Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He felt sick.

No, he wasn't sick, but his ears and nose felt stuffed. Like he was coming down with a nasty cold. But no, not sick.

Just human. Useless. Dammit.

It had been a particularly difficult week. The shard hunting and demon fighting seemed to be non-stop. They hadn't been able to catch a break, which was why everyone just kinda forgot about the new moon.

He didn't blame his friends, not at all. He'd been keeping track of the moon cycle for years by himself. They were used to the new moon nights being 'just another night', and that was fine, really.

That didn't mean he wasn't gonna complain, though. He was pissed that his human night had snuck up on him. He hated that he was rendered practically useless for the rest of the night. He hated that his emotions were all over the place because he had shit he wanted to keep under wraps which was almost impossible because he was a little bitch when he was like this. He was pissed that he was the one who needed to be protected.

He was pissed off because he couldn't protect Kagome.

But the reason he was downright fucking infuriated was because he couldn't smell her. At least not without looking like a total creep, and he didn't feel like eating dirt right now, thank you very much.

A tiny arm wrapping around his own startled him out of his musings "Hey, you" Kagome was smiling brightly up at him. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked, their arms intertwined. Fuck, did she even realize how hard this was for him? Three years and he still had to physically restrain himself from proclaiming his love for her every new moon. He managed -barely- to hide his feelings on a regular basis but his human nights got harder each time. "How are you feeling?" she squeezed his arm the slightest bit.

"'M fine, just human" he smirked down at her. Because of course she made his mood lighten the second she came up to him.

"Mhmm, good" she snuggled up to him and he knew she was smiling, even if he couldn't see her face. Gods, it would be so easy to just wrap his arm around her.

Kiss her.

But he couldn't. Because he was a coward.

"Inuyasha, look!" Kagome pointed at a spot not far ahead of them.

Lanterns?

"It looks like a festival of some sort" Sango said "We should go check it out, we might find an inn!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and grumbled. Kagome looked up at him "Oh, come on, you grump! We could all use a nice warm bath and a full night's sleep indoors after the week we've had!"

"Inuyasha, you should listen to Lady Kagome. We are, after all, mere humans who need rest; and tonight that includes you, my friend" Miroku smiled that little smile that made Inuyasha want to punch it out of his face. Smug little worm.

"FINE, but don't think I don't know you're doing this because I'm human tonight and they won't turn us down, I ain't stupid" he disentangled himself from Kagome to glare at the group.

"You idiot, what about me and Kirara then? We're full demons and no one's ever turned us down! You're just mean, that's why people don't like you!" Shippou yelled from his perch on Sango's shoulder.

"That's because you're a weak little kitsune, no one's afraid of ya"

"Weak?!? I'll show you weak! You-"

"Stop! Both of you, shut up!" Kagome stood between him and Shippou "Inuyasha, stop being a jerk. We're going to that village and that's final, got it?"

"Keh! Ya ain't they boss of me what makes ya think I'm gonna-"

"SIT BOY"

And down he went. Fuck, this hurt like a bitch when he was human.

"Kag-gom-me" he grunted, still stuck to the ground.

"Shush" she extended a hand "Come on, get up, the faster we get there the better" he didn't take her hand, he still had some pride.

"But-"

"Inuyasha, it's a festival! There will be food" she wiggled her eyebrows.

Of course his stomach rumbled loudly right when she said that. Well, fuck.

"I hate all of you" he spat as he got up and started walking towards the village.

"Yeah, sure" he heard Kagome mutter.

Well, it was a festival alright.

The village was completely covered in lanterns and various decorations. There were little children handing out flowers to both villagers and visitors. People were playing music and dancing. Two rows of stands that sold just about anything, though mostly food and little mementos; were separated by a little path down the middle.

It was nice. Or whatever.

What he did appreciate, though, was the way Kagome's eyes lit up when they got to the village. Her already bug-like eyes wide, she smiled and giggled at her surroundings. Then she looked at him.

And Gods what a sight that was.

She looked absolutely beautiful, the soft light from the lanterns made her look like she was glowing, her eyes bright and full of something he couldn't -wouldn't- quite name.

And her smile; he would deal with annoying festivals every single day for the rest of his life if it meant he'd get to see her smile like that every day.

He tried, he really did, but he couldn't help but flash her a little smile back. Damn her.

She must've seen that as a sign because she immediately glued herself to his side again; grabbing his arm and tugging him along with her.

"See? It's not bad" she whispered "I'm gonna make sure you have fun" she had a determined little look on her face. She was adorable.

"Yeah?" he asked, amused "How're ya plannin' to do that, huh?"

She winked at him. She winked "You'll see. Come on, dog-boy, I know you're starving. Miroku gave me some money"

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't say no to food and Kagome.

Arm in arm, they started walking. They were stopped by a little girl who handed him a little array of flowers "For your pretty lady, sir!" he was pretty sure his face was the same color as his robe, but Kagome just giggled and thanked the small child who smiled at her in return.

"So..." Kagome trailed off.

"So... what?"

"So, are you going to give me those flowers, Inuyasha?" she asked him, looking shyly at him.

He sputtered "U-uhh, s-sure, here" he practically shoved them into her hands but she smiled anyway, murmuring a soft 'thank you'.

Keh.

"Look! There's a food stand right there! Come on, I'm starving too" he didn't fail to notice that she'd put the flowers in her hair.

They were about to make a beeline towards the food when they were stopped by a familiar voice "Inuyasha! Lady Kagome!" dammit. So close. What did the damn lecher want anyway? Was he running away from Sango?

"Miroku, Shippou! Oh, Gods, Sango! You look beautiful!" she grinned "Did Miroku get that kimono for you?" her tone had a hint of mischief to it.

"U-uh, t-thank you! I told him not to! He insisted!" Sango was blubbering and blushing, Gods, they were so annoying. "He got one for you too! You know, so that you wouldn't stand out that much" Sango gave Kagome what looked like a beautiful emerald green kimono with an off white floral pattern, accompanied by a bright red obi.

"Y-you didn't have to! This must've cost you a fortune!"

"Lady Kagome, please, it was nothing. You'll look absolutely beautiful in it. Please, let Sango take you somewhere you can try it on." he said, all while looking knowingly at Inuyasha.

"Yeah, Kagome! I bet you'll look even prettier!"

"Please, Kagome?" Sango was making puppy-dog eyes at her and he knew Kagome was done for. She could never say no to Sango. She sighed "Fine, let's go" the older girl squealed and grabbed Kagome's hand, taking her somewhere more private so she could change.

The girls gone, both Miroku and Shippou were giving him looks. Little smug, knowing looks that bugged the shit out of him.

"The fuck ya lookin at?" he spat.

"Oh, us? We're just waiting to see your precious face when Kagome comes back wearing that wonderful kimono"

"Heh. Betcha he's gonna drool like the little dog he is"

"Why you-" he was about to smack that annoying little runt so hard he was gonna see stars but they were interrupted by Sango's voice.

"We're done!" she sang "Can we go get some food now? I'm starving"

Holy. Shit.

Had he died? Was this Heaven? It sure as fuck looked like it.

Kagome.

She was breathtaking. And no, he didn't say mushy shit like that, ever. But his breath had literally been stolen from his damn lungs.

The deep, emerald green looked beautiful against her pale skin. It looked like it had been made for her. The whole thing, along with the little white flowers scattered through it and the red obi, kinda mimicked that 's-cool' uniform of hers. It was perfect. Her dark, luscious waves were all pushed to one side over her shoulder; the flowers he'd given her earlier tucked behind her tiny ear.

It took every ounce of his strength -which wasn't much at the moment- to keep his jaw from hitting the ground.

Miroku was trying to kill him. He'd gotten that kimono for Kagome with the sole purpose of ending his goddamn life.

Gods.

And just when the hell had those conniving little bastards made their escape? Some friends they were.

They stood there awkwardly, just the two of them, in silence for what felt like hours. Kagome self consciously toying with the ends of her hair.

"Um, do I look alright?" she was blushing, her eyes glued to some random spot on the ground, but then she looked up at him through her lashes "Sango helped, but I'm still not sure it's completely right" she chuckled humorlessly.

He cursed himself. He knew he had to say something. She was obviously feeling insecure, vulnerable. He hated it. She was fucking stunning and she would always be fucking stunning, no matter what she was wearing.

But he said nothing, because he was an idiot.

"Ugh, this is stupid" she huffed, her voice a little shaky. Fuck. He didn't need his nose to know she was about to tear up "I'm gonna go change, you should go with-" just as she was waving him off and turning around to leave, he grabbed her wrist and turned her around. She looked up at him, her doe eyes wide and glistening with the threat of tears.

She was beautiful. She was Kagome. And he was done disappointing her.

He wasn't letting go, wanting -needing- to touch her. He looked softly into her eyes "Don't" he whispered, a smile grazing his lips "Ya look nice, y'know, pretty"

"I- you really think so?" her eyes were so full of hope, he couldn't, wouldn't fuck this up.

He maneuvered their hands so their fingers intertwined and she let out a little gasp that had him smirking at her. He pulled her just a little closer "Ya look beautiful, 'Gome" he squeezed her hand and she squeezed right back "Now, come on, woman, ya promised me food, didn't ya?"

She giggled "Yeah, I did" and they made their way towards the food stand where their friends were already tucking into some rice-balls.

None of them said a word when they saw them holding hands.

None of them said a word when Kagome convinced Inuyasha to at least sway with her to the beat of the music, which he did with a reluctant smile on his face.

None of them said a word when they noticed they never stopped holding hands.

Chapter Text

It had been their tradition since Junior year of college.

It had started with the four of them. After a solid week of blood, sweat, tears and enough caffeine to give any regular -human- 20 year old a heart attack, finals were officially over and done with. They were fucking free. So, naturally, Miroku decided to purchase what she was sure had been his entire minimum wage pay-check on booze and sent a ''PARTY AT OUR PLACE 🥳🎉🍾'' text to their group chat.

Which consisted only of him, Sango, Inuyasha and herself. But that was neither here nor there. She'd never been one to say no to getting shitfaced. Yeah, the alcohol had been cheap and downright gross and their ''party'' had been just of the four of them hanging out in Miroku and Inuyasha's living room, drunk off their asses, watching some random movie they'd found on Netflix while they laughed at everything and nothing in particular. It was one of the best nights of her life.

And so their little tradition started. They'd work their asses off to get through finals, buy cheap liquor and hang out at Miroku and Inuyasha's apartment. Life was good.

Everything changed, though, when they reached their Senior year. Miroku and Sango had started dating during summer break, which meant they wanted time alone, especially after not being able to see hide nor hair of each other during finals; so gradually, their little parties were reduced to just Inuyasha and herself.

Not that she complained. Inuyasha was her best friend. Yeah, he was a little rough around the edges; her first impression of him had been "Well this guy's a fucking asshole" -she may or may not have noticed that the 'fucking asshole' was also extremely attractive-, but something about him had made her want to get to know him better. It didn't take her long to figure out that the tough guy act was exactly that, an act; he was a soft little puppy. Cute, fluffy, triangular ears and all.

So it wasn't a surprise, really, that when she finally broke him out of his shell, she fell completely in love with him. Like 'holy shit, I think I just met my soulmate' in love. He was funny without even trying, he was the kindest most caring man she'd ever met, he was infuriating but in an endearing 'god, I don't know if I wanna kill you or kiss you' kind of way; she loved that he matched her temper and at the same time was the only one who could get her mood to lighten up in a second. She loved their non-stop bickering. She loved how protective of her he was. She loved how easy everything felt with him. She loved their friendship.

Damn, she loved him.

But she would've rather died than tell him.

Because sure, she loved him, but she was also not an idiot. He was beautiful, a God amongst men. He was easily more than six feet tall and built like an athlete -even though the guy rarely worked out, damn demonic genetics-, he had flawless naturally tanned skin, his jaw could cut fucking marble; he had the silkiest, softest, longest, gorgeous silver hair she'd ever seen; his eyes were like molten pools of gold and so, so warm. Had she mentioned the ears? The fucking adorable and oh so touchable dog ears on top of his perfect head?

Yeah, he was completely, 100% out of her league. And she had come to terms with that.

Sort of.

She had to. After their usual group hang-outs morphed into Inuyasha and Kagome hang-outs she'd figured she needed to get her shit together, or else she would end up heartbroken and Inuyasha-less. And refused to lose her best friend because her dumb brain had decided to go and fall for him. No way.

So she dated, casually and unsuccessfully; though for some reason he never did, which, what the fuck? Were people blind? Were his standards ridiculously high? For some reason their love lives -or lack there of- were never a topic they discussed, so she wouldn't know.

Huh, weird. She'd never thought about that.

A sharp knock on the door shook her out of her thoughts and a smile lit up her face. Inuyasha.

One of the many, many reasons Kagome never really complained about the change in their little post-finals tradition was that, because Miroku and Sango usually hung out at his place, it meant Inuyasha had to come to hers.

She didn't know why she liked the thought of having him over so much, but she did.

She looked through the peep-hole "Password".

"Uh, 'we're too old for this shit already'?"

"Nope" she'd never be too old "Password".

Inuyasha sighed and rolled his eyes in mock frustration but they both knew he didn't mind this at all, it was one of their things, just between the two of them. And she fucking loved it. She loved having at least a small part of him all to herself "Fine" he took a step back, looked directly into the peep-hole and wiggled his ears three times. She giggled "Now will ya let me in? If ya wanna treat me like a fuckin' dog at least have the decency to do it inside, it's fucking freezing"

She opened the door while raising a brow at him "What about 'Keh. I ain't some weak ass human, I don't need a goddamn jacket, woman'?"

"That was fucking different, it's snowing. I feel like a wet dog"

She smiled mischievously at him "Yeah, you look like one too" she was a lying liar. He looked like a fucking Renaissance painting -or something, whatever- had decided to casually step into her living room.

"Yeah, yeah talk to me when your growth spurt finally hits" he put his arm on top of her head, using it as an armrest. She stepped back, gasping in mock outrage and just when she was about to curse him out he flashed her a little smile and lunged at her, crushing her into a tight bear hug, lifting her off the floor a little. She let out a little 'eep', the force of it and being lifted off the ground shocking her for a second, before she let out a little laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck.

God, she was in so much trouble.

Because no one, that she knew of at least, got this from him. Except for her. Well, and his mom. But her.

She'd never seen him act the way he did with her with anyone else. Not Miroku. Not Sango. Just her.

And it made her want to kick her legs in the air and squeal.

"I missed ya, little thing" she was going to burst.

She was still giggling like an idiot and she didn't care "It's only been a week, Yash, are you going soft on me?" she pulled away so she could look at his face, feet still dangling a few inches from the ground, her arms still around his shoulders. She lifted her hand and poked at his nose, still laughing.

"Soft? Me?" her only warning was a mischievous little smirk and then he threw her unceremoniously on the couch and sat next to her as she squealed. "You fucking jerk!" she kicked his arm with her sock clad foot, which did absolutely nothing to stop him. The opposite, he grabbed it and started tickling her, she was gasping for air "NO HAHAHA INU AHHAHAHA INUYASHAAAAHAHA STOP!" she couldn't breathe and was squirming like a worm. Great. Way to be attractive, Kagome.

"Surrender and I'll stop" he was holding her foot hostage and tickling mercilessly "I A AAHAHAHA S-" she could barely breathe let alone speak "Sorry, what? Didn't catch that"

"I SURRAAHAH- SURRENDER! STOP, GOD" he let go of her foot and kept laughing his ass off while she tried to catch her breath. Why was she in love with this insufferable prick again?

He leaned forward and started going through his bag "Here, squirt, I got the goods" he tossed a six pack of Dr. Pepper on the coffee table.

Oh, yeah, that was why.

"I'm -- gonna -- kill you" she panted, trying to sit up.

"Aw, c'mon, 'Gome, it was self defense. We're even now" he held out his hand for her to shake it, a peace offering.

She glared, her breath having evened out a bit, but shook his hand anyway.

She didn't expect him to pull her to him.

She didn't expect him to put his arm around her shoulder.

She sure as fuck didn't expect him to just casually ask "So what are we watchin' then?".

What the fuck?

She wanted to say something, ask him what the hell he thought he was doing because, yes, he was affectionate with her, but not cuddling in the couch while watching a movie affectionate. They usually just ended up sprawled on top of it with one of them -usually her- snoring the second half of the movie away.

But all she could say was a stammered little "J-just put on whatever y-you want". She could feel her face burning.

"Heh, hell yeah, Chainsaw Massacre it is" he looked for it and pressed play when he found it.

Then, with his arm still around her, he stretched his other one so he could grab a can of Dr. Pepper "Here ya go".

Her hands were shaky as fuck but she tried to play it cool "Th-thanks" well, she failed. She opened it and took a sip, trying to calm herself. 'This doesn't mean anything, this doesn't mean anything, this doesn't mean anything, this doesn't-'

"What, ya scared? Why're your eyes closed? It's not that bad, little thing" 'little thing' what was wrong with him? And was he rubbing her arm?

Okay. She'd had enough.

"Inuyasha, what the hell are you doing?"

He had the gall to look confused "What? What did I do now?!?"

"You're acting weird!"

"No, I'm not!"

"You're holding me!" she pointed at his hand which was still very much rubbing her shoulder.

"So fucking what?!? Isn't this what people do?!?"

"'What people do' when?!?"

"Y-y'know! O-n d-dates and sh-shit!"

What.
The.
Shit.

"Huh?!? Wh- Inuyasha, what the hell are you talking about?!? What date?!?"

"THIS ONE!"

"..."

"..."

"Inuyasha... is this a date?"

"... doyouwantittobe?" he muttered, suddenly finding a lock of his own hair terribly interesting.

Oh god.

"Inuyasha" her voice was firm; he was gonna make her lose her goddamn mind.

"FINE, YES, IT'S A FUCKING DATE. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FUCKING ASK Y-" he never finished that sentence. Kagome's lips cut him right off. She clung to him while she kissed him like she'd wanted to for the last 5 years. It was sweet and passionate and so perfect. Everything she'd ever imagined with him and more. She was pretty sure she was tearing up because Inuyasha was gently rubbing her cheeks.

"Why ya cryin', stupid? Ya realize you're sending mixed signals right now, right?" he leaned his forehead against hers and rubbed her nose with his, he was trying to comfort her and she couldn't help but swoon a little.

"I just- I just love you. Like a lot. That's all".

The smile he flashed her before kissing her again was something straight out of her fucking dreams.

"Love ya too, my little thing" he said in between kisses and Kagome just stopped thinking.

Chapter Text

At first he thought the Gods had been fucking with him. There was no way in hell they were actually being kind to him for once and giving him the one thing he wanted with every fiber of his being, the one thing he needed.

But his nose didn't lie.

Yeah, if he looked back on the -absolutely fucking tortuous, slow- three years Kagome had been gone, his nose had tricked him a few times, made him think he'd gotten even the smallest whiff of Kagome's scent, made him feel like an idiot for not giving up hope.

If he looked back, that had probably been his mind, not his nose.

But this hadn't been a trick.

No, this time, the second he'd caught her scent, he didn't even think twice; he tossed Sango and Miroku's twins -gently- on top of Shippou and just ran.

To the well.

To, what he was sure was, Kagome.

He'd lowered his hand, praying to any God that was listening that it was actually her, and waited.

Finally, fucking finally, he felt her soft, but surprisingly strong -just like her- little hand grab his bigger, tougher one and he pulled.

And there she was.

Kagome.

"Inuyasha" her eyes were glistening with tears and her voice was shaky but, oh, how he'd missed hearing her sweet, fucking melodious voice saying his name "I'm so sorry, were you waiting here for me?"

His eyes burned. And he was fine with it. If there was anyone he felt ok crying in front of, being vulnerable with, it was her.

His Kagome.

"Kago-" he pulled her down from the lip of the well and into his arms. He'd wanted to tell her how much he missed her, how he'd felt completely and utterly empty without her, how he would've however long it took just to see her again; but he'd never been known for having a way with words so, obviously, the first fucking thing he said to her after being apart for three goddamn years, the longest three years of his life was "You idiot, what have ya been doin' all this time".

Smooth.

But he didn't care, because he knew she understood. She always had. She understood and knew him better than he knew himself.

So she'd hugged him back, resting her head on his chest while his nose was buried in her hair. He took a deep breath, taking in her scent fully for the first time in three fucking years "You smell the same" he whispered in her ear, his voice quavering a little and he was sure he'd let a tear or two fall down his cheek, but he couldn't bring himself to give a fuck. She was here, with him. Fucking finally.

She buried her nose in his chest, taking in his scent "You too" she whimpered "I missed it, I missed you. So much, you don't- I can't even-"

He started running his fingers through her hair, trying to soothe her "Shhh, I know, I know. I missed ya too, 'Gome, so fucking much" he held her tighter as she lightly sobbed "I got ya, I got ya".

She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy, her face blotchy and wet with tears. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. "Kagome, I-"

"KAGOME!"
"Lady Kagome!"
"Kagome! You came back!"

His friends had the worst fucking timing in the world.

He discreetly wiped his face and helped her fix herself before he turned around, arm still around her, so she could greet their friends.

"Sango! Miroku! Shippou! I'm back!" and she beamed.

He spent the rest of the afternoon by her side while she caught up with everyone. She wanted to know everything. How Miroku and Sango's wedding ceremony had played out, how Shippou's training was going, what Kaede had been up to; she introduced herself to the twins who, like everyone, instantly fell in love with her and decided she was gonna be 'auntie Kagome'. He saw a few tears escape her eyes but she was smiling, happy.

Inuyasha grabbed her hand and squeezed, looking to soothe her. She flashed him a little tearful smile. He hadn't really been paying attention to the conversation, though. He was too busy planning.

He wanted to give Kagome a proper welcome. He wanted to try and show her she could have a good life here, remind her of the things she'd always said she loved about this time while they were traveling. How the stars looked better and brighter, how the air was so crisp and free of 'poh-loo-tion' -whatever the fuck that meant, probably what made the future smell like shit-, how beautiful and pure everything was compared to her time.

Well, that wasn't her time anymore, it's was it? No, her time, her home, was there. With him. And he was fucking elated.

So he was gonna show her.

Everyone, including himself, had been so focused on Kagome they hadn't noticed him sneaking out of Kaede's hut. Well, he was sure Kagome had, but she didn't say anything about it, which he silently thanked her for. He had to put his plan in motion while she was distracted. It had to be a surprise.

So he set out to look for the first thing on his list: flowers.

He sniffed the air and made a run for it. He found an entire field of them quite quickly, the scent quite frankly making his nose itch, but it would be so worth it. He picked the ones he wanted, because he was a fucking sap and of course he knew what her favorite flower was, and ran back to the village; having already located the second -and last, because it sort of went with number three- thing on his list.

By the time he'd made his way back to Kaede's, everyone was saying their goodbyes -thank the Gods-, leaving only Kagome and the old bat there. This was his chance.

"Hey, ya old bat, I'm takin' Kagome out for a walk before she passes out" he smiled at her.

"Inuyasha! Don't be rude!" she hissed at him.

"No worries, child, I'm quite used to this ungrateful scoundrel by now. But yes, go, go, the night is young and so are ye" he swore if she were able to wink, she would've. Sneaky old woman, too smart for her own good.

"Keh. So, ya comin'?" he held out his hand in invitation, which she took happily. He dragged her out of the hut and started walking towards the Sacred Tree, interlacing his fingers with hers and lightly squeezing her hand. "So, you're taking me to the Sacred Tree?" of course she'd know the way, and of course she'd know that was the first place he'd take her so they could be alone. It was their place.

He blushed "K-keh. Well yea, but we're goin' somewhere else after"

She looked surprised but pleased "Really? Where are you taking me?"

He looked down at her and smirked, "That's for me to know, and you to find out"

She giggled and snuggled up to him. He sighed happily and prayed the flowers he'd left there not 10 minutes ago still remained untouched.

"Alright, wench, close your eyes" he stood in front of her so she couldn't see what was laying -thankfully still in one piece-, at the roots of the tree.

She huffed "Yaaaaaash".

Rolling his eyes, he tugged on her hand and rubbed her hand with his thumb "C'mon, woman, for me?" he shot her a soft look and she caved. After looking suspiciously at him, she smiled and closed her eyes "Alright, done!"

"Keep 'em closed, don't cheat, wench!" he quickly grabbed the flowers and took a deep breath. Fuck, he was nervous. He stood there in front of her, a little array of flowers in his hands and a hopeful look on his face that he prayed didn't look too pathetic. "Alright, you can open 'em".

She opened her eyes and looked confused at first, but then her gaze landed on what he was holding and she fucking beamed like he had just presented her with the finest of silk. Gods.

"Inuyasha" she cried "y-you got me f-flowers?" tears were falling freely now "A-and you kn-knew these were my f-favorite?"

He panicked. Fuck. Did he fuck up? Did the flowers remind her of something bad? Were they too personal? Had he overstepped? Dammit, he fucking sucked at these things. "Y-yeah, did I, d-did I f-fuck up?" He sighed defeatedly and his ears wilted "'M sorry, 'Gome ya know I'm shit at-" he was interrupted by a pair of tiny arms wrapping around him and the scent of cherry blossoms and vanilla filling his nose. She was hugging him? So he hadn't fucked up? "Kagome"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she sobbed into his chest, nuzzling it. She looked up at him and, somehow managing to look determined even with tears streaming down her face, she stood on her tip-toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. Holy fuck, okay, so he definitely hadn't ruined it. He made a mental note to give her at least weekly flowers from then on.

His face was burning and he was sure it matched his robe, but he had to get his shit together; no time to get flustered, he wasn't a kid anymore and neither was she. So he held her, burying his nose into her hair again, because he could drown in her scent and he'd die a happy man, and closed his eyes. "Heh. Glad ya liked them, they made my nose itch like crazy" he grabbed her face so she'd look up at him and rested his forehead against hers "But it was worth it. So fucking worth it" he chuckled and she giggled.

As they stood there, though, holding each other so close, looking into each other's eyes, so many things unsaid but understood between them, their laughter died down and their eyes softened. They started leaning in without even noticing, but Inuyasha quickly gathered himself and gently pulled away, kissing her forehead; wanting her to know he wanted the exact same thing she did -fuck, did he want it-, but not yet.

They had somewhere to be.

So, flashing her one last smirk, he turned around and presented his back to her. "C'mon, wench, I ain't done surprisin' ya yet".

Wordlessly, she got on his back and held on tight, which was the only indication he needed to start running. Gods, how he'd missed this. He'd taken so many little things like this for granted. But it wasn't the time to ponder on thar right now. Thinking about the 'what if's' was just useless; they were here now. Together. And that was all that mattered.

He felt her squeeze him "Mm, I missed this" she sighed into his hair. Was she a fucking mind reader or were they just that in tune with each other? Did that mean she missed him just as much as he missed her? That she never gave up either? That she went to the well, maybe not as often, but just like he did?

That she loved him like he loved her? Because he loved her with every fiber of his being. And he hoped, he fucking prayed, she did too.

"You an' me both, 'Gome" he gave her legs a little squeeze and he felt her smile against his back. They were quiet the rest of the way, just relishing in the other's presence and the peace and quiet of the night.

He sniffed the air and grinned, squeezing her leg again "We're here" he stopped and let her down, immediately grabbing her hand again. Apparently not touching her for longer than a second was just not acceptable. He was fine with that.

She let out a little gasp "Oh, Gods, Inuyasha! It's beautiful!" she let go of his hand and so she could look closer at the steaming water "Y-you found this for m-me?" shimmery eyes looked up at the sky "A-and under the s-stars?" he knew she was trying her best not to cry because she didn't want him to think she didn't like it, and he loved her all the more for it. But she didn't need to, he knew she'd like this, so he just smirked "Duh, who else would I be lookin' for hot springs for? " he looked up "And ya were always yappin' about the stars lookin' better in this time, and the Gods know how much ya love those baths of yours" his eyes were on her now "I wanted to give ya that, y'know, a-as a welcome gift or whatever" he blushed and looked away. Fuck, he'd been doing so good.

After a moment of silence, he risked glancing up at her. A few rogue tears had escaped but she was beaming like he'd given her the most special thing in the world.

"D-do y-you, um" she swallowed. He could smell how nervous she was " Um, w-wanna g-get in? With me?" her voice was so small he was sure he wouldn't have been able to hear her had it not been for his demonic abilities.

But he heard her.

Fuck.

She looked freaked out "Not like that!" she yelled "J-just our feet? O-or maybe we could get in like this? Your robe dries itself, doesn't it?" she was nervously tugging at the hem of her skirt, obviously embarrassed as hell. Hell, he was, too. Even if nothing like that had even crossed his mind. But his need to comfort her, soothe her nerves was stronger.

"Mm, mine does but your weird ass clothes don't" he smirked "Let's just sit at the edge and put our feet in, like ya said"

She wasn't completely calmed down but her nerves had lowered significantly. He knew she was still a little insecure, wary; but if everything went according to plan, she would be as sure as he was about where they stood by the end of the night.

So they sat there, Kagome's feet not quite reaching the bottom of the spring, which he obviously teased her for, and him with his hakama rolled up to his knees. It felt... nice. It certainly felt more than just nice to be there with her. He never thought they would end up like this.

Their conversation varied from reminiscing about their shard-hunting journey, to teasing each other about how much they'd changed over the years -he told her that she didn't look like she was an inch tall anymore, which earned him a little swat to the arm-, to what they'd been up to the last three years.

"I graduated high-school, finally" she chuckled "With honors too! Even though math did kick my butt" she pouted, and all he could focus on was how adorable she looked "It was pretty boring, though, nothing like demon-slaying, I'm sure. That's what you've been doing, right, oh great Village Protector?" she teased.

He splashed her and she giggled "Shaddup!" he mock glared at her "'Bout time those villagers thanked me for savin' their asses, I earned that title!" he growled and she kept giggling "Yeah, you did, my brave half-demon"

He blushed "Keh" he had to say something. He had to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted, needed it, to go. So he slid closer to her until their arms were touching and he took a deep breath "Slayin' demons, travelin', whatever; it wasn't as fun. Not without ya" he kept his eyes on the water, half scared, half looking forward to what she'd say.

"Nothing was as fun without you either".

He looked at her, shocked that she'd said that so easily. But she just looked peaceful, like she'd taken a huge weight off her shoulders. His gazed into her eyes, his face soft "Seems like we've both had a shitty last three years, huh?"

"That doesn't even cover half of it" she grabbed his hands with both of hers. Oh shit, he thought he was gonna be the one to- "Inuyasha" her eyes were glistening, her voice raw with emotion "You-you have no idea how much I've missed you. I-I thought about you every single day. I tried the well every week and I sat by the Sacred Tree for hours every day. Sometimes I'd even talk, like you were there. I know it sounds crazy, and a little pathetic probably, but it made me feel closer to you. I-I really thought I was never gonna see you again, it nearly broke me" she took a deep breath and kept going, he squeezed her hands to let her know she had his full attention "But then; maybe it was the Gods, I don't know, I decided to check the well today when I got home from graduation because something in me told me to do it. Maybe because I felt like my job there was done. I'd already finished high school and I'd known for a while that, along with my family, it was the only thing I had going for me in that era. I didn't belong there anymore. A-and I think that, whatever it was that took me from yo-here" her little correction didn't go unnoticed, but he let her finish "let me come back. For good this time".

He wanted to say his piece, he wanted to be the one to say it first, but he was absolutely fascinated. He'd never had anything like this before; this connection to someone. He'd never had anyone else tell him they missed him, that he was an important part of their lives. He knew he was being selfish but fuck, he wanted to hear more. He wanted, needed, to hear her say it. And not because she was being forced to or because she was sad; he wanted to hear her say it because she wanted him to hear it.

"And why is that?" he whispered, so softly he wondered if she even heard him.

"Because" she hiccuped "because I love you. I love you, Inuyasha, and I knew I would've been miserable living in a world without you in it" she let out a shaky breath "a-and I think the Gods knew it too" she lowered her head and he instantly knew she was nervous, afraid of what he might say after such a confession. And he didn't blame her one bit, because he'd been an asshole. An asshole who, until today, hadn't really shown her just how much she meant to him. How much he loved her.

And now he was gonna tell her, even if it took every bit of courage he possessed. Because if there was one person in existence who deserved to know how loved they were, it was her.

"Kagome" he disentangled one of his hands from hers to gently cup her jaw "Look at me, wench" he lifted her face and gods, he'd already known, but he'd never stop being blown away by how soft her skin was "These past three years? They were hell. I wasn't really livin', just existin', I guess. Everyone around me had started buildin' a life; Sango and the monk got married and had three brats, Shippou was constantly away doin' his kitsune trainin', the old bat was busy with her priestess job and takin' care of Sesshoumaru's brat. Yeah, I took that demon slayin' job with Miroku and I still hung out with our friends but everything felt... empty. Like something was missin', something vital, and we all knew it was you" a lone tear made its way down her cheek and he rubbed it away "I had no idea I could miss someone the way I missed ya. The only other person I'd ever missed in my life was my mother, but that was different, because I knew you were alive, I just couldn't get to you. It was terrifying, I didn't know what to do with myself" he closed the distance between them a little more, the space between them had grown since they'd moved to face each other and he had to fix that "I jumped; I jumped, Kagome, into that fucking well every three days, because I was more than willing to stay in your era forever if it worked. I was willing to wait 500 years just to see you again, even if that meant I'd be an old man by that time; just seeing you, alive and happy, would've been enough for me" his eyes were burning and her thumb rubbing his cheek told him what he already knew: he was crying "Ya mean everything to me. When I pulled ya out of that damn well, it was like I could breathe again. These past few hours with you have been the happiest I felt since I can remember and-" he was cupping her face with both hands now. It was meant as an affectionate little thing, but it was like he was anchoring himself. Which would make sense, she was, after all, his rock. He took a deep, calming breath and just said it "and I love ya. I love ya so fucking much it hurts. But this is the important thing, Kagome, and this is something I want ya to burn into your pretty little head: I've always loved ya. Always. Please, don't forget that" he kissed her cheeks, her eyes and her jaw and, once again, rested his forehead against hers "Always?" she whispered. He smiled, their lips were so close "What, didn't ya know? I fell first, Ka-go-me" he smirked and then words weren't needed anymore. He didn't know who leaned in first and he didn't care because, finally, he was kissing Kagome.

Kagome, the love of his fucking life.

He was so happy he could've howled.

His lips were otherwise occupied, though.

They stayed like that, alternating between sweet kisses, cuddles and little declarations of love until their toes looked pruney.

Chapter Text

Between her fever overheating her entire body while simultaneously making shiver, her head feeling like it weighed 200 pounds and the Nyquil she'd taken making her feel like she was in a different dimension from how loopy she felt, Kagome was pretty sure she'd never felt worse in her life.

She'd never been one to get sick often, but when she did, it was usually awful and it took her several days to recover. Days where she felt like she was in a haze because her fever combined with everything she had to take to lower said fever turned her brain to mush. So, she always let her friends, family and everyone from work know that she would be completely useless for a few days.

Thankfully, everyone understood and left her to her devices; only texting -because she always specified to please not call her, because she didn't think she could handle it- to check on her, see if she needed anything and wishing her a fast recovery.

Sango, bless her heart, had offered to stay with her; at least so she could make sure she was eating properly, because she knew Kagome would have zero energy to actually cook for herself and her illness-induced lack of appetite would probably mean she'd forget to even eat most meals. But she politely declined. As much as she loved Sango, she just wanted to be alone and get through this damn cold by herself. Not to mention, she was probably terrible company at the moment, she was in a horrible mood and a simple 'ping' from her phone had her growling and cursing under her breath.

Yeah, she needed to not be around people right now.

Which was why, when she heard a knock coming from her front door she had to stop for a second. A part of her wanted to ignore it, make whoever it was believe no one was home, come back later, thank you very much! Then another part of her wanted to open the door and curse them out for even daring, having the audacity to knock on her door when she was literally dying and not even able to talk and breathe at the same time. What an inconsiderate little-

"'Gome, c'mon, open up"

Huh?

She had to be hallucinating. There was absolutely no way.

"Woman, I know you're in there, let me in"

That's it, she was never taking Nyquil again. Ever.

"I, uh, I brought ya chicken soup. Y'know, 'cuz it's good for colds and shit"

What the fuck, what the actual fuck was Inuyasha doing here?

She'd sent everyone a text! She'd literally said "I'm sigck aNnd csn barely evN wrIte diS teXt Pls Don't cALllL"!

Had it not been clear?!? She'd even sent him a separate text, because she knew him and his over-protective ways and she really, really didn't want him to see her looking half dead and tripping balls from her cold meds.

They'd just started dating. Emphasis on 'just', because she didn't even know what they were doing. It had been a week since Inuyasha had shyly and very, very adorably told her he liked her and she happily confessed she liked him back, but they hadn't so much as kissed yet. Yeah, they cuddled and held hands but for some bizarre reason neither of them had tried to kiss the other. Not even when they told each other how they felt, they simply hugged and bid each other a quick 'good night' after he kissed her on her goddamn cheek. She'd been so disappointed, and kinda pissed, if she were honest. What were they, teenagers? They were fully functional adults, they had jobs, they paid taxes, but kissing was somehow where they drew the line? It wasn't just him she was mad at, she was furious with herself for not being the independent woman her mama had raised. For not just grabbing him by his silver forelocks and kissing him like she'd been wanting to for over a year. Ugh.

Point was, they weren't there yet! He couldn't see her like this!

"Ba-Kagome" had he been about to call her 'babe'? Just how bugged out was she? "C'monnnnn, I don't give a rats ass if you get snot all over me or if you look like shit, let me in?"

Well, fuck a duck. She was going to let him in, wasn't she? Because that was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever said to her. And maybe it was her hazy mind playing tricks on her but his tone was so soft, she almost melted.

She dragged her feet towards the door and looked through the peep-hole "What're you doibg 'ere?" oh, that soup looked amazing. Too bad she couldn't smell anything. Or taste it. Damn it.

The jerk had the gall to laugh "What're you laughibg at?!? Go 'way"

"C'mon, walking dead, let me in so I can take care of ya"

She felt like crying. Maybe she was, she didn't even know anymore.

"'kay, but y'have t'probise not t'make fun of be" she was going for 'threatening', she probably failed.

"I swear on my life, now will ya open this goddamn door? I'm not above kicking it open"

"Fine, fine" she threw the door open and, god, she'd never hated her life more than in that moment.

Because how was it fair that she had to look like an extra from The Walking Dead, while he looked like he'd just stepped out of a men's perfume ad?

Like, sure, lucky her; she was, after all, -kinda, sorta- dating him, but damn it if it wasn't a blow to her ego to be standing there in her comfiest, ugliest robe and white doggie slippers -which of course she'd gotten because of him- while he looked cool as ever wearing literally just jeans and a t-shirt, his silver hair up in a 'messy but not really' bun and holding a giant pot of chicken soup? For her? Damn him.

"Ya look cute, love the slippers" he smirked at her, kissing her on the cheek before walking past her towards the kitchen to put the soup on the stove "'Kay, Imma leave this here so you can heat it up when ya want some. And I wanna see ya eat at least one bowl while I'm here, got it?"

She scrunched her face up and stuck her tongue out at him. She had every right to behave like a child, she was dying, or at least she felt like she was, and the guy she was kinda sorta dating was there. And he'd just left a massive pot of chicken soup in her kitchen.

What the hell was happening?

"Did ya bake it?"

"Ya don't 'bake' soup, 'Gome" he chuckled and she glared "Uh, I asked my mom t'make it yesterday, after ya told me how sick ya were" was he blushing? She couldn't trust her eyes right now.

"Y'did?" she knew she was tearing up but she couldn't help it, she'd been past her limit since she'd heard his voice through the door, she couldn't handle it anymore.

"Don't get all teary on me, woman, 'course I did. And you have to eat some, I promise, it's like magic. I don't know what the hell my mom puts in there, but it works"

She just whimpered, sniffling "In'yasha"

His gaze was so soft, and she would've kissed him right then if she wasn't so afraid of getting snot all over his beautiful face "C'mere, silly girl" he put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, burying his face in her hair and moving his hands soothingly up and down her back "What d'ya wanna do? A movie? A show?" he whispered in her ear.

"Jus' stay like this for a binute" she buried her face in his chest, wishing she could inhale his scent the way he was doing with her. She missed it. It wasn't fair "'s not fair. I can't sbell you. Y'always sbell so good, In'yasha" she wasn't even in control of what she said anymore. She was weirdly okay with it.

"Oh yeah? And what do I smell like?" she could hear his smirk but she was past caring.

"Hhhm, all banly an' stuff. Like pines and woods and banly things" she was an absolute blubbering mess.

"Manly things, huh? D'ya wanna know what ya smell like?" he squeezed her tighter, now only running one hand up and down her back, the other on her waist, and buried her nose in her hair "Well, right now ya smell sick" he chuckled "But normally, ya smell like cherry blossoms and vanilla, sweet and fresh. Ya smell so fucking good".

She pulled her face away a bit and looked at him, her chin resting on his chest. She knew her eyes were glassy from the combination of tears and being sick, but she looked into his eyes "You're so handsobe" she lifted her hand and gently traced her finger down his cheek, along his jaw "So pretty, can't believe y'even looked at be" she ran her finger along his nose "Did ya know your eyes're gold? I feel like 'm gonna melt everytibe y'look at
be"

He looked so shocked, but he didn't let go of her, just let her keep going with her Nyquil-induced worship "I really, really, really like you, In'yasha but shhh" she put her finger on his lips "don't tell anyone, it's our little secret"

"K-kagome, I-"

"'M tired" she let her head fall on his chest again "Can y'take me t'bed? Pretty please?" she made puppy-dog eyes at him, or at least that was what she was trying to do.

"Yeah, silly girl, I'll take ya. C'mere" he quickly lifted her up bridal style and she let out a content little 'yay'. He took her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed, covering her up with several blankets so she wouldn't be cold.

"D'ya tuck other girls in, In'yasha?" she let out a yawn.

He let out a breathy laugh "Nah, just the one dummy"

"Hhm, good, tha's good. Don't wanna share"

"Alright, 'Gome, go to sleep now before ya keep sayin' shit for me to tease ya about in the mornin'. I have plenty of material already"

"'mkay" he kissed her forehead and backed away from the bed "Wait!" she grabbed his hand "Stay? Please? Don't wanna be alone" she didn't know why she was tearing up, in fact, she didn't know why she'd said 90% of what she did. But right now, she didn't care. That was Not Sick Kagome's problem.

"Yeah, alright, I'll stay" he made his way to the other side of the bed, but didn't slid under the covers. Which was fine with her because he was wearing his street clothes. Gross.

"Y'know"

"What?"

"...y'could take off your shirt if you want to be cobfy"

He barked out a laugh, but rolled them over so they were spooning -which, really? They were literally spooning but a kiss was too much? At 25? Okay- "Go to sleep, woman. God, I'm gonna have so much fun teasin the hell out of ya tomorrow" they snuggled up to each other and she let out a little happy sigh, putting her arm over his.

"Tha's okay" she whispered groggily, she could already feel herself being pulled under "G'night In'yasha"

"G'night, silly girl"

She woke up feeling disoriented and her head was pounding, it felt like she'd been head-butting the wall for five hours straight.

Looking at her nightstand, she saw a little Tylenol bottle and a glass of water. Did she have a guardian angel? Or was she just a that good? Because honestly-

Wait.

There were noises coming from the kitchen.

She lived alone, she had no pets.

Was she seriously getting robbed while she was sick? How fucking rude.

She was about to get up and grab something, though she knew there was no way she could defend herself, hey, at least she'd died fighting.

But then she heard foot-steps coming towards her room and, before she could even react, Inuyasha walked in and looked down at her sitting on the bed and smiled "Mornin', ya feelin' better?"

She gulped. Oh fuck.

He'd been there last night, in fact, he'd stayed the night.

In her bed. With her in it.

She must have been a sight, looking horrified and confused at the same time, because, leaning against me he doorway with his arms across his chest -which, yum- he chuckled and said "I s'pose ya don't remember last night?"

She put her head on her hands "Oh, god, how much of an ass did I make of myself? Inuyasha, I'm so-"

He pulled away from the door and went to sit on the bed in front of her "Hey, hey, hey" he soothed, running his hand up and down her arm "Ya didn't make an ass out of yourself, dummy. Y-you were cute" he smiled "High as a kite, but cute" he finished "And I'm glad ya feel better, here, take this" and he gave her two Tylenol pills and handed her the glass of water.

She took it and swallowed down the medication in a second, her head hurt like a bitch and she needed relief, now. Especially if she was gonna have this conversation with him. She looked down, fingers nervously playing with her blanket "Thanks... so, um, how 'cute' was I, exactly?" she grimaced.

"Well, ya just kept... complimentin' me and shit, it-it was nice" he was willing her to look at him and she did "Was it? Inuyasha, if I made you feel uncomfortable I'm so-" she would've kept talking, apologizing for acting like an idiot.

But she couldn't exactly talk with Inuyasha kissing her like that.

God, why did this have to happen when she was still sick? His lips were so soft against hers, his kiss soft but fierce, there was nothing tentative about it. He was making a statement.

She whole-fucking-heartedly agreed.

He'd moved his hand from her arm and was now cupping her jaw with it, while the other one held the back of her head, holding her gently. Everything about this, aside from her being sick, was just perfect. Soft but firm,
gentle but bold. Like him.

It was the most perfect kiss she'd ever experienced because it was so entirely Inuyasha.

They pulled away because, apparently, breathing was a thing people did, and just stared at each other.

Suddenly Kagome's hands flew to her mouth "Oh, my god, Inuyasha, I'm sick! What the hell were you thinking, dummy? Now you'll get it too!"

He chuckled and grabbed her hands from her mouth, holding them in his. He wiggled his -adorable, so soft- ears "Half-demon, remember? I don't get sick like you weak little humans" he smirked.

"Jerk"

"Yeaaaah, but" his smile was devious "you like me, Ka-Go-Me. In fact," he pulled her closer by her hands and she let out a little 'eep' "why don't ya tell me again? Y'know, about how pretty I am? Or was it handsome?"

She took her hands away, covering her face "I'm never talking to you again, I hate you"

He grabbed them again, putting them on his chest "Ah, but ya don't" he smiled "'kay, I'll say it so we're even. That good with ya?"

She looked at him quizzically "Say what?"

He interlaced their fingers and slid closer to her, forehead touching hers, lips impossibly close "You're really fucking beautiful, Kagome, and I really, really, really fucking like you"

She smiled "Good, now kiss me again"

And he did, for a long, long time.

Thank god for Nyquil.

Chapter Text

Kagome was frustrated.

It had been a little over a week since she'd been back in the Feudal Era.

Back home.

Because, somewhere along their shard-hunting journey, that's what this place had become. She'd known, towards the end, while they prepared themselves for their final battle with Naraku, that if it came down to it, she would've chosen to stay. Forever.

She didn't get that choice, though.

Well, at least not after three long, tortuous years. Three years where she'd felt like a shell of her former full of life, cheerful self, like she didn't belong in the era she'd been born in anymore. Three years of nightmares always featuring Inuyasha's horrified face as he realized he was was being sucked into the past while she got stuck in the future. Three years of afternoons spent sitting in the well house or by the Sacred Tree. Three years of talking to herself pretending he was there, because it made her feel like maybe, just maybe, he would hear her. Three years of constant sprains, bruises and scratches from jumping into a well that no longer let her travel to the past. Three years of waking up, going to school and back to sleep, rinse and repeat, because she couldn't bring herself to care about anything other than finishing school once and for all.

Because how could she have cared about high school boys when she'd been ripped away from the first and only one she'd ever loved? The one she was sure she'd never see again?

But then, on her graduation day, something in her led her to the well house again. Could've been the Gods, could've been a gut feeling, could've been her somehow wanting to share this milestone with him and knowing that, even if he wasn't really there, at least she'd feel like he was; who really knew. The only thing she knew was that one minute she was just standing there, looking down into it; thinking about how much she missed him, how she didn't know how to live in a world where he didn't exist, how much she wanted to see him, how much she loved him.

And the next she was feeling a soft, clean breeze on her face; she could hear the trees rusting, the birds chirping.

She could see the sky.

She jumped.

And he was there to catch her- or pull her up, in this case.

And now she was finally, finally here again. Back home. With her friends.

With Inuyasha.

And absolutely nothing had happened between them.

Ugh.

Sure, they'd had their little moments. Fleeting touches, soft looks, hushed conversations meant for their ears only, time spent snuggling under the Sacred Tree.

But that had been it. They'd only kissed once, the day she'd come back, but it had been a chaste, sweet little thing. Shy, almost.

What the hell did they have to be shy about anymore? They'd grown up, they weren't blushing teenagers anymore.

Maybe-

Maybe his feelings had changed? Maybe he didn't want the same things she did? Maybe he didn't even know what he wanted?

Because she knew.

She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

She didn't care about being the Village Priestess, she didn't care about any of that. She'd come back to be with him, everything else could honestly go hang.

But did he want that? Did he even want to be with her like that? Did he even see her like that?

She huffed in frustration, digging her shovel into the dirt harder than she needed to, completely squishing the herbs she'd been trying to collect.

She wanted to scream. She was pretty sure she was already tearing up, she was so frustrated.

She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't hear him approach, but of course, of course he was there at the worst possible moment, probably to ask her things she didn't want to and wasn't ready to answer.

"Hey, wench" he called "what's wrong?" he sat on his haunches in front of her.

She kept her eyes on the dirt, trying to clean up her mess even though she knew it was a lost cause "Nothing, just tired is all" she tried to sound cheery, but her voice was shaky.

"Kagome, just who do ya think you're talkin' to? Look at me" he placed his finger on her chin and lifted her face up so he could look at her "I can smell your tears from a mile away, woman, what is it? Did ya hurt yourself? I told ya to take it easy! It's been three years ya can't just expect ta-"

"I said I'm fine, Inuyasha!" she yelled, glaring at him and roughly moving his hand from her face "And what does that even mean? You think just because I've been away for three years then I'm suddenly some weak, helpless thing? Huh? You think I'm incapable of doing something as simple as collecting herbs? Do you really think I've become that useless?" she spat every word venomously. She couldn't control herself. The stress of her uncertainty about her relationship with Inuyasha, about his feelings for her had finally caught up to her, made her snap. What if he really did think she was useless? That she would never be strong enough? What if-

"What the fuck, Kagome?!?" his eyes widened and he pulled back a little, looking hurt "I'm just looking out for ya! I never said any of that shit! What the hell is wrong with you?!?"

She stood up, glaring down at him with tears in her eyes "You are, Inuyasha. You're my problem" she deadpanned and stomped away, leaving a confused and upset Inuyasha in her wake.

She didn't know how long she sat there, under the canopy of the Sacred Tree, crying her eyes out and taking her rage out on the grass, ripping handfuls from the earth and tossing them around.

She calmed down, eventually, her sobs quieting down to little whimpers. She tried to find a more comfortable position, leaning her back against the tree, her grass-stained hands on her lap, and closed her eyes.

She knew she was being unfair; she wasn't entitled to Inuyasha's heart, he didn't owe her his love. He wasn't obligated to love her back, to want to live his life by her side like she so desperately wanted to live hers by his.

That didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell, though.

In a passing thought, she wondered if she'd chosen right. Maybe she'd been imposing herself on everyone since she got back. Maybe she was the one who'd missed them, and not the other way around. Maybe she wasn't supposed to be here. Maybe she didn't belong.

But she didn't belong in the modern era either.

"So where the hell do I belong then, huh?" she scoffed.

"Well, where else would ya belong, you idiot?" she gasped and looked up, startled. How had she not heard him?

Damn. Was she so caught up in her own self-deprecation -because, really, that's what it was-, that she hadn't even felt his aura? Completely lost all sense of her surroundings?

Huh. Maybe she was useless here. What if a dangerous demon had been lurking? She hadn't even brought her bow with her. She felt dumb. She was so-

"Whatever you're thinkin' in that pretty little head a yours, stop it" he warned. He was closer than she thought, because next thing she knew, he was sitting down cross-legged in front of her. She was hugging her knees, her posture obviously defensive.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha?" she sighed defeatedly. She really didn't feel like talking to anyone right now, especially him.

"What am I do-?!? Kagome, what the fuck was that back there?!?" especially about that "The hell did I do?!?" he crossed his arms, but he looked worried.

"I don't know what you mean" she stated simply, making it a point not to look him in the eyes.

"Wench" he said through his teeth "ya know damn well what I'm talkin' about so don't play stupid" oh, he was mad now? He was mad at her? The audacity of this guy, honestly!

"No, Inuyasha" she needed to shut up or she was gonna explode, again "I don't know what you're talking about, so maybe I am stupid!" someone really needed to shut her up because she was doing a terrible job herself "Add it to the freaking list!" well, there went any and all possibilities of him leaving her alone now.

"See?!?" he pointed at her "What the hell is wrong with ya?!? What's all this bullshit about ya bein' useless?!?" he yelled.

"It's nothing!" she yelled back, eyes glued to the ground.

"Then why do you keep sayin it?!?"

"It's just how I feel, Inuyasha! Can you leave me alone for Gods' sakes?!?"

"And what the hell did I do now?!? What's your problem with me?!?"

Boom.

"NOTHING, INUYASHA! YOU'VE DONE NOTHING!" she was looking at him now, alright, glaring deadly, in fact "THAT'S THE PROBLEM!" well, she might as well get it all out and over with "I'VE BEEN BACK HERE FOR OVER A WEEK AND YOU HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING TO ME" uh oh, she was gonna start crying, she could feel it, but there was no stopping her now "I-I thought that we both felt the same way about each other; I thought we'd cleared it up that day in my room, before our last fight with Naraku" yeah, she was ugly-crying, Inuyasha looked terrified. She was probably going to have to move to a different village or try the well again until the Gods took pity on her and made it work so she could go back to her mother who would comfort her and make her feel better about entertaining the thought that Inuyasha might still love her "I thought- I came back here because I wanted to be with you; I wanted to start over where we left off, stay with you, forever" she said weakly "B-But you don't want that, I mean we-we barely even kissed since I got here, we hardly talk" she looked at him, her eyes full of questions "Did you even miss me? Do you even want me to be here? Do you feel like you're obligated to be with me because I chose to come back? I-I can't deal with this anymore" she sat back down, -when had she stood up?- and started picking at the grass again, looking down, tears wetting her hakama "I-I love you, Inuyasha, you know I always have, but I won't have you stay with me because you feel obligated to; and I'm tired, so tired of wondering just what the hell is going on in your head" she sighed "I can only read you so well, and you're giving me nothing to go on, so please, just tell me whatever it is that you're thinking and then we'll move on from this" there. She'd said it. She knew she was going to cave at one point, a girl can only handle so much inner turmoil, but she wished she had been more in control of the situation, of herself. Oh well, there went nothing.

On his part, Inuyasha looked like she'd just threw a bucket of cold water on him. Confused, angry -at her? at himself?-, sad, scared and a number of other emotions she couldn't name.

But then his jaw tightened and his brows furrowed, a determined look in his eyes.

And he started talking.

"You're right" she gasped, about what, exactly?. She'd just thrown five different points at him. "I've been a fucking coward, and an asshole" she was about to contradict him but he stopped her "No. I have" she'd never seen him look so serious "It's not the first time I've let you down and broke your fucking heart because I was too much of a chicken shit to tell you how I felt, now is it?" her eyes widened but he was looking at the ground, like he was ashamed. He let out a bitter chuckle "And now I've got ya runnin' around thinkin' I don't want ya here; but not just that, I made ya feel like if I ever did say anythin' to ya about this it would be because I felt obligated" his frown deepened and he still wasn't looking at her "Have I completely destroyed your trust in me? I wouldn't blame ya, but I need ta know"

"No!" she rushed to say, already regretting her outburst and wishing she'd never said anything because she felt like the worlds biggest jerk for making him feel like this. Yeah, he'd made her feel like crap too but it hadn't been intentional "No, Inuyasha, of course not! I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone, I trust you with my life!"

"But not with your heart"

She grabbed his hand, squeezing it, trying to convey the sincerity of her words "With everything, Inuyasha. You would never, never hurt me on purpose. In any way" her eyes were dead serious as they bore into his. He needed to understand.

"Then will ya believe me? Even after I made an ass of myself and made ya believe I didn't want ya here?"

"Believe what?" her voice was so small, and she was holding her breath. Oh, Gods, please.

He maneuvered her hands so that he was the one holding hers and interlaced their fingers, squeezing tightly and running his thumb up and down the back of her hand "There's nothing I want more, nothing I've ever wanted more than you. Kagome, I crave your presence and, after those three fucking years, it's gotten even worse" he pulled her closer, she gasped "I missed ya so fucking much, I don't think I'll ever be able to put it in words just how much I fucking need you; it's scary, it's never happened to me before. Needing someone like this, " he breathed "loving someone like this; it's fucking terrifying. I need you with me, always. I need to know you're safe, I need to know you're happy, and if you're not, I need to make you happy and clobber whatever it is that made you upset" he disentangled their hands and put his on her waist, which was a bit uncomfortable with them being sat down but she didn't care "I'm so fucking sorry for making ya think I didn't love ya, that I didn't want ya to stay with me forever, for the rest of our lives, because I love ya so fucking much it hurts, and there's nothing I want more" their foreheads were touching, breaths intermingling -she was surprised she could still breathe at all- and it was everything she'd ever dreamed of.

So, obviously, she started tearing up, because wha else was she supposed to do?

"Inu-" but she was cut off by clawed hands cupping her jaw, rubbing the tears off her cheeks while he kissed her with everything he had. It was what she'd been waiting for since she got back. His lips were soft, if a bit dry from all the talking. He tasted sweet, like berries, and he was so gentle she could cry, if she wasn't already crying.

He pulled away just a fraction "I wanna show ya somethin'"

She whimpered and pouted, kissing him again "Can't it wait? I'm good right here" she said before attacking his mouth again.

He laughed and pulled away fully, making her pout again "No, dummy, it can't wait, c'mon it's just around here, we'll be quick" he gave her a quick peck and got up, offering his hand to her, which she gladly took and let him lead her wherever it was he wanted to go. She was so happy, he could be taking her to a cave filled with fresh demon remains for all she cared.

"'Kay, close your eyes" he turned around, blocking her view of whatever it was he wanted to show her.

"Huh? Why?"

"C'mon, wench, just do it" he looked at her sheepishly "Please?"

Well, if he said 'please' "Alright, done" she closed her eyes. He made her walk a few more steps before he told her to open them again, and Gods was it better than a cave full of demon remains.

So much better.

It was a hut.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" her eyes were filling up again, because she knew what this was. She could tell by the way it was built, the little modern details that no one else would've thought about because they just weren't a thing.

"Uh, I built it. Well, Miroku an' the villagers helped but I planned the whole thing"

"W-when?"

"When you were gone. I thought I might as well stop sleepin' in trees now that I had a proper job and shit" he chuckled "Not that I slept in it very much. It felt lonely" he looked at her and gripped her hand tighter "I-it's not meant for one person, Kagome, I built it for ya, for-for us"

Yeah, she was properly crying now.

He brushed the tears off her face again, but his hands stayed there "I-Inu-"

"Because even though ya thought I didn't want ya here" he caressed her cheek "I've spent the last three years plannin' our future. I never gave up hope, I refused" he stepped closer, their faces inches apart "Because ya belong with me, Kagome, and I belong with ya. We were born for each other, and there's nothing in this world that's gonna keep me from spending the rest of my life with you"

"Inu-Inuyasha!" she launched herself at him, holding him like a lifeline. This was beyond anything she'd ever hoped for, anything she'd ever dreamed of. The man she loved more than anything was telling her that, even though they were born hundreds of years apart, they were still born for each other. That was like a step above being soulmates. Hah.

There was one thing that could make this moment even better, and she knew Inuyasha would never outright ask her. After all, he was a half demon who hadn't really lived amongst people for that long.

And were proposals even a thing in this time?

She didn't care, though.

"Marry me" she said into his neck.

"I-I thought that was what I was sayin'? Oh shit, did I fuck it up? Aw fuck I-"

"No, no, no! You didn't!" she grabbed his face "It was perfect, you're perfect, but I just- I just- Marry me?" words were overrated anyways.

He laughed, and kissed her and held her so tightly she thought he was gonna crush her, but she was so fine with it.

"I thought you'd never ask, wench"

Chapter Text

The five of them were sitting by the fire; something they'd done more times than they could count.

But, oh, had the circumstances changed.

Sango had invited them over for dinner to celebrate the anniversary of Kagome's return; having had the foresight to track the moon cycle. She'd thought it was a more than memorable enough event, worthy of yearly celebrations.

The day his found family had finally been whole again.

The day he'd felt whole again.

"I've missed this" Kagome said, leaning against Inuyasha, his arm around her waist as she leaned into his shoulder while they sat against the wall of Sango and Miroku's hut; their little brats having thankfully been asleep for a while.

He loved his nieces, not that he'd ever tell, at least not while they could hear him; and they'd been absolutely heartbroken when Sango told them it was time to 'say goodnight to auntie Kagome', but they were at that age where they constantly asked 'why', 'where', 'who', 'what', 'WHY, MAMA?'. Exhausting. Cute, but exhausting.

And they still hadn't grown out of their curiosity for his ears.

Which was honestly fine with him, because it meant a good, long Kagome-ear-rub session later, so it was totally worth it.

They'd spent the night talking and reminiscing about their journey. How far they'd come. How much they'd grown.

It hadn't been easy, the threat of imminent death had followed them close behind for a little over a year. It hadn't exactly been a time full of happy memories.

They still managed to find some, though.

'Remember when we got super drunk?'

'Gods, Shippou, remember Souten? Did you ever talk to her again?

'What about Chokyukai? Hah, he almost made Miroku his wife!'

'Shippou sure was a ladies' man'

'Inuyasha! The dry food demons at my school's festival, remember that?'

It was... nice, he guessed.

Okay, it was really fucking nice.

Sango smiled brightly, also cuddling against her husband "Me too, feels like we took those quiet nights for granted sometimes"

He 'keh'd', snuggling into Kagome further. In the almost year they'd been married, he'd completely grown out of his embarrassment over public displays of affection.

"Feh. They were hardly quiet, woman, we we're bein' chased by crazy ass, power-hungry demons, what about that sounds quiet to ya?" Kagome looked up at him, an annoyed look on her face "What? It's the truth, ain't it? It was a shit time"

"Gods, Inuyasha, you sure always know how to ruin a moment, stupid dog" Shippou said, rolling his eyes "We still had fun! Remember when those monkey demons stuck a boulder on your hand? That was awesome" he laughed.

Everyone else quietly joined him and he grumbled. Some fucking friends he had.

"Oh, come on, Yash, it was funny" his wife ran a soothing hand up and down his arm.

"Oh, yeah, sure, especially when the monk tried to use his wind-tunnel on me, huh? Yeah, real funny, almost being sucked into a black hole" he scowled.

"My friend, I was just trying to help you; I can assure you, your death wasn't an option" Inuyasha shot him a look "Well, okay, it was, but I wasn't going to allow that to happen, do you honestly think I'm so heartless?" he said in mock offense and Inuyasha scoffed.

"We didn't know what to do, Inuyasha, we were running out of options!" Sango giggled next to him "We even came up with new attacks for you and your new boulder friend, y'know, so you could still keep up" she teased while she and Kagome giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" he mumbled "Ungrateful assholes"

Kagome tugged on his forelocks, her body now facing him but never leaving his side "Hey" she whispered, looking deeply into his eyes and well, fuck, he'd already softened up. Damn wench had turned him into the biggest fucking sap. Pathetic. "you know how grateful we were, we are to you, right?" she gave him a quick kiss "You threw yourself straight into danger to protect all of us, so many times" she smiled "and we probably could've said it more often, but we don't know what we would've done without you, Inuyasha" she bumped his nose.

"Keh, 'course I did" he turned away, chin up and eyes closed "you weak humans didn't stand a chance, 'course ya don't know what ya would've done without me, I'm a demon; I'm strong and I heal fast, I'm way more useful in battle" he knew what he was saying was complete and utter bullshit, but his insecurities about his place in the lives of other people -except his beautiful, wonderful, amazing wife- were one of the things he hadn't quite grown out of yet.

"Inuyasha" Miroku said, looking tired of his shit "you know full well that's not the reason why we're thankful for your presence"

"You and Kagome saved me" Sango chimed in, looking wistful "I would've died if you hadn't let me stay with you, probably would've gone back to find Kohaku, y'know? Kill Naraku, or at least tried to, and then die with him" she said while tearing up.

"Sango" Kagome cried next to him.

"It's okay, Kagome, it all turned out in the end, right?" she laced he fingers with Miroku's and looked at him lovingly.

"Indeed, it did, my dear wife" he whispered, kissing her chastely "You see, Inuyasha, if I hadn't met you and Lady Kagome, I would've tried to fight Naraku by myself as well; I was the one who told you about him, after all" he looked at the fire "As you said, I'm but a mere human whose only strength happened to also be his biggest weakness, one who would've eventually killed me" he tugged Sango a bit closer to him and she let him "So, you see, I wouldn't be here today either, wouldn't have met my lovely wife, the mother of my beautiful children, if it weren't for you" he finished, looking at him.

"You guys are sooooo gross" Shippou pretended to gag, but then straightened up, looking serious all of a sudden "but sure, whatever, guess you're right. It was mainly Kagome" little runt just couldn't give him credit, could he? "but ya did kill the Thunder Brothers, and I'm pretty sure they would've killed me if ya hadn't" he looked sheepishly at the ground.

Inuyasha was speechless. Yeah, sure, he was used to Kagome saying mushy stuff to him all the time and, fine,
he said them back, sometimes even initiated the mushiness himself; but his friends? He didn't know what to say.

And then Kagome spoke.

"I asked you from the very beginning, remember? If I could stay by your side?" she grabbed his hand, her eyes full of love "I don't know what I would've done if you'd said no" she shrugged "I can't imagine my life without you, not now" a tear made it's way down her cheek and she brushed it away "And I never want to, none of us do. You're more than just supernatural strength and a good nose, you're Inuyasha, that's why we love you" fuck, now he felt like crying "And I know we never said it, but thank you, Inuyasha, for being you" she went back to her original position with her back against his chest, grabbing his hand and putting it on the little swell on her stomach.

"She says 'thank you', too"

He would never admit to the tear that fell from his eyes that day, ever.

...

Alright maybe to Kagome, the mother of his future child, he would.