InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ While You Were Gone ❯ Watchdog ( Chapter 2 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Romance / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.03.2017 | Pages: 8 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 371 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Romance / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.03.2017 | Pages: 8 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 371 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha. I will make no
money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment
of my readers.
Watchdog
Inuyasha cast his eyes around the room one last time before closing them, his gaze softening as it lingered on the two small forms sleeping soundly in the corner. A smile played at the corners of his lips as he folded his arms into the sleeves of his suikan and settled back against the wall by the doorway, prepared to defend his charges with his life if need be. Not that he expected any trouble. Still, this was the first time he had been asked to watch Miroku and Sango’s children by himself, and he was going to make damn sure not to screw it up. It still amazed him, their trust. While most parents would sooner claw his eyes out than leave their children in his care, his friends didn’t hesitate to ask him to watch their first-born daughters for the evening. It was humbling to say the least.
On a practical note, he was still confused about why they had asked him to babysit. Sure, Kaede was old—and getting older—and needed her rest. But Rin could stay up late. At the very least, he would have expected Rin to be here with him. Whatever the reason, they had asked him and him alone, and he would not let them down. It was a responsibility he had never expected, but he found that he didn’t mind. Especially not after Miroku had taken to complaining during their last youkai extermination trip that he and Sango hadn’t been able to spend much ‘quality time’ together as of late. Business had been booming recently, which was good for their finances but bad for marital harmony. Sango was strong, but even she was not immune to the strain of being a full-time mother. Both of them were looking forward to the winter, when Miroku’s business would likely slow down somewhat to allow him to be home more often. And in the meantime, they obviously hoped to ‘reconnect’ this evening, in multiple meanings of the word. Far from being solely focused on sex, Miroku apparently had something romantic planned. Seeing the couple’s mutual excitement as they departed had been more than enough thanks for Inuyasha. That being said, if they wanted to express their gratitude another way, for example by cooking one of his favorite meals for him tomorrow, then who was he to refuse?
A pleasant thought, but that would only come to pass if he took good care of the girls, Miroku and Sango’s pride and joy. Asayake, morning glow. Yuuyake, evening glow. Beautiful names for beautiful children. There had been a gorgeous sunset the night Sango went into labor, and by the time the twins were finally born the following morning, an equally breathtaking dawn had risen in the east. The couple had been undecided about names up until that point, but after that the right names seemed obvious. It was as though the Kami had made the decision for them.
And now they’re under my care, Inuyasha thought with a twinge of nervousness. He rolled his shoulders as if to shake it off, and firmed his countenance. Everything would be fine. Miroku and Sango had put the girls to bed before they left, and with any luck, the children would remain soundly asleep until their parents returned. They tended to wake up at the crack of dawn, but generally slept through the night. As long as no one woke them up, he shouldn’t have any problems.
“Hey, Inuyasha!”
“Wah!” he shouted, slamming his hands over his own mouth to stifle himself. He glanced toward the girls with wide eyes, holding his breath as they stirred, and then finally settled down again. Crisis averted, he slowly turned to favor the intruder with a formidable glare. Shippou had the good grace to look sheepish, but also more than a little amused.
“What the hell are you doing here, runt?!” Inuyasha demanded in a whisper.
“Just seeing if it was true,” Shippou replied, with entirely too much perkiness and volume for the hanyou’s liking. “Rin said Miroku and Sango left you in charge, but I had to see it with my own eyes.”
“Yeah, well take a good look and then beat it.”
“So they really asked you to watch the girls?” the kitsune inquired, the mischief in his tone rousing Inuyasha’s suspicions.
“So, what of it?”
“Well…you’re not off to a very good start, letting me sneak up on you.”
“Why you…”
“What if I’d been an oni?”
“You’re gonna be unconscious if you don’t beat it!”
“Ooh, I’m hungry for human flesh, thirsty for fresh blood!”
“And my first is itching to pound that smartass head of yours! Now—” He cut himself off, holding his breath as the girls stirred, only to once again settle down.
“That’s twice you’ve almost woken them up, baka,” Shippou teased. He quelled as his friend’s glare settled on him, even more furious than before. Inuyasha, not trusting himself to speak, merely raised a clawed hand and pointed at the door.
“Aw, come on, Inuyasha! I wanted to show you something!”
“No.”
“But I learned a new illusion at the kitsune academy…”
“Hell no.”
“Aw, but—”
“Dammit, runt! Show me tomorrow!”
“But I wanted to show you tonight! Pleeeeeaaaaase!”
Inuyasha groaned and slammed his head back against the wood. He knew from experience that when Shippou got like this, he didn’t shut up until he got his way. This had become a normal ritual for them, the kitsune returning from the academy and showing him what he had learned. He had probably been excited about it all day. And suddenly Inuyasha didn’t have the heart to refuse.
“Is it a quiet illusion?” he demanded, his tone demanding truth.
“Yes! It won’t make a sound, I promise!”
Inuyasha glared at him for a moment longer, then heaved a long-suffering sigh. I know I’m going to regret this… He nodded anyway.
Shippou was true to his word…at first. The illusion was really just an increased level of refinement in his fox fire. Instead of merely casting it, Shippou was learning how to control it. And as a dragon made of blue fire undulated gracefully around the room, Inuyasha had to admit that he was impressed. At least until it knocked over a few rolls of firewood…then a cooking pan…then a stack of bowls. The more panicked Shippou became, the wilder his creation grew, until it seemed to possess a mind of its own. Inuyasha briefly considered throttling the kit to see if that would work, but instead he leapt to his feet to slash the bright and noisy dragon out of existence.
Twin gasps. Inuyasha froze, his clawed hand poised in mid-strike, as he slowly turned to gaze into the corner of the room, a sensation of absolute dread settling in his stomach. Two sets of terrified eyes stared back at him, reflecting the eerie blue glow of the monster which had frightened them so. Inuyasha immediately dispatched it, the illusion dissipating with one swipe of his claws. But it was too late; the damage had been done.
There was a brief moment of silence. And then the twins started bawling.
The livid glare which Inuyasha directed at Shippou then would forever give the kitsune reason to be grateful that looks could not in fact kill you.
“Well…I, uh…see ya!”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Inuyasha snarled, diving after the fleeing kitsune, only to swear and bang his fist against the floorboards when Shippou proved just a bit too elusive for him.
“Get back here, you bastard! I’m gonna shave your tail for this!”
He would have to get his revenge another time, however. His first priority had to be getting the girls to stop crying. He covered his ears with his hands, his head already throbbing. This wasn’t normal ‘I want something’ crying. This was full-blown fear crying, which he was dismayed to learn was ten times worse. He knew of one thing which might make them stop, one humiliating, degrading thing. But even that wouldn’t do any good right now, he realized. The weak-eyed humans probably couldn’t see a thing in the dark hut. Actually, the darkness was probably contributing significantly to their fear. At least, he hoped it was.
After setting a new Sengoku Jidai record for starting a fire, Inuyasha turned to the girls. On second thought, he was glad that Shippou had left. This was going to be embarrassing enough without anyone around to witness it. The girls had calmed a little, enough so that they at least had their eyes open, glancing fearfully around the room, but were still crying in earnest. He strode over and knelt right in front of them, gently taking their hands and leaning down so he was at their eye level.
“Asayake, Yuuyake!” he called in what he hoped was a bright, friendly voice. It sounded awkward and weird to his ears, but both girls focused on him, so that was something. “You’re okay! The bad monster is gone.”
“Otou!”
“Okaa!”
Oh, shit.
“Uh, Otou and Okaa will be back soon!”
“Otou!”
“Okaa!”
Double shit.
“They’ll be back soon! For now, you have…” I hate myself. “Uncle Inu! Remember Uncle Inu and his funny ears?”
*twitch twitch*
*twitch twitch*
In an instant, twin sets of eyes gravitated to the ears wiggling at the top of his head, and crying turned into giggling. Then back into crying when he stopped.
*twitch twitch*
*twitch twitch*
He had discovered the ‘ear trick’ quite by accident one day. Sango had been weeding in the garden when the girls woke from their nap, and she had asked him to go inside and get them. An involuntary twitch had been all it took to turn their fussing into laughter, but when Sango asked him his secret, he merely shrugged, pretending not to know what she was talking about. He hadn’t done it since, but now his accidental discovery was paying major dividends. He soon had the twins mollified enough to pick them both up and deposit them on his lap. Hesitantly he wrapped his arms around them, ensconcing them within the folds of his suikan. They wiped their faces on his sleeves, getting out the last of their sniffles. Inuyasha felt a strange warmth blossom within his chest, a sensation which he hadn’t felt in more than two years, not since…
But no, now was not the time to think if her. He had been doing too much of that lately as it was, ‘brooding’ as Miroku called it. He was right, Inuyasha supposed. Moments of genuine, unqualified happiness had been hard to come by since that fateful day. But this…this was nice. He didn’t want to be another parent to the girls; far from it. But…perhaps spending more time with them wouldn’t be so bad.
“Uncle Inu will protect you,” he told them, his throat tightening. “No monsters can get you when you’re with Uncle Inu.”
“Inu.”
“Inu.”
They hugged him then, and he tightened his hold on them in return, blinking his eyes against a sudden and persistent itch. The smoke from the fire must be bothering him. But there was nothing for it; the girls might start crying again if he put out the light. As it was, now that they felt safe and had light to see by, their minds quickly turned to more pleasurable pursuits. When they starting wriggling in his arms, he knew it was trouble.
“Play.”
“Play.”
“No, no, girls. It’s time to go back to bed.”
“Play!” they shouted as one, more forcefully this time, both sticking out their lower jaws in what could only be described as synchronized stubbornness. Perhaps their parents might have been able to take a firm line with them and get them back to bed—though that was by no means guaranteed—but he certainly had no chance. All he would get for his efforts was two angry toddlers pitching two wicked tizzy fits. And that was something he had no idea how to deal with. So with no other option, he let them go, hoping they would wear themselves out soon. Preferably before their parents returned, so he could pretend that none of this had ever happened…until the next time he saw Shippou, of course.
Dreaming of sweet revenge made the time pass by more quickly, as he watched the girls. They were playing next to each other rather than with each other, which Sango had explained was normal for kids their age. How many moons had passed since their birth? Seventeen? Eighteen? Something like that. They showed no signs of wearing down, but Inuyasha knew it was only a matter of time. Everything was going fine until both girls reached for the same toy at the same time. Their eyes met, a flash of something bitter passing between them. Oh, shit…
“Mine!”
“Mine!”
The girls didn’t know many words, but that had been one of the first they learned. It was also one of their favorites, perhaps surpassed only by ‘no.’ Their parents were smart enough to make sure they had two of every toy, but that never seemed to matter to the toddlers.
“Mine!”
“Mine!”
N ow they were tugging the poor wooden horse between them, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out where this was going. One of them would lose and be inconsolable for quite some time. And that headache of his which had been simmering for most of the evening would roar to life once more.
“Asayake! Yuuyake! Look!” he exclaimed, snatching the horse’s twin off the floor and prancing it up to them. “This little horse wants to play too. Can you play with him?”
“Mine!”
“Mine!”
Well, that didn’t work. He wanted to yell at them. ‘It’s the same damn horse! Are you freaking kidding me?!’ But he didn’t say that. They were just kids.
Don’t. Yell. At the kids.
Shit, how does Sango do this?
Remembering, he yanked the horse out of the girls’ hands and moved it behind his back with the other one. Then, before they could start crying, he leaned down and spoke in what he hoped was an exciting and mysterious tone. Though it might have just come out as awkward and weird again.
“Okay, girls, I’m going to use my magical…uh, Inu powers to make one horse into two. Can you say the magic words with me?” Each of them babbled something completely indecipherable. “Poof!” he exclaimed, bringing each horse out from behind his back simultaneously and handing it to one of the girls. They looked at each other, then at the other’s horse, but apparently they each decided that their own horse was better and went back to their own play. Inuyasha sighed in relief, giving himself a mental pat on the back.
Over the next several minutes, the horses continued their whirlwind adventures. Galloping across the floor. Cantering across the walls. Trotting atop a hanyou’s head. Ow, that hurts. Then it apparently started munching on his ear. Damn, that hurts! Finally it left, but not after dropping an imaginary turd on his head, if the little noise Yuuyake made was any indication. That was fine, as long as the girls let out some of their seemingly boundless energy and went back to sleep soon!
Of course, it couldn’t be that simple. What the hell time of night is it? he asked himself a while later. It felt like they had been playing for half the night. They had lost interest in the horses and moved on to their other toys, only to return to the horses again. Only now the horses weren’t running; they were leaping across the room.
“Girls, remember your Otou and Okaa said no throwing—”
*bonk*
“Gah!” he cried, rubbing his sore cranium. Distracted by the pain from Yuuyake’s ridiculously powerful toss, he didn’t notice as Asayake’s horse landed in the fire pit, precariously close to the dancing flames. By the time he realized what she was doing, she was already toddling straight toward the fire.
“Noooooooooo!”
The next several seconds seemed to pass by in slow motion. As he lurched into a crouch. As he dove across the room with his hands outstretched. As he caught Asayake just before she got too close to the fire. And finally, as his momentum carried him face-first into the flames.
“Gaaaaaaaaaah!”
He pulled back from the burning agony, inadvertently losing his grip on Asayake and tossing her into the air. He wanted to run and dunk his face into the river, but instead he lurched to the side and caught her on the way down. She squealed in elation, ignorant of his misery. Somehow, her laughter made it hurt less.
“Again!”
Oh, no…
“Asa—”
“Again! Again!”
Once more he had to choose between happy toddlers and pissed off toddlers. Sighing, he tossed Asayake and caught her, then repeated the motion several more times, pinning his ears back all the while. For all the good it did.
“Me! Me!”
Shit and double shit!
Yuuyake wanted to be tossed too. But Asayake didn’t want to be put down to give her sister a turn. But Yuuyake would start bawling if he didn’t give her a turn. But Asayake would start bawling if he left her on the floor for too long. But he didn’t trust himself to toss them both at the same time. And Yuuyake wanted a longer turn. And Asayake wanted a longer turn. And their delighted screams were like knives stabbing into the side of his head. He was going to go deaf by the time the evening was over, he just knew it.
How long did they expect him to keep this up, anyway?
It wasn’t until they were within a dozen meters or so of the hut that they noticed the faint glow shining around the edges of the doorway. They shared a look of concern, then hurried the rest of the way to the hut. What they found simultaneously put their minds at ease and drew warm chuckles from each of them. Inuyasha was lying sprawled out on the floor on his back, dead to the world and snoring softly. Asayake was nestled into his left side and Yuuyake his right, each of them also slumbering peacefully.
“Well, it does not appear that the girls stayed asleep,” Miroku observed in amusement.
“They look comfortable though. Let’s leave them where they are.”
Miroku agreed, not wishing to accidentally wake them up. He did grab a blanket and put it over the three of them, tucking it in around the girls’ chins. He lingered for a moment, watching them sleep. It was a sight which he missed when he was on a job. He missed everything about them. His girls. His wife. If he could provide for them without ever leaving the village, he would. But he wasn’t cut out to be a farmer, and his work helped people in need. Hopefully the work would die down a bit in the winter.
As he moved to join his wife in their sleeping area, he happened to notice something odd. Something which he wasn’t sure whether to laugh at or be concerned about.
“Sango, can you come here for a moment?”
“What is it?” she asked, sidling up next to him.
“Is it my imagination, or is Inuyasha missing an eyebrow?” Her stunned silence provided all the answer he needed.
“Do we want to know how that happened?” she asked eventually.
He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t think we do. Let’s go to bed before we notice anything else which might make us think twice about ever leaving our children with Inuyasha again.”
“Good idea.”
Later, as they cuddled under the covers, Miroku’s thoughts once again drifted to his hanyou friend.
“Do you think Inuyasha had fun with the girls?”
“He’ll never admit it, but I imagine he did.”
“He’s just been in such a funk lately. I was hoping that spending time with them might give him a little joy, even if it was just watching over them while they slept.”
Sango leaned up to kiss him. “You’re a good man, Miroku.”
He grinned, tilting his head down to capture her lips once more. Sango had finally started calling him by his name sometime during her pregnancy. Since then, she only used ‘Houshi-sama’ when she thought he was being a pervert, or sometimes in the heat of passion during lovemaking. For some reason, he always found the latter instance incredibly sexy.
Their kiss this time was leisurely, the passion in no way diminished by the absence of lust. Neither of them felt the need to do anything except hold each other. Even he, the former lecher, was fully satisfied.
Sango eventually pulled away from the kiss, adopting a warm smile. “And I may have some good news for you very soon,” she declared coyly.
“Oh?”
“Tell me, are you still ready for that third child?”
“What do you know?” he asked excitedly.
“I don’t know anything. It’s merely a hunch.”
“Ah. Well, I learned long ago to trust your hunches.”
“And if I’m not with child,” she continued, leaning in close to whisper in his ear, “well, then we’ll just have to keep trying, won’t we?”
Miroku stifled a groan. Sango was still reserved around others, and probably always would be. He honestly wouldn’t have her any other way. Still, he loved how she had opened up to him over these past two years. His love for her had only grown, something he hadn’t thought possible. When was the last time he’d told her that?
“Have I told you that I love you tonight?”
Sango chuckled. “You might have…in other circumstances.”
“Ah,” he replied, remembering the moment fondly. “Well, some men are most honest in those circumstances.”
“Sure, sure, Houshi-sama,” she countered pointedly, drawing a laugh from him.
Later, as Sango slumbered in his arms, Miroku gazed up at the ceiling with a warm smile gracing his features. Another child…he wondered what it would be. He hoped for a boy, only because he had two girls already. He had a feeling that it would be a boy.
I wonder what we’ll name him…
A/N – Miroku and Sango’s children don’t have official names, so I made up my own. The translations are beautiful, and after listening to audio of their pronunciations, I like how they sound as well. I don’t think either name is very common, but then neither are Sango (coral) and Kohaku (amber). Perhaps it’s a taijiya tradition to use unusual names?
Watchdog
Inuyasha cast his eyes around the room one last time before closing them, his gaze softening as it lingered on the two small forms sleeping soundly in the corner. A smile played at the corners of his lips as he folded his arms into the sleeves of his suikan and settled back against the wall by the doorway, prepared to defend his charges with his life if need be. Not that he expected any trouble. Still, this was the first time he had been asked to watch Miroku and Sango’s children by himself, and he was going to make damn sure not to screw it up. It still amazed him, their trust. While most parents would sooner claw his eyes out than leave their children in his care, his friends didn’t hesitate to ask him to watch their first-born daughters for the evening. It was humbling to say the least.
On a practical note, he was still confused about why they had asked him to babysit. Sure, Kaede was old—and getting older—and needed her rest. But Rin could stay up late. At the very least, he would have expected Rin to be here with him. Whatever the reason, they had asked him and him alone, and he would not let them down. It was a responsibility he had never expected, but he found that he didn’t mind. Especially not after Miroku had taken to complaining during their last youkai extermination trip that he and Sango hadn’t been able to spend much ‘quality time’ together as of late. Business had been booming recently, which was good for their finances but bad for marital harmony. Sango was strong, but even she was not immune to the strain of being a full-time mother. Both of them were looking forward to the winter, when Miroku’s business would likely slow down somewhat to allow him to be home more often. And in the meantime, they obviously hoped to ‘reconnect’ this evening, in multiple meanings of the word. Far from being solely focused on sex, Miroku apparently had something romantic planned. Seeing the couple’s mutual excitement as they departed had been more than enough thanks for Inuyasha. That being said, if they wanted to express their gratitude another way, for example by cooking one of his favorite meals for him tomorrow, then who was he to refuse?
A pleasant thought, but that would only come to pass if he took good care of the girls, Miroku and Sango’s pride and joy. Asayake, morning glow. Yuuyake, evening glow. Beautiful names for beautiful children. There had been a gorgeous sunset the night Sango went into labor, and by the time the twins were finally born the following morning, an equally breathtaking dawn had risen in the east. The couple had been undecided about names up until that point, but after that the right names seemed obvious. It was as though the Kami had made the decision for them.
And now they’re under my care, Inuyasha thought with a twinge of nervousness. He rolled his shoulders as if to shake it off, and firmed his countenance. Everything would be fine. Miroku and Sango had put the girls to bed before they left, and with any luck, the children would remain soundly asleep until their parents returned. They tended to wake up at the crack of dawn, but generally slept through the night. As long as no one woke them up, he shouldn’t have any problems.
“Hey, Inuyasha!”
“Wah!” he shouted, slamming his hands over his own mouth to stifle himself. He glanced toward the girls with wide eyes, holding his breath as they stirred, and then finally settled down again. Crisis averted, he slowly turned to favor the intruder with a formidable glare. Shippou had the good grace to look sheepish, but also more than a little amused.
“What the hell are you doing here, runt?!” Inuyasha demanded in a whisper.
“Just seeing if it was true,” Shippou replied, with entirely too much perkiness and volume for the hanyou’s liking. “Rin said Miroku and Sango left you in charge, but I had to see it with my own eyes.”
“Yeah, well take a good look and then beat it.”
“So they really asked you to watch the girls?” the kitsune inquired, the mischief in his tone rousing Inuyasha’s suspicions.
“So, what of it?”
“Well…you’re not off to a very good start, letting me sneak up on you.”
“Why you…”
“What if I’d been an oni?”
“You’re gonna be unconscious if you don’t beat it!”
“Ooh, I’m hungry for human flesh, thirsty for fresh blood!”
“And my first is itching to pound that smartass head of yours! Now—” He cut himself off, holding his breath as the girls stirred, only to once again settle down.
“That’s twice you’ve almost woken them up, baka,” Shippou teased. He quelled as his friend’s glare settled on him, even more furious than before. Inuyasha, not trusting himself to speak, merely raised a clawed hand and pointed at the door.
“Aw, come on, Inuyasha! I wanted to show you something!”
“No.”
“But I learned a new illusion at the kitsune academy…”
“Hell no.”
“Aw, but—”
“Dammit, runt! Show me tomorrow!”
“But I wanted to show you tonight! Pleeeeeaaaaase!”
Inuyasha groaned and slammed his head back against the wood. He knew from experience that when Shippou got like this, he didn’t shut up until he got his way. This had become a normal ritual for them, the kitsune returning from the academy and showing him what he had learned. He had probably been excited about it all day. And suddenly Inuyasha didn’t have the heart to refuse.
“Is it a quiet illusion?” he demanded, his tone demanding truth.
“Yes! It won’t make a sound, I promise!”
Inuyasha glared at him for a moment longer, then heaved a long-suffering sigh. I know I’m going to regret this… He nodded anyway.
Shippou was true to his word…at first. The illusion was really just an increased level of refinement in his fox fire. Instead of merely casting it, Shippou was learning how to control it. And as a dragon made of blue fire undulated gracefully around the room, Inuyasha had to admit that he was impressed. At least until it knocked over a few rolls of firewood…then a cooking pan…then a stack of bowls. The more panicked Shippou became, the wilder his creation grew, until it seemed to possess a mind of its own. Inuyasha briefly considered throttling the kit to see if that would work, but instead he leapt to his feet to slash the bright and noisy dragon out of existence.
Twin gasps. Inuyasha froze, his clawed hand poised in mid-strike, as he slowly turned to gaze into the corner of the room, a sensation of absolute dread settling in his stomach. Two sets of terrified eyes stared back at him, reflecting the eerie blue glow of the monster which had frightened them so. Inuyasha immediately dispatched it, the illusion dissipating with one swipe of his claws. But it was too late; the damage had been done.
There was a brief moment of silence. And then the twins started bawling.
The livid glare which Inuyasha directed at Shippou then would forever give the kitsune reason to be grateful that looks could not in fact kill you.
“Well…I, uh…see ya!”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Inuyasha snarled, diving after the fleeing kitsune, only to swear and bang his fist against the floorboards when Shippou proved just a bit too elusive for him.
“Get back here, you bastard! I’m gonna shave your tail for this!”
He would have to get his revenge another time, however. His first priority had to be getting the girls to stop crying. He covered his ears with his hands, his head already throbbing. This wasn’t normal ‘I want something’ crying. This was full-blown fear crying, which he was dismayed to learn was ten times worse. He knew of one thing which might make them stop, one humiliating, degrading thing. But even that wouldn’t do any good right now, he realized. The weak-eyed humans probably couldn’t see a thing in the dark hut. Actually, the darkness was probably contributing significantly to their fear. At least, he hoped it was.
After setting a new Sengoku Jidai record for starting a fire, Inuyasha turned to the girls. On second thought, he was glad that Shippou had left. This was going to be embarrassing enough without anyone around to witness it. The girls had calmed a little, enough so that they at least had their eyes open, glancing fearfully around the room, but were still crying in earnest. He strode over and knelt right in front of them, gently taking their hands and leaning down so he was at their eye level.
“Asayake, Yuuyake!” he called in what he hoped was a bright, friendly voice. It sounded awkward and weird to his ears, but both girls focused on him, so that was something. “You’re okay! The bad monster is gone.”
“Otou!”
“Okaa!”
Oh, shit.
“Uh, Otou and Okaa will be back soon!”
“Otou!”
“Okaa!”
Double shit.
“They’ll be back soon! For now, you have…” I hate myself. “Uncle Inu! Remember Uncle Inu and his funny ears?”
*twitch twitch*
*twitch twitch*
In an instant, twin sets of eyes gravitated to the ears wiggling at the top of his head, and crying turned into giggling. Then back into crying when he stopped.
*twitch twitch*
*twitch twitch*
He had discovered the ‘ear trick’ quite by accident one day. Sango had been weeding in the garden when the girls woke from their nap, and she had asked him to go inside and get them. An involuntary twitch had been all it took to turn their fussing into laughter, but when Sango asked him his secret, he merely shrugged, pretending not to know what she was talking about. He hadn’t done it since, but now his accidental discovery was paying major dividends. He soon had the twins mollified enough to pick them both up and deposit them on his lap. Hesitantly he wrapped his arms around them, ensconcing them within the folds of his suikan. They wiped their faces on his sleeves, getting out the last of their sniffles. Inuyasha felt a strange warmth blossom within his chest, a sensation which he hadn’t felt in more than two years, not since…
But no, now was not the time to think if her. He had been doing too much of that lately as it was, ‘brooding’ as Miroku called it. He was right, Inuyasha supposed. Moments of genuine, unqualified happiness had been hard to come by since that fateful day. But this…this was nice. He didn’t want to be another parent to the girls; far from it. But…perhaps spending more time with them wouldn’t be so bad.
“Uncle Inu will protect you,” he told them, his throat tightening. “No monsters can get you when you’re with Uncle Inu.”
“Inu.”
“Inu.”
They hugged him then, and he tightened his hold on them in return, blinking his eyes against a sudden and persistent itch. The smoke from the fire must be bothering him. But there was nothing for it; the girls might start crying again if he put out the light. As it was, now that they felt safe and had light to see by, their minds quickly turned to more pleasurable pursuits. When they starting wriggling in his arms, he knew it was trouble.
“Play.”
“Play.”
“No, no, girls. It’s time to go back to bed.”
“Play!” they shouted as one, more forcefully this time, both sticking out their lower jaws in what could only be described as synchronized stubbornness. Perhaps their parents might have been able to take a firm line with them and get them back to bed—though that was by no means guaranteed—but he certainly had no chance. All he would get for his efforts was two angry toddlers pitching two wicked tizzy fits. And that was something he had no idea how to deal with. So with no other option, he let them go, hoping they would wear themselves out soon. Preferably before their parents returned, so he could pretend that none of this had ever happened…until the next time he saw Shippou, of course.
Dreaming of sweet revenge made the time pass by more quickly, as he watched the girls. They were playing next to each other rather than with each other, which Sango had explained was normal for kids their age. How many moons had passed since their birth? Seventeen? Eighteen? Something like that. They showed no signs of wearing down, but Inuyasha knew it was only a matter of time. Everything was going fine until both girls reached for the same toy at the same time. Their eyes met, a flash of something bitter passing between them. Oh, shit…
“Mine!”
“Mine!”
The girls didn’t know many words, but that had been one of the first they learned. It was also one of their favorites, perhaps surpassed only by ‘no.’ Their parents were smart enough to make sure they had two of every toy, but that never seemed to matter to the toddlers.
“Mine!”
“Mine!”
N ow they were tugging the poor wooden horse between them, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out where this was going. One of them would lose and be inconsolable for quite some time. And that headache of his which had been simmering for most of the evening would roar to life once more.
“Asayake! Yuuyake! Look!” he exclaimed, snatching the horse’s twin off the floor and prancing it up to them. “This little horse wants to play too. Can you play with him?”
“Mine!”
“Mine!”
Well, that didn’t work. He wanted to yell at them. ‘It’s the same damn horse! Are you freaking kidding me?!’ But he didn’t say that. They were just kids.
Don’t. Yell. At the kids.
Shit, how does Sango do this?
Remembering, he yanked the horse out of the girls’ hands and moved it behind his back with the other one. Then, before they could start crying, he leaned down and spoke in what he hoped was an exciting and mysterious tone. Though it might have just come out as awkward and weird again.
“Okay, girls, I’m going to use my magical…uh, Inu powers to make one horse into two. Can you say the magic words with me?” Each of them babbled something completely indecipherable. “Poof!” he exclaimed, bringing each horse out from behind his back simultaneously and handing it to one of the girls. They looked at each other, then at the other’s horse, but apparently they each decided that their own horse was better and went back to their own play. Inuyasha sighed in relief, giving himself a mental pat on the back.
Over the next several minutes, the horses continued their whirlwind adventures. Galloping across the floor. Cantering across the walls. Trotting atop a hanyou’s head. Ow, that hurts. Then it apparently started munching on his ear. Damn, that hurts! Finally it left, but not after dropping an imaginary turd on his head, if the little noise Yuuyake made was any indication. That was fine, as long as the girls let out some of their seemingly boundless energy and went back to sleep soon!
Of course, it couldn’t be that simple. What the hell time of night is it? he asked himself a while later. It felt like they had been playing for half the night. They had lost interest in the horses and moved on to their other toys, only to return to the horses again. Only now the horses weren’t running; they were leaping across the room.
“Girls, remember your Otou and Okaa said no throwing—”
*bonk*
“Gah!” he cried, rubbing his sore cranium. Distracted by the pain from Yuuyake’s ridiculously powerful toss, he didn’t notice as Asayake’s horse landed in the fire pit, precariously close to the dancing flames. By the time he realized what she was doing, she was already toddling straight toward the fire.
“Noooooooooo!”
The next several seconds seemed to pass by in slow motion. As he lurched into a crouch. As he dove across the room with his hands outstretched. As he caught Asayake just before she got too close to the fire. And finally, as his momentum carried him face-first into the flames.
“Gaaaaaaaaaah!”
He pulled back from the burning agony, inadvertently losing his grip on Asayake and tossing her into the air. He wanted to run and dunk his face into the river, but instead he lurched to the side and caught her on the way down. She squealed in elation, ignorant of his misery. Somehow, her laughter made it hurt less.
“Again!”
Oh, no…
“Asa—”
“Again! Again!”
Once more he had to choose between happy toddlers and pissed off toddlers. Sighing, he tossed Asayake and caught her, then repeated the motion several more times, pinning his ears back all the while. For all the good it did.
“Me! Me!”
Shit and double shit!
Yuuyake wanted to be tossed too. But Asayake didn’t want to be put down to give her sister a turn. But Yuuyake would start bawling if he didn’t give her a turn. But Asayake would start bawling if he left her on the floor for too long. But he didn’t trust himself to toss them both at the same time. And Yuuyake wanted a longer turn. And Asayake wanted a longer turn. And their delighted screams were like knives stabbing into the side of his head. He was going to go deaf by the time the evening was over, he just knew it.
How long did they expect him to keep this up, anyway?
* * *
Sango sighed happily as their home came into view. She felt
fully sated in every way possible, but it was nice to be home.
She had never been able to completely stop worrying about the
girls, though Miroku did an excellent job of
‘distracting’ her, both before—and especially
during—their lovemaking. Work and stress had caused
them to drift apart lately, not enough to truly worry either of
them, but enough so that they both noticed it. Now Sango felt
closer to him than she had in a long time. They would have to
do this more often. She felt Miroku’s hand tighten
around her waist. She looked up to find him smiling down at
her, and knew that he was thinking the same thing. It wasn’t until they were within a dozen meters or so of the hut that they noticed the faint glow shining around the edges of the doorway. They shared a look of concern, then hurried the rest of the way to the hut. What they found simultaneously put their minds at ease and drew warm chuckles from each of them. Inuyasha was lying sprawled out on the floor on his back, dead to the world and snoring softly. Asayake was nestled into his left side and Yuuyake his right, each of them also slumbering peacefully.
“Well, it does not appear that the girls stayed asleep,” Miroku observed in amusement.
“They look comfortable though. Let’s leave them where they are.”
Miroku agreed, not wishing to accidentally wake them up. He did grab a blanket and put it over the three of them, tucking it in around the girls’ chins. He lingered for a moment, watching them sleep. It was a sight which he missed when he was on a job. He missed everything about them. His girls. His wife. If he could provide for them without ever leaving the village, he would. But he wasn’t cut out to be a farmer, and his work helped people in need. Hopefully the work would die down a bit in the winter.
As he moved to join his wife in their sleeping area, he happened to notice something odd. Something which he wasn’t sure whether to laugh at or be concerned about.
“Sango, can you come here for a moment?”
“What is it?” she asked, sidling up next to him.
“Is it my imagination, or is Inuyasha missing an eyebrow?” Her stunned silence provided all the answer he needed.
“Do we want to know how that happened?” she asked eventually.
He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t think we do. Let’s go to bed before we notice anything else which might make us think twice about ever leaving our children with Inuyasha again.”
“Good idea.”
Later, as they cuddled under the covers, Miroku’s thoughts once again drifted to his hanyou friend.
“Do you think Inuyasha had fun with the girls?”
“He’ll never admit it, but I imagine he did.”
“He’s just been in such a funk lately. I was hoping that spending time with them might give him a little joy, even if it was just watching over them while they slept.”
Sango leaned up to kiss him. “You’re a good man, Miroku.”
He grinned, tilting his head down to capture her lips once more. Sango had finally started calling him by his name sometime during her pregnancy. Since then, she only used ‘Houshi-sama’ when she thought he was being a pervert, or sometimes in the heat of passion during lovemaking. For some reason, he always found the latter instance incredibly sexy.
Their kiss this time was leisurely, the passion in no way diminished by the absence of lust. Neither of them felt the need to do anything except hold each other. Even he, the former lecher, was fully satisfied.
Sango eventually pulled away from the kiss, adopting a warm smile. “And I may have some good news for you very soon,” she declared coyly.
“Oh?”
“Tell me, are you still ready for that third child?”
“What do you know?” he asked excitedly.
“I don’t know anything. It’s merely a hunch.”
“Ah. Well, I learned long ago to trust your hunches.”
“And if I’m not with child,” she continued, leaning in close to whisper in his ear, “well, then we’ll just have to keep trying, won’t we?”
Miroku stifled a groan. Sango was still reserved around others, and probably always would be. He honestly wouldn’t have her any other way. Still, he loved how she had opened up to him over these past two years. His love for her had only grown, something he hadn’t thought possible. When was the last time he’d told her that?
“Have I told you that I love you tonight?”
Sango chuckled. “You might have…in other circumstances.”
“Ah,” he replied, remembering the moment fondly. “Well, some men are most honest in those circumstances.”
“Sure, sure, Houshi-sama,” she countered pointedly, drawing a laugh from him.
Later, as Sango slumbered in his arms, Miroku gazed up at the ceiling with a warm smile gracing his features. Another child…he wondered what it would be. He hoped for a boy, only because he had two girls already. He had a feeling that it would be a boy.
I wonder what we’ll name him…
A/N – Miroku and Sango’s children don’t have official names, so I made up my own. The translations are beautiful, and after listening to audio of their pronunciations, I like how they sound as well. I don’t think either name is very common, but then neither are Sango (coral) and Kohaku (amber). Perhaps it’s a taijiya tradition to use unusual names?