InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Lifetime Loving You Part 1; Seasons in Owari ❯ Inuyasha and Aki ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 16; Inu-yasha and Aki

(Inu-yasha POV)

In the rice fields, Aki holds no mercy. It's true! He's like the demon of rice when it comes to caring for it and growing it. The new rice field was in need of repair before the season passed us, and Aki was, well...working me like a dog.

Hoeing and seeding needed to be done and seeds panted before any of the sisters could assist us in dumping water into the rice field. Aki of course was far better at this than me; after all it had been years since I had worked in Aunty Polaris's rice fields.

Unlike most villages, Polaris only had five rice fields. Aki worked all day in three of these, and the sisters tended to the other two because they were more manageable. Now, I was here! Thus, I gained these two rice fields and worked on the third that needed to be repaired.

Everyday started out the same. Aki and I would work in the two rice fields that were not damaged at the crack of fucking dawn, and by the time the morning meal was over he and I would work on the damaged field until the evening meal. The sun was murder for me, and my back burned now that it didn't have the security of my mane to protect it anymore. In order to work without having to worry about my silvery locks, Aki bound my mane in a long hair wrap that started just past the shoulders and wound around my hair until it was tied with only six inches of hair at the end. I told him I'd kill him if he cut it, and thus the wrap was my only solution.

The afternoon was the worst part of it, but one thing made all of this misery bearable and that was the mid-day meal.

It was nearing the third month of Kagome's pregnancy, and it showed. Polaris gave Kagome a yukata to keep her cool. Lavender complimented Kagome beautiful brown eyes, and the hair band only seemed to enhance this feature. Still, it was plain to see that Kagome couldn't hide her changing shape. She would wonder the gardens while I worked and preformed small chores such as feeding the wild birds and letting them feed out of the palm of her hand.

I watched her when Aki wasn't looking that morning as she played with a tiny sparrow. She smiled a little more now, and I could tell that Polaris had been aiding Kagome during her depression. It was normal for emotions to go hang wire during pregnancy, so Polaris told me, but the fact Kagome's child was half demon would make it more stressful.

On this day, however, Kagome seemed far more cheerful than normal, and that fact her smile radiated so much warmth; my heart melted just watching her. I stopped digging up the soil and watched Kagome as she scattered the seed. I leaned on the pick and watched as the tiny birds pecked at the ground.

She was beautiful... Even though her curves were beginning to change, the pear shape she was starting to take on was making her more beautiful in my eyes. I didn't want to think about the fact the child wasn't mine at that moment. I just needed to see her happy again, and now that she had something growing inside of her-something living in side of her-she never looked so wonderful. I was envious of her gift in some way. Kagome had the ability to give life to something, and above all things something that my brother would never find fitting. She was growing a pup-child, and breathing life into it constantly. I found it beautiful, that she had this wonderful gift to give life. Kagome could give life to a half demonic child, and I couldn't help but dream of watching her go through the process again...only the next time, the father of those pups would be different.

"What a gift it is to be able to bring life into this world, however, what a burden it must be to know what your child's life will be like."

I jumped at the sound of Aki's voice, fully expecting him to be telling me to get back to work rather than trying to start a conversation. I narrowed my brow. "At least Kagome won't face that burden alone."

Aki looked at me as though I was crazy. "You're not seriously thinking about being the father of that child, are you? It's not right for demons to raise young that is not of their own blood."

I picked up the tool in my grasp and began to work the soil again. Aki stopped me. "You need to understand something. The demon blood of your brother runs in that child's veins. You will have no power over it. No matter what happens the child will never be like you."

I dropped the tool in my hands and glared at him as I clenched a dirty fist in front of his face. "The child doesn't have to have my blood in order for me to care about it. It's part of Kagome too, and that's all that matters."

Aki shook his head and lowered his eyes as he sighed. "It's not a matter of the mortal girl's blood. The demon blood that runs in his veins will keep you from obtaining what you thing you want."

I gasped at those words and lowered my fist. I narrowed my brow. "How do you know that?"

Aki lifted his head and cocked his brow. "Know, what?"

I glared at him. "You just claimed the child was a male."

He snorted with a smirk. "It's obvious, Inu-yasha! No ordinary, mortal, woman has ever given birth to a female half-breed. The blood of a female half-breed is stronger that a male merely because a female child is born stronger than a male."

I turned away and looked at Kagome. "A male?"

Aki frowned and shook his head. "Inu-yasha, if you honestly think the child is female, you're insane. There is no history of a half-breed female."

I turned to him a growled. "Why?"

Aki narrowed his brow and placed his hand on my shoulder. "If Kagome had a female growing in her womb...she'd be dead by now, and so would the child."

My eyes widened in shock and I felt my heart break. All of my dreams, my hopes, gone!

Aki grinned slightly. "However, you'd have to admit...if the child were female, I think it would be a lot easier for it to take a liking to you."

I looked at Aki as he began to go back to his work. "Aki, you should know. Kagome is no ordinary woman."

Aki looked at me and smiled. "So was your mother, but she still had you."

I turned to look at Kagome as I watched Polaris come to her side. "Yes, but Kagome isn't my mother. She is the mother of her own hanyo. No matter what the sex is, it's still a piece of her."

Aki shook his head and dug at the ground. I looked at him and grinned. "It is female!"

He stopped his work and looked at me. "Oh, yeah? What makes you believe that? There is no proof of such a thing ever happening."

I looked at Kagome as Polaris took her into the house to aid her with the mid-day meal. I smiled and gripped the handle of the hoe. "Demon's depend on their senses to tell them sex and breed, but humans depend on something much more." I paused and turned to him, "Their hearts!"

~~~~

The mid-day meal came and saved me from my work for a moment. I ran at the sound of the bell to the well and washed the dirt from my arms and face before rushing to the door of the dinning hall. Dotomi, the third eldest sister, of course stopped me at the door and looked over my hands. "You haven't washed them enough."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. Dotomi caught all of it and handed me the bowl of rice with two strips of fish on top of it. "If you don't learn to keep yourself clean, I can't allow you into the house, Nephew. Kagome mustn't get ill during her pregnancy."

A moment later the sisters piled into the room with Aki close behind, Dotomi merely looked at me. "Eat outside if you feel so inclined to act like an animal."

With that she slid the door shut in my face. I felt rejected, but this what how Polaris taught all those who lived with her a lesson. If you didn't act on her house rules, you weren't allowed in the house.

It sucked! Not because of the face I couldn't get in, I wasn't up to sitting at a quiet meal with no conversation, not to mention the fact I had to sit with Aki.

Above all rules in Polaris's house, it was customary for the males to eat, sleep, and work separately from the woman. Conversation could only be held after the evening meal while drinking tea. I was used to these rules before merely because I was used to being alone and holding no real conversation with Aki. I learned to be alone this way and depend on myself.

I went out to the grass hill between the house and the barn and began eating my fish and rice. I hated it! Of all things, one made these rules all worth it, and that was being near Kagome.

I missed her voice. I missed talking to her while I shoveled hot steamy ramen down my throat. Hell, I missed ramen! Rice was no where in comparison to rice.

Suddenly, all the thoughts about ramen made me loose my appetite and I placed the bowl aside for a moment. I wanted to know what they were all doing. Heck, I hoped Aki wasn't looking at Kagome while I was out here. The perfectionist better not even think about it.

I looked at the rice again, and found myself craving ramen. I could almost smell the hot salty steam.

Wait a second! I did smell ramen!

I lifted my nose to the air and sniffed around to find the direction it was coming from. Oh what I wouldn't give for just a taste.

"Pisst! Inu-yasha, over here!"

I knew that voice instantly and dodged to the gardens to find seclusion and a steamy bowl of sweet ramen on the stone bench in the garden's center. Beside it was Kagome sitting on the ground with her bowl of rice and her own helping of noodles. I smiled and rushed to the steaming bowl to begin eating. Kagome giggled as I slurped a wad of noodles and vegetables down my throat. I instantly felt better, and I sighed as I lied back on the stone bench resting the bowl just above my stomach being careful not to spill one drop of the broth.

"I needed that!"

Kagome smiled and turned to her own bowl. "I could tell!"

I turned to her and rested my head on the stone. "How did you get out here?"

She smiled a little. "I told Polaris I felt like getting some air. I was starting to go insane with all these rules in her house."

I blinked a moment and snorted. "Polaris's rules are merely because she needs to protect her sisters and son. They believe in an old custom that was passed down from every generation before them. It's a way of life."

Kagome frowned and stirred her ramen. "I've missed talking to you, too."

I blinked a few times before opening my eyes a little more, surprised that the feeling was mutual. I sat up and drank some of my broth before stirring it again and looking up and out at the pink blooming trees. "I've missed you, too."

I didn't have to look at her to know that she was smiling, I just knew.

I took a bite a ramen noodles again and sat facing her on the bench. "Polaris has been spending her time with you?"

Kagome looked up and nodded. "I've learned how to cook some foods, and other medicines. It's not going to be easy now that I can't really go home anymore."

I looked at her and slurped the last few noodles hanging from my mouth. "You've brought some things with you, haven't you?"

She smiled a little. "I've brought some things for poison and burns, but it won't last us forever. If we use it sparingly and in the case of emergencies, then maybe it will last until the expiration dates which is only a few years."

I tapped my chopsticks on the rim of the empty ramen bowl before placing it down to finish my rice. "We'll think of something. Polaris knows a lot more about plants and herbs than most priestesses. You could learn all of her tricks and master them in the time we're here. You'll learn a lot!"

Kagome smiled at me for a moment and returned are attention to the last of her ramen before placing the bowl down. She then gasped softly and placed her hand over her middle. I caught her worried look and placed my food down so I could get closer to her on the ground. I kneeled before her. "What's wrong?"

Kagome's worried look shifted and she smiled a little. "Polaris told me this would happen soon."

I became worried. "What? What would happen?"

Kagome giggled at the panicked look on my face a shook her head. "Calm down, Inu-yasha, it's okay!"

I blinked a few time before sitting back on my knees. Kagome rubbed her middle a little while longer. "I can feel movement. The baby's moving around."

I jumped a little and placed my hand over her middle. "I...I don't feel anything!"

Kagome was a little surprised for a moment, and then calmed down. "Of course you can't, it's just little flutters right now. I'm only at 13 weeks, Inu-yasha. The baby probably won't start kicking until a month has gone by."

I slouched and sat back again and looked at her middle for a moment. I slowly lifted my eyes and looked at her. "Kagome, you will tell me when the baby starts kicking, right?"

Kagome looked at me a little surprised. "You really want to know?"

I nodded. "I want to know about everything. I want to be the first to feel the baby's kick."

Kagome looked up at me and smiled and took my hand in hers and gripped it a little. "I promise, the moment I feel the first kick, you'll be the first to know."