Thunder

I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi


Thunder


Lightning flashed outside, shortly followed by a loud rumble of thunder.   Suddenly the wailing of a small child split the night.

“It’s all  right, baby,”  Kagome said as she picked the child up.   InuYasha got up, and went to stir up the fire and light the lamp as she tried to nurse the small boy.  He suckled a moment, then, making an angry face, began to cry again as more thunder crashed.

Kagome got out of bed trying to calm her child, then sat down next to InuYasha at the fire pit.  In the flickering light, her eyes were very heavy, even as she rocked her son, trying to calm him.

“Get some sleep, Koibito,” InuYasha said, taking the small, unhappy black-haired child out of his wife’s arms.  He ran a gentle finger along the outside of the baby’s small, shell-like ear. “No need for both of us to be awake. It won’t be that long before sunrise.”

The baby stared up into his father’s face a moment.  The baby’s eyes were a violet-gray in the lamplight. The child put his fist to his mouth then began to cry again.  InuYasha rested him against his shoulder, bouncing him slightly and walked around the room.  

“Were you like this as a baby on your new moon nights?” Kagome asked, stretching out on the futon.

“Hell if I remember,” he said.  Atae rubbed his runny nose on his father’s shirt, and his cries began to subside into whimpers as InuYasha paced around the room.  “Although my mother told me once I cried all night every new moon night for my first two years.”

“At least he slept for a little while tonight.  If that thunderstorm hadn’t moved in, he might have made it until sunrise.”  Kagome watched the two walking around the room.  She loved watching her husband, every inch a silver-haired fighter, hold their son.  The gentle way he held him stirred something in her, and she smiled.

“Maybe next month,” InuYasha said, patting his son on the back.  Slowly, the weary and frightened child gave in and fell asleep, and he dared to sit back down next to Kagome.  

Kagome leaned into his free shoulder, and InuYasha wrapped his arm around her.  Bit by bit all three fell asleep.  And then the sun rose.