Archive of Our Own

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Moroha did not have a loud cry. It was more of a hoarse whine that came in long, pity-inducing peals. Maybe it was due to her heritage making her more sensitive to sounds than a fully human baby, or maybe she was just naturally soft spoken. Whatever the case, it was more than enough to wake Inuyasha and have his ears straining at attention. The new father was quickly starting to learn what pitches and time-frames indicated his daughter's needs or wants at any given moment, though it was still a work in progress.

Right now was obvious, though. She wanted food.

Kagome was still asleep. Her labor and birth had been a little difficult and she was mending spectacularly, but still wasn't waking up as readily as her husband could. That was fine with him – he was more than happy to take charge with caretaking for as long as she needed, and though her recovery obviously worried him, there was something beautiful in how quiet and soft their home had been through it. He was definitely in no rush for her to be worrying about miko duties or domestic chores again. With this thought filling his head, Inuyasha gently kissed at his wife's neck and cheek to start the process of rousing her while he disentangled their limbs. She had a habit of clinging to him at night lately, maybe a little easier to chill in her exhaustion. Kagome let out an impressively pitiful whine of her own that had him smirking before he succeeded in getting up.

Moroha quieted considerably when she saw her father approach her. It seemed he wasn't the only one learning habits. They hadn't begun co-sleeping quite yet due to Kagome's condition of recovery, but as a precaution, Kagome had requested Moroha have her own sleeping mat to use at night, made from woven rush grass. It was typically something reserved for noblewomen but he'd be damned if he denied his family anything while he could make the ends meet. Swaddled in her baby blankets, little golden eyes blinked up at him as her fists flailed in excitement at the prospect of getting her food. So cute. And still so tiny. It felt like he could support her with a single palm if he had the mind to, but he only settled her snugly into the crook of his shoulder instead, rubbing her bare back with his thumb.

“Hey kiddo,” he murmured softly. “Let's get you to mama.”

Kagome was nothing if not stubborn, and it took peppering her with several more long, wet kisses to soothe her into waking enough to acknowledge him.

“Inuyasha, no... 's too early...”

He only hummed into her ear. “Sorry I gotta wake you, but she needs to eat and I can't do that part myself.” A small, closed fist being brushed rhythmically against her cheek finally coaxed Kagome into opening her eyes. “Look, there's mama,” he whispered to the baby starting to fuss against him at the proximity to her mother.

His sleepy wife beamed at them and Inuyasha helped heft her up and against him. He'd taken to sleeping with his fire-rat robe off to the side for easy access so that he could drape it over her for moments like these when she needed to nurse their child. He settled it against her shoulders when he was sure she had a firm grip on Moroha, making sure to tent it over her head the way she liked, too.

“Oh,” Kagome cooed, “hi baby girl.” Once her breast was exposed, Moroha began to root with her nose, following the scent of milk until she found where to latch. Kagome winced just slightly.

“Did she bite you again?”

“No. No, I think she's gotten more careful about her teeth, but she still does suckle kind of hard. I'm not totally used to it, yet.”

As the seconds ticked by however, it was easy to notice Kagome relaxing. She sagged into him while massaging the feeding Moroha's scalp. She smelled like milk and herself and their baby, and Inuyasha couldn't help the contented sigh that left him, burying his nose in his wife's hair and rubbing his thumb gently back and forth over his daughter's little foot.

“It's unfair how like you she is,” Kagome joked lightly. “After an entire pregnancy and birth, it turns out I was just carrying a mini you.”

“She's like you,” he huffed. “Even just now when I woke you up, you almost cried just like her.”

“I did not!”

“You did.” He grinned against her.

Kagome switched breasts, letting their daughter's tummy press on one briefly to relieve gas buildup before letting her drink again, and Inuyasha took to massaging Moroha's other foot. The baby's eyes were wide and attentive on her parents' voices as she looked between their faces. “You can't bully me,” Kagome giggled. “I'm still recovering. You have to be nice.”

“I'm plenty nice!”

One of her hands came up to his cheek and he instantly dropped all pretense of annoyance, nuzzling against her scalp. “You are,” she said. “I don't know what I'd do without you. I guess I never thought I'd be recovering this long. I'm sorry if it's been hard on you.”

“Keh,” he dismissed. “Just focus on getting your strength back. This is the least I can do, and I don't mind.”

“Hmmm,” she sighed, and it was clear she was falling asleep again. “You're really the best...”

Inuyasha pressed another lingering, soothing kiss to her neck and she tilted her head a bit to the side to give him more access.

“You're gonna fall asleep on Moroha,” he teased.

“Mmm... Am not.”

“You are. And then she's gonna bite your boob in retaliation.” Another kiss.

“That would be very 'you' of her.”

A sputter. “You can't say that in front of her!” His wife's tiredness was apparently breaking down her inhibitions quicker than he was even gonna tease her for...

Kagome de-latched Moroha when the baby started making sounds indicating she was suckling too much air along with her milk, but it was half-hearted in her sleepy state because Moroha didn't think twice about re-latching immediately on her own. Luckily it was a stronger suction this time, which he'd come to learn meant less work with burping her. “Oh, she won't remember anyway.”

“Keh. Says you. She's smart.”

The woman sagging further into him smiled. “She is that.”

Inuyasha took all this as his cue to finally let her fully relax into sleep.

“Get some more rest, she'll be done in a moment.”

She was, just as Kagome's breathing evened out again. Inuyasha settled the baby into the crook of his shoulder again, using his free arm to tuck his other girl back into bed. Her robe was still loose but she could fix it later or decide to change. Moroha was letting out small grunts and coos now that she didn't feel like crying anymore.

“You're getting heavier, kiddo,” he said back to her. A wave of pride washed over him. “Heh, you grow well on your mama's milk.” Something about Kagome's body going above and beyond to provide for their daughter, even while not at full strength yet, never failed to tug at his heartstrings. Kagome was badass at everything she did, of course she was badass at being a mom, too!

Letting the wave of tenderness wash over him, Inuyasha made sure there was no stray hair in his wife's face that might wake her up – her ears could be quite ticklish – before setting about his morning. “I'll make a good breakfast for you,” he promised, determined. He knew a little bit instinctively, but he had gone around asking some of the experienced women of the village what made them feel better and gave them their strength back during their pregnancies. As he'd suspected, choice cuts of lean meats were high on the list, and he'd gone hunting for some pheasant hens the other day. But he'd been surprised how much leafy greens were included in having energy.

He couldn't remember a lot of details about his parents but he had the impression his mother ate pheasant when she wasn't feeling well, and something told him it was a habit his father had instilled in her. Grabbing Moroha's baby sling, he settled her at his front while he went about cutting the meat into palatable chunks and giving it a quick roast over their fire before tossing it into a pot with some miso broth, taking strict care not to let his daughter too near the fire. He admittedly wasn't the most savvy when it came to vegetables, but a quick rundown with Kaede had let him pick a few candidates from their own garden. Most of them seemed to be wilting a little in the heat of the soup, but that was fine, right? Just as long as those vitamins and things got in there, right? He left a bit of the meat's fat on for flavor with the salt he'd cured it with. Kagome had been quite nauseous when pregnant and her flair for flavor had gone down significantly, so he didn't add much else. The last thing he wanted was her throwing up when she was trying to recover.

Leaving the food to simmer and cook properly, Inuyasha decided to get the laundry started as well. If Kagome wanted to change later, there needed to be something fresh for her to put on. Moroha was finally starting to squirm now that her meal had settled, so he sat her upright on his lap from her sling, carefully still supporting her head with his hand under her chin and ears, and his arm putting gentle pressure on her tummy. He was still a bit clumsy with patting her back to ease the air bubbles out, extremely paranoid about his strength with such a tiny body, but it was quickly becoming a routine he was getting more and more adept at. Moroha didn't spit up very often, but he still kept clean rags handy nearby since she did tend to drool a lot when full and relaxed. She didn't need changing just yet though, so he put her back into a supported resting position and reached for the laundry that only needed folding, first.

“I think Kagome wanted a new drying pole,” he spoke absentmindedly. “Ours is too low for the new bedroll. Need to remember to ask Miroku about that...”

The baby in his lap snuffled and grabbed at the fabric, enjoying the different textures and scents of her parents, since-dried water, and sunshine clinging to them.

“Just wait until you start going more places, kid. I know you'll like it. When Kagome's feeling better, maybe we'll go see Miroku and Sango or the old lady. There's still a lot of villagers who want to meet you, too. If you're anything like Kagome – and you are – you'll probably turn on that social butterfly charm right away, heh.”

The breakfast soup gave a hiss of bubbles, so he leaned over to stir it before folding the last item as best he could with Moroha pawing at it.

“That's your mom's favorite shirt you're drooling on, y'know.”

“Blehb!”

“Oh yeah? She might think differently.”

“Bubbh...”

“She does smell good, but your little pincushion grip is gonna make loose threads.”

Pushing his nose into the dark peach fuzz covering his daughter's head, Inuyasha placed a small kiss at the crown, which earned him more burbling coos. When Moroha was finally satisfied and dropped the fabric, he set it to the side atop the clean pile.

“Okay,” he grunted, turning back to the hearth where breakfast was now boiling quite merrily. “Let's hope I didn't screw the food up.”

Moroha turned her attention to his rosary, giving out a tiny drooling warble as she tugged with her itty-bitty strength he could barely even feel. She was likely off in her own little world and making nonsensical sounds but Inuyasha found it surprisingly easy to accept them as responses to carry on these little conversations with her.

“It might not smell like much, but that's good in this case. Kagome always liked her super flavorful foods, but I wonder if her tastes will change now... Some of the village women said theirs did. Hmm... I guess it'd save us some money on this salt and miso, but I'll kinda miss her cooking being so strong.”

A noise hardly louder than a tiny bird was her response, but it sounded so close to a laugh that his heart skipped a beat and he met the honey colored eyes with his own. Kagome said babies didn't start smiling or laughing until several weeks in, but sometimes he swore he could hear it in her voice. He knew already that she would be a happy girl, and he would do his damnedest to give her a happy life to celebrate.

His voice almost choked on the wave of affection that washed over him. “Oh, yeah? You don't even know what you're missing, yet. It might not be so funny later.”

He took a second to bounce her in the sling for her amusement before setting the soup aside to cool. Kagome chose that moment to rouse again.

“Smells good,” she sighed, rubbing at her eye. Her hair was mussed, her sleeping robe half open with his fire-rat raiment draped over her shoulders, and her movements clumsy, but Inuyasha swore she was practically glowing. He had to clear his throat to speak when she smiled at him.

“Um, g-good. It's not much, but I asked around and everyone said this should help with building strength and keeping good milk flow.”

Her smile only grew brighter and she sat up fully. “You asked around? For me?”

“Who else would I do it for, dummy?”

Moroha, seemingly tired of being ignored, wiggled in her sling, and Inuyasha had an ominous premonition she was gearing up to cause a diaper change. The smells didn't repel him the way they seemed to do to humans, but Kagome still took cleaning duty for the most part since he was worried about accidentally nicking her fragile skin. It was a worry he wanted to get better about, but his wife seemed more than happy to have a chore to herself for now.

Kagome seemed to come to the same conclusion he did, because she asked, “Is she wet?”

“Nah, not yet. But she's due sometime soon, still.”

She nodded. “I can take her for a while.”

“Eat first.” He scooted forward to grab her favorite bowl, one a grateful family had made for her out of jindai sugi, which was supposed to be a super old tree found in lakebeds or marshes and therefore precious. Inuyasha wasn't sure why that made it more special, but Kagome loved using it. He ladled her soup into it for her and handed it over when she moved to take a seat next to him.

“Thank you, Inuyasha. It really does smell good. What's in it?”

“Well we ran out of leftover stocks so I went hunting. Pheasant is mild enough not to upset your stomach, I hope.”

Kagome smiled and thanked him again. Moroha chewed on a finger he'd offered her when she'd begun fussing, as he waited through Kagome's first sip for her approval.

“It's... a little bland,” she started.

“Keh!”

“But,” she soothed, “it's exactly what I needed right now. Somehow it's super delicious without much seasoning! Ahhh, it's like fulfilling a craving I didn't know I had!”

He preened. “Heh, after all that modern junk food you wanted when you were carrying her, I'm glad to hear it.”

“Ugh, don't remind me... It was like torture...”

His ears flagged. “It wasn't really though, was it?”

Kagome paused in her next hearty bite of meat to rub calming circles against his knee, “Of course not. I'll always be glad to have carried our baby.”

Inuyasha brightened at that, staring at her with adoration for probably longer than necessary, before finally remembering he should eat too. He took a hesitant bite. It smelled good, but she was right, it was pretty bland. Kagome's cooking had spoiled him, but he'd count that as a blessing any day.

And right on schedule, Moroha started giving signals that she'd soiled her diaper before he could even smell it. Kagome had downed her first helping fairly quickly and took the pause to change and clean her. Inuyasha kept an ear trained in case she needed anything, but the soup seemed to have invigorated her and there was nothing out of her mouth except happy babbles and words of affection to their daughter, keeping her entertained during her wipe down. Moroha had yet to get diaper rash with how attentive Kagome was, but the new mother still liked to line the old kimono fabric and animal skin diapers with a few soothing herbs along with the peat moss, to keep Moroha's skin extra smooth and healthy. It's not like he minded. The plants had a gentle, sweet smell that enhanced their baby's natural fragrance, and he wasn't about to complain about her keeping her extra clean and happy.

“There we go, little lady,” Kagome cooed, “all clean and fresh. Let's go back to papa so I can eat more of his delicious breakfast.”

Inuyasha was waiting for them with another helping ready in Kagome's bowl. She took it gratefully after placing Moroha back in her baby sling.

“Thank you. I'm hoping to do some archery tomorrow if I keep feeling good. I need to start moving around more to get rid of this pregnancy fat.”

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. “But you're healing. Who even told you that?” He was going to have to strong-arm whoever was telling his wife she should push herself and had her believing she was fat, of all things!

Kagome merely hummed. “I am, but it's good to get some exercise.”

“You don't have to do anything.”

Kagome just looked at him, bite halfway to her mouth. “What, you want me to stay chubby?” She was giggling but it still irked him. “I guess it's kinda cute, but only right now.”

He put the water for their tea over the fire a little harsher than he'd really meant to, making a loud noise that luckily didn't seem to bother Moroha but got Kagome's full attention. “You're not even chubby!” he said passionately before deflating to lower his voice. “You're... You're perfect. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, and if anyone says otherwise, they'll have me to deal with.”

He was a little embarrassed over getting heated, but dammit, he refused to let Kagome believe her body was somehow lesser for bearing their child! Kagome seemed to understand his issue though, and touched his hand. “... Thank you. But I'm doing it to be healthy, and I do want to. I've enjoyed staying home with you two, though. I feel like I'm still settling into being a mom while you've adapted really quickly.”

“You're a good mom,” he reassured her immediately. “I'm not the one whose body needs to recover. I already told you I want to do as much as I can.”

She nodded. “You did, but I think less focus on bed rest will help me feel better about that, too. The more I feel like myself, the more I'll feel like a better mom. Does that make sense?”

It did. But he still felt the slight pull to shelter her at home. He tried to ignore it, though. Kagome knew herself better than anyone, after all. If it'd make her feel better, he'd agree to it. “If you say so...”

She rubbed the hand she'd touched. “I do. Maybe you and Moroha can watch me to make sure everything goes smoothly? It'll be good emotional support.”

“Yeah,” he answered, “we can do that.”

They lapsed into silence after that, as Kagome finished her second helping. Moroha was quietly snuffling and moving her little muscles as best she could to look around the room at different smells and sounds. Kagome had been giving her what she called “tummy time” which she explained was to exercise a baby's neck and back muscles. It had worried Inuyasha at first to see his newborn put into such a helpless position since she couldn't even turn over, let alone crawl, but Moroha was quite good at it and he could swear she relished the challenge if he didn't know better. Heh, she really was their daughter, for sure.

The water for their tea was starting to boil so he took it off the jizaikagi hook and poked at the coals with the hibashi to decrease their intensity. He knew what Kagome liked in it enough to scent out the herbs and flowers from her collective lot and add them. Kagome was someone who could not fully wake up without her tea, now that she was older.

“I folded the laundry if you need some fresh clothes.”

Kagome served herself some of the steeping tea, liking it piping hot. “Thank you, Inuyasha. That means a lot. I do need to change soon.”

“Do you need a minute? I was gonna take Moroha outside to watch the sun rise for a bit until she sleeps again.”

Another sip, and a smile. “Watch the sun rise? When did you get so romantic?”

He sputtered. “It's not romantic, it's pragmatic! The fresh air will make her sleepy!”

Kagome giggled a little at his expense. “Actually, that sounds nice. I think I'll join you.”

How could he ever say no to that?

Dawn found them under their awning, Kagome leisurely leaning into him and Moroha sound asleep soon after the first rays had fully peaked.

“I can't believe I get to wake up like this every morning,” Kagome said softly.

Inuyasha pulled her closer. “Keh, 'course you do. I'm not going anywhere and as long as I'm here, you and Moroha will be safe.”

She sighed happily into his shoulder. “I know. I just mean... thank you for making this happen, Inuyasha.”

“Huh?”

“You gave me a wonderful life here, and the most perfect, beautiful little girl I could have ever dreamed of.”

He almost blushed but instead just gave her a stunned look. “But you did all that.”

“Don't tell me you still don't know how babies are made?”

Her teasing succeeded in leaving him flustered. “No, stupid! I mean... I mean that you could have anyone you wanted, but I'm-...”

“Stop right there,” she admonished gently. “I was never going to choose anyone but you.”

“I know, but-...”

“No buts!”

“Keh! I'm just trying to say that I'm the one who should thank you!”

She softened again. “Why don't we just both be grateful for each other, then? And for her?”

“Okay.” Inuyasha smiled. One of his genuine, soft smiles that only she ever got to really see.

Kagome kissed him, then. And he didn't need any more words to know how she felt. He felt it, too. And he was grateful every day for both his girls.