InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Separation ❯ Reunion ( Chapter 14 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.28.2008 | Updated On: 10.14.2013 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 2.0K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.28.2008 | Updated On: 10.14.2013 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 2.0K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Fanfiction of the Week: The Lucky Ones, by terri botta.
Quite possibly the best piece of fanfiction I have ever read.
Reunion
Inuyasha stared into the blackness hovering at the bottom of the well, filled with a strange mixture of excitement and dread. The setting sun cast an orange glow across the sky, and ever-lengthening shadows covered the landscape. The clash of two opposing forces, light and darkness, seemed to mirror his emotions perfectly. Never in his life had he been so indecisive.
“Come on, Inuyasha! I want to see Kagome again!”
Inuyasha ignored the anxious kitsune. He would go when he was damn good and ready. Whether he would ever be truly ready to face the girl on the other side of the well was another question entirely. He did not doubt his own recently-illuminated feelings, but then he had never been good at expressing himself around Kagome. Or at least expressing himself in a productive manner. He had gnawed on his proverbial foot far too many times to have any confidence whatsoever in his ability to tell her what he wanted to tell her. Part of him was positive he would screw it up somehow and she would misunderstand. No amount of preparation would prevent his tongue from tying in knots, however; all he could do was try his best to be honest. Yet he couldn’t shake the insistent thread of doubt, that perhaps he had misread her after all. That was what really held him back, though the greater part of mind said he was a fool for believing it. He had spent enough time with Kagome to know she cared deeply for him, but it seemed so unlikely that she had fallen in love with him. He, an undeserving hanyou who didn’t pay her any compliments, wasn’t especially nice to her, and who at his worst treated her downright cruelly. It was true that they had grown closer as their journey progressed, and they were no longer at each other’s throats as often, but there was still an impregnable divide between them. It was as if neither had ever been truly honest with the other. Inuyasha grimaced; he had not even been honest with himself until the verge of death.
He looked at the Shikon no Tama resting in his palm, still as pure white as it had been on that fateful day. It was not being corrupted by his presence; that was a good start. Still, there was no guarantee that this would work, that the jewel would break Naraku’s seal and dispel his miasma. But he felt in his heart that this effort would be successful. Just as he felt in his heart that Kagome loved him. He could not give her the man she deserved, someone who would shower her with words of affection and satisfy her every desire. He could not offer a life of luxury, nor one free of outside prejudice. What he could offer was his heart, and his unwavering devotion. Deep down, he knew that would be enough for her.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Inuyasha,” Sango told him quietly. “Kagome feels the same way you do. Trust me.”
Nodding resolutely, Inuyasha leapt into the well, calling forth the same feelings of love and longing he had embraced in Naraku’s clutches, and every waking moment since. The miasma parted around him, pushed back by the pressure of the Shikon no Tama. Pure and black energy crackled, warring in the small space at the bottom of the structure. But the force of his passion was stronger than the residual hate, and the evil was steadily driven out. He made a wish…and the last earthly remnants of Naraku vanished in a blinding surge of light.
Grinning idiotically, he leapt from the well and threw open the doors to the well house. He breathed in the air, with just that hint of modern pollution, realizing how much he had missed it. He gazed up at Goshinboku, seemingly older and wiser in this time period. And finally he looked at the Higurashi home, where his soul mate was currently residing. At long last, he was home.
Sprinting across the grounds, he jumped up to Kagome’s windowsill, barely containing his excitement. He stopped just before using a clawed finger to tap on the glass. There she was, asleep at her desk, slumped over a book with her cheek sticking to a page. His eyes softened, his raging heartbeat slowing as he watched her. She looked so peaceful…he couldn’t wake her. Reluctantly, he vaulted down from the window and walked around to the front door. He supposed the old him would have woken her up anyway, or pouted in Goshinboku. But he was not that cold, detached hanyou any longer. While Kagome rested, he would reacquaint himself with her family. It was the least he could do, since he hoped they would eventually become his family as well.
The reunion was a little too loud for the hanyou’s tastes, but somehow Kagome managed to sleep through all of it. Mrs. Higurashi was happy to see him, he suspected mostly because her daughter would be, but she seemed genuinely glad for her own sake as well. Souta was of course ecstatic that his ‘Inu-no-oniichan’ was back, and even the old man appeared casually indifferent to his return, which was a definite improvement from his usual reaction. Mrs. Higurashi ushered everyone into the kitchen so she could finish preparing dinner while they talked. Inuyasha was coaxed into telling his story of what had transpired since they had last seen him. He did so willingly, but omitted many of the details. Kagome’s family did not need to know how close he had come to death, and they definitely didn’t need to know about his little revelation. Granted, they would find out later if things went as he hoped.
He very nearly lost it when he heard of Kagome’s ‘adventures’ in his absence. That she had gone to such lengths to see him again…it both warmed his heart and pissed him off. He would have a few choice words for her when she woke up. Sure, he would have done the same thing in her place. But he was a hanyou, able to take a hit and keep on coming. She was just a fragile human. Though she was certainly not helpless, if Souta’s grand tale could be believed. But the two adults in the room had only listened quietly throughout, so apparently the kid was telling the truth. One thing was for sure; if Inuyasha ever met this Daisuke fellow, it would not be pretty.
By the time Souta got around to his own involvement in the story, he looked like he was practically begging for some form of adoration. Inuyasha was so grateful for the kid’s quick thinking that he didn’t mind abiding.
“Damn, kid,” he said with a fanged grin. “It’s too bad you can’t come back to the past. You’d make a kick-ass taijiya.” Then he ruffled he boy’s hair as he imagined a proud older brother might do. Souta lost the ability to speak after this, and Inuyasha could not tell whether he was on the verge of crying or passing out on the floor. Fortunately he did neither, but he also had a goofy smile plastered across his face for the rest of the evening. It was amazing what a few words could do, Inuyasha reflected, just before he realized the incredible irony of this thought. Hopefully he could actually make use of his own advice when Kagome finally woke up.
Just before dinner was served, Mrs. Higurashi wondered why Kagome had not come down yet. Inuyasha told her she was sleeping at her desk.
“Oh, poor dear. She’s been studying really hard lately.”
Inuyasha’s ears drooped at this, as he wondered if Kagome had started to move on from her life in the past. Mrs. Higurashi noticed.
“Don’t worry, Inuyasha. She misses all of you terribly, and dreams of returning to your world. But while she was here she couldn’t stand failing at school. In case you never…”
He didn’t need her to finish. Of course Kagome would try to do well in class. School was everything for young people in this time, so he heard, and she needed to have a backup plan in case she was never able to return to the past. It raised his spirits to know where her priorities lay. She truly had missed him as much as he had missed her.
Even though Mrs. Higurashi sent Souta to wake Kagome for dinner, even though he had fair warning, he was still woefully unprepared when she scuffled into the kitchen a few minutes later. Hair tousled, shoulders slumped and lips drooped, her eyes carried her fatigue. Yet, she was still the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. She spotted him leaning against the counter and froze, blinking a few times as if to clear the cobwebs from her vision. But slowly her eyes widened, and her lips parted to hang open in shock. Just when he thought she was about to say something, she instead marched over to him and poked him in the chest. Then she squeezed his arm, tweaked his ear, and finally laid her hand against his cheek. Through it all, Inuyasha’s confusion only deepened, as did his embarrassment at knowing that her family was witnessing this literally touchy-feely behavior.
“Oi, teme…”
She pulled back suddenly, hands clutched in front of her chest and eyes as wide as saucers. Then she did the most unusual thing of all—she giggled. Inuyasha could only stare at her in absolute bewilderment. This was not how he had imagined their reunion going, and it had completely obliterated whatever sense of calm his conversation with her family had produced. He now found himself even more nervous than he had been on the other side of the well.
Finally, Kagome came back to herself. “Now I know you’re not a dream,” was all she said, but when she looked at him this time his heart skipped a beat. Perhaps it was the fact that she had just returned from slumber, but the emotions reflected in her chocolate pools were raw, uninhibited. Quite simply, he had never seen her so happy. The other emotions he thought he glimpsed, those that filled his own dreams—he tried not to read too much into them. Her smile faded, perhaps because his own amber eyes were equally unguarded at the moment. Fleeting hope passed through her gaze, before she blinked and broke eye contact, taking to staring at the floor with flushed cheeks. Then he knew—the kitchen was suddenly too crowded. They needed to talk, alone.
Wordlessly, he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room, meeting Mrs. Higurashi’s gaze briefly as he passed. She smiled and waved, and Inuyasha was eternally grateful for the understanding. Kagome followed meekly along behind, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Where Inuyasha intended to take her, he had no idea. But his feet carried him unbidden to the Goshinboku, its branches a beacon of serenity. How desperately he wanted to sit up there, hidden from the outside world by its thick canopy. He knew Kagome would not mind. He turned to pick her up.
“Fu…” The air whooshed from his lungs, as Kagome wrapped her arms tightly around him. Her cheek pressed into his chest, her eyes squeezed shut and tears streaming down her cheeks. He hesitated only a moment before returning her embrace in kind. Careful not to hurt her, he nevertheless squeezed her as tightly as he dared. She was finally back in his arms, where she belonged. They remained that way for a small eternity, her body shaking slightly with her sobs. Inuyasha leaned his cheek against her hair, blinking back his own tears. Searing warmth enveloped him so suddenly that it felt as though he had been dunked in a hot spring, his rampant emotions bubbling around him. It took him a long time to understand this feeling; it was happiness. For the first time since his mother’s death, he was truly happy.
Eventually, Kagome took a deep, unsteady breath and pulled away, drying her eyes with a uniform sleeve. She flashed a radiant smile, and glanced up at Goshinboku, as if she understood perfectly the reason why he had led them here. Within moments he had them in the tree, Kagome nestled against his chest as he leaned against the trunk. If she was shocked to find herself in this position, surrounded by his raised knees and the voluminous sleeves of his haori as he held her in a loose embrace, she made no complaint. Inuyasha’s face reddened, but he could not stand to be apart from her. This was almost the same as the hug they had just shared on the ground, was it not? Almost the same…and completely different.
“Inuyasha…”
There it was, that sweet sound which gave him cause to draw breath, gave his heart the will to keep on beating. It had been so, so long. He wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of his life to those very syllables, from those very lips. Her lips, slightly puffy from crying, parted ever so slightly as she gazed up at him with wonder in her eyes. Those deep orbs, filled with absolute trust, love, desire, so much emotion that he had to gulp in anxiety at the intensity of it all. How was he supposed to tell her everything she meant to him? How was he supposed to express the totality of his feelings for her, absent a poet’s wit and a saint’s patience? Now was the time, but words failed him. He leaned forward slowly, his eyes locked on hers as he gave her every opportunity to pull away. Instead, she tilted her head to the side and leaned in to meet him.
Time froze for Inuyasha, as his lips pressed gently against Kagome’s. Shivers flew down his spine, radiating out to his extremities. His back went stiff as a board, so shocking was it to be actually kissing her. It was like a dream, one which he would be content to remain in forever. But this first kiss, however sweet it might be, was only the beginning.
It might have been hours before he was able to force himself to pull away, but it was probably only a few seconds. Kagome raised half-lidded eyes to meet his own once more, the hint of deep longing in her gaze causing his heart to flutter. But mostly he saw unbridled love. Up to this point, he could have been misreading her. But she would not have kissed him, or be looking at him like this if she did not feel the same way as he did. And this realization at last gave him the courage to say what he knew he needed to say. Things had been left unspoken between them too many times in the past, to their mutual detriment. It was true that they shared a deep connection, but verbal communication was crucial as well. And it was time to man up and state the words they both needed desperately to hear.
“Kagome,” he breathed, nearly losing himself in her dark irises. “I…I-I love you. Stay with me.”
When he finished he felt as though he had recited an epic romance soliloquy, though in reality his ‘epic’ consisted of a mere six syllables. He hadn’t even managed to add the word ‘forever’ to the end of his declaration, which was of course what he meant. But Kagome understood; her pooling tears and watery smile told him as much. She murmured his name adoringly, and the next thing Inuyasha knew his head bumped lightly against the tree trunk, courtesy of Kagome’s lips pressed insistently against his own.
To say he was surprised at this turn of events would be a severe understatement. To be so forward seemed out of character for Kagome, but perhaps she had simply waited so long to hear him swear his love that she refused to wait any longer. He responded in kind, tightening his arms around her to draw her flush against his body. Her own arms wound around his neck, and she let out an unintentionally sensual groan. Inuyasha’s blood flashed to a boil in an instant, and suddenly he felt the very strong desire to taste her. He parted his lips, and when she tentatively followed suit he initiated the first meeting of their tongues. Neither knew what they were doing, but even the slightly awkward dance inflamed passions, causing both to pant breathe heavily. Kagome shifted her position to move even closer…
Unfortunately, her passion-addled mind was no longer cognizant of the fact that that she was perched rather precariously in a tree, at least a half-dozen meters above the ground. Her bare knee slipped off the branch, causing her to cry out in shock as her lips were so suddenly torn from their hanyou utopia. Inuyasha reacted quickly and steadied her almost immediately, but now her heart raced for a reason entirely different from desire. The rush of fear-induced adrenaline cleared her head, allowed her to look back on the past few moments with a calm head. As right as it had felt to be in his embrace, as pleasurable as it had been to kiss him like that…it was a good thing they had stopped. She felt in her heart that they weren’t quite ready to take the monumental step to which their activities would inevitably have led. Her emotions were so raw right now…she would definitely not have stopped them if Inuyasha wanted to go all the way. But they weren’t ready for that; she just hoped Inuyasha would understand.
He did, without her having to say anything. He could tell by her scent and the guilty expression on her face what she was thinking. But he too realized that they were not emotionally ready to go any further, though their bodies certainly were. That stage of their relationship would come, but only when the moment was right. And that time would come after their lives had returned to some semblance of normalcy, and they had been reunited with each other for more than twenty minutes. In the meantime, he was sure Kagome would not object to further activities of the kind they had been so engrossed in. It was clear that they both needed practice in that regard. But that was a matter for another day as well. For now, there were other things they needed to discuss.
He kissed her lightly on the lips and flashed a grin so she would know he was not upset with her. What was there to be upset about? That Kagome was willing to go as far with him as she did was an unbelievable blessing. He didn’t care so much about the physical intimacy as he did the simple fact that she loved him. And so, for the next quarter hour, they simply talked. Stories were shared, with no details left unspoken; there was no longer a reason to hide anything from each other. That included all of Inuyasha’s experiences regarding Kikyou. Never one to hold a grudge, Kagome was glad that her preincarnation had found peace in the end, and that she had parted from Inuyasha on pleasant terms. She felt extremely gratified to receive Kikyou’s blessing, not to mention the still astounding revelation that Inuyasha had chosen her, Kagome, in the end. They shared one more kiss before returning to the house, this one speaking languidly of promises for the future.
The rest of the Higurashi family had nearly finished dinner by the time Inuyasha and Kagome reentered the kitchen. The two adults could immediately tell that something had changed between them, but both knew that there would be better opportunities to question the couple. Kagome’s grandfather, for one, was waiting for the chance to get Inuyasha alone for some serious words, especially considering how the hanyou was even now holding his granddaughter’s hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world. At Mrs. Higurashi’s beckoning, Inuyasha and Kagome sat down and began to eat before the meal got too cold. Unfortunately for the young pair, the one among the gathering who was not an adult did not possess the same restraint as his elders.
“So…” Souta hedged, immediately causing the hairs on the back of Inuyasha’s neck to stand on end. For good reason, as it turned out.
“Are you two like boyfriend and girlfriend now?”
Kagome choked on whatever she had been eating, and Inuyasha patted her back as she coughed. He cleared his throat nervously a few times, suppressing his desire to throttle his ‘girlfriend’s’ kid brother. But there was really no denying the true answer to Souta’s question; Inuyasha knew enough about modern relationship terms to know that. The terms ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ were probably the closest description the vocabulary of this time period could come up with to describe their relationship.
So he responded with a quiet ‘yes’ and was pleased by the reaction. Mrs. Higurashi seemed genuinely happy for them, and even Kagome’s grandfather failed to keep his perennial stern look of mock disapproval firmly in place. The old man was at least willing to give them a chance, which was all Inuyasha could ask for. As long as Kagome was happy with him, he had a feeling that he and her Jii-chan would never have a problem.
Later in the evening he found himself standing with his arms folded outside Kagome’s door, waiting not too impatiently for her to change. He was permitting himself to enjoy the pleasant pastime of imagining what Kagome looked like sans clothing. He had seen her naked before, but her body had done some filling out since then. Sometime in the not so distant future, he was sure he would get the opportunity to peruse her form with his own two eyes, at a very close distance. He grinned like an idiot at the thought, an expression which he quickly wiped off his face as Kagome’s grandfather shuffled by on the way to his room. The old man nodded at him, seemingly pleased by the fact that he was waiting outside while Kagome changed. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the old codger’s back. Soon, you old geezer, this will no longer be necessary. It warmed him in an entirely non-sexual way to know that Kagome looked forward to experiencing that level of intimacy as much as he did. All he had to do was remember her body language and scent from the Goshinboku. In the meantime, however, he would behave like a gentleman…or try, anyway.
When Kagome emerged, clad in clean pajamas, she asked him to go downstairs and watch TV. She needed to continue the studying which had put her to sleep before, she explained, and even having him sit quietly on her bed was distracting. He was a little put out that she would jump right back into school, having been told by her family that it was of secondary importance.
“Don’t be mad, Inuyasha,” she pleaded. “It’s just that I’ve put a lot of work into this school year, and I’d like to finish. After that…I don’t know. School won’t be so important…”
‘If I live with you in the past,’ she might have said, but Inuyasha heard loud and clear. He did feel better after her explanation; he understood the urge to finish something you’ve started. Kagome really had put a lot of effort into school, even while in the past where it was extremely difficult to study. So he would not complain if she wanted to finish this school year. Beyond that…they would talk about it.
So he spent the rest of the evening watching television, except for a rather embarrassing discussion with Mrs. Higurashi. But the older woman was considerate enough not to push her questioning too far outside of his comfort zone, and in the end she merely asked him to make sure Kagome was happy. And that was something he promised gladly.
Kagome came down to collect him late at night, looking tired but satisfied. She fixed him a snack in gratitude for letting her study, and then led him up to bed. After a quick kiss, Inuyasha moved toward his customary position under the window. Her hand clutching his stopped him. He studied her, eyes downcast and face flushed, left hand held nervously under her chin.
“Do you…want to share my bed?” she said at last.
His jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She meant nothing sexual by it, but even sleeping in the same bed was something he had never expected tonight. Obviously it had taken a lot of guts for her to ask that, and she would not have proposed it unless it was something she truly desired. Inuyasha was powerless to deny her, not least because the idea was delightful to him as well, if a little scary at the same time. It seemed that neither one of them wanted to spend much time apart from each other now, so soon after the end of their forced separation.
Kagome sighed in bliss as she settled into his embrace, pillowing her head against his shoulder. Within moments she was snoring softly. It occurred to Inuyasha that this was something her grandfather would most certainly not approve of, but what the old man didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. He lay awake long into the night, just listening to her breathing. It was the most tranquil night he could ever remember.
He did not know what the future held. He did not know how Kagome would balance her dual lives, or where they would ultimately choose to live. What he did know, and what filled him with a sense of divine blessing, was that she would be by his side through it all, until death parted them. And that was all that mattered.
The End
A/N – Those of you who read the story before may have noticed a major change in this chapter (or several; I completely rewrote the whole thing). But what I’m talking about is that this chapter used to have a lemon. Five years later, it seemed forced to me. They’re just seeing each other again for the first time in many weeks, so it doesn’t make sense that they’d jump right into bed. I figure I’ve written enough lemons so that I don’t have to force one.
So I hope you enjoyed this updated version of the story. Comments are always appreciated.
King Baka
Fanfiction of the Week: The Lucky Ones, by terri botta.
Quite possibly the best piece of fanfiction I have ever read.
Reunion
Inuyasha stared into the blackness hovering at the bottom of the well, filled with a strange mixture of excitement and dread. The setting sun cast an orange glow across the sky, and ever-lengthening shadows covered the landscape. The clash of two opposing forces, light and darkness, seemed to mirror his emotions perfectly. Never in his life had he been so indecisive.
“Come on, Inuyasha! I want to see Kagome again!”
Inuyasha ignored the anxious kitsune. He would go when he was damn good and ready. Whether he would ever be truly ready to face the girl on the other side of the well was another question entirely. He did not doubt his own recently-illuminated feelings, but then he had never been good at expressing himself around Kagome. Or at least expressing himself in a productive manner. He had gnawed on his proverbial foot far too many times to have any confidence whatsoever in his ability to tell her what he wanted to tell her. Part of him was positive he would screw it up somehow and she would misunderstand. No amount of preparation would prevent his tongue from tying in knots, however; all he could do was try his best to be honest. Yet he couldn’t shake the insistent thread of doubt, that perhaps he had misread her after all. That was what really held him back, though the greater part of mind said he was a fool for believing it. He had spent enough time with Kagome to know she cared deeply for him, but it seemed so unlikely that she had fallen in love with him. He, an undeserving hanyou who didn’t pay her any compliments, wasn’t especially nice to her, and who at his worst treated her downright cruelly. It was true that they had grown closer as their journey progressed, and they were no longer at each other’s throats as often, but there was still an impregnable divide between them. It was as if neither had ever been truly honest with the other. Inuyasha grimaced; he had not even been honest with himself until the verge of death.
He looked at the Shikon no Tama resting in his palm, still as pure white as it had been on that fateful day. It was not being corrupted by his presence; that was a good start. Still, there was no guarantee that this would work, that the jewel would break Naraku’s seal and dispel his miasma. But he felt in his heart that this effort would be successful. Just as he felt in his heart that Kagome loved him. He could not give her the man she deserved, someone who would shower her with words of affection and satisfy her every desire. He could not offer a life of luxury, nor one free of outside prejudice. What he could offer was his heart, and his unwavering devotion. Deep down, he knew that would be enough for her.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Inuyasha,” Sango told him quietly. “Kagome feels the same way you do. Trust me.”
Nodding resolutely, Inuyasha leapt into the well, calling forth the same feelings of love and longing he had embraced in Naraku’s clutches, and every waking moment since. The miasma parted around him, pushed back by the pressure of the Shikon no Tama. Pure and black energy crackled, warring in the small space at the bottom of the structure. But the force of his passion was stronger than the residual hate, and the evil was steadily driven out. He made a wish…and the last earthly remnants of Naraku vanished in a blinding surge of light.
* * *
Even before his vision had cleared, Inuyasha knew he had succeeded. The sense of weightlessness associated with time travel and the honking of a ‘car horn’ in the distance both confirmed it. The Shikon no Tama was nowhere to be found, though his fingers still tingled. Something told him that the jewel no longer existed in either plane of time. And if his wish had come true, this journey through the well would not be a one-way trip. He had wished for the time portal to remain open so Kagome could see their friends on the other side, so she could be an aunt to Miroku and Sango’s children and watch Shippou grow up. Apparently, his wish had been selfless enough when combined with his feelings, that the Shikon no Tama vanished from the world. He would not test the rejuvenated portal now, but there was no doubt in his mind that it would permit him and Kagome access to the past. He had done it. Grinning idiotically, he leapt from the well and threw open the doors to the well house. He breathed in the air, with just that hint of modern pollution, realizing how much he had missed it. He gazed up at Goshinboku, seemingly older and wiser in this time period. And finally he looked at the Higurashi home, where his soul mate was currently residing. At long last, he was home.
Sprinting across the grounds, he jumped up to Kagome’s windowsill, barely containing his excitement. He stopped just before using a clawed finger to tap on the glass. There she was, asleep at her desk, slumped over a book with her cheek sticking to a page. His eyes softened, his raging heartbeat slowing as he watched her. She looked so peaceful…he couldn’t wake her. Reluctantly, he vaulted down from the window and walked around to the front door. He supposed the old him would have woken her up anyway, or pouted in Goshinboku. But he was not that cold, detached hanyou any longer. While Kagome rested, he would reacquaint himself with her family. It was the least he could do, since he hoped they would eventually become his family as well.
The reunion was a little too loud for the hanyou’s tastes, but somehow Kagome managed to sleep through all of it. Mrs. Higurashi was happy to see him, he suspected mostly because her daughter would be, but she seemed genuinely glad for her own sake as well. Souta was of course ecstatic that his ‘Inu-no-oniichan’ was back, and even the old man appeared casually indifferent to his return, which was a definite improvement from his usual reaction. Mrs. Higurashi ushered everyone into the kitchen so she could finish preparing dinner while they talked. Inuyasha was coaxed into telling his story of what had transpired since they had last seen him. He did so willingly, but omitted many of the details. Kagome’s family did not need to know how close he had come to death, and they definitely didn’t need to know about his little revelation. Granted, they would find out later if things went as he hoped.
He very nearly lost it when he heard of Kagome’s ‘adventures’ in his absence. That she had gone to such lengths to see him again…it both warmed his heart and pissed him off. He would have a few choice words for her when she woke up. Sure, he would have done the same thing in her place. But he was a hanyou, able to take a hit and keep on coming. She was just a fragile human. Though she was certainly not helpless, if Souta’s grand tale could be believed. But the two adults in the room had only listened quietly throughout, so apparently the kid was telling the truth. One thing was for sure; if Inuyasha ever met this Daisuke fellow, it would not be pretty.
By the time Souta got around to his own involvement in the story, he looked like he was practically begging for some form of adoration. Inuyasha was so grateful for the kid’s quick thinking that he didn’t mind abiding.
“Damn, kid,” he said with a fanged grin. “It’s too bad you can’t come back to the past. You’d make a kick-ass taijiya.” Then he ruffled he boy’s hair as he imagined a proud older brother might do. Souta lost the ability to speak after this, and Inuyasha could not tell whether he was on the verge of crying or passing out on the floor. Fortunately he did neither, but he also had a goofy smile plastered across his face for the rest of the evening. It was amazing what a few words could do, Inuyasha reflected, just before he realized the incredible irony of this thought. Hopefully he could actually make use of his own advice when Kagome finally woke up.
Just before dinner was served, Mrs. Higurashi wondered why Kagome had not come down yet. Inuyasha told her she was sleeping at her desk.
“Oh, poor dear. She’s been studying really hard lately.”
Inuyasha’s ears drooped at this, as he wondered if Kagome had started to move on from her life in the past. Mrs. Higurashi noticed.
“Don’t worry, Inuyasha. She misses all of you terribly, and dreams of returning to your world. But while she was here she couldn’t stand failing at school. In case you never…”
He didn’t need her to finish. Of course Kagome would try to do well in class. School was everything for young people in this time, so he heard, and she needed to have a backup plan in case she was never able to return to the past. It raised his spirits to know where her priorities lay. She truly had missed him as much as he had missed her.
Even though Mrs. Higurashi sent Souta to wake Kagome for dinner, even though he had fair warning, he was still woefully unprepared when she scuffled into the kitchen a few minutes later. Hair tousled, shoulders slumped and lips drooped, her eyes carried her fatigue. Yet, she was still the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. She spotted him leaning against the counter and froze, blinking a few times as if to clear the cobwebs from her vision. But slowly her eyes widened, and her lips parted to hang open in shock. Just when he thought she was about to say something, she instead marched over to him and poked him in the chest. Then she squeezed his arm, tweaked his ear, and finally laid her hand against his cheek. Through it all, Inuyasha’s confusion only deepened, as did his embarrassment at knowing that her family was witnessing this literally touchy-feely behavior.
“Oi, teme…”
She pulled back suddenly, hands clutched in front of her chest and eyes as wide as saucers. Then she did the most unusual thing of all—she giggled. Inuyasha could only stare at her in absolute bewilderment. This was not how he had imagined their reunion going, and it had completely obliterated whatever sense of calm his conversation with her family had produced. He now found himself even more nervous than he had been on the other side of the well.
Finally, Kagome came back to herself. “Now I know you’re not a dream,” was all she said, but when she looked at him this time his heart skipped a beat. Perhaps it was the fact that she had just returned from slumber, but the emotions reflected in her chocolate pools were raw, uninhibited. Quite simply, he had never seen her so happy. The other emotions he thought he glimpsed, those that filled his own dreams—he tried not to read too much into them. Her smile faded, perhaps because his own amber eyes were equally unguarded at the moment. Fleeting hope passed through her gaze, before she blinked and broke eye contact, taking to staring at the floor with flushed cheeks. Then he knew—the kitchen was suddenly too crowded. They needed to talk, alone.
Wordlessly, he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room, meeting Mrs. Higurashi’s gaze briefly as he passed. She smiled and waved, and Inuyasha was eternally grateful for the understanding. Kagome followed meekly along behind, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Where Inuyasha intended to take her, he had no idea. But his feet carried him unbidden to the Goshinboku, its branches a beacon of serenity. How desperately he wanted to sit up there, hidden from the outside world by its thick canopy. He knew Kagome would not mind. He turned to pick her up.
“Fu…” The air whooshed from his lungs, as Kagome wrapped her arms tightly around him. Her cheek pressed into his chest, her eyes squeezed shut and tears streaming down her cheeks. He hesitated only a moment before returning her embrace in kind. Careful not to hurt her, he nevertheless squeezed her as tightly as he dared. She was finally back in his arms, where she belonged. They remained that way for a small eternity, her body shaking slightly with her sobs. Inuyasha leaned his cheek against her hair, blinking back his own tears. Searing warmth enveloped him so suddenly that it felt as though he had been dunked in a hot spring, his rampant emotions bubbling around him. It took him a long time to understand this feeling; it was happiness. For the first time since his mother’s death, he was truly happy.
Eventually, Kagome took a deep, unsteady breath and pulled away, drying her eyes with a uniform sleeve. She flashed a radiant smile, and glanced up at Goshinboku, as if she understood perfectly the reason why he had led them here. Within moments he had them in the tree, Kagome nestled against his chest as he leaned against the trunk. If she was shocked to find herself in this position, surrounded by his raised knees and the voluminous sleeves of his haori as he held her in a loose embrace, she made no complaint. Inuyasha’s face reddened, but he could not stand to be apart from her. This was almost the same as the hug they had just shared on the ground, was it not? Almost the same…and completely different.
“Inuyasha…”
There it was, that sweet sound which gave him cause to draw breath, gave his heart the will to keep on beating. It had been so, so long. He wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of his life to those very syllables, from those very lips. Her lips, slightly puffy from crying, parted ever so slightly as she gazed up at him with wonder in her eyes. Those deep orbs, filled with absolute trust, love, desire, so much emotion that he had to gulp in anxiety at the intensity of it all. How was he supposed to tell her everything she meant to him? How was he supposed to express the totality of his feelings for her, absent a poet’s wit and a saint’s patience? Now was the time, but words failed him. He leaned forward slowly, his eyes locked on hers as he gave her every opportunity to pull away. Instead, she tilted her head to the side and leaned in to meet him.
Time froze for Inuyasha, as his lips pressed gently against Kagome’s. Shivers flew down his spine, radiating out to his extremities. His back went stiff as a board, so shocking was it to be actually kissing her. It was like a dream, one which he would be content to remain in forever. But this first kiss, however sweet it might be, was only the beginning.
It might have been hours before he was able to force himself to pull away, but it was probably only a few seconds. Kagome raised half-lidded eyes to meet his own once more, the hint of deep longing in her gaze causing his heart to flutter. But mostly he saw unbridled love. Up to this point, he could have been misreading her. But she would not have kissed him, or be looking at him like this if she did not feel the same way as he did. And this realization at last gave him the courage to say what he knew he needed to say. Things had been left unspoken between them too many times in the past, to their mutual detriment. It was true that they shared a deep connection, but verbal communication was crucial as well. And it was time to man up and state the words they both needed desperately to hear.
“Kagome,” he breathed, nearly losing himself in her dark irises. “I…I-I love you. Stay with me.”
When he finished he felt as though he had recited an epic romance soliloquy, though in reality his ‘epic’ consisted of a mere six syllables. He hadn’t even managed to add the word ‘forever’ to the end of his declaration, which was of course what he meant. But Kagome understood; her pooling tears and watery smile told him as much. She murmured his name adoringly, and the next thing Inuyasha knew his head bumped lightly against the tree trunk, courtesy of Kagome’s lips pressed insistently against his own.
To say he was surprised at this turn of events would be a severe understatement. To be so forward seemed out of character for Kagome, but perhaps she had simply waited so long to hear him swear his love that she refused to wait any longer. He responded in kind, tightening his arms around her to draw her flush against his body. Her own arms wound around his neck, and she let out an unintentionally sensual groan. Inuyasha’s blood flashed to a boil in an instant, and suddenly he felt the very strong desire to taste her. He parted his lips, and when she tentatively followed suit he initiated the first meeting of their tongues. Neither knew what they were doing, but even the slightly awkward dance inflamed passions, causing both to pant breathe heavily. Kagome shifted her position to move even closer…
Unfortunately, her passion-addled mind was no longer cognizant of the fact that that she was perched rather precariously in a tree, at least a half-dozen meters above the ground. Her bare knee slipped off the branch, causing her to cry out in shock as her lips were so suddenly torn from their hanyou utopia. Inuyasha reacted quickly and steadied her almost immediately, but now her heart raced for a reason entirely different from desire. The rush of fear-induced adrenaline cleared her head, allowed her to look back on the past few moments with a calm head. As right as it had felt to be in his embrace, as pleasurable as it had been to kiss him like that…it was a good thing they had stopped. She felt in her heart that they weren’t quite ready to take the monumental step to which their activities would inevitably have led. Her emotions were so raw right now…she would definitely not have stopped them if Inuyasha wanted to go all the way. But they weren’t ready for that; she just hoped Inuyasha would understand.
He did, without her having to say anything. He could tell by her scent and the guilty expression on her face what she was thinking. But he too realized that they were not emotionally ready to go any further, though their bodies certainly were. That stage of their relationship would come, but only when the moment was right. And that time would come after their lives had returned to some semblance of normalcy, and they had been reunited with each other for more than twenty minutes. In the meantime, he was sure Kagome would not object to further activities of the kind they had been so engrossed in. It was clear that they both needed practice in that regard. But that was a matter for another day as well. For now, there were other things they needed to discuss.
He kissed her lightly on the lips and flashed a grin so she would know he was not upset with her. What was there to be upset about? That Kagome was willing to go as far with him as she did was an unbelievable blessing. He didn’t care so much about the physical intimacy as he did the simple fact that she loved him. And so, for the next quarter hour, they simply talked. Stories were shared, with no details left unspoken; there was no longer a reason to hide anything from each other. That included all of Inuyasha’s experiences regarding Kikyou. Never one to hold a grudge, Kagome was glad that her preincarnation had found peace in the end, and that she had parted from Inuyasha on pleasant terms. She felt extremely gratified to receive Kikyou’s blessing, not to mention the still astounding revelation that Inuyasha had chosen her, Kagome, in the end. They shared one more kiss before returning to the house, this one speaking languidly of promises for the future.
The rest of the Higurashi family had nearly finished dinner by the time Inuyasha and Kagome reentered the kitchen. The two adults could immediately tell that something had changed between them, but both knew that there would be better opportunities to question the couple. Kagome’s grandfather, for one, was waiting for the chance to get Inuyasha alone for some serious words, especially considering how the hanyou was even now holding his granddaughter’s hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world. At Mrs. Higurashi’s beckoning, Inuyasha and Kagome sat down and began to eat before the meal got too cold. Unfortunately for the young pair, the one among the gathering who was not an adult did not possess the same restraint as his elders.
“So…” Souta hedged, immediately causing the hairs on the back of Inuyasha’s neck to stand on end. For good reason, as it turned out.
“Are you two like boyfriend and girlfriend now?”
Kagome choked on whatever she had been eating, and Inuyasha patted her back as she coughed. He cleared his throat nervously a few times, suppressing his desire to throttle his ‘girlfriend’s’ kid brother. But there was really no denying the true answer to Souta’s question; Inuyasha knew enough about modern relationship terms to know that. The terms ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ were probably the closest description the vocabulary of this time period could come up with to describe their relationship.
So he responded with a quiet ‘yes’ and was pleased by the reaction. Mrs. Higurashi seemed genuinely happy for them, and even Kagome’s grandfather failed to keep his perennial stern look of mock disapproval firmly in place. The old man was at least willing to give them a chance, which was all Inuyasha could ask for. As long as Kagome was happy with him, he had a feeling that he and her Jii-chan would never have a problem.
Later in the evening he found himself standing with his arms folded outside Kagome’s door, waiting not too impatiently for her to change. He was permitting himself to enjoy the pleasant pastime of imagining what Kagome looked like sans clothing. He had seen her naked before, but her body had done some filling out since then. Sometime in the not so distant future, he was sure he would get the opportunity to peruse her form with his own two eyes, at a very close distance. He grinned like an idiot at the thought, an expression which he quickly wiped off his face as Kagome’s grandfather shuffled by on the way to his room. The old man nodded at him, seemingly pleased by the fact that he was waiting outside while Kagome changed. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the old codger’s back. Soon, you old geezer, this will no longer be necessary. It warmed him in an entirely non-sexual way to know that Kagome looked forward to experiencing that level of intimacy as much as he did. All he had to do was remember her body language and scent from the Goshinboku. In the meantime, however, he would behave like a gentleman…or try, anyway.
When Kagome emerged, clad in clean pajamas, she asked him to go downstairs and watch TV. She needed to continue the studying which had put her to sleep before, she explained, and even having him sit quietly on her bed was distracting. He was a little put out that she would jump right back into school, having been told by her family that it was of secondary importance.
“Don’t be mad, Inuyasha,” she pleaded. “It’s just that I’ve put a lot of work into this school year, and I’d like to finish. After that…I don’t know. School won’t be so important…”
‘If I live with you in the past,’ she might have said, but Inuyasha heard loud and clear. He did feel better after her explanation; he understood the urge to finish something you’ve started. Kagome really had put a lot of effort into school, even while in the past where it was extremely difficult to study. So he would not complain if she wanted to finish this school year. Beyond that…they would talk about it.
So he spent the rest of the evening watching television, except for a rather embarrassing discussion with Mrs. Higurashi. But the older woman was considerate enough not to push her questioning too far outside of his comfort zone, and in the end she merely asked him to make sure Kagome was happy. And that was something he promised gladly.
Kagome came down to collect him late at night, looking tired but satisfied. She fixed him a snack in gratitude for letting her study, and then led him up to bed. After a quick kiss, Inuyasha moved toward his customary position under the window. Her hand clutching his stopped him. He studied her, eyes downcast and face flushed, left hand held nervously under her chin.
“Do you…want to share my bed?” she said at last.
His jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She meant nothing sexual by it, but even sleeping in the same bed was something he had never expected tonight. Obviously it had taken a lot of guts for her to ask that, and she would not have proposed it unless it was something she truly desired. Inuyasha was powerless to deny her, not least because the idea was delightful to him as well, if a little scary at the same time. It seemed that neither one of them wanted to spend much time apart from each other now, so soon after the end of their forced separation.
Kagome sighed in bliss as she settled into his embrace, pillowing her head against his shoulder. Within moments she was snoring softly. It occurred to Inuyasha that this was something her grandfather would most certainly not approve of, but what the old man didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. He lay awake long into the night, just listening to her breathing. It was the most tranquil night he could ever remember.
He did not know what the future held. He did not know how Kagome would balance her dual lives, or where they would ultimately choose to live. What he did know, and what filled him with a sense of divine blessing, was that she would be by his side through it all, until death parted them. And that was all that mattered.
The End
A/N – Those of you who read the story before may have noticed a major change in this chapter (or several; I completely rewrote the whole thing). But what I’m talking about is that this chapter used to have a lemon. Five years later, it seemed forced to me. They’re just seeing each other again for the first time in many weeks, so it doesn’t make sense that they’d jump right into bed. I figure I’ve written enough lemons so that I don’t have to force one.
So I hope you enjoyed this updated version of the story. Comments are always appreciated.
King Baka