Kagome tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. Unable to do anything except to replay over and over again that damning conversation with Toutousai in her head. Her mind spiraled down pathways of paranoia that grew so warped and convoluted they eventually overwhelmed her. Her anxious thoughts mercifully short-circuited—until some new fear rebooted her worries all over again.
“Hey,” Inuyasha groused from the other side of the bed, “what’s your deal? You’ve been fidgeting all night.”
“Nothing,” Kagome said, flopping onto her back with a tired sigh. “Sorry.”
She did her best to stay still the rest of the night. Raw-eyed and cotton-headed, she wasn’t sure when she saw the first red rays of sun seeping through the shutters whether she was grateful or not. She rose wearily and tended to Shin in the mid-winter chill. He was starting to eat soft foods now in his human form, and much like Inuyasha, he wanted his breakfast first thing. Kagome’s breath smoked out before her as she stirred the rice porridge with chattering teeth. Her own stomach was too tangled up in knots for her to even consider eating.
A heavy snow had fallen in the night. As Inuyasha kissed her and bounded off to meet up with Kohaku, Shin leapt four-footed out into the snow. He dashed around, huffing mistily and sending the piled flakes flying and sizzling. He spun to face her, fluffed and sparking in his friskiness. His jagged tongue lolled happily. Kagome flashed him a tired smile from the porch, tucking her modern woolen scarf into the neck of her kimono shirt.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it, baby?”
Shin barked and took off at full steam, his pointed ears pinned flat. He was a pale youki-wreathed blur to her eyes as he zipped around between huts with only the exploding snowdrifts and occasional yelping villager to mark his breakneck course. He barreled past Kagome up the porch steps, ringed around her and barreled back down the steps again, a white-furred streak of unbridled exuberance. Watching him enjoy his first snow, Kagome felt just a tad bit better.
Panting, he trotted up to her at last. As she reached for him, he breezed back into his human form. She lifted him as he did and fit him into the carrier sling at her breast. While he dozed, she went about her daily tasks. But in the sleepy monotony of village life, her doubts came creeping back in, stifling her slowly as they built. When she detected Sesshoumaru’s presence chafing at the periphery of her senses, she felt something like relief.
Kagome made her way toward that dark glimmer. As she approached him, she tried to make it seem incidental to her usual comings and goings. But when Sesshoumaru’s golden eyes flicked down at her from his hilltop perch, she could see that he wasn’t fooled. Stiffly, she drew to a stop a safe distance from him.
“There are some things we need to discuss,” she said, mustering her nerve. “I think you know that even better than I do.”
Sesshoumaru remained as cold and silent as the wintry landscape around them. As Shin stirred at her breast and peeped toward him, Kagome touched a hand to her son’s warm little cheek. The touch galvanized her.
“Well?” she said. “What do you have to say?”
Sesshoumaru’s glance slid up from Shin’s to hers. “What do you want me to say?”
“The truth, for a change,” Kagome snapped. “This isn’t a game, Sesshoumaru. Kirara knows about Shin. Toutousai does too, apparently. Now I’m agonizing over who else knows—over who else at any time might spill the beans to Inuyasha. I couldn’t sleep last night because I’m worried that at any time he might find out that Shin isn’t his son.”
Sesshoumaru’s lips curved faintly, the barest and bitterest shadow of a smile. “He was always going to find out.”
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Revised 2/20/24
Ooooh! We in a hot pickle now, ain’t we Kags?!
😉 😉
Seems like it!! ❤❤
I mean, yeah. He’s right. How do you keep a secret like that when the kid gets older. I’m sure Shin’s sense of smell is better than Inuyashas and he would’ve figured it out somehow on his own. Seems like bloodlines are hard to hide in yokai. Kagome, girl, you gotta face the truth. It’ll be at least a little easier if you told Inuyasha yourself, instead of him finding out in any of those other ways.
Yep the odds seem to have been stacked against her from the start 😉
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the scene, M-Yan! Love hearing your take ❤❤
Hehehehe. That last line has me smiling, too! >:)
Warms my heart sm every time Kagome calls her son “baby” it’s just so damn cute. Also, thank you for writing Shin with actual descriptions. You illustrate and bring him to life so well! Too many times I’ve read fics where Sesskag’s baby just “babbles and cooes” and it’s like, yeah, okay, babies do that, but breathe a little life into them please looool.
I’m so excited to read what you’ve written next <3
“Warms my heart sm every time Kagome calls her son “baby” it’s just so damn cute. ” – 🥰🥰 so glad you’re loving this SK baby!!
Thanks so much!! ❤❤
Mwahaha…Kagome looks and acts stupider every day. Sesshoumaru just needs to make her come clean to everyone..
Lol even Sess’s power has its limits XD
Thanks for sharing!! ❤❤
No shit he was gunna find out lmao Oh, poor Kagome 😮💨 Girl get it together!!!
Hahaha yeah she needs to…
Thanks so much, mim!! ❤❤
Shin’s zoomies 🥺 *squeaky wheezing* Baby boy’s tickling my cute aggression
If you compare him to Sesshoumaru’s true form he’s just so t i n y. Teacup inuyoukai. A jellybean with silky ears and sweet pup barks.
I get why Kagome’s mad that Sess withheld this but there’s really nothing for it but to take action now. If the tidbit about the bloodmark gets discovered at a bad time Shin could get hurt 😣 I’m supposing this is also why Sess is hovering so close.
Am putting my hopes on Kagome’s talent to thrive under pressure that she’ll do the right thing in the end!
Also I have to give it to Sesshoumaru for bowing to her demands up to this point. He knows he’s putting Kagome and Shin at risk but he’s really exercising that predatory patience XD I expected no less from a manz who gifted his Not-Wife with an egg-laying rooster 🐓
“Baby boy’s tickling my cute aggression” – ahaha I know what you mean! 😭❣
Yeah Kagome’s point of contention with Sess is seeming like water under the bridge at this point… luckily he has that superhuman patience, like you said XD
Thanks for sharing your thoughts & hope you enjoy where the story goes from here!❤❤
Always happy to see a new chapter from you, char. Kagome really has some nerve, as if everything going wrong in her life is Sesshomaru’s fault. I don’t even recall Sesshomaru mentioning anything about the crescent moon, so how did he lie? Can’t wait to see her response to his rebuttal.
Thank you, Sasha!! Hope you enjoy how their discussion proceeds from here…! ❤❤
I’m almost certain we’re gonna get an Inuyasha jumpscare very soon. He’s gonna witness/hear damning evidence when we least expect it. BET.
(But what if a part of him already knows? 👁️ How screwed is she if he’s been able to scent Kagome’s roiling guilt and anxiety all this time but he’s just been quiet about it. Apart from Sess hiding his scent trail, I doubt Kagome could really fool Inuyasha’s nose. Or his instincts. Inuyasha’s also pretty scary, and much as I hope this won’t end TOO violently I honestly dunno what he’s capable of if he snaps.)
Yep Inuyasha’s demon blood is certainly a lurking threat…
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the scene, oskorreia! Love hearing your take ❤❤
Amidst all this drama I’m glad that at least Shin is happy 🤣 Puppy’s first snow! He’s having the time of his life. Meanwhile Kagome’s wasting her time with this argument — or is she just venting? Either way there’s nothing she can do about Shin looking like Sesshoumaru. Like gurl….. just look at how many Ornaments baby daddy has! Obviously some of those stripes are gonna pass down. There was always a chance Shin could come out as an exact copy, regardless of royal bloodmarks. I’m surprised that Rin hasn’t picked up on it, being so enamoured with her lord… or maybe…?
“Puppy’s first snow! He’s having the time of his life.” – yep he sure is! Silver lining to it all 💕
You raise lots of good points, Kova!! Thanks for sharing & hope you enjoy where things go from here…! ❤❤
this has got to be my fav story ever ❤️
Aww thank you so much!! ❤❤ I’m honored!! 🙏🙏
Ah ha! Kagome’s in hot water, along with Sesshoumaru… too bad for her that Sesshoumaru likes it hot. 🙂
XD that he does!!
Thanks for sharing your take!! ❤❤
Rin does know, I’m sure of it. So many little tiny clues in the story make me believe this. Rin knows her Lord better than anyone, no doubt in my mind she knows that Shin is her Lords son.
😉
Rin is close to him, that’s for sure. Thanks for sharing, Meg, & hope you enjoy where things go from here!! ❤❤
Me pregunto, que pasaría si Rin se le declarara a Sesshoumaru, con Kagome escuchando a escondidas. No se… Me surgió la pregunta.
Interesting theory, Claribel, thanks for sharing!! Hope you enjoy the next chapter! ❤❤
Good! I’m glad he told her that. Kagome is an idiot and selfish. Time for the truth to come out.
Love the story
XD Kagome has her moments…
Thanks, Katherine! ❤❤
What is Kagome snapping at him for? 😭 Sess never hid his lordliness. It’s not his fault he comes with a trademark stamped on his forehead. And he already told her that it was a harebrained scheme – what did she expect? She’s beating on a dead horse for WHAT?
She’s still being unfair to everyone, and possibly she might lose them all if she keeps it up.
Fair points 🙂 Distress can warp a person’s judgment….secrets too…
Thanks so much for sharing your take on the scene! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!! ❤❤
This chapter reminds me of the foreshadowing in chapter 18 when Sesshoumaru was discussing his border dispute with Kagome.
“Settling the border dispute proved decidedly less thrilling than Kohaku had anticipated. But not all matters need end in bloodshed.”
Kagome’s glance was wry. “Funny to hear that, coming from you. Not so long ago, you would’ve cut down anyone who stood in your way.”
“Then perhaps I have come to understand,” Sesshoumaru said, drawing to a stop before her, “that what I desire cannot always be taken by force.”
Kagome’s teasing smile slipped a little as she gripped her shawl tighter around her. “And did you?—get what you wanted, that is.”
You weave a great story, because Sesshomaru never had to take Kagome by force she came to him willing and continued to come to him. She is his mate with the mark he gave her, and they have a child. Sesshomaru is just biding his time now waiting for everything to be revealed in its own time without forcing anything. He knows that Kagome continues to be in denial about everything and that she has to come to terms with everything when it all comes crashing down on her and she can’t deny and run away from it anymore. Great work as always Char.
Thanks so much, Badtzmaru!! Love hearing your thoughts on the story as a whole, and how these recent events might fit into the bigger picture 🙂 💕
Appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts & theories – hope you enjoy the rest of the story!! ❤❤
I love the silent mini interactions between Shin and Sess 🥰 I wonder if Shin knows that big dog is his chichi? if we ever get his pov it must be so fun and refreshing 🤣❤
Aww so glad you love the Shin & Sess moments!! 🥰Thanks so much and hope you enjoy the next chapter! ❤❤