Dearly Beloved by Aviel
Life
Disclaimer: Though it saddens me to say it, I don’t own anything relating to Takahashi-sensei’s Inuyasha, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116, or the two Japanese proverbs contained within this piece. However, the plot and/or ideas of this drabble series do belong to me.
A/N: As always, I dedicate this story to all of my readers. I do take your comments to heart, and I treasure them dearly. Your kind words have nearly made me cry on more than a few occasions…which is an incredible thing! I’m deeply moved, humbled, and very happy that you’ve stuck with me thus far! I’ll be sending your love on to Sesshoumaru and Kagome, too. :) Update 2 of 2.
Chapter 35: Life
“Did we deserve this, Sesshoumaru?”
The man paused as he entered the doorway of the nursery room, holding a tray of food in his hands. The objects on said tray rattled at the abrupt movement but stilled when he continued on his trek toward the female that had spoken.
“Of course not,” Sesshoumaru told her gently.
Kagome was sitting with her back facing him, staring listlessly out of the window. A stuffed animal–a dog–sat on her lap, solemn and silent. Life, as she had once noted, seemed content to move on without her as she continued to wallow in her misery. While it was to be expected, the loss of their little one had evoked a change in her that had concerned him greatly.
Her bright eyes had become dull, and her voice no longer held any emotion–never carrying an inflection to indicate that she was capable of feeling anything in her hollow soul.
Sometimes, her persona was too similar to his own, and he absolutely hated it, for Kagome was not meant to be anyone else but herself. She was supposed to have a smile on her face and be so happy that his own heart would feel as if it would burst out of his chest at any given moment. It pained him to know that the woman he had fallen in love with had lost her inner spark, and would continue to exist as an empty shell unless something was done. Needless to say, he would do anything to get it back.
If the only measure of comfort he could give to her was his vow to always be by her side, it was a small sacrifice he would gladly make for the rest of his life.
“Sesshoumaru.”
This was another change he did not like; she had stopped calling him by his childhood nickname immediately after she had learned of her miscarriage. It was both unfamiliar and strangely vexing to him, and left him a bit disoriented–if not a little angry. Sesshoumaru had never liked it when something confused him.
“Hn?” The man held her close and pressed his face into her neck, breathing in her scent. Until she was back to normal, he refused to watch the world pass by with her. He needed to remain sane for her sake.
“Would I have been a bad mom?”
His arms tightened around her. “You would have been a great one, Kagome. That fact is still the same.”
“Then why did this happen?” Her voice sounded so small, so broken. “Only a terrible mother would’ve killed her own child.”
“Hatsuko’s passing was not your fault,” Sesshoumaru said.
“Wasn’t it? I fell from the ladder!” she cried, hands clenching the plush toy in a white-knuckled grip. “If I hadn’t, she would still be here! You can’t tell me that isn’t true!”
“Did you do it on purpose?”
Kagome froze, appalled that he had asked such a horrible thing.
“…How could you?” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “How could you think that I–”
“Answer the question, Kagome.” Though Sesshoumaru’s expression was harsh, his eyes begged her to see reason. “Did you or did you not plan to harm our daughter?”
The woman broke down in sobs, covering her face with her hands. Perceiving that as her answer, Sesshoumaru nuzzled her head and hummed deeply within his throat. His touch was soft as he combed his fingers through her hair.
“Forgive me,” he murmured. “Hurting you was not my intention.”
Kagome hiccuped a few times and pulled back to look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were flushed. The sight of his female in such a state was heartbreaking, but Sesshoumaru still thought she was beautiful. He loved her all the more for allowing him to see her vulnerable side.
“I-I wanted a baby s-so bad, Maru-kun!”
Sesshoumaru sighed and placed a kiss upon her brow, still sore about the subject himself.
“I know.”
“T-tell me what to do?” she begged. “I d-don’t think that I can–”
She was silenced when his mouth slanted over hers.
“You can.” His tone was stern, commanding. “Do not fool yourself into believing otherwise.”
“But how?”
Her eyes swam with desperation, and Sesshoumaru could see the beginnings of madness and hysteria within them.
“Smile,” he replied, the corners of his lips relaxing into one. “Breathe.” He was relieved when she listened and did so. “Live. Laugh. Love.” Each word was punctuated with a light peck upon her skin. When he was finished, Kagome calmed and leaned into him.
“You always say the right things,” she said.
He shrugged slightly in response. “It is a result of my father’s influence.” He reveled in her soft laugh.
“I’ll have to thank him then. We should visit him soon.”
“Hn.”
She reached up to caress his cheek. “Tell me something else?” she asked, feeling like a child requesting a bedtime story. Nevertheless, Sesshoumaru complied, his baritone voice soothing to her ears.
“Fall down seven times, stand up eight. Never forget this, for perseverance is strength.”
“Was that a poem?” she ventured, frowning when he shook his head. “But it rhymed! You actually rhymed! Out loud!”
Sesshoumaru could not suppress his chuckle. “Not all poems have to rhyme, Kagome.”
A sly smile surfaced on her face. “Can you tell me one then?”
“No.”
“No?” she echoed. “Why not?”
“I am not a poet.”
“Please?” Her pout made him rethink his hasty response.
“…Very well.”
. . .
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
. . .
Kagome sniffled. “It’s beautiful, but sounds sad.”
Sesshoumaru silently agreed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Posting Date: January 18, 2013
Prompt: For Avadrea’s Oddities Challenge, Paroemia
Words: 1000