Craving Better Days

The relentless of anger of allowing Sesshomaru to see Kagome pursued Inuyasha with each step as he reluctantly led the regal demon to his hut. He kept a steady hand on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga, ready to defend Kagome if anything productive should happen. Fury radiated off of him in waves. Why would Sesshomaru worry about my pup? he wondered. I mean, if he wants an heir so bad, he should get a stupid demon wench and mate with her; he shouldn’t have to depend on me and Kagome to give him heirs to the dog demon throne. And, I really don’t want that kind of life for any of the pups Kagome gives to me…

“You seem angry, little brother,” Sesshomaru said, drawing Inuyasha from his thoughts. “Perhaps you should calm down; I will not harm your wench intentionally.”

“Her name is Kagome, not wench,” Inuyasha snapped with narrowed eyes. “And, what do you mean by ‘intentionally?’ Does that mean you can harm her accidentally?”

“If she angers me, yes.”

Inuyasha bit his tongue to keep the torrent of curses from spilling out of his mouth. He heard Sesshomaru chuckle at his lack of reply.

They approached the hut in silence, Sesshomaru following closely behind with a stoic expression on his pale face and Inuyasha struggling to obtain his anger. When Kagome stepped out of the hut to greet them, more Inuyasha than Sesshomaru, Inuyasha warned her without words to remain where she stood. He smelt her tension rising as he neared. He clenched his hands into fists, knowing that Kagome did not understand Sesshomaru’s presence as much as he did. His eyes softened slightly when they their eyes met, and she visibly relaxed.

Inuyasha strode up to her and snaked a possessive arm around her waist, drawing her into his warmth. Sesshomaru eyed the couple through narrowed eyelids. He raised his eyebrows, studying Kagome through pensive eyes. She shivered under his gaze.

“So this is the wench you have spoken so fondly of,” Sesshomaru finally said, his voice without emotion. He admired her coldly, his body growing rigid as he stared down at the now uncomfortable miko.

Kagome regained her composure and stuck out a hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Sesshomaru.”

He stared at her hand as if it was a venomous serpent. She returned her hand to her side after staring into his fervent golden eyes for a few moments, blushing slightly.

“Let’s just get this over with, Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha growled.

Inuyasha escorted Kagome inside with Sesshomaru at their heels, the elder demon observing the hut with disgust in his eyes. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Figures Sesshomaru wouldn’t know the importance of this hut, he thought sourly. I built this for our family, and it holds all our memories in it; this hut is special to me and Kagome, and if Sesshomaru can’t see past that, then he’ll be lucky to even see the pup.

Kagome touched his arm, and he glanced down to acknowledge her. “You okay?” she asked softly.

“Fine,” he grunted. “You sit down and get comfortable; I have a feeling that this is going to take a while.”

“Okay…”

Inuyasha took a seat beside his wife while Sesshomaru remained standing, his impassive mask retained on his pale face. Inuyasha struggled to halt his glares before Kagome subdued him for being rude, but he still managed to shove all the hate he could muster into his eyes and directed his gaze at his elder brother. To Kagome, it looked as if he was threatening him without words.

“You…came to talk to me, right?” she asked Sesshomaru timidly.

Sesshomaru gave a curt nod. “Yes, I did. I hope that you are more reasonable than your mate.” He sent a glare Inuyasha’s way before continuing. “I understand that you are pupped. While I am not overjoyed on becoming an uncle, especially to a half breed’s child, I have a reputation to consider. It has become apparent that I might not rule the Western Lands for as long as I wish, so I have decided to make an heir out of your pup.

”“Yeah, if we like it or not,” Inuyasha added softly, irritably.

“As I was saying,” Sesshomaru said, glaring daggers at Inuyasha, “the pup would have a very regal life. It will grow up at my palace, and it will enjoy the luxuries that I will provide it. The pup will-”

“The pup will not be living with you, Sesshomaru,” Kagome interrupted, giving the demon lord an icy stare. “She will be living here with her parents, and she will not be having the life of an heiress.”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think it will be a girl?”

Kagome rose to her feet angrily, much to Inuyasha’s dismay and pleasure. “Does that even matter? Boy or girl, it will never live that life, Sesshomaru. This is our pup, Sesshomaru; if you want an heir, go out, get a mate, and make one; don’t rely on others to do your dirty work.”

Inuyasha almost laughed at the surprised expression that appeared on Sesshomaru’s face. To see a demon lord getting upstaged by an angry pregnant human woman was indeed a hilarious sight. Her words seemed to take effect on Sesshomaru, and for a moment, he seemed deep in thought. Inuyasha took this time to take a defensive stance in front of Kagome to shield her from any harm the demon lord would inflict, but was surprised when Sesshomaru remained calm.

“The pup is an heir, like it or not,” Sesshomaru admonished.

“Why don’t you let the pup decide!” Kagome argued from behind Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru chuckled darkly. “I hope it does not have as much spirit as you to argue against a direct command. If so, I have no use for it. I was simply offering the pup of lifestyle without being threatened or killed; you should be grateful.”

Inuyasha’s shoulders slumped as he reminisced in a brief glimpse of his past. He had been threatened, bullied, and wanted dead by most of the villagers; he would die before he allowed that to happen to his own pup. He wanted the happiness of his mate and pup over his own, and would die if it meant that they could live a long, peaceful life.

“Let’s make a deal, Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha said slowly, avoiding his brother’s eyes. “I’ll allow the pup to be an heir, if she continues to live here with her parents and friends.” Great. Since when did I pick up the habit of calling the pup a “she?”

He could feel Kagome’s eyes burning into his back. Sesshomaru considered the idea for a moment before letting loose a sigh.

“We have a deal, then. I will visit the pup as ‘she’ grows.”

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief. At least that’s over with.

..::OO::..

“How could you agree to that? How can you put our pup’s future in the hands of a demon lord that hates your guts? What were you thinking?”

Ever since Sesshomaru had left only a few minutes ago, Inuyasha had been at the mercy of his angry mate. He suddenly became scared for his life; Kagome angry and pupped was not a good combination. But he kept his poker face intact and listened to every word she yelled at him, feeling as though his eardrums were about to explode.

“You better have a good reason for this,” she snapped, eyes flashing.

“Do you want our pup to be threatened and hunted, Kagome?” he finally asked. “I don’t want our pup to endure the same casualties I did; I don’t want it to lose its mother, father, and get mistreated for its whole life. I just…can’t let that happen…”

She paled. “I didn’t-”

“Think about it?” Inuyasha finished, showing her a soft smile. “It’s okay; you didn’t have to. Sometimes I forget you’re human."

“But, you reminded me every day back when we were still traveling….”

“I lied.” He paused and pursed his lips for a moment, then blurted, “Where did you get the notion that the pup would be a girl?”

“What?”

“Back with Sesshomaru…you kept calling the pup a ‘she’ or an ‘heiress.’ What makes you think that the pup is a girl? And, where did you come up with the name ‘Inume?’”

She twisted a tendril of ebony hair around her finger nervously, averting her eyes to the floor. “I’ve seen her,” she whispered, “in a dream. Yesterday, when I was still unconscious, I had a dream about meeting her, and she said that she was our pup.”

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows, surprised by his mate’s explanation. “You sure she’s our pup?”

“Positive.”

“Good, I’m glad; I wanted a girl, anyway.”

She laughed at his goofy expression and kissed his cheek. “Me, too.”

“So, do you forgive me?”

“…I think that can be arranged.”