A/N: This is dedicated to my li'bro, who I love very much. Enjoy this story. Please review, cause I have a little add-on idea, but I wasn't sure if it would fit. Have a great new year!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any characters. However, I do own li'bro and sisser. Do not use those without my permission.
They had been through so much these past couple of years. The Sacred Jewel…collecting the shards…defeating Naraku. However, nothing was more painful than what had happened just a few days earlier.
A couple years prior, Kagome and Inuyasha had come to terms with the fact that they were not meant for each other. However, it didn't hurt either of them as much as they expected. In fact, they embraced the new relationship they formed, a close sibling-like kinship that could only be created through difficult times. Ironically enough, it seemed that Kagome's soul mate was none other than Sesshomaru. The cold-hearted demon wasn't as frosty as he seemed, and the two complimented each other perfectly. Who knew?
The real rub lie with Kikyo. She and Inuyasha rekindled the relationship they had with each other and things were going great. That was, until a few days ago. For some reason, the Sacred Jewel did not give Kikyo back her original body, even after Kagome wished for it. This upset Inuyasha to no end; however, who could go against the magic of the all-powerful jewel? The jewel must have other things in mind, because Kagome was given back her complete soul, yet Kikyo was allowed to linger just a while longer. And, the moments that Inuyasha had with her were precious.
It was, those few days ago, that Kikyo passed into the next world. Inuyasha held her that night, as carefully as he could without disturbing her. Thankfully, the passing was easy, and she left with a smile on her face. The group watched Inuyasha walk into the distance, her body tucked safely in his arms. He returned empty handed later that morning, a grim resolve emanating from his person. No one dared to ask him what had happened, and the group slowly made their way back to Kaede's village.
Inuyasha had disappeared for a few days and Kagome was beginning to fret. In his own way, Sesshomaru told her to look for him ("I'm worried about Inuyasha" "…" "I think I'm going to go talk to him" "…" "I love you too, honey"). She finally found him sitting in a small clearing, trees surrounding him on every side. It was a little ways from the village, and Kagome figured that he wanted his privacy. However, she knew from experience that keeping emotions bottled inside for too long would result in something bad. She purposely stepped on a twig to let Inuyasha know of her presence. He merely looked up at her, his once sparkling golden eyes covered in a dull sheen. That about broke her heart.
She made her way to where he was sitting and made herself comfortable sitting next to him. No words were exchanged and the moments ticked by. A small sniff brought Kagome out of her thoughts. She glanced at Inuyasha and noticed a small trail of tears cascading down his cheeks. Moving closer, she wrapped her arms around Inuyasha as his cries increased in volume. He clung to her as if she were his only lifeline. Rocking him back and forth, she began to hum a random but soothing tune. A little while later, his sobbing developed into small cries and eventually into low moanings. Any words that he had said were indistinguishable.
After a few more moments, he finally calmed down enough to release his hold on her. He kept his gaze on the ground, not yet ready to meet Kagome's eyes. A few more minutes of silence elapsed before he spoke.
"She told me to move on." He shuddered before hugging his legs to his chest. "Move on…without her…after everything we had been through. As if that would be easy."
"Maybe she knew that she wasn't right for you. That there was someone better suited for you out there somewhere."
His eyes swiveled on hers. "What do you mean? Kikyo and I were perfect for each other."
Kagome sighed and shook her head. "Were you really, Inuyasha? You two have so much history. How could you have continued your relationship with someone who intended to kill you?" She paused for a moment to let her words sink in. "I think Kikyo knew this. She doesn't want you to suffer, sweetie."
He sniffed. "I just don't get it. After all those years, I would have thought I would have been with her. She changed when she was brought back to life, you know. Her eyes didn't sparkle like they used to…damn it!" he exclaimed, punching the ground with his fist. "I just can't get over her! Everything reminds me of her! The grass, the sky, the wind. How the hell am I supposed to move on if I can't even forget her?"
Kagome looked at the confused hanyou, a small smile passing across her face. "Sometimes you aren't meant to forget the ones you love entirely. They will always be in your heart."
A few more tears slid down his cheeks. Kagome reached over and brushed them away as his eyes slid to meet hers once more. She gave him a smile and continued. "From where I come from, it is said that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Would you trade what you had with Kikyo for no memories with her at all?"
Inuyasha studied her for a long moment, taking in the woman she had become. He chuckled quietly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "Since when did you become so wise, Kagome? I guess Sesshomaru has put some of his influence on you."
She squawked at him. "Now wait a minute! I've always been wise! It just took you this long to finally get it through your thick skill." She opened her mouth to proceed on, but stopped at his amused expression. Instead, she opted for a smile. "I'm glad to see you smiling, li'bro."
"Li'bro? You still remember that?" At her mischievous expression, he rolled his eyes. "Yea, well, thanks, sisser…for everything." Kagome glanced at his semi-peaceful expression before nudging him.
"Hey, don't be down. I'm sure there's someone to love you and your extremely thick head, little brother." At his scathing glance, she merely laughed and brushed a stray hair away from his eyes. "I love you, li'bro."
"I love you too, sisser."