Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.
Pairings: Inuyasha/OC, Sango/Miroku, Sesshoumaru/Kagome.
Follows: The Anime and movies.
"spoken" 'thought'
Special thanks to my betas PockyThief , TheMikoShivae and Kiyota .
Chapter 10: The morning after
I watched the next morning as the sun began to rise outside of the small hut. I could hear the snow continue to fall as it had done throughout the night. Next to me, the priestess had her small body cuddled up against my own. She had curled up against me some time during the night and an arm was currently laid out across my chest.
Oddly, the thought had not crossed my mind, during the night, to remove the priestess from my person. I felt this to be slightly strange, but decided it was just one of the things I was doing to thank her for her help. I glanced down at her to find her beginning to stir. Opening her eyes, she smiled at me slightly before seemingly noticing her position.
“Sorry. I'm used to cuddling with Shippo during the night. I didn't mean to over step your personal boundaries. Did you sleep well?” she questioned quickly as she pulled away and stared at me. I stared a her for a moment, wondering why she was so worried about my actions to her touching me, when I had not done anything about it during the night.
“This Sesshoumaru does not sleep while away from my castle,” I replied as I watched her pull the blankets up until they were around her neck. I found it strange, as well, that she would still be embarrassed after last night. I did not expect her to be completely unabashed, but worrying about me seeing her barely clothed body seemed a bit strange.
“Right. Of course. That would lower your defenses and leave you open to attack. Should have known. Inuyasha never sleeps outside of a village either,” she concluded, speaking more to herself than to me. After a moment of seemingly thinking to herself, she glanced back at me. I decided right there that I had indeed picked the best female to carry this pup.
She, for a human at least, was not too bad to see first thing in the morning. She is truly a strange woman, but I am unsure if that is really a bad thing. As I leaned over toward her, she looked slightly startled. “Again?” she questioned softly a moment before my lips had descended to hers and I raised my body above her.
“Again,” I replied as I leaned back down, this time deepening the kiss for a few moments before raising my head to trail kisses down her jaw line. As I glanced back up to her face, she smiled at me before reaching her hands into my hair and pulling my lips back to hers. I took advantage and ran my tongue across her closed lips, allowing it to enter her warm cavern once her lips had parted.
After, I lay there panting, unable to remove the smile from my face, not that I was really trying to in the first place. With a peaceful sigh, I rose from the futon, walked over to a shelf for some clothing and began dressing with my back to him. It still felt strange to be changing in front of a male. “Are you hungry?” I questioned over my shoulder before turning around to face him.
“This Sesshoumaru doesn't eat what is considered human food. It is doubtful that you would have something appropriate here,” he replied and any other time I probably would have see the comment as rude, but the slight warmth to his tone made me realize it wasn't meant to be. I felt I had to do something, what or why I was unsure.
“Alright. Well, let me fix something for Jaken before you leave. That way you shouldn't have to worry about stopping before you get back to your castle,” I told him with a smile as I started out of the room and began rebuilding the fire. Seems it had gone out some time after Jaken had fallen asleep. Getting out what I would need, I began making breakfast for two.
“Good morning, Jaken,” I greeted as I saw the toad demon was beginning to rise. “Breakfast should be ready soon,” I assured with a smile as I nodded to the food I had been cooking over the fire. After a few minutes it was finished and I divvied it up on two plates and handed him one. He mumbled a thanks and began digging in.
When breakfast was over, Sesshoumaru walked into the room, now fully dressed. Jaken handed me his plate with a small bow and moved to gather his things. “When will you be returning?” I questioned looking up at Sesshoumaru. I knew it couldn't be too long before he would, he still needed to use the crystal if I was indeed pupped.
“In another week. This Sesshoumaru will know then if you are pupped or not,” he replied, and after nodding to him, I began to put on my shoes and jacket. “Where are you going?” he demanded stopping me with one arm already in my jacket. I glanced down at the jacket for a moment, unsure why he couldn't figure out what I was doing, before glancing up at him.
“Heading into the village. Inuyasha wanted me to stop by today. Well, yesterday really, but it would have been rude to leave after inviting you to stay,” I explained as I finished putting on my jacket and began buttoning it up. As I began heading toward the door, Sesshoumaru stepped into my path. Glancing up at him, I raised an eyebrow in question.
“No. You are to remain here and off your feet as much as possible. This Sesshoumaru does not want you out in this storm. This Sesshoumaru will get the half...him for you,” he corrected, probably for my benefit, before heading outside with Jaken following. I stood there staring after him for a moment before shrugging and removing my jacket.
As I exited the priestess's hut, I turned to Jaken. “Head for the West. This Sesshoumaru will head there in a moment,” With a quick bow, Jaken turned and began heading toward my castle. I walked toward the village slightly and stopped, giving off a quick bark, knowing my half-brother would hear it even over the storm.
Within a few moments, he was standing in front of me, staring at me in question. “The priestess is looking for you. She is not to leave her hut and to stay off her feet,” I instructed before I turned to leave. I was in no mood to get into a fight with him, and as always, I probably would if I stayed around him for too long.
“Why is it okay for you, Sesshoumaru, but it wasn't okay for father?” Inuyasha demanded stopping me in my tracks. I thought of just ignoring him and continuing on, but decided against it. Why I was about to answer him, I was unsure, but perhaps it was once again due to the priestess. Maybe I thought if he understood, things would be easier.
“This Sesshoumaru doesn't have a choice,” I replied over my shoulder and heard him 'feh' in turn. “I want my daughter back, there is no other way then this,” I told him with my back still to him. It really wasn't that hard to understand. He just needed to use his brain more. Especially since I was quite sure the priestess had told him everything that had been said.
“Don't give me that, Sesshoumaru. Tell me why you made my life hell, but everything will be just fine with this half-breed! What makes you so sure that you aren't going to end up treating her like you treated me when you smell her humanity! Will I be the one to pick up the pieces of another life you shattered?” he spat at me, causing me to finally turn around to face him.
“Listen carefully, Inuyasha, for I will only say this once and will deny it if ever asked. I have made a few mistakes in my life. I took my anger of losing my father out on you. He went to save you and your mother after already being injured. He saw your lives as being worth more than his own, and it took me a very long time to understand that.
“And by then it was too late to change how things were. Rin was my daughter and it is my fault she is dead. I failed her. And as much as I want to say I am doing this to give her back the life she was robbed of, I am doing this to correct my mistake. I will never turn my back on her as I did you. I can't undo my past, but I can change my future.”
“She was your Kagome wasn't she?” Inuyasha questioned after a moment, his voice softening slightly. I raised my eyebrow at him slightly for him to elaborate. “She changed you. Cared for you unconditionally. Was loyal to you. Taught you things you weren't even aware you needed to learn. Showed you that not everyone had to be an enemy.
“I may not like this, Sesshoumaru - I hate it in fact - but you couldn't pick a better person. There is none better and Kagome means the world to me. I didn't tell her not to, as much as I wanted to, because I saw how much she wanted this. Wanted a child, even if it had to be with you. As much as I hate you for what you have done, know this: Kagome's pup will always have a place with me.”
“For once, brother, we agree on something. She was the best choice. And yes, Rin was 'my Kagome', as you put it. I will be there for my pup, but I am glad to know you will be there for her if I cannot. It may not always seem like it, but I do consider you family. I must take my leave now. I still have a killer to find,” I told him as I turned and headed into the forest.
I quickly closed the door and moved over to sit by the fire when I saw Inuyasha was heading toward me. Putting a teapot of water over the fire, I waited for it to begin to boil as Inuyasha opened the door and walked inside. Shaking off the snow that had fallen on him, he turned and glanced over at me. “How much of that did you hear?”
Busted. “The whole thing,” I replied looking down at my hands that were folded in my lap. Inuyasha walked over and sat behind me, pulling me into his lap and wrapping his arms arms around my stomach. “Inuyasha?” I questioned a bit confused to his change of attitude and him openly expressing himself, even if I was unsure what he was expressing.
“Just let me hold you,” he whispered, his hot breath hitting the shell of my ear. I was unsure if it was because of what had happened or what his brother had said to him, but decided it didn't matter. If Inuyasha needed some comfort, I was not about to deny him this. “Did he say when he would be returning?”
“In a week. He said he would be able to tell if I was or not at that time,” I replied, unsure of how much we could talk about this without it effecting Inuyasha. “Hey Inuyasha, why wouldn't he let me leave the hut? He wants me to sit here and do nothing, I'm guessing at least until he gets back. Why is that?” I questioned.
“Kagome, do you know why there are very few half-demons in the world?” he inquired and I shook my head no. “Other than because not many demons mate with humans, and since a lot are killed by both sides, there aren't very many of us because when the female is human, she has a very low chance of the pup coming to term.”
“Oh,” I whispered after a moment and he pulled me closer to his chest. “So this is a full time thing then, huh? What does he expect me to do? Shippo can't do everything for me the entire time, he's still just a kid,” I complained, laying my head against his shoulder and sighing. This was going to be a long...how long are half-demon pregnancies anyways?
“I'll be here. Don't worry Kagome, everything will be taken care of. Even if I can not be here or it is something I can not do, there's always Sango and Miroku. You're friends will always be here for you. You won't have to go through this alone,” he assured me and I couldn't help but want to smile and cry at the same time.
My daughter would truly have everything he didn't have. “Thank you, Inuyasha. I will always be there for you too. You know that right?” I questioned as I turned to glance up at him. He nodded his head as he smiled down at me. “So will the others, Inuyasha. You will never be alone again. I promise you, Inuyasha,” I told him laying my head back down.
“I know, Kagome, I know. It may have taken me a while to realize it, but I have known that since the very beginning. Our little family is how a family should be. It may have taken me 200 years but I finally have the life I should have had from the very beginning. And they say you can't pick your family.” Inuyasha joked as he laid his chin on top of my head.
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