It'd been a good life overall. There wasn't much he'd change except one thing. He wished she would've lived as long as he did. Instead they got sixty years. Sixty wonderful, bliss filled years. Not to say it was always perfect but there was never a moment after her return where they doubted the ferocity of their love. It never mattered to him when her hair turned white or when wrinkles began to make themselves known while he stayed young. It only made her that much more beautiful in his eyes.
The first real friends he had ever known were taken from him, one by one. The first to go was Sango. Then Miroku. And then finally...Kagome was taken from the world. Oh, the centuries he'd spent trying to find her reincarnation. He'd managed to find Miroku and Sango time and time again but never her. Trying to find a substitute for the void she left when she closed her eyes that final time was damn near pointless. The kids kept trying to get him to see other women. He tried and tried but he never could find anyone that even compared. Someone with a temper as fiery as his, who wasn't afraid of calling a hanyou out on his bullshit, and who honestly didn't give a rats ass about his lineage. Someone to compare to his wife of sixty years who had literally been dropped into the past just to be with him. There was no way for anyone to compete with what she had been. Then when demons went underground, it actually became harder to find anyone he felt compatible with much less anyone to fill those very big shoes and as the centuries rolled on, he found himself merely waiting for the day that Kagome would come into the world once more.
The kids thought it was stupid to come here and maybe it was. Still, their eldest took it upon herself to make it happen. So he waited at the hospital...for the mother of his children and the love of his life to be born into the world once more.
At 1:05 pm, Kagome Higuarshi was born and at 2:15 pm she was brought to the small room where Inuyasha waited anxiously to see her. A tear leaked from his amber eyes as he smelled her scent wafting down the hall and a shaky sigh escaped his lips. His daughter, Izayoi, opened the door holding the small bundle as she whispered gently, "Oyaji, you've got ten minutes then I've got to take her back, alright?"
A withered, frail looking Inuyasha nodded fervently as he extended his arms out to accept the small infant who would one day release him from his spell. Inhaling, the elderly hanyou leaned foward and pressed a soft kiss to the baby girl's temple before telling her all the things she had missed. Weddings. Birthdays. Their grandchildren. What he'd been doing. What became of everyone she'd known that had survived her. What had become of him. How much he missed her. How much he still loved her, even after all this time. How he'd always love her.
Time went by much too quickly and he reluctantly returned the small baby to his daughter's arms as tears welled in the corner of his eyes. After the door closed, the elderly hanyou buried his face in his hands and for the first time in centuries, openly wept.
Kagome turned two and her parents were holding her party in the city park, where an extremely nervous hanyou had brought their youngest great grandchildren in the hopes that they'd be allowed to meet the woman they'd never met, even if it was just as a peer. Kagome was playing in the sandbox, happy as a lark, with a few other toddlers who seemed more interested in their own castles than hers. With a deep breath, he pushed the most outgoing of the trio he had in tow towards Kagome as he whispered a soft 'go play'.
Toddlers weren't very fickle about new friends. Whomever was available was an excellent playmate and soon all three of the great grandchildren were playing with their great grandmother as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Oyaji, you should go home. It's not good for your health," his second eldest son whispered anxiously as he sat down next to his father and watched his grandchildren play, "You know what the doctor..."
"Can it, will ya? Just let an old man have his way every once in a while," Inuyasha spat back gently as he waved a hand absently in clear dismissal, "I just want to watch. I'll leave if it gets too bad, alright?"
"No you won't," the son snorted as he set his jaw and gave his father a knowing look, "You'd stay out here all day if I'd let you."
"I just...I wanted to see her today," the elderly man whispered softly before his lips twitched upwards at the sight the smallest of the trio giving the small Kagome a giant hug, "It's just...well, it's her birthday."
The son frowned and sighed heavily, "It is her birthday. Why today? You never seek her out any other time. You've been there for every birthday so far."
Inuyasha shrugged and let out a dry laugh, "I hope to never miss one. I...I met her on her birthday, ya know? It feels wrong to miss it. You'll understand one day when your wife dies. Or actually probably not. You won't exactly have the opportunity. Not like anyone else has a story like ours."
The son barked out a laugh and shook his head, "I hope I go first so I never have to find out what I don't understand."
Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha turned his gaze back onto the small Kagome who was being wrangled by both of her parents. As the trio of babies slowly made their way back to them, their son whispered softly, "When will you go to see her again?"
"On her birthday," the elderly hanyou whispered hoarsely as a lump formed itself in his throat against his will, "I'll see her on her birthday."
The doctors told him not to leave the house. The kids begged him not to leave the house. But...today she was turning fourteen and he'd never missed a birthday before in all her life. As the years went by, he never interacted with her, just watched from afar. Oh, he knew it was wrong and more than a little creepy but he couldn't find it in him to care. This was the last year he'd get to see her. Once she turned fifteen, everything would change and he'd have to move far away so his younger self wouldn't catch his own scent. Next year...
Inuyasha sat down on a nearby bench, clutching at his painful chest. Years of miasma exposure had unfortunately led to lung cancer which he'd ignored far too long. It'd spread basically everywhere and even hanyou phsyiology couldn't fight the almighty beast raging inside him. Everyone was amazed he'd managed to live this long. Hell, he was amazed he'd live this long with as sick as he was. Closing his eyes for a moment, he reasoned with himself that he could probably take a quick nap before moving on to the shrine. Just...a...few...
"Inuyasha!"
Amber eyes shot open and he glanced around the pink bedroom he hadn't been in for centuries in alarm. It couldn't have been a dream could it? He didn't want it to be a dream! Looking down at his clothing, he blanched when he saw the red firerat robe in all its glory and paled at the sight of his young smooth skin. No.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome's sweet voice inquired softly and the emotional dam within his being broke as he clenched his eyes shut.
"It wasn't real," he croaked bitterly as tears cascaded down his face, "None of it was real."
"What wasn't real?" Kagome cooed softly as her soft warm hand cupped his face forcing him to look into her eyes filled with understanding, "Oh, Inuyasha. Our life together wasn't a dream. You've waited so long to see me again. I hope I can make it up to you. I've been waiting for you too."
Sniffing loudly, Inuyasha gave her a teary smile and leaned into her touch, "So I've finally died, huh?"
Kagome gave him an apologetic smile and nodded.
"I've got so much to tell you, Kagome," he breathed happily as he pulled her into a tight embrace and buried his face into her ebony locks, "About the kids and their kids and..."
"I know all about them. I've watched all of you grow," she whispered against his shoulder, "You were a wonderful Oyaji. You were a wonderful husband."
Pulling back, she pressed her lips gently against his in a soft chaste kiss, "And you've been so brave to do so much all on your own for so long."
Grinning, Inuyasha pressed his forehead against hers and nuzzled her nose, "So, what do we do now?"
Kagome clasped his hand in her own, "Now, we start our next adventure and find each other again. You ready?"
Pressing his lips quickly against hers once more, Inuyasha gripped her hand tightly and nodded as a white light enveloped them.
Two newborn babies drew in their first breaths and cried, ready to find each other all over again even if they didn't know it yet.
It would not be the first time these souls would be brought together nor would it be the last.