InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Growing Up Hanyou ❯ Otouto ( Chapter 5 )

Otouto

By: TuxedoUranus89/InitialA

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha

LiveJournal Community: http://community.livejournal.com/tu89_ia_fanfics/profile

Author's Notes: It's a good thing I wrote out the ideas for this last night. It's been very emotionally draining today, but a good dose of passion went into the rough draft before all that went down. Yaaaaay. XD Time jump from the last chapter, almost two years. =3 Also, Pinky St. dolls are popular toys for girls in Japan. And I think they're cute too. X3

 

“You know I can always cancel this…” He grumbled, throwing a shirt into the suitcase.

His mate sighed, taking the shirt and folding it properly before placing it back into the suitcase. “You know you're overreacting. It's only a few days. You heard Dr. Kiyomura, the baby has barely turned over.”

He sighed, raking his fingers through his bangs. “Still. I don't like leaving you right now. You're already overdue as it is.”

“Just a day.” She chided gently. “Come on, you won't even be gone a week, how much can happen in that much time?”

InuYasha sat down next to her, taking one of her hands in his, and resting the other on her swollen stomach. “What if something happens and I'm not here to save you? I'd never forgive myself for it.”

Kagome stroked his cheek. “I'll be fine. We have you on speed dial, we'll call you the instant something happens. I've got Mama, and Grandpa, and Souta; Sesshou-maru and Rin will be there, and I'm sure some of the girls if they're in town.”

“Me too!” Izayoi chirped from her position on the floor, her small army of Pinky St. dolls and clothes scattered around her.

Kagome smiled brightly at their daughter. “Yes, you too. You and Uncle will be able to take care of me while Otou's gone.”

“Count on us, Otou-chan!” The nearly-four-year-old beamed.

InuYasha's features were schooling themselves into his old, familiar pout. “Because making my brother out to be the hero always makes me feel better.”

“Then we'll let Iza be the alpha. I'm sure she can control both the Tessaiga and Tenseiga, Kami forbid something should happen.” Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing her mate's fears were real, if irrational.

“Otou and Uncle aren't alpha anymore?” Izayoi's voice was filled with concern; she knew the rules of submission, and changes in leadership didn't settle well with anyone in the pecking order.

He raised an eyebrow. “Keh. Don't get ahead of yourself, pup. We ain't going anywhere.”

The toddler beamed, her world realigned, and went back to dressing her dolls. Kagome focused her attention back on her husband. “Come on, you can make it up to me by getting a cuckoo clock.”

His expression didn't even twitch. “Why would I want one of those annoying fu—er… things in the house? It'd just drive me up a wall, and I'd end up breaking it anyway.”

“No birdie clocks, Mama, they hurt my ears.” Izayoi piped up.

The older woman smirked. “You just want to get me one of those dirndl things so it'll accentuate my assets.”

His eyebrow twitched, a smirk gracing his lips. “Oh, I don't think it's your assets it'll be accentuating…”

Kagome smacked his arm. “Hentai.”

“Learned from the best.” He retorted, getting up to find his better slacks.

Izayoi's ears pricked. “Otou, you learned in school? Like Iza?”

Kagome buried her face in her hands while her mate laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Izayoi protested sleepily in Kagome's arms as she was squished between her parents in a last hug. “I can still stay…” He murmured, their noses touching.

“You can go, we'll be fine.” She whispered.

“Otou…”

InuYasha took his daughter, and hugged her again. “You watch out for Okaa, got it pup? You know what kind of trouble she gets into without me watching out for her.”

The toddler giggled. Kagome rolled her eyes. “Still protecting me… You should hurry, you'll miss your flight.”

The elder hanyou pouted, and she kissed him. He slipped his tongue in her mouth, and she fought the urge to moan. “Promise for after all this.” He winked at her, and set Izayoi down, who clung to her mother's leg.

And then he was gone, and she was sighing to herself. It wasn't as if she enjoyed him traipsing across Germany, but it was for business, and it kept him out of her hair for a few days; hovering over this pregnant lady wasn't the best of ideas, yet her husband didn't seem to understand that just yet. “Come on, sweetie.” She yawned, rubbing one of Izayoi's ears. “Let's go back to bed… You can sleep in the big bed while Otou's gone.”

Slipping under the covers, Izayoi sighed as her father's comforting, protective scent reached her nose. “Otou…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“And then we went to the park, and Obaa-chan bought us that cherry-ice I like a lot, and we played on the swings, and a boy tried to be mean to me and pull my hair, but I pushed him in the sand and he cried, and Obaa-chan got mad, but she was more mad at the boy than she was at me, and then we went home because the sun was goin' down, and Mama made Ramen for dinner, and it was yummy, but it didn't taste the same because you weren't here to have some too, Otou.”

Kagome raised her eyebrows in an amused expression as her daughter took a deep breath and started another long-winded sentence. She could hear InuYasha trying to get in a word or two, in the tinny receiver end of the phone, as Izayoi jabbered on about what bedtime story she got, and the dream she'd had. “Iza, sweetheart, one more minute, and then you need to get in the bath.” She gently reminded her.

The girl chirped a cheerful goodbye and an “I love you, Otou!” and handed the phone to her mother, scampering up the stairs to the bathroom. “Poor thing, your ears must be bleeding.” Kagome cooed into the phone.

--Keh, the girl got your mouth, that's for certain.—He teased.

“She just misses you. I do too, for that matter.”

--I miss both my girls. I knew I should have stayed the fuck at home.--

“You're about to close the deal on the new plant, which means you get to assign someone else to look over it, and you won't have to worry about it. You'll be home in two days, I know you can make it.” She soothed.

--That shirt you gave me is starting to fade, I miss your scent.—He told her quietly.

“I should have given you your haori, I sleep in it all the time.”

--Keh. It's not yours though, it's just my old clothes. It's more… you when it's your own shit.—

“Romantic as always, love.” It was a gentle rebuke; she knew he wasn't Shakespeare when it came to his words, and she also knew he meant it sincerely.

--Damn straight. Now you, miss, should make sure our daughter isn't flooding the bathroom-again. And then you should get that lovely little ass to bed, I know what time it is over there, and I know you're trying not to yawn.—He told her, just as she muffled a yawn.

“Still looking after me, half a world away. I love you, InuYasha.” She told him softly.

--I love you too, Kagome. Go to bed.—

“All right, all right. Night, baka.” She laughed, and hung up.

She cautiously made her way up the stairs, hearing Izayoi laughing and splashing away in the bathtub. “Is there a flood?” She called teasingly.

“No, Mama! I made it stay in this time!” The girl cheerfully called back.

Once the girl was tucked into hers and her mate's bed, Kagome told her to try and sleep while she took a bath herself. While she usually cleaned up in the mornings, her back was bothering her again, and the warm water would help. She scrubbed herself pink, and sat in the warm bath for a while, letting the jets soothe her muscles. She almost didn't want to get out, but the ten minutes she'd stayed in was risky enough, and reluctantly dried off. `Hurry up, little one…' She thought as she slid into the bed next to her daughter. `Mama's body needs a break, and she wants to see you!'

==============

“Mama?”

“Hey sweetheart.” Kagome patted the swing next to her, and Izayoi eagerly jumped up.

The young girl looked at her, her long hair swinging behind her, revealing the amethyst bow that held it back. “Tell me about Papa again?” She asked, pushing the swing back a little with her feet.

Kagome was confused. “Sweetie, you know your Papa.”

“You said he died, Mama. He was brave and protected you, but he died alone before I was born.” Izayoi said, looking completely unperturbed at the ill look on her mother's face.

She felt numb all over, until her stomach decided to clench painfully. She fell off the swing to her knees, holding her stomach, and holding back her tears. She couldn't have lost him again, she couldn't! Izayoi had jumped off her swing and was shaking her lightly. “Mama? Mama!”

===========

“Mama! Mama, wake up!”

She was being shaken. Izayoi wanted something. She lifted herself up by her elbows, blinking at her daughter sleepily. Her hair was shoulder-length again, and Kagome realized she'd been dreaming. “Sweetheart, what's wrong?”

“Mama, the bed's wet.”

“Izayoi! You're too big for that, you know—”

“No, Mama, it's you!”

Kagome sat up all the way, just as another contraction decided to rush through her abdomen. She hissed out a breath. “Oh no… Iza, sweetheart, go call Obaa-chan for me. I need you to tell her your baby brother or sister is coming, and she needs to come over here now. You know the number to press right?”

“Yes, Mama!” The small girl hopped out of the bed and hurried down the stairs.

Kagome gingerly got out of the bed, taking deep, calming breaths. She changed into a dress, and thought about changing the sheets. She stared at the bed for a moment, and got to work, deciding that the less time the amniotic fluids got to soak in, the less time it would take for the bedding to air out. Bundling the bedding down the laundry chute, she then faced her hospital bag. She frowned at it, knowing it was heavy; in the end, she decided to kick it to the stairs, and have either Izayoi or her mother bring it down to the car.

Downstairs, Izayoi was answering her grandmother's questions as best she knew. “I dunno, Obaa-chan, I woke up a bit ago and the bed was all wet, and I knew it wasn't me.”

--Ok sweetheart, I'll be there as soon as possible. I need you to call your Papa and tell him what's going on too, ok?—

“Ok, Obaa-chan. I love you.”

--I love you too sweetheart. I'll see you soon.—

She hung up the phone, and then pressed the button that called InuYasha's cell phone. Her papa's sleepy voice answered. “Otou? Otou, it's Iza.”

--Izayoi? Pup, what's wrong, why are you on the phone this late?— InuYasha was immediately awake and panic threatened to lace his voice.

“It's Mama, Otou. Obaa-chan told me I should call you.”

--What's wrong with Mama, pup? Tell Otou what's wrong.— Unknown to his daughter, he was already out of bed, and fumbling to get dressed; he was getting on the first plane back to Japan, the rest of the meetings be damned. His mate was in trouble.

Izayoi took a deep breath. “I woke up and the bed was wet, and I knew it wasn't me because I know better, so I thought it had to be Mama, and I woke her up and she made a noise like she was hurting. She told me I needed to call Obaa-chan and tell her to come over because my baby brother or sister is coming, and after Obaa-chan asked me a bunch of questions that I didn't know the answers to she told me I needed to call you and tell you what was going on, so that's why I called.”

InuYasha breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He made a mental note to teach his daughter the art of being blunt and not dancing around a thing; her mother did that enough, he didn't need another headache. -Alright, pup, I need you to tell Mama I'll be home as soon as I can. And then I need you to take care of her until I get there, k?—

“Papa, Obaa-chan said she was gonna take me to Uncle Sessh.”

He bit back a growl. -I need you with Mama, and tell Obaa-chan that I said that. She'll listen.—

Izayoi was doubtful of that. “Ok…”

--Go on, pup. I'll be home soon, go help your Mama.—

“Ok. Love you Otou.”

--Love you too, pup. Now scat!—

She giggled and hung up, sliding off her stool and running back up the stairs. Kagome was bracing herself against the railing, her bag at the top of the stairs. “Iza, sweetheart, I know it might be heavy, but I need you to take Mama's suitcase down by the front door. Can you do that?”

“Uh-huh! Obaa-chan said she'd be here as fast as she can. And she told me to call Otou, and he said he'd be home as soon as he could too.” Izayoi grunted as she picked up the bag and dutifully marched back down the stairs with it.

The older woman resigned herself to a sigh as she eased down the stairs. As much as she did want InuYasha here for this, she also didn't want to have him offend his new clients. Then again, he would probably tell her that they could go fuck themselves sooner than he would miss out on more than he had to. Izayoi raced up the stairs past her. “I'll get dressed, Mama!”

Ten minutes later, Kagome was fixing Izayoi's hair into her usual pigtails just as there was a knock at the door. “Obaa-chan!!” The toddler shrieked happily, and wriggled from her mother's grasp to go answer the door.

“Kagome, dear, how are you feeling?” Mama asked as she slipped off her shoes.

She smiled. “As well as expected. Still ten minutes apart, we have a few hours.”

Izayoi tugged at her grandmother's shirt. “Obaa-chan, Otou said to tell you I was `asposed to stay with Mama, not got to Uncle's.”

Mama knelt and tweaked one of her granddaughter's puppy ears as the girl giggled. “Did he now? Well, sweet one, Otou probably didn't tell you that it's going to be very boring for a few hours, and that good little girls who helped their mamas out so much need to get their sleep before they become big sisters.”

Izayoi stuck out her lower lip. “Otou said.”

Kagome sighed slightly. “How's this, Iza: you can come with us, but if you start to get sleepy, you're going with Uncle Sesshou-maru and Aunt Rin, ok?”

She nodded agreeably. “Ok.”

Mama looked at her daughter with raised brows; if she knew her granddaughter as well as her daughter and her husband, the small girl would probably be tied down and forced to sleep with one of Kagome's spells rather than willingly admit she was tired. Kagome smiled back sheepishly; she knew what she was getting into.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Not sleepy, nuh-uh. Staying with Mama like Otou said.” Izayoi said stubbornly from her chair in the hallway.

It had been a few hours, and the tired look in the pup's eyes was more convincing than the yawns she struggled to hide, or her protests. Rin was trying to coax the girl with her; not even the prospect of getting to put braids into Sesshou-maru's hair, a favorite pastime when she was being pup-sat, was powerful enough to unseat the toddler. Mama placed a hand on Rin's shoulder. “Perhaps if we leave her be for a bit, she'll fall asleep on her own. If she does, then you can take her.”

Rin pursed her lips. “Hai…”

A grunt was heard from Kagome's room. Mama went in. “How are you feeling dear?”

“Like I can't feel anything… It's normal, right?” Kagome's words were slightly slurred from the numbing effects of the epidural.

Mama smoothed her daughter's sweaty hair back. “Everything's fine dear.”

“It's taking forever… Iza didn't take this long, did she?” Kagome sighed tiredly.

Her mother smiled. “Izayoi is also highly impatient. She was early, came out fast, and then decided to do everything earlier than any other child I've ever met. I think this one will be your saving grace, taking his time.”

Kagome smiled tiredly. “InuYasha? Have you heard anything?”

“Nothing yet, dear. Sesshou-maru called a few of the airports in Munich, and the one he left from said his flight left around 2am. It's a twelve-hour flight, I don't know if he'll make it in time.” Mama told her.

Izayoi's cry was heard from the hall. “NOOOOOO!”

Kagome fought to sit up as Mama looked outside. Sesshou-maru held the wriggling girl in one arm, not even flinching as she bit at him with her blunt human teeth. “NONONONONONO!” She wailed.

“Izayoi, you know better! No biting, and no screaming!” Mama scolded, her hands on her hips.

“NO!! Can't go, Otou SAID!!”

“Izayoi!” Sesshou-maru barked, his voice stern. “You will calm yourself, and you will come quietly!”

She whimpered another protest, until her uncle let out a low, threatening growl. Her head bowed, and Mama knew that if she wasn't wearing her bracelet, her ears would have been flat on her head in submission. Rin gave a strained smile to her sister-in-law's mother as her mate walked away with the pup. “We'll bring her back when she's had some rest.”

“Thank you.”

Kagome's sigh of relief was heard in the room. “She's getting to be just as bad as her father…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

InuYasha ground his teeth together as he impatiently waited for the plane to stop circling the airport and land already. If there wasn't the chance that he might cause the plane to go down, he'd turn on his cell phone that very minute to find out what the hell was going on a mere mile or two beneath his seat. His nerves had been tense and knotted since that very early phone call from his daughter, and over twelve hours later, he wasn't feeling any calmer; on the contrary, he was wishing he hadn't left Tessaiga at home, so he could get rid of these idiots and get to his mate. His ears popped as they descended another few thousand feet. He was just about to let loose a few words that would turn the air blue when the plane bumped against the runway. Now came the agonizing minutes it took to get to the terminal, and then waiting for everyone and their moms to take their sweet-ass time getting out ahead of him.

He raced out of the terminal, ignoring the indignant protests of people he shoved out of the way. One had the gall to grab him. “Fuck off, pal!” InuYasha growled in warning.

“Watch it, then!” He sneered; he had barely been grazed.

“Let's see how you act when your wife goes into labor and you're halfway across the world!” InuYasha snapped, and sped off.

Either people had heard, or the airport was unusually slow today, but he managed to get through customs, to the baggage claim, and off towards the parking lot in almost record time. The sight of his brother, sister-in-law, and his daughter greeted him. “OTOU!!” Izayoi shrieked, fighting her way out of her uncle's grasp, and throwing herself at him.

He bent and picked her up, hugging her tightly. “I told you to stay with Mama, pup.”

She pouted in just that way that made him forget his annoyance. “Uncle was mean…” She whimpered.

He raised an eyebrow at Sesshou-maru, who looked uncharacteristically contrite. “She was behaving obstinately; however, I admittedly was uncouth in my actions with handling her.”

The other eyebrow went up. “If I had any idea of what the fu—err, seven hells you were saying, I'd say something about it.”

“He made me leave Mama, when you said not to. I cried, but Uncle barked and made me submit…” Izayoi's voice was full of guilt-inducing pout.

InuYasha nuzzled the top of his daughter's head. “It's ok, pup.” He turned back to his brother, grabbing up his suitcase in the other hand. “Let's go, and you can tell me what's going on while we go.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome was sleeping when he got there. He dropped to his knees next to her bed and gently took what he could of her into his arms. She smelled of the new pup, and all the hard work that had gone into it. She didn't even stir when he touched her. “I'm sorry…” He whispered near her ear.

Rin stood in the doorway. “InuYasha-niichan… We can go down to the nursery to see the pup, and let Kagome-neechan sleep. She's tired, the pup didn't come until almost ten this morning.”

He nodded, and gently made his mate comfortable again, kissing her brow before following his sister-in-law. He didn't even bother looking into the nursery window, only knocked on the door. A nurse poked her head out. “Parents and grandparents only.” She told him with a sniff.

“I'm the father.” He snapped, his nerves still straining. “Nishi, there's a baby Nishi here. I just got in from a fucking twelve hour flight because my wife went into labor, and I want to see my kid.”

The nurse looked panicked, and beckoned him inside. “My apologies, Nishi-san, I wasn't made aware… I'll be back, if you'll just wait here?”

He fought the urge to tap his foot in impatience, but immediately froze when the nurse returned holding a blue bundle. She gently transferred the small boy into his father's arms. “There you are, little man.” She cooed.

“He'll be a handsome one.” She told InuYasha with a smile. “I'll be in the office if you need me.”

After she left, he sat in the rocking chair provided, taking a good look at his son. `My son… Sachi…' He thought.

They hadn't picked out names. In the two years since Kagome's miscarriage, after trying for so long for another child, they'd stopped talking about names when his nose would fail to detect the sweet scent of pregnancy again and again. It hurt to get their hopes up again. Yet, he knew Kagome would like to name him for her father, as they'd decided so many years ago with Izayoi, and he admittedly liked the name himself. The pup gave a baby-sigh in discontent as he woke, and squinted at his father with amethyst eyes; with his black tufts of hair, he was his father's human form in miniature. InuYasha thought of something, and unwrapped the boy from his blanket briefly, noting the concealment bracelet. “Well then, let's see what you look like, Sachi…”

Once off, Sachi's ears moved, becoming floppy black puppy ears, blending nicely with what little hair he had. InuYasha mentally rolled his eyes at the thought of how his mother-in-law had probably reacted. From what he could tell, Sachi's eyes were the same amber as his. Father and son regarded each other, before the boy yawned, and sighed with content as he settled in for another nap. “Figures you'd be the opposite of your sister…” InuYasha murmured, putting the bracelet back on and bundling him up. “I don't know what you'll make of her, but she'll adore you. She's like that, just like your mama. Your mama's the best mama in the world, you're lucky to have her, you know? You're the other big man in the house now, I'm gonna need you to help me look after her, she gets herself into trouble without someone to look after her.

“And me… I dunno. I almost messed up when your sister was gonna be born, but that's a story I'll save when you're older, and dealing with your own girl problems. I try and do my best with your sister, and I'll be damned if I don't try just as hard with you. You have four cousins who will think you're the best thing since sliced bread, and an uncle who can be a pretty big prick but is good with kids, and an aunt who will spoil you more rotten than your grandma will.” InuYasha wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to talk to his sleeping son; maybe because he'd been that small once, and probably would have liked to have a clue as to how hard this life thing was going to be, and wanted to give the kid some insight, whether he understood it or not. “Your Obaa-chan is going to spoil you, she has a thing for these ears we got. I hope you like the park as much as Izayoi. Your great-grandfather's an alright guy, kind of daft, but we keep him around. He'll tell you a bunch of stories that are nothing but bull, but some of them are true, and don't get any ideas about the well at the shrine. It doesn't work anymore. Oh yeah, and your Uncle Souta. He's a good kid, you'll like him too. He'll teach you all those sports that guys are supposed to be into.”

InuYasha gently thumbed Sachi's face; it never ceased to amaze him how soft a pup's skin was. “It's a good family you came into, pup. I don't know how I got so lucky to be a part of it, but I'm glad just the same. I want the best for you and your sister, none of the crap I had to put up with, and I think with them, we can do that. Now, I'm going to give you back to the nurse, and go see your mama. I haven't seen her in ages, and… well, you'll understand that when you're older.”

He reluctantly gave Sachi up to go back in his bassinet, and gave a half-smile to Rin, who looked pleased. “Do you guys have a name for him? I know you hadn't talked about it…”

InuYasha smiled softly, jamming his hands in his pockets as they went. “Sachi. After Kagome's father.”

“Happiness.” Rin said quietly, smiling herself. “Fitting.”

He shooed her away, telling her to take Izayoi to see Sachi through the nursery window. The toddler went with a pout, walking between her aunt and uncle, as InuYasha closed the door to his mate's room, and lightly climbed in the bed behind her. With an arm tucked firmly around her waist, he found himself calming down more with her soothing scent. She snuggled into his embrace. “He's beautiful, isn't he… our Sachi?” She murmured.

“He is…” InuYasha replied quietly, kissing her cheek. “Rest, love. We've got two of them now.”

She giggled slightly, and obeyed. He followed in slumber.

 

((Wooooow, that was longer than I thought it was going to be. Kind of a make-up for how short the others have been though. Ten pages is pretty good for one of my one-shots. XD I adore the little cooing noises that babies make when they're that small, it's so cute and baby-like and… Aww, it's all warm and fuzzies. X3 I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, reviews are appreciated!!))