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She moves in a daze.
Kagome trails behind InuYasha, her hand clasped in his as she looks around at the forest, re-acquainting herself with the familiar nuances of the landscape. It hasn’t changed much in three years. The well looks worse for wear. The vines trail almost to the bottom of the well and spill back out the other side, mingling with the uncut grass. The air smells sweet and damp, the air is bright and clean and the trees are lined with dark rivets left by water droplets.
Kagome determinedly keeps herself from looking at the person in front of her. In all honesty, there is a very large part of her screaming that this is another dream. All too many times, she’s woken up in her own soft bed, hand clutching at air and tears blotting the pillow. All too many times she’s stared up at him only to see his face had vanished, or his hair was wet with blood and his eyes were blank and staring –
She sighs, steeling herself to look at him, to prove to herself that this time it was real. They are out of the forest, walking at a strange pace through the grass of the village, and InuYasha isn’t crushing her hand in his own as he had been before. He is holding it loosely, their fingers intertwined in the subtlest tilt of his fingers. He isn’t looking back at her, either. They reach the houses and InuYasha comes to a standstill. He turns and faces her, and her breath catches in her throat. She has never seen him so hopeful, so deeply afraid. She clears her throat.
“Where… are we going?”
“Miroku and Sango’s place,” InuYasha says through dry lips. He pauses, and licks them, tries again. “I thought they’d want to see you. Is that… okay?”
Kagome blinks. “I – yes that’s fine. I’d love to see them.”
“Okay.”
He begins to walk again, his shoulders tensed. Kagome trails behind him, linking their hands more firmly, and pondering his words. Could he have changed so drastically in three years? Of course, he was more thoughtful of her feelings towards the end of her journey, but with something like seeing their friends… she feels fear sliding down her spine. Maybe… maybe something happened to Miroku and Sango? Maybe…
“Kagome!”
Kagome’s head jerks upwards at the sound of the familiar voice. She sees Sango smiling blindingly at her, Miroku looking pleased and Shippou, awed. There are also three small children, one in Sango’s arms and two dangling off Shippou’s small (but clearly growing, Kagome notes fondly) frame. She runs forward, passing InuYasha but not letting go of his hand, and throws an arm around Sango. Sango laughs into her shoulder, unable to hug her back due to the baby she’s holding.
“These are all yours?” Kagome asks, tapping the small human bundle on the nose. Sango smiles.
“Of course,” she says. “The Monk was busy.”
Kagome grins, her heart light, light, lighter than it has been in three years. Shippou attacks next, clinging to her neck and crying onto her blue shirt as she pats his soft head and feels her love for him as though he was her own son.
Miroku hugs her, too, looking happier than she has ever seen him. His children, twin girls from the looks of it, cling to his legs.
Kagome squats down, offering them tiny waves. “Hello,” she says. The one clutching Miroku’s right leg gives a little squeak and races off to her mother; the one on his left presses her face into the back of his knee and says nothing. Kagome straightens her legs and looks up at the sky. The sunlight is fading, and already a soft moon hangs in the sky. She turns to InuYasha. He watches her still as though she is something fragile, something that might float away at any second.
“Do you have a place you stay?” she asks. He inclines his head slightly, understanding what she means instantly.
“We’ll see you guys later.” He addresses the others over Kagome’s shoulder, and there are various murmurs of assent. Sango comes over and hugs Kagome properly, the baby safely with Miroku.
“We missed you,” Sango whispers. Kagome nods.
“I missed you too,” she says. Then she and InuYasha walk down the hill (still they walk, Kagome can’t help but be unnerved), to a small hut on the outskirts of the village.
InuYasha pushes open the door, and they walk in. There is a silence. Suddenly, Kagome feels her chest begin to boil. Heat presses against her ribs. She flings herself at InuYasha and they collide, fall against the wall the building and collapse in a pile on the floor. Kagome sobs, her head resting against InuYasha’s chest as she breathes him in. InuYasha in turn holds her to him, his face is wet and they shake, clinging to one another, indivisible.
After what feels like a lifetime, Kagome looks up at InuYasha. She touches the tear stains on his face carefully, as though afraid of hurting him. Every move is either fragile, glass-gentle, or it is a riptide, dragging them together until there is no space between. Carefully, carefully Kagome reaches up, carefully she presses her lips against his. She tastes salt.
The kiss is warm and weary and it feels like a sigh she’s been holding in her chest for the past three years. Kagome pulls away and looks around the room. There is one blanket in the middle of the floor, next to the fire pit. She reaches out and pulls it closer. InuYasha watches her, evidently confused. Kagome carefully pulls her top over her head. She throws it behind her, then unclasps her bra, and helps as InuYasha shrugs off his robe and the top underneath. Comprehension clears InuYasha’s fierce eyes. He seats himself more comfortably against the wall as Kagome arranges the blanket around the two of them. They sit, chest to chest, skin to skin against the wall.
“Whatcha doing?” InuYasha mumbles, watching Kagome press her head to his chest.
“Listening to your heartbeat,” she breathes back. She closes her eyes. “I’m never leaving again,” she says softly. InuYasha watches in silence as she turns, settling with her back pressed against him. He feels the warmth radiating from her.
“I’m here to stay,” she murmurs. “Is that alright?”
InuYasha scoffs quietly, the fear weighing his limbs evaporates and he and Kagome drift together in the stars. “Of course it is, fool.”