InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love Reigns Down ❯ What the Miko Doesn't Know ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

He’d been monitoring her pregnancy in secrecy for the past four months and Kagome didn’t even know it. But ever since the incident with the shot, Yash had been sending him progress reports on a weekly basis. Kazuki was surprised when the other hanyou had first approached him. Hell, he was more than surprised; he was downright stupefied, but when he realized how uncomfortable and hesitant his boss was, he bit back his initial response which was outright laughter. Yash Takahashi was as stubborn as they came, and Kazuki quickly understood how difficult it must have been for him to ask for a favour. He had to hand it to the other hanyou though, his love and concern for his family overshadowed any jealousy and animosity he felt towards his wife’s lab partner. That simple fact alone did more to solidify Kazuki’s respect for Yash than any other act could ever have. Not that there was much animosity between the two anymore. After all, there wasn’t much to fight about, but it was the principal of the thing and they both were too stubborn and proud to do any less. Perhaps, that was the problem, Kazuki mused, they were too much alike. He shook his head. Damn, perish that thought.

One thing was for certain though; he was definitely looking forward to playing ‘Uncle Kazuki’ to Kagome’s firstborn. He was sure that Yash was just thrilled about that one. Kazuki smiled devilishly. Yup, it was definitely interesting working at The Takahashi Group. He could monitor Kagome’s health and dig into her personal medical files — bowel movements and all — but he couldn’t even touch the girl. Ha! He chuckled to himself. Wait until Kagome finds out.

Yash Takahashi did not like the unknown or unpredictable. He believed in covering all his bases and that’s what made him a shrewd businessman. He applied this philosophy to his personal life as well. And when it came to his family — who meant the world to him — he would do anything to protect them at all cost. If that meant swallowing his pride and asking Kazuki to monitor his wife’s pregnancy, so be it. Not that it meant an end to the barbs they often traded, but at least for Kagome’s sake, they could work together for a common cause. He was proud of the advancements his company had made to ensure the safety of hanyou babies, but he wasn’t taking any chances when it came to his own family’s well-being, so he went to the very best. And that meant Kazuki Matsumoto.


Yash threw a folder down onto the table.

“What’s that?”

“Kagome’s ultrasound. I want you to look at it.”

What happened to please? An annoyed look flashed across Kazuki’s face, but he didn’t say a word as he flipped open the folder and perused the file. Yash stared intently as Kazuki ran his finger down the paperwork, relief coursing through him as the other hanyou nodded at the stats he was looking at. But then a frown appeared on his face when the scientist furrowed his brows in thought. His frown deepened as Kazuki picked up the ultrasound, held it to the light and squinted at a particular area.

“What?” Yash demanded.

Kazuki put the ultrasound down and pointed to the corner where a shadowy tinge surrounded the fetus. “Did the technician mention anything about that?”

“She said it was just a trick of the light. Nothing to worry about.”

“What did Kagome say?”

“She agreed.” Yash continued to stare at the ultrasound wondering exactly where the hell this conversation was heading. “But I could tell that she’s hiding something. She’s been pretty emotional these last few days, so I didn’t push it.”

Kazuki didn’t even try to suppress his amused grin. “Like PMS gone wild?”

A slight grin twisted Yash’s lips as he agreed. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Hate to tell you this, but it’ll get worse.” Kazuki wanted to laugh out loud at the horrified look on Yash’s face. He almost felt sympathetic for the other hanyou. Almost.

“Yeah, well, don’t worry about it.” He tapped his claw on the ultrasound to get them back to the real subject at hand. “So what is it?”

Kazuki cleared his throat. “It’s not my place to say…”

“What? Will you just tell me!” Yash sounded harsher than he meant to, but this was his wife and child they were talking about, and if Kazuki thought something was wrong, he damn well better tell him about it.

Kazuki gave an internal sigh. God knows why Kagome was being so stubborn about this. She still hadn’t told Yash about the complications in her pregnancy. He could understand her not wanting to worry her husband. After all, that particular hanyou did have quite the infamous temper. But the lack of communication between the two just didn’t make any sense whatsoever. Each one was always trying to protect the other. They’ve done it in the past and look where that got them. All it did was cause nothing but misunderstandings and heartache. Didn’t those two ever learn? Kagome was his best friend, but Yash was the baby’s father, and Kazuki felt that he had a right to know. If their positions were reversed he would want to know the truth. Besides Yash was glaring at him like he wanted to rip his head off if he didn’t get some answers. He made the split-second decision and took matters into his own hands.

“It’s a barrier.”

“A what?”

“A barrier that Kagome erected around the fetus. The baby is essentially a foreign object in Kagome’s body. Since she’s a miko her natural instinct is to purify that foreign object, especially since it’s doused in youki. But her maternal instinct is just as strong as her miko one, if not stronger, so she erected a barrier to protect her baby.”

Yash swallowed hard as he stared at the evidence. He had no idea what Kagome was going through. Being a miko brought its own set of problems and she had tried to tell him that. It finally made sense why she was so worried about even conceiving. Now knowing the truth, he felt badly for brushing the subject off so lightly when she had first brought it up.

But Kazuki wasn’t done. “Kagome is using all of her energy to protect her child. It’s fine now because the fetus is small, but once the baby starts to grow and its youki becomes stronger, Kagome’s miko instinct to expel it grows stronger as well. To combat the effect, she will have to keep erecting a stronger barrier each time the baby develops. She’s essentially fighting her own body and if it continues without any intervention, then eventually her energy will be drained to the point of exhaustion.”

Yash paled at the news and his voice cracked when he asked, “So what do we do?”

“I’ve been watching her and from what I can tell, she seems to perk up every time you’re near her. Do you notice that?”

At Yash’s curt nod, Kazuki said, “Yeah, well, it’s not your charming personality.” He couldn’t help the gibe and grinned at the other hanyou’s growl, but he quickly placated his boss with his next words. “I’ve been working on something that will help, but I need something from you. I need your blood.”


“Where did you get this?” Kagome asked outraged, as she gestured at the folder on Kazuki’s desk.

Damn. He forgot to put her latest pregnancy report away and now his friend was standing there, arms folded, indignantly waiting for his response.

“There’s no way you should have access to these files. How did you get them?” Kagome demanded.

“Ah… I… ah…” Kazuki was at a loss for words. Why the hell was he always in the middle of their lover’s quarrel?

Kagome placed her fists on her hips and tilted her chin in such a way it made Kazuki cringe in anticipation of her anger. “These are restricted files. The Takahashi Group prides itself on its security measures. There’s no way you… could have accessed… these —” Her eyes widened as it finally dawned on her. “InuYasha. InuYasha gave you access.” Only her husband could have done this. The doctors would have been the only other ones privy to this information and they wouldn’t dare think of releasing confidential files. So that leaves my husband, Kagome deducted mentally. But why?

“Well, it could have been the doctors —”

At Kagome’s sharp look, Kazuki shrugged. “Okay, okay. Game over. So it was Yash —”

“I knew it!”

“Look, Kags — ”

“How could he?” she practically shouted.

“But, Kags, he’s only trying to help —”

“He doesn’t even like you!”

“Yeah, but he’s only… Hey! Wait a minute —!”

The door suddenly flew open and Sakura burst through. “What’s wrong?! I heard shouting.” She looked from the irritated expression on Kazuki’s face to Kagome’s flushed angry one and suddenly realized she had barged in on a heated discussion between her friends. “Ah… sorry for interrupting.”

“No, it’s all right,” Kagome said, rubbing her temple. She could feel a major headache coming on and it was the fault of the two hanyou in her life. “We were just having a little chat.”

“Oh… okay.” After another quick glance at her supervisors, Sakura quickly backed out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Kagome closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, taking deep breaths to regain her composure. “How long have you been monitoring my vitals?”

“About two days after you found out you were pregnant.”

“Oh Kami...” Kagome flushed with the realization that Kazuki was privy to all the stats on her weekly reports, including the rather embarrassing ones. She was close to Kaz, but not that close.

Kazuki gave an exasperated sigh. “Look, Kags, I said that I would do everything I could to help you and in order for me to do that I need to know the specifics. All of the specifics, so don’t go getting all embarrassed about it, okay? Hell, it’s only bodily functions. We all do it, so quit being so weird about it.”

He was right, Kagome thought, it shouldn’t bother me like this. I guess I can chalk this up to my hormones. She sank into a chair, her annoyance and discomfort deflating like a balloon. “I’m sorry, Kaz. I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. I guess I’m just tired and cranky. I really do appreciate everything you’re doing for me.” Her hands rested lightly on her protruding stomach. “For us.”

“Good. I’m glad you realize it, and thank God you finally know. You can blame that damn husband of yours for wanting to keep this from you. Take it out on him, not me.” He paused and then said in a sulking tone, “And for the record I am a very likeable guy, thank you very much.”

Kagome looked at him in surprise. He apparently hadn’t forgotten her earlier comment. Kaz was pouting and it made her bite down on her lip to keep from giggling. “I’m sorry about that, too. I really didn’t mean it. Cheer up. InuYasha does like you. He just won’t admit it.”

“Oh.” A smirk appeared on Kazuki’s face. “Well, that’s a relief. Didn’t want to do any favours for an ass that didn’t even like me.”

“Kaz…” Kagome narrowed her eyes as Kazuki gave into the laughter.

Twenty minutes later, Kagome faced another hanyou and it was no laughing matter.


Slapping the files on Yash’s desk, Kagome demand, “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Shit.”

Yash watched as his wife tapped her foot impatiently and sighed. Raking his hand through his hair, he gestured for her to come closer. A weary look came over her and he grinned at her suspicious nature. “Come here, Kagome.”

“This isn’t funny.” Kagome narrowed her eyes. If he thinks I’m just going to roll over on this one, he’s got another thing coming. She stood where she was and glared at him, trying to hold onto her anger, but as she watched InuYasha lean back and beckon her with his outstretched hand, she couldn’t help but edge a little closer. His warmth was like a beacon and before she knew it she was standing between his legs.

“I never said it was,” he murmured while he brought his hands up and lovingly rubbed her stomach. He emitted a low rumbling sound from deep within his throat that at once comforted her and soothed her irritation, and with his touch fled all of Kagome’s heated emotions. Giving into the pleasure of his stroking, she ran her hands lightly through his hair. He leaned in and gave her stomach a light kiss, and she made no protest as he gently eased her onto his lap.

“Feel better now?”

Still feeling a bit mulish, Kagome nodded.

InuYasha sighed. If he thought Kagome was emotional before, she was ten times worse with pregnancy and half the time he didn’t know how to act around her. The one time he had teased her out of her bad mood and when he tried that same tactic again a few days later, she had burst into tears. Another time he had tried to talk to her and she had stomped away. He just didn’t know how she would react and it upset him that he couldn’t read her as well as she read him. So, he did the one thing that had the most positive effect — it never failed. He kissed her.

Tilting his head up, he brushed his warm lips against hers and was rewarded when he felt her soften up against him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. He continued to kiss her, whispering sweet words in between his kisses. His hand traced slow, soothing circles on her stomach until he felt her relax completely against him. His expressive amber eyes gazed lovingly at her and the endearing way he smiled made her heart ache with love for him.

“How do you do it?” she asked softly. “Make me love you so much even when I’m so damn mad at you.”

His voice grew husky as he said, “Because I love you so damn much and this baby, too”. With his arm curled around her waist, the warmth of his body was like a balm to her soul as were his words. “His eyes grew serious as he explained, “I went to Kazuki because he can be objective about this.” He shushed her when she began to protest and nipped her lips lightly to stop the imminent pout he knew would appear. “You know that’s true. He’s well trained to look for any birth anomalies in hanyou. With the history of complications with hanyou/human births, I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

She rested her forehead against his. “Oh, InuYasha, you know we found a solution for that.”

“I know, but I wasn’t taking any chances. Not with our baby.” He patted her stomach lovingly.

“I just wished you would have told me.”

“With the way you’ve been acting, I was afraid you’d fly off the handle.”

Kagome sighed. “I guess I did anyways.”

“Speaking of keeping secrets. Why didn’t you tell me about the barrier?” he asked quietly.

Kagome’s eyes widened. “Oh.” She looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes. “I-I didn’t want to worry you.”

Yash chuckled softly and hugged her to him. “We make quite the pair, don’t we?”

Snuggling closer to him, she buried her nose into the crock of his neck, taking pleasure in his warm, masculine scent.” We do. I’m glad you finally know about that. I guess Kazuki told you?”

At his nod, she said, “You didn’t have to ask Kaz to monitor the pregnancy. I’ve been going through all my charts with a fine tooth comb and everything is fine.”

“I know how thorough you are. I just don’t think it hurts to have a second opinion, even if it is that bastard.”

That made Kagome sit up straight. “InuYasha! Stop calling Kaz that! He’s not a bastard.”

“Well, not in the literal sense, but he’s still a jerk —”

InuYasha was about to say more, but the frown he received made him swallow his unflattering words. He didn’t really hate Kazuki. In fact, he actually liked the other hanyou, but he just couldn`t help it. It was really more habit than anything else and the insulting words just took a life of their own sometimes.

Kagome’s eyes widened. “And Kaz defended you, too.”

Yash snorted incredulously. “What? He defended me?”

“Yes, he did, whether you believe it or not. And he was actually hurt when I said that you didn’t even like him.”

“I never said I didn’t like him.”

Kagome nodded knowingly. “I know. It just slipped out that way. I actually corrected that notion and said that you did, in fact, like him.” She grinned cheekily at him.

“Hey! Don’t go around telling people that. I have a reputation to uphold.”

Kagome giggled. “Oh yeah? Mr. big, strong hanyou.”

“Damn straight,” Yash growled as his arms encircled her body and drew her closer. Closing his eyes, he reveled in the feel of his wife and child in his arms.

Kagome enjoyed the closeness for a few minutes before she lowered her head and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She wanted to stay right where she was, but the thought of her lab and the pile of results she had to compile made her sigh. “I better get back to work.”

Yash tightened his hold on her. “I think you should take the rest of the afternoon off.”

“And do what?”

“Stay with me.”

Kagome leaned against her husband, reluctant to leave. “There’s so much to do,” she murmured. Fiddling with his hair, she sighed. “No, I better get back downstairs.”

“Don’t you have a meeting?”

“I do?”

Glancing at his watch, Yash said innocently — too innocently, “Yes, in about five minutes. You need to meet the boss.” His lips curled into a sensuous smile that never ceased to cause flutters in her stomach.

Kagome licked her lips and whispered, “Really? The boss, huh?”

“It’s a human-youkai resource initiative: get to know your boss better.”

Not tearing her gaze away from his mouth, she said “I’ve never heard of that one. I must have missed the memo on that.”

He grinned seductively and a feral gleam entered his eyes. “It’s a new policy I’m implementing. So… shall we get started?”

“Getting to know the boss better?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’ll play.” Sitting up straighter, she turned in his lap and held out her hand. “Mr. Takahashi, I’m Dr. Kagome Takahashi. I work in the Hanyou Science division.”

He was pleased that she was willing to play his game, but didn’t she know the proper way to greet her boss? He’ll have to rectify that. Starting now. Ignoring her outstretched hand, he grasped the back of her head and pulled her towards him. “Nice to meet you, Kagome,” he whispered huskily before his lips descended on hers.


In the quiet solitary of the upper offices, with no one to interrupt them, Kagome Takahashi spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know her boss better — in more ways than one.




A/N:  More fluff in this chapter because I’m trying to put as much in as possible before the angst comes. ^_^ For those who have stuck with the story, thank you! I’m trying to update more regularly, so expect another chapter soon. Thanks, as always, for reading!

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