Kagome slept well past noon the next day. Though both demons were awake well before that, neither wanted to leave her so they just laid there, holding her until she began to stir.
Several times her mother poked her head in to check on them, wondering if they shouldn’t be getting ready to go. Each time the men told her to just let Kagome sleep. While waiting for her sleepy-head daughter to wake she busied herself making sure everything was packed and ready to go.
While doing that her thoughts wandered to the two men upstairs in her daughter’s bed. She was a bit torn on the subject. The ‘proper mother’ side of herself was horrified that she had even allowed that. One man in her daughter’s bed was bad enough, but <i>two</i>? Appalling! But the other side, that just wanted Kagome to be happy, soothed her. For so long she could see how unhappy her daughter had been. The quest she was on was hard and rough, making her unhappy. Over the last months she had watched her slide into a depression that just seemed to deepen each time she came home. Honestly, she had been afraid of suicide attempt before it happened.
For as long as she lived she would remember the panic she felt when she saw Kouga step out of the well house with the limp, bloody body of her daughter cradled in his arms. Normally she was very calm and in control but she had been thrown into hysterics at the sight and couldn’t be calmed, sure her daughter was lost to her forever. Showing the calmness she remembered from childhood, Grandpa had taken matters in hand and did what was needed.
At the hospital, Kouga had comforted <i>her</i> even though he had been just as worried as she was. Once Kagome was out of danger he had refused to leave her side. When she woke up he had stayed and comforted her daughter in a way she couldn’t. Everyone could see the imposing man loved Kagome. Because of the way she had been raised she didn’t think demons were capable of love or tenderness but she found out she was wrong. The handsome, strong Kouga loved her daughter and showed her a tenderness and devotion very few humans would.
After three days Kouga said he would return through the well because her friends would want to know she was alright. Also, that there would be someone else that would want to come see her: Lord Sesshomaru.
Now she had heard of him. Inuyasha’s full-demon half-brother. Kagome had talked about him a few times. She never really said too much though but would always end with a giggle and say he was very good-looking. Her first reaction when she had seen him walking by the handsome ookami was that he was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. When he spoke his modulated baritone voice sent shivers down her spine. Yes, he had a passive mask and a cold look in his eyes for almost everyone but there was quite a different look when it came to Kagome. That passive mask remained in place but there was softness in his eyes and tenderness there when he dealt with her. He was gentle with her but her feisty daughter also seemed to listen to him and not argue too much.
It was obvious to all who saw both men that they both loved her. She heard quite a bit of talk at the hospital about Kagome choosing between the two. After she was home she had thought about it. From her upbringing in religion she felt her daughter didn’t have to choose. The Kamis had chosen a hard path for her to follow, which she had faithfully done even to the detriment to her physical and mental health. Now there were two men in her life who loved her. The Kami’s had a hand in that, there was no doubt. They had gifted her with the love of two men to make up for the hard path they had chosen for her.
Yes, the fact that they were both demons did bother her a bit but she was quickly learning that not all demons were evil like she had thought. How could someone think a being who loved her daughter so much is all evil? It wasn’t possible as far as she could tell.
The two beings who loved her daughter were very much the ying/yang. Kouga, she had very little doubt, was wrapped around Kagome’s little finger. She was quite sure he would give her anything she wanted. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, wasn’t that way. Cool and collected, he adored her but even Kagome wouldn’t argue with him beyond a certain point. She had seen it, Kagome would be arguing then he would give her a look then her headstrong daughter would shut up. Who was she to say it was wrong and that Kagome wouldn’t love both?
Smiling, she thought her daughter’s life was about to become very complicated and she didn’t envy her it at all.
The sounds of movement in Kagome’s room finally started with walking and then bathwater running, jarring her out of her musing and telling her Kagome was finally awake.