InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Fate Would Have It ❯ Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 

Inuyasha glanced around cautiously as he and Kagome walked up the steps leading to the shrine and the house, each of them carrying a baby carrier with a twin safely nestled inside.

 

“Don't know why I can't just carry my pup in my arms,” he grumbled under his breath as he continued to look around warily.

 

“It's safer this way, Inuyasha,” Kagome replied, smiling at her mate. “Besides, the hospital wouldn't let them leave unless they were in the proper carriers.”

 

She watched him for a moment as he looked around. “What are you looking for?”

 

“I'm just making sure that crazy old man doesn't jump out of the bushes and try to exorcise my pups.”

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome exclaimed. “He wouldn't do that! These are his great-grandchildren!”

 

“Keh! Like that matters to an old geezer like him.”

 

Kagome sighed as they reached the top of the stairs and walked slowly toward the house. “I'm sure he'll be delighted to meet them.”

 

Indeed, before they could even reach the patio door, Souta ran out of the house, bursting with excitement. “You're home!” He turned his head and hollered into the house. “Mom, Gramps! Kagome and inu-no-nii-chan are home!”

 

Kagome's mom and grandfather hurriedly followed Souta into the yard, both smiling happily. “Why didn't you call me? I could've come to the hospital to pick you two up.”

 

The new mother shook her head. “Inuyasha wouldn't have been able to stand it in a car, Mom. It wasn't that far anyway, so we just walked. I made sure to go slow, for the twins' sake and mine.”

 

Inuyasha glanced around. “Where's Minako?”

 

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. “She's inside taking her afternoon nap. Now, why don't we get you into the house, where you can relax?” She took the baby carrier from Kagome and helped her daughter into the house and onto the couch.

 

Inuyasha snorted. The old man was eyeballing the pup in the carrier in his arms and it made Inuyasha wary. He turned and followed his mate into the house, letting Souta and the old man follow behind.

 

Once seated next to his mate in the living room, Inuyasha unhooked his son from his carrier and lifted him into his arms, while Kagome's mom had already claimed Izayoi. The newborns were awake and quite alert, looking at everything around them with bright gold eyes.

 

Souta grinned. “Wow… they've got inu-no-nii-chan's eyes.”

 

Kagome exchanged a glance with her mate. He nodded.

 

“Souta, we wanted to ask your permission to name our son after you.”

 

The boy blinked. “What? After me? Why?”

 

His sister smiled. “Because you're such a great brother, after all. Why else?”

 

Souta's eyes lit up. “Really? His name is gonna be Souta?”

 

The hanyou snorted. “His name will be Inusouta.”

 

“Wow! That's so… so… fantastic! Not only am I an uncle, but one of them is named after me!”

 

Kagome's mom smiled at her daughter. “I see you decided on a name for my new grandson.”

 

“Yup. Took us long enough, too.”

 

Kagome yawned, stretching. “Mom, would you mind watching Izayoi so I could take a bath? I really need a good long soak.”

 

“Of course! You didn't even need to ask.”

 

Giving her mate a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs, Kagome yawned again. “Fatigue rears its ugly head…”

 

--------------------------------

 

Souta stared at Inuyasha, who was still beet-red after Kagome's kiss on his cheek. “She's got it for you pretty bad, huh?”

 

“Keh! She'd better!”

 

The boy raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Like you're not head over heels for her as well.”

 

“Keep this up and we won't name the pup after you at all.”

 

Kagome's grandfather was moving slowly over to Mrs. Higurashi, looking carefully at his new great-granddaughter. Inuyasha's ears went flat.

 

“Oi, old man! Keep your fake sutras away from my pups!”

 

“Quiet! I can see perfectly well that these children have been spared the evil in your blood! My Kagome did an excellent job in purifying these babies!”

 

“Father! Stop that now! There is nothing wrong with Inuyasha's blood, as well you know! You're just bitter because I wouldn't let you visit them in the hospital,” Kagome's mom admonished him.

 

The old man actually looked miffed. “Yes, well… be that as it may…”

 

Inuyasha unclenched the fist he had unconsciously been tightening. Kagome's grandfather was harmless enough- the stuff that came out of his mouth was annoying, at most.

 

“Come on, Gramps! You know that these are two of the cutest babies you've ever seen! Stop trying to irritate inu-no-nii-chan.” Souta held up Inusouta, who blinked innocently at his great-grandfather.

 

The old man smiled, melting. “Hai, that they are…”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “Senile old man…”

 

Mrs. Higurashi leaned towards her daughter's mate. “Inuyasha, maybe you should go check on Kagome and see how she's doing. I'll keep an eye on these two.”

 

The poor hanyou looked startled. She smiled reassuringly at him. “Don't worry. They'll be fine.”

 

Yeah, but how will I survive?

 

Gritting his teeth, he headed up the stairs, his ears perked for the slightest sound. He reached the bathroom at the top of the landing and was surprised to see that it was empty.

 

He sniffed. Kagome bathed in here, all right. But it looks like she's done already.

 

Turning around and walking silently to her room, he poked his head in to see his mate sound asleep on her bed, her hair still wrapped in a towel although she had changed into fresh clothes.

 

It's probably good for her to catch up on her sleep now that we're home. She really hasn't had a chance to completely rest since she had the pups two days ago.

 

Unable to walk away from the lovely woman sleeping peacefully on the bed, he stepped soundlessly into the room, closing the door carefully behind him.

 

I can't believe everything she's given me. And what have I given her? Misery and pain. Why does she put up with me?

 

Simple, baka. She loves you.

 

Allowing his gruff exterior to relax, he gazed down at her, all the love and protectiveness he felt for her shown plainly on his face.

 

Kagome chose that moment to open her eyes and wearily focus on the hanyou staring down at her in adoration. “Inuyasha?” she whispered almost inaudibly.

 

He flushed at being caught staring at her like that. She, on the other hand, simply smiled sleepily and held out an arm invitingly. “Come lie with me, onegai,” she murmured as she closed her eyes again.

 

Unable to resist, he carefully climbed over her to lie on the other side of her, wrapping his arm around her protectively. She snuggled back against his warmth and was quickly asleep again.

 

Her scent, wildflowers and sunshine, wafted into his nostrils, making his body tighten in response. He settled his cheek against her pillow, relaxing for the first time in months. His pups were healthy and strong, his mate was doing fine, and he felt complete. For the first time in his life, he had a complete family. He belonged.

 

Squeezing her slightly closer to his body, he smiled as he drifted off. His dreams, which had been full of doubts and worries for the past few months, were now filled with visions of his family.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 

His mother laughed as she held her giggling grandson, who looked to be several months old. His father looked on proudly as his granddaughter crawled after a bug in the grass. Kagome sat in the grass nearby, smiling with such warmth that he couldn't help but return the smile.

 

-You've done well, my son. Now you have found the love and fulfillment that we had, even if it had only been for a very short time. We know your happiness will last much longer.-

 

His mother smiled as she handed Inusouta over to her son, giving them both a hug before releasing her grandson.

 

His father, powerful and commanding as Inuyasha had always imagined him to be, regarded his second-born son with approval.

 

-I, too, am proud of you, son. You have chosen a mate that is worthy of you. Make sure you are a good mate to her.-

 

The Inu no Taishou smiled gently as baby Izayoi crawled over to his Mokomoko-sama and squeezed it tightly. Reaching down, he picked up the baby and held her up as if inspecting her.

 

-Teach them all that you know. They are of the inu-youkai blood, no matter how little they might bear. You have done well.-

 

Kagome stood up and walked to her mate's side, smiling warmly up at Inuyasha's father. He bowed slightly in return, which shocked the young parents. Before Kagome could bow respectfully, he relinquished his granddaughter to her mother.

 

Thus did Inuyasha and Kagome, each holding one of their babies, watch as his long-dead parents bid farewell and returned to the underworld.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Inuyasha blinked slowly as the dream dissipated. He sat up, mindful of the stirring woman beside him.

 

Did I really…dream that? It seemed so real… as if they actually came to see us…

 

Kagome yawned as she stretched against her mate. “Oh… I had the nicest dream.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing.

 

She smiled at him as she reached up to caress one of his ears. “I dreamt your parents came to see the twins.”

 

Stunned, he could only blink at her. Finally he was able to speak. “You… what?”

 

Wrapping her arms around her upraised knees, she stared at the ceiling as she remembered what she could. “Your mother… and your father. They came to us to see Izayoi and Inusouta. They said they approved of the match between you and me and that we had done well with our babies.” She turned to her mate and gave him a heartening smile. “They said they were proud of us.”

 

Unexpected emotion welled up inside the hanyou's heart. He uncharacteristically wrapped his mate into a tight hug, needing to hold her close. “I think they are, itoshii. I really think they are.”

 

----------------------

 

A very light knock sounded on the bedroom door, audible to only Inuyasha's superior hearing. He leapt off the bed and opened the door, where he was promptly glomped by a little black-haired hanyou.

 

“Papapapapapapapapapapapa!” Minako squealed as she attached herself to her father's leg.

 

Inuyasha chortled. “It's good to see you too, pup.”

 

Kagome grinned at her daughter. “What- no hug for Mama?”

 

Minako peeked around her father's leg at her mother. “My papa.”

 

“Hai, pup, I'm your papa. But I'm also Izayoi and Inusouta's papa, too.”

 

“Iza and Inu papa too?”

 

“Yup. So you have to share.”

 

The little hanyou scowled up at her father. “No share. My papa.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi took that moment to appear in the open doorway, a twin in each arm. “I hope I'm not interrupting, but I think these two are hungry.”

 

Kagome made as if to get off the bed when Inuyasha signaled her to stay sitting. Bemused, she watched as he accepted Inusouta from his grandmother and carried him to her to nurse.

 

“What was that for?”

 

He scowled as he handed over his son. “You're still worn out from the birth. You need to take it easy- you're just a weak human after all.”

 

She growled at him. Actually growled. He blinked in surprise, flushing. “I-I d-didn't mean-!”

 

“Osuwari!”

 

A resounding crash signaled his faceplant to the floor. Minako kneeled by her father, looking very concerned as she patted his head between his white dog ears. “Papa, you okay? Papa, what wrong?”

 

Kagome closed her eyes in irritation as Inusouta suckled merrily at her breast. “Baka papa.”

 

Inuyasha managed to raise his head to glare at his mate on the bed. “Baka… who's a baka, wench?!”

 

Minako grinned happily at her father and proceeded to give him a sloppy kiss on the cheek, right next to the faint lavender crest.

 

“My baka papa!”