Chapter Text
The dying fire crackled as Inuyasha sat up and stared intently into it. Kagome rustled next to him in her sleep, causing the blanket to fall slightly off. When she wore her priestess clothing, her bump was barely noticeable until she put on her yukata to sleep in. She was seven months pregnant now, and he often saw her rub or rest her arms on its top with a content, happy smile. It wasn't until recently that it actually hit him. He was going to be a father. Inuyasha remembers the first time he heard their baby's heartbeat.
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All they were doing was sitting and enjoying the nice weather when his ears tweaked at a strange sound. "Inuyasha?" He heard Kagome say as he determined where it was coming from. Inuyasha's face looked surprised as he scooted closer and gingerly placed a hand on her baby bump.
"I can hear it..." He said with soft a voice. "I can hear her heartbeat." Her eyes grew wide.
"Really?!" He nodded.
"Yeah. It's so strong. It's beating right along with yours."
"That makes me so happy!" She said through her joyful tears. "You sound awfully sure it's a girl, Inuyasha. How can you tell?" He thought about it for a second.
"Her scent. It's really similar to yours. Kind of floral, I think?" They both went quiet and huddled together, enjoying the nice breeze that flew through their hair and against their faces. "If it is a girl..." Inuyasha said. "I'd like to give her my mother's shell necklace."
"I thought that was destroyed."
"She had more than one."
"I think that's a very sweet idea. Oh, I was thinking about names! What about Moroha for a girl?" Inuyasha looked at her confused.
"Double-edged sword? Isn't that kinda weird?"
"Well, Tetsaiga is really important to you, and you got it from your dad, so this way, you can kind of do something similar!" He didn't look convinced, but he knew better than to argue.
"If you say so." He mumbled, then listened intently to the baby's heart again. "Moroha..." He whispered with his hand still on her belly.
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He didn't want to share this fear and anxiety that bubbled up in his chest, though. Slaying demons was nothing compared to this. Inuyasha was known for his loyalty and that, especially when it came to Kagome, he was incredibly protective, to a fault some would say. Obviously, their baby would be no exception, but infants are fragile and completely helpless. The only ones he'd had any contact with were the twins and Hisui. It was bad enough how often Kagome seemed to get into trouble, let alone something so defenseless. That thought terrified him. Inuyasha jumped alert at the sudden feeling of someone touching his arm.
"Hey..." Kagome whispered with a smile that he returned. She tried to sit up but couldn't, so he quickly helped by carefully pushing against her back.
"Did I wake you?" He asked, but she shook her head.
"No, Moroha keeps kicking me. Are you okay?" Inuyasha knew hiding his feeling from her would be impossible, so he resigned to tell the truth.
"Honestly? I'm scared, really scared."
"I didn't think you were afraid of anything!" She lightly teased and received a mock glare.
"I can kill demons all day and never flinch but this..." He took a breath. "My mother died when I was young, and I never knew my father. I wasn't exactly raised in a good environment, ya know?" She hugged his arm and leaned her head against him for comfort. "I don't want that for my kid, to be alone like I was."
"We'd never allow that to happen!" Kagome said with a fierceness in her voice and eyes.
"Damn straight, we won't. They'd have to take us by force and a lot of it." He agreed wholeheartedly.
"I'm scared too, Inuyasha. I'm terrified of whether I can be a good mother. But you know, Sango gave me some advice recently. She said everyone feels like this, especially new parents. The only thing you can do is love them and do your best." A small smile pulled at the edge of his lips. Inuyasha listened intently to the thumps that came from their unborn baby. The sound calmed him in ways he couldn't explain.
"It's a good thing we're both so stubborn. This kid will be loved no matter what." Kagome laughed and nodded in agreement. Inuyasha pressed his lips against her forehead and breathed out a content sigh.