Wahhhh~! Sorry that the formatting screwed up the first time. I had to delete the entire ficlet just to fix it because FFNet decided to be stupid with me. -.- Anyways, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it.

Rain was a funny thing. Some people detested the wet catharsis of the sky above while other relished it fully. Some found it depressing as well, suggesting that nothing good could come of rain. And that was even more funny considering that in the Spring, life began anew thanks to the rain. Perhaps that was why for Kikyou, the quiet melody of the rain was soothing as it pattered down on the Earth softly.

While she watched the rain pepper over the grass, a gentle hum came from her lips as she absentmindedly placed a hand to her slightly curving belly, partly unnoticeable under the loose-fitting kimono she wore presently. It had only been about a few months, but she couldn't help but love the little life that grew within her. It had surprised her some, but the most surprising part about her pregnancy was the fact that her husband (or mate, as he called her) had been the one that told her she was with child. He could smell it on her. But honestly, what did she expect of the great demon lord Sesshoumaru?

His reaction had always perplexed her since the day they found out, seemingly bored and uninterested in this news. It hadn't hurt her to see him this way, but it had made her wonder whether he cared for the life she carried inside. Her brows were knitted together now as Kikyou thought of this yet again, finding it so strange that she was having such a difficult time reading him. If he didn't care at all for the child, he could at least have the decency to notify her so she would know what to expect later.

The opening of a shoji door coaxed her out of her thoughts, urging her to turn around to face the person who had come to join her in the garden. However, she hardly needed to look to know who this powerful aura belonged to. Still, she turned to look at Sesshoumaru, greeted with that ever familiar placid visage of his. In turn, she gave him a warm look and the tiniest hint of a smile while he took the moment to crouch down and sit down next to her on the floor.

"Welcome home, husband, " she hummed calmly, removing her hand from her stomach and placing both of them on her lap. "I hadn't noticed that you had returned… How is Rin faring?"

No response came from him right away, his molten gold gaze sweeping over the gardens of his estate before he looked directly at her. "She is doing well," came the short reply. The two of them were never much for excessive words anyways. Besides, when it came to him, he always spoke volumes with body language which was why she had to fight back a smile when he grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers together. "Why do you sit in the rain? You'll grow sick."

"I enjoy the rain and helps me think. You know that," she shrugged, giving his larger hand a light squeeze that he returned as he gave a barely discernible nod.

They fell to silence after that, comfortable and familiar as they sat there for a few more moments until the rain stopped. It was only then that Kikyou stood up and headed back inside with Sesshoumaru following unusually close behind her.

The very next thing that happened threw her through a loop.

She had been walking normally a few steps ahead of him and the very next second, he scooped her up and held her in his arms bridal-style. A sound reminiscent of an "eep" left her as she threw her arms around his neck to balance herself, surprise and confusion plastered all over her face as she stared at him. What in the world had gotten into him? Before she could even get a word out, they were suddenly in their bedroom and her head spun a little bit from the speed in which he moved. The demon lord placed her on their futon a second later before crouching down next to her.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kikyou called to him, complete confusion and concern marring her face as she stared at him. "What are y-"

He cut her off then by tenderly cupping her face with one hand while the other traveled to her belly, gently pressing. Although his face was still fairly blank, the dark-haired woman understood then what was happening: he was concerned for the baby. Quite honestly, she wasn't sure if it was because of the pregnancy affecting her emotions or not, but she almost felt like crying. Instead, she chose to look at his hand on her stomach and smiled, placing her hand over his.

"Are you alright?" she asked warmly, tilting her head the slightest bit in a teasing manner. "I'm fine and so is our child."

The white-haired demon stiffened a touch at "our child," his amber eyes focused on his mate's growing belly. "I'm aware." That being said, he removed his hands from her and placed a kiss to Kikyou's forehead in a silent gratitude. However, his sudden bout of affection did not stop at the simple kiss, quickly progressing to him holding her in a loving manner before properly kissing her on the mouth.

"Thank you."