InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stream of Consciousness: A LiveJournal Collection ❯ Just for Fun ( Chapter 63 )

Title: Just for Fun

Community: First Tweak

Theme: Bridge

Place Earned: none

Rating: PG

Genre: Nostalgia

Universe: Canon post-manga

Word count: 715

Summary: More of the stuff we did as kids…

Warnings: none

 

A/N - this is a sequel to “Dirt and Bug Soup,” chapter 59 of this collection.

 

 

Just for Fun

 

“What the hell are they doing?” Inuyasha pondered aloud, observing two of his children. He sat on a small rise overlooking the edge of the forest, where Kumiko and Kaito, now ages seven and five respectively, were playing. His wife leaned contentedly into his side, and their infant son cooed merrily from his lap. Of course little Jirou was happy; Kagome had just finished giving him his afternoon meal. His ears twitched alertly, and his flailing hands caught Inuyasha's finger and drew it to his mouth, where he proceeded to suck on it. The hanyou grimaced, knowing that Jirou would soon start to teethe. He knew from experience that it was not a pleasant time for parents of quarter-Inu-youkai children. Perhaps Jirou would be different from his siblings, but he wasn't optimistic.

 

“Building a bridge, I suppose,” Kagome answered.

 

“Why?”

 

Kagome grinned slightly, reaching over and placing a comforting hand on her husband's thigh. Even after seven years of parenthood, Inuyasha still had difficulty with the concept of doing something `just for fun.' His childhood had been incredibly short; he had been forced to fend for himself far too soon. He rarely, if ever, did anything for the pure enjoyment of doing it. Or at least, that used to be the case. Over the years she had seen him grow from a nervous young man almost afraid to hold their newborn daughter into a patient and caring father who loved playing with his children. And he passionately did everything he could to ensure that their offspring enjoyed the childhood that was taken away from him when his mother died. Even if his past sometimes reared its ugly head, she always knew their future was at the forefront of his mind.

 

“Just for fun?” he quickly amended before she could say anything.

 

“Yep.”

 

They settled into companionable silence once more, turning their attention back to their frolicking children. Kumiko and Kaito had discovered two large boulders lying perhaps six feet apart, and were in the process of finding logs of suitable size to drag over and lay between them so they made a crude bridge. There was no particular reason to build a bridge there, aside from the enthusiasm of children determined to accomplish something. The two kids were quite a bit stronger than normal humans even at their age, so gathering and positioning the logs wasn't much of a problem. But when Kumiko climbed up on one of the boulders and moved to test their new creation, Inuyasha decided he had seen enough. He quickly handed Jirou to Kagome and jogged down toward the forest.

 

“Hey, Kumiko, don't go on there! It's not safe! You'll make your mother worry!”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and smiled ruefully. Funny how he says I'll worry, but *he's* the one rushing over there. She couldn't hear what the three members of her family were saying, but she could tell exactly what was going on. Kumiko and Inuyasha were arguing over whether the bridge was safe, the former typically convinced that she was right. To prove his point, Inuyasha leapt up onto the boulder and strode gingerly out onto the bridge. Then, confronted with the possibility that it was sturdier than he thought, he began to hop on it.

 

*CRACK!*

 

“WAAAA!”

 

Kagome quickly covered her mouth in a futile effort to stifle her giggles. Kumiko and Kaito didn't even try; they were literally rolling on the ground laughing their little butts off. Most of the bridge had maintained its structural integrity, but one of the logs had cracked and split. The end result was Inuyasha stuck in a small hole in the bridge, his upper half visible on top and his legs hanging through the bottom. Inuyasha appeared to be taking the whole incident in good humor, playfully yelling at the kids to stop laughing or else.

 

“Come on, little one,” she said to Jirou. “Let's go see if we can pull your father out of there without destroying your siblings' creation.” Looking down, she spied the baby yawning and blinking his eyes tiredly. Time for his nap… Sparing one more glace toward her husband and oldest children, she turned and headed for their home to put Jirou down. She was sure Inuyasha would figure it out. He always did.