Kaerimichi
Part 1 – Ibasho
They had a nice home.
Perched high up on a tree branch, Inuyasha couldn't help the observation as he watched the scene below him.
Miroku let out laughter of pure joy as he ran around, far slower than he was actually capable of, with his incessantly giggling twin daughters chasing after him. He slowed down enough to allow the girls to reach him, falling down purposely when they attacked his legs. "You got me!" he cried, feigning shock, as the toddlers crawled onto his chest, ecstatic over their capture.
Squealing proudly at their accomplishment, both girls looked up at their mother who was sitting across from them, holding their baby brother in her arms. Sango laughed at the sight of her daughters conquering her husband. "Well done, girls," she said to them, smiling. "Are you hungry?" She lifted her infant son to her shoulder, rubbing his back gently when he stirred, and stood up.
The twins eagerly climbed off their father, more than ready for their midday meal. Miroku sat up, opening his arms to them, a signal for the girls to come to him so he could pick them up. They did so, and he lifted them easily, carrying them into their hut.
"There's plenty for you, too, Inuyasha," Sango called to the trees, before following her husband and daughters inside.
She hadn't spoken very loudly – only a little bit above the normal volume of her voice, as to not bother her sleeping son – knowing the hanyou would hear her, and he did. He would probably join them later, after the girls had finished and were taking their afternoon nap. Though Miroku and Sango always welcomed him without a second thought, he couldn't help feeling awkward, out of place.
Since the defeat of Naraku and the eradication of the Shikon no Tama, he had been a first-hand witness to Miroku and Sango living out the life they had planned together. They married almost immediately, and he was there during the small, formal ceremony. He helped Miroku with the building of the hut they now resided in. He was the first person they had told when they found out Sango was expecting. He waited outside with Miroku while Sango gave birth to the twins, giving support to the man who, after years of asking women to bear his child, suddenly began slightly panicking over it actually happening. He went along with Miroku and helped him exorcise youkai, letting the houshi take all the rewards to his family, knowing they would share the food with him. Inuyasha didn't need more than that. He would even watch the twins sometimes when Miroku and Sango needed a break. He had actually become rather fond of the girls. Just not of their fascination with his ears.
He protected and watched over the family, the home that they had built together. And he was happy for them. He really was. But he was also slightly jealous.
He would never admit it out loud, of course. He felt guilty enough just admitting it to himself. But, sometimes, he wondered what it'd be like to have their happiness, to not be plagued with the loneliness he felt. He knew how lucky he was to have friends that cared about him, and he was thankful for them. But they couldn't heal his heart. Not like the girl who healed it in the first place.
Kagome.
Just her name alone made his heart ache. He wouldn't even have these friends if it wasn't for her. He wouldn't have a lot of things if it wasn't for her. But she was gone.
He continually tried to content himself with the fact that she was safe. She had her family and her friends. She wasn't alone. Above everything, even his own happiness, he just wanted her to be safe and alive.
Three years he had been without her, although it seemed much longer, and the hold she had on his heart had yet to loosen. He didn't imagine it ever would.
He hopped down from the tree, landing gracefully on the ground, and began his walk to the Bone-Eater's Well. Though the well no longer connected him to Kagome's world, he would still try every three days. Maybe someday, it would be different. Maybe, hopefully, someday, he would be with Kagome again.
He reached the well and jumped in, his feet meeting the dirt ground instead of the time slip. Apparently, someday was not today. Though he wasn't surprised, his heart still sunk in defeat, as it did every time.
Dejected, he leaped out of the well apathetically and began his trip back to the village. But as he passed Goshinboku, he stopped. He stood in front of it, staring up into its tall, leafy branches. The tree brought him comfort. Though he had been sealed there for fifty years, it was Kagome who set him free – both in body and soul. This was where he had met Kagome. This was where it had all began. Somehow, standing here, he felt closer to her.
He closed his eyes and took a deep, relaxing breath, taking in the fresh, woodsy scent of the forest. For just an instant, he thought he could almost faintly smell Kagome's sweet scent among it. But it was gone as fast as it had come to him. Was it even possible to imagine a scent? Inuyasha let out a small sigh, giving the tree a final, sad glance, before starting his walk back again.
Upon reaching the village, he spotted Kaede and Rin picking herbs. They had been gone most of the day on an errand. And with Shippou off training for the upcoming Kitsune Youjutsu exam, it had been a rather calm morning.
"Inuyasha-sama!" Rin called out happily, waving to him, a bright grin adorning her face.
Inuyasha turned his head and looked at her, acknowledging her. Though he didn't do much else than that, it satisfied the young girl, and she smiled again before she returned her focus to the herbs. Next to her, Kaede nodded her greeting to the hanyou, turning back to Rin not long after, knowing better than to expect any real reaction from him.
Looking straight ahead again, he continued on to Miroku and Sango's. The scent of food reached his nostrils as he got closer, causing a reaction within his stomach, making him realize he was hungrier than he had originally thought. It was quiet, meaning the twins were probably asleep. It was easier to eat when he didn't have two toddlers crawling over him.
He stepped into the hut, not needing to announce his arrival. Sango was tending to her son, while Miroku was peacefully eating a bowl of rice. In the corner of the hut, the girls were huddled together under a blanket, appearing as two small lumps, snoozing away. A pot of stew sat over the fire pit. Inuyasha ladled himself a bowlful wordlessly before scooting into a corner to eat.
A comfortable silence filled the room, partly to not wake the children, but also because there was nothing that needed to be said. Inuyasha popping in for meals had become routine, mostly because Miroku and Sango encouraged it so much.
Sometimes, when things got a bit too chaotic around the Miroku and Sango home, he would eat with Kaede and Rin, which he didn't really mind too much, although, at times, Rin was just a little too cheerful for his taste. Being around her also gave him a higher chance of running into his brother. But even that didn't annoy him as much as he used to think it would. Sesshoumaru usually just dropped something off for the girl and left without a word.
Generally, though, Inuyasha would eat with Miroku and Sango. They worried about him, he knew that. This was their way of trying to help him, and he let them, although he didn't feel their concern was needed. They couldn't change things; it wasn't their fault.
Finished with his meal, Inuyasha exited the hut as soundlessly as he had entered, leaping into the high branches of a tree again. It was no wonder Miroku and Sango tried to include him in things as often as they did. He frequently hung out in trees or wandered off alone. He didn't mean to isolate himself so much, but it couldn't be helped. Though Miroku and Sango always invited him into their home, welcoming him like another member of their family, he knew it wasn't his home, and he never felt quite right being there. He belonged with Kagome. That was his home.
He just wanted to go back home again.
帰り道 (Kaerimichi): The Road Home
居場所 (Ibasho): Home
A/N: Next chapter shall be less angsty, more fluffy. Much love to EverythingIsMagic for all her encouragement.