I disclaim everything that needs to be.
Bold means a change in location and/ or time or time period. Italics are thoughts or Sesshomaru's inner demon talking, or flashbacks.
(Kagome means "Lost", Shynah means "she is a victor", Aia means "ruler of the house", Haru means "eternal treasure")
Love Letters- Chapter 15, Letter 16
Sesshomaru dialed the number to his father's office. Something Hiro said rubbed him the wrong way, much more than usual.
"Hey, Sessh. How's Kagome?"
"I don't know how she's so strong. She's so un-phased by all of this."
"Just keep checking on her. I'll talk to her more tonight. That's not why you called, though, is it?"
"No, do you remember the comment Hiro made about Kagome's father?"
"Yes, I'm having Myoga look into it. Has Kagome said anything?"
"She doesn't talk about him often, but Souta's here so she might. She tells him stories when he asks her."
"We may be dealing with something bigger. I got the protective orders but I don't trust them. You and Kagome should lay low, keep doing what you're doing and we may have to put off some of this PR stuff Kanna talked to me about."
Sesshomaru sighed, "that could be the only good thing about this. We can keep things within the family for a while longer.
"Yes, I'll see you later tonight, son. Your mother should be back from Spain this week, call her with the news if you haven't already."
"I will, or Kagome will, if she hasn't already. Mother adores Kagome."
Ken laughed, "everyone does."
Sesshomaru hung up the phone and changed into swimming trunks. He knew Kagome could not resist getting in the water, and she'd inevitably pull him in with her. He walked down the stairs and outside where Souta and Inuyasha were laughing in the hot tub, drinking beers with Kagome sitting with her feet in the warm water, drinking lemonade.
"you really aren't that big yet, Kags." Inuyasha commented as Sesshomaru opened his own beer and sat in the water in-between his brothers.
"please, I'm like massive. And I'm only like 3 months? Almost 4 now, I guess, so I'm gonna get bigger and bigger." She sighed, rubbing her growing belly.
"I can't wait, honestly. It's truly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, watching them grow." Sesshomaru said, Miroku and Inuyasha clinking their beers together in agreement.
Kagome smiled, "I kinda like it too. I take way more pictures of myself now."
"maybe we can get you in front of the camera more often now" Inuyasha laughed.
She rolled her eyes, "maybe", as Souta laughed with Inuyasha and dove the trio into a conversation about Kouga and Ayame, two of their friends from high school that have been dating off and on since they were in college. Sesshomaru saw a soft smile cross Kagome's face and he got a quick photo of her on his phone. The image of Kagome smiling down at her growing belly, her hand resting over it lovingly, was soon the background on Sesshomaru's phone.
He turned his attention back to the conversation, Kagome was rolling her eyes at Souta's jokes about Kouga's crush on her. The glass doors leading back into the house opened and Jaken stepped out, with Miroku and Sango trailing behind him holding their drinks. As Jaken took Sango's homemade potato salad to the outdoor kitchen's fridge; Miroku trailed behind him, getting a bottle opener for his beer. Sango waved at Inuyasha and went straight for Souta. He got out of the hot tub to greet her.
"Little brother!" She laughed, as she threw her arms around him, "I tried to drag Kohaku up here but he has a girlfriend now and cannot be pulled from the pacific northwest."
Souta hugged her back and laughed, "I talked to him today. He said he'll be home this weekend; girlfriend is coming too."
"of course he told you that!" Sango said, moving to Kagome, "angel, you are glowing. And the calvin was such a good idea!"
Kagome and Sango chatted while drinking their lemonades, feet in the hot tub. Miroku opened his beer and took off his shirt, leaving only his swim trunks and chatted with Souta, who was pouring margaritas at the bar, as Sesshomaru and Inuyasha made their way to the grill to start cooking. The energy of a backyard family barbeque wafted around them, and Kagome connected her phone to the speakers and started playing music. Jaken, and Eri, Kagome's assistant breezed in and out of the backyard with different updates from Kanna, Ken, and the PR team. Ken was making a lot of changes to how Kagome and Sesshomaru's lives were to documented as they worked out Hiro's plans. Eri came with questions about Kagome's new maternity wardrobe, a gift from Sesshomaru's mother. She was creating custom pieces for the different events in Kagome's pregnancy as well as creating staples for her to wear no matter how big her stomach grows.
When Ken finally arrived at the house, he walked into a laughing Kagome, sitting in a lounge chair with Sesshomaru beside her, smirking at Souta's apparent joke. Sango and Miroku were draped over each other laughing with them, and Inuyasha was tending to the grill. He grabbed a beer from the outdoor kitchen's fridge, and patted his youngest son on the shoulder.
"Hey Dad," Inuyasha said, closing the grill lid, "how's mom's Beverly Hills trip?"
"She's having the time of her life now that she knows she gets to plan the gender reveal. She said she had to go to Tiffany's before she hung up the phone."
Inuyasha laughed, "of course she is. She'll go nuts and one of us will have to reign her in."
Ken chuckled, "yea, I'll have to be the one to do it. How's Kagome been?"
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, moving to sit with his father at the nearby picnic table, "I really think pregnancy has hardened her up. She's always been a tough little cookie but she seems so unbothered by everything going on with Shynah and Hiro."
Ken joined him, looking at Kagome and Sesshomaru sitting together, "I can tell that she's far less worried than Sesshomaru is."
"I think this new dad stuff is making his fuse shorter. I know he cannot keep his composure when it comes to protecting Kagome, and especially Hiro, but add the babies to that…" Ken trailed off noting that Sesshomaru moved as Kagome moved, more so than usual. Every twitch in her muscles was felt by him as well, and he moved accordingly, placing a gentle hand on the part of her body that moved them.
"Yea, he's gotten more protective since he found out. He barely lets her out of his sight."
"It's in our nature," Ken sighed, "as descendants of the great dog demons, we carry their power, their skills, their elite blood. And unfortunately, some of their baser instincts."
Inuyasha felt his ears, a mark of his ancestry, wiggle on his head with the breeze.
Kagome looked up at them, finally aware of their looking at her. She waved and moved to get up, Sesshomaru helping her.
"Oh Sessh, it's okay. I can still move by myself." She giggled.
"I just don't want you putting too much stress on your body, love."
Miroku laughed, "get used to it Kags, he's gonna be carrying you around by month 6."
Kagome rolled her eyes, "let's hope it doesn't get that bad!" she laughed.
Sesshomaru sat back dawn as Kagome walked to where Inuyasha and Ken were sitting.
"Hello sweetheart", Ken said, standing to greet her.
"Oh Papa, not you too!" Kagome laughed, "I can move around by myself!"
"Dad said it's a dog thing" Inuyasha offered as she plopped down next to him.
Kagome smiled, "I know it is. Mama explained when I called to tell her about the babies. My husband is the descendant of two very noble dog demon families; these things are to be expected."
Ken smiled, "Aia would be better suited for these questions, at least on the ancestral mothering side. Izayoi has her mothering gifts as well. You have wonderful teachers, Kagome, you'll be a fantastic mother-even without them."
Kagome flushed, "my only goal is to love them as my dad loved us. To love them the way I am loved, here, in our family."
Inuyasha took her hand and squeezed it, "you will not be like your mom Kaggie."
Kagome blinked away tears as Ken made eye contact with Sesshomaru, who was looking over at them. She wiped them from her eyes and kissed Inuyasha's cheek, "you are my favorite big brother."
He blushed and smiled at her, "don't let Miroku hear you say that."
She threw her head back and laughed, "that was funnier than it should've been!", she noticed Sesshomaru looking at her; one eyebrow tweaked, expressing concern.
She stood, and crossed over to him, allowing him to take her into his arms. Aia, Sesshomaru's mother, made it really clear that Kagome should indulge his instincts as much as possible. She was one of the first people Kagome told about the twins, worried that Sesshomaru wouldn't be excited. After that tearful midnight phone call, Aia made herself incredibly available to Kagome, even from Spain where she was working on her fall fashion line. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around Kagome as everyone returned to their conversations, with Ken and Inuyasha announcing that the food was ready. Everyone continued their conversations as they moved to dress their cheeseburgers and hot links. The side dishes were some of the foods Kagome had been asking Jaken to order for her when she thought Sesshomaru wasn't paying attention. Sesshomaru lifted Kagome up and into his seat as he stood. When she moved to get up he shook his head and she sighed.
"just be lucky you can figure out what I wanna eat" she grumbled.
Ken laughed, "Sessh, you two are going to have to find a compromise with that", as Sesshomaru loaded one plate with potato salad and the other with two cheeseburgers. On Kagome's; he added mayonnaise, bacon, truffle fries, and lettuce, as directed by her current cravings. His, he kept simple, with fresh tomato, lettuce, and onions. Inuyasha, in line behind him laughed when he saw the difference in burgers.
"did she tell you she wanted a burger? She told me to get her a hot link!" Inuyasha snorted, holding his two plates. One for Kagome's hot link and arepas, one for his food.
Sesshomaru smiled and looked at Kagome, she and Sango were laughing as Sango gushed over Souta. Souta was trying to signal Miroku to help him and Sango ruffled his hair over and over. The two walked back to Kagome and handed her her food, which she accepted gracefully and without comment. Ken laughed as Inuyasha sat at the table next to him. Kagome smiled, "I'm pregnant, with twins."
Inuyasha laughed, "as if you couldn't eat like this before! Ballet keeps you fit, Kags."
She sighed, ballet was her first creative outlet, sponsored by her mother, and the only one Shynah sponsored that Kagome enjoyed. It was her dad who taught her how to paint, and with that, she fell in love. "Maybe my maternity shoot will be ballet themed. I wanna be big as hell in my pointe shoes."
Sesshomaru looked up from the papers Jaken handed him as soon as he sat down, "Kagome I don't think it's a good idea to wear your pointe shoes when you get bigger."
She rolled her eyes as everyone laughed, "I'll be okay for two seconds love, I promise."
He shook his head, "I had my own ideas for that shoot anyways."
Ken nodded, "good thing you'll have two shoots then. Sesshomaru, we'll have Dr. Kaede sign off on it, if she's too big."
The party went on as the sun set, Miroku starting a fire in the pit and Jaken bringing out s'mores supplies. Sesshomaru wrapped Kagome in a blanket and held both of their marshmallows into the fire. He looked down to see both of their graham crackers and chocolate gone. Kagome blinked us at him innocently, "hi baby." She said quietly.
"my babies wanted to eat before it was ready", Sesshomaru said softly, leaning down to kiss her.
"get a roooooooom" Souta and Inuyasha whined
"y'all are worse than Miroku and Sango sometimes, and Miroku is out of control" Inuyasha added.
Kagome laughed, "I can be in love! I've definitely dated worse dudes. Y'all hated the way I loved all over those guys."
Sesshomaru tensed up against her, he hated the guys Kagome brought around. They left a bad taste in his mouth as he thought of them. His tension dissipated as Kagome leaned further into him and kissed the arm wrapped around her. He let her weave her fingers between his and watched her kiss each one. He was marveled by her gentleness, and even with conversations going on around them, he felt the intimate space between them. Their friends teased but he so clearly adored her.
The party slowly wound down to Inuyasha, Souta and Ken sitting around the living room drinking expressos while Sesshomaru rubbed Kagome's feet on the couch. Ken nodded at Sesshomaru, and Souta started to speak.
"hey sis, will you tell me a story about dad?" Souta asked, "what's something he taught us that you wanna teach to these kids?"
Kagome smiled, "remember when daddy would get the big white blankets from the thrift store and all the fabric paint?"
Souta smiled, he'd hoped she'd tell this story.
*18 years earlier*
A few days after Souta's third birthday party, Haru Higurashi took the summer afternoon off from his paintings and played with his children outside. Kagome was 7 years old, spinning barefoot in the grass with her baby brother. Haru spread out two white blankets in the grass and filled paint trays with several different types of paint. Kagome knew immediately what he was doing, and she squealed as her father dipped her feet in the lavender fabric paint. Souta's toddler steps were in the green paint as he waddled and crawled and chased Kagome across the blankets. Haru painted his own feet in red and added his own feet to the blankets. They laughed played together until they got to the final three colors. Haru carefully placed their hands in the paint and pressed clear prints. Underneath he wrote their names and ages. Then, after washing their feet and hands, he hung the blankets on the clothesline to dry. Laying in the grass watching the clouds, Kagome felt safe and warm in her father's presence.
*present day*
Sesshomaru smiled at Kagome's sweet memory. It was from a time where Haru and Shynah were happy, with their children. Hiro hadn't come into the picture yet, the affairs and lying hadn't started.
Souta yawned, it was getting so late. This day was longer than he'd imagined. Tomorrow would be longer. Kagome and Sesshomaru were going on their first public outing since the news of their marriage and pregnancy broke. They were going to lunch, if only to show the tabloids that there was no drama going on. Shynah would be stirring the pot soon. Inuyasha and Ken stood.
"thanks for having me, guys. Kikyo should be getting home from the hospital soon, I'm gonna bring her some food." Inuyasha said, hugging Kagome and patting Sesshomaru's shoulder.
"we'll see you soon, Yasha." Kagome said sleepily, hugging back and reaching for Ken.
"I'm only a text away, let me know what you need."
"And I'll see you, Sesshomaru, at the office tomorrow afternoon."
"Bye guys." Sesshomaru and Souta called after them. Souta moved up the stairs toward his room, Kagome following him to the master bedroom. Sesshomaru finished seeing his father and brother out, and followed Kagome into their room. He heard the shower spin to life as he walked to his desk and pulled out his letter.
My darling children,
You are coming into a family so adored and cherished, you may never know the full extent of it. I thought my love for your mother was the capacity of my love. But as you two grow, so does my love for her. You will be spoiled in all ways, but especially in love. Your family is huge, and you will be so so safe. I can't wait to know you. My vibrant children will be the worlds in which my world revolves. It is that, and your mother that bring the light into my life. You, my stars, can do whatever your minds are set to. And I know they'll be as incredible as the two of you will be.
I've been thinking of names for the two of you, but we'll have to ask your mommy what she's been dreaming about.
Love endlessly,
Daddy
*That's it for this chapter! The next chapter will have a lot of background on Haru and Hiro's relationship. Let me know what you think of the direction we're going in. Hope you liked it(: R&R please?(: -Inu'sgurl97*