A/N: These oneshots were originally posted on Tumblr for week 1 of Inuvember (the weekly theme was relationships). Since the first four I wrote ended up taking place post-series, I decided to keep up with the trend for all seven. Enjoy an entire collection of post-series fluff!
Inuvember: Week 1 (Relationships), Day 1 (Inu/Kag)
Title: A Sky Full of Stars
Author: Kenkaya
Series: Inuyasha
Genres: Drama/Romance/Fluff
Type: Oneshot, Post-series
Rating: K, G (This is nothing more than 700 words of pure, pointless saccharine fluff. Seriously, I think my non-existent grandkids have cavities from me writing this.)
Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome
Summary: From Inuyasha's perspective, Kagome had given up everything to live here, and he had gained everything…
Disclaimer: The characters and story of Inuyasha are copyright of Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Media, and other corporate someones who aren't me.
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She liked to watch the stars at night.
Sometimes, after dinner had been eaten and Shippou passed out beneath the table, she would look at him with hopeful brown eyes; begging for a lift up to the top of their thatched roof. He always obliged (though not without the customary, half-hearted grumble), hoisting her on his back before leaping outside. A couple weeks after their first excursion, she started keeping a blanket folded by the door, so they could lay comfortably side by side as they stargazed.
Well, while she watched the stars. He was more fascinated by her seeming wonder over an ordinary night sky. He watched the way her eyes, so wide they reflected starlight, shone in awe. He waited for the eager little gasps that would escape her each time a shooting star whizzed past. His favorite part of these outings though, was the end. She would eventually reach over to snuggle against his side, slotting her head between his neck and shoulder with practiced ease. Occasionally, she fell asleep like that (the slow, soft breaths lulling him into his own sense of calm) and had to be carried to bed. He didn't understand it, but still appreciated her serene joy. He cherished these quiet moments for himself as well.
"I love the stars here… you forget how bright they are in the future… just how many there are up there..." she mused aloud one night.
"What'dya mean?" he asked, truly puzzled. "It's the same sky, right? Can't be that different."
She smiled, though not condescendingly, and began a long explanation of light pollution, carbon emissions, and atmospheres. He couldn't wrap his head around most of it. However, he listened as she described how the sky had looked in her city: like dark slate and (whenever clouds rolled in) charcoal grey tinged a slight sickly yellow. She told him how the stars were only visible from high hills, like the one her shrine was built on, or suburban neighborhoods- and even then they were still faded.
"The only places you can see a sky full of stars like this in the future are outside urban areas… and usually remote. I never really had a chance to travel outside of Tokyo when I was growing up, so," she paused to swallow a bit. "I never saw stars like this until I came here. Sometimes, when we were out looking for the Shikon no Tama, I would stay awake just to look at them and remind myself that it was real… that the night sky really could look this vibrant."
He blinked after her words petered off, thinking back to every visit he'd made through the well. The future he recalled was loud, smelly, and filled with brilliant lights. There were so many new, overwhelming, and unbelievable things to see on the ground, he realized (with some surprise) that he'd never once thought to look up while he was there.
She sighed then, slipping into her routine habit of cuddling as the hour grew late. A weight he didn't realize lay on his chest suddenly lifted in that peaceful moment.
During the day, he often mulled over the sacrifices his wife made to be with him. He never vocalized it, but the guilt hit him especially hard every time he saw her struggle with a mundane task she never needed to perform before. Or, whenever she inadvertently expected the impossible, only to apologize profusely the minute it dawned on her what she'd asked. He had witnessed the future for himself too; knew about amazing conveniences like electrical lighting, supermarkets, and ready access to indoor plumbing. From his perspective, Kagome had given up everything to live here, and he had gained everything.
But now, he thought about her words; her reactions that made little sense until just moments ago. A thin arm wrapped itself around his chest, her petite hand coming to rest just over his heart. He reached up to clasp that hand with his own and she murmured contently. Caught up by the idea of what his wife had lost by settling in a past era, he had failed to consider what she might have gained. While he marvelled at zipping cars and flashing television screens in her time, she had gazed in wonder at the sky in his.
"So nice n' quiet now," she mumbled sleepily, clearly well on her way to slumber.
"Hm."
He held her close and, for the first time since since their ritual began, Inuyasha looked up to watch the stars.
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