A/N: Yeah, I got suckered into the boat challenge, too, haha.
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"It's a boat."
Sesshomaru gave her a level look as if to say, Of course it's a boat.
She looked back at the boat, half expecting it to transform into something else. Sesshomaru had said they'd be traveling, but he'd neglected to say it would be by boat. Her yokai lover could fly, walk, and even flit about in a ball of light, but he wanted to travel by boat?
The boat wasn't even anything impressive. It was a simple boat with oars that they would have to row—or Jaken would have to row, she amended, thinking of the tiny demon who was no doubt still scrambling to catch up.
"Why a boat?" she asked finally, turning back to Sesshomaru.
He simply raised a brow as if to say Why not?
She sighed heavily, suspecting that, whatever his reasons, he had no intentions of sharing them. When Sesshomaru got secretive, Kagome had long since learned to let him have his secrets. In time, she'd find out why, but for now, she would go with the flow.
She boarded the boat behind Sesshomaru, noticing how he instantly relaxed as he boarded.
"You like boats," she blurted.
Sesshomaru didn't acknowledge her response but a moment later, Jaken came racing up to the boat, his staff in hand. "Your humble servant has arrived!" he crowed, waving the staff before clambering into the boat.
Kagome sighed. And there goes any hopes of a romantic date. Jaken and romance do not mix at all.
"Jaken." Sesshomaru didn't even look at the imp.
"Yes, my lord!" Without being prompted further, Jaken began rowing the boat. Fortunately, he did so silently, though Kagome suspected that was more because of the threatening look on Sesshomaru's face than anything else.
As the boat moved through the water, Kagome kept her gaze on her lover as he studied the scenery around them. His expression was impassive, but he wasn't fooling anyone—or at least, he wasn't fooling her. She could tell by his aura and his posture that he was more relaxed now than he'd ever been.
Considering the fact that he'd become almost paranoid when he'd learned she was pregnant a few weeks ago, it was a welcome distraction. They'd never really gone out of their way to name their relationship, but then they hadn't needed to. She loved him and knew that he felt the same, even if he didn't vocalize it.
But once he'd learned of her pregnancy, he'd insisted on marriage and then from there, he'd become so overzealous in ensuring no harm befell the child that she wanted to throttle him more often than not. He insisted that most anything she did that was even remotely dangerous—in his mind, at least—would harm the child.
If she was hungry, he would send Jaken off to locate a rare yokai delicacy that he insisted would give the child the nutrients it needed. If she wanted to go somewhere, he insisted that Ah-Un carry her. If she wanted a bath, he insisted on bathing her.
She was just five weeks pregnant and if he continued like this, he wouldn't make it the full nine months to delivery because she'd kill him well before then.
She saw a hand appear before her, holding a small silk pouch. "Eat," he said, but unlike the last few weeks, his tone was gentle, not panicked or demanding.
She accepted and opened the pouch, surprised to find it full of human sweets and not some yokai delicacy for her pregnancy. At once, her irritation fled as she put one of the treats in her mouth. The sweetness spread, curling her tongue, with a familiar tarty taste that balanced most sweets in this era.
"Thank you," she told him, grinning at her husband.
The look on his face softened as he gave her a short nod. "How are you feeling?"
She considered the question, knowing how concerned he'd been every day she'd experienced morning sickness—and some days, she got sick multiple times. "I'm doing okay," she said, reaching out to pat his thigh reassuringly. "The baby's feeling okay, too."
He smiled at her. It was faint, but it was a start. "You kept your meal down today," he observed casually.
She nodded. "I think Kaede was right about trying plain food in the mornings."
They both were silent for awhile as Sesshomaru's gaze drifted back to the water. Whatever his intentions, she suspected they were out on the boat to relieve the growing tension between them that her unplanned pregnancy had caused. Both had been overjoyed at the news, but it had undoubtedly created tension between them that hadn't existed before.
"The baby's going to be healthy, Sesshomaru," she finally said, suspecting that was the reason behind his sudden anxiety.
His golden gaze flickered back to Kagome. "My mother miscarried several times after my birth," he admitted quietly. "My father said she was most upset and would sequester herself for months each time."
She cursed under her breath; no wonder he was so paranoid. In his own clumsy way, he thought he was protecting her. "Sesshomaru, the baby is really healthy. We won't know for sure until it's born, but trust me, I know my body and we're doing well. It's going to be alright. And even if it's not, I know you're here for me."
He inhaled and she sensed that he wanted to protest but as she stared at him, he finally nodded his agreement. "Very well."
She accepted his response with grace. "Do you want a boy or girl?" she asked, rubbing her stomach lightly.
He shrugged one shoulder. "It matters not as long as it is healthy."
Her heart melted all over again at the sincerity in his voice. "I feel the same," she confessed, exchanging another small smile with him. All of her irritations and frustrations had melted away as they traveled across the water and now once again Kagome looked forward to the arrival of their firstborn with delight.
It delighted her even more that he felt the same and, as the boat bobbed through the water, she moved, snuggling next to her husband. His arm quietly went around hers and suddenly she didn't care that Jaken was there. She was on a romantic date with the one she loved and she reveled in the quiet way he pulled her closer to him and soothingly rubbed her side with his hand.
The boat ride made sense now; it relaxed Sesshomaru enough for them to talk so sincerely. She was grateful they'd had the chance to talk but, as the boat jerked as Jaken's staff caught on a rock, she decided she was never going to get on the boat again.
And then she promptly lost her lunch over the side of the boat.