Part Fifteen

True Love

"Hey, Mama?" Kagome glanced up from her food preparations, meeting the golden eyes of her six-year-old daughter briefly.

"Yes, my little love?" Miyako scowled and blushed at the same time; she was more on her father's side of emotions, she could be a little shy about it when the mood took her. The dark-haired little girl sat back down beside her giggling twin sister Mariko.

"Tell us a story. When did you know you loved Papa?" Kagome's skin swiftly flushed the color of InuYasha's haori, her dreamy eyes flew open. She quickly set down the knife she was holding as her hand faltered.

"Um, well . . ." 'Crap! How do I answer this?! Where's InuYasha?' The last thing she wanted was him overhearing this confession-

Seeing her hesitation, Mariko helped get her started. "Mama always says she's always loved Papa." The blonde twin turned her violet eyes to her mother. "Right, Mama?"

'Well I guess that's true.' "Uh, yeah, actually . . . When I first saw him sleeping under the Goshinboku I thought he was very handsome." 'And very strange with those ears on top of his head.' "But thinking a guy is cute isn't love. You also need to have his respect and he has to have yours too, and you gotta know if he thinks of you the same way too- The first time your father thought of my safety first, he gave me his fire rat haori to wear for my own protection. And he said my name for the first time. And the first time I saw him as a real hero was when he saved me and your Uncle Souta from the possessed Noh mask. Somewhere around there, I think is when I started falling for your father. It wasn't much later that I finally realized I was absolutely, irrevocably in love with him . . . I considered us unofficially together by the time we met Toto-sai and Kouga for the first time. I even told Kouga I couldn't date him because I already seeing your father." She took a deep breath, reliving the memories- "Honestly, girls, I guess I fall in love with InuYasha again and again every time I see him."

Miyako glowered at that answer where he sister grinned dreamily.

"What about your first kiss?" Kagome blushed red hot again. Oh, she remembered their first kiss, though she wasn't sure InuYasha did . . .

"Uh, that's kind of a scary story, sweetheart. Your father was under an evil spell from a fake tennyo. The only thing I could do to wake him from the enchantment was-"

"True love's kiss!" Both twin girls shouted in unison, and just like that, they'd made her story into a fairy tale.

"Uh, yeah, sure. True love's kiss broke the spell." Kagome grinned and shook her head. Her girls were a delight but they kept her on her toes for sure. "True love . . ."

Later that afternoon, InuYasha escorted the twins to the river to wash up after lunch. After Kagome's near miss only few nights ago, he was loathe to let any of the pups out of a responsible adult's sight for longer than a few minutes. He hardly trusted his oldest, InuMamoru, on his own or to watch the young ones even briefly. He knew the girls could defend themselves but why risk it? He lounged on the grassy hill that descended down to the creek's edge where the girls were splashing and playing more than they were washing dishes. He didn't mind, they were pups, they should play for as long as they could.

"Papa!" Miyako bounded up the hill, golden eyes narrowed to pounce on his drifting mane of hair scattered in the grass, her sister leapt up to land in front of him, falling atop him with a huge hug. He pushed himself up to escape their antics but both girls held him in tight embraces, leaving wet kisses on his cheeks and temple.

"Gah! Stop it!" He leapt to his feet, shaking off the twin pups whom fell unceremoniously to the dirt, giggling like it was all just a game.

"Love ya, Papa!" The girls latched onto his legs before he could leap away from them.

"Mariko. Miyako. Let Papa go." He ordered with a straight face.

"Only if you answer a question first!" Mariko quickly countered. He narrowed his amber eyes suspiciously.

"What."

"Mama told us her story already and we want to hear yours. When did you first fall in love with Mama?"

"WHAT!?" The young man was at a loss- angry and surprised and incredibly mortified by such a question. Then he processed the first part of the blonde's statement. Kagome's story? She'd told them when she'd first fallen in love with him?

"When. Did. You. Fall. In. Love. With. Our. Mama?" Miyako reiterated slowly. She knew he heard her but sometimes her daddy needed extra time to think of an answer to some of their more difficult questions.

"Wait. What'd Kagome say?"

"Meh. She said she falls in love with you every time she sees you." Miyako rolled her eyes, bored with the very idea. He smirked smugly. Every time she saw him, huh?

"I loved her since the first time I caught her scent. Since the first time I heard her voice. The first time I saw her face and stood in her presence." He whispered to the twins.

Mariko and Miyako nodded. They liked the short answer better. Love at first sight made more sense than falling in love over and over, again and again every day. That was too much work.

"She's the other half of my soul. It was pretty obvious from the first moment she existed in my world." He smirked softly as he gazed on the two girls, evidence beyond any doubt that he'd found his true love and he'd never let her go. Further evidence of that love was strolling down the hill to fetch them, InuMamoru was carrying his baby brother on his shoulders. "C'mon, pups. Let's bring the dishes back."

A.N.

Darling readers,

Thank you for sticking around to continue reading my stories! I've had a hard time writing since my friend, anime-cohort, muse, and writing buddy passed away. I'm looking to get back into the writing scene and need someone to help me break through a writer's block. I have stories that either finished or only halfway there and need a second opinion and where to take it.

If anyone's interested in helping me find my direction to end this in-progress InuYasha/Kagome story, please let me know. This story's been on hold too long and wants to be told.

Thanks!

Nicole-Cherre