Title: Separate Paths

Author: landofthekwt

Rating: G

Genre: Angst

Universe: Canon Post manga

Pairing: Inuyasha/ Kagome

Word Count: 247

Warning: Marital breakup Issekiwa Drift Theme

Summary: Inuyasha returns to an empty house.

When Inuyasha opened the door to his house he knew what he would find. The house was empty. No Kagome no children all gone. Kagome was his home. Without her love this place was just another house.

He had known that this parting was coming for some time. It was the reason that he accepted Sesshoumaru's summons to defend the Western lands. He could not face one more day of living in this house. The strain maintaining the charade of a loving husband and wife had become too much for him.

The love that he had felt for Kagome was gone. In its place there was a dull ache in his heart. It was ache of knowing that love had been replaced by a sense of duty . It was the pain of knowing that you faced a lifetime trapped in a relationship where the love had been drained from it.

When did love die? He did not wake up and find that he no longer loved Kagome. Somehow

in the course of living he and Kagome had just drifted away from each other.

He noticed a note on the table and sat down to read it.

Dear Inuyasha

Gone to mother's . Closed well. Come for me. I will wait for you.

Love, Kagome

Tetsuaiga clattered to the floor echoing in the house which was now as silent as a tomb. Inuyasha crumpled the note, laid his head on the table and cried. At least hope had not died.