Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or it's characters.
The pain changed, but it never went away. The moment played itself over in her head every day, Inuyasha's warm solid form fading away until she was left alone, begging him to come back. Mama had allowed her two days to wallow before gently suggesting she resume her studies at school. Kagome knew she was right, but it didn't stop her from compulsively checking to see if the well had reopened. And it was a compulsion, she knew that. There was nothing healthy about the way she was handling it.
Her friends seemed concerned about the change that had come over her. They asked about her boyfriend but she found herself unable to even think Inuyasha's name without feeling like her heart was being crushed. After a while, they stopped asking and tried to subtly suggest she start dating again. After a year, Kagome finally told them she'd start going on dates again, if only to appease them. But it was no use.
She knew she should try and find someone like Hojo; devoted, gentle, kind. But she found herself looking for rough, muscular types. She even agreed to a date with one of them. It was a complete disaster. They went to a concert and though the music was good, the end of the night was awful. When it came time to drop her off, he pulled her in for a rough kiss. Everything about it felt wrong. Kagome pushed him away and mumbled something incoherent. As she climbed the stairs, the guilt threatened to consume her.
Throwing herself down on her bed, she clutched the pillow tightly and tried to calm down. But the truth was staring her in the face. She was miserable. Guys like Inuyasha didn't have his heart of gold.
Guys like Inuyasha aren't enough. Kagome realized. They'll never be enough.
She cried herself to sleep that night, knowing that her sobs were likely keeping her family awake, yet unable to stop.
After that night, sometimes the pain would fade to the point where she felt numb, but it never lasted long. The pain always returned. Sometimes when the sadness was too much for her, she tried to make herself angry with him. She tried dredging up all the feelings of resentment and jealousy from when Kikyo was alive. She tried remembering all the times he'd insulted her cooking and been rude to her. She tried being furious with him for monopolizing her teenage years and leaving her feeling out of place in her own time. It didn't work.
Kagome. His voice would whisper in her dreams, making her shiver. She never wanted to wake up.
The day she graduated, Kagome opened the door to the shrine that house the Bone Eater's Well. It had taken two years, but she had trained herself to stop going near it. But today she couldn't resist, it was like a thread was pulling her towards it. She grasped the sides and stared into its depths.
"I miss you," She whispered aloud, "Inuyasha…" Tears welled up in her eyes and she squeezed them tightly closed. A gentle breeze tickled her face and she stepped back in shock. Could it be? She heard someone enter the shrine.
"Kagome," Mama said quietly. She took her daughter's hand, "I want nothing but your happiness." Kagome let the tears fall. Her heart filling with gratitude and love for her mother. There was no need for words.
She jumped. When she landed, it took her a moment to bring herself to look up, afraid it would be the dark wooden ceiling of the shrine. But above her was nothing but clear blue sky. A hand reached down to take hers and lifted her out of the darkness.
She gazed into his amber eyes, drinking in the sight of him, afraid to blink and miss even a second.
"Kagome," He breathed. He pulled her in to an embrace that threatened to crush her and she welcomed it.
"Idiot," He said, nuzzling her neck, "What took you?"
Kagome laughed and pulled him closer. She would never feel out of place again.
END