#like he just stops midway because collector starts crying

[qcoded]

I just imagined Belos preaching to a crowd of witches while baby Collector is hanging from his chest in a baby harness

the idea that hes preaching about the Titans will or some shit while theres like. a whole ass baby on his chest is so funny xd

[xoxopandapanda]

Little Family Ch. 2

Chapters  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

FF.net

AO3

Kagome and Inuyasha had spent the better part of the first year as a married couple solely in Kaede’s village. They hadn’t seen any need to venture past their home, nor had any requests for assistance from nearby villages made its way to them. When the first request had come to them, Kagome was surprised at how eagerly she had agreed to go.

The request came from a village in need of an exterminator and a healer. There was a large demon who had been rampaging their lands, killing their crops, and wounding dozens. Initially, the request had been made for Miroku to go, but with three children who had their father’s destructive tendencies, all hands on deck were needed for Miroku and Sango to keep some semblance of control in their household.

Inuyasha was reluctant to go, displeased with the thought of having to leave his home, but agreed after Kagome indicated that it could just be like old times. It was going to be well over a day’s journey to the village, meaning that it was going to be at least a week, if not two, before they returned, if the rumors of the destruction were to be believed.

As they were bidding everyone goodbye and well wishes just before departing their village a few days after receiving the news, Kagome was stocking up on kisses and hugs from her favorite children, and getting last minute gossiping in with Sango. She had bundled onto her shoulders a large wrap filled with herbs and medical supplies she and Kaede had been making over the last year to help the village. Inuyasha had pocketed a few coins he had saved from extermination trips prior to Kagome’s return, knowing they would have to stop at a village for the night.

It was while the women were distracted that Miroku pulled Inuyasha to the side to speak privately with his friend.

“I have heard terrible things about this village, Inuyasha.” Miroku spoke in a low and cautious voice. “I’ve heard that the headmaster is cruel and unwavering, causing there to be death and turmoil amongst the villagers. I have heard he has sent children to their far too early death for menial things, such a stealing a single vegetable so they wouldn’t starve.”

Inuyasha’s face hardened at the words from his friend, and he didn’t pull away when Miroku grabbed his arm hard. The monk continued, “If you see such things, return at once. I beg of you. Kagome should not be exposed to such things; it would break her heart. There is little to be done if what I have heard is true, but Kagome will want to try to fix it. We both know that.”

Inuyasha let out a little huff to let Miroku know he understood. The two of them may be walking into an unredeemable situation.

Inuyasha felt the apprehension about going away from Kaede’s village return. Kagome had been away from this world for three years; she may have forgotten the cruelties that many people faced. On top of it, she had been sheltered, living in this village where people got along well enough, and there were no starving children to be seen. Would she be able to cope with what they might find at this village? Inuyasha wasn’t certain.

Inuyasha looked over at Kagome, his mind now heavily plagued with worry about what they might find. She hadn’t moved an inch, and was still peppering the children with kisses. “Kagome,” his voice was gentle, almost like he was reluctant to pull her away, “we need to go now if we are going to make it to the halfway point before sundown.”

Kagome had turned her head slightly so he knew she had heard him, but moved slowly as she began to back away from the children. She kept blowing kisses and saying “I love you!” to each of them. The girls said it back, and the little boy gurgled his excitement from his mother’s arms.

Inuyasha nodded towards Miroku, signaling he was taking off as well. The exchanged one last knowing look to each other, before Inuyasha started to walk down the path away from their home of the last year and half.

Kagome continued to wave and blow her kisses as they made their way down the path out of the village until she could no longer see the young family. Once she was sure the children would be satisfied that she said enough goodbyes to them, she turned forward and grabbed her husband’s hand, swinging their arms back and forth in excitement.

“Just like the old days, huh?” She tilted her head until it rested against his shoulder. “When it was just the two of us.”

Inuyasha let out a quiet ‘keh’.

Kagome smiled and tilted her head up so she was looking at him, her cheek still pressed heavily into his shoulder. “Except this time, if I get close to you, it’s okay if you think dirty thoughts.” Inuyasha sputtered at her statement, stumbling in his step, and turned wide eyes on her. Kagome waggled her eyebrows at him, moving so that she brushed more against him.

“You remember that?!” He was stunned. He had himself long forgotten the awkward encounter between them all those years prior. She was scared and uncomfortable being around someone who was deceased, still being naïve and unused to the daily life of the feudal era.

Letting out a soft giggle and turning her head back towards the road, she replied. “Of course I do. It was the first time I wondered if you saw me as a woman rather than a ‘shard collector’.”

Inuyasha, too, turned to look at the road. He slowed their pace a bit before replying. “I always saw you as a woman Kagome. I only said those things because I was afraid you didn’t see me as a man.”

Kagome blinked and processed this revelation. “Why wouldn’t have seen you as a man, Inuyasha?” Her voice was low and quiet.

“Because no one had really before. Or at least I didn’t feel like anyone did. No one had seen me as anything other than an outcast,” Inuyasha’s voice matched the volume of her question. “I felt in order to be seen, I had to become human.”

Kagome let go of his hand, and looped her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer to him. She was silent, not knowing what to say to him, so she expressed her love to him in her absence of words.

They walked the rest of the day in relative silence, just enjoying each other’s company and presence, commenting on menially things only every once in a while, like the changing weather, the puffy clouds above with the sun peeking through, and the roughness of the wilderness.

They reached the village situated midway in their journey right as dusk was coming to an end. The stars were bright and glimmering on the edge of the sky, indicating it would be a clear, but probably crisp night. They walked purposefully towards the center of the village where the village leader’s home was. As they approached, a brightly garbed man opened the gate.

“How may I help you travelers? Have you come to slay more demons?” His tone and mannerisms gave away that the person before them was the head of this house, and mostly likely the whole village.

It was a small village, one Kagome vaguely remembered from before, and the village head didn’t seem the most receptive to them. She wondered what might have occurred at this village that would cause open animosity, but she found she didn’t have a particular memory that stood out.

Kagome had known without the help of Miroku and his ‘demon-sensing’ abilities, it would be hard to get a room for Inuyasha. He had said he would sleep outside, wanting her to be safe inside during the brisk spring night, but Kagome wanted to be near her husband. She hadn’t spent a night separate from him since they first married.

“We have come to seek shelter for one night. We will be on our way as the sunrises tomorrow. We are willing to pay you for your kind generosity.” Inuyasha kept himself low and humble in appearance, making slight bows with his body as he spoke. Kagome knew he was humbling himself for her sake, and wanted to cry from how unfair it was that he would have to do such a thing.

The man before them scoffed. “Why do you think we have rooms for you? Can you not see that we are a small village with little resources?”

Inuyasha did most of the talking, negotiating the details of their nightly stay, more out of fear that if Kagome let it slide they were married she would be denied a room, than anything else. She had always been one to speak her mind, and if Kagome thought they would be denied for needing two rooms, she would point out they only needed one.

Inuyasha navigated the conversation far better than Kagome could have ever had hoped to herself. He was careful to not mention any presumption of needing two rooms, but instead made sweeping comments about how wealthy and well-to-do the village looked, with its large and well-built houses.

The village head was pleased by the compliments, and, despite his initial hostility towards them, agreed to give them two rooms for the night. The price he initially asked for was exorbitant and ridiculous, but Inuyasha was careful with his words to work it down to a more reasonable amount.

After a comment from Inuyasha about how generous of a man he was, he offered them a ‘better deal’, but for two rooms, it was still a fair amount of money. Inuyasha had become quite vigilant in making sure he carried some coins on him incase Kagome was ever in need of something, but even he didn’t have enough money.

Realizing that they might have to sleep outside because they didn’t have enough coins on hand, Kagome finally spoke up. “We would also be willing to give you some medical supplies and herbs for your generosity of allowing us to stay the night.”

The village head looked at her curiously. “What kind of goods do you offer?”

Kagome indicated they had herbs to ease fevers and body pains, as well as salves to help with injuries and burns they would be willing to give. This intrigued the man, and he inquired to see the items. Kagome pulled the lightly bulging wrap from her back to her front, and reached in to show which items she felt she could probably give up.

Inuyasha watched her carefully, unsure as to why she would be willing to give up her precious supplies to this man. As she struck a deal, Inuyasha handed over the appropriate amount of coins along with Kagome’s medical herbs and salves.

They were shown their room by a servant, and told where they could bathe off the dirt from the road. Kagome gave a low bow to the servant, thanking him for his hospitality, but Inuyasha gave barely a nod, thinking harshly that he didn’t have any spare coin for the return home and they were down much needed medical supplies due to the headmaster’s greed.

The politeness he had extended before was gone with the absence of the headmaster, replaced with the usual defiance and suspicion he had towards people that weren’t from his village.

Inuyasha confronted Kagome as soon as they were left alone. “Why would you do that, Kagome? We needed those items.”

“Because I know how important it is to you that we stayed indoors tonight.” She didn’t rise to his instigation of a fight, rather choosing to keep level headed and meet him as an equal. “Besides,” she added, touching his elbow, “we should be paid by the village we’re headed to. We can use that money to pay for our night on the way back.”

Inuyasha looked away, realizing that, while she may be right, he was still displeased with the whole situation. He made no movement to walk to his room just down the hall, standing directly outside her room for the night until she spoke again.

“I’m going to bathe right away, Inuyasha.” Kagome drew his attention back to her. He let out a huff of understanding before retreating into his room, calmer, although still irate. Once in his own room, he retreated deep into his thoughts.

He quietly contemplated what could be waiting for them in the village. All he knew was they were in need of help, but Miroku’s warning sounded alarms in his mind that he didn’t know how to calm. What if Kagome saw something that made her change her heart – made her regret being with him here in the feudal era?

He knew Kagome loved him, but he also couldn’t quell the storm that threatened to destroy his confidence in her.

He decided to give the baths a try for himself after a long while, running into his wife in the corridor on her way back to her room. “It’s not too hot,” she told him. “I think you’ll have a nice soak.”

He huffed acknowledgement, watching her walk back to her room. He stood in the junction of the hallways until he saw the light from her room go out, indicating she had gone to sleep.

When he returned from his brief, but at least tolerable, soak in the baths, he forced himself to not worry about what the next day might bring. He chose to only think of how Kagome loved him, and let whatever the village might bring bother him when it happened.