「 Affections Touching Across Time — Happier 」

After returning from a trip to Kaede's, Kagome has something to share with Inuyasha and they couldn't be happier.

Inuyasha's ears swiveled as a ladybug's wings fluttered preluding its ascent into the cooling winds rustling the grass around him. Crouched low with knuckles pressed to sodden earth and nose twitching, he trained his gaze on the dirt paths leading between the rice paddy fields and smattering of huts.

He knew the pathways between the huts like the back of his hand. Stood on many of the thatched roofs, repairing them with the help of the men and women, only to leap down and be bombarded by throngs of children wanting to play with the Inuyasha.

The corners of his lips twitched upward. Being regarded so highly was uncommon, and he still wasn't sure how to handle it. True, there were some who looked at him with contempt, but it was nothing he was unaccustomed to. Praise, adoration, gratitude, those were almost non-existent among demons and incredibly rare in humans, and only a budding inclination of something he was worthy of.

Nevertheless, Inuyasha preferred the quiet of his home on the outskirts of the village. Away from the voices whispering unkindly, and adoring eyes beckoning him to aid them. It was where he could have peace within himself and with the one he loved.

Kagome acclimated to life in the village as graciously as she could. Her fire couldn't be tempered by the unspoken rules of equality, and she made it known as well.

It always brought a smile to Inuyasha's face to see her walking with her head held high and seldom tearing into someone who dared to insinuate she was lesser. Spirits help the poor soul who insinuated such because she was a woman. Unsurprisingly, the women in the village revered her, although some thought she was a little odd.

And yet, she remained Kagome through and through.

The corner of Inuyasha's lips dipped downward, his lips thinning into a firm line as his eyes scanned the straw-covered roofs and rustling leaf canopies blanketed in the soft blues and gold of the early morning sun. His skin crawled as he shifted, feeling his ankles protest the movement until he rocked backward onto his behind, not minding the damp grass tickling beneath his undershirt. Although the early morning chill didn't affect him as much, he still felt naked without his suikan [ 1 ].

Yet he felt better knowing it was with Kagome, and that she was safe within the village, likely speaking to Kaede about her condition. Inuyasha's leg began to bounce with familiar unrest. Memories flashed through his mind of early morning retching and Kagome's hair held back as he rubbed soothing circles on her back helplessly.

Her refusal to eat, only taking the smallest of bites to appease him. And her constant murmuring as she scribbled in the journal Sesshomaru's imp had brought to her at Rin's behest. She refused to allow him to see it, stating that it was personal, but her gaze would linger on him for a bit longer before she went back to scribbling in it.

Something was wrong. Very wrong, and he wasn't sure what it was but he prayed to whomever was listening that he'd find out soon. If Kagome was ill, he'd do anything in his power to heal her — even if it meant visiting his bastard brother or ambushing him when he returned at the season's change. Shuddering at the thought, Inuyasha buried his fingers in his hair and tried to calm the swell of fear threatening to burst free from his chest. Following Miroku's advice to repeat what he knew to stave off the anxiousness.

Kagome was strong. She would be fine. It wouldn't happen again. He wouldn't lose her. Not like this. Not when they had so much left to do together. Not before they actually got to live their lives.

It wasn't right.

This wasn't the ending that she deserved.

Inuyasha buried his face in his hands. He didn't have the answers and it was eating him up inside; the idea that he would lose it all again was almost too much to bear. Pressure welled behind his eyes and he sniffed, attempting to keep the salty sting at bay. Rosewood with a lingering hint of steel, flecked with the bittersweet tinge of green apples drew him from his palms.

Sniffing the air again as he peered down the path of tall grass dappled with budding blossoms, Inuyasha's eyes widened and his heart throbbed almost painfully at the sight of Kagome. His suikan, almost matching the red hakama she wore, draped across her shoulders as she pulled it shut around her. Her other hand lingering ominously over her stomach twisting his nerves into knots. Without thinking, he rushed as quickly as the wind could guide him to her side.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked, mentally kicking himself for such a basic question, but his gaze lingered at her stomach as he looked her over as discretely as he could for any sign of injury.

Kagome looked up to him, her smile a bit softer and subdued, though no less warm and able to ease the nerves fluttering in his stomach. "Yeah." She glanced aside and the soft golden sunbeams cast an unearthly glow around her, and shadows on her downcast eyes. Inuyasha's heart stammered in beating as she looked up to him, an unreadable expression stealing her smile from his sight. "Can we… talk?"

He felt his ears perk at the hesitance in her voice, lowering to press against his skull as the nerves returned. "Alright." He stated questioningly, following her with his eyes as they continued up the path to their home in silence. His gaze never leaving her for long as he tried to gauge some sort of inkling what this was about.

His face screwed up as he thought back. Did he do something? Or maybe…

Sharp memories resurfaced of Kagome running her fingers along the splintered wood of the Bone Eater's Well, gazing down into it without saying a word. He didn't hover over her but he watched from afar until Sango came to find her with her daughters, Chihiro and Yuiko in tow. There was a melancholy to Kagome then. And Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder if she regretted this. Her decision to stay with him. Or perhaps she was missing home.

Asking Rin to help him with cooking was a last ditch effort. He wanted to make something Kagome would love. And what reminded him of her home the most was her mother's cooking. Robbing her of that — of her mother's love — it felt like a debt he could never repay to her.

Rin agreed to help him and though most of his efforts were a little off, he'd managed to make something close to edible. In his opinion, it wasn't all that great but Kagome ate it with gusto and gave him a watery smile and a thanks.

"Inuyasha…"

Kagome's voice startled him from his thoughts and he looked around. The outside of their hut, cozy and quaint, filled him with dreadful relief. What if it was true and Kagome missed her home? He didn't want to be alone but keeping her here when she didn't want to be was worse. Although, they'd been together for so long. Could he really go back to being on his own as he did when she was gone and all he had was the hope that she'd return?

Crouching at her side, he glanced at her and grimaced as he noticed her staring down at her stomach. What if his cooking was really that bad and it made her sick? Sick enough to want to go home, his mind supplied traitorously. Inuyasha shuddered at the thought and opened his mouth at the same time that Kagome spoke.

"Look, I just asked Rin to help with th—"

"We're going to have a baby."

His ears perked up and everything came to a lurching stop. Even his breathing stifled, as his world narrowed down until she was all he could see. Anxiety spiked at her scent and her energy was beginning to drift off her in wisps of pink, curling and sparkling in the sunlight filtered through the leaves of the tree they sat under. Glittering and surrounding her in an almost angelic hue, it reminded him of the Shikon no Tama and his heart throbbed harshly.

"… What?"

Kagome smiled faintly, anxious and unsure, but he could feel the happiness in how her energy reached for his own as if to soothe. "I'm pregnant, Inuyasha. That's why I've been sick."

"So it… wasn't the food I made?" Inuyasha muttered lamely once his mind could catch up to his mouth. Gaze drifting to her stomach, it made sense now why she was holding it. The retching, her pickiness, even that book. Although the last, he couldn't make sense of just as he couldn't seem to make sense that they were going to be having a child.

"… How…"

He swallowed the question before it could be voiced. Hell as if he didn't know how. He was part of the how, and she was definitely the cause of the how. It wasn't as if he could deny fooling around with her especially after they were married, and there was nothing keeping him from loving her beside her word. Still. He hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

Though, it'd been some years since her return and Kagome still looked as she did when she was young. They both didn't question it. Decided to bask in the time they had together and with their friends — but starting a family?

Inuyasha swallowed thickly, unable to tear his gaze away from her stomach. "… You… you're sure?" Hesitantly, he reached out to touch her but he was sorely reminded of his hands. How much he'd done with them, how dangerous it could be for him to hold a new life with them. Sure, Sango and Miroku trusted him to hold their kids but this was different.

Kagome's fingers curled around his wrist and guided his hand to rest against her stomach. Inuyasha gulped and willed his hand not to tremble. Finding it easier to remain still and confident when she laid her hand over his own.

"Kaede is very sure, and you know she's rarely ever wrong about this kind of stuff."

Inuyasha quieted although he kept his hand there, staring at her stomach and rubbing his hand in slow circles as if he could feel something. Focusing on Kagome's energy, he searched for something foreign and his stomach flipped when he found it. A brief glimmer. No more than a little flash amidst of yōki amidst her reiryoku and he shuddered, feeling as if he'd been sat a thousand times with the weight upon his shoulders.

"Are you… happy?" Kagome asked, stirring Inuyasha from his thoughts, her voice unsteady and soft. As if she were speaking to a skittish beast or a frightened child. "That we're having a baby?"

It dawned on him that she would have wanted an answer. That she was just as nervous as he was, if not more. It was her that would be carrying their child, bearing their child, and all he could do was be there for her. Through all the sickness, sleepless nights, picky meals, he would be there.

Inuyasha met her gaze and his heart leapt as he saw the face of his own mother in his memories. Her arms outstretched to him, billowing sleeves enveloping him as she hugged him close, as if her very being could keep him safe from the world. She would press warm, fluttery kisses to his dirt-smudged cheeks and hold his hands when he couldn't find sleep. A world of her own surrounded by those who refused let her be because of who she loved.

And he worried that the same would befall Kagome. While he was part of the group that felled Naraku, because of what he was — the blood he held — she would never know true peace. Or the life of an ordinary woman. And wh was to say he would be a good father?

He barely knew his own. Only inheriting a sword, a robe, and a world of trouble. But his mother? Oh, she was everything good in the world. Everything right. And so was Kagome.

He knew no matter what, she would protect this little life and he'd be damned if she would do it alone.

Breathing in deeply, Kagome's scent was spiked with pungent worrisome and Inuyasha was quick to pull her into him. Hugging her fiercely as he buried his face against her shoulder until he could see nothing but faint circles behind his eyelids, easing his hold on her when she calmed. A small noise of surprise and a grip at the back of his undershirt bringing a smile to his face.

"I'm…"

Scared out of his mind. How was he going to look after them when he could barely take care of himself? Inuyasha stamped out that flickering flame before it could grow. This was different. He was wiser now, and he wouldn't be alone. Kagome and the others were there.

Worried of rejection. His mother told him oftenetaht being a half-demon was nothing to be ashamed of. But with his blood and Kagome's, their children would be a quarter-demon at best. Would they resent him for it? Ask him why they couldn't be more? Why he couldn't?

Concerned. He didn't have a father of his own. No father-figure to speak of. Even Myoga, the closest person to his father aside from Sesshomaru, was useless and far too late to rear him in any way.

But most of all, he was happy. Happy that this child was theirs. From the hair on their head to their smallest toe, they would be a physical reminder of their love. One that he would protect just as relentlessly as he would the woman in his arms.

When he finally gathered himself enough, the pressure of tears built until they beaded at the corners of his eyes. Stinging when he drew away from her to press their foreheads together, his lips quivering.

It was fine to admit this. It was safe. He was with Kagome, nothing could hurt him here.

Eyes shut tightly, Inuyasha was unable to keep back a pathetic puff of laughter as he choked out the words. "I'm scared," he sniffed, ignoring the dribble of warm tears trailing down his cheeks, heat rising to his cheeks. "And I'm worried, and I… I don't know how I'll.."

The corners of his lips twitched at the thought a child, one that looked like her or like him, and who called her 'mother' and how she'd smile. Opening his eyes, he found hers looking at him with concern and adoration. What did he do to deserve someone who would look at him like that?

"Concerned isn't even the half of it…" Inuyasha muttered, dry heaving a laugh. "Happy.. I'm so much more than that."

Kagome gripped him tighter and he found the touch steadying. Pressing as close to him as their bodies could allow, her quivering lips curved into a small smile.

"I'm scared too."

A wave of guilt doused the joyous fire in his chest, Inuyasha's smile falling as he searched her eyes, glancing down at her stomach then aside to their hut. "Are you happy..? Do you… are they… is this what you want?"

Was he?

Fear lodged in his throat. Pleas for her not to leave him swallowed. If she wanted to leave, if she would be happier away from him, then he could let her go. Like hell would he enjoy it. But Kagome deserved happiness.

"We get to have a baby, Inuyasha," Kagome stressed, the word making his heart skip a beat. With how tears collected at the corner of her eyes, he almost thought she was upset if not for the wide smile she sported. "You and me, we're…"

Her hands squeezed at his arms. Inuyasha pulling his hands back to touch her cheeks, wiping away the trails of tears gently. Sunlight warmed the moisture on his fingers as much as her smile warmed his heart. If possible, he would have frozen this moment right here. With Kagome smiling at him, brimming with joy, and his heart aching to leave his chest and rest in her hands.

"This is like a dream."

A breeze rustling the leaves and her hands brushing away his own so that she could touch his face, wiping away the trails of tears beneath his eyes, reminding him that this was real.

Inuyasha leant forward, brushing his nose against hers tenderly. Listening to the small bubble of laughter that swelled in the breath shared between them before his lips met her own, stifling a sob. It was impossible to hold the kiss with how much they smiled but he tried anyway, leaning into her as her fingers curled in his hair.

"You're going to be alright. Both of you are going to be," Inuyasha whispered between kisses, listening to Kagome's murmured affirmations as he tucked his arms around her, settling his hands at her back to draw her closer to him.

"I'll be here, yeah…?" Pulling away enough, he pressed a kiss to her temple, nosing along her crown for comfort. Listening to her quiet laughs and hugging her a bit tighter when she clung to him. "Doesn't matter what happens, I'm all yours. I promise, Kagome. I promise…"

He didn't know their name yet. What they would become. Who they would grow up to be like. But he was damned sure that he was theirs.

From the first until the last.

"I know you will," Kagome said, and somehow her belief in him only exacerbated the need to be there for both of them. She settled in his lap, her head resting against Inuyasha's shoulders as he held her close. One hand settled at her hip while the other hovered over her stomach as if he were unsure where to touch. Without hesitation, Kagome curled her fingers around his own and laid them firmly against her stomach. Her lips ghosting along his ear as he leant his head down, shuddering at the sound.

"I love you."

Inuyasha's mouth felt dry and he pressed his lips together to keep something embarrassing from slipping out. But the emotions overwhelmed. Kagome had given him so much over the years and this was just another mark int he ever-growing tab of debts he owed her. He'd make sure the two of them were as comfortable and loved as possible, be there through her pain and grief. And they'd welcome their child into the world together.

He would tell Kagome all the words his father couldn't tell his mother, every day for the rest of their lives.

"I love you too," Inuyasha managed to say, the words almost lost against her hair then again as they were muttered against her cheek then once more against her lips.

Kagome's smile was visible when he pulled away from pressing a kiss to her hair. "You're gonna be a great dad."

Trying to wipe at his eyes as discretely as possible, Inuyasha felt his heart race at the thought and his ears perking betrayed him. "I don't know about that…" He grumbled, glancing away.

And in typical Kagome fashion, she wouldn't allow him to linger in his thoughts for too long. "I do," she said, but it was the weight of her hand on his arm and the reassuring squeeze that wrenched his heart.

His eyes softened as thyme her own, attempting to come up with an argument. He had a number of them. But she wouldn't be swayed and he scoffed, frowning to set a pretense.

"Keh…"

Kagome smiled and leant against him, closing her eyes. She seemed so content where she was. Her energy evening out as the fear and anxiousness dulled at the edges. Searching for the glimmer in the sea of pink, he smiled a bit noting the building sphere at her core as if she were trying to protect something. On the outside, she remained relaxed and dozing in the early morning lull of chirping insects and budding blossoms. A lazy breeze carrying her sigh and a shiver down his spine as her nose pressed to the side of his neck.

Curiosity beget nervousness but Kagome's nonchalance and the gentle fluttering of her being was enough to sate his apprehension. She was so calming. Made him feel as if he were in control. Worth something. And she could have gone anywhere — with anyone — but she chose to stay with him.

Well, damn.

Inuyasha smiled, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling her scent. "You'll be a great mom, no doubt."

"I hope you're right."

His smile fell. The soft, almost whispered way she spoke those words tugged at his heart. He knew that sound. Doubt. Worry. Concern. Thinly veiled beneath her nonchalance and quiet comfort. Ears flicking, he pulled away from her with a frown.

"Kagome, listen."

"Yeah?" She asked, looking up at him.

Glancing aside as he gathered his nerve, Inuyasha squared his jaw and looked to her once he had what he wanted to say. "Look, I'm wrong about… some things." Her eyebrows raised and he gave a narrowed-eyed glare, half-hearted, but enough to show that he didn't want to be interrupted. With a curt nod from her, he continued albeit softer.

"But not you. You'll be a great mom."

Kagome's eyes widened and Inuyasha felt his stomach twist. Did she really not think she would be? Didn't she know?

Feeling the need to explain, to assuage those fears that may have been deep down inside of her. Ones that were mirrored in himself.

"You looked after Shippou, and your mom was probably one of the greatest people I've ever met…" His eyes softened when her own clouded over, steadying her with a hand to her shoulder and a light squeeze. Kagome missed them, and Inuyasha understood. He missed them too.

"When I think about my mom, and all she did for me, I think of her as the perfect mother because she loved as is and she was an imperfect person but she tried, and you'll be perfect for them. I know you won't give up and I'm not leaving you to do this alone."

Kagome laid her hand over his own and squeezed, looking up to him in that soft understanding way that made his stomach flip. "Inuyasha…"

Immediately turning his head away, he grumbled reflexively. "I'm not good with words…"

Kagome snorted in that infuriatingly cute way she did when she rolled her eyes at him, brow arched with a challenge in her gaze. "Could've fooled me," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek when he gave her a half-hearted dismally annoyed glare. "That's what I needed to hear."

His ears twitched and relief flourished in his chest as he leant into the kiss, bracing his arm at her back to hug her close. "… Alright."

A moment passed with them sitting in relative — yet comfortable — silence. Kagome's head resting against his shoulder while he held her to him, the warmth radiating from his suikan enough for them both to stand the morning chill. Distant voices from the village, some familiar and friendly and unfriendly, reached them but did little to permeate this lull. With as comforting as the breeze was, Inuyasha almost wondered if he would fall asleep just like this and wake to find that it'd all been a dream.

Turning the words over on his tongue and the memories in mind as he looked down at her thoughtfully, wanting to cement this moment even if it meant breaking this tiny peace they procured.

"… So… what else did the old hag say?"

Kagome squinted at the horizon then turned a chiding stare onto him, poking him swiftly in the side. A subtle reminder to be nice and lovely compared to when she sat him all the time. "Just that I need to take it easy," Kagome said, glancing away. "She gave me some herbs earlier that should help with feeling sick. I'll just have to grind them up later."

Inuyasha sighed. Poke aside, he would be happy to see Kagome going back to what she normally did. Even if that wouldn't last but for a short while as her body adjusted. "Well that's good," he muttered, racking his brain for any way that he could help outside of taking on more of the housework and maintaining a vigil over her. "I'll take a trip to Jinenji's mom, see if she knows anything."

Although Jinenji was a half-demon, his mother would have more expertise with birthing children with demon and human blood. And he doubted that Jinenji wouldn't have something up his sleeves to help ease Kagome's sickness.

"I'll go too," Kagome stated, and Inuyasha's worried thoughts must have shown on his face because she added gently. "I feel like I need to walk, and Kaede said they were good for the baby."

"Walks?" Inuyasha stated flatly, tipping his head to one side. He didn't doubt Kaede knew much about childbearing or rearing, certainly more than him, but still.

Kagome giggled, covering her mouth with a hand and he squinted. What was so funny? "Being active," she clarified.

Oh. Inuyasha nodded, glancing down at Kagome's stomach. "Can't say she's wrong. Inu yōkai are naturally precocious."

He remembered constantly needing exercise when he was young. Dragging his mother out to the gardens, wanting to play with her and run around with her. She often lagged behind him or waited for him to tire himself out but no matter how much he ran her ragged, she always lifted him in her arms when he was tired and carried him home. Inuyasha smiled, laying his hand over Kagome's stomach again. What would she look like?

Would they all be able to play together?

He could hardly imagine what games. Things had changed in the decades he slept and were certainly different when he refused to indulge. Shippo had more in ways of games and tricks than he did, and Rin knew quite a bit from being a favorite of the children in the village. The thought crossed Inuyasha's mind to pay a little more attention to Chihiro and Yuiko when they played with Isshin. Or ask Miroku.

It was overwhelming how many people were there to help with this.

"Kaede warned me that as they grow, there might be minor problems we have to deal with too."

Inuyasha's eyes widened and his gaze snapped to her. "Minor what?"

"They won't be as bad as normal," Kagome said softly, squeezing his hand. "But they're still a demon even only partially. Kaede said it's probably gonna be really draining for me the more they grow."

Inuyasha scowled, glancing down at her stomach then up to her eyes. Why didn't she look more concerned? What if something happened to her?

It would have been my fault.

"But you'll be okay, right?" Inuyasha asked, bewildered on why she was trying to comfort him.

"I should be," Kagome reassured, squeezing his hand again. "I was told not to worry."

Though knowing her, it would have only made her worry more to be told not to worry. She was so conflicting that way, it irritated him sometimes, and left him feeling relieved. Kagome cared so damn much. She deserved to be cared for too.

"It'll be alright," Inuyasha stated, his voice unwavering and determination set in the line of his jaw as he kept her gaze. "You'll be fine."

Even if he was worried about the future, he knew he would do what he had to so she'd be safe. Stealing a glance at her stomach, he corrected himself. So they would be safe.

"Yeah," Kagome said breathily, squeezing his hand. "I'll be okay."

Inuyasha smiled proudly, pressing a kiss to her forehead to hear her giggle. "That's my girl," he muttered, brushing his lips against her cheek before pulling away to look down at her. "Guessin' since half the village isn't here congratulating me, Rikichi doesn't know yet."

Kagome shook her head, a smile in her eyes along with a small flicker of purpleish-pink and pale blue. Much different than the pale lilac he'd seen throughout their travels and up to a while ago. "Kaede said she would let me tell everyone," she said. "And I wanted you to know first."

Inuyasha huffed, the relief warming with joy at being first as he shrugged and looked away. "Thanks…doubt a whole parade of people congratulating me would've been the best way to let me know."

He wasn't sure how he'd handle it if everyone knew before he did. And he wasn't exactly the crowd type. Hence living on the very outskirts of their own village.

Kagome smiled at him but her gaze was focused above his eyes. He quirked a brow curiously when she cocked her head to one side. "Y'think?" she asked teasingly, and Inuyasha huffed, rolling his eyes. "Besides, you're their dad. I want us to share this moment first."

You're their dad.

He never knew three words could sound so sweet and precious and fragile and terrifying and right all at once. Looking at her and feeling for the glimmer of energy wrapped up in her own, his heart fluttered. Kagome was here, they are going to be parents, he was going to be a dad!

Inuyasha grinned, lifting her up in his arms as he stood up and hugged her close. Kagome's startled laughter loud in his ears but he didn't mind. Turning in a lazy arc and hugging her close to him, burying his face against her hair to hide a foolish grin.

He couldn't be happier.

Wow, this took me three days to finish and I believe that this was worth it. Kagome and Inuyasha some time before the arrival of their daughter, Moroha, and a little bit of how Inuyasha takes the news and worries over it. He's still got some doubts, about himself and about what Kagome wants but he's more than willing to let her choose.

I cannot believe this is done. Wow.

As always, you can find me on tumblr, instagram, twitter, tapas, and pillow at unlockthelore!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read!

Research Notes
[ 1 ] A suikan is the equivalent of a hunter's jacket with large sleeves that are attached a few inches below the shoulders, displaying the clothes worn beneath, and is somewhat of an over robe with strings woven into the cuffs. It can be worn in different ways symbolizing a person's social status, such as Inuyasha wearing his own as a warrior and Hakudoshi as a noble.