InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fang of the Father ❯ To Have a Life ( Chapter 27 )

“In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.” -Edward Hoagland

 

Chapter XXVII: To Have a Life

 

Kenji quietly approached his and Megumi's den, carrying some game over his shoulder. He had been out patrolling the valley, knowing that Inuyasha was too tired and too busy to do it himself with the new pup and all.

The younger hanyou couldn't help it. Every time he saw Inuyasha with the things that no hanyou should have: a mate and a pup, he became jealous. Hanyous were not supposed to find mates or have pups, and yet Inuyasha had both, and the acceptance of the villagers of Kaede's village.

As a hanyou, Kenji had always dreamed about rising above his station and breaking free of the chains that damned him as a half-breed.

Inuyasha was truly one damn lucky hanyou. He was one of the few lucky ones to actually reach maturity, or to find a real mate. And he was the first hanyou ever to actually produce a child, a `full-blooded hanyou', despite the inherit contradiction.

He's turned hanyous into a species! Kenji thought, amazed. No longer are we half-breeds trapped between two worlds, but we are our own species!

Not that most Yokai and humans would allow hanyou to assume the status of species easily.

It confused him; it made him want things that were previously denied him.

He entered the den, and his heart lurched at the sight of Megumi caring for the still-nameless pup. The pup was pretty talkative in Inu, but not in Japanese. He was still weak, and would always be weak: reduced to the strength of a normal human.

:Pup hungry?: Kenji asked.

:Pup hungry!: The pup barked.

Kenji smiled as he set down the game and began to prepare it for cooking. “How is he?” Kenji asked in Japanese.

“Better.” Megumi said.

Kenji couldn't help but stare at Megumi and the pup. Both, unlike him, looked exactly how Inu-hanyou should look. Inuyasha, Megumi, and the pup all looked like they could be related. While he and Kagome looked more human, because the Alpha-female used to be human, and him because his human side was dominate.

Unbidden, a soft growl rumbled through the den and Megumi froze.

“Why are you doing that?” She asked.

“What?”

“The comfort-growl.” Megumi said. “My father… before he got murdered, used to watch over me and my human mother growling softly like that.”

“I—I'm sorry. I didn't know.” Kenji said. “My mother was the Inu-Yokai, a powerful one, who rejected me as soon as I was born. My father was the one who raised me, alone, so I'm not that familiar with Inu instincts. I do it without thinking.”

“Inuyasha was raised by his human mother, and both of my parents died when I was young.” Megumi said. “We are pretty in-tune with our instincts.”

“You both are full hanyous while I am slightly more human.” Kenji said. “Inuyasha… he's special anyway. His father was a Yokai Lord and a powerful Inu Alpha. He's an Alpha too, a natural leader. His instincts are closer to the surface, and he's much more Inu than us, proven by the fact that his pup has a tail, which Inu-hanyou don't have.”

“She is really cute, isn't she… Izayoi?” Megumi said. “They must be awfully proud.”

Kenji allowed his eyes to close, going by scent and hearing alone. He could see extremely well as a hanyou, but eyesight wasn't nearly as important as scent and sound. A dog can live without his eyes. The strongest smells were of pup and Megumi, familiar scents after living with them in the valley for almost a year. He could hear Megumi's heartbeat, normally so calm, but it was beating faster than normal.

“The villagers have accepted it.” Megumi said. “They are always telling Inuyasha about what a fine child he produced. You know… perhaps someday I wouldn't mind have a pup of my own.”

Kenji froze, trying to swallow the lump that appeared suddenly in his throat. “Megumi?”

How could he tell her? How could he tell her that her presence soothed him and her scent calmed him? How could he tell her that he was in love with her?

It had happened over the course of the year that he had known her. Just as most immature Yokai, hanyou had those feelings of love develop slowly but powerfully. In the few months before Mating Season, eligible Yokai will begin to seek out potential females. The stronger their connection becomes, the more likely that the Yokai will choose that female as his mate.

Inuyasha had revealed off-handedly one day that he choose Kagome as his possible future-mate many months before they had mated, if only subconsciously. Which is why when his Yokai took over during the Mating Season, he had shown no interest in other females.

Megumi jolted him out of his thoughts. “Kenji, what is it?”

“Just thinking… thinking about our Alphas… and the coming spring.”

“Spring?”

“Yes. I—I know that this is foolish to ask, but… in the spring… when I come of age… would you consider me as a possible mate?” Kenji trailed off, pressing his ears back against his head.

What he didn't expect was for Megumi to suddenly tear up. “Oh, Kenji…”

He instantly back-pedaled. “I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you; I just thought…”

“You thought to bring me a joy that precious few other hanyou have.” Megumi said, smiling brightly through her tears. “Yes, Kenji, I would love to be your mate.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Some distance from the den, Inuyasha smiled quickly to himself. He knew that this was coming for some time, having noticed their subtle Yokai courtship… having gone through one himself.

Inu courtship is not about flowers and pretty words like humans do, it's about physical closeness and contact. Kenji hardly ever let Megumi out of his sight and protected and cared for her. It spoke volumes of his love, even if he himself was not aware of it.

Inuyasha sighed. Better do them a favor. He howled loudly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Both Kenji and Megumi jumped slightly when they heard the Alpha-male's call close by. But then they realized that he was simply calling for the pup to come to him.

The pup responded instantly, grabbing his food and leaving the den to answer the Alpha's call.

Kenji and Megumi did not know how to react at first since it seemed that Inuyasha was trying to help them get some privacy.

Megumi was the one who broke the spell, nuzzling her nose into Kenji's neck, and he responded with a content rumble. “When spring comes, I'll be your mate. Your real mate… in every way.”

Kenji embraced her. “Thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Inuyasha grunted when the pup came up to him, turning and leading the pup to his and Kagome's house.

:Pup go with Alpha?: The pup asked.

:Yes.: Inuyasha responded. He moved slowly through the forest so that the pup would not trip over anything. He was about as good at navigating the dense forest as a human, nowhere near a hanyou or a Yokai. :Pup all right?:

:Pup all right.: The pup barked. :Why does pup have to leave den?:

:Because pack-brother and pack-sister need some time alone.: Inuyasha responded. :Alpha will watch you.:

:Alpha have own pup to look out for.:

:Only watch for a little while.: Inuyasha said. :Alpha does need time with own family.:

Together they entered `Alpha's Den', and Kagome was there to meet him, holding their new daughter.

“Inuyasha, you're back! I…” She trailed off, staring at the pup at Inuyasha's heels. “What is the pup doing here? Is something wrong with Kenji and Megumi?”

“Don't worry, love. Everything is just fine. Better than fine. Megumi has just agreed to become Kenji's mate in the spring.” Inuyasha said.

Kagome gasped happily. “Really? That's wonderful! I'm so happy for them!” She said. “They deserve some happiness.”

“Yes. That is why I took the pup off their hands for a few hours or so.” Inuyasha turned to the pup. :Go play. But stay within Alpha's den.:

:Yes, Alpha.: The pup said, going off into his own little world.

“Inuyasha, I have some good news.” Kagome said. “Look, Inuyasha.” She showed her mate their daughter. Inuyasha instantly saw the difference. Her silver canine ears, which had been folded over and sealed at birth, were now erect. She can hear us now! Inuyasha realized. “She's been responding to me all afternoon!”

Inuyasha approached slowly. :Pup. Pup. My pup.:

Her tiny ears twitched, focusing in on the new noise. :New sound.: She whined to her mother.

:Pup father.: Kagome cooed softly in Inu. :Mother mate.:

Inuyasha was closer now. :Pup know scent. Father.:

Izayoi's nose twitched slightly, seeking out his scent. :Father.: She acknowledged. She seemed to not think that the first acknowledgement of her father was a big deal as her parents thought it was, and went to sleep against her mother's breast.

Inuyasha carefully embraced them both: his mate and his pup. “Here, give me Izayoi. I'll watch her while you get some sleep.”

“Are you sure?” Kagome asked.

“I'm sure.” Inuyasha said, gently taking his daughter. “Her eyes will open within a day, and then we'll go back to your time to visit your family. I promise.”

Kagome smiled. “Thank you, Inuyasha.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the den, Kenji and Megumi simply sat close together, receiving comfort in each other's presence. While they physically did not have to wait until Kenji matured in the spring to perform the act of mating, it would be meaningless. While their inner-Yokai were not mature, the bond could not be made. So they would wait.

“I was just a pup when a mob killed my parents.” Megumi said softly. “They died trying to protect me, and I suppose it wasn't in vain, because I escaped with my life… barely. I thought I would die, and I almost did… many times. But… here I am… nearly mature, living in an accepting pack near humans who don't hate me for what I am. And I have you…” She paused. “I understand now why Alpha has fought so fiercely to survive.”

“Izayoi is a miracle, you know.” Kenji said. “Now other hanyous will follow in his footsteps by taking mates and having their own pups. We will show all Yokai and humans that we are not abominations. We just… are.”

“What was your family like?” Megumi asked.

“Mine? Well… my father was a good man. He wasn't a powerful or important human, but he was honest. I don't know much about my mother except that she is powerful and she rejected me completely. I don't know why she mated with a human. But she did, and I am the result.”

“Did they… love each other?”

“My father did, I think. As I grew up, he remained alone, always wondering why she left.”

“How did he die?”

“Naturally.” Kenji said. “We were able to be together for sixty years. Because of my… human-like features, it was fairly easy to hide what I was. When the locals became too suspicious of why I didn't appear to age, we moved to another village. Soon, I was forced to call him Grandfather instead of father, because he grew old and I was still a pup. He died in his sleep, and soon the people discovered what I was. I've been on the run since.”

“You actually got to live with your father throughout his lifetime?” Megumi asked, amazed.

“His lifetime.” Kenji said sorrowfully. “When my father died, he said that he regretted not being able to see me grow up, even though it would not happen for another human lifetime. I just wish… he could be here now.”

“And your mother? Is she still alive?”

Kenji shrugged. “I don't know. I suppose she's out there somewhere. But if I ever approached her, she'd kill me.”

Megumi hesitated slightly before she leaned over and pressed her lips gently to his. Kenji eagerly returned her kiss, adding an affectionate lick as she pulled away.

“We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to.” Megumi said.

Kenji smiled in appreciation and kissed her again.

 

LES: Well, there you go! Some KenjixMegumi lovin'! And a little bit more about their family histories. Next chapter will be Christmas-themed, since it will nearly be upon us. Or at least close enough to warrant a Christmas chapter.