It started when Kagome noticed her hair beginning to turn gray. She stared at her reflection in the looking-glass, pondering everything this meant until Inuyasha's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Oi Kagome! What's taking you so long?" Kagome smiled, it hadn't taken long to learn that much of what Inuyasha said was code for something else. In this case, "what's keeping you" translated to "hurry up, it's time to snuggle!" Shortly after their marriage-thirty years ago, now- Inuyasha had shown her how much of a cuddler he really was. So, she put down the mirror and joined her husband in bed. Sure enough, she found herself immediately enwrapped in Inuyasha's strong, but always gentle embrace. A few minutes of silence ticked by.
"Ok, what's wrong?" He released his hold and moved back far enough so that he could watch her expression. He waited patiently, propped up on one elbow with his ears twitching inquisitively.
"It's nothing," Kagome mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
"Nice try." It never ceased to amaze her how those golden eyes could manage to be so warm most of the time, yet so piercing when he was set on something. There was no way he was going to let her off the hook.
"If I'm not allowed to keep secrets, neither are you." He insisted. Kagome sighed and busied herself tracing her fingers over the old battle scars on his bare chest, still unable to meet his gaze.
"My hair is turning gray." His complete lack of a reaction prompted her to add "I'm forty-eight years old, soon I'm going to look old and you…won't. It's going to look strange."
"Strange to who? Who cares what anyone else thinks?" He stopped her roaming hand and gently gripped it. "The way you look doesn't matter to me. It never has." Kagome felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. As happy as she was to hear what she'd always known put to words, she couldn't leave it at that.
"Inuyasha," she said quietly, "Humans in this time only live to be about sixty. Maybe seventy." She winced at the change that came over him. His whole body went rigid and he let go of her hand. His voice was harsh and a little too loud when he spoke.
"That's enough, I don't want to talk anymore. Good night Kagome." He rolled over and didn't say another word. He didn't protest when Kagome pushed his mane of silver hair out of the way and pressed herself against his back, snaking an arm around his waist. Two more things Inuyasha would never admit to; he liked being little spoon. And their talk had him spooked.
Over the years, every once in a while, Kagome tried to bring up the topic; she thought he needed the mental preparation. But every attempt was met with a stubborn head-shake followed by moody silence.
Then, at sixty-five years of age, Miroku died. He joked that he'd never expected to be killed by something as mundane as illness. He passed away with a smile on his face and a hand on Sango's rear. She followed just over a year later. It didn't take a genius to recognize the signs that came after. Their daughter Izayoi and her husband Taro suddenly decided that this village was the place to be. Even Shippo had decided his traveling days were over and came back home. Izayoi invented excuses to be close by, be it wanting to practice sword-fighting with her father or help in the garden, it didn't matter. Kagome cherished every minute.
When her time came, she felt it instinctively; a feeling in her gut that wouldn't be ignored. Seventy-five years in this time was nothing to complain about, she supposed.
"Inuyasha," she whispered, her voice ravaged by the cough that had refused to go away, "will you help me sit up?" He did, wordlessly. Kagome could see his desperate attempt to hold back tears. Weakly, she reached to finally remove the rosary from around his neck. She blinked in surprise when he stopped her and shook his head.
"Inuyasha?" He still said nothing, he only took her wrinkled hand and pressed it to his lips. She could feel him trembling. Though his eyes were dry for now, the anguish was unmistakeable. "Inuyasha, thank you."
"Kagome…" It was as though a dam had burst. He made little noise, but hot tears streamed down his cheeks and his shoulders shook.
"I love you." He managed to say. Tears pricked at the edges of Kagome's eyes and she rested her forehead against his. There they stayed until her breath stilled and her hand grew cold. Laying her down tenderly, Inuyasha stood and walked out of the hut they'd called home for almost sixty years. He didn't know where he was going, he could barely see. Without meaning to, he found himself at the Bone Eater's Well.
"Inuyasha wait." He turned to see Shippo. He had grown a little in height and his voice had started to deepen but he looked mostly unchanged.
"I never told you this but, after my father was slain by the Thunder Brothers, I started looking to Kagome as a mother and eventually to you as a father." His hands balled into fists as he tried to keep his composure.
"Please don't go yet. You have a daughter that needs you." He paused and took a deep breath. "I need you too." Inuyasha only looked at him. Shippo couldn't hold back his own tears any longer. Losing Sango and Miroku had been hard enough, he didn't think he could bear losing both Inuyasha and Kagome, the last family he had, in the same day. He felt a hand on his hand and looked up in surprise. Inuyasha's tears had dried, and he still looked so sad, but there was a possibility of a smile on his lips.
"Let's go home Shippo." Shippo wiped his eyes and took Inuyasha's hand with a grin. They began walking.
Even in his grief, Inuyasha had to admit, the village looked beautiful bathed in the warm morning light.
END
Author's Note: I just started watching Inuyasha again and I love every second of it, but I was hit with the heartbreaking realization that Kagome would outlive Inuyasha and this little fic just sort of happened. I hope you enjoyed it!
Love and hugs!
Shooshkipoo