Inuyasha browsed the food menu. The beautiful stone tub was filling with water in the bathing room. Kagome went through the drawers to find a change of clothes.

"You're all muddy too! Wanna take a bath?" A shirt smacked him in the head.

"W-what? You're bleeding!"

"The hot water stops it. It makes cramps better too." Kagome leaned against the door frame. Dressed in only her bra and shorts, she made a pretty picture.

"What about the ghosts?"

"Ghosts?" Kagome repeated. "Why would a ghost care about my cycle?"

"I h-heard that if a woman bleeds on you, the spirit of the baby turns into a bad ghost." Inuyasha cringed. His wife tilted her head. It sounded so stupid out loud! Whether the taunt was true or false, Kagome had ample ammunition to laugh. The horrible idea of his own dead child haunting him was too much to risk. Causing a child to suffer like that girl who had died in the building fire was unimaginable.

"I would not invite you into my bath if that were true. Who told you that? Miroku? Oh, that pig! I bet he used that line on every single woman in Feudal Japan! I will wring his neck myself. No. I will tell Sango and she can get him!"

"Kids, ok? When I was a kid, that's what they said. They said I was the ghost because my hair was white."

"Those little shits!" Kagome's hands rested on her hips. Her anger mollified him somehow. "There's no bad ghost, Inuyasha. It's an unfertilized egg! Either they were really stupid or really mean. Baka!"

"They were mean little creeps." His wife was mad. It was nice not to the one on the other end of her anger for once even if those humans were grown and dead by now. Their kids could be dead by old age! Seeing how angry she was, he decided to omit the part where they splashed him with chicken blood and squawked. Her body pivoted while her hands unhooked her bra. Kagome left it on the bed to check on the tub. Curiosity drew him after her. Hot water fogged the mirror. Kagome pinned her dark hair above her neck. A little machine on the cupboard played gentle music.

"I'll take the first bath. Do you want to order some pizza?" An electric match was lighting candles set around the tub. Inuyasha shifted his weight. When they were all lit, the tub looked very relaxing. Miroku was right. Girls do everything better!

Inuyasha stepped inside. Sitting in the warm water across from Kagome, she grinned. The girl stretched out to the wooden table to grab the soap and the long-handled brush. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, comb. Years of patrolling the woods to protect the females from bandits or Miroku had created some very powerful myths! Naked, wet, glistening candlelit Kagome was definitely worth a few sits. Kagome tucked her legs close to give him room while she applied soap.

"Turn around, silly. I'll wash your back."

Inuyasha obeyed, sweeping his hair to the side. The soft bristles of a brush encountered his skin. Soap began to foam in the water while Kagome worked. The girl hummed along with the music box. His shoulders relaxed with every stroke of Kagome's hands. Water poured down his spine.

"Okay, now your turn." Kagome pushed the soapy brush into his hands. The sexy girl spun in the tub, legs tucked to her chest. Clear, pale skin taunted him. The line from her neck to her cute backside was unobstructed. Even the flyaway hairs escaping from her pinned hair were fucking adorable! The audible snap made Kagome look back.

"Fuck, not again!" Why do I have to break everything?

"It is only the handle! See?" Kagome cupped the brush head in her palm like a horse's comb. He was pathetically grateful. Holding the head in his palm, he gently applied the soap to her skin. It gave him more opportunities to touch her skin. He kept his claws turned inwards to avoid any more accidents. When she was sufficiently sudsed up, he grabbed the clear little pail. Clear water removed the soap. Echoes from her content little sigh were trapped in the tub's enclosed walls.

No one else will ever see her this way. It's special!

The insight into the privacy of her bath made him smile. Kagome trusted him to wash her back. A real girl! She took the brush back to scrub her long, lean legs until the remaining mud came free. The limb lifted out of the water so she could scrub her delicate little feet. The private view of her back and more was reserved for him! He groaned when she scrubbed her breasts until they turned pink. Her hair clip was removed so she could duck under the water freely. Her arms lifted to force shampoo through her dark locks.

After she confirmed that he was equally clean, Kagome leaned against his chest. The fresh, potent scent of her skin filled his nose. Relaxed, happy Kagome was becoming tired. He could feel her descent into sleep through every breath. The previous day she had spent half the morning sick from magical food! Last night had contained limited sleeping. Two days of fighting demons and encounters with the kami.

"Don't fall asleep on me yet. You need a proper meal. Come on, Kagome." Inuyasha ignored her protests before standing. She pouted when he set her on her own feet. He wrapped a towel around his waist while she flipped her head forward.

"How did you do that?" He pointed a claw at the curious towel configuration.

"Girl magic."

Inuyasha drained the tub and extinguished the candles. Kagome turned off the music with a flip of a dial. She quickly punched in the number to the kitchen to summon a quick meal. By the time their pizza arrived, they were dressed. Inuyasha accepted the platter while Kagome lounged on the couch. The smell of bread and hot cheese made her clap. A rumbling human belly made him smirk.

"Starving!" The gray cotton pants were adorable on his wife's long limbs. Stretchy and comfortable, they contrasted nicely with her little pink top. Bare arms reached for a slice of pizza. Inuyasha took a piece for himself. Cheese melted on his tongue in a satisfying way. Kagome's shoulder leaned against the cushion while she moaned happily. The fizzy drinks that had arrived with the service boy were excellent. Bare human feet flexed in his lap. She stretched with a yawn while she settled against the couch. He reached for another piece.

It was minutes before Kagome was asleep. He eased the crust of bread from her hand and tossed it on the platter. Stretched over the couch with her face pressed against the cushions. Damp hair tied over her shoulder. Kagome's body twisted slightly, sticking her hip in the air. The solid curve of her backside faced outwards. The little shirt cut low on her bosom, showing the delicate soft curves of her breasts. They rose and fell lightly with each sleepy breath.

I am one lucky bastard!

Inuyasha took his time with the next slice of pizza.

In the winter, a proper ofuro with heated water would help Kagome. A simple structure with four walls, a tub, a small table to place her things. Connected to the house so she would not have to step outside in the dark months. His skin could withstand the snow to build a fire for the water. His wife loved nothing more than immersing herself completely in a boiling hot tub. She deserved more than a quick, manual bath with a rag and a pail. Nothing put Kagome in a worse mood than feeling dirty after several days on the road! Their bathing house would be the only one of its kind in the village. Miroku would know a craftsman. He could gather the materials but an experienced hand would be needed to construct the tub. A side table he could construct himself with their tools. Anything was worth this satisfied, relaxed state.

Regular bathing wards off infection and disease. His own mother had scolded him enough times about playing with unsanitary things as a child. It had been a rule of his childhood that he could not eat until he had washed his hands.

Inuyasha could not pretend to understand her cycle but the scent of blood was enough. The girls and their monthly symptoms had caused more than one embarrassing conversation. Demons attracted to the scent of young maidens had brought trouble several times. Animals did not bother with them much, too cautious of a pack of humans and a half demon. Knowing Kagome and her propensity for trouble, bathing close to home was smart. A protected space where the famous priestess could bathe in private without curious adolescents or passing farmers or hungry demons chasing power.

As gently as he could to avoid waking the tired human, he pushed her shirt higher on her belly. The flower taunted him.

Somehow these modern homes could use bamboo pipes to bring water inside without intensive labor. It made life considerably easier for his new family. The grandfather, the widow and the kid did not think twice about turning a faucet. They did not lug pail after pail into their home or gather wood for a fire. They did not take turns sharing the tub from the youngest child to the male head. A new mother need not walk to relieve her bladder in an outhouse or a toilet over a frozen river. There was no reason to expose a newborn to the cold for life-saving water.

Fuck, I wish I could talk to Miroku! The monk might be a con and a pervert but he does have power and training. He would understand this Inari and her magic. Protection spells and fox deities and magic flowers!

"Our marriage supersedes her father's protection," Inuyasha paraphrased. The spell?

Kagome's aura surged when he traced the decal with the pad of his finger. His natural reflex was to retreat. Reiki would not immediately kill him but it would hurt! Magic light followed the outline of the flower until it found its beginning again. There was no powerful magical effect or noticeable danger. Twisting his hips on the couch, he leaned closer to investigate.

The flower glowed between his fingers, under his palm, through his palm.

Her bleeding has started so there is no baby. The medicine works. Kagome said!

"What the fuck are you?" The magic did not answer. Frustrated, he leaned his forehead against her solar plexus. The scent below her breasts was entirely clean, happy Kagome. The steady beat of her heart did not change. The girl mumbled something before her palm smacked against his cheek lightly. Before he could yell at the unfairness, her hand crept into his hair. There was pressure holding his right ear down.

Even in her dreams, Kagome likes my ears.

The unconscious recognition made him smirk. He nuzzled his cheek in the cleft between her breasts. They certainly would not be able to hold each other like this in a campsite but it was nice. The intimacy of cuddling with his wife was growing on him. There was a sweetness to their entwined forms that made him happy. His breathing adjusted to mimic hers. Just Kagome and a cozy place to rest.

When it rained, a strong roof overhead. Hopefully. A fire in the coldest of winters. Sharing a bed every night. Strolling around their village with their friends every day. The monk was always making jokes about a routine. Waking up, fetching water, starting a fire, cooking breakfast, joining the others. Kagome would have meetings with village elders, training with Kaede and her apprenticeship at the academy among her other duties. Husbands and wives had set responsibilities in his world but their marriage was unusual. Other than patrolling the village for threats like bandits and demons, his schedule was clear. Their garden would have to be prioritized over her bathing tub. Miroku could surely use a hand on his summons to cleanse the surrounding villages.

Cleaning, gardening, weeding, fetching water, studying -

The craftsmen had accepted his payment to build the house. That was a first. Kaede's influence was easing their transition to living in the village, he was sure, but the humans certainly didn't view him the way they worshiped Kagome. They viewed her as Kikyo returned and respected her as such. Children and women certainly looked at him but they didn't invite him for tea or conversations. Keh. Not that I care! That left him available to help Kagome whenever she needed. Miroku and Sango and Kaede would invite them to call upon their homes. Kagome would have all the friends she needed in the village. If he behaved, others might call on Kagome. She would never end up like his poor mother, isolated from other humans, eating alone with her bastard child, growing sadder and thinner.

Kagome would never survive the loneliness.

If the village did turn on their marriage when Kaede passed, he would bring Kagome to her world, separate from the stigma of having a demon husband. None of her friends treated him like a beast. She would have her family, friends and her modern conveniences. Their house meant nothing compared to her safety and her happiness. He could find some way to provide for her. They could have their own house on the edge of her family's property! Plenty of households lived close together in his era. When they had children, it would only be a short walk to her mother's. Close enough to seek assistance but a separate home. The Higurashi home was large compared to his era but there was no room to expand.

A man should have his own home and his own money. The grandfather was right about that much!

Kagome's family wanted him. Her mother was planning on their children! Asking his opinion on Kagome's baby clothes in storage and where they could put Souta and making him promise to attend birthday dinners. If their plan failed, they had a home, a family that would accept them while he figured out something.

Inari said our marriage will prosper.

Never having a use for fortune tellers or soothsayers, he put limited faith in the fox's words. Having a successful backup plan for his burgeoning family was sanity. Where would they go if a flood destroyed the village? The humans could be absorbed into other villages but not their family. If the villagers attacked his wife, his child, his friends? It was closest to the Well and her family. Living in the forest would make Kagome sad.

The faint smell of Kagome's blood was making him think. Their friends were already discussing babies! Sango was several years older than Kagome and wanted her own family now. Married and incorporated into the village, the human pair were settled. His nose told him there would be no baby for at least one of the girls this month. Given the swirling elements changing in their lives, he was relieved. Once Sango had a baby, Kagome would want one too. Miroku would be ecstatically happy to tease them about their prospects.

"It is part of the package, friend!"