I was so happy.
I remember how I used to frown, in both sadness and fear, when the sun would set, but now I found myself smiling at the stars and the moon countless times. The moon had arisen, with the stars by its side, and this time I knew we were going to have a tomorrow.
Dusk was quiet, but the sound of our laughter and Miroku's - mediocre - banjo playing filled the void. Sango, Shippo, and I clapped happily to the slightly off-beat rhythm while Inuyasha remained quiet beside me; the crackling of the lit fire before us louder than him.
"Inuyasha?" I nudged him with my left elbow. "What's the matter?-" I clapped slower- "Are you okay?"
I turned to face him, and his eyes were already daggers jabbing into mine, "Huh?" He smirked as his little fang poked out, "Y-Yeah! I'm just fine."
"Well then…," I grabbed both his hands. "Act like it!" I pulled him up and spun ourselves in a circle. Sango continued clapping and Miroku continued playing; Shippo and Kirara were fumbling between our feet.
"O-Oi! K-Kagome!" he slipped and tripped between the two. "I-I don't know how to dance!" He stepped on me, he stepped on Shippo, Kirara, even himself. He wrapped his arms and let his weight drop onto me.
"In-Inuyasha!" I struggled trying to hold him up, it felt like I was carrying two boulders on my shoulders. "C-Can you just-" I giggled a little- "You're too heavy for me!" I was laughing, but on the inside, I was, in fact, dying trying to keep him from falling onto his face.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he mumbled as he looked up at me in his limp position. He curved his mouth into the cutest yet most mischievous smirk; I had to shake my head to stop myself from getting distracted by it. "Can we just-" he began to close his eyes- "stay like this?"
Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were in their own worlds. Sango was still happily clapping along to Miroku's amateur banjo playing. Both of their eyes were closed as they delved deep into the music to a point where it didn't sound half-bad. Shippo and Kirara hopped gracefully on their paws, swirling around one another in such blissfulness. Meanwhile, here I was, with my arms half-dead and legs about to give out.
"G-Guess not," they gave out.
I tried to keep my snickering to a minimum as I bent down near his level, "Sorry, sorry!" I waved my right hand in an upward and downward motion, "I guess I need to lift some weights after all."
Inuyasha then mumbled something that sounded like, "V-Very… F-Funny…" but I wasn't too sure. I wrapped my hands around his waist and pulled him with all my might, but that was a no-go.
"Well…-" I huffed- "Inuyasha…" I huffed again, "How… about… you…" I fell to the floor, "p-pick yourself up this time." I wiped my forehead, and decided to focus my attention on the others this time. It didn't seem - or sound - like he had a complaint about that.
My ears began to ring a little which made me remember why I chose to stop paying attention to them in the first place. Sango seemed so unmoved by the horrendous banjo playing, and I assume Shippo and Kirara just had no idea what was going on. But still, I giggled and bobbed my head, trying to take in this moment.
Suddenly, the music came to a halt as a string snapped into half; causing everyone to jump up in freight, even Inuyasha. For the first time in the last ten minutes, my eardrums were finally relieved.
"Thank God…," I may have said that too loudly. "I-I mean!" I nervously laughed, but Sango came to my rescue.
"Thank God is right…," Sango peered off to Miroku. "I-I mean…," she sarcastically patted him on the shoulder. "You just need some more practice, houshisama."
Miroku rubbed the instrument, "YOU'RE RIGHT!" I guess he didn't hear what she muttered, "That is what I shall do from now on." He stood up in confidence, stretching and yawning, "Practice."
Sango followed his footsteps, "Anddddd-" she prolonged the syllables- "I guess I'm to blame for that." She chuckled as she walked behind him.
"Wh-"
"Nothing!" she gave Miroku a little shove. "Let's get some rest now. It's been a long day," she looked back at me. "A good day."
Before I was able to express my gratitude, Shippo hopped right into my arms, Kirara pouncing onto my lap, "Goodnight Kagome!"
"Goodnight, Shippo-chan," I gave him a tight squeeze. "Kirara," I pet her as she purred.
"Goodnight, Inuyasha," Shippo muttered with a hint of attitude.
"Night, squirt," he yawned as he sat back up and they made their ways to the hut.
I took a quick glance at the sky only to see the moon and the stars still in full effect. The moon shone so brightly with its white luminescent glow, and the stars dazzled so carelessly and effortlessly. The mixed tones of crickets and the crackling fire continued drifting off into the wind.
Inuyasha viciously rubbed the dirt out of his face and eyes; he even bopped on his head for quite a bit trying to get some of it out of his ears. This, of course, made me giggle.
"Eh?" he stopped his self grooming and came inches closer to my face. "What are you laughing at?" he looked at me as if I was crazy, but maybe that was just the case.
"Hey," I smiled at him gently.
For some reason this came to him as a kind of 'shock,' causing him to pull himself back from me. His face became flustered with a shade of pink as he looked at me with those grumpy eyes.
"H-Hey…," he stuttered while tapped his right foot. "You didn't answer my-"
"Do you think I'm crazy?" my mind was going a hundred miles per hour.
He then repeated himself by coming inches closer to me once again; only this time, he laid his warm hands on top of my forehead. I had no idea what he was doing, but the feeling of his touch soothed me.
"Hmmm, you're not warm…," he checked his own forehead. "So you're not sick…," he gave me that iconic confused expression. "So why are you talking like that?"
I pulled away from his stare, "I just…" I took a quick breath, "Where are we going from here?"
"Eh?" he scratched his head and tried to figure out what I was looking at. "Well…I think Miroku and Sango want to go look for more food in the morning so-"
"No, silly!" I gave him a little nudge. "I mean us," my cheeks growing a little warm. "What does this mean for us?"
"U-Us?" he babbled as his face boiled up like a tomato.
I slowly nodded my head, my heart melting at how both nervous and naive he was.
"W-Well," he continued to stutter. "Uhh, now we can do… uh-" he looked up like he was searching for answers- "more things together!" His face grew pale, "W-Wait! But not - not those types of 'things'!" I didn't understand what he meant, "I mean we coul- I mean we can't!" Now I understand what he meant, "I mean like… more travelling… helping people out…" He took a deep, much needed, breath, "T-Those things."
It took me awhile to think of what to say back to a guy who was out of breath from talking, but then something that that heavy breather huffed actually reminded me of something.
"Wow…," I chuckled to myself. "I remember when you hated helping people…-" I laughed a little louder- "And I mean HATED." I turned to face him as I wiped away the little tears from my eyes, "Ah…," I laid my head on his shoulder. "You've come a long way, Inuyasha."
"... are you trying to insult me again"
"No, stupid!" I punched him - but it didn't affect him whatsoever - before bursting into laughter. Something just came over me, and I didn't know whether it was my good mood or my near-considerable craziness, but I just couldn't stop my mouth from smiling so huge or my laugh-box from being overused.
"Okay," Inuyasha gave me that weird stare again. "Now I think you're crazy."
I ignored his sly comment as I tried to take in some more air. I looked back at the sky and wondered: how was I ever afraid of this?
"I've just…," I turned back to Inuyasha, refusing to look anywhere but his sparkling golden eyes. "I've missed this."
I threw my arms around him and buried myself in his silver locks, his arms quickly dominating mine; this was something, I knew, I would never get tired of.