InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Expectation ❯ Chapter 8
Part 8
The important thing to remember was that it was just like any other experiment. If she was going to successfully gather the information that she needed, then she couldn't let her personal feelings get in the way. She would have to be hard, thorough, and completely analytical about the entire process, from start to finish. This was not some weepy-eyed lovers' game. She had been burned by a fire known only to hormonal women in their second trimester and nymphomaniacs, and he had pushed her away.
All's fair in love and war, she mused, her hands moving quickly and silently in the dark as she lay upon the futon, working out the knots in her sleeping robe.
This was war.
~
Inuyasha laid on his back, his arms folded beneath his head as he stared up at the early morning sky. He'd been up at first light, and done a quick sweep of the area, checking carefully for any nasty little intruders. It had been, by far, a very uneventful run. He'd caught scent of a badger at one point, but that had been about it. It hadn't even been a badger youkai, so really, it had posed no threat at all. He hadn't had to fight anything real in weeks. Sure, the allure of the shikon no kakera had occasionally drawn out the usual riff-raff, but nothing worth telling about. If this kept up much longer, he was going to start putting on weight.
With a twinge of envy, he wondered how Miroku and Sango were doing. They were probably settling down to sleep right about now. Had they gotten very far?
Knowing their luck, they've probably had to fight off a dozen minor youkai already… he thought with a wistful sigh, and began to kick one of his legs restlessly. How he wished he was there. He missed being on the road. This safe, easy village life had left him with no outlet for his pent-up frustrations and an acute case of wanderlust. Gods how he wanted to tear into something with his claws! And the way Kagome had acted last night was not helping matters any.
Inuyasha settled further into the roof's thatching, pivoting his ears slightly so that he would catch any little noises that might indicate that she had awakened in the room beneath his back. The ancient miko had also left at dawn, going off to do whatever it was that ancient mikos do, and with Miroku, Sango and Kirara gone, it was just he, Shippou, and Kagome.
Actually, that wasn't entirely accurate, seeing as how the runt had made a habit of becoming scarce lately during daylight hours. There were a few circulating theories on that one. Kagome blamed herself, citing several instances when she'd been short tempered with the kit. It had been happening more often as the days progressed, she claimed, as she was growing increasingly more uncomfortable. Of course, Kagome was likely to blame herself for anything these days. Personally, he thought that Miroku's observations were probably closer to the truth. Shippou had recently been seen by the monk in the company of a rather large group of little girls. Apparently, the kitsune had only just discovered that he was adorable.
So if the runt was gone for the day, that left just he and Kagome. Inuyasha slowly let out a long sigh, closing his eyes against the sun as it rose steadily on the horizon. A completely unwelcome image sprang up behind his closed lids, and his next breath caught in his throat.
No, Kagome was not helping at all.
What he needed was a distraction. Maybe they could go on one of those picnics that she seemed to like so much. The promise of food never raised any objections from him, and if the past week was any indication, then today was bound to be sunny. Maybe she'd like to go down to the river again, only they'd be alone this time, without the other women there to make her feel uncomfortable. Hell, maybe he could go in with her. That ice-cold water would probably feel really good if the day proved to be another scorcher. The thought made him smile faintly in anticipation. Just he and Kagome and the cold water…Just he and Kagome…in the cold water…Kagome. In cold water.
Shit.
Forget the river, they were going on a picnic.
~
From several feet below, he heard a tiny groan and the rustling of blankets. She was up. Finally. Taking a moment to compose himself, he dropped down off the roof and slipped in quietly through the door, trying not to let too much sunlight in with him. He wasn't exactly sure when he'd started worrying about shit like that, but it seemed pointless to fight it now. Besides, if there was one thing he'd learned (or rather, had beaten into him) since this whole mess had started, it was that keeping the mother of his pup as happy as possible was in his best interests; especially considering her tendency to floor him when she wasn't. As it turned out, his precautions hadn't been necessary. She had been lying awake, watching the door and waiting for him.
"So, you're finally awake." he chided gruffly. "I was beginning to wonder if you were planning to stay in bed all day."
"Mmmmmm…" Kagome moaned, stretching it out just to the point were it began to sound indescent. "Sounds wonderful. Is that an offer?"
"Heh." It was a very soft, hesitant noise that wasn't exactly a laugh, but more like a breath that he was trying to pass off as one. Kagome studied his face through slitted eyes as she faked a long, languid yawn. He looked restless. Slowly, she rolled onto her back, stretching her arms high above her head. Then, as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, resting back on her palms, her robes fell open and slid down her shoulders, revealing quite a lot.
The details of next few seconds were of critical importance. Inuyasha made small choking noises in the back of his throat, while his eyes widened to almost comic proportions. His face was flushed, and she couldn't be sure at that distance, but she could swear that he was trembling.
"Kagome…"
Yes, definitely trembling.
"Yes, Inuyasha?" she drawled innocently, her voice dripping with implicit promises.
"Why don't you get dressed?" he said quickly, tearing his eyes away. "I'll be waiting outside." Not bothering to wait around for a response, he shot out the door like a projectile.
Damn.
Still, it hadn't been a fruitless experiment she decided as she pulled her clothing on a few minutes later. The results had been interesting to say the least, if a bit inconclusive.
I'm sorry, Sir, but I'm afraid we're going to have to run a few more tests…
Meanwhile, Inuyasha stood breathless on the other side of the door, trying to hold himself together.
Damn that Shippou! he silently cursed. Where the hell is that runt now that I really need him?
~
Kagome smiled to herself as she watched him bound to the other end of the meadow, giving the area a quick once-over to be sure that it was safe for her. He really was an excellent protector and provider, everything an ideal husband in the sengoku jidai should be, with a few fuzzy benefits. She supposed that if she were pressed to define their relationship, marriage would come closest. Mates, Inuyasha would more than likely say. Shouldn't that have made her happy? Wasn't that the goal, every girl's dream?
No, she realized sadly. No more than any girl dreams of an arranged marriage or a shotgun wedding. The goal was love, plain and simple. The goal was to be chosen, not taken on out of obligation. He had bound himself to stay by her side from now on, to sever his ties to the long-dead miko who had held his heart, but until Kagome could lay claim to that heart as well as his body, Kikyo still won.
Kagome shook such morbid thoughts away, letting them sink into the deeper recesses of her subconscious to come back later and haunt her in her weaker moments. There was no point in entertaining such thoughts today. Today had been reserved for another agenda. Afterall, what small comfort could she take in being Inuyasha's mate if there was no actual mating going on? She wasn't still so naïve as to believe that sex would eventually lead to love, but with the way she'd been feeling lately, she wasn't really sure that she cared. He'd caused this volatile reaction inside of her body by putting the baby there in the first place, and as far as she was concerned, it was his responsibility to set things right.
She forced a smile back onto her face as he returned to her, taking one end of the blanket in hand and helping her to spread it out in the grass beneath the shade of an old beech tree. He'd thought she might like to go on a picnic, or so he'd said. She wasn't exactly sure how it had become twisted around in his brain that she was the one who loved picnics, seeing as how his two favorite pastimes were eating and sitting outdoors, but she didn't mind. If he considered it unmanly to admit to such things and had to project his love of picnics onto her, well, let him. She was just happy that they were alone in such a secluded spot. It would make her job that much easier.
"So what's for lunch?" he asked eagerly, dropping to his knees beside her as she unwrapped the boxed lunch from within the folds of the white cloth napkin. Before opening the box itself however, she stood up, excused herself, and walked away toward the other end of the meadow.
"Where are you going?" he called after her, "Aren't we gonna eat?"
"Hold on a minute. I want to see if there are any fresh herbs."
"C'mon Kagome, I don't care about that stuff!" he whined in exasperation. "I'm sure it's fine the way it is, come back!"
"Well, you may not care but I do! Try to have a little patience for crying out loud. You won't starve to death if you have to wait a couple of minutes!"
"You never know, I just might." he grumbled, casting a longing look at the unopened box that sat temptingly close to his right knee.
"Just hold on, I think I see…Oh! Come here! Look what I've found!" Kagome called suddenly, feigning excitement rather convincingly. Inuyasha sighed irratablyand rose to his feet, crossing the glade in two short hops, then walking the remaining few steps to come up beside the kneeling girl.
"What am I looking at?" he asked impatiently. Kagome latched on to his wrist and pulled him down to kneel beside her. Then, leaning down onto her hands and knees, she began to rattle off the names of various herbs (some real, some made up right there on the spot), all the while gently bumping her hips ever so subtly and suggestively into his side.
"This is brownwort, it's good for making a healing poultice that's been known to cure chest rashes. Here's some chamomile, that's good in tea… Ah, and here's some viagrus root." She looked him up and down from over her shoulder, as if summing him up. "That one's good for impotence."
Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly and he seemed to be trying to swallow something very large. Encouraged, Kagome leaned further down until she was resting on her forearms, then rocked her hips to the side until they bumped him again, only a little more forcefully this time.
"Hmmm…what's that?" she said softly, keeping up the pretense.
"Kagome…" he whimpered, his voice raw. She felt a subtle shifting as he moved behind her. Slowly and gently, his hands came to rest on either side of her lightly swaying hips.
That's it! Yes, yes, yes!
"Kagome."
"Hm?" The hands on her hips slid forward until they were gripping her shoulders, firmly drawing her up to sit back on her knees.
"You shouldn't be worrying about that stuff." he said in a hoarse whisper. "We're here to relax."
No, no, no! Damn it!
"Come on, let's eat." he said hastily, jumping back up to his feet and heading off across the meadow to the blanket. Kagome exhaled noisily, balling her hands into tight little fists that she rested on either knee.
"The pup needs meat, Kagome! Let's go eat, Kagome!" she muttered poisonously under her breath, clenching her fists even tighter as one dark eyebrow shot up and began to twitch sporadically.
Her so-called mate was proving to be one tough nut to crack.
~
Lunch was a simple affair. What transpired is hardly worth mentioning, with the exception of one notable incident in which Kagome dropped a dumpling down the front of her robe and asked Inuyasha to retrieve it, as both of her hands were conveniently full at the time. The poor boy almost choked on his fishcake.
Afterward, the sat together in the shade, alternately thinking up meaningless things to say to one another. The heat of the day eventually lulled Kagome into a kind of stupor, and she laid aside her master plan temporarily in favor of a mid-afternoon nap. Inuyasha took the opportunity to scout the area again and get in a bit of running, though he never strayed very far. He returned sometime later to watch over her, marveling at how much sleep a pregnant bitch seemed to need. She looked very, very pretty when she was sleeping. It had always been his favorite state of being for Kagome, and not only because she couldn't argue with him when she was asleep. He loved how peaceful she looked, like she had no fear of suddenly waking up to a nasty surprise.
Which is the way it should be. he thought with a fierce surge of protectiveness. He would never let anything happen to her. To them, he corrected, placing his palm flat against the small curve of her abdomen; though the notion of 'them' was still a fairly new and abstract concept for him. Rationally, he knew that there was a pup inside of Kagome. His life had been turned completely upside down, so how could he not be aware? Still, at times it didn't seem exactly real. Other than the slight physical changes in his mate, there was nothing tangible, nothing that he could relate to. Kagome swore up and down that she occasionally felt the tiny life moving around inside of her, so maybe it seemed more real to her.
It must be a helluva thing, he mused, beginning to move his hand in small, slow circles over her small belly. His gentle ministrations gradually pulled Kagome from her slumber, and within a few minutes, her eyelashes fluttered open.
"How long have I been asleep?" she murmured, smiling up at him before her face broke into a cavernous yawn.
"Too long. We need to start heading back before-" Inuyasha stopped abruptly, his eyebrows drawing together darkly in wary confusion.
"What?" Kagome asked in alarm. "What's wrong?"
"I don't…" he began uncertainly, looking down at the hand resting on her stomach. A few seconds later, Kagome felt the familiar fluttering sensation that she had come to realize was the baby shifting around; This coincided with Inuyasha's eyes widening in amazement.
"Holy shit." he exclaimed, his eyes darting from his hand to her eyes, seeking confirmation. "Kagome did you feel that?"
"For almost a month now." she replied. Hot tears began to pool in her eyes as she reached up to cover his hand with her own.
"That's the pup!" he yelped in disbelief, his other hand reaching down to splay across her abdomen, belatedly joining the first. "Kagome, that was the pup."
"Yes, I know." she said gently, patting his hand.
"He's really in there."
"Yes." she laughed as the tears finally spilled over. Inuyasha seemed reluctant to removed his hands from her body, but he did shift them over slightly so that he could lean down and place an ear against her belly.
"Hear anything good?" she asked after a few seconds. He shushed her with an impatient scowl and went back to listening as she tried not to chuckle at the very serious expression on his face.
"I can't hear anything yet." he said finally, sighing in mild frustration as he raised his head. "It's all mixed up with your heartbeat."
"Maybe later?" she offered helpfully.
"Maybe."
"If you're finished now, could you help me up?" she asked, smiling as she wiped away the few stray tears. "My back's starting to ache in this position." Inuyasha took her hand, placing his other behind her back for support, and lifted her up. They sat together, regarding one another quietly for a long while as they basked in the afterglow of the moment. He was the first one to come up with something meaningful to say.
"So this is really going to happen." She nodded solemnly.
"Yes. Sometime in the fall."
"Before winter. That's something anyway."
"You know," Kagome began hesitantly, "we've never really talked about what's going to happen afterwards." Inuyasha sighed.
"We can't make plans, Kagome. You know that. I have no idea what's going to happen between now and then."
"I know," she said unhappily. "But I get so nervous! Everything's uncertain, and I hate not knowing what's going to become of me and the baby when this is all over."
"You'll be fine, Kagome. You'll both be fine. I'd never let anything happen to you, you know that."
"It's not only that." she admitted softly, looking up into the warm, glowing amber of his eyes. "I don't even know where I fit into your life anymore."
"What are talking about?" he demanded, frowning. "I said that I would stay!"
"But what does that mean?" she pleaded, "What am I to you? If I'm simply to be the mother of your child, then that's what I'll be, but I need to know where we stand! I can't keep going on like this. I need to be certain of something!"
Inuyasha blinked. There was a full beat of silence, and before Kagome knew what was happening, he had closed the distance between them. A startled gasp was all that she managed before his mouth closed over hers. Their lips met and parted, his tongue sliding easily into her mouth in search of her own. Kagome's body responded immediately, and the slow fire that had been building up inside of her over the past few days roared to the surface, searing her skin. She could have screamed for joy. This was the right answer. This was exactly what she needed.
His hands slid down her shoulders and continued down her arms, stopping to rest at her elbows. He gripped her arms firmly, right above the joint and pulled her deeper into the kiss, consuming her lips hungrily. Kagome's hands slithered up his narrow hips to his waist, where her fingers began working blindly, tugging at the knot of his hakama urgently. She'd even managed to loosen the first knot before he startled, grabbing her hands and pulling them away.
"Wait." he gasped, breaking the kiss.
Kagome wanted to howl her frustration at the loss of his mouth. Instead, she bit down hard on her bottom lip, tensing against the building torrents of rage.
"Inuyasha," she seethed through her clenched jaws, eyes flashing like bolts heat lightning. "I have had it with this. What the hell is wrong with you?"
He floundered a few seconds, staring at her helplessly, then dropped his hands to rest against the sides of her belly.
"Kagome," he said finally, his gaze fixed pointedly on her abdomen rather than her eyes. "If I can feel him, can he feel me?"
Kagome stared at him incredulously, her mouth agape.
"That's what you've been worried about?"
He shrugged noncommittally, but Kagome persisted.
"That's it, isn't it? You've been afraid of the baby! I've been worried this whole time…" she trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief. "I really wish you had said something. You could have saved us both a lot of time and frustration."
"I'm not a gentle person, Kagome. What if I do something wrong? What if I hurt him?"
"Inuyasha, that's ridiculous." she snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can't hurt him."
"I'm not so sure."
"Well I am! The female body was designed for this sort of thing, you know, and if you won't take my word for it, I have a book back at the hut. I can show you."
"From your time?" he asked, his voice pitching up hopefully. Kagome nodded.
"This book says it's ok?"
"More than ok." she asserted. "And it's written by doctors."
"Doctors…and they know what they're talking about?"
"Yes," she huffed, becoming more agitated with each passing second, "they would be the experts." A funny, indiscernible looked passed over his face as he considered things, before he turned back to regard Kagome once more.
"So what you're saying is that right now we could be-"
"Yes." she hissed.
"And last night-"
"YES!" she hollered impatiently.
A wicked grin spread over his face.
"Really?" He pushed her down onto the blanket, spreading her legs apart with his knee. Kneeling over her, he deftly loosened the knot of his hakama with one hand, while his other worked with Kagome's in ridding herself of all burdensome clothing.
"Thank god." he growled eagerly, dropping his hips to let her soft thighs gently cradle his naked flesh. "I don't think I could have lasted another five months."
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