It was the sun's first light and all that could be heard was the light sound of White-Eye birds singing in the treetops. No movement was seen in the tiny hut of the elder village priestess, aside from the swift flicker of a silver ear atop the head of Inuyasha. Brows furrowed for a moment, slightly annoyed by the interruption from the deep slumber that he had managed to fall into. With some hesitation, an amber eye opened, looking to the sunlight peering through the window from the other side of the hut from where he sat. Though the light was bright & brilliant, harbouring the bright colors of early morning, his attention was taken away by the sight of midnight black. It draped over the pillow of the person who owned it; the woman who had finally come back to him after so many years. It was then that both eyes opened and the realization that no dream could be better than the reality he was faced with, "Kagome..." a light smile curved on his lips at the thought of her name, "It wasn't a dream..."
The day before had been one he had been waiting three long years for, but was glad to wait longer, if need be. The scent was undeniable, the smell of cherry blossoms and lilacs - like that shampoo she would bring over. It brought back all of the memories he needed, good and bad. He needed both; they were a part of him and thus so was she. Without any certainty, he had reached his hand down into the bone eater's well, only to feel the soft touch of her hand and see her familiar and comforting face once again. He would have kissed her then - kissed her and told her how much he had missed her, but it wasn't the right time. His bashfulness and modesty was still a large part of himself, though he would never admit it, and would have rather shared such a moment without interruption.
Yet, ever since she had returned it seemed as though they would get no such time. Yes, she had only been back for a day, but there was already so much for her to do, so many people for her to see. Every moment of both of their days seemed to be filled to the point of drowning. He could see the look in her eyes, the look that told him that she wished they could be alone, that they could be selfish. It was the same look that he was sure he returned. But Kagome was the most selfless person he knew and she would never sacrifice another's well being for her own. It was what he appreciated about her - what he adored about her. A light sigh left his lips as the silence and small space began to overwhelm him entirely, never doing well locked within such small quarters.
Rising to his feet, he placed Tessaiga in it's sheath and walked out, pushing the bamboo mat aside before stepping out into the fresh air. His lungs took in a deep inhale of the morning air, already feeling somewhat more calm. Though he would prefer to live out in the wilderness, however he could, he knew Kagome deserved better. She deserved a mansion, if he could give it to her, but he couldn't. The thought saddened him some, gaze falling to the ground as he placed his hands in his sleeves. She had come back to be with him, that much he knew; it was had been completely unspoken but the action of her crossing 500 years and leaving her life behind was more than enough to tell him. But did she truly know what she was getting into? Did she realize what being with a Hanyou - being with a half-breed - meant?
Again, he began to suffocate in his own thoughts, eyes closing for a moment as his brows furrowed with frustration. Deeper and deeper he sank, feeling the anxiety consume him, though his outward appearance showed no such thing. The soft touch of a hand on his shoulder brought him back to the surface, breathing in the air of relief. Amber eyes shot open as the sweet, familiar voice reached his ears, "Whatcha doin' out here so early?" her voice was still lightly laced with sleep as his head turned to look over his shoulder. A hand was rubbing her eyes, a lazy smile placed on her delicate lips.
"Oh, uh..." he paused before turning around to face her completely, "Damn birds woke me up, couldn't get back to sleep," he admitted before taking in the sight of what she had been wearing. The garbs of a miko, traditional - as if she belonged here, "You should go back to sleep though, you've got a little while before Kaede wakes up," he suggested, only to have Kagome shake her head in disagreement.
"I'm already awake," she stated with a shrug, her smile widening as she suddenly took her hand in his, "Why don't we go for a morning stroll? I'd like to see what else has changed around here," she explained, gently tugging on his arm to have him start walking. It had slightly taken him by surprise but it didn't take long for him to comply, smiling all the while.
They walked in silence for a little while, both lost in thought of how much only a day could change their entire lives. So many questions of what had been happening and though some were answered the day before, there were some that were somewhat more personal. Finally, Kagome broke the silence between them, her head turning to look up at the man that she had been thinking about every day for the past three years, "It's nice to finally be alone," she stated once they had reached the edge of the village, her smile causing Inuyasha's heart to swell. There were so many things he wanted to say, but all he did was nod in agreement, "I mean it was nice to see Miroku, Sango and everyone...but..." Kagome stopped them, mahogany eyes looking up at him was an intensity that Inuyasha figured was completely unintentional, but captivated him none the less, "I came back for you..." it was then that he gaze dropped, cheeks flushed with a heavy embarrassment. Though she never needed to say it, hearing those words had Inuyasha's arms wrapping around her, embracing her as if to never let her go again.
"I missed you so much, Kagome..." he breathed, eyes closing as he kept her flush against him, "I thought about you every second of every day," his admission surprised even himself, as such words of emotion and vulnerability had never left his lips. The feel of Kagome's arms wrapping around his middle made him feel complete, made him feel as though he had purpose again.
"I miss you too, Inuyasha..." she admitted, suddenly feeling a claw-tipped finger gently nudging the bottom of her chin. Her head lifted, mahogany eyes looking into the molten amber that had always had her heart racing. She could feel his presence drawing closer, their noses brushing against one another, the heat of his breath against her lips. He could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest as his eyes closed and his lips pressed against hers a slow, tender kiss. It lingered for a few moments before he pulled away and Kagome's lips following, as if she didn't wish for the kiss to end.
Eyes half-lidded, he rested his forehead against hers, giving her a small smile before feeling her cupping his cheek in her palm, "I've wanted to do that ever since I pulled you from the well..." he breathed, leaning into her touch.
"I know," she replied, giving him another one of her contagious smiles, "Me too..." she admitted, her thumb brushing against the apple of his cheek. His hand lifted to place itself over her own.
"We need our own place..." he mused, though it was mostly to himself, but Kagome's eyes brightened and her brows lifted in questioning.
"Are you saying you want me to live with you?" she inquired, having Inuyasha's brows furrow in that frustrated, temperamental child-like fashion that they often did.
"Well, yeah - I said 'we', didn't I?" he snapped, only to have Kagome's smile widen. Such a response wasn't unfamiliar and she knew he meant well by it.
"I'd like that..." she replied, having the hanyou's eyes and expression soften, sinking into her touch once again.
"I'll talk to the headman today, see what he can offer," he added, giving her a small grin, "I know a lot about killin' demons, but nothin' about building houses," he explained before Kagome gave him a small giggle.
"Alright," Kagome agreed before pulling away from him slightly, looking to the position of the sun in the sky, "We should probably head back," there was a twinge of disappointment laced in her tone, "Kaede is most likely awake," a small sigh left Inuyasha's lips before he nodded.
Together, hand in hand, they walked back towards Kaede's hut, prepared to start their new life.