InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ En Famille ❯ Will you do it? ( Chapter 2 )
----------------------------------------------------------------
Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.
- Walter Anderson
----------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right."
Miroku finally spoke again, after staring at her in shock for about five minutes. With a small laugh, he tugged at the collar of his shirt and gave her an ucomfortable smile.
"For a minute there I thought you'd said you wanted to have my baby," he smirked, "Crazy huh?"
"That's exactly what I said," Kagome saw him blink in surprise and rushed to explain. "I know it sounds crazy but I've been thinking about this for a while now and its really not that strange if you think about it. Single women have children like this all the time! And you said so yourself, I'm responsible and level-headed. This isn't like I'm a kid going on a whim here, I'm a grown woman who's done the research, the planning, and looked at it from every angle possible."
"You want to have my child?" Miroku repeated.
"Yeah," Kagome tugged at her dress but continued, "Its really not that out there Miroku, I mean, single women get inseminated all the time!"
"Inseminated?" Miroku interrupted, realizing what she meant suddenly, "You mean artificial insemination?"
"Of course!" Kagome nodded, "That's what makes this such a personal favor, I need your sperm."
"My sperm?"
"Yes, I need some of your sperm, just one or two samples should do," Kagome gulped at the incredulous look in his normally calm expression. "Please Miroku? You said you'd help me."
"That was before I knew you wanted to have my kid!" Miroku jumped from his seat and began heading down the beach.
"Where are you going?!" Kagome followed, wincing when he moved closer to the surf and she had to step over broken shells and small pieces of driftwood.
"I need to think," Stopping suddenly, he felt her crash into his back and turned, "Christ Kagome! Do you have any idea how crazy this is? You have no idea what you're talking about! A baby would ruin your orderly life!"
"I'm tired of the order!" Kagome replied, "I'm tired of neat apartments and silent dinners alone and working late nights because I'm the only one without family!"
"This is nuts Kagome, absolutely nuts," Miroku sighed and turned away again.
"No its not! I want a child without a husband, you don't want to get married and your parents have been nagging you to give them a grandchild, this would be the perfect chance!" Kagome yelped and wobbled on one foot, holding the other and touching the small cut made by a particularly nasty shell.
"Clumsy brat," moving back and lifting her off her feet, Miroku sighed and walked over to the rocks he'd been sitting on before. "Let me look."
"Would you at least consider it Miroku?" Kagome sucked in a breath while he inspected the cut.
Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, Miroku tied it around her foot and made a bandage out of it. "Its absolutely ludacris... but I will ok? I'll think about it, although that doesn't precisely mean I'll do it either."
"That's still not a complete no," Kagome smiled brightly.
"Don't get so excited Kagome, I'm not promising anything," Lifting her into his arms again, he sighed and headed back to the party. "Lets get a smaller bandaid on that foot and some antiseptic cream."
"Thank you"
Resting her head on his shoulder, she missed the softening of his features as he trudged up the beach. Reaching the house, he set her down using an arm around her waist, to help keep her weight off her foot while they both climbed up the steps. Once they'd reached the top, they were stopped at the door by Miroku's dad, Mushin Houshi.
"Well what have we here? Are you all right Kagome? What happened?"
Kagome blushed, "You know me, Kagome the clutz, I had a little accident and cut my foot. Miroku's been kind enough to help me up the stairs, I went down to get some fresh air for a moment."
"My son the doctor," Mushin smiled proudly, "I'll leave you in his competent hands then. You know, you two look good together."
"Dad," Glowering, Miroku led Kagome away, shooting her an annoyed glance while helping her to the upstairs bathroom. After tending to her foot, he handed back her heels and shook his head again. "Damn girl, you've got me all confused now and I hate being confused."
"Its not that hard to understand," Kagome whispered.
"Yes it is, this is completely unlike you Kagome, I would have never believed you could be so... well, so unconventional. Of all people, you having a child out of wedlock sounds strange... wrong even," Miroku wondered about that for a moment, frown still in place.
Kagome frowned back, "And of all people, I never figured you'd have such old fashioned views! Aren't you the one who's forever taking the riskier cases? Going against conventional medicine and trying new treatments?"
"Yeah but that doesn't mean I have to understand this Kagome, why now? Why like this? You're a beautiful girl with money and a great personality, it surprises me that you're still single. I would have sworn you'd be the first to be married when we were younger."
Kagome shrugged, "I'm not beautiful, passable maybe, and I have met plenty of men but like you said, I have money and its not that uncommon for them to be just interested in that."
"Can't be that, you're attractive, funny, intelligent, hell I could fall in love with you myself if I stayed around long enough." Miroku leaned against the counter and crossed his arms.
"That's what makes you so perfect! You don't want to stay around and I don't want you to either," Kagome insisted, not taking his previous statement seriously as it was just his way of being nice.
"Ugh, don't start again, I've had enough for right now," Standing upright, he opened the door and exited the restroom. "I'll call you later to discuss this ok?"
"You'll really consider it?"
"Hell, I doubt if I'll be thinking of anything else," Miroku admitted, "I think I'm still in shock to be honest."
----------------------------------------------------------------
"I've got my feet on the ground and I don't go to sleep to dream, you've got your head in the clouds you're not at all what you seem. This momma's body and this voice will not be stifled by your deving ways, so don't forget what I told you don't come around I've got my own hell to raise."
Kagome lay back in bed singing along to her favorite Fionna Apple cd. Things had not gone as well as she had hoped with Miroku earlier. After he'd left the bathroom she'd only briefly seen him again before she'd been too tired to mingle anymore and headed home. Problem was that once she'd gotten there all her worries had resurfaced and it was well past 3 am and she was still wide awake.
Her phone ringing made her jump and turn down the radio, grabbing the reciever after the second ring, "Hello?"
"What are you still doing up? You don't sound groggy," Miroku's voice scolded over the line.
"Couldn't sleep," Kagome stopped the radio and stretched out on the bed, pulling a pillow beneath her chest as she lay face down.
"I've been thinking," Miroku admitted, "And I want to know more, I'm a neurologist who specializes in complicated cases like you said, but I've hardly paid much attention to the topic of artificial insemination."
"Its kind of complicated," Kagome hesitated.
"Do you want this or what? I'm not going anywhere at this hour and my bed's perfectly comfortable," Miroku lay back and waited.
"So what do you want to know?"
"I want to know why first of all, explain Kagome, what put this into your head all of a sudden?"
"Its not all of a sudden for me Miroku, I've been thinking about it and planning for over a year," Kagome corrected him, "I was just researching and making sure everything was covered before I told anyone about it."
"But why do you want a kid? And why my kid?"
Kagome bit her lip and sighed, "I told you, I want family, I want someone to come home to and see and have special moments with daily."
"You'd do better by getting yourself a man instead of a child," Miroku huffed.
"I don't want a man! Why is that so hard to understand?" Kagome rolled her eyes, "I want a baby, and think about it, I don't have much time left to have it."
"You're only twenty eight," Miroku reminded her with an amused laugh.
"Exactly, I'm nearly thirty," Kagome agreed, "I'm single, wealthy, hard-working and lonely, I want someone to fill the gap that's missing."
"Why not a guy? Kagome I find it shocking that a pretty girl like you has to go around asking random men to donate their sperm so she can have a kid, it makes no sense!"
"Hey I am not asking every random man I see to donate sperm!" Kagome bristled, "I've only asked you! And I asked you after a lot of careful deliberation."
"Why? Why me of all the men you know? Why not Sesshomaru's brother Inuyasha? Or that guy at the firm who has a crush on you, what's his name? Kouga?" Miroku insisted. "Or a sperm bank? You can pick your donor there. Why me?"
"Because I don't know them that well and I don't feel comfortable enough asking a stranger for something like this," Kagome slumped onto her bed, "Because a sperm bank will scan for STDs but that won't pick up any disease the donor might have acquired between the time of their testing and their actual donating. With a sperm bank there's always the possibility that they might get the wrong donor or that a donor might have lied about their backgrounds and they might have genetic deficiencies in their families that the bank's testing doesn't pick up on."
"With you I wouldn't take those risks, I know you, you're healthy and clean. A sperm bank can't tell you about the donor's personality, their interests and family. For all you know the guy might have even given them an old picture or one of a guy who looks like them but much better and be some balding old homeless guy."
"But I know all about you, you're tall, handsome, intelligent, funny and kind. I know your family and that there's no sickness or genetic deficiencies in your history. Nevermind the fact that I love your parents and my child would have its grandparents to care for and love him or her. Sango and Sesshomaru would make excellent godparents and... well..."
"Well?"
"Our child would be perfect Miroku, we're both smart, fun, good people and decent. We've both got good heads on our shoulders and know how to go after what we want in life, a thing I'd like my child to know also."
"You're short" Miroku interrupted, "Too short for me, you barely reach my cheek."
"Five four isn't short, its nice," Kagome defended herself.
"Its half a foot shorter than me," Miroku argued, "So where would our kid be?"
"If its a girl she'll be petite," Kagome said brightly.
"Would a boy be considered petite also? Or would he just be whimpy?" He insisted.
"A boy would take after you in height, like you take after your father," Kagome huffed. "There's nothing wrong with me Miroku. I have good hair, teeth, skin, my eyesight is perfect and I played sports all through high school and college. I still visit my gym regularly and keep myself fit."
"Then why don't you date if you've got all that going for you?" Miroku asked.
Kagome put the phone from her ear and gave an exasperated scream into her pillow, which he still managed to hear, "Because I don't ok? Let go of that topic already and tell me Miroku, why else won't you help me?"
"Because I still can't understand why you want my kid, besides all the genetics and stuff."
"You're still wondering why I chose you?" Kageme sighed, "Honestly?"
"Finally, yes honestly,"
Kagome took a moment, finally admitting softly, "Because you're the only man I trust, and I mean really trust."
Miroku remained silent after that confession, hearing the uncertainty in her voice as it had grown softer at the end of her ramblings. "Kagome I don't want to father a child, have you thought of that? What if I'm not ready to be a parent?"
"You don't have to be one!" Kagome reminded him, "You'll be uncle Miroku, the great surgeon, running around and saving people's lives. You won't have to stick around and help, I don't want that, you don't want to be tied down and I refuse to do that to you anyways."
Miroku shrugged, ignoring the fact that she couldn't see him. "Yeah well, that might not be enough, think about it from my point of view Kagome. Do you really think I could go on with my life as it is knowing that there was a child of mine growing up fatherless with you? Whether I stay or not, that child would be mine too, it would have my blood, most likely some physical resemblance to me also. And you know my parents, how long do you think they'd take before they managed to get us to marry? They'd do it you know, they'd make us get married if we had a kid together."
"I won't let them, you know I can turn them down if I really want to," Kagome flopped onto her back and blew her bangs from her eyes, "I love them but I won't let them push us into marriage, not when its what neither of us wants."
Miroku remained silent for a moment, processing things and going over the consequences of her idea. "So you want a baby because you're lonely?"
Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I know it seems like too drastic a measure when you put it that way, but you look at things from my point of view. I'm a twenty eight year old woman who comes home to a silent apartment every night. I don't want that anymore and you know me, I've always loved children, I've always wanted them. I never needed babysitting money but I did it all the time in high school because I loved the kids."
"I want to pick up a baby and not have to give it back at the end of the day. I want to know what its little cries mean, what food it likes and doesn't and what toys and songs it enjoys. There's something so precious when they throw their little arms around you and hold on for dear life."
Miroku sighed, "They don't stay little for long."
Kagome agreed, "Yeah but I want to watch them get older and learn to count and to finger paint. I want to drive them to dance lessons or soccer games and help them with math and reading, and later on help pick classes for school and fill out college applications. I want the whole deal, I know its for life and I'm willing to take this on."
"I'm not Kagome, I've hardly thought of children in my life, it still seems so unlikely," Miroku rolled his eyes and rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. "Look I think I've heard enough again, I'd better go."
"Have you decided?" Kagome asked.
"No, I'll tell you tomorrow," Rubbing a hand across his forehead, he lay back and yawned. "What time's good for you?"
"Anytime," Kagome replied, "I don't'have plans, I'll stay home and wait for your call."
"Even if it takes all day?"
"Even if it takes all day"
Shaking his head, he looked up at a picture frame of them with Sango at Six Flags when he'd invited them to visit him in California and smiled. Both girls were hugging him and sticking out their tongues at the camera. "You're nuts, you know that?"
"You never seemed to mind before," Kagome laughed a little.
"Get some rest"
"You too" with a sleepy yawn, she closed her eyes and turned off her bedroom light. "G'night Roku, thanks for at least considering it. I know its a difficult decision and I want you to know..."
"Yeah?"
She bit her cheek but continued, "No matter what you decide, I'll always love ya, you know?"
A small smile came to his lips, "I know... g'night Gome, I love you too brat."
----------------------------------------------------------------
- Bzzzz -
[Huh? What time is it?]
Kagome blinked and sat up, frowning when her doorbell sounded again. Glancing over at her alarm clock, she couldn't manage to make out the numbers yet, so she frowned and grudgingly got out of bed at the fourth ring of the bell.
"I'm coming!"
Grabbing an old, over-sized sweatshirt, she wiped her bangs from her eyes and opened the door, gasping when she saw Miroku standing there. He looked fresh and clean, completely ready to face the day and made her feel all the worse with her messy hair and half-opened eyes.
"What are you doing here? Wait, what time is it?"
He chuckled and opened the door furthur to get in, "Eight thirty sleepy head, you know, a baby would have you up at dawn."
"A baby wouldn't keep me up all night," Kagome let him in and moved over to the kitchen.
"It might you know, some babies are very restless at night," Miroku followed her and shook his head at her offer of a drink. "This shouldn't take long really."
"Shouldn't take... oh... you won't do it," Kagome came fully awake suddenly, sitting in the chair nearest to her with tears in her eyes. "I understand, really I do, I'm sorry if..."
"I haven't decided yet brat, so don't you dare cry!" Miroku scowled at her tears. He'd seen her cry enough for one lifetime, and he'd never been good at handling women's tears.
Watching her blink them back, he sighed in relief and sat down beside her. "I want to know how we'd do it if I were to agree."
"You don't have to worry about being sued for child support or anything like that, I have the papers written up already, absolving you of any parental responsibilities whatsoever." Kagome jumped in, getting up to serve herself a cup of apple juice.
"I figured you would. What I want to know is how we'd do it technically, I don't have the internet at my parent's house so I couldn't look information up like I normally would and there are so many treatements that I can hardly be expected to guess your doctor's methods." Miroku made himself more comfortable and waited.
"Oh, ok," Clearing her throat, Kagome explained, "You know that a person has a basal body temperature right?"
The look he gave her made her giggle nervously and go on, "Well duh, surgeons would know that basic fact, ok so I've been monitoring mine for five months now."
"Did you check it today?" Miroku asked.
"No but I know what it would be, my body is very regular when it comes to my cycle, my temperature tends to be the same most of the month until the days prior to my body's ovulation. It usually drops even furthur when I'm actually ovulating, then it gradually comes up again until I get my period."
Miroku nodded, "And so when and how would we do this?"
"We'd have to actually get the sperm inside the fallopian tube a little before I ovulate, since docotrs say there's a higher chance of the egg being fertilized that way. Ideally for couples the recommendation is that they have sex every other day starting on the one before she ovulates until she gets her period, but we're not a real couple so if you can only donate once that would be ok, or maybe if you could stick around an extra couple of days and do it twice it would raise my chances of getting pregnant." Kagome took a sip of her juice and sat.
"And how do I come in? I just go with you to the doctor's office, get a cup, think some happy thoughts and..." Making a motion with his hand which was both accurate and embarrasing, he saw Kagome nod and frowned.
"What if it doesn't work Kagome? There's the high possibility that this won't take on the first try you know." Miroku grabbed her cup and took a sip.
Kagome nodded, "I know but its worth a try."
"And if it doesn't work and I'm away again, who will you go to next? You're really not involved with anyone?" Miroku watched her closely and saw her shake her head.
"No, I haven't been involved with anyone for a while," Kagome shrugged, "And I don't know what I'd do then."
"How many lovers have you had?"
Kagome blinked and looked up at him in shock, "What?"
Setting her cup down, he leaned back and shrugged, "If I'm going to be the father of your child I have the right to know if you've had a long history of lovers or not. I don't want my kid to grow up with a stream of 'uncles' coming into its life because its mother wants sex, nor do I want my kid to be with a babysitter four nights a week while his or her mother goes out to get laid."
Kagome gave him an angry, hurt look but realized he was right, "There's no need to worry about that. I haven't been with anyone since Hojo."
Miroku gaped, blinking in disbelief at that, "Hojo? You're high school boyfriend? The idiot you broke up with in college?"
"Yes," Kagome's eyes welled with tears again for a second before she blinked them back and stared at the table between them.
"You broke up with him, what? Six years ago?" Miroku frowned, "And you haven't been with any man since then?"
"Seven and no," Kagome shrugged, "Does that help you feel better? I assure you I have no strange sex habits, I won't run off looking for action and my child will not grow up with a babysitter watching over it while its mother runs out with men at night."
"Why?"
"That's none of your business Miroku!" Kagome snapped, turning her head away and asking through gritted teeth. "Will you help me?"
Taking a moment to think, Miroku finally sighed and nodded, "I'll do it."
Kagome's expression changed from that of hurt anger to absolute elation, her bright eyes sparkling at him suddenly. "You will?!"
The light squeek in her voice made him both wince and smile back, startled when she suddenly jumped from her chair to stand in front of him, her hands clasped tightly together in front of her chest.
Tears of joy welled in her eyes and he made an annoyed sound to show just what he thought of them as she beamed, "You really will?! Oh Miroku that's so great! Oh thank you SO much!"
To her surprise, he spoke again, "I only have one condition."
Kagome nodded, "Anything, I'll get tested, get a doctor's letter certifying my health if you want, whatever. Just name it and its done!"
"Forget the insemination," he stood, watching her eyes dim in sudden despair, "Don't cry Kagome, just forget about being inseminated ok?"
"I don't get it," Kagome whispered, looking up into his eyes, so close to her own now, "How else can I have your baby?"
Miroku smirked, "The old fashioned way, of course."
Kagome paled, shaking her head lightly, "Y-You can't mean... you and me and..."
"Intercourse," Miroku nodded, "If I'm going to have a child it will not be concieved using needles and masturbation. Either we do it right or we don't to it at all."
Kagome's legs gave out beneath her, her body falling into the chair she'd left earlier, "But we can't have sex! We're not like that and..."
"We could be," Miroku admitted, "I've always seen you as a pesky cousin really but we're not related by blood at all."
"We can't Miroku! Y-You're like Inuyasha! You've had sex galore!" Kagome gulped, "I mean you've got so much experience and well you know a lot more than me and..."
"You can learn," Miroku smirked, "Damn Kagome its been so long that I think we could call you a born again virgin."
Kagome nodded absently, looking up with terrified eyes, "But I'm not good at sex!"
Miroku frowned, wondering where the hell she got that idea, "What do you mean you're not good at sex? Who told you that?"
"Hojo," Kagome whispered, looking down at her lap, "He said I was too lanky, too bony, my body's always been so damned thin. He... we had problems trying to have sex."
"Problems?" Miroku kneeled in front of her, damning the idiot for the insecurity he'd so deeply embeded into her.
"I'm not attractive like that Miroku, my body it won't... well it couldn't..." Kagome blushed and shrugged. "I couldn't make him want me, and my body just wouldn't respond."
Miroku's eyes widened and he actually chuckled, "You really think I couldn't get aroused by you?"
"He couldn't... and no one else has," Kagome shrugged again.
"Hell Kagome, why do you think Kouga and Inuyasha argue over you all the time? Because you're smart? They're after your body sweetheart." Raising a hand to her sweatshirt, he slipped it inside and carefully moved it up to lightly touch the planes of her stomach and ribs.
Brushing by the underside of her breasts with his knuckles, he heard her gasp and slid his hand out looking down at the slight buldge that had formed in his jeans. "I don't think that'll be a problem Kagome."
Glancing up from her lap and seeing what he meant, her cheeks went scarlett again and she nodded, gulping when his hand cupped her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. There was an odd mix of tenderness and anger in his violet eyes that made her skin tingle.
"Hojo was an idiot, a boy no older than you and who knew nothing about what he was talking about Kagome. If there was a problem it wasn't with you, it was all him and don't ever think you're not attractive again ok?"
"Sure," smiling at him awkwardly, Kagome sighed and closed her eyes, "Can't we do it my way Miroku? It'd be so much easier."
"Nothin' doin' Kagome, its the real deal or no deal," Miroku insisted, watching her eventually nod.
"I'll be ovulating by Friday," Kagome whispered, opening her eyes to look into his again.
"I can stay, I'm on leave, only my assistant Merle has my number. I'll let her know that I'll be busy and to keep all my calls on hold." With a warm smile, he stood and helped her up. "Now how about we go get some breakfast? If we're going to be getting intimate so soon, I think we should know each other a bit better, don't you think?"
Kagome shrugged, "Give me a sec to change."
"Throw on some jeans and put your hair in a clip," Miroku drank up the last of her juice, "Its nice to see this casual side of you again."
Changing quickly, Kagome came down five minutes later wearing a cream colored tank top beneath a half-buttoned, white cashmere sweater, some blue jeans and her hair held up with a black elastic band. Slipping on a pair of kakhi boots, she slid her wallet into her back pocket, locked the door and followed him out to his '66 mustang.
"I've always envied you for this car you know," Kagome slid into the passenger seat and unlocked his.
"I know," with a cocky grin, Miroku winked and started the engine up, relieved to see she was a bit more relaxed now than she'd been earlier.
Halfway through town, they stopped at a red light and she was startled out of her worried thoughts by a hand reaching out to hers. Glancing up at the man beside her, Kagome suddenly realized that despite their life-long friendship, there was a lot she didn't know about Miroku.
Unable to stop herself, she turned in her seat to face him, "Why?"
"Why what?" Miroku frowned, letting go to shift gears once the light turned green.
"Why the condition? Why your way? Why must we have..." Kagome stopped and waved her hand a bit.
Miroku glanced at her, "Why do I insist we become lovers?"
"We won't be lovers Miroku, it'll just be intercourse," Kagome corrected.
Stopping the car outside one of his favorite restaurants, Miroku shut it off and turned towards her, "So you're saying that while I'm making love to you, you're just going to lie there like a log and wait for me to get my business done?"
"No!" Kagome blushed and rolled her eyes, "I don't know, Miroku I told you, I'm not good at sex and even if Hojo was wrong I don't want to find out."
"You see, that's just what makes me even more set on this, I do," Miroku cupped her chin and looked her in the eye, "I want to show you that Hojo was wrong, don't ask why because I don't understand it myself but I do."
"Roku we're not like that, there's no sexual attraction between us," Kagome pleaded softly.
"We've never thought to look Gome but there could be," Miroku leaned forward to kiss her and smirked when she turned her head away. Pressing a kiss to her neck instead, he felt her pulse pick up and smiled. Gliding his lips lightly along her silky skin, he heard her soft gasp and finally leaned back to look her in the eye again.
"I think I just proved my point"
----------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
Sorry for the wait, I mean to post this days ago but kept forgetting for some reason. Hope you guys liked this, thanks to those of you that reviewed.
Ja!
