InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Fate Would Have It ❯ Chapter 27

Chapter 27

 

Miroku grinned over at Inuyasha, who was giving Izayoi a bottle. “Daughters are great, aren't they?”

 

“As long as you keep them away from lechers like you,” the hanyou replied.

 

Miroku actually looked offended. “Come now, Inuyasha. You know I've reformed my ways- Sango is the only woman for me.” He grinned down at the tiny black-haired girl sucking on a bottle in his arms. “Of course, Hidama here is my special angel…”

 

Inuyasha held back a grin. He knew perfectly well how the ex-monk felt- he experienced the same thing when his pups were born. Granted, he loved both of them, but his little girl was certainly something special. Daddy's little girl…

 

Miroku's gaze lifted from staring at his violet-eyed daughter to rest on Sango and Kagome, who were watching Minako and Shippou swim at the edge of the river. Kagome was nursing Inusouta while Sango shared stories from the taijiya village.

 

“How long did you have to wait until Kagome was able to… continue marital relations again?” he asked nonchalantly. Inuyasha choked.

 

“NANI?” he cried, his ears going flat and his face going beet red. “Why should I tell you that?”

 

“Because I miss my Sango,” Miroku replied with a forlorn sigh. “I know it's only been a couple weeks since Hidama was born and I don't want to hurt Sango. So, naturally, I thought I'd ask you, since obviously you and Kagome must have… resumed… previous activities.”

 

Inuyasha groaned. He wasn't about to tell the lecher that he and Kagome still hadn't mated since she had the pups 10 weeks ago. “It's none of your business.”

 

Still Miroku pressed. “But you could at least give me a point of reference,” he pleaded. “How long am I looking at- four weeks? Six weeks?”

 

Izayoi squirmed, indicating that she was finished with her bottle and needed to be burped. Inuyasha lifted the little gold-eyed girl up to his shoulder and gently began burping her. He fixed a neutral look on his bright red face. “Maybe you should be asking Sango and not me,” he replied tightly.

 

Miroku sighed. “Very well. Since you're being so unhelpful, I'll just have to wait and let her come to me.” He grinned lecherously. “Kami knows she can't resist me…”

 

The poor hanyou had had enough. He stood up quickly, with Izayoi still on his shoulder, and speed-walked over to where the girls were watching the kids.

 

Sango looked up as Inuyasha approached. “Oh, hello, Inuyasha! Is Miroku bothering you again?”

 

The red-faced hanyou nodded brusquely. “As usual. Can't open his mouth without lecherous thoughts coming out.”

 

Kagome gave her mate a grin. “You poor thing.”

 

“Damn straight. Monk ought to realize he's a father now and can't be thinking hentai thoughts anymore.”

 

Sango giggled as she stood up. “Well, I'm going to go back and see how Hidama is eating. That strange machine you brought from your time is really something, Kagome.”

 

The young miko smiled. “Breast pumps are a mother's best friend.”

 

Nodding, the taijiya turned away and headed back to her husband and daughter.

 

Kagome nudged Inuyasha, who was still patting the back of a now-sleeping Izayoi. “Hey- what did he ask you that has got you so red?” she whispered.

 

He grunted.

 

“Oh, come on. Spill! He had to have said something really bad to get you this embarrassed.”

 

He looked away, grunting again. “He asked how long I waited before mating you after the pups were born,” he mumbled.

 

Kagome blinked. “Say what?” She lifted her head to look at the sky, pondering. “But we haven't… not since the twins were born…”

 

“No shit. But I wasn't about to tell him that.”

 

She lifted Inusouta up to her shoulder and began burping him gently. “That's funny, though,” she mused. “Why haven't we?”

 

He choked, his eyes practically bugging out of his head. “Wh-why are you asking me?!”

 

“Because you are the `dominant male,'” she reminded him in amusement.

 

“Keh! I just don't want to hurt you.”

 

“Oh, Inuyasha. You won't hurt me any more. I've been healed for over a month now.” Her face was full of compassion.

 

Minako ran up to her parents, her little body clad in a bright pink swimsuit adorned with a big white bow on the back. She shook herself in a remarkably Inuyasha-like manner, flicking water off her ears when she was done. “Papa! You come watch Mina swim?”

 

“Sure thing, wolf-girl.”

 

Shippou watched her carefully from his spot in the water, ready to come to her aid if need be. Minako made a few practice swings before jumping feet-first into the knee-deep water, creating a fair-sized splash.

 

“Good job,” he called. His golden eyes shifted to his mate, who remained sitting comfortably with Inusouta snoozing on her shoulder. She gave him a Look.

 

“Maybe we should go home? Maybe see if your mom is willing to watch the kids for the afternoon?” he murmured hopefully.

 

She gave him a seductive grin. “Sounds like a plan to me,” she replied softly.

 

Inuyasha jumped to his feet gracefully, so smoothly Izayoi didn't even stir from her nap on his shoulder. He offered a hand to his mate, who got up much slower. Her brown eyes were sparkling as her gaze locked with his for a long moment.

 

Minako stopped splashing Shippou and looked up at her parents. “Go home now?”

 

“Hai, wolf-girl. We're going home,” her father replied, never taking his eyes off Kagome. Shippou snorted wryly.

 

“I'll tell Sango and Miroku not to expect you back for a while,” the young kit offered in amusement. Inuyasha gave him a glare but didn't reply.

 

Minako shook herself off again and then skipped merrily up to her mother. “Okay! Mina ready! Lez go!”

 

--------------------------

 

Inuyasha grabbed Izayoi and Inusouta and leapt nimbly out of the well, pausing briefly to open the sliding door of the well-house before checking to make sure Kagome was able to climb out with Minako all right.

 

“There has got to be an easier way to do this,” Kagome muttered as she struggled to climb the ladder that her grandfather had placed against the edge of the well for her benefit. Minako clung to her mother's back like a little monkey.

 

Inuyasha chuckled. “Maybe we just shouldn't have any more pups. We're outnumbered as it is.”

 

Kagome remained silent as she managed to climb out of the well. She knelt down for Minako to dismount and took the little hanyou's hand to walk her up the steps and toward the house. Inuyasha followed with the twins nestled comfortably in his arms.

 

Kagome's mother opened the sliding door of the house and hurried over to greet them. “Oh, Kagome! Inuyasha! I'm so glad you've returned safely!” She plucked Inusouta out of Inuyasha's arms and smiled happily at her grandchildren as a whole. “I was so worried about you!”

 

Inuyasha cleared his throat, his face turning red again. “Um, Mrs. Higurashi? Do you think… that maybe… you could watch the pups this afternoon? Kagome and I… need to take care of some things.”

 

She smiled knowingly, a twinkle in her eye. “Of course, honey. I just baked some cookies that I believe are Minako's favorite…”

 

Minako's face lit up at once. “Choc-ate Chip?” she asked excitedly.

 

Kagome's mom winked at her daughter and son-in-law. “I guess chocolate isn't as bad for wolves as it is for dogs, eh?”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes as Inuyasha relinquished Izayoi into Mrs. Higurashi's other arm. “Just don't give her too many cookies, okay Mom?”

 

“Sure, sure. But what's the fun of having grandchildren if you can't spoil them?” She turned and headed back inside, with Minako skipping along ahead of her into the house.

 

Inuyasha watched his pups leave with mixed emotions. He wanted some time alone with his mate, but still… he already missed them.

 

Kagome eyed Inuyasha. “Second thoughts?”

 

He harrumphed. “Just don't want her filling them up with sweets.”

 

She sidled up next to him and linked her arm through his walking slowly with him towards Goshinboku. “Don't worry. Mama will take perfect care of them.” She grinned at him. “Now… where did you have in mind?”

 

He blinked at her. “Where?”

 

“Of course `where?'! We can't just do it here in the middle of the yard!” She scowled at him.

 

Fiddling with one ear, he looked up at the great god tree, pondering. “I hadn't really thought that far ahead.”

 

Kagome sighed in exasperation. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

 

“No! No, Kagome, this was a great idea! A fantastic idea, believe me!”

 

“Then figure out where we can go!”

 

This time he scratched his head with a long claw. “Well, we can't go back to the village- I don't want to be 500 years away from my pups. We can't stay here, because your mom and the pups are just outside the door. Unless you want to go into the woods again?”

 

She wrinkled her nose at him. “I'd prefer not to have dirt and bugs in my hair, thanks.”

 

“Oh, come on. Was it really that bad?”

 

“It took me three showers to get all the yuck out of my hair after that afternoon.”

 

He sighed. “Then where can we go?”

 

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. “This is harder than we thought, huh?”

 

The poor hanyou snorted. “Who would've thought it would be so difficult to fool around with my mate?”

 

“'Fool around'?”

 

He blushed. “Well… what would you call it?”

 

She leaned against him, her eyes drowsy. “Making love.”

 

This time he wrinkled his nose. “Sounds gay.”

 

Kagome leaned back, affronted. “Sounds better than `fooling around'! That sounds like something high school kids do!”

 

“Well, you're a high school kid, aren't you? So it fits!”

 

“We're married with three children! I'd say it doesn't!”

 

“Stubborn wench!”

 

“Ignorant baka!”

 

He paused and blinked at her as if realizing something. “Wait. You said we're married. We're not. At least, not according to human rules.”

 

She blinked back. “So? I thought you only cared about youkai rules.”

 

He shrugged. “Well, I just thought… that maybe… we should get married… you know- a traditional human wedding.”

 

His mate stared at him. “You're serious.”

 

“Keh! Of course I am! I wouldn't have said anything otherwise.”

 

She looked down at the ground, completely nonplussed. “I… I don't know what to say.”

 

Inuyasha dug into his haori and pulled out a small box. Thrusting the little velvet navy blue container into her hands, he grunted. “You could try saying `yes.'”

 

Kagome stared at the box. “What…?”

 

“Just open the damn thing!”

 

Slowly, she lifted the lid of the tiny box and gasped in shock. Nestled inside was a large, perfectly cut round solitaire diamond mounted on a simple gold ring. “Where in Kami's name did you get such a huge diamond?!” she gasped.

 

“Duh! I made it, of course! It was Souta's idea a while ago to use Kongousouha to make diamonds, but I couldn't do it here in this time. So the last time I fought a youkai, I just picked up a couple stray diamond shards and had your mom take them to a jewel guy.” He blushed lightly. “She's the one who had the best one made into a ring. I just asked her to do it for me.”

 

Tears sprung to her eyes as she looked at the gorgeous ring. “This is too much… how many carats is this thing?”

 

“Carats?”

 

“How big is the diamond? Did Mom say?” she asked worriedly.

 

He scratched his ear. “Two? I think she said something about two,” he replied slowly, concentrating.

 

“Two carats?!” Her eyes nearly fell out of her head.

 

“Kami, wench! Can't you just say you'll marry me and put the damn thing on your finger?!” he growled.

 

A tear slipped down her cheek as she slid the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand. The diamond sparkled brilliantly in the afternoon sunlight filtering through Goshinboku's leaves. She flung herself at him and hugged him tightly, almost sobbing in delight.

 

“Hai, Inuyasha! I'll marry you!”