Wiping the sweat from his brow, Inuyasha looked over his handiwork as the hot afternoon sun beat on his back. The hut that stood in front of him, that he would be sharing with Kagome, his soon to be wifein a matter of days, was finished after months of hard work. The worst part about it though was that he, and his friends, had been lying to her about it. He was just so excited to give it to her as a wedding gift. Tossing the mallet on the ground, next to the pile of tools the villagers loaned him, he decided to do one more walk through before heading over to Miroku and Sango’s house for dinner.
Leaping onto the porch, he admired the way the front door swung open and close, the metal hinges squeaking only a little at the movement. Their porch, larger than most of the other homes, was covered as it wrapped around to the side, giving Kagome a walkway to her garden that was shielded by the sun. He thought about adding a few pots for her herb making, but figured she could pick which ones she wanted at the next market day.
Running his hand along the wall as he walked through their living room, he pictured tiny frames with their faces hanging all over the place, just the same as her mother’s house in the future. He also wondered if they would stay in this house for years to come, maybe expanding as time went on and their family grew.
When he asked Kagome if she would stay with him forever, he literally meant forever. It had taken her a minute to grasp the age concept once they would be mated, but when she realized she would see her family again, she almost passed out from the shock. He blushed, remembering his embarrassment when she had launched herself at him after she understood, her tears soaking his cloak, but pushed past his own pride to hold her.
Smiling at the small kitchen he had managed to create, after some difficulty explaining to the others, they helped him put it together. He had wanted a small area for her to be able to make her herbs and ailments, along with cooking meals, whether she wanted to stand or sit. A small stool sat nearby, her largest basket sitting atop reminded him to grab the others she had from the small hut nearby he would use for future meat preparing. He imagined Kagome, barefoot and pregnant with his pup, cutting vegetables, sending him one of her breath-taking smiles as he stood over the fire, stirring the rice.
Bending down to make sure the fire pit was deep enough in their floor, he imagined Kagome leaning against him as they stayed warm near the fire throughout the winter months. He would wrap her in his robe, doing his best to make sure she survived the cold temperatures and the harsh winds, their home nestled in the forest and tucked away from the snow as it blew in.
Hearing the birds softly chirping outside brought him back to his task, striding into the dark hall, listening for any air coming through the roof. When he heard none, he turned into the small “bathroom” as Kagome would call it. When he first mentioned this type of room to Miroku, knowing the villagers wouldn’t understand a lick of what he was saying, he had somehow conveyed to his friend that he wanted to be able to have baths in here.
They had built a large tub, big enough for both he and Kagome to sit in it together, Miroku suggesting some inappropriate things throughout the building process. He almost, the idea of knocking Miroku out once too many times, didn’t get it finished in time. While he would still have to fill the large water basin a few times and heat up the water in the living room to use it, but the idea of an indoor hot spring for Kagome was too good to pass up.
Passing a small room used for storage, he leaned against the door frame of the next one, an empty room. Imagining the floor littered with their future children, sleeping on their own futons, he smiled. Hoping she wanted as big of a family as he did, he pictured their children with long hair in a range of shades, from midnight black exactly like their mother to the pure silver of his own.
He could see them sporting gold eyes that mirrored his own and others with large, doe eyed, brown ones that reflected their hearts like the woman he so dearly loved. Remembering how Kagome’s mother tweaked his ears the first time they met, he really hoped it was one of the traits that would be passed along from him. Before Kagome, he never thought he would have the option of having a family, being a half demon and all, but ever since she pulled that arrow from his chest, all of this domesticity suddenly seemed possible for him.
Heading to the one room he was extremely happy to give his future wife and mate, he opened a large wooden door, matching the one to their home but with a small lock on the outside and stepped inside their own private little den. Looking at his prized possession sitting against the far wall of their bedroom, a project that he worked on night and day, he admired the lifted bed, twice the size of the one he remembered Kagome sleeping on in the future. Briefly wondering which surprise she might like best, he hoped it was the bed.
It had taken him a while to figure out how to stuff the linen to make it comfortable, but feathers and hay seemed to do the trick. On the last visit to market day, he had managed to find the perfect cloth for the bed, making it soft as he sat on it. Running in his hand over the bundle of small pillows, he pushed back his growing insecurity about their wedding night.
Closing his eyes, he replayed their last intimate moments and relished the look of Kagome’s flushed cheeks when she came up for air. He had to stop himself from going too far once again, his demon demanding that he go ahead and mate her before the chance of her disappearing again. Ignoring the squeeze of his heart at that final thought, Inuyasha refused to let that thought cross his mind, that Kagome was here to stay with him, forever.
He opened his eyes, his gaze zeroing on the chest he had recovered on the visit to his mother’s former home. During the three year gap, he had forced himself to visit the castle he grew up in, hiding in the shadows as servants passed by, wondering why the hell he was here. Locating a small room with storage, he had found the chest he was currently staring at filled with his mother’s things. The jūnihitoe his mother wore, though only the top layer, a few papers about her previous engagement to Takemaru and a small necklace that he had never seen before.
It sat at the end of their bed and he hoped Kagome would store her things in there as time went on, especially the few things from the future that were left behind from before. Briefly wondering if he should get all her things moved over, he shelved that thought for later on. There were still a few things they needed to get done before the wedding.
He still needed to ask Myoga about the chest and its contents the next time he came into town, probably for the wedding since Kagome wanted to invite every person in their life, including hisbrother. Rolling his eyes at the thought, he smirked, knowing the simple life was something Sesshomaru would never be suited for.
Flicking his ear, he heard footsteps approach and sniffed the air. When Snago’s scent, mingled in with Miroku’s, filled his nose, he sighed thankfully, relieved his secret was still safe for the time being. Closing the bedroom door behind him, he quickly met her on the porch, wondering what she needed.
“Hey, I was wondering if you were out here. Dinner is almost ready and Kagome should be coming back with Kaede soon.” Sango smiled, her hand settling on the swell of her stomach. Hisui had just passed his first birthday when Sango announced she was pregnant again and now she was almost halfway along. An image of Kagome, pregnant in his arms, as they watched the sunset in the Sacred Tree filled his mind.
“Yeah, just actually finished up.” He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.
“The house looks amazing. She’s really going to love it.”
“Keh, thanks.” He stuttered, refusing to meet her gaze.
“You know, she loves you, even if you are a man of few words, your actions show that you love her too.”
“Sango!” he sputtered, his cheeks matching his firerat as he gaped at her.
“Inuyasha, it’s okay. I understand.” Sango laughed, waving her hand for him to follow as she turned back, heading towards her home. Miroku mentioned having him help add a room to their hut as well, since she was expecting again. He jumped, landing beside her, making sure she didn’t trip over her feet and together they headed into the town they both now called home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Holding his wife in his arms, he stared out into the yard, watching his pups play a game of tag with Miroku and Sango’s. Moroha was chasing Hisui, as the twins were running from Mitsuki, their second born. Even the youngest children were joined in, a beautiful mix of hanyou and human playing. The sun was setting across the sky, giving the forest a soft glow, and Shippo was sitting near them, chewing on a piece of tough meat. Sango and Miroku were talking softly nearby, smiling at the same scene.
A soft nudge from Kagome below his chin had him looking down, smiling softly at her pursed lips as she silently asked for a kiss. He chuckled, gently stroking his hand on her swollen belly as he leaned down to give her what she wanted.
“I love you.” he murmured against her lips.
“Love you too.” She sighed against him, her gaze turning back to watch the kids as she slid her hand in his. “You know Inuyasha, I never get tired of this life, especially when I have you.”
Evermore - a post-canon ficlet collection for @inukag-week2022❤ Chapter 2/7 -Role Reversal: Kagome saves the day. ☆ Rating: T | Tags: Action-ish / Not-so-Reversed / Kagome the Demon Slayer | Word Count: 1309 ☆ Read it on AO3▶ Part 1☆
“K-Kagome?!”
Bursts of pink light flooded the open field, and Inuyasha raised his arm quickly to shield his eyes. The crackle of reiki danced along his skin, tingling and nudging his fight or flight into action. He braced himself as his sleeve billowed over his face when a gust so strong he had to hold his breath washed over him, and the shrieking cry of the oni he’d been corralling further away from the village left this realm.
He exhaled, lowering his arm and blinking rapidly at the scene before him from his place sprawled on the ground. Bits and pieces of flesh festered around him, smoking and charred from the blast that blew it apart.
He tore his eyes away from the gore to look up at his wife, standing with her back to him and bow still raised. Her hand hovered over her quiver, fingers ready to nab another arrow at a moment’s notice. Her robes danced around her, the breeze picked up her hair, and he’d never seen a more beautiful, infuriatingsight.
“What the fuck was that?”
Kagome straightened, shoulders hunching for a moment until her head turned, and her eyes locked onto his. He gulped at her expression – dark, terrifying – and braced himself more than he already had been.
“Me, saving your ass,” she muttered through clenched teeth, finally lowering her bow. She didn’t give him a chance to respond and instead fastened said bow to her back as she weaved her way around what was left of the oni.
Inuyasha sputtered as he scrambled to stand, at her back within seconds. “I had it!”
“Not from where I was standing,” she said, pointedly keeping her eyes away from him while she inspected bits of carcass scattered here and there.
“You shouldn’t have even beenstanding–”
She about-turned and graced him with her full attention, her face deceptively levelled as she caught his eyes and held them. “And where exactly should I have been, Inuyasha?”
He paused to choose his words. Her tone was clipped, low, exactly what he’d learned to avoid and learned to ponder on before he opened his mouth and dug his own grave further. Fewer words. Less teeth. That would do the trick. “Back home.”
Where it was safe.
“And why would I be there, Inuyasha?”
Fuck.
“Because I was taking care of it–”
“Right. And being knocked halfway across a field is ‘taking care of it’ now?”
“It was nothing–” He stopped when she rolled her eyes and watched her turn away from him once more, shoulders slumped. “Look. I’m using Tesseiga less like everyone keeps reminding me to. Less gouges in the earth means more hand-to-hand.”
She was nudging a clump of lifeless flesh with her foot, a deep sigh leaving her as she deigned not to respond.
Which only stoked his irritation further. He stomped after her, hovering over her shoulder. “Just because it takes more time doesn’t mean I want you–”
She held a hand up without looking in his direction. “Stop talking.”
His nose wrinkled, indignant, and he fought the words that coiled their way up his throat and sat on the tip of his tongue.
She turned towards him once more, whatever she was looking for gone or forgotten. “What about what I want?” she asked, voice softer than it had been a moment ago.
The question caught him off guard, and with a shake of his head, he asked, “What?”
“What about what I want, Inuyasha?” she repeated, crossing her arms and turning her head like she was trying to figure out a puzzle. “What if I don’t want my husband handling every demon that comes our way on his own? What if I want to be there to help you? What if I’m entirely capable of blowing these things,” she paused and gestured towards the pieces of oni lying around them, “into oblivion faster than your ‘hand-to-hand’ does? What if it saves you injuries that I have to see to? What if–”
“Okay! Okay, I get it,” he interrupted. “I get it.”
“Do you? Because you’re trying your hardest to keep me away from every little fight – don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
His eyes narrowed but cut away from her and into the treeline. He wasn’t mad at her. He wasn’t, and he didn’t want her to think he was.
But damn, words were hard sometimes, especially when she was so good with them.
“Inuyasha,” she said, soft and encouraging, and he looked at her as she moved closer to him. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Communication. That was something she instilled in their marriage from day one, something they weren’t great at, something he needed to hone. Her hand rose to press against his chest, assuring, comforting, and he released the breath he didn’t know he was holding at the contact. He placed his palm over hers to keep it there, to ground him. He looked everywhere but her, but he felt her eyes sear into him like a brand.
“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” It came out so quick, so sudden, that he snapped his mouth shut after the omission. It was there, always present, always between them, but to say it out loud, rather than shield her from it as he had been, was a shock, even to himself. He knew he felt that way, but to breathe it out into the open made it far too real, and he fought the recoil that had his legs tensing.
The warm hand on his chest fisted, clutching the fabric of his suikan under her palm. “Me too.”
Their eyes connected once more. She said nothing further, and they stood, eye to eye, surrounded by the remains of an oni that Kagome had witnessed knocking him on his ass. She’d come to his defence at that moment - and he knew he would do the same if the roles were reversed.
He knew she was strong, capable, and level-headed in a fight.
But it would be easier if she wasn’t so fucking fragile.
“I can take a hit.” He paused, smoothing a hand down her sleeve to catch her elbow. “You can’t.”
“That’s what long-range weapons are for Inuyasha,” she quipped, reaching back and tapping her bow. “I don’t have to be in the thick of it to be useful. You know this. What’s changed?”
He sighed, drawing her closer with a tug of her sleeve. “It’s different. We’re married now.”
“That doesn’t change a damn thing Inuyasha.”
He sneered at her curse. “It does.”
“How?”
“I spent too long wondering if I’d ever see you again, and I’m not about to let some stupid fucking oni–”
“Inuyasha,” she puffed a laugh, reaching up to capture his chin with her fingers. “I’m safest when I’m with you. When we’re together.”
He pursed his lips, lifting his hand to catch a piece of her hair covered in grime. “Hm. I suppose you’re right about that.”
“Mhmm,” she hummed, releasing his chin to wrap her arms around his middle. “And the same goes for you. Let me protect you every once in a while.”
He smirked, tossing a look over her shoulder to the remains of a demon that had been decimated by a single arrow – all at the hands of his wife. “I’ll consider it,” he teased, pleased when she chuckled. “Let’s get this stuff of you, huh?”
She leaned back, grimacing when she ran her fingers through the ends of her hair and they snagged on pieces of something. “Hot spring it is. Together?”
He smiled at the suggestion, lacing their fingers together and angling towards the treeline without a second glance at what was left of their fallen foe. He took a step back, pulling her along with his eyes trained solely on her. “Together.”
Kagome winced at the pain in her ankle, frowning at her own weakness as the stars began to light up the night sky. Stupid worm demon knocking me off my own feet. She leaned back against the trunk of the Goshinboku, grumbling away when Inuyasha leapt from the branches and settled down next to her.
“I can hear you from all the way up there. Are you still upset about that puny demon?” He asked, stretching one leg out as he got comfortable.
“I just wish I wasn’t so, so, so fragile! I mean, one push and I’m thrown to the ground.” She threw her hands up in the air, frustrated about the whole thing.
Hello again to our dear friends. It’s time for chapter two of the @inukag-week adventure! The ethereal @witchygirl99 passed the baton to me, picking up where we left off (with a phone call). So please please check out:
Hello again to our dear friends. It’s time for chapter two of the @inukag-week adventure! The ethereal @witchygirl99 passed the baton to me, picking up where we left off (with a phone call). So please please check out:
