Kagome couldn’t deny she was itching to check out that heated pool at the center of the castle—’slumbering’ youkai presiding or not. Despite the cold weather, she’d gotten sweaty from the various trials of the day, and she wanted to wash up before dinner.
No longer comatose from gorging himself on blood-plums, Shin was raring to go as well. After his short doze in Sesshoumaru’s lap, he seemed back to full, bristling energy. Even in his human form, he looked nothing short of spritely as he burbled away to Kagome on the way down the surreally snowy, terraced cliffs.
“Do you think he can swim?” she asked Sesshoumaru, accepting his clawed hand to help her step down from a particularly high glittering ledge.
Sesshoumaru grasped her by the waist as well, though there was no real need to do so. Pulling her to him, he regarded Shin, whose blue eyes peeped up at him in turn.
“At the very least,” Sesshoumaru said, “he should float.”
“Puppies can doggy-paddle,” Kagome said, smiling up at him. “It’s a matter of instinct. So I just figured baby inuyoukai can, too.”
“If ever I learned to swim, it’s beyond the point of memory.”
“What is your first memory?”
Sesshoumaru glanced away, as if peering toward some horizon long past. “My father,” he replied, after a moment. “The sound of his laughter. He was always laughing.”
Kagome’s smile slipped a little. “Mine, too.”
Together the three of them descended to the steaming moon-shaped pool, framed implausibly by a glittering crust of iridescent ice crystals. Before Kagome could take a mincing step toward the edge, Sesshoumaru’s aura flared. The ice melted away before them in a snap, revealing a carpet of verdant, white-flowered moss below.
“That was neat,” Kagome said with a crook of lip, as she set Shin down in the moss at her feet.
He could hold himself upright easily now where he sat. It was an uncanny level of motor control for a baby his age. As he cocked his silky dark head and peered up at her, Kagome wondered how much of his inuyoukai tendencies bled into his human form, and vice-versa.
Glancing over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru, who was already half-naked, Kagome blushed. She stripped quickly out of her haori and hakama and slipped into the the piping hot pool. Shin turned over onto his belly and wriggled toward the edge after her.
“That’s it, baby,” Kagome said, averting her eyes from Sesshoumaru as he undid the silken ties at his waist. Putting out her hands to Shin, she smiled. “Come to Kaa-san.”
Shin stared at her with his big blue eyes, but he didn’t budge another inch. His stubby little fingers curled stubbornly into the moss. Kagome was deliberating hefting herself back over the ledge after him. Then a clawed foot nudged Shin in the rump from behind, sending him over the edge with a whimper and a splash.
Kagome gasped, ready to dive after him. But before she could, Shin surfaced. His scrunched little face looked nothing short of pissed-off. Every strand of hair stood on end as he paddled sullenly in place.
Hand to her heart, Kagome snapped her eyes upward. “Sesshoumaru! That was so uncalled-for.”
The demon lord met her gaze evenly, utterly nonplussed. His muscular arms crossed lightly against his sculpted chest. It was the exact opposite of how Kagome looked and felt, seeing him looming over her stark naked. As she banded her arms around her breasts, Sesshoumaru shrugged, one-shouldered.
“It’s what my father would have done.”
Cheeks blazing, Kagome turned back to her son, paddling beside her.
At least now she knew that he could swim.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Revised 7/16/24
LMAOODSGODSGIDS OMGGG TOO MANY GOOD INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THEM FOR ME TO PINPOINT. I loved every bit of this chapter sjgldsgjsdlg. So in character. So comical. So cute.
Also, the mentions of Inu no Taisho makes me wanna cry. I avoided Yashahime like it was the plague but I did search up Toga’s scenes on YouTube and I literally love him sm hahaha. Wish he was around to see his grandson Shin
“I avoided Yashahime like it was the plague” – haha you and me, both! I like the original canon where it ended XD
So happy you enjoyed the scene so much, bella!! I love Inu no Taishou too <3
Preciousssssss omg so cute
Thank you, mim!! So glad you enjoyed the cuteness in this one <3
😩 these little scenes are both a blessing and a curse. It is so nice to see them interact as a family, but at the same time I want moooooore.
It’s so interesting how Sesshoumaru still idolizes his dad and seems to want to be like him as a father – kicking Shin into the pool then saying “it’s what my father would have done.”
Anyway, I am really annoyed with myself, because I wanted to wait to binge read this when it’s done, but here I am. Cheating and reading the updates. 😩 You’re just too good, Char!
I love the little glimpses we see of Shin’s character even at this age and the way you describe it. Seems he’s as hot tempered as his mom, but also quick to let it go afterwards, and he’s a determined little bugger. Also, so frigging cute 🥰
Aww, thank you!! It’s been so fun to craft Shin’s character, and it’s awesome to hear how much you’ve enjoyed his portrayal so far! Thanks so much for sharing & hope you enjoy the next chapter!! <3
Aww thank you, Chloedrew!! So glad you decided to take the plunge and read along with the latest updates here! Slowly but surely we are making progress toward the end XD
Thrilled that you enjoyed the scene! Love hearing your thoughts on Sess, Shin & Touga! Hope you enjoy the rest of the tale <3
There it is, the Bath scene 🤩 My first exposure to the Inuyasha series was glancing at the tv and seeing Kagome in an onsen. My first thought was “She’s beautiful”, and thus began my lifelong obsession. 100/10 marketing strategy extremely effective.
I could totally see the Inu no Taishou kicking Sess off a ledge🤣 Maybe that was HIS first flying lesson, though Sess knows Kagome would fry his ass if he did that to Shin.
“My first thought was “She’s beautiful”,” – hahaha ikr?? Kagome’s such a babe!
Love hearing your thoughts on the shenanigans in this scene, friend! Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the next part 😉
<3
Sesshoumaru is just so much more of a father and mate to Kagome. I wonder if Inuyasha is ever going to figure something out? Maybe he will check up on Kagome’s story to see where she really is supposed to be. Well great chapter! I wonder when Inuyasha goes all nuts will Sesshoumaru come to her rescue?
Thank you, Redwolf! So glad you enjoyed the chapter! And yep, there’s still a great deal to be resolved here…hope you enjoy how things turn out! <3
That’s… basically how my dad taught me to swim. Just chucked me into a lake and it turns out my head is full of hot air lol
XDDD
The ol’ ‘throwing them into the deep end’ approach – gotta love it haha! Thanks for sharing, M-Yan!! <3
Ooh, this is the second time they mentioned their fathers I believe? The first time was the laundry scene. How interesting 👁️ And now that the Western Lady also mentioned Shin resembling Touga, it seems that the matter of Inupapa has a very close involvement with the story. I can’t wait to see where that leads!
On another note I’m glad to see Shin pissy rather than scared, after what happened at the river and all. He’s such a resilient baby. Definitely inherited that warrior’s heart!
“Definitely inherited that warrior’s heart!” – yep he’s a tough lil fella! 🙂
Kagome and Sess have both lost their fathers in their own ways… Love hearing your take on things, oskorreia, as always! Thanks so much for sharing!! <3
Chichi is ruthless (and hot) 😩 All those times kicking Jakken has given him bad habits. Luckily Shin is a wonder baby so he’ll be fine.
“All those times kicking Jakken has given him bad habits. ” – hahaha yeah it’s true! (poor Jakken XD)
Thanks for sharing, hanayome! <3
😂🤣😭 Scratch the thing I said about Sess surpassing his father. He’s learning as he goes. Fortunately or unfortunately his point of reference is Touga.
Shin in that 0.1 sec when he was submerged: Father is…evil? Father is unyielding? Father is incapable of love? I am running away. I am packing my little rucksack and going out to explore the world as a lone vagabond. I can no longer thrive in this household.
“I am packing my little rucksack and going out to explore the world as a lone vagabond.” – XDD such a cute image tho
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the scene, Inupapa! Always love hearing your take!! <3
I love this story. I recently realized it’s called The Bond on Dokuga but The Pact on here. Wonder why?
This story is excellent. I wish I could read more chapters but I’ll take what I can get. I’m super happy when you do update.
I can’t believe Sesshomaru kicked the baby into the water. But of course he did. Lol loved that Shin was pissed off.
“I recently realized it’s called The Bond on Dokuga but The Pact on here. Wonder why?” – good question! Yeah originally, and for several years, the story was exclusive to this blog. The original working title is The Pact, but The Bond is the more polished title I decided on later, when I started cross-posting to Dokuga, etc. I’ve left the blog series title as-is, so that’s why it’s still called The Pact here, and The Bond everywhere else.
So glad you’re enjoying the story so much, Kathy! Glad you enjoyed Shin’s reaction to being thrown into the deep end here XD
<3
XD As an add-on to Inupapa’s comment: “you KICK shin? you kick his body like the football? oh! oh! jail for father! jail for father for One Thousand Years!!!!”
His temper is so freaking adorable. Not a wailer, this one, but his fierce little face! I would let Shin eat my kidneys to pinch his cheeks just once!!
Hahaha yeah Shin’s a feisty one! Thanks so much for sharing, Kova! So glad you enjoyed the scene!! <3
i love this story. it truly feels like a fairy tale when they’re together.
when they left the village kagome reminds me of a selkie who won back her skin and returned to the sea. or a bird who escaped her cage, i suppose. her name is very fitting!
Aww that’s a lovely image! <3 Thanks for sharing, rehizakki! So glad you're loving the story!!
I love this so much!!! He just kicked that kid into the water and was like sink or swim!
Love this story and excited to read more!
Haha yeah the ‘tough love’ parenting approach XD
Thank you, Mia! So glad you’re enjoying the story!! <3
I would give this fic ten thousand kudos if I could! It’s just so good 🤤💕
I live and breathe for these SessKag family moments and i’m not quite all that guilty of all that could happen if SessKag and baby Shin get everything they want. SO WHAT if they break a few hearts? and bones? That’s life. Murder is okay.
XD
So glad you’re enjoying the story so much, nagisaa!! Appreciate the bonus kudos!! <3
Kagome is so much more at ease when she’s with Sesshomaru than when she’s with anyone else. It’s nice to see our girl revert to her old self if only for the moment. Lighten up, Kagome. Let your baby daddy handle everything. You and Shin are in good hands ☺️
So glad you’re enjoying these lighthearted scenes! Thanks for sharing <3